German Potato Salad

Posted on December 18, 2010 by

I have never really been a fan of mayonnaise based potato salads. In my opinion they are usually just too heavy on the mayonnaise and have no flavor! This warm German Potato Salad is packed with flavor and really makes an amazing side dish for wiener schnitzel! To start, this potato salad has bacon in it, which automatically makes it delicious. It’s a little tangy, a little sweet and it gets covered in this awesome bacon-y, scallion dressing, which is such a great departure from a traditional potato salad. I adapted my recipe from this recipe, which I felt didn’t have enough vinegar for our tastes.
This dish is a hit at potlucks as well and since it doesn’t need to be refrigerated it will be easy to transport and hold.
P.S. I apologize for the terrible picture! By the time I realized I hadn’t gotten any close-ups of the potato salad, I was already hallucinating from hunger pains.
Enjoy!

German Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:
4 potatoes
5 slices bacon
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped green onions
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve bacon fat.
3. Add the flour, sugar, water and vinegar to skillet and cook in reserved bacon fat over medium heat until dressing is thick.
4. Add bacon, potatoes and green onions to skillet and stir until coated. Cook until heated and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

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Wiener Schnitzel

Posted on December 16, 2010 by

Had a rough day? Work stressing you out? Kids driving you nuts? You should try making Schnitzel! You can beat the tar out of it and still have a delicious dinner. Instead of using a meat mallet, I take my biggest rolling-pin and beat the stress of the day away! Schnitzel is traditionally a thin, pan fried cutlet of veal but in this case, I used pork which is used pretty frequently nowadays.
If you have never tried Wiener Schnitzel you really should! I used Sarah Moulton’s recipe and I can say with confidence that if you like fried pork chops, you will like this Wiener Schnitzel.The lemon is absolutely essential to making this really taste awesome so be sure to save a wedge to squeeze over the finished product. I served my schnitzel with warm German Potato salad. Keep an eye out, because I will be posting that recipe next!
Enjoy!

Wiener Schnitzel

Ingredients
•4 pork chops pounded thin
•1/2 cup flour
•3 large eggs, lightly beaten
•1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•3 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil
•3 tablespoons butter
•1 lemon

Directions
Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 individual shallow dishes. Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shake of excess, dredge through egg, and last in bread crumbs.

Heat the oil in large skillet, add butter, and heat until foam subsides. Add 1 Schnitzel at a time to pan, brown from both sides about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to plate lined with paper towels and place in 250 degree F oven to keep warm. Repeat with other Schnitzel. Serve with lemon wedges

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Posted in Pork Dishes | 3 Comments

Brie Stuffed Burgers

Posted on December 9, 2010 by

What is better than a big, juicy burger? How about one stuffed with Brie cheese? In my opinion, there is no other cheese quite like Brie. It is creamy, a little tangy and salty. It is just about perfect! Thankfully, I had over 1/2 a wheel left from Thanksgiving and decided there would be no better way to use it up then stuffing it inside a nice big burger.
If you have never tried Brie, I encourage you to give it a shot. It is really delicious and especially now thanks to “Big Box” stores like Sams and Costco, you can get a huge wheel of brie for about 5 or 6 bucks. If you have tried Brie and it isn’t for you, this recipe can be made with any other cheese you like. You could try Gruyère, Gouda, mozzarella or Monterey jack. Whatever you prefer! I love Brie but I am also showing you the method, so choose the cheese you like!

Enjoy!

Brie Stuffed Burgers

1.25 lbs ground beef (I use ground chuck)
2 cloves of garlic peeled
1 tablespoon of pesto
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon grill seasoning (I use Montreal Seasoning)
1 egg
3 teaspoons seasoned breadcrumbs
4-6 oz brie, chilled

In a large bowl combine beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder, grill seasoning, egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce. Then using a microplane or using the small holes of a box grater, grate garlic into beef mixture. Gently mix, but do not overmix, it will make the meat tough. Next divide the meat into 8 equal sized balls. To assemble each burger, you will need to turn each beef ball into a patty, next lay 3-4 slices of brie on the bottom patty, then layer the second beef patty on top of the brie and pinch the sides to seal the brie in to the burger. Repeat until all burgers are assembled.
Next, in a large pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray, heat over medium high heat. Add patties and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn the heat down to medium and flip after 3-4 minutes. After you have flipped the burger, cover and finish cooking 3-4 minutes. If you like a burger that is well done, you may need to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes per side. If you want to be over indulgent like myself, melt a few extra pieces of brie on the burger before serving on a nice toasty bun. 🙂

Makes 4 big burgers

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Gumbo

Posted on December 7, 2010 by

We have finally reached that time of year in Florida where Floridians change out their flip flops and shorts for sweat pants and hoodies. I mean sure, it’s only 60 degrees but to us that is cold! This weekend we were craving a hot bowl of soup, so Gumbo went on the menu.
Now let me preface this by saying, don’t get your bloomers in a knot if you think this isn’t authentic Gumbo. It probably (read: definitely) isn’t. Truly authentic Gumbo takes a long time to make and almost requires a family lineage going back to Louisiana. Neither of which I have. 🙂
This makes a lot of soup, and especially when you serve it over rice this could stretch for several meals for a large family. It would also be great to pop in the freezer for a quick dinner during the week. So the next time you are hungry for a soup and you’re not in the mood for chicken noodle, give this a try. I could make a guar-aun-tee you will like it joke, but that would just be unnecessary. 😉

Enjoy!

Gumbo

1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 chicken breasts cut into small cubes
1 large onion diced
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 stalks of celery diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups of chicken stock
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
4 teaspoons blackening seasoning
1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of Mrs. Dash
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 14.75 oz can of corn, drained
16 oz okra (I used frozen whole okra and cut into thin rounds)
1 lb shrimp- peeled and deveined
1 14 oz beef kielbasa link, cut into small cubes

Put flour and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper and garlic powder in a gallon freezer bag, Add chicken, seal bag and shake well to coat chicken in flour.
In a large pot ( I used my 8 quart dutch oven) heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic and celery until celery and onion begins to soften. Add floured chicken and about two teaspoons of the flour from the bag to the pot and stir occasionally until chicken begins to brown. Add Chicken stock and stir well, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot frequently to prevent scorching. Next add both cans of diced tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, Mrs. Dash, and cayenne pepper. Stir frequently. Next add kielbasa, corn and okra. Cook on medium low heat, stirring every few minutes for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and if you like a spicier gumbo, you can add more cayenne or a little hot sauce. Once soup is well seasoned, add shrimp and stir over low heat until shrimp just turns pink and serve immediately.
Serve over rice or just enjoy a nice hearty bowl of the soup by itself.

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Buffalo Chicken Strips

Posted on December 1, 2010 by

Who doesn’t love a good wing? Saucy and meaty but sometimes hard to eat. I love the idea of not smelling my dinner on my hands all night. These strips give you the benefits of eating buffalo wings with none of the work! I usually pan fry these, but if you have a deep fryer that would work great as well. I have found few things worth getting my hands totally covered in flour and egg, but these are worth it! You really need the outside coating to hold the sauce well. I love using Franks Red Hot for my wing sauce but you can use whatever you like. Franks does give it a really good flavor though so try it if you can find it!
Serve these up with some fries and skip the crowd at your favorite wing place.

Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Strips

Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs
1/3 teaspoon Franks Red Wing Sauce
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of corn starch
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil (for frying)

Sauce
1 cup of Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250
Start by cutting the chicken breast into thin strips.
Sprinkle strips with salt and pepper
In first bowl, Whisk eggs and add 1/3 teaspoon of hot sauce
In second bowl mix flour, corn starch and garlic powder, combine.
In batches of about 6 strips at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, then into the egg mixture ( let excess drain off) then dredge again in flour mixture.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, test oil for frying with a little batter from the dredging mixture. Once oil is ready to fry, fry strips in batches of 6-8, store chicken on a sheet pan in the oven between batches.
For your sauce, melt the butter and then add 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and hot sauce. Stir to combine.
In a large bowl toss the chicken strips and sauce together, using tongs to toss.
Serves 4

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Asian Grilled Pork Chops

Posted on November 29, 2010 by

I adore Asian food, so I make it pretty frequently around our house. My husband isn’t generally a fan of pork chops, but these are a hit in our house. The sugar from the teriyaki sauce caramelizes on the pork chops and makes a really nice crust. I usually start marinating the pork chops while I prepare the grill and get my other side dishes ready. It only takes about 20 or 30 minutes to marinate, but you may need to allow for more time if you are using a thicker cut chop. I love any excuse to grill out and especially if it is fast and easy. If you don’t have the option of grilling, try it on the stove top or in the oven!

Enjoy!

Asian Grilled Pork Chops

4-6 pork chops (I use thin cut boneless pork chops but whatever you prefer!)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic chili paste
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a food processor or blender, chop your garlic. Then add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic chili paste and teriyaki sauce. Blend to combine, then stream in vegetable oil until well combined. Pour mixture over pork chops and allow to marinate at least 20 minutes and up to an hour, be sure to refrigerate if marinating for any long period of time. Once pork chops have finished marinating, grill to desired doneness.
Serve immediately

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Posted in Pork Dishes, Quick and Easy Recipes | 2 Comments

Beef and Chorizo Corn Casserole

Posted on November 24, 2010 by

I know you might be thinking, hey, this sounds good but I don’t even know what chorizo is! Chorizo is a lovely, lovely thing. It is a pork sausage seasoned with paprika, dried chiles, garlic, oregano, cumin and other spices. There are several different types of chorizo. I usually buy raw chorizo because it is readily available in my store. You can usually find it either by the pork products in your meat department or by the fresh crema, queso fresco and sour cream in your dairy aisle.There are usually about 6 small logs or 2 large logs to a package and each log is in a casing. Just trim off the end and squeeze the chorizo out. Chorizo is a little spicy but when you mix it with ground beef it really just provides a great flavor.
This is a fun spin on your traditional corn casserole! The first layer has a meat sauce which has a little kick to it, then the fluffy corn casserole with peppers and then the top layer has a gooey, salty cheese. This would also be great with any corn casserole leftovers! Just make the meat sauce and top with leftover corn casserole, heat through and top with cheese. This will definitely be going on our menu again, especially because it makes a large pan! This was more than enough for two meals in our house.

Enjoy!

Beef and Chorizo Corn Casserole

Bottom Chorizo and Beef layer

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion diced
6 mini sweet peppers or 1 large red pepper diced
3 cloves of garlic diced
1 lb ground beef
3 small logs of chorizo or 1 large log ( about 1/2 a lb)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Mrs. dash
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne* omit if sensitive to heat
½ teaspoon tomato paste

Corn Casserole Topping (Adapted from Paula Deen)

1 can of creamed corn
1 can of corn drained
1 box of jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup of sour cream
1 stick of butter melted
1 Poblano pepper, roasted and diced

1 ½ cups shredded cheese, I used colby jack

Preheat oven to 375

Heat oil in a large non stick pan over medium heat, begin to saute onion, and peppers until onions become translucent. Next add in garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes. Then add ground beef and chorizo (be sure to remove the chorizo from the casing before adding to the pan). Break up ground beef and chorizo until meat begins to brown. If beef or chorizo is excessively greasy, drain grease from pan (reserve a little in the pan though, that is flavor!) Next add in garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, cumin, salt, paprika, cayenne (if you like it a little spicy), and tomato paste. Taste for salt and pepper. Spread in the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan.
Next combine ingredients for corn casserole in a large bowl. Start by adding creamed corn, drained corn, melted butter, sour cream, roasted poblano pepper and jiffy mix. Mix well and spread over top of meat mixture.
Bake for 30-35 minutes uncovered and then top with shredded cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese browns on top. Let set for about 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish with sour cream ( I topped mine with a yummy avocado sour cream which was super easy! 1 avocado cubed, 1 garlic clove, ½ of a limes juice, ¼ tsp of salt and pepper, 1 cup of sour cream- combine in a food processor until creamy).

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Posted in Beef Dishes, Entrees, Pork Dishes | 1 Comment