Roasted Vegetables

Your house will smell so good as this cooks! Try different squashes to suit your taste. These potatoes were raised in my garden.  Yukon gold potatoes are my favorite since they keep their shape when stirred and/or flipped around.

Roasted Vegetables                                                                      Printable Recipe

1 medium sweet potato

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 medium yellow onion

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt (more later to taste)

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bow, stir together seasonings, oil, and vinegar.

Peel and chop your sweet potatoes into 3/4 to 1" cubes.  Chop your Yukon golds the same way, leaving the peel on those. Cut your onion half into two slices and then 3/4 to 1" pieces. Add to marinade. Toss to coat veggies.

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Dump onto jelly roll pan and spread into an even layer. Cook for 20 minutes, flip or stir and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.  

They are going to look a little browned but that is the delicious caramelization of the veggies and the balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle on more salt to taste.

Baked Honey Mustard Mac and Cheese

My husband came up with this idea.  I adapted a cheesy sauce recipe I had already been using to incorporate his idea.  I must say, it's tasty and a nice change up on mac n cheese!

Baked Honey Mustard Mac and Cheese

8 ounces macaroni, rigatoni, or other favorite pasta shape (I used Tinkyada GF)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons flour
2-1/2 cups milk
8 ounces Velveeta (or you can use 2 cups shredded cheddar or any other cheese you like)
2 Tablespoons mustard *
2 teaspoons honey
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons olive oil or butter, melted

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking make your cheese sauce.  Add oil and flour to pan.  Heat and cook for a minute.  Add in milk, bit by bit, whisking as you go until the sauce has thickened. Stir in cheese until melted.  Add in honey, mustard, and nutmeg.  Taste it, you want just a hint of the mustard coming through but not so much it overwhelms. Pour into drained pasta.

Stir to coat the pasta. Dump into 1-1/2 quart baking dish.

Mix panko and olive oil or butter together.  Top the pasta mixture   Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is nice and brown** and the macaroni and cheese is bubbling.

*I used my homemade which is fluffy and full of air.  If you purchase a dijon mustard for this you will want to use less!

**I made my dish with plain panko.  It was OK but the addition of a fat will make it brown nicer and have a better flavor.

Perfectly Pan Fried Potatoes

Yukon gold potatoes are the best potato for this.  The skins are thin so you can leave them on and the inside of the potato stays firm when you cook it but is so creamy and buttery!

Perfectly Pan Fried Potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt
Cast Iron Pan

Chunk your potatoes up.  If they are small I quarter them.  If they are a little larger I cut in half, then in thirds, and halves of those.  These were probably 3/4 inch slices.

Put potatoes in a pot with cold water and some salt.   Bring to a boil and cook until almost done.  Drain and let air dry a little.

Heat up cast iron pan good and warm.  Drizzle in some olive oil and put a pat of butter in the pan. 

Add potato chunks.  Allow to brown on one side and then flip.  Don't play with your potatoes too much or they will fall apart.

Makes a great side dish for any meal or serve with with the Breakfast Slam!

Maple Glazed Acorn Squash

I like these acorn squash. What a pretty shape, almost like a flower.  No measuring needed for this dish but I will give you some approximates to start with.  It's almost a no-brainer to make!

Maple Glazed Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

Cut acorn squash in half.  Dig out seeds.  Slice into 1 inch slices. Set aside. 

In a gallon zip shut bag add the olive oil, salt, and maple syrup.  Smoosh the bag with your hands a little to mix the ingredients.  Add your squash and zip it shut.  Shake the bag a little to coat the squash.  Remove squash from bag and place on baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Squash is done when you can poke with with a fork and it is soft. 

Pin it:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/273593746085699435/

Rigatoni Macaroni Salad

This is Aunt Connie's recipe that my mother-in-law Pat always made.  (Not to be confused with my mom Connie, even though she is an aunt. ;) )

Rigatoni Macaroni Salad

1 pound box rigatoni macaroni (or other favorite pasta shape, gluten free would work too)

3/4 cup olive oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups vinegar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 Tablespoon salt

1 onion

1 green pepper

1 small jar pimento (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions.  I used penne today. Don't cook it until it's mush, it needs to stand up to marinading in the liquid.  Drain off hot water.  You can cool pasta faster by running cool water on it.  Drain again.

Mix together oil, sugar, vinegar, pepper, and salt. Isn't my organic olive oil a pretty color?

Chop green pepper (or use any color you like.)

Chop onion (use yellow or even red as I had on hand.)

I never seem to have pimento on hand so always leave it out. Other pepper colors would be so pretty in here!

Combine with pasta and then dump oil mixture over the top. 

