Hot Italian Beef

   

       This is a recipe for a hot sandwich, that tastes sinfully delicious. It's juicy, warm, filling and as good as the tender meat is, I feel the veggies are even better.

     Don't you just want to eat the monitor or phone or other device that you might be using? Damn, I just put that in my belly and I am still salivating. Okay here is how you make it. 

     Start off by heating olive oil in a heavy, oven safe pot over medium high heat. I chose my favorite kitchen purchase of all time, Les Creuset. Generously salt and pepper your roast, for this recipe I chose a chuck because it has decent marbling and its cheap. There is really no reason to worry about the fat since the method used to cook the meat is a slow heat that pulls out most of the fat. 

    Add your beef to the pot and sear each side until golden brown. Note, when using cast iron, enameled cast iron or stainless cookware, your meat will stick to the pan until it has formed this crust as shown above. Just be patient and let your tools do the work for you. When the crust has formed the meat will release from the pan. 

      While your meat is doing its thing, chop celery into crescents. Cut onion and bell pepper into slices and mince garlic. Leave the basil leaves whole. Once the meat has seared on both sides add water,  worcestershire sauce, vegetables and Italian seasonings. 

      Bring up to a boil, cover with lid and place in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for one hour, reduce heat to 250 and continue cooking for another 2 hours. Add more water if the meat is less than half way covered. Cook longer if the meat doesn't pull apart easily with a fork, because it should. 

      Pull apart meat into chunks and serve on a hoagy bun. I like to let the juices soak into the bread before eating it. 

              Ingredients

• 3lb chuck roast beef
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 package of Italian salad dressing mix
• 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce 
• One 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, Italian 
• Pepperoncini and Jalapenos, as many as you like about 6 or 8 each
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 celery stocks
• half an onion 
• 4 sprigs of fresh basil leaves
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 
• salt and pepper 

     Pre-heat oven to 325. Heat oil in heavy oven safe pot over medium-high heat. Add salt and peppered beef to pan. Sear on each side until golden brown. Add water, chopped veggies, seasonings and tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, cover and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour, reduce heat to 250 and continue to cook for another 2 hours. Serve over hoagy buns. 

     *this recipe easily converts to a crock pot recipe for all you busy house makers. Just brown the roast then add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. 

Asparagus Bisque

       Spring brings so many wonderful flavors to our table and my favorite by far is asparagus. It's easy to find at your local grocery store but did you know that its actually a weed that grows in ditches along the road?
       When I was growing up in Idaho, I remember driving real slow out in the country. The doors of my sisters van open and our eyes were sharp to spot the flowered weed. We would come home with grocery bags full of it and have big bbqs with sautéed asparagus dipped in lemon mayonaise.
       Asparagus season is upon us and this recipe is a great way to use up the bunches in your fridge. It will also give you a good reason to use your immersion blender, I am always looking for ways to use that handy tool.
     

    Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs Asparagus (two big hand fulls)
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 bell pepper, I used yellow. 
• 1 small onion, use whatever color you have. 
• 1 stalk celery 
• 2 cups chicken or veggie stock. I used home-made because its FREE, for the recipe check Free Stock
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 
• salt, pepper 
• croutons and asparagus tops for garnish. 

   Directions:

  Coarsely chop all veggies and add to stock in a sauce pan, bring to boil then turn down to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until veggies are tender but still vibrant in color. Blend with immersion blender or by adding veggies to blender or food processor until its pureed. Add your cream and adjust seasonings. Serve with croutons, asparagus and a dollop of cream. Enjoy within 5 days or freeze.

5 Ingredient Pumpkin Beer Cake

     Now that I have your attention, I am going to spoil your day and tell you that the reason this is only a 5 ingredient cake is because I didn't say we would be frosting it, if you use the frosting I did then in reality this is a 7 ingredient cake. Not too bad but 5 is a magic number, just like 42.
     This cake is very simple and even healthy, as it has no oil, I replaced oil with pumpkin and water with beer... Beer is a vitamin. That's what vitamin B stands for and you can take that to the bank.

      Ingredients.

•   yellow cake mix
•  1 can of pure pumpkin (not the pie mix) 
• 1/3 cup of golden wheat beer of your chose, drink the rest nom nom 
•  2 eggs 
•  1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, which is nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. 

      Putting it together couldn't be more simple, just mix all of the ingredients on low for about 3 to 4 minutes.  I love the color of the batter, perfect!

         Pour equal amounts of batter into two round cake pans and bake for 35 minutes at 350.

     I topped the cake with the whipped cream and cream cheese frosting recipe that I used on my Fireworks cake. Its really simple and tasty.  I gave this cake to my new neighbors who said it was really good, I got to have some too, it was very moist and light. I think I will make cupcakes with this recipe for Halloween. Enjoy! 

Copy Cat Recipe: Tomato's Bacon Spezie

   

      When I am in the small town of Twin Falls, Idaho I have to go to Tomato's Bar and Grill and get their Bacon Spezie. It is a spicy, cajun inspired alfredo with bacon, chicken and mushrooms. I am serious when I tell you it's amazing.
      I was craving this dish at home in Alabama and decided to google it, it is original, like no one, not even the internet has this recipe except for a small restaurant in small Twin Falls, Idaho. At least they got that going for them. But I NEEDed it! So I tried a recipe and failed and tried again and voila! It is perfect.
      Here is my gift to you internet world! And everyone who has been wanting this recipe for their home.

Amendment 2025- Hey, this is Tori. I went back to Idaho after my dad passed away and a surprising amount of people recognized me from this recipe! I just wanted to say I'm happy you enjoy this copy cat recipe for bacon spezie which is definitely not authentic Italian and dont even ask nona to share her recipes because she doesn't do that. 

       Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts 
• 5 slices of bacon 
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 1 1/2 cups italian blend shredded cheese 
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or more for thinning 
• 2 TBSP butter
• 8 white mushrooms, washed and sliced 
• 3 to 4 green onions 
• a healthy heaping spoonful of sun dried tomatoes
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• cajun spice mix ( 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 dried thyme) This is approximately how much I used. 

    Directions:

      Start by slicing chicken in thin slices and cutting bacon into 1 inch pieces. Fry together, on medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with cajun seasoning. Add garlic, mushrooms and butter. Once the mushrooms, chicken and bacon are golden, (in bacon case crisp) turn down the heat to a simmer and add cream, chicken broth and green onion. When simmering add cheese and let melt. Adjust any seasoning to taste and enjoy. Serve over penne.

     Tomato's does melt a smoked gouda over the top under the heat of an oven. Although really tasty, I chose to leave this step out because I don't have any gouda ATM.  I hope you enjoy this dish, it is seriously delicious. 

Firework Cake

     I am throwing a small get together for the forth of July this weekend and I have been busy working on all of the preparations. Owning a house is work and so are parties, like lots of work. I swear after this weekend I am going back to being a hermit that only comes out for work.
     Tonight I finished decorating my cake and I am really excited to show you how it turned out plus share the recipe.

      Slice your fresh strawberries tops off then into thin slices and arrange by size.

        Level your cakes then cut in half to make impressive layers. Note for smarter people out there, dont double the recipe and pour it into two cake pans then over cook your cakes because you are scared when you see that they are twice the size you expected... not that I did that or anything.

      Stiff peeks, also most amazing frosting every. Think of all the possibilities! Add maple syrup to it for stuffed french toast with bacon, or chocolate bacon cupcakes, nom. Add nutmeg and cinnamon to go with a pumpkin cake, okay, I am salivating.

       Here I am brushing sugar, vanilla water onto my cake because I saw it on a tv show. Not because I overcooked my cake and was afraid of it being too dry!

       Filling in the layers

      Fucking gorgeous. Let the fruit do the work for you.


Cake Recipe:

• 2 1/4 cups flour 
• 1 1/3 cups sugar 
• 3 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• dash of salt 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 oil 

       Combine dry ingredients and sugar in a bowl. Add oil, milk and vanilla and mix together. Add eggs one by one and mix. Pour into two 8 in pans. Bake on 350 for 30-35 minutes.



Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream 

     Start by beating cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a mixer on medium speed. Once its creamy add whipping cream slowly, raising the speed to high. Stop beating when it forms shift peeks.

Deviled Eggs, 6 Different Ways.

      My family has a kind of unofficial deviled egg competition each year for Easter and each year everyone swears that their own, are the best. Unless of course my great grandma has made eggs that year, hers are the best.
       The younger crowd is what has made this competition interesting. Bringing in new and exciting flavors and relying heavily on presentation, as far as those categories go, its in the bag, piping bag that is.
        I am going to bring this family tradition to my family in Alabama now and I am really wanting to start it off well. So Ryan and I had six different kinds of deviled eggs for dinner that were all extremely different and extremely tasty.

      I started by gathering ingredients, basically anything goes, it was a little like making pizzas, 6 tiny pizza eggs. I do want to start off by saying that I made these recipes up as I went and I didn't write down measurements of each to save time however, I do have a rough idea and am going to give the recipe for each in a batch of 6 eggs.

       Here they are, entry one through three.

     Entry four through six. Lets begin!

     Number one: Bacon Ranch

      The first eggs recipe was inspired by loaded baked potatoes and that is exactly what it tasted like. Ryan and I thought this egg was good but it was a novelty egg. Ryan renamed it, "Loaded Egg" and I think this really discribes the taste. Good, non- traditional, and it makes a nice presentation. 

Recipe

6 hard boiled eggs, cut in half length wise 

1/4 cup mayo or sour cream to taste 

3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled 

1 chopped green onion 

1/4 cup shredded cheddar 

pepper

Number two: Shrimp 

     Ryan didn't try the shrimp one because he thinks they are the cockroaches of the sea, bugs. With that in mind, I thought this egg was delicious! It was tangy and mustard rich. I honestly believe that if I hadn't told Ryan it had shrimp in it, he wouldn't of known and actually liked it, a lot. Which brings up a note of improvement for that part. I think that sautéing the shrimp first with parsley, butter and garlic would be key for the perfect seafood deviled egg. 

Recipe

6 boiled eggs

1/2 cup small shrimp

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon garlic 

1 tablespoon parsley

1/4 cup mayo
1 1/4 teaspoons harvest grainy mustard, dijon 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper 

paprika for garnish

* saute shrimp in the butter, garlic and parsley, salt and pepper. Chop shrimp, making sure to reserve 12 for garnish

Number three: Curry

     This egg was tasty, like really good. I was happy to make this egg because of an Indian dish I had once where the boiled eggs were the most prized part and for good reason. Curry and eggs work, well. 

Recipe

6 boiled eggs

1/4 cup mayo

1 chopped green onion 

1 tablespoon chopped parsley 

1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon yellow curry powder 

salt and pepper

Number four: Greek

      This egg was bold in flavor and had the most potential as being a favorite made over and over again. PLUS it is healthy, no mayo was used in the making of this egg. 

Recipe

6 boiled eggs

2 tablespoons pesto

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

6 kalamata olives chopped 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

Number five: Traditional

     This is the traditional deviled egg that is a crowd pleaser. Its sweet, its creamy and delicious. 

Recipe

6 boiled eggs 

1/4 cup mayo

2 tablespoons sweet relish, I likes em sweet, reduce if you don't.

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

salt and pepper

paprika for garnish 

Number six: Bacon Dill

     This egg was really good. The texture was pleasant and it didn't taste like a potato inposter, it tasted like the insides of an egg sandwich. I liked this egg better than the first one, Bacon Ranch. 

Recipe

6 boiled eggs

1/4 cup mayo 

3 slices cooked, chopped bacon

3 tablespoons cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon dill weed

       So there you are, deviled eggs six different ways. I would have to say the Traditional one was my favorite with the Bacon Dill and Greek being very close seconds. The Shrimp was also very good as was the Curry but I was not a huge fan of the Bacon Ranch. Don't let that stop you from trying any of these recipes and making up your own. Let me know if you try any of my recipes! 

Butternut Squash Alfredo with Bacon

   

 I bought a clearance can of butternut squash the other day because it was clearance. I have a slight to major problem when it comes to clearance, especially clearance food but it makes things interesting.  
     Before I started I tasted the butternut, its pretty blain and the texture is less than desirable being that it is fiber rich, so mixing it into something else was key. I also googled some different recipes for butternut and when I found it paired with bacon I knew what to do.

     First I gathered my ingredients and I cut three slices of bacon into one inch squares and put it into a skillet on medium-high heat for about three minutes before putting my thinly sliced chicken in. I aslo added garlic at this point.

      Let your bacon and chicken cook through and get a nice brown. It takes about seven minutes.

     Then add reduced sodium chicken broth and simmer for another five minutes. You don't want to skip this step because the fast cooking of the chicken slices with the bacon will dry out the chicken so be patient and let it simmer.

    Next step is to add the canned milk or cream or the milk you have in your fridge, the can of butternut puree and freshly grated nutmeg. I can not stress enough the importance of fresh nutmeg in alfredo!

    After everything is well incorporated you can lower the temperature and add cheese. A basic rule thumb when making alfredo sauce is to add the same amount of cheese as you have in liquid. Ryan, Beau and I however, are all on diets ;) so I go with half of the amount of cheese. After adding the cheese be sure to take it off of heat so the oils don't separate.

     Serve over penne pasta, whole grain is tasty, top with some cheese and parsley and enjoy! We did!

    Recipe


3 chicken breasts
3 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons of garlic
1 1/2 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup of milk, cream or evaporated canned milk
1- 15oz. can of butternut puree
1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
some peppa
1 cup italian blend shredded cheese
fresh parsley for garnish.
6 cups penne noodles

 Makes 6 servings.