Monday, June 25, 2012

My Meatloaf Quest has ended!

No, seriously.  I have been cooking for a looonnng time.  And while I am no professional chef, I can tell you I have probably tried all the major versions out there for meatloaf.  And this! This is finally a meatloaf everyone in my family would love...who am I kidding?  I'm the pickiest one of all about my meatloaf, probably because like many of you, it's hard to find one "as good as my mamas", right?  Well,  (insert trumpet sounds of the epiphany here) I found it by combining some ideas of my own and stealing a sauce off of allrecipes.com.  Try it for yourself and see if you don't agree it's pretty darn good!  (If it's better than your mom's, don't tell her)

Better Than My Momma's Meatloaf (sorry Lois! :)

Servings: 10 good sized portions (I told you I have a big family!- you can halve this recipe easily)
Oven: 350 degrees

2 lbs. ground beef
3/4lb. mild sausage
2 eggs
5 slices of toasted bread, crumbled up
1tsp. salt
1tsp. pepper
1 T. garlic salt
1 c. milk
4 T. regular mustard
4 T. brown sugar
2/3 c. ketchup

Mix first 8 ingredients thoroughly by hand and form into loaf and place in 9x13 or loaf pan(if you halve the recipe)

Then whisk brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup together and pour over meatloaf.  Cook uncovered for 1 hour, remove to serving plate.

Good eats!
Karen

Slutty Brownies...Oh the things they will do for your sweet tooth.

Slutty Brownies:

Yes this really is the name of this ridiculously sweet concoction, and rightly so. There is something just a little bit naughty about this dessert and it flaunts it's naughtiness shamelessly! Basically this is a brownie with a chocolate chip cookie base and oreos nestled lovingly between the two. It is ooey gooey goodness! My mom made it for the family a few nights ago and the pan was gone within 12 hours. I mean, a 9x13 glass pan, gone in 12 hours...Well, probably less than 12 hours...I was being generous. The coolest part I thought though was when I was cutting into them ribbons of brownie batter oozed out. I nearly fainted from desire. DARN YOU GLUTEN INTOLERANCE!!! (When I could eat brownies, it was a struggle for them to even get to the pan because I would practically drink the batter. I know I am not the only one who ever did that :) 
Well they were a glorious mess. Glorious! So, if you would like to make these for yourself, the link below will take you to the lovely blogger we originally got this recipe from on Pinterest. Enjoy!!!

www.thelondoner.me/2011/06/slutty-brownies.html

Monday, June 18, 2012

A quick fix snack for your summer road trip!

I am currently procrastinating. Yes I am writing a food blog but I am really procrastinating instead of packing for a trip that I am supposed to be taking later this week. Would it be easier if I did it now? Yes. Am I going to? No! That's just how I roll. I need a fire under my butt to operate evidently...Anyways...If you are new to the blog my name is Jessica (Hi!) and I am the daughter of this mother-daughter blogging team and have very recently discovered that I am gluten intolerant. Now I know that it sounds like it's an awful problem to have and it can be very unpleasant at times (I will spare you the details) but really the biggest pain about it is it just makes eating more of an inconvenience than it should be. Where one person might be able to stop during a road trip and grab a snack at a gas station or a fast food restaurant I (for the most part) can not. So what do folks who have this issue do in these situations?

A. We don't eat and stay hungry.
B. We make our own travel friendly snacks and stay well fed on the road!

I have been horrible lately about being the "A" person (refer back to the first paragraph) but I'm trying really hard to get better at it. So, in an effort to become a better planner I started researching quick fix gluten friendly snacks. There were all kinds of great recipes for everything from dried fruit to marinated carrots (?)...Yeah, I had never heard of those either...and back again, but the thing that caught my eye was a treat I hadn't had in a very long time. Candied cashews. DING, DING, DING! We have a winner! They are extremely easy to make and they taste marvelous :) So here is the recipe for a quick fix gluten free snack that takes all of 10 minutes to make. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:


2 cups whole cashews
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


You will combine your cashews, butter and sugar in a sauce pan and stir over a medium heat until all the sugar has melted and is a medium brown color. Once the mixture has reached the right color and texture (It should be very smooth) you will remove the pan from the heat, add the vanilla extract and stir.

After you have finished mixing you will place the cashews on a greased baking pan to cool. Once cooled break apart if need be.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Dos Pancakes: Tex-Mex, breakfast and barbecue!

What would happen if you introduced a Tex-Mex restaurant to a sweet little down home breakfast joint and then taught them how to make mouth watering barbecue? Dos Pancakes, that's what would happen.

My family and I have been frequenting this restaurant for a few months now and honestly everything we have eaten there is fantastic.The restaurant itself is located next door to a gas station that's right off of 85 North immediately after you get off the exit for Hamilton Mill. Not surprisingly the building used to be an old Huddle House and from the outside it doesn't really resemble anything more than that. Wonderfully though, what is found on the inside is light years away from greasy truck stop food, it is a little piece of culinary mash-up heaven.

As you walk in the door you are greeted warmly by Sam who also checks on you throughout the meal asking if you need anything and also your opinion on the dish you're having, which scores big points from me. If he is brave enough to ask what our opinions are as diners that means he values them, which also means he is always trying to improve things to make the experience better. And let's not forget Felipe! The head chef who makes us all happy. Everything is hot, tasty and cooked to perfection when it reaches the table.

Obviously I am a big fan of this diner as I've eaten here several times before but just to give you an idea of what others are saying I asked a few regulars what their opinion was of the restaurant and this is what they had to say about the food at Dos Pancakes.

Mary: "Everything I have tried so far is delicious. From the fish tacos, to the chorizo's, to the omelets, to the quesadillas, anything you try is phenomenal. I like that everything is freshly made, that nothing is processed and that is what really attracted me to the restaurant." 

Julie Richardson: "My favorite is the Mexican Pyramid. It's got the chicken pieces that are grilled and then the rice in the middle, and then the broccoli (around it) and then the cheese dip is all on top of it, it's really good! It's delicious!" 

And when it came to her teenage daughters' favorite?

"The best cheese quesadilla ever, she doesn't like them anywhere else except for here." 

Her daughters other standby item is the queso and chips. So much so that even when they come for breakfast she will sometimes order that instead of a breakfast item. The fact that she is able to do  that though is what Jennifer thinks is "the best thing about this place." Delightedly adding that "you can get mexican whenever you want!". If I want Brisket first thing in the morning I can have it. If I want a big pile of banana nut pancakes with a side of eggs for dinner, I can have it. Freedom of food! Ah, the beauty of eating in America. God bless the USA! Sorry, I'm a food enthusiast, I can get carried away.

So what did we have for dinner last night? Well, we had THIS! Chili Relleno with chicken!





First of all, this Chili Relleno isn't fried! GF friends rejoice! Seriously though, so often people will deep fry the mess out of these peppers, which in my opinion can kill the flavor of the entire thing. Not this bad boy. It has been grilled till it's just soft enough to cut with a fork and stuffed to overflowing with your choice of beautifully seasoned meat (chicken, beef, or shrimp) jalapenos, red and yellow pepper slivers, onions and a light and slightly sweet poblano cream sauce. Everything about it was light and fresh and filling. I think this might be my favorite dish thus far, granted I haven't tried everything on the menu yet but that is going to happen eventually. The entre is served with fresh refried beans and mexican rice and the portions were enough for my mother and I to split but I could definitely consume this entire meal if it was just myself eating and it wouldn't be seen that as over-eating. It really is a single adult serving which I think more restaurants should do.

So after we polished off dinner we had to have a little something sweet. That is where the Apple Chimichanga enters the story.


I recently spent three days in downtown Atlanta dining at some of the best restaurants in town and I promise you, none of the deserts I had in those restaurants came even close to this. It is apple pie a la mode but wrapped in a fried, homemade flour tortilla sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar! It is heaven on a plate. You will notice immediately after tasting the filling that it is less sweet and dense than you wold expect it to be. That's because the filling, instead of the regular cornstarch and sugar combo, is made from agave syrup. It allows the taste of the granny smiths to come through as opposed to other similar pies or fried deserts that cover up the main ingredient with an overload of sugar and cinnamon. And as for portion size? It is easily a two person desert. I'm sure some folks could eat the whole thing...*cough*...Dad...*cough*... But if you are watching your weight then half is plenty!

