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Smashed Cauliflower

This is one of those low carb diet dishes that is supposed to replace potatoes…and it’s good enough to actually make you forget all about those carbs!

1 head cauliflower, cut up
1-1.5cups chicky broth
salt/pepper
1Tbl butter
1 cup shredded cheese (whatever you like)

Put the cauliflower in a large skillet with a lid if you’ve got one. Pour in enough broth to come up halfway on the cauliflower and turn the heat to high. Let the cauliflower simmer until it gets soft. Drain off the broth, set aside. Add the butter, s/p and cheese. Turn the heat to medium. Start lightly mashing the cauliflower and cheese together. Add back in enough broth to keep the mixture moist but not runny. I like to leave identifiable chunks of cauliflower in mine, but you can smash it all the way if you like.

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Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

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Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

My recipe is not particularly unique, but I can tell you that this is an OLD cocktail nibbly from the 50s/60s. There are many iterations of it, mine is the usual soy sauce route. Enjoy!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword 50s party food, 60s party food, bacon, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, cocktail nosh
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 10
Author misangela

Equipment

  • plain toothpicks

Ingredients

  • 2 cans whole water chestnuts, drained
  • 1 pound bacon, cut into 4ths NOT thick sliced
  • ½ Cup soy sauce
  • ½ Cup mirin or seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 Cup sesame oil or olive oil
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Marinate the water chestnuts in a gallon zip bag with soy, mirin, brown sugar and oil. You can marinate up to 2 days ahead.
  • When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400°F. Cut up bacon and wrap each water chestnut in a piece of bacon and secure with toothpick.
  • On the sheet pan, sprinkle chestnuts with black pepper and a bit more brown sugar.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes, until the bacon is rendered and crispy.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

This is a HUGE party favourite! I usually double the recipe because they disappear so quickly. 
You can change up the flavour profile by modifying the marinade for the water chestnuts. Try it with garlic chili sauce or make them with L&P and rosemary for a completely different taste. 
You can also put bacon around dates or dried fruit. 
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Angela’s Green Bean Casserole

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Angela's Green Bean Casserole

Yes, everyone has a green bean casserole recipe. Here's mine! :)
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword christmas, green bean casserole, green beans, thanksgiving
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Author misangela

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Green Beans cut into 2" pcs, blanched in salted water then rinsed in cold water to stop cooking
  • 1 8oz Cremini Mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 1 small White Onion (about half to 2/3 cup) VERY small dice (brunoise)
  • 4 cloves Garlic minced
  • 4 Tbl Butter pieces
  • 3 Tbl A/P Flour
  • 1 tsp Salt Dixie Crystal Kosher
  • 2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 Tbl L&P Worcestershire more if you like
  • 1 Cup Shredded Cheese whatever you like (smoked cheddar and gruyere is very good);
  • 1 Cup Half n Half whole milk is fine; you might need +/-
  • 1 container French Fried Onions try adding some of the jalapeño ones!!
  • ½ Cup Shredded Cheese for topping

Instructions

  • Get all your ingredients ready to assemble and your cooking will go much smoother.
  • Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for 4-5 mins. Dump into a colander then rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside to drain. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Put the butter in a large saucepan over med hi heat. When melted, add shrooms, onions and garlic and cook gently until translucent (you may need to turn down heat to avoid browning the veg).
  • When veg is translucent, add in the flour and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Add S/P and L&P.
  • Add in half and half and turn up heat to bring to a simmer, then add cheese, stirring constantly until the mix is thick and delicious. When cheese is melted, take off heat. This sauce should be THICK. Adjust accordingly.
  • In a big bowl, put the green beans and sauce and fold together. When combined, add about 1/3 of the fried onions to the mix and fold in. Taste for seasoning and adjust. You might like a bit more L&P or pepper. Also make sure it's thick enough. If your sauce is too thin, mix in a bit more cheese to add body as it cooks.
  • Spray a large oven proof casserole dish with food release (PAM) then pour in the casserole. Top with more shredded cheese and the remaining fried onions.
  • Cook at 375°F for about 30 minutes COVERED with foil, then uncover for the last 10 minutes. Topping should be golden brown and casserole should be bubbly around the edges. Internal temp should be 160-170º when done.

Notes

I recommend trying the fried jalapeno version of the French's onions in this dish, it is YUMMY. Not too hot, but adds a piquant flavour. 
You can also add a little cayenne to the sauce if you want more zip. 
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Friday Dinner

Bourbon Salmon with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Comment: since all these dishes cook quickly, timing is key. This whole meal was prepared in about 30 minutes. I’ve tried to put the recipes in order of how I’d prepare them. Read over the whole process before you start.

Fresh Mussels
16 fresh, closed mussels (8 per person)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5-6 sprigs fresh lemon thyme if you have it, otherwise use dried thyme or any herb you like.
1 green onion, sliced  (or shallot, or regular onion)
Dry sherry or white wine
olive oil
Clean and debeard the mussels. If you need to hold them for more than 30 minutes, put a wet paper towel on them and keep in the fridge.

Stop here and get the salmon into the marinade, below.

Start your garlic and onions in the oil in a deep pot over med high flame. When your aromatics are sizzling, toss in your mussels. Put in a couple of splashes of sherry and toss the herbs on top. Put the lid on and DO NOT look at them. When the steam comes from under the lid, let them go for 5 minutes then kill the heat. Let them stand for 5 minutes and serve in bowls with the cooking liquid. Serve with crusty bread if you like.

