Pot Roast with Apples

This week on Friday Baking with Not Quite June Cleaver I made the Pot Roast with Apples. I have to say it was a nice change of pace and it turned out very well. I enjoyed the added spice and it went really well with mashed potatoes. Definitely one I will make again.

If you are looking for a good recipe to try that is a little different you should give it a shot.

Havarti Stuffed Chicken

This is like a Chicken Cordon Blue but I changed it a bit to have a different crust and a Dill Havarti that I really enjoy. It really adds something and I love how it turns out. This time I served it with stir fried veggies and some roasted potatoes. Makes a very nice dinner and just takes a bit of prep and you are good to go.

Havarti Stuffed Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded out

3 Tbs butter, melted in a shallow dish
3/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt and pepper
2 slices good quality ham
2 sticks of cheese, preferably Havarti or Swiss

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Between two pieces of plastic wrap place the chicken breasts and pound them out so that they are a unified thickness and will be better for rolling up. In a shallow dish combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Place the meat and cheese on what would be the non skin side of the chicken and roll it up narrow end first. Secure with a few toothpicks and place in the butter. Once the roll up is coated with butter, turn it in the bread crumb mixture and place in a pie plate. Drizzle the remaining butter over the chicken breast and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and done through. Remove the toothpicks and serve with your desired sides.

Chow Mein Haystacks

Chow Mein haystacks remind me of my childhood. I remember them well and like them a lot still. I have made it my own with a lot more going on and I like the flavor combination. They do have to be refrigerated until you eat them because they get soft really fast and can be quite messy but nothing wrong with that sometimes!

Chow Mein Haystacks

• 1 1/2 c chocolate chips
• 1/2 c butterscotch chips
• 1/2 c peanut butter
• 3 c chow mein noodles
• 2 c mini marshmallows

In a large bowl pour both kinds of chips in and microwave at 45 second increments until they are pretty well melted. Stir them together until smooth and then stir in the peanut butter. Once that is all combined pour in the chow mein noodles and then marshmallows and stir until thoroughly covered. Prepare a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or waxed paper and then spoon out dollops of the mixture with a teaspoon. Space them out a bit but they won't spread so you can put them pretty close together. This should make about 2 dozen depending on the size of the candies. Place them in the refrigerator for about an hour until set and then keep stored in an air tight container in the fridge.

Salisbury Steak

So I have a version of Salisbury Steak that is super yummy. My dad always made a version of this with venison and I love it! Jake and I have it quite often and it is my favorite way to eat game meat. You can definitely use beef or another protein. I have used chicken and pork before so the sauce is very versatile.








Salisbury Steak

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 lb stew meat or steak
• 1/2 c flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire
• 1/2 c coffee
• 1/2 c water
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• potatoes or pasta cooked to your choice

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season and toss the meat in flour to coat and cook in batches until brown in the hot pan. Once you have the meat browned toss in the mushrooms and cook for a couple minutes until lightly carmelized. Into the skillet add the can of soup, coffee, water, Worsestershire and pepper. Stir until combined and then stir in the meat. Turn the burner down to low and cover. Simmer for about an hour and serve over pasta or potatoes.

I have made this in the crockpot or put it in a pan and baked it at a low heat for a longer period of time if you need to have something to set and cook for a while. It can be changed depending on what you have on hand and how much time you have to devote. Enjoy!

Pasta Primavera

So this is my version of pasta primavera. I do add meat to it and do a balsamic sauce and it is pretty tasty. I love it because it can become any version you like based on what you have in the fridge. I normally have the basic main ingredients and then the veggies vary depending on what I have and what time of year it is.

Pasta Primavera
1 lb pasta of your choice (I like rotini or penne)

2 Tbs butter or olive oil

1 small zucchini

1/2 bell pepper, sliced

4 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 lb spinach cleaned and torn to pieces

1/2 pound turkey kielbasa, sliced

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

generous grind of black pepper

1/2 tsp Herb De Provence

In a large pot get the water boiling and start cooking the pasta. In a large skillet cook the zucchini, bell pepper, and mushroom until tender. Toss in the kielbasa and cook until golden brown. Throw in the spinach and cook just a few minutes until it is wilted. Now you add in the seasonings and the balsamic vinegar and let it coat all of the veggies and meat. You can at this point add a little pasts water or tap water to thin it out a bit so there is some juice to the sauce. Then toss in your pasta to coat. Serve with a salad and some bread and enjoy! This is a really quick meal and it is very tasty. You can also change it depending on the meat and the veg you have and it turns out nice. I have put little cubes of cheese in it at the end so they get a little gooey and that is great as well.

Unbelievable Chocolate Cookies

This week on Friday Baking with Not Quite June Cleaver I made Unbelievable Chocolate Cookies. They turned out nice and chewy and extremely chocolaty! I didn't have all semi sweet so I melted bittersweet chocolate and the chips that go into it were the semi sweet. My bottom element went out in my oven so I made the dough and traveled to my very sweet neighbors house and baked my cookies. Thank you to Lyn! Oh the dedication I have to baking...

Unbelievable Chocolate Cookies

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

* 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 2 large eggs

* 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.

Side Pork

We went camping last weekend and I have to share the joy of side pork. Many people haven't had it or heard of it but I absolutely love it and it isn't a camping trip or a special breakfast without it. Side pork is raw bacon, no smoking or curing and you have to bread it in flour and seasoning and fry it in oil. It is not the healthiest thing but it gets somewhat crispy but with more of a pork flavor than the smokiness of bacon or a cured meat. a real tasty treat.

Above are some shots of the spread we had for breakfast. Nothing like getting up being by a beautiful lake and having fresh coffee and breakfast. We had the side pork with french toast served with syrup and peanut butter. Delicious!

You should really try out side pork sometime. It can be hard to find but some of the better stocked grocery stores have it and I have been able to request it in at some stores that don't keep it in stock.