Slaw Dawgs!

What do you call it when you put cole slaw on a hot dog in Georgia? Well, a Slaw Dawg of course!!!

Okay, so maybe this isn't a real "recipe" but come on - the pictures alone justify this post! Plus, I wanted to be sure to share with you my favorite way to cook hot dogs in time for the Fourth of July next weekend. So here are my Slaw Dawgs!

Slaw Dawgs

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 all-beef hot dogs
4 hot dog buns
2 cups of prepared cole slaw
Ketchup and mustard

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the hot dogs and allow them to cook, turning occasionally until they are brown and crispy on all sides.

Remove the dogs from the pan and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. When it has melted, place your hot dog buns in the pan. Allow the buns to brown, turning so that each side is crispy.

Put your hot dogs in the prepared buns, and top with slaw, ketchup, and mustard. Doesn't get much more summery than this, folks!!!

Taco Burgers

The idea for these awesome burgers came from my friend Hayley. She has a fabulous shopping blog - Deals, Steals & Heels - you should check it out!

Taco Burgers

1 packet of dry taco seasoning
1.5 lbs. ground beef (~85% lean)
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 slices cheddar or cheddar jack cheese
4 buns
Red onion, sliced
Guacamole (make your own! it's easy!)

In a medium bowl, combine taco seasoning, ground beef, and egg lightly until completely combined. Divide the meat into four equal patties.

Grill the patties to desired done-ness, topping with sliced cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling. Grill the buns, too, if desired.

Place a patty on each bun, and top with sliced onion and guacamole. Enjoy!

Seven-Layer Mexican Lasagna

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Yep, when you like food (and cocktails),
then you pretty much make every holiday YOUR holiday.

Well, this was all that was left of dinner by the time I got the camera out.
I guess that means it was good!

Here's the casserole I served to my friends at our casual little get together tonight. I sort of made it up on the fly based on many recipes I had seen floating around.

Seven Layer Mexican Lasagna
8 large flour tortillas
1.25ish lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
1 package of frozen corn kernels
2 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, whatever you like)
About 12-15 tortilla chips, crushed

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Line the bottom with 4 of the tortillas, cutting the edges if necessary.

Next, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning it with the cumin. Add the enchilada sauce and heat through. Set aside.

In another large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, peppers, red onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with the fajita seasoning. Cook, stirring until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Add the frozen corn and heat through. Remove from heat.

Next spoon the meat mixture over the tortillas in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Then place the remaining 4 tortillas on top of the cheese. Spoon the corn and veggie mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the veggies. Finally, top with the crushed tortilla chips.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole and sour cream toppings.

No leftovers - sadness!

Sloppy Joes

We have some vegetables leftover from last week that I wanted to use up and also some ground beef. Since our outdoor grill died an honorable death during our wine tasting party, burgers were out. Next best option? Sloppy Joes of course!

So I called mom, got her recipe. We reminisced about how my brothers and I used to have competitions over who could eat their sloppy joe while letting the least amount slip out of the bun and onto the plate.

Tonight, I amped mom's recipe up with some bell peppers and garlic, and I made it a bit more healthy by lessening the amount of meat to compensate for the extra veggies. Here is the tasty result!

Sloppy Joes
inspired by my mom's recipe

3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons mustard
1 10.5-ounce can condensed chicken gumbo soup
6 hamburger buns

In a heavy skillet, cook and stir ground beef, onion, peppers, and garlic over medium-high heat until the meat is completely browned and the veggies are tender. Stir in the ketchup, mustard, and soup. Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for at least 20 minutes but up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Spoon the mixture over the bottom halves of the buns, then top with the remaining halves. Yields six sandwiches.

Ground Beef Goodness

I found this excellent cookbook at a book fair recently called "The Meats Cookbook" - it's from the early '70s, published by Southern Living and Progressive Farmer. It is so much fun to look through - with instructions on how to cook every cut of meat you could possibly imagine! And the recipes are definitely old-fashioned! I found one that appealed to me, mainly because it combined two rather unusual ingredients: corn chips and hominy. Well, I souped it up a little bit with some extra veggies and some different kinds of cheese, and it turned out to be amazing.

For those fo you not familiar with "hominy," it's part of the corn family - tastes like bit puffy corn kernels. The hominy paired with the Fritos makes this meal extra special - it tastes like super-lean nachos in a bowl! And this dish is a great way to sneak some veggies into your kids' (or husbands'!) meals.

