Christmas Dinner - Prime Rib

My husband's family has been having Prime Rib for Christmas Dinner for many years now. I think the first time I ever had it was our first Christmas together, right before we were married. Our first Christmas here in Utah, I went to the grocery store and just happened to see a Prime Rib Roast, and it was on sale! So I thought I'd try it out! I searched everywhere for recipes, called his mom and searched some more. I put together my own recipe with all the info I acquired. It turned out DELICIOUSLY! So delicious in fact, we had it again for our Anniversary/hubby's bday dinner. I love love love Turkey at my mom's on Christmas, but this is so tasty also!
And don't be scared, it's really no harder than cooking a regular roast, or even a turkey!
I usually side it with my YUMMY Dutch Oven Potatoes and a green salad... and of course, Apple Cider! My mouth is watering......

If you're going to make it.. check around. A Prime Rib roast could cost you close to $50, if not more, UNLESS you can find it on sale! $30 is a GREAT price for a roast of this magnitude and deliciousness. And you really do need to find at least 6lbs. It just doesn't cook right with anything less. But if you're like my husband, he slices each piece closer to an inch thick... and it disappears quickly! :) Enjoy!


Ingredients:

at least 6lbs Ribeye bone-in roast, chine bone cut off and tied back on (usually already done by the butcher)
3 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt, or kosher salt (gotta be chunky!)
freshly ground pepper
olive oil
3-5can beef broth


Instructions:


Allow roast to sit for 2 hours, at room temp, before cooking.

Heat oven to 450.

Combine garlic, salt and pepper. Rub oil all over roast, and cover with salt mixture. Place in roasting pan with 1/2can beef broth and place into oven for 20 min.

Add more broth every 30-45 minutes, as needed.

Turn oven down to 325 and continue cooking until meat thermometer reads 150 (for medium). Take roast out of oven, tent with foil and allow to "rest" for at least 20 min, or until thermometer reads 160. Clip wrapping and carefully slice into steaks 1/8"-1/4".

Place roasting pan on stove top and boil juices and remaining broth (or add water); using a wooden spoon, scrape up bits on bottom of pan. Add flour or cornstarch mixed in a cup of water to thicken, if desired.

2 Easy Christmas Goodies

This recipe really is simple. I was very surprised.

Cream Cheese Finger Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2C butter, softened
4oz cream cheese, softened
1tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4C all-purpose flour
1TBS sugar
dash salt
1C finely chopped pecans
confectioner's sugar

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in vanilla. In a different bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Stir in the pecans.
Shape tablespoonfuls into 2in logs. Place 2in apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 12-14min, until bottoms are lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in confectioners sugar; cool on wire racks.
Makes 2 dozen.



Don't let the two-step process and 3-ingredients fool you. This recipe can take close to 45 minutes to make! I was not prepared for that.... I thought it would be easy-peasy. Which it wasn't hard.... it just took a lot of time.

Besitos de Coco (AKA Coconut Smooches)

Ingredients:

about 1C grated coconut
1C water
1 1/2C dark brown sugar

Instructions:

Combine the water and sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low (I would set it at medium) and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes like a hard ball or reaches 275. (This step could take a good 30 minutes or more!).
Add the coconut and continue cooking until no steam rises from the pot and the liquid has evaporated. Using a TBS, drop the coconut smooches onto a greased cookie sheet and let cool.

I hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving!! I know I sure did, and I didn't even get to eat very much. I wasn't feeling so great and so I wasn't hungry. But what I did have was so good!! My mom's versions are always so much tastier than my own!

I finally got feeling better and now I'm sick again! And with only 2 weeks left to get ready for Christmas! I have so much to do!!! You may not hear from me much until after Christmas, but I will be sure to post a delicious recipe for a DELICIOUS Christmas dinner. And then once it gets closer to New Years, I'll post some really yummy New Year's party snack ideas.

This is my favorite time of year!! And none of that Happy Holidays bologna here.... it's MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! For without Christ, we wouldn't have a holiday to celebrate. He gave us our greatest gift.

Day #10 of Thanksgiving Posts: The Grande Finale!

And now for the piece de resistance! Cran-Apple Crisp!!

You know what's great about this dish? You can serve it up hot with ice cream or whipped cream for a dessert. Or serve it warm/hot with plain or vanilla yogurt for breakfast. I couldn't wait any longer, so I took a bite straight out of the oven... OUCH! Yeah, word to the wise, let it cool a little before tasting! Even though it burned all the way down, it was DELICIOUS!!!

**The recipe calls for 5-6C apples and 1C cranberries. I only used 3 apples, not sure how many cups that made; and I used a whole 12oz bag of cranberries. Do what you need. It will all work out in the end! :)

Ingredients:

1/3 to 1/2C sugar
3TBS corn starch
1tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
5-6C peeled, cubed tart apples
1C fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2C light corn syrup
1tsp grated orange peel

Topping:
1/2C chopped walnuts or uncooked oats
1/3C packed brown sugar
1/4C all-purpose flour
1/4C (1/2stick) butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, corn starch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apples, cranberries, corn syrup and orange peel; toss to mix well. Spoon into shallow 2qt baking dish.
3. For topping, combine nuts, brown sugar and flour. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in margarine until mixture resembles very course crumbs. Sprinkle over cranberry mixture.
4. Bake 50 minutes or until apples are tender and juices that bubble up in the center are shiny and clear. Cool slightly; serve warm.

I hope everyone has a safe and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
I'm thankful for my family, friends, and all of you wonderful readers!!

Day #9 of Thanksgiving Posts: Mississippi Mud Cake

This just looks so good, I had to add it!! I've only had this type of pie once, and it was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S!!!

Ingredients:

1pkg. chocolate fudge or Devil's Food cake mix
1C chopped pecans
3C miniature marshmallows
1C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 13x9in baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Prepare cake according to package directions. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40min. Take cake out of oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Return pan to oven and bake 5 minutes longer; place on wire rack.
4. Place chocolate chips in resealable bag. Microwave on high at 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Snip off a small corner of the bag with scissors. Drizzle chocolate over cake.

Day #8 of Thanksgiving Posts: Coconut Cream Pie

One of my most favorite pies... and my VERY favorite cream pie.... COCONUT CREAM. Bet you're surprised there, eh?! I LOVE coconuts!!! "Put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up..."
And the best thing? This recipe calls for 5 ingredients!!

Ingredients:

1pkg. Instant Vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 C cold milk
1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
3/4 to 1C flaked coconut, toasted, divided
1 crust (pastry shell, baked or graham cracker)

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, beat pudding and milk on low speed for 2 min. Fold in half of the whipped topping and 1/2 to 3/4C of coconut. Pour into crust. Spread with remaining whipped topping, sprinkle with remaining coconut. Chill.

Day #7 of Thanksgiving Posts: Pumpkin Pie!!

Mmmm... my mouth is watering. I cannot wait for a slice of pumpkin pie. Pumpkin, to me, is like coconut, but in the winter-time. I love everything Pumpkin, in the fall. In the warmer months, I love everything coconut. Mmmm... I thought for sure I'd have a dang delicious Pumpkin Pie recipe on hand... but alas, I had to go searching for one. I just love the site Simply Recipes. And today's recipe comes from there.
If you end up making it, let me know how it is, would ya? I will be pretty busy the next 3 days making cookies and my surprise for Day #10 I won't be making any other desserts before the big day. I'd love to hear of any of your favorite Turkey Day recipes as well... so please, send me your stories/recipes/blunders/mishaps... really anything you want to share! My email is stacilee84@gmail.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups of pumpkin pulp purée from a sugar pumpkin* or from canned pumpkin purée
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 good crust

* To make pumpkin purée from a sugar pumpkin: start with a small-medium sugar pumpkin, cut out the stem and scrape out the insides, discard. Cut into sections and steam in a saucepan with a couple inches of water at the bottom, until soft. Scoop out the pulp from the skin. Or you can bake whole or halved in a 350°F oven until fork tender. Optional - put pulp through a food mill or chinois to make extra smooth.

Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F.

2 Mix sugars, salt, and spices, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Stir in cream. Whisk all together until well incorporated.

3 Pour into pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

4 Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.

Serve with whipped cream. Serves 8.

Day #6 of Thanksgiving Posts: Apple Pie

Mmm... I love pie. Especially when it's apple with a BIG dollop of whip cream! Yum!

Ingredients:

1pkg. refrigerated pie crust
6C peeled, cored and sliced apples
3/4C plus 1TBS sugar, divided
2TBS all-purpose flour
1 1/2tsp apple-pie spice
1/4tsp salt
2TBS butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 1/2TBS milk or cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Fit 1 pie crust into a 9in pie dish.
2. Mix apples, 3/4C sugar, flour, apple pie spice and salt in large mixing bowl until apples are coated.
3. Turn apple mixture into pastry-lined pie dish; spread evenly. Scatter butter pieces over top of mixture.
4. Fit top crust over apple mixture. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust around edges. Press edges together to seal; flute.
5. Brush top crust with milk. Make slits in top crust with knife to create steam vents. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake pie until golden, 40-45minutes.

If you don't have apple pie spice, you can mix together:
1tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1/8tsp ground allspice
and 1/8tsp ground cloves

Day #5 of Thanksgiving Posts: The Bird

I've heard some families have a Turkey for Thanksgiving and Ham or Prime Rib or something different and special for Christmas. Not us, all growing up we had turkey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I loved it! My favorite Christmas tradition is driving around town looking at the lights on Christmas Eve and then coming home and breaking apart the bread for the stuffing. That was always my job (still is when I'm home! lol). And I love it. This is my mom's recipe and it's the same one I made last year. My first time ever making my own turkey, without any help, and it was just like being back home! Delicious!
Don't get lazy and not grate the carrots and potatoes. That's what makes the stuffing... I hope you can try this out and enjoy it as much as I have all these years!!

And TOMORROW starts the desserts! Y-U-M!!



Ingredients:

Whole turkey (with innards)
Poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
1C butter and 2TBS
Bag of bread, old
Carrots, peeled and grated
Potatoes, peeled and grated
Onion, diced
Celery, diced

Instructions:

1. Take a loaf of old bread and break each piece up into bite-size pieces into a large bowl.
2. Boil innards, until done, about 30 min over a medium boil.
3. Meanwhile place 2TBS butter in large saute pan or skillet with onion and celery. Saute until browned and softened. Add grated carrots and potatoes. Pour water from innards, simmer 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
4. Pour over bread, mix well and refrigerate (preferably overnight).
5. Stuff turkey with stuffing, rub outside with 1C butter (more if needed) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Heat oven to 350, tent turkey with foil and cook until done. Take off foil and let brown for 10 minutes.

Day #4 of Thanksgiving Posts: Cranberry Sauce

I actually didn't know you could make fresh cranberry sauce until 2 years ago when my cousin brought it to dinner. I always thought it came from a can that you open at both ends and slop down into a serving dish. And I never liked it.
But when I saw K's I was AMAZED. I thought she spent ALL afternoon in the kitchen making it. That was until today when I asked for her secret recipe and she directed me to the OceanSpray site! Lol. Silly girl! :) Love her.
I will probably end up making this for our little Turkey dinner we're having after Thanksgiving. I'm really excited. If you're in the area, feel free to stop by Friday afternoon or anytime Saturday for some grub! I'm sure we'll have lots!
I'm really excited for another posting that will be happening here in a few days once we get to the Thanksgiving Dessert portion! I'm going to make it to take to my mom's. Mmmm... it's gonna be good!!
Thanks for stoppin by... and keep checking back. I have 6 more DELICIOUS Thanksgiving recipes comin atcha! :)

Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained

DIRECTIONS:

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes 2 1/4 cups.

UPDATE as of 11/24: I just made this last night and I was NOT anticipating it being that simple!! Is buying a nasty (who knows how old) can of the jellied stuff really worth it? And if you do what I did and find bags of cranberries for less than $1/bag, it really is worth it to make your own!! Go on... try it!!

Day #3 of Thanksgiving Posts: Rolls

These babies aren't just rolls, they're WHOLE-WHEAT rolls. What could be better? Honestly, I think my favorite part of Thanksgiving Dinner is the roll(s) covered in Turkey gravy. Pure deliciousness.
If you're like me you'll probably just grab a bag of Rhodes frozen rolls (is there anything more delicious on the planet? I think not!). But some of you out there might be Super Moms (and Dads) and might to the extra mile and make your own. If you do, MORE POWER TO YA! I honestly don't know the first thing about making bread. I'll leave that to the wonderful, genius people at Rhodes (which you can't buy in San Diego, darn!)

Whole-Wheat Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

1/2oz active dry yeast
2 1/4C warm water
1/4C shortening
2 eggs
1/2C +1tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
3C whole wheat flour
3 1/2-4C all-purpose flour
1/4C butter, melted

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the shortening, eggs, sugar, salt and whole wheat flour; beat until smooth. Add enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8min. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, divide into 4 portions; shape into 12 balls. Place 1in apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 min. Bake at 375 for 11-15min or until browned. Brush with butter.
Makes 4 dozen.

Day #2 of Thanksgiving Posts: Potatoes

What's Thanksgiving Dinner without a potato dish? My opinion? NOTHING!!! :) I haven't yet tried this recipe, but I plan to very soon, maybe even for my own T-Day Dinner! I know, I know, I always say something that's really GREAT about each of my recipes... and today is no different! :) This recipe (that comes from Jessica Seinfeld's book, Deceptively Delicious) contains a super great ingredient.... Cauliflower puree! Can I just say I've had cauliflower in a potato-like setting before and it was so delicious! I'm sure your picky eaters (and mine too!) will still love this dish!

Ingredients:

1lb. Baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C cauliflower puree

2TBS soft margarine

1/2C low fat buttermilk

Instructions:

1. Put the potatoes and salt in a large pot and add enough water to cover by about 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.

2. Set a potato ricer over the pot and pass the potatoes through in batches, or return to pot and mash with potato masher. Add the cauliflower puree, margarine, and buttermilk, and beat with a large spoon until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.

BBQ Beef

As I was planning out our Dinner Calendar for the next two weeks, I was trying to figure out quick and easy Sunday dinners that would also be delicious. I'm not a huge fan of the classic Roast with potatoes and carrots. And we had chicken last week. So then it hit me... why not cook up a roast and turn it into BBQ Beef sandwiches?
Mmmm.... I have been so excited. Plus, I already had the BBQ sauce and onion. All I needed was the meat and rolls. Piece of cake!
I also slipped in a "secret ingredient" to help boost the health factor, 1/4C Red Pepper puree (see "Veggie/Fruit Puree" tab above). When I told my husband (who has serious texture issues with veggies) that I slipped a secret ingredient into it, he made me promise not to tell him what it was until he finished eating it. Which, by the way, every bite he kept raving about how delicious it was! Once he was finished I told him what it was that was "hidden" in there. He didn't even care. YES! AND, if you skip the usual KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce and go with Stubbs Mild, you'll save yourself 30 calories and 10 grams of sugar per serving!! It's definitely worth a try... it was so good. And you don't even need rolls. I served it up on rolls and we ended up scooping it up with some chips and not even eating the bread. Yum!!

Is your mouth watering? Mine is and I've already eaten!

Ingredients:

1 Roast (try to find a lean one with not a lot of "marbling", trimmed of all visible fat
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 bottle of Stubbs Mild B-B-Q Sauce
1/4-1/2C Red Pepper Puree (could try carrots or squash too)
1tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1TBS minced garlic (2 large cloves, 4 sm cloves)
1/4C red wine vinegar, plus a little to deglaze
Water to cover

1TBS-1/4C flour, to thicken as needed

Instructions:

Heat a large skillet on med-hi heat.
Combine salt, pepper and garlic and mix well. Spread all over Roast. Add roast to hot skillet and brown all sides. Remove roast to crock pot.
Lower heat on skillet and allow to cool just a bit, about 1 minute. Carefully pour in a little red wine vinegar and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Add contents to the crock pot, as well as the rest of the vinegar.
Add the onions and 1/2 bottle of sauce. Add water to just cover meat. Give pot a little stir to combine all the ingredients.
Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
About 5 hours into cooking, add the Red Pepper puree and mix well into liquid in the pan. Continue to cook until the meat is tender and starts to shred easily. Remove the meat to a plate and using 2 forks, shred.
Add a bit of flour to the pot and whisk well. Add the rest of the BBQ sauce and replace the shredded beef. Mix well and allow to cool a bit before serving.

Day #1 of Thanksgiving Posts

With only 11 days left until Thanksgiving (I know!!!) I thought I better get my tooshie into gear and get some goodies posted for you! Each day until Thanksgiving Eve, I will have a new recipe for you to help prepare you for the big Turkey day!
Today's recipe is one I just found... and I think I'm going to try it this year! It looks so good! I can't really tell you where I got the recipe, sadly. I found it on an old card (you know those ones you get as freebies in the mail when they want you to sign up for the whole program?!) tonight while I was preparing a Christmas gift!


GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 TBS butter

3TBS all-purpose flour

1 1/2 C milk

3-4 tsp dry ranch salad dressing mix

1/4– 1/2tsp white pepper

1C chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2C sliced fresh mushrooms

1 1/4lbs fresh green beans, cooked until crisp-tender

1C fresh bread crumbs, toasted

Instructions:

To make white sauce, melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Using wire whisk, stir in milk; bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in dressing mix and white pepper; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray medium skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Remove half of onion mixture, set aside.

Add mushrooms to onion mixture remaining in skillet and cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Combine mushroom mixture, green beans and white sauce in 1 1/2qt. casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs with reserved onion mixture; sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Stay tuned for another recipe tomorrow!!! :) It's gonna be good!

Halibut in a Bag

This recipe comes from one of my favorite series of books: Eat This, Not That, particularly Cook This, Not That. Did you know a Whopper is so much worse for you than a Big Mac? I had no idea! That's why I love these books.
I was going to make this for dinner tonight, using Cod instead, but it's so cold that I really don't feel like cooking. Good for my budget, not so good for my waist-line(in the sense that instead I'll probably end up eating junk food... argh)!
I have made this before and it really is simple and delicious. Instead of fennel, I sliced up a regular white onion. Instead of kalamata olives, I used green olives. And instead of white wine, I used red wine vinegar. I also added a dash of fresh ground pepper and a dash of ginger. And as a side, I made up a bit of Quinoa. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 fillets of halibut or other firm white fish (5 oz each)
1 jar (8 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped kalamata olives
1/2 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced (or onion)
1 lemon, half cut into thin slices, the other half cut into quarters
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine (or vinegar)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Take 2 large sheets of parchment paper or foil, place a fillet in the center of each, and top equally with the artichokes, tomatoes, olives, fennel, and lemon slices. Drizzle with the olive oil and wine; season with salt and pepper. Fold the paper or foil over the fish and seal by tightly rolling up the edges, creating a secure pouch. It’s important the packets are fully sealed, so that the steam created inside can’t escape.

Place the pouches on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on how thick the fish is. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges.


NOTE on COOKING IN A BAG (from Cook This, Not That!):
The French call it en papillote; the Italians, en cartoccio. It's a technique that combines, health, flavor, and convenience as effectively as any cooking method in the kitchen. By adding a bit of liquid, you create a perfect steaming environment for chicken, fish, and seafood. Toss in tomatoes, onions, zucchini- anything that will cook in 15 min or less- to bolster the flavor. The best part? No cleanup!!

I'm alive...

and I promise I have not forgotten about this blog... or those few who read it! (Is there anyone who actually reads this?!). I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks because, well, I haven't cooked in about that long. You see, my son turned 2 last week, so it was a little nuts trying to get everything ready for him. Plus it was 70 degrees almost every day, so we spent lots of time outside...
But I have big plans for the next coming weeks. It's almost Turkey Day! Although I won't be making a Turkey until the Friday afterwords (we'll be at my mom's and I like to have leftovers so I'll make my own when we come home!), I do plan on posting her recipe beforehand if you want to try it! I made it last year after returning home from San Diego and it was so good and actually easier than I thought!
I normally don't bake, but it's that time of year for the super-fun Holiday Baking!! You know, cookie press cookies, peanut butter Hershey kiss cookies (my husband's favorite!), and any others we happen to decide on this year! Huge benefit for you because I'll be posting those recipes too!!
So sit tight and be patient with me. Not sure when my next post will be... but I have not forgotten about ya'll!! :)

A Perfect Halloween Dinner

It's quick, it's easy and it's my husband's favorite. It's Tater Tot Casserole. I had never had it until I met him. I think it's safe to say his sister makes it best... but I do what I can! :)

Ingredients:

1lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 bag frozen tater tots
about 1 C shredded cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
onion powder
red chili flakes
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Heat oven to 450 (or whatever the Tater Tot bag says).
Brown meat in skillet for about 5 minutes. Add onion, onion powder, salt, pepper and chili flakes and continue to cook until beef is completely browned. Add to casserole dish and mix in soups. Spread to cover entire pan and top with cheese. Lay out the tots to completely cover. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little more cheese. Cook for about 25 minutes, until tots are golden brown (again going by package timing). Allow to cool for a few minutes. Enjoy.

For a little Halloween fun (and if your family likes it), spread a little Ketchup over the top to look like "blood" ooooh scary!

Happy Halloween!!

Friday Fish Fry

I wasn't very well prepared for tonight's dinner like I thought I was. First, I thought I had a few boxes of Tempura mix. Wrong. Then, I thought I had potatoes to make homemade fries. Wrong again. Luckily, I did have a few boxes of Panko crumbs and a little bag of frozen fries. So we improvised. And actually... the fish was yummier this time!! And because I used Panko crumbs, it was a lot less greasy!!
So here's my recipe, including dipping sauce (my secret!):

Ingredients:

Halibut steaks, skinned and boned and cut into bite-size pieces
Asparagus spears
1 Lemon, quartered
about 1/2C flour
3 eggs
about a half bag of Panko bread crumbs
3 bowls or plates
about 1TBS Lemon Pepper seasoning
a little salt and pepper
Oil for frying

For the sauce:
2TBS Ketchup
1TBS. Worcestershire sauce
1TBS. soy sauce
1TBS. Cocktail sauce
juice from 1/4 lemon (same lemon as above)
1 tsp. Oyster sauce

Instructions:

1. Combine flour and lemon pepper seasoning in a bowl or onto a plate. Scramble the eggs in a different bowl or plate and pour the crumbs into yet another dish. Heat large pot filled about 1" with oil on med-hi.
For the fish:
Coat with flour mixture, then dip in egg then into bread crumbs covering completely. Drop one piece into the oil to see if it's hot yet. Fish should sizzle right away. Once it does, add fish allowing room for turning. Don't over-crowd. Once firm and golden brown, using tongs, pull them out into a paper towel-lined plate or colander inside a bowl. Repeat and continue until all fish are cooked. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with lemon juice.
For the asparagus:
Coat the same as the fish. Drop into hot oil. Cook just until batter is golden and pull out, placing on paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.


For the sauce:
Combine all ingredients in small bowl and either whisk well, or use a fork to mix. Great on french fries and asparagus. I prefer Tartar sauce for my fish. But it works for that also! Enjoy!!
*would work GREAT for onion rings also!

Canning 101: Salsas, Applesauce and Strawberry Jam

This posting is going to be long, and full of info... if I didn't cover something you've been interested in canning, it's always a good idea to either pick up a Ball canning book, or do an online search. Just make sure it's a credible source (i.e. University's usually have GREAT canning info!). Well... it's late, so let's get started!

SALSA:
Tomato and Tomatillo Verde

Note about Salsas: Be sure to follow the recipe(s) TO. THE. T. If you don't, you could end up very very sick. Please, be careful!

Tomato Salsa w/ Cilantro

8 cups chopped fresh Tomatoes

1 cup Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and minced

1 large White Onion, diced

6 cloves Garlic, minced

½ cup chopped fresh Cilantro

1 TBS Salt

¾ cup Cider Vinegar

¼ cup fresh Lime Juice

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Pour hot salsa into hot, sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal jars with two piece caps. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

****************

Green Tomatillo Salsa (aka Salsa Verde)

Yield: 5 pints

• 5 cups chopped tomatillos
• 1½ cups seeded, chopped long green chiles
• ½ cup seeded, finely chopped jalapeño peppers
• 4 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup bottled lemon juice
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (optional)
• 3 tablespoons dried oregano leaves (optional)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

Procedure: Wash and rinse canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.

Preparing Tomatillos: Remove the dry outer husks; wash thoroughly. They do not need to be peeled or seeded.

Preparing Peppers: The jalapeño peppers do not need to be peeled. The skin of long green chiles may be tough. If you choose to peel chiles, peel using one of these two methods to blister skins:

Oven or broiler method to blister skins – Place chiles in a hot oven (400°F) or broiler for 6 to 8 minutes until skins blister.

Range-top method to blister skins – Cover hot burner (either gas or electric) with heavy wire mesh. Place peppers on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

To peel, after blistering skins, place peppers in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. (This will make peeling the peppers easier.) Cool several minutes; slip off skins. Discard seeds and chop.

Hot Pack:Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir frequently over high heat until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into clean, hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.

Processing Times for Hot Packing Pints (by altitude):
0-1,000ft. : 15min.
1,001 - 6,000ft : 20min.
Above 6,000ft : 25min.

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APPLESAUCE

You can do many things when making your own applesauce. You can skip the sugar if you want, or you can add flavorings like Strawberries, Pears, etc to make flavored applesauce. And it's just so dang easy. My 2 year old loves helping me prepare the apples (he sits on the counter and hands me the apples that need peeled).

Ingredients:

6 apples (Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or McIntosh); washed peeled, cored and quartered.
3/4C water
1/4C white sugar
2TBS brown sugar
1tsp. ground cinnamon
strips of lemon peel from one lemon
juice of one lemon

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 min. Remove lemon peel. Mash with a potato masher, or blend it (careful of the steam!) for finer pieces.

To Can:
1. Boil water in canner.
2. Sterilize jars and lids according to package directions.
3. Use funnel to fill jars with 1/2in headspace.
4. Swipe around inner edges to remove air.
5. Wipe rims clean, screw on lids and place in boiling water canner.
6. Boil for 20 minutes, water should be an inch above jars.
7. Remove jars and allow to cool. You should hear an audible "Pop" as they seal.

*If a jar isn't sealed, it can either be re-canned right away, or stored in the fridge.

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JAM:
Strawberry

I don't have an exact recipe for strawberry jam as I just use what the Pectin package says to do. That's really the best thing to do, because all Pectins are different and require different things. A friend and I found that out the hard way one day when we got together to make the stuff. She was making Freezer Jam and I canned. She had 2 different types of Pectin, and they were both totally different from mine. We were amazed at how different our recipes were just because of the different Pectins. I don't think I used the right amount of sugar, or something, because mine turned out more like Strawberry Syrup! But it was still tasty!
So my advice would be to start with at least 5lbs of GOOD strawberries (if they're bruised or a little soft, they'd be best to dehydrate!) and a bag of sugar.
The picture above is from a batch my mom made shortly after my son was born. I was hoping to help her more.... but he was a demanding baby. But it turned out so yummy!!

I do have a really yummy Pepper Jelly recipe HERE.

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FAQ's about Canning:
If you have any questions that aren't answered below, please contact me and I'll add them!

1. Do I need a fancy pressure cooker or canner to be able to can things?
Not at all! All you really need is a large stock pot, possibly with a rack for the bottles to sit on and a pair of tongs.

2. Why don't you do any Freezer-type things? Isn't that easier?
I wouldn't say it's EASIER to make freezer-canned goods. The reason I don't is plain and simple. I don't have a large freezer. I can barely fit our regular foods in there without adding jars or bowls to it! :) If you have the room, by all means... go for it!

3. How long do canned items last before they "expire."
Believe it or not, they do have an expiration date. Most canned items are good for about a year. Just be sure to check the smell, and color. If you're unsure, throw it out. Better to be safe than sorry!

4. What type of jars/lids are best to use?
As long as it says Kerr or Ball on the jar and/or lid... you're good! If you plan on entering them into a County Fair, you'll want to have matching jars and lids! Some people like the Wide Mouth variety and they're nice... but I just use the regular mouth size. It's easier to find bands and lids!

5. What size jar is best?
It depends on what you're making. For jams and jellies I would go with nothing larger than a pint. I usually use 1/2 pints for them, though. For things like Salsa or sauces, you'd want to do at least a pint, if not larger. But they even have little tiny ones now... those would be nice for my Pepper Jelly!

Happy Canning!!

Coming Soon: Canning Info 101

Stay tuned tomorrow for canning info. I'll be posting Strawberry Jam, Applesauce, and 2 different Salsas!! I'm so excited!

Lemon Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Deals to Meals. I saw this posted on Facebook a few weeks ago and thought it sounded easy and yummy and right up my husband's alley. Little did I know he doesn't like "fruity-flavored meat," as he would put it. Doh! Oh well, I thought it was delicious!! And they're totally right. You can shorten the marinade time, you can use bottled lemon juice, dried herbs, and different noodles and it tastes great! At least that's what I had to do!!


Ingredients:

1 lb. linguine (or fettuccine)
2 T. olive oil
Zest from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
½ c. chopped green onion
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese

Marinade:
½ c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, whole
2 T. Cajun seasoning
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. minced parsley
1 T. brown sugar (or more if you like it a little sweeter)
2 T. soy sauce
2 chicken breasts, sliced. (OR 16 extra large shrimp)

Instructions:

Combine the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Slice thawed chicken (or shrimp). Pat dry and toss in marinade to coat. Refrigerate 1-12 hours. Cook marinated chicken with the marinade sauce in a large saute pan on medium heat until chicken is cooked. If using shrimp, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Be sure not to over cook shrimp.

Cook linguini in boiling salted water until done; drain well and rinse noodles. Combine juice of one lemon, zest, olive oil, green onions, and fresh parsley together. Add hot pasta into bowl and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add chicken (or shrimp) with marinade into the large pasta bowl. Toss in parmesan cheese to taste and serve warm.