Skillet Potatoes….

Ever have leftover baked potatoes and don’t know what to do with them?  Well, this is the most delicious solution I can think of!   The next time you make baked potatoes, make a few extra.  (ALWAYS refrigerate leftover potatoes!)  Simply remove the skins and coarsely slice them up.  Enjoy as a side dish to most any roasted or grilled meats or make your own breakfast skillet.

Skillet Potatoes

2-3 large baking potatoes, skin removed and sliced

2-3 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with green onions

1)  Heat non stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until very hot.  Add the oil and the onion,  cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add potatoes.  Resist the temptation to stir often.  You want to let them sit in the pan long enough to get brown before turning.  Use a large spatula to give them a flip.  Cook until they get nicely browned.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with sliced green onions.

*Add peppers and mushrooms if you like.

Natchitoches (Nack-uh-Tush) With Spicy Yogurt Dipping Sauce

I came across this little stuffed meat appetizer pie in a Food and Wine Cookbook,  Best of 2010.  I made a couple of small changes.  I didn’t care for the crust, it was a bit tough.  I used my own pie crust recipe-worked like a charm.  I did, however, love the idea for a spicy tart dip.  The recipe suggested using buttermilk, but I always have plain yogurt on hand, so I made my version of it.

The name really piqued my curiosity so I googled.  Turns out these meat pies were popular in the late 1700’s in the small Louisiana town that shares the name.    It is said that the meat pies were easy for working men to transport to work and were easy to eat.  I LOVE food history! 

I enjoyed making these little appetizers but they were time consuming.  I think it would make an interesting dinner (make them larger) and I think kids would dig it.  (maybe cut back on some of the spice)  I’d serve a nice green salad with a vinaigrette.  The sharp vinegar cuts the richness of the meat filling. 

Brown the meat in a little olive oil.  Add minced garlic, green pepper, and onion.  Cook until vegetables are soft.  Add tomato paste, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, dried thyme, ground coriander, allspice, sugar, and water.  Add a couple of pinches of salt and a couple of dashes of Tabasco.  Allow to cool completely. (be sure to do this, the crust dough will not fare well with warm filling)  Prepare the egg wash and preheat the oven to 350′.

Roll out a pie crust disc into a 12-14″ circle.  Using a 4″ biscuit cutter, cut out as many circles as possible.  Working one at a time, brush half of the circle’s edge with the egg wash.

Add a tablespoon of the cooled meat mixture to one side of the circle.

Fold the circle over the meat and seal the edges.

Crimp the edges with a fork and poke the center of the pastry with the fork to vent steam.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.

Brush the tops with the egg wash.  Bake for 25 minutes.  While they’re baking, prepare the dipping sauce.  Enjoy!

Natchitoches Meat Pies with Spicy Yogurt Dip

Dough:

My pie crust recipe, doubled and chilled for 30-40 minutes

 Filling:

 1 tablespoon olive oil

½ lb. lean ground beef

1 large clove garlic, minced

½ cup onion, finely diced

1 small green pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons water

2 pinches salt

Two shakes of Tobasco

1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk

Yogurt Dip

 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

½ cup non fat greek yogurt

1 teaspoon ground celery seeds (or ½ teaspoon celery salt)

Two shakes hot sauce

1)  Prepare crust and wrap discs in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.

2)  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.  Add meat and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, and bay leaf.  Cook 7-9 minutes until veggies are soft.

3)  Stir in tomato paste through water.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  Discard the bay leaf and allow the mixture to cool.

4)  Preheat the oven to 350’.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

5)  Roll out the pie crust to a 14” round.  Using a 4” biscuit cutter, cut out as many circles as you can.  Brush the edge of half of the round with the egg wash, add a tablespoon of cooled meat mixture to one side of the circle.  Fold over, press to seal.  Using a fork, crimp the edges and poke the center of the tart to vent.  Place on cookie sheet.  Brush with the egg wash.  Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

6)  In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients until well blended.  If sauce is too thick, thin out with a little milk.

 *Make a day or two ahead and warm in 350’ oven for 10 minutes.  Whisk the sauce and serve.

Three Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers….

This is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.  Like most people, I love fried foods but avoid them.  Try these, you will not know the difference!  Remove the seeds and membrane and you should eliminate most of the heat.  Leave a bit in if you want a little more “kick.”  The sauce is super simple, raspberry preserves cut with a little rice wine vineagar…YUM!

Oven Fried Three Cheese Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers

18 jalapeno peppers, blanched, halved, and seeded

Kosher salt

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces goat cheese

¼ cup piquillo peppers, minced or any sweet red pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon water

2 cups panko bread crumbs(Japanese Bread Crumbs)

Sweet and sour sauce

1 cup raspberry preserves

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1)  Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.  Add 1 teaspoon salt.  Once boiling, add whole peppers to pot and boil for 2 minutes.  Drain and immediately place peppers into a bowl of ice water.

2)  Preheat oven to 400’.  Non stick foil line a cookie sheet and evenly coat with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Set aside.

3)  Once peppers are cool, cut in half and carefully remove the seeds and membrane.  I highly recommend wearing gloves.  Season pepper halves generously with salt.

4)  In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the goat cheese, cream cheese and Worcestershire sauce.  Add the cheddar and the minced piquillo peppers.

5)  Stuff each pepper with cheese.  Dip into beaten egg and then into panko crumbs, coat well.  Place on prepared cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 15 minutes.  While the peppers are baking, whisk the raspberry preserves and rice wine vinegar together.  Serve stuffed peppers with sauce.

*can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, then baked.

Snickerdoodles….

Make this cookie if for nothing else, the smell in your house!  This delightful chewy cookie is made with real ingredients, butter, flour, sugar, eggs…no preservatives, and no long crazy ingredient list.  Make them with your kids!  The recipe is really simple and they’ll really enjoy coating the dough balls with the cinnamon/sugar.

Be prepared for the kiddies to line up to taste!

Snickerdoodles

1 stick + 7 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1) Preheat oven to 375’. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
2) In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy and add sugar, beat until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well combined.
3) Combine the flour through the salt in a small mixing bowl.
4) Add half of the flour to the butter mixture and beat until mixed. Add the rest and mix until well combined.
5)Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl until well combined.
6) Roll into 1” balls and coat evenly with the cinnamon sugar. Place on cookie sheet 1 ½” inches apart.
7) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Slide the parchment off the hot sheet right on to the cooling rack. Cool completely. Makes about 30 cookies.

Enjoy!
Angie

Baja Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream and Fresh Cilantro Salsa…..

My family LOVES this dish.  What is it about being able to assemble your dinner that is so appealing to kids?  Whatever it is, I love when they go for a healthy meal such as this one.  There is some prep involved, but you can make the avocado cream and the salsa a day or two ahead.  Feel free to use bottled salsa.  The fish takes minutes.

We’ll start with the avocado cream….

Cut the avocado in half.  Carefully score the inside of the avocado as pictured.  Squeeze the skin side together and the avocado will easily come out. 

Put the avocado right into the food processor, I’m using a mini Cuisinart.
Add low fat plain yogurt….
Mayonnaise….
Lime juice…
Honey….
Fresh cilantro, kosher salt, and water….Give it a whirl until smooth….
It should look like this.
Cover the avocado cream with plastic wrap before putting sealing with the lid.  this will keep the air out and will keep it from turning brown.  Do this with guacamole as well.
For the salsa…
You will need a large can of petite diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, fresh onion, lime juice (fresh or bottled) a small green pepper, seeded and chopped, a jalepeno, granulated garlic powder, and salt…Add half of the canned tomatoes to a food processor, once smooth, add the remaining diced tomatoes for a chunky texture.
Fresh and delicious!  Refrigerate until you’re ready to use.
For the fish….

You’ll need to make the Baja rub for the fish.  Double or even triple this recipe and save it for the next time.  Be sure to separate what you’re going to save before you start seasoning the fish so you do not contaminate the rub you will be saving.  Label and date.  Seasonings needed are:  brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, granulated garlic powder, sweet paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and allspice.

Mix all ingredients together and break up any lumps with your fingers.

You’ll need 6 tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel.  Brush each fillet with canola oil.

Season each piece of fish with the rub mixture.

 Each piece of fish should be well coated…Heat a non stick skillet with canola oil over medium high heat until very hot.

Cook fish for 4 minutes per side, try not to crowd the fish.
The brown sugar in the rub will caramelize the fish a bit…delicious on its own….wait until you taste the avocado cream, fresh salsa, and spicy flavors of the fish…  it’ll knock your socks off!

Flake the fish with a fork.  Squeeze fresh lime juice over the fish.  Now you’re ready to eat!

Baja Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream and Fresh Cilantro Salsa

For the Avocado Cream:
1 whole ripe avocado, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons low fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh or bottled
1 tablespoon honey
1 small bunch cilantro
2 pinches of kosher salt
¼ cup water

Place all ingredients into a food processor and give it a whirl until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Good for one week refrigerated.

For the Fresh Salsa:
1 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 whole jalapeño
1 small onion or ¼ of large
1 small bunch fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
3 pinches of kosher salt

Place HALF of canned tomatoes into food processor. Add HALF of the jalapeño, seeds and all. Add the rest of the salsa ingredients. Whirl until smooth. Taste. If you’d like more heat, add the rest of the jalapeño pepper and process until smooth. Pour into mixing bowl and add the rest of the canned tomatoes. Mix and taste. Season with more salt if necessary. Refrigerate up to two weeks.

For the Fish:
6 tilapia fillets, rinsed and dried with a paper towel
1-2 tablespoons canola oil for coating fish

Rub:
1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
¾ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons canola oil for cooking

1 fresh lime, cut into wedges
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 soft corn tortillas or hard corn shells

1) Mix all rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Brush fish fillets with oil. Coat both sides of fish generously with the rub. Heat a non stick pan over medium-high heat with oil. Cook fish in the hot pan, do not crowd, for 4 minutes per side.
2) Remove from heat onto a platter, flake with a fork. Squeeze fresh lime juice over fish. Cover with foil to keep warm.
3) Wipe out fish pan and warm tortillas one minute per side in the pan and place into a bowl lined with a clean napkin or kitchen towel to keep warm.
4) Layer over warm tortilla; lettuce, tomato, cheese, fish, avocado cream, and salsa. Serves 4.  Enjoy!

Greek Bruschetta…..

You must try this very easy appetizer.  Albeit a messy one, serve it to friends and family who could care less if you bank an olive off your third button right into your drink!  I love the color and the fresh taste.  Simple and delicious!

Greek Bruschetta

1 12 ounce can pitted kalamata olives, drained and sliced
1 14 ounce can artichokes, drained and chopped
8 ounces of grape tomatoes sliced in quarters
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
season to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a medium size mixing bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

To toast the baguette:

1 whole Baguette, day old or more is best, cut into 1/2″ slices
2 tablespoons or more olive oil
Kosher salt

1) Preheat oven to 300’.
2) Slice stale bread into ½ ” slices. Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of the bread with olive oil. Season with a couple of pinches of kosher salt. Spread out over a large cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, give them a turn after about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.
3)  When ready to serve, simply spoon the vegetables mixture over toasted baguette.  Serves 8-10.  Enjoy!

Beet, Barley, and Toasted Walnut Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing…

Calling all overworked, exhausted, over scheduled, and busy Moms and Dads.  Do you ever make something special for your lunch???  I’ll bet not!  I make many, many salads that would be absolutely perfect to make for yourself to enjoy for lunch throughout the week.  Loaded with fiber, protein, and most of all, flavor, this salad fits the bill.  You get the chewy texture of the barley, crunchy walnuts, sweetness from the beets, a tang from the feta, and to pull all of the flavors together, a honey balsamic dressing….YUMMERS!  I do not use the quick cooking barley, feel free to do so if you like.  There is quite a difference in cooking time.
Here we go….

First ingredient, the star of the show…pearled barley…

Regular barley is quite starchy so it’ll need a good rinse…

Rinse the barley for several minutes under running water.  This will remove the excess starch and prevent the cooked barley from becoming gummy.
Add the water and salt to the pan.  Bring to a bubble over medium-high heat, then lower heat to medium-low.  Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.  While the barley is cooking prep the rest of the salad ingredients.

You will need chopped onions, chopped parsley, crumbled feta cheese and toasted walnuts.

To toast the walnuts, spread onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 300′ oven for 12 minutes. 
Finely chop the walnuts, set aside.
For the dressing, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic powder.
Add the seasonings to the liquid ingredients….

Whisk until well blended.

Into a large mixing bowl, add cooled barley, parsley, feta, chopped walnuts, chopped onions, and rinsed and drained beets.  Pour the dressing over the salad and gently mix until well blended.  Refrigerate unused salad. 

Beet and Barley Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Toasted Walnuts

For the barley:
1 cup barley, rinsed and drained
2 ½ cups water
¼ teaspoon salt

For the salad:
½ cup parsley
½ cup toasted walnuts (300’ for 10 minutes, then finely chop)
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 can sliced beets, drained and rinsed

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons each balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1) Rinse barley under running water for a few minutes. Place in medium pot and add water and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 45 minutes. Barley should be chewy. Cool in a large mixing bowl.
2) While the barley is cooking, toast and chop the walnuts, chop the onion and parsley, and crumble the feta.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, set aside.  Drain and rinse the beets in a strainer.
3) Once the barley is cool, add parsley, walnuts, feta, onion, and beets to the barley bowl. Add dressing to the bowl and gently mix until well blended. Makes about six half cup servings.

Enjoy!

Have a healthy weekend!
Angie



Louisiana Red Beans and Rice, My Version

One word…delicious.  I actually made this recipe with dried red beans, however, cooking time was about five hours!  As previously mentioned, sometimes the beans have been on the shelf awhile and require extra cooking time.   I made a very time saving modification and used canned red beans, equally delicious.  When using canned beans, it is best to drain and rinse as there is a HUGE amount of sodium in the liquid.

Most red beans and rice recipes add the rice right to the beans.  I think it best to serve the beans over rice.  I find that when the rice is added to the beans the rice absorbs all of the flavorful liquid, leftovers dry out.   Make a double batch and freeze for later.  Remember to label and date.

Make this with our without the sausage.  There is quite a bit of ingredient used for seasoning.  One of which is not on my pantry list, but will be going forward.  It’s Liquid Smoke and I love it.  This adds amazing smokey flavor to any dish.  The beans are very hearty so you would not miss the sausage.

Here we go:

You will need a medium diced onion, and a small red, yellow, and green pepper, all diced.  We’ve got a nice healthy start, don’t we?  Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the veggies to the pot.

Add  a cup of diced parsley with the leaves.  The leaves add a lovely mild flavor…
You’ll need a serrano chili.  They’re small and quite hot, but we’re only adding one to the pot.  Unless you remove the seeds and membrane, it’ll blow your head off!  I use gloves when handling hot peppers.
Carefully slice the pepper in half.
Using a spoon or a small knife, carefully remove the seeds and membrane.
Finely dice the peppers and add to the pot.
Once the pepper and onions are soft, add three large cloves of minced garlic, cook about one minute.
Add 3 cups of stock.  If you have some homemade stock, go ahead and use it.  If not, you can also use my favorite back up, Better Than Bouillon.  Use 1 teaspoon per one cup of water. 
Add two cans of drained and rinsed red beans and a can of vegetarian refried beans.  The refried beans will thicken the liquid giving it nice body.
Now for the seasonings….you’ll need sweet or smoked paprika, bay leaves, balsamic vinegar, liquid smoke, low sodium soy sauce, molasses, tomato paste, and a small amount of sherry at the very end.  These all go in the pot (except for the sherry) and allow to simmer, uncovered,  for 30 minutes.  Stir often to prevent sticking.  Add additional water if your beans are too thick.

Add the sliced sausage and the sherry, simmer another 10-15 additional minutes. 

I did not add any additional salt, as there is plenty of sodium in the soy sauce and bouillon.  If you use your own unseasoned chicken stock, you may have to add a small amount more salt.  Season to taste.
Red Beans and Rice with Spicy Smoked Sausage

2 cups (uncooked) brown or white rice, cooked according to package instructions (4 cups cooked)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small yellow pepper, seeded and diced
1 small green pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup celery and leaves, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small Serrano chili, seeded and minced
3 cups or more vegetable or chicken stock
2 15 ounce cans red beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can vegetarian refried beans
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons smoked or sweet paprika
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon molasses
12-16 ounce package cooked smokey or spicy sausage, cut into ¼” diagonal pieces
1 tablespoons sherry

1) Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add the red, yellow, and green peppers, onions, and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and the Serrano chili, cook another minute.
2) Add the chicken stock, the red beans, and refried beans to the pot. Stir until the refried beans have dissolved in the liquid.
3) Add the liquid smoke through the molasses. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, stir often.
4) Add the sausage and sherry, simmer another 10 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Makes about eight servings. Serve over ½ cup of rice.

*serve with hot sauce if you wish.
*for vegetarian, simply omit the sausage and use vegetable stock.
Enjoy!
 
Angie

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes….

I am elated that one of my recipes was featured on The Pioneer Woman.  Ree Drummond’s site is a treat to visit!  Click on Tasty Kitchen to view thousands of recipes!  Speaking of recipes, I adore this one!

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes.  What is a latke?  It’s a potato pancake.  I gave it a little twist by using sweet potatoes and parsnips in lieu of white potatoes.  In addition to being incredibly delicious, they’re also good for you!  At this time of year I feel the need to change up recipes in the starch rotation. I especially love serving them with a nice piece of grilled or baked fish, alternatively, they would be excellent with roasted chicken.  Traditional latkes are fried in quite a bit of oil.   I bake them on high heat with a little oil, resulting in a lighter, yet crispy result.

I recommend using a food processor to shred the vegetables, they’re done in minutes.  If you do not have a food processor, you can grate the vegetables on a box grater.  You may want to get out the head and wrist bands, it’s quite a work out!

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium size sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
2 large parsnips, peeled and shredded
1 small onion, peeled and shredded
½ cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
Sour cream
Green onions, thinly sliced

1) Preheat oven to 375’. Non stick foil line a cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, spread with your hand to coat pan well. Set aside.
2) Shred the sweet potato, parsnips, and onion in a food processor or on a box grater. Place into a large mixing bowl. Add parsley.
3) Sprinkle all dry ingredients over sweet potato mixture. Add eggs and mix all ingredients together well combined.
4) Shape into 12 three inch patties and place on prepared cookie sheet. Pat the tops flat with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, carefully flip and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serves 6, two patties per person.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions.

*To lighten sour cream, measure equal parts sour cream and non fat Greek yogurt, whisk to blend.   Ever read the ingredient list on light sour cream compared to regular??

DE-LISH!

Angie

Yippee! My Chicken Satay Recipe is Featured on The Pioneer Woman Blog!

Well, I’m so incredibly excited to have one of my beloved recipes featured on The Pioneer Woman!  I’ve posted many, many recipes on this site, 48 to be exact.   The recipe featured is my Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.….I’m glad they found it as good as my friends and family!   If you have a second, check out this link with …step by step instruction, very cool!!!!

Thank you missamy from Pioneer Woman!

Have a great day!
Angie