RECIPES – Page 256 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN with PEPPER GRAVY & FAMILY FAVORITE MASHED POTATOES

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN

2 large boneless chicken breasts

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2-4 tablespoons butter (enough to keep chicken from burning~add as necessary)

Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts.
In a shallow glass pan, pour buttermilk over chicken 1-2 hours prior to cooking.
Make sure to coat chicken well and turn at least once during soaking.
Drain, but do NOT rinse the buttermilk off.
In a medium sized skillet melt the butter over medium heat. As butter melts and begins to very slightly sizzle, prepare breasts.
In a small ziploc bag mix together the flour, salt and pepper.
One at a time, put each chicken breast in bag and coat well with flour mix and then into sizzling butter.
Cook on one side until edges begin to bleed and then turn.
About 6 minutes each side depending on plumpness.
Keep chicken warm.

PEPPERED GRAVY

3 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons Wondra flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk

3/4 cup whipping cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Black pepper + (to taste)

Melt butter into bottom of pan you just cooked the chicken in.
Scrape up any of the chicken pieces and mix into new butter.
Add flour slowly, stirring until absorbed by butter and golden brown.
Slowly add first the milk and then the cream.
Stir constantly until thickens.
If necessary sprinkle in more Wondra until desired thickness is reached.
Serve over chicken and mashed potatoes.

FAMILY FAVORITE MASHED POTATOES

4 large Yukon potatoes, peeled & quartered

4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin

1/4 + buttermilk

4 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender.
Drain.
Mash all together, salt and peppering to taste as you go.

SWEDISH MEATLOAF

MEATLOAF
1 Jumbo egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large slice white bread, crusts removed, and bread torn into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces ground pork, double ground
8 ounces ground beef, double ground
1 medium onion, grated or minced
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
Olive Oil, heavy coat

Whisk egg and cream together in small bowl. Stir in bread and set aside to soak.
Blend hamburger & pork, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, and salt smooth and uniform.
Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain.
Add mixture to beef mixture and blend until well mixed.
Form meat loaves.
Bake 45-60 minutes.
During the last 10-15 minutes prepare the sauce.

SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
Table salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter, add flour and cook, stirring constantly with whisk, until flour is light brown.
Slowly whisk in broth.
Add brown sugar and bring to simmer.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
Stir in cream and return to simmer.
Add meatballs back to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over noodles.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTI VIRUS & INTERNET PROTECTION aka drink your OJ or take antibiotics & HOW FACEBOOK COST ME OVER $200 & DECADENT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES to make it all better!

Yep, there is a difference. Do you know what it is? You’re not alone if you don’t, most people don’t. I recently took my OLD computer into Best Buy for a check up and optimization. After the diagnostic, they told me all I needed was an optimization to clean up old temporary internet files and “stuff” to help speed it up. I run a top of the line anti-virus/internet security suite protection that the Geek Squad told me was working well. They also told me the optimization would take an hour. It took 7. Then just a week later I was back. My operating system had frozen up. Now Best Buy and I have come to an agreement as of just this morning, but I was promised a computer on Wednesday mid-afternoon. I picked it up Friday morning. It was a comedy of errors that almost had a tragic ending and all because the particular members of this particular Best Buy’s Geek squad have the communication skills of a gnat and the integrity of the dirt on the gnat’s feet, but I digress. My conversation after the initial diagnosis went something like this:

**He told me, “You have a virus. Looks like it’s from a gaming site.”

I said, “I don’t visit gaming sites.”

He asked, “Do you use facebook?.”

I said, “Well sure, doesn’t everybody?”

He said, “Probably, but do you play their games, or watch you tubes?”

I said, “A few when I’m on hold or late at night watching TV.

He said, “That’ll do it.”

I said, “But isn’t facebook safe?”

He said, “For the most part, but the games and videos are separate entities, not always related to facebook,”

I said, “Why didn’t my virus scan catch it?”

He said, “You should also be running internet security.”

I said, “I thought I was.” “In fact I am.”

