Dinner 15: Tennessee

Menu

Tennesee Burger with Bourbon and BBQ Sauce
Papa's Slaw
Old Fashioned Biscuits
Chocolate Fried Pies

Review

I chose Tennessee next because they were playing Daddy's favorite football team next. I wanted the hamburger because it looked yummy. And the chocolate fried pies - I'd never had those before!

I loved the burgers! Even the onions on them and I usually don't like onions that aren't mixed in, but these onions were really good. I liked the biscuits, too. I ate a bunch of them because they were so yummy. I didn't like the cole slaw though, which was funny because I liked the cabbage by itself, but not when it was mixed with the rest of the ingredients. The chocolate fried pies were my favorite! They were sooooooooo good.

Recipes

Tennesee Burger with Bourbon and BBQ Sauce

(original recipe from My Recipes)

3 bacon slices
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups vertically sliced red onion
5 tablespoons bourbon, divided
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 pound ground sirloin
4 hamburger buns

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Add oil and onion to bacon drippings and cook until onion is lightly browned and very tender, stirring occasionally. Add 3 tablespoons of bourbon, vinegar, and salt. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated, stirring constantly. Remove mixture from pan and allow to cool.

In a small saucepan, combine 2 teaspoons bourbon, ketchup, mustard, honey, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Coarsely chop 1/2 cup of the onion mixture and add it to the beef. Combine thoroughly, then divide the beef mixture into 4 portions and shape into patties. Cook patties until desired doneness.

Spread each bun half with some of the sauce. Place patties on the bottom halves, then divide remaining onion mixture among servings. Top with bacon and top half of bun.

Papa's Slaw

(original recipe from Food Network)

1 small head cabbage
2 bell peppers
2 carrots
2 small onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar

Finely chop or grate cabbage, peppers, carrots and onions. Sprinkle salt over the mixture and let stand  2 hours. Drain well.

Add celery seed, mustard seed, vinegar and sugar. Mix well, then cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Old Fashioned Biscuits

(original recipe from Just A Pinch)

1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening (very cold)
3 tablespoons melted soy margarine

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a biscuit pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine soy milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening. Mix in soy milk mixture until a light dough forms. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times.

Pat dough to flatten to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut biscuits and place in pan. Pour melted margarine over each biscuit. Bake 13-15 minutes, until golden.

Remove biscuits from pan and place into a covered container and allow to steam for 5 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Fried Pies

(original recipe from Just A Pinch)

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup soy margarine, melted
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup soy milk, plus more if needed
vegetable oil, for frying

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and cocoa powder. Add the margarine and stir until it forms a paste. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening. Add the soy milk and combine until the dough sticks together. Divide the dough into 5-6 portions, and roll our on a floured circle into 6 inch circle. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling on each circle. Wet the edges of the dough and fold over, crimping the edges.

In a large skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1/4 inch and heat over medium heat. Fry the pies until golden brown on each side, turning as needed. Remove to drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Dinner 14: Nevada

Menu

Hunter's Rabbit
(Not-)Buttermilk Onion Rings
Sunshine Beets
Caramel-Frosted Potato Cake

Justin's Review

I chose Nevada because Daddy said it would probably be the hardest one to find foods for and I thought that was kind of funny. Mommy said we should just have a buffet, but I decided I wanted to try rabbit. We also had onion rings, beets and a cake made with potatoes!

When Daddy and I went to get the rabbit, the butcher had just left the store and we had to come back another day, but the second time Daddy just went by himself.

I liked the rabbit, but there were a lot of tomato bits in the sauce - too many of them! I really liked the onion rings, they were delicious, but I really, really, really didn't like the beets. Yuck! The potato cake was really good, too. You couldn't taste potatoes at all, it just tasted like chocolate and frosting.

Recipes

Hunter's Rabbit

(original recipe from Food Network)

1/2 cup olive oil
1 rabbit, cut into 6-8 portions
salt and pepper, to taste
2 shallots, minced
1/3 cup flour
1 pinch dried thyme
1 pinch dried parsley
1 bay leaf
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper. Place the pieces in the hot oil and brown both sides. Remove from the heat and transfer the pieces to a medium casserole dish.

Return the skillet to the heat and add more oil. Add the shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes. Transfer the shallots to the casserole.

Sprinkle the rabbit casserole with flour, thyme and parsley. Add the bay leaf and stir in the tomato sauce, wine and broth. Cover with foil and put in the oven to bake until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours.

(Not-)Buttermilk Onion Rings

(original recipe from StarChefs.com)

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 large Vidalia onions, sliced into thin rounds

4 ounces flour

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

oil, for frying

salt and pepper, to taste

Lightly whisk together soy milk and vinegar in a medium bowl. Soak onion rings in the mixture for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin and salt. 

Heat oil to 350 degrees.

Remove the onion rings from the soy milk mixture, squeezing off any excess. Toss the rings in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Add salt and a pepper, if desired.

Sunshine Beets

(original recipe from Cooks.com)

1 1/2 cups sliced cooked beets
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon soy margarine

In a small saucepan, stir together cornstarch, sugar and salt. Combine with orange juice and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens.

Add the cooked beets and margarine and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until beets are hot.

Caramel-Frosted Potato Cake

(original recipe from Taste of Home)

Cake:

3/4 cup soy margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs equivalent of egg replacer, prepared

1 cup mashed potatoes (without milk or butter)

2 ounces sweet chocolate, melted

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup soy milk

Frosting:

1/4 soy margarine

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-4 tablespoons soy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan.

In a large bowl, cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the potatoes, chocolate and 1 tablespoon of the prepared egg replacer.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves. Gradually add to the margarine mixture, alternating with soy milk, and beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg replacer until as foamy as possible. Gently stir into the batter. 

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, melt the margarine in a small saucepan, add brown sugar and cook over low heat for 2 inures. Remove from the heat and let cool for 3 minutes. Stir in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and just enough milk to achieve a thick pouring consistency. Pour over cake.

Dinner 13: Virginia

Menu

Baked Glazed Virginia Ham
Christiana Campbell's Tavern Sweet Potato Muffins
Fried Carrots
(Egg-free! Dairy-free!) Pound Cake

Justin's Review

I chose Virginia next because it starts with V, like my best friend Violet's name. I wanted to have ham, sweet potato muffins, fried carrots and pound cake. Mommy said the pound cake would be tricky because it usually has a lot of eggs, but she made one without any!

When we went shopping, there were two hams and both were pretty big, but I told Daddy to get the biggest one. We have a lot of left overs now! I helped Mommy make the glaze for the ham by helping measure stuff and pressing the button to make the blender go.

I didn't really like the ham, though. I usually like ham, but I didn't like this one. I did like the muffins - they were really good. I liked the fried carrots at first, but then didn't like them after a bit. The pound cake was the best part! It was so delicious! And Mommy and Daddy both said it tasted just like pound cakes with eggs in it, too.

Recipes

Baked Glazed Virginia Ham

(original recipe from Food.com)

1 14-pound fully cooked spiral-cut smoked ham, on the bone
6 cloves garlic
8 1/2 ounces mango chutney
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 orange, zested
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the ham in a heavy roasting pan.

Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add chutney, mustard, brown sugar, orange zest and orange juice, process until smooth.

Pour the glaze over the ham and bake for 1 hour, until the ham is fully heated and the glaze is well browned.

Christiana Campbell's Tavern Sweet Potato Muffins

(original recipe from Movin' On)

1/2 cup soy margarine
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs equivalent of egg replacer, prepared
1 1/4 cups mashed sweet potato
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup soy milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Add the prepared egg replacer and mix well. Blend in the sweet potatoes.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to the margarine mixture, alternating with the soy milk, stirring until just combined.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Fried Carrots

(original recipe from The Mountain Laurel)

2 cups oil, for frying
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
water, to desired consistency
2 cups grated carrots

Heat the oil in a heavy pot, to 365 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

In a small bowl, combine the soy milk and margarine. Add to the flour mixture and stir to make a thick smooth paste, adding water as needed. Stir in the grated carrots.

Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

(Egg-free! Dairy-free!) Pound Cake

(original recipe from Dairy Freed)

1 1/2 cups soy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 cups soy margarine, softened
2 eggs equivalent of egg replacer, prepared
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.

Stir together the flour and sugar. Add margarine, egg replacer, vanilla and soy milk mixture. Beat until thoroughly combined.

Pour into prepared tube pan and smooth. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a long tooth pick comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely.

Dinner 12: California

Menu

French Dip Sandwiches
California Raisin and Orange Salad
Crocodile Guacamole and Tortilla Chips
Outstanding Orange Rolls

Justin's Review

I chose California next because it's all the way on the other side of the country. I chose French Dip sandwiches, raisin and orange salad, guacamole and chips and orange rolls. Daddy really likes French Dip sandwiches, so I wanted to try them, too.

When I went shopping with Daddy, we had to ask someone where the fennel was, because we couldn't find any - they were hiding way up high behind some other vegetables! It was hard to find avocados that weren't too ripe, too.

I helped Mommy make the orange rolls, by mixing up the filling. I also helped mix the spices to put on the roast beef. Mommy made everything else.

My favorite California food was the chips, which were really good. I wanted more of them. I didn't really like the other dinner foods, except the roast beef was good, without the dip, which was too peppery. Daddy liked it, though! I also didn't like the guacamole, even though that was Mommy's favorite part. And the salad was okay, but I thought it was strange to eat fruit at dinner. I really liked the orange rolls for dessert, though. I'm happy we have leftovers of those!

Recipes

French Dip Sandwiches

(original recipe from Chow)

1 tablespoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
small boneless rib loin roast
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
6 rolls, sliced in half
margarine, for spreading

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Rub over the beef roast. Place the roast in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees. Continue roasting until medium-rare. Remove the roast to a cutting board and set aside.

Add wine to the roasting pan, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Transfer the wine to a small saucepan.

Add the broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer another 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Skim off and discard the fat. Season to taste and keep warm over low heat.

Heat the oven to broil and set a rack in the middle.

Spread margarine on the cut sides of the rolls. Place the rolls, margarine side up, on a baking sheet and broil until golden. Set aside.

Thinly slice the roast beef and divide into 6 portions. Using tongs, dip each portion into the jus and place on the rolls. Close each sandwich and cut in half.

Divide the remaining jus into 6 bowls for dipping.

California Raisin and Orange Salad

(original recipe from relish)

2 naval oranges
1/2 head of fennel
2 hearts of romaine lettuce
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/3 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

With a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the oranges. Slice crosswise into a large bowl. Remove stalks and bottom from the fennel. Thinly slice the fennel and add to the bowl. Tear romaine leaves into small pieces and add, along with the red onion, to the bowl. Toss.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss.


Crocodile Guacamole
(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1 small tomato, diced
1/8 cup minced yellow onion
chile pepper, to taste
cilantro, to taste
lime juice, to taste
garlic, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Blending until just before the avocados turn to mush.

Tortilla Chips

(original recipes from allrecipes.com and simplyrecipes.com)

3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water
oil, for pan

In a large bowl, combine the flour and cornmeal. Add the baking powder and salt and mix together well. Stir in the water to form a crumbly dough. Work the dough with your hands until it holds together.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth. Divide the dough into small balls and cover lightly with saran wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly oil the pan.

Working with one dough ball at a time, flatten it by hand, then roll it into a 9-inch round. Cook until lightly browned. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Cut each tortilla into 6 wedges.

Pour oil into the skillet, to a depth of 1/4 of an inch. Heat the oil to about 350 degrees. Do not allow the oil to smoke.

Place a handful of tortilla wedges into the pan, in a single layer. Fry until the chips just begin to brown and become firm. Transfer to a paper towel to drain and sprinkle with salt. Continue to fry the chips, working in batches.

Outstanding Orange Rolls

(original recipes from Food.com and Go Dairy Free)

Dough:
2 3/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy margarine
1 egg equivalent of egg replacer

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy margarine
2 tablespoons grated orange rind

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons soy margarine, softened
4 teaspoons soy milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl.

In a small pan, warm the water, soy milk and margarine until the margarine is completely melted.

Stir the warm margarine mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg replacer and only enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 minutes, then place in a lightly greased bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.

Beat together filling ingredients until smooth.

Roll the dough out into at least a 15x10 rectangle. Spread the filling mixture over the dough and roll it up, starting with the long end. Cut into approximately 1 1/2 inch rolls. Place into a greased cake pan. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake rolls for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Mix glaze ingredients and spread over warm rolls.