Category: MISC

RAINBOW POTATO PANCAKES

RAINBOW POTATO PANCAKES serves 4

2 1/2 pounds, washed, unpeeled and shredded*
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded*
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 tablespoons Wondra
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
fresh ground black pepper, taste
avocado oil or butter
sour cream
applesauce

  • Shred potatoes and carrot into a large cheese or flour sack cloth (smooth and thin fabric).
  • Pull all four corners together and wring the cloth to rid the veggies of ALL water.
  • In a large mixing bowl toss together the dried potatoes, carrots, red pepper and green onions, reserving a few green onion tops for garnish.
  • Sprinkle flour, salt and pepper over top.
  • Pour eggs over top and toss like a salad until all the vegetables are well mixed and coated with the eggs.
  • On a large griddle heat butter to melted over medium high heat.
  • using a 1/4 cup measure portion out the potato mixture into several pancakes and flatten to thin rounds.
  • Fry until golden and then flip cooking second side until golden.
  • Keep warm while cooking in batches.
  • Serve with sour cream and applesauce.

CHINESE BBQ PORK LOIN

CHINESE BBQ PORK LOIN
2-2 1/2 pound pork loin, cut into 1 inch chunks
3/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons sriracha
4 cloves garlic, minced

  • Place pork pieces in a large zip log bag.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together the Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, ketchup and honey until well blended.
  • Add brown sugar and garlic and mix well.
  • Pour over pork pieces and toss to coat.
  • Marinate for 24 hours.

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cover baking pan with heavy duty foil*.
  • Remove pork pieces from bag, reserving marinade.
  • Place pork pieces on baking pan.
  • Bake 20 minutes.
  • Turn pork pieces and brush with reserve marinade.
  • Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

*This will make clean up sooooooooooo much easier.

WAGON WHEEL SOUP/STEW aka WINTER SOUP

WAGON WHEEL SOUP/STEW
2 pounds hamburger
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red onion, chopped
2 cups V-8
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
+/- 8 ounces beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 cup pasta

  • In a large saute’ pan, brown hamburger with onion and garlic.
  • Drain off fat and return to pan.
  • Add V-8, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and broth, stirring to blend.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Simmer over low heat 1-2 hours.
  • Add cabbage and simmer 1 hour more.
  • Add  pasta and simmer 20 minutes more until pasta is tender.
If you like it thinner like soup, add more broth.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

Good Morning! I had a pretty good weekend – hope you did too.  It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

ON THE BREAKFAST MENU

  • A big cup of coffee, maybe 2 or 3 with a touch of Mocha Kahlua and apple maple cinnamon oatmeal with golden raisins. 

TODAY’S TO DO LIST
  • Grocery Shopping

  • Errands

  • Laundry

  • Cleaning

CURRENTLY (STILL) READING

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK

Catching up on the DVR from last week:

  • Good Wife

  • Mentalist

  • Law and Order SVU

  • Forever 

  • CSI

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW
YEAH!! Sunny for a change! Or at least it started that way and is now getting foggier by the minute.

ON THE MENU
 Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


 DATE BREAKFAST
DINNER
MONDAY 1/19 OATMEAL
Salmon in a Blanket
TUESDAY 1/20 YOGURT
Artichoke Fritters
WEDNESDAY 1/21 OATMEAL
Chicken Divan
THURSDAY 1/22 Y.O.Y.O.
Cajun Corn Chowder
FRIDAY 1/23 C.O.R.N.
Watergate Salad
SATURDAY 1/24 French Toast
Huevos Rancheros
SUNDAY 1/25
Bacon and Eggs

Baked Cod

NEW RECIPES TO TRY

I’m still posting the successful new recipes from December and they will be popping up a little here and a little there over the next few weeks.  I’m also back to trying a few recipes from my experimentation file this month so am hopeful that there will be many to pass on to you soon.

IN THE YARD & GARDEN
Nothing this week.

FAVORITE PHOTO OF THE WEEK
We have had A LOT of foggy, rainy and cloudy days lately with the sun making an appearance only for some interesting sunset pictures.


HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK
Sorry nothing this week 🙁

ON MY MIND LATELY
Trying to understand the world and what is going through people’s minds with all the senseless violence that is happening everywhere.

INSPIRATIONAL

MARINATED PRIME RIB & OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS with LEMON SAUCE

This was our Christmas Eve meal with the Caramel Apple Cheesecake for dessert. We used to have larger Christmas eve family gatherings when I was young and those tended to be buffets.  Now that it is usually either just the 2 of us or a smaller gathering I make a more formal and traditional meal. 

I used the scraps leftovers (not that there were many) to make the New Year’s Day Black Eyed Pea Chili.

MARINATED and SEASONED PRIME RIB
5 pound boneless beef rib roast
3/4 cup Mad Housewife Merlot wine
1 small Vidalia onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Avocado oil
*2 tablespoons  Savory Spice Shop Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend
*2 tablespoons  Penzey’s English Prime Rib Rub 
*1 teaspoon  Penzey’s OR Savory Spice Shop’s Horseradish powder

  • Whisk together the wine, water and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Place roast in a large plastic bag that has been placed in a shallow baking dish.
  • Pour marinade over roast and seal bag.
  • Marinate 6-8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

 

  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • Place sliced onions in bottom of roaster.
  • Drain roast and discard marinade.
  • Rub roast generously with the avocado oil. Let roast sit on drainboard a moment to allow excess oil to drain off.  At this point wash your hands to remove the excess oil also so the rub will go on better.
  • Stir together the Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend, English Prime Rib Rub and the horseradish powder until well mixed.
  • Sprinkle rub mixture over roast until well coated all the way around.
  • Place roast, fat side up on onion slices.
  • Insert oven thermometer.
  • Roast until desired doneness (we like medium rare which was 135 degrees and about 2 1/4 hours), but no more!
  • Transfer roast to cutting board and immediately tent with foil for 20 minutes before carving. This is the resting phase and mandatory to the perfect prime rib. During this phase your roast will raise another 10 degrees. 

*If you want a thicker rub add more spices making sure to keep these proportions.

DO NOT SKIP THE RESTING PHASE!!

OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS with LEMON SAUCE
1 bunch asparagus
Avocado oil
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Snap off woody ends. 
  • Wash asparagus and drain well.
  • Pat dry and then drizzle with avocado oil, smoothing all along each stalk as you place asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Roast 10 minutes or until fork tender, but snappy and browning on the outside.

Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cool water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 LARGE egg yolks

  • In a small saucepan whisk together the water and cornstarch over a medium heat.
  • Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly.
  • Add sugar and whisk until dissolved. Immediately remove from heat to cool!
  • Return the saucepan to the lowest setting.
  • Beat egg yolks and lemon juice until well blended.
  • Whisk egg yolks into cooled sauce and cook slowly to thicken.  TOO HIGH A HEAT WILL CURDLE YOUR SAUCE.
  • Season as necessary and pour over plated asparagus.

BAKED HAM with APPLE PINEAPPLE GLAZE

BAKED HAM with APPLE PINEAPPLE GLAZE
7-8 pound ham
2 medium apples (I like Honey Crisp)

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Peel, core and thinly slice 2 apples.
  • Add apple slices to bottom of baking dish.
  • Place ham cut side down on top of apple slices.
  • Insert oven thermometer and bake 2 1/2 – 3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
  • Brush with glaze last 20-30 minutes.

8 ounces crushed pineapple
8 ounce jar pineapple preserves
1/2 cup tangerine juice
2 medium apples (I like Honey Crisp), peeled, cored and thinly sliced

  •  In a small sauce pan whisk together the crushed pineapple, pineapple preserves and tangerine juice.
  • Add apple slices (or chunks if preferred).
  • Bring to a SLOW boil and then reduce to low simmer.

MALIBU RUM GLAZED CARROTS

I started with the Whiskey glazed carrot recipe from Pioneer Woman, but wanted a new little OOMPH so I changed up the Whiskey to Malibu coconut rum.

MALIBU RUM GLAZED CARROTS
2-3 pounds carrots* peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 – 1 stick butter
1/2 cup Malibu Rum
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over high heat.
  • Add carrots** sauteing several minutes.
  • Remove carrots.
  • Add rum to skillet for a minute.
  • Add remaining butter.  When melted add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
  • Add carrots back into skillet. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
  • Remove lid, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until glaze is thick.

*I used bagged baby carrots
**You may have to do in 2 batches depending on your skillet size

CHICKEN BISQUE ala WIVES with KNIVES

The weather here has been A LOT of Pea Soup FOG and now rain so I went in search of rib sticking soup recipes and was not disappointed by this awesome find for Chicken Bisque over at WIVES WITH KNIVES.  I understand it is a copy cat recipe from the much loved Portland, Oregon restaurant, The Pantry (circa 1950’s-1980’s).

This soup is very rich and silky in texture with the most wonderful mouth watering chicken flavor you can imagine. This IS THE PERFECT “soup”. Serve it for an everyday casual meal on a cold winter’s eve or for a formal occasion.

The Pantry’s Chicken Bisque – ADAPTED FROM WIVES WITH KNIVES
3 cups chicken pieces**
1 cup homemade concentrated chicken broth
7 cups hot water
2 teaspoons sea salt
4 stalks celery, sliced thin
4 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped small
1 cup quality butter
scant cup Wondra flour
1 small jar chopped pimento, optional
fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish
Garlic Butter croutons

  • If starting from scratch: Place chicken pieces in large pot and cover with water, about 10 cups.  Add vegetables and simmer until chicken almost falls off the bone. Strain off enough liquid to make 8 cups of stock. Cut cooled chicken into bite sized pieces and be sure to pick all the little chicken bits off the bones. Set chicken aside.
  • In a stock pot, whisk together the hot water and concentrated broth. 
  • Season to taste.
  • Add vegetables and simmer 1 hour.
  • When vegetables are tender, use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables to a food processor.  DO NOT DISCARD.  The vegetables are a crucial flavor component. Process vegetables until smooth and then whisk back into the broth.
  • Bring to a very LOW boil.
  • In a small sauce pan melt butter.
  • Whisk in Wondra flour until golden in color making a yummy roux.
  • Gradually add the roux, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Simmer 10-15 minutes until desired thickness.
  • Add the chopped chicken*** and 1 small jar of diced pimento. 
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Simmer for another 15 minutes. 
  • Serve in warmed soup bowls.

**I used rotisserie chicken pieces.
***Since my chicken was fresh and hot from Costco, I chopped about 3/4 cup rotisserie chicken per person and put it into the bottom of each bowl instead, then poured the hot thickened bisque over the chunky parts.  This way the remaining bisque stores in a jar easier.  I also just used the pimento as a garnish with the croutons.

Cooks Notes: Whenever I bring home a Costco rotisserie chicken I use the skin, drippings and bones (where all the flavor is) to make a pot of broth.  I then portion it into 1 cup containers for the freezer.  This really makes things easier for those quick weeknight meals.Badge

MOLASSES KRINKLES

MOLASSES KRINKLES
2 cups + 4 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 JUMBO eggs

  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • Process raisins in a small food processor until only small pieces remain. Transfer to a large bowl.
  • In a small sauce pan melt butter over medium high heat until brown, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add cinnamon, ginger and allspice.
  • Pour butter mixture over raisins until well blended.  Let cool completely.
  • When cool add brown sugar, molasses and eggs one at a time into butter mixture until well blended.
  • Fold in flour mixture.
  • Cover with saran and chill for at least 2 hours. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Divide dough into 4 pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a log on a lightly floured board. 
  • Bake until edges are set and centers are still soft – about 15-20 minutes.
  • Let logs cool 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to cooling racks.

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice

  • Whisk together until smooth.
  • Drizzle over cool logs and let set.
  • Cut logs into bars.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

Good Morning! I had a SUPER productive weekend. ALL the Christmas decorations are organized and put away and I’m ready to do some deep cleaning.  It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

I need some help!!!  I need ideas for a bread an butter gift (a gesture of gratitude for hosting) for my SIL on an upcoming trip. I always look for something I know she’d like, but probably doesn’t have, but I’m honestly out of ideas.  She loves “frogs” but think I’ve done those a little too much over the years.  What do you get or make for someone who has everything or the money to buy what they want when they want it?

ON THE BREAKFAST MENU

  • A big cup of coffee, maybe 2 or 3 wit a touch of Mocha Kahlua and apple maple cinnamon oatmeal with golden raisins. 

TODAY’S TO DO LIST
  • Grocery Shopping
  • Errands
  • Laundry
  • Cleaning

CURRENTLY (STILL) READING

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK

Catching up on the DVR from last week:

  • Good Wife
  • Mentalist
  • Law and Order SVU
  • Forever
  • Sleepy Hollow

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW
Rain, fog and dreary.

ON THE MENU
 Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


 DATE BREAKFAST
DINNER
MONDAY 1/12 OATMEAL
Tomato Pie and Pan Seared Chicken with Peppercorn Sauce
TUESDAY 1/13 YOGURT
Chimichurri Chicken
WEDNESDAY 1/14 OATMEAL
Pork Chops & Rice Bake
THURSDAY 1/15 ??
Old World Chicken
FRIDAY 1/16 C.O.R.N.
Winter Soup & Pineapple Upside Down Cake
SATURDAY 1/17 French Toast
24 Hour Salad
SUNDAY 1/18
Bacon and Eggs

Cheesy Corn Bake

NEW RECIPES TO TRY

I also tried several other successful new recipes in December and they will be popping up a little here and a little there over the next few weeks.

I’m back to trying recipes from my experimentation file this month so am hopeful that there will be many to pass on to you soon.

IN THE YARD & GARDEN
Nothing this week.

FAVORITE PHOTO OF THE WEEK
While our son and DIL were visiting for New Year’s we had many dreary days, but this one wasn’t one of them. We had a great lunch and despite the cool weather got some great pictures.

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK

    As I put up the Christmas decorations each year I save the tissue paper to reuse as stuffing in shipping boxes and then as I put away the Christmas decorations each year I use new tissue paper to wrap them in.  The new tissue paper has a stronger tensile strength to protect the ornaments and decorations.

    ON MY MIND LATELY

    Trying to understand the world and what is going through people’s minds with all the senseless violence that is happening everywhere.

    INSPIRATIONAL

    CHRISTMAS TOYS PRODUCT REVIEWS

    I received a few new kitchen “toys” this Christmas and have finally gotten around to trying some of them out.

    Today’s pairing is the Cuisinart Stuffed Burger Press and the Ogreenic Griddle pan. 

    I had been wanting to try stuffed burgers for quite some time and even tried doing them by hand a time or too with some success, but the Cuisinart Stuffed Burger Press made it A LOT easier.  The true test was in the cooking though.  They held together and tasted wonderful after being cooked on my new Ogreenic Griddle pan.  The key to success (in my opinion) was only turning them once and being patient enough to let each side cook evenly.  All the fat, but not the flavor just dripped away into the crevices of the griddle pan.