Nice to MEAT you

So this is the 4th posting and it still seems odd.  I feel like I am writing for a bunch of English teachers who will be critiquing every element of my sentence structure.  I'm not quite sure I know what I'm doing but I am going to keep at it for now.  So here goes another one...

I love steak.  But for some reason, I suck at grilling.  So this is what I made tonight, all on the stove.  It took less than 30 minutes to make and was "awesome" according to Nate, one of my 5 year old twins.  The cook time was perfect since I let my kids watch Phineas and Ferb so I could actually cook in peace. Before I came to the TV decision I actually wanted to beat some of them with the meat that I was about to prepare.  But we'll save that conversation for another time...

So here it is.  The only thing I would change is the cut of meat.  Sometimes I'm okay with skirt steak but some times it's kind of tough.  Whatever cut you choose, slice it thin to serve.


Skirt Steak with Balsamic Sauce
Roasted Tomatoes & Scallions  (Everyday Food recipe)

1 1/2 lb. skirt steak (may need to cut in half to fit in skillet) or any other cut of meat
1 c. balsamic vinegar
2 pints grape tomatoes
6 scallions - cut into 1 inch pieces
2 T. olive oil
salt & pepper
mashed potatoes, polenta or rice (your choice)


Preheat oven to 400.  Place tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet.  Sprinkle with 1 T. olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.  Toss to coat.  Roast until tomatoes are tender and some skins have split (approx. 12-15 min).  Heat remaining 1 T. olive oil in large skillet over high heat.  Season steak with salt & pepper; add to skillet.  Cook 2-3* minutes each side (turning only once) for medium-rare.  Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with aluminum foil and let rest 5-10 min.

Add balsamic vinegar to reserved juice in skillet and boil over high heat for 5-7 min, adding in any juices from resting steak.  Slice steak into thin strips and serve drizzled with vinegar reduction.

Shrimp Scampi

One of my favorite childhood dishes is Shrimp Scampi  (my mom fed us well).  I grew up in South Florida and ate a lot of seafood.  One of my favorite restaurants served the best shrimp scampi that I ever had (at least that's what I thought when I was 10) and I would order it EVERY time we went there followed by the best piece of cheesecake I ever had.  So tonight I made scampi.  This time just for my husband and me.  The kids ate pizza because let's face it, shrimp is expensive and frankly, they weren't that great over the Thanksgiving break to warrant such a wonderful meal.  So they watched a movie and ate pizza and we opened a bottle of wine and made scampi.  I found this recipe in Gourmet magazine and it is delicious and only takes about 20 minutes to make.  I would serve it with a salad and garlic bread because you can never have enough garlic.

Shrimp Scampi
1/4 c. olive oil
1 lb. pound large shrimp (16 - 20), peeled and deveined
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 t. dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black papper
5 T. unsalted butter
3/4 lb. angel-hair pasta
1/2 c. fresh, flat leaf parsley

Bring salted water to a boil.  Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.  Saute shrimp, turning once until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Add garlic, red pepper, wine, salt and pepper to remaining oil in skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute.  Add butter, stirring until melted then add shrimp.  Remove from heat.

Cook pasta about 3 minutes or until just tender.  reserve 1 cup water from pasta then drain pasta in a colander.  Toss pasta with shrimp mixture in a large bowl.  Add some pasta water if needed to keep moist.

leftovers, of course

Sick of turkey, yet?  Sick of your kids being off of school, yet?  Well, there's probably not much you can do about either one of those things so here are a couple of ways to take care of the turkey.  You're on your own with the kids...

Thanksgiving Sandwich

sliced bread - any kind you like (I like good, heavy bread for this)

leftover gravy

mayonnaise

cranberry sauce

arugula or any other lettuce

leftover stuffing (or dressing, if you're from the south)

leftover sliced turkey

Toast bread.  Heat gravy.  Spread mayo on one piece of bread and layer stuffing/dressing, turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, lettuce and toasted bread.  

* You may also mix the cranberry sauce and mayo together to make a spread.

Turkey Tortilla Soup

1 1/4 c. chicken broth

12 (6 in.) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 in. strips

1 1/4 c. green enchilada sauce

1 1/4 c. red enchilada sauce

1 t. ground cumin

2 c. cooked turkey, chopped

1 c. half and half

1 can corn or less

1/2 can black beans

1 avocado, sliced

1 c. shredded cheddar

dollop of sour cream

Combine chicken stock and tortilla strip in large pot and cook over medium heat until strips soften and broth thickens slightly.  Stir in red and green enchilada sauces and cumin.  Add turkey, half and half corn and black beans.  Heat through but do not boil.  Divide soup among four bowls and garnish with avocado, cheddar and sour cream.

It's always hard to start something new so I am just going to jump in with both feet (and the urging of a pushy friend).  So here goes...


I grew up in a house where dinner was on the table every night...no matter what...and it never came from the freezer. I want that for my family. Even though life is busier these days I still want some sort of semblance of a family dinner. I also want a job. But since I can't seem to actually get one started I thought I would start here with a blog of my family dinners.  Nothing fancy, just really good food.  I’ve come to learn that it’s pretty simple to make a good dinner as long as you take a small amount of time to get organized (and this may be the ONLY thing with which I am organized).  I read cookbooks like they’re novels and can not resist going through a cooking magazine as soon as it shows up in the mail.  I flip through cooking magazines instead of tabloids at the grocery store.  I’m not claiming to be a super chef but I sure can spot a good recipe when I see one.  So I’m going to start keeping track of them here…my own personal online cookbook.  Oh yah, and I have an 8 year old, 7 year old and twins who are almost 6 so yes, I am busy and yes, these dinner are easy.

That being said, I am going to start out with the most obvious choice...Thanksgiving dinner (side dishes only because everyone knows how to make a turkey).  My mother ALWAYS hosted Thanksgiving dinner (and Christmas dinner and Easter dinner...) for the entire family.  20 lb. turkeys and all.  And now I host the dinners with the same dishes.  Not for my family since I live too far from them, but for any friends who do not have family around or are not traveling home. I take in all the strays and I love it.  I promise next time I'll get to less time consuming dinners.

One last thing - my mom is a fantastic cook so any recipes that come from her will never disappoint and these all come from her.




Herb Stuffing
1 loaf of white bread, stale then cubed                      1 t. salt
1 1/2 c. celery, diced                                             1/4 c. butter
1 onion, diced                                                       1 c. chicken broth
1/2 t. marjoram, rosemary, tarragon & pepper




Preheat oven to 350.  Saute onions in celery and butter.  Mix all seasonings.  Place cubed bread in a large bowl and mix in seasonings.  Pour celery/onions and broth over bread mixture.  When cool mix with hands.  Butter an 8x8 baking dish add stuffing and cover with buttered foil.  Bake 45 minute to an hour.


Oyster Stuffing
1 loaf of white bread, stale then cubed                       1 1/2 t. salt
1/2  lb. bacon                                                         1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 c. celery, chopped                                           1 t. poultry seasoning
1 c. onion, diced                                                     16 oz. oysters (freshest you can get,
                                                                              remove tendons)


Preheat oven to 350.  Fry bacon then remove to a paper towel to drain.  Saute celery and onions in bacon drippings.  Add crumbled bacon back in to pan.  Add salt and pepper and poultry seasoning and mix.  Place cubed bread and oysters in large bowl then add celery/onion mixture.  When cool mix with hands until moist.  Butter an 8x8 baking dish add stuffing and cover with buttered foil.  Bake 45 minute to an hour.


Corn Pudding with Chives - this is my own addition I found in Everyday Food
3 10 oz. pkgs. frozen corn, thawed                             1/2 c. flour
3 c. milk                                                                1/4 t. ground nutmeg
4 lg. eggs                                                               course salt
1/3 c. sugar                                                            1/4 c. thinly sliced fresh chives


Preheat oven to 350.  In a blender, puree half the corn with 2 c. milk until almost smooth.  In a large bowl mix eggs with sugar, nutmeg and 2t. salt.  Whisk in puree mix remaining corn and 1 c. milk.  Pour into 4 qt. dish and sprinkle with chives.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until set.  


Green Beans with Onions and Mushrooms
2 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans                                      1 pkg. sliced button mushrooms
2 t. butter                                                               salt and pepper
1/2 onion, thinly sliced


Cook grean beans in salted, boiling water until done.  Meanwhile, saute onions and mushrooms in butter (add more butter, if needed) then set aside but keep warm.  When beans are done, drain and add to pan with onions and mushrooms.  Mix together adding salt and pepper as needed.


Sweet Potato Casserole - low fat and VERY good for you
3c. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes                             1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. melted butter                                                  1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar                                                                1 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. brown sugar                                                       1/3 c. melted butter


Preheat oven to 350.  Mix potatoes, white sugar, 1/2 c. melted butter and vanilla until smooth.  Spread in 10x 7 casserole dish.  Mix flour and brown sugar until all lumps are out.  Add nuts and butter until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of potatoes and bake for 30 minutes.


Pumpkin Pie - this is just the recipe off the back of the Libby's can but I think it is one of the best pies I've had
3/4 c. sugar                                                             2 lg. eggs
1/2 t. salt                                                                1 can Libby's Pure Pumpkin (15 oz.)
1 t. ground cinnamon                                                1 can Carnation Evaporated milk
1/2 t. ground ginger                                                  unbaked pie shell
1/4 t. ground cloves


Preheat oven to 425.  Mix sugar and spices in small bowl.  Beat eggs in large bowl stir in pumpkin and spice mixture.  Gradually stir in evaporated milk.  Pour into pie shell.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 and bake 40 - 50 minutes or until done.  Cool.


Whipped Cream - never from a can
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 T. vanilla extract
1/4 c. sugar or to taste


Beat on medium until stiff peaks form.


So that's it...all my homemade holiday recipes.  I also always have a bowl of pitted black olives and cranberry sauce* (that no one EVER eats) on table, too.  Don't know why, maybe it's because that's what my mom always used to do.  The last thing I will say, though, is that you MUST have a pretty looking table.  Food always tastes better on a pretty table just like presents always seem better when they're wrapped beautifully.  


To make things easier, I've compiled a grocery list:


Groceries
2 loaves white bread
1 bag of celery
2 - 3 onions
3 large sweet potatoes
1 bag *cranberries - follow direction on bag for cranberry sauce
fresh chives
butter
eggs
heavy whipping cream
pie shell
bacon (1/2 lb.)
16 oz. fresh oysters
3 (10 oz) pkgs. frozen corn
chopped walnuts
15 oz. can Libby's 100% pure pumpkin
12 oz. can Carnation evaporated milk
1 can chicken broth




Pantry - what you should have on hand in your pantry
salt
pepper
sugar
brown sugar
vanilla extract
flour
milk


Spices needed
marjoram, rosemary, tarragon, poultry seasoning, ground nutmeg, 
ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves




**Laura, I hope you enjoy this because it's all for you.