Author Archives for Renea Myers

Turkey Kielbasa and Sauerkraut was a big hit for dinner tonight

I don’t always go for the turkey and chicken substitutes for traditional meat ingredients, but I have found a few diamonds in the rough recently.  This dish certainly deserves full rank as a great dinner without a hint of obvious sacrifice.   The Jennie-O Smoked Turkey Kielbasa is just delicious and pairs so well with the subtle sweetness of this sauteed sauerkraut and onion mixture.  It was raining this afternoon, so I wasn’t interested in going anywhere near an outdoor grill.  I just broke out my grill pan which rarely disappoints me or ruins my hair.  The whole meal was ready in about 30 minutes, which was good news to hubby who was starving.  I served the kielbasa dish alongside some new potatoes drizzled with rosemary butter and sea salt.  Yum!  If you’re looking for a way to get out of your dinner rut, try this recipe.

Turkey Keilbasa and Sauerkraut

Affordable Family Favorite! Chicken Enchiladas

Just like you, I am often amazed at how much it costs to purchase good quality food.  I try to keep my food budget down by shopping the sales and clipping coupons.  I am pretty picky when it comes to purchasing meat, poultry and seafood so it’s important that I stock up when I find what I like on sale.  For instance, I really like that Smart brand of organic chicken.  It just tastes better to me, is really tender, and it doesn’t have that slimy feeling I sometimes notice on chicken.  But wow that stuff is expensive at regular price! So, I have figured out one of the days that my favorite grocery store reduces the price of some packages to sell before expiration dates get too close.  On that particular morning, I go to the store and literally follow the meat man to the chicken counter and wait for him to get out that magic money stapler looking thing. He just chuckles at me and hands me the chicken.  Chicken is perfectly fine to purchase on the “sell by” date and you can cook it within the next couple of days and it’s deliciously fresh.  You can also freeze it the day you buy it and thaw it out for later use.  Once thawed, I use it within two days to err on the side of freshness.   Here is one of my family’s favorite chicken dishes and it’s quite affordable when you get the bird on sale!  If your family doesn’t like food that’s too spicy, omit the Jalapenos and cayenne.

 

 

Orange -Scented Pork Chops

I admit it.. I’m a Southern Living recipe junkie.  You should see the cookbook collection I have.  I get almost giddy when that Southern Living Christmas edition arrives in July, just in time for the holidays.  LOL  I cook out of those books all year round.  I find it great fun to randomly choose one off the shelf and flip through a few pages until something strikes my fancy.  I inventory my kitchen, make my grocery list and am off on a mission for a culinary experiment.  I recently tried a recipe for Orange Scented Pork Chops out of the 2003 “Christmas with Southern Living” edition.  I actually made it twice.  The second time I used sliced pork tenderloin and added a little minced ginger root.  The rice is delicious on its own as a side dish.  I could eat a whole bowl of this rice on its own.

Much to do about Chicken….Recipes for Chicken Dijon and Coq au Vin


Coq au VinChicken Dijon

 

 

 

 


OK this is a big one!  I’ve been working a lot with chicken lately and I have a new appreciation for how delicious it can be.  If you would like direction on how to cut up a whole chicken and then cook it in a couple of amazing ways. READ ON!  Process pictures included after the text directions and recipes.

Cutting up a chicken is a little intimidating at first but you’ll be amazed at how much easier it gets even the second time you try it.  Plus, you’ll get excited about all the money you’ll save.  Be sure to freeze the carcass for making stock later.

Once you’ve conquered that old bird, here are two delicious ways to cook it.  These recipes are adapted from Professional Cooking 7th Edition by Wayne Gisslen.  The Chicken with Dijon sauce is fairly simple and quick.  The Coq au Vin is a little more involved and takes a bit longer.. but worth it!  My son liked the purple-ish chicken pieces.

Take the chicken challenge and go cook for your family!

Chicken Dijon and Coq Au Vin

 

Almond Joy Brownies are an easy treat for a busy weekend

I found this sweet little recipe recently in The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book.  I have found much simple success over the years by stirring stuff into brownie mix.  And most kids and husbands really like brownies!  My favorite brownie mix is Ghirardelli Chocolate Supreme.  It has a wonderful rich chocolate flavor and can be used whenever you need a basic brownie mix for a recipe.  If there are other wet ingredients included in the recipe, I just leave out the chocolate syrup packet that comes in the box.  Here are some tips for making brownies:

-Line the pan with foil with an inch or two over-hang
-Cool completely in the pan and then remove using the foil “handles”
-Carefully remove the brownies from the foil and place on a cutting board
-Use a small serrated knife or even a plastic knife to cut them
-Make small back and forth “sawing” motions to cut the brownies with the least amount of destruction.  If you slice through them in long strokes, the edges tend to tear and look ragged.

Here’s the Almond Joy Brownie recipe

 

Tips for Potato Lovers

Potatoes in some form or another probably appear on everyone’s list of favorite foods.  Whether you smash, slice, fry, shred, bake or puree there some “best practices” for preparing our spud pals.  Did you know?

  • When boiling potatoes, in order to avoid “mushiness” start them in cold water and once they’re done, never rinse them in cold water to cool.  Drain and let them air dry or put them back in the pot to dry out a little and then cool down naturally.
  • Idaho or Russet starchy potatoes are best for baking and deep-frying.  They are drier than other potatoes.
  • When you want potatoes to retain their shape and moisture (roasted, sauteed, potato salads,  etc) choose waxy potatoes, which have less starch and more water.
  • All purpose, or “chef” potatoes are great for a variety of applications including soups, stews, shredding, and mashing.
  • When it comes to mashed potatoes, I prefer the Yukon Gold potato.  It turns out moist, fluffy and delicious.
  • If you peel potatoes ahead of time, put them in some water until it’s time to cook them or they will turn brown.
  • If you store your baking potatoes in the refrigerator, your baked potato may have an unpleasant “sweet” flavor when baked due to the starch turning to sugar under refrigeration.  So, store them in a cool, dry place instead.
  • Be sure to dry out your cooked and drained potatoes before preparing them further (like mashing).  Water is the enemy of cooked potatoes!
  • For a perfect baked potato, just choose an Idaho or Russett potato, scrub it, dry it, poke a few holes in the ends and bake it until it is soft when squeezed.  There is no need for foil, oils or other preparations.
  • Be sure to always cut the green parts off  potatoes.  Bitter and not good for you to eat!
  • When making mashed potatoes, be careful not to over-whip or they will be sticky.  Also add the butter first and then the milk or cream.  You can keep them warm by setting the bowl of potatoes over a pot of boiling water (like a double-boiler set up)

Drum roll please…. Here’s my favorite mashed potato recipe.

Sinful Mashed Potatoes

1  (5-pound) bag of Yukon Gold potatoes
1 stick butter, softened
6 oz  of cream cheese, softened
4 oz sour cream, to taste
1/8 cup prepared horseradish, optional
¼ cup or more of half and half
Kosher salt & white pepper to taste

Peel and cube potatoes.  Cover with water in a sauce pot, add some salt, bring to a boil and simmer until falling-off-the-fork tender.  Drain completely and return to hot pot to dry out a little; mash potatoes (using a potato masher) with butter, cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish (if used), salt and pepper to taste.  Add enough half-and-half to achieve desired consistency.   Once you get everything mashed up together, give it a good whip with a hand mixer to make it smooth.  8 servings.

