Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin

In a search for a recipe containing cauliflower and goat cheese I came across this great Bobby Flay recipe.

Adapted from: Bobby Flay on the Food Network

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
2 cups grated Parmesan
5 ounces goat cheese, cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Mix the cauliflower, heavy cream, and the 3 cheeses in a bowl and transfer to medium casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Butter Pecan Orange Cake

Adapted from: Betty Crocker

INGREDIENTS

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist butter pecan cake mix

1 box french vanilla instant pudding mix

3/4 cup of water

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

zest from one orange

1/2 cup Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy vanilla frosting

DIRECTIONS

Heat over to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour bundt cake pan.

In a large bowl, beat dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, sour cream, butter and eggs on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in orange zest. Spread batter in pan.

Bake cake 46-52 minutes (mine took an extra 15 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

In a small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting on medium for 15 seconds. Pour over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down the side.

Baked Ziti

I had never had baked ziti before (weird, I know). So I searched for a recipe to try out.

Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped (omitted)
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 pound Italian sausage (added this to the original recipe)
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (omitted - I forgot it)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown sausage and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Add pasta to sauce mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Pimento Cheese Spread

I used a pimento cheese recipe I saw Paula Deen make on the Food Network.

INGREDIENTS

8 ozs shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 ozs shredded white cheddar cheese
4 oz jar pimentos, chopped with juice

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used more)
salt & pepper (I omitted the salt)

DIRECTIONS

Mix the shredded cheese together with the pimentos. Stir in the mayonnaise. With a metal spoon (pimentos will stain plastic or wood), stir until the mixture is well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir again. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.

Deviled Eggs

So for the lack of measurements...but you will get the idea. These are so good. Its the vinegar that makes them.

INGREDIENTS

boiled eggs
mayo (a good amount)
yellow mustard (way less of this than the mayo)
a good splash of apple cider vinegar (you can also use dill pickle juice or green olive juice)
salt and white pepper to taste
paprika to garnish

DIRECTIONS

Split boiled eggs in half and separate the yellow from the white.

To the yellow and in your mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and white pepper. Mix until well blended. You can use a potato masher or hand mixer.

Fill the white portion with a spoonful of your yellow mixture.

Sprinkle on your paprika for garnish.

Perfectly boiled egg by using Anne Burrell's method:

Chili-Garlic Roasted Broccoli

I saw this Rachael Ray recipe and decided to try it out for a new broccoli dish. It was very easy and tasty!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it
5 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used 4 in a garlic press)
1 tablespoon chili powder (I used 3/4 of a tablespoon)
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended:Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick Grill Mates)
1 large head broccoli, cut into thin, long spears

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, chili powder and grill seasoning in the bottom of a large bowl and add the broccoli spears. Toss to coat broccoli evenly then transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet. Roast the broccoli until ends are crisp and brown and stalks are tender, 17 to 20 minutes

Risotto Cakes

I made this for three reasons....it involved risotto, panko and Ina Garten. Risotto, because I had only made it once and wanted to try something new with it. Panko, because I see it everywhere in recipes and had to try it out. And Ina because all her stuff looks so good and I have yet to try one of her recipes. I changed the recipe to reflect what I had on hand.

Adapted from Chive Risotto Cakes

INGREDIENTS

Kosher salt
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
½ cup Greek yogurt (I used plain yogurt that I strained a little)
2 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives (I used dried thyme)
1 ½ cup cups grated Italian Fontina cheese (5 ounces) (I used freshly grated Parmesan)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Good olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large (4 quart) pot of water to a boil and add ½ tablespoon salt and the Arborio rice.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. The grains of rice will be quite soft. Drain the rice in a sieve and run under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, thyme, Parmesan, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cooled rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Form balls of the rice mixture using a standard (2 1/4 –inch) ice cream scoop or a large spoon. Pat the balls into patties 3 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Place 4-6 patties in the panko, turning once to coat. Place the patties in the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned.

Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Serve hot.

I halved the recipe and got 9 cakes out of it. The cooking time on boiling rice was still the same.

Roasted Poblano, Potato and Corn Soup

I was really craving potato soup and wanted to experiment with roasting peppers and this is what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS

5-6 russet potatoes; peeled and cubed into to bite size pieces

2 poblano peppers; roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 cup frozen corn

5 slices of bacon

32 oz chicken broth

32 oz water (approximate amount)

1 pint heavy cream

flour (to make roux)

salt

pepper

garlic powder

shredded cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Cook your bacon in the the pan you plan to make your soup in. Remove cooked bacon, crumble, and reserve fat in pan.

Use the flour to make a roux. If you do not have enough bacon fat, add in some butter or extra virgin olive oil.

Add in your chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Bring to a soft boil and potatoes. Cook until potatoes are almost fork tender.

Add in heavy cream, corn and roasted poblano peppers. Continue to cook until potatoes are done.

Serve with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese.

Here is what your roasted poblanos will look like:

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

I made this for my best friend and her family after they were moved out of their home due to an unfortunate fire. The good news is they should be back in their house next month!!

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed (I used 6)
1/8 cup margarine (I used butter)
1 .7 oz package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup (I used low fat)
White Wine (I added about 3 tablespoons)
Worcestershire Sauce (I added about 2 teaspoons)
Sour Cream (I added about 1/4 cup)
Egg Noodles

DIRECTIONS

Put chicken, margarine, white wine and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Add cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, sour cream and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

Serve over egg noodles.