Eating With MiMi

Coca-Cola Roast

2013-08-19T08:15:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

1 small beef roast
1/2 large white onion, sliced
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 20 oz cola soft drink **not diet**

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the order listed above into medium or large crock-pot.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
Enjoy!

This recipe has surprised my sons. The last time I made roast using this recipe, my second son walked into the kitchen as I was pouring the soft drink into the crock-pot and was totally confused by my actions.

However, when he tasted the end results - he was quite pleased!

For dinner we added home fries (oven baked, seasoned sliced potatoes), steamed brussel sprouts, and stuffing.

Best meal this week in our house!

**Hints: A single can of soda isn't really enough, unless you are preparing a small roast. I bought the 20 ounce bottle because it is the right size and we don't keep this kind of soft drink in our pantry. This recipe is a little sweeter, so if you prefer a more savory roast beef...use less soft drink and substitute either water or beef broth for the removed liquid. Get the family involved! This recipe is so easy....even my children can make it! Enjoy!!**

Birthday Dinner for the 18 Year Old

2013-08-11T18:55:00.000-05:00

Today my oldest son turned 18.

As we normally do in our house, we let him pick what he wanted for dinner. His choice? Greek food. However, not Greek take-out or going to one of the two local Greek restaurants...he wanted Mom to cook Greek food at home.

I had him sit down with me and we looked up a variety of Greek recipes on Pinterest. Once he found some he was interested in, I got to work on compiling my list of needed ingredients and prepping the kitchen.

Chicken pitas using the crock-pot, (a recipe we use often) with Spanakopita (we used the Betty Crocker recipe linked at Pinterest) and a salad blend that we simply call Greek Salad.

Considering it was the first time I have ever attempted Spanakopita - I was very pleased!

The boys did not try any, but my husband - my dad - and I each really enjoyed this spinach dish.

Additionally, the salad was a revamp of other salads we have had before using the ingredients we had on hand. We have enough for leftovers, so I'm sure it will be even better tomorrow!

Greek Salad:

1 can medium pitted ripe olives, drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dry
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a serving dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour prior to serving. Mix well prior to serving. Enjoy!

**HINT: Don't forget to add the salt and pepper to the spinach for the Spanakopita, or add more cheese and skip the salt entirely. The Greek Salad would be a FABULOUS appetizer or afternoon snack, just add some crispy Pita chips.**

Fresh Pico (Pico de Gallo)

2013-05-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

In a mixing bowl, combine:

3 medium/large tomatoes, diced
1 white onion, diced
1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, sliced
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2-2 TBS lime juice
salt to taste

HINT: We can't keep this in our house...as soon as I make it - it is gone! Try serving this with grilled white fish, scrambled eggs, with cooked rice. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Mu Shu Chicken Wraps

2013-04-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Into the crock-pot, on LOW for 6 hours:

1 white onion, chopped
2-3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 TBS sesame oil
3/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS honey
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
salt & pepper to taste

Prep for serving 30 minutes prior to mealtime:

fajita size flour tortillas, warm
shredded napa cabbage (1/2 cup per person)
sliced green onions

HINT: We couldn't find any napa cabbage so I used regular cabbage sliced very thin. Slivered almonds would be a good additional topping to these wraps, make sure you have extra Hoisin sauce on hand for dipping...enjoy!!

Pineapple-Carrot Dump Cake

2013-01-27T22:17:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, softened
1 can crushed pineapple (20 oz)
1 carrot cake box mix

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine softened butter, crushed pineapple, and cake mix until blended.
Pour into a prepared baking dish.
Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Hint: This is a very moist cake and while it is good as cooked - I imagine it would also be tasty with a bit of cream cheese icing. Traditional dump cake recipes do not call for the ingredients to be mixed together prior to baking...I chose this method instead so that I can make single serving cupcake for my crew. Plus, I always worry about those dump cakes getting baked thoroughly. Silly, right? Maybe...but it sure tastes good! Enjoy!!

Aunt Mabel's Dinner Rolls

2013-01-25T12:26:00.001-06:00

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 pkg yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted shortening
3 1/2 cups AP flour

Directions:

Pour warm water into large bowl with yeast.
Add sugar, egg, vanilla, salt, and melted shortening. Mix with mixer.
Add flour and continue to mix with mixer.
Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.
Shape into rolls or buns of desired shape and size, let rise again for 1 more hour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned as desired.

Hint: We made these very small to use as sliders, and later my husband told me his Aunt used this recipe for making buns - like hamburger buns. These are sweeter than most hamburgers buns, and I topped them with butter and Italian seasoning. A great way to prepare the dough for the second rise, is to use a pizza cutter to divide the dough into portions. Enjoy!

Conquering the Pomegranate

2013-01-12T05:09:00.000-06:00

1 - Cut the crown off, exposing the fruit inside.
2 - Score the fruit down to the pith down the sides all the way around the fruit.
3 - Soak in a bowl of cool water for at least 5 minutes.
4 -Work under the water to separate the fruit from the membrane.
5 - Remove the skin and larger chunks of membrane, allowing the fruit to sink to the bottom. * The membrane will float and can be easily removed from the top of the water. *
6 - Drain the excess water and any additional membrane pieces.
7 - Lay the fruit out on a paper towel to dry.
8 - Enjoy!!

Sesame Chicken

2013-01-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

marinade

1 TBS sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cornstarch

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders

1 tsp sesame seeds

sauce

1/4 cup water
1 bouillon cube
1 TBS sesame oil
1 TBS honey
1 tsp white rice vinegar
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup frozen peas

Directions...

1. Prepare marinade. Combine marinade ingredients in a small mixing bowl or large Ziploc bag. (sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, cornstarch) Mix well, add chicken tenders. Refrigerate a minimum of 20 minutes.

2. Toast sesame seeds. To toast the sesame seeds, use a small DRY skillet. Toast for approximately 1-2 minutes until seeds begin to brown. Set aside to cool.

3. Combine the sauce ingredients (water, bouillon, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, rice vinegar, chili flakes, cornstarch) in a small bowl or measuring cup.

4. In a HOT skillet, add oil and garlic and begin to stir-fry. Moving the garlic quickly - add the chicken tenders and continue to cook until no longer pink. Next top the chicken with the peas and cook for about a minute before adding the sauce blend. Allow the ingredients to simmer and thicken.

5. Serve with rice or noodles, top with toasted sesame seeds.

HINT: Next time we will use sugar snap peas instead of regular peas. The additional or removal of the red chili flakes can be adjusted for personal preference. Here, we like it hot! Enjoy!!

Salsa Bread

2012-12-28T12:37:00.000-06:00

**Bread Machine Recipe**

1.5 lb recipe:

1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup salsa
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 2/3 cup all-purpose bread flour
1 1/2 tsp breach machine yeast or instant yeast

- put ingredients into bread machine pan in the order listed above.

- use the basic cycle of the bread machine for mixing and baking

Hints: We made this tasty bread to have with chili this week. Be mindful about the water content of the salsa you use for this recipe. Thinner salsa may require additional flour. Want a little extra kick? How about adding some chopped green chilies or jalepeno's? Enjoy!!

Bountiful Banana Bread

2012-08-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite sites to look up recipes is AllRecipes. They list such a large variety of recipes that I seem to always be able to find an interesting recipe (or two) to try.

Last Saturday, I had some very ripe bananas that I wanted to use up before they were no good. So, I visited AllRecipes and decided to try these two recipes:

Banana Peanut Butter Bread

and

Janet's Rich Banana Bread.

I made two small modifications to the recipes, and they both turned out so well!

I didn't have any walnuts for Janet's Rich Banana Bread - so I used pecans instead.

Then I added a sugar-cinnamon sprinkle to the top of both loaves before baking for extra texture and taste.

My thought was we would have enough banana bread to stretch for a couple mornings for breakfast. No such luck! The guys ate every last drop!!

Try these recipes at your house and see if your family enjoys them as much as mine did!

Chicken Chow Mein (Crock-Pot)

2012-07-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 small head of cabbage, chopped
1/2 lb baby carrots
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS sesame oil
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp minced garlic
4 cups water
crispy chow mein noodles (for garnish)
rice

Directions:

Combine in the crock-pot: chicken, chopped cabbage, baby carrots, chopped onion, drained mushrooms, rice vinegar, sesame oil, bouillon cubes, minced garlic, and water. Stir well.
Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Add chopped celery approximately 1 hour before serving. Stir well.
Serve over rice, garnished with crispy chow mein noodles.

Open Crab Rangoon

2012-07-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Oh yes! I am making good use of my mini-muffin pan these days!!

When I figured out how well it worked using the wonton wrapers for the Breakfast Bites - I had to try it with the Crab Rangoon recipe. This turned out to be a very successful experiment!!

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese, softened
1 small can crab meat, drained
1 TBS minced garlic
1 tsp soy sauce
3-4 green onions, chopped with tops
24 wonton wrappers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray.
Tuck one wonton wrapper into each mini-muffin well.
In a small mixing bowl: combine cream cheese, drained crab meat, minced garlic, soy sauce, half of the chopped green onions.
Spoon cream cheese mixture into wonton wrappers.
Top each filled wrapper with additional chopped green onion.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, depending on desire crispness. (The longer they bake, the crispier - and browner - they will become.)

The Local Farmer's Market

2012-07-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday's and Saturday's there is a local Farmer's Market in our town. I really love to go and buy fresh produce from the local farmers. Not only do they have amazing produce, but the quality and price make the trip so worth while. This is just one picture I snapped with my cell phone a few weeks ago...pure awesome!

Tuesday Trip Day

2012-07-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

By the time this posts, we will be checking into the VA hospital for the 1st of 2 procedures this week. Usually on VA days we reward ourselves for completing the task at hand by eating at a restaurant that we don't have locally. The past couple of trips we have visited Jack In The Box. The food has been so good, and the service so fast and friendly that we just keep going back!

I don't really know how tomorrow will go and I am prepared for a trip home to recuperate and prepare for procedure #2.

On a recent outing here in our hometown I spied this sticker on the front door. The food at this place was unbelievably good...the service, ehhhh. The food alone will have us as repeat customers, we just may choose to make our orders To-Go.

Hope you are each having a wonderful Tuesday!!

Mudpies - A.K.A. No-Bake Cookies (Candy)

2012-07-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

My Mom made these delicious chocolate and oatmeal, no-bake cookies every year for holidays. Christmas. Easter. Thanksgiving. 4th of July...Family reunion - a true family staple. As a child, these were my favorite. I couldn't hardly wait and would often volunteer to "help" just so I could sneak an early bite (or two). In Mom's cookbook, this recipe is labeled quite simply: No-Bake Cookies (Candy). I have decided to start calling them Mudpies. Yes, yes, I know this is quite a common recipe and many households have prepared and shared this recipe for generations. My Mom would both appreciate and be amused by our name-calling of these yummy treats. Knowing her grandsons got to enjoy these "Mudpies" would just be the icing on her cake. Thank you for sharing with us Mom, we love and miss you!

Ingredients & Directions:

2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 stick margarine

Combine in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, mixing well. Remove from heat. Add to remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2 cups oatmeal
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Mix well with chocolate sauce. Drop by spoonful on to wax paper and allow to cool. To store, wrap tightly and store in an air-tight container.

Grilled Chicken Burgers

2012-07-20T07:32:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken
1 large egg
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup prepared creamy Italian salad dressing

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl combine ground chicken, egg, onion, bread crumbs, drained and rinsed black beans, and creamy Italian dressing.
Prepare grill pan over medium-high heat (or prepare grill).
Shape mixture by hand into 6 patties, 3/4 inch thick.
Grill each patty on both sides until fully cooked. (Approximately 4-5 minutes each side on our grill pan.)
Check for safe meat temperature with a meat thermometer (170 degrees F)
Serve with favorite burger toppings, if desired.

Hints: Mixing with your hands insures the best texture! The chicken and vegetable mixture makes a hearty patty that has good form and can be adapted easily by swapping in your favorite veggies. Try spinach and feta instead of onion and black beans, for example. These patties could also be prepared in advance and frozen for later use. Enjoy!!

**This recipe is being shared at Mom Trends Friday Food post - go check out the other great recipes being shared!**

Smoked Pork

2012-07-19T11:13:00.001-05:00

Success!

We found a Brinkman Gourmet smoker at a local thrift store, and decided

to try our hand at smoked pork.

This turned out wonderfully juicy and delicious!!

Seasoning?? Only a rib rub from the local grocery store.

We used apple hardwood in the smoker and we are DEFINITELY looking

forward to the next adventure with our smoker :)

Fried Green Tomatoes

2012-07-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

2 large green tomatoes, sliced
2 eggs, beat with a fork
1/2-3/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup AP flour*
3/4 cup AP flour PLUS 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
oil, for frying

Directions:

Gather all ingredients.
Slice tomatoes in thick slices (about 1/2 inch thick).
In 3 separate, shallow containers set up dredging line. 1st shallow container: 3/4 cup AP flour (unseasoned) to coat sliced green tomatoes. 2nd container: skim milk and egg mixture. 3rd container: 3/4 cup AP flour PLUS seasoned bread crumbs, garlic salt and black pepper.
Heat oil in frying pain over medium heat.
Dredge each side of each green tomato slice in order of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd containers. Use tongs or forks...it will be messy. (Messy is good!)
When oil is ready, carefully place battered tomato slice in hot oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. (About 2 minutes per side.)
Remove fried green tomato slices from hot oil, and lay on a paper towel covered plate to cool and drain.
Be prepared to be swarmed by eager eaters - these don't last long!

Hints: Ranch dressing for dipping or zatziki sauce (my preference) goes well with these yummy slices. Instead of a traditional BLT, try substituting one of these slices for the red tomato slice in your sandwich. When looking for green tomatoes, choose firm unbruised fruit. I found our green tomatoes at the local Farmer's Market. (Sadly my tomato plant is growing and growing but not producing fruit.) Enjoy!!

Let Them Eat Salad!

2012-07-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love salad.

I would eat salad everyday...but...I live with 4 guys who much prefer a diet of meat and potatoes.

Sad, really.

So - we compromise!

I make a delicious garden salad...and top it with spicy chicken tenders!

Everybody's happy, (especially me)!!

Breakfast Bites

2012-07-16T11:39:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

wonton wrappers (24)
4 eggs
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup shredded cheese
2 green onions, with tops
salt & pepper to taste
salsa *

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small mixing bowl mix eggs, ham, half-and-half, and shredded cheese.
Prepare mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.
Put one wonton wrapper in each muffin well.
Fill wonton wrapper with egg mixture - about 2/3 full.
Top with sliced green onions and salt and pepper if desired.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving, top with salsa if desired.

Baked French Toast

2012-06-06T09:29:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf day old bread, torn into bite-size pieces
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla
1-1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1-1 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2-1 cup golden raisins

Directions:

Tear bread slices into pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, cream cheese, and raisins - mix well.
Turn mixture into a prepared baking dish and cover to refrigerate overnight, or for at least an hour prior to baking.
When ready to bake: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 35-45 minutes until fully set.
Serve with syrup and fresh fruit if desired. Enjoy!!

Hints: This is a great recipe to prepare the night before for an easy breakfast the next day. Have a part of a loaf of bread that needs to be used up? Make good use of that bread! No vanilla sugar? Regular sugar works well too! The added bonus is how delicious the house will smell as this is baking. Enjoy!

Baked Hushpuppies (Repeat)

2012-05-31T08:52:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 cup skim milk

1/2 white onion, chopped

bacon bits, for topping

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

- In a mixing bowl, combine corn muffin mix, egg, and skim milk

- All mixture to rest for 5 minutes

- Dice 1/2 medium-large white onion

- Add diced onion to muffin mix, mix well

- Spoon batter into baking cups, no more than 1/2 full

- Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes

Angel Food: Rediscovered

2012-05-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I decided to buy a pre-made Angel Food cake at the local store to pair with some fresh strawberries that we already had from shopping earlier in the week. My husband is on a fresh fruit kick right now and I have been happy to indulge his appetite, especially since the fruit available has been such good quality.
For me, I had not really planned on eating any of the Angel Food cake. Then as I was prepping the strawberry slices and cake slices so my guys could build their own plates - I decided to try a bite. Then another. Then another. I really liked this cake!
So my new mission: figure out how to make an Angel Food cake at home.
Price wise, the local store sells them already made at what I consider a very reasonable price. BUT. I want to know if I can recreate this yummy sponge cake in my own kitchen.
Challenge accepted!

Potato Waffles - Comfort Food

2012-05-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl, my grandmother would often make us potato pancakes using mashed potatoes in the batter, and frying them in a cast iron skillet. My memory may not be correct, but I don't believe that skillet was ever not on the stove top. Grandma used it for everything!

So many of my fondest memories involve food. Especially food that I consider comfort food. Potato pancakes definitely fall into that category for me.

I have discovered with my family, that we really enjoy waffles. Not traditional butter and syrup drowned waffles, but usually waffles with a savory flare. Remember the Ham & Cheese Waffles recipe I shared a while back? I took that base recipe and made Potato Waffles for my guys last week using some leftover mashed potatoes and 1/2 a white onion in place of the ham and cheese. I added some extra black pepper and garlic salt, like I would add to a baked potato. The result was really good! The texture of the waffle crispness combined with the softness of the mashed potatoes worked out to be a delightful match. My guys only suggestion: add bacon. No surprises there!!

We paired these Potato Waffles with Mackerel Cakes and My Favorite Vegetable Salad. A meal that will be added to the "Must Repeat" file!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 large egg

4 TBS melted butter

1 cup mashed potatoes, (leftovers)

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until just combined. Batter will be very lumpy.

- Prepare waffle press by preheating and coating with cooking spray.

- Using a small measuring cup or large serving spoon, add batter to hot waffle press. Depending on the waffle press being used, do not overfill. My recommendation is to add less rather than more batter to avoid overflows. (I add approximately 1/3 cup of batter per waffle.)

- Cook with press closed until ready indicator signals, or til desired doneness. I like to cook these waffles just a little longer than basic waffles.

Hint: For a touch of extra flavor, add bacon to the batter. Serve with butter and sour cream to have that baked potato taste. Or my favorite: take 2 waffles and use them to make a sandwich - YUMMMMM! Enjoy!!

My Favorite Vegetable Salad: Chickpeas & Cukes

2012-05-25T08:08:00.005-05:00

Ingredients:

* 2 cucumbers, peeled & diced

* 1-2 cups of grape tomatoes

* 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained

* 1/2 red onion, diced

* 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

* 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

* 6 TBS lemon juice

* 1/2 tsp garlic salt

* 1/2-1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

- Layer the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, onion, and feta cheese.

- Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic salt, and pepper.

- Pour over the layered vegetables and cheese.

- Cover and refrigerate 4 hours until ready to serve.

- Prior to serving, mix well to combine all ingredients.

Hint: No grape tomatoes? Substitute diced fresh tomatoes instead. Not a fan of feta cheese? How about mozzarella cubes instead? I like to eat this salad with wheat crackers or bagel chips. Definitely a kitchen favorite in my house - enjoy!!

This recipe is being shared at MomTrends Friday Food post - go check it out and see what other great cooks are making this week!