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Gram's Roasted Potatoes

8/21/2020

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​“Just throw it on the grill!” * If you are in charge of meals at your house, you know where that comes from—from the person not in charge of meals. Yes, most likely the man in the house. It goes something like this. He suggests, usually last minute, that we invite someone over for supper on a beautiful evening. She, grocery shopper, sous-chef, waitress, and dishwasher, takes a deep breath and says she doesn’t have the time. It is then that He offers to help: No problem, we’ll just “throw it on the grill.” In an instant He become Chef.
 
     What is it that gets thrown on the grill? A piece of meat that can be thrown directly from the butcher’s wrapping. The rest of the meal, the sides, are not thrown, they are prepared. 
     Roasted potatoes is a great side if you are ‘throwing it on the grill’ because once prepared, they can roast away in the oven for hours. No matter how I cook them, everyone raves and there are 
never any leftovers (which would be a waste because reheated they lose their yummy taste and texture). I’m always told that they taste the same, but as you can see, there is a great deal of flexibility in preparation. Once you get the gist, you can let go of the recipe. 
So here it is: 
 
                                                                      Gram’s Roasted Potatoes
  1. I usually use Yukon, but any kind will do 
  2. Peel and cube
  3. Mix with olive oil and salt. I use a Pyrex baking dish, which I have sprayed with Pam.
  4.  Bake anywhere from 350 to 450, depending on how fast you want them to be ready. If I have plenty of time, I start with a low temperature and turn the oven up to speed things along and brown them up. The  hotter the oven, the crisper the potatoes. 
  5. Stir ever half hour or so.
  6. Sometimes I add a finely chopped small onion the first time I stir the potatoes. 
 
* The title for the book of family recipes that  my daughter is  creating for her kids

 

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​Tuscan White Bean Stew

2/28/2019

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​​Tuscan White Bean Stew
     Here’s my summarized recipe from Tasting Italy: a Culinary Journey, (National Geographic, 2018). This is healthy, and although not the simplest recipe, it is by no means complicated.

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Salt and pepper
1 pound (2 1/5 cups) dried cannellini beans
1 T olive oil
6 oz. pancetta
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves crushed garlic
4 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 pound kale, stemmed and chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Sprig of fresh rosemary or teaspoon of dried

  1. Soak beans in salted water as directed on package.
  2. In a Dutch oven saute pancetta in oil for about 8 minutes until brown.
  3. Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté for about 10 minutes; add garlic and sauté for about a minute.
  4. Stir in broth, bay leaves and beans and bring to a boil. Add water to adjust the consistency you want.
  5. Cook in 250 degree oven for an hour.
  6. Add kale and tomatoes, and cook for 45 minutes.
  7. Add rosemary, salt and pepper to taste fifteen minutes before eating. 
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Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots

6/12/2018

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PictureI added par-boiled green beans.

      I’m roasting lots of vegetables these days—fewer carbs, more veggies--whatever is available, on sale and suits my pallet. This is the way I do it, but maybe you want to add other vegetables or use curry instead of cumin.     
    Last night, fifteen minutes into the roasting, I added broccoli flowerets that I had microwaved for a minute before tossing with olive oil. (Green beans is another nutritious and colorful addition.)
 
      Cut a cauliflower into flowerets.
      Dice four or so carrots.
      Add a heaping teaspoon of cumin
      Sprinkle with olive oil
      Mix and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Give it a stir once in a while.

                                                                    Delicious with sausage!!
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Fresh tomato sauce~

9/8/2016

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Fresh tomato sauces. Easy.
Saute  chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
Skin and seed fresh tomatoes.
Simmer 45 minutes.
Puree in food processor.
Simmer 15 minutes.
I added ‘meatballs made by her’.


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Baked salmon, simple and nutritious~

9/15/2015

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   I found the idea for this recipe on the internet, but at the moment I can’t locate the source. My apologies, but really it is too simple for anyone to claim, because it is all about the butter. Simply delicious and nutritious (a little butter is okay).

      I cook two pounds of salmon, and when it is just the two of us, I freeze some for cook-free evening, and still have enough for a meal for my husband when I am away.


Preheat oven to 575 degrees. In a Pyrex pan melt 3 Tablespoons of butter until sizzling.  Add dill, or your favorite herb.
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Add salmon, skin side up. Bake for 5 minutes.

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Remove skin, add salt and pepper; turn salmon, add salt and pepper.

     Bake 3 minutes.

That’s it. The salmon is done and so are you. Ready to enjoy.

I served this with risotto (I’ll post that recipe soon), and baked zucchini (see early post), and string beans.

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Baked zucchini

11/1/2014

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BAKED ZUCCHINI

    I discovered this recipe on http://www.anamericaninitaly.com/,  a blog written by Karen Mills who lives in Florence. Karen should be proud of her simple recipes,  most of which have only four ingredients. I’ve adapted this one a little, but all credit goes to Karen.

Ingredients:

2 zucchini
Olive oil
½ cup ptarmigan cheese
Italian seasoning

1.     Slice zucchini lengthwise and place in shallow pan (I use Pyrex)
2.     Brush with olive oil
3.     Spread with ptarmigan cheese
4.     Sprinkle seasoning
5.     Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
6.     Broil until brown

Make extra; this heats up well.

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Nutritious minestrone~

8/6/2014

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MINESTRONE

    I’ve adapted this from Italian, a cookbook published by Barnes &Noble in 2003. This one, along with Best-Ever Slow Cooking and Chicken, also published by B & N,  and I’m set for cookbooks.

Ingredients:

6 cups of stock or water. I use vegetable stock
3 T olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
1 bay leaf
¼ dried thyme (or 1 fresh sprig)
salt and pepper to taste
2 zucchini, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 30 oz. can of cannellini beans, drained
fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese

1.     In large pot, heat olive oil and add onion and leek. Cook for 5 minutes
2.     Add carrots, celery and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
3.     Add potatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.
4.     Add hot stock, herbs and salt and pepper. Stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
5.     Stir in zucchini and tomato; cover and boil for 5 minutes
6.     Ten minutes before serving, stir in beans and basil leaves and simmer for 10 minutes.
7.      Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

The recipe calls for 3T pesto sauce, which I don’t have, so add fresh basil leaves.

It also calls for peas and three tomatoes, not one. Clearly you can throw in any veggies you like and have available.


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Italian Sausage Soup~

5/25/2014

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I’m back into soup. This recipe is from my friend Barbara who got it from her friend Susan. I add more pasta shells, which makes it more of a stew than a soup. I served it with salad and corn bread.

Ingredients:

SUSAN’S ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP                                    Serves 6-8

1 ½ lbs. of Italian sausage, in ½ -inch slices
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
28-oz. can of Italian-style tomatoes, with liquid
42-oz. can of beef broth, unsalted
1 ½ cups of dry red wine
½ tsp. of basil
2 cups of uncooked bow or shell pasta
2 medium zucchini, in ¼-inch slices
1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped
3 TBS. of chopped parsley
5 oz. of Parmesan cheese, grated

Saute sausage in large kettle until lightly browned.  Drain and discard fat.  Add onions and garlic.  Saute until onions are limp.  Stir in tomatoes, breaking them into small pieces.  Add broth, wine, and basil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Cool, transfer to a large bowl, and refrigerate.  Skim fat from surface and discard.  Return soup to kettle.  Stir in macaroni, zucchini, green pepper, and parsley.  Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables and tender-crisp.  Serve with cheese.

This soup can be too dry on the second day.  If so, add liquid then.


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Simply Yummy Zucchini Bread

2/15/2014

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I’ve been making this zucchini bread for over thirty years. I found it in Bouquet Garni: A liberal sampling for the fine art of cooking from alumnae of Mount Holyoke College, published in 1978. It’s one of my staples., yummy and simple to make.

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil (I use canola oil)
3 cups zucchini, peeled and grated (I grate in a food processor)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (I use 2 cups white, 1 cup whole wheat)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup grated coconut

Beat eggs until they are foamy; add sugar, oil, zucchini and vanilla; mix well. Combine the remaining ingredients, and add them to the zucchini mixture. Divide batter between two well-buttered 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes.

Thank you Beatrice Beach SZekely ’62, Buffalo, New York.


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Comfort Beef Stew~

2/15/2012

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    This Comfort Beef Stew is easy to make, but not as simple as my Comfort Chicken Soup because I sauté the meat before putting it in the crock pot. This takes time and means an extra pan to wash, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients:
• 2 ½ pounds stew beef
• ¼ pound pancetta (no need for broth)
• carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, sliced or chopped (These are my favorites, but add your own)
• 1 teaspoon cumin (again, my favorite, but add your own)
• salt & pepper
• noodles

In a frying pan:
• Saute the pancetta, remove to a crock pot
• Coat beef with flour, salt and pepper, braise, add to the pot
• Add vegetables and spices to the pot and cover with water.
• Cook slowly for six or so hours.

Some people add potatoes, but I usually boil noodles and add them toward the end.  Using two packages makes the recipe go a long way; I simply have several meals in the freezer, or I can feed a crowd.

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<<Previous
    Picture
    Girl with Cherries, ca. 1491–95, Attributed to Giovanni Ambrogio de Predi

    About Comfort Food

        Whenever I long for silence, solitude and simplicity, I’m always hoping to find comfort food waiting for me.  My comfort food rules are simple.

    Comfort Food must be
    1) Easy to prepare
    2) Taste yummy in my tummy
    Comfort Food does not need to be
    1) Nutritious (although it often is)
    2) Prepared from scratch
    Comfort Food can be
    1) Fruit and vegetables
    2) Fried in bacon fat (my personal favorite)
    3) Chocolate
    4) Low in cholesterol
    5) High in cholesterol
    6) Add your personal favorite:­­­_____________

    Index
    Fresh Tomato Sauce
    Broiled Salmon
    Baked Zucchini
    Ministrone
    Italian Sausage Soup
    Simply Yummy Zucchini Bread

    Comfort Beef Stew
    Guacamole
    Broccoli-Cheese Soup
    Brownies
    Comfort Chicken Soup

    Comfort Carrot and 
         Cauliflower  Soup Comfort Cheese Appetizers
    Grilled Salmon

    Mac and Cheese
    Meatballs-Made-by-Her
    Yorkshire Pudding
    Broccoli-Cheese Soup


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