Spiralized Zucchini

My daughter got one of those new spiralizer toys, and one of the first things she did was cut up a some good sized zucchini

Which turned out to be more than she could use on her own, so she brought me a bag full

This is what I did with it, and it was so good that I'm thinking I might want one of those tools for my house!




Ingredients:
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
10 ounces spiralized zucchini
1/4 medium green bell pepper diced
2 green onions finely sliced
1 clove garlic minced
6 thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 large tomato diced
2 tbls olive oil
2 tsp dry basil
1 tbls dry parsley
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

In a large heavy skillet over medium high heat, break up and brown the sausage, drain off any meat fat and set meat aside

Heat olive oil and lightly saute the bell peppers, onions and garlic

Add mushrooms and heat until soft

Return sausage to the pan, add tomatoes, zucchini, basil, parsley and pepper flakes

Reduce heat and cover to heat zucchini and tomatoes through

Serve with Parmesan cheese and additional red pepper flakes for garnish

Great with crusty bread!

Spaghetti Squash cassarole

This summer the garden included something that none of us had ever tried before, but because that particular patch of dirt seems to grow squash really well, it seemed a safe bet.

The first harvest of the spaghetti squash was done a couple of weeks ago, and I'm just now getting around to posting this recipe, which was a rousing success!

This is one of those processes that takes a long prep time unless you pre-cook the squash at another time, but after that is done this is a pretty quick meal

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds)
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pint of hand canned tomatoes (or a 15 oz can)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3 to 4 green onions
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

The Process:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (this takes some strength and a heavy sharp knife -- be careful!)

Scrape out the seeds and put the squash cut side down in a baking pan, add enough water to about 1/2 inch deep and bake for 50 to 60 minutes

While the squash is baking, combine the tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, basil, black pepper and crushed red pepper in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

When the squash is done, remove from oven, increase oven temperature to 400 degrees

Use a thick towel on a cutting board to hold the squash shell, scrape out the squash "threads" with a fork and set aside (I only used half of one 3 pound squash for this recipe, store the other half of the threads in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or freezer for later use)

In a large saute pan that can be put into the oven, heat the olive oil.  Scramble fry the sausage until browned, pour off most of the fat.

Add mushrooms and green onions and saute until soft.  Stir in squash, tomato sauce and spinach, cook until spinach is wilted.

Spread cheese over the top and bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Serve with good Italian bread.

The left overs (if any!) heat well in the microwave and taste as good as the original.

Eggplant Lasagna

I love lasagna

trouble is, it's something that the DH has never been that fond of, and now days, as he has to decide just where he's willing to use his carbohydrate allowance, it's too carb heavy for him to eat

but we recently discovered a new way to make a lasagna that not only is okay for him to eat, but he really likes too





 Here's the ingredient list:
2 medium egg plants
2 cups pasta sauce
1/4 pound Italian sausage (about 1 link)
1/2 pound ground beef
2 eggs
1 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
sea salt
olive oil
cooking spray

Begin by preparing the eggplant
preheat the oven to 400 degrees, put parchment paper on 2 cookie sheets

peel the eggplants and slice them in 1/4 inch slices

brush both sides of slices lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt

roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes


While the eggplant is roasting, brown the sausage and the ground beef in a skillet, drain off the fat

pour the pasta sauce into the skillet and heat

in a bowl, beat 2 eggs. add the ricotta cheese, 6 ounces of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and mix well

To assemble the lasagna

Spray a 9 inch square Pyrex pan with cooking spray

put a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pan

arrange a layer of roasted eggplant over the sauce

use about a tablespoon of the egg/cheese mixture on top of each slice of eggplant and top with sauce

repeat these layers until all of the eggplant has been used

top the final layer of sauce with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Tuna Cassarole

a couple of weeks ago my daughter asked me to post the recipe for this, and I couldn't believe I hadn't already done it!

and of course that also meant that I had to actually make one so I could write down the recipe!

so this is last night's dinner --- and one of the best ones ever

here then is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup
2 cans (12 ounces total) tuna in water (or the equivalent in pouch tuna)
12 ounces (uncooked weight) medium shell macaroni
1 cup frozen peas
1 Tbls butter
1 Tbls flour
1 1/2 cups milk (I use 1%)
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed potato chips

How to:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large sauce pan, cook the pasta to al dente (about 9 minutes after it returns to a boil check the package) -- don't overcook -- it is going to be baked too (and remember to salt the water)

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce:

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat
Stir in the flour to form a roux and cook for a couple of minutes to take out that "paste" taste (be careful not to let it burn)
Using a whisk, stir in 1 cup of the milk, blend well and turn the heat down slightly
Add the can of condensed soup, mixing well, and use the remaining 1/2 cup milk to "rinse" the soup can into the pan
When the sauce starts to thicken up, add the shredded cheese and turn the heat down to low
Continue whisking occasionally while you prepare the rest of the parts

Open and drain the cans of tuna

(I have one of these nifty plastic gizmos that just fits in the top of the can and lets you drain out the liquid without loosing any of the solids)

I don't try to squeeze out the liquid for this recipe -- there is some good flavor in that packing water, but you just don't want ALL of that liquid



Pour the frozen peas in the colander that you are going to use to drain your macaroni

When the pasta is done, pour it right in on top of the peas

It defrosts the peas without using any additional water


Return the drained macaroni and peas to the pan you cooked the pasta in, and add the tuna
Pour the sauce over the top and mix well

Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and pour in the mixture

Top with crushed potato chips

Bake for 30 minutes

Heartburn Free "Fried" Chicken

I love fried chicken. And I know it isn't good for me to have the "real thing" -- too much fat, which means a big case of heartburn

For quite a while I've been fiddling around with different things to try and find something that satisfies that fried chicken taste without the pain

Last night was the latest attempt, and the results were great

So, here's what I did.


Ingredients:
1 medium chicken, cut into pieces (you could use pre-cut pieces all of one kind, say drumsticks or thighs or whatever you like)
12 soda crackers
1 tsp paprika

Process:

Ahead of time, wash the chicken pieces, trim the extra visable fat off with kitchen shears or a sharp knife

Bring a small amount of water (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep) to a boil in a pan large enough for either your steamer basket or a small collandar to fit in.

Put the chicken pieces in the steamer over the water (chicken should not touch the water level). Reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes.

Drain the chicken on a rack

NOTE: If it's going to be longer than about 15 minutes before you move to the next step, put the chicken pieces in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them. The steaming could actually be done the night before or the morning off before you head off to work if that fits your schedule.

At cooking time, heat the oven to 375 degrees

Line your pan (I used a jelly roll pan, but a large cookie sheet would work) with parchment paper and set a rack on top of the parchment

In a zip top bag, crush the crackers until there are no big pieces (you're looking for the texture of cornmeal). Add the paprika and mix well.

Dip each piece of cooled chicken in water then put into the bag and shake, coating completely.

Place chicken on rack so the pieces don't touch each other.

Bake for 25 minutes, turn each piece over, bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the chicken is totally cooked.

Cheesy Chicken Pasta Cassarole

I'm not usually the one that cooks dinner at our house, as the DH is better at it and enjoys it more.

He hurt his hand (beware of circular saws!) about 3 weeks ago, so I've been trying to keep us fed.

Every now and then I do come up with something that's pretty good --- and it's usually something that goes in a cassarole dish and involves some kind of pasta.

Last night was no exception to that.

This is a sort of combination of upscale macaroni and cheese with an italian overtone. Like most of my concoctions, I started off with good intentions to follow a recipe, but as I get into it, that whole "it's just a suggestion" thing takes over, and I'm off and running.

Sometimes that's a disaster in the making, but last night's excursion was pretty good.

This thing takes about an hour to do, so it's not a "quickie", but once you've got it made up, the left overs will freeze well and reheat pretty quickly.