Veggie Smarts

Vegetables get no respect!  If you’re like I used to be, the vegetable side dish to an entree is often an after-thought.  We drag some sad little bag out of the freezer or open a can of mushy veggies, stir in a little salt and pepper and call it serving the family a balanced diet.  Ha!  No wonder the kids don’t eat it!  We are also guilty in the South of absolutely cooking the crap out of vegetables so they don’t have much flavor or nutrients left.  One of my chef instructors jokingly said that the only reason we Southern women even cook vegetables is to have a vehicle for our bacon and salt pork!  Perhaps it’s not that bad, but I’ve been making a real effort at giving those veggies a little TLC and spending as much time thinking of creative and delicious ways to prepare veggie sides as I do the meat entree.  Here are some tips for delicious veggies:

  • When cooking potatoes, cut them into uniform pieces and start them in cold salted water so they cook evenly.
  • When cooking green vegetables, you want to cook them as quickly as possible so as to preserve color and nutrients.  Start them in boiling salted water and never cover them when cooking.  Covering traps the plant enzymes and causes the vegetables to turn a drab color and perhaps have an unpleasant odor.
  • If you want to prepare fresh veggies at mealtime in a flash, pre-cook veggies (not potatoes) by blanching them in boiling water and then shocking them in ice water.  At mealtime, you can finish cooking them in boiling water or (my favorite) saute the veggies in olive oil with salt/pepper and other seasonings.  Then, deglaze the pan with a little broth and add some butter to make a light sauce.
  • To make glazed veggies, barely cover with water and boil with some sugar and butter until water is almost evaporated.
  • Steaming is one of the quickest and most nutritious ways to cook vegetables.

Here’s a recipe I found for some show-stopper veggies.  The crisp-tender texture is key and the garlic/balsamic flavor additions will surely get your family’s attention.

Balsamic Asparagus and Carrots

My family’s favorite meatloaf

It always makes me laugh to see my eight-year-old get excited about mama’s meatloaf. Someone forgot to tell him that it wasn’t cool to like meatloaf!  He even requests that I pack the leftovers in his lunch box the next day.  There’s a bunch of different ways to make a good meatloaf.  I think it’s more about how you assemble it than anything else.  Traditional meatloaf mix is 1/3 ground beef, 1/3 ground pork and 1/3 ground veal.  That’s good but you can make up your own mixture, just be sure you have enough fat in the mix to keep it moist.  If you use 100% ground beef, I recommend 80/20 meat.  You can also drape a piece of bacon over the top of the baking loaf to infuse some moisture.    You should mix up all your ingredients BEFORE you add the meat so as not to over-mix the meatloaf.  I like to form several small loaves to speed up dinner prep time, just be sure you make the loaf as “rectangular” as possible and flatten the top with a little concave dip in the middle to keep juices in and ensure even cooking.    You don’t want any skinny little ends to over-cook.  Cook it to an internal temp of 155 degrees but no longer.  Here are a few combos to get you going:

For meatloaf mix:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1/2 cup barbecue sauce mixed with 1/4 cup milk
2 pieces torn up sandwich bread or  1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 egg
1 can mushrooms, drained
-Form into six mini loaves

Sauces:   pour over meatloaf prior to baking or halfway through
1/3 cup barbecue sauce and 1/4 cup mustard mixed together
OR  Bottled Chili Sauce
OR
1 cup dark corn syrup, 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 6 Tbsp A-1 Sauce, 4 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard.  Mix together in saucepan and stir over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.

-Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until internal temp reaches 155 degrees.

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake is just heavenly!

We went on a Caribbean cruise last year and, of course, the food was a highlight!  There was one menu item that held special prominence, especially for my hubby.  It was the warm chocolate melting cake on the dinner dessert menu.  We were there for seven nights and big daddy had six of them!  Why only six, you might wonder?  We went to a specialty restaurant one evening and they didn’t serve it!  This man LOVED that dessert!  Admittedly, he wasn’t the only one.  Little man and Mama had their share as well.  After much searching, I found a recipe that is pretty darn close.  The key is to bake it just the right amount of time so that it’s cooked on the edges but not in the middle, hence the melting part.  I baked a test cake first to get the timing right before I screwed up the whole batch.  So go ahead and indulge a little.  Just pretend you’re on a cruise where you don’t count calories.

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

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