Messin with Mashed Taters...

I will confess up front, I am probably more excited about this blog post than any other....I would even say I'm almost GIDDY !   Mashed potatoes, pretty cut and dry right ?  Oh contrare.... I came upon a recipe that called for a combination of potatoes AND cauliflower and decided to try it out on some friends tomorrow at a luncheon I'm hosting, because seriously, do you THINK I could pass this by my family ?  Um no.  Case in point, the hubster walked in from outside and smelled the distinct aroma from the stovetop and immediately started in..."Why, Why would you do this to our house?"  To which I replied, "Let's play name that smell !"....Gracie joined in and declared, "this isn't a very fun game".  Okay so why my excitement you ask ?  BECAUSE, after I had put everything together and tasted it for myself, I just KNEW I had to get a sneaky spoonful in SOMEBODY tonight to confirm my suspicions...this recipe ROCKS !  Gracie helped chop my potatoes so in thanking her for the wonderful job she did, I said, "You have GOT to try these mashed potatoes, they are incredible!"  Now, I will confess, she walked away from the kitchen and didn't actually watch me prepare the potatoes so had no idea the cauliflower came anywhere near the same pot....(insert evil laugh here).  She took a bite without hesitation and declared that yes indeed, they are tasty !  VOILA !   SO, what have I learned tonight. 1) I WILL make this recipe again....2) I WILL prepare the cauliflower during the day, freeze or refrigerate the evidence for later mix ins....3) I WILL light a candle to detox the house before they get home. 

Mashed Potatoes

3 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
3/4 to 1 cup of milk
1/2 to 3/4 cup of butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Chicken Broth

Bring potatoes to boil in broth until tender. While cooking, in another pot bring 1 1/2 cup additional chicken broth to boil and add cauliflower. Cover and steam until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and place in blender with milk and butter. Puree until very smooth. Drain and mash potatoes and add cauliflower puree along with seasoning to taste.  YUM !

Inspired by the Toll House cookie !

Back in the 1930's, Ruth Wakefield decided to try to make a chocolate cookie by chopping up bits of Hershey's chocolate bars. Instead of the chocolate melting and creating a "chocolate" cookie, the chocolate held it's shape and voila, the chocolate chip cookie was born.  I LOVE this story, and not just because it involves chocolate...although that certainly helps.  But I love the fact that Mrs. Wakefield had a plan and although the plan didn't turn out like she expected, she still created something fantastic. I think recipes are like that. A lot of times, what you may plan to make for dinner turns into something totally different when you realize you left something out or don't have all the needed ingrediants. That's what happened at the Perry Palace tonight.  I was planning on making an old standby, "Pepperoni Bread" only to discover I was running dangerously low on pepperoni. So I improvised !  I made half of the recipe with my traditional turkey pepperoni and shredded cheese and then the other half with deli sliced ham and swiss cheese. What resulted was a delicious revelation...the filling possibilities are now endless !  I had visions of spinach, chicken, and sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, sausage, artichokes, and oh wait a minute...I'm getting a LITTLE grandiose for my family...but YOU...YOU my friends could take this recipe and run with it !  Run, Run like the wind Bullseye!  Sorry, now I'm getting carried away.  Here is the recipe.  Feel free to alter, change, or copy as your little heart desires. 

Pepperoni Bread

2 1/2 cups flour (I used a mixture of all purpose white and wheat flour)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp yeast
1 TB olive oil
1 cup very warm water

Combine all the dry ingrediants in a bowl. Add the water and oil and mix. Turn onto floured surface and knead for about 1-2 minutes until it forms a firm but smooth ball of dough. Let rise in a warm place in a greased covered bowl for 20 minutes.
Place dough on greased cookie sheet and roll out into a rectangular shape filling the pan. Cover with pepperoni then cheese (or other topping of choice). Gently roll into a long tube pinching ends and seam to seal. Using a sharp knife, make 4 or 5 slits in the top. I sprayed the top of mine with olive oil spray and sometimes sprinkle with garlic powder or additional cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool a bit before slicing.  Can serve with hot marinara sauce for dipping. 

"This stuff is made in NEW YORK CITY ???"

As we have learned from the TV commerical, Pace picante' sauce is NOT made in New York City...nor is the Perry's version of salsa.  When the Perry's get tomatoes, the Perry's make Salsa !  My dad's garden has had an abundance so I am happy to share my recipe for the spicy condiment.  You can control the heat by how many peppers you want to add remembering that the heat is found within the membrane and seeds of the jalapeno. 

I always forget how amazing freshly made salsa tastes.  It truly is worth the trouble !  Give it a try !  

Salsa

8 cups chopped tomatoes (skins removed)*
1 3/4 cup finely diced onion
1 1/2 cup finely diced green pepper
3 jalapeno peppers (chopped) I usually take the seeds out of at least one
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/8 cup sugar
1/16 cup salt

Bring to all to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. Spoon into hot jars and add lids and rings to seal.

*To easily peel tomatoes, place tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 minute and carefully remove. The peels will come off easily...PROMISE !

Food=Memories

I love to cook...that's not a secret....and one of the things I love MOST about cooking is the memories that are associated with certain recipes.  Everytime I make horseshoe cookies, I'm transported back to a time when I first learned how to make them with my Grandma Brooks. When I make the chicken spaghetti casserole, which has become my standard take and bake entree for families with newborns, I think back to a special little lady named Luz, who brought this very dish to a church potlock and for me it was love at first bite !  "My" lasagna recipe is exactly the same. There are a MILLION-BAZILLION ways to cook lasagna, but this has become my favorite. It originates from a dear friend who has since moved many miles away. Greg and Liz hosted our small group from church and she and her mom came up with this heavenly concoction. I remember being a little apprehensive because Dewayne was away working on outages from Hurricane Katrina so I was going it alone. That night, a group of friends gathered around their kitchen and we feasted on lasagna. I will never forget the warmth, laughter, and acceptance I felt. I asked for a copy of the recipe and the rest is history.  I have since made it for others and always receive compliments.  I have to chuckle at one instance when I cooked it for a family and she later confided in me that every time she saw me in sunday school class, she thought of lasagna...I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, but I'll take it !   So, I find myself making this dish today in honor of my dear friend Stacy for her birthday tomorrow.  She is another fan of the recipe and I am happy to treat her with a pan all her own.  I hope you'll try it and maybe make some memories for your friends and family.   Enjoy.

LASAGNA

2 TB olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 lb hamburger or ground turkey
28 oz crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
2 TB dried parsley, divided
2 TB dried basil
lasagna noodles
16 oz cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not from the green can, use the REAL DEAL)
1 egg
1 lb grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Fill a large 13 x 9 baking dish with hot tap water and allow lasagna noodles to sit in the water while preparing lasagna.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Cook onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the meat and cook together until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 TB parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

In another bowl, combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, and remaining 1 TB parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Drain lasagna noodles.

Ladle a little sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Then add layers as follows:
1/2 pasta
1/2 mozzarella
1/2 cottage cheese
1/3 meat sauce
rest of pasta
rest of mozzarella cheese
rest of cottage cheese
rest of sauce

I top it with more mozz and parm cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbling.


*You may notice in my picture that there are TWO pans of lasagna.  Gracie and I are the only Perry lasagna lovers so needless to say, I don't cook this dish for our family very often. Whenever I make it for someone else, I try to make a little loaf pan lasagna using one lasagna noodle per layer.  Just a little trick if you want to try it next time you want to take someone a meal but keep a little for yourself !

Summer-Lovin Sides

Here are a couple of delicious new side options for you to try. Now, if I'm being honest, I'll have to fess up and tell you that these were NOT consumed by any Perry family member other than myself....but I'm okay with that.  Both of them are a healthy treat that will definitely keep your summer side options from getting stuck in a rut. The first one is Quinoa Tabouli....(remember this fun word...sounds like Keen-Wa) I just love saying that even if my family won't eat it ! The second is a southwest hummus dip.  I'm not a HUGE fan of plain jane hummus, so this version really appealed to me and it is very flavorful. For the hummus, the recipe called for fire roasted diced tomatoes and roasted sweet red peppers....I had never done either of these myself so I looked to the handy dandy website of Ehow.com and discovered it's very easy and doesn't take a long time. I'm soooo glad I tried it because when added all together, it is out of this world !  I hope you'll be a little adventurous and give them both a try. I promise you, your tastebuds will thank you!

QUINOA TABOULI

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup quinoa

Bring to a boil, add quinoa, stir, return to a boil and lower to simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Add:
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup sweet onion finely diced
1 clove of garlic minced
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Toss all together and chill for one hour before serving.


SOUTHWEST HUMMUS DIP

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 TB fresh minced cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup roasted sweet red peppers chopped
1/4 cup roasted diced tomatoes

In food processor, combine beans, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and process for 30 seconds or until blended and fairly smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Add the red peppers and tomatoes and mix well. Chill and serve with pita chips or fresh vegetables.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5074242_roast-red-peppers-oven.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2129240_ovenroast-tomatoes.html

I say...YUM

Another great Asian dish to pass along. This one was mighty tasty if I do say so myself...and I'd better because if I don't say it....you won't hear it from anyone ELSE in this picky paradise ! Nonetheless, it was delicious and very simple. Hope you will give it a try.

CASHEW PORK STIR FRY

1 lb boneless pork loin sliced
1/3 cup stir fry sauce
2 T frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tsp corn starch
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 medium summer squash diced
1 medium zucchini diced
3/4 cup cashews

Combine stir fry sauce, orange juice, and corn starch and mix well. Stir in pork slices. Stir fry pork mixture in hot oil for 4-6 minutes. Add squash and zucchini and cook for about 3 minutes. Finally, stir in cashews and cook 1-2 minutes more. Serve over brown rice.

My momma always said, "You can't beat it with a stick"

You can't beat WHAT with a stick? How about Steak on a Stick ? Why do we have to wait until the fair comes to town to eat our food on a stick ? I say, let's start a revolution. Wasn't it Kevin Costner who learned in an old baseball flick, "If you cook it on a stick, they will eat" ? No ? Well, it was something like that I'm sure. Anyway, this was a yummy and very easy recipe. If you like the teriyaki steak on a stick from Chinese restaurants, you will like this as well.

I served my own version of "fried brown rice". Cooked 1 cup of rice in 1 cup of chicken broth with a couple of dashes of soy sauce and a sprinkling of onion powder. After it cooked, I sauted it in a little butter and added frozen peas and carrots and some seasoning salt to taste. DELISH !

STEAK ON A STICK

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 TB honey
2 tsp mustard powder
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 pounds sirloin steak cut into thin strips
wooden skewers soaked in water

In a large resealable bag, combine the marinade ingrediants above with the steak and let rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Preheat oven's broiler. Thread meat onto skewers and place on a broiling rack or baking sheet. Broil for 3-4 minutes on each side.