Pot Pies

I have fond memories of having TV dinners as a kid...sometimes even in front of the TV!  My favorite was the Swanson chicken pot pie.  Now that I am old and read labels, there is enough sodium in one of those puppies to choke a horse.  The sodium was probably there when I was a kid, but we didn't think about it back then.  I still love pot pies so I am going to use some of the tips found in the borrowed Midwest Living to make my own when the cool winds of fall blow.  You're all welcome to come try them...just phone first!

The article is kind of a make your own so you can improvise with measurements based on the size pan you choose.  Some suggested sizes are:

11x7x2 inch baking dish
8x8x2 inch baking dish
2 quart casserole
6 ramekins or 5 1/4 inch foil pans

Crust

In a medium bow, stir together 1 1/2 C. all purpose flour, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/2 C. butter until the dough pieces are pea size.  Sprinkle 1 tbsp. cold water over part of the mixture, toss with a fork.  Push moistened dough to side of bowl.  Sprinkle an additional 3 to 4 tbsp. cold water over remaining flour mixture, 1 tbsp. at a time, tossing with a fork until all is moistened.  Form dough into one ball for a deep dish pot pie or six balls for individual pot pies.

Possible substitutions:  Instead of using 1 1/2 C. all purpose flour, use 1 C. all purpose flour and 1/2 C. cornmeal or 1/2 C. whole wheat flour.  For a cheese flecked crust, add 1/4 C. finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese after butter is cut into mixture.

You can also use refrigerated pie crusts, just cut them to fit your pan of choice.

Possible fillings:

Chopped onions or leeks
Sliced veggies-->celery, mushrooms, fennel
Chopped peppers
Seasonings
Butter
Salt or garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper
Broth
Dairy--half and half, heavy cream, or whole milk, pick your poison!
Cooked meat, potatoes, and or seafood
Frozen veggies-->peas, baby peas, peas and carrots, mixed veggies, whole kernel corn
Fresh herbs-->parsley, sage, rosemary...not going there!

Assembly

Prepare pastry for top crust.  Choose your baking dish.  Turn baking dish upside down on pastry.  Cut pastry 2 inches beyond top edge of large dish or 1 inch beyond top edge of individual dishes.  Set pastry and dish aside.

Prepare your filling using the ingredients suggested above.  In a large saucepan, cook onion, sliced vegetables, and sweet pepper in hot butter for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour, seasoning, salt and pepper.  Add broth and a dairy choice all at once.  Cook and stir until bubbly.  Stir in your meat choice, frozen veggie and herbs.  Pour heated mixture into baking dish.

Immediately place pastry over hot filling in dish.  Using a sharp knife, cut slits in pastry to allow steam to escape, or if you like, cut shapes in pastry before placing over filling.  For a shiny finish, brush pastry with a slightly beaten egg.

Bake the pot pie(s) uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 30 to 35 miniutes for large baking dish or 20 to 25 minutes for single serving dishes or until crust is golden brown.  Let stand for 20 minutes for large dish and 10 minutes for single serving dishes before servng.

Enjoy!

Fresh Blueberry Pie

I have a copy of Midwest Living on loan from Mom and with it came a Recipe for all Seasons book.  There is a fresh blueberry pie recipe in it that I am going to post here.  I don't think I have enough blueberries to make this but I will definitely keep this handy for next summer.  I wonder if Chris will like this better than Mom's Husker Du aka Meubre Teig (sp?)

1/2 C. butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 C. half and half
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
4 C. fresh blueberries
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
Powdered sugar (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)

For pastry: In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add the egg.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in half and half.  Stir in flour until well mixed.  Remove dough from the bowl; gently shape into a bowl.  Flatten dough into a 6 inch disk.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 13 inch circle.  To transfer pastry wrap it around the rolling pin; carefully unroll onto a large baking sheet.

For filling: In a large bowl, combine blueberries, granulated sugar and bread crumbs.  Gently toss until coated.  Carefully mound  blueberry mixture in center of crust, leaving a 2 inch border.  Using your fingers, gently fold the pastry border up and over the blueberries, pleating the pastry as necessary to fit.

Bake in a 325 degree oven about 50 minutes or until crust is golden  and filling is bubbly.  Cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheet.  Transfer pie to a serving platter, cool completely before serving.

If you like, dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Ode to Mashed Potatoes

If you've been following along, you know that I like mashed potatoes.  I was going through some old cooking magazines and came across an insert from a Food Network magazine on mashed potatoes...50 different ways!!!  Heaven, I'm in heaven...OK well maybe that's an exaggeration but let's just think about this for a minute...start a pot of boiling water while  you're at it and peel some potatoes...or leave the skins on...use russets, Yukon golds or reds...boil them until tender.  Then the fun begins.

Now you can go classic and just add some milk and butter, salt and pepper and get out your frustrations with the masher OR you can throw caution to the wind, think out of the box and try any of these possibilities.

Switch out the milk and add sour cream instead and some dill, maybe a little lemon zest too.  You could also swap the milk for cottage cheese.

Add red or green peppers, chopped fine and sauteed.  If it's Christmastime add BOTH red and green peppers chopped fine and sauteed.

If you like spicy, add 1 tbsp. of chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Make a compound butter...mix a stick of butter with any of a number of things...garlic, sun dried tomatoes, olives...use your compound butter instead of plain butter.

For a Tex-Mex flare, add Monterey Jack cheese, scallions and jalepeno peppers.

I have to admit this suggestion seems weird to me...add applesauce when mashing and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Add crisp cooked bacon and replace half of the butter with bacon drippings...might want to have your cardiologist on speed dial for this one.  If the bacon isn't enough for you add some grated sharp cheddar cheese and parsley.

These next suggestions sound so gourmet...crispy cooked pancetta and chopped rosemary, horseradish and chive, grated smoked gouda cheese and scallions, saffron and smoked paprika, pesto, hummus, fennel.

I need to try this, I love chorizo in pretty much anything I have tried it in...I am guessing with mashed potatoes, it will be out of this world.

Rutabaga and brown butter...not sure about this.  I have never had a rutabaga...might be worth a try though.

Pureed squash...swirl the pureed butternut squash into the potatoes for a colorful change.

Broccoli cheddar...you can't pay me to eat broccoli, there isn't enough cheese on the planet to make it better but I am guessing someone would like the combo.

Roasted tomato and Italian sausage for a yummy twist.

Blue cheese and walnut for tang and crunch.

Wasabi for some heat.

Mash some sweets for a change...I use butter and just a touch of cinnamon...so yummy.  I have also mixed sweets and Yukon golds for a change of pace.

Now I know I didn't list 50 different combinations here but I am guessing you're thinking about adding things to your potatoes and your water is probably boiling now so get your ingredients ready and let me know what you make!

Quick and Easy Focaccia

This recipe is for when you want focaccia but are short on time.  Start with refrigerated pizza dough, add your own herbs, spices, veggies, etc.

Here is what I tried.

Roll out 1lb. of refrigerated pizza dough on a floured surface into a 10X15 inch rectangle.  Press into an oiled, rimmed baking sheet.  Mix 1/4 C. olive oil with 2 tbsp. chopped rosemary and/or oregano, 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes and a big pinch of sea salt.  Brush half of the herb oil over the dough then set aside until puffy, about 1 hour.  Make dimples in the dough with your fingers and top with thin onion slices and slice Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees until golden, about 20 minutes.  Brush with the remaining herb oil.

Almost Famous Soft Pretzels

I am not 100% sure if this is the recipe that my sister's brother in law has made for a few gatherings this summer or not but this looks good and worth a try.  Nick's pretzels are out of this world.  He said it was a Food Network recipe and this one is from Food Network Magazine.  I am hoping I can work this recipe to perfection.  The problem is, I may gain 10lbs trying and testing!

For the pretzels

1 C. milk
1 package active dry yeast
3 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 C. all purpose flour, plus more for kneading
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 tsp. fine salt
1/3 C. baking soda
2 tbsp. coarse salt

For the dipping sauce

1/4 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. dijon mustard
3 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cider vinegar

Warm the milk in a saucepan until it is about 110 degrees; pour into a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast.  Let the yeast soften, about 2 minutes; stir in the brown sugarand 1 C. flour with a wooden spoon.  Dice 2 tbsp. butter and soften; stir into the mix.  Add the remaining 1 1/4 C. flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.  Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover wiht plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet.  Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  If the dough seems tight, cover and let rest until it relaxes.  Divide the dough into 6 pieces.  Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 30 inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch.  Form each rope into a pretzel shape.

Dissolve the baking soda in 3 C. warm water in a shallow baking dish.  Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, mustard, brown sugar and vinegar in a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate.

Melt the remaining 8 tbsp. butter in a shallow dish.  Dip the hot pretzels in the butter, turning to coat; place on a wire rack to let excess butter drip off.  Serve the pretzels warm with the sweet mustard sauce.

Classic Tomato Soup

Tomato soup and grilled cheese are two of my favorite things for lunch.  I grew up on Campbell's but why can't I make my own?  I think this will be something I will work on over the next few weeks while tomatoes are plentiful.

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
3 C. homemade or low sodium chicken broth
28oz. can whole, peeled plum tomatoes, pureed
1 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil, chives or dill

Heat the oil and butter in a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven over medium low heat until the butter melts.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the flour and stir to coat onion and garlic.

Add the broth, pureed tomatoes, sugar, thyme and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring to make sure that the flour does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.  Discard the thyme sprig.

Let cool briefly and then puree in 2 or 3 batches in a blender or food processor.  Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Reheat if necessary.  Serve warm but not hot, garnished with the herbs.

Chichen Noodle Soup with Carrots and Peas

I figure you can never have too many chicken noodle soup recipes...seriously you could probably have a recipe for each shape of noodle you can think of, and then some.  I can see this being a winter lunch staple.

7 C. homemade or low sodium chicken broth
2 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 C. diced or julienned carrots
3oz. (about 1 1/2 C.) dried egg noodles
1 1/2 C. frozen peas
2 tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tsp. chopped thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer.  Add the chicken, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and poach until the chicken is firm and just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove the chicken and, if the broth is cloudy, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth lined strainer (this is for looks only).

Bring the broth back to a simmer in the saucepan, add the carrots and cook until they are just tender, about 7 minutes.  Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside with the chicken.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles until they are al dente.  Drain them and set them aside.

Bring the broth to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Add the peas, the cooked carrots, and the chicken; simmer until everything is heated through.  Add the cooked noodles, the parsley and the thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

French Onion Soup

This is one of my favorites.  The recipe calls for Gruyere cheese but I have made French onion soup with Swiss, Provolone and Fontina as well as Gruyere. 

1/4 C. unsalted butter, more for the baking sheet
4 medium-large yellow onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 small baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 quarts homemade beef broth or low sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 C. Gruyere

Melt the butter in a 4 quart pot over medium heat.  Stir in the onions and season with 1 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Reduce the heat to low.  Press a piece of foil onto the onions to cover them completely, cover the pot with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft but not falling apart, 40 to 50 minutes.  Remove the lid and foin, raise the heat to medium high and stir in the sugar.  Cook, stirring often, until very deeply browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the croutons.  Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Butter a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the baguette slices on the sheet in a single layer.  Bake until the bread is crisp and lightly browned, turning once, 15 to 20 minutes.  Set aside.

