Blog Archives

Grilled Steaks with Browned Garlic Butter

8/29/2015

I know your wondering, at this moment, why I stuck a steak sauce recipe for an item that can be rarely included in the food budget.

The thought is pure and simple. Everyone who craves a steak at some point in time will find the means to prepare one. Me? I can purchase one from a deep discount store that provides steaks at half their normal price occasionally. And, I can tell you folks, it is sheer pleasure to sear one of these beauties and prepare this quick, delightful sauce to accompany it.

There is something about this sublime concoction that pulls that dinner experience together. Best of all, it is ingredients you already have on hand.

6 tab. butter
2 garlic cloves sliced thinly
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
1 - 2 pd. of your favorite steak

Season steaks with salt and pepper. Let sit for 20 minutes allowing spices to marry. Grill uncovered over medium heat or broil in your oven for 5-7 minutes on each side. Let steak sit as you prepare the sauce.

Heat butter and garlic in small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 4-6 minutes until butter is golden brown stirring constantly. Top steaks with sauce.

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Roasted Baby Gold Potatoes

8/23/2015

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More fresh produce is entering my food pantry bags each month. It seems the facilities that donate extra food are finding the benefits of nutritious veggies, too!

Last week I found a delicious 3 lb. bag of mini potatoes topping my canned food empire. "What an unexpected treat," I thought. These goodies are usually $3.99 - $5.99 per bag at your local supermarket.

Did you know around 1850 that Most Americans considered the potato as food for animals rather than for humans? As late as the middle of the 19th Century, the Farmer's Manual recommended that potatoes "be grown near the hog pens as a convenience towards feeding the hogs."

3 lbs baby gold potatoes, unpeeled
2 tab. oil
1 1/2 tsp dry parsley
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed

Wash potatoes and drain. No need for cutting if they are small. Place in a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients.

Transfer potatoes to a large rimmed, non-stick baking pan. Bake at 375° for an hour. Gently shake pan every 20 minutes to ensure even roasting.

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Slow Cooker BBQ Wings

8/23/2015

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Last week, at my local deeply discounted mart, peering at me from the freezer case was a bag of 5 lb. chicken wings for only $5.99. "How often do I buy these any longer as a treat for my family?" I contemplated. With prices ranging from $8.99 - $10.99, the answer was never.

But with such a price break I was tempted, and quickly set this find in my cart. Now, the difficult part I thought, "Who has time to fry 5 lbs. of chicken wings?" After all, this would make a delightful Sunday meal, but with school starting up, there was no extra time to do so on such a tight schedule.

Searching through my recipe archives I came across this long forgotten recipe I'm sure you'll enjoy!

5 pounds chicken wings
16 oz. bottle of BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 375°. Using a sharp knife, cut through the two wing joints; discard wing tips. Arrange remaining wing pieces in two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 30 minutes; drain. Turn wings; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Drain wings. Place one-third of the chicken in a 5-qt. slow cooker; top with one-third of the sauce. Repeat layers twice. Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours. Stir before serving.

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Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

8/22/2015

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Chicken-fried steak is a dish in which a cut of beef, usually thin and selected from the round, is breaded and fried. The method of preparation is similar to that of fried chicken, which explains the name. The Texas staple is most often served with mashed potatoes and covered with cream gravy.

Prior to modern food safety practices and methods of food storage, the fine art of “making tough cuts of meat palatable” was a necessity; breading and frying often did the trick. Some food historians assert that chicken-fried steak is a descendant of Wiener schnitzel, a similar dish traditionally made with veal rather than beef that was brought to America by German immigrants who would eventually take it to Texas.

This combination has been a mainstay when ever the term home cooking comes in to play. Try this ultimate from scratch home made version.

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups milk, divided
4 beef cubed steaks (6 ounces each)
1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
Oil for frying
1 cup water

Place 1 cup flour in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk eggs and 1/2 cup milk until blended. Sprinkle steaks with 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dip in flour to coat both sides; shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then again in flour.
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 in. of oil over medium heat. Add steaks; cook 4-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown and a thermometer reads 160°. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from pan. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth; cook and stir over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Gradually whisk in water and remaining milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with steaks and mashed potatoes.

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Slow Cooker Korean Beef

8/16/2015

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Fall has hit and that means back to life, back to reality. It also means back to schedules and back after school activities.

Back to soccer, library, cub scouts, football, homework… I could go on and on! Sometimes making dinner happen with all the craziness is hard.

That’s why the slow cooker can be your very best friend! Prepare dinner while you’re cleaning up your breakfast dishes. Then, when it comes time to fit in dinner between the comings and goings, it’s not impossible! Dinner stays warm in the crock pot so if family members need to eat dinner at different times, it works!

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Sliced green onion, for garnish, optional

1. Fry Beef, drain and add beef to slow cooker and break it up into small chunks with a spoon.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, red pepper, ginger and tomato paste. Stir into the slow cooker and really coat the beef.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for about 3-4 hours.
4. Stir again, breaking up chunks.
5. Serve beef and sauce over rice and garnish with green onion.

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

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Open Faced Turkey Sandwiches

8/9/2015

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You can't go wrong with turkey and there's always a sale. This delicious entree is homemade goodness that adds extra savings to your budget.

Whip this up in only a few minutes, and you'll have a wholesome hearty meal for a good size family. Or, you'll have plenty of leftovers for the next few days allowing you to do some other much need tasks that are always calling.

Did you know that during the Middle Ages, thick slabs of coarse bread called "tranches" were used as plates? At the end of the meal, the food-soaked trencher was eaten by the diner or perhaps fed to a dog or saved for beggars. Trenchers were the beginning of the open-face sandwich!

1/2 cup butter or margarine, cubed
1 small onion chopped
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 cups of water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 lb. deli turkey, sliced
12 slices white bread

Heat butter in saucepan and add onion. Stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings. Add water and bouillon and whisk until thickened. Add turkey, one slice at a time and heat through. Serve over bread and with mashed potatoes and side salad.

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Red, White, and Blue Frozen Lemonade

8/3/2015

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With all those berry and citrus sales going on right now you can pick this one up for pennies. So simple to make and so refreshing!

What a special after dinner treat! Just throw all ingredients in a blender, whirl, and your ready to dish out into pretty tall glasses.

Get to Aldi to get your fresh lemons and berries. You can find sales on each of these for around a dollar. You'll be making this often, so be sure to include this in your favorite list.

1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 cups ice cubes
1 carton fresh blueberries
Maraschino cherries

Place lemon juice, sugar, and ice cubes in blender. Blend until slushy. Fill four glasses with the following: 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup slushy mixture, and 2-4 maraschino cherries.