Brown Sugar Orange Glazed Spiral Ham

Photo from The Chunky
Chef

There are two things that I've never cooked in all my years of cooking for myself; meatloaf and ham. No reason really, other than ham isn't a go to for me for holiday meals. 

With being a bit out of it this year, I relied heavily on family and friends to help make Christmas dinner. Janet already had a ham, so she's bringing that, along with scalloped potatoes and an appetizer. Oh and the pie/cookies for dessert. 

For my part, I'm doing a broccoli salad (easy to make) and I wanted to try this glaze. Super easy to throw together and it sounds delicious.

The ham turned out so good. I can't really say I tasted much of the glaze, but there was a hint of orange every now and then. 

Brown Sugar Orange Glazed Spiral Ham

Recipe from The Chunky Chef

Serves 12

8 – 10 lb. bone-in fully cooked spiral-sliced ham

1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup orange marmalade

3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Preheat

Preheat oven to 325°F and lightly grease a 9×13" baking dish, or roasting pan.

Place ham in the baking dish, with the large and flat side down (you can cook it on it's side if you prefer it that way).

Make glaze

In a small saucepan, add brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, orange marmalade and dijon mustard.

Whisk to combine, and heat over MED heat until simmering. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Set aside, off the heat.

Glaze and first bake

Spoon about half of the glaze over the top of the ham. Cover loosely with foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Baste and second bake

After 40 minutes, uncover the ham and baste with a bit more of the glaze, recover with the foil, then return to the oven for another 20 minutes.

Baste and final bake

Uncover the ham and discard the foil. Baste with the rest of the glaze, and return to the oven, uncovered, and bake the final 20 minutes.

Optional broil

If you'd like extra caramelized edges, feel free to broil for a few minutes to really get the glaze nice and sticky. Just be sure to watch closely so the ham doesn't burn.

Rest and serve

Allow the ham to rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Baste with some of the juices from the pan if desired, then serve warm.

The Best Broccoli Salad

Photo from To Simply Inspire

I think any broccoli salad is the best broccoli salad, so the title for this one is kinda a gimme. 

I needed to keep Christmas dinner low key so opted to make a simple broccoli salad. This one has a few more ingredients than my normal salad does, but I think it'll add a nice change to it. 

Turned out this was so amazingly delicious. I could have eaten the whole bowl. It'll be made again for sure. 

The Best Broccoli Salad

Recipe from To Simply Inspire

Serves 8

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

For the salad:

• ½ cup bacon bits
• 8 cups broccoli florets diced in bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup red onion diced
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoon white sugar,
• 1 cup mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup bacon bits
• 8 cups broccoli florets, ½ cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup red onion,
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds

Make the dressing

In a medium bowl, add the apple cider vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper and mix together well. Place n the refrigerator.

Make the Salad

Add the bacon bits to a skillet or cast iron pan and cook the bacon for about 8-10 minutes until crispy.

In a large serving bowl, add the broccoli, cranberries, red onion, cooked bacon bits and sunflower seeds and toss together.

Then pour the dressing over top and stir to coat all the ingredients well.

Place in the refrigerator chill for at least 1 hour for the flavors to blend together.

Apple Nachos

This was THE BEST snack ever. I saw this on instagram and knew I had to make it. I'm a bit laid up at the moment and can't drive, but Amazon Fresh will deliver anything. I made a quick order and had this by the time for a snack in the afternoon. 

It's super easy and is so delicious. 

I used granny smith apples and I only did a half. One whole apple might have been too much for a snack. 

Apple Nachos

Instagram

1 Apple, sliced thin

1 T peanut butter; melted

1 tsp mini chocolate chips

Melt the peanut butter a little in the microwave. 

Arrange the apple slices, drizzle the peanut butter and then sprinkle with chocolate chips. 

Salami Boursin Roll Ups

I'm always looking for a lower carb snack or appetizer. For Book club this month I was up for the appetizer. I thought this would be a nice, easy and delicious appetizer. I was right. 

It's a bit of pain in the arse to make. My rolling skills are not what they should be. Cutting it was a pain as well. When I make this again for myself, or for some occasion, I'll simply roll each salami with the cheese and olives and put a toothpick through them. It might be easier. 

Salami Boursin Roll Ups

Recipe found on Instagram

Makes as many as you want

Salami

Boursin or cream cheese

Green olives, chopped tomatoes, for center are optional

 Lay out a large piece of cling film on a flat surface

Layer 200g salami on top - with each piece overlapping the next - until you form a rectangle

Carefully roll a rolling pin over everything to smush it together a bit

Spread cheese on top - right to the edges

Sprinkle with veg of choice

Carefully roll it up, and wrap tightly in the clingfilm

Refrigerate until needed - a few hours minimum is great but overnight is even better!

When ready to eat - simply slice up with a sharp knife

You can serve on crackers or put skewers through each slice

Firehouse Green Beans with Bacon

I love canned green beans. I can't explain why, and I'm not even going to bother trying. I don't, often, eat the French cut green beans. I find them too stringy sometimes. ahem. 

At any rate, this recipe seemed super simple and bumps up the green beans a little for a side dish. 

Photo from Julie Blanner blog

Turns out this was fantastic. I'd make it again in a heart beat. Though, if I'm being honest, I'd use cut green beans. They're my favorite. 

Firehouse Green Beans with Bacon

Recipe from Julieblanner.com

Serves 4

• 3 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ shallot minced
• 2 ounces bacon 1/2 pkg real bacon pieces
• 29 ounce green beans 2 cans French cut, strained
• ½ cup parmesan grated

On medium low heat, add butter, garlic, shallot and bacon to pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add green beans, increase heat to medium, stirring frequently until hot.

Garnish with parmesan and serve.

Serve the beans immediately.

Baked Steak and Gravy

The Pantry Goat is coming to dinner tonight. I like to make something that will have leftovers then send a serving home with her. I saw this recipe on The Kitchen recently and thought it sounded good. It's not all that different from how mom made country fried steaks (that I now make for Hunting Wives dinner). Mom makes her gravy after, where as this one has the gravy made for the steaks to cook in.

Photo from Food Network

This was good. The cooking in the gravy was an interesting way to do this and it really made the gravy delicious. I will still continue to cook mom's the way that mom cooked mom's, but I might step out occasionally too. 

Baked Steak and Gravy

Recipe from The Food Network

Serves 4-6

• 6 cube steaks (about 1 1/2 pounds; see Cook’s Note)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon beef bouillon, optional
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee, optional
• Mashed potatoes, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season both sides of the cube steaks with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, combine the onion powder with 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lightly dredge each steak in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Brown the steaks in the butter mixture until golden, about 3 minutes per side. (This should be done in batches if needed, so as not to overcrowd the pan.) Transfer the steaks to a 9-by13-inch baking dish. Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour to the fat left in the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Whisk in 4 cups water. Add the beef bouillon and instant coffee, if using, and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to a simmer, then let cook until it begins to thicken to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Pour the gravy over the steaks in the baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake until the steak is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Check about halfway through and if the gravy is getting low, add another cup of water.

Serve immediately with mashed potatoes.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Kebabs

Photo from Life in the
Loft House

This one does not need to be repeated again. I knew when I made the marinade that it wasn't going to be a good one for me. 

I marinated this for just 2 hours. The vinegar and lemon together I felt might be too acidic and cause the chicken to have that weird texture I don't like. 

The flavor was good. "Garlic" is a bit of a dead lead in this title. Using Garlic powder and no actual garlic makes it hard for me to say it was garlicky in any way. 

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Kebabs

Recipe from Life-in-the-lofthouse.com

Serves 4

• 2-pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Cut each piece of chicken into 1- inch cubes. Thread the chicken onto 8 metal or wooden skewers. *If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before threading with the chicken. (This ensures they won’t catch on fire as they grill.)

In a medium-size bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and all seasonings together. Mix well.

Baste the chicken kebabs with the garlic Parmesan mixture on all sides. Place the coated kebabs on a large platter and gently cover. Place in fridge to let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.

Grill kebabs on medium heat, with the grill lid closed, for 5 minutes per side OR until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Serve kebabs warm and enjoy!

Trailer Trash Pot Roast

Photo from Sticky Gooey
Creamy Chewy

This was a recipe that felt like it came straight out of the 70's from a single mom with very little cash. 

Main two ingredients coke and chili sauce are odd ingredients for cooking and even odder to be together. Together, though, they made one helluva pot roast. I'll admit I was surprised. 

I put this expensive roast (pot roast used to be so inexpensive. A 3 lb roast cost me $40. We may forgo pot roast for a bit.) in the slow cooker. I know the recipe says put it in the oven, but I didn't want to babysit it. It worked perfect. 7.5 hours on low and it turned out tender as anything. 

I served this with mashed potatoes. It's unusual that I serve pot roast with mashed potatoes, but I had leftover taters from Turkey Day, it just made sense. 

Trailer Trash Pot Roast

Recipe from Stickygooeycreamychewy.com

Serves 6

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 3-4 pound beef chuck roast
• Salt and pepper for seasoning roast
• 1 can Coca Cola (classic Coke)
• 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
• 1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• 4 carrots, scrubbed and roughly chopped into 1 to 2-inch chunks

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season roast with salt and pepper and sear the meat until browned on both sides, about a minute or two per side. Remove from heat.

Stir Coke and onion soup mix together in a bowl. Whisk in chili sauce.

Pour Coke mixture over the chuck roast, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

Add the onions and carrots to the roast, cover and continue baking for another 2-3 hours, until meat and vegetables are fork tender.

Serve with mashed potatoes, hot buttered egg noodles or a big old loaf of crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

Enjoy!

Baked Tandoori Salmon

Photo from Little
Sunny Kitchen

I have really tried to get more salmon in my life, but salmon gets boring to me. 

I found this recipe and thought it sounded interesting. And you know what, it was amazing!! I made zero changes to this recipe and I wouldn't change a thing when I make it again. 

I marinated the fish for 2 hours. I did wipe off some of the excess marinade before baking it as they suggest. It's a thick marinade so it makes sense. 

Baked Tandoori Salmon

Recipe from Little Sunny Kitchen

Serves 4

• ¾ cup Greek yogurt or hung/strained yogurt
• 1 lemon juiced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin sweet or smoked
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds salmon fillets skin on or removed

To a large bowl or a ziploc bag, add yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cilantro, salt, garam masala, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and black pepper. Whisk well to combine.

Add the salmon to the marinade and gently toss so that it is well coated in the marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), or 180°C for a fan oven, and line a quarter sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.

Remove the salmon from the marinade shaking off any excess, and place on the prepared sheet pan.

Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then heat the broiler and place the fish 6 inches under the broiler element and broil for 5 minutes but watch it closely. Remove when the salmon is broiled and has reached the right color.

Allow the salmon to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with rice, onion slices, raita or a fresh salad.

Hot Honey Pepperoni Strombolis

If you've never had stromboilis, but like pizza, you're in for a treat. Stromboli is basically the same as a calzone only folded in threes instead of in half. 

