I’m sitting in what seems to be the red meat capital of the world, folks. Right smack dab in the Midwest. At my folk’s in a small town outside of Sioux Falls. (We even went to see bull riding last winter!) So it might be considered a bit of a stretch to serve my fave octogenarians a chicken burger. And Thai Chicken Burgers, no less!
Thai Chicken Burgers
There’s something that’s very gratifying about cooking for my folks – I teasingly call them my victims because they get the brunt of my new recipes and various concoctions. You’d think at their age they’d be a little jaded about food so I love it when their eyes light up and I get the little happy noises when they eat.
Cheddar, Bacon & Jalapeno Stuffed Mushrooms
If I’m thinking ahead, when I make any Risotto, like my Roasted Red Pepper & Shrimp Risotto or my Asparagus Risotto, I’ll make a little extra just to make these wonderful little gems called Arancini.
Arancini: breaded and fried balls of risotto stuffed with cheese!
Every once in a while I revisit Macaroni & Cheese. I’m always falling for gorgeous photos. I don’t make it too often, though, because so often it’s a disappointment. Not so with this one.
The Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese with Herb Breadcrumb Topping
Would a tomato by any other name still taste as wonderful? How about a “pomme d’amour”? I hafta admit, the French name seems to inspire a bit more lustfulness than our simple “tomato” does. And Tomatoes Provencal seems just a bit more romantic than Baked Tomato with a Garlicky Breadcrumb Crust!
Baked Tomatoes with a Garlicky Breadcrumb Crust
Good news! I was just outside and there was a cool wind! By cooler, I mean cool (85 degrees F) compared to what we’ve had. I think that nasty old heat dome is passing by! I wanted to throw up my arms and dance. And maybe I did, just a little. 🙂 I was like Rose in The Titanic. Well, older, chunkier and without Leanardo DiCaprio…or the ship. Ok, so I was just an old lady smiling into the breeze. 🙂
An old family favorite, long-buried away in my box, a great price on ground beef inspired me to pull out this recipe for individual meatloaves with a little Asian flair. It is a crazy cultural mix up but the results are outstanding! A gorgeous, crusty exterior hides away the moist interior and the little gingery/soy kick lends a subtle teriyaki flavor – not a sweet teriyaki, but something more reminiscent of a Japanese teriyaki.
Individual Asian Inspired Meatloaf
A chicken meatball with a great texture, moist yet firm, slightly yielding and tender, juicy with a great flavor? How about all of the above and great baked, sautéed or in a soup? Impossible? Not any more!
Chicken Meatballs
Ha – I got your attention with that “naked” huh? 🙂 This is a dish I’ve been running into here and there. All the marvelous flavor of Chicken Cordon Bleu, none of the hassle. Here’s mine: Chicken, Ham, a Swiss Mornay, a touch of Sherry and the most marvelous Herbed Bread Crumbs. My only regret? Not making this sooner.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Deconstructed, piping hot from the oven.
I recently came under some “friendly fire” from Ginger of Ginger&Bread. She threw the kitchen mitt down with a challenge, given innocently enough. It went something like, “Why don’t you make a recipe of German origin as it is made in the States, and I’ll make it as it is traditionally made in Germany?” “What great fun it would be!” I replied.
The Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwich – a classic
I believe any food can be made delicious with the right treatment, but I’ve had a hard time warming up to squashes. Too often, I’ve served them because they’re so good for us but my sister-in-law showed me the error of my ways. This little side dish of zucchini and yellow squash is absolutely scrumptious!
Summer Squashes with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
A fantastic budget item for the buffet, these Stuffed Mushrooms are a bit different from some. A moderate amount of Sherry or Marsala adds a lot of flavor, but they’re dry roasted in the oven. The mushroom flavor intensifies, and these are every bit as good with a plain old button as they are with any of the fancier mushrooms – even better as they’re a bit more tender.
Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms with Wine
Diners, Drive Ins & Dives is on Netflix this season and this episode features the Sparrow Tavern in Astoria, New York – a run down rock & roll type bar with gourmet style. One of their star items was the Sparrow Veggie Burger and even the carnivores were going on about it. After I made them, I can see why – they’re flippin’ AWESOME! A bit of work, but the best Veggie Burger I’ve ever had!
Sparrow Tavern Veggie Burger – early version, I fixed the “cracking” flaw.
Ya know, oven roasted broccoli was something I used to make a lot. Maybe you did, too. So simple, it was hardly a recipe, I’d toss it with a bit of oil, throw it in the oven and when it was done, it was done. Sometimes it was great, others, not so much. The problem, I think, was too many variables. How the broccoli was cut was a big one, usually spears of various dimensions.
Oven Roasted Broccoli
This simple bread crumb, herb and olive oil topping works well with almost all fish and takes seconds to make…the idea was “stolen” from Tyler Florence who used it on a belly of Wild Atlantic Salmon. Sorry, salmon, you’ve just turned into budget friendly Tilapia.
Tilapia with Crusted Herb Topping
Oven fried chicken, done right! A crispy, crunchy crust and moist, succulent, flavorful chicken – it’s about enough to make one throw away those awful freezer bags of additive laden frozen nuggets! (do it now!) One taste of this chicken and you’ll never go back.
Almost Bobby’s Oven Fried Chicken – so good!
When I came across a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese that had a head of cauliflower hidden in the sauce, how could I resist? I love the idea of “stealth veggies” and try to take advantage of sneaking extra vegetables in any dish I can.
Creamy Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
Breadcrumbs can be complimented – didja know that? I didn’t until I started writing this post and realized just how much there is to know and how much I’ve picked up over the years as I’ve made breadcrumbs here and there.
Fresh Bread Crumbs
Tuna Cakes (crab cake’s lesser cousins) are beautifully browned and crunchy on the outside, soft and creamy inside and bursting with flavor. Even my son, a notoriously picky eater when it comes to fish, eats these little gems with no problem. These are just as good made with Salmon.
Tuna Cakes
The slightly sweet, slightly tart apple brings out the best in pork, and a child, we often had applesauce with our pork chops. Sometimes we had stuffing with our pork chops (raise your hand if your Mom jumped on the Stove Top Stuffing when it was introduced in 1972.) It’s safe to say, though, we never had a gorgeous dinner like Apple Glazed Stuffed Pork Chops.
Apple Glazed Pork Chops with Stuffing
Although it seems extravagant, Chicken Cordon Bleu is nothing more than simple ingredients transformed. One of my son’s absolute favorites, it never fails to bring him to the table (or home) when it’s on the menu.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
