Salisbury Steak

For those of you who don't know, I married a small-town Iowa dude almost 16 years ago.  Growing up, Jeff's mom, used a lot of Iowa products to make supper.  Beef, corn, potatoes....  Being from Maine, I didn't have the same influences:  my mum cooked dinner instead of supper and we ate a lot of seafood and chicken.  So it's been an adjustment...a 16 year adjustment...to include beef, corn and potatoes in our menu!

Jeff, his brother Craig, his sister Julie, his brother Steve and parents Leonard and Helen

I few years ago, I found a recipe online for Salisbury Steak.  It sounded pretty easy, and I was sure that Jeff, the Iowa dude, would like it...especially if I made mashed potatoes and corn.  I changed it up a little (no surprise here!)  And I was right...it was good!  This recipe (along with the mashed potatoes and corn) has become something that I make fairly often.   

Salisbury Steak


1 pound ground beef (I use 97%)
1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup mix
3/4 c. water


1 c. beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup


Mix the ground beef, onion soup mix and water together well.  It will be soupy.  {hahhahhaaha  I crack myself up!}  Seriously, the meat will be mushy.  Form into 4 patties.  


Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the patties into the hot skillet and cook the patties, turning to brown both sides.  


In a bowl, combine the beef broth and the cream of mushroom soup.  Pour over the patties.  Cover the pan and lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Turn the patties occasionally.


In 30-40 minutes you have Salisbury Steak and gravy!  Mashed potatoes, corn, a small green salad and a hunk of crusty bread complete the meal!  Yum!  Enjoy~

Summer Corn Fettuccine

Amanda and her husband

Last night, my friend Amanda posted a message on my Facebook page.

Jen, I made this for dinner tonight and thought of you. It was DELICIOUS! I used corn from the farmer's market. I love reading your blog and seeing what you are cooking up! :)  It isn't that hard to make! I actually made it while attempting to light the grill, which proved to be the harder of the 2 tasks.

I read the recipe and wished that I hadn't already made supper.  I wished that I had been to the Farmer's Market and that I had fresh corn in my refrigerator (along with other ingredients!)  Holy Cow, it looks DELICIOUS!  I can't wait to make this!  The recipe review has 5 stars.  YUM!

Summer Corn Fettuccine

Rachael Ray

This pasta tastes like corn chowder, a summer favorite of mine. Bring home a bushel of corn at summers end and cook, scrape and freeze summer fresh flavor by making your own frozen corn kernels.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound fettuccine
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 6 slices smoky bacon, chopped
• 6 ears corn on the cob, shucked
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup half-and-half or cream - whatever you put in your morning coffee
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• A few dashes hot sauce or 1 or 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 cup torn sweet basil leaves or 1/4 cup chopped tarragon leaves

Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook to al dente.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook a few minutes until rendered and crisp. Put a small bowl inverted into a large bowl, steady the corn cobs on the smaller bowl and scrape the ears. Add 3/4 of the scraped corn and any corn liquid to the pan with the bacon. Add the shallots and red pepper and liberally season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the remaining corn and half-and-half to a food processor and puree until smooth.
Pour the stock or wine into the corn and vegetables, and simmer over low heat for a minute to reduce. Stir in the thyme and corn-cream mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Add the hot sauce or cayenne and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Drain the pasta and add it to a large serving bowl. Pour in the sauce, add a couple of handfuls of cheese, about 1/2 cup and toss. Top with torn basil or chopped tarragon and pass the remaining cheese at the table.

P.S.  If you don't know Amanda, she's a really cool friend, a fun Bunco player, an awesome teacher and she has a boat named "The Dollar General," which I find really funny...especially since she and her husband paid $1 for their boat!  :)