Filet Mignon

Tonight my husband and I enjoyed a treat ~ Filet Mignon. He cooked the steak to perfection on the grill while I prepared homemade Sweet Potato Fries. That along with a fresh garden salad made a perfect meal. Here is my tried and true recipe for Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato Fries
Serving two:
Peel and slice one large Sweet Potato (I like to use my crinkle cutter).
Place the sliced potatoes in a microwave dish, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook on high for 5 minutes. Drain the water from the dish. Toss the semi-cooked potatoes (in a brown paper sack) with 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning, ½ teaspoon of lemon pepper, a pinch of salt and pepper. Then arrange the fries in a single layer on a cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 370 degrees for about 10 – 12 minutes until done to your liking. We like to enjoy them with Ranch Dressing!

Lasagna

Yummy lasagna!  I like to use the Better Homes and Gardens recipe with one substitution.   I like to add chopped spinach rather than dried parsley in the ricotta egg mixture.  I also reduce the recipe to make a 9” x 9” pan rather than a 13x9x2 pan.  I’m usually only feeding three or four people and with the smaller pan we still have yummy leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Thai Curry Fish

Tonight I fixed my favorite meal. A recipe I created. We love curry and we love Thai food and we love fish…..so I put the three together. Of course it’s quick and easy (is there any other way to cook)!

 Do try this, you will love it!

Betsy’s Thai Curry Fish
• Step 1
In a small glass bowl mix: 1 can of cream of mushroom soup with Roasted Garlic, 1 cup of half and half (you can use milk or low fat milk if you like…) with 1 ½ teaspoon of yellow curry, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Set this aside.
• Step 2
Put one to two cups of water on to boil for instant rice, when the water boils add the rice. While you are waiting for the rice to cook move on to step 3.
• Step 3
Chop 1 red pepper, 4 green onions, and about a cup of fresh mushrooms.
• Step 4
I use my electric skillet (a regular skillet will do if you don’t have an electric) anyhow…place the gravy from step 1 in the skillet and get it boiling, add the veggies from step 3 and cook for several minutes uncovered, then add the fish (I like to use Red Snapper but any fish will work, use what’s fresh and what you like) cook for several more minutes with the lid on, flip the fish, replace the lid, check on the rice. When the fish is done, I like to dish up a scoop of rice and fish and pour some gravy on top.

Spaghetti with Meat & Mushroom Sauce

Today our youngest daughter asked for Spaghetti for dinner. Her favorite sauce is a combination of equal parts meat and mushrooms. It’s easy to whip up with the help of a canned spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and tomato paste. I add a little Italian Herbs, fresh garlic and chopped yellow onion.

Beef (Tri Tip) Barley Soup

This week’s soup is a Tri Tip variation of the classic Better Homes and Gardens Beef-Barley Soup. I paired the soup with a light salad of European Greens, dried Cranberries and Feta Cheese and toasted a Cheesy-Garlic Roll. As usual, the meal only took a few minutes to prepare. After chopping the meat and veggies, I relaxed on the swing while the soup simmered for one hour.

Betsy’s Beef Tri Tip Barley Soup
Chop any leftover tri tip in small cubes, chop ½ a yellow onion, chop two stalks of celery, slice one long carrot and open a can of Italian Diced tomatoes. Put all the ingredients in a large sauce pan and add 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of dried basil, ½ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 2/3 cup of barley, and 2 cups of water with 3 beef bouillon cubes. Cover and bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes. Top with a sprinkle of grated Parmesans Cheese and enjoy the compliments! Makes 4 good sized servings.

BBQ Hamburgers

Nothing special to say about BBQ Hamburgers ~ but every now and then ~ they really hit the spot!

Egg Fo Young

Tonight was our weekly vegetarian meal.  I made my sister’s Egg Fo Young, Fried Rice and Egg Rolls!   It is another quick and easy and oh so good recipe.  Check it out.  It’s surprisingly filling.

 (I'm having trouble downloading the photo...I'll try again tomorrow.)

Karen’s Egg Fo Young

·         1 cup sliced celery

·         1 cup sliced mushrooms

·         1 cup bean sprouts

·         ¾ cup sliced inions

·         3 eggs, beaten

·         Salt and Black Pepper to taste

·         ½ cup of rich gravy for garnish if desired

Mix all the ingredients and spread and pat down on a heated, lightly oiled frying pan (I use my electric skillet).  When Egg Fo Young is browned, cut into fourths and turn over to cook on the other side for several minutes.

Tri Tip Salad

This salad was delicious!  I simply used a bed of Organic Baby Spring Mix, a few Cherubs which are a naturally sweet cherry tomato from Mexico, sliced cucumbers, sliced radishes, green onion, shredded fresh Jack Cheese and diced cold leftover Tri Tip.  I had some Cheddar Cheese and Garlic biscuits leftover from the other night to add to the plate as well.  And there you have it my dear sweet overworked and underpaid chiefs ~ dinner in ten minutes!

Grilled Tri Tip

Hello my dear chiefs ~ the Dinner Queen has been out of the kitchen for a few days.  While I was busy entertaining other royalty (The Samoan King and his court) my husband was manning the grill.  In addition to BBQing a tri tip, he stuffed the Baked Potato Soup into the potato skins and topped them with bacon, onion and cheese. 

 I don’t recommend doing that ~ the skins got pretty tough the second go round. 

Baked Potato Soup

Tonight I wanted to try a new recipe Baked Potato Soup.  It sounded wonderful, baked potatoes, milk, sour cream, green onions, sharp Cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and a little flour.  I baked four large Idaho potatoes and since I had the oven on….I also baked a chocolate cake.

The soup tasted so very good but …it was very thick and even though it only had 380 calories per 1 ½ cup serving it just felt too heavy.  Luckily, I saved the potato skins and on Wednesday, I’ll put the leftover potato mixture (just too thick to call soup) back into the potato skins and garnish with some fresh grated sharp Cheddar cheese, bacon, green onions and sour cream and we will enjoy them as an appetizer. 

Do you have a good baked potato soup recipe?  I’d love to hear from you.    

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Nothing beats a pulled pork sandwich made with pork that slow cooked with onions, potatoes and carrots in a savory sauce.  Em em em good!  I pulled the leftover pork until I had shredded what would easily fill four large sweet Hawaiian bread rolls.  I mixed up my family’s favorite sweet and spicy sauce and simply added it and the pork to a sauté pan and warmed it up while stirring the meat and sauce to coat every tasty morsel.  My husband will enjoy the fourth sandwich tomorrow for lunch.  That is unless he forgets it at home (wink) and in that case I’ll enjoy it tomorrow.

My sweet and spicy sauce is very similar to what I use for sloppy Joes.  The main difference is I add more mustard and of course you have the amazing flavors from the vegetables and herbs used to slow cook the pork originally.  This is a quick ten minutes from start to finish dinner to prepare. 

Rosemary Pork Roast

Today was a busy in my household.  We rented a steam cleaner at 8:30am and have been cleaning for twelve hours.  I think my husband intends to use every minute of the 24 hour rental!  Knowing I would be too busy to cook ~ I put these two lovely pork roast in the crock pot at 11:00am and slow cooked them along with potatoes and carrots.  How do you cook your pork roasts?  Here’s how I did these.

I scored the roast and infused crushed garlic into the meat, I then added pepper and rosemary.  I lightly sprayed my crock pot with olive oil and added ½ of a coarsely chopped yellow onion.  I placed the pork on top of the onions and added three peeled and quartered large russet potatoes and five thick sliced carrots.  I mixed one can of beef broth with a package of Mrs. Grass Vegetable Soup and poured it over the meat and veggies.  I cooked the roast on high for several hours then turned it down to low.  Before serving, I placed the roast and veggies on a platter and added a little corn starch to the crock pot to thicken up the gravy.  It was delicious! 

Clam Sauce & Pasta

(Blogger was down last night so I couldn't post yesterday's meal.  Here it is now.)

Yesterday was our once a week fish or shrimp or clam feed.  I  choose to make spaghetti with clam sauce.  We had a guest join us, and it’s very easy to add a little more spaghetti to the pot to accommodate a friend.  The ingredients for this dinner, is something I always have in my cupboards.  It’s inexpensive and quick to prepare.  In the time you boil the pasta, the sauce is made.  I added some steamed veggies and garlic bread (which stole the show tonight) and dinner was done.

Betsy’s Calm Sauce  (Before you start this sauce, start water boiling for pasta and get that going)

1.       Heat 2 Tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan, add 1/2 cup of finely chopped yellow onion,  2 cloves of minced garlic, about a teaspoon of parsley, ½ teaspoon of oregano and ½ teaspoon of basil and a dash of salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat for just a few minutes then scoop the mixture out of the pan and set it aside.

2.       Heat 1 cup of milk with 2 Tablespoons of corn starch, when it starts to thicken, add about ¼ cup of shredded cheese (I like to use the freshly shredded 3 cheese Italian blend) stir to melt the cheese, then add two cans of drained chopped clams add just a bit of the juice also and finally add the onion mixture back to the sauté pan.  Heat of low heat and stir to really mix the flavors.

3.       Boil and drain your pasta, place it in a serving bowl, add the clam sauce and stir to coat the noodles.  Serve it with more freshly shredded cheese and enjoy.

St. Louis Style Pork Ribs

Tonight I wanted to satisfy my two barbarian carnivores with a hands- on meal of ribs and corn on the cob.   I slow baked several pounds of St. Louis Style Pork Ribs (325 degrees for two hours).  I prefer this type if rib over others because they are very meaty.  I wrap the ribs in foil and bake for one hour, then I crack open the foil and add our favorite BBQ suace.  After baking the ribs uncovered  for another 30 minutes, I reseal the foil to prevent burning and to seal in the juices and cooked the ribs for another 30 minutes.   The end result is ~  finger licken’ good!

I bought a rather large package (4.5 pounds at $2.99 per lb.), cooked it all and froze half for another day.

