Southerners fry everything. I'm not big on a lot of fried foods, but when my mother-in-law made these fried mashed potato patties, I fell in love. Super easy to make, and very delicious!
Ingredients
2 cups cooked and cooled mashed potatoes
1 egg
1/3 cup flour
salt
pepper
1 tbsp. butter
Mix the egg, mashed potatoes, and flour until well combined. Heat a skillet to medium high heat, and melt the butter. Patty out the potato mixture the same way you would a hamburger. Place in hot skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes or until brown, then flip and cook the other side the same way.
Tips
*The mashed potatoes have to be cooled before you add the egg. Otherwise, you'll get scrambled egg potatoes.
*This dish is easiest when using left over mashed potatoes from the night before. These patties make a wonderful breakfast when served under an overeasy egg!
*You will have to add butter when cooking these, as the potatoes soak up quite a bit while cooking. This is not a health food, by any means.
*Taste your plain mashed potatoes before you add the eggs and flour. That way you'll know how much salt, if any, you need to add to them while frying.
Good luck and good cooking!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Bibimbap
To me, bibimbap (pronounced bih bim bop) is the Korean form of a meatloaf. You keep some basic ingredients the same, but practically the whole recipe can be changed to your personal taste. Try this recipe first if you're wary of cooking Korean food. Once you have it mastered, play around with it until you find the bibimbap that is perfect for you and your family. The fun in cooking is making a recipe all your own!
Ingredients
1/2 cup canned green beans, drained
1/3 cup canned peas, drained
1/4 cup fresh carrot, shredded
2 cups cooked white rice
1 egg per serving
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic
olive oil
Begin by cooking your rice according to your rice pot directions (if you don't have a rice pot, read on the bag of rice to see how long to boil it). Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok until water dropped into it sizzles. Add carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes, constantly stirring. Add green beans, peas, soy sauce and garlic, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until all ingredients are heated thoroughly. Place cooked rice in a serving bowl, and top with vegetable mixture. While skillet is still hot, fry an egg to place on top of each serving.
Tips
*Meat can easily be added to this dish. Cut the meat into small pieces and cook it in the hot skillet or wok before adding your vegetables to be sure that it is done.
*Traditionally, this recipe calls for breaking a raw egg over each serving. In theory, the heat of the rice and vegetables will cook the egg. Please don't do this. I really don't want to be sued when you get salmonella.
*You can alter this recipe by changing the vegetables, but I don't recommend using potatoes. Rice is starchy enough, and potatoes would weigh this dish down. Fresh potatoes also take longer to cook than canned, and canned ones fall apart way too easily.
*Try changing the type of rice used to really switch up the dish. Brown rice makes a delicious bibimbap, but it takes longer to cook than white rice. No matter what rice you use, check the package on how to cook it. It varies much too widely for me to give directions here.
Good luck and good cooking!
Ingredients
1/2 cup canned green beans, drained
1/3 cup canned peas, drained
1/4 cup fresh carrot, shredded
2 cups cooked white rice
1 egg per serving
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic
olive oil
Begin by cooking your rice according to your rice pot directions (if you don't have a rice pot, read on the bag of rice to see how long to boil it). Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok until water dropped into it sizzles. Add carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes, constantly stirring. Add green beans, peas, soy sauce and garlic, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until all ingredients are heated thoroughly. Place cooked rice in a serving bowl, and top with vegetable mixture. While skillet is still hot, fry an egg to place on top of each serving.
Tips
*Meat can easily be added to this dish. Cut the meat into small pieces and cook it in the hot skillet or wok before adding your vegetables to be sure that it is done.
*Traditionally, this recipe calls for breaking a raw egg over each serving. In theory, the heat of the rice and vegetables will cook the egg. Please don't do this. I really don't want to be sued when you get salmonella.
*You can alter this recipe by changing the vegetables, but I don't recommend using potatoes. Rice is starchy enough, and potatoes would weigh this dish down. Fresh potatoes also take longer to cook than canned, and canned ones fall apart way too easily.
*Try changing the type of rice used to really switch up the dish. Brown rice makes a delicious bibimbap, but it takes longer to cook than white rice. No matter what rice you use, check the package on how to cook it. It varies much too widely for me to give directions here.
Good luck and good cooking!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Cheese ball
My mom came home with this recipe when I was in high school, and had me make it for some party we were having. It soon became my signature recipe, and my grandma still asks for it several times a year. Could you tell an 82 year old woman no? I didn't think so.
Ingredients
2 packages cream cheese
1/2 sweet onion
1 green bell pepper
1 large can crushed pineapple
crushed walnuts or pecans
Place the cream cheese in a large bowl to bring to room temperature. Dice your onion and bell pepper to small pieces, and put on top of the cream cheese. Next, drain your pineapple and mix with the other ingredients. Stir well and form into a ball. Roll in the nuts and serve.
Tips
*Bringing your cream cheese to room temperature makes it easier to mix, but if the mixture is too soft to form into a ball, refrigerate for a few minutes.
*Wash your veggies. It seems common sense, but so many people pass over this step.
*Drain your pineapple by squishing handfuls in your hands. If you have a lot of juice mixed in with the cheese, you will get a dip instead of a cheese ball.
*The nuts are optional, of course, so if you are allergic, don't worry about that affecting the taste.
Good luck and good cooking!
Ingredients
2 packages cream cheese
1/2 sweet onion
1 green bell pepper
1 large can crushed pineapple
crushed walnuts or pecans
Place the cream cheese in a large bowl to bring to room temperature. Dice your onion and bell pepper to small pieces, and put on top of the cream cheese. Next, drain your pineapple and mix with the other ingredients. Stir well and form into a ball. Roll in the nuts and serve.
Tips
*Bringing your cream cheese to room temperature makes it easier to mix, but if the mixture is too soft to form into a ball, refrigerate for a few minutes.
*Wash your veggies. It seems common sense, but so many people pass over this step.
*Drain your pineapple by squishing handfuls in your hands. If you have a lot of juice mixed in with the cheese, you will get a dip instead of a cheese ball.
*The nuts are optional, of course, so if you are allergic, don't worry about that affecting the taste.
Good luck and good cooking!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Easy Bake Onions
I love the taste of an onion. Short of eating it like an apple, I pretty much add it to everything I cook. Onions fall into the "aromatic" category, and they make every savory dish better. Imagine my excitement when the Neely's on Food Network made these delicious baked onions! Of course, they used a grill, but I'm not much of an outdoorsy cook. They're just as good cooked in an oven.
Ingredients
4 large vidalia (or sweet) onions
4 tbsp butter or margarine
garlic
salt
olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core the onions. Place each onion on a large enough piece of tinfoil to completely wrap it. Place one tablespoon of the butter in each core, pushing it down into the hole. Drizzle olive oil over each onion, and sprinkle with garlic and salt to taste. Wrap the onions in the tinfoil and put on the middle rack of the oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until translucent.
Tips
*A melon baller is an excellent tool to core the onions. It's a lot easier than digging around with a spoon, and less likely to send balls of onion flying across your kitchen.
*Don't throw away the onion balls you remove. Put them in a ziploc bag and store in your refrigerator for use in soups and stews, or to just fry up for a quick onion sandwich.
*If you want to grill them, it is possible. Follow the same recipe, except put them on the grill for around 25 minutes.
*A little garlic goes a LONG way. And since this is onion and garlic together, I don't recommend this for first date food.
Ingredients
4 large vidalia (or sweet) onions
4 tbsp butter or margarine
garlic
salt
olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core the onions. Place each onion on a large enough piece of tinfoil to completely wrap it. Place one tablespoon of the butter in each core, pushing it down into the hole. Drizzle olive oil over each onion, and sprinkle with garlic and salt to taste. Wrap the onions in the tinfoil and put on the middle rack of the oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until translucent.
Tips
*A melon baller is an excellent tool to core the onions. It's a lot easier than digging around with a spoon, and less likely to send balls of onion flying across your kitchen.
*Don't throw away the onion balls you remove. Put them in a ziploc bag and store in your refrigerator for use in soups and stews, or to just fry up for a quick onion sandwich.
*If you want to grill them, it is possible. Follow the same recipe, except put them on the grill for around 25 minutes.
*A little garlic goes a LONG way. And since this is onion and garlic together, I don't recommend this for first date food.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Beef Stew
It's a cool, dreary, rainy day here in the south. It puts me in the mood for my beef stew! My husband absolutely loves this, being a very meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. The plus side to this dish is that it's a one pot recipe. Less dishes equals a better day, in my book.
Ingredients
1 medium sized beef chuck roast (or pre-cut stew beef, if you prefer)
2 large potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp. flour
1 clove garlic, diced
3 to 4 cups water, depending on amount of meat used
olive oil
Soy sauce (optional)
Begin my cubing your meat (skip this step if using stew beef). Heat enough olive oil to easily coat the bottom of a large pot. Place meat in hot oil and lightly brown on all sides. You are NOT cooking the meat through yet, just creating flavor. Remove meat and set aside. Add diced garlic and onion. Cook around 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in flour and mix well. Put the meat back in and add enough water to cover the meat, plus 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil. Add carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Put lid on and boil for 30 minutes, occasionally adding water if needed. Add diced potatoes and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Tips
*Cut your meat against the grain. That means if the lines in the meat run from left to right, you cut up and down. It makes the meat more tender, which is crucial to stew.
*Be careful not to burn your garlic when you're cooking it. Burnt garlic tastes like you're licking a rubber tire.
*When I say mix your flour well, I mean it. If you cut corners on this step, your stew will be lumpy. Try and get the mix as smooth as you can, but don't worry if a few stray lumps get through. They will probably boil apart.
*Be sure to put a lid on while cooking. Lids trap evaporating water, meaning you'll have to add less water while cooking.
*Stew is thick, particularly when it cools. If you think your stew is too thin WHILE HOT, you can add a tablespoon of rice flour or cornstarch, both of which thicken soups up nicely. Whatever you do, do NOT add extra regular flour to a stew once it's cooking. The flour lumps up, and you essentially have flavorless, chewy dumplings.
Good luck and good cooking!
Ingredients
1 medium sized beef chuck roast (or pre-cut stew beef, if you prefer)
2 large potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp. flour
1 clove garlic, diced
3 to 4 cups water, depending on amount of meat used
olive oil
Soy sauce (optional)
Begin my cubing your meat (skip this step if using stew beef). Heat enough olive oil to easily coat the bottom of a large pot. Place meat in hot oil and lightly brown on all sides. You are NOT cooking the meat through yet, just creating flavor. Remove meat and set aside. Add diced garlic and onion. Cook around 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in flour and mix well. Put the meat back in and add enough water to cover the meat, plus 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil. Add carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Put lid on and boil for 30 minutes, occasionally adding water if needed. Add diced potatoes and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Tips
*Cut your meat against the grain. That means if the lines in the meat run from left to right, you cut up and down. It makes the meat more tender, which is crucial to stew.
*Be careful not to burn your garlic when you're cooking it. Burnt garlic tastes like you're licking a rubber tire.
*When I say mix your flour well, I mean it. If you cut corners on this step, your stew will be lumpy. Try and get the mix as smooth as you can, but don't worry if a few stray lumps get through. They will probably boil apart.
*Be sure to put a lid on while cooking. Lids trap evaporating water, meaning you'll have to add less water while cooking.
*Stew is thick, particularly when it cools. If you think your stew is too thin WHILE HOT, you can add a tablespoon of rice flour or cornstarch, both of which thicken soups up nicely. Whatever you do, do NOT add extra regular flour to a stew once it's cooking. The flour lumps up, and you essentially have flavorless, chewy dumplings.
Good luck and good cooking!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Welcome to a new cooking experience!
I started this blog so family and friends will no longer ask me to write down my recipes. Here they are, conveniently located in an easy to search blog! For our first recipe, we're going to start simple. I mean really, really simple.
Kimchi is a Korean side dish served with practically every meal. All the people on Food Network and Travel Channel are constantly calling this a "pickled" dish. True kimchi is very hot, not sour, even though it technically is pickled in Korea. Kimchi is typically buried in the ground, which I would not advise (in other words, don't do it).
You can make kimchi out of cabbage, which is the most traditional, as well as turnips and cucumbers. The cucumber is great in the spring and summer months, so that is what we are starting with!
Ingredients:
Three large cucumbers
1/4 cup salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup korean hot pepper to taste (you can substitute red pepper flakes)
pinch of garlic powder
Wash and dry your cucumbers. Cut your cucumbers into 1/2 inch cubes, and place in a bowl. Slowly add in your salt, stirring to coat each piece. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. The mixture will be watery, but do NOT drain it. Add your hot pepper to taste. Add garlic and sugar. Stir and place in container with a lid. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Tips
*Kimchi gets hotter the longer it sits in your refrigerator. Don't make it too hot at first, as it will only intensify over time.
*ALWAYS store with a lid on it. Trust me, you don't want your refrigerator smelling like this every time you open the door.
*When using turnips instead of cucumbers, you can grate them instead of cubing them. This makes the kimchi hotter, and easy to eat.
*Kimchi is not only spicy, it's salty. Be sure to always eat with something starchy, like bread or rice. Pregnant women with high blood pressure, or anyone with high blood pressure for that matter, may wish to keep away from this. I learned that the hard way.
Good luck, and good cooking!
Kimchi is a Korean side dish served with practically every meal. All the people on Food Network and Travel Channel are constantly calling this a "pickled" dish. True kimchi is very hot, not sour, even though it technically is pickled in Korea. Kimchi is typically buried in the ground, which I would not advise (in other words, don't do it).
You can make kimchi out of cabbage, which is the most traditional, as well as turnips and cucumbers. The cucumber is great in the spring and summer months, so that is what we are starting with!
Ingredients:
Three large cucumbers
1/4 cup salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup korean hot pepper to taste (you can substitute red pepper flakes)
pinch of garlic powder
Wash and dry your cucumbers. Cut your cucumbers into 1/2 inch cubes, and place in a bowl. Slowly add in your salt, stirring to coat each piece. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. The mixture will be watery, but do NOT drain it. Add your hot pepper to taste. Add garlic and sugar. Stir and place in container with a lid. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Tips
*Kimchi gets hotter the longer it sits in your refrigerator. Don't make it too hot at first, as it will only intensify over time.
*ALWAYS store with a lid on it. Trust me, you don't want your refrigerator smelling like this every time you open the door.
*When using turnips instead of cucumbers, you can grate them instead of cubing them. This makes the kimchi hotter, and easy to eat.
*Kimchi is not only spicy, it's salty. Be sure to always eat with something starchy, like bread or rice. Pregnant women with high blood pressure, or anyone with high blood pressure for that matter, may wish to keep away from this. I learned that the hard way.
Good luck, and good cooking!
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