Eggplant and Peppers

1 large onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 eggplant
¼ cup dry vermouth
salt and pepper
½ tsp tarragon

    Dice the vegetables into 1/2 inch pieces. Saute onion and peppers in hot oil for 10 minutes until soft. Add eggplant and cook until almost done, tossing occasionally. Season with salt, pepper and tarragon and add the vermouth. Cook until the wine is absorbed. Use as a side dish, or as a bed for fish or prawns.

Stuffed Tomatoes

4 tomatoes
¼ cup dry seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

    Immerse tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds, cool under cold running water and peel. Remove the tops of the tomatoes and carefully squeeze to remove the seeds and juice. Melt the butter and mix in the remaining ingredients. Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Creamed Brussels Sprouts

6 cups Brussels sprouts
3 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
½ cup whipping cream

    Blanch the Brussels sprouts in boiling water for 5 minutes, cool and chop roughly. Just before serving, melt butter in a frying pan, stir in the sprouts, season to taste with the salt and pepper and add the cream. Simmer, covered, for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

8-10 Brussels sprouts per person
¼ cup olive oil
salt and pepper

    Clean the sprouts and toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Put them in a baking dish or a ½ sheet pan, and roast them in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes or until they are soft and brown.

Braised Red Cabbage

1/4 Lb. bacon
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced onion
3 Tb butter
2 lb red cabbage
2 cups diced apples
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. Ground bay leaf
1/8 tsp clove
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups red wine
2 cups beef stock

Cook the bacon, onion, and carrots in butter for 10 minutes in
covered casserole. Stir in cabbage, and when well coated with
vegetables and fat, cover and cook another 10 minutes. Add
remaing ingredients and bring to the simmer. Put in 325 degree
oven for about 5 hours. Peeled chestnuts can be added for the last hour
of cooking.

Artichoke Hearts with Onions

18-24 baby artichokes
one onion,thinly sliced
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt, pepper.

Prepare artichoke hearts by removing tough outer leaves, quarter, and soak in acidulated water. Saute sliced onion in 1/4 cup olive oil. When translucent, ad garlic and remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes until artichokes are tender.

Vegetable Terrine

Zuccini sliced lenthwise
Eggplant sliced crosswise
mushrooms
peppers
or any combination of vegetables
goat cheese

Grill or roast vegetables until very tender. Cool. Litely oil small terrines. Arrange vegetables, putting slice of cheese into the center. Chill. Unmold to serve.

 Microwave Shredded Potatoes 

    I don’t know, grandpa has this in his cookbook, so it must be ok, but I’ve never really cooked anything in the microwave. Now that I look at the recipe it actually looks pretty good. I should know better than to judge a recipe by the title! (You know, like judging a book by it’s cover, etc. wink, wink) 

5 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded
¼ cup water
1 ½ cups milk
1 tsp salt
¼ cup chopped chives
1 Tbsp butter
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (yes, please use fresh, not canned!)
paprika 

    Place potatoes in water in a 2 quart microproof casserole. Cover and cook on high for 10-12 minutes until steaming. Drain. Add milk, salt, chives, and butter. Mix carefully, then stir in cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Cook, uncovered, on 50% power for 8-9 minutes. 

Potatoes Au Gratin 

7 medium potatoes
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese 

    Gradually stir milk into soup and heat to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.

    Peel and slice the potatoes and layer them with the cheese mixture, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper, in a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese mixture and bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour until the potatoes are soft. 

Potato and Scallion Latkes 

5 scallions, about ½ cup, chopped
1 lb baking potatoes
2 eggs
3 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper
vegetable oil 

    Peel the potatoes and grate them. Put them in a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain well and squeeze out the excess liquid. Put the potatoes in a mixing bowl with the scallions, eggs, flour, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Heat about ¼” oil in a skillet. Stir the potato mixture well and drop in about 2 Tbsp worth of mixture per pancake and flatten slightly with a spatula.  Cook until lightly brown, turning after about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes 

        For great mashed potatoes, you can use Russet or waxy (those are the red, white or purple) and you can either peel them or not. I adjust those things according to what I am cooking, and whether or not I am making a fancy or casual dinner.

Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes

2 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 TB brown sugar
2 TB flaked coconut
1/2 cup pecan pieces.

Bake sweet potatoes until tender. Melt butter, add remaining
ingredients. Slice sweet potatoes and layer with sauce. Bake
for 30 minutes. Top with marshmallows, and bake an additional
7 minutes until browned.