Baked Flounder with Tomatoes and Basil

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Tomatoes and basil were meant to be together.  I love putting them together in the Garlic Pork with Tomato and Basil, or toss them together to make a simple and refreshing tomato salad.  This dish is just another way to bring these two lovely flavors together.  I found this recipe in Bon Appetit's September 2011 magazine.

Ingredients

1 pound very ripe tomatoes, cored, quartered (halved if small)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

4 6-8-oz. boneless flounder fillets

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Toss first 5 ingredients in a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Spread out in an even layer.
2. Bake tomato mixture for 5 minutes. Season fish with salt and pepper. Arrange fish in a single layer over tomato mixture. Roast fish with tomato mixture until fish just begins to flake, about 10 minutes.

Picture from: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2011/09/baked-flounder-with-tomatoes-and-basil

Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes

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When we had these sloppy joes for dinner, it was probably the first sloppy joe I have eaten since elementary school.  This wasn't the ordinary sandwich from my elementary school cafeteria.  It was a grownup version that offered a beefy texture and a bit of tomato flavor with a hint of heat.  I could of gone back for sloppy seconds on this one (thank Daniel).  The sauce really stuck to the meat and had warm, comforting flavor.  I found this recipe in Cooking Light's June 2011 magazine.  I made a sweet and sour slaw and potato wedges to accompany these joes.  

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil 

12 ounces ground sirloin 

2 (8-ounce) packages presliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion 

3 garlic cloves, minced 

1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato paste

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon molasses

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce 

4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, toasted 

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add beef; cook for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.

1. While beef cooks, place mushrooms in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until finely chopped. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to pan; cook for 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through salt) to pan; cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates. Stir in pepper and hot sauce. Spoon about 1 cup beef mixture on bottom half of each bun; top with top halves of buns.

Notes:

• This can be made without mushrooms to get the same results.  
• The husband suggested chopping the ground beef prior to cooking to give it a finer texture.  (We do this when making tacos.)  Just run a knife through the beef like you would mince garlic.
• Slaw recipe: 3 cups of shredded cabbage and carrots, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard, 1/4 teaspoon pepper; Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, and pepper in a small bowl; stir until sugar dissolves.  Pour over cabbage mixture and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.  (Its best after several hours.)

Photo from: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef-mushroom-sloppy-joes-50400000112412/

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

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I have always loved shepherd's pie, but it has been awhile since I was able to enjoy it.  I had a version of this during Teacher Appreciation week.  The parent association at my school put together a parent led potluck luncheon for teachers and staff.  There were at least 50 types of dishes there from a variety of kitchens.  As I was filling my plate, I decided to give this a try.  I went back to my classroom to begin eating lunch when I tasted the shepherd's pie, I was surprised by how amazing I thought it was.  I literally ran back down the hall to catch the parent who made it.  She gave me an overview of the ingredients and how she made it, but I failed to catch her name.  I have since experimented with our conversation and have this awesome dish that I have even enjoyed for breakfast leftover.  
Makes 5-6 servings.

Ingredients
1 package of MorningStar Farms Grillers Original (or other veggie patty of your choice), chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn
5 babybella mushrooms, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4-5 potatoes, peeled and cut
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large frying pan, heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery, and carrots.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally.  Add mushrooms and garlic.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Add veggie patties and corn.  Stir to combine and add 1 cup of vegetable broth.  Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  
2. While cooking the vegetables, begin to boil the potatoes.  Boil for about 10-15 minutes or until they are tender.  Drain, but return to the pot.  Add butter, salt, and pepper.  Place lid on pot and allow the butter to melt.  With a handheld mixer, beat the potatoes adding milk slowly until desired consistently (softer mashed potatoes are more desirable for topping the pie).  Cover with lid and set aside.
3. Combine flour and remaining vegetable broth.  Make sure the vegetable mixture is simmering, and add about half of the flour and broth mixture.  Stir until combined.  Return to a simmer and continue to add a little at a time until gravy has thickened.  Remove from heat.
4. Pour vegetable mixture into a deep baking dish.  Dollop the mashed potatoes over the top and spread evenly.  Cover the dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes or until it is bubbly.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes.  Serve.

Notes:

• When chopping vegetables and patties, make sure everything is about the same size.  It makes for even cooking and a consistent texture.  
• This dish is perfect for baking in individual containers.  
• I usually begin to boil the potatoes just before I begin cooking my vegetables and finish mashing them just before adding the gravy.  The timing usually works out.

