Tag: butter

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak II

Salisbury Steak

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy
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When I here the words “Salisbury Steak” my mind immediately goes back to the days  of Glass and Steel Diners where burly truck drivers would chow down on the Blue Plate Special, often times Salisbury Steak, followed by a dessert of Antacids.

Thankfully things have changed and diner food has been elevated to a much higher level including Salisbury Steak.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

For the steak…….

  • 1 pound Ground Beef
  • 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Granulated Garlic
  • 2 teaspoons Granulated Onion
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Pepper

For the gravy……

  • 1 medium Sweet Onion – sliced
  • 1/2 cup Butter
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 3 cups Vegetable Broth
  • 2 tablespoons Granulated Garlic
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the steak, form into oval shaped patties about 1/4 inch thick and put in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to set up.
  2. In a large fry pan heat the oil and place the patties in but do not crowd them.
  3. Cook the  patties for five minutes per side, or until the internal temp hits 160° and when done remove to a plate and tent with tin foil to keep warm.
  4. In the same pan the patties were in melt the butter and add the flour. Stir well to make a Roux. Add the onions and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Add the vegetable broth, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
  6. Plate with your favourite side, cover with gravy and enjoy.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                           Bon Appetit

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Surf N Turf Snack

Surf N Turf Snack

Surf N Turf Snack

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Afternoon snacks around our house while working in the garden are Simple but Tasty and this particular one is a real crowd pleaser.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 12 31 – 40 Peeled Deveined Shrimp
  • 1 pound Top Sirloin Steak Tails – cut into bite sized pieced
  • 1/4 cup Soya Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • 2 teaspoons Granulated Garlic
  • 4 tablespoons Garlic Hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Sugar
  • 1 small bunch Scallions – chopped for garnish
  • 6 Bamboo skewers

Putting it all together:

  1. In a non reactive bowl combine the Soya, Hoisin and sugar and mix well.
  2. Place the steak in a large zip lock bag, add the soya mixture and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
  3. Soak the skewers in cold water for 45 minutes so they will not burn on the grill.
  4. Preheat your grill to 375°.
  5. Thread the steak onto the skewers.
  6. Grill the skewers for 10 minutes per side
  7. Pull the skewers off the grill and tent with tinfoil
  8. Melt the garlic and butter in a large saute pan at medium high heat
  9. Add the shrimp to the garlic butter and saute until all shrimp are pink…. about 8 minutes.
  10. Plate 3 skewers and 6 shrimp per person and garnish with the chopped green onion.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                           Bon Appetit

Epic Oooooppppsssss

Chocolate Butterscotch Brownies

Epic Oooopppsss

This post is designed to illustrate why I don’t bake that often if ever……..

Roughly two years ago I originally made this dessert and it turned out pretty good so today, since it is raining and miserable outside, I thought I would make it again exactly the way I did way back when.

As you can see it is a disaster…… But, never fear since as they say “when one door closes another opens” and so it is on to plan “B”.

Plan “B” is in this case is to let them harden and then use pieces to create Chocolate Butterscotch Brownie Sundaes using Vanilla Ice Cream and Vanilla Frozen Yogurt. Will see how that idea turns out.

Until next time……..

                                  Bon Appetit

 

Poulet A La Creme

Poulet A La Creme

Poulet A La Creme

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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I came across this recipe in an older cookbook by the renowned chef Jacques Pepin and although it looks very pedestrian the final outcome with it’s wonderful flavour profile will have your guests coming back for more.

Cooks note: I served this one with a Rice Pilaf however it would go equally as well with some Egg Noodles.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 8 Skin on Bone in Chicken Thighs 
  • 6 large Mushrooms – sliced
  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 4 tablespoons Flour
  • 1/2 cup dry White Wine
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup heavy Cream
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Chopped Tarragon or Parsley (optional)

Putting it all together:

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and brown over high heat for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side.
  2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle on the flour. turn the chicken over using tongs so the flour is evenly dispersed. Stir in the wine and water and mix well. Bring to a boil, add the salt and pepper and simmer covered for 25 minutes.
  3. Add the cream, bring to a boil, and boil, uncovered for about 1 minute.
  4. Serve sprinkled with the tarragon or parsley if desired.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                           Bon Appetit

Ground Beef Stew With Mashed Potatoes

 

Ground Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes

Ground Beef Stew With Mashed Potatoes

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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The idea for this dinner came from a conversation I had with my wife where we were reminiscing about the old days and the types of things we used to have for dinner. Now my wife, being born in Manchester England, had a lot of things that were typical in a British household…. Fish and Chips, Lamb Chops, Shepherds Pie just to name a few but there was one that stuck in my head and is the inspiration for this dish….. Ground Beef Gravy With Mashed Potatoes and it is something my late Mother-In-Law loved to make.

This recipe is my version of this old time favorite and I hope you enjoy it.

Cooks note: This is a budget friendly recipe. It fed 6 for less than $20.00.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 pounds Ground Beef
  • 3/4 cup Beef stock
  • 4 – 6 ounces Worcestershire sauce
  • 7 Yukon Gold Potatoes – peeled and cubed
  • 4 Garlic cloves – peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium White Onion – chopped
  • 1 26 ounce bag of frozen Mixed Vegetables
  • 1 28 ounce can Diced Tomatoes
  • 4 tablespoons Butter
  • 3/4 cups Milk
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large pot of salted water cook the potatoes until just fork tender.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking brown the ground beef in a large frying pan.
  3. When browned remove the ground beef, drain the grease and add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent.
  4. Add back the beef and mix in the vegetables, tomatoes, Worcestershire, beef stock and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 15 mins.
  5. Drain the potatoes and mash with the butter and milk.
  6. Plate the mashed potatoes and top with the stew.
  7. Enjoy.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………

                           Bon Appetit 

Chicken Pot Pie topped with Mashed Potatoes

Chicken Pot Pie topped with Mashed Potatoes

Chicken Pot Pie topped with Mashed Potatoes

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Chicken Pot Pie is one of those classic comfort foods that if done right is guaranteed to be a real crowd pleaser. This one is a wee bit different because I didn’t have a lot of time to muck around with a pastry crust for the top so I did the next best thing ( at least to me) and that is I topped it with Mashed Potatoes.

The “short cut” that makes this recipe a real time saver is that I used an already cooked BBQ’d chicken from a local source so all I had to do was to break up the chicken and add it to the broth and veggies, top with the mashed potatoes and finish it in the oven. As an addition I sprinkled shredded Parmesan on top for added flavour before it went back in the oven.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 cooked BBQ Chicken (about 3 pounds) – skinned and shredded
  • 1/2 large Red Onion – diced
  • 4 Garlic cloves – chopped
  • 6 Yukon Gold potatoes – peeled and quartered
  • 2 1/2 cups frozen Mixed Vegetables
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Butter
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 4 tablespoons Chicken Dry Rub (see Dry Rubs and Marinades)
  • 3 cups Vegetable Stock
  • 3/4 cup Milk
  • Shredded Parmesan for topping

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°
  2. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until just fork tender
  3. In a separate pot melt the 1/2 cup of butter, add the onions and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the flour until a Roux is formed. Stir in the vegetable stock, the chicken dry rub and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the chicken and vegetables and stir until mixed well.
  6. Mash the potatoes with the remaining butter and milk.
  7. Ladle the chicken mixture into individual Ramekins or bowls, top with the mashed potatoes and Parmesan and place in the oven for 3 minutes.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                          Bon Appetit

 

Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian Goulash

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Tasty Thursdays around the old homestead have kind of warped into “Pick a country and do one dish from that country”. How we got to the point of Hungarian Goulash is a bit of an inside joke however it works for tonight as I have, and I hate to admit it, never made this classic Hungarian dish before and because I haven’t I Googled it and decided to use this recipe which comes from Taste of Home Magazine with a very slight adaption from yours truly.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 1/2 pounds Stew Beef – cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 cups Beef stock
  • 1 cup Sour Cream
  • 3 tbsp Canola Oil
  • 2 pounds Pappardelle noodles
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Flour
  • 1 10 ounce can Aylmers Original Accent tomatoes
  • 1 large White Onion – peeled, cut in half and sliced
  • 1 medium Yellow Pepper – rough diced
  • 1 medium Red Pepper – rough diced
  • 4 Garlic cloves – chopped
  • 6 tbsp Paprika
  • 3 tbsp Butter
  • Fresh Parsley – chopped for garnish
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° degrees.
  2. Toss the stew beef in the 1/4 cup of flour shaking off any excess.
  3. Heat the Canola oil in a medium sized stock pot and brown the stew beef in batches and set aside.
  4. To the stock pot add the butter, onions, garlic and peppers and saute for about 4 minutes. Remove the onion and pepper mix and deg-laze the pot with some of the Beef stock making sure to scrape up the Sucs (the little brown bits on the bottom of the pot).
  5. Add back the onions, peppers and beef mixing well. Add the remaining beef stock and the Aylmer tomatoes stirring well.
  6. Mix in the remaining flour and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and place in the oven for 90 minutes or until the beef is tender.
  7. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions
  8. Add the sour cream to the Goulash and heat through.
  9. Drain the noodles, plate and top with the Goulash.
  10. Garnish with Parsley

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……..

                           Bon Appetit 

Salmon En Papillot

Salmon En Papiotte

Salmon En Papillot

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Medium
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Fish and Chip night around here just got a whole lot more interesting. I still make the “normal” type for my grandson however for the elder crowd I decided to do Salmon En Papillot because it is simple to make and very simple to clean up. The one major issue with this technique is you cannot see the fish so it is tough to know when it’s done which is why I have labeled the difficulty level on this as medium.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 4 Salmon filets – about 5 ounces each
  • 2 cups Yellow Onions – sliced
  • 2 cups Red Pepper – sliced
  • 2 cups Carrot – julienned
  • 4 teaspoons Capers
  • 3 tablespoons Butter
  • 4  tablespoons Dill
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 4 Sheets Parchment paper

Putting it all together:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 400°
  2. Place the vegetables in the middle of the Parchment paper and season with salt and pepper then place the Salmon on top of the vegetables.
  3. Melt the butter and dill and then brush over the salmon. Top with the capers and seal the parchment paper by rolling the top down and tucking the ends underneath.
  4. Place in the oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes.
  5. To serve simple place the pouch on a plate and cut open the top.
  6. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……..

                           Bon Appetit

Pork and Plums

Pork and Plums

Pork and Plums

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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I stole this particular recipe from Martha Stewart and I’m glad I did because it turned out really really good and the added bonus is that it is a “one pot” meal which of course simplifies cleanup.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 pound Pork Tenderloin – cut thin
  • 4 Plums cut into wedges
  • 1 medium Red onion – sliced
  • 2 Green onions – chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
  • 1/4 Red Wine Vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons Butter
  • 2 tablespoons Granulated Garlic
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Parsley for garnish

Putting it all together:

  1. Heat the oil in a saute pan.
  2. While the oil is heating season the pork with the salt, pepper and garlic.
  3. Fry the pork, in batches, until just tender. About five minutes. Remove and set aside.
  4. In the same pan saute the onions and plums until just tender about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and continue cooking for about an other 5 minutes.
  5. Add back the pork and toss well, garnish with the parsley and enjoy.

There you have it “another simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……..

                           Bon Appetit

Crispy Top Cumberland Pie

Crispy top Cumberland Pie

Crispy Top Cumberland Pie

  • Servings: 5
  • Difficulty: Easy
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My grandson had decreed at some point that Tuesdays would be known as “Taco Tuesdays” as he loves his Tacos and ever since Old El Paso™ introduced Taco Bowls he loves them even more however for me (don’t get out the noose) having Tacos every week is a bit tiresome and boring so my lovely and brilliant wife suggested Tasty Tuesdays as an alternative. So in honour of her suggestion and as a nod to her country of birth, England, we are doing a Crispy Top Cumberland Pie.

Cooks note:  This is a great make ahead dish and will last for 2 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping List:

  • 2 pounds Stew Beef – cubed
  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • 2 small Yellow Onions – chopped
  • 2 large Carrots – chunky sliced
  • 1 Leek, white part only – chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Canola oil
  • 5 Bay leaves
  • 2 Thyme sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • 2 tablespoons All Purpose flour, Worcestershire, Tomato Puree
  • 2 tablespoons liquid Beef Base
  • 2 1/2 cups Beef broth
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 3/4 cup Shredded Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven and add the onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, Thyme and butter and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour, followed by the purée, Worcestershire sauce and liquid beef base.
  3. Add the beef stock stirring well then add the stew beef. Bring to a boil, cover and put in the oven for 2 /12 hours.
  4. While the meat is braising cook your potatoes until they are about 3/4’s done and then add them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
  5. When the meat is fork tender transfer it to a baking dish. Slice the potatoes into 1 cm (.039 inches) rounds and place on the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Sprinkle on the Parmesan and the Shredded cheese and put back in the oven for about 20 mins or until the shredded cheese has melted and the gravy is bubbling.
  7. Enjoy

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                           Bon Appetit