Sunday, March 30, 2014

Oven Braised Pork & Peppers

Oven Braised Pork and Peppers

4 pork chops, about 3/4" thick
3 Tbsp olive oil
Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste
1 large purple onion, halved and sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 375^F.

Season the chops with garlic salt and pepper and brown well on both sides in a large skillet in the hot olive oil.  Transfer chops to a 9x13" pan.

In the same skillet used to brown the chops, cook the onions and peppers, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken bouillon cubes, Worcestershire and water and bring to a boil, stirring until the bouillon is dissolved.  Pour over the chops.

Seal the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour or until very tender.



Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

1 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup Sourdough Starter
3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
3- 3 1/2 cups bread flour

In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the water.  Let stand until creamy about 10 minutes.

In large bowl of stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture with the sourdough starter, the grapeseed oil, honey, salt and 2 cups of the flour.  Using the dough hook, combine ingredients on low speed until well mixed. Add the remaining flour a little at a time while mixing, until the dough has pulled together away from the sides of the bowl.  Continue "kneading" until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes).

Butter a large bowl and place the dough into it, turning to butter all sides of dough.  Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350^F.  Butter a 9x5" loaf pan and form the dough into a loaf.  Place the dough in the pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.

This makes a large loaf of bread that's perfect for slicing to make sandwiches or toast!  

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Irish Cole Slaw

Irish Cole Slaw

1 apple, peeled and diced
Splash of lemon juice
2 green onions, finely sliced
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1/2 bag cole slaw mix (cabbage, carrots, etc)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate about 1 hour.

My opinion:  pretty good.  I still like mine better.  I don't remember where I found this...I jotted the recipe on a scrap piece of paper, and even then I didn't follow the recipe exactly.

Country Apple Dumplings

Country Apple Dumplings

1 large apple, peeled and cored
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 stick butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 can (about 6 oz) Mountain Dew

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.

Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.

Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew™ over the dumplings.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

I found this at allrecipes.com and have been meaning to make it for months....finally got around to it and it was absolutely delicious and really easy.  I cut the original recipe in half.  I do think this is too sweet, so the next time I make it (and there will be a next time!) I'm going to reduce the sugar and see how that turns out.  And I think I'll use a larger pan, because they were too crowded I think.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp beef base
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups water
2 lbs peeled and cubed red potatoes
Salt to taste
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, heat the oil.  Add the chopped onions and crumble in the ground beef.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and brown the meat, stirring often.  Stir in the thyme, Worcestershire sauce, beef base, flour and water and reduce heat to low. Simmer the meat for about 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes and salt in a pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork (about 20 minutes).  Drain off the water and return the potatoes in the pot to the heat for a couple of minutes to dry them.  Mash the potatoes and stir in the butter and cream.  Set aside.

Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a large earthenware casserole dish.  You want to use the slotted spoon to lift just the beef, leaving any of the remaining sauce in the skillet. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the beef to cover it completely, then use a fork to fluff the potatoes into little ridges.  Or, if you're fancy, you can pipe the potatoes using a large star tip.

Sprinkle the grated Cheddar over the potatoes and the bake in a preheated 350^F oven for 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Quite good!

Apple Fritters with Maple Cinnamon Glaze

Apple Fritters with Maple Cinnamon Glaze

2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large apple, peeled and diced into tiny pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3-4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Oil for frying

Heat 2-3-inches oil in a deep fryer (or whatever you like to use for deep frying) to 365^F.

Combine the eggs, 2/3 cup milk, melted butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix just until combined.  Stir in the apple.

In a separate glass bowl, heat the milk and maple extract in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir in the cinnamon and confectioners' sugar to make a glaze.  Set aside.

Drop tablespoons full of batter into the hot oil (I used my cookie scoop) and fry  until puffy and golden, turning once, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove to paper towels then dunk them in the warm glaze.  I fried them and my husband did the dunking.

We both agreed that these were delicious!  Made about 2 dozen fritters and they are best eaten warm! They get soggy after they've sat awhile.

Adapted from a recipe at www.recipage.com

Crockpot Creole Pork Chops

Crockpot Creole Pork Chops

4 pork loin chops, about 3/4" thick
Garlic Powder and Pepper to taste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 Tbsp Zatarain's Big & Zesty Creole seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
Salt to taste
8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup Mountain Dew or Coca-Cola

Season the pork chops with garlic powder and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the chops and half the onion in it then transfer all to a slow cooker.  Add the remaining ingredients, cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or Low for 6-8 hours.  Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta.

Adapted from recipe for Crockpot Creole Chicken found at deepsouthdish.com.  I used Mountain Dew because I didn't have any Coke and I served this over rice. It was EXCELLENT!


Oatmeal Brown Sugar Pancakes

Oatmeal Brown Sugar Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.  Heat a greased griddle and pour about 1/4 cupful of batter for each pancake onto it.  Cook until the pancakes begin to bubble and the edges start to look dry then flip them and cook until the other side is browned.

Serve hot with butter and syrup.

This made about 15 pancakes and they were very good!    Adapted from recipe found at www.bakingjunkie.com.



Saturday, March 8, 2014

Maple Walnut Brownies

Maple Walnut Brownies

1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon maple flavor
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8" square pan.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside. Melt the butter and brown sugar together in the microwave or over a burner; remove from the heat and stir in the syrup. Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm. Stir in the eggs one at a time, then the maple flavor. Stir in the dry ingredients, and finally the walnuts.

Pour into the prepared pan, and bake for 25 minutes, just until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven, and cool before cutting and glazing. Yield: sixteen 2" brownies.

Maple Glaze

1 cup (4 ounces) glazing sugar or confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream


Whisk everything together, adding more liquid if necessary to make a pourable glaze. 

From the King Arthur Flour Company, these are quite tasty, if a little on the dry side.  They're only mildly maple flavored but a quick and easy dessert.  

Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin removed)

Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours.  I mixed this up this morning and let mine sit in the fridge for about 7 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. 

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin.

This is another recipe I found on Pinterest.  And it was very good!  

Lasagna Soup

Found this one on Pinterest.

Lasagna Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground round
1/2 lb sausage
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, diced
3 tsp minced garlic
32-oz carton chicken broth
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
8-oz lasagnette pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions
8 oz ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Brown and crumble the ground round, sausage, salt and pepper, onions and garlic until the meat is completely cooked and well browned.  Drain fat.  Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel, thyme, sugar and parsley.  Stir to combine, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan and set aside.  Cook the pasta, drain and keep warm.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop a large scoop of the cheese mixture on top.  Stir into the soup to melt the cheese while eating.  I did it this way, but if I ever make this again (doubtful!) I would run the soup bowl under the broiler for a minute or two.

This was just OK, as far as I'm concerned.  The cheese was gloppy and cold and didn't melt at all.  Not impressed.  John, on the other hand, loved it....but he didn't put any cheese in his!





Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

I found this recipe at www.novicehousewife.com and the story and pictures inspired me to try it.  Love her blog!  This spaghetti sauce is absolutely delicious and I will definitely be making it again!  Here's my adaptation (based on what I had in my pantry when I decided to make this):

Shumaila's Dad's Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

3 Tbsp olive oil
3 tsp minced garlic
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground round
Salt and pepper to taste
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup milk
28-oz can diced tomatoes
6-oz can tomato paste
1 cup V-8 juice
1/2 tsp crushed red chili peppers
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
1 lb spaghetti, cooked
1 cup pasta water (to thin down the sauce, if required)
Grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet.  Add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots and cook about 8 minutes or until tender.  Stir in the ground round with some salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often until the meat is browned and crumbled really well.  Stir in the Worcestershire sauce while the meat is browning.

Add the milk, cover and cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes or until the milk has completely evaporated.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, V-8, chili peppers, basil, oregano, parsley and sugar and cook uncovered for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add some of the hot pasta water if you like a thinner sauce.  I didn't...I like 'em thick!

Serve over the hot cooked spaghetti with a sprinkle of parmesan, if desired.

This is a really good sauce and the leftovers are even better the next day!









Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz sausage
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, minced
1/4 tsp celery seed
Splash of hot sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 cup tomato juice
2 3/4 cups water

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and add the sausage, onions and bell peppers.  Brown, stirring and crumbling the meat really fine.  Add celery seed, hot sauce, garlic salt, cajun seasoning and oregano and cook about 1 minute.  Stir in the raw rice and continue cooking and stirring for another minute or so, until the rice begins to turn opaque.  Stir in the bouillon cube, tomato juice and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.

Yum!  Awesome with Red Beans and Cajun Roast Chicken!