EASTER DINNER: STEAK, CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD, SPICY CHEESE GRITS, ROSEMARY DINNER ROLLS

Easter Dinner, usually pork tenderloin on the grill.  But we've had a lot of pork this year so filet mignon took its place.  First a dousing of salt on both sides of meat until brought to room temperature.  Then a little more salt and lots of pepper.  Pan fry in olive oil and a little butter--8-10 minutes each side.  Then remove, add a tiny bit of butter to each steak, let rest for 5 minutes to reabsorb the juices.  Perfect.

I had forgotten about the bag of freshly ground grits sitting in my pantry.  My friend, Darcey, and I each bought a bag while traveling from Savannah, Georgia to Charleston, South Carolina in a little town called Round O.  Grits are great sweet or savory. Sweet for breakfast with a little butter, sugar, and cream (always cream). And at night, with butter, cream, and salt and pepper. This recipe fancied them up a bit.  I loved them, as did the adults in my family.  But the kids scrunched up their noses not quite loving the texture.

Spicy Grits - Pioneer Woman Cooks

• 1/2 Onion, Diced
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 whole Chilies (any Variety, Hot Or Mild)
• 2 cups Stone Ground Grits
• 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken (or Beef) Broth
• 1 1/2 cups Water
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• 1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

Picture taken before the cheese was added

Heat 1 tablespoon of both oil and butter. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and chilies and cook for five minutes or so. Pour in grits, then add broth and water. Stir, then bring to a boil . Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, add half-and-half. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until grits are tender. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese.

Classic Caesar Salad

I won't bother with the recipe.  I made the dressing with anchovies and everything was going along swimmingly when my niece noticed the tin of anchovies was missing from my pantry.  Really?  I have a million items in my pantry.  She noticed they were sitting on the shelf one minute and then they were gone.  A brouhaha erupted and my classic Caesar salad became your run of the mill Caesar salad.  Oh, well.  The good news is they all can say they've had anchovies....cue the sinister laugh soundtrack.

This is super simple.  One bag of frozen pre-cooked dinner rolls, butter, fresh rosemary, and sea salt.  That's it.  Follow instructions for whatever frozen rolls you bought. Everyone thought they were homemade.  Wish I had one right now.

MOM'S MEAT LOAF - Sort of

I was really hesitant to take pictures and post this recipe.  It's sort of a recipe only my sisters, dad, and I could love.  Our cute mom created this recipe on her own when my darling dad told her he wished for a meat loaf without eggs or breadcrumbs (or gasp, ketchup).  So, my mom came up with this and we all loved it.  My dad didn't think the name "meat loaf" did it justice but we were not a clever nick-name sort of family so we never came up with any cute name.

A few years ago I recreated it for my sisters and they loved it.  Then I gave some to my neighbor and friend, Sheli, and she loved it.  So here is the world's easiest meat loaf:

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 baking potato, peeled and shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

That's it--can you believe it?  Four ingredients. Well, plus salt and pepper.  I suppose you could add chopped celery and spices.  Come to think of it, my mom may have added celery.  But she only spiced it up with salt and pepper.

In a bowl mix the above ingredients, add salt and pepper, and press into a baking dish (sprayed with non-stick coating).  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Serve and eat up.  Oh, and a little squirt of ketchup wouldn't hurt.

If you can think of a better name for our dish, feel free to leave a comment!

POT ROAST - Pioneer Woman Cookbook

You know, I have a perfectly good Pot Roast recipe (which I've posted here).  But even when I'm perfectly satisfied I like to try something new with a tweaking of the ingredients. Are you like that? My friend, Jill, gave me The Pioneer Woman Cooks and she had a recipe with fresh Rosemary and Thyme which sounded just right.  Lots of flavor, no need for any sauce other than the rich liquid it is roasting in.  So, give it a try soon.  Pot Roast and Sundays go together rather well.

Ingredients
1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 whole Onions
6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste

2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste


Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (I left mine unpeeled). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, add beef stock (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. 

BBQ CROSS CUT BEEF SHANKS

I had a few cross cut beef shanks buried in the freezer so I hunted for a recipe on the Internet--isn't that the best?  Just enter, "cross cut beef shanks recipe", and voila, hundreds of recipes to choose from.

But, I pretty much did my own thing and put them in a heavy pot, added chopped onion, and poured barbecue sauce on top, cooking it slow at 250 for six hours.  Excellent.

YANKEE POT ROAST - Cooking Light

Don't you think a pot roast on Sunday is lovely? It is so old-fashioned and comforting. This recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine and my family loved it.

This is one of those recipes I decided to make when I woke up on a Sunday morning so I used what I had on hand. Instead of fresh plum tomatoes, I used canned diced. And I added flat leaf parsley and garlic.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

2 cups coarsely chopped onion

2 cups less-sodium beef broth

¼ cup ketchup

2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup chopped plum tomato

1 ¼ pounds small red potatoes

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cooking instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°.

2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan, browning on all sides (about 8 minutes). Remove from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Return roast to pan. Combine broth, ketchup, and Worcestershire; pour over roast. Add tomato; bring to a simmer.

3. Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until tender. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and bake 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lemon juice.

Serving: 10

JENNIFER'S TEN-MINUTE CHILI

Chili is a favorite winter-time foods. The tomatoes, beans, and spices all melding together provide comfort and warmth on a cold winter day. Oh wait, it was 71 degrees yesterday here in sunny Arizona. But fortunately it was 66 degrees in my house so making a pot of chili felt right.


When craving chili, I usually make my Turkey Chili recipe but yesterday I was ready to try something new. This is a recipe from my darling friend, Jennifer. Don't know where she found it but knowing Jennifer I'm sure she tweaked it enough to make it her own.


This is rich tasting (probably due to the full 6 ounce can of tomato paste) which I love. I left the onions a little chunkier, not diced, and the texture of the thicker onion slices stands out since there is not the usual celery and peppers fighting for attention. Plus it really is quick to make, maybe not 10 minutes but close enough.

1 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped (I used 3)

1 (15 oz) can chili beans - undrained

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans - undrained (I added one extra can)

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

1 (8 0z) can tomato sauce (I used 15 oz can)

1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

In a heavy pot cook turkey (or beef), add onion and cook until done. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients stirring as you go. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add water if too thick.

Note: If you care about these things (and I do right now) one serving equals four points on Weight Watchers--yipee. I based this on getting about 8 servings (but secretely I think I can get more servings out of this hence lowering the points).

MOM'S EXCELLENT BEEF ENCHILADAS and HOMEMADE REFRIED BEANS

My sisters and I have been loving these delicious enchiladas since we were kids. This is one of my three favorite foods my cute Mom made during my childhood: Enchiladas, Meat Loaf, and Lemon Cake. Just recently I finally recreated my Mom's meat loaf. Sometime I will share the recipe (super easy) but probably won't post a picture since it is not appealing to look at--but it warms the soul.

Our Mom picked up this recipe from AJ Bayless, a local grocery store in Phoenix that no longer exists. I still have a copy of the recipe card, "Nancy Parker Recipes", probably from the 1960's.

I made these for Christmas day dinner along with the refried beans (see recipe below) and Mock Fried Ice Cream (soon to be posted). In the past, I have skipped dipping the tortillas in the oil and instead of rolling the tortillas I have torn them into pieces and layered them. Not near as good as following the recipe.

So, this Christmas day I dipped the tortillas in oil and rolled them tightly--so good. Even my nephew, Connor, had two helpings, which warmed my little heart.

I baked 18 enchildas, 12 in a 9 x 13 baking dish and 6 in the dish pictured above. I stretched the sauce by adding extra tomato juice and water, and a bit more beef.

Mom's Beef Enchiladas

Sauce:

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup flour

1 20 oz can tomato juice

1/2 can water (10 oz.)

3-5 garlic cloves, crushed

Pinch of oregano and cumin

2-3 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 lb ground beef

1 chopped onion

12 corn tortillas

Canola oil (for cooking tortillas)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lb shredded cheese (I use sharp cheddar)

1 4 oz can sliced black olives

12 whole black olives

Toothpicks

To make the sauce:

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour, whisk together and allow to bubble for one minute. Pour in the tomato juice and water, stir. Add the crushed garlic and remainder of spices. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

To make the filling:

Brown beef and onion in skillet, add salt. Lightly fry the tortillas in hot oil to to soften (do not crisp). Lay tortillas between paper towels to absorb oil.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread one cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place a portion of meat filling, grated cheese, and sliced olives in the center of a tortilla, roll, and hold together with a toothpick and olive (add the olives to toothpicks to more easily spot the toothpick and prevent choking). Place the rolled, filled tortilla in the baking dish repeating procedure laying enchiladas side by side. Pour sauce over enchiladas, top with grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.

Super easy refried beans--and delicious.

HOMEMADE REFRIED BEANS

2 lb. pinto beans (or 3 15 oz. cans)

1/2 cup oil (I used 1/4 cup)

3 Mexican sausages (I used chorizo)

1 Tablespoon flour

Cook beans until soft. In a separate skillet add oil and cook the sausage and flour for 1 to 2 minutes. Add beans to mixture and mash with a potato masher. Add cheese on top.

This recipe came from My Favorite Things by Elizabeth Banks.

LONDON BROIL TERIYAKI

I don't normally buy London broil (or flank steak) but this was part of the grass-fed beef I purchased from Date Creek Ranch. (For some reason the meat in the photo looks rare and it wasn't).

What I can't figure out is how to make it less chewy. So if you have any good ideas, leave me a comment.

But this sauce is easy and good and you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry.

2 lbs. London broil (or flank steak), cut 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick
1/2 c. soy sauce
3 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
3 tbsp. oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Score both sides of meat in a diamond pattern. Place in shallow glass dish. Marinade may be combined in food processor or with a whisk in a bowl. Pour marinade over meat. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Broil or grill 5 minutes per side for rare, 7 minutes per side for medium and about 9 minutes per side for well done. Slice thinly across the grain of the meat. Boil remaining marinade for 1 minute and pass with the steak.

ALICIA'S EMPANADAS

My friend Alicia made these gorgeous and yummy empanadas. She also generously gave me a package of dough to make some on my own which I haven't done yet. But I wanted to pass this recipe along to you. I loved them and plan on making them soon.

"La Saltena" empanada dough ( "para horno" meaning they are cooked in the oven, not fried). This is an Argentinian product found at the Mexican Market on Main Street in the frozen food area. They come in packages of 12.

This recipe should be enough for 24 empanadas.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup Spanish olives, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup raisins
2 chopped hard boiled eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of oregano and Italian seasoning
Pinch of Knorr Swiss chicken flavor bouillon - optional
1 egg

Cook the beef with the onion, garlic, and pepper, until done. Add olives, raisins, boiled eggs, and seasonings.

Add the egg and stir until cooked through. Wet the edges of the empanada disk. Place spoonful of filling in the center and fold. Seal with fork or scallop with fingers. Place on greased cookie sheet. If you want you can also egg wash them so they look pretty and shiny when they come out of the oven. Bake at 375 F for 25 min or until golden brown.

I think these would be great filled with chopped apples, cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts with a sprinkling of turbinado sugar (that I'm sure you purchased to make the yummy berry cobbler) on the tops of the empanada. Yum.

ASHLEY'S BAKED PASTA

I have made this recipe so many times! My friend, Ashley, gave this recipe to me years ago. I have played around with it a bit but she would still recognize it as her favorite pasta dish.

Ashley's Baked Pasta

1 lb. lean ground beef (I use ground turkey)
½ onion diced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced
pepper and oregano to taste (I also add crushed red pepper flakes & kosher salt to the turkey)

1 large jar favorite spaghetti sauce
1 packet of sliced provolone cheese—you need 8 thick slices
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 pint light sour cream
10 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 box penne pasta

Cook pasta according to directions
Brown meat and onion together—add spices—after meat is cooked add spaghetti sauce.

In deep large pan (lasagna pan is perfect) layer as follows:

½ cooked pasta
½ cooked meat sauce
½ sour cream
½ provolone cheese
½ mozzarella cheese
½ parmesan cheese

Then start over layering the remaining ingredients. Cook for 40 minutes covered at 375 degrees—remove cover and cook for another 20 minutes.

(The above picture shows olives--I added sliced black olives and it was great.)