Russian Pelmeni

I promised I would post this recipe, I am finally getting around to it, yay me!!

So this is a Russian dish. The Dude ate a lot of this on his mission. It was a cheap meal for them to buy. When he got it though it was already made and frozen, he just had to throw it in boiling water, and add some sour cream and pepper on it once it was done cooking. 

I actually made this dish from start to finish! Yes, it is cheap in the long run, but it is very time consuming. In our opinion though, well worth the time and effort. I found the recipe off of Natasha's Kitchen, she has a lot of Russian/Ukrainian recipes I would like to try. I am slowly making my way through them.

You will need a pelmeni mold. It is possible to do it by hand, but I would recommend the mold, it will save you at least some time. I bought this pelmeni mold off Amazon. 
We love this dish and I hope you enjoy it just as much!

Russian Pelmeni

Ingredients for Pelmeni Dough:

⅔ cups buttermilk

1 Tbsp sour cream

2 large eggs

2 cups warm water

1½ tsp salt

7 cups plus 6 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Pelmeni Filling:

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb ground pork

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, pressed

½ tsp ground pepper

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp hot sauce, optional

Ingredients/ Ideas for Toppings:

Melted butter, sour cream, vinegar, ketchup

Instructions

How to Make Basic Vareniky or Pelmeni Dough:

Using the whisk attachment on medium speed, mix together: ⅔ cup buttermilk, 1 tbsp of sour cream 2 cups warm water, 2 eggs and 1½ tsp salt until well blended. 

Switch to dough hook and add 4 cups flour. Mix on speed 2 until well blended.

Add 3 more cups of flour (one cup at a time and wait for the dough to become well blended with each cup). 

Add the rest of the flour 1 Tbsp at a time, until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl (I used 6 Tbsp). Once it is no longer sticking to the bowl, continue to mix 5 minutes. (Total mixing time is about 20 minutes from the time you start adding flour).

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.

How to Make Pelmeni Filling:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and saute until golden and soft. Add garlic and saute another minute.

Mix together pork, turkey, onion & garlic mix, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground pepper and 1 tsp hot sauce (optional).

If using a pelmeni mold:

Cut off about tennis-ball-size chunks of dough and roll out into a circle.

Place over mold. Place ½ tsp meat into each pocket space on the mold.

Roll out another chunk of dough and place over the mold.

Use a rolling pin, roll the top, working from the center - outwards until the pelmeni are well-defined.

Turn the pelmeni maker over and push the pelmeni out onto a well-floured cutting board.

Arrange pelmeni evenly on the cutting board, sprinkle with flour and place in the freezer. Pinch together any open edges on pelmeni or the meat will float out during cooking.

Once they are fully frozen, put them in large ziploc bags, sprinkle with flour and freeze them for future enjoyment.

If making pelmeni by hand:

Shape a portion of the dough into a 1 to 2 -inch thick log. Cut off 1 piece at a time (about gum ball sized) and roll into disks to form a 1.5-inch circle with rolling pin. Sprinkle rolling pin and surface with flour if needed.

Place 1 tsp pelmeni filling in the center, close the edges and pinch together.

Pinch the corners together to form, well... a diaper shape.

Place pelmeni onto a well-floured cutting board. Arrange pelmeni evenly on the cutting board, sprinkle with flour and place in the freezer.

Once they are fully frozen, put them in large ziploc bags, sprinkle with flour and freeze them for future enjoyment.

To Cook Pelmeni:

Bring a pot of water to boil (add 1 tbsp salt for a large soup pot, or 1 tsp salt for a smaller 4 quart pot). Add FROZEN pelmeni and return to a boil. They should float to the top, then boil for 3 mintues longer (or until meat is fully cooked). Drain pelmeni and place them in a clean bowl. Toss pelmeni with butter and sprinkle with dill (optional). Serve them warm with ketchup, sour cream or vinegar (Natash's personal favorite).

Recipe from Natash's Kitchen: Russian Pelmeni

Garlic Tomato Bruschetta

So since I love to eat bread, I love to find stuff that goes along with bread. Toasted bread that is, with olive oil. 

The first time I had this bruschetta our family was visiting some good friends in the neighborhood I grew up in. I lovingly refer to her as "Moose". That is a nick-name she acquired back in early days of Young Womens within my church. I won't go into too much detail about, it had something to do with a humanitarian project and a baby that looked "moosey" to her. 

She is by far one of the funniest people I know. She lives in Nevada now, and I live in Texas. Amazing how things can change. 

Anyway.....

This garlic tomato bruschetta is delicious! And with hot days approaching it is the perfect snack or appetizer for summer! 

I have tried to grow my own basil so I can have it on hand for recipes like this one, but sadly I am still working on acquiring a green thumb. They tend to die and I have been keeping them in the house. Any tips on how to grow herbs would be helpful!!

Garlic Tomato Bruschetta

1/4 cup olive or canola oil (I used olive)

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 medium tomatoes, diced

2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced French bread (I used baguettes)

In a bowl, combine oil, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cut bread into 24 slices; toast under broiler until lightly browned. Top with tomato mixture. 

Serve immediately.

Recipe from: Kalynn (Moose) Sedgwick

Homemade Cocktail Sauce

For New Year's Eve we had shrimp as one of the finger foods on the buffet table. My Mom has had shrimp and lil' smokies for New Year's Eve for as long as I can remember, Dave loves shrimp and lil' smokies so it was an easy tradition to keep going. 

I am getting to the point where I hate buying sauces that I could easily make at home. Cocktail sauce is kind of pricey so I decided I need to find a good recipe and just make it. Plus the ones in the jars are never as good as homemade, right?

This recipe is excellent!! 

Though I still think the Hubby added more horseradish then it called for, he claims he added the correct amount. So if he did, I would say for those of you who don't like really spicy cocktail sauce to add a little at a time until you get the zing you are looking for. 

Cocktail Sauce

2/3 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon horseradish

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill and serve.

Recipe From: Keller Creative 

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Now when I first saw this recipe I thought it was a little different to have buffalo chicken bits in a taco. Dave thought they sounded awesome the minute I told him we were going to have them.

They were quite tasty!!

These tacos were a little on the spicy side for me, I had to drench them in blue cheese dressing and cover them with avocados. They were still delicious!! Even if my lips were nice and tingly when I was done eating them. 

The hubby thoroughly enjoyed them! I don't think he thought they were that spicy, he can handle the heat better then I can.

I think they would perfect for any football game this weekend, or a good finger food for New Years Eve.  

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

1 pound chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces

⅓ cup flour

3 tablespoon cornstarch

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s Buffalo Wing) , plus extra for garnishment

1 Tablespoon olive oil

10 6-inch yellow corn tortillas

Toppings:

Shredded butter Lettuce

Diced onions mixed with cilantro

Avocado slices

Ranch dressing

Green onions, sliced thinly

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce.

Assemble 10 tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

Recipe from: Mrs. Regueiro's Plate

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I love, love, love dips for bread! 

This spinach artichoke dip was so, so good. I like to make sure every inch of bread is covered with dip. I will admit it, I am a double dipper. I can't help it, what's the point in having dip if I can't dip every piece of the bread into it right?? 

I kind of felt bad that I made the full recipe for just me and Dave, but then I got to enjoy it again for a couple of days. I didn't feel bad for too long. 

The hubby isn't a huge fan of artichokes, so he liked that this recipe called to have the artichoke finely chopped. Me on the other hand, I love artichoke hearts , any way shape or form. Ooo, I really like it on veggie style pizza too. My mouth is watering now for this dip and veggie style pizza with artichoke hearts.

I think you all should try this dip some time this holiday season. It would be a great appetizer for a holiday feast.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1½ cups (6 ounces) finely shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

Paprika, to taste (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Press the excess moisture from the spinach.

2. Combine the artichokes, spinach, 1¼ cups of Parmesan cheese, 1¼ cups of Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and garlic in a bowl and mix well.

3. Spoon the artichoke mixture into a 1½-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses on top, and then sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla or pita chips, crackers or vegetables.

Recipe From: Brown Eyed Baker

Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread

I loved this recipe!! It was a little time consuming but so worth it! I am not a big fan of just plain pepperoni as I have mentioned before, but this recipe makes it better then just plain old pepperoni. 

There is something about dipping pieces of bread in dips that just makes me smile, whether it be into cheese fondue, artichoke dip or marinara sauce. 

Plus there was an extra bonus of course when you add the cheese and pizza sauce already in the delicious pieces of pizza dough. 

This is definitely a good meal for those with young kiddos, or would be a good menu item for a watching a sporting event. Football has started everyone! :) Oh how I love fall.

Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 Tbsp butter

2 lbs pizza dough (I used this recipe because it makes enough for two pizza)

6 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (you'll need ~48 pieces)

48 slices of Turkey pepperoni (from 1 package)

2-3 cups marinara sauce, warmed, for serving

Heat garlic and butter over medium heat just until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and let sit.

Lightly brush the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven-safe dish) with garlic butter.

Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and flatten (a kitchen scale makes this very easy). Top with a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella.

Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal.

Very lightly brush the pizza ball with garlic butter and place into the bundt pan (I dabbed the pizza balls on a butter-dipped silicon brush to keep butter use low - there will be 1+ Tbsp leftover - and my hands butter free. Buttery hands make it hard to get the pizza balls to seal).

Repeat until all of the dough is used.

Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, while preheating the oven to 400.

Bake for ~35 minutes, until the top is very brown.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

Turn out onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Egg Rolls

Now I will say these egg rolls are a little time consuming, but they are so worth it. The hubby doesn't even like egg rolls and he loved these. I had a ginger root in the fridge, I should have doubled checked it. Let's just say it had seen better days, so I used about 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger in the sauce. For the egg rolls I added some ground ginger until it tasted how we wanted it. Dave got the sugar and salt containers confused. :) We had to scrap the mound of salt off the mixture, they were still a little on the salty side. Not salty enough though to stop us from enjoying them. 

Egg Rolls

4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded

1 16oz. Bag raw coleslaw vegetables (or shred about 2 cups of cabbage, with some shredded carrots added)

3-4 celery stalks, sliced

5 green onions

1 pkg (20 count) Wonton wrappers

1 egg

Ginger

Garlic

Sweet & Sour Sauce

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs. Corn starch

1/3 cup white vinegar

2 Tbs. Soy sauce

1 cup pineapple juice

2/3 cup Heinz ketchup

½ tsp. Ginger, freshly grated

Put shredded chicken in big bowl with enough soy sauce, ginger and garlic to marinate chicken. In a large stir fry pan, cook coleslaw mix, celery and green onions until just tender with 1 tbs. oil. Add veggies to chicken bowl, along with 2 tsp. Salt, ½ tsp. Pepper, 3 tbs. Sugar, and mix with spoon.

In a small bowl, whisk one egg with 1 part water. To fill the wonton wrappers, place a heaping spoonful of meat mixture into the center of one wonton. Dip your fingers into egg and smear along the edges of wonton (this helps the egg roll stick together when rolled.) Then take one set of opposite corners and bring to the middle, or close to it. Take one of the remaining corners to the middle and roll toward the flat side. Try to seal up the wrap, allowing no stuffing to poke through, using more egg mixture on fingers to help it stick together. 

Fill all wrappers, then start the deep frying process. In a wok, fill enough oil to deep fry egg roll. Wait until oil is hot enough before putting egg roll inside. (365 degrees F.) You’ll have to monitor the speed of frying so that you don’t burn your egg rolls, and turn down heat as necessary…and watch out not to burn yourself with oil splatter! Fry until golden brown and serve immediately.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a pot. Stirring frequently with a whisk, bring to a boil. Cook until it thickens and it’s ready!!

Recipe From: The Sister's Cafe

Camie's Fruit Dip

I love fruit. I also love fruit dip. This fruit dip is simple, easy, and delicious!

I had this fruit dip a few years ago while we were watching a Utah Jazz game with our friends the Rogersons. 

(The Rogersons have many wonderful recipes they shared with us, and I thank them for it!)

I am one of those people that when I dip something I have more dip to food ratio. This dip is no exception to my bad habit! In fact I would probably get a knife and slather it on the pieces of fruit. 

This fruit dip is perfect to have for the summer months ahead of us. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Camie's Fruit Dip

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup whip cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 lemon,zested and juiced

pineapple juice

Whip 8 oz cream cheese with one cup powdered sugar. Also whip 1 cup whipping cream and ¼ cup granulated sugar until it peaks. Combine these two. Add 1 lemon zested and juiced. Add pineapple juice to taste.

Easy Restaurant Style Salsa

David LOVES chips and salsa.

Loves them a lot.

He would eat them all day long if we had an never ending supply of chips and salsa. 

It is his favorite snack!

Now he has his favorite kind of chips, the chips from "Chili's", and his favorite salsa, his Mom's homemade bottled salsa. 

That doesn't mean that he won't eat other types of chips and salsa, and he is willing to try any type of tortilla chip with the salsa. 

So when he found out I was trying out a new salsa for Cinco De Mayo and that the amount I was making was large so he could have a container to himself he was pretty excited about it. 

Not only does David loved salsa and chips but I do as well. :)

This salsa is terrific!!

Even better, it is extremely easy.

All you have to do is cut up a few things into smaller pieces and throw all the ingredients into a blender or a large food processor.

For all you salsa lovers don't pass this salsa up!

Restaurant Style Salsa

1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice

2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)

¼ cups Chopped Onion

1 clove Garlic, Minced

1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin

¼ teaspoons Sugar

¼ teaspoons Salt

¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin

½ cups Cilantro (more To Taste!)

½ whole Lime Juice

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Recipe taken from: The Pioneer Woman

Deviled Eggs

Now I know Easter has past, and I should have posted this recipe before Easter so you could make it Easter Day. One day I will be as cool as the other food blogs and try recipes before the Holiday arrives so you can enjoy them.

I love deviled eggs! David loves deviled eggs! These deviled eggs are divine!

Now I love brown eggs, there is just something about them that I can't get over. Maybe it is the color and each one is unique. When they are fresh farm brown eggs that is even better! But for some reason the eggshell is more thick then white eggs. So excuse my sad looking deviled eggs, I did all the tricks in the book and only one peeled nicely. So they are rustic looking to say the least. 

Try these deviled eggs! You will love them! A big thanks to the Brown Eyed Baker for this recipe!

Deviled Eggs

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sour cream

½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar

½ teaspoon spicy brown mustard

¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill medium bowl with 1 quart water and 1 dozen ice cubes. Pour off water from saucepan and gently shake pan back and forth to crack shells. Transfer eggs to ice water with slotted spoon and let cool 5 minutes.

2. Peel the eggs and slice in half lengthwise. Transfer the yolks to a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mashing the mixture against the sides of the bowl until smooth.

3. Arrange the egg whites on a serving platter and fill with the yolk mixture, mounding the filling about ½ inch above the whites. (I put the yolk mixture into a sandwich baggie and snipped off the end and piped it in that way. You could also use a nice decorating tip with a piping bag, or just a good ol’ spoon. Whatever floats your boat!) Serve immediately.

Make-Ahead Note: You can make the deviled eggs up to 2 days ahead. Wrap the peeled egg white halves tightly with a double layer of plastic wrap and place the filling a zipper lock plastic bag, squeezing out all the air. Refrigerate until ready to fill and serve.

Won Tons

I came across the recipe for these delicious crunchy won tons a few months ago on Jamie Cooks It Up. I have been meaning to make the for a long time. I have lots of recipes I have been meaning to make for a long time, you should see my computer file folders, they are loaded with recipes. And I still have yet to make all the recipes in the cook book I made. :) What can I say I love food and I get side tracked easily with new recipes. 

These are a little time consuming, but the recipes makes a lot! About 100 won tons, so you could half this recipe. I didn't so therefore there was too much for me and Dave to eat. We ended up freezing a few little bags of them and we still had some meat mixture left over. I would suggest making these if you are feeding a crowd! The sauce will also last up to 2 months in the fridge.

Won Tons

Filling:

1/2 head green cabbage

2 onions

2-3 large carrots

1 T ginger

1 1/2 t salt

1 t red pepper flakes

1 lb ground beef

1/2 t black pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

1 egg

Shells:

2  50 count pkg won ton wrappers (found in the produce section)

flour and water (1 part flour to 2 parts water)

Dipping Sauce:

1 C rice vinegar

1/2 C soy sauce

1 t red pepper flakes

1 t sesame oil

1/2 t toasted sesame seeds (optional)

1/2 C sugar

1. Chop the veggies up super small. We actually put them in a mini food processor, a few at a time to get them the right size. You want to be careful not to turn them to mush.

2. Mix the veggies, seasonings, and hamburger together. Add the egg and mix well. Adam usually just puts his hands in the bowl and mixes it all up that way. 

3. Mix the flour and water together to make a paste.

4. Lay four won ton wrappers out at a time in a square. Dip your finger in the paste and then coat the inside edges of the wrappers with it. You can see in the picture below which edges have the paste on them.

5. Place about 1 T of meat mixture into the center of each wrapper.

6. Fold the edges of each wrapper together, and press so the paste has a chance to seal. Repeat with all wrappers.

7. In a large skillet heat 1 T olive oil. Fry the won tons over medium heat (covered) for about 5-6 minutes. Remove the lid, turn the won tons over and cook for another 5-6 minutes (uncovered)

8. After all the won tons are cooked (we usually have 2 fry pans and an electric skillet all going at the same time to speed things up) pour the Dipping Sauce ingredients into the hot fry pan. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it heat through for about 2 minutes. Pour into a serving dish and you are ready to eat. We serve it with piping hot white rice. (I served my won tons with sesame noodles.)

