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Today I had PT at the crack of dawn.  They did something called dry needling to release a leg muscle.  Sure worked, by the time I got home I could hardly walk.  

We played our last Cheekwood bridge at my house.  All were waiting for me when I arrived.  Luckily I had set everything up the night before.  As we were starting at 10:00 I made the following delicious casserole from allrecipes.com.  I accompanied it with an arugula salad with my wonderful mustard dressing.  (Remember the Corned Beef salad?  That dressing.)  The ladies thought it was delicious and so did Jim as it was his dinner also with salad, but I added pear, avocado and sunflower seeds to the salad for dinner.  After dinner we went to the dance club.  They talked Jim into preforming in the spring show.  Elizabeth dangled Chuck Berry in front of him and he bought it,  Staz will be teaching me Argentinian tango.  I am willing to learn, preform, not my thing.  

Everyone is so excited, except me.

Ingredients:

8 oz, pork sausage

1 1/2C shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 C milk

1 t ground black pepper

1 roma tomato, thinly sliced  (I used 2)

1 (10 oz) pkg. chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained (I forgot so I used peas.)

1 C ricotta cheese

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 t salt

Directions:

1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown.  Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 7” X 11” baking dish.  (I just happen to have this size thanks to Mom who owned every size pyrex ever made.)
3. In a bowl, mix cooked sausage, broccoli, and 1/2 C Cheddar cheese. 
4. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 C Cheddar cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, milk, pepper and salt.  
5. Spoon the sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish.  
6. Spread the Cheddar and ricotta mixture over the sausage mixture.
7. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar.  Arrange tomato slices on top.  
8. At this point I covered it and put in the refrigerator.  
9. When time for lunch I heated the oven to 350 degrees.  Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven.  
10. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  
11. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.   

Wow, was this delicious.  This recipe is from the Southern Living Jean brought me. It is 4 very generous servings, we have 2 leftover.  It is very easy.  I calculated 12 WW points.  

Ingredients:

4 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped (I used regular sliced jalapeño bacon from Sperry’s butcher shop.)

12 oz. uncorking bucatini (I used a corn and rice gluten free pasta from Coco’s Italian market.  It was very good.)

8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced 

1 t kosher salt

3/4 t black pepper

4 C shredded savoy cabbage (about 1/2 head)

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T fresh thyme leaves (2 t dried)

1 oz. parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1/4 C)

Directions:

1. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. 
2. Whole water comes to a boil, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a plat line with paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet
3. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well, reserving 1 C pasta cooking water.
4. Add mushrooms to skillet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Increase the heat to medium-high, and cook stirring occasionally, until golden about 8 minutes.  
5. Add cabbage, and cook until cabbage wilts and just begins to caramelize, about 4 minutes.  
6. Add cream cheese and 1/2 C reserved pasta water, and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Stir in more pasta water if needed.  
7. Divide evenly among 4 bowls, and top with cooked bacon, thyme, and Parmesan.  (Because I was using dried thyme, I added the thyme when I cooked the mushrooms.)

The salad I made for dinner could be a complete meal.  But I knew Jim would not consider it enough.  Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember seeing meatballs wrapped in refrigerator biscuits.  I couldn’t find it so I improvised.  In the freezer, I had Aidells caramelized meatballs.  There are 15 in a package.  The refrigerator rolls are 8.  I cut each biscuit in half, flattened it and rolled around each meatball.  I placed them on a sheet pan and baked at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.  When they came out of the oven I topped each with leftover cheese sauce from the cheese steaks from the Opera cheese steak sandwiches.  Jim loved them.  The good news is that 4 meatballs is only 3 WW points.  Each biscuit is 3 WW points So these meat balls are 3 WW points!  They are delicious.  The cheese mostly dripped off.  

I didn't follow the recipe exactly.  I had about a 1/2# pf asparagus leftover and about 2 generous handfuls of arugula, leftover.  Instead of making a new dressing I used Ken’s sesame Asian dressing.  I did roast the asparagus and hard boil the eggs.  Mine wasn’t as pretty as there’s as I cut up the asparagus and tossed with the arugula in the dressing in a bowl.  I cut the eggs in quarters and had 2.  I definitely would follow the rules if having company.  It looks very beautiful in the magazine.  Give me a break it is Monday.  This recipe appeared in Sunset magazine.  It is from a new cookbook by Deborah Madison called In My Kitchen.  She has her own vegetable garden.  Can you tell?  Who has ever seen arugula blossoms in the grocery store?  it serves 4.

Ingredients:

1# thick asparagus

EVOO

1/4 t Sea Salt+ more

Pepper

2T finely diced shallot

1 1/2 T sherry vinegar

3 1/2 T roasted walnut oil

3 generous handfuls of baby arugula leaves

2 hard boiled eggs

1/4C roasted walnuts.  

arugula blossoms (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large, shallow baking dish, toss 1# thick asparagus with EVOO and riches of sea salt and pepper.  Bake at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.  Transfer to a platter.
2. In a small bowl, combine 2T finely diced shallot, 1 1/2 T sherry vinegar and 1/4 T]t sea salt.  Let stand a few minute, then whisk in 3 1/2 T of roasted walnut oil.  
3. In a bow, toss 3 generous handfuls baby arugula leaves with dressing to coat.  heap over asparagus.  Tuck in 2 hard boiled eggs, quartered, and 1/4 C roasted walnuts. 
4. Add more dressing and salt to taste, and scatter arugula blossoms on top.

Sundays I like to have chicken.  Preferably lots of it so I can have leftovers for Thursday when I paint all day.  Both these recipes come from Fine Cooking and went well together.  And yes, some how I managed to have leftovers.  Both say for 4 people, and they were Jim size servings.  The chicken couldn’t have been easier.

Ingredients:

1 (4-5#) whole chicken, giblets removed, patted dry inside and out

Kosher salt na d freshly ground black pepper

2 medium yellow onions

1 t finely chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, tarragon or parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 degrees F.
2. Salt the chicken inside and out with about 1 1/2 T salt and 1 t pepper.
3. Slice the onions in half through the root, then thinly slice crosswise.  Transfer to a roasting pan, toss with 1/4 t salt, and spread evenly in the pan.  
4. Put the chicken, breast side up, on the onions.  Roast, stirring the onions halfway through, until the meaty par of the thighs register 165 F on an instant-read thermometer, 45-690 minutes, depending on the size.  
5. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 10-15 minutes.  
6. Remove the onions from the roasting pan and toss with the herbs, if you like.  
7. Carve the chicken and serve with the onions.  

Our onions were more black than caramelized and we didn’t eat them, but they imparted a good flavor to the chicken.  This recipe was a little more involved.  Even though this roasting was at the same temperature, I used a second oven as I didn’t want temperature fluctuation with the chicken.  

Ingredients:

1# green beans, trimmed

7 T EVOO (divided)

Kosher salt and pepper

1 t finely grated lemon zest

1/2 baguette, cut into 1” cubes (about 4 C)

5 T EVOO

1/4 t granulated garlic

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/2 T fresh lemon juice

1 C halved cherry tomatoes

1/4 C mozzarella Perie or quartered ciliegine (This just refers to size.  Pearls are the size of pearls, Ciliegine weigh about 1/2 oz. and are the size of cherry tomatoes.  Mine were much bigger  and I just cut them way down.) 

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 degrees F.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the green beans with 2 T oil, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper.
3. Roast until the bottoms begin to brown, about 15 minutes.  Toss, rearrange on the baking sheet, and roast until tender and golden brown in places, about 5 minutes more.  
4. Toss the beans with the lemon zest and place in a large bowl.  
5. On the same rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread cubes with 3 T oil, the garlic, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper, spread in a single layer and toast tossing halfway through, until light golden brown, 9-10 minutes.  
6. Add to the green beans in a bowl.  Add the tomatoes and mozzarella.  
7. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the remaining 2 T oil, the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice , 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper.  
8. Toss the vinaigrette with the salad and let the salad sit, tossing occasionally, until the bread begins to soften, about 20 minutes.  

I think I like this panzanella better than the summertime version.  

The picture is the latest painting that I finished.  It is Pam’s house and dog in Lebanon.  The poppies are many more than exist.   

Saturday was a full day.  It started with me doing last minute preparation for the Opera cast party.  At 11:00 I picked up the vegan sandwiches at Avo and proceeded to the opera where I and 5 other guild members set up the luncheon or 80 people.  I got home a little before 3:00 and then made the following cheese puffs for our French inspired Wine Club event.  Frugal MacDoogal wine shop in Nashville presented 2 white wines and 2 reds all under $20.  The first white I first had at Polly’s birthday party and asked Jim to get some.  He never did, saying he couldn’t find it.  Frugal MacDoogal has never been on his list of wine stores.  Now he knows where to find it.  

These are very good and really easy to make.  I would make them more often, but I would eat everyone of them.  I love these.  This recipe is from Barefoot in Paris, but you can find all kinds of recipes on line or in most cookbooks. 

Ingredients:

1 C milk

1/4#(1 stick) unsalted butter

1 t kosher salt

1/8 t freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1 C all purpose flour

4 X-large eggs

1/2 D grated Gruyere cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg beaten with 1 t water, for egg wash

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded.  (First time ever, the milk did not boil over.)
3. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.  Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes.  Dump the hot mixture into the bowl. of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.  
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip.  Pipe in mounds 1 1/4” wide and 3/4 “ high onto the baking sheets.  You should get between 40 and 48 mounds.
5. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff.  
6. Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere.  
7. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.  

Try not to eat them all before your guests arrive.