Beans and Greens

1/2 pound hot Italian bulk sausage
4 T EVOO
3 or 4 or 10 cloves garlic, crushed, to taste
2 heads endive, coarsely chopped
2 heads escarole, coarsely chopped
1 can cannelloni beans, with liquid
1 cup chicken broth/bouillon
1 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese to serve

Brown sausage in large pot. Drain grease.
Add EVOO then garlic and cook briefly, being careful to avoid burning garlic.
Add chopped endive, escarole, beans, and broth.(I decided too much liquid using broth, hence change to Better than Bouillon)
Season lightly with salt and pepper
Cook over medium-high heat, turning over frequently until greens are tender.
Serve with parmesan.

Serve 4 main dish or 6-8 appetizer portions.

Sunday Gravy, Bare Bones Version for Jon & Jackie!

[This is from adapted from Cook's Illustrated]

Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound hot Italian sausage links
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
3 -4  tablespoons tomato paste
4 teaspoons crushed garlic (Trader Joe's is good)
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (I use Tuttorossi crushed tomatoes with basil from Giant Eagle)
3/4 cup water, beef or vegetable broth.
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional, or some frozen or jarred pesto to taste.

Meatballs - see original recipe if you're going to get this fancy!

Pasta
1 ½ pounds spaghetti or linguine
2 tablespoons table salt
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower- middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in large Dutch oven (A Le Creuset or comparable enamel on cast iron pot is ideal) over medium-high heat until just smoking.
2. Brown sausages on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer sausages to plate and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and oregano; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown.
4. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until very dark.
5 Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 - 60 seconds.
6. Add crushed tomatoes and water/broth, scraping up any browned bits.
7. Return  sausage to pot; bring to simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. 
8. Cook until ribs are tender, about 2½ hours. It's done when dark red oil is on top.
9. Remove sauce from oven and skim fat from top with large spoon.
10. Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

TO SERVE: Using tongs, transfer sausage to serving platter and cut sausages in half. Stir basil into sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with 1 cup sauce and reserved pasta cooking water so that sauce lightly coats pasta. Serve pasta, passing remaining sauce and meat platter separately.

Serves 8 to 10. Published September 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated. Sunday Gravy

The sauce can be prepared through step 4 and then cooled and refrigerated in the Dutch oven for up to 2 days. To reheat, drizzle ½ cup of water over the sauce (do not stir in) and warm on the lower-middle rack of a preheated 325-degree oven for 1 hour before proceeding with the recipe.

If you double the recipe, which I recommend for freezing, it may take 3 hours or more to cook.

	One Recipe	Double	Triple	Quadruple
Olive oil	2 TBLS	4	6	8
Sausage	1 Pound	2	3	4
Onions	2 cups	4	6	8
Oregano	1.25 tsp	2.5	3.75	5
Tomato Paste	3-4 TBLS	6	9	12
Garlic	4 tsp	8	12	16
Crushed Tomatoes	2 x 28-oz cans	4	6	8
Water/beef broth	3/4 cup	1.5	2.25	3
Basil, fresh	1/4 cup	1/2 cup	3/4 c	1 c

Vegetable Lasagna - America's Test Kitchen

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

No-Cook Tomato Sauce (Alternative: Trader Joe's Marinara works pretty well...)

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

No-Cook Cream Sauce

• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups)
• 1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream  1/2 cup half & half
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Vegetable Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
•   Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoonextra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 12 ounces baby spinach (about 12 cups)
• 8 - 12 ounces diced mushrooms, sauteed and drained

• 12 no-boil Bio-Nature whole wheat lasagna, raw boiled 3 minutes, cooled and separated.
• 1/2 cup minced pitted kalamata olives (optional - I think pesto works better and a can of black olives chopped up as well)
• 12 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups) (maybe provolone next time, or a mix)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• Parchment paper

Instructions

• 1. FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.
• 2. FOR THE CREAM SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.
• 3. FOR THE FILLING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Line surface of large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over filters. Wipe out and reserve now-empty bowl. Microwave eggplant, uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure that eggplant cooks evenly. Drain excess water from bowl. Let cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and squash.
• 4. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half eggplant mixture, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 15 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add half of garlic mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir to combine garlic mixture with vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. 
• Repeat with remaining eggplant mixture, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining garlic mixture.
• Add mushrooms to vegetable mixture.
• 5. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining teaspoon oil, and heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about  3 6 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towel–lined plate and drain 2 minutes. Chop spinach. Stir into eggplant mixture.
• IMPORTANT: Allow veg mixture to drain in strainer/colander to remove excess liquid.
• 6. TO ASSEMBLE: Spray 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. 
• Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish;
• shingle 4 noodles on top of sauce. 
• Spread half of vegetable mixture over noodles, 
• followed by half of olives, 
• half of cream sauce, and 
• 1 cup of mozzarella. 
• Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 
• 1 cup tomato sauce,
•  remaining vegetables, 
• remaining olives, 
• remaining cream sauce, and 
• 1 cup mozzarella. 
• Place remaining 4 noodles on top layer of cheese. 

• Spread remaining 1 cup tomato sauce over noodles and 

• sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

Lightly spray large sheet of aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray and Cut piece of parchment paper to cover lasagna, then cover this tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 35 60 minutes (or more). Cool on wire rack 25 minutes. Cut into pieces, sprinkle with basil, and serve.

Chicken Etouffe - Streamlined

Normally I go to Prudhomme's Recipe and make modifications as I have in my original version of this recipe. But last week, I really streamlined it, reduced the fat by a lot, and found it just as tasty (though not as buttery) as the original.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts

Spice mixture#1 - equal parts of salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.

Seasoning mix #2
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Roux
3 TBL Oil
3 TBL flour

Veggies
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 - 3 1.5 - 2 Cups Chicken stock (I use "Better than Bouillon")

Basic cooked Rice

Prepare the vegetables and spice mixes. Make lots of #1, put it in a spice jar and save it - you'll use it all the time!

Slice the chicken into "tender" sized pieces.

Sprinkle spice mixture #1 over the chicken.

Heat large cast iron skillet or dutch oven and add oil to coat the bottom.

When skillet is hot, start cooking the chicken in batches until lightly browned on the outside, then move to a plate when finished.

After the chicken is done, add the oil and flour for the roux and stir almost constantly until the roux has turned dark, How dark is up to you. Prudhomme recommends very dark, like very dark chocolate. I go for somewhere between milk and dark chocolate color. Don't get any on you - they don't call it Cajun Napalm for nothing.

When you have achieved this color, remove from heat and add half of the chopped veggies and stir in to stop the cooking process.

Add seasoning mix #2, the rest of the veggies and stir all together.

Add enough stock to cover generously, add back the chicken, and bring back up to a simmer.

Cook about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the gravy is thick.

Just before serving, if you feel the need to add some butter and stir it in, I won't hold it against you.

Serve over the rice, with some hot sauce on the side. And milk.

Green Beans, Greek-ish

Diced onion
Fresh fennel, diced (optional)
Olive oil
Diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
Dill, fresh or dried, to taste
Oregano, fresh or dried, to taste
Cut green beans, fresh or frozen
Salt and pepper, to taste

Saute onions (and fennel) in oil until soft and golden brown. Add diced tomatoes and saute a few minutes, then add everything else, stir and saute/simmer.

Depending upon how dry/watery the tomatoes are, you may wish to add a little water to pan.

Simmer until beans are tender and serve.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe : Paula Deen : Food Network

Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe : Paula Deen : Food Network

Never thought I'd put up a Paula Deen Recipe, but CAH made this for Thanksgiving and it is great!

Ingredients
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell OR 2 graham cracker crusts
2 cups pecan halves
3 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (we used closer to 6oz)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cover bottom of pie crust with pecans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, sugar, bourbon and the chopped chocolate. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour mixture into the pie shell over the pecans and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup Helmann's mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 - 5 oz blue cheese, crumbled or chopped
2 tsp (or more) vinegar*
2 tblsp (at least) hot sauce**

Mix everything together in a bowl, add extra vinegar or hot sauce if too thick. Chill for an hour or so and serve.

**The hot sauce is my replication of the dressing at Mad Mex's.

Coconut Rice (Indian)

1 cup brown basmati rice
1 - 2 cups chopped onion*
1- 3 cloves minced garlic*
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed ginger*
2 - 3 tablespoons Oil, preferably coconut
2 - 3 tablespoons curry paste (madras or other)
1/4 to 1/2 cup (or more) shredded or desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
2 cups water (or broth) (!.5 cups in pressure cooker)
Salt to taste

Heat oil in pan, add onion and saute until soft or carmelizing.
Add garlic and ginger, saute another minute.
Add curry paste and rice and saute 1-2 minutes.

Add liquid and coconut and cook by preferred method (rice cooker, microwave or in loaf pan in oven)

For Instant pot, 20 minutes on high and release for about ten minutes should do it.

The onion, garlic and ginger area all optional, but really make it taste much better.

Butterballs (from The Silver Palate Cookbook)

1 Stick butter, room temp
3 T. honey (64 g)
1 Cup flour(120 g)
1/2 t. salt
1 T. vanilla extract
1 Cup pecans, chopped somewhat fine
3/4 Cup confectioners sugar (94 g)

Preheat oven to 300 300 300! degrees, grease cookie sheets.

Cream butter, beat in honey. Gradually mix in flour and salt, then vanilla...add pecans. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Form balls by hand, the size of a quarter. Place 2" apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, as soon as cool to the touch, roll in conf. sugar. Cool completely and roll in conf. sugar again.

Toffee Bars (Silver Palate)

½ pound (2 sticks) sweet butter
1 cup light brown sugar (200 g)
1 egg yolk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour(240 g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup shelled walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped


Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolk; beat well.

Sift in flour, mixing well, then stir in vanilla. Spread batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Cover cake layer with chocolate chips and return to oven for 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and spread melted chocolate evenly. Sprinkle with nuts. Cool completely in pan before cutting.

About 30 bars.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Pie

Pecan Crust:
1 1/2 cups toasted and finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix and press into 9 in. pan.
Freeze or chill.

Filling:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/8 cup powdered sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. melted butter
8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 c. peanut butter

Beat Cream and 1/8 Cup Sugar until Stiff.
Put aside HALF of the whipped cream to use as topping.
Beat remaining 1 c. sugar, vanilla, cream cheese, peanut butter, and butter in another large bowl until fluffy. Fold in half of whipped cream and spoon into crust.

Refrigerate two hours.
Optional: Spread with fudge topping of your choice. Or shave chocolate over top. Or cocoa powder.  Refrigerate another hour to chill fudge if using.

Top with second half of whipped cream and serve!

Chocolate/tobacco cookies

Bring to a boil:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar

Take off heat and add:
3 cups oats
1 cup coconut
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla.

You can add 1/2 to 1 cup peanut butter as well.

1/2 cup = 135g

3/4 cup =  180 g

1 cup = 270 g

Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet or wax paper.

Steak au Poivre (James Beard)

Recipe by the late James Beard
For: Omaha Steaks Strip Sirloins

Ingredients:
2 Boneless Strip Sirloins or filets, thawed
1 Tbsp. coarsely ground pepper
Oil
1/3 cup Armagnac, Cognac or Burbon, warmed
Cream or half and half or butter or some combination

The pepper for steak au poivre must be crushed in a mortar, cracked with a rolling pin or whirled in a blender to make rather course pieces. Do not be afraid to use a generous amount. Freshly crushed pepper is not hot.

Procedures:
About 30 minutes before cooking, press the crushed peppercorns into both sides of the steaks, using the heel of your hand. Gauge about ½ Tbsp per steak.

In a heavy skillet, heat 1 tsp. oil.

Sear steaks on both sides very quickly over high heat.

Reduce heat and cook to desired doneness.

Quickly flame steaks with the warm liquor.

Remove steaks to a hot platter, rinse pan with 1 tsp. of the same liquor.

Blend in cream or butter into sauce and thicken a bit.

Serve and pour over steaks.

Pan Roasted Salmon (Bittman)

25 minutes
Roasting pan or baking dish that just holds the fish
475-degree oven

1 pound salmon filet, skin left on
2 T. butter
Salt and pepper
A small handful chopped parsley

1) Heat the oven to 475 degrees.

2) When the oven's up to speed, melt the butter in the roasting pan (you can do this in the oven while it's heating up).

3) Rinse and pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Lay the filet in the pan, skin up, and bake for 5 minutes. Then turn the fish and bake another 5 minutes, or until the fish is done.*

4) While the fish cooks, chop a small handful of parsley. To serve, put the filet on a serving platter, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley, and pour the melted butter over the fish. If you're fast, the parsley will sizzle a bit from the hot butter.

*Done—Timing will vary depending on how thick the filet is, but make sure your oven is 475 degrees before putting the fish in.

Now ultimately, the only way to tell when fish is done is to get in there and look. Press on the fish, if it flakes apart, it's definitely done. But if it doesn't quite fall apart, look between the flakes at the thickest point. A thin streak of raw at this point is perfect--the fish will continue to cook itself.

With salmon, "done" is really a matter of taste. If the fish is really fresh, medium-rare can be delicious. But if you have any doubts about a fish's absolute freshness (supermarket fish counters), be conservative and cook the fish until it's done, that is, until you see the hairline of raw in the middle.

Chicken Paprikash

Chicken, either pieces or boneless skinless breasts or thighs or any combination

1/4 c. oil or butter or combination
1 1/2 c. chopped onion (or more)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sour cream
2 Tblsp flour

Biscuit mix, preferably whole wheat
Water for dumplings per recipe on biscuit mix box

You can throw in some smoked paprika or hungarian hot paprika or some combination to make up your 1/4 cup paprika, but basic paprikash uses just sweet paprika)

Skin chicken and cut into pieces (or use boneless/skinless).

Put oil/butter in large cast iron skillet and saute onions (do not brown).

Add salt, pepper and paprika; mix well.

Add chicken and saute briefly (5 to 10 minutes).

Add water and cover. simmer until chicken tender.

Mix 2 tblsp flour into sour cream. Add some of hot broth back into sour cream mix, stir and then start adding sour cream mixture into paprikash until well blended. Cook a few minutes longer until thicker.

Make dumpling dough and drop onto paprikash in tablespoons.

Cover and cook until dumplings cooked.

Serve.