Grilled Asparagus
Thicker asparagus is better. Medium to thick asparagus spears have a more robust flavor and meatier texture than thin ones, which are more skin than flesh. Avoid the pencil thin ones. Look for plump, round, bright green stalks. Dry looking stalks with prominent ribbing are old and may be woody and less flavorful.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Asparagus
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
¼ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Prepare a high gas grill or charcoal fire. Trim the asparagus. In a large bowl toss the asparagus with the olive oil, vinegar, chopped garlic cloves and red pepper flakes. Remove from the bowl and place on the grill. Grill, turning once, until just tender, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and place on a serving platter. Serve immediately. Serves 6
Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
I sure do love Brussels Sprouts and what could be better than pairing these little babies with bacon! This is such a simple recipe with a big return.
INGREDIENTS
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
2 Thick Slices Bacon
4 Cups Trimmed & Halved Brussels Sprouts
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Finely Chopped Medium Shallot
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
½ Cup Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and let cool. Crumble the bacon and set aside. While the bacon is cooling add the Brussels Sprouts to the bacon drippings in the skillet. Add the salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until well browned in spots and beginning to soften. Stir often. Reduce the heat to low and add the shallot and butter. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while cooking. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 2 minutes until the broth has cooked out. Stir in the vinegar and crumbled bacon. Cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Serves 4
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
5 Medium Potatoes (Peeled & Cut Into Eighths)
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Warm Milk
8 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Teaspoon Roasted Garlic
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
To roast the garlic preheat your oven to 350° F. Cut ¼ to ½ inch from the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Remove most of the outer skin from the bulb, leaving the bulb intact and the cloves unpeeled. Place the bulb, cut-side up, on an 8 inch piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Wrap in the foil and bake for 50 minutes until softened. Cool slightly. Separate the cloves and press the cloves slightly to squeeze out the softened garlic.
Place the potatoes in a 4 quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over a high heat and cook for 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, butter and garlic. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6
Scalloped Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
6 Cups Sliced Potatoes With Skins
¼ Cup Diced Green Peppers
¼ Cup Diced Green Onions
¼ Cup Pimento
1 Pound Shredded Cheddar Cheese
20 Ounces Cream of Celery Soup
10 Ounces Chicken Broth
1 Cup Sour Cream
Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well. In a medium size skillet sauté the green peppers and onions. Mix in the sautéed green peppers and onion with the pimento and cheese in a medium size bowl. Mix the soup, broth and sour cream into the onion & cheese mixture. Arrange the potatoes in an oiled medium size baking dish. Pour the mixed ingredient over the potatoes and bake in a 350° F preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serves 8
Traditional Potato Latkes
I used to eat these as a kid and oh how I loved them! Fried Potato Pancakes, called Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew, are the most popular Hanukkah food. Fried food is traditionally eaten on Hanukkah in commemoration of the oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple of Jerusalem. Latkes are a holiday favorite and today one can find many creative twists to the traditional latkes recipe. They include cauliflower, sweet potato, broccoli, guacamole, cheese and even tuna latkes.
INGREDIENTS
5 Potatoes
2 Onions
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Unbleached Flour
Canola Oil For Frying
Fill a large bowl with cold water so the potatoes won’t turn brown in color. Peel the potatoes and place in the cold water. When you are ready to make the latkas drain the potatoes. Place the potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with the knife blade and pulse until smooth. Drain the mixture well. Pour the potato mixture into a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper and enough flour so that the mixture holds together. Pour 1 inch of the oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over a medium high heat. Carefully drop ¼ cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil and flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook. Fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Serve with applesauce. Makes 20 pancakes.
Cauliflower With Bread Crumbs
I absolutely LOVE this cauliflower side dish. Lots of butter and bread crumbs makes it so delicious! When I have leftovers I puree it in the food processor and spread it on sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS
1 Head Cauliflower
½ Cup Butter
½ Teaspoon Coarse Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Bread Crumbs
Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and wash. Break apart into flowerets and cook uncovered, in a medium sized pot, in salted boiling water until tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander and set aside. Heat the pot over a medium heat and add the butter. Cook the butter until almost melted and then add the salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Stir until combined. Add the cauliflower and stir into the butter and bread crumbs. Cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and place in a serving dish. Serve warm. Serves 4
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
6 Peeled & Cubed Sweet Potatoes
¾ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup Butter
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 30 minutes until tender. Drain and put back into pot. Add the butter and let melt for 1 minute. With an electric mixer on low, blend the potatoes for 30 seconds. Slowly add the cream a bit at a time and continue beat on low. Add the salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Beat for another minutes until smooth. Garnish with parsley. Serve warm. Serves 6
Brussels Sprouts In Butter & Lemon
These Brussels Sprouts are so much better than what I grew up on. I have always been a fan of Brussels Sprouts, but the sauté and butter & lemon at the end make this vegetable dish sing!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Brussels Sprouts
6 Tablespoons Butter
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Lemon
Remove any ragged outer leaves on the Brussels sprouts and throw away. Steam the sprouts for 3 minutes until just tender. They should be nearly cooked all the way through. Do NOT overcook. Strain the hot water and place the sprouts in a bowl of ice water. Cut the sprouts into halves. In a large sauté pan over a medium heat add the 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the sprouts, salt and pepper and stir. Increase the heat a bit and cook for 2 more minutes. Make sure not to overcook or the Brussels Sprouts may become bitter. Turn the heat to low and add the rest of the butter. After 30 seconds turn off the heat. Stir in the melted butter. Squeeze half of the lemon over the sprouts and give a quick stir. Remove from the pan and place in a serving dish. Serves 6
Penne With Garlic & Broccoli
I love pasta dishes of any type. Here is a simple vegetarian pasta dish that is easy to make a great for both weekends and week nights.
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Penne Pasta
4 Cups Broccoli Florets
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Cloves Sliced Garlic
¼ Cup Sliced Olives
¾ Cup Vegetable Broth
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Cup Grated Romano Cheese
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook according to the package directions. Add the broccoli to the pot during the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic starts to brown. Stir in olives and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta, broccoli, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until hot. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 2
Yellow Squash Salad
A friend gave me a tiny yellow squash from his garden and I didn’t quite know what to do with it. It was so tiny and so cute that I just wanted to look at it. I finally decided to make a little salad with it. This Yellow Squash Salad turned out great!
INGREDIENTS
½ Red Onion Chopped
2 Small Diced Yellow Squash
2 Diced Curby Cucumbers
½ Cup Chopped Basil
1 Medium Chopped Tomato
6 Ounces White Beans
4 Ounces Chopped Feta Cheese
¼ Cup Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Chop the onion, yellow squash, cucumbers, tomato and place in a medium serving bowl. Pour ¼ cup salad dressing over the chopped vegetables and set aside. Add the salt, pepper, white beans and basil. Lightly toss. Just when you are ready to serve add the chopped feta cheese and lightly toss. Serve immediately. Serves 4
