Skillet Steak

Who says a steak has to cooked on a grill?  I mean, I'm sure it's generally best cooked on a grill...but I don't have one.  And even if I did...I wouldn't be caught using it in sub 20 degree weather.  Stove-top will have to do.  Besides, the package said "skillet steak" so clearly it's meant to be cooked in a skillet...

I rubbed the steak with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic powder, then put it in the preheated, non-stick, skillet.  I seared it on each side, then flipped it back to the first side and let it cook for a few minutes on each side.  It's a pretty thin steak, so it didn't take too long to get it done, no pink.  'Cause who wants to eat something that is still moo-ing?  Not me, anyway. 

Ate the steak with some leftover mac n cheese, some leeks, and some steamed baby broccoli.

so brilliantly green... or should I say...so verdantly green?  maybe that's too redundant.

now there's a delicious dinner if I do say so myself

and the dinner wine

hasn't given me heartburn yet...must be a good one.

I doubt this steak required a steak knife...but I have steak knives now, why not put them to use?

Back to School Breakfast

Time to go back to school.  Vacation has been very relaxing, but I have a feeling it might take me a few days to get back into school mode...doesn't help that everything is covered with the snow that fell last night, and it's a whopping 19 degrees out.  Brrrrrrr. It is definitely going to be a day to be thankful for wool sweaters and space heaters.  And I'm super glad I went to school yesterday to turn on my heaters!  Looks like winter has finally arrived!

I've been thinking lately that my chocolate-chip pancake obsession has gone on a little too long and I need to eat something different for breakfast once in awhile... So here's today's breakfast, complete with a homemade bagel.  I'll try to get around to posting about that experience later. 

Sweet Potato Hash Browns with Radish slices

Scrambled Eggs with Avocado

Homemade Whole Wheat-Cinnamon Bagel with Peanut Butter

Of course, since I srubbed the kitchen floor yesterday, I had to go and drop an egg on it this morning.  Didn't really want to start my morning out by re-scrubbing the floor...guess that woke me up pretty well.

Corn-Salmon Chowder

Another experimental culinary success. 

My first attempt at a chowder, and it was quite delicious.

This is definitley a recipe I am going to keep and repeat.

-in a large soup pot, steam 1 bowl of chopped celery and 1/4 chopped yellow onion with butter and bacon grease

 -when the celery and onions are soft, add 2 large carrots, grated

-add some chicken stock (not enough for the veggies to be swimming, but enough that they don't get dry and stick

-allow the carrots to steam until soft, add more chicken stock as needed

-add seasoning (garlic powder, mustard powder, basil

-add 1 can of creamed corn, 1 can of corn, and 1 can of evaporated milk

-add 1/2 pound of salmon, cooked and flaked (I cooked mine with a garlic/mustard glaze

-stir well, bring to a boil, simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking

 

 

a delicious dinner: bowl of chowder with a cheese quesadilla

Deviled Eggs

New Year's Eve dinner party was a fun time.  In addition to the appetizers I made 2 pizzas.  One was Chicken-Bacon Ranch and the other was Apple-Onion.  Both were delicious. 

I never made Deviled Eggs before, but I'd say they came out pretty tasty. 

Appetizer Numero Dos : Deviled Eggs

Crabby Crackers

I'm having a fun afternoon in the kitchen

preparing for my annual New Year's Eve dinner party

Appetizer Numero Uno: Crabby Crackers

Ritz Crackers, Homemade Crab Dip, Radish Garnish

Love my new knives...sliced those radishes like soft butter!

Steak Tenders

What's better than chicken tenders?  Steak tenders!  Slice a thin skillet steak into strips, dip them in an egg wash, then in some cornmeal/flour/seasoning, and  fry them up with just a little bit of olive oil.  (My breading didn't really stick...probably should have floured the steak before the egg wash.)

Serve up the tenders with some sweet potato fries.  Yummmmmmm.

the chopped steak with one of my new kitchen "toys" (love my new knives!)

olive oil "art"

Secret Ingredient #1 : Pheasant

I have a slight obsession with the cooking show Iron Chef.  I love seeing what the chefs do with the secret ingredients.  Sometimes I get good ideas for my own cooking.  Sometimes I just drool over the yummy looking food...

Last night C decided to bring me a secret ingredient to make dinner out of.  It turned out to be Pheasant.  I was going to slice up the meat and pan-fry it or something...but then I realized that it still had all the bones.  So I stuck the birds in a pot with some bacon grease, sprinkled them with garlic powder and rosemary, put the lid on, and cooked them up, turning them over occasoinally.  I also put some home-made mac n cheese in the oven, and steamed some fresh pole beans and leeks.  And then I fried some bacon to add to the veggies. 

burnt cheese perfection!