Tag: #easyrecipes

Posted in From My Kitchen

Zucchini Patties

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

These zucchini patties have a nice flavor and are compatible with just about any entree. My sister gave me this recipe and I, in turn, have given it to many of my friends. —Annabelle Cripe, Goshen, Indiana

Zucchini Patties Tips

Why are my zucchini patties falling apart?

Excess water can cause your zucchini patties to fall apart. Make sure to pat your shredded zucchini dry of excess water before adding it to the binding mixture. The binding mixture (biscuit mix, cheese and eggs) helps keep your zucchini patties together, too.

How do you store zucchini patties?

Store these zucchini patties in an airtight container in the fridge for about three to four days. You can also freeze them for about two months. Here’s how long other leftovers last.

How do you serve zucchini patties?

Serve zucchini patties with a dipping sauce, like ranch or garlic cucumber dip. They also pair well with many other main dishes. Try serving them with grilled salmon, lime chicken or any of these summer dinner ideas.

—Christina Herbst, Taste of Home Assistant Digital Editor

Taste of Home

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”

Posted in From My Kitchen

I Can’t Stop Making These Rule-Bending “Palace Potatoes” (They’re So Crispy!)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This is part of Destination Dinner Party, featuring impossibly delicious menus from Maine, Portugual, and Thailand. Join us as we eat our way through each dreamy locale.

I love diner food. I grew up on the East Coast of the United States, where diner culture takes on many forms. There are old-school diners that have been around forever, Greek diners that you can find in the hearts of big cities, and roadside diners with vinyl booths and gigantic menus with so many offerings you feel like you could come in every week and still never try everything. I love them all. I’ve always been a diner person, and everyone who knows me knows I’m always down to head to the local diner for lunch and dinner (or for the best meal to eat at a diner: breakfast). 

When a good friend (and Maine native) told me that her favorite diner was a new-ish (in diner years, which are measured in decades) tiny affair in an old train car in a southern Maine town, I put it on my list of diners to try. She regaled me with tales of their unique tuna sandwich and how she never ate a meal there without ordering their legendary potatoes. Breakfast potatoes are a ubiquitous dish on a diner menu, and typically fall into one of two camps: home fries or hash browns. I’m a hash brown girl myself, and feel strongly that they are the superior preparation. However, when she informed me that the potatoes at Palace Diner fall into neither camp and are, in fact, closer to a smashed potato, I knew I had to give them a try for myself.

What Makes Palace Diner Potatoes So Great

The potatoes at Palace Diner in Biddeford, Maine, are unlike potatoes I’ve been served at any diner before. Instead of shredding or chopping potatoes before frying them, they boil whole red potatoes in a flavorful broth with herbs and spices, smash them on a cutting board, and then fry them. The result is a unique, delicious dish that tastes like a cross between fluffy mashed potatoes and fried potatoes, but with so much more flavor. 

Boiling the potatoes with herbs and spices infuses them with an extra layer of flavor you just don’t get from potatoes that have just been seasoned with salt and pepper. The texture is crunchy on the outside, but still fluffy on the inside, and they’re served whole, which means they stay hotter for longer than a potato that’s cut into small pieces. 

Don’t get me wrong — I still love regular diner potatoes, but I can’t deny that since trying these for the first time I’m often thinking about when my next trip through Maine will be so I can make a stop to get some more. In service of saving myself from having to make the drive to another state every time I want great potatoes, I spoke with Chad Conley, one of the owners of Palace, who gave me advice on how to recreate them at home.

The Kitchn

Posted in From My Kitchen

Mandarin Orange Cake

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I grew up making boxed yellow cake with my mom for countless family gatherings, so there’s something instantly comforting about this mandarin orange cake. Perfect for those impromptu summer gatherings, this Southern classic (aka pig pickin’ cake) is traditionally made with boxed cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, and Cool Whip. And while I’ll never turn down a slice of good-ol’ boxed cake, the pastry chef in me couldn’t resist giving this semi-homemade dessert a bit of a glow-up. 

In my riff, the addition of butter to the cake batter makes for a richer flavor, and a simple-yet-strategic swap of freshly whipped cream for Cool Whip keeps the overall sweetness in check. The result is a super-moist cake speckled with mandarin oranges that leans ever-so-slightly into pound cake territory. It’s frosted with a light and airy whipped topping that is perfectly sweet, thanks to the tangy bursts of pineapple. Light and tropical, yet unbelievably decadent, this mandarin orange cake is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. 

