Hamburger (not helper) Stroganoff

Welcome back lovelies!
It's another Tuesday for us foodies. Gotta say I always have the blog going on during the 6 other days in the week. Last Wednesday I went out and had a fun day with my mother in law. While at this (AMAZING) bookstore I came across 2 cookbooks so I nabbed them up and Ma and I are already on the research hunt for more food goodness. A blog mistresses work is never done ;D. So let's get cracking to this week's pick. Ma has chosen an old comfort food classic. Ever had Hamburger Helper? You know the stuff in the box that promises a meal in one pan with just the box of ingredients and a pound of meat? Well, we decided to cut out the middle man (sorry, hamburger helper hand, you're cute but not needed this time) and make our own stroganoff. YES! Stroganoff, that tangy, pasta filled, mushroom soaked dish. Come on who doesn't love this stuff? I know I do and ours has left out all that mumbo jumbo salt that they fill helper with (I am not a HH hater, I just think if you can cut down the salt and make it your own then why not?). I'm sure the hand helper will understand. Let's get things started:


(This recipe was written on an extremely old piece of paper so yours truly will be writing this one out. No link this week)




Hamburger (not helper) Stroganoff
(Makes 5 servings)

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup minced onions
1 clove garlic minced
1lb ground beef
1lb mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cup sour cream
1 can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
Egg Noodles


Directions:

*In a skillet over medium heat in hot butter or margarine cook onions and garlic until golden (3 minutes). Stir in ground beef, mushrooms, flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook stirring often, until meat is brown (about 7 minutes).

*Stir in undiluted soup. Heat to boiling then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in sour cream and heat (DO NOT BOIL).

*Serve over noodles or rice.






So this was yum city! I actually had 2 helpings (HA! Get it? Helpings? As in hamburger helper...No?) and Geoff looked pleased with it. Can't go wrong there lol.



Tid Bits:
*Honestly, we don't have a lot of tid bits this week. I really think the recipe is spot on. So kiddies, follow it.
The only thing we suggest is you can change the beef or turkey and not a fan of mushrooms? Try leaving out the actual mushrooms and just using the cream of mushroom soup. Oh and one last one, you can certainly put this over rice.




Ma's Spot: I got this recipe MANY years ago from a friend and loved it. Of course for Dinah Jane we changed the beef for turkey and it turned out really good. I liked this recipe because it's a lot cheaper to make with the ground beef or ground turkey than the standard stroganoff recipe using stewing meat. So if you're looking to feed the family on a budget and have a tasty dinner I encourage you to try this.




*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:




Dinah: This week's snack is a newbie from Hershey's. The new Air Delight Kisses which has something to do with aerated air in it? I'm guessing it means it was whipped? Anywho, I liked them nonetheless. When I got the middle of the kiss it made me feel like I was eating chocolate air but in a good way. I know that sounds odd but gotta say I'm a fan. So, if you'd like a chocolate fix and want something different than the norm then try these.


Ma: I have to say my taste buds really enjoyed this snack. It was light on texture but not light on taste. Whether you suck on them or bite right in the airy texture of them was a big hit with me. I encourage you to stop reading this now and go out and get some!



That's it folks, we'll see you back here in 7 days. Next week is my pick and as always it's going to be something out o left field. What exactly? You gotta come back and see. ;].
Have a great week guys!




Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Vidalia Onion Pie

Good evening our lovely blog readers!
Please excuse the chipper mood. Glee came back tonight after a LONG Summer hiatus. Ma and I are hardcore Gleeks so we are in geeked out moods tonight. Now onto the reason you guys come by our lovely space of food writing, this week's recipe. It was my pick and its something out of left field (as always lol). Let me tell you a little story about a blog mistress, a food network pie showdown, and some onions. I, Dinah love the pie competitions on Food Network. There, I said it. Hey there are worse things in the world to be addicted to. So while watching one of the pie competitions I noticed this pie that seemed out of place. It was made by this guy who used to make onion pies with his grandma. At first I was like A: I hate onions. I mean if it came down to me kissing a toilet and eating a raw onion I think I need the right shade of lipstick for the bowl to lay a pucker on. & B: He's got to be kidding. He's not going to win against these women with their cherry and peach pies. So as the show went on he began cooking the onions and making this quiche pie thingy and the dreaded onions? they didn't turn out so bad looking. I thought "Hmm, I'll try that one day". So I stored the recipe in the "Maybe I'll try it one day pile" and went along with my day. That day turned into 5 years later and I ran across a vhs tape in my room that had the competition on it. I then realized I still had the link for the recipe the blog was the perfect chance/excuse to give it a go. So that's what we did. Everyone was huffy all week and I even heard a few grunts about my choice but I stand by this concoction. I have onion faith.

Let's get started:

Vidalia Onion Pie

Total Time: 2 hr 0 min
Prep: 20 min
Inactive: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 40 min
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 tablespoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher or Hawaiian salt
* 1/4 cup cold all-vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
* 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
* Cold water


Filling:

* 1/4 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 2 pounds Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
* 3 large eggs, beaten
* 1 cup sour cream
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher or Hawaiian salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

*For the crust: All ingredients should be cold. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and butter. Using a pastry blender cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drop by drop, add cold water. Mix in with the fingertips, not with the hands as the palms will warm the dough. Continue mixing water in until the dough begins to hold together without being sticky but not crumbly. Place dough in plastic wrap. Fold over plastic wrap and press down to form a disk. This will make rolling out easier after chilling. Finish wrapping in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

*Lightly spray a deep 9-inch pie pan or an 8 1/2-inch fluted flan pan. Roll out dough and place in pie plate. Return to the refrigerator until filling is ready. Makes pastry for a 9-inch single crust pie.

*Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

*For the filling: Brush egg wash on the inside of pie crust. Return to refrigerator until filling is ready. Over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and saute until translucent. Do not brown. Combine eggs, sour cream and flour. Add onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper and pour into chilled pie crust. Top with Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F for the last 20 minutes or until center is set.









How did this one work out? Well here goes:
Dear Mr. John Michael Lerma,
While I am a raw onion hater for life...you have changed my views on cooked onions. Your pie was super yummy, it was super easy to make, and it made me feel like I was eating an onion ring pie (love love love onions rings). So no more will you hear from me how your odd choice would never measure up to the ladies who bring in their cherry and peach pies. Keep fighting the good onion fight sir! XOXO~Me



Tid Bits:
*If you go looking for vidalia onions at your local grocery store and they don't have them ask the workers there what kind of sweet onions they carry and just use what they have on hand.

*Not into baking your own pie crust? Try refrigerated pie dough. Works just as good.



Ma's Spot: When Dinah brought up this recipe of an onion pie the first thing I did was run for the hills. I have to say though that after we made the recipe and I tasted it amazing was the word that came to mind. I loved ratio of onions to the eggs to the sour cream. It was just great and came together for me. It made one fantastic dinner. Prepare it with a nice little salad on the side and your family will love it. I encourage you to give this a try.



*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:




Dinah: We've got something tonight that I was a little jazzed about buying. It's a snack that can show off yours truly's skills in the baking world. My pick this week is from the lovely lady who goes by the name Betty Crocker. She has put out a new thing by the name of FundaMiddles. Cute name eh? So the idea of it is no frosting on the top and frosting melted in the middle. Now that's my kind of cupcake cause as crazy as it sounds I am just like my grandma and I am not a fan of frosting (well buttercream is amazing but that's as far as it goes) or the taste of pure sugar. These were FANTASTIC! I loved even after letting them cool for a few hours the middle was still gooey. Thumbs up my friends, a must pick up.



Ma: I have to say I really enjoyed this weeks snack especially when I didn't have to make it. I left it up to my baking daughter. It was like eating an inside out cupcake. It tasted like the frosting was on the inside. If you don't like like a lot of frosting or anything with tons of sugar (like my Dinah) then these cupcakes are for you. I on the other hand like a lot of frosting so I was skeptical of these but I have to say with each bite of these you get the frosting. So it would be great for a nice treat for kids to have and parents will love the no frosting mess. So go out to your local store, buy a box, and enjoy!



That's all folks, we'll see you here next Tuesday for more food goodness. Have a great week guys!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Ranch-Style Turkey Chili

Hey hey guys and dolls, Tuesday has rolled around so we've got another yummy recipe to send your way. First how do we like the new layout for fall? I'm digging it and I hope you guys do too! Now onto the food: Ma's choice comes to us from Rachel Ray. Left field eh? We like Rachel but we don't usually profile her on the blog. Weird, but we've just never found anything that sparked our interest while doing food research. Well that changed this past week when Ma stumbled on tonight's dish and we knew we had to give it the good ol' college try. Let's get started:


Ranch-Style Turkey Chili

Total Time: 35 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 poblano peppers
2 large corn muffins, store-bought
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 pounds ground turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cumin, a couple of palmfuls
1 tablespoon coriander, a palmful
One 14-ounce can pinto or white beans
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Hot sauce
1 cup sour cream

Optional Toppers:

Shredded sharp Cheddar
Minced red onion
4 to 5 slices crispy bacon, chopped

Directions
*Char the peppers over a gas flame on high heat or under the broiler with the oven door cracked for steam to escape, turning with tongs. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Let them cool, then peel, seed and finely chop.

*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

*Crumble the corn muffins, arrange on a cookie sheet and toast until crispy and extra golden, about10 minutes. Set aside.

*Heat the EVOO in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble the meat. Add the garlic and onions to the pot and cook to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander, then stir in the chopped peppers. Add the beans, stock and herbs and simmer 5 minutes. Season with hot sauce.

*Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream to combine. Serve topped with the crispy corn muffin crumbles and any of the other toppings you like.




So how did this one turn out? It's pretty yum! It reminds me of Hamburger Helper Stroganoff. Weird, I know lol but it does. I'd say it's a keeper. :].



