Posts

Showing posts from October, 2011

Bacon Cheeseburger Mac

Image
Bacon Cheeseburger Mac Since fusion food is all the rage, i decided to fuse two American classics, Bacon Cheeseburgers with Mac & Cheese. The kids love it almost as much as i do. This isn't going to win any low fat awards, but it steals the show for taste. This will make 4-6 servings, depending how big the kids are. Please don't be scared by the ingredients. This is the flavor that kid's love and this melts beautifully without a rue or baking. 8 oz (1/2 lb.) Small Pasta - went with my boy's favorite shells 4 oz Extra Sharp Cheddar- diced or shredded 8 oz Velveeta - Yup, you read it right - diced 1 lb Ground Meat - Lean Hamburger or even Turkey rocks this dish 1/4 lb Bacon - cut into small pieces 1/4 cup Onion finely diced 1 cup Milk 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil Grill Seasoning Bacon rendering Render the bacon on medium low in a tbsp of oil to get it started. Start water boiling for pasta, cook to desired tenderness when water boils See below for sauce if

Mockiyaki Budget Steak and Grilled Chicken

Image
Grilled Mockiyaki Chuck Steak I absolutely love teriyaki, but do not always have molasses on hand for a "true" teriyaki marinade. If you do, you want.... Soy Sauce- low sodium Garlic- Fresh minced or Garlic Powder Pickled Ginger - minced fine Molasses Red Pepper Flake to taste Black Pepper to taste. I know there are no measurements, not uncommon in my kitchen. One of my biggest challenges writing recipes is deconstructing what i have done by sight, feel and taste for years into something that others can follow. I would start with about a half cup of soy, and just a tablespoon of molasses, a teaspoon of ginger and a dash of each seasoning. I found some Chuck Steak, cut from the section just behind the rib eye, so its a delicious brother that needs a little treatment like the marinade. The chuck was half the cost of the rib eye. I pat the steaks dry with paper towel so they sear, and go about 5-7 minutes a side on a medium high grill for 1 1/2" steaks cook

Grilled Lamb Chops

Image
Grilled Lamb Chops There has been some recent salad activity located in Dad's kitchen, but i am still a carnivore at heart. The next couple of posts are for the meat & carb lovers out there. The grilled Lamb Chops are more abut the ingredient than the method. When I was a child, one of the staple meats was lamb chops. NOT the fancy, Frenched variety on the rack, but the bony shoulder blade chops that are quite a bit more affordable, but just as tasty. Recently shoulder blade chops have jumped in price to about $6-$7 a pound. Far more tasty in my opinion than very cheap cuts of steak for the same price. I figure 2 chops per person for servings. Grilled Lamb Chops with Mean Green Pasta The prep is as simple as some Grill Seasoning and 5-7 minutes a side on a medium grill for medium rare chops. I served them here with my Mean Green Pasta , an Asian inspired delight, but also will throw some sweet potatoes wrapped in foil and olive oil on the the grill for about 45 minute

Honey Soy Sesame Salad Dressing

Image
Trying a new salad dressing can completely wake up even your oldest , or most tired salad mix. My wife recently brought some Spinach Salad to work as a Thank You to some co-workers, but along with the Greekish dressing, I wanted to give a choice to the punchy vinegar taste of the Greekish. The sweet and tangy of the Honey Soy Sesame was the perfect option to offer a very different but equally delicious flavor. Adjust your 'dashes" below to your own taste. My 'part' when i am testing is usually a 1/4 cup. 1 part Rice Wine Vinegar 1 part Soy - low sodium if available 1 part Honey 2 part Vegetable Oil - I had Canola on hand Sesame oil - Small Drops - can be very overpowering 1 tsp - 1 tbsp Pickled Ginger - minced very fine Dash Red Pepper Flake Dash Black Pepper Dash Garlic Powder I put everything except the Vegetable oil in my container or mixing bowl to blend well. I do this for all salad dressings, as it helps the dry spices, salt or sugar get dissolved

Beef Stew

Image
Beef  Stew Been overcast for so long, gotta go with some stew even though it's not that cold yet. Everyone has their own spin on beef stew., and i've played with a few different methods. The mood hit me today for tonight's dinner, so no marinade here. Feel free to marinate the beef overnight in some red wine, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic rosemary & thyme for extra intense flavor, but don't be scared if you want stew today and no patience. This stew is quite delicious already. As an alternative cooking method, brown the meat, de-glaze with wine and add everything to a slow cooker on low for about 6 hours, but the potatoes get overdone in my opinion. 1 1/2 lbs Stew Meat cube into bit size pieces - about 3/4 inch 1 1/2 lbs Baby Potatoes - no peeling required - dice same - cover w  water to prevent browning 1 medium Onion- diced rough. (today's was a purple onion, so exciting) 2 Carrots - sliced bite size - i like the bias 2 Celery - sliced bite