Yum, yum, and more yum. So Thanksgiving is coming up. I love mashed potatoes and gravy, but if you want to switch things up a bit, Turkey Day would be a great day to debut this recipe. Or a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon. Or your mom is in town. Or a snow day. Or...
So this is yet another recipe that shouldn't be in your weekly repetoire simply because of the calorie and rich-ingredient content. And this is NOT the recipe to try to make lower-fat due to a necessary texture that can't be replicated with low-fat dairy products.
The OTHER important detail I must touch on is Penzey's Spices. I happen to be lucky enough to live within a 15 minute drive from a store. You can certainly buy their spices online, but it's so convenient to be able to run out and grab a little jar of their deliciousness. Sure, you can substitute, and I'm sure your recipe will turn out delicious, but I'm convinced that for THIS recipe, Penzey's is the way to go, at least in terms of the Chicken Soup Base--probably my most favorite Penzey's product.
Alright, enough of Penzey's...on to the recipe!
Scalloped Harvest Potatoes
2 lbs baking potatoes (russet)
2 c half & half
2 c heavy cream
1 tablespoon Penzey's Chicken Soup Base*
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp rubbed sage**
1 8 oz. package Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
*If you cannot get your hands on this Penzey's product, substitute one or two cubes of chicken boullion.
**I add a pretty big "pinch" -- none of this 1/8 tsp. stuff. I like to taste the ingredients :)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter or spray. In large pot, heat half & half, heavy cream, Chicken Soup Base, garlic powder, onion powder, and sage over medium heat. Warm until the soup base is completely dissolved, whisk as necessary. Cut potatoes into slices. Layer 1/3 potatoes in bottom of pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Repeat for a second layer. Repeat for a third layer. Pour cream mixture over potatoes. Dot with butter for extra goodness (and calories). Bake for 60 minutes or until potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork and a brown crust begins to form around the edges and on top. Serves 8-10. (Or serves 4 with lots and lots of fabulous leftovers!)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
A long, long, long time ago (someone just mentioned "15 years ago" on my Facebook page) I found a homemade alfredo recipe in our local newspaper...my hometown Jacksonville Journal Courier. Every Wednesday the JJC had a food/recipe section that I couldn't wait to get my hands on. This Alfredo Sauce recipe has stood the test of time.
Now, the original recipe called for heavy cream, full-fat cream cheese, and 6-8 cloves of garlic. I know, I know...serious garlic. I have since refined the recipe to be a little more to my liking and a little (very little) more heart-healthy. This is not the type of sauce one would want to serve weekly, or maybe not even monthly. But, moderation...blah blah blah. Sometimes it's so good to be bad.
Here's how to be bad:
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
2 cups half-n-half
1 8 oz. block of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 cup to 1 cup (or more) grated parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Instructions:
In a heavy saucepan, add the half-n-half and begin to heat over medium. Add one half (4 ounces) of the cream cheese. Stir frequently with a whisk to melt the cream cheese. Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Continue to heat until cheeses are melted, and sauce is smooth.
Again, I pretty much made up the above measurements, because I like to experiment until I'm satisfied. So taste, stir, add more (in SMALL increments) of any of the above ingredients. More half-n-half will result in thinner sauce. More cream cheese...thicker sauce.
Note: you can use fresh garlic, but even when I put it through a garlic press, it still leaves little pieces in the sauce for a texture I'm not fond of.
As always, this is a sauce that is open to MANY variations:
Now, the original recipe called for heavy cream, full-fat cream cheese, and 6-8 cloves of garlic. I know, I know...serious garlic. I have since refined the recipe to be a little more to my liking and a little (very little) more heart-healthy. This is not the type of sauce one would want to serve weekly, or maybe not even monthly. But, moderation...blah blah blah. Sometimes it's so good to be bad.
Here's how to be bad:
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
2 cups half-n-half
1 8 oz. block of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 cup to 1 cup (or more) grated parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Instructions:
In a heavy saucepan, add the half-n-half and begin to heat over medium. Add one half (4 ounces) of the cream cheese. Stir frequently with a whisk to melt the cream cheese. Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Continue to heat until cheeses are melted, and sauce is smooth.
Again, I pretty much made up the above measurements, because I like to experiment until I'm satisfied. So taste, stir, add more (in SMALL increments) of any of the above ingredients. More half-n-half will result in thinner sauce. More cream cheese...thicker sauce.
