Cheddar Fondue

This is a very simple, and still delicious way I like to make fondue. I made this for a movie night with the girls, and KC and I enjoyed leftovers the next day. Fondue twice in a row. Not too good for the waistline.

1 c chicken broth
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 c sour cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T spicy brown mustard
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t nutmeg salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. cheddar cheese

In a saucepan whisk together everything except the cheese. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and slowly stir in the cheese a little at a time waiting between installments making sure it melts before you add more. If it seems too thick when all the cheese is added, add more broth. Transfer to a fondue pot and dip whatever sounds good to you. We usually like lightly steamed broccoli or cauliflower, ham, or kielbasa, rustic bread (Here's a tip for the bread: cut it into cubes, and toast it in a deep skillet drizzled with a little olive oil, and s&p until the cubes are lightly browned. I'm TELLING you, when I ate it with the cheese, it's the best thing I'd had in a long time.), apples, etc. You can get gourmet with cut up, steamed asparagus, grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, grilled zucchini, the options are endless. This Christmas Eve tradition in my family will continue on with me, that's for sure. I think I'll make it more often than that, though.

Three Cheese Fritata

I made this a while ago and am finally posting it. It was delicious and easy.

half of a red and green pepper, diced
about 1 cup diced kielbasa (I used turkey kielbasa to cut back on the fat.)
6 eggs
1/2 c bread crumbs
Mrs. Dash
a couple shakes of dried basil
a couple shakes of onion powder
1/4 c half and half
feta cheese
salt and pepper to you liking
cheddar and Parmesan cheeses

In a non-stick skillet saute the kielbasa and peppers in a little olive oil until the peppers have softened a bit. Keep heat on med/low. Turn on broiler. In a bowl, whisk the the rest of the ingredients, except the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Pour egg mixture into the hot skillet. Stir vigorously a few times to make sure everything is distributed. Don't stir anymore. As soon as the eggs have firmed up on the edges, sprinkle on a little of the cheeses, and place under the broiler for a few minutes. Keep a close eye on it. It is done when you shakes the skillet and it appears to be firm. After a minute or two of cooling, loosen the fritata from the skillet, and slide onto a cutting board, or serving platter. Slice into wedges, and eat while it's still warm.

Vegetable Pancakes with Pesto

I had a lot of veggies to use up so this seemed like a fun thing to do with them. Here's how to do it:

I grated up potatoes,, carrots, a yellow squash, and about half of a red onion. This can of course be altered to whatever amount you are making. I added a couple eggs, flour, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and a little Worcestershire sauce. I combined everything formed it into little cakes and let them fry in a little olive oil on a medium skillet. They took a while for the vegetables to cook all the way and get nice and brown, but turned out alright. Next time I am going to fill the skillet with about 1 inch of of oil and a do more of a deep fried version for a more crispy treat. And a faster cooking time. I added a dollop of sour cream and a homemade pesto sauce for fun. Here is the recipe for my pesto. It's pretty basic.

1/2 c basil

1/2 c parsley

2 cloves garlic

2/3 T pine nuts

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

olive oil

Again, portions can be changed according to taste. Put everything except olive oil in a food processor. When everthing is minced, slowly pour in enough olive oil with the machine running to make a nice sauce. It really packs a punch, so a little goes a long way. It can be used to just toss with pasta, hot or cold, a bread dipping sauce or with any meat. It's great to have on hand and freezes well if you don't use it up in a couple weeks.

Spinach and Bacon Fritata

This is good cold, hot, or room temp, morning afternoon, or night. KC was even a little sneaky when he was taking some for breakfast the morning after we ate it for dinner. I don't know why he thought he had to sneak around. I'm not a food Nazi.

So I stated by browning the bacon and onions in a non stick 10 in skillet. When they were started to brown, I added diced potatoes and cooked until the potatoes until they were tender. Lastly I added fresh spinach and let it wilt for about a minute. I whisked together 6 eggs, and about 1/3 cup half and half ( I don't ever have this, but for come reason I did this time. Milk is fine.) and salt and pepper. With the skillet on medium, add the egg mixture and let a nice crust form on the bottom. When it is about half way cooked. Sprinkle on your favorite cheese, and place under the broiler until cheese is browned and eggs are cooked through. Let is cool a few minutes, and slide out of skilled onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and enjoy.

Everything else

I have gotten tired of trying to put everything in a category so these are all the rest that didn't fit in on of the posts before.

Stuffed peppers: These are so easy and so good. We make these a lot. Always a little different than the last time.
Stuffed spaghetti squash: I put so many things in this I can't even remember. It was all about using things up in the fridge.

Honey mustard salmon: KC still remembers this one. He loved it. I will definitely make it again. KC's mom has made it too. She seems to like it. Biscuits and gravy: One of my favorite breakfasts.
Spinach, sweet potato fritata: It was an interesting combination, but good all the same.
Grilled chicken, spinach, mozzarella omelet: We like our breakfast for dinner.
Pork roulade: Both of the next pictures are a blue cheese pork roulade I saw on Good Eats. It wasn't my favorite, I'll admit, but I like to try a lot of different meats and ways of preparing them. This pic is before it is cut, and the bottom one is how it was served.