Seriously, this has such good flavor and is such a crowd pleaser.   Great as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre and people always ask for the recipe when I make this.  I got the original recipe from a tapas cookbook that calls for double this amount of garlic -  but I find one HEAD of garlic is plenty!   

You will need:
3 lbs potatoes, unpeeled and cut into wedges (about 6-8 wedges per potato depending on size)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 whole head/bulb of garlic
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of mayo
1 Tbsp paprika
S+P to taste

The dip tastes great if made ahead of time so flavors can blend together.  Make it about an hour or so before serving and refrigerate.

First, roast the garlic.  Pre-heat the oven to 400F.  Cut the whole bulb of garlic in half so that when cut open you see the middle of each clove.  Place face up on a roasting sheet and drizzle with some olive oil. Roast in oven at 400F for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.  

Remove the cloves from their skins; they should slide out pretty easily.  Place garlic cloves, sour cream, mayo and paprika in food processor and process until smooth.    Season with salt and pepper and transfer dip to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.  

Then make your potatoes:  
Place potato wedges in a roasting pan.  Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Toss to coat.  Spread potatoes into a single layer.  Roast in oven at 400F  for about an hour or until tender in the middle, but golden and crispy on the outside.  I find it helps to toss them halfway thru by using a thin metal spatula to get under them (they will stick to the pan a little).  

Serve the warm potato wedges with chilled garlic dip.  MMMM!!! 

This soup is AWESOME!!  Seriously.  It's so full of flavor and it's pretty simple and quick to make - making it a for sure soon to be household staple!  I would highly recommend using a rotisserie chicken because the chicken in this soup was SO tender and tasty.  It's 10am as I write this post and I am honestly counting down the hours until I can have it again for lunch!

You will need:
3 Tbs olive oil
3/4 cup onion, diced small
1 jalapeño, diced and seeded
3 garlic cloves, diced small or put through a garlic press
2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes with chilies
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (start with a pinch then add more to your preference of spiciness)
1/2 tsp paprika
1-2 cups cooked rice (depending how thick or thin you like your soup - I used 2 cups)
2 -4 cups cooked chicken (I used one of those store bought rotisserie chickens because they are EASY, have so much flavor and you can make a big ol' pot of stock from the leftovers.  But if you don't want a whole chicken you can boil 2-3 chicken breasts and then shred with a fork - but seriously, a rotisserie chicken is the same price if not cheaper and sooooo much tastier! OR if you are handy and talented like Miranda, you can make your own whole chicken!)
S&P
Optional but HIGHLY Tasty Toppings: 
Cilantro
Avocado
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Lime wedges

To make:
Chop up your onion and add to a pot with 3 Tbs olive oil and cook about 3-5 minutes until tender.  While that's cooking, cut up your jalapeno and put your garlic through your press and add both to the onions.  

Then add your cans of tomatoes to the pot along with 6 cups of chicken broth.  Next add the cumin, chili powder, cayenne, paprika and season to taste with S&P.  Bring this to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Finally, add your chicken and rice and cook another 5 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, some chopped avocado, chopped cilantro, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar and a spritz of lime juice.  Don't skimp on the topping, they all add a little something something to bring out all that tastiness!

YUM!!  

Do you ever get tired of plain old mashed potatoes?  Don't ask Miranda that, she loves mashies, LOVES them. But me, sometimes I need a little somethin' somethin' to spice them up and this recipe totally does that.  The flavor is so wonderful, they have a bit of a kick and a little sweetness - and they are just awesome!

You will need:
2.5 pounds red skin potatoes, skinned
1/2 large onion (preferably yellow)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs dijon mustard
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs mayo
Pepper
2 Tbs heavy cream
2 Tbs cooking water (saved from the potatoes)
4 Tbs butter, divided

Here's how you do it:

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sugar and sauté for 10 minutes or until the onions are caramelized. Remove them from the heat and stir in vinegar, which will help release all the brown deliciousness from the pan. 

Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender (a fork should easily stab a cooked potato).  Drain the potatoes, reserving some of the water for later, and return potatoes to the pan. Add 3 tablespoons butter and the heavy cream then mash til creamy (or chunky if you like it that way).

In a separate bowl, mix together the mustard,  lemon juice, mayo, and 2 tablespoons of cooking water.  Add this mixture and caramelized onions to your mashies and stir well.

You are going to want to eat the whole pot of potatoes, but I suggest balancing it out with some veggies ;)

Enjoy!

When I was in college, my Aunt Deecy introduced me to this wonderful little Thai restaurant with the absolute BEST fried tofu.  Even for those who are tofu-phobic, keep reading because you can't deny that no matter what the food is, if it's fried, it's probably worth trying.  Every once in a while I crave this but can't find anything close to it in Ann Arbor...so I decided to make my own and surprisingly it came out really good!  The peanut sauce is so tasty - and the tofu crunch is really complimented by the sweet and spicy flavor of the dip.   

For the fried tofu:
1 block/package extra firm tofu
4 Tbs flour (more as needed for coating tofu pieces
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Pinch of cayenne - optional
Cilantro - for garnish, optional
For the peanut sauce: (make this first)1/2 cup peanuts1/4 cup water1 clove garlic, minced/pressed1/4 tsp soy sauce1 tsp sesame oil1 Tbs brown sugar1 Tbs fish sauce1 Tbs lemon or lime juice1 tsp chili sauce1/3 cup shredded coconut To make the sauce:Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until relatively smooth.   


To make the fried tofu:
Drain the tofu and place between several layers of paper towel or real towel and press to soak up as much liquid as you can (the less wet the tofu the better it will fry).  Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slices then slice those in half again.  In a flat bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne and salt.  

Fill a sauce pan with enough canola oil to cover a slice of tofu (if you are unsure you can always add more canola oil if your first piece isn't totally covered).  Heat the oil to medium and cover (hot oil is HOT watch out!).

Working with about four slices of tofu at a time, roll a piece in the flour mixture and place it in the hot oil for about 4 minutes or until golden brown.  I say to work with four at a time because you don't want the pieces to stick together while frying.  Remove fried pieces with a slotted spoon and set on paper towel until all the pieces are done.  Serve with the sauce you made and a garnish of cilantro, which adds great flavor!

This has become a favorite of mine to bring to parties or for when people come over.  It's a great finger-food and I thought it would be good to post around the Superbowl!  It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until baking time.

You will need:
4 oz cream cheese, softened (1/2 block)
1/3 cup mayo (or just a hefty spoonful - or yogurt for a healthier option)
1 15 oz can of artichoke hearts
10 oz spinach, chopped  (frozen should be thawed, fresh should be steamed; both should be squeezed so most of water is out)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
1 garlic clove

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Puree artichoke hearts in a blender or food processor or just chop finely.  Add garlic to this too or just mince it.  Then add all ingredients together in a bowl and stir well until combined.  Season to taste with s+p.  Spread in an 8x8 baking pan or crock and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until starting to brown on top and its  bubbling.  Serve with baguette slices, pita chips or corn chips.  

Lately we've been into brussel sprouts because our 2 1/2 year old daughter Remy LOVES them!!  She takes a bite and then closes her eyes and slowly moves her head around as if she's savoring every second.  SOOO hilarious to watch.   She calls them "bussa pouts".  Love her.  

This isn't really a recipe... however its one of our favorite ways to cook and eat our veggies so I want to share it.  Roasting is so easy and delish - just toss your veggies in a bit of olive oil and salt+pepper and pop them in the oven.   

Preheat oven to 450F.  Wash brussel sprouts and trim ends and remove a few outer leaves if they are gross looking.  You may just halve them and roast them this way but our favorite way is to cut them in half and then separate out as many leaves from eachother as you can, so you basically have a big pile of leaves.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil over these (maybe a Tbsp or 2) and sprinkle on some salt and pepper and toss them all together.  Spread them out onto a roasting pan or cookie sheet so they are in a single layer.  Separating the leaves out allows the single leaves to get slightly crunchy and crispy and they become almost like little chips.  SOOO yummy.  

Roast them for about 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes.... watch them towards the end so they don't burn.  There is a fine line between caramelizing the leaves and burning them.  Serve hot as they cool quickly.  Hope you savor every bite just like Remy :)

I know, this soup pretty much LOOKS awful...  but if you like cauliflower, it is delicious and the roasting really adds great flavor.  Paired with a crusty bread and a salad, it makes for a nice dinner.

1 head cauliflower
drizzle of olive oil
3 garlic cloves
3/4 cup celery (leaves too!)
3/4 cup onion
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
s+p
1-2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450F.  Cut cauliflower up into pieces and place in a roasting pan.  Add whole garlic cloves to the pan as well.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with some salt.  Toss together in the pan then roast in oven for about 15-25 minutes (stirring 2 or 3 times)  or until pieces are starting to brown and edges are crisping slightly.  Take out and leave cauliflower for later.  

Take out garlic cloves when cool enough to handle and mince.  

Meanwhile in soup/stock pot, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add celery and onion and stir occasionally until starting to soften.  Add garlic and continue to stir until vegetables start to brown.  Add broth (larger amount if your cauliflower was bigger, or add smaller amount and save a cup to add later if it needs thinning) and bring to a boil.  

Add cauliflower from roasting pan and turn down to a simmer.  Simmer until vegetables are all tender.  Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree (I like to do 3/4 of my soup so that a few chunks of cauliflower remain).  

Return soup to your soup pot and reheat if necessary.  Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a bowl and whisk in 2 Tbsp flour to form a paste.  Add to soup and continue to simmer to thicken soup slightly.  

Turn heat to low or remove from heat, and add cheddar cheese to taste and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Makes about 4 servings.   

I found a wild rice blend in the bulk section of my grocery store and decided to use it in a soup.  I had some keilbasa in the freezer and this is what I came up with.  I served it with homemade biscuits to add more calories- ha!

Makes 4-6 servings.

You will need:
10-12 oz kielbasa (I used a blend of pork, beef and turkey- stores usually have a variety of kinds), chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery/about 2 large stalks with leaves included
3/4 cup chopped onion/about 1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic minced
6 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped carrots/about 2 large
1 cup wild rice
1/2 tsp bells seasoning (comes in a yellow box with red and white writing on it - I use this in a variety of soups - it's worth buying!)
s+p to taste

To make:

In a stock pot over medium heat, brown the chopped kielbasa. Remove kielbasa (set aside for later), leaving oils in pan.  (Depending on the fat content of your meat, you may want to discard some oil.  I leave most of it in however, because this is where the flavor is).

Add onion, garlic and celery to the pot and stir occasionally until softened.  Add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil.  Add carrots and rice and simmer until rice is cooked through (usually about 40 minutes).  Add kielbasa back to soup and add spices.  Season to taste
with salt and pepper.  

These biscuits are really sooooo good.  The trick is to NOT handle them a lot at all.  The more you handle them, the tougher they get.  So once the liquid is in, just do a few tosses of the batter, and a few folds of the dough, and then stop.  I usually use plain yogurt cause I have it in my fridge more often than buttermilk, and actually prefer it.  Either way, they are a great addition to breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Makes about 10 biscuits, depending on your cutter size.  If you don't have a biscuit or cookie cutter available, just cut into shapes with a knife.

You will need:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Scant 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
5 Tbs butter, cold
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs cold buttermilk or plain yogurt (if yogurt is very thick, add a little milk to thin it)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss together all dry ingredients.  Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or 2 knives until butter pieces are as small as peas.  Drizzle 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt over flour mixture and toss a few times- add remaining 2 Tbs if needed to soak up the extra flour.  Lightly flour your hands and knead or fold-over the dough just enough times to get it to stick together.  Handle it as little as possible.  

Once you have a ball or mass of dough, put it on a floured counter and roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into shapes with a knife or with a cutter.  

Place on a greased baking sheet or on parchment paper.  Bake 10 minutes or until nicely browned on top.  Yum!!