Prime Rib Soup

So when you have prime rib for Christmas Day dinner what do you do with the bones?  Well, you make Prime Rib Soup, of course.

Ingredients:

4 beef ribs, trimmed from a cooked prime rib roast

2 cups beef stock

1 potato, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Place the ribs in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is falling from the bones, about 2 hours. Remove the ribs and allow to cool. Trim the meat from the ribs and cut into bite sized pieces; refrigerate. Continue simmering the broth until reduced to 1 cup; refrigerate until the fat congeals to the top.

Skim and discard the congealed fat. Pour the broth into a saucepan along with the meat trimmings, beef stock, potato, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives to serve.

Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. dried onion
2 T. ketchup
1 T. oil
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 t. cornstarch dissolved in 3 T. water
Sesame Seeds

Put chicken in the crock pot.

Combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, and garlic powder. Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on the high setting for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or till chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from crock pot leaving the sauce.

Dissolve 2 T. cornstarch in 3 T. water and pour into crock pot.

Stir to combine the water/cornstarch mixture with the sauce. Replace the lid and cook on high for ten minutes or until slightly thickened.

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and return to crock pot.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Great served with Fried Rice and Broccoli!

Grilled Shrimp and Bacon with Lemon and Crisp Red Potatoes wth Garlic-Herb Oil

Never underestimate the abilities of a man once you send him off to the kitchen with a Martha Stewart magazine. Over the weekend the Mister was hungry. It didn't look like I was going to let go of my work anytime soon, so as he usually does on the weekends the Mister cooked...and it was great.

Grilled Shrimp and Bacon with Lemons

16 large shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), shells split, but not removed, deveined
2 lemons
1 T. Old Bay seasoning
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 6 oz.)

Toss shrimp in a large nonreactive baking dish with zest and juice of one lemon, the Old Bay seasoning and oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium-high. Slice remaining lemon into 1/4-inch slices. Grill lemon slices, shrimp and bacon directly on grates until lemon slices are caramelized (2 to 3 minutes per side), shrimp are cooked through (about 3 minutes per side), and bacon is lightly charred and crisp (4 to 5 minutes per side). Transfer lemons and shrimp to a bowl, and the bacon to a plate. Let cool slightly.

Tear bacon into 2-inch pieces, and add to bowl with lemons and shrimp.

Toss until well combined.

Serves 4

Crisp Red Potatoes with Garlic-Herb Oil

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes
Large flake sea salt
3 T.  extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely grated

Heat grill to medium-high. Place potatoes in a large pot, and fill with cold water. Season with salt, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 12 to 13 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly. Halve potatoes, and toss with 1 T. oil.

Meanwhile, whisk together parsley, garlic, and remaining 2 T. oil in a large bowl.

Grill potatoes directly on grates, flipping until slightly charred and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Toss with garlic-herb oil.

Season with salt.

Serves 4

Marinated Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad

This is a great way to use those garden items that tend to overtake your kitchen during the summer.

Grill up some chicken breasts....and you've got a great meal.

3 medium cucumbers, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

3 medium tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

I slice up the cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes and throw into a large mixing bowl. 

Then I mix up the remaining ingredients and pour over the veggies.  Toss well and pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours....at least.

I visit the fridge three or four times during the afternoon and toss the contents around to make sure everything is soaking well. 

Great the next day, too!!!

The Easiest Roast Ever!

I'm a bit busy these days trying to keep several projects spinning in the air. Cooking has basically taken a back burner position. I'm not exactly happy about it, but for now I'm looking for the easiest way to prepare decent food for us to eat without spending two hours to prepare and watch over the cooking.

This roast recipe is simple as far as ingredients go, and it cooks in the crock pot while you can be off doing other things.

Take a three pound chuck roast

 

Brown the roast on all sides.  I used a little olive oil in my pan.

  



Open three separate envelopes - 1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing mix, 1 envelope Ranch Dressing mix, and 1 envelope Brown Gravy mix

Mix the dry ingredients from each envelope with two cups water.

Add the roast to your crock pot and pour the water/dressing/gravy mixture over the roast.

Add the lid to crock pot and turn it on.

The roast will be done in four hours on HIGH or 8 hours if you use the LOW setting.

All you need to do is add some steamed carrots and mashed potatoes or other vegetables.

This recipe is most certainly a keeper!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 T. Olive Oil

2 stalks celery, diced small

2 medium carrots, diced small

1 medium onion, diced small

Salt and Pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 ¾ pounds  boneless chicken breast

6 ounces vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into 1 ½ inch pieces

In a large pot heat oil over medium-high heat add celery, onion and carrots and cook till celery and carrots are crisp tender; about five minutes.

 

Add salt and pepper. Add broth and 4 cups water and bring to boil.

Add chicken, reduce heat to simmer and cover.

Cook until chicken is cooked through, about ten minutes. With tongs remove chicken and chop or shred into bite-size pieces.

Add pasta to pot and cook until tender, about four minutes. 

Stir in chicken pieces and serve.