Play Ball Cajun Fries

Go Tigers!

Today the Tigers are having their home opener.

This is perfect while watching the game or anytime. 

3 - 4 medium potatoes
Non stick cooking spray

1/4 tsp. salt 

1/3 tsp. each: pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder

1/4 c. oil


Preheat oven to 425' F.

Spray baking sheets with cooking spray.

Rinse potatoes, set aside.

On a clean cutting board, carefully cut potatoes into fries.

Spread potatoes over baking sheet, drizzle oil over fries, sprinkle spices over them and place in oven to cook. 

Cook fries 30 minutes or until brown. 

Halfway through cooking, remove sheet from oven and stir fries.

Place sheets back in oven to continue cooking. 

Keep an eye them, so that they don't burn.

Remove baking sheet from oven when done, and let drain a paper towel lined plate for a few minutes.

Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

Serves 4.

Carrot Soup

This is perfect for the early day of spring or anytime.

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, peeled cut into quarters

20 - 30 baby carrots

1 - 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed

1/3 tsp. each: salt, pepper

non stick cooking spray

2 tsp. flour

1 /2 - 1 tsp. maple syrup

2 - 3 T. each: unsalted butter, olive oil

4 - 6 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 F’

Spray cooking sheet with non stick spray.

Rinse, cut ends from, chop baby carrots and celery

Peel, rinse, cut onions into chunks.

Peel, crush garlic.

Arrange vegetables on cooking sheet, sprinkle salt, pepper over vegetables, place vegetables in oven to cook for 20 - 30 min.

Preheat soup pot to medium high heat, lower heat to medium.

Add butter, flour and stir to make a roux.

Remove vegetables from oven very carefully.

Add oil to pan.

Add vegetables, cook for 15 - 20 min, stirring occasionally. 

Add broth to vegetables, cover pot with lid and cook for 10 - 15 min. more.

 Turn off stove, remove pot from heat, add maple syrup, sour cream to soup, blend until soup is blended.

Serves 4 - 6.

Hot Honey Popcorn

 This is perfect for game night, movie night or anytime.

1 bag microwave popcorn

1/8 tsp. each: red pepper flakes, hot sauce, black pepper 

1 T. honey

1/4 - 1/3 c. butter

Microwave popcorn according to package instructions.

While popcorn’s cooking, preheat pot to medium heat. 

Lower heat to low, add butter until melted.

When butter’s melted, add honey, pepper, pepper flakes and hot sauce. 

Stir butter for 1 - 2 min. with a clean rubber scraper or a clean wooden spoon. 

When popcorn’s popped, carefully remove it from microwave and pour into a bowl.

Turn stove off,  let butter cool for a few seconds and very carefully pour butter over popcorn.

Serves 2 - 4.

Think Spring Bacon Bites

 This is my take on the viral bacon trend.

This is perfect for spring, a March Madness watching get together, or anytime.

1 c. softened cream cheese

6 - 8 strips bacon

12 green onions

Rinse & cut ends from green onions, set aside.

Remove cream cheese from refrigerator to soften a little bit, set aside. 

Preheat skillet to medium high heat, lover heat to medium & place bacon in skillet.

Cook bacon on both sides to desired donenes. 

When bacon’s finished cooking, turn off stove and transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.

To assemble:

Crumple bacon into pieces.

With a clean knife, smear cream cheese onto the green onion ends. 

Roll green onions in crumbled bacon pieces to coat.

Serves 4.

Friday Night Flounder

This is perfect for Fridays during Lent or anytime.

 

1 lb. flounder fillets
1/4 tsp. each: salt, black pepper
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
Non - stick cooking spray
2 T. olive oil 

1 T. balsamic vinegar 

Preheat oven to 375’ F. 

Spray cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Sprinkle: salt, pepper, granulated garlic over both sides of fish.

Drizzle olive oil, vinegar over both sides of fish.


Bake for 15 - 20 min or until done. 


Serves 4.

Winter’s Almost Over Soup

This is perfect for winter or anytime 

3 sweet potatoes, cut into pieces

1 onion, peeled, rinsed, cut into pieces

1 cloves garlic peeled, rinsed, crushed

1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper

non stick cooking spray

1/2 - 1 tsp. maple syrup

2 - 3 T. each: unsalted butter, olive oil

4 - 6 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 375’ F. 

Spray cooking sheet with non stick spray.

Rinse, cut ends from, cut sweet potatoes into pieces. 

Peel, rinse, cut onions into pieces.

Peel and crush garlic.

Arrange vegetables on cooking sheet, sprinkle some of the salt, pepper over vegetables.

Place vegetables in oven to cook for 20 - 30 min. 

Preheat soup pot to medium high heat, lower heat to medium.

Add butter, oil to pan

Remove vegetables from oven carefully.

Add vegetables, rest of salt, pepper, cook for 10 - 15, stirring occasionally. 

Add broth to vegetables, cover pot with lid.

Reduce heat and cook for 15 - 20 min. more.

Turn off stove, remove soup from heat.

Add sour cream & maple syrup to soup,  use an immersion blender to blend until soup is blended.

Serves 4 - 6.

Recipe To Help Flood Survivors

 Prayers, thoughts for Kentucky and Detroit

Once again floods are devastating Kentucky and residents  in Detroit.

The flood forced thousands to evacuate and has claimed 43 innocent lives in Kentucky.

The floods in Detroit were caused by a water main break. 

The water main broke in Southwest Detroit, causing basements to flood. 

There are links on this site to some organizations that are helping with relief efforts.

Whatever you can do to help, donate will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Date Night Pork Chops

This is perfect for date night or anytime.

I used lean bone in pork chops, but you can use boneless pork chops as well.

1 lb. pork chops 

2  - 3 T. oil (olive or canola)

1 - 2 T. balsamic vinegar 

1/4 tsp. each black pepper salt

pinch red pepper flakes

1 T. Worcestershire sauce 

 Heat skillet pan to medium high heat.

 Reduce heat to medium and add oil.

 Add pork chops. 

Sprinkle salt, pepper, red pepper flakes on 1 side of pork chops.

Drizzle Worcestershire sauce, vinegar over pork chops

Cook chops on one side for 10 min or until done.  

Flip chops over, repeat cooking process for 10 min or until done. 

Let pork chops rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serves  4

Roasted Potato Soup

Lately I’ve been into roasting vegetables in the oven and creating soups. 

This is perfect for winter or anytime 

3 potatoes, cut into pieces

1 each: shallots, onion, peeled, rinsed, cut into pieces

1 leek, rinsed and chopped

1 - 2 cloves garlic peeled, rinsed, crushed

1/3 tsp. each: salt, pepper

non stick cooking spray

2 tsp. flour

2 - 3 T. each: unsalted butter, olive oil

4 - 6 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 375’ F. 

Spray cooking sheet with non stick spray.

Rinse, cut ends from, cut potatoes into pieces. 

Peel, rinse, cut onions, shallots into pieces.

Rinse, cut ends from, chop leeks.

Peel and crush garlic.

Arrange vegetables on cooking sheet, sprinkle some of the salt, pepper over vegetables.

Place vegetables in oven to cook for 20 - 30 min. 

Preheat soup pot to medium high heat, lower heat to medium.

Add butter, add flour and stir to make a roux.

Add oil to pan.

Remove vegetables from oven carefully.

Add vegetables, rest of salt, pepper, cook for 10 - 15, stirring occasionally. 

Add broth to vegetables, cover pot with lid.

Reduce heat and cook for 15 - 20 min. more.

Turn off stove, remove soup from heat.

Add sour cream to soup and use an immersion blender to blend until soup is blended.

Serves 4 - 6.

Red Pepper Bisque

This is perfect for winter or anytime 

2 Roma tomatoes, cut into pieces

2 - 3 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into pieces

1 onion, peeled cut into pieces

2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed

1/3 tsp. each: salt, pepper

non stick cooking spray

2 tsp. flour

2 - 3 T. each: unsalted butter, olive oil

4 - 6 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350’ F.

Spray cooking sheet with non stick spray.

Rinse, seed, cut pepper into pieces. 

Peel, rinse, cut onions into pieces.

Rinse, cut tomatoes into pieces. 

Peel and crush garlic.

Arrange vegetables on cooking sheet, sprinkle salt, pepper over vegetables.

Place vegetables in oven to cook for 20 min.

Preheat soup pot to medium high heat, lower heat to medium.

Add butter, add flour and stir to make a roux.

Add oil to pan. 

Remove vegetables from oven carefully.

Add vegetables, cook for 10 - 20 min., stirring occasionally. 

Add broth to vegetables, cover pot with lid and cook for 10 - 15 min. more.

Turn off stove, remove pot from heat.

Add sour cream to soup.

Use an immersion blender to blend until soup is blended.

Serves 4 - 6.

Soft Cooked Eggs

I’ve never tried a soft cooked egg until last year. 

This is great for breakfast or anytime.

2 eggs

Water

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper

Turn on faucet to cold water to run for a few seconds.

Put some cold water in a saucepan enough to cover eggs. 

Place sauce on burner, turn on stove and bring water to a boil.

When water begins to boil, reduce heat.

With a clean ladle or slotted spoon, very carefully place eggs in the water.

Cook eggs for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, turn off stove and with a clean slotted spoon, carefully remove eggs and run egg under cool water for a few seconds.

Place eggs on a clean plate, crack eggs open with a clean butter knife. 

Sprinkle some salt & pepper over eggs.

Serves 1.

Recipe To Help LA.

Heartbroken right now.

Prayers, thoughts, peace for California 

Once again wildfires are devastating Southern California.

Wildfires has devestated millions, destroyed communities, forced thousands to evacuate, flee their homes and has claimed 5 innocent lives. 

There are links on this site to some organizations that are helping with the wildfire relief. 

Whatever you can do to help, donate will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.