Chicken Fried Steak and Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

I made these biscuits before, and they were SO GOOD I took them to my moms to share. I think I got her hooked too :) We added extra stuff to the steak gravy, which made it taste a little "off" so I won't put that in here.



I got these from Joyful Abode. I love her step by step pictures, and each thing I've tried of hers turned out great!

http://www.joyfulabode.com/blog/2008/03/08/cheesy-garlic-biscuits-a-la-red-lobster-step-by-step-easy-recipe/

Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a cooking sheet with nonstick spray.
Dump into a bowl: 2 cups of buttermilk biscuit mix (like Bisquick or Jiffy mix), 1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.

Stir everything together.

Pour in about 2/3 cups of milk. Stir until combined.

Use the two-spoon method to drop lumps of the dough onto your cookie sheet.

Stick them in the oven and set the timer to 10 minutes. Now, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 teaspoons of oregano and 1 teaspoon of garlic salt (I used minced garlic and garlic powder).

When the timer goes off brush some of the butter mixture over each biscuit (I didn't have a brush so I poured with a spoon). Then, pop them back into the oven for another 5-6 minutes or until they’re lightly browned. If you’d like, you can brush them with the garlic-herb butter again and let it soak in before you serve them.

http://www.joyfulabode.com/blog/2008/03/03/country-fried-steak-with-gravy-again/

Prepare a dredge of flour, salt, and pepper. And beat a couple of eggs in a separate bowl.

Dip the meat in the flour, then in the egg, then in the flour mix again. Pan-fry in a few tablespoons of olive oil until golden brown on the outside and cooked through.

Then, set the meat aside and cover to keep warm.

Add a bit of butter to the drippings and dump in the rest of the flour mix (a few tablespoons probably). Mix this up and cook it about a minute, until it’s bubbly and colored a bit.
Add some milk, and cook until thickened. Add some more milk, and thicken again. Add more salt and pepper.

Pour it over your country fried steaks.

Apple Pie

Recipe to Follow.

Tortilla Chips

It said on the recipe "other variations" so being the rebel I am, I used only those :) Some chips were covered in just cheese and salt, some were covered in sugar and cinnamon, others salt and paprika. I didn't use ANY measurements, just winged it with what looked like enough. As much as I loved the cinnamon and sugar, the cheese was probably the best, only because it was "normal."


http://www.peanutbutterboy.com/2008/03/low-fat-healthy-baked-tortilla-chips.html

Ingredients:Regular 4" corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Salt (large grain preferred)
Seasoning (cumin, paprika, lime juice, etc...)

Variations:
- Top with fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
- Use cinnamon & sugar instead

Instructions:1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make a stack of 8 tortillas on a cutting sheet. Cut with a large sharp knife in 8 equal triangle-shaped sections by first cutting the tortillas in half, then in half again, and so forth. Cover 2 baking sheets with tin foil and arrange chips in one layer. 8 tortillas should easily fit on 2 baking sheets.

2. Spray the trays with cooking spray and sprinkle salt and spices or cinnamon & sugar on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until beautifully browned

Cinnamon Curry Tunafish

It sounds interesting, but I can't express how AMAZING this was. I put it on these awesome multigrain crackers we got from Costco, which made it even better. I ended up adding alot more cinnamon than it called for, but I did it to taste, so I don't remember how much it was.






2 (6 ounce) cans water packed tuna, drained and flaked
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, mix the tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, lemon juice, cinnamon, curry powder, pepper, and salt. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

I got this from Baking Blonde. It was very rich, and finally something turned out perfect! I made it especially for Daddy's Day.

Chocolate Mix
3/4 cup butter, very soft (not melted but softer than room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 TBS vanilla extract
2 large eggs1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt
Peanut Butter/Cheesecake Mix
4 oz cream cheese, softened1/2 cups creamy PB
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

5-6 Reese’s peanut butter cups (regular size) cut into 6-8 pieces each
IMPORTANT: Do NOT omit the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. They take these brownies over the top and add the “Double” Peanut Butter taste the title tepts tastebuds with

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8×8″ square pan with foil and lightly coat with PAM cooking spray.
In a microwave safe bowl melt the two baking chocolate squares in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth and melted after stirring. Do not scortch! Remove from microwave and allow to come to room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl, Beat together butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix to combine. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and wisk together. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Do not overmix.

In separate mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and beat until just combined.
Spread about 2/3 of chocolate brownie batter into prepared pan. Evenly drop 1/2 of cheesecake batter in dollups over brownie batter. Run a knife through both mixtures to slightly swirl.
Dollop remaining brownie batter and cheesecake batter over swirled mixture. Run knife through the browine and cheesecake dollups (not all the way through the already swirled layer) to create a swirled pattern.

Bake for 40-45 minutes**, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not overbake or they will harden, if underbaked they will be too gooey. Every oven is different so watch and check these after about 35-40 minutes of baking to ensure propper doneness.
**After about 35-40 minutes of baking (with about 5-7 minutes of baking time left, you just need to eyeball it) gently place cut up Reese’s cups over top of almost fully baked brownies. Finish baking until a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. The Reese’s PB cups will melt but hold their shape slightly. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting and serving.

NOTE 2/13/08: I changed and added 5-7 minutes the baking time as a few people who have made the recipe indicated a longer bake time was needed than oringinally posted. The recipe listed above reflects those changes.All ovens are different so be sure to keep an eye on your brownies to prevent overbaking. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it.

Nacho Cheese Dip

I pulled a recipe off the internet and tweaked it to fit what we had in the kitchen. It was DELICIOUS with the Spinach and Artichoke chips from Target, the Archer Farm brand.





1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 bag shredded cheese (we used mix of monterey jack and pepper jack)
1/2 bottle of salsa
1/2 can bean dip
Taco Seasoning
(follow directions on seasoning pouch for the milk and water amount)

In 1 large skillet brown the meat
Add taco seasoning and milk and water
In another large skillet combine salsa, bean dip, and cheese over medium low heat until melted
Combine the meat and cheese sauce

Easy and quick, just what I wanted last night!

Chewy S'More Brownie

Although my pan overbaked the brownie mix, I still enjoyed it. I just hope my daring test subjects REALLY liked it :) Next time I'll bake less time in less temperature and oversee it more carefully.

1 package fudge brownie mix
1 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
Golden Graham Cereal or 10 graham cracker halves
2/3 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 for a dark pan).
Grease bottom of 9x9-inch or 8x8-inch pan. (I only had a 9x13 so they turned out thinner than normal)
Prepare brownies according to package directions.

Immediately, upon removal from oven, sprinkle marshmallows and chocolate chips over warm brownie surface.
Return to hot oven for about 2 minutes to melt.
Arrange graham crackers or cereal on top of hot marshmallows and press down lightly.

Skirt Steak with Lemon and Chili-Roasted Potatoes

The recipe said to season with salt and pepper. It came out WAY too salty. We sprayed lemon juice all over the steak, and that helped some. Next time I'll just simply use the yummy italian dressing we used before to marinate steak. The potatoes were a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I garnished with more lemon balm since my garden is over flowing with it.

1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or new potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

Kosher salt and pepper

8 sprigs thyme (I used lemon balm from the garden)

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (we just picked up steak that was on sale)

1 lemon, quartered

Heat oven to 425° F.

Mix the potatoes, oil, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and thyme in a medium bowl.

Transfer to a roasting pan and cook, stirring once, until crisp and golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from oven, transfer to individual plates, and wipe the pan clean.

Heat broiler.

Season the steak with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Place on the clean roasting pan.

Broil the steak to the desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Serve with the potatoes and lemon quarters.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Macaroni And Tunafish

We were feeling boring tonight and just mixed Velveeta Shells and Cheese with tunafish (with mayo and relish mixed in it). Nothing fancy, but very delicious. My stepmom taught me it when I was about 9, loved it ever since. I'm not posting a picture since most times people look at it and immediately think it's gross.

Pasmesan Pasta with Chicken and Rosemary.

Ok, so I've gone a little nuts with the real simple recipes, but they all looked so good in the magazine! Tonight we tried this one, and it turned out excellent!





12 ounces (3 cups) orecchiette pasta
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and pepper



Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Shred the chicken, using a fork or your fingers, while the pasta cooks.

Discard the skin and bones.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the water.

Return the pasta to the pot.

Add the reserved pasta water, chicken, rosemary, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pot.

Stir over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.



Tip: Using water reserved from the pasta pot is a classic cook's trick. Starchy and salted, it makes a light, flavorful sauce when tossed with cheese and herbs. It's also great for thinning pestos and marinaras

Peppermint Chocolate Frappe.

I pulled this from one of my grandmothers cookbooks. I changed what to put in there to fit what I had in the kitchen though. This is what I used:

1/4 gallon Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream

1 cup Skim Milk

4 peppermint candies

1/4 cup Chocolate Syrup

Blend 4 pieces of peppermint until they turn to a powder

Pour in milk, syrup and ice cream. Blend.

In my case it was a milkshake rather than a liquid since the recipe called for chocolate frozen yogurt (I'm assuming that made the difference, it was supposed to be more liquidy!), but I garnished it with some Lemon Balm from my garden.

New kitty bowls.

In light of my new interest in food, I bought my two kitties new matching food/water bowls :)

Chicken and Cashews in Lettuce Cups.

So I attempted my first actual meal. This was another recipe from Real Simple, and after I got Drew to help get the chicken started, the rest was pretty easy, and it was very quick. Now I'm ready to make dessert!

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1728860

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1 small head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Combine the soy sauce and honey in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes.

Lower heat to medium and stir in the garlic and ginger.
Add the scallions and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the water chestnuts and half the soy sauce mixture and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with the cashews.
Divide the lettuce leaves among individual plates and spoon the chicken over the top.

Serve with the remaining soy sauce mixture for drizzling. Makes 4 servings

Chocolate Chip Croissants.

Super duper easy, but I got the recipe from Real Simple magazine. It took almost no time at all to make, and gave me reassurance I could make something and not burn down the house.



http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1728824


1 8-count tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate

Heat oven to 375° F.
Unroll the dough and separate it into 8 triangles.
Place about 10 chocolate chips on the bottom third of each triangle and roll the dough up around the chocolate.
Transfer the croissants to a baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 croissants

Start of a new tradition.

My friend Erin and I started baking premade chocolate chip cookies a while back, and thought it was great entertainment while our boyfriends and their friends all played Halo and we were taking a break from Rockband (yay dual tvs for losers!). We had fun together doing it, so we kept doing it every weekend. We decided after her and her boyfriend moved into their house to start actually making other stuff, so tonight we made Chocolate Eclair Cake. I have to get the recipe from her then I'll update this, but it was super easy and OMG so delicious. Now we decided to do this every weekend from now on, so there should be a ton more recipes!

The recipe for the chocolate eclair cake is as follows:
1 package of graham crackers
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip
2 small packages of INSTANT French Vanilla pudding
Milk for the pudding
1 container of chocolate frosting

Mix pudding as directed on the box.
Add the Cool Whip.
Line bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish with graham crackers.
Top with half of pudding mixture.
Alternate layers of crackers and pudding; finish with graham crackers.
Frost with chocolate icing.
Best if refrigerated overnight! (But we can't resist to taste test ;D )

Welcome to my Blog!

My name is Samantha, and this is my first attempt at being a house girlfriend. I bought a house last year, and I somehow made it through my first 21 years of living having never known how to cook. Now that I have a boyfriend who is really good at it, I am attempting to cook.

Problem number 1 is my kitchen is an itty bitty 1951 galley. This picture was taken before we did a cheap makeover by painting existing cabinets, replacing the washer and dryer, and putting up two whole cabinets for our dishes.

Problem 2 is that my oven is only 20 inches, and it feels so squished in the corner of the room.

I'm trying to use my cooking lessons as an excuse to get a bigger kitchen now, which will redesign the layout to be able to cook more efficiently.


I got the idea for a cooking blog from Tori, who I met over a Mini Cooper website long ago. We still chat on AIM and she mentioned she started learning how to cook also. She gave me a challenge to cook a few weeks ago, but Drew and I were still trying to work out our new schedules and I had already bought all the groceries we could possibly fit in our kitchen. Now I've gone to the grocery store to restock, picked out some tasty meals, and will get cracking this week. I'll be posting the recipes along with pictures of hopefully successful meals! Enjoy :)