Microwave Potato Chips

December 27, 2007 at 5:07 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Vegetables | 1 Comment
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Today is day 21 without a stove or oven and the novelty is definitely wearing off. I have spent far more time with my Weber gas grill and microwave than I had ever hoped for since my range up and died on December 6.  You would think that replacing a gas range wouldn’t be all that difficult, but you’d be wrong.  We’ve been getting one “my dog ate it” caliber excuse after another from vendors and today was no different. 

Okay – - – thanks for bearing with me while I got that off my chest. On the bright side (and my glass is always at least 9/10ths full) I did learn an amazing new microwave trick yesterday that is so simple I can’t believe I haven’t heard of it before: how to make microwave potato chips.  These are so good, lightning fast, full of potato flavor and all without any oil at all (not that I have any problem at all with fried foods!).  Even Rod said he prefers them to bagged commercial chips and I can whip up a fresh batch in less time than it takes to make a sandwich.

Per serving:

1 medium size potato, peeled or not, your call; I’ve been using red skin potatoes
salt and seasoning of your choice, if desired. I’ve been dusting them with kosher salt, a bit of onion powder, and freshly ground pepper.
a sheet of parchment paper

  • Slice the potato as thin as you possibly can.  I finally found a reason to justify the $10 plastic mandoline I brought home from Target months ago and haven’t used since – it’s perfect for these.
  • Arrange the slices in a single layer on the sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with seasonings if desired.
  • Place in the microwave and cook on high heat for about 5 or 6 minutes depending on the power of your oven. You’ll want to watch the first few batches until you get a feel for how long is just perfect.  They’re ready when they’re golden brown and crisp. 

KFC-Clone Coleslaw

November 16, 2007 at 6:02 am | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food TV, Salads, Vegetables | Leave a Comment
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My husband Rod loves homemade everything except when it comes to coleslaw – then he wants “storebought”. We live 17 miles from the nearest grocery store so this doesn’t always work for me. Deep down inside who doesn’t love KFC coleslaw?  I found this recipe online, tried it on him and he absolutely loves it.  Truly tastes like “the real thing”.  

8 C shredded cabbage
1/4 C shredded carrots
2 T minced onion
1/3 C sugar
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 C milk
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/4 C butter milk
1 1/2 T white vinegar (I use white Balsamic for its sweetness but any white vinegar will work)
2 T fresh lemon juice

  • Shred the cabbage and carrots in a food processor and then empty them into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in minced onion.
  • Put the remaining ingredients in either the bowl of a processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Pour over cabbage and carrots and mix thoroughly.
  • Cover and chill several hours before serving for best flavor.

Jill’s German Potato Bake

November 10, 2007 at 3:48 pm | In Cooking, Food, Recipes, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

Jill offered me this recipe of hers several years ago when I was putting together an Oktoberfest menu for dinner club, and it’s a perfect warm side for a cool autumn evening. 

2 lbs. red potatoes
1 C chopped onion
1/4 C butter
2 T flour
2 C chicken Broth
2 T spicy brown mustard
1 t horseradish
1/4 C dry bread crumbs

  • Cook potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and cool.
  • Pre-heat oven to 375.  In sauce pan, saute onion in butter for 10 minutes.  Stir in flour and pepper, then broth. Stirring, bring to a boil and boil 1 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and horseradish.
  • Slice potatoes 1/2″ thick.  Layer in buttered 2 qt. oblong baking dish. Cover with sauce and sprinkle on bread crumbs.
  • Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Sherrill’s Creamy Potatoes

November 7, 2007 at 6:34 am | In Cooking, Food, Recipes, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

Sherrill has brought this wildly popular dish to many a friendly gathering and she never has to worry about heading home with left overs.

1 lg. bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 C shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 onion, finely minced
1 1/2 sticks butter, divided
1 C crushed Frito scoops or crushed potato chips

  • Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray with Pam butter-flavored spray a 13 x 9 baking dish.  Spread the thawed potatoes evenly over the bottom of the dish.
  • In a bowl, mix together the soup, cheese, sour cream, onion and 1 stick of melted butter.  Pour evenly over the potatoes.
  • Sprinkle the crushed chips evenly over the top then drizzle the remaining 1/2 stick of melted butter over the top.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  

Cranberry Apple Sweet Potatoes

November 2, 2007 at 6:00 am | In Cooking, Food, Recipes, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

With the holidays approaching, I thought I’d start rolling out some of my favorite seasonal recipes.  This side-dish lets you check off two menu classics with one dish: sweet potatoes & cranberries.  It’s a good make-ahead, take-along dish for holiday buffets, too.

