The Turkey with a Boob Job

Turkey Day came early for us this year. We celebrated with the family on Sunday because Frank and I will be traveling to Kentucky over the holiday. We will spend Thanksgiving with Frank's family. Bob and Hugh are hosting us. I sent my Sunbasket order to Bob's to assist with the meal. We arrive mid afternoon on Thursday so shopping was out of the question. I'm hopeful the meal kit will work out as beautifully as intended. The family is all in Kentucky this year, because Frank's cousin is getting married at Buffalo Trace Distillery. Initially, I wasn't going to attend because airfare was more than $700 on Southwest. I was able to reserve Frank a more affordable fare because we was able to stay until Tuesday. I, on the other hand, must be back to work Monday morning. Last minute, though, I was able to find fairly cheap fares on Allegiant. They recently started flying to Louisville, and their schedule doesn't allow flights every day, but for this trip, it was just what we needed. I cancelled Frank's flight on Southwest and rebooked him sharing my dates. It ought to be a nice time.

A little over a week ago, I took requests for our Thanksgiving feast. Nick wanted glazed carrots, Jeff wanted asparagus and Frank requested a turkey with implants. What can I say, I like to make things happen. Jeff's request was the only one not honored, not for lack of trying, the asparagus at Albertson's was so thin it would instantly turn to mush. Our turkey was more obscene than I had intended, but it was all in good fun. When life gives you lemons, give your turkey... tatas.



This year, I also coated it in a herb butter mask. I also tented only the breast after the first half hour at high heat for about 2.5 hours. Then, removed the foil for the final half hour to achieve even browning. The extras didn't make for a more flavorful bird. Nor did the lemon boobs. It was very moist, but some pieces from the breast were tough. I don't know if that was a result of my doing or not. I stand by loading the area between the skin and the meat with butter, it really does make a difference. I've had great success with juicy turkeys by doing it that way.

These Bourbon Maple Glazed Carrots were pretty tasty. I omitted the dill. I probably could have dressed it with parsley, thyme or rosemary since I had all on hand, but it never occurred to me. I have a run of bad luck when it comes to mashed potatoes. One, I'm not particularly fond of them unless they are those by Joel Robuchon, but let's be real those are more butter with an essence of potato. And who does not like butter?! Mashed taters are such a staple I keep trying to find a recipe that works for me. I've tried ricers, whipping them and even the crock pot. Meh. I was going to scrap them this year, but I decided to make one last ditch effort by trying Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes. They could be made in advance and with all that butter, cream cheese and cream how could they be anything but creamy? They were my greatest success to date, but they're miles from anything Robuchon like.

I only cooked dinner for nine, which is far less than I prepared for last year. So, the day was much easier. Plus, Amy brought green bean casserole - um. yum, and Lauren prepared salad with mixed greens, cranberries, apples, walnuts, bacon, and feta. It was the perfect blend of sweet and salty. I rounded our feast out with sausage stuffing (technically, dressing), steamed broccoli and cheese (another of Amy's specialties), cranberries and yeasty dinner rolls. We finished with pumpkin pie for dessert.

The biggest tip for your holiday spread is to invest in a electric knife. I received one as a gift last year for Christmas. It was thought to be blasphemous my kitchen was lacking one at Thanksgiving a year ago. And truly it was. Because this baby sliced like a dream, even right through the bones. Frank had the turkey carved in record time.



Wherever you are or wherever you go, may you have the best Thanksgiving yet. Hug your family, just a little longer - for me.

Celebrate National Margarita Day!

[Photo: Margaritaville]

If you happen to be in Las Vegas tomorrow be sure to take part in the celebration happening at Margaritaville. The restaurant will host Margaritaville University, attend "Margaritas 101" from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. During class, Margaritaville bartenders will offer lessons on the art of making signature margaritas at home.

After you receive your diploma, stay for the 2nd Annual National Margarita Day Toast at 5 o'clock.

If you can't make it, no worries, Margaritaville has shared a recipe so you can join in the toast from home.

The Perfect Margarita by Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

Ingredients:

1 oz. Margaritaville Gold Tequila

1 oz. Cointreau Orange Liqueur

1/2 oz. Citrus Sour

Floater of Gran Gala

Method of Preparation:

1. Add Margaritaville® Gold Tequila, citrus sour and Cointreau Orange Liqueur to the tin with no ice

2. Shake and pour into iced glass

3. Add a float of Gran Gala

4. Garnish with a sugar rim and a lime wheel

Cheers!

Pioneer Woman's No Knead Dinner Rolls

So, this Turkey Day, I figured why not cross off an item on the life list. It seemed like the perfect excuse to make dinner rolls from scratch rather than buy the rise & bake kind from the freezer aisle. I figured worst case scenario, I'd serve Crescent Rolls. Before I scoured the interwebs, I saw that the Pioneer Woman posted her favorite dishes for Thanksgiving. In that collection, I saw No Knead Dinner Rolls. Perfect! I also printed off a recipe for mashed potatoes. I'll tell you about those later.

Ree mentions that the dough could be made a day or two ahead of time and that was my initial plan, but when it came time, I was too nervous that a cool kitchen wouldn't make the yeast lively. So, I waited until after I got the bird in the oven. I followed the first few steps and then let the mixture cool while I started on my sausage stuffing. Then, I finished the stuffing while I waited for the dough to rise. It came together easy.

The dough was pretty sticky, so I coated my hands in butter to make the dough easier to roll. I quickly rolled enough to fill two muffin tins. Trouble was each tin is six muffins. The twelve rolls barely made a dent in the large pan filled with dough. Since they needed to rise a bit more before baking. I decided to roll out and form rolls on parchment paper then I would transfer to the tins after each batch baked. I had made 36 rolls and still had a ton of dough so I put it in loaf pan and let it rise. My first batch of rolls went in the oven for 17 minutes. About 16 minutes in, I smelled them burning. Those were trash. But I peeled back the burnt edges and tasted the crumbly inside, not bad! I'm going to run with it. The other 24 rolls cooked in about 13 minutes. I kept them atop the stove to keep them warm until dinner.

When it was time, they were pretty tasty. Success! After everything for the meal cooked, I put the loaf pan in the oven and baked that about 15 minutes. I had fresh bread to snack on for the next two days. It was really yummy when zapped in the microwave for 15 seconds and topped with butter.

Now, about those mashed potatoes... I'm not very fond of them (I can count on one hand the times I've actually liked them), but I feel like they are a staple of Thanksgiving so I've served them every year I've cooked. The feeling must be mutual because they've never cooperated. They turned gummy when mixing one year, so the next, I did my research and found out a ricer is the secret to mashed potatoes. Yeah, that didn't solve my problem (and it takes FOREVER). While, edible, they weren't enjoyable. The next, I added a ton of butter. Better, but still nothing special. When I came across Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes I loved that they could be made ahead of time. Not only do my mashed potatoes fail to impress they inevitably delay dinner. So, I figured at the very least I'd solve one problem. I purchased my first potato masher and got to work. The recipe was easy, no more labor intensive that your usual mashed potato. I let them chill overnight and about two hours before heating I pulled them out of the fridge. They heated through while my stuffing baked. Timing wise it couldn't of worked out any better. Taste? Well, they were decent. I've decided to throw in the towel. Next year, I'll serve potatoes, but they won't be mashed.

Slop Sloppy Joe

I'm coming up on a month of meals at home. Gosh, it's exhausting. I'd much rather choose whatever strikes my fancy off a menu, have someone else prepare it and leave no dishes behind for me to clean up. I miss dining out.

But enough of my whining. I've been trying to work in new recipes to keep things interesting and tonight I had a winner.

Turkey Sloppy Joes



1 tbsp EVOO
1 diced onion
1 diced bell pepper
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 lb ground lean turkey
1 c pureed tomatoes (I used whole tomatoes and pureed them in the food chopper)
1/4 c BBQ sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp chile garlic sriracha

Cook onions and peppers in EVOO until soft, add garlic and turkey cook until done. Stir in tomatoes, BBQ sauce, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and sriracha. Simmer until heated through.

I typically do not like sloppy joes but these I enjoyed. The turkey was loaded with flavor. It wasn't too acidic or greasy... my usual complaints. I barely got a bite before Frank and my brother devoured the sloppy joes. I'll definitely be making this again, but next time I'll double the recipe.

Kicked Up Party Nuts

Need a last minute gift or appetizer?

Here's an idea from The Sriracha Cookbook. I made these "Kicked Up Party Nuts" Sunday while I was whipping up batches of cookies. The nuts come together quickly, the finished product is pretty sweet. Next time, I'll bump up the sriracha and cut back on sugars so that peppery heat can shine.

1 lb Salted Mixed Nuts
1 Egg White
1 tsp Water
1 Tbsp Sriracha
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 tsp Fresh Rosemary

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Add nuts to a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Combine, and spread out in single layer across a lined cookie sheet. Bake one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Thursday, I wish you were Friday too.

I'm happy to report we finally made our hotel reservations for New York City. Over the weekend we decided on staying on the Upper West Side. I was torn between two similarly priced hotels, but a deal on booking.com made the decision an easy one. I chose Hotel Belleclaire. We'll be a few blocks from the subway and central park. Zabar's is right around the corner, too. I think we'll be set. Now, that the hotel is squared away. I can focus on more important things... like food. Oh, and how we'll occupy the week. Whatever the plans are, it's good they'll include walking. We'll need the exercise to help burn all the extra calories we'll be gorging.

This weekend I'll get a preview. I will savor every bite in San Diego. Con Pane, La Puerta, Los Ponchos, Whisknladle... I've missed you so. We won't have much break between gorge fests in San Diego and Chicago, so I'm hopeful this weekend doesn't do too much damage. In Chicago, White Castles, Giordano's, Golden Palace Chinese and Greektown are calling. I'm ready to answer the call.

Our lighter meal creations, like vegitas, are good, but they simply don't compare. It's just means to an end -- A big fat tasty end, with all sorts of goodies, special treats that cannot be duplicated at home. Even if we weren't on the health kick.



Vegitas, great name, huh? Frank coined it. Veggies meet fajitas.

Sliced red and green bell peppers, hot house peppers, with jalapeno and sliced onion. Seasoned with taco seasoning and cooked down until tender. Toss it in a tortilla with your usual fixings. I actually prefer it plain. Frank likes his with sour cream and salsa.

Last night, to switch things up I made shrimp fajitas. I let sliced red and green bell pepper, jalapeno and onion cook down. Then removed the veggies from the pan, and added a little EVOO and minced garlic, tossed in the shrimp. Sprinkled them, with salt, pepper and chipotle pepper and added the juice of half a lime. I added the veggies back and let it all combine. Didn't snap a picture, but it came out well. It was a bit of a surprise. I haven't had much luck cooking shrimp in the past.

Chicken Tenders

Frank requested a healthy version of chicken tenders be added to the dinner menu. I searched for recipes online and didn't find any that were an exact match for what I was thinking so I winged it and came up with a pretty tasty result.



I cut two boneless skinless chicken breasts into smaller tender like pieces. Then, I put them in a bath of buttermilk and spices (salt, pepper, thyme, onion and garlic powder). I let it marinate for 30 minutes. I imagine longer would be good, too. Meanwhile, I crushed corn flakes. I removed the tenders from the buttermilk one by one letting the excess drip off and then dredged each one in the cornflake crumbles. I lined a cookied sheet with foil, and added a wire rack. I sprayed the rack with non-stick cooking spray. I placed the cornflaked coated tenders on the rack. I baked them for 25 minutes in a 400 degree preheated oven.

The come out crisp and juicy. The first time I made them, I served 'em with Bull's Eye BBQ sauce, it's was the only sauce I found without High Fructose Corn Syrup, sugar is actually used. I've been loyal to Sweet Baby Ray's so it was hard to get used to the new BBQ taste. On a recent visit to Fresh & Easy, Frank found their Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce has sugar, as well. I gave that a try last night and it was good. It's my new preferred BBQ sauce. I served the tenders with broccolini sauteed with garlic. All in all, it's a tasty, easy to prepare healthy meal.

Spinach Ziti

I've tried a dozen new recipes the past few weeks. Some were keepers, others went directly into the trash, and a few fell somewhere in between. Today, I'll share one of our favorites, Spinach Ziti, adapted from this recipe.



Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach 4 servings

1/2 lb high fiber ziti Ronzoni Smart Taste
Prego to taste, preferred consistency
5 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 tsp oregano
salt and fresh pepper to taste
4 oz skim ricotta
1 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella
Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 8x8-inch baking pan with oil spray.

In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. Drain and return to pot.

Add chopped spinach and Prego. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Combine the ziti. Add half of the mozzarella and ricotta. Mix well then transfer to the baking pan.

Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.

Yum!

Lettuce Wraps

Frank helped with dinner last night. We made Asian Lettuce Wraps based on this recipe. Here are my changes:

For the sauce:
3 tsp. hoisin sauce
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce (we like spicy!)

For the filling:
2 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 green onions, chopped
1 lb. ground chicken breast
2 cups mixed vegetables (I used veggie stir fry mix, chopped frozen in my chopper)

To assemble:
Butter lettuce leaves, washed and separated

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and mix to blend.

To make the filling, heat a skillet on high heat with cooking oil. Once the pan is hot, add the garlic and green onions to the pan, and stir fry for a few seconds, just until fragrant. Add the ground chicken, breaking into small pieces, and cook until almost cooked through. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until done. Mix in the sauce and cook for about 1 minute until thickened slightly.

Serve the filling in lettuce cups.

Even by doubling the sauce from the original recipe, we thought it was a bit dry so I made another batch of sauce for serving.

For the sauce:
1½ tsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
1½ tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

They were good and I was quite pleased that they weren't a dinner disaster. I was pretty convinced that they would be. Instead, we had ourselves a tasty healthful meal.

Going down

I love seeing the numbers on the scale go down. We've been meatless since Sunday, it seems our detox is going well. Frank said he was missing meat, but admitted it was probably in his head. I haven't missed it one bit. I won't be going vegetarian or anything but I can see myself committing to more meatless meals. I made my first stir fry this week. It came out well. However, we've learned Frank isn't a fan of ginger so I'll be cutting that out, and I'll also add siracha next time. The red pepper flakes weren't cutting it. We like heat!



I altered this Ginger Beef Stir Fry recipe.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. cornstarch
¼ cup cold water
2 tbsp. plum sauce
2 tsp. ginger
1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1½ cups small broccoli florets
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
4 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. lightly salted peanuts, chopped
Rice, for serving

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water; whisk until smooth. Stir in the plum sauce, ginger, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, add the oil to the pan and heat through. Add the peppers, broccoli and carrot pieces to the skillet and stir fry until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in the green onion and garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the sauce to the pan, stirring well to coat everything. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes more. Stir in the peanuts.

Switching gears, I'll leave you with this week's article Vegas Values: Time is Running Out. Check it out for more details about The Lion King at Mandalay Bay.

Cold & Rainy

Winter arrived this weekend, it brought rain and cold. I suppose we were fortunate that we've been able to hold off this long. Usually November is chilly from the start. It had been pretty nice, I suppose that was our reward for putting up with a colder than usual October. Anyway, here were are a few days from Thanksgiving. I spent much of the weekend preparing for the holiday. The stores were insane on Saturday. Grocery and home stores were complete chaos. Good news is spending should be up, I can't imagine people fighting the hoards to window shop. Also, cleaned a bunch. Steam-cleaned the carpets for what just might be the last time. We shall see.

As if my pre-holiday tasks weren't rockstar enough we also took an impromptu drive to Laughlin. We wanted Mexican food. It's warmer there. And Frank needed clothes. Frank made out like a bandit at the outlet mall per usual. It was only shoes he had no luck with, but success with clothes alone is pretty exciting. If we found shoes, too, the world might have stopped spinning.

We went to the Belle and played our numbers for 15 games of Keno. Lost $20 at the bar VP, then went to Edgewater. Saw they had comics at 7:00 it was 6:30 so we bought tickets (at $10/each) it was cheaper than gambling. Saw two comedians and enjoyed the show. More laughs than other comedy acts we've seen in Laughlin. We went back to the Belle to check our Keno ticket and our numbers were on the board. Too bad our games had already ended that would've been $350. Instead, we won $5 from scattered hits. We put it in a dollar slot in hopes we'd snag a jackpot, but no luck. We took a drive by the old neighborhood, and then headed for home. Had a brief stop in Searchlight for Bowlingo, Frank also got a McRib just to gross me out, I swear. He ate and I giggled and snapped a photo of Sluts Pool. Yes, sometimes I am twelve.

Wrapped up the weekend by making dinner. Dug out the dutch oven and braised short ribs, also did a trial run of mashed potatoes. I've made mashed potatoes twice (I know, heresy for an Irish girl), once by accident -- delicious. And again two years ago for Thanksgiving -- fail. Failures won't be tolerated this turkey day, because this year I have an audience. I was told a potato ricer was key to fluffy potatoes. So, I went out and bought one. I'm happy to report my mashed taters were a success. The short ribs, however? Eh. Too much trouble for the end result. Stripsteak and others do them up far better.



Pioneer Woman's Short Ribs, with my changes.

4 Beef Short Ribs
Kosher Salt & Pepper To Taste
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
3 pieces bacon, Diced
1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 whole celery stalk, Diced
2 whole Carrots, Diced
1 cups Red Wine
1 cups Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
1 tsp Thyme leaves
1 sprig Rosemary

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the bacon grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprig (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Going meatless

No, I'm not becoming a vegetarian. I enjoy meat far too much, but I'm finding I enjoy veggies more and more. Errr, fruit, too. Over the years I've worked hard to make healthful meals at home. I try to save our splurges for meals out on the town. We all know, how I love those. So, to maintain a healthy balance, I keep it healthy at home.

We eat turkey pepperoni, instead of the real stuff. I also make lean turkey bacon for BLT's and breakfast sandwiches. We even use egg whites these days. I've found a number of ways to cut fat without losing flavor. Some sacrifices aren't worth making, like I've tried to substitute ground turkey for beef in Bolognese sauce. I tried it without meat, but Frank missed it too much. I don't know why it took me so long to try eggplant as a substitute, especially since it works so well in lasagna and parmesan with pasta or on a sandwich. We've been missing out. This is great alternative. The eggplant bulks up the pasta in a hearty way similar to how meat or mushrooms (Frank's not a fan) would.



Best of all, it couldn't be easier. I simply peel the eggplant, chop it into bite-sized pieces and toss it with EVOO, a pinch of Kosher salt and garlic (shallots, too, if on hand) and let it saute while the pasta water boils. Once it cooks down and softens I add pasta sauce, simmer a bit to let the flavor meld and then I toss it with cooked pasta. I've made it twice now with success. Frank and I don't miss the meat a bit.

Garden Fresh

I've been spoiled lately by fresh produce. Co-workers have been bringing in their extra bounty. I've recently had wonderfully sweet and juicy peaches, plump tomatoes and the largest zucchini I've seen.

When I was given the zucchini I had no idea what to do with it. I use it most often in kabobs, but that would hardly make a dent in this puppy.

So, I went to allrecipes.com and typed in "zucchini" and searched for a recipe. I found Angel's Pasta, that was it. It was dinner.

I was able to use the garden fresh tomatoes and zucchini, and I also pulled a handful of basil from my own pot. It's the one thing I grew this year. Maybe next year, I'll get my act together and plant a garden before the heat hits? One can hope.

Freshly washed fixings.


8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 zucchini, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 tomatoes, chopped
12 leaves fresh basil
parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in oil and saute garlic until golden. Stir in zucchini, salt and pepper. Saute 2 minutes, then mix in tomato and cook a few minutes more. Chop basil and add to vegetables right before mixing with pasta. Combine pasta and vegetables. Top with parmesan.

Voila!


The end result was a bit dry. The recipe as is, is a good foundation. I liked that it was light and fresh tasting. However, it could benefit from a light tomato sauce and I think feta would be a great addition. Will have to tweak it a bit next time to see if it can be a winner.

Beef Stroganoff

All is quiet on the homefront. It's been a long time since I shared a recipe. I haven't tried anything new in quite sometime - I must remedy that - I've been sticking with a rotation of old favorites. When I moved out on my own at 20 the first recipe I asked my mom for was Beef Stroganoff. The recipe was originally my grandma's (it's hard to believe she's been gone two years next week) it has been one of my favorite dishes since I was a child. I still make it today, however, I've since altered it a bit to make it lighter. I use light sour cream, NY strip steak, and 1 tbsp of butter. The lighter version (pictured) still tastes delicious, it's just not as creamy or rich as the original version (posted below).


Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs round steak
2 c onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c butter
3 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp salt
pepper
1 can beef consume or beef broth
2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 c sour cream
1 small can mushrooms, drained
6 c rice or noodles, cooked

Cut meat into strips ¼” by 2”. Brown in butter, add onions and garlic. Saute. Add flour, salt, pepper, mustard to make a paste. Then add consume to create gravy. Cover pan and keep on low heat for 20 minutes so the meat gets tender. Add mushrooms and sour cream. Heat until it’s hot and well blended. Serve over rice or noodles.

An Irish Easter

These daffodils make me smile. Fresh & Easy had them for 98 cents this week, but I bought them on Saturday when they were marked down to 50 cents. I love thrifty finds.

Easter was a bit out of the ordinary this year. When my mom visited Chicago over Christmas she bought corned beef from the Irish Market. We weren't able to get together with her for St. Patrick's day, so it's been sitting in my freezer all this time. I knew it needed to be cooked so I figured why not Easter? I'm never one to be stuck on tradition anyway... I make pork chops for Christmas dinner instead of ham or turkey. Anyhow, Easter was nice, we had my mom and Blaine over.

I started the corned beef at 10:00am it was nearly 8 pounds. Rather than simmering it for hours on the stovetop. I tried my dad and brother's way of preparing it, they cook it in the oven. They put it in a roasting pan with beer and water, covered, it roasts at 325-degrees for a few hours (about an hour a pound). It came out drier than I'm used to, not sure if it's supposed to be or if I overcooked it. Either way it was tasty, tender and savory. To go with our Irish feast, I made mac'n cheese from scratch - my first time, it was decent, the texture was off. I'd prefer it more creamy and gooey. I'm pretty certain skim milk and 2% cheese is the culprit. Somethings are meant to be fatty. Also, made potato pancakes and parmesan salad. For dessert, my mom made snow tunnel cake (since I didn't get it at Christmas). Delicious. My sister teased me about my Irish Easter idea, but it was a success. Tasty eats and full bellies. How can you go wrong?

Spicy Chicken Stew

I tried one new recipe this weekend. It was a success. I'll definitely make this one again. Only next time I'll leave out the potatoes. I think this would be good served over rice, too.

We like spicy - a lot. So I used hot salsa and bumped up the chile powder. It helped, but it still wasn't up to par. Tabasco was the key. I didn't use thighs only breasts, and I omitted the tortillas. And instead of 4 hours on high, I set the crockpot on low for 8 hours. It worked out just fine.

Spicy Chicken Stew

Yield: 6 Servings

2 baking potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), peeled and cut into chunks (3 1/3 cups)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen sweet corn
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (1 cup)
1 onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12.5 oz.) jar salsa
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, halved (about 1 lb.)
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 10.5 oz.)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 (6 inch) fresh corn tortillas, cut into strips

Place potatoes, corn, celery, carrots, onion and garlic in slow cooker. Stir in salsa, salt, cumin, chile powder and pepper. Distribute chicken evenly on top of vegetables and pour chicken broth over chicken. Cover slow cooker and cook stew on high for 4 hours.

Transfer chicken to a plate and shred with two forks into bite-size chunks; return to slow cooker. Mix tortilla strips into stew. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 355
Fat: 6g (sat 1g)
Protein: 34g
Carbohydrate: 42g
Fiber: 6g
Cholesterol: 85mg
Sodium: 1mg

What's cookin'?

This weekend I found myself in the kitchen quite a bit. I tried out a couple new recipes and I even threw one dinner together. Something, I rarely do. I prefer to follow a recipe, that's why I could never be a chef. At best, I'm a cook.

Paprika Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

The Rub

Yield: About 1 cup

1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Coat tenderloin with rub and bake in oven at 400 degrees, about 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°.

We loved the flavor and the pork was nice and juicy. A definite keeper!

For dessert, I gave what's known as saltine toffee or christmas crack a try.


One sleeve of saltines
Two sticks of butter
One cup of sugar
One bag of chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and grease foil. Place crackers tightly on cookie sheet.

In a saucepan, boil butter and sugar. Pour over crackers, spreading evenly. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour milk chocolate chips over the top, spreading chocolate evenly as the chips begin to melt.

Chill, then break into bite-size servings.

The first bite was great, but after that it way too sweet. I'll try it again sometime but I'll cut the sugar in half and maybe cut down on the butter, too. Maybe then it'll be more to our liking? We'll see.



Last night's dinner came together while we were shopping at Glazier's. First, we got Red Snapper from the fish counter $3/lb. Then, grabbed baby potatoes and sugar snap peas for sides. I've only worked with baby potatoes before, so I winged dinner.

I baked the Red Snapper at 400 about 15 minutes. I seasoned it with Tony's Creole Seasoning and pepper, dotted it with a bit of butter - no more than a tablespoon for all three filets.

I sauteed the snap peas in a tablespoon of half butter and EVOO, seasoned them with garlic, salt and pepper. They took about 5 minutes.

I boiled the potatoes, I topped mine with Tony's and Frank topped his with a dollop of sour cream.

Dinner was quite tasty. I was pleased. The Red Snapper and the snap peas were a big success. We'll surely be eating them both more often.

Meal rut

I'm bored with my usual meals, it's time to pull out the recipes and get new ideas for dinner. Here's a few I tried this week.

This first one was a success. Frank and I both enjoyed it. Even the leftovers were tasty today for lunch.


Pasta with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

1 pound brussels sprouts
2 slices of bacon, diced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 pound spaghetti
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season generously with salt.

Trim the ends off of the brussels sprouts and remove the toughest outer leaves. Shred them in a food processor or slice them as thin as possible with a knife.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the pancetta and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until fairly crispy and cooked through. Clear some space in the middle of the pan and add the shallots and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, until the shallots are soft.

While the shallots are cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Add the brussels sprouts and the chicken broth to the large skillet, season with salt and pepper, and toss all of the ingredients together. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the brussels sprouts are tender but not too soft, about 5 minutes.

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and add it to the skillet. You can add a splash of the pasta water (or more broth) if the mixture seems dry. Add the pine nuts, toss everything together, season to taste, and serve.



This next combo was a complete failure. Bland, bland, bland. I tossed my plate and made PB&J. Frank scraped his stuffing out of the chicken and add BBQ sauce, and made BBQ chicken for dinner. The broccoli would've been better with no bread crumbs, it would've been best had I stopped after steaming.


Oven Roasted Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 cup part skim milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking dish. In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, walnuts, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and oregano.
Slice a pocket into the chicken breasts, and stuff with the ricotta cheese mixture. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, and brush with oil. Bake 45 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Smoky Gouda-Sauced Broccoli

1-1/4 pounds broccoli, cut into spears
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
3 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons butter, melted

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to just below the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring water to boiling. Add broccoli to steamer basket. Cover and reduce heat. Steam for 6 to 8 minutes or until just tender.

Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan cook and stir the onion and garlic in the 1 tablespoon hot butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Stir in the milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Gradually add cheese, stirring until melted.

Transfer broccoli to a 1 1/2-quart au gratin dish or 2-quart square baking dish. Pour sauce over broccoli. Combine bread crumbs and the 2 teaspoons melted butter; sprinkle over sauce. Bake, uncovered, in a 425 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until crumbs are lightly browned. Makes 6 servings.

Pot roast and firearms

Yeah, that was our Monday night.

I made my first pot roast. It was tasty! I wasn't sure that I'd like it, I was never a fan as a kid. It wasn't even something I considered making as an adult. Then, last week Smith's had chuck roast on sale and I found one that looked good. Why not give it a try? I went to allrecipes.com and searched for recipes using chuck roast and I selected the one with the best reviews, I made a few changes and came up with this:

2.5 pounds chuck roast
pepper to taste
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
3 carrots, chopped
9 baby gold potatoes
1 stalk celery, chopped

Brown roast on all sides in a large skillet over high heat. Place in the slow cooker and add the soup mix, water, carrots, potatoes and celery. Cover and cook on low setting for 10 hours.

I browned the roast the night before and put all the ingredients except the water into the crockpot and then put it in the fridge overnight. Before I left for work, I added water and turned the crockpot on. Dinner was done when I got home, it couldn't have been easier. I baked crescent rolls to round out our enjoyable no-fuss meal. I'll definitely make it again.

At work, I chatted with a co-worker about shooting and off-roading. He told me of a new gun store that opened in North Las Vegas, New Frontier Armory. I mentioned it to Frank and we headed out there after dinner. He's been wanting a security shotgun, and we're still in the market for a .45.

Their cheap security shotgun wasn't a good fit, but the pricey one was light and had a pistol grip. Perfect for me. Still, it was more than we wanted to spend. Frank has his eye on one at Big 5 that he likes, so we'll likely be getting that one. Then, I asked if they had any Taurus or Ruger .45's. No dice, but they did have a nice Springfield XD with a comfortable grip. We talked them down on the price and it was sold. That is until they mentioned that they can't do background checks after 5:45. Why be open until 7:00? To make matters worse they're closed on Tuesday, and open at noon on Wednesday. Frank wouldn't be able to get out there again until Monday at the soonest. I'm sure it'll be gone by then, oh well. The good news is that I have a third choice with a good grip.

We're in no rush so we can wait until the right one is found. Although, it would be nice to put the .45 ammo we bought to good use. At least, we're ready when the time is right.

Mad about Eggplant

Move over asparagus and brussels sprouts, I now have a new favorite vegetable, although, it's more of a fruit, isn't it? Either way, I love eggplant. I don't think I had ever tried it prior to a couple years ago when a friend shared his recipe for eggplant parmesan. That was my first and last time buying a whole eggplant from the store. It's not that it was bad, because it was quite tasty, it was simply time consuming.

We found that ordering sandwiches at Siena Deli or sampling eggplant dishes from dozens of other restaurants was far easier. I have no problem letting someone else to the work especially when it produces a tastier product that what I'm able to create.

A few months ago, Frank discovered Rocco's NY Italian Deli (buffalo/charleston). We've tried their Sicilian pizza and eggplant sandwich and didn't care much for either. However, Frank buys the makings for eggplant parm and it is fantastic when we put it together at home.



He buys enough for two meals, with the leftovers I make eggplant lasagna. I do not miss the meat one bit.




Last week, I had eggplant eight different times. Crazy? Yeah, I told you I was mad about eggplant.

Even at the Yard House, I ordered a dish with eggplant. It was delicious! It is Angel Hair Pasta on their menu. The ingredients are straight-forward: roma tomatoes, roasted eggplant, garlic, basil, pine nuts, feta, parmesan cheese and olive oil. I want to try to duplicate it at home. A friend also shared a Rachel Ray recipe with me for ratatouille. So, I'll be buying eggplant from the store and giving it another go at home.

Got a favorite eggplant recipe? Let's have it.