Easy - Baked potato chips - Side dish

Welcome Stefani Halladay a character from The Holiday Cooking Club. She will be adding her easy recipes and holiday special from her cooking club and her weekly classes Cooking on a shoestring. Here is one of her first easy side dish from her classes. These will be featured in Mary's first Friday newsletter and her News and Notes on the third Friday each month. Enjoy!

Easy - Baked potato chips - Side dish

2-3 large        Russet potatoes

1 tbsp.            Garlic Olive oil

1 tsp.              Garlic Salt or sea salt

Pepper to taste

This is a super easy side dish that will go with most main dishes. Especially pork chops or chicken. 

Slice the potatoes very thin. Put in a bowl and add oil stir until coated. Add Salt, pepper and any other seasonings you feel may be good. I've used Trader Joe's Chili lime seasoning blend to give them a little spicier. Several different blends would taste good. Experiment!

Enjoy!

Irish Month - Irish Stew and Irish Soda Bread - Repost from 2019

Happy St. Paddy's day! 

Irish Stew - Serves 4

I cook mine in the crock pot.

1 lb Stew meat - Traditional Lamb (substitute with beef)

4 tbsp Flour

1 onion chopped

3 carrots sliced

3 medium or 5 small white potatoes cut into quarters

1/2 tsp dried Thyme

1 1/2 pints beef broth (substitute half liquid with Guinness Stout-optional)

2 tbsp chopped fresh parley

Salt and Pepper

Brown meat. Add meat, veggies and liquid to crock pot. Stir in seasoning and place on high for two hours. Then turn to low for 4-5 hours. About an hour before serving remove some of the liquid and mix with flour until thick and smooth and poor into the stew. Stir thoroughly and it will thicken the last out of cooking. Serve with Guinness and Soda Bread. 

Irish Soda Bread

Makes 1 Loaf

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. 

Take a round cake pan and oil it and then dust with flour. 

2 cups Flour (plus some for dusting)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

14 oz Buttermilk

Dried Cranberries or Raisins (Optional)

Mix, flour, salt, and soda in a glass bowl. Then make a bowl in the flour mixture pour most of the buttermilk in and mix with hands until sticky. 

Dust a little more flour and buttermilk. Then rub your hands with flour and spread flour on pastry mat and then knead the dough into a round dough and put in the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on the top. Let cool for a couple minutes but serve warm. 

Patty Pan Squash with a kick

Have you ever had a Patty Pan squash? If not you're missing out. Now is the season to try some. Here is what to look for, the pretty mush look like their name. These of course are yellow, but they do have white.

Patty Pan Squash with a Kick

2-4             Patty Pan Squash sliced into quarters or smaller

1                Sliced Jalapeno

1/8 Cup     Chopped onions 

1 Tbsp.      Garlic Olive Oil

2 Tsp.        Balsamic Vinegar

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1 Tsp.        Basil Flakes (or fresh)

1 Tsp.        Oregano

Heat oven to 350 with pan in the oven. In a bowl mix the ingredient together until coated with oil, vinegar, and seasonings. When the oven has reached it's heat place pour the squash onto the hot pan. Cook for 10 minutes then turn over and cook another 10 minutes. Makes a great side for anything!

Pairs well with wine. 

Check out this full Mediterranean Dinner!

For starters lets so Cannellini Bean Lettuce Wraps with Home Made Hummus. Then we'll move on to Mediterranean Bean Soup with Tomato Pesto, with a side of Harissa-Roasted Butternut Squash with Dates. Let's not forget dessert, Raspberry Citrus Clafoutis. My sister in laws came over and we made dinner for our hubbies! Had a great time. 

Shall we begin?

Cannellini Bean Lettuce Wraps with Home Made Hummus Serves 4
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive-oil 

1/2 cup diced red onion (about 1/4 onion)
3/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
(about 1 medium tomato)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1(15-ounce) can cannellini or
great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh curly parsley
1/2 cup hummus (see Hummus recipe)
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and pepper and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and mix in the parsley.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon of hummus over each lettuce  leaf.
Evenly spread the warm bean mixture down the center of each leaf. Fold one side of the lettuce leaf over the filling lengthwise, then fold over the other side to make a wrap and serve.

Homemade Hummus Serves 8

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained,
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 1/2 to 2 lemons), more to taste
1 medium-to-large clove garlic, roughly chopped
½  teaspoon salt, to taste
½ cup tahini
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, more as needed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Garnishes: parsley, chopped, paprika, sumac, or olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a food processor, combine the lemon juice, garlic and salt. Process until the garlic is very finely chopped, then let the mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow, ideally 10 minutes or longer.
2. Add the tahini to the food processor and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy, stopping to scrape down any tahini stuck to the  sides and bottom  of the  processor as necessary.
3. While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice water. Scrape down the food processor, and blend until the mixture is ultra smooth, pale and creamy. (If your tahini was extra-thick to begin with, you might need to add 1to 2 tablespoons more ice water.)
4. Add the cumin and the chickpeas to the food processor.
While blending, drizzle in the olive oil.  Blend until the mixture is super smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary, about 2 minutes.  Add more ice water by the  tablespoon  if necessary to  achieve a super creamy texture.
5. Taste, and adjust as necessary - add another  1/4 teaspoon
salt  for  more  overall  flavor  and  another  tablespoon  of lemon juice for extra zing.
6. Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl or platter. Top with
garnishes of your choice, and serve.

Trader Joe's carries Tahini and so do Mediterranean Markets.

Mediterranean Bean Soup with Tomato Pesto 8 Servings
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Large russet potato,peeled, diced into small cubes
1 medium yellow onion,
chopped
6 links Andouille Chicken Sausage (Trader Joe's) Sliced
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
5 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
8-oz frozen spinach,(no need
to thaw)
1 15-oz can red kidney beans
1 15-oz can cannellini beans
1-15-oz can chickpeas
Basil leaves for garnish

FOR TOMATO PESTO SAUCE
2-3 large garlic cloves
11/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
15-20 large basil leaves
1/2  cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

1/3-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large  heavy pot, heat two tbsp of olive oil. Reduce heat to medium and add the diced potatoes, sliced sausage and onions. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, tossing regularly.
2. Add tomatoes, vinegar, spices, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for another 4 minutes.
3. Uncover, add vegetable broth and frozen spinach. Raise
heat to medium-high  and bring to a boil for 4 minutes or so. Add the kidney beans, cannellini beans, and chickpeas. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat  to  medium-low. Cover and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes (potatoes should be tender at this point).
4. While soup is cooking, make the tomato pesto. In the bowl
of a food processor fitted  with a blade, place garlic and tomatoes.  Pulse a few times to  combine.  Add basil and puree. While processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil a little bit at a time.  Transfer the thick tomato pesto to  a bowl, and stir in grated Parmesan.
5. When soup is ready, remove from heat. Stir in the tomato
pesto.
6. Transfer to serving bowl. Top each bowl with a few basil leaves

Harissa-Roasted Butternut Squash with Dates 4 servings

2-3 lb. butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp Harissa Sauce (Trader Joe's)

1/4 tsp ground sumac ½ tsp garlic powder 

¼ tsp ground Cinnamon 

1/2 tsp salt

4-5 pitted dates,roughly chopped

¼ cup tahini

Chopped parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to broil or 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Toss together the cubed butternut squash, oil, harissa, sumac, garlic powder, cinnamon and salt and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.

3. Roast squash for about 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and caramelized on the outside.

4. Remove the roasted squash from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Top with the dates. Drizzle with the tahini or serve on the side for dipping. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Raspberry Citrus Clafoutis 4 Servings

1/4 teaspoon unsalted butter

5 tablespoons (65 g) sugar, divided

2 extra-large eggs

1/2 cup (63 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour 

1 cup (235 ml) heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon  orange  zest

1 teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of unrefined sea salt or salt

1 cup (1 2 5 g) raspberries

Confectioners'  sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter an 8-inch (20 em) baking dish. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons (26 g) granulated sugar over the bottom. Beat the eggs and the remaining 3 tablespoons (39 g) sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With mixer running on low speed, add in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, orange zest, orange blossom water or almond extract, and salt. Add the raspberries (or other fresh fruit) to the bottom of the baking dish, turn to coat in sugar, and pour the batter over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden and custard  is set. Serve warm, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

We made all of this WITHOUT a food processor...

Appetizer              Side dish

Enjoy!

 Main dish.              Dessert 

          Enjoy with Friends/Family

Mary's idea of Spanish rice...

Spanish Rice 2 servings
Jasmine rice (Brown or white)
1 Tomato--blanched and peeled
1 Jalapeno chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 - 2 cloves garlic chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Cumin

Blanch tomato and peel, then chop. Add tomato, jalapeno, garlic, and onion to sauce pan and spices, then bring to boil. Mash with potato masher until a thick pulp. Simmer for about 10 minutes, poor into a bowl and set aside.

Prepare the rice per package using the same sauce pan. About 15 minutes before the rice is done add the tomato mixture and stir thoroughly and then continue to cook.

Serve with Fish Tacos. The Pico de gallo in this link, mash the avocado and
mix in with the tomato, onion, and other ingredients to make a Guacamole salsa.

Enjoy.