New Year, New Family

I admit that the title of this blog entry is a bit misleading. No, I'm not trading out my family for a new one in 2011, but, like most people, hubby and I are starting the new year with a few resolutions that are designed to improve our life and health in the coming months. 


Our first resolution is to further our past efforts to eat more home cooked meals (even if they're packed to go). The more I read and learn about the typical American diet and our food supply, the more I find myself heading to my kitchen with organic veggies and other supplies in tow. A secondary goal is to increase our veggies and reduce our focus on meat as the cornerstone of many of our meals. Hubby has asked that I make more fish dishes. Combined, this should further improve our efforts.


Our second resolution is related to the first, save more "dough"-rae-me! For us this means foregoing the $5-8 daily lunches from the work cafeteria in lieu of bringing our lunch. If successful, this will translate to a significant savings per week and a couple hundred dollars or more per month - now that's a lotta dough!


Since winter started with an extensive cold/snow spell this year, I've been thinking comfort foods. I don't mind salad in the warmer weather, but this time of the year I prefer my veggies in a soup bowl or casserole of some sort. 


My plan for week 1 lunch is to go back to a favorite recipe from Zonya Foco's series - oven baked lentil and rice. I know it sounds like a recipe that should be adorn with peace signs and tye-dye, but it's a fast and tasty recipe with a big load of nutrition and I happen to have all of the ingredients on hand. I alter her straightforward recipe by add extra veggies. I've also found that a bit of butter in this recipe significantly improves on an already tasty dish. In fact, in the future I may just give up the cheese topping in lieu of a bit of butter in my lentils.


As for week 1 dinner, I think I'll make some version of the original WW zero points garden vegetable soup and beef it up (no pun intended) with a can of Garbanzo beans and some multi-grain no-yolk noodles to round it out with a bit of protein. As the new WW plus program has nearly all fruits and veggies as zero point items, this should make my additions to the soup easy to manage from a points perspective and ensure it's filling and that our toddler will enjoy it as well - she loves Garbanzo beans and, well, what toddler doesn't love noodles?


Finally, I received a copy of the Martha Stewart cookie cookbook for Christmas from my beautiful SIL Erica. We've already used it three times with terrific results. Most recently, I made Martha's applesauce oatmeal cookies. With a few alterations to make them a bit more healthful (reduced the sugar, used whole wheat pastry flour, etc.) and they were still delish! 


My take on all three recipes is below. Let me know if you try any of them. As always, feel free to add your own spin and share your ideas. I've included links to the original recipes should you want to refer to those or make them in their original form. 


Martha Stewart's Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies
Zonya Foco's baked lentils and rice
WW garden vegetable soup




Reworked Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

• 4 tbsp organic unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tbsp whites only egg whites
• 1/2 cup organic unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 3 tbsp warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of a stand mixer add melted butter and sugars. Beat with paddle attachment 2 minutes. Add egg substitute, applesauce and salt and mix on medium speed until well combined, approximately 2 minutes.


In a medium mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, chia seeds and cinnamon. Mix with clean hands to distribute oats, soda, baking powder, chia seeds and cinnamon evenly throughout. 


Add oat and flour mixture to the bowl of the mixer. Turn mixer on low speed and allow to process until flour is absorbed and batter forms. Add raisins and cranberries, mix on medium speed just long enough to distribute fruit throughout the batter.


Using a cookie scoop and cookie trays lined with baking tray liners, scoop cookies 2" apart on baking sheet. You will get approximately 10 cookies per tray. Bake each tray individually for 13-15 minutes on middle rack of oven. Cookies spread a bit, but remain domed. Allow to cool on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.


While cookies cool, in a small mixing bowl combine confectioners sugar, maple syrup and warm water. Whisk until smooth. 


When cookies are completely cool, drizzle maple glaze across cookies with a spoon. Allow glaze to dry before packing cookies in an air tight container.




Lentils, Rice and Barley Casserole

• 1 large bunch scallions/green onions, white and green parts, sliced
• 2 large celery stalks, medium dice
• 3 small carrots with tops, sliced on the bias, leaves chopped
• 1/4 medium fennel bulb, small dice
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, medium dice
• 24 oz water
• 4 tsp chicken soup base
• 1/2 cup champagne
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp minced garlic from jar
• 1/2 cup whole barley (not pearl barley)
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 tsp butter
• 4 oz raw milk swiss cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet sprayed with a thin film of cooking spray, cook carrots, fennel and celery just until softened. Set aside.


In a large baking dish - 11x9 or similar - combine all ingredients, including the softened vegetables, and except the swiss cheese, in baking dish. Stir carefully to combine. Place dish on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of preheated oven for 90 minutes. Stir dish with a wooden spoon 2 to 3 times during the baking to ensure even cooking of ingredients.


Remove from oven when lentils, barley and rice are soft. If packing individual portions, split the contents among six containers. Top each container with 1/2 tsp of unsalted butter and 1/4 cup of the grated cheese. Refrigerate until ready to reheat.


If you are serving the casserole for a meal at home, top casserole with cheese and dollops of butter and return to the oven during the last 15 minutes of baking to allow cheese to melt and butter to distribute. Serve.




Garden Vegetable Soup with Garbanzos and Noodles

• Small onion, small dice
• 2 stalks organic celery, small dice
• 2 small organic carrots, cut on bias
• 1/2 medium fennel bulb, small dice
• 1 large red pepper, medium dice
• 1 medium organic yukon gold potatoes, medium dice
• 3 oz organic tomato paste
• 2 tsp minced garlic from jar
• 1 bay leaf
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme
• 1 dried bay leaf
• Pepper to taste
• 4 cups water
• 3 tsp chicken soup base
• 1 can garbanzo beans (15/16 oz), drained
• 2 oz multi-grain no yolk noodles, cooked and drained
• 1 tsp organic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

In medium soup pot over low heat add EVOO along with onion, celery, carrots, fennel, red pepper and potatoes. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and vegetables begin to soften. Increase heat to medium and add garlic, stir and allow to cook for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and herbs. Cook for 3-4 minutes stirring often. Add water and chicken soup base and stir to combine. Allow soup to come to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.


Add beans and noodles to soup and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Serve with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of EVOO.

Real Snow Sno-Cones

During our toddler's holiday party one of the teachers mentioned that they would be focused on snow related projects this coming week, due of course to the two weeks of snow that has accumulated. One project in particular caught my attention - Sno-cones. To that I say, "good timing" and, more importantly, "YUM!"

Our toddler has experienced sno-cones a couple of times in her short life. Once at the farmers market when she was about a year old. It was very hot that day and we all needed a refreshing treat. So, one sno-cone split three ways was just the ticket we needed to finish our shopping. The second was much more recent. A couple of weeks ago the circus came to Indy and my darling hubby took his little girl - mama was confined to the house at the time and had to miss the outing :( - and they had a terrific time. Her souvenir was a large cup in the shape of a white Bengal tiger that once held the sno-cone she and her Papi shared.

As the discussion with the teachers continued my mama bear brain kicked in and I couldn't help but think of all of the awful things that are probably in sno-cone flavorings - red dye this number, blue dye that number, high frictose corn syrup, and goodness knows what else. So, I left thinking that I could improve on the original by improving the taste while also making something more natural.

The next morning, I woke early thinking about sno-cone flavoring syrup and pancakes. So, I decided to combine my efforts. The pancakes were a slight twist on the Joy of Cooking's multi-grain pancake recipe (twist added to accommodate the contents of my pantry), a terrific pancake if you ever run across the recipe and happen to be in the mood for pancakes.

When I was little, my mother often made her own pancake syrup by making a simple syrup and adding vanilla. Were you talking to her, my friend Dina would tell you a very funny story from my early cooking efforts in which I ruined the syrup. I assure you, and her, that I've improved my technique over the years. So, I checked my stash of frozen berries and settled on raspberries.

My recipe for raspberry syrup is below. You can substitute any flavor berry you want in the recipe. I suppose you could also attempt a peach flavored syrup or something similar by cutting your fruit in small pieces and cooking it in the syrup,  but berries are by far the easiest and frozen berries make this treat available all year long. In addition to pancakes and sno-cones, you can top ice cream or other treats with the syrup.

The syrup turned out well. I made it a bit sweeter this time given the dual purpose, but you can easily cut the sugar by 1/2 cup. We had it first on our pancakes - a delish combo if I do say so myself - and even better when my darling hubby procured some fresh snow for us from the fresh batch that fell overnight. The trick to making a sno-cone, as my hubby explained to me, is packing down the snow since the crystals are much smaller than the shaved ice used in the traditional approach. And, I have to say, he's absolutely right! So, give this a try with your family. For obvious environmental reasons, I wouldn't advocate eating tons of snow from outside your backdoor, but if you happen to possess a sno-cone machine and are looking for a more natural way to flavor them, this might be an approach that you want to adopt.

Homemade Raspberry Syrup
Combine the following in a heavy bottom sauce pan

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

Bring sugar and water to a low boil without stirring. You can swirl the pan a couple of times if needed, but do not stir with a spoon or other implement. When the syrup has come to a low boil, add one 8-10 oz. package frozen raspberries without syrup - thawed or still frozen, either is fine. Stir to combine. Allow the syrup to come to a boil a second time and allow to boil for approximately 5 minutes so that syrup forms and fruit infuses its flavor into the syrup.

Remove syrup from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Syrup is very hot and will cause a bad burn if it touches your skin.

Once syrup has cooled for 10 minutes, pour syrup through a strainer set over a heat proof bowl or a large  heat proof glass measuring cup. Push any remaining syrup through the fruit in the strainer to separate all syrup from the fruit pulp. Discard pulp. Allow syrup to continue to cool to room temperature. Transfer syrup to a squeeze bottle - I used a left over aguave syrup squeeze bottle. Any other clean squeeze bottle will work.


Real Snow Sno-cone

• 1 Dixie type cup for each sno-cone
• 1 bowl freshly fallen snow (metal is best for retaining the chill on the snow)
• 1 small ice cream or baking scoop for filling the cups
• 1 small metal spoon for packing the snow into the cup
• Sno-cone syrup in squeeze bottle

Fill a cup with scoops of snow until full. Using the small metal spoon, pack down the snow as much as possible. Top with a bit of syrup and carefully work snow around with spoon to distribute syrup. Add more snow to fill cup to the top. Pack again with the spoon and top with syrup. Serve.

Chicken Liver Spread

When I lived in Washington, D.C. one of my favorite weekly activities was to have Sunday brunch with friends and/or family. Whether at one of the many restaurants that offers a brunch menu or a friends house or entertaining at my own place, brunch was a weekly staple. This was also the time that I became a great lover of pate.


Now I'll be the first to admit that there are some really, really bad examples of pate out there and, unfortunately, I've tried a few myself. But, when it's done well, there's nothing better than a little pate spread thinly on a slice of crispy bread or a delicate cracker. A glass of Champagne or Prosecco only heightens the experience! 


At this time, I'm the only person in my household who likes pate. My wonderful hubby who typically loves most everything I make, even when I don't like how it turned out, won't even try it. My toddler tasted a small bite and hasn't yet come back for more - though I haven't quite given up on her. 


I have called this Chicken Liver Spread as I did not put it in a terrine nor did I seal it in a vessel with chicken fat, so we'll call it what it is - a spread. This recipe makes a rather large batch, so either find a few friends to share the goodness with you or plan to eat a lot of it quickly! I thought the results of this recipe were quite good. However, I still feel like something is needed to round out the flavor profile. If you give this recipe a try and have a suggestion, please let me know. When I discover the hidden ingredient needed to take this to the next level, I'll repost as Chicken Liver Spread II. Cheers!


Lisa's Chicken Spread I

• 1/2 a large onion, small dice
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 lb Chicken Livers, rinsed, drained and cleaned
• 1 small golden delicious apple, small dice
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tbsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp rubbed sage
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1-2 good squirts of dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp bacon drippings
• 2 hard boiled eggs, shell removed
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet with high sides, melt butter. Add onion, apple, thyme, parsley, sage and garlic to the skillet stirring to combine. Allow to cook over medium heat, stirring often, until onion is translucent but no color has formed. 

Add well-drained livers to the pan and stir to incorporate. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste and stir. Continue stirring often to ensure all livers are cooked through and no burnt spots develop. When livers are no longer pink, remove skillet from the heat and stir in bacon drippings.

Spoon skillet contents into the bowl of a food process that has been fitted with a chopping blade. Add egg and dijon mustard and pulse 10 times. Taste mixture for seasoning and adjust by adding more salt and pepper or dijon. Pulse again. When you're happy with the results, move the pate to a storage container. Allow the pate to cure overnight in the fridge. 

Serve the next day with toast points or crackers along side fresh fruit and good cheeses or cured meats. I had Rosemary Potato bread on hand and it was delish with this recipe!

Note:  The flavor of the pate is best if you allow it to come to just below room temperature before serving.

Cheesy Turkey Pot Pie & Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle for a Cold Winter's Night

We had a lot of turkey leftover from Thanksgiving even though I only roasted half of the bird on Thursday. This happened because, we, okay I, quickly found myself to be burnt out on turkey and leftovers this year. 


However, today we're in the midst of our first snow of the season, so I set out some of the turkey this morning to thaw with the intent of making something to warm our tummies this evening. At first I thought I'd throw together a quick soup and maybe offer turkey, cucumber and avocado sandwiches on the side, but my toddler would likely deconstruct the sandwiches and not eat anything except the bread. Moving on from that idea, I put the quandry in the back of my mind and checked in throughout the day. Late this afternoon the idea of making a pot pie appeared. 


This idea had many advantages. First, my hubby LOVES pot pie, I think it's one of his favorite comfort foods. Second, our toddler LOVES cheese. When you ask her what she wants to eat, 9 times out of 10, the answer is "cheese". Now, that cheese can take many forms - cottage cheese, grilled cheese, cheese and crackers, string cheese, etc., but consistently the answer is cheese. So, I considered adding cheese to the traditional creamy sauce in the hopes that everyone would be happy. Finally, to make myself happy, puff pastry could serve as the topper so I wouldn't have to make pastry from scratch. I love to cook and baking for me entails cookies, cupcakes and the occasional cake, but I don't make pastry crust. So, I thought my idea was an all around winner.


The filling for the pot pie came together more quickly than I'd imagined. In fact, my toddler asked for a taste of the sauce when she came home and immediately wanted her own serving in a small dish to enjoy while waiting for the finished product to come from the oven.


We don't have dessert every night at our house, but today I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand to make some version of trifle. The great thing about trifle, aside from the fact that it's yummy, is that you can really make any variation you want by changing up the flavor or type of cake and pairing it with a variety of puddings. You can even add other ingredients like cherry pie filling or berries to further expand your options. Whipped cream is typically a part of a trifle as it helps to have at least three layers in a trifle. In my case though, I went with some lite Cool Whip that I happened to have on hand.


The results of both dishes turned out better than expected. The pot pie was warm and comforting while the trifle was a bit like a holiday dessert and allowed us to end dinner on a sweet note. Let me know if you give either recipe a try.


Cheese Turkey Pot Pie

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 3 Tbsp AP flour + more for dusting when rolling out pastry
• 1 medium onion, small dice
• 2 large celery stalk, small dice
• 2 large carrots, small dice
• 1 cup frozen baby lima beans, thawed
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 large or 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, microwaved for 5 minutes for large, 3 minutes for small, then cut into small dice
• 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• ½ tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp Thyme, dried, ground
• 1 tsp Marjoram, dried, crumbled in hand before adding to pot
• 1 tsp parsley, dried, crumbled in hand before adding to pot
• 1 sheet puff pastry

Prepare all vegetables by washing and cutting in similar sizes. Shred the turkey and set aside.

In a heavy bottom dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Once foam has subsided from butter, stir in 3 Tbsp AP flour and stir to combine. Cook flour mixture until it takes on a slightly golden color, being careful not to allow to brown or burn.  Add the fresh vegetables (except for potato) and dried herbs, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Allow vegetables to cook until softened, but not browned.

Add the broth and milk and stir with a whisk to create the white sauce. Continue stirring over heat until the sauce thickens. When thick, add shredded cheese a little at a time whisking to incorporate each addition and allowing each to melt before adding the next. Add thawed vegetables, potato and turkey and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. If sauce is too thick, add a bit of broth or milk, stirring after each addition until you achieve the thickness you want.

Pour contents of the dutch oven into two 8 x 8 baking dishes that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Top each pot pie with a square of puff pastry. Pastry should cover the entire contents of the pie, but not hang over the edge of the pan.

Cover one pot pie with plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer for up to a month. Remove from freezer when time to bake and place directly into a hot oven.

Bake the remaining pot pie in a XXX degree oven until pastry is golden and has risen. Remove from oven and allow pot pie to cool for 15 minutes before serving so that turkey filling has a chance to set.  Cut pastry into six equal portions and serve.

Pumpkin Cheescake Trifle

For the cake layers of the trifle, mix together in a large bowl with a whisk until combined and smooth:

• 1 Duncan Hines Classic Yellow cake mix
• 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp low fat plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 whole egg
• Equivalent of 2 eggs in egg white product (e.g., Egg Beaters Just Whites)

Prepare a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and then pour in mixture. Bake cake according to package directions until done. Set aside to cool.

For the pumpkin cheesecake layers:

• 1 small package Jello Instant Pudding, Cheesecake flavor
• 1 ¾ cup of 2% milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground all spice
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ¼ ground)
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or ½ tsp ground)
• ¼ cup good quality maple syrup
• 1 15 oz can prepared pumpkin – not pie filling
• 15 oz tub or 2 8 oz tubs Lite Cool Whip – French vanilla if you can find it! – use ½ of the tub in the cheesecake layer and reserve the other half to build the trifle below

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Mixture will thicken as it sets. Place covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

To assemble the trifle:

Line a clear serving bowl – or trifle bowl if you have it – with a layer of cake. Add a layer of pumpkin cheesecake mousse then top with a layer of cool whip. Continue building layers of cake, cheesecake and cool whip until bowl is full – ending with layer of cool whip. Dust top with a little cinnamon and sugar mixture or crushed ginger snaps.

Allow trifle to set for at least 2 hours, but not more than 6 hours, before serving. Scoop trifle into bowls and serve.

Sunday Night Marinara Sauce with Double Basil

Need a quick and easy Sunday night dinner? Try my fast and easy marinara sauce that is made mostly from pantry staples. This is my go to recipe as it's fast, delish and has consistently been a hit with our toddler! 


When I make this sauce, I always make a large batch as it freezes very well and can be used as is intended or you can add chicken stock and veggies and make it into a quick soup. I often pull a container of this out of the freezer in the morning so that we can have a fresh batch of pasta for dinner that night. Either way, it's a good pantry, freezer, table item that my family loves.


One quick note about the basil in this recipe... I have tried to grow basil at home, but to no avail. So, I typically bought a bunch from the produce section of my local grocery. However, I often found that I was unable to use all of the basil in just one recipe or that my needs would change as the week progressed, so I had to change my menu to accommodate our schedule. Both situations used to result in my once lovely, fragrant basil turning grey and sticky in the bottom of my produce drawer. So, I've started drying my leftover basil on a paper towel on a corner of my kitchen counter. It only takes a few days, then I store it in a small zip style baggie in my pantry until I need it. 


This particular version of my recipe, therefore, makes use of my home dried basil. This addition makes for a well rounded tasting sauce with deep basil undertones complimented by the spike of flavor from the fresh basil I had on hand!


Let me know if you try this recipe and what adjustments you make to it in your kitchen.


Lisa's Quick & Easy Sunday Night Spaghetti Sauce

• 1 large onion, small dice
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• Small bunch of fresh basil, torn
• Salt / Pepper to taste
• 2 large cans good Italian crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
• Dried Red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar (if needed)
• Your favorite spaghetti or pasta, cooked
• Grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

In a large heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat, add olive oil. When oil has heated, add onion and dried basil (jar or basil you have dried yourself). Stir and add a pinch of salt so that the onion releases it's juices and you season the first layer of ingredients. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.

Add the two cans of crushed tomatoes and the dried pepper flakes and black pepper along with another pinch of salt. Allow sauce to cook until it comes to a simmer. Taste sauce at this point to determine if sugar is needed. If needed, add sugar, stir and taste again to determine if additional seasoning is needed with sugar, salt or pepper.

Allow sauce to continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot. Add fresh basil, stir and taste for final seasoning. Allow sauce to sit for 5 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.


Serve over freshly cooked pasta of your choice with grated Parmesan cheese on top.


~Enjoy!

The Chili, Cheese & Potato Casserole Experiment

I have always loved chili. Having grown up in close proximity to Ohio, my mom always added a bit of cinnamon to her chili. I've experimented over the years with different approaches in my own kitchen and my newest approach is to combine different types of chili powders with dried and fresh herbs; including:  ancho chili powder, good ol' MacCormicks chili powder, dried marjoram, dried oregano, dried thyme, fresh cilantro, etc.. 


Because I make chili throughout the season, I am often looking for a way to turn chili leftovers into something interesting. Right now I have a plethera of potatoes, compliments of a bag of russets my mom left behind from her last visit, as well as chili and all of the 'fixins'. In the past I would have just added baking potatoes to my store list and not given it a second thought. However, I'm trying to do a better job of managing our grocery budget, so I was looking for a way to use what I have on hand. The resulting recipe is below. 


I did a bit of an internet search and didn't find anything like this out there. However, if you have a similar recipe, please share it. I'd love to see another example :)


The Results
I started out making the casserole as I thought it would work, but ended up making a few modifications along the way. First, I only had enough of the sour cream and cheese mixture for one layer, so it became the middle layer in the casserole rather than half in the middle and half on top. Second, I didn't cover the casserole and by the time I removed it from the oven to add the cheese layer (based on when the potatoes were fork tender), the chili was hot, but looked a little dry and was starting to turn dark as if it would eventually burn. So, I incorporated the foil technique. Other than those two changes, the casserole was really pretty good. I'm not sure it will completely replace chili over baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream in our house, but it gives me another viable option for when I don't have bakers on hand.


A note about the side dish...
I ended up serving this along side a salad made with butter lettuce, matchstick carrots and a fresh pear diced into large chunks. I dressed this simple seasonal salad with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, apple cider, EVOO, salt and pepper and a bit of honey to round out the flavors. The salad was excellent and may have just become one of my go to staples for fall and winter!


Chili, Cheese, Potato Casserole

• 3 cups left over chili
• 4 medium/small potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3" slices (I needed 26 slices to cover my casserole and fill in the "holes" between the slices)
• 8 oz light sour cream
• 8 oz grated cheese, divided (your choice, I used a 2% mixture of jack and cheddar)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp if using table salt
• Pepper to taste, prefer fresh ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


Spray an 8x8 casserole with non-stick cooking spray, layer potatoes on the bottom of casserole dish. Use left over potato slices to fill in the gaps between the bottom layer so that none of the cheese mixture can seep through to the bottom of the casserole dish. Set aside.


In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, half the grated cheese, melted butter and the green onions. Spread the mixture across the top of the potato layer ensuring the mixture covers all of the potatoes, including the corners. Next, add the chili layer and spread to ensure chili covers the cheese mixture. Cover casserole with foil.


Place casserole in hot oven and allow to bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and add the remainder of the grated cheese. Return the casserole to the oven and allow to remain baking uncovered for 15 minutes. 


Serve with a fresh green salad. 


~Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Sauce

I've found tons of late harvest tomatoes this fall and can't resist bringing them home. I found some Mexican orange tomatoes @ Adrian's Orchard while shopping for cider and our toddler loved eating them out of hand. 


Since I had an abundance of tomatoes of various sizes and colors (red and orange, grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes), I decided to roast them all together to make a fresh tomato sauce. 


I have to admit that I didn't come up with this concept. Ina Garten roasts veggies all of the time on her Barefoot Contessa show. It's also her favorite way to cook shrimp, a technique that I haven't yet tried, but it does appeal to me and the results looked delish on her show.


Here's the technique. Keep in mind that this really isn't a "recipe" per say in that it can be used on nearly any amount of tomatoes you have on hand. If you have larger tomatoes - like Romas - simply cut them in half before putting them on the baking sheet. Also, the end product of the roasting is very different from a sundried tomato, much more juicy and much more versatile!


How to Oven Roast Tomatoes
Preheat your oven to 350.


Wash tomatoes and blot dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel. If you have larger size tomatoes - such as Roma or small slicing tomatoes - cut them in half after drying.


Place tomatoes on a baking sheet. You want one that has a lip or rim around the edge. A baking dish would work too. The only criteria is that you don't want to crowd the sheet so that plenty of heat can surround each tomato. If you have too many tomatoes, place half on a second sheet. You can roast up to two pans at the same time on separate racks in your oven.


Drizzle good extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper. I use Meijer's organic EVOO as it's a pretty good quality for a good price, along with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. The salt and pepper should be to taste. You only need enough olive oil to make sure each tomato has a little oil to draw the heat while they're in the oven.


Place tomatoes in the oven. If you have two sheets, place them on separate racks. Allow to cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until tomatoes being to pop and look a bit wilted or wrinkled.




My Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
Place roasted tomatoes in the blender - if you have a large batch of tomatoes, you may have to process it in batches - along with juices that have collected on the sheet. Add a large handful of freshly torn basil - you can do this to taste, but we LOVE basil so I use a lot. Puree tomatoes and basil in the blender on the highest speed until sauce forms and there are no large chunks of tomatoes or basil left. If you need a little liquid to make the mixture move in the blender, you can add more EVOO, a little water or even some good white wine or stock.


Serve over freshly cooked pasta or allow to cool in the blender and store in the fridge for up to a week.


Enjoy!