This is a popular pub sandwich. The name is derived from the fact that the steak is “nailed” with garlic – the garlic is actually pounded with a mallet into the slices of steak. While the recipe calls for 6 cloves of garlic, feel free to add as much garlic as you like. The garlic-nailed slices of beef are finished in a wine reduction sauce with onions. How often can you say that a sandwich should be served with a nice bottle of wine? Not an expensive French import, but a good, robust Portuguese red such as Casa Ferreirinha’s Vinha Grande 2002. At about $20.00 a bottle, this is a great example of Portuguese reds. It is similar to a Port, with a nice bouquet and fruity blackberry finish. I’m a wine drinker by nature, but I suppose a pub-style sandwich would also be nice with a tall, cold bottle of beer.
Marinated London Broil with Mushroom Sauce
Let’s get one thing clear right from the start – there is no such cut of meat commonly known as a London Broil. The name isn’t for a cut of meat but rather a way of cooking that particular hunk of beef. Make no mistake about it – London Broil is nothing more than a thick cut of top round, and as such is an easy cut of meat to turn into something akin to shoe leather. If you don’t like your meat bloody, avoid – I repeat – AVOID this hunk of beef.
Continue reading “Marinated London Broil with Mushroom Sauce”
Our Holiday Vacation to the Wilds of Wyoming – Day 4
Our fourth day in the park was spent concentrating on the various thermal features of the Upper, Lower and Mid Basins of the park. Naturally, no visit to Yellowstone would be complete without a few hours at Old Faithful. There is the famous geyser to explore, and the awesome Inn that is unlike any other resort in the park.
Continue reading “Our Holiday Vacation to the Wilds of Wyoming – Day 4”
Cuban Grilled Pork Chops
Pork, the other white meat, is a favorite in our house. It’s great on a grill. Delicious when marinated, rubbed or barbecued. So versatile. The mild flavor of pork surrenders well to smoke. It’s just a great meat to work with. I adore pork. If you cannot find chops in the market to your liking, it’s really easy to buy a nice tenderloin and cut your own. For larger chops, use a loin roast. (And no, that’s not a mistake – tenderloin and loin are NOT the same cut of the animals. The tenderloin is long and narrow, while the loin is short and wide).
The rub of this recipe gives a nice outer layer of flavor. The sliced mangoes on the side gives color and a tropical feel to the plate. Can’t you just hear the steel drums? Makes me want to serve cold beverages with slices of pineapple and little umbrellas.
Cuban Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients – Cuban Rub
2 tablespoons grated lime peel
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped
In small bowl, mix all Cuban Rub ingredients. Set aside until ready to use.
Ingredients – Pork Chops
4 Boneless Pork Loin or Rib Chops, 1″ thick (2 lbs)
1 Mango, sliced
3 Cups Cooked White Rice or Rice Pilaf
Trim excess fat from pork. Work rub into pork chops. Let sit on counter while a fire is built. The chops should sit for about 30 to 40 minutes for the rub to do its thing.
Heat coals for direct grilling. While fire is being built, steam rice.
Place pork 4-6 inches from medium ash coals. Cover and grill 8-10 minutes, turning frequently using barbecue tongs until pork is no longer pink and meat thermometer inserted in center reads 160-degrees. DO NOT over-grill.
Remove from grill, tent and let rest 5-10 minutes.
Serve rice with a pork chop on top. Garnish the plates with mango slices.
This dish would go well with Mango and Jicama Salad
Taco Braid
Just when you thought we were done with Taco Rings, Taco Pies and all things Taco in Crescent Rolls – along comes another in the long line of takes on the Taco. Oh, but this one is just a little different. While Taco Braid is very similar it is made with pizza dough rather than Crescent Rolls, with the addition of sautéed onions and chopped tomatoes baked right into the Braid. Besides, I’ve got to admit – I really like the look of just about anything served inside braided bread. The outside all golden and delicious. Slice into that braid and everything just looks so yummy.
William Henry Jackson’s view of Yellowstone
William Henry Jackson is best known for his early photographs of the American West, including photos of Yellowstone that helped to win Congressional support to create the first National Park in America.
Continue reading “William Henry Jackson’s view of Yellowstone”
Our Holiday Vacation to the Wilds of Wyoming – Day 3
Day Three of our return to Yellowstone meant setting the alarm for 4 in the morning, with plans of hitting the road by 5. Why so early? We had a long drive ahead of us. Head into the park through the east gate, north at Fishing Bridge, up through Hayden Valley toward Canyon Village. From there, it was straight north to Tower Roosevelt, forgoing the views in the predawn hours. Then east from the Tower into Lamar Valley.
Continue reading “Our Holiday Vacation to the Wilds of Wyoming – Day 3”
Caramelized Onion Roasted Pork Tenderloin
One of my favorite cuts of pork has to be the tenderloin. This is not to be mistaken for a pork loin. These are two different cuts of meat from two different parts of the animal. The Tenderloin is thin and small, while the Port Loin is wide enough to cut steak-like pieces from it. These cuts of pork aren’t even cooked the same. While both can be roasted, the tenderloin is best cooked quickly using high heat, while the loin lends itself well to slow-roasting or indirect grilling methods. Just as the beef tenderloin gives us Filet Mignon, the Tenderloin of a pig gives us pork Medallions, tender and delicious with a mild flavor on their own. Just as Filet Mignon embrace additional sauces and flavoring agents, so too do Medallions.
This recipe is perfect for a lazy weekend supper or easy midweek dinner. From prep to table, it’s about an hour total. While that might not seem like a midweek recipe, with longer days it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. We tend to eat later in the evening during the spring and summer months. It has something to do with sunlight in general. A meal at six in the evening during the winter feels more like midnight, while supper around seven in the summer somehow makes sense. Crazy, huh?
This roasted Pork Tenderloin goes well with a simple side dish of rice, such as a Pilaf or buttery garlic, and some steamed green beans. Not too filling, but oh so satisfying. A larger tenderloin may be used, simply increase the cooking time accordingly. For the three of us, it was the perfect size.
Caramelized Onion Pork Tenderloin
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
In a large skillet, cook onion and sugar in oil over medium-low heat until onion is tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a 13 x 9 rimmed baking pan with foil. Place a V-shaped rack into baking pan and with cooking spray. Set aside until ready to use.
Once onions are caramelized, place pork tenderloin onto the V-shaped rack. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with caramelize onions. Cover and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, add a little water to the bottom of the baking pan, cover roast with foil and continue to cook another 20 minutes or until center of pork reaches 160 degrees, checking every 10 minutes.
Remove tenderloin from oven, keep warm and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
A Midsummer Night’s Delight – Lasagna with a Meaty Sauce and Mini Garlic Monkey Bread
Monkey Bread. Monkey Bread. What a fun thing to say. Monkey Bread.
Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t even dream of making Lasagna in the summer. I try to avoid anything that is baked in the oven, even for a short time. I try to avoid dishes that are heavy when it’s hot. Summer is a time for light meals, and lots of cooking outdoors.
Continue reading “A Midsummer Night’s Delight – Lasagna with a Meaty Sauce and Mini Garlic Monkey Bread”Our Holiday Vacation to the Wilds of Wyoming – Day 2
Our second day of vacation was actually the first day in the park. We headed out from Rand Creek Ranch early in the morning with the plan to spend the entire day exploring the park and hitting all the “major” attractions. We wanted to get an overview of the entire geothermal areas, with return trips later in the week to those features of greatest interest.
Continue reading “Our Holiday Vacation to the Wilds of Wyoming – Day 2”
1913 Style Deviled Egg Tea Sandwiches
I like to read old cookbooks. One of the things I find interesting about old recipes is that so many do not contain a list of ingredients followed by instructions. You need to read through the recipe’s “how to” and extract a list of ingredients from the instructions. Even then, measurements are often “assumed” – case in point would be the recipe below. The instructions were all I had to go by. It was through simple trial and error that I was able to get at lease some “measurements”. Sometimes when using old recipes, I’ve had to google the instructions to refine them a bit – terms such as “kitchen spoonful”, or “saltspoon”, quick or slow oven, finely pulverized sugar – were once foreign to me. A slow oven is around 300-325 degrees, while a quick oven is around 400-425, and a very quick oven is around 450. A saltspoon equates to about 1/4 teaspoon by today’s standards, while a kitchen spoon is about 1 tablespoon. As for pulverized sugar, that’s a gimme – powdered sugar!
One of the things I like about old cookbooks is that they contain recipes long since forgotten. Some for good reason – such as Vinegar Pie! No, not a crust made with vinegar, but an actual pie called Vinegar Pie – made with eggs and vinegar. Very inexpensive, very big during the depression.
Other “vintage” recipes are worth keeping – boiled frosting is a good example. And then there are things we simply don’t think about today – placing a cake in front of an open window to cool. Think about it – you’ve just baked a cake, and the kitchen is warm from the oven. What better way to cool the cake (and the kitchen) than to open a window?
This recipe for Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches was first published in 1913. The same year the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified giving the government the power to collect income tax. Woman marched on Washington in the first official Woman Suffrage Procession. Richard Nixon, Rosa Parks and Jimmy Hoffa were all born that year. All in all, it was an interesting year.
Deviled Egg Salad Sandwich – 1913 Style
6 Eggs, Hard-Boiled
Olive oil
Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon French mustard
2 Drops Tabasco sauce
3-4 Tablespoons mayonnaise
Lettuce Leaves (Optional)
Bread, lightly toasted
Dill pickle spears for garnish (Optional)
Peel some boiled eggs, then separate the yolks and whites.
Mash the yolks of hard-boiled eggs to a powder and moisten with olive oil and a few drops of vinegar. Work to a paste, add salt, pepper and French mustard to taste, with a drop or two of hot sauce.
Now chop the whites of the eggs until they are a fine yet coarse mixture. Place them with the yolk paste. Add mayonnaise and mix well until spreadable. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
Spread egg mixture on lightly toasted bread, crusts removed. Quarter to create triangle shapes.
Personally, I like to make my egg salad sandwich with green leaf lettuce for color and “crunch”, then serve them up with a nice, crisp pickle spear. These little sandwiches would also be a nice “old-fashioned” addition to an afternoon tea.
Tips to Boiled Eggs: Place eggs in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat, cover and let rest for 12-14 minutes. Drain, then plunge eggs into ice-cold water to cease the cooking process. The results will be a perfectly cooked egg with a sunny yellow yolk. Once eggs have cooled enough to handle, gently roll on counter top to “crack” shell. Return to water and soak for about 20 minutes. The water will seep under shell and make peeling easier.
Super Easy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
The first time these Chicken Enchiladas were served up for supper, Kiddo was in charge of making dinner. He knocked it out of the ballpark with just a few simple ingredients. One thing is certain, Kiddo knows how to cook.
Continue reading “Super Easy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas”
Our Holiday Vacation to the Wilds of Wyoming – Day 1
When Hubby and I still newly married, one of our first trips together was a road trip to Montana via Yellowstone Park. The reason behind such a strange route to the Indian Battlefields of Montana (our real destination) was so that I could visit with my cousin. 
She and her fishing-guide husband lived just outside West Yellowstone, Montana. Although that first trip was “passing through” on our way to the Little Big Horn, Yellowstone and its surrounding area captured our hearts. While most of Yellowstone is in Wyoming, the park spans almost 3,500 miles, extending into parts of Montana and Idaho, making it one of the largest National parks in the US.
Continue reading “Our Holiday Vacation to the Wilds of Wyoming – Day 1”
Crescent Wrapped Sesame Dogs
As most of us know from childhood, crescent wrapped dogs are so much fun. Kiddo’s first experience with Crescent Wrapped Dogs was when we were invited to a friend’s house for dinner and games. He was maybe nine or ten at the time and thought these were the greatest invention since sliced bread. It wasn’t until I watched in amazement as Kiddo made a huge deal out of something so simple as crescent dogs that I realized his was not a typical childhood.
Brother Dear’s Smokes Sausage and Fried Potatoes
I’ve been thumbing through my recipe repertoire, looking for a few of my brother’s favorites to share. He has been in my heart (always) and my thoughts – especially of late with what should have been his 61st birthday just around the corner. I miss him at my table, even if he was a pain to cook for with all his picky dislikes. There will always been certain foods that I cook and when I do, he will fill the room with his presence. In my heart, I can see his face, with that twinkle of mischief in his dark brown eyes and a warm smile that lights up the room.
One of his favorite “comfort” suppers is Smoked Sausage and Fried Potatoes with a side of corn. When he lived with us, I tried to make this once a week because I knew it was something he would eat. Since my baby brother went be with our mother, I don’t make it nearly as often. Yet whenever I do, Kiddo says “Uncle Jimbo’s favorite.” And we smile.
In our house, we’ve always put food on the table in the same order – vegetables at one end, (to my right), with potatoes (rice or what have you) at the other end, and the meat or main dish in the middle. Hubby usually has seconds of meat and potato servings, while I like a second helping of veggies. When my baby brother came to live with us for a while, his end of the table just happened to be the end with the vegetables – green beans, squash, asparagus, wilted spinach – the good stuff. He would take his place at the dinner table, survey the evening’s offerings and then ask the same question “How come you always put the yucky stuff by me?” His question always got the same reply from Kiddo “She’s hoping maybe you’ll take the hint and eat something green.” My brother would wrinkle his nose, let out a big laugh and pass his plate down to the far end of the table so Hubby could load him up with a big helping of starch and meat. You can see why Smoked Sausage and Fried Potatoes with a side of corn was one of his favorite meals. No “yucky” stuff on the entire table.
Smoked Sausage & Fried Potato Skillet Dinner
3 Packages Hillshire Farms Smoked Beef Sausage, coin cut
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
6-8 Medium Size Red or Russet Potatoes (about 1 ½ – 2 lbs) cut into thin slices
Onion Powder to taste (about a tablespoon)
Plenty of Salt & Pepper to Taste
A dash or two of Paprika for color
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with olive oil. Wash the potatoes and slice into thin slices.
Sauté potatoes, stirring to coat the slices with the warm butter and oil. Season with onion powder, salt, pepper and a dash or two of paprika. Add a little water, cover and allow potatoes to “steam” fry with a well-fitted lid until almost soft, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent over-browning.
Remove cover, add sausage and continue to cook until nicely browned, 8-10 minutes longer, turning as necessary to prevent burning.
As far as Brother Dear was concerned, this meal wasn’t complete without some buttery corn straight from the can . . .
Buttery Canned Corn
1 Can Corn, well-drained
¼ Cup butter
Kosher Salt to taste
Drain corn and rinse well to remove any of the packing liquid.
Place corn in a saucepan over low heat until all liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add butter, increase heat to medium. When butter melts, stir into corn. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Continue to heat until corn is hot, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer corn to serving bowl and serve.
To my baby brother – I love you every day!
Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 