He said, “Yeah I see that now, top of the line too. In that case I don’t know why it didn’t catch it.”
I asked, “How long will it take?”
He said, “Somewhere between 2-24 hours. It’ll be ready tomorrow afternoon”

They promised to call and let me know when it would be ready on Wednesday morning. Late Wednesday afternoon, I called them. I was told the guy from the previous day didn’t understand the “scope” of the problem and it would be a few more hours, but she’d call me and let me know when I could pick it up. Wednesday night came and went. Thursday morning came and went. I was trying to be patient! But by Thursday evening my patience was worn thin and I showed up at their counter. Now the guy I spoke with on Thursday evening was very sincere, nice and honest. He also called me several hours later to keep me informed, but I still went home without my computer because it had several more hours to go.

My big problem is with the **guy who came out while we were talking, who listened to everything that I was saying and never once offered up that he was the guy I spoke with on the phone on Tuesday that set all the errors in motion, henceforth now known as the “problem child with no integrity”. I also have a problem with the girl whose defense was that she emailed me the progress. HELLO?? anyone home in there? How did she expect me to check that email? And why do they ask for a primary number to contact you at if they have no intention of using it?

When I picked up the computer, the Geek Squad supervisor happened to be on duty and we had a nice long chat. Let’s just say he agreed with everything I had to say about their communication skills and integrity and he even took notes. He then also split the difference on the very expensive repair and thanked me for giving him the necessary information he needed for better training and dealing with a “problem child” on his crew. He also told me that there are many new viruses that are piggy backing many otherwise reputable sites. The biggest culprits are:

You Tube videos
Face Book, games especially! So be careful all you farmville fans!
Yahoo! search engines
and even Google search engines

The best way to understand it:

Antivirus software detects and cleans out virus infected files while Internet Security is a suite of applications that aims to protect users against threats from the internet while visitng internet sites.
Internet Security suites usually include an antivirus application among their other programs.
Internet security suites commonly includes a firewall, anti malware, anti spyware, and email protection programs.
Internet Security suites often cost more than stand-alone antivirus applications. So spend the money, it will be well spent!
Read more details here TREND MICRO.

Or for the simple analogy: anti-virus is an antibiotic after you get the disease whereas Internet security is the multiple healthy steps to prevent the disease to begin with.

And for those of you who are thinking what about using a MAC. I also looked into MAC cuz everyone keeps telling me they don’t get viruses which is a misnomer from what I read. They should just add a big YET onto the end of that sentence. The virus programmers just haven’t become proficient yet in writing for MAC. There are MAC viruses out there.

Now for the good stuff:

DECADENT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (make 4 ramekins)
2 Tablespoons butter + 1 Tablespoon butter
1 ounce Baker’s Bittersweet Chocolate
1 ounce Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 1/4 ounce Baker’s sweet German chocolate
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon flour
1/8 scant teaspoon baking powder
1/8 scant teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave safe ramekin for 30 seconds.
Add the bittersweet & semi-sweet chocolate and microwave in 30 second increments until you can stir it smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Mix together the egg and sugar and beat on high with a hand mixer until slightly thick and turns a dull yellow.
Lower speed and add chocolate mixture to egg mixture.
By hand stir in the flour mixture until consistent in color.
Spoon into ramekins and bake on cookie sheet for 25 minutes or until centers are set.
Just after you put these in, prepare the topping.
Melt the other tablespoon of butter and then add the German sweet chocolate and melt until you can stir smooth.
Just after the brownies come out of the oven, pour the topping over.

WARNING: THESE ARE RICH & DECADENT!

DECONSTRUCTION: HOW STUFFED CARROTS BECAME A CARROT CASSEROLE

I’m always on the look out for great ways to spice up vegetable recipes. I found what sounded and looked like an awesome recipe in a magazine for a carrot side dish recipe. I was excited to make it, but then oh so disappointed. They looked pretty, but they tasted awful. So, we sat around the dinner table deconstructing AND reconstructing the recipe! My family is so good at dinner conversation. Well, maybe not, but at least they tell me what they don’t like and then help turn it into something they will like.

The original recipe:

BAKED STUFFED CARROTS

12 medium carrots

1/4 cup mayonnaise

4 teaspoons grated onion

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Place carrots in a skillet. Add 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain.
Cut a thin lengthwise slice out of each carrot. Scoop out carrot, leaving a 1/4 inch shell, set shells aside. Place the removed carrot in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl; add mayonnaise, onion, horseradish, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Spoon into carrot shells.
Place in a greased 13 inch x 9 inch baking dish. Combine the crumbs, 1 tablespoon butter and paprika; sprinkle over carrots. Drizzle with remianing butter.
Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Do you remember Gilligan’s Island Season 3, episode 20? No, I didn’t know the number or season either, but I remember the episode well. Gilligan discovers a crate in the lagoon and pries off the lid, which falls face side down of course, and inside are all these beautiful seeds. Mary Ann immediately plants a garden and they all have their favorite vegetables. Because the seeds are radioactive they produce bigger and “better” vegetables that gives each castaway a special ability. These were 2 1/2 inches in diameter!

I present to you the Gilligan’s Island Carrots:

THE RECIPE WORTH MAKING:

BAKED CARROT CASSEROLE

12 medium carrots

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large bunch green onions, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Place carrots in a skillet. Add 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain. Cool.
Slice carrots into 1 inch lengths and then into 4 pieces each.
In a small skillet melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Saute’ onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Drain of fat.
Transfer to a large bowl; add mayonnaise, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Toss with cooled carrots until well coated.
Place into a greased 9X9 baking dish. Combine the crumbs, 1 tablespoon butter and paprika; sprinkle over carrots. Drizzle with remaining butter.
Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Potato Salad

When peeling potatoes I use a plastic/paper store bag to catch the peels… then when done just wrap up the peels and put in the trash…

While boiling the potatoes I like to add pepper…
Put the potatoes in the fridge for a few hours to chill before adding other ingredients…

I’ve been told time and again that I make the best potato salad… however it’s never the same each time I make it…
And I don’t quite measure…
Vinegar, but now I have discovered apple vinegar
White sugar
Mayonnaise
Mustard or honey mustard
Green onions
Boiled eggs
Paprika

It was great for Labor Day weekend…

Happy Eating…

Fire Day Friday: Banana Nut Bread

Wait….what in the heck does Fire Day Friday and bread have in common?

Bread has been around since the Neolithic era, how do you reckon they made bread back then? No, they did not have fancy stand mixers with bread hooks, instant yeast, bread machines, and convection ovens. It may have been the Stone Age but they didn’t have stoneware. They had the best cooking element ever…..FIRE!

But they didn’t have a Big Green Egg either, so I’ll let it slide if you make this one in your oven. But Alexis is having fun with her Egg and this is one she made for the boys last weekend. It is one of their favorites.

Alexis’ Gelded Banana Nut Bread
Adapted from www.cookingbread.com

3 ripe bananas, peeled and broken into pieces
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten (they were bad, they deserved it)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour (or all-porpoise flour if you like that marine mammal flavor)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp fresh ground cinnamon

Mix the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar all together. Add in the eggs and mix until smooth.

The buttermilk and vanilla are feeling left out so put them in, too. Get them well mixed. Let’s let the bananas into the party too, mix them in.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Pour into the butter/sugar/sugar/egg/buttermilk/vanilla/banana mixture. (Yes I could have said something like the “wet mixture” but we get paid by the word here at Our Krazy Kitchen.) [Totally kidding there, we don’t get paid but we have a great health and dental plan.]

Where was I? Oh yeah, mix all that together.

Now pour all of that happy mixture into one greased 9 x 5 loaf pan or a 4 mini-loaf stoneware thing like this.

Place in at preheated wood fired ceramic oven or other oven of your choice and bake at 350f for 55-60 minutes. It’s done when a test skewer pulls out cleanly.

Allow to rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Delicious of Neolithic proportions. Can ya tell I’m proud of my awesome wife?

TURKEY TETTRAZINI revisited as CHICKEN TETTRAZINI

When I was a kid and just starting to do the majority of the family cooking we had a set group of recipes that were the “weeknight” recipes. One of those recipes that was especially popular during the holidays was Turkey Tetrazzini. We also substituted ham and chicken for the turkey throughout the rest of the year. Back then I prepared the recipes as they were written and they were okay, but the Tettrazzini recipe used ALL Velveeta and canned mushrooms and stuff I wouldn’t think of putting into my body now so it was my goal to create the same recipe in a more health oriented way, but still easy for a weeknight meal.

CHICKEN TETTRAZZINI
2 + 3 tablespoons butter
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
8 ounces linguine, broken in half and cooked al dente
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken pieces*
3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet.
Saute onions and celery just until tender. Set aside.
In a medium sauce pan melt 3 tablespoons butter.
Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour until golden.
Gradually add milk, stirring to blend. Cook just until thick.
Add cheddar cheese.
Add salt and pepper.
In the bottom of an 11×7 baking dish scatter first the pasta and then the meat pieces.
Pour soup mixture over top.
Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes.

