Baked Haddock with Cheesy Crunch Topping Recipe

I made the family some dinner tonight once I was back up and about, and found this recipe to be simply delightful! I served it with some rice pilaf and some fresh green beans with pancetta and shallot. Oh, boy, I smell summer just around the corner!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds haddock fillets, with or without skin
3 tablespoons butter
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons minced red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper
2/3 cup crushed small white Cheddar cheese crackers (I used Cheez-Its)
1/3 cup bread crumbs, plain or seasoned (I used seasoned)
2 to 3 tablespoons cream or half-and-half (I used skim)
salt and pepper, other herbs for seasoning as desired

INSTRUCTIONS:

Arrange haddock fillets, skin side down, in a buttered baking dish.
In a small to medium skillet heat butter over medium low heat. Add green onions and bell pepper; sauté until tender. Add parsley, cracker crumbs, and bread crumbs; stir to blend.

Add cream (skim milk) to moisten. Sprinkle haddock with salt, pepper, and herb seasoning, if using. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 4 to 5.

I had a bit of Italian flavor going throughout my dishes tonight, so for my herbs I used a tuscany dry blend (oregano, thyme, rosemary...the usual suspects). I also put those same herbs in my pilaf and on my green beans. I would add that I used fresh red bell pepper in both the pilaf and the fish topping. In both cases I diced them small (my kids and hubby normally don't like peppers, but when they are small, they almost absorb...a good trick to get veggies into your resistent family members!)

While this may not seem to be the right choice when you are attempting to lose weight, you can make a number of substitutions (i.e. skim milk for cream or Smart Balance for butter, etc.) and serve it with lots of veggies. Even my son loved the fish!

Sodium Chloride Containment Unit

I love kitchen stuff. This is something any true fan of Alton Brown - or any user of kosher salt - would enjoy.

I bought Alton Brown's Salt Cellar quite some time ago and it is a favorite part of my kitchen. You don't have an open container of salt, but because of the flip top lid, it's the next best thing. It comes highly recommended! Besides, who wouldn't want a "Sodium Chloride Containment Unit" like this one?

Chicken Parmesan Rolls

This was a little experiment in cooking that actually worked out and hubby suggested I post it. Hmmmm....must have been good!

Chicken Parmesan Rolls

1.5 pounds of boneless chicken breasts (4 large, cut into 8 smaller pieces)
Fresh Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, finely chopped
2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 pieces sundried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
dried thyme and dried oregano leaves for seasoning
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Mozzarella cheese slices (8 large slices or 16 small slices), or grated
1 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Directions:

Cut 4 large chicken breasts in half, so you have 8 chicken breast pieces. Pound out to about 1/4" thickness. If you are using large mozzarella cheese slices, cut them in half, so you have a total of 16 slices.

Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat, coat bottom with a few turns of EVOO.

In a separate pan, heat up the spaghetti sauce (of course you can substitute your own!).

Layer the following evenly on each chicken breast piece: parsley, garlic, sundried tomatoes, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, 1 small slice of mozzarella cheese, a small handful of parm (reserve about half of the parm to put on top of the rolls in the end). Once you have done this, roll each chicken breast into a log, taking care to tuck in the cheese and other ingredients, secure with toothpick. Roll in bread crumbs, assuring you have a generous coating.

Brown the rolls in the skillet on both sides. Most of the cooking will be done in the skillet, but the rolls will finish off in the oven, so you do not need to ensure they are fully cooked in the skillet - just nice and brown on both sides.

Pour about 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a glass rectangular dish and place the chicken rolls in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the chick rolls. Place the last pieces of mozzarella on top of each roll. Spread the remaining parm across the top of the dish. Heat in a 400 degree oven until the chicken is fully cooked and the cheese has melted.

YUM! I served this with a sundried tomato cheesy orso pasta dish, which is a take on one of Rachael Ray's recipes. I'll be sure to share this recipe with you as it is a good one. I just layered the pasta on the plate, placed the chicken roll on top of it and spooned out a bit of sauce as well. It was a nice meal!

2005 Weblog Award Finalists!

...and the finalists have been announced!

Merri Musings is in the running for an award for Best New Blog! Polls are open tomorrow (and you can vote every 24 hours if you'd like)...if you enjoy my site, please be sure to stop by and slip a vote in the ballot box for me!

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a few of my favorites!  Please be sure to drop them a vote, too!

Best New Blog (but only if you don't wanna vote for me...wink, wink, nudge, nudge):

Common Sense Runs Wild and Soldiers' Angel Holly Aho

Best Group Blog

The Cotillion (who individually received a number of nominations....excellent job, ladies!)

Best Humor / Comics Blog

Six Meat Buffet (didn't you know there were six meats?)

Best Conservative Blog

The Jawa Report (a MUST read!)

Best Culture / Gossip Blog

Knowledge is Power (SondraK - bringing a bit of culture to the Cotillion ladies!)

Best of the Top 250 Blogs

My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (go Beth!)

Best of the Top 501-1000 Blogs

Vince Aut Morire (there are many I could mention here, but by and far my hubby stands out for me for many reasons, so I'm pitching his site!) 

Best of the Top 2501-3500 Blogs

The Wide Awake Cafe

Congrats to everyone that was nominated!  I think it's an honor just to be nominated, let alone be a finalist!  It affirms for me why I like keeping up this little corner of the web.

Good luck to all and happy voting!

Where's Merri?

Um.

Canning stuff.

Carnival of the Recipes #44

Michele over at Meanderings is hosting this week's Carnival of the Recipes.  There are a TON of outstanding recipes.  I can't wait to check them out!

For those of you who like shrimp, and want something quick and easy to fix, I posted my recipe for Pan Shrimp Scampi in the carnival.  Thanks for going over and visiting Michele and "meandering" about.

Mamamontezz's "Twisted" Strawberry Preserves

All I've got to say is YUM!  My kids would love this on their toast!  Oh, and so would I. 

Carnival of the Recipes #43

Songstress7 at News from the Great Beyond presents Carnival of the Recipes #43.  She did an amazing job of not only highlighting some of the best recipes on the web, she also presented a nice summary of each of us who submitted. 

I submitted my Thai Pork Tenderloin and Long Beans recipe for this week's Carnival, and Songstress7 gave a great plug for the Cotillion as well!  Please stop over and you'll get your saliva glands working overtime!

Thai Pork Tenderloin and Long Beans

This is a recipe I grew up on.  My dad, who was in the Air Force, had a few tours of duty in Thailand and picked up this dish there.

2 tbsp vegetable oil (or infused Wok Oil)

8 cloves garlic, chopped

½ pound pork loin, cut into thin medallions

½ pound raw shrimp, shelled & deveined

1 pound long beans (AKA raw green beans, whole)

3 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)

2 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp ground black pepper

In a wok, heat oil over very high heat.  Add garlic and quickly stir-fry until light brown.  Immediately add the pork and toss with garlic until pork is light brown.  Add the shrimp and continue stir-frying for about one minute.  Add the beans and cook for at least 2 minutes (they will be very crispy - I typically cook until I start to get a bit of a wilt to the beans).  Stir in the fish sauce, sugar and black pepper.  Toss everything together and serve.  I serve with some steamed Jasmine rice (an aromatic rice that I also grew up on.  Dad had it in Thailand and won't eat any other kind with Thai food).

Enjoy!

Salmon Patties Recipe

Believe it or not, this is one of the few ways I can get my kids to eat fish - it is so tasty, and a favorite of my family since I was a little girl.

Ingredients:

vegetable oil (or similar light oil), enough to cover bottom of large skillet
2 6-oz cans of skinless, boneless pink salmon (or one regular size, with skin/bone removed)
10 saltine crackers, crushed
2-3 large eggs
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat large skillet over mid to high heat. Drain the salmon and add to large bowl. Crush the crackers into the bowl. Add salt/pepper and 2 of the eggs. Mix together with a spoon. The mixture should be quite moist, but allow you to form patties. If it is still dry, add the additional egg. If the mixture is too moist to make patties, then add a couple more crackers at a time, until you reach the right consistency.

Form into patties of uniform thickness. Add oil to the skillet and then place the patties into the oil. Cook on both sides until a nice, golden brown crust forms on both sides. Remove from the skillet and drain on a couple of paper towels.

My two cents: You can serve this with most anything - typically we serve it with fried potatoes or french fries, but you can also serve it with macaroni and cheese or a nice rice dish. I've seen some people use a cocktail sauce for dipping, and even tartar sauce. It also makes a nice sandwich!

Carnival of the Recipes #42

Drew at Conservative Friends is hosting this week's Carnival of the Recipes!  Stop over and have a drool, er, a look!

For those of you who like great appetizer ideas, my Taco Cheesecake recipe is part of the carnival.  It's an awesome dip that is great served with hearty tortilla/corn chips!

Carnival of the Recipes #41

Angela over at Fresh as a Daisy has the 41st Carnival of the Recipes posted - she did an awesome job of compiling a rather large list of mouth-watering recipes from breakfast to cocktail hour!  I read through it this morning and had a hard time figuring out what I was going to cook next, also realizing it was a bit too early for cocktails, darn it!

I submitted my recipe for Fresh Strawberry Pie and for those of you looking for a sweet pie pastry to go with it, I have that recipe for you right here.

Enjoy! 

Merri's Pan Shrimp Scampi

I'm a mom who also has a full time, crazy job outside of the home. As was the case tonight, I got home at 6:30pm (work, pick up my daughter, stop at the store). I brought home some steak and shrimp, with the idea of finding a really good, quick shrimp scampi recipe out in the world. I didn't find anything simple enough, so I came up with my own version. I thought it turned out pretty good, and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns around the pan
3-4 tbsp butter, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, crushed from skin, but not chopped
1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled with tails on (pick any size you like - I used large)
1/2 tsp (or to taste) grill seasoning (or kosher salt and ground pepper to taste)
2-3 gentle shakes of ground cayenne pepper
2-3 gentle shakes of Old Bay Seasoning
Juice of 1 lemon
A handful of seasoned breadcrumbs
A handful of grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat up large skillet and add the EVOO, butter and garlic. Let the garlic sweat a little, over medium high heat until it starts to soften, but does not brown. Add the shrimp, grill seasoning, cayenne pepper and Old Bay and cook shrimp until pink/white, tossing occasionally. Toward the end of cooking time, add the lemon juice and toss the shrimp again. You will see the sauce start to thicken nicely right away. Add the breadcrumbs (I added enough to lightly coat the shrimp once tossed) and the grated cheese. Toss the shrimp together and serve immediately. I served mine with a nice, pan seared bacon-wrapped filet. YUM!

Sweet Pie Pastry Recipe

This pie crust is AWESOME for fresh strawberry pie, or for a multitude of other pie recipes that contain sweet filling (apple, pumpkin, etc.). This recipe will make a top and bottom crust.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 c + 2 tbsp butter, chop into very small pieces
1/4 c + 3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg

Instructions

Cut butter into flour with fork or pastry cutter. Lightly mix in sugar and egg to get smooth dough. Put ball of dough into plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

You will want to follow the pie recipe's instructions for baking time/temp. If you are blind baking (baking the pie with no filling) you will want to preheat your oven to 425 degrees (put a cookie sheet in while preheating). Place the rolled out dough into the pie pan. You will want to add a piece of parchment paper and pie weights (I use a bag of kidney beans and fill it approximately 1/3 of the way up). Bake for 20 minutes. When done, remove crust from the oven, pull weights and parchment paper out of the pie shell. Prick the pie all over the bottom and the sides with a fork. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool before filling.

It's Berry Pie Time!

I love this time of year! One of my absolute favorite fruits is the strawberry, and they are now in season - and awesome!

Ingredients

1 baked pie shell (I recommend a sweet pie pastry - I will post this recipe as well!)
1/2 quart fresh slice strawberries (I used two plastic containers full)
1 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
3 1/2 tbsp corn starch
4 tbsp strawberry Jello

Instructions

Place strawberries in the pie shell. Mix sugar, water, corn starch and jello over low heat until it boils. Remove mixture from heat and cool 15 - 20 minutes. Pour mixture over berries and chill 4 - 6 hours.

I serve it with a spoon (or two!) of Cool Whip. YUMMMMMMMY!

Carnival of the Recipes #40

Please be sure to visit this week's host of Carnival of the Recipes, Jordana at Curmudgeonry. 

My recipe for Stuffed Steak is out in the carnival.

This shameless plug brought to you by Merri @ Merri Musings.  Have a great day! 

Stuffed Steak Recipe

This one will win your carnivore's heart forever! This is one of my hubby's favorite meals, hands down.  I decided to re-post this recipe - it was one of the first recipes I posted on my former blog and a popular one!

Ingredients:

• One 2-lb boneless round steak, tenderized (either by the butcher or by beating the hell out of it...can you guess which I prefer?)
• approximately 4 cups of cubed, herbed stuffing cubes (either homemade - butter bread and sprinkle with your favorite herbs, baking in the oven until toasty, cutting into cubes - or if you don't have the time, the shortcut I use is one bag of Pepperidge Farm cubed, herbed stuffing mix)
• 1 envelope Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
• 1 can beef broth, 14 oz (you may not use all of it)
• 1-2 eggs (I use large sized eggs)
• Your favorite Cajun dry spice (my favorite is a combination of salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, celery salt, mustard, bay leaves, a small amount of ginger for a kick). You can usually pick up a nice concoction at your grocery store, or you can experiment with your own spices! What I shoot for in this recipe is something that has a bold flavor, plus a little bit of a kick.
• a pinch of crushed red pepper (or more, to taste)
• salt (Kosher) and pepper (freshly ground)
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of cookie sheet with "Release" foil paper and coat the foil with EVOO.

Place the croutons and onion soup mix in a large bowl. Crack 2 eggs into the bowl, and sprinkle Cajun spices, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to your taste. Pour about a third of the can of beef broth into the bowl and start hand-mixing, adding beef broth until you have reached a very nice, moist consistency (the stuffing sticks together and is moist to the touch...no renegade hard, crunchy croutons should be left).

Lay the round steak flat on a cutting board or on a large piece of wax paper. Sprinkle more Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper on the steak, rubbing it into the surface (this will be what touches the stuffing on the inside of the "roll.") Roll out the stuffing onto the seasoned side of the steak, forming it into a "log" the length of the steak. Wrap the steak around the stuffing. If the steak is large enough, you should be able to overlap each end of the steak, otherwise you can secure with toothpicks. Place the stuffed steak seam down onto the cookie sheet.

Rub the outside of the steak lightly with EVOO and then sprinkle with additional Cajun seasonings, salt and pepper.

Bake your masterpiece in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. You want to be sure that you have cooked the steak and the stuffing completely through.

Once cooking is complete, let the steak and stuffing rest for 5 or so minutes. When ready to serve, slice the "roll" which will form wheels of stuffing, surrounded by steak.

What I serve this with: This is essentially your meat and one side rolled into one, so I usually will serve it with a veggie side dish. A nice salad works. One item we love to eat as a side dish is green beans with bacon and onion. I dice 2-3 slices of bacon and cook until crispy, adding one small, finely diced onion (or 1-2 small shallots, diced). I cook until the onion is tender, then I add the green beans (if you cook with fresh green beans you will need to cook them before you add the bacon/onions and will need to leave the liquid in...for frozen, be sure to include the amount of water needed to normally cook them with). We have the luxury to have home canned green beans, which can't be beat with this recipe!

Carnival of the Recipes #39

Be sure to check out this week's Carnival of the Recipes, hosted over at Boudicca's Voice.  I was really impressed by the number of desserts this week - including a couple with strawberries - strawberry tarts and strawberry baked Alaska....yum, and strawberries are in season and taste sooo good right now!

Here it is first thing in the morning and I'm drooling!

Oh - did I mention that my recipe for Sausage & Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta is in the Carnival this week? 

Enjoy!

Sausage & Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta

This recipe is simple and a real treat.  Left overs are divine!

1 pound ziti pasta
4-6 Italian sausages (sweet or spicy), cut into 1/4 in. slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
red pepper flakes to taste
course salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 cup half and half
2 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (or mozzarella)
1 to 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I use Hunt's Light)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Get a large pot of water to a boil, generously salting, and cook ziti to al dente, about 8-9 minutes.

In a nonstick skillet, place sausage in single layer, cooking until there is a nice brown layer on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels.  Return pan (with all the tasty bits on the bottom!) to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and mushrooms (optional). Season to taste with red pepper flake, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are lightly golden (if you don't use mushrooms, cook until the garlic is soft, but not browned).

Preheat broiler to high.

To garlic/mushroom combo, add flour and stir, cooking until you smell a nice nutty aroma. Whisk in chicken broth and then whisk in the half and half. Bring mixture to a gentle bubble.  Stir in 2 cups cheese and a small handful of the Parmesan. When the cheese melts, it will look like a very smooth sauce.  Let it come to a bubble, then add the marinara sauce, mixing well.  Bring the sauce up to a bubble, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and remove from heat. 

Return the sausage slices to the sauce, mixing them in.  Add the cooked ziti pasta and mix until well coated.  Transfer to an oven safe baking dish (I use a glass one).  Sprinkle remaining cheese, and Parmesan on top of the mixture.  At this point, I add a bit of fresh ground pepper as well.  Place in broiler until cheese is golden brown.

This recipe is AWESOME and not difficult to cook for as tasty as it is.  Enjoy!

Carnival of the Recipes #38

Techno Gypsy is hosting the 38th edition of Carnival of the Recipes.  Please go check out her site for recipes for any occasion and any level of cook from the best cooks in the blogosphere!

Oh - did I mention my Lasagna Rolls are part of the carnival?  Yum!

Lasagna Rolls Recipe

Giada De Laurentiis of "Every Day Italian" had an episode air recently for Lasagna Rolls.  They looked AWESOME, but as always I have to alter recipes to make them taste the way I want them to taste.  This particular recipe was great, so I only had to change a few things.  Here is my recipe for Lasagna Rolls: 

Bechamel Sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
coarse salt & ground black pepper to taste
Freshly ground nutmeg to taste

Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 pound ground Italian sausage, browned and drained
1 cup plus extra couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan
1 large egg, beaten to blend
small handful of chopped Italian Parsley
freshly ground black pepper & coarse salt to taste
A couple of glugs of olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes until you can smell a nice nutty aroma. Whisk in the milk all at once. Increase the heat and simmer until it is thick and smooth (this doesn't take long).  Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and butter a 13x9x2 baking pan/dish.

Start water boiling in a large, wide pan.  Once boiling add salt and a couple of glugs of olive oil.  Boil the noodles until they are al dente (I do four at a time, which works out nicely).   

Mix ricotta, Italian sausage, 1 cup Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper together.

Pour the bechamel sauce into the baking dish.  Put enough of the fillng mixture on each noodle to cover it, and roll up the noodle, placing the seam side down in the pan.  Once all rolled, pour the marinara sauce over the rolls and then cover with the shredded mozzarella cheese and a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan cheese.      

Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes (the sauce will bubble when it is ready). Uncover and bake another 15 minutes (the cheese will get nice and brown). 

Enjoy with a nice crusty garlic bread!

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

This is an awesome recipe!  I need to make it more than I do.  The flavor is just amazing!  Some people are a bit apprehensive about cooking with anchovies - I used to be one of them.  In this recipe, the anchovies actually do "melt" and you would never know they are in the pasta.  You would definitely know if they weren't there, though!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tin flat fillet of anchovies, drained, 6 or 7 fillets
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, 4 or 5 sprigs stripped or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup clam juice or chicken stock (I do some of each)
1 can (15 ounces) fancy whole baby clams
1 lemon, zested
1 pound linguini, slightly undercooked, about 6 to 7 minutes
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Lots of black pepper and some coarse salt
Crusty bread, for mopping

Instructions:

Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan in a slow stream, red pepper flakes, garlic and anchovies and cook until anchovies melt into the oil. Add thyme and wine. Reduce wine 1 minute. Add clam juice or stock, clam juice will give the dish a stronger clam flavor, chicken stock will give it a buttery personality. Stir in clams and lemon zest. Drain pasta. Add to skillet and toss with sauce 2 to 3 minutes, until pasta is al dente and has absorbed some of the sauce and flavor. Add parsley, pepper and salt, to your taste and serve with bread for mopping up remaining juices.

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Taco Cheesecake Recipe

I was trying to organize some of my recipes tonight, and came across this one. If you ever need to bring a dish to a potluck or if you are having "Mexican food night" at your house, this recipe is AWESOME. It travels well and it is gone in no time!

Ingredients & Instructions

Mix together

1 cup crushed nacho chips (I use Doritos)
3 tbsp butter

Press this crust onto bottom of 9" springform pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Mix together

2 packages of cream cheese (bricks), softened
2 eggs

Add to this mixture

1/2 (or to taste) package of taco seasoning
1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies
1 package shredded taco cheese (I use the 4-cheese Mexican style cheese)

Pour the mixture onto the crust and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Once the cheesecake has cooled, remove from springform pan and place in the refrigerator.

Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving and spread with sour cream. Add chopped green onion, tomatoes, black olives to garnish (I chop them very fine). Serve with chips (I use Tostitos Gold since they are nice and sturdy).

Enjoy!

Cheese & Broccoli Topping/Dip Recipe

This has to be one of the best recipes for an appetizer or as a side dish (paired with potatoes) to bring to a family dinner or potluck. I've been hounded for the recipe time and again.
Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 packages Kraft Garlic & Cheese Tubes*
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 stick butter

Instructions

Microwave all ingredients together or heat in a small crock pot.

*the cheese tubes are found with the refrigerated cheese - I find mine at Super Wal-Mart

My 2 cents: This is awesome served over cubed Italian bread or cubed Vienna bread. You could also dip veggies, crackers or melba toast. Lastly, this is an AMAZING topping for baked potatoes. It would also taste great served over roasted, cubed potatoes.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Spears

I have always been fond of asparagus. Until I tried this recipe, I had always stuck with the canned spears - I'm not particularly fond of "crisp" asparagus, so steaming really didn't do much for me. I saw an episode of "30 Minute Meals" with Rachael Ray - she did bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles. I had a slight variation on this theme by individually wrapping the spears in bacon and grilling them. Here's my recipe:

Ingredients

1 bundle of fresh asparagus
center cut bacon
EVOO to coat
salt and pepper to taste
juice of one lemon

Instructions

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears (they will give in the right place as you bend the spear). Coat with EVOO. Count the number of spears, and use enough bacon to allow for 1/2 strip of bacon to be wrapped around each spear. Wrap as tight as you can (I chose thin sliced bacon for this - it stretched a bit and remained snug). Season with salt and pepper. Place on hot grill, cooking until bacon is crisp and spears are tender. Toward end of cooking time, hit with the juice of the lemon.

I served this with country style BBQ pork ribs and baked potatoes. Very tasty!

Merri's Pancake Recipe

As we wrapped up breakfast today, I thought I could share my pancake recipe with you. My family really enjoys it. To quote my son, "Mommy....your pancakes are even better than CEREAL!" I hope you enjoy them just as much!

*for those of you who are unfamilar with the terminology, "scant" means just short of the measurement. For this particular recipe, I put slightly less than 2 cups of milk into the batter.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk (scant*)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp melted butter

Instructions

Sift the first three ingredients together. Add the eggs, stirring slightly. Gradually add in the milk, stirring (I use a fork or a whisk) until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and add the melted butter last, mixing until smooth. Heat a non-stick frying pan or a griddle to medium/medium-high heat. Pour desired amount of batter into pan (it will spread a bit), turn when bubbles form and start to pop. Cook other side until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings.

I have to admit that my favorite toppings are a strange combination. When the pancake is piping hot I spread peanut butter lightly on it and it melts just like butter. I top it with maple syrup. It tastes AWESOME!

Mexican Chef Salad

This is a great recipe for a salad my sister made when I was growing up. It sure brings back memories!

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small to medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can of chili beans, a little of the juice drained
1 head of lettuce, chopped into salad sized pieces
3-4 small tomatoes, chopped into pieces
1 package of shredded cheese (I use the Mexican 4-cheese, but you can use any you prefer)
1 small bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos (not the super size)

Instructions

Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in skillet. Add the taco seasoning during the browning process. Mix in the can of chili beans, heat through.

In very large bowl, toss together lettuce, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Add the beef/bean mixture, mixing thoroughly. Right before serving, crush down the Doritos, and add to the mixture, coating completely. Serve in large bowls. You can serve with Ranch dressing, sour cream, green onions, guacamole, salsa, or any other topping you like.

Roasted Garlic Recipe

My dad and I have often joked about the fact that we must have Italian ancestry through his family - we both love Italian food! We'll never know for sure - Dad was adopted - but decided it doesn't matter anyway, because we'll eat like we are. For me, I am always seeking out Italian style recipes that are new, bold and fun to learn. One element that I discovered in many of the new dishes I found was roasted garlic. I looked awhile before I found a roasted garlic recipe that I liked and was easy to do.

What's so good about roasted garlic? Garlic has a pretty bad reputation for being bitey, smelly and overpowering, right? Well, roasting garlic will mellow out the flavor and aroma, while developing a flavor that is incredible - sweeter and much more subtle than its raw form. Many of the dishes you see in restaurants that have a garlic cream sauce (or a cream sauce of any kind, at times) will be made with roasted garlic. Additionally, it is unbelievable what roasted garlic will do to a nice garlic bread (I'm drooling just thinking about it!) - and you can even spread it like butter on a piece of crusty bread. Trust me on this - this is a good recipe to have in your hip pocket to pull out as needed.

Ingredients

1 head of fresh garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - aka EVOO - (no substitutes), enough to coat

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break the head of garlic into individual cloves. Do not peel the skin off. Place the cloves on a sheet of aluminum foil and toss them in a teaspoon or two of EVOO (just enough to coat the cloves).

Fold the foil into an airtight pouch and place in the oven for about 30-45 minutes (I put on a cookie sheet "just in case"). When the garlic is done, and cooled a bit, simply squeeze it out of the skin - the flesh should just slide out simply - like toothpaste. Use it in your favorite recipes, or you can refrigerate in an airtight container for a few days.

Rachael Ray's Super Sloppy Joes

So, for a long time I used to crack open a can of sloppy joe sauce and mix it with some hamburger for a quick meal for the family. Then I saw the "30 Minute Meals" episode where Rachael made these homemade sloppy joes. They are awesome. The flavor is so much better and doesn't have that processed taste the canned versions do. Rachael also shared her potato salad recipe on the show, which is an excellent compliment to sloppy joes. I do have to say I believe my potato salad recipe is better - sorry Rachael!

Once you make these sloppy joes, you will have a hard time going back to the canned stuff, I promise!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 crusty rolls, split, toasted and buttered (I don't butter mine as a preference)

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.

My Two Cents: I recommend chopping the onion and red peppers fairly small - then you can get the kids to get their vegetables in because they won't even know they are eating them!

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Have Your Cake & Eat It, Too!

Okay, I'm not necessarily known for doing a lot of baking - I'm more a cook than a baker. I agree with Rachael Ray - cooking is more of an art (a dash here, a dash there) and baking is more of a science (exact measurements). I'd much rather throw something together than measure it! But this cake is very simple, and it is SOOO good. It is especially good when you are missing summer - with the mandarin orange and pineapple, it is like a slice of 80 degree weather, sunshine and tanning oil!

Mandarin Orange Cake

Ingredients for Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can mandarin oranges and juice
3/4 cups oil
4 eggs

Instructions for Cake:
Mix all ingredients well, and pour into 9x13" lightly greased pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Cool completely.

Ingredients for Frosting:
9 ounces of Cool Whip
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 large can crushed pineapple & juice

Instructions for Frosting:
Mix together with spoon and let sit a few minutes. Frost cake and refrigerate.

Chili Verde Recipe

As many of you are aware, I lost my mom to cancer in late January 2005. This is one of my favorite recipes of Momma's that I had the priviledge to learn prior to her passing. Here's to you, Momma! Ingredients: oil (such as canola, vegetable or corn oil) to cover bottom of large pot 1.5 pounds of good steak (the kind you'd grill, so it can get tender), cut into 1" pieces kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 jalepeno, ribs & seeds removed, chopped (or more to suit the "burn factor") 2 small cans of diced green chiles 36-oz of diced tomatoes (however many cans this takes - I get to used home canned...YUM!) 6-7 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

Instructions:
Heat large pot over medium high heat. Once hot, pour in oil. Add batches of cubed steak, seasoning with salt and pepper, cooking each batch until browned (you want to cook in batches, or you won't get decent browning - I usually break it into thirds, reserving the cooked meat on a plate). Once all batches are cooked and removed from the pot, add the garlic, onion and jalepeno, cooking until the onions are tender (this also allows you to get those yummy "bits" from the bottom of the pan). Once the vegetables are tender, add the meat back to the pan, stirring. At this point, add the diced green chiles and tomatoes, juice included. Bring the mixture up to a bowl, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. After this, add the diced potatoes and a little more salt and pepper to taste. Bring back up to a boil, cover and simmer another 30-40 minutes, removing the lid the last 10 or so minutes of cooking. Serve with warm tortillas for dipping (or for making "burritos").

My two cents: My mother grew up in New Mexico and lived in Texas many years. This dish was one of her best, and even though it seems like it might take awhile, it is worth the wait. This is a recipe I will pass down to my children. It is just that wonderful!

Get the Breathmints!

I have got to say one of my most favorite items in the food world is garlic. I love it with meat, with pasta, with potatoes, with most everything (unless we're talking dessert!).
Enjoy!

I'd like to share two recipes, courtesy of Rachael Ray, that are easy to fix, and are easily served together due to their common theme - garlic!

4 Minute Spicy Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
4 cloves of garlic, crushed away from skin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
24 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
2 tsp grill or steak seasoning blend (Montreal Seasoning by McCormick is best!)
1 lemon, jested and juiced
2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves (a handful)

Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add EVOO, garlic, red pepper flakes and shrimp. Season with grill seasoning (you can also use course salt and fresh ground pepper) and cook shrimp 3 minutes or until just pink. Toss with lemon zest, juice and chopped parsley. Remove shrimp to a serving platter, leaving the garlic cloves in the pan.

Roast Potatoes with Rosemary (and GARLIC!)

Ingredients
2 pounds small potatoes (baby Yukon gold or red skins)
6 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
2-3 tbsp EVOO (enough to just coat the potatoes)
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees or highest setting.

Halve the potatoes and place on cookie sheet (I line mine with Reynolds Wrap Foil - makes for easier clean up!). Combine with garlic. Coat potatoes and garlic with oil and season with rosemary, salt and pepper.

Place on lower rack of oven and roast 20-25 minutes, turning potatoes once (around 12 minutes). Continue roasting until golden and crisp at edges.

Hush, Puppies!

I had a chance to cook for my dad and my hubby the other day, and cooked them some battered cod, fried potatoes and onions and thought I'd take a shot at some hush puppies. This recipe was good - my hubby gushed about how good the meal was, particularly these little guys!

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
salt to taste (I found it takes quite a bit)
1 tsp (or more) Louisiana hot sauce, to taste
1/2 medium onion, minced very fine
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk

Instructions:

Heat oil (canola, vegetable, peanut or corn) to 350 degrees. If you are using a fryer, follow your fryer's instructions. If you are doing this over the stove, you want 2-1/2 to 3 inches of oil in order to fully immerse the hush puppies while frying.

Mix the first 4 ingredients, the dry ingredients, together until well blended. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing until moist. The mixture should hold well together. Take a table spoon and scoop out a small ball of dough and, using another table spoon, drop it into the hot oil. Repeat until you have several hush puppies frying at once. You will want to allow room for them to cook properly - they typically should not touch each other in the oil.

Cooking time will depend on how dark you would like the outside of the hush puppies. The dough is completely cooked when the hush puppy starts to float on the oil. I typically like mine to be pretty brown, so I continue cooking until the color reaches the right shade. Drain on a paper towel and serve warm.

My 2 cents: I like to serve hush puppies and other similar items with fish, but they would also go well with many other items - steak and fries, as a dipper for soups, etc.

Chicken and Dumplings

My thanks go out to Emma in the blogosphere - this recipe is for you!

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small carrot, grated
3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
8 cups chicken broth
a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme (or a ½-1 tsp of dried thyme)
kosher salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cold
1/2 cup water

finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Warm a large wide pot and pour in EVOO, two turns of the pan. Put in the onion, garlic and carrot, cooking in the oil until softened. Add the chicken pieces, broth, thyme and salt and pepper, simmering until the chicken is tender, 30 minutes or more. Remove the chicken and set it aside. When cool enough to handle, skin and bone the chicken and shred or cut it into bite sized pieces. If desired, skim the chicken fat off the surface of the broth.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour baking powder and salt. Using a food processor, pastry blender, or two knives, cut in the butter until it is the size of very small peas and distributed throughout the dry ingredients. Add the water and knead 8 to 10 times. If the dough seems too sticky, add a little more flour. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares.

Bring the broth up to a rolling boil, drop in the dumplings, cover the pot and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through. Toward the end of the 10 minutes, put the shredded chicken back into the pot. Be careful not to overcook, as it will cause the dumplings to fall apart. Stir in some finely chopped flat-leaf parsley to brighten the flavor.

My 2 Cents: Some people ask why I put the carrot in my recipe, which is somewhat different than a "traditional" dumpling recipe. I like the depth of flavor it adds to broth. Even though it will mostly cook away since it is grated, the flavor remains. I would also add that I cut the dumplings fairly small in order to speed the cooking process up. Growing up, my mom would actually form the dough into a larger ball shape, and just cook them a bit longer. It is tasty either way! Lastly, you can speed up the cooking process by purchasing a roasted chicken from the grocery store and using it instead of a fresh chicken. I would recommend that if you do this, cut the wings off the bird and simmer them with the broth for a few minutes in order to get that "cooked all day" flavor. Just scoop them out when you would normally scoop out the chicken in the recipe.

Alaskan King Crab Claws

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

This recipe is so simple it doesn't seem real. My hubby and I love crab legs (complimenting a nice steak, especially!) and were dumbfounded when we watch an episode of Good Eats and saw this recipe. We were both thinking "not the microwave...it's king crab legs!" It really does work!

Ingredients

6 Alaskan king crab claws, thawed
2 sprigs dill

Instructions

If necessary in order to fit in microwave, cut claws at joints. Wrap 3 claws at a time in a damp paper towel, along with 1 sprig of dill, and then wrap in plastic wrap. Place wrapped claws in microwave 1 package at a time and cook on high for 2 minutes. Remove and unwrap carefully. Serve immediately.

See? Simple, isn't it? And yummy....it steams the crab legs since they are wrapped in the dampt towel and the plastic wrap. We like to eat ours with some melted butter. We melt some butter on a pan slowly and put some crushed garlic and lemon juice in so the butter is infused with those flavors. We strain and put into a bowl for the table.

Enjoy!

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Okay, this isn't your "normal" chicken noodle soup recipe. I LOVE homemade chicken noodle soup - the thick noodles, the tasty veggies and tender chicken. I love it, but usually don't have the time to spend in the kitchen. So a few years ago, I got a copy of Taste of Home's Quick Cooking magazine and came across this great recipe. It is simple, but also very good. I like to serve it with a nice crusty, warm bread.
In large pot, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add noodles; cook, uncovered until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not drain. Add soup and chicken, heath through. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper to taste.

My 2 cents: I've grown to detest bouillon cubes - mostly because I need to beat the hell out of them to get them to "melt" into the water at the speed I would like it. there's also something very unnatural about food squished into hard little cubes like that. I found something better. In the same area of your grocery store that you buy the cubes, you can find chicken base. I use the brand called "Better Than Bouillon." They make both beef and chicken base (and perhaps others, but I've used the beef and chicken regularly). Their chicken base is made from roasted chicken and concentrated chicken stock. It has a better flavor and "melts" very easily as it is in more of a paste form. It is easy to measure and is easy to substitute for the cubes. I would definitely recommend it!

Recipe Courtesy of Taste of Home's Quick Cooking

Ingredients

2 quarts water
8 chicken bouillon cubes (see my note below about bouillon cubes!)
6-1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (I use No Yolks and they work great!)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (Campbells, please! The low-fat works, too!)
3 cups cubed cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken I get at the grocery store)
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
fresh parsley (dried works in a pinch)
fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

"Stuffed" Pork Chops Recipe

Recipe Concept Courtesy of Rachael Ray

I love Rachael Ray's show "30 Minute Meals." I have found a number of recipes that are now "regulars" with my family. There are times, however, that some of the ingredients she uses don't really "fit" with the food combinations my family enjoys. The following recipe for stuffed pork chops is no exception. I love the recipe idea - pork chops that you can make quickly on the stove with a stuffing you place between 2 thin chops. You can see the original recipe here. I don't care for celery, though, and I've never been fond of apples in my stuffing, so here is my version of "stuffed" pork chops:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling
2 slices bacon, chopped
10-12 small mushrooms, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly chopped sage leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground dried sage
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried leaves
Freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt
2 store bought corn muffins
8 thin boneless center cut pork loin chops

Instructions

Preheat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and bacon to the skillet and cook 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and onion and season the mixture with herbs, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Cook vegetables 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Crumble the corn muffins into the pan and combine stuffing. If you find the stuffing a little dry, you can drizzle some chicken broth, skim milk or even water into the pan until it is moist to your liking. I like mine on the moist side, so I've found a need to have some chicken broth on hand as well (but I've used milk and water and both are equally good).

Preheat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Drizzle chops with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook chops 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Do not over cook. The chops should be firm but still giving off juices.

To assemble stuffed chops, set a thin chop on dinner plate or serving plate. Mound the pork chop with stuffing, allowing some to spill onto the plate, then top with a second chop. Repeat with 3 remaining servings.

What I serve this with: The meat and the stuffing are pretty filling. I will usually pair this with a salad, or a nice veggie dish such as asparagus or green beans. On Rachael's show, she makes some smashed potatoes, and at times I will include those as well, along with a nice pan gravy made from the pork chop drippings (yum!).

Merri's Not So "French Dip" Sandwiches

This is a pretty tasty sandwich that can be made fast!

Merri's Not So "French Dip" Sandwiches

These are so simple. Sometimes, we need to eat quick, but we don't want the standard fast food fare. This almost seems faster than fast food!

Ingredients

1 jug of concentrated "Au Jus" sauce (we use one called "Johnny's" - it is AWESOME), 8 0z
16 oz water
1 lb high quality cooked roast beef, sliced about twice as thick as sandwich sliced (from the deli)
fresh ground black pepper
Steak seasoning to taste (we use McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning...yum!)
slices of swiss or provolone cheese
hoagie buns, sliced lengthwise and slightly toasted

Instructions

Place the au jus sauce, water, steak seasoning and pepper in a larger sauce pan, and bring to a simmer. Simmer approximately 5 minutes. Add the roast beef and continue simmering until heated through (approximately 5 minutes...you don't want to overcook the roast beef or it will get tough). Remove from heat.

Using tongs, pile meat on top of a hoagie and add cheese slices to your liking (sometimes at this point I will place the sandwich half with the cheese on it under the broiler until it is melted...yum!). Ladle out some au jus sauce into a shallow bowl for dipping.

You can make quite a number of variations - different spices or other ingredients will change the flavor of your au jus. Let your creative jus's flow (alright - I know it was a bad pun...you don't have to tell me!)!

Rachael's Macaroni & Cheddar Cheese

Recipe Courtesy of Rachael Ray

...this one is for Emma out in the Blogosphere (oh, and it's tasty, too!)!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk
3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, a couple pinches Salt (kosher, of course!)
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 8 minutes or to al dente, with a little bite to it

Instructions

Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place baking dish under a hot broiler and brown the cheddar cheese on top.

My 2 Cents: I love this recipe, but in true Merri form, I tend to alter things a bit. I can't always get white cheddar locally, so I've substituted other types of cheddar with success. I imagine that other cheeses can be substituted easily, too. One other thing - it is a *must* to put ground black pepper with my macaroni and cheese - can't seem to get over that. So....I usually add ground black pepper at the same time I'm adding the cayenne and nutmeg.

Thanks for the idea to post this recipe, Emma! ...and thanks, Rachael!

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato...YUM!

This time of year, I really like stuff you can throw into the oven - it warms the house in the dead of winter, and is easy. I also love potatoes (you won't see *me* on any low carb diet!). About 9 years ago, I got this recipe from my hubby's Aunt Roxanne (a really cool aunt, by the way!). It is yummy!

Ingredients

1 stick butter, melted
1 small jar of Cheez Wiz (I use the spicy version, but both are good) - melt in the microwave
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup (Campbells, of course!)
2 pounds frozen hashbrowns (cubed, not the shreds)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
3 tbsp butter, melted (this is for the topping)
Corn flakes, crushed (enough to cover the top of the dish to your liking)

Instructions

Mix the stick of melted butter, Cheez Wiz, sour cream and cream of mushroom soup together until blended. Fold in the hashbrowns, salt and pepper until the hashbrowns are well coated. Place in a baking pan (9x13). Spread the crushed corn flakes over the top and drizzle the remaining melted butter across the cornflakes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Recipe Courtesy of Taste of Home-Quick Cooking

Growing up, my mom and dad could make a mean potato soup. They would mix it up sometimes by including a little bit of sausage (such as little smokies cut up), or would spice it up with some red pepper flakes. I LOVED this soup. At least until I found the following recipe. The Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a blissful marriage of potato soup and a loaded baked potato from the Outback...I don't know any other way to describe it. It is hearty and thick and so tasty! In the middle of winter (yes, we are expecting upwards of 12-15" of snow by the end of the day tomorrow here in the middle of the good ole U.S.A.), this soup will warm you up!

Ingredients:

6 bacon strips, diced (remember your meat guy - he makes the best bacon!)
3 cups of cubed, peeled potatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp each celery seed, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (or to taste)
3 tbsp flour
3 cups milk (I've tried this with skim, and it is still creamy and hearty)
8 oz process american Cheese, cubed into very small pieces
2 green onions, very thinly sliced

Instructions:

In a larger pot, cook bacon until crisp, drain on a paper towel. Add potatoes, broth, carrot, onion, parsley, celery seed, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).

Combine flour and milk until smooth, add to soup. Bring to a boil; boil and stir 2 minutes. Add cheese, stir until cheese melts and soup is hot. Garnish with green onions if desired.

My 2 cents: There really isn't an ingredient that I would skip in this recipe - each ingredient provides a nice layer of flavor in this soup. I have substituted celery salt in place of the celery seed with no problem. One HUGE recommendation is on the American cheese. I recommend only using Kraft American Cheese Product (it is a cheese located by the Velveeta, and is in a blue box). I've bought American cheese from the deli, thinking it would be more flavorful, but the Kraft product melts so much better, resulting in a smoother soup. The deli stuff tastes good, but doesn't always melt completely.

Enjoy - if you like potato soup and like baked potatoes with all the fixin's, you will LOVE this recipe!

Merri's Chili for a Chilly Day

Today was a pretty bad weather day - sleet causing very icy conditions - and we've got more coming - they are predicting more sleet tomorrow and then 6-12" of snow on Wednesday - UGH! How do I warm up my hubby, the mail carrier, after a long day of carrying mail in this crud? I know what you may be thinking, but let's stick with food....hehehe. Honestly, chili is one of his favorite meals on a day like today. Here's my "quick to put together" recipe that tastes absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), two turns around a frying pan
1 medium yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1 pound of lean ground beef or chuck (or venison, for those of you who have a hunter hubby)
Kosher salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
A couple of glugs of beer (optional)
2 cans of Bush's Best Chili Beans
1 can of Bush's "Chili Magic" (I use "Traditional" but any flavor will do)
1 can of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon (or to taste) of dark chili powder

Instructions:

Place a frying pan over high heat, coat with two turns of EVOO and toss in the onion and garlic, stirring and cooking until they are slighly opaque and tender. Break up the ground meat into the frying pan and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Throw in a couple of glugs of beer, if you like (the alcohol cooks out, leaving a nice concentrated flavor). Drain the fat off of the meat and veggie combination.

In a larger pot, put the chili beans, Chili Magic and tomato sauce, gently mixing. Add the meat and onions, as well as the chili powder (at this point I also add more red pepper flake and any additional salt/pepper if needed). Heat through on medium heat, stirring occasionally.

ENJOY - and I hope the weather is treating you better where you are!

New Year's Eve Finger Foods and Booze

One of my favorite holidays is New Year's - more specifically New Year's Eve. With two children in the house, we are fortunate to know other couples with younger kids so we can all gather together to celebrate and not have to get a sitter. We traditionally get together in a hotel, and the kids can swim and play while we play cards, etc. Everyone (okay, not the kids) has their beverage of choice and we don't have to worry about driving. Oh, and there's lots of food - typically finger food. This year will be no different - no posts for me New Year's Eve for sure, and it's a little fuzzy for New Year's Day (also known as the day of recovery...hehehehe).

I thought it would be fitting to post a couple of fun appetizers and a drink recipe in the spirit of New Year's Eve. Enjoy!

The Shrimp Cocktail Sauce
recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

Ingredients:
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup prepared chili sauce
4 tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp sugar
few grinds fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
32+ tiger (jumbo sized) shrimp, fully cooked with tails on

Place all ingredients, except the shrimp, into a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (hint: the day or the morning before, I put the can of diced tomatoes into the fridge - as long as the other ingredients are chilled as well, you will have ready to eat, chilled shrimp cocktail sauce the minute you pour it out of the processor!).

I typically buy my shrimp frozen, ready to eat. Another hint, from Alton, is how to thaw the shrimp. Place them in a strainer inside another bowl and run cool water over them. This thaws them quicker than any other method. Once they are thawed, be sure to drain well.

No matter where I bring this shrimp cocktail - it's one of the first things to go. YUM!

Breakfast Egg Sandwich

Introduction:

I can't remember when I didn't make egg sandwiches. They are so simple for breakfast and sooo tasty! When I got married and made them for my hubby, he shared in my love for this simple little sandwich and it has become somewhat of a routine to have egg sandwiches for breakfast on our days off.

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp butter (depends on the size of your skillet - you want a nice layer with no dry spots)
1 large egg
kosher salt, pepper to taste
1 slice of American Cheese (real and processed are both good!)
2 slices of wheat bread (or bread of your choice), toasted
spray butter, or soft butter to spread on toast

Instructions:

Place butter in cool skillet on stove, melting butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, and pan is hot, start toasting your bread in the toaster. Crack open your egg into the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the egg has cooked to a consistency that allows you to flip it, turn the egg over, lightly sprinkling the other side with salt and pepper. Place the cheese slice on the egg, and turn the burner off. The egg will continue to cook and the cheese will melt. Once the toast is done, place it on a plate and either generously spray with spray butter, or lightly spread soft butter on both slices of bread. Place the egg/cheese on once slice of bread and put the other slice of bread on top. Lastly, enjoy this sandwich as the yolk runs down over your hand!

What I serve this with: In a previous post, I mentioned my love for cast iron skillets. They are GREAT to cook bacon in! Bacon is a great side for this sandwich, and you can even throw the bacon on top of the sandwich. YUM!

Garlic Parsley New Potatoes

Introduction:pan seared steak in my previous post. It goes with most anything. I would recommend cooking with a main dish that also includes garlic, so the theme of garlic carries through more than one of your dishes.

This is a recipe that was passed to me by my mom. I've used it for a long time. It is so easy and flavorful and goes with most any main dish, my favorites being a nice steak or pork chops.

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (you can substitute margarine, but why?)
2 cans of whole new potatoes, drained well
garlic powder or garlic salt (my preference is powder, but both will work)
dried parsley

Instructions:

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Put the stick of butter into the skillet, melting slowly. Once melted, pour both cans of new potatoes into the pan, turning to coat in the butter. Sprinkle an even, light coat of garlic powder over the potatoes, and do the same with the parsley. Turn the potatoes over, repeating the garlic powder and parsley coating. Cook over medium heat until a nice, crisp and brown coating develops on the outside of the potatoes. Turn over and cook on the other side until done. This whole process should take approximately 20-30 minutes at a maximum.

What I serve this with: A nice pairing would be with the

Pan Seared Rib Eye

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

Introduction:

Coming from the Midwest, steak is virtually a staple in our household (we're in "beef country!"). While this recipe of Alton Brown's calls for Rib Eye steaks, we have used different cuts such as New York Strip or Filet.

Ingredients:

1-2 boneless rib eye steaks, 1-1/2 inch thick (I typically stick with an inch in thickness)
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Instructions:

Place 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature (this is very important!).

When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30-45 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30-45 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes (the thicker the steak, the longer this time may need to be). Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes (This time is for medium rare steak. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns).

Remove steak from pan, cover losely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes (this allows juices to redistribute so they don't all flow out with the first cut of your steak).

What I serve this with: Of course this would work with a nice baked potato and a salad or other veggie (corn on the cob...yum!). I also like to serve it with garlic parsley new potatoes, whose recipe I will post in my next blog.

My 2 Cents: I love Alton Brown, mostly because of this recipe! He helped me appreciate the finer side of cast iron! I can't describe the difference between this steak preparation versus others, other than to say it is a step up from most! I will say that we've never been able to get a medium rare steak by cooking 2 minutes on each side, as the recipe calls for. We are typically cooking closer to 3-4 minutes per side, and for thicker steaks, closer to 5-6 minutes. This could be due to a variance in our oven temperature, or my impatience while bringing the steak up to room temperature. You will want to experiment to get the right "doneness" for you. It comes highly recommended, though!

Christmas Day Prime Rib Recipe

Introduction:

Here I am, on Christmas Day night sending out a recipe for my Prime Rib (perhaps I'm just wanting to relive the yummy experience!). It has become a tradition for my family to enjoy prime rib on Christmas Day - a little variance from our traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. I know this recipe doesn't seem "easy," but I've got to say it's easier than a turkey dinner, and easier than many every day meals. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• One 5.5 to 6-lb standing rib roast (also known as prime rib). Ask your butcher to cut the meat away from the ribs, but use twine to tie the ribs back to the meat. Our butcher does this routinely and it certainly makes it easier to carve when you are done. The ribs play an important part in the cooking process, keeping the meat off the floor of your pan.
• One bunch of carrots (tops removed) or 3 larger carrots. Cut them into even chunks, not too small
• One medium sized onion, cut into 6-8 chunks
• 10 fresh cloves of garlic
• 1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley tops (minimal stems)
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed, or 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons dry thyme leaves
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Instructions:

Bring roast up to room temperature. This can take upwards of an hour to hour and a half, depending on the size of your rib roast. This helps your roast cook evenly (and it won't be too rare in the middle because the meat was cold). While this is happening, cut the carrots and the onions, placing the chunks in the bottom of a roasting pan with sides at least 1.5 to 2 inches tall. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place the roast, rib side down, on top of the veggies.

The next order of business is to create a salt crust for the prime rib. This is an amazing trick I learned from a Tyler Florence show on the Food Network (Food 911). My version is slightly different, but it all does the same thing - it seasons the meat all the way through and allows for a moist roast.

Take the 10 cloves of garlic and pop them out of their skins. On your cutting board, crush the garlic a bit with your knife. Generously sprinkle some kosher salt over the garlic and continue to crush, using the edge of your knife. The salt will bring out the natural oils/juices of the garlic. Place the garlic into a food processor (I have a nice small electric grinder that works well, too), and give it a couple of pulses. Chop the Italian parsley finely, and place it into the processor, pulsing two more times. Then strip the thyme leaves from the stems and place the thyme into the processor (or simply measure your dry thyme leaves into the processor, if that is what you are using). Grind a bit of pepper into the processor and pulse until finely chopped and mixed. Start to stream in the EVOO and process until you have formed a nice paste (it almost looks like pesto sauce, but slightly thicker).

Spread the paste with a spatula or spoon over the top of the roast, taking care to spread evenly. Once spread, start sprinkling a generous amount of kosher salt over the mixture. It will seem as though you are putting an over-abundance of salt on the roast. I know when I've had enough when it no longer gets absorbed into the garlic/parsley mixture.

Once this is done, place roast into the oven. With a 5.5-6 pound roast, medium rare, you will need to cook approximately 32-38 minutes per pound. I use a meat thermometer, and take the roast out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches approximately 150 degrees. Once you take the meat out of the oven, it should rest at least 10-15 minutes so the juices can redistribute. Once it has rested, scrape off the salt crust prior to slicing.

Au Jus: A lot of prime rib is served with Au Jus, which is a dipping broth or juice that is a result of roasting the meat. I make mine by removing the veggies out of the roasting pan, placing the roasting pan on a burner on medium heat, and adding a can of vegetable or beef broth, taking care to scrape up the little bits of "stuff" from the bottom of the pan. I let this cook down for a while, stirring frequently. Toward the end, I add flavoring. I do this many different ways, but the quickest shortcut (and mighty tasty!), is to use a bottled "au jus" flavoring (the one I use is called "Johnny's Au Jus Sauce." I pour about a 1/4 cup into the broth/drippings and let it cook down a bit. The last thing I do is run it through a mesh strainer (you can also use a regular strainer lined with some paper towels) in order to strain out any remaining veggie pieces, etc.

What I serve this with: For Christmas dinner, I served this with some potatoes gratin and some green beans with bacon and onion (one of my favorite side dishes, I would add!). You can really serve prime rib with a lot of sides, including a baked potato and a salad. No matter what you serve with it, the prime rib will be the star of your show!