One Happy Dog Speaks

Dinner Sucks

July 29, 2012

I’m in a funk. I can’t find anything I want to cook anymore with chicken. I cook a variety but I’m tired of the ones I use. I get in a rut cooking the same stuff over and over because it is quick. I look up from working around the house and it is 5:30… I need dinner done by 6:30… I do Chicken Marsala, Chicken with Mushrooms, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken with Rice and Gravy, and the list goes on… sometimes I make a white cheese sauce to put on it. Yes, I do make stuff up as I go some days. But I’m running on empty. I want something tasty and different. Any suggestions?

Cornbread

July 7, 2011

4 Comments

My mom is wonderful. She made pork chops, field peas, rice and cornbread. Yep… life is wonderful. Only problem is she couldn’t remember the amounts for the baking soda and baking powder… and I didn’t have the recipe. I do now thanks to my sister and here it is:

Blend together:
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Then blend in
1 cup yellow cornmeal

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in a mixture of
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg well beaten
5 T oil

Beat by hand until just smooth. Do not over beat. Turn batter into greased pan (I normally use 12 inch iron skillet or silicon). Spread evenly

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

Enjoy the cornbread!!!

MeatLoaf Recipe – Take 2

June 22, 2009

2 Comments

The glaze part of the recipe is at the bottom… enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1 tsp dried thyme leaves (or Italian seasoning)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp hot red pepper sauce
½ cup milk, buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt (I use whole milk)
2 lbs meat-loaf mix (50% ground beef, 25% ground veal, 25% ground pork)
2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers (about 16 crackers) or quick oatmeal or 1 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (I use bread crumbs)
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Optional: 6 oz thin-sliced bacon (8-9 slices)

Directions:
1. Make glaze first and set aside (see below for Glaze)
2. Preheat oven to 350? F. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire, pepper sauce and milk. Add egg mixture to meat in a large bowl, along with bread crumbs, parsley and cooked onions and garlic; mix with a fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture does stick, add additional milk, a couple of tablespoons at a time, and continue stirring until mixture stops sticking.)
4. Turn meat mixture onto a work surface. With we hands, pat mixture into a loaf approximately 9 x 5 inches.
5. Cover a wire rack with foil; prick foil in several places with a fork. Place rack on a shallow roasting pan lined with foil for easy cleanup. Set formed loaf on rack. Brush loaf with all of glaze, then if using optional bacon; arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping them slightly and tucking them under loaf to prevent curling.
6. Back loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160? F, about 1 hour. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

Glaze Ingredients:
¼ cup ketchup or chili sauce
2 tbl light or dark brown sugar
2 tsp cider or white vinegar

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.