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Weekly Wrap-up & Senior Salon Pit Stop #280

Welcome to Senior Salon Pit Stop #280

Welcome to this week’s Weekly Wrap-up and Blog Link-up.

Each week I will be sharing a great Linky for you to connect with and catch up on what’s new around the blogging world! I will also be sharing a few things that I’ve been up to in the last week, along with some of my favorite posts shared from last week’s link-up!

What’s been going on at Homemade on a Weeknight?

Hard to believe that we already almost to the end of September. And, at least where we are, it’s starting to get cooler and cooler each day. For us that means more hearty – always hot – dinners. I still like to make plenty of sandwiches but i make them more cooked. And we still do salads but usually have soup along side. What about you – does your menu change with the seasons?

What have you been up to this past week?

In case you missed it, here are the recipes that I shared to the blog this week:

By joining the Senior Salon Pit Stop, you signify permission (EsmeSalon privacy policy) to share your posts and images here and receive an email reminder when our next Senior Salon Pit Stop is LIVE.

You may also be featured on EsmeSalon as part of the Top 10 featured posts.

These posts caught my eye last week! These posts have all been pinned to our Shared Pinterest Board – Senior Salon Pit Stop Weekly Features — I, clearly, had a sweet tooth when I was perusing the links!

State Fair Corn Dogs – from Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

Ice Cream Coffee Floats – from Organized Island

Slow Cooker Taco Stew – from Mommy Hates Cooking

Cajun Chicken Broccoli Alfredo – from Flour on my Face

Come and meet your Senior Salon Pit Stop Crew.

Places to connect with Julie:

Blog: https://kalungigroup.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/kalungigroup/

Places to connect with Esme:

Blog: https://esmesalon.com/
Pinterest: EsmeSalon: https://www.pinterest.ca/EsmeSalon/boards/

Places to connect with Melynda:

Blog: https://scratchmadefoodforhungrypeople.blogspot.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/melyndaebrown/

Places to connect with Estelle:

Blog: https://homemadeoneweeknight.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HomemadeonaWeeknight

Places to connect with Maria:

Blog: https://www.kraftyplanner.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kraftyplanner/

A few simple rules for the Senior Salon Pit Stop Link Party:

For every post that you share – make one comment on someone else’s post. Help make their day a bit brighter.

Unlimited sharing limit BUT we ask that you visit one other blog post for each link you share.

Posts can be on any subject that is family-friendly.

Posts with direct sales, shops, or affiliates must contain relevant post content.

That’s it! Come and join the fun and let’s make it worthwhile!

If you are looking for more fun places to link up your posts – check out our Ultimate Handy Linky Party List – check back often as it’s always growing. And if we have missed your Linky Party – please send me a message and we will get it added in!

If you leave me a comment with the numbers of your links, I will be sure to pin your posts!

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Comfort Casserole

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All the classic comfort foods of a southern Sunday Dinner, layered up on in a hearty casserole. Comfort Casserole has your mashed potatoes and gravy mixed up with crispy chicken, corn and bacon – and then sprinkled with some cheese – because why not? This casserole is perfect for the cooler months ahead, as it is a real stick to your ribs kind of meal.

Before the length of the recipe gives you pause…hear me out. If you can multitask, you can get this casserole made with ease – even on a weeknight. I made it on a Wednesday, so it’s totally possible. That said, if you need to a short cut – freezer chicken tenders will work just fine, just prepare as directed on the package. Another short cut option is jarred brown gravy, though I suggest warming it up before ladling it over the casserole. Lastly, you could go the instant mashed potatoes route but be sure that they are not too loose, as the toppings will sink in too far.

This really is 3 recipes in one if you think about it! These are some of the creamiest mashed potatoes, mostly because of the heavy cream. My other secret is using white pepper – it’s mostly just an aesthetic thing – but it is a slightly different flavor. These buttermilk chicken tenders are also a recipe that you are going to want to hold on to for all sorts of dishes like my Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos!

Casseroles are great all in one meals. You get your protein and veggies all in one. So you probably don’t really need anything more with them. If you wanted to stretch this casserole, I would suggest a simple green salad. I will say that my middle son said he wished I had made biscuit so he could dip it in the gravy.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

Comfort Casserole

A layered up Sunday dinner into a hearty casserole loaded with crispy chicken, bacon, corn, and pan gravy.

Course Casserole, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword american cheese, casseroles, Chicken, corn, crispy chicken, mashed potatoes, pan gravy

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Servings

Ingredients

½ lb Bacon cut into ½-inch pieces
1 15oz can Sweet Corn drained
1 qt Chicken Broth
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded

For the Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs Golden Potatoes peeled
½ cup Butter
2 cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp White Pepper

For the Chicken

2 lbs Chicken Tenderloins
2 cups Buttermilk
4 cups Flour divided
2 tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Paprika
Oil for frying

Instructions

Add chicken tenders and buttermilk in a bowl and let rest (at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours) in refrigerator.
Start water boiling for potatoes
Once the water is boiling, add peeled potatoes. Let boil until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add remaining mashed potatoes ingredients and mashed together.
In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove to paper towel covered plate. Reserve all grease in the pan.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika to a bowl and stir to combine.
Add enough oil to a saute pan to be one inch deep. Once hot (around 350degF), begin frying chicken. Remove each piece of chicken from buttermilk and put right into flour mixture. Fully coat with flour and place right into hot oil. Cook for 4 minutes on each side and remove to a baking rack over a paper towel covered baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken tenderloins. Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into 1-inch chunks.
Preheat oven to 400degF.
In a separate saute pan over medium high heat, add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove to paper towel covered plate. Reserve all grease in the pan.
Spread mashed potatoes into 13×9 baking dish. Sprinkle with chicken chunks, corn, bacon and lastly shredded cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch into bacon grease and let cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth while whisking. Once all broth has been added stir in salt, pepper and paprika. Reduce heat and let simmer while casserole is baking.
Remove casserole from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Ladle gravy over top of each serving.

I love to link up my posts to lots of blogs around the internet – check out this Ultimate Handy Linky Party List to find some of the places I share to!

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Quick Kimchi

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I am going to preface this recipe right off the top! THIS IS NOT TRADITIONAL KIMCHI AND I KNOW IT. This recipe is ready in a few hours as apposed to a few days, though it does get better with each passing day. My recipe for Quick Kimchi, is what you may consider a cheater recipe or a life hack type recipe. But whatever you might want to categorize it as, I am here to tell you it is tasty!

Kimchi is a Korean dish called a Banchan – or side dish. It is sort of somewhere in the condiment world between a sauce and a veggie dish. It is used much in the same way Sauerkraut, it can be eaten on it’s own or used to enhance another meal. It is a fermented dish that brings a lot of – pungent – flavor to a meal. There are about as many Kimchi recipes out there as there are people who make it. Many Korean families hand down their recipe generation to generation. Fermented foods are very good for your gut health, as they are full of probiotics and Kimichi is packed with them.

It is important that you use Napa cabbage for this recipe. It’s is not just for the desired flavor but also because Napa cabbage has different qualities than green cabbage. Specifically the tenderness that allows it to stand up to the acidity of fermentation and gives Kimchi the texture you are expecting.

This particular recipe will make around a gallon of kimchi. I like to use two 64oz mason jars. If you do not have jars this size, you could use four Quart jars instead, though it’s better to use the bigger ones if you can. The more space it has to worth together and build up the fermentation liquids.

You can eat this all sorts of ways. We really enjoyed it on a Korean version of a Rueben. I used rye bread, cheddar cheese, pastrami, kimchi, and spicy mayo to make the layers. It was really quite tasty.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

Quick Kimchi

A shortcut to the classic and simple napa cabbage Kimchi that is ready in a few hours instead of a few days or longer.

