New Twist on Carrots and Potatoes

Every one cooks a hamburger steak with mushrooms and onions so I will not give out that recipe here unless one wants to know how I do mine. (It appears we may be eating a lot more hamburger if the food prices keep going up. Steak is already almost a memory and this paycheck we are getting the roast out of layaway. LOL. Nevertheless, I ramble) the star of this dinner is the two sides. Pioneer woman if only you did not live so far away, I think we could cook up some good times together. We used Pioneer Woman’s Crash potatoes, which she got, from another site. They were very easy to do and we are making them again soon, so soon that I just brought home another bag of potatoes in anticipation. I do need a potato masher mine seems to have got lost when we moved so I used a fork.
The other real surprise was the carrots glazed with Balsamic Vinegar. Now I did not grow up eating carrots as a side dish more in a salad, soup or stew never just on their own. However, these were great. Thanks recipezarr.

Carrots Glazed with Balsamic Vinegar
Serves 4

3 -4 tablespoons butter
½ bag or cup peeled baby carrots or
regular carrots, peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces, halved lengthwise
2-2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
2 1/4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or
cilantro (We used cilantro and it was great.)
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat.
Add carrots and sauté 5 minutes.
Cover and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
Stir in sugar and vinegar.
Cook uncovered until carrots are tender and glazed, stirring frequently, about 12 minutes longer. (We had to cook a little longer or we needed to have cut the carrots smaller)
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add parsley or cilantro and toss to blend.
Transfer to bowl and serve.

Crash Potatoes
Serves 4

16 small red potatoes or 8 med.
Salt
T Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
1-Tablespoon fennel or caraway seeds (we used caraway)
1-Tablespoon thyme or rosemary sprigs. (We used rosemary.)
Heat oven to 450
Do not peal potatoes bring too boil in salted water. Cook until a fort goes in easy about 15-18 min. depends on size. Do not want them soft.
Drain and place on oiled baking tray (we use a shot of Pam)
Use a potato masher to squash each potato flat. (Lost ours so use a fork or glass bottom)
Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice
Bake on top shelf in oven for 20 or 25 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Pork Chop Supper in a Skillet

We are trying to cook things that we do not use the oven because it is so hot. Unfortunately, most of the ones we want to try are oven dishes.
This was good it reminded us of a crock-pot dinner. We fixed a pear salad to go with it along with fresh tomatoes.



Pork Chop Supper in a Skillet

1 -2 1/2 Tablespoon of butter depending on size of chops
4 pork chops (we use ones with the bone in)
3- 4 medium red potatoes cut in small cubes
2 cups baby carrots cut in small bite size (this cuts down cooking time if vegetables are small and bite size)
1 small to medium onion in thin slices
1 small can mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
I clove garlic
Can add a little celery or celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon pepper to season chops.
½-cup water

Sprinkle lemon pepper on both sides of chops
Take1 ½ Tablespoon of butter and brown chops in large skillet (about 3-4 min on each side)
Pour in ½ cup of water cover and simmer about 15 minutes with cover on. Then turn and check water and add any if needed.
Cook this way for 45 min until chops are staring to get tender.
Meanwhile cut up vegetables
In separate skillet or saucepan, cook onion in 1Tablespoon of butter until clear
Add carrots and potatoes cream of mushroom soup garlic mushrooms celery salt and salt and pepper.
Heat until everything is mixed well (may need to add a ¼ cup of water) pour over pork chops.
(I find this does mess up an extra pot but everything gets mixed up good, You can just add everything to skillet with chops and save this step if you want)
Cover and simmer for 15 to 25 min or until vegetables are tender.

Two Salsa's

We love Salsa and have been looking for one and trying different recipes. This is one where we used two recipes and we think it works. If you try, it let us know. We like spicy so if you do not cut back on the jalapenos

1 (14 ½ ounce) can tomatoes and green chilies drained, reserve juice.
1 (14 ½ ounce) can diced tomatoes drained, reserve juice.
1 to 2 jalapenos chopped, to taste.
½-cup yellow onions diced.
2 garlic cloves minced.
½-teaspoon cumin.
¼-teaspoon sugar.
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped, to taste.
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, to taste.
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, to taste.
Salt and Pepper to taste.


Place both cans of tomatoes in collinear and reserve juice in bowl.
In food processor or blender place jalapenos, onions and garlic, chop for 2 to 5 seconds.
Add the remaining ingredients and process until you have the consistency you like.
Use the reserved tomatoes juice to add liquid if you need it.
Place in glass bowl, cover and refrigerate over night.

Shrimp or Chicken Okra Gumbo

Hello, this is the other half of Will's Kitchen and I cook when he lets me in the kitchen. In fact, we both enjoy cooking together now that we have a large enough kitchen for us both to be in there. This is one of my family recipes I am attempting to create. Of course it will never taste as good as Maw Maw’s or my mothers but I have to keep the tradition alive as long as I can. Since we have, no children to pass this on to I hope some one out there in the Internet world will find this and enjoy it and maybe add it to their family favorites on Sunday.
Potato salad and fresh farmers market tomatoes go great with this.
E


Chicken or Shrimp Okra Gumbo

Cook chicken in skillet until it changes from raw
(Now my mom left out that she uses a whole chicken cut up and one with the bones does add a little more flavor than one with out bones. I tried it both ways and like the chicken cut up with the bones. For just me and my hubby we only used ½ of the chicken use the whole if feeding 4 or more)

Brown 1 large onion chopped (I use the oil I browned chicken in.)
Add ¾ cup celery (also add the tops or leaves)
¼ to ½ bell pepper
3 garlic cloves
then add 1/8 to ¼ cup of water
1 Tablespoon of vinegar ( I think this is the secret ingredient they used. In fact it is to keep the okra from becoming slimy.)
Now add about 1 to 1 ½ cup cut okra.
Let cook on low fire uncovered until okra stars to break up some.
Add a peeled chopped red or green tomatoes or a can of chopped tomatoes. ( I have used both can and a green one and prefer a green one if you can find it)
Add 2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon basil
2 cups water
1 can chicken broth
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Chicken (If using shrimp add last 10 min to gumbo)
Hot sauce to taste or Zatarans. (I used hot sauce my Maw Maw did not have Zatarans when she made it.)
Let simmer with lid on about 1 to 1 1/2 hour or till chicken is cooked. Serve over rice. (Should be served like a soup lots of juice)
Even better the next day.
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Bacon and Rotel Quiche

This turned out real good.. We had some bacon in the freezer we need to use up so this fit the bill. Even though we used a deep dish there was still a little spillage.


by ~Nimz~ 1¼ hours 15 min prep 1 pie
1 prepared 9 inch pie shell deep dish
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel, drained)
1-2 green onion, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, graded (I used 4 Cheese Mexican blend)
1 cup milk or half-and-half
6 eggs
kosher salt
white pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake pie crust for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Sprinkle crumbled bacon, onions, Rotel and cheese over crust.
Whisk together the eggs and milk in a separate bowl.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Pour egg mixture into crust.
Bake until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.