it's what's cookin: 9/4/11

Why this blog??

Why this blog?? I often find myself stressing over what to make for my family for dinner. We live a busy life and some meals need time to prep, cook and let's not forget shopping for everything you need. I love cookbooks and websites, but there are so many recipe's at times it is overwhelming. The recipe's I will be posting are things I actually made. I will tell you if they are easy or more time consuming. I will also tell you if they are good. Most of these are recipe's I have made for years and continue to make because they are easy or quick and my family loves them and i know yours will too! I will also try to at least once in a whlie try a new recipe I've found on line or in a book and honestly rate it. I always encourage others to send me their favorite recipe's as well! I am a mom... not a chef. But I am a mom who enjoys cooking for her family and making a somewhat healthy meal (some days more healthy than others:) ) In each recipe I will share how I recommend serving it, any substitutions I can think of that are also good, or ways to prepare ahead of time to make the cooking part seem quicker! I am not a photographer, as you can see... most of these pictures are taken from my phone camera, so may not be the best! I love to hear from others who have made these recipes and what they have done to change the recipe... please post comments! Thank you! To "like" me on facebook, go to this link... It's What's Cookin

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Scalloped Potato Gratin- Recipe by Tyler Florence (Food Network)

I get a lot of recipes off the food network. I always look for recipes that have 5 stars AND a lot of reviews. The only thing I hate about the recipes on this site is they give you a recipe and tell you to do it one way, and then they will have a video link for the recipe and they make it completely different than the recipe says to! I typically follow the written recipe the first time and then play with it to tweek it to my family's liking. I really liked this recipe a lot. Made a great side dish for ribeye and asparagus! Next time I make it I'm going to add thinly sliced onion to each layer and use 1% or skim milk instead of the heavy whipping cream (although some reviews say not to). I may even try making a meal out of the recipe sometime adding onion, rotisserie shredded chicken, and corn or zucchini!

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 C Heavy Whipping Cream
* 1 sprig fresh thyme (I used 2)
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
* Butter
*2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices (this is pretty thin... much easier to use a mandoline if you have one and set it to the 1/8 setting. I LOVE mine and use it a ton!!)
*salt and freshly ground back pepper (I alternated using sea salt and course kosher salt. I also used a little nature seasonings.)
*1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for broiling (I used a bit more. I topped it at the end with some fresh parmisiano-reggiano and I did not broil... I simply put back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a casserole dish (I used a 9 x 13 ceramic casserole pan)

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg. Stir often- don't let burn.

Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Pour a little of the cream over the potatoes and top with some of the grated Parmesan. Do this 2-3 more times, making layers and seasoning each layer, adding the cream and cheese to each layer, until all the potatoes have been used.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Sprinkle on more cheese and broil (or bake) until cheese browns (about 5 minutes)

I used the mandoline to cut my potatoes. They turned out nice and thin. If you do it using a knife and end up with a bit thicker cut, you may need to increase cooking time.