Category: Cooking

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Delicious.

I’ve never been a big frozen pizza fan. Matter of fact, would rather make a pizza (as well as any other food) with as few “prepared” ingredients as possible. However, I’ve learned to enjoy a few (frozen pizza brands) after a buddy brought pies over several times. And recently, was substituted the wrong pizzas in an order I placed.

Before cooking, I made a concoction to include the correct ingredients. Onions, green peppers, ground beef, mushrooms. After preparing, had some of that mixture left over.

Ingredients needed for the following open sandwich recipe:

  • Ground Beef
  • Green Pepper
  • Onion
  • Mushrooms
  • Mayonnaise
  • Horseradish
  • Dill Relish
  • Swiss Cheese
  • French Bread (sliced)

Let’s first make a great tasting tarter sauce. Ingredients: REAL Mayonnaise (3 table spoons), DILL Relish (3/4 table spoon), AND HORSERADISH (1 teaspoon).

Cover (one side) halves of dense white bread with sauce…I used french bread, but italian, or general white bread is fine.

Place a layer of SWISS cheese over saucey side of bread. And then add the “philly” mix prepared earlier. Ground beef, onions, green peppers, mushrooms

Cook for about 5 min at 400 in oven, or 4 min at 400 in air fryer.

Magnifico!!

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Eggs Benedict.

….whipped up one of the faves this morning. Woke up around 4:30 AM, and had the urge to make Eggs Benedict.

A wonderful combination of English muffins, eggs, ham, and that special sauce. (English muffins are arguably a great alternative to bagels/white bread, depending on which you buy).

That Hollandaise is good.

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Confusion. Pulled pork.

So the question has been raised… pork loin?, pulled pork?, what are you talking about? I’m speaking of slow cooking. The preferred method, in my opinion, is with a crockpot. However, you can use a pot, fill it about 1/2 way (with water), and slow boil for about 6-8hrs on medium heat. The goal is to cook to a point where the loin is falling apart. “What loin, where?” One of these (any flavor):

They can be store brand, or whatever your preferred choice. (Smithfield is usually available in my area)

Whether you are using a traditional stovetop pot, or crockpot, cook on medium heat for about about 6-8 hours. Stick a fork in the center, to confirm the meat is falling apart.

Set on plate to pull apart and prepare. Flavor with barbecue sauce, wing sauce, or a nice herb and garlic seasoning.

Combine with noodles, make a sandwich, or create a side with barbecue or other flavorings.

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Nerds?

Sauerkraut soup. Lots of it. The leftover ham from the holidays equipped me with the perfect main ingredient for a flavorful, warm, comfort food, which never disappoints. So I grabbed one of my old beer brewing pots and threw in diced russet potatoes, two jars of old fashioned kraut, two cans of beer, and four jars of water. Absolutely nothing else needed. Most importantly, absolutely delicious.

Aside from the cooking, been working on a little SBC. Yes, they are getting pricey. My theory on any sort of TV box/entertainment unit is that the OS should be as “thin” as possible. Lightweight. The main objective? To only include files that are absolutely necessary to utilize, to make it function properly. The rest is bloat, or even worse…

This little board has made things difficult. So like yesteryear, will continue to work on it. (they don’t make it easy these days).

How similar is a disk dump copy to that of a dual tape deck cassette record/dub? An iso/img copy to that of the product of a xerox machine? Your answer may indicate a few things. And the challenges for some of us.

Oh nevermind.

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Meals

Making the Rangoon is fairly simple. The filling is a mixture of green onion, cream cheese, crab meat (preferably lump), and a sprinkling of either soy or similar sauce (1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons). I would also suggest adding a red sweet relish to your mixture, gives it a fuller flavor.

Grab some wonton wrappers. Fill center with half table spoon of mixture. Coat edges with mixed/beaten egg. Fold over to finally seal.

Fry in peanut oil, brown on each side.

Dipping sauces can range from hot mustard, sweet and sour, sweet chili… all standard.

—Crab Rangoon—

Well, as expected, made way too much for the holidays. So now we start getting creative. Soups, subs, salads, casseroles, etc. Damn, that was one big ham! Lots of leftovers.

Time to think about summer.

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The Weekend

Coffee. A perfect scent at 4:30 AM, the time I’ve been waking up lately. Today is cooking and cleaning day, putting in a little effort before the holiday. And honestly, will be happy to go back to normal diet on Fridays. (It’s a small compromise to “get along”).

There is a very simple way to make a great tasting fish. Thaw it out, crumble (club) crackers in a cup w/melted butter salt, garlic. Spread the mixture on top of the thawed filet. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. (Easy air fryer recipe also).

If you have read the deals I posted, and checked out some of the recipes… you have an idea of what’s going to be thrown in the oven. The dog is not making the cleaning part easy 😉

Thinking of this song (but in the wrong context).

