Warm Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 small yellow squash, halved lengthwise
2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon commercial pesto

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, vinegar, and garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and shake to coat. Place the zucchini and yellow squash on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 3 minutes on each side or until tender. Place the tomato and onions on grill rack or broiler pan; cook 2 minutes or just until tender.
Coarsely chop the vegetables, and place in a bowl. Add pesto; stir gently.

4 servings.

Source: cookinglight.com

Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus spears
1 Tablespoon butter
4 oz (1 1/2 cup) sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 cups water to boiling. Add asparagus. Boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in skillet cover medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes. Stir in asparagus, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings.

Source: Betty Crocker cookbook

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pond unpeeled red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
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Coarsely chop onion. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sugar; cook and stir 8 – 10 minutes or until onion is tender and deep golden brown. Remove from skillet; set aside. Meanwhile, place potatoes and enough water to cover in a small saucepan. Cover; bring to boil. Boil 8 – 10 min or until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes in small colander; return to saucepan. Using a masher, mash until no lumps remain. Add milk; stir until well-blended Add cooked onion, parsley, garlic and salt; mix well. Cover; keep warm.

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4 servings.

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Source: simplytasty.blogspot.com

Arnaud's Pommes Souffle

During a recent business trip to New Orleans, Brent went to dinner at Arnauds. When he got back, he really wanted to replicate the souffle and Bearnaise sauce he had. He tried these. They were really good, although he felt that they didn't "puff" enough. These are best served with the Bearnaise sauce (see above).

Ingredients:
2 Baking potatoes
vegetable oil
salt

Peel the potatoes and trim away the round edges to form rectangles. Cut lengthwise in slices that are uniform from end to end, 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch thick. Cut the slices into uniform widths and trim the end to round slightly. Soak the sliced potatoes in ice water for at least 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and dry thoroughly. Pour vegetable oil, about 2-1/2 to 3 inches deep into 2 saucepans. Heat oil in one pan to 325B0, and the other to 375 . Drop slices into the 325 oil and shake back and forth on the heat for 6 to 7 minutes. Use a mitt or heavy potholder, being careful not to splash oil onto yourself. After about 5 minutes the slices should start to blister and rise to the top. Keep shaking 1 more minute. Using a skimmer, remove the slices a few at a time and drain on paper towels 1 minute or longer, until they begin to soften. For immediate service, start returning pre-fried potatoes to the second (375 ) pan. They should swell instantly. Cook until golden, then remove and drain on paper towels. Discard any that have not puffed.

* Place puffed potatoes on a paper-lined tray, sprinkle with salt and cover with a towel, continuing frying until all potato slices are cooked

2 servings

Source: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/510/Arnauds_New_Orleans_Pommes_Souffle46137.shtml

Feta and Sun Dried Tomato Biscuits

These biscuits turned out wonderful and they were the perfect compliment to the Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes. Since it was just the two of us, I halved the recipe below.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon banking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cold butter milk
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 - 4 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus 2 Tablespoons of the oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450. With a fork, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in bowl. Mix butter into dry ingredients with a fork. Blend evenly. Mix in garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and oil, and cheese. Stir in buttermilk with fork until dough just comes together. Form dough into about 10 coarse balls and pat down on greased baking pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

10 biscuits.

Source: Cook Smart by Pam Anderson (insert in Parade Magazine)

Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes

These are delicious! Brent is a huge potato eater, so I try to mix it up with different flavorings. This attempt was highly successful.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 pounds potatoes (I used small red)
3 cups whipping cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup fresh or 4 teaspoons dried Parsley
1/2 - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Thinly slice the potatoes. In a dutch oven or large stew pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in potatoes, whipping cream, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring gently. Spoon potato mixture into greased 13 x 9 pan. Top with cheese. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

6 servings.

Source: http://good-eats-n-treats.blogspot.com/

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

These are so delicious. For the recipe, check out Celeste's blog at http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008/01/oven-roasted-red-potatoes-with-rosemary.html
She's a very talented food photographer, and as her pictures show, these are as good as they look.

Buttermilk Cheese Potatoes

It was clean out the fridge time, and I had these potatoes that needed to be eaten. They turned out really good.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter
4 red potatoes, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Parsley flakes

Directions:

Melt butter in skillet. Cook potatoes until lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour buttermilk in pan over potatoes. Boil gently until the buttermilk is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt. Stir well and sprinkle with parsley.

4 servings.

Squash Casserole

I made this for a potluck luncheon we had at work. I can't remember where I got this recipe at, but I've made it several times, and it is always a crowd favorite. It really is the best squash casserole recipe I've ever made. I made 2 pans - one for work and one for me at home :) If you are only making it at home, you will probably want to half this recipe. The portions set out below make about 16 - 18 servings.

Ingredients:

1 box cornbread mix
6 eggs
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 onion, diced
2 cans sweet cream corn
3 lbs (8 – 10) squash, sliced
¼ cup sugar
8 oz. cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Boil squash in water for 8 – 10 minutes, but not more than 15 minutes. In bowl, mix all ingredients, stirring well. Add additional seasonings if needed. Pour into 2 small greased (or 1 large greased) dish. Bake for 45 minutes.

Jim N Nicks Cheese Biscuits

DH and I love the cheese biscuits at Jim N Nicks. I searched the web until I finally found a recipe for them. These were very good, and they taste just like the ones at Jim N Nicks.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk (2% works best)
1 egg, beaten well
4 Tablespoon butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased muffin pan and bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes.

This recipe make about 12 muffins.

Source: kitchenlink.com