Jenn’s Potato Casserole

Jenn described this delicious recipe.  It just sounded so good!  I’ve changed it from a rich dinner side dish to a breakfast casserole with the addition of the sausage and chiles.

4-6 C shredded cooked potatoes (or use Simply Potatoes in refrig. section or make your own)*

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1-2 C sour cream

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1 4 oz can chopped chiles-optional

1 package cooked sausage-optional (That Jimmy Dean stuff!) or diced ham

 **2 C crushed corn flakes mixed with 1/4 C melted butter

         Mix altogether, except corn flakes and melted butter.  Put into a greased 9 x 13” baking dish.  Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.  **Add topping and bake 10-15 more minutes.

*Of course it can be made with boiled shredded potatoes.  Cook until very soft and it becomes a very creamy dish.  It can be served as a side dish for an elegant dinner-- without the sausage and chiles.

Brown Butter Raspberry Tart

If you don't like rolling out a crust, this one's for you.  You just press it into the pan.                  

Crust:

·     7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted* (save light-colored pan to melt butter for filling)

·     1/3 cup sugar

·     1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

·     1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

·     Pinch of salt

Filling:

·     1/2 cup sugar

·     2 large eggs

·     Pinch of salt

·     1/4 cup all purpose flour

·     1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·     1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter*

·      2 6-ounce containers fresh raspberries or 2 peaches, sliced

For crust:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Using rubber spatula or fork, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Using fingertips, press dough evenly on bottom and up about 3/4" the sides of pan.

Bake crust until golden, about 15-18 minutes (crust may puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:

Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add flour and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Cook butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often, about 6 minutes. Immediately pour browned butter into glass measuring cup (to keep from burning). Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture; whisk until well blended.

Arrange raspberries/peaches into bottom of cooled crust. Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over berries. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet. Bake tart until filling is puffed and golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack. 

Remove tart pan sides. Place tart on platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and store at room temperature, but it might get soggy overnight. 

*Test-kitchen tip:  When browning butter, use a saucepan with a light-colored bottom so that you can gauge the color of the butter.

Cream of Steak Soup

This was on the menu of a San Francisco restaurant.  

I believe they grilled the meat for extra flavor.

1½ - 2 lb round steak, sliced into thin strips

½-1 C butter                              1 large can tomatoes, diced

1 C flour                                    3 qts beef broth

5 stalks celery, diced                1 T Worcestershire sauce

2 large carrots, diced                salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, diced                   

½ lb mushrooms, chopped          1½ C half and half

            Slowly brown beef in a large heavy pot with some of the butter.  Add raw vegetables, rest of the butter, and the flour.  Mix well and cook for 10 minutes or until the butter incorporates.  Add tomatoes, broth, and seasonings.  Simmer for about 1-1½ hours or until meat is tender.  Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan.           

            Add cream and cook for 5 more minutes.

          This soup can be frozen for later use.  If it gets too thick, add more broth or water; then adjust seasonings.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

This is another recipe from a faculty potluck.  Teachers are great cooks, too.

1 Tbsp butter                              ½ tsp nutmeg

1 medium onion, chopped           1 can cream of mushroom soup  

1 C broth                                    1 C sour cream

1 10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, slightly thawed 

           OR 2 C fresh broccoli, cooked and chopped

In saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter until softened.  Add the broth, broccoli, and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Pour hot mixture into a blender with some soup.  Hold lid down tightly and blend on high speed until smooth or to your desired amount of chunkiness. Add sour cream and blend again for 5 seconds.  (I leave some chunks, using an immersion blender.)

Serve hot or cold. (Nutmeg flavor shines better when heated.)  This soup mellows and tastes better if made at least 24 hours before serving.  May be stored in the refrigerator up to a week.                                              Serves 6           

Fukunaga French Toast

Many of the recipes that have become favorites come from Sunset.  This one is from their Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook. It’s a splurge of calories, but once in awhile, go for it!  Serve with sausage and syrup.

1 loaf sourdough bread, sliced 1” thick

½ C flour                                  6 eggs

2 Tbsp sugar                            1 ½ C milk

½ tsp cinnamon                         salad oil for cooking

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

            Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl or 9 x 13” pan.  In another bowl, beat eggs and mix in milk.  Whisk into dry ingredients.  Add bread slices and soak until completely saturated.

            In a wide frying pan over medium low heat, add about ¼ inch of oil. When oil is hot, add a few slices at a time.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until browned and slightly puffy; turn and brown other side. Drain on paper towels; keep warm.  Repeat until all slices have been cooked.  

Cocoa Apple Cake

One night I wanted to make this cake, but I didn’t have apples, so I adapted it by using applesauce.  It is so much easier.  I've made it with grated apples, and I prefer the one with applesauce.

Even though there isn't a lot of cocoa and chocolate chips in it, it s a chocolate cake.  Everyone wants the recipe.

1 C butter                                 1 tsp allspice

1½ C sugar                                2 C applesauce

3 eggs                                      ½ C water or coffee

2½ C flour                                ½ C chocolate chips

1 tsp baking soda                      1 C chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp cocoa                            2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

             Grease and flour a Bundt pan well.  Preheat oven to 325^o.

Cream butter and sugar.  Mix in eggs.  Sift dry ingredients.  Add to creamed mixture.  It may look a little unappetizing, but it'll be fine.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour.  Let cool slightly before turning out of pan.  Great on it's own, but even better with ice cream.

Cape Cod Cranberry Pie

This tastes so good right out of the oven on a wintry night.

1 pkg cranberries, sorted and rinsed 

¼ C brown sugar

¼ C chopped nuts

1 egg

½ C sugar 

½ C flour

1/3 C melted butter

whipped cream or ice cream

Preheat oven to 325^o.  Butter a 9-10” pie plate and spread cranberries in it. Sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts.

In a bowl, beat egg until thick; gradually add sugar, then add melted butter and flour.  Pour over cranberries.  

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden on top.  Cut into wedges and serve warm.  It's great topped with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Yogurt Panna Cotta

This is one of the simplest desserts to make, and takes only a few minutes of preparation time, plus the time it takes to set up in the refrigerator, 2+ hours.  It is light and refreshing, too.

4 tablespoons (60 ml) water
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 packet or 1/4 ounce or 7 grams) unflavored gelatin
2 cups (460 grams) plain whole-milk Greek or regular yogurt*
1 ½-2 cups (475 ml) milk, heavy cream or a combination thereof, divided**
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)

To serve

Fresh berries, or a berry sauce***
1/3 to 1/2 cup (110 to 170 grams) honey
1/2 to 3/4 cup (55 to 85 grams) walnuts, toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped

       Have enough small dessert cups. (You will have about 4 cups of liquid.)

       Place water in a small bowl. Stir in gelatin and set aside until the gelatin softens, about 15 minutes. 

        In a large bowl, whisk all of yogurt and 1 cup** of milk, cream or a mixture thereof. In a small saucepan, bring remaining milk or cream and sugar to a simmer. Stir in water-gelatin mixture (it will dissolve immediately) and remove from heat. Whisk this mixture into the yogurt mixture, then stir in lemon juice at the end. Pour mixture into small cups and chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.  It’s best to do this the night before you need it, to be safe.

         Right before you serve the panna cotta, sprinkle it with walnuts and drizzle it with honey, berries or berry sauce. This needs to be done right before you serve it because the honey will (unfortunately) become liquidy and roll off if it sits on the panna cotta for too long. 

Do ahead: Panna cottas can be made two days ahead. Keep refrigerated. 

*  Greek yogurt will result in a little firmer set.

**For a firmer panna cotta, reduce the milk or cream by up to 1/2 cup.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/04/yogurt-panna-cotta-with-walnuts-and-honey/

***Berry Sauce

2/3 cup frozen blueberries

2/3 cup frozen blackberries

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Combine the 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; gently simmer 10-20 minutes or longer until sauce thickens slightly.  It will continue to thicken as it cools.