Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan and Mac and Cheese Balls



 Tonight we have two returning Air Fryer recipes.

The Chicken Parmesan was actually Chicken Tenders that were finished off in the oven.

Ingredients-

1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 oz milk
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
6 chicken tenders
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp olive oil
Marinara Sauce
Mozzarella, shredded
Parmagiano

Method-
Preheat oven to 350˚.

Pour flour onto a pan.
Combine the egg and milk into a bowl and mix.
Pour the breadcrumb onto a separate pan.
Dip each chicken into the flour, then the egg, and then the breadcrumbs/

Insert the Fry tray into the Basket. Insert the basket into the air fryer.
Press the French Fry button (400˚F) and set the cooking time to 3 minutes. Let the air fryer preheat.

Place the chicken tenders onto the Basket. Insert the basket into the air fryer.

Press the French Fry button (400˚F) and set the cooking time to 10 minutes. Flip the chicken tenders halfway through the cooking time. 

Remove tenders from the air fryer basket.

Put tenders on a baking pan. Cover with sauce and cheeses. Heat in oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.


The Mac and Cheese Balls were in the freezer and were heated up while the chicken was in the oven. Click here for the recipe for the mac and cheese balls.

Insert the Fry Tray into the basket. 

Set the cooking temp to 360˚ and the cooking time to 3 minutes. Let the air fryer preheat.

Place the mac and cheese balls in the basket.

Cook at 360˚ for 5 minutes. Rotate the mac and cheese balls and cook for another 5 minutes.


Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Sausage Stuffed Peppers



I think this is a better Stuffed Pepper. Sausage, bread cubes, parsley, cheese, and egg. The stuffing just tastes better than the rice and beef that I usually make. 

Well, that is just my opinion.

Monday, March 29, 2021

Salad and Fried Dough




 Keep in simple Monday.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Winner Winner Air Fryer Fried Chicken Dinner



I have always wanted to make Fried Chicken. I just have this thing about large pans of oil. Back in my restaurant days, I got an electric shock while cleaning out a fryolator. So the idea of a pot of oil in the kitchen of my house never made me feel comfortable. Until the Air Fryer arrived.

This is a no-brainer. This was delicious chicken. I used two bone-in the breast and 2 thighs. I cut the breast in 1/2 so the cooking time would be the same for all the chicken. I soaked the chicken pieces in a cup of buttermilk and 2 tbsp of hot sauce for about 7 hours in the fridge.

I mixed 2 cups of flour with salt, pepper, onion powder. Dredged the chicken in the flour and sprayed both sides of the chicken with cooking spray. This can get a bit messy. Need to work on how this is done...

Into the air fryer basket with the temp set at 390˚ for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken over, spraying any flour you see on the chicken with cooking spray and set the timer for another 10 minutes. The chicken will be ready when the internal temp is 165˚.

It is not KFC crispy but it was quite delicious.

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Ina's Beef Stew


This was really really good. Forgot to add the peas at the end. Chris was not bothered by this at all.

Perfect for a lazy Sunday around the house.

INA GARTEN'S UNFORGETTABLE BEEF STEW



  • Ingredients-
  • 3/4 pounds good quality beef chuck, cubed into ~ 1 ½" sized pieces
  • 1/2 bottle of good red wine
  • 3-4 bay leaves
  • 1 cups flour 
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 ½" chunks
  • 1/2 lb potatoes cut into chunks
  • 1 cup beef stock or broth
  • 1 branch fresh rosemary (if you have cheesecloth wrap some around the Rosemary)
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Method-

Marinate the Beef
Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, and bay leaves.
Marinate overnight in the refrigerator
Brown the Beef
The next day, preheat the oven to 300° F
In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, 1 Tbsp salt, and pepper, and combine
Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon, discard the bay leaves saving the marinade.
In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mix before shaking off the excess.
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly.
Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. 
Place all the beef in the Dutch oven

Prep the Veggies
In the same large pot, heat another glug of oil before adding the onions, carrots, and potatoes.
Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally

Finish the Soup
Place all the vegetables into the Dutch oven over the beef.
Add the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon
Add the stock, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, ½ Tbsp salt, and 2 tsp pepper
Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove.
Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, or until all of the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking
If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275° F.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Rosemary Balsamic Pork Chops And Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes



Let's just start with the potatoes. I found this recipe on the Blue-Eyed Soul Food blog. This is my new favorite potato recipe. Oh, amazing. Crispy and crunchy and the seasoning possibilities are endless. One suggestion was as a snack during a football game next fall. Like we will wait that long to make these again!

Ingredients-
1 1/2 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes
2 cups chicken stock ( I used Vegetable Stock)
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick) – melted
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp paprika
Kosher sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method-
Place the potatoes in a medium-sized pot
Pour in the broth, enough to cover the potatoes
Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork-tender
Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a cutting board
In a small bowl combine the melted butter, olive oil, parsley & paprika
Dip the bottom of a small drinking glass in the butter mixture and gently press the potatoes with the bottom of the glass. Dip the glass into the butter as needed while smashing the potatoes. Be careful not to smash them too hard so they break apart. Just enough to flatten slightly

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees
Spray or lightly coat the air-fryer basket with a little bit of olive oil
Gently transfer the potatoes in one layer to the basket of the air fryer
Brush some of the butter mixtures with a basting brush over the tops
Sprinkle salt & pepper evenly over the potatoes
Air fry for 10 minutes at 400 degrees
Remove the basket & gently flip the potatoes
Brush with more of the butter mixture. Season again with salt & pepper
Continue to air-fry for 8 minutes at 400 degrees until crispy and browned.


The pork chop recipe is my 2nd favorite way to prepare pork.

The sauce is spot on with the pork, especially adding 1/2 tbsp of Dijon to the Balsamic vinegar.

Rosemary Balsamic Pork Chops-

Ingredients-
2 Pork Chops, at least 1-inch thick
salt, and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary leaves
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

Method-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Rub each chop with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Arrange in a baking dish and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until firm but springy to the touch. Remove the chops from the oven and sprinkle with rosemary and vinegar. 
To give the sauce a creamy texture with no added fat, mix a tablespoon of mustard with the vinegar before adding it to the pan. Return to the oven and bake 5 minutes more to caramelize the vinegar. Serve immediately. 

Friday, March 19, 2021

Lent Week Five. Is it????

ALERT!!! Special Dispensation for The Feast of Saint Joseph. 

We Can EAT Meat tonight!!!



When the priest read this announcement last week in the church there were cheers from the congregation.

We got Chinese. Pork Fried Rice, BBQ Spare Ribs, Fried Dumplings, and General Tso's Chicken.

Jia Mei once again provides an absolutely delicious meal.

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Hot Dogs and Pasta


The last time I made this recipe was in 2016. Next time will be sooner. The pasta was made with Parmesan cheese folded in before the last roll on the pasta machine. Why don't I do that more often???

I used hot dogs and pancetta. Why not! No complaints from the other side of the table.

The Pasta recipe
Ingredients-
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Method-
Place the flour, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, gradually add the oil then 1/3 to 1/2 cup water until the mixture forms a dough (the dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers). If necessary, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the dough is too dry.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a ball and knead until the dough is smooth 5 to 8 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.


When you are rolling out the pasta dough and you get to the second to last setting and sprinkled the pasta with Parmesan cheese and then folded it in thirds and put it back through the pasta machine, putting the setting back 2 places. (You should be at setting 6 and that is when you add the cheese. After the dough is folded over you put the machine back to setting 5 and proceed.). And then continued rolling until you got to the lowest setting. 

Hot Dogs and Pasta
Ingredients-
4 hot dogs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8-ounce broad egg noodles
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Method-
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes; drain.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet. Cook the hot dog pieces in the butter until browned. Add the hot dogs to the drained noodles with 2 tablespoons butter, parsley, and Parmesan cheese; stir until butter is melted and the hot dogs are coated.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Pork Chops and Apple Sauce



It seems like forever that we have had Pork Chops for dinner. My sister said she made them this week and I could not wait for dinner tonight. Moist as always. 

The recipe, pretty basic stuff.
The chops are breaded with a mixture of Panko and plain bread crumbs, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. I browned the pork chops in some olive oil on each side until browned and added a little white wine to the pan. After the wine reduced I popped the pan in the oven for about 15 minutes. 

That is all there is to it.

Friday, March 12, 2021

Lent Week Four- What Do You Think We Had?

 If you guessed Rocco's Pizza you are a WINNER!!!!



The Goat Pizza and the Eggplant Pizza from Rocco's.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

This recipe came with the air fryer. Not bad. The only thing is I would cook them for at least 2 minutes less than the recipe suggests. But it was the first time so that change is noted in the recipe below. But you should test the tenders before you finish cooking them.

Ingredients-
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 oz milk
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
6 chicken tenders
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Method-
Pour flour onto a pan.
Combine the egg and milk into a bowl and mix.
Pour the breadcrumb onto a separate pan.
Dip each chicken into the flour, then the egg, and then the breadcrumbs/

Insert the Fry tray into the Basket. Insert the Basket into the air fryer.
Press the French Fry button (400˚F) and set the cooking time to 3 minutes. Let the air fryer preheat.

Place the chicken tenders onto the Basket. Insert the basket into the air fryer.

Press the French Fry button (400˚F) and set the cooking time to 12 minutes. Flip the chicken tenders halfway through the cooking time.

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken With Potatoes

The first time I made this was back in 2018. Our cat Archie was beyond himself with joy over this. He Loved Chicken!! Tonight I gave Lucy a taste of the chicken. Yup, she loved it too!

Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe

Ingredients-
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salt and Pepper
2 carrots, cut into thirds
2 celery, cut into thirds or quarters
2 1/2 to 3 -pound whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel, neck, and gizzards removed (if any)

Gravy (optional but too good not to make!)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
Drippings from Chicken
salt & pepper

Method-
Chop vegetables and add to a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker.

Prep the chicken
Bend the wings back around the neck of the chicken.
Use your fingers to separate the skin from the meat. Rub half of the butter under the skin and the other half on top of the skin. Season with salt, pepper.

Lay the chicken in the slow cooker on top of the vegetables. (No need to add water or broth). PLUG-IN THE SLOW COOKER. Turn slow cooker on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Remove chicken and place into a baking dish and broil for 4 to 6 minutes or until the skin is crisp. Keep an eye on the chicken under the broiler it can brown up pretty fast!

Carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables from the slow cooker if desired.

Gravy
Remove vegetables and pour the chicken broth from the bottom of the slow cooker into a fat separator or use a spoon to remove any extra fat. Strain the liquid.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon to cook the flour. Whisk in 1 to 1.5 cups of the strained chicken broth. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 30 to 60 seconds. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and season to taste.

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Sirloin Tips with Olive Oil Herb Rub


Full Menu -
Sirloin Tips with  Olive Oil Herb Rub,
Air Fried French Fries, and
 Green Beans Almondine.

I have had the recipe for the meat in my recipe folder since 2015. I made this in no time tonight. I had soaked the potatoes around 4pm so by 6pm we were ready to roll.

Sirloin Tips with  Olive Oil Herb Rub
Ingredients-
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano, use 1 tsp if you have fresh
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp lemon peel
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 # Sirloin Tips
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dry red wine

Method-
Preheat oven to 400˚
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the steak. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. coat pan with cooking spray. Add the sirloin tips to the pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Add wine; cook for 1 minute. Spread herb mixture over the steak; place pan in the oven. Bake at 400˚ for 10 minutes or until the desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting steal diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with pan sauce.



The Fries were a bit of a letdown. Not as crispy as I would have liked. I need more practice on that.


The Green Beans were nice! I melted butter and added almonds and sauteed for 3 to 4 minutes. They were removed from the pan and the pan was wiped clean. Next, I melted 2 tbsp of butter and sauteed a chopped shallot for 3 to 4 minutes. I added the beans to the pan with 1 tbsp of water and simmered for 4 to 5 minutes. Added some lemon juice, salt, and pepper, almonds, and parsley.

 

 

Friday, March 5, 2021

Lent Week Three. Rocco's Again



Yes, there is a pattern developing here. One of us is not really a fish fan. The other one really likes getting take-out on Friday nights. After a long week at work who wants to come home and make dinner, do dishes and then start baking?

I got a Facebook notification that Chris shared a link with me. It was for this Baked Stuffed Shrimp Pizza from Rocco's Off Wooster, our usual pizza place.



Now the stuffing for the shrimp that they make at Rocco's is the closest thing to what my Mother made. It is amazing. Now that on pizza! No Brainer!!! So damn delicious. I was a very happy person after a rather stressful week. I won't bore you with the plumbing issue that happened on Wednesday, yeah the day after the tree limb. Good grief.


Looking forward to an uneventful weekend. And yes I have leftover pizza in the fridge!






 

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

The Wind Was Strong Last Night

This is how my day started.

 



But this is how my day ended.