Ciabatta Cheese Steaks with the Works

The other day while I was getting some work done, I had Food Network playing in the background as usual. My son Seth came downstairs and sat next to me so we could chat a bit. It seemed like both of us at the same time looked up at the TV and saw the recipe that Rachael was making. Our mouths both began to drool. He looked at me and before he even got the words out of his mouth I said, "I  have GOT to make that"!

It was the show entitled "Sofa Night" and Rachael was making the yummiest looking sandwich I think I have ever seen her make! I immediately grabbed a piece of paper and began writing down the ingredients so I could go to the store. Both of us were so excited. Yes I have created Jr Foodies folks, my kids get just as excited about food as I do I think. My daughter is even taking the culinary program at her school. Isn't she adorable in her chef jacket?

Last night was the night planned for these amazing sandwiches. We were all so excited, I mean if you watch the show these sandwiches are seriously just mouth watering to watch be made. All day yesterday Seth would say, "When are you cooking dinner Mom?" and I would tell him the same thing every time he asked. SO you know as soon as I started cooking he was standing over my shoulder smelling and tasting. All I kept hearing was "OMG Mom that smells so good" "WOW those peppers are awesome" "Ummm when is dinner going to be done?" UGH get out of my kitchen! 

The recipe calls for 2 loaves of ciabatta bread and 4 6 to 8 ounce steaks but I will tell you that I only used one 12 inch loaf and 1pound of steak and it was plenty for 3 people. I have no idea how 4 people would have eaten twice as much! These are very filling. The meat was tender, the cheese sauce was ooooooooh so creamy, and the peppers and onions were the perfect topper to make this seriously the BEST sandwich I have ever eaten. It is kind of a riff on a Philly Cheese Steak but with an Italian flair.

Since we like things spicy here, the next time I make these I am going to add more of the hot pepper rings and juice and probably some crushed red pepper flakes too. The provolone cheese is nice and salty so I think it would hold up well to some extra heat.

Ciabatta Cheese Steaks with the Works

4 flat iron steaks 6 to 8 ounces each

EVOO for coating plus 2 tablespoons

Grill seasoning

3 cubanelle peppers (Italian frying peppers) seeded and thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

1 large onion thinly sliced

1/4 hot pepper rings (sometimes called banana pepper rings), drained, NOT pepperoncini, sliced yellow or red hot peppers in a jar

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutmeg, freshly grated

2 cups grated provolone cheese

2 loaves ciabatta bread, 12 inches long

Leave the steaks on the counter, to take the chill off, while the grill or grill pan heats up to medium-high heat. Coat the steaks with EVOO and grill seasoning.

Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cubanelle peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add a splash of the hot pepper juice and the hot pepper rings, remove from heat.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees F

While the peppers cook put the steaks on the grill or grill pan, and cook for 10 minutes for rare, 2 minutes longer for each level of desired doneness, turning once about midway through cook time. Meanwhile heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Thicken the sauce for a couple of minutes and then reduce the heat to low.

WHen the steaks are cooked to desired doneness, remove to a cutting board and let rest there for 5 minutes. Thinly slice on an angle against the grain. While the meat rests place the bread in the oven to warm and stir the cheese into the sauce.

To serve split the bread lengthwise and spread the steak slices evenly across the bottom of the bread. Top the steak with the sauce and peppers and onions. Cover with bread tops and cut into 4 equal slices.

Crab Cake Mac N Cheese

I made this recipe in the past but never posted it. It got rave reviews from the family but, I of course failed to take a picture. So therefor no post DUH me huh?

This time was a little different in two ways, #1 I remembered to take a picture (Yay me!), #2 I kinda tweaked the recipe a bit to what I thought would taste even better. Not that I am bashing Rachael's recipe, I of all people would never do that. However, Rachael herself says take a recipe and make it your own, so I did.

Below is the original recipe as Rachael wrote it, and as I said everyone that tried it loved it. My version of this recipe will be posted at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen. If you are feeling adventurous try both and let me know your opinion!

Crab Cake Mac N Cheese

Salt

1 pound cavatappi or elbow pasta with lines or conchiglie (small fat tubes/shell shaped pasta with lines)

2 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons butter
3 ribs celery with leafy tops, finely copped
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
About 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves, several sprigs
About 1 tablespoons grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound fresh lump crab meat, picked for shells and flaked
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
3 tablespoons all-purpous flour
2 1/2 cups milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 pound, about 1 rounded cup grated sharp white Cheddar
1/3 pound, about 1 rounded cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
3 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
A gernerous handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a couple of handfuls

Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat, then salt the water. Add the pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, (it will be undercooked). Cool, drain well and add to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion, red pepper, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste. Cook to tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the crab meat to the vegetables and season liberally with seafood seasoning. Stir to combine, then remove from heat.

IN a medium sauce pot, over low heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and bring to a bubble. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, to taste, and cook for a few minutes, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Add the mustard and the cheese and stir in a figure 8 motion. Add the vegetables and crab, sauce to the bowl with the pasta and transfer the mixture to individual baking crocks or a large casserole dish. This can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To complete the dish, melt a couple of tablespoons butter in a small skillet over low heat and add 3 tablespoons hot sauce. Warm through, then add the panko crumbs and toss evenly to coat the crumbs in the sauce mixture. Cool the crumbs, then toss in the parsley and 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Top the mac n cheese with the spicy crumb mixture. Arrange individual crocks on a baking sheet or put the casserole on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Back until brown and heated through, about 10 minutes. If cooking from cold, the mac n cheese will take 40 to 45 minutes, but add the crumbs the last 10 minutes of baking.

Super Mashers with Steak and Pepper Hash

I really liked the sound of this recipe. I mean it has peppers in it and I LOVE peppers! Any heat in a recipe is just a huge plus for me, actually for most in this house not just me. If you add mashed potatoes to the mix you will please the whole family. My Dad has been know to, on numerous occasions, make a meal out of just mashed potatoes! 


I know it seems that I am obsessed with peppers, but for some reason later in my life I have developed a love for them. Maybe part of it is that I read the spicier the food, the more calories your body burns. So bring on the heat as far as I am concerned! This week was a hot one since I made this recipe along with one of my own for my personal recipe blog, Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen. You can check that one out if you like spicy chicken tacos. A great Cinco De Mayo meal!


I was a little nervous because, as I have mentioned before, Kevin is VERY picky when it comes to red meat. If it isn't rib eye he doesn't want it...PERIOD! But I have been breaking him in slowly with the main reason being that who can afford to cook rib eye for every steak meal you make? This one calls for thinly sliced sirloin. When I was at the grocery store I saw a package of thinly sliced beef and it said "great for stir fry" on it. I asked the butcher if it was comparable to the sliced sirloin my recipe called for and she told me yes. So I grabbed three packages (the recipe calls for 1 1/3 pounds but I just grabbed a little over 1 1/2 pounds). I grabbed all my yummy peppers and away I went.


Now I get ready to cook and as I am reading down the recipe I realize that, once again, my ADD obviously kicked in and I somehow overlooked 2 items on the ingredient list! ARG!! I am going to have to and read the ingredient lists three times each just to make sure I don't do this anymore. So I am sorry that the recipe isn't just as it was supposed to be.


To be honest I was worried about the meat being tough. While you are cooking the recipe instructs you to slide the beef off to one side of the pan and cook the veggies on the other side. I stole a bit of the meat to take a taste and it was really chewy. I was so bummed. I knew that would get a less than favorable review. But I went back to the business of cooking the whole meal  before I passed judgement.


After the veggies cook a bit it calls for you to mix the meat and veggies and cook for a few more minutes "like a stir fry". Evidently the amount of cooking that took place between sliding the meat to the side and stir frying was the perfect amount. The meat was just right! I was so happy, and relieved.


I missed the scallions and the lime on the recipe so I used a little bit of lemon juice to add some citrus flavor and just had to do without the scallions. I will say the potatoes were good and I think the scallions would have made them even better. I couldn't taste the lemon juice, but again I agree it would have been better with the lime. All that aside, this really was a good meal. The mix of peppers gave it a sweet/spicy thing going on, and eating it with potatoes in the same bite really just set everything off. I of course reserved my opinion until I heard from the other diners. Kevin immediately said he really liked it. Color me shocked!! My response to that was "Really?". I was just completely prepared for him to hate it he really caught me off guard. Ok, not I am waiting for Miss Picky to weigh in. She of course didn't eat the peppers, but the steak still had the pepper flavor, and there is a bit of Franks Red Hot in it to boot. She said SHE loved it. WOW what I pleasant surprise. It went from a recipe, in my mind, that no one would want a repeat of, to one that can get marked down as a keeper. Nice!!


Oh, a small side note, I went ahead and mixed the cheese in with the mashed potatoes rather than sprinkling it on top. Just a personal preference for me. Also, the recipe calls for 10 ounces of shredded cheddar. Well, it come in 8 ounce bags so I only used the 8 ounces and it tasted just fine.

Super Masher with Steak and Pepper Hash

Ingredients

4 large starchy potatoes, such as Idaho

coarse salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tables spoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

1 1/3 pound 1 inch thick beef sirloin, trimmed and thinly sliced

coarse black pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

2 Anaheim or poblano chilies (Anaheim are a bit hotter), seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

several drops of hot sauce, such as Franks Red Hot, to taste (I add a couple of tablespoons!)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk depending on how soft you like your mashers.

10 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Peel the taters and cut them into small chunks. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Uncover, add salt to season, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

In a small pot over medium low heat, add about 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the garlic. Saute the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the scallions and remove the pan from the heat. Reserve.

Heat a large non stick skillet over high heat. Season the sliced steak with salt and pepper, then heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. The oil will smoke--don't freak out, just add the meat and start searing it up. Brown the strip on all sides, hit with some Worcestershire sauce, then push it off to one side of the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the peppers, chilies, and onions, season with salt and pepper, then toss them around, searing all the edges, for another minute or two before combining all the meat and veggies together. Add the thyme and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, keeping everything moving around like a stir-fry. Turn off the heat and drizzle some hot sauce and the lime juice over the steak and veggies. Adjust the seasoning.

Drain the potatoes, then return them to the hot pot to evaporate some of the water content. Add the reserved garlic and scallion mixture to the potatoes along with the sour cream and start smashing away with a masher. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk if needed. Season the super mashers with salt and pepper.

Pile up one fourth of the potatoes on each plate. Top with a generous handful of cheddar cheese. Pile up meat and veggies on top of the super mashers and serve. The heat of the meat and veggies will melt the cheese.

Serves 4

Mashed Potatoes



Pepper Sirloin Steak

Southwestern Pasta Bake

Hello to my favorite foodie gang! I thought Springtime had come to my little corner of Washington but it was just a tease. One day of sunshine and 60+ weather, now we are back to drizzle. Even my tulips are confused by this crazy weather. I really want to get my new batch of herbs planted and get my garden set up, but I don't want to get soaking wet to do it! 


Anyway. let me get to today's recipe. We are on #153 Southwestern Pasta Bake. To be honest, this was one of those recipes that I read and thought it sounded OK but I wasn't in a huge hurry to make it. For some reason I just wasn't putting all of the ingredients together in my head and come up with YUM. Also, I had it on my shopping list and had picked up all of the groceries but I was having a hard time finding a night to cook when someone besides Kevin and I would be eating. I am sure that you all trust our opinions, but I like to have more to offer.


Finally I gave up and made it for dinner. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. Kevin and I really liked it. Of course I feel the heat could have been kicked up a notch. I even kept the ribs and seeds with the jalapeño, but next time I would go for two peppers at least.  Of course for those of you that like it on the milder side, if you remove the ribs and seeds of the pepper you will be just fine.


I also had more like 2 pounds of chicken vs the 26 ounces called for because I had chicken breasts in the freezer already so I used 4 of those and they were bigger breasts. I liked how meaty it made the dish though.


After Kevin and I had our fill we put the leftovers in a Rubbermaid container and popped it into the freezer for a night when I didn't feel like cooking, not that I have many of those, but just to have it. The next night Seth and Melissa came over unexpectedly and I didn't have anything planned. Kevin and I looked at each other and both had the same idea, we needed their input on the recipe, so we pulled it out, warmed it up and had it for dinner a second night. Actually, I think it was even better the second time. Maybe because the flavors had time to really get happy together? I am not sure, but the kids both really liked it. 


So this dish went from one that really didn't grab me, to one that is a winner in my book.


Sorry, I forgot to take a picture. Bad Bobbi!


Southwestern Pasta Bake


Ingredients


Coarse salt
1 pound penne rigate or cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (twice around the pan)
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon ground cumin (1 palmful)
1 tablespoon ground coriander (1 palmful)
2 tablespoons chili powder (2 palmfuls)
Coarse black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3/4 pound sharp yellow cheddar cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (a generous handful)
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped (a couple of handfuls)


Preheat the broiler to high and position the rack 8 inches from the heat.


Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until slightly undercooked-a little chewy at the center.


While the water is coming to a boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat with vegetable oil. Season the chicken with cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add the seasoned chicken to the hot skillet and cook until light brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeño and continue to cook for 5 minutes, While the chicken is cooking with the onions, make the Cheddar sauce.


In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese, cilantro, and parsley with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper and remove the cheese sauce from the heat.


Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back to the large pot, add the contents of the chicken skillet and all of the cheddar sauce, and stir to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and place under the broiler to lightly brown.


Serves 4


*When I reheated the pasta bake the next night, I warmed the container in a hot water bath. Once it was fairly thawed out I transfered it to the casserole dish and topped it with panko bread crumbs. Then cooked it in a 350 over for 40 minutes.


Chicken Breast



Chicken Southwestern

Three is a Charm?

Hi gang, sorry I haven't posted! I know it has been three days. Fifty lashes with a wet noodle for me huh? No excuses, just put the laundry and house cleaning on the top of the list and didn't realize there was as much to do as there was! YIKES! Who's been making all of these messes?


Ok, now we have three recipes to go over. So look at it as a bonus right? Three is a lucky number!


Friday night was recipe #50 Big Thick Hearty Thighs. Only three of us ate that night, and I didn't get the report from Seth until the next day because he took it to work, he works nights, and ate it there. But when he does that I can always count on someone else from his work weighing in on how they liked the recipe. So far they are a nice crowd to feed!
Seth, as well as his boss, like this one. I felt I may have under salted it but for some reason my taster wasn't working very well and I just kept thinking it is missing something but couldn't put my finger on it. Usually I am Johnny on the spot when it comes to salt, and I salted and peppered the thighs liberally before I put them in the pan, plus salted again a bit later on. I just kept feeling like something was missing. But Kevin said he liked it and it makes a nice broth for sopping with some crusty warm french bread yummm can't go wrong with that right? I would suggest trying this recipe but just stay on top of the salt and see if that was my issue. 


Another nice thing about the recipe is it is inexpensive. So if you are like me, and don't have a lot of money to throw around for crazy recipes, this is a good one for you! I did add slightly more garlic than the recipe calls for. My family LOVES garlic, plus the cloves Rachael has on the show are always nice and big. Mine, well, not so much. I also added and extra tablespoon of thyme leaves.


Alas, I neglected my duties of taking a picture so the recipe will have to suffice. 


Big, Thick, Hearty Thighs


Ingredients
2 tablespoons EVOO
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt 
black pepper
1 small yellow onion
5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
3 medium to small red  bliss potatoes, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves chopped


Directions
Preheat a large skillet or wide soup pot over medium high heat and add the EVOO. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on both sides for about 3 minutes. Scoot the browned thighs to the edges of the pan, making some space in the center of the skillet. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently for 2 minutes.


Add the wine and the chicken stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the potatoes and stir everything together. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.


Remove lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the peas, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley, and cook for 1 more minute just to heat the peas through. Serve with crusty bread. 



Chicken Thigh

serves 4

Night Number 2

The next recipe is #7 Chipotle Mac-N-Cheddar. It is a twist on the Master Recipe #4 Mac-N-Cheddar with Broccoli.

Four out of the six people that I can be feeding any given night, enjoy spicy food. I expected this one to be a bit hot with the "C" word (chipotle) in the title. I am still remembering how hot the ribeyes were and a bit nervous about making things so spicy only a few of us can eat it. It is a fine tap dance I do but I try.

Actually this one was not hot at all. Just enough spice to make it warm and yummy, but not enough to burn your tongue off. Seth, Melissa, and Kevin all said it was great and would even suggest adding a bit more chorizo to the recipe. I had it but was afraid it would be too much. They said I could have even add an extra chipotle pepper. So if you want to warm it up a bit give that a try. I will say this recipe is a nice one for people looking for something other than *yawn* Mac-N-Cheese. I love most of Rachael's spins on Mac-N-Cheese and this was just another one to add to the list.

FYI a little hint for the chipotle peppers in adobo. This comes from Rachael so I can't claim it myself, once you open the can and use the peppers you need, place the remaining peppers and sauce in a snack or sandwich baggie and roll like a tube then pop in the freezer. The next time a recipe calls for chipotles in adobo BAM you drag it out of your freezer and grate a bit off with your cheese grater. Rachael says it is about 1 tablespoon per pepper.  

Again, I hang my head in shame, no picture for your viewing pleasure.

Smokey Chipotle Mac-N-Cheddar

Ingredients

• 1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, plus some for drizzling
• 3/4 pound chorizo, 1 package, casing removed and diced
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 chipotle in adobo and their juices, chopped or 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chili
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 cups shredded smoked Cheddar

Directions

Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni. When it boils, salt water and cook pasta until a little under done, just shy of al dente.

While pasta cooks, place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and chorizo. Brown the chorizo then add the canned tomatoes to the pan and heat them through. Remove from heat and reserve.

While chorizo begins to cook, heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, then add onions and chipotles and cook 3 to 5 minutes to sweat it out and turn the juices sweet. Raise heat up a bit, add the flour and whisk together until mixture bubbles up. Cook 1 minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat up a little more to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Once it bubbles, drop heat back to a rolling simmer sauce to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain macaroni or pasta. Add cooked pasta back to the large pot.

Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt, a minute or so. Stir in chorizo and tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over cooked pasta in large pot and toss to combine. Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish with chives and serve.

serves 4

Chipotle Peppers



Macaroni and Cheese

Night Number 3

Now we are on to recipe #74 Turkey (or Chicken) Croquettes with Spinach Mashers and Pan Gravy. This recipe right off the bat reminded me of Thanksgiving. That is because I used to always make turkey croquettes from the left over turkey. I wish I had found this way to make them a long time ago! I made them with a rue and then you had to grind the turkey and let it all set in the fridge....blah blah blah. This was like a little Thanksgiving party in my mouth.

I would suggest chopping the veggies very fine. I did the "rustic" chop and that made them too big. I also felt 1 pound of spinach was too much so I grabbed a 5 ounce container and I will say that is as much as I would want in the potatoes. But that is the only negative thing I will say about this recipe. If you like "Turkey Day" make this one!!!

And YAY!! I have a picture!

• Turkey or Chicken Croquettes with Spinach Mashers and Pan Gravy

Ingredients

• 3 large starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Coarse salt
• 1 package (about 1-1⁄3 pounds) ground turkey breast or ground chicken
• 2 celery ribs and their greens, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (eyeball it in the palm of your hand)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (from 5 to 6 sprigs)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (a handful)
• Coarse black pepper
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups plain bread crumbs
• 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil (eyeball it)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2-1⁄2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1⁄2 cup cream or half-and-half
• 1 pound triple-washed baby spinach leaves
• Prepared whole-berry cranberry sauce, to pass at the table

Preparation

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Put a lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. While the potatoes cook, make the croquettes. Place the turkey or chicken in a bowl. Add the celery, onions, poultry seasoning, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg yolk. Combine and form 8 patties. Coat both sides of the patties in the bread crumbs. Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side. Remove the croquettes to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat under the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet and melt, then whisk in the flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two. Whisk in 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Thicken for a minute or so and turn off the heat. Season the sauce with a little salt and pepper.

Drain the cooked potatoes and return to the hot pot. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock, and the cream. Mash and season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Fold in the spinach leaves until they wilt into the potatoes.

To serve, pile the spinach mashers on plates and top each portion with 2 croquettes and a spoonful of gravy. Pass the cranberry sauce at the table.

serves 4

I will update the menu page and then can't wait to report to you on all the great stuff coming up this week!

Chicken Croquettes



Mashed Potatoes



Spinach