Lunch: Bacon Mac and Cheese and Canned Pineapple
Dinner: Russian Chicken, Buttered Noodles and Green Beans
Ok, so I’ve been very bad of late and haven‘t posted for a while… But in my defense it was spring break. Can you forgive me?
No? Oh well, can’t please everybody.
The weather is lovely again and everything is in bloom which means that I’m getting no sleep at night because both my hubby and my dog have allergies which cause them to snore. Yes, that’s right. My dog has seasonal allergies; we give him benedryl. We give him lots of benedryl. He gets 4 wrapped up in a piece of cheese every night (so he won’t spit them out). I feel bad drugging him like that, afterall, 2 knock me out for the night and I’m groggy the next day. I guess it’s just further proof that my dog is, in reality, a horse. Too bad you can’t put breath-right strips on a dog…
The warm weather is bringing more than just sneezing fits… it brings out the exhibitionist frat boys. On the way to the bus yesterday I saw a shirtless frat boy. Ok, I saw lots of shirtless frat boys, but this one caught my eye because he was swinging a large sledge hammer. (In case you’re wondering, no he was not a part of the frat I cook for, thank goodness). Swinging a large sledge hammer, shirtless, in your front yard is strange enough, but even stranger… he was using it to beat the poo out of a large tire. He would swing the hammer, the tire would bounce and then he’d hit it again with the hammer. Over and over. I’m not entirely sure what his motivation was. Perhaps the tire angered him? I mean, despite the fact that he was clearly swinging that hammer with all his might, it didn’t do anything to the tire. The tire just bounced a little and remained intact and unharmed. There were also several of his brothers sitting out in the yard watching him. Maybe he lost a bet… The strangeness of frat boys will never cease to amaze me.
I’m not making any new recipes this week for the guys, just a bunch of tried and true ones that you already have the recipes for. I decided that I couldn’t be bothered last week to research new recipes and come up with a whole new meal plan and grocery list. So I went with the easy stuff, what I knew worked. Call me lazy, but hey, it was spring break. So this week I’ll be giving you some of the recipes I tried out last week for Tyler and I. These will be more family-friendly sizes. The one I’m giving you today is a modification on a recipe I found in one of my cookbooks. The recipe was for lemon-thyme chicken, but I didn’t have any boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I had some boneless pork chops. I was originally going to make braised pork chops… but those took too long. The recipe definitely needed modification anyway. It called for too much lemon. You wouldn’t want a really lemony sauce for pork chops. so this sauce is lovely with just a hint of lemon. The best part… it’s low fat and it takes next to no time to make. Pair it with some brown rice or barley and a salad and voila a delicious, healthy dinner on your table in under 30 minutes. Just call me Rachel Ray (without the weird voice… and I never say yum-o or EVOO)
Skillet Pork Chops with Lemon Thyme Pan Sauce
serves 4
4 Boneless Loin Chops, ½ inch thick
3 tbs Flour
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Garlic Powder
A pinch of Cayenne Pepper (just a little kick)
2 tsp Olive Oil (EVOO… just kidding, you should cook with regular olive oil and save the “EVOO” for salads and dressings)
1 tbs Butter
½ tsp dried Thyme
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 tbs Lemon Juice
Combine flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small dish. Remove 5 tsp of mixture and set aside. Coat both sides of the pork chops with the flour mixture. In a non-stick skillet, heat olive oil. Cook the pork chops in oil for 6-8 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove pork chops and cover.
In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add thyme and the flour mixture that was set-aside. Stir it with a whisk to get rid of any lumps. Allow the flour mixture to cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add chicken broth and lemon juice, stirring constantly and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over pork chops.
Showing posts with label Pork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pork. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Idleness of March
Lunch: Pepperoni and Cheese Calzones and Pineapple
Dinner: Pulled Pork Tacos, Salad and Rice
Dessert: Rice Crispy Treats
Soooo….. nothing much happening today. It is gray and drizzly and rather typically March in Georgia. I took advantage of a dry spell in the middle of the day to take a very long walk (mostly because the internet at work kept going out and I had nothing better to do). Sadly, I missed the bus this morning because of bad traffic and had to drive to work. I hate driving to work. I like leaning back in the comfy bus seats and getting work done. I’ll admit that I usually do my blog writing and compile my grocery lists on the bus. It’s the only time that I’m free from distractions (ie the internet) enough to concentrate on what I’m writing. Yes, grocery lists require a lot of concentration. I need to make sure I get every ingredient and side dish on the list otherwise I will forget that I need it. Woe to the chef that forgets to purchase sour cream for taco night. Frat boys love their sour cream (apparently they can do without the cheese… hint hint, nudge nudge, know what I mean?). There is some talk about getting internet on the bus… I’m not sure I support this, my grocery lists will suffer horribly. I certainly can’t do anything work related when I get home at night, I have TV to watch. Not that I always want to watch TV, there are mandatory TV nights in our house; it changes with the “seasons”. My hubby is a huge TV and movie buff. Honestly, I could do without TV (I never had cable when I lived alone), but if I plan on spending any time with him at night, I have to just suck it up and watch some shows. I’ve been thinking, that as retaliation, I should make him come to a bead show with me (I like to make jewelry). But, then there was the dance class incident, so maybe that’s not such a great idea. Besides, going to a bead show would just want to make me spend money. Eh, at least I draw the line at watching baseball with him (unless I need help falling asleep).
One exciting and sort of strange thing did happen today… Sunchips posted on my blog. Yeah, the company that makes those crackery chips. How did they know about my blog? Why did they bother to post? Can I get free Sunchips? I prefer the cheddar flavor.
I made pulled pork tacos for the guys tonight, and they turned out awesome. Of course, I haven’t gotten feed back from the boys yet so I’m not going to go so far as to say they are a hit with the 12 and under (mentally) crowd. But, I tried the pork and it was killer. It is sweet and spicy and soo easy. I thought about taking the pork home with me. Of course, I’m not sure what the guys would have thought about having cheese and lettuce tacos. I think the Mexican blend cheese might be “highly processed”. But if you’re looking for a different twist on taco night, this is definitely something to try.
Spicy Shredded Pork
Serves 26
12 lbs Pork Shoulder
1 tbs Ground Cumin
1 1/2 tbs Chili Powder
2 Onions, quartered
3 cans Diced Green Peppers
½ cups White Vinegar
½ cup Brown Sugar
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 scant tbs Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
7 cloves Garlic
Put all ingredients except the pork shoulder in a food processor and blend until it is smooth and there are no chunks; reserve ½ cup of mixture. With a fork, pork several holes all over the pork shoulder. Rub the mixture all over the pork. Place the pork in a deep pan, roaster or crock pot; fill the bottom with 1-2 inches of water. Cover the roast tightly and bake at 300 degrees until fork tender, approximately 5 hours. If cooking in an oven or roaster oven, you will need to monitor the amount of water in the bottom of the pan to be sure it doesn’t get too low. You will also need to turn the roast once every hour. If you’re using a crock pot, cook on high for 5-6 hours. When the roast is fork tender, remove it and shred it with 2 forks. Take 2-2 cups of the liquid from the bottom of the pan and skim off the fat; add in the reserved sauce and mix with the shredded pork. Serve warm on tortillas with your favorite taco toppings.
Dinner: Pulled Pork Tacos, Salad and Rice
Dessert: Rice Crispy Treats
Soooo….. nothing much happening today. It is gray and drizzly and rather typically March in Georgia. I took advantage of a dry spell in the middle of the day to take a very long walk (mostly because the internet at work kept going out and I had nothing better to do). Sadly, I missed the bus this morning because of bad traffic and had to drive to work. I hate driving to work. I like leaning back in the comfy bus seats and getting work done. I’ll admit that I usually do my blog writing and compile my grocery lists on the bus. It’s the only time that I’m free from distractions (ie the internet) enough to concentrate on what I’m writing. Yes, grocery lists require a lot of concentration. I need to make sure I get every ingredient and side dish on the list otherwise I will forget that I need it. Woe to the chef that forgets to purchase sour cream for taco night. Frat boys love their sour cream (apparently they can do without the cheese… hint hint, nudge nudge, know what I mean?). There is some talk about getting internet on the bus… I’m not sure I support this, my grocery lists will suffer horribly. I certainly can’t do anything work related when I get home at night, I have TV to watch. Not that I always want to watch TV, there are mandatory TV nights in our house; it changes with the “seasons”. My hubby is a huge TV and movie buff. Honestly, I could do without TV (I never had cable when I lived alone), but if I plan on spending any time with him at night, I have to just suck it up and watch some shows. I’ve been thinking, that as retaliation, I should make him come to a bead show with me (I like to make jewelry). But, then there was the dance class incident, so maybe that’s not such a great idea. Besides, going to a bead show would just want to make me spend money. Eh, at least I draw the line at watching baseball with him (unless I need help falling asleep).
One exciting and sort of strange thing did happen today… Sunchips posted on my blog. Yeah, the company that makes those crackery chips. How did they know about my blog? Why did they bother to post? Can I get free Sunchips? I prefer the cheddar flavor.
I made pulled pork tacos for the guys tonight, and they turned out awesome. Of course, I haven’t gotten feed back from the boys yet so I’m not going to go so far as to say they are a hit with the 12 and under (mentally) crowd. But, I tried the pork and it was killer. It is sweet and spicy and soo easy. I thought about taking the pork home with me. Of course, I’m not sure what the guys would have thought about having cheese and lettuce tacos. I think the Mexican blend cheese might be “highly processed”. But if you’re looking for a different twist on taco night, this is definitely something to try.
Spicy Shredded Pork
Serves 26
12 lbs Pork Shoulder
1 tbs Ground Cumin
1 1/2 tbs Chili Powder
2 Onions, quartered
3 cans Diced Green Peppers
½ cups White Vinegar
½ cup Brown Sugar
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 scant tbs Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
7 cloves Garlic
Put all ingredients except the pork shoulder in a food processor and blend until it is smooth and there are no chunks; reserve ½ cup of mixture. With a fork, pork several holes all over the pork shoulder. Rub the mixture all over the pork. Place the pork in a deep pan, roaster or crock pot; fill the bottom with 1-2 inches of water. Cover the roast tightly and bake at 300 degrees until fork tender, approximately 5 hours. If cooking in an oven or roaster oven, you will need to monitor the amount of water in the bottom of the pan to be sure it doesn’t get too low. You will also need to turn the roast once every hour. If you’re using a crock pot, cook on high for 5-6 hours. When the roast is fork tender, remove it and shred it with 2 forks. Take 2-2 cups of the liquid from the bottom of the pan and skim off the fat; add in the reserved sauce and mix with the shredded pork. Serve warm on tortillas with your favorite taco toppings.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Yurt!
Lunch: Bacon Mac and Cheese and Fruit Salad
Dinner: Herb and Garlic Roast Pork Loin, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Apparently, I didn’t do too bad in the meal planning so far this week. I was a bit worried because the budget cut caused me to really pare down my menus. Sure, it was only twenty dollars, but we’re looking at a three hundred dollar difference between this semester and last semester while we’re only looking at the difference of around 10 guys per meal. So I have the guys on a poor man’s menu plan. It’s a menu plan I’m rather familiar with because Tyler and I were have been on it since we got married. Hamburger is cut with ground turkey because the turkey is cheaper and doesn’t shrink as much but since it‘s mixed with hamburger you still get a beef taste. Meals have more “filler” such as rice or beans which allows me to stretch out the servings. I make less sides. Sure there is a meat, a veggie and a starch with every meal, there just isn’t anything beyond that. I might have served a salad along side chili and cornbread; now I just serve chili and cornbread. I might have served rolls or biscuits with tonight’s dinner last semester, but they aren’t in the budget for this semester. I also make things that have fewer ingredients or less expensive ingredients. Let’s just say there will be no barbeque ribs this semester where I made them once a month last semester. But, a poor man’s menu plan doesn’t mean you have to suffer. In fact, most of what we call “comfort food” is relatively inexpensive to prepare. Take the cinnamon rolls I’ll be making for Friday… butter, flour, yeast, milk, sugar and cinnamon… these are things I generally keep on hand (ok, maybe not the yeast… I don’t like yeast, it gives me the heebie-jeebies). Even if I didn’t already have most of this on hand, none of it is really bank breaking. The most expensive thing on that list was probably the cinnamon, and I got a huge jar of it for $5. After years of budget menu planning, I think I could probably teach a class. You know, in these times they really should have degree on frugal living. Perhaps it would involve a yurt. Maybe the class could be taught in a yurt. I want to go yurt camping. Did you know several state and national parks rent yurts? If Tyler and I ever get around to going on our honeymoon, maybe we can rent a yurt. I doubt we’ll ever be able to afford anything swankier (unless we win the lottery… I have my ticket. I’ll let you know). I like the word yurt. I mean, it is kind hard to say yurt without the !. Sort of like “nee!”. You know, like the knights who say nee… from Monty Python… No? You have no sense of humor. Well, yurt makes me smile at least. Yurt yurt yurt yurt puma yurt! Hee hee… puma.
Sorry about that… I get easily distracted sometimes. I promise it won’t happen again. (Yurt!) Anyway, the herb and garlic roast pork loin is an excellent example of how you can make something tasty and delicious without breaking the bank. Hey, it’s even something that looks and tastes fancy enough to serve to guests… but at $1.77/lb (Sam’s Club) it’s cheaper than just about anything out there (except maybe chicken leg quarters, which were 97¢/lb).
As an aside… my favorite words are so far pamplemousse, parapluie, puma and yurt (Yurt!). Am I the only one who is dorky enough to have favorite words? Do any of you guys have favorite words?
Herb and Garlic Roasted Pork Loin
serves 8-10
3 ½ - 4 lbs Pork Loin Roast**
6 cloves Garlic, peeled
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 tbs Dried Rosemary
2 tps Thyme
Seasoning Salt
Black Pepper
Pre heat oven to 400. Do not trim the fat from the roast, leaving it on will help keep the roast moist and tender. With fat side up, make 6 deep cuts in the meat just big enough to stuff in a clove of garlic. If the garlic cloves are really large, you can cut them in half. Stuff a clove of garlic down each hole. Drizzle the oil over the roast, be sure to coat it on all sides. Rub all sides of the roast with rosemary and thyme and sprinkle with seasoning salt and black pepper. Put roast fat side up in a roasting pan on the roasting rack. Bake at 400 hundred for 10 minutes then turn the temperature down to 250. Roast for 1 -1 ½ hours, until the roast’s internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. (Should take approx 20 minutes per pound, but be sure to check your roast with a meat thermometer as it can take more or less time, depending on the size and shape of the meat.) Remove roast to a platter and allow to set for 10-15 minutes before slices. While you wait for the roast to rest, you can make a pan sauce or a gravy with the drippings in the bottom of the pan. (Yurt!)
** This is a pork loin roast, not a tenderloin. The tender loin is the smaller, skinnier cut. It’s usually only about 1 pound. The pork loin is much larger, usually found between 2-5 pounds and is usually around 4 inches in diameter.
(Yurt!)
