True fact. I could eat some variation of bread/biscuit/gougères*/etc. with every meal if I thought this chunky body wouldn’t get even chunkier! But alas, I must use the 3 percent** of my brain God gave me, to at least try to eat nutritionally.
But sometimes, I can’t even consider serving a certain dish without a hunk of some kind of bread on the side. And last night was no exception.
But what I wanted last evening to go along with Pot Roast with Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots (recipe on this site) was a simple to prepare savory drop biscuit. I didn’t want to chop fresh herbs (which would mean a trip to the grocery store) or mess with getting cold butter incorporated into flour. I wanted simple from start to finish.
I found several recipes that used melted butter, but none that used dried herbs. Fresh herbs, yes. But being the audacious gal that I am, I decided someone had to try using dried herbs and veggies. So, the recipe you find below is what I came up with. And oh my, the biscuits were absolutely delicious. Tender on the inside and crusty on the outside. And perfect with the pot roast. But truly, these biscuits would be perfect any time a savory biscuit would complete your menu.
Suffice it to say, I will be making these biscuits regularly.
And even if you have never made a biscuit in your life, there is no way you can fail with this recipe. Seriously!
So, on that happy note, as always, peace and love to all
*Gougères are baked French cheese puffs made from choux pastry and cheese. They are crunchy on the outside and soft and hollow in the middle. And yes, I have a great recipe. But no, I have not posted it yet. I plan to rectify this abysmal failure as soon as I get my act together!
**After just watching Defending Your Life, a 1991 film written, directed, and starring Albert Brooks, I learned that the average person only uses 3% of their brain. I think I may be closer to 2%! (But do watch this movie. It’s a hoot!)
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper (a couple of grinds)
4-5 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. dried chives
½ tsp. granulated garlic
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 c. cold buttermilk
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, dried chives, and granulated garlic together.
In a separate bowl, stir melted butter and buttermilk together. Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
Using an ice cream scoop (I used a #16 – scant ¼ cup) or a large spoon, scoop biscuits onto prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2-inches apart.
Bake biscuits in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden.
Remove from the oven and allow the biscuits to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. To serve warm, nuke them on high for a few seconds. Store in an airtight container in your fridge.
OK, I have made and posted a lot of soup recipes over the years. And that’s because I love soup. And many of them I make over and over again. Why? Because a) I have all the ingredients on hand, and b) the soups are very tasty and good for us.
But for whatever reason I went online the other day and found this recipe on the sipandfeast.com site. And lo and behold, I had every single ingredient either in my pantry or in my fridge. So, then, why the heck not make this soup? So, of course, that’s just what I did! (And contrary to popular belief, I ain’t no dummy! When providence presents itself, I jump on the bandwagon and just go with it.)
So, with recipe in hand, I followed this wonderful recipe I found on the sipandfeast.com site as religiously as possible. (And for me, that’s almost impossible to do!) But really, the only thing I changed was to add fresh spinach because I desperately needed to use it up before it proceeded into its last stage of life. That stage being the “melting into sludge” possibility that every fresh veggie envisions, but hopes will never happen! (Don’t we all!)
Anyway, I made this soup, and it was absolutely delicious.
So, if you too would like to serve your family and friends a nutritious and flavorful soup, I recommend you give this recipe a try.
Before I let you go, let’s talk about lentils. For a very informative article discussing all that you ever wanted or needed to know about the various types of lentils, I suggest you read “6 Types of Lentils with Their Differences and How to Use Them” on the countrylifefoods.com site. Very informative. You can even order lentils on this site. Imagin that! (And no, I do not get a kickback from mentioning this site. It’s just a site where you can order lentils in case you are in a locale like I am with grocery stores which only carry one type of lentil. And even then, you are lucky to have brown lentils available!) (I feel your pain!)
Anyway, whichever lentil you choose, or can find either on the internet or at your local purveyor of many things edible, do make this soup. And if you don’t have every single veggie I used, not to worry. Use what veggies you have on hand. This is a versatile soup. Make it your own.
And as always, peace and love to all.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle on soup at table
1 lb. bulk mild or sweet Italian sausage
1 lg. onion, diced
2 celery ribs plus leaves, diced
2 med. carrots, diced
1 med. zucchini, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. dry white wine
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian)
6 c. chicken stock or broth
2 c. water
2 T. veggie base (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)
1½ c. green lentils (brown lentils are fine too)
1-2 rinds Parmigiano-Reggiano, opt.
½ c. flat leaf Italian parsley, minced
¼ c. packed chopped basil leaves
2 c. chopped fresh spinach
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to serve at table
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot and add the sausage. Cook the sausage until browned while breaking it up into small pieces. Once brown remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.
Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook until the veggies are soft while stirring periodically.
Add the zucchini and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.
Add the wine, and cook until the wine is reduced by half, and add in ½ of the cooked sausage, chicken stock, water, chicken base, tomatoes, lentils, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds. Bring to boil.
Once boiling, lower the heat and cook over a simmer until the lentils are soft, about 45-50 minutes. If the soup is too thick at this point, add a bit of water.
After the lentils are tender, remove the Parm rinds, taste, and add salt and pepper as required. Then add the parsley, basil, spinach, and remaining cooked sausage and stir. Bring back to a boil.
Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Warm crusty bread is always wonderful with this soup.
OK, I am always trying new and different recipes for spreadable cheese. Why? Because I am a cheese lover. And for me, there is nothing better than spreadable cheese on a cracker as part of a perfect appetizer spread. Suffice it to say, I wish I had tried this recipe years ago. Instead of letting it happily reside in my “must try soon” pile of recipe printouts for more years than I care to disclose. (Bad me!)
Anyway, I had a small wedge of some expensive Rogue Creamery “Oregon Blue” cheese in my fridge I really needed to use. So, when I asked Jim what I could bring as my contribution for a dinner party Jim and Margo were hosting for our friend Tim’s (of Tim and Phyllis fame) birthday, I searched through my mile high pile of “must try soon” recipes and found this jewel.
And I must admit, it was only by showing amazing restraint that any of this mixture was left to share. I kept diving in to “taste and adjust seasoning” when it was just perfect after the first bite. It was just that good! Easy to make and beautiful besides.
So, my advice to you is to make this spread sooner rather than later. You will not regret that decision.
Well, that’s it for now. After several days of research, I’ve finally booked our next trip, I know what I’m going to fix for dinner, and the principal character in my book has once again, found herself in a terrible jam.
And speaking of my latest read, I am currently enjoying a series by Cara Black. (And thank you Laura for introducing me to this series.) The protagonist’s name is Aimée Leduc. Aimée is a private detective in Paris without any restraint when it comes to putting herself in obviously harmful situations any normal person would run from in a New York minute! But then, isn’t that true of any hero in a mystery book? I mean really, what kind of a story would it be if as a reader you didn’t want to shout at the protagonist to not go into that dark alley or burning building, or get in that car with someone you suspect of being a killer, etc. etc.? What bloody fun would it be if the books featured realistic protagonists? None! I believe that’s why books of this genre are called – fiction! Duh! Fiction. Because no reasonably sane person, with half an ounce of sense, would EVER be as reckless as most protagonists in murder mysteries. Finding realism in the actions of mystery genre protagonists is tantamount to expecting certain politicians to be honest and have our country’s best interests at heart. Pure fiction!
And on that happy literary and political analogy, from our home to yours, peace and love to all.
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (use really good blue or bleu cheese)
4 oz. (½ block) cream cheese, room temp.
2 T. mayonnaise
1 T. unsalted butter, room temp.
1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
scant ¼ tsp. seasoned salt, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper, not too much
lg. pinch granulated garlic
pinch granulated onion
½ c. chopped toasted pecans
Place the cheddar cheese, blue cheese, cream cheese, mayo, butter, W. sauce, seasoned salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and granulated onion in the bowl of your food processor. Whirl until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Turn out onto a pretty plate and form into a rounded half ball. (So much easier to form the cheese mixture into a dome shape, rather than a ball shape. Also, it is much easier for people to serve themselves from a dome shape rather than breaking into a ball shaped slippery edible.) Then press the toasted pecan bits into the cheese.
Wrap the whole thing, plate and all in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or up to 3 days. Let the cheese come to room temperature before serving. (If you forget this step, or it hasn’t come to room temperature yet, you can nuke on high for 15-20 seconds. If the cheese indents easily with the tip of a clean finger, then you are good to go!)
