Improv Cooking: Broiled Pork Steaks with Lemon-Rosemary Gravy

Broiled Pork Steaks with Lemon-Rosemary Gravy

(Be warned... this is a typical Teri recipe where I’ve stood at the stove and cooked up something new.)

I took 3 large pork steaks seasoned to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  They were placed in an oven pan that had the bottom lined with sliced lemons and 6 large sprigs of rosemary. 

Broil until the top is browning and the fat is crisping.  Turn the pork steaks and broil until done.  When I turned them, I removed the rosemary.  Place the cooked pork steaks on a hot plate to keep warm.

In a skillet, heat about a Tablespoon of oil.  Add 3 rosemary sprigs that are about 3” long.  Sautee on medium until oil in fragrant.  While the rosemary oil is heating deglaze the oven pan with a cup and a half of 50/50 lemon juice & white wine mix, scraping to loosen the bits.   

Once the oil smells wonderful, remove the rosemary sprigs.  Carefully pour in the contents of the oven pan... don’t let any lemon pips fall into the skillet.  Stir and reduce by half. 

Add to the reduction about 1 cup sour cream (low fat is great).  Stir until bubbly.  Ladle into a gravy boat to pour over your steaks at the table.

Savor!

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Ham and Potato Hotdish

HAM & POTATO BAKE

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 T. butter or margarine

1 T. Flour

1/2 t. salt

2/3 cup milk

1 cup Velveeta cheese, shredded

2 t. yellow mustard

1 ½ cups chopped ham (or 4-5 hotdogs)

5 med. potatoes, cooked and sliced thickly

In small saucepan, cook onion in butter until tender but not brown.  Blend in flour and salt.  Add milk all at once, cook & stir over medium heat til thickened and bubbly.  Add shredded cheese, stirring to melt.  Stir in mustard.  Fold in hot dogs and potatoes.  Turn into a 1 qt casserole.  Cover and bake in 350 oven about 35 minutes or til heated thru.

Notes:

I usually skip the oven part.  It's plenty hot coming off the stove!  However, the browning from being baked is very tasty.

Also, this is a recipe of proportions.  There's nothing 'set in stone' so if you need more just increase it.  Want it cheesier?  Add more cheese.  This is a stick to the ribs comfort food - and is great for feeding teenage boys!

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Improv Cooking: Mediterranean Stuffed Green Peppers

The March challenge for Improv Cooking was "lamb and rice"... which was my theme!  (This year many of the recipe challenges were suggested by participants.)

This recipe is my take on an old family favorite.

Mediterranean Stuffed Green Peppers

6 large green peppers

1 to 1 1/4 pound ground lamb

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 Tbs zataar seasoning

1  16oz can diced tomatoes

1  8oz can tomato sauce

1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 cups cooked rice (I like basmati)*

6 oz Velveeta cheese

Cup tops from peppers, clean out insides.  Chop enough of the tops to equal a 1/4 cup, set aside.  Cook the whole green peppers, uncovered in boiling water until just tender... approx 10 minutes.  Carefully remove from the boiling water, invert on dish towel to drain well.

In a skillet cook ground lamb, onion, and chopped peppers until the meat is browned and the peppers are tender.  Drain fat.  Add zataar, stir in well.  Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and  Worcestershire sauce.  Stir well.

Fold in rice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring up to a boil.  Add cheese, folding in gently to not break up rice.

When rice is melted in, remove from heat.

Set cooked peppers into a baking dish.  Stuff with the lamb mixture.

Since everything is fully cooked, you can serve immediately or you can put under the broiler to brown the top.

*For the rice I fix up one cup of uncooked rice (that makes about 3 cups cooked rice).  Sometimes you need to add a bit more rice to the recipe.  I suppose this has to do with how much liquid is in the tomatoes.

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Thai Tea Sweet Rice dessert (with recipe)

This month's challenge on Improv Cooking was "tea and honey".  The first tea that came to mind was Thai tea.  Thinking of the sweetness of Thai ice tea I knew what my dish was going to be... Thai Tea Sweet Rice dessert.  

I think this is going to be my go-to dessert for when I want something with little fuss.  The recipe is for individual servings as this isn't quite to Himself's tastes.

Thai Tea Sweet Rice

One cup cooked basmati rice

1/4 cup prepared Thai ice tea*

Cinnamon for sprinkling

Honey to drizzle on top

Prepare your rice according to package instructions.  When the time is up, take the rice off the heat and fluff.  Replace lid and let set about 10 more minutes.

For each serving, use one cup of rice.  Place in a mixing bowl and pour over 1/4 cup of prepared Thai tea (already with sugar and sweetened condensed milk added).  Let sit about 5 minutes so the rice mostly absorbs the tea.

Drizzle with cinnamon and honey to taste.  Serve warm.

*Thai tea mix can be purchased in international food markets or on Amazon.  If you've never had a Thai iced tea, I would suggest you have one from a Thai restaurant first.  They are different.... and very sweet.

