Just A Couple More Meals From This Week

Just a collection of photos from the meals this week....

Ham Fried Rice



Chicken Salad

Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Buttermilk Shake and Bake Pork Chops



Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Homemade Pizza

Pizza is probably my favorite food of all times.  I can always eat pizza....ALWAYS! 

After our family reunion yesterday, I came home and relaxed for a bit before food once again became the topic of conversation.  After a bit of negotiating, I finally caved and agreed to make my family homemade pizza.

Dough...

Yeast
Honey
Warm Water

Set aside for 15 minutes....

Add sea salt, olive oil, corn meal and flour.

Mix in flour....

Knead on a floured surface...

 Put a dab of olive oil in a bowl....

Coat your dough....

 Let it rise....

Spray your pizza pan with non-stick spray and dust with cornmeal....

Roll out your dough....

Make your pizza!!!!

Hawaiian Pulled Pork

Yesterday was our family Reunion on my Dad's side.  It was brought to our attention, by my father of course, that he is now the matriarch of our family.  The youngest of four children, he is now the oldest at our family events.  We had a wonderful time and the food spread was amazing.  I must give another shout out to my cousin Cathie for all her hard work! 

The theme was Hawaiian Luau, so naturally I brought a Hawaiian pulled pork.  This recipe is a lot easier than one might think and you literally get to sleep right through the cooking process if you like.

Hawaiian Pulled Pork


What you will need...

1 Bone-In Pork Shoulder, or Boston Butt Roast
1 bottle Honey Terriyaki Marinade
1.c Brown Sugar
1.c Apple Cider Vinegar
2.c Pineapple Juice,
1 Pineapple, cut in rings
1 Ginger Root, sliced
1 head of Garlic, smashed
2 sweet onions, chopped
Marichino Cherries
2 Celery Stalks, sliced
Sea Salt
Pepper
tooth picks

Directions....

Rinse and pat dry your roast. Place roast in electric roaster or roasting pan fat side up. Generously cover in sea salt and pepper.  Take the bottle of teriyaki marinade and pour over the roast.  Using toothpicks, attach the pineapple rings across the top and garnish each with a cherry.  Sprinkle half of your brown sugar over the top and the rest around the roast.  Add the rest of the ingrediants to the roasting pan.

Cook this bad boy SO and LOW all night long.  Set it and forget it!  225 degrees for 14 hours is how long this cooked.  When you can remove the bone with your hand, it is done!  You shouldn't have to force the bone out, when it's done it will come out easily.

The next step is to shred the meat.  If this roast cooked long enough you will be able to do this with your hands, a couple forks if your delicate fingers cannot take the heat, or a pair of tongs.  Once you have shredded, strain the veggies from the liquid in the roasting pan and pour the liquid over the shredded pork.



This was absolutely fantastic and a great change from BBQ sauce.  Sweet and tangy.  Yum, yum in the tum for sure!

Chicken Alfredo Mostaccioli Florentine

Tonight I made Chicken Alfredo Mostaccioli Florentine. One of our family's favorites!  Everything I make is usually from scratch and tonight was no different.  I started with half a stick of butter and a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan adding cut up chicken.

Garlic, mushroom and salt and pepper and saute.

The "Florentine" in this recipe refers to spinach. so next we add whole baby spinach.

This will cook down....

Next, start the sauce.  A stick of butter, several cloves of garlic (4-5) and chopped mushrooms.  Saute until bubbly.

TURN YOUR FIRE DOWN TO LOW!!  Next add 8 ounces of cream cheese quartered.  blend butter, and cream cheese until completely melted.  Then add 1 quart of heavy cream and stir gently.  Then add all your cheeses.  Technically, fresh grated Parmesan is all this recipe calls for, but I cannot stop there....2 cups Parmesan, and 2 cups of Italian blend; Parmesan, Asiago, Provolone and Romano.  Continue cooking on very low heat until all the cheese is melted and blended with the butter and cream.  This does take some time, so be patient.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to a boil and cook Mostaccioli noodles aldente. Do not cook completely because this dish will go into the oven where the noodles will finish cooking while absorbing the fantastic flavors of this sauce.  Mix the noodles and chicken mixture together and pour into your greased baking dish.  Then mix in your sauce and top with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Left-Over Smoked Chicken Salad

Last night I smoked country style ribs and boneless chicken breasts.  Today we have left-overs, as we always do, so I am going to take the left-over smoked chicken and turn it into chicken salad for sandwiches and our lunch.

Miracle Whip vs. Mayo

In our house, the answer is BOTH.  Yes, I cater to all the taste buds in my home and with six people under one roof, well lets just say, it's easier to make both rather than listen to the bitching.

Diced celery, garlic, and onion, sweet relish, salt, pepper, and some fresh herbs will make this smoked chicken salad the perfect lunch today!

The Dessert....

Yesterday I had a vision of a brownie cheesecake pie....

I made it.  No recipe, just a craving.

First layer

Turtle Brownies

One might think Turtle Brownies would have been enough.....

The second layer is a white chocolate cheesecake.  Cream cheese, powdered sugar, melted white chocolate, vanilla and whipped cream all blended together topped with Cool Whip and chocolate shavings!  Oh boy!  This was yummy!!!



Smoked Chicken and Country Style Smoked Ribs

Hectic, does not even begin to describe this last week, but needless to say, I survived.  It didn't leave much time for blogging and as I sit here today for the life of me I cannot remember what I even cooked last week.

I had to consult my photos....

Okay, so I haven't taken any photos either, the above are last Sunday.  This weeks meals are lost in the abyss.....

Today I am going to break out the BBQ and smoke some country style ribs and boneless chicken. I have a vision of a dessert, just not sure how I am going to construct it.  Thinking chocolate mocha brownies on the bottom, a layer of cheesecake, then chocolate sauce and topping it off whip cream and chocolate shavings....I do not have a recipe....just a vision.  Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake Pie? 

My love of good cheese always takes me to pasta or potatoes for side dishes.  Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano are my "go-to" cheeses and I tend to splurge for the good stuff, as it is SO GOOD!  A variation of a potato skin is on the agenda using my three amigos and perhaps some cheddar, bacon and ranch seasoning.  Topped with sour cream and chives.  Homemade coleslaw will be the other side I serve tonight with my smoked chicken and ribs. 

Happy Cooking!!