Lola B's

This is the meal that i ….the bakeress…made for Christmas to take to our friends home for dinner.

It’s an amazing winter meal…the salad is my all time favorite and really easy to make…

especially if you want to impress someone with your cooking talents……

because if you are anything like me…and don’t experiment very often…you come out on top….

a win win no matter what.

I promise.

Pinky.

I made a potato gratin with mushrooms and Gruyere cheese…and a

salad with a dried cherry and Port dressing.

Feel free to pour yourself a glass or two of Port while you cook.

I’ll show you the Salad first….

I will list all the ingredients at the bottom of the post for you.

Combine cherries and Port in heavy small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat…

let stand until cherries swell…about 15 minutes.

In a heavy large skillet…saute pancetta over medium-low heat until crisp, about 8 minutes.

(if you are vegetarian..you can omit this step with the pancetta…i just forgot to get it when i was

at the market…so my version that i photographed does not have pancetta in it}

Add shallots and garlic…cook 2 minutes. Add oil, vinegar and sugar..stir until sugar dissolves.

Stir in cherry mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dressing can be made up to 2 hours ahead and then set aside and you can re-warm later.
Combine salad greens and pine nuts in bowl…add goat cheese slices on top…

and add warmed dressing over salad.

Toss to blend.

Next up is the Potato gratin with Gruyere and mushrooms…remember how i told you about the potatoes boiled in

heavy whipping cream….

well…don’t say i didn’t warn you.

It’s worth every single calorie.

Honest.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks…saute until soft and lightly browned..

10-12 minutes. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper..and saute until soft and liquid evaporates..

7-8 minutes. Add garlic…saute 1 minute.

Set aside.

{This can be made up to 4 hours ahead of time…just set it aside at room temp}
Preheat oven to 375* F. Pat potato slices dry with kitchen towel. Combine cream….

1 tsp salt..and 1/2 tsp pepper in large pot. Add potatoes. Bring to boil…reduce heat to medium and simmer..

covered..about 10 minutes..stirring occasionally.

Remove lid..simmer until cream is reduced by about half and potatoes are partially cooked, stirring often

and keeping an eye on them so the cream does not burn….about 3 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.
Brush 13x9x2 inch glass or ceramic baking dish with oil.

Transfer half of potato mixture to dish…spreading out in an even layer.

Spoon mushroom mixture over the potatoes in an even layer.

Spoon remaining potato mixture over..spreading it in even layer.

Sprinkle cheese over top layer of potatoes….cover with foil..tenting the center to prevent the cheese from sticking.

Bake about 30 minutes. Uncover…bake until potatoes are tender and top is light brown…15-20 minutes.

Let it sit about 10 minutes before serving.

{this is the point where your husband or significant other will love you till the day you die..}

Goat Cheese Salad with dried cherries and port dressing:

{serves 4}

1 1/4 cups dried tart cherries

1/2 cup tawny port

5 ounces pancetta or bacon: chopped

2 shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 c. olive oil

1.4 c. red wine vinegar

2 tsp sugar

1 5.5-ounce log soft goat cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 cup pine nuts: toasted

1 5-ounce bag of salad greens

………………………………………………………………..

Potato gratin with Gruyere and Mushrooms

{serves 8-10}

1/4 c. olive oil

4 c. finely chopped leeks {white and pale green parts only..about 3 of them}

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms {such as shiitake, baby bella, crimini} slices and cubed into 1/2 inches. {about 10 cups}

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices

2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese.

Yesterday morning at 745 a.m……we showed up at the hospital with Mason….

for his scheduled tonsil and adenoid removal surgery. I don’t know why i don’t think of these things before hand..

but i really wish i would have brought my video camera.

We got all checked in…and waited while the anesthesiologist came in and chatted with us…

then the surgeon….then the nurse.

The nurse brought in with her a liquid cocktail in a small cup for Mason to drink…

and told him to drink it quick because it didn’t taste good…but it was sure going to make him feel good.

Feel good in about 15 minutes or so.

Feel good as in….get real loopy and laugh at everything we said.

Feel good as in…

I think i needed some of that cocktail also.

Bryan thought he needed some too.

So when the nurse came back in to check on Mason….i politely asked if she had any extra she could hand out

to us…because we knew it was going to be a long day.

She didn’t laugh…and as a matter of fact…she raised her eyebrows at us…and frowned…

and i have a feeling she went and told the surgeon on us.

I have a feeling her funny bone was removed when she graduated nursing school.

Anyhoo…..

the surgery went great…..

Mason came out of anesthesia just fine….and we came home and spent the afternoon on the sofa…

he’s been a real trooper. We are learning our own version of sign language….and last night i

remember what it felt like to have a newborn in the house again….by getting up every four hours.

Luckily there was no diaper to change.

It’s been rough….i’m not gonna lie….but as long as Mason takes his Tylenol with codeine every four

hours then it’s not so bad.

I pour his dose in his spoon and say…

one spoonful for you….

and one spoonful for me.

We’ve gone thru 1973944792837 gallons of ice cream….and some very nice friends have brought

over homemade soup……smoothies….and little gifts.

I even let Fin and Lola have ice cream for dinner last night.

I might have had a scoop or three for myself as well….and my favorite is …

chocolate peanut butter cup topped with a scoop of caramel crunch topped with a scoop of cookie dough.

Funny thing is….i stepped on the scale this morning and i believe there is a spring loose…

{so weird}

so i am going to have to take it in and get it fixed. My dryer is broken also…….

{totally unexpected}

i know it’s because it’s from the 80′s and only has one setting….which dried my jeans

super dry and even shrunk them a few sizes. I might let Lola have them now.

On a positive note…Mason will never have strep throat ever again…

or miss another day of school…or snore.

Not that snoring is a big deal….but i have a feeling that Fin will appreciate a snore free night.

p.s. I made a potato and mushroom gratin in which i boiled potatoes in heavy whipping cream.

p.p.s. I will give you the recipe soon.

p.p.s.s. That is…if i don’t die first from the cream running thru my veins.

p.s.s. I think i am turning into a true mid-westerner now that i used potatoes and cream in one dish.

p.s.p. Except i know for a fact that the French love Cream….so therefor i love cream.

p.p.p.p. I’m going to stop now….it’s time to give Mason some tylenol with codeine.