A tsp of honesty

So, I know I haven't posted much lately and I apologize for that. My recent display of negligence is excused by my busyness and also by my belief that no one really uses this blog. I know there are a lot of recipe blogs out there you can choose from. Ones that update more frequently then once every month or so and that use more precise measurements than I do. So, I need a dose of honesty from everyone, if there is anyone, out there. Is this a useful blog to anyone? Does anyone actually use any of these recipes? If you honestly do use this blog, please leave me a comment. It can just be "I do" or "hi" or "post more often" or... you get the point. If you check my blog once in a while but don't really like my recipes or my lack of measuring, then don't leave a comment, I won't even know you were here so I won't know you don't like me, I mean my cooking;-). If my blog is useful to people then I will be more dedicated and post more frequently. If not, then I won't! It's that simple! I greatly appreciate your honesty. Assuming there is honesty to be grateful for and not just empty internet space! ;-) Thanks!

Potato and Broccoli Soup Bowls

The other day was rainy and windy, so naturally, I was in a soup mood. Confession: I have an addiction to carbs. With every meal I make I think it needs some sort of bread. So, as I was thinking of a soup to make and while my carb demons were working on me, it suddenly came to me that I could totally make soup bowls! I used the french bread roll recipe posted below, or you can find it here. I shaped them into the size I wanted for bowls for my husband and I and made smaller ones for my two little boys. Make sure you make enough. The leftovers make great buns for a sandwich or burger. For a soup I made my Baked Potato Soup, posted below, and added lightly steamed broccoli and a couple handfuls of shredded cheese. Cut the top off your bowl and hollow out the inside of your bowl, saving the bits of bread you pull out, you'll want to dip them in your soup. Fill the bowl with soup and top with more cheese, sour cream and freshly chopped parsley. See, how easy was that?! So the next time the weather outside has you craving soup, you can whip up this carb loaded soup bowl of yummy comfort and goodness!

Crispy Potato Cakes

We love potatoes at our house. The potato is like water to us. If I served mashed potatoes at every meal my husband would be in heaven! My second son could live on potatoes alone and be one happy camper. At least a couple times a week you can expect to find some sort of potato on our dinner table. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, twice baked potatoes, cheesy potatoes, hash browns, shepherd's pie, french fries, roasted potatoes, potato soup.... you get the point, we LOVE potatoes. So, I've been trying to come up with some new ways to use potatoes and I came up with this little crispy, creamy treasure. My family inhaled these puppies. They completely outshone the main dish - which I actually don't even remember! It's really, really easy to make.
I peeled and boiled enough potatoes for my family, about 6-8 medium potatoes. Before I mashed them I drained them and added, 4 TB butter, 1 egg, about 1/3 c sour cream, 1/2 tsp fresh minced garlic (depending on how much garlic you like) and sprinkled in salt, pepper, onion powder, and a TB or so of dried dill. Mash you potatoes with an electric mixer or by hand till there are no big lumps and potatoes are nice and creamy. You want the potatoes to be thicker than regular mashed potatoes so don't add milk unless you think they really need it.
Add enough oil to a pan to generously coat the bottom, you're going to pan fry the potato cakes. Heat to medium-high heat. Add Panko bread crumbs to a bowl or shallow dish and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little paprika.
Using two spoons, scoop a big spoonful of potatoes back and forth between the two spoons till a ball forms. Drop into panko mixture and gently roll potato ball around. Gently press down on the ball till it's about 1/4-1/2 an inch think. Remove from panko and set on a plate. Continue making your cakes till all potatoes are used up. Once your cakes are prepared and you oil is hot, (you can tell if the oil is hot by sticking the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. If little bubbles form around the spoon, it's hot.) then you can begin frying your potato cakes. Depending on the size of your pan, place as many as you can comfortably fit in the pan at one time. Fry for a couple minutes on each side till golden brown. Adjust your heat as needed. You want it hot enough that your cakes fry quickly and get a nice crispy outside, but not too hot or you'll burn the outside before the inside is warmed. If your oil isn't hot enough your cakes will be greasy inside and out. Once your cakes are beautiful and golden, let them drain on a paper towel. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with a little more dill on top. Enjoy!

Smokey Teriyaki Pineapple Burgers

I made these for a family BBQ a couple weeks ago and they were a huge hit! They are juicy and packed with flavor! I put them on homemade buns I made from the french bread roll recipe posted below. And I topped them with my steak/burger/everything sauce.
To make the sauce I start with equal parts ketchup and brown sugar then add more brown sugar till it's as sweet as I want, depending on what I'm putting it on. Then I add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, a pinch of cayenne and a dash of worchestershire sauce. Then, again depending on what I'm making the sauce for, I might add teriyaki, a little A1, liquid smoke, or whatever looks good at that moment. For these burgers I added teriyaki and liquid smoke. Easy on the smoke, I like to smell it more then taste it so you really don't need much, start with maybe an 1/8 or a tsp then go from there.
For the burgers:
I did 3 lbs of 80/20 ground beef
About 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, just eyeball it.
1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple, drained well. (I dump it in a wire mesh strainer and press it down to drain it really well.)
garlic powder
onion powder OR minced onion
1 tsp liquid smoke
salt
pepper
bread crumbs, eyeballed, start with 1/2 of a cup, adding a little at a time. How much crumbs you need depends on how wet everything is. You have to just go by feel. You want your meat to be dry enough that it will stick together but not so dry that it crumbles, if that makes any sense. Don't be afraid to play with it a bit, this burger mixture is pretty forgiving because of the pineapple and teriyaki.
Don't mix till you have everything in, that way you won't over-mix your meat. Add bread crumbs as you mix till the meat sticks together well and is not too wet. Form you patties into whatever size you want. Now, here is the KEY to making a burger stay together and not fall apart on your grill: put your patties on a cookie sheet or big plate and allow to sit in the fridge for 2 hours or in the freezer for 20 minutes. You want to burgers to be really cold when they go on the grill, they will hold together better because the fat, just like butter, tightens up when it's cold.
Grill and serve on toasted buns with burger sauce and all the pretty fixin's you like!

Cookie Dough Truffles

I got this recipe from Paula Dean. It's brilliant, I tell you. Just brilliant! I really was amazed at how much it tasted like regular cookie dough! My sisters and I love oatmeal cookie dough but when we are pregnant we can't eat it. So... I'm going to adapt this recipe for oatmeal cookie dough that we can eat while we're pregnant! Even though this dough is eggless and you won't get salmonella I can't promise that you won't still get sick from eating this cookie dough because I literally ate so much of it that I got a tummy ache last night. No joke. Anyway here are the ingredients for the cookie dough:
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. butter
2 c. flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and vanilla. With mixer on, add sweetened condensed milk. stir in chocolate chips. Using a small cookie scoop, form balls with cookie dough. If you don't have a scoop put powdered sugar on your hands and roll dough into balls. I just used my scoop and did not roll them into balls. They weren't as uniformed and perfect but they still turned out great. Chill for 2 hours in freezer. Dip in melted chocolate. Chill again till chocolate is set. I actually left about 1/2 cup of the cookie dough in the bowl for Tyler to eat with a spoon, he loves cookie dough and he loved this!
***Side note: I still eat tons of cookie dough with eggs. That's all.

Pizza Braid

This is another recipe idea from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, you'll probably see a lot of posts from her website here. In fact most of you, assuming anyone reads this blog, could ditch my blog altogether and just visit her website. She's my new hero. She describes food so well, I want to eat everything she makes. She had a recipe for a BBQ chicken braid and I had been craving BBQ chicken pizza so I thought I'd give it a try. I was going to try and describe how to make this but after an entire paragraph I decided I would just confuse everyone and no one would want to make it so here is a link to her recipe and directions. I made one BBQ chicken and one Garlic Chicken Alfredo. I made an Alfredo sauce with cream cheese, milk, garlic and Parmesan cheese. *Also, I brush mine with an egg wash and sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese. They only thing I will do different next time is put more filling in because it ends up being a lot of bread. I didn't have lettuce to make a salad so I served this on its own and my little family ate both braids so if you're making this for more than 2 adults and 2 kids I would make more. Anyway, I just thought it was a fun alternative to regular pizza or pizza bombs. The kids loved it and it will definitely go into my recipe rotation!

Multi-purpose French Bread Roll Recipe

A friend shared this website with me called Mel's Kitchen Cafe and I LOVE it! I have been finding amazing recipes, tips and tricks on her website. You can visit her website here or on my side bar to the right. She has a great tutorial on shaping the perfect roll. Anyway, this is her recipe for French Bread Rolls and I've been using it for dinner rolls, buns, and pizza's.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c warm water
1 TB active dry yeast
2 TB sugar
2 TB canola oil
1 tsp salt
4 c. flour
Proof yeast in warm water and sugar till frothy and bubbly. Combine remaining ingredients, adding flour slowly. Knead 8-10 minutes. Spray bowl with cooking spray, turn dough in bowl to coat in spray. Cover with a damp, warm cloth and let raise till double. Punch down. Divide in half, then half again till you have 12 equal portions. Roll into balls and place on Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Raise till double. Bake at 400 degrees 12-14 minutes. *I brush mine with butter while they are still warm.
~I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour just to add some pretty color and a bit of healthy goodness. Also, the first time I made these I was trying to make rolls but they came out the size of buns so I used them for sloppy joes instead of dinner rolls. So... if you want dinner rolls divide them into the size of roll you prefer, remembering they will double in size once they raise and bake.

