Let’s start with this is not the post I intended to write. What I really wanted to write was a post about were Crawdads (aka crawfish). The truth of the matter is, I’ve never cooked crawdads. I’ve never even eaten crawdads despite the fact that there is a large festival in the delta every year on Father’s Day weekend. I’ve taken my guys there, wandered about looking at all the buckets of crawdads, but even with someone else doing the cooking, could not bring myself to eat something that requires you to suck out its head. So why the obsession with crawdads?
Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen
I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and avid home cook.I believe in eating healthy whenever possible, while still managing to indulge in life's pleasures.
Slow Cooker Ground Beef and Three-Bean Supreme
I will never forget the first time we tasted this wonderful slow cooker delight. Kiddo was enjoying a break from work, as business in the event industry tends to taper off in the winter. You would think Holidays would be a busy time. Perhaps in the past, that were true, when companies put on elaborate parties for their employees. These days, people would rather find a few extra dollars in their Christmas Stocking than to toast in the new year with the boss.
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A Corny Take on Smoked Sausage with Fried Potatoes
One of the things we keep in the freezer for effortless yet yummy suppers such as this is Hillshire Farms Smoked Beef or Kielbasa Sausages. Whenever we find them on sale, we stock up. The great thing about these Sausages is that you can barbecue them, cook them with potatoes, add them to a pasta . . . great for quick comfort food. When Brother Dear lived with us, simple comfort food was important and vegetables beyond corn needed to be hidden. I cannot express fully just how difficult it was to get Brother Dear to eat anything beyond McDonalds, Pizzas or Turkey Sandwiches.
This dish is almost the same as one I posted earlier – Brother Dear’s Smokes Sausage and Fried Potatoes – almost. Only this dish calls for Yukon Gold Potatoes rather than Russets that are cut into cubes rather than sliced thin. While both dishes include corn, instead of serving sweet corn as a side, it goes right into the skillet with the potatoes and sausage, making this a one-skillet supper.
A Corny Take on Smoked Sausage with Fried Potatoes
6 Medium Size Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed
Salt & Pepper to Taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
2 Hillshire Farms Smoked Beef Sausage, coin cut
1 Can Corn, well-drained
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Scrub potatoes. No need to peel. The peel of these potatoes will add extra flavor, texture and fiber to the dish. Cut into bite-size cubes. Place into a microwave safe dish. Drizzle potatoes with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.
Microwave potatoes for about 10 minutes, until almost cooked through. Test doneness by piercing the potato with a cake tester or toothpick. It should glide into the potato effortlessly.
Empty potatoes into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Allow potatoes to begin to brown.
While the potatoes are browning, coin cut Smoked Beef Sausage. Once the potatoes brown, add sausage to skillet. Stir, toss to mix well.
Drain corn, and rinse under cold water to remove any packing salt. Add corn to skillet. Stir, toss to mix well.
Lower heat to about medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and sausage is heated through. Depending upon size of potatoes, this should take about 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy.
Another delicious way to serve up Kielbasa or Smoked Beef Sausages is so simple, it only takes two ingredients and about 20 minutes of time . . . we love Grilled Sausages with Barbecue Sauce. Yum!
New Mexican Filet Mignon with Sizzling Chipotle Sauce
Once upon a time long, long ago Hubby and I called Southern Nevada home. We loved living in the dessert. It was this appreciation for the red earth that drew us to New Mexico for a much needed couples-only road trip.
The drive was beautiful. The landscape breathtaking – rugged rock formations stretching up to touch a deep blue sky. New Mexico is like taking a giant step back in time to a place that is unspoiled by modern life.
It is also the only place in the world that someone from Las Vegas, when “Where are you from?” must clarify “Las Vegas, Nevada”. If not, you would hear a second question – “which one?” Any place else on the planet and the name “Las Vegas” immediately conjures images of the strip. One would be hard pressed to get Las Vegas Nevada and Las Vegas New Mexico confused.
One thing that stood out on our road trip was the cuisine of New Mexico. It is not to be confused with Mexican or Tex-Mex. The food of New Mexico is awesome, in a category all its own. If you are a huge fan of heat – as in chili-hot smoke coming out your ears hot, New Mexican cuisine is right up your taste-bud alley. Sit down to a meal at any authentic eatery in New Mexico and you’ll notice that sopapilla are brought to the table with your meal, along with a big bottle of honey. And for good reason – you need the honey to cool off your mouth between bites of incredibly spicy food. As huge fans of both spicy foods and sopapillas, we fell madly in love with New Mexican Cuisine. Make no mistake about it, this Filet Mignon is sizzling hot – New Mexican unbelievably HOT over-the-top OMG heat. Continue if you dare, but consider yourself properly warned.
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Vegetable Beef Burgundy over Mashed Potatoes
Let me start off with an apology – there are no step by step photos for today’s blog. The intentions were good. This awesome, hardy and oh so delicious supper cooked in the my slow cooker all day and the aroma that greeted us as the end of the day had our mouths watering. I really really wanted to document each step of preparation process for you.
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Quick Cassoulet American Style
Supper’s ready, I announced to no one in particular. Please get your drinks while I dish it up. This is a regular, one-sided conversation that we have in our house every evening. Hubby did what he usually does, he stood in front of the refrigerator to check our meal planner. Some meals require a tall glass of soda, others milk and others still sweet southern tea. He made a face. What is a French Cassoulet?
A Blue Plate Special of Buttery Whipped Potatoes
Before you start, yeah the plate is white. Just about everything I own is either clear or white since a lack of color makes life so much easier. Besides, A Blue Plate Special today has more to do with comfort diner food than the plate itself, right?
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Mexican Pepper Steak – Taste the Sizzle!
My family adores spicy foods. Now that the colder weather is settling in for a long winter’s nap, it’s time to dust off some of those old family favorites. You know what I’m talking about – those dishes that warm you to your toes from the inside out.
Tri-Tip Barbecue with a Gourmet Rub
A little over four years ago, in honor of Father’s Day, Kiddo wanted to be the Grill Master. So we let him run with it. Kiddo decided to ignore my planned menu for Tri-Tip using a spicy dry rub. We had agreed to his offer to be in charge of the grill, and that meant letting him teat his skills from beginning to end. That included everything from picking the rub to building the fire.
Kiddo flipped through our various rub recipes for his Tri-Tip before electing to use a Gourmet Rub recipe. (I think it was the red wine that clinched it for him – he’s been on a red wine kick lately). I must say, Kiddo did a marvelous job with the rub and the grilling. The results were a Tri-Tip that was nicely charred on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. If Kiddo can pull it off on his very first try, anyone can.
I know, here it is October already. But with a little luck, we can squeeze a few more grilling days in before the season is behind us. So what do you say, are you up to taking a chance and doing a little grilling this weekend? Alrighthen!
Tri-Tip Barbecue with a Gourmet Rub
1 Tri-Tip Brisket, about 3 lbs
1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 ½ Teaspoons Sea Salt
½ Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
½ Teaspoon Dijon Style Mustard
¼ Cup Red Wine
¼ Cup Olive Oil
6-8 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary, crushed
Mix all ingredients for gourmet rub. Rub into the Tri-Tip brisket. Wrap brisket in plastic wrap, refrigerate for 2 or 3 hours minimum – the longer the better. Remove from refrigerator, let stand on counter for 45 minutes prior to grilling.
While the Tri-Tip comes to room temperature, build nice bed of hot coals. Open the bottom and top vents half way, place grate over coals and close lid to heat, about 5 minutes. Clean grate and oil paper towels dipped in vegetable oil.
Raise coals to high position (or lower grate, depending upon grill). Grill meat, fat side up, for 3-5 minutes or until nicely seared. Turn using meat tongs (NEVER stick a fork into it – the juices will run out, and that just makes for a dry hunk of meat) and sear other side. Lower coals (or raise the grate, depending upon grill), cover and continue to cook meat 7-10 minutes longer. Check for doneness using an instant read thermometer. You’ll want the thickest part at the center to be about 140 degrees. A thick Tri-Tip might need to be turned for a final time and grilled 5-8 minutes longer.
The key to a juicy piece of meat is to let the meat rest 10-15 minutes after grilling to allow the juices to soak back into the meat rather than run all over the cutting board. Keep in mind that while the meat rests, it will continue to cook, raising the internal temperature as much as ten degrees.
When carving, go ahead and slice on the serving platter. That way, any juices that escape can be spooned over the sliced meat when serving for extra flavor.
Happy Grilling!
Meatloaf Muffins
For the record, I’m not a fan of meatloaf. That said, I do like the cute little meatloaf muffins. Maybe it’s because they are so small and . . . well . . . cute that gets to me. Maybe because they are easy to make and cook up much faster than a traditional meatloaf, making them a good choice for a weeknight meal. Hubby likes his with creamy Au Gratin potatoes, and those take time, which defeats the “quick” weeknight meat thing, unless you use a boxed potato and cook them on the stove top rather than baked in the oven.
I will confess, I’ve used the boxed Au Gratin potatoes. With the right amount of tweaking, they aren’t bad. Add sautéed onions and grated cheddar cheese to the box mix and top with breadcrumbs for a nice finish to the top – not quite “homemade” but not half-bad for a quick side dish.
Using lean meat is very important, otherwise the muffin tins fill up with meat drippings and the meatloaf inside won’t brown well. If you happen to have an old muffin tin, you could punch a hole in the center of each tin, then elevate it on cooking racks over a shallow baking pan to allow the excess fat to drain away. Or you could use good quality meat. Personally, I vote for lean meat.
Meatloaf Muffins
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Cup Onion, finely chopped
½ Cup Carrots, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon dried Oregano
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Ketchup, divided
1 ½ Lbs Ground Beef (or ¾ lbs ground beef, ¾ lbs bulk sausage)
1 Cup Saltine Crackers, finely crushed
2 Tablespoons Mustard
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ Teaspoon Pepper
2 Large Eggs
Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Peel and chop onions. Set aside. Peel and chop carrots. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, oregano and garlic.
Sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine ½ cup ketchup, ground beef, crackers, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, eggs and onion mixture. Mix well.
Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Divide meat mixture evenly between tins. Top each meat loaf muffin with 2 teaspoons of ketchup.
Bake meat loaf muffins in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until meat registers 160-degrees.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Here’s to simple meals and family dinners!
The Virtues of Home Cooking
Last fall, we drove up to Apple Hill. Nestled in the Sierra foothills of El Dorado County, Apple Hill was born of necessity. The rich soil around the tiny community of Camino was a major producer of California pears. Some sixteen or so orchards flourished in the area around the turn of the century. But by the early 1960s the pear farmers were struggling – their crops depleting and toiling a living from the soil was nearly impossible.
Dirty Scrambled Eggs with Chives and Green Onions
Believe me I know, chives and green onions seems like an over-kill, doesn’t it? I’m here to tell you it isn’t. Chives are delicate and add pretty color to the eggs, while the onion “kick” comes from the chopped white part of a green onion.
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Go Packers – It’s Bratwurst Burger Time!
The official Bratwurst Season is now in full swing. That means a lot of yelling and swearing at the TV. It means Hubby’s blood pressure is sure to rise – and that the veins in his forehead are popping up.
Chicken El Paso Spicy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strips
Today is one of those pack as much activities as possible into a single day. It’s Saturday – and as with all our Saturdays, that means a morning trip to the market to pickup all the makings for this week’s planned meals. Notice how I stress planned, because what I plan and what I make aren’t necessarily the same thing – life and all it brings often have a field day with well-laid plans.
Continue reading “Chicken El Paso Spicy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strips”Traveling Dinner Party – Part 6 – Red Meat Course
A great deal of debate went into this next post. We have reached the 6th, 4th or 3rd Course of the night, depending upon how many courses total are to be served. This is the 1st Entrée in both the ten and eight course supper; the main Entrée in a six-course dinner party. It is the larger of the Entrée courses; typically meat, fish or foul is served with one or two vegetable selections. (The exception to serving a vegetable with the 1st Entrée would be if the 2nd Entrée is a vegetable only course). Rather than offer up a few meat; a few fish and a few foul recipes only to repeat meat, fish or foul again later, I’ve decided to break things up.
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Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 