Crazy for Banana’s….

This week at the grocery store I found bananas on special.  Actually, what I found was a 5 pound bag of banana’s that were just about to become “ripe” or in my terms “just perfect.”  I think I got the entire bag for a buck forty nine. 

I came home and baked five loaves of banana nut bread.  Oh yummy, yummy. 

The holidays really are my favorite time of year.  I do lots of baking and canning and banana bread although really not holiday related, everyone loves it.

Thanksgiving morning I decided I was going to make Banana Nut French Toast.  The first thing I did was Wednesday night before bed, I sliced a loaf of the banana bread.  As you can see, I used nice thick slices.  Now this bread is pretty dense so I really didn’t need to worry about it falling apart but I made thick slices anyway.

Thursday morning with the bread a little stale from being out all night, I mixed up my egg wash.  4 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (depending on the flavor your looking for) and a cap-full of vanilla extract.  Mix well.  Now pour in your milk, cream or half n half.  I use the later. 

**Tip**  Mixing your eggs, cinnamon and vanilla before adding the milk ensures your spices will be well incorporated. 

Next, dredge your banana nut bread in the egg wash, let set a few seconds and then place in a frying pan or griddle that has a fair amount of melted butter in it.  Cook the french toast until both sides are golden brown.  Set aside.

Next, I took 2 tablespoons each of butter and dark brown sugar.  I melted the butter, then added the sugar.  On a medium heat, stir the sugar until it is completely dissolved.  Add in two or three sliced bananas.  Let the bananas cook in the sugar for 3 - 4 minutes stirring occasionally.

When the bananas are soft, scoop your sugar and banana mixture over your french toast, top with a touch of whipped cream if you’d like. 

Seeing as how this is really a breakfast or desert for special occasions, go ahead and indulge yourself.  The taste is so incredible.  The vanilla in the egg wash really comes through in this dish.

Enjoy and eat more bananas. 

2 months ago  Notes (0)

Pork Chops again…..No Way….It’s Chili Verde

WOW!  It’s been a busy couple of days.  Those who know me know that I live for off-road racing and this past weekend was the Grandaddy of all off-road races, The SCORE Baja 1000. 

I assist with race coordination from the comfort of my own home, although I would much rather be in Mexico.  So to celebrate this historic race, I made one of my Mexican favorites, Chili Verde.

I had a package of pork chops in the freezer which I thawed and cut up into bite size pieces.  Season your pork with salt and pepper and set aside.

I cut up a white onion and sauteed it in olive oil.  Once the onions were translucent I added a couple cloves of chopped garlic and sauteed a little more.

I flavored some flour with one of my favorite seasoning salts, Butt Rub.  Then I put the pork and flour in a large bowl and coated the pork well.  This is key because not only does it add great flavor to your Chili Verde it also helps thicken your sauce.  Put the seasoned and dredged pork into your frying pan with the onion and garlic.  Brown the pork and to the frying pan, add one jar of thick and chunky green chili salsa, a small can of green chili enchilada sauce and stir well. I add the juice of one 1/2 of a lime.  Let simmer for about an hour.   Whala….quick and easy Chili Verde that everyone will love.

I serve my Chili Verde in many different ways,

** How about a twist on Huevos Rancheros - Fry a corn tortilla, top with some refried beans, chili verde and an egg.  Add some cheese and salsa and you now have Huevos Verde.

** In a tortilla with beans and rice

** I love to use it as a meaty sauce over Tamales or Cheese Enchiladas topped with cheese and sour cream as shown above.

Get creative.  This Chili Verde is so flavorful and so easy to make you will make it often. 

2 months ago  Notes (0)

It’s Sunday morning, everyone is hungry…..what to do…..

Use your left overs of course!

It’s Sunday morning that means I go through my refrigerator to see what I have left over from the week.  In my case, I had a handful of asparagus spears, a sweet potato, onion, red/green pepper and mushrooms.  I always have cheese and eggs so I made a veggies scramble for my family.

Cut your veggies into pieces and saute in a pan with some butter, salt and pepper.  I had some diced ham so I added that once the the veggies were soft.  Otherwise, use what you have, bacon, sausage, smoked bratwurst or no meat if you are in the mood for something vegetarian.  

Mix up 4-6 eggs.  Add salt and pepper and mix again.  Always add your milk or cream after you have added your salt and pepper.  The S&P mix better with the eggs and they don’t clump.  Pour your egg mixture over the veggies, reduce your heat and cover.  Let it cook for about 5 minutes or so until the eggs start to set. 

Starting from the edges, fold the egg mixture inward.  Cover and let cook again for about 5 minutes.  This time, add a handful of your favorite cheese, once again fold eggs in from the edges.  This time like you are making an envelope to hold in the eggs and cheese.  Top with a handful of cheese some sliced tomatoes and avocado if you have it. 

Not only did you use up all your veggies from the week, you made your family a healthy and hearty breakfast to start their day.  Now….it’s time to use that good energy to clean the garage, weed the backyard or if you’re like me, wait for NASCAR to start. 

 

2 months ago  Notes (1)

Think Stuffing is just for Thanksgiving - Think again….

The weather has quickly turned here in the High Desert of California.  The clouds have rolled in and there is snow in our local mountains.  You know what this means, less outside grilling and more inside comfort cooking.  Foods that fill the house with the smell of rosemary, sage and the yummy scents of fall.

Earlier, this week I found chicken half breasts on sale for .99 a pound, so I bought a couple of packages.  I also had a half a loaf of french bread left that I had picked up at the bakery.  Since celery, onion, mushrooms and dried cranberries are a staple in my kitchen I decided I would make homemade stuffing and roasted chicken breasts.

I started by breaking my loaf of french bread into bite size pieces in a large bowl. 

Then I cut and sauteed my veggies; I used one whole onion, 3 celery stalks, a couple hand fulls of mushrooms, one granny smith apple and a tablespoon or so of garlic.  Add your garlic once your other veggies are nearly soft or translucent so as to not get that burnt garlic taste.  I also used about a quarter pound of bulk breakfast sausage for some added flavor.  If you have fresh sage, cut some up and put it in at the same time you add the garlic.  Dried/ground sage works just as well.  Make sure you are adding salt and pepper as you go. 

Once your veggies are nice and soft, add them to your bread bowl.  Add some chicken broth and I always, always put dried cranberries in my stuffing.  It adds such a great flavor.  Mix well.  Make sure your bread is nice and moist.  Nothing is worse than dry stuffing.  Like Bobby Flay says, “if you think your stuffing is moist enough, add more liquid.”

I put my stuffing mixture in the bottom of a large roasting pan.  Spread it out evenly.  Next, I seasoned my chicken breasts well with salt, pepper and of course my Pampered Chef Rosemary Herb Seasoning.  In the same pan I sauteed my veggies, I added a couple tablespoons of butter and browned the chicken breasts two at a time.  I placed them on the stuffing and continued until all the chicken was browned. I poured the pan drippings right on the chicken when I was done.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees (f).  Cover the pan with foil and bake for approx 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear when poked with a fork.

To go along with the chicken and stuffing, I made a salad using mixed lettuce, shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese, dried cranberries and topped it with ranch dressing.  And at the request of my daughter Kasey, I made a quick green bean casserole using frozen green beans, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a cup of milk and some french fried onion that were also on sale.  Bake that for approximately 40 minutes or until the soup is thick and bubbly.  

With the exception of just a couple of things, I had everything in my kitchen to make this delicious and satisfying dinner.  The stuffing was amazing.  You will be surprised how much better the stuffing tastes when you use fresh french or sourdough dough bread from the bakery.  Make sure it’s a day or two old when you make your stuffing.  You need it somewhat stale to absorb all of those wonderful juices. Once you try this you will never go back to bagged stuffing mix. 

My proof - Kasey is not a stuffing eater.  Never has been.  Last night she had two helpings.  This is sure to be a hit in your house too. 

2 months ago  Notes (0)

Breaded Pork Chops - a family favorite

  Pork Chops are a family favorite in my house.  I actually like using Pork Steak instead of Pork Chops.  Pork Steaks are always sliced perfectly and the flavor is amazing.  They are easy to cook and almost never dry out or become tough.  They are a great size as you can tell by the picture above. 

So what do I do to make this yummy dinner?  First I season my pork with salt and pepper.  Then I make a egg wash using one egg and a splash of milk.  In another shallow dish I pour out some seasoned bread crumbs.  I like the Progresso garlic and herb flavor.  I also find that using pie tins for my bread crumbs and egg wash are the perfect size for dredging the pork.

