A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD...

Slow Cooker Reuben Chowder: Corned Beef, Potatoes, & Cabbage

2013-04-19T08:59:58-05:00

My name is Glenna and I'm a huge Reuben addict. Love the combo of corned beef and saurkraut. There's just something deliciously sweet, salty, crunchy, cheesy wonderful about it! Imagine my pleasure when I accidentally stumbled on a recipe for reuben chowder...and then Googled for more recipes...and then took all the things I liked out of each one and made my own--in the slow cooker!

Heaven...I'm in heaven....

Slow Cooker Reuben Chowder

Recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced (can also use 1 cup frozen mixed veggies instead)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups potatoes, diced, with or without skins (I used Yukon Golds with skins)
4 cups cabbage, chunked or sliced into strips
2 cups cooked Corned beef, chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 14.5 oz can beef broth
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 8 oz block cream cheese, light

Directions:

The idea is simple:

Layer it all into the slow cooker, turn it on low and forget about it for about 10 hours or on high for about 5 hours but watch it and stir it if it's on high so the cream cheese won't burn.

Makes 12 cups.

It's a great one for work lunches, too!

Nutrition per 1 1/2 cup serving: Calories: 288; Protein: 14; Carbs: 38; Fat: 8; Fiber: 5.8 Weight Watchers Points: 7

Glenna's Buttermilk Pound Cake

2013-04-18T05:25:05-05:00

What most people I know think of when you use the generic term "cake" is technically a butter cake, typically eggs and butter or oil beaten together and the dry ingredients then added, as opposed to a chiffon cake, a lighter textured cake where the egg whites are whipped separately and folded into the batter. Pound cake is butter or chiffon cake's sweet, voluptuous cousin, with rich, velvety crumb, created from not just eggs and butter but LOTS of eggs and butter!

Originally named "pound cake" for the simplicity of its ingredients: pound of butter, pound of sugar, pound of flour... it has long since been cut down to what we think of us "regular" cake size and customized in endless variations. This buttermilk and vanilla recipe is rich and. satisfying with straight-forward, simple ingredients that showcases what, to me, is almost a religiously divine combination: butter, flour, and sugar...and an oven. .

To fancy it up, add fresh strawberries or a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce. For me, I just cut a slice, pick it up, and don't bother dirtying a fork and plate.

Glenna's Buttermilk Pound Cake

Recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

Ingredients:

16 oz (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 Tbsp good quality vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3) With mixer, cream butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. Add vanilla and one egg at a time, mixing until well incorporated and fluffy.

4) Alternate add flour mixture and buttermilk, half of each at a time, and mixing to thoroughly incorporate each add until a very homogenous, thick, and creamy batter is emerged. Do not overbeat.

5) Scoop into a greased bundt pan, using spatula to spread batter out evenly.

6) Bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is light golden brown and top feels dense to the touch. (Will read 200-205 degrees on meat thermometer stuck into middle of cake.)

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out onto plate and glaze with the following if desired:

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

Add water 1 Tbsp at a time until glaze is just pourable from the bowl or drizzle by spoon.

Directions:

Pour over still warm cake.

Copycat Recipe: Joe's Crab Shack Harvest Bay Mahi Mahi

2013-04-05T16:44:16-06:00

One of the great things about things about cooking restaurant-style food at home is being able to customize it. I love this entree, Harvest Bay Mahi Mahi, a firm-fleshed white fish covered in rich Alfredo sauce mixed with sauteed shrimp and mushrooms, from Joe's Crab Shack but I've always wanted more: more sauce, more shrimp, more mushrooms!!!!! Viva la shrimp and shrooms! Since I don't have a district manager looking over my food cost reports, that's easy to do without sacrificing any of the integrity of the original dish, not to mention, being able to shave a few butter and Alfredo sauce calories here and there without sacrificing that luscious mouth feel and rich taste.

Here's How I did it, step by step, and with photos:

Joe's Crab Shack Harvest Bay Mahi Mahi

Recipe from More of America's Most Wanted Recipes by Ron Douglas

Cook's note: I'll list the recipe as written and then tell in parentheses how I actually did it/how much of the ingredients I used, as in, much less fat and many more veggies. I made fish for two but sauce for four so we had leftover to serve on pasta for lunch the next day. --Glenna

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter (I used 2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil--see directions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4--7 oz Mahi Mahi filets (I was cooking for 2 so I used 3 small cod filets, any firm white fish will work)
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup small shrimp, peeled (I used 12 medium 30-40 ct tail on shrimp)
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced (I used 2 cups, sliced --we love mushrooms!)
1 cup Alfredo sauce, home-made or store-bought (Home-made, recipe to follow)
1/2 tsp fresh dill (or fresh parsley)

Alfredo Sauce

Recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup 2% milk
3 oz fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter and whisk in 2 Tbsp flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constnatly. Do not allow to brown.

Add milk a bit at a time, constantly whisking until smooth. Add cream cheese and whisk until almost melted. Add cheese and whisk thoroughly until smooth. Set aside.

Continue with Joe's Crab Shack Harvest Bay recipe....

In heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Saute fish filets 3-5 minutes on each side until opaque and flaky but not overcooked. Set aside and keep warm (on a plate in a warm oven or microwave works great).

For sauce: Melt 2 Tbsp butter and saute garlic for a couple of minutes. Do not brown garlic or butter..

Add shrimp and mushrooms and cook for another minute or so, until shrimp are opaque and mushrooms have soaked up most of butter. Add a pinch of salt and a few shakes of pepper.

Pour in Alfredo sauce and allow sauce to heat and thicken. Taste. Salt and Pepper as needed to finish.

Top fish filets generously with shrimp/mushroom/Alfredo sauce, garnish with dill or parsley, and serve immediately. If, by chance, you have any leftover sauce (if you add the extra shrimp and mushrooms like I did) the remaining sauce is excellent for lunch over angel hair pasta. Yum!

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition per 5 ozl filet plus 1/4 of the sauce: Calories: 428; Protein: 46.8; Carbs: 7.8; Fat: 17; Fiber: .5; Weight Watchers Points: 10 plus 1 good fat serving

All-American Sloppy Joe Pockets

2013-04-01T01:51:51-06:00

All-American Sloppy Joes, what a lot of us here in the states grew up on as a regular meal, basically also called a "loose meat sandwich" which sounds terrifying. It's not, really,To the uninitiated it's a dryer version of beef spaghetti sauce made to fit on a bun: ground beef, Italian seasonings, and tomato paste. Taking it one step further, it feels like a treat to kids and Hubbies (who are really just big kids) as a fancified hand-held pocket sandiwch.

Great for a normal weekend dinner, a children's sleepover, children's parties or anytime you just want to do something a little extra special without making yourself crazy!

From scratch is always best but I will tell you that the Sandra Lee version is even easier if you're short on time and patience: thawed bread dough from the supermarket, ground beef, cheese, and jarred Sloppy Joe or Manwich sauce. Nobody will know the difference and you look like a hero! But. Sometime do do the from scratch verion, you'll be glad you did and surprised at how easy it is. I promise.

This is my entry for World Bread Baking Day #57. Check the roundup to see all the great loaves of bread being baking in ovens both near and far from you.

All-American Easy Sloppy Joe Sandwich Pockets

Recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

Sloppy Joe Filling:

Ingredients:

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced fine
2 8 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Quick Rise Basic Bread Dough:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp dry yeast
2 Tbsp honey or sugar
1 tsp salt
4 cups half white/lhalf whole wheat flour (a little more if needed to form workable dough)

Additional ingredients:

1 cup shredded American or colby/jack mix cheese

Directions:

1) Make dough first. Melt butter in microwave. Heat milk in microwave to 110 degrees F. Add butter, sugar, and yeast. Sitr and set aside for 5 minutes. If yeast is "blooming" or multiplying, it is good to go.

2) Pour milk mixture into standing mixer (or beat all by hand) and add salt, honey, and flour one cup at a time until dough is soft but doesn't completely stick to sides. Beat for 5 minutes in standing mixer or knead on counter working in a little extra flur as needed to form elastic dough that is soft but not so sticky you can't work with it.

3) Place in bowl and cover with cloth. Set aside in warm place for 45-60 minutes to rise until doubled in volume.

4) Meanwhile, in heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain any excess fat. Stir in garlic and onion and cook until onion is translucent. Add tomato sauce, herbs, sugar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

5) When dough has doubled, punch down and divide into 8 equal balls.

6) Flatten each ball into a thin disk, 1 heaping tbsp of cheese,

fill with 1/8th of meat mixture (or a good heaping Tbsp, might have some filling leftover to eat on regular bread)

and fold dough over into half shape.

Moisten inside edges with water, and seal shut by pressing fork tines into edges.

7) Place on parchment or oiled baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until nicely browned.