Cooking and Nutrition

Turkey Salad

2015-08-15T16:45:00.002-07:00

Turkey Salad

turkey, chopped
walnuts, chopped
celery, chopped
red grapes, chopped
apple, peeled and chopped
Miracle Whip
cinnamon
sugar
raisins

Mix all together. Don't substitute real mayonnaise for Miracle Whip, as MW is sweeter and lends itself better to this recipe. This is my favorite turkey salad recipe.

Gumbo

2015-08-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

2 packages of smoked sausage
1 pkg of frozen shrimp, cleaned, deveined, and de-tailed
1 pkg of Boudreaux's brand frozen crawfish tail meat
1 bag of frozen okra, chopped (not breaded)
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
2 small cans of tomato sauce
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T of minced garlic
oil or butter (for sautéing)
cayenne pepper
Old Bay seasoning
Creole seasoning
black pepper
white rice
6 T flour
2 teaspoons vinegar

(may want to halve this recipe; it makes a very large crockpot full)

In a large pot, sauté onion, red peppers, and garlic in oil until soft. Add one bag of chopped frozen okra to the vegetable mixture on medium heat. Add one teaspoon of vinegar to mixture. Stir frequently. If mixture is still slimy from the okra after picking up with a spoon and slowly dropping back in pot, add another teaspoon of vinegar. Continue to cook on medium heat, stirring frequently. Add creole seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, black pepper and cayenne pepper to vegetables. Meanwhile, cut smoked sausages in 1/4 to 1/2 inch width pieces and cook in skillet on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mostly light brown. Drain on paper towels, set aside. Add 2 cans of chopped tomatoes and 2 small cans of tomato sauce to the vegetable mixture. Add more seasonings. Continue to stir and may need to lower temperature to low. In another small pan, make a roux (gravy) with 6 Tablespoons of flour and 6 Tablespoons of oil (not olive oil because it will start to smoke; butter can be substituted for the oil). Stir constantly on medium heat until flour and oil mixture turns a reddish brown color. Add flour mixture to the vegetables. Stir. Add all this to slow cooker with an additional 1-2 cups of water. Cook for 3 hours on high, adding more water if too thick. Add deveined, cleaned, de-tailed frozen shrimp and frozen crawfish tail meat with about 1 hour left to cook. Taste for the need for additional seasonings. Before serving, cook rice separately. Ladle gumbo into bowl of rice. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Breakfast casserole

2015-05-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

8 slices of bread
10 eggs
1 1/2 cup (or so) pepper jack cheese (shredded or sliced)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup (or so) onions, chopped
1/2 cup (or so) red bell pepper, chopped
1 large spear (or 2 smaller) purple asparagus, chopped
2 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 T minced garlic
canned green chilies (1/2 can)
2 T oil
1 teaspoon red pepper (cayenne)
Salt and Pepper
Thyme
butter to spread on toast
non-stick spray

Sauté the following in 2T of oil in a skillet until soft: onions, red pepper, garlic, purple asparagus, and green chilies. Add salt, pepper, thyme, red pepper, fresh basil to vegetables. Remove from stove to cool. Toast 8 pieces of bread. Butter the toast and place in the bottom of a greased 9X13 pan. Any extra bread, just tear and place on top of whole pieces. In a bowl, mix 10 eggs, vegetable mix, milk, more salt & pepper, and shredded hot pepper jack cheese (separated). Pour egg mixture over buttered toast. Add additional cheese over the top. Bake 15 minutes covered, then another 15 minutes uncovered at 400 degrees.

Hummus

2015-05-17T19:13:00.003-07:00

Hummus

*Hummus is an Arabic word for “chick pea”

1 bag of dried chick peas (garbanzo beans) OR canned garbanzo beans

¼ cup of olive oil

1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes (in olive oil)

minced garlic

garlic salt

basil (fresh or dried and chopped)

lemon juice

salt and pepper

cracked red pepper

Boil or pressure cook the dried chick peas until soft OR use canned garbanzo beans. Drain. Place beans in a food processor or blender with olive oil, chopped sun-dried tomatoes with oil, minced garlic, fresh or chopped dried basil, garlic salt, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and cracked red pepper. Blend or process until a smooth paste. Add more olive oil or a little water if too thick to process. Chill. Use pita crackers or bite size vegetable pieces for dipping.

Ham Breakfast Casserole

2015-01-31T14:05:00.001-08:00

Beef Chili

2015-01-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

This was one of the best pots of chili that I've made in a long time. Here is the recipe. I didn't measure, but I'll approximate. Add hamburger with seasonings and Rotel tomatoes and cook on medium for 10-15 minutes (or so) to get hamburger thoroughly seasoned before adding the rest of ingredients. Stir occasionally. Add rest of ingredients. Bring to low boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for at least an hour. Stir occasionally. I served with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese.

1 1/2 lb - 2 pounds of browned hamburger
1 pkg of Williams Chili (Tex Mex) Seasoning
1 can of rotel tomatoes
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 large (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of red kidney beans, drained
1 can of chili beans, mostly drained
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of red wine (more if you feel saucy)
1 cup of water, maybe an additional cup if gets too thick
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic
2 Tablespoons of honey
1 Tablespoon of liquid smoke
1 Teaspoon garlic salt
salt, pepper

Vegan Indian Stew

2014-12-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

Any root vegetables, cleaned and chopped
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic
1 cup of lentils
1-2 cups of garbanzo beans
1 cup of brown rice or wild rice
6 cups of water
2- 3 cubes of vegetable (for vegan), chicken or beef boullion
2 cans of diced tomatoes
chopped kale
curry
turmeric
cayenne pepper
celery salt
salt and pepper

Dump everything in the crock pot, and cook on high for at least 6 hours or until vegetables are done. Serve with toasted bread. All measurements are approximate.

Veggie Burgers

2014-07-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

1 can of garbanzo beans (low-sodium)
onion, chopped finely
minced garlic
any kind of peppers, chopped finely (red, green, yellow, orange, jalapeno, banana)
fresh mushrooms, chopped finely
1 cup oat flour (approximately)
1 egg
salt & pepper
smoked paprika
cayenne pepper
cumin
chili powder
cheese slice (optional)
butter (or oil)
iron skillet (for crispiness)

Place butter (or oil) in an iron skillet and heat on medium-high. Sauté chopped onion, minced garlic, peppers, and mushrooms until soft. Remove skillet from heat. Remove vegetable mixture from skillet and pat dry with towel (removing excess butter). Food process oats until a flour consistency. Dump into mixing bowl. Drain and rinse garbanzo beans. Food process (or mash well) until fairly smooth and no single bean is noticeable. Add vegetable mixture, beans, egg, and all seasonings to oats and mix until firm enough to make patties (not sticky). Add more oat flour, if necessary. Heat more butter (or oil) to the iron skillet and fry patties until crispy brown on both sides. Don't be afraid to season liberally. Add slice of cheese if desired.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Experience

2014-01-19T08:07:00.001-08:00

I have had some successful recipes and not so successful. The ones that flop are really more entertaining to write about, so here is my latest flop. I use the word flop loosely. If it is edible, it is okay. However, I have higher standards than "edible".

Last week I made sweet and sour chicken. Everything started out great. I only had brown rice on hand (supposed to be healthier, right?). This is not the minute rice that you pop in the microwave and BOOM! it's fluffy. Brown rice has to cook on the stove for 45 minutes or so. I started the rice first. Then, cooked the bite-sized chicken in olive oil in the skillet. I added the cut green, yellow, and red sweet peppers with onions. Oh, did it smell delicious!

Then, I started the sweet and sour sauce. I used Martha Stewart's recipe for sweet and sour sauce minus the Tabasco sauce and adding pineapple juice. Everything went fine with that, except the orange marmalade had orange strips or rinds in it and the final sauce was very runny. I strained the sauce to get rid of the tiny orange rinds.

Meanwhile, the rice was getting thick so I kept adding more water. It began to burn just a bit on the bottom of the pot. The rice ended up looking like oatmeal, which is not very appetizing when wanting to eat with sweet and sour chicken. Maybe I stirred it too much or had too much rice in a pot that was too small. I'm wondering if I should get a rice cooker (if only I had room for an extra kitchen gadget).

I tried to thicken the sweet and sour sauce with cornstarch, but it still wasn't think enough. I poured all of the sauce into the chicken and pepper mixture. It was still not thick enough. I added some chunk pineapple and then added more cornstarch to the pineapple juice to try to thicken more. It FINALLY thickened up nice, but the amount of sauce to chicken and pepper ratio was a little too much. It was swimming in sauce, but tasted really good.

It was edible. Next time, I'll have to do something different with the rice or use minute rice in the microwave. I was trying to be a little healthier, though, and avoid white rice. Also, I'll gauge how much sauce to put in with the chicken, realizing that I don't HAVE to use all of it.

I'll try it again. I think there is potential for a tastier, healthier, and cheaper Chinese meal without having to order from a Chinese restaurant.

15 Bean Soup with Herb and Garlic Focaccia Bread

2013-01-30T11:28:00.001-08:00

15 Bean Soup

(click link above for recipe)

My husband made this soup yesterday and it was delicious! Here are some changes that he made:

1. Soaked beans over night
2.Green onions were only onions used
3. No dried parsley, rosemary, or flavor packet from beans
4. Add additional can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 package of chopped fresh mushrooms, and 1 TBS of season salt

Served with toasted herb and garlic Focaccia bread!

Lentil burgers

2013-01-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

We (my son and I) loved these! My son said they were really good and I needed to make a lot! My husband said if he was a vegetarian and stranded on a deserted island, he might eat them, but he'd rather have a hamburger. Here is the recipe as written. Then, I'll tell you how I did it - I didn't use all these ingredients.

This recipe is from "365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian" by Kitty Morse.

1 1/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 egg
3 Tablespoons wheat germ
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 Tablespoons sliced black olives, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, shredded
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons butter

Coconut Relish
3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon sugar

1. In a large saucepan, combine lentils with 4 cups of water. Cook, covered, over medium heat, until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes; drain.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine cooked lentils and egg. Pulse, turning machine quickly on and off 5 or 6 times, until lentils are coarsely mashed. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Add wheat germ, Worcestershire, hot sauce, olives, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, onion, and carrot. Mix well to blend.

4. Spread bread crumbs on a large plate. With hands, fashion lentil patties. Dredge in bread crumbs to coat both sides. In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. With a wide spatula, carefully set lentil patties inside frying pan. Cook, turning once, until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Place on a paper towel covered plate.

5. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine cilantro leaves with lemon juice, coconut, ginger, 2 Tablespoons water, and sugar. Process until cilantro is chopped. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

6. Serve lentil patties hot, with coconut relish on the side.

First of all, I did not make the coconut relish (skipped number 5). I did not use a blender or food processor to mash the lentils with egg. I just mashed by hand with a pastry blender. I omitted olives and instead of bread crumbs, I ground oatmeal into a flour consistency. Instead of dredging patties into the bread crumbs, I just mixed the oatmeal flour into the mixture to give it a thicker consistency. I used way more hot sauce than 1/8 teaspoon and LOTS of salt and pepper. I used salt and pepper in the bowl, then again while I was frying, than sprinkled with season salt on the plate. I used olive oil instead of butter to fry them. I also added a generous amount of cayenne pepper and we still didn't taste the heat from the hot sauce or cayenne. Next time I'll add some more. My son ate his with pickles and ketchup and I ate mine with Heinz 57 sauce. Dijon mustard would be good too. Some recipes suggest letting the mixture chill for several hours to help keep them together. I did not and didn't have trouble with them staying together. I also used almost a WHOLE bag of lentils rather than the 1 1/4 cups it called for. The lentils, wheat germ, egg, and ground oatmeal provided an abundant source of protein and other valuable nutrients and fiber.

Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos To Go

2013-01-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

I needed something healthy, fast, and easy to eat on the go for breakfast. It needed lots of protein for my vegetarian son and able to be made ahead of time that would keep either in the fridge or freezer. I got this idea from my friend, Barb Barsch. I made a large batch for the week(s) ahead.

Protein-packed Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos To Go

4-5 cups frozen hash browns
2 cans black beans, drained
10 eggs
2 cups shredded cheese
salsa
9 large tortillas (I used sun-dried tomato and jalapeno and cheddar)
2 cups yellow and green peppers, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
minced garlic
olive oil
ground mustard (optional)
ground cumin (optional)
ground sage (optional)
seasoned salt
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
cholulu sauce

All measurements are estimates for proportion purposes. I had leftover hash brown/egg mixture.

Saute peppers, onions, and garlic (or any other vegetables you desire) with some olive oil. Add all seasoning; ground mustard, cumin, sage, seasoned salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cholula hot sauce. Mix vegetable mixture, beaten eggs, cheese, black beans, and frozen hash browns in a very large baking dish. Bake covered for an hour or until hash browns and eggs are cooked. Taste. Add more seasonings, if necessary. Warm tortillas in microwave. Spoon mixture in the middle of tortillas. Add salsa on top. Make a burrito. If you want to cut in half, fold BOTH sides in. Wrap in saran wrap. Store in refrigerator or freezer. Warm up in microwave for 30 seconds (thawed) or 1-2 minutes if frozen on busy mornings and eat on the GO!

Surviving Our First BBQ As Vegetarians

2012-09-03T13:47:00.001-07:00

Well, we survived our first BBQ cookout on a vegetarian diet! I asked Nathan a couple days ahead of the cookout if he was going to eat any hamburgers or hot dogs. These aren't just any hamburgers, either. They are double patties sealed together with Swiss cheese and ham in the middle. He didn't want any of those so we went to the health market at Hy-Vee to see what they had.We got some frozen veggie patties labeled Parmesan and bruschetta. We also found some soy hot dogs.

The thing that hit me the hardest was the smell of beef on the grill when we arrived. Oh, boy. We ended up putting the frozen veggie patties and soy hot dogs on the grill along with the rest of the burgers and hot dogs. I'm sure they got some beef fat on them sharing grates with the greasy hamburgers.

I double-stacked two veggie burgers on a bun with onions, tomato, pickles and honey mustard. It was edible. The soy hot dog tasted OK, but I couldn't get past biting into it. The snap of the casing of normal hot dogs wasn't there. When you bit into it, it smashed together. I couldn't get past this unusual texture of a hot dog. Nathan preferred the hot dogs to the patties. If I ever buy those patties again, they may have more flavor if I fry them in some butter in a skillet instead of putting on a grill.

By the way, if you leave those things out on the counter for an extended period of time, they turn to rubber. The doberman didn't even want it! That was the joke of the day.

Nathan - Day 8
Me - Day 7

Our Vegetarian Journey

2012-09-01T11:33:00.002-07:00

Some of you may already know that my 12 year old son has decided he wants to be a vegetarian for the following reasons: more energy and focus, over-all better health, and animal treatment. We discussed what he had researched and I proposed a one week challenge for the both of us. I suggested that for a week we would only eat meat in the evening meal. That would be cutting our meat consumption down by about half. He agreed to try it. The afternoon of his first day back to school (after the decision), he told me he thought he could do it full time. I didn't know he had already decided that he didn't want anymore meat. I had no idea how I was going to provide him vegetarian meals, as well as meals with meat for my husband.

This particular type of cooking and way of thinking is new to me. I thought I would chronicle our adventure and some recipes that I use. We will also be observing any health effects or changes that we notice. This is my 5th day on a no-meat diet and I have lost 2 1/2 pounds.

So far, Nathan has taken pimento cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, raw vegetables with ranch dressing, cheese sticks, fruit cups, and applesauce to school for his lunch. He doesn't have access to a microwave so all his food needs to be ready to eat. I will have to search for more ideas for him to take for lunch.

For dinner this week we have had; tofu burgers, meatless chili, and spaghetti without meatballs. We've also had nachos with re-fried beans, queso blanco Velveeta cheese and homemade salsa. I found a recipe for this evening's dinner for vegetable pot pie.

I would LOVE to have some suggestions for meals and snacks from any of my readers, including recipes. I do not know anyone that is a vegetarian so I need HELP!

Garden Fresh Pasta Salad

2012-07-30T10:23:00.001-07:00

With the summer's abundance of fresh vegetables, I enjoy making (and eating) this pasta salad. I didn't measure anything. Just fix to taste.

pasta
Italian dressing
any kinds of peppers (red, green, jalapeno, banana), chopped
tomatoes, chopped
onions, chopped
parmesan cheese
olives, chopped or sliced
sunflower seeds
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Mix all together and refrigerate. This is very hearty with the chopped vegetables. I had leftover fettuccine from last night's chicken alfredo, but any pasta will do. I also used Tuscan House Italian dressing that I had on hand. Spicy Italian dressing is good, too. I used banana peppers and "orangesicle" peppers with orange tomatoes. Grape tomatoes work well because they keep their shape (1/2 or quarter them). This is a nice cold dish for those hot summer days.

Homemade Vinaigrette Dressing

2012-05-24T02:31:00.000-07:00

There are many different ways to make a vinaigrette. This is just one way that I did. I didn't measure anything, so all amounts are estimates. It is recommended that the oil to vinegar ratio be 3-1. Fix to your taste.

1/4 cup red wine vinegar ( I like balsamic vinegar, too)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of prepared mustard
1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon of honey
ground sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
onion and garlic powder

*ground basil, thyme or oregano could be added, if desired.

Mix well. Pour in oil and vinegar glass cruet for storage. This made quite a bit. Not much is needed for a salad. Use lightly. You may want to add more oil if vinegar is too strong or add more honey if it is too sour. It is suggested on several websites to use ground mustard, so not to run a risk of spoilage if stored at room temperature. The acid from the vinegar will probably prevent spoilage if stored at room temperature. It is also suggested to make a fresh batch every week.

Coffee Punch (Ice Cream Coffee drink)

2012-05-19T07:54:00.002-07:00

Coffee Punch

1 1/4 cups of instant coffee

2 1/2 cups of sugar

5 cups of hot water

Mix and let cool. Add one gallon of semi-melted chocolate ice cream, one gallon semi-melted vanilla, and one gallon milk to the coffee mixture. Mix well.

This recipe came from Dr. Tim Mattson.

If you like coffee (even a little), this is FANTASTIC! Nathan loved it. It's a true treat.

Salads Made Interesting!

2012-04-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

Don't want a boring 'ol salad anymore? I've got a new and fun salad for you to try! Chef salads are always a good stand-by with your traditional meat, egg, onion, cheese, peppers, etc. But, sometimes I want something a little more "interesting". Today's salad was very good and thought I'd share.

Asian Salad - favorite lettuce or greens (iceberg is the LEAST nutritious); peppered turkey (or other lunch meat); sunflower seeds, tailgate crunch mix (see below), diced jicama, pasta and salad seasoning, light Asian sesame seed dressing.

A few chow mein noodles would have been nice in there, too.

*tailgate crunch mix - sesame, poppy and onion sticks, roasted peanuts, small pretzel sticks, roasted almonds and cashews

The tailgate mix came from Jamesport at H & M Country Store.

White Barbecue Sauce

2012-04-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

White Barbecue Sauce - (Big Book of BBQ, from editors of Southern Living)

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TBSP coarsely ground pepper
1 TBSP spicy brown mustard or creole mustard
2 tsp horseradish
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Stir together all ingredients until well blended. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. Makes 1 3/4 cup.

* I made this today with real mayonnaise, not Miracle Whip. I liked it with the real mayonnaise; it's not so sweet. Also, I couldn't find white wine vinegar in the store, so used tarragon flavored vinegar. The lightest (in color) is probably the best - not red wine vinegar. I did find Zatarain's creole mustard. I'm using it as a marinade for chicken breasts and plan on basting it as I cook it with additional sauce. It tastes amazing. Reminds me of hollandaise sauce and would be good on eggs or as a sandwich spread. I might try to have on hand for a multipurpose sauce. I love it!

Chocolate Cake in a Mug

2012-04-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

1 large coffee mug
4TBLS flour
4TBLS sugar
2 TBLS baking cocoa
1 egg
3-4 TBLS milk
3 TBLS oil
3 TBLS chocolate chips (optional)
Splash of vanilla (optional)
walnuts (optional)

1. Add dry ingredients to cup. Mix well.
2. Add egg, mix thoroughly.
3. Pour in milk and oil, mix well.
4. Add chocolate chip, vanilla, walnuts. Mix well.
5. Microwave for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes. Cake will rise. Watch carefully.
6. Allow to cool.

*Recommend chocolate chips, vanilla and walnuts.
My son found this recipe and can make it himself. It's fun!

Enchilada Casserole (with picture)

2012-03-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
chopped onion
chopped green or yellow peppers (any color or kind will do)
can of green chilies
can of red kidney beans (drained)
cumin
thyme
chili powder
cayenne pepper
1 large can of enchilada sauce, divided
minced garlic
salt
shredded cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
salsa
sliced black olives, either in meat mixture or on top (optional)

Brown hamburger with onion and drain. For the meat mixture, add chopped peppers, green chilies, cumin, thyme, cayenne pepper, chili powder, drained kidney beans, salt, minced garlic, and enough enchilada sauce to make the mixture moist (maybe 1 1/2 cups). Simmer covered until peppers are soft. Layer the following in a greased casserole dish: enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the pan, coarsely crushed corn tortilla chips, meat mixture, shredded cheese, more crushed tortilla chips, the rest of the enchilada sauce, shredded cheese. Cover and bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through. Plate the casserole in a circle, add extra tortilla chips around the casserole and top with sour cream and salsa.

Pecan Bars (from Edythe Hunter)

2012-02-19T08:11:00.000-08:00

CRUST :

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup butter or oleo, room temperature, cut into pieces

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well with a pastry blender. Spray cake pan with cooking spray (Pam). Pat it in the greased cake pan on the bottom and up on the sides. Bake crust only at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. When crust is almost done baking, mix the filling.

FILLING:

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups light or dark Karo syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine melted

2 1/2 cups pecan halves coarsely chopped

In large bowl, beat eggs, syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Immediately pour over hot crust .

Bake 25 minutes or until filling is firm around the edges and slightly firm in the center. Freezes well.

Crockpot Pepperoncini Roast

2012-02-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

Pepperoncini Roast

This is a recipe that I am making today for the first time. It's a crockpot recipe. Got the link from a friend.

My best hamburger goulash ever!

2012-01-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

I make goulash a lot. But, this time it was delicious! Here's what I did:

1-2 lbs hamburger, browned
green, yellow, red peppers, onion (all chopped)
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
2 cups elbow noodles
2 cans (or more) beef broth
minced garlic
oregano
thyme
garlic salt
salt and pepper
couple generous splashes of chili lime Cholula sauce

Brown the hamburger. In separate skillet, saute onion, and peppers in oil until almost soft. Add all other ingredients except macaroni and hamburger. Let tomato mixture simmer while hamburger is cooking. Drain hamburger and add to tomato mixture. Add macaroni. Cover and simmer until macaroni is tender. Taste to see if additional spices are needed. A little water can be added in place of some of the beef broth if noodles need more liquid.

*The peppers I had were frozen from our garden this past summer. Also, I had a couple of small store bought tomatoes that I needed to use up. So, I chopped those up and added them.

*Serve with garlic toast.

Blunders in the kitchen...

2012-01-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

Not every meal that I cook is good enough to brag about. Some of them are just plain disappointing. Because this is a blog about cooking, I must share the bad with the good! There are two meals that I have cooked recently that were not up to par. Okay, one meal and one dish. I'm not very good at frying things. Rarely do I fry because it's not healthy. But, it would be nice to fry things every once in awhile and it turn out perfect. I either don't have the oil hot enough and it gets soggy with grease or the oil is too hot and it gets too brown and crispy. I fried some tenderloins for hot tenderloin sandwiches the other night in my iron skillet. Aren't iron skillets suppose to have even heating? I had to turn the outsides toward the center on one side to insure an even browning. They took FOREVER to cook! I only had 6. This was a weeknight and I needed to cook them before they went bad. But honestly, I was too tired to spend that much time in the kitchen and my patience was wearing thin. I peeled potatoes and microwaved them for mashed potatoes. Cooked them for 20 minutes in some water and thought they were done. Start mixing them with a mixer and realized that they were not completely done. I decided to just add more milk and butter and mix those son-of-a-guns until they were smooth. Did I mention that the tenderloins were taking forever to brown? So, I cranked up the heat. This is when they got crispy so that a steak knife could hardly cut them. With hot tenderloin sandwiches, white country gravy is really the best. I had too much oil in my skillet and didn't want to mess with homemade gravy so I looked for packets of gravy that you just add water. I only had one packet of white country gravy. Dang! So, I decided to use brown gravy mix because I had more of them. The dinner was edible - not my best by any means. Actually, the tenderloins were better warmed up the next day in the microwave because they were softer.

My other goof-up was au gratin potatoes. I added too much milk to my potatoes and instead of being creamy, they were soupy. They tasted fine, but were not pretty! The cheese didn't melt like it was suppose to and just sat in globs in the milk. It's kind of funny now that I think of it. Maybe I better watch some more cooking shows!