Author: QuiltLady

CHICKEN & CHEESE ENCHILADAS with HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE

CHICKEN & CHEESE ENCHILADAS
4 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
1/3 cup sour cream
2 + 1 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 small shallot, finely chopped
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
8-10 small flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese mix
Enchilada Sauce (see recipe below)

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Spray 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Ladle 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly. Se aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the chicken and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, tossing to coat well.
  • Add the sour cream, 2 tablespoons cilantro, shallot, salt and pepper, mixing well. Set aside.
  • Warm and soften the tortillas slightly.
  • Add a spoonful of the chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons of the cheese to each tortilla rolling and placing seam side down in the baking dish.
  • Spoon the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
  • Bake covered for 20-25 minutes.
  • Uncover and top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake 5-10 minutes more until cheese is melted.
  • Sprinkle with cilantro and Serve.

NOTE: this recipe is just as good with corn tortillas if you prefer.

ENCHILADA SAUCE yields 3 cups
3 tablespoons avocado oil
3 tablespoons WONDRA flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups chicken or beef stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt

  • Heat oil in sauce pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add flour, whisking to combine until golden.
  • Add chili powder, cumin and cocoa, blending well.
  • Add stock, stir well and bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Reduce to a simmer and add tomato paste, brown sugar and salt, blending well.
  • Simmer 10 -15 minutes, stirring often, until sauce thickens slightly.

APPLE SLAB PIE – 3 WAYS – APPLE CARAMEL, APPLE CHEDDAR & APPLE STREUSEL

I’ve been working on this post since last July when I promised to find my slab pie recipes for my nieces.  Katie and Lulu I am so sorry this took so long – I sure hope you enjoy them!  I hope having all 3 versions together inspires you to make your own.

Today I made “half” pies in the same pan so they almost looked more like a galette, but they tasted perfect! 😀

APPLE CHEDDAR SLAB PIE
Pie Crust dough for a 2 crust pie (homemade or Pillsbury)
3/4 cup + 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup sugar
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons COLD unsalted butter, cubed
1 LARGE egg, beaten

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Lightly flour your work surface.
  • Unroll first pie crust and sprinkle with 1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese. Top with second crust and roll out to a 17×12 inch rectangle.
  • Place crust in a 15×10 jelly roll pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
  • In a large mixing bowl toss apple slices with lemon juice, salt, sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour.
  • Remove piecrust from refrigerator.
  • Spread apple mixture evenly into crust.
  • Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheddar cheese.
  • In food processor pulse together the brown sugar, rolled oats, 1/4 cup flour and cold butter until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle evenly over pie.
  • Fold crust edges over pie like a Galette.
  • Brush with egg.
  • Bake 35-45 minutes until browned.
  • Cool 1 hour.
  • Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

APPLE STREUSEL SLAB PIE
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon +1 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon FRESH ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
12 ounces COLD unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup + 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Lightly flour your work surface.
  • Unroll first pie crust and sprinkle with 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
  • Top with second crust and roll out to a 17×12 inch rectangle.
  • Place crust in a 15×10 jelly roll pan.
  • Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
  • Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  • Combine 3/4 cup of the sugar mixture with 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the butter and 2/3 cup chopped walnuts cutting in butter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
  • Combine remaining sugar with apples and 1/4 cup flour.
  • Spread apple mixtures over crust evenly.
  • Fold crust edges over pie like a Galette.
  • Sprinkle with crumb mixture.
  • Bake 35-45 minutes until browned and bubbly.
  • Cool 1 hour.
  • Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

I did save the BEST for last, at least in my opinion.  This pie tastes just like a caramel apple! The beauty though is that there is a thin and flaky crust that houses the juicy apples and crispy crust and is drizzled with a luscious homemade caramel for a melt in your mouth tasty treat.

CARAMEL APPLE SLAB PIE

CRUST
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup CRISCO butter-flavored shortening
8 tablespoons cold water

  • Spray a 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cold water over the mixture and toss with a fork. Repeat using 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it is moistened and knead the dough into a ball.
  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 19×13-inch rectangle.
  • Wrap it around the rolling pin and unroll it into the prepared baking pan.
  • Ease dough into the pan and up the sides, being careful not to stretch it.
  • Trim dough to ½ inch beyond edge of pan.
  • Fold dough edge over and flute as desired.

APPLES
⅔ cup sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons QUALITY ground cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisin, optional
3½ pounds granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 10 cups)

  • In an extra large bowl combine the sugar, ⅓ cup flour, cinnamon, raisins and apples.
  • Toss until coated.
  • Spoon the mixture on the dough and spread evenly.

CRUMB TOPPING
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup butter, cold

  • In a large bowl, stir together quick-cooking rolled oats, packed brown sugar, and all-purpose flour.
  • Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until topping mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Sprinkle EVENLY on top of apples.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender.
  • Cool slightly.

NOTES:

  • IF you are in a hurry, melting the butter and using a fork to mix it all together works well too.
  • IF TOP IS BROWNING TOO QUICKLY, COVER LIGHTLY WITH A PIECE OF FOIL.

CARAMEL
1 cup PACKED brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon PURE Vanilla
Pinch of salt

  • Mix all ingredients together until smooth in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat.
  • Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thicker.
  • Turn off heat.
  • Serve warm or refrigerate until cold.
  • Drizzle on top of apple slab pie.

NOTE:  If you don’t use all your streusel topping, it stores perfect in the freezer.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY week 10 of 2019

Be sure to join us and link up with
Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday
and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

GOOD MORNING So last week did NOT go as planned.  In fact it was COMPLETELY the opposite!  I’m calling it the 2019 Snowpocalypse, “Black & White” outage of 2019 or better yet 2019 Snowmageddon.  Ironically on Sunday evening last week I had posted this to facebook:

Snow had started gently and exceptionally pretty on Saturday and then several hours later this happened:

and then a 3 day power outage came along on Sunday during while it continued to snow along with 4 days with no heat, no internet or no TV and even after it came back it wasn’t reliable.  LOL 😀 when the power, internet and TV came back on Verizon  and AT&T cell towers then went out for several days and we could no longer even text to next door or use cell phones.  At 5 days we still couldn’t leave the house and ONLY because of the STUPID way this cul de sac was built!  It slopes down with IMPROPER drainage so ALL the slush ends up in front of the driveway forming a wonderful ice sheet even after the snow begins to melt that makes traction impossible!  Thank goodness we had just gotten new tires on my car.  We would have used hubby’s 4 wheel drive truck, but it’s diesel that needs the block plugged in when it’s under 40 degrees or it won’t start, so with no power that wasn’t an option either!  

This is a screenshot picture I took from a local story showing just a single highway not too far from us (yep, there’s a major road under all those trees) that is closed indefinitely (at least 3 weeks) while they clean up all the fallen trees.  They are BIG trees too.  The interstate was even closed for the same reason in several places. My theory, which of course is just my opinion, is that the ground was just so saturated from all the rain we’d been having and then these trees became laden down with ALL that snow, ALL at once and literally just started “tipping” over.

The worst part was losing ALL the food in the refrigerator and freezer.  That is going to cost a small fortune to replace.  At one point it was warmer in the refrigerator than in the house!

ALL that said we are blessed to be warm again while so many are still having issues during this horrific winter!  FORTUNATELY for HHM last week I had just finished last week’s post and scheduled it for Monday morning.  However it will take me all of this next week to catch up visiting everyone for 2 weeks worth of posts!

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE & WHAT I’M WEARING Gray, cloudy and there is still white stuff everywhere.   Night time lows are still in the 20’s and 30’s and days are getting into the high 30’s and low 40’s sometimes for an hour or two 😀 I have on Levis , long sleeve t-shirt and comfy lightweight sweatshirt.  Last week’s forecast wasn’t originally bad… until it was so when I saw this pesky white stuff in this week’s I cringed A LOT 😀 I really like snow and don’t mind it, but I am fearful of another power outage since the whole thing isn’t even completely up yet!

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE I’ll have hot lemon water and a banana after my fasting bloodwork.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE/WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS/CRAFT BASKET/APPOINTMENTS

  • LAUNDRY…still playing catch up from last week
  • LIVING AREAS…needs a deep clean from last week
  • KITCHEN…needs a deep clean from last week
  • YARD…nothing as it is soggier than ever!
  • BLOG…not sure yet
  • CRAFTS/PROJECTS…nothing this week
  • APPOINTMENTS…dentist and reschedule appointments from last week that were cancelled due to the “BLACK & WHITE” outage last week.
  • TO DO… BIG grocery shop

ON MY MIND / THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY power, warmth… praying for all those still impacted by the flooding in California and the south and ALL the snowy cold areas in the rest of the country, especially those with power and heat problems.

I’M READING I did get a ton of reading done during the outage so not sure what is on the list yet for this week.

WHAT IS ON THE DVR, I LIKE OR ON THE LIST TO WATCH Will try and watch ON DEMANDS for the shows we missed last week, but lost ALL the DVR shows during the outage.  Once the power did come on and we were stuck in the house with no internet or cable, we were fortunate to have a neighbor that had a vast DVD collection so we watched a BUNCH of movies.  I didn’t realize how many movies I had never seen! Here are the ones I can remember.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA WOW there are several actually, but I’ll just pick a few 😀 The rest of the pictures can be found here 😀

INSPIRATION

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS

HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK


MONDAY – LOADED GARLIC BREAD & PINEAPPLE CHEESE PIE
TUESDAY – BRAISED SHORT RIBS with MASHED POTATOES & SESAME SNOW PEAS
WEDNESDAY – PIRI PIRI CHICKEN
THURSDAY – SLOW ROASTED HONEY GLAZED PORK
FRIDAY – GRILLED SWORDFISH with LEMON BASTING SAUCE
SATURDAY – BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN JALAPENO BITES & APPLE BREAD PUDDING
SUNDAY – ROPA VIEJA

SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead next weekend!

2019 SNOWMAGEDDON update

So while the power is on and the internet is cooperating I’m going to do a quick update.  Hubby had been saying how disappointed he was that snow had been on the forecast all month, but never really materialized.  Well, I’m here to tell you BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

We’re accustomed to snow, lots of it even from our time in the U.P., but unfortunately this little town wasn’t!  They are used to a couple inches that melts away fairly quickly.  It would have been okay and even a little bit funny if it hadn’t happened ALL at once and taken down thousands of trees and the power too!  I was never this cold even during the long winters of the Upper Peninsula… Here we are a week later and still have several inches covering everything.

Hubby tried to keep the walkway cleaned off, but every time he’d finish it would start snowing again.  At one point during the 3 day outage it was warmer in the refrigerator than the house and it continued to snow even more with tons of road closures all hampering the repair crews and their efforts to restore power.  Even the cell towers took a beating leaving us with compromised communication.  My neighbor and I resorted to throwing snowballs at each other’s window to get each other’s attention. 

During daylight hours we would use the cars to charge up phones and electronics which would also help melt the snow off the cars while we sat there getting a little bit warm and charging up. I braved it and walked over to talk with my neighbor.  Neighbors checked on each other and banded together as necessary.  Some were kinda stupid running propane heaters in houses that had gas pilots, letting their kids go out and get cold and wet with no way to warm them back up or take their cars where they couldn’t get out without making a HUGE slushy, icy mess.

I have to tell you 2019 Snowmageddon will not be forgotten ANY time soon.  Remote rural areas will NOT even be restored for weeks to come. 

When we finally left the house we were so surprised by just how many trees and I mean BIG trees had fallen onto and over roadways, onto power lines, houses, cars…  Clean up will take some time!  The sun made an appearance on Friday for a few hours and it felt heavenly, but other than that it has usually only appeared at the end of the afternoon in time to start setting.

VEGGIE CHEDDAR BISQUE SOUP

While this started as a traditional Broccoli Cheddar soup, like so many other recipes it morphed into something more, Veggie Cheddar Bisque or soup – your choice.  I just love the word bisque 😀

Now to be clear the definition of soup is “a liquid food especially with a meat, fish, or vegetable stock as a base and often containing pieces of solid food” while the definition of bisque is “ a cream soup of pureed vegetables“.  So, to be a true bisque you really need to puree ALL the vegetables.

VEGGIE CHEDDAR SOUP/BISQUE
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped carrots
1 bunch green onions, minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons FRESH ground sea salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

  • Bring broth to a boil.
  • Add sea salt, celery salt, black pepper and red pepper if using.
  • Add broccoli, carrots and onions.
  • Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  • Remove vegetables and puree with food processor if bisque is your ultimate goal.
  • Stir in whipping cream and cheese until smooth.
  • Add vegetable puree back in, blending until mixed well.
  • Simmer another 30 minutes.

COWBOY GOULASH

COWBOY GOULASH
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 large carrot, small chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cups beef broth
1 can original Rotes tomatoes
1 small can green chiles, drained well
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
sour cream

  • Heat oil over medium high heat.
  • Add beef and brown.
  • Drain off grease.
  • Add carrot, onion, garlic and bell pepper sautéing until soft.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add broth and hot sauce.
  • Cover and bring to a FULL simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Add Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and green chiles.
  • Return to a simmer for another 20 minutes.
  • Serve with warm tortillas or corn bread and a dollop of sour cream.  Sometimes we serve it over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.

 

SWEET GARLICKY PORK CHOPS

Honey or sugar based marinades are a WONDERFUL way to bring out the rich flavors of pork especially when they are coupled with citrus juices, Asian flavored oils and vinegars.

SWEET GARLICKY PORK CHOPS
4 1 inch thick pork chops
4 LARGE cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup Bragg’s Amino Acids
Juice of 1 LARGE tangerine
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3/4 tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
2 teaspoons FRESH ground sea salt
1 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
1 tablespoon PURE maple syrup
2 tablespoons apricot pineapple jam

  • Whisk all ingredients together.
  • Reserve 4 tablespoons for later.
  • Pour over pork chops and marinate, turning frequently, for 2-4 hours before grilling.

Another great grilled pork chop recipe is for these grilled chops with Raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce.

  • Preheat grill to medium high heat.
  • Oil the grate.
  • Arrange chops on grill sear 5-7 minutes per side.
  • Heat reserve marinade in a small sauce pan.
  • Brush chops on both sides with the hot marinade as you remove them from the grill and place them on the platter.
  • Serve immediately.

NOTES:

  • If you prefer a thinner chop, be sure and adjust the cooking times!  Thinner chops take considerably LESS cooking time, usually only 2 minutes per side!
  • This recipe is best with FRESH green vegetables like asparagus or broccolini, slaws or salads.  I also like to grill orange slices slathered in the sauce to go with the whole meal.

CAJUN BARRAMUNDI & REMOULADE

While we don’t really miss Texas, there are parts and places we do miss.  One of our favorite seafood restaurants was RAZZOOS CAJUN CAFE – this we miss A LOT! I especially miss their stuffed fish!

This recipe makes us feel like we’re back there in the fun atmosphere sipping cocktails BAYOU BREEZES were my favorite,  Throw in some Mardi Gras beads and Zydeco music and it just feels like we’re back there enjoying their southern hospitality.

CAJUN BARRAMUNDI
2 skin on Barramundi fillets of similar size
2 sprigs Dill, minced
1 tablespoon GHEE*
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
Fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
Lemon wedges

  • Over medium high heat melt butter and GHEE.
  • Score the skin side of the fillets.
  • Pat dry and generously season both sides with salt, pepper, paprika and Cajun seasoning.
  • Add fillets to sizzling butter skin side down.
  • Cook 4-5 minutes until skin begins to brown and crisp.
  • Flip fillets and cook another 3-4 minutes or until beginning to crisp and are cooked through.
  • Plate and sprinkle dill over fish fillets.
  • Serve with remoulade sauce.

NOTE*: I like the extra flavor from a well made GHEE, but butter or avocado oil could easily be substituted.

REMOULADE SAUCE
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 green onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon creamy horseradish
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning

  • Mix everything together.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  • Enjoy.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY week 9 of 2019

Be sure to join us and link up with
Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday
and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

GOOD MORNING dear friends.  How was your weekend?  Ours was lazy!  I haven’t left the house since Friday morning!  We watched ALL 3 of the NASCAR races and some old movies too.  I also got caught up on my reading and updated my master cookbook index.

This weather ALL over the country is just crazy, but I’m NOT taking any chances so I’ve been staying in A LOT!  We’re also having a measles outbreak in the Pacific North West and with my more seriously compromised immunity since the HOUSE FROM HELL I have been avoiding crowds as much as possible.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE & WHAT I’M WEARING Imagine that, it’s raining and snowing intermittently for days, so it’s wet out.  Temperatures have dropped quite a bit with the latest storm that literally blew in over the weekend and dumped tons of rain on us before dropping snow for hours on end.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE hot water and a banana – the tea was dehydrating me too much so am trying to strike a balance.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE/WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS/CRAFT BASKET/APPOINTMENTS

  • LAUNDRY…everything…sheets, towels, etc…I didn’t get any done last week
  • LIVING AREAS…dust, vacuum, straighten
  • KITCHEN…deep clean
  • YARD… 😀 not a darn thing as it is mushy wet and still raining for the foreseeable future
  • BLOG…a few new recipes that need to be finalized for posting
  • CRAFTS/PROJECTS…hoping to find the energy to start a fun new project
  • APPOINTMENTS…just a couple – hoping the weather doesn’t make them a pain
  • TO DO…deal with the VA and their latest screw up, some paperwork and things

ON MY MIND / THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY The one thing I still miss the most is coffee!  This permanent dietary change is leaving me longing for things you never would have thought you’d ever have to stop having in your life. …sigh…

SOMETHING INTERESTING I WATCHED With ALL the rain and snow of the past week and still being slightly under the weather I have been staying in and watching TCM A LOT!  I FINALLY watched Key Largo with a slew of BIG names like Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall and Lionel Barrymore, The Yearling with Gregory Peck and The Nun’s Story with Audrey Hepburn and Atlantic City with Burt Lancaster and a VERY young Susan Sarandon.

I’M READING Ava Miles Dare Valley #11 Moonlight Serenade with #12 The Sky of Endless Blue lined up to read behind it. 

WHAT IS ON THE DVR, I LIKE OR ON THE LIST TO WATCH Not much, just a couple cooking shows and old movies.  I found the original A Star is born from 1937 with Frederic March and Janet Gaynor as well as the the 1st remake in 1954 with Judy Garland and James Mason and taped them to watch.  I vaguely remember seeing the 2nd remake with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.  I rented the 3rd remake this past week and was taken with how much they stayed to the original story while still bringing it into current times.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA On our one sunny day last week we took a short day trip to a neighboring town for lunch and a hardware store.  These are a few of the pictures I took along the way. The first one is an old barn that I’ve been trying to get for years.  The barn is truly only being held up by the blackberry brambles that encase the walls.

INSPIRATION

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS

HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY – BBQ Apricot Pineapple Chicken
TUESDAY – Chicken Parmesan LASAGNA & Salad
WEDNESDAY – Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans
THURSDAY – Chicken Scallopini with Lemon Garlic Sauce
FRIDAY – Farm Style Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
SATURDAY – Grilled Steaks & Twice Baked Taters for hubby’s birthday
SUNDAY – C.O.R.N.

SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

FEATURED PARTY LINKS FOR THIS WEEK

 

FARM STYLE MEATLOAF

FARM STYLE MEATLOAF is a recipe I adapted from Kevin Penner’s 1770 House Meatloaf recipe after watching an episode of Ina Garten‘s Barefoot Contessa.  I debated on what to name this dish after my changes.  I flip flopped between Greenhouse and Farm style before finally landing on farm style.  All of the different meats and FRESH herbs and vegetables influenced my final decision for naming it Farm Style.  Honestly, I may yet rename it as I think more.

It is similar, yet completely different from my normal meatloaf recipe that I’ve been using for eons!  We instantly fell in love with the earthiness of this meatloaf and the savory herb sauce was perfect with mashed potatoes too!   Hubby normally loves ketchup or BBQ sauce with meatloaf, but with this flavorful sauce he bypassed it completely!

The key to this recipe is using QUALITY ingredients! Preferably grass fed meats and very FRESH organic ingredients.

FARM STYLE MEATLOAF
1/3 pound ground veal or lamb
1/3 pound ground pork
1/3 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon chopped, FRESH chives
1 teaspoon chopped, FRESH thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped, FRESH Italian parsley
1 LARGE egg
scant 1/2 cup finely ground Panko crumbs
scant 1/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Avocado oil
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 LARGE shallot, finely diced

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Place the veal, pork, beef, chives, thyme, parsley, eggs, Panko crumbs, milk, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
  • Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat and film it with avocado oil.
  • Add the celery and shallot to the pan, stirring, until softened.
  • Remove the celery and shallot from the pan and let cool.
  • When the mixture is cool, add it to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients.
  • Using gloved hands, mix the ingredients until well combined and everything is evenly distributed.
  • Place a LARGE piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.
  • Place the meat on the sheet pan and pat it and punch it down to remove any air pockets shaping the meat into a loaf about 6 inches long x 2 inches high.
  • Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes or until a meat cooked through (155-160°).
  • Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.

SAUCE
2/3 cup chicken or beef stock
1 tablespoon Marsala wine
3 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon FRESH chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon FRESH chopped thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon FRESH chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)

  • Combine the broth, Marsala wine, roasted garlic and butter over medium-high heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly thickened.
  • Add the chopped thyme, chives and parsley.
  • Quickly whisk in the cornstarch if needed to thicken as necessary.
  • Slice the meatloaf into serving portions and spoon the hot sauce over the meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
  • Serve immediately.

NOTE: You can use a loaf pan if you prefer, but we like the firm crispy edges produced using this method.

LEMON SHRIMP FETTUCCINE

LEMON SHRIMP FETTUCCINE

3/4 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 small fennel, cleaned, halved and sliced – save chop fronds and keep separate
12 ounces fettuccine, prepared al dente (save 1/4 cup hot pasta water)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
2 Meyer lemons, Juice of LARGE Meyer Lemon + slices for garnish
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Whisk together the cream, lemon juice and egg yolks.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • Heat avocado oil in skillet over medium heat.
  • Saute shrimp for 90 seconds. Remove shrimp and set aside to keep warm.
  • Add the fennel pieces and saute for 2 minutes.
  • Add the snap peas and saute another 3 minutes until peas are tender and fennel is browned.
  • Add cream, 1/4 cup pasta water, prepared fettuccine and shrimp into pan.
  • Turn off heat and stir together until well blended and sauce thickens.
  • Season to taste.
  • Garnish with fennel fronds and lemon slices.
  • Serve immediately.

NOTE: Meyer lemons are a bit sweeter than regular lemons so if you can’t find a Meyer lemon, use half of a regular lemon and half of a tangerine.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN & VEGGIES IN LEMON HONEY GARLIC BUTTER

This is a WONDERFUL and deliciously simple recipe. Chicken thighs OR breasts cooked in browned butter infused with honey, garlic and lemon juice. Simple ingredients BUT maximum flavor!

PAN SEARED CHICKEN & VEGGIES IN LEMON HONEY GARLIC BUTTER

6 chicken thighs (or 4 large chicken breast fillets pounded thin) (bone in or out/skin on or off)
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons butter, divided
4 tablespoons QUALITY honey
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or 4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 medium lemon
2-4 tablespoons chicken broth OPTIONAL
3 cups broccoli florets OPTIONAL
4 Lemon wedges, to serve
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Sear chicken in an oven proof skillet or pan, skin side down first for 3 minutes. Flip and sear for a further 3 minutes until browned.
  • Transfer chicken to a plate.
  • Add lemon juice, garlic and honey to pan, blending well.
  • Add the chicken into the sauce in the pan, turning to coat well.
  • Transfer to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes until completely cooked through and no longer pink inside.
  • Change oven settings to broil (or grill), until nicely charred on the tops.
  • To serve, add the lemon wedges around the chicken, garnish with parsley and drizzle with the pan juices.
  • Serve with steamed vegetables; over rice or noodles, or with a salad!

ALTERNATIVE – FOR BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN FILLETS (my preferred way of making this dish) I also prefer carrots and snap peas

  • Sear boneless chicken thighs or breast fillets on both sides until golden and cooked through.
  • Transfer chicken to a warm plate; set aside.
  • Make the sauce following recipe directions.
  • Add the chicken back into to the browned butter/honey mixture in the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes in the sauce, while basting the tops with the pan juices.
  • Flip and continue cooking in the sauce until cooked through.
  • Season with a little extra salt and pepper, to your taste, if desired.