2 18-oz. cans of sweet potatoes
1 21-oz. can apple pie filling
2 T apricot preserves
1 8-oz. can whole cranberry sauce
2 T orange marmalade

  • Drain the sweet potatoes and cut into bite-size pieces.  In a large saucepan, cook until tender.  Drain and set aside.
  • Spread the apple pie filling into an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ baking dish.  Arrange the sweet potatoes on top.
  • In a small mixing bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce, apricot preserves and orange marmalade; spoon over the sweet potatoes.
  • Bake, uncovered, in a 350 oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Pumpkin Soup with Sage and Ham

October 31, 2007 at 12:18 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Soups & Stews, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

What could be more traditional on Halloween than pumpkin?   Ghoulishly good . . .

In a large stock pot over medium heat, sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender
(about 10 minutes):

3 T butter
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced

Stir in and bring to a simmer:

1 can pumpkin puree
1/2 C dry white wine
1 T dried sage
1 bay leaf
1 C cream OR half & half
4 C chicken broth
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh-ground black pepper
Reduce heat and continue cooking, partially covered for 15 minutes. Puree until smooth with a stick blender or transfer in small batches to a regular blender, let cool for a few minutes (for safety’s sake!) then carefully puree til smooth. Then add:

1 1/2 cups diced HoneyBaked Ham

Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and ladle into bowls.

Curry Cream of Cauliflower Soup

October 24, 2007 at 12:57 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Soups & Stews, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

At the first sign of cool weather, my meal-planning thoughts turn to warm and hearty soups.  I made this up a couple of years ago when I was craving curry and this hit the spot.  This is comfort food in a hurry, rich and satisfying. 

1 1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C chopped onions
2 T butter
2 T all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 C cream
2 C cauliflower, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 t curry powder
hot sauce to taste (a few drops of Tabasco Habanero sauce is wonderful)

  • In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth, onion, cauliflower, curry powder, salt and pepper to a boil.
  • Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.  Remove from heat.
  • Carefully ladle half of mixture into blender or food processor and puree until smooth, or use blender stick in saucepan (far simpler).  Repeat with remaining soup.  Pour into large bowl.
  • Melt the butter in the soup pan.  Whisk in the flour until smooth.  Add the cream all at once.  Cook until smooth and bubbly, whisking continuously.
  • Stir in the cauliflower soup mix and cook until heated through.  Adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce, if desired.

German Potato Salad

October 17, 2007 at 4:03 pm | In Cooking, Food, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

October is traditionally the month Rod and I are assigned our Dinner Club rotation.  It’s typically cool enough to eat outside on the porch, so we try to plan casual menus.  For an Oktoberfest theme one year, we featured this recipe.

4 C sliced, boiled potatoes
4 slices bacon, cut into small slices
1 onion, diced
1 T flour
1 T sugar
1 t salt
1 t paprika
½ C cider vinegar
½ C water

  • Brown bacon and drain. Crumble bacon and sprinkle over the potatoes. Add onion to the hot bacon fat and cook only a few minutes to avoid burn­ing. Add the flour to the bacon fat and onions; blend. Add sugar, salt, paprika, vinegar, and water. Cook until clear, stirring constantly.
  • Pour the mixture over the potatoes and bacon. Mix well. Serve hot or cold.

Fried Green Tomatoes

October 14, 2007 at 3:48 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

Red Top CafeThese are beyond good.  One of the best places locally to savor fried green tomatoes is the Red Top Cafe in Apalachicola.

1 T self-rising flour
1 1/2 C self-rising flour
1 1/2 C buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 t salt, divided
1 t pepper, divided
3 green tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
2 C vegetable oil

  • Whisk together 1 T flour, buttermilk, eggs, 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper in a small bowl.
  • Stir together remaining flour, 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t pep­per in a shallow bowl.
  • Dip tomato in buttermilk mixture; dredge in flour mixture.
  • Heat oil in a heavy 10-inch skil­let to 350°. Fry tomato slices 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until gold­en. Drain on a cooling rack over paper towels. Serve im­mediately.

Serves 6 (unless I’m around, then it’s every diner for themselves!)

Jill’s LaCaille Salad

October 7, 2007 at 7:09 pm | In Cooking, Food, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

This is Jill’s signature salad, super simple and beyond good.  Be sure to give it a try.

10 Strips crispy cooked bacon, cut or crumbled
4 bunches spinach leaves, washed & dried
3 hard-boiled eggs
Red onion – sliced. (I use ¼ of onion).

Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing

1 T grated Romano Cheese
¼ C Tarragon Vinegar
¼ C mayonnaise
½ C Dijon mustard (generous ½ C)
1 ½  sugar
1/8 t EACH of salt, paprika, garlic salt, celery seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and black pepper.
1 C vegetable oil

  1. Combine all ingredients except the oil in a mixing bowl or blender. Slowly blend while adding oil in a thin, steady stream.
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