Add the broth and bay leaf to the carmelized onions and bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.  Discard the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, position the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler to high.  Put broilerproof soup bowls or crocks on a baking sheet.  Put 2 or 3 croutons in each bowl and ladle the hot soup on top.  Sprinkle the cheese on top and broil until the top is browned and bubbly, 2-5 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Classic Lemon Bars

OK, working on a lemon theme here.  I LOVE lemon bars, most days, better than brownies.  I have fond memories of lemon bars when I worked in the bakery many many years ago; don't tell Frank that I liked them better without the meringue he would work hard to perfect regardless of the temperature in the kitchen in the summertime.  Lemon bars should have powdered sugar on them.  They don't need meringue to taste better...in my humble opinion of course.  This recipe is from the Food Network Magazine and is on the growing list of things I am going to make when the weather cools.

For the crust

Vegetable oil for greasing
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
2 C. all purpose flour
1/4 C. packed light brown sugar
1/4 C. confectioner's sugar, plus more for garnish
1/4 tsp. salt

For the filling

4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2 C. granulated sugar
1/3 C. all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 C. fresh lemon juice (from about 8 lemons)

Make the crust: Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9X13 inch pan with vegetable oil and line with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides.  Grease the foil with oil.  Pulse the botter, flour, both sugars and the salt in the food processor until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.  Press evenly into the bottom and about a half inch up the sides of the prepared pan, making sure there are no cracks.  Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling; Whisk the whole eggs and yolks, sugar and flour in a bowl until smooth.  Whisk in the lemon zest and juice.  Remove the crust  from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees.  Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven.  Bake until filling is just set, about 30-35 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack, then refrigerate until firm, at least two hours.  Lift out of pan, using the foil and slice.  Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I am convinced that you can never have too many blueberry muffin recipes.  This is a new one I plan to try.  I love blueberries and lemon together.  Hopefully one day soon it will cool off so I feel like turning the oven on!

1/2 C. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C. milk
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 C. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Dash salt
2 C. fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze
1 1/2 C. confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in milk, lemon juice and peel.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; add to the creamed mixture just until moistened.  Fold in blueberries.

Fill paper lined muffin cups three-fourths full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in muffin  comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. 

In a small bowl, combine the confectionner's sugar, lemon juice, butter and vanilla; drizzle over warm muffins.

Honey Mustard Kielbasa and Potatoes

This looks like it will be an interesting spin on our fan favorite sausage and peppers that I make usually about twice a month.  I usually serve it with baked fries, this will just add the potatoes into the mixture.  It will be a little heartier for the upcoming winter months.

3/4 C. dry white wine
1/4 C. Grey Poupon Savory Honey Mustard
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1lb. kielbasa, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/4lb. red potatoes (about 4) cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 large onion, sliced

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix first 3 ingredients until well blended.

Combine remaining ingredients in shallow pan.  Drizzle with wine mixture; toss to coat.

Bake 55 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

You can substitute chicken broth or bear for the white wine.

Perfect Pear Crisp

I have been on the lookout for crisp recipes since my aunts made a DELICIOUS rhubarb crisp earlier this summer.  Here is one with pears.  I love pears even though they are a sign of summer's end.  There is nothing like ripe pears and some sharp cheddar cheese.  But I digress...I found this in the new Kraft Food and Family Magazine and the photo in the magazine is amazing. 

1 lemon
1/2 C. granulated sugar, divided
1/3 C. plus 2 tbsp. flour, divided
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
8 fresh pears, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/3 C. cold butter, cut up
1/2 C. sliced almonds
1 C. thawed Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grate enough lemon peel to measure 1/2 tsp. zest.  Squeeze enough lemon juice to measure 4 1/2 tsp.  Mix 1/2 C. granulated sugar, 2 tbsp. flour and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon in a large bowl.  Add pears, lemon zest and juice; toss until pears are coated.  Spoon into 2qt, casserole.

Mix brown sugar and remaining granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture forms coarse crumbs.  Stir in nuts; sprinkle over pears.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and pears are hot and bubble.  Serve topped with Cool Whip.