Bourbon Salmon
approx. 1# King Salmon fillet (for 2 servings)
bourbon
brown sugar
mirin (sweet rice wine)

Mix about 1/2 cup bourbon, 1/4 cup mirin and 2-3 Tbl of brown sugar in a shallow dish. Place salmon fillet skin side UP and let marinate while you cook and eat the mussels if you are doing the appetizer. If you are not doing the mussels, marinate for 15-30 minutes. Heads up, you will retain this marinade for the sauce so don’t toss it!

Sautéed Spinach with Pancetta
1 bag fresh spinach
1 Tbl diced pancetta (bacon will work, too, one slice)
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
shredded parmesan for garnish

Start pancetta and garlic with some olive oil in a good sized skillet over med high flame. When the pancetta starts to brown, start putting in your spinach. It looks like a lot, but it will cook down to 2 servings. Really. Keep working in all the spinach by putting fresh on top and turning it under with tongs. When all the spinach has cooked down, splash with balsamic vinegar. It will have the parmesan sprinkled on when you plate it.

Now is the time to take the salmon and put it on a broiling pan. Put the fish skin side DOWN, put a little butter on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stick it under the broiler. The fish will take about 15 minutes for a 1# fillet. You’ll need more thyme (or any herb) to dress this when it’s done. I strongly recommend lemon thyme if you can find it. It is delicious with the sauce!

Cous Cous

I use Near East brand. Follow package instructions. It will take about 10 minutes. Rice is fine with this dish, too, but it takes 25-30 minutes, so start it first.

Wild Mushroom and Bourbon sauce
1/2 package of wild mushroom mix available at most groceries (for 2 servings)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
mirin
sherry
olive oil
1Tbl butter
flour
the reserved marinade from step 1

In a nonstick skillet over a med high flame, start the garlic in olive oil, about 4 turns of the pan. When the garlic starts to sizzle, toss in the shrooms. Put in the butter and when it is melted and everything is sizzly, sprinkle in about 1Tbl flour. Stir until the flour becomes pasty. Pour in about half of the reserved marinade (about 2/3 to 1 cup) and turn up the flame to high. Don’t worry about cross contamination, this liquid is being boiled for the sauce. When the liquid starts to boil and thicken, add a splash of mirin and a splash of sherry. When the sauce is almost the thickness you want, turn off the heat and it will continue to thicken. If it goes too far, you can add chicken stock, more sherry or water to adjust the consistency.

Check the salmon. It should be about 5 minutes away from being done. You are looking for a nice brown color – which is created by the butter and the sugar in the marinade.

At this point, your dishes are all about to finish, so get your plates ready.

To plate: start with about 2/3 c cous cous. Place 1/2 the large fillet (cut longways, without skin) on top of the cous cous. Put about 2/3 cup of spinach (about half of what you have) along side the fish. Spoon half the sauce over the fish. Garnish the spinach with parmesan and the sauce with lemon thyme (or whatever you’re using). Voilà!

We served this with a med body Spanish red wine, but a strong chardonnay would work. Enjoy!

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Angela’s Chicken Pot Pie

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Angela's Chicken Pot Pie

This is an easy one crust chicken pot pie with a luscious creamy filling. Perfect for a cold rainy night! I love this recipe because you can use frozen veg and still get a delicious, homemade taste in just a few minutes!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken, chicken pie, chicken pot pie
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 8
Author misangela

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Cooked chicken cut into 1-2" dice Rotisserie chicken is great, or you can saute some chicken tenders then cut up.
  • 1 Medium White Onion (about 1/2-2/3 cup) small dice (OR 2/3 cup frozen pearl onions)
  • 2 Carrots, (1/2-2/3 cup) small dice
  • 2 stalks Celery (1/2 to 2/3 cup) small dice (you can use frozen mirepoix for the diced veg if you wish)
  • ½ cup Frozen Green Peas
  • 2/3 cup Potatoes (cook in salted boiling water until almost done, then drain) small dice (frozen is fine, no need to cook if precooked)
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 8-10 Cremini mushrooms sliced thinly
  • 1 tsp Thyme fresh or dried
  • 1 tsp Salt Dixie Crystal Kosher
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 4 Tbl Butter in pieces
  • 3 Tbl A/P Flour
  • 1 Cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 Cup Heavy or Whipping Cream Half and Half if that's all you got
  • 2-3 Tbl Dry Sherry optional, but gives a really nice flavour
  • 1 Pie Crust from the refrigerated section, or make your own if you feel frisky
  • 1 Egg Plus 1 Tbl water, whisked egg wash for crust

Instructions

  • Do all your prep first and have everything ready to cook. Mise en place helps the cooking go more smoothly.
  • Cook the chicken and cool before cutting up, or cut up the rotisserie chicken. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • If you cooked the chicken, in the same pan, add in half the butter to pan on med hi flame. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until translucent (you’re not browning it, moderate heat accordingly). Add shrooms, peas, potatoes and thyme. Stir. Add salt and pepper.
  • Add the remaining butter and when it's melted, add in the flour, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes.
  • Add sherry (if using), then the chicken broth. Stir and bring to boil for a minute or two.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add in cream until you reach a thick sauce consistency.
  • Add cut up chicken to sauce and veg, fold in gently. Turn off heat. Check seasoning and sauce thickness. It will tighten up a little when cooking, but it should be fairly thick like a spaghetti sauce consistency.
  • Spray a large casserole dish with food release (PAM) and pour chicken and sauce into casserole. Unroll the pie crust and place on top of the casserole. Cut a few holes for steam to escape. Brush with the egg wash so the crust will be brown and shiny.
  • Put in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and the crust is browned. If the crust starts to brown too quickly, cover with foil then uncover for the last 10 minutes or until it is the colour you want.
  • When done, let casserole sit for about 10 minutes before you cut it so it will tighten up and serve better.