simple sunday: frozen berry smoothies
I am not a morning person. I have never in my life been a morning person. For years my alarm clock was tuned to static at the highest volume possible. Mornings are hard for me.
Buuuuut…I really need to eat in the AM or I hate the rest of my day. Enter frozen berry smoothies.
Here’s the list of ingredients in my morning savior:
Into the bottom of the blender goes the frozen fruit. Keeping frozen fruit on hand makes this whole thing so easy. I how it makes the smoothies icy without the ice that just water them down.
Then the banana…
And the Fage. That amazing goodness that has like 10 g of protein per serving. It’s the secret ingredient that keeps me full until lunch.
Top it off with milk.
Blend until smooth but not runny. Yum!
Serve in your favorite glass!
Frozen Berry Smoothies
1 c frozen fruit
1/2 c milk
1/2 c Fage yogurt
1 banana
In a blender, combine the frozen fruit, milk, yogurt and banana until smooth but not runny.
dad’s birthday week: banana pudding
Today is my dad’s birthday – HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! I love you!
This is my dad’s absolute favorite dessert and it ranks pretty high on my list too!
There are definitely two schools of thought on banana pudding – some people make it with a true pudding filling and others make it with a more custard-like filling. This recipe falls into the latter category.
It is so creamy and rich. The vanilla wafers soften while they are cooking but don’t turn to mush, so they hold up well against the bananas and custard.
Recipes for banana pudding can be found in lots of Southern cookbooks, but this recipe comes from the back of the Jack’s Vanilla Wafers bag. I have never been able to find Jack’s Vanilla Wafers in Texas and this is so sad because they are FAR superior to any other brand I have ever had. I have used Nilla Wafers and lots of other brands and they make a perfectly good banana pudding, but there is nothing better than when I can get my hands on a bag of Jack’s!
Here is what you’ll need for the banana pudding:
Start by lining the bottom of a souffle dish with vanilla wafers.
Then layer sliced bananas on top and alternate the layers until you’ve reached the top of the dish.
In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch.
Scald the milk and add it to the beaten egg mixture. Whisk in the milk quickly so the eggs don’t cook.
In a double boiler, cook the milk and egg mixture until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Pour the custard, which is as rich as liquid gold now, over the sliced bananas and vanilla wafers.
In another bowl, add sugar to the egg whites and beat until you have still peaks. Spread the meringue over the wafers and banana slices.
Then use the back of a spoon to create little peaks on the top.
Bake for 30 minutes in a slow oven (about 300 degrees F). The top will turn light brown and the custard will set.
When you serve the banana pudding, make sure each serving has a little meringue with the pudding. The top of the meringue has a crispy, slightly caramelized flavor that goes perfectly with the rich vanilla flavor of the custard. Yum!!
Banana Pudding
1 package of vanilla wafers
5-6 bananas, depending on size
3 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp corn starch
2 cups milk
4 Tbls sugar
In a deep dish, place a layer of wafers. Stand a layer of wafers on edge around the side of the dish. On the first layer of waters place a layer of sliced bananas, then a layer of waters and another of sliced bananas and so on until you have the desired quantity.
Beat 3 egg yolks slightly. Add to the egg yolks ½ cup of sugar, the salt, and the corn starch. Add this to 2 cups of scalded milk. Place the uncooked custard in the top of a double boiler and cook until the custard thickens, stirring constantly. Pour the custard over the wafers and bananas.
Beat egg whites with the 4 tbls sugar until stiff. Spread this over the contents of the dish and bake in a slow oven (275-300º) for 15-20 minutes or until beginning to brown.
dad’s birthday week: lasagna
Lasagna is one of my dad’s favorite meals. He orders it more than anything else at Italian restaurants and he loves when my mom makes it for him.
When I was 11 or 12, I loved lasagna more than any other food too. For my birthday, my parents decided to take me to a nice Italian restaurant so I could get fancy lasagna to celebrate. However, when it came to the table it had English peas in it. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND puts English peas in a perfectly good lasagna?
Needless to say, I did not get to enjoy lasagna on my birthday that year, but my mom makes a mean lasagna that has been better than anything I could get in a restaurant anyway.
This is what you’ll need:
Friends, I am going to rock your world with this next picture. See where it says “oven ready lasagna”? These noodles require NO BOILING before baking in the lasagna! Seriously! I don’t know how they do it, and I don’t care, but this is all I use nowadays for lasagna.
Start by browning the ground meat in a saute pan. Once it is brown, drain the fat from the pan, then add the basil, oregano and parsley.
Next, add the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes.
Stir to combine then bring to a boil. Once it is bubbling, turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
While the sauce is simmering, beat two eggs in a mixing bowl.
Add the cottage cheese to the beaten eggs. The cottage cheese makes the lasagna really rich and creamy.
Then add the parsley, salt and pepper.
Finally, add the grated parmesan cheese.
And stir to combine.
In the bottom of a greased 9″ x 13″ pan, spread a thin layer of the meat and tomato mixture (about a 1/5 of the total meat sauce).
Lay as many lasagna noodles as you need to fill the pan on top of the meat mixture.
Then spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture on the noodles.
Cover the layer of cottage cheese with shredded parmesan cheese.
Finally, add a layer of the meat mixture.
Repeat the noodles, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and meat mixture once more.
Sprinkle a thin layer of mozzarella cheese over the top.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Lasagna
1 lb. ground meat
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbls. parsley flakes
1 tbls. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 8-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
lasagna noodles
2 12-oz. cartons large curd cream style cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbls. parsley flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated
Brown meat slowly in a large skillet or pot; stirring until meat crumbles. Drain and add garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer uncovered until thick, 45 minutes to 1 hour; stirring occasionally, being careful not to let it stick and burn.
In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.
To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of 9 s 13” baking dish sprayed with Pam. Cover the meat mixture with lasagna noodles, then spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture over noodles. Cover the layer of cottage cheese with mozzarella, then a layer of the meat mixture. Repeat layers. Finish with a thin layer of mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
dad’s birthday week: maker’s mark old fashioned
My wonderful dad’s birthday is this week, so in honor of him I am going to post some of his favorite things to eat and drink throughout the week!
The first is one of his favorite mixed drinks: the old fashioned. It’s a great whiskey drink with a sweet orange flavor. I like mine pretty bitter, so I don’t use a lot of the Maraschino cherry juice but you can adjust it to your liking.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
In a shaker, mix 1/4 c of Maker’s Mark bourbon, 2 tbsp of Patron Citronge, 5 shakes of bitters, and 1/2 tsp Maraschino cherry juice.
Pour over ice.
Garnish with an orange slice.
Enjoy!
Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned
1 oz. (2 tbsp) Patron Citronge
2 oz. (1/4 c) Maker’s Mark bourbon
1/4 tsp (or 5 shakes) bitters
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp Maraschino cherry juice
Fill a short glass with ice. Add all ingredients to a shaker and mix well. Pour into glass and adjust sweetness with cherry syrup. Garnish with an orange slice.
mrs. holly’s chili
Have you heard? Texas is having snow-mageddon this weekend. The extreme weather has basically paralyzed the state, resulting in rolling blackouts, runs on the grocery stores, and lots of overreaction in general.
Always thinking about food, my mind went straight to what warm dish we would have for dinner when I heard about the impending weather. It wasn’t a long leap to chili — my favorite dish on a cold night. It also gave me another excuse to use the cheddar jalapeño cheese!
This is our family’s favorite recipe for chili — it is from one of Holly Clegg’s first Trim & Terrific cookbooks. I was lucky enough to sit at Mrs. Holly’s kitchen counter when I was growing up as her daughter Courtney is my best friend. Aside from my mom, Mrs. Holly is definitely my biggest cooking influence and inspiration.
The thing that makes this chili a perfect cold night dish is that you can have it ready — start to finish — in an hour. The active time is only about 15 minutes, so its easy to make after getting home from work. You can let it cook while throwing a salad or dessert together. Or catch up on Oprah. Whatever you want.
So here’s what you’ll need to make the chili:
Start by dicing the onions, green bell pepper, garlic and celery. Saute the vegetables in olive oil until they start to brown.
Add the ground meat. When the meat is cooked through, drain the fat from the pan.
Add the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings.
Bring the chili to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 45 minutes until it has thickened.
Serve the chili with Fritos and grated cheese.
Yum!!
Mrs. Holly’s Chili
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 ½ pounds ground sirloin
1 (14 ½ oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14 ½ oz) can beef broth
1 tbsp flour
5 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onions, green pepper, garlic, and celery in large pot until tender. Add ground sirloin and cook until done. Drain fat form the pan. Add remaining ingredients bringing mixture to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
cinnamon-vanilla ice cream
One of the first things I learned about Whitney was his love for ice cream. In a discussion about family traditions in one of our classes, he mentioned that he and his brother always made cinnamon-vanilla ice cream to serve at Thanksgiving.
Another clue: I’ve watched him down not just one, but two entire pints of ice cream in one sitting more than once since we’ve been together.
He’s happy with Chocolate Chocolate Chip from Hagen Daaz, Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food, and even plain Bluebell Vanilla. But he really, really loves homemade ice cream.
This would be a bummer if we still used rock salt and hand-crank ice cream makers. But with the invention of the automatic, electric ice cream maker it has become pretty hard to say that ice cream is too much of a pain to make.
This recipe makes cinnamon-vanilla ice cream, but you can easily change it by sticking to the basic ingredients (sugar, eggs, half-and-half and heavy cream) and substituting different flavorings. You can try adding diced strawberries that have been sprinkled with a tsp. or two of sugar and refrigerated for a day. You can also add a 1/4 c of chocolate syrup and some chocolate chips. For homemade cookie dough ice cream, fold in small balls of slice-and-bake cookie dough to the ice cream about halfway through freezing.
But for today we are making cinnamon-vanilla ice cream and here are the ingredients you’ll need to make it:
Start by beating the eggs in a medium bowl. You’ll need these pretty quickly and won’t want to waste time beating them at that point.
In a saucepan, mix the sugar and half-and-half and cook over medium-low heat.
Once the mixture is simmering, pour half of it into the eggs and whisk quickly so the eggs don’t scramble. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan and add the heavy cream. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the vanilla bean by removing the seeds from the pod. Start by making a lengthwise cut to the pod.
Open the pod so the seeds are exposed.
Using the back of your knife, scrape the seeds from the pod.
Meanwhile, remove the egg and cream mixture from the heat and whisk in the seeds from the vanilla bean (or vanilla extract) and the cinnamon.
Set the mixture aside to cool. Once cooled to room temperature, pour the mixture into the ice cream maker.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for freezing.
Enjoy!
Cinnamon-Vanilla Ice Cream
1 c white sugar
1 1/2 c half-and-half
2 eggs, beaten
1 c heavy cream
1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and half-and-half. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Be sure to whisk quickly so that the eggs do not cook.
Pour the whole mixture back into the pan then add the heavy cream. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the inside of the vanilla bean (or vanilla extract) and the cinnamon. Set aside to cool.
spinach madeline
This is the. best. casserole. ever.
This is a standby at Thanksgiving, Christmas, family celebrations and Wednesday nights that need a pick-me-up.
It is also what my mom used to trick me into liking spinach. (Thanks, Mom!)
The recipe is from the original River Road Recipes cookbook, the first in the series of cookbooks from the Junior League of Baton Rouge. It was published in the 1950’s so many of the recipes call for ingredients and brands that aren’t around any longer…including this one.
One of they key ingredients in this casserole is a roll of Kraft Jalapeño Cheese. Kraft stopped making this delicious roll of cheesy goodness a while ago so we’ve been using the Mexican Velveeta in its place. Kraft also made a garlic cheese roll that is called for in the RRR Garlic Cheese Grits and is also discontinued.
With all the cooking that the fine ladies of Baton Rouge do, I can’t imagine that Kraft didn’t see the market for their delicious rubbery rolls of garlic and jalapeño cheese…
Moving on, here’s what you need to make my favorite vegetable dish. It can still be called a vegetable even though it has almost half of a pound of cheese in it right?
You might recognize the hunka cheese in the picture above from my post about Bully Cheese. Mexican Velveeta is definitely a lot easier to find in your local supermarket and its what I will be back to using as soon as my MS State cheese runs out.
Start by defrosting the spinach in the microwave. Add a few tablespoons of water to the bottom of a bowl and put the spinach in.
Microwave for 3-4 minutes, stopping once to break up the spinach with your fork.
Set a colander in a bowl, then pour the spinach (with the liquid in the bottom of the bowl) into the colander, making sure that the liquid is caught in the bottom bowl.
Measure about 1/2 c of the spinach liquid and set it aside.
Now we’re about to make the roux. You’ll want to have your onion and cheese ready. Dice half of an onion into small pieces.
Also chop the cheese into 1/2-inch cubes.
In a large saute pan, melt the butter.
Once it is foaming, add the flour.
Quick! Give it a stir. In fact, don’t stop stirring until it has turned light brown.
Once it has, add the onions and cook until they are soft.
Next, add the spinach “stock”…
Then the evaporated milk.
Stir the mixture for a few minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Then add the black pepper, red pepper, celery salt, garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce.
Stir to combine, then add the cubes of cheese.
Once the cheese has melted, add the spinach.
Stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
Pour the spinach mixture into a greased 8″ x 8″ casserole dish. You can freeze it at this point or cook it immediately.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, until the top is light brown and it bubbles around the edge.
Serve warm.
Spinach Madeline
2 pkgs. frozen chopped spinach
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. onion, diced
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. spinach “stock” (reserved liquid from cooked spinach)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. celery salt
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
Salt, to taste
Red pepper, to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 oz. Mexican Velveeta, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and reserve liquor.
Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until the roux is light brown. Add onion and cook until soft, but not brown.
Add milk and vegetable liquor slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and thick; continue stirring. Add seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and Mexican Velveeta. Stir until melted.
Combine with cooked spinach. Pour into a greased 8″ x 8″ baking dish. If you plan to freeze it, this is the perfect time to do that. If you are cooking it immediately, bake at 3509 degrees F for 45 minutes, until the top browns lightly.
twice-baked potatoes
Mmmmm. These are a longtime favorite in our family, most loved by my cousin Renee’.
When my cousins, sister and I were all in college, my mom would make a big batch of these and freeze the extras before the second baking and send them back to school with us.
They’re really rich, so they pair well with a steak dinner. However, they are filling enough to eat on their own on a lazy evening.
Here’s what you will need:
Pierce the potatoes with a knife 5-6 times then place them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees F for 1 hour. If you are short on time, microwave them for 5-7 minutes before sticking them in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The microwave will cook them faster and their time in the oven will make the skins crispy.
After you pull them out of the oven, slice the top 1/4 off.
Then, using a spoon, scoop out the inside of the potato into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer.
To the potatoes in the bowl, add salt…
Then butter…
And cheddar cheese…
Finally, add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream.
Beat the mixture at medium speed for 1-2 minutes, just until combined. Don’t beat the potatoes too long or they will become gummy.
Add the mixture back to the potato skins. If you make more than you need to serve immediately, stick the potatoes in ziplocks and freeze them at this point. They freeze well before the second baking.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F, until the edges of the potato mixture start to brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on the potatoes. Stick them back in the oven for about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately after removing from oven.
Twice-Baked Potatoes
2 russet potatoes
3-4 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Pierce the potatoes with a sharp knife on each side a few times (5-6 times total) then bake them at 400 degrees F for an hour.
Slice the top 1/4 of the long side of the potatoes off, then scoop out the insides with a spoon.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the potatoes, cheese, salt, sour cream and butter. Mix until just combined.
Scoop the potato mixture back into the skins and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F.
When the edges of the potato mixture start to brown, remove them from the oven and sprinkle cheese on them.
Place them back in the oven for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
fancy hummus
Friends, let me tell you about fancy hummus. This is the 2nd easiest appetizer in the world to put together (preceded only by baked goat cheese in marinara) and looks…well…fancy!
All you need is 5 minutes and these ingredients:
Start by scooping out the garnishes from the top of the hummus.
On a platter, spread the hummus in an even layer about 1/4 inch thick.
Scatter the feta on the top. You can use crumbled goat cheese here too.
Add the garnishes back to the hummus.
Then scatter the chopped roasted tomatoes. Or sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red bell peppers. Whatever you have.
Finally, add the chopped kalamata olives.
4 minutes and 28 seconds later you have fancy hummus. Just pour pita chips into a bowl and you’re ready to serve!
Fancy Hummus
1 container of hummus (I like the Pine Nut variety, but you can use any of them)
1/4 c pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 c crumbled feta or goat cheese
1/4 c roasted or sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red bell peppers, chopped
pita chips, for serving
Scoop out the garnish on the top of the hummus and reserve. Spread the hummus in an even layer on a platter about 1/4 inch thick.
Scatter the cheese, tomatoes, olives and garnish over the hummus.
Serve with pita chips.
wild mushroom soup
Its been chilly around here lately and this recipe from the Blackberry Farm cookbook is the perfect soup for a cold evening. It super-hearty and you won’t even miss the meat.
I love how it has so much depth of flavor – the earthiness from the wild mushrooms, the slight hint of sweetness from the sherry, and the smoothness form the heavy cream.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
Start by snapping the stems off of the mushrooms and putting them in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
Chop the mushroom caps into small pieces, and lay them on a rimmed baking sheet with the rosemary sprig. Drizzle the butter and 1 tsp salt over them and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
In a saucepan large enough to hold the soup, saute the shallots in the olive oil until they become translucent.
Add the tomato paste…
Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it becomes brick red, then add the sherry and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the roasted mushrooms, reserved mushroom broth and cream, then simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
Season with the remaining tsp of salt before serving.
Next time I make it, I am going to try to saute chopped bacon with the shallots. I’m really looking forward to seeing how that will turn out.
Wild Mushroom Soup
2 lbs wild mushrooms (morel, chanterelle, shiitake, oyster, porcini, baby bella)
5 c water
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 stick butter, melted
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 c sherry
1 c heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Snap the stems off of the mushrooms and put them in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. remove from the heat and strain, reserving the liquid; discard the stems.
Brush any dirt off the mushrooms caps and chop them into small pieces, about the size of peas. If you want your soup chunkier, like a stew, then you can shop the mushroom caps more roughly.
Place the chopped mushroom caps on a rimmed baking sheet along with the sprig of rosemary, drizzle with the butter and 1 tsp of salt. Roast until the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the rosemary stem, and set the mushrooms aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat and add the shallots. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the color becomes brick red.
Stir in the sherry and cook for another three minutes. Add the roasted mushrooms, reserve mushroom broth, and cream. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
Season with the remaining tsp of salt and serve.
Is there any wine left? 
