Potatoes A La Bakery

Potatoes a la Bakery
Inspired by Laura Calder
Serves 6

3 Tbs Butter
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Purple onions, thinly sliced
2 lbs Red potatoes, sliced
1 Tbs Chopped thyme
1 Tbs Chopped chives
1/4 cup French fried onions
1 cup of Beef broth
1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese
Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.


In a saute pan melt the butter with the olive oil and the onions & cook for about 20 minutes.  Onions should be soft & translucent at this point. To the bottom of a deep casserole dish add half the onions. Add a layer of sliced potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and add half of the thyme, chives & French fried onions, and then repeat with remaining onions, potato & spice layer.  Take a spatula and pat the potato & onions layers down, ensuring a snug fit.  Pour broth evenly over the casserole. Cover the pan with foil, and bake for 2 1/2 hours, remove the foil from the top and bake another 30 minutes, remove from oven & sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake from another 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

This is such a tasty side dish.  I love to use it in combination with a crock pot entree.  It goes nicely with my Sweet & Spicy Pork Tenderloin.

The second set of layers

Awaiting the broth

The Finished Product - Potatoes a la Bakery



Skyler's Summer Salad

Skyler's Summer Salad
Serves 4

2 cups spring mix lettuce, torn
2 cups spinach, torn
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 ozs goat cheese, crumbled
Handful raw walnuts, crumbled
1 thick slice of red onion, minced
2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped
1 avocado, diced
Raspberry balsamic dressing (I used Annie's but any type of raspberry or strawberry dressing will do)

Toss all ingredients in a large serving bowl & then drizzle with dressing (don't toss). Cover with plastic wrap & let the salad sit for 10 - 30 minutes in the refrigerator (this marries all of the flavors). Toss, Serve & Enjoy



Darling Skyler herself, eating edamame with chopsticks



Almond & Goat Cheese Salad

Almond & Goat Cheese Salad

Serves 4 as a side & 2 as main

1 bunch butter lettuce

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1 oz raw almonds

Salt, pepper & cruched red pepper flakes

Your favorite balsamic vinagrette

Tear lettuce into large serving bowl, add tomatoes, goat cheese & spices.  Place almonds between 2 paper towels and pound lightly with a rolling pin or hammer.  Add to salad and toss.  Lightly dress with your favorite balsamic dressing and let it sit for ten minutes, toss and serve.

This light salad is perfect as a side or add grilled chicken and use it as your main dish.

Black Eyed Pea Salsa

Perfect for this Holiday weekend!  I serve with Blue Tortilla Chips and Carrot Chips.
Black Eyed Pea Salsa
2 cans blacked peas, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 English cucumber, peeled & diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 Tbs minced jalapeno
4 green onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 Tbs jalapeno juice
Sprinkle of salt & pepper
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 Tsp dry mustard

Combine all vegetables in a container with an air tight lid. Whisk dressing together and pour over vegetables. Cover with lid and give the container a good shake (or you could also lightly mix & cover with Saran Wrap).  Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours before serving & Enjoy.

Sweet & Savory Pinwheels

Simple Pinwheels

These are very tasty - I think they would be perfect to take to Sunday School or even as a holiday appetizer.  You can make these as sweet, savory or simple.  Hope you enjoy!

Simple Pinwheels
8 oz cream cheese
16 oz sausage
Salt & Pepper
1 can crescent roll dough

Cook sausage on the stove top until brown, season with salt & pepper & remove from the heat.  Mix cream cheese with the sausage.  Unroll the crescent roll dough onto a foil lined cookie sheet.  Crimp together all of the preferred edges to create one large piece.  Slice the dough in half length wise and spread mixture evenly over the 2 squares.  Roll the dough up like a jelly roll.  Wrap the dough in the foil and put in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Unwrap dough and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.  Bake on cookie sheet or pizza stone for 15-20 minutes (watch closely from the 15 minute point).  Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool for 5 - 10 minutes & serve.

Savory Pinwheels
8 oz  chive and onion cream cheese
16 oz sausage
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
Salt & Pepper
Several dashes of hot sauce
1 can crescent rolls

Follow the same instructions as above just also add the thyme & hot sauce to the sausage in addition to the Salt & Pepper.  I also think caramelized onions would be a wonderful addition.

Sweet Pinwheels
8 oz whipped cream cheese
16 oz sausage
1/2 Tbs Maple Syrup, plus extra for drizzle
1 can of crescent rolls

Follow the same instructions for the plain above, however add 1/2 Tablespoon of maple syrup to the sausage while cooking.   While pinwheels are cooling drizzle extra syrup over the them - reminds me of pancakes and sausage - yum!

