Sweet Potato Gratin

This sauce is so yummy I used green onions and shallot. Creates a tasty pretty dish. The second day was even better.

Sweet Potato Gratin My family loved this dish. ****
I cooked it up the night before.
Cooled it and put in fridge and heated it up the next day.
6 Sweet Potatoes
3 Cups Heavy Cream
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 1/2 Cup scallions chopped (I also used shallots)
2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
4 Red Chiles very finely minced
3-5 garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 375F.

Peal and slice Sweet potatoes thin.

In Sauce pan: add heavy Cream bring to a simmer.
Add: Scallions, garlic, chiles, salt, pepper and Parmesan.

Add a layer of sweet potatoes to 9x11 backing dish. Pour some cream mixture on top. repeat until potatoes and cream is used up finishing with cream top with Parmesan Cheese.

Cover pan with foil bake for 50 mi. remove foil and bake 10 more min.
Remove from oven and serve.

Pecan Apple Pumpkin French Toast

This is a little time consuming but once you have made it, I believe you could cut the time in half. The Pecans are YUMMY! The Sauce really picks up the Apple taste - Play around with the bread choices I did it is YUMMY!

PECAN PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST with APPLE SYRUP Serves 4-5
(doubled serves 6-8) if you double the recipe.
MIX For BREAD:
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Half and Half
3 Eggs
1/2 Cup Pumpkin
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 Pinch Salt
MIX WELL.

BREAD OPTIONS: Challah - Brioche - Artisan Breads White Macadamia - Raisin
Soak bread: The night before, or 6 hours before, dip the bread slices in milk mixture one at a time and place the bread in glass baking dish. Refrigerate.

PECANS: Night to 6 hours:
1 Egg White
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp. Ground Allspice
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
3 Cups Raw Pecans (half or whole)

COMBINE: salt and spices. Set aside. Beat egg white until frothy. Slowly whisk in spices. Toss egg mixture with pecans. LINE cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread pecan mixture on cookie sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 min. gently stirring every 15 min. I didn't stir and it was fine. COOL and DRY out.

COOKING IT UP: Heat 2 tbsp. Veg. Oil and 2 tbsp butter in nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Place bread in p an and cook until Golden Brown. (Wipe out pan with paper towel and repeat.
Baking it up: Cut Bread up and bake in oven 350 degrees until golden brown. ?time

SYRUP: (*combine and refrigerate night before)saves time in morning.
1/2 Cup Syrup
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
4 Cups Apple Cider or Apple Juice
4 tbsp. Lemon Juice

COMBINE: Ingredients together Cook and Stir until thickened and comes to a boil. Boil 1 min. continue stirring. Remove from heat stir in butter. Pour over warm french toast sprinkle pecans and Powdered Sugar on top and Serve.

Italian dish "Polenta"

I am funny the things I find to cook, but trying new things is good right? I made Polenta the easy way overnight in a slow cooker rather than 1 hour or more stirring over stove. There were no lumps. I didn't add cheese, but you could always sprinkle some over it.
The taste is mild but it I like it.

Polenta serves 4-8
1 lb. coarsely ground corn meal (I used just regular corn meal)
2 quarts of water (or chicken broth)
2 tbsp. butter
Put corn meal in slow cooker - pour water over and stir to spread out even - place 2 tbsp. butter on top and cook 6 hours. Ta! Da! Drum roll please :)
It was crusty all around the edges and bottom I scooped out the soft corn meal slightly used mixer to blend it. Ready to serve I munched on the crust yum.
* serve with cheese - radish pesto or plain - not limits to an imagination.

Here is another version that looks easy and good served with Quail. Hummmm! I am watching Quail out my window . . . Dinner? No! :)

Polenta
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 Cup yellow cornmeal
2 yolks beaten (OUCH!) lol
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Light oil baking sheet. In heavy saucepan, bring milk to low boil add salt. Slowly pour in the cornmeal, stirring constantly with wooden spoon.
Stir constantly for 30 min. or until Polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Off heat, briskly fold in egg whites, beet until blended.
Pour Polenta onto prepared baking sheep spread out under 1/2 in. thick.
Cool thoroughly.
* have boiling water ready to add it it becomes too think.
Cut into diamond shapes.
(if serving with Quail make sure pieces are large enough for Quail to fin on.)

In cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is hot,
fry Polenta on each side until golden. Place a hot roasted bird on each slice of Polenta and serve.

Cooking with Radish Greens

Radish Greens - I love radishes and thought hummm wonder if you can eat the leafs? I tried sauteing them with garlic and olive oil they were too chewy and spicy. I decided if fresh and green in color they would be good to add into salads. Then I found this Pesto Sauce recipe and tried it. It's pretty good can't wait to make Potato Gnocchi and season them with this sauce. Along with sandwich spread I like the idea of using it on Lamb. Makes me feel good I didn't waste the greens.

Radish Leaf Pesto
* I used almonds slices and Grated Parmesan - Romano Cheese (house hold ingredients) it is very forgiving and it turned out pretty good. The flavor has a kick to it.

- 2 large handfuls of good-looking radish leaves, stems removed
- 30 grams (1 ounce) hard cheese, such as pecorino or Parmesan, grated or shaved using a vegetable peeler
- 30 grams (1 ounce) nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, or pine nuts (avoid walnuts, which make the end result too bitter in my opinion)
- 1 clove garlic, germ removed, cut in four
- a short ribbon of lemon zest cut thinly from an organic lemon with a vegetable peeler (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to get the consistency you like
- salt, pepper, ground chili pepper
Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender or mini-chopper, and process in short pulses until smooth. You will likely have to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. This produces a thick pesto; add more oil and pulse again to get the consistency you prefer. (This can also be done with a mortar and pestle; it's great for your karma and your triceps.)
Taste, adjust the seasoning, and pack into an airtight container (I use a recycled glass jar). Use within a few days (it will keep longer if you pour a thin layer of oil on the surface) or freeze.

Recipes Collected -

I found my "Round To It" . . .for Blogging Recipes collected from magazines - TV- Internet - Newspaper.
Jan. 29, 2012
First cooking Blog
I made Chestnut Soup - Mistake chestnuts were out of season - most were spoiled - so I used what I had and microwaved Acorn squash scooped it out and pureed it with the chestnuts and other vegetables. It turned out YUMMY!
Roasted Autumn Vegetables with Lentils - It turned out delicious most important I used the Butternut and Acorn squash purchased in Nov.
recipes below:

Chestnut Soup (Daphne Oz The CHEW abc)
serves 4
3 cups chopped chestnuts (canned or fresh)peeled
1/2 Cup white wine (forgot to add)
1 1/2 tbsp. Chopped thyme
1/4 Cup milk (oops forgot this too)
Kosher salt to taste
2 bay leaves - 4 sprigs fresh parsley - 4 sprigs thyme (used crushed)
(make bouquet gami by wrapping thyme, bay leaves & parsley in cheese cloth)
Sauteed in 3 tbsp. butter:
1 med. leek(white & light green parts only) or 2 shallots rinsed and finely chopped
1/2 Cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion
Add: Bouquet gami (seasoning pack) and chestnuts to
6 cups Chicken Broth - milk - and wine and simmer 25 min.
Add: Sauteed vegetables to broth simmer take out season pack
Puree: Acorn Squash (roasted or microwaved) scoop out of skin with strained vegetables then pour back into broth simmer 20 min.
Next time I may not puree the squash with the vegetables.

Roasted Autumn Vegetables with Lentils (Daphne Oz abc The CHEW)
serves 4
1. 4 small carrots (halved lengthwise)
1 Butternut Squash Peeled halved/seeded/cut into 1/2in. slices.
1/2 pound Brussels Sprouts (halved)
3 Shallots (quartered)
4 Cloves Garlic peeled
2. In large bowl drizzle 2 tbsp. olive oil - salt & pepper over vegetables and roast in oven for 30min.
3. 1/2 cup dried Black Lentils (rinsed) Put in small sauce pan cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer covered 20 min. Drain and season with salt & pepper.
5. Take garlic off roasting pan and mash up.
4. In small bowl Add: 4 tbsp. olive oil - 3 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard and mashed garlic. Whisk together
6. Add: lentils to above then fold into 1/2 lb. Arugula
Place Arugula on salad plate and top with roasted vegetables and serve with soup.
Makes for a delicious vegetarian healthy meal.
My grand-kids enjoyed both these recipes.