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Improv Cooking: Panettone Bread Pudding

The January challenge at Improv Cooking is "Pastry/Bread Dough and Chocolate".  Crazy month and I never did get to making the recipe I intended.  

So here's a cheat recipe (hey, it has BREAD in it).  It is SO good.

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Orange Cranberry Toll Cookies

I love the basic cookie recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but not so much the chips and definitely not the nuts.  Himself says I'm just weird!  LOL 

So when I saw the December challenge at Improv Cooking was "cranberry and orange" I decided to try making a new version off of the Toll House recipe.

Orange Cranberry Toll Cookies

2 cups dried cranberries

Orange juice to cover cranberries

2 oranges for zest

Toll House Cookie base:

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt     

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Evening before, put cranberries into glass container and cover with orange juice.  Let sit so they plump up.   Next morning remove cranberries and let drain on paper towels for a couple hours, or longer.  (I drained in the morning and baked in the evening).

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in cranberries.  Then zest the 2 oranges over the mixture, stir well. 

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. (At about 9 minutes start keeping an eye on them as they finish quickly!)

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

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Spaghetti Squash with Sage Pesto (Improv Cooking)

 At Improv Cooking, the challenge for November was "squash and sage".  I knew just what I wanted to do... sage pesto!  My sage really went crazy this summer and I am up to my ears (literally!) in beautiful sage.

And for the squash, I used our favorite - spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti Squash with Sage Pesto

1 fresh spaghetti squash, cooked

Approx 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For Pesto:

2 cups fresh sage

1 cup fresh parsley

1 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup olive oil

1 T chopped garlic - or to taste

1/3 cup lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste (I used smoked salt)

Cook spaghetti sauce as to the method you prefer.

While it is cooking, put all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it is pureed.  You will need to push down the ingredients occasionally to get a good blend. 

Taste pesto and adjust seasonings to your taste.

Serve pesto on the side or on top of the finished squash.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when you serve.

Enjoy!

Note:  The pesto is really delicious on a pork roast.

Improv Cooking: Grilled Herbed Tomatoes

There's two wonderful things about summer...  

...fresh ripe tomatoes...

...and fresh fragrant herbs.

(That's thyme, parsley, rosemary, basil, sage, and oregano.)

So combining those would make a perfect summer recipe, right?

RIGHT!

I took some thick slices of some tomatoes I'd just picked at a veggie stand down the road and put them on a grilling tray.

After they had cooked I sprinkled them with the finely chopped herbs.  The above combo is what sounded good to me this time, who knows what I'll use next!  

Here's an adjustment to what I did this first time.  The tomatoes didn't get the caramelizing I wanted on them.  Next time I will probably brown them up in a skillet, then transfer them to the grill to get the smokey flavor.

Right before they were done I topped them with mozzarella cheese.  Next time it will be Parmesan.

They were so good.  Himself said he wants to see more of this recipe!

Grilled Herbed Tomatoes

(A 'no measure' recipe!)

Fresh tomatoes, sliced thick (about a half inch)

Your favorite fresh herbs, fine chopped (enough to cover tops of the tomatoes)

Shredded Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese

A grilling tray or grill skillet.

Place tomato slices on hot grill tray or skillet.  (Here's where I am going to pre-caramelize them.)  Cook about 5 minutes (depending on how hot your grill gets), then carefully flip.  They are going to be getting soft which makes flipping tricky.

Sprinkle the top with your herb mix.

Just before they are done, sprinkle your choice of shredded cheese on top.  Close the grill to melt (but keep an eye on them!)

When you take them off the grill they will be very soft.  I would suggest using two spatulas... one to lift and the other to push the tomato against. 

Enjoy!  

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Improv Challenge: Cilantro Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe

At the intersection of "need to figure out a recipe for a challenge" and "what I am going to take to the potluck"... a new pasta salad was born!

My recipe challenge was to use cilantro and lime.

My potluck 'challenge' was what was I going to take this time?  (with the added stipulation that I was feeling really lazy...).

Sounds like pasta salad to me!  You too?

My trick of the trade it to use an interesting salad dressing when I'm in a hurry or lazy.  So a trip to 'Big Box' was in order.  There are so many specialty dressings available that it is fun just to look.  And in looking I spied "Cilantro Avocado" dressing in the produce section.

From there, it was just picking out what sounded good to go with it!

Cilantro Avocado Pasta Salad

1 - 12oz. box of Fusilli (spiral) pasta (I used the tri-color)

Avocado type salad dressing (I used Bolthouse Farms Cilantro Avocado dressing)

Approx 1 and a half cups chopped tomato

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh green bell pepper

1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped finely (depending on your taste for cilantro)

1 lime

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cups fresh mozzarella cut into cubes

Cook box of pasta according to package directions for 'al dente'.  Drain and rinse in cold water to stop cooking.  Spread on dish towel to dry.  Once dry, place in large mixing bowl and squeeze the juice of one lime into pasta.  Stir gently.

Add salad dressing to the pasta, however much you like for the consistency.  Some people like a very moist pasta salad, some less so.  Stir gently.

Add in the other ingredients and again stir gently.  (You don't want to break up your pasta).

Decide if you want more dressing, if so add it now.

Scoop the pasta salad into your serving bowl.  Zest the leftover lime rind onto the top of the salad.

Enjoy room temperature or cold.

http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2015/05/one-project-at-a-time-52615.html

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Improv Cooking Challenge: Asparagus and Eggs

I'm getting my cooking mojo back and having a lot of fun in the kitchen.  Improv Cooking put out a challenge to make a recipe using asparagus and eggs.

Here's my answer to that challenge... it turned out so tasty!

Grilled Chicken with Asparagus and Egg Toastie

(For 2 sandwiches)

4 chicken tenders, marinated in 'Maple Grove of Vermont Citrus Vinaigrette' salad dressing, then grilled.

16 asparagus spears

1 stuffed egg*

2 slices of Italian bread

Butter for frying

Instructions:

Put the chicken tenders in a plastic bag, pour in the Citrus Vinaigrette dressing and seal the bag.  Let sit in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 hours.  When ready, grill on medium heat until done.

When cool enough to handle, thinly slice the tenders.  Set aside.

Boil one egg until hard boiled, about 15 minutes.  Cool in ice bath for 10 minutes.  Peel egg.  Split in half long-ways.  Place yolk in bowl and the split white on a plate.

Mash yolk, then add about 1 Tbs of mayo and 1 tsp of yellow mustard.  Mix thoroughly to consistency you prefer.  I like a bit of texture with my stuffed eggs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

From the white, cut it so there are two rings.  Set that aside.

Prepare the asparagus using your favorite method of cooking (boiled, steamed, or microwave).  Trim the tips just to the length of your sandwich bread.

To assemble the sandwich:

Butter both sides of your bread and fry in a pan, flipping so both sides are golden brown.  Place bread on your plate.

Take a small amount of the yolk stuffing mixture and spread on your toast top.  Next layer on your grilled chicken slices.  Then put the asparagus over the chicken, alternating the direction the tips lay in.  Finally put one of the egg white rings on top, and put a dollop of egg yolk stuffing in the middle.

Then it's time to eat!

NOTE:  I created this sandwich to use some leftovers.  You can use any type of grilled chicken, but that citrus marinade is fantastic.

Follow the links to see more recipes in this challenge!

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Improv Cooking Challenge: Sour Cream Apple Pie recipe

This month's challenge at Improv Cooking was "Apples and Cinnamon".  What a perfect use for those apples I brought back from Minnesota!

SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE

2 Tablespoon flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg, unbeaten

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups diced tart apples

1 - 9 inch deep dish pie pastry

Crumb topping mixture:

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. 

Add unbeaten egg, sour cream, vanilla, and nutmeg, and beat to a smooth thin bat¬ter.  Stir in diced apples and pour into pie pastry. 

Bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 300 for 30 minutes.  

While baking, mix together all ingredients for crumb topping.   Remove from oven and top with crumb mix.   Return to oven for 10 minutes.

  http://www.edesiasnotebook.com/p/improv-challenge.html 

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Improv Cooking: Amaretto Cherry Twirls (recipe)

Everyone knows that I am always up for a good challenge... and cooking is one of my favorite challenges of all.  So I was quite excited to find 'Improv Cooking' Challenge.  Each month we are given a pair of ingredients and are to make-up a recipe using those two ingredients.

I was finally (BARELY!) able to join in with the challenge of "Milk and Honey".  This is what I created:

Amaretto Cherry Twirls

1 can of Pillsbury "Big and Buttery" crescent rolls

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

amaretto to cover cherries for soaking

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

approx 1/4 cup honey (less if to your taste)

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-2 tablespoon milk

Chop the dried cherries and cover with amaretto for at least 6 hours.

After cherries have soaked, roll out crescent rolls into one long sheet.  Make sure you get all the pieces well sealed.

Evenly cover surface with first the cherries, then with the chocolate chips.

Drizzle with honey all along the sheet.  I did big zig-zag motions.

Slowly and carefully roll the entire sheet from the short end.  If the seams open as you roll, pinch them closed.

Once rolled into a log, cut into 8 slices with a wide blade knife.  Let the slice fall onto the blade to help you transfer them to the baking sheet.

Pull open the slice a bit to make it look nice.

(Tip:  Use an air bake sheet as the honey caramelizes really fast.  I would also use parchment to make clean-up easier!)

Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes.  (start keeping an eye on them at about 10 minutes)

Bake until golden brown.  Remove from baking sheet to cool.

When cool, mix up glaze and drizzle over the twirls.

Then enjoy and wish you'd made more!

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