Potato Au Gratin Casserole -GF

Ingredients

Butter, at room temperature (or PAM spray)
2 shallots, minced
2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt (I used seasoning salt) and freshly ground pepper
3 medium russet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick(I used golden yukon and did not peel)
2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar and Monterey jack)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 or 2 bay leafs
1 or two twigs thyme


DirectionsHeat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter (or spray) a 1 1/2 to 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with just a bit of the shallot.

Add the heavy cream to a medium saucepan along with the remaining shallot, garlic, salt and pepper, bay leafs and thyme). Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer while stirring. Let simmer until you see the liquid begin to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.  Take out bay leafs and thyme with tongs.  

Layer 1/3 of the sliced potatoes in the baking dish, cover with some Cheddar and a sprinkling of Parmesan; repeat the layering 2 more times.

Pour the hot liquid over the potatoes. Add the remaining cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour, then remove the foil to bake until the cheese is golden and brown, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing so it can settle.

homemade sloppy joes

1 pound lean ground beef 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

3/4 cup ketchup 3 teaspoons brown sugar salt to taste ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2.	Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerator Pickles

Cucumbers from the garden?! Perfect recipe for you!

Slice 6 cups unpeeled cucumbers as thin as you like (or as much as your container holds)
OPTIONAL: 1 cup thinly sliced onion and 1 cup thinly slice green pepper

Boil 1 cup vinegar, 1 tbls salt, 2 cups sugar.  Boil and stir until all is dissolved.  Pour over the cucumber (onion and peppers if using).  Refrigerate.  Can keep for up to 6 weeks.

Banana Pancakes

Original recipe makes 12 pancakes

 1 cup all-purpose flour
 1 tablespoon white sugar
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1 egg, beaten
 1 cup milk
 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
 2 ripe bananas, mashed
(I added some lemon juice to the milk and let it sit for 5min. essientially making buttermilk to make them a bit more fluffy and some vanilla extract)

Directions

Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil and bananas.

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

Salmon with Dill sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 salmon fillets, pin bones removed

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pint sour cream ( I used plain greek yogurt instead)

2 bunches dill, chopped

Juice of 2 lemons

1 shallot, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons horseradish



Directions (we grilled the salmon)


Coat a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat.

When hot, add the fillets to the pan skin side down; season 

with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the skin is nice 

and brown. Turn the fish over and cook for 3 minutes on the 

other side. Keep warm while preparing the sauce.

In a small bowl whisk together sour cream, dill, lemon juice,

 shallot, red pepper flakes and horseradish. Season with salt 

and pepper. Serve the sauce over the pan-seared salmon.

Grilled shrimp with garlic and herbs

2 lbs extra large shrimp, peeled deveined
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon sliced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon brown sugar



Directions:

Mix all ingredient in a bag and marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Prepare grill to high heat and grill for 5-6 minutes turning to char all sides.

(We left out the lemon and let it marinate for longer and then put lemon in for last 10 min. or so.  Lemon will cook the shrimp if it is left to marinate too long.)

lamb chops with bread crumb salsa

For the lamb chops:

lamb chops (desired number)
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper (optional — Bloomfield uses salt only)
olive oil if pan searing
bread crumb salsa (recipe below)

Notes: In the book, the chops are grilled, they can be pan-sear instead. The key with these lamb chops is to really flatten them out — the book recommends 1/2-inch, but don’t be afraid to go a little further because they puff back up when they hit the hot pan. If your meat is at room temperature, your pan is really hot, and you let the lamb chops rest for at least 5 minutes, they should be medium-rare with just a one-minute sear per side.

Also, in the book, Bloomfield recommends serving the chops with a chimichurri sauce, which sounds wonderful, but I had my heart set on the bread crumb salsa, which complements the lamb and which would complement any number of meats so nicely.

1. About a half hour before you plan on cooking them, place the chops on a cutting board. Cover them with plastic wrap. Working with one at a time and using a heavy pan or mallet, lightly whack the meaty portion to an even thickness of 1/2-inch (or even a little thinner for reasons noted above.)

2. Preheat your grill to high or place a large skillet over high heat. Make sure the grill grates or pan gets really hot. Generously season the lamb chops on both sides with salt and pepper.

3. If pan searing: Drizzle some olive oil (about a tablespoon or less for about 4 chops) in the pan. It should skid everywhere and be smoking slightly. Carefully place chops in the pan. After a minute, flip them over. After another minute, remove them from the pan and place on a board to rest for at least five minutes. If grilling: Working in batches if need be, cook the chops, turning them over once, until the exterior is deep brown and the fat is golden, just about a minute or two per side. Arrange them nicely on a platter.

4. Spoon the bread crumb salsa all over the chops passing more on the side as well. As noted above, Bloomfield serves these lamb chops with a chimichurri sauce and some fresh squeezed lemon.

Bread Crumb Salsa

Source: Chez Panisse Café Cookbook
Yield = 1 cup

Notes: You’ve all been pulsing your stale bread and storing the crumbs in the freezer, right? Well, if you are, this salsa will come together in a snap. The toasted bread crumbs add the most wonderful texture to the salsa and amazingly the salsa still tastes good after a day or two in the fridge. I don’t recommend making it that far in advance — it’s best to mix it just before serving — but should you have any leftover meat or salsa, you have the makings of a nice little lunch: chop up the cold meat, toss it with the bread crumb salsa, and serve it with warm naan or in Bibb lettuce or Romaine cups — so good!

Also, double this recipe if you are serving for 4 or more people. I’ve made it three times now, twice in a double batch (as it’s written in the Chez Panisse Cookbook) and once halved, as it’s written here. The first time I made it, I used basil exclusively for the herbs because it was all I had, and it was delicious, but I love it equally with parsley and thyme — just feel free to use what herbs you like best.

This salsa would also be lovely with rack of lamb.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
kosher salt

1 shallot, finely minced
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped thyme or sage
1 tablespoon capers, drained and minced
2 salt-packed anchovies*, cleaned and chopped
kosher salt to taste

*Oil-packed anchovies are just fine, too. Notes from Bloomfield on cleaning salt-packed anchovies: Rinse the anchovies one at a time under cold running water, rubbing them gently between your fingers to get the salt off. Put them in a small bowl and add just enough cold water to cover. After about a minute — if you soak them for too long they’ll lose their umami quality — give them another quick rinse. To fillet the anchovies, hold one under cold, gently running water. Pull off the loose muck near the head and at the belly. Rub the outside to remove any remaining salt or hard bits. Keeping the anchovy under the water, gently work a fingertip along the belly to start to separate the fillets. Gently pull the fillets apart. Pinch the backbone and gently pull it off whichever fillet it is sticking to. Discard it. Repeat with remaining anchovies.

1. Heat a medium (or large if you are making a double batch) skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil starts looking hot, add the bread crumbs and a pinch of kosher salt and turn the heat down to medium. Stir frequently until the pan starts to cool down and the bread crumbs are toasting evenly. Toast until golden all over. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place minced shallots in a small bowl and cover with the vinegar. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the oil, chopped herbs, minced capers and minced anchovies.

4. Just before serving, add the toasted bread crumbs and macerated shallots to the bowl of oil and herbs. Stir to combine.