Grilled Cheese Burgers on Onion Bagels
Ingredients
2lbs. ground beef
2tsp. onion powder
2tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
ground black pepper
1Tbsp.Worcestershire sauce
Mix ingredients together and divide into 4 patties. Place on pre-heated grill and cook until desired doneness. I melted sharp cheddar cheese on top. We did not have hamburger buns but I did have some onion bagels that I got for $.4 cents (that made them taste extra yummy :) Served with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickle spears, and all the other necessary condiments. We had some yummy whole grain chips I got on BOGO at Earthfare to go with it.
Dessert by the fire
Since it was such a lovely day outside yesterday, Daniel made a fire in the chimanea on the deck last night. I whipped up some caramel popcorn and we just sat out there enjoying some time away from the TV until the flames died out. It was a great evening.
Homemade Caramel Popcorn with Peanuts
makes about 6 cups, since this is so delicious I doubled the recipe in order to have some leftover for today. I would suggest you pop the popcorn in two batches if you are doubling the recipe and use a large stockpot for the sugar. Trust me it is so worth the effort. Just be careful it is so very very hot!
adapted from foodnetwork.com
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup roasted almonds ( I omitted this, Daniel hates almonds with a passion)
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on how salty you like your life
bowl of ice water
This recipe requires that you work quickly and carefully. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. ok?
First, make the popcorn. Place oil in a medium to large saucepan over medium high heat. Add one kernel of corn and cover pan. When the single kernel pops, add the 1/2 cup of unpopped popcorn and cover. Use a pot holder to lightly shake the pan as the corn pops. When the popping stops, turn of the heat, remove the pot from the burner and shake the popcorn into a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of sea salt… depending on how salty you like your popcorn. Set popped popcorn aside.
Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. If you get any hot sugar syrup on your body. Ouch. Stick it in ice water… fast.
Measure out the butter, vanilla extract, nuts and salt. Set aside. In a medium saucepan add the sugar. Pour the water into the pan with the sugar, but pour the water towards the side of the pan… not directly on top of the sugar. Mark an X with your finger through the sugar and water.
Place saucepan over medium-high heat and let cook. Swirl the pan every few minutes Swirl, don’t stir. The sugar and water will cook down and bubble and slowly begin to caramelize. The process takes 20-30 minutes of cooking and swirling. Be patient but keep an eye on it. At the 20 minute mark, you’ll begin to smell caramelization. When the sugar reaches a caramel color, remove from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla extract. The mixture will bubble up. Give it a few good swirls.
Working quickly and carefully pour the hot caramel mixture over the popcorn. If any hot caramel gets on your skin, immediately immerse in the bowl of ice water. Ouch! With two spatulas stir until most of the popcorn is covered in hot caramel. Carefully pour out onto a silpat or parchment paper. Break up any large clumps with the spatula, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt and let come to room temperature.
Thanks! Joy the Baker
Thursday
I awoke this morning to Betty Crocker (Skye the muffin maker) in the kitchen making blueberry muffins from our huge stockpile of Krusteaz muffin mix. Well now that breakfast is out of the way lets move on to dinner. Mathis woke up this morning and one of the first things he said to me was, can we have dumplings tonight. Of course I want to make him happy so dumplings it is.
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
* 3 boneless chicken breasts
* 1 celery ribs, sliced
* 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 3 (32 ounce) containers chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons dried thyme
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2-1 teaspoon pepper
DUMPLINGS (Next time I am going to double this part of the recipe. Everyone was fighting over the dumplings. Clearly there was not enough to feed the 6 of us)
* 2 cups flour
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup milk
Directions
1.
Cook chicken over low heat, covered for one to two hours until very tender in 64 ounces of chicken broth or water.
2. Remove chicken from pot and let cool.
3.
Put sliced vegetables in chicken broth and let cook until tender.
( I let it cook for 30 minutes)
4.
Shred or dice chicken and return to pot.
5.
Add aditional container of chicken stock and let it heat through.
6.
Add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
7.
Add thyme
8.
In a mixing bowl, combine dumpling ingredients and mix well to form a stiff dough.
9.
Drop by tablespoonfuls into simmering soup.
10.
Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
11.
Serve immediately.
12.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
13.
*SOUTHERN STYLE DUMPLINGS (heavier and chewier) 2 cups flour, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 beaten eggs. Combine flour, broth, baking powder and eggs; mix well to form a stiff batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls into simmering soup. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Friday
Jerk Pork Tenderloin
Juicy, grilled pork tenderloin gets a burst of flavor from an herb-packed marinade (cilantro! parsley! thyme!) that also has hints of orange juice and brown sugar for an unexpectedly sweet touch.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
* 1 cup olive oil , plus more for grill
* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
* 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley , leaves only
* 1 bunch fresh cilantro , leaves only
* 1 bunch whole scallions , coarsely chopped
* 2 medium coarsely chopped shallots
* 1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger , peeled and coarsely chopped
* 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
* 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 habanero chili or 1 jalapeño chili , coarsely chopped (with seeds)
* 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
* 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
* 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
* 2 pork tenderloins (1 pound each), trimmed of silver skin
* 1 tsp. kosher salt
Directions:
Put all ingredients (except pork tenderloins and salt) in a blender and puree until smooth.
Put tenderloins in a large ziploc food storage bag. Pour half the marinade over pork; seal bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
When ready to grill pork, preheat a gas grill or a ridged grill pan to medium, or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill, letting coals burn until covered with white ash. Take reserved marinade out of the refrigerator. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to room temperature by letting it sit while grilling pork.
