Italian Drip Beef Sandwiches

Okay, so, the name isn't great. In fact, it's downright weird. But the sandwiches...holy cow, are they delicious! And you can't get easier, either.

Brian, I'm talking to you right now, you need to make this. Mom and dad, I think you will like it a lot (the pepperoncinis don't add any heat, just some tangy-ness), but Brian, it's a perfect one for you to throw in the slow cooker at lunch and have a yummy, beefy dinner waiting for you when you get home. The leftovers freeze well.

Italian Drip Beef

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Prep Time:

5 Minutes

Cook Time:

6 Hours

Difficulty:

Easy

Servings:

10

 

Ingredients

• 1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
• 1 can Beef Broth (14 oz)
• 3 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 jar (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice
• Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid.
Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart. **If meat is not yet tender, return to slow cooker for 30 minute intervals till it's tender!**
With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove.
May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.
Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

Mom and Dad's Gourmet Mac and Cheese

Adapted from the old Betty Crocker recipe - dad says it's the best ever!

8 oz macaroni, cooked
2 tbsp butter, cut into cubes
1 1/4 cups gouda, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups milk
paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 12x8 baking dish. Place all ingredients except paprika in alternating layers in the dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Romanian Garlic Steak Marinade/Crust

This one came from the Raichlen BBQ book that Aim and Josh got me a few years back. This is like a big punch in the face from a garlic clove and I love it!

Coarse salt
Fresh ground pepper
Paprika
Olive Oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Dried oregano

Place the steaks in a Tupperware or baking pan. Generously season with salt, pepper and paprika. You are basically making a crust. Most of the seasoning will come off when grilling, so I think the steak just gets it's flavor from osmosis! Drizzle the olive oil on the steaks. I prefer to use less olive oil here, but it does help everything stick. Spread the olive oil with your hands all over the steak. Sprinkle the garlic and oregano on the steaks. Cover with plastic wrap or the Tupperware lid. Let it marinate at least 2 hours. Mmmmmm......garlic punches.

Smoked Sun Dried Tomato and Pesto Chicken Pasta

I kinda came up with this recipe from several online recipes when I wanted a way to use the sun dried tomatoes that Josh gave me for Thanksgivemas. It turned out pretty good! Here's the ingredients and amounts that I used to make two meals for myself:

- 1 large chicken breast
- 1 bag of smoked sun dried tomatoes. I think the smoked part is essential to this recipe
- Penne pasta
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed well and spun dry
- 1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leaf), washed well and spun dry
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped fine

Here's the steps:

1. Boil enough water for the pasta and a little more than needed
2. Soak 1/2 cup of the tomatoes in some of the boiling water to soften them up
3. Make the pasta. When done drain and set aside
4. Cube or slice the chicken
5. Make the pesto. Here's the recipe for that:
    To a food processor with motor running add garlic and blend until minced. Add basil, parsley, and nuts and blend well. Add oil and blend until smooth. Transfer pesto to a bowl and stir in olives.

6. Heat some oil in a pan and brown up the chicken
7. Drain the tomatoes and add to the pan. Just get em hot
8. Add in the pasta. Again just get it hot
9. Remove from heat. I poured it straight into a Tupperware
10. Add in the pesto. This is why I liked the Tupperware - I just put the top on and shook it up to mix.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Spicy Peanut Noodles 

Nom nom nom. A go-to side for asian meals around our house. Make sure you squeeze a little more lemon juice on top right before you eat!  

1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound spaghetti or linguine, cooked
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss pasta mixture with peanut butter sauce and cilantro.

Perfect Potstickers

Perfect Potstickers

I adapted this recipe from Alton Brown. The wonton wrappers are usually in the produce section of the grocery store (for whatever reason). They're really easy once you get the hang of it. The reviews online said that they freeze well (after putting them together but before cooking them). I think next time I'll make a double batch and put half away for a rainy day! 15 potstickers was the right amount for a meal for two alongside some spicy peanut noodles. 

• 2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
• ½ cup grated carrot
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 15 to 20 small wonton wrappers
• Water, for sealing wontons
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup chicken stock, divided

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl (scallion through egg). Set aside.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush all edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Pinch corners together and seal edges. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil once hot. Add 8 to 10 potstickers at a time to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, without touching. Once the 2 minutes are up, gently add 1/3 cup chicken stock to the pan, turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve immediately with a dipping sauce (soy sauce, sriracha, hoisin and/or mirin).

Refried Beans

Refried Beans

An oldie but goodie! 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes
1 can pinto beans, some of the liquid drained off
salt and pepper to taste

Place the oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and starting to brown, about 5 or 10 minutes.

Add the cumin and cayenne. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the beans and mash with a fork or potato masher. Continue to cook and mash, stirring, until the beans are more or less broken up.

Season with salt and pepper, and add more cumin or cayenne to taste. If they're too runny, they'll firm up quickly if you let them cook for a few more minutes. Add water if they're too stiff.

Eat! We like to smear some on a toasted tortilla and top with whatever you have on hand (tomato, scallion, cheese, cilantro, avocado, sour cream...).

Blackened Chicken Pasta!

This is the new favorite of the Wilson Household (Mooresville Chapter). Be ready for some heat!
We stole this from Pioneer Woman. Here's the original website if interested:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/cajun-chicken-pasta/

Here's the ingredients:

• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
• Cajun Spice Mix, my mix listed below
  
• 1 pound Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Here's what I used to make my Cajun spice mix:

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne red pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper (this really dictates how spicy this recipe is, adjust as necessary)

Get the pasta going first. When it's done just set aside. So you just coat the chicken cubes with the spice mix. Get a large pan hot and then add half the olive oil and half the butter. Get this good and hot and add half the chicken. Let it sit and blacken on one side, then stir around to brown the rest. You want to do this pretty quick, and don't need to get the cubes fully cooked. They will finish cooking later. The blackening has a pretty potent smell that makes me want to sneeze! Remove this half of the chicken and finish the other half. Put the chicken on a large plate or platter and put in the microwave to keep warm. Use a slotted spoon or spatula so that you leave as much of the spices behind in the pan as you can. Add the rest of the oil and butter and mix with the leftover spices. Add the green and red pepper, onion and garlic. Stir and cook pretty quick, just trying to coat. Again they will finish cooking later. Just before pulling the veggies out add in the roma tomatoes. Put the veggies on the plate with the chicken. Again, try to leave spices and some bits in the pan. Add the wine to the pan and stir/scrape to mix in the spices and bits. Add in the chicken broth. The original recipe says this mix will reduce by half and thicken. It hasn't for me the two times I made it. Reduce heat and add in the cream. This will thicken some, but not a ton. Add the veggies and chicken back to the pan and cook until the sauce thickens some more - mine is always a little runny - and until the chicken and veggies are fully cooked. Finally add in the cooked pasta and mix it all together. Sprinkle parsley over it and enjoy!

Pollo al Mattone (Chicken Under a Brick)

We've been serving this to guests recently after a long period of making it for ourselves to get it right. It's frigging amazingly flavorful and delicious, in addition to being simple. There are a lot of recipes online about how to do this to an entire chicken, but this recipe calls for breasts, and I find they're a lot easier to deal with. This recipe is adapted from Steve Raichlen's How to Grill.

Gather these things:

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp coarse salt (we prefer Kosher)
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp hot pepper flakes (less if you're sensitive to that sort of thing)
1 Tbsp chopped garlic (or just press a couple cloves)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 lemon
1/4 cup EV olive oil

You'll also want to wrap a brick in foil for each breast.

Do this:

Trim any excess fat from chx breasts, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel and place in whatever you're marinating in (we use a smallish ceramic casserole dish). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes on both sides. Rub garlic and rosemary into both sides. Squeeze lemon juice over them and pour the olive oil on and stick 'em in the fridge for 30 mins to an hour.

Light your grill and get it real hot. You're going to be cooking directly over the heat; I usually pile the coals up in an even layer on one side of the grill, leaving at least a third with no coals so I have a cooler place to move them to if I need to. Brush and oil the grate thoroughly right before you put the chicken on.

When you're ready to cook, toss wood chips on if you're using them (they will up the flavor, but we've made them without wood chips and they were still amazing). Arrange the breasts at a 45 degree angle to the grill grates and put a foil wrapped brick on each one (I usually have the bricks on the grill for a few minutes prior to get them warmed up). Cover and cook for two minutes. Rotate each breast 90 degrees and replace the brick and cook for two minutes more. Flip and repeat. Each breast cooks for 4-6 mins per side. You should have beautiful golden breasts with a good crosshatch grill mark pattern. I always check them with a digital thermometer and if they need to go longer I put them on the cool side and cover the grill and just let them bake a little rather than stay directly over the searing coals. At 145 degrees F get them off the grill and loosely tent with foil to let them rest for a few minutes. This is a great opportunity to toast some bread or grill a veggie side to complete the whole meal on the grill. We like to do grilled zucchini and red onion tossed in a lemon/basil vinaigrette.

Enjoy! You can do this without the bricks, and it's still good, but something about the brick pressing down on them really adds a lot of flavor, and you've probably got a few bricks laying around anyway. That's it. This is the best grilled chicken breasts we've done.

Cheers

Caesar Salad

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

Mash together in a small bowl until a paste is formed:
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk in:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste

Add in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place in a salad bowl:
2 heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

Toss with the dressing and:
Croutons
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Cowboy Candy (candied jalapenos)

From: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/canning/candied-jalapenos-cowboy-candy/?print=1

Prep Time 15 Minutes Cook Time 30 Minutes

Servings 36

Difficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Firm, Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Washed
• 2 cups Cider Vinegar
• 6 cups White Granulated Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Turmeric
• ½ teaspoons Celery Seed
• 3 teaspoons Granulated Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers. The easiest way to do this is to slice a small disc off of the stem-end along with the stem. Discard the stems.

Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pepper slices and simmer for exactly 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.

Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.

If you do not want to can these to the point of shelf stable, you can simply put the jars in your refrigerator and store them there. I prefer to keep the fridge space free so I can them. If you wish to can them, follow the instructions below.

Note: If you have leftover syrup, and it is likely that you will, you may can it in half-pint or pint jars, too. It’s wonderful brushed on meat on the grill or added to potato salad or, or, or … in short, don’t toss it out!

To can, place jars in a canner and cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth, then label.

Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. Or don’t. I won’t tell!

The Great Man Sac Review!

Here's my review of the very manly snacks that were in the Man Sac from Josh this Thanksgivesmas.

Ashe County NC Pepper Jack
The cheese itself is much more solid in feel than most jack used to make pepper jack. The cheese tasted fresher. Good spice flavor. Some heat at the end but it never was overwhelming. Very good cheese!

Beehive Cheese Co. Barely Buzzed/Rubbed w/ Coffee
A harder, more brittle cheese than expected. Very unique taste. Some sweetness, but mostly mild bitterness and smokey flavor. Awesome!

Stilton Texford and Teb Bleu Cheese
OH MY GOD THE STINKINESS!!! Very strong, traditional bleu cheese taste. Would be awesome over a good steak or crumbled in a salad.

Busse'o Hot Sepressata Sausage Stick
Really, really good! Subtle spice, never too strong. Not slimy or greasy like some beef sticks. Tastes like good quality meat. Very good with the pepper jack on crackers.


Great gift!

Southern Food
GREEN TOMATO SOUP WITH HAM

Cook Time: 35min
Total Time:35 min, !mom says this is a lie, I say it's worth it, Best soup I've ever had

Ingredients;

• 2 Tbls butter
• 4-6oz ham, diced
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4cups chick broth
• 8 medium green tomatoes peeled and chopped
• 2 medium red tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and stem removed, minced
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• dash Tabasco, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation;

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat; add ham, onion, and garlic, Saute, stirring, until onion is tender. Add chicken broth, chopped green and red tomatoes, and minced Jalapeno pepper, Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 30 min.

Working in batches, pulse in blender of food processor until almost smooth, Pour back into the saucepan and add celery salt, Bring to a boil, reduce heat , and simmer, uncovered, for 5 min. Taste and add salt and pepper and Tabasco sauce, as desired.

Grilled bread (Naan)

We've made this bread a few times now and love it. You cook the raw dough on the grill - and no, it doesn't fall through or stick to the grates (as long as you oil them beforehand). Once you get the method down, it's quick and easy. We like to top it with goat cheese and tomatoes. Yum!

Click on the pictures for a larger image, or save and print.

GRILLED PEARS!!!

This is just ridiculous. Grilled dessert? Yup.

Ingredients:
- Pear
- Pat of butter
- Brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla to taste
- Vanilla ice cream

Cut pears into thick slices. Melt butter and mix in brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour over pear slices and refrigerate until butter hardens. Place on grill until sugars caramelize. Put over ice cream.

Sesame Ginger Glazed Asparagus

We put this sauce over plain grilled asparagus.

Combine:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger

Microwave for ~1.5 minutes.
Drizzle over asparagus nizzle.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

2 (3 ounce) square ciabatta rolls

1 garlic clove

1/2 pound ground chicken

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons lower sodium marinara sauce, divided

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Cooking Spray

1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Basil leaves

1. Preheat broiler

2. Cut rolls in half. Place bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Broil for 3 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove bread from pan. Rub each slice with cut side of garlic. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

4. Combine chicken, 1/3 cup marinara, rosemary, thyme, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Divide into 2 portions, shaping each into a 1/4 inch thick patty. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook for 3 minutes. Turn patties, and place pan in oven. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Top each patty with 2 tablespoons cheese; bake 1 minute.

5. Layer bottom half of each roll with 2 basil leaves, 1 patty, 1 tablespoon marinara, 2 basil leaves, and roll top.

ENJOY!!

Crab Cakes......Yummylicious!

This recipe is from the cooking light magazine and it is spectacular!

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon old bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon worshesterchire sauce

2 egg whites

1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) - I made my own bread crumbs from whole grain bread!

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

cooking spray

1. To prepare crab cakes, combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Gently fold in crabmeat. Gently stir in 3/4 cups breadcrumbs. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

2. Divide crab mixture into 6-8 equal portions; shape each into 3/4 inch thick patty. Place remaining 3/4 cups breadcrumbs in shallow dish. Working with 1 patty at a time, dredge in breadcrumbs. Repeat procedure with the remaining patties and breadcrumbs.

3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat both sides of crab cakes with cooking spray. Add 4 crab cakes to pan; cook 7 minutes. Carefully turn cakes over; cook 7 minutes or until golden. Repeat procedure with remaining oil, cooking spray, and remaining 4 crab cakes.

Note: I used more oil than recommended and did not coat the cakes with cooking spray before cooking.

ENJOY!!!!

Ham and Potato Gratin

Grandpa would say these potatoes are "all rotten," but there's nothing remotely bad about this recipe. The best way to slice all the potatoes is with your new, fancy, food processor Christmas gift that does the job in less than thirty seconds - but a knife and cutting board work just fine, too : )

5 medium thick slices smoked ham (about 4 ounces)
4 tablespoons butter
2 pounds baking potatoes (4 or 5 of them), such as russets, peeled and very thinly sliced
3 cups freshly grated Gruyere cheese (we did a combination of mozzarella and cheddar instead)
1 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste
Salt and pepper

1)Preheat the oven to 375
2) Trim all the fat from the ham. Chop into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces
3) Use one tablespoon of the butter to coat the inside of a baking dish about 14x9x2. Arrange half the potatoes in an even layer in the dish.
4) Arrange half the ham evenly over the potatoes. Distribute half the cheese over the ham. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the remaining potatoes, ham, and cheese in even layers in the dish. Sprinkle on more nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cut the remaining butter into bits; dot the top evenly with butter.
5) Bake, uncovered, until the gratin is golden, about 50 minutes; do not overcook or the gratin will be dry and the ham rubbery. Serve immediately.

Chimichurri sauce

Your life will be better with chimichurri in it. It's an typical Argentinian sauce for steak, but goes great with chicken, too. The recipe calls for a lot of herbs, but they break down a lot and - let's be honest - you'll want a lot of this delicious stuff.

1 packed cup washed, stemmed, parsley leaves
1 packed cup washed, stemmed, fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup washed, stemmed fresh mint leaves
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 cup EVOO
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar, or more to taste
1/3 cup cold water

Combine the parsley, cilantro, mint and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the salt, black pepper, and hot pepper flakes and process to blend. Add the oil, vinegar, and water and continue processing to make a thick sauce. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or vinegar as necessary; the chimichurri should be highly seasoned. Serve within a few hours.