Salisbury Steak

Up until last night, I may have been the only person on Earth who'd never tried salisbury steak. No, not even the TV dinner version! Isn't salisbury steak, like, a staple in most families? Well, it never was in mine, and we never ate TV dinners, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it.

This was quite tasty and made for a nice, old-fashioned dinner last night (which we ate in front of the TV, as fate would have it). My steaks weren't as moist as they probably should have been because I had to omit the milk from the recipe since ours had soured. The sauce was truly delicious, though. We're talking about ground beef here, so it's probably no surprise that the "steaks" put me more in mind of meat loaf than anything. I served this with creamed corn and fried potatoes. I don't know how often I'll be making this in the future, but I'm definitely glad I tried it.

Salisbury Steak
Source: Pillsbury Everyday Family Suppers 2007

For the patties:
1 pound extra-lean ground beef (I used 85/15 ground round, which worked fine)
1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg white
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For the gravy:
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 2.5-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained

1. In medium bowl, combine all patty ingredients; mix gently. (Mixture will be moist.) Shape into 6 oval patties, about 3/4-inch thick.

2. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. (I used olive oil.) Heat over medium heat until hot. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove patties from skillet; drain, if necessary.

3. In small bowl, combine broth, wine, cornstarch and thyme; blend well. Pour into same skillet. Cook over low heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in mushrooms. (I actually let my mushrooms saute in the pan drippings before I added the sauce to the pan, because I like to let them get a little color on them.) Return patties to skillet. Cover; simmer about 15 minutes or until patties are no longer pink in center.

Joe's Potatoes

These fried potatoes were part of the first meal I made for Joe after we moved in together -- which was probably the first meal I made for him, ever. I made them to go with chicken cutlets smothered with cheese and mushrooms that turned out very dry and really not very good. The potatoes, though -- they were great. That was seven years ago (Wow. SEVEN YEARS), and my cooking skills have improved a lot since then, but Joe still requests these potatoes frequently. I was planning to make mashed potatoes last night, but discovered that our milk had gone bad, so I made these instead.

I wouldn't even be posting this recipe, but for the fact that Joe asked me to. He thinks they're that good. They're so simple, really, and basically just the way my mom used to make fried potatoes; the only difference is that I chop the potatoes differently than she did, and I leave the skins on. It may sound like a lot of butter, but I've found that the potatoes tend to soak up a lot of butter, so you need that much in order to keep them from burning.

Joe's Potatoes
Source: Cassie

2 to 3 pounds golden potatoes, diced or sliced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. (If more liquid is needed later, you can add olive oil.)

2. Add potatoes and onion to skillet and season liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until potatoes are cooked through and crispy.

Pepperoni- and Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I heard someone say once (it was probably Rachael Ray, yes she can be annoying but a lot of the things she says make sense) that chicken is like a blank canvas, just waiting to be filled. And I thought that was so true. Chicken goes with so many things, it can be used in so many applications -- but it can also get very, very boring.

I love the idea of stuffing chicken, because you can fill it with absolutely anything; there are virtually thousands of recipe combinations out there. I think the trick is just to get creative. When I saw a recipe for pepperoni- and cheese-stuffed chicken on one of my favorite food blogs, A Taste of Home Cooking, I knew immediately that I had to make it. Not only did I have some pepperoni that I needed to use up, it was also a combination of flavors that I'd never tried.

This was really, really good. I followed the Home Cook's suggestion by cutting a slit in the chicken and stuffing it that way, rather than rolling the chicken around the filling. The main change I made to the recipe was that I pan-fried it in olive oil first to make the skin nice and crispy. I loved the combination of flavors, and this was so quick and easy that I think it'll be one of my go-to weeknight dinners from now on.

(By the way, for my absolute number one most favorite stuffed chicken recipe in the world, go here.)

Pepperoni- and Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Source: adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking, and she got it from Melissa's Magic in the Kitchen

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sliced pepperoni
Shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar)
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut a slit about halfway into the side of each chicken breast. Stuff with a few slices of pepperoni (I used 4 medium slices per breast) and shredded cheese (I probably used about 1/8 cup per breast). Secure edges with toothpicks, if desired. Season both sides of chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

3. Heat a small amout of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry chicken breasts until browned on both sides.

4. Move skillet to oven. Bake chicken at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

This weekend I had a ton of spinach I needed to use up, so I had this wacky idea to make some ravioli with spinach stuffed inside. Not exactly "from scratch" ravioli, since that would require making my own pasta for which I have not the time, but using refrigerated won-ton wrappers. I've seen it done a lot, and I thought, How hard can it really be?

It wasn't hard, but it was time-consuming. And in the end, I just wasn't all that impressed with the results. The ravioli didn't tear too much for me, but I did find that the texture of the finished product was sort of...slimy. It was a bit unappetizing.

They tasted just fine, once I got past the texture issue; the filling was delicious, and the sauce was very flavorful. But ultimately, using won-ton wrappers just didn't impress me too much. Next time, I'll either make my own pasta, or buy some spinach-filled ravioli at the store and pair it with this sauce.

Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Source: Cassie

1 package refrigerated won-ton wrappers
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups baby spinach, trimmed
1 cup heavy cream
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
Salt and pepper to taste

1. On the stove, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add spinach a cup at a time and cook just until softened; drain and squeeze dry.

2. Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste for the ravioli filling. Mix in spinach.

3. Top each won-ton wrapper with a tablespoon of the filling. Dab a bit of water around the filling and top with a second won-ton wrapper. Pinch around the sides to ensure that the ravioli is tightly sealed.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and olive oil and reduce heat. Cook ravioli in batches of 10 for about 5 minutes; drain. It's important not to overcrowd the pot.

5. To prepare the sauce, bring heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat. Puree roasted red peppers in a food processor or blender; add to cream. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and salt and pepper, and simmer until sauce is thickened (do not boil).

Italian-Style Quesadillas

The idea for this recipe was inspired by tortillas left over from these quesadillas and the fresh mozzarella remaining after I made these paninis. I thought making an Italian version of quesadillas, complete with tomato sauce for dipping, sounded like a delicious idea -- and it was. My brainstorm gave us a quick and easy dinner that took only 10 minutes from start to finish. And these were so, so good -- just look at all that cheese oozing out the sides!

This is a really versatile dish; as Rachael Ray would say, it's more about learning a method rather than a recipe. I chose to use pepperoni, salami, and fresh mozzarella for my filling, but any shredded Italian cheese would do, and any combination of meats and veggies would be delicious. And as for the sauce -- I suppose you could make your own quite easily, but I was perfectly content with a jarred tomato basil sauce that I jazzed up myself with my favorite blend of Italian spices. These would be a perfect appetizer to serve for a Super Bowl party, and they're a simple and delicious dinner choice any night of the week. I think kids would really love them, too. I'll have to test them out on Andrew in a few years!

Italian-Style Quesadillas
Source: Cassie

4 eight-inch flour tortillas
1/2 pound deli-sliced pepperoni
1/2 pound deli-sliced Genoa salami
12 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup jarred tomato sauce

1. To prepare the sauce, in a small pot cook sauce on medium heat or until heated through, seasoning as desired.

2. To prepare the quesadillas, top half of each tortilla with pepperoni, salami, and 3 slices of fresh mozzarella. Fold in half. Cook tortillas in a non-stick skillet until browned on both sides. Cut into wedges and serve immediately, with the sauce for dipping.