Off The Menu

Slow Cooker Easy: Sweet and Savory Cantonese Pork

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 17:24:00 +0000

This dish is quick, easy, and delicious! Made up of pork steak, mushrooms, green peppers, and onion all smothered in a slightly sweet and tangy sauce, all piled on top of rice, the combination couldn't be better.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds pork steak
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
7 crimini mushrooms
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps:

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

While the butter is heating, slice the pork steak into 1" slices.

When the butter is hot (but not burning,) put the sliced pork into the skillet in a single layer. Make sure to leave space in between the slices, so that the pork can be turned over. All of the pork won't fit into the pan at one time, so this process will have to be repeated 2-3 times.

Brown the pork on all sides, no need to cook it all the way through, the slow cooker will do that.

While the pork is browning, slice the mushrooms, green pepper, red pepper and onion, and add them to your slow cooker.

Add the tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sherry and salt to the slow cooker.

When the pork has browned on all sides, add it to the slow cooker.

Stir it up so that all of the sauce coats the meat and vegetable.

Set your slow cooker on low, and cook for 6 hours.

Before eating, make a pot of rice.

Serve your delicious slow cooked meal over rice.

Simple, delicious, and satisfying!

Like Water for Chocolate Project: Part Two of the Christmas Rolls--The Stuffing

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 00:39:00 +0000

I gave you the recipe for hard rolls in part one of the Christmas Rolls recipe, and here is the second half; the savory stuffing.

Ingredients:

1 can sardines (the kind that I used were packed in olive oil with a bit of lemon)
1/2 chorizo sausage
1 sweet onion
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 can green chiles (I used mild, but to spice it up, use the hot!)
10 hard rolls
fresh bread crumbs

Steps:

Over low to medium heat fry the sausage, and do not let it over brown.

Remove the sausage from the heat.

Cut the onion in half. Cut each half into four equal chunks.

Put the chunks into the blender, and pulse until the onions are finely chopped. You can chop them by hand if you wish. Just make sure that they are chopped very, very finely.

Place the sardines into the blender, and again, pulse to chop them up a bit.

Cut the top off of two rolls, and hallow them out creating a mini bread bowl.

Using your fingers, make bread crumbs out of the insides of the rolls.

Put the onions, chopped chiles, sardines, bread crumbs and ground oregano into a medium sized bowl, and mix throughly.

Cover the mixture, put in the fridge, and allow the mix to rest for an hour so that the flavors can come together.

Cut off the tops of the remainder of the rolls, and hollow them out.

After an hour, spoon the mixture into the bread bowls.

Store the rolls in single layer, in an airtight container. Put them in the fridge over night so that the flavors can soak into the bread.

When you are ready to bake your rolls, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C.)

Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve these flavor bombs hot and fresh!

There you have it. Recipe one from Like Water for Chocolate. This filling would also go wonderfully into empanadas.

~ Enjoy!

Like Water For Chocolate Project: Part one of the Christmas Rolls--Hard Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 21:41:00 +0000

Just recently I read Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate. Why have I, someone who loves food, food preparations,culture, and reading, never read this book before now?

I have always heard about the free little libraries that are located all around the world in parks and neighborhoods. Well, I came across one in a park that I was visiting, and I found Like Water for Chocolate inside, and it had been on my list (which is so long, and I am constantly adding to it) for a long time, so I decided to go ahead and borrow it.

When I started to read this gem of a book, I got a great idea! Since there is a recipe at the beginning of every chapter, and instructions on how to cook the dish intertwined in the story, the idea that came to me was that I should make each recipe, and present them here to you! The first of the recipes is for Christmas rolls. Which, according to the main character, Tita, are traditionally made around Christmas time. Christmas rolls are hard rolls stuffed with sardines, chorizo, onion, and green chilies. I'm not usually a fan of chorizo, but combined with the other flavors, it was a flavor explosion!

I have divided this first recipe into two posts since a recipe for hard rolls is also required.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 package of yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil
1 cup water

Steps:

Pour the flour into a large bowl, creating a well in the center.

In the well, combine the sugar, yeast, and 2 teaspoons of the water. Do not mix the yeast and water with the flour yet.

Cover the bowl with a towel, and let sit for 15 minutes.

Add the remaining water and the oil.

Mix with the dough hook on your stand mixer (or use a rubber spatula if you don't have a mixer) until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until a smooth ball is formed. Add little bits of flour if the dough is sticky.

Place the dough back into the bowl, and cover with a towel.

Allow the dough to rise for at least 2 hours.

Punch the dough down.

Place the dough onto a floured surface, and flatten the dough with your hands, making it into a nice rectangle.

Either using your hands or a rolling pin (I opted for my hands,) flatten the dough until it is about 1" thick.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 12 equal parts.

Place 1 square of dough in front of you.

Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of the square.

Pull all of the corners to the center, and pinch them together.

Lift the roll into the palm of your hand, and mold it into a nice sphere.

Be sure not to make your rolls too large.

Place the rolls onto a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper.

Cover the rolls, and allow them to rise for two hours.

When they are ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C.)

Brush the tops of the rolls with an egg wash made by mixing an egg white with a couple of teaspoons of water.

Bake the rolls until a deep golden brown; about 20 minutes.

In the next blog post, I will continue with the second part of the recipe for Christmas Rolls.

Stuffed Pork Roast

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 16:11:00 +0000

What a meal! This pork roast stuffed with a savory artichoke stuffing, paired with french bread and goat cheese mashed potatoes, was similar to a thanksgiving meal. It was that good!

Ingredients:

3 pound ribeye pork roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
6 ounces of baby spinach
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek
12 ounces jarred artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon jarred garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 small sweet onion
4 feet Cotton Twine

Steps:

This roast makes enough for 5 people.

Start by making the stuffing. That way all of the amazing flavors can come together while they are in the fridge waiting for the roast.

Place all of the baby spinach into a vegetable Steamer Insert. Steam the spinach until wilted. Keep an eye on it, this should only take a few minutes.

Once the spinach has wilted, place it into a Strainer ,or a sieve, and press as much moisture out of it as you can.

Put the strained spinach into a medium sized pyrex bowl with a lid.

Place a medium sided skillet over medium heat.

Chop the leek into thin slices (be sure to only use the white and light green part of the leek.)

Mince the leek until it is in fine bits.

In the heated pan, add the unsalted butter.

Once the butter has melted, add the minced leek, and the garlic.

Sautee until fragrant and tender.

When the garlic and the leek are done, add these ingredients to the bowl with the spinach in it.

Drain the liquid from the jar of artichoke hearts. Press the artichokes into the jar to get out that extra little bit of moisture.

Place the artichokes onto a cutting board, and chop the hearts into bits.

Add the artichoke hearts, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the bowl.

Using a wooden spoon, mix all of the ingredients until they are all evenly distributed. It takes a little work to break up the spinach, but you'll see, it's completely worth it!

I taste tested this, and it was completely amazing! I could see this working as a dip for pita chips!

After the stuffing has been all combined, place a lid over the finished product, and pop it into the fridge until your roast has been all prepared.

Remove the roast from the packaging, and give it a quick rinse.

Place the roast onto a large cutting board, and butterfly the meat until it is a flat rectangle.

I know, sounds intimidating, but it is actually quite easy. Here's how to do it:

In a small bowl, mix the oregano, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the olive oil.

Pour half of the mixture onto one side of the roast, spread the mixture, and gently massage.

Flip the roast over, and do the same to the other side.

Now it is ready for the stuffing!

Get your stuffing out of the fridge. Using your hands, pile the stuffing into the center of the roast.

Pat the stuffing down until it is even spread over the entire roast.

Roll the two edges together, and use the twine to keep the two sides together.

However, you don't have to do it exactly this way, the point is to keep it all together, so whatever works best for you is the best way to do it.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush some olive oil onto the bottom of a roasting pan.

Place your roast in the pan.

Cut the sweet onion into pieces.

Place pieces onto the roast, and surrounding it. This will add to the flavor, and help to keep the roast extra moist.

Baste the meat a few times.

Cook the roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork is 150 degrees F.

What an impressive looking and tasting meal. This one is a special occasion meal for sure! But you can bet that I'll be making this one again.

~ Enjoy

Flavorful and Savory Gumbo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:42:00 +0000

Pin It

I have updated this recipe from when I made it way back in January of 2012, and it's even tastier! I have only made a few minor adjustments, but boy was it worth it. Packed with flavor and piping hot, this gumbo was a sure winner. No matter if you are a gumbo lover or not, you're gonna love this--I gare-on-tee!

This recipe will serve a family of four.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 pound andouille sausage cut into bite size pieces
1 pound of cooked and peeled medium sized shrimp
1 small to medium onion
1 green bell pepper
2 tablespoons jarred garlic
1 14.5 ounce can of undrained diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
(Optional) if you would like to give it an extra kick, add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Steps:

First start by making the roux, (pronounced roo) which is made up of equal parts of flour and fat.

So heat a pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter, and allow it to melt.

Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour.

After the flour is completely incorporated, add the salt, pepper, and Old Bay spice (and cayenne pepper if you're going the spicy route.)

Use a spatula to constantly stir the mixture until it thickens.

Immediately remove the mixture from the heat.

Heat a large pan over medium high heat, and add the vegetable oil, sprinkle of salt, sprinkle of pepper, and garlic. Stir together, and allow the garlic and the oil to heat up.

After the oil is hot (not super hot, but hot enough,) add the chicken (I used 4 tenders) and coat with the oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

When the chicken is cooked through, add it to the bowl on a mixer.

Attach the paddle attachment, and place the bowl on the mixer. Start the mixer on a low speed, and just like magic, the paddle will start to shred your chicken. Once the chicken has broken apart a little bit, you can turn it up to medium speed. Keep an eye on it though, if the mixer goes for too long it will turn your chicken into whipped chicken.

Add the chicken back to the pan with the oil and garlic. Using a large spoon or a spatula, mix the oil and garlic with the shredded chicken. Reduce the heat to low.

Slice the andouille sausage (I used two links) into 1/2" thick coins.

Cut the onion and the green pepper up into large chunks and add it to a blender.

Puree the onion and the pepper.

Add the can of undrained tomatoes to the blender. Pulse just so there are tiny pieces of tomato, as oppose to big dices.

Add everything to a large soup pot, and mix it all together.

Place the pot over low heat, and cover for (at least) 3 hours.

Stir occasionally.

Before long your house is going to be smelling wonderful!!! I'm so jealous of you right now.

If your shrimp is already cooked, you're good to go, just keep them in the fridge for later.

And if your shrimp are raw, simply sautee them with a tablespoon of unsalted butter until they are pink and curled. Once they're cooked, put them into a airtight container, and store them in the fridge for later.

About 1 hour before your meal, stir in 1/3 cup dry white rice to the gumbo.

20 minutes before it's time to eat, stir in the cooked shrimp.

Serve a huge bowl of deliciousness with some buttery round crackers or some crusty french bread. I bet you won't have any left overs when you and your family are through. However, if you find yourself with a small amount left over (like we did,) and you want a yummy and different idea of how to use it, look no further. This morning (yes, this is what I had for breakfast, and it was absolutely delicious,) I made some good 'ol crepes, and I just got the urge to fill them with gumbo. And talk about a tastebud party! What a great idea! Give it a try!

Enjoy!

This recipe can be modified to be made in the slow cooker. Simply prepare all of the ingredients as described, and add them to the slow cooker. About an hour and a half before your meal, stir in the dry rice and the cooked shrimp. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Mexican chili

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 20:30:00 +0000

I love chili! A perfect way to warm you from the inside on a chilly day, or just warm you because it is such a comfort meal. Well, I have come up with a perfect combination: chili and taco soup! This dish is easy to prepare and super satisfying! This hearty chili will land a permanent spot on you dinner menu, I know it has on ours.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (ground turkey can also be used)
taco seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons worchtershire sauce
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1 can pinto beans
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup water

Combine ground beef, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, worchtershire sauce, and salt.

Brown and drain.

In blender, puree the onion, tomatoes, rotel, and 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning.

Pour the puree into a large pot.

Add the seasoned beef, beans, uncooked rice, and water.

Heat on low for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

Top with tortilla chips and grated cheese.

This chili makes a great stand alone dish, or is a great compliment to enchiladas, empanadas, or tacos!

Budget Friendly: Lasagna Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 20:27:00 +0000

Everyone loves lasagna right?!? It's not too difficult to assemble either, and that's a plus. What if it was even easier to make? That would make it the perfect meal! This wonderful thick, creamy soup is packed with all the classic flavors of a good slice of lasagna in each spoonful.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
pinch or two of shredded parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 baby carrots
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon jarred garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 lasagna noodles
8 ounces ricotta cheese

Steps:

Put the turkey into a skillet and mix in the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Also mix in 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and the fennel seeds.

Brown and crumble the turkey.

While the turkey is browning, pour 1 can of diced tomatoes into the blender.

Add the old bay seasoning, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Steam the baby carrots.

Add them to the blender, and blend until smooth.

This makes tomato soup.

To the slow cooker, add the soup that you just blended up, the additional diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, the minced onion, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, garlic, pepper, and ground turkey.

Break the lasagna noodles into pieces and add it to the soup.

Mix and cook on low for 5 hours.

30 minutes before serving time, mix in the ricotta cheese.

Serve with some warm, soft french bread. Savor the flavor of delicious lasagna in a soup!

The Secret to Perfect Fluffy Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 18:45:00 +0000

What a simply wonderful way to make breakfast special. It does take a bit of practice to make the perfect pancake, and I have a little unlikely secret ingredient to make those pancakes extra fluffy and addictively delicious: white vinegar.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Steps:

Pour the milk into a medium sized bowl.

Add the vinegar in the milk. The vinegar will thicken the milk after a few minutes.

Set the bowl aside.

Wisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, melt the unsalted butter.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Add the eggs, butter, and the milk and vinegar mixture to the dry ingredients.

Wisk the mixture batter until smooth.

Add a couple of teaspoons of unsalted butter to the pan, and spread it around so that the pan is covered with melted butter.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter to form pancakes.

Allow the pancakes to be on the griddle until the tops start to bubble (that should indicate that it is ready to be flipped.)

Gently flip the pancake over, the first side should be golden brown.

Well there it is, my tried and true pancake secret. It is amazing how such a small step--adding a little vinegar-- can make such a big difference.

Last Post of 2013: Best Apple Pie EVER!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 03:57:00 +0000

Well here we are, the last day of 2013. For me, this year has gone by quickly, yet really slow at the same time. I can't say I'm too broken-hearted to start a new chapter in my life. This is the year that I turn 30 (I have a little less than a month to go,) and I'm quite determined to make it a great one! Hopefully this new year will be full of new adventures, and great cooking. So long 2013, welcome 2014! I wish all of you a wonderful new year!

For Christmas I made an apple pie to bring to one of our dinners. I got nothing but rave reviews, so I knew that it was a recipe that I needed to share with my readers.

What a comfort apple pie is. Slightly tart and sweet apples, smothered in a sweet spiced syrup, all stuffed in a homemade (after years of doing a store bought one, I finally faced my fear and conquered it) flaky crust. Serve it warm with some sweet vanilla ice cream, and it is simply the perfect end to a perfect meal.

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (this is what I use:Spectrum Organic Shortening)
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup ice water

Crust Steps:

Combine the flour, salt, and cinnamon.

After the dry ingredients are mixed together well, add the softened butter, and shortening.

Using this method, incorporate the butter and shortening into the dry mixture.

Pour in the ice water little by little, until the dough sticks together.

With clean hands, kneed lightly until the dough forms a ball.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Pie Filling Ingredients:

8 jazz apples
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
sprinkle of nutmeg
sprinkle of all spice
sprinkle of cloves
dash of cinnamon

Pie Filling Steps:

Over medium low heat, melt the unsalted butter in a medium sized pot.

After the butter has melted, add the brown and white sugar, flour, corn starch, nutmeg, all spice, cloves, and cinnamon.

Give the mixture a stir, and begin on the apples.

Peel, core, and chop the 8 apples.

Be sure to keep an eye on the sugar mixture, and stir it often.

When the mixture is hot, and slightly bubbly (but not boiling,) pour the mixture over the apples.

Reserve a tablespoon or two of the syrup.

Be sure to stir the mix the apples and the syrup right away before the syrup cools too much.

Set the covered apples aside for a moment.

Pie Assembly:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Take the pie crust dough out of the refrigerator.

Allow the dough to soften a bit, you might need to work it with your hands to help soften it up.

Split the dough in half.

On a clean, floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick.

In the microwave, melt a tablespoon of unsalted butter.

Brush the melted butter onto your favorite pie dish. (I have this one, and I love it:Emile Henry 9-Inch Pie Dish)

Lay the sheet of rolled out dough into your pie dish.

Be careful that there are no air bubbles.

Cut the excess dough away from the edges.

Carefully pour the apples into the prepared pie crust.

Make sure the apples are slightly mounded and evenly spread out.

Roll out the other half of the dough to 1/4" thick.

Cut a fun decorative vent into the center of your pie crust, or you could use a small cookie cutter to make a vent.

Place the rolled out dough on top of your apples.

Cut the excess away from the edges, and crimp the bottom crust and the top crust together.

Brush the reserved syrup on the top of the pie.

Bake for 20 minutes, then cover the crusts, either with strips of foil, or a Pie Crust Shield .

Bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and the apples are soft.

Cool completely.

This pie is a new family favorite that I will be making for many get togethers to come. Slices are perfect as is, or slightly heat your slice up in the microwave for a few seconds.

Holiday Dishes: Dutch Worsteboojes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 15:47:00 +0000

Literally translated: sausage rolls, these made quite an delicious treat! What could be better than a a pork and beef mixture all wrapped up in dough. These tasty bites weren't too, too difficult to make, and they definitely weren't too difficult to polish off either.

Worsteboojes can be found year-round in many regions, however in Limburg, worsteboojes are traditionally eaten after returning from midnight mass.

Dough Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Dough Steps:

Measure out the yeast and the sugar into a large bowl.

Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds, then pour it into the bowl with the yeast and sugar.

Set mixture aside for 10-15 minutes, or until the yeast starts to foam.

Once the yeast mixture is ready to go, add the salt and oil.

In a small bowl, beat the egg.

Add the egg to the mixture.

1/2 cup at a time, add the flour.

Kneed the dough until a ball is formed.

Grease the bowl with a small amount of safflower oil.

Cover, and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours.

Meat Mixture Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg

Worsteboojes Steps:

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, sausage, bread crumbs, salt, nutmeg, and pepper.

In a small bowl, beat the egg.

Add the egg to the meat mixture.

With clean hands, mix together completely.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Separate the dough into three equal pieces.

On a floured surface, roll out one of the pieces to 1/4" thick.

With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3X6" pieces.

Form about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into a 5" log.

Place the meat into the center of the dough.

Fold the dough over the ends of the meat, then wrap around each side.

Crimp the seams together.

Grease a cookie sheet, and place each worstebooje seam side down.

Place the worsteboojes 1" apart.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are a beautiful golden brown.

When the worsteboojes are done, melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in the microwave.

Brush the tops with the unsalted butter.

Sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt.

What fun these were to make and eat. Give them a try, you won't be disappointed!

A Greek Christmas: Lemon Pork

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 16:19:00 +0000

I know, I know, I haven't made a post in the past couple of weeks as I promised I would do. Our computer died. The computer was down and out for a week. But I have a couple of new holiday dishes for all you readers, so I will post them both this weekend.

The first of the meals that I made was Greek inspired: I made lemon pork. Pork is a major staple on the Greek dinner table from December 6 through January 17. Lemon pork is packed with flavor! To compliment this dish, I also made roasted acorn squash and sweet potatoes with a lemon and maple syrup glaze. I used pomegranate seeds to garnish my plate. Pomegranates are a symbol of Christmas in Greece. Pomegranates symbolize marriage, fertility, life, and hope. I also made some candied walnuts to go on top of the squash, but they were so delicious, that I ate them all before I took a picture. Oops.

Ingredients for Lemon Pork:

1 1/2 cubed pork
1 teaspoon jarred garlic
1/2 large sweet onion
1/4 cup safflower oil
2 lemons
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Steps for Lemon Pork:

The night before (doing this the morning of will turn out fine as well) put the pork into a bowl that has a lid.

Juice the lemons and add that to the bowl, along with the lemon zest, sea salt, rosemary, thyme, oil and pepper.

Cut the onion into large sections, separate the pieces, and put that into the bowl.

Mix to evenly coat all of the pork and onions.

That's all the hard work that this meal requires.

The next steps are easy, easy, easy!

Over medium heat, add your pork to a large skillet.

Cook until onions are tender, and pork is cooked through.

The lemon juice will cook down and create a delicious glaze on the pork and onions.

Ingredients for the Roasted Squash and Sweet Potatoes

1 acorn squash (I used a smallish one, maybe 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 sweet potato
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup light amber pure maple syrup
pomegranate seeds for garnish (and tangy yumminess)

Steps for the Roasted Squash and Sweet Potatoes

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the ends off of the acorn squash.

Cut the skin off of the outside of the squash.

A trick to aid in cutting the squash: place in the microwave for about a minute. Let it cool for a minute then cut. Heating it up a little bit will make the cutting much easier.

Scoop out the seeds.

Slice the squash.

Peel and cut the sweet potato.

In a small bowl mix together the juice from the half lemon and the maple syrup.

In a glass baking dish, mix the squash and the sweet potatoes.

Pour the lemon/maple syrup mixture over the top, and mix to coat evenly.

Make sure that the squash and sweet potatoes are spread our in an even layer in the baking dish.

Bake for 1 hour, mixing occasionally.

Top with pomegranate seeds and candied walnuts (if you are able to keep them around long enough.)

Ingredients for Candied Walnuts:

1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup light amber pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Steps for Candied Walnuts:

Place the walnut pieces in a resealable container.

Pour the maple syrup over the walnut pieces.

Shake the container (making sure the lid is securely on) to evenly coat the pieces.

Over low heat, melt the butter in a medium sized skillet.

When the butter has melted, add the coated walnuts.

Constantly move the walnuts around the pan.

After about 15 minutes (less if you notice the syrup beginning to burn) pour the walnuts into a bowl, and allow to cool.

Use them to top your squash and sweet potatoes, or eat them as is.

A delicious meal that didn't take forever to prepare! This meal was really enjoyed by all, and I will for sure be making this one again.

Holiday Dishes: French-Canadian Tourtière (Meat Pie)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 20:53:00 +0000

As I stated on the Off The Menu facebook page, through the end of the year, I will be making traditional holiday dishes from around the world. This week I chose to make a tourtière. This dish originated in what is now Quebec, and is traditionally served on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, or Christmas.

A tourtière is usually made of beef and pork, however I made mine with ground turkey that is seasoned to perfection. Throw in some mashed potatoes, and top it all with a flaky golden brown crust, and you have yourself one satisfying meal in a pie that I just might be making at holiday time from now on.

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts (I used the same crust that I use for my empanadas)
1 pound of ground turkey
1 large onion
1/2 cup beef broth
2 medium potatoes
2 teaspoons all-spice
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 egg beaten

Steps:

Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into 2 inch thick slices. Then cut the slices in half. I chose to leave the skins on my potatoes.

Put the potato slices into a large microwave safe bowl.

Cover the potatoes completely with water by 1 inch.

Microwave on high for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

When the potatoes are tender, pour the contents of the bowl into a colander to drain the water.

Put the potatoes back into the bowl, mash with a potato masher until creamy.

Place mashed potatoes in the refrigerator for later.

Heat a large skillet with 2 oil over medium heat.

While the oil is heating, chop the onion into chunks and place in the blender along with the beef broth.

Puree the onion.

Add the pureed onion to the heated skillet and stir.

Saute the onion for 10 minutes making sure to stir occasionally.

Once the onion is finished, add the ground turkey salt, all-spice, fennel seeds, thyme, and pepper.

Brown the meat, making sure that the meat and the onion are mixed together well.

Put in the refrigerator.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare the pie crust by placing it in a 9 inch pie pan coated with safflower oil.

Take the mashed potatoes and meat and mix together in a large bowl. Make sure to mix the two together very well.

Spoon the mixture (doesn't it smell delicious?) into the prepared pie dish.

Cover the top with the second pie crust.

Crimp the edges together.

Poke a hole in the center of the pie.

Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg. By doing this, the top of the pie will brown up very nicely, this makes for a nice presentation.

Place your pie into the heated oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

After you take the pie out of the oven, let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

What a winner of a meal! I know that this is one that I will be making again!

A Comforting Meal: Mac and Cheese Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 17:47:00 +0000

Who decided that mac and cheese is only for kids, because who doesn't love it? Noodles smothered in cheddar cheese; so yummy! What a comfort too. When you've had a rough day, this is the perfect meal to fill you up, and make you feel better. This casserole full of mac and cheesy goodness, plus little sausage bits and seasoned fried potatoes cubes spread throughout, and topped with crunchy potato chip crumbs.

Ingredients:

16 ounces pasta of your choice
2 medium sized potatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/2 pound pork sausage (I make sure to use MSG free)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 eight ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1 cup plain potato chips

Steps:

Crumble and brown the sausage in a large skillet. Set aside for later.

While the sausage is browning, clean the potatoes, and chop into small cubes either by hand or using a Vegetable Chopper. Set aside.

Heat the oil in the same skillet that you used to cook the sausage.

When the oil is hot, add the chopped potatoes, 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/8 teaspoon old bay seasoning.

Mix to evenly coat the potatoes.

Fry for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown (and smell delicious.)

Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package.

While the macaroni is cooking, start on the cheese sauce.

Over medium heat melt the unsalted butter in a large pot.

Once the butter is melted, add the 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 2 teaspoons old bay seasoning, dried chives and the flour.

Heat while stirring until fragrant.

When it smells yummy, add a few tablespoons of milk, and stir until it congeals (this will happen rather quickly.)

When the milk, flour, and butter mixture has become thick, pour in the remainder of the milk, and stir.

Chop up the cheese into bite sized cubes, and add it to the milk.

Stir occasionally until the cheese has melted. If at anytime the cheese sauce begins to bubble, the heat is too high.

This makes the best cheese sauce!

The secret to a cheese sauce that no only tastes great, but re-heats great without getting all separated and weird is, butter. Not oil, butter.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together the sausage, cooked macaroni, potatoes, and cheese sauce.

Mix until everything is evenly coated and evenly distributed.

Spread the macaroni mixture into a glass Baking Dish.

Crush the potato by putting them into a plastic zip top bag and crushing by hand or using a rolling pin.

Cover the top of the casserole with the potato chips.

Place the prepared casserole into the oven, and bake for 20 minutes.

Garnish with some green onion.

Wow, was this meal a hit! This has definitely earned a spot on our menu.

~ Enjoy

Peanut Butter Banana Bread With Mini Peanut Butter Cups

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 14:34:00 +0000

What a simply wonderful breakfast or snack, banana bread makes. This banana bread has a twist; it has peanut butter in it. But wait, it also has another special treat in it; mini peanut butter cups! So don't throw out those squishy bananas, make a treat that the whole family will love!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 bananas (make sure that they are nice and mushy)
1/4 cup peanut butter (I like to use crunchy)
A handful (or two) of mini peanut butter cups (I got mine from Trader Joe's, and oh my gosh, wow!)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas.

Add the peanut butter, and stir until completely combined.

Add the eggs, and milk. Stir until combined.

Stir in the flour 1/2 cup at a time.

Add the baking powder, sugar, and salt.

Mix in the peanut butter cups.

Melt the unsalted butter, and using a basting brush, evenly coat a pan.

Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with a mixture of 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Transfer the batter into a Bakeware 9-by-5-Inch Loaf Pan or a glass bread pan.

Place the bread in the oven, and bake for 70 minutes.

What and easy and delicious treat!

Enjoy!

~ Chef Megs

Italian Favorites: Double Battered Eggplant Parmesan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 14:16:00 +0000

Eggplant parmesan is one of Chef Matt's absolute favorite Italian dishes; he's crazy about it! He was the first one to introduce me to eggplant parmesan at the age of about 20. Before I met him, I had never even tried this tasty dish. When I first had it, truth be told, I couldn't see (or taste that is) what all the fuss was about. There was something about it that I wasn't crazy about. After thinking about it, I figured it out; too much eggplant, and not enough breading. So, I decided that I needed to make this dish for myself, and see if I could make it in a way I would like. After some experimenting, I realized that double battering the eggplant slices was exactly the taste combo that I was looking for. Eggplant that is extra crunchy and packed with flavor, who could ask for anything better?

Ingredients:

2 small to medium eggplants
sea salt
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tablespoons sea
2 teaspoons dried parsley
safflower oil
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
shredded mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Cut the eggplant into slices 1/4", then lay out in a single layer on either a cookie sheet or a cutting board. Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with sea salt. Let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes. By going through this process called sweating, the excess moisture will be drawn out of the eggplant.

After 30 minutes, rinse both sides of the slices thoroughly with cold water.

After rinsing the eggplant, dry each piece very well with paper towel.

Beat the egg and mil put it into a small bowl.

Pour the bread crumbs into a separate shallow dish (I use a pie dish.)

Mix the bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon of sea salt, dried basil, and the dried parsley. Make sure everything is evenly distributed.

In a large skillet heat 1/3 cup of safflower oil.

Dip each eggplant slice into the egg, and then cover completely with bread crumbs.

To make them extra crispy and tasty, dip the eggplant slice back into the egg mixture. Do this gently so that the bread crumbs don't come off of the slice.

Then again cover the slice with the bread crumbs. This will make each slice double battered for extra crispiness and flavor!

Place 5 or 6 breaded slices in the hot oil, and fry for a couple of minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Place the fried eggplant slices evenly into a 9X13 glass baking dish that has a handful of mozzarella and parmesan cheese on the bottom.

Layer the eggplant in the baking dish.

In between each layer, sprinkle a handful of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve this dish with a side of angel hair pasta topped with meat sauce or meatless pasta sauce, and some nice warm french bread.

Jerk Chicken Quesadillas with Mango Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 21:29:00 +0000

With the delicious slow cooker jerk chicken I made sweet and savory quesadillas filled with jerk chicken and melted cheddar cheese, topped with tangy mango salsa. The taste combination was out of this world amazing. This is a winner for sure, that I will definitely be making again... and soon!

Ingredients for mango salsa:

1 mango
1/4 red bell pepper
1/4 green bell pepper
1 tablespoon or two of red onion
1/3 bunch of cilantro
1 roma tomato
3 green onions
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice (I used the little bit that I had left over from my jerk chicken marinade)

Steps for mango salsa:

Chop the mango, red and green bell pepper, cilantro, roma tomato, and green onions into small pieces. If you would like to spice it up, you could add some chopped jalapeno.

Add all of the chopped ingredients, as well as the vinegar, lime juice, and orange juice to a tupperware container.

Toss well, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

As well as being a perfect compliment to jerk chicken, just last week I topped my pizza with mango salsa and pepperoni, and it was sweet and delicious. It tasted somewhat like a hawaiian pizza. The salsa would also go great with some corn chips made for dipping. There are so many possibilities!

Ingredients for quesadillas:

Tortillas (2 for each quesadilla)
1/3 cup jerk chicken to fill each quesadilla (more or less depending on what you like)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
mango salsa

Steps for quesadillas:

Lay out two tortillas.

Use one of the tortillas to put your filling into.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat.

Melt some butter in the skillet.

Sprinkle the tortilla with half of the cheese.

Evenly spread the jerk chicken on top of the cheese.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the chicken.

Top the filled half with your other tortilla.

Place the quesadilla in the pan, and let it cook for a minute or two on each side.

Serve warm and toasty, with mango salsa on the side. I opened my quesadilla and topped the meat and cheese with my mango salsa.

Such a tasty treat! Sweet, savory, tangy, and oh so good! I will be making this again in the near future!

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 16:13:00 +0000

What a fantastic meal! I've said it before, I love, love, love my Slow Cooker. My kitchen smelled wonderful all day, and I couldn't wait for dinner time. The smell was even sweet, yet spicy; cinnamon and nutmeg combined with molasses, and a hint of habanero added to the mix. Make this once, and I guarantee you'll be making it time and time again!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds bone in chicken thighs
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons all spice
1 teaspoons sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (1/2 of a large orange equals about that much juice)
2 1/3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon jarred garlic
1 1/2 green onions
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 habanero pepper (2 if you're daring)

Steps:

Heat the safflower oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

While the oil is heating, mix together the cinnamon, salt, all spice, and nutmeg into a medium sized bowl.

Add the chicken, and evenly coat the chicken thighs with the spices.

When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet. Be sure not to over crowd the pan. I did 4 at a time.

Fry the chicken for 5 minutes on each side. The chicken will not be completely cooked, but that is ok, because the slow cooker will cook the chicken the rest of the way.

While the chicken is frying. Combine the lime juice, molasses, white vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, pepper and garlic into a medium sized bowl.

Finely chop the green onions and cilantro, and add them to the liquid.

Chop the fresh ginger into large pieces, and add them to the mixture.

Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds, and chop into into large pieces.

Add the pepper, and wisk the marinade until fully combined.

Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside.

When the marinade is finished, arrange the chicken in the slow cooker.

Evenly pour the marinade over the chicken.

Set your slow cooker on low, and cook for 6-7 hours.

Turn the chicken over every couple of hours.

When the chicken is super tender, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, and place the thighs on a cutting board, and allow them to cool.

While the chicken is cooling, pour the sauce into a Strainer over a medium sized bowl.

Pour the sauce back into the slow cooker, and set the heat to warm.

When the chicken is cool enough to be handled, with clean hands, pull the chicken from the bone.

Place the chicken back into the slow cooker, and stir to make sure the sauce evenly coats the chicken.

This would be an excellent meal to serve on game day, or to take to a pot luck to serve on some nice soft rolls. Or serve at home with some rice and mango salsa for a perfect taste combo.

Empanadas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 00:05:00 +0000

I love empanadas!!! Savory with a slightly sweet and spicy tone, they simply can't be beat.

This recipe is quite labor intensive because there are a lot of steps involved, but the efforts are worth the end result!

Dough Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, softened
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup ice water

Filling Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground turkey (lean ground beef can be used if desired)
1/2 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon jarred garlic
3 roma tomatoes
1 serrano pepper (if you like spicy, add another pepper)
juice of 1 limes (I used the juice you can buy in the lime shaped squeeze bottle; you can find it in the produce section)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps for Dough:

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, shortening, butter, and salt gently with your fingers until small pea to grape sized pieces are formed. Be sure not to over-mix.

Slowly stir in the water. As to not over-mix, I used a rubber spatula to carefully fold in the water.

Lightly knead the dough with a folding motion only for a minute or until the dough forms a ball; again I used the spatula. Add a little bit more water if dough looks too dry.

Cover dough with a kitchen towel, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Steps for Filling:

In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey (or beef) over medium heat.

In a blender, puree the tomatoes.

Cut the onion into large chunks.

Add the chunks of onion, and puree.

Cut the pepper length wise and remove the seeds (unless you would like it to be spicier, the heat of the pepper is in the seeds.)

Add the pepper, and the lime juice to the blender and puree.

Add the cumin, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper to the puree mixture.

If using beef, drain the excess fat. This is an advantage to using ground turkey; no fat to drain!

Add the puree mixture to the browned turkey, and mix well. Turn the heat to high, and simmer until excess moisture has cooked off.

Steps for putting the empanadas together:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

With your chilled dough, split the ball in half.

Lightly flour your work space.

Roll out the dough to 1/8" thick.

Cut the dough using a 5" circular cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or bowl.

Fill the center with 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling.

Fold over and crimp edges.

Arrange the unbaked empanadas on a greased cookie sheet.

Glaze the empanadas with a mixture of 2 tablespoons milk and a beaten egg.

Bake the empanadas for 15-20 minutes or until slightly browned.

These are absolutely delicious and satisfying all by them selves, or pair them with a bowl of mexican chili.

~ Enjoy!

The Perfect Winter Meal: Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 16:11:00 +0000

Who doesn't love chili? Chili is especially great when it is cold outside, and you need a meal to warm you from the inside. However, chili is a perfect dinner for any night! Loaded with beans, meat, and diced tomatoes, it is the perfect combination to fill you up.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium pureed onion
1/2 pureed green pepper
1/2 pureed red pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can chili beans (I use bush's)
1 can diced tomatoes
cheese (to top if desired)

Steps:

Cook the ground turkey in large skillet until brown.

Add the onion, green pepper, red pepper, chili powder, sugar, cumin, salt and the minced garlic to a blender and puree them all together.

While the meat is browning, add the kidney beans, pinto beans, chili beans, diced tomatoes, and the onion and pepper mixture to the slow cooker.

When the ground turkey is browned, add it to the slow cooker.

Make sure to mix the uncooked chili thoroughly.

Place the lid on the top, and set your slow cooker to the low setting.

Let chili cook for 4-5 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high.

Top with shredded cheese, and maybe a little plain greek yogurt (sour cream.) Serve with corn chips or buttery crackers.

Chili is a huge player in my menu. I make it at least once a month, and it is always satisfying. I use the left overs to make chili tacos, by filling warm corn or flour tortillas with delicious chili, top with cheese, and yum!

The Secret To Making The Best Lasagna And Home Made Turkey Meat Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 13:12:00 +0000

When it comes to Italian food, lasagna definitely tops my list. What's not to love? Gooey cheese sandwiched between layers of pasta noodles, all smothered in delicious sauce. I made this recipe a tad healthier by using ground turkey instead of ground beef. Read on for how to recreate this classic meal, homemade sauce and all!

Meat sauce ingredients:

1 1/2 pound of ground turkey
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion, minced or pureed (can use 1 tablespoon onion powder if you don't have an onion)
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 28 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
2 6 ounce cans of tomato paste
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Steps:

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add olive oil.

Add the ground turkey and the 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt.

Crumble and brown the turkey.

Once the turkey has browned, turn off the heat.

In a stock pot, heat up 1 teaspoon minced garlic and the pureed onion for a few minutes over low heat.

To the onions and garlic add sugar, fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, and dried parsley.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste to the spices. Stir together well.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 hours.

Ingredients for lasagna:

1 pound lasagna noodles (about 16 noodles)
16 ounces of ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Carefully add the lasagna noodles.

Cook for 10 minutes or until el dente.

While the pasta is cooking, mix the ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, and salt. Set aside.

Drain the pasta, and rinse with cold water.

In a 9X13 baking dish, cover the bottom with meat sauce.

Place cooked lasagna noodles in a single layer over the meat sauce.

Spoon out half of the ricotta cheese mixture onto the layer of noodles.

Spread the mixture as evenly as you can on the noodles.

Sprinkle a third of the Parmesan cheese over the ricotta mixture.

Place a third of the mozzarella over the other cheeses.

Repeat these layers.

Top with remaining meat sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses.

Cover baking dish with a layer of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray (so that the cheese doesn't stick).

Bake the covered lasagna for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy this lasagna with a crisp salad and some yummy garlic bread!

~ Chef Megs

Food To Entertain: Swedish Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:04:00 +0000

I channeled my inner swedish chef, and made swedish meatballs. I must say, my inner swedish chef is pretty darn good. They were melt in your mouth, delicious. I made meatball subs slathered with a brown gravy that complimented the meatballs perfectly. Speaking of complimenting, bring these to your next get together and you're sure to get rave reviews!

Ingredients for Swedish Meatballs:

2 slices of fresh white bread
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 small sweet onion
1/4 cup white mushrooms
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Ingredients for Gravy:

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon red wine
1/8 cup heavy cream

Steps for Swedish Meatballs:

In a blender, make bread crumbs out of the bread.

Add the milk to the bread crumbs, and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter over medium-high heat.

Cut the onion into large chunks, and place them in the blender. Puree the onion.

When the onion is pureed, add the mushrooms and puree until they are fully incorporated.

When the butter has melted, add the onion and mushroom puree to the pan.

Cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.

While the onions are cooking, mix together the beef, the pork, the bread and milk mixture, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, together in a stand mixer.

When the onions are ready, add them to the meat mixture.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

Using your (clean) hands, measure out about a tablespoon of the mixture.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees F.

When the butter has melted, place the meatballs into the skillet.

Be sure not to over crowd the pan.

Brown the meatballs on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes.

Transfer the meatballs to a oven safe baking dish, and place them in the oven.

Repeat this process until the meat is gone.

Once you have made all of your meatballs and put them into the oven, leave them in there to bake until the gravy is ready.

Steps for Gravy:

In the same pan that you add the flour. If it is a bit too dry, add a little butter.

Once the flour and the butter and brown and fragrant, wisk in the beef broth, the heavy cream, the red wine, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Wisk over low heat until it thickens.

To make sub sandwiches, cut some nice soft french bread sandwich style.

Make bread boats by hallowing out the centers with your fingers.

Place 2 meatballs in each sandwich half.

Pour the gravy over the top.

Simply yum!

The Secret to Making French Bread and Basil Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 18:36:00 +0000

How many times have you picked up French bread from the store because you needed it as a side for your favorite Italian dish? If you're like me, it's too many times to count. I learned after years and years of doing this that I could make my own French bread at home without the use of a bread machine. What's better is that this bread is unbelievably delicious and even more so dipped into my homemade basil butter.

Ingredients for French Bread:

1 cup water
3 teaspoons yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg white

Steps for French Bread:

**The key to this bread is plenty of rising time. So, I would suggest starting your bread dough a good 3-4 hours before meal time.**

Pour the yeast and the water into a large bowl.

Allow the yeast and water to set for about 20 minutes.

When the yeast is frothy, add the flour and the sea salt to the bowl.

Combine the flour, salt, and water with a spatula until the liquid is mixed in well with the flour.

Then with clean hands, combine the dough until it completely sticks together.

Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes.

Form it into a ball and cover the bowl with a damp towel for 2 hours.

Grease 2 Loaf Pans with olive oil.

After 2 hours, split the dough into two equal parts, and form into mini loaves.

Place one in each loaf pan.

Cover and allow to rise for at least 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake the bread the bread for 10 minutes, then brush the tops of the loaves with egg whites.

Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the tops of the loaves are golden.

Slice and serve with your favorite italian dish.

Ingredients for Basil Butter:

1 stick of unsalted butter.
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic

Steps for Basil Butter:

Cut the butter into pieces.

Leave the butter out in a bowl so that it can soften.

Once the butter has softened, add the salt, parsley, basil, and garlic.

With a fork, whip all of the ingredients together.

Just like that, yummy basil butter that is a perfect compliment to your perfect french bread.

I make this bread almost weekly. It is such a simple and tasty recipe. In fact, I have bread rising in the kitchen right as I type.

The Secret To Making The Best Hearty And Savory Beef Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 23:20:00 +0000

I love my slow cooker. I mean, who wouldn't? Have your meal all prepared, throw it all in the slow cooker, turn it on, and walk away. This slow cooker recipe is a wonderful, hearty meal with not much in the way of preparation; 30 minutes at the most. The end result will warm you from the inside out!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of cubed stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 minced white mushroom slices
1 cup baby carrots
3 large potatoes, cubed
2 cups of boiling water
1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
1 teaspoon bouillon--chicken, beef, or vegetable will work (I use this: Chicken base)
1 small onion
1/4 cup red wine (optional-- I have also used marsala cooking wine, and it was good as well, however red was better)

Steps:

Combine the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large plastic zip-top bag or a large tupperware container.

