Saturday, February 28, 2015

New Contest in the Works!

Have you made a Fleur de Lolly recipe?  If you haven't, you need to start going through the archives and choosing one!

Are you are friend or follower of Fleur de Lolly on Facebook?  You need to be!

These two things are going to go hand in hand!

Vegetable and White Cheddar Dutch Baby



I love to bake Dutch Babies.  A few minutes to mix up ingredients and then so much fun to watch it bubble up and bake in the oven.  The more common version is sweet, but I enjoy baking savory ones for breakfast.

1 T. butter
1/3 cup diced ham
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced green bell pepper

1 T. butter 
4 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. ground mustard
1/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

1/3 cup diced Roma tomato
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large cast iron skillet, over medium heat, add butter, ham, onion and bell pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 - 7 minutes until ham is browned and vegetables are softened.  Remove from skillet.


Place 1 T. butter in skillet and place skillet in oven to get hot.

In a food processor, add eggs, milk, flour, seasonings and cheese.  Run on low 15 seconds to combine.  Remove skillet from oven and carefully pour in egg mixture.


Bake 20 minutes or until golden and puffy.


Next add these lovely toppings:



And now sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  Serve immediately.


Friday, February 27, 2015

Home Cooking in a Hurry: Deep Dish Pizza Casserole


Another Home Cooking in a Hurry WIN!  Prep time:  12 minutes.  Then into the oven for 25, add cheese 10 more minutes.  Done!  Yes, you read it correctly 12 minutes prep time.  While it bakes, sit down and catch your breath, read the newspaper, go though the mail, talk to your family.  THEN, sit down to a great casserole that you can alter to include YOUR favorite pizza toppings.

I took this picture before getting all my extra seasonings out of the pantry, but here's the basics of my version:


Do you prefer pepperoni, mushrooms, olives?  Add them instead or in addition to....this recipe is very user friendly.

1 pound Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced ham
one small onion, chopped
one medium bell pepper, chopped
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. fennel seeds
1 (14 oz.) jar pizza sauce
2 (12 oz.) cans refrigerator buttermilk biscuits, quartered
4 cups shredded pizza cheese blend or shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, brown sausage and ham with the onion and bell pepper.  When meat is cooked, drain any fat that is in the skillet.  Lower heat to low and add garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and fennel seeds.  Let cook 1 minute.


Now add pizza sauce and stir to combine.


Remove from heat and stir in the quartered biscuits.


Carefully pour into prepared baking dish.


Bake for 25 minutes and remove from oven.


Add cheese and return to oven for 10 minutes.  Let rest for 3 - 5 minutes before serving.



Thursday, February 26, 2015

Snow Cream


We don't always get a big snow in Alabama, but when we do......we make snow cream!

People always say, "Make sure you gather clean snow!"  ????? I never understood that.  I always just put a clean bowl on the patio table and wait for Mother Nature to fill it for me.  She outdid herself for me this time!  This is an 8 quart bowl!

 

My general rule of thumb for snow cream is as follows for each gallon of snow (16 cups), add the following:

1 cup sugar
2 T. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup milk (more or less)

Simple mix together.  You may want to add more or less milk to get the desired consistency you want.  And I love vanilla, so I add a lot!  Adjust to your taste.



Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Home Cooking in a Hurry: On the Border Cheesy Chicken



Time from start to finish:  28 minutes.  Your mileage may vary.

I pounded the chicken to make it more uniform so that cooking time would be lessened.  

While the chicken browned, I mixed a can of rinsed and drained black beans with a can of Rotel tomatoes in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Done.

When the chicken was halfway through browning, I prepared a packet of Knorr's Spanish Rice.  It takes 7 minutes to cook and 2 minutes resting time.  Done.

Now on to the chicken:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise and pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. granulated garlic
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. chili powder

2 t. butter
2 t. olive oil
1 - 4.5 oz. can of diced green chilies
1 cup shredded Colby Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese

In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings.  Sprinkle both sides of chicken with seasoning blend.

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, add butter and olive oil.  Add chicken, a few pieces at a time and let cook 5 - 7 minutes on each side.  The chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees.  Place cooked chicken on a plate while you cook remaining chicken.  

When you are finished with cooking the chicken, turn off heat and return all the chicken to the skillet.


Next, top evenly with the chilies.


And now top with the shredded cheese.


Remember height is always pleasing as far as plating and presentation is concerned.

I put a layer of the cooked rice, then topped with the beans/Rotel combo and then placed a piece of the chicken on top.  If you'd like, you could certainly garnish with sour cream or chopped cilantro.


Adapted from Mr. Food. 

Home Cooking in a Hurry

I'm starting a new series of recipes that incorporate what we all need sometime:  Home Cooking in a Hurry.  Busy work days, errands, school, homework, practices, after school activities, volunteer hours.....it seems we're swallowed with the details of life.  But we all need to eat. Not only to nourish our bodies, but our souls.  

Hopefully, these recipes will help you and your family or friends to have time to sit around the table, take a breath, and enjoy some wonderful food.

Love, 

Lolly

Steve's Sriracha Honey Chicken


My friend Steve lives near Nashville.  Nashville, as you know, has been experiencing the cold and the sleet and the freezing rain like much of the country. How better to chase those Winter Blues away than to grill some chicken with a delicious riracha honey glaze?  That would certainly put me in a much better frame of mind.  Steve notes this recipe from Publix is "Top Notch."  Thanks Steve for sharing with us!

1/2 small yellow onion, finely grated
2 lbs. chicken wings or drummettes (or breasts or thighs cut into large chunks)
3 T. canola oil
2 T. instant chicken bouillon granules
2 T. sriracha hot sauce
2 T. honey
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Grate onion so you'll have about 1/4 cup.

If using wings, cut a joint and remove wing tip. Remember to wash your hands after handling raw chicken.

Whisk in a large bowl:  oil, chicken granules, sriracha, honey and onions until thoroughly blended. Reserve 1/4 cup sauce and set aside.

Add chicken to remaining mixture and toss until evenly coated. Let stand 30 minutes (or overnight) to marinate. Preheat grill (or grill pan) on medium.

Place chicken on grill (or in grill pan); grill 10 - 12 minutes, turning often, or until chicken is 165 degrees. During last 2 minutes of grill time, baste chicken with reserved sauce. Remove chicken from grill.  Chop cilantro and sprinkle over chicken.  Serve.  

**Note:  The chicken can also be baked at 450 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, then tossed with the reserved sauce.

Steve served his grilled chicken over rice with a side of broccoli.



Monday, February 23, 2015

Lolly's Ultimate Slow Cooker Cube Steak

 

Yes, I dared to use the word "ultimate" in the title.  And trust me, when you make this dish, not if, but WHEN you make this dish, you will know I spoke truthfully.

Once again, a few minutes of prep time in the morning will pay huge dividends when you are ready for dinnertime.  You can save even more time by using boil in the bag rice, but it only takes about 10 minutes longer to cook regular rice.  This will be a regular on your meal rotation.  You'll see.

2 pounds cube steak
1 can cream of mushroom soup (low sodium!)
1 envelope Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix.  Make sure you use the Beefy Onion version.
1 can beef broth
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. self rising flour
2 T. cool water
chopped parsley for garnish

Looks really simple, doesn't it?  Because it is!


In a medium bowl, combine the soup, broth and beefy onion mix.  Whisk them together until smooth.  Barely cover the bottom of the slow cooker.


Next layer in a few pieces of the cube steak, grind some black pepper on top and then add a layer of the sliced onions.


Repeat the layers and finish with the soup mixture.


Cover and set the slow cooker on low for 6 - 8 hours. Or you could cook it high for 3 - 4.

And here's what met me when I removed the lid after allowing this batch to cook for 11 hours and it was fork tender.


While the rice cooked, I put the slow cooker back on high heat and in a small bowl combined the flour and water and added it to the pot.  By the time the rice was cooked, the gravy had thickened.

I served over rice with green peas.

 

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Worcestershire & Garlic Burgers


The doom and gloom of February is getting on my last nerve.  How better to brighten up this dreary afternoon than to have burgers on the grill?  A few added ingredients adds amazing flavor.  Enjoy!

2 lbs. ground chuck 80/20 blend
1/8 t. granulated beef bouillon
1/4 t. dried minced garlic
1/4 t. onion powder
1/2 t. seasoned salt
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce

In a large bowl, lightly break up ground chuck with a fork.  Add remaining ingredients and mix again lightly with a fork.  When ingredients are blended in, gently form into patties.  Either pan fry, grill or broil the burgers until your desired level of done-ness.

Top with you favorite burger fixings!



Saturday, February 21, 2015

Waffle Iron Hash Browns


A lot of don't like the idea of hash browns because of the calories involved with frying them.  A much healthier alternative is to lightly spray your waffle iron with non-stick spray and cook the potatoes in the waffle iron.  It will take about 20 minutes for the potatoes to cook to a nice golden, crunchy texture, but you can use that time to make your coffee, unload/load the dishwasher, cook your eggs or blog!

Here's a picture of two separate batches I made this morning.  The ones on the back were left the entire 20 minutes; the ones on the front cooked for about 15 minutes.
 

No need to peel the potatoes.  Simply wash the potatoes and cut in half lengthwise.  You can easily grate this on your box grater, or do as I did and shred them in seconds with a food processor.

When the potatoes are shredded.  place them in a (clean!!) dish towel and roll up tightly.  Then wring the towel to get as much of the water out of the potatoes as possible. 


Then place the potatoes in a large bowl and salt and pepper them.  Stir to mix the salt and pepper into the potatoes.


Preheat the waffle iron and lightly spray with non-stick spray.  Fill the waffle iron with about 1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded potatoes.  Lower the lid and don't open for the first 5 - 7 minutes.  Then you sneak a peak if you must.

Let the potatoes cook for 15 - 20 minutes until they reach the level of browness you like.  

I fried two eggs and served on top of the hash browns and added some diced browned ham on top.  Delicious.


If you are a ketchup aficionado, you have ready-made ketchup holders!


Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Crock Pot Cincinnati Style Chili


I've heard and read about Cincinnati chili for years.  Skyline is the restaurant that started it all and theirs is the standard that all other Cincinnati Chili versions aspire to be.

If you order it at Skyline, be prepared to tell them which "way" you would like:

2 Way - Spaghetti noodles topped w/chili


3 Way - Spaghetti noodles topped w/chili and shredded cheese


4 Way - Spaghetti noodles topped w/chili, shredded cheese, chopped onions


5 Way - Spaghetti noodles topped w/chili, cheese, onion AND beans


There are as many variations of chili as there are for BBQ.  Texans says no thank you to beans (except maybe on the side) and chunks of beef, not ground beef.

Others include many different types of beans.  Whether to add, or what kinds of toppings to add, can start a debate lasting for days.

But Cincinnati chili?  Over spaghetti noodles?  With cinnamon and chocolate? Without browning the meat first?  As you can see, this goes against every notion I have when it comes to making chili.

But when in Rome, or Cincinnati as the case may be, you have to follow their rules.  

Here's the recipe I used:

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 quart water or amount to cover
2 onions, finely chopped
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup chili powder
1 ½ t. salt
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground cinnamon
½ t. ground cayenne pepper
¼ t. ground cloves
¼ t. ground allspice
1 bay leaf

Place the ground beef in a 4 quart Dutch oven, cover with about 1 quart of cold water, and bring to a boil, stirring and breaking up the beef.  

Slowly boil until the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes, then remove from heat and refrigerate in the pan overnight.  I skimmed a LOT of fat off BEFORE putting it in the refrigerator.

The next day, skim the remaining solid fat from the top of the pan and discard fat.  Heat the beef on the stove top to get the chill off before putting into the crock pot.

Place the beef mixture in the crock pot and set to high.

Stir in the onions, tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, chocolate, chili powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, ground allspice, and bay leaf.

If you have time to let it cook on high, let it cook for an hour then reduce to low.  If not, go ahead and set crock pot to low setting and let simmer for 4 - 6 hours.

Remove Bay leaf before serving.

You can now top hot dogs, burgers or in true Cincinnati style: Cooked spaghetti noodles!

from www.allrecipes.com

Monday, February 16, 2015

Baked Ditalini with Peas and Ham



Today has been one of those miserably cold, rainy February days. I was craving a warm, ooey-gooey comfort food meal.

Thanks to Lidia's Italy for the basis of this recipe. I added diced ham to make this one a little more "hearty" for tonight.

Ditale in Italian means "little thimble." I love these little bits of pasta. This one is a definite keeper.

1 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 T. dried breadcrumbs
1/2 t. kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot
1 pound ditalini
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed and drained
1 cup finely diced ham
1 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (divided)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 4 quart rectangular baking dish, and coat with the breadcrumbs, tapping out any excess.

 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cooked until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain and rinse. Let cool and shake dry.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and salt. Add the cream and milk slowly and whisk until smooth.

