Tag Archives: green onion

Jodi’s Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

22 Oct
Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

This meal is so easy even this one-handed cook pulled it off handily. (I crack myself up.) 😀

My wonderful blog friend Jodi at The Creative Life in Between posted yet another mouth-watering dish for me to steal. I followed her recipe except cut it in half and used smoked paprika in place of the optional smokey paprika chipotle.

Dried Oregano and Honey Garlic Sauce

Dried Oregano and Honey Garlic Sauce

I thought I was out of dried oregano so snipped some fresh and dried it in the toaster oven first, but then found my last year’s dried batch — not in the empty and clearly labeled oregano jar — but in a Mrs. Dash container labeled in Sharpee with my husband’s printing. Go figure.

We served ours over rice and garnished with additional sesame seeds and snipped green onion (I demonstrate my prowess with that task below).

Snipping Green Onion Wearing Traction Device

Snipping Green Onion Wearing Traction Device

This is a spicy, slightly sweet explosion of flavor! The daughter went back for seconds and had the leftovers the next day. My husband ate a large sub just a few hours earlier and didn’t have any. Hiss loss!

Please pop on over to Jodi’s place to find a handy-dandy printable recipe here —> Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken.

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

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Tri-tip Beef with Sugar Snap Peas

9 Aug
Tri-tip Beef with Sugar Snap Peas

Tri-tip Beef with Sugar Snap Peas

We had about a half-pound of tri-tip beef leftover that my hubby cooked up on the grill earlier in the week, the daughter was gone, and I needed to come up with something for dinner that was quick and easy. I also had a partial bag of sugar snap peas left in the fridge and a half bag of bean sprouts in the freezer. (Did you know you can freeze bean sprouts? But they need to be cooked after freezing, they won’t be good in a salad or sandwich.)

A quick search on the internet gave me this super-easy meal that was on the table in less than thirty minutes! It’s so quick you’ll want to start cooking your rice before making this, unless you are super-fortunate to also have some leftover rice in the fridge.

Tri-tip Beef with Sugar Snap Peas
Adapted from Beef with Snow Peas, Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

1/2 pound leftover barbecued tri-tip beef (or any other cooked beef)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 ounces fresh sugar snap peas
4 ounces bean sprouts
3 green onions, cut into inch pieces on the diagonal
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1 cup low sodium or homemade chicken or beef broth
Cooked rice, for serving.

Simmering the Beef and Vegetables

Simmering the Beef and Vegetables

Slice the cooked beef in very thin slices against the grain and set aside. Cut into bite size pieces too if you want. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger.

Heat a wok or other heavy bottomed skillet to medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the beef and let it sear on one side for a couple of minutes, then flip it over and sear for another minute or two. Remove meat from the pan and set aside.

Add the last half tablespoon of olive oil to the wok or skillet, then throw in the snow peas, bean sprouts, and green onions. Toss them around for a minute or two, then pour in the mixture from the bowl.

Tri-tip Beef with Sugar Snap Peas

Tri-tip Beef with Sugar Snap Peas

Next add the meat back in and sprinkle with some crushed red pepper flakes, to taste. Last, pour in the chicken broth, stir to combine, and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and serve immediately with cooked rice. Easy and delicious!

Download and Print this Recipe

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Grilled Nachos with Chicken and Chunky Guacamole plus Grilled Mexican Tortilla Pizza

15 Jul
Chunky Guacamole Grilled Nachos with Chicken

Chunky Guacamole Grilled Nachos with Chicken

It’s about time I had a new recipe, yes? Since I’m off camping (once again) this weekend, I’m posting mid-week so as not to leave you empty-handed. This time we are going to Clear Lake for an annual reunion to celebrate my uncle’s (dad’s side) birthday. This will be his 88th! Happy Birthday Uncle Joe!

Although we’ve cooled down the past few days, last week it was sweltering hot after we got back from our river camping trip. And when it’s that hot, I always fire up the grill for dinner. I thought some loaded chicken nachos sounded pretty darn good. I was going to grill the chicken, but decided instead to throw it in the crockpot with the seasonings then plug in the appliance outdoors on the deck. And then I shredded the chicken when it was done, mixed up some chunky guacamole made with a serrano pepper from my garden, assembled the nachos then slapped them on the grill! (OK I slid them, not slapped.) 😀

Serrano Pepper Plant

My Serrano Pepper Plant is Producing Awesomely!

This was a plenty filling dinner out on our deck on the patio table. I had leftover shredded chicken, black beans, and sliced olives so decided to make a Grilled Mexican Tortilla Pizza the next night. Hey you get several recipes this time! Olé!

Crockpot Taco Chicken

Crockpot Taco Chicken

Chunky Guacamole Grilled Nachos with Chicken

For the chicken:

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix (recipe here, or store-bought)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 lime, squeezed

Guacamole Ingredients

Guacamole Ingredients

For the chunky guacamole:

2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 medium Roma tomato, deseeded and chopped
1 serrano pepper, stem cut and deseeded and finely minced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon cilantro
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the nachos:

Tortilla chips
Grated block cheddar cheese (it melts better than pre-shredded)
Shredded chicken
More grated cheese
Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
Sliced black olives, drained
Chunky guacamole (recipe below)
Sour cream
Fire-roasted salsa (recipe here, or store-bought)
Chopped green onion

Shredded Chicken

Shredded Chicken

Add the chicken ingredients to a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken and shred, then set aside.

Guacamole Ready to Smash

Guacamole Ready to Smash

Meanwhile, prepare the chunky guacamole. Add all the prepped ingredients to a bowl, then smash up and mix with a fork until desired consistency. Cover with plastic wrap then refrigerate.

Chunky Guacamole

Chunky Guacamole

Preheat the grill to high heat on one side. Line a large baking sheet with foil, then layer tortilla chips in one layer on the foil. Spread with grated cheese, then chicken, then more cheese, black beans, and black olives.

Preparing the Nachos

Preparing the Nachos

Slide the foil sheet onto the heated side of the grill then cover, grilling for about 10 minutes until the bottoms of the chips are crispy. Move the nachos to the unheated side of the grill then cover again, grilling until the cheese has melted.

Grilling the Nachos

Grilling the Nachos

Slide nachos back onto the baking sheet, top with chunky guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and chopped green onion to taste. Enjoy!

Now here is a recipe for what to make with any leftover ingredients you have from the nachos, depending on the size of your family or if your teenage daughter decides she’s going to a friend’s house for dinner instead of eating your excellent nachos. Just a couple of photos with this one and paper plates, it was that kind of night!

Grilled Mexican Tortilla Pizza

10-inch flour tortillas
Oil spray
Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons olive oil
Fire-roasted salsa (recipe here, or store-bought)
Cooked shredded chicken (use deli rotisserie chicken or leftovers)
Sliced black olives, drained
Thinly sliced onion
Jarred sliced jalapeños
Grated Colby Jack cheese

First add the black beans to a blender or food processor, then drizzle in olive oil and process until creamy, scraping down the sides and adding oil as needed. Set aside.

Prepping the Mexican Pizza

Prepping the Mexican Pizza

Preheat the grill to medium to medium-low, and spray the tortilla(s) on one side and grill for about 3 minutes, until crisp and starting to puff up on the top side. Remove to plate, then spray the non-grilled side with oil. Flip over, then spread the creamy beans evenly over the tortilla. Top evenly with salsa, shredded chicken, black olives, onion, jalapeños and cheese.

Grilling the Mexican Tortilla Pizza

Grilling the Mexican Tortilla Pizza

Place back on grill, cover, and cook for about 5 more minutes until cheese is melted. You might need to move it to the unheated side if it’s getting too crispy on the bottom and the cheese isn’t melted yet. Add a green salad on the side, and dinner is served!

Download and Print this Recipe

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

 

 

Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup

19 Oct
Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup

Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup

I love it when I come across a recipe that inspires me to buy the ingredients on my next shopping trip and make it for lunch or dinner. This was such a recipe, and a big shout out to Seana at Cottage Grove House, who makes beautiful, easy-to-make homemade fresh dishes and shares them for people like me! Please go check out her site, if you would, here.

Although it’s been the warmest fall I can remember in the 20 years I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest, October means it is soup-making time. Who cares if I’m still wearing capris and t-shirts?

A 3-quart pot is the largest pot available in this tiny temporary kitchen, so I had to make some quantity adjustments to the original recipe. In addition, the store I went to did not have creme fraiche, so I had to use a homemade substitute for that.

This was a perfect, light supper for another beautiful sunny, fall day. And as luck should have it, my husband fried up some extra bacon when he made a BLT sandwich for lunch today, so I added some extra flavor to the soup by subbing one tablespoon of olive oil for bacon grease, then garnishing the soup with some of the bacon bits. The bacon part is totally optional, so this would be a great meatless meal for any day!

Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup
Adapted from Luscious Cauliflower Soup by Cottage Grove House

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced sweet yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth, preferably homemade or low sodium
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream whisked with 2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)
Snipped chives or green onion, for garnish
Chopped cooked bacon, for garnish (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Chopped Onion, Cauliflower, and Potatoes

Chopped Onion, Cauliflower, and Potatoes

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or 1 tablespoon bacon grease and 1 tablespoon olive oil) in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the cauliflower and potatoes and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Add the broth and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 more minutes. Remove from heat

Simmering Cauliflower and Potatoes in Broth

Simmering Cauliflower and Potatoes in Broth

In batches, blend about half the soup until desired consistency. Stir in the cheese, half & half and sour cream mixture. Garnish with snipped chives and bacon bits (optional). Pass with salt and pepper and adjust seasoning accordingly, depending on garnishes used. Serve with warm crusty, buttered bread.

Download and Print this Recipe

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

 

Best Chicken Wings Ever

9 Feb
Best Chicken Wings Ever

Best Chicken Wings Ever

No, really. These are Genius! For years, my husband has been trying to cook perfectly crisped chicken wings. He’s tried double-frying in oil, frying then baking, baking then grilling — you name it. And then there was this magical moment about two weeks ago when I hopped over to one of my favorite foodie websites and a recipe for these chicken wings popped up in the Genius Recipes column. Really? Really? Can it be true?

I immediately printed the recipe and ran downstairs to show it to my husband. He wasn’t even skeptical about it and was anxious to try this new version, and promptly put “chicken wings” on the grocery list white board. Much to his dismay he came home wingless that day from the grocery store. “I can’t believe the store had no chicken wings!” I’m a persistent shopper and would have tried a second (or even third) store, but the wings would have to wait until another day.

Cured Chicken Wings

Cured Chicken Wings

His next trip out a couple of days later and produced said wings. He was all set to cook them up for dinner when he discovered (much to his dismay again) that the recipe required a full 24-hours of prep. “Didn’t you read the recipe?” “Well, uh, I read the ingredients but didn’t read through the instructions.” Cooking Basics 101. Read the entire recipe through at least once (0r more) before starting to cook. Don’t be put off by the 24 hours though. That is mostly all hands off time while the chicken wings “cure” in the refrigerator, for lack of a better word.

I can truly attest that these are the most perfectly crisped chicken wings I have ever had in my life! Crunchy skin on the outside, and completely juicy and tender on the inside. And there is a bonus to them too! Forget the goopy, buttery red hot sauce known to adorn the ubiquitous Buffalo Wings. The recipe also included an amazing dipping sauce that is this spicy, tangy-I-can’t-put-words-to-it delicious! Without further adieu…

Dipping Sauce Ingredients

Dipping Sauce Ingredients

Best Chicken Wings Ever
Very slightly adapted from Maximum Flavor (Clarkson Potter, 2013) and borrowed from Food52

Vegetable oil spray for racks
3 large egg whites
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 pounds whole chicken wings
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced
1 green onion, finely sliced

Oil 2 wire racks and place them over a large rimmed baking sheet. Mix the egg whites, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and stir until salt and baking soda are dissolved. Dump each chicken wing, one at a time, into the mixture and coat evenly. Lift the wing from the bowl and drain off excess marinade. Place each wing on the racks. Refrigerate the wings, uncovered, overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the baking sheet of wings into the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Amazing Dipping Sauce

Amazing Dipping Sauce

Flip the wings over and bake for another 10 minutes. Turn the wings over again and bake about another 10 more minutes, until nice and golden. Take the sheet of wings out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Serve with the dipping sauce. Can you say Genius? And the second bonus is that the leftover dipping sauce can be used to marinate almost anything!

Best Chicken Wings Ever

Best Chicken Wings Ever

Download and Print this Recipe

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Crock Pot Asian Beef Stew

22 Jan
Crock Pot Asian Beef Stew

Crock Pot Asian Beef Stew

I had every intention of adding some mint and Thai basil to this close to the end, but got busy with work, and next thing you know I’m taking photos with a hungry family in waiting and even forgot to use it as garnish. But nonetheless, it was very tasty and just enough spice and seasonings to make this a great twist on your average slow cooker beef stew. Oh, and I also forgot the minced ginger in the sauce, dang it! I’m sure it would have been a nice addition.

