Stuffed Flank Steak Rolls

This one has sauted Mushrooms and Onions
with Provolone Cheese!

These have onions and Swiss cheese.

I saw one of those videos out there that showed something like this, but prettier and very easy and simple looking. So I gave it a shot. It is NOT simple or easy or pretty! They leave out a lot of steps as always. I changed a few ingredients. (Only because I did not have them on hand. It didn't make a difference in the difficulty.)

I tried to get a step-by-step photo shoot. The quality isn't that great on the poor old camera I'm using, but you'll get the idea! 

 No mushrooms or spinach this time, but it will next time.

Spread out the vegetable mix.

Slice the cheese into strips so it will roll easier.

I used Swiss this time.

 Carefully roll from the narrow end 

holding the stuffing in and keeping it even.

Secure with skewers. I had to use two per roll.

Slice into rounds. I got 6 out of this one.

 Over high heat, sear for 1-2 minutes per side.

 Then into the oven for 10-15 minutes.

 All done! Oops, the flash was on!

Wonderful taste! I will be making it again!

Stuffed Flank Steak Rolls
Marinade:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

Stuffing:
3 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

½ tablespoon kosher salt

½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds flank steak, pounded to an even thickness, if needed

9 slices Provolone, Swiss or Colby-Jack Cheese 1 bunch of baby spinach leaves (optional)

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the ingredients for the marinade. Coat meat and remove resting it on a plate. Combine stuffing ingredients in the bowl with remaining ingredients.

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute the stuffing mixture until just starting to soften. Do not overcook. They will continue to cook in the steak. Remove from heat and set aside.

Lay the flank steak on a cutting board. Spoon the mushroom and onion mixture on top, spreading it evenly across the steak. Sprinkle the spinach on top (optional), followed by the slices of provolone. Starting at the bottom, or the narrowest end, of the flank steak, roll it up tightly, making sure the grain of the meat is running horizontally. Use skewers to secure the steak roll. Slice the steak roll into equal rolls.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan over high heat. Sear the steak rolls on one side for one to two minutes, then flip. Sear the second side for about one minute, then bake for 10–15 minutes, until medium rare.

Shared on Meal Plan Monday 

Crab Pie and Best Friends

Photo from my friend Brian at Hot Sauce Daily

Here's another one of the recipes from my book, "Mama's Cookbook". As I wrote the other day, Mama loved seafood, but didn't have it very often growing up because of the cost. Unless you lived on the coast and caught your own, seafood was impractical and definitely a luxury item that struggling families could not afford. Mama made friends with a new girl in school. She was Catholic and Mama didn't know about their rites and rituals. The first Friday that she spent the night at her friend's house, they had shrimp for supper. She was in love with seafood! She loved her new best friend, and Fridays were a treasured meal with her!  I was named after her best friend, Lynda! So, the few recipes of Mama's that include seafood, I certainly do treasure! I hope you enjoy this one! Notice the note at the bottom. If you are not familiar with my cookbook, Mama jotted notes down for me on recipes before giving them to me. They are a treasure trove of memories!

Crab Pie

1 Pie Pastry, uncooked

1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

1 cup Crab Meat

3 Eggs, beaten

1 cup Heavy Cream

½ t salt

¼ t Pepper

½ t Lemon Zest*

Arrange cheese evenly over bottom of pastry. Top with crab meat. Combine eggs, cream, salt, lemon peel and pour evenly over crab meat. Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes.

Notes: “Your Daddy likes this…Cool or the cheese will burn you!”

*When I make it now, I add some Old Bay Seasoning, green onion and a mixture of cheeses that I have on hand. I use Swiss and Cheddar or Colby Jack. It just depends on my mood. 

Corned Beef Brisket and Reuben Recipes

For some reason dozens of my friends are talking about Corned Beef this week. If you've been around me at all, you know that my favorite sandwich is a Reuben! I am so ready for some corned beef to use in all my Reuben recipes!

Normally, I would cook a corned beef brisket in water on the stove with some cabbage and potatoes. This time I wanted to roast it and slice it thin for Reubens. So, I drained the liquid off and cooked it according to the roasting directions on the package...

350 degrees and 1 hour per pound...

then let stand for 15 minutes...

I actually let it cool more to be

 able to handle it and retain the juices.

loaded up on my slicer and

sliced as thin as possible...

All sliced except for that one

chunk and I have plans for it :-)

Buuuuurrrrrrppppp! Yum, that was good!

NOOO! I didn't eat it all! (OH! I did eat the crumbs on the plate! I am human ya know! :-) I plan on trying lots of Reuben Recipes this week... I'll start with sandwiches! :-)

 One regular Reuben Sandwich...

... and one toasted Reuben Sandwich!

...and a Reuben Appetizer. Cocktail Reubens!

36 slices party rye bread (1 mini loaf)
Thousand Island salad dressing
2 pkgs (4oz each) cooked, sliced corn beef
German spicy mustard
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
6 slices of Swiss cheese

Spread each slice of bread with salad dressing. Top with 2 slices of corn beef. Add mustard, and then 1 teaspoon of sauerkraut. Cut each cheese slice into 6 pieces; place 1 piece on each appetizer. Broil at 425 degrees 4 to 5 inches from heat, for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Wurstsalat... German Bologna Salad

A looooong time ago, I used to visit with a friend of the family. She was born in Germany and moved to the states with her father. Her brother stayed in Germany with her mother. Her brother would come to visit in the summer. I adored those visits, listening to them talk to each other, even though I couldn't understand much. One time, her brother brought along his (then) fiance. She made a salad that I loved! I asked her for a recipe, but she couldn't speak English well enough to translate it. So, we gave up. Well, through the help of a few friends, I found a few recipes, combined a few things that I remembered and here you have it! Finally, after all this time! I have a little tweeking to do, but this is IT!!! YAY!

4 oz German Bologna
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup German style Dill Pickles 

1/4 cup Bell peppers
1/4 cup Cucumber
1/4 cup Tomato

2 Boiled Eggs (Whites Only)

1 Tablespoon Vinaigrette Dressing
1 tablespoon juice from the pickle jar
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Sour cream

Chop the bologna, cheese, pickles and vegetables into small cubes and add to a medium size bowl. Add the pickle juice and vinaigrette in a small bowl. Whisk in the mayo and sour cream. Add to the bologna and veggie mixture and toss. Let the mixture sit for a little bit or store in the frig. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will marry.

Many of the recipes call for onion. I wanted the flavor but not the bite of raw onion. So, I substituted some onion powder... just a sprinkle. Make it your own. Leave out what you don't want and add your favorites!

Hot Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

2 -12 packages of dinner rolls
1 1/2 lbs of Honey ham
12 slices Swiss cheese
1 stick of real butter
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Split the rolls in half, leaving them attached to each other. Place the bottoms of 12 rolls on a sheet of aluminum foil. Place a few slices of ham on the rolls until covered. Top with the cheese slices. Put the dinner roll tops on the bottoms. In a sauce pan, mix butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Brush the melted mixture over the dinner rolls. Wrap with the foil sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Swiss Bacon Bread from The Southern Bite

I saw this recipe on The Southern Bite's Facebook page and was bound and determined to make it! Wow! I am so glad I did!!! This is so yummy! How could you go wrong with bacon and cheese??? Click on the link above to get his recipe!!!

 The ingredients... I added minced garlic.

Surprise, surprise!!!

 All wrapped up...

 and ready for the oven!

 All crispy!

Supper is ready!!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I love Chicken Cordon Blue! I love the flavor, but not the work. This is so much easier than rolling and dredging and dipping and frying... It also tastes so amazing! I'm not putting the tradition method down. As a matter of fact, I love the presentation and textures of the traditional. But this casserole never turns out dry and it's easy! It's a no-fail recipe! :-)

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

6 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
6 Ham Slices, rough chopped
6 Swiss Cheese Slices

1 (10.75 oz) can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup Sour Cream
½ cup White Wine or White Grape Juice
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Basil
1 tsp Pepper
Salt, to taste
1 (6oz) Dry Stuffing Mix (Chicken or Cornbread Flavor)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in greased pan. Top with ham and then cheese slices. In a bowl, combine soup, sour cream, wine, garlic, basil and salt and pepper. Mix well and pour mixture over chicken. Top with stuffing mix. Bake covered for 30 minutes. If you like your topping extra crunchy, remove cover and bake for another 5 minutes.

Seafood Lasagna

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb shrimp

1/2 lb crab

1/2 lb scallops

2 garlic clove, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 T butter

2 cups béchamel *

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup dry white wine

1cup Swiss and Mozzarella cheese mix , shredded

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 lasagna sheets, cooked 'al dente'

salt and white pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

IN a saucepan, melt 1 T of the butter, sauté the garlic until transparent - do not brown or burn. Add the shrimp, scallops and crab. Toss over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add onions, stir and continue cooking till shrimp lose their transparency.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the béchamel.*

When béchamel is ready, stir in the cream, wine, and salt and pepper to taste, blend thoroughly and remove the sauce from the heat. Spread about a third of the sauce over the bottom of an 8 x 10 or round pie pan. Sprinkle 1/2 the cheese mixture over the sauce. Scatter about half the shellfish evenly over the cheese. Cover with half the lasagna sheets. Repeat the layers finishing with the last sheets of lasagna. Cover with the remaining sauce and Parmesan.

The layers, from the bottom:
Sauce
Cheese
Seafood
Lasagna
Sauce
Cheese
Seafood
Lasagna
Sauce
Parmesan

BAKE for 30-40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown (keep and eye on it, you don't want the top to burn).Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

*Bechamel Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk, heated**
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

** Use 1 cup milk for the sauce in the seafood lasagna because heavy cream and wine will thin the sauce. This will result in the sauce being thicker than usual, but that's ok!

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.

Makes about 1 cup.

PS. I ALWAYS use more cheese than a recipe calls for. It's always your call to use more or less...

I really had my mouth set on a Rueben, but...

A long time ago, my Dad had an old black man that worked a crew for his construction company. Doc had no idea how old he was or when is birthday was. He was born at home and had no birth certificate. He also could not read. My Mama, who ran the office decided to appoint him a birth date and celebrated his birth day each year.
One week, Daddy had the men out of town working. They had finished the job and done an outstanding job. Daddy decided to treat them to supper at a steakhouse. While waiting in line, Doc asked my Dad if the restaurant served fried chicken. He told Doc that he didn't think so, but he'd ask. When it came time to order, Dad asked the lady if the had any chicken. She responded, "No... we only have steaks." Doc looked at her and said, "I really had my mouth set on chicken, so give me the closest thing you got!" He smiled at her and walked away! She stood there absolutely dumbfounded! My Dad ordered for Doc and they enjoyed their meal.

That being said... I've had my mouth set on a good homemade Reuben sandwich for quiet a while now. I just knew when we went to Florence yesterday, I'd find some corned beef! NOT! I found some Black Forest Ham and decided it was better than nothing.

So today, I decided to make a Fake Reuben...

Dummy me forgot the Rye Bread, so I made it on white. YUCK!

I couldn't find my German Mustard, until after I made the sandwich and was putting everything up!

A Fake Reuben in not better than nothing!

I'm going to the store to shop for church supper.
I'm getting some rye bread and corned beef even if I have to buy that processed stuff in the little packets!

Reuben Passion

Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE a good Reuben Sandwich! I have been so aggravated that all the deli shops in Sumter have stopped carrying Corned Beef! I've even been tempted (when money is available) to purchase an entire Deli Corned Beef (about 6 -8 pounds)! I do have my own meat slicer, so why not?!?! Right? I guess I need to go to Sam's or some wholesale store and buy gallon jugs of Bavarian Sauerkraut and German Mustard! Not to mention several loaves of Jewish Rye and a couple of pounds of Swiss Cheese! Are you getting that I love, love, love Reubens?!?!?!

Well, I received a picture from a follower on Facebook of a Reuben, Green Chili Cheeseburger and Green Chili Fries from the High Desert Brewing Co. and Speck's Wine and Liquids! This looks so good that I had to share it with you... and if I ever get to Las Cruces NM... I'm going straight to High Desert Brewing Co!!! I'll tell them Gigi sent me :-)

My Baby Brudder's (Charlie's) World Famous Pizza

A lot of people have asked my brother why he hasn't tried to sell his pizza commercially, or in a restaurant... His answer, "It costs so much to make, I'd have to charge at least $20 a slice!" Take a look at the pictures I took the other night and tell me if you can figure out why... and tell me you wouldn't pay $20 to try a slice of that!?!?!?! Heaven on a plate!!!

My baby brudder... the crust first...

Fixin's... slicing the Swiss

Notice a layer of Swiss cheese

on top of the crust, 

(That step keeps the crust

from getting soggy!)

and then the home-made sauce!

and more fixin's...

bacon and sausage...

... top with Hamburger,

Canadian Bacon and fried Bacon

... and Johnsonville Italian Sausage

... and bell pepper, onion and black olives

Two types of mushrooms and

then Pepperoni...

... and "Cheese! Glorious Cheese!"

15 toppings later...

FINALLY! Ready for the Oven :-)

Cooking!

Almost done...

Done!

Mine, Mine, Mine!!!