Gratins are my fall back on side-dish when I don’t have anything else to serve with roasted meat.  I always have a few potatoes, as well as sweet potatoes in the pantry, just in case, I need something to eat for lunch, or a thicker for a soup or stew or a weekend hash.  A few other staples in our kitchen are good butter, heavy cream and rosemary. Guarantee you will always find these three items lurking somewhere.

I have to admit I am a potato kind of girl, and if I could eat them every day, I would.  I grew up eating them, and I will die eating them.  One of my favorite food-related childhood memories is potato gratin.  Steaming hot, bubbly with richness, and slightly mashed potatoes.  God, I loved it!

Normally I made gratins with a rich bechamel;  which is another favorite of mine.  This take on a classic recipe, is a bit healthier, or at least that is what I am telling myself.  Instead of making a dreamy bechamel, I literally poured the heavy cream over the layered sweet potatoes, and then sprinkled a little white cheddar over the top.  It still came out steaming hot and bubbly;  just a little healthier this time.

HAVE YOU ENTERED OUR GIVEAWAY?  IT IS DELICIOUS!

Recipe:  Sweet Potato Gratin

• 1 sweet potato, peeled
• 1 medium russet, peeled
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, crushed between finger tips
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 1/4 cup white cheddar, grated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

© Denise for Chez Us, 2012. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Gratin, Heavy Cream, Potato, Rosemary, Russet Potato, Sweet Potato, White Cheddar

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It seems time flew by the past couple months with buying the house, moving, going to Austin (I still have so much to share about that), and some last minute projects that fell on the table, have left us literally in a blur.  We keep talking about how we have not even had a chance to enjoy the new house.  To put up blinds, or smear some paint on the walls.  To set-up the studio space.  To buy that dining room table, and bring our loved ones around it.  We have hopes, and dreams about the holidays in our house,  and they are all centered around giving and sharing.  Just hoping we get a chance to do so this year …..

I did manage to work on a couple recipes that I want to serve over Thanksgiving.  I am getting away easy this year as all I have to make is a traditional Basque dish that involves clams, and lots of them, and this side dish made with the token Thanksgiving veggie, the brussel sprout.  I have a love hate relationship with brussel sprouts, and I am sure it has to do with being force feed them as a kid.  The other evening I ordered a pork dish, mainly because it was served with a brussel sprout gratin, that completely intrigued me.  It was amazing, and I knew I had to recreate it once we got home.

It is easy, and requires only a few ingredients, such as the sprouts, some shallots, a little bacon, cream and Parmesan cheese.  See, I told you it would be easy.  I love the dish as the sprouts are flash cooked to retain their gorgeous color, and crisp bite.  The addition of salty bacon, and nutty Parmesan makes them even more delicious.  So, what are you waiting for?  You have time … run out and grab the ingredients, and then thank me later!

If you don’t like to cook or you don’t have the time, check out Wholefoods;  they are still accepting orders for an amazing Thanksgiving dinner.  We had a chance to sample one a couple weeks ago, and it was fresh, flavorful, and very seasonal.

We wish you and your loved ones the warmest Thanksgiving;  be safe, and do eat that extra serving of turkey!

Recipe:  Brussel Sprout Gratin

• 2 pounds brussel sprouts, cut in half
• 6 slices bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• kosher salt, to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 350, and butter a baking dish.  Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.  While the water is boiling, cook the bacon over low heat, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon from the pan of drippings, and set aside on a paper towel.  Drain off all of the bacon drippings except for 1 tablespoon.  Add the shallot, and cook over low heat, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.  Once the water is boiling, add the brussel sprouts, and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain into a colander, and immediately cool down with very cold water.  Set aside and let drain.  Pour the cream over the cooled shallot mixture.  Pat the brussel sprouts dry with paper towels.  In a large mixing bowl, add the sprouts, shallot/bacon mixture, and the cheese.  Stir.  Pour into the buttered dish.  Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly, and lightly brown on top.  Serve.  Eat.

I wish I had time to make all of these delicious dishes this Thanksgiving, but I don’t.  Maybe you have the time?  

• My fellow Key Ingredient Colleagues are developing some yummy recipes
• Cranberry Vanilla Gin Cocktail
• Duck Fat Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Pumpkin Pot de Creme
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Cider Roasted Carrots
• Sweet Potato Gratin
• Leek Gratin
• Green Beans with Blue Cheese
• Crispy Potatoes
• Stilton Tart with Cranberry Chutney
• Rectangular Pumpkin Pie
• Orange and Ginger Cranberry Sauce
• Apple Cider Cream Pie
• Pumpkin Soup with Buttered Chanterelles
• Golden Pumpkin Spice Rolls
• Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Salad
• Pear Cranberry Walnut Bread

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bacon, Brussels Sprouts, Cream, Gratin, Parmesan Cheese, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetable

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Labor Day is really the last weekend of summer.  Kids are back in school.  Vacations are over.  Time to start settling in for a long winter.  For most of us it is the last weekend of grilling.  I know we will be getting in our fair share of charred meat and icy cold bevies this weekend.

I was thinking of sharing a new favorite cocktail with everyone this weekend;  but, then I thought again, back to this recipe.  I want you ALL to make this dish for the long weekend.  Full of beans, salty pork, spicy Chipotle, ripe peaches and sultry rye.  This baked bean recipe has depth;  not over sugary or salty, just full of flavor.  Don’t be afraid of the peaches in the BBQ Sauce, it is not fruity at all, it was used more as a natural sugar.  Trust us, you will love it.

Have a great weekend & be safe!

Do you have a favorite Baked Bean recipe?  If so, what do you consider to be the secret ingredient?

Recipe:  Baked Beans

• 4 cups dried pinto beans – will make about 8 cups after soaking
• 1/2 pound salt pork, small dice
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• salt, to taste
• 1 recipe of Peach and Rye BBQ Sauce

In a large stock pot cover the beans with cold water. Set aside to soak for 24 hours. After 24 hours, drain the beans. Put back into dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cook until the beans are tender; about 4 – 5 hours. Drain, reserving about a cup of liquid. In the same dutch oven, add the diced salt pork and minced onion, over low heat cook until the onion is soft; about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, to distribute the goodness. Add the BBQ sauce, stir, cover with a lid and bake in a 325 oven for 4 hours. Stir occasionally. Season with salt to taste. Serve. Eat.

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Baked Beans

Beer Baked White Beans 

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baked Beans, BBQ, Beans, Chipotle, Homemade, Labor Day, Peaches, Recipe, Rye, Sauce, Weekend

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Recipe:  Roasted Carrots

What you need:

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carrots, Recipe, roasted, Side Dish, Vegetables

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Recipe:  Roasted Cabbage

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cabbage, Recipe, roasted, Side Dish, Vegetables

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I was sitting around the other day, tossing around some ideas for new and exciting dishes.  Dishes that were new but still good old stand-bys.  You know the kind …. old favorites!  One of the first dishes that came to mind was my friend James’ twice baked potatoes.  I have not had them in years but I remember them fondly.  He would never share the recipe, saying it was a secret.  Even though, I watched him make them once or twice, I could never figure out that secret ingredient.  They were plump, cheesy and full of bacon and green onions;  but, there was something different about this tater.

I can’t say we eat very many baked potatoes around our house, which is a shame.  We eat potatoes but usually in different forms;  soup, fried in duck fat, as salad, gently boiled, you get the idea.  We also love to eat sweet potatoes but not the sweet kind.  They have to be savory.  I needed something new and tasty (and gluten free) to serve with a pork roast so I decided to try to create James’ famous twice baked potato using a sweet potato.

First I baked the potatoes in a bed of kosher salt.  I became a fan of baking my potatoes in kosher salt a few years ago.  It creates a nice crisp skin and very moist flesh as well the flavor is really outstanding without being over salty.  After I baked the potatoes, I scooped out their bright orange flesh and mixed it with some fried pancetta, sauteed green onions, a little butter and sour cream and a handful of freshly grated gouda.  After re-baking the stuffed potato skins until warm, I topped each one with a slight dollop of chipotle sour cream.  The spicy cream was a great companion to the salty pancetta and nutty gouda.  It was a party in our mouths!!  This is perfect with a roasted pork roast or a grilled steak, yet, it is filling enough to stand on it’s own.

What is your favorite twice baked potato recipe?

Recipe:  Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Cream

3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean, dried and small holes pricked throughout
1 box kosher salt
3 slices pancetta, diced
3 green onions, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sour cream
kosher salt to taste
gouda parrano uniekaas, grated, handful

Heat oven to 400.  Line a deep baking dish with foil.  Fill with about half way  full.  Bury the potatoes in the salt, cover with the remaining salt.  Bake until soft inside, about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on size of the potatoes.  While the potatoes are cooking, cook the pancetta until golden.  Add the green onions, stir and cook for about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven.  Let cool about 10 minutes.  Slice in half. Gently remove the flesh, leaving a slight lining as to not go through the skin of the potato.  Put the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork.  Add the pancetta mixture, butter and teaspoon of sour cream, stir until mixed.  Season with salt.  Stuff the skins with the mixture of sweet potatoes.  Put the stuffed sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet covered with kosher salt (I used salt from the first baking) and slide into a 350 oven and cook until warmed throughout, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple minutes.  Top with a spoonful of chipotle cream.  Serve.  Eat.

Recipe: Chipotle Cream

1/4 cup sour cream, full fat
3 teaspoons chipotle powder

Mix in a small bowl, let set at room temperature until time to serve potatoes.

If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:

Judis Bistro Twice Baked Potatoes

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chipotle, Gluten Free, Green Onions, Pancetta, Potato, Recipe, Sour Cream, Sweet Potato, Twice Baked

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Remember those beautiful chanterelles we received?  Well we had two fairly good sized ones left, which left us with the delemma of what to make.  We both love grilled steaks with mushrooms … need we say more!

The chanterelles are so flavorful that they really do not need too much added to them.  I sauteed them simply with olive oil, thyme, a little shallot, garlic and then finished it off with butter.  Perfect companion for these beautiful grass-fed steaks!

These chanterelles would also be lovely on a piece of toasted baguette.

Recipe:  Sauteed Chanterelles

2 medium sized chanterelles, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon butter

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan.  Add the shallot and garlic, give a stir and cook for about 3minutes, to soften.  Add chanterelles.  Stir.  Lower heat and cook until soft and golden, about 15 minutes.  Stir on and off during this process.  Add thyme and butter, stir.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chanterelle, Dinner, Easy Dinner, Mushroom, Recipe, Steak, Vegetables

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Organic brown rice is simmered to perfection with green onions, olive oil and grated carrots, then lightly scented with warm bahart, served with simply roasted cauliflower for an easy midweek dinner or a great side for a roasted meal inspired meal.

We are down to bare bones at our house, it is definitely time to hit the market again.  I only had a few ingredients to work with cauliflower, rice (thanks to Gudrun, for snagging me a big bag of Massa Orangics Brown Rice at Blogher – been dying to try their rice), some random staple veggies and spices.  Usually when I have cauliflower around, I end up steaming it or turning it into soup – this was not exciting at all.  As well, we are not big rice fans as we find it rather boring, but these were my ingredients to use – feel like a “Chopped Episode”.

I decided I would saute some green onions with garlic and then lightly brown the rice before adding the water.  While it was simmering, I rummaged through my spices and decided to go with a middle eastern inspired meal, by adding Baharat.  Baharat?  Some of you may be wondering what that is, others know exactly what I am talking about.   Baharat, in Arabic, means spices.  It is a mixture of spices that is used in Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, Iraqi, Israeli and Palestinian as well as in Turkish and Iranian dishes.   Typical ingredients of Baharat include:  allspice, black peppercorns, cardamon, cassia, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and dried red chilies or paprika.   While the rice was simmering away (and did it smell great or what), I roasted the cauliflower with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle  of sea salt.  By the time the rice was finished, the cauliflower was roasted to a nice golden color.  I seasoned the rice with a little grey salt and a sprinkle more of the baharat.  The caramelized cauliflower was the perfect companion to the warm comforting rice – the baharat added such a pleasant aroma and taste to the entire dish.

Recipe:  Baharat Scented Rice

2 green onions, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

1 teaspoon baharat

1/2 carrot, grated

kosher salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a saucepan, over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, give a couple stirs and then add the rice.  Stir a few times until the rice is lightly golden.  Add the water and baharat, bring down to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 45 – 50 minutes.  10 minutes before it is finished stir in the carrot and season with salt.  Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Serve.  Eat.

Recipe:  Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower, stem removed and washed, pat dry

drizzle of olive oil

sprinkle of sea salt

Heat oven to 425.  Slice cauliflower and lay in a roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprikle with salt.  Put into oven and roast for about 45 minutes, until golden, cooked but slightly crunchy, unless you prefer a softer vegtable, then cook longer.  Remove from oven.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baharat, Brown Rice, Cauliflower, Dinner, Easy Dinner, Massa Organics, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Food, Recipe, Rice, Risotto & Rice, Vegetables

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Brussels sprouts and shallots are slowly roasted in duck fat until caramelized to bring out the natural sugars and flavors.

We both dislike Brussels sprouts;  yes, we are haters!  Which may seem odd since I am posting a recipe for just that.  Recently we were at the Foodbuzz awards dinner and one of the dishes was Brussels sprouts.  I have to admit I was not happy to see this on the menu, how was I going to gag these down at a dinner party?  I was pleasantly surprised that they were amazingly ….. amazing.  In fact, I loved them;  slightly crispy with that nice golden color of being roasted.  Unfortunately, I still was not convinced nor did I ever plan on attempting to put a Brussels sprout on the table!  Then I saw a few different posts floating around about the “Brussels sprout”.

While Allison was showing me around the farmer’s market a couple weeks ago, I asked her about her Brussels sprout dish.  She said she was inspired by the same Brussels sprout at Foodbuzz and that her dish was really good.  This convinced me (as well as the duck fat addition) to give them another try.  Last weekend we had a little pre-Thanksgiving dinner with my family and I decided I would spring this Brussels sprout dish on them.  I did end up changing Allison’s dish somewhat, only because there was a whole lotta cranberries already happening on our table.  I left out the almonds and cranberries and added caramelized shallots instead.  The result …. delicious!  Everyone loved them, even my 2 year old nephew, who kept saying “more”.    Keep in mind this recipe is for an army of eaters, so you can half it if need be.

Recipe:  Duck Fat Roasted Brussels Sprouts

*inspired by Local Lemons

4 pounds Brussels sprouts

8 oz duck fat

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

kosher salt, to taste

fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 450.  Slowly melt all of the duck fat, except for 2 tablespoons, in a saucepan.  Remove outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts, keep the ones that do not have any blemishes.  Cut off and throw out the bottom of each Brussels sprout, and cut them in half.  Lay in a roasting pan and drizzle the melted duck fat over the top.  Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper.  Roast for about 30 minutes until golden brown and caramelized.  Gently stir the sprouts about 15 minute into the roasting.  While the sprouts are roasting, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of duck fat in a frying pan.  Thinly slice the outer leaves that you saved.  Add the shallots to the duck fat and slowly cook, over low heat, until lightly crisped.  Add the outer leaves and give a quick stir, just to coat the leaves, about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat.  Before serving stir the shallots/outer leaf mixture into the roasted Brussels sprouts.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brussels Sprouts, Dinner, Duck Fat, Kid Friendly, Recipe, Roasted Vegetables, Shallot, Side Dish

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The creaminess as well as the tartness of goat cheese rounds out the sweetness that roasting brings to fresh squash, the garlicky tahini dressing is the added bonus.

We made this dish a couple weeks ago to serve with our lemon rosemary roasted chicken.  When we were planning this menu we had no idea that the finished meal would be a “mini” pre-Thanksgiving.  This acorn squash dish was inspired by a roasted pumpkin dish I found in Australian Gourmet.  This dish is middle eastern inspired by using a garlicky tahini dressing, cilantro and goat cheese, which went very well with the roasted acorn squash.  In fact, this would be a great substitution for those “yams” that always find their way onto a Thanksgiving table.  As well it makes a great vegetarian meal.

Recipe:  Roast Pumpkin Wedges with almonds, goat’s cheese and tahini dressing

*adapted from Australian Gourmet

3 lb kabocha pumpkin or sugar pie pumpkin * we used acorn squash as we could not find pumpkin

1/4 cup olive oil

85 grams natural almonds – we did not add the almonds, we were going to use pumpkin seeds but ran out of time

80 grams soft goat’s cheese

1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon tahin

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350.  Place pumpkin wedges, skin side down, in a  roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, season to taste and roast until tender 45 – 50 minutes.  Meanwhile, roast almonds on an oven tray until golden, 6 – 7 minutes, cool, then coarsely chop.  For the tahini dressing, crush garlic cloves to a smooth paste in a mortar and pestle, whisk in the remaining ingredients and season to taste.  Divide pumpkin wedges among plates, crumble over the cheese, scatter with the almonds and cilantro leaves, and drizzle with the tahini dressing.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Acorn Squash, Dinner, Goat Cheese, middle eastern, Pumpkin, Recipe, roasted, Side Dish, Squash, tahini dressing, Vegetables

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I always like to “kid” ourselves into thinking that the sweet potato is the “healthy” alternative to the potato.  I love potatoes and could  eat them everyday, literally.  Neither of us are yam fans and do not even think of bringing over a marshmallow covered dish of sickly sweet yams to our house.  But, when that yam has been called a sweet potato (even though a “yam” is not a sweet potato), I am intrigued!  I discovered sweet potato fries a few years back and fell in love;  move over russet there is a new guy in town!

We were cleaning out the freezer last week before our jaunt up to Lake Tahoe and found one lonely little grass fed Le Cense steak - it was definitely time to fire up the grill (yes, it was even warm enough to do that) and get the oil hot for some chips.  I seasoned the steak with a Chipotle seasoning, I love to use, and just grilled it until rare.  The sweet potato chips really complimented the slightly smokey flavor of the steak …. great choice!

Recipe:  Sweet Potato Chips

(printed recipe)

2 sweet potatoes

canola oil

sea salt, to taste

Slice the sweet potatoes thinly.  Heat the canola oil in a shallow frying pan, about half way up.  To test for the right temperature, I drop a slice in and if it instantly starts to sizzle, it is ready.  Fry the potatoes in batches until golden.  Remove from the oil and bolt dry with paper towels.  Put on a cookie sheet in the oven at 200, to keep warm.  Before serving sprinkle with sea salt.  Serve.  Eat.

* I like to serve chips and fries with a little dish of mayo that has been seasoned with a couple minced gloves of garlic.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dinner, Recipe, Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato Chips, Sweet Potato Fries

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Hungry?  No food in the house?  Don’t want to do a big grocery shop?  Not take out again!  This is an easy dinner to make in a snap.  Hot Italian Sausage grilled to perfection and served on warm toasty ciabatta bread with caramelized onions, red peppers and fennel pollen.

We are not quit settled into our new place.  Boxes are everywhere.  The fridge is bare.  The pantry is smaller, so there is not much there.  And we are tried of take out.  On our way home from work we stopped by our favorite little neighborhood market, BiRite, with all intentions of picking up stuff for spring pea soup – they were out of peas.  Time to switch gears.  After wandering around, I found some of their housemade sausage and decided to make sandwiches.

A couple Superbowls back we made a warm red pepper slaw and served it with sausage, this is where I got the inspiration for this dish.  I was going to toss in thin slices of fennel but then remembered the lovely addition to the package, David of Earthy Delights sent us, Fennel Pollen;  this would be perfect, I was sure!   I slowly caramelized yellow onions with red peppers and seasoned with black Hawaiian Lava salt flakes and before serving, sprinkled the fennel pollen over it – WOW!  Not only does the pollen smell fantastic but it tastes amazing.

Before reading the recipes don’t forget to FLIP OUT & enter our gift away!

Recipe:  Caramelized Onions and Red Peppers

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

black hawaiian salt flakes, to taste

fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

3 teaspoons fennel pollen

2 of your favorite sausage, grilled;  we used hot italian sausage

2 ciabatta, split in half and warmed

Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add onions and peppers, lower heat, and slowly cook, stirring often until caramelized, about 15 – 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turn off heat and sprinkle fennel pollen over the top.

To serve:  split ciabatta in half, layer with caramelized mixture and top with grilled sausage.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Caramelized Onions, Fennel Pollen, Grilling, Italian Sausage, Red Peppers

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