Down East Crab Cakes

Down East Crab Cakes 

taste great, 

less filler!

The Down East Crab Cake name comes from crabmeat mixed with eggs and sauce, 

no mayonnaise included!

Most of us love the sweet, briny crab meat that comes from the coasts.  Crab cakes started out as a measure of thrift.

Roasted Robusto Italian Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms

This recipe is truly simple and seriously satisfying!

I’ve mentioned more than once that I’m a big fan of Wish-Bone Robusto Italian Dressing.  It’s not only great on salad; it does a great job of marinating meat also.

Healthified Broccoli Cheddar Soup on a Cold Winter Day!

Sometimes, on a chilly day, you just need a bowl of hot, creamy, cheesy soup for a comforting meal, just not all the calories and fat though.

I found a plethora of recipes on the internet for broccoli soup and settled on this healthier version of it, a recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen. 

Not So Sweet, Sloppy Joes!

Tradition here in our family is a huge dinner for Christmas Eve ~ and Christmas Day is all about sloppy joes!

Party with CHEX PARTY MIX with SRIRACHA

OK, I can see you rolling your eyes now...

This is not your run of the mill Chex mix recipe off the back of the box, this is my recipe, a spicier version!  

Way back in the early 1950’s, Ralston Purina wanted a way to get people to eat a lot more of its cereal.  That’s when the classic recipe for the famous snack mix was printed on the back of Wheat Chex and Rice Chex boxes.  The recipe included Worcestershire sauce, butter, garlic salt, salt and nuts baked in an oven.  

Here's supper... Homemade Sautéed Chicken Nuggets w/Smoky Bourbon BBQ Sauce

This will bring your family to the dinner table quickly,

Sautéed Chicken Nuggets!

You can call them fingers, you can call them strips, you can call them tenders or nuggets…

It makes no difference ~ these little handheld chicken gems are way up there in my list of deliciousness!  

There’s nothing humdrum about them, particularly if you serve them with a favorite sauce.

They’re easy peasy, simple and good, nuf’ said!

I have a feeling you’ll be cooking this a lot, because…

they’re a culinary wonder ~ simply delicious!

Homemade Sautéed Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 egg

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

1-2 tablespoons cooking oil, or butter

Smoky Bourbon BBQ sauce, for dipping (recipe below)

Method:

Cut chicken into 1½” chunks and set aside.

Beat egg in a shallow bowl.

Place flour and seasonings in another shallow bowl or resealable plastic bag, combining well.

Dip the chicken nuggets into beaten egg.

Dredge chicken in flour.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.

Add chicken, cook about 10 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink.

Serves 4

Printable recipe

Smokey Bourbon BBQ sauce 

Ingredients: 

1 cup bourbon

½ cup water

¼ cup brown sugar 

1½ cups ketchup

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons molasses

⅛ cup Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon liquid smoke

Dash hot sauce

Method:

In a large saucepan, bring bourbon to a boil, simmer for 7 minutes, most of it will evaporate.

Add remaining ingredients, heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until it is of a smooth and thick consistency.

Makes 2 cups

This is great for grilled chicken and ribs too!

Printable recipe

Enjoy!

Spicy Sloppy Joes for Super Bowl Sunday

Growing up, this was a favorite messy meal of mine, and still is today!

Sloppy Joes are perfect for a delicious quick meal for your family or a crowd too ~ like for your Super Bowl party that’s coming up Sunday!  It’s a comfort food dish that is cheap also.  I make it just like Mom did, in an electric skillet.  It’s great for Sloppy Joes, but a slow cooker works just as well.

These Sloppy Joe’s are not sweet, like most are, and they’re not runny either ~ making them not so sloppy! Serve these Super Bowl Sunday for raves from your fans!

Spicy Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground round

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

¼ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons McCormick’s Montreal Seasoning

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dry mustard

Method:

To a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add ground beef and break it up.

Sauté until no longer pink.

Reduce heat to medium and add onions and bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes.

Stir in tomato sauce and paste.

Turn heat to low and add remaining 5 ingredients.

Simmer on low for at least 5 minutes.

Serve piled on toasted buns.

4-6 servings

Enjoy with tangy cole slaw and your favorite sides.

Have a great Super Bowl Day and I hope your team wins!  Sadly, mine’s not playing…

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

Carolina-Style Barbecue Chicken Breasts

OK, I know there are endless recipes for chicken on the grill but, you really should try this one ~ it really attracted me!  Maybe it was the “mustard” that caught my eye.  Or, maybe it’s because of the word “Carolina.”  I love, love the “Carolina’s” and envy you if you reside there!

We looked at homes, and fell for one, in the Greenville, South Carolina area before we retired.  Due to some circumstances of elderly relatives here, we decided it was best to stay put.  And now we have our first grandchild, Matthew, who is 5½ months old and South Carolina is just too far from him.  Here is a photo of him since some of you have kindly asked about him:

Matthew at 5 months

As for the chicken…

This grilled chicken is about the best I’ve ever eaten.  According to the recipe in Food Network Magazine, they only have to marinade for about 10 minutes.  (Their recipe is for chicken thighs).  

I’m a “mustard” addict and this is a perfect mustard marinade.  It’s loaded with the good flavors of apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and as much hot pepper sauce as you dare to use. 

Grill and serve the chicken with some reserved sauce, tomato salad and maybe a pasta side-dish.  Now, that’s good summertime eating!

Carolina-Style Barbecue Chicken Breasts

Adapted

Ingredients:

½ cup Dijon or yellow mustard

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup packed Splenda Brown Sugar, or regular

1½ tablespoons dry mustard

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoons McCormick’s Seasoned Pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Method:

Prepare grill.

Whisk the yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, dry mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Toss the chicken with about one-third of the sauce in a large bowl until coated.

Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Put ¼ cup of the remaining mustard sauce in a small bowl for basting and reserve the rest for topping.

Grill the chicken, basting occasionally with the sauce, until well marked and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees, about 12-15 minutes per side.

Serve with the reserved mustard sauce.

I will be trying this on wings the next time!  Yum!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.  She’s having a Double Giveaway now!

Sirloin Steak and Peppers over Rice

I’m a total carnivore who really likes about any meat, but especially sirloin steak. Although, my favorite way to enjoy steak is cooked rare on the grill with a dash of salt, once in a while I enjoy it smothered with peppers and onions and so does Bill.

Turning your favorite steak into a stir-fry dish makes for a gratifying quick dinner that your whole family will like.  Having all the ingredients prepped and ready to add to the skillet makes it easy, easy. 

Pepper steak is another of those comfort food dishes that’s full of flavor ~ color also and I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Sirloin Steak and Peppers over Rice

Ingredients:

1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup beef broth
½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 green bell peppers, sliced into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin slices
½ cup cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups hot cooked rice

Method:

In a large skillet, heat oil.

Add steak, onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent and steak is partially cooked.

Add broth, salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce and heat through.

Add bell peppers and stir them in the mixture.

Cook for 5-8 minutes until peppers are cooked to your liking.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water.

Add to steak mixture and stir until mixture thickens, about 2-4 minutes.

Serve over hot rice.

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and recipes.  She’s having a Double Giveaway now!

Loose Savoy Cabbage Rolls

Don’t be wrinkling your nose at cabbage ~ it's one of the most misunderstood vegetables!  

Cabbage was popular with the ancient Romans and Greeks.  For medicinal purposes, early Romans blended lard with the ashes of burnt cabbage to make an ointment for disinfecting wounds.  It is rich in nutrition and fiber and an outstanding source of Vitamins A, C, E and B.   

Even more amazing is that cabbage is known for a specialized, naturally occurring, nitrogenous compound known as indoles.  Current research points out that indoles can lower the risk of various forms of cancer.  And it’s low in calories!

There are many types of cabbage and this time I took a walk on the wild side and used the yellowish-green ruffled, lacy leaves of pretty Savoy cabbage.  Bill and I are big fans of cabbage rolls and I make them occasionally but this recipe for loose cabbage rolls is quicker and just as delicious.  Instead of cooking the head of cabbage, pealing off and stuffing the leaves, the cabbage is sliced, combined with the remaining ingredients and baked in a casserole dish.

I hope you give this a try! 

Loose Savoy Cabbage Rolls 

Ingredients:

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¾ cup long grain rice

1o ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained

2 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1 medium head Savoy or green cabbage, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Brown meat, onion, garlic and peppers in a large skillet until meat is cooked.

Blend in Worcestershire sauce, rice, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Layer sliced cabbage and meat mixture in a large baking dish.

Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until cabbage is tende

and tomato liquid is absorbed.

Serves 4 

ENJOY!!!   IT’S DELICIOUS!!!

Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway! 

Smothered Cube Steaks

The days are still chilly and rainy here and there’s not much cooking on the grill yet.  If I can’t have cube steaks on the grill, here’s the next best way to serve them.  It’s the comfort food way for sure. 

Cube steaks are not shaped like cubes at all, which is what you would think upon being introduced to them the first time.  Instead, cube pertains to the imprint on the meat when it goes through a tenderizing machine.  The steaks are more oval with jagged edges.  

Uncle Jake & Aunt Phyl

Regressing to the grill ~ one time, years ago, when we visited Uncle Jake and Aunt Phyl at their home in Pickerington, Uncle Jake said he was throwing cube steaks on the grill for the cookout at their pool party.  I’d never heard of anyone grilling them and thought they would be dry and tough.  I was wrong and they were great!

 This cube steak recipe I have for you today bakes cube steaks into a savory tenderness smothered in gravy with tasty mushrooms in the mix.  If you like cube steak, you must try this version ~ they’re as tender as a mother’s love! 

Smothered Cube Steaks 

Ingredients:

4 cube steaks
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ can milk
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon pepper

Method:

Place steaks in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
In a bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.
Pour mixture over cube steaks.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

ENJOY!!!

Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway! 

Supreme Salmon Patties and Matthew and Coco

First off:  for those of you who have asked about our adorable grandson Matthew, I thank you so much for thinking of him!

 

Matthew is 4 weeks old now, weighing in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces and is a sweet delight.  That’s Daddy holding him in the picture and his babysitter Coco supervising. 

Kathy brought 2 adorable Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers along with her when she married our son Matt.  Coco, the younger one, is amazing with the baby!  She leaves Matthew’s side only for the essentials and tries her best to get her licks in every chance she gets.  When we hold Matthew, the look on her face begs us, “Please let me have him ~ I know I could do better!”  I know Matthew and Coco will be best friends as Matthew grows up, and Bella also, who leaves the babysitting to Coco most of the time. 

Now for a great dish I hope you all will enjoy:

I guarantee you’ll like these salmon patties if you adore salmon the way I do!

This recipe is from an old friend and it is chocked full of flavorful ingredients to go with the canned salmon ~ corn kernels, Dijon mustard and paprika, for starters.  Mom used to make them but just added eggs, cracker crumbs and onion.  This is not my mom’s salmon patties!

The corn adds a crispy sweetness with the Dijon mustard and lemon juice adding zesty flavors.   I used “pink” salmon.  Refrigerating the patties for an hour ensures that they will not crumble when fried.  These are simple and easy to make for fast dinner.  Just flip them carefully when frying!

I really like salmon straight out of the can!  Do you?

Supreme Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

2 cans (7.5 oz. each) salmon, drained

½ cup finely-diced onion

½ cup corn kernels, canned or frozen

Pepper, to taste

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes hot sauce

½ teaspoon paprika

1 egg

½ cup crushed saltine crackers

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

Place salmon in a large bowl and combine with onion, corn and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauces and paprika.

Gently fold into salmon mixture.

Lightly beat the egg.

Fold into the salmon mixture along with ½ cup of the cracker crumbs.

Place remaining crumbs on large plate.

Form the salmon mixture into 8 patties.

Coat them with the panko bread crumbs carefully.

Refrigerate, loosely covered, for one hour.

Melt butter/oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Cook the patties 3-4 minutes per side, pressing down on them slightly with the spatula.

Add more oil or butter if necessary.

Remove and drain on paper towel.

Serve with lemon wedges or tartar sauce.

They’re tasty ~ scrumptiously good!!!

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

Update- Bella passed away March, 2017, 12 years old.