Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Little Meat Math

Do you ever find yourself struggling to figure out just how much meat to buy for a meal or dinner party?  Just follow the chart below:

Meat                                                       Per Person

Lean or Extra Lean Ground Meat              1/4 lb

Spareribs                                                  1 lb

Steaks - boneless tenderloin,
rib-eye, sirloin                                           1/4 lb

Steak - T-bone                                         6 oz

Chicken - boneless                                   4 oz

Chicken - bone-in                                     1/2 lb


To figure out how much meat you'll need for a party just multiply the amounts shown by the number of guests you expect.  Add a few extra servings to have enough for second servings or leftovers.


Friday, March 15, 2013

Asian Sesame Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is an inspiration from, believe it or not, two different recipes that have nothing to do with one another.  I made a salmon dinner for my hubby's birthday this week.  I don't usually prepare seafood unless it's crab, lobster or shrimp.  But . . . for the hubby's 60th  birthday, I had to make an exception.  The salmon was baked with an Asian glaze and I almost liked it.

I'm a lover of sweet potatoes and I'm always looking for ways to fix them that the family will find appealing.  I chunked the 3 lbs of sweet potatoes and topped them with the Asian glaze and baked them.  They are delicious!  And not loaded with brown sugar and butter.

3 lbs of sweet potatoes (peeled and chunked)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds (I toasted them)
1 tsp dried minced onions
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and chunk the sweet potatoes and place them in a foil-lined 13 x 9" baking pan.  Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

Combine the remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.  Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes and stir to coat.  Roast the potatoes for 20 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for five minutes before serving.