Skillet Turnips and Potatoes with Bacon

184. I found a wonderful side dish with potatoes and turnips that is quick and so fulfilling. The recipe is on Epicurious for Skillet Turnips and Potatoes with Bacon. You can choose to use Turnips and Potatoes or omit the turnips and use only potato. Either choice is worth the effort!

Skillet Turnips and Potatoes with Bacon

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (I used standard bacon slices)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 1/2 pounds white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Mix 1/4 cup water, vinegar, and sugar in small bowl. Combine oil and bacon in heavy large skillet; sauté over medium-high heat until fat is rendered, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add turnips and potatoes; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt and toss 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to mediumlow, cover, and cook until vegetables are almost tender, stirring and turning vegetables occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Push vegetables to 1 side of skillet. Pour vinegar mixture into cleared space. Toss vegetables with vinegar mixture. Spread vegetables in even layer in skillet; cook until golden and slightly crisp on bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn vegetables over; spread in even layer and cook until browned and slightly crisp on bottom, about 4 minutes. Continue to turn, spread, and cook vegetables until tender, golden, and crisp around edges, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Season with more sea salt and black pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with parsley.

Add this to your list of recipes to try...and it is so easy!

"Potatoes served at breakfast, at dinner served again;

Potatoes served at supper, forever and Amen!"

~Pennsylvanian Prayer

German Potato Salad

150. Do you like warm, tender potatoes with crunchy bacon, a little bit of vinegar, a little bit of sweetness, with fresh dill adding brightness and color? I know you answered yes! I'm talking about warm German Potato Salad.

Out of all the recipes for this salad, I really liked the addition of mustard and dill.

German Potato Salad with Bacon-Vinegar Dressing and Dill

Bon Appétit | October 2002

Yield: Makes 6 servings 2 1/4 pounds medium-size red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 6 bacon slices, chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill Steam potatoes until tip of knife easily pierces center of slices, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Cover with foil. Sauté bacon in large skillet over medium heat until brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Discard all but 2 1/2 tablespoons drippings. Heat drippings in skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Whisk in next 6 ingredients. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add potatoes to skillet and toss to coat with dressing. Let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and fresh dill; toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer potato salad to serving platter. Serve warm.

“Pray for peace and grace and spiritual food,
For wisdom and guidance, for all these are good,
but don't forget the potatoes.”
~ John Tyler Pettee

Stuffed Mushrooms

149. A terrific addition to any holiday meal is Stuffed Mushrooms. Every cook has her own favorite combination of flavors when filling mushroom caps. I have found it is smart to purchase the large button mushrooms, because your work load is minimal.

I found this recipe on-line for Stuffed Mushrooms and it looks very good and also this recipe for Italian Stuffed Mushrooms. Both, I'm sure are scrumptious!

My recipe was so easy and versatile.

Stuffed Mushrooms

20 large white mushrooms, stems trimmed, washed

1/4 cup chopped onion or scallion

8 oz of cream cheese or 1 package Laughing Cow wedges, softened (wedges are lower in calories)

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup fine bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil and 4 Tblsp butter melted

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop the stems into small cubes. Place in a mixing bowl. Place the mushrooms, cap side down in a baking dish that has been oiled lightly.

Place remaining ingredients in the bowl with chopped mushrooms. Mix everything together by hand reserving the oil and melted butter. Taste for seasoning.

With a teaspoon, begin to fill each mushroom cap, overloading with the cheesy breadcrumb mix till all the filling is distributed in each mushroom.  Drizzle the oil and melted butter over each mushroom.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes or till stuffing is light brown and mushrooms are tender. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Do not over bake. These also make a yummy appetizer...just choose a smaller mushroom.

"Mushrooms and tubers are the luxuries one might call frivolities of the kitchen.

Of late 'foodies" seem to have discovered a taste for both cultivated and wild mushrooms. They have a subtle and distinct flavour, a crisp but yielding texture,

but no real food value or calories. If the right mushroom is used for the right recipe, the resulting culinary delight may be heavenly."

~ Hrayr Berberoglu

Artichokes with Bagna Cauda

148. My project for this week was to explore the artichoke and to make a delightful dish. An artichoke is actually a flower, a perennial thistle in the sunflower family. When the bud is permitted to grow to it's full potential, the plant stretches out 6 feet in diameter and up to 4 feet in height, and a beautiful purple flower emerges. Someone discovered these buds can be harvested before the flower begins to develop, as it is in a young stage. The entire bud can be eaten including the choke, which is slightly above the artichoke heart. Only in the more mature artichoke buds, the choke becomes spiky and impossible to digest.

One of my artichokes was too mature and I cut it open to show you the fuzzy choke.

The artichoke is a new phenomenon to me but one I have desired to figure out and conquer.

Some people think an artichoke is more work than it is worth...I dare to differ. This recipe was so easy and not difficult in the least. And the end result was "delightful". The flavor was so rich and delicious. We all agreed it would be great for tapas or as a delicious appetizer. While exploring, I found this post on SimplyRecipes.com on "How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke".

My recipe for Artichokes with Bagna Cauda is from the new Bon Appetite Magazine for April 2010. You can find it here on Epicurious.

