A Sign of Spring - Asparagus!

The first asparagus of the season is one of spring's signals. It is now appearing at the grocery's produce department even though I've not found it in my roadside patch yet. I will check daily as I'm always surprised when I find an 18-inch spear where I didn't see anything a few days ago.



Asparagus is a tender vegetable and pairs well with cheese. This easy and quick recipe will go with anything and is a favorite at our house. Thanks to Taste of Home for this spring recipe.


LEMON-PARMESAN BROILED ASPARAGUS

¼ cup mayonnaise

4 tsp. olive oil (I used lemon-infused olive oil)

1 ½ tsp. grated lemon zest

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp. seasoned salt

½ tsp. pepper

ready to go under the broiler.

1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed

2 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1.    Preheat broiler. In a bowl, combine first 6 ingredients.

2.    Spread asparagus in a single layer on a foil-lined 15x10-inch pan. Spread above mixture over asparagus. 

 

3.    Broil 5-6 inches from heat until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Asparagus goes well with anything - especially steak! 

Upgraded TaterTot Casserole

TaterTot casserole is a kid-pleaser. It has been a favorite for generations and this upgraded version will appeal to the whole family. I changed Chef Alli's recipe a bit (reduced bacon and cheese and omitted onions). Also, instead of tater tots I used corn nuggets, a similar frozen product made with corn kernels instead of potato bits. We liked it and it was eaten quickly!

TaterTot – Bacon – Cheeseburger Casserole

Ingredients: 

1 ½ pounds ground beef

6 slices bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

10.75 oz can condensed cheddar cheese soup

16 oz. sour cream

32-oz package frozen tater tots (will have some left over)

Instructions: 

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.    In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until nicely browned and no pink remains; drain fats well. 

3.    In a mixing bowl, combine cooked beef, crumbled bacon (save some for garnish), 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, soup, and sour cream; spread prepared mixture into a greased 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Top with tater tots; placing them in even rows over the filling, then gently spray tater tots with nonstick baking spray. 

4.    Bake, uncovered, on center rack for 40-45 minutes, or until filling is hot and bubbly, and tater tots are golden brown. Garnish with cheese and chopped bacon. Serve at once. 

More Lemons

Lemons taste like sunshine! And we are so ready for sunshine and warm days. These Meyer Lemon Cake Bars are tart, moist, and buttery-rich. They seem like a cross between a brownie and a lemon bar, lemony-sweet perfection. Also from the Meyer Lemons my friend gave me.

MEYER LEMON CAKE BARS

Cake Bar Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 ½ cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice

2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest 

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Glaze Ingredients: 

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest

Directions: 

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inchx9-inch baking pan and set aside. 

2.    In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. 

3.    Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition

4.    Add lemon juice and lemon zest and beat on low speed just until combined. 

5.    In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

6.    Pour the flour mixture into the butter/sugar/egg mixture and blend. 

7.    Spread the mixture into the baking pan. 

8.    Bake 30 minutes until the cake bars begin to turn golden brown around the edges and are set in the middle. 

9.    Cool for 20-30 minutes. 

10.  Whisk the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the top of the cake bars. 

Look what a rich yellow color the farm-fresh eggs make! 

Sliding past St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day was this weekend but we think anytime this month (or other months) is a good time to enjoy Reuben sandwiches. Sometimes it is 'iffy' to order at a restaurant - is the meat tough or in big hunks? Is is too greasy? Is the favor just the right balance of tang and savory? This recipe for Reuben Sliders hits all the right answers. And it is quick and easy to make. As with the other sliders I've made I like using Hawaiian style dinner rolls. I cut the pack of twelve into 2 halves of 6 rolls each before slicing horizontally to make separating the top and bottom easier. Also I like to brush the melted butter topping mixture on with a pastry brush and I think you could cut the topping ingredients in half for 12 rolls. 

REUBEN SLIDERS         

12 dinner rolls

8 oz. corned beef, thinly sliced

8 oz. swiss cheese

⅓ cup thousand island dressing

1 cup sauerkraut, squeezed dry

Topping:

¼ cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

½ teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.    Whisk together topping ingredients in a small bowl. 

3.    Cut the rolls in half separating the top and bottom. 

4.    Place the bottoms of the rolls in a 9x13-inch pan (spray with cooking spray or line with parchment paper for easy removal). 

5.    Spread dressing on rolls. Top with a layer of cheese, sauerkraut, corned beef and another layer of cheese. 

6.    Top with the other half of the rolls and gently spoon or brush the butter mixture over the tops.

7.    Bake about 20 – 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tops are lightly browned. Serve warm.

When life (or a friend) gives you Lemons

2 Meyer Lemons with an orange (on the right)

Recently a close friend did a quick winter get-away to Arizona. She said it was to visit a relative, but we know she was escaping winter as we wished we could. The area she visited has interesting agriculture that she always tells us about. This trip she brought back Meyer Lemons and was kind to share a couple with me. 

We can't find Meyer Lemons in our store so this bit of southern sunshine was special. These lemons are noticeably larger in size - they looked like a slightly lighter-in-color orange. We had to caution people not to eat them as that. They are sweeter than regular lemons but still have a little tang that would make you pucker. I searched for a special recipe to use my lemons. This Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake was a hit! 

MEYER LEMON PUDDING CAKE       

Ingredients: 

4 eggs, whites and yolks separated

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice (I got this from 1 lemon!)

¼ cup whole milk

Finely grated zest from the lemon

Instructions:

1.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish with a 6-cup capacity and set aside. (or a larger pan or dish for a thinner cake)

2.   In the mixer bowl, with whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until glossy peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Gently transfer the egg whites from the mixer bowl into a second bowl and set aside. 

3.   In the mixer bowl combine sugar, butter and flour. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, milk and lemon zest. Mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With a rubber spatula gently fold in the beaten egg whites, folding in about one-third at a time, until they are just incorporated. 

4.   Pour the batter into the greased baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is set and the top is golden brown. Depending on the size of the baking pan, it could be 30-40 minutes. The cake is done when the pudding layer reaches 172-175 degrees (check with a food thermometer).

5.   Remove from the oven and allow the pudding cake to cool slightly. Dust with powdered sugar and top with fresh blueberries if desired before serving. The cake can be enjoyed slightly warm or cold. 

German Skillet Supper for a Cold Day

The weekend weather sounds dreadful! This winter has had several really cold days, colder than usual for Kansas. I've heard so many people talk about how tired they are of winter cold. Here is a recipe to warm your day. The crisped potatoes, spicy kielbasa and tangy sauerkraut will make you think you're in Germany.
I made this skillet dinner a few weeks ago and was appreciated after the crew had been feeding cattle on a frosty windy day. 3 off us and a child (and its not a children's favorite) ate 7 servings! and the little bit that was left was good warmed up for a supper later. Thanks to Chef Alli for the recipe.

POTATO, KIELBASA, AND SAUERKRAUT SKILLET

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot minced (or small onion)

3 cloves garlic

1 red bell pepper (seeds and membranes removed) diced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

Pinch of red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1-2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

14 oz. kielbasa sausage sliced in ¼” rounds

3 cups sauerkraut, drained well

½ cup sour cream

1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, skin on, sliced very thin

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

2.    In a 12” cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat; add shallot, garlic and red bell pepper and sauté until softened slightly. 

3.    Move vegetables in skillet to one side, then add the sliced kielbasa sausage to the skillet and sauté until sausage is browned on both sides. 

4.    Add sauerkraut, mustard, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, and pepper to the skillet. Stir all ingredients together, cooking until heated throughout, then add the wine (chicken broth) and parsley and cook an additional minute. Spread sour cream over the skillet mixture, then top with cheese. 

5.    Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss the potato slices with melted butter and salt; layer seasoned potatoes over the sauerkraut mixture, covering the entire top. 

6.    Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, or until potato slices are browned at the edges and the mixture is hot and bubbly throughout. Let stand 5 – 10 minutes before slicing into wedges to serve. 

Cherries for George Washington's Day

Today is George Washington's Birthday. We used to celebrate that in February, and Abe Lincoln's birthday on Feb. 12, before it was all rolled together into Presidents' Day on the third Monday. (Does that make me old - that I know that??) Anyway, I always think of cherries for February foods. Even though we now know that George Washington probably didn't really chop down a cherry tree and confess truthfully to it, historians do say he liked cherry pie. So its February and we're making something cherry.
I needed a quick covered dish to take to a meeting during a busy week, so this wasn't going to be the time for that cherry pie! Instead I recalled a 4-H demonstration my daughter had done ages ago (like 20 years!). We must have been so tired of that Cherry Angel Delight dessert after many practices that I didn't save the recipe. Nothing in my recipe notebooks. So I searched the old 4-H record books, and found it! Not only did she do this for a 4-H Day demonstration, but it was also a Favorite Food Show entry. It made a good demonstration and is an easy dessert to prepare. Blue ribbon all-around. The day after I made this I happened to find a very similar recipe on Pinterest, I guess it is still popular.

Cherry Angel Delight 

(also called Heaven of Earth Cake on Pinterest)

1 large prepared angel food cake (you can be ambitious and make your own, but remember I said this was an easy prep? Use a cake mix or buy a baked cake).
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 ½ cups cold milk
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

Directions:
Cut or tear cake into ½-inch pieces to measure 8 cups. Place half the cake cubes in a 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan. Reserve ⅓ cup of pie filling, spread remaining filling over the cake cubes. Top with remaining cake cubes. Combine pudding mix, milk, and sour cream. Spoon over cake cubes. Cover an chill. To serve, cut into squares and top with reserved cherries.

The Heaven on Earth Cake version also included 8 oz. of whipped topping (Cool Whip). It was assembled with ½ of the cake cubes, ⅔ of cherry pie filling, ½ cake cubes, pudding mixture, whipped topping, garnish.

I prepared the dessert as a trifle in a footed clear bowl. Since this made the cake layers a little thicker and I wanted it to look pretty from the side, I layered it cake cubes + pudding mixture + cherries + cake cubes + cherries + pudding mixture, garnish with reserved cherry pie filling. Later I thought I should have also garnished with slivered almonds, next time!