Mashed Potatoe Casserole Recipe

We frequently serve this delicious mashed potato recipe on the holidays. It is one of our favorites and you can make it ahead. Just let it come to room temperature, then warm it in the oven about 20-30 minutes, adding the cheese the last 5 minutes.

Mashed Potato Casserole

Serves 8

Ingredients:

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp. salt

Dash pepper

1 tsp. chopped chives

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Bring potatoes to a boil in lightly salted water in a covered sauce pan. Reduce heat, simmer until tender. Drain potatoes.

In a large bowl, mash the potatoes until most of the lumps are gone. Add the butter and continue mixing until smooth. Add the milk, sour, cream, salt, pepper, & chives, mixing until well blended. Place mixture in the prepared casserole dish and cover with the cheese. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

This recipe doubles well baked in a 3-4 quart casserole.

Happy Holidays!

Rick & Karen

Taco Salad Recipe

Here is a nice taco salad recipe that doesn't include using the dried package taco seasoning mix.

Taco Salad

· 1−1/2 Pound Ground beef
· Bottled French dressing
· 1/4 Cup Onion, chopped
· 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
· 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
· 1/2 Teaspoon Dried oregano, crushed
· 1/2 Head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
· 2 Tomatoes, cut in wedges
· 8 Ounce Can corn, drained
· 8 Ounce Can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
· 1/2 Cup Radish slices
· 1−6 1/2 oz Package Tortilla or corn chips or a taco salad tortilla bowl
· 1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
· 4 Ounce Cheddar cheese, shredded
· Pitted black olives, sliced
· Sour cream

Brown meat and drain off fat. Add 1/3 cup French dressing, onion, salt, pepper and oregano. Simmer 5 minutes.

Combine lettuce, tomatoes, corn, beans, radishes and enough dressing to moisten. Toss lightly.

For each salad, serve meat mixture over tortilla chips or in tortilla bowl. Top with lettuce mixture, avocado, cheese, olives and sour cream, as desired. You could also add some sliced jalapenos if you want to add a bit of heat to the salad.

Bon appetit (or Buen appetit)!

Spinach, Lemon, & Ricotta Pasta

Here is a delicious, fresh pasta recipe that is wonderful anytime of year.

Spinach, Lemon, & Ricotta Pasta

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces rigatoni, farfalle, or other favorite pasta shape


• 2 T. olive oil


• ¼ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese


• 1/3 c. chopped (chiffonade*) basil leaves or 1 T. dried basil


• Salt & Pepper to taste


• One 6 ounce bag or 6 cups of fresh baby spinach


• 8 ounces (1 cup) ricotta cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Combine oil, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt & pepper in a bowl. Add to pasta along with spinach. Toss well to coat.

Divide pasta into 4 bowls or plates and top each with a dollop of ricotta cheese.

Some great add-ins would be chicken breast sautéed in garlic and olive oil, kalamata or black olives, and/or cherry tomatoes.

*An easy way to slice basil is to stack the leaves and roll it up. Then slice across the roll forming thin ribbons. This technique is called chiffonade.

Here is a terrific pasta pot from Calphalon with a pasta / strainer insert to make removal and draining of pasta much easier. I find the Calphalon cookware to be very well made. It is heavy enough to generate even heating and very durable.

Calphalon 6.5-qt. One Infused Anodized Stockpot with Pasta Insert

This 6.5-qt. stockpot is ideal for boiling pasta, making chicken noodle soup or preparing a pot of jambalaya. It's from Calphalon One, the cookware with the new surface that lets you brown and deglaze like the professionals yet is easy to clean with its specially advanced polymer cooking surface, similar to nonstick. It comes with its own insert for boiling pasta. Infused anodized cookware is an exclusive breakthrough anodization process that infuses an advanced released polymer (similar to nonstick) into the aluminum surface penetrating and filling the metal pores and creating a hybrid surface of metal and nonstick that is stick- and stain-resistant, durable and versatile. It’s the perfect surface for classic cooking techniques with easy cleanup. It's safe with metal utensils, is oven- and broiler-safe, carries a lifetime guarantee and is made in the USA.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Port Reduction Recipe

Here is another spectacular pork tenderloin recipe. This one is courtesy of ironchef at the Discuss Cooking forum. If you are looking for something unique but not difficult, give this recipe a try. It is delicious!

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with a Fennel and Green Apple Salad and Spiced Port Reduction

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:
For the pork:4 lbs. Pork Tenderloin
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme, chopped
3 Tbsp. Italian Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper

For the salad:
2 cups Granny Smith Apples, cut into 1/2" dice
1 cup Baby Fennel, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Chives, cut into 1" pieces
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste

For the Port Reduction:
1 1/2 cups Ruby Port
1/2 cup Red Wine
1/4 cup Raspberry Vinegar
1/2 cup Sugar
6 ea. Cloves
1 ea. Cinnamon Stick
10 ea. Fennel Seeds
10 ea. Coriander Seeds
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
Kosher Salt to taste

Method:

For the pork:
Combine all of the ingredients except for the salt and pepper in a ziplock bag or marinating dish. Let the tenderloin marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 3-4 Tbsp. of fresh olive oil in a large skillet until smoking. Liberally season the tenderloin with kosher salt and pepper. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown (be sure to NOT move the pork for at least 1-2 minutes per side after it is given contact with the pan or else you won't get any browning). Transfer the pork to a roasting pan or baking sheet and cook until the internal temp. is 150 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

For the salad:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, fennel, chives, olive oil, and lemon. Toss until mixed well. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.

For the port reduction:
In a saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except for the butter and salt (you can bundle the spices up in cheesecloth if you wish as it makes it easier to remove). Bring to a boil and then gently reduce by 2/3 to 3/4. The sauce should be fairly thick and easily coat the back of a spoon. Remove the spices, and off the heat, whisk in the butter. Season to taste with salt and keep warm.

Serving:
Spoon the port reduction over the slice pork and serve along with the salad.

Outstanding!

Shrimp, mussel, and scallop seafood boil - A quick and easy recipe

This Mother's Day we decided to stay at home and cook out. We tried the recipe below for an easy to make shrimp boil. It was delicious and the hit of the party! The original recipe was from Food & Wine magazine, but we added a couple of tweaks of our own. Awesome!

Easy Seafood Boil

This recipe is a modified version of a shrimp/seafood boil. It's quick and easy and best of all it's really tasty.

Ingredients:

• 24 shelled and deveined large shrimp (about 1 1/4 pounds) - You can use other sizes of shrimp, depending on what you have available.


• 8-16 mussels, scrubbed - We were able to find pre-scrubbed, precooked mussels at Trader Joe's in a vacuum sealed pack. They worked great.


• 6 ounces kielbasa, sliced 1/2 inch thick - Slice them on an angle for a more attractive presentation. We used skinless kielbasa. The taste was good and there was no chewy texture that you sometimes have with the tough skin on kielbasa.


• 1 pound of cleaned scallops - Try frozen, pre-cleaned scallops, thaw before use. They work fine. Always follow the pakcage directions for safe thawing, especially with seafood.


• 2 large ears of corn, shucked and cut into 6 rounds


• 4 thyme sprigs


• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, cut into 4 pieces


• Old Bay seasoning


• 1/4 cup dry white wine


• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

Light a grill. Lay four 24-by-18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Fold each sheet in half crosswise. On the lower half of each sheet, arrange the seafood, kielbasa, corn, thyme and butter; season with Old Bay. Fold the top half of each sheet over the bottom half and seal tightly on 2 sides. Into each packet, pour 1 tablespoon each of wine and water; seal tightly.
Grill the packets on the grate over moderately high heat, turning once, until puffed, about 10 minutes. Cut open each packet, pour the contents into bowls and serve.

Serve with:

We served this with boiled new potatoes with butter, dill, kosher salt and pepper. We also had a salad of arugula, goat cheese, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Serve up some crusty bread and a nice chardonnay and you have an awesome meal!

Recipe serves 4 but can easily be doubled or tripled.

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You can find some outstanding seafood and other delectable gourmet gifts at Dean & Deluca.

GOURMET FOODS & INNOVATIVE GIFTS - DEAN & DELUCA
The Icon of the American Epicurean Experience

Bon Appetit!

Rick & Karen