One-Pan Chicken Curry or Vindaloo ala ~DKBB~

One-Pan Chicken Rice Curry (or Vindaloo) ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Mary Lou Timpson in Dec/Jan 2017 issue of Simple & Delicious)

2 Tbsp. butter, divided

1 medium onion, halved and very thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, diced (optional)

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained (optional)

1 small can baby corn, cut into small pieces (optional)

2 Tbsp. flour (I prefer Wondra)

3 tsp. curry powder (or Vindaloo seasoning)

½ tsp. each salt and pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-in. pieces

1 can (14½ oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup uncooked instant white or brown rice

·       In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat; sauté onion until tender; remove onion from skillet and set aside.

·       Mix flour and seasonings; toss with chicken pieces; in same skillet, heat remaining butter over medium-high heat; add chicken and cook until no longer pink, turning occasionally (4 to 6 minutes).

·       Stir in broth and onion; bring to a boil; stir in rice.

·       Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 to 7 minutes (until rice has absorbed liquid and mixture is saucy).

Tom & Jerry Batter ala ~DKBB~

Tom & Jerry Batter ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from cooks.com)

6 eggs, separated

¼ tsp. salt

½ lb. butter (2 sticks), room temperature

6 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. vanilla, brandy, or rum flavoring (I prefer rum flavoring)

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. cloves

½ tsp. allspice

• Beat egg whites until stiff; add salt.
• Beat egg yolks until light.
• Cream butter and powdered sugar together, mixing until crumbly; add egg yolks and flavoring of choice and mix well.
• Add spices and mix well.
• Add egg whites and mix until well blended (using lowest setting possible on mixing to simulate folding).
• Will keep several weeks in the refrigerator; may be frozen, if covered.
• For each cup of hot water, use 1 heaping Tbsp. batter and at least 1 shot of rum (or brandy), top with a dash of nutmeg.

Shepherd's Pie ala ~DKBB~

Shepherd’s Pie ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe in Dec. 2016 Cooking Light)

1½ cups beef stock

2 Tbsp. flour (I prefer Wondra)

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. white pepper

12 to 16 oz. ground beef (at least 90% lean)

1 onion, chopped

1½ tsp. ground thyme

1½ tsp. minced garlic

2 4oz. cans of mushroom pieces, drained

¼ cup cooking sherry

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

2 cups mashed potatoes                                                             

• Preheat oven to 450° F.
• Combine beef stock, flour, and peppers in a bowl and set aside.
• Cook ground beef and onion in cast iron skillet over medium high heat until browned, stirring to crumble; stir in thyme, garlic, and mushrooms and cook 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium; stir in sherry, Worcestershire sauce, and salt; cook 3 minutes.
• Add stock mixture and bring all to a boil; cook 4 minutes or until thickened; stir in peas.
• Spread mashed potatoes over the beef mixture; bake at 450° F for 15 minutes, then turn on broiler (do not remove pan from oven) and broil for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Allow to cool just a bit before serving.

Potato and Leek Gratin ala ~DKBB~

Potato and Leek Gratin ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Nov. 2016 Cooking Light)

2½ cups milk (whole milk preferred)

3 to 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 Tbsp. butter

1 large leek, trimmed , halved lengthwise, and sliced (about 2 cups)

1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

2 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)

1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about ¼ cup)

½ to 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Combine milk, potatoes, and garlic in large saucepan; bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving ½ cup of milk mixture.
• Melt butter in large cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add leek, cooking 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally; remove pan from heat; place leeks in separate bowl.
• Arrange half the potato slices in the bottom of the cast-iron skillet; cover evenly with half the leeks; sprinkle with ½ tsp. kosher salt and half of the Gruyere cheese; repeat layers.
• Drizzle all with reserved milk mixture; sprinkle Parmesan cheese over all.
• Cover skillet with foil and bake for 25 minutes to until cheese is melted.
• Remove foil and either leave in oven or place under broiler for 5+ minutes, until top is bubbly and golden brown.
• Sprinkle all with cracked pepper; cool; cut into wedges and serve.

Cheeseburger Salad ala ~DKBB~

Cheeseburger Salad ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe adapted from The Pampered Chef by The Pioneer Woman)

Photo from The Pioneer Woman

Serves 2-4 (amounts in parentheses serves 6-8)

1 (2) lb. ground beef

2½ Tbsp. (⅓ cup) ketchup

½ (1) tsp. yellow mustard

½ (1) Tbsp. spicy mustard

1 (2) Tbsp. barbeque sauce

2 (4) whole hamburger buns

½ (1) stick butter

1 (2) head(s) romaine or other green-leaf lettuce, torn

½ (1) cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 (4) Roma tomatoes, diced

4 (8) whole dill pickle spears, cubed/diced

½ (1) whole onion, thinly sliced or diced

Salt and cracked pepper

• Brown hamburger over medium heat, then remove from heat and drain off the fat; add ketchup, mustards, and barbeque sauce to the meat; stir to combine; taste and add more ow whatever you think it needs; keep warm.
• Cut hamburger buns into 1-inch cubes; melt half the butter in a separate skillet over low heat; add bread cubes and toss to coat; toast croutons in the skillet over low heat 10-12 minutes, adding a bit of the butter every couple of minutes until you’ve used it all (this ensures all the croutons soak up the butter and toast nicely).
• To assemble each salad, pile lettuce on a plate, pile on a good quantity of the meat mixture, top with plenty of grated cheese. Then add diced tomato, chunks of pickles, and slices of onion over the top; sprinkle with warm croutons all around the plate. Top all with salt and pepper as desired.

Lime, Soy, and Maple Drizzle for Pork Chops ala ~CHB~

Lime, Soy, and Maple Drizzle for Pork Chops ala ~CHB~

(original recipe in October 2016 edition of Cooking Light)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp. lime juice (fresh, if you’ve got it)

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

1½ Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar (a hot one works good)

Dash of crushed red pepper

1 tsp. water

½ tsp. cornstarch

2 pork chops

• Melt butter in small, heavy saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned (about 30 seconds).
• Add lime juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper; stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
• Stir together water and cornstarch in small bowl; add to sauce.
• Cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).
• Grill pork chops, basting the chops with some of the sauce.
• Drizzle remaining sauce over chops to serve.

Zucchini Lagsagna ala ~DKBB~

Zucchini Lagsagna ala ~DKBB~

2 medium or 1 large zucchini

2 cups ricotta

½ cup grated parmesan, plus more for garnish

1 egg, beaten

Handful of chopped chives (fresh or dried)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 jar of red sauce (your choice)

½ cup shredded mozzarella

• Mix ricotta, ½ cup parmesan, egg, chives, salt, and pepper together; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Pour a bit of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch glass baking dish to prevent sticking.
• Peel zucchini and slice it in very thin slices lengthwise; pat each slice with a paper towel to absorb some of the extra moisture.
• Cover the red sauce in the baking dish with a layer of sliced zucchini, overlapping each piece just a bit.
• Scoop some of the cheese mix on top of the zucchini layer and smooth it out with a spatula.
• Add another light layer of red sauce, then sliced zucchini, then cheese mix; repeat one more time if you have the space.
• Top with a light layer of red sauce and the mozzarella cheese.
• Bake 25-30 minutes.
• Remove and garnish each serving with parmesan cheese.

Skillet Mexican Brown Rice Meal ala ~DKBB~

Skillet Mexican Brown Rice Meal ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.cooknourishbliss.com)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper (or Anaheim pepper), chopped

2 to 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced

1½ cups frozen corn

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. smoked paprika

Pinch of cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup quick cook brown rice*

1 (14 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained well

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 to 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

Chopped fresh cilantro (if desired)

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; when hot, add onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until onion starts to soften.
• Add in peppers, corn, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne; cook for about 5 minutes, until veggies are all tender.
• Add in tomato paste and rice; cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add in drained tomatoes, black beans, and veggie broth; stir well, then bring to a boil.
• Once boil is achieved, turn down the heat, cover, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until almost all of the broth has been absorbed by the rice and the rice is tender.
• Remove cover and sprinkle cheese over the top; re-cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

You can garnish each serving with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

* You can use any rice you desire, just adjust cooking time per instructions on rice package.

Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Chicken ala ~DKBB~

Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Chicken ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Katerina @ diethood.com)

Photo from diethood.com

4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs

6 garlic cloves, minced

⅓ cup honey

½ cup ketchup (use low sodium ketchup if you have it)

½ cup low sodium soy sauce

½ to 1 tsp. dried oregano

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

½ tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

• Arrange chicken in bottom of slow cooker.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oregano, and parsley; whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Pour sauce over chicken; cover slow cooker with lid and cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours.

Serve over a bed of jasmine rice, covering all with the sauce. Add toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Pina Colada Pork Chops with Tropical Fruit Salsa ala ~DKBB~

Pina Colada Pork Chops with Tropical Fruit Salsa ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Jenn Tidwell in Summer 2016 Taste of Home magazine)

Pork Chops and Sauce

1 can (10 oz.) frozen pina colada mix, thawed and divided OR 1 cup of pina colada drink mix

2 to 4 boneless pork chops

Salt and cracked pepper

1 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. lime juice

⅛ to ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp. cold butter 

• Place ¾ cup pina colada mix in shallow glass dish; add pork chops, turning to coat all sides; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Drain pork, discarding marinade; sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper; grill, covered, over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes on each side (let stand at least 5 minutes before serving).
• In a small saucepan, combine chicken broth, remaining pina colada mix (or ½ cup of pina colada mix), lemon and lime juices, and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil and cook uncovered until liquid is slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes; remove from heat and whisk in butter 1 Tbsp. at a time until creamy.

Tropical Fruit Salsa

1 mango, peeled and finely chopped

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and finely chopped

½ medium not-quite-ripe banana, peeled and finely chopped

1 small avocado, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. minced fresh cilantro (optional)

1 tsp. minced fresh basil (optional)

• Mix all salsa ingredients together.
• Serve pork chops with salsa and sauce; brown rice makes a nice accompaniment for this dish, and the sauce works well on the brown rice.

Panzanella ala ~DKBB~

Panzanella ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Jannine Fisk in Summer 2006 Taste of Home magazine)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

6 cups at least day-old ciabatta bread (or French bread or any desired kind of artisan bread),

   cut into 1-inch cubes

10 to 20 grape tomatoes, halved

1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Anaheim pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red/orange/yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

4 slices bacon, chopped into small pieces

Cucumber/zucchini/yellow squash, diced (optional)

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil (optional)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Coarsely ground pepper and kosher salt to taste

¼ to ½ cup Italian salad dressing

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the bread cubes (in 2 batches if necessary); cook and stir until toasted - about 8 minutes (do this in 2 batches, if necessary).
• In another pan, cook the bacon pieces almost to crisp; remove from heat and drain.
• Combine bread cubes and veggies (except for tomatoes), basil (if using), and pepper and salt and toss to mix well; drizzle Italian dressing over this and toss well to thoroughly mix it in.
• The longer this sets before serving, the better.
• Serve with the tomatoes and bacon as garnishes. More salad dressing can be added to individual servings as desired. This saves well (just save the tomatoes separately) and tastes even better the longer it sits.

Grilled Stuffed Steak ala ~DKBB~

Grilled Stuffed Steak ala ~DKBB~

1½ lbs round or flank steak

1½ cups Italian bread crumbs

2 Tbsp. dried parsley

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. Hungarian paprika

6 thin slices bacon

6 thin slices provolone

Salt and pepper (optional)

• Leaving steak in large one piece, pound it to ¼ inch thickness; salt and pepper both sides of steak if desired.
• Cook bacon to flexible (but not crisp) state; remove from grease and drain on paper towels.
• Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, and paprika and cook in 1 to 2 Tbsp. of the bacon grease.
• Cover the steak with the bread crumb mixture, then layer on the bacon strips and the provolone; roll it up tight (lengthwise) and tie it with kitchen string if desired (to help hold it together while you do the following step).
• Cut the roll into 2 to 3 inch widths, skewering each width onto a metal or wooden-soaked skewer (using toothpicks to help hold each roll together as needed); depending upon skewer size, you should be able to get 2 or 3 rolls on each skewer.
• Grill the skewers for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently to be sure every side is cooked.

Serves 2 to 4.

Colcannon ala ~DKBB~

Colcannon ala ~DKBB~

4 small to medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 leek, sliced in half then cut in ¼ to ½ inch pieces, washed and well drained

1 small head of cabbage, diced

4 to 6 slices of bacon

• Boil the potatoes in salted water; when done, mash them well with a little milk and butter.
• Cook the bacon; drain well and set aside to cool a bit.
• In the bacon grease, sauté the leeks and the cabbage until well cooked.
• Cut the cooled bacon into small pieces and add to the leek/cabbage mixture.
• Fold the mashed potatoes into the leek/cabbage/bacon mixture and allow all to heat together for a few minutes.

Serve this with some Irish Soda Bread for a great St. Patrick's Day dinner.

Hawaiian SPAM & Pineapple Casserole ala ~DKBB~

Hawaiian SPAM & Pineapple Casserole ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from savorthesensesblog.com)

1 can of regular SPAM, cut into small cubes

1 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

1 small onion, cut into chunks

1 green pepper, cut into chunks

1 red (or orange) pepper, cut into chunks

½ cup sugar

⅓ cup flour

3 oz. (½ can) unsweetened pineapple juice

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar jalapeño cheese

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For optional crouton topping:

2 cups cubed day-old French bread

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. cracked pepper

1 tsp dried parsley

• If making the optional crouton topping, preheat oven to 300° F; if not, preheat oven to 375° F.
• Mix together SPAM, pineapple, onion, and peppers and place into greased 9x13 glass pan.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and pineapple juice; pour juice over mixture in pan; top all with cheese.

For optional crouton topping:

• Toss bread cubes with olive oil, season with garlic salt, cracked pepper, and parsley.
• Place on cookie sheet and toast at 300° F until crunchy (about 10 minutes).

• Increase oven temperature to 375° (if you have made the crouton topping).
• Cover casserole with foil and bake until veggies are soft-ish (about 30 minutes).

If using crouton topping, sprinkle it over the top before serving.

Curried Corn Chowder with Chicken ala ~DKBB~

Curried Corn Chowder with Chicken ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Kendra Doss in Feb/Mar 2016 Simple & Delicious magazine)

2 Tbsp. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

2 to 3 Tbsp. chopped garlic snapes (optional)

2½ tsp. curry powder

½ tsp. each salt and pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 to 2 tsp. dried parsley

½ to 1 tsp. each turmeric, basil, cumin (as desired)

4 to 5 cups frozen corn

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups chicken broth

½ cup milk

½ cup flour

2 to 3 cups cooked, diced chicken breast (or 2 cans of chicken in water, drained)

• In a Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium heat; add onions and celery (and garlic snapes, if using them); cook and stir until veggies are tender.
• Stir in seasonings; cook 30 more seconds.
• Add in broth, corn, and potatoes and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes (until potatoes are done).
• In a small bowl, whisk milk and flour together until smooth; stir into soup, bring soup back to a boil; cook for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Stir in chicken; heat through.

Serve in bread bowls, or over rice, or with sliced artisan bread (which you can use as an eating utensil).

Shakshuka with Feta ala ~DKBB~

Shakshuka with Feta ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Melissa Clark)

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), seeded and diced

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. spicy paprika

⅛ tsp. cayenne

14 oz. can whole plum tomatoes with juices, coarsely chopped (or ½ 28 oz. can)

¼ tsp. salt, more as needed

¼ tsp. black pepper, more as needed

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 large eggs

Chopped cilantro and hot sauce, for serving

Corn tortillas, for serving

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium-low heat; add onion and pepper; cook until tender; add garlic and cook additional 2 minutes.
• Stir in cumin, paprika, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute.
• Pour in tomatoes and season with salt and pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened (about 10 minutes), then stir in crumbled feta.
• Make divots for eggs and gently crack eggs into them; season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes.
• If desired, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce and warm corn tortillas.

Cheesy Steak Bake ala ~DKBB~

Cheesy Steak Bake ala ~DKBB~

(my version of a tried and true recipe)

1 lb. steak tips (or, you can cut a round steak into 1” chunks)

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup fontina or gruyere cheese, shredded

6 slices bacon

8 oz. fresh mushroom slices

2 small white onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ Tbsp. herbs de Provence

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

OPTIONAL: 1 pkg. Simply Potatoes diced potatoes

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Cut bacon into small pieces and fry (do NOT let the bacon get crispy as it will be baked further later); remove from pan and allow bacon to drain.
• In a large skillet over high heat, sear the steak until browned on all sides; if using, add diced potatoes now.
• In bacon pan, remove excess bacon grease, leaving about 1 Tbsp., and sauté onion slices and mushrooms on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste; add garlic in last 2 minutes.
• Place steak pieces (and diced potatoes, if using) in a large baking dish, sprinkle with bacon pieces and sautéed veggie mixture; cover with shredded cheese; sprinkle all with herbs de Provence.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and steak pieces are cooked through.

Serve hot as is or over bed of rice with beef au jus.

The leftovers are wicked good warmed up and served with a poached or fried egg on top. If you did not use the diced potatoes in your recipe, serve this gastric delight over a bed of hash browns.