Friday, May 29, 2009

Garlic Herb Chicken

Here is yet another take on ... grilled chicken.

Garlic Herb Chicken:

Chicken legs and thighs (or whichever your prefer)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning

Drizzle oil over chicken just enough to coat it so seasoning will stick. Salt and pepper all the way around the chicken. Coat well with garlic powder and italian seasoning. Grill on low until juicy.




Spicy Fries:

Potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Tonys
Chili powder
Garlic pepper
Lemon pepper

Cut potatoes into fries. Toss in oil and seasonings. Bake at 425, 20 minutes on one side and then flip the potatoes over and cook another 20 minutes on the other side. They will be brown and crispy.


Broccoli and Carrots: (Also cauliflower, but I didn't have any)

Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Salt and pepper
Butter

Steam veggies until tender. Put 1-2 tablespoons butter over veggies and cut with fork and knife until mixed well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Russian pelmeni

A friend of ours went on a mission to Russia quite a while ago and has been wanting to make dinner for us for quite some time now. He finally decided that it was time. So a week or two ago he came over and taught me how to make Russian Pelmeni. We made a meat version and a vegetarian version. I heard from everybody else they liked them combined. That way it wasn't too much of either.
Russian Pelmeni is like a Russian dumpling, or an Italian ravioli (He doesn't like when I call it that) but that's the easiest way to describe it.

Russian Pelmeni Meat Version (Vegetarian version to follow):

1 part ground beef
1 part ground pork
Whatever seasonings you like on meat. We used:
Salt and pepper
Tony's
Grill seasoning (Steak seasoning)
Garlic pepper
Small amount of lemon pepper
Chili powder
*Optional: Part of an onion grated in for flavor and to help keep the meat moist. Traves completely despises onions so we didn't do that.*
Egg roll wrappers (or fresh noodle dough if you have the time)


(Kelsie's Note: I would not use very much meat, you only use about a teaspoon or so in the actually dumpling. Don't go too crazy when you buy it. Traves bought 2 pounds each and there was quite a bit left over. We also fed 7-8 people.)

Mix the meat by hand until well blended. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough.



Mashed Potato Pelmeni (Vegetarian version):

Ingredients:
Potatoes
Whatever you like in your mashed potatoes
We used the following:
Butter
Sour cream
Tony's
Garlic pepper
Salt and pepper
Egg roll wrappers (or fresh noodle dough if you have the time)

Cube the potatoes and boil until very tender for mashing. Add butter, sour cream and seasonings and mash well. This is the filling for the vegetarian.


If you make a little of each, then you can have a combination of both potato and meat dumplings.


Here is the meat filling ready to go:


Once you have both fillings ready it's time to put them into the dough. We used a biscut (or a round cookie cutter) to cut the egg roll wrappers into four circles per sheet. (we bought the large egg roll wrappers) Our circles were about 2 3/4" in diameter. You can use a glass or whatever you have to cut the wrappers.



Place a small amount of filling into the center of the wrapper and wet all the way around the edges with water. This will allow the dough to stick together and not to fall apart. (For the most part. Some will still fall apart).

Fold in half and press the edges tight.



This part is hard to see because of the photo, but you are going to fold in half now the other direction. You will have the seam facing away from you.




Here is what they look like all folded up.




Once you have them all ready to go, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it's boiling, salt well.

Add dumplings to boiling water and boil for 8 minutes (on the meat ones to cook the meat) and just a minute or two after they start floating on the potato ones. I boiled mine in two different pots so I knew which ones were ready to be taken out.

Traves likes to top his with just sour cream and salt and pepper. He said you can top it with anything you like. Tomato sauce, cheese, etc. I've only eaten them once so I have no idea what else to pair them with. The sour cream and salt and pepper were good though.

If you have way too many left over you can freeze them (if they are still raw) then you can just pull them out whenever you want them. You can also spend all day long making tons of them and just freeze them so next time you want them you don't spend all day making them.

Gorgonzola fettuccine with asparagus

A while back I bought a cookbook with this recipe in it and have been wanting to try it for a long time. I altered the recipe a little bit, so I will post what I did to it. Also, where this was the first time I had made this, there are things I would do different next time. I will let you know what those are as well.

Gorgonzola Fettuccine with Asparagus:

Ingredients:
11 oz (about half a small package) of fettuccine
12 oz (1 1/2 packages) sliced mushrooms
3 cups or so (however much you want to add) fresh asparagus cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces
4 Tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves minced
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups fat free milk
1/2 cup (4 oz or half a brick) cream cheese
Salt and pepper
1 cup (4 oz) gorgonzola cheese (This is one of my favorite cheeses and it wasn't as strong as I would have liked it. Next time I make it I will be adding more. If you don't like this cheese or are afraid to try a blue cheese use the 4 oz, it's not strong at all)

And this recipe called for walnuts, but honestly I didn't care for them that much in this recipe. They were fine, if you would like to add them go for it. I won't add them next time I make it.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to cooking directions on back of package. Mine called for 9-11 minutes. About 2 minutes before the pasta is finished, add asparagus and cook until tender. Drain pasta and asparagus.

While the pasta is cooking in a separate pan saute mushrooms in butter. When they are cooked the way you want them, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt butter over medium heat in same pan you sauted the mushrooms in. Add garlic and let the butter infuse (soak up) the garlic flavor. Add flour, cook for about 30 seconds stirring constantly. It should turn into a paste. This is called a roux (pronounced Roo). This will thicken the milk and make it a sauce. It's also used in gravies, etc. Gradually add the milk stirring well with a whisk to make sure there are no clumps. This will start to thicken right away. Whisk in cream cheese and season with salt and pepper. Add cheese to sauce until melted. Add mushrooms and pour over noodles. Mix and serve.

I served with a torn chunk of french bread.


Super fast ribs and garlic asparagus

If you haven't noticed, I use the same combination of seasonings on everything. I found the combination that I liked and just use it on everything. This is no exception.

I have honestly never made ribs before so I decided to take on the feat. The problem was I had very very limited time to make these...by limited I mean ... about an hour, hour and a half tops. I'm too ashamed to admit why I had so little time, it makes me a horrible wife and mom. Anyway, I guess people usually spend hours and hours on ribs because they season and smoke them, etc...mine are simply and fast ribs.


Kelsie's super fast ribs:

Ingredients:
Rack of beef ribs
Salt and pepper
Durkee roasted garlic and herb seasoning
Grill seasoning (steak seasoning)
Tony's
French's buffalo wings seasoning mix
Garlic pepper
Lemon pepper
Olive oil
BBQ sauce (I used cattlemans, that's what I have right now)

Rub both sides liberally with seasonings and oil. (Only use about half of the french's seasoning packet). Once the seasonings are rubbed in well, cover with bbq sauce and rub that in as well.

Ribs with seasonings and sauce ready for oven:




Bake ribs in an 400 degree oven for 20 or so minutes so they can absorb the flavors of the seasoning. Once they come out of the oven, throw on a preheated grill with a low flame. Grill with the lid open. Grill until ribs are cooked medium.




Once the ribs are cooked, let them rest for 10 or so minutes so the juices can redistribute. Cut the ribs.

Here is the finished product:





Garlic oil asparagus (One of my all time favorites!):

Ingredients:
Asparagus
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh garlic

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the water, trim the tough ends off the asparagus. When water is boiling, salt the water and throw asparagus in for just a couple of minutes. You want them to still have a bite. No one likes mushy asparagus. Drain well.

While asparagus is draining, coat the bottom of the pan with oil (you can use the same one, no need to dirty a second). Add a few cloves of sliced (I don't like mine minced in this recipe) fresh garlic. Cook the garlic on low to infuse the oil with the garlic flavor for just a minute or so. Don't overcook the garlic!! If you overcook it on accident, start over. Wash the pan out and everything, it's strong when overcooked and not in a good way. When the oil has been infused with the garlic throw the asparagus in the pan and coat well. Salt and pepper to taste.



Kelsie's awesome fajita burritos

I ate these almost everyday for probably a month for lunch. That's how much I like them! So good, meatless but tons of protein. The meat eaters in my life even like them and George said he even craved them once.

Kelsie's wicked awesome fajita burritos

Ingredients:
Onion
1-3 garlic cloves (depends on personal preference)
Bell pepper (any color you like) or handful of colorful sweet peppers
Mushrooms
Fresh asparagus (optional but super yummy!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
Cheese (I like pepper jack on mine)
Tomato
Lettuce (I usually use romaine hearts shredded into small stripes)
Fresh ranch (I like Atwoods) or sour cream if you'd prefer that.
Tortillas (I buy the frozen raw ones and cook them when I'm ready for them. Super yum!)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Fajita seasoning
Chili powder

Optional: Broccoli, peas, you could probably add carrots...that I've never tried. My favorite optional is by far the asparagus.


Coat the pan with oil and saute peppers, onions, and pieces of fresh asparagus. I like my peppers and onions in strips instead of diced. Add salt and pepper. (Make sure to do this as you go, it flavors all layers as you go and makes your food taste so much better!) Add mushrooms when onions and peppers are about halfway to tender add mushrooms. Add minced garlic. When mushrooms look perfect add the cans of corn and beans.

**F.Y.I.: In case you didn't know, beans and corn (same with beans and rice) combined are a significant source of protein, meaning no meat is needed in this dish. It's not even missed because it's very tasty and very filling because of the protein**


(These pictures don't have the asparagus, I didn't have any this day)


Veggies ready for beans and corn:



After beans and corn were added:


Once the beans and corn are added it's time to season the veggies. I use liberal amounts of Fajita seasoning because it's very good and a fair amount of chili powder. Add salt and pepper if the veggies still need some.


Spices used:


At this point you are just waiting for the beans and corn to get warmed all the way through. Add cheese to cover the top and remove from heat. Cover and let the cheese melt. By the time the cheese is melted the beans will be warm.



Warm the tortillas (or cook them if they are raw) and add filling. Top with tomatoes, lettuce and either ranch or sour cream!

Okay, so I completely spaced taking a picture of the finished product all in the tortilla. Next time I make them I'll be sure to do that.

BBQ Chicken

This is very similar to my grilled chicken, but everybody needs some BBQ chicken. So here's one of my versions.


Kelsie's BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken legs and thighs
Your favorite bbq sauce (I use cattlemens for now)
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
Grill seasoning
Tony's
Garlic pepper
Lemon pepper
French's buffalo wings seasoning mix (including the oven bag)
Honey


Put chicken in a ziplock bag or large bowl and add all seasonings and about half the packet of French's buffalo wings seasoning and mix. Add oil lots of bbq sauce and a little bit of honey for sweetness.




Chicken covered in sauce:




Put chicken in buffalo wings oven bag and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes so that the chicken can absorb the flavors. If you have time, cook the chicken at 350 for an hour or so or until the chicken is fully cooked. (It will be faster on the grill this way). 20 minutes or so is enough to absorb the flavors though if you don't have time.
When you pull the chicken out of the oven, grill on a low flame grill or open flame. Keep basting with the juice the chicken was cooking in.
Don't overcook! Let the chicken still be juicy.


Chicken right out of the oven, getting ready to be put on the grill:




When you pull the chicken out of the oven, grill on a low flame grill or open flame. Keep basting with the juice the chicken was cooking in.
Don't overcook! Let the chicken still be juicy.


Fresh off the grill:




Also, as a reminder always let meat sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting or eating!! This lets the juices redistribute and keeps the meat juicy. If you cut it while it's really hot, only the first bite will be juicy the rest will be dry.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Grilled chicken

I cook a lot of chicken at my house and a lot of it is very very similar. I just add a little extra or a little less of one thing each time. Tonight I added honey and cayenne pepper. I also made a piece of salmon. To go with the chicken or salmon, I steamed some broccoli florets and made pepper jack mashed potatoes. Yum!


Grilled chicken: (Just a tiny bit different than my savory flame grilled chicken)


Chicken legs and thighs
Salt and pepper
Lemon pepper
Garlic pepper
Tony's
Chili powder
Grill (Steak) seasoning
Honey
Cayenne pepper
Olive oil

Put legs and thighs in ziploc bag. Pour in some olive oil, salt, fresh cracked pepper, lots of garlic pepper, chili powder, tony's and a little bit of lemon pepper. Toss until well coated. Coat with honey and a good sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Grill on low heat so you don't burn the chicken. It will burn a little bit due to the honey caramelizing.


Along with chicken, I make a lot of broccoli at my house. Broccoli is Martin's favorite vegetable and if he's willing to eat it, I'll keep making it. Ethan also really likes steamed broccoli so if he'll keep eating it, I'll make him as much as he wants.

Steamed Broccoli:

Broccoli
Salt and Pepper
Butter

Fill a pot with about 1/2 inch of water. Add broccoli and coat well with salt. Steam until veggies are still crunchy but not raw. (I don't like mushy steamed veggies). Drain water. Add about a tablespoon (or less) of butter and salt and pepper. Toss to coat.


Pepper jack mashed potatoes:

Potatoes washed and cubed. (I leave the peel on, it's good for you!)
Butter
Sour cream
salt and pepper
Tonys
Lots of pepper jack cheese

Boil potatoes until tender and drain. I like to mix mine in my kitchen aide mixer. Add to mixing bowl and add butter, lots of salt and pepper and Tony's. Add a few spoonfuls of sour cream and a few handfuls of pepper jack cheese. Mix well.



Baked Salmon:

Salmon fillet
Salt and pepper
Garlic pepper
Lemon pepper
Tony's
Grill (Steak) seasoning
Chili powder

Season one side of the salmon with all the seasonings and wrap in tin foil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes depending on how thick your Salmon steak is.


Sunday, May 3, 2009

Pepper jack Mushroom Burgers

Who doesn't love a great hamburger? I love hamburgers and mine are just veggie burgers. Tonight for dinner we had a picnic, but when it started raining we had to move it to the house instead of at the park. Dallan (Ber's boyfriend) was in charge of hamburgers so I helped him make different hamburgers than just the normal old plain meat kind. These patties are nice because they have all your favorite toppings inside so you don't have to add them on after it's cooked.

Pepper jack Mushroom Burgers:

Hamburger
Fresh mushrooms
Pepper jack cheese
1 egg
Fresh garlic
Tony's
Grill (steak) seasoning
Salt and pepper
half an onion

In a frying pan, saute your mushrooms in a mixture of olive oil and butter. Don't salt the mushrooms until they are almost finished. Salt draws out the water and if they are too wet it will take forever to brown them. When they are just about finished to your liking salt and pepper them.

In a separate bowl add hamburger. Grate in half an onion. This gives flavor and keeps the meat moist without having huge chunks of onion for someone to bite into. Add about a palm full or a little more of grill seasoning, lots of Tony's, salt and pepper, fresh garlic (as much or as little as you would like, minced or grated into the meat) and an egg. Mix well (your hands work the best! Your hands are the best kitchen tools you have). When the mushrooms are finished chop them up into smaller pieces and add to meat. Add lots of cheese (several handfuls depending on how many burgers you are making).

Mix well. Form a small patty about the size of a quarter and cook in a frying pan to test out your seasonings. If they are right and you don't need to add anything else, form into patties and grill!

I grill mine on low so that they don't burn.

I also make huge patches of this mix and form them into patties and freeze them. That way anytime Martin wants a good hamburger I can just pull it out of the freezer already made.

(If you are going to make large batches of these, I would invest in a hamburger press. That way the patties are all about the same size and will cook in the same amount of time.)

Formed uncooked patty



We had lots of people, so we had a lot of burgers. Yum!



This picture does not do these burgers justice, but it's all I have.


I had a southwest black bean patty, yum! One of these days I'm going to attempt my own recipe at those. I'll let you know how they turn out.
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