Less Is More: aka: Cheesy Potato Slices and 38 Clove Garlic Chicken

Have you ever heard the expression, “Less is More”? This post was originally supposed to entice all of you with a mouthwatering rendition of that famous vampire-repelling chicken dish called 40 Clove Garlic Chicken. But then I was hit with a B.S. situation. Now behave, everyone. I’m referring to “Bait and Switch” not the other thing. Besides, how often do you hear me swear? I mean come on. If I ever did let loose, you’d pull me aside all the while trying to suppress your guffaws, and tell me to give it up. Some people can swear with great gusto and some people just can’t. I’m firmly entrenched in the latter category. I’ve accepted it. Excuse me while I polish my halo. Ahem. Anyway ... back to the bait and switch.

Like I said, this was to be about the 40 clove recipe. I’ve seen a handful of these recipes recently as well as a video about preparing it, and wanted to give it a go myself. Actually, I, uh, only had 38 cloves to which my husband asked with raised eyebrows if, you know, the missing two were really going to make a difference. Answer: No. No WAY. Not in this lifetime. In fact, next time, I think I’m going to make this with significantly fewer cloves. The garlic that I have is rather pungent, and despite the caramelization and simmering, the little beasties still came on super strong. And I like garlic. Love it, in fact. So even though the garlic perfumed my kitchen in the most tantalizing way while it was simmering on the stove top, this was just too much of a good thing. Perhaps if I had a mild garlic I’d consider using more, but for moi, 10 or 15 will suffice next time just fine. Plus, um, my frugal side won’t allow me to use that much of any ingredient let alone my precious garlic at one time again. For me, in this instance, less is definitely more.

So here’s the bait and switch part ... the big hit of the meal was the potatoes.It’s a less is more type of dish, and was completely, hungrily, masterfully devoured. It totally usurped the chix. The picky eaters club members ravenously chowed down, as did hubbyman. These quickly thrown together little earth tubers completely overshadowed the chicken. Don’t get me wrong, the chicken was very good, and I’ll make it again, but the potatoes were SPECTACULAR! Even better, they are economical and quick to make with regular pantry ingredients. Let’s make some potatoes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Regular russet potatoes, sliced very thin, peel left on. (I used one per person.)
Seasoned Salt (I used Lawrey’s)
About 2 cups of cheese (Shred it yourself please! You'll make me so oh so happy if you do! I used cheddar and a wee bit of mont. jack.)
A tablespoon of canola or olive oil
1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large Ziploc bag, add the oil of your choice and melted butter. Add the thinly sliced potatoes, and smoosh them around to get coated by the oil/butter mixture. I find this to be more effective than drizzling. Any excess oil and liquid from the potatoes remains in the bag and not on the baking sheet.Get a large baking sheet and spread the potatoes out in as thin and even layer as you can. The potatoes will, of course, be stacked on top of each other depending upon how many you use. If you prepare more than 5 potatoes, use two baking sheets. Now generously sprinkle the potatoes with seasoned salt. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until crispy looking.See how these are crispy looking. Crispy on the outside, yummiliously creamy on the thin inside. Turn off the oven.Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the potatoes, and keep in the oven until melted ... about 2 minutes. DONE.Hello you lovely tubers. Like I said, my kids couldn’t eat these fast enough. They had very generous servings and asked for seconds. Then they were devastated when after requesting thirds were told there was no more. I did, of course, suggest that if they were still hungry, they could choke down the teeny, tiny speck of spinach I put on their plate. That silenced the raving beasts. They did eat the chicken, but weren't crazy about it. Hubbyman liked it, though. Of course, he was wrestling the stray potato bits away from the children. I just ate with a smile on my face. It’s that halo thing again.Here’s a photo of the chicken to show how wonderful it really was. Poor thing getting totally wall-flowered by the potatoes. I used Ina Garten’s recipe as my foundation, only modifying it slightly to make it gluten free. I’ve got to say that I really don’t miss using flour to thicken sauces at all anymore. If you haven’t tried corn starch, please consider it. It makes such a satiny sauce without any heaviness to it.Just look at it here. Doesn’t the sauce look dreamy? Let me know if you want the gluten free recipe, and I’ll gladly send it to you.

Oh, and like most things here at It’s all gouda, this entire meal was gluten free, all the way baby!

They Call Me Mellow Jello ... Jello Parfait Dessert!

Well, they don’t really call me Mellow Jello. Thank heaven. What are your thoughts on jello? I happen to enjoy the wiggly jiggly stuff, and my favorite way to eat it is parfait style. Even better, those wiggly children of mine enjoy it, too. This is the easiest dessert on the planet to make and is very economical as well. It’s fluffy light and will tickle your tastebuds with it’s refreshing fruity flavor.Plus, it looks so gosh darn pretty, too. I just love looking at those layers! With Easter around the corner, this is a nice light dessert to offer your family and friends ... and yourself!

All you need is jello and whipped cream. That’s it, my blogging jello loving friends. Come on and make it with me! Come on, you’ll love it.Ingredients:
Jello – I used two 3 oz strawberry packets to make 6 generous servings.
2 cups whipping cream

Before you begin, clear a space in your fridge to set the jello cups and bowl.Next, set out six serving dishes. I like to use glass ones so that everyone can see the pretty layers. It’s kind of fun to use different types and sizes of serving glasses. Anything will work ... I used juice glasses, a custard dish, a glass tea cup, a wine class, and a dessert cup. Now simply make the jello according to the package directions. For any jello novices out there, for two boxes that means adding two cups of boiling water, stir, then add 2 cups cold water. Done.Pour some of the liquid jello into the bottom of the serving dishes. I filled them about ¼ - 1/3 full of jello. You will have a lot of jello left in the mixing bowl. Put all the dishes and the mixing bowl in the fridge, and let set until the jello is firm. About 3-4 hours. When the jello in the mixing bowl is firm, prepare the whipped cream.Use 2 cups whipping cream, and whip it very, very stiff. More stiff than you usually would for whipped topping.Take about half the whipped cream and fold into the jello in the mixing bowl, taking care to make sure you incorporate all the jello. Now simply spoon it on top of the jello in the serving dishes, leaving space at the top to add add’l whipped cream.Use the back of a spoon to smooth the top of the jello/whipped cream mixture. Now top with the remaining whipped cream. I used an offset spatula to smooth the tops flat. DONE!You could add some fruit on top. I had blueberries, so I put a couple on top. Sliced strawberries would be yummy too.Any flavor of jello will work. I tend to prefer strawberry for this, as I like the flavor as well as the vibrant color, but really, anything will do. I always use regular jello, but I'm sure that the sugar-free version would work just as well. Which reminds me, I tend to prefer whipped cream unsweetened or just slightly sweet, so I didn't add powdered sugar to this recipe. If you prefer a sweeter topping, simply add a tablespoon (or to taste) of powdered sugar to the cream as you whip it.

This is AWESOME, and it's gluten free, all the way, baby!

Listen To Your Inner Voice: Smoked Salmon Rolls and a Spinach Salad, too!

Did you ever see the Seinfeld episode when George is frantically deciding about whether to call his ex-girl friend, and Kramer tells George to listen to his inner voice, his little man. George exclaims hysterically, “My little man is an idiot!” (It's from the infamous "Christmas Card" episode!)

Well, luckily for me, my inner voice is pretty much on the mark. Unluckily for me, I chose not to listen to it today. Guess that puts me in the same category as George's inner voice. As I was preparing this recipe, my inner voice was all but jumping up and down warning me that my execution of assembly was all wrong. I admit, I did pause for a second, but then tossed the sage advice right out and kept on going. Result: A flopped recipe. Not to fear, though, I salvaged it and made peace with my inner voice.

My initial crash and burn with this recipe was that I used flaked smoked salmon and spinach on top of a cream cheese as my filling. Despite adding add’l cream cheese to hold it together, the roll fell apart when sliced. The filling was just too dry to hold together. The flavor was spot on and it would have worked great as a wrap, but not as a roll. My next blunder of ignoring my inner voice was when I chose to use that super awesome Glad Wrap and Seal plastic wrap product instead of plain old cellophane to wrap the rolls. My little voice warned, “Uh, Paula, that plastic wrap clings too tight to itself.” Did I listen? Noooooo. Nope. Nada. Strike two. That Wrap and Seal stuff is genius; it seals items completely. So much so, that, just as my little voice warned I would, I had a hard time unsticking it from itself. Argh!

