Category: Meats

appetizers · Fish · Meats · Uncategorized

Bang Bang Shrimp

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imageLast night, my sweet hubby took me to Bone Fish Grill for dinner. We have been wanting to go back since we ate there in Ft Lauderdale, FL a few years ago and have just discovered that there is now one here. So off we went, all the while talking about the first thing we will do is order the Bang Bang Shrimp. If you have never had these, all I can say is, if you live anywhere close to a Bone Fish Grill, get there as fast as you can and order these little darlings. Your life will never be the same. As soon as we got in the car after dinner, we googled to see if there was a copy cat recipe of this and sure enough there it was. So am posting this to encourage you to make your way into this restaurant if possible, and if not, do yourself a favor and make this.

1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined (smaller shrimp works great, but not the tiny ones)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Thai sweet chile sauce

3-5 drops hot chile sauce

1/2-3/4 cup cornstarch, to coat the shrimp

Mix may with sauces for coating the shrimp. Set aside.

Bread shrimp in cornstarch.

Deep fat fry the shrimp until lightly browned.

Drain on paper towel, putting shrimp in a bowl and coat with the mayo sauce.

Serve in a lettuce lined bowl, top with chopped green scallions.

 

Meats · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Pork Roast

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A couple of days ago, taking a break from packing boxes, I got hungry for a pork roast!  We  texted (only old people call their kids) our kids and ask them if they wanted to come over for dinner.  I think we all know the answer to that question anytime free food is involved! So I got busy and began to look for the necessary food items that I normally use for pork roast.  They weren’t there, such as brown gravy mix, cream of mushroom soup and That brown stuff you sprinkle on meat that starts with Worches, but I can never remember the spelling and since I don’t have any in the fridge, I can’t run to check the spelling, so you will just have to guess what I’m talking about! Anyhoo since we are trying to use up all the items in our pantry and not keep buying I went with what I had in hand!  It turned out so good!  Will make this again as all four of us loved it!   I used cream of celery soup, a packet of dry French onion soup and about 4-5 shakes of Kikoman sauce!

1 (2-3 lb) pork roast

2 tables olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 reg size can cream of celery soup

1 envelope of Liptons dry French onion soup kix

4-5 shakes of Kikoman sauce

garlicpowder to taste

pepper

in large Dutch oven heat with olive oil. Sprinkle roast with pepper and garlic powder to your liking! Because of the onion soup mix and Jimoman you  don’t need to add any salt!

brown roast and sliced onion in hot oil on both sides about 3-4 min on each side. When roast is brown sprinkle it with the dry soup mix, then cover with cream of celery soup and splash in the Kikoman sauce! add about a can or more water to roast and bake st 350 for 2-3 hours!  The last hour of baking I add cut up potatoes and carrots.  Bake until roast is tender and veggies are done!  The gravy this makes is so good!

Meats · Pies · Uncategorized

Italian Pot Pies

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We are leaving tomorrow for Phoenix to spend Thanksgiving with our kids before heading back to Texas. It has been a glorious 2 weeks with friends who have become like family to both Randy and I. Since today is our last day here we decided to go back to 2 of our favorite restaurants before leaving. We went to Saharas for lunch and now tonight will be going to Panda Inn…best Labenese and Chinese food in our opinion.

Since we have been staying at the Smiths home these last 4 nights, I have had a ball going through many of her recipe books and magzines that Dee keeps out on the table. These Italian Pot Pies sounded just like something that would be so easy and quick for a family dinner. Just add a salad and an Italian Creme Cake and you have yourselves a winner.

1 tables olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrolts, finely chopped

coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

1 lb ground beef sirloin

1 teas garlic powder or garlic cloves, minced (if desired, I desired)

2 cups homemade or best-quality store bought tomato sauce

(such  as Prego or Ragu)

1 cup flour, spooned and leveled

34 cup grated Parmesan

1 12 teas baking powder

1/4 teas baking powder

4 tables butter, melted

1/2 cup whole milk

Extra butter to brush on top of biscuits when done.

Preheat oven to 450. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. Add tomato sauce, bring to a boil. (I added some garlice cloves, minced to sauce simply because I love garlic).

Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring every once in a while until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, parmesan, baking powder, rosemary and 1/2 teas salt. Make a well in center and add butter and milk. Stir just until dough comes together.

Spoon meat mixture into 4 8 oz ramekins; divide biscuit dough between the ramekins placing dough on top of meat mixture.

Place ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until toppiing is golden brown and is done. About 10 to 12 minutes. Brush butter on top of biscuits as soon as they come out of oven.

 

Meats · Soups

Green Chile Beef Vegetable Soup

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I cooked lunch for a meeting today. Thinking that maybe, just maybe it might be cooler weather, I planned on making a pot of soup. But as the day dawned, it became apparent that it was going to be in the 90’s. Was too late to change the menu, so soup it was. We were just going to have to turn down the air conditioning and pretend that we lived up north and because it was Oct, it should be cool. The soup ended up really so good and all of the ladies absolutely loved it. It is just a little different than most veggie soups because of the added green chile enchilada sauce that is added.

1 package of thinly sliced round steak, cut into tiny cubes

1 large can (about 20 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 small can of mild green chile enchilada sauce

1 small can mild green chiles

1 can Rotel Tomatoes with chiles, mild

1 onion, chopped

1 cup of chopped celery

2 green bell peppers

1 bag of cubed butternut squash

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup of chopped carrots

1 can cut green beans, drained (not French style)

2 cups cabbage, chopped small

1 small zucchini, cubed

1 small yellow squash, cubed

1 regular size can of navy beans, drained

2 teas chopped garlic

1 regular size can of beef broth

1 to 2 cups water

In 2 table olive oil, brown chopped beef with onion until all meat is browned. Add the celery and bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste along with the garlic. Saute the mixture until the onions, celery and pepper is softened. Add all of the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles and broth. Add all the rest of the ingredients, except water.  You can add more water if needed if it cooks down more than you would want. I used about 1 cup of water. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook in crock pot on low all night or in a heavy pot in oven for about 3 hours at 325, or until all the veggies are tender and sauce is a little thick.

Served this with green chile cornbread and fresh apple cake. Was a great lunch!

for the cornbread, I used a package of Martha White yellow corn bread mix and just added a small can of mild green chiles,1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese and made them into muffins. The fresh apple cake is on the blog!

Chicken · Meats · Soups

White Lightning Chicken Chile

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Since the temps have fallen below 100, surely the cooler weather will be here shortly. When it does, we need to be prepared to have a big pot of chile ready for that first cool evening. This is taken from Southern Living

Comfort Food magazine.

1 large sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tables olive oil

4 cups shredded cooked chickn

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans chicken broth

2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles

1 (1.25 oz) package white chicken chile seasoning mix

3 (16 oz) cans navy beans, undrained

Saut onion and garlic in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in chicken, next 3 ingredients and 2 cans navy beans. Coarsely mash remaining can of  navy beans and stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring often; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve with desired toppings such as avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

Makes 11 1/2 cups

Beef · Meats · Soups

Italian Tortellini Soup

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This is one of the recipes that I “stole” from Dee’s house, from a Gooseberry Cookbook that she had out. What a great soup and a very easy soup to have on hand during the fall!

1 lb mild Italian sausage, casing removed

1 cup onion, chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, chopped

6 cups beef stock

1 (16 oz) can tomatoes, drained and chopped

8 oz can of tomato sauce

1 large zucchini, sliced

1 large carrot, sliced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 teas dried basil leaves * (see below)

2 teas oregano

8 oz cheese tortellini

Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage and remove from skillet. Drain drippings. Add onion and garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Combine the meat, onion and garlic, beef stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, carrot, green pepper, wine and spices in  a large pot. Simmer about 30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add tortellini. Cook until tender. Serve with the Parmesan cheese and a loaf of hot garlic bread.

appetizers · Beef · Dips · Meats

Pimiento Meatballs With Olive Tapenade

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Meatballs With Tapenade
Meatballs With Tapenade

Taken from Food Network Magazine from a couple years ago, these meatballs will be a hit at your next gathering!

For the Tapenade

1/2 cup pitted green olives

1 cup fresh parsley

5 scallions, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tables capers, drained and rinsed

1 small clove garlic, minced (more if you like it a little more garlic)

2 teas Dijon mustard

2 tables olive oil

Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef chuck

1 (4 oz) jar pimientos, drained and patted dry and chopped

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt

2 tables olive oil

2 tables tomato paste

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 tables packed light brown sugar

1 teas red wine vinegar

Prepare the tapenade: Soak the olives in warm water about 5 min and then drain. Combine the olives, parsley, scallions, capers, garlic, mustard and olive oil in a food processor and pulse several times. Set aside

Meatballs

Put the ground beef in a large bowl and add 1/4 cup of the tapenade (reserve the rest for serving along side them)

Add the pimientos, breadcrumbs, egg and salt; mix with your hands until combined. Dampen your hands and form into  meatballs 1 1/2″ (I have a meatball scoop that I use). This will make about 24 meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the tomato paste to the skillet and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, brown sugar and vinegar and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Return the meatballs to the skillet; reduce the heat to medium and simmer, occasionally spooning the liquid over the meatballs until the liquid is reduced by half and the meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve with the reserved tapenade.

Beef · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Soups

Cincinnati Chili

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Why am I looking at a soup cookbook and for some reason thinking that chile sound good? I’m not really a chile person, but when I saw this recipe it reminded me of a really great day when Randy & I went to a chile place in Burbank, CA that everyone out there had told us we needed to go. It was called Chile John’s. and the only reason I agreed to go was that I figured that if I went there for him, he would go to Stein Mart for me. So we found Chile Johns, which has been there since 1946, and waited for a place at the counter to await the famous chile. You can get it served over spaghetti, which is something that was so foreign to me. But thinking that anything served on spaghetti must be good, I ordered the mild and ate every bite. It was simply delicious. When I saw this recipe for Cincinnati Chile, it brought back a great memory of that day. It is always so much fun to go out and experience some of the places that towns are known for and this was no exception. The chile was really good and it was fun sitting on stools around the counter, talking to the guys dishing up different types of chile.

I know it is summer, but some nights are just meant for “comfort” foods, no matter what temperature it is outside. Just turn down the thermostat and dig in.

FYI….he did take me to Stein Mart but after eating all the chile, I wasn’t in much of a mood to buy clothes…found that I would be needing a little larger size after that lunch. Does he know how to plan our my shopping days or what?

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

4 medium onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (16 oz each) kidney bens, rinsed and drained (I will use pinto because I simply don’t like kidney)

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

2 tables chile powder

2 tables Worcestershire sauce

4 teas ground cinnamon

3 teas dried oregano

2 teas ground cumin

2 teas ground allspice

2 teas hot pepper sauce

3 bay leaves

1 teas sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot cooked spaghetti

Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onions for topping as desired

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook beef, pork, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Add the beans, tomatoes, vinegar, cocoa and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours.

Discard bay leaves. Serve over spaghetti or in bowls. Garnish with toppings to your liking.

Serves 6 to 8

Meats

Buffalo Wing Pork Chops

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A couple of nights ago our son-in-law made dinner for us. Randy and I walked in Tues night to the best aroma coming from the kids kitchen. We walked over to the stove and saw great looking pork chops. Eric told us that he had found the recipe on a blog that listed 15 simple dinners and had made it once before and fell in love with it. He immediately went out and bought some buffalo sauce and pork chops. We sat down to a great looking dinner. Salad, mac and cheese and these amazing pork chops. Recipe is truly so simple, but the result was the juiciest great tasting pork chops that we have had. Thanks Eric for a great meal!

4 (1/2″) pork chops

1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce

4 slices of mozzarella cheese

Butter

Salt, Pepper & Garlic powder to taste

Heat an iron skillet until warm. Melt about 4 tables butter in skillet. Season both sides of chops with garlic, salt & pepper. Saute chops on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes, each side. Drizzle some of the buffalo sauce on each chop as you are searing them on each side. Place lid on skillet and cook until chops are cooked throughout.

Place chops in a baking dish and place a cheese slice on each chop. Place in preheated oven to “broil” and broil until cheese is bubbling. Drizzle more of the buffalo sauce over the chops and serve immediately.

Meats

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

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Taken from Allrecipes.com, I came across this in one of our Frisco magazines and tore it out. Cannot wait to try them. They simply look delicious!

4 (3/4″) center cut pork chops

1 teas salt

1/2 teas black pepper

2 tables olive oil

6 oz small shallots, quartered & peeled, leave root ends intact

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teas sugar

1 1/2 teas salt

Pat the pork chops dry; sprinkle them with the 1/2 teas salt and 1/4 teas pepper.

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops
Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

Heat the oil in a 12″ skillet over high heat until it is hot. Cook the pork along with the shallots, turning the pork over once. Stir the shallots occasionally. Cook the pork until it is browned and the shallots are golden brown and tender (about 5 minutes). Put the pork on a plate and add the vinegar, sugar and the remaining 1/2 teas of salt and the 1/4 teas pepper to the shallots in your skillet. Cook and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid thickens slightly (about one minute). Reduce the temperature to moderate heat and return the pork and juices on the plate to the skillet. Turn the pork chops two or three times to coat them in the sauce. Cook the pork all the way through. Transfer the meat to a platter. Boil the sauce until it is thick and syrupy before pouring it over the pork.

*This recipe is also delicious when sweet potatoes or new potatoes are substituted for the pork, as a vegetarian version.