Made From Scratch Tuesday 4/24

The other day, I had a serious craving for some fajitas. There's just something about the spicy strips of steak and the crunchy peppers that really gets my mouth watering! And I'll admit that even though I have a spice rack that would make about any home cook jealous, I always buy fajita seasoning. Why? I have no idea. I have everything I need right in the kitchen. So I figured it was about time I made my own! After looking around on the interwebs for a bit, I realized all the recipes I found were about the same. So I used this one I found on food.com.

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon crushed chicken bouillon cube

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. I cut a flank steak into strips and tossed with about 3/4 of the seasoning mixture. I cooked them on my electric grill to medium. At the same time, I sauteed 2 large peppers cut into strips, 3 cloves of garlic (chopped) and an onion cut into small wedges in a little bit of oil and the rest of the seasoning mixture. 

As I was enjoying dinner, I suddenly realize how crazy I've been for buying seasoning packs all this time! I'm definitely going to keep using this recipe! 




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Made From Scratch Tuesday 4/17

Sometimes I miss living near an ocean. Ok, so I miss it a lot! The biggest thing I miss? Fresh seafood. Which is odd because I was never really one for seafood when I was a kid. But now, I crave it. And I mean I really crave it! Short of paying for fresh seafood that was flown in that morning (which I have been known to do from time to time), I have to eat frozen. Now frozen shrimp isn't really all that bad. It's not as good as fresh, but it will work. When the husband and I had a shrimp craving, I knew we were going to try out a recipe I saw on the Food Network website from the Neely's!

Start out by cleaning the shrimp. I left this to the husband. But save the shells to make stock for later use!

Start cooking pasta while you work on the rest of the dish. With all your ingredients ready to go, this entire dish will cook in about 10 minutes, which is awesome for those nights when you don't feel like standing in the kitchen forever! Anyway, while your pasta is cooking, saute shrimp for a couple of minutes in olive oil. The shrimp will not be all the way cooked; you don't want to overcook them later on!

Remove shrimp and set aside. In the same pan, saute garlic and red pepper flakes for about a minute. Then add the lemon juice and white wine and reduce for a few minutes. (And I have to point out my new measuring cups that my friend just got me. Aren't they cute?!) Mix in butter and a spoonful of the pasta water.

Toss shrimp back in pan, remove from stove and add in drained pasta. Toss well with parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper!

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 4/10

Crock Pot Pheasant

What you'll need:
4 pheasants
1 c orange juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, chopped
3 T Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 bottle soy sauce
1 T Apple Cider Vinegar
2 T White Wine

Mix all ingredients (except pheasant) in a large glass bowl. Remove about half a cup of the sauce and set aside. Let pheasants marinate for 30 minutes. Place pheasants and marinade in the crock pot and cook on low until done, about 5 hours. Serve with remaining sauce.

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 4/3

I love potatoes....and cheese. So it seems only logical that I would love the combination of the two. And quite honestly, I don't think I've ever snubbed a plate of cheese fries....especially with bacon. I figured I could cook up a combination of potatoes and cheese with maybe a bit more refined taste. The result? Parmesan potato crisps!

They were delicious and so simple to make!

What you'll need:
A potato or two
Some Parmesan cheese
a dab of olive oil
salt

Slice potatoes thin (I used a mandolin) and spread out on a sheet of parchment paper that's bee lightly coated with olive oil. Sprinkle on some salt and top with a thin slice of cheese. Bake at 425 until crispy on the outside. Mine took about 25 minutes. And they were delicious paired with asparagus and Parmesan cheese burgers.


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Made From Scratch Tuesday 3/20

Want to know what the best meal in the world is? A meal someone else cooks for you! The other night, one of my friends made an amazing meal. I knew I had to put the recipes up here, so here's today's guest post, by Audrey.

When I was growing up, in Massachusetts, we always had fish on Fridays whether or not it was Lent. My grandmother was an Irish Catholic from Southie and I guess that’s just how things always were. Now that I’m an adult living in Indianapolis, I have pretty intense seafood cravings that can only be satisfied one way. I refuse to eat frozen fish, so I headed up to one of the few local fish markets we have in town that sells fresh to pick up some supplies.

Unfortunately, the pickings were slim by the time I got there – it was, indeed, a Friday during Lent. I bought a beautiful Chilean sea bass, the last three scallops in the city, and a dozen clams to steam before heading over to Jen’s house to cook for her and her husband. One of the major advantages of being such close friends with your usual blog author is that she feeds me all the time. I owed her.

Herb Crusted Chilean Sea Bass

Grated Lemon Rind

Bread Crumbs

1 Small Handful Fresh Parsley – chopped

2 Cloves Garlic - minced

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1 Chilean Sea Bass Filet with skin on(about 1 lb)

Olive Oil

Mix bread crumbs, lemon rind, parsley, garlic together and spread on plate. Brush fish with olive oil on top and bottom. Press fish to breadcrumb mixture and place on cast iron skillet. Bake in 400 degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing from skillet and slicing into servings.

