Ratatouille Potato & Egg Breakfast Hash (Leftover Delight)

Ingredients:  serves 4 people

• 3 slices of bacon, cut into small strips
• 2 potatoes, sliced
• 1 cup or more of leftover Ratatouille, (see my recipe for Eggplant Casserole, “Ratatouille”)
• 4 eggs
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Use a large skillet that can go from the stove top to the oven. Over medium high heat fry the bacon until it just starts to brown on one side.  Lower the heat to medium and add the sliced potatoes and toss well with the bacon. Cover and steam for 5-7 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and have just started to brown. Add the leftover Ratatouille and toss well. Using a spatula or wood spoon shape the mixture in a disk shape about 1 inch in depth. Crack 4 eggs over the mixture and place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. (Optional, sprinkle the hash with Parmesan cheese and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Suggestions: Try garnishing with sliced green onions and hot sauce.

 

Turkey Pot Pie (Left Over Delights)

This is a hearty, sturdy Pot Pie, so if you looking for a filling that runs out when you cut into the crust, this is not it….But if you are trying to fill the stomachs of your family with a healthy, stick to your rib type of dinner, here you go.

Ingredients:  serves 4-6 people

• 2 cups cabbage soup (see my recipe, leftovers from the freezer, defrosted)
• 2 Tb flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups turkey cubed (leftovers)
• 2 potatoes, boiled & cubed
• single pie crust  or pastry dough for a 9″ pie (made from scratch of store-bought)
• egg wash (1 egg whisked with a small amount of water)

Preheat oven to 425

In a large skillet over medium low heat bring the defrosted cabbage soup to a simmer. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons of flour and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until the soup has become very thick. Whisk in the heavy cream until blended. Remove from heat and stir in the cubed turkey and potatoes. Place this mixture into a 9″ pie pan and over with the pie crust. Crimp the edges if desired and brush the entire pie crust or pastry dough with the egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Suggestions: You can substitute the turkey for chicken or combine the both to make up the 3 cups. I would have loved to of had a larger crust on this turkey pot pie, but I really messed up my pie crust. So if you are like me and love more crust with your pot pie trying making a pastry dough crust, roll it out much larger than you 9″ pie pan. By a couple of inches larger in diameter. Line the pie pan with the crust and let the excess crust hang over the rim of the pie pan. Place the filling on top of the pie crust then fold the excess crust over the filling towards the middle of the pie. It’s best for it not to touch in the center, just shy of touching. Then egg wash the entire crust and bake until golden brown.

 

Salmon Fillets with Herbs

Ingredients:  A dinner for Two

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme, ground
• 1/4 tsp dried dill, ground
• cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup parsley, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 and using a casserole baking dish lay foil over the bottom of it overlapping the sides lengthwise. Then lay another piece over the bottom overlapping the sides the other way.

Lay the salmon fillets on the foil, top with the ground dried thyme and dill. Sprinkle with some cracked black pepper then top with the minced parsley and garlic. Add the sliced green onions atop of that and finally lay the sliced lemons on top of everything. Loosely fold the sides of the foil into the middle of the pan creating somewhat of a cooking pouch. This method is what allows your oven to steam cook the fish. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or 10 minutes per every inch of depth in the fish fillet. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Suggestions: Try drizzling a dill sauce over the steamed salmon, yummy! If you don’t prefer salmon try this cooking method with Trout, Bass, Catfish…basically any kind of fish fillet you enjoy….and don’t forget the Dill Sauce, you can find my recipe under sauces.

 

Dill Sauce, Quick & Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 Tb salted butter
• 2 Tb flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp fresh dill, minced (or 1 tsp dried dill, if your like me and don’t use your dried dill from the seasoning rack very often please think about its taste. If this spice is old it will taste awful….so when in doubt use fresh dill)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup whole milk

In a small heavy bottom sauce pan over low heat melt the butter. Whisk in everything except the milk, this is the flour, salt, pepper, dill and nutmeg. Increase your heat to medium and while whisking bring the mixture to a simmer and then continue to whisk and simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Return to medium heat, continuing to whisk bring a boil and boil for 1 minute until thickened. Serve immediately.

Suggestions: This creamy bright & fresh tasting sauce is ideal for fish and chicken. Try it on your Salmon, Trout, Bass and Catfish. Want to spice it up a little? Add a dash of Cayenne Pepper.

 

Simple & Easy Roasted Chicken Taco Filling

I apologize in advance for the photos. They aren’t all that great but were a true after thought. I threw this chicken together this morning so that we could have tacos for dinner after work tonight. Then the chicken tasted so wonderful I just had to share it. Well if the truth be told, I threw it together, then called home and asked Mark to throw it in the oven so that when I got home all I had to do was throw some guacamole together, shred some spinach and get the cheese out. Mark even had the tortilla shells all fried up when I got home. I might have just warmed them but I love them fried. Thank you Mark.

Ingredients:  enough meat for 6 to 8 tacos

• 4 to 5 Chicken Thighs, skin-on, bone-in
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• cumin
• ground black pepper
• garlic salt
• 2 Tb Italian dressing
• 5 Tb salted butter, melted

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with some cumin, ground black pepper and garlic salt. Combine the seasoned thighs, garlic and Italian dressing in a gallon size zip lock bag and squish it all around. Refrigerate overnight, or through the day to marinate.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a small saucepan over low heat melt the butter. Place the marinated chicken thighs in a glass baking dish, skin side up, brush with melted butter and roast or bake for 1 hour. Baste one more time with the melted butter during this bake time. Remove from oven, let rest and cool for 15 minutes in the baking dish. Then shred the meat from the bone, and place in a bowl. I include the skin with my shred because it has so much wonderful flavor. Add a couple spoonfuls of the juices from the baking dish to the shredded chicken in the bowl and serve as the filling for your tacos.

Suggestions: This chicken works great in burritos, tostadas, and taquitos. This is also a great way to roast an entire chicken. After shredding the meat, use the bones and skin to create a lovely chicken stock.

 

Spinach Alfredo & 5 Cheese Casserole

Spinach Alfredo & 5 Cheese Casserole

At the end of this recipe you will find 2 optional ingredients that work great in this recipe. So actually this post is 3 recipes in 1, how great is that?

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 Tb butter, salted
• 1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
• 3/4 cup half & half
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tb shredded 3 cheese blend of Parmesan, Asiago and Romano

In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onion and saute until they become soft. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, stirring frequently, simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes until the mixture has thicken.

Spinach Cheese Mix Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Provolone cheese, shredded
• 15 ounces Ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded 3 cheese blend of Parmesan, Asiago and Romano
• 2 cups shredded fresh Spinach
• 1/4 cup fresh Basil, chopped

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and set aside for assembly.

Additional Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of Narrow Egg Noodles (mine are from Das Dutchman Essenhaus) boiled and drained
• 1/3 cup shredded 3 cheese blend of Parmesan, Asiago and Romano

Preheat your oven to 375 butter a 11″ x 7 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ baking dish (aprx size)

Assembly Steps:

1. Spread half of the cooked noodles over the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Pour half of the Alfredo sauce over the noodles.
3. Dot half of the Spinach Cheese mixture by the teaspoon over the sauce and noodles.
4. Spread the remaining cooked noodles over that.
5. Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce over the last of the noodles.
6. Dot again the remaining Spinach Cheese mixture by the teaspoon over the entire mixture.
7. Lastly sprinkle the 1/3 cup of the shredded 3 cheese blend.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and return to oven to bake an additional 20 minutes. Let rest 5-7 minutes before serving.

(Optional) Shrimp or Chicken Ingredients:

• 12oz peeled, deveined, tail-off medium shrimp or
• 1 pound chicken strips
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, finely grated, juices and pulp
• juice and zest of 1 lemon

(Optional Ingredients direction) If you choose to make this dish with the shrimp or chicken strips then combine the garlic, onion and juice & zest of the lemon in a zip lock baggy. Add the shrimp or chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for 2 hours. In a medium skillet saute shrimp until pink then add all the shrimp to the casserole between steps 2 & 3. If choosing chicken then grill the chicken until cooked thoroughly, dice and add between steps 2 & 3.

 

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:  yields about 1 1/2 cups of sauce

• 1 Tb butter, salted
• 1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
• 3/4 cup half & half
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tb shredded 3 cheese blend of Parmesan, Asiago and Romano (If you are unable to find this cheese blend use Parmesan instead)

In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat, add the onion and saute until they become soft. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, stirring frequently, simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes until the mixture has thicken.

Suggestions: Toss this sauce with pasta, spoon it over grilled chicken or fried eggplant. This sauce is so easy to make and taste fabulous. You’ll never need to have another jar of this type of sauce in your cupboard again…see I couldn’t even type the name because it doesn’t matter anymore. I can make my own Alfredo Sauce now and I am loving it!

 

Eggplant Casserole “Ratatouille”

Ratatouille with Meatloaf

Eggplant Casserole "Ratatouille"

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant, peeled & cubed
• 1 zucchini, peeled & cubed
• 6 slices of bacon, slices cut in half, then cut into small strips
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 green onions, roughly sliced
• 4 tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
• black pepper, optional
• 1 green bell pepper, optional
• Olive Oil, if necessary

Let your cubed eggplant and zucchini sit for 30 minutes on paper towels so their natural moisture is released. At the end of this 30 minute period pat them dry with paper towels.

In a medium skillet over medium heat cook the bacon strips until they are browned. Remove and set aside the cooked bacon. Pour any bacon fat into a metal or glass bowl and set aside as it may be needed within the upcoming cooking process. Do not wipe out the skillet. Add the yellow onion and green onions to the skillet and saute over medium heat in the small amount of bacon fat that is remaining in the skillet. Saute until these vegetables soften. (Add the green bell peppers with the onions if you are using them.) Stir in the tomatoes and garlic, season with black pepper if desired. Place this vegetable mixture in a small casserole dish.

Increase the heat to medium high heat, add a small amount of the reserved bacon grease or Olive Oil if needed for frying in the skillet. Add the cubed eggplant and zucchini, fry them until they are lightly browned.  Be careful not to use too much grease or oil because the eggplant and zucchini will absorbed them. You may need to work in batches. Place the fried eggplant and zucchini over the onion tomato mixture in the casserole dish. Top with the fried bacon. Under a low broil cook until the top is crisp and browned, about 5 minutes.

Suggestions: Change the flavor a bit by adding chopped Parsley, a little thyme and oregano between the vegetable layers. Brighten the flavors by adding the combination of rosemary and dill. When in season I love adding green, red and yellow bell peppers, or in late summer making the casserole mostly with different squashes. Some sunflower seeds as a garnish are also nice. The main ingredients always found in my Ratatouille are eggplant, onions, tomatoes and garlic….after that your imagination is the only thing holding you back.

 

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied Sweet Potato using the "Hasselback" cut

Ingredients: Serves 2 people

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled
• 4 Tb butter salted, room temperature
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tb Karo Syrup
• 1/3 cup Pecans, finely chopped

Preheat your oven to 350.

Place the sweet potatoes flat side down on a study cutting surface. If your potato has no flat side then slightly trim one side so that the potato will sit flat for you to slice. Using a serrated knife thinly slice the sweet potatoes to about 1/8″ from the flat bottom. (The sweet potatoes are very dense so be careful while slicing) In a small bowl combine the butter, light brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, Karo Syrup and pecans and using your fingers mix these ingredients until thoroughly blended. Apply 1/2 of this mixture on top of each sweet potato, pressing down to ensure it will stay. Place the sweet potatoes on a very large piece of foil sprayed with Pam Spray in a baking dish. Fold the foil to create a tent, but a tent that does not touch the sweet potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes, then unfold the foil tent and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. When serving after the potatoes have been plated spoon the remaining mixture that was left in the foil over the potatoes and serve.

Suggestions: This recipe would also work well as a casserole. Double the entire recipe, slice the sweet potatoes fully, layer in a buttered baking dish and top with the brown sugar mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes more. Serves 4-6 people.

 

Hello Paleo followers….Stop by my blog & check out my adjusted recipes that fit the Paleo way of eating.

These ingredients are the basic ingredients of my life and I love them and I don’t apologize for loving them!

But….

Today a friend inspired me to find alternatives for these ingredients and create a few recipes that she can share with others following the Paleo way of eating. Surprisingly I eat mostly organic meat, fruit and vegetables…it’s the baking and cooking additives that they are unable to use. In the future I will be experimenting with my tried and true recipes to find another way to prepare them to fit within the Paleo perimeters. I’m hoping to post a least a couple of them a month to begin with. In the meantime check out the recipes under the “Paleo recipes” category that are already adjusted suit a Paleo way of eating.

With Mark as my taste tester you’ll know that when I post one of these recipes it will taste just as good as my original recipe.

I already have a million ideas in my head and can’t wait to buy some of the substitutes for my go to ingredients like butter, flour and sugar. I’m not a fan of synthetic substitutes so you won’t find a sugar substitute that you wouldn’t be able to find in a garden. Exited I am about my culinary challenge. Creating a Paleo version of my “Praline Topping, Coffee Cake and Zucchini Bread” are my first goals. Hey I haven’t made my Zucchini Bread yet, better get on that original recipe. Rest assured I am continuing to blog the original recipes of my life just adding some new versions of my favorites so that others that don’t eat the way I do may also share in the joy of eating tastefully.

Wow, that was a mouthful up there wasn’t it. Hope you all are having a wonderful start to the weekend. I am making some truly delightful dishes this weekend. I hope you all will be able to share and enjoy good ole cooking with the ones you love this weekend and I will see you all on Monday. I’m off to make a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches with the beer bread I made this week. Yummy, Yum, Yum.