Memorial Day

For the last 11 years I have had to work many holidays, including Memorial Day weekend.  Memories of times at the lake, BBQing, spending time with family and celebrating the holiday still linger in the back of my mind.  This weekend was no different than the previous ten years.  To celebrate at work, the team leads were asked to bring side dishes that went well with the typical BBQ fare.  This is what I brought and hope you all enjoy trying these recipes.  By the way, I am so looking forward to spending the entire 4th of July weekend off.  WHAT A TREAT!!!  Stay tuned for what comes next!

Corn Casserole

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 cups shredded Cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Thanks Paula Deen!

Patriotic Berry Trifle

1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 premade angel food cake, cut into 1-inch slices
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
2 pints blueberries
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced 

Heat 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.

Brush both sides of each slice of cake with the syrup. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.

Beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Add the cream and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and the consistency of whipped cream.


Arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a decorative pattern. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Thank Sunny Anderson

Vietnamese-style Bahn Mi Burgers

This is a spin on the favorite Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwiches.  They are packed with flavor and a great change up on the traditional burger.

Bun-Mi Vietnamese-style Burgers

For the Sauce:
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons Tamari sauce
2 tablespoons Siracha hot sauce
For the Slaw:
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into matchsticks
4 large radishes, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white wine or rice vinegar
1 round teaspoon sea salt
For the Burgers:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/4 pound bologna, chopped then finely ground in a food processor
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger root, peeled and grated
Salt and lots of black pepper
Drizzle of vegetable oil
Brioche or other burger rolls, split and lightly toasted
Buttery lettuce leaves, such as Bibb or Boston, etc.
Mint leaves and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Combine sauce ingredients in small pot and warm over low heat.

For the slaw, add carrots, cucumber and radishes to a bowl. Combine water, sugar, vinegar and salt in a saucepot and heat to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over slaw, toss salad and chill or reserve at room temp.

For the burgers, combine meats with garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Form 4 patties. Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook burgers 10-12 minutes, turning once. Bathe them in sauce during the last minute of cooking

Pile burgers on buns and top with lettuce, mint, cilantro and slaw.

Thanks Rachael Ray!

Chicken Marsala

An easy, elegant meal that tastes like you have spent hours making it.

Chicken Marsala

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Emeril's Essence
2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Marsala
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste.

Thank you Emeril!

Amy's Wedge Salad

I can never get enough of this salad and neither can my husband.  He requests this quite often and ALWAYS orders it when we go out to eat.  Yes the picture has a lot of dressing and a lot of balsamic reduction, but once you taste it, you will understand why.  YUM!

Wedge Salad

1 quarter wedge iceberg lettuce
2 slices Applewood smoked bacon, cooked
4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved
bleu cheese dressing (see recipe below)
balsamic reduction (see recipe below)

Assemble salad by placing wedge of lettuce on plate, topping with bleu cheese dressing, criss-crossing the bacon over the top and scattering tomatoes around plate.  Drizzle the balsamic reduction around plate.

Bleu Cheese Dressing


6 ounces bleu cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Mash softened cheese with fork in a bowl. Whisk in the cream, mayo and sour cream into cheese, the consistency should be smooth with an occasional small bit of blue. Mix in remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Balsamic Reduction

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Add balsamic vinegar to small saucepan and simmer until reduced by half.  Add in brown sugar and cook until it slightly thickens and lightly coats the back of a spoon.  Reduction will continue to thicken a bit once it has cooled.

Key Lime Pie

This is one of my summer dessert favorites.  This recipe is an easy one that will give you perfect results every time.

Key Lime Pie

2 cups sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup lime juice
1 graham cracker pie shell
whipping cream


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  With a hand-held mixer or whisk, combine condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice.  Pour into pie shell and bake in oven on middle rack for 20 minutes or until filling jiggles only slightly when shaken.  Cover pie and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.  Top with whipping cream.

Cinco de Mayo

A little history behind the holiday...

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a holiday held on May 5.  The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War.   In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico, which occurs on September 16th.

In honor of this day I always try to prepare something special for my husband since he is from the very town where the actual battle took place.  This is what I made this year.

Enchiladas 

20 oz bag of frozen chicken fajita strips (thawed)
12 oz (4 medium) tomatillos, husks removed
1/2 onion
2 jalapenos
1 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup packed cilantro 
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 corn tortillas
8 oz monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to broil setting.  Place tomatillos, onion and jalapenos on baking sheet and place under broiler and roast until edges start to char.  Reduce heat on oven to 350 degrees.  Stem jalapeno and place all vegetables, cilantro and salt in blender and puree until smooth.  Add 3/4 cup of salsa to bottom of 9x12 baking dish.  Chop chicken into small bits.  In a bowl, mix chicken, 3/4 cup of salsa and 1/2 of the cheese and combine.  Steam tortillas in a wet paper towel for 1 1/2 minutes in microwave until softened.  Place a chicken mixture into a tortilla and roll, putting seam side down into baking dish.  Repeat until all chicken and tortillas are complete.  Add remaining salsa over the top of enchiladas.  Top with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro, avocado slices and chopped tomato.

Mother's Day Dinner

My Mom, me, Abby and my Grandmother

I was missing home tonight, so I decided to replicate it in my kitchen.  If I can't see my Mom on Mother's Day, then I will cook a dinner just like her and close my eyes and imagine I am sitting at her table eating a meal she cooked with love and patience, just like she has always shown to me.  I love you Mom!  Thanks for all you taught me.  Happy Mother's Day!

Chicken-Fried Steak with Pan Gravy

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 - 2 pounds bottom or top round steak (cut into four individual portions), pounded well to tenderize
1/3 cup vegetable oil

In a shallow pan or plate, sift together flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

In another shallow pan, combine egg and milk.

Coat steaks in flour mixture, dip in egg mixture, and then coat again with flour mix.

In a large frying pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Add steaks to oil and fry 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and thoroughly cooked (add additional vegetable oil if needed). Remove from pan and keep cooked steaks warm in warm oven. 

Pour off all but 3 Tablespoons of oil from pan and put back on heat for gravy.

Pan Gravy

3 Tablespoons reserved frying oil

2 Tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

Heat reserved oil in pan over medium-high heat.  Add flour and whisk until smooth.  While whisking constantly, add milk making sure to scrape all bits from bottom and sides of pan until the gravy begins to boil and thicken.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes or until gravy is thickened to the desired consistency.  Add salt and pepper.

Mashed Potatoes

4 Medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes.  Return the potatoes to the pan. Add the butter and mash until melted. Stir milk into the potatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

Easy Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8-inch square baking pan, whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and coarse salt.

Make a well in center of flour mixture and add vegetable oil, pure vanilla extract, white vinegar, and cold water. Whisk until well combined. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. 

Butter Cream Frosting

1 cups (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1/2 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar, vanilla. Beat on high speed 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.