Beef Brisket And Burger Stove Top Chili

First, this is NOT my Buffalo Dick's competition chili! This is home chili, using what good ingredients I have on hand! I use basic ingredients integral to my first string chili, but with certain variations....
In a large pot, place the following:
1. 1 can diced tomatoes
2. 1 can red beans, drained
3. 1 medium onion, diced large
4. 1 blanched tomato, skin off, chopped
5. 1 can beef broth, 6 oz. of V-8 juice, 4oz of POM pomegranate pure juice
6. 2 chopped Jalapeno peppers, diced fine
7. 4 tablespoons of mild dark chili powder
8. 2 " " chopped garlic
9. 1 " " Mexican oregano
10. Start all this on stove top until simmering
11. Brown 1LB. ground beef, seasoned with chili powder, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, ground, toasted cumin to taste.. to sweeten a bit use brown sugar, or some jelly, honey, etc.( about 1 big tablespoon)
12. Drain and add to chili
13. Add chopped beef brisket(already cooked)
14. Simmer all until tender, uncovered until proper thickness
15. Add 1 tablespoon of Cholula(Pequin pepper) hot sauce, and 1 teaspoon of cumin 20 min. before serving
16. Top with a soft mild cheese(shredded) with a side of Tortilla chips..
The people at POM were kind enough to send out samples of their fine product to me. I incorporated it into a delicious chili, and plan to do a salsa and BBQ sauce using it also!

Thin Cut Pork Steaks And Butter Noodles

I like a thin cut pork steak, as I usually quick pan fry them in real butter. By not cooking them forever, they come out pretty tender..with a higher fat content than a pork chop, they stay a bit juicier, too!
We had some no yolk egg noodles, that we discussed doing either Alfredo, or just buttered with parsley sprinkled on.. The buttered noodle won, and went well with the pork.
I used to run big Super Bowl parties at the club I belong to, but got tired of feeding 100+ people,, then cleaning up... Today, I'll stay home, watch the game, and hope I win the few bets I made!

An Egg McMuffin, Before The World Ever Had One!

As I have mentioned before, I grew up in a West Michigan Dutch background.. My Grampa Jake went to a neighborhood bakery twice a week to get cracked wheat bread and cookies.. Oatmeal raisin cookies, hot from the oven are still hard to beat! About once a week, my mom would dump me off at his house(1/2 block away!) to go do mom stuff.. I think he could only cook oatmeal, eggs, and tea- as that all I remember him eating while I was around! A fried egg sandwich was a staple- and I liked them! As I got older, I started cooking- but wanted to dress up this plain Jane sammich! I added cheese, then later, ham- still using a grain bread, unfried.
With the wife still working a goofy shift, I made a two fried egg, one piece of cheese, two slices of ham in a sandwich on whole wheat... That brought back memories of simpler days.. Good food grounds you. Good food brings back memories of times when you were hungry, and devoured simple things done well. Escargot are great, and I love many gourmet dishes- but anything that helps you remember where you came from should never be lost!
Share with us your humble meal while growing up.. there is nothing to be ashamed of, and a lot to be proud of!

German Chocolate Cake- Kind Of...

We like to keep a sweet in the house, for when the sugar attack hits. The carrot cake was gone, so I decided to whip up a quick dessert. I had a box mix for German Chocolate cake, and a frosting mix that was pecan and coconut..I had some left over dried, sweetened cranberries, and some walnuts left- so I threw them in the batter! It came out tasty...usually all people throw in a cake is some chocolate chips, so this was kind of different- in a good way!
Wife goes on normal schedule starting next week, so food postings should start being a little more regular, and hopefully interesting!

Oven Beef Brisket Prepared Like BB-Q Brisket- Except Indoors!

Saturday, I took a thawed beef brisket weighing 7.8lbs, trimmed it a bit, and dry rubbed it generously with coarse salt,coarse pepper,garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, various herbs and spices, with a splash of Worcestershire sauce- and placed it in the fridge overnight. People are often intimidated by this cut of meat. Not cooked long enough, you could beat someone to death with it. Cooked too long, and it doesn't cut well, gets dry, and shreds instead of cuts...
I learned to do brisket in an offset fire box smoker from a guy who won that category at our State cook-off. 215F unwrapped for 5 hours, 5 hours wrapped, rest for 45 minutes.
Too cold to smoke outdoors Sunday, I decided to try a technique in the oven very similar- but different!
I took the brisket out of the fridge an hour before cooking, slathered it in in mustard and Worcestershire sauce, with another hit of seasoning. Placed in an aluminum pan, I poured a can of beef broth in the bottom for moisture. I baked at 390F for 1-1/4 hour uncovered, allowing a nice flavored crust to form, then turned it down to 315F tightly covered with aluminum foil for 3-1/2 hrs. Removed from oven, I opened the foil and let the meat rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Sliced beautifully, with a tender, moist, flavorful taste. The sauce was a mix of K.C., Asian, and a touch more of Worcestershire sauce in it.
Leftovers for sandwiches tonight!

Loaded Chicken Breast

Knowing we were to have a 7-1/2 lb. beef brisket Sunday, I steered clear of beef Saturday.. Two huge chicken breasts were seasoned and covered with cheddar cheese and bacon, after they had roasted until done.. One was enough to split with wife, other will be converted into chicken salad! We are still on a weird schedule, but doing what we can to enjoy food when possible! Our freezer is stocked, our pantry is full- so good things could be happening in the next couple of weeks..
I have never done a brisket in the oven before, even though I have taken 3rd and 4th in the Brisket category in the State BB-Q cook-off... We'll see how I did in the next post!
P.S.- Crappy photo...sorry!

The Best Kind Of Pizza- Free!

Well, not exactly... a couple of months back, I ordered a pizza from my go to pizza joint- Florentines'.. two blocks from my house, we have had nothing but great pizza, delivered on time(or earlier!) for almost 20 years! Except the last time... Told it would be here in 1/2 hour, it came 1/2 hour late.. cold and pretty much inedible. I'm not the sort who complains to hear my own voice, but over 20 years, you'd think we had formed what I call a bond... I called up and asked for the manager.. a woman came to the phone and wanted to know the problem. I did not recognize her voice, and had never seen a woman in charge of this place. She proceeded to tell me she had been in charge the whole time- which I know was B.S... She was quite short with me, and said she would send out a gift certificate to cover the cost of the pizza.. We finally received it, and plan to use it tonight, as it's colder than all get out and we don't want to grocery shop! After watching some of those shows on TV where employees do nasty things to your food- I'm a little nervous!

Steak And Vegetable Soup, A Winter Warming Meal

Yesterday was a typical cold winter's day, some snow, some wind, and gray skies...I had a smattering of veggies due for replacement, and wanted to use them up. A warming thought of a hearty beef vegetable soup sounded like just the ticket!
A slow cooker is ideal for soup making- long low heat, allowing all the flavors to meld and become just the right texture...
1 large potato, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 LB beef, cubed
1 large tomato, chopped
24oz of low sodium beef broth
6 oz of V-8 juice(really!)
salt, black pepper,garlic, herbs and spices to taste
All in slow cooker together, on high heat setting for 1-1/2 hr., on low for 5hrs.
Add 1/2 cup of thick brown gravy (optional)for a thicker broth
Soups on!
I also made those crescent rolls everybody eats, but nobody admits to.. was going to make mini cheddar cheese sandwiches out of them, but wife just wanted them with butter!

Whole New York Strip Loin , Cut To Your Liking..

You know how? You buy one on sale, and cut it up yourself! I bought a close to 7.8lb. cyropacked boneless NY strip loin, cut it into various sized steaks, and one small roast- all hand cut and trimmed by me... That pile of meat you are looking at in the photo only cost $27.14! One skinny one will be pan fried for son today in the form of two steak sandwiches, three of the less attractive ones will become Monday's steak and potato soup, and the rest will be frozen.
Friday we were out of town, and Saturday wife worked and I was sick, so lack of food posts hopefully explained..

An Old Memory, Jogged Into A Post!

In my senior year in high school, I only needed three classes to graduate. They had them spaced so I had to be there all day! The only out, was to have a job you had to be to in the afternoon... I had a part time job that started at 4:30PM. I had to get the employer to sign a slip saying it was OK for me to have all my classes in the morning.. By withholding the actual facts from both sides, gave me from 11:30AM until 4:30PM as personal time for an entire school year! It was Heaven! I would go and play paddleball at the local Y.M.C.A. with businessmen on their lunch hours, take a sauna, shower, and go home, ready to go to work- where I was the night desk man, and could do my homework! I have been outfoxing the "by the book" types all my life! It started even earlier than this..My friends would only shake their heads trying to figure out how I got away with the stuff I did! One of my son's was pretty good at it too...

Screwed Up Schedule Food Post

My wife is going through a change in her job..it's a promotion, but the schedule has been changing darn near daily... Food has been hit and miss. Two days we had a late breakfast, and no dinner to speak of. Friday she had off, as she had to work Saturday... Son has had his schedule changed, too! We had my son and his girlfriend over for waffles, and all went to that country market I've written about before- Bird's. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts- $1.49 a lb., Hamburger- $1.49 a lb., New York Strip (whole loin) $3.29 a lb., pork steak- $1.09 a lb., etc... Saved a bunch of money and gave quite a bit to my son- who is really starting to get into cookiing!
Saturday we just had hot dogs with cheese and bacon(we call them frankcheesies!), and I made a very interesting dessert for Sunday.
Imagine a cracker crumb crust, can of pumpkin pie, 4 eggs, 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 can of coconut milk(really!)white sugar, pumpkin pie spices, and salt. Baked according to can instructions, but the last 10 minutes I topped with shredded sweetened coconut until toasted... It was really good! Why coconut milk? Because the recipe called for two cans of evaporated milk, and I only had one! I'm glad I tried this, as it was a new twist to an old favorite- pumpkin pie! If that cake pan looks old and beat up, it's because it is! It was my moms, and has to be 50 yrs. old...

America, The Melting Pot- A Mini-Meme!

If you are an American, your ancestors didn't move here from wherever because things were going so well for them in the country they immigrated from! This led to a tremendously diverse ethnic population, which met, married, went forth, was fruitful, and multiplied.. It created the "melting pot" of people in this country today.. Face it, most Americans who have been here for more than 100 years are mutts! This is our strength, not a weakness! It also has given us a cuisine that is diverse, and probably the most varied in the world today.. Where I am going with this today, is the normal two part Mini-meme- two questions..
1. What is your favorite food that reflects your ancestry?
2. What is your favorite food that has no connection with your ancestry?
Me first!
1. My background is mainly Dutch, and my hands down favorite from that country is Gouda cheese! It comes in mild, medium, and sharp- with medium being my personal favorite. Edam is another cheese I favor, but Gouda (pronounced Gouw-da, not Gooda!)is a big export item from the Netherlands. American made is not as good as the real deal..
2. Pasta- I have no Chinese(where it first came from)or Italian (where they perfected it!)blood in me whatsoever! I love the sauces, the various shapes of pasta, and of course- our most popular food, Pizza! It's a rare week where we don't have pasta or pizza at least once..
Love to hear your answers, it doesn't take long!

Hot Turkey Open Face Sandwich, With Gravy

Then we start on the turkey leftovers, the first thing we usually have is a hot turkey sandwich! This is my wife's idea of a great meal! I prefer cold sandwiches, but a warming meal these winter days is always welcome! I make a jack-leg gravy from the broth of the turkey, and a dry mix of chicken and brown gravy powder...This gravy is good, quick, and in different proportions works on pork as well. My broth was simmered and seasoned for about four hours, with poultry seasoning and a bit of dried savory spices and herbs. The bread was a home made white and rye flour mix, toasted, which held up well to the moistness of the toppings.. I made some crescent rolls- just because they sounded good!
Wife had her work schedule changed again, so she took a turkey and cheese sandwich along with her today for supper.. I'll have a similar bite to eat later today!

Sunday Supper- Bone In Turkey Breast

Saturday, I decided the weather wasn't getting any warmer to allow BB-Q, so I thawed and brined a bone-in Turkey breast I had for a while..
The brine was simple and basic- 1 cup of Kosher salt, 1/2 cup of white sugar with enough hot water to have them dissolve, cold water(enough to cover bird) and in goes the turkey breast for 16 hours (refrigerated).
I cooked it breast side up, coated with olive oil, and threw a cut up apple in the cavity for moistness. Took 3 hours, counting rest time after cooking. It came out very moist and flavorful! 1 hour before done, I threw some potatoes in the same roasting pan, so they would be done at the same time as the bird..
Dessert was a chocolate cake, home made frosting, sprinkled with cinnamon- pretty good!
I see more than one turkey sandwich in my future this week...
The last photo is an Airedale that really loves turkey!

Retro Meal..When We Were First Married..

I started to learn to cook back when my wife was 19 and I was 20- newlyweds! In Western Michigan, there is a large population of Dutch descended folks. I don't know why, but I heard once we use more cream of mushroom, or cream of chicken soup per population than just about anywhere! I was green, a newby to cooking..I had a couple of cookbooks, and a desire to become a better cook. Most of my recipes came off the box or the can! One of my first memories of a cooking success came from Campbell's Cream O Chicken soup! I spread the thick goop over some skin on chicken breasts and baked them.. I used Minute rice back then, as I didn't know any better.. It was a meal my wife and I enjoyed, both simple and good!
Last night, with our pantry getting low, I seasoned some boneless chicken breasts, dumped and spread a can of Cream of Chicken soup on them, and baked for an hour. I made white rice to go with it, which came out just right! the gravy is made with the chicken, which with added seasoning, was very tasty..
Sometimes it's good to revisit simple, it helps you remember good times when you were light on cash, but heavy on appreciating..

Pizza Bread And Onion Wraps, With Walnut Fudge Brownies

My wife had bought some great sub buns- and they were getting a little stiff.. Perfect for a pizza flavored topping! Imagine designer whole wheat sub buns, split to make four halves.. Topped with a slow simmered tomato sauce loaded with basil, oregano, fennel, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and red pepper. Grated Parmesan, and Romano, mixed with shredded Mozzarella onto the sauce, topped with mushrooms and pepperoni- broiled until bubbly- well, it was good! My son and his girlfriend were able to stop by..we had the open faced pizza, onion wraps, and brownies for an impromptu meal that was fun for the fellowship, if not the food! I love family at the table.. It makes me feel like a part of something timeless and ageless.. It bonds families, I think.

Cold Subs, And Pork Tenderloin With Potatoes..

Saturday, I went out in the cold for a bit, to shop for a few essentials in needed for supper. I grabbed a head lettuce, two decent tomatoes, sliced deli roast beef and ham, with a couple of fresh baked Portuguese rolls...I had a craving for a good, cold sub sandwich! When home, I built two subs that had ham, Havarti cheese, lettuce, sliced tomato with mustard and mayo for condiments. A Portuguese roll is elongated bread(not hogie length!), with a hard crust, and chewy, well flavored interior. They were large when finished, but did they hit the spot!
Sunday, I had decided to make a pork tenderloin roast(two tenderloins tied together)and marinate in an olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic, oregano, basil, black pepper, salt, and lemon juice mix..Mediterranean flavor for sure! I roasted some Yukon Gold potatoes with it, and had made some chocolate walnut brownies for dessert.. Not a bad meal!
I hope to do a little more experimenting with foods in 2010, but still maintain my motto: "Simple things done well"..

New Year's Eve Food, And A Saturday Morning Breakfast

The good news is we had plenty of food New Year's eve for 8 people! The bad news is we were running late, and there are no photos! Onion wraps, sweet and sour meatballs, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, along with a carrot cake and munchies, made for a snackie kind of night for playing Texas Hold'em with three other couples! They brought more munchies, so the night was filled with card playing, eating and drinking...Broke up about one o'clock..My wife and I won enough to pay for the food!
Spent New Year's Day watching football- congrats to Penn State, and Ohio State- you did the Big Ten proud!
This morning, a brunch of scrambled eggs and hash browns, with orange juice should get us off to a more productive day!
Oh yeah, that's our cat, Willow- who was wondering where the meat was...

Deep Fried Food, A Mess That's Worth It!

A week ago, I bought a fresh jug of cooking oil for one purpose- to deep fry some treats for my out of state son! His last dinner here consisted of shrimp, onion, and fries- all deep fried by yours truly!
Deep fryers can be a bit intimidating to the uninitiated, meaning people like me who never worked in a fast food restaurant, and have found hot oil can burn you unpleasantly! I have deep fried turkey, a lot of Wall-Eye(fly-in fishing in Canada), and numerous other foods- which generally came out great! I got a neat little deep fryer last year for Christmas that is just the right size for a small gathering..
I have used Drake's mix for fry coating for at least 30 years. One bottle of strong beer, one egg, some Lawry's Seasoned salt, black pepper, and enough Drake's to get a consistency(thick or thin) that you like. Refrigerate, or throw some ice cubes in the batter for a tempura type coating..
It's an "eat as you cook" type of meal, bringing batches to the table, while more is cooking.. I made up a cocktail sauce with ketchup, hot sauce, horseradish, and lemon juice- pretty traditional..
My son left for K.C. 6:30AM this morning, to catch the train back to where he now lives.. It was good to see him!

Christmas Dinner 2009...

My son, who lives in Kansas City, MO hadn't been home in two years. Last year driving in an ice storm in Iowa, hit black ice and rolled his Jeep- totaling it. He took the train this year, and arrived on time! Good to see him-finally!
Christmas Eve, we went to my sister-in-laws... a buffet style meal, with me bringing some excellent Kielbasa(Polish sausage), kraut, and some mini eclairs(store-bought!). Icy roads, but had to be at train station by 10:30PM!
For Christmas Day, the meal was a make ahead hash brown potato casserole- with a few twists...Turkey gravy, sour cream, sharp shredded cheddar cheese, cooked and crumbled bacon, and chopped onion made up the binder/sauce for the potatoes. When baked on Christmas, the flavor and texture was just right!
The star of the show, was a 6.8lb. choice beef tenderloin, trimmed, tied, to a uniform shape. Seasoned with Kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and a touch of marjoram- it was ready for my leap of faith addition..Bacon fat, completely covering top and bottom! Placed on a rack, roasted at 500F on each side for 12 minutes, the oven turned down to 300F for 25 minutes..Covered and let set before carving- about 10 minutes, it was the best any of us had ever enjoyed!
Dessert was an apple crisp, made from fresh Granny Smith apples- not mushy, with a sweet/tart flavor.. Those were the highlights of the meal, you all know what pickles, rolls, etc. look like!
Hope you had a great day!

Mini-Meme, A Holiday Theme!

Let's face it. There are events coming up this Holiday season that you look forward to, and others you are dreading! As I grow older, I see the hassle of gift giving for adults just that- a hassle... Kids getting gifts is fun! I look forward to giving the gift of good cooked food, and home made treats far more than a new pair of wool socks.
The two questions today are:
1. What do you absolutely look forward to this Holiday season?
2. What is the part you could do without?
Me first!
1.- Getting together with friends and family, to share good eats- and enjoy each others company!
2.- The traveling, schlepping presents, crock pots, picking up people, etc... the mechanics of making a party happen can wear you out before the party starts!
Be honest in your answers- these Mini's go pretty fast, so have fun with it!

A Couple Of Treats

The tail end of last week was busier than anticipated, so Friday and Saturday meals were pretty slap dash. Had some scratch pancakes one night(with bacon!), and the other night was a bean dip deluxe (ground beef, refried beans, cheese, salsa, chopped onions, and chopped peppers). It's thick, and filling on some good quality tortilla chips. We have a tortilla chip factory in town, and the brand name is El Matador. Always fresh and sturdy, they are perfect for dipping the heavy duty stuff!
I had to make dessert for a family get together at my sister's new house...We had all decided I would attempt to make an heirloom dessert we had 40 years ago every Christmas- Sailor Duff! I had my grandmother's recipe which read like a witch's potion- pinch of this, handful of that, etc. I Googled it, and indeed there were similar(but better measured!) recipes. It is similar to Boston brown bread..It's rich, moist, steamed, with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and raisins in it. I used a bundt pan which sat in a water bath and steam baked at 350 for 90 minutes. It is topped with a simple sauce of water, white sugar, butter, and corn starch for a thickener, all simmered until thick- with a splash(now I'm doing it!) of vanilla extract stirred in after cooling. The cake can be cool or room temp., the sauce warmed and drizzled over it- topped with cold whipped cream.
This stuff is RICH- cut small pieces!
For the kids, I brought a quick, no fail treat similar to rice crispie squares
1. 1 cup of white sugar
2. 1 cup white Karo syrup
3. 1 cup peanut butter
Mix and heat through until liquid, but not boiling
4. Stir in 7 cups of Honey Bunches of Oats breakfast cereal until mixed
5. Spread in buttered 9 x 13 pan, compress with a sheet of waxed paper until uniform height
6. Melt a 1/2 bag of semi- chocolate chips with 1/4 stick of butter, until speadable
7. Spread top of filled pan until covered, refrigerate until cooled.
Those will disappear quickly, as kids and adults enjoy them..
I'm sure we are all ramping up for the big week- so keep your cool, and try to enjoy!
I apologize for the blurry photos, the camera setting got bumped, and made the blow-up photos blurry.. Remember, kids- I paint with a very broad brush!

Wedding Memories-Other People's I Was In, Or Attended.

Odd time for these memories, but not so odd after you read them! My older brother got married..I was 5 or 6,.. He was eighteen or nineteen.. I hadn't hit puberty, but it didn't matter - she was great to me, and a beauty to boot! It was December, he was still in service(USAF!) I was ring bearer, in a little tux, with my hair buttered back, being ever so serious about my job.. marriage lasted 20 yrs., with my Dutch mom saying-"I knew it wouldn't last!" 20 years! hardly a failure.. Next was a friend's of mine's wedding.. He was 18, she was 16..she fainted during the ceremony, and it could have been morning sickness- if you catch my drift.. still married,and all is as well as could be expected.. The point today is, what happens, happens. I remember Christmas electrocutions, cooking disasters, gifts gone horribly wrong, life interfering with plans.. Here's the goofy part- they all make Holidays memories that become part of our traditions!
Do not let them die. Share , If you are a mind.. We still give a rubber Christmas lizard, that goes from family to family!

Covered Ground...The Simple Taco!

We had Long John Silver's Seafood take-out last night, and for the first time ever I had to wait.. Then got home and had gotten the soggiest smelly fish we had ever received! Experiences like this, usually cures me from take out food from anywhere for a month!
Tonight I did home-made tacos, everything from scratch, but the those great flat bottomed corn shells from Old El Paso! Cut up fresh tomato, shredded cheese, shredded fresh lettuce, sliced black olives, and a ground beef taco meat seasoned from my extensive spice and herb collection! Topped with Chi-Chi's medium hot salsa, and/or Mr's Renfroe's Jalepeno salsa, it really warmed us on a cold Michigan night!
The cooking will be heating up, with the Holiday outings kicking in..
Watched the Julia Child movie a couple of nights ago..tavern I go into got a new female bartender who stands 6'1-1/2" inches without shoes.. If she would have yelled "Bon Appetit!", I would have fainted...

Korean Beef Short Ribs And Brown Rice Deluxe!

I can't find beef short ribs anywhere in this area except at Sam's Club.. I love the Korean version of this cut of meat, and look forward to it every time I buy the ribs!
I marinate them for a full 24 hrs. in a rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, hosin, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, minced onion, and white pepper mix that gives a wonderful depth of Asian flavor I seem to be hooked on lately! You must cut the ribs as shown, to achieve an optimum flavor and tenderizing effect. Unlike pork ribs, that are best cooked low and slow, the beef short ribs are broiled at a high heat for 10-12 minutes a side...Baste throughout cooking with the simmered marinade(safer!) and enjoy! The brown rice was dolled up with celery and onion- with a bit of the marinade for an enhanced flavor..
Our meal is waiting as I write this..couple of more photos, and we're done!

Blizzards And Brownies

As I write this, West Michigan is getting it's share of the winter storm that is clobbering the Midwest... Blizzard warnings are out, and I've heard the fire trucks/rescue units twice today- and it's only 8:30AM!
Tuesday night, I had to make a big batch of my Wicked White chili for my wife's office luncheon Wed. I can make this in my sleep, but she threw a wrinkle into the mix- One guy is a Muslim, and could not have pork! I respect other's religions and made two batches.. Kind of a pain, but he was very grateful. All chili got gone, with the usual requests for the recipe!
Wednesday night we had a simple supper of scrambled eggs with Havarti cheese melted in, and a side of really excellent thick cut bacon..
I made some brownies for a sweet treat later.. I don't make them with sprinkles, and other bells and whistles, as my wife and I don't need the frosted, loaded brownie a kid would go for! It was an out of the box mix, 3 eggs, a handful of dried cranberries, a handful of semi sweet chocolate chips, a touch of almond extract, and vanilla... I love a subtle touch of almond in chocolate- don't you?
I still have a whole choice beef tenderloin (7lbs.!) I scored at Sam's Club to cut into fillets.. I like to do it myself, and save big bucks on a gourmet cut of beef!

Mini -Meme : Eating As Fun, Eating To Live..

This time of year, our thoughts turn to good food with family, bringing treats to parties, and new recipes for people to go "Wow!" over! This is wonderful, as you know and love these people, should be your first concern..
The darker side of the Christmas season, would be the homeless, under employed, and the people who are out there- who have nothing to celebrate. They are broke. Think how that would feel.. Food is elemental in it's ability to make people happy- and at the worst, gives them the strength and hope to survive another day.
This Christmas season, see your way clear to help someone- not everyone, have a better time of it..do a small part to give something of yourselves, to people who have seen worse than you probably ever will. The gifter, is the one who gets the best gift.
Questions today:
1. Who do you know and care about, that needs a helping hand- and how will you give it?
2. What group you think could use your help(monetary or otherwise!) that you feel strongly about.
Kinda heavy today, but if you say it, you'll do it- and not regret it!

Rigatoni Gigante

This pasta shape intrigued me! It was essentially rigatoni, only bigger! I took the Italian flavored meat loaf I had left, and broke it up into little pieces.. I mixed it with a red pasta sauce, and simmered while I grated Romano and Parmesan cheese. I sliced some lightly smoked Provolone and topped the pasta red sauce mix with all these cheeses. Baked for 30 minutes at 350F, it was a classic Italian flavored dish that was quite filling!

Mini Meat Loaves, And Sour Cream Scalloped Potatoes

When there are only two of us eating here, I try to force myself to make smaller meals- yet do the foods we enjoy. My wife loves meat loaf! I've made it so many times, and many ways- I think I've got the hang of it! Years ago, I bought 4 small loaf pans for making mini loaves of bread...I found they worked quite well for a small meat loaf too. This recipe can be used as meat loaf, or meatballs- with out doing anything different except the shape!
1-1/4 lbs lean ground beef
1 lb. of bulk breakfast sausage
2 large eggs
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of Worchestershire sauce
1/3 cup of BB-Q sauce(your pick)or Red Pasta sauce
Season with onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, Kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper. I don't use fresh onion or celery- as we like a firmer meat loaf!
Mix all above, until blended
Make into meatballs or meatloaf- bake meatballs 15 minutes at 350F, turn and bake another 10 min. Meat loaf in size shown- 1hr. at 340F(top with some BB-Q sauce before baking uncovered)
The potatoes are a simple scalloped potato recipe, using 6 potatoes, peeled and sliced in scallop shape. The sauce being made of flour, butter, milk, sour cream, dried dill,dried parsley, salt, and black pepper. Simmer until thick, while chopping and sauteeing a medium onion in a separate pan.
Mix potatoes and onion together, covering with sauce, and baking in a covered dish for 60 minutes- at 340F. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes, until just starting to brown.
I can make this quicker than the time it takes to explain it!

Shrimp On Skewers, Sauced- With White Rice..

I like raw shrimp I have to clean and peel myself. I know then what I'm dealing with, with no surprises! I took a pound of said product, and after prepping them, skewered them and coated with a nice Asian sauce. Broiled in about three minutes per side, and served with white rice- they got gone in a hurry! My wife is a shrimpaholic, and mouwed through her share and half of mine! A little of the sauce on the rice was enough to flavor and tie the meal together nicely...
Tonight, mini meat loaves, with sour cream herbed scalloped potatoes- from scratch! That's the next post, of course!

Asian Salmon, With Simple Left-over Casserole

I love turkey, but a break from it isn't a bad thing! I had a large Sock-eye salmon fillet in the freezer, that was due for eating.. I thawed the vacuum packed fillet, and marinated it in orange juice, rice wine, soy sauce, and a dab of sesame oil- only for about 2 hrs.- as vinegar can be so strong a fiber-breaker, flesh can become mushy. I then coated with a soy sauce, Asian based ginger BB-Q sauce, honey mix, and hot spices to off set the sweetness- but not destroy it! The fish was broiled, making sure all that sugar didn't burn... Result was a pleasant change from the turkey- stuffing based meals we had been having! Side dish was the last of the Asian bean casserole, which went well with the Asian flavored fish. The red neck china is what we use for my son's "to go" plate on Sundays.. He works, we deliver!