cottage cheese recipes: September 2013

Rack of Lamb with a Herb Crust served with Dauphinoise Potatoes

Rack of Lamb with a Herb Crust served with Dauphinoise Potatoes

This is a seriously tasty meal – tender lamb with delicious decadent potatoes.

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 – 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

For the dauphinoise potatoes

150g butter

1 large onion, peeled & finely sliced

5 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

200ml double cream

75ml milk

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1kg floury potatoes, peeled & finely sliced

For the rack of lamb:

2 x 6-bone rack of lamb

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

Olive oil

250 ml red wine

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 bay leaves

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

2. For the dauphinoise potatoes, in a large frying pan melt the butter over a gentle heat. Now add the onion, anchovies and thyme leaves and gently cook for 10 minutes until softened.

3. Add the milk and cream and bring to a boil, now simmer until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens. Season to taste, add the potatoes and stir through so all the potatoes are covered in cream.

4. Transfer the potatoes to baking dish, cover with baking parchment and cover the dish with foil. Place in the oven for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and parchment and cook for a further 15-20 minutes to colour the top.

5. As soon as the potatoes go in start on the racks of lamb, season the lamb with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Now brush with Dijon mustard, and coat with the freshly chopped thyme & rosemary, pressing the herbs firmly into the flesh.

6. Heat a little olive oil into a large oven-proof frying pan until it is very hot, sear the lamb racks until browned all over. Pour off excess fat, then pour in the red wine, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and garlic and bring to the boil.

7. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how you like your lamb cooked. Remove the lamb from the oven, cover with foil to rest. At the same time remove the parchment and foil from the potatoes.

8. To serve, slice the lamb into chops, heat the jus and drizzle over the lamb and serve with a large spoonful of dauphinoise potatoes. Enjoy!

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Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

I don't have many crock pot recipes so I'm excited to have found this keeper. The recipe comes from the blog, The Comfort of Cooking. It's so easy and really delicious! The only improvement I can think of, is to add steamed broccoli at the end as there is plenty of the yummy sauce to go around.

YIELD: Serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Pepper (no salt needed as soy sauce has enough salt)

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/3 cup water

1/2 tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds

3 scallions (green onions), chopped

Serve with rice

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken in Crock Pot and season both sides with pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 3 hours.

Remove chicken to a cutting board. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; set aside.

In a small bowl, dissolve 4 teaspoons cornstarch in 1/3 cup water; add to crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Cover and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes, stirring often, until slightly thickened.

Add Chicken back into sauce and heat through. Serve over rice and top with scallions and sesame seeds.

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Chicken Piccata

Chicken with lemon, wine, and capers is one of the

easiest and fastest 'special' dinners. It's perfect

to serve guests, yet still easy enough for any night

of the week. I combined several lemon chicken,

piccata recipes to find the best of both worlds;

simple and delicious.

If the chicken breasts are very large, I use just

2 and cut them in half after pounding.

Flatten between plastic wrap to about 1/2".

Have all the ingredients ready.

Coat chicken in flour.

Heat large pan and and add 2 T butter

and 1 T olive oil. Saute the chicken until browned

on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Remove cooked chicken to an ovenproof plater
and keep warm in a 250 oven while you finish
the sauce. Add the remaining 2 T butter to the pan
and the minced garlic. Swirl to melt the butter.

Add the wine and lemon juice scraping up the

browned bits. Add the capers and simmer for

2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Note: I never liked capers until a friend convinced
me to give them another try a few years ago.
Now I love them! They give food that right amount
of salty-briney flavor boost. I wrote a post about
it in Rules for Life.

Serve chicken on pasta and spoon on

the the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken Piccata

4 boneless chicken breasts

1/4 C flour

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 T olive oil

4 T butter; divided

1/2 C white wine

1/4 C lemon juice

2 T capers

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T chopped fresh parsley

Rinse and pat dry chicken.

Place chicken breasts between plastic wrap

and pound flat to an even 1/2" thickness.

Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge the

chicken in the flour; coating well and shaking

off excess. Heat 2 T butter and oil in a large

skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken,

and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side,

until nicely browned; sprinkle with salt

and pepper. Remove chicken to a platter

and place in a 250 oven to keep warm.

Add remaining 2 T butter, garlic, lemon juice,

wine, and capers to the pan; scrape pan to

loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes or

until slightly thick. Spoon sauce over chicken,

sprinkle with fresh chopped parslet.

Serve over pasta. Garnish with lemon slices.

Enjoy!

Links: Coastal Charm, Jam Hands,
Confessions Of A Plate Addict,
A Stroll Thru Life,
Between Naps On The Porch

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Cinnamon French Toast

"Heavy on the cinnamon, and light on the clove."

If you love movie quotes you may remember

this one from, It's A Wonderful Life.

That's how Clarence, the angel, ordered his

mulled wine at Martini's Bar, just before he and

George Bailey were thrown out into the snow.

Well, this French toast is heavy on the cinnamon,

and that makes it just right.

Slice your bread into thick 1" slices.

Add flour to a shallow pan; a pie pan works great,

whisk in the milk, then eggs and the rest.

I only used 1/3 the recipe this morning, so don't

let the amounts in the pictures confuse you.

We don't drink whole milk but I often buy a quart

to use in cooking; pancakes, mashed potatoes,

stratas/bread casseroles, baking, and French toast.

Heat a large pan. I like to use my favorite;

cast iron because it gives the toast a crispy crust.

Add butter and let it get foamy hot.

The unusual ingredient, flour keeps the bread from

becoming soggy and gives it a slight crispy crust.

The rest is easy. Just make sure you let the bread

soak up the egg mixture-at least a minute per side.

That's what makes the centers nice and fluffy.

Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes per side or

until golden and cooked through.

Have warm plates in the oven ready for serving.

Plate with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle

of maple syrup, and fresh berries.

Cinnamon French Toast

1 loaf bread;

French, challah, or brioche

1 C whole milk

1/4 C flour

3 eggs

1 T cinnamon

1 T sugar

1 t vanilla

pinch salt

Slice the bread into 1" thick slices.

Put the flour in a shallow pan and whisk in

the milk until smooth; then whisk in the eggs

and remaining ingredients. Soak the bread

slices in the mixture, turning the bread until

the liquid is thoroughly absorbed.

Heat a large skillet on medium and add

2 T butter. When melted and hot, add the

bread and let cook at least 2 minutes each

side until golden and cooked through.

serves: 12 slices

Enjoy!

*Clarence: Wait a minute, wait a minute, I got it. A mulled wine, heavy on the cinnamon, and light on the cloves. There we go, off with you lad and look lively.

Links: Under The Table and Dreaming,

Dwellings, The Tablescaper,

Between Naps On The Porch

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Chinese Chicken Salad

I had forgotten all about this Chinese Chicken Salad recipe until my daughter asked me for the recipe the other day. I've been making this salad for years but the recipe never made it on my blog because I never remembered to take a photo but this time I did. So here, Megan, is the recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad that you were craving. Thanks for the reminder, it was delicious.

Dressing:

4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup salad oil

3 tablespoons sesame seeds, browned (see note)

Salad:

1 head lettuce, cut up (or 1 bag)

1 cup cooked chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

4 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup sliced almonds, browned (see note)

1 cup chow main noodles

1. Mix vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and whisk in salad oil until combined. Add browned sesame seeds.

2. In a large bowl add lettuce, chicken, onions, almonds.

3. Pour dressing (you may not need all the dressing) over salad and sprinkle salad with chow mien noodles.

Note: To brown almonds, put on cookie sheet and brown in 400 degree oven for a few minutes. Watch carefully as they can burn fast! Do the same for the sesame seeds on a different cookie sheet as the sesame seeds will brown first. This step is important as browning will bring out their flavor.

Makes 4 main dish salads

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Easy Sausage Alfredo

Here's a tasty dinner you can have on

the table in 15 minutes. That's a good

thing to have in your recipe file.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Hillshire Farm® Smoked Sausage,
diagonally cut into 1/4” slices
8-12 oz. pasta, cooked, drained
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. PREPARE pasta according to
directions; drain and set aside.

2. SAUTE sausage in a large skillet over
medium-high heat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. ADD cream and Cajun seasoning; bring to a

boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 3-4

minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.

Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese.

Add pasta to the sauce.

STIR to combine.

I cut the recipe in half. Next time I'll make the

whole recipe and have a little leftovers for

lunch the next day.

Tip: For added fresh flavor, add 1 cup frozen green peas or broccoli in last 3-4 minutes of cooking pasta. Continue as directed. Can also stir in chopped green onions and tomatoes before serving and sprinkle it all with fresh chopped parsley. Whatever you want. Or just serve a green vegetable or salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Links:Confessions Of A Plate Addict,

Dwellings, A Stroll Thru Life,

The 36th Avenue, The Style Sisters,

Savvy Southern Style, No Minimalist Here,

Stone Gable, Between Naps On The Porch,
Designs By Gollum

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The Best Way To Purchase Gluten Free Cookies In Your Cookie Jar (Caren Billy)

Something most of us have been hearing more and more about on the news, from doctors, and from family and friends, is the need for a gluten-free lifestyle. Gluten, a protein complex present in wheat, barley, and rye, is found to be the main cause of sickness for those diagnosed with Celiac disease. Eating gluten free takes a little effort on anyone's part, but it's a crucial part of life for different reasons for different people. Regardless how any of us change our diets, we all want the capability to eat foods that we find comforting, and that primarily holds true when it comes to sweets. High quality gluten free cookies can be hard to locate and often, online retailers are a great way to save time and money.

Going the gluten free way most likely is not done by choice, or it may be a vital, life changing decision. The symptoms of gluten intolerance, attributable to an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, have been found to be relieved only when gluten is removed from the diet. Lately, the number of people with Celiac disease is growing larger, and these people have been told that keeping gluten out of their food and their home will help.

Finding gluten free foods in most local grocery stores is challenging. White and brown rice, potatoes and tapioca are just some of the many grains and vegetables that can be utilized as a substitute for wheat flour. Every type of flour has different tastes, characteristics, uses and nutritional content, and successful gluten free foods will often use a variety of flours to create a great tasting well-textured product.

Many people love baked goods, and some people will find that baking gluten free goods that taste good will take some trial and error. Gluten is a protein that can help baked goods to hold their shape. When selecting gluten free cookies and other baked goods, it's important to find a product that doesn't crumble and has a really good, smooth texture.

It can be hard for most people to find a variety of, or even any gluten free foods in their local supermarket. There's a lot of online websites where these items can be found in abundance and at low prices. You can find merchants that can be found online that supply many varieties of cakes, cookies, breads and much more that are gluten free.

Finding pleasurable, gluten free foods can be a difficult and even depressing venture, especially for someone with a number of dietary restrictions. Finding baked goods that aren't just gluten free, but also dairy and nut free is often a challenging, but well rewarding feat. Companies that offer foods for those with multiple needs can oftentimes be highly trusted to avoid cross-contamination. If you've got an illness that makes it necessary that you forgo any gluten, you can trust that a company that specializes in selling gluten free products is knowledgeable with the foods they sell.

Baking gluten free cookies, muffins and other delicious goods is a difficult skill to master and cannot be done by just anyone. Finding a retailer who knows about the wide array of gluten free flours available and how each one affects foods differently can make a huge difference on the quality of their products. Finding a wide variety of gluten free foods can be difficult, unless you've found a good seller, local or online.

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Cube Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions

We always called these minute steaks...
because they cook quickly in just about
a minute on each side.

We like them smothered with sauteed

onions and mushrooms.

Slice one onion and 8-oz of mushrooms.

I like to use a cast iron skillet for this because
I can get it hot enough to sear and brown the meat.

First, quickly saute the onions and mushrooms
in a little oil, adding salt and pepper until golden.

Remove back to the plate.

Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel.
Generously salt and pepper them. Add a coating
of oil to the bottom of the pan and make sure
it's very hot. Add the steaks and brown quickly
on one side for about a minute. Flip and
brown the other side another minute.

Return the onions and mushroom to the pan
for a minute to mingle the flavors. You can add a
dash of Worcestershire sauce if desired.
Remove to the warmed plates.

I like to serve this with rice and add the cooked
rice to the pan and give a stir to get up all the
browned bits and help flavor the rice.

Heep on the mushrooms and onions.
Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
Start those cooking first.

Simple, simple, simple.

Cube Streaks Smothered with

Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions

4 medium cube steaks

1 onion, halved and sliced

8-oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

salt, pepper, oil
Worcestershire sauce if desired.
Cast Iron Pan

Heat the skillet on MH, add oil.
Saute onions and mushrooms , seasoned
with salt and pepper until golden.
Remove from pan. Pat the steaks dry.
Season meat well with salt and pepper.
Add more oil to coat the bottom of the
hot skillet. Brown the steaks on high for
one minute on each side. Return the onion
and mushrooms to the pan for another minute.
Check for doneness. Do not overcook.

Enjoy!

Links: Dwellings, The Tablescaper,
Between Naps On The Porch

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Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders with Fresh Sage

I love growing herbs during the summer. It's a great feeling when you need a certain herb and it's just growing right outside. I grow parsley, basil, mint, rosemary and sage. I don't make a lot with sage but I was glad I had it once I found this recipe. These Chicken tenders are so quick and simple to make. The sage leaves gives the chicken a lot of flavor and bacon just makes everything better! Once the bacon is crisp (about 6 minutes per side) the chicken tenders are moist and cooked perfectly.

Ingredients:
8 fresh sage leaves
8 chicken tenders (about 1 1/4 pounds)
8 slices bacon
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Place a sage leaf on each chicken tender, then wrap each with a bacon slice. You won't need a toothpick, once bacon is cooked on one side, it's easy to flip with a spatula. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add tenders, sage side down, and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is browned, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook until tenders are cooked through, 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain. Serves 4 (2 per servings)

Original recipe comes from Martha Stewart/Everyday Cooking

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