Vegetarian Collard Greens

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Being from the South, I grew up eating collards and other greens.  My granddad would bring home garbage bags full of fresh picked greens from the farm, and spend hours cleaning and cutting.  There were a few times he recruited me for the process.  We filled one sink with water and submerged  several bunches of greens, and then we filled another sink and transferred them.  Then we drained the first sink and continued to repeat the process until it looked like we were in a field of collards.  It wasn't until I was older that he let me help cut and cook the greens.  The huge stock pot always started with a hunk of salty fat back which was fried like bacon, and then came the greens.  I am still not sure what seasonings he added, but whatever they were, the greens had a lot of flavor.  I made this vegetarian version for a friend of mine when she came for dinner.  Who says bacon makes everything taste better?

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 lb. washed and cut collard greens (I buy the already washed collards)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 cups of vegetable broth

2 teaspoons savory

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Add chopped onions.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until they begin to soften.  Stir frequently to prevent burning.  Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds or until they are aromatic. 
2. Add collards to the pot.  (The pot will be very full, but they cook down.)  Add savory, salt, and pepper.  Then, add vegetable broth.
3. Using tongs, toss the greens around to rotate.  Cover with a lid for about 2 minutes.
4. Toss again, reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Stir occasionally for about 45 minutes or until the greens are tender.
5. Serve with a splash of cider vinegar if desired.  

Notes:

• The bag of prepped collards still has stems in them.  If you don't like the stems, make sure to remove them prior to cooking. (I actually kind of liked some stems.  I wasn't able to get them all out prior to cooking)
• Savory can be purchased in the spice isle, but in the ground up form.  If using the ground form, then use about a teaspoon or a teaspoon and a half.  I used the whole form (which leaves the feeling of leaves and twigs in your mouth).  
• Interesting fact about Savory: In WWII Germany, Savory was used as a seasoning during a pepper shortage.  

Picture from: http://hilahcooking.com/how-to-cook-collard-greens/

Banana Pudding

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This recipe for banana pudding was passed down from my great-grandmother.  My mom inherited many of Mimi's recipes.  Each recipe was handwritten on little cards held within a little recipe box that was browning along the edges.  I grew up eating this banana pudding and find it difficult to eat any that is not made with homemade custard.  The custard is what sets this recipe apart from many others.  As a child, I would pull a stool up to the stove and stir the custard mixture for what felt like hours waiting on it to thicken while my mom cut bananas and layered vanilla wafers into her flower patterned Corelle dish.  I don't have flower patterned Corelle, but I do have the recipe.  When you take your first bite of this banana pudding, you are taking a bite of the South.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon All-Purpose flour

6 tablespoon sugar

2 cups milk

2 egg yolk (reserve egg white for meringue topping)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4-5 medium sized ripe bananas

1 box vanilla wafers

2 reserved egg whites

1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Begin by making the custard. In a medium sauce pan, combine flour, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and milk (in that order).  Stir with each addition (this helps to keep the flour from clumping up in your milk).  Heat mixture over medium-low and stir constantly with a wooden spoon (my mom and grandmother always said to use a wooden spoon).  Stir until the custard thickens and coats the spoon, about 7-10 minutes.  (Do you see why I pulled up a stool?)
2. After the custard has thickened, remove from the heat.  Layer vanilla wafers in the bottom of a medium-sized heat proof dish.  Slice 2 bananas and layer over the vanilla wafers.  Repeat a vanilla wafer layer over the bananas and up the side.  Repeat with remaining bananas.  Finally, layer wafers one last time to top off the dish.  
3. Pour the custard over the bananas and wafers making sure to pour it over evenly.  Then, gently shake the dish to help the pudding settle between the cracks and crevices of the bananas and wafers.  Refrigerate for about 3 hours or until the pudding is chilled throughout. 
4. Just before serving, preheat your broiler on high.  Pour reserved egg whites, sugar, and Cream of Tartar into a mixing bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high until they form stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.  Top the banana pudding with the stiff egg whites.  Place in the oven for about 1 minute or until the topping is golden brown.  Serve.  

Notes:

• I like my bananas sliced thicker and clunky.  I prefer the thicker texture and roughness of the layers.  My mom on the other hand likes to slice her bananas thin (about 1/4-1/2") and all the same size.  She layers them smoothly over the vanilla wafers for a smooth even layer.  They taste great either way.
• Instead of making a meringue topping, you could use whipped topping or whipped cream, just omit the broiler.  

Picture (not recipe) from : http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/banana-pudding-10000000222208/