Redemption time. I re-gathered the ingredients, made a quick salmon spread, reassembled, rewrapped, and voila ... success. If anything, I do learn from my mistakes. Not one to be daunted by failure, I forged ahead and came up with a save. Today’s recipe from It’s All Gouda’s kitchen is a lovely Salmon Spread Wrap accompanied by a unique Spinach Salad. It’s actually a wilted spinach salad variation, but come on ... who really wants to eat anything with the word “wilted” in the title?

For those of us abstaining from meat on Friday’s during lent, this little sweetie of a roll is quite good and super quick to make. Pair it with a salad, and you’ve got yourself a delight lunch. Here’s the right way to do it. NOTE: I didn’t put down quantities because it totally depends on how many you are making. If you need help, just let me know!

Flour tortillas
Cream Cheese with Chives
Smoked Salmon
Mayo
Fresh Spinach leaves

Lay out one flour tortilla, and spread with a thin layer of cream cheese w/chives.In a small bowl, combine the smoked salmon with enough mayo to make a spread.This is one way to purchase smoked salmon. Please ignore the freaky purple hand. My camera's batteries were getting low. Spread a couple tablespoons of salmon spread on top of the cream cheese.Layer spinach leaves on top of that, and delicately spread that with just a thin, thin layer of cream cheese. That’s the glue that will hold it together.And, yep, in case you're wondering, that is salmon salad under ye old fingernails. Hey, this is finger food, ya know! Roll up tightly, wrap in cellophane, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up the roll.Slice decoratively and serve with your favorite salad. Take a bite. Relax. Thank the good Lord for your inner voice.

Spinach Salad with Spicy Cauliflower, Toasted Pine nuts, and Creamy Avocado

2 cups Spinach leaves
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ cup of planked cauliflower (planked meaning sliced instead of flowerettes)
Couple shakes of crushed red pepper flakes
½ avocado – cubed and sprinkled with lemon juice
Basic vinaigrette

Place spinach leaves in a large salad bowl. In a small skillet, toast pine nuts over medium heat. Remove from pan to cool. In the same skillet, add the olive oil and turn the heat up to high.This is what I mean by planked. Add the planked cauliflower, sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, and quickly toast the cauliflower on both sides ... 1-2 minutes max. You don’t want to cook the cauliflower, just quickly sear it for lack of a better term.See that perfect toasted color? Pour the cauliflower and oil right onto the spinach. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Serve immediately.See those pine nuts. YUM! This was really good, tasty and different. It certainly was pretty to look at, and I really liked the textures it held. I would definitely eat it again.

So, do you listen to your inner voice? What does it tell you to do? Join us next time, when we figure out more Lenten friendly recipes. My little voice is thinking about a lovely Asian salad with shrimp. I’m listening!

All Hail Caesar ... Scampi Caesar Salad Sandwich!

Friends, bloggers, foodies, lend me your ears! No, it’s not the ides of March, but it is nearing springtime, and my taste buds and tummy are crying out for lighter foods. Today’s recipe is, as Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar said, “a dish fit for the gods”. The gods of good eats, that is.

Do you care for that garlicky shrimp wonder-of-wonders called Scampi? What are your thoughts on Caesar Salads? I like both, and having both on hand led to today’s alliteration creation called Scampi Caesar Salad Sandwich.Years ago, when I worked in downtown Portland, my friends and I would meet for lunch at this little pub type of place and order Shrimp Caesar Salads. The salads were served in a hollowed out bread bowl that had been toasted. While there was WAY too much bread for one person to consume, I really liked the chewy texture the bread provided instead of crunchy croutons. To be honest, I’m not a huge crouton fan. Too often, they are just jaw bone cracking hard and over seasoned. I do like homemade ones, especially if they’ve soaked up a vinaigrette ... which renders them chewy not crunchy. Anyway ... fast forward to today, at lunch I wanted to recreate that chewy goodness of the Caesar Salad bowl without using an entire loaf of bread. Solution? Lightly toasted ciabatta sandwiches.This sandwich is outstanding. Really. It’s now one of my favorites. You’ve got the magnificent crunch of the Romaine lettuce, the tang of the Caesar dressing, the garlic greatness of the shrimp, the nutty toastiness of the parmesan, and the glorious chewiness of the bread. It’s filling, but not heavy. I loved it. Perhaps you will, too!

Ingredients:

Shrimp Scampi (about 6 per sandwich) – Warm. I used left over. Any recipe will do. If you need one, let me know. Mine is simple to make, and tastes terrific.
Mini loaves ciabatta bread or 2 slices Italian or French bread per person.
Butter
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Romaine lettuce, chopped or torn into large pieces
Caesar salad dressing (I purchase mine.)

Heat your oven to 400. Split open the ciabatta, and very lightly butter the inside. Spoon about ½ to 1 teaspoon of parmesan on each piece. Place on an oven sheet, and lightly toast for about 5 minutes. That’s all.Don’t over toast it. We don’t want crunchy bread ... it’ll be too hard to eat!

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the salad dressing. Use a light hand when spooning on the dressing; a little goes a long way. Next, layer a good amount of salad onto the toasted ciabatta and place about six pieces of shrimp on top. Serve open face, or top with other piece of bread, slice on an angle, and serve.Hello, beautiful! Just look at how good this is! These would be super-dee-duper with grilled chicken or smoked salmon instead of shrimp. Perhaps if Caesar had fed his countrymen these sandwiches, “Et tu, Brute”, could have been him asking his friend if he wanted seconds!And you, would you care for one of these lovelies?

Curdalicious -- Orange Curd!

Knock knock!
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana Who?
Banana.
Banana Who?
Orange!
Orange Who?
Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?

Ahem. I did warn you a few posts ago about my challenges in the joke telling department. On the bright side, literally, today’s recipe for Orange Curd is top notch in the yummy department!

Most folks have heard of that sweet-tart taste bud tantalizer called Lemon Curd, as well as its cousin Lime Curd. Both are so nummilicious, and can be used as a spread, cake filling, tart filling, over ice cream, with cheesecake, or enjoyed right off the spoon. This past summer, I tasted a wonderful orange curd and was immediately hooked on its bright, sunny color and flavor. A couple days ago, as I was enduring my weekly grocery run, the citrusy scent of oranges was wafting throughout the produce section and immediately I started craving orange curd.

Finding orange curd recipes on the internet, however, proved to be more challenging. So, I made up my own, based on a lemon curd recipe from Fine Cooking found at http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/lemon_curd.aspx. This particular recipe for making the lemon variety was so different from anything I’d seen before, and I just had to give it a try. In this recipe, all of the ingredients are mixed together before cooking. You’ll see what I mean in just a minute. I altered it to make orange curd by including orange juice, taking care not to make it too sweet. The results were so amazing, and it was sooooooo simple to do. Let’s transform some OJ into OC. Are you with me? Let’s go. Orange Curd Ingredients:6 tablespoons of softened room temperature unsalted butter
1 scant cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
Five tablespoons of fresh lemon juice plus enough orange juice to equal 1/3 cup (I used Tropicana orange/tangerine juice. Of course you could use fresh squeezed and strained.)
Zest of lemon and orange to equal about ½ - 1 teaspoon

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes. Slowly add the eggs and yolks one at a time beating with the mixer until blended, another couple of minutes. Add the juice and zest, and, again, using the hand mixer, beat in until blended, just a minute or less.The mixture will look curdled, but don’t worry, it will cook up perfectly translucent.

In a heavy sauce pan, pour in the curdled mixture and heat over med-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of the spoon which takes about 15-20 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil at any time. The mixture will change from curdled, to opaque, to translucent during that time. To be honest, I didn’t stir it constantly until the very end, but I did keep a very close eye on it. When the mixture coats the back of the spoon, remove from heat. Let cool slightly, and pour into a container and refrigerate. Or, do what I did and pour it slightly warm over some darling individual angel food cakes.Oh mama mia, this is sooo good. It’s sweet and tart, and very refreshing. I served ours over little angel food cakes two ways. One with plain whipped cream and blueberries, and the other with whipped cream and chocolate. The fruit version was very light and reminded me of springtime.The chocolate version was equally good with that terrific orange chocolate flavor combo. Definitely curdalicious! Oh, and the orange curd is gluten free, all the way, baby!

So orange you glad you dropped by to hear about orange curd? Orrrange you? Come on over and have a bite!