Asiago Potato Stacks

These are tasty, but for the effort/time required, I'm only going to give them 8.5/10.  If you don't have a decent mandoline (I currently only have a cheap-y one), don't even bother attempting this.  Mind you, I'm not a fast cook to begin with, but this took me well over an hour to prep.  It's also annoying to peel yukon gold potatoes, as part of their appeal (no pun intended) is that you don't need to peel them.  But since this recipe wants the starch rinsed off, it's necessary.  I'm also not sure why (nor if) the two Russet potatoes are necessary.  The ones I used were not very heavy, so I ended up with closer to 2 lbs of Yukon golds and around 1/2 lb of Russets.  Original recipe indicates using one 12-cup style muffin/cupcake baking tray; mine came out needing half the cups of a second tray; I will reduce the recipe, should I make it again.

Link to original recipe: https://www.afamilyfeast.com/asiago-potato-stacks/#tasty-recipes-23522

Ingredients:

2 large, long Russet potatoes (around 1 1/2 lbs)

1 lb small size Yukon gold potatoes

3 T. butter, plus more to grease muffin/cupcake baking trays

2 T. olive oil

1 T. fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1/2 T. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

1/2 c. (plus more for topping) Asiago cheese, finely shredded

Grey sea salt for topping (optional; I did use)

Directions:

1. Butter/grease two 12-cup muffin/cupcake baking trays and set aside.  Place a large bowl in a sink and fill it about 2/3 full of water.  Peel potatoes and after each is peeled, place in the water.

2. In a small bow, microwave butter, oil, thyme, salt, and pepper together, until butter has melted.  Stir in Asiago. (I forgot to mix in the Asiago until after the pic)

3. After you remove each potato from the water, dry it on a towel, then use a mandoline slicer to slice potato thinly into a large bowl.  After you have sliced about half of the potatoes, pour about half the butter mixture in with the sliced potatoes and mix together.  Heat oven to 375°F.

4. Finish slicing remaining half of potatoes and mix in rest of butter mixture, working in gently by hand.

                                            

5. Layer the potatoes slices in the prepared muffin/cupcake baking trays, dividing evenly among the cups, filling them each almost to the top.

6. Sprinkle some additional Asiago atop each cup, along with some grey sea salt.  Bake for 40-50 min, of until baked through (it took 45 for the partially full tray, 50 for the completely full one, in the convection oven).  Leave in baking trays for 5 min after removing from oven before serving.  Enjoy!

Roquefort sauce for steaks

If you love Roquefort cheese (I do :)), you've gotta try this on your next steak.  It is easy and super tasty--10/10!  I halved the original recipe, as no one else in my house likes Roquefort, and it was just a bit more than I needed for a large steak.

Link to original recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9862-grilled-steak-with-roquefort-sauce

(you will likely need a subscription to access)

Ingredients (this is for half recipe, so feel free to double):

1/2 T. unsalted butter (or canola oil; I used butter)

2 T. minced shallot (a walnut-sized one will yield this amount)

1 T. dry white wine (I used Barefoot Chardonnay)

3 oz. Roquefort

pinch of cayenne

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then add minced shallot.  Cook until shallots have softened, stirring frequently and being careful not to burn them (yep, that's what I did the first time, had to start over).

2. Add the white wine and cook until it is getting close to totally evaporating.  

3. Lower heat to low and stir in the Roquefort, cayenne, and pepper.  Break Roquefort into pieces and stir until nearly completely melted/combined.  Serve over steaks and enjoy!  (If not able to serve immediately, keep over low heat and stir occasionally until ready to serve.)

Rosemary Brined Fried Chicken

Happy Father's day!  To celebrate, you might just want to consider this recipe...

Ooooh yeah. This is the stuff.  I've tried quite a few fried chicken recipes and this one is 10+/10 all the way!  It's super delicious, an absolute must-make-as-often-as-possible.  As I wrote the recipe out, I realized I had omitted the freshly ground black pepper in the original--not on purpose--and as we loved the results, I'll be leaving out again next time, too.

Link to original recipe: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/rosemary-brined-buttermilk-fried-chicken-368790

Ingredients:

for the brine--

1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 of a medium, as I did), sliced thinly

4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed lightly with the handle of a knife

1 tsp. canola oil

3 T. kosher salt

5 or 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary, around 4-5" long each

4 1/2 c. water

juice from 1 lemon

chicken, coating, and frying--

~4 lbs. chicken drumsticks (or other bone-in pieces)

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. paprika

2 T. fine sea salt

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

~2 c. buttermilk (I didn't measure)

oil for frying (I used my usual amount in the deep fryer, which I am not sure of quantity, I just fill it to the fill line)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, stir together onion, garlic, and oil.  After it has cooked for around 30 seconds, stir in the kosher salt.  Let cook, stirring occasionally, until onion becomes translucent, around 4 minutes total.

2. Stir in the rosemary (as best you can), cooking for around 30 seconds to heat it.  Add the water and lemon juice, then increase heat to medium-high.  Stir until salt has dissolved, bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.  Let cool for around 30 min, then place in fridge until chilled.

3. Once brine has chilled, add chicken pieces to a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag, then pour the brine in.  Close up, squeezing out as much air as possible.  Place bag in a bowl that will allow all the chicken to be in the brine at same time and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably closer to 24 (I went around 22).

4. Set up a rimmed baking sheet with rack over it.  Remove chicken pieces from brine and rinse under cold water, then place on the rack.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, paprika, sea salt, and cayenne.  After whisking, pour half of mixture into a second medium bowl.  Pour buttermilk into a third bowl.

6. Heat oil in a Fry Daddy (or a pan for deep frying) to 350°F.  Coat chicken pieces in first bowl of flour mixture, then dip through buttermilk to coat, and coat again in second bowl of flour mixture.  Place coated pieces back on rack.

7. Fry chicken pieces (do not crowd fryer/pan) for 12-15 minutes, depending on size (12 was great for my smaller pieces, but I went 15 on biggest just to be sure).  Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving and enjoy (a lot)!!

Braised Red Potatoes

Another very tasty recipe, 10/10!  Relatively quick and easy, too.  I paired it with steak with chimichurri sauce, which I highly recommend.

Link to original recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/10/braised-potatoes-with-garlic-recipe.html

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. small red potatoes

3 T. olive oil

1 c. chicken stock (I used my homemade one)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 T. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

kosher salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cut potatoes in half (or, if on the large side, in fourths) and place in a skillet big enough to hold them all in a single, snug layer.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet and stir to coat, making sure to have potatoes still in single layer after stirring.  Bring to simmer over medium to medium-high heat.

3. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low, or just enough to keep mixture simmering.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Remove lid and increase heat to medium, bringing mixture to boil.  Boil and stir occasionally for around 8-10 additional minutes.  Potatoes will start to brown and liquid will nearly disappear.  Serve with desired main and enjoy!

Creamy, Cheesy Italian Sausage Penne

MMM!  This is super delicious 10/10! And easy. And quick. It's one of those meals that will make you wish you had extra stomachs just to keep eating more.  The amounts listed below are for 2 generous servings (I actually couldn't quite finish mine), and some ingredients' amounts are estimations, as I did not measure. 

Update: This is also awesome with hot Italian sausage instead. Add a bit of shredded mozzarella during the simmering of the cream mixture part. Delicious!!

Link to original recipe: http://foodtasia.com/creamy-cheesy-italian-sausage-and-basil-penne/

Ingredients:

8 oz. penne pasta

~1 T. olive oil

1/2 of a medium yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 links (around 8oz.) Johnsonville Italian Four Cheese Sausage (these are also good simply grilled!), casings removed

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

1/2 c. chicken broth (I used reduced sodium version)

3/4 c. heavy cream

~1/3 c. dry white wine (I used (and recommend) Château Ste Michelle Sauvignon Blanc; Chardonnay will also work, but Sauvignon Blanc is better for this recipe (I have now tried both ways))

6 T. shredded Parmesan cheese

~10 basil leaves, cut in small, thin strip bits

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium-large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  When oil is heated, add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for around 2 minutes.

3. Add sausage and Italian seasoning to skillet.  Break sausage down to crumbles as you cook it.  Cook until starting to brown (around 3-4 min).  Use a paper towel to blot up excess rendered fat (or drain with a strainer).

                                      

4. Add bay leaf, chicken broth, heavy cream, and white wine.  Stir to combine, then bring to simmer.  Adjust heat to keep at strong simmer and keep simmering for around 7 min.

5. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper.  Add pasta to skillet and stir to coat.  Enjoy!

Grilled Honey-Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks

These are pretty tasty...will go 8.5/10.  I would make them again, but would change slightly: needs to be regular, not low-sodium soy sauce, omit the sesame seeds, and save out more of the marinade/sauce to use for dipping.

Link to original recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/36762-grilled-honey-balsamic-chicken-drumsticks

Ingredients:

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. regular soy sauce (do not use low sodium)

1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

8 chicken drumsticks

Directions:

1. In a medium (non-reactive) bowl, whisk together all ingredients (except the chicken).  Save out at least 1/4 c. of the mixture (I recommend 1/2 c. (see note above)), then add the drumsticks to the mixture in the main bowl.  

2. Turn drumsticks in sauce to coat, then cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (up to overnight).  If you can remember to do so, turn drumsticks during marinating (I forgot).

3. Light a grill (I used charcoal; otherwise, set grill to 'medium'.  Oil the grate.  When the coals are ready, add chicken to grill and cook, covered, turning every 5-8 minutes, until cooked through (around 30+ minutes total).  Discard the marinade the chicken was in.  Close to when the chicken is done, brush with some of the reserved (clean) marinade/sauce.  Serve with the sauce and enjoy!

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin -- Pressure Cooker

I made this back in January...and I do know it was very good, but I forgot to note my rating, so that will have wait until I make it again (very sure I wanted to, likely a 10/10 :))  

Link to original recipe: https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/instant-pot-balsamic-pork-tenderloin/

Ingredients:

1-2 pork tenderloins (around 2-3 lbs total)

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

4 T. soy sauce

1 c. brown sugar (packed)

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1 c. water

2 T. corn starch mixed with 4 T. cold water

Directions:

1. Set pressure cooker to "sauté".  Coat pork all over with the olive oil, then generously season all over with salt, pepper, the garlic powder, and the Italian seasoning.  Alternatively, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (this is what I did, as I felt there wasn't enough room in my pressure cooker to do this effectively).

2. Transfer tenderloins to the pot of the pressure cooker and sauté until browned all over.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and water.  Pour into the pressure cooker pot.  Lock lid in place (make sure steam valve is closed!) and set for pressurized cooking of 15 minutes.

4. When pressurized cooking has finished, unplug and allow to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, then 'quick release' rest of pressure by carefully opening valve.  Once the pressure has released entirely (float has dropped), carefully unlock/open lid, then transfer tenderloin(s) only to a plate.

5. Set pressure cooker to 'sauté' setting again.  Once mixture reaches boil, stir in the cornstarch/water mixture.  Let cook for additional few minutes until sauce has thickened.

6. Serve tenderloins with sauce and enjoy!