Creamy Potato Casserole

This is an excellent recipe if your a fan of Gruyere cheese and Dijon mustard, both of which I love. Follow the recipe closely as there are a few tricks to getting the potatos cooked through.

Ingredients

1 medium onion chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsbp Dijon style mustard
1 3/4 cups milk
4 oz of cream cheese
4 oz of Gruyere cheese
1 tbsp snipped fresh chives or green onions
6 red or Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1/8" wedges
8 oz sliced cooked ham or canadian bacon

Preparation

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 2 quart rectangular baking dish with cover; set aside.

2) For sauce, in medium saucepan cook onion in hot butter over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender; stirring occationally.

3) Stir in flour and mustard.

4) Add milk all at once, cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low.

5) Whisk in cream cheese until smooth.

6) Gradually add 1/2 cup of the Gruyere cheese until cheese is melted. Sirt in Chives or Green onions.

7) In bowl combine potatoes, ham and sauce; toss gently to bombine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

8) Bake, covered, 1 hour or until potatoes are tender, stir carefully about every 20 minutes.

9) Uncover, and sprinkle with crushed chips and remaining cheese.

10) Bake uncovered for 15 minutes more or untli cheese is melted.

11) Let stand 10 minutes before serving,.

Chicken and Asparagus Skillet Supper

Sorry no picture on this one. The orginal recipe stated 320cal per serving, 8 points, but I have modified it slightly it was originally for chicken thighs. The cooking liquid is a surprisingly deep brown in color and very tasty. It makes a great sauce on this dish.

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
5 slices of bacon, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed
2-3 zucchini, or crookneck squash cut into 1/2 strips
1/2 yellow onion cut in strips

Preparation

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. In 12 inch skillet cook chicken and bacon over medium high heat until browned on both sides. Add the onion in the last 3-4 minutes. Carefully add the broth; cover and cook 3-5 minutes more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

Meanwhile in microwave safe 2 quart dish combine asparagus, squash, and 2 Tbsp of water. Sprinkle salt and pepper. cover with vented plastic wrap. Cook on 100% power 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring once. Transfer to plates, Drizzle cooking liquid; top with chicken, bacon and onions.

Need a good quick meal that goes well with rice or fried potatos.  We really like this one. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced (about a Tbs.)
• 1 lime, juice of (2 Tbs or so)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb tilapia fillet (or other thin mild fish)

Directions

1. 
   
   Combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, lime juice, ginger and red pepper flakes in a wide, shallow baking pan that will hold all of the fish in a single layer.
2. Stir briefly to dissolve the sugar.
3. Add the tilapia, then turn it over so that it's coated all over with the marinade.
4. Set aside for 20 min or so.
5. Heat the grill to 350.
6. Place the fish on the grill between the burners.  Grill the fish for 5 minute
7. Flip the fish on the Grill board, and grill for 5 more minute.
8. The fish should be opaque and flaky.

Chicken Thighs with Pear and Leek Sauce

This is another recipe from Eatingwell.com. Like the last one in was about 30 minutes and very tasty. I don't get a lot of greens in my food so the leek and pear was really a great sauce.

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (1/8-1/4")
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil divided.
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs about 1 1/2lbs
3/4 tsp salt divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 large firm ripe pear, peeled and diced
3/4 cup chicken broth, divided
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp current jelly
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted.

1. Place sliced leek in colander; rinse and drain well.

2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

3. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tsp oil to the pan. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown and soften, about 2 minutes. Add pear and 1/4 cup broth; simmer until the pear is soft and the broth is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup broth and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add current jelly to the pan and cook, stirring until melted. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn to coat with sauce. Serve sprinkled with walnuts

Steak Diane

Todays lunch was my first try at one of several recipes I found in Eating Well magazine. The recipe was great, quick and easy to do. Give it a try use good steak and you should be very happy with it.

Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes or a Green Salad.

1 pound boneless strip steak, such as New Your or Rib Eye (3/4 to 1 inch think) cut into four portions.
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups sliced mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster and cremini
1/2 cup brandy (skipped this for my lunch, non in stock).
1 15 ounce can reduced sodium beef broth
1 tsp butter
1 tsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Season the steaks on both sides with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add steaks and cook 3-5 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. (I barbecued the steaks on the grill 7-8 minutes per side at 400 for medium rare).

2. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring, until golden brown and beginning to release their juices , about 3 minutes. Add brandy and cook, stirring , until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth , bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, 8-10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine butter and flour in a small bowl to form a paste. When the pan sauce is reduced by half, whisk in mustard, then gradually whisk in the butter-flour paste a few bits at a time and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Return the steak to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Turn to coat with the sauce and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Top the steak with the sauce to serve.

Makes four servings
Per Serving: 284 Calories; 6 points.

German Plum Cake

My Mom has a great recipe for German Plum Cake that I remember well as a child, however when I have ask her for it she can make it but nothing is measured so mines never quite the same. This one from Cooks.com is a good substitute although I have modified the crumb topping with one from a Banana Muffin recipe that I love. I think you could do this with several different fruits like Apples, or Peaches.

1/2 c. (112gms) butter
1/2 c  (102gms) sugar
2 eggs
1 c. (164gms)  flour
1 tsp. (4gm) baking powder
1/2 tsp. (2gm) salt
1/2 tsp.(2.5gm) almond extract
4 Plums, stones removed, cut into wedges (enough to cover the top)  

Crumb Topping
1/2 c. (112gms)  sugar
1/3 c. (55gms)  all-purpose flour
4 tbls. (56gms) chilled unsalted butter

Mix well butter and sugar. Add eggs. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and almond extract. Add to above sugar mixture. Mix just until blended. Butter a 9 x 9 baking pan. Press the plum wedges into top of batter that has been spread in pan. Sprinkle topping over plums. Squeeze a little lemon juice over plums if you have it. bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Peaches also work (2 each) 

Cheesecake

This recipe is all about choices. You can make a Chocolate Chip Cheesecake using Chocolate crust and adding Chocolate chips to the basic recipe and topping with Sour Cream. Another option is Graham Cracker Crust with basic cheesecake and top it with (Comstock) Blueberry Pie filling.

Chocolate Cookie Crust
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs or 2 rows of Chocolate Cream Oreos.
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Graham Cracker Crust
2 Cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons butter melted

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate chip cheesecake
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Sour Cream topping.
1 pt Sour Cream
2/3 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla

Combine Crust crumbs and melted butter; press onto the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and flour, mixing at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla.

For Chocolate chip Cheesecake Stir in chocolate chips and pour into the crust.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 minutes. Add Sour Cream Topping here. Blend until smooth and pour over cheesecake then return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool on rake then chill in Fridge. If applying a fruit topping add at after the Cheesecake has chilled.

Makes 12 servings.