December 2011 – Memorable Food Dishes with Chef Debee

Squash Muffins

A sweet and healthy way to get vegetables into your children’s lunch box

Watch Chef Debee making Squash Muffins on YouTube

Bake: 375 degrees Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup winter squash or sweet potato cooked & mashed
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 stick butter softened
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour (use half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts broken pieces (or pecans)

Directions

1. Cream butter, honey, and molasses
2. Add egg and squash and blend well
3. Whisk together in a separate bowl, the flour, salt and soda and then add to above mixture, stirring well
4. Grease a muffin tin and fill each one with batter and then lay top with chunks of nuts and just lightly stir in with tip of knife
5. Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean and dry

Artichoke Casserole

Artichoke Casserole

Enjoy a sweet & savory mouthful as you take a fork into this awesome twist on artichoke hearts

Watch Chef Debee making Artichoke Casserole on YouTube

Bake: 350 degrees Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

2 packages (10 ounce) artichoke hearts frozen & thawed

2 cups bread crumbs seasoned

1 1//2 cups Pecorino/Romano cheese grated

4 cloves garlic chopped

2 teaspoons basil crushed

1 teaspoon oregano crushed

2 teaspoons parsley crushed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup oil

Directions

1. For more flavor, saute garlic in olive oil or butter

2. Mix together the seasoned bread crumbs, extra herbs, grated cheese, garlic

3. Add the oil to the bread crumbs enough to absorb the oil as you may need more

4. Be sure the artichoke hearts are totally thawed and cut the bigger hearts into bite-size

5. Butter a 2 quart casserole and lay 1 pkg. of hearts on bottom, salt, then sprinkle half

of bread crumb mixture; Repeat layers again and then dribble enough olive oil across top

6. Bake covered in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown

* Panko bread crumbs can be used if desired; but they may take more oil due to their less absorption ability; and they cook crunchy in this dish, which will give it a totally different texture than the original seasoned crumbs

Bread Stuffing/Dressing

Bread Stuffing/Dressing

Make your Thanksgiving dinner (or any other dinner) special with a simple, vegetarian style Bread Stuffing

Watch Chef Debee making Bread Stuffing/Dressing on YouTube

Bake : 350 degrees Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

1 package dried cubed bread

2 cups onion chopped

2 cups celery chopped

1 apple chopped

1 stick butter

1 tablespoon sage freshly chopped

1 tablespoon rosemary freshly chopped

1 tablespoon thyme freshly chopped

2-3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup sherry (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet and add the chopped onion, celery, apple, and sherry if desired, and simmer 15 minutes uncovered

2. Add above mixture to the dried bread cubes and stir until they are all moist

3. Pour chicken stock over mixture until it is completely wet and the cubes are somewhat absorbed with the stock

4. Place in a buttered 9×13 glass baking dish and bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes—-You can cover the first 20 minutes and then uncover the remainder of the time until it is slightly golden brown

Sliced Potato Cheese Casserole

Watch Chef Debee Making Sliced Potato Cheese Casserole on YouTube

Bake: 500 degrees Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

6-8 medium potatoes sliced thinly
6 tablespoons butter melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
6 tablespoons Pecorino/Romano cheese grated
2 cups swiss cheese shredded

Directions

1. Butter a 9 x 13″ baking dish
2. With skins on potatoes, slice thinly on a mandolin
3. Start layering the potatoes in rows overlapping each slice until you are close to top of dish
4. Pour the melted butter over potatoes
5. sprinkle salt and pepper
6. Bake in pre-heated 500 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown
7. Take out of oven and cover top with the combined swiss cheese and pec/rom cheese
8. Put back in oven for 2-3 minutes till melted

Spaetzle with Green Beans OR Mushrooms/Shallots

Tonight you decide to make it a German Dish or an Italian Dish with this quick and versatile Spaetzle
Recipe

Watch Chef Debee making Spaetzle with Green Beans OR Mushrooms/Shallots on YouTube

Ingredients

Spaetzle
1 heaping cup flour
3 eggs
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

German Dish
2 cups sliced Petite Baby Bella Mushrooms
3 small shallots diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Italian Dish
1 1/2 cups split green beans
1 teaspoon crushed basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
Pecorino-Romano grated cheese sprinkled on top

Directions

Spaetzle
1. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, salt, pepper, and flour until a semi-thick texture is formed
so it will roll off a spoon
2. With large spoon, scoop up some of the mixture and drop gently over lightly boiling, salted,
water being careful not to splash yourself, begin to let it roll off the spoon
3. Take a knife and cut off pieces as they drop into the boiling water, again be careful
4. As spaetzle come to the top, carefully remove with a fenestrated spoon into a large pasta bowl

German Dish
1. Add oil and butter to skillet on medium-high heat and put the sliced mushrooms and the diced
shallots into pan and cook about five minutes or until softened and transparent
2. Add the cooked Spaetzle together with above mixture and put into a serving bowl and enjoy
it as a side with any meat dish

Italian Dish
1. Cook green beans in water till tender
2. Drain water and add the olive oil and basil
3. Add the cooked Spaetzle together with the beans and put into a serving bowl, sprinkled with
the Pecorino-Romano grated cheese and serve as a side with any kind of meat dish (goes
well with chicken)

Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Enjoy a refreshing and colorful side dish using Roasted Red Peppers and black olives

Watch Chef Debee making Roasted Red Pepper Salad on YouTube

Ingredients

1 jar (34 ounce) Roasted Red Peppers in water
1 can large black olives
8 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons crushed oregano
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. Thinly slice all garlic into a medium size bowl. Add the oregano and oil, salt & pepper
2. Lay out paper towels and put the wet peppers on top and dry them well and very gently being sure
to absorb all the water out of the peppers (allowing for the oil to get absorbed into the pepper)
3. Slice peppers into sections and put into above bowl and lightly stir together
4. Slice each olive into round slices (about 3 in each) using about 1/2-3/4 can
5. Cover with lid and store in the refrigerator up to a week