10, 9, 8, 7, 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1 ~ HAPPY NEW YEAR

Grilled Potato Rounds - Fire Day Friday

A simple side dish to go with just about anything.  These little babies are good in the winter, summer, spring, and fall.  And if you can't dig your grill out this time of year, no worries, you can easily do these on an indoor stove top grill, or in a 425 degree oven (about the same amount of time, but keep an eye on them).  Either way you do it, this will definitely become a family favorite.

Grilled Potato Rounds
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:

1-2 russet potatoes (depending on the size)
extra-virgin olive oil (about 1-2 Tablespoons)
2 large garlic cloves
salt (I used either Kosher salt or sea salt)
black pepper

Directions:

Scrub potatoes under running water.  Slice into 1/4" disks.  Place in a pot and cover with water.  Slice the garlic cloves into quarters and place in water with potatoes.  Over high heat, as soon as you start to see the water bubble (even just a little), set the timer for 5 minutes.  Immediately remove from the heat and run quickly under cold water.  Drain completely.  Cover potatoes with olive oil.  (I start with 1 Tbls and add until nicely covered.)  Season liberally with salt and pepper. (I sometimes use cayenne pepper or Italian seasoning too, depending on what I'm making.  The point is, you can use any seasoning you desire.)  Toss to combine.

On a preheated grill (medium-low to low), place the potatoes directly on the grates and grill for 15-20 minutes, turning frequently to reduce burning.  When finished, potatoes should be crispy on the outside and still nice and tender on the inside.  Remove from grill and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.  Enjoy!

 

BURGERS with CARAMELIZED PEACHES and RED ONIONS, GORGONZOLA CREAM CHEESE MAYONNAISE and MUENSTER

BURGERS with CARAMELIZED PEACHES and RED ONIONS, GORGONZOLA CREAM CHEESE MAYONNAISE and MUENSTER CHEESE

2-1/3 pound burger patties
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
sea salt & white pepper
grated Muenster cheese

Caramelized peaches & red onions
2 tablespoons butter
1 extra large red onion, thinly sliced into rings
2 small peaches, chopped
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Gorgonzola Cream Cheese Mayonnaise
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbles, room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise

• In a small food processor blend together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and Gorgonzola cheese crumbles.
• Combine ground beef, liquid smoke, salt and pepper to the meat and hand form the patties.
• Grill burgers inside or out.
• In a large sauce pan melt butter.  
• When sizzling add onions and saute' until translucent. 
• Add peaches and saute' until juicy.
• Add balsamic vinegar and continue sauteing until moisture has sizzled away.
• Plate burger.
• Spread on Gorgonzola mayo.
• Top with peaches, onions and then sprinkle with muenster cheese.  
• I use the pan lid over the plate for a minute to melt the cheese.

*I like to make my own ground beef when brisket is on sale. It makes for a richer tasting beef flavor! Thank you Tyler Florence!

BUFFALO CHICKEN SHEPHERD'S PIE

I have a friend who hates to have her food touch other food. She's very particular about keeping it all separate on a plate.

I wonder how she'd be with Shepherds Pie?

I think Shepherds Pie is just an excuse to play with your food and throw it all in a pile and eat it. 

It helps that it's extremely delicious too!

I've been on a buffalo kick and I find myself throwing it in just about everything.  I've made this Shepherd's Pie a couple of times and am always amazed at how incredibly tasty it is. 

Buffalo Chicken Shepherds Pie Recipe

Adapted from Once A Month Mom

2 pounds boneless chicken breast
1 tablespoon oil (I used bacon grease)
3 stalks celery, diced (6 oz)
2 carrots, diced (6 oz)
1 large onion, diced (12 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 teaspoons paprika
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Franks)
1/4 cup ranch dressing, light
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, part skim, shredded
6 potatoes (I used 3 pounds)
1/2 cup sour cream, light

Cook chicken with salt and pepper.  Remove and dice or shred.  In same pan, combine celery, carrots and onion with oil and saute for 6 - 8 minutes. Add garlic. Saute for a couple more minutes.  Add chicken, cherry tomatoes, paprika and more salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and buffalo wing sauce.  Stir to combine.  Reduce heat and simmer. 

Boil potatoes until done.  Mash and combine with 1/2 cup sour cream.  Set aside.

Pour the chicken mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 in. pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Add the ranch to the top and the mozzarella cheese. (you can use blue cheese instead of ranch and mozzarella if you like).  Spoon the potatoes on top of chicken mixture.  Bake at 375 for 25 - 30 minutes. 

Total calories = 3699 calories
8 servings = 462 calories per serving

Buffalo Chicken Shepherds Pie = 462 calorie dinner

BEEF TENDERLOIN

Christmas Eve dinner was just the two of us this year so I made a beef tenderloin with sauteed mushrooms and twice baked potatoes. Tonight that left over tenderloin will make some great hot beef sandwiches. YUMMY!

BEEF TENDERLOIN
1 (3 pound) beef tenderloin roast 
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4-5 mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup melted butter

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Sprinkle garlic on bottom of shallow, glass baking dish and then layer green onions on top. 
• Place roast on top of onions.
• Whisk together soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and butter.
• Pour over the tenderloin.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the roast over, and continue cooking 35 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally until the internal temperature of the roast is at 140 degrees for medium.
• Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cream Cheese Cookies--Save Room for Dessert

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cream Cheese Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 oz bag of white chocolate chips

2 cups macadamia nuts

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside until later.
• Beat the cream cheese and the butter on medium speed until creamy and light, should take about 2 minutes.
• Add the brown sugar and then mix well.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and add the egg and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
• Slowly, add the flour mixture a little at a time, until well combined.
• Fold in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
• I suggest placing the dough in the freezer or refrigerator for a few hours. In my experience the cookies come out better. But, this step isn't necessary. Roll dough into walnut size balls then place on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden in your pre-heated oven. Let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely

TAILGATING TIME

We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add - of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.


It doesn't matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

If any of you would like to host along with us you can click --> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that's up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can.

We can't wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

Emeril's Beer Braised Brisket

Emeril's Beer Braised Brisket

5 to 6 pounds beef brisket

4 garlic cloves, sliced

Salt and cayenne

Essence, recipe follows

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups julienned onions

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cans (12 ounces each) Dixie beer

1 cup water

Garnish:

1/2 pound roasted new potatoes

1/2 cup fried shallot crusts (julienned shallots, marinated in hot sauce, dredged in flour and fried until golden)

2 tablespoons chopped chives

2 tablespoons Brunoise red peppers

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With a sharp knife, make about 10 slits in the brisket. Stuff each hole with 2 to 3 slices of the garlic. Season the meat with salt, cayenne and Essence. In a large saute pan, heat the oil. When oil is hot, sear the meat evenly, for 2 to 3 minutes on all sides. Transfer the meat to a large Dutch oven with a lid. Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. In a mixing bowl, toss the onions with salt, cayenne and Essence. Arrange the onions around the meat. Add the beer and water. Cover and return the pot to the oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 2 1/2 hours, or until tender. Turn the meat over twice during baking. If the liquid evaporates too much, add another can of beer and 1/2 cup water. Remove the meat from the pan and reserve the liquid. Slice the meat into individual portions.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Modifications:

-I did not use the potatoes, onions, etc.  I strictly just used this recipe for the beef.

Here's what you'll need (plus your brisket):

• Mix all of the herbs.
• Put the brisket in a pan and rub the brisket.
• Slice up some garlic cloves and cut slices into the beef.  Stuff the cloves into the beef (picture below).
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  
• Put some olive oil in a pan to get hot.  Sear the beef on each side for 2-3 minutes (see the sliced beef with garlic cloves in it).

• Put the pan into the oven for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
• Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. 
• Add beer to the pan.  I only used 1 bottle and it was fine. 
• Cover the pan and put back into the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

Here's what you'll end up with:

• Put the meat over into a serving dish and pour the pan juices all over.

Serving with the pan juices added moistness and flavor from the cooked off fat.

White Bean Soup with Olive Tapenade ~ Veggie Tales by Kris: Soup's On!

Happy Holidays & Winter Solstice, everyone!

Now that winter is upon us, it's time to break out the soup pot and warm ourselves up after playing in the snow. This isn't a vegetable soup by title, but wait until you see how many veggies are actually in it! Make this soup, and you're covered with getting in protein and vegetables!

White Bean Soup with Olive Tapenade

2 15oz cans white beans (use another can if you want thicker soup!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 large leek (just the white part), sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped finely
1 large carrot (or 2 small), chopped finely
1 small fennel bulb, chopped finely
8 cups water
2 bouillon cubes (or 2 packets chicken or veggie stock concentrate)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

What you'll need for the Olive Tapenade:
1 garlic clove (give it a rough chop)
1 small bunch fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1 6oz/8oz bottle almond stuffed olives (found these in store with other canned olives)
5 tablespoon olive oil

What you'll do:
Prepare the tapenade first by added all ingredients in a food chopper/processor. Set aside for topping soup and/or bread.

Chop all vegetables and soup ingredients before cooking. Heat oil in a large soup pot. Cook onions and leeks for about 3-4 minutes with the pot covered. When they get soft, add in the carrots, celery, garlic, and fennel. Stir and cook for another few minutes. Add in water, stock/bouillon, herbs and bring to a bowl. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for about a 1/2 hour. Add in beans and cook for another 10 minutes. I used an immersion hand blender for this step to puree the soup. Otherwise you can puree in a blender, just be careful! Salt and pepper the soup before serving and you can turn heat off and cool at this point. Toss in some of the tapenade for added value!

Meet Kris here for more adventures!

Blue Cheese Dip for Hot Wings - Fire Day Friday

The college football bowl season is gearing up and one of the frequent bowl game foods is chicken wings.  

Whether you grill them, bake them, or fry them, it's almost obligatory to serve them with blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks.  While it is tempting to just crack open a jar of bottled dressing, I like to have more of a thicker "dip" than a thin "dressing" like most bottled varieties.  It sticks better to the wings and celery sticks.

I grilled some wings last week and this is the blue cheese dip that I made as a condiment.

Blue Cheese Dip for Hot Wings

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Dukes)
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, coarse ground
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, ground

Instructions

1. Mix together all ingredients except for the blue cheese.
2. Blend in the blue cheese, making sure to break up any big clumps.
3. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld.

SEAFOOD CASSEROLE EXTRAODINAIRE

It's ALMOST Christmas and Santa Claus is coming to town. If you have kids, or are just a big kid at heart, you can track Santa's progress as he travels around the world on NORAD.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I really intended to stick with this recipe as it was written, really I did! But, as I read it more closely I felt some changes coming on. You know that feeling you get when you realize hubby won't like ingredient 5 or your son would hate ingredient x, etc... The more I messed with the recipe the further it got from what the intended.

So here is their recipe as written:

BLEND IN THE BAYOU

8 ounces cream cheese

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 - 6 ounce cans crabmeat, drained and flaked

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup cooked rice, prepared

4 1/2 ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained

1 teaspoon garlic salt

3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers

• In a small saucepan, cook and stir the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, saute the onion, celery and green pepper in remaining butter until tender.
• Stir in the shrimp, crab, soup, rice, mushrooms, garlic salt, pepper sauce, cayenne and cream cheese mixture.
• Transfer to a greased 2 quart baking dish.
• Combine crackers crumbs and cheese. Sprinkle over top.
• Bake, uncovered 25 minutes or until bubbly.

and here is the new recipe as made and enjoyed and savored as the plates were licked clean!

SEAFOOD CASSEROLE EXTRAODINAIRE

inspired by Taste of Home's Blend in the Bayou

8 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large bunch green onions, chopped

4 large mushrooms, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 8 ounce package crabmeat, chopped & flaked

2 - 6 ounce cans white albacore tuna, drained and flaked

1 can cream of celery soup or soup substitute

3/4 cup cooked rice, prepared

1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili pepper

3/4 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese

1/2 sleeve crushed butter-flavored crackers ( I used Keebler herb and butter)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small saucepan, cook and stir the cream cheese, soup and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, saute the onion, mushrooms and garlic in remaining 1 tablespoon butter until tender.
• Stir in the tuna, crab, soup, rice, mushrooms, salt, pepper sauce, chili powder and cream cheese mixture.
• Transfer to a greased 2 quart baking dish.
• Sprinkle crackers over top.
• Bake, uncovered 25 minutes or until bubbly. 
• Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes more.

Healthy Meals

Fresh Vegetables!  Is there anything healthier?

Sweet, green peppers... Very low in calories, carbohydrates, cholesterol, fat, and sodium.  Bell peppers are a GREAT source of vitamin C and dietary fiber.  They are also a good source of vitamin A, Niacin, Thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, copper, potassium, and vitamin K.  Wow!  This vegetable really packs a healthy punch!

White onions... Extremely low in fat and calories.  Great source of dietary fiber.  Good source of vitamin C. Manganese, copper, vitamin B6, folate, and phosphorous are also present in white onions.  They also contain flavonoids, anti-oxidants responsible for protecting the body from free radical cells.  Onions have been used in many studies regarding their ability to prevent certain types of cancers.  Fantastic!

Roma tomatoes... Fat and calories are almost nonexistent.  No cholesterol.  Very low in sodium.  Excellent source of vitamins A and C.  They also contain anti-oxidants.  Nice!

Fresh cilantro... (also known as coriander) No cholesterol.  Very rich in anti-oxidants and dietary fiber.  Excellent source of numerous minerals such as calcium, potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.  Also a great source of vitamins A, K, C, and B6.    My family loves the flavor cilantro adds to dishes.  It's kind of a love-it-or-hate-it-herb, but it is definitely beneficial to your health.

Now, what to do with these beautiful, tasty, healthy vegetables?  My family loves when I add them to a pot of pinto beans.  Beans are an excellent source of protein and are very low in fat and calories.  My bean soup is both delicious and healthy.

You can also add these fresh vegetables to pretty much any soup recipe, chicken, ground beef, or whatever your heart desires.  Chopping them fine makes it easier to sneak them into your regular recipes, too, and your family may not even notice.  But they will definitely reap the health benefits.

Roasted Banana Pudding

Roasted Banana Pudding 
5 ripe unpeeled medium bananas (about 2 pounds)

2 cups half-n-half

2/3 cup sugar, divided

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided

45-55 vanilla wafers, divided

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place bananas on a jelly-roll pan covered with parchment paper.
• Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
• Remove 2 bananas; cool completely.
• Peel and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Bake the remaining 3 bananas at 350° for an additional 20 minutes.
• Carefully peel and place the 3 bananas in a small bowl, and mash with a fork until smooth. *The original recipe calls for 3 sliced bananas and 2 mashed bananas. If you want more banana pieces in your pudding you may want to do this.
• Combine half-n-half and 1/3 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer (do not boil).
• Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, and eggs in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk.
• Slowly add hot half-n-half mixture to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. It's very important that you mix these together very slowly and stir constantly. If the hot mixture is added too quickly it can cook the eggs! So take it slow and don't stop whisking!
• Return this combined mixture to pan.
• Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 3 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Add mashed bananas, butter, and vanilla, stirring until butter melts.
• Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 15 minutes or until mixture comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. If you don't have a large enough bowl, fill the bottom of your sink with ice.
• Fold half of whipped topping into pudding.
• Spread 1/2 of the custard evenly over the bottom of an 8x 8-inch baking dish. Top evenly with vanilla wafers and half of the banana slices.
• Spoon remaining custard over banana slices.
• Repeat procedure with vanilla wafers, banana slices.
• Spread remaining half of whipped topping evenly over top.
• Crush several wafers; sprinkle over top of whipped topping.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.