Favorite Recipes

Yes, I actually made these up all by myself. –Or, more accurately, I began long ago with instructions from a real chef in a real cookbook, and mangled it over a long period of time until it was unrecognizable as anything but my own invention. Enjoy. 🙂

Roasted Potatoes

I love this one because it’s easy and has a very powerful taste. Emphasis on easy.

5 lbs small Yukon gold potatoes (or red, your choice), whole

olive oil (best in a Misto, 2 tbsp if not)

1 head of garlic, peeled

2 small onions, chopped

salt, pepper to taste

1 pinch garlic powder

2 tbsp paprika

fresh thyme and rosemary

1 bottle of Sam Adams Boston Lager

Preheat oven to 400F.

Boil the potatoes in the beer, with enough water added to cover – remove and drain after no more than 10 minutes at hard boil.

Put the potatoes back in the pot and spray with olive oil until covered. Add in the spices and herbs – go heavy on the salt and paprika, very light on the garlic powder. Then add in the onions and garlic cloves, and shake pot until everything is covered evenly.

Dump into a baking dish – ceramic or glass, NOT metal. sprinkle more salt and paprika over the top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until skins are browned.

Goat-Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

10-15 roma tomatoes, with top 1/4 cut off and hollowed out inside

8 oz soft goat cheese

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

fresh dill, shredded

fresh opal basil, shredded

1 cup pine nuts

pepper

garlic powder

bread crumbs

olive oil (best in Misto, 2 tbsp if not)

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix the goat cheese, vinegar, spices and herbs and half of the pine nuts in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Spoon this mixture into the hollowed-out tomatoes, heaping at the top. Arrange in a baking dish – ceramic or glass, NOT metal). Sprinkle the bread crumbs and remaining pine nuts over the top, and spray with olive oil until covered. Sprinkle some extra pepper over this, and bake at 375F for 25 minutes, or until tops are brown.

Sorta-Spanikopita Stuffed Tomatoes

I love how Firefox’s spellchecker keeps trying to turn Spanikopita into spanking. 😀

This addition is largely due to the fact that, sans gallbladder, I can’t eat goat cheese. No idea why, but it’s very sad.

1 10-oz container of crumbled feta cheese

1 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

4 fresh mozzarella pearls

5 cups chopped spinach (fresh is best)

4 large tomatoes

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 400F

Wilt the spinach over a water/balsamic vinegar mix. While it’s wilting, cut off the tops of the tomatoes and carve/scoop out the innards: try not to leave any seeds, as this will work best if they aren’t too watery when they cook. Mix the spinach, feta, and gorgonzola thoroughly in a small bowl; add a capful of the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes, place a mozzarella pearl on each one, add a little more salt and pepper, and drizzle olive oil very lightly over the tops and sides.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they start to show signs of splitting. They’re very messy if they split, so keep an eye on them. Makes a great side or a meal unto itself.

Semi-Healthy Additions

–I know, no fun. But since I’ve spent the last 4 months losing somewhere around 7 lbs every 28 days, I figured I’d put some in here that don’t involve so much cheese and carbs. So, my new favs…

Amy’s Imitation Cheesecake Factory Garlic Noodles

No, you do not have to call them that: I rarely do.

4 oz whole wheat or quinoa/amaranth spaghetti (about half of a small box)

4 tbsp garlic oil

1 tbsp margarine

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup broccoli florets

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup oven-roasted tomatoes

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced lengthwise

1 tbsp shredded asiago cheese (yes, you knew there’d be SOME cheese in here)

salt & pepper to taste

Cook the noodles as directed, with 1 tbsp of the garlic oil so they don’t get insanely sticky. While the spaghetti is boiling, steam the broccoli for 5 minutes to soften it. Then sautee with the mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic in the butter, lemon juice, and 2 more tbsp of the garlic oil, for about 10 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, drain the noodles and put in a bowl: drizzle the last tbsp of garlic oil over them, and sprinkle the asiago over them. Stir until they’re coated in it and the cheese is melting. Dump the veggies and remaining oil/butter mixture over the noodles; stir until blended, and eat. This is only meant to serve 1, but the math is pretty easy for more than one serving. 🙂

Yum, is all I’m sayin’.

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I’ll keep adding to this list as I come across more that I’m willing to write down. 🙂