Onion Potato Gratin
I don’t know where I would be without onions. I put onions in almost everything. Here is a recipe where the humble onion gets to be the star which is sure to become a household favorite.
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Thinly Sliced Onions
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Butter
6 Large Sliced Potatoes
1 Cup Cream
3 Sprigs Chopped Rosemary
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large size sauté pan place the sliced onions, butter and brown sugar over a low heat. Cook for 40 minutes until caramelized. Stir occasionally. Grease a shallow baking dish with olive oil. Do not peel the potatoes. Just slice them. Place a layer of potatoes in the baking dish and then a layer of onions. Drizzle with the cream and sprinkle with the chopped rosemary. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with the onions, cream and rosemary. Bake for 1 hour until the top is golden and bubbly. Serves 4
Caramel Apples
Really, it wouldn’t be Halloween without caramel apples!
INGREDIENTS
6 Small Apples
6 Popsicle Sticks
14 Ounces Unwrapped Caramels
2 Tablespoons Half & Half
2 Cups Chopped Toasted Nuts (Peanuts, Pecans or Walnuts) – Optional
It is best to use tart apples for these caramel apples. Wash and dry the apples. Remove the stems and insert a popsicle stick into the stem end of each apple. Butter a baking sheet. Place the apples on the baking sheet. In a medium size saucepan combine the caramels and the half & half. Cook and stir over a medium low heat until the caramels are completely melted. Stir constantly. Turn off the heat. You will now need to work quickly. Dip each apple into the hot caramel mixture. Turn to coat. If the caramel mixture becomes too thick to easily coat the apples then heat again over a low heat. If you have opted for finishing them off with nuts then place the chopped nuts into a small bowl and dip the wet caramel apple into the nuts. Place on the buttered baking sheet and let stand until set. Serve the same day. Makes 6
Cream Of Tomato & Basil Soup
It’s so satisfying to make a meal that is quick, easy and delicious. This soup is all three. Make sure that you use fresh basil because it makes this tomato soup extra special.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Milk
14 Ounces Tomato Puree or Diced Tomatoes – Undrained
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
3/4 Cup Chopped Basil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper
Put all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is super smooth. Pour the mixture into a sock pot and heat over a low heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and transfer to bowls. Garnish with small basil leaves. Serves 4
Beef & Broccoli
This stir fry will be a big hit and your crew will go back for seconds or thrids. The sauce is flavorful and is a good balance between sweet and salty. Feel free to change up the vegetables if you want. Green beans, snow peas or spinach would work well in this dish.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
12 Ounce boneless Steak Cut Into Thin Strips
5 Tablespoons Dark Sesame Oil
2 Cups Broccoli Florets
1 Cup Sliced Red Onion
1 Cup Chopped Carrot
1/2 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Sliced Green Onions
Rice or Noodles (Optional)
In a medium size bowl combine the soy sauce, cornstarch and hoisin sauce. Add the sliced steak to the soy sauce mixture. Toss to coat the steak. Heat a large skillet or wok over a high heat. Add the oil to the pan and make sure the oil hits all parts of the pan. Remove the steak from the marinade and place the steak into the pan. Don’t throw away the marinade. Just set it aside for a moment. Cook the steak for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the steak from the pan and place into a bowl. Set aside. Add the broccoli, onions, carrots and water. Cook for 4 minutes. You will want the broccoli to be crisp, but tender. Add the reserved marinade to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Add the steak back to the pan and cook for 1 more minute. Stir frequently. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve over either rice or noodles. Serves 4
Lemon Cake With Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
What can I say? This cake is delicious!
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Lemon Extract
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan and set aside. In a large size bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add the milk, butter, eggs and vanilla and lemon extract. Beat on a low speed with an electric mixer until combined. Beat for another minute on medium speed, but don’t over beat. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes until done. When you insert a wooden toothpick near the center is should come out clean. When done remove from the oven and cool in the pan, on a wire rack, for 20 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake and invert onto a cake plate. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Frost with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting. Serves 8
Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Nutella Spread
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
Let the cream cheese, Nutella and butter sit in a bowl at room temperature for about an hour or until softened. Beat with a mixer. Add the vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep on beating until you get a very smooth texture. Frost your cooled cake.
