Roasted Chestnuts in Buttered Rosemary!

I was going through my usual Christmas magazines, and came across a great recipe for Roasting up Chestnuts!  I have always loved Chestnuts, but never mixed them with anything...I just roasted them over an open fire, like the song says! LOL~ these roasted chestnuts are by far the superior way to make them! This is a recipe I pulled from the December Bon Appetite!  I changed the recipe a bit, however! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Roasted Chestnuts in Buttered Rosemary!

1 pound of chestnuts, with an X cut into rounded side of nuts.
1 large sprig of rosemary~ leaves taken off
1/2 stick of melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
Pinch of sugar

Soak chestnuts in X cut into them for a few minutes in water.  Take them out of water and put into bowl with all the other ingredients, stir well.  Place onto aluminum foil, and sprinkle, lightly with a bit of sugar.

Wrap them all up in aluminum foil and put into a dish and bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes, depending on size of nuts.

These chestnuts are magical, just like the Christmas season!! 

All roasted up, and ready to be devoured!  We cracked some more fresh salt on them, after roasting!  My boys loved them roasted up this way!  The rosemary butter is finger licking great!!

Cheesy Chicken Florentine Casserole!

Another VERY EASY, but very tasty weekday dinner!!  My boys are going through finals in school right now, so it's a more focused time on their studies!  No time for major cooking! This afternoon, I threw boneless chicken breasts into a big pot of boiling water and poached them for 20 minutes, then took them out and shredded them. Put shredded chicken into a gallon ziplock, then into fridge to keep fresh and moist, til I mixed chicken up later with all other ingredients.  (You can do this early, or right before you make the whole dish.)  The boys were all in the mood for a warm, hearty comfort food for dinner, and they got it!  This ones a quick, tasty 'KEEPER'!  :)  Half recipe for a smaller family!  (we had leftovers, even though they loved it, but they love having leftovers in the fridge!)

Cheesy Chicken Florentine Casserole

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- poached 20 minutes and shredded

2 tsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped small

20-24 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained well

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp yellow curry

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2- 3/4 cup cooking sherry

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Top with

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Very Yummy!!

After you poach chicken breasts in boiling water for 20 minutes, drain all water and shed chicken.  Saute onions in same pot with some olive oil.  When mostly cooked through, add thawed spinach to warm. 

While sauteing onions, shred poached chicken.

To sautéed onions and spinach add the mushroom soup, sour cream, mayo, wine and spices~ 

After you mix well, add in the shredded cheddar cheese, mix well again! :) 

Add in shredded chicken, and stir~

Place into a 13X9 glass baking dish sprayed with pam.  Top with slivered almonds and parmesan cheese!  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes!

Comfort, yummy goodness ready for the table!  Very wonderful served with a chilled salad!!  My boys came back for seconds, saying it was a, "Thumbs up!"  MUSIC to my mom ears!!  <3

Football HURDLE!! Had to put on my blog!!

My eldest's senior year, classic football pic!   He is so very blessed athletically, and in many other ways by the Lord, and I pray Cole does him PROUD in the future!!  I LOVE YOU, Mookie!!!  Cole Christian McKeel~ ROCK ON, in his name!!

Football FUN! 

FLYING HIGH!

SOoooo FUN to watch!! 

Different games~ but, touchdowns,  just the same!

Cole is done with High School Football, and I am so VERY sad!  I will miss the FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, with him having the HONOR to be the town's starting running back!   ALL the excitement before the games!!  How he wanted to do so very well for them all!  (especially the elementary kids who were so behind him!!  He adored them!)  HAD SO MUCH FUN watching him and getting to know so many of his friends and players, through all the football dinners~ was SO great getting to know them all!  Great group of young men, that I will remember, forever!!
  

LOVE YOU, MOOK!!  (I KNOW your hair is sticking out some, but I still love this pic! Ha!  MOM rules!!  SOoooo very proud of you!!) 

Perfect Rib Eye Roast!

Our new Tom Thumb grocery store had a major sale on great cuts of beef, so I snatched up a rib eye roast, along with a lot of other cuts!  We LOVE rib eye roasts!  So juicy, and flavorful!  I usually take pictures of my after product, but it looked so yummy, I actually forgot to take a picture.  We just wanted to EAT IT!!  I found a pic, on the internet that looked just like mine, but it's not!  Mine was cooked perfectly, too, just like the pic!

 Perfect Rib Eye Roast!

Picture of a yummy roast, that looked just like mine!!  Perfectly cooked! Ree Drummond pic!  She's great!

5 lb rib eye roast- bone in
olive oil- to coat
garlic powder- to coat
salt- to coat
pepper- to coat
powdered beef bouillon- to coat
sugar- lightly coat with
Thyme- all over
Chopped Rosemary- all over

Season roast well, on all sides, including bottom of roast.  Place on a  roasting pan, fat side up, bones down.  Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes, to maybe 1 hour 35 minutes,  for med-rare.  Temperature of roast should be 135!  Take out of oven, and loosely tent with foil for 10 minutes. (cooks more under tent, so 135 works well for medium rare!)   LOVE the flavor of the seasonings on this roast!  Hope you do too!  ENJOY!!

Rosemary, Garlic Roasted Potatoes with White Cheddar Cheese!

My boys love roasted potatoes, so I made my Rosemary-Garlic ones tonight and decided to add a delicious twist!  After they were out of the oven, I immediately shredded up some white cheddar cheese and added that right on top of the hot potatoes letting it melt into gooey yumminess!  They were the first things eaten off their plates!  I will make these again, and again!

Rosemary, Garlic Roasted Potatoes with White Cheddar Cheese!

YUMMY!

2 lbs yellow Klondike potatoes- cut into 4ths, or more for bigger ones

1/8- 1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 sprigs of rosemary- 1 1/2 of sprigs leaves removed from stem and chopped~ 1/2 of sprig kept whole (not chopped), but pulled off stem

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup, or more, shredded white cheddar

Place all, but cheese,  into big bowl and stir well to coat!

Place onto nice size cookie sheet, and spread out so they are not touching very much.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 50 minutes, stirring with spatula halfway through cooking.
  

When cooked to your desired 'crunchiness', take out and put onto platter.  Top with the shredded white cheddar and the 1/2 sprig of whole rosemary leaves for color and more fresh rosemary taste!  You're going to like these, my friends!! :)

Obama win is America's LOSS!!

God,  help us!!  Obama is NOT for true Freedom, yet alone American freedoms!  He is quite the opposite!  America is the land of the FREE, NOT the land of the socialists!!  We are go getters, doers!~ "For the Land of the FREE, and the Home of the Brave!!"   NOT, "For the Land of the socialized, and the home of the Somewhat Brave!"   I am in TEARS!!!!

Pork Carnitas!!

We wanted to get away from the traditional family meals today, and try something FUN!  I had a pork shoulder in the fridge, so decided to crock pot up some carnitas!  My boys LOVE Mexican food, so it was a no brainer!  The house smells wonderful, and they tasted so great!!  Love how EASY this was to make!  The pork gets so juicy and full of flavor!  Top with your favorite taco toppings, and your set! :)

Pork Carnitas!

4 lb. pork shoulder- covered with pepper, seasoning salt, and onion powder

2 Tbsp olive oil- for searing

4 oz can chopped green chilies

1 medium onion- minced

5 bay leaves

1 cup salsa- hot (spicy)

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp fresh chopped oregano, or 1 tsp dried

3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2-3 tsp brown sugar

Flour tortillas- warmed and soft or fried crispy

toppings of your choice!

LOOKS GOOD, doesn't it?!!  We topped ours with refried black beans, sharp cheddar, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, fresh guacamole, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and crumbled queso fresco!  YUM!!

After you season the pork shoulder, sear it for a couple minutes on each side in a bit of olive oil!

To chicken broth add all other seasoning, and mix well~

Put pork shoulder, chilies, salsa, onions, bay leaves and some cilantro into crock pot, then pour the chicken stock with all the seasonings over it~ cover and put crock pot on high, and let it cook for 4 hours~

After 4 hours, take out meat, shred it, then put it back into liquid and stir.  (discard any bone, or fat) Add some salt, if needed~ You won't believe how moist, tender and juicy this is!!  All ya need now are some warm tortillas, and your good!!  ENJOY! :) 

Garlic Roasted Green Bean, Mushrooms, and Zucchini!!

 These roasted vegetables are so scrumptious as a side dish for any meal!  My boys devour them!  In the fall, I love to roast up all kinds of veggies~ so easy and rewarding!  You can't go wrong!


                                Garlic Roasted Green bean, mushrooms, and Zucchini!

 About 3 pounds of green beans, washed and trimmed 

1 large Zucchini- sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

16 oz whole baby bella mushrooms- cut in half

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp minced garlic

Fresh cracked salt and pepper

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Toss all together in large bowl, then put onto cookie sheet and spread them all out~

Roast in a 350 degree oven, til the desired doneness.  I like the veggies more 'carmalized' so cook them longer~ about 40-45 minutes.  If you like your veggies with more bite, then reduce cooking time! :)

These Roasted veggies went quite nicely with our steaks!  Would go nicely with any choice of meat!!  Enjoy! :)

'French Fried' Dover Sole!

This one's an EASY one, folks!  Perfect, quick weekday din-din!   We fry up these thin pieces of dover sole in rosemary, oregano infused bacon fat and olive oil!  My boys love fish pan fried up this way.  They say they are 'French Fried', and they taste so good, they almost do taste like yummy fries!  Here's to fast, easy, and TASTY fish!


                                                       'French Fried' Dover Sole!

Thin cut filets of Dover Sole, about 6-8 (most filets of Dover are thin, as it is a thin, flat fish)

2 pieces of thick sliced bacon

2 Tbs olive oil

1 sprig of rosemary

1 sprig of oregano

  

For flour dredge~

about 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp lemon pepper

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

3 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Fry up the bacon, with a sprig of rosemary and a sprig of oregano, til crispy!  Remove crispy bacon from pan, chop up, and set aside to top fish with after frying up~

Dredge both sides of dover sole filets in seasoned flour, and pan fry each side for 2-3 minutes a side over med-high flames in the herb infused bacon fat with the olive oil added.

We like to fry them up til the sides fry up like french fries, and get crispy!  Plate, and top with the chopped up bacon, and some fresh cracked pepper and a bit of salt to your liking!  The flavor  of these fish filets are amazing!  Served with a crisp salad, and you're feeling HOME and happy!

French Onion, Swiss Cheese Chicken Bake!

ANOTHER WINNER, WEEKDAY DINNER!  School nights can be a challenge to get good, homemade food on the table with this family, so this recipe I came up with is a winner~ It doesn't get any easier than this one, folks!  Take some chicken breasts, throw them in big bowl with cans of french onion soup, some onions, and a few other easy ingredients to marinate for a bit, then bake it up!  This is a GREAT weekday dinner that will really satisfy the family!  We serve it over rice, to sop up all that great french onion soup broth.  My boys, and hubby love crusty bread served on the side with this, as well!  (my boys love crescents with it too! :)

                                             French Onion, Swiss Cheese Chicken Bake!

So easy, and tastes great!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Campbell's French onion soup~ 10 1/2 oz size
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken and Herbs~ 10 1/2 oz size
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 good dashes red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
2 medium onions~ sliced into slices
8 oz bag shredded swiss cheese 

IF you have time, put French Onion soup, soy sauce, worcestershire, and seasonings into big bowl with chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.  If no time, no worries!  I throw this together, then go get my boys from football practice, while it marinates, then come home and throw it in oven!

Add onions...I threw them in raw and it worked with the onions turning out with a bit of a bite, which we like, but if you'd prefer soft onions, saute them a bit before you throw them in! :) 

Add the Cream of Chicken and Herbs soup, then stir up~

Place all into 15X10 glass pan sprayed with good old Pam!

Top with 8 oz bag of shredded swiss cheese!  Add more if you are cheese crazy, like my boys!!

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, til chicken is no longer pink.  I cooked it for 35 minutes, and it was just right!  Your house will smell great while it's cooking up, I promise! :)  Spoon sauce over rice~ lovely!  Nothing better than an easy, AND good weekday dinner!  Enjoy!!

Goat Cheese, Pear, and Arugula Pizza!

GOURMET PIZZA, anyone??!!  We went to 'Fireside Pies' years back and fell in love with a pizza, very much like the one I've made !  I tried to reproduce it, as my whole family said they LOVED it, and that says a lot coming from teen boys!  This pizza would be GREAT for a ladies luncheon, or cut into small squares and used as an appetizer!

                                               Goat Cheese, Pear, and Arugula Pizza!

Lookin' good!

1 Tube Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough
Garlic Powder- to coat
Cracked black pepper- to coat
Italian seasoning- to coat
Parmesan cheese from shake bottle- to coat
Red pepper flakes- several shakes, all around (look to pic below)
Olive oil- sprinklings of
Shredded mozzarella cheese- (about 8 oz) put on nice and thick everywhere~
About half a pear- cut in thin slices
4-5 Oz crumbled goat cheese
Paprika to sprinkle top

2-3 oz. baby arugula_chilled
1 Tbsp blue cheese dressing
2 Tbsp cooking sherry

Roll out dough onto large cookie sheet. Sprinkle with all the seasonings and parmesan cheese, then sprinkle with olive oil.

Top that with mozzarella cheese, then slices of pear~

Put on the goat cheese, and sprinkle with paprika, fresh cracked pepper, and more olive oil~

Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 13 minutes~

While pizza is in the oven, put arugula in a bowl, and mix the arugula with 1 Tbsp blue cheese dressing, and 2 Tbsp cooking sherry, mix well~ Place this on top of pizza when it comes OUT of oven, and has been cut into pieces, like in the first picture, above.  The arugula should be chilled~

Make sure you serve each piece with a good amount of arugula!  It's TOO yummy, and you want some with every bite!  Hope you enjoy!  It's an EASY, crowd pleaser!! :)

Cajun Stuffed Pork Chops!

My husband used to make these GREAT stuffed pork chops for me when we were first married!  It was such a treat! They were succulent, sweet, and spicy and I couldn't get enough of them!  We still make them together, for special occasions, or for a nice Sunday Supper!  We felt like cooking them up last night, and boy, were they AMAZING!  The house smelled incredible!  This is a recipe of Louisiana Chef, Paul Prudhomme!  He knows his stuff! I did alter recipe, just a bit, to make things easier and cut the cooking time, because the cooking time on his recipe made the chops too dry. I'll tell you the time he says, and the time we used to get them more juicy!

                                                       Cajun Stuffed Pork Chops!

The stuffing gets nice and crisp!  Tastes amazing!

6  1 3/4 inch thick Pork Chops with bone-in

For stuffing~

1 pound ground pork
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 large green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies and their juice
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1 cup chicken stock
1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
1 Tbsp minced garlic 
7 Tbsp unsalted butter-divided 3 and 4
2 apples, cored, unpeeled, and chopped fine
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp seasoning mix-recipe below

For seasoning mix~
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

Make up seasoning mix first. Mix well~

Cut pockets in pork chops all the way to the bone to hold stuffing.  Take out 2 Tbsp of seasoning mix, and put aside to put into stuffing.  Use the rest of seasoning to put onto and into chops.  We couldn't get 1 3/4 inch thick chops this time, because it was last minute, so I had to cut cooking time. These were about 1 1/4 inch thick.  Try to get the bigger ones~

Start making up the stuffing in large skillet. Brown ground pork with 3 Tbsp butter over high heat for about 3 minutes, then add onions, bell peppers, garlic, and the 2 Tbsp of seasoning mix. Stir well, and cook about 5 minutes, scraping up bottom of pan.  Stir in green chilies and continue to cook up until well browned!

See how nice and brown it gets?  So many flavors caramelizing up together! YUM!  Now add the apples, and chicken stock~let it cook while stirring, for about 3-5 minutes, then add the remaining 4 Tbsp butter, your 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 3 Tbsp brown sugar.  Mix well, and when butter is melted, add the bread crumbs.  Keep cooking for a couple more minutes, scraping up pan bottom!  All the flavor is on the pan bottom, you want all that! :)

Stuff each chop with about 1/4 cup or more with stuffing.  Place them into 13X9 inch pan, pocket side up!  Save the remaining stuffing to bake up with the pork chops for last 15-20 minutes.  Put chops into a 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.  Chef Prudhomme's recipe says to cook it for an hour and 10 minutes.  We cut the time to 50 minutes and we could have cooked them even less. We did have smaller chops, but I would highly recommend checking them around 40 minutes in!  Don't forget to bake up extra stuffing for last 15 minutes before chops are fully cooked! Serve the stuffed chops over a bit of the extra stuffing!  IT'S AMAZING!  Your taste buds will thank you!!

...ALL this yummy food was being cooked up under this beautiful rainbow!  Simply a great Sunday night with my awesome family!