Course Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Korean

Keyword cabbage, carrots, fermented, kimchi, napa cabbage, quick kimchi, red bell peppers, sambol

Prep Time 10

Resting Time 5

Servings gallon

Equipment

2 Half Gallon (64oz) Mason Jars with Lids

Ingredients

4 cups Napa Cabbage cut into 1inch ribbons
½ Coarse Salt
2 cup Carrots julienned
1 cup Red Bell Pepper juilienned
1 cup Green Onion chopped
1 tbsp Fresh Garlic minced
1 tbsp Fresh Ginger grated
2 tbsp Sambol
1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
¼ cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
¼ cup Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Fish Sauce

Instructions

Add cabbage to colander in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and add enough water to cover cabbage. Let sit for one hour.
Drain water and rinse cabbage. Transfer to bowl. Add carrots, bell pepper and green onions. Toss to combine
In a food processer, add remaining ingredients. Puree until mostly smooth. Pour over mixed veggies. Use your hands to massage into the veggies.
Begin to pack the coated veggies into the mason jars. Pressing it all in as tightly as you can. Secure lid. Let sit in a cool dry place for at least 4 hours before eating. Once you open the lid, store in the refrigerator (up to 30 days).

I love to link up my posts to lots of blogs around the internet – check out this Ultimate Handy Linky Party List to find some of the places I share to!

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Roasted Chicken & Veggies Dinner

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Sheet pan dinners are a staple of weeknight cooking. This particular meal uses the sheet pan concept and adds in an element of pasta to act as the vessel to enjoy this meal. Roasted Chicken & Veggies Dinner is a fantastic autumn weeknight meal to use those root veggies, squash, and mushrooms.

When it comes to making sheet pan dinners, the main concern is cook time. You want everything on the sheet pan to be ready at the same time. But they do not all cook at the same rate. Obviously, the bone-in chicken thighs need more time than a bite-sized piece of zucchini. So you want to make sure that you are cutting things up in size according to the cook time. You also want to make sure you are using parchment paper on your baking sheet – this makes clean up a breeze!

Not all sheet pan cooks have a stove top element. And if you are trying to cut carbs, the orzo aspect can be skipped. For me and my family, we need the extra filler – with 4 teenagers and a blue collar hubby, they need to fill their bellies. The orzo, butter, garlic, and parsley are actually not they much on the calorie counter.

This is a pretty complete meal. But I did make some Homemade Tzatziki Sauce to go with it and I warmed up some pita bread to make the whole meal experience complete. You could do some French bread or crescent rolls instead of pita. Since this recipe has quite a bit of veg already in it, a salad might not be the best side dish, but – again – if you are trying to eliminate the carbs, a garden salad might be a better option.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

Roasted Chicken & Veggies Dinner

Roasted chicken with zucchini, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes served over garlic butter orzo.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken, chicken thighs, garlic butter orzo, orzo, red onion, roasted chicken, roasted tomatoes, roasted veggies, zucchini

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 45

Servings

Ingredients

8 Chicken Thighs bone-in, skin on
2 cups Zucchini 1 inch cubes
2 Medium Red Onion 1 inch cubes
8 oz Cherry Tomatoes
8 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms quartered
¼ cup Butter
2 tbsp Oil
1½ lb Orzo
2 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Thyme
3 tsp Garlic Powder divided
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400degF.
In a small dish, combine paprika, thyme, salt, pepper and two teaspoons of garlic powder. Divide in half.
In a mixing bowl, add mushrooms, zucchini, red onions, and tomatoes. Add oil and half of seasoning mixture. Toss to coat.
Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture over chicken (all sides).
Spread veggie mix in a single layer on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Make eight holes evenly spaced on the baking sheets and add chicken thighs to each hole. Bake in oven for 40 minutes (check chicken with meat thermometer to make sure chicken has reached 165degF before taking out).
Start water boiling water for the pasta. Once at a rolling boil, add orzo. Cook as directed on the package. Drain in colander and return to pot (away from heat).
Melt butter and stir in remaining garlic powder and parsley. Pour over cooked orzo and stir to coat.
Serve a portion of orzo with vegetables and chicken.

I love to link up my posts to lots of blogs around the internet – check out this Ultimate Handy Linky Party List to find some of the places I share to!

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Weekly Wrap-up & Senior Salon Pit Stop #279

Welcome to Senior Salon Pit Stop #279

Welcome to this week’s Weekly Wrap-up and Blog Link-up.

What’s been going on at Homemade on a Weeknight?

Our first full week of school and we are all feeling the adjustment pains of getting back to “the regularly scheduled programming”. So far the kids are happy with their classes and teachers and enjoying reconnecting with their friends that they didn’t get to see much in the summer month. Our eldest is on his great adventure into the big world as an adult (I swear I’m not cry typing this!). I am having a bit of a struggle remembering to make only 5 plates instead of 6 – but the teen boys are happy to get seconds more frequently!

