Sunday, May 8, 2011

Spice Up Your Sunday Morning!

Breakfast For Two

Ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • Italian sausage (2 patties worth)
  • 4 slices of bread
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 slices of cheese
What to do
  • Scramble 2 eggs in a patty, season with salt and pepper (do this twice, once for each sandwich)
  • In another pan cook the 2 sausage patties until done, add a slice of cheese to each sausage patty towards the end
  • Toast 4 pieces of toast 
  • Stack the sausage and eggs in between the slices of bread and enjoy!

Recipe from: Holly and TJ

Grillin it Up!

You ever have a busy week you're dreading and know you won't have time to cook?  If so, here's what you do Sunday night.  You grill up a bunch of food so you have left overs. :) 

Cheeseburgers to die for!

Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • Montreal steak seasoning, a little of montreal spicy steak seasoning too to taste
  • Worchestershire sauce 
  • Burger buns 
  • Slices of cheese
What to do
  • Work your ground beef into 4-5 patties, then top with montreal steak seasoning, a little montreal spicy steak seasoning, and a little worchestershire sauce for seasoning on each side.
  • Light the grill (we recommend charcoal and a chimney lighter for the best flavor), clean the grill and get the temperature right.  For more info on grilling see my post on the best steak ever.
  • Grill on each side for 3-4 minutes, add a slice of cheese to each burger during the last 30 seconds (it should still be pink in the center)-be sure the grill's not too hot, remove onto a plate and cover to keep them warm.
  • Toast your burger buns and serve.  
  • I recommend serving these with a side of sauted veggies. Enjoy!!


Super Tasty and Juicy Pork Chops

Ingredients
  • 4 pork chops
  • The marinade of your choice (we use black peppercorn tonight)
What to do 
  • Marinate the pork chops for 30 minutes or overnight (I used black peppercorn marinade).
  • Prep the grill, grill for about 5-6 minutes per side. When you flip them be sure to add some more marinade on them-keep them juicy. Use a thermometer to make sure they are done (150 degrees).
  • Remove from grill and keep warm or if you are saving these for another night, let cool down and then place into a tupperware container for dinner tomorrow night!  
  • I recommend a side salad or some veggies with this dish.  Enjoy!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Quick and Easy!

Super Fast Steak Salad

Ingredients
  • 1 pound of steak, cut into bite size pieces
  • EVOO (2 tablespoons)
  • Garlic Powder (1/2 teaspoon)
  • Onion Powder (1/2 teaspoon)
  • A pinch of ground red pepper (if you want some heat)
  • Salt and Pepper (a pinch of each)
  • Lettuce (whatever type you like best)
  • Mushrooms, diced
  • Carrots, diced
  • Cherry Tomatoes, diced
  • Any other veggies and salad toppers you prefer
How To Make It
  •  In a small mixing bowl, combine your EVOO, garlic powder, onion powder, ground red pepper, and salt and pepper.  Mix together.
  • Add the steak bite sized pieces into the mixture and coat them evenly.  
  • Add to you pan on the stove and brown but leave it pink in the middle (about 2 minutes per side or so). Remove from stove.
  • In a small, put a handful of lettuce, then top with your veggies (however much you'd like), then top it off with some pieces of steak.  
  • Choose whatever salad dressing you prefer to top it off. :)
  • Tip for left overs: put your veggies and steak in a small sandwich bag, your lettuce in a Tupperware container with room for the toppings, and bring your salad dressing separate.  This way it still tastes fresh tomorrow!



Recipe: Holly's Creation

What's Your Favorite Comfort Food?

  •  Mac and cheese
  • Chili
  • Meatloaf
  • Chicken Soup
  • Apple Pie
  • Chicken and Dumplings
  • Banana Pudding
  • Spaghetti
  • Other:  ________

My favorite comfort food is homemade mac and cheese with bits of ham in it! :)

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Taste Buds Have No Sight

Sometimes when we try a new recipe it may taste great but not look so wonderful.  This is one of those times.  :) To say the least this is not a recipe for beginners or the light of heart in the kitchen.

