Venison Sliders

When a friend of ours called a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I wanted a deer, I hesitated...you just never know what people mean when they ask you if you want an animal down here in the south!

But- free for the picking up- was a crate of venison!

And you wanna know what's really neat about the timing? My 16 year old had just come upstairs that morning from the freezer to let me know that we were almost out of red meat and well, deer is the other red meat! We love it!- God is good!

It's lean and we don't seem to think it's 'gamey' and it can do anything beef can do 'cept only better- especially when it's free!

Venison Sliders

1 lb loin, cut in small strips

1 large onion, sliced

2 heaping tablespoons of fat (lard*)

1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce (love French's)

cheese (Swiss)

buns

Saute onion and venison in fat on medium-low heat until meat is no longer pink.

Add Worcestershire and continue to cook 3 to 5 minutes on low heat.

Add to buns top with cheese- and you have- amazing!

*You gals know I love to render my own lard when I can get it, but for these, I actually used bacon grease. Someone at church had given me a whole jar of leftover bacon grease. Sweet!

You KNOW you're loved when folks share their bacon grease with you!

Psa 42:1  As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Falafel in Pita with Tahini

I made a big pot of chick peas this week and decided to use my leftovers for falafel.

I started by using Tammy's Pita Bread Recipe.

Those are so soft and delicious!

Simple Tahini:

1 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup of olive oil

Toast seeds at 350 for 10 minutes, tossing every couple of minutes.

You don't want them to brown.

Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Whirl seeds and oil in small processor until pasty.

Falafel:

3 cups chick peas, cooked and drained

1 medium onion

1 t minced garlic

2 t dried parsley

1 1/4 t coriander

2 t cumin

1/2 cup plain flour*

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Form into small patties (or balls) and fry in hot oil until crisp and golden.

*You may need a little more flour if your chick peas don't drain well, but it should be just enough to make them hold together.

Spread tahini in pita. Layer lettuce, tomatoes, onions and falafel.

 

*Served here with Greek yogurt for dipping.

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches on Kaiser Rolls

Yep- here's these Kaiser Rolls again! My dh can't seem to get enough of them so we keep coming up with something else to put on them!

I took several chicken breasts and sliced them up, seasoned with Lawry's and had dh grill them while I got the cheese, mayo, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes ready. 

I love mess-less meals! No pots- no pans! Woo hoo!

But when it comes to these rolls- I think I've created a monster!

I've used half a sack of flour these past few days! ;-)

Chicken Joes on Kaiser Rolls

After a few cooking (near) disasters in the last 24 hours, I was so proud and thankful that these little beauties came together for what my family thinks was a "masterpiece"!

All my mishaps were forgiven after the first bite into one of these!

These are really easy and I will have enough for tonight's supper and tomorrow's lunch!

I made 16 Kaiser rolls using Tammy's One Hour Roll Dough.

While they were baking, I made the chicken.

 2.5 to 3 pounds chicken  (cooked and shredded)

1 cup ketchup

1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce (I love French's when I can get it)

1 t mustard

1/4 t pepper

salt to taste

Toss it all in the pot and heat through. If it is a little dry, you may add more ketchup or water if its thick.

Allow to simmer on low while bread bakes. Slice rolls and serve hot.

Be sure to check out Show and Tell Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal and Young and Crafty.

Cranberry-Almond Chicken Salad...

This was a side with soup the other day, but it's great on sandwiches!

 12.5oz can of chicken, drained

2/3 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup sliced almonds

2 heaping tablespoons of mayo

Mix well, chill if desired.

Homemade Ham Salad Spread-

Dh said this is the best thing I've ever made- can you imagine that! Now I know it doesn't look like much a cup like that- but- well- lemme tell you what the 15 year old said! "I hope you wrote down exactly how you made this!" lol I made it with a little bite, you might want to tone it down for your family, but mine liked the little extra kick!

You know those little turkey hams I've mentioned so many times before? (They really need to graduate to their own "label" at this point...) Well, this is yet another gem from one of those little frugal beauties!

Now, before I get to the recipe, let me just say that everything, including spices and seasonings are easily adjusted to suit your family's taste with making a ham salad spread- AND- you can make it homemade and have double the amount that you would if you bought it pre-made! Or more! You could also keep this to the plain side, with just the meat! You can also half the recipe with no trouble.

Homemade Ham Salad Spread- with a kick!

1 small turkey ham  
(little less than 2 lbs, the Jennie-o brand is good, but any ham will work, including leftovers from picnic, shoulder, etc.)

1 medium onion

1 1/4 cup mayo

1/3 cup mustard

2 T maple syrup

1 t habanero sauce (or something milder)

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 t paprika

1 t ground mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Chop onion and dice the ham.

Toss all ingredients into food processor and chop until chunky, but not pasty.

Serve on sandwiches, crackers, wraps, etc.

This made enough to fill 2 1lb containers. So yummy! So easy!

Homemade Pimiento Cheese-

1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened

2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/8 t garlic powder

1/8 t pepper (white if you have it)

1 4 oz jar diced pimientos, drained*

Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add in the remaining ingredients and beat just until blended.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

*You don't have to have pimientos- you could just make a "Tangy Cheese Spread"! :-)

Italian Open-faced Tuna Sandwiches...

A tasty, quick, easy, and frugal sammy! I normally would bake my own loaves of Italian bread, but, these were on sale and I had coupons which made them almost free! So for my crew, I had two very large, Italian loaves and split them lengthwise, and very very lightly toasted them. Then I took some drained tuna, and mixed it with some Italian Dressing, just until moistened. I then spread it on the bottoms of my split loaves, while they were on a baking pan.

I then put on a layer of romaine leaves.

Sprinkled on an Italian blend of cheeses, mozzarella will do.

I then placed some sliced, stuffed olives, and sliced tomatoes.

Placed it in a 375 oven until the cheeses were nice and melty, being careful not to ruin the lettuce!

Then I cut into serving sized portions and served with a spinach salad, and natural vinegar kettle chips! Yummmmmmy!

Sliced Roast Beef on Homemade Buttermilk Buns

I've found yet another great sandwich for my Buttermilk Buns!

I made a batch and a half for enough sandwiches to feed my crew and have a couple extra.
With some of the roasts that I bought, I sliced them up when I brought them home. I tossed them in a food saver bag with a marinade of Worcestershire Sauce, a dash of cooking wine, and a sprinkle of marjoram. I tossed them in the freezer and thaw them the night before.
To bake, I simply dump the meat in a baking dish ( I spread about 2 tablespoons of rendered beef fat in my dish, opt.) and cover. Place in the oven at 300 for 1 1/2 hours.

I removed the meat from the oven to heat up at higher temp to bake the buns and then tossed it back in to re-heat. You could keep it warm on low on the stove top.

You can see I didn't take much care in shaping the buns in simple sub rolls.

I spread this "special sauce" on the bottom bun. Its simply mayo, mustard, and a little horseradish.

I topped with sliced mozzarella cheese, while meat and buns were hot so as to melt slightly.

Dh said these "must" become a regular on the "rotation"! ;-)

The kids really liked them too.

I made these last month and when I went shopping this month, I bought extra roasts and sliced up in marinades for the freezer, just to make these.

Turkey Bacon Inside and Out Burgers, on Buttermilk Buns

My DH liked these so much that he said he woke up the next morning thinking about them! .....If he's not thinking about me, least he's thinkin' about my cookin', huh? ;)

These just kick up your average burger, just a notch!

I cooked up several slices of turkey bacon and laid aside on some paper towels. I mixed in some Worcestershire Sauce, salt, and fresh pepper with my hamburger meat. I then made burger sized meatballs, pushing a pit into the center with the tips of my fingers, tucked crumbled pieces of bacon inside, pressed the meat flat in my hands and tossed it on the griddle!

I topped them with half a slice of pepper jack cheese, some extra bacon, lettuce, mayo and mustard! Yummy!
Especially after stuffing it on a homemade Buttermilk Bun!

Turkey Breast Tenderloins on Homemade Buns....

These were sooo yummy! DH did ask me to cook the turkey at a lower temp next time so as to keep the fillets a little more tender and/or to make it with chicken- but he said he wanted them put on the 'rotation'! ;-)

(I used my homemade French Bread recipe to make the buns, leaving it more to the wet side. I buttered them halfway through baking time so as to keep the tops soft. I cut 12 equal pieces from the dough, then rolled them into 5 inch long ropes that were about 1/2 inch around and pressed them into oval shapes on a greased pan. I let them puff slightly, the scored them down the center and allowed them to double. Bake them at 400 for about 17 to 20 minutes until golden. Allow to cool and split for sandwiches.)

I cut the tenderloins into bun sized fillets, salted and peppered both sides, and cooked them on a greased griddle.

Stacked the buns with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and a dressing of 3 heaping spoons of mayo, 1 T of mustard, and 2 t spicy mustard blended together. I topped the turkey with cheese just before removing it from the griddle, so as to melt it slightly.

**Served here with sauteed zucchini, onions, and peppers.

**These would be great with chicken!!

Sourdough Cheese-n-onion Strata...

(another recipe based on More With Less)

I cut up the sourdough bread that I made the other day and used it to make this yummy dish for lunch. This would be good with any bread...store-bought sandwich bread, homemade wheat bread, leftover artisan bread, french bread, Texas toast bread, ...the possibilities are endless! And it sure beats a plain ole sandwich!

Its good for lunch, breakfast, or even an elegant brunch! Its just that good and pretty!

First, butter a 9x13 very well! You don't want it to stick!

Lay out as many slices of bread as you are able to fit flatly. These are short loaves so I was able to place 9 flatly in the buttered dish!

Saute one large onion in several 3 tablespoons of butter and divide evenly on the slices.

Top with approx. 2 cups of shredded cheese or sliced cheese if you prefer.

Place another slice of bread on each topped slice to make a 'sandwich'.

Beat 4 eggs with 2 3/4 cup of milk. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground mustard.

Pour over bread. Sprinkle with parsley.

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

****

This is really super easy and frugal!

(This dish, with homemade bread, and cheap eggs from Aldi- probably cost me around $2!)

So many changes could be made to it and it can be a full meal! Or like this with a nice salad. I served it with steamed broccoli.

You could add some diced turkey ham, different veggies (peppers, mushrooms, peas, more onions, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, etc just about anything/leftovers would be great as they would be lightly cooked or steamed already), extra cheese could be added, toppings could include zukes, tomatoes, eggplant, etc.

You can also assemble these, store them in the fridge overnight or just a few hours and then bake them at just the right time!

Turkey Taco Pita Pockets, from the Crocky!

I make a big batch of this, as there is a big crew here, but most would want to half this recipe.

2 lbs ground turkey

1 bundle green onions chopped (about 7 or 8)

1.5 cups chopped or shredded carrots

2 pks taco seasoning (or make you own)

1 bag pre-washed spinach (or grow and wash your own, you'll need 2 to 3 bundles), chopped

1/2 cup salsa or diced tomatoes or tomato sauce or 1 fresh finely diced tomato

Mix, crumbling the turkey (don't precook) into a crock-pot.

Cook on high for 2.5 hours or low for about 4.

(You don't need anymore liquid in this, the veggies will provide much moisture.)

Scoop into warmed *pita pockets and top with cheese.

**Served here with chips and salsa.

*You can heat in 350 oven for 10 minutes.

MONKEY MEAT!-

I have included this on the menu at my house since I've gotten several good deals on roast.

Its a nice change from just typical Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots.

Millie asked me about it on this post, so here it is!

Hope its something your family might like! ;-)

First- let me say that you can eat Monkey Meat on anything you want; tortillas, flatbreads, pita breads, sandwiches, buns, etc. But I personally love it on flatbread and there's a recipe here if you'd like to try it my way! ;-)

Okay, while you make up your mind how you want to eat it, I'll just type up how to make it! :-)

1- approx. 4 pound roast (If you have a normal sized family or littles, then you could get by with half of that easy or this much would easily make 2 to 3 meals!)

**Now, how I like to do this is cheat a little bit! For supper, I cook an extra roast, so for lunch the next day or supper, we can have Monkey Meat with the extra!

**Now if you don't want to do that, you can toss all of the following in the crock pot and cook it on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for about 4. Or you could cook it in the oven if you like.

In large pot:

-1 onion chopped

-1/2 cup chopped bell peppers

-2 finely chopped carrots

-2 stalks finely chopped celery

saute in 1/4 cup olive oil

Add:

-1 t minced garlic

-1 finely chopped, seeded chili pepper (opt) *I have some dried ones that I tossed in above.

-1 1/2 T chili powder

-1 1/2 to 2 t cumin

-1 t onion powder

-3/4 t garlic powder

-1/2 t black pepper

-1 t sea salt

-1 t oregano

-1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (or just tomatoes)

-1 cup of broth or water

Toss in the cooked roast, shred, and simmer while you make the flatbread or prepare sides or desserts.

(**Again, you don't have to use pre-cooked meat. You can toss it all in and cook as per above instructions.)

**Served in above pics with sour cream and sharp, shredded, cheddar cheese; on flatbread- fold like a taco and eat!

MONKEY MEAT!

SAMMY'S! -- (a baked sandwich roll-up)

These make for a great lunch! I like that I can clean up the kitchen while they bake so when the meal is over, plates, cups, and the table are the only clean-up!
I used this recipe, except I used about 4 cups of wheat flour and about 3 cups of white. (I also used half the yeast because I wanted a longer rise time.)
It's a nice french bread and I just sectioned it out into 4 loaves, rolled them out into a rectangle and placed the following on the Sammy; turkey ham, cheese, lightly steamed spinach, sauteed onions, and another dab of cheese. (Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt for added flavor!) Then, I rolled them up like a jelly roll and allowed about 30 minutes to rise. If you set your meat and cheese out before you use it, this would rise quicker, but if your meat and cheese are cold, it may slow it down. Also, allow steamed spinach and sauteed onions to cool before using them.
Any toppings and fillings would work but I thought my crew would really go for these!
I even made one with just cheese and garlic salt! mmm!
(They also liked mustard and Annie's Goddess Sauce for dipping the Sammy's in!)
*Also, I only used ONE pack of sandwich meat to make these!*

Chapatis

Chapatis:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 T fat (I used beef tallow, lard or butter would work)

3/4 cup water

1/4 t sea salt

Knead and divide into 8 balls.

Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Roll out flat into approx 8or 9 inch circles.
Allow to rest again while you heat a griddle.

Lightly grease or spray the griddle or skillet and cook until browned.
***
I like to double this recipe and roll out thicker breads to make 'flat-breads' for gyros and fajitas.

Turkey-Bologna-Yellow-Tomato Sandwiches

DH requested these on our menu this week. This is a sandwich that his aunt used to fix for him as a boy.

She used garlic bologna but I used Turkey Bologna to make these.

There's also cheese, red onion slices, mayo, yellow tomatoes, salt, pepper, and the kids wanted pickles and mustard too!

A nice summer sandwich.

*I served these with fresh cantaloupe.

Sandwiches and Veggies

Cheese, turkey, spinach, tomatoes, red onions, on whole grain bread-sandwiches with fresh cukes and corn on the side! With this kind of lunch, me and the kids are happy!

Sandwich on a Roll!

I like to make a sandwich out of just about any kind of bread.......

These were some Whole Wheat Rolls, picked up for a nice bargain at the bread store and I just sliced them open to make them a really neat, hand-sized (kids) sandwich.

I stuffed them with some leftover shredded chicken that I mixed with chopped pickles, chopped red onions, light mayo, mustard, and pepper.

Served with carrot sticks and strawberries! Yummy!

Sandwiches--a good place to sneak in some veggies

These sandwiches are made from whole wheat and flax bread, turkey bologna, swiss (or pepper jack) cheese, lettuce, thinly sliced purple onions, mustard, pickled banana peppers, and dill pickle slices. On the plate you see a couple of slices of fresh cucumbers.

A great way to get your veggies in!