Around Lolly's Sideboard: Seaside

 

It's that time of summer.  The time when I start to dream of a trip to the beach.  That's going to be a few weeks from now, but in the meantime, I'm bringing the beach to my kitchen!

I've had this set for over 10 years, and I've already shared pictures of tablesettings, but I had to bring them out of their storage totes for a turn on the sideboard.

I found these at Kohl's.  Here's the pattern information.

There were two styles with this pattern:  the square plates, etc. and round plates.  While the square version has a place of honor on the sideboard, their round counterparts are being used during mealtime.  Turn about is fair play, right?

This pitcher is as heavy as it appears to be.  I love the blown glass bubbles mimicking the bubbles in the sea.

I had to display some of my favorite seafood cookbooks!  Check out the shape of that serving bowl.

Of course, the sand bucket had to be filled with beautiful seashells.

A dear friend who passed away a few years ago gave me this cookbook.  I'll always cherish it.

There are two sizes of glasses and coffee mugs as well.

I hope these photos send your thoughts to favorite trips to the beach!

Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Enchiladas

 

I decided I'd try a little fusion cuisine today.  I had Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese.  I also had low carb tortillas.  Hmm.  Let's try combining these into a new dish!

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb. Italian sausage (mild, sweet, or hot)

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 - 1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce, divided

2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

6 tortillas (I used the zero net carb variety)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

fresh basil for garnish

In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage, breaking it up into small pieces as it browns.

Drain off any fat in the skillet.  Reduce heat to low and stir in 1/2 cup of the sauce and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.  Remove from heat.

Spray a baking dish with non stick spray.  Spoon enough sauce into the baking dish to just cover the bottom.  I had enough filling for six enchiladas.  I baked three today and prepared another pan of three to be put in the freezer for later.

Place the tortillas out on a clean counter.  I used my butcher block where I do most of my chopping, mixing, assembling, etc.

Divide the filling evenly between the six tortillas.  Spread as close to the edge of the tortilla as possible.  Sprinkle Parmesan on top of the filling and then divide another 1/2 cup of the mozzarella between the tortillas.

Carefully roll up the tortillas one at a time and place in the baking dish on top of the sauce.  Brush on remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with the remaining mozzarella.

I baked mine in the air fryer on the "bake" function for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Of course, if you're using a 9 x 13 baking dish, you'll need to use your regular oven.

Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil.  

I think next time I make these I'll add a layer of ricotta cheese before spreading on the sausage filling.  If you're not concerned about calories I think this would be a nice extra layer of cheesiness.  

As you can see from this cheese pull photo though, these were yummy as is!

Salmon Lettuce Wrap Burger

Low carb meals continue!  I recently found these salmon burgers at Sam's Club.  Each burger is 1/4 pound.  The salmon is sustainably sourced and ready to be grilled, baked, or pan-seared straight from the freezer.  These burgers are a convenient and nutritious choice.

The Atlantic Salmon burgers  are minimally processed and seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, and paprika for a fresh and tantalizing taste. Each burger provides a substantial 20 grams of protein and is free from artificial flavors and preservatives.

I opted to grill four of the burgers and used leafy lettuce in place of buns.

I sprinkled each burger lightly with Kinder's Seafood Blend seasoning.  5 - 6 minutes on each side over medium high heat on the gas grill and the burgers were ready.

I used leafy green lettuce as the bun as I stated above.  Then I added a slice of ripe tomato and topped that with a burger.  I mixed up an easy tartar sauce and spooned a little of that on top of the salmon and topped with some more of that leafy lettuce.

Our verdict?  We were very impressed with the ease of preparation, and the taste and texture were ideal.  I will definitely keep these in my freezer.  As delicious as they were served this way, I know they would be great on a bun or cooked and sliced for a salad topping.

I served with a side of coleslaw, but for those who aren't dealing with carb limitations, add some fries or tater tots to that plate!

Now for the tartar sauce:

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 t. mustard, 1/4 t. Kinder's Seafood blend seasoning, a few grinds of black pepper, 1 t. fresh dill, chopped.  

Grilled Jerk Chicken

Today was a spicy day!  My daughter and son-in-law brought these goodies home to me from Jamaica and I've been looking forward to trying them.

I had 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken tenders which I coated liberally with this jerk seasoning.

I cooked the seasoned chicken tenderloins over medium high heat on a gas grill until the internal temperature reached 170 degrees F.  At that point, I brushed on the sauce, let it glaze for a few minutes, and then turned the chicken over and repeated on the other side.

When the internal temperature reached 180 degrees F., I removed from the grill.

I served with mustard greens which I topped with a few drops of the hot sauce and canned black beans which I seasoned with 1/2 t. of the jerk seasoning.

Jerk Seasoning

My daughter and son-in-law brought back seasonings and sauces from their trip to Jamaica.  I was ready to grill some chicken tenders this afternoon and use the grill sauce, but I knew I had to have a rub or seasoning to coat the chicken.

I went in search of a Jerk Seasoning recipe and Chili Pepper Madness came through big time!

I had everything needed waiting for me in my spice cabinet!

Here is the recipe:

1 T. onion powder

1 T. garlic powder

2 t. cayenne pepper

2 t. salt

2 t. ground black pepper

2 t. dried thyme (or use 1 t. ground thyme)

2 t. sugar (or use brown sugar) (I used Stevia)

1 t. ground allspice

1 t. dried parsley

1 t. paprika

1/2 t. hot pepper flakes

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. ground clove

1/4 t. ground cumin

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well blended.  Store in an airtight container.  Use as needed.

Instant Pot "No Bake" Pork Green Chile Enchiladas

Today I went to the freezer and pantry for inspiration.  The freezer provided a 1 lb. package of pork stew meat.  The pantry provided a can of green enchilada sauce.  Now what?  My eyes spied the Instant Pot and my brain took over from there.

I thawed the pork and got busy!  I didn't want to heat up the kitchen by baking enchiladas.  I also knew these would be a tad too messy to be a burrito.  So, here's the newly invented no bake pork enchiladas.  

1 T. vegetable oil

1 lb. pork stew meat, cut into 1/2" cubes

fajita seasoning

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 - 5 garlic cloves, minced

1 small can green enchilada sauce

garnishes:  sliced jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese

Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot on the 'Saute' setting.  Season the pork with the fajita seasoning.  Carefully, add the pork to the Instant Pot and let it begin to brown.  Add the onions and garlic and stir frequently until the onions are just beginning to soften, 3 - 4 minutes.

Add in the can of enchilada sauce and stir to combine.  Cancel the 'saute' setting.

Place the cover onto the Instant Pot and set to sealing.

Cook on pressure cook setting for 30 minutes.  Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release for 20 minutes.  If necessary, do a quick release.

If you want less liquid, turn the 'saute' option back on and let cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces to the consistency you like.

Doesn't this look delicious?

At this point, you could forget the enchiladas and stir in a can of hominy and have a great stew!

But, that's another recipe for another day.  I heated low carb tortillas and spooned some of the pork mixture onto the tortilla.

I topped mine with shredded cheddar cheese and rolled the tortilla around the filling.  I added another spoonful of the pork over the top and added some sour cream.  Pickled jalapenos on the side added a nice kick.

Around Lolly's Sideboard: 4th of July 2025

Oh, this one was a fun sideboard to decorate!  This is a little bit of everything red, white, and blue.

Our main focus will be on my trusty Fiestaware in cobalt, white, and scarlet.

I used "this and that" pieces of those colors to be the anchors of the theme.

Of course, a 4th of July sideboard wouldn't be complete with a few pieces to represent our First President and First Lady.

These elegant Fostoria goblet/candle holders were a product from Avon back in 1976.  My mother had these packed away with her things and they were a nice addition to the sideboard.

What's more American than apple pie?  This was my mom's cookbook.

Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross had to make an appearance as well!

I filled in the remaining space with miscellaneous Americana.