The Perfect Baked Potato!

For the past few weeks David has been able to participate in a cooking class at our local recreation center. At the last class they made these super cute "Mr. Potato Heads"



It gave me the idea for tonights dinner, baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese. I never had luck with making a baked potato before, I usually end up under cooking them. I decided to google baked potato to see what I could find on timing and came found a link to the Alton Brown's recipe for baked potatoes. I decided to pair it up with the creamy cheese sauce from the Pioneer Woman's macaroni and cheese. Add some steamed broccoli and voilà!

How to Bake the Potato:

What You Need:
Russet Potatoes
Canola Oil
Kosher Salt

The Steps:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds.
2. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking.
3. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil.
4. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven.
5. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.
6. Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft.
7. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

NOTE: If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.

How to Make the Cheese Sauce:

What You Need:
1 whole Egg Beaten
¼ cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
2-½ cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
1 pound Cheese, Grated
½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper

The Steps:
1. In a small bowl, beat egg.
2. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
3. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
4. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
5. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
6. Add in cheese and stir to melt.
7. Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

The Verdict:
Success! Seriously, it was the BEST baked potato I have ever had. They were cooked to perfection! I never knew how restaurants got the potato to open like a pocket and now I do! I really liked the how well the cheese sauce worked on the potato, rather than just melting some shredded cheese. By the way, these would be delicious with some butter, sour cream and chives too, or substituting the broccoli for bacon!!! YUM!

Spring Shells & Cheese

I am always excited when I get my Food Network Magazine in the mail. As I saw the Spring Shells and Cheese in the picture I couldn't wait to try it. Just be aware that this is no 30 minute meal, it's under their section for Weekend Meals.

Ingredients:
2 pounds medium zucchini
Kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups whole milk
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 pound medium pasta shells
4 shallots, minced
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
4 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
4 ounces baby spinach

Directions:
Grate the zucchini into a colander using the large holes of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon salt, then place in the sink to drain, about 15 minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid.


Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutmeg, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper to taste and mix with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about 3 minutes.


Slowly whisk in the milk, then add the thyme, bay leaves and lemon zest and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened slightly, about 25 minutes. Strain into a bowl; discard the herbs.


Meanwhile, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta along with the egg yolks and all but 3 tablespoons of both cheeses; stir to combine, then add the spinach.


Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the reserved cheeses. Bake until browned on top and heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.


The Verdict:
This was a big hit. I had my cousin over for dinner and she really liked it and even took some leftovers for her lunch. The total preparation and cook time was about an hour and a half. The sauce takes about a half hour to simmer and then you need about a half hour to bake the dish once it's prepared. I would not make this dish again during the week but since the Doc home on vacation, I was able to give my undivided attention to the kitchen!

I really thought the flavor was excellent and the boys had no idea they were eating zucchini! Next time I might even add some cooked chicken to the bake.

Eggs Florentine Get Wacky with Waffles

Eggs Florentine Get Wacky with Waffles is Rachael Ray's title, not mine! But this is something I have made a couple times now that and I wanted to share because it is really good, fast and the kids like it! This dish comes from her Yum-o cookbook.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 small onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and excess water squeezed out
A little freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 frozen whole grain frozen waffles
4 slices Canadian bacon
8 eggs, beaten
A couple dashes of hot sauce (optional)
1 vine-ripe tomato, sliced into 4 pieces
1 cup grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese

The How To:
Pre-heat broiler to high. Set rack on second slotting from the top.

Place a medium size skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about one tablespoon, and one tablespoon of butter.

Once the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring every now and then, for 2-3 minutes or until the onion starts to get tender. Add the spinach, season with a little nutmeg and stir to combine.


Sprinkle the spinach with the flour, stir to combine and cook for one minute. Add the milk and chicken stock and bring up to a bubble and simmer until thick, about 3-4 minutes. Turn off and cover to keep warm.



While the spinach is thickening, toast up your frozen waffles.

Place a second large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about one tablespoon. Add the sliced Canadian bacon and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned, then remove and cover to keep warm. Return the skillet to medium-low heat and add the remaining tablespoon butter.

While the butter melts, beat the eggs with a splash of water, some salt, pepper and a couple of dashes of hot sauce. Add the eggs to the skillet with the melted butter and cook, while stirring, until desired doneness.

To serve, assemble the Canadian bacon on top of the toasted whole grain waffles, top with the spinach, followed by the eggs, sliced tomato and the cheese. Transfer to the broiler to melt the cheese, a couple of minutes, then serve.





The Verdict: David really like scrambled eggs and waffles so he really liked this dinner. I am not sure he cared much for the spinach but he at least tried it!


I make this as a dinner because generally I am too lazy in the morning, and if I want a fancy breakfast I prefer to go to Jac's and order their delicious french toast! I am the kind of person who loves to have breakfast for dinner. I also like it because it's quick and I generally have all the ingredients on hand. Tonight we substituted the canadian bacon for regular bacon and we used swiss cheese. I prefer the gruyère but it's much more expensive so we generally don't use it.

Pasta Carbonara

It is no secret that I am a HUGE fan of the Pioneer Woman. I have her cook book and swear by her website for recipes. Back a few months ago I tried out this recipe for Pasta Carbonara. It's from her friend Pastor Ryan, a contributor to her blog. We liked it but my execution needed some work so I wanted to try it out again and wouldn't you know, second time is a charm!

Ingredients:
1 pound Bacon Or Pancetta
1 pound Linguine Pasta
1 whole Large Onion
8 cloves (to 12 Cloves) Garlic
1 cup White Wine (or Substitute Another Cup Of Stock)
1 cup Chicken Stock
4 whole Eggs
1-½ cup Parmesan Cheese
1 bunch Parsley
½ sticks Butter
1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Black Pepper

The How To:
First, slice up 1 pound of bacon into pieces about one inch wide. Once they’re sliced, just toss your bacon pieces into a stainless steel pan. Cook until browned and crisp.


While the bacon’s cooking, set a pot of salted water (I use about 2 tablespoon of salt for a gallon of water) on the stove for our pasta. When it comes to a boil add your linguine and cook until al dente, tender-firm.

Next, chop your onion. When the bacon is cooked, scoop it out with a slotted spoon and set it onto a plate. Reserve the bacon grease! We still need that stuff. Throw the diced onions into the bacon grease. Give the onions a quick stir and let them cook down over a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.


In the meantime, thinly slice the garlic. After the onions have cooked for a couple of minutes, throw in the garlic. Adding it after the onions have cooked a little will prevent the garlic from burning. After the onion and garlic have cooked for another couple of minutes, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Discard the grease.

Place the pan back on high heat until it starts to smoke a little. As soon as the pan begins to smoke, pour in the white wine (or chicken stock). Whisk until pan is thoroughly deglazed and all of the brown bits have come off of the bottom of the pan. Add 1 cup of chicken stock. Return bacon, onion and garlic back to the pan. Let simmer over medium heat.

Crack four eggs into a large bowl. Add most of the Parmesan cheese, and rough chop the parsley, adding it into the eggs as well. Leave a little Parmesan and parsley out for a garnish.


Mix well with a fork.


Drain the water from your pasta. Be sure the pasta is very hot. Add the pasta to the egg mixture and then add the bacon/onion mixture. Finally throw a ½ stick (1/4 cup) of butter in there. Mix it all together well. Pepper to taste. Garnish with parmesan and parsley.


The Verdict:
Like I said above, the second time is a charm. I worked out the kinks the first time I made it and all I can say is YUM! It was good the first time but this time it was DELICIOUS! According to the Doc this one is a winner, which is pretty much the best compliment I could get from him! I would highly recommend this dish.

I served it with a salad and some crusty Italian bread. I also didn't have linguine on hand so I used bucatini instead. The key is to under cook the pasta just slightly before al dente!



For better pictures and a step by step process, click on the hyperlink above!

German Chocolate Cake

There is nothing German about German chocolate cake, did you know that? It is a Texas creation from the late 1950's of chocolate, coconut, and toasted pecans. How can you go wrong with that flavor combo???? It is also easy to make. Observe...

Step 1: Bake yourself 2 9 inch round chocolate cakes using whatever recipe you'd like (I'm not gonna lie, a box of Duncan Hines devil's food mix is fine, although I do substitute the water for coffee...it helps bring out the chocolate flavor. Cool them completely.

Step 2: Toast up about 2 cups of chopped pecans and 2 cups of shredded coconut in the over for about 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: To prepare your icing, bring 3/4 cup of evaporated milk, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, a dn 1/2 cup of butter to a boil. Stir at medium low heat for about 15 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and add your cocnut and pecans, and set aside to cool.

Step 4: Cut the tops off your cake rounds. Place the 1st round on a cake platter and top with half of the coconut icing. PLace the second round on top and put the rest of the cocnut mixture on top.

Step 5: To finish it off, frost the sides of the cake with a chocolate frosting (yep, I cheat and buy the store-bought stuff but I'll bet home-made tastes better).

Rustic Smashed Potatoes

I think I have discovered a better way to make mashed potatoes.....see below:

Instead of boiling your potatoes, the key to this recipe is roasting them. Baby red potatoes work best (skin on please).

Coat your potatoes in EVOO and coarse salt, then place them in a roasting pan. Add an entire bulb of garlic (top cut off) and an onion, cut in quarters. Place in a 375 degree oven until the potatoes are cooked through (about 45=60 minutes, depending on the potato size).

Place the whole cooked potatoes in a pot. Chop the roasted onion into smaller pieces and add it to the pot. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and into the pot with the potatoes and onions (as much garlic as you'd like).

Now, continue making your mashed potatoes as you normally would. I add salt, fresh oregano and thyme, and sour cream to mine as I mash them.

These potatoes will have so much flavor you may never go back to the old ones!!!

Brian's Easy NY-Style Bagels

Did you know making bagels is EASY??? Once you try this for yourself you may never want to buy bagels at the store again!!!

Ingredients:

1 packet of active dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cup warm water

3 1/2 cups bread flour (all-purpose will NOT work!!!)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Step 1: Bloom your yeast by placing it in the warm water with the sugar. After 5 minutes stir it to dissolve.

Step 2: Mix the flour and salt ina big bowl, make a well, and add your bloomed yeast water.

Step 3: Combine the dry and wet ingredients into a dough ball

Step 4: On a floured surface, kneed the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try to work as much flour into it as you can.

Step 5: Lightly brush a bowl with oil and place the dough ball in it, tossing it to coat the ball with oil. Cover with a moist kitchen towl and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour (dough ball should double in size)

Step 6: Punch the ball down and let it rise for 10 more minutes

Step 7: Divide the dough bal into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball=shape. Flatten slightly and use your finger to punch a hole in it and form the bagel shape. Set aside on a baking sheet (covered with the kitchen towel) to rise for 10 more minutes.

Step 8: Submerge the bagels (3-4 at a time) in a big pot of boiling water. Flip after 2 minutes and boil the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to apply toppings:

Step 9: As soon as the bagels come out of the pool, give them a quick egg wash and sprinkle on your favorite toppings (I like, salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, and/or caraway seeds)

Step 10: Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

Easy!