Night 14 of Olympic Meals - Netherlands!

Yes, 2 posts in one night, and this will probably be my last Olympic post, food wise, since I'll be at Croptopia all weekend (don't worry, I'll squeeze in some Olympic TV time!), Netherlands!  The husband and I both agreed we would like these better if they weren't so oily...and the husband also now states he can't wait till I start cooking "normal" food again next week - he would like Italian and Mexican every other night ;)

Netherlands = Fried ham and cheese roll ups!

You will need:

• thin bread - I used Rye, maybe not the best choice as it isn't the thinnest
• 1 cup shredded Gouda cheese
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• deli sliced ham
• vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup flour for coating
• 1 egg, beaten, with 1 tbsp milk
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• toothpicks

Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat.  While that is heating, mix together the cheese and mustard and spread, or in my case it was more like, press it onto one piece of bread.  Top with one piece of ham, roll up, and pin with a toothpick or two. 

Coat the sandwich with the flour, then dip in the egg/milk mixture, coat with breadcrumbs, and put into the oil.  My pan fit 4 of these, so I made 4:)  Flipping a couple times, they took about 10 minutes to crisp up. 

Crisp up they did, but they stayed mighty oily, even after paper-towelling them off (is that a word?).  Too bad, b/c I think if I cooked them like I was making a grilled cheese just with Pam spray, they would've been wonderful with this type cheese!  I'll definitely make them again, just with sliced Gouda and no oil!

I hope you have all enjoyed my Olympic meals and posts!  I am so excited about figure skating tonight, and then Croptopia this weekend!  Please keep posting and sending suggestions for meals from different countries, and I'll be back to posting next week!

Have a great weekend and try to stay dry!  We are getting crazy rain here!  Better than snow!

Night 13 of Olympic Meals - Japan!

Sorry for the late post, everyone - I fell asleep last night about 9:30 - this Olympic late night-ness is getting to me!  I must be getting old!  Anyways, I hope you enjoy this post and the next (for tonight's meal) - unfortunately they'll be quick, as I must pack for my and Melissa's Croptopia getaway!  Scrapbooking alll weekend, woohoo!  Should be fun, but I will miss the husband, and it sounds like a party  he's going to have while I'm gone...

So what did I make?  Low-cal Japanese chicken was the name, but it seemed pretty "normal" to me.  I paired it with some Jasmine rice and yummy sushi (purchased from our fave Asian place, Asia Bistro) and all was good:)  The chicken was a little bland, but always worth it to try new things, right?

You will need:

• 3 large chicken breasts, a little over 1 lb total, cut in half
• 1 cup low fat lemon yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix all ingredients together, then coat each chicken piece in the mixture.  Place foil over a 13x9 baking dish and place chicken pieces on the foil.  Place in a cold oven, then set to 425 and cook for 45 minutes.

The chicken ended up with a little bit of a crispness to it, and was definitely juicy, but just alittle bland.  With all that lemon I thought it would have such a nice lemon flavor, but it didn't really...I sure did enjoy my Jasmine rice and sushi though:)

 

  

 

Can anyone recommend any other Japanese recipes I should try?  I really have to learn how to make sushi!

Night 12 of Olympic Meals - England!

I bet a lot of you are saying finally!  Yes finally, England!  I couldn't do all the expected countries in the same week;)  So what did I make - Bangers and Mash!  I'm hoping one of my mom's best friends, who posts comments on here, tries my recipes more than anyone else, and sends me dessert recipes will critique me and tell me how it's really supposed to be made since she's from England!

What you'll need:

• Enough mashed potatoes for 6 servings
• 1.5 lbs beef sausage
• 1/2 cup diced onion - my pieces were a bit chunkier
• 1 (.75 oz) packet dry brown gravy mix
• 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350.  Make mashed potatoes as normal, or if you're like me and for some reason can't make good mashed potatoes, make them out of the box:)

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage in about a 1/2 inch water, sprayed with Pam, covered, until heated thru.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Fry the onions in the leftover water until tender. 

Mix gravy packet with 1 cup water and add to the skillet with the onions.  Heat to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Once thickened, turn down heat to low and simmer for about 1 minute to let it thicken even more.

Pour half of the gravy mixture into the bottom of a 9x9 pan.  Top with sausages, then the rest of the gravy mixture, then the mashed potatoes.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes start to brown a bit on top.

Yum!  The husband can't wait to go tell his English boss what he had for dinner tonight;) 

 

  

I'm very nervous about tomorrow night!  Any guesses?  Is anyone else soooo tired from staying up watching these Olympics?!?  I love them, but I can't wait until I can start going to bed early again!  And catch the finale of the Bachelor;)

See you all tomorrow night:)

Night 11 of Olympic meals - Jamaica!

Hello all!  Good guesses, but how could I not throw in the Cool Runnings country??

I'm sure you all know by now, CCC likes to keep Mondays very simple - I don't always have a lot of energy after a full Monday at work, and I just want to relax mostly, but we can't starve over here...so I cook:)

Tonight = very simple!  Jerk chicken wings with leftover white rice and green beans, a veggie medley, and, to much excitement, fried plantains!  I can't say for sure the plantains are "Jamaican" but it seems like in every Caribbean country I go to, there are always delicious fried plantains. 

For the wings, I just bought about 3 lbs of chicken wings and marinated them in Caribbean Jerk sauce, store-bought (remember, it's Monday!) and some soy sauce all day while I was at work.  When I came home tonight, I tossed them on a rimmed baking sheet and broiled them for 45 minutes in the oven.  So yummy and crispy; the husband was a real fan!  I'm more of a BBQ wing fan, and I'd like to try to make my own sauce or rub for these next time...but it was Monday and my lazy night!

Onto the plantains - are they supposed to be so hard to peel??  I had 2, so I peeled both and cut them into 1/2-1 inch slices.  I heated a fry pan over medium heat, adding 2 cups of vegetable oil.  Once the oil was heated I added the slices and cooked them in the oil for 20 minutes, stirring/flipping occasionally.  You want them brown, but not too brown, b/c then they'll get too chip-like.  After the 20 minutes, add a 1/2 cup sugar, stir it around, turn the heat to low, and simmer the plantains for another 10 minutes or so.  Drain on a plate in paper towels and enjoy!  Mine got a little too crispy, so next time I'd cook them a little less, but they were great and I'm so happy this whole meal was so easy!

 

  

Any guesses for tomorrow night??  Why are they interviewing Michael Phelps - show some figure skating!  And why does there have to be a chance of snow everyday for the next 5 days?!?!  Have a good night, all!

Night 10 (night 9 was a night out for italian food) of Olympic meals - France!

I bet Melissa is especially happy about this one, since she's been guessing France for days now:)  This was a fabulous meal, unlike the German meal I made, that I'll definitely be making again!  What did I make you ask?  Bay Scallops with Almonds and white rice and Apricot, Brie, and Pecan Tarts:)

So so easy, just a lot going on at the same time - at one point I think I had all 4 burners and the oven going!  This is a lot for me!  I also set the fire alarm off...twice;)  The butter you cook the scallops in gets smoky, people! 

For the bay scallops, you will need:

• 1 cup chardonnay
• 1/2 cup claim juice or fish stock - I used clam juice
• 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 lb or more of bay scallops
• 1/2 cup toasted almond slivers

Preheat oven to 350.  Toast the almond slivers and pecan halves (that you'll use for the tarts) for 7 minutes.  In the meantime, combine the wine and stock, bringing to a simmer over high heat.  Add cream and cook until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Add salt and pepper, and then remove from heat and let sit.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat butter over high heat - this will bring on some smoke just to warn you!  Add the scallops, and cook over high heat until browned and cooked thru, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper, and drain in a colander.  Add drained scallops to the sauce and mix to coat.  Add cooked white rice to your plate, then the scallop mixture, and then top with the toasted almonds = yum!

Now while this was going on, I was making the tarts too, inspired by a friend, Ms. Caitlin Barrett, who made something similar on New Years Eve!  You will need:

• pecan halves, about 25
• 1 (8 oz) pkg of brie, chilled
• 1/2 package of a 17 1/4 oz frozen puff pastry sheets, so one sheet, thawed
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 425 after you have toasted the pecans at 350.  Remove rind from cheese and cut into 12 pieces and set aside.  Roll thawed pastry sheet out onto a floured surface or pan, cut into 12 squares, and fit squares into muffin tins, extending corners slightly above the rim for easier removal.

Bake pastry at 425 for 10-12 minutes, or until they begin to brown and puff up.  Remove from oven, and gently press the handle of a wooden spoon into the center of each pastry, pushing the puff down and making more of a tart shape.  Spoon apricot into each shell, then top with a piece of cheese and as many pecans as you'd like.  Bake 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Heaven!  Even the husband loved these things, which I wasn't sure he would.  The mixture of the pastry with the sharpness of the brie and the sweetness of the preserves is amazing!  I think I may make these again this week for a work food-day thing we're having!

Here's my plate (yes I made a few bacon wrapped scallops - if I made scallops and DIDN'T make a few of these I think the husband would divorce me) - I could eat this meal everyday!

 

I'm so happy to be back on track!  Only a week left of the Olympics, so sad:(  but the great recipes will continue and continue:)

Any guesses for tomorrow night?  Go USA!