Serve with plain tasting crackers because this cheese spread is incredibly tasty and fully flavored, and fancy crackers are simply not required. Spend your hard-earned money on good blue cheese!
So, confession time. Until yesterday I had never cooked a shank. And for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe because, best to my recollection, I had never eaten a shank until last year when we were served braised lamb shanks prepared by my sister-in-law Katie. I was blown away by the wonderful flavor and tenderness of the meat. And then just before Christmas, our dear friend Phyllis served braised beef shanks at a small dinner party we were fortunate enough to attend. And it finally dawned on me that shanks were just braised meat. Duh. Basically, as simple as that!
So, after that, I bought a couple of lamb shanks and tucked them in our freezer.
Jump forward a few weeks, and our dear friend Todd posted about fixing lamb shanks and that did it! I had to venture into braised shanks land. And oh, my goodness. Braised shanks ARE REALLY EASY TO PREPARE. All I can say is “where have braised shanks been all my life?” (And thank you recipetineats.com for this wonderful recipe.) (And sorry for all the changes.) And just because I’m sure you too were wondering, a lamb ‘shank’ is the lower part in the rear leg. The same joint in pork is the ‘hock’ and in beef, the ‘leg’. The equivalent joints on the front legs are ‘fore shanks’ for lamb, ‘knuckles’ for pork, and ‘shins’ for beef. And since you too may never have seen either lamb or beef shanks sold at your local grocery store, lamb shanks look like this.
Beef shanks are large, round cuts of beef with a bone running through the middle, between 2-3 inches thick, from the lowest part of a cow’s leg, just above the hoof. Beef shanks look like this.
So, if you too have had your head buried in sand while everyone around you has been enjoying shanks, then take my word that lamb shanks are easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. And no, I haven’t prepared beef shanks yet. But you can count on me to do so in the next couple of weeks. And when I find a great recipe, I will pass it on to you. As far as where you can purchase lamb or beef shanks, I’m afraid you are on your own. Bug the butcher at your local grocery store. That’s what I plan to do!
And as always, peace and love to all.
2 lamb shanks
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
½ onion, finely diced
½ c. finely diced carrot
½ c. finely diced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1¼ c. dry red wine
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian)
1 T. tomato paste
1 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. (I use my Le Creuset Dutch oven.) Sear the lamb shanks until brown all over, for about 5 minutes. Remove lamb onto a plate and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add red wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
Place the lamb shanks into the pot. Turn the stove up, bring liquid to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and transfer to a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours,remove the lid, and check to make sure the lamb meat is ultra tender. If not, cover and keep cooking. (Ideal is tender meat but still just holding onto bone.)
Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm.
Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.
If required, bring veggie mixture to a simmer over medium heat and reduce slightly to a syrupy consistency. Or, if it is too thick, add a bit more chicken broth or water. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Great served with Creamy Polenta (see recipe below)
And of course, both of these recipes can be doubled or tripled.
And if you have any left-over chunky sauce, don’t throw it away. Freeze it and add it to your favorite marinara sauce. That’s what I plan to do.
CREAMY POLENTA
2 c. water
¼ c. whole milk
scant ½ tsp. fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ c. polenta (I use Bob’s Red Mill yellow polenta)
½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil
In a medium pot, bring the water, milk, salt, and pepper to a high simmer. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Bring the heat to a very low simmer. Continue to whisk the polenta until it just starts to thicken. Then cover the pan and let the polenta cook for about 20 minutes.
Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so that the polenta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. The polenta should be soft and tender when done.
If your polenta is too thick, whisk in a bit more water. (The polenta should be creamy.)
Turn off the heat and whisk in the olive oil. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot.
Note: Polenta will thicken as it sits. If you are not serving it immediately, you can reheat it by whisking in more water or olive oil to make it smooth and creamy again.
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s soup weather out there. Or possibly if you are like me, you appreciate soup any time of the year. So, this is one of those soups that can and should be served year-round. Why? Because it’s delicious and its Asian inspired.
And best of all, it uses common ingredients and it’s nutritious. And isn’t that a nice combination!
So, for those of you who love a good Asian soup that is easy to fix and has lots of flavor, this is the recipe for you.
Well, that’s it for now. I am busy booking our next overseas adventure. And as many of you know, finding the exact right flight and the perfect accommodation in each of the places you plan to visit takes hours of research. And although I am pretty good at searching the internet, there are just those times when I would rather hit my head with a wooden cooking utensil than read the details of even one more small boutique hotel. (And that, my friends, is where you find me right now!)
Anyway, make this soup. Soup is the original one-pot wonder!
And no, if you don’t like tofu, you don’t have to add it to the soup. And if you don’t like fried tofu, you don’t have to fry it. Just chunk it up. But I really recommend frying the tofu. It’s yum.
And on that fine dining note, peace and love to all.
For the Fried Tofu:
1 pkg. (4.5 oz.) firm or extra-firm tofu
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch
½ tsp. granulated garlic
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
Press the tofu by wrapping it in paper towels (or a clean dry tea towel). Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu and put a couple of heavy books or cast-iron pan on top of that. Let the tofu press for 30 minutes to an hour.
Cut the pressed tofu into 1-inch cubes. Combine the soy sauce, cornstarch, and granulated garlic and add the tofu cubes. Stir gently to not rip the tofu.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil so it coats the bottom of the pan.
Once the oil is hot, add the tofu in a single layer (you might need to do this in batches, depending on how big your pan is). Let the tofu brown on all sides. It should be a nice golden color all over. (I use a fork to gently flip each piece over. TIP: When you place the layer of tofu in the pan, don’t touch or move it at all for a few minutes, so a crust can form, making it easier to flip without ripping. Carefully remove to a plate and set aside.
For the soup:
½ c. dried mushrooms, broken into small pieces (shiitake are best)
½ c. boiling water
1½ T. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1½ inches ginger, finely chopped
tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes
3 T. soy sauce
¼ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 c. vegetable broth
½ c. finely chopped cooked beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, etc.
1½ c. chopped fresh spinach
2 c. dry rice noodles, cooked in a separate pot
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2-3 tsp. sesame oil, or more to taste
Soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl with hot water for 5 minutes, then squeeze them as dry as possible. Set aside. Reserve the soaking water for later.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes. Fry on low heat for one minute.
Add dried mushrooms, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add vegetable broth and the reserved soaking water from dried mushrooms and bring to a boil.
Add cutup meat or seafood, fried tofu, fresh spinach, and cooked rice noodles. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in the green onions and sesame oil. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning.
Sorry again no picture. But it was Christmas day, and I was one busy lady.
OK, those of you who don’t love bacon, raise your hand. And those folks who don’t adore cheese, raise your hand. And finally, those of you for whom cauliflower is the devil’s spawn, raise your hand. I would be willing to bet there are far more of you (including my husband), who would prefer to unclog your kitchen drain than eat this white, strongly flavored, cruciferous vegetable.
But it so happens that I am one of the people who love all things cauliflower. But like I stated earlier, Mr. C. is “cauliflower phobic”. In fact, he’d do just about anything to never be in the same room with a head of cauliflower ever again. Until this recipe came along.
Because even the most ardent of cauliflower naysayers simply cannot resist the cheesy bacon creaminess that surrounds a perfectly crisp, tender bite of this dreaded vegetable.
I made this casserole to serve on Christmas day, and the casserole dish was practically wiped clean. And there were tons of other offerings from which to choose. But very few can resist bacon and cheese sauce. And why should they? Especially on Christmas!
Because if there was ever a day to celebrate life and not give a flying fig what you put in your mouth, it would have to be Christmas. Well, Thanksgiving works too.
But frankly, I am not going to wait until Christmas to make this dish again. I love cauliflower and Mr. C. had no problem eating every tiny bit of the cauliflower he put on his plate.
So, if you too are a cauliflower lover, but those you associate with are less than devoted, give this recipe a try. And I know, you shouldn’t have to cater to those with plebian tastes. But in the real world, not some “made for TV drama where everyone loves everything placed in front of them”, you too should use every trick in your bag of tricks to get your family TO EAT THEIR VEGGIES!
Believe me, I know what you’re up against. But hang in there. Never over-cook veggies. Roast veggies as often as possible. And when all else fails, slather them with a sauce made with bacon and cheese. It’s not the best nutritional alternative, but it works! That and “secret sauce” (recipe below) which was how I managed to get veggies into my children’s and now my husband’s mouth without the use of whips and chains.
And always remember, I am on your side. I know how hard it is to please a crowd. Not everyone will like what you fix. I don’t even like everything I fix. So, why should they?! But keep trying new recipes. It is so much more fun to make dining an adventure. And no, every dish will not be perfect. Perfection is an unachievable goal. Let it go. Just have fun in your kitchen.
So, on that realistic note, I wish you a wonderful New Year, a year filled with new and exciting dishes to prepare, and time to enjoy eating with family and friends. We need each other. We need time together to enjoy food, to respect our differences, and to embrace the joy of just being alive.
So, as always, peace and love to all.
1 lg. head cauliflower, cut into small chunks
4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
½ c. sour cream
pinch kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ c. minced green onions
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 slices diced bacon, cooked crisp (divided)
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
paprika
Steam the cauliflower until crisp tender.
Meanwhile, stir the cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, green onions, Parmesan cheese, half of the cheddar cheese, and ¾ of the crumbled bacon together in a large enough bowl to accommodate the sauce and the cooked cauliflower.
When the cauliflower is cooked to crisp tender, add it to the bowl and gently mix until all surfaces of the cauliflower are covered with the cream cheese mixture.
Scoop into a lightly buttered casserole or baking dish. Even out the surface, then top with the remaining cheddar cheese and the reserved bacon.
Sprinkle on a bit of paprika and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.
SECRET SAUCE
1 part mayonnaise
1 part soy sauce
Mix the mayo and soy sauce together and serve with your veggie of choice. (Particularly good with crisp tender broccoli.)
Sorry for not having a picture of these delicious roasted potatoes. But I served them Christmas Eve along with a new recipe for herb roasted pork tenderloin which was OK but not magnificent and therefore not worthy of being repeated. So, I’m sure you can understand that I was simply too busy entertaining to even think about taking a picture.
But I gotta tell ya, even though the pork tenderloin recipe didn’t work out as planned, these potatoes saved the meal. They are simply some of the best tasting roasted potatoes I have ever prepared. And the best part; they were so very easy to fix.
So, next time you need a quick and easy way to serve potatoes, I would suggest that you give this recipe a try. And the potatoes don’t have to be fancy, multicolored little gems. This recipe would work just as well with any potato, be it russet, yellow, or red potatoes. Just cut the potatoes into small chunks, and Bob’s your uncle!
And if you don’t know the term, or don’t know what it means – your history lesson for today:
“Bob’s your uncle” means that everything is taken care of for you, you’re all set, you’ve got it made. The expression apparently dates to 1887 when the original “Uncle Bob” was British Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury. It was he, Lord Salisbury, who installed his nephew (Arthur Balfour) as the Irish Secretary in a move that reeked of nepotism.
Now, “Bob’s your uncle” is a well-known idiom that simply means something is easy to do and will probably be successful. The same as saying “and there you have it” or “piece of cake” or “it’s as simple as that”.
Well, that’s it for today. The sun is shining, and Mt. Baker is out in all its glory after many days of enforced seclusion. If it weren’t for the fact that it is January 6th, which brings back so many negative memories of the day, I would be perfectly content.
But I will never be able to understand how we as a nation can forgive or forget how January 6th happened. Who was ultimately responsible for this travesty of justice. And that many Americans saw fit to bring him back as the top representative of our nation. This I will never be able to fathom.
But I am going to try my best to keep a positive attitude. I have a wonderful life. I have a fabulous family and the best of friends. And I know we will help each other get through this difficult time. We will simply persevere.
May you too surround yourself with people from whom you can draw strength. We all need each other more than ever.
My fondest hope for myself this year is to embrace inclusiveness rather than exclusivity. Not to dwell on one side over the other. But to help bridge the gap and make us truly a great nation again where we can agree to disagree. And it starts with me. And never again witness our nation taking physical action against those who have a different opinion. Or where one man felt he was cheated and therefore had the right to call on others who were obviously unable to think for themselves or know right from wrong to commit an illegal action. To my mind, that was truly an abuse of power. Not only for the action itself, but for taking advantage of people with a lesser ability to reason for themselves. Or for whom violence is the only way to solve a problem. There was no lesson here on how to resolve an issue peacefully. January 6th was a full-on lesson on brutality. And how to be a bully. The very last thing our nation needed.
So, it starts with me as I stated above. I must keep a positive attitude. I must resolve to accept that others think differently. I must learn to forgive.
And as always, peace and love to all.
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary (use fresh if you can)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 lb. mixed baby potatoes, quartered and patted dry
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes together. Stir in the potatoes and scoop onto a parchment paper lined large baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
Bake the potatoes in a pre-heated 425-degree oven until golden brown and fork-tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
OK, I never said I was a gourmet. I love food much too much to limit myself to only fancy dishes like Pâté De Foie Gras, Beef Wellington, truffles, or anything made with Wagyu beef. Not to mention my budget could never accommodate that much money spent at fancy restaurants or even the ingredients for homemade versions. Which is just fine. Because sometimes, all I want is a good old-fashioned hot dog.
Now don’t get me wrong. I want a good quality frankfurter. And I also insist on having a great bun. So, I have found that the only way to get a bun for either a hot dog or a hamburger that lives up to my picky expectations, is to build my own. And yes, I have two other recipes for hot dog and hamburger buns on this site – Soft and Tender Hot Dog (Etc.) Buns and Whole Grain Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns. They too are delicious.
But I am still in recovery mode from the holidays, so I wanted to make a very quick and easy bun this time.
And I found just what I needed on the jennycancook.com site, which BTW is a terrific site. I encourage you to visit Jenny’s site. It is a winner!
Anyway, if you too love a good hot dog or hamburger, consider building your own buns. Not only will you save a great deal of money (not enough to buy a vat of Pâté De Foie Gras however), but I think you could probably treat yourself to a latte from Starbucks.
And you will have the satisfaction of not force feeding your family or friends ingredients like, Malted Barley Flour, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Monoglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Ascorbic Acid, etc. etc.
So, there you go. I rest my case!
And on that uplifting note, peace and love, and Happy New Year to all.
For Hot Dog Buns:
2¾-3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed, divided
2 tsp. instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
1 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. warm whole milk
2 T. vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
Combine 2½ cups of the fluffed flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Add warm milk, oil, and most of the beaten egg. (You want to save just enough of the beaten egg to brush the top of the buns before they go into the oven.)
Mix for 2 minutes with your dough hook. Scrape down the sides with a stiff spatula as needed.
On low speed add the remaining ¼-½ cup flour until the dough forms a sticky mess.
Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut dough into 8 pieces on a floured surface. (I use my bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 pie shaped wedges after I have shaped the dough into a big ball.) Then with floured hands, press each piece of dough into a 3 x 6-inch rectangle. From the 6-inch side, roll up tightly into a log.
Place seam-side down on the baking sheet, cover with a clean tea towel, and let rise in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size. For me, this takes about 45-50 minutes.
Just before baking in a pre-heated 375-degree oven, brush each roll with the remaining beaten egg. Bake for 12 minutes. (The internal temperature should reach 190 degrees before removing the buns from the oven.) Then let cool completely before cutting.
For Hamburger Buns:
2¾-3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed, divided
2 tsp. instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
1 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. warm whole milk
2 T. vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
sesame seeds
Combine 2½ cups of the fluffed flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Add warm milk, oil, and most of the beaten egg. (You want to save just enough of the beaten egg to brush the top of the buns before they go into the oven.)
Mix for 2 minutes with your dough hook. Scrape down the sides with a stiff spatula as needed.
On low speed add the remaining ¼-½ cup flour until the dough forms a sticky mess.
Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut dough into 8 pieces on a floured surface. (I use my bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 pie shaped wedges after I have shaped the dough into a big ball.) Then with floured hands, shape each into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet.
Flatten each ball to about ½-inch thick, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm spot until they double in size, about 45-50 minutes.
Just before baking in a pre-heated 375-degree oven, brush each roll with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 12 minutes. (The internal temperature should reach 190 degrees before removing the buns from the oven.) Then let cool completely before cutting.
The picture is of the last piece of this lasagna and the last of Eggplant Parmesan Light. They are both delicious and go very well together.
Well, Christmas and the onset of a new year have come and gone, and frankly I’m exhausted. But even though I am in recuperation mode, I wouldn’t change one minute of all the time I spent getting ready for Christmas and the new year and the time I spent with family and dear friends. Because Mr. C. and I are well and truly blessed with fabulous relatives and the very best of friends. And for me, this is the one time of year I go a little crazy and all-out to show my nearest and dearest how appreciative I am to have them in my life. After that, they simply must make do with the bare minimum of pomp and circumstance. No longer do any of my kids or grandkids receive cute little Valentine cards or gifts, or Easter baskets, or sometimes even birthday cards, much less birthday presents. Because as I have advanced in age, there is just a limit to the amount of energy I have for such endeavors. But for Christmas, I put on a new persona. I become the embodiment of Mrs. Santa.
And if there is one wish that I truly hope and pray will continue to be granted, it’s that I can continue keeping Christmas like I always have. Because, as you know, there is just something special about all the Christmas lights, the Christmas tree, Christmas cards, and Christmas cookies. When are cookies ever as delicious as at Christmas time? Never! Oh, they still taste wonderful. But Christmas cookies just come with a certain cachet. Maybe it’s because at this time of year they are kept in Christmas tins. Because who doesn’t like to lift several lids to find just the cookies they are craving at the time?
So, may you too, my fellow Mr. and Mrs. Santas, find time during the beginning of 2025 to relax a bit, take time for yourself, and reassess your priorities. (I use the term priorities rather than resolutions because it’s much easier for me to prioritize than to make a resolution and actually accomplish a loss of 20 pounds in 15 days!) But enough about me and my idiosyncrasies. And on to this recipe.
First of all, as in every lasagna I have ever made, this recipe takes time to prepare. So, I’m not going to tell you that this is a breeze to make. It’s actually a pain in the rear to build. But it’s still worth the effort because it’s really yummy. And sometimes white lasagna is a very nice change of pace.
So, I highly recommend this recipe or my Roasted Mushroom Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce or Roasted Veggie Lasagna with Cheese Béchamel Sauce if a lasagna that does not contain tomatoes would make a nice change.
Plus, as in most lasagna recipes, this recipe yields a lot of servings. So, it is perfect for feeding a crowd. Or if you are much more efficient than I am, you could make it and cut it into portions and freeze them for those nights when cooking anything is tantamount to hitting your thumb with a hammer.
And as for books that I have recently read, forget it for now. I have been to bloody busy. But I plan to change that right after I post this recipe.
So, bye for now and may 2025 find you happy, healthy, and on your best behavior. (We are all going to need to be on our best behavior because it’s going to get rough! And civility, empathy, compassion, and compromise are going to be more important than ever.)
And as always, peace and love to all.
For the sauce:
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 lg. clove garlic, finely minced
½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
4 c. whole milk, plus more if needed if the lasagna looks like it might be a bit dry*
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
12-16 oz. low fat cottage cheese, whirled in a food processor or blender until smooth
½ c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lg. egg, beaten
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then whisk in the flour and continue whisking for a couple of minutes or until the paste begins to bubble and thicken.
Slowly whisk in the milk, until no lumps remain. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and continue to simmer until sauce has thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the salt and pepper, then mix in the cottage cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool before adding the beaten egg. Set aside.
For the sausage, mushroom, and spinach layer:
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
5-8 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped
Fry the bulk sausage in a frying pan until nicely browned. Drain if a lot of fat. Then add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and add the fresh spinach. Set aside until needed.
Putting it all together:
12 oz. lasagna noodles, cooked al dente, drained, and patted dry
3 c. grated mozzarella cheese (12 oz.)
freshly chopped parsley
Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a deep-dish casserole pan or dish that is at least 9×13-inch wide and long. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom.
Lay a layer of lasagna noodles over the bottom. (There will be 3 layers of noodles when the casserole is fully assembled.)
Spread a third of the sauce on the noodles, and half of the sausage, mushroom, and spinach mixture. Then top with a third of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of noodles, sauce, the rest of the spinach mixture, and another third of the mozzarella cheese. To finish, top off with a layer of noodles, and the remaining sauce. (The remaining mozzarella will be used during the latter part of the baking process.)
*If it appears that the lasagna might turn out dry when baked, poke some holes in the top and gently pour on a half cup to a full cup of milk.
Cover with foil and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 40-50 minutes. Uncover the lasagna and scatter the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top and bake for another 15 minutes or until the lasagna is completely heated through and the cheese is melted. (The internal temperature should reach at least 165 degrees.)
Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let sit for about 10 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Please note: This casserole can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking. But be sure to take it out of the fridge for a good hour before you plan to put it in an oven. And even then, it might take a bit longer to bake.
So, yes, I do have another recipe for Brutti Ma Buoni (BMB) on this site in which hazelnuts are the star. But when I was researching recipes for the dinner party we recently hosted for the Whistle Lake Jazz Quartet (plus wives) with Italian food as the theme, I stumbled on a recipe for Italian BMB. It was a bit different than mine because it was for a chocolate BMB, which didn’t appeal to me at all. But what I learned was that BMB are typically made with hazelnuts as the primary nut, although some regional variations, especially in Tuscany, feature almonds. And suffice it to say, I love Tuscany with a passion. So, to go along with the gelato I planned to serve for dessert, I decided to make my own version of this ugly cookie. And because I am basically lazy, instead of portioning out the dough with a tablespoon, I used my #60 ice cream scoop.
So, my BMB’s are not in the least bit ugly. Plus, I also messed with the flavoring. I decided since I was using almonds instead of hazelnuts, swapping out one of the teaspoons of vanilla for ½ teaspoon almond extract and ½ teaspoon water, was going to up the almond flavor immensely. And I must confess; these are the easiest to prepare cookies imaginable!
So, if you too love everything Italian, want to make a delicious and easy to prepare cookie, and love the fact that there is no flour, butter, or added oil of any kind in the list of ingredients, then this is the cookie recipe for you.
But before I let you go, I haven’t had a lot of time to read with all the preparation for the holidays, but I did finish for the third time, Alexander McCall Smith’s lovely book entitled Tears of the Giraffe. If you have not read the series featuring Precious Ramotswe and her No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Botswana, then you are in for a treat. Beautifully written and the people, well at least most of them, are truly endearing. And even if you have read these wonderful books, do it again. They just keep getting better and better with each read.
Well, that’s it! The new year is about to take place. And although I think it’s going to be a rough ride for a few years, I know that I can make it through because of all the truly wonderful people I am blessed to have in my life.
May you too surround yourself with people who are kind, who care, and who want to make the lives of everyone around them better.
And as always, peace and love to all.
8 oz. unsalted whole almonds (skins and all) – roughly 1¾ cups (best way to know for sure is to weigh the nuts)
1½ c. powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 lg. room temperature egg white, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. good almond extract
½ tsp. water
Pre-heat your oven to 400-degrees. Spread the almonds on a large, rimmed baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes. (When you can smell the roasted nuts, you know they are ready. And always, it’s better to err on the side of caution. So, when in doubt, take them out!) Allow the nuts to cool completely before proceeding.
In a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are partially broken down. Add the powdered sugar and salt and continue pulsing until the nuts are finely chopped. Add the lightly beaten egg white, vanilla, almond extract, and water. Pulse just until the dough is thoroughly combined. (It should be all clumped together.)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using an ice cream scoop, (#60 – 1 tablespoon) drop the cookie balls onto the prepared cookie sheet about 1-inch apart. If you don’t have a small ice cream scoop, spoon tablespoon-size mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, again about 1-inch apart. (This is the way to end up with the “ugly cookie” part.)
Bake the cookies on the center rack of your 400-degree oven for about 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned all over. (Watch carefully, because the bottom of the cookies can get too brown if baked too long. But the longer you bake them, the crispier on the outside they become. Which BTW, is what you want.) (In my oven, 13 minutes is perfect.) They are basically like a nutty macaroon.
Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing them in an airtight container.
Unlike many cookies, Brutti Ma Buoni cookies are best eaten within 1 or 2 days.
So, while I’m working my tush off getting ready for the holidays, our orange boys are taking it easy. Oh, that it could have been me taking a nap!
