Sherry – Page 44 – Rosemary and the Goat

Potatoes Pave

Delicious and nothing more than stacked potatoes.

What is it about a potato that makes me want to start licking my lips. There are a kazillion recipes out there for potatoes whether they are white potatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes or even purple potatoes. You can eat them raw (I did as a kid with lots of salt), eat them as chips, mashed, in a casserole, baked and loaded with a million calories or even this simple little recipe elevates the lowly potato to new heights.

Potatoes pave are still just potatoes and very few ingredients go into making them. Just look at that melting, bubbly butter and the rosemary seeping into the thinly sliced potatoes (I used thyme the second time I made these). The technique is the hardest part of making these potato squares. If it for nothing more than the cute or presentation factor, you should try these.

Pave is a French word meaning paving stones. I think they look more like stacked dominos. I originally did the recipe from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc cookbook. I’m giving you a few links at the bottom so you can see how others have made these little gems. I think this simple potato dish would be great with a steak, roast pork, chops or any kind of meat or chicken dish. They are yummy, beautiful and fun to eat.

December 5, 2013 By Sherry

Salads

Cauliflower Broccoli Salad with Apricots

Different fruit for an old salad.

I think we have all made some type of broccoli salad over the years. I know I use to make one that had peanuts and raisins but I decided to change my broccoli salad up a little.

If there’s a veggie tray out at a party, that bushy green stuff will still be sitting there when I’m done with it. I have to say broccoli is one of my least favorite raw vegetables. I always use to love a broccoli casserole recipe a friend gave me back in the 70’s, but that was one of those casseroles loaded with soup and garlic cheese roll (can’t find that any more). I guess it’s ok if it is drenched in cheese sauce but then how good is that for you.

So, I’m left with this big bag of broccoli that I had bought at Sam’s Club for some unknown reason. One would think I was ready to be invaded with hordes of people for a weekend of fun and sun around the pool. As It turned out I made this salad twice over Labor Day weekend.

November 30, 2013 By Sherry

Side dish

Rosemary Potato Swirl

Just in time for Thanksgiving.

Every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember I ask the same question of my family — sweet potatoes or mashed? And every year I get the same answer — BOTH. So that got me to thinking about the time my son, Paul, mixed the two potatoes and how yummy they were. Thanksgiving came quick this year and if you are looking for a pretty side dish for the holidays or a special occasion try this.

What makes this dish so special is the browned butter, the ginger root, roasted garlic and the fresh rosemary. Well, I guess that’s practically the whole list of ingredients. What makes this dish so beautiful is that the potatoes get mashed separately and then gently folded together leaving streaks of orange and white potatoes swirled together.

I’ve been roasting sweet potatoes for years with rosemary and olive oil and they are fantastic prepared that way, but I have to admit that there is something about the creaminess of a bowl of mashed potatoes that is so comforting even if you know you shouldn’t be eating them.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Thanks for continuing to come to my blog.

November 25, 2013 By Sherry

Side dish

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Butternut squash from Mueller Farmer’s Market in Austin.

Another butternut squash recipe, that’s more than I have ever tried; but it is Fall and the perfect time for recipes made with squash.

It ‘s always so much fun going to see the kids whether it’s in Austin or Chicago. I love both places and the both have really great farmer’s markets that are fun to stroll through on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

A couple of months ago we were in Austin and went to the Mueller Farmer’s Market that is under an old hangar at the old airport and there was a band playing, kids and families all over the place and lots of fresh produce and meats everywhere. I bought this great goat cheese by Pure Luck called June’s Joy. It’s whipped and has honey, thyme, and pepper and is so good smeared on a little cracker or two and I cannot imagine how a good piece of warm bread out of the oven would taste with the cheese. (I should have put a dollop of that cheese on the hot squash, but didn’t.) I also found these small butternut squash, about 6″ long.

Don’t ask me why I get excited over small vegetables but I usually only see butternut squash in the large size and these little ones were perfect for stuffing for individual portions and I’m always thinking these are just so cute, now what can I do with them.

Some other interesting finds for the weekend were my Zhi teas and new little glass tea pot.

Life without good food and new recipes would be so boring and I’m so glad I love to cook, I just need a few more mouths to feed to try my new recipes.

November 18, 2013 By Sherry

Egg Dishes/ Morning Foods

Ham and Mushroom Quiche

What real men don’t like quiche?

What man doesn’t like ham, mushrooms, cheese, a crusty exterior to anything. What man these days wants to eat a leftover, a frozen or boxed dinner, a low fat, gluten free, carb-free, sugar-free meal or anything he had to cook for himself. So, I’m willing to bet if you throw (that sounds harsh doesn’t it, I wouldn’t really throw it on the table.) this on the table in front of him, he will chow down and even enjoy it and maybe even ask for leftovers the next day.

November 13, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ HotApp

Fried Brussels Sprout Leaves

What a great veggie appetizer.

I mentioned in earlier post that I had dinner one night at the Salty Sow in Austin several months ago. We ordered these fried Brussels sprouts for an appetizer and it was hard to stop eating them. We didn’t until they were gone.

I was watching one of the food shows the other night and they were talking about food trends and which ones should stick around and which ones have run their course. Bacon was one they discussed and I don’t think people will ever get tired of bacon. Scallops was another one and also an “egg on top of everything” was another. I have seen the egg on lots of menu. Why is it people want to throw an egg on top of pizza, pasta, burgers and even soup?

When it comes to Brussels sprouts they are now on Forbes top 10 vegetable list. I never liked them, never even saw them on the table when I was growing up so my dad must not have liked them either. I always thought of them as these hard little cabbages that were bitter and you had to chase them all over your plate to try and catch them. In some areas Brussels sprouts are more popular on the appetizer menu than calamari.

Since there was no recipe I could find online for Salty Sow’s French Fried Brussels sprouts I had to come up with my own. Not really a recipe at all. I knew there app had Brussels sprouts (shaved), golden raisins and pecorino cheese. I added a couple tablespoons of good balsamic to the golden raisins for a little sweet/tartness and I had asiago cheese since I could not find pecorino at my grocery. All I can say about this appetizer is that we were eating these as soon as they were taken up and mixed with the raisins, cheese and sea salt.

November 8, 2013 By Sherry

Entree/ Poultry

Chicken Pot Pie Pop Tart

Pop tart/chicken pot pie tart, which is best?

Honestly, I don’t think I have ever eaten a pop tart in all my years on this earth. My kids had their share of pop tarts I’m sure; they just never appealed to me. If I wanted a crust with fruit filling, I would have made a real pie or strudel.

Kellogg first introduced their non-frosted pop tarts in 1964. That was a year before I graduated from high school, the year Hello Dolly was released on Broadway, the Beatle’s “I want to hold your hand” topped the US charts and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor married for the first time. Ok, ok, enough, that’s depressing enough thinking I’m that old. But, I can say our youth was definitely the “good old days”.

We (my sister, brother, and I) wouldn’t have eaten pop tarts because our mother and grandmother use to make the best fried pies and yes they were much better than some fake fruit sandwiched between some pastry that was full of preservatives.

I have been thinking of chicken pot pie lately and how comforting it is. What do pop tarts and pot pie have in common? Nothing, except I decided to make a chicken pot pie pop tart and instead of icing drizzled over the top, I’m giving my pop tart a peas and carrot sauce and a cute little cranberry sauce chicken cut-outs. Don’t ask me why but when I have pot pie, I want cranberry sauce; always have, always will and of course, I always want some type of slaw. The three are inseparable and it wouldn’t hurt to throw in some mashed potatoes.

So, you don’t have to make a pop tart from these ingredients. It’s much easier to pop everything in a pan for a large pot pie. I always use just the broth the chicken cooks in to make the gravy but this time I added about 1/2 cup of heavy cream and I really liked the results. Boiled eggs are a must for the pop pie and when you cook your chicken, do not use boneless chicken parts. Use the whole chicken, debone it and then save the broth for making the filling.

November 3, 2013 By Sherry

Cookies/ Dessert

Babe’s Pumpkin Cookies

Fantastic fall cookie.

Cats, ghost, witches, colored leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, falling leaves, the smell in the air are signs of fall and the holidays to come. I just love fall because I know those hot days of summer are behind us and we will start having a little chill in the air in the evenings. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I think that’s because it’s the easiest meal I ever put together.

Thanksgiving is all about pumpkins and I’m not even a pumpkin pie fan. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin tomato soup and these pumpkin cookies should be on your list of things to try for the holidays. I even bought a pumpkin piñata which I’m filling with candy and toys for the four little grandsons to bang away at.

One of the good things about these cookies is you can make these ahead and freeze them and bake them when you want a hot treat to go with your cup of tea (or coffee) in the morning or for an afternoon snack. They are fantastic and make my mouth water thinking about the ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon that spice up these little cookies and the dough has molasses in it which gives the cookies a deep brown color. I normally use a 3″ cookie cutter but the day I made these I knew I was going to be taking them to craft circle to share so I wanted to get as many out of a recipe as I could. I ended up tripling the recipe and each recipe makes about 24 cookies.

Babe was my sister’s mother-in-law and this wonderful recipe was one she use to make. I have several recipes of hers and her mother-in-law’s that I still go to like their banana nut bread and an asparagus casserole.

October 29, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ HotApp

French Fried Beets with Japanese Mayonnaise

Whaaaat, fried beets?

French fried beets; the yellow ones look like potatoes but are actually golden beets.

Don’t you just love rainy days? I do and I’m probably the only person who likes bad weather whether it is a thunder storm, all day rain, hail, snow storm — bring it on — my perfect day. I do like nice days when the temperatures stay in the 70’s but I long for those cloudy, drizzly days; I just can’t explain it.

While in Austin one weekend we were running around one rainy Friday morning, (ended up getting about 3-4 inches of rain) while the kids were working and grandkids at school, trying to find one of my favorite tea place and I was really wanting to eat at one of the local food trucks. I wanted to try Paul Qui’s East Side King trailer but they didn’t open until later in the day. We did find one of his ESK’s open at Hole in The Wall bar where his place occupies the back part of the building.

So I had read that the beets were to die for and the Brussels sprouts salad was great. The salad was good but was drenched in dressing and I can’t wait to try and make the salad with my touch. The beets were really good and the dipping sauce made with Japanese mayonnaise and seasoning made them even better.

Paul Qui was the 9th season winner of Top Chef and has his new restaurant Qui (key) and I think two food trailers, and his place in Hole in the Wall. Watch his video at the Qui link above and see how he started his restaurant. He had pottery especially made and even the aprons they wear in the kitchen. Really interesting video.

I couldn’t wait more than a couple of days after returning home to buy some beets and try to make the French fried beets. I could not find the mayo or the seasoning. Since making the recipe I did locate them on Amazon so will be ordering them for future recipes and I’m also checking Whole Foods to see if they carry them.

October 24, 2013 By Sherry

Entree/ Pasta

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Sage Butter

Fall is here! Hip, Hip, Hurray!

Fall is here and don’t you just love this time of the year. Thoughts of comfort foods start filling my head and this recipe turned out soooo good I almost knocked the breath out of myself patting myself on the back.

Our leaves haven’t started falling yet; sometimes that doesn’t start until December or even January before we see the sky full of floating leaves. But, with a fading summer and those nice cool nights ahead of us it won’t be long before we are seeing piles of leaves raked up just waiting for some kid to jump and play in them.

While in Chicago several weeks ago Fall was starting to show its prettier side. On our walk to take our grandson, Oliver, to school one day we enjoyed flowers still blooming but also sidewalks full of leaves that gave way to a crunchy sound as we strolled on top of them. We cooked some roasted chicken one night on the grill and a grilled salmon another night and the two sides that couldn’t wait to make their appearance again were Stephanie’s Magic Beans and my Cauliflower Mash with Kale which went perfect with both dishes and to top one of the meals off we cooked some chopped apples and cinnamon which we ladled over ice cream and I think this recipe is going to go onto my favorites list of things I have blogged.

I took a shortcut making the ravioli and used wonton pieces instead of making my own pasta. We all look for shortcuts and I think this is one shortcut you won’t mind taking. And, the good thing about this recipe is that you can freeze the uncooked raviolis for an easy meal some winter night ahead. (If you freeze the raviolis, put in a single layer and put in freezer until they are frozen then put enough in one bag for a meal.)

At the Firefly restaurant in Nashville back in the summer my husband had a Butternut Squash Ravioli with goat cheese and what better to go over it than a Browned Sage Butter. I think this ravioli screams for the browned butter and browned butter and sage are a perfect pair.

October 19, 2013 By Sherry

Salads

Red Quinoa Salad in Cucumber Cup

Beautiful healthy salad.

What is it about anything formed with a ring mold looks so much more appealing on a plate. I bought these ring molds in France and this is the first time I have used them. I actually got the idea to put this salad in a cucumber cup from a movie I was watching the day I made the salad. The movie was Pressure Cooker and about intercity kids in a culinary arts program in their school.

The last salad I made with quinoa was the Mediterranean harvest Grain Salad. I really wanted more red quinoa to show up in the salad but it didn’t so here I am again trying to get a pretty reddish salad made with a healthy grain. I left out the jicama that Guy added and put in some avocado.

It’s fun playing around with food and trying to come up with new vessels to make something more interesting. I play with food more now than I did when I was a kid, pushing things around my plate to look like I had eaten things I didn’t like.

Hope you will give this a try whether it’s this quinoa salad or even a simple potato salad would look great in this and you don’t have to have the ring molds, just use a tuna can.

You can use red or white quinoa for this salad.

October 14, 2013 By Sherry

Entree/ Fish/Seafood

Coconut Crusted Crab Cakes

And grilled watermelon never looked so good.

Over Labor Day weekend my husband had the yearning to buy some oysters. I remember the last time we did oysters this summer and he broke two of my oyster knives and luckily the third held up to his prying the shells open. Then on our trip to Nashville we stopped into a little kitchenware shop that was piled to the ceiling with all kinds of kitchen utensils; and I think the owner must have bought out every kitchen store in the state. He did have some unusual things and we found a professional quality oyster knife so this one should hold up for a while.

Before we get to the recipe I want to tell you about that worn out tray that the crab cakes are setting on just waiting to be fried. Ok, so go down and take a look. Now does that tray have a history for both of us. They were my grandmother’s tv trays.

As kids my sister and I spent EVERY Saturday night with our grandparents, afterall, they lived next door to us. Anyway, we could not eat or sit in the family room floor without sitting or laying on a blanket and of course our snacks/food had to be put on these trays, and that’s over 50 years ago and these trays are still around. Even over the years when my husband would be there eating something in the family room, my grandmother would get out one of these trays for him to put his food on. When we cleaned out my grandmother’s things I knew that I wanted two things for sure, a couple of her handled brown chili bowls and also these TV trays.

I use these trays all the time. For things like holding these crab cakes and my husband and I actually eat off of these old beaten up trays all the time.

October 9, 2013 By Sherry

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