Country Fried Steak Bites - Home Cooked Recipe #84

I love, love, love country fried steak. I didn't really have it growing up so when I discovered it as an adult I couldn't get enough. There are a couple of restaurants I absolutely love it at, and others that don't do such a great job. I came across this recipe for country fried steak, but in bite size pieces and I was hooked. I experimented a bit and came up with my own version, so here it is! You can serve it with white gravy for dipping, or ranch like I had, or even a horseradish sauce like the kind you get with a fried onion. It is delicious with any sauce you like really.  Also, you can make it as the protein in a meal, or serve them for snacks or an appetizer.

Country Fried Steak Bites

Ingredients

• 2lbs cube steak, cut into bite size pieces (about 1 inch)
• 2 cups flour
• salt & pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp Paprika ( I used smoked Paprika)
• 1 tsp Cayenne
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• oil for frying (use a light oil like vegetable or peanut)

Directions:
Preheat your oil and let it come up to between 350 and 375 (I used a 6 quart pot and had about 2 inches of oil in the pot). Meanwhile, in one bowl mix together the eggs and milk. Whisk together well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and all spices. Dip your cube steak bites in flour, then in egg mixture, then back in flour. Fry in batches. It should take less than 5 minutes per batch, just look for a beautiful golden brown crust to form. Place each batch on a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil. Salt bites when the pieces come out of the oil. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Beef Hand Pies - Home Cooked Recipe #72

Who doesn't love a hand pie!  Delicious, easy, convenient, and does not take a lot of time if you use store bought puff pastry.  It makes a nice lunch, dinner or snack.  I decided to create 2 different types of beef hand pies since I had some puff pastry stocked up due to it being on sale (which is rare!).  One beef filling is SPICY!  The other one is rich and kind of creamy, full of umami.  The best thing about this recipe is that you can adjust to flavor your beef any way you like.  Try taco seasoning, maybe a bit of pasta sauce and mozzarella to make and Italian version... Whatever you like!  You could also go completely vegetarian, or do a chicken filling such as chicken, broccoli, and cheese.  Of course I do have to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised at how delicious these two versions are, so give them a try!

Beef Hand Pies

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (2 sheets) puff pastry (I use Pepperidge Farms) - thaw according to directions on package - tip, if dough is too soft when going to fill, freeze for 5 minutes
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup beef broth

***For the spicy - 2 tbs Harissa (I bought mine at Whole Foods in the International aisle.  It is a spicy Moroccan paste and it is GOOD)
***For the creamy - 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce, and 4 oz crumbled blue cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400
Brown ground beef with diced onion.  Drain, then add in minced garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.  Stir in beef broth and cook 1 more minute.  Separate beef into two bowls (or add half into another pan).  In one pan/bowl stir in Harissa and in the other add Worcestershire sauce and crumbled blue cheese.  Let fillings cool for a few minutes (this is a good time to freeze dough for 5 minutes if needed).
Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4 squares.  Put 1/4 of spicy mixture in the middle of a square.  Repeat 3 more times.  Put a 1/4 of blue cheese mix on one of the remaining 4 squares.  Repeat 3 more times. Fold each square into a triangle shape, and seal edges.  Place on a greased baking sheet (I lined my baking sheet w/parchment paper then greased paper).  Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!!!

Edamame Hummus - Pinterest Pick #12

Hummus is a great snack because it is high in protein. But instead of using chickpeas I got the idea from Pinterest to use edamame!  While not as high in protein, it is still a good choice.  Super delicious, and the edamame have a fresher taste than chickpeas. So easy, you can make it quick for a healthy snack or a delicious appetizer! Find the Pin HERE and the original recipe HERE.

Edamame Hummus

Ingredients:

• 16 oz bag shelled edamame
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3 tablespoons Tahini
• salt and pepper

Directions:
In a food processor, place garlic and pulse a few times to rough chop.  Add in edamame, spices, lemon juice and Tahini.  Puree together for a minute.  Stream in olive oil and puree for a minute or two until hummus is smooth.  Serve with your favorite chips or veggies.
Enjoy!

Simply Sides 18 - Pizza Dough Breadsticks

I have been so terribly busy at work!  I didn't disappear but I haven't been posting recipes like I should.  But that's because I haven't really had time to cook too many new things either!  Last week however I did make a couple of side dishes, so I will post both those recipes this week.  And hopefully come up with a new main dish this week that I can post next week.
Today's post is about bread sticks.  They're really easy because you start with store bought pizza dough.  But they're better than pre-packaged because you can season them how you like and make them your own!

Pizza Dough Breadsticks

Ingredients:

• 16 oz fresh (store-bought) pizza dough
• 1/2 cup olive oil (or a mix of melted butter and olive oil)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tbs granula
• ted garlic
• Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425
Roll out dough until you have a rectangular shape.
Spread 1/2 of olive oil over dough in an even layer.  Shake 1/2 of the parmesan over olive oil, evenly.  Sprinkle on salt and garlic. Using a pizza cutter, slice dough into 16 bread sticks.  Twist each bread stick and place on non-stick baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush on remaining olive oil and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Enjoy!

Beef and Potato Empanadas - Home Cooked Recipe 59

I adore empanadas! Little hand pies filled with meat, cheese, or even dessert fillings.  I am in love with Latin flavors, and these tasty little treats are easy to make if you take a little help from your freezer section.  As you know, I am not much into the pastry arts, so instead, I get the dough, already made and in perfect circles for only a couple of bucks from my freezer section (you can find them with international foods).  Easy to make for a snack, lunch, dinner... Any time really!  And I did mine with beef and potato since I saw a recipe that looked so good on Wishes and Dishes.  But really, you can fill them with chicken, cheese, or even chocolate for dessert.  Try them!

Beef and Potato Empanadas

Ingredients:
1 package of 10 frozen empanada dough discs, thawed (for 1 hour at room temp prior to using)
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 small russet potato, diced into very small chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 packet of Goya Sazon
1 tbs of Goya Adobo seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs dried cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper
1 small can tomato sauce 
1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Add caption

Brown ground beef in pan with potatoes.  After 5 minutes, add garlic and onions.  Cook another 5 minutes and add all the spices.  Cook another 5 minutes and stir in all the spices.  After 5 more minutes, add in tomato sauce, combine well, cook two more minutes and then turn off heat.  Let filling cool.  Fill each disc with a tablespoon or so of filling (be careful not to overfill).  Fold in half and seal edges together with a fork.  Brush tops with egg wash.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Enjoy!

Special Post - Holiday Season 2013

What is one of the best things about the holidays?  Why, the food of course!  Whether it's a big sit-down dinner, or a cocktail party, or a family-style buffet, food brings family and friends together.  A great dish I came across this year is Lil Smokie wrapped in bacon and baked with a butter/brown sugar sauce.  You can't even imagine how good these things are!  They are relatively easy to make, the only somewhat time-consuming part is wrapping each individual smokie in bacon.  People love them, guests at Christmas dinner devoured them literally in 10 minutes.  Perfect as an appetizer, great to bring to a gathering, or just to eat as a snack, I think you should make these soon!

Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies w/Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

• 2 12oz packages little sausages (I use Hillshire Farms, all beef Lil Smokies)
• 1 lb bacon, cut into thirds
• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups brown sugar, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Wrap each sausage in a piece of bacon.  Place them on a rack on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile melt butter over medium-low heat and stir in one cup brown sugar.  Cook til sugar is dissolved.  Remove from oven, place in baking dish.  Top with brown sugar butter.  Sprinkle remaining cup of brown sugar over smokies.  Bake and additional 10 minutes.  Turn heat to 425 and bake 10 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Crab Rangoon - Home Cooked Recipe 10

I clearly have an obsession with my fryer lately.  And Asian food.  So here's another recipe that incorporates both.  Hopefully next week I'll have a recipe for a different cuisine that doesn't involve the fryer!

Crab Rangoon

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
12 eggroll wrappers
1 cup imitation crabmeat, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp soy sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
Frying oil

In a bowl mix the cream cheese, crab meat, onion, garlic, and soy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Lay out a wrapper so it forms a diamond shape.  Place a tablespoon of filling just below the center line.  Brush all the corners lightly with the beaten egg.  Fold the wrapper in half to make a triangle shape, and seal tightly.  Fry wontons at 375 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.  You can serve these with a sweet and sour sauce for dipping.  Enjoy!

Cheesesteak Eggrolls - Home Cooked Recipe 9

When I think of great sandwiches, I think of the cheesesteak.  I have been to Philly and sampled both Pat's & Geno's.  I've tried several places in Orlando and Tampa, and even NYC.  I make them at home occasionally.  So when I came across a recipe for a mix between cheesesteaks and eggrolls, you know I was headed for the kitchen!  With a crispy fried eggroll shell, and a cheesy beefy filling, these eggrolls are great for a snack, or even for a party!

Cheesesteak Eggrolls

1 tbs oil

1 onion, chopped

1 small package of Steak-Ums (or Steak-Um like product)

14 oz package of eggroll wrappers

8 slices of provolone (the original recipe I used only called for 4 slices of cheese and for us that wasn't enough.  It also called for American cheese, and I find you can use whatever your favorite sliced cheese is)

Oil for deep frying

Ketchup

Heat oil over medium in a skillet.  Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes.  Break your Steak-Ums in to pieces and add in pan with onions.  Cook until meat is browned.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Cut your cheese slices in half.  Lay your eggroll wrappers on a flat surface.  Place half a slice of cheese on each.  Place a spoonful of filling on cheese.  Top with remaining half slices of cheese.  Roll up eggrolls (the packages give you directions, and I demonstrate in the picture view).  You can use an eggwash or water to seal the edges. 

I have a deep fryer, and if you do also, preheat your fryer to 375 degrees.  If you do not have a fryer, heat and inch of oil in a pan to 375 degrees.  Fry the rolls in oil til all sides are browned, approximately 5 minutes.  Remember, the meat is already cooked!  Serve with ketchup.  Enjoy!!!