Cauliflower Bean Dip

I was craving something with cauliflower, garlic and white beans and came up with this. I made yesterday and it is fabulous. I hope you try it and think so too.

So, I steamed some cauliflower--about two cups. In a food processor, I pureed the couliflower with:

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 6 cloves of chopped garlic-- more if you love it
• 1 tablespoon ranch dressing
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup light mayo
• salt and pepper to taste

That's it. Puree. Chill. Enjoy with some crackers.

My Special Pan Fried Potatoes

I lov, love, love pan fried potatoes.  Peel and slice into long strips as many potatoes as you need to feed who dinner list. Fry over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

And if I'm really daring, I add freshly grated parmesan cheese and a little vegeta instead of salt.  I fry them until they're nice and crispy--golden in color.

Garlic Sauteed Zucchini

This was another spur of the moment concoction. I love zucchini and mushrooms (which are a staple at our house). It was easy and very good. I served it with the Garlic Oven Fried Chicken.

Slice an entire zucchini and about 10 mushrooms. Sautee in EVOO on low to medium heat. Add garlic salt to taste.

You can also add onions, which I would normally do but John doesn't like onions. Red and green peppers taste great in this too.

Garlic Oven Fried Chicken

I love garlic. I think it's part of my Romanian blood to put it in everything I make. So instead of making bland oven fried chicken, I made it my own. Here's what I did.

One thing before I continue, I use cage free, organic eggs. Organic eggs taste better, their yokes are richer in color, and the farms usually are more animal friendly. Cage free is important to me because I support animal rights. I don't want to buy eggs from a farm that mistreats chickens--locking them in cages.

Mince 12 cloves of garlic. Half will go toward an oil mixture, half in the egg. Beat two eggs, with garlic and 1/4 cup of milk.

For the rest of the garlic--in a mortar add 1 tsp of EVOO and small the garlic. Add 1/4 cup EVOO and save for later.

Blend 1/4 of a bag of bread crumbs (I use Panko) with 1/4 cup flour, salt and pepper. I eyeball it--about 1 tablespoon of each.

Dip drum sticks in egg and coat in bread crumbs. Place in a 13 inch slightly greased pan. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Pour the garlic oil over the chicken after about 30 minutes.

It's one of my favs. This was the first time I made it for John and he seemed to like it.

Caramel Vanilla Apple Pie

I made this for tomorrow's potluck at work. This is an Andreea Cojocariu original.

Crust:
1/2 cup Country Crock margerine
1 1/2 cups flower
1 tsp salt

Cut the butter into the flower until it crumbles. Press the crust into a 9 inch pie pan.

Cut,  peel, and finely slice 3 medium apples. Add 1 table spoon sugar, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon (or more...depending on your taste), 1 teaspoon of nutmeg. Mix and place apples on the crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mix together 1 package of vanilla pudding, 1 cup whipping cream, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons caramel. Add to apples and crust and bake for another 20 min at 375 degrees.

That's all there is too it. :)

Mustard Salmon

This is one of John's favorites. I made it tonight for dinner.

Mustard Salmon
3 tablespoons of dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dill
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup EVOO
Splash of dry wine--red or white is fine. I've used used Riesling  and Cabernet Sauvignon
4 salmon fillets

Mix ingredients together. Pour over salmon. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with any vegetable. Sometimes I bake the veggies in the same dish. I did cauliflower tonight and just added a little lemon juice and salt.

Garlic Corn Bread

I love garlic so I add it just about everything. If you like it as much as I do, here's my take on a fall favorite.  All you have to do is add freshly chopped garlic to your corn bread recipe. Nothing extra.

Use this corn bread recipe and add 6 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped. It gives off just a hint of garlic.