Month: May 2011

Sunday Night Dinner: May 8, 2011- British Home Cookin’!

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After taking a very strange and amusing Jack the Ripper Tour of old London, we ended up eating Sunday night dinner at S&M.

The S&M stands for “sausage and mash”  (potatoes that is). This turned out to be the best meal we had in London– who knew it would happen the first night!!

It was late, so the kitchen kept running out of things, but our waitress was Scottish and very sweet. Despite the limited menu she wanted to make sure we all got what we really wanted.

Both Kendra and I ended up with veg. spinach and cheese sausages. They were so good! I had ordered butternut squash and cheese, but like I mentioned before, they sold out.  I will just have to make them myself!

John had waffles. When they ran out of blueberries and she wanted to know if he would like chocolate or banana’s instead. I told her bananas and no chocolate would be great, but she wouldn’t believe me until I finally said, “I’m his wife, trust me. He loves bananas and he won’t want the chocolate.” It was cute and funny and I was right.

For dessert Kendra and I had the rhubarb crumble. I should have ordered it with custard — very British– like Kendra  did, but I went for the ice cream. It was unbelievably good!! Maybe it was the jet lag, but it honestly felt like a home cooked meal even though we were across the pond!

sunday night dinner: may 8, 2011-jambalaya

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although i full heartedly believe that i am an italian born into a german family, if i could pick another ethnic group to join into i’d be cajun.  i don’t know a lot about it, never been to the bayou but it all feels like it just makes sense.

jambalaya

when trying to decide which sausage to pick for the jambalaya there was no other choice when i saw the “ragin cajun” sausage brand

so good that i actually bought 2 packages

the beauty of the recipe i used is that you make it in the crock pot. to me, yes, it makes it seem like it isn’t a real jambalaya because i let the slow cooker do the work but, i love coming home and smelling dinner and i haven’t done anything really. i heart my crock pot!

friends alaina and justin joined in for the yummy goodness that also included strawberry ribbon cake for dessert.

ready to dig in

strawberry cake

Sunday Supper–Blue Plate Special

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The flowers of Spring make any Blue Plate Speical--SPECIAL!

Blue Plate Special conjures up formica, frying pans, gravies and starches.  All are elements of the comfort foods of my youth in Boonville and on which Cracker Barrel restaurants should be making a fortune. 

After a weekend journey to Fulton Mo, and St. Louis, I wanted something that was simple and easy to fix.   Becky and I settled upon a dinner of ham steak, macaroni and cheese, green beans and cole slaw. 

 

Grilled ham slice, macaroni magic, & seasoned green beans

 

The main cooking effort would be directed toward the Macaroni Magic which was a recipe in the Junior League Sassafras Cook Book.  It includes the following:

 

Cheese is the glue for all that comfort!
  • 8 oz macaroni
  • 12 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
  • Onion—quantity dependent on your choice
  • Chopped green pepper to taste
  • 10 oz of a cream soup,   Tonight , I used broccoli.  Previously, I have used chicken, mushroom, and celery.
  • A jar of pimento
  • Sliced water chestnuts that have been chopped to desired size.

 

Saute the onion & pepper while the macaroni boils

 

  • Preparation:
    • Cook macaroni according to package
    • Sauted green pepper and onion in butter until tender
    • Mix cooked macaroni and all of the other ingredients with most of the cheddar cheese.  Leave enough cheese to sprinkle on top.
    • Bake the macaroni mixture in a buttered baking dish at 350 degrees for thirty minutes.

 

 

 I used a can of whole green beans and added some of the pimento and chopped onion.  Salt and white Worcestershire sauce from Lea Perrins provided the seasoning.   I generally don’t measure, but go with less salt and spice for Becky’s taste.

 

The cole slaw was made from pre-chopped cabbage from the store, chopped green onion, celery seed and dill seed.  I use any brand of  cole slaw dressing and a touch of Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing.

 

Creamy Cole Slaw, a major staple of any Blue Plate Special.

 

Really the “Blue Plate Special” is any meal that combines a variety of dishes that offer good nutrition and flavor. The key is an offering of several dishes. 

I know the chardonnay is not sweet ice tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

naan bread—-the recipe

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Ingreidents

2 cups white bread flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 oz fresh yeast (i just used instant)

4 Tbsp lukewarm water

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp plain yogurt

1 egg

2-3 Tbsp melted butter

1.   sift the flour and salt together into large bowl.  in smaller bowl cream the yeast with the milk let stand 15 minutes

2. add the yeast mixture, oil, yogurt, and egg to the flour and mix to a soft dough

3.  turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled clear film and leave to rise for 45 minutes or doubled in bulk.

4. preheat over to its highest setting at least 450 F place 3 baking sheets in the oven to heat

5. turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knock back.  divide into 3 equal pieces and shape into balls.

6.  cover two of the balls of dough with oiled clear film and roll out third into a teardrop shape (thinner the better)

7. preheat grill (i used my griddle) to hot. meanwhile place naan on the hot baking sheets for 3-4 minutes bake until puffed up.

8.  remove naan from oven and place on griddle for a few seconds till top is slightly browned.  wrap cooked naan in dish towel to keep warm, serve warm with melted butter brushed on top.

did you know may is when strawberries are in season?

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so i have decided every week in may to make one strawberry themed item granted as i came up with my list i realized they were all desserts. c’est la vie! also am dead determined to pick my own strawberries for a strawberry-rhurbarb pie.  we’ll see how ambitious i get.

list of strawberry projects

strawberry ribbon cake

strawberry-rhurbarb pie

homemade strawberry ice-cream

strawberry scones

sunday night dinner: lynley’s blue plate special–open face sandwich melts

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my mission this week was to avoid the grocery store and to eat up leftovers. combining that with the assignment to create a blue plate special led me to make open-face egg salad melt sandwiches.  (the eggs came from dyed easter eggs) whole wheat bread topped with slices of vine-ripe tomatoes, egg salad and cheddar cheese melted on top.  and of course lays potato chips. if you know me you know my addiction to lays potato chips.  they have to be rationed out or i’ll eat myself to death with them.  can’t have a blue plate special without a blue ribbon winning beer!

Sunday Night Dinner: Steph’s Blue Plate Special- order up!

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This week we are all cooking the same category of meal for Sunday Night Dinner- The Blue Plate Special.
Our blue plate special was a veggie take on Meatloaf – The Chicago Diner’s Lentil loaf with mashed potatoes, mom’s sweet and sour carrots and corn!
Good friend and honorary Farris family member Jessica joined us!

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As a kid I ate mom’s sweet and sour carrots like candy. I loved them and now I know why, there’s a cup of sugar involved with this veg side dish. Uh, yum!
At dinner we talked about vacations to come, life, surprise visits from neighbors, and hearty lentil loaf. For dessert we had strawberry jello and some of us even had whipped cream!

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Oh yes, blue plate specials are a good thing. I realize now that we should have sat on our diner booth bench in the kitchen! Dang. We’ll just have to do it again.