Tag Archives: dinner

Crusty Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Onions

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Side Dish, Vegetables and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Crusty Potatoes with Tomatoes and Onions

Potatoes are one vegetable that seem to have limitless ways to prepare them.  I love potatoes in all forms, however Mr. D.  can be a little particular about how he likes his potatoes, preferring them to be more “fancy” than plain.  He would say “interesting, not boring”.  And  so I try to find recipes that fit the bill.

Flipping through one of my vegetarian cookbooks recently I came upon this recipe for “the spud” that combines potatoes with tomatoes and onions.  The onions and tomatoes caramelize and create an irresistible crust in this country-style casserole.  For a vegetarian meal just add a salad and some bread.  When I made it I served it with pan sautéed fish fillets and a salad.   The next day I had the leftovers with a poached egg;  also a very satisfying meal.  I know that I will be making this casserole many more times as it seems to fit into many meal combinations.  Both Mr. D. and I liked it very much.  It’s the kind of dish where you keep going back for one more bite!.

Please note that I made half a recipe, using one large and three small(ish) potatoes and the resulting dish in my opinion would serve four people, so the recipe as written will make quite a large amount.

CRUSTY POTATOES, TOMATOES, AND ONIONS

SERVINGS:   4-6

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 medium (about 2 pounds) potatoes, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
  • 3 large onions, halved vertically and thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1  28-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup fruity olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Lightly grease a 12″ x 7″ x 2″ baking dish or other 2 1/2 quart ovenproof shallow dish.

Slice potatoes evenly.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, garlic and tomatoes.

Combine potatoes, tomatoes and onions in a large bowl.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, olive oil, water, oregano, salt and pepper.   Pour over the vegetable mixture and toss to coat well.

Combine tomato paste, water, olive oil and seasonings.

Pour seasoning mixture over vegetables and toss well to coat.

4.  Spread this mixture in the prepared baking dish.

Ready for the oven. Cover with foil before baking.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are easily pierced and tender.

Crusty Potatoes with Tomatoes and Onion

SOURCE:     Quick Vegetarian Pleasures,  Jeanne Lemlin

Shepherd’s Pie with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Shepherd’s Pie with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

This recipe takes me back–way back–to when I was growing up.  Shepherd’s Pie was a casserole dish that my mother made frequently  because it was a favorite of my father’s.  He also loved horseradish, and often told my brother and me about how his grandfather grew horseradish, and ground it fresh, so it was really tangy and hot, with no added ingredients to tame it down. So he grew up with a taste for the real thing fresh from the garden.  Maybe I have a “gene” for horseradish, inherited from my father.  However I came by it, I like it  pretty well too, and I use it like relish to garnish some meats(like corned beef), and add it to other dishes just for the flavor it imparts.  Mashed potatoes is one of those dishes.  So—combine horseradish flavored mashed potatoes with a meat and vegetable pie and you’ve got one deeelish dish.  However if the thought of adding horseradish to your mashed potatoes doesn’t appeal to you just leave it out.

The other thing this casserole has going for it is parsnips.  Yep, parsnips.  Not a vegetable that gets a whole lot of press, and that’s a shame because parsnips add a lot of sweetness to whatever they are cooked with, or they are wonderful on their own either roasted or baked.  As a matter of fact, I will most likely be cooking parsnips again soon as I now have half a bag to use up after making this dish.

HORSERADISH-MASHED POTATO SHEPHERD’S PIE

SERVINGS:    4

INGREDIENTS

  • 5 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks.
  • salt
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
  • pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
  • 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
  • 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 pounds ground beef sirloin
  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2-3 Tablespoons chopped green onions or chives

DIRECTIONS

1.  Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil.   Salt the water, lower the heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain, then mash with the milk, egg and horseradish, until light and fluffy.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sautee the onions a little.

2.  In a deep, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, parsnips, carrots and bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until crisp tender, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add carrots, parsnip and bay leaf.

3.  Crumble the beef into the pan and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Crumble in the beef, then sprinkle flour over the top.

Stir in the beef broth and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.  Season with Worcestershire sauce.  Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper as needed.  Discard the bay leaf.

4.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Grease a shallow, medium casserole dish;  add the meat mixture and top with the mashed potatoes.  Bake until golden and heated through.  Sprinkle chives or green onions on top before serving.

Hot out of the oven, ready to be served.

SOURCE:   A Carolyn Original

Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,

Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This dish is intended to be cooked in a slow-cooker.   I can remember only one other time in my whole cooking-lifetime that I made stuffed cabbage rolls, and they, too, were cooked in a slow-cooker.   On reading this recipe I was intrigued by the promise of sweet – sour combination of flavors, so I decided to give it a try.

First off, let me confess that I don’t know my way around cabbage very well.   Mostly what I do with it is make coleslaw, and I let my processor do the shredding for me.  I also sometimes coarsely shred it with a knife to cook with Kielbasa. That’s about the extent of my cabbage repertoire.   So what I’m trying to say is that I’m not very adept at shaping and rolling a filling into a cabbage leaf.  If you are someone who can do this very well, please don’t laugh when you see the photos of my endeavors.  After all, pretty doesn’t taste any better, does it?

Secondly, there are several steps involved in getting everything ready to go into the crockpot–the recipe predicts a prep time of 20 minutes–but it took me much longer, about 30 – 45 minutes.  Plan ahead if you are going to make this, or assemble it the night before and start cooking in the morning.

INGREDIENT LIST

  • 1 small – medium head of green cabbage

    Have all your ingredients ready.

  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced.  I used a large shallot.
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cans tomato sauce, ( 8 ounce each)
  • 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 slices reduced-calorie wheat bread.  I used one multi-grain wheat thin.
  • 1/3 cup skim milk
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 cups cooked egg noodles

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Boil cabbage 12 – 15 minutes, then drain well.  Carefully remove outer leaves–you will need about 12.  Remove tough stem from each leaf and set aside.  Shred the remaining cabbage and place in the bottom of the slow-cooker.

2.  Meanwhile, heat oil in a large  non stick skillet over medium heat; cook onion 5 minutes.

Cooking the onion , garlic and seasonings.

Add garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg; cook 1 minute.  Remove half of this mixture and set aside.

Add tomato sauce, sugar and vinegar.

Stir tomato sauce, sugar and vinegar into skillet and remove from heat.

Use processor to make the meat filling.

3.  In a processor, pulse bread and milk until a paste is formed.  Add reserved onion mixture, beef, salt and pepper and pulse until well combined.

4.  With stem ends of cabbage leaves facing you, place 2 heaping Tablespoons of meat mixture in center of each leaf and roll up.

Meat filling rolled into the cabbage leaves.

5.  Place rolls, seam-side down, in slow cooker.  Pour sauce over all.

Pour tomato sauce over cabbage rolls in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours.  Serve with egg noodles.

Serve over egg noodles.

Our assessment of this recipe:  First I think the name of this dish is a misnomer;  the flavor is more sweet than sour, but not overly sweet.  Secondly, we both thought the meat filling was very compact and dense.  If I were to make this again,  I would not mix the filling in a processor, but instead in a bowl, like making meatloaf.  It would then be lighter and more textured, perhaps adding some cooked white rice would help. The tomato sauce was flavorful with a faint hint of the cinnamon, which I thought complemented the cabbage.  When we ate the leftovers, I thought the whole dish tasted better the second time around, and the meat filling was more moist.

SOURCE:  Family Circle Magazine, November, 2012:  Slow Cooker Suppers

M J’s Raw Bar, a restaurant review

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Travel & Restaurants and tagged with , , , , , ,

Model of a sailing ship near the front entrance.

For a small city there are a lot of very good restaurants in New Bern, North Carolina.  We had spent some time browsing in the shops, but they were closing for the day and we realized we were getting hungry.  Deciding where to have dinner was a tough decision, because of the numerous choices, and because we had heard good things about so many of them.  In the end the decision was practically made for us because we found on-street parking less than a block from M.J’s Raw Bar.  Rain was on the way so it was a quick dash from the car to the door and we were inside.

The interior is rather small, with the dining space longer than it is wide,  The ambience is cozy and the service is friendly.  Tables occupy the front near a large window that looks out on the street, while the rear portion consists of booths.  Decor is decidedly nautical and “fishy”.   Along one side the backs of  the booths are each topped with a metal fish.

Metal fish sculptures decorate the backs of booths along the right side.

Along the other side each separation is topped with a sailing schooner.  The walls are lined with framed pictures of sailing ships.

Models of sailing schooners decorate the backs of booths on the left side.

We were seated near the front at a table for four where we could look out at the street scene.  Our waitress, a southern gal, was very friendly  and described the day’s specials that were in addition to the regular menu offerings.

A cup of lobster bisque.

The soup special was Lobster Bisque.  This sounded especially good, so three of us ordered it as a starter.  It was rich and flavorful, with lots of small pieces of lobster floating in the creamy broth that had just a hint of sherry in it.   A cup size serving was ample as a first course, but my husband had the bowl size because he likes a lot of a good thing.

A bowl of lobster bisque.

The fourth person in our party ordered the crab chowder.  Of all the items we ordered this was least appealing because it was so heavily spiced.  While the flavor was good, the “heat” and spice was too much to be enjoyable.  Spicy chowders seem to be popular in this area, so it is probably an acquired taste.

Amongst four of us we ordered three different entrees as two of us had the same thing, and that was the Crabby Patty Melt with Fries and Jamaican Tartar Sauce..  This consisted of two toasted English Muffin halves with a scoop of crab salad and a covering of melted cheese on each one.  Served along side were the fries and a small cup of somewhat spicy tartar sauce.  We both enjoyed this very much and found the serving size to be plentiful.

Crabby Patty Melt with Fries and Jamaican Tartar Sauce

Another member of our party had the Soft Shell Blue Crab Sandwich with coleslaw.  The crab was breaded and crispy on a bun with lettuce and tomato, and tartar sauce.  She was pleased with this entree and said the crab was tender and flavorful. My husband ordered the house salad which consisted of green leaf lettuce, sliced strawberries, pecans and feta cheese.  It was beautiful to see and delicious to eat.     This was followed by Pan Seared Scallops in Pomodoro Sauce over Angel Hair pasta.  The serving size of this dish was large, with a generous number of scallops that were sweet and tender.  The tomato sauce was thin and nicely seasoned, a good compliment to the fine angel hair pasta.  He liked his dinner very much, but finishing it was difficult—could it be because he already had a bowl of lobster bisque and a salad?

Pan Seared Scallops with Pomodoro Sauce over Angel Hair Pasta

We did not order desserts because we couldn’t eat another bite, but there were several desserts available, all very tempting.

Our impressions of this restaurant:  the food was moderately priced, very tasty, with ample portions.  Service was prompt and friendly. If I lived in this area, it is a place I would go to for a casual lunch or dinner.  Another really great perk:  street-side parking is FREE.  No meters to put change into, and no time limits.   I would definitely recommend M.J’s Raw Bar to anyone visiting New Bern, N.C. or living in the vicinity.

Kohala Tuna Steaks

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vacations are long anticipated, and over too quickly.  We are now home again refreshed, renewed and ready to pick up where we left off. I had so made food-related adventures that I’m anxious to tell you about, that I don’t know where to start.  I guess the logical place is at the beginning.

Our destination was the eastern shore of North Carolina, where I have family.  On the day of our arrival our host was out deep-sea fishing with friends.  When he came home he brought a selection of fish he and the guys had caught, one of which was tuna.  The next day we cooked it, grilling it in a smoker.       This was my first experience with cooking in a smoker.   We searched through several books on smoker cooking and decided to try this recipe for a mildly flavored marinade so as not to overwhelm the tuna.  It was a good choice.  The butter and sesame oil kept the fish moist and buttery and the acidic flavors of lemon and  rice vinegar and the bite of ginger kept it all in balance.  The flavor of the fish was incredible;  slightly smoky, and falling apart tender.

KOHALA TUNA STEAKS

YIELD:  4 servings

KOHALA MARINADE

  • 6 Tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted, melted
  • 6 Tablespoons Asian-style sesame oil
  • 6 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh gingeer
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 crushed tiny hot red chile (optional)

4 tuna steaks, each about 1 inch thick

1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt

soy sauce for serving

DIRECTIONS

1.   Soak wood chips of your choice for about an hour prior to smoking.   We used apple wood chips.

2.  Prepare smoker for barbecuing, bringing temperature to 180 to 200 degrees.

3.  In a shallow pan or baking dish, mix the marinade ingredients.

Place the tuna steaks in the dish and turn to coat both sides with the marinade.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 -30 minutes, turning the steaks several times.

4.  Heat a skillet over high heat and sprinkle in the salt.  Drain the tuna steaks.  Sear the steaks quickly on both sides.  Before you smoke meaty fish steaks, such as tuna or swordfish, it helps to sear them quickly over high heat to seal in their juices and add a light crust.

5.  Transfer the steaks to the smoker.  Cook the tuna to desired doneness, 20 – 25 minutes for medium-rare.  Avoid over cooking the tuna. Serve hot with soy sauce.

Suggested go withs:  Mix up a salad of thinly sliced snow peas, carrots, water chestnuts, and napa cabbage or bok choy tossed with a vinaigrette made with Asian-style sesame oil and rice vinegar;  we served this with twice-baked potatoes also.  Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post.

Wine go-withs include pinot gris, chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, crisp whites or a fruity reisling.

SOURCE:    Smoke and Spice,   by Cheryl and Bill Jamison

Chicken Provencal Revisited

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,

Chicken Provencal

I made this dish recently to share with a friend of ours who had undergone surgery, and was recuperating at home with no-one to cook for him.  I chose to make this because the recipe makes a large quantity and could easily be split for him and for us.  Its one of my favorites to make whenever I’m called upon to help out in this way.  Everyone who has it always comments on how flavorful it is with its mixture of vegetables and chicken.  Leftovers seem to taste as good if not better the second time around.

I first wrote about this recipe back in April when I was new to writing this blog, and less experienced with my photography.  Having tweaked the recipe a bit since then I thought it was worth presenting again for those of you who may not have seen it.

CHICKEN PROVENCAL

SERVINGS:   6         Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  • 1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut up; or chicken parts to equal 3-4 pounds.
  • 1 scant Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 large ribs celery, sliced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 can (29 ounces) tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cans ( 15 1/2 ounces each) beans, rinsed and drained.  These may be black beans, or any white beans.  My preference is to use 1 can white beans and 1 can black.
  • 1 Tablespoon instant chicken boullion
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1.  In a large skillet drizzle the olive oil and heat to very hot, add the chicken skin side down and cook just to brown, turn over and continue browning. Remove to a platter and set aside.

Saute the raw vegetables in pan drippings.

2.  In the pan drippings, sauté onion, garlic and celery until tender.  Stir in carrots and continue to sauté for another minute.

Add remaining ingredients.

Ready for the oven.

3.  Spoon into a 3-quart baking dish; arrange the chicken pieces on top.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 65 – 75 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

I have served this entree at a dinner party to rave reviews.  What I like about it is the amount of time you have to serve appetizers and visit with your guests while it bakes.  Have a salad made in advance and maybe a loaf of crusty bread to go with it and you will be a hero without a whole lot of effort.

SOURCE:   Taste of Home magazine

Corn Chowder

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Soups and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Yesterday was a day that I definitely wanted to stay indoors.  Outside we had torrential rain and strong gusty winds.  Even though the air was humid and warm it put me in the mood for a hot soup for dinner.  Remembering the corn I had cut from cobs and froze, I decided to make a corn chowder.

Corn Chowder

There are any number of recipes out there for corn chowder, and I have tried several, but the one I keep coming back to is this one which includes bacon.  I like the smokiness it adds, and the bits of color in the finished soup.  This version also includes potatoes, and they make it a bit more hearty, especially  if served for a dinner meal.  This could easily become a vegetarian meal by omitting the bacon and using a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

CORN CHOWDER

YIELD:   about 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 slices thick bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced

    Ingredients for Chowder. One can of chicken broth, not two.

  • 3 Tablespoons coarsely chopped red or green pepper
  • 1 can chicken broth (approx. 2 cups)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 medium potatoes, cup into small chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • chopped parsley, optional

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a large saucepan, cook bacon till crisp.  Remove to paper towels to drain.  Reserve bacon drippings in pan.

2.  Add onion, celery and pepper to saucepan. Sauté over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes.  (I didn’t have any peppers so I added some roasted red pepper at the end with the corn).

Add broth, water and potatoes, salt, pepper, basil, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer covered 10-15 minutes or just until potato is tender.

3.  Stir in  milk, corn,  and bacon;  return to a simmer, stirring occasionally and cook just to warm through.  Do not allow to boil.  Prior to serving sprinkle in chopped parsley if using.

Corn Chowder and Rustic Whole Grain Bread: True Comfort Food.

When I haven’t made this chowder in a while I forget how good it is, but one taste is all it takes to make me know how much I love it, and why this is the one recipe I make over and over.  I’m so happy to share it with you.  You must make it on a damp chilly day and serve it with a hearty loaf of rustic bread.  True comfort food!

SOURCE:  This clipping has been in my recipe box for ages.  I don’t know it’s origins.

Maple-Soy Chicken Thighs

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,

I don’t know of a food more universally well-liked or commonly eaten than chicken.  We certainly eat it quite often.  For that reason I feel the need to have a large variety of recipes featuring chicken.  Whenever a new one comes along that looks interesting I try it out.  The recipe in todays’s post is a new one for me that I took for a walk around the kitchen this weekend.  It turned out quite well, and was tender and tasty.

Maple-Soy Chicken Thighs

The preparation of this dish is simple:  mix up the marinade ingredients in a plastic zip-lock bag,  add in the chicken pieces,  marinate for at least an hour, then oven bake or cook on the grill. The marinade provides a nice flavor of maple mixed with the typical asian ingredients of  soy sauce,  fresh ginger, and sesame oil. A little crushed red pepper flakes gives it some “punch”.  This recipe will be a keeper in my file for chicken dishes.

MAPLE-SOY CHICKEN THIGHS

SERVINGS:   4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2  cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 Tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon peeled, grated, fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs ( I had a package of mixed drumsticks and thighs )
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

1.  Combine first   7 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Place in a large zip-top plastic bag.  Add chicken thighs to the bag and seal.  Marinate in refrigerator  at least 1 hour.

2.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees or prepare grill.

3.  Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade.  Place marinade in  a small sauce pan over medium heat;  Bring to a boil.  Cook until marinade reduces to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes).  Arrange chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined  baking sheet,  or place on grill.  Baste with the maple mixture,  sprinkle evenly with salt.  Bake chicken at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Turn pieces over, baste again and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Same procedure for cooking on a grill.  Before serving, sprinkle with green onions.

To complete this meal I served fresh green beans and couscous, adding some orange sections and sliced almonds to the couscous.   This, along with a glass of our favorite chardonnay, was a most enjoyable dinner in deed.  To finish it off in grand style we had home-made peach ice-cream.   Dee-lish!  I’ll be telling you about that tomorrow.

SOURCE:  Eating Well

Chicken Tostadas and Avocado Salsa

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Chicken Tostadas and Avocado Salsa

Occasionally when I’m out for the day and I know I won’t have much time to prepare a full meal I’ll pick up a Rotisserie Chicken at my local market.   I’ll add a vegetable and a salad and dinner’s ready.  But what happens to the chicken that wasn’t eaten at that meal?  Usually I make chicken salad  with it for lunches.  But last week when I was confronted with this situation, I wanted to do something different; I was tired of chicken salad.  Luckily for me I came across this recipe for Chicken Tostadas and Avocado Salsa that calls for two cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.  With a few additional ingredients that you probably already have on hand, this goes together quickly, and is fun to eat.

My husband and I were comfortable eating this whole recipe.  Unless you are serving children, just one of these is not enough.  They are a little messy to eat, but the flavor is sooo  good.   I’m sure any substitutions you might make would not detract from the enjoyment of eating these.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4

  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice ( juice of 1 lime)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes (remove as many seeds as possible)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion or scallions
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 avocado, peeled and diced
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 4 ( 6-inch ) flour tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded green lettuce
  • 1 ( 15 ounce ) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco, or other favorite cheese

DIRECTIONS

1.  Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add the tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado;  toss gently to coat.

2.  Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add 3/4 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add 1 tortilla to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned.  Repeat this 3 more times with remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons oil and tortillas.

3.  To serve:  place 1 tortilla on each of 4 plates.  Layer each tortilla with 1/2 cup lettuce, about 1/2 cup beans, 1/2 cup chicken, 1/4 cup avocado salsa, and 1 tablespoon cheese

SOURCE:    Cooking Light Magazine

Slow Cooked Braised Beef Short Ribs

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , , ,

It doesn’t matter what season it is, I make frequent use of my crockpot, especially if I will be away most of the day.  I love to come home to the smell of something wonderful cooking.  Today I cooked beef  short ribs.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Short-ribs are usually quite pricy at the market so we don’t have them very often, but this past week there was a special “truckload of beef” sale going on so I purchased some.  I have in my files several recipes for braised beef short-ribs, but for every one I was missing some key ingredient.  So I fused together two different recipes and come up with this one.  They came out very well;  finger-lickin good and falling off the bone, with a nice gravy that I thickened with some of the seasoned flour I used to brown the ribs initially.  I served this together with a mushroom risotto, and a medley of fresh garden vegetables.    This is how I made the ribs.

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS IN THE CROCK POT

SERVES:    4

INGREDIENTS

  • about 4 pounds beef short ribs,  4-6 pieces
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 jar prepared Beef Gravy with Mushrooms (such as Heinz)
  • 1 package dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton)

PREPARATION

1.  Spray crock pot liner with non-stick cooking spray

2.  In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, smoked paprika, and allspice.  Dredge the ribs in the flour mixture to coat.  Shake off excess flour.

3.  In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil to hot, brown the ribs on all sides, in batches if needed.

4.  Place a few ribs in the bottom of the crock pot .  Pour some of the gravy over them and sprinkle with some of the soup mix.  Repeat with the remaining ribs, gravy, and soup mix.

5.  Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.

6.  To serve:  Remove the ribs to a serving dish and keep warm.  Make a roux out of 2 Tablespoons butter and 2 Tablespoon flour (use any seasoned flour left from dredging the ribs).   Turn the crock pot up to HIGH so that the gravy simmers,  add the roux and stir to combine so the gravy thickens slightly.  Pour over the ribs and serve with noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice.

SOURCE:   A CAROLYN ORIGINAL