Archive for December, 2009
Corn is one of the most versatile holiday foods ever. I routinely use it in a variety of tasty casseroles and stews. It also makes a perfect side dish to any meal. I don’t use canned corn though; for my family meals I only use fresh corn straight from the cob. You have to be careful though; I use this two step technique to protect my fingers when cutting fresh corn off the cob. Simple but very effective.
1) Hold the ear of corn so that one end rests on a cutting board.
2) Using a sharp knife, cut along the cob across the base of the kernels from the top end to the bottom end.
These all-American eats are easy to fix, inexpensive, popular with diners, and great with an almost limitless variety of seasonings and toppings.
Perfect Burger Tips
1) Be sure your ground meat is fresh. It should be bright pink without any unpleasant odor or dark spots.
2) Make use of kitchen gadgets such as a turner (i.e. spatula) or tongs when turning burgers to help retain their shape.
3) Avoid overmixing ground meat because it becomes tough with handling.
4) Grill ground beef burgers over high heat to sear the outsides and seal in their juices.
5) Since it’s the fat that gives burgers their natural juiciness and flavor, when using extra-lean meats, add moist ingredients for juiciness, extra seasonings for flavor, and grill them more slowly over medium heat.
6) Avoid pressing down on the burgers while they’re grilling; this squeezes out the juices and makes them dry and tough.
7) Never cook burgers to the point of dryness, but be certain they are fully cooked. The meat should show no signs of pinkness inside, the juices should run clear, and the temperature should register 160 F in the center.
Here’s a delicious recipe for lemon cookies sure to please all your friends and family. In addition to the ingredients, you will need a mixer, wax paper, cookie sheets, and a wire cooling rack.
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter (melted)
1 large egg
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Dash of salt
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat the sugar with the butter until it’s light and fluffy, then beat in the egg, lemon juice, and zest. Combine the two mixtures, then once the dough has formed roll the dough into two long rolls and refrigerate for at least an hour. Once the dough is done chilling, preheat your oven to 375 F. Unwrap the dough and cut it into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes, then let cool on your wire cooling rack. Store the cookies in an airtight container; makes about 5 dozen.
We’ve always been a steak and potatoes kind of family. When it comes to great recipes, this one is a family favorite. On top of tasting great, it’s pretty easy to make too! Great taste and easy to make…sounds great to me!
Country-Fried Garlic Steak and Potatoes
* 12 cloves garlic
* 1 lb. tiny new potatoes, scrubbed
* 4 6-oz. boneless beef ribeye or beef strip steaks
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
* Fresh oregano (optional)
Directions
1. Using the side of large piece of cutlery and good cutting board smash garlic; discard skins. Halve any large potatoes. Place potatoes in microwave-safe bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap; microcook on 100 percent power (high) 5 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cover; cook 5 minutes more or until tender, stirring once. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook steaks, half at a time, 8 minutes for ribeye or 4 minutes for strip (145 degrees F for medium-rare or 160 degrees F for medium), turning once. Keep steaks warm while cooking remaining steaks.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add potatoes, garlic, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until potatoes are golden and tomatoes begin to wilt, stirring occasionally. Serve potato mixture with steak. Top with fresh oregano. Makes 4 servings.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-haw! This tasty dish combines the best of the West with a distinct ’south of the border’ flavor. I use good ol’ ground beef combined with tortillas, enchilada sauce, and green chilies. I then top it off with cream of chicken soup, mushroom soup, and two cheeses to give this enchilada recipe a rich sauciness.
Mexican Cowboy Casserole (Directions): Brown beef and onions; drain. Add enchilada sauce, chicken soup, mushroom soup, and green chilies. Heat through. Mix together the cheeses. Arrange 6 tortillas in the bottom of a casserole dish; add half of the meat mixture and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 lb ground beef
* Chopped onion (as desired)
* 1 can enchilada sauce
* 1 can cream of chicken soup
* 1 can cream of mushroom soup
* 1 can chopped green chilies
* Cheddar cheese (as desired)
* Monterrey jack cheese (as desired)
* 12 tortillas
There’s just nothing more satisfying, filling, and delicious as my grandmother’s lasagna. Every Sunday evening, my family would gather around her dinner table and eagerly anticipate the first delicious bite!
Grandma’s secret was in the unique way she served this traditional meal. The skillet is where she prepared and served everything; and the result was delicious. My wife has continued this wonderful tradition and method of making lasagna; the rest of us sure do enjoy her efforts! What a tasty and simple recipe!
Tasty and Simple Skillet Lasagna (Directions): In a 12 inch skillet, cook and stir ground beef, onion and garlic until beef is no longer pink. Stir in noodles, spaghetti sauce and water, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 15-20 minutes, or until noodles are tender and liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, combine cheeses and drop by spoonfuls over beef mixture. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Ingredients
* 1 lb ground beef
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 tsp minced garlic
* 3 cups uncooked mini lasagna noodles
* 1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
* 1 cup mozzarella cheese
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
I”m a PB fanatic…as far as I’m concerned a healthy “glop” of natural PB (or two, or threee, or…) makes anyting better. Peanut butter certainly makes this pound cake special. For you real PB lovers, add a peanut topping for a double nutty dose.
Peanut Butter Pound Cake (Directions): 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×5x3 loaf pan. 2. Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar together 3. Add vanilla and milk; beat well. 4. Add eggs one at a time. 5. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder, and stir into batter. 6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. 7. In a ziplock bag, pour in the 1/4 cup peanuts, and roll with a rolling pin to crush. Add the rest of the topping ingredients and sake well. Sprinkle over top of cake and pat gently to press the topping slightly into the top of the batter. 8. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake tests as done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Let cool completely serving.
Ingredients
* For Cake;
* 1/2 C. Butter (1 Stick), Softened
* 1/2 C. Creamy Style Peanut Butter
* 1 C. Sugar
* 1 Tsp Vanilla
* 1 Tbsp Milk
* 4 Eggs
* 2 C. All-Purpose Flour
* 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
* 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
* For Topping:
* 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
* 1 Tbsp Sugar
* 1/4 C. Lightly Salted, Dry Roasted Peanuts, Crushed
These large grilled cilantro-flavored burgers contain hot pepper sauce & flakes. They’re “cooled” with mango slices and an avocado-cream cheese mixture.
Mango Burgers with Avocado Cream (Directions): Wipe grill with a vegetable oil and heat to medium. In a small mixing bowl, combine avocado and cream cheese. Stir until well blended, add lime juice and salt, then stir until blended. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill until needed. In a large mixing bowl, combine all burger ingredients and blend well. Shape into 6 large round patties. Grill burgers over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, turning once. When burgers are almost done, place buns flat side down on grill to toast until golden brown. Remove buns from grill; spread avocado cream on flat sides of buns. Place bun bottoms on 6 plates. Add mango slices, burgers, and bun tops; close sandwiches and serve.
Ingredients
* Avocado Cream:
* 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
* 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Burger ingredients:
* 1 egg, slightly beaten
* 2 1/2 lbs ground beef
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
* 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
* 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
* Salt and ground pepper to taste
* 2 mangos; peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
* 6 Kaiser or burger buns
This is an original recipe created by my son Weston. I often prepare everything the night before, so that all I have to do in the morning, is take the crockpot out of the refrigerator and turn it on. We use ground turkey to reduce the fat in this simple crockpot chili-I just mix and let it cook all day for a delicious meal that’s ready when we get home.
Weston’s Chili (Directions): Brown onion and turkey in vegetable oil. Place all remaining ingredients, except yellow bell pepper and cheese, in a crock pot and mix well. Add browned onion and turkey. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Twenty minutes before serving, add yellow bell pepper and some water, if necessary. Serve topped with grated cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1/2 lb ground turkey
* 1 tbsp vegetable oil
* 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
* 1 tbsp tomato paste
* 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 15 oz can kidney beans, with liquid
* 1 carrot, diced
* 2 tsp or more chili powder
* Salt and pepper
* 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
* Cheddar cheese, grated
A super simple barbecued chicken dinner–and all straight from the oven so no messy grill to clean up.
My Special BBQ Chicken (Directions): In a pan, mix soda, water, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add chicken and parboil 20-30 minutes until chicken is ready to fall apart. Remove chicken, place in baking dish, and cover with barbecue sauce. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes. Serve over rice or with vegetables.
Ingredients:
* 4 whole boneless chicken breasts
* 1 bottle brown sugar barbecue sauce
* 1 cup cola
* 1 cup water
* 2 tbsp brown sugar
* Onion powder to taste
* Garlic powder to taste
* Salt and pepper to taste