Pizza Pretzel Bites

Dave helped me with these delicious little pizza pretzel bites. He likes to make pretzels and since I had to work I told him to get a head start on them. I was told to tell my sister in-law Jamie, this recipe is for her. :) I noticed these off of the blog Two Peas and Their Pod, I thought they look good and would be fun to make. This recipe makes a lot! I don't know if I should be ashamed to say that Dave and I ate a good amount out of what we made. They were little, and it was the only thing for dinner. :) They are a little tedious because you make several of the little bites, but they are well worth it! For those of you who have kids they will love these!

Pizza Pretzel Bites

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1 package active dry yeast

3 ounces unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

canola oil

pepperoni slices, cut into small pieces

shredded mozzarella cheese

5 quarts water

3/4 cup baking soda

1 whole egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. cold water

coarse sea salt (I used kosher salt)

pizza sauce for serving

Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with canola oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the  oven to 425 degrees F. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and carefully add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make pretzel bites. Roll each bite flat with a rolling pin. Stuff each bite with pepperoni and cheese. Fold over the dough and pinch the ends. Set bites on a baking sheet and continue until all pretzel bites are stuffed.

Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper of a Silpat. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with pizza sauce.

Makes about 6 dozen pizza stuffed pretzel bites.

Patty Melts, Potato Chips with Dip and Lost Thumb Prints

Hello everyone!! I am excited to say that Dave and I have finally made a real meal! I have been dying to eat more then Mac and Cheese! 

First up:

Patty Melts

Can I just tell you that I LOVE patty melts!! I remember the first time i had one, oh it makes my mouth water! I have been craving one since "Reed's Drive In" in Spanish Fork, Utah. Now that place has a great patty melt!


So here is what you need:
1/2 small onion, sliced
mushrooms (I sliced about 6 to 7)
2 hamburger patties
4 slices of rye bread (I found some Jewish Rye Bread)
 2 Swiss cheese slices


Saute the onions and mushrooms in butter. Remove from pan. Place hamburger patties in pan and cook until your liking. Take one slice of rye bread in pan, place a piece of Swiss cheese on top of bread, layer with patty, top with onions and mushrooms, add the other slice of bread to the top. Flip the sandwich so the top slice of bread gets toasted a little. I left mine in the pan a little longer to get the cheese to melt too. 


I would say for making a patty melt for the first time these turned out pretty darn good! Need maybe a little work on seasoning the meat or the onions and mushrooms, but over all the flavor of just the basic ingredients were great!


Next:
Black Pepper Chips

Ingredients

Peanut oil, for frying

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed

Kosher salt and

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat peanut oil in a deep fryer to 300 degrees F with peanut oil.

Slice the potatoes into very thin 1/8-inch slices using a mandolin with a straight blade attachment or a V slicer. Keep the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and blot dry with paper towels; you don’t want to put wet potatoes into hot oil.

Fry the potatoes in batches, only a handful at a time, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Once they reach a golden brown color, remove the chips from the fryer and drain on a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Season the chips with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Cook's Note: The biggest secret in making crispy chips is to soak the potato chips in cold water to wash away the excess starch. If you don’t have the time, then place all the potato slices in a big bowl of water and gently toss.

This recipe and the dip that follows I came across while watching the Food Network show "Down Home With The Neely's". We didn't use peanut oil, we used vegetable. And we turned the heat up to about 350 on our little fryer. These chips were so good! 

Finally:
Parmesan Sour Cream Dip

Ingredients

1(16-ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Serve with black pepper potato chips.

Cook's Note: Season lightly with the salt since we are using Parmesan and it'’s a salty cheese.

These dip was perfect for those black pepper chips! It was super easy to make as well.

While Dave and I were getting dinner ready, I put him on potato duty. Barely into the first potato, he grunted, dropped the potato and quickly turned the water on. He had cut his thumb on this:

I even found the little chunk of skin under the blade! Don't worry I sanitized it! So while he was trying to get his thumb to stop bleeding, I took over cutting the potatoes. I found the protective handle but the potato wasn't cutting well so on the last potato I took off the protective handle. And what do you know....I sliced my thumb too! The exact same hand!

Dave holding his thumb above his head

Me with my sad thumb

Our bandaged up thumbs, they wouldn't stop bleeding! My actually still is bleeding as we speak. We went through a few bandages until we put flour on the wounds, it really helped stop the bleeding for Dave, and a little bit for me.

Ha ha I think it is hilarious we both cut the same thumb cutting potatoes. It took us FOREVER to make dinner. I am so grateful I have a thumb! Cause it was difficult without one.

One last picture of our fantastic dinner

Yummy!!