Category: RECIPES

GRUMPY GUY SALAD & GARLIC CHEESE BREAD

GRUMPY GUY SALAD
1 head romaine salad, cut into bite sized pieces & washed

1 orange, peeled, sectioned and cut into pieces
1 kiwi, peeled and chopped.
1 small bunch scallions, sliced thin
1 ripe pear, chopped
1 small bunch asparagus, blanched and cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup snap peas, cleaned & halved
1/3 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons sugar
salt & pepper to taste

  • Wash and prep fruit and veggies.
  • Place in a large salad bowl.
  • Whisk together the peanut oil, champagne vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper until well blended.
  • Pour over salad and toss well.
  • Serve with Garlic cheese bread

GARLIC CHEESE BREAD
1/2 cup salted butter
3 cloves garlic
dash of white pepper
3/4 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
sourdough bread

  • Melt butter in a small sauce pan.
  • Mash garlic cloves.
  • Add garlic and cook until golden.
  • Add cheese, salt and pepper whisking until well blended.
  • Spread on sourdough bread.
  • Broil until golden.

CHICKEN BRUSCHETTA SKIPPER STYLE

CHICKEN BRUSCHETTA SKIPPER STYLE
2 large boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
3+3 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon minced garlic, jar
8 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
2 tablespoons Classico tomato pesto
1 small onion, diced
4 tablespoons flour
8-16 ounces cooked pasta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook pasta, drain and set aside.
  • Melt first 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet.
  • Saute’ chicken pieces a few minutes and then add onion and garlic. Saute’ until cooked through.
  • In a small food processor chop artichoke hearts until smooth and creamy.
  • Drain chicken and onion mixture.
  • In the same skillet, melt the additional 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour until golden. Add milk and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the artichoke hearts and pesto and blend until smooth.
  • In a large mixing bowl toss the pasta, chicken mixture and sauce mixture with the Parmesan cheese and mix well.
  • Pour into a greased 9×9 casserole.
  • Top with mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake 30-45 minutes until crispy.

CHICKEN SPINACH TOSS

CHICKEN SPINACH TOSS
1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
1 avocado, sliced
1 large bunch spinach
1 large green onions, sliced
1 orange, cut into pieces
1/2 cup pomegranate pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
1 batch Champagne Salad Dressing
Homemade Parmesan Cheese Bread 

  • Wash spinach leaves and dry well.
  • Toss with the onions, oranges and pomegranate seeds.
  • Sprinkle lemon juice over spinach mix and refrigerate.
  • Brown the bacon pieces until crisp.
  • Add chicken pieces until heated through.
  • Slice avocados, plate them and season with salt and pepper.
  • Pour desired amount of dressing over the spinach mix and toss well. 
  • Top with chicken bacon mixture.
  • Enjoy!

PORK in ORANGE SAUCE

My wonderful SIL recently (this was originally posted 11-19-2010) returned from a cruise to Panama – lucky her! – she had a great time, but lucky me – she sent me a new cookbook of Mexican recipes.  I have tried 3 recipes so far this week and we loved all 3!!!!!!!!!  But, hubby all but licked his plate on this one tonight. And this recipe was soooooooooo simple!  I did tweak the original recipe to suit us, but the basics are all still there.

2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into pieces
1/3 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
sliced oranges for garnish
mashed potatoes (original recipe called for mashed sweet potatoes but hubby doesn’t care for them)

  • In a large bowl combine vinegar, cumin, garlic, red pepper and salt.
  • Drop in pork cubes and make sure they are completely coated.
  • Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or more.
  • Remove pork pieces from marindae, but reserve the marinade.
  • Pat the meat dry.*
  • In a heavy skillet, melt the butter.
  • Brown the pork cubes until golden.
  • Add the reserved marinade and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until pork is tender (30 minutes or so).
  • Stir in orange and lemon juices last 15 minutes.

*Next time I will brown the pork first and then marinade the meat so there is a bit of a crusty edge.

NOTE:  Any time you marinade in vinegar, meat will take longer to brown.

CUCUMBER POMEGRANATE SALAD

Need a quick, easy and pretty side dish for Thanksgiving?  I have it right here for you!

CUCUMBER POMEGRANATE SALAD

1-2 large cucumbers, sliced thin
1 bunch green onions, sliced 
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • Arrange cucumbers, green onions and pomegranate seeds on serving plate.
  • Generously salt and pepper.
  • Pour dressing over top.
  • Chill.
  • Enjoy!

HOME MADE CHUNKY BANANA APPLE SAUCE

HOME MADE CHUNKY BANANA APPLE SAUCE

4 large Apples (I like Pink Lady or Braeburns)
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 can peach nectar (Papaya or pineapple are good too or plain orange juice in a pinch)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup sugar

  • In a large sauce pan pour nectar over raisins and let sit while you prepare apples.
  • Wash, core, peel and chop apples.
  • Peel bananas and mash.
  • Add water to sauce pan and stir in sugar until dissolved.
  • Add cinnamon and mix well.
  • Add apples and bananas to the raisins and cook over medium heat until until apples are tender and mush easily.
  • Mush to desired consistency.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Cool and chill.
  • Can be kept in refrigerator for a week though it never lasts that long around here.
  • Also freezes well in small batches.

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE
CAKES
12 ounce can all white albacore tuna, drained well**
1 large egg
1/8 cup mayonnaise
panko crumbs
sea salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon green Tabasco sauce

SAUCE
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • In a medium mixing bowl whisk egg until golden and consistency is smooth.
  • Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper and green Tabasco sauce, whisking until well blended.
  • Add enough panko crumbs to make a paste.
  • Add tuna and blend well.
  • Form 6 cakes or logs.
  • Set cakes on paper towels and chill 30 minutes.  The paper towels will draw out excess moisture
  • In a cast iron pan melt butter.
  • Roll cakes in panko crumbs.
  • When butter is frothy, add tuna cakes.
  • Brown each side until golden.
  • In a food processor mix together all the sauce ingredients until well blended.
  • Microwave 1 minute until hot.
  • Pour over tuna cakes and enjoy.

**Crab or Salmon works well too.

GRILLED APPLE SLICES

APPLE CHIPS
Large Apple
1 tablespoon butter
Coarse salt

  • Peel and core apple.
  • Slice into thin rings.
  • Melt butter in skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add apple rings.
  • Cook until soft and golden brown.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Sprinkle with coarse salt.
  • Cool & Eat.

Pineapple Cider Brine Pork Chops w/ Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce for Magazine Monday

Magazine Mondays is hosted by Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice. All 3 of these recipes are loosely based on recipes from magazines, but the main ingredients have been changed to protect my family. No seriously, the main ingredients were changed to make my family happy as the original recipes had ingredients that my family just won’t eat! Also Healthy Helpings is debuting over at ThE KraZy KitcHen tomorrow. Stop by and join in.
When I do ‘recipe experiment’ night I try to do EVERY part of the meal as a new recipe. Some times I get lucky and they ALL are worth sharing. I’m a ‘no measure’ cook, well at least a no exact measure cook so when I invent a new recipe, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But, today worked!

PINEAPPLE CIDER BRINE PORK CHOPS

1 1/2 cup water
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sea salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 thick pork chops

  • In a large sauce pan whisk together water, cider vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar together until salt and sugar are dissolved.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add seasonings and blend well.
  • Slow simmer 10 minutes.
  • Cool.
  • Immerse pork chops and soak 12-24 hours. I used my 8 cup pampered chef batter bowl so the chops had plenty of room to ‘swim’.
  • Drain chops.
  • Grill or broil 5-6 minutes on each side.
  • Heat enough Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce to cover the chops.
  • Brush each side of chops with BBQ sauce for the last few minutes.

ROOT BEER PINEAPPLE BBQ SAUCE

12 ounce MUG root beer
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
4 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • Melt butter in a large saucepan.
  • Add onions and garlic, Saute’ until tender.
  • Add other ingredients, except cornstarch, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Remove 1 cup of sauce and whisk cornstarch into it.
  • Return mixture to the sauce pan and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Cool 15 minutes.
  • Refrigerate,
  • Makes 4 cups.

SWEET CREAM BISCUITS


SWEET CREAM BISCUITS
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1 1/4 cup heavy cream

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Sift together the flours, salt, sugar and baking powder.
  • Pour in 1 cup of the heavy cream and mix together, adding more cream as necessary to make a soft dough.
  • You will need to knead by hand towards the end of mixing.
  • Turn out onto a floured surface and roll dough to 1/2 inch.
  • Cut out biscuits as close together as you can, stopping to re-knead dough and roll again to get the most of your dough.
  • Bake 15 minutes or until tall, golden and fluffy.
  • Makes 12~3 inch biscuits give or take.

GREEN CHILE TUNA CASSEROLE

GREEN CHILE TUNA CASSEROLE
2-5 ounce cans tuna, REALLY well drained
2 cups cooked egg noodles
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 can chopped green chiles, well drained
1 can Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup
1 cup whole milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

  • Preheat oven to 375˚.
  • Blend together milk and soup until well blended.
  • Fold tuna, onions, green chiles, garlic, salt and pepper into soup mixture.
  • Fold in cheese.
  • Gently fold in egg noodles.
  • Pour into a generously greased baking dish.
  • Top with potato chips.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.

Mediterranean Chicken Alfredo

Mediterranean Chicken Alfredo
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 oz. jar artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Classico sun-dried tomato pesto
4 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons sweet butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon oregano
pasta of your choice

  • Drain and rinse artichoke hearts, cut into small pieces
  • Cut chicken into bite sized pieces
  • Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in skillet over medium heat
  • Saute’ chicken pieces and garlic until cooked through and tender
  • While chicken is cooking melt 2 tablespoons of butter in sauce pan
  • Whisk in flour until smooth and golden
  • Gradually add whipping cream, bring to a SLOW simmer, stirring frequently
  • In a mortar and pestle rejuvenate your herbs and add to the sauce pan, whisking in well
  • Simmer 8-10 minutes until sauce reaches desired thickness and is smooth
  • Add tomato pesto & Mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth
  • Drain chicken mixture and add to the sauce mixture.
  • Pour over prepared pasta, top with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.
On a side note – this is what a dejected face looks like. She wasn’t happy about being relegated outside while I cooked.