Old Bay® Seasoning

Spending Easter at my aunt's house with my family and a lot of friends, meant that there was going to be a LOT of foods cooked. I spent most of the time in the kitchen while the cooking was going on, when asked for what spices, herbs, and seasonings to use on things (a large beef roast, a lamb roast, salads, steamed asparagus, steamed mussels, chip dip, roasted potatoes), I kept pushing Old Bay® Seasoning. They all looked at me like I was nearly insane, but that is because most people only think it is used on seafood and shrimp. Nope. I use it on darn near everything.

Read the can. It suggests seafood, poultry, salads, and meats. Why? Read the ingredients: celery salt, (salt, celery seed), spices (including red pepper and black pepper), and paprika. How many times do you already add all of those things to what you are making?

Click over to the Old Bay Seasoning website and do some exploring if you are interested in learning a LOT more ways to use it, and all of the other flavors of it they have. If you don't want to click over, start using it in your own cooking. Like my grandma always said "recipes are a guideline, make it taste the way YOU want."

 To summarize the quote on the Old Bay site:

Sprinkle lovingly on all seafood, all shellfish, french fries & fried chicken, hamburgers & sandwiches, popcorn, pizza, hors d'oeuvres, dips & cheese platters, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, macaroni, meats & poultry, deviled eggs, scrabbled eggs, egg, tuna or chicken salad, casseroles, stir-frys, soups, stews and gumbo, Bloody Marys

 Go to the Old Bay Nation link to read some amazing ways people use it. Or even just search the internet for "old bay seasoning recipes." You'll get a TON of them. In other words, never cook without a little of it in or on everything. Happy tasting...

Thanksgiving 2012 - Part I

As discussed in Thanksgiving Sometimes IS About Compromise, I said that I'd share some family recipes handed down to me from my grandparents. Here goes with Part I, about the turkey baste and "tenting" the turkey with foil. This one is fairly simple, but other Thanksgiving entries will be made about the 2nd most important part of that meal, stuffing! Now, back to the baste.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine softened/melted
• 1/2 cup dry sherry or apple juice (apple cider works well too)
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp savory
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients
2. Brush/rub liberally on the turkey in the last 2 hours of roasting

 Recommendations

• Use a basting brush instead of your bare hands
• Use whatever you want (whiskey, vodka, gin, etc) as the liquid for the baste. Most of it will all be cooked off in the last 2 hours.
• Use Old Bay seasoning instead of the long list above, especially if from New England
• Use a large sheet of aluminum foil, folded in half, to provide a "pup tent" over the turkey as it is baked and basted in the last 2 hours. This prevents the baste from burning before it invades the flavor of the meat

McChops

McChops

One of the benefits of creating your own dinner recipe is that you get to name it whatever you want. In the honor of St. Patrick's day and the fact that I am 3/4 Irish, I've called it McChops. Yeah, it is more Italian in flavor for the herbs, and based on the ingredients that are more of a true Irish holiday meat, but sometimes it IS all about me...and I tend to blend flavors together so I can enjoy life on MY terms...

Ingredients

• 3 slices thick bacon
• 3 thick cut boneless pork chops
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• Italian herb & Old Bay Seasoning mix

Instructions

1. Preheat the toaster oven to 400 F
2. Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is cooked but flexible
3. Mix the Italian herb mix & Old Bay Seasoning with the tomato sauce
4. Put a couple of tablespoons of the tomato mix into a small casserole dish and spread it around (to prevent sticking of the chops)
5. Place the 3 chops in the casserole dish
6. Fold the cooked bacon in half, and lay 1 on top of each of the chop
7. Pour the tomato sauce over the chops
8. Cook for 1 hour (or so, check with an instant thermometer to see if it is done)

Recipe Research

I am always searching for new ways to prepare meals. Normally I start searching at All Recipes.com (yes, I do have an account there and have stuffed my recipe box), but I also do random searches to find things that catch my attention. This time, I started with a simple search but discovered some AWESOME ideas that I just had to share... so here goes...

Bob Evans Sausage Gravy

Of all of the meals of the day, I LOVE breakfast foods most of all, followed by Italian dinners... Ask a roller derby friend of mine, Elektra Q-Tion about going to Perkins, Eat N Park, or a hole-in-the-wall diner for breakfast with me. One breakfast item that I particularly crave, is sausage gravy. So, I did a search for a decent recipe for it, and discovered some great things shared on the Bob Evans website, including their recipe for sausage gravy. Okay, yes, I'm sharing the Bob Evans Sausage Gravy recipe, with some minor personal edits in green, but please scroll down to read what else I have to say about their website.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Bob Evans Sausage Roll (whatever flavor in the pantry or that you desire)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (unbleached white works best)
• 2 cups milk (whole, 2%, and 1% work best, keep your eye on skim)
• Salt & black pepper to taste (or whatever other herbs you want to add, I suggest Old Bay)

Directions:

• Crumble and cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until browned. 
• Stir in flour until dissolved (a small fork or whisk works better than a spoon). 
• Gradually stir in milk (whole, 2%, and 1% work best, keep your eye on skim). 
• Cook gravy until thick and bubbly (medium setting, any higher would set off the smoke alarm). 
• Season with salt and pepper (or whatever other herbs you want to add, I suggest Old Bay). 
• Serve hot over biscuits (or whatever you want to put it over). 
• Refrigerate leftovers (if you happen to HAVE any, LOL).

Personal Recommendations:

• Use ground turkey and the sausage gravy over stuffing at Thanksgiving
• Use the sausage gravy over tortillas wrapping scrambled eggs & bacon
• Use it as sauce over ANY pasta
• Make a pizza using this recipe as the sauce
• Check out all of the Bob Evans recipes
• Check out the 20 Recipes under $2 (per serving) recipes

Ditto Casserole

I called it Ditto Casserole, because it was due to combining some other casserole recipes on my blog, all into one. But, I would have to say that this was the most tasty one yet. I probably "over wrote" the instructions, but it is easier than it reads...

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz. black beans
• 1 cup elbow macaroni pasta
• 1 can salt-free tomato sauce
• Old Bay Seasoning to taste
• 2 hot dogs
• 1 1/2 cups shredded taco mix cheese

 Directions:

1. Simmer the beans (undrained) while you boil the water for the pasta
2. Prepare the elbow macaroni pasta according to the package instructions
3. While that is going on, chop up the 2 hot dogs (cut in half lengthwise twice, then chop)
4. Preheat the toaster oven to 400 F
5. When the pasta is done, rinse and drain
6. Pour the tomato sauce into the 2 quart saucepan from the pasta
7. Return the pasta to that pot, and drain/rinse the beans & return that to the pasta pan
8. Stir well, sprinkling Old Bay (or the spice of your choice) over it while stirring
9. Add chopped hot dogs, and stir well again, adding more spices/herbs
10. Pour into an 8x6x2 oiled casserole dish, and bake in the toaster oven for 15 minutes
11. Spread the cheese on top of that baked casserole & return it to the toaster oven for 10 mins

Serve with a side of vegetables, a salad, and a desert... enjoy... serves 4-6 depending on how you cut it...

Unstuffed Cabbage Soup

I can't say that I ever had stuffed cabbage rolls...if I did, I don't remember because my family never really used cabbage, except to make coleslaw, and we always had sauerkraut on New Years. But, I have heard a LOT of people talk about it, and they seemed to like it. So, when I came across a recipe on allrecipes.com, I decided to at least try it and make a pot full of what would taste like stuffed cabbage, but be a warm soup.

The recipe below was typed as I made it but I actually cut the amounts in half because I was making it for just me, like my grandmother always taught me, "recipes are nothing more than a good guideline...make it what you want, and with what you have..."

(cabbage boiled for 15 mins, patties about to be dropped in)

Unstuffed Cabbage
1/2 of a large head of cabbage
1 (12 oz) bottle chili sauce + 12 oz of water 
1 liter Schweppes Black Cherry ginger ale
1 lbs ground mild Italian sausage
Various herbs & spices (explained below)
1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste. Cut cabbage into 1-inch wide strips and put in a 5 quart stock pot or Dutch oven. Add ginger ale and chili sauce, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, add Italian seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, and garlic pepper into meat. Amount depends on what you want it to taste like. Mix well with egg. Form into patties and add to the pot.

Simmer, covered 2 hours. Taste for seasoning and serve. Makes 8 servings.

It made the apartment smell FANTASTIC all afternoon while it simmered. I occasionally stirred it, and added some ground black pepper. And yes, I did use my instant thermometer to make sure that the patties reached 170F. So, overall, I liked it. I have enough of it left that I'll probably be eating it for a few days. A couple of neighbors caught the aroma when they were walking by and I had opened my door for a second, so they begged me to give them some of it.

I'm glad I used my Italian cooking background on seasoning this recipe, because I love the tastes...and I always keep grandma's quote in mind. So, I used what I had on hand. Hence the black cherry ginger ale, ground sausage, and herbs.

The only other thing that I think I'll do next time, is make them into small meatballs instead of patties. Though, the patties make a good sandwich if you use a slotted spoon to take them out of the pot, and wrap them in a tortilla, with a slice of muenster cheese....

Homemade "Chicken Helper" Casserole

I posted a recipe for Mish-Mash Casserole (thank you Elektra Q-Tion for the name) and had 1 extra chicken breast in the fridge, so I decided to make a homemade version of Chicken Helper. This is related to my post about Homemade "Hamburger Helper" Casserole. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1 cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 1 can Campbell's Condensed Creme of Chicken soup
• 1 can veggies (sweet peas, corn, or mixed), drained and rinsed.
• 4 oz. of a package of shredded cheese (your choice of flavor)
• Old Bay Seasoning (your choice of amount)
• Tortillas (see comments at the very bottom)

Directions:

1. Boil the water, and make the macaroni according to the instructions on the box.
2. If the chicken breast needs cooked, boil it for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the toaster oven to 375 F and oil an 8x6x2 Pyrex casserole dish.
4. While draining the macaroni in a colander, pour the soup into the stockpot you used.
5. Sprinkle as much Old Bay seasoning into the soup for the taste you want.
6. Return the macaroni to the stockpot with soup.
7. Cut the chicken breast into bite sized pieces, and put it into the stockpot too.
8. Add the can of selected veggies.
9. Stir well.
10. Pour that mixture into the 8x6x2 Pyrex casserole dish and even it out.
11. Place that in the toaster oven for 20 mins.
12. Slide the dish out (using oven mitts) and cover it evenly with the shredded cheese.
13. Return it to the toaster oven, and bake for another 8 minutes.

You would have enough to serve at least 5 people with this, but that also means you have enough leftovers if it is just you. It is easy to make, and tastes great. You could use any other seasonings/herbs based on your choice, but this is AWESOME! Another suggestion is to put a few leaves of lettuce on a tortilla, scoop the mixture onto it, roll it up, and ENJOY.

WTF Chili Stew

Okay...so here's yet another post about a recipe I came up with by simply opening up the pantry door and the fridge, and looking at what I had available to "throw together" for some meals. I named it WTF Chili Stew because of how I chose the ingredients, and that it turned out to be like a "Stew" because of how liquid it was, but was more along the lines of a "Chili."

This picture shows you the ingredients that I had to use. I downsized the portions since I was only really cooking for one. But, that gave me enough WTF Chili Stew for two meals. So, it could be for two people as well. Just make sure you add a side of fruit, and a nutritious beverage.


INGREDIENTS:

Image via Wikipedia

• 1/4 cup brown rice
• Small can of Pork N Beans
• 10.5 can stewed tomatoes (undrained)
• 1/2 "log" of ground sausage (like the Bob Evans one)
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Italian Spices
• Bag of tortilla chips

 DIRECTIONS:

1. First, start the brown rice. That takes 50 minutes for the brand I use.
2. Place the Pork N Beans and stewed tomatoes in a 2 quart saucepan and simmer.
3. Slice sausage log into 1/4 slices and brown. Cut into bite sized pieces after browning.
4. Add sausage to the bean pot.
5. Sprinkle bean pot with Old Bay Seasoning and Italian Spices. Stir well and occasionally.
6. When rice is done, add it to the bean pot.
7. Add a little more Old Bay Seasoning, and stir well.
8. Let simmer another 15 minutes. 

While that was finishing the simmering, I had enough time to wash all of the other pans and utensils that I used, so that made nearly all of the dishes done before dinner was enjoyed. When the final simmering was done, I spooned it into a bowl, grab the last of the tortilla chips I had, and sat down to enjoy by scooping my "chili stew" with the chips...

All I can say, IMHO, is MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!! It was good...and I'll make it again...