Rotisserie Chicken in the Crockpot

Yes, in the crockpot.  Now it doesn't get crispy brown skin like on a rotisserie but let's be honest, you really shouldn't eat chicken skin anyway.  LOL  I was on a WW board the other day and some of the girls were talking about this and my mouth was watering reading the posts so I decided to try it.

I have a 7 oval shaped crockpot and it was stuffed this morning when I left for work.  I took a 5lb whole fryer and stuffed it with 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, a few fresh sage leaves and a lemon cut in half.  I rubbed the bird with some garlic butter and poultry seasoning but you could use olive oil and placed it in the crock over 6 small Yukon gold potatoes wrapped in foil and a handful of fresh carrots with a little bit of the greens still attached.  I cooked it on low for 9 hours.  It practically melted in your mouth! 

Peach Sauce

My Mom and I were laughing today about how you wait all summer for your fruits and vegetables to come into season and it seems like they all come in at the same time.  Then you're scrambling to get everything fixed before it goes bad.  We got some peaches from Mom's neighbor and today we could use them for baseball practice but later in the week they are going to be ready for just a split second; and when they are, I am going to make peach sauce.  Not sure if it will wind up in a cobbler or over some vanilla  (maybe homemade) ice cream.

1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 cup sliced peeled fresh peaches
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

I put all ingredients in a saucepan and simmered until the peaches were soft and sweet.  I also did not have almond extract (must have used it all last summer with peach cobblers!) so I used vanilla extract.

Zillion Tomato Salsa

OK, I didn't chop a zillion tomatoes today, although it feels like it.  I cut knuckles on both hands today and thankfully my knives are so sharp I didn't bleed but I can say that tomatoes are a good way to find where your cuts are!  I am grateful that my neighbors don't grow anything strange.  They bring over produce about once a week.  I can whip up some quick recipes with cucumbers and tomatoes.  I'd be stumped if suddenly they appeared on my porch with turnips, kumquats or jicama.

This recipe is not really going to have measurements persay.  I used all of the tomatoes I had which was about 2 dozen; both plum and early girls.  I broke out my stick blender and blended about half of the tomatoes to give the salsa a smoother texture and the catch some of the larger chunks that I missed with the knife.  While I was chopping, I fired up the oven to 475 and I roasted two poblano peppers--fun times in 90 degree heat.  I then added 2 bell peppers chopped, 1 jalepeno, chopped fine, 2 small yellow onions, chopped.  When the poblanos came out of the oven, after about 15 minutes, I let them cool and then spooned out the insides and added them into the salsa.  I then chopped 1/2 of a bunch of cilantro, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. cumin and the juice of 1 lime.  I stirred everything together and gave it a chill in the fridge.  My coworkers don't know it yet but they are going to be having salsa for breakfast tomorrow!

Strawberry Sorbet Sensation/Mint Meltaway Freeze

I saw this recipe in Taste of Home and thought this would make a nice low calorie summer dessert.  At the very same time, I started to think of ways to make a high calorie summer dessert perhaps using chocolate.  Chris is not a fan of strawberries so I figured I needed to make something he would like too.  The first recipe is the original, the second is my adaptation and is on the menu at Mom's tomorrow night.

2 C. strawberry sorbet
1 C. cold fat free milk
1 package sugar free instant pudding mix
1 carton (8oz) frozen reduced fat whipped topping, thawed
1 C. sliced strawberries

Line a 8X4 inch loaf pan with heavy duty foil.  Spoon sorbet into pan; freeze for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes.  Let stand for 2 minutes until soft set.  Set aside 1/2 C. whipped topping for garnish; refrigerate until serving.  Fold remaining whipped topping into pudding, spoon over sorbet.  Cover and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving; unmold onot a serving plate and remove foil.  Serve with strawberries and reserved whipped topping.


