Spicy Chicken Nachos with Pepper Cheese Plus Taco Seasoning Recipe

We have been gifted with a half dozen or so packages of prime cheeses from Wisconsin and several varieties are pepper cheeses.  Just the thing for adorning a big platter of chicken nachos for an easy one dish supper for the two of us.

This weekend I saw again them being made in TV and thought I would roll out my homemade taco seasoning and sear some chicken to start things rolling.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/04/hot-ooey-gooey-tex-mex-cheese-dip-taco.html 
 (This is the link for the taco seasoning recipe.)

Ingredients for Spicy Chicken Nachos:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 t. taco seasoning
2 T. butter
2 t. chili powder
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
8 oz. shredded pepper cheese
corn chips
2-3 diced green onions
2 seeded diced ripe tomatoes
2-3 T. canned or fresh sliced peppers, optional
1/4 head shredded lettuce
sour cream

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet, cast iron if you have it.  Mix the taco seasoning and chili powder and season all sides of the chicken.  Sear the chicken all over then reduce the heat to medium and cook 8-10 minutes until done.  Remove the chicken to a platter and just let it sit a few minutes while you pour the Rotel into the hot skillet over the drippings and stir to loosen the bits in the pan.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Shred the chicken with 2 forks and return it to the pan with the tomatoes and chilies (Rotel).  Simmer 10-15 min.

Line a large serving platter with corn chips of your choice.  Ladle half of the hot chicken over the chips.  Next place a layer of half the shredded cheese.  Repeat layers with chips, chicken, and cheese.

Top the layers off with green onion slices, diced tomato, pepper slices, shredded lettuce, and sour cream.  DIG IN!  Pass lots of napkins!

This should serve 3-4 unless you have 2 starving men!  Or pass with small plates and forks as an appetizer or snack.  Serve as a dinner salad or a main dish. 

Roasted and Seasoned Warm Cubed Potatoes Replace Croutons on Green Salad Paired with Old World Spaetzle

My dinner salad before the dressing.

My German Grandmother made Rivila soup and I do not know how she made it but I tried Spaetzle because it looks close enough in heritage and composition to at least be a cousin!  This is a featured recipe from The Iowa Housewife blog written by two wonderful sisters.  It is my opinion that the star of this dish is the broth and being a lover of good homemade broth it was a hit at my house.

My husband's dinner salad with shredded cheese before dressing.

Complimenting this main dish I cubed a large potato and roasted it with salt pepper and olive oil for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. and served them warm atop a dinner green salad in place of croutons.  This was a delicious new twist!  My husband liked this better than croutons.

Our steaming Spaetzle a rich stock with chicken, vegetables, and noodles.

Ingredients for Spaetzle:

1 1/2 quarts good chicken or turkey stock
3/4 C. sliced celery
3/4 C. shredded carrot
1 large diced onion
2 C. diced chicken or turkey, optional

Simmer all together  20 minutes or so until the vegetables are tender.

Batter for Spaetzle:

1 large beaten egg
good pinch of salt, no more than 1/4 t.
1/2 C. flour
1 T. milk

Beat egg, add salt, flour, and milk gradually.  Beat well.  Batter should be thick and elastic.  Butter or spray with cooking spray a flat dinner plate and a table knife.  Flatten out the batter on the prepared plate and tilt it over the bubbling hot soup.  Slice off small noodles and slide them off the plate.  Continue until the batter is gone.  Let them cook about 5 minutes until they are all floating atop the soup.  Garnish with parsley or green onion diced finely if desired and serve.  Yield 4 servings.

Catfish Supper, After the Holiday's, It's Time to Use Up the Freezer and Pantry Items.

Pan Fried Catfish with Seasoned Green Beans and Cole Slaw.

After the winter rush to the Christmas and New Year's Holidays there is a big sigh at my house!  The rush is over and the long cold winter days stretch out ahead.  I don't even want to get out in the cold and damp unless the sun is out!  If I see the sun life seems much less daunting to me.

During this time I rumble through cabinets and the freezers to see what I can fix to keep from having to go out!  Many times this serves a dual purpose inasmuch as I forget what I do have as it gets pushed to the back or under something else. It needs to be found, it it needs to be used! Plus it is quite often a treat!

Yesterday morning I was rumbling through frozen packages in the upright freezer and found a bag of beautiful catfish fillets my brother Gary had caught and given us.  This made a real treat of a dinner as Brian is a great lover of fish and sea food.

I pulled out 2 pints of green beans I canned from the summer and found a half a head of cabbage in the refrigerator for Cole slaw and it became a feast!

Ingredients for Fried Catfish:

1-2 pounds fish filet's
1 C. flour
1 C. corn meal
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 t. Paprika
Oil for frying

Rinse and dry the fish.  Combine the dry ingredients in a shallow dish and dredge the fish.  Heat about 3/4" of oil in a frying pan to 350 degrees F.  Fry the fish until golden brown on both sides and drain on paper towels.  Yield 4-6 servings.  Serve with seasoned green beans and slaw.

Ingredients for Seasoned Green Beans:

1 quart canned green beans
6 slices bacon
1 onion, diced
1 C. fingerling carrots, optional
salt
pepper

Dice the bacon into a heavy bottomed pan and fry until crisp.  Add the onions and saute about 2 minutes.  Add the green beans with their juice and season to taste.  Bring to a boil then simmer 20-30 minutes.  Serve hot and taste again to correct the seasoning.  Yield 4-6 servings.

Ingredients for Cole Slaw:

1/2 head green cabbage shredded fine
1/2 onion diced fine
1-2 carrots shredded

Dressing:

3/4 C. Miracle Whip salad dressing
1/4 C. sugar
2 1/2 T. cider vinegar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Prepare the vegetables and set aside.

Use a large mug to prepare the dressing.  Add the dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth with a fork or small whisk.  Pour over the vegetables and toss until all coated.  Serve chilled.  Yield 4-6 servings

I will thank God every day I am able to do what I do. Gingersnaps, Banana Bread, Ribs, & Slaw

Every fall I always make Gingersnaps and this is my mot favorite recipe!

This 1-2-3 banana bread is as easy as it gets!

Yes, I was feeling all toasty and made my banana bread     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/10/1-2-3-banana-bread.html and baked ginger snap cookies yesterday.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/12/gingersnaps.html 

Mmmmm!  Need I say more?

That feeling continued today as I heard Brian out doors with the big leaf blower going! But then as I cleaned up my mess from having put BBQ ribs in to slow cook    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/08/slow-cooker-country-back-ribs-with-just.html
and shredded cabbage for Cole slaw I heard my cell phone and it was a weather alert!  Winter Storm warning. NO, I am not ready for this! Not yet!

Oh gees!  The days have already been so grey.  That is bad enough but for the early cold and now snow before Thanksgiving.  Uncommon her but not unheard of.  And then all of the illness and hard times that have befallen those I love.

So much for my pity party.  Get on with it and rejoice in so many things! Not in any particular order.

1. I live in the USA.  While I strongly disagree with the direction things are currently headed we still are a wonderful nation and have been so very blessed.  I will remember to thank God every day for this and for those who guard and protect us all.

2.  My wonderful husband and family.  I will thank God every day for every one of them.

3.  Clean air and water.  I will thank God every day for this.

4. Food and our home and Molly.  I will thank God every day for this.

5. Prayer.  I will speak with God every day through this.

Psalm 71:18  Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.   (KJV)

Mom's Hot Chicken Salad for Friday Night Supper!

Awhile back I mentioned I would share my Mother's recipe for Hot Chicken Salad.  Today that sounded good with the fresh Corn on the Cob in the refrigerator and the Beef Steak Tomatoes in my kitchen window.  We have a menu and Friday night supper is planned.

Ingredients for Mom's Hot Chicken Salad:

4 C. cooked diced chicken (Today I used breasts but I use whatever is on hand.)
2 C. chopped celery
4 chopped hard cooked eggs
3/4 C. Miracle Whip
3/4 C. undiluted cream of mushroom soup
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. minced onion
1 t. salt

Ingredients for Topping:

1 1/2 C. crushed potato chips
1 C. grated Swiss cheese
2/3 C. slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Butter a flat baking dish, I use a 10"x,10" square corning ware dish as old as I am, and set it aside.  Mix together the Chicken Salad ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight. 

Before baking mix together the topping ingredients.

Spread the chicken salad in the buttered dish then spread evenly with the topping.  Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.  Serve "hot".

Grilled Watermelon Caprici Salad, Blueberry Coffee Cake, Making Cookies with the Twins, & Visiting Family has Rounded off my Week Away

Grilled Watermelon Caprici Salad

Wednesday of last week I headed north to Indianapolis as did our muddle son to our oldest son's home.  There were medical tests scheduled at IU Medical center Thursday and cookie baking on Friday.  All went very well and again I thank God for his goodness.

Jack decorates cookies.

Sam decorates cookies too.

Now Jack loves chocolate chip cookies and Same loves frosted cookies so we did two batches and of course there was plenty of help in the frosting of them!    Here are the links for the cookie recipes.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/01/chocolate-chip-cookies-for-chris.html      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/02/grandma-hearts-cookies-for-my-kids.html

The MAKING OF GRILLED WATERMELON CAPRICI SALAD:

The most interesting new food I tried was a Grilled Watermelon Caprici Salad. It was delicious! Slabs of fresh watermelon were salted, peppered, and drizzled with honey then grilled!  Meanwhile a glaze of 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup of brown sugar was mixed in a small pan and brought to a boil then simmered to a thick syrup consistency.

The grilled watermelon with the tomatoes and cheese.

After the watermelon came from the grill it was topped with cherry tomatoes of red and  yellow and tiny balls of fresh mozzarella cheese.  Next fresh basil strands sliced in thin were added and the balsamic vinegar reduction topped it all!  Wow it was so good!   Unexpectedly so!

Glazed Blueberry Coffee Cake.

Breakfast was a treat with fresh blueberry coffee cake and my two cups of black coffee.  I didn't get the recipe but I did snap pictures with my phone!

I also visited my Mother and enjoyed her delicious Hot Chicken Salad which I will share with you soon and Chocolate Pudding Cake.  Here is the link to the Chocolate Pudding Cake:      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/02/chocolate-chocolate-pudding-cake.html

My sisters Linda and Sheree are both caring for family members at home and I visited them both too.

It was great to see everyone and I had planned to stop and see my brother Gary and Grandma Powell on the way home but had a dead battery and had to call AAA to get me going.  After that I was afraid to shut the car off for fear I would get stranded half way home!  So I didn't make those planned visits this time.

Actually I made it home fine yesterday and the car ran like a top.  Evidently there was a door ajar or something that ran down the cell as it is a new battery and checked out just fine!

Cherry Tomato Salad with Garlic and Fresh Herbs, with Variations and Serving Suggestions

Honestly it is a challenge for me to save up a quart of cherry tomatoes because we all want to beat out the critters and eat them from the vine!  I do not recall seeing very many recipes for them although my Grandmother did make Cherry Tomato Preserves which were delicious.  Lately there are a few and this is adapted from one I saw Ree Drummond make on The Pioneer Woman awhile back.

This is a salad born for summer with fresh herbs and tomatoes plentiful.  You could just cut up regular tomatoes but it is so attractive to nestle the little red and/or yellow globes into a butter lettuce cup.  Oh my....just lovely.

You could make this using shallots with chives which I almost did this morning but the fragrance of that basil I have planted outside every door of my home and in the garden just got to me!  I find the scent of basil heavenly mingled with the aroma of growing tomato plants.  Heck, I could toss this salad atop a freshly baked pizza and be in heaven.

Ingredients for Cherry Tomato Salad with Garlic and Fresh Herbs:

4 T. good extra virgin olive oil
5-6 cloves fresh garlic finely minced
1 quart fresh cherry tomatoes washed and halved ( nice to vary the color but lovely all red ripe)
16-18 fresh washed basil leaves chiffonade
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 T. balsamic vinegar

Using a flat heavy bottomed pan combine the olive oil, salt. pepper, and garlic and saute over medium heat for a minute or so until the garlic just begins to turn golden.  Immediately remove from the heat as it can burn and be ruined quickly. 

Cool while you halve the tomatoes and prepare the basil.  Stir everything together to combine.  Cover and let sit to meld the flavors.  Serve as is or pour into lettuce cups or over a big bowl of washed and prepared lettuce greens.  Or, top a perfectly grilled steak, a burger, a tuna salad, gosh I can go on and on!

Yield 1 quart tomato salad.

10 Minute Meal, Steak and Salad

This might be my most favorite quick and easy meal.  Steak and salad.  One thing that makes this nice is we can buy thin cut choice rib eye steaks from our local butcher shop.  They are 1/2-5/8" thick and are perfectly cooked in 7 minutes to our liking.  Actually it will work with any steak you would just to add to the cooking time a bit.  This recipe or "process" is from my late Aunt June Burress who passed many years ago.

Aunt June placed 1-2 T. butter in the bottom of a SCREAMING HOT cast iron skillet.  I changed to olive oil both are fine!  Next slide in your seasoned steak.  Using a second smaller cast iron skillet or a cast bacon or sandwich press, weight down the steak and set the timer.  I start with 4 minutes. 

Meanwhile make the salad and ready the plates!

Turn the steak at 4 minutes, place the weight back atop the meat and set the timer to 3 minutes.  Put ice in the glasses and pour the drinks.

Our steaks are done to perfection....to the point that my husband doesn't even want any sauce.  He says the meat is just delicious as it is.  I agree!

I have an easy clean up too.   I love this meal.

Father's Day Tomato, Cucumber, and Pepper in Our Garden, First Vegetables of 2014.

First ripe tomatoes of 2014.

Two days ago I was very excited to see two tomatoes turning in our garden.  Then last night they were red!  I looked a bit more and found a cucumber and a pepper.

First cuke 2014.

It may be my imagination but this seems the earliest we have ever harvested anything!  One year I let them stay in the garden too long and when I went to pick something else had eaten it!  So today I plan to pick!

First pepper 2014.

I am thinking these will be lovely to serve in our Father's Day dinner Sunday.  They would make a great addition to a big salad.   Happy Father's Day to one and all!

Deviled Eggs & Red Potato Salad, Easy Last Minute Preparations for a Simplified Easter Dinner

Our family loves Deviled Eggs so I allow for about 3 per person.

Yesterday I dyed Easter Eggs and made three dozen hard cooked eggs altogether for the baskets, deviled eggs, and potato salad for Easter Dinner.  This Easter Menu is much simpler than the traditional one I usually prepare.  Because I've hurt my foot I am "cheating" and have ordered fried chicken from our local market.  It is delicious and I really don't think you can ever go wrong with fried chicken for Sunday dinner!

Easter Menu

Fried Chicken
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Cole Slaw
Deviled Eggs
Vegetable Platter with Dip
Hot Rolls
Iced Tea
Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream

So with the chicken ordered and the vegetables and dip in the refrigerator today I made the deviled eggs and potato salad.  Leaving only the slaw, baked beans, rolls, and strawberries to contend with tomorrow. The rolls are made up and in the freeze and the slaw is cut leaving only to be dressed.  I can slice the berries as the beans bake.

Ingredients for Deviled Eggs:

15 hard cooked eggs peeled and halved
1-1 1/4 C. Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1 1/2 t. yellow mustard
1 1/2 T. pickle relish
1-2 t. sweet pickle juice
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
paprika for garnish

Place the halved eggs on a serving tray or large flat container for storing.

Place the Miracle Whip, yellow mustard, pickle relish, salt, and pepper in the bottom of the food processor on top of the chopping blade.  Next add the egg yolks and pulse until smooth.  Taste and add the sweet pickle juice until the desired consistency is reached.  (I do not like them "dry" and the juice helps.)

Using a spatula scrape the yolk mixture off into a gallon sized zipper bag and push to one corner.  Snip the corner forming a 3/8" to 1/2" hole and push the filling through the hole to fill the cavity of each egg. This really makes the filling of the eggs go quickly! If they are a little pointed just wet the end of your index finger with water and push down a little.  Sprinkle with paprika and store covered in the refrigerator until serving time.  Yield 30 deviled eggs.

This is a very simple but delicious potato salad.

Ingredients for Red Potato Salad:

3 pounds red potatoes. peel and quarter half the potatoes and leave peels on the other half quartering them also.  Boil in a covered pan in salted water until fork tender and drain well.
6 hard cooked eggs. peeled
3//4 C. diced celery
1/2 C. pickle relish
1-1 1/4 C. Hellman's Mayonnaise
1- 1 1/2 t. Grey French mustard
1-1 1/2 T. sugar
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Place the cooled potatoes in a bowl dicing them to bite size as you go.  Add the celery, chopped eggs, and pickle relish.   This is a very basic and simple potato salad and the dressing just makes it!

Mix in a smaller bowl the Mayonnaise,  Grey French mustard, and sugar.  Poor the dressing over the salad, add the salt and pepper and toss well.  Taste and correct seasoning if needed. Refrigerate covered until serving time.  Yield 8-10 servings.

Chicken Taco Salad with Fresh Corn and Ranch Dressing (Dinner Salad for Six)

Fresh corn, tomatoes, peppers all abound at our local market!  I have never tried chicken a chicken taco salad made at home so today is the day!  I am pulling out the stops with a fresh an tasty salad Sunday dinner.  We have spent Saturday working outside and a fresh and  easy meal for Sunday is just the ticket!

Ingredients for Taco Chicken Salad with Fresh Corn and Ranch Dressing:

6 fresh boneless skinless chicken breast halves (3 whole)
6 ears fresh corn (leave in the husks)
4 tomatoes, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
corn chips
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
taco seasoning
ranch dressing or other dressing you prefer
2 T. canola or olive oil
2 T. butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

When the oven is hot place the corn in the husks directly on the center rack of the oven and leave for 10-12 minutes.  Next start the chicken.

I like to split the chicken breasts in half longways to make them thinner by placing the palm of one hand on top of the breast to hold it firm and using a filet knife to slice the thickness into two thinner filets.  Do this slowly until you get the hang of it.  OR buy smaller chicken breasts and you will not need to bother.  These are so large!  They are at least a pound for a whole one!

Season the pieces of chicken well on both sides with Taco Seasoning.  Here is the link to my recipe for making your own Taco Seasoning.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/10/turkey-bean-burritos-with-homemade.html

Melt the butter and add the oil to the skillet and brown the chicken filets over medium high heat until done.  About 4-6 minutes a side.  

Meanwhile the timer should go off for the corn.  Pull the ears out and place them aside covered with a kitchen towel until the chicken is done.  CHANGE THE OVEN SETTING TO 175 to 200 degrees
F and leave it to preheat.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm in a covered pan or casserole dish in a 175-200 degree F warm oven until you are ready to slice.

Remove the husks from the corn.

Place a smaller bowl upside down inside a much larger ovenproof bowl to form a platform to place one end of the corn onto.  Place one end of the shucked corn atop the inverted smaller bowl and slice from the top down rotating the ears.  Slice the kernels from the six ears of corn.  Fish out the small bowl and cover the larger bowl of corn either with a lid or foil.  Place the corn in the warm oven with the chicken and hold them while you cut the vegetables.  Pull out the chicken and slice it across the grain about 1/4" in thickness, place back into the warm oven covered.

To assemble the salad place a bed of corn chips on individual plates or a very large platter.  Next scatter the chips with shredded cheese then the warm sliced chicken.  Sprinkle generously with the warm corn kernels, lettuce, tomato, and onion.  Top with ranch or your favorite dressing and serve.

Here are two links for making your own ranch dressing recipes that we especially like.  One is made with all fresh herbs and the other with dried herbs and seasonings.     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-best-homemade-ranch-dressing-recipe.html     or      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/05/salads-with-ranch-and-thousand-island.html   

I hope you enjoy these.  This salad yielded 6 man-sized portions.

Marinaded Vegetable Salad

This too is an old recipe.  Many years ago I tasted this at a Church picnic at the Old Lock and Damn Park.  I regret that I do not recall the name of the lady who made it, served it, and so graciously gave me this recipe.  I was a young mother and she had grey hair much as I do now!

It is made with common pantry items and just gets better as it marinates in the refrigerator.  I have doubled her recipe and used "crisp" corn rather than the white shoe peg variety.  I adapted it further by using cut green beans and using half cider vinegar. and half white vinegar.  It is delicious either way and I love to make it every spring when I get "crazy" for salads!

Ingredients for Marinaded Vegetable Salad:

2 cans white shoe peg corn drained
2 cans French cut green beans drained
2 cans baby peas drained
1 jar pimentos drained
1 C. diced celery
1/2 C. onion diced small

Place the above salad ingredients into a container you can seal or with a lid to marinade in the refrigerator and set aside while you make the dressing.

1 1/2 C. sugar
1 C. white vinegar
2/3 C. oil
salt and black pepper to taste (I use a very good sized pinch of each.)

Combine the dressing ingredients in a medium size pan and bring to a boil stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat and pour onto the drained vegetables.  Stir to combine.  Store covered in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.

Yield 16 servings.

Hash Brown Casserole with Broccoli Raisin Salad and Prime Sirloin Steak Dinner (Beef Grades)

We really like all sorts of potato dishes and when they can be prepared ahead and look good as well as easy it is a dish worth trying!  This is an adaptation of a recipe I saw Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman make on TV one day a few weeks ago.  This really made a great supper with Broccoli Raisin Salad and Skillet Roasted Sirloin Steaks I found at a bargain price.  The truth is the potatoes were good but not stellar as I would term some of our other favorite potato dishes.  It was liked but not "loved"!  So, I think they were worth a try and perhaps a repeat appearance on our families table,

Ingredients for Hash Brown Casserole:

1, 2 pound bag of frozen square cut hash brown potatoes
1 large onion diced
4 assorted spicy hot peppers diced (I used 2 jalapeno, 1 banana pepper, and 1 chili pepper, seeds and membrane removed and diced)
3 C. shredded cheese (I used half cheddar and half Jack)
8 slices cooked bacon and  2T. of the drippings

Cook the bacon until just before it is crispy in a large heavy skillet then remove and reserve.  Pour off the excess bacon drippings reserving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet to sauté
the vegetables in.

Toss the onion into the skillet and drippings then sauté about a minute next add the diced peppers and cook 2-3 minutes more until tender crisp.  Add the hash brown potatoes and brown.  Meanwhile butter a 2-3 quart casserole.

Add half of the potatoes and peppers mixture to the dish.  Top with half of the cheese.  Layer the rest of the potatoes then the rest of the cheese.  Top with the bacon.  At this point you can cover and refrigerate for later or bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30-40 minutes until bubbling hot.

To go to the recipe for Broccoli Raisin Salad just click on the following link!    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/08/broccoli-raisin-salad.html     Note:   This is a favorite favorite salad recipe from the old Lazarus cookbook.



I have been going to our local Sam's Club and do not normally buy meat there but love their produce. When there last week they did have a special I could not pass up without trying!  Prime (meat grade) sirloin steak.  Please click on the following link for a further explanation of understanding  beef grades.     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/05/beef-grades.html  This grade you do not see just every day as those of you who know about meat grades can attest.  Plus the price was like maybe 5 or 6 dollars a pound (as I recall)??   So, with not much to lose by trying it I bought a package.


Ingredients for the Sirloin Steak:

Sirloin Steak trimmed and 1/2-5/8" thick
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. oil
2 t. butter

Allow the meat to come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before preparing.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.   Salt and pepper the steaks generously.  Heat a cast iron skillet until it is SCREAMING hot.  Add the oil to the pan and then the steaks and butter.  Sear 3-4 minutes on the first side.  Turn the steak then remove the pan from the stove to the preheated oven.  Leave in the oven about 4-5 minutes for medium rare.  6-7 minutes for medium.  Remove from the oven to a board or platter and tent with foil.  Let the meat sit for 8-10 minutes then serve.  ( Take the meat out of the hot skillet or it may over cook.  It needs to sit outside the pan on a platter or board.)  Easy and delicious!  I only cooked enough steak to serve 2 but froze an additional 4 servings for use another day.

The sirloin steak was the star of this meal and I will buy Prime sirloin steak again should I be fortunate enough to find it!

Note:  These cooking times may vary a bit based on the heat level of the burners.  I am using a 13,000 BTU gas burner for the sear and a gas oven for the roast.

Steak & Salad for 2, QUICK MEAL, Under 15 Minutes.

Steak & Salad with Cheddar & Ranch

Steak & Salad with Blue & French

When I came home from visiting for Mother's 86th birthday I was fine but within a day allergies have hit in full force.  So I am game for quick and easy meals and this fills the bill beautifully!

Ingredients for Steak & Salad for 2:

2 Choice rib eye or strip steaks 5/8-3/4" thick
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 bag salad greens of your liking
2 tomatoes
2-3 ounces of cheese (I used crumbled blue cheese for one salad and shredded cheddar for the other)
black olives
bottled or home made salad dressing of your liking (I used my homemade ranch and bottled French)


I like to use big pasta bowls for serving these dinner salads but use what you like.   Preheat the oven for  425 degrees F.

Set the steaks out for about 20 minutes to come to room temperature before beginning the cooking.  Next VERY generously salt and pepper the steaks on both sides.

Using your largest cast iron skillet or comparable vessel heat it to screaming hot over the highest heat.  Quickly place the butter, oil and seasoned steaks in the hot hot pan.  Sear for 3-4 minutes, turn once and remove from the heat to the preheated oven for about 7 minutes for a medium steak, 9-10 will be well done.

Greens with blue cheese

Greens with cheddar

Meanwhile place the desired amount of greens, tomato, black olives, cheese, and dressing into each serving bowl.

Remove the steaks from the oven and tent with foil for about 10 minutes, slice across the grain of the meat and fan across the top of the salad.  Serve and smile!  Yield 2 happy servings!

Blueberry Chef Salad

Fresh Blueberry Chef Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing.

Today is our first day of a 70 degree temperature and it is a stunning sunny day!  SNOW flurries tomorrow ....would you believe?  It is true but I am inspired!  Since yesterday I have had a compulsion for smoothies and salads.

Today after hauling 4 large trash bags to the garage and then 2 big boxes I sat with a glass of ice water to cool off.  Now doesn't that sound nice!  To cool off!  At any rate good old Dr. Oz came on the TV preaching all about blueberries and all sorts of good for you berries.  I remembered I had tucked back a couple of cups of fresh blueberries and thought they go great on top of the chef salad I had just fixed for lunch.  You know, they are not too sweet....so why not?  They were delicious with the ranch dressing and white cheddar cheese I had topped the salad with!  I will make blueberries a regular o my green salads from now on!  Here are links to three of my homemade salad dressings, 2 for ranch and 1 for thousand island.     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-best-homemade-ranch-dressing-recipe.html       thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/05/salads-with-ranch-and-thousand-island.html

Ingredients for Blueberry Chef Salad:

6 washed, dried, and torn romaine leaves
handful of cherry tomatoes
handful of diced carrots
handful of diced celery
handful of croutons
1/4 C. diced ham
1/4 C. shredded cheese of your choice
1/4 C. ranch dressing (3-4 tablespoons to your liking.)
1/4 C. fresh blueberries

Arrange the ingredients in the order listed on a plate and serve.  Yield 1 large salad serving or 2 small.

Yes, I am still cleaning and hauling off.   That is why I have been somewhat remiss in my postings.  Big bags of things that need to go are not very interesting !

Green Salad with Asparagus, Eggs, and Tomatoes for Two

Blanching fresh vegetables is a routine chore in my kitchen.  This week I blanched fresh green beans and then popped fresh asparagus after the beans were finished.  It is very simple.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and submerge the fresh vegetables.  Return to a boil, for green beans I boil 2-3 minutes, remove them with a slotted spoon directly into a large bowl of ice and water to shock.  As soon as they are cold pull them out to drain in a colander.  Since I wanted to blanch the asparagus too I dropped them into the same water after bringing it back up to a boil.  I also used the same ice bath.  I boil fresh asparagus 1-2 minutes after breaking off the tough ends.

Ingredients for Green Salad with Asparagus, Eggs, and Tomatoes:

6 Washed and dried Romaine leaves
4 green onions
1 carrot
2 radishes
6 blanched stalks of blanched asparagus
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
2 hard cooked eggs
Dressing of your choice
Croutons, optional

Shred the lettuce between two salad plates.  Top with sliced green onion, diced carrot, sliced radishes, and halved cherry tomatoes.  Cut the stalks of blanched asparagus in 1" pieces saving the ends for the top of the salad.  Quarter the eggs and place them around the asparagus. 

Serve with your favorite dressing and croutons if desired.  Serves two.