Philly Cheesesteak Dip ala OC Brewing Company

Buh-bye summer! It's been fun! But doesn't it seem that autumn is making some serious headway into town even before we're ready for it? Before I'm ready for it anyway.  

Who would imagine that on our beach vacation where we normally feast on crab and Maryland corn (and believe me, we did plenty of crab feasting!), that we'd discover what could become the best tailgate recipe I've come across in many a moon: Philly Cheesesteak Dip from OC Brewing Company in Ocean City, MD. One taste and I knew immediately this one would be a Dinner Plan-it duplication to share with all of you!

The dip at OC Brewing brought all the classic flavors of a cheesesteak into one hot, bubbling casserole dish to dip with their house-made big, crusty pretzels. Now you know I can't do pretzels, so they fried up a batch of their house-made crunchy and sturdy potato chips for dipping instead. Browned pieces of thinly sliced steak, sweet onion and green peppers were surrounded by a 5 cheese sauce so lush and spot on, it was just like dipping into a real Philly Cheesesteak! 

The dip as served at OC Brewing...minus the big soft pretzel, with their homemade chips.

What did I change? Not much. I added mushrooms and garnished it with hot pepper rings, because that's how I take my cheesesteak hoagie. If you don't care for mushrooms, leave them out like they do at OC Brewing. I don't know what cheeses they used, only that there were five of them...so I used my favorite. Cream cheese for the creamy base, shredded ColbyJack (because I had it on hand - and because it melts nicely), American and gouda cheeses went in (also for the meltability (new word?) factor and provolone for stretchy, gooey, classic steak sub character.  

Thanks OC Brewing for not just another afternoon/evening of great beers and cocktails and awesome bartenders, but for the inspiration for what will become this year's fave tailgating classic. So what if it was enjoyed first in Raven's country and created in honor of an Eagle's country classic sandwich...it will be consumed with delight within Steeler Nation!

Philly Cheesesteak Dip

ala OC Brewing Company

• 1 T olive oil
• 3/4 lb thinly sliced top round, cut into slivers about 1 1/2" long
• Jane's Crazy Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (don't go too "Crazy" with the Crazy Salt, there's lots of salt in all this gooey cheese)
• 1/2 medium onion, diced (approx. 1/2 C)
• 1/2 medium green pepper, diced (approx. 1/2 C)
• 3/4 C. mushrooms, diced
• 8 oz. block Lite cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 C. shredded ColbyJack cheese, or mild cheddar
• 4 slices American cheese, crumbled
• 3/4 - 1 C gouda, shredded
• 3 slices provolone cheese, crumble 2 and reserve 2 whole slices to lay across the top of the finished casserole
• pickled hot banana pepper rings for garnish
• pita chips, soft pretzels or toasted baguette slices

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the steak pieces with Crazy Salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a very hot skillet, add the steak pieces and saute until they are nicely browned and caramelized on all sides. Add the veggies to the pan and cook until soft. Remove from heat.

While the steak is cooking, put the lite cream cheese (remember when it used to be called Neufchatel?) into a large bowl. Add the hot steak and veggies to the bowl along with all the delicious juices. Stir the cream cheese, steak and veggies together until well combined. Add the rest of the cheeses (except for the reserved 2 whole slices of provolone) and combine completely.

Spoon mixture into a small cast iron skillet or heat proof casserole dish. Place the reserved provolone over the top and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and browned. Remove from oven and garnish with pickled hot banana pepper rings.

Serve with pita or pretzels or baguette slices or sturdy potato chips!

Now, GO STEELERS!!!!!!

P. S.  We didn't vacation in Ocean City, MD this year, but in Rehobeth Beach...and went down to OC just for OC Brewing Company!

Rehoboth Beach, DE by moonlight.

  

Grillades And Fresh Veggie "Spaghetti"

The good folks at Tuttorosso Tomatoes (who sent a lovely variety of products to my door) are featuring lightened recipes for spring on their website...of course using their very fine products.

Coincidentally, I recently came upon a recipe I'd never heard of before...grillades (pronounced GREE-yads) and grits. After checking out a number of recipes, I decided it sounded a lot like the Swiss steak I've made for many years only with a decidedly Cajun/Creole twist. This was something that needed to be made...and Tuttorosso tomatoes would be perfect for the recreation of a southern classic.

While the recipe I developed didn't use the dark roux used in versions I read (gluten-free issue, you know), I think my recipe is a little lighter, features more healthy trinity veggies - peppers, onion and celery - and even includes my favorite southern veggie staple....okra! (You know how I LOVE okra!) The bonus of adding okra is that it helps to thicken the sauce and adds lots of flavor at the same time.

Since the Tuttorosso promotion, Inspiralize the Spring, lightens recipes by using spiralized veggies in place of pasta, I did the same in place of cheese grits. You CAN use cheese grits instead, of course, but I found the raw zucchini and red peppers I used made for a very bright base for the tomato and beef Grillades. Hot grillades over raw spiralized veggies cooked the veggies just enough to keep them crisp, yet still brought out all the wonderful veggie flavor.

The online Tuttorosso promotion features recipes by Ali Maffucci like Parsnip Spaghetti All' Amatriciana, Pasta Arrabiata with Carrot Noodles, and Spiralized Turnip Mushroom and Tomato Risotto. Obviously, Ali is a Spiralizer master! 

Check out those and other recipes at Inspiralize Spring and while you're there, enter to win aprons, Ali's cookbook, "Inspiralized," an Inspiralizer or the Grand Prize of all of the above PLUS more kitchen gadgets packed into a picnic basket. What are you waiting for? When you're done entering the contest, come on back and make a nice pot of Grillades and Fresh Veggie Spaghetti!

Grillades and Fresh Veggie "Spaghetti"

• 2 1/2 pounds round steak, pounded thin and cut into approximately 4" X 4" pieces
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 C flour (gluten-free in my case)
• 2 T Paul Prudhomme's Magic Salt Free Seasoning, divided
• canola oil
• 2 T butter
• 2 large onions, peeled and diced
• 1 large green pepper, seeded and dixed
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 C beef stock, salt free or low sodium
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
•  28 oz. can of Tuttorosso diced tomatoes
• 12 oz. frozen okra

• 2 zucchini, spiralized
• 1 red pepper, julienned (didn't spiralize well, what the heck...julienning worked just as well)

Combine the flour and 2 T Paul Prudhomme's in a plastic bag. Set aside.

Salt and pepper both sides of the round steak pieces, then shake them in the flour mixture until well coated.

Heat enough canola oil in the bottom of an skillet (or a slow cooker than browns - I use an Instant Pot that browns...LOVE it!!!!!) and brown the meat well on both sides. Remove to a plate.

Add a touch of butter to the bottom of the skillet, browning slow cooker (or Instant Pot) and saute the onions, green peppers, celery and garlic until soft. 

If you don't have a browning slow cooker, transfer the meat to a slow cooker. Then pour all the veggies over the top, add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, and okra over all and then gently combine all.

Cover and set your slow cooker (or Instant Pot) to high and let 'er rip for 4 hours. At the end of the time, uncover and taste, then adjust seasonings - I added another teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of Paul Prudhomme's, another tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of Frank's hot sauce.

To serve, pile the spiralized zucchini and red pepper on a plate and spoon the Grillades over top. Unless, of course, you decide to use traditional grits! Go for it!

Dark n Stormy Stew

"It was a dark and stormy night." Remember Snoopy at his typewriter, sitting atop his doghouse, clicking out that cliched opening line to his novel? That thought may have just brought a smile to your face, it certainly does to mine.

You may not know (then again, you might just be hip to it already!), but there's another kind of Dark n Stormy that brings a smile, too...the classic cocktail of dark rum, ginger beer and lime by the same name. Not only that, there's Dark n Stormy Stew, too. Yep, why not put the same flavors that work as a cocktail into a rich, hearty and spicy beef crockpot-simple stew? No reason not to...so I did!

Rum and ginger paired perfectly to make a satisfying winter stew loaded with butternut squash, pearl onions, fingerling potatoes and lots of savory gravy redolent with ginger, clove and allspice to echo the spice notes of fine dark rum and good ginger beer. As the stew simmered slowly over the hours, flavors melded into such a conglomeration of sweet, savory, gingery, rummy goodness that even butternut squash became as one with the sauce.

What do you accent the inspirational cocktail with? Lime. And there's no more proper finish to the stew either than bright and fresh lime. Just as the green citrus fruit perks up the dark sweetness of the cocktail, freshly grated lime zest and a hefty squeeze of a lime wedge do the same thing for this savory stew. Lime and gingery beef stew may sound like an odd combo, but trust me...the accent of lime takes the party to new heights.

As for the perfect cocktail pairing? A Dark n Stormy, of course! Here's the recipe for BOTH the stew AND the cocktail.

Dark n Stormy Stew

• 2 T canola oil
• 2 1/2 pounds beef flapsteak (that's what I had in the freezer - use your own favorite, tender stew beef)
• 2 1/2 C butternut squash, cubed - you know I use the already peeled and cubed squash the grocer conveniently has waiting in plastic tubs in the produce section (repurpose the plastic...wash it out and use it to store cookies!)
• 12 oz bag of frozen pearl onions (hey...if YOU want to go to the trouble of peeling all those teeny, tiny fresh pearl onions, go ahead....we'll wait for you to catch up....)
• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut in half 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1 t. powdered ginger
• 1/2 t. allspice
• 1/2 C dark rum - I used Meyer's
• 7 oz bottle ginger beer - I use Fever Tree
• 2 T cornstarch
• 5 oz. (1/2 a can) beef broth
• 2 limes - 1 zested, 1 cut into wedges

To get good deep beefy flavors going in a crockpot stew, you know I always like to start by browning the meat in a skillet - that's where we're starting this time, too.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. While the oil is heating, season the beef liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the beef cubes in 2 batches. Remove each to the waiting crockpot.

Add the rum to the skillet and stir well to get all those browned bits into the rum. Set aside.

Add the squash, onions and potatoes along with the spices to the crockpot and give it all a good stir. Pour the rum that's still in the skillet and a bottle of ginger beer over the contents of the crockpot. Cover.

Start the crockpot on high and cook for an hour, then lower the temp to low (my crockpot only has settings of "off" "low" and "high.") and continue cooking 4-5 hours until the beef is tender and the squash has nearly disintegrated - it becomes part of the rich sauce.

To thicken the gravy, mix 2 T cornstarch with half a can (5 oz) beef broth and stir into the stew. It will thicken in minutes.

To Serve: Ladle the stew into bowls, sprinkle a little lime zest over each and serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the top. 

Classic Dark and Stormy - The Cocktail

• 2 oz dark rum - Gosling's preferred
• 3 oz. ginger beer - Fever Tree or the excellent Pittsburgh-made Jamaica's Finest by Natrona Bottling
• a nice big lime wedge

In a collins glass filled with ice, add the rum and top with ginger beer. Add lime juice, stir gently and serve.

Chipotle Maple Bacon Roasted Chicken With Winter Veggies

You know how I do "quickies" once in a while...get ready for another that's a one dish wonder of a dinner. The recent busy days of holidays and much to do had me creating many meals that were easy to put together, a complete and nutritious meal, plus totally satisfying on top of it all.
 
Take today's Chipotle Maple Bacon Roasted Chicken With Winter Veggies for instance...layers of Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, whole garlic cloves, red onion wedges, chunks of chicken breast, thick sliced peppered bacon all drizzled with a glaze of real maple, chipotle and orange zest. 

This is before roasting...the pic at the top is the glazed golden goodness of after roasting.

The whole meal took minutes to assemble - especially with that handy-dandy butternut squash that comes already peeled, seeded, cubed and ready to go. An hour in the oven, and dinner was on our dining table...it can be on yours just as quick as mine! 


(Okay. Maybe the post wasn't such a quickie after all, but making this for dinner will be!)

Chipotle Maple Bacon Roasted Chicken 

With Winter Veggies

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2" cubes
• 20 Brussels sprouts (or more if you wish!), trimmed and cut in half - or quarters if they're large...I'd recommend small ones, though.
• 2 cups butternut squash, get the already peeled, seeded and cubed butternut in the plastic containers...SO much easier!
• 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1/2 bulb garlic, skins removed, smashed gently (about 15 cloves all together)
• 4 slices THICK sliced PEPPERED bacon, cut across into 1/2" pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup, Grade B real maple syrup!
• 1/2  teaspoons chipotle powder - use less of you'd like less heat, more if you'd like more heat
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• zest of 1 orange save the rest of the orange for a salad or for juice for something else (cocktail perhaps?)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the glaze ingredients together - maple syrup, chipotle powder, granulated garlic and orange zest. Set aside.
 
Spray a large, shallow baking dish (a lasagna pan or large oval dish abut the same size is perfect!) with olive oil. Toss the chicken and all the veggies together and spread out in the baking dish. Add a good sprinkling of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scatter the bacon pieces over top and drizzle with the glaze.
 
Roast uncovered for about an hour or until the bacon is done and the top is nicely browned and the veggies are tender, but not overcooked. Soup's on!

Low Country Grilled Shrimp, Andouille & Veggies with Old Bay Beer Butter

Feelin' beachy? Me too! So much so that I've been craving a good ol' shrimp boil...something to help assuage the longing for sand, sun and seafood until we hit Ocean City next month. This one easily qualifies under my "Quickie" category because there's almost no prep and it cooks in minutes. Nope, not in a steamer as is traditional for a boil, but on the grill. And it's done in a flash!

Usually we haul out the propane-fueled turkey fryer/steamer to do a boil...and that's just perfect with a big crowd. With just the two of us for dinner on Sunday, that method didn't make any sense at all. Out came the grill!

To get the same Maryland-style flavors we were craving, Old Bay beer butter was basted onto heaps of shrimp, small red potatoes, onions, Andouille sausages and corn right on the grill.  Yes, there were some flare ups, but that just helped to give a desirable blackened quality to the andouille and shrimp and made the corn almost caramel-y. 

The result? It seemed just like being oceanfront at the beach with the same hoppy, spicy deliciousness of a boil, combined with the smoky flavors only a grill can produce.  We were happy campers!

Even though the cries of seagulls were missing, I swear I caught just the faintest whiff of salt air. Not only that, I think our grilled "boil" may have been even better than the original! Now bring on Ocean City and crabs....I'm READY!

 Low Country Grilled Shrimp, Andouille & Veggies

with Old Bay Beer Butter

 Serves 2 - with plenty of leftovers

• 1 pound shrimp, jumbo, raw, peeled, tails on - threaded onto metal skewers (or wooden skewers that have soaked in water (or beer) for at least an hour)
• 1 pound sausage, andouille if you can find it - kielbasa is good, too!
• 1 pound red potatoes, small ones, cut in half - cooked in the microwave for a few minutes until almost done, but not quite
• 1 large vidalia onion, peeled, cut into eigths - leave stem end intact so the layers don't seperate
• 4 ears of corn, husked, silk removed

• 2 sticks butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seafood seasoning
• 1/4 cup beer, gluten-free beer to make this GF - your favorite regular beer if gluten isn't an issue

Baste: In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, beer and Old Bay. Set aside.
 
Heat up your grill - keep it low because the butter baste is going to flare up...even with the heat low. It's okay because that smoky, blackened flavor intensifies the sweetness of the corn and the veggies...YUM! Also, be SURE to use a long-handled basting brush and work quickly to avoid the flames. No burns or catching on fire, please!

 

Once the grill is ready, pile on the corn, potatoes, onions, sausage and last, the shrimp. Baste liberally with the Old Bay Beer Butter. This will flare up. Be very careful,! As each item is done, remove to a platter. The shrimp won't take long at all. When everything is done, it's dinner time! All you need is some good crusty bread and a bottle of your favorite beer or wine. So easy! So good!

Spicy Shrimp & Andouille Jambalaya with Beet Greens

 
On opening the fridge, I realized I had some serious cleaning out to do in there. Where did all those fridge-real-estate-hogging bits and pieces come from? Oh everything was good, but wouldn't be for long if I didn't get crackin'. I needed more space!

There was a big bag of beautiful yellow peppers I'd picked up on my last walk through the Strip District.  $2 for a big basket? You know they came home with me. I'd roasted beets last week and saved the tops - you don't throw out beet tops do you? You won't after this recipe.

There was a nice piece of andouille in the meat drawer, 3 jalapenos that were ready to give up the ship, half a bag of shrimp in the freezer, the last few stalks of celery in a bag and a couple of slices of ham left from last Sunday's dinner. With those ingredients on hand and rice in the pantry, dinner was decided. Hello Jambalaya!

There's a lot to be said about a one pot dinner that can clean out your refrigerator and be an authentic Cajun treat. And it feeds (not literally) an army. Leftovers for the week, YES!

Spicy Shrimp & Andouille Jambalaya 

with Beet Greens

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3/4 pound ANDOUILLE, or other smoked sausage, sliced in half lengthwise then across to make half-rounds about 1/4" thick
• 1/2 pound ham, diced small

 

• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
• 2 medium yellow bell peppers (or use red or orange...whatever you have), seeds removed, diced
• 2 large jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, finely minced
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced

 

• 1 can diced tomatoes, fire roasted is my favorite, add all the juices, too
• 3 fresh thyme, sprigs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3 Tablespoons cajun seasoning, I used Slap Ya Mama - nice and spicy!!!! (if you don't like big heat, use less)
• freshly ground black pepper, LOTS - to taste

 

• 4 cups chicken stock, I used a box from the store shelf, feel free to use your own homemade if you have some!
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• beet greens, the tops from 1 bunch, washed and sliced across into about 1/2" ribbons (if you don't have beet green around, kale works beautifully!)

 

• 12 large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other stove to table cookware.  Once the oil is HOT, but not smoking, add andouille and ham and saute until WELL browned. Remove meats with slotted spoon and set aside.
 
Add to the remaining oil in the pot, onion, celery, green and yellow peppers and jalapeno.  Once the veggies are about halfway to translucent, add the minced garlic and continue cooking until the onions are translucent and the rest of the veggies are soft.
 
Next add the diced tomatoes and seasonings and continue cooking for a few minutes until everything is nicely melded.
 
Now add the chicken stock, rice and greens, stirring until the rice is evenly distributed throughout the veggies.  Bring to a boil.
 
Add the meats and stir well again and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 25 minutes. 
 
Toss the shrimp with the teaspoon of cajun seasoning. Uncover the pot and place the shrimp on top of the rice, cover and continue cooking until the shrimp are pink.  Do NOT overcook the shrimp. 
 
Spoon into bowls and serve with good crusty bread!


NOTE: Be sure not to overcook your rice OR your shrimp.  Nobody likes mushy rice or rubbery shrimp.
 
   

Stout-Hearted Beef Stew

In my life of cooking stews of all variety over these many years, Sunday's pot of meat, stout and veggies was proclaimed, "The BEST stew you've ever made!" by the hubster.  He's had a lot of experience sampling stews, I can say that!

What made that mixture so wonderful? My guess is it was the stout and beer that made Mark grin from ear to ear...and go back for seconds. Beer does that. 
 
I was lucky to find Green's gluten-free stout at the local store. Hearty notes of stout added depth and richness and a subtle sweetness, the addition of beer lightened both the intensity of the stout AND the impact of GF stout on my wallet.  $7 for a pint of stout...whew! But it was worth it.   Just ask Mark.

One more little touch added a surprise to the mix. Gingersnaps.  Cookies in stew?  Yes!  German cooks frequently use gingersnaps to add a touch of subtle spice that also thickens while it flavors the dish. You'll find German Sauerbraten takes advantage of these little flavor bombs of goodness...so if it works well there, why not in stew?  

By the way, Trader Joe makes a terrific gluten-free gingersnap at a very reasonable price. Reasonable enough to make up for the cost of the GF stout? No, but maybe it help balance things out a little...just maybe. 

Stout-Hearted Beef Stew

• 3 pounds stew beef, cut into large cubes
• 3 slices bacon, thick sliced, cut into 1/2" lardons
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• salt and pepper, to taste - quite liberally

• 1 pint stout or dark ale, gluten-free to make this gf - I used Green's Gluten-free Stout, you can use their Dubbel Dark Ale, too.
• 12 ounces beer, gluten-free to make this gf, I used Red Bridge Gluten-free beer
• 2 large parsnips, peeled,  3/4" dice, parsnips about the size of 3 large carrots each
• 4 medium carrots, peeled, sliced into 3/4" pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 large red potatoes, 3/4" dice, leave skins on - potatoes the size of your fist
• 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, 3/4"  dice, leave skins on - potatoes the size of your fist
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 1 pound pearl onions, frozen - SO much easier than peeling those fresh little suckers!
• 32 ounces beef broth (be sure it's gluten-free to make this GF)
• 18 gingersnaps, crushed, gluten-free to make this GF

Fry bacon in the bottom of a large Dutch oven or enameled pot.  Remove bacon & reserve for another use. (Snack time for the cook is perfectly acceptable as another use.)  Add canola oil to pot.
 
Season beef cubes with salt & pepper liberally.  Add beef to pot in two batches, browning each batch well on all sides.  Remove from pan.
 
Add the stout to the bottom of the pan and stir up all the browned bits.  Add the beer.  Add all the veggies except the Brussels Sprouts.  Add beef back into the pot and mix well.  Add the beef broth.  Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer about 2 hours until veggies and beef are tender. 
 
Add Brussels sprouts to pot and crumble the gingersnaps into the pot as well.  Stir well.  Cover and simmer another 15-20 minutes.  The gravy should be thickened and sprouts tender.  Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary and serve!

Hot Buttered Rum Butternut Pork Chops

There is nothing like a cool, crisp, leisurely Sunday to inspire an easy yet somewhat rustic and decadent pork chop dinner.  We like pork chops around here all year round...on the grill or on the smoker in the warmer months.   

In cooler weather, the scent of roasting or braising pork has a come hither effect on the nose that draws the whole family into the kitchen.  Aromatic veggies enhance that aroma...not to mention how those veggies pique the flavor!  

This time butternut squash was the inspiration. Butternut led naturally to butter which, of course(!) led to RUM! Oh the possibilities!

The result of the experiment?  Well I wouldn't be posting it here unless it was completely wonderful.  Rich, hearty, sweet and savory with smooth buttery undertones and kissed by more than a hint of rum...total deliciousness.

In fact, I'm thinking my next cocktail creation just found inspiration.  Hot Buttered Apple Cider Spiced Rum might just be the thing to snuggle by the fireplace on a cold winter's evening.  Coming up!  

Hot Buttered Rum Butternut Pork Chops

• 4 pork chops, 3/4" thick center cut loin chops
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 large onion, sliced thinly
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, sliced thinly
• 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup golden rum
• 2 tablespoons butter 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter and oil together in a large skillet.  Salt and pepper both sides of chops and brown on both sides in skillet.  Remove to a 9 X 13 shallow baking dish.
Saute the onion and garlic in the same skillet.  When caramelized, remove to a plate.
 
Tile slices of squash and apple alternately on top of pork chops - do this pretty tightly.  Any squash and apples that are left, just scatter them around the edges of the chops. Season liberally with salt & pepper.  Spoon the onions and garlic down the center of the apple and butternut topped chops.  Spoon excess around the outside of the chops.
 
Pour both rums into the skillet and stir up all the browned bits.  Add the butter and stir well.  Pour over the chops.
 
Put foil tightly over the dish and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil, if dish is a little dry, add a little water or chicken stock.  Replace foil and cook another 20 minutes.  Remove foil and finish another 10 minutes.
 
Serve topped with the the extra squash & apples on the sides and lots of sauce - and with a bright green veggie like Brussels sprouts, buttered green beans or asparagus.

Fresh Tomato Basil Summer Sauce

It's summertime, summertime, sum-sum-summertime...summerti-i-i-i-ime!  But not for long.  "Make sauce while the sun shines and the tomatoes are plentiful" is my September motto.  Each fall I capture the warmth of the sun and the scent of bright green basil wafting from the bright green patch next to the pond right in this barely cooked, garden-fresh and summery tomato sauce.  

We all enjoy the chunky sauce over a good pasta (gluten-free in my case) straight from the stove on the same day I first make it - it smells SO good. It's even better when I pull it from the freezer in the middle of winter.  It brings summer rushing right back with the very first bite.  Summer memories bring big smiles when there's snow blowing outside the windows!

Fresh Tomato Basil Summer Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 onions, chopped fine in the food processor
• 4 cloves garlic, large, minced
• 6 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped fine in the food processor
• 3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon hot pepper flakes

Heat oil in a large saute pan (I like to use my large electric skillet - BIG to hold lots of sauce and a large surface to evaporate liquid quickly). Saute onion and garlic until soft.  Add tomatoes and rest of ingredients.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid has evaporated.
 

Ladle over pasta and serve with freshly grated parmesan.

I make the sauce in a large quantity - sometimes several batches - and freeze it for the winter.  Quart bags that have a white area on the front to write what's inside and the date are just the thing to freeze the sauce in.  

NOTE:  If you haven't heard (read) me say this before, imported Italian BiAglut is by far the best gluten-free pasta on the market.  More expensive than most, but WORTH IT! I get it locally at Soergel's in Wexford, PA. 

Greek Potatoes - A Recipe Fairytale.

Long, long ago a recipe from Suzie's Greek restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh ran in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It was a lovely recipe. It was an enchanted recipe. The potato casserole included zucchini, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, oregano & feta along with the potatoes.  It sounded lighter and healthier than a typical gratin - no cream, butter or flour - magical!  I made it, the fam loved it (!) and I promptly lost the recipe. What to do?!  

The quest to recreate it began.  No toe of frog or eye of newt went into the pot, but pinches of this and touches of that were added along the way...lemon zest and juice, oregano...more earthly ingredients than mystic ones for this concoction.  The result was bewitching.  The family was happy.  The end of the story?  Not quite.  
 
Back in those dark ages - before Food Network - the only cooking shows to be found were on PBS - locally, WQED in Pittsburgh. One Saturday morning in 1998 while I was watching Chris Fennimore on the "WQED Cooks" show, he asked viewers to submit recipes for an upcoming show called "P is for Potatoes."   Did I have a recipe for him! The recreated, all new Greek Potatoes sounded like just the fair recipe Mr. Fennimore sought.  So I sent the recipe to the kingdome of WQED to see if it was worthy.  

Lo and behold, not long after the recipe was submitted, my phone rang...who was on the other end of that line? Chris Fennimore himself. The king of the WQED cooking show asked me to appear and actually make the dish on camera! You KNOW I said YES! I told you it was an enchanted recipe. And so, I went to the land of WQED studios.  

What an experience! I thought I'd be nervous, but the entire kingdom of WQED made me and the other guest cooks feel quite comfortable.  Once I was in place with all my ingredients spread before me and the red light of the camera went on, we chatted and cooked together while telling stories and laughing...what a good time!  Honestly, it was just like being in my very own, very humble kitchen.

The bonus of the appearance was seeing my recipe in print in the "P is for Potatoes" cookbook...but there was an even bigger thrill to come.  Greek Potatoes made it to the WQED Best of the Best cookbook!  It was a happily-ever-after experience.

You'd think that was the end of the story.  In fact, I did too.   After all these years, there is a little epilogue to the fairytale. Chris Fennimore, a.k.a King of WQED cooking shows, will be one of the judges for the Savor Pittsburgh Culinary Competition at Southside Works for the benefit of Magee-Women's Research Institute & Foundation. Little ol' commoner me will be one of the judges, too. 

I can hardly wait for September 6th to stand side by side with Mr. Fennimore (and Rick Sebak, too!) as part of the judging crew who get to taste over 20 recipes prepared by the best chefs of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh to determine the fairest dish in all the land. And they most certainly lived very happily ever after.    

If you'd like to enjoy an enchanting evening of fine food and great entertainment - all for a very good cause - follow this link for more info and to purchase tickets:   http://www.savorpgh.com In the meantime, here's the recipe that started it all. 



Greek Potatoes


• 4 baking potatoes, washed, dried, unpeeled & sliced
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• salt (Crazy Salt) to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 red ripe tomatoes, sliced (can use diced, canned tomatoes if necessary in winter)
• 4 ounces feta cheese
• oregano


Mix potatoes and the rest of the veggies in a large bowl. Toss with zest, juice, Crazy salt, oregano, pepper and olive oil. 


Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour the potato mixture into the dish and top with tomatoes and cheese. Sprinkle again with oregano and drizzle with a touch more olive oil.  


Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour.  Uncover and continue baking until and bubbly and nicely melded together.  If the cheese starts to brown, cover with the foil again - loosely.

Serves 4-6