Jarlsberg Cod or Jarlsberg Torsk

Tonight we splurged a bit but it was well worth it!  This was really really good!!!  Definitely a keeper recipe.  Thought I think I might have cooked a bit longer than I should have.  Oh well, live and learn!!

I found this recipe in the book, Authentic Norwegian Cooking by Astrid Karlsen Scott.  It is so easy to make - the hardest part is slicing all the vegetables and grating the cheese!!

Ingredients

1 to 2 lb cod fillet

2 small leeks, sliced very thin

2 to 3 tomatoes (I used roma tomatoes) sliced

1 3/4 grated Jarlsberg Cheese or your Choice of Swiss cheese

2/3 cup Half and Half

Season to taste - salt, pepper and garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350

Place the fish in a greased shallow baking dish.  Season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Arrange the sliced leeks on top of the fish.

Add the tomato slices.

Top with the Jarlsberg Cheese and pour the Half and Half over all of the fish.

The recipe says bake until done.  

I let it bake for about a half hour.  I think that was too much, maybe 20 minutes would have been better.  Anyway, the fish was EXCELLENT!!  My husband LOVED it!! (and so did I!).

Enjoy!!

Here is the entire recipe:

Jarlsberg Cod


Ingredients

1 to 2 lb cod fillet
2 small leeks, sliced very thin
2 to 3 tomatoes (I used roma tomatoes) sliced
1 3/4 grated Jarlsberg Cheese or your Choice of Swiss cheese
2/3 cup Half and Half
Season to taste - salt, pepper and garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350
Place the fish in a greased shallow baking dish.  Season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Arrange the sliced leeks on top of the fish.
Add the tomato slices.
Top with the Jarlsberg Cheese and pour the Half and Half over all of the fish.
The recipe says bake until done - about 20 to 25 minutes.

Sausage and Grits

Now doesn't that sound like a GREAT way to start off the morning!!  The best thing about this recipe is that you can make it the day before and heat it up in the microwave for a delicious breakfast!  Life just doesn't get any easier than this!!  And if your house is like mine in the morning, you need EASY!!!  It also freezes well!!

Apparently, I am on a Paula Deen theme for some reason because here is another one of her recipes and it is GOOD!!  My resident food expert (i.e., husband) LOVED it!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked Grits
1 lb ground pork sausage (I just got plain ole sausage - no maple flavored or whatever)
1 onion, chopped
2 4 1/2 ounce cans chopped green chilies
1 stick of butter (8 T)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cups grated Cheddar Cheese
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 t paprika
1/2 cup parsley

Preheat oven to 325.

Cook grits in 4 cups salted water until very thick.

Saute sausage in a large skillet, breaking into small pieces.  Add onion and chillies to the sausage (oh smells SO good!!).

Add the butter, beaten eggs, cheese and Tabasco sauce to the sausage mixture.  Stir to completely mix all ingredients.  Remove skillet from heat.

Combine the sausage mixture with the grits and mix completely.

Pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish and sprinkle cheese, paprika and parsley on top.   (Doesn't that look GOOD!!)

Bake for 1 hour.

This is so good!!  I wasn't sure I would like it with the chillies and the Tabasco sauce but this is definitely a keeper recipe!!

Enjoy!!!

Paula Deen's Apple Pie

In honor of "National Pie Day" (who knew there was such a day!!), I decided to make my husband an apple pie.  I figured if anyone knew how to make a good apple pie, it would be Paula Deen.  So far, all the recipes I have tried of hers have been exceptional, so why should this be any different?  Well, Paula, you let me down on this one!!

I do have admit it does look really good and this was my first attempt at doing a pie with a lattice top.  I will post her recipe as I made it and will mark with ** what I think should be changed to make this a better pie.

Paula Deen's Apple Pie

2 unbaked 9 inch prepared pie crusts (use your favorite recipe or cheat like I did and use Pillsbury pie crusts)

3 pounds of apples - I used Granny Smith apples - about 6 to 8 apples
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 T flour
2 t ground cinnamon
2 t ground nutmeg ** too much nutmeg!!!  I would only 1/2 t or maybe even 1 tsp this ruined the pie!!
1 t ground ginger ** I would omit this completely - did nothing to the pie
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T cold butter. cut into tiny pieces
milk to brush the top of pie
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling the top of the pie

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Line pie pan with the dough, cover with parchment paper or aluminium foil, weigh down with pie weights or beans.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepared the filling. Peel, core and slice the apples into thin slices.

Mix together the brown sugar, flour, spices, and vanilla.    Add to the apples and make sure all the slices are evenly coated.

By now the crust should be done.  Remove from oven, remove pie weights, and take off parchment paper/foil.  Fill the crust with the apple mixture and dot with the butter pieces.

Roll out the second pie crust and cut 1/2 inch slices for the lattice work.

Brush the top of the lattice work with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is nicely golden brown and the juices are bubbly.

VERDICT:

It makes a really pretty looking pie BUT way too much nutmeg.  That is all you taste when you bite into a piece.  The nutmeg ruins the pie.  Will I make this again?  Maybe . . . I think I might but I will reduce the nutmeg like I noted above and omit the ginger. I was very disappointed in this pie as Paula had wrote it.

My Mother-in-Law's Stuffed Tomato Recipe

This is THE BEST stuffed tomato recipe you will ever find.  And I am the only one she gave it to.  No one else in my family has it and I am sharing it with you.  And it is SO easy!!!

Ingredients

4 medium to large tomatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkg frozen spinach - thawed and drained
1/4 cup Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
Butter
Garlic salt
Sharp Cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 350.

Slice the tops off the tomatoes

Remove the centers and sprinkle with Garlic salt

Mixed the 1/2 cup of sour cream with the drained spinach and stuff the cavity of each tomato.

Mix the 1/4 cup cornbread with the 1/4 cup brown sugar and sprinkle over the tomatoes.

Put a small pat of butter on top of each tomato and sprinkle the sharp cheddar cheese on top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

 Let me know what you think!  This is my husband's favorite!

ENJOY!!

Scandinavian Rye Bread

It is your typical dreary, wintry day in Ohio and the weatherman is predicting snow all day.  So what better thing to do than try out a new recipe!!  And I have been searching for a good rye bread recipe.

I found this recipe in a book by Pat Sinclair called Scandinavian Classic Baking.  Scanning over the ingredients - WHEW!! I had them all so no need to make a dash to the grocery store.  I don't do snow, so fortunately I can experiment today!!  So the search for the perfect rye bread recipe starts . . .

Ingredients

2 cups 2% milk
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 T dark molasses, divided
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used Crisco butter flavored because that is all I had)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast or 1 .25 ounce pkg of active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115F)
1 1/2 cups rye flour
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1 T water

Directions
Combine the milk, brown sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, and shortening into a medium sauce pan and heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan - roughly 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove the pan and let cool to 115F.  The shortening does not need to melt.  Pour mixture into the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer (like a kitchenaid or something similar).

Sprinkle the yeast on top of warm water and stir.  Let sit for about 5 minutes.

Add the yeast, the rye flour and 3 cups of the all-purpose flour to milk, shortening, molasses mixture.  Beat for about 3 minutes on medium speed with a dough hook.

Add 3 more cups of the all-purpose flour or enough to make a soft dough.

Place the dough on a well-floured surface and knead for about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add more flour as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic.  (The dough feels really nice to knead - a good sign!)

To determine whether the dough has been sufficiently kneaded, place the dough on your counter top, pull both ends gently and release. The dough should be smooth and elalstic, spring back and no longer sticky.

Spray a bowl with cooking spray (like Pam).  Shape the dough into a ball shape.  Place the dough into the bowl.

 Turn the dough over coating on all sides.  Cover the bowl loosely with saran wrap.  Let the dough rise in a warm place.  I usually let my dough rise in my oven with the oven light on.  Let the dough rise until double in size, roughly 1 hour.

When it has doubled, poke the dough with your two fingers - if your imprint stays, it is ready..

Grease two 9" x 5" loaf pans.  Punch down the dough (this great for little kids to do  if you have them!!).  Place the dough on a floured surface and cut the dough into 2 pieces.

Roll out the dough into a 14" x 9 rectangle.

If the dough becomes difficult to work with, cover it and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes to relax the gluten.  Roll the dough up from the short side and pinch the ends to seal it.  Place in a greased pan with the seam side on the bottom, folding the ends under.

Repeat with the second loaf.  Cover each loaf loosely with saran wrap.

Let the loaves rise in a warm place (again I use my oven with the oven light on) about 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove the pans from the oven.  Heat your oven to 375F.  Combine the remaining 2 T of molasses and 1 T of water and brush the tops of the loaves.  Using a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal slashes on top of each loaf about 1/2" deep.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until dark brown and loaves sound hollow when thumped.  Using an instant read thermometer, the temperature of the loaves should read 185F or higher.

Cool the loaves in the pans for 5 minutes before removing.

 Let cool another 30 minutes before slicing (if you can!!)  That's the hard part!!

ENJOY!!!

Verdict:

I haven't tasted them yet BUT when removing them from the pans I could tell they are very soft not hard like a brick.  So that is a good sign!!  I might sneak a slice before my husband comes home.  The house does smell wonderful!

Both my husband and I had a slice of the bread tonight.  Oh yes, this is definitely a keeper recipe.  It is a very light rye bread.  So if you are looking for a dark rye or a jewish rye, this is not the bread for you.  But I was very pleased with this recipe.  As I said before, I have been looking for rye bread recipes that don't turn into bricks.  This is the first one that I found that worked!!  YEAH!!  I am definitely going to make this again!

Paula Dean's Oatmeal Cookies

The search for the "Perfect" Oatmeal cookie continues.  At least, the homemade Oatmeal cookie.  I have tried a couple of recipes on here.  And they all have been "good" but not GREAT.  You know what I mean - the cookie that just makes you want to eat more.  So I figured if anyone could make a "Perfect" oatmeal cookie, Paula could probably come pretty close.  And I have had really good success with all her recipes in the past.

I found this recipe in her book, Kitchen Classics.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature (I always use unsalted)
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg (she says this is optional - but I put it in)
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats - I just had old-fashioned oats - can't see that would make any difference
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (I omitted this because my husband is not a big nut fan)
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease two baking sheets with Pam or something similar.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the two sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time.

Add the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and nutmeg.  Add this to the creamed mixture.

Stir in the oats, nuts (if adding) and raisins.

Drop the dough by heaping 2 tablespoons on the greased baking sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (or until golden brown).  Cool on rack.

I thought they were pretty good. Are they the "Perfect" oatmeal cookie?  Maybe . . . maybe not but pretty close.  Now I have to wait for my local Oatmeal Cookie expert's opinion (my husband).

VERDICT:

My Resident Oatmeal Cookie Expert loved them!!  So this is a keeper recipe.  At least, the recipe I will be using for the time being.  They are good.

Enjoy!

Fried Cabbage with Sausage - Quick and Easy Dinner

I have no idea where I found this recipe.  It was in my "magic" Internet folder - I am sure you all have those folders where you print off recipes you see on the Internet that you plan to make some day and someday you do and someday you don't - HA HA!  So if I remember WHERE I found this, I will give the appropriate person or website due credit.

Anyway, if you are looking for a quick and easy dinner, here it is.  This has become my 'go to" meal for those last minute dinners.  It is easy and tastes oh-so good! And my family loves it!!  As always, I made a few changes and they will be noted with **

Fried Cabbage with Sausage

Ingredients
1 small cabbage, chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 stick butter or margarine
1 lb smoked sausage ** (once I substituted polish kielbasa and I think I liked that better than the smoked sausage) - sliced in 1 inch pieces
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes ** I add 2 cans of diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add cabbage and onion.  Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking to the pan.

Add the remaining ingredients (tomatoes and sausage).

Stir to combine.  Cover the pan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

This is so good - my husband usually goes back for seconds and thirds!!

Enjoy!!

Paula Dean's Piggy Pudding

Doesn't this make you want to sing "O bring us some figgy pudding, O bring us some figgy pudding, O bring us some figgy pudding . . . ."  Ok, it's Monday, what do you expect!!

I saw this recipe in her book, Paula Dean's Kitchen Classics and the title of the recipe caught my attention.  Who ever heard of a pig making pudding (might make a good children's book . . . hmmm!!).  Read the recipe, seemed easy enough, but did require a visit to my local grocery store.  I thought this would be perfect for my husband's breakfast in the morning.  I run out of ideas for breakfast, don't you??  As always, I had to make some modifications which will be noted with **:

Paula Dean's Piggy Pudding

Ingredients:

16 link pork sausages ** (I could find packages with only 14 sausages and didn't feel like buying 2 packages for the other 2 sausages to make up the 16)
4 to 5 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 7 1/2 ounce package corn bread mix (prepare batter according to the directions on the box) ** I couldn't find a corn bread mix that was 7 1/2 ounces, the best I could find was the Jiffy Corn Muffin mix which was 8 1/2 ounces).

Preheat oven to 450

Cook the sausages until done, piercing with fork to let all the grease out.  Drain.

Arrange the sausages in a 9 inch square baking dish** I think since I only used 14 sausages, a smaller baking dish would have been more suitable - oh well!!

Layer the apples on top of the sausages.

Pour the corn bread batter over all. (a smaller dish would have probably been better!)

Bake for approximately 30.  Serve with warm pancake syrup - YUM!!!

Now to wait to see what my number one judge (my husband) thinks!  It sure smells good!

VERDICT:

My husband LOVED it!!!  In fact, he wanted me to put it in his lunch today.  So this is definitely a keeper recipe!!!

Jarlsberg Filled Peppers or Jarlsbergfylt paprika

Tonight's dinner comes from Norway - well, not really, but I found the recipe in the cookbook Authentic Norwegian Cooking by Astrid Karlsen Scott.

Oh my!!  What a great recipe and so easy to make, takes only minutes.  Yes, you will probably have to run to the grocery store to get the peppers and the Jarlsberg Swiss Cheese, but this recipe is worth it!  This is definitely a keeper recipe.  I did make a few modifications to the recipe and I will note them with **

Ingredients

3 large peppers, red or green (I choose the red because the looked pretty!)

juice of 1 lemon ** (I didn't have a lemon, so I used 1 to 2 T of lemon juice)

coarse salt (like sea salt)

2/3 cup French Bread crumbs ** (I used the bread crumbs you buy in the store)

1 pound ground beef

1 1/4 cup Jarlsberg Swiss, diced

3 1/2 T butter

1/2 t Tabasco sauce

Garlic salt ** (I didn't have any Garlic salt so I used Garlic powder)

pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut the peppers in half, removing the stems and seeds.  

Sprinkle the coarse salt on a baking pan.

Combine the ground beef, tabasco sauce, garlic salt (or powder), lemon juice, bread crumbs and half of the jarlsberg cheese.

Pack each pepper with the meat mixture and top with the remaining cheese.

Melt the butter, add the garlic salt (or powder) and brush over the tops of the peppers.

Place each pepper on top of the coarse salt on the baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes.

YUM!!!  

This was a winner with my husband!  I am definitely going to be making this again.  So if you are looking for a quick and easy AND delicious dinner - here you go!!