Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Recorded March 12, 2012. A tasty and easy way to prepare a staple frozen vegetable.

1 12-oz (360 g) package frozen Brussels sprouts
1 T (15 ml) olive oil
salt and pepper
1/8 t (1/2 ml) sugar

Spread the frozen sprouts in a toaster oven pan. Stir in the oil and seasonings. Roast at 350 degrees F (177 C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir. Raise temperature to 425 F (218 C), and continue roasting until nicely colored. Serves 2 to 3.

Ingredient: Pan Roasted Garlic

Developed March 7, 2012. Accidentally dropped an unskinned garlic clove into a sauté of meat and vegetables. It roasted nicely. Skinned easily. Mild, sweet, earthy flavor.

2 T olive oil
1 head of garlic, divided into cloves, skin on

Heat an 8-inch skillet over medium high, add the oil, and when hot, add the garlic cloves. Lower the heat to a slow sizzle, and cook until tender and colored, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool, and squeeze out the cloves. Use them to flavor sauces, stir fries, stews, or mash with oil into a spread for grilled cheese sandwiches.

All-American Potato Salad

Modified from a recipe downloaded from CooksCountryTV.com in February, 2009. The best cold potato salad evah. Even kids like it. DrDaddy leaves out the eggs. Laura puts them in.

2 lb yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 T salt, divided
3 T dill pickle juice, divided
1/4 c dill pickle, chopped fine
1 T yellow mustard
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/2 t celery seed
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c red onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced (optional)

Place potatoes in large saucepan with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat, add 1 t salt, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are knife-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes thoroughly, then spread out on heavy baking pan.  Mix 2 T pickle juice and mustard together in small bowl. Drizzle pickle juice mixture over potatoes, and toss until evenly coated. Cool at room temperature with fanning and turning. Mix 1 T pickle juice, chopped pickles, 1/2 t salt, pepper, celery seed, mayonnaise, sour cream, red onion, and celery in large bowl. Toss in cooled potatoes, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes. (Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days.) Gently stir in eggs, if desired, just before serving.

Tilapia with Sweet and Hot Peppers

Adapted from a Rachel Ray TV recipe. Tilapia, a mild fish, benefits from the spicy vegetable sauce.

4 6-oz tilapia fillets
salt and ground pepper
3 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
6 pepperoncini peppers, trimmed and chopped
1 c grape tomatoes
1 c white wine
1/4 c chopped parsley

Season fish with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add fish to pan and cook 2 minutes on each side, carefully transfer to a plate with a thin spatula and loosely cover with foil. Add another T oil, then add garlic, onions, red bell peppers and chopped pepperoncini. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and cook 1 minute more. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Slide fish back into pan.Cover the pan and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle parsley over the fish. Serve on a bed of steamed rice. Serves 4.

White Bean Salad

Developed July 2, 2006.

2 15-1/2 to 19 oz cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1/3 c red bell pepper, finely diced
1/3 c red onion, finely diced
about 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
about 2 T wine vinegar
about 2 T lemon juice
1/4 t granulated garlic
1 t ground cumin
2 T cilantro, finely chopped
2 T parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Combine beans and vegetables in a bowl, turning gently. Pour on oil and vinegar and add seasonings. Turn again. Taste to correct seasoning. Chill. Serve on a bed of crisp lettuce. Serves 6 to 8 as part of a mezze platter.

Pizza Plus

Recorded February 29, 2012. The idea is to personalize a factory-made frozen pizza by adding toppings. The list that follows are some of the items that DrDaddy uses, but not all at once, of course. In a recent meal, sweet red peppers, artichoke hearts, sliced tomato, prosciutto, Greek olives, marinated mushrooms, grated cheese, Parmesan cheese, fennel seeds, crushed pepper, capers, dry herbs, olive oil, and granulated garlic were used.

sweet red pepper, fresh or jarred
marinated artichoke hearts
sliced fresh tomatoes
sliced red onion
sauteed onions
piquillo peppers
pepperoncini
fresh basil leaves, whole or torn
rosemary ham
prosciutto
pepperoni
Greek olives
Spanish olives
California olives
sliced cheeses (mozzarella, provolone, asiago, fontina, mild cheddar)
crumbled cheeses (e.g., blue, Gorgonzola, feta, Stilton, Camembert)
marinated mushrooms
fresh mushrooms
Chinese sausage
Italian sweet sausage
country sausage, cooked
chorizo
grated cheese blends
grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
capers
fennel seeds
crushed red pepper
mixed dry Italian herbs
olive oil
garlic powder

Combine all the topping ingredients, except sliced and Parmesan cheeses, appropriately chopped, sliced, or diced, in a bowl. Aim for about a pint of combined toppings. Moisten the mixture with olive oil. Place a frozen 12-inch pizza on a pizza mesh screen (ask your favorite pizza restaurant if you might buy one of theirs). Pile the toppings in the middle, and spread them evenly. Arrange cheese slices on top, and dust with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Bake in a 425 degree F. oven for about 20 minutes, until the crust is browned and the toppings are piping hot.