Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Apples

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Sandy

All my kids love chicken salad sandwiches.  They did when they were small one and even in their twenties.  The perfect quick meal. 

2 big cans chicken white meat in water

1 onion finely diced

2 apples finely diced

2 stalks of celery finely diced

1 tsp corriander

1 tsp black pepper

2 T of lemon juice

1/2 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise

Chopped it all up!

Finely dice everything, sprinkle lemon juice over the apples to prevent from turning brown.  Break the chunks of meat into small pieces.  Mix all together. Season. 

Serve on croissants for a treat with sliced cranberry sauce. 

So good!

Hmmm good.

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New York Steaks

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Sandy

New York Steaks

I use a cast iron skillet and heat it on the stovetop.  Turn the oven on to 400 degrees and let it warm up. 

Rinse the steaks in water and dry on a paper towel.  Season with salt and pepper – lots.  Coat the bottom of the skillet with canola oil.

Add the steaks just as the oil starts to smoke.  I usually can fit two steaks in a pan. Do not overload the pan, since you want to sear the outside.  After about 4 minutes, turn the steaks and let sear another 4 minutes.   Now, place the frying pan into the oven and let them continue to cook until they are just the way you like them.   When you remove from the oven, let them sit for 10 minutes so the juices can distribute back into the meat.

NY Steak with Tomato Marmalade

Rare:  126  Medium Rare:  136  Well:  140 

Serve each person a steak, or split a steak by slicing it and serving it fanned out on the plate for smaller eaters.

NY Steak with Tomato Onion Marmalade

Serve with Tomato Onion Marmalade.

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Parsnip, Apple, Carrot, Macadamian Nut Soup

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Sandy

My Mom used to make parsnips.  I love the taste of them.  This soup is perfect when it is rainy and cold outside and you are sitting in front of the fire chatting it up with friends.  Bring on the rain! 

Serves 4
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz butter or olive oil 
  • 3 parsnips, peeled and chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stocks chopped finely
  • 2 pints chicken or vegetable stock for you Vegans out there.
  • 1-2 medium apples, diced
  • 1 tsp ginger or curry powder (sometimes I am not in the mood for curry)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons single cream (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 oz whole chestnuts or macadamian nuts, roasted, peeled and finely chopped

    Try some!

Method:

  1. Melt half the butter in a pan, add the parsnips, potato and onion, then cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until beginning to soften.
  2. Add the stock, apple, nuts and sage, ginger powder cover then simmer for a further 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Blend until smooth.
  4. Return to the pan, add the cream, season to taste, and then reheat gently for 5 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in a pan, add the roasted chestnuts, season and fry for 3-4 minutes until they are lightly coloured, ensuring the butter does not burn.
  6. Spoon the chestnuts into the centre of the serving bowl, ladle the soup over and serve.
  7. Garnish with fresh sage and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Parsnip Apple Carrot Macadamian Nut Soup garnished with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

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Tomato Onion Marmalade

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Sandy

 As if yet, I have not made my own ketsup, but this makes me want to because you get to control the flavors.  Hmmm, am I a control freak?  Perhaps. 

1 sliced onion

2 sliced tomatoes

2 T balsalmic vinegar

4 T brown sugar

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt     

Saute onions until they are translucent, add fresh tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper.

Enjoy

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Cranberry Raspberry Lemonade

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Sandy

My hubby gets into the kitchen from time to time and his niche is truly the BBQ and also drinks. 

He made an excellent drink for me last night, non-alcoholic.   While he charged his up with a touch of Vodka, I liked mine virgin style.

Cranberry Raspberry Lemonade

Make it in a pretty 12 ounce glass:

1 scoop Country Time Lemonade powder

1 cup Cranberry Raspberry Juice

Fill the rest of the glass with crushed ice.  Oh, so good.

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Smokin’ Ribs

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Sandy

My hubby makes the best ribs.  How good are they?  I do not order ribs when I go out.  Always disappointed.  They just don’t do it as well.  Dennis’ are the best!

Best Pork Ribs in the World! Just Awesome!

Start the BBQ, and let her heat up.  We have a two sided BBQ and so hubby lights one side and uses the other side to smoke the ribs.  He leaves them on the cool side for a couple of hours and then turns them and leaves them another 2 hours.  They seem to be perfection.  His BBQ sauce creates a sticky sauce that is heaven on a rib.  Search for BBQ Sauce to find on this site.

Pork Ribs with the Rib Tips and Tumeric Rice

The only other BBQ sauce that comes close to his is Sweet Baby Rays.  It is nice.

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Lima Bean Soup

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Sandy

Get me a spoon!

Lime Bean and Ham Soup

Lima Beans
Ham Bone
Onions diced
Carrots diced
Celery dices
Put all in the pressure cooker and bring it up to pressure. Cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Shut off and let it cool until the pressure releases.

Salt and pepper to taste
nutmeg
Whatever ham meat there is on the bone, dice it up and add back to the soup.

Garnish with sour cream.

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Mexican Quiche, Monterrey Eggs, Quiche Lorraine – Make it your way!

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Sandy

Quiche Appetizer

Quiche Bites!

This is for a crowd!
WOW! What a versatile dish! It can easily be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch and even as a cocktail dish as an hors d’oeuvre. It’s QUICK and EASY! Just wait ’til the raves come in. They will just love it! And you will too!
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Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
12 large eggs
dash salt
1 cup creme fraiche/sour cream (drain any moisture) or evaporated milk or 1 can cream of mushroom condensed soup, or cream
2 cups cottage cheese
8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese (grated)
8 oz Cheddar Cheese or parmesan (grated)
8 – 10 ounce canned or (fire roasted) green chilis (if you use fresh, saute until tender)

1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder

9″ x 13″ casserole / baking dish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, melt the butter in your baking dish. (Some people may elect to substitute this step with spray oil because of calories, but I think it makes that crusty portion of the dish that puts it in a new level. Just letting you know.) Beat eggs and milk, add seasonings. From here on out, do not overmix! Stir in green chilis, cottage cheese and 2 cups of grated cheese. In another bowl mix dry ingredients flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Did I mention not to over mix? It will look a little lumpy. Pour on top of melted butter in oven.
Bake at 400 for 50 minutes until set and golden brown.
A great part of this dish is the crusty cheesy edge that forms from baking. The casserole should be puffy, and the cottage cheese adds a creamy sensation when eating. So good.

Many people will add pimentos or diced omatoes which you can do, but prefer to serve with fresh pico de gallo on the side. I would also make up a big batch of chorizo fried potatoes as a side dish, along with fresh fruit salad. Perfect brunch? Serve mimosas and bloody Mary drinks.

Want to make it heartier or just one dish? Grate potatoes and add to the bottom of the baking dish on top of the melted butter. Add diced
ham or cooked browned crumbled sausage and then your egg mixture.
Or to make Florentine Casserole, add crumbed crispy bacon and chopped spinach and omit the green chilis.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees for approximately 30-35 minutes or until the center is set. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

Serve a 3 inch square for breakfast alongside Potatoes and Chorizo and a nice diced fruit salad. For appetizers, cut into 1 inch cubes.

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Ruthie’s Lemon Pie

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Sandy

Lemon Meringue

Awesome Bite Lemon Meringue

At Christmas this year, my sister-in-law, Carol made the pies.  She has shared her mom’s Lemon Cream Pie recipe.  “My mom’s pie had meringue on top made from the whites of the 3 egg yolks.  Many recipes today suggest whipped cream.  All sound yummy.  For the crust I use the Pillsbury and roll it out a little. Use a small pie tin as this is not a big pie. Doubling recipes doesn’t work for me. I just prick the crust with a fork several times, then pre-bake the crust. I don’t think Meyer lemons are good for this…not enough acidity and didn’t set up right.  My mom’s recipe said, ‘do not cool in front of a drafty window’.”
So ingredients are..
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk or any brand as long as it is 13 1/2 to 14 oz can.

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

3 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)

Optional some recipes use the zest of the lemon in this pie also. 

Pre-bake the pie crust and cool
Mix filling together
Pour filling into baked crust
Make meringue (sometimes I add an extra white for more volume). 
Put the meringue on top making fancy little doodles, peaks and valleys
Put the pie the oven 325 degrees to brown the peaks of the meringue.
Chill until ready to serve.
The meringue can be tricky so I won’t give details other than
Make sure bowl is dry…copper bowl is best
Do not let any yolk or water get into the whites
You can whisk or use electric beaters
Add cream of tartar to get more volume
Use powdered sugar, regular sugar or vanilla to flavor and/or sweeten

To make this pretty, you can make the pie in cupcake pan lined with parchment so each person for dinner has an individual pie.   They are so cute!

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Meatloaf – Ground Beef

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Sandy

I guess when it is a bit cold outside, immediately I reach for comfort food.  We had meatloaf as a kid once a week.  It was easy fast, feed the crowd and my mom could stretch the meat by adding rolled oats, potato chips, day old bread crumbs, anything available. 

2 pounds of ground beef

1 cup bread crumbs or panko or dry bread crumbled up

1 Tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 can of green olives (the natural brine) sliced or chopped

2 cans tomato sauce

Reserve 1/2 a can to pour over the top.  Variation: You can substitute part of the tomato sauce used in the mix with salsa or diced tomatoes.  Don’t have breadcrumbs, of course you can substitute.  Have extra veggies like carrots add them.  Make sure you slice the olives otherwise they get to be overpowering.

Serve meatloaf hot with mashed potatoes.

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