Swiss Steak

Nothing says comfort food to me more than this dish, especially if I serve it with mashed potatoes, which I always do. I instantly feel good when I eat this. I found how to make this about 20 years ago on a local Christian television station, long before Food Network came along. A lady had a cooking show and showed how to make this recipe and I just wrote down the ingredients and directions as she cooked. It has turned how so good every single time.

Swiss Steak

2-3 pound round steak cut into serving pieces
1 cup of flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large skillet with a couple tablespoons of oil. Coat the meat in the flour and brown on each side. You may have to do this in batches. After browning, place the meat in a large casserole dish. Turn the heat down to low and add about 1/2 cup of water to the skillet to deglaze the pan and pick up all the good browned bits from the meat. Add the deglazing liquid to the casserole.

Add the onion and green pepper to the meat. Mix the remainder of your coating flour to the tomato sauce in a bowl and pour over the meat and vegetables. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is fork-tender. Check the meat after about an hour to add more water if necessary (I've never had to do this, but you might).

Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. And be comforted.

I'm joining the Make It From Scratch Carnival this week.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

I made this cake over the weekend for our company on Sunday. It's always a good feeling to make something for the first time and have everyone love it, but to receive a request for the recipe, now you know you will be making it again and again. Don't let the word oatmeal in the title of the recipe throw you off, it isn't a noticeable ingredient in this moist and chocolatey dessert. I love finding an extra-good recipe that uses ingredients I regularly stock in my pantry. The first time I had ever had this cake was when my aunt made it for me on my birthday a few years ago, but I never got the chance to get the recipe from her, so I was glad when I found it on Getting Freedom From Debt.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

1 cup oats (quick cooking or old-fashioned)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

Topping

6 tablespoons melted butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cream (I used whole milk)

1 cup coconut

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix the oats and water together in a small bowl and let stand. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar and blend in the eggs. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Stir the oat mixture in the dry ingredients. In a small cup combine the milk and vanilla together.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk/vanilla mixture in with the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Once everything is combined, pour into a 9 x 13-inch pan or a bundt pan, well greased. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes for the 9 x 13-inch pan or about 50 minutes for the bundt cake pan.

For the topping combine the butter, brown sugar, cream (or milk), coconut, and vanilla. Spread on the warm cake and place under the broiler until the topping is slightly browned.

Go to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more yummy recipes!

Parmesan Chicken

There's nothing like the crunch of breaded chicken and we really love it at our house, but I don't like the saturated fat and mess of frying chicken. So, when I found this recipe in the cookbook, The Amish Cook At Home by Kevin Williams and Lovina Eicher. I was hoping it was as good as it sounded, and it was! I buy whole chickens most of the time and cut them up which I can get for 79 cents per pound. I also try to make my own bread crumbs from leftover bread which can be kept int he refrigerator or the freezer.

Parmesan Chicken

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons milk

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 (3- to 4- pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces

Preheat oven to 400. Butter a 10 by 15-inch baking pan or cookie sheet.

Combine the flour, salt, paprika, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Stir with a whisk to blend. Beat the eggs and milk in another shallow bowl. Combine the cheese and bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then dip them into the egg mixture, then dredge them in the crumb mixture. Place in the prepared pan.

Bake until the juices run clear when a piece of chicken is pierced with a knife, or registers 155 degrees with a meat thermometer, about 50 to 55 minutes. The crust will be a beautiful golden brown.

I'm participating in Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap and Foodie Fridays at Designs by Gollum.

Roast Pork Loin with Potatoes and Onions

Roast pork is one of our family's favorites but if not cooked properly, it can be a little dry-ask me how I know! :( Which is why I was so glad that I finally learned to cook a juicy and flavorful pork roast. I combined a recipe from the Joy of Cooking, along with a recipe I had copied from an Amish cookbook many years ago and, unfortunately, didn't copy the name of the book, so I can't tell you where I got it. This recipe comes out great everytime I make it and I've made it several times, so I hope you will try it.

The first thing you need when roasting pork is a meat thermometer. There is really no other way to tell if it's just the right temperature. Otherwise you could end up with a pork roast that is either undercooked or overcooked.


Pork Roast


1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin roast (a larger roast can be used but it will take longer to cook through)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon each of: dried thyme, rosemary, sage, or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, sliced
4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered (if the potatoes are cut any smaller they will be overcooked by the time the roast is done)
2 cups chicken broth


Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Mix together the oil and seasonings and rub over the entire surface of the roast. Place the meat in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, onions, and broth and cover. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 250 degrees F. Roast until the meat registers 150 to 155 degrees, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (the temperature will continue to rise about 5 to 10 degrees out of the oven). Remove the roast to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice thinly. You can remove the potatoes and onions with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl and thicken the broth, if desired.