Sherry's Meatloaf

Anytime you take a recipe and make it your own, I give myself permission to name it after me. You have the same permission.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean beef

1 cup bread crumbs (I used Panco, because that is what I had)

2 eggs

1 cup taco sauce

1/2 chopped onion

2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon thyme leaves

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Ketchup

2 strips bacon

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix meat, bread crumbs, eggs, taco sauce, parsley, thyme, Worcestershire and salt with your hands. Add meat mixture to loaf pan, spreading catsup on top. Lay bacon on top of the Ketchup and bake 1 hour.

Baked Ziti with Creamy Kale and Sausage

 You can find the recipe Here  I found it on my fitness website that I follow.







Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
4 deli-fresh lean spicy Italian turkey sausages - casings removed
2 - 12 oz. bunches Kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped
1 pound whole-wheat ziti, rigatoni or penne pasta (I only used 1/2 a pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup white whole-wheat flour
4 cups 1% milk
4 oz. part-skim, low moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 packaged cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in liquid
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, line a large plate with paper towel. Heat a large skillet on medium-high and mist with cooking spray. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 7 to 9 minutes. With a slotted spatula, transfer sausage to plate and cover with 2 more layers of paper towel, pressing lightly to absorb excess fat; set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. To boiling water, add kale and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer kale to a colander and set aside to drain. Return saucepan to a boil, add pasta and cook until just barely al dente (undercooked by about 1 minute). Meanwhile, line a large bowl with paper towel and transfer kale to bowl to absorb any remaining liquid. Drain pasta and set aside.
4. In a separate large saucepan, melt butter on medium-low. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, until fragrant. Gradually whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer, whisking frequently, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 3 cups milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add mozzarella and whisk until melted and mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
5. To milk mixture, add tomatoes, salt, pepper, sausage, pasta and kale and stir to combine. Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until cheese melts and sauce bubbles, 15 to 18 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. (MAKE AHEAD: Prepare up to 24 hours ahead, but don’t bake. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. To serve, bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbly. You can bake this dish at home then reheat, covered, at your host’s place in a 350°F oven just until warmed through.)

Fish Sticks from Scratch

I found this recipe in the Austin American Statesman. You can find it Here  Jud has mentioned in the past that he had fish stick growing up. When I saw this recipe I knew I needed to make them to revisit a memory.  These were so much better than I even hoped.  I used cod for my fish of choice.  




Ingredients:
4 slices bread ( or panko bread crumbs)
Thick milk white fish fillets such as cod, halibut, or haddock
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 pinches of salt and fresh ground white pepper (I just used black pepper)
1 large egg white
4 teaspoons oil, for cooking  ( I used my deep fryer so I used more oil)
Directions:
1. To make the fish sticks, put the fish in the freezer for 1 hour to make it easier to cut into pieces.
2. To make bread crumbs, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut bread into pieces and lay them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes until crispy and dry. Turn the bread into crumbs in a food processor.
3. Place flour in a shallow cake pan and mix with salt and pepper.
4. Place egg white in another cake pan and beat it lightly with a fork.
5. Place bread crumbs in a third cake pan.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut the frozen fish into sticks about 3 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide.
7. Coat the fish sticks first in the flour, then in the egg white, and finally in the breadcrumbs.
8. Pour oil into a skillet and fry the fish sticks for 5 minutes on each side over high heat until they are golden and cooked through.
9. Drain the fish sticks on paper towels and serve them hot with tartar sauce and red sauce.
* Note - I used a Fry Daddy and it only had to cook about 2 minutes. I fried 4 at a time.

Quesadillas with Shrimp and Peppers

This recipe comes from Ree Drummond from foodnetwork, and you can find the recipe Here

Ingredients:

1 cup Mexican red sauce (I used bottled taco sauce because I had it.)

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped into 1/2 rings

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips

Butter, for cooking tortillas

6 flour tortillas

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Sour cream, for serving

Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

On a large plate, pour the red sauce over the shrimp and set aside.

 

Heat a skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Cook the onions and bell peppers over high heat until they start to get nicely browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

 

Add the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. Remove from the skillet and chop the shrimp into bite-size pieces.

In a clean skillet, heat some butter, place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on the ingredients:  cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn't overly dry. Remove from heat and slice into wedges. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling ingredients. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Note: I only used the green bell peppers. I cut the shrimp in the skillet. I cooked the quesadillas in a Panini Press and spread butter on the first tortilla and placed it in the Panini press with butter side down. Then I built the quesadilla and placed the second tortilla on top with the butter side up. Then I shut the press and cooked them about 3 minutes. 

 

Slow Cooker Bacon, Egg and Hashbrown Casserole

I usually have a protein drink for breakfast and Jud makes a casserole that he can eat on for at least a week.  I found this one Here  We are going to have it for dinner tonight and I made some homemade biscuits to go with is. Jud and I decided that next time, we will use fewer hash browns.  Maybe just put a layer on the bottom.




Ingredients:
20 oz. bag frozen, shredded hash browns
8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
6 green onions, sliced thin
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking oil ( to lightly coat slow cooker)
Directions
Lightly grease your slow cooker with cooking oil. Layer half of the hash browns into the bottom and top with 1/2 the bacon, 1/2 the cheese, and 1/3 of the green onions. Set aside some bacon and green onions for garnish then repeat the second layer of hash brown, bacon, cheese, and onion.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and slowly pour over top of hash brown mixture. Cook until eggs are set, approximately 2-3 hours on high, or 4-5 hours on low. Sprinkle remaining bacon and onions on top and serve immediately, with or without hot sauce.

You can find nutrition information on the link I provided in the introduction.

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce



This is from Once Upon a Chef and you can find the recipe Here

It is a great recipe, but you have to be careful not to burn the chicken.  If you don't want to make your own Honey Mustard sauce, just buy some at the grocery store.  I have just copied the recipe from her website.

 

 

 

 

By Jennifer Segal

Servings: 4-6

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

For Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders

• 1-1/4 cups pecans
• 1-1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• Vegetable oil, for cooking

For Honey Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's

1/2 cup whole grain mustard

• 1/4 cup honey

Instructions

1. Place the pecans in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (go easy -- you don't want a paste). Add the panko, 1-1/4 teaspoon salt, sugar and cayenne pepper and pulse a few more times to combine. The panko should be broken down slightly but not finely ground.
2. Set up three large shallow dishes in an assembly line. Place the flour in the first dish; beat the eggs in the second dish; and place the pecan/panko mixture in the third dish. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to hold the breaded tenders, and place at the end of the assembly line.
3. Season the chicken tenders with the remaining teaspoon salt. Working with one tender at a time: dredge first in the flour, shaking off any excess; dip in the egg to coat evenly; and then dredge in the pecan/panko mixture, pressing down to make the coating adhere. Try to use one hand for the dry breading (the flour and pecan/panko mixture) and one hand for the wet (the eggs) -- otherwise, your hands will end up a mess. Place the breaded tender on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining tenders.
4. Heat about 1/8-inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil heats up, line another baking sheet with paper towels (this is for the finished tenders — the paper towels will absorb any excess oil).
5. When the oil starts to shimmer, add half of the chicken tenders and cook for a few minutes on the first side until golden brown. Using tongs, flip the tenders and cook until the second side is also golden, 1-2 minutes Adjust the heat as necessary so the tenders don't burn. Transfer the cooked tenders to the prepared baking sheet. Discard the oil, wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, and then repeat with the remaining tenders.
6. Make the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, mustard and honey in a small bowl. Serve alongside chicken tenders.

Coconut Cream Cake

Jud made this cake for my birthday along with Uncle Glen's famous fish. You can find that recipe Here  Jud is actually a good cook, but he mainly uses his gift of cooking at the grill. That is a more manly thing. The cake was amazing, and I will certainly make this again.

This is Nancy Ginzel/Judy Nadolny's recipe from Express News of San Antonio.



Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil ( We used Canola Oil)
1 box white cake mix (18.25 oz.)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (8.5 oz. can) cream of coconut--(found in the mixed drink isle of the store)
1 (8 oz. container) dairy sour cream
Frosting:
1 (16oz.) box powdered sugar
1 stick softened butter
1-8 oz. package softened cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round cake pans. Mix eggs, oil, cake mix, vanilla, cream of coconut and sour cream. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until done. Let cool in pans 15-20 minutes. Remove cakes from pan, put on cooling rack and cool completely.
For frosting:
1. Combine powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and coconut. Frost between layers and top and sides of cooled cake. I sprinkled the top with coconut that I baked in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned.