RECIPE: POTATO AND ONION GRATIN; COMFORT FOOD TO FEED A FEW OR A CROWD

I love recipes that can feed a few folks or easily expand to feed an army on the cheap. Well, this is one of those dishes, it is comforting, delicious, so easy to make... best of all, it's so affordable, you can feed a huge crowd for not very much money. Yes, Parmegano-Reggiano is expensive so substitute something else if you must. This is really one of those recipes you will go to time and again. You remember how Bob Tuschman, the head honcho at Food Network said my food was like hot cocoa and warm flannel pajamas? Well, this dish is just that. Get ready to blow the diet; you might eat the whole thing!

POTATO AND ONION GRATIN

Serves 6

Prep: 15

Bake: 1 hour plus 10 minutes

 INGREDIENTS

4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1 small yellow onion, sliced extremely thin

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus 2 tablespoons for the top

3 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese or any other cheese that melts nicely

1 cups heavy cream

½ cup milk (use low fat or whole, it doesn’t matter. I use 2%)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F

Slice the potatoes and rinse. Keep them in water until you assemble the dish. Mix the salt, pepper, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Liberally grease the bottom of a 10 or 12 inch casserole or gratin dish with the butter.

Drain the potatoes. Blot excess moisture with a paper towel. Arrange a layer of potatoes, overlapping them slightly on the bottom of the dish. Season with half of the salt and pepper mixture. Add a very thin layer of onion, do not overlap. Add half of the cheese. Add another layer of potatoes. Season this layer with the remaining salt mixture. Add the remaining cheese on top. There should be at least three layers, ending with the cheese on top. You may have more, depending on the size of the dish you used.

Carefully pour the heavy cream into the dish, taking care not to pour on the top of the cheese so that it goes down into the bottom of the dish.

Bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are very soft, the milk is absorbed and the top is golden brown and delicious. It tastes best if allowed to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

RECIPE: CROQUE MONSIEUR FOR TWO OR A CROWD

Have leftover ham after the holiday? Try a deliciously toasty French classic, the Croque Monsieur. Simply said, it is a toasted ham and cheese with Béchamel sauce on the top which is broiled until golden brown. This glamorous sandwich is fantastic party food because you can make a ton of them at one time using a sheet pan or you can slice a loaf lengthwise and make one large sandwich, slicing into wedges to serve. Chez fan-tas-tique!

INGREDIENTS

For 2; simply multiply if you want to make for a crowd

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 slices bread- if using sandwich bread, cut the crusts off. I like loaf bread sliced 1 1/2” thick
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
½ cup grated cheese I like Gruyere and Parmesan but use whatever I have
A pinch nutmeg plus ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, and a dash white pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon
2-3 slices of leftover ham, sliced medium thickness 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the broiler of your oven or toaster oven with the rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with foil. Sit out the milk before using it so it is not super cold.

Put the butter in a pan over a medium-low heat. Using a pastry brush, brush one side of each slice of bread with a bit of melted butter and put under the broiler until golden brown. Set aside.

Next, over medium-low heat, stir the flour into the remaining butter to make a paste. Cook and stir for one minute, then gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until smooth. Simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. You know it is ready when you can draw a line down the back of the spoon with your finger and it stays separated. Remove from the heat. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper; check seasoning.

Spread the untoasted sides of the bread with Dijon, then put the ham on top, followed by the half the cheese. Broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

Top with the other slice of bread. Press down; I use a large spatula for this. Put the sandwiches on to the baking sheet you prepared and top with Béchamel sauce, allowing some to drip over the sides of the bread. Top each with the remaining cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until golden and bubbling, and serve immediately.

Cooking with the Kids: Martie and CCA Chefs Club Huntsville

I have the great honor of working with many different groups and one of my favorites is the CCA Chef's Club from Huntsville, Alabama. The group is comprised of junior high and high school students who have a love of cooking and may possibly want to seek a career in food one day. I've had the chance to hang out with the kids a number of times; we cooked together last holiday season and made my chocolate roulage recipe. Last year, some of them were able to come to Birmingham for a tour of the Southern Living campus, the legendary test kitchens and the studios where I film my videos for MyRecipes.com. 

