Chicken Fried Steak and Cream Gravy

It has been cold this week, and raining for the last 3 days straight. I don't live in Forks, Washington people (if you understand this reference, then you and I are kindred spirits:)- it's Texas. My poor Golden Retriever is going CRAZY inside. Not to mention, my active 4 and 3 year old. I have enjoyed the cold weather for one reason. I have been able to do some of my "cold weather" recipes one more time, before the 7-month long season of summer hits.
Chicken Fried Steak is a southern staple, and very easy. The gravy is not hard- but can be intimidating if you have never done it or seen it done. I watched my Dad and Granny make it for years before I attempted it. I hope my pictures can give you the confidence to try it because- oh, man!! Nothin' like chicken fried steak and cream gravy to warm your tummy and leave you feeling comforted. Plus, I had a good friend ask me how to make it, and it was on sale last time I went to the store- it was meant to be!!

Chicken Fried Steak

cube steak
salt and pepper
flour for dredging steaks
butter (I used about 3-4 Tbsp)
flour (start with 1/2 cup)
milk, preferably whole or 2%

Cube steak, not an expensive cut of meat! Season with salt and pepper

Dredge in flour that has also been seasoned with salt and pepper
Heat a few teaspoons of oil at medium in a pan.
Brown the steaks on both sides, 4-6 minutes each.
Nice and brown.
Set the steaks aside. DO NOT DRAIN THE PAN. You need the fat and "bits" to make the gravy. Add the butter to the pan that you cooked the steaks in and DID NOT DRAIN. Turn heat on low.
Add flour and stir together. This will get the bits from the pan, and you will have a paste.
Paste, but really called a rue.
Add milk (or half and half or cream- it has to have some fat in it,
that is why skim milk will NOT work)
Stir milk and rue together, on LOW heat.
The gravy will start to thicken and come together quickly. Season with salt and pepper. If you need more gravy or it's too thick for your liking, add more milk and stir until it get the consistency that you like. If it is too thin, add more flour.
Pour gravy over the steaks, and serve along side mashed potatoes. You HAVE to serve mashed potatoes with your chicken fried steak!!

I was given the coolest gift a while back- an Amish Friendship Bread starter!! It is batter that comes in a bag with instructions on how to make the bread. The bread takes 10 days, and when you are ready to make it, you divide up some of the batter in 4 bags and give to friends. There is no way to make the bread unless you are given a starter. That's why it's called Friendship Bread!! I am on Day 7, and will be baking the bread on Monday. I will also have 3 starters to give away (I always keep one for myself, so I can keep making the bread!!) If you are interested in getting a starter, email me your address (icooktexasATgmailDOTCOM) and I will send the starter and instructions to you. It's a sweet bread, that is dense and very yummy. We like it for breakfast or a snack. I have also been making variations of the original, but now I have said too much. Look for the Amish Friendship Bread post on Monday!

Adaptations

This week I have been making things that I have already posted the recipe for, but I have also been changing them up a bit.
One night we had breakfast for dinner. I made a breakfast hash, fruit salad and monkey muffins. Instead of doing monkey bread in the loaf or bundt pan, I made the bread in muffin tins.

I still cut the biscuit into quarters, but put three pieces in each cup. Then I poured the butter and brown sugar mixture over each one. It baked for 15 minutes at 375.
I made the stuffed chicken breasts with bernaise sauce this week, too. Instead of the original dried pesto/cream cheese stuffing, I did a chopped spinach, garlic and cream cheese stuffing. Oh, and I crumbled up Lay's potato chips for the coating on the outside. They weren't as crunchy as I thought they would be. I think I will stick with the crackers. I liked the spinach stuffing, though. I thought it was a good alternative.

Last night, I did brown sugar chicken in the crockpot. I got the original recipe from the talented (and so funny! and also so nice about emailing you back when you email her recipes to try in her crockpot) Crockpot Lady, but when I first made it, it was too sweet for me. The original recipe calls for:
7-Up
brown sugar
garlic
vinegar
soy sauce

Last night I used:
chicken broth
brown sugar
garlic
vinegar
soy sauce
It still had a nice sweetness to it, without being too sweet. I bought a package of drumsticks at the store- they were $1.33. I couldn't resist!!! My husband doesn't like eating chicken off the bone, so that is why this crockpot meal is perfect. The meat falls off the bone!!

Roasted Potatoes

Simple, simple- but really great. I love using yellow butter potatoes the best, but regular old baking potatoes will work fine.

Roasted Potatoes
butter potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper

Prehat oven to 400.

Cut the potatoes into chunks. Not too big, or they will take forever to cook. Sprinkle liberally (that means alot!) with salt and pepper, and olive oil. Toss to coat.
This time I added Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning. I LOVE THIS STUFF. Usually I only do salt and pepper, but I sprinkled the potatoes with this as well- yum!
Bake for 40 minutes- halfway through the cooking time, use a spatula and turn the potatoes.
Mmmm, crispy and salty on the outside, soft on the inside. This is my favorite way to have potatoes- of course it doesn't hurt that it is the easiest!!!!

Green Bean Casserole

I have seen green bean casserole at every holiday meal on my Dad's side of the family for as long as I can remember, and until October '07, I had no idea that I LOVED it. My sister-in-law brought it to a family dinner, and I was watching her make it. I thought, I would probably like that, I'm going to finally try it. I think I had 3 helpings that night. Oh, man!!! I love this stuff. Then, at Thanksgiving that year, my mother-in-law made a version of it that is her mother-in-laws recipe. I just love getting family recipes from my husbands' side of the family, and since I had a new found love of green bean casserole- I was so excited!! I know, it doesn't take much...

Granny's Green Bean Casserole
*multiply by 2 to serve 3 adults or more, or by 4 for a large group

1 can cut green beans, drained
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup (I doubled mine, and used one can of cream of chicken, and one can of cream of mushroom)
1/2 soup can of milk
8 saltine crackers, crushed
1 Tbsp. dry Italian dressing (Granny used Good Seasons brand. I did not have this, so I used Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning blend)
1 can french fried onions, divided

Mix all ingredients, saving half of the onions.
This is the beans, soups, and milk. Don't forget to season with some salt and pepper.
I mixed that together, and then added in the 1/2 can on onions,
crushed saltines, and Mrs. Dash seasoning.Mix well. Pour rest of the onions on top. Bake for 30 minutes for a smaller batch, or 45-1 hour for the larger batches.

Butter and Jam Thumbprints

I really love these cookies. I love fruity flavors, though. My mom has a rule- no hot fruit. No fruit with meat, either. I do not follow these rules. Bring on the pineapple ham! Bring on the cherries jubilee! Bring on the apple pancakes!! So, these buttery lovelies are right up my alley.

Butter and Jam Thumbprints
recipe from Food Network Kitchens

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup raspberry, cherry or strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy, for a few minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions.

Scoop the dough into 1 inch balls (I use my tablespoon) with a scoop or spoon

and roll in sugar.
Place on the baking sheets. Press your thumb down in the center of the cookie. Make an indent, but don't go all the way through the cookie. Then, your jam will fall out when you try to pick up the cookie.
Trust me, not fun.

Fill indent with about a 3/4 teaspoon of jam.

Bake for 15 minutes, until edges are golden. It says to cool them on the baking sheets, but I only leave them there for a minute and then move them to a cooling rack, the cookies keep cooking on the baking sheet and got to crunchy for me. The first batch I made that were removed from the baking sheet were soft and chewy. These cookies are easy, and oh-so yummy. I have only tried the raspberry, and it was just so perfect, I am going to have a hard time getting another flavor of jam. I would like to try blackberry, though.
Hope you have a restful Saturday!! I am off to the store. The menu has been written, the list has been made and the coupons have been compiled.

Kicked up Baked Beans

I remember seeing Paula Deen make these beans on an episode of her show a few years ago. Someone had sent in the recipe to her, and said these were the beans they always brought to get-togethers, and now they weren't allowed NOT to bring them. When I was watching her put all this mess into the beans, I thought, "No way. That is too much mess- those are just weird." Well, fast forward a year or two, and I stumble upon this recipe. My husband LOVES baked beans, and I definitely prefer them to ranch style or pinto. Looking at it this time, it sounds yummy. So, I try it- and now, I am not allowed to make any other baked bean than this one.
If any part of you thinks that this sounds good, please try it. The flavors really go well together, and they are a great side dish.

Sue and Gloria's Baked Beans
*as seen on Paula's Home Cooking
4 (16-ounce) cans baked beans
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup molasses
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp. yellow or brown mustard
5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 (6-ounce) can french-fried onions, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I halved my recipe. I just pour everything into the pan and mix it in there. One less bowl to clean!! I used a square 8x8 pan for a halved recipe.
Mix together everything, SAVE 2/3 can of onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the rest of the onions on top of the beans. Cook in oven for 1 hour,
or until beans are brown and bubbly.

Homemade Pizza Dough

This is a recipe my mom has been using for 10+ years, and it always turns out. It is, in my opinion, very easy and can be made ahead and refrigerated or even frozen. One recipe of the dough makes 2 medium size pizzas, or 3 individual pizzas.

Homemade Pizza Dough
1 package rapid rise yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 cups flour
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt (I like to add more)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
*1/2 cup water (you can add this if needed)

Pour 1/2 cup of warm water in measuring cup. Add yeast packet and sugar.
Stir and set aside. It needs a good 5 minutes to activate the yeast, and start foaming.
Meanwhile, add flour, parmesan, and salt to mixing bowl and make sure you
have your dough hook attachment on there.
When yeast is foaming, add to the flour mixture. Add olive oil as well.
This is the only thing you need to be sure of to get the dough to come out right. KEEP MIXING!! I used to just mix for a minute or so and be so upset, because my dough wasn't together. Well, no!! It needs a few minutes for the dough to come together, not 45 seconds...
As you can see, the dough has come together. See? All you needed was a little patience. It happened on accident for me. I kept it mixing while I was getting the bowl ready for the next step, and came back to the mixing bowl to see that it had finally come together!!! I had an a-ha moment. A-ha! I have to leave the dough alone, and it will come together.
Take the dough out and put in an aluminum bowl that you have greased with olive oil. Wet a towel with warm water and place over the bowl. Set in a warm place (I take it to my laundry room) and let rise (for at least an hour).The dough has risen (compare with picture above).
Set it on a floured surface and cut into 2 or 3 sections. You can wrap and refrigerate each section and it will rise more in the refrigerator. However, you can also roll out the dough without that and it will be fine. I roll mine with a roller, but I also stretch it over my hands, and pull it to really get it stretched out.

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. I use my simple tomato sauce as the pizza sauce, and then add cheese and whatever ingredients we want that night. When my sister makes this dough, she adds dried herbs to the flour to make an herbed dough. It's really good!! I also brush olive oil on the crust. It gets rid of the dry, flour-y taste and gives a pretty color, too.

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel

Another pasta dish from Giada that my husband and I just love. The pasta is mixed with a creamy sauce and then baked. It comes together easily, and you could make ahead and bake when ready. Gotta love that!!

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel

Bechamel Sauce
5 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c all-purpose flour
4 cups warm milk
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of ground pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I didn't have any fresh, just used ground nutmeg)

Recipe:
1 tsp. olive oil
4 cups Bechamel sauce
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
1 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
1/2 tsp. salt, and pinch of pepper
1 pound dried rigatoni
3 Tbsp. butter, diced

Heat the oven to 425. Lightly coat a 13x9 glass baking dish with the oil.

For Bechamel sauce:
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour

Whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes
Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly
Simmer over medium heat, until sauce is thick and creamy, about 10 minutes
Remove from heat, and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg
For recipe:
Heat bechamel sauce over medium heat. Do not boil. Stir in the prosciutto, 1/2 cup of the fontina cheese, salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside.
Cook the rigatoni until almost tender, but still firm. The pasta will keep cooking in the oven, so it doesn't have to be done all the way. Drain the pasta, return to pot, and stir in cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if you like.
*I added some sausage because I happened to have some leftover. I won't do it again, but feel free to substitute prosciutto or add more meats.
Spoon the pasta mixture into the dish, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup fontina cheese and dot with the butter. (Can be prepared up to this point up to 8 hours ahead, and refrigerated). Bake the pasta until the top is golden, about 25 minutes.