Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

*No photo of finished dish yet because I keep forgetting to take a picture! 

I have made these potatoes so many times, so it's about time I blog the recipe.  I have changed the original recipe to our liking so that's another reason to get it down in print.  It comes from the America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook.  America's Test Kitchen original recipe calls for mild cheddar, which is good but once I used sharp white cheddar and liked the dish even more.  I don't just make it for two, it's easily doubled or tripled to serve family and friends!

*Do not use pre-shredded bagged cheese, which contains added starch that will interfere with the sauce.  I have used the tub of pre-shredded parmesan and that was fine.

Ingredients:  Serves 2

2 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (divided)

1 oz parmesan cheese, grated (1 1/2)

1 tsp avocado oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

12 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick (not too thin)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

*Before I start,  I assemble and prep all the ingredients before slicing the potatoes or they will begin to turn brown.  Sometime I'll prep everything ahead of time. Place the sliced potatoes in cold water until I'm ready for them, drain and use.

    1.  Preheat oven 425 (place oven rack - upper middle position)

2. In a bowl toss white cheddar with 1 tsp cornstarch together until combined.  In another bowl toss Parmesan and 1/2 cornstarch together until combined.  Set aside.

3. Heat oil in 8 inch nonstick oven safe skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.  Stir in broth, cream, potatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer (low boil) until potatoes are nearly tender, 10-12 minutes.
4. 
   
5. Off heat, lightly stir in white cheddar mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan mixture evenly over top and place in oven to bake until golden brown 12 to 14 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Doubled **Serves 4

4 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded (mix with 2 tsp cornstarch)

3 tsp cornstarch (divided)

2 oz parmesan cheese, grated (mix with 1 tsp cornstarch)

2 tsp avocado oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2/3 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick (not too thin)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Tripled ***Serves 6 

6 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded (mix with 3 tsp cornstarch)

4 1/2 tsp cornstarch (divided)

3 oz parmesan cheese, grated (mix with 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch)

3 tsp oil

1 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

2 lbs 4oz Yukon Gold potatoes

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 pepper

Tuscan Salmon with Lemony Orzo

                                                

We try and eat salmon once a week and I'm always looking for new ways to make it.  This recipe is a keeper, it's delicious!  The recipe comes from the blog The View From Great Island.  I halved the recipe and made a few changes, but you can find the original recipe here.  

 

* Important to prep all ingredients before you start, then the dish will come together in about 30 minutes.  This way the orzo and salmon finish cooking at the same time and dinner is served.

                                    

Ingredients:  (2 servings)

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 salmon fillet (skin on preferably, searing the skin will add flavor to the dish and keep the salmon moist - can take off after it's cook if you don't like skin) 
• sea salt/ or kosher salt
• smoked paprika
• 1 shallot finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 cloves garlic finely minced or put through a press
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 3 ounces fresh baby spinach or a few handfuls.
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

• Preheat the oven 350.
• Season the salmon lightly with salt and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
  
• Heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet. Place the salmon in the skillet and sear for an about 3-4 minutes on each side to get a little crust going.  Transfer the salmon to a sheet pan (I like to put it skin side up) and set in a 350 oven to finish cooking while you finish the rest of the dish. Transfer it carefully as it can be delicate.
  
• To the skillet on medium heat add the minced shallot and sauté for 1 minutes.  Add garlic to the skillet and sauté for another minute.  Add the wine to the pan and stir to let it evaporate down.  Then add the orzo and continue for another minute or so, stirring constantly.
  
• Now add the chicken broth, lemon juice, sun dried tomatoes and pinch of turmeric to the pan. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and has absorbed 3/4 of the liquid. Stir in the spinach until it wilts and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. If you need to adjust the consistency of the sauce you can thicken it with more grated Parmesan, or thin it down with more chicken stock. (We like it to be a little saucy)
  
• To serve, divide orzo on two plates and serve with cooked Salmon.  If you need to check if salmon is done it should registers 145F in the thickest part.
• Tuscan salmon is a cook and serve recipe, in other words, don't plan on making it ahead because the orzo pasta will soak up the sauce as it sits.

Note: 

* Easily doubled for 4 servings.

All the ingredients prepped 

Sauté salmon flesh side down first.  

Keeping the skin on adds flavor to the dish and keeps salmon moist.  

Transfer salmon to the oven to finish cooking.  I like to line pan with parchment for easy cleanup.  I also like to cook skin side up so that I can remove the skin easier when cooked.  

Once the shallots and garlic have sautéed add the wine.

Let the wine cook down until almost evaporated.  

Add the orzo, sauté for minute or two and then add broth, lemon juice and turmeric, cook 10-15 minutes until tender.

Once the orzo is tender, the sauce has thickened but still is a little saucy.  Add more chicken stock if your orzo has absorbed all the liquid.

Perfectly cooked, saucy but not too saucy.

While the orzo cooked, the salmon is also ready at the same time. At this point take off the skin if you don't like.  I don't like the skin and my husband keeps his on.  You do you :)

Serve!

Kalua Pork

Kalua Pork is one of my go to recipes for so many reasons.  It's easy to make, just 3 ingredients, the pork is juicy and tender every time, can serve it so many ways and if there is any left it makes amazing leftovers.  The pork doesn't have added spices and is delicious as is but after it’s cooked I might add green chili sauce for pork tacos or add BBQ sauce for BBQ pork sandwiches.  Hawaiians like kalua pork and cabbage served over rice.  So many ways to enjoy kalua Pork, here are a few of our favorites..

Pork Tacos

Pork Nachos

Pork quesadillas

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

BBQ Pork Pizza

Cuban Sandwiches

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 (6-7 lb) pork butt or pork shoulder (with or without bone)

1 1/2 Tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt (find it on Amazon)

1 Tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring

Directions:

Place pork (fat side down) in the slow cooker and pierce pork all over with a carving fork.  Rub in salt all over then pour over liquid smoke.

Cover and cook on LOW for 12 hours.  Turn once during the cooking time.

Remove pork from the slow cooker onto a cutting board.  Shred or chop pork (*see note) in bite size pieces while trimming away any fat.  

With the drippings, skim off any fat and reserve.  

At this point the pork is ready to serve.  Use the drippings as needed to moisten pork.

*I chop instead of shredding.  I like the texture better, it's more tender.  Also I like to remove the fat as I chop.  A lot of people shred the meat fat and all but for me, it's just too much fat but you do you.

I love this tool from OXO.  It works so much better than skimming the fat off the top.

Pour in the drippings, the cover catches any solids and the fat starts to separate to the top.  Again, I'd rather not add all that fat back to the meat, only the flavorful drippings.

At this point you squeeze the handle and the drippings drain out of the bottom, stopping before you reach the fat.  Just Brilliant!

These are the brands I use for the liquid smoke and for the Hawaiian Salt.  You can Hawaiian salt find the salt on Amazon.

Smooth Hummus

• 
  

I found this recipe for Ethereally Smooth Hummus on the blog Smitten Kitchen and it's the best hummus I've ever made.  The secret to this smooth hummus is removing the skins from the chickpeas.  Who knew, I didn't, and now that I do, I'll always make it this way.  It takes a little time but it's so worth it.  Once that's done it comes together quickly in a food processor.  Another thing I like about this recipe is it uses the reserved juice from the beans to thin out the hummus instead of using olive oil.     This way the olive oil is just used as a garnish.  This will be my go to hummus recipe for now on. 

If you like podcasts, Deb Perelman from Smitten Kitchen has a podcast with Kenji Lopez-Alt called THE RECIPE.  They had an episode in March all about Hummus and she talked about this recipe.  Kenji thought she was crazy removing the skin from the chickpeas but I agree with her, it's worth it if you like really smooth hummus!

  

• 1-15 ounce can chickpeas (Reserve juice, I use about 1/4-1/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup tahini paste 
• 2-3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I like 3 Tablespoons)
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Extra Virgin Olive oil and paprika for serving
• 
  

1. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the juice.
2. Remove the skins from the chickpeas. I find the easiest way to do this is to pinch the chickpeas and the skin comes right off. Place the skinned chickpea in the food processor, and the skins in the trash.
3. Pulse until the chickpeas are in sandy looking. 
4. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, and blend until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
5. Slowly add the chickpea juice (I use about 1/4 - 1/3 cup) to the mix until the mixture is the texture you like and completely smooth.  
6. I like to chill the hummus for an hour or so. To serve, top with olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika.  Serve with crackers, pita bread or veggies.

                                                                                                        

Yogurt (cold start instant pot)

I posted this yogurt recipe back in 2020 and have been making it ever since on repeat.  When I can find a recipe that not only tastes better than store bought, is cheaper to make from scratch and to top it off is easy to make, it's a keeper!  If you do make this yogurt, you might want to make my granola too.  It's another recipe that's a keeper and has a place in my panty at all times!

There are so many recipes and information for instant pot yogurt on the internet, it will make your head spin!  I settled on making the cold start method as it seemed the easiest.  This is the first recipe I tried and it turned out perfect.  Why try any other, one and done!  It's from the blog, Pipping Hot Curry.  Below I'm going to share the exact ingredients and instructions I use but if you need any more info check out Pipping Hot Curry.  She goes into detail about the kind of milk, starter, and sweetener you must use for cold start to turn out.  


*Very important before starting - sterilize your pot first.  It's not enough to just clean because you never want your yogurt tasting like last night's dinner.  I even went as far as purchasing a designated pot just for yogurt.  To sterilize, you simply pour boiling water in the inner pot and discard it or pressure cook one cup water one minute to sanitize.  I'm not sure if this matters but I always make sure my pot is back to room temperature before I start.  Being a cold start method I don't want to start it out in a hot pan.  

ingredients:

• 52-ounce Fairlife Whole Milk (You have to use Ultra Processed Milk and this Brand is the one I always use)
• 2 tablespoons Fage Yogurt (*see note below)
• 1/2 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions

• Add milk, yogurt and 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk to Instant Pot insert. Whisk together very well to incorporate completely.
• Place on instant pot lid or a glass lid.  (It doesn't pressure cook so you can use any lid)
• Push the Yogurt button and use the +/- buttons and set time to 8 hours. (mine automatically sets for 8 hours)
• When the yogurt cycle is completed and the Instant Pot beeps, DON'T (**see note) stir but carefully remove the lid not letting the condensation drip into the yogurt.  Remove the inner pot and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.  (**see note) 
• Enjoy yogurt with your favorite flavor and toppings. 

Note

*Don't let the rest of the Fage yogurt go to waste, you can eat it, put it in a smoothie or portion out couple portions (2 Tablespons each) and freeze in a small container or ziplock bag to use for your next batch of yogurt.  Freezing the yogurt won't kill the cultures you need to make your next batch of yogurt.

**The yogurt needs to set overnight in the fridge to cool, set up and thicken so don't be tempted to stir or serve right away!