Broccoli Casserole

I like inventing recipes.  Sometimes I do it well.  I've been making a vegetable casserole for a couple months.  It has morphed into this, which Husband declares delicious.  Okay, it isn't low calorie, but we ate the whole thing between us last time and broccoli's good for you.  Well...


Broccoli Casserole
2 T. Butter
2 T. All-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1 shallot, chopped
1 c. low fat Tillamook sour cream
3 T. milk
3 heads of broccoli
5 crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 red pepper, roasted
1/2 c. medium cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c. crushed ritz crackers
1 T. butter melted.

First roast your pepper.  I don't cook with pepper any other way more, because roasting it first is so good. 


Lay it in a flat metal pan and rub it liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with plenty of salt, then broil it until the skin blackens like this. 

Take it out and let it cool enough that you can handle it.  The black skin just rubs off leaving soft and delicious pepper flesh.  Throw away the black. 


Chop the pepper finely.  You end up with something like pimento but with much much more flavor.  I usually do this ahead, so it sits on my cutting board in a little pile to which I add more olive oil and salt. 

Next slice the mushrooms and put them in the same pan with more olive oil and salt.  Back into the broiler until they are sweated and soft.  Don't try to blacken them.  Just a few minutes.


While we are on this subject, I've been watch cooking shows which suggest not washing mushrooms with water!  Instead, they rub them with a clean kitchen towel.  Do you know what mushrooms grow in?  I'm just saying, I wash them well and let them dry on a towel.  I've never had any trouble doing that.  What do you do?  


Next, cook the brocolli in boiling salted water.  With a knife, cut off the central stem, then cut the florettes into bite size pieces.  Once they are cooked, drain the brocolli in a collandar and return to the pan.  

In a large skillet, make the sauce with the butter and flour, salt and sugar, sour cream and sauce.  Add the brocolli and mushrooms and roasted pepper to the sauce and toss.  Turn this mixture into a casserole dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

On top of the casserole, layer grated cheese and crumb mix.  Make the crumb with butter and ritz crackers.


Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbly. 

Trust me, its yummy.

Together with a small piece of Tuna.  A good dinner.

This blog post was linked with Kelly the Kitchen Kop - http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/12/real-food-wednesday-12810.html
and
Scrap Addict for Sure - http://www.scrapaddict4sure.com/2010/12/whatcha-makin-wed-dec7-9th.html

and Culinary Bliss -

http://culinarybliss.blogspot.com/2010/12/simple-lives-thursday-21.html

Remember to eat your vegetables.

Beef and Brocolli

I absolutely love Ginger.  It has like a mood altering sort of anti-depressant sort of thing for me.  Here is a link to the best ginger dressing that I have ever tasted.   

http://dinnerattheosbornes.blogspot.com/2009/11/ginger.html

Peel ginger by scrapping it with the back of a spoon.  Use a carrot grater to mince it.  Seal it tightly in a freezer save bag and freeze it.  Take it out next time you want to use it and repeat until you are down to nubs, then buy another.

Wait a second.  Let me stand and sniff a little bit. 

Okay, so I've been working on a ginger stir fry sauce of my own for most of a year.  I have it tasting just about right for us.  Husband loves it.  The problem is that I want it to thicken up.  The amount of cornstarch stated in this recipe thickens into a lovely smooth sauce for some "Asian" recipes, but it is too thin for some foods.  The amount of liquid already present, the types of foods used, all affect the thickening of this sauce.  Still tastes really good. 

There are so many purchased sauces available and most taste good.  But they are expensive and what's really in them?  

This sauce suits our taste and I'm satisfied that I understand the ingredients.  I measure out the ingredients in a measuring jar and have it waiting for me. 

Stir Fry Sauce
1/4 t. fresh minced ginger
3 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. white wine
1 c. water or beef broth
1 1/2 t. hoisen sauce
1 1/2 t. corn starch
1/2 t. Asian sweet chili sauce, optional

Broccoli & Beef with Rice

Prepare all parts before starting to cook 

2 good sirloin steaks, purchased on sale then cut up.

1/2 half red pepper cleaned and finely diced

2 stalks celery cleaned and finely diced. 

In a cast iron skillet, 2 T. canola oil.  Add the red pepper and celery.  Saute until a bit soft.  Add meat and cook, turning the meat to cook on all sides. 

Add the florrets of two large heads of broccoli, cut and cleaned. 

Continue to cook until meat is cooked through and brocolli is just tender.  Add the sauce and bring to a boil.  If the sauce reaches a satisfacory thickeness, serve with a pot of rice. 

If you'd like it a little thicker, use a large spoon to drain off a few T. or a 1/4 cup of the liquid into a small bowl.  Add another 1/4 t. cornstarch and stir to combine.  Add it to the sauce and bring it back to a boil to thicken. 

Remember that sauce improves the quality of life.

Twice Baked Potatoes

I'm really in to local food these days.  Winter is the hardest time.  And yes, I need to go back to canning when farm direct food is available again.  But for now, I'm buying at locally owned produce markets.  There are two in my area.  I like two things about them.  First, they aren't a chain grocery store. In one case, the owner is there most of the time.  And two, they sell only produce.  Not sure why I like that but I do.  Free market system at it's best, I guess. 

It was on one of these trips that a 10 lb sack of russet potatoes jumped in my cart.  I can't actualy tell you what I was thinking.  Russets are not a long lasting potatoes.  They start to sprout fairly quickly. I want Yukon gold or purple skinned potatoes for roasting.  Russets are best for baking, which is the beginning of the Twice Baked Potato story.   

And what food story do I tell that doesn't start with my Mother?  So anyway, my mother made a wonderful and delicious twice baked potatoe.  Three kinds of cheese (Jack, Cheddar, and Cottage Cheese) plus sour cream and butter.  How could it have been bad?  When I was a young adult, I made a version which had bacon.  I can't find either of these recipes and I suppose it is for the best. 

I'm looking for vegetable dishes that Husband the Carnivore/Wolf will enjoy, so the Russets are going toward operation Twice Baked Potato.  My mission, to invent a veggie filled twice baked potato without the use of too much butter fat that Husband eats and enjoys.  When I am inventing recipes I keep a sort of diary where I record what I do.  It changes over time as I figure it out.  I have the record and can write a clear recipe that others coulf follow. 

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 small russets

2 T. olive oil

1 large head brocolli, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

9 crimini or white mushrooms, chopped

1/4 c. white wine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/2 t. dry oregano

1 Roma tomato, chopped (optional)

1/4 c. sour cream (low fat is okay)

1/4 c. parmesan cheese, shredded

Start by baking the potatoes in a microwave or oven until they stick easily with a knife.  Set them aside to cool a bit.  To a skillet, add the oil then the brocolli and pepper.  Cook on medium heat, stirring for a few minutes.  Add the mushrooms, wine, garlic and seasonings.  Continue cooking as the vegetables soften and the liquid reduces.

Add the tomato now, also if desired.  By the way, garlic burns easily in a skillet and I don't like burned garlic, so I tend to add it late in the game.

Now cut the potatoes as you would a baked potato and with a spoon scoop the potato out of the center leaving enough so that the skin stays intact and you create a little boat.  I break the potato up with my spoon but don't mash it.  I like the chunks.  Add the sour cream and parmesan cheese and fill the boats with the mixture.  Put them on a baking sheet and put them in a 350 degree oven until they are very hot throughout - about 20 mintues.    

Leftovers make a good lunch. Remember to eat your vegetables. 

Did I mention that change is good?

As I've mentioned before, my husband and I own a construction company.  We were flying high in 2007.  The world was ours to reach for.  Then 2008 came along and life was a little harder.  We didn't enjoy 2009 very much.  I think 2010 will be better, but we are all a bit traumatized. 

As my Father used to say about challenges, "It Builds Character!"  Our life together over the last 2 years has shown us what we are made of.  If you have been in a successful longterm partnership, you have the experience of knowing the absolute worst, deep dark nasties of your partner and also the sublime, god-like perfection of your partner.  My parents were like that. 

My Father was fearless.. and just a little reckless.  I believe he had a severe learning disability which he passed along to me, but also a keen intelligence.  He could build anything, do anything, make anything.  He knew how everything worked.  He had energy and stamina to burn.  He also couldn't read or write above about a 4th grade level.  Being a trained teacher myself, I believe that (1) I have the same learning disability and (2) I was fortunate to have had a few excellent tutors and role models.  I was taught compensations to my learning disability.  I just think differently.  The right teacher (Mrs. Wellander, Miss Pierce, and Mr. Clark, bless you all) makes all the difference. 

But, my father was born December 5, 1929 in Cheyenne Valley, Oklahoma at the beginning of the depression.  By the way, Cheyenne Valley, Oklahoma, no longer exists for notable reasons.  My father taught me that I could do anything.  That I was smarter than the Average Bear.  That I had stamina and strength that I didn't even know I had.  That I could do things if I could only figure it out.

My Mother was Articulate, Thoughtful, and Brilliant.  If you look at my post on December 27th, you may see something else, but that is what she was.  She was also fearful in all the ways my father was fearless.  My mothers' fearfulness dominated many of their decisions, but they balanced each other in ways my husband balances me.  When my father started a business, my mother took accounting classes.  That is the way with us also.  My mother was born on Marh 13, 1936 in Cleo Springs, OK during the depression to watermellon farmers, Lee and Irene Rose.  She was born to two amazing people who did amazing things once they only had a chance. 

Now back to Darrell and I in January 2010.  We've been looking for a property which has the qualities of our home, but also has the qualities of our business.  We are hoping for both functions on one property to reduce overall costs.  We found a property like that today.  Many good qualities.  Well, an electric stove, that's bad.  And I could go on and on.  But it had a nice house and a shop for the business and another residence where our kids, who also work for us, could live.

I could have a chicken coup.  Josh could have a cow he could raise for the butcher.  My dad would have loved the set up.  My mother would have immediately started canning things and making curtains.  Whether we'll actually make a change is unknown.  I'm proud of us for working through the problems and looking for solutions. 