Add the cubed stew meat to the bag. Seal bag, and shake to evenly coat the meat with the flour and salt mixture.

In a large skillet, add the olive oil and heat over low heat.

When the oil has heated, add the coated meat, and brown on all sides.

Mince the mushrooms and add them to the skillet with the meat.

While the meat is browning, peel and chop the potatoes and add them to the slow-cooker, along with the carrots, parsley, and pepper.

When the meat is browned, add it to the slow cooker.

**NOTE--the meat only has to be browned, not cooked completely through. The slow cooker will cook it through.**

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the garlic, bouillon, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt, stirring thoroughly to combine.

Add the red wine (if desired) to the garlic and bouillon mixture, then transfer mix to the skillet that the meat was browned in. Use the liquid to loosen the meat bits on the bottom of the skillet.

After the pieces are lifted of the bottom, add the mixture to the slow cooker.

Cut the onion into chunks and place them into a blender.

Puree the onion, and add it to the slow cooker.

Mix all of the ingredients well.

Cover stew and cook on the high setting for 1 hour.

Reduce heat to the low setting, and cook for an additional 5 hours.

Serve this delicious and hearty stew with french bread or buttery crackers.

Project Food Challenge: Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 22:59:00 +0000

Wow, just wow. I've tried my hand at many different kinds of pizza, including New York style pizza. Well, I figured, just to be fair, it's about time that I try my hand at the classic Chicago style deep dish pizza. I must say, I was successful! With a flaky, buttery, melt in your mouth crust, and topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, and sauce (in that order) it was simply incredible!

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons of yeast
1 teaspoons of sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon corn oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
sliced mozzarella
toppings of choice (Off The Menu used Aidells pineapple and bacon chicken sausage, green and red pepper, and mushrooms)
pizza sauce (I use this recipe minus the meat and water)

Steps

Put the yeast and sugar into a medium sized bowl.

Add the water to the yeast and sugar.

Let sit for 10-15 minutes or until frothy.

When the yeast mixture is foamy, add the flour, sea salt, and the corn oil.

Mix until all of the ingredients are blended. Be careful not to over mix.

Coat a Deep Dish Pizza Pan with a little bit of corn oil. 2 cake pans also work well if you don't have a deep dish pizza pan.

If using 2 cake pans, split the dough into two equal parts. If using a deep dish pizza pan, don't split the dough.

Pat the dough out to cover the pan.

Cover with a towel, and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 8-10 hours. I would suggest making your dough first thing in the morning, and come dinner time, your dough will be ready for you.

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork.

In the pre-heated oven, bake the crust for 10 minutes.

While the crust is baking, slice the cheese, (do not shred as you want the cheese thicker).

When the crust comes out of the oven, top with a your desired amount of sauce first, cheese, toppings...

and then don't be afraid add a little sauce after you put all your toppings on!

Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Slice and enjoy!

This pie has definitely earned a spot in our menu. I can't wait to make this pizza again!

An Extraordinary Appetizer: Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 14:35:00 +0000

Sometimes, I like to step out of the box and create a new recipe that is unique and that I don't think anybody has done, at least not that I know of. Yes, I had to venture into unknown culinary territory.... I didn't know where I was headed but I like where I ended up. I ended up at a very fine gourmet appetizer of a meal that utilizes one of my favorite meals, Eggplant Parmesan. Although, it does make me want to call it Eggplant Parmesan Sushi for it's obvious resemblance to the real kind of sushi and because I love sushi but I digress.

No it's not sushi but what it is though is something extraordinary and delicious in every sense of the word. What else could that be than tender chicken pieces cooked to perfection, then combined with fresh mozzarella and then wrapped up in panko breaded eggplant and fried.

Ingredients (makes about 12 pieces):

1 Eggplant
2 Chicken Breasts
Fresh Mozzarella
2 Eggs
Panko Bread Crumbs
Italian Seasoning
Dried Parsley leaves
Minced Garlic
Olive Olive
Canola Oil
Dash of Salt

Cut 12 strips of the eggplant that are about 1/4" thick

Cook chicken pieces on medium heat in olive oil, using minced garlic and Italian seasoning to sautee.

A very important step.. take your 1/4" thick eggplant slices and sautee in pan over low to medium heat in olive oil for a minute on each side. This which makes it so you can easily roll your chicken and mozzarella up in the eggplant slices and they don't break when you do so.

After you've sauteed your eggplant strips in olive oil, dip them in egg yolk so the bread crumbs can easily stick to the outside.

Make the panko bread crumbs extra tasty using Italian seasoning, dried parsley, and a dash of salt and mix together in a bowl in preparation to bread your egg soaked eggplant strips.

Evenly coat each side of the eggplant strips that you soaked in egg by dipping them into the panko bread crumb mixture until each side looks like the above image.

Put at least two small to medium sized chicken and fresh mozzarella pieces on your now breaded eggplant strip and wrap very gently by rolling it all together going length wise.

Ok, you have to admit that it does kind of look like sushi.

After you're done wrapping your chicken and mozzarella pieces in the eggplant, it should resemble a fancy piece of sushi that you'd get at your favorite sushi restaurant (like the above)!

Finally you're at the best and most exciting step in this culinary appetizer adventure besides eating it that is. Carefully put your now rolled up stuffed eggplant pieces into a pan of Canola oil that's on medium heat and fry each side for about 3 minutes (gently turning over with tongs) until it's golden brown on each side.

As good as these look, there is no way to describe how succulent and tasty these stuffed eggplant appetizers are until they actually meet your taste buds for the first time. The fusion of delicious breaded eggplant with chicken and fresh mozzarella is a taste you'll remember and will make you want to do these all over again. In doing so, you could make these for a get together and have everybody talking. Even if you don't want to share, make these for yourself and have with a vintage glass of wine while dipping these into marinara sauce with Andrea Bocelli playing in the background. I don't even have to go out and limb and tell you that my take on stuffed Eggplant Parmesan is very highly recommended.