Dallas Morning News Taste Section 11/20/2013

I didn't post anything from the paper last week. I was surprised to find that there were no recipes, only a list of stores where you could buy food for Thanksgiving.  I realize that not everyone cooks and purchasing your Thanksgiving Dinner has become very easy. The menus for a complete dinner have certainly improved for those needing to buy it.
However, today I read a recipe that I liked. It's from a restaurant in Dallas called Slow Bone BBQ. Anyone who knows Texas, knows that we have some great food at our BBQ restaurants. There are also a large variety of vegetarian sides for those that do not eat meat. I'm impressed with the entire meal I can get at a BBQ restaurant. Another favorite BBQ Restaurant here is called Hard 8. Their sides and desserts are impressive.

Whenever any recipe calls for salt. I use French Sel de Mer that I  have mixed with dried Rosemary, that I grow and dry myself. I gather it in bundles, tie it with string, hang it in the garage to dry. Once it's dried, I pulse it in a coffee grinder that I only use for herbs.

Here's my pick of the week:

Slow Bone Cauliflower and Brussels Sprout Gratin:

2 1/2 C heavy cream
1/3 C chopped shallots
1 TBS  chopped fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt to taste
2 TBS olive oil
1 C bread crumbs
1 1/2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 pounds small-medium brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered if medium sized), halved if they are small. (I bought a 2 pound bag and used it all)
1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1" florets.
2 C grated parmesan cheese, divided

Butter a 9"X13" baking dish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cream, shallots and sage leaves in a large saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to about 2 1/2 C, this should take about 10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat.
Add breadcrumbs and stir until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Stir in parsley.
Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Arrange half of the vegetables in the buttered dish.
Sprinkle with half of the parmesan cheese.
Arrange remaining vegetables over the first layer.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Pour cream evenly over the casserole.
Cover with foil.
Bake for 50 - 60 minutes.
Remove foil.
Sprinkle casserole evenly with bread crumb mixture and return to bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes, or until bread crumbs are browned.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Basic ingredients.

The Cream Sauce cooking.

This is after its baked for 1 hour.

The final dish after the Bread Crumbs have browned.

Hornet's Nest Cake from Heather Likes Food

As a Food Blogger I follow a lot of other Food Blogs. I recently discovered this recipe on another blog called, Heather Likes Food.
With Thanksgiving only a week away I felt that I should share this recipe. It's almost a Dump Cake which is one of the easiest and most delicious desserts to prepare for a crowd. At the end I added my own option. If you're looking for another crowd pleasing dessert, this one might be it.

Hornet's Nest Cake:

1 ( 3.4 oz.) box of Vanilla Instant Pudding
2 C Whole Milk
1 (18.25oz.) Yellow Cake Mix
1 (11oz) bag of Butterscotch Chips
1 C chopped Pecans

350 degree oven and a 9"X13" dish

In a large bowl:
Pudding Mix
Milk
Whisk well
Set aside for 5 minutes

Fold in Cake Mix
Stir well to combine

Pour batter into the pan
Smooth the top
Scatter the top with the Butterscotch Chips and Pecans

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes
Remove and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes

Option:
Scatter the top with some shredded/flaked coconut.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pommes de Terre Dauphinoise

I was recently asked if given Potatoes as a main ingredient would I choose Whipped, Sweet or Gratin!
My immediate response was Pommes de Terre Dauphinoise and then I realized I had not posted the recipe on my blog.

Here is my favorite recipe and it comes from one of the first recipe books that I bought when I was young and first interested in cooking. That may have easily been when I was 20, which would have been in 1970 after my first trip to France.
The book is the Iconic Larousse Gastronomique. Mine is dated 1961.
I bake mine in an amazing Bram.

Here is the classic French recipe for Pommes de Terre Dauphinoise:

Slice 1 pound of  Yukon Gold Potatoes, very finely.
Put them in a bowl and moisten with 1 1/2 C of boiled milk with a beaten egg added to it.
Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
Add 1/2 C of grated Gruyere Cheese and mix well.Put the potatoes into an earthenware dish that has been rubbed with garlic and buttered well.
Sprinkle it with additional grated Gruyere Cheese.
Scatter 1 1/2 TBS of butter in tiny pieces over the top, wipe the edges of the dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Serve from the dish.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

This is my favorite dish for any Gratin including American Macaroni and Cheese
recipes. Its Terra Cotta and it's one of my favorite cooking vessels.

Our Thanksgiving Menu / 2013

We have finalized our Thanksgiving Menu. It may seem a bit odd for our European friends to comprehend how much time , effort and preparation it takes to put on a Thanksgiving Feast for family. I realize that we are probably not the norm, because our house is completely decorated by Thanksgiving so that friends unable to be here for Christmas, or friends that don't get to experience Christmas to the extent that we do, can enjoy a bit of the Holiday with us. We also have many parties and family gatherings between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That may involve simply inviting another couple for an evening or throwing a bash for 100 people. We love to entertain this time of year.
We then create an entirely different menu for Christmas. Our Christmas menu is much more casual and that may be different than other families in America. Many families choose Thanksgiving for their casual celebration and Christmas is more formal. We only have family here for Christmas Eve day because our children have their spouse's families to visit for Christmas too. After we get together on Christmas Eve, my wife and I are done for the Holidays and we typically relax on Christmas Day and go to the movies.

Here's our menu for Thanksgiving:

Pumpkin Soup
Turkey, Dressing and Gravy
Tofurky, dressing and gravy for the Vegetarians
Apple Gravy
Apple Slaw
Carrots with Shallots, Sage and Thyme
Mashed Potatoes
Cauliflower and Brussels Sprout Gratin
Corn
Corn Timbale
Wild Rice with Orange Herb Dressing
Mushrooms Burgundy
Green Beans with Rosemary
Scalloped Apples
Cranberry Sauce
Corn Muffins with Cranberries and Pecans
Buttered Rosemary Rolls with Sea Salt
Cranberry Mousse
Pumpkin Pie from Scratch (from a Sugar Pumpkin)
Pecan Pie
Apple Pie
Chocolate Pie
Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars
Ice Cream

I think that's everything.

We start out the day with Home Made Spicy Bloody Mary's and a breakfast of Omelettes and other breakfast side dishes.
We watch Christmas movies and play games and sometime during the day some of us take a nap.

We invite friends that don't have a place to go for Thanksgiving and every year that varies.
It's a day of family and friends giving thanks for all that we have been blessed with in our lives.

Anne and I wish all of our friends a very Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas.
Happy Holidays to all of our friends around the world that do not Celebrate Christmas.
Enjoy this time of year with your family and friends.
This is the time of year when we should all be wishing for Peace in the World!
Eventually, it will come!

And don't forget:

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Thanksgiving

I know that families have traditional dishes that are always served at Thanksgiving, recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation.
Our Turkey and Dressing have been made by my wife's family for decades. Once you figure out a fool proof recipe, stick with it.
Dressings vary from Traditional Cubed Bread that's been dried for a few days, Corn Bread, Oyster, or Sausage. It's another dish that's probably served at every dinner for decades.
When it comes to side dishes, I think this is where you can experiment with new recipes and also keep the traditional ones.  We always have Corn Timbale, Mushrooms Burgundy, Scalloped Apples and Wild Rice with Orange Herb Dressing.
This year I'm adding two new recipes, Apple Slaw and Carrots with Fresh Sage and Fresh Thyme. We'll have traditional Corn and Mashed Potatoes that we always serve.
Dessert is another area where you can add and change the recipes you make. We always make Cranberry Mousse and have since 1985. The pies are usually the traditional , Apple, Pecan and Pumpkin. This year we're adding a Chocolate Pie and for the first time I'm making the Pumpkin Pie from scratch, which means I steamed a Sugar Pie Pumpkin , scraped the inside and added spices. I prepared the filling ahead of time and it's in the freezer.
If this is your first time preparing a Thanksgiving Dinner, try to incorporate some of your families traditional recipes, you know the ones Grandma made that you remember as a child. Feel free to experiment with new recipes and establish your own traditions.
I hope you check out some of my recipes on the blog and experience something new this Thanksgiving!

Always remember:

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Re-molding Canned Jellied Cranberry Sauce !

We were in London last year during the Christmas season. I bought a glass mold for jellied desserts at Liberty of London. By the way, it's a block from Carnaby Street, the famous hang out of Hippies and Rock Stars during the Sixties.
I wanted to make a Cranberry Mold for Thanksgiving and didn't really want to make it from scratch or have anything fancy, just plain Jellied Cranberry in a beautiful mold for presentation. There's something unattractive about serving a can of cranberry sauce that has the ridges from the tin can that you use as a guide to slice! Well it doesn't have to be that rough, but you get the idea.
I also have a beautiful white ceramic mold from Williams Sonoma and this would work well in that mold too. Last year I made the recipe from Williams Sonoma that came with the mold.
I'll add this bit of Hippy in the Kitchen while I'm talking about London.
When I was 20 and 21 I was hanging out in Europe and I didn't appreciate the "finer" things in life. I was too consumed with backpacking, studying, traveling and the music scene.
It was my first time to see London and I was buying a Maxi Coat and listening to folk singers on the street corners and in the Youth Hostels.
Later in life I acquired a taste for some of the "finer" things that money can buy.
I bought a  Wedgwood Tea Pot for my wife as a Birthday gift and was fortunate enough to have it signed by The Lord Wedgwood of Barlaston.
As much as I enjoyed re- living my Hippy days when we visited Carnaby Street last December, I now appreciate the Mold and the Tea Pot that came from London too!

my ceramic mold, the glass mold and the double boiler.

the White Wedgwood Tea Pot.

The bottom of the Tea Pot autographed by Lord Wedgwood,
and the card for my wife's birthday.

Here's how to re-mold the canned jellied cranberry sauce.

1. remove the sauce from the can.
2. put it in a double boiler over simmering water.
3. break it up with a spoon and mix gently, stirring constantly until it's uniformly smooth.
4. lightly spray a mold with a vegetable cooking spray.
5. pour the heated sauce into the mold and refrigerate until firm

Un mold onto a serving platter. ( you can simply dip the bottom of the mold into a pan of warm to water to help release it. You can also soak a tea towel in hot water, wring it out and place it over the inverted mold that's been placed on a serving platter. Jiggle the mold after the hot towel has been on it for a minute. Release the salad onto the platter. Repeat if necessary.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Cranberry Cream Pie

This pie is an adaptation from a recipe by Better Homes and Gardens.
It's made with a Pretzel Crust.
I happen to love cranberries, all things Cranberry. I have so many favorite recipes using Cranberries. You can search the word "Cranberries" on the blog. I love Cranberry Sauce in a variety of ways, Cranberry Mousse that I make every Thanksgiving , Cranberry Muffins, Cornbread with Cranberries, and the list goes on.

I have never heard of Cranberry Cream Pie but here it is:

Cranberry Cream Pie with a Pretzel Crust

1/2 C butter
1/2 C sugar, divided
1 1/4 C finely crushed pretzels
1 egg white
1 1/2 C heavy cream
12 oz of cream cheese, softened
1 - 14 ounce can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 TBS finely grated Orange Peel ( I use a Micro Plane)

Spray a 9" Pie Plate with a cooking spray
Set aside

Crust:
In a medium sauce pan, heat butter until melted.
Remove from heat
Stir in 1/4 C sugar until dissolved
Add pretzels and combine well
Fold in egg white, combine well
Press into the bottom of the pie plate and up the sides
Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 7 - 10 minutes
Cool completely on a wire rack
Refrigerate while preparing the filling

Filling:
In a medium bowl, beat heavy cream with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Set aside

In another bowl:
Beat cream cheese 1/4 C sugar until creamy smooth.
Set aside

In a third bowl:
Mix cranberry sauce and orange peel and mix well.
Add Cranberries to Cream Cheese mixture until well combined.
Fold in whipped cream

Spoon the filling into the Crust
Cover with plastic wrap ( do not let the plastic touch the filling), you could also cover it with foil) instead of plastic wrap,  refrigerate at least 4 hours or until firm.

Garnish each serving with additional whipped cream.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pumpkin Muffins / Thanksgiving 2013

I came across this simple recipe for Pumpkin Muffins using only 2 ingredients. It looked good, but I decided to add a little topping to make them a bit more interesting. Certainly not healthier! But after all it is Thanksgiving!

1 small can of Pure Pumpkin, not Pumpkin Pie Filling
1 boxed Spice Cake, your choice, I use Duncan Hines
Mix together in a Stand Mixer with a paddle attachment.

Scoop into Muffin Tins with a large cookie scoop.
Bale at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes, until the center comes out clean with a toothpick

Topping:
3/4 C Sugar
2 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Mix together in a Medium Bowl, ( you'll be tossing the Muffins to coat them so the Bowl has to be large enough to accommodate a Muffin)

In a Small Bowl:
1/4 C  (1/2 stick) Butter, melted

Brush each Muffin completely with Butter and toss in the Cinnamon/Sugar mixture

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Creamed Kale

We had dinner at a restaurant and I had a Kale and Gruyere Gratin. I tried to deconstruct it and it was difficult. It tasted really good so I came home and tried to recreate it in a non Gratin form.
I decided on Creamed Kale.
We also had a Moroccan Kale Salad that was incredible. It had golden raisins and cinnamon, the combination worked well together. You can adapt Kale recipes to include Dried Cranberries, Dried Cherries, Raisins and the addition of slivered Almonds would be great.
In this recipe I opted to use Golden Raisins and Nutmeg.

This would be a great addition to side dishes for Thanksgiving Dinner.

2 pounds of fresh Kale, trim by removing stems
1/4 C butter
1 sweet onion (Vidalia), roughly chopped
4 TBS flour
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1/2 C shredded Gruyere Cheese, you could use Swiss or Emmenthal.
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground Nutmeg

Roll the Kale in a bundle and Julianne it in 1/2" strips.
Melt butter in a skillet
Add onions and saute 5 minutes
Stir in flour, creating a Roux
Add heavy cream and constantly stir until thick and bubbling.
Add cheese and nutmeg, stirring to combine until the cheese has melted.
Set aside

In a large Stock Pot or Dutch Oven, boil salted water , add the Kale and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain well
Add the cream sauce and reheat if necessary to serve.
Garnish with additional shavings of Gruyere Cheese.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Cracked Crust Chocolate Cake / Christmas 2013

This is a simple and rustic looking cake. It would be great for a Holiday Dessert.

Thie cake has a creamy souffle center with a crackled crust.
It's made in a 9" springform pan. I have one from Pampered chef with a tempered glass bottom. It's the best spring-form pan I have ever used. Nothing sticks to the glass.
The cake is eaten after it has fallen and cracked on the top.

12 oz. of 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped. The easiest method for chopping chocolate is with a serrated knife.
1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4C) cut into 1 TBS pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C sugar
5 large eggs, separated and room temperature for at least 30 minutes
1/4 C flour

Line the bottom of the pan with a buttered piece of parchment paper
Melt chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water or microwave it in a glass bowl, stirring often, cool completely

Whisk in vanilla, salt and 6 TBS of sugar
Whisk in egg yolks, 1 at a time
Whisk in flour

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt
Add remaining 6 TBS of sugar, a little at a time
Beat until stiff glossy peaks form

Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten it.
Fold in remaining egg whites

Pour batter into the pan and Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.
THe center should have some moist crumbs when tested with a toothpick
Cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes

Remove the sides of the spring-form pan and invert the cake onto a cooling rack, remove the parchment paper
Invert the cake again onto a serving platter to serve.
Serve with whipped cream

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Carrots with Shallots, Sage and Thyme / Thanksgiving 2013

I'm not sure where this recipe comes from. I found it among my many notes that I take when researching and creating new recipes.
I didn't plan on serving carrots this Thanksgiving and after I found this recipe I wanted to make it.
I went to a town just north of Dallas today and visited one of my favorite shops. They are quite eclectic. They sell European Antiques. They also have Organic Produce, Meat and Cheese, all from local Farmers. They have a deli counter where you can order lunch and either sit inside on mismatched chairs at vintage iron tables or outside at iron tables with antique wood slat benches. The shop is on the square of the old courthouse.
It's been a favorite stop for me since 1989.
Today I was in town with a friend, hanging out and shopping for Christmas. We decided to have lunch from the deli and enjoyed it outside. The weather was cool, sunny and perfect for eating outside.
I bought 2 bunches of their organic heirloom carrots for this recipe. They are purple, orange and yellow. I added some other carrots from my local grocer to complete the quantity for the recipe.

3 pounds of carrots, a variety of colors, if available.
1 C vegetarian chicken broth
1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 stick (1C), butter
1/4 C chopped fresh sage
1 TBS finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cut carrots into 3"X 1 1/2"sticks

Bring broth to a boil with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, in a large skillet.
Add carrots, simmer covered for about 15 minutes. They should be slightly tender.

Remove cover and reduce liquid, about 5 minutes.

Transfer them to a bowl, clean the skillet and begin the next step.

Cook shallots in butter with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper on medium heat about 6 minutes, just until golden brown.

Add sage, thyme and nutmeg, cook just 1 - 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, return the carrots to the skillet.
Toss to coat well.
Serve hot or refrigerate and re heat when ready to serve.



Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Fruitcake Dessert

Here's one more recipe from Aunt Faye's files.
This is interesting.
In the original recipe it calls for a 7 1/2" X 12 " baking pan. I researched pans and it looks like today's pans are 7" X 11". I added a photograph of my pan at the end of this recipe.

On the recipe it says:
"tastes like fruitcake, but it doesn't have to age".

1 1/2 C raisins
1 1/2 C chopped dates
2 C sugar
2 C boiling water
1/3 C shortening
3 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 C chopped walnuts
2 1/2 C chopped candied fruit ( orange, lemon, pineapple, cherries, citron)

Combine raisins, dates, sugar, water, shortening.
Cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
Cool completely
Transfer to a large bowl.
Add sifted dry ingredients.
Add nuts and fruit.

Bake in a greased  ( sprayed with a vegetable cooking spray) 7" X 11" pan at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
Cool completely and cut into squares to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Nutty Cereal Bars

Nutty Cereal Bars

Here's another example of a vintage American Recipe. You can tell by 2 of the ingredients. Team flakes are no longer made and Oleo was so popular as a substitute for butter.

I'll substitute another cereal for the Team Flakes and use Butter instead of Oleo.
This was sent to me by my sister in law and she was going through more of my mother in law's recipes.
The name on this is my wife. She said she used to make these when she was teaching in the early 70's. This recipe was done on a mimeograph machine..... who remembers those?
She has a collection of these recipes that they shared when she was teaching.

I love recipes like this that could tell a story if they could talk!

1C light corn syrup
1C sugar
1C chunky peanut butter
1/4 C (1/2stick) butter

Combine syrup and sugar in a saucepan on low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the next two ingredients and stir until smooth.

Add mixture to the following, in a large bowl:

2 C Rice Krispies
4 C Team Flakes ( today I would use Kellogg's Product 19  or any other 4 grain flake cereal, corn, oats, rice wheat).
1 C salted peanuts

Pat into a greased jelly roll pan.
Chill until set and cut into squares.

Enjoy!
Peace in the kitchen!

Apple Cake in a 9"X13" baking dish

I bought some Mutsu Apples from a market in Kansas. It has an Apple Orchard and grows this variety of Apple. I was not familiar with it .

It was introduced in Japan in 1930.

It's a versatile dual-purpose apple, sharp but still sweet enough to eat fresh.

It holds it's shape while cooking.

It's green-yellow in color.

This is an original recipe adapted from many other Apple Cake recipes that I have in my collection.

I like apple recipes that are easy and fairly quick to create, this one is.

To make this cake you need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment .

1 - 9"X13" baking dish

Pan Release Mix to grease the dish, it can be found on my blog under Tips, Hints and More. ( you could use butter, but I highly recommend that you keep a jar of Pan Release in the refrigerator if you bake often. It keeps for many months.

Apple Cake:

3 eggs

3 C sugar

1 1/2 C vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

3 C flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 large apples, peeled and chopped.

1 C whole pecans

Grease the pan with Pan Release Mix

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment:

Beat:

eggs

sugar

vegetable oil

Mix well until creamy smooth

Add vanilla and just mix to combine.

Add remaining ingredients and mix just until well combined. ( I pre-mixed the dry ingredients in a large bowl and added to the mixture.

I added the pecans last.

Mixed just until combined.

The batter will be thick.

Spread the batter evenly in the dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Thanksgiving in America !

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens", to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. As a federal and public holiday in the U.S., Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays of the year. Together with Christmas and New Year, Thanksgiving is a part of the broader Holiday Season.

The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in 1621. This feast lasted three days, and was attended by about 53 Pilgrims and 90 American Indians

Thanksgiving is approaching.  We remember the first Thanksgiving Day prepared by the Pilgrims as they settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Preparing for the day means hours of cooking ahead of time and that morning. I'm not sure if I'll have time to post new recipes, unless I think of something while I'm getting ready for Thanksgiving. For Americans it's a time to give thanks for all that we have and reap the benefits of the harvest this time of year. That involves a menu that is full of traditional recipes and the addition of new ones. We spend the day with family, we invite those that are less fortunate than we are and may not have family near ,we prepare a feast, we eat and give thanks to God for all that we have in our lives.
We rest, watch football, play games, nap and ............ eat again!

I wish all of my friends a very Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy the day with family and friends.

And don't forget to:
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Thanksgiving Dressing

This is a basic recipe that my Aunt Faye and my Grandmother always made.
The fresh herbs were used because they always had them available in the garden. We do too.

2 sticks of butter
10 C white bread cubed and set out for a day to dry
3 C diced onion
2 C diced celery
1/2 C chopped fresh parsley
2 TBS fresh chopped sage
2 TBS fresh chopped rosemary
2 TBS fresh chopped thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 C Chicken broth ( I use a vegetarian Chicken broth)
2 eggs , beaten

Butter a 9"X13" baking dish ( you can never use too much butter)
Melt butter in a skillet and saute onion and celery for 10 minutes
Add to bread cubes that have been placed in a large stock pot or large crock bowl ( we have my wife's mother's crock bowl that we always make it in)
Mix well ( they used their hands, I do too)
Mix in herbs, salt, pepper
Pour broth over the bread
Add eggs and mix well ( still using hands)
Place dressing in the dish and bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 45 minutes,
Remove foil and continue to bake for 15 minutes more ( keep an eye on it, it should begin to brown)

My wife bakes it in muffin tins for individual portions and then freezes left overs.
We often double this recipe if we're expecting a crowd. Just divide it into 2 pans and bake at the same time.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Spinach and Artichoke Breakfast Bake

This would be great to serve for Christmas Breakfast.

Vegetable Mixture

Brush the Baking Dish with Vegetable Oil.
Add Croutons.

Spread Vegetables evenly over the Breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan Cheese.

Mix the Wet Ingredients and Spices.

Pour Liquid Mixture over the Vegetables and Parmesan Cheese.

Sprinkle again with additional Parmesan Cheese.
Cover with Foil and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Spinach and Artichoke Breakfast Bake.
Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
1 - 9" X 13" Baking Pan sprayed with a Vegetable Cooking Spray.
Foil to cover the Pan.

2 tsp Vegetable Oil
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 medium Onion, diced
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 1/2 C chopped Artichoke Hearts. (1- 14oz. can)
1 Box of frozen Spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and drained.
8 C Croutons ( flavored if you like)
2 C shredded Swiss Cheese
6 Eggs, beaten
2 1/2 C Whole Milk
1/2 tsp Adobo Seasoning or Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chile Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 C grated Parmesan Cheese, divided.

In a Skillet on Medium High Heat:
Oil, until Hot.

Add:
Bell Pepper
Onion
Garlic
Cook 5 minutes, until tender.

Add:
Artichokes
Spinach
Blend well and set aside.

Pour croutons into the dish
Spread Vegetables evenly over Croutons.
Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese.

In a Medium Mixing Bowl:
Eggs
Milk
Adobo Seasoning
Red Chile Pepper Flakes
Salt
Pepper
Swiss Cheese
Whisk well
Pour evenly into the Dish
Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese.

Cover with Foil
Refrigerate for 3 Hours

Bake Covered for 30 Minutes
Uncover and Bake an Additional 25-30 minutes.
Serve Warm

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Tex - Mex Baked Eggplant

Eggplant, Vegetarian and Texan..... here's my recipe for Tex - Mex Eggplant.

I was just asked by a fellow foodie if I had a recipe for Eggplant that doesn't have a Marinara Sauce.
Although I love most Vegetarian Eggplant Recipes, I like this version as an alternative  to an Eggplant Parmesan or Eggplant Rollatini, two of my favorites.

I grow Parsley and Mint in my garden and always have it on hand.
Typically I would make this with Cilantro instead of Mint but it's a flavor that is not familiar to everyone and I don't always have it in my garden.


