Sweet Potato Casserole
Being raised Hungarian, we never ever had sweet potato anything. I honestly feel that the sweet potato has made a comeback in the last few years. And for darn good reason. This little potato (sweet) is great as a fry, as a side dish on Thanksgiving, broiled on the grill, and really any other way you cook it. And with a hubby who is not a fan of regular potatoes (WHAT!?) we eat a lot of the Russet’s cousin, sweet. For our first Thanksgiving together, the hubby and I had to split time between our two families houses. My mother-in-law asked me to bring a sweet potato side dish. It was my first attempt ever at working with sweet potatoes and it was an instant hit and has been on my table ever since. And alas…..here it is.
Hubby’s note: Hubby like Sweet Potato. A lot. Hubby like brown sugar and nuts. A lot. Hubby big fan of butter and vanilla. That why hubby like Sweet Potato Casserole in hubby belly. Hubby approve!
The Yummiest Gravy in the World
This is the gravy featured in my Turkey Milanese. It is also my favorite part of Thanksgiving. I am “that” person, who smothers everything with gravy and then sops it up with my mother-in-law’s incredible Sally Lunn rolls.
I promise this is the BEST GRAVY (HANDS DOWN) ever made on the planet. Trust me. I’ve done the research and the taste testing and there in nothing better than this gravy. Hence its name. WOW your entire family, this Thanksgiving, with this recipe!
Hubby’s Note: Um…yeah. I’m gonna go ahead and agree with the wife on this one. This gravy is ridonculous. This gravy is good on everything. And I do mean everything (wink, wink, nod, nod). I highly recommend making paninis with the leftover turkey after thanksgiving (if you know me you know that everything tastes better in panini form; I’ve even been known to add yams and dressing) and using this gravy as a dip. Calorically, it is an absolute disaster. But taste-tically, (not to be confused with testiclely) this gravy is a masterpiece.
Perfect Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
I seriously LOVE mashed potatoes. IF they are done right. None of this “keeping the skin on with a smidge of butter and regular milk” crap. If you’re going to make them, please, please, PLEASE make them right. So that with each bite your eyes roll back in your head and your tummy screams, “comfort.” (Hey, it better, since the next time you put on your cute-jeans, it’ll scream “why did you eat so many potatoes!?”)
Hubby’s Note: Bless my wife’s heart. I am lactose intolerant, and I can’t stand potatoes. Though I’m convinced this is due to my Irish ancestors eating only potatoes for years. This dish is my kryptonite. I would rather take meals and bath duty for my two girls for a month than eat these potatoes. But every person she’s ever served it to actually levitates from the table while they eat it. I’ve got dents in the ceiling to prove it. So…I guess they’re pretty amazing.
Smokin’ Butt – Hubby Edition
Special Hubby Edition of BBQ Pulled Pork
Gentlemen, start your grills! Grab a six pack, a lawn chair, and get ready to smoke some butt. Ok, it may not sound as appetizing as it actually is but trust me when I say that there is little in life better than the flavor of a slow smoked butt in your mouth. I like big butts. And I cannot lie.
Thai Lettuce Wraps
I honestly think I could be vegetarian. All day long, I pretty much eat vegetarian. That is, until dinner when Ryan gets home and spoils everything. I can already see his hubby’s note on this one.
Him: “Well, if you didn’t cook ridiculously amazing things every night I wouldn’t weigh one hundred and ……”
Me: “Well honey, if you weren’t such a protein junkie we could eat simpler, less savory and delicious items. This blog is all your fault. So there.”
Breakdown of my meals everyday:
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwiches
Yep. I must be sentimental this week. NO – I am most certainly NOT pregnant. But a lot of people around me are so maybe that’s it? It’s also Pixie’s FOURTH BIRTHDAY in a few weeks so maybe that’s got me all mushy. Regardless, fifteen years ago (yes, you read that correctly. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO) I worked as a hostess at Doc’s Brewpub in Simi Valley. They served pub food, kicked up a notch. And they brewed their own beers. Not that I was drinking the beers. I was only 17. Okay maybe I had a few. But don’t tell my kids. Repeat after me, “Do as I say, not as I do!” Right?
Anyway, the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich was one of my absolute favorites at Doc’s. If I knew what the chefs name was and how to hunt him down, I would – because I want this recipe! I’ve been trying to recreate it for years and after much trial and error, I think I’ve finally gotten close. It’s a lot of ingredients and stuff you may not use all of the time but I think it is well worth it. This is comfort food at it’s finest.
Hubby’s Note: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…The Panini Press is the single greatest invention of the 20th century. Not the Internal Combustion Engine. Not the Internet. Not the Refrigerator or the Electric Light. Heck, not even the Contraceptive Pill—wait. Scratch that. The Contraceptive Pill is the single greatest invention of the 20th century. A close second would be the Panini Press. And this chicken recipe makes an amazing Panini. I highly recommend adding Avocado and dipping the sandwich in the Caribbean Sauce. Hubby Recommended!
Killer Shrimp
I must be feeling nostalgic for some reason. Because this is another recipe from back in the day. From 1999-2004, I lived in Sherman Oaks with my pretty fabulous roommate/sister from another mother/best friend, Molly. The day we moved in, we had tons of friends and family helping us out. Molly insisted that at the end of moving day we went to a restaurant waaayyy tooo close for the comfort of my jeans called Killer Shrimp. It’s essentially a broth based soup with about 12-14 pieces of shrimp in it. It’s full of flavor and sometimes spicy. It was served with the largest basket of french bread you have ever seen.
The Great Caperless Piccata
I love salt. So, why don’t I like capers? I have no idea. But I love a lemon, wine, garlic sauce so I still do love the Piccata. I’ll tell you what – if YOU want to add capers, be my guest. But this recipe will be without those salty little morsels.
Hubby’s Note: I want to bathe in a lemon/wine/garlic/butter sauce. Seriously. Add onions or shallots in to the mix, and I honestly don’t think there’s any better combination of flavors. I’ve suggested to my wife that there are many uses for such a sauce. She keeps telling me that those uses are best kept to the kitchen. I’ll leave that fight for another day, because YES, this dish rocks. Fry the chicken a little bit and add this sauce, and it’s GAME ON! Well, at the dinner table anyway.
Spinach Salad with Balsamic Onion Dressing
Salads are a pretty standard fallback meal in our house. They are healthy, delicious and easy to make. Most evenings we don’t sit down to eat our dinner until after Buggies and Pixie are fast asleep. And some days don’t go as smoothly as others. Which brings me to make an easy salad for dinner. Spinach is such a wonderful source of vitamins and is one of the healthiest leaves you can put in your body. Granted topping it off with bacon may not be the best thing for your body but my motto is, “everything in moderation.” In this picture you can see croutons which I don’t normally use. But they were calling my name in Trader Joe’s…
Hubby’s note: And my motto is, “WHERE’S THE BACON”?! Bacon + Avocado = Happy Hubby. Wait, did you say this was healthy?
Dederich Family Spaghetti Carbonara
In the kitchen, my husband is amazing at making exactly two things: Sicilian Chicken Marsala and Spaghetti Carbonara. As I talked about in our marsala recipe, Ryan’s grandparents were stationed in Sicily for a few years. Their house was situated over this fabulous little Italian restaurant and while Jerry was out being a Master Chief Signalman, Doris made friends with her landlady.