January 9th, 2009

Fit For a King

At our little castle in the sand over the holidays we were very spoiled by the food.

Great meals just kept on coming.

One night we enjoyed bacon-wrapped filets with oven-baked potatoes and veggies.

Most of us in the house were in at the word “bacon.”  But, then, we were treated to buttery-tender filets that were to-die-for.

There was, however, a word of warning on the box that I must show you . . .

pin

The Kansas City Steak Company totally had our number. They knew they were dealing with pigs who would just dive right in — pin and all. Thanks, guys! You saved us an emergency trip to the dentist in a state none of us live in. Appreciate ya.

To start the meal, first, Sandy pan-seared the filets after sprinkling each filet with the seasoning that came with the steaks.

seared-filets

She also cooked the bacon a bit and re-wrapped them. You can see them above being placed on aluminum foil and then sent out to the grill to be manned by the cutest griller around. (Okay, it was my husband.)

Why the foil? Because we don’t trust other people’s grills. Remember, this was a rented house. Plus, that grill had seen better days and we weren’t taking any chances with this meat.

Some in our group like their filets pretty well-done and not so thick. So we simply cut one in half so we had two filets that were half as thick. Voila!

While those were grilling we worked on the sides. We made oven-baked potatoes that were quickly cooked in olive oil, salt and pepper in a skillet and then baked in the oven.

potatoes

Here is the final product (after the pins were removed). This baby didn’t last long after the picture was taken.

baconwrappedfilet

By the way, this was our Christmas Eve dinner. A special and exciting night for us all. Can you imagine a better meal?

Well, wait ’til you see what else we cooked that week . . .


January 8th, 2009

Don’t Get Crabby

Over the holidays, we had a total of 18 people staying in a rented beach house. Plus, other visitors who did not stay overnight.

So . . . food had to be ready and available at all times. We couldn’t keep enough of it around.

There were so many stomachs to feed and I heard the phrase “Salt water makes you extra hungry” more than I can count.

Thus, appetizers seemed to rise high on the totem pole fast because it appeared to tame the beast for a while.

Nothing like 18 fussy people on your hands.

We DID NOT want that.

We were there at the oceanside, so crabcakes seemed a fun thing to try. And they were a hit!

crabcakes

That’s the only good photo I got because as soon as we put them out they got eaten. Well, devoured.

Here were the instructions for preparing these:

Preparing Crabcakes

Remove cakes from vacuum pouch and place on a plate. Put plate in refrigerator and allow cakes to thaw for 1 hour before cooking. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of oil or margarine. Place cakes in pan and allow to cook for 6 minutes on each side or until the outside of the cakes is golden brown and the inside is hot.

And that’s exactly what we did. They were yummy. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.

Here’s what they’re supposed to look like if you don’t have 18 impatient people salivating over the plate . . .

crabcakestack_lrg

Nice, huh? Try ’em next time you have guests to feed.

They’ll thank you by leaving you a plate full of crumbs.

Bottom photo and preparation instructions courtesy KansasCitySteaks.com.


January 7th, 2009

A Sandwich is a Sandwich, but a Manwich . . .

. . . is a MEAL.

manwich

That’s how the old slogan goes. And we decided to test it out.

It’s so easy to make this Sloppy Joe recipe, even a monkey could do it. Although, for liability reasons, you really wouldn’t want a monkey messing around in your kitchen.

Just brown a pound of ground beef in a skillet until it’s no longer pink and drain.

Then, mix in a can of Manwich and stir until it’s mixed through and hot.

Serve the mixture on hamburger buns and you’re done!

Sandy toasted our buns in a little butter on a skillet, but she’s like that. She has to go and make absolutely EVERY meal extra delicious.

mymanwich

Did I mention Cheetos were on the menu too? Who doesn’t like a Cheeto every now and then?

This was such a quick and easy lunch and it was a big hit for us beef-eaters. My eight-year-old nephew ate two of them.

Does that make him a REAL MAN now?

For that matter, if I ate one does that make ME a man?

I’m so confused . . .

Top photo and recipe courtesy of ConAgraFoods.com.


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About Me

Hi! My name is Dena P., and I love steak. In fact, I’ve been on a quest for the perfect steak for a few years now.

I love experimenting with food and I like to get my family, friends and neighbors involved. They add a lot to my cooking experience by helping me perfect techniques and sharing recipes.

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