Cuisine Diva

Potato Gratin Casserole

Above: Single serving of potato gratin casserole.

Delicious Potato Side Dish

Here is a recipe for a side dish featuring potatoes, which I served as part of our Thanksgiving Day menu. I was trying to serve some different dishes this year, that were a bit of a change from what I normally serve. I didn't want to make mashed potatoes this year, but knew my family would freak if the only potato dish I served was roasted sweet potatoes. So I searched a few of my cookbooks and on line cooking sites and came up with this recipe for Potato Gratin Casserole.

Above: Mandoline slicer.

Potato Gratin Ingredients

I used regular baking potatoes for this recipe, but you could use yellow skin, red skin or whatever variety of potatoes you prefer. I used a 50-50 mix of panko breadcrumbs and Italian flavored breadcrumbs to top of the gratin before placing it in the oven. You can use whatever type of cheese you like in this recipe, such as Gruyere, fontina, provolone, mozzarella, havarti, munster, etc...

Above: Potato gratin casserole.

• 1 pound potatoes
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs

Above: Bake the potato gratin in a ceramic or glass casserole dish.

Potato Gratin Directions

1. Place the heavy cream, milk, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium sauce pan placed over medium heat.
2. Slowly bring the cream mixture up to temperature while stirring occasionally.
3. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. I used a mandoline slicer to get uniformly thick, 1/4 inch thick slices.
4. Use a large casserole dish to alternate layers of cream, potatoes and cheese. I ened up with three layers to fill my Rachael Ray ceramic casserole dish to the top.
5. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the casserole.
6. I made my potato gratin casserole early Thanksgiving morning and stored it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
7. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top has turned a medium brown.
9. Remove the casserole from the oven and place on a heat proof surface.
10. Let the potatoes sit for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. The sauce will be molten lava when you first remove the gratin from the oven, let it set up for a few minutes and the sauce will start to cool down and thicken.
11. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. My husband discovered leftover potato gratin, heated up in the microwave then served with a few French's fried onions on top, made a wonderful snack.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Edible Chocolate Hanukkah Dreidels

The Cuisine Diva just received an email from the PR department of Mindy's Meals on Heels. They wanted to know if I would be interested in posting a Hanukkah recipe from site founder Mindy Korbrin on the Cuisine Diva site.It looked like an interesting idea, so here it is, enjoy!

Here's a new spin on a traditional Hanukkah activity that the whole family can enjoy! Celebrations and entertaining expert; Mindy Kobrin, founder of Mindy’s Meals on Heels (www.mealsonheelsbymindy.com) has created an Incredible Edible Hanukkah Dreidel which will allow kids (and adults) the opportunity to play with their food!

 

Above: Incredible edible Hanukkah dreidels.

 

Ingredients for Edible Hanukkah Dreidel

• 12 thin pretzel sticks
• 12 large marshmallows
• 8 oz dark chocolate, melted
• 2 oz white chocolate, melted or white frosting
• 12 Hershey kisses

Directions for Edible Hanukkah Dreidel

1. Dip bottom of chocolate kiss in melted semisweet chocolate
2. Press onto marshmallow; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet
3. Repeat to make 12 dreidels. Refrigerate for 10 minutes
4. Cut a small slit in bottom of each marshmallow; insert 1 thin pretzel stick
5. Dip dreidels in chocolate, and return to baking sheet
6. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes
7. Fill a resealable plastic bag with melted white chocolate; cut a tiny opening in a corner, and pipe Hebrew letters onto 3 sides of each dreidel
8. Refrigerate at least 5 minutes or up to 8 hours before serving

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Parsnips

Above: Sauteed Brussels sprouts with parsnips.

Vegetarian Side Dish

I love Brussels sprouts and cook with them quite frequently. On Monday I posted about my recent purchase of an entire stalk of Brussels sprouts at a local farmer's market: Buy a Stalk of Brussels Sprouts. Sauteed Brussels sprouts with parsnips is a delicious vegetarian side dish, which would make a interesting addition to your holiday menu.

Above: Is that a giant, white carrot? Nope, it's a parsnip!

What the heck is a parsnip? It looks like a giant white carrot, and can be found near the bags of carrots in most grocery stores. I wouldn't eat a raw parsnip though, they are a bit tough and stringy. But lightly steamed, they take on a nice and mellow taste, which tastes to me a like a potato with a bit of carrot mixed in.

Above: Brussels sprouts and parsnips waiting to be steamed.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Parsnips Ingredients

Raw Brussels sprouts and parsnips are a bit tough when raw, so I like to partially cook them before adding to my recipes. I use a bamboo steamer, placed over a Wok which is partially filled with water, but you can use a metal steamer basket placed inside of a cooking pan, or whatever method you want.

• 1 1/2 cups parsnips - peeled and chopped
• 2 cups Brussels sprouts
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic - minced
• salt
• pepper

Above: Bamboo steamer placed over wok used to steam vegetables.

 

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Parsnips Directions

1. Trim off the ends of the Brussels sprouts, and remove any dried out/blemished leaves. I leave small sprouts whole, cut medium ones in half and quarter any large ones.
2. Add the Brussels sprouts and parsnips to your steamer and steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender, but not falling apart.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan placed over medium high heat.
4. Add the steamed Brussels sprouts and parsnips to the pan.
5. Stir in the garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to turn medium brown, stirring occasionally.
6. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Above: Saute the steamed Brussels sprouts and parsnips in a large pan.

At this point you could go ahead and serve the sauteed Brussels sprouts with parsnips. Yesterday I posted up a mushroom recipe to the Cuisine Diva blog: Sauteed Mushroom Side Dish. I had some leftover mushrooms and decided to add them to the parsnips and Brussels sprouts. HEAVEN!

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Sauteed Mushroom Side Dish

Above: Sauteed mushrooms with fresh herbs.

I am a huge fan of sauteed mushrooms. Unfortunately I am the only one in my family that enjoys mushrooms. I wanted to make a brown mushroom gravy, to serve along with the chicken saltimbocca I made as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal, but had to settle for plain brown gravy. Since I was still craving mushrooms, I made a small side dish of sauteed mushrooms with fresh herbs to accompany our holiday meal.

Sauteed mushrooms make a terrific accompaniment to steak, chicken or pork. You could also serve the mushrooms on top of pasta, rice, or a baked potato for a delicious vegetarian dish.

Above: Ingredients to make sauteed mushrooms.

Sauteed Mushroom Ingredients

Any type of mushrooms can be used in this recipe. I used baby portabellas. Regular chives can be used in place of the garlic chives. I used garlic paste in this recipe, but a few cloves of finely minced fresh garlic can be substituted for the paste.

• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano - chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh garlic chives - chopped

Above: Baby portabella mushrooms.

Sauteed Mushroom Directions

1. Used a slightly damp paper towel to brush off any dirt on the mushrooms.
2. Remove and discard the mushroom stems, then thinly slice the mushroom caps.
3. Add the olive oil and butter to a frying pan placed over medium high heat.
4. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until they start to release their juices.
5. Stir in the garlic paste, oregano and garlic chives and cook for another minute or two.
6. Stir in the salt and pepper, adding more or less according to your personal preference.
7. Place the cooked mushrooms in a decorative bowl and serve immediately.
8. Leftover sauteed mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Leftovers can be heated up in a microwave.

Above: Mushrooms after herbs and seasonings have been added.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Molasses Pecan Butter

Above: Sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Side Dish

Instead of mashed, overly sweetened sweet potatoes, I decided to serve roasted sweet potatoes as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal this year. The sweet potatoes are peeled, tossed with olive oil and spices, then roasted in the oven. See the recipe I posted up in July of 2009 for Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes. For anyone that wants a sweeter tasting side dish, I serve the oven roasted sweet potatoes along with a side of molasses pecan butter.

Above: Ingredients to make molasses pecan butter for roasted sweet potatoes.

Molasses Pecan Butter Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter - room temperature
• 1/4 cup pecans - chopped and toasted
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Above: Add the butter, salt, spice and molasses to a small bowl.

Molasses Pecan Butter Directions

1. In a small, dry pan, toast the pecans over medium heat until light brown. Let cool to room temperature before adding to the butter.
2. In a small bowl, cream together the butter, salt, spice and molasses until smooth and creamy.
3. Stir in the cooled, toasted nuts.
4. Place the molasses pecan butter in a decorative serving dish, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Above: Blend the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Spice Substitutions

Chinese five spice powder is a combination of star anise, fennel, cloves, white pepper and cinnamon. Here are a few suggestions on other spices that can be used. You can choose from one or more of these spices to add to the pecan butter:

• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Star anise

Above: Stir in the toasted pecans.

 

Molasses Substitutions

If you don't like the taste of molasses, or don't have any on hand, other syrups may be used instead. Here are a few suggestions:

• Honey
• Real maple syrup
• Light agave syrup
• Dark agave syrup

Above: Dry toast the pecans in a small pan over medium heat.

 

Above: Completed molasses pecan butter, ready to serve with roasted sweet potatoes or baked winter squash.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Homemade Pecan Pie

Above: Homemade pecan pie.

Thanksgiving Desserts

A holiday meal at our house is not complete without one or more types of pie. I usually make a pumpkin and/or a pecan pie as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal. This year I decided to make 2 pecan pies. It's just as easy to make 2 pies, as it is to make 1 pie. I made the pies 2 days before Thanksgiving, so we had an extra pie to snack on. I wouldn't want anyone to starve to death in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

Above: A pair of pecan pies, cooling off and waiting to be served on Thanksgiving Day.

Recipe to Make a Single Pecan Pie

I used Pillsbury's ready to bake, pre-made pie crust when making my pecan pies. You could also use a defrosted, frozen, ready to bake pie crust if desired, or make a pie crust from scratch. I used a combination of chopped and whole pecans when making my pies. I added the chopped pecans to the bottom of the pie crust, poured in the filling, then garnished the top of the pie with whole pecans before baking. I couldn't find my pie pans yesterday, so I used two metal cake pans, made the pie kind of look like a deep dish pecan pie.

• 1 ready to bake, pre-made pie crust
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped or whole pecans

Above: Use a ready to bake, pre-made pie crust to save time when making pie.

Directions to Make a Single Pecan Pie

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Let the ready to bake pie crust come to room temperature.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir in the corn syrup, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
4. Whisk the eggs into the sugar mixture.
5. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla extract.
6. Spray a metal pie pan or cake pan with non stick cooking spray.
7. Place the pie crust in the bottom of the pan.
8. Spread the chopped or whole pecans evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.
9. Pour the pie batter into the pan.
10. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 60 to 70 minutes, until golden brown on top.
11. Let cool slightly before serving. Fresh baked pecan pie comes out of the oven resembling molten lava, please let it cool down before trying to eat a piece, or you could end up burning yourself!

Above: A single serving of homemade pecan pie. Where's the vanilla ice cream?

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Homemade Cranberry Pear Sauce

Above: Homemade cranberry pear sauce

Delicious Holiday Side Dish

Here is a recipe for an easy to prepare cranberry sauce, which can be made in a slow cooker. It will keep in the refrigerator, for up to one week, and can be prepared a day or two before Thanksgiving Day.

I got the idea for this recipe in the Slow Cooker Ready & Waiting Cookbook, written by Rick Rodgers. On page 185 of that cookbook, there is a recipe for a Cranberry Pear Walnut Sauce. I've modified the recipe slightly.

Above: Use the slow cooker to make cranberry pear sauce.

Cuisine Diva's Cranberry Pear Sauce

Bosc pears have brown skins. When I went to the store to purchase pears, there were 3 varieties to choose from. I was going to buy the green skin variety, then saw the sign on the brown skin variety that said Bosc pears. Bosc pears cook up a bit like an apple, and retain their shape/texture in this recipe. The orange, dried apricot and cranberries all cook down into a delightful sweet and tangy sauce.

The original recipe called for 1 cup of dark raisins. I am not a fan of raisins, so decided to substitute 3/4 cup chopped, dried apricots. The original recipe also called for only the zest of 1 orange, but I added the juice along with the zest. The original recipe also called for 1 cup of toasted, chopped walnuts but I decided to omit the nuts.

Above: Serve cranberry pear sauce as part of your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients for Cranberry Sauce

• One 12 ounce bag cranberries - rinsed
• 3 Bosc pears - peel, core and chopped
• Zest from 1 orange
• Flesh and/or juice from 1 orange
• 3/4 cup dried apricots - chopped
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Directions for Cranberry Sauce

Place all the ingredients into a crock pot, or slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 2 hours, or until most of the cranberries have popped. Add the sauce to a storage container and let cool slightly. Place the lid on the storage container and let the sauce cool over night in the refrigerator.

The hot, freshly made sauce would taste great on top of vanilla bean ice cream. Serve the cool sauce, in a decorative serving dish on Thanksgiving Day, to accompany the rest of your holiday meal. Leftover cranberry sauce can be served as a type of homemade jam, along with freshly baked muffins, the day after Thanksgiving.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Thanksgiving Menu Plan & Meal Preparation

I looked through a couple of my cookbooks to find some unique dishes to serve at our house on Thanksgiving Day. I found 2 recipes from my slow cooker cookbook, and 4 recipes from The Culinary Institute of America cookbook, that I will prepare as part of our Thanksgiving meal. I also will add a couple of family favorites, which I have made so many times, I no longer need an exact recipe to follow.

Smythe Family Thanksgiving Menu

Here's what I plan to serve on Thanksgiving Day. I will provide recipes and photos for some of these menu items next week.

• Chicken saltimbocca with sage, prosciutto and provolone
• Brown onion gravy
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Roasted sweet potatoes with pecan molasses butter
• Potato gratin
• Sauteed Brussels sprouts
• Cornbread stuffing with carrots, onions and celery
• Baby glazed carrots
• Cranberry pear sauce
• Cheddar thyme muffins
• Pecan pie

Menu Preparation Game Plan

Slow cooker

1. cranberry pear sauce - prepare the day before Thanksgiving
2. baby glazed carrots - Thanksgiving day

Oven

Most of these items will be prepared and cooked on Thanksgiving Day. The stuffing could be prepared the day before, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to heat through in the oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for 30 minutes. I will probably make the pecan pie the day before Thanksgiving, to free up the oven for the rest of the meal. This will also allow ample time for the pie to cool off before serving, pecan pie hot out of the oven usually has the consistency of moletn lava - HOT!

1. Roasted sweet potatoes
2. Potato gratin
3. Cornbread stuffing
4. Cheddar thyme muffins
5. Pecan pie

Stove top

1. Chicken saltimbocca
2. Brown onion gravy
3. Sauteed Brussels sprouts
4. Sauteed mushrooms

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva