My kids always get to have their pick of a meal on their birthday. It's something my mom started a long time ago with my sister and I. The last few years my kids have really lucked out, because we have a big family dinner with my parents and my sister's family, but it hardly ever falls on their actual birthday. So they get to pick the main course that we will have at my mom's, and then of course on the day of their birthday I want it to be special for them, so I let them pick the meal that day, too. This year Sam picked chicken pot pie to have at my mom's (for the second year in a row) and baked potatoes to have on his birthday. But yesterday was Mother's Day. We like to spread out the holiday cheer here, so we had these tonight, when our Guinea Pig family was here as well. I looked up a recipe, because I knew vaguely what to do, like "throw the potatoes in the oven for a really long time" but I have had baked potatoes at restaurants that were SO good that had salt on the skin and I wanted to do that. So I went to the internet and found a website called (and I am not making this up) howtobakeapotato.com. So this is what I did, according to their instructions. The website has nice pictures if you want to go see their illustrations.
Baked Potatoes
baking potatoes
olive or canola oil
sea salt (you could use regular salt I bet, if you don't have any from the sea)
Preheat oven to 350. Scrub potatoes with a scrub brush. Pierce each potato 6-12 times (depending on the size), deeply with a standard fork. Put a small amount of oil in a bowl (1-2 tbsp). Get a little bit of oil on a potato and then rub it in with your hands (yes, I did feel weird massaging potatoes...one slipped right out of my hands just like what happened to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she was trying to eat escargot: "Slippery little suckers"). Sprinkle generously with sea salt. Place directly on oven rack and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size.
These came out PERFECT! We had a potato bar, with toppings to choose from: butter, chives, sour cream (for Melissa and crew, none of us like that, blech), chili, cheese, bacon, and french fried onions. Very very good. The skins were great (I will not say that I didn't lick mine). Definitely the way to bake potatoes.
Monday, May 14, 2012
BBQ Beef Skewers
We had this yesterday, on Mother's Day. I didn't mind cooking on Mother's Day, because I like cooking! As we were eating, one of the kids said "we should have cooked everything today." But I assured them I didn't mind because cooking is fun for me. Most of the time, anyway. This is from a cookbook that came from Sam's Club.
BBQ Beef Skewers
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 lb flank or sirloin steak
3 tbsp minced shallots or green onions
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak for 30 minutes)
Cut beef diagonally into thin strips about 1" wide. Thread onto the skewers. In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. Coat meat generously with the sauce mixture. Place skewers on grill and grill 2-3 minutes on each side.
So good. It took some time to cut and then thread the meat. A lot of the sauce spilled off while it was grilling, so I think next time I will reserve at least a bit of the sauce to add on at the end. Also, I made these on my George Foreman grill, which I enjoy very much. However, the skewers made it so the lid wouldn't close right, and I had to turn them over halfway through, which normally you don't have to do because it grills top and bottom simultaneously. But everyone liked this, even Nathan who was adamant that he would NOT when he saw me making them, and then saw them on his plate. The kids thought it was fun to eat the meat off the sticks. Oh and also I only ended up using 10 skewers, definitely not the 16 it called for. This made just enough food for the 5 of us, so if you are having people over, definitely double it.
BBQ Beef Skewers
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 lb flank or sirloin steak
3 tbsp minced shallots or green onions
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak for 30 minutes)
Cut beef diagonally into thin strips about 1" wide. Thread onto the skewers. In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. Coat meat generously with the sauce mixture. Place skewers on grill and grill 2-3 minutes on each side.
So good. It took some time to cut and then thread the meat. A lot of the sauce spilled off while it was grilling, so I think next time I will reserve at least a bit of the sauce to add on at the end. Also, I made these on my George Foreman grill, which I enjoy very much. However, the skewers made it so the lid wouldn't close right, and I had to turn them over halfway through, which normally you don't have to do because it grills top and bottom simultaneously. But everyone liked this, even Nathan who was adamant that he would NOT when he saw me making them, and then saw them on his plate. The kids thought it was fun to eat the meat off the sticks. Oh and also I only ended up using 10 skewers, definitely not the 16 it called for. This made just enough food for the 5 of us, so if you are having people over, definitely double it.
Honey Smoked Pork Tenderloin
We had this last week but I haven't had time to post it until now. It is the last recipe I have marked from the Land O Lakes cookbook I've been going through.
Honey Smoked Pork Tenderloin
3 tbsp butter
1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced into 2" thick slices (I used a 1.6 lb Hormel tenderloin and didn't adjust anything and it was still fine)
4 carrots, cut into 1" slices
3 stalks celery, cut into 1" slices
1 small onion, cut into 1/8" slices
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sage
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 clove garlic, minced
In large skillet melt butter over med-high heat. Add pork and carrots. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes.
So easy. And very good. The kids didn't really care for the vegetables. I thought the carrots were fabulous. I will make more carrots with it the next time. We had enough of this leftover that 3 people had another meal with it the next day.
Honey Smoked Pork Tenderloin
3 tbsp butter
1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced into 2" thick slices (I used a 1.6 lb Hormel tenderloin and didn't adjust anything and it was still fine)
4 carrots, cut into 1" slices
3 stalks celery, cut into 1" slices
1 small onion, cut into 1/8" slices
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sage
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 clove garlic, minced
In large skillet melt butter over med-high heat. Add pork and carrots. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes.
So easy. And very good. The kids didn't really care for the vegetables. I thought the carrots were fabulous. I will make more carrots with it the next time. We had enough of this leftover that 3 people had another meal with it the next day.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Cheesy BBQ Beef Sandwiches
This is the last recipe I wanted to try from the Kraft Food & Family. This one sounded good and easy. And you have to fry onions and green peppers, which I always enjoy. It makes me feel like I could work at the fair, you know how they always have those people in the big yellow and white tent that fry onions and peppers to put on cheesesteaks? That could totally be me.
Cheesy BBQ Beef Sandwiches
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup thin onion slices
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1 pkg (7 oz) roast beef, chopped (in the lunch meat section)
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
4 kaiser rolls, split
4 slices Colby/Jack cheese
Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add vegetables; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; set aside. Add meat and barbecue sauce to same skillet; cook on med heat 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon mixture onto bottom halves of rolls; top with cheese and vegetables. Microwave on high 30 seconds to melt the cheese (I didn't do this, my cheese melted by itself). Cover sandwiches with top halves of rolls.
We had this with french fries baked in the oven, which always makes me remember school lunches. But in a good way. These were very very good, and easy to throw together after church. Emma had her meat on the side with no vegetables. Nathan didn't have any of this at all. But the rest of us really liked these. The only thing is that it barely served the 4 of us. Emma didn't even have a whole sandwich-sized portion. So if you want to make this, and perhaps you should, you should double it if you have more than 3 people (if they're grown ups or big eaters). Yum yum yum.
Cheesy BBQ Beef Sandwiches
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup thin onion slices
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1 pkg (7 oz) roast beef, chopped (in the lunch meat section)
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
4 kaiser rolls, split
4 slices Colby/Jack cheese
Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add vegetables; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; set aside. Add meat and barbecue sauce to same skillet; cook on med heat 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon mixture onto bottom halves of rolls; top with cheese and vegetables. Microwave on high 30 seconds to melt the cheese (I didn't do this, my cheese melted by itself). Cover sandwiches with top halves of rolls.
We had this with french fries baked in the oven, which always makes me remember school lunches. But in a good way. These were very very good, and easy to throw together after church. Emma had her meat on the side with no vegetables. Nathan didn't have any of this at all. But the rest of us really liked these. The only thing is that it barely served the 4 of us. Emma didn't even have a whole sandwich-sized portion. So if you want to make this, and perhaps you should, you should double it if you have more than 3 people (if they're grown ups or big eaters). Yum yum yum.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Peanut Butter-Polka Dot Crispy Treats
This is another recipe from the Kraft Food & Family I took from my sister's house. Kraft must not own whoever makes real Rice Krispies, because they would have called them Krispy Treats if they did. Sam had a few friends over for a sleepover tonight and Nathan and I made these for their bedtime snack.
Peanut Butter-Polka Dot Crispy Treats
10 1/2 oz pkg mini marshmallows
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
6 cups crisp rice cereal (see? Not Rice Krispies)
2 squares white bakers chocolate, melted (they used to not have this at Walmart but now they do)
1/2 cup M&Ms (I left these out. I didn't have any, and there is plenty of sweetness in this without them)
Microwave marshmallows, peanut butter, and butter in large microwavable bowl on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 seconds (I did this on the stovetop, melting over medium-low heat until well blended...I heard an urban legend about marshmallows in the microwave that made me too afraid to put them in there). Add cereal; mix well (my arm hurt after, these were harder to stir than your usual RK treats). Press onto bottom of 13x9 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Decorate with M&Ms. Cool completely. Cut into desired shape (square).
Of course these were well liked. You can't really go wrong with any of the above things. As a variation you could use semisweet bakers chocolate instead of the white chocolate, or you could sprinkle them with mini chocolate chips. Easy and fast, definitely saving this one.
Peanut Butter-Polka Dot Crispy Treats
10 1/2 oz pkg mini marshmallows
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
6 cups crisp rice cereal (see? Not Rice Krispies)
2 squares white bakers chocolate, melted (they used to not have this at Walmart but now they do)
1/2 cup M&Ms (I left these out. I didn't have any, and there is plenty of sweetness in this without them)
Microwave marshmallows, peanut butter, and butter in large microwavable bowl on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 seconds (I did this on the stovetop, melting over medium-low heat until well blended...I heard an urban legend about marshmallows in the microwave that made me too afraid to put them in there). Add cereal; mix well (my arm hurt after, these were harder to stir than your usual RK treats). Press onto bottom of 13x9 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Decorate with M&Ms. Cool completely. Cut into desired shape (square).
Of course these were well liked. You can't really go wrong with any of the above things. As a variation you could use semisweet bakers chocolate instead of the white chocolate, or you could sprinkle them with mini chocolate chips. Easy and fast, definitely saving this one.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Crumble Bars
We love peanut butter. And chocolate. If I had to choose one, it would depend on the day. Most days I would choose a good dark chocolate. But some days I would choose a creamy yummy peanut butter. My hubby loves desserts that have both. I think he would choose peanut butter every day. We had this for home fellowship tonight, it's from the Kraft Food & Family I took from my sister's house.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Crumble Bars
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 pkg (8 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet chocolate
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Heat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add combined oats, flour, and baking soda; mix well. Press 3 cups onto bottom of 13x9 pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Microwave chocolate on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring after 45 seconds. Stir in peanut butter. Carefully spread over crust; sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
While this was in the oven, Emma came in the kitchen and said "it smells like Sonic's food in here." Sonic is our dear departed, gone but not forgotten, hamster. I said, "well, that's not very encouraging." She took a deep breath and said "now it doesn't." It didn't taste or smell like hamster food to me. These were quite good, and well received by kids and grown ups at home fellowship. They were extremely crumbly, which is a point against them. But they tasted good.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Crumble Bars
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 pkg (8 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet chocolate
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Heat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add combined oats, flour, and baking soda; mix well. Press 3 cups onto bottom of 13x9 pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Microwave chocolate on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring after 45 seconds. Stir in peanut butter. Carefully spread over crust; sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
While this was in the oven, Emma came in the kitchen and said "it smells like Sonic's food in here." Sonic is our dear departed, gone but not forgotten, hamster. I said, "well, that's not very encouraging." She took a deep breath and said "now it doesn't." It didn't taste or smell like hamster food to me. These were quite good, and well received by kids and grown ups at home fellowship. They were extremely crumbly, which is a point against them. But they tasted good.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Chicken & Roasted Red Potatoes
Stole my sister's Kraft Food & Family when I was there a couple of weekends ago. She still gets it, but she says this is the last year, she's not going to keep paying for it. The cover price on this is $5.99. As if. Like I have said in other posts, I would not pay for this magazine, which is really just a glorified commercial meant to make you think that you have to buy Kraft's newest products. But I digress, because I will (obviously) read it for free, and make recipes from it, with slight modifications so I don't buy the new product.
Chicken & Roasted Red Potatoes
1/4 cup Kraft Ranch dressing (I used Great Value)
6 large bone-in chicken thighs, skin and visible fat removed
4 slices Oscar Mayer bacon (I used Hormel Black Label)
1 1/2 lb red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 onion, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup Kraft Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese with a Touch of Philadelphia (this is the new thing they want you to buy...I just used 1 cup of shredded cheddar I had in my freezer)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Pour dressing over chicken in shallow dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes (I put mine in a gallon size ziploc bag).
Heat oven to 400. Cook bacon in large skillet on medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, reserving 1 tbsp drippings in skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels.
Add potatoes and onions to reserved drippings; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Crumble bacon and add to potato mixture; mix lightly. Spoon in 9x13 baking dish. Remove chicken from dressing; discard dressing. Place chicken over potato mixture.
Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and chicken is 165. Top with cheese and parsley.
Of course this was very good. But also very fatty, what with the bacon and the chicken thighs. Oh, and the ranch dressing. The onions in it tasted great. All the kids liked it, too. Even though this was great, this is not the kind of thing you could make very often. But it was very tasty, and I am going to keep the recipe.
Chicken & Roasted Red Potatoes
1/4 cup Kraft Ranch dressing (I used Great Value)
6 large bone-in chicken thighs, skin and visible fat removed
4 slices Oscar Mayer bacon (I used Hormel Black Label)
1 1/2 lb red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 onion, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup Kraft Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese with a Touch of Philadelphia (this is the new thing they want you to buy...I just used 1 cup of shredded cheddar I had in my freezer)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Pour dressing over chicken in shallow dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes (I put mine in a gallon size ziploc bag).
Heat oven to 400. Cook bacon in large skillet on medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, reserving 1 tbsp drippings in skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels.
Add potatoes and onions to reserved drippings; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Crumble bacon and add to potato mixture; mix lightly. Spoon in 9x13 baking dish. Remove chicken from dressing; discard dressing. Place chicken over potato mixture.
Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and chicken is 165. Top with cheese and parsley.
Of course this was very good. But also very fatty, what with the bacon and the chicken thighs. Oh, and the ranch dressing. The onions in it tasted great. All the kids liked it, too. Even though this was great, this is not the kind of thing you could make very often. But it was very tasty, and I am going to keep the recipe.
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