Fried Walleye w/ Purple Asparagus and Roasted Butternut Squash.

Dinner Tonight: Fried Walleye w/ Purple Asparagus and Roasted Butternut Squash.






For Breakfast I just had a cup of Bigelow Decaf Green Tea. I need some printer ink and paper, and

had to go to Walmart. I've learned through the years to go to Walmart early if you have to use the electric mobility carts. They have very few and very few that work. So I hit the store early. Outside it was 20 degrees and we had a high of 40 degrees and partly sunny! That is a heat wave from where we've been temperature wise. It melted some of the snow we have on the ground, finally. I stopped by the Bank and then by McDonald's to pick up Breakfast for Mom and Dad. Back home all caught up on everything so I grabbed a long nap, very restless last night. For Dinner tonight I prepared Fried Walleye w/ Purple Asparagus and Roasted Butternut Squash.





While at Meijer yesterday I seen they had Walleye Fillets on sale, and just couldn’t pass them up, I bought 3 Fillets. I rinsed them off in cold water, sliced into smaller pieces, and put them in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge until ready to use today.













To prepare them I seasoned them with McCormick Grinder Sea Salt and Black Pepper Medley. Put the fillets in a Hefty Plastic Bag and added some Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs, sealed the bag and shook till the fillet was well coated. I then fried them in Extra Light Olive Oil on medium heat, about 4 minutes per side till golden brown! I love Walleye, as I do most Fish. Walleye is so meaty and has such a fresh flavor!







I picked up more of the Purple Asparagus at Mejier the Tuesday. It tastes like Green Asparagus but

it’s less fibrous and sweeter due to a higher sugar content. I prepared it the same way as the Roasted Asparagus I’ve made before. I’ll need; 1 bunch of Purple Asparagus (fibrous bases removed), 1 Tablespoon of Crumbled Bacon or Bacon Bits, Ground Garlic Salt, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and 1 tbsp Extra Light Olive Oil. To prepare it is easy; Preheat the oven to 400F. Place asparagus in a baking tray sheet. Add the bacon, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool a couple of minutes and serve! Comes out tender and that slight sweet taste to it. Really like the Purple Asparagus over the Green Asparagus!




Then for one another side I prepared some Roasted Butternut Squash, easy recipe for some delicious
Butternut Squash! I purchased 1 small package of Diced Butternut Squash at Kroger. They sell packages of it that they dice up. This is a lot easier than peeling and seeding one yourself, especially if you don’t have a good knife to cut it. I’ll need; 1 package of Diced Butternut Squash, Crumbled Bacon Bits, 1 tablespoons Extra Light Olive Oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Grinder Sea Salt, and 1 teaspoon McCormick Grinder Peppercorn Medley.






To prepare it; Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the Squash on a sheet pan and drizzle with the
Olive Oil, Salt, and Peppercorn and toss well. Arrange the squash in one layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the Squash is tender, turning once with a spatula. And done, very easy to prepare. With the small amount of Seasoning and Olive Oil, it really brings out the flavor of Butternut Squash! For Dessert/Snack later a bowl of Skinny Pop – Pop Corn with a Coke Zero to drink.

Walleye Nutrition Facts

1 – 6 ounce serving
Calories 148 Calories from fat 17

% Daily Value 1
Total Fat 1.9g 3%
Sat. Fat 0.4g 2%
Cholesterol 137 mg 46%
Sodium 81mg 3%
Total Carbs. 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Protein 30.4g
Calcium 174.9 mg

Cumin Spiced Pork Chop w/ Roasted Purple Asparagus and Diced New Potatoes

Dinner Tonight: Cumin Spiced Pork Chop w/ Roasted Purple Asparagus and Diced New Potatoes




For Breakfast this Monday morning I prepared a Potato and Ham Skillet. I prepared a bag of the Simply Potatoes Steakhouse Seasoned Diced Potatoes. Midway through the cooking time I added a

1/2 bag of Kroger Brand Diced Ham. Also had a cup of Bigelow Decaf Green Tea. A bit cooler out there this morning, 26 degrees and cloudy. But as the day went on we finally got some sunshine and 44 degrees for a high. After Lunch I made a few Christmas Candy drop offs to some friends. That was about it for my day. For Dinner tonight I prepared a Cumin Spiced Pork Chop w/ Roasted Purple Asparagus and Diced New Potatoes.







I picked a Pork Tenderloin Center Cut Pork Chops at Meijer yesterday. I really love the Meijer
selection and quality of all their meats, and all their products and produce. They have some of the finest Pork Chops you can find.










So to prepare my Chop I’ll need my favorite Pork Rub; The Cumin Spiced Rub which consists of; 1 tbsp Roasted Cumin, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, 1/2 teaspoon

Hungarian Paprika, 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper. I always have some of the Rub made up in a large Spice Jar I have To prepare it preheat oven to 400°. Combine all the ingredients; rub it all over the pork chop. Let stand 20 minutes. Start by heating the Extra Virgin Olive oil in a Cast Iron Skillet over medium-high heat. Add Chops to pan; cook 3 minutes, browning both sides. From the stove to the oven and bake at 400° for 15 minutes until the thermometer registered 150° (slightly pink), turning after 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Fantastic combo of Spices, which makes one incredible Crust on the Chop with the inside being tender and moist!



I picked up more of the Purple Asparagus at Mejier, of course. It tastes like Green Asparagus but it’s less fibrous and sweeter due to a higher sugar content. I prepared it the same way as the Roasted
Asparagus I’ve made before. I’ll need; 1 bunch of Purple Asparagus (fibrous bases removed), 1 Tablespoon of Crumbled Bacon or Bacon Bits, Ground Garlic Salt, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and 1 tbsp Extra Light Olive Oil. To prepare it is easy; Preheat the oven to 400F. Place asparagus in a baking tray sheet. Add the bacon, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool a couple of minutes and serve! Comes out tender and that slight sweet taste to it. Really like the Purple Asparagus over the Green Asparagus!





For another side it was Del Monte Diced New Potatoes. I’ve had these many times and as always, delicious! To prepare these; empty the Potatoes into a small sauce pan and heat on medium heat until heated through. For Dessert/Snack later a bowl of Skinny Pop - Pop Corn and a Diet Peach Snapple.

Pan-Fried Oysters Recipe w/ Roasted Baby Red Potatoes and Roasted Purple Asparagus

Dinner Tonight: Pan-Fried Oysters Recipe w/ Roasted Baby Red Potatoes and Roasted Purple Asparagus






I made some Waffles this morning for Breakfast I made them with Bisquick Heart Smart Mix, I also used Egg Beater's in place of the Eggs. I used Maple Grove Farms Sugarless Maple Syrup to top them with. Then I also prepared a couple of Jennie - O Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links. Also had a cup of Bigelow Decaf Green Tea. I went out to get the Sunday Morning Papers this morning and it was already very humid out. For the day mostly sunny and 86 degrees, nice but hot and humid. Mom went to Church and I stayed home to keep an eye on Dad. It's to the point now we can't really leave him by himself. But its all worth it if we can keep him home instead of a Retirement or Assisted Living Home. Cleaned the house and cleaned up around outside. Had everything done after Lunch so I laid back and watched some TV. For Dinner tonight Pan-Fried Oysters Recipe w/ Roasted Baby Red Potatoes and Roasted Purple Asparagus,



I love Fried Oysters, just don’t have them that often. So anyway to prepare my Fried Oysters I’ll need; 12 large-medium Oysters (shucked), 1 tablespoon Flour, 1/4 cup Egg Beaters, 1 cup Shake and Bake Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs, Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste), 2 to 3 tablespoons Extra Light Olive Oil. Lemon Wedges, Hot sauce, Seafood Cocktail Sauce are all optional.









I used Hilton's Fresh Farm Raised Pacific Willapoint Oysters. To prepare them; Place shucked oysters in a colander rinse in cold water and drain. Dredge drained oysters in the Flour, then Egg Beater’s, and then in Panko Crumbs seasoned with Sea Salt and Pepper (coating each oyster thoroughly). Set aside to dry at least 1/2 hour. An easy way to coat the oysters with the Panko Crumbs is to place the Crumbs in a resealable plastic bag, add egg-dipped oysters, seal bag, and then shake.






Next, heat Oil in a frying pan (I like to use my cast-iron frying pan) to 370 degrees F. or until quite hot. Fry oysters until golden brown on one side, then turn over each oysters carefully to brown the other side, approximately 1 to 2 minutes on each side Fry oyster until golden brown and edges are curled. Do not overcook or overcrowd in frying pan. Remove from frying pan and serve immediately. Serve with Lemons Wedges, Tartar Sauce, Cocktail Sauce and/or your favorite hot sauce. I served mine with some Tarter Sauce with a side of my favorite hot sauce Frank’s Hot Sauce. I don’t know why I don’t have these more often! They’re so delicious, golden brown, and with an incredible fresh flavor.



For one side I prepared some Roasted Baby Red Potatoes. Preheated the oven on 400 degrees. Next, I washed and scrubbed the Potatoes off. To prepare them I needed; 1 tablespoon Extra Light Olive Oil, Dried Rosemary, Dried Thyme, McCormick Grinder Sea Salt and Peppercorn Medley. I start by heating up a Cast Iron Skillet on medium heat and as that’s heating up I cut the Baby Red Potatoes in half. Combined all ingredients in a large bowl and added the Potatoes. Toss to coat Potatoes and added them to the Skillet. Fry them about 4-5 minutes and transfer the Skillet to the oven, for about 15 – 20 minutes until they are fork tender. This is why I love using Cast Iron Skillets, from the stove to the oven, and then an easy clean up.



For another side I picked up more of the Purple Asparagus at Mejier. It tastes like Green Asparagus but it’s less fibrous and sweeter due to a higher sugar content. I prepared it the same way as the Roasted Asparagus I’ve made before. I’ll need; 1 bunch of Purple Asparagus (fibrous bases removed), 1 Tablespoon of Crumbled Bacon or Bacon Bits, Ground Garlic Salt, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and 1 tbsp Extra Light Olive Oil. To prepare it is easy; Preheat the oven to 400F. Place asparagus in a baking tray sheet. Add the bacon, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool a couple of minutes and serve! Comes out tender and that slight sweet taste to it. Really like the Purple Asparagus over the Green Asparagus!



I also baked a slice of New York Bakery Lite Texas Toast. First time I've tried this, I heard that they had this but could never find it until yesterday at Meijer. It's fewer calories, carbs, and fat than normal Texas Toast. For Dessert/Snack later a bowl of Skinny Pop - Pop Corn with a Diet Peach Snapple to drink.






Pan-Fried Oysters Recipe:

Ingredients:

12 large-medium Oysters, shucked
1 tablespoon Flour
1 Eggs, beaten or 1/4 cup egg Beater’s
1 cup Shake and Bake Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons Extra Light Olive Oil
Lemon Wedges, optional
Hot sauce, optional
Seafood Cocktail Sauce, optional


Preparation:

Place shucked oysters in a colander to drain.

1 – Dip drained oysters in flour, then beaten eggs, shake off excess, and in panko crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper (coating each oyster thoroughly). Set aside to dry at least 1/2 hour. NOTE: An easy way to coat the oysters with the panko crumbs is to place the crumbs in a resealable plastic bag, add egg-dipped oysters, seal bag, and then shake.

2 – Heat canola oil in a frying pan (I like to use my cast-iron frying pan) to 370 degrees F. or until quite hot.

3 – Fry oysters until golden brown on one side, then turn over each oysters carefully to brown the other side, approximately 1 to 2 minutes on each side Fry oyster until golden brown and edges are curled. Do not overcook or overcrowd in frying pan. Remove from frying pan and serve immediately.

Serve with Lemons Wedges, Tartar Sauce, Cocktail Sauce and/or your favorite hot sauce.

Makes 2 servings.



NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF OYSTERS
Oysters are naturally high in many essential vitamins and minerals including protein, iron, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, zinc, and vitamin C.





Hilton's Fresh Farm Raised Pacific Willapoint Oysters

Product Details
Hilton's oysters are plump, juicy and full of flavor making them superb for cooking purposes in stews, pan fried, casseroles and turkey stuffing during the Holidays plus many more recipes.

Features
Available year around
Low in fat, calories and cholesterol
Fast and easy to prepare
High in protein, iron, omega 3 fatty acids, zinc and vitamin C
All natural
Product of USA

Ingredients
Fresh Pacific Small Willapoint Oysters

Chopped Bison Sirloin and Sauteed Mushrooms w/ Roasted Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes,....

Dinner Tonight : Chopped Bison Sirloin and Sauteed Mushrooms w/ Roasted Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes, Roasted Purple Asparagus, and Boiled Baby Carrots.






For Breakfast I prepared a favorite that I never fix often enough, Glier's Turkey Goetta! I love this

Turkey Goetta. I sliced a few slices of it off and fried it until browned and crispy on both sides. As usual it was mouth-watering delicious! I also prepared some Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns, toasted a slice of Healthy Life Whole Grain Bread, and my morning cup of Bigelow Decaf Green Tea. Outside, Rain and more rain. It started overnight and went all day today. Lot of local flooding as it poured the rain! We needed a good rain, just not quite this much. So not a lot going on outside. We did have to have Dad at the hospital at 10:00 this morning for some blood work. Back home caught up on a few things around the house and then kicked back and watched some TV. For Dinner tonight its a Chopped Bison Sirloin and Sauteed Mushrooms w/ Roasted Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes, Roasted Purple Asparagus, and Boiled Baby Carrots.



I'm using a favorite cut of Bison for Dinner tonight, SayersBrook Chopped Bison Sirloin. I had it in

the freezer so I grabbed a bag of it and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. To start I preheated the oven on 400 degrees. To prepare it I’ll need McCormick Grinder Sea Salt and  Peppercorn Medley, McCormick Crushed Rosemary, and McCormick Thyme Leaves. I got the Cast Iron Skillet out to prepare it. I first sprayed it with a very light coat of Pam Cooking Spray and then added a tablespoon of Extra Light Olive Oil. Heated it on medium heat. When the pan was heated I added the Chopped Steak. I cooked each side 2 minutes.Then finished it in the oven, at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. It cooked up beautifully, perfect medium rare! Had a nice little char on the outside and moist and juicy inside. These are so tender you could slice them with a spoon and have an excellent taste to them. Just another very good item from SayersBrook Ranch!

I topped the Chopped Steak with some A-1 Sauce Thick/Hardy. Also cooked up some Sauteed Mushrooms.








For a side dish I prepared a new one, Roasted Rosemary and Garlic Klondike Gourmet Potatoes. To

make it I'll need; a bag of Klondike Gourmet Potatoes, 3 Cloves Garlic (minced), 2 tbsp. Extra Light Olive Oil, 2 tbsp. Dried Rosemary, and McCormick Grinder Sea Salt and Peppercorn Medley - to taste.












To prepare it; I preheated the oven to 425°F. Next I placed the Potatoes in a Ziploc bag and added

Olive Oil and the Garlic. Tossed until coated. Then poured them onto foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkled with the Rosemary, Salt and Pepper. Roasted in the oven for about 25 minutes, until Potatoes were fork tender. I always like trying new Potato dishes and this one came out delicious! I found the recipe on the Klondike Potato website.









For another side I had some of the Purple Asparagus leftover in the fridge that I prepared. I’ll need; 1 bunch of Purple Asparagus (fibrous bases removed), 1 Tablespoon of Crumbled Bacon or Bacon Bits, Ground Garlic Salt, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and 1 tbsp Extra Light Olive Oil. To prepare it is easy; Preheat the oven to 400F. Place asparagus in a baking tray sheet. Add the bacon, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool a couple of minutes and serve! Comes out tender and that slight sweet taste to it. Really like the Purple Asparagus over the Green Asparagus!



Finally I had a small bag of Baby Carrots in the fridge that I'm preparing. I used a small sauce pan,
filled 3/4 up with water, and heated to a boil. With the water boiling I added the Carrots and boiled until fork tender. Seasoned with Salt, Pepper, and Dried Parsley. Mom and Dad had Cubed Steak and used the sides I prepared with their meal also. That's the main reason I prepared that many sides, I would have been happy with just the Mushrooms. For Dessert later a bowl of Skinny Pop - Pop Corn and a Diet Dr. Pepper to drink.








SayersBrook Ranch Bison Chopped Sirloin Steak

If you like the flavor of the sirloin, love the Bison Burger but want to take it up a notch, then the Chopped Sirloin Steak is for you! 4 lbs (4 packages each with 2-8oz chopped sirloin steaks).
Great flavor of the sirloin but also extremely tender and juicy.

http://www.sayersbrook.com/bison-chopped-sirloin-steak-4-lbs/











Klondike Gourmet Yellow Skin, Golden Flesh

Small, oblong, smooth yellow skinned – yellow fleshed potatoes in a 1.5 lb. convenience package. It is the perfect size for a family of four. The packages include recipes, serving suggestions, nutritional information and website information to provide you with the most convenience when it comes to potato preparation.
http://www.klondikebrands.com/Products/klondike-gourmet-yellow-skin-golden-flesh

Fried Freshwater Shrimp w/ Roasted Purple Asparagus, Golden Hominy, and Baked Potato

Dinner Tonight:  Fried Freshwater Shrimp w/ Roasted Purple Asparagus, Golden Hominy, and Baked Potato





To start of this 8th day of June I prepared a Poached Egg, al fresco Chicken Sausage, and served it all

on a toasted Healthy Life Whole Grain English Muffin. Also had a cup of Bigelow Decaf Green Tea. Started a couple of loads of laundry for Mom. Then got our old sweeper out of the closet and worked on it to get it running again. Took the roller brushes out and cleaned them and lightly greased the casings. It seems to working again. Then outside took my Hoveround Chair out and cleaned it up, much needed! For Dinner tonight its Fried Freshwater Shrimp w/ Roasted Purple Asparagus, Golden Hominy, and Baked Potato.





While at Kroger yesterday I picked up some more of the huge Freshwater Colossal Shrimp, I cleaned them and put them in the fridge until needed for Dinner tonight. To prepare these I’m using McCormick Golden Dipt Cracker Meal Seafood Fry Mix.










Poured about 1 inch of Extra Light Olive Oil into large skillet. Heated the oil to 350°F on medium heat. I then took a 1/2 cup of the Cracker Meal Mix in a Hefty Zip Lock Plastic Bag. Take the peeled shrimp, 3 at a time and place them in the bag and shake until Shrimp had a nice coating on them. Had all the Shrimp coated I then began to fry them. Frying them about 3 minutes the shrimp, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil until light golden brown turning after 1 1/2 minutes. Drain on paper towel lined plate . Love using the McCormick Cracker Meal Mix, nice light crust and seasoning!



I prepared 3 side dishes with the Shrimp, Mom and Dad love side dishes! So for one side I picked up
more of the Purple Asparagus at Mejier. It tastes like Green Asparagus but it’s less fibrous and sweeter due to a higher sugar content. I prepared it the same way as the Roasted Asparagus I’ve made before. I’ll need; 1 bunch of Purple Asparagus (fibrous bases removed), 1 Tablespoon of Crumbled Bacon or Bacon Bits, Ground Garlic Salt, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and 1 tbsp Extra Light Olive Oil.




To prepare it is easy; Preheat the oven to 400F. Place asparagus in a baking tray sheet. Add the bacon, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool a couple of minutes and serve! Comes out tender and that slight sweet taste to it. Really like the Purple Asparagus over the Green Asparagus!








For a second side dish I opened up a can of one of my favorite side dishes, Kroger Brand Golden
Hominy, and its been a while since I’ve any. For those that has never had or heard of Hominy; Hominy is a food made from kernels of corn which are soaked in an alkali solution of either lime or lye. The corrosive nature of the solution removes the hull and germ of the corn and causes the grain itself to puff up to about twice its normal size. There is White and Golden Hominy, my favorite is the Golden Hominy. If you’ve never tried it do, makes a delicious side dish!



For the last side I prepared a Baked Potato. It was a small Russet Potato that I had leftover.  Seasoned it with McCormick Grinder Sea Salt and Peppercorn Medley, and topped with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. For Dessert later a Weight Watcher’s Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Bar.











Purple Asparagus

Purple asparagus is a similar in appearance and flavor to both white and green varieties as its original

cultivar came from green asparagus. Its differentiated by its violet hued stems and conical crowned tips, however its feathery foliage is still green. Its attractive violet coloring is only skin deep as its flesh is pale green to creamy white. It is inherently less fibrous thus more tender than other asparagus types. Also, its preferred sweetness is due to its twenty percent higher sugar content than other asparagus varieties. Cooked purple asparagus develops flavoral notes of artichoke, barley and almonds. Purple asparagus has the highest levels of anti-oxidants among the asparagus varieties.