Sweet Potato and Spinach Casserole

This casserole could also be called a quiche, which seems fancier. And this is certainly fancy looking- bright orange yams with a creamy, fluffy spinach layer- oh so good! Great as a side to pork, chicken, or beef, but also a delicious main course!

Sweet Potato and Spinach Casserole  by Erin Taylor

1 1/2 C. milk
3 eggs
1/4 C. butter, melted
1/2 C. Bisquick baking mix
2 C. chopped spinach (frozen would work well, I use fresh and chop it up)
1 1/2C. grated cheese (Gruyere, Gouda, or just plain old cheddar or monterey jack)
1 med. sweet potato or yam (get the kind with orange flesh- much prettier)
2 bacon strips, chopped (optional)
salt and pepper
season salt


Preheat oven to 375 deg. Peel sweet potato and slice in thin slices so you have about 24-30 slices. Set aside. In large bowl combine milk, eggs, melted butter and bisquick mix; whisk until well mixed. Add about 1 tsp salt and dash of pepper, add season salt (about 1/2 tsp) if desired.  Mix in spinach and  1 C. of the cheese.

In casserole or baking dish coated with pan spray or drizzle of olive oil (about 9X9 size for a thicker pie) place sliced rounds of potatoes side by side in rows until bottom of baking dish  is covered.  Pour spinach mixture over potatoes and spread evenly. Layer top with potatoes as you did the bottom, lightly salt and pepper potatoes, sprinkle cheese on top and add bacon pieces. (these can be pre-cooked, but raw is fine too- they will brown in oven.)

Bake, uncovered, at 375 for about 30- 40 minutes or until center is puffy and firm. When finished, remove from oven and let sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving so it can "set" a bit more.

Cranberry Orange Sauce

I love cranberry sauce, but I realize many people don't. It can be very tart. However, I came up with this extremely simple recipe for homemade cranberry orange sauce that is not only sweet and delicious, but an absolute gorgeous color!


 (picture is of Rachel Ray's sauce- similar recipe.)

Cranberry Orange Sauce by Erin Taylor

1 bag fresh cranberries (in produce section)
1/2 c. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
1 1/2 c. sugar (more sugar than most recipes- this is more like a jam)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C. Corn starch mixed with 1/2 C. water

Place cranberries in pot. Add orange juice concentrate. Cover and cook on medium heat until berries begin to soften and reduce down. (about 10 minutes)  Add sugar, salt, and zest and cook with lid off until sugar desolves and it begins to bubble. Using a potatoe masher, mash the mixture in the pot to mash berries. No need to mash all the berries to a pulp, just break them up a bit.  Add cornstarch and water mix and stir until thickened.  Place in container and keep refrigerated.

Yeast Biscuits (by Paula Deen)

This recipe for biscuits makes thick, fluffy, light biscuits, and they are no-fail! The yeast added makes them tender and fluffy and soft. And you don't have to wait for them to raise, just stick them in the oven and in a few minutes you have perfect biscuits!

Yeast Biscuits (by Paula Deen)  - this recipe is half the original recipe Paula gives. It will make about 9-10 biscuits

1/2 (about 1 1/2 tsp.) package yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. solid shortening (recommended: Crisco)

1 cup buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, use 2 Tbsp. vinegar added to regular milk)

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Dissolve yeast in warm water; set aside. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Add yeast and buttermilk and mix well. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and roll out to desired thickness. Cut with small biscuit cutter and place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone loves pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and everyone will love this spicy little twist on the classic. The key is the ginger paste (found in the refridgerated herb section at the grocery store) which gives them a fresh, zingy ginger flavor!

(picture coming as soon as my batch makes it out of the oven and I take the picture!)

Pumpkin Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Erin Taylor

preheat oven to 350 deg.

In a mixing bowl combine:

1 3/4 C. granulated sugar
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 C. butter (1 stick)
1 egg
1 tsp. ginger paste

Beat until well mixed. Then add:
2 C. flour
1 tsp. each:  baking powder, baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cinnamon

mix just until ingredients are combined, but don't over mix.  Stir in by hand:
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use the mini's and they are perfect.)

make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get any unincorporated parts mixed in well.

Spray baking sheet with pan spray and scoop out by large spoonfulls (or an icecream scoop which is what I use) onto baking sheet.  Place them about 3 inches apart so they can spread.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until puffed up in center and golden around edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes until transfering to plate or container.

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Mousse Cups

An extremely simple but incredibly elegant pastry! You won't believe how simple it is!

White Chocolate Mousse Cups             by Erin Taylor

1 pkg. frozen Puff Pastry dough (in sheets, not cups)
1 egg white beaten with 2 tbsp. water

* Let pastry thaw for an hour or two before use. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Open up pastry and separate into two sheets. Cut each sheet along fold lines into thirds. Then cut each third into thirds so you have 9 squares per sheet. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and place each square into muffin tin, pressing down bottoms and letting corners stick out over edges. (This will also work very nicely with the mini muffin tins). Brush each square with egg white mixture all over inside, and outer edges. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool while making mousse recipe.


White Chocolate Mousse

8 oz (1 half bag) White Chocolate Chips (or block white chocolate chopped very small)

2 egg yolks

1/4 C Sugar

1 1/4 C. Heavy Cream

2 egg whites, beaten until stiff peaks form (optional)


Directions

Place chocolate in large bowl and set aside.


Add egg yolks and sugar to a small bowl and whisk until pale in color.


In saucepan over low heat, bring 1/4 C. of the cream to a simmer. Slowly add cream to egg yolk mixture while whisking to temper the eggs. Pour the creamy mixture back into the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it coats the back of it.


Pour hot mixture (through mesh if it looks lumpy) into white chocolate and stir until completely smooth.


In another bowl whip remaining 1 C. of cream to almost stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream in with the melted chocolate mixture. Be careful not to over mix, but gently fold. Add whipped egg whites at this point, also folding gently in.


Place in refridgerator for about an hour until ready to use.

*When mousse is cooled, spoon mousse into center of each puff pastry cup. (You may use a decorative tip with a pastry bag to make it look more professional.)  Fill all pastry cups then make ganache recipe below.


Dark Chocolate Ganache
1 C. dark chocolate chips
1/4 C. heavy cream

Heat cream until hot, but not boiling. Place chocolate chips in bowl and pour cream over chips. Let sit for 10 minutes and stirr chocolate until completely melted. If chocolate is too cool to melt, may microwave in 10 second intervals until melted.

Spoon mixture in baggie with small tip of one corner snipped off. (Or use pastry bag). Drizzle chocolate in zig-zags over each pastry. Place in refridgerator to cool and set. You may top each pastry with a raspberry, blueberries, strawberry or orange slice to decorate.

Divine Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled cheese sandwich, you ask? Yep. I have discovered Heaven, and it is between two slices of bread! This is the grown-up grilled cheese, but my son won't eat any other kind from now on. Perfect for a quick and delicious lunch! Especially with tomato soup!!!!

Divine Grilled Cheese Sandwich  by Erin Taylor

2 slices white bread- ranch style, or the thicker kind works great! (No Wonder Bread here!)
butter
mayonaisse
grated cheddar cheese (or cheddar/ monterey jack mix is what I use)
chopped fresh tomato  (or chopped grilled red pepper would be fantastic as well)- I chop the tomatoes rather than slice them because they get incorporated into the cheese mixture nicely and don't make the bread soggy.

Heat non-stick skillet or griddle to med-high. Spread mayonaisse on both halfs of bread, sprinkle grated cheese and about a tablespoon or so of the tomatoes on one half and sandwich together. Now, butter top of sandwich and place on hot griddle, butter side DOWN. While it is cooking, butter the top side. Flip after about a minute and let the other side get golden. THe key to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich is to flip often, turning down the heat if it is too hot. Continue flipping until the cheese is melting inside the sandwich. Remove from heat, cut in half, and enjoy!

Seriously, THE best grilled cheese sandwich. Really!

Stuffed Baked Potato Soup

Take a delicious baked potato, now make it into a soup... voila! I've had baked potato soup before and loved it. This is just a little more glorified version, but very easy to make. Perfect for a rainy summer evening supper with warm Lion House rolls!

Stuffed Baked Potato Soup by Erin Taylor

4 medium russet potatoes-

       Bake potatoes, unwrapped- at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes or until center is soft.

       Remove potatoes from oven when finished and cut into 1" pieces, skin and all.

       Place large pot on stove top and add:

5 Cups Milk
1 C. frozen, mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix is great.)
1/4 C. bacon bits
1/4 C. butter (1/2 stick)

Add potato chunks and heat on medium until vegetables are soft and potatoes are beginning to fall apart.

Next, using a stick blender, blend soup into a creamy smooth consistancy.

Add:
2-4 C. water, depending on how thick you want your soup
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 C. sour cream
1 C. cheddar cheese
1 - 2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp chicken gravy powder or 1 tsp chicken bouillon (optional)

Turn heat to low and cover; let simmer stirring occasionally until ready to serve.

Note: this soup recipe is very flexible, meaning you can have it thick and creamy if you want by adding less liquid, or thin it out with more. You can also add ham, green onions, spinach, sausage, or anything you think you'd love on your baked potato! Try it!