Homemade Tartar Sauce

Threw together some tartar sauce tonight because i hate the sweet store bought stuff.  If you like your tartar sweet get a bottle at the store.  If you like it tasting like Captain D's (or another non-sweet kind)... here you go.  Sorry, in advance but i didn't measure this recipe either... did all "to taste"  - I'm old school like that.  I'll measure next time..

Real Mayonnaise   (a few table spoons - it was just me and my husband)
Dill Relish - NOT sweet relish (you can use sweet if you like that sort of thing)
Garlic Powder (a generous shake)
Old Bay Crab Boil Seasoning (optional)
Onion, chopped
Salt/Pepper, to taste.


Directions:  Mix all.  :)

dip, side, sides, snack, snacks,

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Homemade Guacamole

Made some delicious guacamole tonight so I have to jot it down so I don't forget what I put into it.  I didn't measure anything and only used one avocado because its just me and my husband, so I am sorry in advance for no exact measurements... everything is pretty much "to taste".

• 1 perfectly ripe avocado (not too green, brown and very slightly squishy- best i can describe, lol)

• Salt, to taste

• Rotel (since i was using only 1 avocado i only used a couple spoonfuls of rotel) You can replace Rotel with salsa.

• Garlic and/or garlic powder, to taste

• Cayenne pepper, to taste, omit if you dont want a little spice

• Onion, chopped  (again, since i only used 1 avocado i did not use a whole onion..like a quarter of a regular sized onion)

• Onion powder, to taste

Slice around the avocado - keep the seed - helpful tip to keep guacamole from going brown is to put the seed in the bowl with the fresh made guac.  :)

Spoon the avocado into a bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients :)  Stir/mush with fork.  Put the seed back in.  Voila!!!!  You've got guacamole!!   Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve with chips.  MMM..

We ate ours faster than I could take pictures...soooo, Ill get pictures next time :) :)


Way too many smiley faces in this post.  :)

appetizer, dip, mexican, side,

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Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese

I was looking for the perfect mac n' cheese recipe to take to an Easter shindig, and I came across Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese recipe.  Boy am I glad I stumbled on this recipe.. so far everyone has liked it (that's 3 different families so far).  It's unique but not so unique that people think its weird and are afraid to try it.  

Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese as seen on Foodnetwork.com

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender.  Pan fry your bacon and reserve the bacon fat.

 Remove shallots and garlic from foil and chop.  

Saute in saucepan with bacon fat until tender (about 1 min).

 Add flour and stir for 1 minute. 

Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third.

 2 cups cheddar, 1 cup pepper jack

 Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. 

 Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. 

 In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley.

 Pour mac n cheese into a casserole dish 

(I had halved the recipe in these pics, you'll want to use a 9x13)

 Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Ingredients

2 shallots, peeled

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound penne pasta, cooked

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 tbsp. melted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. 
3. In a large sauté pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. 
4. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. 
5. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
6. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. 
7. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. 
8. Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/mac-daddy-mac-n-cheese-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Note from Mrs. Scales:  I've made this 3 times and have realized I prefer to chop the shallots before roasting with the garlic in the foil pouch.  Its kind of difficult and slippery to cut up after they are cooked.  :)

comfort food, dinner, side, sides,

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Mexican Rice

 In my search for perfect mexican rice, of course grabbing the Rice-a-Roni version was an option - but no, I found a home made mexican rice recipe... which I changed up.. as I usually do..  I like to give things my own Mrs. Scales flavor.. and usually it turns our flavorful and yummy.    Here goes.. the recipe originally from www.foodnetwork.com but changed and modified by moi..

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 can Rotel (original or spicy)

1 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded Cheddar

1 tsp olive oil

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice, onion powder, garlic powder, and minced garlic. Cook until the rice is browned. Stir in the water, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 15 to 17 minutes. Stir in the cheese and olive oil and transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve with Chimichangas (pictured below) or Enchiladas... or pretty much any mexican dish.  :)

 

 

mexican, side, sides,

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Chicken Satay

Prep time: 2 hours 10 minutes (due to marinade)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

1. 1 TBSP creamy peanut butter
2. 2 TBSP C low sodium soy sauce (definitely make sure you get low sodium, otherwise it’ll be a SALTY dish)
3. 1/4 C lemon or lime juice
4. 1-1/2 tsp brown sugar
5. 1 TBSP curry powder
6. 1 clove garlic, chopped
7. 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8. 3 8oz boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
9. lime slices (optional)
10. skewers

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients 1 - 7. Place the chicken breasts in the marinade and refrigerate. Let the chicken marinate at least 2 hours, overnight is best.

2. Preheat a grill to high heat (or a stove top on med-high heat)

3. Weave the chicken onto skewers, then grill for 5 minutes per side. (or no skewers and put in a pan for 5 minutes each. Or longer to get nice crunch on the outside from the marinade)

4. Serve with lime slices (optional)
How much easier can that be? Mix it, chop it, throw it all together and go sit down for a few hours, because you have nothing else to do, right? Then 10 min into cooking, you’re done!

Serve with Thai Peanut Sauce.

 

recipe adapted from Keep the faith going 

appetizer, asian, side, spicy, sweet, thai,

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Thai Peanut Sauce

Looking for a very LOW COST thai peanut sauce?  Found this gem on Budget Bytes.  Tasty and goes quite perfectly with my chicken satay.

Total Cost: $1.75

Cost Per Serving: $0.22

Serves: 8 (1/4 cup ea.)

Ingredients

• ¾ cup natural style peanut butter $0.82
• ¼ cup coconut milk (optional) $0.16
• ½ lime juice $0.17
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled, grated (optional) $0.24 (or 1/8 tsp dried ginger)
• 1 clove garlic, minced $0.06 (or 1/2 tsp minced)
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce (rooster hot sauce) $0.05
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.03
• ½ tsp sesame oil (optional) $0.02
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar $0.03
• ¼ bunch cilantro $0.17
• ¼ – ½ cup water $0.00

Instructions

1. Make sure your natural style peanut butter is thoroughly mixed before measuring (you don’t want to get all oil or all solids). In a blender or food processor combine all of the ingredients except the sriracha sauce. Begin with only ¼ cup of water and add more until you get the consistency you want (I used ½ cup total). Add the sriracha sauce a little at a time (blending between) until it is to your desired heat (I used about ½ tsp).
2. Enjoy the peanut sauce on salads, pasta or as a dipping sauce!

appetizer, asian, cheap, dressing, side, thai,

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Delicious Chicken Strips

Chicken Strips!  Yay.  For this recipe you can use just one cheese if you want but there is a handy Ramano/Parmasean/Asiago mixture in the deli/cheese/salami section of the grocery store.    That is what I use and its TASTY.

6 chicken tenderloins - boneless and skinless

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

2 Tablespoons water

1 cup Panko

1/4 cup finely shredded Parmasean/Romano/Asiago cheese mix (you can find this in the cheese section of your grocery store pre-shredded)   Alternatiely you can use grated parmesan.

1. Combine Panko and cheese in a bowl. Put flour into another bowl and mix the egg and water in yet another bowl until well blended.
2. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add several tablespoons of oil to the pan. Oil that is not hot enough will absorb into the chicken and oil that is too hot will smoke.
3. Working quickly, coat each piece of chicken in flour - shaking off excess, and then in egg wash and lastly in Panko and cheese coating. Make sure there are no bare spots on each breast.
4. Fry each coated filet in the heated oil until golden brown, turning once during cooking -- 5 minutes on each side.
5. Drain well on paper toweling and serve immediately with your choice of sauce

 

Mix the panko and cheese.

 put flower in one bowl, mix your egg and water in another. Chicken first goes in the flour, then the egg wash, the cheese/panko mix then into your oil.

 Cook in hot oil, about five minutes each side.

These would actually taste really good if used as the chicken for Chicken Scampi (Olive Garden Copycat)

appetizer, chicken, dinner, side, sides,

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