Sunday Supper Recipes

Ask and ye shall receive - I'm up in here about to give you all of the recipes I made for Sunday supper - except the roast.  I wasn't too keen on the roast beast.  It had a rub that was made with allspice, and girls, that just don't sit right in my mouth.  I was a bit hesitant to make it, but I'm wanting to get better making roasts and the like, so I gave it the old college try.

Right now I'm chilled to the bone.  I've been out playing with newspapers and wood chips.  I may or may not have lost my mind, as I'm putting in 1800 sq feet of more gardens.

Go big or go home!

I've been going since 4:30 this am, and I'm ready for a hot bath and a nap.

I'll tell you about that and show you pictures in the next post or two.  I'm supposed to be getting a truck load of wood chips delivered sometime today, and I'm hoping tonight to move my beehives.  I can only imagine the madness that will ensue with me, seven bee hives, a dolly and a lumpy yard.

Alrighty - without further adieu...

Caramelized Balsamic Onion Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan

This photo surely doesn't do it justice

This is what I did - 

• One really large sweet onion
• 1 T olive oil

Saute the onion in the olive oil, until nice and translucent - do not over brown, keep the flame low.  About ten minutes.

• 1 1/2 T of balsamic vinegar
• 1 T water

Add this to the onions, stir, cover and let it cook on low for about 8 minutes - should be cooked down and thickish.

In the meantime - wash, trim and half peel about 7 or 8 red potatoes, as big as your fist.

Cube, and cook until tender.  Drain.

To the potatoes add:

• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• reserved caramelized onions.

Hand mash all together.  Put it in the prettiest bowl you own.  Bam.  You are such an awesome cook!

Best Green Beans on the Planet

One word.

Bacon.

There - instantly everything is right in the world.

• Six slices of bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb green beans, fresh preferred, frozen - never canned
• salt and pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes to taste (I use about 1/3 of a teaspoon)

Cook the green beans to your liking. I like this recipe best with fresh green beans, or the whole frozen ones.  This time (pictured above) I made it with the frozen cut beans, and they didn't present as well as the whole bean.  I like my beans to be cooked, but not mushy - it's your preference, if you like them tender crisp, go for it.

While the beans are cooking - chop up your bacon into small pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat, with the garlic and onions.  Your house is gonna smell ridiculous!  Keep stirring this around, don't let your garlic turn dark brown - turn the heat down if necessary.  Cook it until your bacon is almost super crisp.  Drain some of the bacon grease out.  Leave a good 3T in there.

Now, drain your beans and add them to the skillet with the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Stir it around good and let it just all cook for a few minutes.  Now plate these babies up and serve them to people you love, or people that you'd like to love you.  I guarantee - after they eat these...they'll love ya.

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

This banana pudding brings back many a childhood memory of living in the city of Chicago for the first 26 years of my life.  My mom made it often, and well - I need a cigarette after I eat it, and I don't even smoke.

My mom always made it with meringue on top, and she always perfectly browned it.  I like that idea, cause then you can use up the egg whites left over from the recipe - but I just scrambled mine up and ate them.

Also - the recipe called for a 9x13 pan.  Me, thinking that something deeper would be more decadent, used an oval vintage Pyrex I had. I was trying to channel the 1970's when I ate this with regularity.

It was a mistake.  The pudding to wafer ratio was off.  If I made it again I would A) use the 9x13, or B) Use two boxes of wafers.  I think using two boxes of wafers is a good idea, cause that's the best part, and then you have some to nibble on when you are making it, or C) make all the pudding, eat half of it and use the other half in this recipe.

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup flour 
• 1/4 cup cornstarch 
• 7 cups milk 
• 4 egg yolks, beaten 
• 1/4 cup butter, softened 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 package (12-oz) vanilla wafers, or two - see my note above.
• 7 ripe medium bananas, peeled & sliced

Combine sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

Pour milk into a large saucepan; cook over medium heat until candy thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Gradually stir one-fourth of hot milk into yolks; stir into reserved dry ingredients, and add to remaining hot milk.

Cook, stirring constantly, and I do mean constantly - don't be checking text messages and petting the cat -  until mixture thickens and coats the spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla.

 Let cool to room temperature after you've already blistered your mouth trying the scalding pudding.  I stirred mine very often so that a skin didn't form and it cooled faster.

 Line bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with one-third of the vanilla wafers.

 Arrange half of banana slices over wafers; top with half of cooled custard. Repeat layers, reserving one-third of wafers to crumble and sprinkle over custard.

Chill thoroughly. Serves 1 food addict, or about 10 normal people. 

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Let's bring back Sunday Supper!