Note: you can use fresh garlic, but even when I put it through a garlic press, it still leaves little pieces in the sauce for a texture I'm not fond of.
As always, this is a sauce that is open to MANY variations:
- Sometimes I add some basil pesto for a pretty green Pesto-Alfredo sauce. You can buy pre-made, delicious pesto in almost any grocery store. I like the "Classico" brand. Add a couple of tablespoons to start, then taste and add more if necessary.
- "Classico" also makes a Roasted Tomato pesto, for a rose-colored tomato-y tasting alfredo sauce.
- Finally, one of my FAVORITE variations: Roasted Red Pepper alfredo. Add a few roasted red peppers (again, you can buy this product in jar at the grocery store) and use a hand-blender to mix into the alfredo sauce. LOVELY over cheese ravioli.
Finally, feel free to use the full-fat versions mentioned above, but don't hold me responsible for your cholesterol levels. I just made the recipe last night with heavy cream instead of half-n-half, because I was trying to use up cream before it expired. My husband RAVED about last night's Alfredo Sauce a little more than usual.
White Chicken Chili
With the crisp autumn weather in full effect, there is no better time to have something warm and filling to feast on. The following recipe is such an easy one-pot, low-prep, low-stress meal.
White Chicken Chili
1 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled off bones and coarsely chopped
1 block (at least 8 oz) jalapeno-jack cheese, grated
1 or 2 jars Northern beans (white beans)
1 or 2 jars salsa (mild, medium, or hot)
Salt to taste
Optional: half-n-half, tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro
There you have the basics. Now, I apologize for the lack of exact measurements. That's not the type of cook I am unless I am baking, where I respect every detail of a recipe. The measurements also depend on your palate and the quantity of WCC that you wish to cook. I'm not a big bean person, so I prefer fewer beans and more chicken. I also like a creamier chili, so I tend to add more cheese and half-n-half. Hot salsa adds a really nice element of flavor to this recipe. There is not much "bite" left once everything is added in. Luckily, you can't really mess this up (unless you BURN it). Take it slow the first time. Make notes. The payoff will be worth it.
INSTRUCTIONS: In a large stock pot, add 1 jar of Northern Beans (beans AND liquid) and chopped chicken. Begin to heat over medium. Add 1 jar of salsa, and at least 8 oz. cheese. Allow cheese to melt, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as necessary. Study the consistency and try a taste. Add more cheese or some half-n-half if you prefer a creamier chili. Make sure to add the half-n-half gradually. You can always add more, but can't remove it! Continue to taste, stir, and add as needed. Shouldn't take long and you'll have a fresh pot of chili on the stove.
Eat as is, or top with sour cream and/or cilantro. If you have no clean spoons, use tortilla chips to feed yourself :)
White Chicken Chili
1 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled off bones and coarsely chopped
1 block (at least 8 oz) jalapeno-jack cheese, grated
1 or 2 jars Northern beans (white beans)
1 or 2 jars salsa (mild, medium, or hot)
Salt to taste
Optional: half-n-half, tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro
There you have the basics. Now, I apologize for the lack of exact measurements. That's not the type of cook I am unless I am baking, where I respect every detail of a recipe. The measurements also depend on your palate and the quantity of WCC that you wish to cook. I'm not a big bean person, so I prefer fewer beans and more chicken. I also like a creamier chili, so I tend to add more cheese and half-n-half. Hot salsa adds a really nice element of flavor to this recipe. There is not much "bite" left once everything is added in. Luckily, you can't really mess this up (unless you BURN it). Take it slow the first time. Make notes. The payoff will be worth it.
INSTRUCTIONS: In a large stock pot, add 1 jar of Northern Beans (beans AND liquid) and chopped chicken. Begin to heat over medium. Add 1 jar of salsa, and at least 8 oz. cheese. Allow cheese to melt, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as necessary. Study the consistency and try a taste. Add more cheese or some half-n-half if you prefer a creamier chili. Make sure to add the half-n-half gradually. You can always add more, but can't remove it! Continue to taste, stir, and add as needed. Shouldn't take long and you'll have a fresh pot of chili on the stove.
Eat as is, or top with sour cream and/or cilantro. If you have no clean spoons, use tortilla chips to feed yourself :)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Buddies
Buddies
(written by my father)
Morning
I awaken to the sound of
a friendly voice
not so far away
soon followed
by the National Anthem
nice beginning but
must do
those morning things
shaving
washing hair
that are always at least
mildly aggravating
but oh so necessary
if I am to face the day
with confidence
Yes quickly!
I hear little
footsteps
and a little voice
says
Daddy I can't sleep anymore
Buddies!
downstairs
we find
breakfast
nothing fancy
cereal
toast
perhaps a glass of
juice
or if it's Sunday
we might be the earliest
to arrive
at Hojo's
then a walk
in the new sunlight
a deep drink of
fresh air
the sweet song of
a cardinal
perched high
in a nearby tree
she goes her way
and I go mine
but only for awhile
soon we'll be together
again
it's great to be
Buddies
That is a poem that my father wrote about us oh-so-many years ago. I don't think I had my own copy until I was 19 years old, studying abroad in Mexico my sophomore year in college. My dad periodically sent me care packages of newspaper clippings from the States, letters about the goings-on in his day-to-day life, and some copies of poems he had written over the years--all reading material he thought I'd find interesting and a remedy to any homesickness I may have been feeling.
In any case, it has been years since I read the poem, but because my husband and I have our house up for sale, we have been cleaning and organizing like mad. And I came across this poem. And I cried when I read it. Then I cried as I was typing it into this blog. But the tears have nothing to do with the fact that my father and I are no longer "buddies." Unfortunately, he suffers from mental illness which makes it impossible for us to communicate in any "normal" sort of way or to have any resemblance of a normal father-daughter relationship. But that is life. People get sick, sad things happen. The sadness and frustration from the situation has numbed over the years. I hold on to many fond memories that I am lucky to have. ANYWAY...Nope. That's not why I'm so weepy. And it's not because I'm pregnant again and my hormones are raging all over the place, either.
I'm weepy out of sheer joy. Because when I read that poem I think of my husband and our son. They are buddies. And it is so dang heartwarming. In the morning when Mike has to do his "mildly aggravating" routine, there Drew is peeping into the shower, hoping to get a little laugh and a splash from Daddy. Or a little "pssht" of deodorant. Or a dollop of shaving cream on the nose that results in a joyous giggle. There they are...MY buddies.
(written by my father)
Morning
I awaken to the sound of
a friendly voice
not so far away
soon followed
by the National Anthem
nice beginning but
must do
those morning things
shaving
washing hair
that are always at least
mildly aggravating
but oh so necessary
if I am to face the day
with confidence
Yes quickly!
I hear little
footsteps
and a little voice
says
Daddy I can't sleep anymore
Buddies!
downstairs
we find
breakfast
nothing fancy
cereal
toast
perhaps a glass of
juice
or if it's Sunday
we might be the earliest
to arrive
at Hojo's
then a walk
in the new sunlight
a deep drink of
fresh air
the sweet song of
a cardinal
perched high
in a nearby tree
she goes her way
and I go mine
but only for awhile
soon we'll be together
again
it's great to be
Buddies
That is a poem that my father wrote about us oh-so-many years ago. I don't think I had my own copy until I was 19 years old, studying abroad in Mexico my sophomore year in college. My dad periodically sent me care packages of newspaper clippings from the States, letters about the goings-on in his day-to-day life, and some copies of poems he had written over the years--all reading material he thought I'd find interesting and a remedy to any homesickness I may have been feeling.
In any case, it has been years since I read the poem, but because my husband and I have our house up for sale, we have been cleaning and organizing like mad. And I came across this poem. And I cried when I read it. Then I cried as I was typing it into this blog. But the tears have nothing to do with the fact that my father and I are no longer "buddies." Unfortunately, he suffers from mental illness which makes it impossible for us to communicate in any "normal" sort of way or to have any resemblance of a normal father-daughter relationship. But that is life. People get sick, sad things happen. The sadness and frustration from the situation has numbed over the years. I hold on to many fond memories that I am lucky to have. ANYWAY...Nope. That's not why I'm so weepy. And it's not because I'm pregnant again and my hormones are raging all over the place, either.
I'm weepy out of sheer joy. Because when I read that poem I think of my husband and our son. They are buddies. And it is so dang heartwarming. In the morning when Mike has to do his "mildly aggravating" routine, there Drew is peeping into the shower, hoping to get a little laugh and a splash from Daddy. Or a little "pssht" of deodorant. Or a dollop of shaving cream on the nose that results in a joyous giggle. There they are...MY buddies.
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