Category: MISC

TATER TOPPED MEAT CUPCAKES

I recently read Martha’s recipe for Tater Topped Mini Meatloaves and thought how neat they were. So, I made them too! 🙂  Only I made them with the ingredients I had around and I only got 18 of them.
TATER TOPPED MINI MEAT CUPCAKES

made 18

1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground chicken
1 box of Stove top Chicken stuffing
1 package KNORR Spring Vegetable Mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

4 cups mashed potatoes
leftover pot roast gravy

  • Mix the meat, stuffing mix, broth, eggs and BBQ sauce well and press into muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray. 
  • Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done. 
  • While the mini meatloaves are cooking prepare mashed potatoes (I used Idahoan brand loaded mashed potatoes). 
  • Top each mini meatloaf with mashed potatoes and bake for another 5 minutes just to set the potatoes well. 
  • Top with gravy. 

DANISH CUBE STEAK REVISITED

I absolutely LOVE to experiment with recipes, especially old recipes that were mainstays of another era.  I found an old, and I mean old recipe for Danish cube steak  It looked like an old book from the 40’s or 50’s.  It was soooooo old, that the edges were ragged and the paper yellow.  I think it came from grams old stash from 20 years ago!  Anyway, I updated it to the new century and hubby loved it!  It was also so tender it could be cut with a fork.

DANISH CUBE STEAK REVISITED
3 ounces Bleu cheese crumbles
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced green onions
6 pork cube steaks
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

  • In a small food processor blend together the mayonnaise, bleu cheese crumbles and green onions until smooth.
  • Coat steaks on both sides with mayonnaise mixture.
  • Dredge through panko crumbs.
  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add cube steaks and brown on both sides.

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO with BBQ SAUSAGE

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken pieces
1/2 pound sausage, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces and then quartered
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh green beans, cleaned and chopped
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper

  • Melt butter and oil over medium high heat in a large saute’ pan.  Add flour and whisk continuously until golden brown.
  • Add onions, garlic and celery stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
  • Add thyme. salt and pepper.
  • Add green beans, stirring to coat.
  • Add broth, chicken and sausage pieces and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until desired consistency.
  • Add parsley and stir well.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes.
  • I coated the remaining sausage pieces with barbecue sauce and broiled them for a few minutes as an appetizer/compliment.

TATER TOPPED MEAT CUPCAKES

I recently read Martha’s recipe for Tater Topped Mini Meatloaves and thought how neat they were. So, I made them too! 🙂  Only I made them with the ingredients I had around and I only got 18 of them.
TATER TOPPED MINI MEAT CUPCAKES

made 18

1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground chicken
1 box of Stove top Chicken stuffing
1 package KNORR Spring Vegetable Mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

4 cups mashed potatoes
leftover pot roast gravy

  • Mix the meat, stuffing mix, broth, eggs and BBQ sauce well and press into muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray. 
  • Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done. 
  • While the mini meatloaves are cooking prepare mashed potatoes (I used Idahoan brand loaded mashed potatoes). 
  • Top each mini meatloaf with mashed potatoes and bake for another 5 minutes just to set the potatoes well. 
  • Top with gravy. 

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO with BBQ SAUSAGE

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken pieces
1/2 pound sausage, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces and then quartered
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh green beans, cleaned and chopped
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper

  • Melt butter and oil over medium high heat in a large saute’ pan.  Add flour and whisk continuously until golden brown.
  • Add onions, garlic and celery stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
  • Add thyme. salt and pepper.
  • Add green beans, stirring to coat.
  • Add broth, chicken and sausage pieces and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until desired consistency.
  • Add parsley and stir well.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes.
  • I coated the remaining sausage pieces with barbecue sauce and broiled them for a few minutes as an appetizer/compliment.

OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

We love our fried chicken, but our traditional recipe is not exactly healthy.  My husband found an alternative on Food Network’s Website – Oven Fried Chicken.
OVEN FRIED CHICKEN
1 lemon
1/2 cup lowfat milk
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary plus 2 whole sprigs
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken legs and thighs
2 slices whole wheat bread (3 oz.)
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Kosher salt and finely ground black pepper
Note
Marinating chicken pieces with lemon, herbs, and a bit of skim milk as a tenderizer really gets the flavor into the chicken.  Cornmeal or whole wheat bread crumbs make a crunchy coating with few calories, and baking on a rack ensures no soggy bottoms on the chicken.
  • Finely grate 1 t zest from the lemon.  Set aside.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a medium bowl.  Whisk in the milk, sugar, and cayenne until the sugar and cayenne are dissolved.  Add the sprigs of rosemary and garlic.  Pierce each chicken piece several times with a fork, add to the milk mixture, turning to coat well.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for two hours.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Lay the bread on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake turning a few times until the bread is crisp and dry, 45 minutes to one hour.  Cool completely.  Break into large pieces and pulse in the bowl of a food processor until it forms coarse crumbs.
  • Increase the oven temp to 375 degrees F.  In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs with the corn meal, Parmesan if using, chopped rosemary, reserved 1 t zest, and season with salt and pepper.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack.  Coat the rack well with nonstick spray.
  • Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade allowing the excess to drip off.  Press into the bread crumb mixture until the chicken is well coated and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining chicken and crumbs.  Mist the chicken with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Bake until the chicken is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 degrees, about 50-55 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4
Nutritional Analysis per serving of chicken:
Calories, 328; Total Fat 10 g. (Sat. Fat 3g, Mono Fat 3g, Poly Fat 2g); Protein 48g; Carb 10g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 186 mg; Sodium 330mg.

Combined with rice and French style green beans, it made a healthy, satisfying meal.

STRAWBERRIES with BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Greetings from Martha from A Sense of Humor is Essential dropping in to share more deliciousness.
This incredibly easy, (two ingredients!!), and quite delectable combination of strawberries with balsamic vinegar, features the taste of umami.*
It makes a delightful dessert when served with ice cream, cream fraiche, or with cheese.
I enjoy it “straight up” with just the berries dipped in vinegar for a delicious and healthy treat. I hope you do too and thank you!

  • Wash, hull, and slice or quarter fresh ripe strawberries, place in bowl.
  • For each cup of sliced strawberries, add one to two tablespoons balsamic vinegar.
  • Serve immediately.
  • Strawberries can be prepared in advance, add vinegar just before serving
  • Serve with ice cream, cream fraiche, or with assorted cheeses.

*Umami means savoriness and is derived from the Japanese word umami meaning “pleasant savory taste”.

BLACK TIE REQUIRED

I found this dress (that fits like a dream) at a resale shop for my stepson’s wedding (hubby will be wearing a tux) and it needs to be hemmed, but my question is, would it look bad if I made it tea length?

ESPRESSO BROWNIES… SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT

I made these little treats for a library website usability study.  Our participants loved them, and the leftovers were a big hit with the rest of the staff.  What I like about them, and I think everyone on a tight schedule will appreciate, is the fact that you can create them from scratch or with a boxed brownie mix.  Either way, the easy espresso glaze is good enough to eat with a spoon.  Be sure to save room for dessert when you make these!

ESPRESSO BROWNIES
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
14 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup strong black coffee, cooled
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

  • Spray or butter a 13 x 9 pan with non-stick spray.
  • Line pan with foil or parchment, allowing ends to hang over short sides of pan.
  • If using foil, spray with additional non-stick spray; set pan aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
  • Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl; set aside.
  • In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and coffee; cook over medium heat until sugar and butter melt and the mixture comes to a boil.
  • Immediately pour mixture over chopped chocolate in bowl and let stand 2 minutes (do not stir).
  • Beat mixture at low speed of an electric mixer until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Stir in flour mixture; beat at medium speed until well blended.
  • Add vanilla and chocolate chunks.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
  • Cool completely in pan, pour on glaze and chill at least 2 hours.
  • Remove brownies from pan, using foil as handles; cut into squares.

Espresso Glaze
2 teaspoons espresso powder
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

  • In a microwave-save bowl or measuring cup, stir espresso powder and 3 tablespoons cream together; microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds, or until espresso has dissolved.
  • Stir into powdered sugar, adding additional cream if necessary.
  • Add vanilla and pour over brownies.

Brownie recipe adapted from Southern Living.

HAM SPREAD DIABLO

Remember when we were kids and there were all these neat spreads and sandwich makings?  Things Like Under World um I mean Underwood Deviled Ham.
Hubby loved it, but now that we are really watching what we put into our bodies I make everything fresh.  So, I set out to make a homemade ham spread for hubby’s lunches.  Now back then we also ate things like this on processed white bread, but today’s sandwiches were served on Oatnut bread.  I toyed with the idea of adding pineapple but hubby put the kibosh on that and ate it on the side.  I still think it might be good!

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup ham chunks
2 teaspoons Frank’s Red Hot Pepper Sauce

  • Process in batches in a small food processor until well blended.
  • Adjust hot sauce to taste.
  • Spread on sandwich.
  • Enjoy!