GK

Mashed Potato Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

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Really good with pork roast or chicken, or anything that is not going to make gravy.

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices thick cut smoked bacon
  • 3 large green onions, white and green parts, finely chopped
  • 3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1½ inch cubes
  • ¾ c sour cream
  • 1/3 c whole milk
  • ¼ c (½ stick) butter
  • 2 c (about 8 oz) coarsely grated smoked Gouda, divided

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°
  2. Butter 9 x 13 baking dish.
  3. Cook bacon until golden brown and crisp.
  4. Transfer to paper towel to drain.
  5. Chop bacon, place in bowl with onions.
  6. Place potatoes in large pot, add enough cold water to cover, sprinkle with salt, cover (slightly ajar), boil until tender — about 15 – 20 minutes.
  7. Drain well, return to pot and cook over low heat, stirring often, until potatoes are dry and light film forms on the bottom of pot — about 2 minutes.
  8. Add sour cream, milk, butter.
  9. Using masher, mash until almost smooth.
  10. Stir in 1½ c Gouda and 1 c bacon mixture.
  11. Season with salt/pepper.
  12. Spread mixture in baking dish.
  13. Sprinkle remaining Gouda over.
  14. Bake until cheese melts and edges are bubbling – about 40 minutes.
  15. Sprinkle with reserved bacon mixture.

Serves: 6-8

Notes: I used red potatoes and did not peel them.

    Oven Braised Corned Beef Brisket

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    This is a really easy way to do brisket — and it is really moist.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 piece (about 4 lbs) center cut corned beef brisket
    • 1 lemon, ends trimmed
    • 1 onion (about ½ lb) peeled
    • ½ t whole allspice
    • 1 t black peppercorns
    • 6-8 whole cloves
    • ¼ c Dijon mustard
    • ¼ c brown sugar

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven 325°  275°
    2. Trim and discard most of the surface fat from brisket.  Rinse well, rubbing gently to release corning salt.
    3. Lay meat, fattiest side up, on a large piece of foil in a 2 inch deep pan.
    4. Thinly slice lemon (discard seeds) and onion and lay over meat.
    5. Sprinkle with peppercorns, allspice, and cloves.
    6. Set pan on middle rack of oven.  Pour about 8 cups  one cup boiling water around brisket.
    7. Seal pan with foil tightly.
    8. Bake until meat is very tender, about 4 hours.
    9. Uncover and drain off all but about 1 cup of the liquid.
    10. In a small bowl, mix the mustard and sugar.
    11. Move onions and lemons to the side.  Spread evenly across the meat on top of the lemon and onion slices.
    12. Broil about 8 inches from heat until mustard mixture begins to brown, 3-5 minutes.
    13. Transfer to platter.  Slice meat across the grain.

    Serves: 6-8

    Source: Sunset, March 1999

    Crispy Curry Scallops

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    Scallops don’t get their fair share of attention. And they should, now that they are much easier to find in the market.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 t curry powder
    • 2 t canola oil
    • lime wedges
    • 1½ pounds large sea scallops (about 12)
    • ½ c panko
    • 2 t lower sodium soy sauce

    Instructions:

    1. Pat scallops dry with paper towels.
    2. Mix curry powder and panko in small dish.
    3. In a small bowl, toss scallops with soy sauce.
    4. Dredge in  panko.
    5. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
    6. Add scallops to pan, cook 2-3 minutes on each side until browned.
    7. Serve with lime wedge.

    Serves:  4 (3 scallops each)

    Source:  Costco Connection – paid ad for Fresh Food Superfast.

    Note:  I added 3/4 c sour cream after removing the scallops.  Got all the goodies off the pan and was really good on the rice.

    Tequila Shrimp

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    Note: Not for the faint of heart – flames about 2 feet high!!!  But really yummy!

    Ingredients:

    • 1½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • 1 t kosher salt
    • 2 T butter
    • ½ c white or reposado tequila
    • ¾ c crema or sour cream
    • 1 scallion, thinly sliced

    Instructions:

    1. Toss shrimp with salt and ¾ t coarsely ground pepper
    2. Heat butter in 12 inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides.
    3. Saute shrimp, turning, until pink and just cooked through, 3 – 5 minutes.
    4. Reduce heat and add tequila.
    5. Increase heat to medium high.
    6. Tilt skillet over gas burner to ignite tequila (or ignite with a long match). USE CAUTION – FLAMES MAY SHOOT UP HIGH!
    7. Cook, shaking gently once or twice, until flames subside.
    8. Remove from heat and stir in crema.
    9. Serve sprinkled with scallion.

    Serves: 4

    Source:  Epicurious via Quick Kitchen (Melissa Rruggiero)

    Could be done with scallops too.
    Accompaniment: rice if using it for an entree.

    Fudge Truffle Cheesecake

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    This is better than wonderful and very quick and easy.

    Ingredients:

    Chocolate Crumb Crust:

    • 1½ c vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers)
    • ½ c confectioners’ sugar
    • 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa
    • 13 c c butter, melted

    Cake:

    • 3 (8oz) packages Cream Cheese, Softened
    • 1 (14oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)
    • 1 (12 oz) package semi -sweet chocolate chips, melted
    • 4 eggs
    • ¼ c coffee flavored liqueur, optional (but don’t leave it out!)
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 300°
    2. Mix the wafer crumbs, sugar, cocoa and butter.
    3. Press firmly on the bottom of a 9″ spring-form pan.
    4. Beat cream cheese until fluffy.
    5. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth.
    6. Add remaining ingredients: mix well.
    7. Pour into prepared pan.
    8. Bake 1:05 or until center is set.
    9. Cool. Chill.
    10. Refrigerate leftovers.  (There will not be any!)

    Serves: Makes one 9″ cheesecake – serves 2 maybe 3 … 🙂

    Source: My file drawer

    Baked Broccoli with Blue Cheese Sauce

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    We had this with prime rib for Christmas dinner this year.  Pretty red and green.

    Ingredients:

    • 1½ lbs Broccoli
    • 2 tbs Butter
    • ¼ c Onion – finely chopped
    • 2 tbs Flour
    • ¼ tsp Garlic salt
    • 1 pkg (3 oz) Cream cheese, room temp.
    • ¼ c  Blue cheese – crumbled
    • 2 oz Sliced Pimentos
    • 1 c Milk
    • 1/3 c Butter flavored crackers – crushed

    Instructions:

    1. Rinse broccoli well.  Drain.  Cut tops into bite-size flowerets.
    2. Trim off ends of stems.  Peel lower portions of remaining stems.  Slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
    3. Cook flowerets and stems in boiling salted water 4 to 6 minutes until tender-crisp.
    4. Drain.  Place in a shallow,  greased 2 quart baking dish.
    5. In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Add onion, cook until soft but not browned.
    6. Stir in flour and garlic salt.  Cook, stirring, until bubbly.
    7. Remove pan from heat.
    8. Mix in cream cheese, blue cheese and pimentos.
    9. Gradually add milk.
    10. Return to heat, cook, stirring, until sauce is thick.
    11. Pour over broccoli.
    12. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs.
    13. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until heated through and lightly browned.

    Serves: 4

    Notes:

    • I used the bagged broccoli already trimmed.
    • Worked great – can be done ahead and reheated (one less last-minute job).

    Source: Cooks.com

    Green Goddess Salad

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    This famous salad was first created in 1915 at the Palace Hotel in honor of George Arliss, who was appearing in San Francisco that year in William Archer’s play, “The Green Goddess.”

    Ingredients:

    Dressing:

    • 8 to 10 Anchovy fillets [see notes]
    • 1 Green onion
    • ¼ c Parsley
    • 2 T minced fresh tarragon or 1T dried tarragon
    • ¼ c Chives, chopped
    • 3 c Mayonnaise [see notes]
    • ¼ c Tarragon Vinegar

    Salad

    • 1 Garlic clove
    • 1 Large head Romaine lettuce
    • 1 pound cooked lobster, shrimp, crab meat or chicken

    Instructions:

    1. Chop together the anchovies and green onion until finely minced.
    2. Add parsley, tarragon and chives, and mix lightly
    3. Turn into a bowl and sir in mayonnaise and vinegar.
    4. Rub salad bowl with garlic
    5. Break lettuce into bite-sized pieces into the bowl
    6. Pour over enough dressing to moisten (about 2 cups), toss lightly
    7. Spoon onto plates
    8. Garnish with  desired shell fish or chicken

    Serves: 6 (Makes 1 quart of dressing)

    Notes:

    • You can use a food processor for the dressing
    • I use 2 cups mayonnaise and 2 cups sour cream
    • I use anchovy paste instead of chopping little dead fish
    • If it doesn’t look green, add a little food coloring
    • Also makes a great dip for veggies – especially artichokes

    Source: Sunset Cook Book, 1960

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