Sea Scallops with White Wine Garlic Sauce

(This recipe may be at least partially stolen from somewhere else)

1 T Olive Oil

Sea Scallops

2 Garlic Cloves – Minced Fine

2 c. Chardonnay (inexpensive is fine, we used Fat Bastard)

3 T Fresh Lemon Juice

1 T Butter (optional)

Chopped Parsley for Garnish

Heat skillet with olive oil on high until oil smokes and place scallops in pan. Flip after 2 minutes to sear the other side for another 2 minutes. Turn heat down to medium and pour wine into pan. Remove scallops after another 2 minutes and add lemon juice, garlic, and butter (if you so choose. I’ve done it both ways and it’s always great). Reduce by half and pour over scallops. Garnish with parsley and serve.

New England Steamers

1-2 doz. Fresh Clams

Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic – Chopped Coarsely

3 Pearl Onions – Chopped Coarsely

½ Bottle Chardonnay

Enough Water to Cover Clams

Small Handful of Fresh Parsley

Melted Butter and Hot Water Bowls for Serving

In the bottom of a pot (that has a lid), sautee garlic and onions in olive oil until they are soft. Add wine, water, clams, and parsley to pot and steam with lid on high until clams just begin to open up (usually about 5 minutes, but as long as 10). Remove from pot and discard any clams that have not opened up in 10 minutes (DON’T EAT THESE ONES!). Serve with hot water and melted butter.

I also served these up with asparagus (because it’s one of my favorite veggies). I like to grill my asparagus with a little oil or butter, some coarse sea salt, and a little lemon juice. I just roll them around every 2 minutes or so to keep them from burning. A little crispness is fine.

I’m not sure I’ve paid my debt back to Jen yet, but I’m sure this is a step in the right direction.

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 3/13

I'm not one to be known for my great planning. As my husband can tell you, I'm just about always one key ingredient short of a great meal, or just an average meal for that matter. If I want chili for dinner, I'm out of beans. If I want lasagna, I'm out of ricotta. So it really should not come as a surprise if I want tacos, I'm out of seasoning mix. Well, I learned a long time ago just to buy the restaurant size jars of taco seasoning. But, I don't have the best stomach when it comes to preservatives. And seasoning mixes tend to be full of them. But, I do always have a pantry full of seasonings. So why not make my own? I've experimented with many, many variations, but I've finally found the perfect blend.

What you'll need:
1 T chili powder
1/3 t garlic salt
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t paprika
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt
1 t pepper

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Add to browned ground beef (or turkey, chicken...whatever you like) with 1/4 c water. Simmer until water has absorbed/evaporated.

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 3/6

The tornadoes that ripped through the Tennessee and Ohio valleys on Friday left a devastating path of destruction, and nearly wiped two towns off the map in Southern Indiana. The National Weather Service is anticipating that it could be the largest March tornado outbreak in history. Watching the continued coverage on the news makes me extremely thankful that so many Hoosiers have stepped in to help. From our first responders to the hundreds of people who have donated their time, money, food and household supplies, the Hoosier spirit shines through. So the husband and I decided to step in and do our part. It's no secret that I'm a closet couponer, so we certainly had a stockpile to sort through and select items to donate. After loading up the car, we headed over to Midwest Food Bank. When we dropped off everything, we were able to talk with John Whitaker, director of operations, and he shared some of the experiences he had down in Southern Indiana over the weekend. The one thing that sticks out in my mind the most is the picture he showed us of a playing card (the nine of spades) that had been thrust three inches into a tree. I cannot even imagine the force behind that. If the winds of the EF4 tornado can do that, I find it amazing that there are any structures left standing. According to John, the only buildings left standing in path of the tornado in Henryville are the two churches. Kind of makes you think, right?

Quick and Easy Cornbread
3/4 c cornmeal
1 1/4 c flour
1 c milk
1 egg beaten
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 c + 2T sugar
1/4 c oil

Mix together cornmeal, flour, 1/4 c sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix together all wet ingredients.

I'd put the photos in here, by my phone isn't cooperating. 

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until incorporated, but do not over mix! Spread into a well buttered 9" round pan, sprinkle remaining sugar on the top, and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Serve hot!

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 2/28

This week's creation comes from my mom's kitchen. 

Fiesta Cheesecake

Beat till fluffy 2 – 8oz. pkgs softened, cream cheese and 1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating after each.

Fold in 2 cups shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar, but it's supposed to be Monterrey Jack) and 1 small can diced green chiles.  

Spray 9” spring form pan, sides and bottom, and pour cheese mixture in. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until knife inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven and spread top with 1 cup sour cream. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then refrigerate at least 8 hours. To serve, remove side of spring form pan, and top with salsa.  Serve in wedges (20) with tortilla chips.

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 2/21

It's time for another Iron Chef Challenge from Ott,A! Maple Leaf Farms is sponsoring another round of Iron Chef with the theme ingredient Duck.

Last year, I did several duck recipes. So while searching for some inspiration, I came across their sausage recipe and I was intrigued. I set off to make duck sausage! My local grocery store doesn't sell ground duck, so I started with a whole duck, cut it up and did a fresh grind. (I saved some of the skin so I could render the fat and used the carcass to make stock)

To the fresh ground duck, I added 2 1/2 T onion flakes, 1 T toasted fennel seeds, 1 T sage, 2 cloves of garlic (chopped fine), 1 T breadcrumbs, 2 T rendered fat, and salt and pepper. 

Mix well and shape into patties on parchment paper. Wrap tightly and freeze about 4 hours. 

To cook, place sausages on baking sheet in a cold oven and turn the oven to 325. Bake about 30 minutes, or until cooked through. 

We enjoyed our duck sausage with english muffins and scrambled eggs with feta cheese and green onions!

Make sure to enter your duck recipes over with Ott,A. And check out Maple Leaf Farms for your duck needs!

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 2/14

For our pre-Valentine's Day dinner, the husband and I had a wonderful lobster dinner. I have to admit, I was scared of the lobster. I always look at the tank at the store and think maybe that will be the day I finally conquer the fear. I finally decided to just do it. So, off to the store we go and I picked out two feisty lobsters. Unfortunately, I was freaked out by the bag moving and made the husband carry it. I figured I would have to work up the nerve to pick them up, so I decided to make some butter while I gathered my nerves.

For the butter, pour some cream into the bowl of your stand mixer and turn on high. Add salt to taste.

Mix until it gets fluffy

Then keep mixing until it looks like scrambled eggs and milk

At this point, gather all the butter together and squeeze into a ball (or three). Pour the buttermilk into a container and save for pancakes, biscuits, or my favorite-red velvet cake! 

At this point, the butter is ready to use. If you want to keep it around for a few days, rinse the butter  under cold water, squeezing as you go until the liquid coming out of the butter is clear. Now your butter is ready to go! And the possibilities are endless with your fresh butter! Add in some honey, cinnamon, or whatever else you can think of! For us, that meant adding garlic. I roasted a clove of garlic and squeezed it out into a bowl of melted butter with the juice of a lemon.

It was perfect with our lobsters!

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 2/7/12

With the Super Bowl festivities all around Indy the last few days, we had to have some super munchies for Sunday. I'm going to warn you now...these are not diet friendly! But they're super delicious!

Source: thecurvycarrot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I found these yummy bites on Pinterest and couldn't wait to make my own. For the recipe, click on the pic above!
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Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/31

There's really nothing I love more than a good steak. Usually, I only season our steaks with sauteed onions and garlic, and salt and pepper. I was feeling adventurous tonight, so I made up a batch of steak seasoning loaded with flavor. This will make quite a bit, so save the leftovers in a jar with a tight lid.

What you'll need:
3 T salt
1 T royal peppercorns (or you can use just black peppercorns)
1 T onion flakes
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T crushed red pepper flakes
1 T savory
1 T rosemary
2 t fennel seed

Combine all in a spice grinder and grind to a smooth powder. Rub over steaks and cook to desired doneness.

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/24

Do you have a go-to sauce or base? We do. In our house, the kids call it Toxic Green Sludge, which is pretty much what it looks like. I let them get away with calling it that because it's mostly spinach and any time I can squeeze some veggies in, I'm all for it no matter what they call it.

In a food processor, combine a 10 oz bag of spinach, one container of fresh mozzarella cheese, a few tablespoons Parmesan cheese,  basil, thyme, oregano, salt and a splash of olive oil.

Process until, well until it looks like toxic green sludge!


Once you have it made, you can use it as a dressing in a chilled pasta salad, or as a layer in lasagna, add chicken and stuff ravioli or shells, and the list goes on! It's a good base sauce to make on the weekends and use during the week when you don't have as much time to pull off a great dinner.

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/17

Tonight, we had artichoke burgers. The husband was giving me funny looks while I was making them, but they turned out soooo tasty! One of these days, he'll learn to quit doubting me!

What you'll need:
1 lb ground beef
4 artichoke hearts, chopped into large pieces (I used canned)
2 T creamy Italian dressing
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl

 Shape into patties and cook to desired doneness

We topped these burgers with crumbled Feta cheese

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/10

So according to Food Network Blog, mustard is going to be the "it" food of the year. I make my own barbecue sauce, but honestly, it never occurred to me to make mustard. Well, consider me inspired. After doing a little searching and comparing recipes, I came up with a spicy, tangy mustard based on Alton Brown's Best Mustard Ever. 


What you'll need:

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon canning salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon pickling spice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup mustard seed

In a spice grinder, grind mustard seed and picking spice 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stopping and shaking every 30 seconds. Pour into medium glass bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients.

Whisk in vinegar and water until well mixed. Microwave on high heat for one minute. Immediately pour into blender and blend on low for 1-2 minutes with the lid off. I know, it sounds like it could make a mess, but this really doesn't make a whole lot of mustard and you need to let the steam escape so you don't end up with mustard soup! If it's still too thin, microwave for another 30 seconds and blend again. Alton's recipe says to use an immersion blender, but I tried that and still ended up with soup. Round 2, I used the blender and it came out perfect. Pour into glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. 

I'll warn you now-this mustard is not meant to stay in the background. This mustard screams a tangy, bright flavor that's sure to bring a whole new dimension to any plain hot dog (or whatever you like mustard on)!

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