Twenty-two years ago on August 26 my son Collin was born! He's always enjoyed a variety of foods, and has a very eclectic and discerning palette. So I asked him what he would like for his birthday dinner. Here were his requests:
Escargot, a good stout Irish ale, a fruit and cheese platter: figs, pluots, champagne grapes, Jazz apples, pomegranate, Gouda, Muenster, and Irish cheddar with stout. And then of course Baklava for dessert! I also brought lots of delicious French bread to the table--what a feast it was!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLLIN!
When I was a kid growing up in California, the best hamburger I ever ate came from Michener's, but they are long gone. Well, I also liked the hamburgers at Mexicali Restaurant (even though they are a Mexican food restaurant!), where I would eat them with mustard and pickle only. Juicy and good. I still like a good hamburger, but it's got to have cheese on it in my opinion. And I do still like my cheeseburger with mustard and pickle but sometimes I add more stuff to it.
Yes! This is the way I like it! A juicy all beef burger cooked on the griddle (that's right, the griddle) with a plain soft white bun barely toasted, melty American cheese, sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, dill pickle slices, and of course "secret sauce." Mmmmm, good!
I grilled this burger outside over the coals which gives the meat a satisfying smokey taste. It's topped with grilled onions and mushrooms (YUM), cheddar cheese and "secret sauce"--all on just a plain, soft white bun.
This is the best and easiest recipe I've ever tried for sliders for a crowd! Mix the ground beef with minced onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and spread it into a 9 x 13 pan mashing it down so it's all even. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes at 350. Lay any kind of cheese you want all over the top and put back into the oven until the cheese melts. Degrease the pan and cut into squares that fit your rolls (I like to use Kings Hawaiian rolls). Mine are topped with Thousand Island Dressing and of course dill pickles because that's the way I like them! Did I mention cheese? These are really good pop-in-your-mouth sliders. Betcha can't eat just one.
Last but not least. This hamburger is one of my son's (Collin) favorites. A grilled all beef burger with blue cheese and bacon on a ciabatta roll. The roll is a little crunchy on the outside but soft and tasty on the inside. Using the right kind of bun can make all the difference!
My favorite is still the one on top! :)
Oh, for the love of food! Certain things just seem to go together. I won't bore you with all the cliches that you already know, but you get the picture. Like this, for example:
With this!
These are some yummy spicy, fried chicken wings I whipped up, recently. So good.
I love a really good BLT on perfectly toasted whole wheat bread! Mine also has cheese on it because that's the way I like it. And this sandwich goes so well with this:
Simply, fresh, homemade vegetable soup!
Yep! Here's a picture of one of our winters here in Colorado... brrrrrrrrr! Glad it's still summer! But a day like this just cries out for this:
Oh I want some now! A big pot of steamy meatball soup with some greens in a velvety rich tomato-y broth!
This is a delicious pot of rich beef stew I made not long ago with mushrooms, peas and potatoes. And this goes so well with this:
Homemade biscuits of course!
And last but not least... these two fellas go with me! (What are they doing????)
That's all for now, folks! :)
Old-fashioned Tamale Pie makes a great to-go dish! First of all, you can bake it right in your foil pans, and it's very easy to prepare. Brown hamburger with onion, can of diced tomatoes, green chilies, a little garlic, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce. Plop the meat mixture in the foil pans and top with a cornmeal/cheese topping and bake in the oven. That's all there is to it! Freezes well, too.
This is a seasoned tri-tip roast that I grilled outside and then sliced very thin against the grain. I placed it onto a green salad dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. I made bruschettas topped with chopped fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. Then I added a small cup of fresh fruit--kiwi, blueberries and white nectarines.
Well, I'm still on the lookout for the perfect pizza! And this one came close, although it is actually homemade flat bread that I grilled outside and topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and fresh basil. This was really easy to make since the flat bread has no yeast so this is a fast meal, and tastes really good! I especially liked how grilling the bread makes it taste smokey and delicious. Oh, and this also was a fun takeout meal!
Summer is here! I love the longer days and afternoon rain showers, but still the heat creates a problem for indoor cooking on the stove and in the oven. So, food to go now is mainly cooked in the crock pot or on the grill or griddle outside. There are many ways to make delicious food without using your oven on sizzling summer days.
What a fun way to cook! Here I've cooked mushrooms, chicken, bell peppers, sliced potatoes, and polska kielbasa on our outdoor griddle. Mom's Takeout has become Mom's Short Order Cook!!
This is Asian Beef and Broccoli cooked in the crock pot! It's an easy, delicious recipe using a chuck roast thinly sliced before adding to the pot with beef stock, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic. You don't have to heat up your kitchen with a hot wok to cook fantastic Asian food--just use your crock pot!
Seasoned chicken tenders were grilled outside and stuffed into a Greek pita (mmm, so soft and tender), also grilled outside. I first slathered the pita with homemade Tzatziki sauce, then added shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, the chicken and folded it over securing it all with a toothpick. The shrimp were grilled outside, too, with lots of butter and garlic on them. Another satisfying takeout meal prepared without having to heat up my kitchen.
Can I still be at this? Five months ago I began "Mom's Takeout," and I'm still here in my kitchen cooking up scrumptious meals to go. What a blessing this has been to be able to dream up, plan and execute delicious food for the people I care so much about. I appreciate you!
Homemade mini tacos are always a welcome sight around here that starts the mouth salivating for those special Mexican flavors! I actually think they are fun to make. I like to buy freshly made mini corn tortillas and bring them home to fry up and stuff with ground beef that I've cooked with onions, garlic, chopped green chiles, Mexican oregano and cumin; I then add chopped tomatoes and top them off with shredded cheddar cheese. Pico de Gallo, sour cream and......
Guacamole!!!!
These are also must-haves for tacos! I like to make guacamole in my molcajete because it tastes better, and because it just looks right! Smell the flavors... hear the sounds of the Latin guitar being strummed in the background... see all the bright colors... enjoy the food!
Chicken enchiladas to go! Oh yum! Chicken enchiladas to go! Oh yum! ..... Another favorite from "Mom's Takeout"!
Satisfying Mexican cooked shredded chicken soft tacos with pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese. Goes together perfectly! Or put what you want on yours! :)
I'm still at it. Making takeout food that is... and by now I've stored up quite a warehouse of yummy recipes and thrown out some not so yummy ones, too. I've also been learning a little more about the importance of timing and quantities. Still got a ways to go, though! This journey probably won't last much longer so I'm savoring the time I have, building memories and relationships, while trying to keep up my strength and be happy. :o) I've actually done a pretty good job of not making the same thing more than twice in these past 4 1/2 months--actually, I rarely make anything twice! Honestly. Challenging and quite fun.
This was good! Grilled chicken sausage wrapped in bacon (oh yum already), then slathered in my favorite BBQ sauce and laid on a toasted whole wheat hot dog bun. A crunchy Asian slaw made with almonds, cabbage, carrots, chunks of orange and dressed with a light honey and soy sauce mixture went very well with the sausage dog. And of course a dill pickle on the side! This made a very easy and tasty takeout meal.
Oh my gosh! This was good! This is fake-out fried chicken bites because they're actually baked. I made a sweet and sour sauce to go with them and included twice-baked potatoes and a cheese-laden portobella mushroom.
Chinese Food Takeout! Here I made shrimp fried rice and pork pot stickers. I like making Asian food--it's fun and makes me feel like I'm an Asian Chef who knows what she's doing, especially when the food turns out so well and looks good, too. Of course it always helps to buy the already made pot sticker wrappers.
Chicken Burrito takeout! These are really good. I place boneless, skinless chicken pieces in a crockpot and add a can of chopped tomatoes, green chilies, one chipotle chile in adobo sauce, cumin, lots of fresh garlic, one chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste, tomato sauce and a little chicken broth. It cooks all day and is easy to shred. Place a warmed flour tortilla on your work surface, add a spoonful of black beans (or your choice), chicken, cheese, black olives (and anything else you want to add--corn is good), and roll up into a burrito. Sprinkle chopped green onions and cheese on top. Good to go!
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