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Five Minutes of Effort Yields a Rustic Tomato & Bread Gratin

YumSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:00:03 -0700

At his seminar in Aspen, French cooking authority Jacques Pépin had a lot to say about boiling the world's most perfect eggs. While doing so, he also managed to make six stunning tomato dishes, using a number of in-season varieties, including a stacked Greek tomato salad, tomato-laced spaghetti with anchovies, and a tomato-bread gratin.

I just so happened to return from the neighborhood farmers market bearing a loaf of fresh-baked bread and vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, so I combined those with Parmesan to make Jacques's gratin. The simplistic French country dish highlights the seasonality of sweet cherry tomatoes, so don't skimp on quality ingredients, and be sure to buy local tomatoes. Get your hands on the recipe, which requires only five minutes of prep, after the break.

Say Cheese! Gruyere Gratin With Thyme

partysugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:15:30 -0700

Gruyere cheese is a popular hard cheese made from cow's milk. With origins in Switzerland, it is perhaps the best known type of Swiss cheese. Gruyere is also produced in France, but according to French agricultural law, it must have holes, while the Swiss version is solid. This slightly yellow cheese has a nutty flavor that's mildly salty and varies with age. Gruyere is great for both melting (it's a common ingredient in fondue) and eating out of hand. To see how I used this wonderfully creamy cheese, read more.

Since I wanted a recipe that would highlight the pure essence of the cheese, I decided on a gruyere gratin. This dish is simple but wildly delicious. What's not to love about crusty bread and melted cheese? Don't skip the thyme, as it adds a delightful depth. Although the ingredients and technique are simple, the final gratin is complex, crunchy, gooey, and just plain scrumptious. It would be a welcome addition on any Easter table and, paired with a green salad, is a luxurious vegetarian meal.

Gruyere Gratin with Thyme
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 loaf white country or peasant bread (about 12 ounces), cut into 1-by-1-by-3-inch strips
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves reserved

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish, and set dish aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Immerse the bread strips in the egg mixture. Immediately transfer strips to the baking dish, and arrange randomly on the bottom.
Pour the white wine and any remaining egg mixture over the bread strips.
Sprinkle the grated cheese and thyme leaves over top.
Transfer baking dish to oven. Bake until the gratin is puffy, the center has set, and the cheese is brown and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Potato "Lasagna"

partysugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:30:49 -0800

Although this hearty dish is called a "lasagna," it's somewhere between the classic potato gratin and the old-school casserole. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes are topped with canned tomatoes and a bacon-spinach mixture. Grated cheese finishes off the one-pan meal that pairs perfectly with a simple green salad.

While it needs 45 minutes in the oven, the prep time is minimal. To learn how to make this crowd-pleasing, innovative dish, read more.

Potato "Lasagna"
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1/4 pound bacon (about 5 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 pounds Idaho potatoes (about 4 large potatoes), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
4 ounces Swiss, Cheddar, or mozzarella, shredded

Directions

Heat oven to 450° F.
In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the bacon and onion. Cook until the onion is caramelized and golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, mix in the spinach, and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, salt, and oregano. Set aside.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Arrange 1 layer of potatoes, overlapping slightly. Spread the tomatoes evenly on top of the potatoes. Pour 1/3 of the milk mixture over the tomatoes.
Add another layer of potatoes and then the bacon-spinach mixture, spreading evenly. Top with another third of the milk mixture. Finish with the last layer of potatoes and sprinkle on the shredded cheese. Drizzle the remaining milk mixture over the dish.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

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6 Tempting Gratin Dishes

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:50:25 -0800

In the dead of Winter, during a period of economic stress, there's nothing more appetizing than down-home comfort foods. While mac and cheese, burgers, and pot pies get a lot of press, I have to argue that the title of The Ultimate Comfort Food should go to the gratin. Coined after an obsolete French term for "grater," a gratin is a very loosely defined dish: it's simply any course that's topped with browned crumbs, butter, and cheese. Read on to see six different renditions of this homestyle dish.

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Come Party With Me: Fast Thanksgiving - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:00:56 -0800

Many people think that serving your family a classic, delicious Thanksgiving requires days of work in the kitchen. However, with a little culinary savviness, one can make a complete meal in a couple of hours. Pick up store-bought snacks to tide over your crowd until turkey time. Put together a simple cheese plate with olives, nuts, figs, and charcuterie.

Cut cook time in half by serving a roasted turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. Keep the stuffing simple and the flavoring ingredients to a minimum. A gravy that doesn't require turkey drippings is another time saver. Combine the sweet potato side with the traditional mashed potatoes. Make a quick cranberry sauce with sugar, cranberries, and water. Serve one vegetable side in the form of a crunchy broccoli-cauliflower gratin. To look at these fast and easy recipes, read more.

Roasted Turkey Breast With Corn Bread-Sage Stuffing and Brandy Gravy
From Epicurious

Ingredients

For stuffing:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 cups stale corn bread, crumbled into large pieces*
2 large eggs, beaten
For turkey:
One 3 1/2- to 4-pound bone-in turkey breast, halved at the breast bone**
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
For gravy:
One 1 1/2-ounce container veal or chicken demi-glace
1 tablespoon brandy***
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Make stuffing: preheat oven to 425°F and grease 9-by 13-inch roasting pan.
In large skillet over moderately high heat, melt butter. Add onion, celery, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, and bay leaf, and sauté until vegetables soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in sage and cook 30 seconds more. Stir in stock and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Put corn bread in large bowl and pour vegetables over. Toss to mix well. Add eggs and stir to combine.
Make turkey: rinse breast halves and pat dry. Season generously with kosher or coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and rub all over with olive oil.
Mound stuffing in center of roasting pan and arrange turkey on top, making sure breast halves aren't touching. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of turkey (do not touch bone) registers 170°F and juices run clear when pierced with fork, 45 to 55 minutes.
Make gravy while turkey is roasting: In small saucepan over moderately high heat, combine demi-glace, 1/2 cup water, and brandy. Bring to boil, stirring until smooth.
Stir in butter, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until gravy thickens, about 1 minute. Stir in cream and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve hot, over turkey and stuffing.

Serves 4.

*If your corn bread isn't stale, spread out slices on a baking pan in a 200°F oven until they feel dry and crumbly. (Depending upon how moist the loaf is, this can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.) Then crumble up the slices. Any leftover stale bread - rolls, focaccia, even bagels - can be substituted for the corn bread.
**It's easiest and fastest to ask your butcher to split the turkey breast in half for you. But this can also be done at home: Use a heavy, sharp knife and don't be afraid to whack the breast at the wishbone several times until it comes apart. Slicing the skin down along the breastbone before you start cutting is also helpful.
***In the gravy, bourbon, whiskey, wine, port, or vermouth can be used instead of brandy.

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Golden Potato Mash
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 pounds small yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as yukon gold
Salt
1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled
2/3 cup heavy cream
Pepper

Directions

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches; season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, halve the sweet potato lengthwise and then slice crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Add to the boiling water and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, then return to the pot.
Using a wooden spoon, coarsely mash the potatoes and sweet potato with the cream; season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8.

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Cranberry Sauce
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 bag (12 ounces) cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup water

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, lemon zest, and water; bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer; cook until cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and let cool to room temperature.

Makes about 3 cups.

Make ahead: To store, refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

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Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin With Cheddar Cheese
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

4 cups broccoli florets (from 2 small heads)
4 cups cauliflower florets (from 1 small head)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
1/4 cup pitted oil-cured green or black olives, coarsely chopped
1 cup coarse plain dry bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter a 2-inch-deep 2-quart baking dish.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli and cauliflower and cook until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook just until fragrant.
Off the heat, add the broccoli and cauliflower and toss. Toss half of the cheese and the olives with the vegetables. Transfer to the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
In a small bowl, toss the crumbs with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crumbs over the cheese. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 12 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the crumbs are golden. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Polenta Gratin with Mushrooms and Fontina

partysugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:45:53 -0700

Sometimes there just isn't enough time to make a complete meal from scratch, so don't be ashamed to take help from the grocery store. If you enhance the taste by mixing in a couple of fresh ingredients, your family will never notice that you took help from the supermarket. This delectable dinner combines fresh mushrooms, basil, and fontina - with premade polenta and pasta sauce. The final vegetarian dish is filled with flavor and surprisingly delightful.

To check out the recipe - another great one from our friends at MyRecipes.com - read more.

Polenta Gratin with Mushrooms and Fontina
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) tube of polenta, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce (such as Classico)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded fontina cheese

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°.
Arrange polenta slices in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, allowing slices to overlap.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and salt.
Cover, reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in Alfredo sauce and basil.
Spoon mushroom mixture evenly over polenta. Top with cheese.
Bake at 500° for 7 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Serves 3.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 221(30% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 3.9g,mono 1.7g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 8.3g; CHOLESTEROL 29mg; CALCIUM 82mg; SODIUM 739mg; FIBER 4.2g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.7g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- Dinner Tonight Recipes in 45-Minutes or Less
- Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
- Eat Smart at CookingLight.com
- Get More Side Dish Recipes

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Unexpectedly Good Side: Brussels Sprouts Gratin

partysugar — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 07:00:55 -0700

Don't you feel sorry for Brussels sprouts? They have a horrible reputation, and I don't understand why. When cooked correctly and paired with enhancing flavors, Brussels sprouts are actually a wonderfully delicious vegetable. Pancetta or bacon, fresh thyme, and chestnuts complement Brussels sprouts' taste.

This gratin, however, is made with Parmesan, roasted garlic, and proscuitto. It pairs nicely with roasted pork or beef. For a vegetarian meal, serve the gratin alongside a pasta or sandwich. To give this underrated vegetable a little love, read more

Brussels Sprouts Gratin
From Food Network

2 pounds Brussels sprouts
4 ounces prosciutto, julienned, optional
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Roasted Garlic, recipe follows
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup sherry
1 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel off any damaged outer layers of Brussels sprouts. Trim the stem to make it flush. Quarter each sprout and score the stem on each quarter with a 1/4-inch-deep "X."
Saute the prosciutto, if using, in the butter over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and Brussels sprouts and stir continuously for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and continue stirring for 2 minutes.
Add the cream, half-and-half, and sherry. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat and continue simmering for 7 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by 1/3.
Stir in the 1 cup of Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8.

Roasted Garlic:

1 head garlic
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut off the papery tip of the garlic head, exposing the top of each garlic clove. Brush the exposed cloves with olive oil.
Place the garlic, root side down, on the center of a piece of aluminum foil. Bundle the garlic with the foil, leaving a small vent on top. Roast the garlic for 45 minutes or until the cloves turn beige and are fork tender. Remove from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.
Squeeze the garlic head upside down over a small bowl and the cloves will pop out. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

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Off To Market: Mandoline

partysugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 03:01:39 -0700

The quintessential French gratin is one of my all time favorite dishes to make and eat. I've made many a gratin in my day, but I know that my gratins will not be as delicious as they could be if I had a mandoline. Pronounced mahn-duh-lee, a mandoline is a compact, hand operated machine similar to a cheese grater. Instead of grating, the blades can be set to various settings to cut vegetables and fruits at uniform sizes. French fries are cut with a mandoline set on the julienne setting and it can be used to slice perfectly circular thin potatoes and zucchini for gratin making. Let's all head off to market in search of the most functional mandoline. Bookmark the mandolines that you find in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Mandoline.

Please refer to geeksugar's guide to bookmarking on TeamSugar for more information on how this fabulous feature works.

Come Party With Me: Easter - Menu (Dinner, Main Course)

partysugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 12:54:19 -0700

Today I'm all about Easter menus. This morning I gave you all a brunch menu for Easter Sunday, and this afternoon, I'm solving all of your dinner menu planning problems. Start with deviled eggs and spring pea soup, continue with a ginger ale glazed ham (I've heard of hams being glazed in coke, beer, and jam but never ginger ale, so I'm super excited to give this ham a try), potato, leek, and artichoke gratin (you know I'm crazy about gratins), and classic creamed spinach side. To check out all the recipes, read more

Ginger Ale-Glazed Ham
From Better Homes & Garden magazine

1 3- or 4-lb. fully-cooked boneless ham
1 cup white wine
2 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
2 Tbsp. molasses
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups ginger ale
2 Tbsp. honey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place ham on rack in roasting pan.
In a saucepan combine wine, mustard, molasses, and cayenne pepper. Bring to simmering. Simmer, uncovered, for 6 minutes.
Stir in ginger ale. Pour glaze over ham.
Bake 1 hour.
Increase oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake 1 hour more, basting ham every 15 minutes.
Brush ham with honey.
Bake 15 minutes more. Slice and serve.

Serves 8 to 10.

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Artichoke, Leek, & Potato Gratin
From Bon Appetit magazine

6 medium to large leeks (about 1 1/2 pounds; white and pale-green parts only), trimmed, halved lengthwise, washed, and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 large russet (baking) potatoes (about 3 pounds), peeled
6 ounces imported Swiss cheese, such as Gruyère or Emmental, shredded (1 1/2 cups packed)
1 (11-ounce) jar water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish or 14-inch oval gratin dish.
In medium saucepan over moderately high heat, combine leeks, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2/3 cup water. Cover, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.
Drain, transfer leeks to medium bowl, and let cool.
Using food processor slicing disk or mandoline, thinly slice potatoes, then transfer to large bowl and add cold water to cover. Stir with hands to rinse, drain well, and repeat.
Layer potatoes between paper towels and pat dry.
Add Swiss cheese, artichokes, pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt to leeks and toss well.
Layer 1/3 of potatoes in bottom of prepared dish, overlapping slightly. Evenly spoon 1/2 of leek-cheese mixture over top. Top with second layer of potatoes, then remaining leek-cheese mixture, then final layer of potatoes. Slowly pour half-and-half over top. Cover snugly with foil.
Bake 40 minutes.
Remove foil, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top, and bake until top is golden and potatoes are easily pierced with small knife, about 20 minutes more.
Serve warm.

Serves 8-10.

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Creamed Spinach
From Tyler Florence

3 pounds spinach
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the spinach in several changes of water to get rid of any grit. Drain the spinach but keep some of the water clinging to the leaves.
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the spinach and garlic. Cook, turning frequently, until the spinach has wilted down evenly.
Remove the garlic and put the spinach into a colander and let it drain well. Press out as much liquid as you can from the leaves and chop them coarsely.
Heat the skillet again over medium-high heat and add the cream and nutmeg; cook until it reduces a bit, about 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the spinach is hot, about 5 more minutes.
Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8.

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What will you be dishing out for your dear family on Easter this Sunday? Don't forget dessert, come back later for decadence in pie form.

Chic Gratin For Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:01:43 -0800

I am crazy about gratins. It's actually starting to drive my father crazy, the incessant dad let's have zucchini gratin for dinner and non stop dad I found the best tomato gratin recipe. I've been doing a lot of outside the box thinking about gratins lately (plain old potatoes is just oh-so-boring) and got to wondering, could you make a sweet variation for dessert? I did some research and BINGO! found the most amazing recipe for a grapefruit sabayon gratin. Sounds divinely sophisticated doesn't it? A sabayon (or zabaglione if you are Italian) is a light frothy egg-based dessert sauce flavored with wine. Toss in a few slices of tart ruby red grapefruit and you are in for one heavenly treat. To take a look at the recipe, read more

Grapefruit Sabayon Gratin
From Gourmet magazine

2 ruby red grapefruit at room temperature
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sweet dessert wine such as Orange Muscat
Special equipment: 4 shallow (5- to 6-oz) individual gratin dishes or a 1-qt shallow flameproof dish; an instant-read thermometer

Preheat broiler.
Cut peel, including all white pith, from grapefruit with a sharp knife. Cut segments from membranes and divide segments among gratin dishes.
Combine yolks, sugar, and wine in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and beat with a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until mixture registers 140°F on thermometer, about 4 minutes.
Continue beating over heat until mixture has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when mixer is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove bowl from heat.
Spoon sabayon over grapefruit segments and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat just until sabayon is browned, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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