Deluxe Potatoes au Gratin

Every Christmas dinner in our family is hosted at my Aunt's home.  No matter what the menu, my Uncle makes his "Company Potatoes"; the recipe is a secret and I've not tried to reverse engineer them as they are awesome and his thing.  He is THE Potato Guy in our family.  He loves potatoes.  However, this Easter I was tasked with a potato side dish.  I knew the bar was set high, and I went for it.

Like many of my sauces, I needed to keep extra of each ingredient on hand to keep things flexible; just add more or less to the bechamel sauce based on your tastes and how the batch of sauce is behaving.  Of course, I am of the belief that you can never have too much garlic or too much pepper.  I wanted this to stand out and bring out different elements, so I used a bit of wine and added a touch of horseradish.

THE RECIPE--
1# thickly sliced pepper bacon
1 stick unsalted butter, divided, + more for lining baking dish
One large onion, halved then sliced thinly
6 cloves garlic
6 T flour
2 C whole milk
3/4 C half & half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 - 4 dashes Tabasco sauce
3 - 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 bunch fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 bunch fresh Italian flat-leaved parsley, minced
1/2 bunch fresh oregano leaves, minced
1/2 bottle dry white wine
2 t prepared horseradish, +/-, to taste - start off with a smaller amount then add more until you can just detect a hint of this flavor.
4-5 large russet potatoes peeled, 1/4" slices -- put in cold water until ready for cooking
1 C Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated
3 C shredded cheese blend, esp. sharp cheddar + more for garnish

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Broil pepper bacon until crisp.  Cool, chop finely and reserve.

In a large, deep skillet heat 2 T butter over medium flame.  Saute onions until pliable; add garlic and saute for another minute.  Season and set aside.

Return pan to medium flame; melt butter and whisk in flour, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.  Slowly add milk and half & half, stirring constantly.  Season and add herbs and wine.  Keep in mind these flavors will concentrate as the sauce reduces.  Add horseradish and taste.  Simmer lightly until reduced, stirring frequently.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Gradually stir in the cheese and remove from the flame once it is melted.

Butter a large baking dish.  Place a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom; season with salt and pepper, onion and garlic mixture, bacon and bechamel sauce.  Repeat this layering until the pan is full.  Top with more shredded cheese and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 400°F for approximately 1 1/2 hours.  Garnish with shredded cheese and fresh herbs.

EASY Spicy Cheese and Vegetable Enchiladas

Weeks of limited mobility and stress-eating have resulted in a strained belt line; back to salads and vegetables.  But I've never met a vegetable I didn't like, so this is not a challenge.  I've been thinking
about these for a while, so here we go.  This is also my first attempt at making homemade enchilada sauce (easier than I thought).  Of course, lacking any sense of portion control, I filled an entire 9" X 11" baking pan for just myself; if you let these rest in the fridge for a few days, you end up with tamale pie - or something like that.  You're welcome.

THE RECIPE

FILLING

2T EV olive oil
1 large onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, shredded
3 stalks celery, minced
1/4 head cauliflower, minced
1/8th head green cabbage, shredded
1/4 C spinach leaves, sliced
12 - 15 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
8-10 Thai chilies, thinly sliced
8 oz. frozen or fresh green peas
1/2 C garbanzo beans, minced

1/2 bunch Italian parsley leaves, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, minced
Sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
1T lemon juice

Shredded cheese
Corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350° F

3T EV olive oil
Extra cheese for garnish
Extra cilantro for garnish

Saute all vegetables over medium high flame until cooked; remove from heat.  Heat the 3T oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Dip corn tortillas into hot oil; turn and set onto a large plate.  Stuff tortillas with vegetable mixture, add cheese

 and roll enchiladas, leaving the outside edge on the bottom.  Line up in a baking dish.

Top with enchilada sauce, cheese and cilantro garnish.

 Bake approximately 30 minutes, until enchiladas are heated through, and cheese is melted.  Serve with charro beans, rice, or green salad.

THE RECIPE

ENCHILADA SAUCE

1/4 C EV olive oil
1/2 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2T flour

1/4 C dark chili powder
1T cayenne chili powder
1 t cumin powder
 2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
3 C water

Saute onion and garlic until translucent; add flour and stir to avoid scorching.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer until reduced to desired consistency.  Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Let's eat!