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Pork and Miso Ramen

April 18, 2013 By 3 Comments

retrochick.JPGMichele says:

Ramen. It’s a single word that conjures images of students and young newlyweds alike, united by their grumbling bellies and meager budgets.  Most of us have been there, done that—myself included—and if you’re anything like me, you may have also done a happy dance when you finally said sayonara to your noodle heavy twenty dollar a week food budget.  Despite my longstanding eagerness to eat something (anything!) other than what the Japanese refer to as gakusei ryori, or “student food”, years later I still find myself craving the salty, slurpy soup that got me through the leanest times in my life.

Fortunately for those of us nostalgic for ramen, it’s pretty hip these days!  Made with fresh noodles, the giant bowls come garnished with everything from pork belly to pickled vegetables to quail eggs to kombu (AKA seaweed).  Though delicious, these gourmet bowls can leave one asking, where has all of the cheap ramen gone?  It turns out that the answer is closer than most of us would have ever guessed: it’s hiding in our own home kitchens!

With a few ingredients that you can buy at any well stocked grocery store (check Amazon if you can’t find miso), you can throw together a restaurant-worthy bowl in under an hour.  Best of all, once you’ve made the broth, you can customize the bowls individually to make each one as healthy or as unhealthy as you’d like.  That’s right.  This homemade, veggie filled ramen can actually count as healthy…ish (those pesky fried noodles are the “ish”).  For once, you’ll be able to have your cake ramen and eat it, too!  If only those poor college students should be so lucky.

porkandmisoramen

Pork and Miso Ramen

Pork Marinade:
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup rice wine (or apple cider) vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Everything Else:
  • 1 pound boneless pork chops
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 4 cups fish broth (I used a 32 ounce carton of store-bought)
  • 4 cups chicken broth (homemade or a 32 ounce carton of store-bought)
  • 2 tablespoons shiro (white) miso paste (you can find it on Amazon if your store doesn’t carry it)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ½ pound (8 ounces) mung bean sprouts
  • 1 pound (16 ounces) bok choy
  • 1 bunch (approximately 10) scallions
  • 3-3 ounce packages dried ramen, seasoning packets discarded
  • 4 eggs, hard boiled or poached
  • Sriracha for serving (optional)

 

Step 1: Make the marinade by combining ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and black pepper in a gallon sized zip top bag.  Use a fork to poke holes in the pork chops.  Add the holey pork to the bag with the marinade and allow the meat to marinate for 30 minutes.

Step 2: While the pork marinates, mix 4 cups of fish broth with 4 cups of chicken broth in a stock pot, then add 2 tablespoons miso paste, 1 teaspoon ginger, and ¼ cup soy sauce to the broth.  Cover and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes.  If making hard boiled eggs, cook them now and set aside.

Step 3: While the broth simmers, heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Once the pan is warm, remove the pork chops from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.  Cook in the heated pan for 4-5 minutes, then flip; cook an additional 4-5 minutes, then remove the pork chops to a plate or plastic cutting board.  Tent pork chops with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Step 4: While the pork is resting, wash the bean sprouts, bok choy, and scallions.  Discard the roots from the bok choy and scallions.  Slice the bok choy into ribbons; set aside.  Cut the scallions into ¼ inch pieces; set aside.  Thinly slice the pork; set aside.  If you’re a worrywart, throw the pork into the broth to make sure that it’s one hundred percent cooked; there’s no shame in it, but it does change the texture of the pork.  If making poached eggs, cook them now and (you guessed it!) set aside.

Step 5: Five minutes before serving, bring the broth up to the boil.  Add the noodles to the boiling broth, being careful not to break up the ramen; slurping the noodles is half of the fun!  Cook the ramen for 3 minutes or until the noodles are soft.

Step 6: Ladle the broth into soup bowls.  Use chop sticks or a pasta server to add ramen to the bowls with the broth.  Add pork to your bowl of noodles.  Top the noodles with bok choy, bean sprouts, scallions, and egg.  Don’t forget a squirt (or three) of Sriracha!

Serves 4 ramen lovers.

Michele Newell is a housewife turned blogger turned Home Ec 101 contributor.  You can read her near daily ramblings at Dreams Unreal.

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Ribs: Beef, Pork, Country-Style, Baby back, Spare, or Short

July 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Dear Home Ec 101,

You mentioned ribs and I want to try to make some, but I get overwhelmed at the butcher shop. What ribs are best for what cooking style? Can you explain different types of ribs?

Signed,

New Age Girl

Heather says:

Absolutely, beef or pork depends solely on your preference, just keep in mind that beef ribs are larger and meatier-here’s where you say, “Duh, Heather cows are bigger than pigs.” To which I counter with, “You should see what people Google to land on Home-Ec 101,” I’m learning you cannot over-explain anything. Humor me.

Now here’s a handy chart that will help you visualize what I’m trying to explain:

Picture describing pork cuts as they relate to their locations on the pig.

Country style ribs may or may not contain bones and are cut from the blade end of the pork loin and personally I find the amount of fat makes these difficult to eat. I don’t advise serving these for a fancy occasion. Have plenty of napkins on hand, but do know that the fat helps keep the meat tender and moist. Country style ribs are most often braised.

Baby back ribs are cut from the center and blade portion of the pork loin and are quite lean. Generally you want to remember the idea of low and slow with baby back ribs for the most tender results. These ribs generally have a lot of connective tissue and heating too quickly will cause those proteins to denature and become tough, but slow heating can circumvents that process. Smoking or slow roasting baby back ribs is the way to go,  follow this up with a quick finish on the grill or under the broiler make these some of my favorites.

Spare ribs owe their name to how they used to be prepared, on a stick or spear, and over time and translations this became spare. Some people counter that theory with the idea that the name references the spare or extra meat on the belly side of the ribs. Do we care that much? I don’t. Spare ribs are cut from the lower portion of the ribs, just above the belly. Generally there is a little more fat on spare ribs which can yield more tender results.  Stick with the same preparation style as baby back ribs.

Here’s my favorite method: Memphis Style Dry Rubbed Pork Spareribs.

Rib tips are usually contain only cartilage (and meat) rather than bone and are cut from -wait for it- the tips of the ribs.

Short ribs are always beef ribs and generally a couple of inches thick, sometimes the meat is cut into chunks with only one rib per piece. Here’s a recipe for beer braised short ribs, it’s a little different from your usual tomato based bbq sauce. If that’s what you’re after, this is my favorite tomato based bbq sauce for beef ribs.

Finally, you may be saying, but everyone says I should boil my ribs.

Questions?

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

 

 

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Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet Recipe – Hearty Winter Fare

February 9, 2012 By 10 Comments

Bobbie SezBobbie says:

Winter was almost ignoring us here in south central Pennsylvantia:  not too frigid and hardly any snow, and heck, I even wore shorts last week. Well, indoors, at least.  Then that stupid groundhog saw his shadow on February 2, signalling six more weeks of winter. And then, someone must have passed the message along to Winter,  because it started paying attention again. Now everything’s completely white, and it got cold. I hate groundhogs and I hate cold weather and snow, but hey, at least the food’s good. Perfect for a cold winter’s day, Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet is hearty and filling, but still budget friendly.  Oh, and delicious.

To be honest, the first time I cooked this combination of ingredients, I was being kind of selfish: I love cooked cabbage, and I thought I was kind of alone in that. At least, I knew my husband hated cabbage rolls, and although this has no rice or tomato, and is almost completely unlike cabbage rolls in any way, aside from the cabbage and meat, I still felt as if I was throwing caution to the wind.  I was amazed. My husband kept saying how much he liked it, so he could be sure I’ make it again. Talk about win-win. And cheap-cheap, too. Cabbage was recently as low as 49 cents per pound at my favorite store, and even when it’s not “on sale” it’s still one of the best deals in the produce department. Learn to love cabbage  and your budget will love you.

Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet Recipe

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large onion
  • an approximately 2 pound head of green cabbage
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  •  2 bay leaves

Choose a large, heavy skillet or pot with a lid with a capacity of at least 6 quarts. I used my 8 quart stock pot, which gave me plenty of stirring about room. Set it over medium heat, and add the ground beef.

Peel and coarsely chop the onion, and add it to the meat, stirring it up a bit with a sturdy spoon. Stir the meat and onions occasionally while you prepare the cabbage and carrots.

Using a large chef’s knife, cut the head of cabbage in half from the top, through the core, then cut each half again, so you have 4 pieces approximately equal in size. Carefully slice away the core and discard. (If you don’t get all of it, don’t worry. It’s perfectly safe to eat – it’s just a bit tough sometimes.) Roughly chop the cabbage – neatness doesn’t count, cleanliness does, so keep it off the floor. I usually cut the cabbage into approximately one-inch chunks, which works pretty well.

If you have a box grater or other tool for shredding foods, use that for the carrots. Otherwise, just use the chef’s knife and finely chop them. Sometimes, I leave them out if I’m in a huge hurry, or just don’t have carrots.

Once the meat is browned, stir in the salt, pepper, and bay leaves (these are NOT optional – their flavor is essential to the results),  then add the carrots and cabbage. Stir to mix well. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook until

cabbage and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You shouldn’t need to add any liquid – the juices that cook out of the meat and vegetables should be sufficient, but if it seems dry, add up to 1/4 cup of water. ) Remove bay leaves and discard.

Makes 4 generous servings.

 

Serve Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet with mashed potatoes or some crusty rolls and butter for a simple, comforting meal.

 

Bobbie Laughman is an elder caregiver, writer and Generally Shy Person, Except On The Internet. She lives and breathes and tries to keep warm and sane in Gettysburg, PA. If you’ve a mind to, contact her at Bobbie@Home-Ec101.com

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Beef Stroganoff, Gluten Free and for the Slow Cooker

January 7, 2012 By 9 Comments

Heather says:

Beef stroganoff is not an attractive comfort food, which is why it has taken me nearly five years to get around to posting this slow cooker recipe. It’s not the beef stroganoff’s fault it’s unattractive and the recipe itself is quite simple; it’s just a homely dish. People on the interwebz can be cruel and I just knew, no matter how hard I tried, this recipe would end up on the culinary equivalent of Awkward Family Photos. Today I swallow my pride and share the recipe, because the world can always use a little more comfort food. If you can have wheat, it’s just a straight substitution of all purpose flour for the rice flour.

I served this recipe over oven roasted potatoes seasoned with thyme.

: Beef Stroganoff, Gluten Free

: This is a gluten free recipe for beef stroganoff, adapted for the slow cooker or Crockpot

  • 2.5 – 3lbs beef round steak or cube steak
  • 3/4 cup rice flour*, divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup
  • 1 tsp salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 3/4 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • fresh ground pepper (I just use a few turns)
  • 2 onions sliced into rings
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
  • 1 1/4 cups beef stock / broth / bouillon or 1 can beef broth
  • 1/4 cup wine (I use whatever I have on hand, nothing has been disappointing)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 cup sour cream

 Instructions

  • Trim off any excess fat from the round steak. If you’re using cube steak, this should not be an issue. Cut the beef into strips, 1/2 inch wide and no more than 2 – 3 inches long, set aside.
  • In a bowl mix together: 1/2 cup of rice flour, salt, dry mustard, and fresh ground pepper.
  • Toss the beef strips with the flour mixture until thoroughly coated and place in the slow cooker.
  • Add the remaining ingredients except the sour cream and reserved 1/4 cup of rice flour. Stir.
  • Cook on low 6 – 8 hours or high for 4.
  • Turn off the slow cooker and mix together the sour cream and rice flour. Stir into the beef stroganoff and give it a few minutes to thicken.
  • Serve over potatoes or rice for gluten free folks and hot or hot buttered noodles for the wheat tolerant.

Rice flour is very inexpensive and can be found in many stores in the Asian / Ethnic food section or in any Asian grocery store, it can also be found in many health food stores.

*If you can have wheat, just use all-purpose flour in place of the rice flour.

Diet tags: Gluten free

Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)

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Simple Autumn Skillet

October 12, 2011 By 6 Comments

Heather says:

This autumn skillet recipe is a simple framework, feel free to use your imagination and modify it however you see fit. This recipe is great for a new cook who wants to become comfortable with the art of substitution.

Don’t like squash, try peeled and cubed sweet potatoes, toss in some apple slices. Turnips on sale? Great! If you want to go vegetarian, skip the sausage, substitute vegetable stock and add great northern beans or maybe cannelini beans. Personally I would stick with the lighter, mildest beans which will allow the flavor of the squash to shine. Want more color in the dish? Add a handful of collards, kale, or even spinach. Since spinach is more delicate than the other greens, I’d only add it toward the end.

Don’t want to use a 1/2 cup of stock? That’s fine substitute some apple cider, beer, or wine. Use your imagination.

The one thing I insist? Use a pot with a thick bottom or you’ll need to stir frequently. I like letting the vegetables braise undisturbed while I read and rattle the occasional dish, pretending I’m busy in the kitchen and cannot be disturbed -wouldn’t that be nice if it worked more often?

Questions?

: Simple Autumn Skillet

: Flexible recipe for autumn vegetables cooked with sausage

  • 1 lb smoked sausage or kielbasa
  • 2 sweet onions, sliced
  • 1 butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 1/2 head of green cabbage roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

 Directions

  • Cut the sausage into coins and cook in a heavy pot over medium low heat until the fat begins to render.
  • Add the onions and stir, cooking for 2 – 3 minutes, then add the cubed butternut squash, the chicken stock, and cabbage.
  • Reduce the heat to low and cover.
  • Stir occasionally and cook until the squash is fork tender, 15 minutes or so.

Number of servings (yield): 6

Enjoy.

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Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe – Great Summer Main Dish Salad

June 15, 2011 By 20 Comments

Bobbie says:

I had a craving for Tuna Macaroni Salad today*, and since it’s a perfect hot weather main-dish salad, I thought I’d share it with you, too. I’ve based this on the way my mom used to make it, but Mom never followed a recipe, so I’ve come up with my own proportions. Also, she used only mayonnaise, but I prefer the flavor and creaminess of the mayo and sour cream combo in my version.

Tuna Macaroni Salad - perfect for a picnic lunch

For a great make-ahead hot weather meal, cook the macaroni in the morning when using the stove might be a little easier to handle, or if your grill has a side burner, do it outside! Mix up the salad and chill until serving time. Pack Tuna Macaroni Salad in a cooler for an easy ready-to-eat picnic meal or a great potluck dish.

Recipe: Tuna Macaroni Salad

  • 2 cups elbow macaroni
  • 3 cans tuna, drained
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup each mayonnaise and sour cream
  • Dash of black pepper

Cook the macaroni until al dente – just tender to the bite. Follow the directions on the package for best results.

While the pasta is cooking, open the cans of tuna and drain them well. Empty the tuna into a large mixing bowl, and add the chopped onion. Measure out the mayonnaise and sour cream and dump those in the bowl, too, and maybe add a dash of pepper to the bowl. (I don’t usually add salt, since the tuna usually seems to have plenty.)

When the time for cooking the macaroni is almost up, put the frozen peas into the pot and stir well. When the macaroni is tender, dump the pasta & peas into a colander and rinse with cold tap water until cool. Shake the colander gently to help it drain very well, then dump the macaroni & peas into the bowl with the tuna. Tuna Macaroni Salad - ready to mix up the good stuff

Gently mix together until well combined. You can serve this immediately, but it’s really much better if you make it ahead of time and chill it thoroughly. When you’re ready to serve, you may want to add a bit more mayo and/or sour cream, if it seems dry due to the pasta absorbing all the available moisture, or you could stir in just a bit of half & half or milk.

Serve Tuna Macaroni Salad with sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks, or sliced bell peppers for a nice, cool and easy  meal on a hot day.

Makes about 6 main dish-sized servings.

* Yes, really. I don’t get cravings for chocolate or desserts or sweets. Ever. Mine tend to be related to memories. Occasionally I get a craving for corn bread served with navy beans cooked almost to death, like my grandma used to make. Comfort food for the win.


Bobbie Laughman is a part-time caregiver and freelance writer seeking to prove the existence of intelligent life on the internet. The data so far is scant, but steadfastly she perseveres.

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Hearty Potato, Egg and Green Bean Salad Recipe

May 4, 2011 By 5 Comments

Bobbie says Bobbie says:

Hearty Potato, Egg and Green Bean Salad is a great spring recipe. These three components  get cooked in the same pot and a versatile dressing that can be made ahead of time means you can have a very easy but hearty main dish salad on the table in just over half an hour. Since baby potatoes, fresh green beans and eggs are plentiful in many areas, it might be a relative bargain. The salad is served warm, but is also delicious prepared ahead and chilled.

Hearty Potato Egg and Green Bean Salad - tossed with Caesar dressing

This salad is tossed with a sort of Caesar style dressing, but without the bother of the raw eggs and anchovies required by a more traditional Caesar dressing recipe. It gets a touch of anchovy flavor from the  Worcestershire – did you know traditional worcestershire sauce contains anchovies? Some brands omit this ingredient. Mayonnaise adds some creaminess, otherwise it would just be pretty much a vinaigrette.

If you’re looking for timesaving recipes, you’ve got it — the potatoes and eggs get cooked together, then are removed from the boiling water and the green beans get tossed into that same water for a brief swim. Another timesaver is that the potatoes don’t need to be peeled – they have a very thin skin, and the red color adds eye appeal to the completed dish.

The dressing will be about double what you’ll need to finish the salad. If you decide to put the entire salad together ahead of time, add just enough dressing to coat the ingredients. At serving time, you can either add a bit more dressing and gently mix again, or allow each person may to add more if they wish.

I know, I know — SIX CLOVES of GARLIC? No, that’s not an error. Yes, it’s somewhat of a garlicky dressing. If you’re not a huge garlic fan, use less. If you’re like my daughter, you’ll use at least 12 cloves of garlic. (She earned that reputation during a 4-H cooking class and will laugh when she reads this.)

Two Methods of Preparation

You can use a blender or food processor, which yields a smooth and creamy dressing, but then you’ve got to clean the machine. Or you can toss everything in a jar and shake it up, which will give you slightly lumpy results and you have to clean a cutting board (Because you would never, ever use a knife on your bare countertop, right? Of course you wouldn’t.)

As for potatoes, wash them as well as you need to – this will vary. I was fortunate to find potatoes that only needed rinsing, but sometimes they can be quite dirty when you get them. If that’s the case with yours, you’ll need to rub them gently with your fingers as you wash them. Avoid using a scrub brush on them, unless you have one with very soft bristles. Anything rough will tear the delicate skin on these baby potatoes, and we do want the skins intact on them. While you’re washing them, look for any blemishes, and remove them with a small, sharp knife.

Recipe: Potato, Egg, and Green Bean Salad Dressing

Ingredients

  1. Hearty Potato Egg and Green Bean Salad - mincing garlic6 cloves garlic
  2. 1/2 teaspoon salt (I prefer Real Salt brand, or Celtic Sea Salt)
  3. 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  4. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce* (If you are gluten free, ensure the brand you have is gluten free)
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (FRESH, not bottled. Don’t make me come back there, kids)
  6. 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  7. 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I like to use homemade, but don’t always have time)
  8. 1/4 teaspon black pepper
  9. 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

     

  1. Peel the garlic cloves. If you’re going the food processor/blender route, just put all the dressing ingredients in and blend until smooth, then scrape into a jar with a tight fitting lid.
  2. Otherwise, using a large, sharp knife, finely mince the garlic into very tiny bits. At this point, I sprinkle the salt over the garlic, then continue to mince and mix it up using the knife. It may be all in my head, but it seems to bring out the flavor more. You can do it or not. Scrape the garlic into a jar with a tight fitting lid, add the remaining dressing ingredients. Cover tightly and shake it until well mixed. Set aside, or refrigerate if you’re making the dressing ahead of time.

Recipe: Hearty Potato, Egg, and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients

Hearty Potato Egg and Green Bean Salad - Three easy ingredients

  1. 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter)
  2. 8 large eggs
  3. 1 tablespoon PLUS 1 teaspoon salt  (divided)
  4. 3/4 pound fresh green beans
  5. 3/4 cup Potato, Egg, and Green Bean Salad Dressing

