Archive | January, 2010

HashBrown Spinach Casserole

25 Jan

I already shared this version of a hash brown casserole with you guys… but this version really came about as a clean-out my fridge recipe.  I was tired of seeing the bag of hash brown potatoes in the freezer, a small container of French Onion Dip, the spinach, the shredded cheeses. 

I challenged myself to cook with stuff that was already “opened” – no need to open a new package of anything to save in the fridge.

 

HASHBROWN SPINACH CASSEROLE

1 lbs (about 1/3 a bag) of frozen hash brown potatoes, somewhat thawed
About 1 cup of frozen cut-leaf spinach, somewhat defrosted too
4oz of French Onion Dip – you can use one from the store or make it yourself
2 tbs plain yogurt
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend – Asiago, Mozzarella, provolone, etc.
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix together all the ingredients in a medium bowl.
  3. Place the mixture in an oven-proof dish bake in oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potato is fully cooked and the top is golden brown.

 

No need to salt this dish in my opinion… the times I used additional salt, even a little, it turned out salty.  The dip and the cheeses will provide plenty saltiness to the dish.

Try this with my Watercress Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing… super yummy.

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Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pastelillo

18 Jan

I have an “obsession” with puffed pastry…  I admit it.  It’s super versatile and easy to use, particularly when you’re cooking for company.  Just add your favorite filling and you have a nice dish.

This time around I decided to mix together the ingredients of my favorite appetizer of the Xmas season and make it into a meal… balsamic mushrooms and goat cheese.  Envelope everything inside squares of puffed pastry, add a great green salad and you have a complete meal for a girl’s night together.  Here’s how I did it…

 

MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE PASTELILLO

1 sheet of puffed pastry, thawed in the refrigerator since the night before
½ recipe for Balsamic Mushrooms
4 oz package of goat cheese
2 tbs butter, melted
A bit of flour or cornstarch to roll out the puffed pastry
  1. I’ll be honest… I do not measure a lot.  So I do not know how large I roll out the puffed pastry, but just enough to make 4 medium sized squares to make into these pastelillos.  Each pastelillo serves one not so big eater.  
  2. So before you start rolling out, dust your surface and rolling pin with some whole wheat flour or cornstarch so the pastry does not stick to either one.  Cut the pastry into 4 squares as even as possible.
  3. Lay one of your squares in a diagonal with one corner facing you directly.  Add about 1 ounce of the cream cheese and about ¼ of you mushroom mixture in the half of the square closest to you, leaving about ¼ inch clearance around the edges.   Now, overlap the free side of the square on top of the mixture and pinch all the open sides with a fork to close tightly. Repeat with the 3 remaining squares.
  4. Lay them flat on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the fridge for a few minutes, while the oven preheats to 350F.  I do this because the climate in PR is too hot and usually my pastry tends to give me a bit of trouble by the time I get to the last few squares.  This way the pastry kind of cools off and we make sure it will turn our flaky in the end product.
  5. Brush them with a bit of melted butter on top to help them brown nicely.  Bake the pastries in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.  The smell will tell you when they’re done.

 

Enjoy them with a great salad on the side for a light lunch or a light dinner. 

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Hash Brown Casserole

15 Jan

I mentioned to you how much I love the Hash Brown Casserole from Cracker Barrel.  It’s one of my favorite things to eat when I travel in the US.  If I see a Cracker Barrel sign on the side of the road, I immediately salivate.   Very Pavlovian…

So skimming thru this same internet, I found a bunch of recipes that looked awesome and reminded me of the hash brown casserole I usually have at Cracker Barrel.  Most of them included bacon or other stuff that you and I do not eat anymore, so I came up with my adaptation…  Here are the results:

 

HASHBROWN CASSEROLE

1½ lbs (about ½ a bag) of frozen hash brown potatoes, somewhat thawed
½ medium onion, chopped finely
4oz of sour cream
½ can of condensed cream of mushroom soup – I use the reduced sodium version
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup corn flakes, crushed
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste
1 tbs melted butter

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except the cornflakes and butter. 
  3. Place the mixture in an oven-proof dish and top with the crushed corn flakes and drizzle melted butter over the corn flakes.
  4. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potato is fully cooked and the top is golden brown.

 

This version does not taste really like the casserole at CB, but it’s definitely mighty tasty.  It’s those kind of recipes I love…  where you just assemble the ingredients, place them in the oven and you can then leave it alone, while you shower, check your email, meditate and it’s ready.  Just serve it with a salad on the side and you have a complete meal.

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Surprise!!!!

9 Jan

I love it when I get a nice surprise when I cut up fruit… a perfectly ripe avocado, a luscious pulpy mango, a gorgeous passion fruit.  God knows that fruits and vegetables might look pretty on the outside sometimes, but they can be a gamble.

And this week… the surprise was a papaya without seeds to clean – YEAH!!!

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Red Bell Pepper Sauce

5 Jan

I make this sauce to prepare my Sweet Red Bell Pepper Dip… but you can also enjoy it alone as a sauce to enjoy with other dishes, like my Cordon Bleu Quesadillas. 

RED BELL PEPPER SAUCE 

1 red bell pepper, cut in pieces
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

 

  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender.  It might seem there’s little liquid to blend, but it will.  Believe me.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and as soon as it reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes.
  3. Let it cool.

 

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