Oh yes, like doing an oriental stir fry, this one is definately something that will dirty a lot of pans and utinsels, so be prepared!

So here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
6 ounces (about 9 medium) white mushrooms thinly sliced
1/2 cup (about 1.5 ounces) sun dried tomatoes diced fine
1/2 cup green olives thinly sliced
1/2 small shallot diced fine
1 clove garlic diced fine
1 pound whole wheat rigatoni or penne pasta
2 ounces parmesian cheese very finely shredded
1 cup panko bread crumbs
6 ounces provolone cheese shredded or cut into very small dice
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbls butter
2 Tbls flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbls olive oil
salt
pepper
cooking spray

Prep work (to keep from needing more than one cutting board, I do the prep in this order):

shred or dice the parmesian cheese -- combine it in a dish with the panko and set aside (this is the crunchy topping)

shred or dice the provolone and mozzarella cheese, set aside in a seperate dish

thinly slice the mushrooms and olives, put in a dish

dice the sundried tomatoes, set aside in a dish

dice the shallot and garlic, set aside

split the chicken breasts to make thinner pieces, salt and pepper both sides

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray 9 by 13 glass pan with cooking spray

In a large pan, cook the pasta as the package directs (be sure to salt the water well before adding the pasta)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, cook the chicken breasts for about 4 minutes per side -- they should be lightly browned and almost cooked through --- remove from the pan back to the cutting board

In the same skillet, saute the shallot and garlic until translucent, add mushrooms and olives. Reduce heat and let "simmer"

In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook for a few minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a simmer and let cook until slightly thickened. (This is a standard medium white sauce preparation)

Add tomatoes, provolone and mozzarella cheese to sauce, reduce heat to low and allow to combine. (I usually switch to a wooden spoon for stirring here)

Cut cooked chicken into 1 inch cubes.

When pasta is done, drain and return to cooking pan. Add chicken cubes and sauted vegetables, and mix. Pour sauce over mixture and combine well.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread panko/parmesian mixture over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:
1. Mushrooms or olives could be left out if one or the other is a "no go" item in your house.

2. This could be prepared using left over chicken from another meal --- just skip the chicken cooking and go right to vegetable saute in the skillet

Gumbo

We like creole food.

Most of the recipes make really big batches, which are not practical for just the DH and I.

This is his most recent recipe, which for us makes enough for two meals. So, it should feed 4 if you're not looking for any left overs for another day.

CAUTION: This is NOT a "quickie" meal, but it really worth the time!

Ingredients:

2 tbls olive oil
1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped (or whatever color pepper you prefer)
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can (14.5 ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14.5 ounce) whole tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup brown rice
1 cup frozen sliced okra
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tbls parsley
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
tabasco to taste

How to:

Brown sausage in the olive oil, remove to dish for later

Saute onion, pepper, carrots and garlic in the oil until onion is translucent

Add tomatoes, chicken broth, herbs and rice and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes

Return sausage to pan and add chicken pieces, simmer for 15 minutes

Add okra and simmer for 12 minutes

Serve with crusty bread

Tamale Pie

We like one dish meals at our house. Not that making one actually uses only one dish, but we like the flavors of casserole type things, so we do them pretty regularly.

This one has been a favorite for a while, but I don’t make it real often. It is, however, one that most of the time I could just whip up out of what’s in the cupboard.

It’s a great recipe for one of those chilly winter days that just begs you to turn on the oven for some reason!

There are lots of variations to this, and I’ve added some of them. I’d love to hear what you do with it!


Ingredients:

For the crust:
2 ½ cups water
1 tsp salt
½ to 1 tsp chili powder (if you like spicy, use a whole tsp)
1 ¼ cup corn meal

For the filling:
1 lb. meat (left over pork or chicken, shredded or hamburger)
1 can (15 oz) chili ready or Mexican style tomatoes (or a can of green chili sauce)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
¾ cup frozen corn, rinsed and drained
½ onion, diced fine
1 tbls olive oil
½ to ¾ cup shredded cheese (cheddar or jack are best)

Preparation:

Turn oven on to 350 degrees

In a sauce pan, combine water, salt and chili powder, bring to a boil
Using a whisk, slowing add cornmeal, turn burner off and cover to thicken

Spray a 2 ½ quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread cornmeal in dish to entirely cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Technique tip: use a glass custard dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray to press the cornmeal mixture evenly into the casserole dish.

Set the casserole dish aside.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil.

Sauté the onions until they are transparent then add the meat. Technique tip: if you are using hamburger, scramble fry it in another pan first and drain off all the fat.

Add the tomatoes, beans and corn, mix well and bring to a simmer to heat all of the ingredients through

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the filling to the prepared crust (too much liquid is not desirable)

Top with the shredded cheese

Bake for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly browned

Serve with a side salad, guacamole, sour cream and black olive garnish

Enjoy (oh yes, any left overs that you reheat the next day are just as good!)

We interrupt this healthy eating

for an old style southern dish

I know, we're trying hard to cut the fat, but even our doctor tells us you can occasionally have one of those "BAD for you" meals.

This dish is something I remember from my childhood -- my grandmother made it, and I loved it then too

Pork Chops and Grits

3/4 cup quick cooking grits
3 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbls butter

2 to 4 pork chops

In a sauce pan, bring the water to a boil. Whisk in the salt and the grits, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter. Set aside.

Trim the fat from the pork chops. In a heavy skillet, render the fat (cook those little pieces of fat until they are like very crispy bacon). Remove the crispy pieces from the pan (I confess -- I eat them!). Sprinkle each side of each pork chop lightly with salt, and place in skillet. Brown each side, do not overcook!

In a flat baking dish, spread the grits in an even layer (spray the dish with non-stick cooking spray first for easier clean up!)

Place browned pork chops on top of grits -- don't overlap the meat -- then pour all of the pan juices over the grits

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes (depending on how thick the pork chops are and how "done" you like them)

Enjoy, ya'll!

Fisherman Style Fish Dish

We've been trying to eat healthy, and one of the things we're trying to do at least weekly is eat some kind of fish.

In our last batch of food from Shares we got a 1 pound package of Pollack fillets.

Last night the DH turned it into a great dinner (and we have enough left over to reheat for a quick meal another night)

This is a fisherman style baked fish dinner, and I cooked up some brown rice that we poured some of the sauce over as a side dish.

Ingredients:
1 rib of celery, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbls olive oil
1 large (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tbls fresh basil, cut fine
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbls parsley
1 lb firm flesh white fish (we've done this with Pollack, tilapia, halibut)

In a skillet, sauté the celery, pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.

Add tomatoes and seasoning and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Place fish in a single layer in baking dish (we used the glass lasagna pan) and pour sauce over it.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

I usually think of this as more of a winter time dish, mostly because it requires turning on the oven, but my daughter recently requested the recipe, so here it is.

There is no real good way to make this a low fat meal -- you can use low fat milk, but there is no substitute for really good sharp cheddar cheese -- so just think of this as a "splurge" and forgive yourself!

For some reason elbow macaroni is the traditional pasta to use for this -- its just one of those "we've ALWAYS done it that way" things, but it can be done equally well with medium or small shell pasta -- you want something that the sauce will cling to.

You'll want to adjust what sort of pan you bake this in based on your family's preference. At our house we like the crusty edges, so I bake in a fairly thin layer in a pyrex pan -- the same one I cook lasagna in -- lots of crusty edges -- yum! If you're not so into the crusty parts, a round pyrex backing dish works too.

So here's the recipe:

2 c raw elbow macaroni
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 1/2 c milk
2 tbls flour
2 tbls butter
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard

Cook macaroni following package directions -- don't overcook

Melt butter in sauce pan, add flour to form roux -- let it cook a little bit to take out the raw flour taste

Whisk in milk, worcestershire sauce and mustard. Continue stirring until sauce begins to thicken.

Stir about 2/3 of shredded cheese into sauce and continue stirring until the cheese melts.

Drain macaroni and return to cooking pot. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and mix well.

Pour sauced macaroni into greased baking pan, top with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes

Enjoy!!

Chow Mien

In our effort to "eat healthy", we've been working out some new recipes.

This one was quite tasty! The hardest part is actually the prep time as the cooking takes only about 10 minutes --- the slicing and dicing took about half an hour


This would easily feed four, or be one dinner for two and two lunches that would easily reheat in the microwave


1/2 pound lean pork or chicken thigh meat
3 medium size carrots
4 ribs of celery
1 red or green pepper
5 green onions
6 to 8 medium mushrooms
1 cup mung bean sprouts (or 1 14 oz can)
1 5 oz can bamboo shoots
1 5 oz can water chestnuts
2 tsp corn starch
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tbls peanut oil
2 packages raman noodles (throw the sauce packets away)



Prep:
slice the meat into thin slices (tip: its easier to slice really thin if the meat is partially frozen, so if its fresh, put it in the freezer for about an hour and a half before this step -- a really sharp knife helps too)

In a sealable container or a zip bag, put the corn starch and the meat -- toss well to coat all the surfaces

Slice the carrots and the celery on the diagonal into thin pieces

Cut pepper into strips

Cut green onions into pieces about 2 inches long

Slice the mushrooms

Drain the canned veggies

Mix the soy sauce and the chicken broth together


Cooking:
Put pan of water for cooking raman noodles on heat to bring to a boil (water should be boiling before you start cooking the meat and veggies)

In a large heavy saute pan (or a wok if you have one), heat 1 tbls of the peanut oil. Cook the meat quickly, keep it moving and do not over brown. Remove meat from pan.

Add second tbls of oil to pan. Starting with the carrots and celery, add veggies to pan. After about a minute add peppers, onions and mushrooms. After another minute, add canned veggies and return meat to the pan. Stir to mix well.

Pour broth/soy sauce mixture over pan, cover.

Drop noodles into boiling water.

After 3 minutes, remove from heat.

Serve veggie mix over raman noodles.

Just one more thought about using chicken instead of pork – using toasted sesame oil instead of peanut oil – the taste just seems to go together!

Green Chili

This is one of those recipes that is very like the old style cookbooks -- a list of ingredients, a set of techniques, and every time it comes out different!

My husband makes this, and for quite a long time my daughter has wanted us to "write it down!", so last night, as he was putting it together, I took notes.

We like our green chili on the mild side, but if you like it hotter, add a hotter pepper to the mix.

As I said, its different every time -- largely because the peppers vary, so just in time for Cinco de Mayo, here ya go:


1 to 1 1/2 lbs pork steak -- you want something with some fat in it and bones are okay too
1 pasilla pepper
1 yellow hot pepper
1 green bell or anaheim pepper
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (or dice fresh ones if you've got lots)
1 10 oz can tomatoes with peppers (we've used Hatch brand recently)

Trim the fat and bones from the pork and put them in a large heavy pan (we use a big saute pan) to render out the fat -- use a medium high heat and watch that they don't burn

Cut the pork meat into bite sized cubes

When the fat and bones have rendered (you know, they are that dark brown, crunchy consistancy -- yummy but still bad for you, but we eat them anyway!), remove from the pan.

Drain off most of the grease and put meat chunks into the pan to brown

Clean peppers and cut into pieces -- chunks, not tiny bits, dice onion and garlic

When the meat is browned, remove from pan and add peppers and onion, saute until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic

Return pork to the pan and stir in the tomatoes

Simmer over medium low heat for 45 minutes to a hour

This stuff is great in a bowl with a tortilla on the side or over burritos as a "smother" sauce, and the left overs are even better than the stuff is the first night!

Skillet Suppers

My daughter requested that I find and post a recipe that was pretty much a once every couple of weeks staple back in the day when we were all out of the house all day every day.

This has lots of possible variations, so bear with me here as I explain all of them.

The big joy of this is you can create the entire meal in ONE skillet, and the left overs reheat wonderfully for a lunch (if there are any left overs!)

Here's the recipe:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 4 small porkchops (about 1 pound)
1 can cream of mushroom, cream of chicken or cream of celery soup
1 1/2 cup water
2 cups of instant rice, uncooked
1 package of frozen peas, brocolli or mixed veggies

In a large skillet, heat a small amount of oil (just enough to keep meat from sticking). Brown the meat/chicken on both sides, then cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until meat/chicken is nearly done.

Remove from skillet to a plate. Pour soup and water into the skillet and bring to a boil.

Add the rice and the vegetable and mix well.

Return meat/chicken to skillet, cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

See, simple, quick, delish!!

Meat Loaf

I've had a request for my favorite meatloaf recipe, so here it is:

½ medium onion, chopped fine (or use green onions or shallots – shallots are my favorite)
1 tsp beef soup base (I use the kind that comes in a jar and must be refrigerated after opening)
1/3 c hot water
2 eggs OR ½ c egg substitute
½ c ketchup
1 ½ c oatmeal

Mix those 6 ingredients together in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes so the oatmeal can absorb the liquid

Add to mixture 2 to 3 pounds of quality ground meat. I have used lamb, pork, veal and venison in combination with beef to make successful meatloaves.

Combine well (use your hands!!), form a loaf and put in pan. I have used a 9x12 cake pan with a rack and an iron skillet as pans from time to time

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 ½ hours (I like my meatloaf DONE, not pink in the middle, and at about a hour into baking I usually check it by cutting it in half at the thickest part)

I should also add that if you want to take an even less complex approach, get a package of dry onion soup mix to replace the first two ingredients!

This is great hot, makes wonderful sandwiches afterwards. One of my favorite "sandwiches" with it is to roll a strip of meatloaf and a strip of cheese in a flour tortilla and warm it in the microwave --- mmmmmm, yummy!!

Pizza, Pizza

I love pizza. I've loved it since I was a kid, and I've used it for feeding guests as well as breakfast (yes, COLD!), lunch (slightly reheated on a paper towel in the microwave) and dinner (fresh out of the oven).

I've given my daughter the addiction too....sorry kid!!

When we lived in California the place we usually ordered from had a slick system. They had caller ID on their phone system and a computerized list of what folks had ordered before. So ordering a pizza was a conversation sort of like this:

As soon as I dialed the number I'd hear: "Mountain Mike's Pizza"
ME: Hi, I'd like to order a pizza
MOUNTAIN MIKE: You want the medium half and half with mushrooms and sausage on one side and pepperoni and black olives on the other?
ME: Yup
MOUNTAIN MIKE: That'll be $14.95 and it'll be there in about 40 minutes
ME: Sounds good
MOUNTAIN MIKE: Thanks for calling, enjoy your pizza
ME: Thanks, we will
and usually in less time than they said, the pizza delivery guy would be at the door and we'd give the fellow a $20 and go off to eat our pizza (I think the delivery guys used to fight over who delivered to our house!)

Here in our new abode, we haven't ever found any place with pizza as good as we got there, so when we have pizza, we usually make it at home. I use some shortcuts along the way, but it is pretty good.

PIZZA
1 loaf frozen bread dough
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or more if you want extra cheese)
1/4 cup pasta sauce (or more if you like really saucy pizza)
2 tbls corn meal
1 tsp olive oil
toppings (see listing below)

on the morning of the day you want to have pizza, take the frozen bread dough out of the freezer and put it in a pan to defrost (be sure to oil everything so it doesn't stick and cover it with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out)

in the evening:
Organize all of your toppings. If something needs to be precooked (like hamburger or sausage), do it first. Once you start messing with the dough, you need to be ready to put this all together.
Preheat oven to 475 degrees
Prepare a large pan to bake pizza on (I use a jelly roll pan), use the olive oil over the entire surface of the pan, then sprinkle with the cornmeal

In the prepared pan, spread the bread dough to make a crust the thickness you like. Be careful not to put holes in it. Use a fork to prick the dough (otherwise it will make big bubbles as it cooks).

Bake dough for 4 minutes -- this gives it a chance to start forming a crust so the toppings won't make it soggy

Remove dough from oven. If any air bubbles have formed, use the fork again to poke holes in them.

Using a pastry brush, spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough. Arrange toppings over the entire surface of the pizza. Finally put an even layer of shredded cheese over everything.

Bake for an additional 8 to 12 minutes (time depends on your oven, how much stuff you piled on, and how brown you like your finished product).

Cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.

Eat with caution -- that first bite will still be HOT!


Suggested toppings:
bulk italian sausage, "scramble fried" and drained
hamburger, "scramble fried" and drained
pepperoni slices
canadian bacon
thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
sliced black olives
thin slices of green pepper (or any other color you like)
sliced water chestnuts
pineapple (goes with the canadian bacon)

For toppings just put on whatever YOU like!

Stuffed Flank Steak

This is a recipe that began with a dish my mother used to make, and has been liberally "tweeked" over the years.

The prep work takes a bit of time, but there is really nothing very difficult in any of the steps.

Set aside about and hour and a half (from start to table) and try this one, you'll be amazed at just how elegant a dinner you can make!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pound flank steak
1 large carrot
1 shallot
1 cup raw rice (I use Basmati)
2 cups warm water
2 tbls olive oil
2 tsp beef bullion
4 to 6 medium mushrooms

Mix the bullion with the warm water in the measuring cup.
Peel the shallot and the carrot (or just scrub the carrot), cut both into fine dice (about 1/4 inch pieces).
Clean the mushrooms and slice very thin
Heat oil in heavy sauce pan; saute shallot, carrot and mushrooms slightly
Add raw rice and "toast" for about 3 minutes -- keep the rice moving so it doesn't burn
Add bullion/water mixture to pan and simmer until rice is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed (about 10 to 15 minutes)
Cool rice mixture for about 10 minutes

While the rice is cooling, heat oven to 350 degrees



On a cutting board, lay out steak covered with plastic wrap (the plastic wrap keeps the mess level down while you beat it)



Use a meat pounder WITHOUT teeth (those just tear the fibers). If you don't have one of these, a wine bottle will work, or the edge of a heavy pottery platter.




Pound the meat to tenderize and thin it out.



Once the meat has been pounded, spread a layer of the cooled rice mixture over the meat.

Roll the meat with the rice mixture inside like a jelly roll and tie with string.

(There will be extra rice mixture left, save it to use as a side dish)



On the stove top, heat a heavy skillet (I use my large cast iron one)

Transfer meat to the pan and brown



Be sure to brown all sides of the roll. Use tongs or a large spatula to turn the meat so you don't poke holes in it and let the juices "leak" out.

Once all sides are brown, bake for about 30 to 40 minutes (depending on how rare you like your beef and how thick the roll is -- we like our beef pretty rare)





When the meat comes out of the oven, let it rest for about 5 minutes, then slice in about 3/4 inch slices for serving.

You can make a pan gravy with the juices and serve the extra rice mixture on the side.

A green veggie or a nice salad (or both!) go well with this and make a very attractive and healthy meal.

The left overs reheat nicely in the microwave. From time to time I've cut up the left overs and made "at home" TV dinners for the freezer for those evenings when we don't feel like cooking.

By popular demand....Chicken Tenders -- Homestyle

My daughter mentioned (rather pointedly, I might add) that I hadn't posted here for a while, and asked if I could post the recipe for the Chicken Tenders I make that she and her dad both love.

The recipe is so simple I'm almost embarrased to write it out, but since she asked, here it is:

Mom's Chicken Tenders

white meat chicken (I use boneless chicken breast pieces) -- the equivalent of one chicken breast piece per person
flour to dredge in (Wondra Flour works real well, but all purpose is fine)
sesame oil (peanut oil will work too)

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces (this is easiest if the chicken is still slightly firm from being frozen)

Lightly flour the chicken

Heat the skillet (HOT!), put a little oil in the pan, fry the chicken pieces until nicely browned and the chicken is done all the way through.

Salt lightly and enjoy!

NOTE: these are really good on top of a Ceasar salad

Peachy BBQ Ribs

These yummies are a recipe that my mother used to make when I was a kid.

For a long time, I never knew any kind of BBQ but this kind of slow, moist, torture it in the oven, kind. I really like the combination of the pork with the peaches and the little hint of cloves gives it a little zip.

I cooked up this batch last night after we had gotten some really good lean boneless ribs during our Costco run.

The original recipe was designed to feed 4, so I just cut it in half -- more or less (more about that below) and made this great dinner.

So, here's the original recipe with the reduced for [2] in the parenthesis.

Peachy BBQ Ribs

3 pounds [1 1/2 pounds] lean, boneless pork ribs
1 large can of peaches [1 small can of peaches]
2 Tbls [1 Tbls] worchestershire sauce
2 Tbls [1 Tbls] flour
2 Tbls [1 Tbls] prepared yellow mustard
1 cup [1/2 cup] ketchup
1 Tbls [1 1/2 tsp] dry onion flakes
1/2 tsp [1/4 tsp] ground cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Spray the baking pan with cooking spray for easy clean up afterwards. A full recipe needs an 11 by 9 inch pan, a half recipe can be done in an 8 by 8 inch pan, and I usually use glass.

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper and place in the prepared baking pan.

Drain the peaches, save the juice, set the peaches aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine 1 cup of the juice from the peaches, and the other ingredients. [If there is not enough juice from a small can of peaches, add water to bring it up to 1 cup. This is the part that you really don't cut in half because you need the liquid to do the cooking in the oven]

Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk to remove any lumps.

Pour sauce over ribs. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. About half way through either turn each rib over or baste (I prefer the turning method).

When ribs are tender, arrange peaches on top of ribs, baste with sauce and return to the oven for another 5 minutes to heat peaches.

YUM!

Gpa's Chili

This recipe is the creation of my dad, and has been variously "tinkered" with by him for years.

I kept asking for the recipe, and finally one day when he was putting it together, my mom sat in the kitchen and wrote it down as he went.

Just a few notes about the ingredients: Kuner's is a mountain region brand, and I'm guessing that any brand would do if this one isn't available. An institutional can is one of those great big ones that you can get at some of the grocery stories and at Walmart, at least in our area.

Dad uses a canning kettle to cook this in, and the only warning here is, don't turn up the heat too high or you'll burn the bottom, which is not all that tasty!

So here's the recipe:

Gpa’s Chili

1 pound ground pork
5 pounds hamburger
Kuner’s Chili Beans in chili sauce 6 pound 12 ounce can (institutional size)
Kuner’s Dark Red Kidney beans 6 pound 12 ounce can (institutional size)
46 ounce can tomato juice
2 medium mild onions, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbls salt
½ cup ketchup
3 tbls sugar
1 tbls chili powder

In 18 quart kettle, scramble cook ground pork until it begins to loose red color.

Add ground beef and onions. Cook until meat is done but not browned and onions are transparent.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Rinse cans with a little water and add to pot too.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cook for at least 2 hours.

This freezes really well, and reheats in a jiffy either in the microwave or on the stove.


Aside from just eating this yummy stuff with shredded cheese on top and some oyster crackers, we've also used it in these ways:

mixed with left over macaroni and cheese for chili mac
rolled in a tortilla for a quickie burrito
poured over tortilla chips, topped with cheese and heated for mealtime nachos

There are probably more ideas out there, how about sharing yours?