The One That Got Away

Have you ever had a dish that you really wanted to make, but seems destined to never come out of your kitchen? For me, that dish is currently Chicken Satay. I have put this dish on my menu off and on since May. The first problem was finding the black bean sauce. I finally found it about a month ago, but I still can't seem to get this dish made. Hopefully this week.

I have tried a few new things in the past few weeks, and most have met with approval from the troops. Three of the recipes come from Taste of Home and are accessible through their website of you create a log-in: Moist and Tender Turkey Breast, Spiced Cran-Apple Brisket, and Sesame-Cilantro Chicken.

The turkey breast was cooked in the crockpot and was very moist. It calls for a 6-7 pound, bone in breast which gave us plenty of meat for at least 3 meals.

The brisket wasn't really a brisket as I left ours out on the counter overnight to thaw (forgot about it really), and the meat was not usable. I used flank steak instead. It came out pretty good. I preferred to eat the meat with some of the sauce, but the rest of the family skipped that. The other deemed it "okay" but I really liked it. I think I will keep this recipe and actually make it with a brisket.

The sesame-cilantro chicken was not a hit with any of us. The cilantro just didn't seem to fit. The taste was off. Bummer because it was a very simple recipe. I would be tempted to try the recipe again with either less cilantro or leave it out all together.

The other two recipes come from a church cookbook. One was a hit and the other wasn't.

Sherried Beef

3 Lb. beef cubed
1/2 pkg. dry onion soup mix
2 cans mushroom soup
3/4 cup sherry wine

Heat 2 cans of soup (do not add water) and gradually mix in sherry wine. Add onion soup mix. Do not brown beef, but place in a slightly oiled casserole. Pour soup mixture over meat in casserole. Mix well and cover. Bake for 3 hours at 325 F.

*The Misses thought this dish looked yucky but tried it anyway. They asked for seconds!

Crockpot Italian Pork Chops

4 to 6 lean pork chops
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 med onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry wine or water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 med green peppers, cut into rings

Trim excess fat off of pork chops. In a medium skillet, heat oil and brown chops on both sides. Drain pork chops on paper towels. Put mushrooms, onions, and garlic in the bottom of the crockpot. Arrange pork chops on top of the vegetables.

In a bowl, combine tomato sauce, sherry or water, lemon juice, salt and spices. Pour over chops. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, add green pepper rings on top of chops. Cover. Serve over egg noodles.

*I did not use the green pepper. This dish just did not do it for us.

Just a side note ... I bought tickets for the Taste of Home cooking show that will be in our area soon. I went last year with a friend, and we cannot wait to go back. If there is a cooking show coming anywhere near you, it is worth the evening out. There are lots of freebies and door prizes as well as a free subscription to one of the magazines. And that is all before the actual show!