To sum up our experience I have only one thing to say: Go now!
The service was wonderful, the atmosphere is family friendly and the food was fantastic! So please, call up a few friends your sweetheart or your family to invite them to come have a unique dining experience at Dos Pancakes!


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

A knock-off of that "Awesome chicken dish from that great Australian-named restaurant" we all love!






(Man! The trouble you have to go through to protect copyrights!)  ANYWAY...


I saw this on Pinterest today (amysfinerthings.com) and just had to try it... I mean, anything with chicken AND bacon AND cheese is a definite must-try!  Needless to say it was a hit in my house; and that's saying something!  
Let me give you a little context....


I have two middle-schoolers (picky enough), one of which is special needs and has sensory issues (more picky). Then I have a "meat and potatoes" kinda husband who couldn't care less about super fancy anything (another layer of pickyness). THEN I have a six year old grandson who thinks PB&J and Chicken Nuggets are the only thing that belongs on his menu (yet ANOTHER layer of pickyness.. do you spell that with an "i" or "y"???), then my gluten-free blogging daughter, Jessica, and ...well, you get the picture of how hard it is to get the whole house to love ANYTHING, but this one passed the test!  It was easy, and even though I had to substitute a little (that's part of that whole using-your- cooking-intuition thing), it was amazing!  So...enjoy...all of you! 

Sherry's Aussie Chicken


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thickness (or filet them instead)
Seasoning salt
6 slices bacon, cut in half
1/4 c. regular mustard
1/4 to 1/3c. honey
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 c. shredded colby/jack cheese


Sprinkle and rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon and crumble, making sure to save the drippings.  Saute chicken in the bacon grease for 5 minutes per side, or until browned.  Move chicken to 9x13 pan.


In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayo and dried onion flakes (I used onion powder).  Pour honey mustard mixture  on each breast, then layer with mushrooms, bacon, and shredded cheese.


Bake covered with foil, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is done (be sure to check chicken for doneness).  Serve with honey mustard sauce or drippings from the pan! 


Awesomeness!



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

PB&J hot wings! No, really...

So we are just going to keep things short and sweet today. This recipe looks really simple and after watching the instructional video the whole process from beginning to end is extremely easy. I will most definitely be giving this a whirl for the next big family get together. Also, for my GF friends, this recipe only needs two minor adjustments for it to work for you. When it calls for potato flakes make sure that they are the General Mills brand of instant flakes and that your soy sauce is a gluten free brand. I can't recall the name of the brand off the top of my head but I know they sell it at Publix. Also, below the recipe I will include the link to the instructional video I was talking about earlier. I hope you enjoy this dish and please let me know how they turn out in the comments below!  Thanks guys :)

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
5 lbs Chicken wings (Completely thawed and dried)

Sauce ingredients: 
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup jalapeno pepper jelly
1/4 seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 dash chili garlic sauce (such as Sriracha) or to taste

DIRECTIONS:


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Whisk mashed potato flakes, vegetable oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken wings and toss to coat.
3. Whisk peanut butter, pepper jelly, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and chili garlic sauce in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Place coated chicken wings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, turn wings over using tongs, and return to oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken wings to the peanut pepper jelly mixture; toss to coat. Return chicken wings to baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Here is the link for the video. Enjoy!!!

http://allrecipes.com/video/534/spicy-pbj-wings/detail.aspx?prop24=PN_1.1.1_TP.Spicy-PBJ-Wings





Wednesday, June 6, 2012

God save the Queen!

 In honor of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee this week I thought it would be apropos to post a recipe that might bring a bit of Great Britain to your own table. I was lucky enough to make it across the pond a few summers ago for a five day vacation in London, and I think that out of every possible food item I had while I was there the pecan scones had to be my absolute favorite. It is a staple when serving tea and if you have had them you will know why! They are scrumptious. The crust is crispy and crumbly while the inside is soft and buttery with just a hint of sweetness. Then to absolutely destroy any and all nutritional value these treats might possibly possess, you slice it in two and smear clotted cream and your choice of jam all over it. Oh my goodness, it is fantastic!

 So, here is a recipe I thought looked pretty similar to the biscuits I enjoyed while in London and I will include at the end of this post a link to where you can buy clotted cream online. I am having one heck of a time finding it in any grocery store here in the Atlanta area but if I do I will leave the information in a comment later on. So bake some scones, put on a kettle and let's hear it for Her Royal Highness! Cheers!


INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup chopped raisins (I personally would substitue the raisins with 1 cup chopped pecans)
1/2 cup milk
1 egg


DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in raisins (or pecans). Beat milk and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring lightly. 

Turn onto lightly floured surface; roll to 1-inch thickness and cut with a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter (Or, if you're like me, just use a small tumbler glass from the cabinet.). Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 10 scones. 


Where you can buy clotted cream:  http://www.englishteastore.com/
I also found a grocer in Atlanta that carries it. Thanks Kyle for the info! Just type in your location and find the market nearest you :)  http://www.worldmarket.com/storeLocator/index.jsp

Or if you are feeling adventurous there are recipes for clotted cream online. It's time intensive work but it looks great! I will have to try it myself this summer when I get the chance. 







Saturday, June 2, 2012

How to Shuck Corn Like a Boss!

Have you ever shucked an ear of corn? Have you ever successfully gotten every single little strand of corn silk off the ear of corn? No? Good. Me neither! It's such a hassle and so time consuming and there really is no good way to go about doing it either...that is until now...Someone has figured out how to successfully shuck corn down to a completely clean ear! No joke! I promise the ear is silk free! So without further ado, Ladies and Gentleman I present to you for your viewing pleaseure: "How to Shuck Corn Like a Boss"

P.S. Thanks mom for sharing this with me on Facebook ;)




Friday, June 1, 2012

Slap Yo Momma Potato Salad!!!

Food in the south is fantastic, period, and one of the things I love the most about our food during the summer is that there are a variety of "salads" to be found in almost every home and restaurant you walk into. They are such a refreshing change of pace and so easy to make, and let's be honest; we like things to be easy around these parts when it gets hot. It's oppressively warm and humid and not really the environment one wants to slave over a hot stove in thank you very much! So how do we solve that problem? Yep. You've got it. We make everything into a salad! Think about it! How many dishes with the word "salad" in it can you name? Just off the top of my head there's: potato salad, egg salad, chicken salad, ham salad, congealed salad (This is that amazing, creamy gelatin based desert that you can still find at any church fellowship dinner. I will post a recipe for that later.) crab salad, tuna salad, and the list could go on and on but I will get back to the original point of this post. Potato salad.

Yummy :)


I got this recipe from Emeril Lagasse's page on foodnetwork.com and oh my goodness, it is wonderful. You even get to make your very own, home-made dijon mayonnaise! So cool! Granted this recipe might seem a bit fancy to some folks as most potato salads consist of four, maybe five ingredients, but goodness is it worth it! This is also gluten free (Yay!) and for my kosher friends and neighbors you can simply opt out on the bacon. So now that you have the recipe for it, get to cooking and enjoy!

ROASTED POTATO SALAD

Ingredients:

2 lb. new potatoes, quartered
1 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
Juice of 3 lemons
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp creole mustard
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped and browned until crispy
1 cup chopped red onions
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and then in a mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with the 2 tbsp of olive oil, season them with salt and pepper and place potatoes on a baking sheet to roast for 35-40 minutes. When finished, remove the potatoes from the oven and cool completely.

2. In a food processor add the egg, juice form one lemon, mustard, garlic, and green onions. Puree until smooth. Season the mixture with salt pepper. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining olive oil until all the oil is used and the mixture is thick. Re-season the mayonnaise with salt and pepper.

3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with the bacon, red onions, sliced eggs, parsley and dill. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Stir in the mayonnaise and the remaining lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Yeah Burger, oh how I love thee.

If you are a fan of grass-fed organic beef then you are in for a treat! I recently went with a friend and all our kids for a play date at Fernbank Museum. Even though I love that place and could write another entire post about it I will save that for another day because we aren't talking about Fernbank, we are talking about the place we went for lunch afterwards.


"Yeah Burger"

I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT! I love it because I don't have to worry about breaking the bank to get a fantastic double cheeseburger. Yes, I said a double cheeseburger, and the best part? It only cost me a little over five bucks! It was fresh, grass fed, double the meat and I had the option to have it on a gluten free bun for only around $5.75! And did I mention the fries? Hand cut, gluten friendly french fries. My kids were in hog heaven. I chose not to have any myself because I wanted to save up my extra calories for, wait for it, A bottle of gluten free beer! I know, I know it sounds appetizing but you would be surprised. I did enjoy the beer, it was a lot better than I expected it to be but honestly, it wasn't quite the same. To be fair though, it is made of rice rather than hops and barley so take that little critique however you like.

Seriously though folks, do you know how hard it is to find that combination of organic and gluten-free food on one plate, and at a decent price? It's hard. It's ridiculously hard! That is what puts this restaurant over the top for me, personally. You spend pretty much what you would normally spend at any chain restaurant and get an organic product instead! It's fantastic folks. So the next time you are in Atlanta and get a chance to stop by either the Virginia Highlands or their Howell Mill location, you should do it! 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Summer is here and so are the fruits and veggies!!!

Jessica and I have been trying to think of the best place to start with this blog and then we looked at each other and agreed, "Summer Fruits and Veggies!" So, as Jess described in our profile, we thought we would start with a new one I just found on Pinterest and an original! Both are yummy, and you ABSOLUTELY must use fresh summer ingredients! Check out the pics and recipes that follow, first, for this awesome Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips from www.allrecipes.com and second, Jessica's version of Ratatouille!

Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced
2 tablespoons white sugar (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less to taste)
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry)

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray

Cinnamon sugar:
1 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.Coat one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spray again with cooking spray (not necessary if using melted butter).

4.Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. This salsa can also be serve with cinnamon graham grackers or cinnamon pita chips. Best when made and eaten the same day otherwise the fruit gives off so too much juice and it gets runny.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Skillet Ratatouille (the French staple, not the movie) 
Serves 2-4...Depending upon how hungry you and your guests are!


**Disclaimer** : This is not the traditional recipe, this is my own 15-20 minute version of the dish ;)


So I posted this pic last summer and several friends facebooked me for the recipe. It is to die for and so simple to make. This is also served over lightly pan fried french bread once it's finished! Way to kill any and all nutritional value. Ha! But it is a delicious treat and a wonderful dish when entertaining guests every now and again. Oh! And for my gluten free brothers and sisters out there, it is fantastic over rice or by itself! :) 


Ingredients:


1 Diced Medium Onion
1 Chopped Eggplant-Med. Cubes work best.
1 large or two medium tomatoes diced.
3 Chopped Zucchini 
1 chopped red bell pepper...These are optional if you aren't a fan :)


2tbsp butter
4tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2tsp fresh minced thyme
2tsp fresh minced rosemary
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 loaf of french bread cut into 1-2 inch slices


Now to get down to business!


Add together your 2tbsp of butter and 4tbsp of olive oil in your skillet.  Once that has melted together and started to simmer, add the chopped onion and garlic and reduce over a medium heat until the onions are mostly clear.
Next, add the chopped red pepper and the zucchini.  Give these another 5 minutes or so to soften up.  Then you add the eggplant, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Stir, cover and cook again for about seven minutes or until the eggplant is fork tender.


...and then, for those of us who like a bit of a buttery crisp on the edges of our veggies...


In the last minute or so, turn up the heat and stir occasionally to get a lovely sear on the eggplant and tomatoes :) Once the vegetables are done you will remove them from the heat to stay warm in a covered dish. 


And Finally:


You will take another couple of tbsp's of butter and melt them in the pan and on both sides, fry your slices of french bread. After they have gotten golden/crispy serve the ratatouille over the bread and enjoy the fantastically fresh goodness! Oh! and I almost forgot to mention that this dish goes beautifully with a chilled glass of white wine or a really good beer :)


This has been a favorite of mine for a while now and I hope you enjoy it as much as our family has! Happy eats!!! - Jessica