RECIPE: Maid-Rite Sandwich

What exactly is a Maid-Rite sandwich? It's the sandwich made famous by the restaurant chain by the same name, based in Iowa. While there recipe might be a highly guarded secret... this is my version.

I love to taste something and then try to recreate it, or make it my own. Tonight we have my version of the midwestern favorite! We start with just a few ingredients.... and it comes together pretty quickly. Let it simmer for an hour... and make your sandwich, topping it with your favorite condiments.

Come with me on a journey to Iowa, where it all started...



Brown the ground beef and onion...







Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder (or the garlic cloves if that's what you're using)...



Add the "W" sauce... and the soy sauce...



... and the water... and a good stir.



Place a cover on it and allow to simmer for at least an hour.



Place some meat mixture on top of toasted buns... add cheese if desired. Or prepare to top the loose meat with ketchup, mustard and pickles.



Or if you like green olives as much as I do, add some diced olives as relish. Oh man... they add a buttery taste, amazingly enough...

4 for the sandwich and 1 for the cook!





Yummy in my tummy!




Thank you, Iowa! I owe ya one...



Maid Rites

Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1 lb. ground beef
½ onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon THICK Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup water

Instructions
In canola oil, brown the ground beef, onion and garlic together. Drain. Add “W” sauce, soy sauce, salt/pepper and water.

Simmer for at least 1 hour. Serve on buns with mustard, ketchup, pickles, etc.



Confession: I like diced green olives on just about ANYTHING!!! (except maybe waffles...)



enjoy your time in the kitchen...

RECIPE: Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

These cupcakes take me back to roughly 1989 to a picnic at Bates Nut Farm (Escondido, Ca). For many years we enjoyed a tradition on Memorial Day... a church picnic. The park on the Farm is lined with large shade trees... where we gathered. The edge of the park is dotted with picnic tables... where we shared stories, laughed and learned from each other.

We ate... we played volleyball, bocce ball and softball... and I'm pretty sure we all got sun-burned.


And then we were introduced to these cupcakes.

Thank you, Patti Groves, for changing my life!



So, let's make some!

I started with all of these ingredients, plus vanilla extract. (If I posted a recipe and actually remembered to pull all of the ingredients out of the cupboards... well, it would be a miracle.)



First step: cream cheese filling. Mix together the cream cheese, egg, pinch of salt, 1/3 cup of sugar and chocolate chips.













I may or may not have licked off the cream cheese batter...

(Please note: some people believe there is a chance of salmonella poisoning when raw eggs are consumed. This is not a recommendation to consume raw egg products.)



Moving along to the dry ingredient mix... starting with the flour, 1 cup of sugar, cocoa mix, baking soda and kosher salt.



Quick stir until it's all mixed...



And then I add the wet ingredients... vanilla extract, vinegar, water and canola oil and mixed until it was all combined and there were no more lumps.











Next step... spooning the chocolate mixture into the muffin tins lined with paper cups. But only fill them up about half way ...



Because next is the great cream cheese stuff...



Fill and repeat until all of both mixtures is used up...



Approximately 30 minutes later...



Please resist the urge to take them out of the tin right away... allow them to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing them to cooling rack.



And when you can handle them, not a minute before or a minute after... peel that wrapper off and take a bite (or two) and reveal the creamy middle!




Memorial Day is in a few more weekends... and this year I'll be with most of my family on Memorial Day. Maybe we'll make these again at that point... then again, maybe I won't be able to wait that long...



Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy Patti Groves

Ingredients

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
Dash of salt
8 ounces chocolate chips

Cupcake
1 ½ cup flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In small bowl - mix cream cheese, egg, sugar, salt and chocolate chips.

In large bowl mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

To large bowl add wet ingredients: water, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract. Stir until creamy.

Line muffin tins with paper cups, fill cups ½ full with chocolate cake mix. Drop 2 or 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture in muffin tins.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before enjoying.




enjoy your time in the kitchen...

RECIPE: Chicken Jerusalem

Chicken Jerusalem: The sauce and chicken is cooked like a simple casserole dish. For years it's been a long-running tradition in my parents' home... based on a dish my Gramma H made back in the day. And now we're making it in our home...

To me, this is reminiscent of the 1950's casserole dishes... based on the condensed soups made by Campbell's Soup Company. What an imprint the soup company made on kitchens of the time.


In our household, "Chicken Jerusalem" is comfort food. Creamy and good. Savory and rich. One of my hubbies favorites around here...

We start with our ingredients...



Oh, and I forgot one ingredient... paprika. Sorry Lil' Miss Paprika... how could I ever forget you?!



Next we pull out a trusty Pyrex dish and a pat or two of butter.



We place it under the broiler... about 6 inches from the hot flame.



Once the butter is melted...



We add the chicken to the dish... I start with the boneless/skinless chicken thighs...



Then I layer in the boneless/skinless chicken tenders...



And since I've become a fan of seasoning every layer, we do a little bit of kosher salt...



And some black pepper...



Then the casserole dish goes back under the broiler. I leave it there until the chicken just starts to brown. Stay tuned...

Next I start the sauce mix on the stovetop. I put two cans of Cream of Mushroom soup and one can's worth of chicken broth into a medium saucepan. Heat and stir until combined well...





It's probably about time to check the chicken. Sure enough! Turn them over so they can brown on the other side(s) as well. Back under the broiler...





And then comes the sour cream and another pat of butter (just because)...



Stir it in... and if you feel like you got more exercise today than usual then you can add an extra dollop, like I did.



The second side of the chicken should be just browned... so it's time to get this show on the road.



Pour the yummy sauce over the chicken...



Make sure all of the chicken is covered with sauce (otherwise the chicken will get dry while cooking in the oven).



And sprinkle on that paprika...



Set the timer for 1 hour and go wash some dishes... the whole house will begin to smell yummy very quickly!!!




We serve up our Chicken Jerusalem over white rice and alongside some vegetables.



For the hubby and I, this makes enough for two night's dinners. So we get to have this again real soon!

Disclaimer: I didn't have any mushrooms when I made this... but you'll notice in the recipe below that it calls for crimini mushrooms and a quick saute. You can also use canned mushrooms (stems and pieces). I just love the fresh mushroom flavor...

And some people don't like mushrooms at all. You can leave them out like we did tonight... it's still scrumptious!



Chicken Jerusalem
Recipe adapted by Lori Tisdale, from Gramma Haraldsen

Ingredients
6 chicken tenders, boneless/skinless
4 chicken thighs, boneless/skinless
½ cup crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced and sauteed
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
Chicken broth, 1 soup can’s worth
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil and additional tablespoon of butter (for mushrooms)
Salt/pepper to taste

Instructions
Clean and slice mushrooms and sauté in a pan with butter and oil until tender.

Salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Melt butter in casserole pan under broiler. Place chicken in one layer in casserole pan and under broiler for about 4-5 minutes, until lightly browned. Flip chicken and brown on the other side.

While chicken is under broiler, add ingredients to medium saucepan: cream of mushroom soup, 1 can’s worth of chicken broth, sautéed mushrooms and sour cream. Mix well and remove from heat.

Once chicken is browned on both sides, pour soup mixture over the top and return to stove. Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

Serve over white rice.



enjoy your time in the kitchen...