CHICKEN ENCHILADA SUIZAS CASSEROLE

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So, depending on whether or not you are trying to eat healthier, you are in for a treat with this recipe (slightly modified by yours truly) from the Joyful Healthy Eats site. And in case you have never enjoyed an enchilada suizas, you probably don’t know that most of the time the key ingredients are a various combination of butter, sour cream, heavy cream, crème fraiche, half & half, and cheese. Lots of cheese. (I mean really, what’s not to like?) But in this recipe, there is nary a mention of butter, sour cream, heavy cream, crème fraiche, or half & half. There is of course cheese in this recipe, but then how could it not contain cheese, since the very definition of suizas means Swiss and alludes to its copious use of cheese and other dairy products.

But, using only non-fat Greek yogurt along with both Mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese, the total fat content in this recipe is far lower than in typical recipes for this amazing dish.

Also, layering the tortillas rather than rolling them up, reduces the amount of time it takes to prepare these enchiladas. And any time I can save time as well as calories, I say hurray to that!

So what you are left with is a delicious casserole filled with tender chicken pieces, tortillas and cheese that simply melt into the lovely green chili sauce. If it sounds delightful, you would not be wrong. This casserole is really, really amazing. And the best part. You don’t have to feel guilty eating it! Of course, it still has calories. But about half as many as most enchiladas suiza. And it’s gluten free. And isn’t that always special!

So do yourself a favor. Next time you want Mexican food, make it at home. Paired with my recent post for Mexican Black Beans, you have a healthy, nutritious, and delectable meal you can serve your family and friends that is every bit as good, if not considerably better than you can find in most Mexican restaurants.

Now, if you are the kind of person who doesn’t feel a Mexican meal is complete without rice, I have a great recipe for you to try that’s already on this site. And if you guessed that the recipe would be entitled Mexican Rice, give yourself a gold star. Just be for-warned. There are no tomatoes in my recipe. (Just throwing that out there so you won’t be surprised when you read the ingredient list.) I just don’t happen to like most tomato flavored rice recipes. So my recipe is completely different. (Pretty darn delicious too.) So give all three of these recipes a try. Throw a Mexican dinner for your family and friends. Just don’t forget the Guacamole and Margaritas. (And yes, I have recipes for them too. So make that – five new recipes to try.) But wait, there’s one more recipe you need to make for your family and friends – Tres Leche (Three Milks) Cake. (Actually there are even more Mexican recipes if you search under Mexican Food Recipes.) OK, I’m done now. You may be excused. Buen provecho.

Chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly grated black pepper

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. paprika

Place chicken breasts in an 8×8-inch baking pan. Pour on the olive oil. Using your hands, best tool in the kitchen BTW, massage the oil all over the chicken. Wash your hands and mix together the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and paprika. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken.

Bake in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.  If you use an instant read thermometer to measure the temperature at the thickest part of the breast, it should read about 170 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before dicing into small cubes. (Save the juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan as the chicken cools. You are going to add them to the sauce.)

Green Chili Sauce:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 c. chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 c. (1 qt.) chicken stock

7-8 oz. canned diced green chilies

2 T. water

2 T. cornstarch

2/3 c. plain non-fat greek yogurt

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion. Sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the chicken stock and green chilies. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken stock has reduced a bit.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Add to the skillet along with the juices from baking the chicken, and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Building the Casserole:

15 small white corn tortillas or 10 regular sized

1½ c. shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

avocado chunks, opt.

diced fresh tomatoes, opt.

Spread a very small amount of the sauce on the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Add a layer of tortillas (feel free to cut them to fit the pan), then 1/3rd of the remaining sauce, cooked chicken, and cheeses. Repeat 2 more times. Finish with the last of the shredded cheese on top. (If it looks like a little more cheese on top would be nice, you know where your grater lives!)

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese on top is starting to brown and is nice and melted, and the sauce around the edges of the pan is bubbly. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve garnished with freshly diced avocado and tomatoes.

 

MEXICAN BLACK BEANS

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OK, so I recently told you that I was on yet another of my healthy kicks, so here goes a new recipe using dried beans. Now before you close down this post or jump out of your bedroom window, I want you to know that these are the best black beans I have ever tasted. And I have been on this strange planet for quite a number of decades now. And, I have made more recipes using dried beans than I can count. And I am good with numbers!

This recipe is straight out of the little recipe book that came with my Cosori Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker. (Thanks again Paula and Mark.)

I am truly not exaggerating when I say these beans could not be more delicious. Or nutritious! They are tender, savory, and juicy. (You need to serve them in a bowl.) But OMG (oh-my-goodness), they make for a very happy mouth. And if I’m not mistaken, my digestive track is probably giving me a “high-five” for providing it with the total and soluble fiber it so richly deserves. Not to mention the important micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc that come with the whole package.

So if you are trying to eat healthier and still enjoy food that tastes like it’s been prepared by a world class chef, give these beans a try. And if you can find a restaurant that serves beans that are this delicious, please let me know. If they can turn out beans like this, imagine what their chiles rellenos would taste like. The mind boggles at just the thought of a chiles rellenos that good.

Anyway, make some of these beans. And not just because they’re good for you. But out of the sheer pleasure of tasting something so delicious it will almost make you weep. Thank you Cosori for this wonderful recipe. And good health to you all.

2 c. dry black beans, rinsed 

1 onion, chopped 

4 garlic cloves, chopped 

1 T. chili powder 

1 tsp. paprika 

½ tsp. ground cumin 

2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 

3½ c. water 

juice of 1 lime, or more to taste

Place the beans, onion, garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil, and water in your Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Secure the lid, making sure the pressure release valve is in the locked position.

Select Beans/Chili then add additional time to read 45 minutes.

Press start.

Allow the cooker to naturally release for 15-20 minutes when done cooking. Add the lime juice and adjust seasoning.

 

CUCUMBER AND ROMAINE SALAD WITH LEMON DILL VINAIGRETTE

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I hate to throw out perfectly good ingredients just because I didn’t use them in a timely manner. So I am often forced to search for new recipes using ingredients I have on hand that should be used within minutes. These are ingredients that I had planned to use, had every good intention of using, but for whatever reason hadn’t gotten around to adding to the other dishes I actually did prepare. (I’m sure this has happened to you at least once in the years you have been playing around in the kitchen.) Sorry, I’m being facetious here! This happens to everyone regardless of how well we meal plan. Stuff happens. Unexpected dinner invitations. Casual invite and you can’t possibly serve your guests that tuna casserole you had planned for just you and your family. Or, you simply haven’t the strength to cook your evening meal so your wonderful spouse takes you out for dinner. That kind of “stuff”.

And at Chez Carr, it’s beginning to feel like the rule rather than the exception that at least one ingredient (usually a veggie) is going to sit in my refrigerator until it guilt trips me into doing something with it.

In this case, it was two veggies screaming at me from the veggie drawer. Half an English cucumber and 4 lonely radishes. While at the same time, a half container of crumbled feta cheese was also yelling its head off, so I really had my work cut out for me!

But Holly at the Spend with Pennies site saved my sanity with this recipe. (Well her recipe with my minor changes, that is.)

And oh my, did we enjoy this salad last evening! Mr. C. just couldn’t stop telling me how much he loved it. And I could not have agreed more. The salad had a lovely crunch from the cucumber, radishes, and onion. And the salty savory goodness from the feta cheese was just perfect in combination with the delicious salad dressing. The whole mix simply could not have been more delightful.

So next time you want a salad that can be made very quickly, using simple every day ingredients, this is the recipe for you. Cheers to your good health and to the salad days of August.

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

1 T. white vinegar

½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. dill weed

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 c. chopped romaine lettuce  

2/3 c. crumbled feta cheese

½ English cucumber, partially peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced

4-6 radishes, halved and thinly sliced

scant ½ c. thinly sliced onion (red, sweet, or yellow)

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, dill weed, salt, and pepper in a covered container. Shake like crazy. Set aside. 

Place the lettuce, feta cheese, cucumber, radishes, and onion in a large bowl.

Drizzle with dressing, toss, and serve immediately.

QUINOA, KALE, AND SHALLOT PILAF

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Now I know what you’re thinking. Patti is trying to sneak kale into our diet again in order to help us eat healthier. And by golly, you’d be absolutely spot on! But it’s not just for your sake that I came up with this recipe. It’s for our sake too!

Mr. C. and I need to remain ever steadfast in our pursuit of good health. And since I do most of the meal planning in our wonderful partnership, it’s up to me to help him stay healthy too. (See how that works!)

Fact: Mr. C. likes quinoa. Fact:  Mr. C. is never, ever going to beg me to fix a cruciferous veggie for dinner. But, if I sneak in a bit of cruciferous (in this case kale) with other ingredients that he admires, I usually can get away with upping his consumption of this healthy group of vegetables.

And indeed he thought this pilaf was just fine! (He’s a big fan of shallots, garlic, and slivered almonds.)

So next time you want to serve a healthier side dish to your family, get out the box or bag of quinoa, chop up a few veggies, and sit down to dinner with a smile on your face. You might even forget to mention the “H” (healthy) word when you describe this dish’s many virtues. I know I forgot to mention the “K” (kale) word to Mr. C. the other evening, and in doing so it didn’t seem to harm him one bit. Oh who am I kidding? He knew exactly what was in this recipe. He’d glanced at the ingredient list as it came off the printer.

But we’re not so old that we don’t still appreciate a little harmless “detail omission” in the name of marital bliss. And speaking of marital happiness, it’s after 5:00 pm. It’s martini time. And my dear husband has just delivered a coupe glass containing the requisite amount of gin, vermouth, and ice to my desk.

So here’s to marital harmony, delicious and healthy food, and to our family, friends (and spouses) who eat kale without making a fuss!

1½ c. quinoa, well rinsed and drained

3 c. water

3 tsp. vegetable base (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil   

1 lg. shallot, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 c. chopped kale leaves, massaged

¼ c. slivered almonds

In a medium pot over high heat, bring the quinoa, water, veggie base, seasoned salt, and pepper to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa has fully absorbed the water, about 20 minutes. Stir periodically while cooking. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallot to the pan. When the shallot become translucent, after about 4 minutes, add the garlic and the kale. As the kale begins to wilt and reduce, continue to stir. It should take about 2 minutes for the kale to wilt.  

Stir in the cooked quinoa, taste, and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and stir in the slivered almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CREAMY PECORINO ROMANO SALAD DRESSING

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In my desire to prepare healthier food (I go through this kick about once a year, but am trying to work harder on it this time), I am going to post another recipe that we enjoyed recently.

Now for me, salad is all about the dressing. I mean really, leafy greens by themselves leave a lot to be desired. Even if you throw in a few other veggies, nuts, or seeds to keep the greens company, there isn’t much to be said in favor of this concoction if there isn’t a delicious slathering of a flavorful oily or creamy dressing covering all the aforementioned ingredients. (At least for this “saucy” girl!)

So the other evening I decided to create a healthier alternative to my favorite Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing. (Recipe on this site.)

For the first time I used olive oil mayonnaise. And I must say, I’m pretty darned impressed. Really much better than I expected. Then I used olive oil instead of veggie oil. Along with white vinegar, lemon juice, some grated Pecorino Romano, a tiny bit of sugar, a couple garlic cloves, a bit of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, the dressing was way better than I envisioned. So much so, that I had a hard time not devouring the entire batch as I was preparing it. (Tasting it for quality assurance reasons, you realize!)  

Anyway – this dressing is delicious and a healthy alternative to most cream style salad dressings. But don’t hesitate to add your favorite ingredients to this recipe. A bit of Dijon mustard might be a great addition. Perhaps some red onion or finely minced shallot.

That’s the lovely part of making your own salad dressing. It can be different every time you make it. And it can be made to complement the other ingredients in your salad. A win/win every time!

½ c. olive oil mayonnaise

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

¼ c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese (Parmesan cheese can be used in a pinch)

½ tsp. sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

scant ½ tsp. Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

tiny bit of water if the dressing is too thick

In a blender, combine all ingredients; blend until smooth. Add water if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

LEMONY BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS

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Now this is what I call a quick and easy chicken dish. Really very little time spent in either preparation or cooking time.

I based this dish off of one of my favorite ways to cook chicken breasts – Chicken Piccata (recipe on site). But unlike my piccata recipe, there is no flour, butter, or chicken stock in this recipe. (I am trying to cut down on our butter and high carbohydrate consumption, so this is my stab at eating healthier. Without sacrificing flavor. Not an easy task, I assure you!)

