spinach and artichoke dip

Recipes are like clothes, most go in and out of style with depressing regularity.  Anyone made Chicken a la King lately?  Some are perennials.  My wife's officemates always request our spinach and artichoke dip as our contribution at parties.  In honor of the annual potluck, here is the recipe:

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1x                    2x

2 tsp                ¼                     small onion, minced

1½ tsp             1 Tbsp             minced garlic

1½ tsp             1 Tbsp             butter

6 - 8 oz            12 - 16 oz       frozen spinach (I use the whole bag or box, depending on the size)

4 oz                 8 oz                 cream cheese

½ can               14 oz can        artichoke hearts-drained and crumbled

¼ cup              ½ cup              sour cream

1 cup               2 cups              mayonnaise

½ tsp               1 tsp                worcestershire sauce

1 oz                 2 oz                 grated parmesan or romano cheese

to taste                                    salt, black pepper and Lousiana-style hot sauce

                                                (Louisiana brand hot sauce is the best, Tabasco is o.k.)

Cook the onion and the garlic in the butter.  Soften them, but don’t brown.

Add the spinach and the cream cheese warm through.

Remove from the heat and combine with the artichokes, sour cream, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce and parmesan cheese. 

Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. 

The recipe can be done to this point and held for a couple of days.

To Serve – place dip in glass oven dish, cover and heat in microwave until well heated, stirring from time to time.    When it is hot, top with more grated parmesan and brown under the broiler.  (If desired.)

Serve with Pita Bread triangles or thin slices of french bread.

Waffle Sunday

Waffles again this morning.  Man, I love waffles with real butter and real maple syrup.  Made the batter yesterday, but the leftover was good today as well.  Try these, super simple and oh-so yummy.

Note the use of whole wheat flour.  The liberal use of whole grains negates the effect of all the butter and maple syrup you will slather on them.  As a result, feel free to cook up some bacon on the side.

Waffles

2 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

4 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 cup a.p. flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

Loosen eggs by beating till frothy.

Whisk in the vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract.  Mix well.

Add both flours and just blend in.

Cook in preheated waffle iron till brown and crispy.

Note: Leftover batter may be kept for a day or two, but rise will be reduced.

is it polenta, or just mush?

Cornmeal, water, salt.

It just doesn't get any more basic than that.  But what a starting place.  Due to my recent illness that has make it hard to chew and swallow, I have been beefing up my repertoire of invalid-friendly foods and mush (or polenta, as you foodies call it) seemed to fit the bill nicely.

Nothing could be simpler to make.  Bring water to a boil, add salt, stir over medium heat for one minute, turn heat to low for 4 more minutes.  Remove from heat.

At this point, you can eat it warm and soft (which is great), but we mostly spread it out in a baking dish and let it cool, then chill in the fridge.  Cut out a square, dust with flour, and fry to crispy goodness.  I think ghee/clarified butter works best here.  I cook over medium heat to start so it gets warm all the way through, then finish it on high so it gets super crispy on the outside.  You can put nearly anything sweet or savory on it when it gets hot.  It makes a killer entree with marinara sauce and is an awesome downhome comfort dessert with a glob of grape or blackberry jelly on it.  You can also grill on the BBQ if you use a bit of caution.


The mush in the picture has been crisped up as described above, the pan wiped out and some heavy cream and maple syrup added to the pan and reduced to the sauce consistency.  This, my friends, is a Cornpone Cadillac of flavors.

The Mush:
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup yellow corn meal
Bring water to a boil, stir in salt, stir in corn meal.  Cook one minute over medium heat stirring constantly.  Cover pan with tight fitting lid, turn heat to as low as it will go on your stove, cook four more minutes.  Pour into a 8 inch (or 9 inch) square baking dish sprayed with pan spray and chill.
Cut out squares to dust in flour and fry.  For total decadence, deep fry.

Green Bean Harvest

The first harvest of the 2011 green bean crop has been completed.  We expect great things to follow as the little plants have lots of little beans on them.

today's garden booty

Fresh peas and beets - stay tuned for what finished dishes they will turn out to be.

biscuits and groovy

Nothing like a hearty stick to your ribs breakfast before retreating to the air conditioned mancave to wait out the heat of the day.

Biscuits

Gravy

Biscuits and Gravy

Bing Cherry Cake

Fresh cherries are in at the Farmer's Market.  While eating them right off the stem is awesome, there are lots of things you can do with them.  Here is a super-easy cherry cake that you can make in the time the oven preheats.

Fresh Bing Cherry Cake with Nutella Frosting

@ ½ pound fresh bing cherries  (split, pit and reserve)

@ ¼ cup a.p. flour, reserved

Cake:

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ lb (1 stick) + 1 Tbsp butter, melted

1¼ cups a.p. flour

1½ tsp baking powder

Frosting:

One 13 oz jar, Nutella (cocoa/hazelnut spread)

1 cup sour cream

(note: the grocery store brand of cocoa/hazelnut spread works just fine – I use the Kroger brand for this)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by greasing and flouring.  Line bottoms with parchment rounds if desired. 

 

3. Make the cake batter:

Sift the flour and the baking powder together and reserve.

With a hand mixer, mix the eggs and the granulated sugar until they are light and fluffy.  Add the melted butter and mix in thoroughly.  Add the mixed flour and baking powder and blend well.

4. Toss the cherries from the top of the recipe with the ¼ cup flour and fold into the cake batter.  Split the batter between the two pans and bake for about 25 minutes in the preheated oven.  The cakes are done when they are lightly browned and they are just beginning to pull away from the sides of the baking pans.  Cool completely before frosting.

5. Prepare the frosting:

Put the sour cream in a mixing bowl and soften with a hand mixer.  Add the hazelnut spread and mix completely. 

Put a cake layer on a plate, cover top with half of the frosting, top with second layer and repeat.

(Adapted from a recipe at www.luculliandelights.com)