Twice-Baked Potatoes with Mushrooms and Prosciutto

I love me a twice-baked potato. And this is a splendid version.

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Mushrooms and Prosciutto
Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

4 russet potatoes 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 small onion, chopped
8 ounces small mushrooms, such as cremini or button, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar
4 thin slices prosciutto, halved
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using the tines of a fork, prick the skins of the potatoes all over and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until tender and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool until warm enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooling, in a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are golden and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Put the mixture into a medium bowl. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and, using a small spoon, scoop out all but 1/4-inch of the flesh. Add the potato flesh to the mushroom mixture. Add the butter, oregano, and 1 cup of the cheese. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange the potato halves, cut side up on the baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of the potatoes with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season the inside with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the mushroom mixture into each potato half. Arrange 1 half-piece of prosciutto on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the prosciutto is crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving platter, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Glazed Pork Loin with Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes

A lovely lovely meal. It was delicious and went splendidly with a Rioja wine. The pears were particularly delicious roasted in the mustard sauce. Yum.

The only change I made to the original recipe was the internal temperature of the pork. I like it more on the just barely done side, so I cooked it to 140°F-145°F (rather than 150°F).

Glazed Pork Loin with Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



1 1/2 pounds pork loin, tied
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons grainy mustard plus more for serving
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
1 pound sweet potatoes cut into wedges
4 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 firm-ripe bosc pear cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Season the pork all over with salt and pepper. Place in the center of a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, vinegar and brown sugar and brush over the pork. Scatter the brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and thyme around the pork. Sprinkle with the oil, any remaining mustard glaze, salt and pepper and stir to coat.

Transfer to the oven and roast, tossing the vegetables occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 140°F-145°F, about 30-35 minutes. (If vegetables stick to the pan, add 2 tablespoons water; stir.)

Remove pork from pan and let rest. Stir in the pear, return pan to oven, and roast until the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the thyme. Thinly slice pork and serve with the vegetables. Garnish with more thyme and serve with more mustard.

Chicken with Mustard Sauce, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Rosemary Potatoes

This is easy and delicious. The only thing I tweaked were the Brussels sprouts since I much prefer them roasted rather than sautéed (12 ounces of them, trimmed and quartered, tossed with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and roasted at 450°F for 25-30 minutes).



Chicken with Mustard Sauce
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken; place pan in oven. Bake for 9 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add broth and cider; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard, butter, and parsley.

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Rosemary Potatoes
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces quartered red potatoes

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and potatoes in a bowl. Spread potatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and tender.

Tandoori Chicken and Indian Potato Salad

I saw Aarti Sequeira make a version of this tandoori chicken on The Best Thing I Ever Made, and I had to try it. I tweaked things a bit since I couldn't find all of the ingredients in the grocery store. And I'm going to tweak how much tandoori spice I use next time since the dish could have used a bit more spice. I made a ton of tandoori spice, so I have plenty with which to experiment. I will also be using chicken breasts instead of thighs next time. I usually really only like using chopped chicken thighs in a dish. Otherwise, there's a lot of extra fat with which to deal.

On the show, she served the chicken with potato salad, but she didn't supply a recipe. So I found this one. Which I wasn't crazy about. But oh well. There are plenty of other ones out there to try.

Tandoori Chicken
A variation on this recipe from Aarti Sequeira



1 bottle dried pickling spice
1 dried chile de arbol
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup whole fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
2 tablespoons malt vinegar or lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch thumb ginger, peeled and minced
1 packet boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds usually)
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Couple of extra limes, for garnish

To make the marinade, toast the pickling spices, whole chiles and fennel seeds in a skillet until fragrant, 3 minutes or so, shaking the pan. Then, pour the spices into a spice grinder and grind them until you get a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.

In large bowl, whisk together 2-3 teaspoons (more or less, depending on your taste) spice mixture you just made with the yogurt, oil, malt vinegar, salt, ground cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger until well combined. Taste and adjust with more salt if it needs it.

Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside; you're going to make a sauce out of this reserved marinade.

Prick the chicken with a fork. Add the chicken to the rest of the marinade, and toss to coat. Marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge, and at most overnight.

When you're ready to cook, line a baking sheet with foil, and turn your broiler on. Place each chicken breast on the baking sheet, making sure each one is coated with the marinade, but isn't swimming in it. Cook the chicken breasts under the broiler until starting to blacken, about 5 minutes. Then turn the oven to 350°F, and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the meatiest part of the thigh registers 165°F, another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan, along with 1/2 cup water and the honey. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, whisking all the time. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl or gravy boat for serving.

Serve the chicken breasts on a platter with a fresh squeeze of lime and a drizzle of the sauce.

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Indian Potato Salad
Courtesy of Bon Appétit



3 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup chopped shallots (about 3)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups (packed) chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided

Bring large pot of salted water to boil; add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Puree shallots, mayonnaise, ginger, and lemon juice in processor. Transfer to small bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel potatoes; cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in large bowl, add dressing, and toss to coat. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining cilantro and serve.

Crispy Potato Roast

Yum yum yum. These potatoes are deliciously crispy and buttery. I couldn't stop eating them.

The only thing I did differently was use garlic instead of shallots. I'm sure it would be good either way.

Crispy Potato Roast
A variation on this recipe from Martha Stewart



3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
3 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
8 sprigs thyme

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. With a sharp knife or mandoline, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise.

Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using); brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.

Baked French Fries

These are good. Though I definitely need to remember to spray the aluminum foil-lined pan before putting the potatoes on there and into the oven. It took getting the fries to pretty much room temperature before I could get them off. Which made me feel better that I hadn't ruined the whole pan, but also made for some cold fries. Lesson learned.

Baked French Fries
A variation on this recipe from allrecipes.com



Baking potatoes
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Black pepper
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut potatoed into thin wedges and mix with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve.

Eggs in Baskets

I made these for Christmas morning, along with the totally delicious chocolate babka and yummy panettone from years past. I ended up overcooking the yolks of the ones baked in the deep muffin pans because the whites weren't setting up. But the ones I baked in a regular muffin pan came out better. But really, if I'm going to do an egg dish that's supposed to have a runny yolk, I prefer this one.

Eggs in Baskets
Courtesy of Sunny Anderson



3 large russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
6 slices prosciutto, about 2 1/2 ounces, chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6 eggs
3/4 cup shredded provolone

Heat the oven to 350°F.

In a food processor fitted with the grater attachment, push chunks of the potato through the chute to grate. Once all the potatoes are grated, put them into a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the moisture. Add the potatoes to a large bowl, stir in the melted butter and season well with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spray the muffin tin lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Press the grated potatoes evenly into the muffin cups being sure the potatoes go up the sides and a thin layer and covers the bottom. Bake until the top edges turn light golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss together the prosciutto with maple syrup and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently crack an egg into each cup. Bake until the egg whites set but the yolk remains runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the eggs with grated cheese and put the maple prosciutto on another sheet tray. Broil both until cheese melts, and prosciutto crisps slightly, about 1 minute.

Top the eggs with crispy prosciutto and serve immediately.

Roast Mushrooms and Kale over Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Wow. This is crazy good. I won't go into every reason why because I will go on and on, but the mashed sweet potatoes are especially amazing. And I'm not usually a fan of sweet potatoes. And the combination of nutmeg and kale is totally delicious. Wow.

Roast Mushrooms and Kale over Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



2 pounds mixed mushrooms (such as wood ear, cremini, portobello and shiitake)—wiped clean, stemmed if necessary and sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
A few sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Sea salt and pepper
5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
A few dashes hot sauce
1 1/2 cups extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese
1 pound cavolo nero (also called black, tuscan, dinosaur or lacinato kale), stemmed and coarsely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 450°F. On a large baking sheet, dress the mushrooms, garlic and thyme with 1/4 cup oil and spread out. Roast the mushrooms for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and season with sea salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a pot, combine the sweet potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, season with sea salt and cook until fork-tender, 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot, then mash with the stock and milk (or half-and-half). Season with sea salt, pepper, the paprika and hot sauce. Stir in the cheddar until melted.

While the potatoes are working, in a bowl, toss the kale with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with sea salt, pepper and a few grates of fresh nutmeg. Arrange on a rack set over a baking sheet and roast until crisp at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Combine the mushrooms and garlic with the kale and serve on a bed of the sweet potatoes.

Easter Dinner 2011 (Apricot-Glazed Ham, Scalloped Potato Gratin with Fresh Herbs, Roasted Asparagus, Popovers, and Pineapple Upside Down Cake)

Overall, this was a pretty successful meal. Though I'm definitely starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the whole holiday meal preparation thing. I feel like in doing the meal prep that I miss out on a lot of the celebrating. My cooking/baking mojo has generally been off since the Christmas dinner disaster, so I'm not entirely surprised that I wasn't totally into prepping this meal. But I think it's time to rethink how to do this altogether. I want to make the meals, but I'm thinking it's time to find some shortcuts and other ways to make these holidays a lot less stressful.

The ham and potatoes were great. They were both really flavorful and satisfying. The asparagus and popovers, however, didn't quite work out as well. I think I may have overloaded the pan a bit, so while they tasted good, the asparagus didn't crisp up at all, so the texture was a bit floppy. And the popovers didn't pop. So they were more like popunders or deflated souffles. I'm not sure if it's because I doubled the recipe or because I forgot to preheat the pans, but, again, while they tasted good, the texture was off. I missed the crispiness of the outside of normal popovers. (It worked when I preheated the pans. Here's the success story.)

The cake worked out well. Though, as I've discovered today, it's even better once it's been refrigerated. I used Greek yogurt rather than the sour cream the original recipe calls for since that's what I had in my fridge. I also used fresh pineapple since I thought the kids would enjoy eating the leftovers for a snack. I also didn't put the almonds in since my mom doesn't really like almonds. I'd be interested to try making it again with the almonds included.

Apricot-Glazed Ham
Courtesy of Taste of Home



1 boneless fully cooked ham (6 pounds)
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 cups apple cider or juice
1/4 cup apricot preserves
3 tablespoons mango chutney
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup packed brown sugar

Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes 1/2 in. deep; insert a clove in each diamond. Pour cider into pan.

In a small saucepan, combine the preserves, chutney and mustard. Cook and stir over medium heat until preserves are melted; brush over ham. Press brown sugar onto ham.

Bake, uncovered, at 325°F for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 140°F, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Cover loosely with foil if ham browns too quickly. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

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Scalloped Potato Gratin with Fresh Herbs
A variation on this recipe from Bon Appétit



3 pounds potatoes (I used baby red potatoes)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated Gruyére cheese (about 5 ounces)

Fill large bowl with cold water. Working with one potato at a time, peel, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds and place in bowl with water. Combine cream, butter, and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Mix all herbs in small bowl. Mix salt and black pepper in another small bowl.

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Drain potatoes, then pat dry with kitchen towels. Transfer half of potatoes to prepared baking dish. Use hands to distribute and spread evenly. Sprinkle with half of salt-pepper mixture, then half of herb mixture. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining potatoes, salt-pepper mixture, herb mixture, and cheese. Pour cream mixture over gratin, pressing lightly to submerge potato mixture as much as possible. (DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead.) Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Remove plastic wrap before baking.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover gratin tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until top of gratin is golden and most of liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes; serve.

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Roasted Asparagus
Courtesy of Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa)

2 pounds fresh asparagus
Good olive oil
Kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

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Popovers
Courtesy of allrecipes.com



1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Spray a popover pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place pan on center rack of oven and preheat for 2 minutes.

Blend flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until it looks like heavy cream, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Cut chilled butter into 6 even pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in each cup and place pan back in oven until butter is bubbly (about 1 minute).

Fill each cup half full with batter and bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.

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Pineapple Upside Down Cake
A variation on this recipe from Simply Recipes



Topping:
1 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
20 ounces of pineapple slices

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 Tbsp cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups of sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
4 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream

Start by making the caramel topping. Take brown sugar and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly, this should take several minutes. (After sugar melts, don't stir.) Pour mixture into a 10 inch diameter stick-free cake pan with 2 inch high sides. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer ontop of the caramel mixture.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk the flours, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition. Pour cake batter over caramel and pineapple in pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

A fun twist on a classic. The only change I made to the recipe was that I used ground turkey instead of ground beef.

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie
A variation on this recipe from PARADE



2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped green jalapeño
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup cooked corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; cook for 2 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high; add beef and brown for 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste and spices; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer until liquid reduces, 15 minutes. Add corn, beans, and 4 tablespoons cilantro. Spoon into a 9x9-inch baking dish.

Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain; mash with butter and milk. Spread mash over the meat mixture. Bake in a 400°F oven until brown, 30 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro.

Mushroom Goulash with Pierogi

Very smoky, good vegetarian meal. Though honestly, I think pierogi make any meal better. Yum.

The only thing I did differently was use homemade Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for the topping.

Mushroom Goulash with Pierogi
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika (about 2 palmfuls)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
A few dashes hot pepper sauce
2 cups vegetable stock
1 pound frozen potato pierogi
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
Sour cream or Greek yogurt, for serving

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, paprika, marjoram and coriander to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and hot sauce for 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pierogi and boil until they float, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Heat another large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to melt, then add the pierogi and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the chives and dill; season with salt and pepper. Serve the goulash and pierogi in shallow bowls with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Tuscan-Style Potato Soup

I made this soup back in the Fall and am only now getting around to posting about it. It's a perfect soup for the cold weather. The original recipe has you mashing the roasted garlic (YUM) and cooked potatoes with a food mill, but I just used an immersion blender (if you don't have one of these, I HIGHLY recommend getting one, they're awesome), and it worked out fine.

Tuscan-Style Potato Soup
Courtesy of Cooking Light



2 heads garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups finely chopped onion, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 1/4 pounds cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 6 cups)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
4 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, divided
6 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 ounce pancetta, finely chopped
1 cup chopped kale
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Cut off pointed end of each garlic head to partially reveal cloves (do not peel or separate the cloves); place each head in the center of a small sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil over each head; wrap each in foil. Bake for 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Squeeze to extract pulp; discard skins.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and potato; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic pulp to pot. Remove mixture to a food mill over a large bowl and process, or use immersion blender in pot and process until preferred consistency is reached. Stir in half-and-half. Finely grate 2 ounces cheese to yield 1/2 cup; stir into soup. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup onion; sauté for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt, sausage, and pancetta; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble sausage.

Cook kale in boiling water for 4 minutes; strain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Grate 1 ounce cheese. Combine kale, reserved cooking liquid, grated cheese, sage, and nuts in a food processor; process until finely ground. With processor on, gradually add 1 tablespoon oil through food chute, processing until combined. Ladle 1 cup soup into bowls; top each serving with sausage mixture. Drizzle each serving with about kale mixture; shave remaining cheese evenly over soup.

Beer-Roasted Pork, Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Vegetables

Wow! Delicious! What a fun Fall meal. I had to use a pork roast instead of the shoulder the recipe calls for since I didn't need the 12-pound cut I could find at the grocery store. This significantly cut down on the cook time (it only really took about 30 minutes in the oven), so be advised if you need to change your cut.

After I took the pork out of the oven to rest, I put the veggies back in with some of the drippings to get them roasted up a bit more.



Beer-Roasted Pork Shoulder
A variation on this recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Salt and pepper
One 4-to 5-pound pork shoulder, thick skin removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, scrubbed and chopped
1 rib celery with leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Two 14.5-ounce cans beef broth
1 bottle dark beer
3 to 4 tablespoons flour

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Mix the caraway seeds with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and season the pork shoulder with the spice mixture.

In a medium roasting pan or large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the pork in the pan and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes total. Add the onions, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the beef broth to the pan and pour the beer over the meat. Transfer to the oven and roast, basting occasionally with the juices, until the center of the pork registers 155ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a platter, tent loosely with foil and let stand.

Strain the pan juices into a large heatproof bowl. Return veggies to the pan and continue roasting until caramelized. Skim the fat off the top of the pan juices, then pour the juices into a saucepan. Stir the flour into 1/4 cup water to form a paste. Whisk the paste into the pan juices and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the pork shoulder and serve with the pan gravy.

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Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Potatoes of your choice, peeled and chopped
Butter
Milk or cream
Salt and pepper
Onions and/or shallots, sliced

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onions/shallots and cook until tender and deeply caramelized.

Add potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Bring water to boil and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Mash with butter, milk/cream, salt and pepper.

Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

Okay, so I haven't actually tried this yet, but Jonathan says it's very tasty. And it smells wonderful. I'll be back later to give my verdict, but until then, here's the recipe... Can I just say how very happy I am that it's starting to get cool enough again for these hearty, warm meals? Woo!

Vegetable Shepherd's Pie
Courtesy of Food Network Magazine



6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 bunch baby turnips, halved or quartered if large (I used a medium turnip that I peeled and diced)
6 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped (stems reserved)
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped veggie burgers or vegetarian protein crumbles
2/3 cup milk or half-and-half
Grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling (optional -- but I highly recommend it)

Preheat the broiler. Cover the potatoes with water in a pot; season with salt, cover and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a stovetop casserole dish or shallow enamel pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, turnips and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables brown, 8 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from the potatoes to the casserole dish. Lower the heat and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Tie the parsley stems with twine and add to the casserole. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 8 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons butter and the chopped veggie burgers and warm through, 5 minutes. Remove the parsley stems and stir in the chopped parsley. Keep warm.

Drain the potatoes and mash with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the milk; season with salt and pepper and spoon over the casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired. Broil until golden brown, 5 minutes.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

The twice-baked potatoes I grew up eating. Thank you, Mom!

Twice-Baked Potatoes
Courtesy of Hallie Vasell

Potatoes (1 per person)
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Milk
Parmesan cheese
Paprika

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Wash potatoes and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and let cool long enough to handle. Cut them lengthwise and scoop out insides, leaving skins intact. Mash the insides with butter, salt, pepper, and enough milk to make smooth.

Scoop the mashed potatoes back into the skins, drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan and paprika. Put under broiler until butter bubbles.

Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Comfort food. No doubt about it.

Edited to add: Make sure that you bring the turkey mixture to a boil before you set it to simmer. The picture I've added was when I didn't do that, and you can see that the result is very soupy. I've done it before when I let the mixture thicken a bit, and it's much more solid and, in my opinion, pleasant to eat.

Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound smoky bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon smoked paprika, available in small cans on spice aisle of market (You may substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons each sweet paprika and cumin combined)
Coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons, 5 or 6 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups frozen peas
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream, divided
3 tablespoons butter
1 large egg, beaten
10 to 12 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Heat a deep, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the skillet. Add bacon and brown it up, then add ground turkey to the pan and break it up. Season the turkey with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and thyme. When turkey browns up, add onions, carrots, celery. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, then add red pepper and peas; cook another 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and combine. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream and combine. Simmer mixture over low heat.

Preheat your broiler to high.

When potatoes are tender, add a ladle of cooking water to the egg. Drain potatoes and return to the warm pot to dry them out a little. Add remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, butter, half of the chives, and salt and pepper. Smash and mash the potatoes, mashing in the beaten, tempered egg. If the potatoes are too tight, mix in a splash of milk.

Pour turkey mixture into a medium casserole dish. Top turkey with an even layer of smashed potatoes and place casserole 5 inches from hot broiler. Broil the potatoes until golden at edges and remove the casserole from the oven. Garnish the casserole with the remaining chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.