What have you been up to this past week?

In case you missed it, here are the recipes that I shared to the blog this week:

You may also be featured on EsmeSalon as part of the Top 10 featured posts.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake – from Cook Eat Go!

Healthy Chicken Breakfast Sausage – from Comfort Spring Station

Easy Italian Meatball Sheet Pan Dinner – from Blessed Simplicity

Tailgate Charcuterie Board – from 3 Boys and a Dog

Come and meet your Senior Salon Pit Stop Crew.

Places to connect with Julie:

Blog: https://kalungigroup.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/kalungigroup/

Places to connect with Esme:

Blog: https://esmesalon.com/
Pinterest: EsmeSalon: https://www.pinterest.ca/EsmeSalon/boards/

Places to connect with Melynda:

Blog: https://scratchmadefoodforhungrypeople.blogspot.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/melyndaebrown/

Places to connect with Estelle:

Blog: https://homemadeoneweeknight.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HomemadeonaWeeknight

Places to connect with Maria:

Blog: https://www.kraftyplanner.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kraftyplanner/

A few simple rules for the Senior Salon Pit Stop Link Party:

For every post that you share – make one comment on someone else’s post. Help make their day a bit brighter.

Unlimited sharing limit BUT we ask that you visit one other blog post for each link you share.

Posts can be on any subject that is family-friendly.

Posts with direct sales, shops, or affiliates must contain relevant post content.

That’s it! Come and join the fun and let’s make it worthwhile!

If you leave me a comment with the numbers of your links, I will be sure to pin your posts!

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Wild Rice Chicken Soup

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Autumn is certainly here and that means it’s soup season. I mean, we like to eat soup all year round, but it is at least once a week once the weather turns cooler. This hearty soup is for your family to enjoy for a weeknight dinner. Wild Rice Chicken Soup is full of great homey flavors of mushrooms, carrots, celery, along with the woody flavors of the wild rice.

The really great part of this soup is that it doesn’t actually take that long to build amazing flavor. By using the chicken broth instead of water to start the soup off, you have already upped the flavor. Tarragon and Thyme are amazing flavors to use with chicken and work so well with the wild rice. As always, when cooking something with bay leaf – be sure that you remove it from the pot before serving. No one wants to bite into the bay leaf.

I opted to cook the rice separately from the soup itself mostly because I do not like when the rice gets super mushy. The time it takes to cook the chicken through and properly soften the veggies, usually over cooks the rice. I like to use chicken broth to cook the rice so that it has similar flavor and blends well with the soup (not as a separate side dish). If you don’t normally eat wild rice – there are a number of reasons to try it, in addition to the great flavor. Wild rice is actually a complete protein – it has all 9 aminos. Wild Rice also has less fat and less carbs than brown or white rice.

As I mentioned, this is a very hearty soup. I found some rosemary sourdough that I simply toasted and buttered. It was a beautiful compliment to the flavors of the soup. If you wanted to make this soup as a meal prep – I would encourage you to keep the rice and soup separate until you are ready to reheat it. Wild rice has a tendency to absorb all liquids and turn to mush, so use caution.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

Wild Rice Chicken Soup

A hearty and filling chicken soup packed with mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion and garlic.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword carrots, celery, Chicken, chicken and rice, chicken soup, hearty soup, mushrooms, soup, wild rice

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Servings

Ingredients

2 lb Chicken Breast
2 Large Carrots diced
3 stalks Celery diced
8 oz White Mushrooms sliced
1 Small White Onion diced
3 Garlic Cloves minced
3 qt Chicken Broth divided
2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Tarragon
1 tsp Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups Wild Rice

Instructions

In a large stock pot over medium heat, add 2 quarts chicken broth, chicken, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, onions, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, tarragon, thyme and bay leaf. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes.
In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add rice and remaining chicken broth. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover with lid, reduce heat to medium and let cook for 20 minutes.
Remove chicken from stock pot and chop up. Return to pot and let continue to simmer until rice is done cooking.
Add a portion of cooked rice to a bowl and ladle soup over top.
*Be sure not to serve the Bay Leaf

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Things I Found on Amazon this Week – #6

Every kitchen needs some cool gadgets to make things run smoother, work better or just plain make life easier. This week I want to share a few things that I {ACTUALLY} bought on Amazon and just love! Whether you are looking for some gift ideas for the home cook in your life or just want to treat yourself to something fun for your kitchen set-up, I hope you will come back each week to see what else I found. And yes – of course – these are some affiliate links in the post.

Coffee Mug Organizers – we have soooo many cups in our cabinets. We are a house of tea, coffee and water drinkers, so we have a lot of mugs and glasses. These convenient organizers double the available space without having to install anything permanent. And they are adjustable so you can use them for all sizes.

64oz Mason Jars (3 Pack) – I use mason jars for some many things in the kitchen and out of the kitchen. We use them to feed and water our baby chicks, we use them to store out microgreens. We use them to make sauces and dressings and even just as cups. These half gallon sized jugs are perfect for making things like Kimchi, or storing dry goods like sugar, flour or rice.

Short Oven Mitts – I have been using this style of oven mitt for years. I very much prefer them to the longer mitt style or a pot holder. It’s sort of the best of both worlds, you can put them on easily and you don’t have to worry about a pot holder falling out of your hand.

Snap Ball Tea Strainers – we are a family of tea drinkers and we like to use loose leaf tea. While bagged tea is just fine, you do actually get a bit more flavor from a loose leaf teas. These tea strainers are perfect for the kids because you just squeeze the ball open, scoop up the tea and let is close.

Weekly Meal Plan Notepad – I use this every week. It helps me make sure I have the groceries I need and helps me make sure that the meals will match up with our schedules. These types of notepads make it super easy to keep up with this habit.

Do you have any must-have kitchen tools or gadgets that you want to share? Do you have any suggestion so things that you want me to check out?

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links to products included.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

I love to link up my posts to lots of blogs around the internet – check out this Ultimate Handy Linky Party List to find some of the places I share to!

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

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This quintessential Greek sauce is actually super simple to make yourself… especially if you have an abundance of cucumbers from that cucumber plant you planted earlier this year. Tzatziki Sauce is that creamy cucumber and lemon sauce that’s loaded with garlic and Dill that you love on all your favorite Greek foods. And my Homemade Tzatziki Sauce is easier to make than you think.

To prepare the cucumbers, you will need to peel them, seed them, and grate them. I do this by peeling with a vegetable peeler, then slicing in half. I then scoop out the seeds and run them over a grater. Be careful when grating, as they grate very easily, and your fingers will end up very close to the cutting surface quickly. Also do not skip the step of gently squeezing out the grated cucumber. If you leave in all that extra liquid, your sauce will be too runny and loose.

Be absolutely sure that you are using PLAIN Greek yogurt. I have had more than one person mistakenly use Vanilla Greek yogurt for this recipe and be very unhappy with the result. You need to have plain plain plain Greek yogurt. I, especially, prefer Fage 0% for this sauce, though the 5% works as well (this is about preferred fat content). Whatever brand you use, just make sure it’s PLAIN. Also make sure that you are using GREEK yogurt and not regular. The biggest difference is the tangy taste. Since Greek Yogurt has the whey removed, it is not as inherently sweet as regular yogurt. It also tends to have a higher protein quality but slightly less calcium.

You can use this sauce on your Gyros or with kebab. You can use it on your Greek rice bowl or a Mediterranean burger. It’s great on Greek Nachos or as a dip on your antipasti platter. One thing to absolutely not skip – use fresh lemon and zest it with a microplaner! The fresh lemon is so much better.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

A creamy cucumber lemon sauce filled with dill and garlic.

Course Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine American, Greek

Keyword cucumber, greek, greek yogurt, homemade tzatziki sauce, lemon, tzatziki sauce

Prep Time 10

Servings cups

Ingredients

16 oz PLAIN Greek Yogurt
2 cups Grated Cucumber peeled, seeded, grated and drained
1 Larger Lemon juice and zest
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Fresh Garlic minced
1 tbsp Fresh Dill finely chopped
2 tsps Fresh Parsley finely chopped
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

Instructions

Cucumbers need to peeled and seeded before you grate them. You can also chop them, but this will result in a much chunkier sauce. Also remember to squeeze out excess liquid from the cucumbers before adding to the bow.
In a mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients, including the cucumber. Stir to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

I love to link up my posts to lots of blogs around the internet – check out this Ultimate Handy Linky Party List to find some of the places I share to!

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Fusion Pork Tacos

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Hey! It’s me again with another crazy taco creation for your to add to one of your 52 yearly #TacoTuesday menu plans! This one really is one of the best I have made so far. The delicious flavor of lemongrass on the ground pork mixed with the creamy ginger dressing is a match made in taco heaven. These Fusion Pork Tacos are going to be a win with everyone at your table.

This recipe calls for Radish Microgreens and I realize that is not necessarily a common item to find in the produce section of your grocery. A really great place to find all sorts of microgreens is your local Farmers Market or Farmstand. You can also set up your own mini Microgreen grow operation – which is what I have done. Microgreens are so packed with nutrients and they have such great flavor. Radish microgreens, specifically, have a nice peppery hint of heat, much like a full grown radish does.

The Creamy Ginger Dressing that I included in this recipe is going to be one that you want to keep for other meals. It is so good for an Asian chicken salad or just a quick green salad for lunch. It would also be great as a new dip for spring rolls or wontons. Most Asian dressings are of the more vinaigrette variety, so this creamy version is something different that I think you are really going to enjoy.

If you are not familiar with the flavor of lemongrass, this recipe is a great way to introduce it to your family. You have probably had it in various Asian dishes but maybe not as flavor forward as it is in this one. Once trick that I learned about using lemongrass to get the most flavor out of it, is to smack the stalk with the flat side of your chef’s knife before your mince it. This loosens up the layers of the stalk and helps you to get it into smaller pieces so that the flavor goes all throughout the dish.

Because these tacos had a bit of a Bahn Mi feel to them – similar flavors you might find in a bahn mi at least – I went with a side that was more common for that sandwich – Tater Tots. I like my tater tots extra crispy so that they crunch when you bite into them and so does my whole family.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

Fusion Pork Tacos

An Asian spin on #TacoTuesday – with lemongrass pork, veggies and a creamy ginger sauce.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Asian, Fusion, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword asian fusion, asian tacos, baked tacos, carrots, creamy ginger dressing, fusion, ground pork, lemongrass, microgreens, pork tacos, radish microgreens, tacos

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings

Ingredients

15 Flour Tortillas fajita size
2 Medium Carrots peeled and julienned
1 English Cucumber peeled and julienned
1 cup Radish Microgreens
1 Medium Jalapeno thin sliced

For the Lemongrass Pork

2 lb Ground Pork
¼ cup Soy Sauce
¼ cup Rice Wine Vineger
¼ cup Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Fresh Ginger grated
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Fresh Lemongrass minced
1 tsp White Pepper

For the Creamy Ginger Dressing

½ cup Mayonnaisse
¼ cup Heavy Cream
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Fresh Ginger grated
1 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions

Add dressing ingredients to Mason Jar (pint-size). Secure lid and shake vigorously until fully incorporated. Place in refrigerator until ready to make tacos. (Can be stored for up to 2 weeks).
In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add ground pork. Cook and crumble until no longer pink.
Combine remaining pork ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour over pork once no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook and stir occasionally for 10 minutes.
To build the tacos – start with a tortilla. On one half, add carrots, cucumbers, microgreens and jalapenos. On the other half add a portion of pork. Drizzle with dressing.

I love to link up my posts to lots of blogs around the internet – check out this Ultimate Handy Linky Party List to find some of the places I share to!

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

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Weekly Wrap-up & Senior Salon Pit Stop #278

Welcome to Senior Salon Pit Stop #278

Welcome to this week’s Weekly Wrap-up and Blog Link-up.

What’s been going on at Homemade on a Weeknight?

With the cooler months ahead, soup season is what comes to mind! While our family enjoys soup all year round, it’s really ramped up in the cooler months. We like broth based and creamy soups, soups with rice or pasta or potato, not to mention beef, chicken, pork or shrimp in our soups. Check out some of my Soup Recipes. Do you have an ultimate favorite when it comes to soups?

What have you been up to this past week?

In case you missed it, here are the recipes that I shared to the blog this week: