haricot verts with bacon and onion

Haricot Verts with Bacon and Onion

1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans (haricot verts / french green beans)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces bacon, diced (raw)
4 ounces diced onions

Using a colander, thoroughly drain green beans. Set aside.

Mix water, sugar and pepper until well incorporated. Set aside.

Preheat your cooking pan to Medium High heat.

Raw Bacon Method.

Using a cutting board and a knife, dice the raw bacon into equal size pieces. Place diced bacon into preheated cooking pan. Continually stir bacon with large spoon to keep the bacon from burning.

Once bacon is cooked add the onions and cook until they are tender and light brown.

Now that the onions are tender add the liquid mixture and the beans.

Using the rubber spatula stir the mixture until incorporated.

Bring mixture to a boil and turn heat to simmer. Serve beans as soon as you are ready.

seared scallops with lemon aioli

Searing scallops is most definitely an art. I have unsuccessfully tried searing them myself, and no matter how much I pat them dry, they seem to end up "boiling" in the pan and I cannot seem to get the caramelized, crispy brown top and bottom.

I had Jeff take over this time and he perfected them with such ease. He's convinced you need a combination of olive oil and butter at just the right heat. I had originally tried with just olive oil and it didn't work for me. Now, I think I have the secret for next time.

We bought the Costco frozen scallops in a bag. They were delicious. And, even better with the lemon aioli. We served them with grilled filet mignon and veggies. The aioli was also a nice complement to our side of vegetables - roasted potatoes and haricot verts. Enjoy.

Seared Scallops

Fresh or frozen & thawed scallops (patted completely dry)
Butter
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Cracked Black Pepper

Heat stainless steel skillet over med-high heat and melt about 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in the pan, until hot, but not smoking. Season scallops with salt & pepper. Sear scallops in pan, uncovered for 2-3 minutes per side (or until caramelized brown on top and bottom and cooked through.) Be careful not to overcook, as the scallops will get rubbery. Serve hot with lemon aioli.

Lemon Aioli

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives (or red onion)

Whisk ingredients together until mixed well.

raspberry buttermilk cake

I made this as one of my Easter desserts this year. I really thought it turned out well, however, next time, I may add a few more berries and maybe not bake as long.

The raspberries were fresh from my mother-in-law's garden. They were frozen at the end of last year's gardening season, so we thawed them, removed the excess moisture and they were more flavorful than grocery store bought raspberries.

I used a springform pan - makes it easy to cut the cake when you can remove the sides of the pan. I also forgot to line my pan with parchment paper, but it was all good.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from Gourmet

Isn't it pretty? Pillows of cake that seem to swallow up the raspberries. mmmm.

Serves 6

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz); or frozen raspberries (thawed & drained well) You can also substitute with other types of berries.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar. Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. (I took my cake out of the oven at 20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then place onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Dust the top with confectioner's sugar, cut and serve with real whipped cream.

tangerine-glazed easter ham with baby carrots

My mom made this recipe for our Easter meal this year and it was amazing. Filled the house with an aroma so divine - and, the best part...the ham tasted just as divine. The carrots were a nice addition as well. Serve with scalloped potatoes and a glass of chilled white wine. Mmmmm. This recipe is a keeper for sure!

By the way, bone-in hams are hands down, the best ever. Don't even waste your time with a boneless ham.

Photo courtesy of Food Network

Tangerine-Glazed Easter Ham With Baby Carrots
Adapted from Tyler Florence

Serves:
10 to 12 servings

1 (8 to 10-pound) smoked ham, bone-in, skin on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
2 tangerines, sliced thin, seeds removed
2 cups tangerine juice
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
11/2 pounds carrots, peeled

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the ham in a large roasting pan, fat-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts across the skin, about 2-inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Cut diagonally down the slashes to form a diamond pattern; season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Chop about 8 of the sage leaves and put it in a bowl; mix with the oil to make a paste. Rub the sage-oil all over the ham, being sure to get the flavor into all the slits. Bake the ham for 2 hours. Now there is plenty of time to bang-out the tangerine glaze.

For the glaze: Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chunks of butter, tangerines, tangerine juice, brown sugar, water, and spices. Slowly cook the liquid down to a syrupy glaze; this should take about 30 to 40 minutes.

After the ham has being going for a couple of hours, pour the tangerine glaze all over it, with the pieces of fruit and all. Scatter the remaining sage leaves on top and stick the ham back in the oven and continue to cook for 11/2 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.

Scatter the carrots around the ham and coat in the tangerine glaze. Stick the ham once again back in the oven and cook for a final 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender, the ham is dark and crispy, and the whole thing is glistening with a sugary glaze.

Set the ham on a cutting board to rest before carving. Serve the carrots and tangerine glaze on the side.

grandma kathleen's meatballs with sauerkraut

This recipe is a.maz.ing. A hearty, German-Hungarian dish, as my grandma says. One of those, do-it-ahead recipes that takes a little prep time, but once the prep is done, you let the crockpot do its magic. Seems it's become a staple at our family get togethers.

grandma's meatballs

3 lbs. hamburger
1 1/2 onions, chopped
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. long-grain white rice
big jar of sauerkraut
large can of tomato juice

Spice hamburger to taste with salt, pepper, garlic salt, paprika, chili powder. Mix together with uncooked rice and eggs. Put layer of sauerkraut on bottom of crockpot. Form meatballs about size of golf balls (or bigger). Layer meatballs with sauerkraut ending with layer of sauerkraut. Pour tomato juice over until visible on top layer. Cook at least 6 hrs. on high, turn to low if meatballs cooking too fast. Serve with potatoes and you've got yourself some comfort food...

good ole' tater tot hotdish

Tater Tot Hot Dish (TTHD) Ahhh. Hot dishes. This is just one of many, but treasured comfort food which I crave often in the cold winter months - and this year, on cold spring days. Easy to make ahead, ready to pop in the oven the next day. Not on the top of my fresh and healthy list, but I can deal with a meal like this every once in awhile. My family loves this too, so it's fun to make. I get the "what's for dinner?" and when I respond with TTHD, I get lots of oohs and ahhs. I'm not the short order cook kind of mom, so it's always nice when I can get at least 75% thumbs up on the dinner choice.

No real recipe on this one either. Fairly easy to whip up and can modify with all sorts of add-ins each time. (I like to throw a few veggies in there so everyone gets part of their daily quota. Not as easy to push to the side, and somewhat disguised amongst the other ingredients.)

It usually goes something like this...

Tater Tot Hotdish

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 bag frozen peas or corn
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag of tater tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown beef and onion until done. Drain fat. Season with salt & pepper and any other seasonings. Mix cooked beef/onions with cans of soup and spread in bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with peas or corn and sprinkle cheese on top. Finish by lining tater tots across the entire top of the dish. Bake for about an hour, until bubbly on the edges and hot in the center.

carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Jeff and my kids LOVE carrot cake. I made this for Jeff's birthday one year and Brendan requested it for his first communion celebration. This year, I made it for our Easter Sunday dessert. It's fabulous with a nice cup of coffee.

Alton Brown's carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Makes 1 (9-inch) cake

Unsalted butter, for the pan
12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.

With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.


Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Yield: approximately 2 cups