1/3 C vegetable oil
3 - 4 eggplants, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp red chile pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1/4 C chopped fresh mint (or Cilantro)
juice and zest of 1 lime


Heat oil in a cast iron skillet on medium heat.
Cook eggplant in oil for 2-3 minutes on each side, in batches, just until browned
Place eggplant in a 9"X13" baking dish
Sprinkle with garlic and chile pepper flakes
Season to taste with salt and pepper

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes

In a small bowl:
parsley
mint
lime juice and zest
Combine well

Serve eggplant topped with the lime and herbs

Thanks to my friend and cookbook author, Ellise Pierce ( Cowgirl Chef, Texas Cooking with a French Accent) my recipe for Tex - Mex Eggplant is part of her story about Eggplant in the Dallas Morning News today, 1/8/2014. I highly recommend her book. I took a class from her at Central Market in Southlake and she is so much fun to be around! We have a kindred spirit about France and Texas and the cuisine from both places. Thank you Ellise for including me in the article.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Dallas Morning News / Central Market Holiday Cookie Contest

Yesterday was the 18th annual contest. I've only been involved for 6 years. I've had the pleasure of being accepted as a finalist 3 years. I felt honored to have  2 recipes accepted in the competition this year. It's difficult to get 1 recipe in the finals.
The contest involves hundreds of entries. Here are some of the guidelines: You can enter a total of 3 recipes, each one has to be in a different category. There's a nominal entry fee and all of the money raised goes to charity.
Here are the categories:

Easy
Family
Decorated
Bar
Decadent
Cookie Man

Each contestant brings 1 dozen cookies for the judges and a minimum of 1 dozen for sharing. The Cookie Man contestants bring 7 cookies.  We are asked to bring 50 copies of our recipe.There is one finalist chosen in the Cookie Man Category and the cookies entered are amazing.
The Cookie Man Cookie is photographed and featured on the cover of the Taste Section of The Dallas Morning News when the story is published in the paper in December. All of the top three winners in each categories have there recipes and stories published in the paper.

The cookies for sharing are placed on tables in a conference room away from the judges. They are organized by category on the tables.
During the judging the staff from the Dallas Morning News and Central Market entertain the contestants. There are sponsors at the event that give away prizes and there's a drawing with many door prizes.
At check in, each contestant receives a bag of goodies.

After the winning recipes are announced we all rush to the table with our empty containers and a free for all begins as we have the opportunity to get as many cookies as we can. It's truly a friendly frenzy and we all walk away with a ton of cookies!

I photographed the event and you can get an idea of how competitive the contest is when you see the amazing cookies entered.
I was interviewed by the newspaper and when I was asked if I felt that the competition was tough, I told them that the competition is very friendly, everyone involved is so nice that it's not about the win, it's about the fun that we all have and the stories and recipes that we share.

I did win a door prize and I seem to be lucky enough to have won a door prize every year I've been in the contest.
I'll begin working on new recipes for next year and look forward to , hopefully, getting in again next year.

Here are photographs of the event:

These adorable Armadillos were a winner in the Decorated Category.

The contest is covered by the Dallas Morning News.

The tables are emptied when we all take cookies at the end
of the contest.

Another photo of the table after we all fill our containers.

These are my Maple Maple Pecan cookies in the Decadent Category.

This was in the Cookie Man category.

These are my Peppernuts in the Family Category.

This was the winner of the Cookie Man category.

This is what the tables look like after the frenzy of
all of us filling our containers with cookies.

These are filled with Jalapeno Jelly

This is the photograph from the Dallas Morning News on December 11th.
This is when they publish all of the winning recipes.
It's the first time they have published a picture of this part of the event
when we all get to take samples of everyone's cookies.
You may think that's Santa in the picture, but I can guarantee you, it's not!
That's the Hippy in the Kitchen!
I was looking at this post the morning of the 19 Annual contest. November 6, 2014.
I have 2 recipes accepted in this year's contest: Texas Brittle Bars
and Tex - Mex Sugar and Spice.
There's also another major difference to point out as I head out the door
to the contest in 2014, The Hippy in the Kitchen is 70 pounds lighter.
What an amazing year it's been.
I started my quest in March and it took 5 months and a lot of
hard work and discipline to accomplish it.
I won't be eating quite as many cookies this year but Anne and I look forward to
the event today.