You can throw this together in no time, and have it in the slow cooker in less than 1o minutes, then forget about it the rest of the day! (OK maybe you’ll have to think about it if you want to add some fresh herbs at the end, oh, and cook the rice…)

Asian Beef Stew Ingredients Ready to Cook

Asian Beef Stew Ingredients Ready to Cook

Crock Pot Asian Beef Stew

1 pound chuck roast (or other beef cut)
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup homemade or low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek (Thai chili paste)
1 teaspoon minced ginger (FORGOT!)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 to 1 red bell pepper, chopped
Baby carrots (enough for each serving)
Cooked rice, for serving
Fresh mint, Thai basil, or cilantro, for garnish (FORGOT!)

Crock Pot Asian Beef Stew

Crock Pot Asian Beef Stew with Side of Edamame

Season the beef with ground black pepper and place in bottom of a 3-quart crock pot. In a 2-cup measuring cup (or bowl), mix the beef broth, Hoisin suace, soy sauce, Thai chili paste, ginger (if you remember) and set aside. Chop up the onions and peppers and add them to the slow cooker along with the baby carrots. Pour the sauce over everything and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours. Serve with cooked rice (we cooked ours in beef broth for more flavor), and a vegetable of choice. We served with steamed edamame pods.

Download and Print this Recipe

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Rolls with a Spicy Peanut Sauce

19 Jan
Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

While the rest of the country is freezing and snowed in, the balmy days here in the Pacific Northwest gave me a hankering for some light and savory spring rolls. We’ve been bordering on 60 degrees all week and I’ve been wondering where winter went this year?  I’m typically making soups and stews during January,  not fresh and crunchy spring rolls!

I set up a “build-your-own-spring-roll” station on the kitchen counter, showed the family how to soak their rice wrapper, choose their filling, and how to roll it up. I got a little over-zealous with my spring roll filling as it was bursting at the seams! My husband made three of them, and his were neat and tidy packages like you see at the restaurants, but he ate his before I could photograph them. And me? Well I’m not exactly a perfectionist. Do as I say, not as I do, right? Besides, you do want to eat these right away or the rice wrapper becomes a bit gummy over time.

Julienned Vegetables

Julienned Vegetables

Don’t let the long list of ingredients intimidate you. I julienned all the vegetables earlier in the day, cooked the noodles, then stored them in the refrigerator until we were ready to get rolling. About 15 minutes before dinner, I made the spicy peanut sauce, laid out all the fixin’s, and the dinner bell rang! Everyone agreed these were a surprising tasty meal on a not-so-cold mid-winter’s night.

You can substitute and/or omit any of the vegetables for ones of your liking. On a whim, I bought a jicama to add to the mix, which added a slightly sweet crunch to the roll. Same with the herbs, you may use any or none of them, or even sub in parsley. Although I do think each one adds its own depth of flavor in the end.

Spring Roll Filling

Spring Roll Filling

Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Rolls with a Spicy Peanut Sauce

For the spring rolls:
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
4-inch chunk of cucumber, julienned
1/2 jicama root, julienned
3 green onions, green part cut into 4-inch pieces
Romaine lettuce leaves
2 ounces dried rice noodles
Salad shrimp
Round rice wrappers
Fresh cilantro, mint, and Thai basil

For the spicy peanut sauce:
4-inch piece of lemongrass root
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek (Thai chili paste)

Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Roll

Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Roll

Wash and prep all your vegetables, cook the rice noodles according to directions, and store in containers in the refrigerator until ready to make your rolls.

About 15 minutes before serving, make the peanut sauce. Boil the lemongrass in the water in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Remove the lemongrass then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Turn down heat and simmer until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Lay out a wet dish towel on the counter, and set up a line of all your vegetables, herbs, and shrimp. Put one rice wrapper in a shallow pan and cover with water, and swirl it around until it becomes soft and pliable. Working quickly, lay the wrapper on the wet dish towel, top with a lettuce leaf, some rice noodles and fillings/herbs of choice. Fold the bottom of the rice wrapper up over the filling, tuck in both sides, then roll up the rest of the way. Serve with the warm spicy peanut sauce.

Download and Print this Recipe

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Turkey, Ham, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo

1 Dec
Turkey, Sausage, Ham. and Shrimp Gumbo

Turkey, Sausage, Ham. and Shrimp Gumbo (with Okra!)

I’m always on the lookout for a new recipe that will help use up the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, and The Homesick Texan “brought it home” for me with this one! I told my husband I was going to make this, and he said, “I don’t like gumbo.” Well. I think he said that as a knee-jerk reaction to okra. He doesn’t like okra, ergo he doesn’t like gumbo. “I don’t plan on putting any okra in this one. It will have turkey, ham, and smoked sausage in it! Doesn’t that sound great?” Pretty much no reaction to that. He doesn’t like okra, ergo, he doesn’t like gumbo. I made it anyways. Plus, since I’m such a great gal, I bought some shrimp to add to it because he loves shrimp.

The Holy Trinity and Meats

The Holy Trinity and Meats

The day before I made this, hubby and I teamed together to make a huge pot of turkey broth from the carcass, recipe here: How to Make Homemade Turkey Broth. You can never have too much turkey or chicken stock on hand. You can substitute low-sodium store-bought, but why? The original recipe makes enough to serve 10 to 12, so I halved it as well as made other adaptions/tweaks (including adding about a cup of my homemade canned tomatoes). Feel free to experiment! And if you like okra, by all means add some of that too. Since I wasn’t going to add gumbo, I was also going to add some file powder to thicken it, but alas, the Pacific Northwest does not seem to know of its existence (I scoured four different stores!), so I had to substitute a little cornstarch for the thickener.

Turkey, Ham, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo
Adapted from Turkey Gumbo, The Homesick Texan

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 large rib celery, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/8 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Ground black pepper, to taste
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Blend, to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more if you like spicy
5 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1 cup diced cooked ham
1 cup sliced smoked sausage (1/2 of a horseshoe link)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (optional)
1/2 cup frozen okra, microwaved for 3 minutes (optional)
Cooked rice, for serving
2 green onions, green part only, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a cast iron dutch oven or cast iron skillet, add the oil and flour and whisk well to combine. (You are making a roux here, the easy way!) Place in the oven for an hour and a half, whisking every 20 minutes or so.

Caramel-Colored Roux

Caramel-Colored Roux

Meanwhile, you can prep your veggies, chop up the turkey meat, and brown the sliced sausage and diced ham in a skillet sprayed with a little oil. Set aside.

When the roux is done (it should be a nice caramel brown), carefully remove it from the oven. If you have a cast iron dutch oven, you can continue cooking the gumbo in it. If you don’t (like me), transfer the roux to a regular dutch oven and place on the stove burner over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, red peppers, and garlic, stirring constantly for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Sauteing the Veggies in Roux

Sauteing the Veggies in Roux

Now add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, Worcestershire, Mrs. Dash (or salt), black pepper,  cayenne pepper, and mix well. Gradually add the turkey broth, stirring constantly. Add the turkey, ham, smoked sausage, bay leaves, and sugar, bring to a low simmer, and cook for about an hour or more, stirring occasionally.
Turkey Sausage Ham Gumbo

Turkey Sausage Ham Gumbo Simmering ~ No Shrimp Yet!

During this time you can cook your rice. In the last 10 minutes or so, add the shrimp (if using) until cooked through. Last, add the cornstarch mixture to the pot (or file powder if you have it), stirring to combine. Simmer for a few more minutes, turn the heat off, cover and let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve over the cooked rice and garnish with green onions. (Pssst, I added some cooked okra to my bowl!)
My daughter really liked this, and my husband went back for seconds and looked me square in the face and said, “This had a nice blend of flavors, the perfect spice amount, and the shrimp really added to it, Thank You.” (except you don’t want to know what he said when I forced him to try a spoonful of mine with the okra in it… lol!)
Turkey, Sausage, Ham. and Shrimp Gumbo

Turkey, Sausage, Ham. and Shrimp Gumbo

Download and Print this Recipe

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Corned Beef Fritters

16 Nov
Corned Beef Fritters Appetizer

Corned Beef Fritters Appetizer

You must be thinking anotherfoodieblogger has lost her mind. Corned Beef Fritters??? Please let me explain. I am taking part in an online competition called “Diced!” at this blog here: Rantings of an Amateur Chef. You are given three specific ingredients that must be featured in the recipe, and for the first round it had to be an appetizer, soup or salad. The ingredients were corned beef, canned corn, and corn flakes cereal.

