COOK: Honey Mustard Slaw

 I'm a big fan of all different kinds of coleslaw, it can take on so many different flavors, you can vary the vegetables and fruits you use, it can be a side dish, or an topping for sandwiches and tacos, and it's a great way to get more servings of veggies and fruits into your diet (or trick kids and hubbys into eating more veggies!) 

I made this slaw as a topping for some barbecue pulled pork tacos we had for dinner, and kept it really simple, it had the perfect amount of tang and sweetness to go with the smoky pork, pickled red onions, and warm corn tortillas.  I used a bag of premade slaw mix (I was being really lazy!) but you can thinly chop your own cabbage and carrots if you prefer, you can even add in other veggies or fruits if you wanted, as long as it totals about 1 cup (or 8 ounces).

Honey Mustard Slaw

Serves about 6

Ingredients:

1 Cup (8 Ounces) Coleslaw Mix 

6 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1/3 Cup Mayo (I prefer Olive Oil Mayo)

4 Tablespoons Honey

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Preparation:

In a small bowl mix together mustard, mayo, honey, and black pepper, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  

Put coleslaw mix into a large bowl and pour dressing over it while gently tossing until it is all covered.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, mix well before serving.  

Leftovers can be stored in fridge for up to 5 days.

Follow Us on Social Media:

COOK: Cilantro Lime Rice

I love a big burrito stuffed with so many different things you can hardly roll it up!  This rice has just enough flavor to be perfect in a burrito, or on its own as a side dish, it's also really good mixed in with my Famous Chicken Chili.

I always use jasmine rice since it's what I always have in the pantry, but you can use long grain rice if you prefer, just cook it according to the package directions.  This is also a great way to use leftover rice if you have it in the fridge.

I think fresh squeezed lime juice tastes best, but I've used bottled from the fridge when I don't have limes.  You can also substitute fresh parsley for the cilantro if you dint have any, or have someone in your house that thinks cilan tro tastes like soap like my two kiddos.

(Fun story, I always though cilantro tasted like soap, until I got pregnant with my youngest, since then I think it's delicious and I love it!)

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:

1 Cup uncooked Jasmine Rice 

1 2/3 Cups Water

1/2 Cup Light Sour Cream

4 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice

1/3 Cup Fresh Cilantro (Chopped)

Preparation:

Put water in a medium pot and bring to a boil, add in rice, cover and turn down to simmer let cook for 22 minutes.

While rice is cooking mix together sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro.  

When rice is done cooking transfer to a large bowl, add sour cream mixture and mix well. 

 

Follow Us on Social Media:

COOK: Cheddar Potato Pierogies

 I love a good pierogi, and it was always on my list to try to make my own, but I was always afraid they wouldn't turn out.  Last week KC suggested we try to make them, so  I did some research and read a bunch of different recipes, and like I normally do I took a bit from each and gave it a go.  These were so good!  I wish I hadn't waited so long.

While this is a simple recipe, it takes a lot of time, and it makes about 50-60 pierogies, so it's best to do when you don't have other things cooking.  We made about half of the recipe on Thursday night, and then on Friday I put the rest together to freeze. 

I'll add more step-by-step pictures to this post the next time I make them.

Cheddar Potato Pierogies

Ingredients:

Filling

5 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (Reserve 1 Cup water after boiling)

2.5 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

6 Slices Cooked Bacon (Chopped) Optional

1/2 Cup Milk or Half & Half Optional

Salt and Pepper (To Taste)

Dough

5 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Salt

2 Large Eggs

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Tablespoon Butter (Softened)

1 Cup Water from Boiled Potatoes

Preparation:

Filling

Put whole, unpeeled, potatoes into a large pot with cold water, boil until fork can be easily inserted.  Save 1 cup of the water, then drain, peel, and roughly chop potatoes.  In a large bowl mash potatoes, cheese, and bacon (if using).  (I use my Kitchen Aid to mash and mix, but a bowl with a potato masher works.) If you want the potatoes to be a bit creamier you can add some milk or half & half, but make sure your potatoes stay stiff.)  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Dough

In a large bowl mix together your flour and salt.  Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add in eggs and poke the yolks to break them, add the milk and softened butter and mix together using a large fork, until a shaggy dough starts to form.  Add it about half of your reserved potato water and kneed using your hands, after it's incorporated add additional water until the dough forms a ball, and is still slightly sticky.  Wrap in plastic wrap and set in fridge to rest for 20 minutes.

Assembling

Remove dough from fridge and cut into four pieces, re-wrap other dough to keep moist and set aside.  Roll dough out until it is about 1/8 inch thick.  Cut out about 3 inch circles using a biscuit cutter or a juice glass.  

Put about 1 Tablespoon of filling into the center of each round, wet the edge of half of the circle (I just dip my finger into a little bowl of water and rub it on.) then fold over and pinch the edges together until the are completely stuck together.  (I pinch going one direction and then back.  I also found it's better to pinch with the hand that you aren't using for water, otherwise you get a bit sticky!)  

Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Bring a pot of water to boiling, and add pierogies in small batches, once they pop to the top take them out and put on a rack.  Technically you can eat them now, but I like to give them a light fry in a cast iron skillet with butter, I love the nice crunch they get.  You can also add some finely sliced onions and minced garlic to the butter for an extra pop of flavor.

To Freeze

Unless you are feeding an army you will probably have more pierogies than you can eat, but they are so easy to freeze.  After you have assembled but before you have boiled your pierogies lay them on a sheet pan or plate, without touching, and put into the freezer, once they have frozen then you can put them into freezer bags or use a vacuum sealer to proportion them out for use later.  Then you simply just need to let them thaw, then boil them!

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Follow Us on Social Media:

COOK: Super Easy Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuits

I'm not great at planning dinners ahead of time.  Usually I know I want to have a certain meat, but have no idea how I want to cook it, or what to serve with it.  I love my Crusty Artisan Bread, but it needs at least 8 hours to rise, and sometimes I decide at 5 pm what I'm going to make and want some sort of bread to go with it, but don't have the time to kneed and let the bread rise.

I've been making quick breads since I was a kid, but I had never tried to make a savory quick bread.  At Christmas we were gifted with a 12 pack of Budweiser beer, something neither of us drink, but I knew I could use in different recipes, so I decided to try a quick bread, with beer, cheese, and (obviously!) garlic.

Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuits

Note: I made large biscuits, but this same recipe could be used for muffins or bread, you just need to adjust the cooking times, test with a toothpick and when it comes out clean they are done!  (Berea really wants me to try bread next, she thinks it's make amazing breakfast sandwiches!)

Ingredients:

3 Cups Flour

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

12 Ounces Beer (light and cheap, I used Budweiser)

1 1/3 Cup Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Shredded) 

4 Tablespoons Salted Butter (Melted) 

3 Tablespoons Minced Garlic (I used the kind from the jar, but fresh would also work, probably 6-8 cloves.)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare baking sheets, (I use silicone baking mats on a half sheet baking pans, but you can use cookie sheets with a baking spray or parchment paper.)

(Do not use a mixer, you want this dough to be mixed but still "shaggy"

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  

Add beer and mix to combine, until everything is wet but still lumpy.  

Add cheese, butter, and garlic.  Mix until everything is incorporated, some lumps are okay, if you over mix you'll have flat and tough biscuits!

Drop large spoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheet.  I made 13 large biscuits (about 6 per pan), but you can make smaller, just cook them less time.

Bake for 22-24 minutes, until golden on the bottom and starting to turn golden on top.

If serving right away I suggest brushing with melted butter, if serving later pop them in the oven for about 5 minutes on the top rack at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes and then brush with melted butter.

(They are also great warmed in the microwave and then split and slathered with butter!)

Follow Us on Social Media:

COOK: Kniffles and Homemade Egg Noodles

One of KC's favorite winter side dishes is Kniffles.  I had never heard of it, but when he told me it was homemade noodles, potatoes, and butter I knew I would love it!

The key is to brown the butter, which as KC's mom used to say "Is easy when you aren't trying to but hard when you want to!"  I couldn't agree more!

It's a simple recipe, and it's great if you make it ahead and re-heat it when it's time to eat.  It's also delicious the next day as a small dinner, although it's not healthy so we don't do that too often.

Kniffles (Homemade Egg Noodles)

Ingredients:

Noodles:
2 medium eggs
2/3 cup of cool water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-2 1/2 cups flour

3-4 medium potatoes
1 stick of salted butter

Preparation:

Peel and cut your potatoes into about 1 inch cubes, put into a large pot with about 3-4 quarts of water and boil.

While the potatoes are boiling mix the dough for the noodles, it should be sticky but not too sticky, put onto your floured counter and kneed until no longer sticky.  Then roll out until about 1/4 inch thickness, then cut into strips and then cut each strip into about 2-3 inch pieces (using a pizza cutter makes it easy) they don't need to be uniform size, and I think the wonkier the better!

By now your potatoes should be soft, you can remove them to a bowl or add the noodles on top, if you remove the potatoes save the water, you want to boil the noodles in the starchy potato water.

Add the noodles into the still boiling water, then remove about 3 minutes after you put the last noodles into the water.  

In a separate pan melt and then brown you stick of butter, pour over the top of the mixed noodles and potatoes.  

It's a great side dish with steak, roast, or prime rib.  KC asked for it with his steak and shrimp birthday dinner this week.!

After making Kniffles a few times I realized that I could easily make similar noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup, I figured out it's best if I make the noodles, then after cutting them I lay them on my baking racks to dry out a bit, then add them when the soup is almost done.  The noodles hold up well in the soup when it's frozen.  You can also let them dry a bit and then put them into freezer packs and freeze them until you are ready to use them, they are great as simple buttered noodles as well!

As always, let me know if you have any questions or if you notice any mistakes!

Follow Us on Social Media: