Creamed Onions

 A Thanksgiving staple growing up I still love creamed onions. I think that's about the only time we had them. I think the trick this year might be finding pearl onions. I'm sure I've seen frozen ones but these days it's hard to find basic frozen vegetables. I haven't seen fresh ones either. I'll be hitting the grocery stores again probably on Tuesday and will see what I can find. 

Creamed Onions

serves 4

 

1 lb small pearl onions

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/4 c milk, warmed

salt & pepper

If needed, peel the onions then cook in a cup of lightly salted water until tender; drain.

To make the white sauce - melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until tlhe paste cooks and bubbles a bit but don't let it brown. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste; lower the heat and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the heat, add the onions, and reheat.

from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook

Sesame Kale

We've had a lot of kale in our veggie box recently and I need new ways to use it. I came across this recipe when I was looking for the dragon noodles recipe on her website. Both are delicious and if we had a side dish with the dragon noodles this would be a good one.

Sesame Kale

1 bunch of kale
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Remove the stems from the kale by slicing down each side with a sharp knife. Stack the leaves and slice crosswise into one inch wide strips. Wash the leaves well.

Mince the garlic and add it to a large pot with one tablespoon of cooking oil and saute for about a minute over medium heat. Add the kale to the pot. Stir and cook the kale until it is wilted and glossy (about 5 minutes). If you prefer a more tender leaf, cook longer.

Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds to the pot. Stir to coat. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Serve warm.

From Budget Bytes

Blueberry Salad

I'm not sure where I got this one from, it may be a mix from a couple of recipes I saw online. An easy spring salad that stars one of my favorite fruits.

Blueberry Salad

10 oz spring mix lettuce
1 pint blueberries
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
6 oz. crumbled feta
4 green onions, sliced
balsamic dressing

toss the first five ingredients together. Add dressing when ready to serve and toss.

Stir-Fried Sesame Asparagus

One of our favorite spring veggies is asparagus. There are so many yummy ways to fix it and we eat it quite a bit around here. I was looking for something a little different the other night and found this stir-fry recipe.

Stir-Fried Sesame Asparagus
makes 4-6 servings

2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 lbs asparagus, ends trimmed, cut on diagonal into 2" long pieces
2 tsp sesame seeds

Stir soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Heat oil in heavy large skillet. Add garlic and stir 15 seconds. Add asparagus and sir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and toss until asparagus is coated, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Cucumber Salad

I'm not sure you could really call this a "salad" since it's really just marinated cucumbers but that's what it was called in the cookbook. It came from a Swedish cookbook my mom has and it's one we've enjoyed for years. The nice, cool, crisp cucumbers really are enjoyable during the hot summer months.

Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 c vinegar
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
chopped parsley for garnish

Mix vinegar, water, and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced cucumber to the marinade and chill in the fridge for several hours. You can reuse the marinade.

Baked Potato Casserole

Yes, we've still been eating, just been incredibly busy. Nothing really creative or new about most anything I've been making recently. I'm just happy most days to get a decent dinner made and on the table or into a thermos. I was clipping some coupons this weekend and came across this baked potato casserole recipe. Since Bob is a meat-and-potatoes man and Whitney loves baked potatoes, I knew this would be a hit at our house. After a long day of snowboarding/skiing and working at the grill, they came home to steak and baked potato casserole.

Baked Potato Casserole
serves 6

8 medium potatoes (about 2.5-3 lbs total), peeled and cut into chunks
1 c evaporated milk
1/2 c light sour cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
sliced green onions, optional (I used 3)

Place potatoes in a large pot. cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes or until tender; drain. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease 2.5-3 quart casserole dish.

Return potatoes to saucepan; add evaporated milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 c cheese and half of the bacon. Spoon mixture into casserole dish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. top with remaining 1/2 c cheese, remaining bacon, and green onions. Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Tastes just like a baked potato, but in casserole form.

Potato Salad

Just about finished making the potato salad for church tomorrow. The church is celebrating 25 years with a bbq lunch and a baked bean and potato salad taste off. The girls and I decided to make potato salad, we'll see how it does tomorrow. Sure wish it was for dinner tonight! This recipe is from my mom and grandma, which also means that there's nothing specific about it.

