Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

Not much to say about this, other then it is simple and it taste good. Great meal for those lazy summer days when you want to cook (or grill) something quick! Oh, and of course it comes form my favorite Food Network Magazine.

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds good-quality kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce

Soak 8 to 10 wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes.

Preheat a grill to medium and brush with the oil. Thread the sausage on the skewers, leaving space between each piece. Grill until slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Mix the ketchup, mustard and hot sauce in a bowl. Serve with the sausage for dipping.

Baltimore Beef Bad Boys with Grilled Romaine

 This is a great recipe from the Food Network Magazine. It is great to have a recipe source that I know ALL the recipes will be good. This particular recipe comes from Guy Fieri, and if Guy Fieri told me dirt tasted good I would probably believe him. This recipe does not taste like dirt however, it is delicious and easy to assemble. It reminds of a beef rueben sandwich, and I love reubens. This is also a great recipe because my husband is in charge of the grill, so it is a great way to "trick" him into making dinner. 


We also threw out some grilled romaine to add to this meal. Cut the romaine hearts into halves or fourths. After you grill your meat add on romaine hearts with cut side down and grilled until the leaves are just charred. Top with crispy bacon, blue cheese and ranch dressing!

Baltimore Beef Bad Boys

2 tablespoons seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 pounds top round, cut in 2-equal pieces*
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup horseradish
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
16 slices Rye bread, lightly toasted

Combine seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, onion and garlic powder, oregano, paprika and chili powder in a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Mix thoroughly and then add 1 piece of meat, shake it around in the bag, remove it and repeat with the second piece of meat. When both pieces are done, return them to the bag, and let marinate for 24 to 48 hours in refrigerator. Remove meat from refrigerator at least 20 minutes, prior to grilling.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, horseradish, garlic and sea salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and place into refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Set grill or large grilling pan to high heat. Cook meat for 20 minutes or until desired temperature. Remove from heat, cover and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Best served medium-rare.
Slice cooked and rested steaks paper thin using either a knife or counter-top deli-slicer. Place 4-ounces of meat on a slice of toasted rye and spread on sour cream horseradish.

This made more than enough or my family of 5, so after I dredged the meat in the seasonings I wrapped one up and threw it in the freezer for next time!

*remember, you can ask the guy behind with meat counter at the grocery store to split your top round in half for you. 

Chile Verde

This is another great family recipe. I am going to give credit to my husbands Aunt for this one, because frankly she deserves the credit! It is a hard recipe to master because there are not exact measurements. You kind of just throw it all together, and add more until it tastes good and looks right. So, I encourage you to branch out, test yourself and try it out! We served it with my favorite Spanish rice recipe from my friend Jamie. It is my favorite because it is the only Spanish rice that I have actually liked, so that's saying a lot!

Chile Verde

Pork Roast, cut up in small pieces
Small can of chopped jalapenos (or use fresh, that way you can control the heat)
Flour
Water
Tomato Sauce
Garlic Powder
Salt
Cumin

Brown pork roast in pan with oil and jalapenos. Sprinkle meat mixture with flour and cook slightly. Add water and stir until thickened. Add small amount of tomato sauce. Add garlic powder,salt and cumin to taste. Serve with flour tortillas, re-fried beans, and Spanish rice

*It should be a bit liquidy, so that you can scoop it up into a tortilla. I struggled making it this time, so the picture isn't good, it isn't liquid enough!

Spanish Rice

1 1/2 c rice
1 tbsp oil
3 c water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 tbsp dried onion
1 small can tomato sauce

Fry rice in oil until browned. Add remaining ingredients, stir to mix. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 min.

Moo Shu Pork

Found this in the Food Network Magazine July/August 2010 issue. A great healthy version of moo shu pork and nice light meal for a hot summer day. This is has a very strong hoisin flavor, so if you do not like hoisin sauce, then you probably will not like this recipe. I like this recipe because it allowed me to add some heat to it throwing in some chopped jalapenos and some sriracha! It is also easy to add some more veggies too!

Moo Shu Pork

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3/4-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 14-ounce bag coleslaw mix
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
12 Bibb lettuce leaves (any lettuce leave will work)


Whisk the hoisin sauce, vinegar, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the pork and marinate 10 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade using tongs (reserve the marinade) and stir-fry until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons water to the skillet, then pour the pan juices over the pork on the plate.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet; when hot, add the mushrooms and stir-fry until slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add the coleslaw mix and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the pork, the reserved marinade and half of the scallions; stir-fry 2 more minutes. Season with salt and sprinkle with the remaining scallions. Serve the stir-fry in the lettuce leaves with more hoisin sauce.

French Dip

This is a super easy meal that can feed a lot! When I say super easy, I mean it literally takes 5 minutes to prep and maybe 5 more after it cooks. When I first made this, I didn't expect much, but my husband raved about how good it was. This time around we shredded some horseradish cheese over the top and it was delicious! I actually think the best part is the drippings, they are so flavorful and you just dip your sandwich in it. Yum!

French Dip
from A Thrifty Mom

In your crock pot add:

Frozen roast beef, ( any size, the bigger it is, the more people it will feed!)

One package dry Italian seasoning salad dressing packet ( about 2 tbsp spoons if you buy in bulk)

Enough water to cover up 3/4 the meat, one cup at a time

For every cup of water add one beef bouillon cube

Crusty bread or rolls to serve it on

Cook on high for 4 hours, then flip meat over and turn on low for 4 hours.  Pull the meat out and let it rest for about 20 minutes and then shred with a fork, it will just fall apart.  We eat ours with a little shredded cheese on top and  horseradish.  Use the drippings to dip your sandwich in. 

You can also use the drippings (because it makes a lot) for gravy in a different meal!

Mustard Beef

This is a really random recipe, but it was given to my by our babysitter. It is a great quick meal you can throw together, especially if you need to feed a lot of people. I think this would be great with rice too, or with mashed potatoes, using the sauce as a gravy base. The secret to this is to not cook it too long because the beef can get dry out really fast!

Mustard Beef

1/3 C soy sauce
2 TBS mustard
1 tsp ginger
1 TBS molasses

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cut up chunks of beef (whichever cut is your favorite) and put in a foil lined casserole dish. Poor sauce over top and place under the broiler on the top rack. broil for 10-15 min, stirring occasionally. If you want, when it is done cooking drain the sauce into a sauce pan and make a gravy* out of it!

*To make a quick gravy just add some water to the sauce, and some flour or cornstarch. Stir continually over med, high heat until desired consistency. taste often and adjust with water and cornstarch or flour!

Korean BBQ Beef

I have a love affair with Sriracha. It is great in Asian dishes especially, but really, it is good on anything. Before you run out and buy this magical red sauce, please note that it is red chili sauce, meaning, it is very spicy! However, if you like spicy and have not indulged in the wonders of Sriracha, you arei n luck. You can find it at obscure Asian markets, or on the Asian food aisle at your local grocery store!

One reason why was so interested in this recipe is because it has Sriracha in it. Do not be afraid if you are anti spicy. It does not make this dish spicy, it just adds to the wonderful flavor of the marinade. If you are still scared, just use a half teaspoon, because this recipe is one not to miss! It is very simple to make and it is a great summer recipe because it cooks on the grill! The way the meat is marinated and cooked makes it so juicy and tender. We served ours with some knock off fried noodles (which were not very good, but it made the plate look pretty)!

Korean BBQ Beef 
from: Our Best Bites

1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin (about 1/4") slices

1/2 c. rice wine or pear juice (1 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)

1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce

1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

 

Combine wine or pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add sliced steak. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill. While the grill is heating, thread the steak pieces onto bamboo skewers. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked. Serve immediately; serves 4-6.

Roasted Lamb Shanks with Lemon and Herbs

Before you take a look at this recipe and run screaming, hear me out. Yes this is an extremely involved recipe, however, it is not as bad as it sounds. You actually do almost all of the prep work and cooking the day before, so the next day you really just warm it up and eat it. I started mine on Saturday so it was all ready for Sunday dinner. Also, this recipe is so delicious therefore, it is very worth it. I have been trying to branch out and cook with ingredients I have never cooked with before, so when I found this recipe in the December 2009 issue of Food Network Magazine, I knew I had to try it! So my challenge to you is to try it out, or find another recipe that may challenge you a bit and try it out!

 

Roasted Lamb Shanks with Lemon and Herbs

    *  6 lamb shanks (about 1 1/4 pounds each), excess fat trimmed
    * 5 cloves garlic, sliced
    * 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
    * Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
    * 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
    * 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
    * 1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
    * 12 shallots, unpeeled
    * Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

Make the lamb a day in advance: Make several incisions in the shanks with a paring knife and slide a slice of garlic into each slit. Place the shanks in a large baking dish, drizzle with the lemon juice, turning to coat, and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Mix the parsley, thyme and marjoram in a small bowl, then rub the herbs over the lamb. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour. After 30 minutes, place a Dutch oven or covered ovenproof pot in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Transfer the shanks to a plate and drizzle with the melted butter; reserve the marinade. Carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven. Working quickly, add the shanks, making sure at least one side of each touches the hot pot. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and place the lid on another oven rack to keep it hot. Roast the shanks for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot marinade over the shanks, then place a large sheet of heavy-duty foil over the pot and cover with the hot lid. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast 45 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200 degrees and cook 30 more minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the lamb inside, undisturbed, to finish cooking, 20 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the cooking liquid and place in a shallow baking dish. Refrigerate the meat and the sauce separately overnight.

When ready to serve, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Drizzle the shallots with olive oil in a small baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Cover the lamb loosely with foil. Bake the lamb and shallots for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovering the lamb and brushing lightly with melted butter after 15 minutes. Meanwhile, discard the fat from the chilled sauce and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Drizzle the finished lamb and shallots with the sauce and garnish with parsley.

Holiday Dinners: Father's Day

There are two times a year when I over do it on the food planning: Father's Day and my husbands birthday. I tend to plan way too many dishes and I spend the whole day cooking! Someday, maybe I will finally figure it out. So this is my father's day 2010 meal, all cooked by me, minus the steak because I don't do steaks.

New York Steaks seared and broiled to perfection by my awesome husband, topped with Gorgonzola cheese sauce


Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola

cheese

1 green onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, Gorgonzola cheese, green onion, garlic and pepper. Warm slowly for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the sauce is nice and creamy.

With side dishes of: Not-Too-Sweet Baked Beans, Chantilly Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, and Butterhorn Rolls.

Not-Too-Sweet Baked Beans

From: Our Best Bites

1 15 1/2-oz. can Great Northern beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can navy beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can baby butter beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can pinto beans

2 14 1/2-oz. cans stewed tomatoes

1/3 c. molasses

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce

6 oz. bacon (1/2 of an average-sized package), divided

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Reserving two slices of bacon, cook the remaining bacon in a large skillet. While it's cooking, place all beans in a colander and rinse and drain. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor about 5-6 times or until they are breaking down but not smooth. Pour over beans. Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.

When the bacon has cooked, remove bacon from the pan and cook the onions in the bacon drippings, stirring frequently. While the onions are cooking, crumble the cooked bacon over the beans. Add onions and combine all the ingredients well. Cut remaining slices of bacon into 1" pieces and place over the beans. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Allow to stand for 5 minutes and then serve.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Follow the instructions for cooking in the oven, except place the ingredients in the crock of a slow cooker instead of baking dish. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Chantilly Potatoes
from: My Kitchen Cafe


3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Place the potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave the potatoes on high for 8 to 12 minutes, giving the bowl a shake halfway through, and cooking until the potatoes are tender. Mash the potatoes well with a potato masher (or you can use a potato ricer set over a second large bowl). Cover the potatoes again with plastic wrap and microwave the mashed potatoes until they are heated through, 3 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and stir well.

In a large bowl, beat the chilled cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the potatoes with a rubber spatula until the cream is mostly absorbed. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. Carefully spoon the potatoes into the baking dish. They don't have to be evenly flat on top - you want to take care not to deflate this potato layer. They will look slightly uneven. With a rubber spatula, fold all but 1/4 cup cheese into the remaining cream. Spread the cheese/cream mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

At this point you can either cover the potatoes and refrigerate until baking. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are hot and the top is golden brown. If you are making the potatoes to eat immediately, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes until the top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes (don't let them burn!). Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Taco Wantons

This is a great summer recipe. It requires few ingredients, and minimal cooking! This recipe is originally an appetizer recipe, but at our house we eat appetizers for meals sometimes, that's just how we roll.
This time around I made the wantons with ground beef, but you can also use chicken.

This is a great one for the kids to help with! 

Taco Wantons

12 wanton wrappers
1/2 package taco seasoning
10 oz of ground beef or 10 oz of chicken ( I used 8 chicken breast tenders)
ranch dressing
cheese
salsa
sour cream

Spray non-stick cooking spray in a 12 count cupcake pan. Place one wanton wrapper in each cup.

Beef method: Cook ground beef with taco seasoning. Remove from heat and mix in the ranch dressing to taste (you want it to be moist, but not runny).

Chicken method: Boil chicken in a sauce pan until cooked. Place chicken in a mixing bowl and shred. Add taco seasoning and ranch dressing to the chicken. Add dressing until mixture is creamy, but not runny.

For both: Place a spoonful of meat mixture into each wanton. Top with cheese and stick in a 350 degree oven until cheese is thoroughly melted (put the wantons on the lowest rack, so the bottoms have a chance get firm. If you don't cook it long enough, the bottom of the wantons can get soggy). Top with salsa and sour cream.

Jerk Turkey Burgers with Mango Slaw

My new cooking goal is to branch out and cook with things I have never cooked with before. Some of you may think it is funny that ground turkey is "branching out", but I have never used it before because I always thought of it as healthy-gross. But, the great Food Network magazine changed my mind when I saw the recipe for the Jerk Turkey Burgers. We all liked these a lot, even the kids who just thought they were regular
burgers. This recipe is a little involved, but very worth it!

Jerk Turkey Burgers with Mango Slaw

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 small green apple, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus more for brushing
• 1/4 cup mango chutney, roughly chopped*
• 3 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 carrot, shredded
• Canola oil, for the grill
• 4 hamburger buns or challah rolls, split

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Mix the turkey, jerk seasoning, apple, 1/4 cup scallions and the panko in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Form into four 1-inch-thick patties and make a small indentation in the middle of each with your thumb to prevent it from puffing up on the grill. Refrigerate.
Whisk the mayonnaise and chutney in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrot and the remaining 1/4 cup scallions, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Brush the grill with canola oil. Grill the turkey patties until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Brush the cut sides of the buns with mayonnaise and sprinkle with jerk seasoning; toast on the grill, about 30 seconds. Serve the burgers and slaw on the buns.

*I did not find any mango chutney, so I made my own! Alton Brown was the lifesaver here. I had never seen chutney before, so I wasn't sure what it looked like. I followed Alton browns recipe and late on found out I made it just right! 

Mango Chutney

• 4 pounds fresh mangos, ripe but not too soft, peeled
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon chile flakes
• 2 1/2 cups medium dice red onion
• 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup small dice red bell pepper
• 8 ounces unsweetened pineapple juice
• 4 ounces cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• Kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper
• 1/2 cup raisins or golden raisins
• 1/2 cup toasted, roughly chopped macadamia nuts

Cut the mango flesh away from the pit. The pit is shaped similar to an obelisk, so you'll end up with 2 large pieces and 2 smaller pieces from each mango. Roughly chop the flesh.

In a saute pan heat the oil and add the chile flakes. Be careful not to burn the chile, just toast to flavor the oil. Add the onions and sweat until soft. Add the ginger and bell pepper and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Finally add the mango and cook for 1 more minute.

In a separate bowl, combine the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, and curry powder. Add this mixture to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a bare simmer and reduce for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Add the raisins and the nuts and transfer to another container over an ice bath. I used a mild yellow curry powder, but if you want it hotter go for red.

Mother's Day Dinner: Baby Back Ribs and Yukon Gold Garlic Mash

I love it when my husband cooks. I think he is a way better chef then I am, and he could probably earn awards someday. So, whenever I get the chance, I make him cook for me. For mother's day I knew exactly what I wanted: BBQ ribs and his to die for homemade bbq sauce. Unfortunately, I cannot share the bbq sauce recipe, I have been told it is officially a family secret. However I will share the ribs recipe, along with an alternative bbq sauce.  I think my husband does magic when he cooks because when people try and recreate his recipes, they never seem to come out as good. Never the less, here is the recipe, and good luck! Oh, and my husband found this recipe on the all mighty cougarboard.com... those BYU fans sure know how to cook!

Oh, and my Father-in-Laws ribs might be just as good...or maybe better. It must run in the family.

Baby Back Ribs

Dry Rub:
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp seasoned salt
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tsp Cayenne pepper
3 cloves of garlic

This will make enough dry rub for 2 or three baby back racks. Combine the above ingredients thoroughly and run into each rack. To make this easy on  yourself, put the racks in the middle of a sheet of foil before putting on the rub. This way, when the rub is all over the rack, you can just wrap it up tight in the foil, and no mess! Have the ribs sit in the fridge over night.

When you are ready to cook, place the ribs in a baking dish on top of a wire rakc, and cover the whole thing in foil. Bake the ribs at 350 for 3 hours or at 300 for 4 hours if you are like me and accidentally buy spare ribs.

During the final hour make the following sauce (again, not as good as my husband sauce, but still good)

2 c ketchup
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp mustard
1/2 c diced onion
1/4 c butter
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 hot pepper sauce (or more if you like it spicy)

Combine in a sauce pan and simmer uncovered for 20 min, then set aside.

Once the ribs are done baking, put them on a medium heated grill, applying each side generously with the bbq sauce. Grill each side for 10 min or so.

And then the Yukon Gold garlic Mash that I made...

Yukon Gold Garlic Mash

   *  2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
    * 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups milk
    * 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
    * 2 large cloves of garlic, grated
    * Salt and black pepper, to taste
    * 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh chives

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Wash potatoes and halve. Add to boiling water and cook until very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and shake over low heat for 10 seconds to dry out. When cool, remove and discard the skins. Mash potatoes in a bowl. Warm the milk with the butter and grated garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix into the potatoes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chives. Serve immediately.

Wiener Schnitzel and Semolina Dumpling Soup with Steamed Artichokes

And no, I am not talking about the hot dog joint. This is an authentic German recipe! Okay, I am not sure how authentic it really is, but this a recipe from my father-in-law (and mother-in-law), who has a German brother-in-law and served a mission for our church in Austria. Anyway, we love this recipe, and I love it even more because I make my husband make it. To me it seems a little involved, but my husband can pretty much have it all made in about 30 minutes. If you aren't up for the wiener schnitzel, make the semolina dumpling soup on its own! It is great on those cold days, or those sick days too.

Wiener Schnitzel

Boneless Pork Chops (one for each person)
Eggs beaten
Panko bread crumbs (regular work too)
Flour
Salt and pepper
Oil

Pound out the boneless pork chops until they very thin. Season with salt and pepper. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a large pan to 375 (or you can use a deep fat fryer, but you'll have to clean it out after your done). Dip the pork chops into the flour, then the beaten eggs, and then the bread crumbs. Fry for about 1-2 minutes each side and then let drain on paper towels. When eating, drizzle with lemon juice.

Semolina Dumpling Soup
4 tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp semolina flour
2 tbsp cold water
8 cups chicken broth (I like to use chicken bullion)

Mealt butter and then stir in all other ingredients one at a time. Allow the dough to rest for 20 min. If it seems too stiff, add water, or too runny, and more semolina.
Scoop out dumplings with a small spoon and drop gently into boiling chicken broth, and then simmer several minutes.

Steamed Artichoke

If needed, cut stem off artichoke. Place into a basket steamer and steam for 45 minutes to an hour. Rip off leaves and dip in melted butter or mayonnaise.

Tri-Tip Sandwich

 Here in Utah there is a sandwich place called The Itallian Place. They make a sandwich made with cream cheese and tri-tip. This is our version of that sandwich. This is one of those recipes my husband and I make that we do not have an actual recipe for. I will try and explain what we do, so hopefully someone else can make this delcious sandwich.

*We buy our tri-tip at Costco. You can buy several pounds of it for a good price, and it comes in strips so it easy easy to freeze in specific portion sizes. 

Tri-Tip Sandwich

About one pound of tri-tip, chopped in food processor
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
4 oz cream cheese
tsp dry mustard
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Yellow mustard and pickles for garnish

Cook onion and garlic in a large skillet in olive oil until onion begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add tri-tip and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes and add cream cheese, mustard powder and chili powder. Cook until cream cheese is melted and all ingredients are well combined. Serve on a sandwich roll topped with mustard and pickles.

Pork Barbacoa Salad: Cafe Rio Style

This is one of my new favorite meals. I have to thank my friend Amanda for this knock off of a Cafe Rio recipe. I am not a fan of Cafe Rio, mainly because their food is not spicy and it taste like candy, so I was hesitant. My friend promised me that I would love this version, and that it is spicy and not too sweet. I trusted her, and I am so glad I did! Along with the pork barbacoa, I also made a Cafe Rio style rice recipe that I found in our church cookbook and then a version of the tomatillo dressing also from our church cookbook (the same one I made here). Together with all this I had black beans, fried yellow corn tortilla strips, shredded cheese, lettuce, and homemade taco bowls.

Pork Barbacoa

5-6 lb. pork roast
21 oz. Dr. Pepper (or Coke, do NOT use diet soda)
1 cup brown sugar ( I used 3/4 c)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
7 oz. can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
6-ish oz. red taco sauce (I used hot)
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place roast in crock-pot, cover half-way with water and cook on low for 12 hours. Do not be afraid of the long cooking times... it really does turn out. A good thing to do is start this before you go to bed at night. After 12 hours, drain pork
Mix remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. If you want it super spicy, you can add all the chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, but it will be super spicy, I did this, but I love spicy and it was perfect for me. (The chilies are found in the Mexican food aisle next to the other canned peppers). My friend did not keep the actual chilies, she dumped the can into a bowl and added enough Dr. Pepper to get all the sauce off of the chilies, then fished out the chilies and threw them out. She also rinsed out the can with Dr. Pepper for more adobo goodness.
Add Dr. Pepper mixture to the roast and cook on low an additional 4 hours. Shred roast, and cook for 2 more hours. At this point the meat was so tender it practically shredded itself.

Cafe Rio Style Rice

3 c water (or 6 if you are using a rice cooker)
4 tsp chicken bouillon (or about 2 cubes)
4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
1/2 onion
3 c rice
Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion together in a food processor. Bring water to a boil and add other ingredients. Simmer covered for 30 min. Or throw everything in a rice cooked, like I did.

Go here for the tomatillo dressing recipe

For the beans I just used canned black beans and heated them up in a sauce pan, liquid and all. The yellow corn tortilla strips were made from yellow corn tortillas (duh) and then deep fried at 375 for 5-6 minutes, then salted. The homemade tortilla bowls is my greatest invention yet. I used the cook your own tortillas from Wal-Mart or Costco, and squished into a oven safe bowl and baked it at 400 for about 10 minutes, it was perfect!

To assemble the salad and grab my taco bowl, filled it with lettuce and then layered it with the pork, rice, beans, cheese, dressing and tortilla strips. You can also load it all in a tortilla and eat it burrito style. It was all so good, I cried when I was full.

Oh, and this makes a lot of food, so be sure to invite a crowd over when you make it (and that better include me).

Ground Hog Burgers or Not-So-Sloppy-Joes and Homemade Fries

Happy Groundhogs day! My kids really get into holidays (okay maybe I really get into holidays) so we have had a themed day in celebration of Groundhogs Day! For breakfast we had ground hog-in-a-hole. You make these by buttering both sides of a piece of bread, cutting out a circle, laying it all on a frying pan at medium heat, cracking an egg in it, let it cook, flip, and let it finish cooking. We usually call these egg-in-a-hole, but we changed the name just for today.

Then, my son pointed out we had all brown food today, because for lunch we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread. For dinner, I had planned on making the Not-So-Sloppy-Joes, and mid day I realized I needed to change the name to Ground Hog Burgers! The funny thing about this is my son really thought it was groundhog meat, and he still ate it!

For dessert I made our traditional ground hog in dirt, which was basically the dirt recipe below this post, with a picture of a ground hog taped to the spoon.

With our Groundhog Burgers aka Not-So-Sloppy-Joes, we also made our homemade fries, so I will incude the recipe for that too.

Not-So-Sloppy-Joes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. 
2. Add the ground beef and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 12 minutes. 
3. Spoon onto the buns, sprinkle with the Cheddar, and top each sandwich with a dollop of the sour cream.

* I would leave out the cumin and cinnamon next time, and replace it with galic powder, it was a little too sweet for my liking. I also did not use the sour cream.   

Homemade Fries

4 or 5 russet potatoes

hot oil heated to 375, deep enough to completely cover the fries

steak seasoning

Slice up your potatoes in desired fry shape. Drop into oil for 3 minutes. Remove fries and drain on paper towels. Let the oil heat back up and the fries cool down. When oil is back up to 375, cook fries again for 4 more minutes. Remove onto paper towels and sprinkle with steak seasoning. Double frying the fries will make them nice and crispy. Now if only In-and-Out would learn this lesson...

Samburgers

I love hamburgers and I am always looking for different ways to make them. Tonight I tried a recipe from Our Best Bites for Samburgers. I am not sure where the name comes from, but they are basically hamburgers with a bunch of stuff mixed in the meat.  They were pretty good, but I am not a fan of A-1 sauce and I felt like it over powered the taste of the actual meat. These were fun to make, but I think this will be a one time recipe for me.

* Food tip: When making hamburgers, grab a circle cookie cutter that matches size of the patties you are wanting to make. Pack the meat into the cookie cutter and you will have perfectly shaped and compacted patties. This way, the patties don't fall apart when you cook them. Also, touch the burger as little as possible, as in, flip it only once if you can. The more you flip, the more juices come out, and the more likely it will fall apart!

Samburgers from Our Best Bites

1 ¼ lb. ground beef

3 Tbsp. A1 sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
¾ tsp. dry oregano
1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion

Combine ingredients.  Shape meat into patties. If you want big burgers shape into 4 patties, 6 for smaller patties. Grill for about 7 minutes on each side over medium (or until they're as non-pink as you want them.)