Coney Island Sliders (another word for burgers...just small but plump)

Up until recently I had no idea what "sliders" were.  And if you don't know either then don't feel bad.  I've come to find out its just like a hamburger pattie but smaller and thicker.  I wanted to try it out for myself.  I found a recipe to my liking and to my surprise I think this recipe is FAN-TASTE-IC!

 So juicy, so delicious, i easily gobbled up the whole hamburger, er...Slider.
 This recipe is barbeque-y and packed full of simple but great flavors.  I just wish I made fries to go with it.  But its so good it really is great all on its own.
nuff talk!  Try it, i can't imagine you not liking it. :o)

 Coney Island Sliders

 1/3 Cup brown sugar
 1 cup ketchup
 2 tsp chili powder
 1 medium white or yellow onion
 2 med. chili peppers or 1 Bell pepper (i used a 4 oz can green diced chilis)
 1 1/2 lbs 90% lean ground beef
 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
 12 whole wheat dinner rolls

- In a wide, shallow pot, combine 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, ketchup and chili powder.  Stir well and bring to a boil over med-high heat.  Reduce heat(on low) to a simmer and cover.
 -Meanwhile, thinly slice onion and peppers.  Salt and pepper beef and shape into 12 small balls, lightly press to form (thick) patties.
-Heat oil in lrg, non-stick skillet over med-high heat. ((Do NOT press down on burgers!)) Fry burgers until brown on each side, about a minute per side.(cause you'll cook it more later)
 -Remove burgers and set aside.  Add sliced onions and peppers into skillet and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
_add 1/2 cup water to skillet and stir and scrape up the brown bits of flavor.
-now combine onions into sauce pot, then add burgers and replace lid.  Simmer on low at least 20 minutes, up to an hour for best flavor. (you can toast your buns and set aside while you wait.)
-Serve onto buns with plenty of sauce mixture. Enjoy!

 Serves 6
 Approximate Serving size (two sliders): 560 cal, 16 g fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 44 g protein, 60 g carbs, 11 g fiber, 811 mg sodium (dependent upon how much salt you add to your patties), 26 % cal from fat.
 From: azcentral.com

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

total time: 55 minutes  serves 4

 1T olive oil
 1T chili powder
1 T brown sugar
 1 T dried oregano
 S& P
one 3 1/2 - 4 lb chicken, cut into 10pcs

Heat  oven to 400F.  In a small bowl, combine the oil, chili powder, sugar, oregano, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

 Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  Place the chicken in a roasting pan and rub with the spice mixture.  Roast until cooked through, 45 - 50 min.  serve.

Source: Real Simple Mag,  June 2009, pg 30

Mac & Cheese - a HIT not a miss with kids!

recipe fr. www.parenting.com

Meaty Mac & Cheese (dont let the title disgust you)


Prep TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
SERVES: 4

Salt to taste
8 oz elbow pasta
4 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb cubed ham (or boneless ham steaks, cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
*ashley tip: go to your walmart, fry's-whatever deli and purchase a 1lb thick slice of ham(of your choice and taste) then cut that into cubes*
2 Tbsp milk, plus 1 cup
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and boil until the noodles have 5 minutes left to cook according to package directions. Add the broccoli and ham; continue cooking until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender. Drain.

2. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce: Combine 2 Tbsp milk with the flour in a small bowl, and stir until smooth. Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan; stir in the flour mixture and whisk in the remaining 1 cup milk, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce is the consistency of heavy cream, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese until the sauce is smooth again.

3. Toss the pasta mixture with the sauce, and serve. (To reheat, add a little milk to loosen the sauce.)

Optional topping:
Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine 2 Tbsp melted butter with 1/3 cup each bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the mixture on the pasta. Bake at 450°F until the topping is golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

PER SERVING: (without topping):
593 calories, 23 g fat (11 g saturated), 1,765 mg sodium, 98 mg cholesterol

see more recipes they have to offer at parenting.com.

-aezra

Just in time for the season...Soups

heres a selection of stews for me to try...I suck at making my own so i went here to find others.

Yummy Beef or Venison Stew

see pic here

~Ingredients~
3 pounds venison (deer meat)
7 cups water as needed
5 cubes beef bouillon cube
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup hot water

added by me: 1/2 tsp thyme

~Directions~
1.Cut meat into bite-sized pieces. Mix with onions, and toss mixture with 1/3 cup flour. Heat oil in a large saucepan, and cook over medium low heat until browned.
2.Place browned meat and bouillon cubes into crock pot. Add water until meat is covered with 1 inch liquid. Cover. Slow cook on high for about 5 hours. This should be long enough to make meat very tender.
3.To thicken up the gravy, mix 1/2 cup flour with 1 cup hot water until flour is dissolved. Pour into crock pot, and stir. Repeat if not thick enough. If you are not using veggies, the stew is ready to pour over the rice now. If you are going to use veggies, add them now. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Lamb chops with potato-carrot pancakes

* new...i might try this someday*
Hands-on: 25 min
total time 25 min
serves 4

ingre:
3/4 Cup fresh mint, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 tbsp rice vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and pep
8 1-inch-thick lamb chops(aobut 2 lbs total)
2 russet potatoes (1lb), grated
2 large carrots, grated(1/4 lb)


What to do:
1.Heat oven to 400 F. In small bowl, combine the mint, challot, vinegar, 3 tbsp of oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

2.Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. season the lamb with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pep. In batches, brown the chops, about 2 min per side; transfer to a backing sheet . roast for 4/6 min for med-rare.

3. in a bowl, combine the potatoes and carrots. form into 4 pancakes. Heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over med heat. Cook pancakes until browned, 4-6 min per side. serve with the lamb and mint sauce.

*are you liking my humor?*

Grilled Pork Chops with Maple syrup sweet potatoes

4 (1 inch) thick bone-in pork chops (about 2 lbs)
salt & pep
4 small sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 scallions, chopped


>Heat grill to medium - high. season the pork chops w/ 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pep. Grill until cooked through, 7 - 8 min per side.

>Meanwhile, in large bowl, toss the sweet pototoes with 1 tsp of the oil and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Grill, turning often, until tender and slightly charred, 10- 12 mins. reserve the bowl.

> To the reserved bowl, add the syrup, scallions, the remaining oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and peper. Add the sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Serve with pork.

Grilled Salmon w/cucumber and celery salad

Serves 4

1/4 Cup nonfat yogurt(preferably greek)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/4 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 small salmon steaks (about 2lbs)


>In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, invegar and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the cucumbers, celery, and parsley and toss to combine.

>Heat grill to medium-high. Season the salmon with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Grill until opaque throughout, 5 - 6 minutes per side. Serve with the salad.



Taken from: Real Simple Mag

Last Minute Lasagna

Last-Minute Lasagna

this is easy-shmeasy :0)

Need:

1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
2 30-ounce bags frozen large cheese ravioli, unthawed
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

~Directions~

Heat oven to 350° F. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and spoon in a third of the sauce.

Arrange 12 ravioli on top and scatter the spinach over them. Top with half of each cheese. Cover with another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until bubbly.

Servings Per Recipe 6
Amount Per Serving:
Calcium 507mg
Calories 385
Calories From Fat 0%
Carbohydrate 35g
Cholesterol 56mg
Fat 17g
Fiber 4g
Iron 3mg
Protein 22mg
Sat Fat 8g
Sodium 1183mg

(courtesy: Real simple Mag)

Upgrade

Wanna upgrade or "dress to impress" with out all the hassle and stress? What I am talking about are simple alternatives to upgrade your average boring foods of convenience to foods of spectacularity!!! Oh yeah, lets get started shall we?

Boring Frozen pizza?



spruce it up with this:



w/ Pesto and ricotta by "gently spreading 1/2 C store-bought pesto over the frozen pizza. Dollop w/1 C ricotta and cook the pizza according to the package directions."


not bad eh? Intrigued? You want me to continue? oh okay, thats what I thought,,,,


Boring Chicken Noddle soup from a can or what not?



spruce it up with this:



make into tortilla soup by bringing to a simmer in medium saucepan. "Add 1 C frozen(or non) corn kernels and 1 tsp hot sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, just until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes(vary). Scoop into bowls and serve with 1 cut-up avocado and 2 C tortilla chips."


~or~



spruce it up:


White beans and Kale



"In a med saucepan, bring the soup to a simmer. Add 1/2 bunch kale, leaves torn into 2 inch pieces(about 4 C.), and cook stirring occasionally, until just tender, 6 - 8 minutes. Stir in one 15.5 oz can rinsed cannellini beans and cook until heated through, 2 - 3 mins. Viola!


...and lets not forget dessert!





Pound cake

spruce it up with:


a toasted pound cake with whipped cream and almonds


Heat oven to 375* F. Spread 1/2 C sliced almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden, 5 - 7 minutes. Heat broiler. Slice the cake into 1-inch think pieces and broil until golden brown. about 1 minute per side. In a med bowl, beat 1 C. heavy cream and 1/4 C confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Top the cake with the whipped cream and nuts.



Yum delish!


Good brands to use if ya need a little push;


Campbells select harvest chicken w/ egg noddle soup

Entenmann's All Butter loaf cake

Trader Joe's Pizza 4 Formaggi

Cheesy baked shells with broccoli

Needs:

5 C. pasta shells(about)

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2 C. whole milk

2 C. grated cheddar

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 16-oz bag frozen broccoli, thawed

8 inch square dish or 1 1/2 qrt baking dish

Directions: Heat broiler. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Melt butter in lrg pot over med. heat. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, about 4-5 min. Add 1 1/2 C. cheese and stir till melted. Stir in the mutmeg, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the pasta and broccoli and toss to cover throuoghly. Transfer to a broilerproof 8-inch square or another 1 1/2 qrt baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Then broil until golden...about 3-4 min.