Dylan & Erica’s Place…

Dylan and I had our first BBQ at our house a couple of weeks ago.  It was fun.  I have some awesome co-worker’s that I invited over who were in town.  Luckily I was able to catch Kelly (A coworker who I like to hang around with because we understand each other.  She is planning her wedding and I just got married and we can bond over the ups and down of wedding planning.  Ahhhh how thankful I am that is over with) and her fiancee’ in town.  Kelly’s fiancee’ Bill lives in Kentucky so I wanted to make sure he was able to join in on the fun. They are super awesome people to hang around with and Dylan and I really need some more “married” friends (Techinally.. they aren’t but SOON TO BE!)

 I would have invited more people but I live so far out.. people just don’t like coming over.  Luckily Kelly’s apartment is on my side a town along with my … work spouse Marsh.  I can’t LEAVE out my workspouse! He will get invited to every BBQ no matter what!!

What is a work spouse you ask?

A work spouse is a co-worker (usually of the opposite sex with whom one shares a special relationship, having bonds similar to those of a marriage; such as, special confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, and an unusual degree of honesty or openness. The work spouse is a potentially key relationship when one’s actual spouse or boy/girlfriend is not able to understand the nuances of the workplace. (Wikipedia, 2008).

 Well Dylan and I needed a good excuse to buy a new BBQ so what is better than, “Dylan sweetie we are having BBQ tomorrow so we need a new pit” Score! We got one and decicded to make some ribs, steaks, and kabobs! I LOVED LOVED the Kabobs they are so yummy and fantastic! Mmmmm.  Dylan did all the grilling but I was able to make the sides! Enjoy the photos taken by Marsh Wong.  Oh and also check out his website and some other photos located here and here.

Super Steak Kabobs 

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar 
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil  
16 large mushrooms, cut in half 
2 green onions, minced   
4 medium onions, cut into quarters
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
2 pounds of beef sirloin steak, cut 1-inch thick
salt and pepper
skewers
Combine the soy sauce, cider vinegar, honey, canola oil, green onions, salt and peper in bowl.

Cut steak into 1-inch cubes, marinate with vegetables, for 2-4 hours, refrigerated.   Soak 16 small bamboo skewers in water for 1/2 hour before threading with meat and vegetables.

Alternate with mushroom halves, pineapple chunks, and mushrooms. Lightly oil the grill grate.  Grill kabobs, uncovered, over medium coals (or broil 3 inches from heat) for 12-14 minutes or until meat is done, turning kabobs once.

Erica’s Version of Twice Baked Potatoes

5 large russet baking potatoes
1 green onion package
3 strips of turkey bacon
10 oz light sour cream
1 package of reduced fat shredded cheese
salt and pepper ***

Boil potatoes in pot until potatoes are soft with a fork.  Takes approximately 40-50 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel and grate potatoes with grater into large bowl.  Microwave or fr 3 strips of bacon and chop into small bits.  Chop up green onions and sautee in small pan.  Add the bacon, green onions,sour cream, cheese (save about 3 oz for top of potatoes) in the grated potatoes.  Add salt and pepper
for taste.

Place the potato mixture into a cassarole dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top of poatoes.

Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees until the cheese on top is melted.

*** You can use regular ingredients for a more profound taste but it adds extra calories.  It is super yummy no matter what you use however!

This Friday at work we had a bakeoff. First was the breakfast entry. It had to be something unique something yummy and something that plated well. I decided to go Paula Deen style, “Ya’ll”. It came out VERY well. However I guess alot of people didn’t think it was unique enough. Hmmmm my husband did. His response to what I was making, “Who eats chicken fried steak for breakfast?” My answer, “People in the South and Paula Deen”. Overall my item came in third in taste. That’s all that matters right? Just how it tastes? For the chicken fried steak I used the typical batter recipe. I used my father’s. He taught me everything to know about chicken fried steak. Gosh I love his steaks!! Hmmm I’m hungry now.

Daddy Kaspar’s Chicken Fried Steak

• 2 cups of flour (seasoned with 1 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 tenderized beef round steak (about 2 lbs)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of Tony’s
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 black pepper
• oil for frying

Preheat oil in Fry Daddy (or fryer as seen here). Heat oil up to 350-400. Combine the garlic powder, salt , Tony’s black pepper in small bowl. Season the steak with seasoning just made on both sides of meat. Dip the steaks in the buttermilk. Transfer the milk coated steaks to the flour and coat until nice and white.

Add 2 -3 of the battered steaks to the hot oil (fryer) and fry until browned, about 5-6 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Paula Deen’s Basic Biscuits

• 1 package yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 5 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup Crisco shortening
• 2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dissolve yeast in warm water; set aside. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Add yeast and buttermilk and mix well. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and roll out to desired thickness. Cut with small biscuit cutter and place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Split biscuits in half and top with country fried steak and drizzle with gravy.

Yield 3 dozen, Adapted from Mrs. Paula Deen

Rachael Ray.. I’m not a huge fan but I do wanna learn how to cook better rather than just bake. I got her book 365 No Repeats and this one recipe just stuck out. I had some problems with “baking” the corndogs. I think next time I’m going to fry so they are real corndogs

Oven Baked Corndogs

• 2 8 -ounce boxes corn muffin mix, (Jiffy Brand)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup of milk
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
• 3 teaspoons of chili power
• 1 teaspoon of Tony’s
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2 teaspoon of hot sauce (Tabasco)
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 8 regular beef franks
• 8 skewers

Preheat oven to 4ooF.

Combine the muffin mix with the eggs, milk and melted butter. Season the mix with chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, Tony’s, and scallions. The batter will be thick. Place a hot dog into the batter and coat it, remove the hot dog and move to a nonstick cookie sheet, and use your fingers to spread batter on any exposed dog spots. Coat about only half and inch of dough. Do NOT coat too thick. This causes the batter to slide off the dog while its baking and does NOT look like a corndog. If this happens don’t worry about it. Just enjoy!! Bake for 11 - 12 minutes or until evenly deep brown all over. Slide skewer inside the dog and enjoy with a nice cold rootbeer and some tots.

Adapted from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats

Cooked Ham

This recipe I made all on my own… Its amazing actually because it is so simple. My dad was amazed at the glaze I made and along with how it came out.

• 1 11 - 15 lb ham
• 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon of maple syrup
• 1 cup of orange juice
• dash of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together until sugar has dissolved. Brush on ham 1/2 hour before ham is to be taken out.

Note: I used a roaster to roast my ham. I approximated the time to keep the ham in the roast. It took about 20 minutes per pound. It came out super juicy and super yummy!

Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas is nothing without gingerbread men. I made these Christmas Eve and my mom really thought they were from a box.

• 1 Stick of butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of Grandma’s molasses (this is the molasses I used)
• 1 egg
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1 tsp. of ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. of ground cloves

Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg. Sift dry ingredients and mix into wet mixture. Divide dough in half, form into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour in freezer or 2 in fridge.

Heat oven to 350F. Roll out portion of dough 1/4″ thick on lightly floured surface. (I had to use more flour than lightly, however my cookies came out wonderful. The key to rolling out dough is using flour and enough to make sure your dough doesn’t stick. Also when making cut outs make sure you also flour your cookie cutter). Important! Chill remaining dough. Ice cold dough is much easier to work with than room temperature dough. This is also a key to making gingerbread cookies.

Cut with cookie cutter, place on greased baking sheets. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. For soft cookies bake 8 minutes. For snappy cookies, in example, gingersnaps, bake for 10 minutes. Cool on cookie rack.

Yields: ~3 dozen cookies
Adapted from Grandma’s Molasses Original

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) wedge Brie cheese
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and apple in butter until tender and browned. Set aside.

Arrange brie on top of thawed puff pastry. Top the cheese with the apple and onion mixture. Fold puff pastry over the cheese, and pinch closed. Brush with melted butter.

Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Adapted from All Recipes

Fried Green Bean Bundles, adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

• 1/2 pound fresh green beans
• 3-4 green onions, cut into 8 strips
• good shake of Tony Cachere’s
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Heat oil to 350 in a deep frying pan. I used a mini fryer
Blanch the green onion strips - bring a small pot of water to boil and cook the green onions for 2-3 minutes, until ribbon-like. Drop into a bowl of ice water until cool.

Place the flour (seasoned with Tony’s, salt, and pepper) and buttermilk into separate dishes for battering.

Bundle 5 green beans by tying in the center with a green onion strip. As Foodie Bride explains.. Take a deep breath!! You will not get a tight bundle because the green onions (not green beans) will snap if you pull too hard. Pull the ends of the onions snugly around the green beans, don’t worry if they don’t feel that tight, and dip into the buttermilk and then in the flour, coating well. The more you coat the better the bundles hold together. Fry the bundles in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Makes 8 bundles.