All posts by dmariebates

Okra and Tomatoes

Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, ,

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If you find fresh okra at your local grocer, use that instead of frozen. Frozen okra is not bad but as with most recipes fresh is better. Okra and tomatoes is one of those southern dishes that goes great with all types of meat entrees.

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Being a truly southern gal my mom use to make okra and tomatoes with fried fish and hush puppies. I also like pairing okra and tomatoes with fried fish. I just have not perfected making hush puppies . At least not yet.

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For those folks that don’t know much about cooking okra, let me give you a tip. Do not cut off the top of the okra unless you want it to be slimy in your dish. The only time I cut okra is when I am cooking fried okra then it does not get slimy. My cousin Bernice taught me that. Not everybody likes the taste of okra which is why I usually prepare it as a separate vegetable side dish. Of course when you are making okra and tomatoes the okra is the star of the dish.

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If you have not tried okra or thought you did not like okra, give it another chance. Both the tomatoes and okra compliment each other with a wonderful flavor. To my southern folks I say try my version because I know you already know how good okra can be.

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Okra and Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 lb okra (fresh or frozen)
1 14 oz can spicy diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can corn drained
2 slices bacon diced
1 medium onion diced
1 stalk celery diced
½ cup green pepper diced
½ cup chicken broth
½ tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp olive oil

Place olive oil and bacon in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Cook until bacon becomes crisp. Reduce heat to medium then add onions, peppers, celery, worcestershire sauce and seasonings to the pan. Stir and cook until vegetables soften. Add tomatoes, okra, corn and broth. Let simmer for 20 25 minutes. Serve over rice if desired.

 

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London Broil Salad with Crispy Fried Onions

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Soups/ Salads / Stews, ,

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Steak, potatoes and salad is a hearty meal that real meat eaters love. I must admit I am a meat eater but I am not big on eating red meat. My friend Girly Girl is a true meat eater especially when it comes to beef. She loves a good steak and savors every bite. I cannot remember a time when she didn’t order some style of beef whenever we would go out to dinner. Recently, Girly Girl and I were talking about recipes and I told her I was working on a variety of salads since the weather was getting warmer and I preferred preparing lighter meals in the summer. She immediately asked if I had a steak salad. At the time I did not but Girly Girl got me to thinking about creating one.

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The elements of a good steak dinner are a tender steak (of course), sauteed onions, a baked potato and salad. Creating a salad that incorporated all of those ingredients didn’t quite work for me. So, I decided to make a basic salad that included thinly sliced pieces of London Broil instead of a hearty steak just to keep it light. Some of you might be thinking who has time to fix London Broil just to put it on a salad? I certainly don’t. It was easier to go to the deli at my local grocer. They always have delicious London Broil that is tender, cooked to perfection and full of flavor. After layering the salad with the London Broil, I topped it off with crispy fried onions.

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There were only two things missing when I finished pulling the salad together. Dressing and potatoes. To elevate the salad I drizzled a little blue cheese over the crispy fried onions then I added a small buttered baked potato on the side to make the meal complete.

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I think Girly Girl is gonna like this one.

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London Broil Salad with Crispy Fried Onions

Ingredients:
½ lb London Broil
1 – 2 heads romaine lettuce sliced
1 large onion sliced thin
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 cups vegetable oil
½ cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
½ cup green pepper sliced thin
½ cup flour
¼ cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Adobo seasoning (optional)
blue cheese dressing

Place sliced onion rings in a Ziploc bag. Season with salt, pepper and Adobo seasoning. Add flour and shake to coat the onion rings. In a bowl beat eggs and milk together. In a second bowl place panko bread crumbs.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot until lightly smoking. In batches dip floured onion ring slices in egg mixture then panko bread crumbs. Shake off excess crumbs. Add to oil and cook until golden brown flipping onion rings to evenly brown. Drain on paper towels.

Layer romaine lettuce, green peppers, tomatoes and London Broil on a dinner plate. Sprinkle with onion rings then drizzle with blue cheese dressing.

Feeds 3 – 4 people.

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Grilled Corned Beef and Pastrami Sandwiches

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , , ,

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I had just come back home from a 3 day business meeting when I decided I should cook dinner for my hubby and youngest son since I knew they had been eating take out while I was gone. However, I was mentally tired and did not feel like making something too complex for dinner. On my way to the grocery store I kept trying to think of a simple meal that would satisfy their tummies, be easy for me and make them remember how much they missed my cooking.

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Rolling through the grocery store doors it hit me. Sandwiches would be easy to make but they couldn’t be just any ol’ sandwiches. Grilled Corned Beef and Pastrami sounded like a good combination. I had never made them for the family but I recently discovered my hubby likes Reuben sandwiches. Who knew after all these years. I didn’t have any sauerkraut and I didn’t have the time or the energy to fix some for the sandwiches. So, I decided to use corned beef and pastrami along with pepper jack cheese, provolone cheese, Kumato tomatoes and thousand island dressing. I used Kumato tomatoes on the sandwiches only because I like the color and taste of the tomatoes. Of course any type of tomato will work.

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As I said earlier I was mentally tired so making fancy side dishes to go with the sandwiches was out of the question. To at least make the sandwiches seem really special I added a sliced deli pickle and potato chips with aged cheddar and cracked black pepper.

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Don’t let anyone tell you that sandwiches are boring when it comes to dinner. Actually, they can be pretty exciting if you remember flavor and texture are the key to any meal. The different flavors of the meats along with the contrast of flavors of the cheese mixed with the tang of the thousand island dressing put a little pizazz into my Grilled Corned Beef and Pastrami Sandwiches. Both of my men loved the sandwiches and let me know they missed me and definitely missed my cooking.

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Grilled Corned Beef and Pastrami Sandwiches

Ingredients:
6 slices sourdough bread
½ lb sliced corned beef
½ lb sliced pastrami
¼ lb pepper jack cheese sliced
¼ lb provolone cheese sliced
1 small tomato sliced thin
2 tbsp thousand island dressing
6 tsp softened butter

Spread a little thousand island dressing on one slice of bread. Top with 2 slices pepper jack cheese then slices of corned beef and pastrami. Add slices of tomato then top with two slices of provolone cheese. Place second slice of bread on top of cheese. Spread butter on one side of the bread.

Heat 2 tbsp of butter on a griddle over medium high heat. Place sandwich butter side down on heated griddle. Spread butter on other side of the bread. Flip sandwich once browned on one side. Brown second side of bread. Serve with pickles and chips.

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Brussel Sprout Hash

Side Dish, Vegetables, , , , ,

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Okay, let’s all admit it. Brussel sprouts can be a little stinky when you cook them. Not everyone can enjoy the strong taste of brussel sprouts but if you are adventurous I say give it a try. Brussel sprouts have great qualities one of which is they are healthy. Brussel sprouts are packed with vitamins C and K. While reading up on the benefits of eating brussel sprouts I found out that they help support the body’s detox system, our antioxidant system and our inflammatory/ anti-inflammatory system. Not many veggies are able to bring such benefits all at once.

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I came up with my brussel sprout hash recipe the same way I come up with quite a few of my creations. I needed to do something with the fresh brussel sprouts I threw into my shopping cart earlier in the week hoping I would be inspired by their presence in my frig. This time I actually was inspired by the brussel sprouts. I couldn’t bear to just boil them or simply roast them. But, I did want to bake them along with onions, peppers and potatoes and turn them into a hash. This recipe was created with just me in mind because neither my hubby nor my youngest son likes brussel sprouts. Me? I love them. I just don’t prepare them often because like I said in the beginning they can be a little stinky.

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On the day I made the brussel sprout hash my hubby came home and asked if I smelled something funny in the house. It wasn’t a strong smell but he could smell something different in the air. Of course I couldn’t say no and had to admit I had cooked brussel sprouts. After wrinkling up his nose he pulled out the the air freshener and sprayed the whole house. Totally unnecessary but what can I say. Brussel sprouts have their own unique aroma but they sure do taste good.

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Brussel Sprout Hash

Ingredients:
1 lb brussel sprouts cut in half
3 small red potatoes diced
2 shallots sliced
½ red pepper diced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl toss brussel sprouts and balsamic vinegar. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add brussel sprouts, potatoes, peppers and shallots to baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasonings and toss. Pour remaining olive oil over veggies. Bake approximately 1 hour until veggies are soft and golden.

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Cannellini and Kale

Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , ,

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Many moons ago when I was single and purchased my first home I lived next door to a wonderful elderly Italian couple. Ernie and John B. welcomed me into the neighborhood and into their home with open arms. I quickly became part of their extended family and was blessed with many delicious Italian treats Ernie always liked to share.

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Ernie was a great cook and I looked forward to her knock on my door to say she had something extra she wanted to me to try. Besides Ernie’s holiday pizzelles there was one treat I looked forward to eating. It was a simple cannellini bean and garlic dish made with olive oil and Italian seasonings. Simple but delicious. Probably the most important ingredient Ernie added was love. I have always said that food prepared with love is the best food in the world.

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I have since moved from the old neighborhood and my extended Italian family has passed on. I have fond memories of Ernie and John and only recently remembered her cannellini and bean recipe. In honor of Ernie, I decide to create my own version of her dish. I souped up the cannellini and garlic by adding fresh chopped kale and red pepper slices for color. The creaminess of the beans, the sweetness of the red peppers and slight crunch of the kale ( I like it al dente in some recipes) created a ping pong of textures in my mouth. Throw in nice Italian seasonings and you have a fantastic side dish or meal.

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I think Ernie would be proud of my version of her delicious beans and would give me a big hug for honoring her memory.

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Cannellini and Kale

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped kale
2 15oz cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic sliced
½ red pepper seeded and sliced thin
½ cup chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp oregano
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan. Add kale and saute until slightly wilted (cook longer if you do not like kale al dente) for 3 – 5 minutes. Add garlic, sliced red pepper and seasonings. Stir then add chicken broth and beans. Stir to mix beans with kale and peppers. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.

Salad (Italian Sub Style)

Main Course, Side Dish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , , , , , ,

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I was eating a small Italian sub the other day and started thinking about my promise to cut back on eating bread. As we all know, eating too many carbs is not good for you. I was feeling guilty since I had already eaten a bagel for breakfast and I was trying to limit my bread intake to once per day if at all.

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While eating my sandwich I was thinking of ways I could ditch the roll and just eat what was inside the roll. Then I thought why not turn my sandwich into a salad. Viola! I could still have the ingredients of an Italian sub but no bread. I decided to create a Salad (Italian Sub Style) with lots of romaine lettuce and a sprinkling of meats, cheeses, tomatoes and Italian seasonings. This salad can be either a nice small portioned start to a meal or a meal unto itself. Either way I think you will enjoy it.

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Salad (Italian Sub Style)
Ingredients:
1 bunch romaine lettuce chopped
½ cup pepperoni sliced into strips
½ cup capicola sliced into strips
½ cup salami sliced into strips
½ cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
½ cup provolone cheese sliced into strips
¼ cup sweet peppers (optional)
½ tbsp parsley chopped
½ tbsp red onion chopped small (optional)
¼ cup black olives sliced
¼ cup olive oil

Seasonings:
2 tbsp Italian salad dressing
½ tbsp lemon zest
½ tbsp oregano
½ tsp onion powder
½ tbsp dill
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salad dressing, salt, black pepper, oregano and dill. Set aside.

Combine romaine, tomatoes, red onion, black olives, sweet peppers, meats and cheeses in a large bowl. Whisk olive oil dressing then drizzle over salad. Toss gently. Enjoy!

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Spiced Up Chick Peas and Couscous

Pasta and Grains, Side Dish, Vegetables, , , ,

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I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a new vegetarian side dish that was a little spicy and different from the “usual” side dishes we have at most meals. I say vegetarian side dish because I didn’t want to add bacon or any other meat product to enhance the flavors. I only wanted to blend together spices and the natural flavor of the veggies to create a wonderful tasting dish.

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I decided to use chick peas as my main veggie after searching my cabinets for an idea. I had not prepared anything with chick peas for a while so I figured it would be a nice change of pace to incorporate them into a side dish. I finally decided to make Spiced Up Chick Peas using spices similar to what I use in my Moroccan Chicken recipe. I guess you could say I made Moroccan Chick Peas but I’ll stick with calling them spiced up.

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To tell the truth, this dish could be a main entree as well as a side dish. The chick peas are very filling and coupled with couscous it really can be a full meal. Whether you use a fork or a spoon, I think you will want to catch every drop of this very flavorful dish.

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Spiced Up Chick Peas

Ingredients:
2 15 oz cans chick peas drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 14 oz can pureed tomatoes
1 small onion diced
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 cups couscous
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
½ tsp cilantro
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin
½ lemon zest
½ tsp mint chopped (optional)
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger

Prepare couscous according to package. Saute onion in olive oil until onion is softened and slightly browned. Add garlic and stir constantly so that garlic does not burn. Place chick peas and all other ingredients in a large pot and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over couscous.

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Wild Rice Salad

Fruits, Rice, Side Dish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, , , ,

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I love this time of year when the weather is slightly warm during the day and cool at night. It lets me know summer is coming and our meals will be filled with grilled foods and salads. All kinds of salads!!! I am fortunate that everyone in the family likes eating salads so it makes it easy for me to come up with a variety of warm or cold salads that go well with grilled chicken, fish and barbeque.

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My latest salad experiment is a Wild Rice Salad. I liked this one because I could serve it either chilled, slightly warmed or at room temperature. Rice isn’t heavy but can be very filling so it goes well with most entrees. If you don’t want to eat a lot of food but you want to feel like you have eaten a meal, put a little more rice on your plate. You will feel quite full and may not even want dessert. I know, who am I kidding. Everyone wants dessert no matter what. At least you may want a little less dessert.

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Whenever I make salads I try to combine both veggies and fruits. Golden raisins are one of the staples in my pantry as well as cranberries. Most of the leafy salads I make include fruits, nuts and cheese. I wasn’t too confident that including all three of those ingredients would work in a Wild Rice Salad so I decided to stick with fruit and nuts. The combination of wild rice, oranges and pecans was perfect. Savory, sweet and crunchy. Not bad if I do say so myself. One more wonderful salad recipe added to my long list of summertime dishes.

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Wild Rice Salad

Ingredients:
1 box wild rice (approximately 2 cups cooked)
1 10 oz can mandarin oranges drained
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup cranberries
¼ cup celery small dice
¼ cup vinaigrette
1 tsp lemon zest
½ tsp black pepper
pinch of salt

Prepare wild rice according to package. Let rice cool then place in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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Boneless Leg of Lamb

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, ,

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Boneless Leg of Lamb is one of those “special” meals I make when I find lamb on sale and I have a little extra time to prepare dinner. I like to cook the lamb low and slow which means on relatively low heat and slow in the oven to ensure the lamb gets nice and tender.

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The last time I made boneless leg of lamb was for Easter. I wanted something other than the traditional ham we usually have each year and everyone seemed on board for a change of menu. That was my first hurdle. The second hurdle turned out to be browning the lamb. I idea was for me to brown the lamb in my dutch oven then saute the veggies in the same pot to infuse the flavor of the lamb into the veggies. Well, when I placed the lamb in the dutch oven the hot oil sloshed up onto my wrist and burned me. No worries. After I finished screaming and running cool water over the burn I finished browning the lamb and kept on cooking.

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Needless to say I was determined that my boneless leg of lamb would be a success since I had suffered for the “art” of cooking. I was not disappointed and neither was the family. Everyone enjoyed the meal and the celebration of renewed life as dictated by the day. I even added to our old family tradition by preparing lamb instead of ham. Next year I think we will have both!

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Boneless Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:
1 boneless leg of lamb
1 large onion sliced
1 pint mushrooms whole or sliced
1 bottle good beer
1 cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp thyme
smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until slightly smoky.

Season lamb with all seasonings then gently place in hot oil. Brown leg of lamb on both sides. Remove from dutch oven and set aside. Add onions and mushrooms to dutch oven and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stir veggies and let them brown a little. Add beer and water to deglaze the pot. Return leg of lamb to the pot and place in the oven. Baste the lamb every 15 minutes for the first hour then every 30 minutes the next hour. Remove lamb the oven and dutch oven. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice or shred lamb and enjoy.

Optional:
Make a light gravy with the broth from the lamb or use a jar of beef bistro jus.

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Skillet Apple Pie (Adapted from Trisha Yearwood’s recipe)

Desserts, Fruits, , , ,

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The skillet apple pie recipe I am sharing was adapted from Trisha Yearwood’s skillet apple pie recipe. I was watching her show one day and she made an amazing looking pie in just a few minutes. I figured if she could whip together such an amazing dessert in no time flat I should be able to do the same. I just transformed a few of the ingredients she used and cut out others. Trisha’s recipe called for a cinnamon and sugar mixture but I used each one separately plus added a little nutmeg. I am also not big on sugar coated pies so I did not sprinkle the top with the same cinnamon sugar combination she used inside the pie. Of course if you like a lot of sugar feel free to sprinkle the crust with cinnamon and sugar.

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I have to admit when I first saw the recipe for a skillet pie I thought peaches would be better than apples. I imagined using fresh peaches cooked down just a little bit with cinnamon and sugar. Unfortunately, peaches are not in season yet so I stuck to the recipe and used apple pie filling. Give me a few months and I will definitely try the recipe using fresh peaches.

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The results of the pie were absolutely wonderful if I do say so myself. Flaky and delicious this is as close as you can get to an apple pie made from scratch. Quick and easy is my recipe mantra and Skillet Apple Pie hits the mark on both counts. Even on those days you are too tired or cranky to spend a lot of time in the kitchen you can pull this dessert together in less than 15 minutes. Okay, so you do have to wait for it to bake but it is truly worth the wait.

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Skillet Apple Pie (Adapted from Trisha Yearwood’s Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 box Pillsbury Pie Crusts (2 crusts per box)
½ cup light brown sugar
½ stick of butter
½ tbsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 21 oz can apple filling
1 tbsp butter melted
9” iron skillet
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll each pie crust.

Spray cooking spray around iron skillet. Melt ½ stick of butter in skillet over medium low heat. Add brown sugar and let melt into butter stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from the heat and add one pie crust to the skillet. Gently push the pie crust down into brown sugar and butter. Add pie filling and sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg. Place second pie crust over the filling and turn crust edges inward. Brush top with 1 tbsp of melted butter and then place small slits in the top of the pie to allow the steam to vent. Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Optional:
Try this recipe with a peach or cherry pie filling. Adjust using cinnamon and nutmeg if using cherry pie filling.

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