Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner

Shrimp with Andouille and Angel Hair Pasta

2012-01-30T10:08:00.000-06:00

Fora change of pace, Andouille sausage is delicious ~ add some shrimp andseasonings and you’re sure to enjoy a tasty meal!

Andouillesausage is French in origin, having a unique spicy flavor, being made primarilyfrom pork, garlic, red and black peppers, wine and onions. It is cased in a blackened skin, and then isheavily smoked over pecan logs and sugar cane. It can be served cold, in slices, as an hors d’oeuvre; however, it ismainly used in Cajun and Creole dishes such as jambalaya and gumbo.

Cajuncuisine is one of our favorites and always reminds us of NOLA ~ actually, Ican’t get enough of either of them. Servingit over angel hair pasta is pretty great!

Shrimp with Andouilleand Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients:

8ounces angel hair pasta

2tablespoons olive oil

½pound Andouille sausage, cut into ¼” slices

3garlic cloves, minced

1cup salsa verde

4teaspoons flour

1½cups chicken broth

¼cup heavy cream

1pound shrimp, deveined and peeled

3green onions, sliced into thin rounds for garnish

Method:

Toa large skillet, add olive oil over medium-high heat.

AddAndouille sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Transferto a plate and set aside.

Addgarlic to skillet and cook for 30 seconds.

Stirflour into drippings until dissolved.

Whiskin broth and cream and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile,cook pasta according to package directions, drain well and set aside.

Addsalsa to broth mixture in skillet and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Transfersausage to skillet.

Addshrimp and cook until shrimp are opaque, about 3-5 minutes.

Toserve: Place pasta on a plate, top withshrimp mixture and sprinkle green onions over all.

DELICIOUS!!!

Go visit myfriend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for excellent tips and recipes. This is the last day to enter her greatgiveaway for “Joy Bauer’s Food Cures” book!

Robust Mushroom and Barley Soup

2012-01-26T08:14:00.000-06:00

I adore the flavor and meatiness of mushrooms! I like them equally ~ whether raw, sautéedin butter, or in my savory mushroom and mustard casserole. But, I’vebeen addicted to soup lately, probably because it has been very cold, windy andsnowy here. So, a while ago, when I sawthe recipe for mushroom soup in TheChicago Tribune, I knew I had to try it.

This recipe I’m sharing with you combines mild earthy, freshbutton mushrooms with the nutty-woodsy flavor of dried porcini mushrooms. Both the texture and flavor of thesemushrooms remind me of meat. Mushrooms,being like tiny sponges, soak up the flavor of the sautéed shallots and garlic,giving them an appealing hearty flavor.

I made a few changes in the recipe: I added Montreal seasoning, substitutedbutton mushrooms for cremini, since the grocery store had none; and, I added atablespoon of balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavor of the mushrooms. The recipe called for ½ cup of barley. We really like barley, so I upped it to 1 cupfor a thicker full-bodied soup.

Like I said, this soup is perfect for a cold winterday. Just be sure to serve it withplenty of rustic bread alongside for sopping up every last bit of soup. This is my “new favorite” soup!

Porcinis soaking

Porcinis sliced

Ummm!

Mushroom and BarleySoup

Adapted

Ingredients:

1 package (1 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 pound button mushrooms, wiped clean

8 cups beef stock, very low-sodium

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 cup pearl barley

1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Method:

Place porcini mushrooms in a bowl.

Cover with 2 cups boiling water.

Soak, submerged with a small plate, 20 minutes.

Squeeze liquid from mushrooms and reserve.

Slice mushrooms.

Warm oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.

Add shallots and garlic; cook until fragrant andtranslucent, about 2 minutes.

Remove shallots mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

Add button mushrooms and cook until their liquid releases,about 5-8 minutes.

Stir in shallot and garlic mixture, beef stock, thyme, reservedmushroom liquid and reconstituted porcini.

Add Montreal Steak Seasoning and heat to a boil.

Stir in barley; reduce heat to a simmer.

Cook, partially covered, until barley is tender, about 40minutes.

Stir in balsamic vinegar.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 5minutes.

Top with parsley and serve.

6 servings

Ummmm, mmmm, good!!! My “newfavorite” soup!

Go visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for excellent tips and recipes. She’s having a greatgiveaway now!!!

Joy Bauer’s Food Cures Review and Healthy Chicken Parmesan and Broccoli

2012-01-24T07:06:00.000-06:00

I have been a fan of hers since her well-rounded doses ofnutritional segments started on the Todayshow!

I am referring to Joy Bauer! I was thrilled when Kathleen,Partnership Director at Joy Bauer.com, offered to send me a copy of Joy Bauer’s Food Cures. Other than being the nutrition expert for theToday show, Bauer also is thebestselling author of six other books on food and nutrition, and a contributingeditor to Parade and Woman’s Day magazines. Joy is the nutritionist for the New York CityBallet and the creator of www.JoyBauer.com. She lives in New York with her husband andthree children.

Joy Bauer’s Food Cures is a great read and aninformative reference for those of us who are taking steps to behealthier. It’s a huge book ~ 516 pages~ full of nutritional facts and recipes; grouped into sections regarding numerousdiseases and issues. Joy shares herknowledge of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight loss, arthritis, osteoporosis,migraine headaches, cancer prevention, vision issues and memory problems ~ justto name a few.

Joy Bauer says, “Life is hard. Food should be easy.” I agree with Joy, life can be stressful and thinkingabout what foods to eat, or not to eat, shouldn’t drive us crazy. We all know that the food we eat affects howwe feel, as well as our appearance. Ahealthy lifestyle should be easy and attainable, and that is exactly what Joy assistsus with in this book.

Photo credit Handout Today

Whether, you are looking to improve a health issue or youwant to take off excess pounds; Joy can help you do it. The basic format of each chapter of the bookbegins with an explanation of the condition; followed by what generally affectsthe condition, how food affects the condition, bonus points to assist in managingthe condition, and ending with supplements you may want to consider in additionto the food fixes.

Interspersed through those pages are several “FAQS”sections, such as this entry from the insomnia chapter: “When I drink coffee, I drink only decaf, buton the nights I have a cup, I notice I have a hard time falling asleep. My friend told me that even decaffeinatedcoffees and teas contain small amounts of caffeine. Is that true? Do I need to stop drinking hot beverages at night?” In each of the chapters of Joy Bauer’s Food Cures, we canread the examples of her clients and the issues they encountered, and how Bauerresponded to them.

Lastly, each chapter ends with a 4-Step program, which recapsall of the advice offered in that specific chapter. Joy’s 4-Step Program for insomnia goes likethis:

Step 1: Start withthe Basics: A list of the first thingsyou should do in trying to achieve a good night’s sleep. One thing she says to do is: “Avoidheavy dinners, especially within three hours of going to bed.”

Step 2: Your UltimateGrocery List: This consists of a list offoods that aids sleep, including those with tryptophan and high-qualitycarbohydrates. These are the bestsleep-inducing fruits: bananas,grapefruit, grapes, mangoes, oranges, papayas and plums. And all vegetables but, especially these: asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,cauliflower, celery, corn, dark leafy greens, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, spinach andsquash. Additionally, lean proteins are listed,as well as which nuts and whole grains to consume.

Step 3: Going Aboveand Beyond: Here, Joy includes variousremedies you can try for a dreamy night’s sleep; like, “Try a white noisemachine to block out distracting ambient sounds.” She mentions the power of lavender. Bauer tells us, “I’m pretty sure lavender won’tsolve all of your sleep issues, but there’s certainly no downside---and you andyour house will smell divine!” I’m abeliever!

Step 4: MealPlans: Bauer concludes the chapter withsample menus of foods that may assist in sleeping better and offersdelicious-sounding recipes. The Warm TurkeyBacon-Spinach Salad and the Banana-Mango Parfait sound yummy to me.

Joy Bauer explains she doesn’t expect us to “eat perfectly100 percent of the time. Even nutritionistshave days when we indulge our food lusts. But I make healthy foods my habit and rich desserts an occasionaltreat. If you really want to think likea nutritionist, start by becoming mindful of your eating habits.” Joy exalts: “You can do this… Dive in!”

Bauer’s book also gives us excellent tips on what we shouldeat and drink for healthy skin, healthy hair and how to feed a beautiful smile. It’s about much more than pearly whiteteeth!

To wrap up my review of this extraordinary book ~ if youhave health issues that you believe could be cured or controlled by foods youdo or don’t eat, if you want to ward off various conditions, and if you want tomaybe even reverse symptoms, you can benefit from Joy Bauer’s Food Cures.It is a “must-have” reference book for good health and nutritional foodchoices. Bauer offers exceptional advice for restoring our damaged bodies. Read it, practice what she preaches, and get healthier!

Go here to visitJoy Bauer’s website and here topurchase this fantastic book. It willbecome your “go to” reference for healthy nutritional information!

Joy Bauer’s Food Cures is chock full of good recipesand one of them I made was her Healthy Chicken Parmesan and Broccoli. It’s an absolute favorite from the book for Joy’shusband and youngest daughter: “Greattaste and stellar nutrition – home run!”

Healthy ChickenParmesan and Broccoli

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 can (28 ounces) no-salted-added diced tomatoes
1⁄4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus 1 whole sprig
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 large bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 large skinless chicken cutlets (6 ounces each), pounded very thin
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup grated reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Coat a large skillet withnonstick cooking spray. Place over medium heat and add the olive oil. When theoil is hot, add the onion, two-thirds of the garlic, and bay leaf. Cook,stirring, for 6 to 7 minutes, until the onion begins to soften and becometranslucent. Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and sprig of basil.Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to thicken, about 10minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on low heat while youprepare the broccoli and chicken.

2. Preheat the oven to 450degrees F. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.Sprinkle the remaining garlic over the broccoli, and season with salt andpepper. Wrap the broccoli tightly in aluminum foil. Set aside.

3. Place the flour on a pieceof waxed paper or aluminum foil. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg whites. Onanother piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil, mix the bread crumbs with theoregano, rosemary, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and season with a pinch of salt andpepper.

4. Sprinkle both sides of thechicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the cutlets in the flour,then dip in the egg whites, shaking off any excess egg, then dredge in thebread crumb mixture. Coat both sides of each cutlet with nonstick cooking sprayand place on the prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake the chicken and foilpacket of broccoli until the cutlets are golden and the broccoli is tender, 8to 10 minutes. Remove the broccoli and chicken from the oven.

6. Preheat the broiler.Sprinkle the cutlet with the mozzarella and remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan.Place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is golden. (Watchcarefully — they can burn easily!) Transfer the chicken and broccoli to aplatter. Remove the bay leaf from the tomato sauce and ladle the sauce aroundthe chicken. Sprinkle with the torn basil and serve immediately.

Nutrition information perserving: 569 calories, 59 g protein, 41 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat (4 gsaturated), 111 mg cholesterol, 670 mg sodium, 7 g fiber; plus 365 mg calcium(36% DV), 86 mg magnesium (22% DV), 97 mcg vitamin K (122% DV), 1,017 mgpotassium (29% DV), 113 mcg folic acid (28% DV)

Serves 4

It’s a favorite of ours too!!!

Many thanks to you, Kathleen, for sending me this superb informative book!

Go visitmy friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for excellent tips and recipes. She’s having agreat giveaway now---this book!

Cherry Muffins and Marshall Field’s

2012-01-20T09:41:00.000-06:00

Well, I don’t knowwhen I clipped this from the “Heirloom Cooking” column in the Chicago Tribune, but I do know it was before August 30, 2005 because the prize for printing areader’s recipe was a gift certificate for $25 to Marshall Field’s departmentstore.

Marshall Field's on State Street, Chicago, note the clock!

It infuriated manyarea people when Marshall Field’s doors closed on that August day to becomeMacy’s. Its massive retail store at State and WashingtonStreets in the Loop—built in stages between1893 and 1915—occupied an entire city block and was one of the world's largestretail buildings.

A fun Christmas time outing was to go toMarshall Field’s on State Street to take in its gorgeous animated holiday windowdisplays. Then, off for a deliciouslunch in the wood paneled Walnut Room; seating 450 diners, under crystal chandeliers ~ surrounded by importeddark Russian wood paneling. While enjoying lunch, the dinerhad an up-close view of the 45-foot tall Christmas tree with over 1,000ornaments in the center of the dining room.

Walnut Room at Christmas time

45 foot Christmas tree in the Walnut Room

Actually, Marshall Field’s is creditedwith the tea room concept. Back in the 1800’s, ladies shopping in the city hadto return home for lunch, as being unescorted by a gentleman was frowned uponand not ladylike. One day, a MarshallField’s clerk shared her chicken pot pie lunch with a tired shopper; providingMarshall Field’s the concept of opening a lunch/tea room. Hence, the Walnut Room opened in 1907,allowing ladies to shop and enjoy lunch with friends; a place for ladies tosocialize. That chicken pot pie became “Mrs.Herring’s Pot Pie” and is still served there today filled with tender whitemeat chicken, peas and carrots in veloute sauce, hidden just below a thick puffpastry!

On the menu, in later times, you would see Peach Nest,the famous chicken salad in a nest of shoestring potatoes, withpeaches, grapes,strawberries, and a trio of bread ~ plus, coconut shrimp,skewered to a chunk of pineapple and dipped into sesame-mango andchipotle-cream sauces. Also, Spinach Ricotta Ravioli, with asparagus, smoked tomatoes, garlic,basil, Parmesan cheese and chili flakes, in a light roasted yellow pepper sauce.Then, to topoff the meal: a dessert of anotherChicago classic ~ the Frango mint chocolate ice cream pie! Heavenly!!!

I could go on and on, but seeing thisrecipe for Cherry Muffins brought back great memories of the most magnificentstore you could imagine and there are still rallies occasionallyto bring back the old Marshall Field’s! That would be dreams come true for thousandsof shoppers, including me!

RIP, Marshall Field’s!

Back to the muffinrecipe: Even though the fresh tartcherry season is over here, this recipe adapts well to frozen or cannedcherries. The muffins are moist andflavorful with the cherries, cinnamon and cloves blended together.

This is a deliciousfruity muffin to enjoy with your morning cup of coffee, for afternoon tea time ora tasty treat any time of the day. I hope you bake them!

All ready for baking

Cherry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 stick (½-cup) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups fresh or frozen pitted sour cherries

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and clove;set aside.

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speeduntil light and fluffy; beat in egg until smooth.

Reduce mixer speed to medium-low.

Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and the buttermilk tobatter, beating just until combined.

Fold in the cherries.

Fill lined muffin tin three-quarters full with batter.

Bake until a tester tests clean, about 35 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.

Yield: 12 muffins

Love these cherry muffins!

Go visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for excellent tips andrecipes. She’s having a great giveaway now!!!

Mexican Lasagna

2012-01-16T08:47:00.000-06:00

I never thought of theword “lasagna” in Mexican cuisine but, the word fits this recipe perfectly!

Technically, we allknow lasagna is a wide flat type of pasta used in the Italian lasagna we alllike ~ the baked casserole composed of layers. However; in this delicious south-of-the-border dish, flour tortillasreplace the traditional pasta. Unfortunately,I don’t know what magazine I clipped and then adapted this recipe from.

The tortilla shellsare stacked between layers of enchilada sauce, Spanish rice, corn and creamypungent cheese. There is a plethora of waysto make this; instead of ground beef, try ground turkey or chicken; refriedbeans instead of the corn, and add the seasonings that you like. That’s the beauty of this Mexican lasagna ~whatever your taste buds crave will most likely work!

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (10-ounces each) enchilada sauce

1 (11-ounce) can shoepeg corn, drained

1 tablespoon Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 package (8.8-ounce) ready-to-serve Spanish rice

10 flour tortillas, warmed and quartered

4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Toppings, if desired: shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, taco sauce

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, brown beef, onion and garlic overmedium heat until meat is cooked through; drain well.

Stir in enchilada sauce.

Add corn and combine.

Blend in chili powders, oregano and cayenne pepper.

Heat rice according to package directions.

Into a greased 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish, spread about1 cup of meat mixture, enough to sparsely cover bottom of dish.

Place into dish, enough quartered tortilla shells tocover meat mixture.

Layer a third of the rice.

Layer a third of the meat mixture.

Layer a third of the cheese.

Repeat layers.

Top with the remaining tortillas, rice and meat mixture(dish will be full).

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer, until cheese ismelted.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with your choice of toppings.

8-10 servings

As you can envisage, it is a filling dishfor a hungry family and friends too.

Be sure to visitmy friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.

Oven-fried Catfish with a Giveaway Winner

2012-01-13T09:56:00.002-06:00

Ummmm! Crunchy cornmeal-crusted fried catfish,piping hot hushpuppies and zesty coleslaw! Ah!!! Who could resist thatmeal? This falls into that category offavorite meals that I love to eat, but do not make any more because of the mess,the bother, and mainly because of the high fat content of deep frying.

These days, I clean upthat greasy mess by making this oven-fried catfish. Farm-raised catfish has a mild taste and is nutritious. When “fried” in the oven, it stays lean andgets crisp from the cornmeal coating.

This is “guiltless” “fried”catfish at its best and I hope you give it a try to find out for yourself! It’s really GOOD!

Oven-fried Catfish

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1½ pounds catfish filets

½ cup cornmeal

½ cup flour

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

½ cup buttermilk

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a baking pan with the oil and set aside.

In a shallow bowl, combine cornmeal and next 6 ingredients.

Pour buttermilk into a shallow bowl.

Dip filets in the buttermilk.

Dredge filets in the cornmeal and flour mixture.

Arrange on baking pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Turn once during baking.

Serve with tartar sauce or hot sauce.

ENJOY!

Now, on to the winner of the My Memories giveaway:

Thanks so much to all of you whoentered the contest! To select the winner, I used Random.Org and:

The winner is:

Glenda @Gg-notes on the journey

Here’s the gist of Glenda’s great blog, in her words: apractical blog with stories, pictures, lessons and recipes from my life as aChristian woman. Give her a visit!

Congratulations, Glenda and have fun playing with MyMemories!

Please email me at mzpst.net for your My Memories software.

And, visitmy friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for excellent tips andrecipes. She’s having a great giveaway now also!!!

Here's wishing each of you a wonderful weekend! It’s all of 18 degrees here now, wind chill 3degrees ~ we just finished shoveling 5” of snow and the sun is starting toshine!

Chicken Kapama ~ Greek Chicken Stew

2012-01-10T10:36:00.000-06:00

I fell under a Greekspell for the first time, many years ago, at Greek Islands restaurant on Halsted Street in Chicago. Think Greek ~ you know ~ azure blue sky,turquoise sea, the warmth of sunshine on pure white buildings; and the FOOD; GreekCuisine: moussaka, gigantes, melitzana ima,baklava, saganaki, dolmathes, skewered kabobs and now kapama.

Stewed chicken or “kotopoulokapama” is a colorful, hearty dish that can be made on the stove-top or in aslow cooker. The dish consists of chicken combined with plenty of tomatoes,garlic, onions and lemon juice. Adding pungentcinnamon, gives depth to the succulent stew, enlivening the flavors. You can guess what the benefit of this simmeringpot is ~ it’s the fragrant spicy aroma wafting through the air in your kitchen!

This dish is aheart-healthy chicken dish that is low in calories, fat and cholesterol. Serve the stew piping hot over orzo or pastawith a tossed green salad on the side. Thebonus is that Chicken Kapama can be made a day ahead and will taste as good, ifnot better. Just be sure to have somecrusty bread on the side to sop up all the sauce!

Chicken Kapama

Ingredients:

3pounds chicken pieces

1teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

3tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil

3cloves garlic, chopped

1small onion, chopped

2cups tomatoes, crushed

3tablespoons tomato paste

1teaspoon sugar

½cup water
Juice of 1 lemon (3-4 tablespoons)

Method:

Combine salt, pepper and cinnamon and dredge chicken.

Place olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add garlic and onion and cook for a minute. Remove and set aside.

Brown chicken on all sides in Dutch oven.

Return garlic and onions to Dutch oven.

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, water and lemonjuice.

Pour mixture over chicken.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

Cook covered for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Serve chicken and sauce over orzo, rice, noodles or spaghetti.

ENJOY!!!

Please take a minute to look at the giveaway Iposted on January 5^th! There is a discount code for purchasingthe software and you can enter the contest for a chance to win the creative,fun software!

Visitmy friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for excellent tipsand recipes. She’s having a great give away now also!!!

Robust Beef Tenderloin Tips

2012-01-06T09:10:00.000-06:00

I love beef and amalways on the lookout for recipes using a cut that is lower in fat.

Beef tenderlointips are perfect for that. From filetmignon, the cut tapers at one end down the tenderloin. It’s too small for nice steaks so is cut into“tips” which are used in stir fries, stews and so forth; rendering a cut thatis much less costly than filets. Nutritionally,tenderloin tips are high in protein, moderately low in fat, and a source ofgreat flavor.

Like the filets, the cut takes well toquick methods of cooking. Thisrecipe has some of my favorite ingredients ~ beef, mushrooms,garlic and tomatoes with a little bourbon to round out the flavors. The demi-glace is savory delicious and I hopeyou try this and like it as much as we do!

Robust BeefTenderloin Tips

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef tenderloin tips

1 tablespoon butter

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

½ cup dry red wine

½ cup Jim Beam bourbon

1 (14-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

2 teaspoons sugar

Method:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add garlic, onions and mushrooms and cook until mushroomshave released their juices and onions are tender.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Add beef tips to skillet and cook quickly until browned.

Season with salt and pepper.

Remove meat to side with the mushrooms.

Scrape bottom of skillet.

Deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits, andadd wine and bourbon.

Allow mixture to boil for a minute or two.

Add tomatoes and sugar and stir well.

Place meat and mushrooms into skillet and combine all.

Turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a tossed salad.

Delicious!!!

Please take a minute to look at the giveaway I posted onJanuary 5^th! There is adiscount code for purchasing the software and you can enter the contest for a chanceto win the creative, fun software!

Visit my friend,Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for excellent tips andrecipes. She’s having a great give away now also!!!

It’s a My Memories v3 Giveaway for You!

2012-01-05T08:36:00.001-06:00

I’ve been a little busy lately! Let me tell you what I got hooked on…

Yes, My Memories Suite, and you can too ~~~ get hooked on it! If you’re like me, and spend a lot of time cooking andbaking, you don’t have time to get out the scissors and cut and paste littlepieces of paper together to make things look creative and pretty.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to try this fantastic digital software when it was offered to me ~ it just about does it all for you with a click and looks pretty cool too! This digital scrapbooking software is incredibly easy to use and the options are endless with the design elements and fonts. You can even add a video or music to your digital creation!

Here's one of the pages I made of food pics from this blog...

So, here’s the deal to get youstarted: Use this Share the Memoriescode: STMMMS57252 and go to: My Memories Suite for your $10 discount off the purchase of the MyMemories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the My Memories.com store - $20 value!

You will be glad to know that his software isn’t just forscrapbooking. Maybe you want a badge foryour blog, maybe name tags for gifts, or perhaps postcards; maybe greetingcards, or to add your photos to calendars or to update your images on your blogas well as Facebook. My Memories Suiteoffers a huge supply of background papers and templates. You won’t believe how easy it is to use andit’s affordable too!

Here's another one I made of about our fave place on earth...

But, if a printed scrapbook is your cup of tea, you canprint the pages yourself at home and assemble a traditional scrapbook or evenhave a professionally printed and bound album by using My Memories Suites1-click share option. Then you will havea valued memento for your family and friends!

Here’s a really great thing for all of you: My Memories has kindly allowed me to host a giveaway offering you one free downloadof their software!

Here are the giveawayrules:

F Leave a comment telling meyou are a follower through Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs or Facebook.

F Go to My Memories and find your favorite layout or paper pack andreturn here and leave a comment telling me which one it is.

F For an extra entry, if youfollow Pam’s Midwest Kitchen Korner with all 3: Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs and Facebook, tell me in anothercomment. If you don’t, what’s holding youback? Just kidding!

This giveaway is open through midnight, CST, Thursday, January12, 2012.

The drawing will be by a random number generator on Friday, January 13, 2012.

Good luck and I hope you win!

Visitmy friend, Linda’s blog @MyKind of Cooking for great tips and recipes. She’s having agreat give away now also!!!

Happy New Year to YOU!

2011-12-26T10:44:00.000-06:00

May you all have a

fantastic 2012 that is filled with:

Good Health

Joy

Success

and

Peace!

Happy New Year!!!

Cheers,

Cranberry-Maple Syrup and Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T17:31:00.000-06:00

Your pancakes will reallybe perfect on Christmas morning when drizzled with this mouthwateringcranberry-maple syrup!

This syrup is a crossbetween a colorful jam and viscous syrup. Crushed cranberries provide an interesting texture with a tart flavor,mingling with the sweet sticky maple syrup. Four ingredients are all it takes. Cook the cranberries in the maple syrup, until they pop, then crush thecranberries with a potato masher. The aroma as it cooks is mouthwatering.

I saw this recipesomewhere on the internet a while back, but don’t remember where. It’s a great recipe ~ so try topping yourwaffles or pancakes with this fruity syrup!

Cranberry-Maple Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup fresh cranberries

½ teaspoon orange zest

1 tablespoon butter

Method:

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring syrup, cranberriesand orange zest to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer, until the cranberries have popped,about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and crush cranberries with a potato masheror spoon.

Add butter and stir until dissolved.

Serve warm

Keeps well refrigerated in a covered container.

By the way, it makes a great little homemade gift for your family andfriends!

Here’s wishing all of you and your loved ones ablessed Merry Christmas!

A little smile

A word of cheer

A bit of love from someone near,

A little gift from one held dear,

Best wishes for the coming year…

These make a Merry Christmas!

John Greenleaf Whittier

Hugs to you all,

Pam

Be sure to visit my friend,Linda’s blog @My Kind ofCooking for great tips and recipes.

Fried Apples My Way

2011-12-19T09:36:00.000-06:00

Oooops! Forgot to take pic after cooking!

There is a bushelfull of theories about the origin of apples, but we all remember the story of JohnChapman, or Johnny Appleseed as the legend goes, who was born in Springfield,Massachusetts in 1774 and died in Ft. Wayne, Indiana in March, 1845.

He was liked forhis kind, generous ways and for planting apple seeds along his travels aroundthe country ~ over a 50 year period, buying and selling land and developingthousands of productive apple trees. Hisdream was to produce so many apples that no one would ever go hungry.

Johnny Appleseed, postcard, 1972

I’ve always been crazyabout apples ~ especially, baked apples, until I made fried apples; they’reeven better! Fried apples are not quiteapple pie but a close second. Perhaps,most folks think of fried apples as a dessert; but in my mind, it's aside dish. This is a simple,seasonal food that is packed with flavor.

Cook the applesjust until they are fork tender. Theycan quickly surrender and turn to mush, so watch them closely. It’s as easy as apple pie!

Fried Apples

Ingredients:

4 apples: 2 Granny Smithand 2 Honeycrisp

½ teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar (I use Splenda)

Dash salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

Method:

Melt butter in skillet.

Drizzle lemon juice over apples.

Cover and cook about 15-20 minutes or until tender. (Watch closely; they can turn to mushquickly).

Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, and toss.

Serve warm or room temperature, maybe with a dollop ofwhipped cream.

Be sure to take time to check out my friend, Linda’s,great blog @ My Kind of Cooking for helpfultips and yummy recipes.

Mom’s Spinach Cakes and Dad’s Gardening

2011-12-16T07:35:00.001-06:00

Mom must’ve reallyliked spinach as there are quite a few spinach recipes in her recipe box, but Idon’t remember it being served much at suppertime when I was a kid.

Surely, she servedit though, because Dad was one for eating healthy vegetables, especially darkgreen ones, and he had several large gardens to provide them. Dad loved trying something new ~ different varietiesof vegetables in his gardens and had quite the compost piles too. Have you ever seen steam rising from acooking pile of compost?

Anyway, when I cameacross this spinach recipe of Mom’s, I had to try it. It contains one teaspoon of Accent----what is it and do they evenmake it anymore? Wait until you see whatelse is in the recipe ~ I’m sure it’s a recipe that Paula Deen wouldendorse. It’s filled with BUTTER!!! That’s the way it was back then---butter wasa wonderful thing and it still is for me, but to a lesser degree.

Mom formed them into cakes; I cut back onthe butter and form them into balls. They’re great for a side dish and as an appetizer also during this timeof year. What’s more, they can be prepared and frozen a week or two in advance tominimize holiday preparations. Theselittle spinach bundles are delicious; no matter if they’re balls or cakes!

Here’s Mom’s recipe:

Mom’s SpinachCakes

Ingredients:

1 pound chopped spinach, cooked and drained

2 cups Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix

1 onion, chopped

1¼ sticks butter, melted

½ cup Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Accent (I omitted it because I don’t even knowwhat it is!)

Method:

Slightly cook spinach and drain well.

Mix all ingredients together.

Take up mixture with an ice cream scoop (I used my handsto form the mixture) and round into patties. (I kept them in a ball shape.)

Put on cookie sheet and place in refrigerator until readyto bake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

These may be made ahead and frozen. If solidly frozen, allow a little longer tobaking time.

Makes 8-10 spinach cakes or balls

It’s a tasty way to eat your spinach!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind ofCooking for great tips and recipes.

Corn-in-a-cup From Stephen’s Unorthodox Cookbook

2011-12-14T09:33:00.000-06:00

Wednesday morning Haiku for you…

claims he eats like wren

while cooks spam from can superb

and that’s no bird seed!

Before Google

After Google

I’m a little late withthis, and had intended on posting it in November but; if you follow my blog,you will remember it was a hectic time at our house then.

Stephen was inspiredto make corn-in-a-cup after having it at Jack-n-Grill in Denver. I love corn and the name intrigued me, andthen I realized that he really didn’t give measurements or directions forit. I took the plunge, anyway, and whipped thedish together quickly and snapped a couple of photos. How hard could cooking it be? A cup of corn, some chile powder, hot sauceand parmesan, easy, easy and actually, pretty good.

Then, I had secondthoughts about it:

If you’re acquaintedwith Stephen’s blog, The Obsessive Chef, you’re aware of his colorful, entertaining writing and his cookbook is nodifferent. “Unorthodox” is the word thatcomes to mind! I agree with Stephenthough, it’s good to “think outside the box” when cooking and exactmeasurements aren’t needed most of the time, unless you are dealing with bakedgoods.

What I’m trying to sayis --- this is not your standard cookbook! Stephen is a little long-winded and rants too; for example: about the proper temperature for cooked pork. He stated a blogger roasted herb-crusted porkloin to 165 degrees. I am “old school”with my mother and Grandma lecturing me about cooking pork until no longer pink(Beware the danger of trichinosis ruining your intestines!) Since that’s actually no longer a danger,Stephen says, the FDA lowered the temperature to 145 degrees. I eat beef, as in a roast like prime rib, andhamburgers, and all steaks only until “warm” with the “bloody red juices”flowing; however, on the packaging for the pork loin roasts I buy, it says cookuntil thermometer reaches 160, which is what I do; we refuse to eat “pink” porkin this house.

Now, back to the cornand my second thoughts; I decided to Google “Jack-n-Grill” for the recipe. The photo of it there looked nothing like myfirst attempt, so I made it again with the parmesan cheese sprinkled over thetop, as in their photo. It really madelittle difference taste wise, other than a tad more parmesan flavor, but Iliked the texture better as the cheese wasn’t thoroughly melted in the corn. In the end, Stephen’s right ~ cook it yourway; experiment and have fun cooking!

Anyway,I think Stephen is a unique individual ~ he makes me laugh and sometimes he ticksme off too! That’s what’s so great about him, you just neverknow! You may not agree with everythinghe says, but you will have many laughs and maybe a rant or two yourself, if youread the Obsessive Chef’s cookbook, ACook’s Book for Cooks. It’s filled with delicious creativerecipes like this corn dish and like thislima bean dish and it may, or may not have a list of ingredientswith exact measurements!

Here’s Stephen’s cornrecipe:

Corn-in-a cup

You will need (per serving):

1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels or 1 cup canned, drainedand rinsed corn kernels

1 Tbs butter

Hot sauce to taste

Chile powder to taste

Salt to taste

Parmesan cheese to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the corn. Add the other ingredients and heatthrough. The corn doesn’t really need tobe “cooked,” just made hot.

I’ve been a “bloggerfriend” of Stephen’s for a long while so, believe me, you will be entertainedwith his remarkable cookbook ~ his wit and his “spicy” outlook on cooking and lifein general!

And try this corn ~ it’s great!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for greattips, recipes.

Crispy Sesame Chicken

2011-12-12T09:12:00.001-06:00

Sesame seeds onoven-fried chicken? Crispy chicken withouta grease-filled iron skillet?

This recipe got myattention, when I saw it in my America’s Best Recipes cookbook, and Ihad to try it! The recipe includes gratedParmesan cheese and dry breadcrumbs, along with sesame seeds for thebreading. Use skinless chicken and it’seven healthier.

I can tell you thischicken ROCKED! It turned out very crispy and juicy andsmacked of good flavors. Just try it ---I bet you will think so also!

Crispy SesameChicken

Ingredients:

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon pepper

1 (3 to 3½-pound) fryer chicken, cut up, skinless

¼ cup butter, melted

Method:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and stirwell.

Dip chicken in butter.

Dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

4-6 servings

Yum! Tender and crispy too!

Be sure to visitmy friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.

Baked Salmon with Mushrooms and Garlic

2011-12-09T08:29:00.001-06:00

I really likesalmon ~ whether it’s straight out of the can or fresh and grilled orbaked. But, I’ve never combined it withmushrooms until now and it definitely won’t be the last time.

The origin of therecipe is a mystery to me; one of those in my “must try” file. Whatever, it’s delicious! The blend of ingredients compliments thesalmon excellently. It’s a tasty salmondish that goes great with a helping of rice and broccoli, for a good side dish!

Baked Salmon withMushrooms and Garlic

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 pound salmon filets

Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs

¼ cup onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons finely minced parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon wedges for garnish, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place mushrooms in baking dish that is sprayed with acooking spray.

Salt and pepper salmon filets and layer over mushrooms.

Combine breadcrumbs, onion, garlic and parsley.

Sprinkle over filets.

Stir together olive oil and lemon juice.

Slowly drizzle over filets.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until tender and breadcrumbsare lightly browned.

Remove filets to serving platter and spoon mushrooms overthe top.

Serve with lemon wedges.

I hope you try this and like it as much as Ido!

Take time tocheck out my friend, Linda, and her great blog @ My Kind of Cooking for helpful tips and yummy recipes!

WOO HOO!!! I’m Soooo Happy to Be Back!

2011-12-05T07:45:00.001-06:00

I’ve missed all of you, and thought of you often! I have been on the internet very little sincelate October and here is the reason why…

Close to dinner time on October 25^th, Bill toldme to call the paramedics because he was having difficulty breathing. During his hospital stays, he had severallung and heart procedures; was diagnosed with pericarditis, resulting inpericardial window surgery. He is verythankful as well as happy ~ and I am too ~ to say that all test results weregood and he is recovering well. I knew 4days ago he was returning to his usual self when his sense of humor returned!

And now that I’m back, I’ve got a tasty Chicken Marsala recipefor you. I really like Italian dishes, andthe depth of flavor in this one will surely have you repeating the recipe manytimes. This is a lighter version of ChickenMarsala, without the usual ingredients of butter, flour and cream.

It’s a simple Marsala sauce: reducing Marsala wine to a thin syrup with mushrooms and braising thechicken breasts in the sauce for a delicious savory dish. It’s a fairly quick dish that is tender andfilled with flavor! I hope you try it!

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound mushrooms, fresh, sliced

2 teaspoons garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon oregano

¾ cup Marsala wine

¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth or water

2 teaspoons chicken base, low-sodium

Method:

Heat oil in skillet.

Place chicken in skillet and brown on both sides.

Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Add mushrooms, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano.

Sauté for 3 minutes.

Add wine, broth and chicken base to skillet.

Stir well to blend.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet.

Spoon sauce over chicken.

Cover and cook until temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Pour mushrooms and sauce over chicken and serve withpasta, rice or garlic mashed potatoes.

ENJOY!!!

Take time to check out my friend, Linda, and her great blog @ My Kind of Cooking for helpfultips and yummy recipes!

I'm Taking a Break

2011-10-28T08:19:00.000-05:00

Due to family concerns, I will be taking a break for several weeks.

I will miss you but I will be looking at your blogs from time to time. Here's wishing you all the best.

Happy blogging and Happy Halloween!

Till later...
Pam

Best Lemon Pound Cake ~ I’m Telling You the Truth!

2011-10-24T09:53:00.000-05:00

See that red andwhite sign right under “Welcome” over to the right in the sidebar? That’s exactly what applies with this lemonpound cake!

On my September27^th post, I told you I would be baking the Lemon Pound Cake recipefrom the Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbookthat Bill had been yearning for. Ifinally got around to baking it and now I’m trying to figure out what took meso long…

You know howfoodies say, “I swear, it’s the best I’ve ever eaten?” Sometimes I try the recipe, sometimes I don’t. Everyone’s taste is different and you just neverknow; however, I can honestly say, “thisLemon Pound Cake is the best pound cake I have ever eaten in my life.” And Bill echoes the same. NO LIE!!! It is outstanding!!!

Here’s whatKathleen King, the owner and founder of Tate’s Bake Shop, says about her cake, “Thelemon flavor really comes through in my lemon pound cake. It keeps well and freezes well, and isexceptional on its own or with fresh berries and cream.”

Here’s what I sayabout it: Enjoy it on its own! If youlove lemon and love pound cake, you will fall hard for this one! It’s so good that after having a slice of it,I gave samples to family and neighbors, and had to lock the rest away to keepit out of my hands. It has a tantalizingtart/sweet thing going on ~ an amazing tangy lemon favor with just a little bitof sweetness! It is the absolute perfectcombo of ingredients and 4 days later, it was still as fresh as the first dayand then it was gone…

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients:

2¾ cups flour

½ teaspoon bakingsoda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsaltedbutter, softened to room temperature

2½ cups sugar

1 teaspoonvanilla

1 tablespoongrated lemon zest

5 large eggs atroom temperature

1 cup sour cream

½ cup fresh lemonjuice, from about 4 lemons

~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Preheat the ovento 350 degrees.

Prepare a 10-inchBundt pan with lots of pan spray and sprinkle it with granulated sugar. (Flour will leave an unattractive residue onthe cake.)

To make the cake:

In a medium bowl,combine the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large mixingbowl, cream the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy.

Add vanilla andlemon zest, mix them together.

Add eggs one at atime, mixing well after each addition.

Scrape down thesides of the bowl.

Mix sour creamand lemon juice together.

Add flour andsour cream mixture alternately, finishing with the flour.

Spoon batter intoprepared pan.

Bake for 1 houror until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in thecenter.

Lemon Glaze:

½ cup fresh lemonjuice, from about 4 lemons

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

To make the glaze:

Mix allingredients in a small saucepan and stir.

Cook over lowheat without stirring till the sugar dissolves.

Turn heat up tomedium and cook mixture until it becomes syrupy.

Don’t overcook itor the syrup will start to turn brown.

When the cake isbaked, cool it for 10 minutes in the baking pan and invert it onto aplate. (Place the plate against thebottom of the pan and turn it over.)

Slowly pour theglaze over the cake and let it cool.

Itis the best pound cake EVER and will be on my holiday dinner table!!!

Be sure tovisit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips andrecipes.

By the way, Ireceived no compensation for posting this. It’s just my opinion; it’s a wonderful cookbook with the best pound cakerecipe ever.

Crusty Cheddar Garlic Pepper Biscuits my Way

2011-10-21T08:22:00.000-05:00

Biscuits aren’tfancy but believe me, these biscuits are as about as flavorsome as you can imaginea biscuit would be ~ crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside. Over the years, I’ve tried many variations ofthis biscuit and never achieved a “great” crusty top layer until by accident recently. Here’s how it went:

Normally, in recipesfor cheese-garlic biscuits, the biscuits are baked and then brushed with thegarlic butter when they come out of the oven. But, one evening in a rush, I brushed them with the butter mixture whenI realized they needed more baking time ~ they just weren’t the golden brownthey should have been and I was afraid they may not be baked through on theinside. So back in the oven they wentand when they came out and I bit into one, Voila! I was shocked! They were a beautiful golden brown, tenderinside with a very crusty, cheesy, garlicky top!

We swore they werethe best! Make the batter, drop thebiscuits and bake a while. Pull them outof the oven; brush with a butter, garlic, pepper and parsley mixture. Then return the biscuits to the oven and bakefor another 5 minutes or so. They’re perfectlydelicious and you won’t be able to stop at one!

Cheddar GarlicPepper Biscuits

For biscuits:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons shortening

3 tablespoons butter, cold

1¼ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup buttermilk OR ½ cup sour cream whisked with ½ cupmilk

For basting:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley

Dash salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line withparchment paper.

Mix flour, baking powder, garlic powder and ½ teaspoonsalt in a medium bowl.

Cut in the shortening and cold butter into the flourmixture using a fork, pastry blender or your fingers until the dough resemblescoarse crumbs.

Mix in cheese.

Stir in buttermilk until just moistened. Do not overmix.

Drop dough onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper,about ¼ cup for each biscuit. Or, use akitchen tablespoon and heap it extra large.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Stir together melted butter, garlic powder, salt, pepperand parsley in a small bowl. With alight hand, brush over warm biscuits.

Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve immediately

Makes 12 biscuits

They are so crunchy delicious that they willbecome your “go-to” biscuits like they are mine!!!

Be sure to visitmy friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and recipes.

Crunchy Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia plus… a Surprise Visit from Fairy Hobmother

2011-10-19T08:45:00.000-05:00

I used to be leeryof eating fish way back when and only ate fresh bluegills that Dad and friendscaught at the lake. With time, I triedmore varieties. So, I was pleased to have my first tilapia experience at a restaurant with my boss and co-workers whenI was in the working world not so long ago. I saw tilapia on the menu but had never heard of it. I was curious and then thankfully someonebefore me ordered it. I was saved a lotof embarrassment as I would’ve definitely called it “till-up-eeee-uh!”

This dish isdelicious with a capital “D!” Thecrouton crumbs are crunchy to begin with and combining them with the cheese andcayenne pepper makes a perfect crunchy topping for the slightly firm flaky textureof the tilapia. It’s a quick dish toprepare that we really like. It’s awinner! And I hope you will try it andthink so also!

Crunchy ParmesanEncrusted Tilapia

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets

¾ cup finely crushed garlic-flavored croutons

4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons dried chopped chives

1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning, or to taste

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons each, olive oil and melted butter

Method:

Combine croutons, cheese, chives, chipotle seasoning and salt.

Set aside.

Coat tilapia fillets with butter and olive oil mixture onboth sides.

Lightly coat both sides of tilapia in the croutonmixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until tilapia isopaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.

ENJOY!

One thing I’m not leery of is the Fairy Hobmother ~ you’veprobably seen her sprinkling her fairy dust like crazy all over the web lately!

Recently, I left a comment on my friend Linda’s, My Kind of Cooking, great blog and soonafter, was happy to see the Fairy Hobmother’s dust had landed in my email ~ inthe form of an Amazon gift card for $25. The funny thing is, I had justbeen looking at Amazon, considering something I can’t tell you about now for aChristmas gift. So, Woo Hoo! I’ve started my Christmas shopping early fora change!

The Fairy Hobmother works at Appliances Online. Go there to view what they are currentlypromoting at competitive prices: the sleekBosch Logixx range of appliances. And, if you too would like a visit from theFairy Hobmother, simply leave a comment here on this post and you neverknow… Fairy Hobmother just might visityou with an Amazon gift card of an undetermined denomination!

Good Luck to you and thanks again, FairyHobmother, for your generosity!

Skillet Spaghetti Squash

2011-10-17T08:53:00.000-05:00

I don’t know aboutyou, but sometimes I think spaghetti squash is just a bit bizarre!

You cut it in half,remove the seeds and roast it in the oven. Then you pull it out and rake a fork across it. It ends up in a heap that somehow looks justlike spaghetti. I’m just saying…bizarre?

Bizarre or not, it’sdelicious in this dish. The original recipeis Paula Deen’s but since I’m a seasoned pepper addict, I added more of it andgarlic also. The spaghetti squash is combined with onionand bell pepper along with the seasonings. It’s good!

And since I don’twant to really diss spaghetti squash, I have to say it’s the most fun vegetableI’ve come across!

Skillet SpaghettiSquash

Adapted

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup diced onion

½ cup diced green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon salt

½-1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut squash in half.

Discard seeds and place on a baking sheet, cut side down.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Remove from oven and using the tines of a fork, scrapeflesh of squash to make strands and lay on a plate.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over mediumheat.

Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes untilvegetables are tender.

Remove from skillet and set aside.

Melt butter in skillet.

Add spaghetti squash strands.

Sprinkle with salt and seasoned pepper.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or untilsquash is slightly browned.

Sprinkle with onion mixture.

Serve immediately.

4-6 servings

I bet even your family member who hatessquash, will dig this!

Be sure to visitmy friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.

German Breslauer Steaks with Egg Noodles and a Fine Midwest Cookbook

2011-10-12T10:04:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh! Weflipped over this dish, big time! It wasa beautiful cool fall day yesterday and Bill was busy working up an appetite burningbrush in the back yard. Much later, hewas one happy man when I served him this incredibly delicious hearty dish fordinner. I was happy with it too! Woo hoo!

The other day, I had a great surprise when I read an email. Travis, at The Harvard Common Press, hadcontacted me and asked if I would like a review copy of Prairie Home Cooking by Judith Fertig. He explained as a way ofcelebrating a growing focus on regional American cooking, The Harvard CommonPress has re-jacketed its classic America Cooks series, including this cookbookby Fertig.

Travis further stated that Patricia Wells praised it as “pure inspiration.” That really drew me in as I’m a huge fan ofWells and have a lot of her cookbooks. Here’s what Patricia went on to say about the cookbook: “For those of us who grew up with cherrytrees and fresh raspberries, corn and tomatoes fresh from the garden, bushelsfull of peaches and apricots from the farmers’ market, and all those homemadelayer cakes, pies, and yeast rolls, Prairie Home Cooking is much morethan a nostalgic journey. It is pureinspiration, encouragement to head back into the kitchen and recreate the blissof our childhood."

Prairie Home Cooking is truly a great collection of tasty American Midwest recipes and is nosmall book. There is nothing fancy aboutit, no glossy food shots in color. But, it does contain a plethora of old-fashionedrecipes and new ones too, informative cooking tips and heartwarming, charmingstories about the people and places of the heartland; an area that has sadlybeen overlooked by both the east coast and west coast food writers.

Fertig’s cookbook is chock full of comfort food dishes;the ones just like my Grandma used to fill her table with. I’m a breakfast lover and by coincidence thatis the section I first opened the cookbook to ~ St. Louis Gooey ButterCoffeecake. That’s definitely a gooeySt. Louis standard and one of my favorites to bake and enjoy. Move on to Old Country Sour Cream Breakfast Crêpes,or how about Amish Friendship Pancakes slathered with melted butter and maplesyrup, or maybe a couple of spoonfuls of Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Fresh HerbBread Pudding or a savory Ohio breakfast of Smoked Turkey Hash.

Dinner would be mouthwatering with Old-FashionedPan-Fried Chicken with Gravy or Prairie-Style Hay-Smoked Grilled Steak; even FishSchnitzel or Bill’s favorite, Rich and Creamy Oyster Stew. And at last, on to dessert: a couple of dainty Thumbprint Cookies, aslice of Lemon Verbena Pound Cake with Lemonade Glaze, Blitz Torte, HoneyCustards with Warm Spiced Berries or one that sounds just like my favorite cakefrom childhood that Mom baked: BlackWalnut Applesauce Cake. YUM! The trick for me now is finding someonewanting to share a stash of black walnuts!

Judith Fertig

So, as you have probably surmised, this excellentcookbook of Ms. Fertig’s is just like the people of the Midwest ~ a melting pot; a beautifulmosaic of German, French, Polish, Dutch, Scandinavian, Italian, Czech, Russian,just to name a few heritages.

Whether you are: Froma farming family which produces harvests of crops for the “breadbasket” sectionof the country, a gardener with a green thumb, someone who is fond oflake-caught delicacies, or maybe a Michigan cherry lover like me, or a Spamlover like Bill, or if you’re someone who is curious about Midwest cooking andtraditions, or maybe you are just a person who likes to eat delicious robustand comforting food ~ this is the cookbook for you to peruse. As I’ve said a myriad of times (see mysidebar profile), “I have a weakness for cookbooks and read them like manywomen read a romance novel, always looking for new creations and interestingfacts.” Prairie Home Cooking is not only packed with delicious recipes thatwill excite your taste buds, it’s a good read!

There are so many outstanding recipes in Prairie Home Cooking that I will betrying, and posting for you in the future, with the following being the firstone I made: German Breslauer Steaks withEgg Noodles. I’ll let Judith Fertigdescribe it for you: “Brought bynorthern German immigrants to Iowa and Nebraska, this dish is a cousin of Swedishmeatballs; in both dishes, nutmeg flavors the meat among othersimilarities. Serve with a steamed greenvegetable or a simple green salad, either of which will provide a break fromthe heaviness of this dish.”

Believe me ~ this dish is mouthwatering delicious to say the least and thecookbook is a wonderful thing. I’m not sayingthis just because Travis kindly offered the cookbook to me: anyone who knows me, knows I am not afraid tovoice my opinion and my opinion is exactly what I think. You should be adding Prairie Home Cooking to your collection soon! For me, it’s like my new best friend!

Enough said for now! Here’s the recipe:

German BreslauerSteaks with Egg Noodles

Ingredients:

1 recipe Homemade Egg Noodles (page 259), or 12 ouncespackaged egg noodles

1 pound ground veal

1 pound ground pork

3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

1/3 cup minced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ pound mushrooms, sliced thin

¾ cup chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Method:

If you are using homemade noodles, prepare them up to thepoint at which they are ready to be cooked.

Mix together the veal, pork, chives, onion, salt, pepperand nutmeg in a bowl.

Shape the mixture into 4 large or 6 medium patties.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Pan-fry the patties for about 5 minutes on each side, or untilthey are cooked through. (cut to thecenter of a patty with a knife to see that there is no pinkness left in themeat).

Transfer the patties to a plate.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the drippings left inthe pan.

Add the mushrooms, and sauté them until they begin tobrown and give off their juices, about 5 minutes.

Add the stock and cream, bring to a boil, reduce the heatto a simmer, transfer the steaks back to the pan and simmer gently, uncovered,for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles in a pot of boilingwater, according either to the recipe for homemade noodles or to the packagedirections.

Drain them in a colander, run them under cold water for afew seconds, and transfer them to individual plates.

Top with the steaks, spoon the mushroom sauce over all,garnish with parsley and serve.

ENJOY!!!

Excellent explains it all! Thank you again, Trevor and The HarvardCommon Press and Judith Fertig for a fine cookbook!

Marinated BBQ Pork Chops

2011-10-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a goodweekend and enjoyed the warm weather like we did. Our yard is now being blanketed with leavesand we've been having exceptionally nice weather for the last week ~ weather likewe should’ve had in June! It’s absolutelygorgeous out there this fall with all the different colors of leaves on thetrees.

But now for the reason ofthis post: saucy pork chops. We really like pork chops and I prefer minethick and juicy; saucy and tender. Porkis leaner and healthier than it used to be but may not contain enough fat to remainsucculent ~ this is when marinating comes to the rescue. This is a simple marinade that is not toosweet. It’s easy to make withingredients you most likely have on hand.

This BBQ marinade makessome sticky and delicious chops. I betyour palate will fall in love with these saucy chops!

Marinated BBQ PorkChops

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup cider vinegar

½ cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon celery seed

4 (6-ounce) pork chops

Method:

Stir together first 10 ingredients and mix well.

Place pork chops in a plastic bag and spread sauce over allsides.

Marinate in refrigerator for1 hour or overnight.

Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Drain and reserve marinade.

Place chops in skillet and brown on both sides.

Add reserved marinade.

Cover pan and simmer on low heat until chops are cookedthrough, about 30 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit myfriend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips,recipes.

Cube Steak with Diced Tomatoes and Mushrooms

2011-10-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

Once in a blue moon,we like cube steaks and I wanted them prepared some way other than being smotheredin gravy ~ you know: chicken friedsteak. That’s when Rotel tomatoes with green chiles came on the scene.

First, here’s a littleRotel tomato trivia:

Carl Roettele, a Texanand a vegetable packer in the 1940’s, started canning his own version oftomatoes, green chiles and spices. Hedecided on the name “Ro*tel” as he thought no one would ever be able toremember or pronounce his real name if printed on the label.

Mr. Roettele’s tomatoeswere an instant hit; appearing on supper tables all over Texas and by 1956 hadspread to supper tables in Arkansas and Oklahoma. In1992, American Home Food Products bought the Roettele family’s business and tenyears later; in 2002, Con Agra became the owner of Rotel tomatoes. It’s still the same product as when Carlstarted production of it and if you’ve never tried it, it’s the perfectingredient to include in a recipe like this one. It gives the cube steak and mushrooms azesty, spicy tomato flavor.

See if this doesn’tbecome a family favorite in your house!

Cube Steak with DicedTomatoes and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Canola oil

4 beef cube steaks

¼ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 (10-ounces) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 onion, chopped

1 pound sliced mushrooms

1 cup water

1 tablespoon corn starch

Method:

Pour oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.

On a plate, combine flour salt and pepper.

Dredge meat in flour mixture.

Brown cube steaks for a minute or two on each side.

Transfer meat to a plate and set aside.

Add tomatoes, onions and mushrooms to skillet and cook untilonion is tender, about 2-3 minutes.

Add corn starch to the water and pour into tomato mushroommixture in skillet.

Bring to a boil for a minute, stirring constantly.

Lower heat to medium-low.

Return cube steaks to the skillet, top with the sauce andcover with a lid.

Simmer until meat is tender and sauce thickens, about 20minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.

It’s quick, it’s good and it’s easy!

Besure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips,recipes.

P.S. I'm not "pushing" Rotel; just my opinion.

Roasted Italian Sausages with Grapes

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

I always knew good thingscome from Ohio (I did, tee hee!). I cameacross this recipe in the little cookbook Farm and Foods of Ohio by MarilouSuszko and have also seen many variations of it over the internet. Ina Garten even cooked it on the “BarefootContessa.”

Italian sausages; hot orsweet, are delicious things ~ combine them with some luscious grapes and youhave a mouthwatering dish. The grapespop and burst their sweet juices as they cook slowly scattered around thesausages. The sauce is excellent, butthere’s just not enough of it so I doubled it and it could even betripled. I mixed red and green grapes ~don’t bother; you won’t be able to differentiate the colors or taste aftercooking.

This is a delicious dishthat I’m glad I finally tried and you should try it too! It contains the simplest of ingredients whichyields the most amazing flavor you can imagine!

Hot and Sweet

Roasted Italian Sausageswith Grapes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds hot Italian sausage
1-1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-1/2 pounds red or green seedless grapes, stemmed (6 to 7 cups)

8 tablespoons dry red wine

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

Prick the sausages with a fork and add them to the boilingwater.

Boil gently for 8 minutes and drain. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large roasting pan over low heat.

Add the grapes to the pan and toss to coat them with thebutter.

With tongs, transfer the parboiled sausages to the pan and pushthem down into the grapes so that the sausages will not brown too quickly.

Roast the sausages and grapes in the preheated oven, turning the sausages once,until the grapes are soft and the sausages have browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausages and grapes to aheated serving platter.

Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over a medium-high flame and add thebalsamic vinegar. Stir to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the panand cook the vinegar and juices until they are thick and syrupy.

Pour the sauce over the sausages and grapes and serve immediately, accompaniedwith mashed potatoes.

This is unique and delicious!!! A keeper!!!

Be sure to visit myfriend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and recipes.

The Tate's Bake Shop Winner Is...

2011-10-03T08:33:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to all of you who entered the contest! To select the winner, I used Random.Org and:

The winner of the Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway is....

Kim @The Ungourmet

Be sure to visit her "yummy" blog ~ she definitely knows her way around the kitchen!

Kim, please email me at mzpst@att.net and the wonderful Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook and 3 bags of Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies will be yours!

Smoky Beef and Hominy Stew

2011-09-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

I remember Mom serving hominy occasionally in a stew whenI was young. I haven’t eaten or thought about it since then,until I saw it included in a recipe in Family Circle magazine. I showed Bill the recipe and asked if heliked hominy ~ he didn’t really know anything about it but said he was willing totry it if I cooked it.

If you’re not familiar with hominy either, it’s driedcorn kernels with the hull and germ removed. This is done through a process called nixtamalization, which is a procedureof treating corn kernels with an alkaline solution to remove the hull and thegerm. It is said that this process makes hominy more flavorful and aromaticwith superior nutrition.

Supposedly, hominy has been used by the Native Americansfor a very long time. In fact, the history of hominy has been traced back to 1200BC. It is said that the process of nixtamalization originated during thatperiod, in some parts of Mexico and Guatemala. Today, hominy is popularthroughout the United States, especially in the South.

Hominy is tenderer than corn with a much creamiertexture. Stir it into hearty stews orchili instead of the traditional beans. Ifollowed the list of ingredients, except for omitting 3 tablespoons of choppedcilantro and I cooked it in a slow cooker instead of in a Dutch oven on thestovetop. If you haven’t enjoyed hominy before, try this!

Photo: Huffpost Food
Yellow and white hominy draining

Spicy Beef and Hominy Stew

Adapted slightly

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons flour

1 to 1½ teaspoons chipotle chile powder, depending ontaste

1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes

¾ teaspoon dried oregano

2 cans (15-ounces each) hominy, rinsed and drained

1 pound carrots, sliced

1 large green pepper, chopped

4½ cups cooked rice (1½ cups uncooked)

Method:

In a shallow dish, whisk flour and chile powder.

Coat beef with flour mixture; reserve unused flour.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

Add beef and cook, turning, until all sides are browned.

Add all of remaining ingredients, except rice, into slowcooker.

Stir in beef and combine well.

Cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Serve with cooked rice.

Please visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind ofCooking for great tips, recipes.

Be sure to enter my Tate’s Bake Shop Giveaway if you haven’t already.

A Tasty Tate’s Bake Shop Giveaway Just for You!

2011-09-27T09:08:00.000-05:00

Cookielovers rejoice, I have a scrumptious cookie to tell you about!

You may recall that the first Tate’s Bake Shop giveaway on my blog was last December and now I’m honored to say that Denielle from Tate’sBake Shop just offered me another of their super giveaways for all of youwonderful readers out there!

Tate's Bake Shop, Southampton, NY

Kathleen King, owner and founder Tate's Bake Shop

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better - Kathleen King,owner and founder of Tate’s Bake Shop, located in Southampton, NY, created herWhole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie. In fact, it is so delicious that it won ~ GOLD ~ in the Cookie categoryin the 2011 sofi™ Awards, presented at the Fancy Food Show (known as theOscars® of the specialty food industry) in Washington, DC.

Yum! My new fave cookie! Tate's Bake Shop Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip!

So, I was thrilled when the 3 bags of Whole Wheat Dark ChocolateChip Cookies arrived on my doorstep! Sophisticatedand delicious fits them perfectly! Thecookies are like the original Tate’s Chocolate Chip variety ~ thin and crispy ~but incorporate whole wheat flour and sinfully rich, dark chocolate chips. The result is an incredible deep, full-bodiedtaste packed with healthy whole grain, tempting both healthy cookie aficionadosand chocolate lovers also. These cookiesamazed both Bill and I ~ they are exceptionally delicious and you will notbelieve that something this heavenly can come out of a bag!

Now for the fantastic giveaway - here’s what Kathleen and Tate’sBake Shop have for you if you are the lucky winner: 3 bags of the Whole Wheat Dark ChocolateChip cookies and a copy of The Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook, signed byKathleen King with the foreword written by Ina Garten of the “Barefoot Contessa”fame.

I love, love The Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook! It’schock full of tantalizing recipes, such as: Mocha Pecan Muffins, Pear Crisp, Sweet Potato Pie, Cranberry Crumb Cake,Tres Leches Cake, Multigrain Muffins, Crème de menthe Pie, Persimmon Cookies, Orange and OatChewies and Lemon Pound Cake which to Bill’s delight, I will be baking soon. Watch my blog for that in the next week ortwo.

If you want to be thelucky winner of the 3 bags of Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies and TheTate’s Bake Shop Cookbook, here are the contest rules offering you 6chances to win:

1. Leave acomment on this post telling me you are a follower of Pam’s Midwest Kitchen Korner through Google Friend Connect (on the side bar of this blog) and tell me what your favorite Halloween costumer was/is.

2. Like Pam’s Midwest Kitchen Korner on Facebook (on sidebar of this blog) andleave me a separate comment telling me you’ve done this.

3. Follow Pam’s Midwest Kitchen Korner on the Facebook Networked Blogs (on sidebar ofthis blog) and leave me a separate comment telling me you’ve done so.

4. Follow Pam’s Midwest Kitchen Korner on Google+ (on sidebar of this blog) andleave me a separate comment telling me you done so.

5. Like Tate’s Bake Shop on Facebook and leave me a separate comment saying you’ve done this.

6. Follow Tate’s Bake Shop on Twitter andleave me a separate comment saying you’ve done this.

7. Thisgiveaway is open only to U. S. residents.

8. ThisTate’s Bake Shop giveaway for 3 bags of Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookiesand The Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook, signed by Kathleen King, isopen through midnight CST, Sunday, October 2, 2011. The winner will beselected by Random.org and announced on Monday, October 3, 2011.

By the way, Tate’sBake Shop is also happy to offer my readers the opportunity to try their gourmetdesserts too, with an exclusive discount coupon worth 15% off at theire-bakery, tatesbakeshop.com (15% off any order). Please enter the discount code: COOKIE (good through Oct. 31, 2011). So---go visit there shortly and see all thegoodies you can purchase!

Thanks so much to Kathleen, Denielle and the crew at Tate’sBake Shop for this first-rate giveaway! What a “sweet” thing!

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!

Coq au Vin the Slow Way

2011-09-23T08:40:00.000-05:00

So when you were a kidand first heard of coq au vin, did you picture a “cocoa van” too? And then you were told it was just chickenwith wine…

Actually, coq au vintranslates “rooster in wine.” The recipefor this dish was first documented in the early 20^th century but wascreated at least 400 years ago to tenderize tough old birds for poor householdsand in these tough times today ~ this recipe I’m giving you still fills thebill!

Prior until the 20^thcentury, most rural families housed chickens for eggs and meat plus arooster. The rooster remained around untilhe was too old to perform his duties ~ then he would be killed and eaten. The problem, by this time, was that the meat wasbarely edible; being tough and stringy. Thus,this was “poor people’s food” since the well-off could afford better cuts ofmeat which did not require wine and slow cooking for a tender dish.

Nowadays, chicken is thecut of meat and it’s still stewed in wine. It’s cooked and served “country-style” with the chicken and vegetablesremaining together from beginning to end. I chose to cook it in my slow cooker to allow the flavors of the dry redwine and tomato paste to meld with the meat and veggies for a hearty dish on achilly yesterday!

Coq au Vin in the SlowCooker

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons herbs de Provence

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups pearl onions, peeled*

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 carrots, sliced

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Method:

Place chicken in slow cooker that has been sprayed with cookingspray.

Season with herbs de Provence, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Add onions, mushrooms and carrots.

Whisk together in a medium bowl the wine, broth and tomatopaste.

Pour over chicken and vegetables.

Cover and cook on high for 5½ hours or on low for 7½ hours.

Serve over egg noodles or with mashed potatoes.

4 servings

ENJOY!

Be sure to visit myfriend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips andrecipes.

Roasted Veggies with Orzo and Feta

2011-09-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

Orzo is a new-comer inmy kitchen cabinet and I’m hooked on it; whether it’s in a cold salad or a hotdish. Orzo is small and rice-shaped ~ itlooks like rice but it’s really pasta. It’sperfect for casseroles like this one!

With fall arriving onthe 23^rd, our farmer’s markets’ supply of fresh veggies is startingto dwindle and I wanted to squeeze in one more veggie dish using the market’s tenderveggies. We all know that local foodtastes better and purchasing from farmer’s markets supports our farmers in thearea and contributes to the community. It’s just sad to me in that the season is so very short here!

Most of us likeroasted veggies for the bold deep flavors the roasting brings out. This mixture consists of asparagus, bellpeppers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms and grape tomatoes roasted with orzo, fetacheese and pine nuts. Browning the orzo and pine nuts first, givesthem a nutty toasted flavor that’s a great match with the veggies. I hope you give this a try!

Baked!

Roasted Veggies withOrzo and Feta

Ingredients:

1 zucchini

1 pound asparagus

1 pound mushrooms

2 large bell peppers, red and yellow

8 green onions, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, smashed

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon basil

¾ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

1 cup orzo

1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice first 5 veggies into bite-size pieces.

Place into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cookingspray along with tomatoes and garlic.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss well.

Roast 30-40 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a largesaucepan over medium-high heat.

Add orzo and sauté until lightly browned.

Pour broth over orzo and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the orzo absorbsthe broth.

Add orzo to roasted veggies and mix thoroughly.

Season with additional salt or pepper, if needed.

Top with feta cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Cover with foil.

Bake 30 minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8

This is veggie love for sure!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind ofCooking for great tips and recipes.

Garlic Dill Pickles

2011-09-19T10:31:00.000-05:00

Grandma used to can and Mom did also, to a lesser degree ~ theywere stocking their farm cellars for winter. Grandma’s cellar was filled with shelf after shelf of beautifullycolored Mason jars filled with all sorts of fruits and veggies. Mom even canned beef from our own cattleafter they were slaughtered, which to me was excellent; especially aroundThanksgiving and Christmas when she made Mincemeat Pie.

I just never got into canning and it’s still a mystery tome. I always figured I would poisonpeople if I tried it so I have no interest in canning anything. Then,when I came across recipes for pickles that require no canning, I knew they weremeant for me. There are countlessrecipes for refrigerator pickles with some heating the brine, some with moresalt, more sugar, more garlic and more dill weed than this recipecontains. So you can customize thisrecipe to your liking.

These 2 jars won’t get us through the winter, but they’reperfect to enjoy right now. They’recrisp and crunchy with just the right tang. I cut the cucumbers, make the spicy brine to pour over them, refrigerateand wait. They do get better; tangier asthey age. This is almost as easy asgoing to the grocery store and picking up a jar off the shelf!

Garlic Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

20 small pickling cucumbers

2 quarts cold water

½ cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon pickling spices

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup kosher salt (do not use iodized salt)

4 garlic cloves, divided and lightly smashed

2 sprigs fresh dill heads, divided

Method:

Wash 2 quart mason jars.

Wash cucumbers without scrubbing them.

Trim 1/8-inch from the blossom end of each cucumber and sliceinto halves or quarters, whatever size you want them to be.

In each quart jar, layer 1 dill sprig, 2 garlic cloves and halfof the sliced cucumbers.

In a large bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients untilthe salt and sugar are dissolved.

Pour half the brine over the cucumbers in each quart jar,making sure the cucumbers are submerged.

Place the lid on the jars and screw on the rings until tight.

Place jars in the refrigerator and allow to set for 2 daysbefore tasting.

Crunchy delicious!

Be sure to visit myfriend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and recipes.

Panko Breaded Cod

2011-09-16T09:05:00.000-05:00

If you’ve neverbreaded any fish with Japanese panko bread crumbs, you must try it!

Panko bread crumbs areperfect in low-fat recipes as it gives food the crunch that comes from breadingand frying fish in deep fat. The pankocrumbs have a light, flaky texture that’s a change from the traditional heavierbread crumbs.

Cod is high inprotein, calcium, potassium and vitamin B6, yet low in sodium, fat, andcarbohydrates making it a great healthy food. Deep frying that cod filet turns it into a greasy piece of fish that isabout as good for us as smoking. Thereis nothing you can do to make fried foods healthy and that's why it's good toconsider using panko bread crumbs.

In this recipe, swipingthe cod through a mixture of garlic and onion powders, paprika, ground redpepper and lemon juice adds flavoring for the cod. Then coating the filets with panko breadcrumbs and baking the fish delivers a crispy texture. Covering the baking sheet with cooking sprayeliminates the need for any oil and here’s the bonus: youwill not have a messy stove top from the splattering grease to clean up, northe aroma of grease in your kitchen! Codis delicious but any whitefish would work just as well.

Panko Breaded Cod

Ingredients:

4 cod filets, 4-6 ounces each

¼ cup flour

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon paprika

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

With flour, combine garlic and onion powders and salt andpepper on a plate for dredging.

Mix together Panko, paprika and red pepper on another plate.

In a bowl, whisk the egg and lemon juice well.

Pat filets with a paper towel.

Dredge through the flour mixture.

Swipe through the egg mixture.

Coat with the Panko mixture.

Place cod on a baking sheet that has been coated withcooking spray.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, turning half way through baking.

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind ofCooking for great tips, recipes.

Zucchini and Sautéing 101

2011-09-12T08:54:00.000-05:00

Do you know sautéingmeans “jumping” in French? It’s kind of like frying, only different. It requires a heavy bottomed skillet, foodthat is cut the same small size and oil that likes really high heat. Frying means quite a lot of oil, larger fooditems such as chicken parts and lower heat allowing the food to cook longer fordoneness.

The question I havewith sautéing is: do I heat the panfirst and then add the oil or do I add the oil to a cold skillet and heat themboth at the same time? Usually I add theoil to a hot skillet but I’m not sure if this is the correct procedure toensure that very little fat is absorbed by the food. What do you think ~ how do you do it?

No matter whichmethod, I really like sautéed veggies and since summer is about over for thisyear, I had to squeeze in one more dish that’s filled with fresh zucchini, bellpeppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach.

By the way, zucchini, a member of the plant species, cucurbita pepo, wasintroduced into American culture by Italy. The Italians developed what we nowcall zucchini through a freak of nature – a chance mutation of one of its squashbrethren. The Italian immigrants brought the seeds with them to California inthe 1920’s when later; a small southern California seed company begandistributing the seeds. It took a while to catch on ~ all that zucchini you seeat your farmer’s markets and the ones your neighbor unloads on you were barelyrecognized here in the United States just 50 years ago. Now look how prolific it is, being served asa vegetable dish, bread, dessert or as a smoothie to sip on!

This is about as easyas it gets for the veggies I bought at our farmer’s market Saturday morning andquick too. It combines them all withsome onion, garlic, chicken broth and crushed red pepper for a little heat. With all the vibrant colors, it looks asappealing as it tastes! I hope you likeit!

Sautéed Zucchini Mix

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large white onion, chopped

3 garlic heads, minced

3 zucchini, chopped into bite-size chunks

1 bell pepper, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, diced

3 tomatoes, diced

9 ounce bag spinach

½ cup chicken broth, low sodium

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, shaved

Method:

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are cooked.

Add zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Cook until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes.

Add spinach and cook until it wilts.

Pour broth over all.

Add red pepper and salt and pepper.

Cook until all is heated through.

Transfer to a serving dish.

Serve along with shaved Parmesan.

It’s a delicious colorful side dish!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.

Not Your Usual Tomato and Mozzarella Sauce with Pasta

2011-09-09T09:09:00.000-05:00

Do you want adifferent side dish or even a main dish? This is definitely not your mama’s pasta with tomato sauce!

This recipe camefrom a 1990 Hometown Collection of America’s Best Recipes Cookbook and wassubmitted by The Women’s Art Guild, Laguna Gloria Art Museum in Austin,Texas. I have no recollection of where Ipicked up this cookbook but it is filled with some tasty recipes.

If you adore ripetomatoes and pasta, you will enjoy this for a meal. It is a simple recipe that is easy to tosstogether. The finished dish has a strongtomato taste and the texture of the cheese becomes softer. I like it warm so I serve itimmediately. I’m guessing it would befine if it were served with the pasta at room temperature. It is definitely different!

Ready to rest for an hour

Tomato andMozzarella Sauce with Pasta

Ingredients:

6 to 8 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup fresh basil, minced

¼ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti

Method:

Combine first 7 ingredients, stir well.

Cover and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drainwell.

Immediately transfer hot spaghetti to a large servingbowl.

Pour sauce over hot cooked spaghetti, tossing gently tocombine.

6-8 servings

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend,Linda’s blog @MyKind of Cookin g forgreat tips, recipes.

A New Laptop, A Healthier Me and Cornmeal Cake with Macerated Berries for You!

2011-09-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

What a week last week was!

I bought a new laptop last Wednesday ~ turned it over to Bubbathat evening ~ he had it up and running and returned to me by Friday morning onhis way to work. In the meantime, Ideveloped a very nasty little cough which seemed to clear up a little when Billcame down with the sweats and pneumonia out of the blue. That left me with a good case ofbronchitis. So, even though I had thelaptop working great, cooking and blogging were the last things on mymind. But, I’m happy to say Bill isdoing fine now and I’m just about cured!

Our first computer - 1983
Bubba 14 years old teaching Matt 8 years old

Bubba told me to look atHP computers as well as Toshiba and Lenovo. There were many good ones but I fell for this HP Pavilion DV6000 seriesin brushed umber. It feels sturdy withthese specifications: 6GB memory and 640GB hard drive, a 15.6”screen with high definition display. Itcame with Windows 7, Blu-ray support, Simple Pass fingerprint reader, and anisland-style (Chiclet) keyboard (awesome!) and number pad. So far, with many thanks to Bubba for settingit up, it’s great ~ I love it!

A week ago before the oldlaptop died, I was going to give you a mouthwatering dessert recipe in time forLabor Day weekend. This recipe was inour local newspaper a while back and made me curious:

I like texture in food ~you know, the feeling food has in your mouth. I’m not much for mashed or creamed food with that soft mushy, slushyfeeling; except for ice cream and even that I like with bits of fruit or nuts. I’m not big on mashed potatoes and forget pudding,smoothies and custard. So I had afeeling I’d like this cake because of the gritty texture of cornmeal. And I did, it was a hit!

Cornmeal cake has abuttery, very appealing lightly gritty texture and that’s not all it’sabout. It includes a couple of teaspoonsof finely grated orange rind that adds a tangy citrus taste to the cornmeal. The recipe calls for strawberries, blueberriesor raspberries; however, our farmer’s market had luscious blackberries so Iused them for the sauce along with some Blackberry Brandy for depth.

It’s not a heavy hearty cake at all ~ it’s aperfect light, moist cake that is delicious when macerated blackberries are drizzledover a slice. It’s truly inviting and heavenly!

Here’s the recipe:

Cornmeal Cake withMacerated Berries

American Profile

Adapted

Cake:

1 cup flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup 2 percent reduced-fat milk

Berries:

1 cup blackberries

¼ cup sugar, or to taste (I used a tablespoon of it)

2 tablespoons Blackberry Brandy

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine butter, sugar, orange rind and vanilla in a large bowl;beat with a mixer at medium speed until evenly blended.

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and cornmealalternately with milk, beating just until evenly incorporated.

Scrape into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Bake 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comesout clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack.

To prepare berries:

Mash berries in a large bowl.

Add sugar, juice and brandy and mix gently.

Serve drizzled over cake.

We really enjoyed this and I will be making it again! YUM!!!

And thanks again Bubba! You’rethe best!!!

Be sure tovisit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.

Boo hoo! My Laptop Died

2011-08-31T08:33:00.000-05:00

Sadly, good things come to an end. I'm sad to say my laptop had a peaceful death yesterday and I won't be blogging for a while.

The great news is that Bubba (Bill, Jr.) is the Director of IT where he works and will be setting up my new laptop once I purchase it. Since I'm not only a "foodie" but an "ipod junkie" and have close to 11, ooo songs on my ipod, not to mention all the videos, he recently told me I should have another backup and set it up for me. Thankfully, all the data is saved. It's wonderful having a great son who knows his way all around a computer!!!

We have a Mac desktop computer also but all of my blog posts, recipes and food photos are on the laptop. I was going to post a recipe for delicious Cornbread Cake with Blackberry Sauce today but now it is on the back burner waiting for a new laptop.

So here's wishing you all a good day and happy blogging. See ya' later!