Bratwurst Sliders

 My wife comes from a Polish family, both mother and father. In fact her family has more ski's in it than the winter olympics. One of her comfort foods is bratwurst, so every once in a while she gets the craving for them. When we lived in Michigan this was not a big deal, but in North Carolina it is hard to find a good brat. So every so often we go looking for brats. We found some this week that were about the size of a hot dog, a good one is more like an Italian sausage. Since we had leftover slider rolls from last week Scallop Slider I decided to go with the brat slider. Just sauté up a little onion and peppers give them a squirt of yellow mustard and you are in business.
Brat Sliders
1 Brat for every 2 sliders, cut in 1/2 through middle then cut each 1/2 length ways about 90% through so it opens like a book
2 buns for every Brat
2 tbs onion, finely chopped, for 2 brats
1 tbs red pepper, finely chopped, for 2 brats
1 tbs canola oil
Yellow Mustard, to taste

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. When oil is hot add the onion and peppers. Cook until onion and peppers are soft. Remove from heat and sit aside. Add the brats and cook until they take on a good brown color. The brats can be grilled if you prefer.

Place brat on bun, top with onion and peppers and then mustard. These really beg for a beer to be served with them.

Shrimp and Veggie Alfredo

The Christmas season has officially begun at my house. Annette has got the decorating well in hand. I heard Grandma got ran over by a reindeer on the radio and my company had their "holiday" party this week. Annette and I are planning a Christmas dinner party.
For those that have Tweeted or asked me on Facebook, my knee is doing well. I am hoping to start walking this week and maybe starting back at my regular exercise routine next week. Thanks for the concern.
After a week of beef and lamb in Ireland followed by a week of turkey and turkey leftover creations it was time for something different. I opted for a pasta dish, big surprise isn't it?

Shrimp and Veggie Alfredo
1/2 pound of mixed veggies, cut into bite sized pieces (I used mushrooms, red peppers, carrots and broccoli)
1/2 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp canola oil

For the sauce:
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
3/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

I used angel hair, you could use spaghetti or whatever floats your boat. Prepare according to directions on package. Plan to have the pasta ready as veggies and shrimp are finish cooking.

Heat the oil in a pan to medium high, when it shimmers add the thicker veggies (carrots and broccoli in my case). Sauté for 3 minutes then add mushrooms, cook for 1 minute. Then add the shrimp and red peppers. Cook until veggies are soft and shrimp are cooked through, 2 or 3 minutes.

When you add the shrimp are added start the sauce. Add the butter to a pan on medium heat. When the butter melts, add the flour and whisk until the flour is incorporated and the lumps are gone. Slowly add the milk, while you are whisking. The sauce should thicken. After the milk is added add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the cheese and keep whisking, the sauce should get thicker. When the sauce gets thick enough for you add to the veggies and plate on top of the pasta.

Shrimp and Red Pepper Pasta

Here is a weeknight meal you can make in less than 1/2 hour. It's light and tasty making it great for these hot days of summer.
Shrimp and Red Pepper Pasta
15 - 20 Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 roasted red pepper, cut into small pieces
3 Roma Tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 Tbs Lemon Olive Oil, plus some for drizzling
4 oz of pasta, 2 oz is approximately 1 serving, I used whole wheat Angel Hair

Put the past water on to boil.

Clean the shrimp and cut the vegetables. Toss the shrimp and vegetables in a bowl with the oil. Heat a pan for the shrimp mixture.

Toss the pasta in the water to cook. When the pasta has about 5 minutes left throw the shrimp and veggies in the pan and cook them.


Remove the pasta from the boiling water and drain. Toss the pasta with the shrimp and vegetables. and plate. I garnished with baby basil leaves and then drizzled a little of the lemon olive oil over the pasta.

Grilled Steak Sandwich

I know you have looked in your refrigerator and wondered what that thing is in the plastic bowl in the back.  The only way you can figure it out is by tasting it and your just not that brave, so off it goes to the garbage can. This sandwich was born because I cleaned out the fridge while I could still identify the ingredients. However I do think that the Food Network should create a new show where contestants have to identify the left over or eat it. For the sandwich feel free to add or subtract ingredients, just use up the meat or vegetables in your refrigerator.

Grilled Steak Sandwich
4 oz leftover steak, cut into bite size pieces
2 oz spinach, raw
2 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 oz roasted red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 ounce onion, diced
6 cherry tomatoes, cut in 1/2
enough Mozzarella to cover the sandwich
Olive oil to brush on baguette
1/2 small baguette, cut in half horizontally so you have 2 long pieces

Preheat a grill to medium heat.
If you have a grill basket you can use that or get a piece of aluminum foil and spray it with a nonstick spray. Toss everything but the spinach, mozzarella and the baguette on the grill in the basket or on the foil. Cook until everything is heated through. While the mixture is heating spread a light coating of the olive oil on the baguette halves and lay them on the grill. When the baguette starts to brown flip it over and brown the other side. To assemble spread the spinach on the bread, top with the meat and vegetable mixture and then add the mozzarella on top and let it sit on the grill until the mozzarella starts to melt.

Breakfast for Dinner

During the remodel we never knew if we were going to get into the kitchen to cook at 5:00, 8:00 or even if we were going to be able to cook anything at all. As result we never had meals planned and usually a meal was whatever we could throw together quickly. Breakfast became a popular choice as frittatas, pancakes, etc were quick and easy. For Christmas Annette bought me a ton of cookbooks, one of which was the Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond. Ree dedicates a whole chapter to breakfast. When I saw the hash browns, I knew I had to have some. While I did not use her recipe, I was inspired by her photography. Fellow bloggers I recommend this book for the photography as much as the recipes. I wasn't going to publish this a just made hash browns and topped with a slice of ham and a fried egg and anybody can make that, but I liked my photograph of the results.

Hash Browns with Ham and a Fried Egg
2 baked potatoes, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 red pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into a small dice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil to medium in a heavy pan, cast iron is good if you have one. Add the onion and peppers and cook until translucent. Add the potatoes, salt and pepper. Let the potatoes sit until they start to brown and then flip them. Don't stir them a lot or they won't brown up and they will fall apart. When they are golden brown they are done.
While the potatoes are finishing warm up a few slices of ham and fry the eggs.

Curried Vegetables Over Couscous

Here is a fast and easy weeknight dinner.

Curried Vegetables served over Whole Grain Couscous

1 tbs olive oil
8 oz cauliflower crowns
4 oz button mushrooms, sliced into 2 or 4 pieces depending on size
1/2 red pepper, cut into small dice
1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 moons
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 moons
1 can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbs curry powder, more or less according to your preference
1/2 cup couscous

Heat olive oil in pan. When pan is hot add cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes, then add mushrooms. Cook until they start getting browned. Add the red pepper, squash and zucchini, cook for 2 minutes then add Chickpeas, tomatoes and curry powder. While veggies are cooking make couscous. When Cauliflower is cooked you can server over the couscous.

Salmon with Mixed Pepper and Tomato Salad

Here is a dish that I invented this weekend when I looked in the fridge and saw a couple of peppers, a handful of cherry tomatoes and the salmon my wife said she wanted for dinner. Simple, but very flavorful.

Salmon with Mixed Pepper and Tomato Salad

For the salmon:
1/2 pound of salmon
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 roasted red pepper, diced
1/4 roasted yellow pepper, diced
1 tbs olive oil

Heat a nonstick pan to medium high heat. Cover Salmon in olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat in pan until salmon gets crisp on edges then flip salmon over and heat for another minute or 2 until cooked to your desired doneness. Remove salmon from pan and set aside.

Add olive oil, tomatoes and peppers to pan. Cook until the peppers and tomatoes are heated through.

I made brown rice with this. I put brown rice in 4 oz ramekin and then inverted ramekin onto center of plate. When you lift it you will have a nice hill of rice in center of plate. Cut salmon in 1/2 and put 1 piece on the pile of rice, do this for each plate. Then spoon the tomato pepper mixture over the salmon.

Grilled Chicken Cacciatore

A nice cool fall day, so I decide to make Chicken Cacciatore while watching football. What do you mean it hit 80 degrees and now my wife wants to grill out. Now what? You improvise and make grilled Chicken Cacciatore, turned out to be very good.

Grilled Chicken Caccitaore

2 chicken breasts
1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 oz mushrooms, cut in 1/2 or 1/4 depending on size
1 Small Onion, cut into chunks
1 tbs plus 1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tbs Italian Seasoning, I used marjoram, oregano, and thyme plus a pinch of red pepper flakes
Rice or pasta to put the chicken on.

Preheat the grill.

Place all of the cut up vegetables in a bowl then add the tbs of olive oil and Italian Seasoning. Toss the vegetables to coat with oil and herbs. Set them aside.

Sprinkle the tsp of oil over the chicken breasts and salt and pepper them.

Now put everything on the grill, I kept the chicken separate from the veggies. Grill until they reach the desired tenderness.

To serve put the rice or pasta on the plate, then the chicken and vegetables.