Busy Days & A Spinach Potato Frittata

Spinach Potato Frittata

Spinach & Potato Frittata
Serves 4
4 small red potatoes, thinly sliced
2 cups of spinach, torn
1/2 red onion, chopped
5 eggs
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper & Red Pepper Flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a hot skillet, saute potatoes and onions in olive oil until tender (about 15 minutes).  Meanwhile whisk together your eggs and spices with 2 teaspoons of water.
Cover the bottom of a baking dish with potatoes and onions, forming an even layer.  Top with torn spinach & pour seasoned eggs over slowly, ensuring even coverage.  Top with sprinkle of cheese and bake 25 minutes (make sure eggs are set).   Slice & serve with a salad.

Recipes like the one above are true gifts when I am in a time crunch, healthy & quick.  The last thing I want to do after a 10 hour work day is wash pots and pans all night.  One of my favorite "quick dinners" are soup kits, have you tried these? I do prefer creating things from scratch, but get real - on crazy week nights these are time savers. Not to mention they are healthier than anything from a drive through!

Our favorites - Chicken Tortilla & Tomato Basil

I would rather play with these two than do dishes anyway...

Walter & Louise

Silly Beauregard - That is one way to keep little brother from getting your toys!

*** Another time saving note - the leftover Frittata is a wonderful breakfast!

Slow Cooked Apples & Pork Tenderloin

The next couple of days can be the most hectic of the year. When we are home I find myself looking for healthy, tasty, & easy dinners. This dish will have your house smelling like the holidays with only a tiny bit of effort!  This will also be on our New Year's Day menu - Enjoy!!!  

Slow Cooked Apples & Pork Tenderloin

Slow Cooked Apples & Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4

1 1 & 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, washed and patted dry
1 onion, chopped
2 pink lady apples, unpeeled, cored and chopped***
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs of olive oil
1/2 cup Chardonnay
3/4 cup Maple Syrup
3 Tbs Apple juice
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Sprigs of thyme
Salt & Pepper


Spray the surface of your crock pot with cooking spray & turn to low setting.
Melt butter in a black iron skillet over medium high heat and then add olive oil . Salt and pepper the tenderloin.  Once the butter and oil start to slightly smoke, sear the tenderloin for a minute or two per side, just slightly brown & add to your crock pot.  Add the apples and onions to the skillet and allow them to lightly soften, for about 5 minutes.  Add all remaining ingredients, except for thyme & cinnamon stick, to the skillet and allow it to come to a slight boil.  Cover the pork tenderloin with the apple sauce, add the thyme & cinnamon stick, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove cinnamon stick and thyme sprigs.  Serve over rice or egg noodles & Enjoy!

***If you can't find pink ladies - Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious or Jonagold will do too

Speaking of keeping it easy we have started a new tradition of  vacationing for Thanksgiving.  Our favorite spot is at a lodge on a lake in Georgia surrounded by a gorgeous pine forest. Below are a few of our favorite Thanksgiving scenes from this year.

When a Gingerbread House just won't do...

The Lodge ready for the Holidays

Beautiful walkways all around the Lodge

A Christmas tree Clark Griswold would approve of

Thanksgiving Carving Stations & Iron Chef Competition

Caviar Station

The Raw Bar

The Cheese Display

Dessert anyone??? (This is only 1/4 of the selection)

The end of our Thanksgiving Meal

A long walk after our meal - I had to stop by my favorite herb garden

We took Taddy to see the Linger Longer Express

Champagne cocktails at sunset to end the day - this is the best picture I could get with a 25 pound Scottie in my lap

Fiesta Soup

We had this waiting for us when we got back from getting Christmas Trees last Friday night. Easy & yummy!!!

Fiesta Soup
Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground sirloin
2 cups frozen corn
1 can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 3.8 oz can of sliced black olives
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
The following spices***:
   1 tablespoon chili powder
   1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
   1/4 teaspoon onion powder
   1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
   1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
   1/2 teaspoon paprika
   1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
Tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese & pickled jalapenos for serving

In your dutch oven add a touch of oil at medium high heat, add onions and allow to soften for about 10 minutes. Add sirloin and allow it to brown. 
Now your cooking preference:
Crock pot method - add everything to your crock pot, stir well & set to low for 8 hours or high 4
Stove top method - add everything to your dutch oven (were you would have prepped your onions and sirloin if you were going this route), bring to a simmer and stir every now and then for an hour.

Serve over crushed tortilla chips and top with cheese, sour cream & jalapenos - and of course more chips.

*** You could always use the prepackaged pouches of "Taco Seasoning" if you wanted.  I tend to find it is much more economical to make my own out of my own spice cabinet.

Just because they are so darn cute - here are Walter & Weezie in their Christmas Sweaters (of course Walter has already torn his apart - thank goodness Jonathan got this shot before that happened!)

Classic Poppyseed Chicken

Classic Poppyseed Chicken
Serves 4

1 Rotisserie chicken, shredded
8 oz light sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup sherry
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbs poppy seeds
3/4 sleeve Ritz crackers
3 Tbs melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together your chicken, sour cream, soup, salt & pepper, poppy seeds & sherry. Transfer into a shallow casserole dish and top with crushed crackers and then pour butter over the top.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes and serve over rice or egg noodles.

This really is a wonderful comfort food & an east Sunday Supper.  Enjoy!

Simple Lamb Chops

Simple Lamb Chops
Serves 2

1 rack of lamb, about 1&1/2 lbs
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs Chimichurri sauce
Grey salt & black pepper

Let lamb sit out for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature.  To make this even easier I went ahead and sliced the rack into chops. Salt and pepper both sides of your chops.
In a heavy pan warm your oil & chimichurri sauce over medium high heat, make sure to coat the entire surface of your pan with this mixture.  When pan is slightly smoking add the chops.  Cook for about 10 -15 minutes, turning every few minutes.  Remove & place on your serving tray and cover with tin foil and let sit for about 10 minutes.  Serve & enjoy.

Here is a link to a chimichurri sauce recipe if you don't have access to a quality premade one.  
I serve my lamb with a horseradish sauce which is 1 tsp prepared horseradish to 3 Tbs light sour cream, serve cold.  This Goat Cheese Gratin  would compliment the lamb deliciously.

Spicy Sausage & White Beans

 In honor of "Extra Virgin's" season two's premiere tonight on the Cooking Channel I give you my take on one of Debi & Gabriele's favorites.  So yummy!  Don't you just love them!

Spicy Sausage & White Beans
Adapted from Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos's Recipe
Serves 4

2 Tbs olive oil
8 Turkey sausage links
2 tsp minced garlic
1 pound cherry tomatoes, quartered 

1 Anaheim chili pepper, chopped
1/4 of an onion, chopped

1/3 of a red pepper, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed 

3 bay leaves

2 handfuls fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Warm the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausages and brown (about 8 minutes). Plate the sausages and reserve.


Add the garlic, onion & peppers to the Dutch oven, and saute until golden brown. Next stir in the chopped tomatoes and and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan, allowing the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.  The tomatoes, onions and peppers will have turned into a thick sauce.


Add the browned sausages (and any juice left on the plate), beans, and bay leaves to your sauce. Stir well and simmer for another 10 minutes.


Add the chopped parsley before serving.

Tomato Jam for a Simple Chicken Dinner

 I had never even heard of Tomato Jam until our CSA provided it last week for our fruit share.  Amazingly tasty! Here is a link to a recipe from the NY Times Food Dining & Wine section. Ideas for its use included serving with cheese, pasta, or topping on chicken or fish.  We tried out the chicken option this weekend.  Easily pan sheared some chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper.  Topped with a bit of tomato jam and a dash of red pepper flakes and baked at 375 for 10 minutes and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese right before serving.  Absolutely delicious.  If you happen to see some at your local farmers' market - definitely pick some up, or test out the recipe linked above.

Bobby's Smoked Chile & Sweet Potato Gratin

The staple in our Fall CSA has been sweet potatoes. We love them!  It sounds crazy but the locally grown, organic do taste so much better than the grocery store variety.  We enjoy sweet potatoes all year long, but they do seem to be synonymous with Fall.   This was dish inspired by Bobby's Flay's Thanksgiving Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potatoes - Enjoy!

Bobby's Smoked Chile & Sweet Potato Gratin
Serves 4

3 sweet potatoes, medium sized
1 1/2 cups fat free 1/2 & 1/2
1 Chipolte chili with adobe sauce, chili minced & 2 tsp adobe sauce
Salt & Pepper
1/4 White cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Peel & slice the potatoes thinly.  Whisk together the chili, sauce and cream. 
In a 9 x9 dish layer the potatoes, top with drizzle of cream and repeat until potatoes are gone (it could be anywhere from 8 to 10 layers) ending with drizzle of cream.  Season with salt and pepper every 4 layers.
Cover with foil & bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove foil and bake for another hour.  After 30 minutes remove from oven and with a spatula press down on the potatoes to ensure cream covering the top of the potatoes.  When done baking sprinkle with cheese and cover for ten minutes.  Serve & Enjoy!

A mandoline or food processor slicing feature comes in handy with this dish.  Next time I am going to top it with crumbled blue cheese and pecans.

Tanjia Ann's Pasta Salad

Tanjia Ann's Pasta Salad
8 oz vermicelli pasta
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs creole seasoning
1/2 cup chopped of the following: celery, red pepper, black olives, & green olives with pimentos
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 Tbs olive oil mayo
Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes

While bringing your salted pasta water to a boil, break the vermicelli into 1 inch pieces (smaller is actually better).  Boil the pasta for 6 minutes and drain immediately.  While pasta is still very hot add the olive oil, lemon juice and creole seasoning & toss well. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours (overnight even better).
Add the remaining ingredients, toss well and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

It only gets better with time.  I enjoyed this a few days later with a small can of tuna for a tasty lunch.

Perfect side dish to almost anything & would be great
with grilled chicken or shrimp for a complete meal

Sunday New Potatoes

Simple Sunday New Potatoes
Serves 4

1 pound small red potatoes
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
Creole seasoning
Cheddar cheese
Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven at 425 degrees. 
Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until they are fork tender.  Place the potatoes on your baking sheet and roughly break them up with a fork.  Spray them with the cooking spray and sprinkle with pepper & creole seasoning.  Bake for 25 minutes & remove from oven.  Top with cheese & parsley & bake 5 more minutes.  Serve & Enjoy!

Simple Baby Back Ribs

Simple Baby Back Ribs
Serves 2

1 slab of baby back ribs, cut (if needed) to fit in your pan
Salt & Pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 beer
Sprigs of rosemary & thyme
3 TBs of your favorite barbecue sauce (plus more for serving)
1 TBs grainy mustard
1 TBs Worcestershire sauce

Salt & pepper both sides of the ribs.  Mix together the bbq sauce, mustard and Worcestershire, and spread over the ribs.  Place ribs in roasting pan or crock pot, meat side up.   Lightly squeeze the lemon over the ribs and add the lemon halves in the pan.  Pour 1/2 of the beer in the bottom of the pan & top the ribs with the sprigs of rosemary & thyme. 
Oven method - Cover tightly with aluminum foil & cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour & 15 -20 minutes
Crock pot - Covered on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Let them rest for 10 minutes and serve with extra sauce.  Enjoy!

Ready to roast

Falling off the bone - yummy!

Pink Eyed Peas

Pink Eyed Peas
Serves 8

1 lb fresh pink eyed peas
1/2 sweet onion, diced
4 strips of turkey bacon, diced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
Pinch of grey salt
2-3 dashes of hot sauce

Heat a stock pot over medium high heat & add the bacon.  Cook, stirring occasionally for about 6 minutes.  Add the onions, allowing them to soften with the bacon, cook for another 6 minutes or so. Finally add the fresh peas & mix well with the onions and bacon.  Cover the peas with the 2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and add pinch of salt and hot sauce.  Allow them to simmer for an hour to an hour and a half, stirring occasionally and adding more broth when needed.  I suggest taste testing after 30 minutes, depending on the freshness they can be done this early and then other times it will take the full time.  Additional salt may be needed as well.  Enjoy! 

Roasted Farmers' Market Vegetables

Roasted Farmers' Market Vegetables

Now that I am on my easy & healthy kick, this just seems too simple.  Last summer I became overwhelmed  with complicated recipes for all of the fresh goodies CSA.  Wish I had thought of this then.
Simply pick what you like, rinse and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and the herbs of your choice & roast in an oven at 400 for roughly half an hour.  Tuesday evening it was carrots, squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, & brocollini. The tomatoes & brocollini only needed about 25 minutes, but the rest stayed for closer to 40.  I tossed with cooking spray, gray salt & Herbs De Provence.  They made a perfect side to a grilled pork tenderloin with brown rice.  There is no excuse not to eat healthy with this one.  Enjoy!

Easy Clean Up too

Roasted Baby Carrots

Simple and delicious.

Roasted Baby Carrots 
Bunch of peeled baby carrots, tops snipped
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Fresh Thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place baby carrots on a cooking sheet lined with foil.  Drizzle olive oil over the carrots and sprinkle with salt and thyme leaves.  Roast carrots for 15 to 20 minutes until they are lightly browned.  Serve with a sprinkle of fresh thyme.

You can't get any easier than that.

Ready to go in the oven.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a such a classic, and is a nice way to brighten up a dreary, cold evening.  How beautiful would this be on your Valentine's Day table.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Serves 4

6 ozs baby spinach
1 cup of sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of poppy seed dressing

Wash and dry spinach.  Toss the sliced strawberries with the balsamic vinegar and let marinate for 5 minutes or so.  Remove the strawberries from the balsamic vinegar and add all ingredients to your serving dish. Toss with the poppy seed dressing and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes

I also love to add grilled chicken, and let this be our supper.  The strawberries marinated in the balsamic vinegar are so wonderful, the flavor is amazing!  Hope you enjoy!