Martha Stewart's Scalloped Potatoes

Don't let the name scare you off. These are easy and Austin loves them.

1 large clove garlic, cut in half
1 T. butter
5 lbs. potatoes
4T. fresh thyme (I used dried)
4tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4C. cream
4oz grated Parmesan cheese

Rub a 3quart baking dish with garlic. Using pastry brush, spread butter evenly in dish. Butter a piece of parchment paper. Peel and slice potatoes in thin rounds. Arrange 5 layers of potatoes, thyme, slat and pepper. Pour cream over the potatoes. Place dish on cookie sheet in oven and cover with parchment paper. Bake at 350 until potatoes are tender, 45-60 minutes. Remove parchment and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until cheese is melted and browned, about 30 more minutes.

Garden pasta

I kind of made this up, but it turned out really good and is a great way to use up those home-grown tomatoes.


Fun pasta (my kids are more likely to eat bow-tie than anything else)
About 4 C. cut up tomatoes. (I cut cherry tomatoes in half, but I'm sure it'd work with other kinds)
2-5 cloves crushed/chopped Garlic
thyme
basil
oregano
rosemary
montreal steak seasoning
15 oz. ricotta cheese (I only had about half that and it was good, but a full container would be better probably)
1/2 - 1 C. parmesan cheese

Cook pasta.

Place tomatoes into pan heated with olive oil. Add spices. I just did a couple sprinkles of each. Let that heat and simmer for about 15 min. Tomatoes should break down a bit and make it liquidy.

Add cheeses to tomatoes and heat through. Pour over pasta.

Sausage would also really be good in this I bet.

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons sugar
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
3-4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup chopped green onions
1 pound flank steak, cut into very thin slices (easiest to slice when still partially frozen)

In dry skillet, parch sesame seeds until slightly brown. In a gallon ziplock baggie combine rest of ingredients EXCEPT meat. Once mixed, add to meat, using hands to coat all pieces and mix. Marinate all day. Cook in frying pan with a bit of hot oil. Make a dipping sauce with 1/3 part soy sauce to 2/3 part water, bit of crushed red pepper, and a bit of sesame oil - heat to simmer. Serve meat with sides of Large leaf lettuce, sauce, and rice. To eat authentically, use lettuce leaf as a wrap, put meat, rice, and sauce inside, and wrap lettuce around it.

To add a bit of heat, add a dash of red chili pepper sauce to the marinade and sauce.

Waffles

2 Eggs
2 C. flour
1 3/4 C. milk
1 T white or brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add other ingredients and mix just until blended. Cook in waffle iron.

Baked Potato Soup

1 pkg. Bacon

1/2 Cup chopped onion

6-7 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup whole milk

1 cup frozen corn (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste 

Fry the bacon in a large pan (preferably big enough to make the soup in to save on dishes).

Remove half of the crispy bacon and set aside, add onions and saute in the bacon grease. 

Stir in potatoes and broth. 

Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. 

Remove 3 cups of the potato cubes and the bacon. 

Blend in food processor with the milk until smooth. 

Pour the puree back into soup, add corn, salt, and pepper. Simmer another 5--10 minutes. 

Serve with cheddar cheese and remaining bacon. 

**I leave the corn out and serve it on the side.

Chicken Pot Pie with a Biscuit Twist

I got this recipe out of a Nora Roberts book and twisted the pot pie part to fit my time constraints.

1 fryer chicken
2 cans cream of celery soup
Flour
1 cup potatoes
1 cup carrots
1-2 handful frozen peas
1 can lima beans
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 1/2 T basil
3/4 t oregano
1 1/2 t rosemary
Thyme
Pepper
Salt

Boil a whole fryer in a big dutch oven, covered with water until done through. When the skin peels easily and the legs and thighs separate at the joint it’s done. (about 1 to 1 ½ hours)

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 400.

Skim the grease out of the broth and add cream of celery soup before thickening it a bit with flour. Scoop some broth out – the empty soup cans are handy- and stir some flour in that so it doesn’t lump. Add the garlic and onion poder, basil, oregano and rosemary. Add a sprinkle of thyme, and a dose of pepper and salt. This will thicken as it cooks. Simmer on low. Peel and chop potatoes and carrots. Add them to the broth. Add peas and lima beans.

When the chicken’s cool enough, remove the skin, pick off chunks of the meat and add the meat to the broth until the chicken’s picked clean. Simmer until veggies are done.

While the veggies are cooking, make biscuits.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 c flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
¼ c shortening
¾ c milk

Combine dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Mix in milk and roll out on counter. Cut out biscuits. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.

Top cooked biscuits with the soup mixture. Enjoy!