The Makings of A Great Meal

Eating Locally - Spice Up Your Menu AND Help The Environment

2010-03-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

Stocking your pantry with food grown by local farmers is a great way to eat fresh, interesting, ever-changing meals all year long at low prices. You can find a listing of local foods are currently in season in your state at the National Resource Defense Council's website along with recipes and other helpful information.

During the month of March here in Washington state, you can find locally grown apples, carrots, greens, mushrooms, onions, and potatoes at great prices. Sausage corn chowder is a tasty way to use those local potatoes!

Sausage Corn Chowder

1 lb breakfast sausage, browned, crumbled and drained
4 cups skinned, cubed potatoes
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 14oz can creamed corn
1 14oz can evaporated milk
3 cups water
1 TBSP minced onion
Ground black pepper to taste

Dump all ingredients into a 5-6 quart crock pot, stir well, and cook on the low setting 6-8 hours. If the soup becomes too thick, add chicken stock to taste.

Serve with grated cheese, oyster crackers or cheezits as desired.

Serves 6-8

Enjoy!

Kathy

Ode to Amy - A Tasty Potato Recipe To Die For

2010-03-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

I go online from time to time to find new recipes to try, and stumbled upon this wonderful side dish! My husband just couldn't stop eating it...all this at a time he and I were both trying to lose a few pounds. The author of the post gave credit to someone named Amy, and I'd like to give her credit, too. Amy, thank you for making my day!

Amy's Potatoes

4 Extra large russet potatoes, cubed with or with out the skin, and patted dry
1/4 cup All purpose flour
1/4 cup Grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Oregano, ground
1/2 tsp Basil, ground
1/2 tsp Thyme, ground
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper, ground
1/2 cup Butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 375F. Place butter into a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Place the pan on the middle rack into the preheated oven until butter is melted.

Mix together all the rest of the ingredients and place aside.

Remove the pan from the oven and place the potatoes into the pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the potatoes with half the flour/cheese mixture and place back into the oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes then remove from the oven.

Turn the potatoes, then sprinkle the rest of the flour/cheese mixture onto the potatoes. Place back into the oven and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until brown around the edges.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings.

Until next time...
Kathy

6 Dinners For Less Than $25.00! Multi-Meal Preparation

2010-03-03T16:02:00.000-08:00

OAMC ... OAWC ... freezer meal preparation ... multi-meal preparation ... assembly cooking...What do all these terms have in common?

They are all strategies used to prepare more than one meal in a single cooking session and then store the extras so they can be eaten later.
They can shorten food prep time by hours to days each month.
Using one of these strateges can decrease transportation, grocery, and utility expenses more than you can imagine.

I generally do mult-meal preparation once each week and store between 4 and 5 meals. I purchase enough of whatever meat is on sale and double or triple each of 1 to 2 recipes that freeze well.

A few weeks ago, I purchased two 3# bags of fresh chicken tenders. I had 2 bottles of jamaican jerk marinade, a bottle of italian salad dressing, and the fixins for vegetable soup in the pantry.

-- From the first bag of tenders, I divided the chicken equally into 3 freezer bags, poured jerk chicken marinade over them, squeezed as much air out of each bag as I could and placed the sealed freezer bags flat in my freezer.

-- With the other bag of chicken tenders, I used a third of the chicken for chicken vegetable soup which we ate that night with cornbread. I sauteed the rest in italian salad dressing for chicken salad dinners, divided the cooked chicken pieces in two freezer bags and placed the sealed freezer bags flat in my freezer.

--Once all the chicken meals were frozen, I turned them on end like old fashioned album covers.

All 6 dinners took less than 30 minutes to prepare, cost less than $22.00, and used less than 2 inches of freezer space!

Tasty Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

2010-01-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

What better way to finish a meal than to indulge in the ultimate dessert, custard-style vanilla ‎ice cream. This finish is great by itself, or topped with dark chocolate curls, fresh strawberry ‎syrup or a mix of toasted coconut and chopped macadamia nuts.‎

Here's a quick, never fail recipe for tasty vanilla custard ice cream that my guests enjoy ‎whenever I serve it. They never believe that it only takes 30 minutes to prepare!‎

TASTY VANILLA CUSTARD ICE CREAM

‎1 can (14oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk‎
‎1 can (14oz) Evaporated Milk‎
‎1 pint Whipping Cream‎
Pure Vanilla Extract, to taste‎

Pour all ingredients into a 8+ cup blender. Mix on low speed until well incorporated and slightly ‎thickened. ‎
Pour the custard into an ice cream maker. Process the custard according to manufacturer's ‎directions.‎
Once soft-frozen, remove ice cream from ice cream maker and place into an 8 - 10 cup freezer ‎container. You can serve this ice cream immediately or freeze for 1 – 2 hours for firmer ice ‎cream. ‎
To "firm" freeze, place a layer of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream then cover the freezer ‎container with an air tight covering. Place the container in the freezer for 1 - 2 hours, then serve.‎
Yield: Approximately 16 servings‎

Enjoy!
Kathy

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you and yours have a very happy, peaceful Thanksgiving!

Kathy

Getting Ready for a Thanksgiving Feast

2009-11-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

Every year at Thanksgiving, my extended family gets together for a day of watching football on TV and enjoying a big family dinner around the dining room table. We all look forward to enjoying the signature dish (or two) each cook in the family contributes to the meal. For someone like me who loves to eat good food, it is a smorgasbord!
My contributions to the meal this year (besides the roast turkey) are a Mom’s Yam Casserole and Rich Lemon Cake with Orange Glaze. Both these dishes are “never fail” and a big hit with the rest of the family.

Yam Casserole

2 Large Yams
½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
½ cup Orange Juice without pulp
3 Eggs
4 tsp All Purpose Flour
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
½ tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 375. Rub yams with oil or shortening and place in a shallow pan. Bake uncovered on the middle rack until tender, approximately 50 minutes to an hour.

Turn the oven down to 350.

Peel the warm yams, cut into chunks and remove any strings. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the yams with a potato masher and measure; there should be approximately 2 cups. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add milk and blend. Stir in the mashed yams, orange juice, eggs, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and mix well. Transfer into a 2 quart casserole dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 for about 45 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. If desired, top with miniature marshmallows and broil until brown. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

Rich Lemon Cake

1 18.75oz box Lemon cake mix
1 3oz box Lemon instant pudding mix
4 large Eggs, beaten slightly
1 cup Vegetable oil
10 oz Lemon lime pop

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour bundt pan or a 9x13 baking pan.

Mix the dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool slightly, 10-15 minutes, then remove from the cake pan(s) and place on the serving plate.

While the cake is still warm, poke holes in the top of the cake ½ inch apart. Top with Orange Glaze. Cool completely at room temperature.

Yield: 16 to 24 servings

Orange Glaze

½ cup Powdered sugar
½ tsp Orange juice concentrate without pulp, not diluted

Mix ingredients until spreadable consistency.

I hope your family enjoys two of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes! Until next time...

Kathy

PS. What are your family’s Thanksgiving traditions?

Mom's Favorite Birthday Cake

2009-11-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

One of my family's most enjoyable traditions is to celebrate each person's birthday with their very favorite birthday cake. We take great pride in baking the most decadent cake we can to show our love for whoever is celebrating at the time. Over the years, the cakes have gotten fancier and fancier. But, last summer we got back to basics and the result was a coconut cake that everyone is still raving about...

MOM'S FAVORITE COCONUT CAKE

1 18.5 oz box White Cake milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 small can cream of coconut
1 16 oz tub Whipped Topping
1 cup shredded coconut

Prepare and bake the white cake mix in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan, as per the box directions. Let cool completely. Using a straw or wooden skewer, poke holes in the cake approximately 1/2 inch apart.

Mix together the milk and cream of coconut in a small bowl. Pour the milk mixture over the cake so that it is saturated completely. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Spread whipped topping over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the coconut over the whipped topping.

Yield: 16 - 24 servings

I hope you like as much as my family does! Until next time.

Kathy

Apples, Apples Everywhere!

2009-10-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

It’s autumn here in Seattle. Everywhere around us the leaves are turning vibrant oranges and reds as they fall. Football season is underway. Halloween is around the corner…and, apples are everywhere! Everyone in my family just loves the taste and convenience of apples. I like them too because they keep so long in the refrigerator and can be used in so many recipes!

To celebrate the autumn season, I’d like to share one of my family’s favorite apple recipes - Slow Cooker Applesauce. It’s very versatile as a side dish with warm bread on those crisp fall mornings or with pork chops for a hearty dinner!

SLOW COOKER APPLESAUCE

4 lbs Granny Smith apples (McIntosh apples are good for this too)

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup water

2 lemons, juiced and separated

Fill a large mixing bowl about 2/3 full with cool water and juice from one lemon. In a small mixing bowl combine ground cinnamon and sugar.

Peel, core and dice apples, and place into mixing bowl filled with water and lemon juice. Once all apples are prepared, pour apples into a colander, and then into a slow cooker. Pour the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the apples and mix by hand to be sure that all the apples are coated.

In a small mixing bowl combine the ½ cup of water with the juice of the second lemon. Pour this mixture over the apples.

Cook on low in the slow cooker for approximately 6 hours or on high for approximately 3 hours, until soft.

Pour into a blender and mix on low speed until the sauce is smooth. Pour into sterilized jars or freezer bags and place in the freezer.

I hope you enjoy this easy recipe as much as we do at my house! Until next time…

Kathy

PS. If you would like to learn more about the different apple varieties, there is a really comprehensive article by Debra Frick about apples on the web.

Freezing Eggs

2009-10-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

DID you know that you can freeze eggs? Believe it or not you really can! Here's how to do it...

Egg Whites: Break and separate, then place into freezer containers, leaving 1/4 inch room at the top for expansion.
Whole Eggs: Break into a mixing bowl, and beat until just blended. Pour into freezer containers, leaving 1/4 inch at the top.
Egg Yolks: You'll need to add an "additive" to prevent the yolks from becoming really thick when frozen. For eggs to be used in savory dishes, beat in 1/8 tsp per egg. For eggs to be used in sweet dishes, beat in 1 1/2 tsp sugar or corn syrup per egg.

Once the eggs are in the freezer containers, seal tightly, label with the number of eggs and the date, and freeze.

To use frozen eggs, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or under running water. For whole eggs and egg yolks, you'll need to use them right away. For egg whites, they will beat to a higher volume if you let them sit at room temperature for about 1/2 hour after thawing.

Please send me a comment and let me know if you found this helpful.

Enjoy!
Kathy

More Comfort Food - A New Tuna Casserole

2009-10-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

        My husband has loved tuna casserole as long as I've known him...for over 30 years.  When we first began dating, traditional tuna casserole was one of the few dishes I could make well. But, as you can imagine, after almost 30 years I was ready for a change. So lately, I've been experimenting with this dish to make it "new" again.

       Here is the new version -- I call it "A New Tuna Casserole". Try it and let me know what you think!

A New Tuna Casserole

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup, condensed
1 can, Cream of Chicken Soup, condensed
1/2 cup water
3 cups Chow Mein Noodles, divided
2 cans tuna in water, drained
2 cups celery, thinly sliced on an angle
1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine tuna, condensed soup, water, black pepper, celery, onion, water chestnuts and 2 cups chow mein noodles, and stir until well mixed.

Pour mixture into prepared casserole, and spread remaining chow mein noodles over top of mixture.   Bake uncovered for approximately 30 minutes, or until bubbling and brown around the edges.

Yield: 6 servings

This casserole is great when served with a mixed green salad and buttered artisan bread.

Enjoy!

                                                                               Kathy

The Ultimate Comfort Food...Hearty Beef Tortellini Soup

2009-09-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

       Its autumn in the Pacific Northwest - the weather is changing, the kids are back in school, and its the time of year I make lots of hearty soups for the family.  BEEF TORTELLINI SOUP is one quick and easy way to warm up on those chilly, fall days.


BEEF TORTELLINI SOUP

1 lb                            beef stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 package                  Mrs. Grass Onion Soup Mix
1 can (15 oz)              tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz)             stewed tomatoes
4 cups                        water
1 (16 oz) package       frozen country style mixed vegetables
1 cup                          dried cheese tortellini
2                                bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon               black pepper
oregano and basil to taste

Place beef, onion soup mix and water in a large stock pot, cover and simmer until meat is tender, approximately 2 hours.

Add tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, mixed vegetables, pasta and spices. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Remove bay leaves.

Serve with corn bread or artisan bread.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Enjoy!
                                                                                    Kathy

Welcome to the makings of a great meal!

2009-09-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am excited to be able to share some of my most entertaining food memories, and a few of the wonderful tidbits the great cooks around me have shared over the years. I do hope you like the stories...And, I hope you find the recipes, money saving ideas, and time saving tips interesting and helpful.

And, I do hope you will share some of your own as time goes by.

Enjoy!
Kathy