Smashed Potatoes

 

Since I am in the hospital for an extended stay...  I have on the internet...  looking at videos...  oh and if I didn't run across this gem.

Ingredients 

4 medium potatoes

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese 

Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder to taste

Stuff you will need

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Cutting board 

Sharp knife 

Pot to boil potatoes

Wide bottomed glass

Silicone brush

Oven gloves

Spatula 

Directions

Wash the potatoes with fresh water.  Leave the skin on. Remove any blemishes. 

Boil potatoes.  To make sure they are done, you should be able to insert a fork and the potato should not offer any resistance. 

Remove the potatoes and cut in half.

Heat oven to 400 F.

But a dab of olive oil on the parchment paper and put some cheese on top of the olive oil.  

Put the 1/2 potato on top of the cheese.  

SMASH the potato.

Brush a dab of olive oil on top of the smashed potato.  Season your potato to your liking. 

Put some more cheese on top of this.

Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes before you plate them up.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

Spanish Rice

OK...  Tonya and I love Spanish Rice.  Just can't get enough if this side dish.  We used to be able to get these packages from the store.  Just add water, contents of the package, and boom cha-ka-la-ka, I guess, we were having a version of Spanish Rice.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 white onion, diced

1 cup basmati rice

1 tablespoon tomato paste (substitute ketchup)

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 large tomato, diced (substitute 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce)

1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (substitute 1 tbsp Frank's Hot Sauce)

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

1½ cups vegetable broth

Parsley for garnish

Stuff you will need

Dutch oven

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Stiring spoon

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or pot. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, or until fragrant and toasted.

Stir in the tomato paste and garlic, then add the fresh tomatoes, jalapeño, salt, oregano, and broth. Bring to a boil. 

Cover and turn off the heat, for 30 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

Fluff with a fork prior to serving.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

Lego Toast

Got a kid that is fussy and sorta needs to be entertained?

I would do this for my grandkids if it kept them quiet and made them eat.  Although my youngest grandson eats very well, so not an issue for him.

Ingredients 

White bread

Cutting board

Lego Brick that is 2x2

Butter

Jam

Peanutbutter 

Stuff you will need

Toaster

Dinner knife 

Directions

Get a 2x2 Lego Brick.  Color doesn't matter.  Make sure you wash it as you don't know where those grubby little hands were.

Start by pressing you 2x2 Lego Brick, bump side down, into the bread

Keep pressing the Lego Brick into the bread

Create a pattern till the bread looks like this

Put the bread into the toaster and butter the bread.  Your child will be amazed.

If you are making PB & J...  leave the Lego print exposed for the child to see.

Extra fussy kids, cut off the bread crust.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome. 

Rotel Pasta

Oh my...  look what I ran across... is this like one if them inexpensive hamburger helper dishes brought to the next level?

Finally something that I can use the rotini pasta.

Ingredients

12 oz rotini pasta (cooked)

1 lb sausage

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp garlic powder

2 x 10 oz cans of Rotel (crushed tomatoes substitute)

16 oz Velveeta cheese

1/2 cup milk

Parsley for garnish

Stuff you will need

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Pot to cook pasta

Colander 

Skillet with lid

Stirring spoon

Directions

Cook your pasta el dente.  Not mushy noodles.  Drain and set aside.

In your skillet on medium heat, cook sausage and hamburger.  If you have a meat chopper, you will find this task so much easier. Drain any excess grease.

Add the peppers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.  Then add the onion.  Continue cooking the meat and veggies till the onions are translucent.

Add your seasonings and mix well.

Add the rotel (or crushed tomatoes) without draining.  Mix well.

Add the Velveeta cheese and milk.  Mix well.

Cover to allow the cheese to melt.  Mix well once the cheese is melted.

Add pasta and... mix well.

Serve in a deep bowl.  Garnish with parsley. 

Got a water spritser?  Liberally spritz your face and neck with water.  This will give the illusion that you cooked at a furious pace.

I would pair this with any Italian Red Wine.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

Sausage, onions and peppers

I was watching videos and came across this recipe.  How I love sausages.  Yummy.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 3 bell peppers sliced
• 1 large onion sliced
• 4 cooked sausage links sliced (see note 1 below)
• 1 x 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon chili power more to taste
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce optional (Frank's Hot Sauce)

Stuff you will need

Pan with lid (or steamer)

Skillet 

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Stiring spoon 

Can opener

Cooked rice

Instructions

• See note1 below on how to prepare the sausages
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cut sausages and lightly brown.
• Add sliced bell peppers, onion to the skillet; let cook until the onion is translucent.
• Add the garlic and other spices to the large skillet with the peppers and onions and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and spices. Mix well.
• Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

Note 1.  Cooking the sausages.

The day before, or several hours in advance you need to prepare the sausages.

Get a cup of water.  To a hot pan, on medium heat, add the sausages.  Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.  You will be covering the pan while the sausages cook.  Do NOT poke holes in the casing.  Do NOT remove the sausage casing.  If you see the water has boiled off, add more water.  Do NOT drown the sausages, you are using the steam to cook them.  They should be partially cooked within 15 minutes.

(A steamer pot might be a good option here)

Transfer your sausages to a container and put in the fridge to cool off.

Next day... or several hours later... peel off the sausage casing.  Keep any fat that may be on the sausage casing.  This is where the extra flavor lives.  Cut your sausages to your preference.

Now go back and continue the recipie. 

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.

Carbonara

This recipe has been coming up in my feeds for well over a week.  Soon...  I found what I considered the best one.

Ingredients

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 egg yokes

1 (8-ounce) piece guanciale or pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch wide matchsticks (substitute bacon)

1 pound dry spaghetti

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 ounce finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (2/3 to 1 cup, do not use pre-grated), plus more for serving

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for serving

Stuff you will need

Pot

Skillet

Cutting board

Sharp knife 

Tongs

Stiring spoon

Ladel

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Place 8 ounces matchstick-cut guanciale in a large skillet, preferably nonstick. Cook over medium heat until it starts sizzling, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the guanciale is browned and crisp, 6 to 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, add 1 pound dried spaghetti and 2 teaspoons kosher salt to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions until the pasta is just al dente, 8 to 12 minutes.

Place 4 room temperature large eggs and 2 room temperature large egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Add 1 ounce finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese and 1 pinch kosher salt, and whisk until combined.

When the guanciale is ready, transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper to the skillet, turn off the heat, and stir to combine. Let cool for 1 minute.

While whisking constantly, slowly stream in 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet into the egg mixture, then slowly stream in 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.

When the spaghetti is ready, turn off the heat, then transfer it directly to the skillet with tongs. It’s OK if some water clings to the pasta. Add 1/4 cup pasta water to the skillet and toss until the pasta is well-coated and most of the water and fat in the pan have been absorbed.

While tossing the pasta constantly, slowly start pouring the egg mixture into the skillet, pouring into the center over the pasta and not around the edges. Add the guanciale and continue tossing until the sauce coats the pasta. If the sauce is too thin and not coating, turn the heat on to the lowest setting and cook, tossing constantly, until thickened slightly. Make sure to move the skillet around so any hot spots on the burner don’t scramble the eggs.

Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Transfer to a large or individual serving bowls and serve immediately with more grated Pecorino and a few grinds of pepper on top if desired.

Recipe Notes

Substitutions: Guanciale really makes this dish special, as the flavor and fat content of the meat add a lot to the recipe. Pancetta is the best substitute. Look for a piece that you can cut yourself, as the pre-cut pieces are smaller than ideal, but also OK. If neither are available, choose thick-cut bacon that is not heavily smoked, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.

Storage: This recipe is best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water.

Irish Soda Bread

Found another recipe on Facebook.  Had to Google the recipe. 

Ingredients:

500g self-raising flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

400ml buttermilk/1 2/3 cups (add a little extra if needed)

1 tbsp honey

Stuff you will need

Bread pan

Parchment paper 

Mixing bowl

Mixing spoon

Sharp knife

Directions:

Prepare the Oven and Tin: Preheat to 180°C/350°F (fan). Line your 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper.

Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda, ensuring the baking soda is evenly mixed.

Add Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center, pour in the buttermilk, and add honey. Gently mix with a spoon until a soft dough forms. (Be careful not to overmix – this keeps it light and fluffy!)

Shape & Place in Tin: Shape the dough into a rough loaf and place it in your lined tin. Make a shallow line down the center of the loaf for even baking (knife).

Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. (A clean skewer in the center means it’s done!)

Cool & Serve: Let it cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully. Slice and enjoy with butter and jam!

Jolene (original owner of the post)

#

Fresh french onion dip

I ran across this while on Facebook. 

Stuff you will need

Frying pan

High heat mixing spoon

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Mixing bowl

Mixing spoon

Serving bowl

Ingredients 

3 large onions, diced

1/4 cup of butter

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

4 oz of cream cheese

1/4 cup of mayonaise 

1/2 cup of sour cream

Scallions, cut for topping + cayenne pepper

Directions

Heat the frying pan on medium heat.  Once heated, melt the stick of butter, saute the diced onions. Cook 5 min, stirring constantly with salt & onion powder.  

Lower heat, cook 30 min. 

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, add mayo, sour cream, cream cheese & mix.  Add the cooled onions.

Transfer to your serving bowl(s).

Top with some scallions & cayenne pepper.  

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.