Category: Vegetables

1 Day Prep-Ahead Small Thanksgiving Time Saver Meal

11/5/2017

Greetings, All!!!

*Thanksgiving*
A day of food, family & friends or just hanging out in your pajamas! AmIRight :)
So I was on a mission to find time saver recipes for traditional Thanksgiving dishes,
when it occurred to me it's really the prep work that takes the most time, NOT the actual cooking.

So I found recipes that could be made up (rolls, pie, cranberries!) or prepped up
(stuffing, turkey, carrots, potatoes!) the day before and assembled and cooked quite nicely
and efficiently the following day.

Now this menu is for a small gathering: 2-6 people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Angie's 1 Day Prep-Ahead
Thanksgiving Menu
Links to ALL recipes at the bottom of this page!
Herb-Roasted Turnkey Breast with Basic Gravy
Cheddar and Jalapeno Stufing
The Best Damn Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Honeyed Carrots and Oranges
Bourbon-Cranberry Compote
Homemade Butter Flake Pull Apart Rolls
Chocolate Cream Pie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll take you through some steps here with some brief commentary on each dish.

Herb-Roasted
Turnkey Breast
Ina Garten's recipe

Let's start with the 7.3 lb turkey breast that cooked in two hours.
TWO hours!

Prep Day Ahead!
I made the herby olive oil paste up the night before, coated the turkey and put it back in fridge.

Cooks up beautifully and slices up nicely.
The herbed paste rubbed directly on the meat and on top of skin was fantastic!!
Juices were added to the Basic Gravy.

Let's move along to the Basic Gravy.
No prep-ahead of this. Day of only.
I made a roux.

Add the drippings from the turkey roasting pan into the chicken broth.

I used
homemade chicken broth.

Whisk the broth and drippings into the skillet and bring to boil then simmer until thickened.

This gravy was hands down the star of the show.
*STAR OF THE SHOW*
I think the key is homemade chicken broth but I don't know that for sure. If you don't have homemade, buy the absolute best kind of broth you can.

Let's move along to the PREP AHEAD
Cheddar and
Jalapeno Stuffing.
By the way, I believe this recipe could be assembled and cooked day ahead and just add some extra chicken broth when heating up next day.
Note: I could not taste the jalapeno really, add more jalapeno if you like heat.

The recipe called for Italian bread so that's what I got was Italian bread.

By the way y'all, I do not know how to cook without a recipe.

Completely serious. So I tend to stay true to the recipe ingredients and amounts.

The day before...
cut or tear the bread up and bake in a 375 oven for 12 minutes, until dried out.

Cut up all the vegetables, grate up the cheese and deposit all ingredients into the pan you will use to bake the stuffing in tomorrow and
stick in the fridge.

Day of, melt butter and saute the vegetables.

This recipe calls for a half cup beer.

It can also be left out completely.

Cook until beer evaporates, then transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Add scallions, broth, eggs and cheddar to mixture and and toss in bread crumbs.

Okay,
I have this super exciting picture of buttered up aluminum foil to remind you to, you know, butter up your aluminum foil.

Cause if you don't,
all the good browned bits of stuffing will stick to the foil and you'll be sad.

Pour stuffing into prepared pan and bake covered with foil, then remove foil and continue baking. I let mine stay in 10-15 minutes longer to get more browned.

This stuffing dish really could be prepped, assembled and cooked the day before and just reheated day of with some extra chicken broth. I made this up in the morning, stuck it in fridge until dinner and then just reheated it in oven. This is why I used a metal pan too.

Another note with this dish: You can NOT taste the heat from the jalapenos. I used two seeded jalapenos just as the recipe states and there was no heat. Probably added flavor but there was no heat so it's safe for little kiddies.

Okay, let's get these
Best Damn Vegan
Mashed Potatoes made.
Disclaimer: I had full intentions of using vegan butter but I didn't, I used real butter.
Note: I wanted a mashed potato recipe that was different than the same old, same old, that's why I made these.
Also, Yukon gold potatoes are so naturally delicious buttery anyway.

By the way, these CAN BE MADE DAY AHEAD but I just prepped everything the night before and made day of.
I washed all the potatoes and set them aside. I then roasted the garlic by cutting off the top third, rubbed the cloves with olive oil, wrapped up in foil and roasted for 50 minutes. Mmmmmmm, always smells awesome. Also, chop up those chives and store everything but potatoes in the fridge until next day.

Before the meal, I threw the cut Yukon golds into boiling salted water and cooked until soft.

I mixed in butter, salt and pepper and the deeeelicious roasted garlic. I ate spoonfuls and then transferred the remaining into a bowl and topped with those chives. Yum!
These potatoes are awesome with or without gravy!!

Now, y'all, let's get to these super easy peasy
Honeyed Carrots
and Oranges.
I prepped everything night before and cooked them day of.
(I liked these so much I went out and bought more carrots to make this exact recipe again this week.)

Please do NOT cut the carrots in half lengthwise like I did, just buy thin carrots, don't use thick ones. If you do use thick carrots, then okay, you can cut them in half lenghtwise. Mine were thin already. Also, dudes, don't be like me and leave the freaking top on. Just don't.

The night before, I peeled the carrots and sliced the orange and had the honey/oil all measured out.

I had chopped up some dill but decided not to use the dill on the finished dish, these were just too darn good on their own.

This was super easy to prepare as well as to assemble and cook.

Day of, pull out the carrots and oranges, toss in olive oil and honey, salt and pepper, arrange on cookie sheet.
By the way, the aroma of the oranges and honey is fantastic!

Cook until soft. So easy.
Again, cut off the tops of the carrots. I did not do that cause I am a fool.
Don't be a fool like your pal Angie, just do the right thing.

These carrots were absolutely delicious, just make sure to follow the directions exactly!

Y'all. These Butter Flake Pull Apart Rolls
are delicious!!
This is Alton Brown's recipe and I always get PTSD from baking cause I am horrible at it.
I actually was able to make these without using too many swear words. Maybe three.
Four. Five at the most. Okay, six. SHUT UP!

So these are the fixins for these pull apart rolls.
I did NOT make these up a day ahead of time. I do think they would be fine made up 24 hours ahead and then just reheated shortly before the meal the next day.
Also I do not own a stand mixer. I old-school used my hand mixer. Worked fine.

Now this recipe calls for some ingredients to be weighed.

Don't fight it, just do it.

These are baked items.
You want to use correct measurements even if you have to bring out the scale.

So mix the stuff according to directions.
I love how I am so technical with my language. Seriously dudes, I can not bake so I am just trying to get through this as quick as I can.

Dough before rising and dough after rising.
Now if *I* can do this correctly, anyone can!!!

Okay, let's slow this down a bit.....let me explain...so roll the dough out to a 12" x 12"...

Cut 12 - 1" strips. Now I don't own a pizza cutter, so I pulled out this vintage pastry cutter I paid 50 cents for at a consignment store last year. Aaaaand this pastry cutter is broke and wobbly and doesn't make straight lines.