Potato Salad

Use freshly boiled potatoes (1 or 2 per person; we usually do 5 pounds for us which is enough for leftovers next day), peel and slice or dice. While warm, stir in some bacon drippings or salad oil and vinegar to taste. When ready to use, add chopped onion and celery, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.


As you can see, nothing specific here. If I'm using 5 lbs of potatoes, I usually use one large onion and 2 or 3 ribs of celery.

Corn and Cheddar Fritters

I found this recipe in a magazine (Women's Day? Ladies Home Journal?) I was flipping through on vacation and it sounded good. Friday night we had a vegetarian dinner since I had a bunch of things left from the farmer's market I needed to use before they went bad. We had sauteed zucchini and onions, the corn fritters, and roasted asparagus. All of it was really good.

Corn and Cheddar Fritters
makes 8 fritters

1/3 c mayonnaise
1 tsp hot sauce
1/3 c milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c cornmeal
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c fresh corn (I used 3 ears)
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
canola oil

In a small bowl, mix mayo and hot sauce. Set aside in the refrigerator. In a medium bowl, mix milk, egg, baking powder, cornmeal, flour, and salt until smooth. Stir in corn, parsley, and cheese. Pour 1/4 inch of oil into a large skillet and heat. Working in batches, fry 1/4-cup scoops (or a large spoonful) of batter until golden, turning once, about 4 minutes total; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot fritters with spicy mayo.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

I've been looking for a good black bean and corn salad and found this one yesterday. We had family over for dinner and I was making tacos but wanted some sort of side to go with them. This is super fast (it should be, it's from Rachael Ray) and easy. It's also made with things I usually have on hand so I can make it just about anytime.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
modified from Rachael Ray

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp hot sauce
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
small handful cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes at room temperature for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve. Can also be made further ahead and put in the fridge; let come to room temp and toss before serving.

Macaroni Salad

I can't believe that I haven't posted this recipe before since it's one of my staple summertime recipes. It goes great with anything cooked on the grill. I got this one from my mom (who always makes it as well).

Macaroni Salad

1-16 oz. box of macaroni or other shaped pasta
2 tomatoes, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
mayonnaise
salt and sugar
celery seed

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. When done, drain and rise in cold water to cool off. Add a couple of large spoonfuls of mayonnaise, a good shake of salt, about 2 tsp. sugar, and a couple of good shakes of celery seed. Put in the refrigerator to cool. Just before serving, add the celery and tomatoes. Mix those in and add more mayonnaise, if needed.

Easy to double for a large crowd or cut in half if you need less.

Grilled Romain Hearts with Caesar Vinaigrette

Yesterday was Mother's Day and the girls always fix me dinner. When Sweet Pea was asking what I wanted (she said fish was off the table, she and Dad didn't know how to cook it), I told her it didn't really matter, whatever she fixed was fine. Then I was looking at my stack of recipes and found this one that I've wanted to try. She was game for it, especially since she was grilling the steaks. She said it was very easy.

Grilled Caesar Salad
serves 4

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
cooking or olive oil spray
2 hearts of Romaine lettuce

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Heat the grill to medium-high and oil the grill's surface. Remove any wilted outer leaves from the romaine hearts, then cut the hearts in half length-wise leaving the end intact so each half holds together. Spray them lightly all over with the cooking spray.

Grill until grill marks form and the lettuce wilts slightly, about 6 minutes, turning once or twice. Serve drizzled with the vinaigrette.

Fried Rice

Sweet Pea and Rosie Jane, this one's for you. I got this recipe years ago from a little cookbook called The Starving Student's Cookbook that I got from Pops and Nana when I went to college.  It's full of great, cheap, easy recipes.  I used to use it a lot, when it was just Dad and I and life was simpler. This is super easy, a great way to use up leftover rice, meat, and veggies. You can really throw in whatever you have around, just chop it up small.

