Chipolte Chicken Skewers

These were delicious. Part of the reason for my lack of posts lately is that I don't think much of what I've made lately is worthy. Or they're repeats. But this is wonderful.

I also made a cilantro sauce and sweet potato fries to go with it. The sweet potato fries were chipolte flavored, too, made by Alexi (I think...frozen food section at Publix).

This recipe came from Joe. Like him I used the broiler (about 6 inches from element for about 7 minutes a side) since we were getting our usual Florida evening thunderstorm. I didn't use skewers since I didn't cook them on the grill. Seemed unnecessary.

Oh...this is supposed to be an appetizer or party food, but, obviously we had them for dinner with enough leftover for my lunch tomorrow!

For the chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2" thick strips

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped (I used two)

2 teaspoons adobo sauce

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

wooden skewers, soaked in water

For the sauce

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 small garlic clove, minced (I used two)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 scallions, minced

salt and fresh ground black pepper

To prepare the chicken - In a large bowl, add chicken, brown sugar, cilantro, chipotle, adobo sauce, salt, chili powder, garlic and pepper, tossing well to combined. Cover bowl and place into the refrigerator to marinate for about 2 to 4 hours. Mine actually marinated for about 10 hours.

To prepare the sauce - In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, cilantro and scallions - season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Cover bowl and place into the refrigerator to chill while the chicken marinates. I actually put all the ingredients into the food process for a slightly green tinted smooth sauce.

Preheat broiler with a rack placed in the top position.Thread each piece of chicken onto the soaked wooden skewers. Place chicken under the broiler and bake until cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes, turning skewers over halfway through.

Serve with dipping sauce.

Beef Barbacoa

The Mettille boys love going to Chipolte. I prefer Moe's just because I think you have more choices and it's a bit cheaper. But I do enjoy them both. I found a copy cat recipe online for the beef barbacoa and decided it would make good football food.

I'm not really sure it tasted the same but it was very good and I'd make it again. We topped ours with fresh tomato, seasoned blackbeans, lettuce, chopped green onion, cheese and sour cream. I had to use the small tortillas because I couldn't find burrito size that were whole wheat or low carb. This took quite a while....not something you can do on a work night. At least I can't :)

Here's the thing... Our Seminoles won against #7 BYU which no one thought would happen so do I have to make these meal every Saturday now?? We have rules in the family about game days. You can't wear a shirt that you wore when they lost. I have to wear my new FSU crocs during the game, etc. etc. You get the idea. As good as the beef was, don't want it every week!

Beef Barbacoa

Ingredients

1 1/2 # beef brisket
2 cups diced tomatoes (I used canned)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup red wine
2 Tbs. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp ground oregano
1 seeded and sliced jalapeno (I used two)
3 Tbs. cilantro (I used a handful)
1 large onion,thickly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions

Put everything in a slow cooker cook on low for 8 hours. I didn't really time this. I just checked when the meat could be pulled. I took the meat out, and shredded it and then I thought what a shame to throw out all this liquid so I blended it with my immersion blender. I poured it out of the slow cooker, put the beef back in and moistened it with a bit of the sauce.

Easy Cheese Danish

I've made these twice and I'm in love with them. I'm on a diet and I'm in love with Cheese Danish.... jeepers!

Thanks a lot Ina Garten. Thanks for making sure the weight I lost during the week comes back on the weekend. Thanks for making me crave these crazy things all the bloody time. Thanks for making me think about different variations and ways that they could look prettier.... Thanks a lot!

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted (Note: you could easily double the amount of pastry and have enough filling)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash.

Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes. (I don't do this -- but I do refrigerate the filling for a while before using -- last night I made the filling; this morning I made the danish).

Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm. Or cold. It really doesn't matter.

Not My Grandmother's Pot Roast

Thank goodness! My Grandmother watched my brother and I during the summer when we were in elementary school. Every Tuesday, we had pot roast. It was greasy and disintegrated when you tried to cut it. And did I mention that we had this every Tuesday. It's something that I don't normally crave (to say the least). That is, until I saw Paula Deen make it the other day. The sauce is made with cream of mushroom soup and a bit of red wine which made it almost smell like Beef Burgundy but it didn't have that strong of a wine taste. I did throw some potatoes in the pot when there was about an hour left to cook.

From Paula Deen (with some changes)

Ingredients
1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
1 teaspoon House Seasoning, (I used Lawry's Season Salt and Garlic Powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (I used two - we're saucey people)
1/4 cup red wine (doubled the wine)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules (didn't use)
3/4 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub seasoning into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan (I used a big dutch oven). Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves. Note: I did everything in the dutch oven.

Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add water.

Cover pan with lid and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender.

Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Ricotta Stuffed Tomatoes

I finally have some food worth talking about. Seems that lately nothing was really that good, or very interesting or just repeat food. Also trying to diet makes it hard -- it's hard enough trying to think of food that meet the calories, fat, carb restrictions!

A big hit last night -- let me tell you!! I served these with a grilled t-bone steak (for me) and blackened salmon (for Mark). The original recipe came from http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/, with of course some changes of my own.

Ricotta Stuffed Tomatoes

Tomatoes, cut in half (I used 2 big vine tomatoes)
1 cup of ricotta cheese
2-3 tbsp asiago cheese, grated
10-15 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Italian style panko crumbs

Preheat oven to 400. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the insides. Mix the rest of the ingredients except for the panko crumbs. Stuff the cheese mixture in the tomatoes and top with the crumbs. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake approximately 30 minutes -- but I think it would depend on the size of the tomato, too.

Comfort Food

This was a nice twist on a comfort meal. Instead of tomato soup and grilled cheese, I used a couple of Tyler Florence's recipes with a some changes - I bought pesto since I no longer have a basil plant, and I didn't make the chicken meatballs - I used slice chicken sausage since that's what I had in the freezer. When I make this again, I'll purchase the correct sausage and make the meatballs.

The 'grilled cheese' sandwiches were wonderful though. In fact, I'm craving it right now. Don't use the crappy grocery store mozzerella....get the fresh stuff from the deli or from SAMS.

Chicken Soup

Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 large carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
5 parsley stems, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
4 black peppercorns
Kosher salt
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

For the meatballs:
1 medium onion, diced
Olive oil
6 links organic chicken-apple sausage meat
1 egg
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 handful fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 pounds frozen cheese tortellini, store bought
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the soup:
Set a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, half the garlic, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, and thyme and gently saute until fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, add parsley stems, black peppercorns and salt, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer while you work on meatballs and tortellini.

For the meatballs:
Caramelize the diced onion in a saute pan with a little olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, egg, onion, thyme, parsley, and cheese to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they all come together. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil until just smoking. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop meatballs onto skillet. Cook, turning, until golden brown.

Drop tortellini straight from freezer into soup. Cook until they float. Once meatballs are browned, add to pot of chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Give soup a final seasoning and serve in shallow bowls with a small shower of Parmesan, olive oil, and parsley.


Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients
4 slices thick-cut sourdough bread
1 ball (1 pound) fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 plum tomatoes, cut into thick slices
1 cup fresh basil pesto, recipe follows (I used jarred)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

Basil pesto:
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined but still rough-textured.

Assemble sandwich by smearing insides of bread slices with pesto. Arrange a layer of sliced tomato and season with a few turns of fresh pepper. Layer the mozzarella slices over the top and then place another piece of bread on top to make the sandwich. Drizzle olive oil over skillet's surface and place sandwiches on the hot skillet or panini press. If using a skillet, place another heavy skillet over the top to form a "press". Turn after 2 to 3 minutes and replace weight. The sandwich is ready when golden brown and mozzarella has melted around the edges.

Hello Out There!

I guess it's time to get back on this proverbial horse! I have some old things to post, but, I'll start with present day and go backwards.

It was a quiet 4th of July. We stayed in and I made Strawberry Margaritas (that strangely just tasted like regular margaritas).

I marinated a London Broil and sliced it thin. I used a package marinade that I got from SAMS. It's made by Weber and is chipolte flavor. You know the ones - in the packet and you mix with water and oil. I gave the beef a good soakin' - for about 8 hours and did a quick sear on the grill (about 5 minutes each side) for a rare in the middle; medium rare on the ends. It doesn't look like it from my 'resting' picture but this was juicy and very good!

As a side, I made Pioneer Woman's Hot Crash Potatoes. I'm constantly trying to eliminate the number of pans/dishes that need to be used. So instead of boiling the potatoes first and then baking; I just throw them in the microwave. Brillant. No difference as far as I was concerned. I smushed the potatoes with the bottom of a glass and sprinkled them with kosher salt, pepper and olive oil. Baked at 425 for about 40 minutes or until brown. These are seriously good!

Corn Salad

Of course there is not a picture. I made this for Mark's birthday and quite frankly it was a little too hectic for me to stop and take a picture of the food. I'll give you a run down --

Brats

Chicken Sausages

Cheeseburgers

Potato Salad

Corn Salad

Boston Creme Pie

All cooked and served from our camper! While camping!

I thought the star of the show was the corn salad. Got the recipe from http://lacucinadilauren.blogspot.com/2009/05/corn-tomato-and-avocado-salad.html where you can actually see what it looks like. Mine was a little sloppier though, but, it was really good. Don't be stingy with the salt - it really soaks it up.

Just like Mark 'soaks up' getting presents for his birthday!

Easy Week Night Dinner

I love sauteed zucchini. I used a combo of butter and olive oil with the zucchini, onion and a couple of tomatoes that needed to used ASAP (or throw away). Throw in some salt, pepper and garlic - it's just about my favorite veg dish ever.

To go with, I breaded some thin pork chops and did a quick fry in the same skillet until they were golden brown. Probably 3 minutes a side.

With the fat left in the skillet, I made a roux and then poured in some milk, salt and pepper (with a dash of cayenne and garlic powder) to make a cream gravy.

Good dinner. The leftover pork chops were great on a bakery bun with a bit of mayo!

Day of Smoking

We decided that if we were going to fire up the smoker and use all that charcoal and wood, that we would make it worth our while.

We began with a pork roast with a rub. This was on the longest -- about 8 hours and was used for sandwiches. We poured a bit of Sweet Baby Rays on top.

The chicken was the best. It was on for about 4 hours and was coated in a jerk seasoning. I used the leftovers in enchiladas. The breast meat was so juicy it was unbelievable...I've never seen it like that before.

And then some beef. Again we used the chipolte marinade. This was just a cheap piece of some type of roast. Should have taken it off earlier - it was still good but not my favorite.

Meatballs in Gravy over Mashed Potato

The plan was to alter our food again on Monday -- eating low carb at night, concentrating on fresh meats and veg. Monday I didn't feel good, my leg was killing me and I just didn't think I could stand much longer -- so we went to Firehouse Subs. Tuesday we did ok - I made wonderful Chicken Caesar Salads. So tonight I'm going for the potatoes! And gravy!

Meatballs

(I used the basic recipe for The Pioneer Womans BBQ meatballs but made some changes)

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 small onion very finely diced

Lawry's Season Salt

Lots of pepper

Mix together in a large bowl. Mixture will be gooey. Shape into golf ball size balls and place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

This gravy is awesome. I think I originally got the concept from Rachael Ray but over the years changes have been made here and there so I call it my own at this point.

Brown Gravy

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
garlic powder
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 quart beef broth
salt and black pepper to taste

Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the mixture is golden-brown and smells like cooked pie crust. I love that part. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in a cup of the beef broth, and then add the rest of the ingredients.

Eggplant Rollatini...

....takes bloody forever to put together! Did you know you could only get 5 slices of eggplant on one baking sheet at a time?? Was it worth it? It was good. I probably won't make it again. It's easier to get it from Casa Italiana two blocks down the road and theirs is really better.

I sliced a couple of peeled eggplants lengthwise. Dipped them in egg and breadcrumbs and baked until golden. I basically spread a thin layer of a mixture of ricotta, spinach, garlic, and mozzerella on each slice and rolled up. I used some homemade sauce I made a few weeks ago and topped the rolls with the sauce and some mozzerella.

It made a lot. I ended up with two pans with 8 rolls each. Considering we only ate two each it's really not a practical dish for us.

BBQ Meatballs

I saw this recipe and said, 'so what.' I can make meatballs. I'm like the Queen of Meatballs. What do these meatballs have that mine don't?? Curiousity got the best of me and I made them last night.


I told myself that I was going to follow the recipe (for once) but decided at the last minute to double the sauce. My advice: DON'T DO IT. It's more of a glaze than a sauce (at least mine was) and it was a bit too much.


We liked these. Ok...we liked these a lot. I'll make them again. I would even make them for other people. I liked the consistency of the meatball and in spite of the numerous steps it didn't take that long to throw together.


Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup oats
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons very finely minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
plenty of ground black pepper


Sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
4 to 6 tablespoons onion
Dash of Tabasco


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes. Remove from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour. Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

BLT Dip

I made a batch of this to take to work tomorrow....and then....I had to make a batch for Mark because he totally inhales this stuff. Unfortunately I always forget to stir in the tomatoes 'right before serving' and it turns a bit soupy but I'm ok with that!

Sorry no picture -- it was kind of....well....white....and it didn't look that great in a photo. But trust me it tastes good!


BLT Dip


1 pound bacon
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 tomato - peeled, seeded and diced

Directions:

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and sour cream. Crumble bacon into the sour cream and mayonnaise mixture. Mix in tomatoes just before serving.

Easy Monday Meal

Today was my first day back to work after a bit of a vacation. I couldn't sleep last night sick to death about having to go back in there today -- so I got (I think) 4 hours of sleep. After work I needed to finalize our taxes so I was late getting home. Mark is on the road so I needed something to throw into a pot and let it cook itself until he arrives home.

I love lentils and sausage. I know it's probably a 'cold weather' meal, but, when do we get cold weather?? Of course as many of our family will tell us...our house is like a meat locker due to the a/c being on as low as it it! No wonder my bread dough won't rise, huh?

Tuscan Lentils and Sausage

adapted from Food alla Puttanesca

http://foodallaputtanesca.blogspot.com/2009/02/tuscan-lentils-and-sausage.html

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of minced garlic

about 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 lb hot Italian turkey sausage

32 oz can diced tomatoes

pinch of dried basil

freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

1 cup dry lentils

2 cup water

5 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Squeeze the sausage out of its casings and cook, crumbling with a spoon until no longer pink. Add the onions and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, basil, salt and pepper and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, and water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Add spinach and cook 10 minutes more, until spinach is wilted and lentils are tender.

Easter Dinner

Appetizers -

Deviled Eggs and Stuffed Celery (no picture - I was busy eating!)

Cocktails -

Anything you wanted -- martini's, manhattans, margarita's, magners, bourbon, beer, etc. My mom's bar is usually very well stocked!

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes (not pictured)

Corn Casserole

Asparagus (not pictured)

Pineapple Casserole (not pictured)

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Cream and Raspberries

Honey Yeast Rolls - Finally!!

Well...I did it. I made something with yeast. I utilized the recipe from Brooke at '...and a cookie for dessert' http://brooke-cookiejar.blogspot.com/2009/01/honey-yeast-rolls.html.

I liked the recipe because it utilized the bread machine and I've had so much trouble getting dough to rise. And ya know, my mom never baked bread. She is a great cook but I never 'saw' bread being made -- so when someone says (for instance) 'the dough should be slightly sticky...' I have no idea what that looks like! But anyway -- these turned out nicely and I already have plans to make some hamburger and hotdog rolls the same way!

Honey Yeast Rolls

2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1 cup warm water (105°-115° F)

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoon canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 cups bread flour, separated

vegetable cooking spray

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon honey

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.*

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place into a round, lightly greased baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes. Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*To utilize your bread machine, put all ingredients (through flour) into the machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer and select the dough cycle. Once dough is done, proceed with paragraph 3 of the recipe.

Mozzarella Quesadillas

As irritating as she can be, I tend to like Rachael Ray recipes. We like recipes with lots of sauce and lots of flavor and they usually don't disappoint. This recipe, however, did disappoint. Absolutely no flavor at all. I've thought about what to do differently next time and decided there wouldn't be a next time -- too many other recipes in my to-do pile. The only good thing about the recipe was how wonderful and creamy the fresh mozzarella got as it melted.

Just in case you want to play around with this -- here's the recipe. Maybe some additional garlic?

Caprese Mezza Luna
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

Ingredients
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
4 large flour tortillas, about 10 to 12 inches
1 ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
12 leaves fresh basil, shredded
2 vine ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a small pot with garlic until it bubbles, simmer a minute. Brush a skillet with garlic oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the first tortilla and blister it 30 seconds, flip and cover half of the surface with arranged layers of mozzarella, basil and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and fold over the quesadilla, cook 30 seconds on each side to set. Remove from pan and repeat. In less than 10 minutes, you'll have 4 half moons (mezza lunas). Cut into quarters and serve.

Camping on the Suwannee

Riverfront property on the Suwannee River. Beautiful, however, the river was running FAST and rising noticeably from the time we arrived.

Our caravan of campers. We're really roughing it, huh?

Good location for an afternoon nap.

Hardly anything better than grilled hotdogs for lunch!

Beef Stew Ala Campfire

Last weekend my brother braised a chuck roast and produced a wonderful tender roast and some very flavorful pot liquor to go along with it. Beef broth with seasonings, soy sauce, garlic...it's all good. Then Monday night (while we were camping in Suwannee) he broke out the dutch oven and placed it over a fire that had been going all day.

He sauteed --

Fingerling potatoes
Mushrooms
Onions
Carrots



in some oil.

Then added the beef and beef broth to the pot. That simmered for a bit until the veg was tender and then added a slurry of cornstarch and beer.



The final result was served with chunks of crusty bread that had been toasting slowly on the grill. Both the stew and the bread had a nice smokey flavor to it. It would have been nice to get a final picture of it had I not dove head first into my bowl forgetting all about my camera!

Camping - All About the Food!

If you've ever gone camping you know that the day you arrive is a long day. Setting up camp can take upwards to 2 hours -- so when dinner time rolls around I usually want something that's quick and easy. Whether you cook this in a cast iron dutch oven over a campfire or a pan on your electric stove, this is good stuff.

Jambalaya (adaptation of Rachael Ray's 'Everything Jambalaya')

2 cups white rice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan
1 tablespoon butter
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into bitesize chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (I leave out because we don't like)
1 fresh bay leaf or dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce
2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (14 ounce) can chicken stock or chicken broth
1 palmful of cajun seasoning (I actually used two but we're spice hounds)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb medium shrimp, raw,deveined and peeled
coarse salt

Place a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.
Add oil and butter to the pan.

Cook sausage for a couple of minutes until browned.
Add onion, celery, pepper, bay, and cayenne.
Saute vegetables 5 minutes, sprinkle flour over the pan and cook 1 or 2 minutes more.
Stir in tomatoes and broth and season with cajun seasoning, garlic, and Worcestershire.
Bring liquids to a boil and add shrimp.
Simmer shrimp 5 minutes until pink and firm.
Remove the pot from the heat and place on a trivet.
Ladle jambalaya into shallow bowls over white rice OR using an ice cream scoop, place a scoop of rice on to the center of the bowlfuls of jambalaya.

I Guess I Have Pasta Issues

As much as I love pasta, I really only love it in certain ways. As most of you know, I will order Spaghetti and Meatballs anywhere it's on the menu. And then I'll ask if I can substitute angel hair! If there is only meatballs and sauce over ziti or bowties or something like that, I'll pass. I like fettuccine - but don't normally care for alfredo sauce (unless it's just a small portion as a side dish). I like elbow macaroni only in mac and cheese and in goulash.

Is this weird? When I started typing it didn't seem weird but now the word 'therapy' is popping in my head.

Ok. So here's the point. I'm going out on a limb today and making the Penne Ala Betsy. Key word here being PENNE. I hope it's as amazing as all the reviews say it is. It's another Pioneer Woman (http://www.pioneerwoman.com/) recipe.

Side Note: My basil plant died. Did you know that fresh basil in the produce section costs 3.89!! Are you kidding me?? I could have bought two new plants for that!! Which I will - take that Publix!

Penne Ala Betsy (PW's sister)

Olive oil
Butter
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 lb penne or other short pasta
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Parsley
Basil

1. Put water on to boil for the pasta.

2. Heat a large frying pan and melt 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in pan. Sautee shrimp until opaque and then remove to a plate to cool.

3. Melt another 2 tbsp butter and olive oil in the same pan and cook garlic until slightly browning. Add onion and cook until translucent.

4. Add pasta to boiling water and cook per package directions.

5. Add 1/2 cup of wine and allow to cook down for approximately a minute. Then add tomato sauce, stirring to combine, and cream.

6. Chop parsley and basil and add to sauce to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Remove shrimp tails and chop shrimp into tiny, bite-size pieces. Return to sauce and stir to combine.

8. When pasta is cooked, drain, and then add to sauce, tossing to cover.

Day after thoughts: This was delicious. Even with the penne! I don't think Mark was prepared to like it because I think he smelled the wine that went in the sauce - but then I cooked most of that out. The only thing is neither of us thought the shrimp added anything to the dish. And we LOVE shrimp. Probably would leave it out next time and make it a meatless meal.

All In The Family

My brother is a brilliant cook.

I'm a good cook which means I can read, I know what a teaspoon of salt looks like without using a teaspoon, and I can improvise a bit when I need to. My brother can re-create meals he's had in restaurants and can whip up a creation on the spur of a moment. We're going camping with him and his family next week so I'm excited to see what he whips up for us.

When we were kids, my mom would let us pick out a recipe that we wanted to cook (once a week) and she would buy the ingredients. My first pick was veal parmesan -- she told me that veal was too expensive and that she would get round steak instead -- haha. Anyway, one of my brother's creations during those dinners was his 'sizzle burger.' He would get the skillet screamin' hot with butter, put the hamburger patties in the pan and then doused them with worchestire sauce. What a mess it would make - splattered grease, butter and worchestire sauce all over the stove and cabinets....but oh my gosh, they were good.

Here's his Slab-O-Grouper and Green Beans that he had for dinner a few days ago. Wow...I just noticed his old-school platter. He must have stolen that from Mom's kitchen back in the 70's. Now I know what to get him for Christmas!

Wingin' It On A Friday Night

I read on another food blog about a commentor who accused the author of stealing recipes. She, as I would have been, was outraged. I like having this sharing community of recipes and ideas and thank everyone for making my meal planning very easy. So....with that in mind I *really* thank Elizabeth at http://elizabethscooking.blogspot.com/2009/02/maple-hot-wings.html for this wonderful wing recipe. I changed it up a bit but I'll post the originally recipe with my changes in red.




Maple Hot Wings
Serves 4 Wing Lovers


6-7 whole chicken wings, divided (I used an entire bag of the quick frozen wings from SAMS)
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 TBSP minced garlic
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/3 cup maple syrup
2 serrano peppers, sliced (I used a healthy pinch of crushed red pepper)
Oil, for frying (I didn't need oil, see below)


Heat oil to 375 degrees. (I threw the wings on the grill and cooked them for about 45 minutes - they were frozen when I put them on there). Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, pepper, maple syrup, barbeque sauce, and serrano peppers (or crushed red pepper). Bring to a low boil and simmer to allow it to thicken. Fry the wings until cooked through (should be about 10 minutes). Remove serrano peppers. Pour sauce over wings and shake to coat.


These were sweet and spicy and sticky and delicious! Serve with Bleu Cheese dressing (1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, 4 ounces of bleu cheese, salt, pepper, couple of shakes of garlic powder, 1 tsp of sugar and a dash of red wine vinegar).


Oh...I also recommend having some wet-wipes around for cleanup!

There Is So Much Tahini!

I bought the $7.00 container of tahini when I wanted to make the Black Bean Hummus my mom made one night. Since the purchase, I've made two more batches of that recipe. Today I ventured out a bit and made a Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

2(15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
12 ounce jar roasted red peppers
6 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Olive Oil

In the food processor, puree the chickpeas, red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Process, using long pulses, until the mixture is fairly smooth, and slightly fluffy. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in and stir. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Update: I'm not feeling all that bad about the 7.00 can of tahini now. Oh my...this is GOOD!

Eating in Ireland

I've been lucky to be able to visit Ireland twice (so far). The first time I went with my Mom and we took an organized motorcoach tour that turned out to be wonderful. We didn't really know what to expect but it was very cool - there was only a couple of times we wanted to stay someplace longer than the tour allowed, or stop at a place we drove by. But we stayed in wonderful B & B's and had traditional breakfasts that were incredible, visited pubs and local restaurants.

A few years later we returned with Megan and felt brave enough to handle the island on our own. We flew into Shannon, rented a car and made our way around the south of Ireland, ending in Dublin. We had a blast -- it was adventurous and so unlike us to travel without set plans or an itinerary (I make an itinerary when we take day trips to Orlando!). We ate in small waterfront restaurants, famous tourist spots, and got snacks at local bakeries and grocery stores. We walked the cities we visited looking for traditional Irish music at night. We played with a schnauzer in an abandoned church yard and we veered off the motorway at the last minute to find a monument of some sort.

I know this is a food blog and not a travel blog so let me get to the point -- THEY DO NOT SERVE CORNED BEEF IN IRELAND!! I never saw it on a menu! It never touched my lips. Here's what they do have that we will never forget and never be able to re-create or find at home:

• Butter
• Beef Stew at Greta's
• Roasted Potatoes to put in the Beef Stew
• Breakfast Sausage
• Butter
• Cheese
• Brown Bread for Breakfast
• Shepherds Pie
• Butter
• Toasted Special's!!
• Club Orange
• Bulmers Irish Cider, and finally,
• Butter

I did see Bacon and Cabbage on a few menus, but bacon in Ireland is not like our bacon. It's more like our country ham.

Regardless, I love Corned Beef. I buy them primarily around St. Patricks Day because they're on sale. And....here is my second use of the slow cooker this week.

Corned Beef

1 Corn Beef (I use the flat cut)

1 Bottle of Guinness

1/4 cup of Spicy Brown Mustard

Water

Mix the beer and mustard and that funky flavor packet that comes with the meat. Pour over the meat in the slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the meat. I cook on low ALL DAY LONG until the beef is cooked through and passes the slice/crumble test. I kind of want it to fall apart like pulled pork. That's just me though.

Crock Pot Chicken

I always *want* to use my crock pot more. I just don't know what to do with it. Crock pot meals are always so 'DONE.' And maybe a little mushy. That probably doesn't make sense but I think the food breaks down too much in the slow cooker. My work days are longer than the 6 to 8 hours cooking time that's normal for slow cooking. I know I could get a timer but it's never been really worth all of that. In spite of all this, I used my slow cooker twice this week! And it worked out well.

The first is a BBQ Chicken. Remember the chicken I thawed for the sweet and sour dish?? It was a huge package of bone in chicken breasts (for the sweet and sour chicken, I deboned them) and I had three left. I think I feel better about the slow cooker now. :)

Pulled Chicken

3 Large Chicken Breast
1 Bottle of Sweet Baby Rays Chipolte BBQ Sauce
1 Large Onion, Sliced
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
1/2 Bottle of Beer

Place the chicken in the slow cooker and place the sliced onions on top. Mix the BBQ sauce with the beer and the spices. Pour over the chicken; cover the pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the chicken breasts and shred using the two-fork method. Return to the pot to coat with the sauce. Serve on fresh bakery rolls (or the cheap rolls in the bread aisle...it doesn't really matter).

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I'm not one to be left out so I needed to get on this sweet and sour chicken bandwagon. Credit goes to Melissa at http://madebymel.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/sweet-and-sour-chicken/ for the inspiration. She credits a few other bloggers for the recipe as well.

I don't cook anything Asian and have it turn out tasting Asian. And when I read things that say 'better than take-out,' I'm thinking yeah, right.... I was going to first make this for my mom on her birthday and then I chickened out; then it was on our weekly menu for two weeks after that but I somehow managed to avoid it.

But then I THAWED THE CHICKEN. And that means commitment in our house! So here ya go. I followed the recipe exactly but next time I would add some red pepper flakes to the sauce. Also I chunked the chicken into about 1 inch cubes but some of the pieces were thinner and smaller due to the dynamics of the chicken breast of course... anyway, Mark commented that he liked the smaller pieces better so I will cut them smaller next time. Oh....one more thing -- I had to read and re-read the cornstarch and egg bit because it seemed backwards to me. But it works -- dredge in cornstarch and then roll them around in the egg. Gives it a great crunch and color.




Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar ( I used rice wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Florida in February

What do you cook when you live in Florida in February and it's a beautiful 78 degrees?? Something on the grill of course. Along with some tangy and slightly sweet coleslaw and baked beans.

I had a slab of regular pork ribs that needed to have the membrane taken off the back. It's kind of a pain but you won't be able to enjoy your ribs if you don't remove this. Here is a video on how to do this.

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-remove-the-back-membrane-from-pork-ribs-242508/

Cooking ribs at our house is usually an all day process. There's baking going on; then we move to the smoker and maybe to the grill for finishing off. On this night however, it was the very basics --

1 Slab of St. Louis Style Ribs (or what we call 'regular' ribs)

Pork Rub --

1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Paprika
1/4 cup Pepper
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
2 TB Cayenne
2 TB Garlic Powder
2 TB Onion Powder
2 TB Chili Powder

Liberally rub the ribs with the spice mixture. I let it sit there undisturbed while the grill heated up. I let it heat to 500 degrees and then turned down to medium with ended up being around 300 degrees. I put the ribs on and lowered the lid and let them cook slow for about an hour and a half. I moved them and flipped them quite a bit making sure they were cooked evenly. When they were done (I always check to see if the meat has pulled away from the bone) I slathered them with some Sweet Baby Rays Chipolte BBQ Sauce.

Simple But Satisfying

Friday night is usually 'close the kitchen' night at our house. But we are watching our pennies, like most people these days, so we decided to stay in. Besides, we're visiting Megan in Tampa on Sunday and hope to go out for some good Cuban food in Ybor City. Anyway, we decided on grilled cheeseburgers and corn on the cob. I prepped some toppings - bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Grilled Burgers

1.5 pounds of ground beef (and not the lean stuff - we wanted a good flavor!)

4 TB - A1 Sauce

Salt and Pepper

2 TB Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 TB Garlic Powder

5 Slices of Sharp Cheddar Cheese

5 Buns, Toasted

Preheat the grill until it's screaming hot. Mix and form the beef into 5 patties. Place on the grill and cook until you see some liquid coming up on the top. Flip. Cook a couple more minutes and then place the cheese on top. I closed the grill cover to melt the cheese - about a minute or so depending on how thick the cheese is.

I topped mine with bacon, tomato, onion, ketchup and mustard.

Friday Night De-Lights

My Mom made these meatballs for dinner Friday night and we were lucky enough to be able to take a couple home for lunch on Saturday. They were almost better the next day. The gravy is fantastic! Don't you love it when someone else feeds ya??

Funny thing...this is a Rachael Ray recipe and while we were eating the episode in which she made it was on tv! Ha! Anyway she served them with garlic mashed potatoes with spinach.

Gorgonzola Filled Meatballs, Bay and Onion Creamy Tomato Gravy

(Rachael Ray)

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground veal (Mom used pork)
1 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
2 handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 handfuls plain bread crumbs
3 tablespoons sliced or finely chopped sage leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gorgonzola
1 tablespoon butter
2 fresh bay leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place meat in a mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper, add in garlic, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs and sage. Mix meat, roll into 8 large balls and arrange in a baking dish. Coat balls with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Using the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation half way into each ball and fill the cavity with some Gorgonzola. Bake until golden and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a sauce pot over medium heat, add bay and onions and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and tomatoes and heat through, stir in cream, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to thicken slightly 8 to 10 minutes.
Ladle sauce into shallow bowls and top with big stuffed meatballs and potatoes alongside, if desired.

Weekend Treat

Friday night Mark and I went to my Mom's for dinner. For 'cocktail hour' she served Spicy Black Bean Hummus. It was so good that the next day I made a batch for myself. I should have taken a picture of my Mom's because it was in a pretty dish but I'm afraid all you would have seen is Mark hunched over the bowl... he barely let me even get to it! So here is the picture from cookinglight.com.

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

(Cooking Light Magazine)

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
Dash of crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Dash of ground red pepper

1. Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, black beans, jalapeño pepper, and crushed red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with ground red pepper. We served with tortilla chips.

An Irish Girl Cooks Italian

On Saturday morning Megan texted me asking for a good Baked Ziti recipe. She was having some friends over for dinner and they wanted pasta (and I'm sure lots of wine)! I heard through the grapevine (Mike, her twin, is our family Rona Barrett) that it was pretty darn good. Meg sent me a picture but it got deleted so I'm posting one from http://www.allrecipes.com/ where the basic recipe came from with some adaptation from Megan.






Here's the recipe I gave her.


Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 large yellow onion, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, divided
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cook the pasta about 8 minutes in boiling salted water until almost cooked through. Drain.

While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook and stir until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain sausage and set aside. Stir together the ricotta, egg, onion, garlic, and oregano in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the drained pasta, the drained sausage, salt, pepper, and 1/2 jar of the spaghetti sauce; mix well.

In the prepared baking dish, cover the bottom with 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce. Layer 1/2 of the pasta mixture, 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce, and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Then layer the remaining 1/2 of the pasta, 1/3 of the sauce, and 1/2 of the cheese. Sprinkle with basil. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.


Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover; return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 more minutes.

The Squash Doesn't Fall Far From the Vine....

Mike calls me from the grocery store near his home in Orlando. He says, 'I have very little money....tell me what I can get for cheap that will last a couple of meals.' I suggest grabbing a can of green beans and a can of corn, some ground beef and maybe a hamburger helper type mix.


He calls me back a few minutes later and says, 'I just couldn't do it.' And then sends me a pic of his dinner. His choice for dinner was sauteed chicken breasts and fresh zucchini sauteed in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Eat More Chikin'

As much as we like to support our local businesses, Mark and I LOVE Carrabbas. I mean LOVE IT. And we talk about it all the time. More than we talk about our kids.

We start out by ordering two dishes of spices and olive oil because Mark doesn't share this well and doesn't care if any one else gets any. A small order of mussels comes next along with a request for more bread. Because really -- what else would you do with all that sauce in the bowl of mussels if you didn't sop it up with bread.

Mark's entree is usually pasta with a spicy tomato sauce and I get the chicken marsala. Mark always says...next time I'm getting that...but he never does!

So - here is my version of Chicken Marsala. I served it with steamed broccoli. There's probably an easier way to do this but this is how I manage it. And, surprisingly, it comes together very quickly.

Chicken Marsala

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 large container of mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

4 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup of chicken broth

1 cup of marsala wine

2 tablespoons of butter

Seasoned flour (I used Lowreys Season Salt and Pepper)

Saute the bacon in a large skillet until almost done. Add the mushrooms and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender and bacon is done.

While that is sizzling away, pound out the chicken breast until they have an even thickness about 1/2 inch. Dredge in the seasoned flour.

Remove the bacon and vegetables from the pan. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil and place the chicken in the pan. I cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Take those out of the pan and put the mushroom mixture back in. I sprinkle a bit more flour and let that cook for about a minutes. Then add the chicken broth and wine. I let that cook for a few minutes, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Once you get that nice smooth sauce, I put the chicken BACK IN and let them heat back up a bit.

Now if we were skinny people I would serve this over spaghetti, but we're not (please refer to the first paragraph of this post and you'll understand WHY we're not).

The Star of the Show

Roasted Vegetables. Wonderful. A few years ago, my mom suggested cooking my veggies this way and I (most) always listen to my mom! Good thing too, because, these are so good. I've roasted everything.....cauliflower, butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, zucchini!

Tonight I had zucchini, a sweet florida onion and a tomato. I tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper. They roasted on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Should have cranked the oven to 450, but.....there is some spillage on my 'easy clean' oven mat that I need to clean unless I want the smoke alarm to go off. Sorry, Mom...I'll do it this weekend, I swear!

To go with the veg, I lightly breaded some thin pork chops and fried them in a bit of oil. They were ok. Just ok. I was counting on the vegetables to be the big taste at this meal and it was.

Chinese Craving Taken Care of? Check!

Friday night, Mark, Mom and I went to the Panda Garden in Bradenton. It's located on 14th Street just south of the Ford dealership.


I hadn't been to Panda Garden in years but I've been wanting Chinese food in a real restaurant. I have good memories of getting those massive quantity entrees that everyone at the table feeds from. Hoping that it was still good, we gave it a go. What a good decision.


First of all - I didn't see anything on the menu (I'm talking dinner) that was over 7.50. The prices are unbelievably low, the family who apparently owns and works at the restaurant are tireless, attentive and somewhat intimidating. Mrs. Owner made us laugh with how fast she talked and how strong her accent was -- throwing Mark into a tail spin when she asked what kind of soup he wanted......wontonoreggdropsoup?....huh? WONTONOREGGDROPSOUP? Oh, right....Won Ton please!

Portions were huge. Mom ordered the dumpling appetizer. She got (and shared) 6 very large fried dumplings. Then she ordered the MooShu Pork that was enough to feed three people. I mean, three HUNGRY people. Mark got a combo platter with Shrimp and Lobster Sauce, Soup and an Eggroll. I had Mongolian Beef with an Eggroll. Again, enough to feed three people. When Mrs. Owner brought our food out, she was so cute (and scary) and wouldn't let us lift the covers off our dishes! Next time we'll be splitting a meal.

Our bill for all that food was 30.00. Ok...honestly....Mark and I can spend 20.00 at McDonalds (Not really. Ok. Yeah, sometimes). We'll go back and maybe next time I'll have the nerve to snap a picture. Of Mrs. Owner, of course AND the food.

Super Eats

Superbowl Sunday. Here's the scene.

My cocktail.

Super Dog.

The Food.

During Pre-Game -- we had ham salad 'tea' sandwiches and a veggie tray. Followed by a salami and cheese.

Second Quarter. Crabbie Melts

1/4 cup butter

1 (5 ounce) container sharp processed cheese spread

1 can of cooked crabmeat

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

6 English muffins, split

Preheat oven on broiler setting. In a medium bowl, mix together margarine and cheese spread. Stir in crabmeat, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and parsley. Spread the mixture on the split English muffins. Cut into quarters. At this point I put them on a cookie sheet to flash freeze (about an hour) and then I put them in a freezer bag. When ready to eat, stick under the broiler until hot and bubbly. No need to defrost.

Halftime. Stuffed Mushrooms.

1/2 Pkg of Bulk Sausage (I used hot)

1/4 Onion, finely chopped

12 (about) Large Mushrooms

1 Garlic Clove, minced

Season Salt

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1/4 of Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage, onion, garlic and the mushroom stems (that you chop very fine) until done. Add seasonings. Set aside to cool. Mix in the cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Place on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Enough Said :)