But when each of us bit into the chicken last evening, we didn’t feel like we were missing a thing. Great flavor, great texture, and just the right amount of zing from the lemon juice and capers. And even a tiny bit of sauce to spread on the chicken pieces.

And sure, I could have made a meal of the sauce alone. But sauces are not what I should be eating, even if they are one of my favorite food groups.

Unhappily, my list of food groups is very different than the 5 healthy traditional food groups listed below:

Vegetables

Fruit

Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fiber varieties

Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, dried beans, and legumes

Milk, yoghurt, and mostly reduced fat cheese

My food groups:

Vegetables and some fruits

All dairy products, the higher fat content the better

Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, whole grains, dried beans, and legumes

Every conceivable kind of sauce

Bread

Chocolate

Gin

(And yes, I have 7 in my food groups list.) But there is not one of those categories on my list that I would ever be able to give up without feeling that I was being severely picked upon. But alas, with age some eating habits simply have to change. And hopefully I will continue to realize as I did with this recipe, that it is sometimes much better for us if I gracefully substitute a healthy ingredient for one that is possibly not as good for us.

But never fear. I will still be posting recipes that might cause some health-food conscience foodies to break out in hives. Because I am still alive and great food is still one of the reasons I get out of bed in the morning. I just plan to practice moderation. And continue to create and adapt recipes to better help all of us remain healthy. Stay tuned. In the meantime, give this simple recipe a try. It really is delicious. And easy.

5-6 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs (organic if possible)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. dry white wine

1 garlic clove, finely minced

juice of 1 lemon

1 T. drained capers

1 T. chopped Italian parsley

Cut off any fat or sinew on chicken thighs. Dry off the pieces with a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until light brown and done. Do not overcook. Remove to a plate. Tent with aluminum foil to help retain heat.

Deglaze the pan with wine and add the minced garlic. Cook for about a minute and add lemon juice and capers. Cook until the sauce is about 1/3 reduced.

Place the cooked chicken back in the pan and turn pieces until both sides are covered with sauce. Remove from heat; garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

GARLIC AND ROSEMARY ROASTED RACK OF LAMB

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Now, I have a quest for each of you readers. If you can find an easier and more delicious way to serve Lamby pops (that’s what we call the individual ribs on a rack of lamb) please do not hesitate to send me an email with that recipe. But remember, one of the qualifications is easier. Because I too have an incredibly delicious recipe for lamby pops already on this site (Rack of Lamb with Kalamata-Rosemary Crust). But dear friends, it is just a whole lot more work to prepare. (But you should try it too, because it is really fantastic.)

Anyway, the main thing I want to convey is that this is an almost foolproof recipe that can be prepared in minutes. And yes, I am getting more and more inclined to take the easy road on meal preparation. But having confessed that, I still want the food I serve to be delicious. I just don’t want to spend as many hours in the kitchen as I used to.

So I came up with this take-off of my other recipe and found no fault with it at all. And to make the whole meal an effortless experience, I oven roasted some tiny potatoes in a bit of olive oil and herbs, and sliced up a couple of lovely tomatoes, sprinkled them with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, drizzled them with balsamic glaze, dribbled on some extra virgin olive oil, and lay a nice layer of fresh basil chiffonade over the whole works.     

All my prep work for this meal took me less than 30 minutes. In fact, I was finished prepping the meal before I finished drinking my before dinner libation. And that almost never happens. So for ease of preparation, overall presentation, and culinary appeal and flavor, I awarded myself the “Carr family spontaneous achievement of the day award”. (I received no resistance from Mr. C. for my self-aggrandizement. He knows on which side his bread is buttered. Smart man!)

4 garlic cloves, rough chopped 

2 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary leaves

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 Frenched rack of lamb, (just means you can see the nice shiny bones)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Whirl the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and Dijon mustard in your food processor (use your mini processor if you have one) until the garlic is finely chopped and the mixture resembles a thick paste. (You probably won’t get a smooth paste, but that’s not you want anyway. Tiny chunks are your friend in this case.)

Lightly season the lamb with kosher salt and pepper. Rub the garlic mixture all over the rack of lamb, but mostly on the fatty side. Place the rack fat side up on a rimmed baking sheet and let stand at room temperature for at least an hour.