Spanish Style Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
  • 1 Quart chicken stock
  • 2 pinches saffron
  • 2 tablespoons EVOO
  • 3/4 pound chorizo casing removed or italian sausage
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast diced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 bay leaf fresh or dried
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3/4 pound mushrooms
  • 2 rounded tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup sherry
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 small box biscuit mix (Jiffy)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
 What to Do

1)  In a small pot bring chicken stock and saffron to a boil, then simmer and let it steep while you prepare the rest of the meal.
2) In a large deep pan or dutch oven heat the EVOO on medium-high, add the chorizo or sausage and brown it.
3) Add chicken and lightly brown
4) Add onion, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and mushrooms for about five minutes heat these through.
5) Throw peas in the pot and add saffron mixture, stir.
6) While vegetables soften, mix parsley, jiffy/biscuit mix, and paprika.  Next, add fluids as instructed on the box (be careful not to add too much fluid).
7) CAREFUL: Add 8 small balls of dough to the top of the pot (be careful-I'd use a 2 spoons with flour on them; if you use your hands you won't get the right shape and it will mess up the sauces mixture and texture).
8) Cook with a tight lid on top for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve in a shallow dish (2 dumplings per bowl).  Serves 4.



Recipe from: Rachael Ray w/slight modifications

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Perfect Steak!

Ingredients
  • 2-4 Ribeyes about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
  • Worchestershire sauce
  • Montreal steak seasoning
  • Spicy montreal steak seasoning 
  • Veggies or a salad for a side
The BEST Grilling Tips Ever:
  • Marinate your steaks for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for best flavor
  • The marinate should include: put some montreal steak seasoning on each steak (both sides); then add just a little of the spicy montreal seasoning (only one side) for some kick; top it off with some worchestershire sauce (enough to coat it on each side).  
  • Prep the grill: we use charcoal because it gives you LOADS of flavor.  We also recommend using a charcoal chimney to light the coal without any chemicals.  Just use paper, newspaper, or paper towels to light the coals using the charcoal chimney. 
  • After the coals are hot, dump them into the grill and put the grate on and the top (making sure the holes on top and on bottom are open).  
  • After about 5 minutes, go and scrape your grate off to make sure it's clean using your grill scraper (metal bristles). Now your grill is hot and ready.
  • Close the holes on top and bottom about half way (you don't want to burn your steak).  After about 5 minutes, it's time to cook those steaks.  For every 1/2 inch thickness, you'll want to cook your steak about 5 minutes per side for a medium well steak. Keep a close eye so you don't burn them!
  • Serve them up with some corn on the cob, veggies, or a nice side salad.  



Recipe from: Holly and TJ

Pork Tenderloin Medallions w/Marsala Sauce & Pasta

Ingredients
  • Pork tenderloin x2
  • Flour (1 cup)
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Olive Oil (2 tablespoons)
  • Butter ( 4 tablespoons)
  • Cremini Mushrooms (4 cups)
  • Marsala Wine (1 cup)
  • Chicken Stock (1 cup)
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • Farfalle Noodles (1 box)
How to Make it

1) Bring some water to a boil in a large sauce pan for your noodles. Use some salt to season the water. Cook noodles to al dente. 
2) Cut the pork tenderloin into 2 inch pieces.  Take a piece of saran wrap and pound into 1/8 inches thick. 
3) Season the pork with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour on both sides.
4) Warm 2 tablespoons of EVOO on medium to high heat.  Place the pork and brown on both sides (cook all the way through).  Put to the side and cover with foil.  Do this until all your pork is cooked.
5) Add 4 tablespoons butter to the same pan.   Once the butter begins to melt, add your mushrooms.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
6) After 3 minutes, add the chopped garlic.  Continue browning mushrooms another 5-6 minutes.
7) Add 2 tablespoons flour to the mushrooms and cook for one minute more.
8) Add 1 cup of marsala wine.  Cook until the wine begins to reduce (about 1 minute).
9) Add 1 cup of chicken stock.  Bring to boil.  Add pork back to mixture.  Cook until heated through.
10) Serve over noodles. 

Recipe from: Rachael Ray.