Crash Hot Potatoes

From The Pioneer Woman (Have you discovered this woman? She's amazing!)



Ingredients:
New Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt & pepper
Other herbs (your choice)

Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the potatoes and cook until fork-tender. On a sheet pan, drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the sheet, leaving plenty of room between each potato. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each potato with more olive oil. Sprinkle potatoes with salt, pepper, and whatever herb combination you want. Bake in a 450 degree overn for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Comments:
I kind of cheated by cooking the potatoes in the microwave rather than on the stove-top. Bad Martha. I used garlic salt and Italian seasoning. These were so simple, and a nice change up from the usual oven-baked potato wedges I ususally make. Adam was unsure, but he ate the two I gave him with some sour cream on top.

Slow-cooked Meat Loaf

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1-1/4 cups water
1 egg
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound lean ground beef

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine soup and water until blended. Pour half into a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker. Cover and refrigerate remaining soup mixture.

In a bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt if desired and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into a loaf; place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.

For gravy, place reserved soup mixture in a small saucepan; cook over low heat until heated through. Serve with meat loaf and mashed potatoes if desired.

Comments:
So I modified this a little. I used tomato soup rather than cream of celery. It just made more sense to me that way. And you can't tell me those honking pieces of meatloaf came from 1/2 pound of ground beef. There's no way. Anywho, while mine are less "loaf-like" it still tasted good. And Adam liked it after he got over his "you don't make meatloaf in a slow cooker" thing.

Tasty Mozzarella Chicken

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 can (7 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
In a shallow bowl, beat egg and water. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, soup mix and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat with crumb mixture.

Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 22-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

In a small bowl, combine spaghetti sauce and mushrooms; spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes longer or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Comments:
I left out the mushrooms, but otherwise followed this recipe pretty well. It's like chicken Parmesan with an onion kick. I don't know that I like it, but Adam thought it was ok. I'm not a big fan of onion...

And no, I didn't make that bread. It's a new thing that was on sale at the store this week - La Brea bread in the freezer section. It's fabulous, but a bit steep at its regular price.

Weekly Menu 6/27 through 7/3

Saturday 6/27 - Hopefully we'll hit Darboy Chickenfest for lunch so we'll just have leftovers for dinner

Sunday 6/28 - Adam cooks - he's planning steak

Monday 6/29 - Slow-Cooked Meatloaf

Tuesday 6/30 - Tasty Mozzarella Chicken

Wednesday 7/1 - I'll be working late - leftovers or something on the way home

Thursday 7/2 - Skillet Spaghetti

Friday 7/3 - Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches

Meatball Tortellini Soup

From Taste of Home (I can't find the recipe on their website...)



Ingredients:
One 14.5oz can beef broth
12 frozen cooked Italian meatballs
3/4 cup fresh baby spinach
3/4 cup stewed tomatoes
One 11oz can Mexicorn, drained
3/4 cup frozen cheese tortellini
salt & pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add the meatballs. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the spinach, tomatoes and corn; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tortellini, salt and pepper; cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until the tortellini is tender.

Comments:
Hrm, what the heck is "Mexicorn"? Is it like Rotel, but with corn instead of tomatoes?

Anyway, didn't do too well following this recipe, but my dish still looked surprisingly like the picture on the recipe card...



So, what did I actually do? I made my own meatballs, for one. How hard is it that you have to buy pre-made, frozen meatballs. Geesh. I used this recipe minus all the onion and plus some Italian seasoning. I mean, they were supposed to be "Italian meatballs" and all. I put the broth into a pot, brought it to a boil, plopped in the cooked meatballs. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Then I added a can of diced tomatoes, a can of corn (regular corn. Mexicorn? Pfft), and some baby spinach that I chopped up a bit. I let that simmer for another couple minutes. Then I added the tortellini, salt, pepper, and let that cook while I made some rolls. Almost didn't burn them this time!

Anywho, I thought this was good. Adam didn't like the tomato part.

Pork Skewers with Pineapple-Scallion Rice

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
One 20-ounce can of pineapple chunks in their juice, drained and juice reserved
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt and pepper
1 1/4 pounds pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

Directions:
In a resealable plastic bag, combine the pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce, ginger and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the pork and scallions and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups salted water to a boil. Add the rice, cover and cook over low heat for 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, thread the marinated pork and two-thirds of the pineapple chunks onto four 10-inch skewers and the marinated scallions onto one 10-inch skewer. Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Coarsely chop the remaining pineapple chunks and stir into the cooked rice. Remove the grilled scallions from the skewer and stir into the rice. Serve the pork kebabs with the pineapple-scallion rice.

Comments:
I didn't read the recipe all the way through so I actually bought canned pineapple. I've never had any luck getting those wimpy, small pieces of fruit to stay on a skewer, so if I had actually read the recipe I would have bought a cored pineapple and cut it up myself. Oh well. So we skipped the grilled pineapple part. I also only had four skewers so I just cooked the scallions on the stovetop. It all worked out. The rice was a little bland, but the pork was tasty.

Restaurant Review: Uno Chicago Grill

Uno Chicago Grill, Appleton, WI

What we ordered:
Adam:
Grilled Shrimp and Sirloin

Martha:
Personal size Chicago Classic deep dish pizza

We also ordered the Pizza Skins appetizer.

Impressions:
I'd been wanting to try this out for awhile so it was my first choice for this new monthly outing we've enacted. The appetizer was great. A really interesting idea. Their crust is amazing: Not too thin and crunchy but not thick and greasy either. Almost flaky.

Adam had nothing bad to say about his entree. I ate less than a third of my pizza since I'd filled up with the appetizer. It was very good. Great sauce, spicy sausage. It doesn't reheat well though, so perhaps next time we'll skip the appetizer or get a pizza together.

Restaurant Review: Menasha Grill

Menasha Grill, Menasha, WI

What we ordered:
Adam:
Popcorn Crawfish with Cajun tartar sauce
Crab Cakes with Jambalaya and Maque Choux
Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Martha:
Honey Mustard Cruster
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

We both had their bread, salad, and soup which is standard with all dinners.

Impressions:
Honestly, I'm surprised we hadn't gone here sooner. I see their commercials on TV all the time and I knew it would be right up Adam's alley. I looked at the menu beforehand and while there are only two or three things on it I'd be ok eating, Adam pretty much looked at it, died, and went to heaven. With every bite he sighed with pleasure.

The salad was mixed greens with a great raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The soup was chicken sausage gumbo. Not overly spicy, but it did leave a burn in the back of your throat. As far as I can tell, everything Adam had was spectacular. My chicken was very good and the potatoes were very garlicky. I'm talking chunks of garlic in them. While not as strong as the Outback Steakhouse variety, I'm not sure I'd get them again. But that's a matter of preference.

All in all, a great place. Interesting decor, wonderful server, food that you don't ususally find in this area.

Scenes from a Party

Weekly Menu 6/20 through 6/26

Saturday 6/20 - Our Party! Things went well.

Sunday 6/21 - Leftovers from the party. We always make too much food.

Monday 6/22 - More Leftovers

Tuesday 6/23 - Potato-Crusted Chicken

Wednesday 6/24 - Pork Skewers with Pineapple-Scallion Rice

Thursday 6/25 - Meatball Tortellini Soup (it's from Taste of Home but I don't see the recipe on their site)

Friday 6/26 - We'll be trying to get to the drive-in for the second time this season.

Weekly Menu 6/13 through 6/19

Saturday 6/13 - Adam's helping a friend move - here's hoping for good weather! I'll just probably snack my way through the day.

Sunday 6/14 - Adam's meal. Not sure what he's got planned.

Monday 6/15 - Three Cheese Shells

Tuesday 6/16 - Adam's on his own - second summer board meeting

Wednesday 6/17 - Adam's night out. He hasn't told me where we're going yet.

Thursday 6/18 - Pizza (haven't decided whether homemade or frozen) and BLT Stuffed Tomatoes

Friday 6/19 - Salmon Delight Burger

Fish 'n' Chips

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
Salt and pepper
2 sweet potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), each cut into 12 wedges
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cooking spray
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
3/4 cup buttermilk
Four 5-ounce skinless, boneless tilapia fillets, each cut lengthwise into thirds

Directions:
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450°.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and 1 tablespoon parsley; season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer and bake on the lower rack until tender and crisp around the edges, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, coat another foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and fish, turning to coat. Working with 1 piece at a time, coat the fish with the cornmeal mixture; transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Spray the fish with cooking spray; bake on the upper rack until golden-brown, 12 to 14 minutes.

Comments:
Adam picked this out but apparently had told me not to make the sweet potato part. I guess I forgot. Oops. He tried one and made a great dramatic show of how it almost killed him. *sigh* Good thing I only got one sweet potato instead of two. He did like the fish though, so that's good. :)

Baked Potato Bites

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
4 red potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and patted dry
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/2 pound bacon
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup cream cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the potato rounds on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil, season with salt and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes, flip and bake for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp; crumble and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream and cream cheese until smooth.

Arrange the potato slices on a platter in a single layer and top each round with a dollop of the sour cream mixture, some bacon bits and the chives. Serve warm.

Comments:
Yum. These were really good. I think they'd make a good party food since room-temp would probably be ok. Nothing really else to say about them.

Cheddar-Crusted Chicken

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
Four 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup salted baby pretzels
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup shredded or crumbled sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper
1 large egg
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt

Directions:
Sprinkle a little water into each of 4 quart-size plastic storage bags. Place 1 chicken breast in each bag, push out the excess air and seal it up. Using a heavy-bottomed pot, pound each breast until evenly thin, just shy of busting out of the bag.

Place the pretzels, bread crumbs, cheese, thyme, nutmeg and pepper in a food processor and pulse to grind until they’re the consistency of bread crumbs. Transfer the ground pretzels and cheese to a shallow dish.

Crack the egg into a second shallow dish and lightly beat with a splash of water. Place some flour in a third dish. Coat the chicken first in flour, then egg and finally in cheese and pretzel crumbs.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium-high heat and add the coated chicken breasts. Cook in a single layer, 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until the juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned. Cut off a piece of a cutlet and taste, to see if you want to salt them a little.

Comments:
I skipped the applesauce part of this recipe. I also skipped the pounding part. I just cut the breasts I had in half. It worked great. I'll try and remember that next time, for sure. In any case, the recipe as made above makes WAAAAAAAY too much breading. A total waste. Cut it in half and you'll still be fine. And we couldn't really even taste the cheese so I might play with proportions next time. Very good though.

Cheddar-Studded Tex-Mex Meatloaf Patties

From Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats (I haven't found it on Foodnetwork or her magazine's site yet)



Ingredients:
(Quick side note: My one issue with this cookbook is when she has a "Master Recipe" and a "Then Try" recipe, the ingredient lists and directions get really convoluted. Definitely not user-friendly. So here's my take on it. No guarantee this is the recipe that she actually meant, but it worked.)

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/8 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt & pepper
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 green pepper, finely chopped (I omitted)
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Directions:
Place the meat in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center of the meat. Fill the well with the bread crumbs and dampen them with the milk. Pour the egg over the bread crumbs and then add all the other ingredients. Mix together and form into 4 oval patties (if you want them ridiculously huge. I'd say aim for 6-8.) Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Fry the meatloaf patties for 7 minutes on each side.

Comments:
I'd tried this one before and couldn't figure out where the recipe was from. It took me until now, while going through all my cookbooks, to find it again. Sad. Anyway, after deciphering the recipe it was easy to knock this one out. I cheated on the potatoes. They're about 3/4 boxed flakes, 1/4 leftover baby red I microwaved and stirred the leftover scallions into.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Ham

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (about 2½ pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
1 pound penne pasta
1/3 pound sliced boiled ham, cut into ribbons

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and toss; season with salt and pepper. Bake until browned, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until the butter is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the sage and remove from the heat.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain and return the pasta to the pot. Stir in the ham, cauliflower and reserved pasta cooking water. Stir in the sage butter and season with salt and pepper.

Comments:
Another pretty simple dish. I almost burned the cauliflower though. Adam was unimpressed. He still ate it and even took some of the leftovers for lunch the next day. That's better than the turkey meatballs did...

Weekly Menu 6/6 through 6/12

No posts at all last week? That's terrible...

Saturday 6/6 - We rented a pontoon boat out on the Wolf River. Yeah, not the greatest given it was cold and rainy. But we had a nice lunch over at the Fin 'n' Feather.

Sunday 6/7 - Adam's meal. Not sure what he's got planned. Sounds like either steaks or Chinese. I think we're back in that rut...

Monday 6/8 - We've started this new thing - we each pick one day a month to go out to some place of our choice, and the other person can't complain about it. This is my day to choose - I've selected Uno Chicago Grill.

Tuesday 6/9 - Cheddar Studded Meatloaf (I finally figured out where the recipe came from!)

Wednesday 6/10 - Cheddar Crusted Chicken

Thursday 6/11 - Meatloaf Cups and Baked Potato Bites

Friday 6/12 - Fish N Chips