Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese

This is only the second time I have cooked with Swiss chard. The last time it was creamed and amazing. This time I wanted something a little lighter. Overall, I am a fan of the chard. It is a substantial leafy green and holds up well to the "wilting process." It doesn't become what my husband calls "slimy." I wouldn't say that this dish is amazing, but I liked it. And I felt like I was eating some healthy greens.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste (optional)

Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.

Source: All Recipes

Man Hash Browns

Whenever we make hash browns from the frozen ones, they never turn out right. I think it may be partly due to the overcrowding of the pan. My husband followed this recipe exactly--except using olive oil instead of bacon fat-- and they were perfect. He even weighed the grated potato to get close to 4 ounces. Super yum and crispy. Thanks Alton Brown!

Man Hash Browns

4 ounces Idaho or Russet potatoes, scrubbed, rinsed but not peeled

Pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon bacon fat (or olive oil)

Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium low heat for 5 minutes.

While the pan is heating, grate the potato on the largest hole of a box grater. Squeeze the grated potatoes in a tea towel to remove excess moisture.

Add the fat to the pan and scatter evenly with the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 5 minutes without disturbing. Decrease the heat to low, flip the potatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Asparagus with Sesame Citrus Sauce

I love asparagus. I ususally cook it on a baking sheet with olive oil and salt and pepper. Sometimes you need to shake things up a little. This was just as easy and pretty good--from Food Network's Paula Deen. It has a nice balance of sesame and citrus.

Asparagus with Sesame Citrus Sauce

1 bunch asparagus
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus a splash
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt
Prepare the asparagus. Snap off bases of spears and discard. Bring a small amount of salted water to boil in a saucepan, add a splash of lemon; add asparagus and cook until tender. Remove asparagus and shock in an ice bath to stop the cooking and to keep its bright green color.

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes over moderate heat, until lightly browned. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons orange juice, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Whisk to make sure it's fully emulsified. Add salt, to taste. Add asparagus to sauce, and toss until coated. Serve hot and garnish with extra sesame seeds, if desired.

Pickle Showdown

When I got some of those little pickling cucumbers in my produce basket, I just had to try a pickle recipe. I didn't want to do the recipe that requires several days of fermentation. I found 2 different recipes for the overnight sweet pickle variety. Two of my favorite Food Network chefs, Tyler Florence and Alton Brown. I have to say, Alton's are much more flavorful. I think he is the winner of the pickle challenge. Next time, dill pickles!

AB's B and B's
(Alton Brown)


1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon pickling spice

Combine onion and cucumber slices in a clean spring-top jar. Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the flavors of the spices. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slice, completely filling the jar. Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature before topping off with any remaining pickling liquid. Refrigerate.

Quick Sweet Pickles
(Tyler Florence)


6 kirby cucumbers or 2 regular cucumbers
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 bay leaf

Wash and dry the cucumbers. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the cucumbers thinly and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Place the colander over a bowl and allow it to sit, covered, for about 1 hour. Rinse off the salt and dry the cucumber slices well. Place them into a sterilized quart jar.

In a small saucepan add the remaining ingredients. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Pour the brine over the cucumbers in jar. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep, refrigerated, for about 2 weeks.

Gobi Manchurian

If you go to the website that I found this recipe, you can learn about how Chinese food went to India and then back to China. It's very interesting. I had gobi manchurian at a local Indian restaurant, and it was really good. So when I got a couple of heads of cauliflower in my produce basket, I thought I should try it. Bird's eye chilies are hard to find, so we used 4 habeneros. It was quite spicy. The sauce in this had a little too much ketchup for my taste. It also didn't stay crispy. I will have to try it again. Meanwhile, it was decent.

Gobi Manchurian

10 to 12 cloves garlic

1 piece ginger, peeled and sliced into coins, + 1 teaspoon julienned ginger
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
2⁄3 cup cornstarch
2⁄3 cup flour
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tsp. plus 3 tbsp. soy sauce
Peanut oil
2 small onions, chopped
8 to 10 fresh bird's eye chilis, thinly sliced
3/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Cilantro leaves for garnish

In a blender, purée garlic, ginger slices, and 1⁄3 cup water. Set aside.

In a a pot of salted water, cook cauliflower until tender, about 5 to minutes. Drain, pat dry with a clean towel, and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, flour, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir in half the garlic paste, 2 tsp. soy sauce, and 3⁄4 cup water to form a batter.

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dip cauliflower in batter, then fry until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer fritters with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté onions until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chilis and remaining garlic paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add ketchup, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1⁄3 cup water; simmer until sauce is thickened, about 1–2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Return drained cauliflour to the wok and toss to coat. Transfer to serving plate(s), garnish with julienned ginger and cilantro, and serve as an appetizer or with rice as a main entree.

Bacon-Chipotle Twice Baked Potatoes

When you make twice baked potatoes, it's best not to be the middle of summer. Good thing it's winter. They are easy to make, but take a long time in the oven. Cheesy, bacony, a little spicy....how could this be bad. That's right they aren't. MMMM. Potatoes. These are very good. They remind me of something Bobby Flay would make.

Bacon-Chipotle Twice Baked Potatoes

6 medium baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)

1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)

Preheat oven to 450°.

Pierce potatoes with a fork. Bake potatoes at 450° for 50 minutes or until done; cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Combine potato pulp, milk, 3/4 cup cheese and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon potato mixture evenly into 10 shells; discarding remaining 2 shells. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over potatoes. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Roasted Parsnips

I can't say that I am familiar with parsnips. I may have eaten them once before. They look like white carrots and are a little sweet. Apparently, they do well with the roasting technique. They looked like french fries when we cooked them, but they taste more like sweet potato fries. So, not bad. If you like sweet potatoes, you'll like these. French fries are still much better.

Roasted Parsnips

2 parsnips

olive oil

salt

pepper

herbs (I used rosemary)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and cut parsnips into matchsticks pieces. Toss in olive oil on cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs. Cook about 20-25 minutes or until browned.

'Cheesy' Scalloped Potatoes

I don't consider scalloped potatoes as a classic Thanksgiving potato dish, but that's okay. These are pretty good. They are vegan, but I imagine you could use real cream cheese as well. They don't get the nice brown top like you do in the oven, but it is convenient.

‘Cheesy’ Scalloped Potatoes


2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. salt
Black pepper, to taste
8 potatoes, sliced
8 oz. vegan cream cheese, cubed

Lightly grease a crock pot. In a small bowl, combine the onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
 Layer 1/4 of the sliced potatoes on the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the seasoning and top with 1/3 of the vegan cream cheese cubes. Repeat the layers, ending with the seasonings.

 Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender. During the last half hour of cooking, stir the potatoes.

vegcooking.com

Crock Pot Herbed Zucchini

This is one of the many dishes that we had a Vegan Thanksgiving-- or Thankful Veghead as my sister calls it. I liked it. It wasn't a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but it was easy (a crockpot dish) and good. It is pictured in the top left of this crowded plate.

Crock Pot Herbed Zucchini


2 lbs. zucchini (unpeeled), sliced
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup tomato juice

Mix all ingredients together carefully in crockpot. Cover and cook on high setting for 3 to 4 hours. If thicker sauce is desired, remove cover during last hour.

Chili-Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Roasting vegetables is good. I keep discovering that it works for more and more vegetables. I never would have thought that broccoli would be good in the oven. This is a really simple and flavorful recipe. Sprinkle on some seasonings and oil and cook for 20 minutes in the oven. Voila!

Chili-Garlic Roasted Broccoli

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it

5 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended:Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick Grill Mates)
1 large head broccoli, cut into thin, long spears


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.

Source:
Rachel Ray

Skeptical Salad (Winter Version)

My sister dubbed this salad "Skeptical Salad" because she was skeptical about it tasting good. Now she makes it all the time. I can't remember what magazine I got it out of, but it is now a classic at my house. The original recipe uses sliced strawberries. I wanted an option for the winter when you can't get good strawberries. I chose pomegranates. They have the same sweet/tart balance as strawberries. I still prefer the original version, but the winter version is good too. For the glazed walnuts, Emerald makes really good ones. You can try the bulk bins (Sprouts has them) or even make them yourself. Make sure you use good lettuce-- Romaine or the fancy greens. Iceberg just doesn't work in this recipe. I often omit the green onions. They aren't bad. They add a bit of spice, but I think it is unecessary.

Skeptical Salad

Mixed greens

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced OR 1 pomgranate (avrils only)

11 ounce can of mandarin orange segments

2/3 cup green onions, sliced (I rarely add this)

1 cup glazed walnuts

Toss all ingredients

Dressing
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
2 T vegetable oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate until serving.

Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut Lemon Butter

Who doesn't like green beans? This recipe is simple, quick and really brings them to a whole new level. The best part? You can make the butter ahead of time and even use it on other vegetables. I make this for holidays, dinners, or just because. If you can't find any fresh green beans, you could even use frozen.

Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut Lemon Butter

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
8 cups water
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed

Combine butter, hazelnuts, rind, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; stir with a fork until well blended.
Bring 8 cups water and remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add green beans; cook 3 minutes. Drain. Return pan to medium heat. Add beans and butter mixture; cook 3 minutes or until the butter mixture melts. Toss gently to coat.

Vegetarian Hash

Skillet dishes are a good way to use up some vegetables that you have. They're easy and flexible-- as long as you know which vegetables take longer to cook. I used onion instead of shallots, replaced the red bell peppers with  more green, and used my white potatoes and just cut them a little smaller. Vegetable goodness.

Vegetarian Hash

3/4 lb new potatoes, unpeeled
1 small acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped, divided
olive oil cooking  spray
4 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 cups broccoli, shredded
1/3 cup each or red and green bell pepper
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, lightly toss potatoes and squash with 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 2 tsp oil. Place on baking sheet misted with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes until tender, toss every 10 minutes.

Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute' shallots, broccoli and bell peppers for 1 minute. Add potato-squash mixture and cook for 5 minutes or until heated. Sprinkle with lemon juice, remaining 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and heat through.

Cheryl's Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Lemon

I never had Brussels sprouts as a kid. So I don't have any childhood prejudices towards them. After having Brussels sprouts a few times, I have decided that they need to be made with a little flavor help but are decent. Little mini cabbages. I found this recipe in the newspaper and decided to try it. It's pretty good.

Cheryl's Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Lemon

1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pints Brussels sprouts, shredded or sliced very thin
1 large lemon, juice and zest
4 T butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sliced, fresh mushrooms
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Chop onion. Mince garlic. Shred sprouts by finely slicing with knife. Grate 1 tsp zest from lemon and squeeze 3 T of juice. In large frying pan or wok, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add sprouts, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 15 minutes. Add lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Fried Corn

Corn is good. Unless it's canned creamed corn. Then, not so much. Last night, we grilled our corn. That is probably my favorite way to eat corn. Rub some olive oil on it and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Then just throw them on the grill until they are fire-kissed. Super-yum. This recipe from Sandra Lee is yum too. I did lighten it a little  bit. I used a smidge of butter and them olive oil instead of all butter. I used honey, a little less than called for. And finally, I used skim milk instead of cream. I really liked the taste of the honey on the corn. I didn't miss the extra fat either.

Fried Corn

4 tablespoons butter

1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn, defrosted (I used fresh off the cob)
3 tablespoons white sugar or honey  (I used 1 T honey)
1/3 cup heavy cream (I used skim milk)
Salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. When butter is foamy add the corn stirring to coat with the butter. Cook stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add sugar or honey and cook for 2 minutes more. Increase heat to high and add heavy cream-continue to stir so corn won't stick to pan. Add salt and pepper. Cook corn until most all of the cream has absorbed about 5 minutes more. Remove add serve hot

Butternut Hash Browns

Who doesn't love hash browns? Well they aren't limited to potatoes. This recipe is a light version from the cookbook "Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200" using butternut squash. Not a vegetable that I use very often. It can be hard to cut. I skinned it with a sharp chefs knife and then grated it with a box grater. You could definitely use olive oil if you wanted to, but I thought it was pretty tasty with just the cooking spray. This recipe is for one serving.

Butternut Hash Browns

1 cup grated butternut squash
2 T chopped onion
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash pepper
dash salt
cooking spray

Spread squash on a paper towel and press another piece on top. Squeeze out liquid. Repeat until water is removed. Mix shreds and remaining ingredients to a medium bowl.

Spray pan with cooking spray and bring to medium-high heat. Add mixture and spray on top. Cook 2 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.