Sarmale - Romanian Cabbage Rolls

Welcome bloggers and bloggerettes to another spiffy edition of Everyday Meals. If this is your first time joining us, you're in for a treat! For those returning, hello again! Today, I woke up with an urge to do something random. Unfortunately, I am car-less at the moment so instead, we are going to be making something totally different. I needed to find something to satiate this random urge and I found it. If you are from Romania, you will know this little ditty. So, grab those cooking utensils and let's have some fun!

Romanian Cabbage Rolls

You will need:

• 3 pounds ground pork
• 1/2 cup long grain rice
• 2 onions chopped
• parsley
• dill
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 liter tomato juice
• salt
• pepper
• 1 large sour cabbage
• 15 slices of bacon

Ready?

1. Chop the onions and fry them in oil until tender.
2. Add the rice and cook for another minute.
3. Add onion and rice mixture to ground pork, then add salt, pepper, dill and parsley and mix well with your hands.
4. Now it’s time to assemble the rolls.
5. Remove all the cabbage leaves and cut each leaf in half.
6. Fill each half leaf with a big tablespoon of the meat mixture, then roll.
7. Put all the rolls in a big pot and add the liter of tomato juice over the rolls.
8. Add more water if needed.
9. The juice should cover the rolls entirely.
10. Cover the pot with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 4 hours.
11. After 2 hours remove the foil and return to the oven.
12. Serve hot with a bit of sour cream on top.
13. Enjoy!

I sure hope you had a bit of fun with me. For those of you who didn't know, cabbage rolls are very common in the Balkans, Sweden, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. There are at least 35 different variations of this dish. Also, the proper name for this dish in Romania is sarmale. I know, neat right? Anywho, come back tomorrow for a brand new recipe and some tasteful fun and knowledge. Have a great day and happy blogging to all! <3

Pack It In and Enjoy!

Welcome everyone to a brand new EMEF! As you all can tell, last night we hit a new high, 10,000 viewers. For that, I am forever grateful. So, today, I wanted to allow all of us to kick back and enjoy ourselves. I like to enjoy myself with a little seafood, so I'm sharing my joy with you all today. We are going to be taking any fish of choice and utilizing it in our dish. Yes, I did in fact say ANY FISH of your choice. You will not be tied down with what I choose, so have fun and flirt with this recipe a bit. I know, I'm being a bit vague so let's get in the kitchen so that I can clarify what I'm talking about.

Coconut Curry Thai Fish Packets

You will need:

• 4 fillets of white fish of choice (flounder, cod, haddock, dea bass, etc.)
• Sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 14 ounce can light coconut milk
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and chopped
• 1 large head broccoli, crown chopped and stem sliced
• 2 cups snow peas
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup basil, torn
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, sliced
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• red pepper flakes

Are you ready?

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut four 15 inch squares of parchment paper.
3. Lay each fillet on a piece of parchment paper and season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour half the coconut milk over the fillets, divided evenly.
5. Layer the red onion and red pepper flakes.
6. Pour the remainder of the coconut milk over top, dividing evenly over the fillets.
7. Fold the top and secure ends; you can use safety pins or cooking twine.
8. Cook 15 to 17 minutes until the fish is opaque.
9. Open packets and slide onto plate.
10. Enjoy!

I thank you for joining me today! Come back tomorrow for another excellent entry. Have a great day and happy blogging to all! <3

Thank You Everyone!

You all make this blog worth something! Thank you once again for joining me and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you!

A Southern Specialty

Good morning fellow bloggers and bloggerettes! Welcome to a brand new, down home edition of Everyday Meals. If you are new to this blog, I want to extend a warm welcome to you. For those of you returning, welcome back! Now, I want to start by stating that I live in Texas. When I think of Southern food, my heart is home, and dag gummit, Texas food is about as Southern as it gets. Yes, granted, there may be spots in Florida further to the South, but they've honestly got nothing on Texas deep fried foods. They come close with their Cuban food, though! But let me get back on track... today we definitely are cooking up something Southern. Chicken Fried Steak to be exact. Yes, ma'am or sir! So, grab those chili pepper embroidered aprons and let's get cooking!

Chicken Fried Steak

You will need:

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 cups whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
• 3 large egg whites
• 4 (three ounce) portions lean filet mignon, pounded about 1/3 inch thick 
• Nonstick cooking spray 
• Salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 (six ounce) link hot Italian turkey sausage, casing removed 
• 1 cup chicken broth 
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Are you ready? Let's go!

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet lined with foil and set it aside.
3. Put the flour and panko in two seperate small dishes. 
4. In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites until they are very foamy but not quite holding peaks. 
5. Dredge the steaks in the flour, shaking off any excess. 
6. Dip them in the egg whites to coat, then dredge the steaks in the panko, coating them evenly.
7. Place the steaks on the wire rack and spray them with cooking spray. Season the steaks with salt and pepper to taste and roast until they are golden brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. 
9. When the pan is hot, add the sausage and stir it to break it up. 
10. Cook the sausage until it is just done.
11. While the sausage is cooking, whisk the chicken broth into the cornstarch in a small bowl.
12. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sausage and bring it to a simmer. 
13. When the gravy has thickened slightly, remove the pan from the heat.
14. Stir the yogurt into the gravy, then season it with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the hot gravy over the steaks and serve immediately!
15. Enjoy!

Well, I hope you enjoy the taste of Southern cooking because I have a feeling that we will be seeing a lot of it! Thank you for joining me. Have a great day and happy blogging to all! <3

Porchetta: A Calorific Journey into Italian Food

Well, hello there my amazing blogging friends! Welcome to another edition of EMEF! You caught me in the middle of drooling over a recipe that I have. I know, I know... that's slightly embarassing, but I don't care. If you've followed me from the beginning, you would know that I am a hard core foodie. It's all I think about. Well, actually, I think about you all as well. This blog would be nothing without each and every one of you. So, since you're all here with me again, I'm going to share this recipe with you. Please note that this recipe is chock full of calories and fat. It's a bomb waiting to go off. Please eat this dish in portions, or with a HUGE family. Anywho... Meet me in the kitchen and we can get cracking!

Porchetta

You will need:

• 6 pounds fresh pork belly, skin on
• 3 pounds boneless, center-cut pork loin
• 3 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 orange, seeded, rind-on, thinly sliced

Let's do this!

1. Place the belly skin-side down, and arrange the loin in the center. 
2. Roll the belly around the loin so the ends of the belly meet. 
3. If any of the belly or the loin overlaps, trim the meat with a sharp knife. Unroll and set aside.
4. In a small pan over medium heat, toast the fennel seeds and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
5. Let the spices cool, and then finely grind them in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder until very fine. 
6. Transfer the spices to a small bowl, and toss with the sage, rosemary, and garlic. 
7. Set spice mixture aside.
8. Arrange the belly skin side down on a counter or large cutting board. Using a knife, score the belly flesh in a checkerboard pattern about 1/3 of an inch deep, to help the roast cook evenly.
9. Flip the belly over and poke dozens of 1/8 inch deep holes through the skin, all over the belly.
10. Using a spiked meat mallet, pound the skin side of the belly all over for at least three minutes. 
11. This will tenderize the skin and help it to puff up and get crispy when roasted.
12. Turn the belly, them salt both the loin and belly generously with kosher salt. 
13. Rub the flesh side of belly and entire loin with the fennel mixture. Arrange the loin down the middle of the belly and top with orange slices.
14. Wrap the belly around the loin and tie crosswise tightly at 1/2 to 1 inch intervals with kitchen twine.
15. Trim the twine and transfer the roast to a wire rack set on a baking dish. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 24 hours to allow the skin to air-dry.
16. When ready to cook, let the porchetta sit at room temperature for two hours. 
17. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, and season the porchetta with salt. 
18. Roast on a rack on a baking sheet for 40 minutes, turning once. 
19. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and continue roasting, rotating the pan and turning the roast about every 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roast reads 140 degrees.
20. If the skin is not yet a deep mahogany color, crank the heat back up to 500 degrees and roast for ten minutes more. 
21. Let rest for 30 minutes, before slicing into 1/2 inch round slices with a serrated knife. 
22. Serve slices or in sandwich form.
23. Enjoy!

I know that this dish takes a while to make, but the end result is well worth all of the hard work that I put you through. I feel no guilt eating this dish and neither should you if you like working out. After eating this meal, I will be at the gym an extra 4 hours this week... True story. Anyway, thank you for joining me once again and I will catch you all tomorrow for more delicious recipes! Happy blogging to all! <3

Sweet and Earthy!

Hello, hello, hello bloggers! Welcome to a brand new entry to Everyday Meals. As always, if you are just joining us for the first time, welcome! If you have returned to see my amazing recipes, welcome back and thank you. I'm your recipe guide, Mandie. Today, we are going to be utilizing honey in our recipe today to create something so amazingly earthy and delicious. What we've got here folks, is the perfect combination of flavor.  So, before I spoil what our meal is today, let's grab our aprons, pans, and wooden spoons and hightail it into the kitchen!

Honey Lavender Chicken

You will need:

• 1 whole chicken, quartered
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried lavender
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Are you ready?

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and position racks towards the middle of the oven.
2. Season the chicken quarters with salt and arrange in one layer onto a baking sheet. 
3. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime, combine lavender, thyme, rosemary, honey and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.
5. Baste the chicken with the lavender honey marinade every 5 minutes for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until completely cooked through. 
6. Remove the chicken from the oven, loosely cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
7. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this earthy dish. Before you go, I would love a little feedback from everyone... What foods do you enjoy? Is there a special something that you would like shown in my blog? Leave a comment letting me know. Your dish could be featured! Please come back and join me tomorrow for more recipes. Happy blogging to all! <3

A Little Something for Those Hangovers

Happy New Year my fellow bloggers! Welcome to our very first blog of 2012! I'm delighted to have each and every one of you here with me today.  I hope you had fun ringing in the new year last night with your family and friends. I know I did! MY family made tamales, as well as sausage and potatoes. When the ball dropped, we toasted with sparkling cider (everyone but my husband... That man loves his port). Anyway, after all the drinking and partying, anyone would need a little something to calm their stomache. Well, honestly, this dish will do that. This dish is cheesy goodness with all the right vegetables to boot! I'm sure that you're curious, so let's get in the kitchen and calm our insides with some yummy food!

Sausage and Mushroom Strata

You will need:

• 1/2 pound lean sausage
• 1 container crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 8 eggs
• 5 slices sourdough bread, cubed
• 1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese

Let's do this!

1. In a large bowl whisk eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt and pepper. 
2. Cube the bread and add to the egg mixture ensuring that the bread gets  completely covered in egg. 
3. Stir occasionally.  
4. Brown the sausage, drain and add to the egg and bread mix. 
5. Cook the onions until soft, then add in the mushrooms and cook down, about 5 minutes. 
6. When soft, add the onions to the mixture. 
7. Stir in the cheese and parsley reserving a small amount of each to sprinkle on the top.
8. Pour mixture in a buttered casserole dish.
9. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight if preferable.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (baking times may vary based on oven models).
11. Serve and enjoy!

Now, go eat and calm those irritable tummies.  ^_^ Thank you once again for joining me. Have a blessed New Year and I will catch you on the flip side. Happy blogging to all! <3