Everything you want and love in a baked potato, but pre-mixed and with a crunchy top.  Mmmmm...carbs...

Baked Potato Casserole (Potatoes Romanoff)
adapted from Tasty Kitchen

3 large russet potatoes
1/2 pound bacon, diced
3/4 cup minced shallots
2 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scrub potatoes well and wrap in foil.  Bake for about an hour.  Remove foil and let potatoes cool to room termperature.  You can bake these ahead, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until you are ready to make the casserole.

Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crispy.  Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grate cooled potatoes, including skins.  Combine grated potatoes, bacon, shallots, 1 1/2 cups grated cheese, and salt and pepper in large bowl.  Gently fold in the sour cream.

Spoon potato mixture into a  1 1/2 quart baking dish/au gratin dish.  Be careful not to press the potatoes into the pan.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

We made this risotto in last week's cooking class, and my kitchen partners and I were amazed with our success.  Every once in a while, you make a dish that tastes so incredible, so delicious, that you can't help but feel like a real chef.  Or at least that you should be getting paid for making it.  This is one of those dishes.

Risotto with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

1 cup diced butternut squash
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
olive oil
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
chopped parsley for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in saute pan.  Add squash and a sprinkle of kosher salt.  Saute until the squash is tender and lightly browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Repeat with the mushrooms.

Bring chicken stock to a boil in saucepan, reduce heat and let simmer, covered.

In another saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium to medium-high heat.  Add onions and sweat until softened, 3-4 minutes.  Do not let onions brown.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add rice and stir until rice is evenly coated with butter.  Saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until rice becomes translucent at the edges, 3-4 minutes.

Add white wine, stir, and cook until evaporated.

Begin adding chicken stock, a ladle at a time, allowing rice to absorb stock before adding next ladleful.  Stir frequently and keep the risotto at a simmer...not a fast boil.

After about 15 minutes, add squash and mushrooms to risotto, stir to combine, and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Taste risotto and check for doneness.  The grains should be tender but with a little bite and the risotto itself should be creamy but not soupy.

Add 1 tablespoon butter and Parmesan cheese and stir.  Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.

Pour into serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

Be prepared for rave reviews, bribes for the recipe, and marriage proposals.

Woo-hoo!  I can cross off something from my Kitchen Bucket List!

I have never been able to make good home fries...until now.  Man, this subscription to Cook's Illustrated has been paying off in spades.  Worth every penny.

JD and his mom were loving these on Christmas morning.  The only complaint was that they disappeared so quickly.  Crispy, tender, sweet from the onions, and not at all greasy or mushy.  Perfection!

Diner-Style Home Fries
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter

In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove onions from pan and set aside.

While onion is cooking, put diced potatoes in a saucepan and add water to cover by 1/2".  Add 1 teaspoon salt and place over high heat.  Remove from heat and drain once water begins to boil.

Heat butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and shake to spread them out in a single layer.  Cook, without stirring for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.  Carefully turn potatoes and spread them out in a single layer again.  Continue in this manner until potatoes are golden brown on all sides and are tender.  This should take about 10-15 minutes.

Return the onions to the pan and add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss over heat for a few minutes, then serve.  Get ready to open your own greasy-spoon diner.

You always need something green on your holiday dinner menu...even if it is drenched with bacon, it still counts!

Braised Green Beans with Bacon
adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook until browned.  Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent.

Add the green beans to the pot.  Toss well with the bacon and onions.

Add chicken broth, increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.  Cover pot and cook for 6 minutes. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper, replace lid and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and serve.

A few years ago, JD and I took a cooking class with some friends where we learned to make a full Italian dinner.  The class was at the home of Maria Canora, a wonderful chef and an awesome teacher.  These onions were on the menu and they were a big hit.  This method makes them so sweet and tender, with a yummy syrupy glaze from the vinegar.

Caramelized Cipollini Onions with Balsamic Glaze
adapted from Maria Canora

3 pounds cipollini onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Carefully peel the onions, leaving them whole and the root intact.  Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium high heat.

Add onions to the pan in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes.  Add enough chicken broth to come up to a little less than halfway up the onions.

Cook until liquid is nearly evaporated, then turn the onions over.  Repeat with more broth as needed until the onions are tender and browned on both sides.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the balsamic vinegar (keep your face clear of the pan when you do this!) and cook until it forms a glaze.  Serve.

Fall is officially here in the mid-Atlantic...perfect weather for making a big pot of soup.  Yummy and warm, filled with vegetables, this soup will likely be my lunch for the rest of the week.  Delicious, cheap and good for you...what more could you want?  Damn, I feel like someone's mom.

One common issue with pasta in soup is that it doesn't keep well; the pasta absorbes all of the broth and turns to mush.  This recipe has a great solution:  cook the pasta separately and combine with the soup just before serving.  Just cook as much pasta as you need for that meal and you're set!

Isn't it pretty?

Chunky Minestrone Soup
adapted from Delicious Dishings and The Pioneer Woman

2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
32 oz low-sodium chicken broth
1 28 ounce can tomatoes (or quart jar of homemade canned tomatoes)
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
ditalini pasta
1/2 pound fresh green beans
Parmesan cheese

Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into chunks; toss with olive oil on baking sheets.  Roast at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned.  Set aside.

In large pot, heat a splash of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic, thyme, oregano and basil and saute for a minute or so.

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, cannellini beans, red wine vinegar to the pot; bring to a boil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer 10 minutes.

Boil ditalini pasta 10 minutes or until al dente.  Drain and toss with olive oil to keep from sticking.  Set aside.

Cut green beans into 2" pieces.  Add to soup and simmer 10 minutes.  Add roasted vegetables to soup and simmer 10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Spoon a portion of ditalini pasta into each bowl and top with soup.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese shavings and serve.

Before you pass over this blog post, thinking "Ha! I could never can tomatoes, or anything else! It's too complicated! Besides, store-bought canned tomatoes are the same, right?" allow me to say this to you:

YOU CAN CAN TOMATOES!
and
TOMATOES YOU CAN YOURSELF ARE SOOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN STORE-BOUGHT!

So now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to it...

Home-Canned Tomatoes
adapted from the UGA's Home Food Preservation website

First of all, you will need some quart jars and lids. Most grocery and discount stores have them. Be sure you get both the LIDS (the flat circle part) and the RINGS. You don't need to sterilize the jars; just wash them well (the dishwasher works great) and keep them clean and dry until you use them. I usually leave them in the dishwasher until I'm ready.

You will also need canning tools like these...jar lifter, magnet lid lifter (not required but very helpful) and a plastic pusher/measurer thingy (also not required but nice to have).

Next, get your tomatoes. If you don't have home-grown tomatoes, go to your local farmer's market and get some.

Wash them well.

Get a big pot of water boiling. Blanch tomatoes for 30-60 seconds, remove and cool. Working over a bowl (so you catch the juices), peel and core the tomatoes. I usually cut the big ones in half or quarters.

Now get your canning pot about half-full of water and boiling. The pot needs to be tall enough so the jars can be covered with at least 1" of water. It also needs to have a lid. On another burner, bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer, and put in your lids and rings.

Now put 1 teaspoon salt (optional) and 2 tablespoons bottled (not fresh) lemon juice into each jar. If you have fresh thyme, you can also put a sprig or two in there if you want.

Fill the jars with tomatoes, using the plastic pusher thingy to pack them in and get some juice. Leave 1/2" headspace in the top of each jar; use the plastic measuring thingy for this as well.

Wipe clean the rims of each jar. Use the magnet lid lifter to put a lid on each jar, and screw a ring on each. Don't screw the rings on too tightly.

Using the jar lifter, carefully place the jars into the canning pot. Add more boiling water as needed so the water level is 1" above the jars. Cover pot and boil for 85 minutes (check the UGA website above to confirm the cooking time for your elevation).

After 85 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the jars in the pot for 5 minutes.  Remove the jars and place on a towel to cool 12-24 hours. Don't worry if the tomatoes seem to have separated from the liquid. Once the jars are cool, check the seals (if the lids pop up when you push them, it didn't seal). Keep any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use them first. Remove rings, date the jars and store in a cool dry place away from light.

Now, whenever you make chili, spaghetti sauce, or anything that needs tomatoes, you have a little bit of summer in your pantry!

We made it to our first stop...St. Louis. Our good friends Kelly and Julien were kind enough to let us crash at their house, and feed us as well!  Here was our dinner from last night...

Yummy salad...

Grilled pork chops...marinated in an apple/cinnamon mixture...

Delicious potatoes...boiled then sauteed in butter...

Mushrooms slow-cooked for hours in butter and garlic...

And Toffee Gooey Butter Cake!

All in all, a delicious dinner.  And with a gin and tonic made with Hendrick's gin.  Mmmmmmm...

We're getting barbeque today, so stay tuned for that post!

This is a simple, yet elegant rice dish with wonderful flavor...even JD, who doesn't usually eat rice, likes this.  I love how pretty the salad looks, with all of the different vegetables and pieces of egg and pink sushi ginger.  This makes a great light lunch, or it could be a side with grilled fish.  (mmmm...tuna....)

I found this recipe in a wonderful vegetarian cookbook by Mollie Katzen called Still Life With Menu.  It has some great recipes and beautiful artwork by the author.

Scattered Sushi Rice Salad
adapted from Mollie Katzen's Still Life With Menu Cookbook

2 cups sushi (short-grain) rice
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking sake)
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 egg
splash of mirin
1 medium carrot, peeled and minced
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and minced
2 scallions, minced
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen green peas, lightly steamed
handful of green beans, lightly steamed and cut in 1/2 inch lengths
(you can also add steamed snow peas and/or minced yellow squash)
3 to 4 tablespoons sushi ginger, minced
3 to 4 tablespoons sesame seeds

Rinse the rice under cold running water.

Put rinsed rice in a saucepan with water and 2 tablespoons mirin.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer.  Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, until tender.

Remove rice from the heat, uncover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat the vinegar 15-30 seconds in the microwave, then add the sugar and salt.  Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables:

Scoop out the seeds from the peeled cucumber...

and finely mince.

Mince the carrot.

Mince the scallions.

Steam and cut the green beans.

Spread the rice in a long shallow dish.  Drizzle with half of the vinegar mixture and mix very gently with a fork.  Alternate between mixing the rice and fanning it with a magazine to prevent sticking.  Do this for a few minutes, until thoroughly mixed.

Transfer rice to a bowl and set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon canola oil.

Beat the egg with the splash of mirin.

Pour the beaten egg into the hot pan.  Tilt the pan to make a thin egg pancake.

When it is set, flip it over and cook the other side.

Remove from heat and let cool.

When cool, slice the egg into thin strips, and then into 1/2 inch pieces.

Combine the rice with the remaining oil, vegetables, egg pieces, sushi ginger, sesame seeds, and remaining vinegar mixture.  Mix gently.

Serve at room temperature or cold.  Equally delicious either way.

Here's what Suzy and JD and JD's mom had for Christmas dinner this year...

Sauteed mushrooms with garlic and thyme...

Roasted asparagus...

Caprese salad (I love the Christmas colors in this!)

Potatoes Anna (a bit overdone...it was the first time I made it)

the Christmas Roast (before) and...

...and after!

I'll post dessert pics later...still recovering from the food...

Merry Christmas to everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday and plenty of yummy food!