Chile Rellenos Casserole

I made this a couple of nights ago, but we had a last-minute glitch, so we didn't eat it until last night. It was good, but while I was making it (and confirmed last night), I was thinking that salsa instead of chiles would add a lot of flavor. I really think that, now! Ha!

So, here's what I did, along with the salsa suggestion and a guess as to quantity!

Serves 4

2 cans, 7 oz. each, whole green chiles, rinsed and seeded

1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

8 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Opt.: 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with canola oil (or olive oil) spray. Lay opened and cleaned chiles in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the bell pepper, shallot, and minced garlic over the chiles. Sprinkle the cheese over everything!

In a large bowl, mix eggs, milk, paprika, salt, and pepper with a fork or a whisk. Pour this mixture over the cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned. Remove from oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes to make cutting easier. Top each serving with cilantro, green onion, and optional tomatoes.

OPTION: Instead of using chiles, red pepper, shallot, and garlic, substitute 1 cup--this is the "guess" part!--of salsa. I think medium would be good--a little zip mitigated by the eggs, milk, and cheese. Finish the dish as directed above, and top with cilantro and green onions. I think this would taste great! AND it would be a lot easier than chopping stuff! Ha! Enjoy, either way!

Eggplant and Zucchini Puttanesca

"Puttanesca" is Italian for--well, let's just say that "ladies of the night" made it to attract customers.  So, the sauce is fragrant and tasty!  It could also be served over tilapia, chicken, salmon, or shrimp, with or without the zucchini or eggplant.  (I'd keep them, just for the extra vegetables!)  Also, you can add pasta, but I never do, unless I have guests drop in, and I need extra food in a hurry!  Ha!

4 servings, vegetables only.  6 servings, if you include pasta

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, preferably red, cut into smallish wedges

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" dice

3 medium zucchinis, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2" pieces  (These are denser than eggplant pieces, so cutting them smaller allows them to cook at about the same rate as the eggplant.)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed as adding  (or 1 1/2 Tbs. fresh!)

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed as adding  (or 1 Tbs. fresh!)

1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes (less if you don't like much spice, more if you like it hot!)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 Tbs. capers, drained

2 Tbs. chopped fresh Italian (flat-leafed) parsley (or 1 Tbs. dried parsley)

Grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling over the top

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted--I hate olives, so I definitely consider this "optional," although it's a traditional ingredient in this!  Ha!

8 oz. pasta, also optional!

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, and cook the onion until tender, about 8-10 minutes over medium heat.  Add the garlic, and cook until it's tender, too--a couple of minutes.

While it's cooking, add the next tablespoon of olive oil to another large pan.  (I use my soup kettle.)  Add the zucchini, and cook, stirring occasionally, until its browned on a couple of sides.  Add the eggplant, brown it, and add 2 Tbs. water, and cook, covered, until the zucchini and eggplant are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

While this is cooking, go back to your skillet, and add the tomatoes, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 or 10 minutes to meld the flavors.  It will also reduce the sauce, so you might need to add a couple of tablespoons of water at the end of this cooking cycle.  Add the capers and olives, if you're using them.  Heat through.  Turn off the heat.

During this cooking time, cook the pasta, if you're using it.  Drain.  Set aside.

Drain the tender zucchini and eggplant.  Pour the sauce over them and toss.

To serve:  place some pasta, if you're using it, on a plate.  Spoon the vegetables and sauce over it.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.  This is great with spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, red onion slivers, and balsamic vinaigrette!  Enjoy!

Zucchini "Quiche", Crustless

Okay, this "quiche" has no cheese!  I just couldn't think of another name to call it!  Ha!

My dad is still having health issues, and we've gotten tired of eating in more-or-less fast food places--the kind where you order at a counter, and someone brings it to you!--AND fast food places!  So, I've been making what I think of as "blender food."  I went from lots of soups, which we also got tired of, to other things that involve some sort of cooking.  This is probably the longest, time-wise, thing I've made.

 

It has occurred to me that these are good for those of us who "run and gun," to use my brother's descriptive phrase, pretty often!  They're also good for those of us who hate to cook and want to spend as little time as possible doing so!  Ha!

 

350 degrees F.

4 servings

 

Quiche:

1/8 small onion

1 small clove garlic

1 small zucchini

4 large eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

OPT: If you're not using the sauce, you can add one of these to perk up the flavor:  1/2 tsp. of dried basil, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried savory, or any other herb you like!

 

OPT:  Lemon Basil Sauce

1 small clove garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

OPT:  1 tsp. sugar, or its equivalent, if the lemon juice is too tart!

1/4 c. packed basil shreds

 

OPT:  2 green onions, thinly sliced

 

For the quiche:

Put onion in a blender, and pulse until it's coarsely chopped.  Add garlic, and pulse it.  Add zucchini, and pulse it until it's coarsely chopped.  Add eggs, salt, and pepper, and blend it until everything's mixed, but not necessarily smooth.  Put this into a sprayed, 8x8 baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees F. until the top is light brown and a knife tip inserted into the middle comes out clean.

 

For the sauce:

Put the garlic clove, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar (if you're using it), and blend.  Pour into the measuring cup you used, and add the basil shreds.  Stir.  

 

To serve:  put 1/4 of the quiche on a plate.  Spoon some of the sauce over it, spreading the basil leaves with the back of the spoon.  Add green onions, if you're using them.  Enjoy!

(Veggie) Sausage and Grilled Onion Breakfast Casserole*

*with a healthier version below! ;)

Serves 6-ish

When I was growing up, every Christmas morning we had some sort of breakfast casserole (well, until I was about 12, and Mom got sick of making the same freakin’ thing every year; then we started having stuff like Shrimp fra Diavolo – for brunch!). There are 5 components to a breakfast casserole: meat, cheese, bread, milk and eggs. The varieties you use of each are interchangeable, and you can add whatever else you feel like adding, but those 5 things are the backbone of the recipe.

They’re also practically the definition of what’s wrong with the American diet. Not a fruit or veggie in sight! But if you grew up with some variation of the Standard American Diet (does anyone else notice that the acronym for that is SAD?), breakfast casseroles evoke either pleasant, warm, comforting feelings or the gag reflex. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. I fall into the former, though, and I needed some comfort food recently, so this is my version of the breakfast casserole. (And for good measure, I altered the recipe to make a frittata below – no bread, less milk, WAY healthier. But not QUITE as comforting on the nostalgia scale. I’m just sayin’.)

The Recipe (1):
1 Tbs canola or grapeseed oil
1 large white onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 croissants OR 6 slices of white bread (Don’t even bother with using whole-grain bread for this; it tastes weird. Just make the frittata below if you can’t bring yourself to buy white bread.)6-8 cooked sausage patties, chopped (I use Morningstar Farms veggie patties, just because I like them and they’re easy.)
2 cups grated jack-and-cheddar cheese blend (or 1 cup each, if you’re grating your own)
12 eggs
1 ¼ cups whole milk
½ -1 tsp hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot is my favorite in this, although I’ve been known to use Sriracha sauce from the Asian food aisle.)
1 Tbs fennel seeds (optional: they add a lot of flavor, but it’ll still be good if you don’t have any on hand)
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the onions, breaking them up as you add them. Add a light sprinkle of salt, stir, and reduce the heat to low.

Spray a 8 ½ x 11 casserole dish with nonstick spray, and then shred half the bread of your choice into the bottom. You want pretty small pieces: maybe ½ an inch or so.

(Stir the onions. They should be getting soft by now, so turn the heat up to medium.)

Chop the sausages if you haven’t already, and add them to the casserole dish.

(Stir the onions. Continue to stir them whenever you have a minute. We want them to get really brown and soft. Altogether they’re going to spend about a half-hour on the stovetop, just FYI.)
In a LARGE bowl, crack the eggs. Whisk them together, then add the milk, hot sauce, fennel, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.

When the onions are done (read: pretty brown), spread them over the sausage in the casserole dish. Top with half the cheese. Shred the remaining bread over the mixture, then pour the egg mixture over THAT. Top with the remaining cheese and set aside.

Now. If you’re going to cook this within an hour or so, I’d just leave it on the countertop. (Note: that is NOT recommended by the food safety folks, so proceed at your own risk. No one in my family has ever gotten sick doing that, but we’re pretty blasé about these things.) Otherwise, put it in the fridge and let it sit for a couple of hours. Take it out of the fridge about 40 minutes before you want to cook it, so it can come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole covered for about 30 minutes, take the cover off, and bake it for about 15 more, so the cheese on top is melted. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes so it sets before you cut it up.

This is great on its own, but if I’m serving it to guests, I usually put out extra cheese, some sour cream, ketchup, salsa, guacamole, cheese, whatever I can think of that I have on hand. Pretty much EVERYONE feels the need to mess with their eggs (including me).

Um, usually I have a picture here. But I had guests, and I served it before I thought about it. Oops.