Fresh pizza dough is really the best way to start homemade pizza. I don't make dough, can't make dough, so I buy it from Trader Joe's. They have some great pizza dough. 

I made one modification and one mistake in making these. 

The modification was I spread the marinara in the stromboli instead of using it to dip. Then I completely forgot to put the hot honey inside. I drizzled the stromboli after and, frankly, thought it was better. 

Hot Honey Pepperoni Strombolis
Recipe from Hello Fresh

• ½ ounce Hot Honey
• 1.5 ounce Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 cup Pepperoni
• 3.5 ounce Pizza Dough
• 2 ounce Marinara Sauce

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly coat a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil. Remove pizza dough from packaging and roll dough balls on baking sheet to coat all over. Place dough balls on sheet at least three inches apart and cover with a clean kitchen towel; let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Once dough has rested 20 minutes, gently press and stretch each dough ball into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle (the dough is stretchy and the shapes won't be perfect—that’s OK!).

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest 12 minutes more (this will make the following step easier!).

Once dough has rested 12 minutes, evenly sprinkle each dough rectangle with mozzarella, leaving a ½-inch border around edges. Top with pepperoni. Drizzle hot honey in a single lengthwise layer across middle of dough.

Starting with one of the long sides, gently fold up the sides. Arrange stromboli, seam sides down, on baking sheet; pinch ends to close and tuck underneath. Repeat with remaining dough rectangle.

Bake Stromboli

With a sharp knife, gently cut three small, shallow diagonal slits along the top of each stromboli. Bake on middle rack until golden brown and crisp, 18-22 minutes.

Doner Kebab

Prior to our trip to Germany I had heard about Doner Kebabs and was told to try one while I was there. They aren't German but for some reason it was on the list to try. We didn't get to try one. That being said, it's always been on my mind to do so. 

These were amazing. In fact, they were added to the 2025 favorites list. I cannot express how delicious these were. 

There are a couple of ways to eat these; in a wrap or over rice. I chose in a wrap. My wrap consisted of a layer of hummus, then a layer of the garlic yogurt, then the chicken and finally topped with chopped cucumber and chopped cherry tomatoes. 

Y'all...messy is a way to describe this, but DELICIOUS to the extreme.

I will be making this again.

Doner Kebab

Recipe from Carlsbad Craving

Serves 4

CHICKEN AND MARINADE

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in half
• 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp EACH ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, dried oregano
• ½ tsp EACH ground cinnamon, cayenne pepper, pepper

GARLIC YOGURT SAUCE

• 1 c Greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T finely chopped parsley
• 1 T finely chopped mint
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp EACH ground cumin, ground coriander, pepper

MARINADE

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Add chicken halves and stir to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate 8-24 hours.

GARLIC YOGURT SAUCE

Whisk the Garlic Yogurt Sauce ingredient together in a medium bowl. Chill until ready to serve. The sauce can be made at the time you start marinating the chicken or aim for at least an hour before cooking the chicken.

SKEWER

Using 2 skewers for each kebab, thread one side of the thigh onto each skewer and then the other side; slide the skewered chicken down to the end (see photos in post or video). Repeat with half the chicken, pushing the chicken against each other. Repeat to make a second kabob with the remaining chicken.

TO GRILL:  

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Clean grates and generously grease with oil.

Once hot, add kebabs, and grill for 4-5 minutes without moving. Flip kebabs over and grill the other side an addition 4-5 minutes.

Next, flip chicken over, COVER and reduce heat so it maintains 400 degrees F with the lid closed. Continue to cook, approximately 5-10 additional minutes per side turning once, until chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, add flatbread to the grill to warm up.

Stand the skewers upright on a cutting board and thinly slice chicken off.

Marinated Flank Steak

This was the oddest marinade. 

Ok, so maybe it wasn't the worst marinade, but it certainly wasn't the best. To be fair, I did have to make a couple substitutions. 

First, Blueberry was coming to dinner so I had to swap the soy for tamari (she's gluten free) and I feel like that gave it a stronger soy flavor. 

Second, finding peach nectar was impossible. Two stores I tried and neither had it. The interwebs suggested subbing with peach syrup from canned peaches and/or pureeing the canned peaches. I took the easy way out and just used the syrup. ZERO peach flavor. 

Bottom line, not worth trying. 

Marinated Flank Steak

Recipe from Tastes Better From Scratch

Serves 6

• 1 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup peach juice or peach nectar*
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
• 2 Tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 flank steak

Add oil, soy sauce, peach juice, minced onion and parsley to a large ziplock bag.

Add the flank steak to the bag, seal it, and lay it flat in your fridge to marinate for 3-6 hours.

Remove the bag from the fridge about 15 minutes before grilling.

Heat grill to high heat. Once the grill is hot, remove the steak from the bag of marinade (you can discard the marinade) and lay it on the grill.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip to the other side and cook for 3-4 more minutes, depending on how well done you like your steak. I don’t use a meat thermometer, but if you do, a general guideline is 125 to 130°F for rare, 140°F for medium rare, and 150°F for medium.

Remove steak from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Cover it with a piece of tinfoil and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Cut the meat across the grain, at a diagonal, in VERY THIN slices (almost “paper thin”). ENJOY!

Grilled Teriyaki Steak

Teriyaki is a flavor that really tastes different so often. I have never found two teriyaki sauces that taste the same. 

This was a good one. I couldn't bring myself to use an entire cup of brown sugar though. I used 2/3 of a cup instead and I think it was just right. 

I marinated this for 4 hours and it was just right. It could have even gone more, but I ran out of time. 

I'd make this one again. Though I didn't cook it and make it thicker. I just didn't care enough to be honest.

Grilled Teriyaki Steak

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit

Serves 4

• 4 New York Steaks (about 1 ½ inches thick)
• 1 c soy sauce low sodium
• ½ c rice wine vinegar
• 2/3 c water
• 1 c brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes optional
• 2 tsp cornstarch

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes if added.

Place the steaks in a container or large ziplock bag and pour ½ of the marinade over the steaks. Reserve the rest.

Marinade the steak for 4 hours or overnight for the best flavor. You will want to give the steak a toss a couple of times during the marinating process.

Place the remaining sauce in a small saucepan, mix the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water to make a slurry then add it to the sauce and whisk.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Simmer the sauce on medium-high heat for about 12-15 minutes or until thickened. Removes from heat and let cool.

Heat a grill on medium-high heat and place the steak over the heat. Grill for 2-3 minutes then flip and grill another 2-3 minutes over direct heat. Then move the steaks over to indirect heat and cook. I recommend using a digital meat thermometer to know when the steaks have reached your desired doneness.

Easy Cucumber Salad

Even though cucumbers make me burp, I love them. And I especially love them in a tangy vinegar. 

This recipe was a little different because of the honey and dill to me. Most my cucumber salads have some heat to them and sugar instead of honey. I liked the honey with the dill, though I thought it was going to be odd. 

Easy Cucumber Salad

Recipe from Twopeasandtheirpod.com

Serves 4

• 2 to 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey (or sugar)
• 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
• ¼ large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar and honey. Add the cucumber slices, onion slices, and dill. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. You can also chill for a couple of hours before serving to let the cucumbers marinate.

Jenn's Kick Ass Vegetable Beef Soup

I have made vegetable soup for years. It's a simple, toss everything together sort of soup. Perfect for a cold, wet fall day in the Pacific Northwest. 

I found this crock pot vegetable soup recipe that I wanted to use as my base. Turns out there's very little from it that I used. The seasoning primarily is what I used.

This mix is the BEST mix I've ever had on vegetable beef soup. I'm going to even call it Jenn's Kick Ass Vegetable Beef Soup (to go along with my Kick Ass Stroganoff , my Kick Ass Bolognese and my Kick Ass Chicken Scaloppini.

This one is going into the FAVORITE list this year too. I can't wait for the leftovers.

Jenn's Kick Ass Vegetable Beef Soup

Recipe from ME

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound stew meat

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrots cut into bite sized pieces

2 ribs of celery cut into bite sixed pieces

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon black pepper.

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

5 cups vegetable broth

10 oz tomato sauce

1 can Veg All

1 can green beans

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

Heat olive oil a 12 inch skillet on medium high heat and add the stew meat and cook just until browned on all sides. Add to the slow cooker,

Add all the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and give it a stir.

Cook on low 7-8 hours, remove the Bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Amish Country Casserole

The 70's called...they want their recipe back! 

Photo from Insanely
Good Recipes

Just looking at the ingredients I knew immediately this would have been a recipe my mom would have made the week before payday. Simple, inexpensive ingredients, and it'll feed a family for days. 

I personally thought this recipe was terrible! But let me explain why. 

I don't like baked pasta unless it's lasagna. It always dries out and is blech,

I thought about serving this without popping it in the oven, then decided since the Pantry Goat was coming to dinner, I should maybe follow the recipe. I regretted it the moment I put it in the oven. 

It was dry. The flavor was good, but it needed more sauce. I even added an addition half cup of milk and it was still not enough sauce. 

Try this one at your own risk.

Amish Country Casserole

Recipe from Insanely Good Recipes

Serves 6

• 12 oz medium egg noodles
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp dried onion flakes
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Cook the egg noodles in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef. Cook until the onion until the beef is browned and the onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Drain the excess fat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the tomato soup, cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion flakes.

Add the cooked beef mixture and the cooked noodles to the soup mixture. Stir until everything is evenly combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Schnitzel

 I love LOVE chicken schnitzel. I especially love it with a side salad. While I did have a side salad, I
did other sides too. 

The recipe came with potatoes that they ALWAYS say to cut in wedges and bake. Boring. So this time I chopped them in larger bite size pieces, slathered them with olive oil and some yummy onion soup mix (Potatoes a la Kathy).

The recipe was supposed to come with broccoli, but apparently there's a broccoli shortage so I got green beans. I took those green beans and tossed them in with the potatoes. It was amazing!

Chicken Schnitzel

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 12 ounce Potatoes
• 1 head Broccoli
• 1 Lemon
• 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoon Honey
• 2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 tablespoon Fry Seasoning
• ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1.5 tablespoon Sour Cream
• 12 ounce Chicken Cutlets

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. Cut potatoes into 1⁄2-inch-thick wedges. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces. Zest and quarter lemon.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, honey, and mustard; set aside.

Toss potatoes on one side of a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, Fry Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, carefully toss broccoli on empty side of baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper and continue to roast on top rack until veggies are browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place panko, lemon zest, and garlic powder in a large zip-close bag. Season with salt and pepper.

Pat pork dry with paper towels. Place sour cream in a medium bowl; add pork and turn to coat.

Place coated pork in bag with panko mixture and seal to close. Shake until pork is evenly coated. TIP: You may need to move pork chops around in bag, pressing with your hands, to spread out panko and make it stick.

Heat a 1⁄4-inch layer of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot enough that a pinch of panko sizzles when added to pan, add pork. TIP: Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to work in batches.

Cook until panko is golden and pork is cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. TIP: For thicker pork chops, cook 1-2 minutes more.

Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

 

Jalapeno Popper Soup

It's soup season. Yipee! 

This recipe is relatively new to my collection of recipes. I found it while on vacation and it just sounded so good. I decided to kick off soup season with it. 

I love jalapeno poppers and I love all the variations of it that are out there (dip, sauce, soup, etc). This soup can't be bad. 

I followed the recipe, mostly. I wanted to make it a bit heartier so I added chicken to it. 

I might have mis-measured the half and half though. The recipe calls for 1.5 c, and I was using a 4 cup measuring cup and after I poured the half and half in, I felt like it might have been 2.5 cups. Not that it made the soup bad, and in fact it might have been a happy mistake.

Jalapeno Popper Soup

Recipe from The Recipe  Critic

Serves 6

• 1 pound bacon, chopped
• 4 to 6 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and diced
• 1/2 c onion, diced
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• ½ c all-purpose flour
• 6 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 c half-and-half
• 6 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch-pieces
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
• 2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
• Kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• toppings: sliced jalapenos, bacon, and green onion, shredded cheese for garnish

In a large Dutch oven or pot add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat. Reserve the bacon grease.

Add the jalapenos and onions to the pot and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender.

Stir in the fresh garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.

Add the flour and stir to create a paste.

Pour in the chicken broth and half and half. Continually whisk until mixed well.

Add the chopped potatoes. Heat over medium-high heat, and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir the soup occasionally while it simmers.

Remove the pot from the heat then add the cream cheese and shredded cheese. Stir until the cheeses are melted and combined.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with desired toppings and serve warm!

Crock Pot Beef Pot Pie

My niece sent a picture last week of her crock pot stew dinner. It made me want stew. Luckily when I did the random selection of recipes this week, this recipe popped up. 

Photo from I Am Homesteader

The only problem I had is I forgot to start it before I had lunch with a friend. So that means I couldn't do the slow cooker thing. I did the oven thing instead. I cooked it in the oven at 300F for 3 hours. Perfection!

I also added about 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. I like tomato pasted in my stews. It adds a depth of flavor that I like. Otherwise, everything else was the same. 

I'd make this again for sure. It was delicious and kicks off the stew season well. 

Crock Pot Beef Pot Pie

Recipe from I Am Homesteader

Serves 8

• ¼ c unsalted butter
• 3 c beef sirloin or beef stew meat, seasoned with salt & pepper and cubed
• 4 c beef broth, divided
• 1 cube beef bouillon, crushed
• 2 c potatoes, diced
• 1 c carrots, sliced
• 1 can (15 ounces) corn
• ½ c corn starch
• ½ c whole milk
• 1 c peas, frozen
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 package biscuits, cooked to package directions

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter.

Add beef cubes and sauté until browned on all sides.

Transfer beef to slow cooker set to low. Add 2 cups of beef broth, bouillon, potatoes, carrots, and corn. Stir to combine.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

Add the remaining 2 cups of beef broth.

In a small bowl, combine corn starch and milk. Slowly add this mixture to the slow cooker, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken.

Add frozen peas, salt, pepper, and oregano and replace the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with biscuits.

Garlic Steak Sandwich

Photo from Portugueserecipes.ca

Steak sandwiches are God's gift to the free world. I'm sure of it. My favorite sandwich is a French dip (Thanks dad for introducing me to these). Yet, I've been known to try a few other types of steak sandwiches. The one that comes to mind that is one of my favorites is the Marlboro Man's Steak Sandwich from the Pioneer Woman. I used to make this often back in the day. Then when I went low carb, I made it still just without the bun. It's delicious. 

This recipe kinda reminded me of it a little, though now that I say that I'm not really sure how other than they both use beef and bread. 

This was an excellent meal. I misread the recipe and didn't "infuse" the steak with garlic. Dad used to do that with his tri tip and I KNOW that's tasty. I just missed that step and ended up just adding a heaping scoop of jarlic (garlic in the jar). 

I'd made this again for sure. In a heart beat in fact...

I choose to not add the cheese, mostly because I didn't have anything. But in hindsight, munster or gouda would be amazing on this sandwich.

Garlic Steak Sandwich

Recipe from Portugueserecipes.ca

Serves 2

• ½ lb of steak, sliced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 T butter
• ½ c red wine
• ½ large onion, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp coarse black pepper
• ½ tsp coarse sea salt
• 2 slices of cheese (to taste), optional
• 2 crusty sandwich buns

Lay out steaks on a work surface and stick the garlic slices in slits cut with a knife.

In 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter, fry each steak for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once. Once done, set aside.

In the same skillet, add the other 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter and saute the onion until it is golden bown, transfer the onion to the same dish as the steaks and set aside.

Pour the red wine into the same skillet used to cook the steaks and onions and simmer over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced by about half.

Add the steaks and onions on the skillet with the wine, season with salt and pepper, and cook another minute on both sides or until hot.

Serve the steaks and onions on warm crusty rolls with the sliced cheese (optional).

Black Pepper Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)

Photo from Table for Two blog

Panda Express is, sadly, one of my go-to dinner or lunch places. I usually get the chow mein and orange chicken, but every now and then I'll branch out and get their Black Pepper chicken. 

This recipe didn't even come close to how good the real Panda Express version is. I am not sure why other than it just didn't have a ton of flavor. It was just kinda meh.

If I want this in the future, I'll just go to Panda Express.

Black Pepper Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)

Recipe from Table for Two Blog

Serves 2

FOR THE SAUCE:

• ½ c chicken broth
• ¼ c oyster sauce
• ¼ c rice vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 T dark brown sugar
• ½ T cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground black pepper, see note below
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp ginger powder

FOR THE REST OF THE DISH:

• 1 ¼ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed into smaller pieces
• 1 T cornstarch
• Splash of low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• ½ large white onion, cut into 1" pieces
• 3 stalks of celery, sliced into 1" angles

Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat up a skillet over medium high heat and add a little cooking oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken cubes and cook until browned and half cooked through. Remove from skillet and put on a plate. We'll come back to it later.

In the same skillet, add green bell pepper, onion, and celery. Cook until tender and softened, about 5-7 minutes.

At this point, add the chicken back in and cook everything about 5 minutes more to ensure chicken is cooked through.

Reduce heat to medium and pour the sauce. Let simmer for 3 minutes and it should thicken up by then. Toss everything to coat in the sauce then remove from heat.

Serve with rice.

Thai-Style Grilled Chicken Satay Bowls

This was a surprisingly good meal. I like Satay in general, but never order it for some reason. 

Photo from Hello Fresh

The chicken was perfect with the sauce slathered on it and a little on the side for dipping. 

But the real star of this meal was the cucumber salad! I'm not really sure why this one hit me right on but it did. There's nothing special about it and something I've done a hundred times. And yet, this one for some reason hit the yummy spot! 

Thai-Style Grilled Chicken Satay Bowls

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 2 Mini Cucumber
• 2 ounce Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
• 12 ounce Chicken Cutlets
• ½ ounce Peanuts
• 4 ounce Grape Tomatoes
• 5 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
• ¼ ounce Cilantro
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• ¾ cup Jasmine Rice
• 1 Shallot
• 1 Lime
• 2-3 tablespoons Peanut Butter

In a small pot, combine rice, 1 1⁄4 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

While rice cooks, preheat a well-oiled grill to medium-high heat.

Halve, peel, and thinly slice shallot. Slice cucumbers into 1⁄4-inch-thick rounds. Halve tomatoes. Quarter lime. Roughly chop peanuts. Roughly chop cilantro. 

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine vinegar and 3⁄4 tsp sugar. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 20-30 seconds; stir to dissolve sugar. 

Add shallot, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil to bowl with vinegar mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.

In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter, chili sauce, Sriracha, 3 TBSP water, 1 TBSP soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, and juice from half the lime. Taste and season with salt if desired. 

Transfer 3 TBSP peanut sauce to a separate small bowl and reserve for brushing chicken (set aside remaining sauce until ready to serve).

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Cut each cutlet into four equal-size strips. Season all over with salt and pepper. Thread chicken onto skewers. 

Brush reserved peanut sauce onto chicken. Add chicken skewers to hot grill and grill until cooked through, 2-4 minutes per side. TIP: If chicken is sticking to grill when you try to flip, simply continue to cook; chicken will release from grill when it’s nicely charred.

Fluff rice with a fork. 

Divide rice and cucumber salad between shallow bowls in separate sections. Top rice with chicken skewers; drizzle remaining peanut sauce over chicken and rice. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve.

Garlic Parmesan Mushrooms

I like mushrooms. But I get bored of eating them just plainly sautéed. But it's hard to find a way to make them that isn't boring. When I came across this recipe, I knew I'd need to give it a try. 

Photo from Spaceships and Laser Beams.com

It's basically is mushrooms alfredo! How can that be bad? 

It wasn't. 

It was different than what I'm used to but I'm real glad I made it. It got a weird texture when the mushrooms cooled off on my plate, but that's pretty typical of how I feel about alfredo sauce in general. 

Garlic Parmesan Mushrooms

Recipe from Spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com

Serves 4

• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic minced
• 400 g whole white mushrooms washed and dried
• 1/4 c cream cheese cut into small cubes
• 1/2 c parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c heavy cream 33%
• 1 T Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dry ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 T fresh chipped parsley

In a large 12 inch frying pan cook together butter, olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms over medium-high heat until mushrooms are tender. This should be about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add in cream cheese and cook until cream cheese has melted.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add in parmesan cheese, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Garlic Parmesan Crumbed Fish

I try to get more fish in my meal planning and most the time I fail miserably at it. I have to make a concerted effort to put fish in. Salmon I get in pretty often, but other fish not so much.

Cod is one of my favorite white fish. It's firm and doesn't have a too fishy of a flavor. And it takes on other flavors pretty easily. 

This was a good recipe. I'd make it again. It's super easy and satisfying. 

Garlic Parmesan Crumbed Fish

Recipe from Cafe Delites

Serves 4

• 4 firm white fish fillets skinless and boneless, close to room temperature (about 5 oz/150g per fillet)
• 1 T mayonnaise
• Salt and cracked black pepper to season
• Garlic powder, to season

CRUMB

• 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
• 2 T fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 c parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T melted butter
• 2 T olive oil
• Salt and cracked black pepper, to season
• Cooking oil spray
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Cheesy Smashed Burgers

It's been a couple of weeks since I've cooked since I was on vacation. It feels good to get back into it. I did cook another Hello Fresh earlier this week, but I was missing an ingredient so I winged it with the remaining ingredients. 

These were simple and good. I'm not a huge fan of cheddar on my burger, but this really was quite good. 

I didn't get to make the onion jammy because the onion was - ahem - questionable. A little past it's prime I think. 

Cheesy Smashed Burgers
Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 Onion
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon Ketchup
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 10 ounce Ground Beef
• ½ cup White Cheddar Cheese
• 2 Potato Bun
• 12 ounce Potatoes

 Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut potatoes into 1⁄2-inch-thick wedges. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion.

Toss potatoes on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil and half the Old Bay Seasoning (you’ll use more later). Season lightly with salt and pepper. TIP: No need to season generously—there’s already salt and pepper in the seasoning!

Roast on top rack until browned and crispy, 20-25 minutes.

While potatoes roast, heat a large drizzle of oil in a medium, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 8-10 minutes.

Add 1 tsp sugar and a splash of water; cook until onion is caramelized and jammy, 2-3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl.

Meanwhile, in a second small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and as much remaining Old Bay Seasoning as you like. Set aside. Form beef into two equal-size balls ,  season all over with salt and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for onion over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add beef. Firmly flatten each ball with a spatula to create very thin patties. (TIP: Do so carefully; oil may splatter a bit.) Cook to desired doneness, 3-4 minutes per side.

In the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, top patties with cheddar; cover pan to melt cheese. Remove from heat.

While patties cook, halve and toast buns.

Divide buns between plates and fill with patties, caramelized onion, and half the special sauce. Serve burgers with Old Bay fries on the side and remaining special sauce for dipping.

Spicy Peruvian Chicken

Spicy indeed! Whoa! Sooo good and spicy. 

I've not had Peruvian food before so I really can't tell you if this is true "Peruvian", but I can tell you it was tasty. 

I took some liberties with this recipe. I didn't really follow it with regards to the tomato and jalapeno. Instead, I made a pica de gallo with the tomato, lime juice, jalapeno and the green sides of the onions. 

I made the rice as it was written. Although, it was not as fluffy as I like. A little mushy to me. I was only going to use 1 c water to the 1 c rice, and against my better judgment I used the 1 1/4 c water.

I'd order this again for sure. 

Spicy Peruvian Chicken with Bacon with Loaded Rice, Pickled Jalapeño & Creamy Salsa Verde

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 2 Scallions
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 Jalapeño
• 1 Lime
• 1 Tomato
• 1 tablespoon Fajita Spice Blend
• 1Chicken Stock Concentrate
• ¾ c Jasmine Rice
• 12 ounce Chicken Cutlets
• 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
• 1.5 tablespoon Sour Cream
• 4 ounce Bacon

Peel and mince or grate garlic; place a pinch of garlic in a small bowl and reserve later.

Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens 

Thinly slice jalapeño into rounds, removing ribs and seeds for less heat.

Zest and quarter lime.

Dice tomato into ½-inch pieces.

Melt 1 TBSP butter in a small pot over medium heat; add scallion whites, remaining garlic, and 1 tsp Fajita Spice Blend. Cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in rice, stock concentrate, 1 ¼ cups water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

In a second small microwave-safe bowl, combine jalapeño, juice from half the lime, ¼ tsp sugar (½ tsp for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside to pickle, stirring occasionally.

Heat a medium dry pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 6-10 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with remaining Fajita Spice Blend, salt, and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board to rest.

While chicken cooks, remove jalapeño from pickling liquid (reserve liquid). Reserve a few rounds for garnishing; mince remaining. To bowl with reserved garlic, add mayonnaise, sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice, a big pinch of lime zest, and a pinch of minced jalapeño to taste. (TIP: If you like zesty heat, add a small splash of jalapeño pickling liquid in place of, or in addition to, lime juice.) Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in tomato, half the scallion greens, remaining lime zest, a squeeze of lime juice, and as much remaining minced jalapeño as you like. Season with salt and pepper. • Thinly slice chicken crosswise.

Divide rice between bowls and top with chicken. Squeeze juice from remaining lime over chicken. Drizzle everything with creamy salsa verde; garnish with bacon, remaining scallion greens, and as many reserved jalapeño rounds as you like. Serve.

 

Mustard Soy Salmon

I have noticed since I've been buying Hello Fresh I've eaten more salmon, so I guess that's a plus. The downside is it's always Atlantic Salmon and it's not my favorite. I do wish they'd let us NOT include the protein so I can use up the salmon in my freezer, but whatever. 

This was tasty. I completely missed pickled onions part, but I don't think it really took away from the meal. I also baked my salmon instead of frying it. I'd order this again if it comes up. 

Mustard Soy Salmon
Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 8 ounce Broccoli
• 1 thumb Ginger
• 5 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
• 2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 10 ounce Salmon
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 2 Scallions
• 1 Lime
• 4 tablespoon Sweet Soy Glaze
• ¾ cup Jasmine Rice
• Sesame Seeds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces if necessary. Peel and mince or grate ginger. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Zest and quarter lime.

Toss broccoli on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.

Melt 1 TBSP butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add half the ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in rice, 1 1⁄4 cups water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

While rice cooks, in a small bowl, combine scallion whites, vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Set aside to pickle.

In a separate small bowl, combine sweet soy glaze, mustard, remaining ginger, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add salmon, skin sides down; cook until skin is lightly browned and crispy, 5-7 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until fish is opaque and cooked through, 1-2 minutes more. Add sauce to pan; turn salmon to thoroughly coat. Remove pan from heat.

Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter and season with salt and pepper.

 Toss broccoli with lime zest to taste.

Divide rice, broccoli, and salmon between plates; drizzle salmon with any remaining sauce. Top with pickled scallion whites, scallion greens, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with as much Sriracha as you like. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.

 

Crispy Chicken Katsu Sandos

There was this teriyaki shop down the street from HotelCaliforniaSoft many years ago. It was a delicious teriyaki place. It was also the first place I tried Chicken katsu. I remember thinking "Where has this been all my life?" The crispy chicken and that katsu sauce. Yum. 

Chicken katsu isn't my go to at teriyaki places, but I'll try it and Lord help me if I find one that I like. It's not to be ordered every single visit. One must pace themselves. 

Tonight's meal was a take on said katsu, only as a sandwich. It was spot on. And since I can now fry items without burning them (Thanks Hex Clad pans) the chicken katsu turned out perfect.

The hello fresh recipe has you topping your sandwich with boring old lettuce. I took the opportunity to use the slaw again. I've discovered slaw on hot sandwiches is perfect. It doesn't get all wilty.  The side of potatoes where just meh. I would have preferred something like broccoli as the side, but what's a girl to do? 

My other side was a Caesar salad. Friend Paul brought homemade Caesar dressing for Sunday dinner and there was some left over, so I'm eating it up. 

I'd order this one again for sure. 

Crispy Chicken Katsu Sandos
Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 2  Potato Buns
• 4 tablespoon Katsu Sauce
• 10 ounce Chicken Thighs
• 4 ounce Coleslaw Mix
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Baby Lettuce
• 1.5 tablespoon Sour Cream
• ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
• 12 ounce Potatoes
• 1 Lime
• 3 Radishes

 Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut potatoes into 1⁄2-inch wedges. Toss potatoes on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 18-20 minutes.

Thinly slice radishes into rounds; very thinly slice rounds lengthwise into strips.

Quarter lime. Trim and discard root end from lettuce; thinly slice crosswise.

While potatoes roast, in a medium bowl, combine radishes, coleslaw mix, 1 TBSP mayonnaise, juice from half the lime, a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or heavy-bottomed pan until about 1⁄2 inch thick. Season all over with half the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. In a shallow dish, combine panko, remaining garlic powder, and 1⁄2 tsp salt. Brush a thin layer of sour cream onto both sides of chicken (there might be more sour cream than you need). Working one piece at a time, press chicken into panko mixture until fully coated.

Heat a 1⁄4-inch layer of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot enough that a pinch of panko sizzles when added to pan, add coated chicken in a single layer. Cook until panko is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side (thinner pieces of chicken will cook faster!). Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Halve and toast buns.

Spread as much katsu sauce as you like on cut sides of buns. Fill with chicken and lettuce. Drizzle with as much remaining katsu sauce as you like (or use as a potato dipper!). Close to form sandos.

Divide sandos, oven fries, and slaw between plates. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.

Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs with Tzatziki

Greece is only 15 days away. When this recipe came up as an option for Hello Fresh I thought it'd be a good idea to get me "in the mood" for Greece. I mean, you do have to prep for food don't you? 

The first thing that stood out is the Halloumi cheese. I've never had this cheese before and I gotta say, it's pretty good. Not a favorite, but if it was on my plate I'd eat it. It's a little salty and a little squeaky but overall, yummy.

The rest of the meal was delicious. I've had chicken souvlaki a number of times and I've made it a number of times. It never gets old. 

The one item that was weird to me in this meal were the potatoes. I never would put potatoes with this if I were making it myself. I made them. And I ate them, but it was just a little odd. 

The salad was delicious too. I sent the green bell pepper home with Janet this weekend as I knew it would not be making it into the salad. Why would I ruin a perfectly good salad with that little beast? No thank you. 

Bottom line: I'd order this again for sure.

Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs with Tzatziki
Recipe from Hello Fresh
Serves 2

• 1 c Green Olives
• 2 Mini Cucumber-
• 1 tablespoon Fry Seasoning
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 Red Onion
• 12 ounce Chicken Cutlets
• Tzatziki
• 2 Pitas
• 6 oz Grilling Cheese (aka Halloumi)
• 3 ounce Greek Vinaigrette
• 16 ozPotatoes
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 Lemon
• 1 green pepper

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place skewers in a shallow dish and cover with water to soak (this helps prevent the skewers from burning). 

Zest and quarter lemon.

Make the salad: Cut tomatoes into 1⁄2-inch-thick wedges. Trim and halve cucumbers lengthwise; slice crosswise into 1⁄2-inch-thick half-moons. Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the onion. Halve, core and thinly slice bell pepper into strips. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced onion, bell pepper, olives, dressing, salt, and pepper until combined. Set aside.

Halve grilling cheese diagonally.

Make Potatoes:

Cut potatoes into 1⁄2-inch-thick wedges. Toss potatoes on one side of a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, half the Fry Seasoning, half the oregano, salt, and pepper (you’ll use the rest of the Fry Seasoning and oregano later). Roast on top rack for 12 minutes (you’ll add more to the sheet then).

Make the chicken:

Cut remaining onion into 1-inch-thick wedges.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels; cut into 1-inch cubes. In a second large bowl, combine chicken, onion wedges, 1-2 TBSP olive oil, lemon zest, remaining Fry Seasoning, remaining oregano, salt (we used 3⁄4 tsp), and pepper.

Carefully thread chicken and onion wedges onto skewers, alternating ingredients as you go

Once potatoes have roasted 12 minutes, remove sheet from oven. Carefully arrange kebabs on opposite side of sheet. Roast on top rack until potatoes are browned and tender and chicken is cooked through, 10-15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a medium, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add grilling cheese and cook until browned, 1-2 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer to a plate.

Wrap pitas in damp paper towels; microwave until warm and pliable, 30-40 seconds. Cut each pita into six triangles.

Once chicken and potatoes are done roasting, squeeze juice from half the lemon over potatoes; toss to combine.

Top Greek salad with grilling cheese.

Serve chicken souvlaki kebabs, lemony roasted potatoes, Greek salad, pita wedges, tzatziki, and remaining lemon wedges family style.