Dinner: Herb and Garlic Roast Pork Loin, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Apparently, I didn’t do too bad in the meal planning so far this week. I was a bit worried because the budget cut caused me to really pare down my menus. Sure, it was only twenty dollars, but we’re looking at a three hundred dollar difference between this semester and last semester while we’re only looking at the difference of around 10 guys per meal. So I have the guys on a poor man’s menu plan. It’s a menu plan I’m rather familiar with because Tyler and I were have been on it since we got married. Hamburger is cut with ground turkey because the turkey is cheaper and doesn’t shrink as much but since it‘s mixed with hamburger you still get a beef taste. Meals have more “filler” such as rice or beans which allows me to stretch out the servings. I make less sides. Sure there is a meat, a veggie and a starch with every meal, there just isn’t anything beyond that. I might have served a salad along side chili and cornbread; now I just serve chili and cornbread. I might have served rolls or biscuits with tonight’s dinner last semester, but they aren’t in the budget for this semester. I also make things that have fewer ingredients or less expensive ingredients. Let’s just say there will be no barbeque ribs this semester where I made them once a month last semester. But, a poor man’s menu plan doesn’t mean you have to suffer. In fact, most of what we call “comfort food” is relatively inexpensive to prepare. Take the cinnamon rolls I’ll be making for Friday… butter, flour, yeast, milk, sugar and cinnamon… these are things I generally keep on hand (ok, maybe not the yeast… I don’t like yeast, it gives me the heebie-jeebies). Even if I didn’t already have most of this on hand, none of it is really bank breaking. The most expensive thing on that list was probably the cinnamon, and I got a huge jar of it for $5. After years of budget menu planning, I think I could probably teach a class. You know, in these times they really should have degree on frugal living. Perhaps it would involve a yurt. Maybe the class could be taught in a yurt. I want to go yurt camping. Did you know several state and national parks rent yurts? If Tyler and I ever get around to going on our honeymoon, maybe we can rent a yurt. I doubt we’ll ever be able to afford anything swankier (unless we win the lottery… I have my ticket. I’ll let you know). I like the word yurt. I mean, it is kind hard to say yurt without the !. Sort of like “nee!”. You know, like the knights who say nee… from Monty Python… No? You have no sense of humor. Well, yurt makes me smile at least. Yurt yurt yurt yurt puma yurt! Hee hee… puma.
Sorry about that… I get easily distracted sometimes. I promise it won’t happen again. (Yurt!) Anyway, the herb and garlic roast pork loin is an excellent example of how you can make something tasty and delicious without breaking the bank. Hey, it’s even something that looks and tastes fancy enough to serve to guests… but at $1.77/lb (Sam’s Club) it’s cheaper than just about anything out there (except maybe chicken leg quarters, which were 97¢/lb).
As an aside… my favorite words are so far pamplemousse, parapluie, puma and yurt (Yurt!). Am I the only one who is dorky enough to have favorite words? Do any of you guys have favorite words?
Herb and Garlic Roasted Pork Loin
serves 8-10
3 ½ - 4 lbs Pork Loin Roast**
6 cloves Garlic, peeled
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 tbs Dried Rosemary
2 tps Thyme
Seasoning Salt
Black Pepper
Pre heat oven to 400. Do not trim the fat from the roast, leaving it on will help keep the roast moist and tender. With fat side up, make 6 deep cuts in the meat just big enough to stuff in a clove of garlic. If the garlic cloves are really large, you can cut them in half. Stuff a clove of garlic down each hole. Drizzle the oil over the roast, be sure to coat it on all sides. Rub all sides of the roast with rosemary and thyme and sprinkle with seasoning salt and black pepper. Put roast fat side up in a roasting pan on the roasting rack. Bake at 400 hundred for 10 minutes then turn the temperature down to 250. Roast for 1 -1 ½ hours, until the roast’s internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. (Should take approx 20 minutes per pound, but be sure to check your roast with a meat thermometer as it can take more or less time, depending on the size and shape of the meat.) Remove roast to a platter and allow to set for 10-15 minutes before slices. While you wait for the roast to rest, you can make a pan sauce or a gravy with the drippings in the bottom of the pan. (Yurt!)
** This is a pork loin roast, not a tenderloin. The tender loin is the smaller, skinnier cut. It’s usually only about 1 pound. The pork loin is much larger, usually found between 2-5 pounds and is usually around 4 inches in diameter.
(Yurt!)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
FAIL!
Lunch Menu: Homemade Corn Dogs and French Fries
Dinner: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Salad and Breadsticks
Dessert: Peanut Butter Cookies
Ok, so it’s shaping up to be big fat fail week. Yesterday, I missed the bus and had to drive to work (I hate driving to work!). Then when I got to work, the internet wasn’t working. Bah! Today, I thought I’d get all creative and make homemade corn dogs. I found a recipe online for making oven-baked spicy corndogs. Perfect! Or so I thought. The thick batter stuck to the dogs really well, at least until I put them in the oven. The batter sort of slid off and made a pool around the dogs. It looked so bizarre with the hot dog just chilling, naked, in the middle of a cornbread biscuit. The sad part is, the crust tasted really good. It was sweet and spicy and crisp. It was everything you’d want wrapped around your hot dog… it just wasn’t wrapped around the hot dog. Because of their bizarre look, the guys didn’t really go for them. I seeing good food go to waste, but there was nothing I could do. Luckily tonight’s dinner was a safe one. I could make spaghetti with meat sauce in my sleep. By the way, the internet still wasn’t working. It’s really beginning to annoy me. What am I supposed to do in the afternoon if I can’t mess around on the internet? They said they were working on it, but I’ll believe that when I can start reading my 9 Chickweed Lane again every day. (Have you ever read that comic? It’s my favorite because they have a cat that is my George to a T complete with sleeping on the face and random spazz attacks.
Well, lunch may have been a big fat fail, but dinner last night wasn’t. I made red beans and rice with smoked sausage. I knew it was going to be popular when I had several guys come down to investigate what smelled so good. If the pied piper wanted to attract frat boys instead of rats, all he would have to do is put down his flute and sauté some sausage, onions and garlic together. I was going to grill the sausage, but it was really cold and windy yesterday. You can’t make me grill when the wind chill is 15. But, I didn’t hear any complaints. Next week I might be sneaky and do the spaghetti burgers on the griddle rather than on the grill…
Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage
Serves 26-30
8 lbs Smoked Sausage
2 cups Onion, chopped
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1/3 cup Hot Sauce
2 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
6 cans Diced Tomatoes, drained
10 cups Chicken Broth
5 cups Rice
5 cans Red Beans, drained (if you can’t find canned red beans, you can cook 2 lbs of the dried ones according to the directions on the bag)
Vegetable Oil
Slice the sausage into approx. ½ inch slices, cut in half again. Sauté half of the onion, garlic and sausage over medium high heat until onions are soft and translucent. Repeat with the remaining sausage garlic and onions. In a large stock pot, add meat, garlic and onions to the remaining ingredients. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Note: You can grill the sausage, just omit it from the recipe and follow the directions for the rice and serve the sausage alongside the rice. You can make this meal lighter by substituting turkey sausage and brown rice.
Dinner: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Salad and Breadsticks
Dessert: Peanut Butter Cookies
Ok, so it’s shaping up to be big fat fail week. Yesterday, I missed the bus and had to drive to work (I hate driving to work!). Then when I got to work, the internet wasn’t working. Bah! Today, I thought I’d get all creative and make homemade corn dogs. I found a recipe online for making oven-baked spicy corndogs. Perfect! Or so I thought. The thick batter stuck to the dogs really well, at least until I put them in the oven. The batter sort of slid off and made a pool around the dogs. It looked so bizarre with the hot dog just chilling, naked, in the middle of a cornbread biscuit. The sad part is, the crust tasted really good. It was sweet and spicy and crisp. It was everything you’d want wrapped around your hot dog… it just wasn’t wrapped around the hot dog. Because of their bizarre look, the guys didn’t really go for them. I seeing good food go to waste, but there was nothing I could do. Luckily tonight’s dinner was a safe one. I could make spaghetti with meat sauce in my sleep. By the way, the internet still wasn’t working. It’s really beginning to annoy me. What am I supposed to do in the afternoon if I can’t mess around on the internet? They said they were working on it, but I’ll believe that when I can start reading my 9 Chickweed Lane again every day. (Have you ever read that comic? It’s my favorite because they have a cat that is my George to a T complete with sleeping on the face and random spazz attacks.
Well, lunch may have been a big fat fail, but dinner last night wasn’t. I made red beans and rice with smoked sausage. I knew it was going to be popular when I had several guys come down to investigate what smelled so good. If the pied piper wanted to attract frat boys instead of rats, all he would have to do is put down his flute and sauté some sausage, onions and garlic together. I was going to grill the sausage, but it was really cold and windy yesterday. You can’t make me grill when the wind chill is 15. But, I didn’t hear any complaints. Next week I might be sneaky and do the spaghetti burgers on the griddle rather than on the grill…
Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage
Serves 26-30
8 lbs Smoked Sausage
2 cups Onion, chopped
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1/3 cup Hot Sauce
2 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
6 cans Diced Tomatoes, drained
10 cups Chicken Broth
5 cups Rice
5 cans Red Beans, drained (if you can’t find canned red beans, you can cook 2 lbs of the dried ones according to the directions on the bag)
Vegetable Oil
Slice the sausage into approx. ½ inch slices, cut in half again. Sauté half of the onion, garlic and sausage over medium high heat until onions are soft and translucent. Repeat with the remaining sausage garlic and onions. In a large stock pot, add meat, garlic and onions to the remaining ingredients. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Note: You can grill the sausage, just omit it from the recipe and follow the directions for the rice and serve the sausage alongside the rice. You can make this meal lighter by substituting turkey sausage and brown rice.
Monday, February 8, 2010
There Are No Hamburgers In Barbeque
Lunch: Chicken Patty Sandwiches, Chips and Oranges
Dinner: Brunswick stew and Rice
Today has, so far, not been much of a “Monday”. Of course, I’m still at work and haven’t braved the traffic home yet. But, so far I can’t complain and that’s saying something because I had to get groceries today. Ok, I only had to get half of the groceries as I got the Kroger half yesterday. Still, Sam’s Club was blessedly empty and I got in, got out and got everything that I needed and was even under budget. Staying in budget has been a constant struggle this semester. With such a low budget, it’s been tough coming up with menus that will satisfy the frat boy’s desire for a meat-filled mini feast that’s still budget friendly and varied. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s make the same thing week after week. Any way… I’m a little off topic. There were no major snafus making lunch and the guys seemed to enjoy it (even if it was sort of a cafeteria-ish lunch). It is 2:45 and dinner is almost ready. Of course, the Brunswick stew recipe is rather dump, cover and leave. It almost belongs in that Man a Can a Plan Recipe Book.
Brunswick stew is a very Southern dish. I’d never heard of it before coming to GA. Then, when it was explained to me, I was told it was made with squirrel and rabbit. It might have once been made with small rodent and there are probably places where you can find it prepared that way, I just don’t go there. Banjos scare me. No, Brunswick stew is generally made with shredded pork and/or chicken. Everyone you meet has a different recipe for it. It is most frequently to be found in real barbeque joints. In case you don’t know the difference. To any good southerner, barbeque refers as much to the sauce as the preparation of the meat. To a Southerner, a barbeque is not a get together with friends where you serve hot dogs and hamburgers off the grill. That is called grilling. No, barbeque consists of slow-cooked, smoked meat that is accompanied by barbecue sauce. There are several different variations to this sauce, a South Carolina sauce is generally mustard based while a North Carolina Sauce is thinner and spicier. Kansas City sauce is the kind most typically found on grocery store shelves, it’s thick and sweet and not as sharp or spicy as other sauces. Georgia sauce is somewhere in-between. It’s usually thinner and more vinegar based with hints of sweetness. This is just the kind of sauce I like. Again, I’m off on a tangent (although anyone who’s had real south barbecue will forgive me for wanting to clarify). The backbone of most Brunswick stew is pulled pork, a southern barbeque staple. Pulled pork is a Boston butt that’s been smoked slow and low until it’s falling-apart tender. The meat is then pulled apart to form long, thin shreds of pork. This makes the stew thick and super hearty. A good Brunswick stew is almost thick enough to eat with a fork.
Brunswick Stew
Serves 26
1 large Onion, chopped
2 Green Bell Peppers, chopped
4 cups Frozen Okra
6 pounds Barbeque Pulled Pork
6 cans Rotelle Tomatoes
1 bulk-size can Tomato Sauce
4 cups Frozen Corn
2 quarts Chicken Broth
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Pepper
1 ½ cups Barbecue Sauce
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 cups Canned Chicken, shredded
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Note: Barbecue Pulled Pork can be found in bulk (4 pounds each) at Sam’s Club or can be found in small tubs at any grocery store. You can also use left-over pulled pork from last week’s Jamaican Pulled Pork. While it isn’t traditional smoked pulled pork… it certainly works.
As Always, I have tried most of these recipes at home before cooking them for the guys, if you would like a more family friendly sized recipe… let me know and I’ll give it to you (free of charge too! ;-) )
Dinner: Brunswick stew and Rice
Today has, so far, not been much of a “Monday”. Of course, I’m still at work and haven’t braved the traffic home yet. But, so far I can’t complain and that’s saying something because I had to get groceries today. Ok, I only had to get half of the groceries as I got the Kroger half yesterday. Still, Sam’s Club was blessedly empty and I got in, got out and got everything that I needed and was even under budget. Staying in budget has been a constant struggle this semester. With such a low budget, it’s been tough coming up with menus that will satisfy the frat boy’s desire for a meat-filled mini feast that’s still budget friendly and varied. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s make the same thing week after week. Any way… I’m a little off topic. There were no major snafus making lunch and the guys seemed to enjoy it (even if it was sort of a cafeteria-ish lunch). It is 2:45 and dinner is almost ready. Of course, the Brunswick stew recipe is rather dump, cover and leave. It almost belongs in that Man a Can a Plan Recipe Book.
Brunswick stew is a very Southern dish. I’d never heard of it before coming to GA. Then, when it was explained to me, I was told it was made with squirrel and rabbit. It might have once been made with small rodent and there are probably places where you can find it prepared that way, I just don’t go there. Banjos scare me. No, Brunswick stew is generally made with shredded pork and/or chicken. Everyone you meet has a different recipe for it. It is most frequently to be found in real barbeque joints. In case you don’t know the difference. To any good southerner, barbeque refers as much to the sauce as the preparation of the meat. To a Southerner, a barbeque is not a get together with friends where you serve hot dogs and hamburgers off the grill. That is called grilling. No, barbeque consists of slow-cooked, smoked meat that is accompanied by barbecue sauce. There are several different variations to this sauce, a South Carolina sauce is generally mustard based while a North Carolina Sauce is thinner and spicier. Kansas City sauce is the kind most typically found on grocery store shelves, it’s thick and sweet and not as sharp or spicy as other sauces. Georgia sauce is somewhere in-between. It’s usually thinner and more vinegar based with hints of sweetness. This is just the kind of sauce I like. Again, I’m off on a tangent (although anyone who’s had real south barbecue will forgive me for wanting to clarify). The backbone of most Brunswick stew is pulled pork, a southern barbeque staple. Pulled pork is a Boston butt that’s been smoked slow and low until it’s falling-apart tender. The meat is then pulled apart to form long, thin shreds of pork. This makes the stew thick and super hearty. A good Brunswick stew is almost thick enough to eat with a fork.
Brunswick Stew
Serves 26
1 large Onion, chopped
2 Green Bell Peppers, chopped
4 cups Frozen Okra
6 pounds Barbeque Pulled Pork
6 cans Rotelle Tomatoes
1 bulk-size can Tomato Sauce
4 cups Frozen Corn
2 quarts Chicken Broth
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Pepper
1 ½ cups Barbecue Sauce
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 cups Canned Chicken, shredded
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Note: Barbecue Pulled Pork can be found in bulk (4 pounds each) at Sam’s Club or can be found in small tubs at any grocery store. You can also use left-over pulled pork from last week’s Jamaican Pulled Pork. While it isn’t traditional smoked pulled pork… it certainly works.
As Always, I have tried most of these recipes at home before cooking them for the guys, if you would like a more family friendly sized recipe… let me know and I’ll give it to you (free of charge too! ;-) )
Friday, February 5, 2010
Because I Didn't Want To
Brunch: Raisin Walnut Monkey Bread, Sausage and Fruit
Friday is typically grocery day. But, I decided to postpone grocery day. Here are my reasons:
1. When I woke up this morning, the cat was cuddled up next to me under the blanket, and I didn’t have the heart to move him so I slept in a little longer.
2. It’s raining. It rained all night; it rained all morning; it’s still raining.
3. It’s Friday before the Super Bowl, and Sam’s club would be packed.
4. Traffic on a rainy Friday is usually abysmal.
5. I’m lazy and wanted to go home and cuddle my cat some more.
Speaking of abysmal traffic, I was late getting in this morning because of the rain-related back up. When I got in, I got straight to business. Not 5 minutes after I got there, one of the brothers came down. He poked his head in and said, “Oh good, you’re here.” Apparently some of the brothers were worried because I wasn’t there yet. They weren’t concerned about my safety on a wet dismal day where the roads were slick. They were concerned they wouldn’t get their monkey bread on time. They didn’t, it was 15 minutes late getting out, but no one came down to check on it in that 15 minutes so I don’t think it really mattered. Although, I’ve come to realize that you don’t get between these boys and their monkey bread. When I first started here, none of them even knew what monkey bread was (clearly not a lot of boy scouts in the lot). But they realized they really really love it, and I have heard a boy who was not on the meal plan attempt to trade one of the boys who was on the plan beer for his plate of monkey bread. That’s a pretty serious trade there. Frat boys take their beer seriously.
As it is Super Bowl weekend, I thought I might give you a meal idea that is easy, cheap to make in bulk and delicious. I made this for the guys and it was a huge success, and if it passes frat boy standards, it’s certainly worthy of football fare. It’s Jerk Pulled Pork. You can fix it ahead of time and just reheat it for game time. It also freezes well in case you want to make a big batch just to have some on hand.
Jerk Pulled Pork
Serves 28
10 lbs Pork Shoulder (boneless is good, but I couldn’t find it at Sam’s so I used bone-in, and it worked just fine. You can also use pork roast)
2 liters Coke or Dr Pepper (I like using Dr. Pepper because it lends a little something-something to the mix)
1 bottle Jamaican Jerk Rub or Dry Seasoning Blend (approx 1/3 cup)
2 quarts BBQ Sauce
Rub the meat down with the Jerk spices until it’s seasoned on all sides. Place in a slow cooker and add coke. Put on low and cook for 8 hours. After 8 hours, pork should be falling apart. Remove the roast(s) from the slow cooker and discard all but 2 cups of juice. Using 2 forks, shred the pork. Return the pork to the slow cooker and add reserved juice and BBQ sauce and stir until pork is coated. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve on buns or garlic toast with pickled pepperoncini slices.
Note: You can also make this in the oven, it just takes a while. You’ll want to use a heavy duty casserole with high sides like a cast-iron dutch oven or an oven-proof ceramic crock. It needs to be tightly covered with foil or a lid. Bake for 6-7 hours on 200.
Friday is typically grocery day. But, I decided to postpone grocery day. Here are my reasons:
1. When I woke up this morning, the cat was cuddled up next to me under the blanket, and I didn’t have the heart to move him so I slept in a little longer.
2. It’s raining. It rained all night; it rained all morning; it’s still raining.
3. It’s Friday before the Super Bowl, and Sam’s club would be packed.
4. Traffic on a rainy Friday is usually abysmal.
5. I’m lazy and wanted to go home and cuddle my cat some more.
Speaking of abysmal traffic, I was late getting in this morning because of the rain-related back up. When I got in, I got straight to business. Not 5 minutes after I got there, one of the brothers came down. He poked his head in and said, “Oh good, you’re here.” Apparently some of the brothers were worried because I wasn’t there yet. They weren’t concerned about my safety on a wet dismal day where the roads were slick. They were concerned they wouldn’t get their monkey bread on time. They didn’t, it was 15 minutes late getting out, but no one came down to check on it in that 15 minutes so I don’t think it really mattered. Although, I’ve come to realize that you don’t get between these boys and their monkey bread. When I first started here, none of them even knew what monkey bread was (clearly not a lot of boy scouts in the lot). But they realized they really really love it, and I have heard a boy who was not on the meal plan attempt to trade one of the boys who was on the plan beer for his plate of monkey bread. That’s a pretty serious trade there. Frat boys take their beer seriously.
As it is Super Bowl weekend, I thought I might give you a meal idea that is easy, cheap to make in bulk and delicious. I made this for the guys and it was a huge success, and if it passes frat boy standards, it’s certainly worthy of football fare. It’s Jerk Pulled Pork. You can fix it ahead of time and just reheat it for game time. It also freezes well in case you want to make a big batch just to have some on hand.
Jerk Pulled Pork
Serves 28
10 lbs Pork Shoulder (boneless is good, but I couldn’t find it at Sam’s so I used bone-in, and it worked just fine. You can also use pork roast)
2 liters Coke or Dr Pepper (I like using Dr. Pepper because it lends a little something-something to the mix)
1 bottle Jamaican Jerk Rub or Dry Seasoning Blend (approx 1/3 cup)
2 quarts BBQ Sauce
Rub the meat down with the Jerk spices until it’s seasoned on all sides. Place in a slow cooker and add coke. Put on low and cook for 8 hours. After 8 hours, pork should be falling apart. Remove the roast(s) from the slow cooker and discard all but 2 cups of juice. Using 2 forks, shred the pork. Return the pork to the slow cooker and add reserved juice and BBQ sauce and stir until pork is coated. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve on buns or garlic toast with pickled pepperoncini slices.
Note: You can also make this in the oven, it just takes a while. You’ll want to use a heavy duty casserole with high sides like a cast-iron dutch oven or an oven-proof ceramic crock. It needs to be tightly covered with foil or a lid. Bake for 6-7 hours on 200.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Homebound
Ok, so the change in backgrounds was not what I’d intended to do. To be honest, I really don’t like this Santa background. But, something went screwy with my old background. I used a template from one of those free template sights, and something happened. One day it was fine, the next day the background was all screwy. Oy! So, I had to change it to something temporary until I figure out how to make my own templates. This bright red is really getting on my nerves. It isn’t me. It doesn’t say Kristy, nor does it say Gourmand cooking.
Yesterday I ran around like the proverbial chicken with my head cut off. Since poor Dora (the Ford Explorer) is still out of commission my husband and I are sharing a car. I don’t like to share. I had the car yesterday so I could run a bunch of errands. It meant I had to get up early on my first day of Christmas break so I could take my hubby to work. It also meant that I needed to get everything possible done before 5 when I needed to go pick Tyler up from work. And most importantly, it means I’m homebound when he has the car. I loathe going out when I don’t have to. We live out in the country, 15 minutes from the middle of nowhere. So, there is no 10 minute trip to the store. When I have the luxury of coming and going at will, I generally prefer to stay home unless it’s absolutely necessary. That being said, it’s day 1 of being homebound and I’m going stir crazy. I’ve thought of at least 5 things I need to get at the store and I’m bemoaning the fact that I can’t take the dog to the pretty neighborhoods downtown (downtown Covington, not Atlanta) for a walk despite the fact that it’s overcast and grey. And no, I can’t take the dog walking here. There is no sidewalk, and we live off of a narrow, busy, winding road. So I’m sitting in the dark, cuddled under a blanket with my cat slipper on doing nothing. (In case you were wondering, no, that wasn’t a typo. My cat is sleeping on my feet, and so I refer to him as a cat slipper)
Since it is cold and dreary outside, I’ve decided to make Chicken and Sausage Soup for Tyler and me. I made it for the boys earlier this week, and now I’m making it for us. This soup came about because Tyler and I went to Medieval Times last year. They had a tomato soup. When I make a can of condensed tomato soup, I mix it with milk. Tyler thinks that’s gross. The tomato soup they had tasted like it had been made with broth. Tyler actually ate it. This got me thinking… Maybe a tomato/ broth based soup would be good. Tyler said if I made it, I should put in sausage, and it grew from there. Now, it’s a particular favorite with my husband.
Kristen’s Italian Chicken and Sausage Soup
Serves 6
Shredded Chicken from 1 Roast Deli Chicken
1 pound Italian Sausage, cooked and cut into slices
2 can Tomato Purée, 15 oz
6 cups Chicken Broth
1 ½ pounds New Potatoes
1 ½ cup Frozen Corn
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1- 1 ½ tbs Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 tbs Butter or Oil
1 Zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces (optional)
Microwave the potatoes until they just begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces. Heat the butter/ oil in a 5 quart stock pot. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent and tender. Add the remaining ingredients, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve with shredded parmesan.
* If you don’t want to pick a whole deli roast chicken, you can used canned chicken or any other cooked chicken cut up or shredded.
Yesterday I ran around like the proverbial chicken with my head cut off. Since poor Dora (the Ford Explorer) is still out of commission my husband and I are sharing a car. I don’t like to share. I had the car yesterday so I could run a bunch of errands. It meant I had to get up early on my first day of Christmas break so I could take my hubby to work. It also meant that I needed to get everything possible done before 5 when I needed to go pick Tyler up from work. And most importantly, it means I’m homebound when he has the car. I loathe going out when I don’t have to. We live out in the country, 15 minutes from the middle of nowhere. So, there is no 10 minute trip to the store. When I have the luxury of coming and going at will, I generally prefer to stay home unless it’s absolutely necessary. That being said, it’s day 1 of being homebound and I’m going stir crazy. I’ve thought of at least 5 things I need to get at the store and I’m bemoaning the fact that I can’t take the dog to the pretty neighborhoods downtown (downtown Covington, not Atlanta) for a walk despite the fact that it’s overcast and grey. And no, I can’t take the dog walking here. There is no sidewalk, and we live off of a narrow, busy, winding road. So I’m sitting in the dark, cuddled under a blanket with my cat slipper on doing nothing. (In case you were wondering, no, that wasn’t a typo. My cat is sleeping on my feet, and so I refer to him as a cat slipper)
Since it is cold and dreary outside, I’ve decided to make Chicken and Sausage Soup for Tyler and me. I made it for the boys earlier this week, and now I’m making it for us. This soup came about because Tyler and I went to Medieval Times last year. They had a tomato soup. When I make a can of condensed tomato soup, I mix it with milk. Tyler thinks that’s gross. The tomato soup they had tasted like it had been made with broth. Tyler actually ate it. This got me thinking… Maybe a tomato/ broth based soup would be good. Tyler said if I made it, I should put in sausage, and it grew from there. Now, it’s a particular favorite with my husband.
Kristen’s Italian Chicken and Sausage Soup
Serves 6
Shredded Chicken from 1 Roast Deli Chicken
1 pound Italian Sausage, cooked and cut into slices
2 can Tomato Purée, 15 oz
6 cups Chicken Broth
1 ½ pounds New Potatoes
1 ½ cup Frozen Corn
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1- 1 ½ tbs Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 tbs Butter or Oil
1 Zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces (optional)
Microwave the potatoes until they just begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces. Heat the butter/ oil in a 5 quart stock pot. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent and tender. Add the remaining ingredients, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve with shredded parmesan.
* If you don’t want to pick a whole deli roast chicken, you can used canned chicken or any other cooked chicken cut up or shredded.
Monday, December 7, 2009
I've Never Been to a Book Signing Before
Menu: Lunch: Pepperoni and Cheese Calzones w/ Marinara Dipping Sauce
Dinner: Oven Pork Chops with Stuffing and Veggie
Happy Monday!!! I’m actually really excited that it’s Monday because… I get to meet the pioneer woman (http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/) tonight! You’re jealous, just admit it. I had to get in extra early today to make lunch for the boys so I could go get wristbands for tonight. It was rather sneaky, mean and evil of Borders to force us to A. Go get wristbands B. You could only get them today C. Not allow you to get them for other people D. Not announce anywhere that you needed wristbands or that the time was changed from 7 to 6. Luckily I thought to call just in case (being the good little scout that I am). So, I’m very excited!
On a sad note… Dora, my Ford Explorer decided to go lame this weekend. There is a problem with the clutch. Does bad luck have good timing with me or what? Here it is, nearly Christmas, and I’m going to be out of work (and out of pay!) for a month, and my car goes on the fritz. Hopefully it will be something minor (please let it be something minor!). So if you’ve a mind to, pray for Dora.
In frat news, GA tech won their game Saturday and will be going to the Orange Bowl against Iowa. Be impressed, I didn’t even have to Google that. Actually, don’t be that impressed. I know they won because of the state of the house when I got here this morning (let’s just say the burn barrel was still smoking). Also, all of the plastic cups were gone. When all of the plastic cups have disappeared, you know it was a good party. However, that means I have a bunch of boys shuffling through the kitchen in search of cups. They don’t believe me when I say there are no more plastic cups, unless they want to rinse the beer out of the 50 or so that are still sitting on the pool table (I can just see my dad cringe at the desecration. Cups on the pool table, they must be heathens!) .
Tonight’s meal is one of my favorite winter meals. It’s warm and hearty and definitely a guy-pleaser. Well, that is, every guy but my own. My husband has an unfortunate dislike for stuffing and does not have a very favorable outlook on pork chops. When it comes to cuisine, he has a lot of hang-ups. But, the boys are less picky than he is, and they love this dish. The best part, it’s super easy and cheap. It can easily be scaled down, and as there’s only 6 ingredients (if you count the butter it takes to make the stuffing) it’s nearly impossible to mess up.
Oven Pork Chops with Stuffing
Serves 45
45 Pork Chops (I prefer bone in pork chops, but thick cut loin chops will do as well)
9 boxes Stove Top Stuffing Mix
9 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
4 ½ cups Milk
Seasoning Salt
Lightly season pork chops with seasoning salt. In a non-stick skillet over medium-high, brown pork chops briefly on each side. A couple minutes or so per side, the object is to get some color and flavor to the meat, not cook it through. Prepare stuffing as package directs.
Pre-heat oven to 325. Arrange pork chops in a baking dish so they do not overlap. Spoon a generous amount of stuffing on top of each pork chop (a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop is especially helpful if you want to make it a neat and pretty mound). Mix together soup and milk until thoroughly combined. Pour evenly over pork chops. Cover and bake for 1 hour.
Note: If you want to make this family size, its 5 pork chops, 1 box of stuffing, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and ½ cup of milk, follow the directions above.
Dinner: Oven Pork Chops with Stuffing and Veggie
Happy Monday!!! I’m actually really excited that it’s Monday because… I get to meet the pioneer woman (http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/) tonight! You’re jealous, just admit it. I had to get in extra early today to make lunch for the boys so I could go get wristbands for tonight. It was rather sneaky, mean and evil of Borders to force us to A. Go get wristbands B. You could only get them today C. Not allow you to get them for other people D. Not announce anywhere that you needed wristbands or that the time was changed from 7 to 6. Luckily I thought to call just in case (being the good little scout that I am). So, I’m very excited!
On a sad note… Dora, my Ford Explorer decided to go lame this weekend. There is a problem with the clutch. Does bad luck have good timing with me or what? Here it is, nearly Christmas, and I’m going to be out of work (and out of pay!) for a month, and my car goes on the fritz. Hopefully it will be something minor (please let it be something minor!). So if you’ve a mind to, pray for Dora.
In frat news, GA tech won their game Saturday and will be going to the Orange Bowl against Iowa. Be impressed, I didn’t even have to Google that. Actually, don’t be that impressed. I know they won because of the state of the house when I got here this morning (let’s just say the burn barrel was still smoking). Also, all of the plastic cups were gone. When all of the plastic cups have disappeared, you know it was a good party. However, that means I have a bunch of boys shuffling through the kitchen in search of cups. They don’t believe me when I say there are no more plastic cups, unless they want to rinse the beer out of the 50 or so that are still sitting on the pool table (I can just see my dad cringe at the desecration. Cups on the pool table, they must be heathens!) .
Tonight’s meal is one of my favorite winter meals. It’s warm and hearty and definitely a guy-pleaser. Well, that is, every guy but my own. My husband has an unfortunate dislike for stuffing and does not have a very favorable outlook on pork chops. When it comes to cuisine, he has a lot of hang-ups. But, the boys are less picky than he is, and they love this dish. The best part, it’s super easy and cheap. It can easily be scaled down, and as there’s only 6 ingredients (if you count the butter it takes to make the stuffing) it’s nearly impossible to mess up.
Oven Pork Chops with Stuffing
Serves 45
45 Pork Chops (I prefer bone in pork chops, but thick cut loin chops will do as well)
9 boxes Stove Top Stuffing Mix
9 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
4 ½ cups Milk
Seasoning Salt
Lightly season pork chops with seasoning salt. In a non-stick skillet over medium-high, brown pork chops briefly on each side. A couple minutes or so per side, the object is to get some color and flavor to the meat, not cook it through. Prepare stuffing as package directs.
Pre-heat oven to 325. Arrange pork chops in a baking dish so they do not overlap. Spoon a generous amount of stuffing on top of each pork chop (a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop is especially helpful if you want to make it a neat and pretty mound). Mix together soup and milk until thoroughly combined. Pour evenly over pork chops. Cover and bake for 1 hour.
Note: If you want to make this family size, its 5 pork chops, 1 box of stuffing, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and ½ cup of milk, follow the directions above.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Ham I Am
Thursday Menu: Lunch: Pesto Chicken Sandwiches and Chips
Dinner: Glazed Baked Ham, Green Bean Casserole, Dinner Rolls and Apple and Onion Stuffing
So, when I left last night there were 3 cans of decorating icing (the kind that you attach the tip and squirt) and 2 tubes of glitter gel. He hehe, yes I put glitter gel on the boys’ cookies. Anyway, this morning when I came in, the cans of icing were all but gone. Apparently they decided there wasn’t enough icing on the cookies and had an after dinner art project.
Today was a relatively easy day. Honestly, I don’t know what all the fuss is about cooking over the holidays. People stress out so much about cooking for 12 people… Ha! By now, I could do that in my sleep. I’m not saying that I don’t sometimes stress out about getting stuff done, but that’s generally either because something is out of whack (cough cough… the grill cough cough) or because the guys have changed something last minute (remember the time when they let me know on a Monday that there would be 40 guys instead of the usual 20-some?) or because someone has eaten the food I need to prepare the meal. But, on a normal day like today, it doesn’t really seem like anything more strenuous than putting out a dinner for me and my husband. Perhaps even less stressful because I really don’t care when the guys complain about not liking onions. I don’t know, maybe it’s the impeding invasion of family that stresses people out, maybe I’m just weird and like cooking enough for an army. If you’re going to make a ham, how much harder is it to make 3 than 1? And then I can be nice and share the extra ham bones with family. Yes, I am going to steal the ham bones. But hey, what are a bunch of frat boys going to do with ham bones? Ok, other than throw them in the burn barrel and light them on fire when they get drunk. It’s isn’t like any of them know a good recipe for ham and bean soup ooo or lentil soup! I think that’s what I’m going to make with my ham bone; I’m going to make some lentil soup!
I have noticed a few changes in how I cook since I started cooking for the frat. For one, I feel weird cutting stuff up or touching raw meat when I’m not wearing gloves. I’ve seriously considered buying some gloves for home, but then I realized I was being crazy. I also noticed that I’ve had difficulty scaling back when I get home. It feels wrong to make something for 2. I want to dump a handful of herbs into the pot instead of just sprinkle a little in. Luckily, I haven’t really tired of cooking yet. Sometimes I feel too tired to cook when I get home, but that’s more the never-ending, stress-inducing 1-1 ½ hour commute I have each way. I would give anything to live in our old house back in the Brookwood area… Except the one we’re living in now is bigger and almost a third less in rent. But that’s a different story.
Chicken Pesto Sandwiches
Serves 18
6 ½ - 7 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
4 tbs Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 ½ cup Prepared Pesto
Cut the chicken breast into small, bite size pieces. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Drain any excess liquid. Add pesto to hot chicken. Serve with Provolone, lettuce and tomato slices on either toasted Italian bread or a large sandwich croissant.
Ham Glaze
For 1 8-10 pound ham
10 cups packed Brown Sugar
2 1/2 cups Orange Juice
2 tbs Molasses
2 2/3 tbs Ground Mustard Seed
Mix ingredients together. Remove ham 30 minutes before it’s done. If not a spiral sliced ham, cut diamonds into the surface of the ham, being careful to not cut into the meat. Cover with glaze. Return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Dinner: Glazed Baked Ham, Green Bean Casserole, Dinner Rolls and Apple and Onion Stuffing
So, when I left last night there were 3 cans of decorating icing (the kind that you attach the tip and squirt) and 2 tubes of glitter gel. He hehe, yes I put glitter gel on the boys’ cookies. Anyway, this morning when I came in, the cans of icing were all but gone. Apparently they decided there wasn’t enough icing on the cookies and had an after dinner art project.
Today was a relatively easy day. Honestly, I don’t know what all the fuss is about cooking over the holidays. People stress out so much about cooking for 12 people… Ha! By now, I could do that in my sleep. I’m not saying that I don’t sometimes stress out about getting stuff done, but that’s generally either because something is out of whack (cough cough… the grill cough cough) or because the guys have changed something last minute (remember the time when they let me know on a Monday that there would be 40 guys instead of the usual 20-some?) or because someone has eaten the food I need to prepare the meal. But, on a normal day like today, it doesn’t really seem like anything more strenuous than putting out a dinner for me and my husband. Perhaps even less stressful because I really don’t care when the guys complain about not liking onions. I don’t know, maybe it’s the impeding invasion of family that stresses people out, maybe I’m just weird and like cooking enough for an army. If you’re going to make a ham, how much harder is it to make 3 than 1? And then I can be nice and share the extra ham bones with family. Yes, I am going to steal the ham bones. But hey, what are a bunch of frat boys going to do with ham bones? Ok, other than throw them in the burn barrel and light them on fire when they get drunk. It’s isn’t like any of them know a good recipe for ham and bean soup ooo or lentil soup! I think that’s what I’m going to make with my ham bone; I’m going to make some lentil soup!
I have noticed a few changes in how I cook since I started cooking for the frat. For one, I feel weird cutting stuff up or touching raw meat when I’m not wearing gloves. I’ve seriously considered buying some gloves for home, but then I realized I was being crazy. I also noticed that I’ve had difficulty scaling back when I get home. It feels wrong to make something for 2. I want to dump a handful of herbs into the pot instead of just sprinkle a little in. Luckily, I haven’t really tired of cooking yet. Sometimes I feel too tired to cook when I get home, but that’s more the never-ending, stress-inducing 1-1 ½ hour commute I have each way. I would give anything to live in our old house back in the Brookwood area… Except the one we’re living in now is bigger and almost a third less in rent. But that’s a different story.
Chicken Pesto Sandwiches
Serves 18
6 ½ - 7 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
4 tbs Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 ½ cup Prepared Pesto
Cut the chicken breast into small, bite size pieces. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Drain any excess liquid. Add pesto to hot chicken. Serve with Provolone, lettuce and tomato slices on either toasted Italian bread or a large sandwich croissant.
Ham Glaze
For 1 8-10 pound ham
10 cups packed Brown Sugar
2 1/2 cups Orange Juice
2 tbs Molasses
2 2/3 tbs Ground Mustard Seed
Mix ingredients together. Remove ham 30 minutes before it’s done. If not a spiral sliced ham, cut diamonds into the surface of the ham, being careful to not cut into the meat. Cover with glaze. Return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Monday, November 23, 2009
But... It's Not Themed!
Monday Menu: Lunch: BBQ Little Smokies, Chips and Fruit Dinner: Tacos, Spanish Rice and Green Beans
For the week of Halloween I did a special themed menu. Funny names and spooky food. Halloween is my birthday, and my favorite time of the year, so I thought it would be fun… Little did I know it would come back to haunt me. This morning I received an e-mail alerting me to the fact that the boys were “disappointed” that I had not done a thanksgiving themed menu for this week (not a stitch of turkey anywhere on the meal plan), and requesting that I do a Christmas theme for next week’s meals. All of this is code for “Kristen you’ve spoiled them, and they’re a bunch of whiney babies”.
I figured they were done with themed menus after a slight mishap with some chicken wings that caused food coloring to be banned (unfairly… see the whiney baby part above and maybe add wuss to it). Besides, why do a Thanksgiving meal when, on Thursday, they are all going home to have Thanksgiving meals? So, now I’m at a loss. What exactly can I do to make a Christmas themed meal? While I’m sure they would love a meal of nothing but Christmas cookies, that is out of the question, and I’m fairly sure immoral somehow. Elf shaped meatloaves seems wrong. And, as I mentioned before, food coloring has been banned. A horrifying thought just came to me! Does this mean they’ll want themes for every holiday? Am I doomed to fashion Easter bunny meatballs? What on earth will I serve for Presidents’ Day? How do I get myself into these messes?
On a lighter note, I served this casserole up this past Friday, and apparently it was a big hit. Something about the sausage and the crispy hash browns and the cheese…
Sausage and Hash Brown Bake
Serves 20
18 cups Frozen Hash browns (do not thaw)
7 pounds Bulk Sausage (browned and drained)
6 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
26 Eggs
1 1/4 cups Milk
3 cups Small Curd Cottage Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 shallow (2 inch deep) commercial baking pans. Layer pans equally with hash browns, sausage and cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over hash brown mixture. Bake uncovered 45-50 minutes or until hash browns are crispy and center is set.
For the week of Halloween I did a special themed menu. Funny names and spooky food. Halloween is my birthday, and my favorite time of the year, so I thought it would be fun… Little did I know it would come back to haunt me. This morning I received an e-mail alerting me to the fact that the boys were “disappointed” that I had not done a thanksgiving themed menu for this week (not a stitch of turkey anywhere on the meal plan), and requesting that I do a Christmas theme for next week’s meals. All of this is code for “Kristen you’ve spoiled them, and they’re a bunch of whiney babies”.
I figured they were done with themed menus after a slight mishap with some chicken wings that caused food coloring to be banned (unfairly… see the whiney baby part above and maybe add wuss to it). Besides, why do a Thanksgiving meal when, on Thursday, they are all going home to have Thanksgiving meals? So, now I’m at a loss. What exactly can I do to make a Christmas themed meal? While I’m sure they would love a meal of nothing but Christmas cookies, that is out of the question, and I’m fairly sure immoral somehow. Elf shaped meatloaves seems wrong. And, as I mentioned before, food coloring has been banned. A horrifying thought just came to me! Does this mean they’ll want themes for every holiday? Am I doomed to fashion Easter bunny meatballs? What on earth will I serve for Presidents’ Day? How do I get myself into these messes?
On a lighter note, I served this casserole up this past Friday, and apparently it was a big hit. Something about the sausage and the crispy hash browns and the cheese…
Sausage and Hash Brown Bake
Serves 20
18 cups Frozen Hash browns (do not thaw)
7 pounds Bulk Sausage (browned and drained)
6 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
26 Eggs
1 1/4 cups Milk
3 cups Small Curd Cottage Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 shallow (2 inch deep) commercial baking pans. Layer pans equally with hash browns, sausage and cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over hash brown mixture. Bake uncovered 45-50 minutes or until hash browns are crispy and center is set.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday Monday... so crazy
Monday Menu: Lunch: Meatball Subs with Cheese, and Potato ChipsDinner: Pork Chili Verde with Tortillas and Rice
Yup, it’s Monday, and in college land that means quick tell the chef what we forgot to tell her last week! So rather then spending today easing into the week, I got the rude wake up that… oops we forgot to tell you that there would be 40 people eating every night this week instead of the usual 25-30. Oh, and while you’re out, we’ll need a meal for Friday too ( which I don’t normally fix). Every job has it’s hazards, mine is slipping in spilled beer and not getting the information I need to successfully complete my job. Oh well, they are only frat boys after all. Perhaps I should note, a meal for 40 college boys is equivalent to a meal for 50 regular people.
After making lunch, I scurried around trying to get everything I needed for an extra 10 people per night. But thanks to my superhuman shopping skills, I got almost everything I needed and got dinner on the stove in time. I am now just waiting for everything to get done. If you would like the recipe in a more family friendly size... just let me know.
For those interested here is the recipe:
Chili Verde
Serves 50 (or 40 college boys)
13 lbs Boneless Pork Butt, cubed
2-3 cups of FlourBacon Drippings from 2 pounds of Bacon*
4 large Onions, chopped
16 cloves of Garlic, minced
3/8 cup Mexican Oregano
¼ cup Cumin
68 ounces of Diced Green Chili Peppers (the canned kind)
11 cans of Chicken Broth
6 cans Tomatillos
4 lbs Frozen Corn
Salt and Pepper
Season the pork with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Heat the bacon drippings (or oil) in a large pan. Brown the pork on all sides. The pork will need to be browned in several batches to prevent crowding in the pan. Meanwhile, drain canned tomatillos and puree. When all the pork is browned, remove and sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are tender. Put all ingredients into a large pot and simmer until pork is tender, approx. 1 hour.
*Note: I am using the bacon for something else later in the week, ¾ Cup of vegetable oil can be used instead, but bacon dripping just give it a little je ne sais quoi
Yup, it’s Monday, and in college land that means quick tell the chef what we forgot to tell her last week! So rather then spending today easing into the week, I got the rude wake up that… oops we forgot to tell you that there would be 40 people eating every night this week instead of the usual 25-30. Oh, and while you’re out, we’ll need a meal for Friday too ( which I don’t normally fix). Every job has it’s hazards, mine is slipping in spilled beer and not getting the information I need to successfully complete my job. Oh well, they are only frat boys after all. Perhaps I should note, a meal for 40 college boys is equivalent to a meal for 50 regular people.
After making lunch, I scurried around trying to get everything I needed for an extra 10 people per night. But thanks to my superhuman shopping skills, I got almost everything I needed and got dinner on the stove in time. I am now just waiting for everything to get done. If you would like the recipe in a more family friendly size... just let me know.
For those interested here is the recipe:
Chili Verde
Serves 50 (or 40 college boys)
13 lbs Boneless Pork Butt, cubed
2-3 cups of FlourBacon Drippings from 2 pounds of Bacon*
4 large Onions, chopped
16 cloves of Garlic, minced
3/8 cup Mexican Oregano
¼ cup Cumin
68 ounces of Diced Green Chili Peppers (the canned kind)
11 cans of Chicken Broth
6 cans Tomatillos
4 lbs Frozen Corn
Salt and Pepper
Season the pork with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Heat the bacon drippings (or oil) in a large pan. Brown the pork on all sides. The pork will need to be browned in several batches to prevent crowding in the pan. Meanwhile, drain canned tomatillos and puree. When all the pork is browned, remove and sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are tender. Put all ingredients into a large pot and simmer until pork is tender, approx. 1 hour.
*Note: I am using the bacon for something else later in the week, ¾ Cup of vegetable oil can be used instead, but bacon dripping just give it a little je ne sais quoi
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