Everybody loves easy meals. Even people that love to cook want something they can just throw together sometimes. Tonight I am looking for a meal like that. Yesterday I cooked a smoked picnic shoulder in the crock pot. It was fantastic, falling apart tender, and made an amazing ham sandwich for supper last night. Tonight I am going to make "breakfast for supper " with the left overs.
I will start by frying up a bag of frozen hash browns. This is the base for the meal. My darling, picky husband will eat these, the ham chopped up on top and sprinkled with cheese and that is it, but the kids and I like other things on ours.
In a small skillet, melt a bit of butter and saute some chopped sweet onion until brown (or nearly so). Set aside. In the same skillet saute some sliced mushrooms, too. This step can be done together, but I like both and the kids each like one or the other, so I can't mix them. Chop the ham and mix into the finished hash browns. Top with the onions, mushrooms (bell peppers are nice, too) and sprinkle with shredded cheese. When you spoon onto the plate, top each serving with a fried egg.
Add biscuits on the side and you have an easy, quick, "breakfast" for whatever meal you want.
Happy Wednesday everyone.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Too Hot to Cook (inside)
The heat index yesterday was 103. Today is supposed to be similar, so we are holed up in a dim house, all the curtains and blinds closed to keep out the heat, pondering what to fix for supper.
My kids have been begging for pizza, so this morning at the grocery I bought a couple pre-baked pizza crusts. When I am ready to fix supper, I will preheat my grill, brush both sides of the crust with olive oil and grill the top for a few minutes (till it has grill marks on it). Turn the crust over and top with sauce, whatever toppings you like (we will have sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, fresh from the garden bell peppers and tomatoes and black olives on ours) and cheese. Turn the heat down to low. Close the grill, but check on the pizza every few minutes. It may not brown quite like a pizza in the oven, but when the cheese is melted and bubbly and everything is hot, it is ready.
Pizza on the grill is a great way to keep from heating up the house on a hot summer day.
I will also grill some squash (just because I have it on hand) to go with this.
My kids have been begging for pizza, so this morning at the grocery I bought a couple pre-baked pizza crusts. When I am ready to fix supper, I will preheat my grill, brush both sides of the crust with olive oil and grill the top for a few minutes (till it has grill marks on it). Turn the crust over and top with sauce, whatever toppings you like (we will have sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, fresh from the garden bell peppers and tomatoes and black olives on ours) and cheese. Turn the heat down to low. Close the grill, but check on the pizza every few minutes. It may not brown quite like a pizza in the oven, but when the cheese is melted and bubbly and everything is hot, it is ready.
Pizza on the grill is a great way to keep from heating up the house on a hot summer day.
I will also grill some squash (just because I have it on hand) to go with this.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
As if Hot Dogs Aren't Bad Enough
My kids call these Barbecue Bacon Dogs and they LOVE them. I mean really, can you screw anything up (especially a hot dog) by adding bacon?
For this recipe I like the pre-cooked bacon you can get at the store because it is cooked, but still soft enough to wrap around the hot dog. The bacon will crisp up on the grill. As you grill the hot dogs, baste them with barbecue sauce. When they are nearly done, cut a slit down the length of the dog, and fill with cheese, wrap the dog with bacon and return to the grill until the bacon is done and the cheese is melted. Serve on a but with whatever topping you like. Bratwurst work well for these, too.
I will serve these with fries and grilled veggies (tonight I am cooking some okra I froze last summer and some fresh squash from Daddy's garden.)
Happy Thursday everyone!
For this recipe I like the pre-cooked bacon you can get at the store because it is cooked, but still soft enough to wrap around the hot dog. The bacon will crisp up on the grill. As you grill the hot dogs, baste them with barbecue sauce. When they are nearly done, cut a slit down the length of the dog, and fill with cheese, wrap the dog with bacon and return to the grill until the bacon is done and the cheese is melted. Serve on a but with whatever topping you like. Bratwurst work well for these, too.
I will serve these with fries and grilled veggies (tonight I am cooking some okra I froze last summer and some fresh squash from Daddy's garden.)
Happy Thursday everyone!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Grilled Rosemary Chicken and Veggies
Today you get 2 yummy recipes in one great post! Fresh veggies are starting to overflow from my Dad's garden, squash, zucchini, peppers, cabbage, yum! Hopefully my garden isn't far behind, but for now I must be content harvesting his yummies. This is a recipe for a marinade that is fantastic on chicken and veggies, but don't use it all because it makes a great sauce to serve all this grilled goodness over rice or couscous.
The second recipe is for flatbread, whick my oldest child loves to use to wrap the grilled chicken and veggies and eat it all as a sandwich. I hope you like them both.
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup ranch dressing, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with about 1/2 the marinade. Add sliced veggies to the other half, I am using squash, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. . Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken and veggies until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Thiis is good as it is or served over rice. Heat the marinade used on the veggies and drizzle over the top. YUM!
Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast, 1 cup warm water, 1/4 cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 egg, beaten, 2 teaspoons salt, 4 1/2 cups bread flour, 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional), 1/4 cup butter.
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic ( I don't use the garlic in this recipe, I think it is too strong). Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the bread has been prepared.
This can also be cooked in a large skillet, since your grill will be full of chicken and veggies. Fill these flatbreads with the chicken and veggies, roll up and eat.
Happy Tuesday!
The second recipe is for flatbread, whick my oldest child loves to use to wrap the grilled chicken and veggies and eat it all as a sandwich. I hope you like them both.
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup ranch dressing, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with about 1/2 the marinade. Add sliced veggies to the other half, I am using squash, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. . Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken and veggies until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Thiis is good as it is or served over rice. Heat the marinade used on the veggies and drizzle over the top. YUM!
Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast, 1 cup warm water, 1/4 cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 egg, beaten, 2 teaspoons salt, 4 1/2 cups bread flour, 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional), 1/4 cup butter.
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic ( I don't use the garlic in this recipe, I think it is too strong). Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the bread has been prepared.
This can also be cooked in a large skillet, since your grill will be full of chicken and veggies. Fill these flatbreads with the chicken and veggies, roll up and eat.
Happy Tuesday!
Monday, June 7, 2010
leftovers!
Over Mothers Day weekend my husband and I filled up a borrowed smoker with Boston butts so we could feed his family on the holiday. After the party was over we cleaned up the leftover meat, separated it into meal sized portions and froze it for later. Today is later.
I am planning barbecue pork sandwiches for supper. Shred/chop the pork, add enough water to stir, about 1/4 c each Worcestershire sauce and barbecue sauce, simmer till thick and serve on buns with pickles, onions, whatever you like. I am making potato salad and slaw to go with this. If you follow these posts, you will have seen my potato salad recipe before, so here is how I make slaw:
Shred a 1/2 head of cabbage, add 2-3 cored, chopped sweet apples (we like gala), and a couple carrots, shredded. Some people add onion, but we don't like onion so I don't add it. For the dressing, mix 3/4 cup mayo with 3 T sugar, 2 T vinegar and mix well. My daughter likes about 1/4 cup of raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing mixed in. Toss with the cabbage mixture and chill.
Happy Monday!
I am planning barbecue pork sandwiches for supper. Shred/chop the pork, add enough water to stir, about 1/4 c each Worcestershire sauce and barbecue sauce, simmer till thick and serve on buns with pickles, onions, whatever you like. I am making potato salad and slaw to go with this. If you follow these posts, you will have seen my potato salad recipe before, so here is how I make slaw:
Shred a 1/2 head of cabbage, add 2-3 cored, chopped sweet apples (we like gala), and a couple carrots, shredded. Some people add onion, but we don't like onion so I don't add it. For the dressing, mix 3/4 cup mayo with 3 T sugar, 2 T vinegar and mix well. My daughter likes about 1/4 cup of raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing mixed in. Toss with the cabbage mixture and chill.
Happy Monday!
Friday, June 4, 2010
chicken for . . .
Tonight I am planning to make chicken roll ups, one of my favorites, but I am planning ahead, too. Already cooked, seasoned chicken is a very useful thing to have around.
I have a family size package of split chicken breast (about 6) in the crock pot. They are soaking up the flavor of (1/3-1/3 c)soy sauce, (1 tablespoon each) sugar, vinegar, cayenne pepper, black pepper, (2 teaspoons each) liquid smoke, chili powder, garlic powder, and (1 teaspoon) onion powder, mixed with water to cover the chicken. Let this cook on high for 6-8 hours, the remove the chicken so it can cool enough to handle. Clean up the meat and chop it, layer into a large tortilla with your favorite sandwich toppings, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon, whatever, and roll up. I will serve these with fries and slaw, but chips are even easier.
Tomorrow, the rest of the chicken is already seasoned and perfect for enchiladas, nachos, what ever sounds good. Happy Friday!
I have a family size package of split chicken breast (about 6) in the crock pot. They are soaking up the flavor of (1/3-1/3 c)soy sauce, (1 tablespoon each) sugar, vinegar, cayenne pepper, black pepper, (2 teaspoons each) liquid smoke, chili powder, garlic powder, and (1 teaspoon) onion powder, mixed with water to cover the chicken. Let this cook on high for 6-8 hours, the remove the chicken so it can cool enough to handle. Clean up the meat and chop it, layer into a large tortilla with your favorite sandwich toppings, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon, whatever, and roll up. I will serve these with fries and slaw, but chips are even easier.
Tomorrow, the rest of the chicken is already seasoned and perfect for enchiladas, nachos, what ever sounds good. Happy Friday!
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