Cooking – Page 14 – The Dackel Princess

What I Did This Weekend

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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As I wrote in Sunday’s post, not much happened on Saturday. It was a lazy day, and aside from a wonderful fire in my hearth, I have nothing to report of any great interest there.

However, on Sunday I decided to cook Hubby a nice dinner. I had some boneless pork-loin chops, and I made this wonderful recipe.

Honey and Spice-Glazed Pork Chops

Add a spicy-sweet kick to your traditional pork chop recipe by simmering pork chops in a honey, Dijon mustard, ground ginger, cinnamon, and clove glaze. Serve with mashed potatoes to soak-up the extra sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1 tablespoon glaze)

1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I used real ginger and grated it)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low; add honey mixture. Cook 10 minutes or until done, turning pork once.

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It was delicious, and I served the chops with baked sweet potatoes, asparagus and our own, home-made apple sauce. This made me feel like I had scored a big win, win, for the weekend. Monday morning I am going skiing, and then after I plan to cook Hubby a spoon roast beef. For those of you that have never had this cut, it is a very tender cut of the beef. In fact I like it better than Prime Rib!

Happy Monday, Everyone!

A Lazy Saturday

Saturday I decided to make Hubby one of his favorite meals. My friend Uschi’s Meatballs, and German fried potatoes, a dish known as Bratkartoffeln. You can view my recipe for that HERE. So I made that and the meatballs, and it was like sitting with Uschi at her house!

Here I am making the meatballs. You can see it was a real, ‘hands on’ job!

Then I shaped them and rolled them into dry bread crumbs.

While I was cooking the meatballs, I was also cooking the Bratkartoffeln. I felt like a real short order cook.

But it was worth it, when I served up Hubby’s plate to him, and saw his smile.

Since the recipe for Uschi’s Meatballs is not mine I don’t feel right printing it here. But if you would like it, leave a comment and I will email it to you privately. It is so good, that I know you will enjoy it!!!

At the end of the day I had removed my bedspread from our bed, turned to say goodnight to Hubby and turned back, when I saw this.

I mean, just look at that face! The little bugger actually dug his way into my side of the bed clothes! Too, too much, but adorable, nonetheless!

Lettuce Wedge Salad

1/4 head of iceberg lettuce cut into a wedge
1/3 cup diced fresh tomatoes
fresh apple smoked bacon bits
1 tbs scallions sliced thin
Blue cheese broken into small pieces
Blue cheese salad dressing drizzled over the entire salad

Place lettuce on serving plate and add all ingredients in order.
Enjoy!

What’s Cooking Wednesday

What’s Cooking Wednesday

Carrot Casserole

3 Eggs
1/2 cup sugar or (1/2 cup Splenda sugar blend)
1 stick butter
1 tbs. baking powder
2 tbs. flour
1 cup milk
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups hot cooked carrots

Place all ingredients into blender and puree. Pour into buttered (or Pam) casserole dish 8 X 10 and bake at 350* for about 30 minutes or until set. This is good either warm or cold.

The host for this Meme is: Tales From The Fairy Blogmother check out her link for other recipes and players. It may help end Wednesday night boredom in the kitchen!

Short Order Cook

It started with me cooking Hubby breakfast on Friday morning. I asked what he wanted and quickly whipped it up for him. I tidied the kitchen and then began the process of getting some cooking done.

Serious cooking.

Saturday we had friends over for a barbecue, and I needed to get the ribs set so that they could marinate. I was able to get that done pretty quickly, before I tackled the potato salad.

I tossed 5 pounds of potatoes in to boil with a half dozen eggs, and while that all cooked, I chopped the onion, celery for the potato salad as well as peppers and garlic that I needed for the Chili that I was also making.

Chili, you ask? Yes, Since I had all the juice from the tomatoes and I am literally inundated with Spaghetti Sauce, I decided to make a double batch of chili.

Once the vegetables were chopped and the potatoes were cooked, I set them aside to cool. Meanwhile, I started the Chili by sauteing all the vegetables and adding the ground meat. I browned that, added the tomato sauce and spices and set it on a low heat to cook.

I then made the potato salad and no sooner had I gotten all that put together, than it was lunch! I made Hubby a couple of hot-dogs with relish, onions and mustard and chips. Ate a quick lunch myself before working to clean up everything.

I was just finishing up the Chili in the mid afternoon when Hubby suggested that we make apple sauce! So we sliced and cored half a bushel of apples and cooked them down. We put them through the Foley Mill to remove any seeds and skin, and then added a tad of sugar and cinnamon. Yum! I froze eight quarts of sauce and put one container in the fridge.

Then Hubby wanted dinner. That was easy, he got Chili! I literally cooked the entire day on Friday, and I do not plan to cook much at all now over the weekend! Just a few little things. Like grill the ribs, and boil water for the corn on the cob.

I must share with you though, that my freezers are nearly full with all sorts of fruits and vegetables from the garden. Makes me feel kind of proud.

Saturday’s dinner went off without a hitch and we are all happily full tonight. Thanks to my pre-cooking, I was able to enjoy my guests and the food as well!

Jam Making

Today at the Dackel Princess house we spent the day cooking. Our big project was the preparation, cooking and canning of our very own Plum Jam!

As you know, Emily is here, and today her boyfriend, Ben came over as well and the four of us set about putting it all together.

In the end, we had eleven half pints of Jam, and it came out very well! Best of all, we had fun doing it!

Maribeth’s Spaghetti Sauce

4 pounds of ripe tomatoes
1 cup water

Cut the stem end from the tomato and cut into quarters. Place in a large pot, cover and bring to boil. Turn down and simmer tomatoes for 1-2 hours, until very tender.

While tomatoes are cooking Chop up:

1 ½ cups onion
1 cup green pepper
1 cup red pepper
1 cup celery
1 cup carrots
smash 6 cloves garlic and chop up finely.

In large kettle add 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat and add the vegetables you have chopped. Sauté for several minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add:

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
3 large links of Sweet Italian Sausage (either pork or turkey).

Stir, breaking up meat, and browning, until it is completely cooked. Drain any fat you may have.

Add:

tomatoes
2 tablespoon Parsley
1 cup fresh Basil that you have torn to pieces (this is an important ingredient)
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Allow this to simmer very slowly for 1-2 hours, covered.

Then add:

3-4 small cans of tomato paste. Stir in well to dissolve. This will thicken your sauce and give it good body.

If your sauce does not thicken to your taste after 20 minutes, take the lid off and cook down a little.

This recipe freezes well. I often make a double batch and freeze it for the winter! You will be so glad you did!

New/Old Hair

I’ve been growing out my hair for a while now. It’s gotten so much longer and I thought I would like that, but…after a few months of not being able to just scrunch it into place I was going nuts.

So I called Margarita, and went in to get my hair cut! I wanted it all layered up so I can scrunch and go.

Margarita is an amazing stylist. She knew just what I needed and worked quickly and efficiently and I am back to being able to scrunch and go!

Isn’t it amazing how the little things in life can make all the difference?

I also made three quarts of spaghetti sauce! My freezer is getting so full.

Soon I will be making green Tomato Relish also known as “Chow Chow”. Now that will be interesting as I have never made that before!

Oh yes. And best of all, Emily arrives tonight for two days with us and the pups! We’re really looking forward to that!

Zucchini Lasagna

Lest I start to sound like a cooking blog rather than a dog blog, let me preface this post by saying that when I feel depressed or sad, I cook. Unfortunately for my waistline, I also tend to eat what I cook! Anyway, on Monday I made a Zucchini Lasagna. I wasn’t sure how that would work out, but it came out surprisingly well! Here is the recipe:

3 pounds large zucchini, scrubbed
1 quart spaghetti sauce or thick tomato sauce
2-16 ounce containers of ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup of egg whites
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1 pound mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
1 cup bread crumbs

I started by slicing up 3 pounds of zucchini. The key here is to get several zucchini that are the same length, then slice them about a quarter of an inch thick.

Then you place the slices in boiling water for just 5 minutes.

Then drain them on paper towel to get out all the moisture. While they drain, mix up 2-16 ounce containers of ricotta cheese (I used fat free) with 2 tablespoons of parsley and 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of egg whites.

I got out the spaghetti sauce I made yesterday (I know, I have been cooking a lot) and got that ready to use.

You start by preparing a 9×13 pan, spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with a quarter of the bread crumbs. Arrange layer of zucchini over this. Spoon half of the reserved ricotta mixture on top of the zucchini. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and romano cheese. Arrange the rest of the zucchini over this, layer more tomato sauce and the rest of the bread crumbs and top with remaining ricotta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until top is brown. Let stand 30 minutes before serving. (I mean this, as it will be terribly gooey!)

Cut, serve, and enjoy!

It was great and even my husband, who was skeptical, loved it! A nearly vegetarian meal!

In other news, Anneliese was de-lambed today. Hubby brought her outside and then hid the little lamb we gave her two weeks ago. She has not missed her and is now completely back to being her old playful self! I am so thankful!

Yes, and in the end, life does go on.

Cooking!

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend!

Today was a big cooking day here at The Dackel Princess House. Actually Hubby departed early on to go work in the forest again, and that left me with the Dackels, zucchini and more tomatoes than I knew what to do with!

So when all else fails, one must cook, yes?

I started by clearing the shelves and making sure everything was nice and clean. I’m quite lucky to have a big island counter top in my kitchen where I can spread out and work.

You can just see Greta enjoying the sunshine on the left side of the picture.

Then I got out all the equipment and ingredients to make the zucchini bread.

See my beautiful zucchini?

After this I used the food processor to shred it.

Then I mixed it all together and put it in pans.

And when I was done I had eight loaves of zucchini bread.

Seven of them went into the freezer, and one stayed out.

Meanwhile, during the time I was working on the zucchini bread, I had the tomatoes cooking so I could make spaghetti sauce. After a couple of hours cooking down the tomatoes, I put them through a food mill to separate the seeds and skins from the pulp.

I sauteed up some onions, peppers, celery, garlic and Italian Sausage and ground beef to make a nice thick meat sauce. After a few hours of simmering it slowly, it was done. I divided it up and froze half and kept half out. I’m thinking of making a zucchini lasagna with the sauce.

Later in the day, because I hadn’t cooked enough, I got to work on a beautiful Rainbow Trout that was given to me by my friend, Dave. This was an enormous fish and fed both Hubby and I completely!

I still want Dave to teach me how to cook this fish the way he described. Somehow I don’t think I got it right. Still we both enjoyed it, and so did Greta, Fritz, and Anneliese. They got the scraps. Arnie, funny little guy that he is, didn’t like it! I was shocked. I tried giving him the skin, but no. He didn’t like it!

So my day is ending, all the cooking is done and I am finally able to put up my feet and relax.

Tomorrow it’s zucchini lasagna!