Two-Potato Gratin

from my sister-in-law's WW cookbook. It definitely helps to have a mandolin to slice up the potatoes.

2 large leeks, halved and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
3 baking potatoes (1/2lb), peeled and thinly sliced
1 large sweet potato (3/4lb), peeled and thinly sliced
1/3c fat-free half and half
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 450, spray 2qt baking dish with nonstick spray

Spray large skillet with non stick spray. Over med heat, cook leeks until softened, about 8 min. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.

Layer half of baking potatoes, covered by half the leek mixture, top with all sweet potatoes, then rest of leek mixture and remaining baking potatoes. Cover with foil and bake about 40 min or until tender when pierced with a knife.

Uncover and drizzle with half and half, sprinkle with cheese and. Bake uncovered until slightly brown about 12 min. Let stand 10 min before cutting into 8 servings.

Sprinkle with some coarse sea salt before serving.

Per serving: 143 cal, 3g total fat, 1 g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 7mg cholesterol, 194 mg sodium, 26g total carb, 4g total sugar, 3g fiber, 5g protein, 113 mg calcium.

Sweet Potato Souffle

From the three pugs and a baby blog

I tried to make ahead the filling and refrigerate but I think that added way too much time to the cooking time and the top burnt a bit - next time I am going to try cooking the sweet potatoes ahead of time but then reheating them before making the filling. This serves a crowd but can be halved for weeknight meals.

3 cups cooked, peeled sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all of the above ingredients and pour into a buttered baking dish.

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine topping by hand and spread over sweet potato mix.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until topping is light brown.

Chive Biscuits

Recipe by Ina Garten

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives or fresh parsley leaves
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. With the mixer on low, add the half-and-half and beat until just mixed. Add the chives and mix until just combined.

Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and knead lightly into a rectangle 3/4-inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Alternatively make a log and cut into pieces. Brush with the egg wash.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are firm. Serve warm.

Sage, Sausage and Apple Dressing

16-ounce bag stuffing cubes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and topping
1 pound fresh sage sausage, casing removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cooking apples, such as Gravenstein, Rome, or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 to 2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted (See Note)
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put the stuffing cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but not so much that it's dry, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and pan drippings to the stuffing cubes.

Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the onion, apple, celery, and salt. Cook until the vegetables get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Mix in the walnuts and eggs.

Loosely pack the dressing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust, about 40 minutes. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of turkey pan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Set immediately or warm.

Tips: Put the dressing in the oven during the last hour of cooking the turkey
Note: To toast nuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree F oven until golden, about 7 minutes. Also can add dried fruit.

Roasted Broccoli

You could almost eat this broccoli as a main dish it is so good. I try and use the good parmesan since that is a lot of the flavor in this dish.

2 large bunches of broccoli, cut into florets and dried thoroughly
3 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 tbs basil, chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Toss broccoli with olive oil, salt and garlic. Roast at 425 for 20-25 minutes until some florets are a little brown.

Zest and juice the lemon over the broccoli, add the basil and sprinkle with parmesan.

Coconut Rice

Doesn't really taste a lot like coconut but has a great mild coconut and nutty flavor - it is the fat in the coconut milk that makes the rice better than plain.

2c jasmine rice
1c chicken stock
1c unsweetened coconut milk
1tsp salt
Chopped parsley or cilantro

Depending on the rice instructions, I usually do about half and half of the chicken stock and coconut milk - just sub for the water that the recipe calls for. Recipe also says to rinse and drain rice in cold water before cooking but I often forget this step and haven't noticed a difference in the final product.

Place stock, milk and rice in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to lowest possible setting and cover pot tightly with lid. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand 10 minutes covered. Fluff with fork, add herbs to taste and serve.

Pineapple Stuffing

This recipe came from my sister-in-law Michelle. This is great with ham and I most often double the recipe to serve a bunch of us. It is sweet but no one complains since it is so yummy.

8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
1c sugar
1/2c butter, softened
4 eggs
5 slices white bread, cubed and dried (overnight)

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time. Stir in pineapple, fold in bread.

Place in deep casserole dish and bake for 1 hour at 350.

Baked Green Beans

This came from my sister's sister-in-law. I love making this for the holidays and it is as good reheated as it is fresh out of the oven. I use the precut steam in bag green beans for ease of prep.

1 large sweet onion cut into wedges
1/4 c cooking oil
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 lb green beans
6 oz baby portobella mushrooms, halved
6 oz goat cheese
2-3 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 400

Cook onions, covered, in cooking oil over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and add brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium-high heat 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Combine olive oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. Toss green beans to coat and roast for 15-20 minutes.

Spread onions over green beans. Mix goat cheese and milk with a hand mixer, spoon over green beans and return to oven for 5 min.