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Way back in the “olden days” when somebody served shredded wheat what you got was a bowl with this humongous brick like chunk of something that looked (and tasted!) like a miniature bail of hay or straw.
I remember when I had this as a kid thinking “WHY do people serve this? and WHY does anybody actually eat it??”. Well, they say time heals all wounds ( and eating that “stuff” was a wound guarantee it!) and it’s true in this case. These Frosted Mini-Wheats are a whole world different and better than their giant, tasteless ancestors.
I’ve been a fan or Root Beer as far back as I can remember. There’s two problems with that however. 1), These days it’s getting harder to find a GOOD root beer and 2), When you DO find one, it’s going to be expensive. This homebrew recipe has the advantage of being cheaper to make if only because you don’t have to pay for some big companies advertising and marketing budget.
Wash 1/2 ounce each of hops, dried burdock, yellow dock, sarsaparilla, dandelion, sassafras and spikenard roots and bruise them thoroughly with a potato masher or pastry blender. Cover them with the water and bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat. Then strain into a large crock, add a cup and a half of molasses and cool until it’s lukewarm.
When the mixture is lukewarm, stir in 1 teaspoon dry yeast. Then cover the crock with a cloth and put it in a warm, draft-free spot (about 70-80 degrees F.) After 2 hours, pour it into clean bottles to within 1/2 inch of the top and cap securely (NOT with corks). Place the capped bottles on their sides back in that warm and draft-free place and leave them there for 5 days and then set them upright in a cool place.
The root beer will be ready to drink in 10 days and will stay good for several months.
1 gallon water
1-1/2 cups molasses
1 tsp. dry yeast
1/2 ounce each of hops, dried burdock, yellow dock,
sarsaparilla, dandelion, sassafras and spikenard roots
Remember those Mini biscuit pizzas from a few days back? Well, I decided that they were so good that I Just HAD to do a video of making them. Ok, the truth is I just wanted more of ‘em and making the video was a good excuse to do it. ;-P
Here’s something that I’ve not actually tried doing because it’s never occurred to me to make a stroganoff in the microwave oven. After seeing this microwave recipe however I’ve decided that the next time I lay hands on some boneless beef sirloin some of it is going into this stroganoff recipe.
Start by freezing the steak for an hour or so to make slicing it easier. Cut the steak into really thin slices across the grain. Then in a 2 quart microwave-safe casserole, combine the beef and a half up of diced onion.
Cover and microwave on high 5 minutes or until the beef isn’t pink anymore, giving it a stir once while it’s cooking.
In small bowl stir a can of cream of mushroom soup until it’s smooth and ten stir in a half cup of sour cream and a half teaspoon of paprika.
Add this to the beef and stir it to coat all of the meat. Cover and microwave at half power for 3 minutes or until it’s heated all the way through. Serve over noodles.
1 pound of boneless beef sirloin steak
1/2 cup of diced onion
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushrooms soup
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
Hot cooked noodles
If you’re at all like most people, bacon is one of those breakfast (and any other time you can get it!) favorites. The only problem with bacon comes when you decide that you want to reduce the fat in your diet because bacon is normally loaded with it. Part of the reason for this is because cooking bacon in a skillet or on grill has the bacon laying in it’s own fat as it cooks.
If you’ve been trying to find ways to cook bacon without all the fact then the Crispy Clean Bacon Broiler, also known as the WowBacon™ microwave cooker, is the answer you’ve been looking for.
This broiler not only lets you cook bacon in the microwave, it literally cooks the fat out of the bacon which makes for a much healthier, lower fat bacon. It’s also totally enclosed so there’s no spattering or mess and there’s no need for paper towels.
Pizza is something that’s almost always just too good to pass up. I particularly like this recipe because it means you can have pizza even when the budget doesn’t allow for running out to some hut to buy one.
While the oven is preheating to 475 degrees roll the (unbaked) biscuits out to about 1/4 inch thick.
Spread a layer of tomato sauce over the top of each biscuit. Then cover them with a layer of beef (or whatever other meat and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper, diced onions and parmesan cheese over the meat and.
Top this with another layer of tomato sauce and another layer of cheese. Bake for 20 to 35 minutes or until the biscuit pizza crusts are golden brown.
1 can (10pack) of biscuits
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 pound of ground beef (or ground turkey, sausage or whatever meat you like)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of diced nion
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
The job of cutting onions has always been associated with red teary eyes. Depending on how strong the onion is and how they’re being cut it can actually get so bad that you can’t even hardly see what you’re doing because the tears are flowing so freely. Add to that you’re eyes are burning and very irritated, it’s no wonder somebody who sees you cutting onions might think you were heartbroken or otherwise terribly upset. Cutting onions can be a traumatic event.
Thing is, it doesn’t have to be. After many years of having this kind of problem myself I *FINALLY* figure out how I could cut onions without looking like I was crying my eyes out over something totally tragic.
Here’s a recipe that ought to catch a lot of people’s attention. French fries have been a favorite of millions ever since they were first invented. The problem is that almost all french fries are pretty close to the top of the “do not eat when trying to lose weight” list.
Start out with a couple of good sized baking potatoes and give ‘em a good scrub but don’t peel them (though it’s still a good idea to give ‘em a once-over and remove any ‘eyes’ or bad spots). Next, cut them in half lengthwise and slice each half into lengthwise wedges. They should each have some peel on them.
Soak them in cold water for 20 minutes and then drain and dry the potatoes. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place the potato wedges into a plastic bag or large plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid.
Add some vegetable oil and shake to coat the potatoes thoroughly.
Arrange the wedges in single layer on a cooking sheet and bake in preheated 450-degree oven for about 20 minutes or so. When they’re about half done turn them. If you like you can sprinkle a bit of chili powder on them just before the end of cooking time.
When they’re done season them to taste with your preference of salt, pepper, paprika and / or celery salt Personally I like to use a mixture of all four.
2 (baked potato sized) potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
3 sprays of vegetable cooking spray
paprika
salt
pepper
celery salt
By the way, in the next day or so I’ll have a new video up, “How to cut an onion without tears”. If you’ve *ever* been red-eyed and half blinded by tears while cutting an onion you won’t want to miss this one!
Here’s a low fat version of everybody’s favorite pepper steak
Start by spraying the skillet with your favorite non-stick cooking spray. Saute 3 pounds of thin sliced boneless top round steak and set it aside. Saute 1 diced medium onion and a clove of garlic in a skillet until the onions are tender and clear. Slice 1 and a half bell peppers into thin strips and add to the skilled and add a small amount of water. Cover and cook on low until tender.
Sprinkle with a teaspoon of bouillon granules and add 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce and 2/3 cup of water.
In a measuring cup, make a paste with 1/4 cup of hot water and a tablespoon plus a teaspoon of cornstarch. Pour it into the skillet and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Add a thin sliced tomato and cook until tender.
Serve a few strips of steak over hot cooked rice and top it with the sauce.
3 pounds of boneless top round steak Thinly sliced
1 diced medium Onion
1 1/2 large bell peppers thinly sliced
2/3 cup of water
1 teaspoon of Beef bouillon
2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
1 1/2 medium tomato sliced thin
2 cups of hot cooked rice
Cook a pound of fresh okra for five minutes or so in boiling salted water and then drain it and set aside briefly. Slice a rib of celery diagonally and blanch it in boiling salted water.
Add two green bell peppers cut in strips and two 10oz packages of frozen lima beans and cook until they’re just tender. In the last last 30 seconds or so, add 2 10oz packages of frozen corn (be sure not to overcook) and then drain the vegetables.
Coat a large baking dish with butter (or your favorite non-stick cooking spray) and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Add a layer of the corn-bean mixture and a layer of okra.
Combine a diced medium onion, four sliced ripe tomatoes and some basil (half teaspoon if it’s dried, full teaspoon if it’s fresh), Then spoon a layer of the onion-tomato mixture over the bottom layer.
Sprinkle with two thin sliced serrano chiles and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dot the layer with butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Repeat the above layering until the casserole is filled. Top it with a layer of okra that’s been dipped in bread crumbs and sauteed in butter for a few minutes. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of shredded cheese and it’s ready for the oven. Bake it uncovered 300 degrees for an hour.
You can be bake this up in the morning and reheat it slowly before serving. Like many dishes of this nature, it’s even better the second day (assuming you have any left of course).
1 pound of fresh okra sliced diagonally
2 10oz packages of Frozen sliced okra
1 diced medium onion
4 sliced ripe tomatoes
1 rib of celery sliced diagonally
2 thin sliced serrano chiles
2 green bell peppers cut in strips
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh basil
OR
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
2 10oz packages of frozen lima beans
2 10oz packages of frozen corn (thawed)
1/2 cup of shredded monterey jack cheese
Bread crumbs
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Butter
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