De-boning a chicken?

One thing about buying chicken on the bone is, it's cheaper and the bones can be used to make homemade chicken stock. When deboning a chicken all you need is sharp knife and the know-how.

Nothing Beats Homemade Food!

Photography by Donna Samonte

Most often than not, when my family and friends ask for recipes, I always tell them to something new. I love experimenting my recipes, giving traditional food a new flavor but not losing the taste. Here's a traditional recipe with a zest.

Homemade Meatloaf

Ingredients:
6 lbs ground meat mix (beef, pork, veal or chicken and turkey)
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
3 tbs Tomato Sauce
2tbs BBQ Sauce (any kind but I prefer Bull's Eye brand)
2tbs Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Pickle Relish
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 Eggs - medium
1tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp thyme (fresh minced)
1/4 tsp sage (fresh minced)
1 cup chopped onion/shallots
Ketchup and Maple Syrup

*1/2 cup dry slice of bread soaked in milk (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven at 375'. In a bowl, combine and mix all dry ingredients. Add all other remaining ingredients then mix again. Put mixture in a meatloaf pan or in a baking sheet form mixture in loaf, poke hole all over and stripe with ketchup. Bake for 1 and 1/2 hours. When done, spread maple syrup then broil for about 2 minutes.

Best serve with mashed potato, corn on the cob and your choice of veggie...

PS
For better taste result, set the mixture to stand about an hour before baking.

Calm me, Bake Clam...

Photography by Donna Samonte

A requested dinner, a clam-crab meat bake. This recipe is great! All of my friends and family have loved it. Instead of frying however, I bake for around 25 minutes. The recipe has a great taste that doesn't interfere with the crab meat. Try them and enjoy!

Bake Clam-Crab Meat Cake


Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tbs biscuit baking mix
1 tbs dried parsley
2 tbs red bell pepper chopped
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs prepared mustard
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lb crab meat
1/2 lb chopped clams (set aside shell for baking)
dash of salt and pepper


Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 375'F.

Mix together Old Bay seasoning, baking mix, and parsley in a medium size mixing bowl. Stir mayonnaise, mustard, egg, and Worcestershire sauce into dry ingredients. Mix in crab meat and chopped clam meat gently. Form mixture into 6 to 8 balls and press on top of half clam shell and flatten with a spatula.

Put shells in baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes.

Serve hot with your choice of veggies.

Back to cooking...

It's been a while since my last recipe post...errrr...i've been so involved with my photography.

Anyway, I'm sharing another easy recipe that you'll enjoy. Chicken is always easy to cook and kids love it. This is a very simple dish, made easy for moms who are busy.

Chicken Pastel

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 potatoes, cut in cubes
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 sm. can Vienna sausage, cut in half
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. butter
1 red pepper, cut in strips
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 c. water
1/2 c. milk
Salt to taste

Preparations:

Saute garlic and onions in oil until brown. Add chicken, soy sauce, lemon juice and pepper. Cook 5 minutes until chicken is half done. Add water. Let boil and add potatoes, Vienna sausage, butter and bell pepper. Cover until done. Add milk, cook a few minutes until sauce thickens. Serve hot.

Can be served with steamed peas and broccoli.

Beef Stroganoff in a Rush!

In a rush to make dinner, here's a recipe that's so easy as 1-2-3! I even love it after re-heating! I mean, left-over......good for the next day!!! Hahahah.....

This recipe is inspired from the recipe of my friend Jenny, who's Beef Stroganoff version taste heavenly...and I wonder where she is now....

Simple Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles, cooked and drained
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 pounds lean ground beef
4 tbs all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup sour cream
salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling water until done, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, saute garlic and onions in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until soft then add mushrooms; remove from pan. Using the same pan, melt remaining butter. Cook ground beef in melted butter until browned. Mix in flour. Stir in beef broth, and cook until slightly thickened. Add mushroom and onion mixture; stir in sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until sauce is hot, but not boiling.

Serve sauce over egg noodles.