Onion Cuts #CrazyIngredientChallenge

You open your basket to find....Potato Chips and Soy Sauce.....Now that is some serious sodium overload!  That is exactly the ingredients we voted to use in this month's Crazy Ingredient Challenge.

CIC is a fun little group in which the members vote from items on two lists of ingredients.  The top vote getter from each group then determines what the group will be required to use in a recipe of their choosing.  Kinda like Chopped but with only 2 ingredients instead of 4.

I decided to peruse the Lay's Potato Chip website for recipes in which I could include soy sauce and found this recipe for an onion pie. It was a very basic recipe and I knew that it would be easily adaptable to this challenge.

The pie already had a potato chip crust with a quiche like filling.  I used the soy sauce to help caramelize the onions. I used whole eggs instead of egg whites, butter instead of margarine and some Alpine Cheddar cheese that I had gotten from Cabot Creamery for another event in which I had participated.

I baked it up in an 8x8x2" pan instead of a pie pan however, next time, I will use the pie pan as I think the pie slices would make a better presentation than the cuts.  I had decided to use cuts because I made this dish as part of an appetizer table and wanted smaller bites.

These little bites were not too salty as I had feared and seemed to be well liked. Guests were very surprised when told that the crust was made of potato chips as it was evident from the looks or taste of this dish.  One of the guests requested the recipe so I always feel the dish was successful when someone wishes to recreate it.

Onion Cuts

adapted from Lays Potato Chips

2 oz. (approx. 30) potato chips

1 large vidalia onion, thinly sliced

1 t. butter

1 t. low sodium soy sauce

1 c. milk

3 eggs

1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

freshly cracked pepper to taste

Crush potato chips and place in the bottom of an 8x8x2" baking pan that has been treated with cooking spray. 

Melt butter in a large skillet, add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.  Sprinkle onions with soy sauce and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown and caramelized.  Transfer to the baking pan, covering the potato chips.  Sprinkle the cheese over all.

Whisk together the eggs, milk and cracked pepper.  Pour over the onion and cheese mixture.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 30-35 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.  Can be served warm or at room temperature.  Print Recipe

More Onion and Soy Sauce Creations

An InLinkz Link-up

Weekly Menu as the Month of May winds down....

It has been a Merry Little Month of May around here.  I have been crazy busy.  Anniversary celebrations, Birthday celebrations, traveling, Mother's Day, hosting out of town guests for our church, hosting dinner parties....it has been non stop.

But now.....now we can kick back, relax and breathe......

The calendar is quieting down and this week there is nothing out of the ordinary happening. Sunday, our friends, Steve and Sharon are coming for dinner.  I have a church meeting Monday night.  We get to keep our Angel Face on Tuesday and Wednesday, then her mama's internship is over so our time spent with her will be changing according to her mama's new work and school schedule. Thursday is choir.  And that's it.....nothing else on the calendar...yet.  I figured I should add in that yet because chances are life will get crazy again.

Next week we are celebrating #BBQWeek and I will be sharing several dishes from last weeks menu including Asian Inspired Pork Kebabs.  I will also be sharing the Ginger Marinated Tuna Steaks that I served to John and Kirsten for dinner tonight.  We had a great evening visiting and playing Sequence. The girls won two out of three.  Are you a Sequence fan?

So here is what I'm cooking up this week.  What's on your menu?

Saturday
Pork and Asparagus Stir Fry
Steamed Brown Rice

Sunday
Ginger Chicken Soup
Caprese Salad
Pan Seared Filet Mignon
Smashed Red Skin Puffs
Garlic Green Beans
Lemon Bars

Meatless Monday
Cheese Ravioli
Salad

Tuesday
Hamburgers
Homemade Potato Chips

Wednesday
Warm German Potato Salad with Chicken Sausage

Thursday
Out before Choir

Fish Friday
Summer Shrimp Scampi
Angel Hair pasta

Salmon Tartare on Crostini #FishFridayFoodies

Welcome to this month's edition of Fish Friday Foodies, hosted by Cam of Culinary Adventures of Camilla.  Cam chose the theme Raw Fish for this month asking us to share our favorite ways to eat fish raw.  She mentioned poke, seviche and tartare.  I immediately thought of Japanese because I love sushi and sashimi.  But I was intrigued by Cam's mention of tartare. I had never heard of tartare using fish.  I had only ever enjoyed it using beef.

The recipe I found for Salmon Tartare from Bon Appetit sounded wonderful so I decided I would give it a try.  I adapted the recipe very slightly and I served it with Crostini.  I did make it ahead of time and refrigerate it so it may be more of a seviche than a tartare.  Whatever you call it....it was incredible!!!

The best part is that it is so easy, peasy to make and so impressive to serve.  It only takes a few minutes to throw together so you could certainly serve it right away.  I was having a dinner party and like to be prepared ahead of time so I made it and let it chill for a few hours before serving.

You do need to plan ahead a bit because you want to put your salmon in the freezer for about 20 minutes so that it is easy to slice.  After 20 minutes slice the salmon into pieces about 1/8" thick.  Cut each slice into 1/8" thick strips and then cut each strip into 1/8" thick dice.

Then it is simply mixing together the remaining ingredients and adding the salmon to the marinated vegetables.

That's it!  Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.  This was part of an appetizer table at a dinner party I hosted and it was the first to go.  

Salmon Tartare

adapted from Bon Appetit

1 (8 oz) filet, sushi grade salmon

1/4 c. finely diced English cucumber

juice and zest of 1/2 a lime

1 1/2 t. minced cilantro

1 1/2 t. canola oil

1 1/2 t. minced, seeded jalapeno

1 1/2 t. minced shallot

1/2 t. minced ginger

1/2 t. sesame oil

freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Place the salmon filet in the freezer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile combine the cucumber, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, canola oil, jalapeno, shallot, ginger, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Remove filet from freezer and cut into 1/8" slices.  You should get 5 or 6 slices.  Discard the skin. Cut each slice into 1/8" strips.  Stack the strips and cut  into 1/8" dice.  Add to the vegetables and toss to coat the salmon with the dressing.

Place into a serving bowl and serve with a side of Crostini.  

To make crostini, cut a baguette into thin slices.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350* oven for 15 minutes. Flip over and bake another 12-15 minutes until toasted and brown. Print Recipe

More Raw Fish Recipes

An InLinkz Link-up

When your Cake is a Fail.....Just Bundt #BundtBakers

This post was originally named "Extremely Chocolatey Chocolate Cake".

It was named thus because our host, Felice of All That's Left Are The Crumbs, asked us to honor our Father's this month in preparation of Father's Day and make his favorite cake.

Pops also loved his Buddy Boy.

I'm sure they are inseparable in Heaven as they were on Earth.

When I met with the Priest to plan Pops' funeral he asked me to tell him about my Pops.  Father was new to our parish and had not gotten to know Pops very well as at the end of his life he was no longer able to attend Mass as he always had.

I told Father that Pops loved God and family most of all. That his wife of 70 years was still the apple of his eye and his devotion to her knew no bounds.  He loved to fish, play cards, drink beer and he loved chocolate!!   My Pops was a chocolate nut so I decided to make the Extremely Chocolatey Cake in memory of him.

So I made up a chocolate cake batter and added white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips just for good measure.  Then I put it in the oven to bake.  The plan was to make a bittersweet chocolate glaze to drizzle over the top making this a quadruple chocolate treat.

Oh.....Calamity!!!  I always, always, always generously treat my bundt pans with baking spray. When I reached for it and saw that I was out, I told myself to run to the store before finishing the cake. Then, that little devil on my shoulder said "Pshaw" and "What do you think they did before the days of baking spray".  So I pulled out the shortening and the flour and I really thought that I had done a thorough job of preparing that pan......I should have run to the store.  Oh......Calamity!!!

I also thought about naming this post "Don't Trifle with Me"  because what should you do if, God forbid, this happens to you and you are having 16 guests for dinner in a few hours? 

You should do as I and "Turn that Tragedy into a Terrific Trifle".  That would have been a good name for this post as well. Simply make up some pudding.  Whip up some cream.  Crumble the rest of that Bundt and start layering.  Throw some nuts on at the end just as a reminder of the nutty day you have had.

I know that my Pops would have loved this trifle....ooey gooey chocolatey goodness in each and every bite.  My guests were crazy about it and couldn't resist going back for seconds. The "Disaster turned into a Dreamy Dessert".  This post could have had numerous names!

Extremely Chocolatey Chocolate Cake

2 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

3 sticks butter, room temperature

3 c. sugar

5 eggs

1 1/4 c. buttermilk

1 t. almond extract

1/2 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Set aside.  In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating after each addition, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter into a 12 cup bundt pan that has been liberally treated with baking spray.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 1 hr and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted removes cleanly.

Let cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes before removing and cooling completely.  Drizzle with chocolate glaze if desired.  Print Recipe

Should a calamity occur

Super Chocolate Trifle

1 extremely chocolatey chocolate cake (find recipe here), broken into pieces.  

2 pkgs (6 cup serving) instant chocolate pudding,  made per package directions

1 pt. heavy cream, whipped until light and soft peaks form

1/4 c. sliced almonds for garnish, if desired

Place 1/3 of the cake crumble in the bottom of a large trifle bowl.  Add 1/3 of the pudding and 1/3 of the whipped cream.  Repeat twice more ending with the whipped cream and sprinkling with almonds, if desired.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Print Recipe

More Cakes Celebrating Dad

• Aloha Hawaiian Pineapple Butter Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt by Palatable Pastime
• Basic Plain Cake by Sneha's Recipe
• Black Forest Bundt Cake by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Blue Cheese, Figs and Loin of Saxony Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes
• Brandy and Chocolate Bundt Cake by Bizcocheando
• Caramel Apple Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
• Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake by Patty's Cake
• Orange Bundt Cake by La Mejor Manera
• Pineapple Bundt Cake by Basic N Delicious
• Walnut-Whiskey Bundt Cake with Whiskey Glaze by Katin špajz
• When your cake is a Fail....Just Bundt! by A Day in the Life on the Farm

  #BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. Host: Felice; Host blog: All That’s Left Are The Crumbs (http://allthatsleftarethecrumbs.blogspot.com/) You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page. And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

"In a Panic" Cherry Peach Cobbler Bars #FantasticalFoodFight

When Sarah announced the theme for this month's Fantastical Food Fight (Cherry Cobbler) I decided I was going to do bars.  I marked it on my calendar and I even decided when I was going to make them as I was having a dinner party and decided that they would be one of the desserts that I served.

Then, as so often happens, life throws a curveball.  You know......that phone call you get letting you know that 5 people will be arriving for dinner in an hour and a half.  Oh, and by the way one of them is Vegetarian.  What do you mean, you don't know?  Of course, you know.  Everyone knows.  Oh C'mon....please don't say these things only happen to me!!

Not one to panic....I actually work pretty well under stress....I think it's a result of working as a cop for so many years.  Okay, so forget the plans of Pasta e Fagioli...let's do a Minestrone instead.  And I will just move the cherry cobbler bars from when planned to the impromptu dinner.   A quick google search finds a fast, easy recipe for cherry cobbler bars using packaged oatmeal cookie mix.  Great, that will work!!

So, I run to the store and, of course, there are no tart frozen cherries to be found.  Change of plans again.  I can still use the idea of the cookie mix.  I head over to the canned goods.  I find an organic tart cherry and peach dessert filling. Perfect.

Run home, throw together the soup.  While the soup is simmering, combine the cookie mix with butter and set a cup of it aside.  Add egg and almond extract ( I used Nielsen-Massey that I had received as a sponsor gift for another event) to the remainder and press it into the bottom of a baking pan.  Open the dessert filling, and pour it over the crust, sprinkle with the reserved cookie mixture and throw it in the oven.

Put the dishes into the dishwasher, pour yourself a glass of wine and when the guests arrive......your house smells wonderful and you are relaxed and ready to be a gracious host.  Life is good.......even if it is more of a crumble than a cobbler because in your panic you entered the wrong search engine.

Cherry Cobbler Bars
adapted from Midwest Living

1 (17 oz)  pkg. Oatmeal Cookie Mix
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
1 (22 oz) jar tart cherry and white peach fruit filling

Empty package of cookie mix into a large bowl.  Cut in the butter using a pastry blender.  Remove one cup of this mixture and set aside.

Add the egg, vanilla and almond to the remaining cookie mixture and stir until well blended.  Press into the bottom of an 8x8x2" baking pan that has been treated with baking spray.

Pour the fruit filling over the bottom crust.  Sprinkle the reserved one cup of the cookie mixture over the fruit filling.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 45-50 minutes until topping is golden brown.

Let cool in the pan on a rack before cutting into bars.  Print Recipe

More Cherry Cobbler Creations

An InLinkz Link-up

Grilled Cheese with Apple inspired by "The Princess Bride" #FoodnFlix

Inconceivable!!  That I had never noticed any food in the movie, The Princess Bride, the first few times I saw it.  Of course, that was way before my blogging days, so I never had my food goggles on. This time, I watched it with my FoodnFlix club.  The FoodnFlix club is a group of bloggers who watch the same movie each month and then share a recipe inspired by the movie.

Sometimes we watch foodie movies and other times, like this month, we watch other types of movies, keeping an eye open for food inspiration. This month's selection was chosen by my friend, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.  You can see her announcement post and learn how to join in the fun here.

This movie has been out for 30 years!!  That makes me feel so old.  When our kids were young this was one of the movies that was frequently on at night as we sat around a big bowl of popcorn.  I have to admit that after the first time, when the others would be watching, I would be flipping through magazines or reading a book while they watched.  This was long before the popularity of laptops, otherwise I probably would have been playing a game or blogging while it was on.

This time I gave the movie my undivided attention paying special heed to any food inspiration.  I was surprised how much there was.  For those of you that have never seen this movie (probably because you are too young) it is about a young boy (Fred Savage) being read a bedtime story by his grandfather (Peter Falk).  As the grandfather reads the boy is drawn into the story of a young girl, Buttercup who falls in love with her stable hand, Wesley.  Wesley goes off to find fortune so that he is worthy to have Buttercup's hand.  He disappears and is presumed dead.  Wesley reappears as a pirate to save his beloved from being bound by marriage to Prince Humperdink, whom she does not love.

During this quest, Wesley meets up with numerous characters, some of who obstruct his quest and some of whom give him aid.  We meet a giant, a fencer, a warlord, a wizard and a count who create a debacle of goofiness and fun that is sure to make you laugh out loud,

Food inspiration includes:

• Cheetos on the headboard of the little boy who is being read the story.
• chickens on the farm where Wesley works for Buttercup
• apples waiting to be turned into a pie by Buttercup
• sheep walking through the kingdom
• cheese, being eaten by the warlord after he kidnaps Buttercup
• eels, that nearly eat Buttercup
• wine, bread, cheese and apples in a picnic lunch that the warlord is eating when Wesley finds him and rescues back his love.
• lunch of a sandwich and oj being eaten by the young boy as his grandfather takes a sip of coffee and continues the story.
• stew, being served up in the royal palace
• the mention of a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich being fondly remembered by the wizard
• melted chocolate covering on a "miracle pill".
• goats walking through the village amongst baskets of fruits and veggies in the marketplace
• bowls of fruit including pineapple, pears and mangos and bowls of nuts being knocked off a table in the palace during a sword fight.

As you can see, there was absolutely no shortage of food/recipe ideas.  I decided to make a sandwich and fill it with cheese and apples since these three things were seen more than once in the movie.  Oh, and because I love grilled cheese sandwiches and knew the crunchy sweetness of an apple would add another layer of flavor to this classic dish.

I want to wish all Moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day.  Order up this movie, pop some popcorn, gather around your kids and watch or rewatch this classic tale.  It will provide wonderful Mother's Day memories for years to come.

Grilled Cheese with Apple Sandwich

For each sandwich:

2-3 oz of your favorite cheese, shredded ( I used a blend of colby and sharp cheddar)

2 slices whole wheat bread
butter, room temperature
5-6 thin, half moon, slices of apple, peeled (I used Honeycrisp)

Butter one side of each slice of bread.  Lay one slice of bread, butter side down, on a hot griddle or skillet.  Cover with 1/2 of the cheese.  Layer on the apple slices over the cheese and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the apples.  Top with the second slice of bread, butter side up.  Cook until bread is golden brown and cheese begins to melt, flip and cook the other side until golden brown and toasted.  Print Recipe

Nashville Highlights, the Coming Week and the Weekly Menu

We had a great time in Nashville.  Our flights were perfect, not surprising since we had the best pilot in the world!!

We stopped halfway between Michigan and Tennessee to fuel up and enjoy some lunch.  I had packed up this wonderful, herb roasted Chicken Cobb Salad. Then we had a non eventful second leg to our flight and a short taxi ride to our hotel.

I will be sharing this recipe with you during the week.

We walked a lot!!  We talked a lot!!  We laughed a lot!!  We ate and drank a lot!! We listened to tons of great music and enjoyed a show at the Grand Ole Opry.  We had a blast.

We had beautiful weather while we were there and for the flight home. I will be sharing more about it very soon.  It was a great trip and I am all energized for the upcoming week.  It's a good thing too because we are going to be busy!!

Early, in the wee hours of this morning, Fr. Douglas, the priest of St. Isadore, our sister parish in the Honduras, arrived for a week.  He is accompanied by an interpreter, Frances, who is from Puerto Rico but currently resides in Florida.  Fr. Douglas will be staying at the rectory with our priests.  Frances will be staying with us.  They are attending both Masses this afternoon and evening with a reception following the 6 pm Mass.  We are flying out of here in about an hour, if I get home early enough I will make a pot of soup for our dinner tonight. That way,  I will have leftovers available to offer for lunch during the week.

Tomorrow, they are being taken to the theatre and dinner by another family.  We are invited to Amy's house for dinner to celebrate Mother's Day.

Monday, I am hosting a dinner party for our out of town guests and members of our Parish who are on the Twinning commission that has arranged for this visit.  Fr. Douglas and Frances are being taken to Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum for the day.

Tuesday morning, I will leave Frances with a fresh basket of muffins and some hot coffee, while we go pick up our Little Angel Face.  Other members of the commission will be collecting Frances and Fr. Doug and spending the day with them.  

Wednesday is my week for Food Pantry.  I will be working there while Frank takes our Little Miss back home.  Another family from church are hosting dinner this night and we will be able to attend.

Thursday night, a different family is hosting dinner, however we have choir practice so will be unable to attend.

Friday, life will return to normal as Frances returns to Florida and Fr. Douglas returns to Honduras.  

Phew!!!!  Well, here is the Weekly Menu.  Please stop by each day as I share photos and recipes.

Saturday

Pasta e Fagioli

Dinner Rolls

Sunday

Dinner at Amy's

Monday- Dinner Party

Salmon Tartare on Crostini
Onion Pie
Guacamole and Chips

Chicken Marsala
Fettuccine Alfredo
Maple Roasted Carrots
Caesar Salad

Cherry Cobbler Bars
Triple Chocolate Cake

Tuesday
Leftovers

Wednesday
Dinner at the Winne's

Thursday
Thai Inspired Pork Kebabs
Thai Noodle Salad

Fish Friday
Ginger Marinated Tuna
Orange Cucumber Salad
Sesame Rice Cakes