Archive for February, 2009

Sunday, 22 February, 2009

Golden Steak Fries

Just one more reason I am glad that I let my husband register for the mini fry-daddy . . .

Golden Steak Fries

2 Idaho potatoes
Plenty of cooking oil
Plenty of salt
Plenty of freshly ground pepper
In a large pot or a deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, slice your potatoes into long strips about and inch wide and 1/2 an inch thick, leaving the skins on. In batches of about 10-12 fries each, cook the fries in the oil until golden brown – about 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with ketchup.

Sunday, 22 February, 2009

Creamy Salsa Dip

Here is an incredibly easy recipe for an incredibly luscious dip. You can adjust the amount of salsa to your taste. It also makes a great topping for burgers, nachos, or fries.
Creamy Salsa Dip
8 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
In a microwave-safe dish, combine cream cheese and salsa. Cover and microwave for 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until completely melted and incorporated. Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve with tortilla chips.

Saturday, 21 February, 2009

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Here is one of our favorite dishes to grill when the weather is nice. There have been a few mild evenings this February here in North Georgia – but tonight was not one of them. So we fired up the George Foreman grill instead!
Mediterranean Turkey Burgers
1 lb. ground turkey breast
2 ounces feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Greek seasoning
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 hamburger buns, buttered and toasted/broiled/grilled
In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, feta crumbles, sun-dried tomato, onion, Greek seasoning, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss lightly with a fork until ingredients are fully combined. Form the mixture into 4 equal patties, shaping lightly with your hands.

Grill using an outdoor grill, a grill pan on the stove, or (as we did tonight), a George Foreman grill. Cut into the burger to make sure that it is completely cooked, all the way through, before removing from the grill and serving. Remember that turkey meat isn’t like ground beef – you can’t cook it “medium” – you have to cook poultry until it is well-done.
Place one burger in each of your prepared buns, and top with special tangy sauce, and desired veggies, before serving.

Special Tangy Sauce
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Stir ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread generously on your turkey burgers, and enjoy!

Friday, 20 February, 2009

Moon-Washed Apples of Wonder

This is the most wonderful, moist, dense, and deliciously cozy cake you have EVER put in your mouth. The perfect end to a hearty winter meal.
This recipe comes from my mom’s sister – my sweet Auntie Heather. She is another one of the many great cooks in my family, so watch for more recipes from her in the future! You can tell how much we love this recipe by how worn and stained the recipe card looks.

Auntie Heather’s Apple Cake
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
3 large, tart cooking apples – peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a large bundt pan and set aside. In a large electric mixer bowl, beat vegetable oil and eggs on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the salt, baking soda, vanilla, sugar, and flour, and blend on low speed until incorporated. With a wooden spoon, fold in apples and pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Brown Sugar Glaze
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Put all ingredients in a small saucepan, and place over medium-low heat, stirring until melted. Increase the heat and continue to cook until mixture reaches a boil. Allow to boil for one minute. Remove from heat and allow the glaze to cool for 20 minutes so that it can thicken. Then spoon it over the cake so that it drips lavishly down the sides.

Wednesday, 18 February, 2009

Crock Pot Spinach Casserole

This spinach casserole has been one of my favorite dishes since childhood. The recipe came from the little booklet that came with my mom and dad’s Crockpot that they got back in the early 70s. Over the years, we’ve upped the amount of spinach and also adapted it for a dutch oven, but it’s still a family classic.

It’s a great way to get kids to eat their spinach; it’s a great way to get kids to love their spinach. It makes a delicious veggie side to go with dinner or it makes a great dip served hot with crackers. No matter how you serve it, you are going to love it!

Mom’s Spinach Casserole
Adapted from Rival Crock Pot booklet from the early 70s

3 10-ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups (about 8 oz.) american cheese, cubed (recommended: Velveeta)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
Apply cooking spray to the inside of your crock pot. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into prepared crock pot. Cook on high for 1 hour, then turn it down to low for 4-5 hours.
You may also use a dutch oven for this dish. Simply bake, covered, at 375 for 1 hour.