All posts by Sonte

Mexican Skillet

The young grandsons always went on and on about Nana’s Mexican Skillet so I had to have a look at what all the fuss was about?
Meh, it’s pretty good. Like all recipes, you bring your own heart and soul into the recipe. The recipe found its way into our rotation when the kids are visiting.

Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet

1/2 Onion, diced
1 pound Ground Beef or 1 pkg Yves Just Like Ground Round
1/4 cup Taco Seasoning (I use my own Seasoning Mix)
14 oz canned Tomatoes, diced
1 cup canned Corn Niblets or fresh Corn on the Cob, niblets removed from cob
3/4 cup Long Grain White Rice, uncooked
2 cups Beef Broth (Water and 1 McCormick’s Beef Flavoured Cube)
1 1/2 cups Colby Jack Cheese, shredded (or a combo of shredded cheddar and mozza)

Taco Toppings:

Sour Cream
Diced Avocado
Sliced Black Olives
Chopped Cilantro
Salsa
Sliced Green Onion

Cook onion in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes.
Add ground beef, using a wooden spoon to break up and crumble.
Cook until no longer pink; drain and discard fat.
Return skillet to the heat.
Add taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, corn kernels, rice and beef broth; stir until combined.
Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover; cook for 25 = 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Give a final stir, top with shredded cheese; cover and cook on low for about 3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Top with Toppings of your choice.

Serves 4 – 6

Super Easy Blender Hollandaise

Bring the extraordinary to your weekday breakfasts with this super easy Hollandaise Sauce!

Hollandaise Sauce

4 ounces butter, room temperature
1 large Egg Yolk
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed,  juice will do in a pinch.
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cayenne

Melt butter then allow to cool slightly.
Blend together yolk, lemon juice and salt in the blender; pulse to combine.
With blender running, slowly stream in half the warm melted butter.
Start slowly, a few drops, allowing egg yolk to warm up then add in a steady stream.
Once half the butter has been blended in, stop blender and check the sauce.
If it looks like it broke (grainy, lumpy) then add a teaspoon of hot water and blitz for a few seconds.
Add remaining melted butter in a slow steady stream.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pour hollandaise over freshly poached eggs.

This is just enough for 2 serves of Eggs Benny

Peanut Butter Balls

Hubs LOVES these Peanut Butter Balls! Heaven forbid I lose the recipe!

Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
2 Tbsp Butter, room temperature
Pinch of Salt
Splash of Vanilla
1 cup Icing Sugar
1 cup Dark Chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp Salted Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped

Stir peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt until well combined.
Stir in icing sugar until smooth.
Scoop out heaping 1-teaspoon portions and roll into balls.
Place on a parchment covered baking tray and freeze until firm, about an hour.

Line a second baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.
Melt chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth; remove from heat.

Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate and roll to coat.
Remove with fork, tapping edge of bowl to shake off excess.
Transfer to prepared sheet, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Refrigerate peanut butter balls until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.

 

Loaded Wrap Supreme

This came through my newsfeed when I was staying in Kamloops. I decided I HAD to make it! Checked the pantry, had all the ingreds so def a go!
I leave out the tostados because I don’t feel that it needs it…
I use Yves Just Like Ground Round so it cooks up super quick!

Loaded Wrap Supreme! Melty, gooey, cheese coats the “meaty” filling.

5 Large Flour Tortillas
1 package Yves Just Like Ground Round
Veg Oil, to coat pan
Large Onion, sliced thinly
1 Green Pepper, sliced thinly
3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
6 ounces Grated Cheese – Cheddar, Jalapeño Cheddar, Monterey Jack – your choice or a combo

1 Tomato, diced
Half a head of Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
2 Green Onions, green part only, sliced
Black Olives, sliced
Sour Cream, to drizzle over top
Salsa, to drizzle over top
Avocado, chopped

Heat Cast Iron skillet over medium heat, add enough veg oil to coat one side; plop Just Like Ground Round on top and let it crisp up before turning over to brown second side.
Once flipped over, add half the shredded cheese and let cheese melt into the “ground round”.
Meanwhile, on the second side of the skillet, add a bit more veg oil and add thinly sliced onions and peppers; cook until soft and onion is translucent.
After the cheese has melted into the “ground round” portion out between the five flour tortillas, placing the mound of “ground round’ in the center of each.
Top with sautéed onion/pepper mix.
Fold edges of flour tortilla in over the filling, rotating and folding as you rotate the tortilla, pressing gently as you go.
In wiped out skillet, over med-low heat, place loaded wrap, folded side down, and heat until the tortilla is lightly browned and the edges have all fused together. Flip over and cook until second side is lightly browned.
While the wraps are browning, prepare your plates:
Place a mound of shredded lettuce on the center of the plate; to one side of salad, add a dollop of each:  sour cream, salsa and chopped avocado.
Both sides of Loaded Wrap browned, place one on the bed of lettuce and drizzle with sour cream and salsa; sprinkle with diced tomato,  sliced black olives, and sliced green onion.

Serve warm.
These are also very good as leftovers, cold or warmed up.

No Knead Brioche Buns

Brioche Bun, No-Knead

This recipe came through my feed the other day and since I was experiencing some back pain I thought I would give it a go! Not having to knead the dough was a back-saver. Now, I will tell you that I melted my butter…DO NOT… do it! Use softened butter as directed and you will get better results! I was rushing against the clock, trying to get the prep dishes washed up before we lost sunlight on the solar panels!  Next time? I would just let the dough rest overnight, I reckon and do them up properly!

For all the fancy photos, but no video, hop on over to Jo’s page! <a href=”https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/brioche-buns/?fbclid=IwAR0a1yj0ZbHDMiWSSFLduTxyU9zl6tMA7BVdnW4rQwDxp2zunngoi9GnvTk#wprm-recipe-container-32295/” target=_blank”> Jo’s</a>

Brioche Buns

1 cup water, lukewarm
2 Tbsp Sugar, divided
1 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
1 cup Milk, lukewarm
1/2 cup Butter, melted
2 large Eggs, room temperature, separated
1 tsp Salt
4-6 cups Flour
6 Tbsp Butter, softened

Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Everything Bagel Seasoning, optional

Instructions

To large mixing bowl add your lukewarm water along with one Tablespoon of the sugar and the active dry yeast. Give it a stir and let rest for about 10 minutes, until frothy.

Next, sprinkle 2 cups of flour over the liquid.
Then add the remaining sugar, milk, melted butter, salt, egg whites and roughly stir everything together.
Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough comes together but is still a bit sticky and soft. I ended up using about 4 cups of flour as it is super dry out where I live.  You are looking for a sticky, elastic dough that will spring back when poked.
Use hand to roughly form a ball, gathering up any loose flour, then turn out onto work surface for a brief moment while you oil your mixing bowl well. Return dough to the oiled bowl, cover (I use an oiled pizza pan) and let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375F.
Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.

Punch down dough to release air and turn out onto lightly floured work surface. Spread the dough with your hands or roll out (I prefer using a rolling pin) dough into a rectangle, approximately 20x16inches.
Spread about half the softened butter over the entire surface of the dough. Fold in thirds, then roll the dough out a bit, maintaining a rectangular shape. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter over the new rectangle, and fold it in thirds again, just like folding a letter. Roll the dough out a bit again then spread remaining butter over the top. Fold in thirds one last time. Roll dough so it is about 12x8inches.  All this folding creates layers like in croissants.
Using sharp knife cut the dough into 8 long strips, each strip about 1 1/2 inches wide. Fold each rope in two and twist it, then bring the ends together and pinch them to connect the rope. If your hands stick to the dough, just rub a little bit of oil on your hands..
Place the formed buns on the prepared baking trays, four to each tray.
Whisk egg yolks with about a tablespoon of water and brush each bun, generously. Sprinkle with topping of your choice; I highly recommend Everything Bagel Seasoning.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, rotating trays after 10 minutes. Allow buns to cool on baking trays for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy the same day you baked them! You may store leftovers for up to three days in an airtight container.
They may also be frozen for up to three months.