Chile Relleno

October 14th, 2009
by: Sue

8 long green chiles, roasted and peeled, preferably Hatch but fresh chiles from *anywhere* are good
8 sticks of string cheese
1 cup flour
6 eggs
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup oil
12″ iron skillet

Stuff the chiles with cheese, being careful to seal the cheese with the skin of the pepper. Place 1/2 of the flour in a large plate. Put the chiles on top, and sprinkle the rest of the flour on top. Pat the flour in. Place oil in skillet and turn heat to medium high.

Separate the eggs. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Beat the egg yolks with the salt, then fold slowly into the egg whites.

Heat the cast iron skillet until the oil begins to roll (not smoke!). Dip floured chiles into the egg batter and fry until golden brown, turning once. (I like to cook two at a time). Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Enjoy!

Southwestern Squash Casserole

September 29th, 2009
by: Sue

When summer squash is in season, we love to eat this squash casserole. It contains the magic of green chiles, onions, and the bite of parmesan cheese. Not your typical runny squash casserole, it works if you are on a low carb diet.

1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, sliced thin
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup roasted green chile or four ounce can green chilies
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cottage cheese
1 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Saute together squash and onion in butter in skillet until tender crisp. Add chilies, flour, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour into greased 2 quart baking dish or 9×12 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine egg, cottage cheese & parsley. Pour over squash mixture. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Yields 8 servings.

Squash with Tomatoes, Onion, and Peppers

September 27th, 2009
by: Sue

I used this recipe a lot when we lived on the farm and I had an abundance of all the ingredients in my garden. Dad lived on the farm with us at one time, and he would come in mid-morning and ask, “What’s for lunch?” I’d say, “I don’t know, Dad, what sounds good to you?” He always replied, “Squash!” and I would make this dish for him.

2 cups squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 3/4 inch slices
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1 bell pepper, diced, (or jalapenos if you want some spice)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 chicken bouillion cubes (not needed if you cook in chicken broth)
salt and pepper to taste

Place prepared vegetables into a saucepan; add water or chicken broth to cover and remainder of ingredients. Bring to a gentle boil over medium low heat and cook until tender. Don’t overcook! Vegetables are best when cooked to tender but not beyond.

Hope you’re getting some of these in heaven, Dad!

Mema’s Dublin potato salad

September 27th, 2009
by: Sue

This potato salad is a welcome change from potato salads that have the consistency of mashed potatoes. The celery seed and mustard seed give welcome texture and the cabbage adds a flavor I love. In her later years when Jo Ann and I cooked the family dinners and Marguerite asked what she could bring, we often requested this dish because it can be made the day before and gets better with time.

2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
3 potatoes, cubed and boiled
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/4 cups chopped pickle
1/4 cup onion
1 cup salad dressing
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine vinegar, celery seed and mustard seed and set aside.

While potatoes are warm, drizzle with vinegar mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and first 1/2 teaspoon salt. Chill. Before serving, add cabbage, pickle and onion. Combine dressing, milk and second 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour over mixture and toss.

Hard cooked eggs are good to add.

Sweet Potato Apple Casserole

September 27th, 2009
by: Sue

I prefer this sweet potato dish to the traditional marshmallow topped dish for the holidays. The natural sweetness of the potatoes is contrasted with the tartness of the apples, and honey or brown sugar further sweeten just as far as you want to go with sweetness. Toasted pecans on top add to the fall harvest flavors and add some needed texture.

8 large sweet potatoes
large pot for boiling
water to cover

Cook sweet potatoes until nearly done. They will be cooked two more times so don’t overcook at this stage. Pour out water, and run cold water over them to cool. When cool, remove from pan, and peel and slice the potatoes in about 1/4 inch slices.

3 – 4 Sliced Granny Smith Apples, peeled
Butter as needed
Large saute skillet

Saute sliced potatoes in butter. Saute apple slices. Layer in large oiled casserole (9X12).

Top with:

Chopped nuts, toasted (pecans preferred)
brown sugar and/or honey
Cinnamon

Cover with foil and bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes.

Hatch Potatoes Au Gratin

April 13th, 2009
by: Blue

I made these for Easter dinner.  That is not why this is called “Hatch Potatoes Au Gratin”, but it does fit nicely with the whole Easter theme!  I used Hatch Green Chiles to spice this up, which we adore – the dish was creamy, cheesy and spicy (the perfect flavor combination as far as I’m concerned).  The chiles can, however, be left out if you want a more traditional approach.

