Month: February 2021

Salisbury Steak

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Back in my college days, I could buy 4 frozen Salisbury steaks with gravy for a dollar. I would toast a slice of bread, heat up a steak and gravy, and put it on top of the toast. I remember it being good, but, like most college students, I was also poor. My tastes have changed, however, I now make my own Salisbury steak at least once per year.

I also make larger batches of mashed potatoes and freeze what I don’t need at the time so I can have them almost ready to go when I need them. I know, when thawed they are very runny, just put the mashed potatoes in an ovenproof crock (sprayed with cooking oil), cover and cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. They will be ready by the time your steaks are done.

I start by getting my steaks ready to go. Mix the ground beef with the bell pepper, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Be careful to mix only to the point where everything is just blended together. Over mixing results in a tough steak. Make 4 patties and set this aside.

Next slice your mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, no worries, just omit them and go on.

Heat a large saute pan and add 2 tablespoons of butter, then your mushrooms. Saute until they start turning brown. Then add the flour and thoroughly combine and cook for a minute or 2 to brown the flour a little bit.

Now you want to slowly whisk in the beef stock. Only add about 1/2 cup at a time and whisk it in so you can get all the lumps out of the gravy. If you pour it in all at once, you run the risk of having a very lumpy gravy.

Now it’s as simple as adding your steak patties. Cover the pan and simmer for about 7 minutes. Flip the patties over, cover and simmer for another 7 minutes.

Taste the gravy – careful, it’s hot – and add some sea salt and/or black pepper if you desire.

Served with mashed potatoes and a veggie, I’m ready for a cold, winter or fall evening!

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak with mashed potatoes, gravy, and a vegetable is a delicious comfort meal to warm you on a cold winter night
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Hamburger, Salisbury Steak
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 299kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Large saute pan

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef I like using ground chuck
  • ½ cup bell pepper fine diced (optional but adds a good flavor)
  • ¼ cup minced onion red or yellow
  • 3 tbsp bread crumbs Italian seasoned
  • 1 each egg
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Gravy

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Mix all Salisbury steak ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix or they will be tough. Make 4 patties and set aside.
  • In a large sauté pan, melt butter, add mushrooms and sauté until they turn brown. Stir in flour and cook for a couple minutes to start browning the flour.
  • Slowly whisk in the beef stock, about ½ cup at a time. Make sure to thoroughly whisk in the stock with the mushroom mixture as you pour in to get all the lumps out.
  • Once beef stock is mixed in, add your beef patties, cover and simmer for 7 minutes or so. Flip patties, cover pan and simmer for another 7 minutes or so.
  • Taste gravy, add salt or pepper if needed. There is enough gravy to serve mashed potatoes with the steaks.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 755mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 761IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 4mg

Chicken Cacciatore

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Chicken Cacciatore is full of flavor and very versatile. It can be eaten as is or on rice or noodles. I even chop up some of the leftovers the next day and put it on some greens for a salad at lunchtime.

You can use thighs or breasts, bone-in or boneless, whatever you happen to have, just remove the skin if it is still on the chicken. This time around I had 2 bone-in thighs and 1 chicken breast that I cut in half.

First gather and prep all your ingredients. The next steps go fast so you want to have everything ready.

Remove the skin from the chicken, chop the veggies, mix the flour and seasonings and make sure you have chicken stock.

Heat the pan with the oil, dredge your chicken in the flour and seasoning mix and add it to the pan. Brown it on both sides, then remove from the pan. Don’t worry about any flour or chicken bits that may be left in the pan.

Lower the heat and add a little more oil then the onions, peppers, and mushrooms.Scrape the brown stuff off the bottom of the pan as you are sauteing the veggies for a few minutes. Don’t worry if you don’t get all the brown stuff off the bottom, you’ll get it in the next step.

Now add your red wine or vinegar, chicken stock and garlic. This is when you want to make sure you really scrape the bottom of the pan to get anything off.

Now add the diced tomatoes, parsley, capers and Italian seasoning. Mix all of this together.

Now add the chicken back to the pan and get it all sunken into the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. It should be done about now, but check to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Now it’s time to enjoy! Depending on my mood or how hungry I am I might have this on rice, in which case I’ll start cooking that before I start anything with the Cacciatore recipe. Or if I want it on noodles, I’ll cook those while my chicken is simmering. Sometimes I’ll just make some garlic toast to go with it.

Chicken Cacciatore means Hunter’s Chicken. In which case I think you could really add any vegetable you want to this and turn it more into a stew. Any way you make it and serve it, Chicken Cacciatore is very delicious!

Print Recipe

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is an easy, yet delicious meal to make. You can serve it with just some garlic toast or put it on a bed of rice or egg noodles, topped with some Parmesan cheese.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Cacciatore, Chicken
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 200kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • 4 to 6 quart stainless steel deep pan
  • Cutting board and knife

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 4 pieces chicken thighs bone-in, skinless or 2 chicken breasts cut in half
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Veggies and Sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup red onion or shallot, diced
  • 1 each bell pepper chopped
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 1 tbsp garlic fresh, minced
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or red wine
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes in sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp Italian parsley chopped
  • 3 tbsp capers
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions

  • Combine the flour and seasonings and dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. On medium high heat, heat a deep, wide bottom pan (a 4 quart pan will do) and add the olive oil. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes – add more oil if you need to.
  • When the chicken is brown, lower heat to medium and remove chicken from the pan. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and the onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Sauté for a couple minutes then add the red wine vinegar, chicken broth, and garlic. Scrape all the brown stuff off the bottom of the pan (this is flavor and thickener for the sauce).
  • Reduce heat to medium low and add the diced tomatoes, parsley, capers, and Italian seasoning to the pan and combine. Return the chicken back to the pan, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Flip chicken over, cover and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove the lid, flip the chicken one more time, leave the lid off and simmer another 10 minutes to reduce sauce and finish cooking the chicken. Check the internal temperature of the chicken to ensure it reached 165 degrees.
  • Serve with a side of pasta in marinara sauce or on top of some cooked rice or egg noodles, and some garlic toast.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 723mg | Potassium: 448mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 338IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg

Hazelnut Crusted Pork Medallions

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This past year has been a challenge, everything from how we work or learn to going out and special occasion dinners. Valentine’s Day is approaching and if you are unable to order a to-go meal from a local restaurant or have kids at home but you still want a nice meal, Hazelnut Crusted Pork Medallions happen to be quick to prepare and easy to make.

You are going to want about 1 pound of pork trimmed of fat. It can be boneless chops, loin, or tenderloin. I happened to have a pork loin this time so I cut it into 4 slices, then cut each slice in half.

I put the pork slices between 2 sheets of plastic wrap in order to prevent any kind of contamination of my counter or anything surrounding it while I flatten the medallions a little bit.

Use the flat side of your meat mallet and pound the medallions down to about 1/4 inch thick.

Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and sprinkle both sides of the pork with sea salt, black pepper, and granulated garlic.

In a small food processor, chop the hazelnuts until fine. You don’t want to turn it into powder. Put them in a bowl and chop your rosemary and parsley. You could certainly hand chop everything. Then combine with the hazelnuts.

Take each medallion and press it into the hazelnut mixture. Make sure they are well coated. As I coat them, I set them aside on a piece of parchment paper.

 

After they are all coated, press each one with the palm of your hand, ensuring the hazelnut coating is well pressed into the pork. If you have any leftover coating in your bowl. sprinkle it on the medallions and press in.

On medium to medium low heat, heat a large skillet and add the olive oil. I like to use a non-stick skillet for this. Add your pork medallions and cook, about 4 minutes per side, checking from time to time to ensure it isn’t burning. The pork should be at 145 degrees.

These are tasty as is, make a quick brown gravy to top them off, or turn your Hazelnut Crusted Pork Medallions into a fancy meal by making Mushroom Demi Glace and serve them with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus and Mushrooms in a Garlic Balsamic Reduction.

Print Recipe

Hazelnut Crusted Pork Medallions

These restaurant quality pork medallions can be easily and quickly made at home to enjoy a nice meal with your loved ones.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Hazelnut Pork, Hazelnuts, Pork Medallions
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 405kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Cutting board and knife
  • Meat Mallet
  • Large saute pan
  • Small Food Proccessor - Optional

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork loin or pork chops or tenderloin
  • 1 cup hazelnuts raw
  • 1 1/2 tbsp rosemary fresh
  • 2 tbsp parsley fresh
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Instructions

  • Trim fat off pork and cut into 4 even slices. Cut each slice in ½. If using a pork tenderloin, cut into 8 even slices.
  • Place pork in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, lightly pound pork down to about ¼ inch thick.
  • Pull top sheet of plastic wrap off and sprinkle both sides with a little salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Set aside.
  • In a food processor (or with a knife) fine chop the hazelnuts, and put in a bowl. Chop the rosemary and parsley and add to the hazelnuts.
  • Press hazelnut mixture into both sides of the pork medallions.
  • On medium to medium low heat, heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the medallions to the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes, turn and cook another 4 minutes. The pork will be done when it reaches and internal temperature of 145ºF.
  • Eat as is or top with a quick gravy or Mushroom Demi Glace.
  • Pairs well with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes , Asparagus and Mushrooms in a Garlic Balsamic Reduction, a steamed vegetable, or green salad.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 654mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

Mushroom Demi Glace

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I good gravy can go a long way to completing a meal. Demi Glace is a gravy on its own or a base for another sauce. I love mushrooms, especially in gravy so I generally add them to all my gravies. This time I had button mushrooms but oyster mushrooms work great in this too! If you don’t like mushrooms, just skip past that and make the demi glace.

Prep time for this is simple. I like to use shallots, but you could certainly use red or yellow onions. You could also add a teaspoon of minced garlic if you desired.

For the beef stock, you can certainly use already made stock or some you made. I keep jars of Better Than Bouillon on hand. I love this stuff and it comes in many different varieties. This way I can make any variety of stock I need in any amount I need. I have found it at just about every grocery store I have shopped and on Amazon. It’s usually by the packaged gravies, but I have also found it in the soup aisle.

You are going to need at least a 4 inch deep sauce pan. Heat the olive oil and had the mushrooms and shallots. Cook until the mushrooms start browning. Then remove them from the pan and set aside. Don’t worry about anything that might be left on the bottom of the pan, this will add flavor in the next steps.

Put your pan back on the element and make the rue. Melt your butter; whisk in the flour. Brown the flour a little bit, whisking the entire time. You can see the little brown chunks that were stuck on the bottom of my pan that got whisked into the rue.

Next you will slowly add the beef stock. Whisk in about 1/2 cup at a time. Make sure to do this for about the first 2 cups. Whisk in between adding and try to incorporate it all and get out the lumps. If you dump all the stock in at once, you risk a lumpy gravy. If your gravy is looking fairly lump free after the first couple of cups, go ahead and dump in the rest of the stock. Then whisk in the tomato paste and granulated garlic.

Once your sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer away. Whisk every so often, and reduce your sauce by at least 1/2. This will take about an hour.

If I am making this to go with Hazelnut Crusted Pork Medallions, this is when I start working on those. Or I make this a day or so in advance of when I need it and just heat it up.

In the last 5 minutes, add your cooked mushrooms and shallots into your gravy.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Mushroom Demi Glace

Easy to prepare; it takes time to simmer, however, this demi glace is a rich gravy that is worth the wait.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Condiments, Gravy, Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Demi Glace, Mushroom Gravy, Steak Topping
Servings: 4 peop;e
Calories: 180kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Cutting board and knife
  • 6 to 8 quart sauce pan
  • Whisk

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 2 tbsp shallots minced
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 quart Beef stock for vegetarian use mushroom or veggie stock
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a 4-inch deep stainless steel pan on medium heat. Add olive oil, mushrooms, and shallots. Sauté until mushrooms are browned and shallots are translucent. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Add butter to the hot pan, melt, and whisk in the flour. Cook until butter and flour have browned – do not burn. Slowly whisk in beef stock making sure to whisk out all the lumps, then add granulated garlic, and tomato paste.
  • Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently. Gravy should be reduced in half. Add mushrooms and shallots in the last 5 minutes.
  • Top steaks, Hazelnut Crusted Pork Medallions, or grilled portobello caps with gravy or demi glace. It's also very good on mashed potatoes.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 585mg | Potassium: 703mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg