KICK IT ON UP! MEATLOAF

MEATLOAF with  a KICK!
2 pounds hamburger
4 ounces Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jumbo egg
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base
1 tablespoon creamy horseradish
1 sleeve Townhouse crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • Mix all ingredients together thoroughly
  • Use a tall loaf pan
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are browned and crisp
  • Immediately pour off excess grease
  • Enjoy

APPLE BLACKBERRY COBBLER

1 cup blackberries, halved
2 apples peeled and sliced thin (I use Pink Ladies)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup self-rising flour*
1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons, both melted separately
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix together the fine sugar and flour.
  • Whisk in the milk.
  • Whisk in 1/2 cup melted butter.
  • Pour into well greased bowls or baking dish.
  • Distribute alternately apples and berries evenly on top of batter.
  • Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter with brown sugar until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle on tops.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

CHOCOLATE PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES

CHOCOLATE PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES
1 package Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 egg, beaten
4 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1-8 ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons hot water

  • Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature until they’re easy to handle (about 45 minutes).
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
  • Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • Beat together the softened cream cheese, sugar and pineapple.
  • Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10-inch square. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (5-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.
  • Spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in the center of each pastry square.
  • Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips on top of cream cheese mixture.
  • Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg.
  • Fold each pastry in half over the cream cheese mixture and chocolate chips and press the edges to seal.
  • Place the filled pastries onto the baking sheets.
  • Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove the pastries to a wire rack and let cool.
  • Place the remaining chocolate chips and the butter into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds or until the chocolate is starting to melt. Stir until the chocolate mixture is smooth. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the water, adding additional water, if necessary, until the icing is the desired consistency.
  • Drizzle the icing over the pastries.

CHICKEN EMPANADAS

aka CHICKEN TURNOVERS
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup guacamole
1 can refrigerator biscuits, grand size
1 cup shredded shredded cheddar cheese

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine in large bowl the salsa, guacamole, green onions, chicken and cheese.
  • On a floured board between wax paper layers, roll out each biscuit to about double the original size.
  • Fill each biscuit with chicken mixture and fold over into a moon shape.
  • Press the edges firmly to seal.
  • Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve with a side of sour cream and salsa for dipping.

WEKLY MENU PLANS

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


 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
MONDAY 7/7 YOGURT SANDWICHES Chipotle Cheddar Mac & Cheese
TUESDAY 7/8 BAGEL & CREAM CHEESE FRUIT & CHEESE Chicken Chile Corn Custards
WEDNESDAY 7/9 YOGURT SOUP C.O.R.N.
THURSDAY 7/10 FRUIT FRUIT & CHEESE Twisted Pepper Steak
FRIDAY 7/11 CEREAL SALAD Garlic Roast Chicken with Oranges & Red Onions 
SATURDAY 7/12 Farmer’s Breakfast OUT Garlic Butter Steak
SUNDAY 7/13 Banana Raisin Stuffed French Toast  C.O.R.N. Parmesan Chicken Meatballs

GARLIC BUTTER STEAK

I recently lucked into a fantastic sale on boneless top sirloin and with all the heat have been using the grill more and more, but wanted a little OOOMPH with the steak.  This combo worked with plenty of OOOMPH to spare.

GARLIC BUTTER STEAK
1 pound boneless top sirloin
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoons garlic powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter

  • Bring steaks to room temperature.
  • Heat grill to 350.
  • Spray grill with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Generously season steaks with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
  • Melt butter with garlic and garlic powder.  Set aside.
  • Grill 5 minutes per side for medium rare.
  • Remove steaks to ringed cutting board. The ring will catch the juices.
  • Top with butter mixture and tent with foil for 4-5 minutes.

BANANA RAISIN FRENCH TOAST

BANANA RAISIN FRENCH TOAST
8 slices raisin bread
2 medium ripe bananas
1 cup milk
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 JUMBO eggs
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
powdered sugar garnish

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a 9×9 baking dish with PAM.
  • Layer 4 slices of bread in the bottom.
  • Slice the bananas over the slices of bread.
  • Top with the other 4 slices.
  • In a food processor blend remaining ingredients until smooth consistency and pour over bread.
  • Let stand 5 minutes or overnight.
  • Bake 40-45 minutes or 50-55 minutes (if it was refrigerated) until knife comes out clean.
  • Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting.
  • Sprinkle with powdered sugar and maple syrup.

Next time I will puree the banana layer.






GARLIC HERB ROAST CHICKEN with ROASTED ORANGES and RED ONIONS

GARLIC HERB ROAST CHICKEN with ROASTED ORANGES and RED ONIONS
1 chicken, 4-5 pounds
2 navel oranges, sliced in thick slices or wedges
2 red onions, sliced or wedged (zest one orange)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter, softened + 2 tablespoons butter, cubed or thinly sliced
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 + 1 teaspoons fresh thyme
pepper to taste

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Mash garlic and 1 teaspoon salt into a paste.
  • Combine garlic paste, 2 teaspoons thyme, butter and zest until well blended.
  • Gently separate the skin from the chicken and rub one half of the butter mixture all over.
  • Season the outside with the remaining salt and some pepper.
  • Fill the cavity with a few of the orange slices, onion wedges and remaining thyme.
  • Place chicken, breast side up on a rimmed baking sheet with the wings folded in and legs banded together.
  • Scatter the remaining orange and onion pieces around the chicken.
  • Dot onions and oranges with the 2 tablespoons of butter pieces.
  • Roast for 30 minutes. At this point I added some potatoes also.
  • Brush chicken with remaining garlic butter mixture.
  • Flip oranges and onions.
  • Rotate the baking sheet and roast 15 minutes more.
  • Remove the onions and oranges if caramelized.
  • Roast chicken 15 minutes more or until juices run clear.
  • Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

HIP HIP HURRAY for BANANA JAM

I LOVE!!!!! trying new recipes, but more importantly I LOVE!!!!! trying a new recipe that blows my socks off! My friend Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home mom featured a Banana Jam the other day.  I know, sounds weird right?  WRONG!!!! It’s the most fantastic, addictive recipe I’ve tried in a long time and even better it’s SOOOOOOOO simple.  

BANANA JAM
4 cups mashed bananas
4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure Madagascar vanilla extract
Juice of 1 large lemon

  • Combine ingredients together and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until your boil.
  • Turn down heat and simmer until nice and thick, stirring frequently.
  • Pour into sterilized jars and water bath for 10 minutes.
  • Once open, refrigerate.
I’ve already added pineapple for a varied flavor and caramel for an ice cream topping.  Next is turning it into a Banana Cream Pie.

And OMG you have to try it on sourdough toast with JIF peanut butter.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

I found this recipe in an issue of Fine Cooking, just can’t remember which one LOL. I tweaked it very little and it is one of our new favorites!

I’ve also made it using Limes, Lemons & Limes and Bloody Oranges.  We liked them all, but by far, the Lemon Lime combo was our favorite.
You’ll notice in the picture with the pan that there is a very strange looking apparatus in the curd.  That is an AS SEEN ON TV automatic stirrer that I picked up at Big Lots.  I really thought it was going to be like so many other gadgets and go by the wayside, but I was wrong!  This is the best gadget I ever indulged in.  It’s battery operated and is like a second pair of hands in the kitchen.  All those recipes that call for “stirring constantly”are now handled by this gadget and turn out beautifully!

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

8×8 straight edge pan
2 pieces of parchment paper 8 inches wide x 16 inches long

  • Alternately overlap the parchment pieces so that they cross each other and fold over all 4 sides.
  • Push the parchment into the edges and the corners making a straight crease.

CRUST
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Graham cracker crumbs

  • Using a fork add graham cracker crumbs until mixture resembles wet sand.
  • Press into the bottom of prepared pan.

CHEESECAKE
1 pound cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 LARGE eggs

  • Combine the cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until well blended.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition until completely smooth.
  • Pour into prepared pan.

CURD
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, strained twice
1/2 cup sugar
2 LARGE eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

  • Whisk together the sugar, eggs and lemon juice until sugar is completely dissolved.
  • In a small non-reactive sauce pan cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until steaming, but not boiling. The mixture will have thickened.
  • Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until butter is melted.
  • Pour through a sieve to remove any lumps.

ASSEMBLY

  • Preheat oven to 325˚.

  • Prepare crust.

  • Prepare cheesecake portion.

  • Bake 40 minutes or until sides are slightly puffed, cake is not too jiggly and center is dry to the touch.

  • While baking, prepare the curd.

  • Remove cheesecake from oven.

  •  Pour hot curd on top of cheesecake and lightly spread to even out.

  • Cool 20 minutes on rack.

  • Move to the refrigerator and chill 5-6 hours or overnight before serving.