Thursday, July 19, 2012
side dish: brocolli vegetable casserole
Oh my, this is YUM! Even Joe and the girls adore it . . . I prepare this as a staple side dish anytime of year, and it goes perfectly with any type of meat, in my opinion. Steak, chicken or pork tenderloin especially. I apologize for no photo, I am working on that and next time I make it, I will add one. :) And what is irritating ME right now is that blogger doesn't let you do paragraphs anymore. It all just spools together, word after word. Booo!
Without further ado:
Brocolli Vegetable Casserole
Ingredients
4 cups of brocolli, lightly steamed (I've screwed this up before - lightly steamed in this recipe seriously means probably 5 minutes or less!)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup of sour cream
3/4 cup of diced sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of chopped celery
1 2oz. jar of pimentos
Salt & pepper to taste
Dash of tobasco
Directions
It doesn't get much simpler. Mix it carefully all together and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I'm baaaack!
Funny little story for you here . . .
A couple of days ago I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Well, I went to bed on the wrong side, and woke up on the wrong side, and I had some time that morning while the girls were playing for me to sit outside. I thought, maybe I need some vitamin D? I poured a glass of lemonade and hit the blue Adirondack chair, turned my face towards the sun, and took a few deep breaths. Then I remembered a book that I had gotten as a bridal shower gift from my friend's amazing beautiful mother. It is called Wide Open: On Living With Passion and Purpose. I flipped through it, reading parts of each chapter, skimming some parts, and got enveloped in the positive words I was reading. I knew I had to simply shift my thoughts, and my feelings would follow. More than anything, I knew something was missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on it for a few minutes, and it came to me. I missed writing for fun. Not in a marketing style as I tend to do on my photography blog, because I do get personal over there. But in a, what do you love, what do you do for fun, what do you do for pleasure style. And cooking and writing are those two things that I love that are not my work and not an actual requirement of my work (definitely the cooking part) . . . so here you have me again! And considering I am a fully 100% self-employed woman again, I cannot wait to share, share, share! I hope you come back and enjoy the journey with me. :) Next post - two of my absolutely favorite side dishes that you will want to incorporate into your go-to weekly menus!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
what to do with leftover flank steak . . . the best French Dips EVER!
You know, it's kind of funny that I have posted about leftovers now a couple of times because we really aren't a leftovers kind of family. Cooking is relaxing to me, and if I don't do it at night, unless I'm completely stressed, busy or sick, it feels as though a huge part of my day is missing. But, we also end up throwing a ton of leftovers away, and we are trying to be more conscious of what we can do with the mystery meat in the tin foil . . .
Flank steak is one of my favorites, for one because I LOVE steak probably more than any one food out there, and because it's quite lean. When we grill a flank steak, we marinade it in worcestershire sauce and Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning (sounds boring, but it's delish!). Joe grills it for maybe 7 minutes each side so it's nice and medium-rare in the middle. Because they are so big, unless we have company, we always have at least half of a slab leftover. Joe mentioned making French Dips, since it's so hard to throw away a good piece of meat, ya know? We have made French Dips plenty, but something about last night's rang true to us, and we decided they were blog worthy. Here's how we do it:
The MoJoe's French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
Leftover flank steak (or ribeye, or deli roast beef if making without leftovers)
About 2 cups of prepared Au Jus sauce (we buy Johnny's)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced thin
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Provolone cheese
Steak rolls
Garlic Mayonnaise (press 1 garlic clove through a press into about 2 tablespoons of good mayo)
Directions
Get your Au Jus sauce to a gentle simmer and toss in the meat just long enough to heat through (you don't want them in too long or the heat will cook the meat too much). Meanwhile, saute your fresh mushrooms and onion in about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the fresh garlic, salt and pepper to taste, cook until onions are soft and you have the texture you want. Prepare your garlic mayonnaise and set off to the side. Split your buns and broil them until just lightly toasted. Add your steak first, then mushrooms and onion, and then take one piece of provolone cheese, torn in half, and place on top. Place under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until cheese is just melted. On the other bun, spread the garlic mayonnaise evenly. Spoon the leftover Au Jus sauce into a wide enough bowl for dipping, and enjoy!
We realized last night the garlic mayonnaise is a HUGE part of what makes this taste so delicious. It is just a wonderful flavor to complement the bread, meat and Au Jus. We usually serve these with homemade french fries and an easy vegetable side for me.
So go get yourself a flank and enjoy two nights of amazingness! Enjoy!
Flank steak is one of my favorites, for one because I LOVE steak probably more than any one food out there, and because it's quite lean. When we grill a flank steak, we marinade it in worcestershire sauce and Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning (sounds boring, but it's delish!). Joe grills it for maybe 7 minutes each side so it's nice and medium-rare in the middle. Because they are so big, unless we have company, we always have at least half of a slab leftover. Joe mentioned making French Dips, since it's so hard to throw away a good piece of meat, ya know? We have made French Dips plenty, but something about last night's rang true to us, and we decided they were blog worthy. Here's how we do it:
The MoJoe's French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
Leftover flank steak (or ribeye, or deli roast beef if making without leftovers)
About 2 cups of prepared Au Jus sauce (we buy Johnny's)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced thin
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Provolone cheese
Steak rolls
Garlic Mayonnaise (press 1 garlic clove through a press into about 2 tablespoons of good mayo)
Directions
Get your Au Jus sauce to a gentle simmer and toss in the meat just long enough to heat through (you don't want them in too long or the heat will cook the meat too much). Meanwhile, saute your fresh mushrooms and onion in about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the fresh garlic, salt and pepper to taste, cook until onions are soft and you have the texture you want. Prepare your garlic mayonnaise and set off to the side. Split your buns and broil them until just lightly toasted. Add your steak first, then mushrooms and onion, and then take one piece of provolone cheese, torn in half, and place on top. Place under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until cheese is just melted. On the other bun, spread the garlic mayonnaise evenly. Spoon the leftover Au Jus sauce into a wide enough bowl for dipping, and enjoy!
We realized last night the garlic mayonnaise is a HUGE part of what makes this taste so delicious. It is just a wonderful flavor to complement the bread, meat and Au Jus. We usually serve these with homemade french fries and an easy vegetable side for me.
So go get yourself a flank and enjoy two nights of amazingness! Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
victoria's secret angels . . . and ribs!
We tuned in tonight to the Victoria's Secret Angels fashion show, and I thought it was a little humorous that we were sitting down to ribs, onion shortcake and japanese salad. :) This is one of my most favorite meals evah, and in honor of NOT looking like a model, I thought it would be a good night to share . . .
Spicy Barbeque Ribs
Ingredients
1 rack of pork baby back ribs
McCormick Pork Rub
Your favorite spicy barbeque sauce, with a few dashes of tobasco added
Okay, this recipe is so simple, and you can use any old sauce you want, as long as you like it. Another sauce I love on my ribs is to mix a sweet chili sauce with a few tablespoons of soy sauce and brown sugar. Joe is a big fan of the spicy barbeque, though. Eventually I will learn to make my own homemade, but for now we use a spicy honey sauce.
Directions
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Generously rub both sides of the ribs with the pork rub on a thick baking sheet, and bake for 2 1/2 hours or longer, bone side down (duh). Move to the grill over medium-high heat, and grill on each side for approximately 5-6 minutes each, brushing well with the barbeque sauce on both sides. Be careful not to grill for too long or the sauce will burn, but we love a little crisp at the same time. Serve with lots of napkins and plan on licking your fingers a ton.
Onion Shortcake
Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup butter
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix (the original, small, cute little box)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 cup creamed corn
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup cheddar cheese
Directions
Slice and saute the onion in the butter over medium-low heat (I turn it up to medium once a good saute is going and the butter is all melted and incorporated in. You want them cooked until nice and soft.) Beat the egg in a mixing bowl and add the muffin mix, milk and creamed corn. Pour this mixture into an 8 x 8 buttered pan. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, salt, dill weed, 1/2 the cheese and the onion mixture. Spread over the batter, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Note: Do not stir the sour cream mixture into the muffin mixture, as much as you want to and because it's easier. I usually just dump gollops of it all over the top and then use a rubber spatula to spread it out. It settles into the muffin mixture in the oven. Oh, and it's fabulous.
Japanese Salad
Ingredients
1 small head of cabbage, sliced
6 green onions, sliced
1 package Chicken Top Ramen noodles, crushed
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon butter
Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Seasoning packet from the Top Ramen noodles
Directions
Mix all salad dressing ingredients and refridgerate. Brown the crushed noodles, almonds and sesame seeds in butter. Drain on a paper towl and allow to cool. Toss the cabbage with the onions. Add noodles, almonds and sesame seeds, and toss with salad dressing. Note: This can also be made with a couple of cooked and cubed chicken breasts added in for a heavier, protein-filled salad. It's one of my favorites either way.
Whew! Well, that was dinner tonight. We are definitely straying away from our meal plan we originally had going on, but it's because I didn't get to the grocery store for what I needed to do what we'd planned. Last night we had an amazing herb-crusted pork tenderloin with a zucchini primavera and some simple steamed green beans. The tenderloin and primavera are absolutely blog-worthy and will be coming soon. The tenderloin is an Ina Garten recipe, and the primavera is actually a Pampered Chef recipe. YUM! Good thing those angels spoiled my appetite for the rest of the night ;)
Spicy Barbeque Ribs
Ingredients
1 rack of pork baby back ribs
McCormick Pork Rub
Your favorite spicy barbeque sauce, with a few dashes of tobasco added
Okay, this recipe is so simple, and you can use any old sauce you want, as long as you like it. Another sauce I love on my ribs is to mix a sweet chili sauce with a few tablespoons of soy sauce and brown sugar. Joe is a big fan of the spicy barbeque, though. Eventually I will learn to make my own homemade, but for now we use a spicy honey sauce.
Directions
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Generously rub both sides of the ribs with the pork rub on a thick baking sheet, and bake for 2 1/2 hours or longer, bone side down (duh). Move to the grill over medium-high heat, and grill on each side for approximately 5-6 minutes each, brushing well with the barbeque sauce on both sides. Be careful not to grill for too long or the sauce will burn, but we love a little crisp at the same time. Serve with lots of napkins and plan on licking your fingers a ton.
Onion Shortcake
Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup butter
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix (the original, small, cute little box)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 cup creamed corn
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup cheddar cheese
Directions
Slice and saute the onion in the butter over medium-low heat (I turn it up to medium once a good saute is going and the butter is all melted and incorporated in. You want them cooked until nice and soft.) Beat the egg in a mixing bowl and add the muffin mix, milk and creamed corn. Pour this mixture into an 8 x 8 buttered pan. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, salt, dill weed, 1/2 the cheese and the onion mixture. Spread over the batter, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Note: Do not stir the sour cream mixture into the muffin mixture, as much as you want to and because it's easier. I usually just dump gollops of it all over the top and then use a rubber spatula to spread it out. It settles into the muffin mixture in the oven. Oh, and it's fabulous.
Japanese Salad
Ingredients
1 small head of cabbage, sliced
6 green onions, sliced
1 package Chicken Top Ramen noodles, crushed
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon butter
Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Seasoning packet from the Top Ramen noodles
Directions
Mix all salad dressing ingredients and refridgerate. Brown the crushed noodles, almonds and sesame seeds in butter. Drain on a paper towl and allow to cool. Toss the cabbage with the onions. Add noodles, almonds and sesame seeds, and toss with salad dressing. Note: This can also be made with a couple of cooked and cubed chicken breasts added in for a heavier, protein-filled salad. It's one of my favorites either way.
Whew! Well, that was dinner tonight. We are definitely straying away from our meal plan we originally had going on, but it's because I didn't get to the grocery store for what I needed to do what we'd planned. Last night we had an amazing herb-crusted pork tenderloin with a zucchini primavera and some simple steamed green beans. The tenderloin and primavera are absolutely blog-worthy and will be coming soon. The tenderloin is an Ina Garten recipe, and the primavera is actually a Pampered Chef recipe. YUM! Good thing those angels spoiled my appetite for the rest of the night ;)
Sunday, November 27, 2011
what I did with leftover turkey : )
YUM! I found this recipe a few days ago on Food Network and I have modified it a little bit . . . the original recipe can be found here, but exactly what I did is below:
Turkey Vegetable Soup with Stuffing Dumplings
Ingredients
Carcass from one 12-14 pound roasted turkey, picked clean
2 large onions, one quartered and one chopped
4 peeled carrots, 2 coarsely chopped and 2 sliced
4 stalks celery, 2coarsely chopped and 2 sliced
6 garlic cloves, 4 minced and 2 chopped
1 bay leaf
10 whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons Kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups leftover stuffing
1 tablespoon of thyme leaves
2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat
Directions
Put the turkey carcass, quartered onions, coarsely chopped carrots and celery, smashed garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt in a large stockpot and add enough cold water to just cover, about 2 quarts. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and strain the solids from the broth. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and reserve; you should have about 10-12 cups broth.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper together until smooth. Add the stuffing and mix until well combined; cover and reserve.
Wipe the stockpot clean with a paper towel. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced carrots and celery, thyme and 2 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon vegetable base. Stir well to combine. Add reserved broth and bring to a simmer; cook until vegetables are just soft, about 10 minutes. (This is where I added another tablespoon of kosher salt - taste before you do this as the bouillon base is quite salty.)
Roll level tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into balls with wet hands (see note) and drop into the simmering soup; cook until dumplings float, 3-4 minutes. Gently stir in the turkey meat and season with salt and pepper, and simmer until heated through. Adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper to taste. It should be very flavorful. Serve immediately.
Note: Moistness of stuffing can vary; if the dumpling dough is too soft to roll, add flour a teaspoon at a time until it is firm enough to hold its shape while rolling.
This soup was soooo delicious! I did boil some egg noodles and added them at the very end, but it could do without as well, and the original recipe does not call for any pasta or rice. If you do choose to add egg noodles, consider the country style noodles that come in a bag as they don't fall apart as much. We had this soup with leftover homemade croissants. One thing I will point out is that the stuffing dumplings do have a "mush" texture to them similar to what the bread in a bowl of french onion soup has. Joe mentioned he would enjoy the soup more without the stuffing dumplings, but the stuffing was just too good so the texture didn't bother me or change my opinion on the flavor of the dish.
Tonight we are making pork burgers with grilled anaheim chili peppers . . . it is a recipe I got years ago out of a Food & Wine magazine and they are to die for. Homemade french fries and zucchini will accompany, and I will definitely share these recipes soon!
Happy Sunday!
Turkey Vegetable Soup with Stuffing Dumplings
Ingredients
Carcass from one 12-14 pound roasted turkey, picked clean
2 large onions, one quartered and one chopped
4 peeled carrots, 2 coarsely chopped and 2 sliced
4 stalks celery, 2coarsely chopped and 2 sliced
6 garlic cloves, 4 minced and 2 chopped
1 bay leaf
10 whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons Kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups leftover stuffing
1 tablespoon of thyme leaves
2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat
Directions
Put the turkey carcass, quartered onions, coarsely chopped carrots and celery, smashed garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt in a large stockpot and add enough cold water to just cover, about 2 quarts. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and strain the solids from the broth. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and reserve; you should have about 10-12 cups broth.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper together until smooth. Add the stuffing and mix until well combined; cover and reserve.
Wipe the stockpot clean with a paper towel. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced carrots and celery, thyme and 2 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon vegetable base. Stir well to combine. Add reserved broth and bring to a simmer; cook until vegetables are just soft, about 10 minutes. (This is where I added another tablespoon of kosher salt - taste before you do this as the bouillon base is quite salty.)
Roll level tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into balls with wet hands (see note) and drop into the simmering soup; cook until dumplings float, 3-4 minutes. Gently stir in the turkey meat and season with salt and pepper, and simmer until heated through. Adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper to taste. It should be very flavorful. Serve immediately.
Note: Moistness of stuffing can vary; if the dumpling dough is too soft to roll, add flour a teaspoon at a time until it is firm enough to hold its shape while rolling.
This soup was soooo delicious! I did boil some egg noodles and added them at the very end, but it could do without as well, and the original recipe does not call for any pasta or rice. If you do choose to add egg noodles, consider the country style noodles that come in a bag as they don't fall apart as much. We had this soup with leftover homemade croissants. One thing I will point out is that the stuffing dumplings do have a "mush" texture to them similar to what the bread in a bowl of french onion soup has. Joe mentioned he would enjoy the soup more without the stuffing dumplings, but the stuffing was just too good so the texture didn't bother me or change my opinion on the flavor of the dish.
Tonight we are making pork burgers with grilled anaheim chili peppers . . . it is a recipe I got years ago out of a Food & Wine magazine and they are to die for. Homemade french fries and zucchini will accompany, and I will definitely share these recipes soon!
Happy Sunday!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
welcome, finally!
Yay, yay, yay! As if I didn't have enough to do, I went ahead and started a food and wine blog because that's how much I love them. I want to eat them, I want to drink them, and I want to write about them. : ) If you don't follow my photography blog, here are some things to know about me other than that I am a wedding and boudoir photographer, a mother to two beautiful little girls, Ava and Stella, a partner to the most fabulous man I know, Joe, and I live in beautiful southwest Montana. Here we go - 10 things to know about my love affair with cooking. . .
1. It started a few weeks after Ava was born when my mom came out to Bozeman to meet her. She is an avid cooker herself, so together we created dishes and enjoyed them night after night for two weeks solid. To this day my favorite time of the day is when it's time to pour a glass of pinot, turn on some good acoustic music, and start the stove.
2. My favorite recipe websites are Food Network, Food.com, myrecipes.com, and Food and Wine.
3. The only food I absolutely will not touch is walnuts.
4. My favorite food is Italian. Rich, creamy pastas, meatballs, cheese, ahhhhh.
5. Despite this, I have recently changed my diet to avoid most carbs, but it lets me indulge without guilt when I do make a pasta dish the main course.
6. I am a horrible, horrible baker. I've recently tried to use wax paper instead of parchment paper in the oven, forgotten to add butter to the crumb part of apple crisp, and have never, ever been able to get homemade cookies to rise.
7. Our favorite dishes we go back to over and over again are lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, beef stroganoff, vodka sauce with grilled chicken, chicken enchiladas, beef and chicken fajitas, and my all-time favorite meal in the whole world . . . a ribeye steak, grilled to perfection at medium-rare by Joe, and served with sauteed mushrooms, a twice-baked potato, and always red wine.
8. This week I have dedicated myself to a menu of brand new recipes I have never made (much to Joe's despair . . . this doesn't always turn out that well). This week on the menu is Chicken Tetrazzini, Turkey Soup with Stuffing Dumplings, Chinese-Style Baby Back Ribs, Linguine with Lobster and Shrimp Scampi, and a Maple and Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin recipe I got from a fellow food-lover and friend of mine, Katie.
9. We love our red wine and recently just wrapped up a Thanksgiving visit with Joe's parents, who are serious wine lovers, almost experts it seems. They have a beautiful wine cellar and we will be turning a portion of our basement into one as well. I'll keep you posted. ;) We are hoping to start in 2012!
10. I am so, so excited to be sharing this blog with you! Stay tuned for lots of recipes, cooking stories, photos and suggestions!
Bon Appetit!
1. It started a few weeks after Ava was born when my mom came out to Bozeman to meet her. She is an avid cooker herself, so together we created dishes and enjoyed them night after night for two weeks solid. To this day my favorite time of the day is when it's time to pour a glass of pinot, turn on some good acoustic music, and start the stove.
2. My favorite recipe websites are Food Network, Food.com, myrecipes.com, and Food and Wine.
3. The only food I absolutely will not touch is walnuts.
4. My favorite food is Italian. Rich, creamy pastas, meatballs, cheese, ahhhhh.
5. Despite this, I have recently changed my diet to avoid most carbs, but it lets me indulge without guilt when I do make a pasta dish the main course.
6. I am a horrible, horrible baker. I've recently tried to use wax paper instead of parchment paper in the oven, forgotten to add butter to the crumb part of apple crisp, and have never, ever been able to get homemade cookies to rise.
7. Our favorite dishes we go back to over and over again are lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, beef stroganoff, vodka sauce with grilled chicken, chicken enchiladas, beef and chicken fajitas, and my all-time favorite meal in the whole world . . . a ribeye steak, grilled to perfection at medium-rare by Joe, and served with sauteed mushrooms, a twice-baked potato, and always red wine.
8. This week I have dedicated myself to a menu of brand new recipes I have never made (much to Joe's despair . . . this doesn't always turn out that well). This week on the menu is Chicken Tetrazzini, Turkey Soup with Stuffing Dumplings, Chinese-Style Baby Back Ribs, Linguine with Lobster and Shrimp Scampi, and a Maple and Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin recipe I got from a fellow food-lover and friend of mine, Katie.
9. We love our red wine and recently just wrapped up a Thanksgiving visit with Joe's parents, who are serious wine lovers, almost experts it seems. They have a beautiful wine cellar and we will be turning a portion of our basement into one as well. I'll keep you posted. ;) We are hoping to start in 2012!
10. I am so, so excited to be sharing this blog with you! Stay tuned for lots of recipes, cooking stories, photos and suggestions!
Bon Appetit!
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