Me, I came back and felt grateful to have a warm bright comfortable home.  I immediately started cooking.

This is brown rice cooked in beef stock and a little salt.  Some butter, then some cooked brocolli and some shredded parmesan cheese.

  Husband has a beef sausage that he likes.  I have another recipe using it that also has potatoe and tomato.  It will be in the cookbook.  See my October 29 post.

Here I've heated a little olive oil and browned it.  I poured the sausage and all the liquid in the pan over the other ingredients.  Then, I stuck it in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Pretty good.  And even pretty healthy.

Remember to be a good roll model to someone.

The Queen of Casseroles

I am not ashamed.  I am the Queen of Casseroles.  And if that sounds not cool enough or not upscale enough, now you know who I am.  First child of a midwestern child of the depression.  I am also an organized person and a person with a job.  It is my mission to serve a hot dinner every night to anyone who is around at dinner time.  Not always an easy task. To do this smoothly, you need a plan. 

Every week, I make a menu plan for the next week, what I plan to serve for lunch and dinner.  Now I rarely do exactly what I plan, but it gets me a starting point.  I usually plan for leftovers, so I don't cook a full meal each night.  I make a shopping list from my plan and shop once per week.  Every morning, as I get my bowl of cereal, or left over popovers or muffins from the night before, or fruit and yogurt, I decide what's for dinner that night.  Sometimes, I am heating left overs from a previous night or remodeling left over ingredient into something new.  But when I am cooking that night, I set out the recipe on my counter.  I feel more organized and prepared when I walk in the door when I know my plan and it is sitting in front of me. 

Tonight, it is Ham and Tater Casserole.

Start with 6 cups of tater tots.  Yep, right out of the freezer.  And yes, I know this isn't a completely natural product and doesn't fit perfectly into my value system, but you have a bag in your freezer.  You know you do. 

Next, 2 large heads of broccoli, cut into 1/4 inch florets.  My husband likes broccoli, so I use it a lot.

2 cups of ham is next.  This can be left over from a previous meal.  Or, you can buy a ham cutlet at the meat counter.  When small hams are on sale around the holiday, I often buy one and serve it for a weekend meal when the kids will be around, then cut it into several  portions, put them in freezer bags and freeze them for this and other meals.  More to come using ham.

Next the sauce.  1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup.  I get the low fat low sodium kind when it is on sale and keep several cans in my pantry for various meals.  I have no delusions that this is a low fat or sodium meal.  Rather, I prefer to add the fat and sodium from other sources.  For example, mayonnaise.  1/2 cup for this sauce.    This is best quality mayo, not salad dressing.  I buy 1 or 2 every time they come on sale and keep 1 in the fridge and 1 in the pantry.  Mayonnaise is not expensive when purchased on sale and it adds lots of flavor.  3/4 cup milk and wisk it all together.  Pour over the other ingredients.  Turn with a large spoon to combine.  Spray a large casserole dish and turn it all into the dish. 

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Take it out and add 1 cup of medium or sharp shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake an additional 20 minutes.  This makes 6 - 8 servings.  It can be packed into individual servings and reheated in a microwave for lunch.  Or divide the casserole into two smaller dishes.  Cover and seal one for the freezer.  Cook only one of the dishes, the other next week.  Food everyone likes.  A little salad, a litlle garlic bread.   Ice cream or fruit for dinner.  Time to knit and watch the news.

Remember to be happy.  

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Every Chinese restaurant has a beef and broccoli dish. I think that is very interesting, because I've read that broccoli isn't really used in traditional Chinese cooking. My husband likes it, so it shows up frequently in my cooking. This is an original recipe. I've made many versions until we reached one that tastes best to us. Like everything I make, I try to use fresh ingredients and not take all day. So I get flavor by using some commercial sauces.

My regular grocery store has one or two sale meats every week. I buy the sale meat in large quantity, then freeze portions we'll use in zip lock bags. The trick is to have what I want defrosted at the time I want to cook. It stresses me out to need a meal in 30 minutes and have a freezer full of food frozen solid. I have to have a plan. One thing I do is to slice a couple zip lock bags of sirlion on grocery day and freeze them knowing I'll use them for stir fry. The others stay as steak. As I've mentioned, my husband is a carnivore. The point is planning. Knowing what I'm making the next few days and having the ingredients ready. That means freezer management and good grocery lists.

Cantonese Beef and Broccoli
3 T. Soy Sauce
3T. White Wine
1/4 t. Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1 red bell pepper diced finely
1 T. Cider Vinegar
1T. Sugar
3 T. Commercial stir fry sauce - Cantonese Style (or one you like)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 lb sirloin steak, cut into very thin strips
2 T. Vegetable oil
1 T. cornstarch
3 cups broccoli floweretts
cooked white rice
Combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sugar, stir fry sauce, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add meat, stirring to coat. Let stand 15 minutes or more. With a slotted spoon, remove meat to a plate and set aside the marinade. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over high heat. Add meat, stir and cook several minutes until browned lightly. Add broccoli. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 mintes. Add cornstarch to reserved marinade and add to skillet. Simmer an additional 2 minutes. Serve over white rice.