What's Football Without Nachos?

I have been on quite the hiatus, I know, but there is good reason.  I have gone through a diet transformation over the summer, and I haven't felt better in years!  Now, don't get confused between dieting, and changing one's diet -- totally different.  You will never, ever, see me diet, I promise you that.  The dieting craze is not a wagon I am able to hang on to, and I'm not one for starving/depriving myself in any way.  However, I have undergone a major change in my eating habits and selections, so I wanted to get a good grasp on my new relationship with food, before I came over here to share my opinions on food with you.  Don't worry, I'm not going all rabbit food and no-fun on you, I'll still be covering nachos and tailgating and restaurants,  I just may throw in some creative spins from time to time about how to eat/prepare better foods. But more on that later, we've got more important things to talk about today...

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON HAD OFFICIALLY BEGUN!!!!!  WOOHOO!

Today is the day we've been waiting for, folks!  So pack up your grills, prep your goodies, and head on down to the stadium!  Or, if you are following the upswing trend of tailgating at home, get to decorating, chopping, simmering, or what-have-you.  You still have time to put up the canopy, fire up the grill, chill the beer, and decorate before your friends come over and the game starts!

Still need some ideas?  How about NACHOS?  I seriously love nachos, if you couldn't tell.  So I'm going to talk about nacho-related recipes in honor of the big day.

Do you have a copy of The Ohio State Cookbook?  Ok, turn to page 10 and find a mouthwatering recipe for Field Goal Nachos.  Or turn to page 44, for TBDBINL Taco Dip, good for dipping if your not into smothering your chips.

Field Goal Nachos

Got a copy of The University of Oklahoma Cookbook?  Page 11, OU Chili Pie, yum!  Or for dunking, try Sooner Nation Salsa on page 44.

Feel like trying something different?  How about some Baja Nachos?  This was a recipe I came up with based on that time I made my first fish tacos with Red Gold Lime Juice & Cilantro tomatoes. My Baja nacho recipe was first published in the Fall 2013 Healthy Sooner online newsletter, and can be found here.  However, I've tweeked it since then.  Here's the simpler version:

Baja Nachos

Baja Nachos

Ingredients:

3 or 4 tilapia fillets (or flounder will work too)

Melted butter (optional)

Creole seasoning (blackening seasoning)

7 oz. can (or fresh) pineapple chunks (drained)

14.5 oz. can of Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes w/Lime Juice & Cilantro (drained)

1 avocado (sliced)

8" flour tortillas

Cabbage

Monterey Jack cheese

Olive oil

Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

Ok, first, preheat the over to 375 degrees.  Use a pizza cutter to slice the flour tortillas into triangles (8 per tortilla).  Line a baking sheet with foil and use olive oil cooking spray to lightly coat the foil, then lay the triangles out in a single layer on the foil, and spray them with an even coat of the olive oil.  Put the tray in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the tortillas begin to crisp.  Remove and set to the side.

In a medium bowl, mix the Red Gold tomatoes and pineapple together until evenly distributed and set aside.

Then, heat up about 1-2 TBLS. of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Rinse the fish and pat dry.  Coat the fillets in melted butter (or the olive oil- depending on if you are trying to save your calorie count for something else at the party), then coat them in the creole seasoning and fry the fish for about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Remove from heat and drain off any excess butter/oil on paper towels.  

Now, to put it all together -- Lay the baked tortilla chips out on a plate.  Break the fish fillets up into chunks and scatter them over the tortillas.  Top with cabbage, then salsa, then cheese.  Top it off with the slices of avocado and eat!

*****

Ok, that should get you started, at least in the nacho-type-stuff department.  So, enjoy today's games, friends, and food!  And have a very happy kick-off to the new football season!

Gumbo And Other Traditional Gameday Goodies

Ok, maybe gumbo isn't a "traditional" Superbowl snack, but here's your chance to add it to the usual suspect list of tailgating foods.  Just hear me out on this - read on.

Superbowl Sunday is upon us which is the perfect time to crack open either the Ohio State Cookbook or University of Oklahoma Cookbook, and make some great watch party treats!  Don't have hardback copies of these books on hand?  No worries, you can download digital copies of them to your Kindle right now at these links:  OSU Kindle Edition - OU Kindle Edition.  

I personally will be making either my chicken quasadillas, Landrun Casserole (OU Cookbook p. 20) Field Goal Nachos, or Championship Chicken Wings (both in the OSU Cookbook pp. 4 & 10), or all of the above - I haven't decided yet.

But if you want something a little different that will feed a house full of rowdy guests and leave them feeling satisfied, I recommend gumbo.  Good, hearty gumbo will go a long way and it definitely warms you up on cold days - especially the ones this winter season has been doling out lately.

This recipe is a variation of the amazing gumbo recipe given to me by my friend Rachel.  I had never eaten gumbo before I had hers, and after one awesome party at her house with this dish served, I was hooked!  Gumbo is a great recipe for trying out new things.  You can play with the ingredients and add or take away whatever tickles your fancy.  So, I am going to give you my version of Rachel's recipe, then add your own variations.  Also, this is a one pan dish, so less cleanup (Hooray!).  Have fun and be creative! 

This is how this gumbo starts off - you know you want to try it!

Ingredients:

5 or 6 Tbls. of olive oil

1/4 c of flour

1 onion (chopped)

2 ribs of celery (chopped)

2 green bell peppers (chopped)

5 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 box of chicken broth

1 lg can of chopped tomatoes

1-10 oz pkg of frozen sliced okra

1 bay leaf

6 tsp. of Tabasco sauce

4 tsp. Cholula sauce

2 boneless, skinless, and cooked chicken breasts (chunked)

1 pkg frozen shrimp (shelled and deveined)

3-4 flounder fillets (chunked)

2 cups of cooked rice

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp basil

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat 3 Tbls. of oil in a large cooking pot on med-high.  Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for about 5-7 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.  Add in the rest of the oil and the flour.  Stir until the mixture starts to thicken. Gradually add the broth, stirring constantly.  Add tomatoes, okra, bay leaf, Tobasco, Cholula sauce, and spices.  Bring the mixture to a boil then add the pre-cooked chicken. Cover and let it simmer for about 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and add in the shrimp, fish, and rice.  Stir it all together and let it cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the shrimp are heated through.  Serve with oyster crackers.  Don't forget, you can add a whole plethora of other ingredients like spicy sausage, crawdads, oysters, etc.  Just do what you like.

And this is how this gumbo looks when it's done - nomnom!

UPDATE:  For those of you following my Facebook page, you know that I decided to try my hand at making turnovers for the first time this morning.  Most of this comes from an array of pie and pastry recipes, plus theories in my head - this is what I came up with...

Cherry & Cream Cheese Turnovers

Ingredients:

14.5 oz. can pitted red tart cherries in water

1/4 c sugar

1-1/2 Tbsl cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla extract (separated)

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2 sheets puff pastry (17.3 oz. box of frozen)

1/2 block cream cheese (softened)

1 c powdered sugar

3-4 Tbls. water (for desired icing thickness)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Get the puff pastry out of the freezer, unwrap and set to thaw on lightly floured wax paper (for about 45 min.).  In a small sauce pan, drain the cherry juice from the can and set cherries to the side.  Add cornstarch and sugar to the cherry juice and heat on medium stirring continuously until mixture is thick and goopy (mmmm).  Remove from heat and add the cherries, 1/2 tsp. of vanilla, and cinnamon. Blend thoroughly and set to the side.

In a small bowl, add remaining 1/2 tsp. of vanilla to the cream cheese and stir until blended smooth. Set aside.

I made triangular traditional turnovers as well as turnover bites to try out some things.  For the triangles, roll out one sheet and cut into four equal pieces starting at one corner and slicing to the one opposite. Repeat.  For the bites, I just cut along the 2 lines left by the folds of the second pastry sheet - giving me 3 wide strips.  Each strip I then cut in half.

Ok, for the turnovers, I put a litte more filling in than it would hold, so it got messy, so after recalculating, I would say put about 1 Tbls. of cherry filling on one half of each triangle, then top the filling with about 1/2 Tbsl. of cream cheese mixture.  Wet the edges of the pastry with water. Take one corner and fold it over the mixture to meet the opposite corner, encasing the cherry mixture.  Use a fork around the edges to seal.  Do the same with the bites, only use about 1 tsp. of cherry filling and 1/2 tsp. of cream cheese.  Fold into a square instead of a triangle.

Transfer to parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and let cool for about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and water until thick and smooth.  Transfer to a ziplock bag and snip off a tiny bit of corner of the bag.  Pipe the icing over the turnovers in a zig zag pattern and enjoy!

Oklahoma Tornado Relief Drive - Get Involved, Get A Book

Don't think that I forgot about the Geek Recipe Giveaway winner, ccmidget2003 for her Lightsaber pretzel recipe...because I didn't.  She will be receiving a free autographed copy of the University of Oklahoma Cookbook as her prize.  Congratulations!

It has been a busy and somber time in Oklahoma these past several weeks.  Record-setting tornadoes and severe weather have been raking over the state and there have been many losses, great and small.

Brennan Linsley - AP Photo

My heart goes out to the victims for the devastation they have experienced, and also to those who are doing anything they can to help.  The teams and individuals who have stepped up to assist family, friends, and strangers alike, have been crucial to the recovery process of those affected.

Brett Deering - Getty Images

I would also like to help in whatever small way that I can, so I am going to donate all profits from my University of Oklahoma Cookbook to the American Red Cross and local tornado animal rescue shelters.  If you would like to donate to this cause in this way, please visit my FaceBook page and send me a private message.  I will let you know where you can send a check.  I have a limited personal supply and this offer is only through me, not my publisher (Gibbs Smith) or Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or any place else that sells my book.  I am selling them for $15 each (autographed and personalized if you would like) plus shipping.  Anyone is welcome to donate more than the asking price, and be assured that any amount over the $15 (plus shipping) will be fully donated to the above mentioned entities.  This fund-raising event will end by June 30th, or whenever I run out of books, whichever comes first.

Father's Day is coming up, so why not get Dad a great tailgating gift, plus help out those in need at the same time?  For more information about my personal experiences with the Oklahoma tornadoes, as well as why I choose to support the American Red Cross, see the Sidney Daily News article from my home town newspaper in Ohio under the "Articles" tab above.

Thank you for your continuous support!

Geek-Themed Food & A Free Giveaway

Happy May, Everyone!  The first week of May is generally a happy time for geeks.  During that week there are at least 2 fantastic happenings to celebrate, and look forward to: Free Comic Book Day, and Star Wars Day.  This year, they just happened to fall on the same day...

I know, right?  For those of you not up on your geek history, it's ok, I can help.  Free Comic Book Day started in 2002 as a promotional event to introduce new readers to the wonderful world of comics.  It's main purpose today is the same, to get new readers into independent comic shops, to say thank you to repeated customers, and to bring back any wayward souls who lost interest in comics somewhere along the way.  And for those of us who have been in all 3 of those categories at one time or another, I can tell you that Free Comic Book Day is an event to look forward to!  You get up in the morning (yes, I said morning...on a Saturday, even though FCBD morning doesn't actually start until 9:30 or 10am for me), gear up with your best or cleanest geek gear, and get to your local comic book shops right when they open.  Some even line up a bit before opening, but I haven't done that yet.

I am fortunate enough to have 2 local comic book shops left in Norman that I go to, and even though some of the chain stores participate, I don't go to them for this day - it just doesn't feel right.  Some stores not only give away free comics, but also free swag of some sort: buttons, posters, back issues, key chains, and other promotional items.  Sometimes you will even find comic book authors and artists at these events to sign or draw something for you.  Talk to them, ask questions, say "Thanks for adding to the creative force," or whatever, they would love to visit with you.  I look forward to Free Comic Book Day every year!  Here's Hugh Jackman, encouraging you to go...and plugging his movie...

Now, you are probably asking yourself why is May 4th also known as Star Wars day? even though technically May 25th is actually Star Wars Day Well, maybe this will help:

Ha! Get it?  It's punny.  No?  Ok then, if you're still confused go here and read all about it.  There's also this for the day after...

"Ok, come on, Jen, what's this have to do with food?"

(See, I knew what you were thinking.  I used the fourth force.)

Alright, well, I LOVE Star Wars and all things geek, and I LOVE hosting parties for whatever reason.  So I thought that I might try and see what kinds of foods I could come up with for next year's May 4th celebration, if I should decide to host one.  Now, if you do an internet search for things like "Star Wars themed foods" or "Star Wars party ideas" you will find lots and lots of creative names and foods related to Star Wars.  I wrote many of them down as well as came up with a few of my own.