*ham and turkey work well too

Cooking The Italian Way – Focaccia

Here’s something that’s going to blow your mind.

I used to be a picky eater. Very picky.

In fact, I would say that for most of my childhood I was only marauding as an Italian.

Any true Italian family would have disowned me, what with my distaste for tomato sauce, fish, and sausage, among many other things. But my parents dealt pretty well, much to their credit.

(And now I’m getting it back tenfold, as my palate has expanded so much that I can’t attempt to cook something for them without realizing that it has some spice or vegetable that my father doesn’t like. I.e. it HAS a vegetable in it and therefore he doesn’t like it.)

When I was eight, my father was sent on a business trip to Italy for three weeks (he works for an Italian bank).

To which my mother responded, “Oh no you didn’t.”

And so all four of us – my mom, my dad, my brother, and I (my sister hadn’t been born yet) – ended up on a transatlantic flight headed straight for the old country.

We stayed for six weeks, meandering through the city of Torino and then the small beachside town of Chiavari. And while I actually do remember a fair portion of the trip, especially considering how young I was, the thing that stands out most in my mind was the focaccia.

Now, this may be because this was all I would eat for the entire trip. I hated the pizza. I hated the pasta. I was obviously young and stupid, And delusional.

But the focaccia? Oh my lord that was good. Sometimes when I close my eyes and think really hard, I can still taste it. Salty. Olive oil-y. The kind of good that, when you bite into it, you know everything must be right in the world. At least for that second in space and time.
Though I’ve searched high and low, I’m pretty sure focaccia that good doesn’t exist here in the US. That stuff they serve you in restaurants doesn’t even come close.

This recipe that I’m sharing with you, however, is one of the best renditions I’ve found so far. It’s not the exact flavor and texture, but, to be fair, I’m pretty sure that’s because there’s some secret ingredient that the Italians are putting in the bread (crack, cocaine, heroin…who knows. Who cares? It’s totally worth it.) to make it taste so good.

I’ve sent a few private investigators over to Italy to figure it out. But so far all of them have come back twenty pounds heavier, extremely content, but with little to no insight into “the focaccia problem”, as I call it. When you want something done, you should do it yourself, I guess.

So until I have a chance to get myself over to Italy, this is going to have to suffice. Make it. And dream with me.

Before I get to the recipe, I just want to share with all of you a fun, new FREE e-cookbook that has come out (featuring a few recipes by yours truly). The e-cookbook features smart schooltime recipes for snacks and lunch food that are fast, easy, and healthy. Guaranteed kid-tested, mother-approved kind of stuff. You can download it here.

Focaccia
Makes 1 loaf, adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning mix

Spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray then drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the bottom of the pan.

Place the water, olive oil, salt, flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. The dough will be smooth, elastic and sticky.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan. With oil or water on the tip of your fingers (don’t use more flour, you want the dough to remain sticky), press the dough into the bottom of the pan, nudging to get it all the way into the corners. Cover the pan and let the dough rise for about 60 minutes, or until it is puffy.

While the dough rises, preheat oven to 375 F.

Once risen, uncover the pan and use your fingers to make dimples all over the dough (you may need a bit of oil on your fingers if the dough is too sticky). Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle it with the Italian seasoning.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then turn the focaccia out of the pan (otherwise the bottom crust will get soggy). Serve warm or at room temperature.

I made the focaccia into a grilled eggplant, tomato, and fresh mozzarella sandwich. Amazing!

Southwestern Roast Beef Sandwich

I won’t fork over big bucks for the latest kitchen gadget but sometimes you get lucky at a garage sale.

I bought a dehydrator for $6 at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago on a whim. I would never have spent $50 to buy one new in a store but for $6, what did I have to lose?

I have been having fun drying out an assortment of chilies and then grinding them up in a coffee grinder. So I had this wonderful sweet paprika and a spicy chili powder to use and thought I’d make a southwestern roast beef.

Southwestern Roast Beef Sandwich

2 lb beef eye of round
4 ea hoagie rolls
5 tsp Southwestern Rub
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Cumin mayo
8 slices swiss cheese
lettuce, tomato, red onion

Rub
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 – 1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Cumin Mayonnaise
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
Make the cumin mayo. In a small skillet over medium heat (using no oil), add cumin and stir constantly until darkened (2 minutes). Remove from heat. Mix mayo, cumin, lime juice and cilantro in a bowl. Cover and let chill for an hour before serving.

Mix rub ingredients together. Rub three teaspoons onto all sides of the beef roast. Mix the other two teaspoons with the oil.

Since this is Fire Day Friday, I spit roasted my beef on a rotisserie on the grill.

I used about 3/4 chimney full of lit coal and it took about an hour or an internal temp of 140f. I brushed it with the oil/seasoning mixture about 30 minutes into the cooking time.

You could also do this in an oven. Put the roast in an oven preheated to 450f for 10 minutes. Baste with the oil mixture. Cut the heat to 250f and then cook it for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the roast hits an internal temp of 140f.

Let rest for 15 minutes and then slice thinly. TIP: When I want really thin sliced roast beef, I will put the roast in the fridge for a day and then slice it while it’s cold. Whether doing it by hand or on an electric slicer, it’s easier to get thin slices when fully chilled.

Serve on a hoagie roll with the cheese, toppings and cumin mayo.

The roast beast…errr beef was tender and packed with flavor. The cumin mayo sealed the deal. It sure beats roast beef from a deli!

CAMPFIRE POTATOES

Amounts are proportionate and per taste.

Slice some yukon gold potatoes and Vidalia onions.

Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Toss with melted butter until well coated.

Using heavy duty foil cut out generous sized squares per person.

Squirt a generous amount of yellow mustard all around.

Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and crumbled crisp bacon.

Seal well.

Seal well and toss on grill for 25-30 minutes.

CHICKEN ala BAD DAY and home made SOY SAUCE substitute

I was having one of those days with trying to get my aunt to a specific appointment at a specific time. You know the type that she wasn’t (or wasn’t able to) cooperating, the weather was storming, it was hot and muggy and I was just plain getting worn out dealing with her. We were supposed to have leftovers tonight, I had planned it that way knowing I would be gone dealing with her, but someone, who will remain nameless decided that it looked better for lunch. So when I got home I rooted around the crisper and the pantry trying to throw together enough dinner for tonight and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. My uncle asked what I called this and I said Chicken ala Bad Day. He asked if I would post it to my blog and I said yes, because guess what? They want me to make it again and it turned out REALLY good.

CHICKEN ala BAD DAY
3 tablespoons butter
2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Generously salt and pepper the chicken pieces.
Saute’ the onions and garlic until they soften and brown, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides.
Pour in vinegars and molasses.
Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is well glazed. I removed the chicken and then added mushrooms and green beans and sauteed them in the remaining sauce creating a great accompanying vegetable.

I was going to use soy sauce when I discovered I was completely out and so I looked up substitutes. I found this and it sounds like a great mix that I plan to try soon.

Soy Sauce Alternatives

If you are looking for a substitute for soy sauce which can be stored for sometime, here is a concoction which can be used for a month, if stored in the refrigerator.

Prepare garlic vinegar
5 garlic cloves
½ a quart of boiling white wine vinegar
1½ tablespoons of peppercorns

1 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
+/-5 tablespoons blackstrap molasses (a spiritous mixture of rum and molasses)

Add garlic and peppercorns to vinegar and let it stand for 3 weeks.
After 3 weeks, add onion powder and ground ginger to 1¾ cups of the strained garlic vinegar.
Next add +/-5 tablespoons. Take care to add the blackstrap based on how sour or sweet you want it to be.

This soy sauce alternative is actually the best choice for those who are on a low sodium diet owing to blood pressure or cardiovascular issues and also makes way for the health benefits of blackstrap molasses which includes regularization of bowel movement, arthritic pain relief and restoration of color to graying hair.

MEXICAN SWISS STEAK

Hi Tamy here filling in for Min today which works well with her theme, Try a New Recipe. This recipe is the perfect Try A New Recipe.

I recently had a thrift store find beyond belief. An old recipe box full of old hand written recipes. I estimate they are from the 50-60’s era when women passed around recipes at morning coffee, tupperware parties and PTA meetings.

This recipe called for either a can of diced tomatoes OR a can of cream of chicken soup for a creamy version. I decided to amp it up a bit and added a can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles and changed the soup from chicken to celery. What resulted was an extremely tender and spicy round steak in its own gravy.