1 1/2 – 2 pounds potatoes (any kind, peeled or unpeeled, whatever your preference is)
3 cups milk, or half and half, or heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups cheese (I used cheddar)
3/4 cup roasted Hatch green chiles (optional)
white pepper/pepper/salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Wash potatoes (peel them if you want) and thinly slice. 

In a saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour (yes, you start with a roux, but this will be a very light roux).  Stir constantly for a few minutes until the flour is a very light golden brown.  Add the milk/half and half/heavy cream, whisk constantly until mixture starts coming to a boil and thickens, about 5-10 minutes.  Add cheese and green chiles, continue stirring until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened and creamy.  Season to taste with white pepper and salt.

Spray a casserole pan with non-stick spray.  Place 1/3 of the potatoes in a layer in the pan and lightly salt them.  Pour 1/3 of the cheese sauce over the first layer.  Repeat layers two more times, ending with sauce on top.  Bake for 1 hour, check potatoes for doneness, continue baking if needed.

Variations:
There are lots of things that could be done with this recipe.  Be creative with the kinds of cheese you use – try gruyere, colby jack, jarlsberg, swiss – or a combination of several kinds, e.g. 1 cup chedder plus 1/2 cup fresh parmesean – the possibilities are endless.  Jalapenos would be a good substitute for the green chiles.  So would sun-dried tomatoes.  You can also turn this dish into macaroni and cheese simply by substituting cooked macaroni for the potatoes (layer in the same method as described for the potatoes).

Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread

April 12th, 2009
by: Grue

I make this cornbread any time I make the Best Chili In The World. Since the ingredients are mixed in a hot cast-iron skillet, it has a wonderful old-world taste. It is rich and complex, a perfect offset to something spicy. It might be too sweet for some tastes.

If I had a 8- or 9-inch cast iron skillet, I might try this without another pan. I think a right-sized skillet would go into the oven just fine, and the thought of how it might come out makes me rumbly in the tumbly.

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 40 minutes. Ready in 55 minutes total.

9 Servings (medium-to-large pieces).

1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
2/3 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease an 8-inch square pan. I use a 6×10 pan. Same difference, almost.
  3. Melt butter in large skillet, preferably cast-iron.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
  5. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended.
  6. Combine buttermilk and baking soda. Stir into mixture in pan.
  7. Stir in the mix of dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, and salt) until well-blended and few lumps remain.
  8. Pour batter into the greased pan.
  9. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. We prefer to overcook it a little, to get the beautiful golden edges and caramelization of the sugar/butter.

Sue’s Kickin’ Grits

April 1st, 2009
by: Blue

Baby you ain’t had grits until you’ve had these grits. To me, this paired with a pot of pinto beans is the ultimate comfort food. I’ve taken this dish to potlucks at work and have had people say “I don’t like grits but my God these are incredible”. Yes, they are. Thanks Mom, this recipe rocks.

Blue and Sue are very picky when it comes to buying grits. Bob’s Red Mill grits are far superior to any other grits on the market. We find them in the grocery store, they are also available online.

2 cups grits
8 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter
24 oz velveeta, cubed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
2 tablespoons red wine, or vermouth, or tequila, or whiskey, or beer, or….(fill in the blank)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon tabasco
1 12 oz can or 1/2 cup Hatch green chiles (or more, depends on how hot you like it)
2 cups corn

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bring water to a boil, slowly stir in grits, lower heat a bit, and cook about 10 minutes until thick. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into 9×13 pan and cook for 1 hour.

This recipe can be halved…

Oven Roasted Broccoli

March 31st, 2009
by: Blue

I could eat this every day. Sometimes I do. There is something about the oven roasting that perfectly complements the broccoli. And this is a very healthy recipe. It is also very good left over but I don’t recommend bringing it to work to heat in the microwave. Talk about a stink bomb (but it was still delicious). Actually it was kind of funny to see every single person that walked into our area stop abruptly and state “WHAT IS THAT SMELL?”. I think I’ll bring some to work tomorrow mwuah-ha-haha-HAAA.

Fresh Broccoli, cut into flowers (I like to buy it at Costco by the bag, precut, prewashed)
Olive oil
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place broccoli in single layer on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Place in oven and roast for about 15 minutes, broccoli will start to get little browned edges, this is how you want it! Remove from oven and top with freshly ground parmesan cheese and squeeze 1/2 – 1 lemon over. Salt/pepper to taste.

Easy, and incredibly good.