Yoda-dillas: Chicken quesadillas made with spinach tortillas cut into Yoda shapes using one of these nifty Yoda pancake molds.

Boba Fettuccine: Fettuccine Alfredo 

Coruscant Crescents: Ham and cheese sandwiches on crescent rolls

Padawan-tons: Cream cheese wantons

Padme Popcorn: Different flavors of popcorn

Snips' Chips: (an homage to the Clone Wars) Different types of chips tossed together in a bowl

Skywalker Scones: Homemade scones

Corellian Calzones: Homemade pizza pockets

Gaffi Taffy:  Different flavors of taffy

So, I made a few different dishes this weekend to get some tested ideas out...well, more into my belly.  Friday night I made Han Burgers, Vater Taters, Mon Mac N' Chesse, and Aurra Sing Green Beans.  Other people came up with Han Burgers and Vater Taters, but the rest of the names, I thought fit the bill.  Everything turned out wonderful except I tried to cut the Han Burgers in the shape of a Millenium Falcon with one of these sandwich cutters:

Yeah, mine did NOT look like that.  However, I'm pretty sure they were meant more for the PB&J type of thinness, as opposed to my 1/4 pound stacked and dressed burger patty on a dense bun.  I meant to get a pic of them, but was so hungry I forgot :/  Even though the Han Burgers were not picture-perfect, they were still good.  For the Mon Mac N' Cheese, I just took a box of Kraft Three Cheese something or other, and added some pepper jack, colby jack, and American cheese to it with some half-n-half.  I know, all of my recipes are super good for watching your weight! I obviously know nothing about dieting.  And the Aurra Sing Green Beans, are just seasoned French cut green beans.

Saturday, I tried the Corellian Calzones.  I got frustrated with trying to manipulate the pizza dough and smashed the first one up.  Then I realized that a floured surface makes all the difference in the world, and the rest were made with happy feelings of accomplishment.

Sunday, I spent the afternoon roasting a Bantha in the crock-pot   Ok, it wasn't really Bantha, I mean, they aren't even in season right now.  It was just a pork roast with some seasonings.  When it was cooked I pulled the pork apart then put it back in the crock-pot with BBQ sauce for another half and hour and called it BBQ Bantha.  By the way, this recipe can be found under the title of "Sooner Sliders" on page 27 of the University of Oklahoma Cookbook, if you would like the full details.  

And for dessert, I made Thermal Detonators, which were really just Oreo Truffles.

And now for the... 

***FREE GIVEAWAY!***

Here is the challenge: you have until May 25th (The Original Star Wars Day) to come up with an original recipe that has a geek-related theme.  REMEMBER - IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE STAR WARS...It doesn't matter what genre it comes from, as long as it is geeky and fun.  If you need some ideas about what would fit into that category, just go to ThinkGeek and get your creativity flowing!  Post your entries below in the comments and a winner will be chosen next month to receive a free signed copy of my University of Oklahoma Cookbook!

Good luck!  And may the force be with you!

Green Stuff

So, how was everyone's string of spring holidays?  Are we out of them?  Already?  I think we could always use more holidays, myself - for vacation day purposes, yes, but mostly because of the fact that holidays are themed.  And I LOVE themes!

Traditionally, I will cook something like Irish stew for St. Patrick's Day, but this year I wanted to do something different.  (Plus it was way too warm for stew in my neck of the woods that day).  So I got another brilliant idea from Mr. Gordon Ramsay to make herb-crusted lamb.  His recipe was for a rack of lamb, but all I could get a hold of were lamb loin chops.  No biggie.  Anyway, I thought, "Yeah, it's lamb, and it's coating is green - I've got the St. Patty's Day theme nailed!"

And I did, for the most part, (it wasn't as green as I thought it should've been after I cooked it).  I served it with some golden potato and garlic mash, and it was all very lovely.  But when I started eating it, I came to a very sad conclusion...I just don't like lamb :(

I've put lamb in my stews, I've fried it, baked it, and herb-crusted it, but I can honestly say that even though I'll eat it if I have to, I don't really care for the natural flavor of lamb at all!  I know, I made myself sad.  I know it sounds silly to be sad about not liking something, but I really really wanted to like it!  However, I do LOVE gyro meat!  Mmmmm.  It's probably because the lamb is sometimes mixed with other meats and is always loaded with awesome Mediterranean seasonings.  I don't even care what it is, it's good.  Period.

Even though I was all very distraught at first at the realization that I don't like lamb, I started feeling better about it for a few reasons:

1. Lamb is EXPENSIVE!!!
2. It is difficult to find, as opposed to some other meats that I like better.
3. It is nearly impossible to find off the bone unless it is ground (at least where I am), so if you need lamb for stew, you have to buy it in chops, (paying for the bone weight, mind you) and cut it off the bone.  Which isn't pretty because the meat is so tender that it stretches and you don't even get that much meat per chop.
4. Did I mention that it is crazy expensive for what little meat you get?
5. It tastes like it's going bad to me, even when it is fresh.  I just don't care for the flavor, and it doesn't look like it will grow on me any time soon, much to my dismay, so I've decided to accept it.  Even though I'm convinced I should like this meat!

Message to self - It's okay if you don't like it.

Speaking of lamb, does anyone have a traditional Easter meal that they cook?  My family always had baked ham, red-eye gravy (gravy is always an important "side dish"), some sort of veggie like green bean casserole or scalloped corn, dinner rolls, pie, coconut cake, and what is referred to as "Green Stuff."  Apparently, I later learned in my adult years, "Green Stuff" is known to the general public as lime ambrosia.  It looks like this, only it's green...

"Redbud Ambrosia" - p.59 in The University of Oklahoma Cookbook

The ingredients are the same for both, accept for the red one is made with cherry Jell-O and the "Green Stuff" is made with lime.  It's an easy, tasty dessert that is a really great ending to an amazing meal.  Not too heavy, and not too sweet. Well, it IS sweet, but not crazy overboard sweet like some of the richer desserts can be.

I will be having a give-a-way contest soon.  Be sure to hit the "Join This Site" button under the "Followers" heading on the right of this post, so that you don't miss your chance to win an autographed copy of the University of Oklahoma Cookbook!

Sunday Lupper Adventures - Take 2

Ok, I have power now, so Sunday Lupper Adventures continued...

So, the Sunday after Salmon en Croute, I tried another fish recipe.  I just made it up based on what I had on hand.  I call it, um...how about White Fish Dish?  No, no that's terrible, I'm not calling it that.  Ok, I got it - Panko Herb Crusted Flounder.  Yeah, we'll call it that, because that's what it was.  For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you already got a glimpse of the "recipe", but for those who didn't, here's what I did:

Panko Herb Crusted Flounder
Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of flounder (thawed, if frozen)
• 1.5 TBLS. of butter
• About 1 TBLS. of fresh basil (chopped)
• About 1 TBSL. of fresh dill (chopped)
• 1 tsp. of fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup of Panko crumbs
• 1 TBLS of shredded Parmesan cheese 
• 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Lemon for garnish

In a small bowl, melt the butter and then add in the basil, dill, and thyme.  Then add the Panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese and stir until thoroughly blended.  Spray a baking dish generously with cooking spray (I used Olive Oil Pam) and add the fish fillets to the dish.  Spread the Panko mixture on top of the fish, then add salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

Bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Cut up a lemon for garnish, or to squeeze on the fish after it is cooked.

Remember the herb new potatoes and sauteed garlic broccoli that I made to go with the Salmon en Croute?  Well, turns out, it's good with this as well.  So if you need some quick and healthy sides, these will do the trick.  Or you can steam some broccoli florets and season with sea salt and a little cheese, which is also tasty.

***Even with the sides, this meal only takes about 20-25 minutes from start to finish.  AND it is totally good for you too!  You can't beat that.***

And of course, I have completely forgotten to take a picture of any of these dishes, so I will have to do that next time I cook them and upload them onto here in place of this awesome string of words!  YAY!  (I will most likely forget to do this, so don't be shocked)

Alright, by the time the next Sunday had rolled around, I was tired of making fish and decided I needed to make my own quesadillas. Love them in Mexican restaurants, but I never tried making them at home, so this was my chance!

I'm sure I could perfect measurements and all that jazz, but honestly, some things are just better when you throw them in together and use measurement descriptions like "pinch of," and "fist full," and "tittle," (which is a word I always just thought my mom made up, but it turns out that it is actually in the dictionary, so...I know, who knew?).  Also, there is my personal favorite cooking phrase that my grandma uses, "until it looks right."  Ok, so here's what I did:


Quesadillas
Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts (cut into chunks)
• Olive oil
• 1 sm can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
• 1/2 each of Green and Red bell peppers (seeded and chopped)
• Colby-Jack and/or Cheddar-Jack cheese
• Pepper-Jack cheese
• Fresh cilantro (finely chopped - or as small as you want to do)
• 1 sm lime - for juice
• Taco seasoning
• Paprika
• Black pepper to taste
• 4 flour tortillas (or more if smaller than 8")
• Cooking spray

Heat about a TBSL of olive oil in a medium skillet, on medium heat.  Add the chicken, a bit of lime juice, cilantro some black pepper, paprika, and a light sprinkle of taco seasoning.  Turn as needed, and add more olive oil if needed.  Cook until chicken is tender and no longer pink in the center (or you know, 'til it looks right).  Remove the chicken and set to the side.  In the same skillet add a bit more olive oil and saute the green and red peppers until tender. Add in the can of Rotel (do NOT drain), a bit more cilantro and about a cupped palm-full of taco seasoning.  Add the Stir until all ingredients are well blended and add the chicken back into the pan.  Remove pan from burner and set aside.

Using the same (already hot) burner, get a large skillet and let it warm up a bit.  Get out 2 tortillas and spray one side of each with the cooking spray, and go ahead and spray just a bit in the skillet, but don't overdo it.  Ok, once the skillet is hot lay one of the tortillas spray side down.  Quickly layer on the pepper-jack, then a little Colby/cheddar-jack, then half of the chicken mixture, then more Colby/cheddar-jack. Place the other prepared tortilla on top, spray side up.  When the cheeses on the bottom get melting pretty good, use a wide spatula and slip it under the bottom of the quesadilla.  

Now here's the tricky part - you can use your free hand and place it on top to help with the flip, but be careful not to burn yourself...as I have never done many times.  I however, find it a little easier to flip the quesadilla by lifting it with the spatula, then tipping the skillet sideways, then in one swift ninja-like motion I flip the quesadilla while bringing the pan down level.  Either way, if you have my luck, you will lose some of the filling (just shove it back in there), the tortillas will be cockeyed (adjust it quickly after the flip the best you can), and you are about to set off the smoke alarm because you lost some cheese-covered pepper to the burner, (it's ok, just wave a dish towel around under the smoke detector and it will shut off).  Ta-da!

When that side is done, remove the quesadilla from the pan and cut into four's with a pizza cutter.  Then make the second one the same way.  Only, maybe a little better now since you've had practice with the flip?

***Leave out the chicken to make fantastic veggie quesadillas!***

Serve these with some refried beans and tortilla chips on the side and with salsa for dipping.  If you want to make a quick and easy fresh salsa from scratch, see page 44 for the recipe to Sooner Nation Salsa in the University of Oklahoma Cookbook!

More to come about what I attempted to do did for St. Patrick's Day Sunday Lupper!

As always, thanks for reading!

Irish Butter & Scottish Cheffing

Okay, today I wanted to share with you a meal that I cooked last week that turned out deliciously fantastic!  Pan-fried steak with a port wine mushroom sauce, sesame stir-fried asparagus with peas, soft rolls and honey butter.

Now, first off I have to confess that I have never cooked steak in my life!  Well, I make cubed steak all the time, but that's totally different than say, a New York strip.  Honestly, I never really cared for steak but maybe once or twice a year, so I never thought about making it myself.  But then I found this video from Gordon Ramsay's new Ultimate Cookery Course on how to cook steak:

OMG!  Did you see that?  What, with the butter, and garlic, and thyme, and butter?  Did I say butter twice?  That's because first and foremost, I heart butter in/on anything, but to mix it with such aromatic flavors and baste a steak in it?  Forget about it.  So, for the first time ever, I decided to give it a go and cook a steak at home.  For the occasion I decided to give that block of Irish butter I'd been eyeing a try.  In case you are wondering, as I was, Irish butter has a higher butterfat content, giving it a richer, creamier flavor/texture than normal American butters.

Well, then I just had to think of a veggie to do this steak justice as a companion.  So I thought and thought about recipes I knew, I tossed a few ideas around in my head, and wound up surfing the web for something new.  That's when I stumbled across this little gem:

Sesame Stir-Fried Asparagus and Peas from a Best Health Magazine website in Canada.  Here is a link to the recipe. The recipe measurements are in milliliters, but don't panic, here is a milliliter to ounce conversion calculator to help you.  

Next, I decided I was in the mood for mushrooms with my steak.  So I tossed some of the Irish butter in a saucepan, added the other half of the red onion and let the onion cook down a bit.  Then I sliced up some Portobello mushrooms and stirred them in, mixing it all around for about 10 minutes, then I added some port wine and a little water with a bit of corn starch.  I let that all bubble together for a few more minutes until it started to thicken up a bit, then poured it into a small ramekin to serve on the side.  Mmmmm!  (No, I didn't get a picture of it- curses!)  

I got some soft bread rolls from the bakery and thought it would be cool to make some simple honey-infused butter.  But I over-softened the butter, which means that I completely melted it and it was ruined, so I settled for the plain ol' Irish butter and OMG!  Seriously, you've got to get a hold of some of that butter...oh, unless you're on a diet or something, but you should give it a taste at least once in your life, regardless.  The difference can really be tasted as a spread, not as much in cooking, just FYI.

So, considering I made everything in this meal new for the first time with only the honey butter being a failure, I sat that's a win!  Next time I'll be reviewing the local restaurant "The Garage."

**Don't forget, I will be selling and signing University of Oklahoma Cookbooks this Saturday, October 13th at the Duncan Public Library in Duncan, Oklahoma from 10am-1pm with other local artists.  So come on down!

Signing At The OU/FAMU Game

Wow!  What a weekend!  And what a game that was against FAMU, 69-13!  Woo hoo! Go Sooners!  I want to send out a very special 'Thank You' to Stephen and the entire crew from the OU Bookstore, for setting up the cookbook signing and taking care of me with beverages and cookies.  You are awesome!

Stephen showing off my book to a  Sooner fan

 I also want to thank those of you who purchased a copy of the University of Oklahoma Cookbook, and also to those who stopped over to chat and try a sample.  I had a fun afternoon and some wonderful conversations!  I had set out some samples of the Spiced Footballs (almonds with fall spice flavors) recipe for the fans passing by, and they went over really well.  It also helped that the sunlight creeping across the almonds seemed to warm them, and the buttery spices started to waft into the path of passerbys. (Mmmm!)

Next time on OMG, Have You Tasted This? I will be talking about how awesome cupcakes are.  Remember, I said nothing about how good for you they may or may not be.  I do not judge such things, nor do I feel guilty about stuffing my mouth with them.  I'm merely sharing my opinion about the awesomeness of cupcakes.  Did I mention how awesome cupcakes are?

Fun, Food, & Football!

Sorry I've been away from here for a few weeks, it has been really busy on this end.  I've spent the last few weeks preparing a new book proposal and sending it off to my publisher.  I've also been setting up signing events for my new book that came out this weekend!!

Here are the first signing event dates that I will be attending this month:

September 8th - OU Bookstore (Gate 3 of OU Stadium) just before 1st home game, from 3:30-5pm.

September 15th - Full Circle Books, from 12-2:30pm.

I am also in the midst of setting up two different publication parties on the University of Oklahoma campus the last week of September, and the first week of October, if you can't make the first two events.  The publication parties will feature a sampling of some of the recipes from the book (and free food is always a fantastic reason to show up!).  I will have copies of the book to buy ($14.99) and I will sign them there as well.  Solidified dates and times of these 2 events will be updated on my FaceBook page soon!

Now that we got all that business out of the way, how 'bout those Sooners yesterday?  The game started off neck and neck, then after half-time, OU pulled ahead scoring 3 points in the third, and nailing the game down with 2 more touchdowns in the 4th against UTEP.  The Miners lost to #4 University of Oklahoma, 24-7.  Way to start off the season, guys!

Labor Day weekend was THE weekend for kicking off the college football season, from coast-to-coast!  There were seventeen games just on Saturday alone, and the season is just getting started!  So if you will be hosting any game day tailgating parties, watch parties, or other seasonal events that require tasty treats, entrees, dips, or beverages, then pick up your copy of the Official University of Oklahoma Cookbook and have fun this football season!