June 2011 - Cooking On The Ranch

Seared Scallops with Pinot Gris Butter Sauce

June 26, 2011 by Lea Ann 49 Comments

It’s not all buffalo burgers, elk steaks and Rocky Mountain oysters out here in the wild wild west..We can plate up an elegant dinner with the best of ‘em and especially if beautiful sea scallops are available. Let’s take a look at this delicious recipe I found over at Food and Wine.

We thought this dish was spectacular. Restaurant quality, elegant and (shhhh)…pretty e-a-s-y. Serve this for a special dinner for two, or for a dinner party and your guests will think you’ve just graduated from culinary school.

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Filed Under: Main Dishes, Seafood Tagged With: Food, Noble Pig Wine, recipes, Scallops

No Recipe Required: Crab Cakes on Spring Greens

June 23, 2011 by Lea Ann 35 Comments

Purchase pre-made crab cakes from your favorite market. I prefer crab cakes from Tony’s in Denver for their texture and flavor.

Sautee crab cakes in olive oil until cooked through and golden brown.

Place on a plate full of mixed spring greens.

Drizzle with your favorite dressing. For this I prefer a simple lime or lemon vinaigrette.

One Year Ago: Tangy Flank Steak with Horseradish Cream

Two Years Ago: Mangoes Gone Wild

Filed Under: Main Dishes, Seafood Tagged With: Crab cakes, Food, light meals, recipes

Homesick Texan’s Onion Rings

June 13, 2011 by Lea Ann 49 Comments

Can I see a show of hands of how many of you LOVE onion rings?

Can I see a show of hands of how many of you make them on a regular basis?

That’s just what I thought.

I think I tried making them once about 20 years ago. With the mess involved both with the oil, the countertops and that stubborn batter that wouldn’t cling to the onions, I quickly decided they were best left to the experts and should only be ordered in restaurants.

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Side Dishes Tagged With: Food, onion rings, onions, recipes, side dish

Linda’s Tree House Salad, David’s Grilled Lamb Chops and The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey

June 11, 2011 by Lea Ann 33 Comments

Pull up a chair and sit back and relax, we’ve got a lot to cover in this post.

From now on, I think I’m going to let our friends Linda and David be my recipe “finders”. Everything passed on from them has been outstanding. Let’s take a look at some great finds, compliments of our friends. This most recent story starts with David being asked to be a judge at a car show in Canon City, CO. They asked us to keep their dog, Sassy, for their overnight stay that Saturday.

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Filed Under: Main Dishes Lamb, Salads Tagged With: Food, lamb chops, recipes, salad, Winery at Holy Cross Abbey

Ham, Avocado and Egg Bake

June 6, 2011 by Lea Ann 32 Comments

As you know, Sunday mornings around our house are reserved for a big hearty breakfast, which 99.99999% of the time involves a sunny-side up egg. Here’s the latest and here’s what I did.

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Main Dishes, Pork Tagged With: Avocado, Breakfast, Food, Ham, recipes

Bean Salad

June 4, 2011 by Lea Ann 24 Comments

As a kid, growing up on a farm in the middle of Kansas, the Memorial Day weekend was a declaration of ”let the summer games begin”. School had just let out, swimming pools in town were open for the season and summer softball leagues were in full swing. The horseshoe pit in the back yard was open for business and June bug wars with the cousins was in full swing. Three action-packed months lay ahead of us before school started again around Labor Day.

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