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 As my husband and I don't eat much red meat, I like to find recipes that emulate beef. One of those items is a boneless turkey tenderloin, which for some reason reminds me of London broil. I found this recipe on a package Shady Brook Farms Breast Tenderloins. However, I purchase boneless turkey breasts at Wegmans for $5.49/lb.
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 there were pressure cookers. My mother made her gravy (what non-Italians call tomato sauce) in a pressure cooker. She also made beef stew using a can of Veg-All. About five years ago, I purchased a Fagor pressure cooker from Williams-Sonoma. I searched their website for a recipe for beef stew. What I found was a recipe for 20-Minute Beef Stew. It made for a great supper the other night as I could make it ahead and my husband only had to reheat it.
 What a beautiful Wednesday! I went to the gym this morning to stretch out my back. Luckily I'm not working today and can take advantage of some "me time."
Every once in a while, I like to have pancakes. It's not something I normally make when I get up, which can be between 5 and 5:30 a.m. So today, after the gym, I thought I would make some pumpkin walnut flapjacks. I came across this recipe on the website Epicurious.com, which stores recipes from Gourmet Magazine, Buon Appétit and other sources. This recipe appeared in the October 2003 issue of Buon Appétit magazine. It most likely came from their column where readers request recipes from restaurants, bakeries etc. This recipe is from Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, NY.
 Last evening my husband and I had the pleasure of having dinner with a business associate of his and his wife. We met them Yvonne's in Neptune. What an expected surprise to find this little gem! Yvonne's relocated to Neptune following a fire in Ocean Grove back in February 2015. Yvonne's is located on the southbound side of Route 35 just before the Headliner. We started the evening at the bar, which was quite lively for a Tuesday evening. They have Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 12 noon to 7 p.m. Appetizers are 1/2 price, house liquors are 1/2 price, glass of wine $5 and discounted draft beers. After settling in at a table in the dining we perused the menu for appetizers. Our host started off with the soup of the day which was a cup of French onion. I must say it was a rather large cup of soup, an over-sized coffee cup. The table shared tuna nachos with yellow fin tuna, seaweed salad, atop wonton crisps garnished with spicy mayo and sesame seeds ($15) and the Seashore Salad that had scallops and shrimp with avocado, red onion, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar atop a bed of fresh greens ($20). It was more than enough for four people. By the way, the warm bread that is brought to the table is accompanied by delicious herb butter...yum!
I was almost full from enjoying the appetizers. I decided to try their classic 10 ounce sirloin burger that was served on a brioche bun along with fries ($12). Our host had the 14 ounce bone-in center cut Grilled Pork Chop served on top of bleu cheese mashed potatoes and topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions and cherry peppers ($27.00). His wife tried Brazilian pacu fish ribs with citrus-tequila BBQ sauce, sun-dried tomato polenta and asparagus ($30.00). Our waitress said that pacu fish is related to piranha. Our hostess raved about how delicious this dish was. The only down side was she had to be careful of the bones. My husband had Thai sea scallops pan that were seared with green curry sauce, served with mushroom clam risotto and Thai veggie sauce ($32.00), which he thoroughly enjoyed. We were too full for dessert. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience. The food was creative and had a wonderful presentation. The portion sizes were more than adequate and the waitress was very patient and efficient. I must say, they do not offer nightly specials. However, I noticed on the chalkboard opposite the bar, that on Sunday evening's the chef does prepare some special entrees. Below is a listing of their nightly offerings. Sunday evening was not included in the online listing. I can't wait to try their nightly specials. Monday - 1/2 Price Pasta Night. Tuesday - $12 Burgers & Brews, all day long! 10 oz. burgers with your choice of select draft beers. Wednesday- $25 Steak Night, Enjoy a cute of Rib-eye, NY Strip or Filet Mignon paired with two sides of your choice to enjoy! Thursday - It is a Date Night, $50 Prefix Menu for Two, Includes a House glass of Wine Red or White, a Soup or Salad, Entree, And Dessert. Friday - Happy Hour & LIVE Entertainment! Sunday- 1/2 Price Wines! Photo from Yvonne's website/Google Images  Last week our son became engaged to a wonderful girl. We are so delighted to have her join our family. To celebrate their engagement, I had them over for supper this evening.
As the weather is turning cooler, I thought Caribbean Pork Casserole would be great for supper this evening. I had purchased a family pack of pork tenderloins at Wegmans ($2.99/lb. for two twin packs) and would use one of the two packages. I was working until 4 today, so I did a bit of prepping last night by marinating the meat. When I came home this afternoon, I only had to do the veggies and brown off the meat.
 This has been a tough week for me. I worked over thirty hours and all in the evening. You may say, "Great, you had the whole morning and early afternoon for yourself." However, I work at home i.e. laundry, vacuuming etc. you get the picture, no maid here. I also got to the gym most mornings too. By the time I return from the gym, it's time to start cooking supper so that I can have my big meal midday and my husband just has to reheat his.
My sister's mother-in-law had a garden at her beach house again this summer. When I went to check on her house the other day, there was one lone, small ripe eggplant on the vine. I broke it off and brought it home. What to do with that small eggplant? I dug through my recipe box and found a recipe for eggplant and macaroni casserole. I got this from my friend Marlene over thirty years ago.  Another day of working the late day shift at work. Again, I need a meal that can be prepared ahead to make my life easier and quick for my husband.
During this time of the year, I like to make beef brisket. The recipe I use comes from my dear friend Bernice, whom I met back in 1974. I love this recipe as it has to be done head and contains your protein and veggies. I made my brisket early Sunday morning, and will cook it another hour before I have my midday meal. 
This week I'm been assigned to the last shift of the day. What this means is, by late morning, I have to have a microwaveable meal prepared for my husband to heat and eat. What fits the bill for this type of meal is a stir fry which includes your protein and veggies. The only other thing I have to make is a pot of white rice.
For this meal, I turned to a favorite that I found in a weekly flyer that Wegmans use to send out when they first opened their store in Ocean. |
