Saturday, October 30, 2010

The View From My Kitchen Window

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Yesterday was golden. I was off from work so when I woke up and walked into the kitchen the sun was shining through the leaves of the maple, beech and sourwood trees that cover the hillside out my kitchen window. In years past we have had more red in the fall foliage, but this year has brought mostly gold. The windy days sadly tossed most of the leaves down before they could put on their annual color show. Days like this remind me to be thankful for the scraps of warm weather we have left. I fear this weekend might be the last of the Indian summer days that temper us into the much cooler days of fall.
Cooler nights have me in the mood for comfort food so I took my inspiration from TV....

While I was watching Food Network the other night I saw Bobby Flay challenge Paula Deen to a Country Fried Steak throw down. Watching this had me craving this southern comfort food with a vengeance. I usually make country style steak slow simmered several hours in a brown gravy with onions to make it fork tender, but I grew up on my Daddy's more traditional country fried steak and gravy. So yesterday I stopped at the Ingles and picked up a package of cubed round steaks for supper. I experimented a bit as I went along but over all I was very pleased with this Friday night supper. I'm not sure what the difference is in country style steak or chicken fried steak but I have decided I like the sound chicken fried steak best. Maybe I have listened to too much Zac Brown.
Oh, oh, oh, I almost forgot to tell you........, most things work out in the end, Paula won the throw down. As much as I love Bobby, ain't no way a Yankee can beat a Georgia girl in a country fried steak competition!!

Chicken Fried Steak with White Thyme Gravy*
Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Corn Custard
Cream Potatoes
Biscuits

Chicken Fried Steak with White Thyme Gravy

3 - cubed round steaks
seasoned salt ( I like Morton's Nature's Seasons better than Lawry's)
1-1/2 all purpose flour
1 tsp. pepper

1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs - beaten

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 Tbsp. instant chicken bouillon
2 cups whole milk or half and half (or more, if needed)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder

Bring steaks out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. Place a cooking rack on a 1/2 sheet pan and set aside for steaks.
Measure flour and pepper into a glass pie pan. Stir to combine.
Combine 1 cup buttermilk and two eggs in a second glass pie pan.
Sprinkle steaks on both sides with season salt.
Dredge in peppered flour and then dip in the buttermilk and egg mixture and back in the peppered flour.
Place on the rack that your have prepared and continue until all steaks are well coated.

In a large skillet heat 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil over medium high heat until the handle of a wooden spoon sizzles when placed in oil. Add steaks to hot oil and reduce temp to medium. Brown steaks on both sides, 4-5 minutes per side and return to cooling rack. Place in warm oven while you make gravy.

Pour away all but 4 Tbsp. of the cooking oil, being sure to keep the browned flour bits in the bottom of the skillet.
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons flour (use the left-over flour from dredging process) and 2 Tbsp. instant chicken bouillon in the hot oil. Stir with a wooden spoon, quickly, to cook the flour a bit. Once you have a smooth paste gradually stir in 2 cups milk, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add dried thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. Lower heat, and the gravy will thicken. Continue cooking and stirring a few minutes until gravy reaches desired thickness. Check seasonings and add more salt and pepper according to your taste.

So, Until Tomorrow.................,
S~~~

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

How Did I Not Know?

Why didn't someone tell me? Must I be the last to know everything?

Lacy and Bashar were home for a few hours last weekend and they just happened to mention that a friend of theirs eats frozen waffles with peanut butter and maple syrup. Hummmmmmm.
Now, that sounded interesting, especially to a peanut butter lover like me. So, I had to start experimenting. First I tried the peanut butter and maple syrup. Admittedly, it was really good. Then I tried peanut butter and jelly. We were really on to something here. That peanut butter melts down into the squares and it is heaven on a waffle! Next we tried Nutella and of course, it was wonderful. Then again, Nutella on cardboard would be wonderful.

That brings us to today, Wednesday. As you know I don't cook supper on Wednesday, so I was looking for a quick snack. Back to the frozen waffles. Tonight's rendition was pumpkin and marshmallow cream with cinnamon. Oh my goodness..........................., you have got to try it.
The possibilities are endless, cooked apples and caramel sauce, bananas and peanut butter, peanut butter and chocolate syrup, coconut cream pudding and pineapple................., you get the picture!

So, now I know the secret to a fun snack and so do you.

How do you eat your waffles?

So, Until Tomorrow.................,

S~~~

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

One Perfect Day in WNC

Today was one of those perfect Western North Carolina days. Beautiful sunshine sparkling through the red and gold leaves. I am one of those fortunate few in the Grove Park Inn that has an office with a window. I ate lunch at my desk today and couldn't help but stare out at the orange leaves on the huge maple outside. The beauty only lasts a few days and then it disappears into colder weather and my wish for snow.

I had planned to make beef stroganoff over noodles tonight but just wasn't in the mood for a dish that I associate with cooler days, so I changed gears and made a quick supper. Something easy so we can plop down on the couch and watch an episode of the new Hawaii 5-0 that we have on the DVR.

Monte Christo Sandwiches* w/ chips and pickles
French Onion Soup au Gratin

Monte Christo Sandwiches

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise (I love Kraft light)
1 tsp. prepared mustard
4 slices sandwich bread (your choice, I used white wheat)
2 slices cooked turkey
2 slices cooked ham
2 slices Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. half and half
½ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
Unsalted butter

Combine mayonnaise and mustard, spread lightly on one side of each bread slice.

Place one slice each of turkey, ham, and Swiss cheese on top of 2 bread slices. Top with remaining bread. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally.

Beat eggs; add sour cream and half and half, whisk well.

Dip sandwich halves in batter; coat with breadcrumbs. Carefully lower sandwich halves, one at a time, into pan that butter has been melted in over medium heat cook until golden brown, turning only once. Drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately.

Fix a quick supper and enjoy everyone of these glorious days, they will be gone way too soon!!

So, Until Tomorrow.................,
S~~~


Monday, October 18, 2010

It's Apple Time

Apples and fall go hand in hand. Apple pie, apple turnovers, fried apple pies, cooked apples with pork tenderloin and of course, apple dumplings. Did you know that there are over 7500 varieties of apples and that apples are grown in all 50 states?

I was caught in traffic on Old Fort mountain last week for 3+ hours (overturned transfer truck) and a gentleman in one of the cars in front of me got out and rummaged through his back seat and came up with beautiful red apple. Wow, did that ever look good! Made me long to be the overly prepared person that keeps a snack in the car, just in case.

Anyway........................, I love cooking with apples. My mother in law used to bake apples by coring them and putting butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in the center. So simple and so good. This is a recipe I found a couple of years ago and almost didn't try because I hate Mountain Dew. I could have missed out on a great simple dessert. Hope you enjoy!

Autumn Apple Dumplings
.
2 large apples, peeled and cored ( I used 3 smaller Galas to equal 16 wedges)
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup butter
1 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (I only used 1 cup as my apples were sweet)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of salt
12 oz. (1 1/2 cup) Mountain Dew

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 or 9x12 inch baking dish with Pam.
Cut each apple in 8 wedges. Separate crescent rolls in triangles. Roll each apple wedge in a triangle, starting at the smallest end. Pinch edges to seal. Place in a baking dish. Melt butter in a small sauce pan, add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir to dissolve sugar. Pour butter mixture and Mountain Dew over apple dumplings. Bake 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.
**Original recipe calls for Granny Smith Apples**

So, Until Tomorrow...........
S~~~

Monday, October 11, 2010

Only 45 Days til Thanksgiving

Nothing really exciting going on around the kitchen the last few days. On Friday, I took a rare sick day and the weekend was a bit slow for me. Feeling mostly better today but still looking for a simple, get out of the kitchen quick supper, so Taco Salad with Avocados it is. It doesn't hurt that it is one of Ronnie's favorites either.

Am I the only one that is getting excited this early about the holidays. You know my affinity for Thanksgiving, it truly is my favorite, but mostly because I have all my family around me for this one special day of the year. The menu changes very little from year to year, if I even think about making even a minor change some certain un-named family members start to come unglued. One faithful Thanksgiving I swirled maple syrup on the top of our traditional pumpkin pies and you would have thought I single handedly ruined the entire holiday. Being the daring type (yeah, right), I want to throw in something a tad different this year. Maybe, bacon roasted Brussels sprouts, or a carrot souffle, even a really good cranberry salad, since I have never been pleased with one I have made so far.

Share your 2010 Thanksgiving ideas with us. I will be posting our menu later once I run it past the voting majority!

So, Until Tomorrow.........,
S~~~

Saturday, October 2, 2010

A Week of Fall Firsts

The first week of fall has brought our first pot of chili and our first roast of the season. Additionally, we had a supper to celebrate Octoberfest.

I wanted to celebrate the 1st day of October with a meal reflecting the upcoming season. A trip to the Fresh Market rendered some store made asiago mushroom chicken sausages so I was well on my way. My friend, Michael, who was shopping with me, even scored some pumpkin whoopie pies! I did just barely manage to pass on the whole whoopie pie thing since I had made pumpkin bread earlier this week.

Octoberfest Supper

10 baby red potatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 carrots - peeled and sliced
1 large onion - quartered
1 red pepper - cut into rings
1 lb. sausages (your choice)
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried parsley
salt
pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Cool red potatoes in salted vegetable stock 10 minutes. Add carrots, onion and red pepper and cook an additional 10 minutes. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet. Using a large spoon place vegetables in skillet. Drop sausages in the vegetable stock you cooked the vegetables in. Cook the sausages in the stock 5 minutes. Remove from saucepan and add to the skillet with the vegetables. Cook over medium high heat until vegetables and sausages are browned and caramelized.
Add additional salt, if needed, pepper, parsley and rosemary.

We served this with pretzel rolls and mustard butter.

So, Until Tomorrow...............,
S~~~