French Dips

I make a large roast sometimes on a Sunday, and I usually do at least a five pounder because I can squeak out two meals from it. Pot Roast on Sunday, and on Tuesday or Wednesday I do French Dips.

Leftover pot roast

2 packages au jus mix

Sandwich Buns

Margarine or butter

Garlic salt

Make the au jus according to package directions. Place the leftover roast (sliced) in the prepared au jus. Simmer until the roast is heated through.

Prepare the buns, butter each and sprinkle with garlic salt. Fry the buns buttered side down until golden brown.

Make the sandwiches on the fried buns and serve with the au jus for dipping. This is good with just a green salad or vegetable on the side.

Pot Roast

I used to do pot roasts mainly in the crock pot for convenience. I also did them in the bags for a while, but Trent remembers these great pot roasts that his family used to make on his grandpa's farm, so I tried it old school. They knew it best...

5 lb pot roast, pick a nicely marbled one

1/2 cup flour (or a little more)

3 tbsp powdered beef base, boullion powder, or au jus powder mix

2 tsp garlic powder

Mix flour, beef powder, and garlic on a paper plate. Dredge the roast in the mixture, coating well on all sides. Heat cooking oil either in a skillet or in the roasting pan you're using to roast in. Get the oil very hot, so when a bit of flour sizzles when it's dropped in the pan. Sear all sides of the roast until very well browned. Put 1-1/2 cups water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the seared roast in the pan and pour all the drippings from the skillet onto the roast. Add a quartered onion. Cover and roast at low temperature (275 to 300) for several hours. Check after 4, may take 5 hours. You can add potatoes and carrots for the last hour of roasting.

Potatoes Au Gratin (Mix)

This recipe probably only applies to me, because I got lucky and a friend who works at a potato packing plant scored a box of food service size au gratin potato mixes. I have had to figure out myself how to use them because they have no instructions. Finally figured it out last night. Dani, take some of these packets home, these are good when you have to feed a crowd. Would be good with pork chops, pulled pork, or fish.

5 cups dried scalloped potatoes from Winco bulk food

8 cups boiling water

1 cube margarine, melted

1 package au gratin sauce mix

Mix all together well in large, deep casserole dish or a foil disposable pan. Cook at least an hour at 350-400, depending on whatever else you are roasting or baking. Just bake the potatoes side by side with bread, meat, or whatever.

Will thicken upon standing, stir occasionally to release some of the moisture. This makes a lot. Enough for at least three meals, or a pot luck, or enough for us and to take some to the folks.

Southwest Pork Chops

Mix 4-5 tablespoons southwest seasoning mix (previous recipe) with three tablespoons olive oil, two teaspoons vinegar, about three to four tablespoons water in a ziploc bag. Place one to two pounds pork chops in the marinade and seal the bag. Marinate at least an hour, the longer the better.

Grill on the barbeque or fry.

To fry, heat cooking oil in a stainless steel pan (nonstick is ok too but you won't get the nice browning). Heat until pan is very hot and oil is slightly shimmering. Place chops in, they should sizzle. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side, checking to make sure they are browning and not burning, adjust heat down if necessary. There will be a lot of marinade sticking to the bottom of the pan, this is ok. Meat is done when the thickest part of the chop is not pink at all. Remove chops and keep warm by wrapping with foil. Use 3/4 cup of chicken stock to deglaze the pan and make a sauce to serve with the chops. With pan still hot and heat on, pour chicken stock into the pan all at once and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Continue scraping and stirring until a reduction is made that is a thin sauce consistency. Place chops back in the pan with the sauce and mix them around in it.

Serve with a potato side dish, vegetable, or salad!

Southwest Marinade Seasoning

Trent's favorite marinade is McCormick Southwest Seasoning packets. Whenever we could find them, we would buy a whole box because sometimes they were there at the store and sometimes not. But now, we can't find it at all. So, I made one using Emeril's recipe on the Food Network site, but I added onion powder Used it on pork chops last night. Delicious!

Make seasoning mix and use 4-5 tablespoons of the seasoning, mixed with a few tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons of vinegar, and a little water for two to three pounds of meat. We like it on pork, beef, and chicken.

Southwest Seasoning for Marinade:

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Breaded Salmon

I'm just saying this worked for me tonight. Fish is elusive. I will not take responsibility. I seldom make it and more seldomly eat it. Just sayin'. But my co-workers give me frozen steelhead fillets so I got home from work, looked to see what there was in the freezer, and what the heCK, I made them. They were good.

4 small or two big steelhead fillets, thawed

2 eggs

1 cup breadcrumbs (seasoned)

2 Tbsp ranch dressing mix

2 tsp dill weed

Mix crumbs, ranch mix, and dill weed on a paper plate. Beat eggs well in another plate or bowl. Wash fillets and pat dry. Dredge in egg, crumbs (don't go crazy, just a thin layer), then egg again, then crumbs again (now you should get a pretty nice coating). Set aside for at least 15 mins for crumbs to set.

Heat fat in a skillet. You should use oil or margarine, as butter may scorch. Get it pretty hot over med/hi heat, so that when a few crumbs of the breading is tossed in, it sizzles. Add breaded fillets. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side....then, if you're married to Trent or any of his kids, make damn sure those fish are COOKED by flipping to brown well but not burn. Food Network 'done' does not cut it for these people...they want that fish-i-ness GONE johnson.

This is great served with au gratin potatoes and broccoli or cauliflower. I served with a little tartar sauce and lemon juice, (of which Trent did not partake) But Trent loved the fish! So did I! Mmmm.

Chicken Wings

I love homemade hot wings! This is the best I've done...

The actual recipe is in a book called Top Secret Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur. Of course any commentary is my own. I am a big fan of his clones. Don't confuse Frank's cayenne pepper sauce with Frank's wing sauce. The wing sauce is ready to use on wings. Frank's cayenne pepper sauce is the base for this hot wing sauce...I prefer this, even though it takes a little time.

Buffalo Wild Wings Medium Spice Wings

This coats 20 wings well. Make the sauce first:

1 cup Franks's cayenne pepper sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 egg yolk

2 tsp cold water

2 tsp cornstarch

Combine the first 7 ingredients (everything but the egg yolk, water, and cornstarch) in a saucepan. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool 10 minutes. Marvel in the smell of your house! mmmm.

While the sauce cools, vigorously whisk egg yolk and the 2 tsp water in a medium bowl for a full two minutes. It will be pale yellow and frothy. Then add the cornstarch and whisk to combine well.

Drizzle the hot sauce mixture into the egg yolk mixture in a slow thin steady stream while rapidly whisking. This creates an emulsion that prevents the oil from separating. Cover and chill until sauce is needed.

Wings:

Fry. That's it. Really. Heat a couple inches of oil in a frying pan or an electric fryer until very hot. Carefully drop in thawed, rinsed and patted-dry wings sections...I can do 15 at a time in my huge frypan. Fry at least 10 minutes, I do mine 12 minutes but no longer. Drain on racks or paper towels and then toss in the delicious sauce.

Spread a tarp over all exposed areas, wear clothing that is practically disposable, and be sure no one is present that has not already formed a first impression of you. Get plenty of blue cheese dressing, celery sticks, and napkins handy... and suck those wings off the bone like a screen door in a hurricane. ooooh yeah.