 

I asked the group for a family traditions recipe and they selected this old school whip pie crust recipe to share. Filled with fresh blackberries or your favorite fruit filling, try it for yourself. Here are some photos of the kids with their own variations. The pie crust recipe calls for items I've never even heard of: a pie crust cloth and a rolling pin cover. I guess that just shows how old school it this recipe really is. If you do not have these items, just make the substitutions I've indicated.

CCA Chef TIP:  The use of a pastry cloth and rolling pin cover helps keep the pie crust from absorbing too much flour when rolling it out.  Too much flour and too much handling make a tough pie crust.

WATER WHIP PIE CRUST

(Recipe for 9” two-crust pie)

3/4 cup Crisco
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon milk
2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted once before measuring)
1 teaspoon salt

Put 3/4 cup Crisco in a mixing bowl.  Add 1/4 cup boiling water and 1 tablespoon milk; whip with a fork until water and milk are incorporated into the Crisco.  It should be smooth and thick like whipped cream.  Sift in 2 cups sifted all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir quickly, with round-the-bowl strokes, into a dough that “cleans” bowl.  Take up dough in hands and work gently into a smooth, blended round. Handle dough as little as possible.  Divide dough in half; roll each half separately. Place one half of the dough onto a lightly floured pastry cloth. (ok to use floured plastic wrap) Using a rolling pin with cover, (ok to simply flour the rolling pin) roll out the bottom pie crust.  Once dough has been rolled out, use the edge of your pastry cloth to carefully raise dough up and over the rolling pin.  This will make it easier to transfer rolled dough to the pie tin.  Fill the bottom crust with desired filling.  Roll out second half of dough and place on top of pie filling.  Trim dough ½ inch beyond pan, and flute edge.  Make several slits in top of pie crust for steam vents and sprinkle with sugar.  (Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon if making an apple pie.)  Baking temperatures and times depends on the filling you have placed inside.

Blackberry Pie frpm CCA Chefs Club HuntsvilleFresh Blackberry Pie Filling

3 cups fresh blackberries rinsed and drained

4 tablespoons All-Purpose flour

1 cup sugar plus more to sprinkle on top of crust

4-5 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

Place blackberries in bottom pie crust.  Layer the remaining ingredients.  Cover filling with top pie crust; seal and flute edge. Make several slits in top to allow the steam to escape. Sprinkle top with sugar.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  Cool on cooling rack for 2 hours before serving.

Thanks to all of my sweet future chefs for providing us with the recipe and photos of all the fun! Hope to see you all again soon.

 

Soup Season: Delicious Sausage, White Bean and Escarole Soup Recipe

I love soup. There's hardly anything I like more than a warm bowl of something hearty when it is cold outside. This time of the year, a big pot of soup is the perfect way to feed a big crowd and this recipe for Sausage, White Bean and Escarole soup is not only fast, it is also very affordable. For game day or Winter Olympics viewing parties, you can serve this with a salad and some toasty garlic bread and you're all set!

SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of spicy or mild Italian sausage, removed from casing

1 medium yellow onion, diced

5 carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

5-6 whole canned tomatoes plus 1/2 cup of juice from Italian canned tomatoes

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

splash white wine (or any) vinegar

1 cup white wine (optional)

5-6 cups low sodium chicken broth 

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 cans cannelini beans (white pinto beans, Great Northern beans)

2 cups escarole, chopped

Parmesan for garnish

Tabasco-optional

In a large Dutch oven, over medium high heat, brown the sausage, removed from the casing. Once the sausage is nice and brown, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Let the oil get hot and add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook 3 minutes or until softened. Let the vegetables get nice and soft, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook one minute more. Add the sausage back to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Add the tomatoes by crushing them with your hands into little pieces. Add the juice from the tomatoes, vinegar, Worcestershire, and the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir for about 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, beans and escarole. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook 10 minutes more. The soup is ready to serve when the escarole is wilted. Serve with toasty garlic bread and garnish with grated Parmesan.

Metropolitan Cooking Show Houston Recipes: Butternut Squash Soup and Caramel Apple Crostata

I had such a great time at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show this past weekend in Houston! American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and I were together again for this event and it was so much fun... a little singing and a lot of cooking in the Celebrity Theater. It was an Alabama meets Texas weekend since The University of Alabama played Texas A & M that Saturday in College Station, Texas. I think half the state of Alabama was in Texas... I was actually escorted across the Texas state line by four Alabama Football team buses along with four Alabama State Trooper vehicles... quite a welcome to the Lone Star state. During the show, I made my favorite fall recipes: a yummy Caramel Apple Crostata and delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. The recipes are posted below!

 

I was also asked to come up on stage and make a cocktail recipe with none other than Paula Deen. It was her first pulic appearance in months so it was pretty incredible to be there and be part of it. No matter what anyone says of Paula Deen, it is my humble opinion that she got a raw deal from the media and from the public who did not take the time to find out the facts before they reacted and convicted Paula in the press. She asked the public for forgiveness for her words; who does not deserve that? Paula Deen remains an icon, a true steel magnolia. Paula's life story is inspiring. She gives me hope for my own food career. If you watched Food Network Star, you know that her story has always been an inspiration to me. We chatted a bit and made her cousin Johnnie's sangria recipe. I was very honored and grateful to her for the opportunity. The recipe is below... perfect for a wedding shower, a girl's night party... light and delicious but it packs a punch!

Cousin Johnnie's White Sangria with Peaches Recipe from Paula Deen

2 cups diced ripe peaches

1 bottle dry white wine, chilled (I would use Sauvignon Blanc)

3/4 cup brandy

3/4 cup Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon sugar

1 bottle Ginger Ale, chilled

Put the wine, brandy, Grand Marnier and sugar in a pitcher. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Put 1-2 teaspoons peaches in stemmed wine glasses. Fill half full with the wine mixture. Top off each glass with a little ginger ale.

MARTIE'S ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP RECIPE

Category: Soup

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Depending on portion size, this serves about 8

2 (4-5 pounds) large butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5-7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (depending on how thick you want the soup
¼ cup organic maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper (I use a couple of big dashes but I suggest you do one, taste and then another if you want more heat)
½ cup heavy cream (more if you like, and I always like!)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush insides and outsides of squash halves with 1 T of oil and place, cut sides up, on a sheet pan or roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. Remove from oven and cool to touch.

Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. Cook the onion until softened. Use a spoon to scoop out the squash from the peel and add to onion.  Stir in the first 4 cups of chicken broth a little at a time. Simmer, about 20 minutes, adding more chicken broth as necessary to keep the soup from becoming too thick.  Add the maple syrup, salt and both peppers. Whisk in the cream. Add parsley. If you like your soup with some texture, stop here.  I like this soup really smooth so I use an immersion blender to make it velvety before I add the heavy cream. Just before serving, stir in a tablespoon or two of butter. I find it makes the soup even more velvety and delicious.

RUSTIC CARAMEL APPLE CROSTATA RECIPE

Skill Level: Moderate

Category: Dessert

Prep Time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour chill time for the dough

Cook Time: 22-25 minutes

This may be my favorite recipe. You can’t believe how fast and easy you can make a pie; something I grew up eating after every meal. I have used just about everything inside of the crust but just make sure the dough is well chilled and the filling is not too juicy or it won’t hold together.

INGREDIENTS

Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced

3 tablespoons ice water plus 1/2 teaspoon more,  if dough seems dry

Filling

11/2 pounds apples (3-4 large semi-tart apples work best)

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground  allspice

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces

Egg Wash

1 egg, beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

For the pastry,place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter, a little at a time, pulsing between additions until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube-stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a round. Don’t over handle or over mix because your dough will be tough. Wrap the round with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When you are ready to make the crostata, flour the board and a rolling pin; roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Wrap it over the rolling pin and transfer it to a baking sheet.

For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples. I like the look of slices- I usually slice a small apple into 8 slices. Put the apple into a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Next, add the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the cold butter. Mix all of the ingredients together until the apples are well coated. Turn the apples out onto the crust, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all the way around.  Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle. Finish with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar before baking.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool slightly. Just before serving, drizzle with caramel sauce; you can make it or purchase.

HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients

nocoupons 1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions: Put the sugar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the sugar melts and turns a light golden brown color. Add the butter. Swirl the pan to incorporate the butter into the sugar. Watch carefully because it will burn. Bring to a boil until it becomes a light medium brown, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Sugar is very hot so be very careful. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the cream and the vanilla. Return to low heat and simmer until the sauce is smooth and thick. Serve it warm, or add another 1/4 cup of heavy cream and serve room temperature.

Serves 5-6 depending on how large you cut the slices.