Stir.  Let set for 24 hours, stirring occasionally to be sure all the pasta soaks in the flavors. If you must make it the same day do it in the morning so it at least has the day to sit.

You can store this in the fridge for a while since it has vinegar in it.  Sometimes I cook a little more pasta and throw it back in the liquid that filters out when I scoop up the pasta/veggies.

Bac'n Beans

I think these taste just like pork and beans but with bacon (which is technically still pork) so my husband came up with the name Bacon Beans but to take out the "o" and make it an apostrophe. 

Bac'n Beans

1 pound dry Great Northern beans

4-5 slices bacon, chopped

1/3 cup diced onion (1/2 cup if you chop instead of dice)

1 teaspoon dried sage

Two good pinches of red pepper flakes

4 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons honey

2 cups chicken broth

15 oz can tomato sauce

Place beans in large pot and cover with water.  Bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Turn off heat and let sit covered for an hour.  Drain the beans and return to pot.  Cover with at least 2 inches of water and return to boil.  Simmer, covered, until the beans are soft.  Takes approximately an hour.  Drain.

Meanwhile in a smaller pan cook the bacon until nearly done. Drain off most of the fat.  Add onions.

Cook until golden brown and soft. 

Add red pepper flakes and sage.  Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, honey, chicken broth, and tomato sauce.  Stir to combine and then pour into beans. 

Stir well. Cover the pot with an oven proof lid or two layers of foil. Cook at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours, removing cover for last 15 minutes.

Sauerkraut Gratin

So, what to do with all that homemade sauerkraut?  Ask Chef Gaby! After trying my homemade sauerkraut and declaring it was the best she had ever had she emailed me this recipe. A modified version of Paul Grimm's version.

Sauerkraut Gratin

1 leek, finely chopped (I used 1/4 cup finely chopped onion)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed (I used my spice grinder)
4 Tablespoons salted butter
2 pounds sauerkraut, drained and chopped (I used 2 quart jars full of mostly drained fresh kraut)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
salt and white Pepper
3/4 cup Panko crumbs

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion until translucent. Add the juniper and the bay leaf followed by the kraut. Cook down until the kraut is hot. While that cooks, combine the cream, milk, eggs and season with salt and pepper.

Remove bay leaf and transfer the kraut mix into a 9x13"baking dish. 

Pour over the custard mix. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. **

Meanwhile melt the remaining butter and toss with panko crumbs.

Sprinkle crumbs on top and baked an additional 15 minutes until the crumbs are golden brown and the gratin doesn't jiggle when wiggled.

**The recipe called for putting the buttered Panko crumbs on at the beginning of the cooking time but I was afraid it might burn so I added them later.  

Squash Pancakes

My friend Rachel gave me this recipe.  What a great way to get your kids to eat veggies! We eat these as a side with supper.

Squash Pancakes

4 cups shredded squash (zucchini and/or yellow squash are best)

1 cup shredded cheese (pick your favorite)

1/2 teaspoon salt

few dashes of pepper

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups Bisquick (GF also works!)

Stir all the ingredients together. (I pulled my veggies out of the freezer but fresh can certainly be used.)

I used Mexi-blend here.

Drop by scoopfuls onto hot griddle.

Cook until golden brown on the outsides and done on the inside.

Macaroni Salad with Peas

Quick and easy pasta dish ready in 30 minutes or less!  It's versatile so feel free to chance up the seasonings.

Macaroni Salad with Peas

5 ounces dry macaroni (I used GF)

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used a canola based)

3 Tablespoons buttermilk

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon dill

1-1/2 cup frozen peas (more if you like)

Cook your pasta, drain, rinse under cool water to cool pasta.  Allow to drain while you mix other ingredients.

Mix mayonnaise, buttermilk, Parmesan, and dill together.  Add pasta.

Put your frozen peas in a strainer.  Run cool water over them until any ice crystals on them melt away.  This will also thaw your peas.  Stir into pasta. Enjoy!

If you do not eat it all in that sitting or make ahead to take someplace you will need add a little milk as the pasta will absorb liquid as it sits.

Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

1 1/4 cups coarsely ground cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

8 tablespoons butter, melted --divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet inside.  Allow it to heat while you make the batter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar,  baking powder, and baking soda.

In another bowl whisk the milk, buttermilk, eggs and almost all of the melted butter.  Keep back about 1 Tablespoon for the skillet.

Pour into dry 

and mix. 

Remove the hot skillet from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Dump the other tablespoon of butter into bottom of hot skillet. Use a pastry brush to brush it up on sides.  Pour the batter into the skillet and place in the oven.

Bake until the center is firm and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes.  I found that 15 minutes was plenty for my 10" pan but each oven and pan can differ.

It is a really moist cornbread but not a very sweet cornbread so we drizzled honey on it.  YUM!!