Blueberry Waffles

Sorry about this, but you really need a waffle maker to make waffles.   You can get one at Wal-Mart super-cheap.   Mine came from Frank one Valentines Day in college.  Totally serious, can you believe that?  Awful.   Anyways,  I’ve been traveling a lot for work recently and on a recent Sunday night, I just didn’t want to DO ANYTHING.  But not eating is really not OK with Frank, so I did the most lazy (and delicious) thing I could think of — waffles.  Seriously, so easy and they end up looking so professional.  Try this weekend!

Blueberry Waffles

• 2 cups biscuit mix (Bisquick is fine)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 1/3 cups of club soda (or 1 10 oz. bottle)
• Cooking Spray
• fresh blueberries (frozen will also work)

Plug in waffle maker.  While it heats, combine biscuit mix, oil and egg in a large mixing bowl and stir well.  Add in club soda and mix.  Spray both sides — top and bottom — of waffle maker with cooking spray, so the batter won’t stick.  Pour batter onto the waffle maker directly in the middle, letting it ooze and barely cover each section.  Be careful not to overfill it, or the batter will ooze out the sides when you close the lid.  Toss in a small handful of blueberries into the batter and close the lid.  Cook for 5 minutes or until golden.  Serve immediately.  With bacon and syrup.

Taco Night with Fresh Guacamole

I can’t believe tacos aren’t up on the blog yet, seeing as though we have them once a week, I think.  But in honor of the great taco debut, I’m also including this fresh guacamole.  My best friend Lucy’s father makes this incredible guacamole and it’s surprisingly simple.  The first time I had it, I literally couldn’t stop eating it.  It’s also best when prepared a few hours before serving, but it’s still great to whip up on a weeknight and spice up taco night (no pun intended…well, maybe a little one).

Tacos and Gauc

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 taco kit (includes shells, seasoning and sauce)
• shredded lettuce
• shredded cheese
• salsa
• tortilla chips

Guacamole

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1-2 chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 chopped sweet onion
• 1-2 limes
• garlic salt to taste

In a medium skillet, brown ground beef.  Stir in seasoning and 2/3 cup of water and continue cooking until water is absorbed.  Heat oven to 325 and cook shells on a cookie sheet for 6 minutes to crispy.  Prepare tacos with preferred toppings (tomato, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, whatever.)   If we’re really hungry, we’ll heat up a can of black beans, dump a little taco seasoning into the pot, and serve on the side with a dollop of sour cream.

Fresh Guacamole

On a cutting board, halve the avocados and pit them.  Peel the skins away and chop up into small chunks.  Don’t be afraid to get messy here; you want the avocados very finely chopped.  Chop up tomato and onion finely as well.  I use a mini food processor to get them a smoother consistently to match the avocado.  Mix together.  Add the juice of one lime and taste.  Add a litte more juice as necessary.  Add garlic salt to taste ( I used about 1/2 teaspoon.)  Stir well and smooth it out with a plastic spatula.  Add a little lime juice on top to prevent discoloration (avocadoes brown similar to apples when exposed to air).

Winter Weekend Brunch

This is going to be a three-for-one post, been meaning to do it for a while.  We’re doing sausage and cheese grits, winter fruit salad and something my mother aptly calls “breakfast casserole”.  I actually made this brunch on Christmas Eve, which is becoming a fun tradition for Frank and me to do that morning.  We build a fire, turn on music and cook.  It’s great, I highly recommend it as the way to start the day with your family.  Any day, really.

 There is a lot of food here; both casseroles are meals in and of themselves, but we were splurging at Christmas time.  And, don’t think fruit salad is just for summer, there are plenty of delicious citrus available in winter!

Each one of these dishes is very simple, takes less than 30 minutes.  They also save and re-heat really well — every now and then, I’ll make one on Sunday night and we’ll eat on it for breakfast during the workweek. 

#1 Sausage and Cheese Grits*

• 1 lb hot breakfast sausage
• 1 cup of quick grist
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/8 teapsoon cayenne pepper
• Paprika

Preheat oven to 375.  While oven heats, fry up breakfast sausage into crumbles and drain meat.  Cook grits according to box instructions.  BEGINNERS TIP:  make sure to use quick grits, NOT instant grits or original, long-cooking grits.  Quick Grits take about 5 minutes to do on the stove, but not instant grits.  Once grits are cooked, add 1 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.  Add eggs and pepper, mixing well.  Layer cooked sausage crumbles into the bottom of a greased shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.  Pour grits mixture on top of the sausage.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for 20 minutes. 

*You can absolutely do these grits without the sausage, just making cheese grits.  Frank just won’t let me.

#2 Breakfast Casserole

• 1 roll of crescent dinner rolls (Pillsbury)
• 1 lb breakfast sausage
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 milk
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella
• oregano
• S&P

Preheat oven to 350.  Fry sausage into crumbles and drain.  In a 13 x 9 casserole dish, lay out the crescent dinner rolls to make a crust, pinching edges as need be to cover the bottom of the dish.  Layer the sausage evenly on top of the crust.  Sprinkle both cheeses evenly on top of the sausage.  In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, oregano (I use about a tablespoon), the milk and S&P to taste together.  Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole.  Bake for 30 minutes.

#3 Winter Fruit Salad

• chopped  apple
• chopped grapes
• chopped banana
• chopped grapefruit
• chopped oranges
• blueberries
• few springs of chopped mint

Mix fruit and mint together; serve immediately.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

One of my favorite comfort foods, especially in the winter, is a big pot of spaghetti.  And the good news is, my grandmother’s sauce is so simple, you’ll never use the jar stuff again, I promise.  Plus, you can make the whole meal for $8.  This is a super-speedy weeknight meal, especially if you use angel hair whole-wheat pasta, which cooks in just 2-3 minutes.

Spaghetti Sauce

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
• (2) 8oz cans of tomato sauce
• 1() 4oz tomato paste
• 1 jar sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 diced green bell pepper (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp dried oregano leaves
• pinch of sugar
• salt

In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat, sweat the onions for about 30 seconds, then dump in the ground beef.  BEGINNERS TIP:  allowing the onion to ’sweat’ means you let the heat start cooking the onion and releasing the flavor.  Then, dump in the ground beef and mix well with the onion.  Brown the meat, about 5-6 minutes or until cooked.  Drain meat.

Dump in the tomato sauce, paste and the empty paste can full of water, the mushrooms and pepper (if desired) and mix well.  Then, add the oregano, good-size pinch of sugar and salt to taste.  Let simmer until you’re ready to eat.  The longer it simmers, the better, but it’s ready as soon as it’s hot.  Serve over angel hair pasta and a green salad.  And don’t forget a big class of Chianti.

Vegetable Soup and Homemade Cornbread

I know, I know, another soup.  But it’s winter and they are cheap, fast and filling, so get past it.  This veggie soup is amazing.  It comes from my mother’s Tennessee upbringing, where going to the store to buy things to put IN soup was completely unheard of.  Instead, you just used leftover roast and vegetables to keep anything from going to waste.  So, over time, this has adapted to be a lot fancier than it started out in rural Tennessee, and in all honesty, probably isn’t as good.  But I LOVE it…even requested it for my birthday dinner this year. 

And as for the cornbread, don’t be intimidated.  The first time you make bread can be stressful, but this is so easy, only 4 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to prep!  Snuggle up under the tree this week with a hot bowl of soup and a slice of cornbread.

Vegetable Soup

• 1 package of stew beef
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 can spicy V8 juice
• 1 can shoepeg corn
• 1 cup of cut frozen okra
• 1 peeled and diced baking potato
• 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped white onion
• 1/2 package of baby carrots
• 2/3 cup of elbow macaroni

In a large soup pot, fill halfway with water and simmer beef for a least an hour.  Then, add boullion cube and tomatoes to the broth.  Then, add the rest of the ingredients except the macaroni.  I usually add a little more water at this point, just want to keep the veggies covered, and S&P to taste.  Let simmer until veggies are cooked.  A good test is when the potato is tender and can easily be cut with a fork in the pot.  Then, add the V8 juice and elbow macaroni.  Soup is ready when the macaroni is cooked, about 5-6 minutes.  Serve with a little tabasco.

Homemade Cornbread

• 1 cup of white cornmeal
• 1 egg
• 1/2 pint of nonfat buttermilk, divided
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425.  On the stove, heat the oil in an 8″ cast iron skillet over low heat.  You’ll know it’s hot when you flick a tiny bit of water into the oil off the tip of your finger (stand back and hold your hand high over the skillet so you don’t get burned.)  If it pops and crackles, it’s hot.

While the oil heats, in a small mixing bowl, pour in the cornmeal and then the egg.  Then, add about half the alloted buttermilk and mix together with a fork, making a batter.  Keep adding the buttermilk a little at a time until the batter is runny and runs off the fork easily when lifted out of the bowl.  It’s usually about 1/2 a pint.  Then, take the skillet and pour some oil into the batter, mixing well.

Pour the batter back into the hot skillet that should now be coated with oil, and bake for 15–18 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool and cut like a pizza.

Weeknight Flank Steak

Flank Steak is a great weeknight supper — it’s a lean, healthier cut of meat and can be used to make a lot of dishes, including fajitas and stir fry.  Plus, it cooks quickly.  However, we also like to just grill it whole and serve in strips with rice and a salad.

The trick is the marinade it for a while.  I’ll prepare the marinade in the morning before work and just pull it out of the fridge when I get home and throw it on the grill.  Because it’s a leaner meat, it can be tougher, so the acids and salt in the marinade help tenderize the meat.  Also, placing the onions directly on the meat help to flavor it.  If we have any leftover red wine lying around, we’ll also dump that onto the steak.  The wine, especially if it’s a little old and vinegary, add a lot of flavor and acidity to the marinade.

Weeknight Flank Steak

 

• 1 flank steak
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• zest and juice from 1 lemon
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning

In a pyrex dish, scatter the onions over the flank steak (see photo below).  In a small bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients, making a marinade.  Pour over the steak and slightly turn the dish to make sure the marinade fully coats the steak.  Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for up to 8 hours.

When ready to grill, light the grill to 350 — 400 degrees and remove the steak from the fridge, letting it come to room temp.  Grill 7-8 minutes on either side or until desired degree of donenes.  Because of the lean nature of this cut of meat, you can definitely over-cook it.  It’s best a little pink, medium.  Let rest for about 5 minutes and then slice into strips AGAINST THE GRAIN.  Serve with a salad, rice (see speedy side dishes and veggies) and a pinot noir.

Brown (Lake) Rice

I have no idea why my family calls this dish ‘lake rice’ (I think maybe it’s because it’s so simple and requires so little ingredients or prep, we can make it at the lake cabin), but it’s delicious.  It turns out looking a lot fancier than it really is and makes a great side dish for weeknight suppers.  The only trick is to not overcook it, so it doesn’t dry out.  Oh, and don’t use instant rice, make sure it’s regular rice.

Brown Lake Rice

 

• 1 cup of long-grain rice
• 1 can of french onion soup*
• 1 can beef broth*

Preheat oven to 350.  In a covered baking dish, dump in the rice.  Then, stir in the two soups.  Cover and cook 30-40 minutes or until the liquid on top is absorbed.

*We use Campbells Soup.

Homemade Chicken Caesar Salad

If you follow this blog at all, you probably know by now that dinner salads are big in our house.  They are healthy, fast and typically have minimal clean-up, making them a great weeknight supper.

This recipe uses the pan drippings from the chicken tenders to make the dressing — it’s a white wine vinegar base, not a mayo base, making it tangy and low-fat.  And it’s really good!

Chicken Caesar Salad

• 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn
• 1 package of chicken tenders
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons worchestershire
• shaved parmesan
• crutons

In a shallow dish, dredge chicken tenders in garlic powder and lemon pepper.  Use a fork to mix the two spices up.  In a large stainless steel pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Once hot, cook chicken tenders for about 6 minutes on either side. 

While the chicken cooks, wash and tear the lettuce in a large serving bowl.  Prepare dressing by combing the white wine vinegar, mustard and worchestershire in a small bowl and whisk together until blended well.

Once chicken is finished cooking, move it over to the lettuce, tossing to warm up the lettuce.  Then, using the same pan but off the heat, pour the vinegar mixture into the pan.  Using a spatula, scrape the pan drippings into the vinegar mixture.  The acid in the vinegar loosens the pan drippings, cleaning the pan in a way, and the pan drippings add flavor to your dressing. 

Pour over the salad, toss to coat well.  Top with a handful of parmesan and crutons.  Garnish plates with roma tomato slices, if preferred.  Serve with a crisp white wine, like this Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, Sincerely.  It’s a great wine for the price and a staple in our house.  (for me).

Puff Pastry Brie

For a family Thanksgiving dinner last night, I was assigned an appetizer for 23.  I gave this some thought, because I was afraid of having to work a full day and then get the appetizer delivered, and hot, by 6:00 pm.  I stumbled upon this recipe in Food and Wine, but it was actually in the form of a print ad by Pepperidge Farm.  It’s a warm, gooey brie round wrapped in a flaky pastry shell.  It was beyond simple, delicious and quite professional-looking…and it only took 25 minutes.  Give this a try for your next appetizer, it was a big hit!  Serve with any kind of crackers (used Wheat Thins here) and a side of fruit preserves (strawberry works well). 

Oh, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Puff Pastry Brie

 

• 1 frozen Pepperridge Farm frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed (follow box instructions for thawing; found in freezer section of grocery stores)
• 1 brie round
• 1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400.  On a floured surface, unfold the pastry sheet, being careful not to tear it.  Place the brie round in the middle of the sheet and then fold in each corner to wrap the brie with the pastry.  Brush the egg over the seam and then flip the brie over onto a cookie sheet.  Brush off an excess flour.  Brush the top and sides with the remaining egg.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Let stand about 20 minutes before serving for the cheese to settle; otherwise, when you cut into the pastry, the cheese will be too runny and just ooze out.

 

 

 

Roast Chicken with Tangerines

We had a quiet Saturday night this past weekend and I decided to roast a chicken.  It’s actually a very economical way to cook chicken and not that hard.  It’s also a good opportunity to use that roasting pan that you got as a wedding gift and have been too intimidated to use.  A chicken is a lot less daunting too, than a turkey.  One day, I’ll post about my turkey-cooking experience, but not today.  It involved a small little fire, Pearl Jam and a fairly serious meltdown, but this chicken was a breeze.   Try this for Thanksgiving if a turkey seems a bridge too far.  It’s from this month’s Food & Wine and you can’t mess it up (which isn’t always the case with Food & Wine).

Roast Chicken with Tangerines

• 1 6 lb roasting chicken
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 6 rosemary sprigs
• 3 tangerines, washed and halved
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine*
• 1/4 cup honey
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 3/4 chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Preheat oven to 425.  Set the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and stuff the cavity with the garlic, rosemary, and 4 of the tangerine halves.  Remember to remove the gross bag of gizzards and other nastiness.  Tie the legs together.  BEGINNERS TIP:  have someone else cross the legs over each other and tie them at the ankle.  You can use regular string, just cut the access so it won’t catch fire/burn.  Juice the other two tangerine halves.  Rub the oil over the chicken, coating him good.  Pour the wine and tangerine juice over the bird.  Drizzle on the honey and season with a good amount of salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken for 20 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the broth to the pan, cover the pan with foil and reduce oven temp to 375.  Roast for another 40 minutes.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup broth to the pan, cover and continue cooking for 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in an inner thigh registers 165.  BEGINNERS TIP:  the red plastic piece sticking out of the chicken is a thermometer — it will pop out of the bird when ready.  See photo below.

Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

*We used a Heron Chardonnay for the wine that the recipe calls for and then drank the rest.  Chardonnay, though admittedly not my favorite, tasted great with the fruit and honey glaze on the chicken.

action shot!