Sunday, June 27, 2010

Surf-n-Turf on the Grill




Shrimp were marinated in a mixture of chipotle oil, Old Bay, home blend chili powder, pepper, white vinegar, Tabasco.
S&P on the steaks.
Cheese spread on garlic toast: low fat sour cream, mayo, mizithra cheese, parmesan, bit of ranch dressing mix... heated to melt the cheeses at a previous meal, then was put in the fridge.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

French Toast Bread Pudding


Dice aforementioned French toast; mix eggs and heavy cream, add a bit of sugar, vanilla; add leftover diced French toast. Stir in citrus zest (I used some clementine zest that I had in the freezer). Butter a baking dish, coat with sugar; add bread/custard mixture. Bake.

Yes, would be good with whipped cream, white chocolate chips, bit of gran marnier...

Thursday, June 24, 2010

French Toast



Sliced artisan bread, dried out a bit. This is the secret.
Custard: 4 whole eggs, 2 yolks, whipping cream (the other secret), milk, sugar, vanilla, pinch of salt.
Soak bread well, cook slowly on a griddle (in a combination of oil and butter), place on a platter in a warm oven while cooking the rest.

Grilled Chicken Thighs


Boneles/skinless thighs, marinated in soy, olive oil, garlic, 5 spice powder, pepper, sugar. Grilled.

Brown and wild rice was some that I had frozen from a previous dinner, reheated with oilive oil, orange rind, salt and pepper, fresh parsley, sliced green onion.

Grilled eggplant slices, brushed with pesto.

Leftover layered salad, added chopped broccoli and cherry tomatoes.

Super Easy Baked Beans






Brown onion and bacon. Drain and rinse two cans of beans, your choice (pinto, white), drain half the liquid from a large can of baked beans, your choice (country style). Mix together in a slow cooker. Add some catsup, mustard, molasses, brown sugar (to taste).
Ta-da.

Layered Salad



Bottom to top: dice everything, tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces
Lettuce
Shredded Carrots
Water Chestnuts
Green Onion
Red Pepper
Frozen Peas

Frost with a dressing made from ranch mix, low-fat sour cream, mayo, sugar to taste.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bacon bits.

Can make the night before, or morning of event/dinner. Refrigerate.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Italian Meatballs





I used about a pound each of ground chuck and a mild Italian sausage. Added bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, crushed fennel seeds, 2 eggs. Baked the meatballs, then put them in a slow cooker. Add one can of your favorite sauce, and a can of crushed (not diced) tomatoes.
One could also add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce. Serve with spaghetti, or mix with cooked penne, put in a casserole, top with shredded Italian blend cheese, bake.
Or make meatball sandwiches... top with provolone and broil until bubbly.

Bran Muffins



6 week refrigerator bran muffins, google it. I doubled an already large recipe. Had to mix it in a dish pan. Made LOTS.

Julia's Salsa



Tomatoes, red onion, yellow and red bell pepper, fresh pineapple, tomatillos, serrano chile with seeds, cilantro, lime zest and juice.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Grilled Fish with Salads


Seasoned with salt, pepper, green chile powder, oregano. Moistend with olive oil, grill. Served with potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon salsa.

Watermelon Salsa


Diced watermelon, finely diced serrano chile pepper, with seeds, cilantro, minced green onion, splash of tequila, sea salt.

Potato Salad, Deconstructed



Sliced red skinned potatoes (cookied in the microwave), diced celery and green pepper, baby lettuce. One could also serve with sliced pickles. I simply drizzled a honey mustard dressing over the warm potatoes.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Shrimp Burger






Finely diced celery, minced green onion, shrimp (cooked with Old Bay, some minced fine, some merely chopped), Miracle Whip, panko bread crumbs. Pan fry. Serve on a toasted bun with lettuce and home made tartar sauce.

Mac Salad


That's all sitting on top of cooked multi-grain penne. Dressing: Miracle Whip, squirt of catsup, vinegar, pepper, celery seed, sugar.

More Pizza...



His-n-hers... small one has just a bit of sauce, tomatoes, onion, fresh mozzarella, basil. The other one is what I call "man pizza," sauce, salami, pepperoni, sausage, lots of cheese.