Herb Cloverleaf Rolls

"Whenever I made the cloverleaf rolls when you kids were growing up I dunked each ball into butter before adding it to the muffin pan." Courtesy of a phone call with my mom last night on trying to determine why my Herb Cloverleaf Rolls were a little on the dry side. Being a Cooking Light recipe theirs meant to be on the light side and of course the fat was considerably reduced by not dunking the balls in butter. To each their own... and their arteries.

While the rolls lack that airy texture they make you for it with flavor. As they were baking it smelt like rosemary focaccia bread. With first bite you get a taste of herb goodness from the dried rosemary, thyme, oregano, and black pepper. These would be a great roll to have on your Thanksgiving table this year.

Preparing this recipe couldn't have been easier. The downtime waiting for the dough to rise and rest gave me ample time to do the dishes, watch reality television show reruns, and write down another recipe on the lineup for the day.

Give these a try and if you decided to dunk them in butter like my mother did or try Cooking Light's version these won't disappoint.

Herb Cloverleaf Rolls

MyRecipes.com and Cooking Light, November 1998

Makes 1 1/2 dozen

Stars of the Show:

• 1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
• 3/4 cup milk - I used nonfat.
• 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
• 4 cups of bread flour or all-purpose flour, divided - I used bread flour.
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• cooking spray
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

And Action:

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the milks. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Add 3 cups flour, butter, and next 5 ingredients to the yeast mixture and stir until blended. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tbsp at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to your hands. I used the full cup of flour that was left.

Place dough in a large bowl that has been coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts (I place my bowl on top of my dryer after it's been running while I was preparing the dough, thanks mom for that tip!), 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down and cover and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 18 equal portions. Work with 1 portion at a time, cover the remaining dough to keep from drying, divide each portion into 3 equal portions. Shape each piece into a ball. Coat muffin pans with cooking spray and place 3 balls into each muffin cup. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 30 minutes or doubled in size.



I want a deep tissue rub down for 10 minutes and an hour nap... minus the punch afterward.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Uncover dough. Combine 1 tbsp water and egg white in a small bowl. Brush over dough. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 119 (12% from fat)

Fat: 1.6g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.5g)

Protein: 4.4g

Carbohydrate: 21.3g

Fiber: 0.1g

Cholesterol: 1mg

Iron: 1.4mg

Sodium: 158mg

Calcium: 40mg

Head Over To Kirsten's Kitchen For A Giveaway

With having nothing to blog about today Kirsten gave me reason to have something to post:

She's hosting a giveaway for a $40.00 gift certificate for CSN! Head on over and enter her giveaway... just click HERE and it will send you to where you need to be.

Best of luck on the giveaway! While you are over there check out all of her deliciousness she's been whipping up!

Fancy-Pants Bangers 'N' Mash

You know when you get blackout drunk after chugging a fifth of After Shock your first time drinking and the next day you spend with your best friend, the toilet? Then how the scent of cinnamon makes you want to vomit for years after? Me neither. Sorry mom for getting drunk on a school night when I was 16.

How does the above story relate. Mashed potatoes. You know how you stuff yourself on mashed potatoes and get that incredibly achy-need to unbutton your pants feeling after doing so? Anytime I think of mashed potatoes my stomach turns and I remember that uncomfortable feeling and how disgusting I feel every time I eat them. I'm sure you can now understand my hesitation of making mashed potatoes for Mr. Sideline Chef whenever he requests them with every meal.

His work sent him back on the road and because I had already done the menu planning and a recipe out of Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners was on the lineup I set about making the meal for just the itty bitty and I. I cut the entire recipe in half to minimize leftovers and even portioned myself out a half serving of both the beef sausages and mashed potatoes.

After eating the perfectly portioned half serving I was left satisfied and not overly stuffed in that disgusting roll me through my bedroom door sort of a way. I even settled for an abnormally early dinner time, 4:30 p.m., in order to let the food settle before bedtime. Well played Pretend Chef, well played.

Bangers are a mild British pork sausage. I have never heard of bangers before this recipe. They can easily be substituted with any kind of mild pork sausage, beef, or chicken sausages. I chose a smoked beef sausage since our local market doesn't keep great stock of products.

The sausages are browned and then removed from the skillet while a red onion sauce is made with red wine and chicken stock and then added back to the skillet. The mashed potatoes have chives mixed in and are a creamy and delicious accompaniment to the sausages.

No need to unbutton your pants after eating this unless you over do it and in that case it most definitely is worth the achy belly. When will you ever learn?

Fancy-Pants Bangers 'N' Mash

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show:



Milk is not set out since I am weird about leaving it out for longer than need be.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 bangers or other sausages - I used Eckrich's smoked beef sausages. They were fulled cooked sausages.
• 2 pounds small red potatoes, cut into quarters
• salt
• 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped - I used dried thyme since that was already in my spice cabinet.
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry red wine - I used Shiraz.
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 3 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped - I used dried parsley.
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

And Action:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes.

While the sausages are browning, start the mashed potatoes by covering the quartered potatoes in water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, salt it, and cook the potatoes until fork-tender for about 10 minutes.

 Remove the sausages from the pan and place on a platter. Drain half the fat from the skillet (I skipped this step entirely.) then return the skillet to the stove top. Add the red onions, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until nice and brown. Actually didn't burn them like my other night's mishap. Add the red wine and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the sausages back to the skillet and cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pan to dry the potatoes out. Add the butter, cream cheese, chives, and milk to the potatoes and mash. Season with salt and pepper.

Finish the sausages with the chopped parsley and the lemon juice. You can either top the mashed potatoes with the sausages or lay them to the side.

Food Funnies

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots

A recipe like this reminds me of why I refer to myself as The Pretend Chef. I just think I know what I am doing in the kitchen. If you could be a fly on my wall you would see me throughout the making of a recipe running to the computer to do a quick search to see what this or that should look like or what a certain cooking term means.

Before becoming a stay at home mom the word "blanch" was never in my vocabulary. I recall having to watch a how to video. Sad. I know. It wasn't my mother's fault. It is my own. My mother spent countless hours on her feet standing over pots of homemade sauces or whipping up whatever delicious baked good she was working on for the day. My entire existence. To this day I kick myself for not being a more active participant in her kitchen.

Juggling the Old-Fashioned Meatloaf and this side dish I became a bit overwhelmed especially when I, in a spur of the moment decision, thought to invite the neighbors over for dinner. Mind you, I have cooking anxiety when it comes to preparing anything for others. Mr. Sideline Chef was told to let everyone know it would be ready by 6 p.m. Let's just say I ended up having him contact everyone again and letting them know dinner would be ready around 7 p.m.

Back to why this is a reminder of why I'm The Pretend Chef. The caramelizing of the shallots did happen at one moment. They looked beautiful. I have a bad habit of accidentally turning the wrong burners up in heat all the time. Rather than turning the burner up to boil my water for the potatoes the shallots crisped up nicely and gave off a burning aroma throughout the house. Thankfully they didn't get burnt completely through and had a bit of a soft texture to them. I said a bit. When I laid the caramelized burnt shallots on top of my mashed potatoes and took my first bite the shallots had a saltiness to them and somewhat stuck to my back molars. No one else wanted to try them. I ate them all by myself. I also like my hot dogs burnt... by choice.

If you give these a try I'm sure you'll have the results that are expected. A beautiful pile of caramelized shallots to lay on top of a bed of mashed potatoes. Just remember to watch the burners, you don't want to pull a Pretend Chef move.

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots 

*Click the link for yourself to see how these caramelized shallots are meant to look.*

MyRecipes.com and Real Simple, November 2007

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Stars of the Show:

• 5 pounds white or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed - I used Yukon gold potatoes.
• salt and black pepper
• 8 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 5 medium shallots
• 1 tbsp olive oil

And Action:

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and add 2 1/2 tbsp salt. Reduce heat to a simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are simmering, peel and thinly slice the shallots. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return them back to the pot. Add the butter, buttermilk, cream, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp black pepper. Mash the potatoes. Fold the shallots into the mashed potatoes (I kept mine separate so people can either have them or not.) before transferring to a serving dish.

The originally recipe also adds a "Make Ahead Note": The potatoes can be made up to 2 hours in advance and kept warm in a double broiler or Crock-Pot. If the potatoes are chilled and then reheated, they will turn dry and pasty.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 358 (40% from fat)

Fat: 16g (sat 9g)
Protein: 6g
Carbohydrate: 48g
Fiber: 7g
Cholesterol: 41mg
Sodium: 164mg

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of those meals I think I was no different from than most kids and dreaded meatloaf night. My grandma made meatloaf as a go to whenever company was over and we were often that company. Her house was a very strict "if it's on your plate you eat it", even when you weren't the one who plated your own meal. I would choke it down. Looking back on those meals I'm not sure what was off putting about it. Maybe the hardened ketchup on top? The fact that it was ground beef but nothing like a hamburger?

I remember going to restaurants with my father and anytime a waiter would mention the daily special being meatloaf he would ask in a joking manner, "Does your meat loaf?" He would be the only one at the table laughing hysterically. It wasn't until my late teen years that I started to understand what he meant. I do find it just as hysterical now as he did at the time.

Mr. Sideline Chef is a meatloaf man. I am still not a meatloaf fan. I do like it now but not a meal I just have to have. I won't order it out at a restaurant but I will steal a bite off of his plate and talk about how delicious it is looking down at my plate wondering if I'll ever become a meatloaf person like he is. After all, he is the one who has turned my mushroom hatred into a tolerance.

It is a rare occasion for Mr. Sideline Chef to request anything for dinner or any meal for that matter. The other night when making the grocery list he finally spoke up when asked if there was anything he was craving or just wanted... "You haven't made meatloaf in the last year. That would be nice."

I searched my favorite recipe website for meatloaf recipes and came across one I thought he would like. Mashed potatoes and corn were also requested side dishes. I couldn't just make plain mashed potatoes after coming across a recipe for mashed potatoes with caramelized shallots. I'll share the recipe tomorrow and hopefully you'll actually caramelize them and not blacken them like I did.

I prepared dinner and on a whim decided to invite our neighbors over since we haven't seen them in about a week and just wanted to catch up and allow our toddlers to play together. Dinner was delicious. My favorite part was the mashed potatoes with caramelized crispy shallots and Mr. Sideline Chef's reaction was, "It's good." He isn't one to react to food  tasting as a sensual pleasure. He inhales the food. I'm not even sure he tastes it. Our guest told me it was delicious and I sent him home with some leftovers for his wife since she was working.

The recipe for the meatloaf is going into the "for when we have guests" folder of my personal recipe book along with the Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach. Looks like I am turning into my grandmother and having a meatloaf go to recipe and if you're the neighbors I apologize in advance.

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living Magazine, April 2005

Makes 6-8 servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp Creole seasoning
• 1 tsp Greek seasoning - Didn't have this on hand, couldn't find in our local market, and didn't have all of the spices on hand to make my own. I'm sure this would have added even more flavor to an already flavorful meatloaf without it.
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• Garnish: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley - I used dried since that was what I had.

And Action:

Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat; add celery and onion, and saute 7 minutes or until just until.

Stir together the celery mixture, ground beef, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into 10x5- inch loaf, place on a lightly greased aluminum foiled broiler pan.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Stir together remaining 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and 1 tbsp ketchup until blended; pour evenly over meatloaf, and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until no longer pink in the center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Food Funnies and Congratulations To The 5 Winners

I can't really say I'm a fan of email forwards. Only on occasion does a really good one come through and I can't help but share. I received an email a couple days ago and it was food related. Hello! This is a food blog. It's another dose of food funnies. Whoever has come up with these creations has an infinite amount of creativity. What better way to start your Friday morning than with a good laugh?



If you didn't get enough of the food funnies above click HERE for more!

I just want to take a moment and thank all of those who had participated in the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway that I was fortunate enough to host. The people over at Gorton's and Ortega were more than generous and offered to give not one but 5 of my readers each (1) full-value coupon for a Gorton's seafood product and (1) full-value coupon for an Ortega product.

While this giveaway didn't generate a lot of buzz that only meant the odds of winning were greater. Good news for those who did enter. Let me not keep you waiting any longer. Congratulations to the 5 lucky winners!

The Winners:

1. Steve - Comment #11
2. Aubrey Laine - Comment #3
3. LMC502 - Comment #13
4. Leann - Comment #10
5. Jared - Comment #7

All winners were chosen randomly using the random number generator. I will be sending each of you an email congratulating you of your win! When you receive the email please be sure to respond with your mailing address so that way I can forward the information to the people over at Gorton's and Ortega and they will be sending you your prize.