Artichokes with Bagna Cauda

Bon Appétit | April 2010

by Ivy Manning

Bagna cauda is a warm, garlicky dip traditionally served with raw vegetables. It hails from northwestern Italy's Piedmont region. In this version, the sauce is served with cooked artichokes. And don’t be scared off by the three heads of garlic called for in this recipe. Simmering the garlic mellows its flavor significantly. Yield: Makes 6 servings 3 heads of garlic, cloves separated, papery skin removed (but cloves left unpeeled) 3 tablespoons butter 1 2-ounce tin anchovy fillets, drained, anchovies chopped 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 large artichokes, stems trimmed, top 3/4 inch removed, tips of remaining leaves trimmed Place unpeeled garlic cloves in small saucepan. Add enough water to cover garlic cloves by 1 inch. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until garlic is tender, about 25 minutes. Drain; transfer to plate. Chill garlic cloves until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Squeeze garlic cloves from peel and place cloves in small bowl. Using fork, mash garlic cloves until smooth. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add anchovies and sauté 1 minute. Add mashed garlic and oil. Simmer over low heat 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm before serving, stirring occasionally (bagna cauda will separate when served). To prepare artichokes, trim the stems , cut the top 3/4 inch removed, cut the tips of remaining leaves with kitchen scissors . Add artichokes to large pot of boiling salted water. Cover and cook until just tender when pierced through stem with fork, turning occasionally, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on size of artichokes. Drain. Place 1 hot artichoke on each of 6 plates. Divide bagna cauda among small bowls or ramekins. Serve artichokes with warm bagna cauda. Test-Kitchen tips: To separate garlic cloves quickly, place the head of garlic on a work surface, then push against the top or bottom of the head of garlic with the palm of your hand. Use scissors to cut off the tips of pointed artichoke leaves.

"These things are just plain annoying. After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps. Have the shrimp cocktail instead."
~Miss Piggy

Beef Pot Pie

146. Our special Irish dinner was homemade Beef Pot Pie. When I saw this recipe it was a great choice for a St. Patrick's Feast. The original recipe is for Beef and Guinness Pie. It called for Guinness Irish stout...but I just can't stand the smell, taste or even the thought of it. So I substituted with an extra half cup of beef stock. Wow! Who needs the stout? This recipe was outstanding. And it is topped with puff pastry. It was such a beautiful presentation.

To save recipe just click and drag onto desktop or save as image and print.

Special equipment: 4 (14-ounce) deep bowls or ramekins (4 to 5 inches wide) or similar-capacity ovenproof dishes. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Pat beef dry. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add beef, turning to coat, then shake off excess and transfer to a plate. Heat oil in a wide 5 to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat until just smoking, then brown meat in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch, transferring to a bowl. Add onion, garlic, and water to pot and cook, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot and stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef with any juices accumulated in bowl, broth, Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns, and thyme and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. Braise until beef is very tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard thyme and cool stew completely, uncovered, about 30 minutes. (If stew is warm while assembling pies, it will melt uncooked pastry top.) Put a shallow baking pan on middle rack of oven and increase oven temperature to 425°F. Divide cooled stew among bowls (they won't be completely full). Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Trim edges and cut dough into quarters. Stir together egg and water and brush a 1-inch border of egg wash around each square. Invert 1 square over each bowl and drape, pressing sides lightly to help adhere. Brush pastry tops with some of remaining egg wash and freeze 15 minutes to thoroughly chill dough. Bake pies in preheated shallow baking pan until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F and bake 5 minutes more to fully cook dough.

"Talk of joy: there may be things better than beef stew and baked potatoes and home-made bread...there may be."

~ David Grayson

Whoopie Pies

145. Happy St. Patricks Day!

Today we celebrated with a yummy dinner and then baked up a couple batches of "Whoopie Pies" also called "Gobs" or "Moon Pies".

We made a batch of chocolate

and a batch of vanilla, which we colored green for St. Pats.

The recipe I used is from Epicurius and turned out so very good and buttery.

You can find the recipe here: "Whoopie Pies"

My daughter's school is having a fund raiser tomorrow. We thought the

Whoopie Pies would be a good seller.

"Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."

~ Sean O'Casey

"A silent mouth is sweet to hear"

~ Old Irish Saying

Rosemary Chicken with Broccoli Rabe

135. I've had a taste for broccoli rabe lately...you know, dark green leaves, broccoli tops, rich in

Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Manganese. It's also a good source of Pantothenic Acid, Zinc and Copper and a very good source of dietary Fiber and protein.

This recipe for Rosemary Chicken with Broccoli Rabe is so delicious and was so unique in flavor. I pared it with Basmati Rice and the presentation was fantastic. There is a trick to draw the bitterness from the broccoli rabe by plunging it into boiling salted water for a minute or so. Then drain and use in your recipe. I learned about the bitterness once when I added the broccoli rabe directly to my recipe. We could barely eat the dish...the bitterness was so strong.

This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken but with only bone in, skin on chicken, it worked just beautifully. The baking process took a little longer than the recipe states, approximately thirty or forty minutes more.

Rosemary Chicken with Broccoli Rabe

Bon Appétit | September 1995

If you can't find broccoli rabe (an Italian green), collard greens, Swiss chard or mustard greens will work well also. Yield: Serves 4 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped shallots 3 teaspoons olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried 5 teaspoons minced garlic 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves 2 bunches broccoli rabe or collard greens, thick stem ends trimmed, tender stems and leaves cut into 1-inch pieces (about 12 cups) 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth Combine lemon juice, shallots, 2 teaspoons oil, rosemary and 1 teaspoon garlic in glass dish. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover; chill 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add broccoli rabe; cook 1 minute. Drain. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 teaspoons garlic; stir 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe; stir until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Heat same skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet; sauté until brown but not cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Arrange chicken atop broccoli rabe. Add broth and reserved marinade to skillet; boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour over chicken. Cover with foil; bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

You could serve mashed or smashed potatoes with this lovely dish!

It smelled so good but tasted so much better!!!

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."

~ La Rochefoucauld