Hi!

     I hope everyone had a great holiday!! I am sorry for the lack of posts, as I have been rather busy over the holiday spending it with family. Needless to say, I haven't been cooking dinner as often, as I have been trying to use up all the leftover goodies from Christmas! Hopefully, getting back into the swing of things will be smooth and painless. (:
     I got a lot of goodies for Christmas that involve kitchenware. I'm definitely excited to break all of them in! I got a grill pan, mandoline, digital meat thermometer, etc. I LOVE kitchenware!!! I am currently in search of a nice quality chef's knife, but want to have more knowledge to make sure I'm purchasing what I need. If anyone has any suggestions on purchasing a chef's knife as far as what specifics to look for, my ears are listening! My boyfriend also bought me a MiniHP laptop for Christmas, which I am using right now to type this post! I love it! I didn't expect it at all, but it was a GREAT Christmas gift.
     Anyways, be looking for new recipe posts sometime soon...like I said, I just have to get back into the swing of things...and I haven't been cooking. I just haven't really felt that well lately...oh well.


Have a happy new year!!

Beef Tips.

     Beef tips served over rice is one of my boyfriend's favorite meals. I happen to think the dish is pretty tasty as well. It's beefy, hearty, and loaded with flavor! I had made a dish similar to this one before, but it was baked in the oven, which I thought was strange. The meat was a little more tough with a lot less flavor. Delicious, nonetheless, just lacking something. This recipe is amazing and I can not wait to have it again! (: We'll just give it a few weeks so I can experiment elsewhere! 

Beef Tips

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1½ to 2 lbs. stew beef, 1-inch cubes

4 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)

2 c. water

¼ c. soy sauce

¼ c. worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 (.75 oz.) packet dry brown gravy mix

1 c. water

Depending on your butcher, you may not have to do this step...I did, however. My stew beef was cut VERY roughly and very large - about 3-inch chunks. I prefer much smaller pieces, due to ease. I cut my meat into approximately 1-inch cubes.

In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Sauté the onion until almost translucent. 

    

Once onion has become slightly translucent, add the stew beef and brown on all sides on high heat. For me, this took about 3-4 minutes. At this point, I added about 4 ounces of sliced button mushrooms. I browned them for about 2 minutes. Then, pour 2 cups of water, soy sauce and worcestershire sauce in. Allow to return to a simmer. Once simmering, stir in garlic 

powder, salt, and pepper.

 

Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let it simmer for approximately 2 hours. During this time, the meat will tenderize and literally begin to fall apart! (: It's delicious! About 5 minutes before the simmering time has completed, whisk together the dry gravy mix and 1 cup water thoroughly. Pour into the skillet and return to the boil. The sauce will thicken slightly. 

If you want the sauce to have a little less movement, you can do one of two things: 1) create a corn starch slurry with 1 tbsp. corn starch and 1-2 tbsp. water or 2) gently simmer and let it reduce down a little. I simply left mine to simmer while I cooked the rice I was serving it with and it worked just fine!

Happy Cooking!

Bustin' My Chops

     Tonight for dinner, I decided to do pork chops. I haven't cooked (or eaten, for that matter) pork chops in YEARS, due to some pretty gnarly experiences. Particularly, bone-dry meat and an aching jaw for a few days. It seems as though no matter how much you chew a ridiculously dry piece of meat, it will never go down quite right! I figured I would sear the pork chops in a pan and then bake them off in the oven. This ended up making fork-tender pork chops that were DELICIOUS...and a recipe which I will be using again! I served them alongside a green bean casserole and yeast rolls. 
     Note: I would not recommend serving with a green bean casserole, simply because the cream of mushroom soup in both parts of the meal (pork chops and casserole) makes it almost too rich to enjoy. Serving the pork chops with a side of just green beans would have been a better idea. Oh well, live and learn!

Baked Pork Chops

6 Pork Chops

1½ tsp. Garlic Powder

1½ tsp. Seasoning Salt

2 Eggs, beaten

½ c. All-Purpose Flour

1½ c. Italian-Seasoned Bread Crumbs

¼ c. Olive Oil

1 (10.75 oz) can of Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

⅓ c. Milk

⅓ c. White Wine

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Rinse pork chops, dry thoroughly, and season on both sides with the garlic powder and

seasoning salt, to taste. (I went liberal and rubbed it in a little.)

 Dredge the pork chops first in the flour, then into the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sear the pork chops 

approximately 3-4 minutes per side, or until the breading appears brown. 

Place the pork chops in a 9"X13" baking dish, cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the can of cream of mushroom soup, milk, and white wine in a medium bowl. 

After the pork chops have baked for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and pour the soup mixture over them. Replace the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. 

Once finished, remove from the oven and leave foil on for about 5 minutes to let the meat rest, then remove and serve!

     Like everyone in the general public, I have to exercise self-control on a day-to-day basis. I try to find ways to make that a little easier. I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I tend to walk on the savory and salty side of life. I also REALLY love crunchy things. If you sit a bag of chips beside me (preferably kettle-cooked), I WILL eat the whole bag. 
     But, Ashley...I thought you had self-control?
                  Correct! I do, but sometimes I choose not to...and that's a bad thing!


Anyways, I thought this recipe would be a fun try. They are baked, so there isn't any frying like a potato chip. I figured they would be a good alternative to potato chips...and they're ranch-flavored! Of course, you can experiment with these and do any number of alternate seasonings (rosemary parmesan, salt and pepper, etc.).

Ranch Oyster Crackers

Disclaimer: All ingredients are to taste for this recipe.

1 tbsp. Ranch Seasoning

1 tbsp. Dill Weed

3 tbsp. Vegetable Oil

2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 c. Oyster Crackers

Preheat oven to 250°F. In a bowl, mix the Ranch Seasoning, Dill Weed, Vegetable Oil, Garlic Powder, and Salt. Once those ingredients are well mixed, add the oyster crackers and toss to coat. 

I started with only 1 cup of oyster crackers and found that I had extra liquid in my bowl, so this is where I added another 1/2 cup of crackers. 

Pour the coated crackers onto a baking sheet (I lined mine with foil). Bake for 15 minutes, giving them a quick stir every 5 minutes. If you want them a little darker, just leave them in an additional 3-5 minutes! Remove and let cool. Then, place in a covered container for a quick and easy snack! 

Happy Cooking!

A new journey.

Hi all!


     This is my attempt at a new hobby that I have been mesmerized  by for a long time now. I have always enjoyed reading others' witty blog posts about their day-to-day life and wanted to try it out. I was on Pinterest (LOVE) and saw a recipe that I wanted to try and clicked the image. It took me (as many Pinterest images do) to a blog post. I decided to start my own "journey" and created one myself.


     I had tried to create a blog once before, but found that I wasn't as interested or committed. I've learned that in order for this to work, I have to sit down and let words fall out from my fingertips...I didn't think I had time for that when I tried this the first time. Now, due to certain health issues (discussed in my "About Me" if you'd like to know further) I have much more time on my hands and am making this disadvantage work in my favor. 

     This blog will follow my food adventures...bear in mind that I'm not the most adventurous person when it comes to food, but am willing to try a lot of new things! I don't think I can "stomach" a stomach. (;
I am always open for suggestions as well! I hope to keep you reading!


Sincerely,


Ashley