Steaks, Tin Taters, Cesar Salad & Leftover Pasta Ranch Salad

We had a glimpse of spring this week with weather in the 50’s and possibly even hit 60 once. Most of the snow on the deck and in the yard melted and we could actually get to our grill, so naturally we took advantage of this as you never know when your spring blizzards will render it off limits again nor for how long.

 

Wayne pulled out a couple T-Bone Steaks for us and a package of deer steaks from our neighbor, Justin’s Wounded Warrior hunting trip for wounded veterans (he is an amputee from a land mine explosion in Afghanistan). His wife Tracy (of Tracy’s Tasty Kitchen Creations) does not like venison so he graciously shares his meat with us since we have been unable to hunt the past 2 years.

*By the way these were some of the best tasting deer ever! Whatever they are eating up there in MT makes for some tender and tasty meat.

We only eat ranch-raised beef these days (once you buy it and try it, nothing compares). We don’t do many steak houses as their beef is nothing in comparison and they can’t cook it just right like we can. By we, I mean Wayne. I have never met a more mastered griller. We both prefer a juicy pink MEDIUM RARE to which he has perfected. I don’t even try to grill as I am sure it would be one more thing expected of my already extensive duties and I prefer to leave it a MAN’S JOB. Why screw with perfection?

One of our favorite sides to have with steak is Tin Taters. The name given from how you wrap the ingredients in a big ball of tin foil and throw them in the bottom of the grill, however we were having 65 mile per hour gusts earlier this day and they had calmed down to 25-30 by now but Wayne was still worried the steaks wouldn’t cook let alone the potatoes. So we put the tin taters in a casserole dish, covered them with tin and threw them in the oven (you could put the ball of tin foil in there, I just didn’t want to clean any of the inevitable drippings or leaks off the bottom of the oven so I went with the dish).

We had had spaghetti the night before and actually had a little extra noodles since Andy had spent the night at a friends, so I decided to make Leftover Pasta Ranch Salad is what I call it. See when you have 5 incredibly hungry mouths to feed, mainly males who are sometimes hard to fill, you don’t let any food go to waste, you just get creative as to how to make leftovers into new appealing dishes.

To complete the balance of the meal we added salads as not to fill up on carb rich side dishes. I long ago switched to Cesar Salads after being introduced to them while waitressing at Pizza Hut in high school. I never could go back. Wayne and Zach prefer iceberg lettuce and Andy eats it all, the greener the better, though neither of the boys like any kind of dressing on theirs and Luke doesn’t like lettuce yet at all.

Finish it of with a glass of iced tea and you have a PERFECT meal…..

Steaks by Wayne:

Steaks of your choice cut and ounce

*Meat tenderizer

Simple Marinade: (we use a different one each time)

Lawry’s Season All Salt (to taste)

Worcestershire Sauce (2T per)

Directions:

Sprinkle seasoning and sauce on steaks and vigorously tenderize thoroughly, then flip over and repeat. Place steaks in dish and douse with Worcestershire. Let sit for around 15 minutes, the longer the better and best when covered in plastic wrap. Put on grill on medium- high heat 5 minutes, flip, 5 additional minutes, cut to ensure desired cook. (This should be a medium rare grilling conditions permitting.)

Tin Taters:

Ingredients:

Potatoes, 1 per person, chopped

1 medium onion

1 pepper, green or mixed red, yellow, orange

4T butter

1t garlic powder

1t season all salt

1T parsley

*add corn and chopped carrots or any choice vegetable for more color and flavor

Directions:

Chop all vegetables, mix and place on double layer of tin foil. Sprinkle seasonings over the top, slice pads of butter from stick or daps from tub and randomly place atop the mixture. Fold and seal tin foil. Place on grill or in oven (400*). Cook approximately 35minutes or until potatoes and carrots fully cooked.

Leftover Pasta Ranch Salad

Ingredients:

Leftover pasta, spaghetti works best

¼ - ½ cup Ranch dressing (to taste)

2T Parmesan cheese

2T bacon bits

1T vinegar

* add diced celery or onion for more texture and flavor

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Cesar Salad

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce

Romaine lettuce

Garlic Herb croutons

Parmesan Romano cheese

Kraft Cesar dressing

*any other salad topper almost goes too far in my opinion

Directions:

Shred or cut lettuce into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces, removing all tips. Toss 2 types of lettuce together (traditional Cesar only uses Romaine, Spinach is another good add in). Traditionally for Cesar salad you would then empty half the bottle of dressing into bowl with the lettuce and half a cup of cheese, mix and top with croutons and set out to be dug into. At this point, it is just me eating the salad so this would be a waste of ingredients that would go bad before consumed entirely. This would work well for a party, potluck or large family gathering. I however, place desired amount of lettuce into bowl, sprinkle with a tablespoon of cheese, croutons and a tablespoon of dressing. 

The boys love scraping the bone clean.

Enjoy.....

Snickerdoodle Muffins

After the spicy spicy meal which resulted in severed taste buds for myself (I am not sure Wayne had any prior to the meal with his latest Tabasco obsession), I decided to make us a desert. I went for something new that I had "Stumbled Upon" using the addicting stumbleupon.com that Tracy got me hooked on. Knowing snicker doodles were one of Wayne and the boys' favorites it looked like a hit, and naturally was.

Enjoy, I rarely make sweet treats with all the blood sugar and weight issues these days.

Snicker Doodle Muffins

From: TheSweetsLife.com

Ingredients:

-2 sticks butter

-1 cup sugar

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-2 eggs

-1 1/4 cups flour

-3/4 teaspoon baking powder

-3/4 teaspoon baking soda

-3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

-3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

-1 1/4 cups sour cream

For the cinnamon sugar coating:

-1 cup sugar

-2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.

2. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating well after each

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda,

baking powder, cream of tartar, and nutmeg.

4. Add the sour cream and the flour mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.

5. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter and drop into a small

bowl containing the cinnamon sugar mixture.

6. Roll the batter around in the bowl until it is completely coated in cinnamon sugar.

7. Place the batter ball into a greased muffin tin and repeat with the remaining batter.

8. Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes (mine were perfect after      

20 minutes)      The sweets Life

Chicken Etouffe with Pasta

Prep and Cook Time: 25min

It was Wednesday afternoon, the boys had taken a good nap and were content to watch a movie on the couch so I went right on working on one of my afternoon projects until I looked up and noticed it was 4:30. In our new post wrestling season schedule we have been eating at 5 and loving it. I hadn’t thawed any meat but I follow a self-proclaimed routine of nightly themed menus and Wednesday is Mexican, therefore that narrowed down my dilemma (normally I have a monthly menu hanging on the Chef menu board but I am converting to an excel spreadsheet and haven’t printed March yet). The project I had been working on just so happened to be the same fore mentioned excel spreadsheet.

 I picked up the last cookbook I had been selecting recipes from and flipped through for a quick recipe that fit the theme. I came across this one which is Cajun. I figured Cajun, Mexican, interchangeable enough…both suggest a bit of spice in your life….I UNDERESTIMATED HOW MUCH spice. Though this may have been due solely to the fact that I had thought Wayne had said be home at 5 when it had really been Wrestling Gear Check-in STARTS at 5 so it simmered an extra 45 minutes and had plenty of time to absorb its every seasoning. Turns out that by this time it was too spicy to serve to the boys even after adding tons of vinegar to cancel out the spice from the peppers but Wayne loved it and added Tabasco on top. I kept my napkin near to blot the eyes and nose and managed half a bowl.

SAVE YOUR TONGUE, ONLY USE THE 25 MINUTES!

Recipe taken from:  All Time Favorite Recipes: Incredibly Easy Chicken

Ingredients:

¼ cup vegetable oil (I used EVOO)

1/3  cup flour

½ cup finely chopped onion

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut across the grain into ¼ inch thick strips

1 cup chicken broth

1 medium tomato, chopped

¾ cup sliced celery

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow, red, orange mix)

2 Tablespoons Creole or Cajun seasoning blend

Hot Cooked Pasta (we were running very low so I had to choose between angel hair and country egg noodles which is what I used and they weren’t bad, though I would suggest a firmer more Italian pick)

1.       Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add flour; cook and stir 10 minutes or until dark brown. Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes.