The Recipe (2):
Serves 4-6

This is a little healthier. The key to the preparation on this is to use an oven-safe skillet. Otherwise it’s a HUGE pain. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

1 Tbs canola or grapeseed oil
1 large white onion, halved and thinly sliced
6-8 cooked sausage patties, chopped (I use Morningstar Farms veggie patties, just because I like them and they’re easy.)
1 cup grated jack-and-cheddar cheese blend (or ½ cup each, if you’re grating your own)
6 eggs (8 if you have a BIG pan)
½ -1 tsp hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot is my favorite in this, although I’ve been known to use Sriracha sauce from the Asian food aisle.)
1 Tbs fennel seeds (optional: they add a lot of flavor, but it’ll still be good if you don’t have any on hand)
Salt and pepper

Prepare the onion the same as above.

While the onion cooks, chop the sausages, and set aside.

When the onion is done, add the sausages to the pan and heat through. Spread the mixture out evenly over the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, ½ the cheese, hot sauce, fennel, salt and pepper together. Pour the mixture over the sausage mixture in the pan, and allow to set – DON’T STIR IT. When the eggs start to solidify around the edges (it will still be liquid in the middle), sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, remove the pan from the heat, and put it (uncovered) into the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. The cheese will be melted, and the frittata will get nice and puffy-looking. (It’s actually pretty impressive.)

Stuffed Zucchini with Lime

Sorry about the late time!  I tried to schedule it, since I knew I wouldn't be around to post it today!  Obviously, I still have a lot to learn!  Ha!

This isn't hard to do, if you have a grapefruit spoon!  They're inexpensive, and they're in grocery stores, so they're easy to acquire!  I really like the varied tastes and textures of this!

Nezu, this fits your criteria, I think!  And Emily, if you add quartered orange slices as "sails," your guys might like it, too.  Also, if I'm serving it to young kids, I omit the lime juice in the mix, instead serving the boats with lime wedges.  Squeezing the juice over the cooked stuffed zucchini appeals to adults but not always to kids!  I'm often surprised, though!  Ha!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/2 cup slivered, or sliced, almonds

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and scooped out, being sure to leave enough on the sides so the zucchini boats don't collapse!  Reserve pulp, and chop it.

6 Morningstar Farms breakfast sausage patties, diced  (This is in frozen foods in most grocery stores with other meatless "meats," like Boca burgers.  It doesn't have as much soy!)

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large, pre-sprayed skillet, cook the almonds on low heat for just a couple of minutes until they're lightly browned, and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat 1 Tbs. canola oil.  Sauté onions until they're soft.  Add the garlic.  Cook 1 minute.  Add the zucchini pulp, and cook it until the water has evaporated, 20-30 minutes.  Add sausage, oregano, lime juice, and toasted almonds.  Heat through, and fill the zucchini shells.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the stuffed zucchini boats.  Bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Rosemary Potatoes

Easter is this Sunday, so I thought I'd offer this potato dish to accompany your ham, turkey, or other meat dinner.  Since I'm a vegetarian, and since I dislike cooking the same blasted "holiday meal" every year--it's boring!--we're probably going to have chili, which my youngest daughter, Chelsea, asked me to post.  I'll do it next week!  In the meantime, I'll take this dish over to my dad's, who hates it when I DON'T cook the regular stuff!  LOL!  Poor Dad!

We all like this very much, and my daughters actually ask for it periodically--usually when they need comfort food!  AND it's really easy!

It's actually an adaptation of a fried potato dish, which I thought took too long to prepare.  This is equally great-tasting, my oven does the work, and clean up is a lot easier!

6 medium red, white, or brown potatoes, thinly sliced (I used my food processor) and rinsed

1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, or 1 1/2 tsp. dried, either of them finely chopped

3 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Lay the potato slices in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, which has been sprayed with canola oil spray.

Melt the butter.  (In a 900-watt microwave, one minute at 30% power melts it without causing it to overflow.)  Stir in the rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Pour this over the potatoes, and toss them to distribute the butter mix.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

If you're using this as a main dish, it goes well with garlic bread and steamed brussel sprouts with Veggie Dressing.  Enjoy!

Green Sauce Enchilada Casserole

I use La Victoria green enchilada sauce, because I can get it in all the places I travel in the U.S.  It has a sour taste, so I add "sweet" vegetables--onion, carrots, and corn--to offset this.  I usually top another enchilada casserole I make with tomatoes, green onions, and sour cream, but the tomatoes and onions don't taste great with this!  I didn't think that was possible!  Ha!

1 Tbl. canola or olive oil

1 medium-large onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp. jarred, 1 frozen cube, or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder)

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced into "coins"

1 lb. package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed

1 14.5 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained (or 1 cup frozen, thawed)

1 29 oz. can La Victoria's green enchilada sauce

6 corn tortillas

*Grated cheddar cheese

Sour cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low.  Add the chopped onion, garlic, and carrots.  Sauté until onion is tender.  Add the spinach.  Continue cooking about 15 minutes, then add the corn.  Pour about 1 cup of the enchilada sauce into the spinach mix, stir, and heat until bubbling.

Break the corn tortillas in half.  In a 9x13 baking dish, place 3 tortillas, each whole tortilla with its halves slanted and offset.  (The 6 halves should cover most of the bottom of the pan.)  *See possible alteration below.  Pour the spinach mix evenly over the tortillas.  *See possible alteration below.  Place the 3 remaining tortillas, arranged as above, across the top of the spinach.  Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the tortillas.  Add enough grated cheese to make an opaque cover over the sauce.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through.

Let it sit for 10 minutes before you cut into it.  Serve it with a dollop of sour cream on the side.

MMMMM!

*Another option, if you'd like a cheesier casserole, is to sprinkle cheese over the 1st layer of tortillas, again over the spinach and before the last tortilla layer, and finally, on top of the final sauce layer.

Vegetable Pot Pie from Marlyle

Ok, kids, this one is from Mom. She had to take Grandpa to the ER tonight (no word on what's wrong, but she said they'd been waiting a while, which is actually a GOOD sign: it means they don't think he's going to drop dead in the next few minutes), and she called me in a panic and asked me to post for her! She told me where the draft was and which draft to use, so this one is from Mom, long-distance, via me! ;)
Marste

1 Tbl. olive or canola oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 frozen cube, 1/8 tsp. powder, or 1 tsp. jarred)
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed as adding
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
8 oz. (about 2 cups) frozen green beans, cut to bite size--1 1/4 inch, or so
6 cups (about 1 1/2 lbs.) frozen mixed vegetables
3 Tbl. butter
3 Tbl. flour
1 14.5 oz. can vegetable broth
1/4 cup milk

Filo topping: 7 sheets filo dough
2 Tbl. butter, melted

To make a filo topping, unwrap packaged filo sheets. For 7 sheets: take each one, brush melted butter on half the sheet (or, if you don't have a brush--as I don't!--drizzle a teaspoon or two of the melted butter on half the sheet), fold the sheet in half, and lay it over the top of the casserole dish. Repeat 6 more times! I didn't top it with butter; I'd run out! It's much lighter this way than with the biscuit topping.

Biscuit topping: 2 cups flour
1 Tbl. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. butter
1 c. milk

Mix the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until the mix looks like coarse crumbs. Add all the milk. Quickly stir with a fork until the dough is mixed. (You can make the biscuits with a food processor, following the steps as far as adding and mixing goes! Don't tell Marste!) Drop the biscuits by spoonfuls--small ones, if you want full coverage, and large ones, if you want actual biscuits!--over the top of the vegetables. See below for baking directions!
(Alternatively, you could use refrigerated, prepared biscuit dough - you'll just have to flatten them out a little before you put them on top of the casserole!)

Casserole:
In a large skillet or pot, heat the oil. Add the onions, and cook them until they're barely cooked, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the rosemary, salt, and pepper, and stir until the spices are mixed into the onion.

Add the green beans, and cook to thaw. Add the mixed vegetables, stir, and cook until heated through.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Whisk, or stir, in the flour, and cook until the flour is lightly tanned. Stir in the broth until the mix is smooth. Continue to cook and stir until the broth bubbles gently. Stir in the milk. Pour this sauce into the vegetables, and stir until everything is mixed. Pour it into a sprayed, 9x13 baking dish. Top with either filo or biscuit topping. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until the top is browned. MMMMM!

Eggplant Parmigiana

I've fed this dish to many, many people who run screaming when they hear the word "eggplant."  They ALWAYS like this dish, although they still don't like other eggplant dishes!  The mild eggplant flavor in this might be a factor (I don't soak it in salted water--EVER!).  It might also have something to do with the fact that I don't fry the eggplant first, so it's not oily.  I just don't know!  

I DO know it's good, though, and even if you're an avowed eggplant hater--especially if you're an avowed eggplant hater!--I hope you try this and let me know what you think!

2 medium eggplants

2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes (or 1 29 oz. can, obviously!  Ha!)

1/8 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tsp. jarred garlic, or 1 frozen cube)

1 heaping tsp. dried basil (or 1 Tbl. fresh, chopped)

1 tsp. paprika (not smoked)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. flour

1 tsp. sugar (Taste the sauce while it's cooking.  If it's sour or bitter, add another tsp. sugar!)

