Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Steak Pinwheels


Have you heard there is a football game right around the corner?  I hear it's kind of a big deal to football fans.  Okay, it's the game of all games if you are a football fan, especially if your team is on the game roster to play.

Our team is not this year.  The Ravens surprised us though by making it to the playoffs and then they really surprised us when they won the first game over the Wild Card weekend.

Win or lose we are still fans.  We knew that they would need a few years to rebuild after losing so many key players after winning the Super Bowl.  Our family channels all of our team spirit into the teams that are left.

Hey, we are Raven fans but at the end of the day we are football fans too.  We just love a good game.  We love cheering for a team.  Our hopes were dashed when Denver was chased out of town a few weekends ago but now we have moved onto Seattle.

We lived in Seattle for a few years and our families are deeply rooted in the Northwest area.  If it didn't rain so much we might still live there.

Here is a simple appetizer that can be made the day before any event.  It doesn't have to be a football game.  I recommend they sit in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours before being served.  They hold together much better this way.  The pinwheels can be filled with any type of meat, any type of cheese, and you can use any type of wrapper.  These are flour. Honestly they wrap the easiest with flour tortilla but if you have food restrictions then use what falls into your dietary needs.

Horseradish Cream is easy to make too.  I love this cream served on these pinwheels but I also like it on red meat, baked potatoes and sweet potato fries. Horseradish is one of my all time favorite condiments.

Steak Pinwheels

4 large tortilla wraps (flour, rice flour, Paleo, etc...will work)
8 slices of roast beef or turkey
8 slices of thin swiss cheese
4-6 spears of asparagus, steamed until tender
1 bunch of chives, cut into inch pieces (garnish)
horseradish cream
mayonnaise

1.  The night before, lay out tortillas and layer the cheese and meat.  Place an asparagus spear on one end and start to roll the tortilla until a tube is formed. Wrap the tortilla tube in plastic wrap and let sit for 4-6 hours. Overnight is best.

2.  When ready to serve, remove from fridge and cut into 1 inch thick slices. Spread out on a plate.

3.  In a small bowl combine the horseradish cream and mayonnaise.  This is a taste as you go condiment.  Add more or less of what you want.  In a plastic baggie or piping bag add the sauce.  Snip the corner of the baggie and zigzag the cream across the tops of the pinwheels.  Lay a chive piece across the top. See picture above.

NOTE:  If you wish to add the cream sauce to the inside of the tortilla wrapper you may but the cream sauce will need to be made before the pinwheels.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Curry Chicken Salad



Here we are already, the middle of January.  Our year is already off to a start with time running a race that is still 11 months away until we see the finish line. We have had a chilling month so far.  I have felt a little house bound as the temperatures in Maryland are in the teens at night and the mid to low 30's in the afternoons.  We even had a few days with the  high temperatures struggling to reach 21 degrees.  OUCH--that is way too cold for me to be outside with the little kids.

We have spent our time indoors catching up on some reading.  I decided to read a few books that my daughter read for one of her college literature classes.  So far I am on book three of five.  I have read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner.   I just started reading And the Earth Did Not Devour Him. The books haven't been what I would call light reading.  I find joy in reading books that are not necessarily in my wheel house of what I would normally choose.  These books are challenging me to think from different perspectives and giving me a glimpse into the lives of those that are less fortunate, struggling to find their place in this world, and trying to be the best person that their circumstances have allowed them in their lifetime.  I believe this is a great way to spend my time indoors.  I have also found time to knit and work on a few quilts.


I am proud of Isabella.  Over Christmas break the whole "I want to read a book" ignited within her little soul.  She has struggled to consider herself a reader because she finds certain sound combinations hard to pronounce and has been wary of reading on her own.  The first time she picked up a book and decided to read it herself almost brought a tear to my eye. I was sitting in the living room reading my book and she walked to our school bookshelf and pulled out a Toad and Frog book.  She spent the entire day reading the whole thing!  It was over 100 pages.  From that day forward she has proclaimed to all of us that she LOVES TO READ.  As a parent this is music to my ears and as her teacher my heart melted.  I knew of her struggle to want to read and how hard we worked on her vocabulary, blends and sounds and her struggle to read each day.  To see her find joy in reading has been so inspiring to me.


There is not a day that goes by that she does not say how much she loves to learn and that she loves school.  

I hear her reading everything now.  I hear the pride in her voice as she finally understands that to read and write, though challenging to learn at first, will open doors for her future and allow her to see a broader picture of the world she lives in.  We had a talk the other day about how fortunate and lucky she is to live during a time when she can learn to read and how empowering knowledge is as she moves forward with her life.  

Well, that is how we have been spending our time during this cold January in our home.  I have managed to make a few things that I think are worthy to post on the blog.  One of which is this Curry Chicken Salad.  I love chicken salad and my family loves curry. Combining the two isn't anything new in the culinary field but for our family it has been a great addition to our lunch menu.   

Thanks for reading and following along.

Have a great day!


Curry Chicken Salad
3-4 cups of cooked chicken pieces (about 3 chicken breast)
2 ribs of celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
1-2 Tablespoons of yellow curry
1/2 cup whole cashews
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4-1/2 cup mayonnaise
squeeze of half a lemon

NOTE:  You really need to adjust the seasonings to what you and your family enjoy.  We like this salad to be made with lots of curry and creamy with extra mayonnaise.  Adjust the measurements accordingly.

1.  Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

2.  Serve with crackers, on a sandwich, or with lettuce boats.  My kids also like this served with rice.  I personally like the salad warmed up a bit.


 Written by Sherron Watson

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