Fried Rice
modified from The Starving Student's Cookbook

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 small onion chopped
1-2 c leftover rice
soy sauce
salt & pepper
1 egg

Add the oil to a skillet or wok and heat.  Add the onion and stir fry for a few minutes until softened.  If you want to add any chopped meat or other chopped cooked veggies, now is the time to do it.  When the onion is soft, add the rice and soy sauce.  I usually do a couple of swirls around the skillet.  Season with salt and pepper and continue stirring.  Add the egg, continue to stir until the egg is cooked.  Check seasoning, especially soy sauce.

One good thing to add if you have them is peas.  If they're frozen, defrost them first before adding.

New Year's Day dinner - pork and black-eyed peas

Happy New Year!!  I hope everyone has a wonderful new year in 2012.  To start off our new year, we got up early to meet family for brunch in Baltimore.  We got home and basically relaxed all afternoon, then had a nice dinner.  I fixed a pork roast and hoppin' John with rice. [As a side note, the name "hoppin' John" reminds me of my uncle whose nickname back when he was racing motorcycles was Jumping John.]  For those not in the know, hoppin' John is a black-eyed pea dish traditionally served in the south on New Year's day to bring good luck in the new year.  Bob asked me where the collard greens were, since they symbolize riches in the new year and that comment was met with groans from the girls.  We had greens on Thanksgiving which my brother made, so I guess that'll have to do.  I got this recipe last year from Parade magazine and pulled it out again since it seemed to be one everyone liked.

For those that desire a picture, here's one I took before everyone dug in tonight.

Hoppin' John
serves 6

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 15oz can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 c vegetable broth or water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c flat-leaf parsley, minced
cooked rice
shredded white cheddar
hot sauce (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  Saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in black-eyed peas, broth, salt, and pepper.  Reduce heat to low; cook 10 more minutes.  Stir in green onions and parsley. 

Serve on top of cooked rice and garnish with cheese.  Add hot sauce, if desired.

Cranberries!!

If pumpkin is my love in the fall, cranberries are my favorite in winter.  I love cranberries in just about any form, except it's "natural state" as my husband calls it...that would be in a cylindrical form with ridges on the side.  Don't really care for cranberries that way, but any other way I love them.  I LOVE the Ocean Spray commercials on tv, they're quite funny.  I was pretty excited to see their cranberry bog in Epcot when we were at Disney earlier this month.

So tonight after I got the stew going for dinner I made a couple of cranberry dishes to take with us for Thanksgiving dinner, first was cranberry-orange relish then a cranberry pie dessert.  I'll have more cranberry recipes to share in coming weeks.

Cranberry-Orange Relish

1 bag of fresh cranberries (can be frozen)
1 seedless navel orange
1/4-1/2 c walnut pieces
sugar

Using a food processor, chop the cranberries.  Cut the orange into quarters then chop it and the walnuts.  Mix together in a bowl.  Add sugar to taste.  This is pretty subjective but you want a nice blend of sweet and tart.  Start with about 1/4 c of sugar, mix and let it sit for a few minutes.  Taste and add more sugar if needed.

Cranberry Pie Dessert
In family history, this recipe came to us from my brother's second grade class.  I think they must have made it for their Thanksgiving "dinner" at school.

2 c raw cranberries
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c chopped nuts
2 eggs, beaeten well
1 c sugar
1 c flour
1/2 c butter, melted

Grease a 10" pie pan.  Mix cranberries, 1/2 c sugar, and nuts.  Press into bottom of pan.  Beat eggs with 1 c sugar; add flour and butter.  Beat well and pour over cranberry mix in pan.  Spread it to cover.

Bake at 325* for 60 minutes until golden brown.

The recipe I copied this from says that it freezes well, but I only make one when I need one and there's never any to freeze.  Maybe I should try making two and freezing one?

Chili and Beer Bread

I was on the phone catching up with my mom when I realized that I'd better get busy with something for dinner.  Found some ground turkey in the freezer, knew I had beans and diced tomatoes in the pantry, and I had some beer bread mix (Tastefully Simple), sounds like chili with beer bread.  I also found some leftover rice in the fridge so that's going into the mix as well.

Chili

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small green pepper, diced
1 small can tomato sauce
salt & pepper
1 Tbsp. chili powder

Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Add more or less chili powder to taste.

Beer Bread

The easy way - use a package of Tastefully Simple beer bread; mix and bake according to package directions.

The not quite as easy, but still pretty easy, way (from Joy of Cooking) -

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. light or dark beer (not stout), cold or at room temperature, but not flat

Preheat oven to 400*. Grease loaf pan.  Whisk together in a large bowl all ingredients except the beer.  Add the beer and fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center and all the way to the bottom of the pan comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5-10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

Bubble and Squeak

No, I'm not writing about bubble baths or dog toys.  Bubble and squeak is a British dish that I found a while back that uses cabbage and potatoes.  It's a simple, tasty dish.

Bubble and Squeak
serves 4

5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1/2 small head of cabbage, sliced, then cut crossways (you'll end up with squares)

Put the cabbage and potatoes into a pot and cover with water.  Boil until potatoes are tender.  Drain.  Heat a cast iron skillet and melt some butter in it.  Add the potatoes and cabbage.  Lightly mash the mixture and cook until lightly browned.  Season with salt and pepper.

Finally . . . good Boston Baked Beans!!

My wonderful husband is from New England which means that one of his staple foods growing up was baked beans.  His favorite is B&M Baked Beans, which I do enjoy as well, but I've been looking for a good homemade baked bean recipe.  Now I've got the one for baked beans with hamburger, bacon, chickpeas, and all that other good stuff, but that's really just fancied up baked beans, not plain Boston baked beans.  I've tried several recipes but the beans are always bland and not really the right color.  You start with navy beans; which are white, don't ask me why they're "navy" beans; add a bunch of stuff and cook.  In the past, my beans have ended up still white or maybe a little tan.  Baked beans are supposed to be a nice, deep brown color.  Finally we have achieved bean nirvana!  The beans I made this weekend had a nice brown color and good flavor; the bacon and onions just melted into the beans.  Yum!  Best part is that my New England hubby really liked them.

Boston Baked Beans
adapted from Allrecipies.com

2 1/2 c. navy beans (1 package)
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 onion, finely diced
1/3 c molasses
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard (I usually add more)
2/3 c ketchup
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c brown sugar

Soak the beans overnight in cold water to cover.  Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approx. 1 to 2 hours.  Drain and reserve the liquid.

Preheat oven to 325*.  Put the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish with the onion and bacon; stir to mix.  In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.  Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over the beans.  Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans.  Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.

Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender.  Stir a couple of times during baking and add more liquid as necessary so the beans don't dry out.  Take the lid off for the last 30 min.

These could also be done in a crockpot.  Not having done it I'm just guessing but you'd probably want to cook them all day on low or 3-4 hours on high.  I've got a nice traditional bean pot so that's how I make them.

Spaghetti squash

This is one I saw in a magazine that I'm reading through to send to the recycle bin.  Just wanted to get it here before I lose it.  It will make a good side in the cool months coming up.

Spaghetti squash

Cut squash in half; scoop out seeds.  Place cut-side down in a roasting pan with 1/2 inch water; cover with foil. Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until tender.  Using a fork, pull squash into strands.  Stir together with 1/4 c. chicken broth, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, chopped parsley and salt and pepper.  Top with Parmesan cheese.

BLT mac salad

We were just at my brother's for a few days, enjoying the last days of summer before all the kids head back to school.  We had a great time at their pool, riding bikes along the farm lane and through town, and just hanging out.  My sister-in-law doesn't grill and had some chicken to cook for dinner Monday night.  Since David doesn't get home from work until it's too late to grill, I made dinner for us.  I grilled the chicken and made BLT Pasta salad.  We had some other sides to go along with the chicken and salad.  This recipe came from the wrapping of one of those fancy packages of pasta from The Pasta Shoppe.

1 box of pasta (any shape)
2 or 3 tomatoes, chopped
2 green pepper, chopped
5 or 6 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
mayo
salt and pepper

Cook the pasta to al dente.  When it's cooked, drain and run under cool water.  Add the tomatoes and green pepper, toss, then add mayo.  Put in the fridge to chill.  Just before serving, add the bacon and season to taste.

The amounts of tomatoes and green pepper can be adjusted to taste, add more or less as you like.