Mint Meltaway Freeze

2 C. chocolate chip mint ice cream; I used Dean's Fannie May Mint Meltaway
1 C. cold fat free milk
1 package devil's food instant pudding mix
1 carton (8oz)  frozen reduced fat whipped topping thawed

Line a 8X4 inch loaf pan with heavy duty foil.  Spoon ice cream into pan; freeze for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes.  Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set.  Set aside 1/2 C. whipped topping for garnish; refrigerate until serving.  FOld remaining whipped topping into pudding; spoon over ice cream.  Cover and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving; unmold onto serving plate and remove foil.  Serve with reserved whipped topping.

Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad

So about 3 o'clock this afternoon, the doorbell rings.  It's the man next door, Tiny's dad if you're wondering which neighbor.  He has a pan full of ripe tomatoes and two of the largest cucumbers I have ever seen.  I can remember my Grandma making a cucumber salad with vinegar, sugar, onion, etc.  I don't remember her having a written recipe but I do remember how good those cukes smelled.  It was definitely a summertime smell to me.  Chris remembers a salad like this too so we called his Mom to see if she had a recipe and then we went to the internet.  Here is the recipe we found tweaked to our tastes.  Man, were they good.  The indigestion will probably kill me later but they were so good going down!

2 of the largest cucumbers you have ever seen, peeled and sliced thin
1 small Spanish onion, sliced thin and pulled into rings
1 C. white vinegar
1/2 C. water
2/3 C. sugar
1 tbsp. dried dill (or to taste)

Once the cucumbers are sliced thin, place them in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt.  Let the sit in the sink for an hour to relieve them of some of their moisture.  Rinse well and squeeze them by handfulls, getting out as much moisture as possible.  Add the onions to the cukes.  Mix the water, vinegar and sugar together stirring well until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour over cukes and onions and stir.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Play Dough

Now I realize this isn't food persay but I found this in my Simple and Delicious magazine in the "fun food" section.  This is a quick and easy way to make the dough that the boy spends hours playing with. 

2 C. all purpose flour
2 tbsp. cream of tartar
1/2 C. salt
2 C. water
2 tbsp. canola oil
food coloring

In a large saucepan, combine the flour, cream of tartar, and salt.  Gradually add the water and oil.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until a ball forms.

Cool.  Divide dough and knead in colors as desired.  Store in airtight containers or resealable plastic bags.

Petite Pochettes

OK, I am going to think of Christmas baking in order to cool off after a tiring yoga workout and being walked by the beagle in the heat.  My high school French is failing me but I think the translation  of the title is little pockets.  These are cute little cookies with jam inside.  I think they will be a fan favorite at Christmas time.  Who knows, I may even try them sooner if it ever cools off!

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
8oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 C all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 C. orange marmalade
1/3 C. raspberry jam
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Beat the butter and cream cheese in a bowl with a mixer until light and creamy.  Slowly add the flour, mixing just until the dough forms.  Divide the dough into 2 balls, then flatten each into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll out 1 disk on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin to 1/8 inch thick.  Cut out as many rounds as you can using a 3 inch round fluted cutter.  Top each with a heaping half teaspoonful of orange marmalade.  Brush the edge of the dough with water, then fold the dough over to make a half moon and press to seal.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Reroll the dough scraps and repeat; then repeat with the remaining dough disk, filling with raspberry jam.

Bake the cookies until golde, 20 to 22 minutes.  Transfer to a rack and cool completely.  Dust generously with confectioner's sugar.

Herbs 101

So I planted an herb garden on my deck this Spring.  I have basil, Italian flat leaf parsley, tarragon, oregano, sage, chives, rosemary and lavender.  I have spent hours watering, trimming, pulling the evil Japanese beetles off of the basil plant, weeding the pots, fertilizing, the list goes on and on.  Oh, I have been enjoying the herbs too.  The tomato sauce I made on Sunday has some basil, oregano, parsley and sage in it.  I roasted a turkey on Father's Day that had sage, rosemary and tarragon in it as well as lemons and an orange.  My favorite though is slicing a fresh tomato and snipping some basil and oregano and then drizzling everything with olive oil and red wine vinegar.  YUM!

 Now we know that all summers come to an end and soon enough every day won't be 90 degrees with humidities that Houston would be proud of.  So what am I going to do when the cold winds blow and I am growing snow drifts on my deck instead of herbs?

Bon Appetit magazine answered my questions in their last issue with some tips about herbs.

• Treat fresh herbs like you would treat fresh cut flowers.  Cut the stems at a 45 degree angle and place them in a glass with 2 inches of water in it.  The herbs should last in the fridge for up to two weeks.
• Dry hard leaf herbs in your microwave.  This will work for thyme, oregano, rosemary and bay leaves.  Work with one variety at a time.  Wash leaves thoroughly and blot them dry.  Arrange leaves in a single layer on a paper towel and microwave in 30 second intervals until the leaves are dry and brittle.
• Freeze soft leaf herbs in a sealed plastic bag.  This will work for dill, mint, parsley, basil and chives.  They will last in the freezer for up to six months.  If you have a vacuum sealer, this would be a great time to break it out.

So I guess knowing that I will have some of my herbs to use all winter, I won't dread winter as much as I usually do.  Nope, I am already dreading the cold and snow.  I realize I have been whining about the heat and humidity since it got here but I will take it any day of the week over Chicago's winter weather.

Gnocchi the Hard Way

There is a recipe here on the blog for potato flake gnocchi.  It is a piece of cake to make.  This looks like a pretty uncomplicated recipe using actual potatoes.  I also have a food mill that I have never used.  I might have to break it out and try this recipe.  The tomato sauce I made today will be delicious on top!

4 large russet potatoes, fork pricked
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
fine sea salt and and freshly ground pepper
1 C. plus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Bake the potatoes at 425 degrees until tender, about 1 hour.  Cool slightly, then halve and scoop the flesh into a ricer or food mill, press into a bowl.  You can also mash well with a fork.

Add the egg and cheese, butter, 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste, stir with a fork until combined.  Add the flour and stir to make a rough dough, then mix by hand until smooth.  Add more flour, if sticky.

Gather the dough into a ball on a floured surface and divide into 8 pieces.  Roll each piece into a 12 inch long 1/2 inch thick log with your hands.

Cut the logs into 1 inch pieces.  Freeze on floured baking sheets until ready to cook.  Once frozen, store up to one month in a sealed container.

Sweet Potato Sausage Skillet

I saw this in one of the gazillion cooking magazines I get.  I think this will become a staple this fall and winter.  We have the sausage and pepper recipe that we eat pretty much every other week but this has a little twist that I think will be delicious!!

3 C. uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp. water
8oz. smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 14.5oz. can  diced tomatoes, undrained
1 C. half and half
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, place potatoes and water in microwave safe bowl.  Cover and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes until potatoes are almost tender.  In a large, nonstick skillet, cook the sausage, green pepper in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute more.

Stir in the tomatoes, cream, salt, pepper, and potatoes; heat through.  Drain pasta; stir into skillet.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Hey, it really looks like pizza!?!?!

Yep, that's what Chris said last Sunday as I was pulling one of 4 pizza put of the oven.  I'll be the first to admit that I am not ready to open my own pizza parlor but what I currently lack in presentation I make up for in taste.  At least my guinea pigs don't complain.  LOL  I am improving on presentation as well.  What do you think--pepperoni on top, sun dried tomato below??

My spin on the Easy Tomato Salad

OK, now that I have figured out how to post photos, I plan to post them more often.  Otherwise I'll forget and each time I do it there will most likely be swearing.   A week or so ago, I posted the Easy Tomato Salad recipe.  I adapted is some for dinner with family last weekend.  Mom is not a fan of onions so I left them out, added mini fresh mozzarella balls instead of the feta.  The herbs I cut fresh right as I was making the salad.  I made it again tonight for dinner and took some pictures.  Yes, it tasted as good as it looks!