Mom's liver and onions

I just heard an awesome compliment from my husband last night.
He said he was surprised the first time I made liver and onions.  He had come home and found out I made liver and onions.  he was a little worried, because he likes the way his mom makes it.  I told him it was OK, because his mom had taught me how to make it.  he said since then he has found that I make awesome liver and onions just like his mom.

Thanks mom, will always remember you when I cook.  I can almost see you watching me from heaven.  I can tell you may be laughing at times, because I know how to make a fine mess in the kitchen. 
Here is the recipe:

1 lb.Liver (calf or beef)
flour
Morton's seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 large sweet yellow onion
1 can of Campbell's mushroom soup
a little milk
some vegetable oil or a lot of PAM

Let's start by heating up the oven to 350 degrees while you slice the onion and set aside. (cover it or it will make you cry some more)
Take the liver, and rinse it, put it carefully on a plate or container.  Put about 1/2 cup flour on a flat plate, and add Morton's seasoning, and a little salt and pepper.

Heat up a skillet onto the stove and add some oil.  Once hot, place one piece of liver into the flour, turn to coat both sides,  brown the liver in the skillet.  Once browned, place in a Pyrex type container.  (I use an 8X8 dish)

Do the same with the next piece of liver, and while it browns, open the can of the cream of mushroom mix with a whisk with about 1/4 cup milk, so it's smooth. 
you will be placing the liver in the dish, one layer of liver, top with some of the soup.  Then another layer of liver, and more of the soup until you finish the liver.

Get rid of all the crusties left in the skillet and add a little more oil or PAM.  Brown the onions just a bit.  If you leave them too long they will be limp.  I don't like it limp, I just toss it around to pick up the flavors, and sprinkle a little salt.
Top the liver with the onions and bake for about 15 minutes. 

Optional:
I have topped all of this with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.  Also tastes good that way, just a tad more unhealthy.

I usually pair this up with mashed potatoes and fresh steamed broccoli.  (not steamed into mush, just barely, so it's still crunchy) 
Personally, I boil water and dunk the broccoli for about 2 minutes  then take it out of the water.  sprinkle with Molly butter and a little salt.

This will feed about 3 people and maybe have leftovers.

Pina colada cheesecake

I just had a craving for something like this. 

Crust:

about 2 cups of crushed Nilla wafers
6 tsp of margarine, melted
1 cup flaked coconut
(I put the dry coconut in the blender, I rather have smaller pieces)

Filling:

3 packages (8oz ea) of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 coconut flavored coffee creamer (I used Almond joy flavor)
       *If you don't have any you can use coconut cream, or
        a can of sweetened condensed mils and coconut extract.
2 tbsp of rum  (or a tsp of rum extract)
3 eggs

Topping:

1 large can of crushed pineapple (20 oz)
3 tbsp corn starch
3/4 cup of brown sugar (or to your taste)
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Take out a 9" spring form pan.  Take long strips of foil and fold in half to surround pan with.  Make sure it is wrapped around the pan securely covering the sides and about 1/2 inch or an inch underneath.

In a small bowl combine cookie crumbs, margarine and coconut.  Press onto the bottom of the spring form pan and about 1/2 inch of the sides. 

Place in 325 degree oven for about 8 minutes until lightly browned.  Take it out when done and st aside to cool.

While the crust is in the oven, in a large bowl, place the cream cheese, eggs, creamed, sugar.  Mix until it looks kind of even smooth.  It doesn't have to be perfect, I had a few tiny lumps in there.

Pour into pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour 30 minutes.  Check at that time.  mine took almost 2 hours.  to check the cheesecake, the top should be light golden in color.  and when you shake it gently, it shouldn't look shaky and watery in the center. 
Once you take out the cheesecake, use a wet butter knife to gently go around the edges, and let the cake cool.

While it cools, put the pineapple in a pot, with juice and all don't strain it.  Put it on the stove on low to medium heat.  Add the corn starch before it heats up.  mix in the brown sugar and vanilla.  Stir constantly until boiling.  Boil for about one or 2 minutes while stirring to prevent lumps.  Taste to make sure you like how sweet it is or adjust sugar.

Let it cool a bit.  Once it is warm, pour onto the cooling cheesecake.  Let the whole thing cool.   When cold put in the refrigerator. 

NOTE:
You are not supposed to spray the pan with Pam.  I should have, the sides got stuck to the pan a bit, so it looks crumbly.  It will taste good anyway, but if you want to make sure it looks smoother than this, spray, spray away!

Pozole my way

For this pozole I use beef, I don't like the way it smells when you use pork. 
Pick a roast that shreds easy for this.


One beef roast  (chuck roast shreds well)
1 onion
about one tsp of crushed garlic
1 Large can of hominy
beef bouillon or for a healthier choice, beef stock
bay leaves
cumin
salt and pepper to taste


dried chillies.
2 chilies anchos
2 chilies pasilla
2 chilies de arbol

*If you want to short cut, use chili powder and cayenne pepper to taste.  Add a little, let it rest, then taste to see if you want to add more.
*If using the dried chillies, boil about 2 cups of water and soak them for a few minutes.  When soft, blend in blender.  The strain into the boiling pozole.




Garnish:
shredded cabbage (or lettuce if you don't like cabbage)
finely chopped fresh onion
lime


Tostadas or corn chips to go with it.


Boil roast with salt to taste until roast is cooked.  Shred the meat, toss the water it was boiled in, set the shredded meat aside.
 
Open can of hominy, drain it and rinse it.  Place it in a big pot, add the beef stock, (one or two liters)  add some water so the hominy is covered in water, give it space to boil.
Add salt, and chopped onion, garlic to taste, cumin, 3 or 4 bay leaves.
add the chili mixture, the meat and boil for a good while on low heat.

After about 45 minutes to an hour add salt and pepper to taste, check the spices, make sure you have enough cumin in it, remove the bay leaves (if you don't want them floating in your food LOL).


Adjust the chili by adding some powdered chili or cayenne pepper as necessary.  Powdered chili is milder, cayenne pepper is hotter.


After boiling on low heat for about an hour, let it sit and soak.  reheat again when ready to eat it.  It will taste better later when it is being reheated, because the spices will have had time to soak in.

But there is nothing that says you can't have a bowl as soon as it's done to "taste". (wink wink)


Serve in a bowl, top with shredded cabbage (or lettuce) and top with a little finely chopped onion, (some people add thin sliced radish as well) and sprinkle some lime on it.


It is great with tostadas or corn chips. 

Dinner

I like eating at the table...
So I was setting the table, and had some interference from a certain Small Fry.  I guess he wanted to make sure everything was placed properly.

I made somethng with leftovers. 

Mixed half a can of corn and half a can of chick peas with half container of fresh salsa from Fresh and Easy. 

I got the mild one that is made fresh and can be found in the refrigerated section where the party trays are.

Added some Morton Seasoning and warmed it up in the microwave.  It came out surprisingly good. 



Ana's butter rum apple pie

Warming up your morning here.  So cold outside, thought I'd make something that would warm up the house and make it smell good in here.

Here is the view out my kitchen window, this is Big Bear last week, this morning it's covered in clouds.

Ready, set, gather ingredients


3 Granny apples, large (or equivalent)
2 pie crusts
(I used frozen crusts from Mrs Smith's, Pillsburry also
great, or you can make them from scratch) 
1/4 brown sugar
about 1/4 cup rum (or you can use artificial rum flavor if you must)
a little more rum
use a little butter, I used Molly butter (powder)
one handfull or so of flour
an egg (beaten)




Soak the sugar in the rum (mine was big lumps as usual) and sprinkle some Molly butter into it. ( used about 1/2 tsp)  Add the flour and mix.  Peel, core and slice apples.


If you are under age, skip the rum!  please.  (I forget not only my friends may read this)


After you put the knife away, grab a cup of coffee add the little bit of extra rum, if brave, add some nice creamer, I have white chocolate raspberry.  This will warm you up for now.


Arrange the sliced apples onto the pie shell, drizzle the sugar mixture over the apples.


Beat the one egg, and brush the edges.  Cover the pie shell, with the other pie shell and use a fork dipped into the egg to press down the edges. 
I dipped mine in the egg so it goes smoother.

Brush the rest of the pie shell you used to cover the pie with egg.  Cut  4 slices on top so the pie can breathe.

Sprinkle top of pie if  you want with sugar (I used colored sugar)


Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until golden brown.  I let it sit in oven for abut 10 more minutes. 


Let it sit for a few minutes.  It is best when warm.  I suggest some ice cream with it! 
You can use other apples, or add raisins to the sugar soaking mixture.  I like the contrast of the granny Smith tartness with the smoothness of the buttered rum.

Baked Chicken and Wild Rice

4 chicken thighs
1 1/2 cup brown rice
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1 can chicken broth
1/3 cup water
salt to taste
dash
a sprinkle of taco seasoning, optional.
green olives in halves, optional



Put the chopped onion, rice, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup water, garlic, salt and spices into a rice cooker. 



Or cook on the stove on a pot on very low heat for about half an hour with a lid on.  Turn off leave alone about 10 minutes.



Meanwhile, boil the chicken thighs to get them kick started, and set aside.  (about 20 minutes if frozen)



Test rice, when it's ready, fluff up with a fork, and place in an oven safe dish, mix in olives.  Place the chicken on top, and sprinkle with chicken seasoning of your choice.  I used "Montreal Chicken".  Add about 1/4 cup water if you want the rice moist.



If you want the healthier version, stop here and place in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until chicken looks a little golden.



Otherwise, you can spray the tops of the chicken with Pam.  If you are brave, you can top the whole thing with shredded cheese.



This is enough for two people, so if you don't have someone to share with, invite a brave soul over to eat with you.  You can pair this up with steamed broccoli to ease the guilt of not eating enough veggies.



When serving, I bathed this in some of my home made hot sauce.