Roasted Cauliflower au Gratin

A sinfully rich casserole main dish! The secret of this dish is the marvelous thing that happens when you roast vegetables. You get a touch of browning that is not “scorching” or “burning”. Rather it is a natural reaction to the sugars found within. This adds just a touch of sweetness that you might have otherwise never known they had. This does add another step in cooking but adds a wonderful flavor that increases your reputation as a good cook!

This dish has only a small portion of meat. Enough to satisfy the carnivores at your table without loading up the calories of cholesterol.

Ingredients:

1 head of fresh cauliflower cut up into florets.

1 pkg frozen corn – thawed

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs butter or margarine

2 cups evaporated skim milk

1 cup shredded low fat cheddar cheese

1 cup diced ham

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs cake flour

salt & pepper to taste

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

Directions:

pre heat the oven to 400

Do your cutting!

To cut a fresh head of Cauliflower

Start by cutting the head of cauliflower in 

half and then into quarters through the core.

See how there's a central stem in the middle?

 All the florets are attached to this core by 

their own little stems. Separating them is a 

simple matter of running your knife between 

the florets and the stem to cut it out.

Once you've removed the stem, the 

cauliflower will naturally fall apart into large 

florets.

You can break these large florets down into 

smaller, bite-sized florets with your knife or 

just your fingers.

 

Now that you have florets you can soak them 

in a vinegar bath to clean.  So much easier 

that trying to wash them first.

Ever since we tried roasted cauliflower, we've

been absolutely hooked on the caramelized, 

sweet, and nutty florets. Roasting deepens 

the vegetable's flavor and gives it a texture

 that's both crispy and tender. A little olive oil

 is really all you need to roast cauliflower.

Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil in a large bowl and spoon it out onto a lined baking sheet; sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast for 15 minutes.

 While that is in the oven, dump the thawed corn into that same bowl that had the cauliflower & oil. Stir the corn around to coat with any left over oil. You really don't need much.

After the first 15 minutes, remove the tray and sprinkle the corn around the cauliflower.

Return to oven for a second 15 minutes or until the vegetables start to get just a touch of brown on the edges. Remove tray from oven and turn the heat down to 350.

During the 2^nd 15 minutes, heat 1 tbs butter in a deep saucepan, add garlic and lightly saute for only 1 minute. You don't want to burn the garlic – it will turn bitter. Stir in the flour. 

 

Gradually add the evaporated skim milk, stirring constantly, until this thickens.

Slowly add all but about ½ cup of the cheese. (If you dump it all in at once, you will get drops of oil in your sauce.)

Stir in the diced ham and nutmeg. Allow it to warm.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish and slide in the cauliflower & corn. Stir it to mix. Pour the cheese sauce with ham over it all to cover.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

(IF YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN to lower the oven, only let it stay in long enough to lightly brown)

Either way touches of brown and bubbling are what you are looking for, everything is already cooked.

A side of green vegetables go well with this but keep them plain, not with sauce.

For our music tonight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD5UZ1GWzvg

A great dinner that is also part of a healthy diet. Num Num!

Socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes 

by

Dan White http://www.amazon.com

/dp/B00F315Y4I

/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via 

@amazon

Seeing the Thighs of Southern Italy

Here is an easy Italian dinner that will help keep 

you on track for healthy living this year. 

Traditional flavors with a bright touch that will 

make you think you are dinning in Salerno 

overlooking the Mediterranean. 

 

If you are so inclined or your budget allows, pop 

open some Chianti and serve with a brown and 

serve Italian loaf from the oven.

Ingredients: 

 

4 chicken thighs, with bones

½ teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

3 slices bacon, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

½ cup white wine balsamic vinegar

zest of 1 orange

 

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

½ cup chicken stock

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions: 

 

Do your cutting: Chop the garlic, cut the 

pepper and zest the orange.

Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and

½  teaspoon pepper.

In a Dutchoven, heat the olive oil over 

 medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook 

the chicken until browned on both sides. 

(about 5 minutes a side)

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, 

add the peppers & bacon and cook until the 

peppers have browned and the bacon is 

crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 

cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes,

balsamic, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon,

scrape the browned bits off the bottom of 

the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add 

the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. 

Reduce the heat add the zest and simmer, 

covered, until the chicken is cooked through,

 about 20 to 30 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP_dhHaYoe8 Background music for dinner.

Salerno looking out over the Mediterranean.

So blissful to be serving my Master Indy

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by

 Dan White http://www.amazon.com

/dp/B00F315Y4I

/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via 

@amazon

La passion de poulet

 (creamy nuggets)

Pampering on a budget? Perhaps not the most experienced cook yet need to impress someone just because? A simple but elegant take on an inexpensive dish. Watch the sodium and really this is not an unhealthy meal.

Marvelous flavors and aromas will fill your kitchen as the slow cooker does all the work.

*Note slave tried here to use frozen chicken nuggets. Just NOT worth it! It does not take that much to rinse and cut the chicken breasts yourself and the taste and texture will be so much better!

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes
• 1bag of frozen green beans
• 1-2 lb. chicken breasts cut into nuggets
• 2 cans of cream of chicken soup (low sodium)
• 1 can cream of celery soup (low sodium)
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp Herbs de Province
  

Directions

Wipe out the slow cooker and spray with cooking spray. Set to LOW.
 

Wash the potatoes and peel them. Chop into big hunks (about 1½ inch). Lay these into the pot.

Add in frozen green beans, chopped onions, then top with the chicken nuggets. (See note and use fresh chicken you cut yourself!)

In a large bowl mix the soups and add the tsp of herbs.

Spoon this over the meal, cover and let cook for 5 hours on LOW.

Drain a small can of mushrooms and stir this into the cooker. Mix layers well. Re-cover for a final hour.


Serve with a “brown & serve” bread or rolls and maybe a small dish of peaches with cottage cheese.


This makes a wonderful casserole for these cold January days. The flavors are very “haute” considering they came from cans and bags!
The important thing is the care you put into this dish. Yes, you could have used fresh green beans and snapped the ends off yourself. You could have home made a sauce that blended the tastes of mushroom with celery. However slave knows how life is and some times it is OK to use shortcuts, especially when you are working outside the home.
Just watch what you use, read the labels. Think it out ahead of time.


So happy to get to serve my Master!
How about music?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk&list=RDEhZba-P7R18&index=29

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Horseshoe Hamburger Casserole

The Capitol of Illinois is Springfield, home of the Abraham Lincoln presidential Library. It is also known for a signature dish called Horseshoe Hamburger. What we have here is simply the same idea done as a casserole.

With a few slight changes to the official recipe this easy to put together dish could just be the right creation for the next pot luck dinner or game day meal. As always, play with it and make it your own.

Ingredients:

1 bag of loose hash browns

1 lbs ground beef

½ cup minced onion

¼ cup panko bread crumbs

1 can condensed cheese soup

3 slices American cheese, cut up

½ cup non fat half & half

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1tbs yellow mustard

1 egg

Directions:

Mince up the onion, mix it into the ground beef along with the bread crumbs and favorite seasonings, (salt & pepper) Let sit in a large bowl for at least 15 minutes.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish and preheat the oven to 400.

Use a small scoop to fashion meatballs that are about 1½ inches across. Dipping your fingers in water will help. Now press each one out in your hands and place on a baking rack or broiler tray. Cook under the broiler for about 5 minutes per side, they will cook quickly so keep an eye on them. And pull the tray out to wait while the hash browns cook.

Let them get crispy. Spoon into the baking dish as they are done. It might take two skillets full as you don't want to crowd them.

As they finish, spread them in the bottom of the baking dish.

When that layer is finished, Place the little hamburgers on top of the potatoes.

In a bowl mix the soup and half & half.

Stir in 1 tbs yellow mustard and 1 egg. Make sure that is mixed in well.

Pour this over the top of the dish and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 for about ½ hour or until the hamburgers reach 170 degrees and the cheese is bubbly and starting to turn brown.

Serve this with a simple side dish. While the original was served on thick toast with a bed of french fries, the hash browns make a less fat alternative.

For our music tonight how about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOryJvTAGs&list=RDEhZba-P7R18

Have a wonderful year!

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Joyce Ross Potatoes

First let slave explain: just after Christmas, my computer crashed forever.

All my notes, recipes, pictures, everything! It has taken awhile to find another reconditioned computer, acquire old replacement programs,fix and patch things back together. So please excuse my absence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       

These potatoes were created as an honor for a special lady here in my apartment building. Joyce grew up in the English Midlands. A very sweet and proper lady in every sense. She is my “go to” person for anything British.

Joyce helped so much with my recipe for Shepard's Pie, I thought I would create a “Shepard's Pie stuffed baked potato in her honor.

These make a meal by themselves. Meat, vegetables, cheese, proteins, starch, vitamins, you have it all in a nice tasty package. Even portion control! One of these potatoes is quite enough for a filling meal. It also is a great way to use up left over vegetables! Thank You Joyce, Hope You enjoy!

Ingredients:

½ lbs ground beef

2 large russet potatoes

½ cup left-over mixed vegetables

2 tbs flour

¼ to ½ cup beef broth

½ cup grated cheese

Salt, pepper, touch of butter and cream to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a small baking dish. Just large enough to hold the potato “boats”.

Wash the potatoes under running water (no soap!). You can scrub it with a vegetable brush or just rub it with your hands. Then pat it dry with a paper towel. 

 

Puncture each potato about four times with the tip of a fork. This is important, as it allows the steam to escape. Otherwise the potato may explode when you cook it.

As a rule: one 7-to-8 ounce Idaho potato takes about 7 minutes to cook. 2 will take about 11 minutes.

Rub the potatoes with a touch of olive oil, then wrap loosely in some wet paper towel. This will help to keep the potato moist and prevent it from shrinking. It will also result in softer skin. (both the potato and you!) 

 

Some microwave units will say “REST”. That means the potato, not you! You need to just let it sit for a couple of minutes, for it to finish cooking. At this point it will do this all on its own, thank you.
Remember, each microwave oven is different, so you need to check to see if it is done. Holding it with a towel, you should be able to gently squeeze the potato without too much resistance. Don't be rude, just test it.

While the potato is cooking: brown the ground beef. About 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well. 

 

Add ½ cup of left over mixed vegetables and sprinkle with 2 tbs flour. Stir well. About 2 minutes. Pour in ½ cup beef broth and stir until thick.

With a sharp knife slice the very top of the potato off.

Using a melon ball-er, scoop out most of the insides. Be sure to leave enough for a firm wall and base. You want to end up with a “boat”.

Spoon the meat mixture in to each potato boat.

Take the insides of the potato and mash with a little cream and butter until smooth. Place in a zippered plastic sandwich bag. Seal.

Cut the tiny corner off of the bag and use it to pipe a covering over each boat. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the skins are crispy and the cheese is bubbling.

This makes a smashing main dish for high tea or winter's lunch!

Joyce, this was designed just for you. Hope you enjoy!..

For a nice English setting here is our music for tonight!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGWs1HK8iDU

It feels so good to be back with you all and serving my Master Indy

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon