Crispy Chicken

 

Recipe to follow asap!  (Boy was this delicious!) 

Creamy Beef Egg Rolls

 

So I meant to make the Jamaican Beef Dumplings, but didn't think my kids and guests would like all that hot sauce, I would, any day...but was putting my wants on the back burner for the good of others! Ha ha, ok, ok, maybe I wasn't so selfless, I just didn't have the kind of mild hot sauce I wanted to use.  So instead I improvised.  Have you ever done that, threw together what you had hoping it would turn out good?  I have done that more than once these last few weeks since moving in to the new house.  Got a little hard to get back into the swing of some good meals, but I am getting there.  Last night I made battered cod, crash potatoes, and creamy mac-n-cheese for dinner.  Yum, but onto the dumplings, they were super scrumptious too!  I was so sad when in the morning I realized one lone egg roll had been left in the oven over night...that was sad having to throw that away...I could have had one more :(

1 lb ground beef
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon (or 1 cube) chicken bullion

1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
4 oz cream cheese
egg roll wrappers (varies depending on how full you fill em')


1. Brown ground beef, seasoning with seasoning salt, garlic powder, chicken bullion, and pepper.  When browned add cream cheese and sweet chili sauce and heat thoroughly.

2. Place a generous amount of your meat mixture on the egg roll wrapper and roll up sealing the end with water.

3. Deep fry at 375°F for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, (my family loves sweet chili sauce) rice, and veggies and as always, enjoy!

Dyed Eggs

Getting ready for Easter...haven't gotten to the cooking yet (we are having a prime rib dinner after church tomorrow, my mouth is watering...) but am working on the eggs with the kids :)  So fun!  We wanted to try something different so here is what we are doing:

Sliced Steak Sloppy Johnnies

I came across this on Foodgawker awhile back and I finally made it last night (with venison though.)  I wish I would have made it sooner!  This was so delicious and personally I am not too crazy about sloppy joe's so this wasn't high on my list, but it is now.  The sauce was mouth-watering.  I wasn't crazy about the slaw, I am more of a creamy KFC girl when it comes to that, but when I hesitantly topped the meat with a small a mount, I was taken back, it was really tasteful.  Couple all of that with a toasted ciabatta roll...wow, my mouth was in food heaven.  So if you got some steak in your fridge I would highly recommend this tonight!

4 (8 to 10-ounce) flat iron steaks or any thin cut tender steak,
no more than 1-inch thick
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 small sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano or a generous sprinkle of dried herbs
2 sprigs rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
4 (6-inch) ciabatta rolls or other large crusty rolls, split and toasted

Sauce:

1/2 cup beef stock

1 cup ketchup

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
coarsely ground black pepper

Slaw:
1 medium shallot, peeled & grated
1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons agave syrup or 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups slaw salad mix or shredded cabbage
celery salt
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring the steaks to room temperature before cooking. Put them in a shallow dish and rub both sides of the meat liberally with garlic. Season with marjoram, rosemary, and salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with a liberal dose of extra-virgin olive oil and let marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat a cast iron griddle or large grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the steaks for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove the steaks from the grill to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.

3. In a small pot over medium heat, add the beef stock, ketchup, chopped garlic, Worcestershire, dark brown sugar, vinegar and lots of black pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes for the perfect sloppy sauce. Add your sliced meat, stir and let heat for a few minutes.

4. Place the grated shallot into a bowl and add the mustard, agave or sugar, and wine vinegar. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil until well combined. Add the slaw and toss to coat. Season with celery salt, and salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Pile the sliced meat and sauce on the bottom halves of the bread and top each with slaw. Cover with the top half of the bread, serve and enjoy!




Recipe adapted from Taste and Tell.

Rosemary Grilled Chicken

Even though it snowed yesterday I am so ready to fire up the grill.  Matter of fact we did on Sunday and then that evening it snowed, snow, snow, go away, come back some other day..month...year...I can't wait for summer to be here!  In Montana we only have summer, a very short fall, and then winter for over half of the year.  Sigh, I miss the April showers bring May flowers...anyways, on to the food!

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

1. Trim all fat and tendons from chicken using a sharp knife. Make several small, shallow slits going crosswise down the length of each chicken breast to increase marinade's flavor. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag or dish. Add prepared chicken breasts and let marinate at least 6 hours or all day.

2. Grill chicken over medium-high heat until well browned and firm (but not hard) to the touch, about 20 minutes.  Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy with some Sweet Dilled Macaroni Salad, or Bacon Cheddar & Chive Mashed Potatoes.



Recipe and photo found at Handle The Heat.

I am moving!

I am moving today so my kitchen will be a little displaced for a while...hopefully I will be back to posting by the end of the week!!!  Whose knows, maybe I will post a few yummy recipes from other great cooks that I love to follow...Have a great day and think of me as I am lifting stuff upon stuff upon stuff upon stuff....get the point? :)

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I felt like something different for lunch today so I went with a grilled cheese, just improved...A jalapeno popper inspired grilled cheese sandwich with roasted jalapeño peppers, cream cheese, jack & cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips for a bit of crunch.  I only made mine with jalapeños thinking the kids wouldn't like them...my middle child kept coming up to me asking me for more jalapeños...that was a sacrifice for me!

2 jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
2 slices sour dough bread
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon tortilla chips, crumbled

1.Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.

2.Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 8-14 minutes.

3.Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.

4.Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily "pinch" off.

5.Assemble sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Serve with some chips and salsa or guacamole and enjoy!



Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking.