Cooking with Rockymento

Easier Paella

2012-02-19T04:44:00.000-08:00

I just wanted a little Paella.Cut up a quarter of an onion, 1/2 cup celery and about 2 TBL of cilantroPut it all in a small saute pan in melted butter to meld flavors and tenderize the veges. Added this mixture to the rice cooker that had enough rice for two and a couple of pinches of saffron and one of salt. Did not start the rice cooker yet.I had been steaming gulf shrimp with the shell on, frozen clams in the shell, and frozen black shell mussels. I took some of the broth and added some of the broth to the rice. I then filled the rest of the appropriate amount of water to the rice cooker and turned it on.I did add one can of drained diced tomatoes after the rice was finished. I tossed the gorgeous yellow saffroned rice with the seafood in a huge white bowl. Big D was more than impressed! Success with an easier Paella! Leftovers enough for today!To the purists of Paella, no I did not use Olive Oil. No I did not use rabbit, or chicken. I like a seafood Paella. I did not cook it over a wood burning fire. Nope, no peas either. Nope no red peppers either. But it was so good and we liked it!

Smoked turkey chili

2012-01-15T11:53:00.001-08:00

I had a smoked turkey breast...I wanted chili...I cut up a half of red onion, chopped up the smoked turkey breast. Melted 2 Tblsp of butter. Added 2 Tblsp of garlic and the chopped up onion, one can of hatch chopped chilies and the turkey, with salt to taste. Now here is the cheater part part...I added 7 cups of water and brought it a boil with cilantro and one can of green enchilada sauce. Brought it to a boil and then added one can of drained kidney beans and a pkg of darn good chili mix. After it has simmered for about 20 minutes. Serve with cut up tortilla chips and sprinkled shredded cheese on top. Big d said I could open a restaurant with this recipe.

Vegan mulligan stew...

2012-01-09T19:21:00.001-08:00

My dad would make "Mulligan stew" when mom needed him to cook. What that meant is he cleaned out everything in the fridge and added a can of soup. At least that is how I remember it. I decided after my family's resident vegan's left to do the same thing...it turned out so well, I recreated it tonight for school soup day.Start with heating Olive oil in the bottom of a large pot Add in about 2 tsp do whole cumin And 2 Tbl of minced garlic Let sizzle for a minute or so.Add in 3/4 cup of each of the following: Chopped red onionChopped celery Chopped cilantro Sliced white button mushrooms Sliced baby Bella mushrooms Sliced leeks Baby zucchini sliced Red bell pepper chopped Baby carrots cut in to two diagonally Let all of this Simmer a bit Add in two cans of artichokes-not pickled- cut in 1/2 or 1/4 Add in 1 can of drained dark red kidney beans And 1 qt vegetable broth Salt to taste Add thyme to taste And just for fun I added 3 Tbls of olive tapenade. After it has simmered a bit, add a handful of couscous and let it cook. Take off heat and serve as is...I will admit that I do kick it up to vegetarian level for me and add grated cheese.

Sometimes things change.

2011-09-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Little changes that change your whole diet. Diabetes can be one of those changes.

With changes like that A WHOLE LOT will change in the way I cook.

I made a great cookie yesterday that is legal to eat.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie

Prep time 10 minutes( adapted from Diabetesselfmanagement.com)

1/4 C shortening (I cannot give up my butter-I changed it to butter)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Large egg
1/2 (give or take) tsp of mexican vanilla
1 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
3/4 c brown sugar splenda
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c semi sweet chips(nestle's)

Combine first 4 ingredients. Add the rest. Spoon out on cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake 10-11 minutes- made 2 dozen.

They are very tasty and hit that sweet spot for my tastebuds.

FYI: serving size is 2 cookies
carb : 24-30 g about
protein: 4 g before chips
cal: 175 about

Who needs chocolate? I did!

2011-08-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Quint-tessimal chocolate chip cookies!

Directions : Cream crisco and butter, add the next three and cream together. Everything else is added after that except the chips! Add the chips last...how many you add is totally up to you, these are just suggested amounts!

3/4 c butter crisco
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsps(generous) Mexican vanilla
2 Tblsn of Hershey's special dark ice cream sauce- not hot fudge
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp of baking soda
2 Tblsn non sweet ghiradelli cocoa baking powder
2 Tblsn of Hershey's special dark unsweeted cocoa powder
1/2 c nestle's milk chocolate dhips
1/2 c nestle's semi sweet chips

Bake at 375
Drop on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Bake for about 11-12 minutes

Now do not think I ate this whole batch by myself...I took most of them to my neighbor who has been my bakers helper for years. She went to tryout for volleyball yesterday and sprained her ankle! She needed cookies!

I cooked! Chili verde my way

2011-08-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Made a chili verde using thin cut pork tenderloins.

8 thinly cut pork tenderloins-cut into strips or bite sized pieces
1/4 of a white onion chopped
1 cup chopped baby carrots
2 Anaheim or hatch peppers- thinly sliced(I used one of each)
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 tsp homemade spice combo(pretty sure that has been posted)
1 can of green enchilada sauce
1 can drained dark red kidney beans

Glace the carrots, onion,peppers in about 1/4 cup butter. Add the pork and seasonings. After the meat has browned add enchilada sauce and kidney beans.
Let simmer for about 20 minutes

Serve garnished with grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Can be served over rice or for twist add pre-cooked rice noodles to the chili before serving. Good reviews from my main man! He said I could start my own restaurant with this recipe!

I have been a little busy with a Family Reunion and all..

2011-07-19T09:11:00.001-07:00

It is funny how a family reunion is a lot like eggs...some are eggheads, some are a little cracked, some a little hard boiled with a soft center, some are like a soft boiled egg that can be a little runny(especially around the eyes) but all in all, my family is eggsactly what it should be and I couldn't be happier. Now my hard boiled eggs are another story...I got back to cooking today.

I have always hated the way my boiled eggs turn out. You know the kind I mean, where the yolk turns a yucky green on the outside rim. I have always wanted to have perfect yellow yolks. My daughter, Chloe, was down for the family reunion and made the most interesting japanese concoction that started off with her cooking perfect hard boiled eggs. I was stunned! She did not get my gene for cooking yucky looking hard boiled eggs.

This morning I called her and she talked me through the process. I think she laughed a little when I told her what I wanted to do.

Step 1: put the eggs in cold water( I did 14 this morning)

Step 2: get them to a rolling boil and then cover them and pull them off the heat

Step 3: wait patiently for about 18-20 minutes without lifting the cover

Step 4: immerse the eggs in an ice water till completely cooled

Step 5: Perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs!

Now I did not take pictures of this process...who wants to watch water boil? I did take pictures of the Japanese concoction process.

Step 1: peel the eggs

Step 2: Immerse in Soy Sauce that is heating on the stove

Step 3: roll around so the entire egg is covered

Step 4: remove from the Soy Sauce

Step 5: PERFECTLY COOKED Beautiful eggs with a little brown edging...

Chicken soup for the body

2011-04-18T04:15:00.000-07:00

In your largest pot combine the following

3 lbs of frozen chicken parts-hopefully they are not stuck together
1 chopped onion-made at least 1.5 cups of onion
1 chopped bunch of celery-at least two cups of chopped celery
1/2 cup minced garlic
Chicken boullion-I like the big green jar of granules (1/2 cup- or more)
basil
thyme
chicken montreal seasoning
Water to cover it all
1 generous handful of wild rice(uncooked)
1 generous handful of brown rice(uncooked)

Hopefully all of you wash your hands a gazillion times like I do when I am cooking

Bring to a boil- turn down the heat to a simmer

Big D said it was delicious! I would have to agree. And if you are not feeling well, D said it hit the spot for his upper respiratory infection.

Convenience Stir Fry

2011-04-18T04:10:00.000-07:00

I discovered at Costco-Bulgogi! Love Bulgogi.

I also love stir fry. I picked up a mammoth bag of stir fry veges at the Costco also.

When you combine the two just right-stir frying-it is just amazing.

We had that this weekend on top of a wild rice + brown rice + japanese abrorio rice + bulgar wheat combination. Added a little chopped green onion sea salt and butter to the rice cooker. It turned out quite nicely.

I have not measured anything. It has been a little of this, a little of that, oh a bit more of this type of weekend.

General Primary Board Chicken Salad

2011-03-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, Marlene G and I were in a Stake Primary presidency together. We were lucky enough to be able to host the General Board for multi-stake meetings. I would have one member and she would have another stay at her house. We would also be lucky enough to feed everyone lunch-Weren't we lucky.

We were also very sure that our own Chicken salad should be used. She thought as highly of hers as I thought of mine. We took them to a Presidency meeting to have a taste off with the other members of our presidency. We were shut down by the other members who said that they didn't prefer either one over the other. Instead a mutated version of both was developed and the end result with a mild reprimand and reminder from all of the others to not think so highly of ourselves was the following recipe

2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 - 1 cup cashews
1 lg can crushed pineapple-drained
1/4 c chopped green onion
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
coconut to taste
Equal parts mayo and Sour Cream

Combine all ingredients and chill at least one hour. Serve on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves with ritz crackers, crossaints, or french bread with a side dish of fresh fruit salad.

Broccoli Bacon Chicken Soup-FAST

2011-03-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

Frozen Broccoli-I used about 2 cups of frozen chopped Broccoli
1 C cream of Chicken
1 C of milk
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/2 cup of grated irish cheddar cheese
dash of tobasco

Put it all together in a deep glass bowl and nuked it in the microwave.

Stir after about 3 minutes. Nuke again for about 2 minutes. stir. nuke one more time until it is bubbly and heated to the temp you like your soup.

This literally took less than 10 minutes.

Tasted like I had taken all day to make it!

Pasta Fagioli ala Mento - revisited again

2011-03-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

It seems no matter what kind of changes I make to this Pasta Fagioli due to necessity or desire, it turns out awesome.

1 lb ground beef CHANGED TO thinly sliced into bite size pieces of beef tenderloin
1 lb italian sausage CHANGED to 1 lb of beef/venison sausage-thinly sliced
1 C bacon cooked-crumbled
14 ounces baby carrots
1 + C onion chopped
1 C bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 C Chopped Celery-Golly didn't have any added 1 and 1/2 cup finely chopped baby spinach and 1 C of sliced okra
1 quart homestock tomato soup or 1 quart tomato juice
48 oz diced canned tomatos with garlic and basil
2 Cans dark red kidney beans
1 Can light red kidney beans
1 quart Chicken Stock-add as needed to the thickness you want it
Italian seasoning to taste
minced garlic to taste
Kosher Salt- to taste
Pepper-to taste
black olives are totally optional...I just love them.
1 lb ounces dry pasta (salads, shells whatevers)
couple dashes of tabasco

cook beef, sausage, bacon till browned. add veges.

Just start throwing in everything---EXCEPT the pasta. That is last if you are cooking for a long time.

Serve with grated parmesan on top.

If making the soup a day ahead- wait to put in cooked pasta until 1 hour before serving.

Killing the fatted calf before my kids leave for Germany

2011-02-12T12:09:00.001-08:00

I decided to remember what I served.

Brisket-homemade bbq sauce-don't even ask we won't remember, except-vinegar, molasses, ketchup, mesquite seasoning, ancho chile relish, worcestershire sauce...and a few others

Chicken Pasta Salad with garam masala, cashews, grapes, manderins, green onions, celery. Homemade mayo with orange marmalade....mmmm.

Green Salad-basics-tomatos, black olives spring salad mix-multiple choices for dressings

Fruit bar- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, apples, bananas and strawberry flavored-heart shaped marshmallows. Dips, dark chocolate, nutella and caramel cinnamon.

Starters- Chips Salsa-a couple of DL Jardines

4 mini cheese balls-1) chutney,2) apricot, 3) bacon, and 4) jalepeno and HamSpread ala Chloe R.-Thanks Aunt Chloe. served with baskets of crackers and french bread

Desserts...well the fruit bar counts, but razzleberry pie and chocolate french silk pie. Chocolates out the wazooh!

Yep...that is about it.

Potato Leek Soup....my way

2011-01-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/4 C butter
3 Leeks-sliced finely-and cleaned well
2 tablespoons snipped chives/onions
1/2 C minced mushrooms
1/2 C finely sliced carrots
1/2 C cooked crumbled bacon
3-4 larger red potatoes, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine(totally optional)
5 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream

Once all your veges are sliced/chopped/diced/minced...put the butter in the stock pot to melt. Add in the order listed in the ingredients. STOP after the potatoes add1/2 C stock or the optional liquid. Let simmer until the fluid is about gone. Add seasonings and fluid after about 10 minutes. LOWER THE Heat. Don't let it burn stir quite often. Let simmer till the carrots and potatoes are tender.

Perfect dinner for a chilly night.

Flat enchilas Over the top!

2011-01-14T15:03:00.000-08:00

Flat enchiladas kicked up a notch or two.

I wanted flat enchiladas tonight. Didn't have eggs to fry and put on top.

Sooo...

The sauce was Hatch Green enchilada sauce,
added 2 TBLs of Sour Cream
1/2 c of Artichoke Pesto(HEB)
sauteed shrimp(peeled and deveined)
sharp cheddar/mexican blend cheese

Heat up the corn tortillas as normal. Dip in the Green Sour Cream Artichoke sauce-generously
put a 5 or 6 cooked shrimp on top, add the cheese generously.

Continue the layers till happy with the levels you want. After the last cheese layer add a couple of Spoonfuls of the green sauce over the top.

Heat in the Microwave to get the cheese to melting...and eat enchiladas that are absolutely over the top!

Portuguese Seafood Stewp

2011-01-10T16:29:00.000-08:00

It was cold. I wanted something warm. We had huge scallops that needed to be used. Last night we had Scallops wrapped in bacon and baked. Tonight we wanted something different.

6 huge scallops
2 link sausage
2 frozen cod filets
1 lb of brown wild gulf shrimp(frozen, peeled and deveined)
1 lb green mussels
1 lb clams
Couple of dashes of Tobasco
Couple of dashes cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 (3 cups) frozen okra
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped celery
1 c chopped bell pepper
3/4 c chopped carrot
1/4 c butter
1 qt chicken stock.
1 can Red kidney beans

Start with melting the butter and then add the holy trinity of cajun food(onion, celery, bell pepper-I also added the carrots) saute.

everything starts getting crazy and mixed in fast here. You want the broth to have the seafood flavors so adding all of these at the right time is most important. the fish, the shrimp, sausage, broth, tomatoes, okra should be combined pretty much one at a time, making sure the stew pot keeps hot for cooking the different ingredients cook quickly and thoroughly. Add the seasonings and tobasco to taste. Add the mussels and clams and drained red kidney beans at the last.

Great over rice or as a stoup. Perfect on a cold night.

The absolute original Chex Mix the way I Like it.

2010-12-30T03:15:00.000-08:00

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup salted mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Oven Directions Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container. If you like it darker, just a few minutes more. More tang, more worcestershire sauce. I also add a bit more in the seasonings. It is always according to personal taste.

The infamous Gingerbread boy recipe- A True TNT

2010-12-21T20:10:00.000-08:00

1/3 c butter or margarine or coconut oil(just one of them)
1 C brown sugar
1 1/2 C molasses
cold H20
7 cups flour sifted
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt

combine first 3 with a 1/2 cup h20. Blend thorougly.
combine flour and spices and add gradually to molasses mixture.
dissolve Baking soda in 3 TBLs of H20 add to mixture.
Chill
Roll out and cut
350 for 15-18 minutes for 1/2 inch thick gingerbread boys

If you could see the book this recipe came out of...you would absolutely know it is tried and true.

Chocolate Macaroons

2010-12-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
1/4 tsp Mexican Vanilla
1 C unsweetened coconut
6 oz of Semisweet Choc chip- the darker the better for my taste-melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat Egg whites and salt till almost stiff, add sugar and continue beating til whites stand in peaks.

Add flavorings.

Fold in Coconut

Add melted chocolate and mix well.

Teaspoonfuls on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Bake 15 minutes, cool and remove from paper.

Family Favorite-Fried Okra

2010-12-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Fry it crisp and at the right temp or it may be slimey

Southern Fried Okra
1 pound fresh okra
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Wash and slice okra; pat dry with paper towels.
Combine eggs and buttermilk; add okra, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper.
Drain okra, small portions at a time, using a slotted spoon.
Dredge okra, small portions at a time, in flour mixture.
Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3-inches in a Dutch oven of deep-fat fryer and heat to 375°F (190°C). Fry okra until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

King Ranch Chicken

2010-12-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

2 lbs chicken
season with onion, garlic, celery, simmer till done, save stock. If
this is whole chicken, debone. (I like boneless skinless)cut into
bite size pieces

1 dozen corn tortillas
1 Can cream of Mushroom soup
1 C Sour Cream
1 small can of sliced black olives
½ C chopped bell pepper
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 lb of grated cheddar cheese
1 can ROTEL tomatoes

Line bottom of 9x3 with one layer of corn tortillas(3-4) sprinkle ¼ c
of stock over it. Combine in bowl soup, sour cream, peppers, and ½ half
the olives Tabasco. Layer half of the chicken, then half of the
combined sauces, and half of the cheese (like a lasagna). Repeat the
tortillas, stock, chicken, sauce and half the cheese. Top with the
entire can of Rotel tomatoes and the remaining olives. Bake at 350°
until hot and bubbly.

Yummo!

Tamales Oh Yes!

2010-11-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

My Grandmother was from Mexico. From what my mom says...she made tamales a lot. My mom wishes that she had taken the time to help/watch/learn how to cook from her mother. She also told me that my tamales would make my abuelita proud.

Tamales
First- Have a lot of time!

Filling

2.5-3 lbs of meat (chicken, pork) for a small batch, increase incrementally with the amount of meat
Chili powder- light and dark
Cumin
Garlic
Onion
Salt
Red chilies

Combine the above. Cook to the smell. The mixture needs to have the most wonderful chili/comino/garlic/onion smell even when combining…Cover with water and cook until tender/falling apart, then grind or shred. The mixture should be moist, not soupy or dry.

Masa-
5 C Masa
5 C Broth( the left over’s from cooking the chicken) with additional cumin onion, garlic, and additional chicken broth
1 lb of Lard, Crisco- I use butter flavor...it really is so good.

Should have a nice consistency- not sticky, not too dry, malleable yet cohesive.

Corn Husks- They should have soaked in warm water for an hour and a half before using.

Preparation. Could use a knife or a spreader, I prefer using the original tool for making them…my hands…they will always be wet, need to be clean and washed often in the process. Steam- approximately 1 hour. More or less…pull one out and and see if it sticks to the husk, if so…the tamales are not done.

Is it a vegetable or a dessert?

2010-10-21T02:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know. But we like it. Okay...we devour it!

1 small butternut squash, about 2 pounds
2 apples, cored, peeled, sliced then chunked
about 1/4 cup butter
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
brown sugar sprinkled to your liking on top of it all

Peel squash, scoop out seeds, and cut in small pieces.
Place squash and apple slices in baking dish , one night it was in the oven and the next time it was in a glass corning ware with a lid.
I have a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and regular sugar in a shaker for cinnamon toast. I usually use that liberally on top of the squash and apples. Add bits of butter all over the squash/apples/seasonings. Then top with the brown sugar. Be brave you can do it!
Bake butternut squash casserole at 400° for about 25 to 30 minutes or in the microwave cover and cook until cooked to a mashable consistency. (DON"T MASH) Oven results produces a syrup glaze ... Microwave not so, still tastes awesome.

If you don't like taking on a squash to cut and chop- go to Costco and get the butternut squash already chopped ready to use. If you are really short of time they even have apples cored and sliced and all you have to do is chunk those.

2010-09-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

I have really been a in a cooking mode this last week. Thank heaven Carrie moved in. We had become fairly stagnant here when it comes to food.

* Last week I made Turkey sandwiches, complete with sprouts, swiss cheese, avocado, lingonberry jam, completed with homemade mayo.

* D got a reuben. His was done with swedish red cabbage and swiss with mustard all heated till melting...

* Last night, I wanted a quick lite dinner. pulled out a half of a full chicken breast. Sauteed it with mushrooms, hatch green chili, fresh green peas, mixed with salt and pepper to taste and finished off with a bit of sour cream. This lovely bright combination was served over extra wide noodles. Just a perfect lite dinner.

I wonder what this week will bring.

Thinking scallops/shrimp crepes.... and Green chicken enchiladas.

It was either going to be Green Chicken enchiladas or Crepes

2010-09-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

CREPES WON!!!!

1 and 1/2 chicken breast diced (they were huge)
1 shallot diced
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 Tbls butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 c White wine(optional)
Start with butter in the skillet, add the chicken saute'. Add the shallots, celery, mushrooms, white wine, salt and pepper to taste. When the chicken is cooked all the way through add the broccoli florets. Let simmer for a few minutes. Add to the juices that are now in the pan
2 Tbls flour
whisk it in quickly as it will thicken quickly...add
1 cup heavy cream or milk
Pull it off the heat and let it sit while you make the crepes

Crepes

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 c milk
2 TBLs melted butter

Whisk all together- pour about 1/4 to 1/2 c of batter into a hot lightly greased crepe pan. Cook till browned on one side.

To Serve...spoon Chicken mixture into the crepe and roll like an enchilada! Eat and enjoy

Happy Happy Happy family over here.

The rain changed our plans

2010-09-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

for dinner last night. Carrie moved in on Sunday night and I had decided that dinner was going to be steaks on the bar-b with EVOO roasted potatoes and corn on the cob. The rain put a damper on those plans. Instead, I cut up sirloin steak into strips grilling it in the cast iron frying pan with leeks, garlic, and artichokes using EVOO and a parmesan italian seasoning.. It went wonderfully with the Loaf of Olive bread from the Mandola bakery that was dipped in an awesome basalmic dipping sauce that I had been holding onto from Volkers from Utah. I added a salad made with freshly made marinated mozzarella, tomatos, romaine topped with a fresh made caeser salad dressing!

None of us missed having the Steaks on the Bar-b.

Birthday Carrot Cheesecake

2010-06-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
***Cheesecake:***
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
***Carrot Cake:***
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 1/2 ounces can crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained well, reserve juice
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
***Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:***
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice

Directions:

In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in flour, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside. Meanwhile prepare Carrot Cake.

Carrot Cake:

In large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; mix well. Stir in dry ingredients; mixing well. Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1 1/2 c. carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9- or 9 1/2" springform pan. Drop cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter by spoonfuls; top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife. Do not marble with a knife. Bake in preheated 350ºF oven for 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. When cake is cold, prepare Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a bowl of electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and reserved pineapple juice. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frost top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

This is what kind of Cake I made for D's 54th birthday! mmmmmm

The Dish that won his heart

2010-06-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

Well, at least 32 years ago it got a proposal afterwards.

Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 lb boneless beef sirloin steak
2 Tablespoons of Butter
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 cup chopped or thinly sliced mushrroms.
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup sour cream
6 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles
1. Cut the beef with the grain into 2-inch strips, then cut the strips across the grain into 1/8-inch slices. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Add onion and mushrooms
2. Stir in soup, salt and pepper to taste. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender.
3. Stir in ketchup and sour cream until well blended. Serve over noodles.

Now a few notes; I used an all natural beef shoulder roast-no additives or hormones were fed to the blessed cattle that supplied the beef. It Tasted better than the regular beef quite frankly. I also used organic Ketchup. No High fructose corn syrup. I was quite pleased with the outcome. From now on I will be trying to post changes that we are making in our diet to avoid GMF's in our diet.

If you want an interesting video to watch, check out Food Inc. We watched it on Monday night and it has given us a new thought process in our everyday eating habits.

A new Taste of Heaven

2010-05-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup molasses
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate(2 Tbls of unsweetened chocolate powder)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

roll out, cut, bake, eat.

okay...there is a little more.

Directions

Combine butter or margarine, molasses, and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Heat until chocolate melts. Stir until smooth.
Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt. Stir in melted chocolate mixture and milk. Mix well. Chill until firm.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C) for about 10 minutes.

PLEASE READ THIS FOR MY SHORTCUTS!!!

What I did, I did not use a double boiler. I melted the butter in the Microwave, added the molasses and the unsweetened chocolate powder(Hershey's Dark) and whisked it. I also did not chill until firm. I just couldn't wait that long

I make a pretty good vegan cook!

2010-03-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

I have a son who is vegan. I have learned to adapt recipes that I love to fit his dietary needs. He really wanted a pizza. I figured out that I can adapt my pizza recipe to a vegan happy dish. Instead of adding one egg to the yeast dough, I replace it with Olive oil( about 2 Tablespoons. Let it rise the normal way and it works just as well as my original dough. I use tons of fresh veges including spinach, mushrooms, onions and olives along with a cheese free pasta sauce. I used a meatless sausage. For the " cheese " topping I use the vegan friendly mozzarella type cheese substitute. I have done it twice now with wonderful outcomes. It is nice to know that it can be changed that way.

I have made meatless Pasta Fagioli twice now. I used the original Pasta Fagioli recipe with very few changes. But both times have been very successful. Added no meat, more red pepper, vegetable broth, a couple of splashes of Tobasco, and substituted regular pasta with whole wheat pasta. this last time, I added celery, peppers, sliced leeks(one stalk) and two cans of okra with tomatoes for a little change. To Big D's and mine I added grated cheese when it was time to serve. Very nice outcome both times!

Chicken Rolls with a touch of Green

2010-03-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

I am staying with Wonder Womna(my Daughter in law) this week and she told me about her favorite comfort food. Something I had never heard of before. She told me that when her mother wanted the kids to show up at her house she would make these little slices of heaven and then call the kids and tell them what was for dinner. I have heard it was a no fail device!

1 Pkg of Cream Cheese
1 stick of butter
4 cups of diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup to 1 Cup chopped Green onion
salt pepper to taste
4 Tbl milk

Cream butter and cream cheese together till smooth. Add everything else to the cream cheese and butter. Stir it up.

open up a Crescent Roll package, roll it out as if for cinnamon rolls. Use half the mixture for one can of Crescents. Roll up, slice with white thread about an inch thick, and then place on a baking sheet. We sprayed the pan with baking spray first. Bake at 3:50 for 20 minutes.

The customary gravy is 1/2 C milk with 1 C Cream of celery. Mix, and heat!

Now this was absolutely wonderful. Little slices of Heaven!

I was thinking that chopped cashews would be more icing on the cake on this. But then I think cashews could be added to almost anything. IMHO.

Kristine and Jeni...THANK YOU FOR sharing. it was so amazing

necessity is the mother of invention

2010-03-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

I really wanted pie or a cobbler today. It wasn't happening. Sad. Then I discovered that Jeni(where I am staying this week!) had canned peaches, canned apricots, and craisins. I made an upside down fruit bowl cake. It turned out really good.(Well that is what they told me!) Added Madagascar vanilla, brown sugar and cinnamon to the fruit combo. Drained the fruit and then added it to the box of butter cake mix. TASTY! Serve warm with Blue Bell Homemade vanilla Ice cream and you have the most delightful twist on a pineapple upside down cake.

New England Boiled Dinner

2010-03-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite comfort foods in March is a Boiled Dinner, why it is called New England has to do with the foods that are boiled together. It is the basis of a traditional New England meal, consisting of corned beef or a smoked "picnic ham" shoulder, with cabbage and added vegetable items, often including potato, carrot, and onion. The Other vegetables that are thrown in by different folks were the veges that would survive long term storage during New England winters prior to indoor refrigeration. Those other veges were parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas. When using a beef roast, this meal is often known simply as corned beef and cabbage even with the addition of other vegetables. Corned Beef and Cabbage has also become known as an Irish meal and has always been an important part to my celebration of St Patrick's Day.

I start out at the Top o' the mornin' prepping cutting onions, potatoes and carrots. Throwing them all in the Crockpot to simmer with the corned beef. Fill it with water and leave it alone while it simmers the day away.

Note: Lately the producers of Corned beef are lightening up on the salt they put in the beef. I have actually had to add salt to get the veges flavorful enough to our liking.

Cooking on Valentines Day weekend!

2010-02-14T14:04:00.001-08:00

Doing a Pork Tenderloin today...baking it with bacon strips and raspberry chipolte sauce. Been busy cooking this weekend. Shrimp linquini side dish.

Did Apple Slices, Pineapple chunks, and Banana Slices in Melted dark chocolate. The Twist is they were then dipped in crushed almonds, crushed chocolate cookies, or valentine sprinkles.

2010-01-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

the ultimate Stir Fry pasta. This was done some time ago when M was staying with us.

Cook the angel hair pasta first-al dente. In a small fry pan(like the pannekokean pan) add olive oil and butter...put in semi frozen pieces of chicken with pesto and garlic. This is an individual serving. Each one is done seperately. Add about a Tablespoon of pesto and a pinch of minced garlic...once the meat is almost done, add fresh tomatos, canned artichoke hearts, and the vege of your choice...D wanted brocoli, M and I had spinach. The Brocoli was semi frozen brocoli pieces and the spinach for M and I was fresh. The next ingredient is adding the pasta. I have a spaghetti ladle so to D's I added two helpings, to M's I added one and to mine I added 1 1/2 servings of angel hair pasta. Stir this around like a stir fry. Add Feta to your liking and another Tablespoon of pesto. M added more olive oil and green onions and who all knows what...D's and mine were the original.

