Potato Pancakes

The key to these potato pancakes is to let them cook long enough to get good and crispy.  The best time to make these is right after you've finished frying up some bacon.  Frying the potato pancakes in the leftover bacon grease adds a ton of flavor.

Potato Pancakes
Inspired by Allrecipes.com

2 c shredded potato (about 1 good sized russet)
1-2 T finely diced onion
2 eggs
1 T + 1 tsp flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
oil (preferably bacon grease)

1) Squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the potatoes.
2) In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, salt and pepper; mix well.
3) Add enough oil to a large skillet to cover the bottom (3-4 T); heat over medium.
4) Plop 2-3 T of batter in skillet; use spoon to spread batter into a thin pancake.
5) Fry on each side until golden brown.

Oven Roasted Kale

I tried making kale chips a while back, but they didn't quite turn out.  I'm not sure what kind of kale I used, but it was really thin, and the chips stuck to the pan.  After picking up some kale at the farmer's market this past weekend, I decided to given kale chips another shot with the help of this recipe.

1 bunch kale
1-2 T olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper, to taste
roasted sesame seeds


1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Remove thick stems from kale and roughly chop leaves.
3) In a large bowl, toss kale, oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
4) Spread kale on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are crisp and lightly browned.
5) Remove from oven; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Rice Pilaf with Pine Nuts

This dish made its family debut at a recent Sunday dinner.  I'm not sure where Mama K found the recipe, but it's definitely a winner.

Rice Pilaf with Pine Nuts

2 tsp olive or coconut oil
1 c rice
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped celery
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c pine nuts

1) Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet over med/med-low heat.
2) Add uncooked rice and saute until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
3) Add onion and celery to the skillet, saute until slightly softened; add salt and pepper.
4) Combine the rice mixture and broth in a rice cooker and cook as usual.
5) While the rice is cooking, brown the pine nuts in the skillet.
6) When the rice is finished, stir in the pine nuts and serve.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

This side dish has become a regular in our dinner rotation.  I never knew I liked brussels sprouts so much.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
2-3 T olive oil or butter (or, for extra flavor, bacon grease!)
1/4-1/2 c chicken broth
2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

1) In a large skillet, heat oil on medium; place brussels sprouts in a single layer, cut-side down.
2) Let cook until the sprouts start to brown; stir.
3) Add broth, sugar, salt and pepper; let simmer for 1min.
4) Cover and cook for 2 mins.
5) Uncover and cook until the excess broth has evaporated.

Mama B's Corn Casserole

The original recipe called for a can of creamed corn and a small box of jiffy.  Because I like to be difficult and make things from scratch, I instead made homemade creamed corn and used the dry ingredients from my favorite cornbread recipe.  I also baked it for over an hour in a deep 8x8 casserole dish.  My version wasn't quite as moist as the original, so I think I may have overbaked it.  Next time, I'll try the 9x13 as noted below.

Corn Casserole

1/2 c butter, melted
1 batch of homemade creamed corn
10 oz frozen corn
1/2 c cornmeal
2/3 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 T sugar
3 eggs
1 c sour cream
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Mix all ingredients well.
3) Transfer to 9x13 pan and bake for 45 mins.

Creamed Corn

This creamed corn has a nice slightly sweet flavor.  I can't wait to try it with fresh corn this summer.
 

Creamed Corn

10 oz frozen corn
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 T butter
1/2 c whole milk
1 T flour
2 T grated parmesan (optional)

1) In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter.
2) Once the corn is thawed, whisk together milk and flour and add to the mixture.
3) Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened and the corn is cooked through.
4) Remove from heat; add parmesan.

Brown Sugared Carrots

So..I'm not a huge fan of carrots, so anything to make them taste better is appreciated.  I suppose the sugar in the recipe offsets some of the health benefit of eating carrots, but I'm not going to worry about that.  These make a nice side dish for a roast chicken.  I scaled the recipe way down since it's just the two of us, and I just eyeballed most of the ingredients.

Brown Sugared Carrots

2 T coconut oil
1 - 1 1/2 lbs carrots (with tops on, if available)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 T dark brown sugar
1 T molasses
1/2 - 1 c water
2 T butter

1) Cut off carrot tops and set aside; peel and quarter the carrots lengthwise.
2) Heat the oil in a large skillet (make sure that it's big enough for the carrots to fit in!).
3) Add the carrots to the skillet; season with salt and pepper; stir to coat all the carrots.
4) After the carrots have cooked for a few minutes, add the brown sugar and molasses.
5) Add a little water (to allow the carrots to steam) and stir occasionally.
6) Cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
7) Add more water as needed, but the sauce should be pretty thick and bubbly.
8) Once the carrots are fork tender, add the butter; stir until melted.
9) Remove the carrots to a serving dish and garnish with chopped carrot tops.

Southwestern Bean and Rice Salad

We made this as a side dish for fish tacos. I also think it would be a nice alternative for the typical potato or pasta salad at a BBQ.

Southwestern Bean and Rice Salad

1 1/2 c cooked white rice, cooled
8 oz kidney beans (either canned or prepared from dry beans)
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 can sliced black olives, drained
2 T lime juice
2 T chopped green onions
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
fresh cilantro, minced

1) Combine rice, beans, bell pepper and olives in a medium bowl.
2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
3) Pour dressing over the rice mixture; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Green Bean Casserole

This is a Mama K recipe. Remembering to prep these the night before is a bit of a pain. I think they'd probably be just as good even if you skipped that step.

2 cans french cut green beans, drained (or equivalent in fresh green beans)
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
6 T sugar
6 T apple cider vinegar
1 red onion, thinly sliced

1) If using fresh green beans, steam for 20 mins.
2) Fry bacon until crispy; remove from pan.
3) Add sugar and vinegar; simmer until combined.
4) In a baking dish, layer green beans, sauce, bacon and onions.
5) Refrigerate overnight.
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Cornbread

One year for Thanksgiving I volunteered to bring cornbread. I was determined to find a good recipe, and I made 3 or 4 different batches and they were all dry and generally not that good. I recently tried a new recipe. Almost the entire 9x13 pan of it got tossed. Then I came across this recipe. Being cautious, I only made a half batch, and I incorporated a few of the changes recommended in the review section. I think I've finally found my go-to cornbread recipe. It was delicious with some honey butter (mix together softened butter, honey and salt, all to taste).

Cornbread

2 c cornmeal
2 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar (loosely scooped)
2 eggs
1/2 c olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) In a small bowl, combine cornbread and milk; let sit for 10 mins.
3) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugars.
4) Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil; beat on low for 5 mins.
5) Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan.
6) Bake for 30 - 35 mins or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Grandma K's Baked Beans

Love these.

Grandma K's Baked Beans

1 lb dry Great Northern beans
1 lb bacon, diced and fried
2 onions, chopped
1 1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1 c ketchup
2 tsp dry mustard
4 tsp salt
2 T worchestershire sauce

1) Soak beans for 8 hours or overnight, per package instructions.
2) Drain beans, return to pot and cover with fresh water.
3) Bring beans to a boil for 2 mins; cover, turn off heat and let stand for 1 hour.
4) Return beans to a simmer and cook for 30 mins; preheat oven to 300 degrees.
5) Drain beans and add remaining ingredients.
6) Bake beans for 5 hours in covered 9x13 pan.
7) Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until beans are soft; add water if the sauce gets too thick.

Buttermilk Biscuits

It works great to freeze these biscuits before baking (and before brushing with milk). Then just pop them straight from the freezer into the oven whenever you want one.

Buttermilk Biscuits

4 c all-purpose flour (if using self-rising flour, eliminate salt and 2 tsp baking powder)
1 T sugar
1 T plus 2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2/3 c butter
2 1/4 c buttermilk, divided

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir well.
3) Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
4) Add 2 c buttermilk and mix just until moistened.
5) Roll out dough to 1 inch thickness and cut into biscuits (I used a floured drinking glass).
6) Repeat until all dough is used.
7) Place biscuits on lightly greased baking sheet; brush tops with remaining buttermilk.
8) Bake for 18 mins or until golden.

Savory Carrots

I'm not a huge carrot fan, but these were pretty good. We had them tonight with a roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. I did not measure anything, just added all the ingredients to taste.

Savory Carrots

olive oil
garlic, minced
carrots, sliced
onion, chopped
salt & pepper
water

1) Saute garlic in olive oil.
2) Add carrots and onion; saute for a few minutes.
3) Season with salt & pepper.
4) Add water (maybe 1/2 c); cover and simmer for 15 mins.
5) Remove lid and simmer until the water has evaporated.

Crockpot Refried Beans

An easy and tasty recipe!

Crockpot Refried Beans

1 1/2 c dry pinto beans, rinsed
2 1/2 c water
2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin

1) Stir together all the ingredients in the crockpot.
2) Cook on high for 8 hours; add more liquid, if necessary.
3) Mash beans to desired consistency.

Hush Puppies

J has been dying to make hush puppies, so we gave it a shot last night. They went great with our roast chicken, gravy and mashed potatoes :-) We used a Rachael Ray recipe I found in a magazine. They are very corny and quite light, almost cake-like in the middle; not as dense and heavy as some hush puppies I've eaten.

Hush Puppies

1 1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c flour
3 T sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c canned creamed corn
1/3 c milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
black pepper
cayenne pepper
vegetable oil, for frying

1) Mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2) Add creamed corn, milk, egg and onion; stir until combined.
3) Fill a medium-sized pot with at least 2 inches of oil; heat to 350 degrees.
4) Use a cookie scoop to drop small balls of batter into the oil.
5) Fry each batch until browned, turning occasionally, for about 5 mins.
6) Drain on paper towels.

Stuffed Mushrooms

This is my Mom's recipe, and we love love love these. This makes plenty of stuffing, so you really have to cram it in the mushroom caps. Tonight I used fresh cilantro instead of parsley because that is what I had on hand.

Stuffed Mushrooms

16 mushrooms
1 stick butter
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 T parsley
1 T onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
parmesan cheese

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Remove mushroom stems and finely chop.
3) Melt butter in skillet and saute mushroom stems, bread crumbs, parsley and onion.
4) Add salt and pepper.
5) Remove skillet from heat; mix in egg.
6) Place mushroom caps in lightly greased pan; stuff with filling.
7) Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
8) Bake for 15 mins.

Cheese and Broccoli Baked Potatoes

This is definitely a more sophisticated cheese and broccoli baked potato than I'm used to (no cheez whiz!). It was very tasty and this recipe made enough topping for probably four potatoes instead of two (although we loaded it on two anyways). We weren't sure this would be enough for dinner, so we made BLTs and a couple ears of corn. Way too much food....

Baked Potatoes

2 baking potatoes
olive oil
kosher salt

1) Preheat over to 400 degrees.
2) Pierce potatos skins with fork.
3) Spritz with olive oil.
4) Sprinkle on kosher salt.
5) Bake for one hour.

Cheese and Broccoli Topping

2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/4 c milk
salt & pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
1 c Jarlsberg or other swiss cheese, grated
1 small head of broccoli, steamed

1) Melt butter over medium heat.
2) Whisk in flour and simmer for 2-3 minutes; do not brown.
3) Stir in milk and bring just to a boil.
4) Add salt, pepper, cayenne and simmer 2-3 minutes.
5) Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted.
6) Chop steamed broccoli and add to sauce.
7) Spoon over baked potatoes.

Spinach Balls

We really enjoyed these... I made a few minor changes, of course.

Spinach Balls

serves 4 (approx. 15 pieces)

1 - 10 oz. package of frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed and chopped
3/4c seasoned bread crumbs
3/4c grated parmesan cheese
1/4c butter, melted
3-4 T onion, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp garlic, minced
salt & pepper, to taste

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
3) Shape the mixture into 1" balls.
4) Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 25 mins.