The other day my husband and I were sitting at the kitchen table. He was eating a late dinner after having gotten home from the office too late to eat with the boys. The aforementioned boys were playing "race car", which meant every 20 seconds or so the older one would shoot past us wearing his race car helmet and holding the matching steering wheel out in front of him. About 20 seconds after that the little guy would waddle past holding the Wii steering wheel out in front of him, totally mimicking his older brother. The race car helmet makes appropriate race car noises and both boys were giggling and screaming. It was kind of loud. But I think I heard my husband ask about "grandma's potatoes". Now I don't know if anyone else has ever heard of this dish or if it is specific to my husband's family, but I do know that I had never heard of it prior to joining this family. My husband's sudden interest in side dishes could only mean one thing. Side dish boredom had set in. I had to act quickly.
So I wanted to spice up dinner but didn't want to head back to the grocery store. For me, at least, part of the fun of trying new recipes and cooking for my family is doing it all well and coming in under budget. Lacking the items needed for grandma's potatoes I did the next best thing and threw together a brand new potato dish. It wasn't too bad!
Beth's "Side Dish to the Rescue" New Potatoes
1 pound small new potatoes, quartered. I would think that any type of potato would work, I just happened to have new potatoes in the pantry.
2 cups fresh baby spinach
4 green onions. Use more, use less, depends on how much you like green onions.
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour (approximately)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon basil. I use fresh and I am just not sure I actually like basil, which is why I keep putting it in so many dishes. If you use dried then you will need to adjust the amount to suit your tastes.
1 cup milk (approximately) I use skim milk in all my recipes, because that is what I have on hand.
1 cup shredded cheese. I used mozzarella because that is what I had in the fridge. I would think any kind of cheese would be good in this dish, as long as it melts well. I would not use Velveeta. :)
bread crumbs.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the potatoes in lightly salted water in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 8 minutes or so. You want to use a large pot because you will be adding the spinach directly to the pot and will need the extra room. Stir in spinach and drain. Set aside.
In a smaller saucepan heat the butter. Cook the green onions in the hot butter over medium heat for about 3 minutes or so, until onions are softened. I like to use my kitchen shears to cut the green onions- so much easier than chopping and works great. This way you can cut them directly into the pot. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and basil. Continue stirring as you cook the mixture over medium heat until thickened. Add approximately 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and stir until melted.
Lightly coat a 2 quart baking dish with whatever you use to prevent foods form sticking. I usually use cooking spray or olive oil. Layer half of the potato and spinach mixture into the dish. Pour half the sauce over the potatoes and sprinkle with cheese. Top this with the remaining potatoes and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs.
Bake, uncovered for about 25 minutes until potatoes reach your desired tenderness. I shut my oven off after 25 minutes and kept the door closed and didn't serve the potatoes until about 15 minutes after that, so they were in the oven for quite some time and they were fine. It seems like this is a dish that is hard to mess up, which, of course, makes it an instant favorite of mine!
These potatoes were really good. I may have added a smidge too much black pepper. My husband liked them. I liked them. The 24 month old smashed his with his spoon and then moussed up his hair with them. The 4 year old tasted them, stated they tasted "sour" and refused to try another bite. To his credit though, he really doesn't like potatoes. And to the 24 month old's credit, he didn't eat anything for dinner, so I'm thinking it was less the potatoes and more the heavy lunch that stopped him.
I served this side dish with homemade chicken and noodles. It was the first time I made the chicken and noodles without using some sort of cream soup, and it was lighter and yummier, and took only slightly longer. Plus, it was healthier. Two of the three boys ate the chicken and noodles; the little guy, again, just smushed his noodles into his hair.
OK, so if I had it to do all over again I would probably not serve potatoes with noodles. But my mission was to create a yummy side dish with what I had on hand, so mission accomplished.
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Not Your Mom's Chicken & Noodles
3 cups frozen noodles
3 cups chicken broth
veggies. I used approximately 1 cup chopped onion, 2 stalks chopped celery and 1 cup frozen peas. You could also add sliced carrots.
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons flour
salt
black pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, or more, if your family really likes chicken. Mine doesn't really, so I only used about 2 cups.
In a large pot combine noodles, broth and veggies (except the peas). I used the granules to make the broth so I started with only water in the pot, then added the chicken broth granules, then added the veggies. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes or so, until noodles are the way you like them. Stir in 1 1/2 cup milk and the peas.
In a separate bowl combine the remaining milk (1/2 cup), flour, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Add to noodle mixture along with diced chicken. Stir and serve.
I waited to add the milk/flour mixture until we were ready to sit down at the table, so the noodle mixture sat on the stove on "low" for about 10 extra minutes. The noodles were fine. I love dishes that can wait on the stove until we are ready, don't you?
3 cups frozen noodles
3 cups chicken broth
veggies. I used approximately 1 cup chopped onion, 2 stalks chopped celery and 1 cup frozen peas. You could also add sliced carrots.
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons flour
salt
black pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, or more, if your family really likes chicken. Mine doesn't really, so I only used about 2 cups.
In a large pot combine noodles, broth and veggies (except the peas). I used the granules to make the broth so I started with only water in the pot, then added the chicken broth granules, then added the veggies. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes or so, until noodles are the way you like them. Stir in 1 1/2 cup milk and the peas.
In a separate bowl combine the remaining milk (1/2 cup), flour, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Add to noodle mixture along with diced chicken. Stir and serve.
I waited to add the milk/flour mixture until we were ready to sit down at the table, so the noodle mixture sat on the stove on "low" for about 10 extra minutes. The noodles were fine. I love dishes that can wait on the stove until we are ready, don't you?
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
home made granola - yum!
The first request for a past recipe is in and it is for home made granola. This is a recipe I have played around with time and again, and I have found that each time I make it is just a little different than the last time, even with the same ingredients. It could be that granola is tricky. Or it could just be me. It's probably me. Anyways, this is how my family likes it. Yours will have different tastes, so you will probably need to conduct a few experiments of your own to figure out the right combination of add ins to suit your tastes. But hopefully you'll have fun eating the trials!
home made granola
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats. (not instant. I use steel cut but any type will work)
1/2 cup slivered almonds. (most people prefer more nuts, so you might want to increase the amount used.)
1/2 tablespoon wheat germ (optional. I use it because why pass up an easy way to sneak it in without the family knowing what you're up to?)
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon. (or any other spice you would like)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil (canola, sunflower, whatever you have should work)
1/2 to 3/4 cup pure maple syrup. (dark works the best, I think)
1 cup dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cherries, cranberries- you really can't go wrong here.)
Make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can butter the cookie sheet instead, but I have found that this makes the granola harder to work with.
In a bowl combine the rolled oats, nuts, wheat germ, spices, and salt. In a smaller bowl stir together the maple syrup and oil. Pour over the dry mixture and mix with your hands until everything is coated well. Spread mixture onto your cookie sheet and bake for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to assure that the entire mixture browns evenly. Keep in mind that the darker brown the granola gets the crunchier it will be. If you prefer a less crunchy granola, as I do, then reduce your baking time and watch your mixture closely!
When you remove the pan from the oven the granola may still be sticky- don't freak out. This does not mean you didn't cook it long enough. (believe me, I learned this the hard way.) Your granola will dry out a little as it cools. Go ahead and break up any large pieces with a wooden spoon before it cools too much. Once it has cooled completely you can add in the dried fruits.
Store your granola in a airtight container. I have tried storing it both in the refrigerator and in the pantry, and I have found no difference in the taste. If you are one of those people who feel that everything needs to be refrigerated then by all means have at it!
home made granola
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats. (not instant. I use steel cut but any type will work)
1/2 cup slivered almonds. (most people prefer more nuts, so you might want to increase the amount used.)
1/2 tablespoon wheat germ (optional. I use it because why pass up an easy way to sneak it in without the family knowing what you're up to?)
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon. (or any other spice you would like)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil (canola, sunflower, whatever you have should work)
1/2 to 3/4 cup pure maple syrup. (dark works the best, I think)
1 cup dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cherries, cranberries- you really can't go wrong here.)
Make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can butter the cookie sheet instead, but I have found that this makes the granola harder to work with.
In a bowl combine the rolled oats, nuts, wheat germ, spices, and salt. In a smaller bowl stir together the maple syrup and oil. Pour over the dry mixture and mix with your hands until everything is coated well. Spread mixture onto your cookie sheet and bake for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to assure that the entire mixture browns evenly. Keep in mind that the darker brown the granola gets the crunchier it will be. If you prefer a less crunchy granola, as I do, then reduce your baking time and watch your mixture closely!
When you remove the pan from the oven the granola may still be sticky- don't freak out. This does not mean you didn't cook it long enough. (believe me, I learned this the hard way.) Your granola will dry out a little as it cools. Go ahead and break up any large pieces with a wooden spoon before it cools too much. Once it has cooled completely you can add in the dried fruits.
Store your granola in a airtight container. I have tried storing it both in the refrigerator and in the pantry, and I have found no difference in the taste. If you are one of those people who feel that everything needs to be refrigerated then by all means have at it!
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