2.       Stir in chicken, broth, tomato, celery, bell pepper and seasoning blend. Cook 8 minutes or until chicken is cook through. Serve over pasta.

        

Makes 6 servings.

       *Etouffe is a traditional dish from New Orleans. This Cajun stew usually features chicken or shellfish, bell peppers, onions and celery.

Open Sesame….Sesame Chicken, Cream Cheese and Crab Wontons, Homemade Egg Roles and Hot & Sour Soup:

  

For my first batch of recipes on here I decided to go with Chinese. We love our ethnic foods and Chinese would top the rest. The boys will even pick it above McDonalds on occasion! We eat out at area Chinese restaurants once a month. Our favorite is the China King Buffett in Gillette. It has 10 buffeted tables and a wok/grill, real sushi, an ice cream bar and about every dish you can think of between.  Our budget does not allow us to eat out as much as we would indulge so over the years we have tried numerous homemade Chinese recipes, some keepers some “burn ‘em’s”. These we have held as keepers.

Sesame Chicken

From Incredibly Easy One Dish recipe book

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs

2/3 cup teriyaki sauce, divided

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 Tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil (I use EVOO)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large green onions, cut into ½ inch slices

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sesame oil

* To toast sesame seeds, spread seeds in small skillet. Shake skillet over medium heat 2 minutes or until seeds begin to pop and turn golden.

Directions:

1.     Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces; toss with 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce in small bowl. Marinate at room temp 15 minutes or cover and refrigerate p to 2 hours.  

2.     Drain chicken  and discard marinade. Blend remaining 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce into cornstarch until smooth.

3.     Heat peanut oil in wok or large skillet over medium-high het. Add chicken and garlic; stir fry 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir cornstarch mixture; add to wok along with onions and sesame seeds. Stir fry 30 seconds or until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in sesame oil.

Makes 4 servings. a

Crab & Cream Cheese Won Tons

Kandi’s Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup  Flaked Imitation Crab Meat

1 pkg Cream Cheese (room temp)

lemon herb or fish seasoning of choice to taste

¼ package won ton wrappers

water for handling

Directions:

Mix first 3 ingredients together. Place one spoonful of mixture into center of each won ton. Next bring all four corners of won ton together (run a wet finger along each side first to ensure a good seal) and pinch shut forming a sort of pyramid.  Fry or spray with garlic cooking spray and bake until golden colored and crispy (about 15-20 minutes).

*If you are odd and do not like seafood (MOM) leave the crab out for cream cheese wontons.

Homemade Egg Roles

Wayne’s Creation

Ingredients:

1 package Egg Role Wrappers

1 lb ground sausage

1 package shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

Dash of curry

Dash of ginger

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of garlic

Dash of onion powder

Water for handling

Directions:

Brown the sausage with dashings of seasonings. When browned drain grease but do not rinse. Mix in large bowl with cabbage. Place approximately 2-3 heaping tablespoons of mixture onto the center of each egg role wrapper. Place in front of you in a diamond position. Fold in left and right corners. Next roll bottom corner over mixture and other 2 corners, keep rolling over last corner (see wrapper package for images). Seal all corners in with a drop of water ran along seams of the wrapper.  Fry or spray with garlic or butter cooking spray and bake until golden brown and crispy (about 20-30 minutes).

Hot & Sour Soup….

I do have a recipe for a homemade version although we have found a packet that is actually better than many of the Chinese restaurants we have tasted. For this version you need:

2.5-3 cups water

2 eggs, beaten

Packet Mix

* we add crushed red pepper, curry powder and a dash of cayenne pepper and an extra egg.

The package gives instructions, however what truly makes something most desirable is too make it your own. To this I would suggest the additions and to boil the water add the eggs slowly with a fork dropping strands of beaten egg in a swirl like fashion until dumping the final amount in same fashion. After this I would suggest reducing heat to a simmer for a minimum of 15 minutes with the seasoning in, this makes for a bolder and more savory taste.

Sweet & Sour Sauce for Dipping:

If you prefer a milder and sweeter taste I suggest the La Choy brand sweet and sour sauce. If you prefer spicy I would suggest the Thai Kitchen sweet red chili brand.  Our favorite is to mix the two together.

Don’t forget to steam or fry some rice!

Gluten Free or Gluten to be, that is the question…

Since the 6^th grade I have run low blood sugar. This is referred to as Hypoglycemia. It often later develops into full blown diabetes and almost guarantees you will be gestational diabetic for your pregnancies.

When pregnant with our 1^st and 2^nd children I was borderline diabetic and was told to count my carbs and eat more protein rich foods. With our 3^rd child I was VERY Gestational Diabetic and was nearly put on insulin. This is not exceptionally well for the health of your child so I was given a chance to follow a strict diet instead. It was extremely difficult not to indulge in the pregnancy cravings and nausea friendly foods but knowing the health of my child was at stake, I followed gluten free, high protein, low carb diet (& lots of fiber). Those 5 months were the biggest dent on my budget!

With all of this being said, it has been imperative over the years that I watch what I eat. I was never one who indulged in a lot of rich or sweet treats, (I do however enjoy many chocolates and desserts on holidays and when Tracy so generously shares her amazing culinary masterpieces). Since my bout with gestational diabetes I have pondered many a time going back to this gluten free diet to ward off the Adult Onset Diabetes I am prone to have as well as for the many other health and weight loss benefits that go along with such a diet. The problem with this lifestyle change being the COST, and for a growing family of 5, cost is ALWAYS an issue.

Our food budget consumes around a quarter of our monthly income! We faithfully visit Sam’s Club once a month using their ready for pickup feature combined with my business Market America’s cash back for shopping (free to join)in order to save and stretch bulk items as far as possible. This definitely helps, however this means buying those high carb comfort foods that fill you fast, keep you stocked and don’t deplete the wallet as quickly.

While I would love to say that my family’s health is my number one concern, it can’t be my only concern at the top when finances play into the bigger picture at a more alarming rate. If I were to follow the gluten free diet I would no longer pay $.89 a loaf times 6 loafs of bread per month totaling $5.38; instead I would pay $4.89 per loaf for the gluten free bread in the freezer section and total $29.34. That extra $23.69 could get me 5 other bulk items such as a 5lb container of cottage cheese for $6.88, a 5lb container of sour cream for $5.68, 10lbs of yellow onions for $4.98, 10lbs of Russet potatoes for $3.48 and 3lbs of bananas at $1.44 with $1.23 to spare to splurge on a pop at the checkout for the ride home.

Now you might say this is just setting you up for more problems later in life as far as a healthy lifestyle with a nutritious diet that promotes heart health and wards off obesity, diabetes and other weight related health concerns you are more prone too. ABSOLUTELY right…..what do you do?

Suggestions welcome, comment below.

Dedication...

I have become incredibly addicted to food blogs over the years and especially since watching Julie and Julia. One of my favorites is by a classmate, Heather, who writes Mrs. McQuillan Masters Meals.  You should check it out!

Traditionally the food blogs I have had experience with have written about new recipes they try and their triumph to success with them. I will likely get around to that, but to start with I will throw in some topics for debate and post my favorite recipes that make it on our menu once a month guaranteed.  To my closest friends and family, do not be surprised to see some of yours appear and thanks for sharing your best!

This blog is dedicated to my BESTIE Sonya, who has had many cooking adventures with me over the years, to my sister Tiffany, again many cooking adventures over the years, and to my mom who is a dietician at two nursing homes in my hometown, but as a result is burnt out and uninspired by the thought of cooking by the time she gets home, yet never ceases to get excited about co-planning menus for times shared together.

I would also like to send a quick thanks to Tracy for her constant motivation, introduction to new recipes and wonderful food, to my mother and sister-in-laws for their introductions to a whole new family of recipes and home cooked traditions and to my husband who over the years has never held back in telling me which recipes are keepers and which should be burnt in effigy. Last but not least, thanks  to all of my own family for sending me out in the world with the memories of wonderful meals to pass on to a growing family.