Fried Round Steak

I'm in love! There I said it. Phew that was harder than I thought. But I am, I admit, madly in love with the Pioneer Woman.  Her blog has sustained me through a couple of months of not so busy life and has probably added several lbs to my butt. But I still go back to her and read her blog and make whatever it is she says to make.

Last night that was Fried Round Steak. 

This steak reminded me of a tradition my mom and I have. See each year, in years past, the DadUnit and his pals would go off doing their manly hunting once a year in October.  Mom would cook her version of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn. Healthy was not the goal of this meal. It became the "hunting meal".  We've missed the last several years mostly because Dad's health has kept him home and well they aren't living around me.

So last night I used the Fried Cube Steak recipe and had the "hunting dinner". Probably the last think I needed after a week of cruise food, but it was so worth it.

The recipe is below, but do go check out her site because her photos are beautiful.

Fried Round Steak
Recipe from the Pioneer Woman

Serves: 6

• 3 pounds Cube Steak (round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste
• Salt, For Seasoning Meat
• ½ cups Canola Oil (more If Needed)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix together flour, seasoned salt, and pepper. (I used McCormick's Grill seasoning instead of season salt and it could have used more salt).

Season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece in flour mixture, pressing to coat with as much flour as possible. 

Add butter to pan right before frying.

When butter is melted, fry pieces of steak in butter/oil mixture. Flip when sides are deep golden brown and cook about 1 minute on the other side. 

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

Beef Brisket and Nutella Cookies

Having blogger formatting issues...please ignore the formatting...argh

Did I mention I'm addicted to two new things? Nutella and the Pioneer Woman's website/cookbook.
Growing up I remember my grandmother having Sunday dinners. It was a time for the family to get together and get caught up and eat. Lots of food. Our family was never short on cooking a lot of food. I've been tossing the idea around in my noggin about starting my own new tradition of Sunday dinners. I thought it would be a great way for me to cook big food and see people on a more regular basis.

Yesterday was the first Sunday dinner. I made brisket. I've never made brisket before, and I WILL make it again. It was so good. Flavorful, tender, juicy, man delish. I can't wait to have the leftovers tonight...which is odd for me.

I served mashed potatoes and gravy, glazed carrots and a layered salad with dinner. Then for dessert I made Nutella cookies. I can't even express how good those were. The brisket recipe belongs to the Pioneer Woman. I've pasted it below for you so you don't have to go to a new website. I tried to follow the recipe to the T, but didn't have lemons. Shocking, I know.  I used white vinegar instead. Hard to tell if it made any different in the taste, cuz it was still good. I had a 7.5 lb brisket and cooked it for 5 hours - give or take.

Beef Brisket
Recipe from Pioneer Woman

•  2 cans Beef Consomme
• ½ cups Lemon Juice
• 1-½ cup Soy Sauce
• 5 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
• 10 pounds Beef Brisket
• ½ cups Lemon Juice
• 1-½ cup Soy Sauce
• 5 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
• 10 pounds Beef Brisket

Combine first five ingredients in large roasting pan (a disposable is just fine). Place brisket in the marinade, fat side up. Cover tightly with foil. Marinate in refrigerator for 24-48 hours. When ready to cook, place pan covered in foil into a 300-degree oven. Cook brisket for approximately 40 minutes per pound.

When fork-tender, transfer whole brisket to a cutting board. Slice against the grain and place slices back into the cooking liquid. Serve immediately, spooning juice over the slices. Barbecue sauce may be used, if preferred.

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Now the Nutella Cookies....you will love these.

I love what the author says about Nutella because I feel the same way. The author writes: " Nutella and I have a history together and most of it involves a spoon and late nights highlighting my textbooks in college. A few tiny spoonfuls were enough to satisfy my sugar cravings and keep me going late into the night. However, its rich, almost luxurious flavor, made it seem like I partaking in some fancy dessert. Ever since then I always keep a small jar around, smearing over some fresh fruit, but I usually just sneak a small spoonful late at night."

You can find the recipe here. Enjoy!

White Chicken Enchiladas and Nutella Brownies

No, the two don't necessarily compliment each other, but Nutella brownies...come on? That's just evil. Satan does have a food and it's called Nutella brownies.

The White Chicken Enchilada's recipe was delish with a capital D. I'm not a fan of "white" enchiladas usually. I'm more traditional tomato base usually. This, however, is a Pioneer Woman recipe. And if you've not read her blog or know who she is go there now. I'll wait.

This recipe is, what I consider, fool proof. There may be several ingredients, but it's easy to put together and worth every step.

The surprising ingredient to me in this recipe was paprika. In a Mexican dish I would have thought chili powder instead, but the paprika adds a nice warm flavor that was completely unexpected. It's kinda like when you add nutmeg to white sauces or cheese sauces and people go, "What is that little flavor?" Same idea.

Make this recipe. If you make no other recipes in 2010...make this recipe.

White Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 6

• 2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken - if you like really meaty enchilada's I'd bump this up a cup or so.
• 2 cups Chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 12 whole Corn Tortillas
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2-½ cups Monterrey Jack Cheese, Grated
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Picante Sauce (optional)
• Cilantro, Chopped

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain. (If you're health conscious, you could nuke these in the microwave...but the enchiladas won't be as good...I promise you that.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.
Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

Faint. Repeat as needed.

Nutella Brownies
These brownies were confusing to me. I was expecting the Nutella to be IN the brownie mixture..instead it's just the frosting. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that before.

Still this makes a good solid, moist brownie from scratch. I'm not usually a fan of brownies from scratch because I think the box brownies do just fine.

Chocolate Fudge Nutella Brownies

• 4 - one ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoons pure vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 cup chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips, optional
• 1/2 - 1 whole jar of Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour a 9 X 13 inch glass or non-stick baking pan.

Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not burn. Remove from heat.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, add sugar and stir until well mixed. Add eggs, vanilla and salt and beat well with a wooden spoon. Fold in flour and mix just until smooth. Do not over mix.

This is also the time to fold in chopped nuts & chocolate chips. But you really don't need anymore sweet in these brownies.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Cool for about 15 minutes, then spread desired amount of Nutella over warm brownies.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato

In 1986 my parents gave me a gift, they got sent to Saudi Arabia. Part of that "gift" was for the Boeing Company to pay for me to attend a boarding school in Switzerland. The real gift, I soon found out, was that Nutella was everywhere.

I had never had Nutella before then and some days I curse the very event of discovering it. Chocolate and hazelnut...does it get much better?

During my surgery recovery last November I wasn't eating. The drugs they gave me during the surgery took away my appetite...except I craved Nutella and fritos. Not together mind you. I found Nutella on sale and bought several jars.

Then a friend from work told me about a gelato recipe she tried and I just had to try. See I had recently become the owner of a 1/2 pint Hamilton Beach ice cream maker (oh and BTW, it's pink) and I figured, I surely did need to try this recipe.

It was pure bliss. I don't think I cooked it long enough since we never really got gelato consistency...but more like a thick milkshake consistency. Still it tasted just fine by me.

This is a Food Network Recipe and can be found here.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed, for garnish 

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with hazelnuts.