Stir in the pasta, peas, and ham along with 1 cup of the grated cheese. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 

Bake until the custard is set, about 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Duck and Tasso Gumbo



This was my first attempt at a gumbo with duck.  I was pleasantly surprised at the taste and texture.  The tasso is well suited for the duck.  Mardi Gras party guests enjoyed this new gumbo recipe.

Duck:
3 lbs. Maple Leaf Farms Duck Legs
1 T. coarse salt
2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 T.  New Mexican Red Chile Powder

Roux:
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup All Purpose Flour

Tasso Gumbo:
1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
2 Green Bell Peppers, diced
1 Cup Celery, diced
1 T. Garlic, minced
1 lb. Tasso Ham, diced
8 cups Chicken or Duck Stock
3 Bay Leaves
1 t. dried thyme
½ lb. okra, sliced into 1/4" pieces
2 cups peeled and diced tomatoes, medium dice

For the Duck: 1. Season duck legs with salt, pepper and chili powder. Saute on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a baking dish and place in a 400° oven for 1 hour or until cooked through (internal temperature of 180°). Let cool. Remove skin and pull the meat off the bones. Shred meat and reserve.

For the Roux: 2. Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add flour and stir over medium-low heat until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Stir constantly and be careful not to burn. The mixture is ready when it has a nutty fragrance and is the color of a copper penny.

For the Gumbo: 3. Dice onion, peppers and celery. In a large pot, saute the vegetables in a little oil for three to four minutes. Add garlic and Tasso ham and continue to saute for two more minutes. Slowly, while stirring, add the roux to the vegetable mixture. Continue stirring and slowly add the stock and duck glaze. Add remaining ingredients and season to taste. Add the duck meat and simmer an additional 15 minutes.
  

Serve over white rice.

From Maple Leaf Farms

Deviled Eggs with Creole Mustard


The secret to these little beauties is the use of Zatarain's Creole Mustard. That mustard will provide a nice little zip to your Creole Stuffed Eggs!

When I make deviled (or stuffed) eggs, I always boil an extra egg to finely chop to assure there's lots of filling for the egg halves.

7 eggs, boiled, peeled and halved, yolks removed to a medium sized bowl
1/4 cup mayo (more or less)
1 T. Zatarain's Creole Mustard
2 T. sweet (or dill) pickle relish
salt and pepper

Mash the yolks and the extra egg until smooth. Blend in mayo, mustard, pickle relish and salt and pepper to taste.

Fill egg whites and garnish with paprika.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Crab Rockefeller


If you're not a fan of oysters, how about trying Crab Rockefeller instead? And, contrary to popular belief, no spinach is involved with anything Rockefeller!

1 cup unsalted butter
1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
6 green onions, including tender green parts, finely chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. Tabasco
1/2 cup Herbsaint or Pernod
1/2 cup fine dried bread crumbs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. lump crab meat, picked over to remove any shells

In a frying pan, over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add celery, green onions and parsley. Saute just until tender, 3 - 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in Worcestershire and Tabasco. Continue cooking 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Add the liqueur and bread crumbs and cook 5 minutes longer to blend.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a covered bowl and refrigerate until set, but not hard, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 shallow ramekins or baking dishes and divide crab meat among them... reserving six of the largest pieces for garnish.

Remove sauce from the refrigerator. Using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the sauce until it is lighter in texture and aerated, about 2 minutes.

Spoon 3 - 4 T. of sauce over the crab meat in each of the ramekins. Garnish each ramekin with the reserved crab.

Bake until the topping is puffed and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Serve at once.


From William Sonoma:  New Orleans

John Besh's Cabbage with Andouille Sausage


Boiled or "cooked" cabbage as I have always referred to it, is a personal favorite.  This makes a great side dish to a meal of cooked dried beans or peas.  Chef John Besh shares this recipe.



2 T. rendered bacon fat
2 heads cabbage, cores and outer leaves removed, shredded
2 onions, diced large
1 pound pickled pork meat
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 2-3 inch links
1 stalk celery
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper

In a large heavy-gauge pot over medium high heat, cook cabbage and onions with the bacon fat.

Add the pickled pork meat, andouille sausage, celery, garlic and bay leaves; cook 5 minutes while stirring.

Cover the cabbage with water, bring it to a boil before lowering the heat to a simmer and slowly cook until it's tender, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Add salt and pepper and serve.