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Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Friday, May 30, 2025

Cooking Steaks on an Indoor Grill

I previously reviewed how we cook our hamburgers on our indoor grill. Today, I will review cooking delicious steaks on the same indoor grill.

The secret to any good steak is the length of time it is cooked. In our home, we have family members who like their steak medium rare and others who prefer their steak cooked medium well. With such a wide range of doneness preferences, it is much easier to cook our steaks one at a time on our Cuisinart Griddler. As each steak comes off the Griddler, we wrap it in aluminum foil to keep it hot if we all want to eat together. However, the steak does seem to continue to cook a little more in the aluminum foil, so be sure you take that into consideration. If you have someone who prefers medium well to well done, you will want to cook their steak first, leaving the medium rare to the last to cook.

I've realized that I am not personally fond of the taste of charcoal grilled meat, plus it can cause indigestion. I certainly realize that is an individual preference, afterall I ate charcoal grilled steaks most of my life. It turns out, I actually prefer the taste of steaks or hamburgers cooked on our indoor grill and my husband works hard to get each steak cooked to each person's preference.

How to Cook Steaks on an Indoor Grill
Cuisinart Griddler

One of the things that makes the Cuisinart Griddler unique is that it has cooking elements on both the top and the bottom of the unit. The grills are removable for cleaning. Therefore, it is the indoor grill I would recommend for cooking any meat, chicken breasts included.

As you can see in my photos, I do put towels down under the Griddler to keep from splattering my counter tops and wall. The towels also make the clean up much easier since I simply toss them in the washing machine.

Preparing Steaks

Prepare steaks by lightly rubbing each steak with olive oil. Salt & pepper each steak.

Heat the Griddler to "sear" temperature. As I previously stated, the Cuisinart Griddler heats on both the top and the bottom, but the top element doesn’t seem to get quite as hot as the lower element. Plus, a bone will hold the top grill slightly off of the meat, so my husband likes to turn the steaks to make sure they are evenly cooked throughout.

Cook Time

Depending on the steak thickness, cook 4 minutes on each side on sear for medium well

Cook 2½ minutes each side on sear for medium rare
Reduce cook time for thin steaks - Stated cook time is based on steaks shown. They are bone-in and approx. 1 inch thick

We wrap each steak in aluminum foil to “rest” while we cook additional steaks. We wrap the last steak for at least 1 minute.

Clean Up

Cleaning the Cuisinart Griddler is easy. I simply rinse and wipe the removable grills under hot water in the sink and put them in the dishwasher for thorough sanitizing and cleaning.

Baked Potatoes on the Side

I cook our baked potatoes while my husband is cooking the steaks. You can either cook them in the oven, which takes longer, or in the microwave. You can read how to cook in the oven or the microwave in my previously published recipe by clicking here.

Cuisinart Panini Press, Stainless Steel Griddler, Sandwich Maker & More, 5-IN-1, GR-4NP1

Griddler Plates Replacement for Cuisinart GR-4NP1 5-in-1 Grill & Panini Press - Griddle Accessories, BPA Free, 2Pcs

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Cooking Steaks on an Indoor Grill Written by:

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Monday, April 21, 2025

Book Reviews: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001 - 2024

I finally ordered The Complete America's Test Kitchen cookbook. I am glad I waited because I ended up being able to order the most recent edition. This HUGE cookbook is full of amazing recipes, all of the extra tips and information they include in the show, and many photos of the finished dishes. I highly recommend this 1,200+ page cookbook.

photo with text of America's Test Kitchen cookbook

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001 - 2024: Every Recipe and Product Rating From the Most Watched Cooking Show on Public TV

America's Test Kitchen has been a popular food show on the PBS channel for many years. They've been described as using "culinary science" and familiar cooking techniques to create delicious recipes. While I don't understand culinary science, I can agree that this is what they do. I just watched an episode this morning where they discussed the benefits of overcooking certain vegetables (eggplant, beans, and broccoli) to release certain properties and to bring out certain flavors. Each of those vegetables were releasing different ingredients. I don't understand that. But I love that they explain it briefly, while giving a delicious recipe that even I could make.

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001 - 2024: Every Recipe and Product Rating From the Most Watched Cooking Show on Public TV is a HUGE cookbook. It is advertised as:

nearly 2,000 recipes from 24 seasons
updated shopping guide for equipment and ingrediants
notes and tips from the Test Kitchen Chefs
1280 pages
Weighs 8 lbs and measures 8.63 x 2.38 x 11.25
approximately 4.6/4.7 out of 5 stars review on Amazon/Goodreads (at the time I am writing this). It seems that deductions were related to damage during shipping and those who do not like the size of the book.

Did I mention that this book is HUGE? Some of the reviews on Amazon state that they don't like the size and weight of the book. I don't mind that. I love that all of the recipes from 24 TV seasons are included. I like the print size (not too small), the paper quality (glossy and thick), and that there are photos on almost every page (either of the recipe or the instructional, how-to photos).

Personal Thoughts:

I love watching America's Test Kitchen. I am not good in the kitchen so I appreciate how they explain what they are doing and why. I appreciate that many of their recipes are made with ingredients that I can find versus more exotic or hard to find ingredients.

America's Test Kitchen does use many gadgets at times: food processors, certain pots or pans, etc. And I don't have those things. But, there are many, many recipes that utilize the things that I already have in my kitchen.

I finally ordered this book, the newest edition, after watching a show with the Vegetable Bibimbap recipe. This is an "iconic Korean dish". Or, in my thoughts, a rice dish with good flavor and lots of vegetable options; vegetables I hope to grow in my garden this year. In the cookbook (page 572), the paragraph "why this recipe works" talks about the origin of the recipe and substituting a cast-iron dutch oven for the traditional stone bowl. I can hardly wait to try this recipe! I enjoy rice and vegetables, one-pot meals, and I like to try easy - but different - flavors.

I am so thrilled that I finally purchased this cookbook. And that by the time I purchased it, the newest edition was available. I am not bothered by the weight and size of the book. I am very happy that the tips, notes, and substitutions discussed on the show episodes are included in the book.

I hope to use this book to do more garden-to-table cooking and become more successful in the kitchen. I highly recommend this cookbook.

The official America's Test Kitchen website which includes information about joining and what their membership includes.

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Friday, April 4, 2025

Cooking Hamburgers on an Indoor Grill

During the winter months, it is much too cold to cook outside. In early spring, we get a lot of rain, which also keeps us from cooking outdoors. In this review, I will share how our family still enjoys delicious home-cooked grilled hamburgers which we cook indoors. It is surprisingly easy!

Several years ago, we purchased our first Cuisinart Griddler. Today, it is used as often as our stove-top or oven. For me, I prefer meat cooked on the Griddler because it eliminates the charcoal flavor. For those of you who really love the charcoal taste, you may want to sprinkle charcoal seasoning on your meat before you cook it.

Because meat splatters when cooking, I put towels down under our Griddler. That simply makes cleanup easier. I purchased two towels specifically for that purpose and I only use them under the Griddler.

How to Make & Cook the Hamburgers for Indoor Grilling

Cuisinart Panini Press, Stainless Steel Griddler, Sandwich Maker & More, 5-IN-1, GR-4NP1Check Price My husband uses 2 lbs of ground beef which he divides into 6 patties and lays out on a sheet of parchment paper, wax paper or aluminum foil. We season one side of each patty with salt and pepper before cooking.

He cooks 2 hamburgers at a time for 4 minutes or 1 hamburger for 3½ minutes. It is not necessary to turn them because the Griddler cooks on both sides at once.

We immediately place the cooked burger on a bun, add cheese if desired, and wrap in aluminum foil. Then, I place them in the oven (preheated to 175°) to keep the warm until all of the burgers are cooked. Placing them in the oven also makes the cheese melt completely between the burger and the bun.

After all of the burgers are cooked, we take our first servings out of the oven, garnish them and eat our delicious indoor grilled hamburgers!

Cleaning the Griddler

I rinse each Griddler plate in hot water in my sink and put the plates in my dishwasher. Since there are replacement Griddler plates sold separately, I don't worry about the washing them in the dishwasher. I would prefer they be completely sanitized.

_____

The Griddler plates are double sided. If you flip the plates over with the smooth sides up, and lay the Griddler open flat, you have a griddle which is awesome for making breakfast! I frequently make pancakes and eggs on the flat griddle side.

Cuisinart Panini Press, Stainless Steel Griddler, Sandwich Maker & More, 5-IN-1, GR-4NP1

Griddler Plates Replacement for Cuisinart GR-4NP1 5-in-1 Grill & Panini Press - Griddle Accessories, BPA Free, 2Pcs

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Monday, March 31, 2025

Spaghetti with Diced Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts

This spaghetti with diced tomatoes and artichoke hearts is so easy to make that it can be on your table in about 30 minutes. We were wondering what to make for dinner a couple of weeks ago. Fran found a can of artichoke hearts and diced tomatoes in our pantry. So we decided to combine these and serve it over spaghetti.

Easy to make meal-reviewed

Here is what we used:

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can artichoke hearts (Drained)
1 clove garlic diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 lb. spaghetti (cooked to your liking)
Parmesan or Romeno whatever you prefer
Salt and pepper to taste

Here is how we made this:

Prepare a pot of water to cook your pasta.
We heated the oil and garlic in our 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
Add the diced tomatoes, drained artichoke hearts, and Italian seasoning.
Stir to combine and cook for 10 minutes until you see a slight boil.
Serve this over the cooked pasta.

We did not have any fresh basil for an additional garnish. I think fresh basil would add to the flavor. Truth be known we really didn't measure the ingredients we just added as we went along. This was a quick and easy meal that we both enjoyed. We will certainly make this one again.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

A Review of Old Fashion Rice Pudding

After my Mom passed, I found a recipe book in her things that was unbelievably old. The pages were not just yellowed, but the edges were downright brown. The print on the pages was a bit hard to read, it looked like someone had typed them on an old manual typewriter. There were uneven spaces between the lines and some of the letters were raised higher than others. It was easy to see that this recipe book was VERY old. Unfortunately, it didn't have a cover or any interior pages other than the pages with recipes. No identifying marks of any kind to show where it had come from, or the date it was made. The only clue I was able to derive from reading through it was the fact that each recipe had a name under it. I think this book may have come from my grandmother's church and each of the church ladies must have contributed recipes.

I was intrigued, but unfortunately there was nothing I could do about it. All of my mother's siblings, aunts and cousins have already passed long ago. There was simply no one left to talk to about this strange little book. It looks like I will never know where it came from.

Anyway! Reading though the recipes, I could tell that these recipes were written long ago, like in the 1900s. There are strange ingredients like "sour milk" and "fat" and "salt pork." It made for some interesting reading! One recipe that I saw I knew I wanted to make right away......rice pudding! I have always loved it and I remember that my grandma made some really delicious rice pudding when I was little. I am pretty sure this is the recipe she used.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 quart milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees

Wash the rice, put in a mixing bowl and add milk, salt, brown sugar and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.

Grease a glass baking dish and pour in mixture.

Bake for 2 hours, stirring occasionally with a fork.

Add raisins and mix, then bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve hot or cold with heavy whipping cream.

I have made rice pudding before, but it never was exactly right. It seemed too thick and had a custardy taste. This rice pudding did not. It was light, fluffy and tasted like rice and sugar and raisins. It was yummy! I compared the recipe to the one I had used previously and I found out the difference. My recipe, like most recipes for rice pudding had eggs in it. This is what gives it the heavy, custard like texture that i did not care for.

I was elated! I had not only found a great recipe for rice pudding, but I had a whole recipe book full of "lost in time" recipes for me to try out. I will be sharing more of them on Review This Reviews so please come for another visit and more great old recipes!

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Friday, March 21, 2025

Easy Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Few Desserts bring people together like chocolate fondue. This is a family favorite of ours. We like getting together several times a year for some delicious chocolate fondue. Following is a review of our Valentine's Day chocolate fondue.

A Brief History of Chocolate Fondue:

Fondue, originally a Swiss dish featuring melted cheese, inspired the idea of dipping foods into a shared pot. The concept of chocolate fondue emerged in the 1960s, made popular by Swiss restaurateur Konrad Egli in New York.

Fondue is a perfect time to gather and enjoy some great conversation with the family while enjoying some delicious dessert or food.

Many times we use steak and chicken cut into small pieces. Our daughter Jamie coats the chicken with Shake N Bake. We dip into hot oil until the pieces are cooked and serve with various dipping sauces.

Ingredients for Chocolate Fondue:

1 bag of chocolate chips 11.5oz.

1 bag of dark chocolate chips 11.5 oz.

1 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

First, you need a fondue pot. Jamie has two Cuisinart Electric Fondue Pots. For the chocolate fondue, we only use one of them.

Set the pot to medium heat and add the chocolate chips. Add the butter and keep stirring so the chocolate begins to melt.

Add the vanilla, and the heavy whipping cream a little at a time, and keep stirring until all is combined. When it's ready, the chocolate will look like the intro photo.

Here are our prepared goodies for dipping into the chocolate. We cut up strawberries, pineapple, bananas, marshmallows, and pound cake.

Dip and Enjoy: We used the skewers that came with the fondue pot to dip our favorite treat into the rich chocolate.

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You will find a large selection of fondue pots on Amazon. The one featured below is the one Jamie has, and she has had it for many years.

Cuisinart Fondue Pot, 3 Quart, For Chocolate, Cheese, Broth, Oil, Stainless Steel, CFO-3SSP1Check the Price

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Sunday, March 16, 2025

Delicious Spicy Chicken Bow Tie Soup

This hearty and flavorful soup is perfect for cool days. Depending on how much red pepper flakes you add, it can even help clear your sinuses!

I rarely measure, so these listed amounts are merely a guideline. If you're making a huge amount, as per below, ensure you start with an extra large soup pot.

Ingredients For Spicy Chicken Bow Tie Soup

5 chicken breasts
3 heaping tbsp butter (for frying the chicken)
1 bag carrots, cleaned and chopped
1 bundle of celery, cleaned and chopped
1-2 large onions, chopped
6-7 cloves garlic, minced (adjust to taste)
¼ cup flour
2 tbsp butter (additional for roux)
6 boxes of chicken broth (I usually just add until I feel it's enough, and at times, I'll use my own homemade chicken broth
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup cream
3 Cups of Bow Tie noodles (adjust to your desire)
A bundle of green onions
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flake spice
Garlic spice seasoning - Or, use your favorite brand. I use Clubhouse Garlic Plus.
Any other seasonings you want!

Spices & Seasoning

1/4 cup of red pepper flakes (adjust to taste; this amount makes it extra spicy, but simply do your own tasting, adding more as you go if needed)
1/4 cup Garlic spice seasoning (or substitute with a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs) - Again, I never measure this; just add and taste
Any other spices you like! It's your choice
Salt to taste

Additional Ingredients

3 cups bow tie noodles
1 handful green onions, chopped
Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Cook the Chicken

In a large pot, melt 3 heaping tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add 5 chicken breasts and cook until thoroughly browned on both sides and cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside to cool. Once cooled, chop into bite-sized pieces.

2. Prepare the Soup Base

Using the same pot (with the browned chicken remnants for flavor), add the onions, celery, carrots, and Garlic.
Sauté until the vegetables start to soften.
Stir in ¼ cup flour and 2 tablespoons butter, cooking for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.

3. Add Liquid & Spices

Pour in 6 containers of chicken broth and stir well.
Add ½ cup tomato sauce and 1 cup cream, stirring to combine.
Season with red pepper flakes, Garlic Plus seasoning, and salt to taste.

4. Add Pasta, Chicken and Green Onions

Add 3 cups of bow tie noodles directly to the pot. Let them cook in the broth until tender.
Return the chopped chicken to the pot and stir everything together.
Add the chopped green onions and allow the soup to simmer for a few more minutes.

5. Serve & Enjoy

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese before serving.
Enjoy this warming and spicy bowl of comfort!

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Friday, March 7, 2025

Pork Chops with Gravy Crock-Pot Recipe

I love cooking in my crock pot. It is so nice to be able to start a meal in the morning and have it ready to serve at dinnertime without too much additional fuss. I am constantly seeking new crock pot recipes that my family will enjoy.

Not all of my new recipe experiments have been well received in our home. Due to varying ingredient preferences, it is not unusual for one of us to like a particular meal while others simply do not care for it and start rutting in the refrigerator for last night's leftovers. When I plan to try a new recipe, I make sure there is an alternative meal available. I've learned that is a necessity.

Due to my own childhood experiences with tomatoes, I've never required my children, or anyone, to eat a meal that did not appeal to them, simply because it was set before them. Of course, I cook with tomatoes, but my personal preference is either tomato sauce or petite diced tomatoes. I cannot eat a tomato alone or sliced on a hamburger like my parents, siblings & husband. Therefore, I completely understand when someone doesn't like a specific ingredient or presentation.

A few years ago, my mother started cooking pork chops in her crock pot. I have cooked pork loin in my crock pot for decades, but not the chops and I hesitated to try the pork chops in gravy. However, Mom was kind enough to share one of her cooked pork chops with me and I loved them. They are awesome!

She gave me her recipe and with a few very simple changes based on my household preferences, I now cook pork chops in gravy for my family. Everyone, except our vegans, love these chops.

Crock Pot Recipe for Pork Chops with Gravy

5 Pork Chops (any size – I use the breakfast chops)

1 Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup

1 pkg of Pork Gravy Mix (I use Pioneer Roasted Pork Gravy Mix)

½ Cup Water or Chicken Broth

½ teaspoon Pepper

Butter

Note: Can add a pkg of onion dip mix if desired (I don’t use this)

Directions

Mix together the soup, gravy mix, water and pepper. Pour into the crock pot.

Layer the pork chops on top of the mixture.

Lightly pepper and add a pat of butter on each pork chop.

Cook for 7 ½ hours on low.

Finishing sauce thickener after chops are cooked: In a cup, stir together 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch & 2 Tablespoons Water to make a sauce thickener. Temporarily remove pork chops and stir mixture into sauce in the crock pot. Add the chops back to the crock pot and cook chops in the sauce for another 30 minutes.

During that additional 30 of cooking in the crockpot, I prepare a box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice and serve the cooked pork chops over the wild rice.

My Crock-Pot

I own two crock-pots. My original crock pot is over 40 years old, but it still works like new. However, during the holidays, I found I needed a second crock-pot to carry meals to my parent's home when my siblings and their families are in town. I chose one that has latches on the top for easy transporting.

Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry Oval Manual Portable Slow Cooker, Red - SCCPVL600-R

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Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Air Fryer Lightly Breaded Haddock Fillets

These air fryer haddock fish fillets are crispy on the outside with flaky, tender fish on the inside. Here is proof that you don't need your oven to make a delicious healthy meal.

Air Fryer fish fillets - Reviewed

A couple of weeks ago the bottom element in our oven blew out leaving us with no oven. Fran picked up these haddock fish fillets at our local grocery store. They were already lightly breaded and ready for the oven.

Since we didn't have a working oven and didn't want to fry the fish on our stovetop, we decided to use our air fryer and cook the potatoes in our microwave. The Fish came out so crispy and tender that we have since made these again.

Since then, I have replaced the bottom bake element on our oven, so it is in working order again. However, I don't think I'll ever use the oven to bake fish again.

If your local grocery store doesn't have breaded fish fillets ready to cook, the following is a recipe for lightly breaded fish and our method of air frying.

Ingredients:

2 haddock fillets fresh or thawed, or your favorite fish fillets
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (use panko for extra crispness)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon of olive oil or cooking spray
Lemon wedges
Tarter sauce or your favorite for dipping

Instructions:

In a shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Dip the fish fillets in the beaten egg mixture. Then dredge the fillets in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing lightly to make sure you coat the fillets.
Lightly spray the air fry basket with cooking spray.
Preheat the air fryer to 325 degrees. Place the fillets side by side, not touching each other. Air Fry for 12 to 15 minutes, turning them halfway through.

Our haddock fillets in the air fry basket, We added a lemon slice while they were cooking for some added flavor.

The air fryer is an excellent tool for achieving a crispy texture with minimal oil. In fact, all we did was spray the air fry basket with cooking spray. Air frying reduces fat and calories while still delivering a satisfying crunch. It's also known that an air fryer uses less energy than an oven.

We have a combination Ninja Foodi Grill and Air Fryer and just love it. You can find a large selection of Air Fryers on Amazon.

Ninja Foodi 4qt 5-in-1 Indoor Grill and Air Fryer - AG301Check the Price

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Saturday, February 15, 2025

Waldorf Salad Food Review

Waldorf Salad ~ a delicious appetizer course.

Waldorf salad was first created on March 13, 1886 for a charity ball held at the famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. It is one of several signature dishes created or developed by the hotel’s maitre d’hotel, Oscar Tschirky.

Originally, the recipe for the salad was just apples, celery and mayonnaise. Later, in 1928, nuts were added. Today, a more modern version includes grapes. Other modern variations are listed in this article on Wikipedia, but my favorite variation is the original recipe, as my mother used to make it for me, of simply apples, celery and walnuts, all dressed with mayonnaise and served well-chilled on a lettuce leaf. This fruit salad is listed as an appetizer course, but my favorite way of eating it is as part of my main meal with a grilled pork chop.

Recipe Summary

Ingredients of apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise for Waldorf Salad

The basic recipe I use for Waldorf Salad is simply one cup of diced apple (peeled or unpeeled), one-half cup of diced celery and about one-fourth to one-half cup of broken walnuts. Toss ingredients together with 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, chill for several hours and serve on a lettuce leaf.

*Note: You can sprinkle the cut up apples with lemon juice, if desired. I also sometimes substitute a spoonful of the mayonnaise with sour cream for a creamier taste.

This salad is mentioned in the 1934 Cole Porter song “You’re The Top"

You're the top

You're a Waldorf salad

You're the top

You're a Berlin ballad

But if, baby, I'm the bottom

You're the top

It was also mentioned in a 1979 episode of the British television sitcom Fawlty Towers when an American guest demands a Waldorf salad!

Waldorf Salad has also made the List of Regional Dishes, a list of regional or local dishes associated with specific regions of the United States. This dish is associated with New York City (Manhattan) where the original famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was located from 1893 to 1929.