"The Schwartz"

 

This recipe needs a little family history lesson. Paul Frederick Schwartz my wife's grandfather searched his European heritage for a recipe that would be quick, easy, delicious and feed all his grand kids when they were at his Browns lake cottage. This is the "perfect Easter brunch recipe" because of quick prep time, The size of the thing on the table, it serves like pizza and add syrup to eat just like pancakes. People the recipe for the worlds largest pancake hence forth to be known as "The Schwartz" is...

Oven proof Skillet "size is important"
you will need:
flour
milk
eggs
butter
tspn malt powder/syrup (can be omitted)


10" cast iron or a 12" skillet (holds 2-3 qts water)
1/4 cup butter / 3 eggs / 3/4 cup flour & milk

12" or 14" cast iron skillet (holds 3-4 qts water)
1/3 cup butter / 4 eggs / 1 cup flour & milk

To prepare:
preheat oven to 425
dissolve malt in milk
in a mixing bowl beat eggs
beat milk mixture into eggs
add butter to skillet place in preheated 425 oven
beat flour into milk egg mixture
watch closely to see when butter is melted
add flour/egg/milk mixture to pan and place back in oven
bake for 20 - 25 minutes until brown and bubbly
remove and cut like pie and or pizza pie serve with pancake fixins


PS leave the oven light on the shapes and transformations it goes through can be quite interesting for the kids to look at.
aka "dutch baby"

Meatloaf, Worlds Greatest

Meatloaf can be quick & easy or pain in the butt gourmet. Everyone has had it and it is such a comfort food that people will even create vegetarian versions..This is my Oh Yeah Meatloaf recipe:

TIP: Have your own meatloaf recipe and looking for a little change? Make just 1/3rd of your glaze and mix it into your loaf, omitting the glaze otherwise or NOT!
1lb ground beef
1lb grountttd pork
1/3 cup chili sauce (or ketchup)
2 tblspns brown sugar
1 tblspn cider vinegar
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 large eggs
1/2 tspn thyme (or 1/2 tspn of oregano, basil) when out of thyme
1 tspn salt
1 tspn ground black pepper
2 tspns dijon mustard
2 tspns worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon tabassco (i double if no kids eating)
1 small container plain yogurt
1 cup quick oatmeal

preheat oven to 425 degrees

combine all ingredients into large mixing bowl and mix until all incorporated
place meat mixture in 4x9 pan 4" deep
cover with tin foil bake for 45 minutes
remove tin foil switch oven to low broil and brown the top for 15 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 160 (center top) you can broil on high for five minutes if already at 160 when you remove meatloaf from oven.
let sit 10-15 minutes and serve

I know you will love it my family always does!
JAD's to be world famous Oh Yeah! Meatloaf Recipe
meat loaf loaves

#worldsgreatest
Worlds Greatest Meatloaf

The Cheeky Cuban

I ate a Cuban sub last week at quiznos it was good but I thought i might try something different...

My Cheeky Cuban sandwich recipe:
(makes 2 sandwiches)

1 tblspn dijon mustard
1 tblspn mayonaise
1 6oz pkg brie cheese
12 bread and butter pickle slices
1/4 lb honey turkey
1/4 lb honey ham
1 tblspn butter
1 tblspn olive oil
4 slices beefsteak rye bread

mix mustard and mayo together spread 1/2 on one slice of bread (Set aside)
place other slice of bread down on work surface
apply 1/2 of brie cheese 1/8" thick should almost cover all
add 6 of the B&B pckl slices
then 1/8 lb ham & turkey
cover with slice of rye that u set aside mustard mix side down
(repeat to make second sandwich)
heat non stick skillet on High add all olive oil (or use panini maker)
spread 1/2 butter on top of both sandwiches place them butter side down
place 4-5 plates on top of sandwiches turn heat to low cook for 5 minutes
remove plates spread rest of butter to top of sandwiches and flip
turn the heat to medium and cover sandwiches with plates & cook 3 minutes

cut in half and enjoy my "Cheeky Cuban"

Dirty burner grate & drip pan?

My wife found replacement drip pans online for our stove the other day because i am a mess in the kitchen and they are filthy. When she showed me the price i needed to look and see if I can find an alternative first. I read about every miracle cleaner that would do the trick (many I have tried before)until one post suggested placing the burner grates & drip pans in the oven during self clean mode. Holy Cow! they are SPOTLESS the grates and drop pans are totally clean and all i had to do was stink up the house for 3 hours. I believe it works so well that I would borrow a self cleaning oven before I ever try and scrub, soak, scrub those things clean ever again. This may not be authorized according to the oven manufacturer but as good as it looks i cant complain.

Red beans & Rice

My red beans and rice recipe

1 lb bag small red beans (soaked overnight or quick soaked on bag)
extra pork chops or bones, chicken pieces, or ham hocks some all or none
2 tblspns olive oil
2 tblspns butter
1 small green pepper
1 large onion
2-3 stalks celery (match Green pepper amount
*2 tblpsns minced garlic (if you're not using mash bean recipe)
8 cups water
1 tspn bouillon veg or chicken
2 bay leafs
1 tspn oregano
1 tspn cumin
1 tspn coriander
2 shakes Cinnamon
1 tspn black pepper
1 tblspn garlic salt
1 tBLspn paprika
1/4 - 1 tspn red pepper flakes the more U add spicer it is
1-1/2 cups (measured dry basmati rice) prepared white rice

MASHED BEANS RECIPE (variation of RICK BAYLESS recipe) this part is up to U
2 tblspns olive oil
2 tblspns butter
1 can red beans/kidney beans
3 cloves garlic minced

soften grn peppers, onions, celery in 2 tblspns ea butter & olive oil
add all seasonings (but bay leaves & bouillon) continue to cook for a minute or so no burning
add H2O, bay leaves, bouillon & meat bring to a boil and simmer till meat drops from bone
(U can add more bouillon but U will need to decrease Garlic salt)
remove bones/meat to cool in fridge so U can pull and add it later
add beans to pot and slow simmer until beans are tender edible after 1.5 hours but I like to simmer for 3-4 hours when a few beans begin to split.
Add meat to pot it's ready to serve over rice now but i like to thicken with

Mashed red beans:
Drain can of beans and rinse then dry
melt butter in olive oil in a small skillet
add garlic cook slowly in butter till browning just begins
add beans turn off burner mash then add to 5qt pot of red beans
This is when I serve to family

You can find a great recipe for bean enchiladas in an earlier blog post which is great for your leftover red beans.

The Basmati decision

Brown Rice:
I tried for weeks to get the flavor, prep and storage right for brown rice after reading articles concerning the benefits of brown rice. Here are my problems First, I work 30+ hours a week and have the 2 under 2 50+ hours a week the 1 hour plus time it takes to prepare was just to long. In addition preparing and freezing almost always produced what could only be described as rice mush . Second, as I have mentioned before i buy in bulk @samsclub. All the information I have read about brown rice says it must be stored in the freezer I don't have room in the freezer for 15 pounds of rice. In the third place I make a lot of "hamburger helper" style rice meals from scratch and this just did not work with brown Rice. Finally, even with my best prep methods the taste of the brown rice never justified all the headaches.

The Basmati decision:
I was reading "eat this not that" and they suggested basmati rice if you have to have white rice. I bought a small bag my family and I loved the texture as well as the taste. I love the quick prep time and ability to Use in all my recipes, as well as its bulk availability @samsclub.

Red bean enchiladas, the perfect recipe for your leftover red beans and rice!

No matter how well you plan it is inevitable that at some point in time you will have leftovers. I am okay with eating yesterdays dinner cold for lunch today but I never serve leftovers warm for dinner the next day. Also, I really don't enjoy freezing leftovers and reheating for a quick meal in the future. So what do I do?? I like to create something new with my leftovers..

My family loves red beans and rice. When i prepare red beans and rice I get a ton extra and for such a cheap price. the leftovers make: enchiladas

1 your red beans and rice recipe
1large can enchilada sauce
1 8oz pkg shredded cheese - can always add more
1 pkg small flour torts

I put my red beans, rice, 1/4 of shredded cheese and 1/4 can enchilada sauce in a food processor & process for a minute or so to combine/thicken.
preheat oven to 350
Use a 1/4 can or so of red enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of 13x9 pan

Roll the bean mixture up with a little cheese in a flour tort and
place in the sauced 13x9 pan. Place on ends and roll not middle!

Fill the pan with enchiladas then place 1-1/4 cans enchilada sauce on top and bake for 25 minutes

Finally, place remaining cheese on top and continue to bake till melted

This has become a two day event that my family just loves! What are U doing or going to do with your leftovers?

Buttermilk Mustard fried chicken

I have been trying to fry the perfect Chicken for years. Most recipes work but this one has worked out the best for me. I was going to let everyone know how well guiness worked in the recipe, however it hit 70 degrees in Chicago and I drank all of my beer.

1 whole cut up chicken 3-4 lbs
Salt
Pepper
garlic salt
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1 cup butermilk
1-1/4 cups flour
canola to cover 1/2 piece chicken deep

salt & pepper chicken when u bring home Freeze extras for use in stock

heat oil to 350 or wooden spoon bubbles when tip put in oil

coat chicken with 1/4 cup flour
mix mustard & buttermilk in dish for dipping
dump cup of flour out on plate

tap chicken to lose excess flour dip in mustard/Bmilk
then turn and coat chicken in flour
then place in fryer each side till golden brown

remove when fully cooked to dry on papertowels
also you may finish in oven just make sure it is hot 400 deg & up
you dont want it to get soggy

SEASON immediately upon removing from oil w/garlic salt

variations:
subtract 1/2 cup bettermilk add 1/2 cup good Beer
subtract one cup flour add 1/3 cup panko 2/3 cup french's fried onions
spun in food processor especially good w/fish onions take seasons well

this is basically it i may rewrite later

GOOD LUCK!!