Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Monte Cristo sandwich (Disneyland style)

BLUE BAYOU MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 thin slices ham
8 thin slices turkey
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
3 cups canola oil
Confectioners sugar
Blackberry preserves
Directions:
  1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside.
  2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl.
  3. On one slice of bread, arrange 2 slices of ham, turkey, and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice each sandwich in half diagonally.
  4. Heat oil to between 365 degrees F and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil.
  5. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat with the other three sandwiches.
  6. Cook one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature between each.
  7. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Saucy Hot Dogs


I am not a hot dog lover, but I loved these.  Be sure to buy good quality hot dogs and buns it makes all the difference.

Saucy Hot DogsRecipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
3 slices bacon
1 medium onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle chili sauce (like Heinz, not like Sriracha)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup apple juice
8 high-quality hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
Desired toppings (like shredded cheese and chopped onions)
Instructions: In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until the bacon is crisp. Drain the bacon on a paper towel, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add the onion and garlic to the drippings and saute until the onions are tender and fragrant. Add the chili sauce, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, crumbled bacon, and apple juice and bring to a boil. Add the hot dogs and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the hot dogs are hot. Either serve immediately or transfer to a slow cooker set to the low setting. Serve with shredded cheese and chopped onions.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Hamburger Steak with Onion & Mushroom Gravy




Monday, May 13, 2013

Cheesy Grilled Pizza Sandwich


Cheesy Grilled Pizza Sandwich

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Crockpot chicken tacos

Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Recipe from Tasty Kitchen

Serves: ~12 people

1 Envelope Taco Seasoning (I use Old El Paso Reduced Sodium)
6 Pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 16-ounce jar Salsa (I switch between brands, but Newman's Own or Pace are my favorites)

Dump everything into a crock pot and give it a little stir to blend the seasoning with the salsa. You do not need to add any water to the taco seasoning. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork.

For tacos, serve the chicken with soft flour tortillas, guacamole, lettuce, shredded cheese and/or sour cream. This is very versatile and can be used for enchiladas, nachos, tostadas, quesadillas, etc. Any leftover chicken can then be used for tortilla soup (make it the next day or freeze the chicken to use at a later time).

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Baked Caprese Pasta


I made this tonight and my family devoured it.  It was fresh and delicious. I was thinking next time I might substitute Chicken fingers for the mozzarella sticks. Original recipe found HERE.
Baked Caprese Pasta
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 1/4 C chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 C milk (Fat content lower than 1% not recommended)
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 lb penne pasta, cooked
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/3 C mozzarella, cubed
  • 1/2 C fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 (8 oz) box Mozzarella Sticks
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan and add garlic. Let cook until fragrant, about 1 minute and stir in flour, cooking an additional minute.
  3. Whisk in broth and milk, stirring constantly until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in salt and red pepper.
  4. In a 9x13" casserole dish, place 1/2 of the pasta into the bottom and top with 1/2 of the tomatoes, and basil, and all of the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining pasta, tomatoes and basil.
  5. Pour garlic sauce evenly over the pasta.
  6. Cut each mozzarella stick into a several pieces and place across the pasta in an even layer. Cover with foil.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, uncover, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the mozzarella sticks are melted and crisp and the sauce is bubbling.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Stovetop Ribs

These ribs are so good and they don't take as long to cook as some Rib recipes take.  The recipe says to let them boil in the water until the water has evaporated and that should take about 20 minutes, but the few times I have cooked them it has taken more like 45min.  I have also used beef ribs and I actually like them better than the pork because they were less greasy. Recipe found HERE


INGREDIENTS:
10 pork spareribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 lime, juiced
10 sprigs fresh parsley
ground black pepper to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges
DIRECTIONS:
1.Place the spareribs into a large pot, and fill with just enough water to cover. Add the soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, lime juice and 3/4 of the parsley. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated, about 25 minutes.
2.When all of the water is gone, remove the bay leaves, and allow meat to brown, turning occasionally. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits and softened garlic from the bottom of the pot, and toss them with the pork. The garlic will dissolve onto the meat. Remove the meat, and drain on paper towels. Season with black pepper and garnish with lime wedges and remaining parsley.