For this dish I use Tyler’s Ultimate Stuffed Potato recipe and just make a few changes. I basically use more milk in the mornay (fancy name for cheese sauce) and add more veggies. I also skip his last step where he puts the stuffed potato back in the oven and tops it with MORE cheese (why do I skip that step again?) This can be a meal in itself, especially if you choose to add the bacon. We always have leftovers that we eat the next day for lunch. 

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized russet potatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2-1 cup milk (heated)
• About 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
• about 4 cups of blanched or steamed broccoli and/or cauliflower florets
• bacon or prosciutto (if you have it ), cooked until crisp and diced
• chives, chopped
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

“Begin by baking the potatoes, as this will take the longest. Place potatoes onto a baking sheet. Pierce with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place into preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour.

While they are baking, prepare the stuffing. Make a mornay sauce by combining the butter and flour over medium heat (your making a roux here) and then whisking in the milk*. Fold in about 2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Once melted, remove from heat and fold in the cooked broccoli florets, crispy bacon bits, chopped chives and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.”

*If you’ve never made a mornay sauce, I’ve found that by heating my milk up first I have a better result with the sauce thickening evenly.  Also, be careful how fast you pour in the milk and whisk. whisk, whisk.  Pouring too slow might leave you with too thick of a sauce, and pouring to fast could prevent it from thickening. If your sauce seems too thin, cook it a bit longer until it thickens. If it start getting too thick, turn down the heat or add more milk.

Tip: If you’re short on time, give the potatoes a head start in the microwave before putting them in the oven.

Tip #2: Now that you know how to make a mornay sauce, you can make your own mac and cheese!

I eat these like they’re candy. I thought I hated brussel sprouts until my mom made them like this for Thanksgiving a few years back. The browner and crispier they are the better :) Yum.

Ingredients

• brussel sprouts
• kosher or seal salt
• fresh ground pepper
• good olive oil (use something that has a flavor you enjoy –Martinis Kalamata olive oil from Trader Joe’s is a good choice at a great price –it has a really earthy flavor)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 deg.  Prepare brussels by slicing off the base and peeling away any dry or damaged outer leaves. Cut them in half and put in a bowl. Pour a good amount of olive oil over them, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange on a sheet pan so that the flat side is facing down. Roast until starting to brown and caramelize (this won’t happen if you’ve skimped on the olive oil), about 10-12 min (depending on the size of your sprouts, which can vary). Just open up the oven and taste one to see if they're done. If not, maybe give them a toss and another minute or two :)

from Epicurious.com (out of 488 reviewers, 93% would make it again! A definite keeper)

This dish tastes complicated, but it is so easy. And, you can make it several days ahead!  I’ve made it so many times, and it holds up nicely to little changes and adjustments (see my notes).  This last time I made it, I actually marinated the chicken in yogurt for 2 days because I wanted to see if it would make the chicken more tender, which it did. I normally wouldn’t have done that, but I had defrosted the chicken and knew I wasn’t going to be able to make the dish for two days.

The dish definitely has some heat, but the yogurt really mellows it out and provides a nice contrast.  If you don’t like cashews, try adding peanuts so it still has a crunch.  Add some steamed broccoli on the side for a balanced meal.

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped (2 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (I used about a tsp of ground ginger since I didn’t have fresh)
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (this definitely gives it a noticeable heat –use less if you’re sensitive too spice)
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces (I use 7-9 boneless skinless chicken thighs)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I only had an 1/8 cup so I threw in a 1/2 tsp of coriander)
3/4 cup cashews (1/4 pound)
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used low fat and it was great)

Accompaniment: cooked basmati or jasmine rice
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

Heat butter in a 5- to 6-quart wide heavy pot over moderately low heat until foam subsides, then cook onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add chicken and cook, stirring to coat, 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, including juice, and cilantro and bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. (If making ahead, see cooks' note, below.)

Just before serving:

Pulse cashews in a food processor or electric coffee/spice grinder until very finely ground (you could skip this and just add the cashews whole or slightly chopped –I buy reduced salt cashew pieces from TJ’s), then add to curry along with yogurt and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Cooks' note:
Curry, without yogurt and cashews, can be made 5 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat over low heat before stirring in yogurt and ground cashews.

Do you know about the other spice aisle?

Sometimes a recipe calls for a spice that you don’t have on hand and would otherwise never use.  Instead of spending $5-10 on this spice from the traditional spice rack aisle in the grocery store, check out the ethnic food section.  Most stores sell smaller quantities of spices in little plastic bags for a fraction of the cost.