So I bring out my pizza cutter, also known as a plain ordinary knife, and cut 12 - 1" strips.

Okay, so this is my first try at the strips and stacking them.

And this is my second try at the other half of the dough, I got much better, especially after I figured out I need to GENTLY pull up the strips
and not stretch them.

My initial attempt is at the bottom...Second try at the top.

Set each section in a sprayed muffin cup.
Let rise until double.

Then bake 8-10 minutes. Or overbake like I did but then brush a ton of melted butter on the tops. They were still delicious!!

Okay, only TWO more recipes left!!!!
This one is so easy and delicious! Make it same day or day ahead, doesn't matter, it's delicious both days!
Bourbon-Cranberry Compote!

Combine and simmer.

Okay Friends, last item on the menu is a
Chocolate Cream Pie!
Tim doesn't eat pumpkin pie so I made a Chocolate Cream Pie with a
store-bought whole wheat crust.
This can TOTALLY be made up a day ahead of time!!!

Okay, the piece on the right up there looks a little wonky but trust me, deeeelicious!!

These are the fixins.

First,

chop up the semi sweet chocolate.

Whisk the dry ingredients together then add the heavy cream and eggs.
Don't forget the espresso powder!

Whisk in the cream and milk over medium heat.

Pour that lusciousness over the chopped chocolate & butter and stir...

Mmmmm, lookin' good!

Pour into a pie shell...

Buy whipped cream OR make this super easy whipped topping...remember, chill the bowl AND the beaters!!
Homemade Whipped Cream:
In a chilled bowl (very important, a CHILLED bowl, meaning chill that sucker in the freezer), combine 1 cup whipping cream, 2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Or continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Here's the deal on this Chocolate Pie...it is really rich!
This Chocolate Cream Pie is not for people who do not appreciate
deep layers of chocolate.
If you want a boring, bland chocolate pie, do not make this!
Oh, make a strong pot of coffee cause it will go wonderfully with this dessert!

Okay guys, I will come clean here.
I was planning on making this menu for just
Tim and me as a trial run.

But then friends of ours called and wanted
to pop out Friday night.

heeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

I said fine...

just come hungry.

Once they got here, I bamboozled them that they were going to participate in my
1 Day Prep-Ahead Small Thanksgiving
Time Saver Meal blog post.

They didn't seem to mind :) :) :)
and we had a fantastic time!!!

Okay, so that's all the recipes, friends!

Below are all the links to
the recipes!!

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Basic Gravy
Cheddar and Jalapeno Stuffing
The Best Damn Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Honeyed Carrots and Oranges
Bourbon-Cranberry Compote
Homemade Butter Flake Rolls
Chocolate Cream Pie

If you have any questions at all,
contact me at the phone number or email address on the contact page or just ask away here in the comments!

Thanks for checking in!! I appreciate it!!
Have a great early holiday season!
Stay warm, have fun, eat delicious food,
and we'll be talking soon!!
:)

Helloooooooo!!!! MISS ME???!!! I MISSED YOU!!!!!! Let's Eat Some Street Food...Sweet Corn with Cheese, Shall We?????

8/15/2016

Hidey Ho, Friends!!!!!!!

It's been SIX months since I last posted!

SIX

whole

MONTHS!!!

Sadly, that picture is not too far off from reality. (Have you even seen my forehead???)

But I made a street food recipe,
Roasted Sweet Corn
with Cheese
and just knew I needed to share with y'all!

First, I had to tackle the messy kitchen. Shocking. Not.

As you can see, nothing has changed.
I continue to still dislike doing dishes more than anything...
I mean DISLIKE!!
These dishes will sit here for days, just like this. Only more.

And I continue to leave trash out on the counters because the trash can is consistently full...

Uh. Yeah.
Bahahahahahahaha!!!

Yeah. I can't.

What?
Doesn't EVERYBODY have a leg brace and cat treats on their kitchen
prep island?

Wait!!
Did you notice??

So anyway, let's talk about this
Roasted Sweet Corn with Cheese recipe!

Grilled Iowa sweet corn

slathered in a spiced mayonnaise

with Cotija cheese
and a twist of lime.

This is actaully called Elote which means corn cob in Spanish.

This recipe is straight outta the website www.thekitchn.com

Elote (Grilled Mexican Sweet Corn)
by Joanna Miller with www.thekitchn.com
makes 4 servings
4 ears corn
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Cotija cheese (Parmesan will work if you can't find it)
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
salt
Prepare a grill or grill pan with high heat. Keep corn in husks, or remove one strip of husks. Place directly on grill. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until husks are well blackened and the kernels are bright yellow.
If serving on the cob, remove husks and slather each ear with a generous spoonful of mayonnaise. Add the juice of one lime wedge per ear, followed by a pinch of salt, a healthy sprinkle of cheese and a light dusting of cumin and chili powder.
If serving off the cob, cut the kernels off of each ear. Place into a jar or small cup and top with remaining ingredients.
If you prefer, serve the corn with the toppings on the side and let everyone dress their own.

Here's the fixins...not too many ingredients!

This is the the Cotija cheese I buy.

Now Cotija cheese has a strong taste to it, kind of like a mild stinky cheese. Substitute Parmesan or Romano if you don't care for it. I used Cotija because I wanted to make and taste more of an authentic version of Elote.

This recipe is so easy,
the prep is super easy!

Just mix the mayo, juice of one fresh lime, salt, chili powder and cumin together. Keep the Cojito cheese separate.

Now throw that beautiful Iowa sweet corn on the grill,
husks and all!

Turn them over several times.

I think mine were on the grill for 15 minutes.

I wondered if the corn was actually getting soft in there.

Bingo! It does.

Get that spiced mayo and cheese topping on there!

Ate this whole thing in 45 seconds, that is how oddly DELICIOUS, tangy, sweet, creamy this is.

45 seconds!!! No lie.

The other five ears, I cut the kernals off and mixed the spiced mayo and cheese with it for a side dish
with our meal the next day.

I woke up the next morning thinking of how yummy this sweet corn dish is and proceeded to eat a bowl for breakfast.
Sweet, tangy, creamy, just a hint of spice.
(Use the absolute best mayo you can buy, that is key here!)

I know these food pictures aren't the best but don't let that dissuade you!
A better picture is over at The Kitchn website where you can go over and print off the recipe!

Okay, so in closing, I will give a quick update of the last week....
Now who else saw this beautiful rainbow the other day??

Cat or rabbit?
Tim says chupacabra.

Detailing vehicles, taking pictures, listing them for sale...

2008 Chevy Equinox LS SUV ~ All wheel drive ~ 112k miles

2002 Pontiac Grand Prix GT ~ 132k Miles

2006 Chevy Silverado C1500 LS 2WD ~ 99k Miles

One evening I detailed out cars late into the evening while listening to the 70s station.

Tim mowed the national forest that is our lawn,
late into the evening as well.

We later walked the property, inspecting the work on the vehicles and lawn.

After going inside,
I couldn't figure out WHERE I had put my wine glass!

The next morning
I went to water the flowers...

Right then I knew.

So finally,
all my flowers have done amazingly well this year!!

That is a total total lie.

Other than that succulent, they all look like this.

Whyyyyy can't I keep nice things around here?!?!

Okay, that's all I gots for today, friends!
(Gots is too a word! Look it up! In the pretend word dictionary, duh.)
I do have very good intentions not to go another 6 months without posting thrilling, mind-blowing recipes and pictures!
There are a ton of great dishes and several flop-a-roos to showcase in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back!!
(But don't hold your breath cause....see above reference to 6 months. My intentions are good though, man, they're good.)

Thanks for reading!!!!
Have a great week, y'all!
Talk at ya soon!!!

Dippity Do Da

8/21/2015

www.barefootcontessa.com Photo by Quentin Bacon

I think we can all agree that

Ina Garten
(Barefoot Contessa)

is a
food
rock star.

This is Ina's Herb Dip. It is awesomely fresh
and addicting!

I served a huge bowl of this dip with some fresh vegetables for a luncheon last week.

Quite frankly, I have no idea why I put ALL TWO CUPS of this delicious dip in a large bowl and plopped it down like that on the platter for just a few people. Me not brightest crayon in box.

To print the recipe, here's the direct link to go to Ina's Herb Dip page on the Food Network site. Just click HERE.

Herb Dip
Ina Garten
Straight outta www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and blend. Serve at room temperature.

Here's the fixins for this
super duper easy Herb Dip!
The fresh parsley, dill and scallions is what makes this recipe!

See! Not many ingredients! Very quick and do-able!

And it calls for beautiful
fresh dill.

Mmmm,
love the smell of
fresh dill!

I'll bet you do too!

Now this recipe is going to go quick,
so start by chopping up the scallions, dill and Italian parsley.

Throw the
cream cheese,
sour cream and mayonnaise in the mixing bowl,

along with those yummy fresh herbs!

Mix away!

And you're done!
Now how easy is that!!!
Isn't that what Ina always says???

Serve the dip with fresh vegetables.

This dip is fresh and herby and addictive!
I was shocked at how easy and how delicious this dip is!

Okay, that's all I have!
To print off this Herb Dip recipe, just click HERE to go to Ina's page and
click on print.

Oh quickly, I want to show you a picture of this delicious Garlic Cheddar Bread I picked up for the luncheon at the local Amish bakery that day....delicious!

I wish I had some of this bread and that big platter full of veggies and dip right about now.
It'd be a perfect lunch!

Okay kiddos, have a great weekend.
I think I'll be talking about elegant potato cups next time I post.

Try to contain your excitement :)

Take care and we'll talk at ya soon!!

Man I Love This Tuscan Kale Salad!

4/19/2015

Tim says,
"This kale salad is fantastic. Darn near like eating candy."

Angie responds,
"Well, I don't know about candy but this salad
definitely wowed me."

This
Tuscan Kale Salad
is an excellent side with pasta.

This Kale Salad is straight outta
Dr. Weil's website.

But let's clarify what kind of kale...
this recipe calls for
LACINATO kale,
otherwise known as
TUSCAN kale.

Tuscan Kale Salad
Straight outta Dr. Weil's website...check it out!
Ingredients
4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black (Lacinato, "dinosaur," cavolo nero) midribs removed
juice of 1 lemon
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, mashed
salt & pepper, to taste
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano cheese (Rosselino variety if you can find it) or other flavorful grating cheese such as Asiago or Parmesan
1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread

Instructions

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes.
Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well.
Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again.
Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

Let's set the record straight on the difference between Curly kale (of which is the norm for most of us)....
looks totally familiar, right?...

And now this is Tuscan Kale, more commonly known as Lacinato Kale

They also call it Dinosaur Kale.

But I say,
yeah no,
that is stoooopid.
We will just continue to call it
Lacinato Kale.

Lacinato Kale
will say it's specifically "Lacinato"
on the tag.

Tuscan or Lacinato Kale is different from
Curly Kale
by
color
and
taste.
Tuscan or Lacinato is a darker green (almost a blue green) and it is a bit more bitter and earthy tasting.
It's Delicious!

Okay, so here's the fixins for this fine salad...

First,
remove the midrib thingies from the kale.

Slice into ribbons...

I interrupt this exciting Tuscan Kale Salad post to bring you pictures of the marinara I threw together for the pasta that we were going to have as well. I chopped up red and yellow peppers, red onions, garlic, carrots and basil and threw them into organic diced tomatoes with a little bit of red wine and salt and pepper..

Okay, going back to the topic of today's post, the Tuscan KALE SALAD, anyhoo, get your lemon juice ready, olive oil, red pepper flakes, parm and garlic.

Mix the olive oil, garlic, fresh lemon juice, pepper flakes and salt and pepper. This smells great!
It is at this point that you KNOW this is gonna to be a nice, light, tasty salad.

Mix that lovely dressing in.
You will want to make sure to toss the kale with the dressing, toss good, toss it real good.

Leave no stone unturned here.

Throw that freshly grated Parmesan
on top.

Toss.

Together. 

Not out.

Duh.

Ta-Daaa!!!!
I present to you a blurry picture of this yummy kale salad!

Saddle up this salad next to some pasta or a steak or veggie burger...just about anything!

As I said at the top of the post, Tim said this is darn near like eating candy.
(This coming from a man who would never touch a vegetable to save his soul
just 5 or 10 years ago.)
This Kale Salad is flavorful, a little sweet, a little savory, a tad spicy and light and refreshing.

To print the recipe, just click on the link and go to
Dr. Weil's website. (I had to cut and paste recipe.)
Dr. Weil's Tuscan Kale Salad.

So the other morning,
the sun was just perfect about 6:30am and I went out to snap a few shots with my craptastic $100 high dolla camera....

I've finally comes to terms that every picture I take out here,
SOMETHING always needs painted.

I'm convinced little hobbits and gnomes live in this tree. And woodpeckers.

I was genuinely excited the other day to show Tim of a picture of a grain bin just like ours that had been converted into a cute, girly woman cave.
He did NOT find it amusing one bit.

Looking to the west with the early morning east sun casting shadows.
The only time I'll ever be tall and skinny in my life.
It was fun while it lasted :)

Okay, tis all I gots for today!!
(Remember, gots is a word....in the Pretend Word Dictionary)
Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!
Thanks for checking in and we'll
talk at ya soon!

Corn & Basil Cakes, a day with Swedes and the ever popular Scalloped Corn Casserole Recipe

8/31/2013

Pancakes as a side dish??
WHAT THE WHAT??
Has the world gone craaaaazy??

You would not believe it, but these pancakes are a PERFECT side dish with barbequed chicken or steak!

These
Corn & Basil Cakes
are super easy too!!

One of the BEST things I've ever eaten!!!

But then again,
I am a starch girl.
Ahem.
What YOU lookin' at?

Little Boy Blue says,

"Please indulge my
super cool,
young,
hip Grandma with these pancakes.
The sooner she can get this blog post written, the sooner she can put all her attention back where it belongs...
on ME! ME! ME!"

Cool, young-ish,
hip Grandma says,
"Look how big yittle tiny baby is getting! He's a toddler boy now!!"

(An aside...now this is where Angie's attention issues surface and she begins thinking about the Scalloped Corn Casserole
that people love so much....)
So speaking of yummy dishes made with corn...this Scalloped Corn Casserole
continues to be a favorite dish as well!

There's something special about this corn casserole.
I think it's the French onion dip.
This dish works well in small gatherings as well as big gatherings like
family reunions.

Here's the recipe for this super easy, yummy
Scalloped Corn Casserole.
People will ALWAYS request the recipe...I kid you not.
So here it is.......AGAIN! :)

Scalloped Corn Casserole
1 can Whole Kernel Corn, undrained
1 can Cream Style corn
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 - 8 oz. container French Onion dip
1/2 stick butter, melted

Mix all together. Pour in baking dish.
Bake uncovered 1 hour at 350 degrees.
YUM!

Easy, eh!!!!

I brought this Scalloped Corn Casserole Dish to our family reunion this summer.

My Ma's side of the family is Swedish.

Swedes are known for, of course......

skinnytaste.com

Swedish Meatballs!!!

There were plenty of Swedish meatballs at the reunion. YUM!

And because I am a total geography dork,
I will show you a map of Sweden....

Sweden

is a Scandinavian country nestled between Finland
and
Norway.

Sweden is home to the Oresund Bridge....the longest road and railway bridge in Europe!

The
Oresund Bridge
begins in Sweden
and
ends in another country....

Denmark!!

At one point, this bridge turns into an
UNDERWATER TUNNEL!!!

WHAT??

An agreement was signed in 1991 between
Sweden and Denmark for the construction of a bridge to connect the two countries over the Oresund Strait.
This bridge opened for travel in 2000.

Here's the beginning of the bridge coming FROM Sweden.
La-de-da...you're going across water to work in another another country for the day...Denmark.....cool!!!!...5 miles of bridge over Swedish water....easy.

And then
BAM!!!

YOU'RE ON THIS ARTIFICIAL ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WATER!!!!

WHAT THE WHAT??!!

And you START DRIVING through a freaking underwater tunnel UNDER THE WATER!! for the next 2.5 miles to get to your destination - Denmark.

But wait!!!

Here's what the tunnel looks like....under the water!!

A bridge tunnel... underwater!

*Cue Angie's heart palpitations!!*
Okay,
if you're so inclined,
watch this 3 minute video that takes you under the tunnel to emerge on the other side.

And then BOOP!!
All of a sudden you're out of the tunnel.
And you're on a FREEWAY.
In DENMARK!!
After just exiting from THE UNDER-FREAKING WATER TUNNEL BRIDGE!!!

Crazy!!

Okay.
I need a minute to collect myself here.

Okay. I'm better now.

Thank goodness for unicorns.

Anyway,

did you know Sweden is the home to the
Nobel Peace Prize?

nobelprize.org

Alfred Nobel
c.1833 – 1896
was a
Swedish
chemist,

engineer,

innovator,

and armaments manufacturer.

nobelpeaceprize.org

Nobel was the inventor of dyn-o-mite!

Nobel held 350 different patents, dynamite being the most famous.

Alfred Nobel used his fortune AFTER HIS DEATH to create the Nobel Prize.
The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed in a number of categories by Scandinavian committees in recognition of:
cultural
and/or
scientific advances.

The will of Alfred Nobel established the prizes in 1895.

The prizes in
Physics, Chemistry,
Medicine, Literature,
and Peace
were first awarded in 1901.

The Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway,
while the other prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Nobel Prize is widely regarded as the most prestigious award available in the fields of literature, medicine, physics, chemistry, peace, and economics.

time.com

It took Alfred Nobel several years to complete the drawing up of his will.

The final version, dated November 27, 1895 laid down that the bulk of his immense fortune should be reserved for a fund for the financing of
ANNUAL HONORARY AWARDS
to be made in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine or physiology, literature and peace.

The contents of Alfred Nobel's will
only became known
AFTER his death.

This is Madame Marie Curie, my own personal hero.
Madame Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the only woman to win in two fields, and the only person to win in multiple sciences.
Marie Curie rocked!!!!!!

But let's get to the
Corn and Basil Cakes...

They're like savory pancakes,
only they're a side dish!!

Corn and Basil Cakes
From EatingWell.com
Courtesy www.turnkeyqualitycars.com
Try these savory corn-and-basil pancakes as a side dish with barbecued chicken or grilled steak.
Yields: 5 servings, 2 cakes each

Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) white whole-wheat flour (see Note) or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup(s) low-fat milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon(s) canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
2 cup(s) fresh corn kernels (about 2 large ears; see Tip) or frozen
1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh basil

Directions

Whisk flour, milk, eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in corn and basil.
Brush a large nonstick skillet lightly with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; heat over medium heat until hot (but not smoking). Cook 4 cakes at a time, using about 1/4 cup batter for each, making them about 3 inches wide. Cook until the edges are dry, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter, making 10 cakes total. Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

Note: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available in large supermarkets and at natural-foods stores. Store it in the freezer.

Okay, so here's the fixins for this yummy
Corn & Basil Pancake recipe.
Easy ingredients!

And here's the WHITE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR used in this recipe...apparently this is every bit as nutritious as regular
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR!

Okay,

we start by removing the kernels off the cob.

Easy peasy pancake batter here...
just whisk the flour, milk, eggs, oil, baking powder, and salt and pepper.

Stir in the corn...

...and now the basil.

I used my new YIPPEE KI YAY non stick skillet!!
I Love Cuisinart products! I just can't afford a lot of them unless they're on YIPPEE KI YAY sale!!!
Anyway, oil up that yee haw pan and heat on medium!

Okay, scoop-a-loo some of the batter into the pan, four cakes at a time.

And because the recipe said to make the cakes 3 inches wide,

I took that literally.

I measured these THREE TIMES!!! Who does that??

It's hard to be me.

Anyhoo,

flip these tasty babies over and cook for a few more minutes.

Remove these from the skillet and cook up the rest.

Now, I halved the recipe, and it made these four nice size cakes.

These savory cakes go great with barbeque,
so I cooked up these pepper and pineapple stuffed pork chops from the grocery. I used a nice rub on the chops. After cooking, I drizzled warm, sweet barbeque sauce over them.

I just knew these tasty Corn & Basil Cakes would be a complimentary side dish with those pork chops!

Look
at the yummy corn in there and the flecks of basil. The pepper added just the right amount of oomph.

I plated these two things up but clearly I chose to try out that cake before the proper picture was taken.

And it was delicious.

I would not hesitate making these for breakfast with some brown sugar covered bacon. Mmmmmmm.

The sweetness of the colored peppers, pineapple and barbeque sauce was magic with the texture and flavor of the pancake.

These cakes are seriously one of the best, most unexpected things I've ever eaten.

Don't look for a massive flavor punch in the cakes, it's more subtle.
Your first bite will be "oh they're okay" but then you find yourself not being able to stop.

And here's the printable version of these cakes...

IN CLOSING,

DID YOU REALLY THINK I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT SWEDEN WITHOUT MENTIONING ABBA!!!

Really??!!

The 1990's Australian movie
Muriel's Wedding
heavily featured Abba songs.

And the musical Mama Mia was based on Abba songs!

This continues to be their most popular song...

Okay I'm gonna dance my queen-self back out to the kitchen and try to fix up something decent to eat.
I've been working from sun-up to sun-down the last few months, detailing super nice vehicles like these...

2005 Pontiac Grand Am Se * 111k Miles * SUPER SHARP!

2005 Chrysler Town & Country Touring * 125k Miles * STOW-N-GO!

2004 Chevy Impala LS * 111k Miles * LOADED!

2000 Chevy Monte Carlo LS * 116k Miles * LOADED!

And it's been HOT cause the sun has been out,
bearing down on my lovely farmers tanned legs that are hanging out of trunks and doors while I'm trying to reach that ONE ELUSIVE TINY, TINY, TINY, TINY PIECE OF CANDY WRAPPER so that each car is meticulous.

PHEW! That just tired me out reliving that :):)

Don't feel sorry for me though....

Actually I ended up finding $1.14 in this car. But alas, I did spend it all in one spot.

Cause I find money!!!!!!
In cars!!!

Bwwwahaha
hahahha!!!!!!

I'm rich! I'm rich!

Ima try to hold back and not spend it all in one spot though :):)

Every time I find change in cars, I proudly hold up the dime and two pennies and do a song and dance to Tim. It goes something like this:
"I found money and you didn't, falalalalala. Look at this money, you can't have it cause you didn't find it, falalalalala."
Sometimes, Tim's actually amused. Heeeee.

Okay, I think the heat got to me this week. :):):)
Take care guys and we'll talk at ya soon!!!

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

2/2/2013

Cauliflower.

Osborneseed.com

Orange, white, purple and green cauliflower.

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

It's like candy.
Only way more healthier.

Okay, this is the normal spot I usually reserve for some weird fact or story about the dish I cooked.
Or ridiculous pet picture.

But you know,

there's absolutely nothing interesting about cauliflower.

It's a cruciferous whoop de whoo whoo bloop whatever I want cheesecake I got bored reading about it.

This Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower
is so tasty though...onions, garlic, cauliflower, FRESH thyme, olive oil and yummy fresh PARMESAN!

This recipe came to me via the Facebook page of the facility I work out at: Performance for Health.

Facebook page Performance For Health, Coralville, Cedar Rapids, and Kalona

Uh Okay, it's the place I, uh, possibly need to haul my behind to a lot more than I do possibly.

Is being lazy so bad, in the whole scheme of things,
really?

Performance is an awesome workout facility though...professional athletes even use the facility in the off season.

I know that to be the case cuz I was working out next to a professional football player a couple times last year. Uh huh.
I KNOW this NFL football player was impressed with my awesome weight lifting lifting of the weight thing and bar thing, but was just too embarrassed probably to ask for guidance from a girl, but whatever. His loss.

WHAT???!!!
You don't know. You weren't there.

Anyhoo, let's get back to this Roasted Cauliflower dish.

Not many ingredients for this super tasty side dish.

So cut up the cauliflower, onions,
and smash that garlic in the skin.
OH! I halved the recipe by the way,
since there was only two of us,
and only one of us eats cauliflower.

I figured something out,

if you use the knife to cut the cauliflower,

you get clean cuts and the vegetable will lay flat on the pan.
And look prettier too.

So take the
cut cauliflower
and onions
and smashed garlic

and spread them out on a cooking tray.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and throw the sprigs of thyme on there.

Now throw the tray in the oven for 35 or so minutes, tossing occasionally.

You're not done yet...
don't get too antsy,

after taking out the pan....

...SPRINKLE THAT YUMMY PARMESAN CHEESE ON TOP!

Roast for 10 more minutes...

And remove from oven.

By the way,
the smell of the roasting cauliflower and onions and garlic is amaaaazing!

The roasted cauliflower and the melting Parm with the caramelized onions...
you want to start eating it right off the tray.
No kidding!

But don't be a heathen.

Plate some up for real.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this was like candy.

Okay. I am definitely making this again and again...
so easy
and so flavorful
and especially so healthy.

Here's the recipe...printable is on the right hand side.

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower
From www.bonappetit.com
Courtesy www.turnkeyqualitycars.com

Ingredients
    1 head cauliflower
    1 sliced medium onion
    4 thyme sprigs
    4 unpeeled garlic cloves
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    Kosher salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut 1 head cauliflower into florets.

Toss on a large rimmed baking sheet with 1 sliced medium onion, 4 thyme sprigs, 4 unpeeled garlic cloves, and 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast, tossing occasionally, until almost tender, 35-40 minutes.

Sprinkle with ½ cup grated Parmesan, toss to combine.

Roast until cauliflower is tender, 10-12 minutes longer.

Okay guys, that's all I have for today!

Giblet Pearl has a few words she would like to
share though...

Dear Humans,

So what.
I like to hang out inside my Dad's shirts and my Mom's zippered hoodies.

Is that so wrong?

Love,
Gibby

P.S. Mom asks that you disregard any pet hair you ever see on her clothes, it is a losing battle she says.

Have a good weekend guys, I may be posting an earthy quinoa and mushroom casserole recipe later today.

Doesn't a quinoa mushroom casserole sound super exciting??
*yawn*

It was oddly satisfying though.

Okay, we'll talk at ya soon!!!!

A Vegetable Pancake By Any Other Name Is Still A Vegetable Pancake

3/21/2012

Oh my goodness, it's been for--evah
since I last posted.

It seems like just yesterday when I wrote about that yummy
Chicken Salad on a croissant. But it was over eleven days ago!!!!

In that eleven days, I think I cooked one new dish;
these Vegetable Pancakes.

They don't look like pancakes though, do they?

Because this is what they are supposed to look like, according to the cookbook.

See, those are called patties over to the left there...or pancakes...either way...they are flat disks that are solid.

My Vegetable Pancakes don't look flat.
Or solid for that matter.

I must say though, my Vegetable Pancake misadventure is not the reason I haven't blogged in close to two weeks.

Because in fact,

we had our own little pancake boy stay a few days with us....

Little Boy Blue,

Come Blow Your Horn!!!

The sheep's In the meadow (although the sheep looks oddly like a beagle),

The cow's in the corn.

But where is the Little Boy tending the sheep?

He's under the haystack...

Fast asleep.

Okay, onto the Vegetable Pancakes....

This Vegetable Pancake recipe is so simple and really makes a very tasty, super healthy side dish.
It seems as if this is a breakfast dish, but Tim paired it with a grilled chicken breast last night. I paired it with turkey sausage links.

This recipe comes from a cookbook I just picked up for a few bucks called Glycemic Index Cookbook. I don't know what glycemic means but Ima look it up soon. I just loved the simple, healthy recipes inside.

Git yer

grater out

cuz yer

gonna

need it.

Grate up the sweet potato,
the carrot,
the zucchini
and chop up the green onions (scallions).

Throw your onions and other grated vegetables in a large bowl.

Mix it all up and then season with pepper. Now this recipe does not call for salt.

Add the egg white and then form into eight patties.

Yup, patties.

Oh, wait.
One moment please while I excuse myself...one moment...I'll just be a sec....

Yeah.

Patties.

Riiiiiiiight.

Just simply form this mixture into patties.

NOT!!!!

Clearly they weren't pattiefying so I threw the veggies back in the bowl.

So I tried to form patties again on the platter.
To no avail.

So then I put on my thinking cap and strategized.

I quickly formed four patties real quick
and
put them in the heated pan
real quick this time,
trying to trick the veggies into thinking they were a patty.

Cook a few minutes over gentle heat on one side until golden and then flip them over.

Then pat them down with the back of a spatula.

So far, so good, right?

Cook for a few more minutes on that side.

Transfer patties/pancakes to a plate....

That don't look like no patty.

And this don't look like four patties.

Look like a mess is what it look like.

WAIT!!
Re-read instructions and get out your NON-STICK pan because that's
what it says to use. Non-stick, NOT cast iron.
Awesome!

So I start anew with my non-stick pan!

1. Oil up the pan...

2. Put the "patties" in...

They don't look too bad.

We're rockin' and rollin' here!

Be smarter than the patties and take out yer Pam and spray a thin spatula...

THEN
quickly flip the patties over.

Gently cook for another 5-6 minutes and watch your little baby pancake masterpieces form...

CRAP!!!

Crap!

Crap!

Okay, so I wasn't successful with completing a patty look.
These were still obviously very tasty.
Lots of sweetness in these pancakes with the sweet potato and the carrot.
The zucchini and scallions were such a nice contrast to that sweetness too.

And it does plate up nicely with Canadian bacon
or what I have here...turkey sausage.

YUM!

Ohhh,

see those scallions,
the green zuchini,
the sweet potatoes and carrots....

Mmmmm...
so good!

Now Tim plated his up with a grilled chicken breast.

But I loooves me some real Maple syrup on sausages,

and these organic turkey sausages were fab!

Mmmmm,
so good!

This will probably be one of my top ten go-to dishes from now on.

Breakfast,
lunch or
dinner
really.

Vegetable Pancakes
From Glycemic Index Cookbook, Healthy cooking for your best health
Gina Steer, Sian Lewis, Charlotte Watts
Courtesy www.turnkeyqualitycars.com

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
1 sweet potato, grated
8 scallions, finely chopped or shredded
1 egg white, beaten
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
8 lean Canadian bacon slices to serve (optional)

Directions

Mix all the vegetables together and season with pepper to taste, then stir in the egg white. Using clean hands, form into 8 small patties. Press them firmly together.
Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and cook the patties over gentle heat for 5-6 minutes, or until golden. Turn over halfway through the cooking time and press down with the back of spatula. Do this in 2 batches to prevent the skillet from being overcrowded.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler and line the broiler rack with foil. Place the bacon under the broiler and cook for 5-8 minutes, until crisp, or cook to personal preference. Turn the slices over halfway through the cooking time.
As soon as the patties and bacon are cooked, serve immediately.

Well,

all fun weekends must come to an end.

And our fun several days spent with
Little Boy Blue came to a closing when his mommy Goodness, and his daddy GreatGuy came to pick him up and take him home.

Sniff, sniff.

Tim and I were sad to see our yittle bitty baby leave to go back home and have fun with his momma and daddy.

So to cap off the weekend, Stud Muffin and I went out for some ice cream.

Oh.

What.

That doesn't look like ice cream?

It's frozen ice cream onion ring yogurt twirled flavored ice cream.

duh.

Wink, wink :):)
See ya next time!

Have a good

Wednesday night!!!

Apple Of My Eye...an Apple 'n' Pepper Saute Side Dish

2/21/2012

So easy, so quick, such a

deeeeeelicious side dish!

Apple 'n' Pepper Saute

I made this saute just last night!

So few ingredients...so cheap to make, such entirely sweety-yumminess! Seriously!

Look how cheap this is to make and how healthy!

Green pepper...50 cents
Red pepper.......$1.50 if not on sale
Yellow Pepper....$1.50 if not on sale
Apple.......what, 50 cents maybe?
Red onion....maybe 80 cents
The garlic, basil, rosemary and soy sauce you just have on hand.
That's like five bucks to make this sweet side dish! and it really is fabulous!

Doesn't it look fabulous and
fresh?

I'd invite you to pull up a chair and have some goodness except Tim and I ate almost all of it.

I have embedded the recipe below to print out, but I also attached it at the bottom of this here post.

Okay, start by slicing your peppers, onion
and
apple.

Git yer garlic,
spices
and
soy sauce together.

Saute the peppers, onion and apple in olive oil over medium-high heat.

Saute until crisp-tender...
Pull out the warmed, tender sweet apple slices and eat them real quick. And then during supper, wonder why there's not more apple slices in the dish.
And then realize you ate most of them when they were still sauteeing in the pan. Crap, I hate it when that happens. Doi.

Next easy step is to add garlic and soy sauce....

Cook

and

stir

until

heated

through.

That's it!!!! Oh my gosh,
wasn't that the easiest thing ever????

And it plates up so pretty!!

I do think this saute would be awesome with a pork roast especially.

So here's the recipe for those who can't see the embedded document (hey Ma, what's up.)

Apple ‘n’ Pepper Saute
Tasteofhome.com Originally published as Apple 'n' Pepper Saute in Taste of Home December/January 2003, p53 Courtesy of www.turnkeyqualitycars.com

Ingredients

3 medium sweet peppers, julienned
1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 medium apple, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the peppers, onion and apple in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in the soy sauce, garlic, rosemary and basil. Cook and stir until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Warning...icky food picture coming up....

So this is why I did not show you the meat dish we ate with the saute last night.
This looks nasty but it tasted good...a whole wheat bread crumb, fresh Parmesan skillet chicken breast. Hmmm, just didn't turn out aesthetically appealing, that's all.

Kind of like when someone messes up a piece of warm cheesecake by taking it out of the pan too early and it gets all moistly crumbly all over the place; looks dubious but tastes pretty good.

Anyway:):):),

Happy

eating!!!

Have a good

day!!!

See ya soon!

The Night Diane Came to the House With Steaks And Kale And Potatoes and Old Time Supper Clubs

2/4/2012

Did you know Steak Diane is an old-skool way of cooking a steak?

And that it was popularized in Supper Clubs; whose heyday were the 1950's-60's?

Steak Diane with Kale with Roasted Beets and Bacon and Creamy Mashed Root Vegetables.

explorewisconsin.com, the Al-Gen supper club, still operating outside of Rhinelander, WI

Let me just say for the record,
if I had unlimited funds and could start up any business I ever wanted,
it would so be a Supper Club!!!!!
I love supper clubs, love them!!! They're so old-skool and vintagey, you know?!?!

And
Steak Diane was a mainstay on every
Supper Club menu back in the day.

Q: What is Steak Diane?
A. Standard answer is "A dish consisting of a pan fried filet mignon with a sauce made from seasonal pan juices." According to Emeril Lagasse.

Q: Why is Steak Diane called "Steak Diane?"
A: Supposedly named for the Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana (or Diane) style was originally a way of serving venison. Through the years, though, the preparation has come to mean sauteing thinly sliced or pounded filet mignon in butter and then flambeing and basting it in a rich Cognac sauce. Uh, according to Wikipedia.

flickriver.com

Q: Why are you boring us with this information?

A: I have no idea other than I LOVE old skool Supper Clubs...you know what I'm talking about....the places where relish trays were brought out to the table with crinkle cut carrots, radish roses, crackers, crunchy bread sticks and that soft cheese spread, oh my!

flickr.com

Q: Oh my gosh, you're gonna bore the heck out of us and talk more about Supper Clubs, aren't you?

A: Yes!
And they were usually dark with mood lighting and did you know the majority of Supper Clubs were located in the Midwest in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan? Even though the absolute first Supper Club started in California, it was started by a Milwaukee native. And the reason Supper Clubs grew so much in the 40's, 50's, and 60's and stayed strong until the 70's was the development of federal and state highway systems and the rise of recreational auto travel. Yup, 'tis true according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

captainnemosupperclub.com

Oh my gosh, remember the giant iceberg salads that would come to your table!?!?

Huge steaks and seafood and onion rings.

All brought by a friendly wait staff dressed in black and white and scurrying on garnet colored shag carpet? And sometimes the carpet climbed the walls? Remember?

Spring Lake Inn, Prairie Du Chien, Facebook page

Tim and I have been to this "Inn" outside of
Prairie du Chien, WI
several times and we love it.

They specialize in steaks and seafood and they have a real Supper Club "feel" including a relish and cracker tray brought immediately out to your table!!!

And their Prime Rib is out of this world awesome!!!

But I digress.

Let's talk about the old skool
Steak
Diane
that I made from Guy Fieri's recipe.

These are the fixins.
Mmmmmm is all I can say with that filet, buttah, mushrooms and olive oil.

Just wanted to make sure you saw the filet part of this meal.

Mmmmm again!

Wanna touch it, don't ya?
Well, don't! Unless you wash your hands first.

By the way, filet is expensive. Ouch! But worth it! I had the meat dude cut me fresh pieces.

By the way, I must let you know, this filet recipe ended up so tender, all we used to cut the meat was a fork. Tender, tender, tender!
Tim sates,"It was like a slice of Heaven."

So we start with the "Diane" or sauce part, by adding 2 cans beef stock to a pan and reducing it to 1/2 cup.

It takes a bit of time over medium high high heat.

Be patient, it will reduce.

Sprinkle the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet or cast iron pan, heat 2 tbsp. of butter and the olive oil.
When the butter has melted, add the steaks.
Brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add the mushrooms and shallots to the pan.
Add the garlic, wine, brandy (be CAREFUL, this can ignite if you get it too close to the flame!), mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and the reduced beef stock.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes,
return steaks to the pan and finish cooking to desired temperature,
2 to 4 minutes.

This is Tim's separate pan...
Tim does NOT like mushrooms,
so his two steaks were sauteed separately.

Although he was more than happy to finish off my second steak that was sauteed in the mushroom sauce, oddly enough!

Add the remaining
2 Tbsp. butter to the sauce to melt.

Uh, delicioso!!!!
Oh my goodness,
don't even get me started what kind of flavor that last shot of butter brought.

Okay, steaks are tented up with aluminum foil.

Now let's start on the Kale with Roasted Beets and Bacon and the Creamy Mashed Root Vegetables.

I will not comment on the bacon, will not, won't do it, I have will power. No I don't; I LOVE BACON!

Here's the lineup for the
Kale with Roasted Beets and Bacon.

Wash and trim the beets, removing both ends.

Place them on aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Seal and roast until fork tender about an hour.

In a large skillet, cook the baon until medium-crisp or however you like it...
Tansfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.

Increase the heat to high and add the kale, stirring to coat.
Cover and cook for a few minutes, then add the chicken stock and 2 Tbsp of the vinegar. Stir to combine , cover and allow to wilt for 6-8 minutes.

Peel and cut the beets into chunks and add them to the kale.
Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp. vinegar. Add the bacon, stir to combine.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Okay,
now onto the Creamy Mashed Root Vegetables.

Here's the fixins!

Not many ingredients and I LOVE the tanginess of the turnips in these potatoes.

These are definitley not fat free potatoes, let me tell ya!

Put a large pot on high heat and add the milk, cream, salt, thyme and bay leaves.
Peel and cut the turnips into 1-inch chunks. Add those to the pot and cover partially with a lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. After the turnips have cooked 30 minutes, add the potatoes and continue to simmer until tender.

Discard the bay leaves and thyme, drain the potatoes and turnips, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid, then mash.

Add the cooking liquid and butter and season with salt and pepper.

Starch

addiction

anyone?

Yup, Angie is raising her hand wildly!!!

And here we have the completed meal.
By the way, the beets with the kale and bacon; fabulous!
If someone in the family doesn't care for beets, leave them out, that's fine too. But I will say the beets provided a nice complement to the big flavor of the Steak Diane, which was amazing too!

Okay, so all three recipes are embedded below.

Try out this old-skool Steak Diane recipe sometime.

If you like beets, make certain to print out a copy of the kale recipe too.
And the potatoes are lip-lickin' good!

Steak Diane
Guy Fieri, Food Network, Backyard Bites: Steak Diane episode
Courtesy of turnkeyqualitycars.com

Ingredients
1 quart low-sodium beef stock
Four 6 to 8-ounce filet mignons
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
2 shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions
Pairs well with: cabernet.

Add the beef stock to a saucepan and reduce over medium-high heat to 1/2 cup, about 1 hour.

Sprinkle the steaks on both sides with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil. When the butter has melted and the oil shimmers, add the steaks. Brown the steaks on both sides, 3 minutes per side. Transfer the steaks to a plate and set aside, lightly covered with foil.

Add the mushrooms and shallots to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, adding oil if needed. Add the garlic. When the garlic is lightly colored, add the brandy (be careful, it can ignite). Add the wine, mustard, Worcestershire and the reduced beef stock. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more. Return the steaks to the pan and finish cooking them to the desired temperature, 2 to 4 minutes, depending upon the size of the filets and desired temperature/doneness. For medium-rare, cook to 135 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the sauce to melt.

To serve, place a steak on each plate and pour the sauce over the steak.

Kale With Roasted Beets and Bacon
Ingredients
2 beets (about 14 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
6 thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon slices (8 ounces), diced
1 large bunch kale (about 1 1/2 pounds), washed, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash and trim the beets, removing both ends. Place them on a 12-inch square sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Seal up the foil packet and roast until the beets are fork-tender, about 1 hour.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until medium-crisp (or however you prefer your bacon). Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Increase the heat to high and add the kale, stirring to coat in the rendered bacon grease. Cover and cook for a few minutes, and then add the chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Stir to combine, cover and allow to wilt for 6 to 8 minutes.

Peel and cut the beets into chunks and add them to the kale. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Add the bacon, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Creamy Mashed Root Vegetables
Ingredients
5 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
2 pounds turnips
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
Set a large pot over high heat and add the milk, cream, salt, thyme and bay leaves. Peel and cut the turnips into 1-inch chunks. Add to the pot and cover partially with a lid. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the turnips for 30 minutes.

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. After the turnips have cooked for 30 minutes (it takes longer than the potatoes to cook), add the potatoes and continue to simmer until all the vegetables are very tender, about 20 more minutes (the tip of a paring knife should go through with little resistance). Discard the bay leaves and thyme. Drain the turnips and potatoes, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid, and then mash. Add the cooking liquid and butter. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Have a great rest of the

weekend!

I love weekends!!!

See ya soon!

Pub Meal Part Two: Cheeseburgers, Slaw, and Fried Zucchini

11/21/2011

Yowza!
I'm finally posting PART TWO of the super yummy Pub Meal.
Here's the meal...remember...Cheeseburgers, Red Cabbage Slaw, Fried Zucchini and Charred Tomato Soup with Melted Mozzarella

Hello super tasty meal, I want you right now. It's lunchtime, what do ya expect?

Why I always gotta be blogging food pictures when I'm starving? Why?

Last week I wrote about the
Charred Tomato Soup
as part of this meal.

So today, I'm sharing my vast culinary skillz with the rest of the Pub Meal...
The Cheese Burgers, Red Cabbage Slaw and Fried Zucchini.
And here are the embedded recipes. Disclaimer...this embedding recipe feature does not work if you are using Internet Explorer. If you can use Mozilla or another thingie, that would be ideal.

To get the recipe for Alex G's Cheese Burgers and Fried Zucchini and Slaw recipe, CLICK HERE!

Okay, the slaw is easy.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, jalapeno, dill pickles and dill pickle juice.

Toss to blend.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and cider vinegar with the salt, sugar and black pepper.
Pour the sour cream mixture over the cabbage and toss to blend. Refrigerate until ready to use.
By the way, sliced dill pickles in this slaw is so unexpected yet so fantastic and tangy, gives the slaw a real bite!

Now onto the Cheese Burgers...

Here's the fixins. The recipe calls for beef brisket.

My grocery store does not carry beef brisket; they suggested 93% lean ground beef, which I used and it was fine.

Be interesting to try beef brisket though.

Sautee the onion, carrot and celery in the oil.
Cook until the veggies become tender and slightly caramelized, 10-12 minutes. In another bowl, mix the brisket with the mayo.

Next, mix in the vegetables and bread crumbs into the brisket mixture and form into eight even patties about
3/4 inch thick.

Grill the hamburger patties on an indoor or outdoor grill.
I used a stove top grill because that's what Alex used on her cooking show.
Ta-Daaaaa!!!!

These burgers are fantastically tasty with the sauteed veggies and mayo mixed in there, Super yummy. With a slice of cheese melted on top....Heaven! *cue angels singing*

And lastly, we begin the fat free, super healthy
Fried Zucchini.
Disclaimer:The fat free and super healthy descriptors
are a lie.
Although zucchini is a vegetable. That's not a lie. And isn't zucchini good for you?

Here's the
fixins for this fine
Pub Meal side dish.

Slice 4 medium zucchini lengthwise, like pickles.
Pour oil into a heavy bottomed pan and heat to 350 degrees.

Make the breading mixture by combining the bread crumbs and Parmesan in a bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and the splash of water.

Toss sliced zucchini in salt, dredge in flour, submerge in the egg mixture and roll in the breadcrumb mixture until all are coated on all sides.
Transfer to a platter.

Prepare a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel and a slotted spoon to remove zucchini from oil.
Drop a few pieces of zucchini into the oil at a time and gently swirl the oil as they fry.
When they are light to medium brown, remove them with the spoon and lay them out on the kitchen towel to cool.

Sprinkle with a touch of salt and paprika.

Plate up the savory Cheese Burgers, yummy tangy Slaw, and Fried Zucchini.
Be prepared to loosen your belt a notch or two. This is one fine, tasty meal!

Hey, hope everyone has a great Monday!

<<Previous

1 Day Prep-Ahead Small Thanksgiving Time Saver Meal

Helloooooooo!!!! MISS ME???!!! I MISSED YOU!!!!!! Let's Eat Some Street Food...Sweet Corn with Cheese, Shall We?????

Hidey Ho, Friends!!!!!!!

It's been SIX months since I last posted!

SIX

whole

MONTHS!!!

Dippity Do Da

Man I Love This Tuscan Kale Salad!

Tim says,
"This kale salad is fantastic. Darn near like eating candy."

Angie responds,
"Well, I don't know about candy but this salad
definitely wowed me."

Corn & Basil Cakes, a day with Swedes and the ever popular Scalloped Corn Casserole Recipe

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

A Vegetable Pancake By Any Other Name Is Still A Vegetable Pancake

Apple Of My Eye...an Apple 'n' Pepper Saute Side Dish

The Night Diane Came to the House With Steaks And Kale And Potatoes and Old Time Supper Clubs

Pub Meal Part Two: Cheeseburgers, Slaw, and Fried Zucchini

Author

Categories

Archives

Hidey Ho, Friends!!!!!!!It's been SIX months since I last posted!SIXwhole​MONTHS!!!

​​

Tim says, "This kale salad is fantastic. Darn near like eating candy."

Angie responds, "Well, I don't know about candy but this salad definitely wo﻿wed me."

Author

Categories

Archives

Hidey Ho, Friends!!!!!!!

It's been SIX months since I last posted!

SIX

whole

MONTHS!!!

Tim says,
"This kale salad is fantastic. Darn near like eating candy."

Angie responds,
"Well, I don't know about candy but this salad
definitely wowed me."