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Deals

In a time when everyone is budgeting, looking for deals, thought I’d share a few. You probably already know, how much I hate doing this, (because it’s product promotion), but gas and everyday items are going up in price. The only recent products I’ve paid full price for were some stickers I could stick on gas pumps, with the saying “I did this”, next to a picture of an orange orangutan.

SodaStream c02 cannisters at Walmart – $14.96!

Peanuts in Shells 6 Pack (I’ve written about these, delicious) – $13.08

AAAANNNNNNDDDD…………

The holiday ham! Back again!

Meijer has the hams also!!

Feeling like some Terence Trent D’Arby tonight.

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Unprotected?

So, it’s been a very long time since I’ve used protection. There are a ton viruses going around, and there are many known methods used through manipulative tactics, to entrap individuals. Not to mention, the growing popularity of the “backdoor”. It’s been a REAL long time since I’ve had any legitimate reason to be concerned about viruses.

However, as the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So I recently started using another vpn, thinking about migrating back over to Linux for the majority of my computer activities. The thoughts about security/protection also came to mind pertaining to streaming services and smart devices. Would it possibly be safer, in the future, to buy monitors (not smart TV) + SBC (w/ kodi) for entertainment needs? Audio may be an issue that needs attention.

….anyways, in a few minutes it’s Friday (they call it lent), and tonight made homemade Crab Rangoon. Will reheat tomorrow. (Recipe may be on its way, once I tweak it a bit)

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Eating Healthy

Typically, budget friendly frozen berry blends are available at your local store. Yes, I’ve been shopping at Walmart lately, so their frozen strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry combo makes a lot of sense. If you are a fan of Greek yogurt (and budgeting), the store brand makes a lot more sense also. If you are watching carbs, always buy “plain”, unflavored. Why? Because we are going to be adding a TON of natural carbs later.

A buddy of mine suggested tart cherry juice a while ago. Problem is, the sugar/carb content. It is loaded with anti-oxidants and is great for joint health. Use sparingly in mixtures. Stay well under “serving size” on label. It’s very important to buy 100% juice.

So it was a different breakfast this morning. Normally, I don’t mince fresh garlic, throw it in a pot with broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans..sprinkle with salt and pepper, let cook. But, this morning, I felt like it. Felt like being weird this morning (not exactly an ususual day). Still needed some carbs.

1/2 banana, berry blend mentioned above, 1/4 naval orange, about 1 1/2 tablespoons cherry juice, 2 tablespoons greek yogurt, 1/3 cup 2% milk, 2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Apple Blueberry Granola.

Tossed in the smoothie maker, and had a wonderful breakfast. Definitely not traditional. But with coffee, before and after, felt fantastic. Ready to start the day.

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Cabbage

That’s right! You are going to need cabbage. But, you have a choice to make. Make things easy and buy a cole slaw mix? Or buy a cabbage, chop it up, and then add chopped carrots, radish, etc?

Folks we are making egg rolls!

What you are going to need:

Worcestershire Sauce or Soy Sauce
Ground Pork
White Onion
Egg Roll Wrappers
Cole Slaw (mix)
Garlic Powder
Salt
Black Pepper
Peanut Oil
Egg

Makes about 10-12 egg rolls

Cook about 1/2 pound of ground pork in skillet w/ 1/3 cup diced white onion. While cooking, season with teaspoon of salt, teaspoon of pepper, teaspoon of garlic powder. Add a tablespoon of worcestershire (soy sauce can be used, but add a bit more) to mixture also. Cook well, do not drain.

Combine seasoned pork mixture with approximately 8 ounces of cole slaw (mix) in mixing bowl. Mix well so that slaw and meat are blended throughout mixing bowl.

Crack an egg and mix it (breaking yolk) in a bowl.

Take egg roll wrapper and turn to a diamond shape in front of you. Coat the upper edge (of diamond), looks like this ^ , with egg/yolk from above. This creates a sealant for your egg roll.

Place about 2 tablespoons of cole slaw mixture in mid-lower bottom of egg roll (diamond). Roll upward, fold in sides of diamond, fold over top, sealing with the egg mixture (used to complete previous step). Do this with each egg roll, Place on plate, we will fry in next step.

Heat about 1/2 inch peanut oil in medium sized skillet on medium/high heat. Peanut oil heats fast and cooks fast, so keep a watchful eye on skillet. Brown sides of egg rolls by cooking two sides at approximately one minute a piece. (Turn each egg roll once, to cook opposite side, in skillet).

Tips

A small, portable fryer is a perfect product for this recipe. And is much more efficient. My opinion is that peanut oil is the best…Takes about 3-4 minutes per basket.

Missing Sauce? Create your own yum yum by combining ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and worcestershire sauce.