USU professors share their favorite recipes
College professors provide guidance and insight for their students about education, careers, dreams, aspirations and goals, rarely do they give council about what to cook for Thanksgiving. Now, several professors have chipped in and shared some favorite recipes that are sure to be a hit with roommates or relatives….They might even provide a little brain power.
BBQ Tofu with Broccoli
“This recipe evolved from pure desperation and a lack of food in the refrigerator, but it’s become a standard in our house. I like it because it’s quick, easy, inexpensive, and very good for you. My partner and I are vegetarian, so tofu is a staple food in our house.”
–Victoria Grieve
Assistant Professor, History Department
Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu (If you think of it in the morning, drain the tofu, wrap it in paper towels, and press it between two plates in the fridge during the day – this gets out the extra water)
vegetable oil
BBQ sauce
Hot sauce (optional)
Broccoli
Red pepper (or whatever vegetables you like)
Rice
Directions:
-Cube the tofu, sauté in vegetable oil until browned, toss in the red pepper and broccoli
for a few minutes, turn off the heat and pour in BBQ sauce to coat everything and some
hot sauce if you like spicy food. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Hamilton’s Whipped Sweet Potatoes
(From Hamilton’s Steak House)
“I like this recipe because I like sweet potatoes. I might add that yams are less expensive, but they are different than sweet potatoes. This recipe is for sweet potatoes.”
–Conly L Hansen, Professor, Departments of Biological & Irrigation Engineering and Nutrition & Food Sciences
3 large sweet potatoes Topping:
1 cup sugar 1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs 1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tbsp cinnamon
Directions:
-Boil and peel the sweet potatoes. Combine and whip first five ingredients.
-Layer mix into a baking pan. Top mixture with melted butter.
-Mix four topping ingredients and coat sweet potato mixture evenly.
-Bake at 350o degrees for 25 minutes.
Drew’s Avocado-Romaine Salad
“This is an original salad recipe that has been improved upon by my friend Drew Dahl, a USU finance professor, so I call it Drew’s salad.”
–Michael Lyons
Associate Professor, USU, Political Science Department
Ingredients:
1 large head of romaine lettuce
1 large, perfectly ripe, Hass avocado. Hass avocados are the black ones. They are “perfectly ripe” when they yield a little to gentle pressure, a little firmer than a ripe peach, but not hard.
About 2/3 pound of the best tomatoes you can find. Cut whole tomatoes into wedges, split cherry tomatoes down the middle.
Half of a cucumber peeled and sliced, or more, depending upon how much you like cucumber.
6 very thin slices of red onion, roughly 1/2 cup, loosely packed.
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
11/2 tbsp. sugar.
2/3 tsp. garlic salt, or substitute 1/4 tsp. garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.
1 tsp dried basil, or (preferably) one bunch of fresh basil, minced.
1/4 tsp. black pepper, preferably freshly ground.
3 tbsp. olive oil
Directions:
-Mix together
Vinegar and the sugar until the sugar dissolves. Taste it. It should have a tangy sweet-
tart balance. Adjust to taste by adding a little more vinegar or sugar, keeping in mind
that it will taste a little sweeter once you put it on the salad.
-Add
Garlic salt, pepper and basil, and stir. Taste again. You should notice the garlic, but it
should not be overpowering. Add the onion slices and stir. Let the mixture sit for about
45 minutes, or longer.
-Wash and dry the romaine, tear it into bite sized pieces, and put it into a large bowl.
Refrigerate it until you are ready to eat.
-When you are nearly ready to eat, split the avocado in half with a sharp knife, peel off
the skin, and cut into pieces about the size of grapes.
-Pour the oil over the lettuce, tossing as you go. The lettuce should be coated but not
drenched.
-Add everything else but the tomatoes to the lettuce, and toss gently but thoroughly. Add
salt or a little vinegar if needed. Add the tomatoes. Toss once more, gently. Serve
immediately. Top with croutons and/or bacon bits if you like.
Green Peppercorn Sauce
“This is a French green peppercorn sauce that would be an excellent, more flavorful alternative to gravy on Turkey, and that is also good on steak and chicken. It’s my variation on a sauce served by a wonderful chef in Missoula, Mont. Pearl Cash, the owner of Pearl’s Restaurant.”
–Michael Lyons
Associate Professor, USU, Political Science Department
1 tbsp. green peppercorns (sold in Albertson’s and other stores near the olives).
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard.
1 can (12-16 oz.) chicken stock, or use a comparable amount of homemade turkey stock
1 half cup sweet Marsala. Sherry is acceptable, but not as good. If you use the sherry sold in grocery stores (which contains salt), use low salt stock.
1 cup whipping cream.
-Put the peppercorns on a cutting board under plastic wrap. Using a mallet or any other heavy, easily handled object with a flat bottom, crush the peppercorns.
-Pour the stock and the Marsala into a medium-small saucepan, and add the crushed peppercorns. Over high heat, scraping sides of the pan occasionally, reduce the mixture down to about 1/2 cup or a little less.
-Add the mustard and stir (the sauce will not be perfectly consistent at this point, but do not let this concern you).
-Add the cream and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, reduce this mixture down to about ½ cup, until it is about as thick as gravy. Serve.
-This sauce can be made as much as an hour in advance and reheated. Stir in an additional tablespoon or so of cream before you reheat if you do this.
-For a milder sauce, use 1 1/2 cups of cream.
Sweet Potato Soup with Corn and Chiles
“Sweet Potato Soup with Corn and Chiles is one I adapted form something I saw in a magazine years ago.-It’s a hearty chowder that sticks to your ribs on a winters’ night”
Nancy Williams
Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism & Communication
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. corn oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
pinch of nutmeg
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup light cream (optional, but turns the soup from
delicious to truly divine!)
Directions:
РIn a pot, saut̩ the onion in oil until its translucent. Add the
jalapeno and cook for another minute or two. Add the sweet potatoes,
stock and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until
sweet potatoes are tender (30-40 minutes).
– In a food processor or blender (or with one of those hand-held
immersible blenders), puree the sweet potato mixture (in batches if
necessary). Transfer the puree to a clean saucepan. Add the corn,
seasonings, and cream to the puree, Reheat just to a simmer. Ladle
into bowls and serve immediately.
NOTE: I have substituted hot red pepper flakes (1/4 tsp.) for the
jalapeno pepper and had zippier flavor. I’ve also used canned corn and
it works as well.
Big Mama’s Greens Soup, with a little Hungarian thrown in for extra flavor
“Big Mama’s Southern Green Soup (with a dash of Hungarian) is one I got from Prof. Les Roka. We’re both “foodies” and occasionally though not nearly often enough, bring home-made goodies to share for lunch. This is one of the soups he shared a couple of winters ago that I just fell in love with. It’s easy to make and tastes divine. If you serve someone a big bowl of it, and have hot cornbread on the side, they’ll think they’ve died and gone to heaven.”
Nancy Williams
Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism & Communication
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. bacon
1 medium-to-large onion
garlic cloves (quantity is your preference)
1 turnip
3 bunches of greens (mustard, kale, swiss chard, spinach, collard — any combination works)
3-4 cups of water or chicken broth, preferably homemade.
1/2-1 lb. cooked, diced meat (I prepare a pork shoulder steak in the oven before making this soup. Or, smoked ham hocks or sausage is good, too!)
Pepper to taste.
Directions:
-Chop bacon, onion, turnip, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are tender and bacon has
started to crisp. You can substitute salt pork or some nicely smoked ham that has been
cubed. In lieu of turnips, you can use parsnips or a potato. Either will help thicken up the
broth.
-Wash the greens thoroughly. Tear or chop leaves from stalks and stems.
-Add to pot and stir frequently. Greens will reduce their weight quickly.
-Add water regularly. Again, the quantity depends on your preference. Usually about 3-3
1/2 cups.
-Add bouillon or seasoning.
-Simmer for about a half hour or until greens are tender. Add pepper, season to taste.
-Serve with cornbread or crusty bread. This freezes superbly!
-nnaylor@cc.usu.edu