Bold Chex Mix

6 c. Chex (2 c. each:  rice, corn, & wheat)

1½ c. Cheez-Its 

1½ c. Mini Pretzels 

6 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1 tsp Morton Season All

2 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp onion powder 

Bake at 275⁰ for 1 hour on convection bake.  Stir every 15 minutes. 

*Recipe can easily be adjusted to 3 or 9 cups of chex depending on how much you need.

Fancy Creamed Corn

 • 10 oz. package frozen corn kernels, thawed

 • 1 c. whole milk

 • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

 • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

 • ½ teaspoon salt

 • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

 • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 • dash of nutmeg

 • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Puree about half of the corn in a food processor.  Put the pureed corn in a saucepan and add the rest of the whole kernels.  Add milk, butter, salt, pepper, sugar, nutmeg, and flour.  Bring to a boil and simmer about 3 to 4 minutes to let the sauce thicken and the corn cook through.  Add the parmesan cheese at the end and stir through before serving.

Vegan Steakhouse Dinner

‼️ This recipe is in the process of being edited ‼️

Vegan Steakhouse Dinner – Wine-glazed Mushrooms, Charred Veggie Demi, and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

*Original recipe from Gordon Ramsey.  This is my simplified version that is not 100% vegan, but is more vegetarian.  And the original recipe just looked so damn delicious I had to try this concept. 😋  Link to the original here 
https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/vegansteakdinner

Eggplant “Steaks”:

• 2 eggplants, stems trimmed (about 12 ounces each) 
• 1 Tbsp cumin seed 
• 1 Tbsp brown mustard seed
• 1 Tbsp peppercorn medley
• ½ tsp dill seed 
• 3 Tbsp granulated garlic 
• 4 tsp onion powder
• 2 Tbsp smoked paprika 
• 2 tsp mushroom powder 
• 1 Tbsp dried rosemary (thyme or combination of both) 
• cayenne or red pepper flakes, optional

Basting Jus:

• 2 c. dry red wine (750 ml) 
• 1 c. fresh beet juice 
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbsp bouillon
• 4 oz. (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
• ¼ c. soy sauce or tamari 
• 1-2 Tbsp worcestershire
• 1 Tbsp liquid aminos, to taste 

 

Steakhouse Red Wine-Glazed Mushrooms:

• 4 oz. trumpet mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (maitakes/oysters are great as well)
• extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced into bite-sized pieces 
• 2 Tbsp butter, divided 
• 2 Tbsp minced shallot 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 
• ⅓ cup red wine 
• ½ cup beef (mushroom) stock
• black pepper 
• splash of worcestershire sauce (optional) 
• pinch of fresh thyme

Creamy Roasted Garlic Mash:

• 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 pounds)  
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste 
• 4 Tbsp butter
• ⅓ cup cream or milk 
• 2 roasted garlic cloves, smashed (tbd can use black) 
• sliced chives, for serving (optional)  

Charred Vegetable Melange Demi Glace:

• 8 oz. mixed mushrooms (ideally portabello and shiitake)
• 1 small eggplant, chopped (about 8 oz.) 
• 2 carrots, chopped (about 8 oz.) 
• 2 celery stalks, chopped 
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed 
• olive oil, for cooking
• 6 plum tomatoes, halved (about 8 oz.) 
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced into wedges (stems intact and skins reserved) 
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste 
• 2 c. red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• Tbsp of peppercorns
• 1 tsp rosemary or thyme
• 4 c. beef/vegetables(mushroom) broth 
• Bragg's liquid aminos (or soy sauce) to taste 

Dandelion greens, for garnish (optional)

 COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. 
2. Prepare Eggplant “Steaks” - char each eggplant over an open-flame on your gas stove (alternatively you can broil, turning frequently). Using tongs, rotate eggplant until charred on all sides and just tender. Place in a baking dish big enough for both eggplants, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside until cool enough to handle. 
3. Meanwhile, prepare steak rub - in a large saute pan toast cumin seed, mustard seed, peppercorn medley, and dill seed over medium-low heat until fragrant. Place in a spice grinder (alternatively pound in a mortar and pestle). Mix together with remaining spices, rub will keep for a few months stored in an airtight container. 
4. Once eggplants are cool, peel away skins and discard. Season liberally on all sides with steak rub and salt. Drizzle with olive oil and pour enough wine to over eggplant to light cover bottom of the baking dish. Roast in oven for 30-45 minutes, turning once, carefully with a fish spatula or tongs. Reason and roast for another 30 minutes.
5. Prepare basting jus - in a wide-bottom saucepan bring remaining wine, beet juice, and rosemary to a rapid boil. Simmer over medium-high heat until mixture reduces to a ½ cup. Whisk in bouillon and vegan butter and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat, stirring in soy sauce, worcestershire, and seasoning with liquid aminos to taste. 
6. Reduce heat to 300˚F and drizzle eggplant with ⅓ cup of jus and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning once. Continue to roast eggplant, basting periodically with jus until tender, slightly dehydrated and eggplant begins to resemble a steak* 
7. Prepare Steakhouse Mushrooms - heat a skillet over medium-high heat, drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into pan and sear trumpet mushrooms (cut-side down) until golden, season with salt and remove from pan. Add shiitakes along with another tablespoon of olive oil, cook until caramelized, slightly tender, and most of the water has evaporated, about 3-5 minutes. 
8. Add remaining mushrooms, half the butter, shallots, garlic, season with salt and lots of black pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender and caramelized, sprinkle with thyme. Deglaze pan with wine, pour in stock and simmer until reduced by half. Swirl in remaining butter and season with salt, pepper, and worcestershire. Keep warm. 
9. Creamy Garlic Mash: Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cool water, bring to a boil and season generously with salt. Simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Meanwhile in a small pot, prepare garlic cream. Melt butter and cream with garlic cloves, simmer on low for 3-5 minutes. Strain through fine sieve, pressing garlic to ensure maximum flavor. Press potatoes through a ricer or mash with a hand mashed until smooth, return to pot. Fold in cream and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives. 
10. Charred Vegetable Melange Demi Glace: Preheat oven to 425˚F. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat for 1-2 minutes. Toss mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, celery and garlic with enough oil to coat lightly. Scatter on preheated baking sheet and roast for 45-50 minutes until caramelized and tender, turning occasionally. 
11. Meanwhile, heat a large pot over high-heat. Drizzle a touch of oil at the bottom and place tomatoes cut side down in pot. Sear tomatoes and cook until caramelized and begin to wilt, you should have a nice char on the bottom of the pot, about 5-7 minutes. 
12. Add onions to pot and using a wooden spoon scrape up cooked bits to incorporate. Cook for another 10-20 minutes until onions are tender and golden brown. Add tomato paste to pan and toast for a minute or two. Deglaze with ½ cup red wine and cook until nearly gone. 
13. Scrape roasted vegetables into pot and pour in remaining red wine, kombu, bay leaf, peppercorns, and rosemary. Bring to a boil and reduce wine by half. Stream in stock and simmer on medium-low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until veggies are almost falling apart and broth is flavorful, adding water if stock gets too thick. Strain stock, discarding solids and reduce until resembles a thick sauce. Season with liquid aminos, salt and pepper. 
14. Serve steaks atop a heaping spoonful of creamy mashed potatoes, spooning glazed mushrooms around steak and a hefty drizzle of charred vegetable demi glace.  

 

Recipe Notes:

• Dry aging steaks enhances flavor and tenderness - the same is true for my vegan steak. Age overnight in the refrigerator with a sprinkling of rub and a drizzling of jus for an even more flavorful dish.

Creamy Ranch Salsa Dip (aka - Gulf Shores Dip)

• 1 packet Ranch Dip Seasoning 

• 16 oz. Sour Cream

• 8 oz. Pace Picante Salsa

Mix ingredients well and let set a few before serving for the best flavor.

Beef Bourguignon (slow cooker)

Cook time: 9 hours 

INGREDIENTS

• 5 slices bacon, finely chopped

• 3 lbs, boneless beef chuck, cut to 1 inch cubes

• 1 cup red cooking wine

• 2 cups chicken broth

• ½ cup tomato sauce

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• ¼ cup flour

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

• 2 Tablespoons thyme, finely chopped

• 5 Medium Carrots, sliced

• 1 pound baby potatoes (I used tricolor)

• 8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced

• fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Poppyseed Chicken (new)

• 3 cups chicken cooked and shredded

• 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds

Cream Sauce

• 1 onion diced

• 1 clove garlic minced

• ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 1 cup chicken broth

• ¾ cup light cream

• 4 ounces cream cheese

• ⅓ cup sour cream

Topping

• ½ cup crushed cornflakes or buttery round crackers

• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Chicken Casserole (idea - complete later)

• Chicken

• 2 cans Cream of chicken soup

• 1 ½ c. Heavy cream

• potatoes 

• carrots

• celery

• zucchini

• butter

• Stovetop stuffing, prepared