Instructions

Wash your potatoes and put them in a large pot. Carefully place the eggs on top of the potatoes. Add the 1 tablespoon salt, then fill with water to a depth of about 2 inches higher than the potatoes and eggs. Set over high heat until the water comes to a boil. Once the water boils, lower the heat – medium to medium-high. You want to keep it at a gentle boil. Cook, uncovered, 20 minutes. (Set a timer!)
While the eggs and potatoes cook, wash the fresh green beans. Trim off the stem ends and any bits that look like you’d rather not eat them. Otherwise, leave the beans whole. If you didn’t make the dressing ahead of time, make the dressing now.
Test a potato once the 20 minutes are up. Using a small sharp knife, pierce the center of the potato. If it goes easily into the flesh, the potatoes are ready, and the eggs will also be done. Using a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the eggs and potatoes to a heatproof dish or plate. I used my roasting pan because I had it handy, and it allowed everything to spread out to cool.
Turn the heat back up to high to return the pot of water to a rolling boil. Once it’s boiling again, add the beans and set a timer for 6 minutes. Put a colander into the sink and get out a large bowl for assembling and serving the salad. Make sure it’s large enough to hold all the ingredients and allow room for gentle mixing.
Peel the eggs as soon as you can hold one in your hand without burning yourself, and set them aside for the moment. To cool the eggs more quickly, they can be put into a bowl of water. Don’t let them get cold, as cold eggs can be harder to peel.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, start cutting them into chunks that are just bite-sized, not really small. Put them into the large bowl as you cut them. When the timer for the beans goes off, check them. You only want the beans lightly cooked, still bright green and still having some snap to them. Think “blanched” without the cold water bath at the end. Turn off the burner, remove from heat and pour into the colander. When well drained, add them to the bowl.
Cut the peeled eggs into quarters, lengthwise, and add to the serving bowl. Do not stir the ingredients yet — sprinkle the 1 teaspoon salt over the potatoes, eggs and beans, distributing it well over all.
Shake the jar of dressing, then pour about half a cup onto the salad. Using a large spoon, very gently mix the salad with the dressing. The eggs will break up some and the yolks will fall out of the whites, but try not to break them up very much. This is meant to be a rather chunky salad. If it looks too dry, add up to 1/4 cup more dressing. Serve warm, or cover and chill until serving time.

    Cooking time (duration): 30

    Servings: 4

    Diet type: Vegetarian

    Meal type: dinner

    Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Serves 4 as a main dish. Accompany with wholegrain bread and fresh fruit or other light dessert. Also makes a great side dish – serve instead of a traditional potato salad at a picnic or barbecue. If desired, you can make it seem more salad-ish by serving on a bed of lettuce leaves.

Variations:

Use asparagus instead of green beans. Cook the asparagus in the boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Make a composed salad. Instead of tossing everything with the dressing, use your artistic talents and arrange the potatoes, eggs and green beans on plates or one large platter. Drizzle with some of the dressing and serve the rest in a bottle or gravy boat for easy passing.

This is what my attempt looked like — yours will probably look more artsy.

Hearty Potato Egg and Green Bean Salad - a composed salad

Finally, the dressing, while not a true Caesar, can be used as if it were. I’ve heard people say that it does something amazing to a simple bowl of fresh baby spinach and sliced red onions, but those may be only vicious rumors.

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Cheeseburger Macaroni

January 17, 2011 By 4 Comments

Heather says:

There are some meals that are so simple that I’ve forgotten to include them in the recipe files here on Home Ec 101. This easy recipe for Cheeseburger Macaroni is one of the forgotten go to meals. This quick dinner is a great for busy weeknights.

It is as simple as it sounds, but the key difference between cheeseburger macaroni that is meh and cheeseburger macaroni full of awesome is how long you cook the hamburger. Seriously, if your hamburger is just barely grey with little or no browning from the Maillard Reaction you’re going to miss out on whole slew of flavors. Am I saying to crank the heat to high and turn the burger into a charcoal briquette? Heck no. Just let go a little past barely done before draining. This recipe takes no longer than the kind that comes in a pot, but it’s worth the extra pan.  Sometimes you pay for flavor with a couple of extra dishes.

Cheeseburger macaroni is a great starter meal for those just learning how to cook. Just be sure to serve it with some form of vegetable…Please?

Here’s your printable shopping list for this recipe.

Easy Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe


Cheeseburger Macaroni

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

In a large skillet, brown the meat over medium low until nearly done and then drain off the grease. Return to the skillet and add the diced onion and minced garlic. Continue cooking over low heat until the meat has browned and the onions are soft.

While the meat is browning make:

1 Recipe for Homemade Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

  • 1/2 lb elbow macaroni
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 4 TBSP butter
  • 5oz evaporated milk or 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 10 oz sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente. While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the eggs, evaporated milk OR half and half, hot sauce, dry mustard, and salt / pepper

Drain. While the noodles are draining melt the 4 TBSP of butter in the pan, then return the pasta to the pot. Stir to make sure all of the pasta is coated evenly. (The burner should be off). Add the sauce and turn the burner to low, stir the macaroni until it is evenly coated in the sauce mixture. Then stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until everything is melted and wonderful.

Dump the contents of the pot into the skillet with the ground beef. Stir to combine and serve.

If you want to stretch the meal further consider stirring in:

2 cups of cooked pinto or kidney beans -stir into the ground beef just before adding the macaroni

or diced bell pepper -stir the bell pepper in just after the onions are added to the ground beef.

or diced tomatoes – fresh or canned.

It’s that easy.

Submitted to A Southern Fairy Tale’s Mouthwatering Monday – A Healthier Chicken Parmesan and Tasty Tuesdays.

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Chili Maple Pork Chops

January 7, 2011 By 3 Comments

Heather says:

This recipe for chili rubbed maple pork chops is amazing and pretty easy, too. It does take two pans to prepare, a large, oven-safe skillet with a lid and either a small skillet or sauce pan. While I have this recipe pictured with two vegetables (steamed snow peas and  cooked carrots tossed in a little of the extra sauce) it would also pair well with rice and roasted broccoli, or mashed potatoes with peas and almonds. I’m just tossing out a couple of ideas to help make your menu planning a little easier.

The rub was just barely enough for 8 ½” thick chops, but there was plenty of extra maple sauce. You could get away with doubling the number of pork chops and not increasing the sauce. This recipe would also translate very easily to the grill, just brush on the glaze the last few minutes of grilling as the high sugar content would smoke / burn if added too early.

Here’s your handy printable shopping list.

Easy Chili Maple Pork ChopsChili Rubbed Pork Chops with Maple Glaze

  • 8 ½” boneless pork chops (you can use bone in, it will affect the cook time)
  • 4 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 TBSP olive oil (approximately, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan)
  • 3 TBSP balsamic vinegar (if you only have cider or red wine, that would work, too)
  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 2 TBSP butter

In a small bowl mix together the chili powder and kosher salt. Rub the pork chops with the mixture and set aside. You could even do this earlier in the day to give the pork time to really get comfortable with the rub, but that’s by no means mandatory.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the balsamic vinegar over medium heat until it has lost about half its volume. Be careful, if you let it go too long at this stage, you risk a scorched flavor. Eyeball it and you’ll be fine. Add the chicken stock, maple syrup and butter. Whisk it from time to time and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low.

Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the olive oil to the pan and then sear each pork chop two minutes per side. Once the pork chops have browned, return them all to the pan and add half of the maple glaze you’ve made. It’s ok if the butter hasn’t completely incorporated into it, yet. Just give it a whisk before pouring.  Return the remaining glaze to the stove on low and just give it an occasional stir until you need it again.

Cover the skillet and bake in the 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until the chops reach 140°F – 160°F depending on your preferences.

Drizzle the pork chops with the remaining sauce just before serving and enjoy.

Easy Chili Rubbed Maple Pork Chops

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Hoppin’ John

December 27, 2010 By 10 Comments

Heather says:

In my corner of the south, Hoppin’ John is a traditional New Year’s dish believed to bring good luck. I’m not superstitious, but some traditions, like this one appeal to me. Every year on New Year’s Day we serve Hoppin’ John, collard greens, and cornbread. Hoppin’ John is a nice, flavorful version of beans and rice and black eyed peas don’t need to soak as long as some other varieties of dried beans.

I adapted this recipe from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook, one of my most favorite cookbooks, ever.

Additionally, I found the picture lurking in the depths of my external hard drive. How is that for convenient?

Get the free printable grocery list from SayMmm.com.

Hoppin’ John

  • 1 cup dried black-eyed peas (washed and soaked 4 hours)
  • 4 slices thick cut bacon
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 6 cups stock (you can use pork if you have it, I usually use chicken or turkey)
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper *optional
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1½ cups uncooked long grain rice

Cook the bacon in a 4qt pot until the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Add the onions to the pan, cooking until soft. Add the stock, pepper (both kinds), and salt to the pot and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the soaked black-eyed peas to the broth. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes. The stock should be simmering, stir it a couple of times. The goal isn’t to cook the peas to mush. There is still a bit more cooking to go.

While the peas are simmering, coarsely chop the bacon, and add most of it to the pot. Reserve a little to toss in at the end.

Add the rice and tomatoes to the broth and peas. Cover tightly and reduce the heat to low. The rice and peas should simmer gently for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. DO NOT UNCOVER. Let the rice and beans steam / soak up the broth for an additional five minutes.

Stir in the reserved bacon and serve.

Enjoy!

Submitted to Mouthwatering Monday and Tasty Tuesday and Blessed with Grace.
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