Sauteed mushrooms

Sauteed mushrooms add a nice touch to a wonderfully grilled steak or pork chop. And they really take so little time to prepare.

When sauteeing mushrooms, I use real butter (what else is there, really?) and garlic salt. Melt the butter and garlic on medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring frequently.

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Grilled New York Steak with mushrooms

So this isn't really much of a recipe. Just more fun grilling and what you can do with a nice steak.

Ingredients:
1 lb. New York steak
Smokehouse maple seasoning
Season All salt
Sauteed mushrooms

Grill meat to desired temperature.

Top with mushrooms.

Eat well.

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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These cookies are my husband's favorite. I made them for Valentine's Day. I know they aren't a typical Valentine's Day cookie, but they sure made him happy.

Ingredients
3 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C brown sugar (lightly packed)
1 tsp vanilla
1 C butter
2 eggs
3/4 C macadamia nuts, chopped
2 C white chocolate chips

Mix flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside. Beat sugars, vanilla, and butter until creamy.

Add eggs and beat well. Add dry to creamy and mix well.

Chop nuts.

Add nuts and chips to dough. Mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.


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White Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Cookies

Irish Stew (crockpot style)

I came across an Irish Stew recipe in a crockpot cookbook a couple of years ago. It's one of the few recipes that I have never followed completely on the first try. In fact, I've never made it the same way twice...but no one has complained so far.  We love it with elk roast for the meat.

Here are the basics.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. stew meat

3 carrots, chopped

4 potatoes, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

1 qt. stewed tomoatoes

2 Portobello mushrooms, sliced

2 pkg dry onion soup mix

1-1/2 C water

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 C flour for thickening, if necessary

Cut up the vegetables. Put everything except the flour in the crockpot and stir. Cover the crockpot and set crockpot to high. Allow to cook for 8-9 hours (yes, hours).

About one hour before it is finished, add as much or little flour as you want for thickening.

Serve with biscuits or homemade bread.

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Irish Stew

Pork Chops with Portobello Mushrooms and Salsa

My stepson got this recipe from his food's class. He gets extra credit for cooking outside of class, so we wanted to try this one. It's extremely tasty!

Ingredients:
4-6 pork chops, boneless
1-1/2 C salsa
1C chopped portobello mushrooms
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbl maple syrup
1/2 fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with salsa.

Arrange pork chops on top of salsa.

Chop mushrooms.

In a small bowl, combine mushrooms, cheese, and syrup.

Spoon over pork chops.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

The drippings make a great gravy for rice or potatoes.

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Pork Chop

Amazing From-Scratch Waffles

I grew up eating the most amazing waffles. I don't know what it is about this recipe that makes these things so delicious. Maybe the whipped egg whites. Maybe the bit of sugar. I don't know, but they are delicious.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 C sifted flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 C milk

2 eggs, separated

1/2 C melted butter (or oil or margarine)

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for greasing and heating your waffle iron.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

Individually stir in milk, beaten egg yolks, and melted butter.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Fold into mixture.

When waffle iron is heated, pour some mixture into center of the iron and spread until 1 inch from the edge. Bake as directed.

When cooked, loosen from iron and serve immediately.

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Belgian Waffles