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Cut unpeeled eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.  Simmer, covered, in unsalted water for 10 minutes.  Drain.  (You can skip this step if you have 2 hours to let it bake!)

While the eggplant is cooking, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar in a sauce pan.  Stir the flour into a bit of the tomato juice until it's smooth, and then add it to the mix.  Cook over medium high heat until it's slightly thickened.

In a 9x13 baking dish, layer all the eggplant, the mozzarella, and the tomato mix.  Top with the Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned.  MMMMMMM!

This is a quick version, as Chelsea, our youngest daughter requested.  If you use fresh garlic and basil, the flavor's much better!  Either way, enjoy!

Mistakes and Leftovers Casserole!

I accidentally opened a can of stewed tomatoes and didn't want to waste them (my dad's Depression era influence is showing!), so I opened my fridge and found a few leftovers that would work together! Woohoo! Dinner!

1 Tbl. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bell pepper (mine was red; they're the ripest), sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 2 frozen cubes, 1/4 tsp. powder, or 2 tsp. jarred)
1 small zucchini, quartered and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbl. water
1 poblano pepper, de-seeded, washed, and sliced horizontally (for smaller pieces) (Plastic gloves are a good idea. If the pepper isn't completely ripe, the juice might burn your hands where it touches. If this happens, use a mix of 1/2 water and 1/2 apple cider vinegar—doesn't have to be exact--and submerge the burned parts. This is my mother's first aid, and I've found that it works better than any commercial product or any medical advice I've ever used, seen, or heard! You may have to do it a few times, but it DOES work! A little aloe gel afterwards keeps it from blistering, if the burn is minor.)
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. oregano leaves, crushed when adding
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes (my "oops" moment!)
Juice of 1 lime
6 eggs (4 would work, too, but it makes less!)
1 Tbl. milk or water
Cheddar cheese, grated

OPT: sliced green onions and/or sour cream for garnish (Sour cream will lessen any heat intensity in the event of rogue seeds or an extra warm poblano pepper!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet, sauté onion until slightly cooked. Add pepper and garlic, and cook until pepper is softened. Add the zucchini and water, cover, and steam for a couple of minutes (I was in a bigger hurry than I had time to sauté the zucchini!). Add the pepper and spices, and mix everything together. Let it cook for a minute, so the spices are fragrant. Add the tomatoes, stir, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the lime juice, and again, mix everything together. Pour into an oil-sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.

Crack eggs into a mixing bowl; add liquid. Beat with a whisk or a fork until it's smooth. Gently pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top, using a lot if you like things cheesy!

Cover and bake it for 30 minutes. The melted cheese will make this creamy, and the small amounts of spices make it interesting without being overwhelming! Garnish with sour cream and green onions, if you'd like. MMMMMM!

Broccoli Divan

2 heads broccoli crowns, cut into florets (or 1 1 lb. package frozen broccoli florets)

4 Tbl. butter (1/4 cup)

4 Tbl. flour (1/4 cup)

2 cups milk or vegetable broth

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Kraft)

1/16 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Steam or microwave the broccoli until it's crisp tender.  (Steam for 8 minutes, or microwave on a dinner plate in 2 batches, each with 1 Tbl. water added and zapped for 4-5 minutes.)  Lay it in a 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour, and sauté it until it's lightly browned. Add the liquid slowly, whisking as you pour, so that you end with a smooth consistency.  Cook and stir until the liquid has thickened.  (If it's bubbling in the middle, even a bubble or two, that's probably as thick as it's going to get!)  Turn off the heat.

Stir in the mayonnaise until the consistency is smooth.  Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice.  Pour over broccoli.  Sprinkle cheese over top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  

This is good with garlic bread and field greens dressed with vinaigrette.

Crab Dip Casserole

In our family, we have a fantastic crab dip recipe. I was trying to figure out a way to convert it into a casserole, and came up with this variation. YUM.

The Recipe
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups mayonnaise
4 cups crab (or imitation crab), shredded (equal to one whole 16-oz package of imitation crab, flake style)
1 package frozen cauliflower
1 package frozen beans, green or white (I used the Brittany Blend from Trader Joe's: a mix of green beans, wax beans and baby carrots, and it was FANTASTIC - AND pretty!)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix all ingredients except bread crumbs and Parmesan in a large baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until you can hear it sizzling when you open the oven.
*You might find that it needs salt and pepper to taste. I didn't add it to the recipe, because it's such an individual preference.

Fresh from the oven:


Served up in a bowl:

It takes about 10 minutes to assemble, and this should feed 6-8 people.
DEFINITELY serve salad with this. It's really rich, and you'll need something to cut the richness.