WHATS FOR DINNER #5

HOT CRUSHED POTATOES!
(Inspired by the Pioneer Woman)

Sometimes you just can't  stand the thought of smashed or baked potatoes again. Actually, that's not true... I love smashed or baked potatoes; sometimes you just have to have a little variety in life. I was browsing the other day for some of that variety and came across this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. Nice new take on potatoes, however with a little twist of 'things and stuff' from me.

 Tender and flavorful, with a nice crispy, crunchy kick! Perfect new side dish for meat on the grill! Check out the recipe below... it is almost too easy to be so good...

 Also good with just a dollop of sour cream!

HOT CRUSHED POTATOES

for six servings you will need:

12 whole small new red potatoes

olive oil

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

fresh herbs (rosemary or thyme or chives or scallions) finely chopped

process:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Place the tender potatoes on the cookie sheet and lightly ‘crush’ each potato with a masher. Rotate the masher 90 degrees and ‘crush’ again. Generously brush the tops of each potato with more olive oil and sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Top each potato with cheese and fresh herbs and bake in a 450 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown around the edges.

My addition of 'things and stuff' was a little cheese. It does not add much to the calorie count, but it adds a lot to the flavor! You can also add a little crumbled bacon to up the flavor!  I served my crushed potatoes with Flank Steak (What's for Dinner #2). I also served them on St. Patrick's Day with Corned Beef for those who would not eat the cabbage!

AMORE'-- My new favorite thing #5

I have seen Rachel Ray and several other cooking show hosts using tomato paste from a tube for years but have never really given it much thought. However, the other day I was at thegrocery picking up some 'things and stuff' for dinner when I happened to notice tube paste on the top shelf above the canned tomatoes. Itwas the first time I had noticed it so I threw a tube in the cart. It is a little pricierthan canned tomato paste but the depth of flavor is amazing andit is so much easier to use. I used it in the La-Zag-na Soup.

I am hooked.

Amore' also does pastes in other flavors-- Garlic, Pesto, Hot Pepper, 

Anchovy and Sun Dried Tomato.

Check out Amore at: www.amorebrand.com/products/tomato-paste

WHAT'S FOR DINNER #4

'La-ZAG-na' Soup

(say it with a thick Bronx accent like we do...)

 A friend of mine posted this soup on facebook a couple of weeks ago (thanks Joy) and I thought it looked so incredibly good that I couldn't wait to try it... then it started to warm up outside and you can't really make good hearty soup when the weather is nice. Imagine my happiness when the temperature dropped again, and then it snowed! Perfect soup weather!

Although my daughter, Erin, says that "soup is not a meal", this recipe really is a meal in a pot and it only takes an hour or so to make from start to finish. I changed some 'things and stuff' from the original recipe to make it mine but it still only has about 350 calories per serving.

  

‘La-ZAG-na’ Soup

For the soup:

2 tsp olive oil

1 lb ground sausage

1 lb ground turkey

3 cups diced onion

4 cloves fresh minced garlic

2 tsp dried oregano (or Italian seasoning)

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 TBSP tomato paste

3 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

5 cups chicken stock

1 12 oz bag mafalda (mini lasagna) or bow tie pasta

½ cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves

For the cheesy filling:

1 15 oz container skim Ricotta cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

pinch of salt and a good grind of fresh pepper

The process:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they start to soften. Add the meat, breaking up into bite size chunks and brown for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute. Add the tomato paste stirring well to coat the browned meat and cook for two to three minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken stock. stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. If the broth is too thin, dissolve 2 tbsp of cornstarch in a quarter cup of water and add to the soup to give it a little more body. Add the pasta and cook just until al dente; do not overcook or the pasta will be mushy.

While the pasta is cooking, make the cheese filling. In a bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella, along with the salt and pepper.

To serve:

Ladle a serving of soup into a bowl. Drop a couple dabs of cheese filling on top and then sprinkle with a little extra mozzarella, parmesan and sliced fresh basil. Serve with a slice of crispy baguette or a chunk of fresh artisan bread for dipping.

 The cheese topping is delicious but go easy... 

too much of a good thing is still too much.

Hurry and make a pot of  soup before the weather gets warm again... Your family will love it!

OH, CHRISTMAS TREE....

We had a really big snow storm the last week of November that was really hard on the trees in our neighborhood. We came home to find the top of our weeping birch laying in the front yard. Sad.... tree down. It was sad to think that this beautiful tree was going to go to waste... there must be something cool to do with it, right?  I let it sit there for a few days waiting for the snow to melt, and thinking, before I hauled it away.  While it was laying there the inspiration struck!

Here is the result of the inspiration.... a magical, not so traditional Christmas tree! A weeping birch that is dripping with crystals and sparkles and glass. Things and stuff like you might find in a winter-wonder land!

 Just because it is not an evergreen doesn't mean it shouldn't have a star on the top... or at least hanging near the top!

 Lanterns help you find your way in the snow... and the candles make the crystals sparkle!

Oh, Christmas Tree......

HAPPY HOLIDAY'S!!!

WHAT IS "GARLAND DAY"???

 We do some crazy 'things and stuff' at our house... like make up our own holidays! Really...

The Sunday following Thanksgiving is always 'GARLAND DAY' at our house.  We have been collecting Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments for a long time and it became obvious that we had far too many ornaments to hang on a tree. Each ornament has a story and hanging them on a garland is the perfect way to display them.

 The garland started in the opening between the kitchen and the great room but it has grown to the french doors and windows.
 

 The kids each have themes that they add to each year. Scott has 'Transportation and Sports', Erin has 'Angels and Tinkerbell', Deni has 'Art and Years', and Sami has 'Pooh Bear and Dancers'. There are also spinning Barbies, Mr. and Mrs. Clause, Superman, Candy Villages, and Snowmen.
 

There are also commemorative ornaments from the Olympics, toy making Santa's, flying elves... the list goes on and on!  I am not even sure how many ornaments we have... perhaps we should do an inventory before we put them away this year...

 This was the first ornament I bought in 1976, so I really have been collecting Hallmark ornaments for thirty five years. The Santa in the snowflake is from 1979.

 It has become such a fun tradition for the family. Each year we add to the collections and the kids have a great time looking at the ornaments as we hang them up. They talk about their favorites and how the ornaments bring back great memories... Traditions are important and really help keep families together. Garland Day is a great time and a good way to kick off the Holiday season....

And... the food is important!  The menu is always the same... Surf and Turf!  Steak and King Crab legs on the grill.... There may be snow but the grill still gets hot!

 

THANKSGIVING CUPBOARDS...

I love a lot of 'things and stuff' about fall... I love the colors,  I love the food, I love the nip in the air and the fact that you have to wear a sweatshirt to be comfortable... There are lots of 'things' to love. What do you love about fall?

 The kitchen cabinets have made their transition into fall for just a brief period before they get caught up in the Christmas spirit...  Just thought I would share.

 Gourds, autumn leaves and of course, Pilgrims.

 This is Butternut. He is not really a Thanksgiving decoration, but we figured if he was going to live on the counter he should at least have a 'fall-ish' name. Butternut is with us because he was the sole survivor of Frankenstein's Laboratory from Halloween. I wanted to put fish in the big lab cylinders for Halloween but I made the mistake of buying the twenty eight cent goldfish at Walmart and they didn't even survive the day; luckily I bought Butternut at the same time but he was $2.10. I guess it just shows that you get what you pay for....

  This is where Butternut lives, along with the Beta's... Katniss (the Fish on Fire) and Batman.

 I have mentioned in the past that I like to do something in the entry for each holiday, so this is the presentation for Thanksgiving. The grouping of pictures on the wall are all vintage reproductions of Thanksgiving prints. My intention had been to sell them but I got a late start so I used them here.

  It is amazing what you can do with a little silver spray paint! I turned these ugly metal gourds into something you might see at one of the high end retailers...

This is the centerpiece on the table. It is a continual reminder that we should give thanks for all we have... not just this time of year, but all through the year.

HAPPY THANKGIVING!

 

THANKFUL TURKEY 2012

November is here, Thanksgiving is near; it is time for the "THANKFUL TURKEY" to appear..... (First posted November 28, 2010).

 Thanksgiving gives us a chance to really think about the 'things and stuff' that we are truly thankful for... home, family, health, etc. Every year we post a paper turkey in our kitchen and we write the 'things' we are thankful for on his feathers. It is a great way to share with our feeling and to post them for all to see.

You have to make sure there are lots of feathers and that they are handy. A marker is a good 'thing' also. I made a box this year to hang on the mirror below the turkey so it is easy to post blessings.

With all of the bad things happening in the world, make sure you take time this year to really ponder the great blessing you enjoy in your life. We should be grateful every day, but Thanksgiving gives us a chance to really focus... take advantage of it. Make sure people know how you feel about them and how grateful you are to have them in your life. Appreciate your blessing and share them with others. 

May your holidays be filled with blessing and joy. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!