I couldn’t make up my mind between two concoctions for the contest, so decided to make both of them and send in the one that I liked best. This is the one that didn’t make the cut. Now wait a minute there! It is not bad tasting or anything, but I liked the other one better, and truth be told, my daughter said she liked this one better. However she just ate hers plain, and mine had sauerkraut and mustard with it. I thought the sauteing the sauerkraut mixed with the red cabbage would add a nice bit of color to the presentation, but it really did overpower the taste of the corned beef fritters, which was the main ingredient. By the way, I bought deli-sliced corned beef, but you could also use leftover corned beef if you have cooked some yourself.  I also think I could have added more corned beef. Since I still had another recipe to make, I didn’t bother trying to make them again with the changes.

Corned Beef Fritters Ingredients

Corned Beef Fritters Ingredients

If adding corned beef to fritters freaks you out, simply omit it and then you’ll have your basic Texas-style fritters! You might want to add a little salt or other seasoning, too, as the corned beef adds the salty flavoring.

When my other recipe is featured on the competition blog, I’ll share the post here with you. And then I want you to go over there and vote for it! Stay tuned — the competition deadline is November 28, so it will likely be early December before you see it.

Corned Beef Fritters Ingredients

Corned Beef Fritters Ingredients

Corned Beef Fritters

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup crushed corn flakes
1 teaspoon baking powder
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup canned yellow corn
1/4 cup corned beef, minced in a food processor
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 small egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Corned Beef Fritters

Corned Beef Fritters

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl, and mix well. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the oil and stir to combine well. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Measure out 1/4 cup of the mixture then dump upside down into the hot oil. Repeat until gone. I ended up with three. I had added a fourth smaller one to the pan, but I tried to flip that one over too soon and it made a mess, so I scooped it out and just finished cooking the three. Fry the fritters for several minutes until browned on the bottom and fairly set. Flip over, then cook for several minutes more until browned and cooked through. Turn down the heat if necessary. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Serve with a sauce of your choice.

Download and Print this Recipe

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Asian Grilled-Meat and Veggie Stir Fry

8 Jun
Asian Grilled-Meat Stir Fry

Asian Grilled-Meat Stir Fry

After a false start to spring last month, we jumped back into “sprinter” and had a couple of weeks of below freezing temps at night, and then last week it jumped straight into summer! It’s been in the mid-80s for a week now, and will continue through the weekend. Next week will return to more seasonal temperatures for this part of the country.

So what’s that got to do with food? Well with such hot weather, we’ve been grilling a lot, and ended up with some leftover grilled meats in the fridge. So for a quick and easy meal, we thinly sliced the grilled meats, then chopped up some veggies, and for some color and texture added edamame. At the last minute I also threw in the last of some fresh spinach hanging around. Whip up a quick Asian sauce, cook some rice in a chicken or vegetable broth, and bingo! It’s dinner! What’s nice about this meal is you can use whatever cooked meats and vegetables you have around (fresh or frozen) and also clean out all those leftovers and bits of veggies in the veggie drawer.

Asian Grilled-Meat Stir Fry

Asian Grilled-Meat Stir Fry

Asian Grilled-Meat and Veggie Stir Fry

1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and diced small
1/2 to 1 pound grilled meat, sliced thin (we had pork and chicken)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 to 3 cups sliced and/or chopped vegetables (we used carrots, edamame, mushrooms, green onion, and spinach)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 cup low sodium homemade chicken or beef broth (we used chicken)
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

Heat a wok or rounded skillet to high heat. Add the sesame oil and ginger and stir for a minute. Add the sliced grilled meats and toss to heat up for a couple of minutes. Remove and tent to keep warm. Add the vegetable oil, then add in the vegetables that take the longest to cook. In our case it was the carrots and edamame. Cook until just starting to soften, then add the garlic and the rest of the quick-cooking vegetables and stir. In a bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, chicken broth, and Sriracha. Pour over the vegetables, then add the meats back in. Stir and cook until the broth sauce has thickened. If too thick, you can add more broth. Continue stirring until vegetables and sauce are to your liking. Serve with rice cooked in chicken or vegetable broth and additional soy sauce if needed.

Asian Grilled-Meat Stir Fry

Asian Grilled-Meat Stir Fry

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