Category: Starches

Breads · Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Starches

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

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I am in love with bread puddings of all kinds. In a new  BH&G Christmas book, this recipe jumped off the page. Well, not actually, but when I saw the picture of it, I wanted to jump in the kitchen and make it. A great meatless main dish or a wonderful side to any type of meat, this will knock your socks off.

3 cups sliced assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as cremini, Portobello, chanterelle or stemmed shitake) (8 oz)

2 medium shallots, sliced (1/4 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tables olive oil

1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine

8 oz rosemary or onion focaccia, cut into 1″  cubes (about 6 cups)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups half & half

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (4 oz)

1 tables snipped fresh thyme

1 tables snipped fresh rosemary

1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas coarsely ground black pepper

Grease eight (10 oz) individual casseroles (ramekins); set aside. In a large skillet, cook mushrooms, shallots and garlic in hot oil over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender. Carefully add sherry. Simmer, uncovered, until liquid is nearly evaporated. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in focaccia cubes.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, half and half, cheese, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over focaccia mixture, pressing with a wooden spoon to moisten all of the bread.

Divide pudding mixture between the prepared casseroles (ramekins, if using pyrex ramekins, will make probably 10 instead of 8).

 Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 325. Bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the centers comes out clean. *If you used the Pyrex ramekins, you won’t need to bake them that long. Tests after 20-23 minutes for doneness.

Serves 8 to 10 depending on size of individual casseroles

Holiday Fare · Starches · Vegetables

Finicky Frosty’s Fine Spaghetti

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IMG_1585IMG_1582
Last night, we (well, actually Frosty) was busy putting out lights on our patio so I would quit saying, “Frosty, I wish we could be the first ones on our street this year to put lights up.” So while he was outside, I got in the mood for Italian. I remembered this dish that I had seen on Facebook a few days ago and decided to make it. Wow, we loved it and cannot wait to have the leftovers again tonight. One pot dish and oh so easy. Here it is
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
12 oz spaghetti
1/2 thinly sliced onion
4 garlic cloves
2 large stems of fresh basil
1 (16 oz) diced tomatoes (I used Hunts with basil and garlic)
2 tables olive oil.
Put everything, even the raw spaghetti, in a large pot that can be used on stove top. Sprinkle the olive oil over the top. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer and cook, still covered, about 15 more minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes. Dish up into bowls and grate your favorite Italian cheese over the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. As the pasta cooks with the other ingredient, it makes a great sauce. Even Frosty commented and said how good it was. Crusty bread with garlic and butter and you have a fantastic and quick dinner.

Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Starches · Vegetables

Caramelized Onion & Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes (or Cauliflower)

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As I was writing that title, I’m thinking to myself, if you are not eating potatoes, why not substitute cauliflower. Taken from a November 2001 Southern Living, this is a favorite side to all meats.

Since getting quite a few emails telling me that I needed to post something besides desserts 95% of the time. I listened. So for the remainder of this week, I will post great holiday sides, meats or salads. (I know I can’t stand to not post a few desserts, so might have to post a couple of times a day to get in my 95% desserts, plus the other foods I have promised. So here it is; the first of the commitments:

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (or cauliflower)

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided

2 tables butter

1 tables olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teas chopped fresh or 1/2 teas dried rosemary

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup half & half

3/4 cup Gorgonzola or blue cheese

3/4 teas pepper

Garnish: fresh rosemary springs

Bring potato or cauliflower to a boil with 1 teas salt with enough water to cover in a Dutch oven; cook 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm.

Melt 2 tables butter with oil in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and cook, stirring often, 12-15 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary, remove from heat.

Mash potato or cauliflower with a potato masher, stir in 1/2 cup butter, half & half and cheese until blended. Stir in onion mixture unto a lightly greased baking dish.

Broil 3″ from heat 5 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Garnish, if desired. You can just sprinkle paprika and dried parsley if you don’t have fresh rosemary sprigs.

Serves 6-8 people

Now can I post the new carrot pound cake recipe that I found?

Starches

Quick Pasta Carbonara

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Using the new Philadelphia Cooking Crème, this pasta dish is really quick and really great for those nights when you are wanting comfort food without taking lots of time, but want great flavor.

Cook 1 lb of pasta (your choice) as directed on package, omitting the salt. Meanwhile, cut 8 slices of Oscar Mayer Center Cut Bacon into 1/2″ pieces; cook in a large skillet until crisp.

Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, but reserving 3 tables drippings in the skillet. Add 4 minced garlic cloves to drippings; cook 1 minute. Add bacon, 1/2 teas pepper and 1 1/3 tubs (10 oz ea) Philadelphia Italian Herb Cooking Crème; cook and stir 3 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking water. Gradually stir reserved water into sauce. Add pasta an 1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese; toss to coat. Transfer to bowl; top with additional 1/4 cup parmesan and 2 tables chopped fresh parsley. Makes 8 servings.

Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Starches

Security Guards & Smouthered Chicken

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While living in CA we went onto watch the Ranger vs Angels play. We were excited to be going out to an evening of eating junk food without guilt. Why is it, when you are enjoying sports events or carnivals, car shows or festivals, we eat as though none of the calories will turn to fat? We pigged out on two tubs of popcorn, peanuts and foot long hot dogs. But we did have the sense to wash it all down with a diet Pepsi, after all, we do have to watch our cholesterol. We didn’t concern ourselves one iota with the fact that we had consumed more calories in one night that we had all week. But it was ok, we were watching baseball.

It was at this point in the evening, when we realized that we had eaten our way through the first 4 innings. We then began to notice two security guards, which walked back and forth, back and forth, right in front of us. The “lady” guard walked in front of “baby Huey” guard, neither one of them looking to the left or to the right, just straight ahead. We became so interested in them that we missed a homerun. We noticed that Baby Huey guard was probably not over the age of 25 and maybe was in training. If lady guard stopped, he stopped, when lady guard walked, he walked, always the same amount of space between them.  Baby Huey must have weighed over 300 lbs and I must say that there was no way he would have been able to run for help or chase anyone trying to steal 3rd base. I truly am in horrible physical shape and over weight. The heaviest thing I can probably lift would be a extra large piece of cheesecake to my mouth. The only time I even try to run is when the blue light comes on at KMart, but I am here to tell you, I think I would be able to beat Baby Huey to be first in line at the hamburger stand. It didn’t give us a sense of security at all. We both sat there and wondered, “what is the biggest size of security uniforms made”? As we watched the snack guys running up and down the stands, yelling, “hot dogs, cotton candy, ice cream”, we talked among ourselves about why didn’t they make these guys the security people? They are able to run up and down the stairs without having to carry an oxygen tank with them. They can throw a hot dog through the air like it was a feather. If a terrorist was running after me, I would vote for the hot dog guy to come to my aid any day before Baby Huey. At least he could stuff cotton candy down the terrorist throat, giving me a chance to hide under the hot dog cart. So we came away, knowing that we will be writing to the NBL with our suggestion that they switch the roles. Snack guys would become security people, baby Huey’s would become snack guys.

Ok, that is off my chest I can post the recipe that I am making tonight. We are headed to watch Forever Plaid and need to eat and run (well, not like the hot dog guys, we will take the car). This is a quick easy recipe that uses store bought rotisserie chicken.

1 (8 oz) package wide egg noodles

1 teas paprika

1 teas dried thyme leaves, crumbled

1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas pepper

3 tables butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 (16 oz) package mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 tsp minced garlic

1 (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk

1/3 cup dry white wine (or more milk if you don’t want to use wine)

1 rotisserie chicken cut into serving pieces

1 tables chopped fresh parsley

Prepare noodles as directed on package. Set aside and keep warm

Stir together paprika, dried thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and sauté 8-10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in garlic and paprika mixture. Saute 2 more minutes. Add soup, milk and wine. Bring to just beginning to boil stage, stirring frequently. Add chicken pieces. spoon sauce over top of chicken. Reduce to a low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Stir in 1 tables parsley. Serve over hot cooked noodles.

Serves: 4

Daily Thoughts · Starches · Vegetables

Easy & Quick & Delisious & Cheap Pasta Primivera (you are probably getting the idea by now)

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Last night I fed Mr. Meat & Potato Guy, this really good made up at the last minute, Pasta Primvera.   You can put it in the crock pot or oven and go off and forget about it for a few hours. He actually liked it and said how good it was. So thought I would pass it on.

I chopped up the left over veggies that I had on hand, onion, celery, zucchini, fresh spinach and carrots. Sauted them in about 2 tables olive oil until the onion was clear. Tossed them in a oven proof pan and added a can of fresh tomatoes (14.5 oz), 1 can of tomato sauce (15 oz), 2 cans of water and a package of McCormick Spaghetti extra thick  spaghetti seasoning package. Added about 1 teas more of garlic powder and 1 teas more Italian seasoning. Stirred, covered pan with lid and baked it for 3 hours at 325. Came out thick and smelled divine. Cooked some spaghetti and wa-la, tossed some freshed shaved parmesan over the top, baked some Pepperidge Farm garlic toast while the noodles were cooking and had a great dinner. Don’t be afraid to use up the veggies in your fridge for things like this. The kids (or your meat loving hubby) won’t even know that there are veggies in the sauce. When I have V-8 on hand, I use that as part of the sauce as it gives extra nutrition and that way, you don’t feel so guilty when you have chocolate cake or key lime pie for dessert, because, “look at all the veggies I just ate and how healthy I must be now that I have had such a huge amount of healthy food?”

Starches · Vegetables

Pecan-Parsley Rice

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If I think about what I would love to have on Mothers Day, Rice is right up there along with ham, fried chicken or roast, of which this recipe would compliment.

The recipes I have posted this week were recipes that I thought would be great to have this Sunday when we celebrate memories and Mom’s.

Hoping each of you a most blessed and wonderful Mothers Day……

1 tables butter

1/4 cup minced onion

2 (6 oz) packages long grain and wild rice blend*seasoning packets discarded or save for another time.

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas black pepper

1/2 teas lemon zest

2 tables fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add onion, cooking until onion is transparent and soft.

Add rice, stirring constantly for about 1 min. Stir in broth and 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 min or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Remove from heat and add pecans and next 5 ingredients, fluffing with fork.

*Using Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Blend if possible

Casseroles · Starches · Vegetables

Potato, Artichoke & Mushroom Saute

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Please, if you picked up the momma or daddy artichokes, put them down and back away, this recipe is only good with “baby artichokes”. If you will notice, this is now 3, count them, 3 days in a row I am posting a recipe that does not include sugar. What is wrong with me???? Maybe it is the new different color I had put on my nails yesterday.

As I am writing this with blue fingernail polish, yes, you heard me correctly, blue, actually Easter Egg blue, it has dawned on me that both you and I need to get out of our comfort zones and have something on the Easter Table next week besides, ham, baked beans, potato salad, deviled eggs and coconut cake for dessert. Let’s surprise our friends and family with some new dishes, served with love, with fingernails that have blue, green or yellow polish, which goes lovely with the dyed Easter eggs. This again, comes from the Food & Wine book. Randy told me that since he had to pay $29.99 for this recipe book, I had better use it quite a bit. So get ready, you are going to see some new fancy recipes for awhile, or at least until he forgets about me insisting on keeping it. I only have 30 days to try it for free, and since I cannot cook all the ones that sound amazing in 30 days, I told him I just had to keep it. This truly does sound delis and I am making it for Easter.

Since it won’t be Easter dinner without deviled eggs, go ahead and serve them alongside this dish and tell them that the Devil Egged You Do It!

3 medium red potatoes (about 1/2 pound) Sliced about 1/4″ thick

Salt

1 large can artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 lemon

4 tables unsalted butter

1/4 cup white dry wine

1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered

1 medium shallot, minced (or white onion, if you cannot make yourself buy a shallot)

1 oz aged hard goat cheese, such as Gouda or Etude (I am going to be honest here, I have never heard of Etude, so will be using Gouda)

In a small saucepan, cover the potatoes with water. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and cool.

Take the drained artichoke hearts and squeeze the lemon over them.

In a small skillet, melt 1 tables of the butter. Add artichokes to the skillet and cook a few minutes, stirring a few times. About 2 minutes. Add the white wine and bring to a boil.

Set aside. In a large skillet, melt 1 tables butter and add the mushrooms and season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are browned and tender, about 4 min. Push the mushrooms to one side of the skillet and add the remaining 2 tables butter. Add the minced shallot (or onion) and cook until softened. Add potatoes, season with salt and turn to coat them with the butter. Cook until the potatoes are golden brown, (about 2 min per side) Gently fold in the mushrooms along with the artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with shaved cheese and serve.

Starches

Baby Bella Rice Pilaf

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If you like rice, you will love this recipe.

2 tables olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 (8 oz) package baby bella mushrooms, quartered

3 cups Texmati white, brown, wild and red rice blend

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 tables minced fresh parsley

1 teas lemon zest

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms, cook stirring frequently for 5 min. Add rice, and cook stirring constantly for 1 min. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 min or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley and lemon zest.

Chicken · Meats · Starches

Chicken Cacciatore

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This is one of my favorite spaghetti recipes. I love making it and I love eating it. It makes me feel so gourmet when I am chopping all the celery, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms, so I put on my pearls, apron and music and chop away. It is low fat but tastes great. One of the great things about it is that you don’t have to have exact measurements, so you can adjust it to your liking and it will always be delicious.

1 can of Hunts Italian Original Spaghetti Sauce (24 oz can)

1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (1 lb, 12 oz can)

1 c chicken broth

2 cups chicken, chopped

1 (14 oz) package of white mushrooms

1 cup each of chopping celery and onion

1 cup of green bell pepper

2 cups cooked spaghetti noodles

Italian seasoning, garlic powder, seasoning salt, pepper and dried parsley (I put about a table of each in, except for the pepper, about 1 teas of that)

In hot oil, sauté the bell pepper, onion and celery. If you like, you can also add chopped carrots to this veggie mixture. Add 1 cup chicken broth and cook until veggies are tender.

Add all the seasonings and then the Hunts spaghetti sauce and diced tomatoes.  Add the chopped chicken and then cook for at least 2 hours over low heat or at 325 in the oven for about 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hours in heavy pot, covered.

Serve over warm spaghetti and then sprinkle flaked parmesan cheese with lots of buttery, garlic bread. Since the sauce is low cal, you can save the calories for the yummy bread that you will want to dip into the sauce.