Thanksgiving Food Deconstructed: Part 1

I thought I'd start this series with the dish I made just for myself, because no one else in my immediate family would touch something like this: green bean casserole.

After steaming the beans to a par-cooked state and rinsing in cold water, I made the sauce. Saute a little chopped onion, 1 clove of minced garlic in butter until browned. Add heaving cream and summer until it thickens. Sprinkl with fresh ground pepper. Put beans in a casserole dish and pour sauce over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly. Top with fried onions. Yep, those kind out of a can. Bake until top is extra browned. This was really good and my family politely asked what was in it...but still wouldn't taste it.

Chicken Fried Steak - Take Two

I did chicken fried cubed beef steaks a few days ago. Kinda bleh. This cubed pork version was much better! Season both sides of cubed pork cutlets with seasoned salt. Dredge in flour, dip in beaten egg, dredge in flour again. Fry in peanut oil over medium heat and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Golden brown on each side and the pork is done. (take a peek to make sure)

Husband Cookery: Tortellini, Spinach and Ham

A super-yum dish! Cook fresh tortellini, drain. Saute diced red pepper, then add diced Black Forest ham. Season to taste and stir in baby spinach. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Baked Salmon

These marinated salmon fillets came from Schwan's. They were a bit heavy on the marinade, but baked up nicely in about 25 minutes. Grilling is still better!

Chicken Fried Steak

Heat about a 1/2 inch of oil (I used peanut) until it shimmers. While it warms, sprinkle cubed beef steak with seasoned salt, and dredge in flour. Then dip in beaten eggs, and then dredge in flour again. Sprinkle with cracked pepper. Fry for 5-6 minutes on each side, and I checked to make sure these were done because they were a little thicker than I've dealt with previously. Cubed pork actually works better, I think.

Cinnamon Rolls

The recipe I found online said this was going to be just like a Cinnabon cinnamon roll. I've never actually had a Cinnabon roll, but they always smell so good when I see them offered in airports. Anyway, this wasn't the recipe for me. The dough went through just one rise, and I think two makes a fluffier roll. I'll try another recipe later this week to compare.

Husband Cookery: Southwest Chicken and Rice

This was a very tasty dish my husband put together. Here are the basics: chicken breast diced and sauteed in a little oil and southwest seasoning. Add salsa verde and quick cook rice and sImmer until done. Top with cheese and cilantro.