Almost everyone has their way of making mashed potatoes. Some choose to go with peeled or unpeeled potatoes. Some choose to add milk, cream, butter, cheese…and the list could go on and on.  Well today I’m going to give you my way of making mashed potatoes. Before discovering this recipe we use to just add milk and butter to our potatoes. That is basically the most common way to make them, but I think this tastes much better. The secret to these great potatoes is adding fresh garlic to the potatoes while boiling them. Then during the mashing process we are adding a few ingredients such as milk, butter, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. If you’re in need of a quick and tasty mashed potatoes recipe for a side dish tonight, you’ve come across the perfect recipe. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
7 cups peeled potatoes (cubed)
6 cloves garlic (minced if you want)
¼ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Peel potatoes and then cut them into cubes. Peel garlic (mince if you wish) and place potatoes and garlic in a large sauce pan. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain.

Step 2: Place the drained potatoes and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add milk, butter, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and beat with a mixer until smooth.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

Tuna melts, the glorified tuna sandwich, or are they a glorified grilled cheese sandwich? Either way, they are extremely delicious. I hadn’t made tuna melt in awhile so the other night I decided it was time to bring them back once again, and they didn’t disappoint. In fact, they were so good the next day I wanted to make them again. Tuna melts have been around for awhile and I’m sure many of you probably eat them quite often. But if they are new to you, tuna melts are basically tuna salad and a grilled cheese sandwich combined. I have come across many recipes for tuna melts in the past, but I think this one is the best. This recipe is very flexible and you can add more or less depending on your preferences. If you don’t have much time and are looking for a quick, easy, inexpensive, and great tasting lunch or dinner this is perfect for you. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
2 (6 oz) cans solid white tuna (well drained)
¼ cup mayonnaise (or use more if desired)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large celery rib (finely chopped)
2 green onions (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
seasoning salt (to taste)
ground lemon pepper or black pepper (to taste)
4 slices French bread (or Italian or Sour Dough will work)
4 tomato slices
4 slices Swiss cheese (or shredded Swiss)
Butter or margarine (for cooking)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a bowl combine tuna fish, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery rib, green onions, and parsley. Add seasoning salt and lemon or black pepper to taste, and mix well.
Step 2: Compile the sandwich by layering a slice of bread, then the tuna mixture, some Swiss cheese, then tomato’s followed by more Swiss cheese. Butter a slice of bread and lay it on top of the sandwich (butter side up).

Step 3: Heat your skillet or griddle on medium heat. Place the sandwiches butter side down into your skillet. Lightly butter the slice of bread that’s facing upwards. Cook for a few minutes until nicely browned (watch them so they don’t burn) and with a metal spatula (use plastic if using a non-stick pan) flip sandwich over and cook on the other side until it’s browned. Remove from pan and serve immediately.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

With Easter only a few short days away, most of us are probably getting ready to hard boil eggs. Some of you may be new to hard boiling eggs altogether, or you might have tried it in the past and been a bit disappointed with the results – or maybe you just want those perfect fried or poached eggs to go along with your breakfast? Whichever it may be, if you’re looking to cook perfect eggs, this is the article for you. The problem with eggs is that they are very easy to over cook. Pan fried eggs can end up burnt, poached eggs can end up rubbery, and hard boiled eggs can end up with that nasty greenish ring around the yolk. In this article I will give you three easy methods of cooking eggs. This article will explain how to perfectly boil, pan fry, and poach your eggs.

Cooking Methods:

Method 1: How to Pan Fry an Egg

For eggs sunny side up-
Step 1:  Over medium heat, using a non-stick frying pan (stainless or cast iron will work as well but non stick works the best) warm a small amount of butter, oil, or non-stick cooking spray. Crack egg/s into a bowl or saucer and gently slide the egg into the pan. Cook until the white appears solid, about 3 to 4 minutes. (The key here is to cook the whites all the way through while leaving the yolk still soft. If the heat is too high it will result in uneven cooking. You want to keep the heat low enough so it doesn’t burn but high enough so it still cooks)
Step 2: If you are having problems getting the whites to cook fast enough without overcooking the yolk, you can baste the top of the eggs with butter. Simply tilt the pan and baste hot butter over the top of the eggs.
For eggs over easy-
Step 1: Over medium heat, using a non-stick frying pan (stainless or cast iron will work as well) warm a small amount of butter, oil, or non-stick cooking spray. Crack egg/s into a bowl or saucer and gently slide the eggs into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Flip the egg over and cook for another minute or two.

Method 2:  How to Boil an Egg
Intro- Boiling an egg is actually really easy and if you follow these instructions you should have no problems what so ever. It is best to use eggs that are at least 3-5 days old because fresher eggs will be more difficult to peel. The eggs should also be pulled out of the refrigerator so they are at room temperate before boiling.

Step 1: Gently place large eggs in a single layer in a pan with just enough cold water to cover the eggs completely. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Just as it reaches a rapid boil remove the pan from the heat, and cover it tightly with a lid. Let the pan sit covered for 17 minutes for hard boiled eggs (6 minutes for medium cooked yolks, and 4-5 minutes for soft yolks) and immediately transfer eggs to a bowl of cold water.
Step 2: Let the eggs sit in the cold water for at least 10 minutes before trying to peel them.This method is for using standard large eggs. For other sizes you should follow this:
Medium sized eggs:
Soft Yolk- 3 minutes
Medium yolk- 5 minutes
Hard Yolk- 12 minutes
Extra Large eggs:
Soft Yolk- 5 minutes
Medium yolk- 8 minutes
Hard Yolk- 28 minutes

Method 3: How to Poach an Egg
Intro- Poaching is perhaps one of the hardest ways to cook eggs. The biggest issue is keeping the egg together in the pan. You want to be using freshest eggs possible because the fresher the egg, the better it will stay together. Older eggs have a tendency to come apart easily. It would also be a good idea to use a deep pan (at least 3 inches deep) so that the egg doesn’t stick to the bottom. You might want to add a little distilled vinegar to the water because it will help the egg stick together better.

Step 1: Break an egg into a small bowl or saucer.  In your pan bring water to the point where it’s almost at a boil. To the point where there are small bubbles forming on the bottom of the pan (the water should not be boiling!). Turn the heat off immediately.
Step 2: Gently try to create a whirl pool motion in the water, and carefully slide the egg out of your bowl or saucer and into the middle of the whirl pool. This will help the egg wrap around itself and will help it stay together.

Step 3: Put the lid on for about 3 minutes (or a little longer if you want firmer yolks). Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain well before serving.
If you want perfect shape you can use an egg poaching mold (showed in the fourth picture).
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

I first discovered Sesame Chicken when I was eating at a Chinese buffet. The juicy chicken and the amazing sauce had me hooked from the first bite. I knew right then that I had to make this at home and after trying a couple different recipes, I came up with one that I enjoyed the most. As you might have noticed I garnished this dish with not only the traditional sesame seeds but sliced scallions as well. I feel the scallions play a big role in adding flavor to this recipe. Another great flavor enhancer is the marinade. The marinade is basically a fruity wine and chicken base combination. It adds great flavor to the chicken and makes it very moist coming out of the deep fryer.  If you’re craving some amazing Chinese food or are just in the mood for something different, don’t be afraid to give this recipe a try.

 
Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
2 green onions (sliced)
Marinade-
1 teaspoon chicken base
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sesame oil
ground white pepper (to taste)
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon raspberry wine (or any fruity flavored wine)
Batter-
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup water (or as much as needed to make batter smooth)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce-
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sugar
salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
a sprinkle of ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cut chicken breasts into 1” chunks and in a glass bowl combine all of the marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken and coat evenly. Cover and marinade for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Meanwhile, in separate bowl combine all of the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Set aside.
Step 3: Using a fork or tongs remove the pieces of chicken from the marinade and dip them into the batter to coat evenly (one by one). Deep fry the chicken in batches in your deep fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (or you can fry in hot oil at about 325 degrees in your wok for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown)

Step 4: In your wok combine the sauce ingredients and warm over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring and simmer until sauce slightly thickens.
Step 5: In the wok or in a serving dish coat chicken with the sauce and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

I have never really done a lot of baking but today I decided to give it a try. So I quickly began surfing the net and came across a recipe for strawberry muffins. They looked and sounded amazing, but were they? After about a half hour of prep and another half for baking I was eating the most delicious muffins I have ever tasted in my life. Seriously, they were really that good. Now I just have to control myself and stop eating so many of them J. They are good by themselves, but the strawberry butter just gives them an out of this world taste. This strawberry muffins recipe consists of three parts. The muffins, the streusel, and the strawberry butter. All of that might sound a little complicated, but it’s really easy and takes little time. If you like muffins I recommend you try this immediately. Hmm, maybe I should bake more often?

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs (beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk
½ cup butter (melted)
1 cup fresh strawberries (chopped and light tossed in 2 tablespoons of flour)
Streusel-
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
Strawberry Butter-
½ cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup fresh strawberries (chopped)
1 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
¼ cup toasted pecans (finely chopped)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees and grease the bottom and sides of an 18 cup muffin tin/s. Mix together all ingredients for the streusel and set aside.

Step 2: Mix together for the muffins- 1 ¾ cups flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and 2 teaspoons baking powder.
Step 3: In a separate bowl mix ½ cup milk, ½ cup melted butter, 2 beaten eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Gently mix this mixture into the flour mixture. Fold in lightly floured chopped strawberries.

Step 4: Pour muffin batter into your tins and top with the streusel mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes (you can check to see if their done by sticking a toothpick into the muffins. If it comes out clean, their done)
Step 5: Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan or else they will stick. Finish cooling muffins on a wire rack.

Step 6: Now you are going to make the strawberry butter by thoroughly mixing ½ cup butter and 1 cup powdered sugar. Fold in chopped strawberries and toasted pecans. Chill until needed and soften before serving. The strawberries butter can be spread on the inside of halved muffins.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe, baking

There’s nothing like some good old comfort food, and there’s nothing better than some Salisbury steak. No… not the frozen stuff, the homemade Salisbury steak! It’s tasty, it’s easy to make, and it’s been popular in the United States for many years. I found a couple Salisbury steak recipes online awhile ago, but one of them of them I didn’t like the gravy and the other, I didn’t like the patties. So what did I do? I combine them to make the perfect Salisbury steak recipe. In this article I give you two methods of cooking the patties- on the stove top or on the grill. Whichever one you choose will have a significantly different flavor. Going with the stove top will give a juicy buttery flavor, and going with the grill with give the flamed broiled flavor. If you want you can do what I did, grill half and cook half on the stove top. Personally, I think both methods taste good.

 
Ingredients:
Salisbury steak-
1lb ground beef
1/3 cup minced onions
¼ cup cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 ½ tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3-4 tablespoons butter
Gravy-
1 onion (sliced into rings)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tables spoon flour
¼ cup dry red wine
Parmesan Cheese (for garnish)
Minced parsley (for garnish)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Combine ground beef, minced onions, cracker or bread crumbs, egg, horseradish, and salt and pepper. Shape into oval patties.

Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Cook patties until they are no longer pink inside, about 7-8 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.  (or if you want, you can grill them)

Step 3: Add onions and sugar to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Sauté for 60 seconds or until paste is browned. Sprinkle the onions with flour and cook for 60 seconds. Stir in beef broth, wine, salt and thyme. Return your patties to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Serve patties on top of cheese toast and top with sauce, onions, fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

Tonight I was in the mood for Chinese and decided to make some sweet and sour chicken. This recipe is by far the best sweet and sour chicken I have ever tasted, nothing compares. I tried this at multiple buffets and none of them were even close to this good, maybe I should have given them this recipeJ? Sweet and sour chicken is deep-fried breaded white meat chicken, coated or served with sweet and sour sauce. If you don’t know anything about the sauce, don’t worry because this article includes an amazing recipe for sweet and sour sauce as well! What really makes this recipe stand out from others or the buffets are the fruits and vegetables that go in it. We are tossing a generous amount of pineapple, green peppers, tomatoes, and onions into this dish. If you try this and like it, stay on the look out for my sweet and sour pork recipe coming soon. Enjoy.

 
Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” cubes)
Flour
4 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Oil
3 firm tomatoes (cut into 1 inch chunks)
2 onions (cut into 1 inch chunks)
1 green pepper (cut into 1 inch chunks)
1 can pineapple chunks (reserve juice for sauce)
Sweet and Sour Sauce-
½ cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Mix egg yolks and soy sauce with a bit of water. Roll the chicken in flour, egg, and then flour again. Deep fry the chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes, and drain on paper towels.

Step 2: Stir fry pepper and onions for about 1 minute so they are still crisp and colored. Remove from pan and set aside.
Step 3: Make sweet and sour sauce by mixing vinegar, sugar, salt, orange juice, pineapple juice, and ketchup. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/8 cup of juice and stir in until thickened.

Step 4: Add tomato and pineapple chunks to the sauce and heat thoroughly. Pour mixture gently over chicken. Pour your peppers and onions on and serve. (best served while chicken bits are crispy and vegetables are crunchy still)
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe 

If you like pizza and are looking for something different, this might be just what you need. Chances are you’ve probably tried pizzas such the steak fanatic, or the Philly cheese steak at Dominos and this is very similar. Most often these pizzas can be hard to find or discontinued all together, but have no fear because I have the perfect recipe to make your own steak pizza from the comfort of your home. A few years back I tried the steak fanatic pizza from Dominos and thought it was just great. Unfortunately about 3 months later they took it off their menu, and soon after I began searching the internet for a recipe for a similar pizza and was successful. What separates this from a traditional Italian pizza is the sauce. We are replacing tomato sauce with beef gravy to make a tasty topping of steak, gravy, onions and mushrooms.  For the crust you could either buy a mix from the store or make your own. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
1 regular pizza crust (store bought or homemade)
1 bag Provolone cheese
White American cheese
½ lb steak
1 small can Campbell’s beef gravy
½ cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ large onion (sliced)
1 8oz can sliced mushrooms (or fresh)
 

 Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare your pizza crust. Do not cook just yet.
Step 2: Slice steak as thinly as possible into strips. Add strips to your pan and brown them. Now deglaze the pan with ½ cup of water, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt and simmer until there’s just enough liquid to coat the meat. Scrape the brown residue off the bottom of the pan and toss the meat with it. In a separate pan sauté mushrooms and onions as needed.

Step 3: Line your pizza crust with a thin layer of white American cheese and top with a thin layer of Campbell’s beef gravy.
Step 4: Bake pizza crust until it’s almost done. Take out of the oven and pile with steak, mushrooms, onions, and provolone cheese. Put back in the oven and finish cooking.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe