Layered Salad

Layered Salad

I don’t have a recipe for this.  I’ve been making it for years and just kind of throw it together.  And I don’t bother with putting it in a glass dish to show off the layers.  It tastes really good and serves 3 or 4 people.

2 heads Romaine, washed and chopped

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and chopped

3 strips thick-sliced bacon, cooked until crisp and then diced

1 ripe Beefsteak tomato, diced

2 tablespoons minced Red Onion

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (+ some for top)

½ cup frozen green peas, thawed and drained

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon dried dill weed

In a bowl with a diameter of about 9-inches (and preferably with a lid) and at least 3 inches tall, layer the Romaine, the egg, bacon, tomato, onion, and Cheddar, ending with the peas.  Set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until combined.  Spoon over the salad and carefully spread over the top making sure the dressing touches the sides of the bowl all the way around.   Sprinkle with a little extra cheese.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

I usually make this the morning I plan to serve it but it keeps really well, so could easily be made the night before without getting soggy.   Over the years I’ve added corn kernels, sliced cucumber, sliced zucchini or yellow squash, chopped broccoli and/or cauliflower and shredded red cabbage.  And we loved all of them!  

Hasselback Potato Gratin

Hasselback Potato Gratin

Adapted from a recipe found at www.seriouseats.com.

2 oz shredded Gruyere cheese

1 oz grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon minced roasted garlic

1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Salt and Pepper

3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8” thick

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400° F. 

Combine cheeses and transfer about 1/3 of the mixture to a separate large bowl.  Set the remaining cheese aside for later.  To the large bowl add the cream, garlic and thyme and season generously with salt and pepper.  Add the potato slices and toss until every slice is coated with the cream mixture, making sure to separate any slices that stick together.

Grease a 1-quart baking dish with the butter.  Pick up a handful of potatoes, stacking them neatly in a row and lay them in the baking dish with their edges towards the top and bottom of the dish.  (Don’t lay them flat like traditional scalloped potatoes!)  Continue placing potatoes in the dish until they are all in there and somewhat tightly packed.  If you need to, slice another potato and coat it with the remaining cream mixture and add it to the dish. 

Pour the excess cream/cheese mixture evenly over potatoes until the mixture comes half way up the sides of the dish.  You may not need all of the excess cream, but I did! 

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.  Bake for another 30 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown and crisp on top.  Remove from the oven and let rest a few minutes before serving.  Serves 3 or 4.

I made this for Easter Dinner 2016 and it was good!  Even my hubby liked it and we all know he does not like creamy dishes!  Mine didn’t turn a deep golden brown, but since it started looking burnt around the edges, I decided to take it out of the oven about 5 minutes early.  I was concerned by the amount of oil floating on top, but as it cooled (I let it sit for about 15 minutes) that disappeared back into the cheesy goodness and was not a problem!

I’ll make this again, but will probably use my favorite Swiss and Cheddar combination for the cheese instead of the Gruyere.  Personal preference. 

Chocolate Malted "Speckled Egg" Easter Cake

Chocolate Malted “Speckled Egg” Easter Cake

Adapted from a Betty Crocker recipe.

Cake:

1 box Devil’s Food cake mix

½ cup malted milk powder

½ cup half and half

¾ cup water

1/3 cup melted butter, cooled

3 eggs

Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon malted milk powder

1 box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of salt

Pale blue food color

Heavy cream

Speckling Chocolate:

1 tablespoon Nestle’s Quick chocolate milk mix

4 teaspoons vanilla

Decorations:

Small candy-coated malted milk egg candies

Heat the oven to 350° F and spray 2 (8-inch round) cake pans with baking spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and malted milk powder.  Add the remaining cake ingredients and beat on low speed until well combined.  Divide batter evenly among pans.  Bake 26 to 31 minutes or until the cakes spring back when touched lightly in the center.  Turn cakes out onto cooling racks and let cool completely. 

To make the Frosting, in a large bowl, beat the softened butter, malted milk powder and powdered sugar with electric mixer on low speed until the butter is evenly distributed.  Add the vanilla, salt and blue food color (one drop at a time until desired color is achieved) and beat on high speed until the frosting becomes spreadable.  Add a little heavy cream if necessary to thin it out.   Fill and frost the cooled cake.  Let sit for an hour or so until the frosting begins to dry out a bit, before applying the “speckle”. 

In a small condiment bowl, combine the Nestle’s Quick and vanilla until smooth.  Load a new (unused) still bristle paint brush with the speckle mixture and, using finger, flick the loaded bristles toward the cake creating a splatter pattern.  Re-load brush as needed until entire cake is speckled.  Let sit awhile until the speckles are dry then decorate the cake with the candy eggs. 

This was a pretty cake and good, but didn’t really taste “malty” at all.  Still, cute for Easter (2016)!

Orange-Glazed Ham

Orange-Glazed Ham

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa’s Recipe

4 lb Boar’s Head Sweet Slice Boneless Ham

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

4 tablespoons orange marmalade

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 ½ teaspoons orange zest

1 tablespoon orange juice

Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Place the ham (“skin” side up) in a heavy roasting pan.

Combine the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.  Pour about half of the mixture all over the ham and then seal the pan with aluminum foil.  Bake for 40 minutes or until the ham is completely heated throughout. 

Remove the foil and pour the rest of the glaze over the ham.  Increase the oven to 425° F and return the pan to the oven for 15 minutes more. 

Serve hot or at room temperature.

This is the ham I made for Easter Dinner 2016 for John and I.  It was good, but I still prefer an unglazed ham to one with any glaze I’ve ever tried.  John liked it though.  If I ever do this one again, I will follow Ina Garten's instructions to put the glaze in a blender until the orange peel in the marmalade isn't so chunky.  I was lazy and didn't want to wash the blender, so I chose not to use it. Live and learn.  

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
















3 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
Dash of salt
1 1/2 cups flour

For the Swirl:
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350^F.  Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the Swirl mixture.

Mix the bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined.

Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with a little more than half the Swirl mixture.  Pour in the remaining batter and sprinkle the top with the remaining Swirl mixture.

Bake at 350^F for 50-60 minutes or until done.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Not bad and very easy.  Found on Pinterest.