Cacio e Pepe
Roman food certainly is comfort food and this pasta dish, made with pasta, cheese & black pepper, is the mac & cheese of Rome. Cacio e Pepe is Italian for cheese and pepper. The ingredients are very simple and are either made with spaghetti, tonnarelli or vermicelli. I like to make mine with good old reliable spaghetti.
INGREDIENTS
4 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Toasted Sesame Seeds
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Pound Dried Spaghetti
3/4 Cup Pasta Water
1 Cup Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano
Fill a large size pot with 8 quarts of water and 4 tablespoons kosher salt. Bring to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. While the spaghetti is cooking you will need to toast the sesame seeds. Take an extra large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium high. You will not need to add oil. Just pour the dry sesame seeds into the heated sauté pan and toast for 1 minute. Stir constantly and make sure not to burn the sesame seeds. Remove the sesame seeds from the heat and place in a bowl. Set aside. Add the pepper to the same pan and toast for 1 minute and continue to stir. The pepper should be nice and fragrant. Add the olive oil and butter to the toasted pepper and cook until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat. Add 3/4 cup of the pasta water (this is the water that the spaghetti cooked in) to the pepper mixture. Add the toasted sesame seeds and then add the pasta. Stir and toss over a medium heat. You will want the past to be well coated. Stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese. If you need more pasta water to loosen the sauce then add a bit more of the pasta water. Toss once again and then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately. Serves 6
Butterscotch Oatmeal Blondies
I have always been in love with butterscotch. These Butterscotch Oatmeal Blondies are super easy to make and won’t last long in your household.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3 Large Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Old-Fashioned Oats
1 2/3 Cups Butterscotch Chips
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large size bowl beat the eggs for 1 minute. Add the softened butter, the sugars and the vanilla. Beat for another minute. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat for 30 seconds. Add the oats and butterscotch chips and mix until just combined. Line a 13 x 9 oblong pan with parchment paper or prepare the pan by greasing it. I like using parchment paper though. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares. Makes about 2 dozen bars.
Broiled Tomatoes
I never underestimate the magic that breadcrumbs and grated cheese can bring to my favorite fruit.
INGREDIENTS
6 Halved Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Plain Breadcrumbs
4 Tablespoons Softened Butter
4 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Minced Thyme Leaves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Preheat your broiler. Cover a broiler pan with foil and place the oven rack to the top position. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and set each tomato half on the broiler pan. Make sure the stem is removed. In a small size bowl combine the breadcrumbs, butter, Parmesan cheese, thyme leaves, kosher salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the tomatoes until you’ve used the mixture all up. Place the broiler pan under the broiler and broil for 4 minutes or until browned. Remove from the oven and arrange on a serving platter. Serves 6
Baked Scallops
INGREDIENTS
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
3 Tablespoons White Wine
1/4 Cup Cracker Crumbs
1 1/2 Pounds Scallops
Preheat your oven to 450° F. In a small size saucepan melt the butter and add the minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute. In a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish place the scallops. Make sure you pat them dry with a paper towel. Pour the melted butter and garlic mixture over the top of the scallops. Sprinkle with the white wine and then top with the cracker crumbs. Place in the oven for 8 minutes until the scallops are firm and opaque in color. You don’t want to overcook them however. Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute before serving. Serves 4
Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is the PERFECT fall soup. Enough said!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Chopped Onions
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
4 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
2 Pounds Peeled, Seeded & Cubed Butternut Squash
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Half & Half
In a large size stockpot over a medium high heat, sauté the chopped onions in the olive oil for 2 minutes or just until they are soft. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth (or vegetable broth), butternut squash and the kosher salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle in the squash and the liquid into either a food processor or a blender. Pulse until the mixture is a nice puree. Return the pureed squash mixture to the stockpot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the half and half and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 8
