Ja cię kocham…

Have you ever made something that is so unbelievably fantastic that you don’t understand how you lived before trying it?   Something so good that you seriously consider putting on the list of things you would make sure to have if you were stranded on a desert island?

This dish is one of those things.  Honestly, if I had to choose only one thing that I was allowed to eat for the rest of my life, this would be a deep consideration.

Mom and I were preparing for Christmas dinner last year, and she came across this recipe by Tyler Florence.  Ever since she brought this gem into our lives, every person that has consumed it falls in love instantly and wants the recipe.  Now I have had a lot of incredible potato dishes in my life but this one by far surpasses every single one of them.

So what are you waiting for???!!!   Get crackin’ on some Gratin!

Scalloped Potato Gratin

Source: Tyler Florence
Serves 4-6

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Butter
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.

While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.

This dish is simplicity at its finest.  If you follow my blog at all you know how much I love recipes that consist of only a few ingredients.  Being the horrible multitasker that I am I need to have each and every ingredient prepared and right in front of me (and sometimes I put them in order of when I use them) before I start cooking or baking otherwise I will forget something.  This is especially true when I bake.  I have been known to forget key ingredients like eggs and milk in a cake.  I know.  It’s pathetic!  I blame it on the fact that I typically make vegan cakes that don’t require eggs and milk, but that’s not actually the truth.  I just get going and grab what’s in front of me – and if the eggs and milk aren’t in front of me, they ain’t goin’ in the cake.  Oops.

This recipe comes from a fellow foodie, and when I saw how simple the recipe is to prepare I leaped at the chance to make it.

I think what really makes this meal stand out is the homemade breadcrumbs.  They only take minutes to make and really add depth to the pasta.  This classic Italian dish is a good reminder that less is more. Recipes consisting of too many ingredients can get awfully expensive, and quite honestly I end up with far more dishes in the sink than I would prefer.  Stick with simplicity.  It never fails us.  Bearing that in mind, I really wish that I had doubled the recipe so I could share it with my friends and family.  This is definitely one to show off.  Bookmark it, friends!  This one is a keeper.

Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs
Source: Minimally adapted from Las Vegas Food Adventures
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh homemade breadcrumbs
2 large garlic cloves, very finely minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine or capellini

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two. Remove from heat; add the cheese, parsley, bacon pieces, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and add to pan with breadcrumbs. Toss over low heat until pasta is coated. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese.

Merry Christmas Ja cie kocham readers!

As you may know from reading my previous posts, I am the cooker and baker of this year’s Christmas Dinner!  And oh boy, this will be my FIRST sit down holiday meal for more than 6 people.  I’m not concerned about the food turning out, I’m more concerned about the timing.  I know some of you are with me on this.  Being that I’m not fortunate enough to own two ovens, I have to carefully plan how to bake several things for one dinner using one oven while keeping everything from getting cold or drying out.  I will let you know how THAT goes.

To make things a little easier for me, I’ve been prepping for the past week with a detailed schedule of things to be made so that I’m not frantic an hour before dinner.  On today’s to-do list, I made the macaroni and cheese.   This is such a tease!!!  The aroma of white cheddar and nutmeg is swirling through my home making my mouth begin to water and my tummy is now growling fiercely.  *Roar*

I have to say that this recipe was so simple, tastes so good (I HAD to test it!!), and left me with minimal dishes.  Solid deal.  Can’t ask for anything better than that!!  Plus the most of the ingredients should already be in your cupboard, and if they’re not, you can find them with no problem and spend next to nothing on them.  Merry Christmas to me!  Simple, cheap, and goooood.

I will be sure to post the rest of my holiday menu within the next few days.  Let’s just hope I remember to take pictures!

I wish you all safe travels and good eats!!

Simply Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Source: Smitten Kitchen
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 pound elbow pasta, uncooked.

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use one tablespoon butter to grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan.

In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together.  Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.

Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Aren’t fall flavors fun?!  The aromas are so comforting and just make everything smell like home.  Our household is a huge fan of warmed apple cider in the crock pot.  We are fortunate enough to have wineries very close to our home and we like to pick out their spiced apple cider and warm it in the crock pot.  Now THAT’S a winner!

This is a non-alcoholic beverage, but you could very easily add your liquor of choice (spiced rum, vodka…etc) while making this.  I chose not to add liquor because being at my ripe old age of 27, I tend to have trouble sleeping when I have a night cap.  I like to save those drinks for the weekend when I can sleep in a little.   There is nothing worse than being wide awake at 2am when you have to work in the morning.  *Sigh*

Try this fall sipper out!  You use basic ingredients that you most likely already have, and if you don’t, it’ll cost you pennies.  You’ll kids will love this, too (sans alcohol, of course)!

Mulled Cranberry Sipper

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups cranberry juice (if you have unsweetened juice, please add pure maple syrup to taste to sweeten it up!)
juice of one orange (or a 1/4 cup orange juice)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 orange peels
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all ingredients into a small saucepan and warm on medium-low heat.  Stir a few times while warming.  Serve immediately.

Here is a little secret for you all.

I want a Canon Rebel XSi with a 100mm macro lens for Christmas.

I know what you’re thinking – “Keep dreaming…” – I know this, but a girl has to dream, right??  I’m getting pretty tired of mediocre pictures.  I made an amazing pre-Thanksgiving feast last night with pictures that do not do the meal justice whatsoever.  Boooo.  Boooo to you crappy pictures.

Even though the pictures of my meal are an absolute eye-sore, I am posting anyway.  The recipes are too good, too healthy, and too easy to ignore.  So I say just cringe at the crappy pictures and move on.  I will try my very best to do the same.

It’s November, and you know what that means, right?  Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  I cannot wait to gorge myself with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and more!!  Just the thought of Turkey Day makes my mouth water.  I decided to have a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for the hubby and I just to get into the spirit of the holiday season.  This meal consisted of recipes from the Clean Eating Magazine, which I absolutely adore.   CE Mag makes fresh food and wholesome food seem so simple and appetizing.  No bland recipes here.  They are so full of flavor that you’re family won’t know how healthy they really are.

For my first post of the pre-Thanksgiving Feast, I am sharing the cranberry sauce.  It was done in 12 minutes, and it tastes soooo much better than the canned stuff.  Oh how I love recipes that are super easy… they make my world go ’round.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Ginger

Source: Clean Eating Magazine Nov/Dec 2009

Serves: 8 (or 4-6 hungry folks)

A much prettier picture courtesy of The Food Network and Tyler Florence

Ingredients:

12 oz. cranberries, fresh or frozen and defrosted
1 apple, cored and chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup honey (CE calls for raw)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh ginger, finely minced
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until cranberries break down, apples soften, and mixture thickens.

Stir often.

Transfer to a serving dish or storage container and allow to chill in fridge.  Serve at room temperature.