Surprisingly edible--Venison Eugene

Venison Eugene
NAHC Wild Game Cookbook Copyright 1986

1 lb. venison steak I soaked it in buttermilk overnight.
4 T. butter
1 small onion, diced
2 T. dry sherry
2 T. brandy
1 T. Worcestershire
3 T. A-1 steak sauce
1 T. chopped chives I used about 1 1/2 tsps of dried chives
1 T. chopped parsley I used about 1 1/2 tsps of dried parsley
Salt and pepper

Cook onion in 2 T. butter until soft, not brown. Pound steak and sear over high heat in butter and onion, about 2 minutes on each side. Add sherry, A-1 sauce, 2 T. butter, Worcestershire, chives, parsley, pepper and salt. Turn heat to high for 4 minutes. Add brandy and flame. When flame goes out, serve with rice and vegetables (I served potato cakes and vegetables).
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I wasn't exactly looking forward to this. This last batch of venison hasn't been the greatest, in my opinion. However, my husband has been asking when I was going to cook the rest of it so it was time to work it into the menu again.

And what do you know? This wasn't half bad. I soaked the venison in buttermilk overnight which I think helped quite a bit. This is basically 'steak Diane'. Eugene was the name of the recipe contributer. The sauce has strong enough flavors to temper the gamey taste of the venison. I think this is the first time I've flamed anything (on purpose) - what fun!

My son loved this too. He was so excited to be eating deer meat. Of course, both he and hubby used lots of barbecue sauce with their meat.

TGIF! I'm beat.

Blast From The Past: Whole Wheat Blueberry Kuchen from August 2008. I have blueberries and I've been thinking of this recipe. I LOVED it the first time I made it. The second time, it was undercooked. Shall I try it a third time?

Question of the Day: Have you ever flamed anything at home?

Easier than I anticipated--Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu
The Most Decadent Diet Ever Copyright 2008

Olive oil spray
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 large egg whites I used 1 whole egg
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
½ cup dried bread crumbs
1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Four 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, visible fat removed
3 ounces sliced 97% lean deli ham
3 ½ ounces light Swiss cheese slivers

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Lightly mist a medium nonstick baking sheet with spray.

Arrange 3 medium shallow bowls side by side. Mix the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper with the garlic powder and paprika in the first bowl. Use a fork to lightly beat the egg whites with the milk in the second bowl. Mix the bread crumbs and the parsley in the third bowl.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towel to ensure that they are as dry as possible. Place them between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper on a flat work surface. Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound them to an even 1/8 to 1/4 –inch thickness. Then place them on the wrap or paper with the top of the breast facedown and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place a quarter of the ham and then a quarter of the cheese evenly in the center of each breast, about ½ inch from each edge. Roll the breasts lengthwise so the seams end up on the bottom. If desired, fasten the breasts with toothpicks inserted near the bottom so that the breasts remained rolled.

Next, being careful not to unroll it, dip one of the breasts into the flour mixture until it is coated on all sides. Shake off any excess flour, and then dip it into the egg mixture. Allow any excess egg to drip from the chicken, and then coat it with bread crumbs. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, making sure to tuck the sides under slightly.

Prepare the 3 remaining chicken breasts following the same procedure, placing them side by side, not touching, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly mist the tops with spray. Bake for approximately 9 minutes. Then carefully flip the breasts over and bake for another 9 to 12 minutes, or until no longer pink inside. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 306 cal, 48 g protein, 10 g carbs, 7 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 101 mg chol, 599 mg sodium, <1> ________________

I was dreading preparing this recipe. I originally planned to prepare it up to the point of cooking it the night before because I suffer from this chronic disease that constantly makes me believe that I have extra time and energy in the evenings when nothing could be further from the truth.

So, I didn't manage to prepare it ahead of time and I wasn't looking forward to making something so fussy-seeming after a hard day of work but was I ever surprised at how easy these were to put together. I used the thin chicken breasts I buy at Costco (the 10-pound bag contains very thin breasts) so I didn't have to do much pounding. I didn't fuss too much with the rolling. Sure, I lost some cheese but since I cooked this on nonstick foil, it didn't stick to the pan and instead, it was a crunchy cheese treat. They also cooked up amazingly fast and browned really nicely.

The author mentions how popular this recipe was at banquets when she was growing up in Pennsylvania. I concur. When I was in high school, I worked in catering and stuffed chicken was certainly the most popular entry, usually stuffed with a bread filling, but chicken cordon bleu was a souped-up version that many people chose and then there was chicken kiev if you really wanted to get fancy.

I always thought chicken cordon bleu was time consuming and fattening since chicken cordon bleu is often deep fried but when baked, this isn't a heavy recipe at all. This would be a nice company meal too since you can prepare the rolled up and breaded chicken ahead of time.

I'm loving this cookbook!

No time for a Blast From the Past today. I have an early appointment to see how big this baby is getting. Not too big I hope. My sugars have been under control. Let's hope that counts for something.

Question of the Day: Have you attended many catered functions? Does any entrée stand out as more popular than others?

Simple is just what I need right now--Simple Mustardy Pork Chops

Simple Mustardy Pork Chops
The Carbohydrate Addict’s Cookbook Copyright 2000

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
4 pork chops, approximately 1-inch thick
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
¼ cup Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet oven medium heat. Brown the garlic. (I added the chops right away because I think the garlic would burn otherwise.) Add chops and continue to cook quickly over medium-high heat until they begin to brown, adding remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to keep chops from sticking. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and place chops on a cookie sheet.

Add mustard to the garlic and oil in skillet. Stir well as mixture cools. Liberally spread half the mustard-garlic mixture onto each side of the chops. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the chops and brush the other side with the remaining mustard-garlic mixture. Return to oven and continue cooking for an additional 25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. (I spread both sides of the meat at once and baked them much less - my chops were small.)

Serve warm.
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This was a simple recipe but an enjoyable one, if you like mustard of course. Since I found Bookbinders's Stoneground Dijon mustard, I really like Dijon mustard. Grey Poupon never did that much for me. That's my personal opinion (I'm not pimping Bookbinder's) but the point is, shop around if you don't think you like Dijon mustard since they aren't all the same.

The Weekend Cookbook Challenge round-up has been posted by Sara at I Like To Cook. The theme was TV Cooks and I submitted Marita Deleon’s Low-Fat Carrot Cake from Cooking With The Young and the Restless. Information on the next WCC can be found at that link also.

I'm dragging this week. I guess I should be glad that my energy lasted so long into my third trimester but it has suddenly bottomed out, coinciding with the arrival of warm and humid weather.

Blast From The Past: Tangy Pork Chops from April 2007, from this same cookbook. Another simple but delicous pork chop recipe, perfect for a lazy day.

Question of the Day: How about throwing me a dinner idea so I have less thinking to do tonight when I plan next week's meals? I have boneless pork chops (and one roast), sirloin steak, and cubed steak plus I'll probably be heading to Costco this weekend for ground beef and chicken breasts.

Not my favorite--Blondies

Blondies
The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Copyright 2006

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled I used margarine
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped coarse I added some butterscotch chips instead

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch cake pan with foil, then coat lightly with vegetable oil spray. (I didn't bother with the foil, I used Baker's Joy.) Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk the brown sugar and butter together in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until no streaks remain. Stir in the chips and nuts.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 22 to 25 minutes.
4. Let cool completely on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, before removing from the pan using the foil and cutting into squares.

Makes about 36 squares.
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I really wanted to make big chocolate chips cookies for my coworkers but it was warm and muggy last night so I opted for this recipe, which required less baking time. I'm not a huge fan of white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips (especially not butterscotch chips) so these weren't a big hit with me. Also, I used margarine since one coworker has issues with milk and even though he's usually okay with stuff baked with butter, I gave him a break since his sensitivity seems to be rising. The margarine I used had whey in it but it was better than butter I guess.

Blondies are just one of those things that really seem lacking without nuts. Maybe it's because they're so rich. It's like chocolate fudge without nuts. It's just not the same.

They came out really pretty though - easy to cut, good texture. They weren't terrible and I think I would have really enjoyed them if I had stuck to just chocolate chips.

It's tough getting started again after a long weekend. I can't wait for my maternity leave.

Blast From The Past: Ruth Wakefield’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from June 2007. Those aren't much different than a blondie and that recipe is awesome. I would have made those again but then I wouldn't have had anything to blog about today.

Question of the Day: Do you like butterscotch chips?

Not very rich or very brown but very good--Salisbury Steaks with Rich Brown Gravy

Salisbury Steaks with Rich Brown Gravy
The Most Decadent Diet Ever Copyright 2008

1/3 cup egg substitute I used one real egg
¼ cup old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons onions soup mix
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound 96% lean ground beef my meat wasn't 96% lean
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup fat-free lower-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Olive oil spray
1 onion, sliced and separated into rings (about 3 ½ cups)

Combine the egg substitute and the oats in a medium mixing bowl. Let stand for 3 minutes to soften the oats. Add the onion soup mix, minced onion, garlic powder, pepper and beef/ Mix until well combined, and then shape into 4 oval patties about 1 inch thick, 3 inches wide, and 4 ½ inches long.

Put 2 tablespoons of the flour in a medium shallow bowl, Dip the patties in the flour to coat them on all sides. Shake off any excess.

Put the remaining flour in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in enough broth to form a paste. Then slowly whisk in the remaining broth, then the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Set aside.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, lightly mist it with spray. Put in the patties, side by side. Brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Pour the broth mixture into the skillet. Add the onion rings to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to stir them gently into the broth mixture, being careful not to break the patties. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, flipping the patties once, halfway through. Transfer the patties to a platter. Spoon the onions and gravy over the patties. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 205 calories, 13g carbs, 26g protein, 5g fat, 2g sat fat, 60mg chol, 1g fiber, 573mg sodium
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I think it goes a little far to call this a 'rich brown' gravy. It was delicious but not very brown nor incredibly rich, although that it just my personal opinion based on what I consider rich (cream, butter, etc).

I used the 'natural' beef that I picked up in the local organic store a while ago. They raise the beef right there. I really wanted to save that meat for burgers but it was the only ground beef I had left. I don't think they labeled what percentage of fat it contained. I thought it would be fattier than it was but I would guess it was about 80-85% lean.

I don't know if it was the beef or the recipe but I was very pleased with the flavor and texture of these salisbury steaks. I was worried that the oatmeal might stand out but it didn't. I made Horseradish Smashed Potatoes to serve with these, from this same cookbook, which I love BTW. It was a great combination.

This was another recipe chosen because I had everything on hand to make it, including a half package of onion soup mix. I would make this again.

I don't think dinner has been filling my husband up. The past two nights, he has eaten leftovers from the freezer later in the evening - very unusual for him. In fact, on the weekends, when I tell him to eat leftovers, he always gets a sour look on his face.

What did he eat the past two nights? Liberace's Macaroni and Cheese with Ham - leftovers that I have been dreaming about eating myself and now it's all gone. The thing about my husband is that he's always asking me permission if he can eat this or eat that and it's almost always something that I obviously meant for him to eat. But if there's something I'd rather hoard for myself or that I'm saving for a recipe, he eats it without asking. It's not like he has any idea which category a food falls into - I haven't mentioned my lusting for that leftover macaroni and cheese - yet he manages to do this over and over again. I need to start hiding things.

Monday is a holiday here so I'll probably take the day off from blogging too.

Blast From the Past: Salisbury Steak Deluxe from June 2007. I like that version too and I've made it two or three times.

Question of the Day: Do you ever hide food from anyone else in the house?