Saucy Beef and Zucchini Skillet

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I went out of my comfort zone and tried a new recipe today!!  LOVED IT...

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, sliced

1 Tbs. oil

3 medium zucchini, split lengthwise, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 cup ketchup

1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. pepper

Brown beef in a large skillet; remove and set aside.  Drain excess fat.  Sauté onion in oil until tender; add zucchini and sauté 2 minutes.  Add reserved beef, ketchup and remaining ingredients.  Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve over hot cooked elbow macaroni, if desired.

Chicken or Veal Marsala

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This is the recipe that I normally use for Chicken Marsala, however this week, I did not have the chicken and wanted to use up my veal and I was out of my Cream Sherry to make Veal Scallopini so instead used the Marsala recipe it tastes delicious...  I have posted this one before on a forum and had someone make it and rave about it, so give it a try!!

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup flour

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally (or one package of veal)

1 Tbs. oil

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1/2 cup Chicken stock, skim fat from the top (you can either use from a can, or make some from bouillon cubes)

1/2 lemon fresh lemon juice (I use about 1 Tbs. lemon juice concentrate)

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Mix together pepper, salt, and flour.  Coat chicken or veal with the seasoned flour.  In a heavy-bottom skillet, heat oil over MED. heat.  Place the chicken breasts or veal in skillet and brown on both sides.  Then remove chicken from skillet and set aside. 

To the skillet, add wine and stir until the wine is heated.  Add juice, stock and mushrooms.  Stir to toss, reduce heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is partially reduced.  (we like our sauce a little thicker than this, so take about a tablespoon of flour in a small bowl and add liquid from the pan and stir the flour and liquid together until it is thin enough to pour.  Pour the four mixture into the pan and stir until desired thickness is achieved)

Return browned chicken or veal to skillet.  Spoon sauce over the chicken.  cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done. (usu. when you slice the chicken breasts in half and brown them, they are done by the time you take them out of the pan to set aside so when you add them back in, just keep them in the pan until they are heated back up, maybe only another minute or two...same with veal.

Sever sauce over chicken.  Garnish with chopped parsley.

Beef Flamade

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2 pounds round steak, cut in 2" squares (I use 1 pound of stew meat)

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup butter

2 med. size raw potatoes diced

1 onion chopped

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

2 cups water

1/2 T. salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup butter

Dredge meat in flour and brown on all sides in butter.  Arrange in the bottom of a large casserole dish that is oven proof.  Cover the meat with the diced potatoes, onions and carrots.  Pour water into pan used to brown meat and bring to a boil; stir well to get all the drippings off the side of the pan.  Add the seasonings.  Pour over meat and vegetables. 

Brown bread crumbs in the other 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle over meat.  Cover tightly and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Meatballs with Vegetables old family recipe

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Mix together;

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Mix the following and add the milk and egg mixture when done:

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 Tbs. grated onion

1 pound ground beef

~~~

Pasta noodles enough for the size of your family

Frozen mixed veggies about 2-3 cups cooked and set aside

~~~

Shape into 20 small balls.  Roll each ball lightly in flour, brown in 2 T. of butter or olive oil.  Cook slowly turning frequently until balls are well browned about 20 minutes.

Add the pan 1 can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with 3/4 cup milk  stir constantly until smooth. (You can remove the meatballs first if you like) 

Stir in 2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked frozen veggies the mixed variety.  Season to taste.  Heat thoroughly before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie

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1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed under cold water

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 1/2 to 3 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken

Pastry for 9 inch two crust pie, prepared or purchased

Preparation:

Drain peas and carrots; set aside.  Heat butter in 2 quart saucepan over low heat until melted.  Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat then stir in broth and milk.  Place back on heat; heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Stir in chicken and vegetables.

Prepare pastry.  Roll 2/3 of the pastry into a 13-inch square; ease into ungreased 9-inch square pan.  Pour chicken mixture into the pastry-lined pan.  Roll remaining pastry into 11-inch square; cut out designs with small cookie cutter for venting.  Place square over filling; turn edges under and crimp.  Bake in 425 degree oven until golden brown about 35 minutes.

I included 2 medium potato's with mine that were chopped into small bite sized pieces.

 

 

Pecan Pumpkin Torte…..Award Winning!!!

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10/12/07I am just adding an update to this recipe...This is now an official Award Winning Dessert...I gave the recipe to Jenny and she won Second Prize!!!! 

Cake

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup butter softened

1 package 18 ounces spice cake mix

1 can 16 oz. solid packed pumpkin...Libby's is the best =)

1/4 cup butter softened

4 eggs

 

Filling

3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup caramel topping (find in the ice-cream topping section)

pecan halves

 

(Looking at the picture I have and the picture in my cookbook, I would double the filling part so that you have tons for the outside so that you do not see the in and out of the different layers, theirs has really nice knife strokes that go from top to bottom

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

For cake, in large mixer bowl combine wafer crumbs, 1 cup chopped pecans and 3/4 cup butter.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until crumbly, 1 to 2 minutes.  Press mixture evenly on bottom of 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.  In same bowl combine cake mix, pumpkin, 21/4 cup butter and eggs. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes.  Spread 1 3/4 cups batter over crumbs in each pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans.  Cool completely.

 

For filling, in small mixer bowl combine powdered sugar, 2/3 cup butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  On serving plate layer 3 cakes, nut side down, with 1/2 cup filling spread between each layer.  With remaining filling, frost sides only of cake.  Spread caramel topping over top of cake, drizzling some over the frosted sides.  Arrange pecan halves in rings on top of cake.  Store refrigerated.  Makes 16 servings.

 

To remove cake easily from pan, place wire rack on top of cake and invert; repeat with remaining layers.

 

This recipe was adapted from Great American Favorite Brand name Cookbook

Parmesan Pork Medallions

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These Parmesan pork medallions are melt in your mouth.  As soon as you start cooking these, everyone will come moseying into the kitchen wondering what wonderful meal you are cooking tonight!!

1 lb. pork tenderloin
3 tbsp. seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Cut tenderloin crosswise into 8 slices, approximately 1 inch thick. Place each slice on its cut surface and flatten with heel of hand to 1/2 inch thickness.(or use a meat hammer) Combine crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; dredge pork slices to coat. Panfry slowly(med. low to med. heat), with onion and garlic, in oil in large frying pan 10 minutes. 4 servings.

I usually start my onion and garlic in the pan first and let that sauté for at least 5 minutes....tonight when I made it I actually included an egg and dipped in egg first and then into the bread crumbs....again, do not cook these very long if they are totally white when you are done, they will be very tough just a hint of pink should be visible.

Enjoy!!!

What to do to sell the house…Realtor’s pt. of view

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I just wanted to update about last Thursday.  We had a Realtor come through the house with her broker and told us all the stuff we would need to do to get the house ready for sale...The Realtor seemed to think that if we were really motivated we could have it all done in 2 months!!!

Paint: Stick to the one color as the entry hall to be cost effective....use it in the family room, kitchen dining room and hallway.  She said to just go one shade darker to paint the fireplace and one shade darker for the dining room. Paint our bar stools in the kitchen as well, and cut the legs down...

Oh and she said to paint our garage as well, it is all sheetrock that has a thin coat of something on there...it just needs to be freshened up.

Tim wants to, and I agree, go with a different color for the bedrooms so the house does not feel like it is sterile and no personality.  We will go with neutral colors to make it eye appealing.

Window treatments: put a drape over the family room window and the actual door going out and pull them back to the wall.  Do a valance over the entry hall windows and a drape in the dining room.  A valance in the kitchen....she said to sew it myself since  I could and save money....

If I can find fabric to match the color in the wall hanging we bought and coordinate it with the dining room tapestry....then we could pull those rooms together...

Bathroom....put a frame around the mirror and just paint

Kitchen....just paint and remove border and replace the counter tops but just upgrade to higher end laminate, we don't have to put granite in because we have "in expensive cabinets"....who would have guessed that the nice wood cabinets were inexpensive!

Other Bedrooms....just remove borders and paint....

The bulk of our money to spend, she said, should be put into our front yard for curb appeal and fixing the vinyl siding from the lightning damage 2 years ago...this we figured and I was already going to hire a landscape designer to help with a plan to start getting that done. 

So I am really excited to get going on this house, I think I can have the house painted fairly quick....it is time consuming and to work around the little ones but can be done...

Other than that, she said to get a rental storage unit and just clear out our house to the bare minimum, pack smart so that the spring clothes will be available when we need them but get everything else packed away...

They said it takes between 3-6 months to sell a house....I was so hoping for it selling like in the first month esp. if it is buyer ready and move in ready....but it is good to hear a realistic point of view.

So that was what Thursday was a great afternoon that got me all excited to get out of this house!!!