I’m so happy we are past the latest arctic blast. I’m tired of being cold and feeling under-the-weather. Grocery shopping was not high on my to-do list, but I was craving a hearty soup. So I decided to whip one up with ingredients on hand. A hearty golden potato soup is the result of throwing together items I consider to be kitchen staples.
Golden Potato Soup
3 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
4 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 lbs. potatoes, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 cups chicken stock
1⁄2 lb. mushrooms
1 cup cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
In a large heavy pot, caramelize the onions on low heat in olive oil and butter – season with a little salt and pepper. When the onions are a beautiful golden color – about 15-20 minutes – add carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, bay leaves and thyme.

Cook for another 5 minutes and then add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. (I dropped in 4 Parmesan cheese rinds I had saved in the freezer since I didn’t have any Parmesan cheese. Those will melt into the soup, thicken it and give it nice flavor.) Turn off the heat.

While the potatoes cooked, I chopped baby portabella mushrooms and browned them in butter. I cooked them separate from the other vegetables because I knew I would pureé those and didn’t want to include the mushrooms.

Remove bay leaves (and Parmesan cheese rinds). I wanted the soup to be chunky, so I pureéd it with my immersion blender for about 5 seconds – just enough to thicken. Add the mushrooms, cream ( I didn’t have cream, but added 1⁄2 cup Half & Half and a little sour cream) and Parmesan cheese if you have it. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley.

Kitchen staple items have a long shelf-life in either the pantry or refrigerator/freezer. For me, they include onions, carrots, celery, garlic, canned tomatoes, dried and canned beans, pasta, rice, potatoes, dried herbs, stock, butter or olive oil, flour, sugar, salt and pepper. With those items on hand, I can always whip up a meal.

Every Southerner knows that eating black-eyed peas brings good luck in the New Year. If you haven’t had yours yet, it is not too late. Try these black-eyed pea recipes. And they are good any time of the year.
Black-eyed Pea Salad
I thawed a bag of peas that came from my summer garden and boiled them 30 minutes with just enough water to cover, a bay leaf, salt and pepper – then drained. You could also use 3 cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained.
Then add:
2 tomatoes, chopped
1⁄2 red onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for a few hours – or overnight. It makes a great side dish and is also good served with chopped avocado. Add a chopped jalapeño pepper if you like it hot.

Southerners also love their casseroles, so why not one with black-eyed peas?
Sausage, Black-eyed Peas with Rice and Greens
1 lb. sausage, crumbled or bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. flour
3 cups broth
2 cans black-eyed peas
3 cups cooked rice
10 oz. cooked greens (spinach, kale, etc.)
8 oz. shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sausage in a large oven-safe skillet. Add olive oil and onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until they just begin to brown. Add garlic, oregano and flour, stirring until all is incorporated. Slowly stir in broth – your choice of beef, chicken or vegetable – making a gravy. Cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes, adjust seasonings and remove from heat.

Add peas, rice and greens to the skillet and combine. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes until the cheese melts and the sides of the dish are bubbly.

I used Kielbasa sausage, wild rice, beef broth and kale topped with Colby-jack when making the dish. For a Tex-Mex flair, try chorizo sausage and follow the same recipe, but substitute corn for the rice and a can of Rotel tomatoes and a chopped green pepper instead of greens. Then top the casserole with cornbread batter – from a mix is fine – mixing cheddar cheese into the batter. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30-40 minutes until the cornbread is lightly brown.

A carrot casserole recipe has been requested by a reader. I’ve never had carrot casserole, but it sounded intriguing. I researched several recipe options and settled on two. The first is made with apples, carrots and a brown sugar-crumble topping.

Apple Carrot Casserole
from TLC Cooking
6 carrots sliced
4 apples peeled cored and sliced
1⁄4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. butter
1⁄2 cup orange juice
1⁄2 tsp. salt

I didn’t have orange juice, but I found a very small bag of frozen peaches – about a third of a cup. I heated them with 1⁄2 cup wine in a small sauce pan. I added a pinch each of dried tarragon leaves, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. I let this simmer and reduce down until the liquid cooked off.

Then I prepared the carrots and brought them to a boil with just enough water to cover. Once fork-tender, I removed from heat. Layer half the sliced apples on the bottom of a baking dish. Using a slotted spoon, layer half the carrots. Finish by layering the remaining apples and carrots. I reserved about 8 apple slices and arranged them in a spiral pattern on the top.
I added the leftover cooking water from the carrots to the peach mixture and pureed it. Then pour over the carrots and apples – again this was substituted for the orange juice.

Make a crumble by combining the flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, and butter – I also added a quarter cup of bread crumbs. Sprinkle it on top and add salt lightly. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes.

I served it piping hot from the oven. The crumble was light and buttery, and there was a hint of sweetness from the natural sugars in the apples and carrots. Actually, this is not a dessert. However served with a scoop of ice cream, it is heavenly.

The other carrot casserole is creamy and cheesy. The ingredients are listed below. As usual ,since I consider all recipes to be guidelines, I’ve documented my alterations.

Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole
from Taste of Home
3 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1⁄4 cup butter
1⁄4 cup flour
2 cups Half & Half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1-1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1⁄4 tsp. pepper
1⁄4 tsp. celery salt
6-7 slices bread
8 oz. sharp cheddar
3 tbsp. butter

Start by peeling and slicing the carrots. I decided to also julienne one onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Sauté the onions in butter. When nicely browned, add the garlic and flour. Stir until incorporated. Then add Half & Half, salt, onion powder, dry mustard, pepper and celery salt. I certainly didn’t measure the dry ingredients – I added what I liked, but that’s up to you. Continue to stir until the consistency is that of gravy. You have just made a béchamel sauce. (You don’t need canned creamed soup!)

Toast 6-7 slices of bread and cut into cubes. Sauté in butter until golden brown. Place sliced carrots in a 9×13″ baking dish. Cover with béchamel sauce, cheddar cheese and toasted bread crumbs.

Bake covered in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes and uncovered for 15 more minutes. Yum!

The weekend after Thanksgiving Day, we continued feasting with more family in Arlington. Since I wasn’t hosting, I brought two side dishes to go with the traditional turkey dinner. I made scalloped red and sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts.

For the scalloped potatoes, begin by cleaning about 3 lbs. of red potatoes. Leaving the skin on, cut them into 1⁄4-inch slices. Peel about 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes and cut them into 1⁄4-inch slices. Bring 6 cups of whole milk, 2 cups of Half&Half, 3 minced garlic cloves, a dash of nutmeg and pepper, 1 tsp. each of dried thyme and salt to a simmer in a large shallow pan.

When the milk is almost boiling, layer in potato slices until just covered by the liquid. Gently simmer the potatoes for 8 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon to cool slightly. I cooked three batches and added more milk as necessary. While the potatoes were cooking, I shredded a lb. of Swiss cheese.

Prepare a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray and spoon a quarter of the pan liquid into the dish. Then partially overlapping, cover the bottom of the dish with 1/3 of the potatoes using a mix of sweet and red. Scatter 1/3 of the Swiss cheese over the top. Make two more layers. I sprinkled Parmesan cheese and dried parsley on top of the final layer.

With the dish on a cookie sheet – to catch any spills –place in a 375-degree oven. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the sides bubbly. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.

I love Brussels sprouts and find that if roasted with bacon and garlic, just about everyone else does too. Begin by browning bacon pieces in an iron skillet. Chop and add a large onion to the skillet. Add 2 lbs. cleaned and trimmed Brussels sprouts. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, pepper and the juice of 1⁄2 lemon. Stir all to coat then pour onto a sheet pan and place on the top rack of a 350-degree oven. Cook for about 20 minutes. Stir the sprouts and cook for 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly toast 1⁄2 cup pine nuts in a skillet. Watch closely or they’ll burn. I also wash about a dozen button mushroom. Yes, I wash mushrooms quickly in cold water and set them stem side down to dry so water doesn’t collect in the caps.

Then quarter and brown the mushrooms in the skillet. Avoid the urge to stir them. After a couple of minutes, gently turn to cook each side. Stirring mushrooms makes them sweat and turn an unappetizing grey.

When the sprouts are done, scoop them into a serving dish and toss with the mushrooms, 1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese and the toasted pine nuts.

While not exactly quick and simple, I can guarantee sides like these will compliment a main dish and enhance a special dinner.

Traveling and attending events during the holidays can make it hard to sit down to a normal family meal. Not only that, but when visiting and having meals with extended family, it’s easy to eat too much rich wonderful food. Often when I know we’ll be having a big dinner, we eat a late breakfast/early lunch – brunch. Last Saturday I made potato pancakes with sausage, gravy and kale Caesar salad for brunch.

If you search for kale on the Internet, you’ll find it provides numerous health benefits. I like the taste and that it holds up well when cooked, but most importantly it grows in my garden year round. I gathered, cleaned and chopped the kale into bite-sized pieces. I made a Caesar-type dressing with ½ cup olive oil, 1 smashed clove garlic, 2 anchovy fillets, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Using my immersion blender in a cup, I puréed the ingredients to make a smooth dressing.

Drizzle half the dressing over cubed crusty bread and bake in a 450-degree oven for a couple of minutes until browned. Toss the rest of the dressing with the kale and spread it over another baking sheet. Bake the kale for 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally. Don’t let it burn. Combine the kale and croutons in a bowl and sprinkle with grated parmesan and lemon juice. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the meal.

I seared the un-cooked sausage links on all sides and then turned the heat down and added a cup of chicken stock. Put a lid on the skillet and let the sausages cook through – depending on the size, about 20 minutes.

The potato pancakes were quick and easy. I grated 6 small red potatoes (skins on) with a box grater and dried them on paper towels. Then combine with 1 egg, ½ of a finely chopped onion, about 1 tablespoon each of flour and bread crumbs, and season with parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. By now the sausage should be done, so remove it from the skillet and reserve any liquid.

Heat a small amount of oil in the skillet and then drop 3-4 balls of the potato mixture in the skillet – be careful not to crowd. I ended up cooking three batches. Use a spatula to flatten the potato balls forming a pancake. Cook on each side for 5 minutes or until crispy and nicely browned.

For simple gravy in the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook the flour until it turns a light brown and then add the reserved sausage liquid while stirring. Continue to stir and add milk or half-and-half. When a gravy forms, add salt and pepper to taste. Or for a lighter option, serve applesauce instead of gravy.

Following the theme of a Mediterranean-style Thanksgiving Dinner, I wanted to serve another dish to compliment the lasagna and decided on borek (pronounced burick). Borek is a Turkish (the “Turkey” in our Thanksgiving Dinner) savory pie. I did a little research and some borek versions are made with meat and others with vegetables and cheese. I decided to combine them all and tested the recipe on the boys.

The pastry crust is usually made with yufka dough. According to the Internet, phyllo dough is very similar – so it must be true. I set both logs of frozen rolled dough on the countertop to thaw for at least two hours.

Brown 3 lbs. of ground meat in a large pot. While the meat cooks, chop 2 onions, 4 green peppers, 3 carrots, 3 celery ribs and 3 cloves of garlic. Drain the meat on paper towels and discard most of the grease in the pot. Using the same pot, sauté all the vegetables and add salt and pepper.

Add the meat back and add 1 tsp. each of crushed fennel, coriander and celery seeds, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley and 2 cups red wine. Let all simmer on low for at least 20 minutes – taste and season as necessary. Meanwhile, shred 1 lb. Monterrey jack cheese, spray a 9×13″ baking pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the egg-wash by whisking 5 eggs, 1 cup milk and 3⁄4 cup vegetable oil. I found it easiest to lay each thin piece of dough directly into the greased baking pan. The dough sheets will overlap each other as well as hang over the sides of the pan. Be sure to brush egg-wash liberally before adding overlapping layers.

Phyllo dough is tricky to work with, so make sure you don’t have dogs, kids or husbands underfoot when trying to complete this task. I ended up laying four sheets of dough across the bottom of the pan to form one layer and then added five similar layers, brushing liberally with the egg-wash.

Spoon half the vegetable-meat mixture onto the layered dough. Then add dollops of small-curd cottage cheese and half the shredded Monterrey jack. Take the dough that was allowed to hang over the sides of the pan and fold into the dish. Begin laying additional sheets of phyllo dough on top, allowing some to hang over the edges of the pan. I overlapped three sheets and made 6 layers – always using egg-wash between sheets.

Spread on the rest of the vegetable-meat mixture, cottage cheese and shredded cheese. Fold in the overlapping dough and finish the top of the dish with 6 more layers of overlapping egg-washed phyllo-dough sheets. Pour any remaining egg-wash over the top. Then sprinkle celery seeds, paprika, cumin, freshly ground black pepper and sesame seeds as the final topping. Whew! Bake for 10 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 35 minutes. Let the borek rest for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

My son brought home collard greens from one of his customers at work and I cooked them with bacon, onions and garlic for a side dish. The borek, greens and a glass of mint tea made a very fine meal. I’ll probably tweak this dish a little more, but it will be a nice addition to a Mediterranean Thanksgiving Dinner.

I remember when I was about 10 years old and had vegetarian lasagna at my friend’s house. I had never heard of making lasagna with just vegetables, but I absolutely loved it.

Mrs. Laurain’s vegetarian lasagna
1 box lasagna noodles (approximately 10)
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower
1⁄2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. oil
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1-1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups cottage cheese
1 lb. sliced Monterey jack cheese
1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese

Over the years I’ve tried many lasagna recipes, but I always come back to that vegetarian one as my favorite. I’m making it for Thanksgiving dinner with my own flair and of course, I’m adding meat.

Start by preparing the green vegetables. Microwaving a 10-oz. pkg. of frozen chopped spinach is easiest, but I’ll clean, chop and cook Swiss chard instead. Microwave a 10-oz. pkg. of frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower – I will purchase a small head of cauliflower, steam it and chop it. Once those vegetables are prepared, set aside while draining off all excess water.

Chop a medium-sized onion, grate about 3 carrots, mince a garlic clove and slice a large pkg. of mushrooms. Cook a pound of ground Italian sausage and remove with a slotted spoon. Add a Tbsp. of olive oil to the pan and sauté the raw vegetables, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Add the Italian sausage back to the pan. Stir in tomato sauce, paste and 1 cup of red wine and bring to a simmer.

Add 2 bay leaves, a tsp. each of oregano, chopped rosemary and crushed fennel seeds. Cover the pot and simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles. Grate mozzarella and Monterey jack cheese until you have about a pound total. Sometimes I use a combination of mozzarella and Swiss. I use small-curd cottage cheese, but ricotta is good too. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot and cover with cool water – they’ll be easier to handle.

Begin layering with a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of the dish. Using a paper towel, gently dry half the noodles and overlap them to cover the dish. Spread half the cottage cheese over the noodles and then spread half the spinach and cauliflower. Ladle half of the sauce mixture over the vegetables and then add half of the shredded cheese. Repeat the process starting with layering noodles. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake covered in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes, removing the cover for the last 10. The lasagna should be golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges. Let rest at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.