Why You’ll Love It

  • This classic got a slight upgrade. Using a blend of oil and butter in the cake batter makes for a super-flavorful moist and airy cake. In addition, the homemade whipped cream (in place of the Cool Whip) creates an unbelievably rich topping with just the right amount of sweetness.
  • It’s semi-homemade in the best way! Boxed yellow cake mix and instant vanilla pudding make for an easy dessert that can be whipped together in no time at all. 
  • It’s light, tropical, and perfect for a warm summer day. Crushed pineapple nicely balances out the creamy whipped topping. Want to take the tropical flavors up a notch? Add in sweetened shredded coconut to the cake batter for added texture and flavor! 
Creamy yellow dessert topped with bright orange mandarin segments, swirled texture.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

Key Ingredients in Mandarin Orange Cake

  • Boxed yellow cake mix: Feel free to use your favorite vanilla cake mix. Just take care to use a 15.25-ounce box. 
  • Mandarin oranges: Provide a subtle orange note that pairs beautifully with the vanilla cake; it’ll remind you of a Creamsicle! 
  • Unsalted butter: Makes for a richer, more flavorful cake with a texture that’s ever-so-slightly more dense than if you used all oil. 
  • Instant vanilla pudding: Adds body to the frosting while helping to stabilize the homemade whipped cream for a longer shelf life. 
  • Crushed pineapple: Provides a tartness that cuts through the richness of the pudding and whipped cream. 
  • Heavy cream: Traditionally the topping is made with Cool Whip, but using freshly whipped cream not only takes this cake to the next level, but also allows you to more easily control the overall sweetness. 

The Kitchn

Posted in Cookbooks

ManBQue: Meat. Beer. Rock and Roll.

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

ManBQue is the next griller’s Bible for those in their 20s and 30s. Dedicated to meat, beer, and rock n’ roll, it starts with the basics: how to grind, assemble, and grill a perfect burger and how to season, sear, and rest a perfect strip steak. Then it moves on to other staples — perfectly cooked wings, slow-roasted BBQ, and handmade sausages. There are also suggestions for monster sandwiches and mouthwatering tacos. Once you’ve got that under control, it takes on all the weird stuff: the pig tongue and beef hearts, snails and, yes, even salad.

Along the way there are beer pairings, explaining the different styles and the basic principles of putting a bottle with whatever comes off the grill. Not content with simple descriptions, ManBQue worked with craft brew experts to tell you why that IPA goes so well with your lamb burger and which bock you should be dousing your brisket in.

But ManBQue is more than a cookbook, it’s a community; it’s a grilling and lifestyle organization that grew into a global society with thousands of followers. Once a month the members cast aside their daily responsibilities for good food and company. In this spirit, the margins are filled with stories of what you’re eating, which ManBQue member invented it, and how that insanely delicious process occurred. By the end, you too will be shouting “MANBQUE!”

Posted in From My Kitchen

Air Fryer Hot Pockets

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Here’s the deal: Hot pockets are a delicious convenience. Take the handheld cheese-filled bundle, heat it up, and you have a complete meal in under 10 minutes. The bread-like wrap somehow works with every ham and cheddar, bacon, egg, cheese, or copycat pizza combination. I discovered that “pop and fresh” crescent dough sheets minimize efforts; all you have to do is roll. Read on for some tips for how to make hot pockets at home.

Fillings
We’ve chosen a few that are super-easy to make. The separate recipes below create enough filling for 12 hot pockets, but if you want to mix and match, you can adjust the ratios to whatever you’d like. Your call.
– The Buffalo chicken filling is mixed with your favorite Buffalo sauce, broccoli, and cheddar cheese.
– The spinach-artichoke filling is garlicky and cheesy thanks to using both mozzarella and Pecorino. You can use Parmesan too.
– Finally, the pepperoni cheese filling features mozzarella, pepperoni slices, and tomato sauce. A sprinkle of dried oregano gives it that pizza touch. I used a high-quality jar of marinara sauce, but if you want to make your own, we recommend making our easiest tomato sauce.

Types of air fryers
There are a few types of air fryers on the market, so depending on which one you have, the cook time may differ. I tested the hot pockets in a dual air fryer-toaster oven, then in a single basket air fryer. The cook time was longer in the air fryer-toaster oven, but I was able to cook four at a time as opposed to two.

Storage
Hot pockets are best for up to 3 days in the refrigerator after being air fried. You can also reheat them using the air fryer or oven. You can also stuff them and store them uncooked in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

delish!

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”