Mustard Coated Fish

I got this recipe from Ina Garten on FoodNetwork. We love fish so I just had to try it out. We've eaten this twice in the last couple months and I continue to crave it. You would think the mustard would be really strong but once it bakes it has the perfect amount of zing. If you haven't tried capers before I strongly recommend them. They are pretty tart on their own but after they have roasted in the oven they become a bit sweeter and more mild, plus, it gives the dish a little acidity - but a lemon wedge on the side is always a must when eating fish!
Ingredients:
4 fillets firm white fish - I use Tilapia
1/2 - 3/4 c. creme fresh or mayo - I use mayo
3 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB whole grain mustard -OR- brown mustard
2 TB minced shallot -OR- red onion
2 TB drained capers
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Salt and pepper fish fillets and lay in baking dish. Combine all remaining ingredients and spread all over fish. It might look like a lot but you want the fish smothered pretty well. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken & Waffles with Rosemary Maple Gravy

I made this a couple weeks ago and it's a new favorite in our house! Plus, it's super easy! I got the gravy idea from Racheal Ray and the waffle recipe I got in an email from my dad. The waffle recipe is from a place in Salt Lake called Finn's Cafe, it recently won an award for "Best Breakfast" from a magazine there in S.L.C. The waffles were AMAZING! The kids ate them plain. I had one bite and called my sister gushing about how delicious they were!
WAFFLES
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon dried ginger
cooking spray
waffle toppings
Batter:
1. Combine 6 eggs and 1 cup of sugar. Whip until thick and frothy, about 4 minutes.
2. Blend in 1/4 cups of sour cream.
3. Add 1 cup flour and 1/8 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cardamom and dried ginger; fold in until thoroughly mixed.
4. Chill batter in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Cooking:
Preheat waffle iron and mist with cooking spray (Pam). Gently pour in batter. Cook until golden brown (2-4 minutes).
Traditionally served with sour cream and lingonberries, but also goes great with any of your favorite jams, syrups or butters!
Enjoy.
~~~~~~This was a little sweet for a savory waffle, which is what I made with the chicken and gravy. Next time I make them for a savory dish I will put in half the sugar it calls for. Also, I didn't have cardamom.

CHICKEN
I seasoned boneless skinless chicken tenders with salt and pepper and sauteed them in a pan with a little butter and olive oil.

GRAVY
Using the pan I cooked the chicken in, I added about 4 TBS of butter (this depends on how much oil you have left in the pan) and 2-3 TBS of flour to make a roue. Then I added chicken broth to make a thick gravy. I added 1-2 TBS of dried Rosemary (Tyler isn't crazy about Rosemary so I went easy on it) and about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of maple syrup - I just used the syrup I had in the cupboard, not real maple syrup. You can also use chicken gravy packets and add rosemary and maple syrup.

ASSEMBLY
I took one waffle square, put one chicken tender on waffle and folded it in half, just like a half sandwich. OR, make a full sandwich using two waffle squares and a full chicken breast or 2 tenders. Then dip in gravy.

Hors d'oeuvres

Earlier this week we had a thing at our house and I wanted to make some fun foods that would be easy to grab and eat while talking and walking around. So, this is what I came up with. Meatballs in a BBQ Apricot sauce, Veggies & Dip in a cup and a Dill Cream Cheese Crostini. They were so yummy and really easy to make. The meatballs can be made the day before and then, an hour or so before your party begins toss them in a crock pot with the sauce to heat them up. The veggies for the cup and the crostini can all be prepped the day before so all you have left to do on the day of is assemble!



Meatballs

I use my grandma's recipe. Any recipe will do - OR - buy the premade ones in the frozen section at the grocery store. For the sauce I combined equal parts BBQ sauce, your favorite kind will do, and apricot preserves. You can always bump it up a bit by adding a little cayenne pepper, liquid smoke, garlic, onion, brown sugar... the options are endless!

Veggies Sticks & Dip in a Cup

This doesn't really need explaining. Just cut up a variety of veggies. I used carrots, celery and red bell pepper. Make sure they are cut long enough to easily pick out of a cup. Put some Ranch dip in the bottom of a clear plastic cup - you can use shorter or regular sized cups - and then put in the veggie sticks. Simple and fun, right? Plus your guests can double dip all they want!

Dill Cream Cheese Crostini's

This one is really easy, too. You'll need:
1 baguette or a loaf of french bread. I prefer the baguette but french bread will work fine.
1 package cream cheese
1/2 - 1 TB dried dill, depending on how much dill you like. Just taste as you go.
Diced tomatoes
Diced black olives
Mozzarella cheese
~I also used capers and red bell peppers on mine~
Directions:
Soften cream cheese a bit and stir in dill, set aside. Slice your bread on a bias in 1/4 inch slices. Lay flat on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Broil for a couple minutes on each side till lightly toasted. You don't want them too toasted because they are going back under the broiler after they're topped. Once removed, spread cream cheese on each one. Top with tomatoes & olives (and anything else that sounds good to you!). Sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese on top and pop them back under the broiler till the cheese just begins to melt. Serve warm.

And there you go. Three delicious, simple and quick hors d'oeuves for any get-together!

Chicken Nuggets

These are delicious baked, not deep fried, chicken nuggets. I love these because my kids love them and I know exactly whats in them! Plus, they're super easy to make! These also freeze great so I always make extra and freeze them for later.
Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sun chips OR corn flakes
Paprika
Salt & Pepper
Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian Seasoning OR Ranch Dressing Season packet
Egg
Flour
Cornstarch

Directions:
Cut chicken into nugget sized pieces. Combine equal parts cornstarch and flour in a small dish or bowl, add salt and pepper, mix together. Crack egg into bowl - use 2 eggs is you're making a lot. Beat egg. Pour chips or corn flakes into gallon sized Ziploc bag and crush into very fine crumbs. This is a great job for the kiddos! You can shake chicken in bag but it tends to make the chips or flakes a little soggy so I usually pour crumbs into a baking pan and roll chicken in crumbs. Also, I like the taste of Sun Chips better, but corn flakes are much cheaper. Add to crumbs: Paprika and either half a packet of Ranch Dressing seasoning OR garlic powder, onion powder and Italian Seasoning to taste. OR... just season it however your family would like it!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet, or two if you're making a lot, with foil and spray foil. Dredge chicken in flour/cornstarch mixture, then into the egg mixture, then coat chicken with chips or corn flake mixture. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet. When your chicken is all ready to go in the oven, lightly spray chicken evenly with cooking spray. This is will help make them nice and crispy. Bake for 15-17 minutes, depending on the size of your nuggets. I always serve this with mashed potatoes and gravy, just like a school lunch. There's just something about dippin a chicken nugget in my mashed potatoes that really brings me back to grade school.... Hm. Anyway, any leftovers you have, just toss them in the freezer for another day! Now, I'm craving chicken nuggets...

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas with Onion Dip

I saw this made on Diner's, Drive-in's and Dives on Food Network and just had to try it! Of course they don't give exact measurements on the show so I had to guess as I went. It looks like a lot but I promise it is really easy and SO YUMMY!

Onion Dip:
1 large onion or 2 medium onions, sliced in quarters
1/2-3/4 c. mayo
1/2-3/4 c sour cream
2 tb Worchestershire
couple dashes of liquid smoke
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TB sugar
pepper

Place onions on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven on 400 degrees till soft and carmalized, 15-20 minutes depending on the size of onion slices. The guy on the show smoked his onions so if you have a smoker you can smoke them instead. Remove from oven and put directly into a food processor or blender and puree till smooth. Pour pureed onions into a bowl and stir in all other ingredients. Taste as you go, if you think it needs more of something or something I didn't even list go ahead and add it. Tyler doesn't like onion dip but he LOVED this!

BBQ Sauce:
BBQ sauce is actually really easy to make but remember you can always use your favorite store bought bbq sauce. Again I don't have the exact measurments and even my own recipe is not in exact measurments but it's easy to taste and add as you like.
Start with:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
garlic powder
onion powder
liquid smoke
worchestershire

Simmer 30 minutes

optional: red pepper flake, chicken stock, salt, pepper, steak seasoning, mustard
This is just a basic recipe. You can adjust to your liking. If you like sweeter bbq sauce add more brown sugar or honey. You can add a touch of red pepper flake or cayanne if you want more heat. If you want a little more zing you can add a capful or two of vinegar. Or, even add a dash of steak sauce. Just make it your own!

Quesadilla:
BBQ sauce
chicken
red onion, diced
mozzerella, shredded
cilantro
tortillas

Directions:
I roasted 2 chicken breasts in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper. However, you can use any chicken. Maybe you have leftovers, a store bought rotisseri chicken, or chicken from KFC. It doesn't matter what kind of chicken you have, just make sure its cooked and then shred it.
Assemble:
Lay a tortilla on a flat top or griddle. Spoon a little bbq sauce on tortilla and spread all over. Layer on half of the tortilla: shredded chicken, red onion, cheese, cilantro. Fold in half, cook a minute or two then turn over to make sure both sides are toasted and cheese is melty.

Dip in onion dip and ENJOY!