Remove pork from marinade and brush off herbs and spices. Discard marinade in bag.
Sprinkle tenderloins with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Oil the grill rack. Grill tenderloins (turning them at least 4 times to ensure even cooking), 18 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each reads 145°; the meat should still be faintly pink and juicy. Transfer to a carving board and let rest 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Divide among 4 plates and serve with reserved marinade as a sauce.
Adapted from Michy's restaurant and Cuisine à Latina by Michelle Bernstein. Copyright © 2008 (with permission from Houghton Mifflin).
I am serving this with Uncle Ben's 90 sec Rice Pilaf, Grilled Pineapple, and ????
Saturday
Pot Roast Sandwiches
Jennie's Italian Beef
2-3 lb. Beef Shoulder Roast
1 jar Pepperoncini Peppers
1 Package AuJus Seasoning Mix
Use Publix brand, about $.49 each
Hoagie Rolls
Trim fat from roast. Place roast in crock pot, cover with pepperoncini peppers (in liquid). Cook 8 hours on low. Remove peppers (I usually save the jar in the morning and put the peppers back in it to throw them away in). Shred beef and mix in AuJus Seasoning. Cook another 30 minutes on low in crock pot. Serve on hoagie rolls. YUMMMMMM!
Thanks! Laurie @ www.publixpennypincher.blogspot.com
I will probably serve this with some roasted sweet potato fries.
Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
* 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
* 4-6 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
* 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1.
Preheat oven to 425*F.
2.
Cut sweet potatoes in wedges or like french fries.
3.
Place wedges on large baking pan or cookie sheet. Pour over olive oil, and toss to mix.
4.
Now sprinkle over brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat wedges.
5.
Spread out in a single layer. Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes, then take out and turn wedges over.
6.
Place back in oven and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
7.
Sprinkle with extra kosher salt to taste. The cooking time will depend on how big the wedges are. Enjoy!
8.
Note: These are also good with a little ground cumin sprinkled with the other seasonings. Have fun and experiment!
(adapted from Ina Garten)
Sunday
Breakfast
Ingredients
* 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
* Butter, for pan
* 8 large eggs
* 2 cups half-and-half
* 1 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Dash salt
Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Raspberry Syrup.
Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.
Raspberry Syrup:
1 cup raspberry preserves
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (recommended: Framboise)(I am going to omit this part)
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until warm and thinned out like syrup.
Wow this is going to be rich. Definitely not something we will eat everyday but it is great on occasion.
(adapted from Paula Dean)
Lunch
Sesame Ginger Chicken
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips
1/4 cup bottled Light Asian Sesame & Ginger Dressing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup baby carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
salt and pepper
Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a skillet. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the carrots and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Add the dressing and broth. Cook over medium-high heat until sauce is thickened and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 6-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Thanks! Fairhope Foodie
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
Fried Rice
Ingredients
* 4 cups cooked rice or 1 cup uncooked rice
* 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
* 2 tablespoons carrots, finely diced
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 cup onion, diced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* salt
* pepper
Directions
1.
Cook rice following instructions on package (Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add rice and a dash of salt, reduce heat and simmer in covered saucepan for 20 minutes).
2.
Pour rice into a large bowl to let it cool in the refrigerator.
3.
Scramble the eggs in a small pan over medium heat.
4.
Separate the scrambled chunks of egg into small pea-size bits while cooking.
5.
When rice has cooled to near room temperature, add peas, grated carrot, scrambled egg and diced onion to the bowl.
6.
Carefully toss all of the ingredients together.
7.
Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium/high heat.
8.
When butter has completely melted, dump the bowl of rice and other ingredients into the pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper.
9.
Cook rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often.
Thanks! RecipeZaar
For dinner Sunday night we are going to a BYOP (bring your own pizza) party for Daniel's Grandmothers 75th birthday.
Monday
Rosetti Manicotti w/ Ragu traditional sauce and melted mozzarella cheese
Italian Salad (think Olive Garden)
Garlic Texas Toast
Tuesday
Santa Fe Soup
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz. can pinto beans
1 16-oz. can black beans
2 16-oz. can white beans
2 16-oz. can corn
2 cans Rotel
2 packages Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 package Taco Seasoning
2 cups water (I used chicken broth)
**Drain corn- NOT beans
Brown beef and onion in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Drain off excess fat. Add seasoning packets and stir. Add beans (do not drain), add corn (drained), add Rotel (do not drain), add water (or chicken stock). Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer at least 20 minutes.
Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and Tostitos.
Thanks! Fairhope Foodie
Taco Puffs
I know this kind of seams like another meal in itself but, my kids don't always eat soup that well so I am going to make this as an alternative option/ side item plus I can make a batch with faux meat for Evie and some extras she can take for school lunch.
I plan to at least double this recipe but since I am serving it as a side dish I will skimp on the meat a little.
Ingredients
6 refrigerated biscuits
3 cups taco meat (approx. 1/4 cup per puff)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese
lettuce (optional)
sour cream (optional)
salsa (optional)
olives (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Take 6 refrigerated biscuits and half them horizontally. Take each half and flatten out with your hands and press into 12 greased muffin cups to form "shells". Put approximately 1/4 cup taco meat in each cup (the Pampered Chef Large Scoop works great for this!) Top each puff with shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden around the edges. Let the puffs rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing. Top with desired toppings.
Thanks! Fairhope Foodie
I hope this inspires you to cook something tasty this week. I hope to post pictures as I cook this week so keep checking back!
No comments:
Post a Comment