My friend Lynn found this one many years ago. It's the only reason sweet potatoes made it onto our Thanksgiving table, as none of us were big fans of the mashed, sweetened variety with marshmallows on top.
The original recipe is posted here:
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/mashed-sweet-potatoes-with-caramelized-onions/
We've made a few changes, but not many.
Carmelized Onion Sweet Potatoes
4-8 Tablespoons butter
2 pounds
yellow onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced (7 cups)
1/2 teaspoon
salt
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds
sweet potatoe
1/2 cup
milk
1/3 cup sour cream
Directions
To caramelize the onions, in a large skillet heat 2-4 Tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently,
about 1 hour or until golden brown, very soft and sweet. Season with the 1/2 teaspoon
salt and pepper. Remove from the heat; set aside (This can be done in advance)
Poke holes in the potatoes with a fork and roast them for about an hour at 400 degrees. This can be done the day before, then peel and mash them.
(The other option is to peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. I don't know if you've ever peeled and chopped a raw sweet potato, but it's a pain!)
Add the remaining butter to the hot mashed potatoes and
let melt. If your potatoes aren't hot enough to melt the butter, just melt it over medium low heat and add it to the potatoes. Stir in the milk, sour cream, and salt and pepper to
taste. Stir in caramelized onions, reserving a few onions for garnish.
Cook and stir over low heat until heated through. Transfer to a serving
dish. Top with reserved onions.
If you are making it advance, skip the "heat it through" step and put it in the fridge overnight. Then, cover it and put it in the oven with everything else and heat it through. It will probably take 30- 45 minutes at any temperature from 325-375.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
-Jennifer
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Wilted Spinach Salad
We've done a lot of different salads over the years. This is the one thing that has changed almost every year. Otherwise, we are pretty set on the menu.
Wilted Spinach Salad
6 cups (5-ounces) fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried, and chilled
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 teaspoon coarse or sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon good-quality aged balsamic vinegar
1 pear, seeded and thinly sliced
bleu cheese to taste
Preparation:
Remove stems and veins from spinach and tear into bite-sized pieces; place spinach in a large bowl.
In a small frying pan over medium heat, fry bacon approximately 5 minutes or until crisp; transfer with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate, leaving fat in pan.
Return frying pan to medium heat; add 1 T. oil, onion, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened. Add balsamic vinegar; swirl to incorporate.
Pour warm dressing over spinach and toss gently to wilt (when properly wilted, the leaf edges soften slightly, but the spinach retains some crunch).
Using the same pan, add remaining oil and pears. Return to medium heat and cook 2-3 minutes until pears are just softened slightly.
Sprinkle pears, bacon and bleu cheese over spinach and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
-Jennifer
Cream of Mushroom Soup
This recipe showed up on our Thanksgiving table about 10 years ago.
Dan and I were still living in Dallas, TX when we ate at a great restaurant on Greenville Avenue. I think it was call "The Grape" or something like that. I'm not sure what made me order it, but I ordered their Cream of Mushroom soup. Once I had it, I couldn't believe that Campbell's soup had the audacity to call their condensed soup by the same name! I had to search out a recipe and thankfully, my Joy of Cooking provided.
Here's the recipe with a few modifications:
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Heat over high heat until the butter is melted:
3 1/2 T. Olive Oil
1 T. butter
Add:
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
I prefer about 1/2 of them to be some type of wild mushrooms. We've used dried before. If you need to do that, just purchase a couple of ounces of dried and reconstitute them by putting them in hot water for about 30 minutes. Save the water and use it as part of the stock for the soup.
Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are wilted (about 5 minutes)
Add:
3 T. dry sherry
1 t. dried thyme or 1 T. fresh thyme
Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan.
Stir in:
6 cups chicken broth (or any vegetable broth - sub in the mushroom reconstituting water for some of it, if you have it) If you like soup really thick, cut this down to 4 1/2 cups.
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. pepper
Bring to a boil, reduce to medium to simmer for 20 minutes. I usually make this very early in the day and let it sit after this step. Soup almost always benefits from sitting a little.
Just before serving, heat the soup to a simmer and add:
1/2 c. heavy cream
maybe a little more salt
Serve in warmed bowls with a thyme or parsley garnish.
-Jennifer
Dan and I were still living in Dallas, TX when we ate at a great restaurant on Greenville Avenue. I think it was call "The Grape" or something like that. I'm not sure what made me order it, but I ordered their Cream of Mushroom soup. Once I had it, I couldn't believe that Campbell's soup had the audacity to call their condensed soup by the same name! I had to search out a recipe and thankfully, my Joy of Cooking provided.
Here's the recipe with a few modifications:
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Heat over high heat until the butter is melted:
3 1/2 T. Olive Oil
1 T. butter
Add:
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
I prefer about 1/2 of them to be some type of wild mushrooms. We've used dried before. If you need to do that, just purchase a couple of ounces of dried and reconstitute them by putting them in hot water for about 30 minutes. Save the water and use it as part of the stock for the soup.
Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are wilted (about 5 minutes)
Add:
3 T. dry sherry
1 t. dried thyme or 1 T. fresh thyme
Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan.
Stir in:
6 cups chicken broth (or any vegetable broth - sub in the mushroom reconstituting water for some of it, if you have it) If you like soup really thick, cut this down to 4 1/2 cups.
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. pepper
Bring to a boil, reduce to medium to simmer for 20 minutes. I usually make this very early in the day and let it sit after this step. Soup almost always benefits from sitting a little.
Just before serving, heat the soup to a simmer and add:
1/2 c. heavy cream
maybe a little more salt
Serve in warmed bowls with a thyme or parsley garnish.
-Jennifer
Thanksgiving Already?
I'm not sure how the time passed so darned quickly, but here we are a week out from Thanksgiving and I'm just now getting these recipes to you. I'm sorry for the delay!
As I told you in the email, these are our menu items this year:
First Course:
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Rolls (we use Scharr brand for the gf people and the rest are made in a separate kitchen, frozen before the final rise and pulled out to use that day)
Salad Course:
Wilted Spinach Salad with pears, bleu cheese and red onions
(this changes from year to year)
Main Course:
Turkey
Mashed potatoes (we make both regular and dairy free)
Cornbread Stuffing
Carmelized onion sweet potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy
Green bean casserole (French's Onions are not gf, so I'll give you a few substitues)
Dessert:
gf/df pumpkin and apple pie
My friend is also planning to do a chocolate pie with a hazelnut crust. I'm not sure what her recipe is, but I'm going to give you a super-simple recipe, since you all can have dairy.
So---
Let's go!
-Jennifer
As I told you in the email, these are our menu items this year:
First Course:
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Rolls (we use Scharr brand for the gf people and the rest are made in a separate kitchen, frozen before the final rise and pulled out to use that day)
Salad Course:
Wilted Spinach Salad with pears, bleu cheese and red onions
(this changes from year to year)
Main Course:
Turkey
Mashed potatoes (we make both regular and dairy free)
Cornbread Stuffing
Carmelized onion sweet potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy
Green bean casserole (French's Onions are not gf, so I'll give you a few substitues)
Dessert:
gf/df pumpkin and apple pie
My friend is also planning to do a chocolate pie with a hazelnut crust. I'm not sure what her recipe is, but I'm going to give you a super-simple recipe, since you all can have dairy.
So---
Let's go!
-Jennifer
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Potato and Egg Hash
This is another fast lunch for us. It is a throw-it-together-from-all-the-leftovers-in-the-fridge special at our house. Somehow, when you put the eggs over the top, it makes it taste like something exciting and new :-).
Potato and Egg Hash
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add and melt:
1-2 Tablespoons butter
Add and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are softened:
1 potato, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes (if I made too many baked potatoes, I use that here. It cooks a little faster then)
1/4 chopped onion
Add:
1/2 cup or so of ham or leftover chicken, pork or beef, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen cut green beans (or a leftover vegetables or any other frozen veggie you like)
Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Whisk:
2 eggs
Pour evenly over the mixture in the pan and cover. Cook until the eggs are set - usually 5 minutes (It's a little guess-work for me on the time here, since I'm usually tending to kids and trying not to let it burn...)
This should be a fairly hearty meal for one.
-Jennifer
Potato and Egg Hash
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add and melt:
1-2 Tablespoons butter
Add and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are softened:
1 potato, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes (if I made too many baked potatoes, I use that here. It cooks a little faster then)
1/4 chopped onion
Add:
1/2 cup or so of ham or leftover chicken, pork or beef, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen cut green beans (or a leftover vegetables or any other frozen veggie you like)
Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Whisk:
2 eggs
Pour evenly over the mixture in the pan and cover. Cook until the eggs are set - usually 5 minutes (It's a little guess-work for me on the time here, since I'm usually tending to kids and trying not to let it burn...)
This should be a fairly hearty meal for one.
-Jennifer
Fried Rice
I thought of you today when I made this for my kids for lunch. It's a great way to use leftover rice and it's such a quick meal to put together that it makes regular appearances on our table.
There are much fancier ways to do it, but this is a basic recipe. I usually add a frozen or leftover vegetable (the favorite here is peas, which is why they are in the recipe, but put in whatever you want). If I have a little leftover chicken or pork, I'll chop it up very small and put it in, too. Just add it when you add the vegetable.
Fried Rice
In a small bowl, whip together:
2 eggs
a dash of salt
In a large, flat-bottomed skillet, heat over medium-high heat:
1 Tablespoon oil (I usually use canola)
Pour the eggs in all at once and tilt the pan to spread them out. You want a big, flat, egg pancake. Cook them until they are set. If you need to, pick up a corner of the eggs and tip some of the liquid onto the pan to get them all set. They should be dry-looking. Chop them up with a spatula and put in a bowl off to the side.
In the same skillet, heat:
1-2 Tablespoons sesame oil (you can use another oil in a pinch, but it will lose some of that unique flavor)
Add:
2 cups leftover rice (or whatever you have that's close to 2 cups. It's a very forgiving recipe!)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/4 of an onion, really finely chopped (you can skip this and add scallions-green onions at the end, but I don't always have green onions on hand and I rarely am without a regular onion)
Cook, stirring, until very hot. Add:
1/2 cup frozen peas (or vegetable/leftover meat of your choice)
Heat until the vegetable is warmed. Then add back in the eggs and 1 sliced scallion(green onion), if you don't use regular onion in the recipe.
You're done! The whole thing usually takes me 10 minutes.
Serve it with soy-sauce.
If you want to get fancy with your fried rice, you can use this recipe. It is delicious, but not as quick or easy
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/southeast-asian-fried-rice-10000001949703/
-Jennifer
There are much fancier ways to do it, but this is a basic recipe. I usually add a frozen or leftover vegetable (the favorite here is peas, which is why they are in the recipe, but put in whatever you want). If I have a little leftover chicken or pork, I'll chop it up very small and put it in, too. Just add it when you add the vegetable.
Fried Rice
In a small bowl, whip together:
2 eggs
a dash of salt
In a large, flat-bottomed skillet, heat over medium-high heat:
1 Tablespoon oil (I usually use canola)
Pour the eggs in all at once and tilt the pan to spread them out. You want a big, flat, egg pancake. Cook them until they are set. If you need to, pick up a corner of the eggs and tip some of the liquid onto the pan to get them all set. They should be dry-looking. Chop them up with a spatula and put in a bowl off to the side.
In the same skillet, heat:
1-2 Tablespoons sesame oil (you can use another oil in a pinch, but it will lose some of that unique flavor)
Add:
2 cups leftover rice (or whatever you have that's close to 2 cups. It's a very forgiving recipe!)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/4 of an onion, really finely chopped (you can skip this and add scallions-green onions at the end, but I don't always have green onions on hand and I rarely am without a regular onion)
Cook, stirring, until very hot. Add:
1/2 cup frozen peas (or vegetable/leftover meat of your choice)
Heat until the vegetable is warmed. Then add back in the eggs and 1 sliced scallion(green onion), if you don't use regular onion in the recipe.
You're done! The whole thing usually takes me 10 minutes.
Serve it with soy-sauce.
If you want to get fancy with your fried rice, you can use this recipe. It is delicious, but not as quick or easy
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/southeast-asian-fried-rice-10000001949703/
-Jennifer
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Cornmeal "Dutch Baby"
This is a Dutch pancake. When you make it with flour, it puffs up and can be run to the table for dramatic effect. We serve it for special breakfasts and brunches with berry preserves or jam or even just powdered sugar.
There's a whole story about Pannekoekan in my family. We took a trip to Minnesota for Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle. My parents drove until late in the night on Wednesday night and slept in a hotel with all six of us kids. This was in the time before refrigerators and microwaves were in all of the hotel rooms, so they couldn't just pack breakfast for us. They planned to have us eat a quick, small breakfast at some place like McDonald's. Since it was Thanksgiving Day, though, none of those were open. The only restaurant in the town was a Pannekoekan House. We kids were all impressed with the waitstaff at the restaurant who would run across in wooden shoes yelling "Pannekoekan! Pannekoekan!" so that they could get to your table while the cake was still puffed up. It was, I'm sure, far more expensive than they'd intended and far more filling. We all arrived at my aunt's house still full from breakfast and did not do justice to the very full Thanksgiving table she had prepared for us. We never heard the end of it!
I was quite excited to see this recipe and it's been a favorite with our kids.
This version, made with cornmeal, doesn't puff up as well. However, it tastes great.
Cornmeal Dutch Baby
Preheat your oven to 425.
If you have a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet, you start this on the stove top. If not, use a large pie plate or 8x8 baking pan (or if you're cooking for more than 2 people, double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan) and just put it in the oven.
Put in your pan
3-4 Tablespoons butter
If you are starting on the stove top, melt it over medium heat. If you are starting in the oven, just put the butter in the pan and pop it in the oven to melt.
while its melting, whisk together:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal (finer grind is better than stone ground for this, but both are good)
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
Pour the batter into the pan and let heat for 1 minute on the stove top (skip this step, obviously, if you are not using a stove top proof pan).
Put the pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the middle is set (not jiggly).
Serve as soon as possible with a dusting of powdered sugar or a spoonful of jam.
-Jennifer
There's a whole story about Pannekoekan in my family. We took a trip to Minnesota for Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle. My parents drove until late in the night on Wednesday night and slept in a hotel with all six of us kids. This was in the time before refrigerators and microwaves were in all of the hotel rooms, so they couldn't just pack breakfast for us. They planned to have us eat a quick, small breakfast at some place like McDonald's. Since it was Thanksgiving Day, though, none of those were open. The only restaurant in the town was a Pannekoekan House. We kids were all impressed with the waitstaff at the restaurant who would run across in wooden shoes yelling "Pannekoekan! Pannekoekan!" so that they could get to your table while the cake was still puffed up. It was, I'm sure, far more expensive than they'd intended and far more filling. We all arrived at my aunt's house still full from breakfast and did not do justice to the very full Thanksgiving table she had prepared for us. We never heard the end of it!
I was quite excited to see this recipe and it's been a favorite with our kids.
This version, made with cornmeal, doesn't puff up as well. However, it tastes great.
Cornmeal Dutch Baby
Preheat your oven to 425.
If you have a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet, you start this on the stove top. If not, use a large pie plate or 8x8 baking pan (or if you're cooking for more than 2 people, double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan) and just put it in the oven.
Put in your pan
3-4 Tablespoons butter
If you are starting on the stove top, melt it over medium heat. If you are starting in the oven, just put the butter in the pan and pop it in the oven to melt.
while its melting, whisk together:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal (finer grind is better than stone ground for this, but both are good)
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
Pour the batter into the pan and let heat for 1 minute on the stove top (skip this step, obviously, if you are not using a stove top proof pan).
Put the pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the middle is set (not jiggly).
Serve as soon as possible with a dusting of powdered sugar or a spoonful of jam.
-Jennifer
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