Late Night Changes

Hey everyone!

As you can see, Everyday Meals got a name change. I decided that I wanted something a little more personal. I also changed the URL for the blog.

Thanks for continuing to visit this blog, and we appreciate you all!

-Mandie

Adventures in Sushi Making!

Welcome ladies and gents! Today, we are going to try something that has intimidated me for a long time... making sushi. When I talk to people, a majority of them assume that sushi is just raw fish and a bunch of rice.  Not all sushi is raw fish. Today's recipes contain crab meat as well as cooked chicken. In reality, there are a many types of sushi. To name just a few:

• Chirashizushi (scattered sushi) - a bow of sushi rice topped with raw meat or fish and garnishes
• Inarizushi - pouches of fried tofu filled with sushi rice
• Makizushi (rolled sushi) - the type of sushi we will be making today
• Narezushi (matured sushi) - fermented sushi, to be eaten after roughly 6 months
• Oshizushi (pressed sushi) - A box-shaped for of sushi, popular in Osaka, Japan

I will be including a How-To video at the end of today's entry, in case you choose to go the visual route. So, let's push those nervous feelings aside and make some sushi!

California Sushi Roll

You will need:

• 1 cup short grain sushi rice
• 1 avocado
• 1 English cucumber 
• ½ cup Crab Meat (real or imitation)
• ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• sushi paper (nori seaweed) 
• soy sauce
• mayonnaise to taste
• wasabi
• pickled ginger

1. Rinse the sushi rice under running water until water is almost clear, and then cook with 1 cup of water in a rice cooker. 
2. If you don’t own a rice cooker, simmer rice in a pot, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. 
3. Place cooked rice in a bowl to cool. 
4. Add the vinegar and mix gently while fanning the rice to cool it, then set aside.
5. Peel the cucumber and avocado, then slice into long, thin strips, and set aside.
6. Put a seaweed sheet (nori) shiny-side down on a bamboo mat (if using one). 
7. Spoon rice on the nori sheet and spread to the edges, but leave about 1 inch at the furthest end from you.
8. Leaving about an inch on the edges of the spread rice, put a line of crab, cucumber and avocado across the rice.
9. Roll the mat (nori, if not using a mat) beginning with the edge closest to you. 
10. Continue to roll until you reach the reserved inch you left at the furthest edge. 
11. Put some water across the reserved portion of the nori, and roll it completely over. 
12. Press down firmly on the edge to ensure a tight adhesion. 
13. Release the bamboo mat and pull it back towards you, leaving the sushi roll in place.
14. Dip a long, sharp knife in cold water to prevent it from sticking to the sushi rice. 
15. Slice the roll into small pieces. 
16. Make the second roll using the same method.

Buffalo Chicken Sushi

You will need:

• 1 cup rice short grain sushi rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 sheets nori
• 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 2 ribs celery, cut into thin strips
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1. Bring the water and rice to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved, set aside and let cool.
3. Spread the rice out in a large wide bowl and fold in the vinegar mixture.
4. Place a sheet of nori on a sushi mat with the shiny side down and cover 3/4 (75%) of it with a thin layer of rice. 
5. Place a row of buffalo chicken, celery, carrots, and blue cheese down 1 inch away from the edge and roll it up. 
6. Repeat 3 more times.
7. Slice each roll into thin pieces with a knife dipped in cold water, plate, and enjoy!

Okay folks, I'm going to leave you with this instructional video of how to make the California Roll. You do the same movements when making any rolled sushi. So, I bid you all a good day, and I'll be back tomorrow! Happy blogging friends!

Dani Wednesdays: Thai Shrimp and Veggie Curry

Hello. I am still on vacation. Thought I would share another clean out your refrigerator recipe with you. This is one of my favorite recipes. You can make this with varying degrees of spiciness. However, the recipe below is for a mild version; increase the red curry paste for more heat. While searching for red curry paste at my local Asian market, a little lady told me the key to a good curry is fish sauce and a bit of sugar. I started making this at home because my local restaurants never used enough vegetables for my liking. Turns out this tasty treat was super simple and saves me money by eating at home. Remember, if you do not like the veggies or protein I have chosen, use what you like; the basic recipe is the same.

Thai Shrimp Veggie Curry

Serves 4 people Cook time: 45 mins

• ½ lb shrimp – Deveined and shell removed (26-30 per lb)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• 1 zucchini
• ½ lb asparagus
• 1 onion – cut into large chunks
• 1 clove garlic – pressed or minced finely
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 – 15 oz can of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp of fish sauce
• 1-2 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of red curry paste (I use Mae Ploy)
• 3 tbsp of Vegetable oil
• Cilantro
• Green Onion
• Lime

1. Toss Shrimp with garlic powder, salt and pepper until nicely coated. Cover and place in fridge for about 15 mins.
2. Heat 1 tbsp on oil in skillet or dutch oven over med-high heat.
3. Cook shrimp until pink and no longer translucent, approx. 2 mins per side.
4. Set shrimp aside  on a plate, while you cook veggies
5. Stir fry produce in 1 tbsp oil, stirring frequently. I prefer my asparagus and zucchini to be tender, yet still firm and crisp. So I stir fry long enough for my onions to begin to brown on the edges about 5 -7 mins. 
6. Cook to your desired doneness, keeping in mind they will cook a bit more in the sauce. 
7. Remove veggies from pan to begin work on sauce.
8. Add remaining oil to pan, add curry paste and whisk to loosen.
9. To further loosen, add ½ cup cold water and reduce heat to med-low (Purpose of cold water is cool down the ingredients and pan slightly to keep coconut milk from curdling. If this happens, all is not lost; it will still taste good.)
10. Pour in coconut milk and reduce to low, add garlic, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce
11. Whisk to combine all ingredients in pan. If sauce gets too thick add more water.
12. Add veggies, cooking for approximately 10 mins.
13. Serve over rice or noodles, top with shrimp and sprinkle with cilantro & green onion. An extra wedge of lime is a nice touch so everyone can squeeze a little extra on, if they wish.

This recipe is also great if you have extra chicken, steak, etc from another meal. As far as veggie go, I usually use what I have on hand. One of my favorites to use is carrot because it adds a nice sweetness and brings color to the dish. Bell peppers, broccoli, whatever you like will work fabulously. If you make recipes with items you like, you are more inclined to make it again. Enjoy!

Glazed Bacon Meatloaf

Hey ladies and gents! Welcome to Everyday Meals! This week, I will be at home with my hubby and my brother. We don't agree on much. The things we do agree on pertain to food, mostly. It's tough to get a couple of grown men to agree on what to eat! I have to say though, the one thing, food-wise, that we all agree on is meatloaf... and bacon. Always, always bacon.

What man, woman, and child doesn't enjoy a great meatloaf? It's the quintessential American family meal. You serve it along side some mashed potatoes, a tall glass of milk, and voila! We're going to kick it up a bit tonight by topping this delicious meatloaf with a tomato glaze and bacon. Lots and lots of bacon! So, if you all are ready, I'll meet you in the kitchen!

Glazed Bacon Meatloaf

Yield 4 servings

You will need:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 10 ounces ground pork
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup panko
• 1.5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon pimentón smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to taste
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed and minced
• 6 ounces thick-cut bacon
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Ready?

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add the ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, panko, Gruyere, egg, milk, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, honey, soy sauce, pimentón, salt, pepper and thyme to a bowl. 
3. Put a food-safe glove on and use your hand to knead the mixture until uniform.
4. Line a broiler pan with some parchment paper. 
5. Shape the meat mixture into a loaf on the parchment paper. 
6. Top with the bacon, slightly overlapping each slice.
7. Bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes. 
8. While the meatloaf is in the oven, make the glaze by mixing the ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl to combine. 
9. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and cover with the glaze. 
10. Return the meatloaf to the oven and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees. 
11. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.
12. Enjoy!

Thank you for joining me today. I hope your family really enjoys this meatloaf recipe. I'll be back tomorrow, like always. Until then, I bid you all a happy day, and happy blogging to all!

Chicken Fried Steak

Hey, hey, hey bloggers and friends! Welcome to Everyday Meals. I'm your host, Mandie. If this is your first time here, you're in for a treat. Today, we will be tackling chicken fried steak. I'm pretty sure most of you (here in the states) have had this meal at least once in your life time.

Now, no one is really sure of the origins of chicken fried steak. What I do know for sure is that a few people here in Texas claim to have invented it. Others claim that it was carried over from Austrian and German immigrants during the 19th century. If you're actually curious about WHAT chicken fried steak is, it is cube steak that's been tenderized, breaded, and pan fried. It's really, really good. In fact, it's so good, my husband requested this recipe be posted!

Well, now that you have an idea of what you're working with tonight, let's grab our frying pans and meet in the kitchen. See you there!

Chicken Fried Steak

and

Double Cheddar Bacon Mashed Potatoes

For the Chicken Fried Steak, you will need:

• 1.5 to 2 pounds top round steak
• 4 cups self rising flour
• 2 tablespoons creole seasoning
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups buttermilk
• Vegetable oil

For the Mashed Potatoes, you will need:

• 2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 jar (1 pound) Ragu ® Cheesy! Double Cheddar Sauce
• 5 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
• 1 teaspoon salt

Ready?

To make the Chicken Fried Steak:

1. Cut the round steak into four servings.
2. Cover a large cutting board with plastic wrap and sprinkle with flour.
3. Place one piece of meat on the board, sprinkle with flour, and cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap.
4. Pound the meat with a meat mallet (or the bottom of a heavy pan if you don’t have a mallet) working from the center of the meat out to the edges, until the meat is nearly doubled in size. 
5. Repeat until all are tenderized.
6. Lightly salt and pepper the meat and set aside.
7. Add the seasoning to the flour and mix well.
8. Beat the eggs well and combine with the buttermilk.
9. Press each piece of steak in the seasoned flour until well coated, and shake off excess.
10. Dip the floured meat into the egg mixture to coat, then allow any excess to drain off.
11. Return the meat to the flour and coat thoroughly, making sure that the entire piece is covered by dry flour. 
12. Shake off excess.
13. If a thicker breading is desired, dip a second time in the egg and finish with flour.
14. Pour 1/2 inch to 1 inch of oil into a large heavy skillet, and preheat to 350 degrees.
15. When the oil is hot, fry the meat several pieces at a time, but do not crowd the skillet. 
16. Do not turn until red juices begin to bubble to the surface and the first side is golden brown.
17. Flip and continue to fry, approximately 5 minutes more, or until golden brown and crisp.
18. Transfer to a rack to drain.

To make the Mashed Potatoes:

1. Cover potatoes with water in 3-quart saucepan. 
2. Bring to a boil over high heat. 
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, then drain. 
4. Return the potatoes to a saucepan. 
5. Mash the potatoes.
6. Stir the Double Cheddar Sauce into the mashed potatoes. 
7. Stir in the bacon and salt.
8. Plate with the chicken fried steak, and enjoy!

I'll be back tomorrow, like always, with yet another delicious recipe. If you have any suggestions about what you'd like to see here on Everyday Meals, feel free to leave a comment below this post. All suggestions are welcome, even dessert recipes! I hope you have a great day, and I'll catch you on the flip side. Happy blogging to all!

Braised Rabbit with Mustard and Fennel

Good morning bloggers and friends! Today's dinner has me feeling a little guilty. We've never made rabbit anything here on Everyday Meals. The reason? I feel bad for eating Thumper. It's hard for me to eat anything that I may consider taking as a pet, but for others, rabbit is just another meat choice. Today, I'm going to do my best to put my feelings aside so we can have a delicious dinner.

As a bonus, since I feel so guilty, I'm going to include a dessert recipe. I'm sure once dessert rolls around, I'll feel less inclined to sob over eating that poor, yummy rabbit. Today's recipes are braised rabbit and vanilla bean cream pie. Sounds delicious, right? Like always, let's grab our cooking utensils and I'll meet you in the kitchen!

Braised Rabbit with Mustard and Fennel

Yields 4 servings

You will need:

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
• One (3-pound) rabbit, cut into 2 whole legs, 2 front quarters and 1 whole loin all on the bone
• Salt
• Ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 fennel bulb, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 4 sage leaves
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups rabbit or chicken stock
• Soft polenta, for serving

1. In a bowl, blend the Dijon mustard and mustard seeds. 
2. Season the rabbit parts with salt and pepper. 
3. Spread the mustard all over the rabbit pieces. 
4. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or over night.
5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 
6. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. 
7. Add the rabbit pieces and cook over moderate heat until richly browned, about 2 minutes per side, then turn the pieces carefully to keep as much mustard crust on the rabbit as possible. 
8. Transfer the rabbit to a plate.
9. Add the onion, fennel, thyme, rosemary and sage to the skillet. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. 
10. Add the wine and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. 
11. Add the stock and bring to a boil. 
12. Nestle the rabbit pieces in the vegetables.
13. Cover the skillet and braise the rabbit in the upper third of the oven for about 50 minutes, until tender. 
14. Uncover and braise for 10 minutes longer, until the rabbit pieces are glazed.
15. Transfer the rabbit to a plate. 
16. Discard the herbs. 
17. Boil the sauce over high heat until the liquid is reduced by two-thirds, about 5 minutes. 
18. Season with salt and pepper and return the rabbit pieces to the sauce to heat through. 
19. Serve in shallow bowls over polenta.

Ready for dessert?

Vanilla Bean Cream Pie

You will need:

• 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1.25 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch, then set aside.
2. On low to medium heat in a medium-sized sauce pan, add 4 tablespoons of butter, heavy cream, and milk.  
3. After the butter has melted, slowly add the cornstarch and sugar mixture. 
4. Cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk just until the mixture is thick and creamy, approximately 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
6. Immediately pour the mixture into the pie crust and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter. 
7. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
8. Place the pie under the broiler until the butter bubbles. Watch your pie carefully; this will not take long.
9. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
10. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy the rest of you weekend. I'll be back tomorrow with another recipe. Until then, happy blogging to all, and I'll catch you all on the flip side!

Breakfast Saturday: Sausage, Pancake, and Egg Sandwiches

Good morning friends and bloggers! The one thing I really enjoy about the weekends is breakfast with my family. Our normal breakfast staple is cinnamon rolls, or breakfast tacos. When I'm not with my family, I enjoy pancakes. Lots and lots of pancakes. I guess you could say I'm a pancake-a-holic. It could be a problem... I'm not sure yet though.

For today's family breakfast, I wanted to take those pancakes and make them even cooler, hence: sausage, pancake, and egg sandwiches! It's the best of the breakfast world served together, in perfect breakfast-y harmony. You could deconstruct the meal and serve an ordinary breakfast, but this seems like fun to me. So let's grab our syrup jugs and I'll meet you in the kitchen!

Sausage, Pancake, and Egg Sandwiches

Serves 4-5

For the Pancakes, you will need:

• 2.5 cups self-rising flour 
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups milk 
• 2 eggs 
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for skillet 
• Butter, for skillet

For the Eggs, you will need:

• 8 eggs
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 4 crumbled cooked sausage patties

For Assembly, you will need:

• American cheese slices 
• Butter 
• Maple syrup

Ready?

1. To make the pancakes: Heat a nonstick griddle to medium heat while you prepare the pancake batter. 
2. Combine the flour and salt. 
3. Mix the milk, eggs, and oil together, then add to the flour mixture.
4. Butter your skillet and then add 1/4 cup of oil to the skillet, which will keep the butter from burning. 
5. Ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter, for each pancake, onto the skillet. The bottoms of the pancakes should brown in roughly 2 to 4 minutes. 
6. Flip to finish cooking the other side. 
7. Cook until lightly golden brown.
8. Reserve the pancakes in a preheated 200 degree oven until ready to assemble.
9. To make the scrambled eggs: Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. 
10. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them until the whites and the yolks are combined. Season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. 
11. Add butter to the skillet and allow it to melt. 
12. Add the eggs and reduce heat to medium-low. 
13. Add the sausage. 
14. Stir frequently until soft small curds have developed. 
15. The more you stir, the creamier the eggs will be. 
16. Remove from heat.
17. To assemble: Place a slice of American cheese on top of a pancake, then top with scrambled eggs. 
18. Top the scrambled eggs with another slice of cheese and place another pancake on top. 
19. Add a dab of butter and smother with maple syrup.
20. Enjoy!

I thank you for joining me today! May you and your family have a fun-filled weekend. I'll be back tomorrow with another delicious recipe, but until then... I'll catch you on the flip side, and happy blogging to all!