Scalloped Potatoes

I love potatoes in all it's forms, all of them are so good! I found this recipe for scalloped potatoes and had to try it out.


Ingredients:
4-5 large potatoes
1/4 lb butter ( a stick)
salt and pepper to taste
1 vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons bread crumbs tosseed in melted butter (if you wish, you don't have to)
Quart of milk

Instructions:

1. Peel and thinly slice raw potatoes. Butter a casserole or pyrex dish. Spread the bottom evenly with a layer of potatoes, and season with salt, pepper, butter, and a bit of onion then sprinkle with a little flour.

2. Follow with another layer of potatoes, onion, and seasoning. Continue doing this until the dish is filled. For extra flavor and color, potatoes may be sprinkled with parsley, breadcrumbs tossed in melted butter, with a dusting of paprika on top.

3. Just before baking, pour a quart of hot milk over the potatoes. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Foods I can't stop eating

I tend to have addictions, any thing can be the victim. Especially when it comes to food, I enjoy many things. Some of the things I've been enjoying lately:
-Diced tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and olive oil
-Cinnamon rice cakes from Aldi, those things are like popcorn, but better for you! They're conveniently bite size, too!
-The chocolate raspberry cake with homemade butter-cream icing I made for Zach for his birthday, I usually don't care for chocolate, but this is just yummy with the raspberry and the icing. I guess I did pretty well!
-Popcorn with butter, salt, and some sugar to mimic kettle corn. I LOVE kettle corn!

I started growing basil and rosemary plants in my kitchen. The plants are already established, and they seem to be doing good so far with the limited sun I can get them...anyone have any advice on raising them?

Butter-cream icing

Simple, delicious, and you can make it as sweet as you want by the amount of sugar you use. I'll be making this tomorrow for Zach's birthday on top of a chocolate cake with raspberry filling!

Ingredients: 


1 cup butter (two sticks) softened to room temperature. Take them out the night before, they should be fine.
4 cups confectioners' sugar (or 1 lb bag)
1 or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, mattering on how much vanilla you like. Please use real and not imitation.
2 tablespoons or more of milk, mattering on consistency.

Directions:


Cream together the butter and the vanilla with a mixer. Blend in the sugar one cup at a time, testing it after it is beaten well into the butter for taste..Sometimes I use three, sometimes I use four. Beat in milk, and continue beating until light and fluffy. Keep covered until you are ready to decorate!

This process takes 5-10 minutes. If you have lumpy powdered sugar, sift it first, then add it in to your butter. Lumpy sugar makes lumpy icing! You can use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer...though I will say my Kitchen Aid stand mixer makes it easy!

Clarified Butter

You read about using it in recipes, but I never made it myself until Zach and I were going to saute some scallops and clarified butter seemed like the best answer so the butter wouldn't burn. This process makes it so the butter has a higher smoke point and won't burn so easily.

I used about a pound of unsalted butter, you'll end up with 3/4ths of the amount you want to make...so whatever amount you want to make, make 1/4 more. I wanted some to cook with and to keep in my fridge, so I did a pound. I keep multiple pounds of butter around my house :)

Directions:

Place butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the butter to a boil. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. The butter will form a foam which will disappear. It is done when a second form forms on top of the butter, and it turns golden in color...about 7-8 minutes. Brown milk solids will be in the bottom of the pan. Gently pour into a container through a fine mesh or a cheesecloth. Store in an airtight container being sure to keep free from moisture, it will keep for about a month in an airtight container and doesn't need refrigeration. 

Beef Stew

I'd like to take this time to say how much I love my crock pot. It cooks all day so I don't have to stand there and stir for how many hours. I'd say it's one of my more favorite appliances besides my Kitchen Aid mixer...that's a whole 'nother post.

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef rump roast, cut into chunks
3 onions, cut into fourths or eighths mattering on size
3 potatoes, cut into fourths or eighths, mattering on size
2 carrots cut into bite size chunks
fresh oregano to your liking
2 fresh bay leaves
a sprig fresh rosemary
1 box beef broth
1/4 cup of flour
a couple shakes of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

You can use dried spices, but I find the fresh ones bring this to life.

Directions: 
1. Coat your meat pieces in flour, salt, and pepper and add to crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients then the beef broth over top and stir well.
2. Let cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 9 hours

Delicious!

Fettucine Alfredo

We had this last night as a part of our anniversary with bay scallops added it, it was great! This creamy dish can make any day feel special.

Ingredients:
1 pound dried fettucine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano (or you can use regular Parmesan or Romano)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Cook the fettucine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute until tender.
3. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Return the pasta to the pot in was cooked in, set over medium high heat along with the reserved cooking liquid.
5. Add the butter-cream mixture and half the Parmesan and toss to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!

If you want to add scallops like we did, saute the scallops for 2-3 minutes in clarified butter, add salt and pepper....cook and reserve and throw in with the noodles and sauce and combine! Delicious!

Macaroni and Cheese

As a kid, macaroni and cheese didn't come in that blue box. It was white more than orange, baked with a crust of bread on top and delicious the way my Mom made me. My Dad still loves this after 40 something years of eating it, it must be good!


Ingredients:
1 16oz box of elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter (1 stick cut in half)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and Ground black pepper to taste
2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups white sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices day old bread torn into pieces


Directions:


1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente (with bite) Drain and reserve for later.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add flour and then pepper to taste, stirring until you get a paste like consistency. Now you have a roux. Add milk and stir until the mixture starts to thicken, Slowly add cheese until all is melted.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
4. Mix the cheese mixture and the macaroni in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Place bread pieces on top of macaroni and season with salt and pepper. Melt the other 4 tablespoons of butter and pour over bread.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve and enjoy! 

This is a great baked mac and cheese...it always makes me feel like I am making a piece of home and like my Mom made it for me, even if I did. I convinced Zach that this is the way to go instead of the blue box, but we do sometimes still use one. I hope you enjoy it too!

• 
  

Easy Roasted Garlic

A simple and delicious way to make spread for hot, crusty bread or to add to recipes some special garlic flavor.

Ingredients:
A whole head of garlic (you can do more than one)
Olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Peel off some of the outer layers of garlic skin. Slice the top of the garlic head about 1/4 inch. Place head in a whole in a muffin tin or you can set on a sheet of foil.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover the bulb with foil or wrap the foil around the garlic clove to close.
3. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes until they are soft and are just starting to turn golden brown.
4. Set aside until they are cool enough to handle. Remove garlic and enjoy as an appetizer or to put in a recipe.

It's sooo delicious! Spreadable, simple, yummy! I love adding it to my recipes as a bonus of flavor, Zach loves it when I make pasta sauce and this is one of my secrets.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Just made this tonight, and it's great! Perfect with a side of well buttered corn on the cob for a summer meal.
Made in my slow cooker so it doesn't heat up the kitchen too much on this hot August day.

Ingredients:


1 6 lb pork tenderloin
2 cans Dr. Pepper (or any non diet caramel colored cola...I like Dr. P best)
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
2-3 sprigs rosemary
 Seasoned Salt and pepper
1 bottle of barbecue sauce of your liking. I like sweet BBQ sauce. Use two if you like it really saucy.

Directions:


1. Rub seasoned salt and pepper on your pork to your liking.
2. Put pork in fat side up in the slow cooker, and turn the slow cooker to HIGH
3. Add Dr. Pepper and then water until the meat is covered.
4. Add garlic and rosemary on top of the meat
5. Cook on HIGH for 5 hours or until it easily pulls apart with two forks. Take the rosemary sprigs out, drain the liquid out of the pot.
6. Pull apart the pork with your forks until you get through it, then add sauce to your desired liking.
Put on buns and enjoy!

You can heat it on medium when you add the sauce to warm it through for about 20 minutes, but I usually can't wait that long! You can do this with any size tenderloin that will fit in your slow cooker. Remember, the time is approximate, so be sure to check on it periodically. Play around with the seasonings if you don't like the sound of mind. Make it your own if you'd like, or you're welcome to use mine.

How I cook my corn on the cob:

1. Shuck ears of corn and remove silk
2. Boil water and add 2 tablespoons of sugar (not salt) to the water for sweet corn. (Salt will turn your corn hard if you boil it with salt!)
3. Cook for 5-7 minutes
Enjoy with butter and salt!

Farmer's Markets

If you have one near you, seek it out! I love mine, and will be sad when October rolls around and it's gone. I was able to get produce for a quarter of the cost, and the quality is amazing! Mine has everything from fresh mozzarella, to ribs and brisket, to eggs and chicken, to a huge array of fruits and veggies! Our grocery bill has been less since we started doing this, and we've been eating so much better. So go out and support your local farmers!

Orange "Julius"

Love those orange shakes at the mall? Ever want to know how to make them? Here's my version via Alton Brown. You'll soon learn I love Alton, and I DVR his show every day.

Ingredients:


8 1/2 ounces orange juice
1/2 an orange worth of zest (If you don't have any, don't fret...still good without it!)
1/2 cup whole milk (you can use other milk..but it's better with whole)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (real if you can...it does make a difference than the imitation)

Directions:


1. Pour 6 1/2 oz of orange juice in an ice cube tray and freeze until solid...about 2 hours should do it.
2. After the cubes have formed, put the remaining 2 oz of juice and zest in the blender with the cubes, along with the milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla and blend until smooth and slushy....serve and enjoy :)

I've used an 8oz can of orange juice concentrate that was frozen instead of the cubes before, this works too. All matters on what you have. Very refreshing on a hot day or for breakfast like I do sometimes. I keep a tray of these orange juice cubes in my freezer for when I get the itch for this so I don't have to wait..but I really love the orange julius... I always get one when I am at the mall!

Pot Pie

Now, realize before I post this, dutch pot pie is what I am talking about. It is NOT the one with the crust. It's more like a thickened chicken soup. This was a favorite of mine growing up and is from my mother, who had it from her mother.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
a pinch of salt
1 heaping tablespoon of crisco
2 eggs
1/2 cup of ICE cold water
1 box chicken stock, water to stretch it. (you can use all chicken stock if you want, or all water)
1 lb chicken on the bone.

Directions:
Make a well in your flour, or put it in your stand mixer. Add your salt, eggs, and crisco. Gradually cut into flour or use your dough hook to mix. Gradually add the water until dough can be rolled. Roll out dough on a floured surface, and flour your rolling pin, rolling out relatively thin. Cut with pastry cuter or pizza cutter and put on cookie sheets.

Fill pot with chicken stock and water and simmer chicken for 30 minutes and skim fat. Take the chicken out and de-bone it, putting the chicken pieces back in the broth. Add salt and pepper. Drop your dough pieces into boiling broth stirring often so the pieces don't stick together. Simmer with the lid on for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

As soon as I pull this out of the oven, I have to beat off Zach (my husband) with a stick until it's had 20 minutes to set. He goes through this like nothing else and I hopefully get a piece too! It makes the whole house smell heavenly!

Best enjoyed by itself, or with a nice layer of butter

Zucchini Bread (Makes two loaves)

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour                          1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt                                       2 and 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda                          3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder                      2 cups grated zucchini
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon                  Optional (I leave them out) 1 cup chopped walnuts
3 eggs

Directions:
1. Grease and flour two 8x4 inch bread pans. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. In a separate large bowl (or in the stand mixer if you have one), beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together. Add the sifted ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Stir in the zucchini and the nuts if you add them until it is combined well together. Pour into pans (it's okay to fill them)
4. Bake for 60 minutes or until a knife or tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then remove from pans. If you can wait that long, let them cool completely...or enjoy warm like we do!

This bread is dense, but so moist and nice and sweet. Mine rarely makes it a day, sometimes two if it is lucky. A great way to use up extra zucchini. I use my kitchen aid grater with a nice sized zucchini and can get two cups out of it. I do a pretty fine grate. You can use a box grater as well for this...but I will say my grater attachment is easier :)

Welcome to Foxy Foods!

Welcome to Foxy Foods, my new venture in blogging and cooking together.

Some things about me:
My name is Susan, I'm 22 and married. I live about an hour from Chicago, but grew up around eastern Pennsylvania.

So join me as I cook through my daily life, whether it be dinner, lunch, breakfast, or dessert...I will find something to share with you. Some of the recipes are family ones, some are originals, and some I've searched and tested the internet and tweaked to taste. Either way, they're tasty, and I want to share them with you!

With love,
Susan