Roast the lamb in the upper third of a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn the rack over and roast for 5-10 minutes longer for medium-rare meat. (The internal temperature for medium-rare lamb is 120-125 degrees.) When the meat reaches the desired temperature on your Instant thermometer, remove from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Cut the racks in between the rib bones and serve immediately.

PLUM VODKA COSMOPOLITAN

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So, what do you do when you have plum vodka, originally purchased for my recipe for Spicy Plum Crunch, and there it sits, almost untouched with all the other liqueurs looking lost and abandoned? Or so it must have appeared to Mr. C., because the next thing I knew he was offering me a sip of a new drink he had just fixed for himself. Well that was his only mistake. He should have mixed one for me too!

Now as you might rightly assume because I write a cooking blog, that I am not a picky eater when it comes to trying new ingredients. I’m almost willing to try any type of food. Almost. But I am a very picky drinker. I like very few mixed drinks. I drink Tanqueray martinis, Mr. Cs Tanqueray gin gimlets, Mr. Cs Margaritas, Mr. Cs Cosmopolitans, and….wait….that’s about it! Well until recently that is. I now add a Plum Vodka Cosmopolitan to my short list.  Full disclosure: I really like beer. So occasionally I enjoy a dark beer, but rarely more than once a year. (Not good for me.) And I try to stay away from wine as much as possible, but that’s not easy. (Again not good for me. Too much sugar for my aging system to handle.) So I pretty much stick to martinis because they seem to have no effect at all on my internal operating system. (Ain’t aging fun!?!?) Anyway, I’m not complaining because I really love me a good old martini.

But I have to tell you. This drink is worth going the extra mile (or how many ever miles it is from your home to the nearest repository of ingredients for adult beverages) just for the pleasure of letting a bit of this liquid trickle down the back of your throat. Delicious doesn’t even cover it. And talk about refreshing. The lime juice just makes the flavor zing.

So next time you want a new and exciting drink to delight your friends with, make them one of these babies. You will become their new national treasure. As will the drink.

Before I leave this preface, please know that all the drinks referenced above are on this site. Would I tell you about how much I enjoy them without providing you with the means to fix one for yourself? Of course not! Silly you! Enjoy

2 oz. plum vodka (we use Pearl Plum Vodka)

1 oz. orange flavored liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Triple Sec)

1 oz. cranberry juice cocktail

juice of ½ small fresh lime

small splash of Rose’s lime juice

ice cubes

lime wheel, garnish, opt.

Pour the vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, fresh lime juice, and Rose’s lime juice over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and pour contents into a chilled Tom Collins glass. Add a few ice cubes. Garnish with a lime wheel if desired.

AMARETTO PEACH COBBLER

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And yes, I know the bones of this cobbler recipe have gotten a lot of press lately. The recipe was even featured in The Seattle Times, and you can’t get much more note-worthy than that! But as you well know, I almost always feel compelled to mess with perfectly good recipes and put my own spin on a dish. Where this compunction comes from I have no idea. But at 75, the chances of my changing a decade’s long habit is probably just not going to happen. And in my humble opinion, amaretto should have been an ingredient from the onset. Plus I don’t like to eat the fuzzy skin of peaches, even if they are cooked. And vanilla in the cakey part of a cobbler should almost be mandatory as far as I’m concerned!   

So anyway. I changed the recipe from the Boat Street Café to what you see below. And frankly, the cobbler was very well received by all of us who were lucky enough to be gathered around our friends Jim & Margo’s dining room table last weekend. But the hot water and sugar topping method was totally the inspiration of Susan Kaplan who sold the Boat Street Café to Renee Erickson in 2003. Full disclosure folks, full disclosure.

But regardless of who put what in the recipe, or changed the instructions, or added or deleted ingredients, this is a delicious way to use those wonderful, juicy peaches that are beginning to grace  our local produce stands and farmers markets. So before the season is over, make your family and friends a dessert that features peaches. They are just so delicious. And if the ones Mr. C. brought home the other day are any indication of this season’s crop, we are all in for a treat. Happy eating everyone.

4 tsp. cornstarch

1/3 c. amaretto

10 lg. peaches
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ c. granulated sugar, divided  

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ c. whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. hot water
vanilla ice cream   

Whisk the cornstarch and amaretto together in a 9×13-inch casserole dish or glass Pyrex pan. (Pan can be a bit larger, but not any smaller.) Set aside.  

Peel the peaches (see “how to” below) and cut into 8 wedges, then each wedge in half. Place in a colander to drain while you prepare the cobbler part. (If you want to save the nectar, place the colander in a bowl.)

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar for 1 minute. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture and beat for about 30 seconds. Slowly mix in the milk and vanilla extract. Continue beating at medium speed for 2 minutes more, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Gently pour the drained peaches in with the cornstarch mixture. Stir until every surface of every peach piece is coated with the cornstarch/amaretto mixture. 

Spoon the batter in large blobs over the peaches. Using a small offset spatula or implement of choice, spread the batter over the fruit so that it’s evenly distributed. Sprinkle with the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar and drizzle the hot water evenly over the sugar.  

Place the baking dish in a pre-heated 350 degree and bake for 60-70 minutes or until the top is cracked and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the topping comes out clean.

Remove the pan from oven and place on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

To serve, scoop into bowls and top with ice cream. Best served the same day as baked.

Peach Pealing 101:

Put a pot of water onto boil. Lightly score the bottom of each peach with an X. Working in batches of 3 or 4, add the peaches to the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the blanched peaches to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Remove peaches from ice water and remove skin with a paring knife.






  

OVEN BAKED POTATO KUGEL

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I love scalloped potatoes, potato gratins, and just about every which way you can think of to calorie up cut potatoes and bake them in the oven. But after discovering this recipe inspired by Tory Avery, I now have a way of serving a potato casserole without as many calories as most of my regular favorites. And why is that you might ask. Well, notice the absence of two of the most caloric ingredients in most potato casseroles – cheese and heavy cream. And yet, even without these ingredients, this kugel is creamy and delicious.

Now granted, you are invited to add a bit of sour cream as a topping. But I never said it was a low calorie dish. It just has less calories than most of its potato casserole predecessors. (At least the ones I love the most.)

But, boy oh boy is this kugel delicious. It’s like a big old potato latke, without having to spend time frying large spoonful’s of potato mixture in hot oil on top of your stove. (And if you have never done this, please take it from me. You can spend hours frying potato latkes. Because as soon as you fry a couple three, they’re gone. So you have to fry more. You see where I’m going with this, right?)

Anyway, if you want a simple potato dish to add a certain je ne sais quoi to an otherwise traditional assortment of other offerings on your table, give this recipe a try. It’s really yummy, easy to fix, economical, and different from most other potato preparations. Just remember to include something crunchy in your menu. Actually that’s important regardless of whether you serve this dish or not. If you don’t already, get used to planning for at least one crunchy component in every meal you serve. It will soon become a habit, and as you well know, habits are hard to break. Happy kugel to you and yours.

5 lbs. russet potatoes (about 10 medium-sized potatoes)

1 bunch green onions, divided

6 eggs

6 T. potato or corn starch  

2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided

sour cream, opt. for garnish

Place a 9×13 metal or ceramic baking dish or pan in the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees, letting the dish heat up inside. (Glass does not work well for this recipe.)

Peel the potatoes, then use a food processor or hand grater to grate them into large shreds. Place the potato shreds in a large mixing bowl and cover with cold water. Let the shreds sit for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, wash and mince the green onions. (Don’t even think about discarding the green part. Cut that part up too.) Set aside.  

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, potato starch, salt, and pepper until fluffy. Drain the potato shreds in a colander, pushing down firmly on top of the shreds with your hands to push out the excess liquid. Place the grated potatoes in the bowl with the seasoned eggs. Stir in about ¾ of the minced green onions and mix all together until well combined.

Take the preheated baking dish out of the oven. Quickly pour in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, then use a pastry brush to carefully spread the oil around the bottom and sides of the hot dish. (The hot dish and oil will help guarantee a beautiful brown and crisp bottom crust for the kugel.)

Quickly spread the potato mixture into an even layer in the baking dish, then drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil across the top.

Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 60-70 minutes or until the top is nicely browned. If the kugel seems to be browning too quickly, cover the pan with aluminum foil to keep it from over-browning. But in order for the potatoes to become tender, it truly takes about 70 minutes of baking time.

The kugel tastes best hot from the oven, but do let it set up for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Pass the sour cream and remaining minced green onion.