Example:

On a recent trip to the store I needed to buy more curry powder for my curry chicken with cashews. This is not a spice I use a ton. Spice Islands and McCormick were selling it for approx. 3.99-4.99 per oz. (typical containers are around 2 oz.) Hello $8 I don’t want to spend on this recipe for 1 ingredient.

So, I went to see if the ethnic foods section has any curry on hand –they did.  It was only 1.99 per oz., which translated to about $1.50. What a deal. ONe packet had approx. 3 Tbs.

They also have little packs of whole cloves and nutmeg for like a $1, which I know some of you will need for your holiday cooking.  Name brand will charge you like $10 for cloves.  Crazy!

Not so much a recipe as an idea. I don’t think I’ll even list the ingredients (see picture). Aaron and I have made these the past three nights for dessert. We’ve decided we like them better at home: no sand, no dirt, and we can actually get the chocolate to melt with out making some kind of aluminum foil apparatus. On our second night we got crazy and spread some peanut butter on one of the graham crackers – oh so good!

Turn broiler on high and place rack one spot below the top (trial and error here –first batch burned). Line cookie sheet with foil to prevent a mess.  Cut marshmallows in half and arrange on split graham crackers. Add chocolate and don’t forget to spread a little  peanut butter underneath (not pictured). Place in oven and DO NOT WALK AWAY!  Keep a close eye on these suckers or they will BURN. It took only 40 seconds for these to brown.

I tried some with the door slightly open and they took longer and the crackers got soggy.  Close the door for a crispier cracker.

Also, the picture cut off the other row of marshmallows, which I’ve now learned need to go in the center with the other row of marshmallows (better browning since the broiler flame is in the center).

I don’t often make my own chicken stock, but there is nothing like it!  I got a great deal on some fryers and didn’t feel like eating two roast chickens, and my freezer is a bit full.  I also had some carrots and celery that were on their way out, so it seemed to make sense.  The bonus is that you can can shred up the chicken to use in a bunch of recipes, like enchiladas. The stock is simmering as I type this and my house is beginning to fill with the most wonderful aroma :)

Ingredients

• 1 whole  chicken (about 3½-5 pounds or so), rinsed, giblets discarded
• 2-3 carrots, cut in large chunks (don’t bother peeling)
• 2-3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
• 2 onions, quartered (don’t bother peeling)
• 1 head of garlic, halved (don’t bather peeling)
• 5-6 sprigs or so fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 sprigs or so of fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1-2 tsp of kosher salt depending on your preference

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a large pot. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 2 1/2-3 quarts); too much water could make the broth taste weak. Slowly bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As you can see in the picture, my chicken sticks out a bit (should have uses a bigger pot –oh well, still came out great).

Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.

Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander or sieve and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

This is a great soup to make if you grow your own tomatoes (the reject ones are perfect for this) or someone gives you a big ‘ol bag of tomatoes.  I don’t know if I’d go out to the store and buy a bunch of tomatoes to make this unless they were a great price. You don’t need exact measurements here. Basic idea: roast everything on a pan, add it to chicken stock, simmer, puree, enjoy!

Ingredients

• a large amount of fresh tomatoes (see picture –I’m thinking I had a few lbs –about 15 of varying sizes) You can use some cherry tomatoes too!
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 small yellow onions, sliced
• 3 carrots cut into chunks (don’t need to peel)–make sure they are not too thick or they will take too long to cook. The carrots in the picture were cut a bit too thick
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock (store bought or make your own)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, totally optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves or fourths depending on size (leave any cherry tomatoes whole). Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves, carrots, onions, and thyme onto a pan with a lip. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper (be generous here). Use your hands to toss and coat everything. Add more oil if there doesn’t seem to be enough –the veggies need it to caramelize. Not enough oil will cause them to burn. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove pan from oven and pour entire contents into a stock pot. Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use a blender (an immersion blender will also work) to puree the soup until smooth.* Return soup to low heat. Adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, milk, or cream**, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

*You can use a food processor to puree the soup, but I’ve found that it doesn’t get it as smooth.

**Sometimes a big dollop of sour cream stirred into the soup can help smooth it out if it is too acidic tasting.  If adding milk, do so in small quantities so you don’t thin it out too much.

It’s been a while, but check back soon for the following recipes:

• Ultimate stuffed potatoes
• Roasted tomato soup
• Stuffed pasta shells
• Chicken curry with cashews