Ground Beef Goodness

1 lb. lean ground beef (recommended: 93% lean)
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can hominy, drained and rinsed
2 cans chili beans in mild sauce (recommended: Bush's)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
2-3 handfuls of corn chips (recommended: Frito's)

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and brown, stirring until it's done all the way through. Remove from the pan to drain on a paper towel.

Return the skillet to the stove and add the onion and peppers. Cook until fragrant and slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the hominy and the chili beans (and sauce). Continue cooking until heated through.

Finally, add the shredded cheese and the corn chips, stirring gently to incorporate. When cheese is melted and stringy, your dinner is ready. Serve immediately in bowls with big spoons.

Bell and Boursin Tenderloin

Here is another recipe from our weekend wine-tasting. We served this as the main course, paired with a nice bold Cabernet Sauvignon from Avalon Winery and a fun red blend called Ménage à Trois.

This was probably the favorite dish of the night! The meat was so tender and juicy. The Boursin and roasted red peppers melted in your mouth, just like the tenderloin did! This is a great recipe for an upscale summer cookout with a crowd. One tenderloin easily fed all 10 of us!

Bells and Boursin Beef Tenderloin
Inspired by Molly Jean, the Rookie Chef

2-3 lb. whole beef tenderloin, trimmed (got ours at Trader Joe's - yum)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
1 10-ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers (or you can make your own)
1 4-ounce package Boursin cheese (recommended: garlic and fine herbs)

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Tie your beef into an even, round roast if necessary so that it will cook evenly. Season the outside of the roast generously with salt and pepper, or a seasoning rub of your choice. You can also spray or brush the meat with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Using metal tongs, apply the meat to the hot grill, browning and caramelizing the surface of the meat, turning until all sides are nicely seared. Turn the grill down to low heat (or move the meat to a lower-heat area of the grill) and continue to cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the tenderloin registers between 120-130 degrees (for medium-rare).

Remove the meat from the grill, cover it lightly with foil, and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes. The temperature of the meat should continue to rise about 10 degrees as it rests. Meanwhile, pour your roasted red peppers into a microwave-safe dish and heat for about 30-45 seconds, until the peppers are fragrant and steaming.

After the meat has rested, cut your tenderloin into 3/4" slices and arrange on a large platter. Top each slice with a generous slathering of Boursin cheese. Then layer a warm roasted red pepper on top. Serve immediately.

Beannachtaí lá Fhéile Pádraig Duit, A Sheáin Léitheoirí!

Blessings of St. Patrick's Day to You, Dear Readers!

As I've mentioned a few times now, I have a mostly Irish heritage. So today is a fun and festive day in my family when we celebrate with food and friends! Here is what I put in my crock pot this morning. As opposed to a London Broil, I like to call this a Dublin Boil.

Here is what my crock pot probably looks like right now, bubbling away in my kitchen:

I can't wait to get home and enjoy this overflowing, bountiful Irish feast!

Dublin Boil
Inspired by a few recipes I perused in The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors:Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother

3 lbs. corned beef brisket
2 12-ounce bottles Irish lager beer
2 cups of water
1 bay leaf
8 black peppercorns
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" rustic chunks
1 lb. small red potatoes, rinsed clean and sliced in half
2 tablespoons Irish butter
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 cup leeks, rinsed and chopped, white part only
1 large rutabaga (i.e. turnip), peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
1 large green cabbage, cut into quarters or sixths
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Spray the inside of your 8-10 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Place the corned beef brisket in the crock pot. Add the beer and enough of the water to cover the beef. Next, add the bay leaves, the peppercorns, the parsley, the Worcestershire, and the salt and pepper. Also add the potatoes and the carrots to the pot.

In a heavy skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Add the garlic, the leeks, and the yellow onion, sautéing for 4-5 minutes. Add these veggies to the crock pot.

Cover the pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is very tender. In the last hour or two of cooking, add the turnips and the cabbage. Taste the broth and season as needed with the salt and pepper.

Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve hot in generous bowls with a wedge of Irish Soda Bread.

Ma! Meatloaf!!

Just like with chili, my mom makes the absolute best meatloaf. There is nothing more comforting and homey than a nice juicy, tender slice with mashed potatoes and green beans on the side.

Here, I take my mom's meatloaf, and I do it my way. Basically, this means adding some bacon and some herbs - but the base is the same recipe as my mom's. This meatloaf is unbelievably flavorful. The smoky, salty bacon basically marinates the meat as it cooks, keeping it moist and delicious. The easy tomato sauce on top completes this perfectly cozy dish.

Ma's Meatloaf, My Way

1-1.5 lbs. lean ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I just grate up a white hamburger bun)
1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
A dash Montreal steak seasoning
3 slices of thick-sliced center-cut bacon
1 can condensed tomato soup (recommended: Campbell's)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a standard loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the meat, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, sage, parsley, ketchup, Worcestershire, and steak seasoning - lightly, using a fork or your hands. When it is fully combined, turn the meat mixture into the prepared loaf pan, and pat lightly into the form of a loaf. Top with the three slices of bacon. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until meat is cooked all the way through the loaf.

Meanwhile, heat the tomato soup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Slice the meatloaf and spoon the hot tomato soup over the top.

This meatloaf only gets better with age. Try slicing your leftovers and making a hearty sandwich with white bread and ketchup - divine!

Hubby's Veggies

My husband loves southern veggies. He could eat a veggie plate every night for dinner and be happy. One of my favorite veggie dishes that he makes for us is his Beefy Veggie Soup. It tastes so amazing that you would never believe how easy it is to make. We always have it with some nice hot cornbread on the side. Yummmmmm....

Hubby's Beefy Veggie Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of corn
1 can green beans
1 can sliced potatoes
1 can sliced carrots
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can butter beans
1 can vegetable juice (recommended V8)

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook through, drain, and pour into a large pot or crock pot. Dump the rest of the ingredients in. Note that you should not drain the canned veggies - pour them in, juice and all. Stir ingredients together. If you're using a pot, then simmer for 1 hour. If you're using your crock pot, cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 2-4 hours.

Serve with Southern Boy's Cornbread.

Guinness Beef Stew

My brothers and I calculated it once, and I think we came up with the figure of 85% - we're 85% Irish. My maiden name has an apostrophe in it, and the only bad part about being married is that I miss my apostrophe. ;-)

I like to put together a special Irish menu every St. Patrick's Day, and a couple of years ago I was inspired to try to re-create the amazing bowl of Guinness Beef Stew that I enjoyed one night in a pub in Dingle, on the west coast of Ireland, when I was studying abroad there. Now it's become one of my favorite slow-cooker recipes!

Guinness Beef Stew

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5-2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large or 2 medium onions, roughly sliced
1-2 baking potatoes or 5-6 red potatoes, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 16-ounce Guinness
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 15.5-ounce can low-sodium beef broth or stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Clean the beef and pat it dry. In a bowl toss your stew meat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat all pieces. Arrange the meat in a single layer in the heated skillet. Cook just until the pieces are browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Note that the meat will still be raw on the inside.

Meanwhile, toss all of your veggies into the crockpot. Pour the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce over the veggies, sprinkle the thyme on top, and drop in the bay leaf. When all your meat is browned, pour it into the crockpot, too. Return the skillet to the stove and pour in the can of beef broth. Stir in the tomato paste, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan into the broth. This not only saves you some cleaning time but also ensures that you don't lose any of the flavorful bits left behind in the pan!

Pour the broth mixture over the contents of the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper, and gently stir everything together to mix thoroughly.

Put the lid on the crock pot, and cook on low for 6-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Meat should be very tender (falling apart, melting in your mouth) and veggies should be fork tender (and wonderfully cooked in the broth). Remove bay leaf and adjust the seasoning before serving, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or some hearty bread.

Mom's Chili

Chili is just one of those classic dishes that reminds me of a chilly fall night when I was a little girl. No one's recipe will ever compare to my mom's because mom's chili is the culinary manifestation of comfort and warmth. Mom always serves it on a bed of rice, topped with shredded cheese. It's just the best.

Great things about this recipe: It freezes really well in freezer bags. It can be made super-lean by using ground turkey and serving it on brown rice. It can be spiced up with sausage and bell-peppers or spiced down with just the listed ingredients. This recipe can easily be adapted to a crock pot, too. I love coming home to the smell of it after a long day!

Mom's Chili

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 lbs. lean ground beef, bison, or turkey

2-3 cans tomato soup (recommended: Campbell's)

1/2-1 soup can of water (use 1/2 first, adding more as needed)

2-3 15.5-ounce cans kidney beans and/or black beans, drained and rinsed

4 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in the oil for 3-5 minutes, and transfer to a large pot or crock pot. Return the empty pan to the heat and cook the ground meat in the pan, draining off all fat when it's cooked all the way through. Pour the meat into the large pot or crock pot with the onions. Add all remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You can have this simmer in the crock pot on low for 4-8 hours. Remember to taste the chili and adjust the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper) before serving.

This chili is great served on white or brown rice, on a baked potato, on cornbread, or on its own. Top with cheese, chopped green onions, or fat free sour cream. Enjoy!