To say it was good would be putting it mildly...D is not a monster fan of pasta...I am. HE devoured it and said it was better than anything he had ever had in a restaurant. The key is to have the individual decide exactly how much they want of all of the core ingredients. I just wanted a few pieces of the bite sized chicken tender meat, D's had more. M wanted more veges. But I have to say...It was unbelievably good. We got the idea from Drive-ins, diners and dives off of The Foodnetwork!

Quick enchiladas for two.

2010-01-18T03:26:00.000-08:00

I just made two kinds of enchiladas...yummo

Green Sour Cream Chicken ones...yummm
Okay...recipe request...

easy way...cook the boneless skinless chicken in the Hatch Green Enchilada sauce. Then use the meat to fill the lightly fried corn tortilla(1-2 TBl) and finish filling with a handful of cheese. Roll up. Smother in the green enchilada sauce that has had 2 Tbls sour cream added to it. Cover with Cheese-NUKE.(the chicken had been cooked yesterday)

and Chili Cheese ones...YMMMMMMMMMM

Lightly fried corn tortilla- big ole handful of cheese rolled up in the tortilla. Smother with favorite chili(yes from a can for quick enchiladas-Cattle Drive is an excellent brand with wonderful flavor) and then cover with cheese to your happiness-NUKE

Yes that is how I made dinner tonight and D and I couldn't have been happier if we had gone to a restaurant...This way we could eat in our flannels and stay warm-no tip!!! We both had two of each...oh it was so good and wonderful. NO WAITING FOR A TABLE. Start to finish without cooking the chicken which was cooked yesterday= 10 minutes.

Note: originally posted LJ 1-25-08

Beef Barley Soup

2010-01-18T03:23:00.000-08:00

2 leeks(thinly sliced)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 shoot or stem of celery thinly sliced
1/4 of a white onion
2 Tsp of minced garlic
1 cup of baby carrots or thinly sliced carrots
1.5 to 2 lbs of stew meat...small pieces
3/4 c of barley pearls
1 quart box of beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 can of diced tomatoes
dash of Uncle Chris Steak seasoning, or Tony Cacheres if you have it...

in large soup pot put in about 2-3 TBL EVOO. heat up. add 1 Leek's worth, the mushrooms, celery, carrots, onion garlic and let it saute in the dish. Salt and pepper and season to taste. Add the beef let it brown up with the veges. add the beef broth and then the barley pearls. Last thing to add is the diced tomatoes and the second leek. let them simmer together until the barley is to a biting stage-in other words you won't break your teeth on them. Serve with rolls or crackers...

Edit:...I made this a 2nd time...except I used meat from my freezer that had been seasoned with TEX MEX Seasoning...it was really good-TexMex seasoning has cumin, chili powder, garlic...Big D loved it!...Oh I also didn't have beef broth and I used chicken broth...and I had stewed tomatoes...Still was very very good.

Shrimp Salad ala Florentine

2010-01-18T03:18:00.000-08:00

Half package of frozen Shrimp(2 lb bag)
half package salad macaroni-cooked with chicken boullion
Mayo
dried onions about 2 tblsp
peas- frozen kind/not can kind-about two handfuls
1 small can of sliced black olives
cheese(mix) shredded- about 1/2 cup or more
tzatziki-about 1/4 cup
and two or three handfuls of fresh spinach...

I really liked it. I love the spinach freshness! The way I cook is everything to taste...

Turkey Soup con rice

2010-01-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

I made a Turkey dinner on Sunday. Decided to keep the carcass for a Turkey soup. Tonight was the night.

I put the entire turkey carcass in my biggest pot. Chopped up a 1/2 onion, 1 c of celery, 1 cup baby carrots, didn't have garlic so I added a Tbl of granulated garlic instead. I poured in the stock from the turkey pan which was rich with all that I had added to the turkey(including stuffing). Added two more containers of boullion and with warm water. Simmered the whole mess over medium heat for a couple of hours. Added about 3/4 C of barley, 3/4 C of Wild/brown rice and 3/4 cup of red rice. Let it stew for another hour.

It is so tasty.

Pasta Fagioli ala Mento - revisited

2010-01-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

I love making Pasta Fagioli. I love making it for soup day at our school. I added a few variations this year. I used a commercial pasta sauce and thinned it with water and a red wine. I also added dried red pepper, a ton of cumin, garlic, basil, celery and onion. I was not happy with the penne pasta and would have felt better with the regular salad macs. I used a 1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage and a half lb of hamburger. Dan loves it. says it is the best and not to lose the recipe. I hardly ever cook anything exactly the same way twice. Sad really. Hope I can re-create this one.

Gosh....I haven't been cooking much

2010-01-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

it's time to start again. Today was the day to start. Big D and I bought a Turkey yesterday and I got it thawed and cooked with the help of pre-made cornbread dressing. Thanks Chloe. I had it in the Freezer. Made rolls and fresh brussel sprouts. One thing to be careful of when using a baking bag, which I used today, is to not let it touch the elements when you put it in the oven. So for a cooking tip today...that would be mine to you.

Sea Scallops in Massachusetts

2009-11-17T04:28:00.000-08:00

I hate it when I forget passwords and sign ins...it is exasperating.

I haven't been cooking as much...I have been traveling working and going about a hundred miles an hour.

The last new thing I cooked was ever so simple. Sea Scallops .

I was in Massachusetts visiting my sister and she had a meat store not too far away from her house. The scallops were about the size of my fist. First things first, Pat down the scallops with a paper towel to remove some of the excess water.

In a hot skillet melt butter and add a bit of EVOO, how much you ask...that depends on how many scallops you are cooking. Do not let the butter burn. Add chopped shallots and leeks to the pan at the same time you add the scallops. Turn down the heat and let them steam. Add a bit of cream towards the end. Salt and pepper to taste.

So easy, I didn't really measure what I used of anything, but it was heaven in my mouth.

From Susi, Braised Chicken with Peanut Sauce.

2009-06-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

Yummy recipe that I made for dinner tonight. I am watching my calories and so this is a Weight Watcher recipe!

Ingredients:
2 t olive oil
6 (1/4 lb.) chiken breast halves, it didn't say so I used boneless/skinless
1 Lg onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped and seeded
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t curry powder
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1 C reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 (6 oz can) tomato paste
1/4 Cup reduced fat peanut butter, OK, I used the regular Skippy.
2 t lemon juice
3 C hot cooked white rice
3 T chopped dry roasted peanuts

1-Heat the oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Tranfer to a plate.

2-Add the ohnion and garlic to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the bell pepper, cumin, curry powder, oregano, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant , about 2 minutes.

3-Add the broth and tomato paste; bring to a boil, stirring to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

4-Combine the peanut butter with some of the liquid from the Dutch oven; mix to form a smooth paste. Stir the peanut butter mixture into the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer , stirring constantly. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the peanuts.

We both liked this very much....fyi, one chicken breast with rice and 1/2 cup of sauce is 8 points WW.

The Best Tortellini Ever!

2009-06-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Boil tortellini according to pkg

The sauce

One pound pork and beef sausage links-sliced into thin rounds
1/2 C chopped onion
1/4 C butter
1 C fresh spinach
1 tsp pesto-tubular
1 tsp sun dried tomato-tubular
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Can stewed tomatos
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 Cabernet-optional
1 C cream
1/2 cup grated english white farm cheddar
1/2 cup feta-cow based
salt and pepper to taste

drain the olives.

Saute sausage-onion in the butter. Add pesto, sundried tomato, garlic, and stewed tomatoes. Mix gently. Add cream. let come to a bubbling simmer, turn down the heat a bit. Add the spinach, gently fold. Add the cheeses and olives. Heat through and let the cheeses melt.

Blend with drained tortellini. Great Sunday afternoon dinner

Teriyaki Meatballs

2009-06-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

One bottle teriyaki sauce
One can of pineapple chunks
1/4 c of brown sugar

One bag of pre-made meatballs.

mix all together. Heat thoroughly...Watch it get devoured. This can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish. For a main dish, steamed rice is an excellent choice for a side dish.

It is even better with thinly sliced onion or even bell pepper

Deviled Ham Pate`

2009-06-09T07:37:00.002-07:00

What is a Pate? It is minced meat mixed with a "fat" to a spreadable consistency.

This deviled ham Pate is minced ham(put through the food processor) mixed with Mayo and minced green onion. It is not smooth. It is delicious and almost anyone who tastes it LOVES it.

Three ingredients. Simple, yet delicious and delightful to the taste. It is wonderful in a sandwich, on crackers, on small cocktail rolls, on dark rye bread, and I have actually seen folks eat it with a fork.

Ingredients for filling a medium size mold-It is moldable and holds it shape which is very nice.

2.5 lbs of a good deli ham- note that you can use leftover spiral ham
1.5 c mayo
1 bunch green onion

Process Ham in food processor until finely chopped. I chop the green onion separately. Mix all three ingredients together and press into a plastic wrapped lined mold.

garnish with sliced black olives or whole black olives.

Confetti Chili

2009-06-09T07:37:00.001-07:00

Confetti Chili was on the menu yesterday.

1 lb of finely sliced pork

2 lb of finely sliced beef

cup of onion chopped coarsely

add 2 TBLS of minced Garlic

brown all of this in a melted stick of butter in a nice sized dutch oven

Add Dark Chili powder-2 TBLS Add Light Chili powder-2 TBLS

Add 2 TBLS ground cumin

Add almost 1/4 C of Masa (corn tortilla flour)

Add 1 Can Chopped tomatoes- do not drain

1 C liquid- water or a liquid of your choice

1 drained can each of the following, Black Beans, Light red Beans, Dark Red Beans, Pinto Beans

a pound of yellow Cherry tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

I added about 1 tsp of smoked salt.

Let this simmer on low for about an hour, The tomatoes pop, the broth is thickened. and it is ready to go.

This was perfect for a rainy blustery day yesterday...And the best part...it is perfect warmed up today.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

2009-06-09T07:36:00.001-07:00

2 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
2/3 C. mayonnaise
1/2 C. evaporated milk
4 chicken breasts, cooked & diced
1/2 C. shredded cheese (any type)( It looks gorgeous with a yellow sharp)
1 T. lemon juice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 t. curry powder(optional)
1 C. bread crumbs(optional)

Cook broccoli according to package directions and drain well. Place in a
lightly greased 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish and top with chicken. Combine
remaining ingredients (except bread crumbs), stirring well.

Spoon mixture over chicken. Top with bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Corn Dip

2009-06-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

4 cans Green Giant MexiCorn
1 sm can chopped green chilies
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 whole bunch green onions, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup mayo
8 oz. sour cream
Tblspn cumin
Tblspn chili powder

Mix and chill.

Classic Waldorf Salad

2009-06-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup apples chopped, (Granny smith or a Sweet tart apple or a combination of different tart apples)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Sprinkle apples with lemon juice after they are cut
Add all other ingredients.

Toss to coat all pieces with mayonnaise.

Big D and I were talking about this just last night...and how having one would be really good...Think I will make it today.

There is a site on line http://www.kitchenproject.com/history that has classic recipes if you are looking for some kind of comfort food from days gone by

Pasta Fagioli ala Mento

2009-06-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

1 lb ground beef
1 lb italian sausage
1 C bacon cooked-crumbled
14 ounces baby carrots
1 + C onion chopped
1 C bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 C Chopped Celery
1 quart homestock tomato soup or 1 quart tomato juice
48 oz diced canned tomatos with garlic and basil
2 Cans dark red kidney beans
1 Can light red kidney beans
1 quart Chicken Stock-add as needed to the thickness you want it
Italian seasoning to taste
minced garlic to taste
Kosher Salt- to taste
Pepper-to taste
black olives are totally optional...I just love them.
1 lb ounces dry pasta (salads, shells whatevers)
couple dashes of tabasco

cook beef, sausage, bacon till browned. add veges.

Just start throwing in everything---EXCEPT the pasta. That is last if you are cooking for a long time.

Broccoli Shrimp Lasagna...a contribution from Trudy of Iowa

2009-06-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

I live in Iowa. How then, you might ask, do I get shrimp that's fresh enough to do anything good with it? During the fair weather months, a man who lives in Minnesota drives down to the gulf coast regularly and buys fresh seafood there, filling coolers in his big truck. Then he makes his way back up to the midwest, stopping in towns who otherwise would be hard-pressed to get unfrozen seafood. It's mostly shrimp and crab, and sometimes red snapper or some other fish, but it's so nice to get it fresh! Sometimes I buy several pounds and then freeze it in such a way that it doesn't taste like it has been, after being thawed. (You fill a big gallon-size ziplock with the shrimp, then cover them with enough water that they will be locked inside the ice block, immune from freezer-burn. Below is a recipe we had recently, containing some of that great shrimp.

Broccoli Shrimp Lasagna:

6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained, then rinsed in hot water.
3 TBSP margarine
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. scallions, or green onions, sliced
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. thyme (dried)
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
2 1/2 c. skim milk
1 c. monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 pound broccoli florets
2 1/2 c. lowfat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pound shrimp, cooked and deveined
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

Melt margarine in med. saucepan over med. heat. Stir in flour, onions, salt, dry mustard, thyme and ground cayenne. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat. Add monterey jack cheese, stir until melted.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In ungreased 13 x 9 inch pan (3 qt) baking dish, layer 1/2 c. sauce, 3 noodles, all of the broccoli, the mushrooms, 1/2 c. of the cheddar cheese and 1 c. sauce.

Top with remaining noodles, all of the shrimp, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, the remaining sauce and then the remaining cheese on the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Florentine Pizza(women like it according to Trudy!)

2009-06-09T07:26:00.002-07:00

This was a contribution from Trudy.

I say women like this because my husband isn't crazy aboutit, being a traditional pepperoni guy, but all the women I've served it to said it was great. Again, it's an altered recipe that I tweaked (started out as a sandwich).

Ingredients:
1 10-oz. can Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust
1 9-oz. pkg frozen spinach
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 c. red onion, chopped or slivered
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP vinegar (cider, red wine or balsamic)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c. Italian salad dressing
6 4-inch slices Provolone cheese
1 t. Italian dressing mix powder

Place chicken breasts in cake pan and pour Italian dressing over them, turning to coat both sides (if they are more than an inch thick, cut them in half across or flatten with rolling pin between plastic or waxed paper).
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or cook in frying pan until tender. Cool enough to handle and chop.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll pizza dough, place in 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Starting at center, press out dough to edges of pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. cool for at least 15 minutes or completely.
Meanwhile, cook spinach as directed on package. Drain well; squeeze dry with paper towels.
In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, 1 t. Italian dressing powder, and minced garlic clove. Refrigerate.
Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; cook and stir 2-3 minuts or until crisp-tender. Add sugar and vinegar. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3-5 minutes or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Spread mayonnaise mixture over pizza crust. Next, layer cheese slices to cover. Then add onions, chicken and spinach. Broil for about three minutes or until golden-brown and serve immediately.

Argentine Chicken

2009-06-09T07:26:00.001-07:00

A tasty winter meal, but also good in summer when sweet corn is freshly available.

This serves four.

Ingredients:
one whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in chunks.
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBSP virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 med to large tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 t. marjoram
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn or kernels shaved off fresh cobs
1 small onion, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet and add chicken, turning for even cooking, and remove when tender. Keep warm. Saute onion and garlic in skillet. Add tomatoes, bay leaf and marjoram; simmer 10 minutes. Add corn and chicken and heat through, mixing well with sauce.

New Crazy Dessert

2009-06-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

dedicated to Big D and his obsession for a good Cream Pie Shake that has Chocolate, Coconut and Banana in it.

Tonight we had company for dinner and I needed a new dessert But I didn't have time to make a pie, so I improvised.

I took a pie crust mix that you add water to and added about 3/4 C powdered sugar and 1/2 C chopped pecans and the customary 1/3 C water...mixed it and pressed into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Baked it at 400 for about 10-15 minutes...let it cool.

I then took a cooked coconut pie filling recipe and made it according to the recipe(this one needed eggs, butter and vanilla). To this mixture I added two bananas, mashed. Cooked this mixture till it was thick. spread it out on the crust. placed this in the Fridge to cool

Then I took a cook and serve Chocolate pudding and mixed that up according to directions, well almost. I mixed with whipping cream instead of milk and cooked it. When it was thick, spread it out on top of the banana coconut topping. Put it back in the Fridge to cool.

Believe it or not this was all done in less than an hour and dessert was ready when dinner was over(got home after 5) Used a little canned whipped cream to decorate each piece and it was a hit.

2009-06-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

A great weight watchers recipe from Susi.

I got this recipe from a Weight Watchers cookbook. I served it to guests and one man went back for 3rds and requested the recipe. It is not beautiful on the plate but is fine with the right accompaniments/sides. It is one of my most successful recipes. Be warned that the key is the overnight marinade (or 8 hours)! I am including the WW information too.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 Minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
8 (1/4 pound) skinless boneless chicken thighs (OK, I used breasts.)
1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
3/4 C chopped pitted dates
1/4 cup raisins
12 stuffed pimiento-stuffed green olives, halved
2 T packed brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T dried basil
1 T drained capers
1 T olive oil
2 t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1/2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth

1-Combine the chicken, artichokes, dates, raisins, olvies, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, basil, capers, oil, oregano, salt and pepper in a large zip lock bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag, turn to coat the chicken. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally at least 8 hours or overnight.

2-Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the chicken from the marinate and arrange in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Pour the marinate over the chicken, add the broth. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 35-45 minutes. (I found it took longer with the chicken breasts.)

Per serving-1 thigh with about 1/2 c sauce: 287 calories, 11g Fat, 3 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 76 mg Chol, 623 mg Sod, 25g Carb, 3 g Fib, 23g Protein, 44 mg Calc. POINTS: 6

Serve with brown rice and increase points by 2.

PS-This is a great leftover meal too.

Market Street Grill Clam chowder

2009-06-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

This is from my friend Susi again...This is the yummy clam chowder recipe that they serve at a fabulous restaurant in SLC called Market Street Grill. We somehow got the recipe out of them. Enjoy!

Market Street Clam Chowder

One cup diced potatoes
One cup diced celery
One cup diced onions
One cup diced green pepper
One cup diced leeks
¾ cup chopped clams
¾ tbsp ground black pepper
1 ½ tbsp salt
¾ tbsp whole thyme
6 bay leaves
One tsp Tabasco
¾ cup sherry
Two cups water
¾ cup clam juice
¾ cup melted butter
One cup flour
Two quarts half & half

Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 for 30 minutes. In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half & half. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into
Chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half & half until blended. Heat to serving temperature. Stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 servings

Sweet and Sour chicken

2009-06-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

This one was a contribution from Barbara Pease!

preheat oven to 350 degrees

one chicken cut up
one bottle Russian Salad Dressing
one package onion soup mix
one jar Apricot Preserves

Mix Salad Dressing, soup mix and preserves. Pour over chicken and cook for about 1 hour.

Serve over rice.

It's GOOD

Twist on Pasta Salad

2009-06-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is from my friend Susi K L...

This is a great pasta salad that I found on the internet. I searched for something to do with smoked mozzarella cheese. I substitute 'meat' tortellini with Italian sausage and if I have any vegetarians, just use cheese tortellini. EASY and delicious and especially nice with fresh basil. CHEERS.

Tortellini-Mozzarella Salad
Source: Cooking at a Glance - Pasta

Makes 4 main-dish servings

If you need to make the salad ahead of time, reserve the mozzarella and add it right before serving time so it doesn't become mushy or rubbery.

INGREDIENTS
5 ounces dried or 10 ounces fresh meat-filled tortellini
1 1/2 cups cubed plain or smoked mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 of a medium red or yellow sweet pepper, cubed
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 small head radicchio, divided into leaf cups, or 4 leaf lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan or pasta pot bring 3 quarts water to boiling. Add pasta. Reduce heat slightly. Boil, uncovered, 15 minutes for dried pasta and 8-10 minutes for fresh, or till al dente, stirring occasionally. (Or, cook according to package directions.) Immediately drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again thoroughly.

In a medium mixing bowl combine cooked tortellini, mozzarella cheese, and red or yellow sweet pepper.

In a screw-top jar combine basil, oil, white wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar. Cover; shake well. Pour over pasta mixture and gently toss to coat all ingredients with dressing. Serve salad in radicchio cups or on lettuce leaves.

2009-06-09T07:01:00.002-07:00

French Toast Casserole

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Comment by Trudy on August 10, 2008 at 3:53pm: Delete CommentI am definitely going to try this recipe, since it sounds awesome.

2009-06-09T07:01:00.001-07:00

Chimichangas ala Mento

1 lb stew meat stripped in small (very small) pieces
4 larger flour tortillas
Onion-minced dehydrated 1-2 Tb
onion salt- to taste
2 beef bullion cubes
garlic-minced 1-2 tsp
garlic salt to taste
CUMIN- about 1 TB maybe more to taste
flour to thicken the gravy, dredge the meat in it.

Brown the beef and then make the gravy after the meat is cooked. 1/4 lb(or there abouts) of the meat and gravy mixture in a tortilla and fold it so the meat is totally enclosed. may need a toothpick to hold it together. Deep fry it(yes deep fry it)

Then...you will need the following

sour cream
shredded lettuce
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped tomatoes
and guacamole
and of course salsa

after the chimi is deep fried, spread 2 TB sour cream on top, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole on the side...and if you like sliced black olives(totally optional)

This is the way BIG D loves his chimis=without everything else thrown in the center of it. This was the way he always ate them as a kid in Arizona. We had them a couple of times at restaurants in Az when we were first married and then I decided that I needed to recreate the recipe. So, yah...pretty much recreating recipes is something I love to do...been doing it for years. This was the first of many to come.

2009-06-09T07:00:00.002-07:00

Heavenly FUDGE SAUCE-another grammylight special

1/2 C butter
3 sq unsweetened chocolate
3 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tall can of evaporated milk(in other words not the little one)

melt butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Gradually stir in sugar. Be sure it is well incorporated before adding the next bit (about a 1/4 of a cup at a time) it will become thick and quite dry after each addition. Add the salt and slowly stir in the evaporated milk a little at a time...store in a covered jar in the fridge if there is any left after the first serving. To serve...warm in double boiler (more than likely back in 1982 we probably had no idea the joy of a microwave)

2009-06-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

Czechoslovakian Dumplings. This recipe is one that a Family friend used to make and I begged her to give it to me. She was from Czechoslovakia and considered herself a canceled check...This is dumplings like no other.

4 C Flour
1 pkg yeast
2 eggs salt
water as needed
3-4 slices white bread somewhat dry and cubed

Mix first 5 ingredients to a good consistency(do not use too much water) Then put in your bread cubes and mix well. Let rise for about an hour. Form into loaf shaped dumplings and drop in boiling salted water. NOW THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. COVER!!!DO NOT PEEK, LOOK, or UNCOVER until you are ready to take the dumplings out of the water about 10 minutes at the most.

DO NOT CUT WITH A KNIFE but use white threat and cut in slices. You can use these dumplings if you have a roast with lots of sour cream gravy...so very Yummy...Thanks Maria Coates

2009-06-09T06:59:00.001-07:00

Sweet and Sour Pork one I have loved forever!

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cubed, bite sized or thin strips
•1 tablespoons peanut oil(unless you have folks with nut allergies)
•1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks or tidbits in juice
•1/4 cup vinegar
•1/4 cup soy sauce( can use less)
•1/4 cup brown sugar
•1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste, more or less)
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
•2 tablespoons water
•1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (usually more)
•1 green pepper, cut in thin strips
•2 cups hot cooked rice
Directions for sweet and sour pork
Cut pork slices into strips about 3 inches long and 1/2 to 1 inch wide. Sauté pork strips in hot oil over medium heat until lightly browned; drain. add onion and green pepper.Drain pineapple; reserve juice. Combine pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and salt; pour over pork in skillet. Cover and simmer until meat is tender. In a cup, combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to pork mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add pineapple chunks, Cover and simmer sweet and sour pork for 5 minutes longer, or until pineapple is hot. Serve sweet and sour pork over rice.
Sweet and sour pork recipe serves 4 to 6 depending on how hungry everybody is...

2009-06-09T06:57:00.001-07:00

Green Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas- I love cooking! Absolutely Love it. This is one of the dishes that I qualify as something easy, with so many choices to add to it if you want to, so many ways to finish the product!

3 cooked chicken breasts (shred the meat)
1 cup sour cream
4 cups shredded cheese
1 Hatch Green Enchilada sauce
3 green onions (chopped small)(optional)
Fresh corn tortillas

Shred the chicken and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the sour cream and green enchilada sauce. Add half of the sauce to the shredded chicken. Butter a pan. Fill the tortilla with chicken mixture and some cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cook at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Even easier...after buttering the pan...layer corn tortillas still fresh ones(torn into quarters or smaller pieces) with the sauce...kind of like a Mexican Lasagna!

2009-06-09T06:56:00.001-07:00

chicken tenders with spinach and artichoke dip on it...baked.

take about a 1 C of the spinach and artichoke dip from either Sam's or Costco, add about a C of ricotta cheese and about a C shredded Mozzarella and 1/2 tsp of fresh chopped Garlic...mix well. Spoon on top of frozen chicken tenders(cover them with the mixture) and bake at 350 for 45 minutes(8 tenders) Oh my goodness...food out of this world. Big D really liked it and so did I. It would probably work for chicken breasts...

again...Best part...all of this is on our diets...filling yet no heavy duty carbs.

2009-06-09T06:55:00.002-07:00

Lettuce wraps...you know the kind I mean...the yummy kind like at PF Changs or the Asian Star...so I decided to make some...

Chicken thighs(seasoned) I used 6 pre seasoned fajita thighs- cut into squares-strips-smaller pieces
1 bunch green onion- finely chopped
2 single stalks of celery sliced(not the whole stalk just two out of the bunch)
1-2 tsp of minced garlic
1 can of diced water chestnuts.
Salt to taste
Sassy Sesame Garlic marinade(1/4 c)
Sesame Oil or peanut oil to fry in...your choice...I did a combo of both.

Stir fry all this. When the meat is cooked through...pulse in food processor just a couple of times.

Serve in crisp lettuce with Plum sauce or don't use the plum sauce...or use rice wrappers...

Best part...all of this is on our diets...filling yet no heavy duty carbs.

2009-06-09T06:55:00.001-07:00

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

2 ½ c. flour
¾ c. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. margarine or butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. chopped pecans
48 Rolo chewy caramels
1 T. sugar
4 oz. vanilla-flavored candy coating, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; blend well. In large bowl, beat 1 c. sugar, brown sugar nd margarine until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. Stir in ½ cup of the pecans. For each cookie, with floured hands shape about 1 tablespoon dough around 1 caramel candy, covering completely.

In small bowl, combine remaining ½ c. pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place nut side up 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely on wire rack.

Melt candy coating in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

2009-06-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

Calicocat’s Potato Salad

1 lb diced cooked bacon
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped onion/green onion
2 cup sour cream
1 cup mayo
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
8 cups cubed cooked red potatoes

Fry bacon; drain.crumble. mix sour cream, mayo, celery, onion and about half of the dry ranch dressing. Add this dressing to the potatoes and bacon. Chill. 12 servings.

I have been known to add sliced black olives to the mix...and it isn't a bad addition, but this recipe stands on its own.

Comment by calicocat2 on August 4, 2008 at 4:13pm: Delete CommentNot exactly my dressing. I use all mayo with a couple tbles sour cream and white wine vinegar added. and about half of a package of ranch dressing mix. but it's still good either way. And lately, I have been using 2 kinds of potatoes for different textures

2009-06-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Cream Corn. This was served with the BBQ. IT IS NOTHING LIKE Canned Creamed Corn. THIS IS HEAVENLY and I am sure will be served in heaven.

2 lbs of frozen corn-sweet yellow or white- either or. Cannot be canned corn.
3 C of whipping cream
1 stick of butter
chicken bullion (1-2 Tblsp)* I use knorr because it is not in a hard cube
salt/pepper to taste
sugar 1-2 tsps
2-3 Tblsp of flour

Step 1: I actually microwave the corn first for a few minutes to take it from a totally frozen state, not long, just 2-4 minutes.
Step 2: In large pot(like a dutch oven) combine the cream, butter, bullion, and flour(don't let it get lumpy) you may want less flour...but don't go for more.
Step 3: Once everything is incorporated together add the salt/pepper/sugar(more of less of that one is okay also, but it does need to be there)
Step 4: Add the corn and let this thicken on low
Step 5: Serve and watch it disappear.

Now...this is a recipe for Creamed Corn like no other. The calories are intensely high but oh so rich and wonderful. My family was desperately missing "Rudy's" Creamed Corn when we lived in Utah, so truly necessity became the mother of invention and I recreated the recipe.

Comment by calicocat2 on August 4, 2008 at 5:40pm

Delete CommentI've had both yours and Rudy's and your is MUCH better than Rudy's!