Dredge your pork in the egg and then the bread crumbs.  Coat both sides well.  Then set aside for about 10 minutes.  When your nearly done dredging the pork steak, pour some olive oil in a heavy duty frying pan and let the oil start to heat.  Once the oil is hot, place two to three pork steaks in the pan.  Be sure not to crowd the pan as you want the meat to fry and not steam.  Cook on each side about 5-7 minutes.  Your pork steak will be nice and brown and crisp.  On a separate baking sheet, place a wire rack on the baking sheet and transfer the pork steak from the frying pan to the baking sheet.  Continue until all of your pork steak is cooked.  Place baking sheet in a warm (325 degree) oven to keep warm.

Hopefully you have washed, peeled and cut up your potatoes while the pork steaks were cooking.  With your potatoes boiled it’s time to mash them up.  Drain your potatoes and add a couple tablespoons of butter and a dash or two of salt.  Heat up about a half a cup of milk in the microwave until its just warm.   Pour milk into the potatoes and with either a hand mixer or a potato masher mash your potatoes.  Once nice and fluffy add a splash of sour cream or a small amount of ranch dressing for extra flavor. 

My family loves creamed corn with their mashed potatoes and pork chops.  My friend Murray insists on apple sauce too.  Just like on the Brady Bunch. 

With your pork steaks nice and warm in the oven, your potatoes and veggies finished and hot, you are ready to call your family to the table for this amazing dinner.  Typically I can get this dinner done in just under an hour.  It’s yummy, home style food fast. 

Pork Steak usually runs about $2.49 a pound (on average) which is about a dollar less a pound than pork chops.  They taste better and again for around $20.00 you have a great meal for a family of 4-6.  

Enjoy!

2 months ago  Notes (1)

Beef Chuck Cross Rib Roast - What is it really?

                    

Beef Chuck Cross Rib Pot Roast

Also known as:

No matter what you call it, I called it DELICIOUS! 

My local Stater Bros had several cuts of beef and pork roasts on sale last week.  So I picked up this beauty…….  Of course this is what it looked like after I seasoned it.   The above is a 3.69 pound boneless cross rib roast.  I brushed the roast liberally with balsamic vinegar.  Then I used my favorite spice mixture, Pampered Chef Rosemary Herb Seasoning and sprinkled it heavily with the seasoning.  No need to add salt as there is salt in the seasoning.  I allowed it to come to room temperate while the seasonings and vinegar were working their magic on the meat.  

I put the roast in a shallow pan, and set the oven to 450 degrees (f).  I cooked the roast at 450 for approx 20 minutes then turned the oven down to 350 degrees (f) and allowed it to cook for just around an hour.  You have got to resist the temptation to open the oven and check on the progress of this delicious smelling  hunk of goodness.  Opening the oven door is going to cool the oven and mess up your cooking time.  

After an hour, check the internal temperature of the roast.  If it is between 125 and 145 degrees go ahead and take it out.  Place it in a corner where there is no draft and cover it loosely with foil.  Let it set for about 20 minutes.  This will finish the cooking.  

While my roast was cooking, I cleaned and partially baked a few Yam’s in the microwave oven. I also cut the ends off of my asparagus spears and spread them on a baking sheet.  I drizzled the asparagus with olive oil and seasoned well with Pampered Chef Basil and Citrus seasoning.  When the roast came out, I put the yams and asparagus in the oven along with my dinner rolls.

Once your roast has set for about 20 minutes, go ahead and slice it, I like big thick flavorful slices.  This is an amazingly easy dinner that can be made any night of the week.  My Monday night was made extra special with this dinner.  The roast on sale was only about $10.00 and the yams and asparagus were on sale too.  So again for less than $20.00 you have an amazing dinner for your family that can be made in about two hours time.  

Make sure you serve it with your favorite horseradish and a glass of red wine.  MMM perfect.  

Here is the final product.    Enjoy!

2 months ago  Notes (3)

Today must be my lucky day …..

This morning while walking through the grocery store I took my usual stroll past the mark down basket.  Whoa, today must be my lucky day.  I found a can of Chicken of the Sea baby clams marked down to a buck fifty.  Woo Hoo I thought to myself. 

I live in the high desert of California where the weather in fall can be very unpredictable.  Yesterday our high was 84 degrees (f) and this morning when I took my daughter to the bus stop it was on 34 degrees (f) with a better than average chance of rain tomorrow. 

I quickly went through the kitchen pantry in my mind:

* Potatoes √

* Celery √

* Corn √

* Chicken Stock √

* Bacon √

* Half and Half √ (you can’t be a coffee drinker with out good ol’ 1/2 n 1/2)

Wow!  Today really must be my lucky day as I had almost everything I needed to make he perfect Potato and Corn Chowder with Clams.  What was my missing ingredient?  Leeks.  I love leeks.  I use them in almost every Chowder I make.  They are so easy to use and tasty beyond belief.  So, here is what I did to make my Potato,Corn, Leek with Clam Chowder.

In my cast iron dutch oven I browned 3 strips of bacon that I cut in pieces.  Once the bacon was cooked, I removed it to a paper towel lined plate and put it aside for later.  I then took the celery and 3 leeks that were finely chopped and sauteed them in the bacon drippings.  When the leeks and celery were softened and beginning to turn a nice brown I added a tablespoon (okay maybe two) of butter and a table spoon of flour to the pan.  I stirred constantly making a nice rue.  Be sure to cook the flour for several minutes so your chowder doesn’t have that raw flour taste to it.  Then I added one  30oz carton of Chicken Broth to the party.  I cut up 6 russet potatoes that I washed and diced.  I leave the skins on my potatoes.  I put the lid on and brought the mixture to a medium simmer and let it cook until the potatoes were mostly soft.  

Be sure you adding your salt and pepper at each step.  It’s easy for your soups to become bland if you are not adding enough seasoning. 

Once the potatoes were mostly soft, I added a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup w/ roasted garlic and a cup or so of half and half.  Stirred well and then added a bag of frozen corn with red peppers and onion and my can of drained and rinsed clams.

Once again, adding salt and pepper to taste.  Stir well and give a taste.  At this point I added my favorite seasoning in the world, Pampered Chef Rosemary Herb Seasoning Mixture and a couple shots of Crystal Hot Sauce.

I let it simmer and when the time was just right, I had a big bowl of this delicious goodness. 

Tonight I will be serving this Chowder along with Pork Quesadilla’s using that delicious Pork Roast I made a couple of days ago.

Once again, I spent very little money on this warm and delicious dinner using some of the common items we have in our kitchens. 

Enjoy……until next time…..Be well.

2 months ago  Notes (58)

Easy and Delicious Pork Roast

This morning I got up bright and early to start making one of my families favorites.  Slow Cooked Pork Roast.  The pork roast is not only easy and delicious it’s also super economical.  Even with my big family I can get three meals out of a single roast.  And I’m not talking about the same left overs three  nights in a row.   I mean three delicious and different meals.

I start with a bone in Pork Butt Roast.  Now, don’t let the name fool you.  A pork butt roast really comes from the shoulder.  I like to season my meat well with a good seasoning salt.  My favorite is Bad Byron’s Butt Rub.  I first found Butt Rub while on vacation in Pagosa Springs Colorado.  That was an amazing trip.  Lots of fun and funny memories made.  Butt Rub is the perfect combination of spices including: salt, pepper, garlic and whatever else they put in it.   I buy it online in quantity since no stores around me carry it.  Make sure your roast is nice and dry.  I always pat my meat down with paper towels.  This ensures the seasonings stick well to your roast and your meat doesn’t steam when you put it in your frying pan.

Once your roast is well seasoned, I heat up a cast iron skillet with either Crisco or Vegetable Oil and add my roast.  Let it sizzle for about 3-5 minutes per side including the sides.  By doing this you are sealing in the juices and creating a great crust that will be so yummy.

While the roast is browning, get your crock pot ready.  I add equal amounts of chicken stock and water.  A good shake of granulated onion and garlic.  I also throw in a couple cloves of whole garlic and a whole onion or two into the broth.  Turn your crock pot on while the roast in browning.  That way your are not putting your hot roast into cold liquid and you just stopped or slowed down the cooking process.  ** I also add a small splash of liquid smoke. Hickory Smoke flavor is my favorite.  Depending on your taste buds you can either add or omit this ingredient.

Put your lid on and let it cook away for 6-8 hours. Get ready, your house is going to smell amazing.  Once your roast is fully cooked it should be fork tender.  What I mean is you should be able to take a fork and shred the roast.  When you have reached this stage take the roast out of the crock pot and place in a large bowl to cool.

Once your roast is cool enough to handle start shredding the meat.  This is where you can decide on how you are going prepare the roast for tonight’s dinner; Carnitas, Bar-B-Que Pulled Pork or Pork Roast with gravy and Mashed Potatoes.

* Carnitas, place some of your shredded pork in a cast iron skillet with crisco.  Let the skillet get nice and hot.  Place some pork in the skilled and fry until a nice crust forms on the meat.  Serve with home made pico de gallo and rice and beans and your favorite tortilla.

* BBQ Pulled Pork - pour your favorite bbq sauce into a sauce pan and put some of your shredded pork into the pan.  Warm through.  Meanwhile you can prepare a fresh coleslaw or perhaps you have made a yummy potato salad earlier in the day.  Once the pork is warmed, serve on a toasted roll and enjoy.

* Pork Roast and gravy.  Hopefully you saved all that yummy broth from your crock pot.  Ladle a couple spoons into a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Mix warm water and corn starch together until all of the corn starch is dissolved.  Pour the corn starch mixture into the drippings and bring to a boil.  Stir constantly.  I love using corn starch instead of flour for my gravies as cornstarch has no flavor and does not clump.  Don’t forget to add a splash of kitchen bouquet for color and a touch of seasoning to the gravy.  Add your pork to the gravy and serve over mashed potatoes or warmed toast for a super yummy meal. 

Now, my pork roast cost me about $6.00 for a 5lb roast.  I happened to get mine on sale.  So for less than $20.00 using ingredients you already have in your kitchen you just created three super delicious and healthy meals for your family.

Enjoy -

 

3 months ago  Notes (0)

Savory Beef Stew with Veggies

                                         

Earlier this week I made a pot of Beef Stew.  Now, this is quite an accomplishment for me.  I love stew, have ever since I was a kid.  The problem I have always had with making home made Stew is the lack of flavor.  So for many years, I just gave up on the home made goodness and would partake of the meat filled goodness in a restaurant.  That was until I found this amazing recipe.  

I had a package of Tri-Tip steaks that I bought at Costco.  I grilled three of the six steaks one night and decided with the three remaining steaks I would go on a quest for the best sounding Stew recipe Icould find. 

Here it is:   

Ingredients

In a Dutch oven, brown meat in salad dressing over medium heat. Add the next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Add the potatoes, carrots, green pepper and onion. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine corn starch and warm water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Notes:

I love flavor and lots of it, although the recipe calls for browning of the meat in the salad dressing I seasoned my meat prior to adding it to the dutch oven. I like to use a good steak seasoning with lots of pepper and garlic tones.   Nothing is worse than bland stew….yuck! Also, halfway into the cooking process I added a nice splash of Kitchen Bouquet.  It’s great for creating that rich dark color and brings all of the flavors together.  No kitchen is complete without Kitchen Bouquet. 

I made biscuits to go with the stew and chocolate chip cookies for desert.  Yummo. Now if we only had that rain storm the weather man was promising.

Until next time….Happy Cooking from Kim’s Kitchen



3 months ago  Notes (0)

Chorizo Strata

This morning I made this quick and delicious Chorizo Strata

I started by cooking the Chorizo most of the way.  When you are dealing with pork you want to make sure the meat is properly cooked.   

While the Chorizo was cooking I was cutting up a loaf of Jalapeno Cheese bread into cubes and placing them into a greased baking pan.  I mixed up about 15 eggs and added about a half cup of whole milk and poured it over the bread cubes.  This gave the bread time to start absorbing the milk and egg mixture.

I also cut up one bunch of green onions.  I like to use the whole onion.  And diced up to whole green chiles.  

Once the Chorizo was done cooking I spread the Chorizo over the egg and bread mixture, made a layer of green onion and chile and finished with a hearty layer of shredded cheese.  I like to use the cheddar and mozzarella blend.

I topped it with the remaining two whole green chiles and baked it in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. 

This dish can be served hot or cold and always with sour cream and salsa. 

So to recap,

I used 1 and a half pounds of freshly made Chorizo.  15 eggs and a half cup of whole milk.  One bunch of green onion and one can of whole green chiles.  A hearty bunch of shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa.  

Here are the pictures of my step by step -

              

3 months ago  Notes (0)