Tid Bits:
* We took sour cream and added dry ranch dressing mix.
*You can take it off the burner and let it cool a bit before adding in the sour cream mixture.
*We left out the cumin and coriander (due to allergies) so we used a little chili powder and oregano.
*Instead of buying store bought corn muffins we used Dinah's corn bread recipe (Check back in the archived recipes on the side of the page for that recipe).


Ma's Spot: The minute I saw 30 Minute Meals with this recipe I knew we had to try it and I wasn't wrong. This was delicious and comforting soup. I really liked the taste of the ranch in the chili. I love chili's but the fact that it didn't have any tomatoes gave it a different taste. I love the idea of doing the corn muffins (or corn bread) and putting them back in the oven to crisp up then putting them on the chili. It made for a delicious chili. So if you're looking for a different kind of chili and you also happened to love ranch dressing you will love this recipe. I encourage you to try it.





*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:




Dinah: This week's snack is Quaker Chewy Chocolatey Mint Bars. First off I am biased. I love mint. It's amazing and one of my favorite things to pair with chocolate so I'll try and not fall instantly in love without knowing all the facts. You get 10 bars in one box, the bars themselves are slender, and each bar has mint chips in them. Yeah, this whole not falling instantly thing isn't working out for me so much. I love these, they are chewy and the mint flavor is really good. Even during my snacking of this item I kept peeling off the mint chips and eating them first. Hey, there are worse habits in the world lol. These are a definite buy.



Ma: In this snack I love the cocoa and mint together. I love Quaker snacks anyways and for them to combine cocoa and mint, winner winner a snack after my dinner. I encourage you to buy it and your taste buds will enjoy it!




Okie guys, that's it for this week but as always come back next Tuesday for more food goodness. What's on next week's menu? It's my pick and I have to words for you: ONION PIE. WAIT! Don't go...oh...shoot! I knew that would freak you guys out but I promise it looks good and I don't even like onions all that much. So, you're gonna come back right? Like next Tuesday? Thought you would, we won't disappoint. ;D. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Asian Sloppy Joes

Good evening blog readers everywhere! Happy summer is over which means it's almost fall! Excuse the excitement, it's our absolute favorite time of the year. Ma and I are not fans of summer (minus the addiction that is Big Brother) so autumn to us is amazing. So what do we have up our sleeves this week? Something Asian style that I came across while watching my favorite tv lush Miss Sandra I-need-another-cocktail Lee. Aw, I'm only kidding. I love Sandy. Without her we wouldn't have tonight's recipe. Speaking of tonight's recipe hows about we get to it?

Asian Sloppy Joes

Total Time: 35 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min

Ingredients
Sauce:

One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Sloppy Joes:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 pound ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small head green cabbage
4 hamburger buns, toasted

Directions

*For the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, ginger and hot sauce until blended. Reserve 1/2 cup for the Round 2 Recipe Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, or another use. Set the rest of the sauce aside.

*For the sloppy joes: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil. When it is hot, add the onions and peppers and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes.

*Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the ground pork. Break up any lumps and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the pork is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, spoon some of it out and discard.

*Add the sauce to the pan, bring to a simmer and cook until the pork mixture has thickened but is still a bit loose, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture for the Round 2 Recipe Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, or another use.

*To serve, remove 2 leaves from the cabbage, roll them up like a cigar and slice into very thin strips. Reserve the remaining cabbage for the Round 2 Recipe

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, or another use. Divide the sloppy joe mixture onto the hamburger buns. Garnish with the sliced cabbage. Top with the bun tops and serve immediately.




So did Sandy steer us wrong?
Not so much, our girl deserves a pat on the back. Now, I am a complete sloppy joe snob. Hey, blame Ma for making amazing sloppy joes all my life but I gotta say these were great. Sweet and tangy but not too much. I'd eat them again so this one was a decent hit.


Tid Bits:
*As always we used turkey instead of pork.

*You can use apple cider vinegar.




Ma's Spot: I liked tonight's dinner. It gave a different twist to sloppy joes. I would probably try it again but when it comes to good sloppy joes I'll stick to my recipe but I encourage you to try it. Especially if you like Asian food.




*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:




Dinah: Tonight's snack is a bit on the heavier side for a snack but these are new and could be a snack. Totino's Pizza Stuffers scared me at first. I thought "okie, here are these hot pocket looking thingy's and if they taste like Hot Pockets I am going to be super disappointed" but they are pretty awesome. The crust is golden, buttery, and crispy. The filling is pure pizza toppings. So this is a definite buy!



Ma: I really enjoyed this snack. Instead of having 4 or 5 pizza rolls you can have one big one. My suggestion is to spray the stuffer with butter spray and put it in the oven to bake it comes out crispy and golden. I really really enjoyed it! So go get it and try it.



And that's all she wrote folks. Come back by next Tuesday for the next recipe. It's ma's pick and...well...I don't know what's on the menu yet but as always it'll be something new and (hopefully) good! Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma