Copycat Mickey D Fries by Caz

Do you love, love Mc Donald's Fries??? Yes! Well here they are. Caz worked on these and this is the end result. Incredible and perfect Micky D fries. Soft, delicious, crispy and the taste is straight on. Exactly and oh so yummy. Can't believe he did it, but here they are. If you're not committed to the real deal then there may be too many steps for you, But if you're a Micky fry fanatic. You have to go here. These are it! I was blown away! Mickey D Fries Cut 6 russet potatoes thin and long about 3 1/2 inches by 1/4 inch or so. Using a mandolin helps. Once cut, soak the potatoes in a bowl of water for about 5 minutes.Transfer potatoes to a pot of water with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 4 to 5 minutes. When potatoes are ready, remove and put into an ice bath to stop cooking until cooled. Strain out onto a cloth or paper towels to dry for at least 15 minutes. When dry, fry at 375 degrees for 1 minute only. Remove again to paper towels to dry in a single layer. When dry, freeze.  When ready to have fries...Fry frozen potatoes at 375 degrees for 3 minutes exactly. Lay out on brown paper sacks or paper towels and salt while hot. Now you can have Mc Donald's fries anytime right from your freezer. Everyone will love you for them!

Potato Pancakes

Growing up in a southern household in the middle of Southern California, I ate a few things my friends never even heard of.  Fried frog legs, venison burgers, tuna and eggs and good ole southern potato pancakes. Yep. Latkes, you say? NO! Mashed potato cakes. YES!…and Yum! You have to try these. It’s comfort food for me : ).

Ingredients:
Oil for frying
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 eggs
¼ cup flour
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh chives cut small

Directions:
Mix all ingredients for potato cakes in a large bowl. If mixture is too thin, add more mashed potato or if you have to, add a bit more flour.
Heat a few tablespoons of oil at a time in a frying pan or less oil if using a griddle. When oil is hot enough for frying, scoop about ¼ cup batter in a measuring cup and drop into hot pan. Cook both sides golden brown and lacy.

Serve with sour cream or apple sauce.

Southern Green Beans and New Potatoes with Ham

Southern Style Green Beans and New Potatoes really aren't an exact science. The recipe varies a lot from family to family, so it's really a matter of taste. If you like more potatoes, more ham, add it.
If you would rather use salt pork, bacon or pork belly, that's fine, too. It's all up to you. This is my version, like my southern mom's and grandmother's before that. Hope you enjoy!


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced or chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 pound hams pieces,bacon or salt pork
2 to 3 pounds of fresh green beans, ends and strings removed and snapped, if desired
3 cans chicken or vegetable broth
3 cans water (use a broth can : D)
8 or more, baby red or new potatoes, pealed a strip around center of potatoes
1 tablespoons sugar (Yes, I said sugar. It takes away...well, I don't know. Just do it!)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large heavy stock pot, melt the butter on medium high. Add onions and garlic and meat. Cook until onions and garlic are tender and meat has browned a bit. Turn down the heat to medium and add green beans, broth and water. Just cover the beans with the liquid.  If you need a bit more water, add it. Cook beans covered for 35 to 40 minutes. Add, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well. Add potatoes and cook covered for another 25 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove lid for the last 10 minutes of cook time. Check and re-season if necessary.




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California Girl's Chip Buttie

This one is for my New Zealand friend Natalie.  The chip buttie. A french fry sandwich? Well, that's what it amounts to. I sprinkled my fries with lemon pepper and baked them, so I could slather on the calories that I saved by baking them : ). Moot point. This was my very first chip buttie ever and I must say I love it! Not a low cal option, but a delicious splurge. I went out on a limb and toasted the bread. To be honest, I was almost out of sliced bread and what I had left was a bit iffy in the freshness department. So instead of going out for more I opted to oven toast it and it was amazing. A bit of mayo and a side of ketchup  and I was totally on board with this new found yummily.  So, thanks Natalie. Hope you enjoy my version. 

Makes 1 Chip Buttie
Ingredients:
8 to 10 thick frozen steak fries or 1 large potato cut lengthwise into 1/4 by 1/2 inch fries
lemon pepper to taste
2 slices of white or wheat bread, toasted or not (lightly buttered or not : ) Okay, I did!
mayonnaise
ketchup

Directions:
Spread fries on a baking sheet and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Bake at 400 until golden brown.
Remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Lightly butter toast or not. Place under broiler and STAND THERE!!! Watch it carefully...wait for it...wait for it...and grab it out.  It only takes a few seconds.  Remove bread from oven and assemble sandwich.  Spread mayonnaise (optional) on one slice of bread. Place the potatoes on and top it. I served the ketchup at the side.  This will be your meal for the day : ). No, I don't know how many calories. I don't want to know.

Chicken Soup for the Soul and Every Meal

Ingredients:

3 to 4 quarts water (IMPORTANT! After the chicken cooks, you will need to replenish some of the water that has cooked out so you will have enough broth. Follow directions below.

2 pounds chicken quarters (I use chicken breast now)

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, sliced into crescents
2 large potatoes, cubed

4 carrots, sliced into coins

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons Greek seasoning (I use Cavenders Greek seasoning)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

12 to 16 ounce bag of egg noodles

2 cans evaporated milk or 4 cups half and half

1 nice handful fresh parsley, stems removed and chopped

Directions:

Boil chicken quarters in water until chicken runs clear about 1 hour. Remove chicken and cool. Put pot with chicken broth into the refrigerator and let set until you have removed meat from bones. When chicken is cool, remove skin and discard. Remove meat from bones and chop into bite sized pieces. Refrigerate until ready to return to pot. Take broth from the refrigerator. Once cold, any fat will have risen to the top and you can now easily ladle off any excess fat. Add 2 to 3 quarts of water to the broth in the pot to replace the liquid that has boiled out. You need to do this so you will have enough broth for the soup. Return pot to heat and boil broth. Add all vegetables along with garlic and seasonings. Turn burner down to medium high and cook vegetables until fork tender. Add noodles and cook until just done, usually 6 to 8 minutes. Add chicken to pot and turn heat down to medium low and add evaporated milk or half and half and chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning if necessary. You're done. Enjoy!

Cooks Notes: This is my old stand-by, go-to chicken soup from back when. Lots of noodles and lots of flavor. You can definitely lighten this soup up if this is an issue, by using chicken breast instead of dark meat and 2% milk in place of the cream. I find when I do use chicken breast, I need to add chicken base, bullion or low sodium broth. Chicken breast just don't render a lot of flavorful broth and it tends to need a little somethin-somethin. You can also go with yolk-less noodles, which are great. Whatever your preference, this is just delicious!

Yummy, Yeast Pancakes

I make pancakes that are about 4 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter. It's just the way we like them. So, whatever your preference, I can tell you this old time recipe makes enough for a big family breakfast. So just cut it in half if you don't need a lot. I'll say this batch made 25 pancakes 4 1/2 inches or so. Needless to say we are freezing a lot of pancakes. They will make a great hurry up breakfast. Just pop them in the toaster, butter, fold and run. Or you can roll the cakes around a sausage link and out the door you go. If you make the normal restaurant size (7 to 8 inches) you will get about 12. So anyway, you can go from there.

Old Time Yeast Pancakes

makes about 12 to 24

2 packages (rapidrise) yeast

3 cups warm milk

4 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 eggs, whisk slightly

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add eggs and butter to milk. Whisk to combine well.

Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and stir well. Whisk together wet and dry ingredients. Cover and let stand 25 minutes. When batter has doubled in size, it's ready to use. Dip out the desired amount with a measuring cup or ladle and pour onto hot griddle, about 400 degrees. When pancake is bubbly on the top, flip over and brown the other side.

Serve with butter, syrup, jam or powdered sugar.

Cooks note: These pancakes can easily go savory for appetizers or a side. Just add minced onions, scallions, your favorite herbs and spices. You can make small coin sized cakes and add savory or sweet toppings for an appetizer. These pancakes are a great foundation for lots of creative ideas!

Cottage Garden's Cheesy Chicken Asparagus Soup

What's not to like? Cheese, chicken, potatoes and asparagus! This was by far one of the most requested soups at our restaurant. It's creamy, cheesy and so delish. It has a taste like no other. This soup will be an instant hit! Hope you enjoy!

Cooks Notes:
I buy many off brand items, but a good brand of asparagus is worth it in this case. Most off brands are woody, stringy and tough when it comes to asparagus. Spears work best. After all, asparagus is the star of this recipe!

Ingredients:
water
3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, washed
2 tablespoons chicken flavor bullion or 1 can chicken broth
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, diced or chopped
1 pound Velveeta or store brand processed cheese, cubed
3 cans asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces (IMPORTANT! Reserve liquid from asparagus cans and add with asparagus.)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup flour
1 quart half and half , divided

Directions:
Fill a large soup pot with 3 quarts water. Add chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder,and bouillon or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour. Remove chicken from pot and chop into pieces. Sit aside. It's time to add the cubed potatoes and onion. Continue to cook until potatoes are fork tender. Return chopped chicken to pot, add cubed cheese and cook, stirring as needed until cheese is melted. Add asparagus, the asparagus liquid, 2 cups of half and half and stir. Turn down heat to low so soup doesn't stick or burn while you're making the roux.
In a small saucepan, heat butter. Gradually whisk in flour to form a paste, or roux. Then, gradually whisk in the remaining half and half and continue to stir until mixture is smooth and pasty. If you should need additional liquid for the roux, add a little warm water. Add roux to the soup and stir to incorporate well. Continue to cook, soup will become thicker.
Add shredded cheese and adjust seasoning if you need to.
Soup is ready to serve.

All I Can Say Is Yummy, Yummy Comfort Food!

Shepherd’s Loaf

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 6

Meat Loaf
½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground turkey
½ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
½ medium onion, minced
1 small carrot, shredded (I use my mini food processor)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 egg, beaten

Potatoes

¼ cup heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 pounds butter gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

(No one said this was diet food : ), but you can lighten the potatoes by using Heart Smart type butter, Neufchatel (cream cheese) and skim milk.)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350° degrees. Spray or grease a loaf pan.
Add cubed potatoes to a pot of boiling water and cook until tender. Meanwhile, add all meatloaf ingredients to a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. (Use clean or gloved hands if you need to). Pour meat mixture into the greased pan and press to fit pan.

When potatoes are fork tender, turn off burner, drain and return potatoes to stove. Mix in cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Add heavy cream and continue to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon potatoes over meat.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until meat is thoroughly cooked. Drain excess fat and let cool slightly. Slice and serve with your favorite green vegetable or salad for an old fashioned family dinner.