Homemade English Muffins

I am a fan of Foodnetwork and the Cooking Channel. So when I saw someone at a restaurant making English Muffins, I knew I had to find a recipe to make them at home. I am a firm believer that I can make just about anything I see on these two channels and I often find inspiration and ideas to try out in my kitchen. This morning it was English Muffins. My husband, Michael, loves these versatile muffins and I know he will love having homemade muffins so much more than store bought.

I found several recipes on Allrecipes.com, but decided on this one English Muffins by LindaPinda. However, I did not roll out the dough and cut out rounds. I did what I saw the restaurant do, I divided the dough out into equal portions and rolled the dough into a ball shape. I used a cast-iron griddle to cook them on. At first I thought it would be difficult to make these, but it wasn't nearly as hard. I never knew that they were cooked on top of the stove either, but I guess I never really thought about it.

The English Muffins turned out better than I expected for my first try. They are lighter than I figured they would be too. They taste fresher and better than store bought. They can be used in so many ways and can be stored for use later. Why don't you give them a try.

Shrimp and Avocado Quesadillas with Mango Salsa

I made these this week, but failed to take pictures. They were so delicious. Here's how I made them.

12-14 Large shrimp (21-30 count size)
1 large ripe (not overly) avocado, sliced
1/2 cup Chopped cilantro
Shredded cheese, you decide how much you want on each quesadilla
8-10 flour tortillas

Cook the shrimp in a tablespoon of olive oil with garlic amd teaspoon of chili powder. Don't over cook shrimp. Let shrimp cool a bit, then butterfly them.

On a heated flat pan. I think I used a med-low heat setting and a flat cast iron skillet. Lay a tortilla on the heated pan. On one side of the tortilla layer cheese, 3 butterflied shrimp, cilantro, avocado. You can top with more cheese. Cover with the other half of the tortilla and then flip to make sure both sides are cooked. I like mine to have some nice light to medium brown spots on the tortilla. Continue until all are done.

Mango Salsa Recipe
1 ripe Mango, peeled and diced.
1/2 cup of diced pineapple (you can use 3/4 cup if you like more pineapple)
2 tablespoons diced sweet onion or purple onion
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon lemon pepper & sea salt (optional)
1 tablespoon pineapple juice to help mix in seasoning
Season with chili powder, cayene and sea salt to your particular taste.

This recipe can be adjusted to your taste. Some people add red bellpepper, so play around with it to make it your own.

Enjoy!

Shepherds Pie

Shepherds Pie
Originally uploaded by Ajidivine

I made this a few months ago, but never got around to posting the pictures. I can still smell the aroma and taste the savory flavors of this dish. I even made the mashed potatoes myself, nothing instant about this dish. I will have to make it again, because it is a great dish for these cold winter days.

Blackened Chicken & Spinach Salad

Blackened Chicken & Spinach Salad
Originally uploaded by Ajidivine

Sometimes you just need to have a good salad. I cooked up some blackened chicken breast and sliced it over some fresh spinach along with some mushrooms and mandarine oranges. I also had some sliced purple onion and cucumbers on the side for anyone who wanted to add them. I used Asian Ginger salad dressing on mine and my husband use Honey Catalina. This a great meal for any night of the week.

Better Beef Stroganoff

Better Beef Stroganoff
Originally uploaded by Ajidivine

I haven't been experimenting a whole lot with new recipes in the past few months. The other day I received my last issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine and in it I found a recipe for Better Beef Stroganoff. I read the article and decided that it was worth trying. Most Stroganoff recipes call for a lot of sour cream, but this one only had 1/2 cup of sour cream. I had everything, but the dried mustard ( I used yellow mustard instead). I am not a big fan of stroganoff, but this is a version that I will cook again. My husband now has another dish that he will only eat if I make it homemade, no more boxed versions.

Cheesecake!

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by Ajidivine

This is the 2nd Cheesecake that I have ever made. I don't count those no-bake things at all. This is from a recipe I found in a Southern Living Cookbook, it called Deluxe Cheesecake. I deviated on the crust and used a whole package of pecan sandie cookies instead of graham crackers. I watched videos and read articles on how to keep your cheesecake from cracking. I must have learned something, because there wasn't a crack to be found on this cheesecake. I found it really hard wait until the cheesecake was fully cooled. I baked this for Michael's birthday and it was an absolute with him. Now he will never eat another Sara Lee Cheesecake again, he claims. It was a delight to eat.

German Style Salisbury Steak

German Style Salisbury Steak
Originally uploaded by Ajidivine

Mmmm good! This was last night's dinner. Michael came into the kitchen and saw ground turkey patties going into the pan and asked if we were having burgers. I said no, it's salisbury steak without the beef. He just shrugged his shoulders and said if you say so. This recipe came from Weeknight Menus by Cuisine at Home. The recipe calls for beef chuck, but I decided to use ground turkey. The gravy calls for a dark beer or beef broth and thankfully I had a dark beer on hand in the fridge. I also used chicken broth in the gravy too. The mashed potatoes were instant also. I had some frozen spinach, so it became my other side item. The gravy was so rich tasting and I believe the dark beer had something to do with that, so glad I didn't have beef broth. I am telling you the ground turkey worked wonderful in this dish. I may try it with beef one day, but somehow I doubt it. I like my beef in the form of a juicy porterhouse or ribeye. As always, if you want the recipe I am willing to share.

I will be making Shepherd's pie for the first time in my life this weekend and I will make my own mashed potatoes for that recipe.