Cheese Quesadilla

What could be quicker and easier than a Cheese Quesadilla?  Tonight I whipped up some quick and tasty quesadilla with a mixture of Shredded Mexican Blend cheese, mild green chilies and fresh flour tortilla.   I used leftovers from last night’s Green Chilies Enchiladas’ sauce mixed with a cup of cooked white rice and reheated in the microwave for a side dish.  I added a cool salad to our plates and there you have it ~ Dinner ~ O le`~

Cheese Quesadillas are an excellent vegetarian dish; however you can add leftover chicken, pork, or beef if you like.

Green Chilie Chicken Enchiladas

Today is Day Three from my $4.30 chicken and it was super good.  I filled an 8 x 8 square pan with Green Chilies and Chicken Enchiladas.  It’s an easy recipe, I’ve perfected over the years. 

Green Chilies and Chicken Enchiladas

1.       Mix ½ cup of cottage cheese,  ¼ cup of sour cream, and ½ cup of corn.   Divide mixture into three equal parts and spread one part in the center of each tortilla (I use three tortilla for my 8 x 8 pan).  If you don’t like cottage cheese you can substitute cooked rice.

2.       Next spread a good amount of can green chilies over the above mixture and top it all with strips of cooked chicken breast.  Add a good amount of shredded cheese.

3.       Roll up the tortilla and place it seam down in the pan that has been prepared with a little green enchilada sauce.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the three stuffed tortilla and top with more shredded cheese.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 – 45 minutes.

There is usually only a few bites of enchiladas left in the pan when we’re done with dinner.  I like to make and add a cup of white rice to the savory sauce and enjoy it for lunch the next day.  It is also good as a base for spicy chicken rice soup.  Um, the Dinner Queen is already thinking about tomorrow!

Chinese Chicken Salad

This delicious salad was the second meal from our $4. chicken. 

 It was quick, easy and very good.

Chinese Chicken Salad

1.        In a small bowl, wish together 2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil,  1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of vinegar,   1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of white sugar, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds and set it aside.

2.       In a medium bowl, mix lettuce, spinach, water chestnuts, carrots, celery, sliced almonds, chow mien noodles and green onions.

3.       Toss the dressing in the salad mixture, divide on dinner plates, top with cooked chicken.

Baked Chicken

Today is Day One, Main Meal ~ from a 4.35lb chicken that cost $4.30.

I hope to get at least two more meals off this bird!  Cooking and making the most out of a four dollar chicken is what got me started on this blog. 

If you are feeding a family of four or more, you will need to cook two chickens...but come on, three meals from one main meat...you can't beat it. 

I'll be sharing my ideas and I hope to hear from you as well.  Get creative ~ it's fun! 

Bratwurst on the Grill

Nothing beats May in Northern California!  We enjoyed another beautiful day and cooking outdoors was ideal.  A little potato salad, beans and brats made for the perfect poolside dinner.

I like to par-boil the bratwurst before grilling them.  Toast the buns and you’re done ~ enjoy!

Tri Tip Beef Strognoff

Tonight we really enjoyed the third meal off the Tri Tip Sam cooked on Sunday.  This is the BEST beef stroganoff recipe I have tired.  It works great with any leftover beef or frozen meatballs.  You can make it in the crock pot or simmer it in a frying pan.  Tonight I used my electric skillet, uncovered.

 

Easy Delicious Beef Stroganoff

Mix the following four ingredients together and pour into a crock pot or skillet.

1.       1 can of cream of celery soup

2.       1 can of French onion soup

3.       ½ carton of sour cream

4.       A splash of Kitchen Bouquet

Add washed, thick sliced fresh mushrooms, and leftover beef or frozen meatballs.  I used Tri Tip ~ it was fantastic!  This recipe could also easily be vegetarian just add more of your favorite veggies or tofu.

Chili & Cornbread

Even the Dinner Queen gets caught off guard ~ tonight was one of those nights.  So a quick look into the pantry and Chili & Cornbread became tonight’s meal.  I always try to have some basics on hand for just a time as this.  I didn’t have any hamburger and I didn’t want to use the leftover tri tip…so our chili was 95% vegetarian.   While the beans, tomatoes and spices were simmering;  I grated some cheese, sliced some green onions, and cooked four slices of bacon to top our chili. 

I served a chilled Caesar salad and I baked a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix to enjoy with our chili.  Now it’s back to my semi-annual task of swapping out my wardrobe.  With temperatures in the 80’s I’m saying good bye to my sweaters and hello to tank tops and shorts!

Tri Tip Grilled Sandwich

Yesterday, Sam grilled a delicious tri tip.  It was perfect, with about 90% medium rare.  The Dinner Queen had spent the weekend at Lake Tahoe and when I arrived home and found him cookin’ dinner, I couldn’t have been happier!  It was a rather large chunk of meat so my job now is to find several delicious ways to serve the leftovers.

Tonight, I simply sliced the meat very thin (I love my eclectic knife) added sharp cheddar cheese and made grilled tri tip sandwiches.  The family asked for more of my Easy Cheesy Sauce and cauliflower.  Can you believe it….try it, I promise you’ll have your kids asking for it too.   I added a simple salad and dinner was ready in about 15 minutes!