Leftover Time

'Light' King Ranch Chicken Casserole

2012-01-04T11:29:00.000-06:00

There is nothing quite like southern comfort food to make the world right. Those bubbly dishes of goodness full of culinary love (aka 'butter' and 'cheese'). Comfort food is good ANY time of year but can be difficult around the new year when resolutions are still going strong and calories are being counted. So I propose a compromise - with the help of Southern Living and a delicious creamy nachos-esque chicken dish. This 'Light' King Ranch Chicken Casserole packs in a lot of southwestern flavor, lean protein and maintains that culinary love (in the form of sharp cheddar cheese). You'll know it's better for you than the original but your tastebuds will be completely fooled.

find the original here from the March '04 Southern Living

'Light' King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 10 min stovetop + 30-35 min bake
Serves: 6
Oven Temp: 350

You'll notice that a'in't low fat cheese! I refuse! 'light' be damned!

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped (optional, use red for extra color)
canola cooking spray
2 cups chopped chicken breast (optional, can use full chicken including dark meat if preferred)
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced tomato & green chiles
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
12 corn tortillas
1 8oz block low fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (you'll find me using regular )
*optional: hot sauce, to flavor

Prep tip: As the chicken bakes take a minute to get the rest of your chopping & shredding out of the way.

Directions:

1. Saute onion, pepper in large skillet coated with cooking spray 5 minutes or until tender.

This mix'd make a pretty incredible chip dip, too.

2. Stir in chicken, soups, chiles, chili and garlic powder. Once warmed through, remove from heat.

3. Tear tortillas into 1" pieces. Layer 1/3 in the bottom of a 13x9 pan coated with cooking spray. Top with 1/3 chicken mixture, 1/3 cheese. Repeat layers until done, cheese on top.

Layers done, ready to bake (uncovered)

4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until bubbly. Let the casserole rest 5 minutes out of the oven.

*tip: You can freeze this casserole up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge over night, then bake as directed.

5. LEFTOVERS: Seal and refrigerate.

All brown & bubbly after 35 minutes!

Gingersnaps

2012-01-01T14:27:00.001-06:00

"The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" was my first 'real' cookbook, my go-to source when I wanted to make anything new. And 10 years ago when this cookbook was given to me everything was new! So when I wanted to show up to the annual family cookie day with a traditional, delicious cookie recipe Fannie Farmer and I quickly settled on Gingersnaps. I've used this exact recipe practically every holiday since. It makes my kitchen smell like holiday spice heaven and the results are just as good.

Gingersnaps

Prep: 20 min.
Cook: 10 min (for chewy), 12 min (for crisp)
Serves: makes about 2 dozen cookies, I always double the recipe to ensure I have enough to share.
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegetable shortening (ie Crisco)
1 cup sugar + extra to roll the cookies in
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses (light does the trick, try dark for stronger flavor)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven and grease cookie sheets.

2. Beat together shortening, 1 cup sugar. Then add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Then add molasses.

3.In a separate bowl stir and toss together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon.

4. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients until smooth and blended.

5 Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in sugar.

6. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes (see note above about time and final cookie texture) until the cookies have spread and the tops have cracked. Remove from the sheets and cool on a rack.

*Tip: (my own, not Fannie's): If you place parchment paper on top of your cookie sheet before placing cookie dough you can simply lift the paper off of the cookie sheet once it's out of the oven and move to a rack to cool. No need to grease pans or run the risk of damaging warm cookies as you take them off of the pan!

4. LEFTOVERS: Seal tight, these cookies tend to harden quickly if left exposed to air.

'Olive Garden' Minestrone Soup

2011-10-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe quite a while ago probably on an early fall night like this one while I was craving a hearty soup for dinner. I thought I'd already recorded it here, on Leftover Time. To my surprise and panic this morning - it wasn't here. Would I be able to find that perfect recipe again? God bless the internet and it's unwillingness to let go at times like these, I found it fairly quickly and vowed to get it written down right away.

There are very few recipes I copy verbatim. This one - a copycat of Olive Garden's recipe - needed no changes in my book. It's perfect. I am going to tell you right now the measurements are a pain in the butt so you'll have to figure out what to do with leftover ingredients (how is one supposed to just get 1/4 a cup of zuchinni, for example? No, I have to get an entire zuchinni and now I don't want to throw out the rest...) but the end result is WORTH it. Promise.

Respectfully I am reprinting from this site. The recipe is not my own but it sure did make for an excellent Sunday night dinner tonight paired with garlic bread!

'Olive Garden' Minestrone Soup

Prep: 20 minutes (chop and measure it all up first, less hassle later)
Cook: 60 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients: (feel free to use more or less ingredients to fit your tastebuds)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced white onions (about 1 small onion)
1/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup frozen cut Italian green beans
1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
4 cups vegetable (Do not use chicken broth!)
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans , drained
1 (15 oz) can small white beans or great northern beans , drained
1 /2 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrots, julienned or shredded (I get the pre-diced type)
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup small shell pasta

Directions:

1. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

2. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency. Don't be nervous about the spinach, it works!!

4. LEFTOVERS: Seal tightly and refrigerate or freeze.

Steak & Beer Chili

2011-09-17T23:37:00.000-05:00

I was searching for a healthy chili recipe and came across an option with ... beer in the title? Immediately sold. AND I had one beer left in the fridge. It was on. The original post can be found here courtesy of myrecipes.com and I adapted to what I had in the fridge (steak tips, not ground beef, for example) and my own tastes (tomato paste, an extra veggie appearance, jalapenos to kick up the mild original)

Steak & Beer Chili

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Serves: 4-6

The secret ingredient!

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
8 ounces beef tips, trimmed and cut to 'bite size'
2 cups chopped onion (I recommend red, sweet & a pretty color) (about 1 large)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 (19 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup diced canned jalapenos (use less if fresh)
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
1 12 oz bottle of your favorite beer
1/2 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:

1.Heat olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven on medium high heat. Add beef tips to lightly brown, about 4 minutes including a flip half way through.

2. Add aromatics (onion, bell pepper, garlic) and toss with beef, continue to saute 4-5 minutes until red onion begins to lose color (meaning it's cooking through).

3. Add mushrooms last so they don't overcook (optional - I really like this addition and enjoy torturing my kid by nudging him into eating them, so they're in!).

4. While aromatics and mushrooms are getting frisky with the steak tips, combine chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper & sugar in a small bowl to keep flavors consistent. Add to dutch oven and fold into mix.

5. Add oregano, then beans (make sure they're drained), tomato, jalapeno (if you opt for fresh these should really go in on step #2 to properly cook), beef broth and beer. Mmmm watch the beer fizz. Your kitchen smells amazing and a little bit like a brewery right now.

6. At this point the recipe called for the addition of corn meal. The best I can figure out is that with these ingredients you need a thickening agent otherwise this looks suspiciously like steak & beer soup. Not what you're looking for. I don't use corn meal and I wasn't going to buy it for the teaspoon I need. Soooo....I took a small jar of plain tomato paste and scooped in spoonfuls until I got the consistency where I wanted it. It took me about half a jar and didn't appear to affect the flavor a bit. Win.

7. Final ingredient - add lime juice. I skipped fresh and went straight for the little plastic lime I happened to have in the fridge, worked like a charm and the acidity works well with the beer.

8. Let simmer on the stove over medium heat (stirring occasionally to avoid pan scorch) for 25 minutes. Serve with the usual suspects.

9. LEFTOVERS: Cover and refrigerate. If you double the recipe, which you could easily do, this would be an amazing dish to put into serving-sized containers and freeze, I bet the leftovers would be even better than the original (which would be hard to do, but possible. Let me know how it goes, my leftovers are in the fridge waiting to be eaten more immediately).

Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken

2011-09-17T22:24:00.002-05:00

Thank you People Magazine (August 2011 issue) for this one!

Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken

Prep: 30 min marinade time + 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Serves: 4
Oven Temp: Grill over indirect heat

Ingredients:

Juice & zest of 3 lemons
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp honey, plus drizzle
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, peeled & smashed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (2 lbs)
Grilled lemon wedges

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix juice, zest, olive oil, oregano, Dijon mustard, honey, onion, garlic, salt and pepper to make a marinade. Set aside 1/3 cup of the mix for basting. Place chicken in marinade, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grate and place chicken on the grill over indirect heat. Cook 8-10 minutes on each side until juices run clear, basting occasionally with reserve.

3. After taking chicken off the grill drizzle with extra honey, serve with lemon wedges.

4. LEFTOVERS: cover & refrigerate.

Bill's Birthday Carrot Cake

2011-08-07T18:06:00.006-05:00

Rumor has it my step-dad, Bill, used to be a cheesecake man. Cherry cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, plain New York style cheesecake - he's told us for years about the cheesecakes baked for him through the years for his birthday.

Until he met my mom. And ate my mom's carrot cake.

And now he is a carrot cake man, that's all he ever asks for on his birthday. It's THAT good. And I am about to attempt the long-loved recipe for the first time. Mom assures me it isn't hard, so there's that. Wish me luck.

Bill's Birthday Carrot Cake

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 35-40 min
Serves: 8
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients:

Carrot Cake:
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups oil
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 cups grated carrots
3/4 cups broken walnuts
2 tbsp lemon juice

Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
(at least) 1 box powdered sugar
1 slab cream cheese

Directions (Carrot Cake):

1. Grease and flour 9x13 pan

2. In a large bowl beat sugar and eggs until thickened and pale. Stir in oil, lemon juice

3. In a separate, medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

4. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients 1 cup at a time. Fold in carrots, walnuts.

5. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

6. LEFTOVERS: Cover tightly with tin foil, will keep on the counter for several days.

Directions (Cream Cheese Icing):

1. Mix shortening and water in a mixer.

2. Slowly add salt and sugar, then cream cheese in chunks until evenly blended.

3. LEFTOVERS: Keep covered and refrigerated.

Smoked Gouda & Grilled Onion Salad

2011-07-21T12:53:00.009-05:00

I avoid reading about food while I'm doing a cardio workout at the gym. It just makes me hungry. But Shape Magazine snuck in this recipe on me while I was reading a back issue and I knew I had to try it...today. I love the fact that the ingredients are rich enough to avoid making me feel deprived, filling enough that I'm not going to be hungry ten minutes after I eat, and health-conscious enough that I'm not going to reverse all of my hard work at the gym with one lunch. Cherry on top: this tasty lunch is really, really simple.

Smoked Gouda & Grilled Onion Salad
courtesy of Shape Magazine, January 2011 edition

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1/2 cup onion (any kind) thinly sliced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups Romaine (or your own favorite) lettuce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 oz smoked Gouda cheese

Directions:

1. Saute sliced onion in olive oil until translucent. Set aside.

*Tip: to get a nice carmelized color and flavor to onion or most anything you saute, resist the urge to turn too quickly. Set your onion in olive oil at medium high heat (not so hot that they stick to the pan) and LEAVE IT ALONE. You should be able to get away with 1 flip to the other side half way through and get a truly sauteed vegetable with nice flavor. Trust me.

2. Toss lettuce with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

3. Top dressed lettuce with onion, then crumbled the Gouda on top. What ends up happening is your lettuce wilts a bit from the heat of the onion then your cheese melt on top. Yum.

*Shape suggests serving with whole grain crackers.

4. LEFTOVERS: This meal needs to be eaten right away, I wouldn't bother with leftovers.

Mimi's Beef Stroganoff

2011-06-11T09:40:00.006-05:00

My mimi isn't exactly known for her cooking (sorry Mimi! but I don't think you've ever seen this blog so I'm safe...I think.). So, I was surprised when I looked up this family recipe and it was credited to her. Thanks for your culinary addition to the family M., now get out of the kitchen ;)

Mimi's Beef Stroganoff

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15-20 min
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
3 tbsp margarine or butter
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 lbs hamburger (85/15 or other lean hamburger works best)
1 tbsp flour, peppered
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can milk
2/3 regular tub sour cream (yes, very specific, I know...)
4 cups white long grain rice, prepared.
*Optional: 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Melt margarine in a large skillet. Then sautee onion and garlic until golden. Add hamburger and brown.

2. Drain off excess liquid, add peppered flour to taste.

3. Add soup and milk until mix is warmed through. Add sour cream until fully mixed (add more or less sour cream until you get the consistency you want, it's not an exact science.). Stroganoff should be creamy to soak into rice.

*Optional: This is a mild, creamy, filling dish. I typically like a bit more flavor and add 1/2 tsp of cayenne with the sour cream to please my own taste buds. I leave it out if kids or picky eaters are over for dinner and top my portion with Tony's Cajun Seasoning.

4. Pour over rice and serve. This dish is rich and a bit of a monochromatic meal so I feel compelled to serve with brightly colored veggies and/or fruit salad to both brighten and lighten up the meal. To each their own, some people I know (ie. the men in my family) are good with just stroganoff for dinner. :)

5. LEFTOVERS: Refrigerate stroganoff separate from leftover rice (to keep it from drying out).

Homemade Potato Salad

2011-06-01T19:30:00.008-05:00

This recipe has been a long time coming. I've been trying to avoid posting it, in truth. The problem is my mom made it up with my great grandma's help so there's no real measurement, just 'a pinch of this' or 'some of that' and that drives me crazy. So. I will try to be as clear as possible but when in doubt go with your gut and experiment a little, you'll figure it out (at least, that's what my great grandma says...).

Homemade Potato Salad

Prep: 10 minutes + 20 minutes + 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes (potatoes)
Serves: 6
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients:

12 regular potatoes, washed
salt & pepper
1 sm Vidalia onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 boiled eggs, chopped

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp curry

1 1/2 cups mayo (I use light)
1/4 cup mustard

Directions:

**Note: it is generally best to prepare potatoes and seasoning mix the night before (step 1 and 2), then create the salad (step 3) the next morning, and right before serving at dinner create and fold in the dressing (step 4).

1. Bake, cool, peel and chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. Add salt and pepper to taste. The potatoes are best 'firmly baked' so that they are cooked all the way through but keep their shape when peeled and chopped. Add to a large bowl. At the same time boil and peel eggs, set aside in the refrigerator.

2. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, sugar and curry until curry is completely dissolved. Coat potatoes with this seasoning mix. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours (best if left overnight).

3. Once marinated, add eggs, celery and onion.

4. Before serving, in a small bowl mix mustard and mayo, then fold into the salad. Add more if it's not entirely coated. Then you're done!

5. LEFTOVERS: Seal tight and refrigerate.

Good luck!

Crispy Fish with Lemon-Dill Sauce

2011-03-11T21:21:00.010-06:00

Cooking fish intimidates me, probably because I know if I mess it up dinner has the potential to be really, really bad. Luckily, this recipe was easy enough for a fish first-timer to make successfully, and still scored good marks around the table (even from the 5 year old). Thank goodness, or it may have been years before I tried fish again.

*Note: this recipe comes directly from Adeena Sussman in the April 2010 Cooking Light.

Crispy Fish with Lemon-Dill Sauce

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Serves: 4

Oven Temp: broil (low)

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (6-ounce) skinless cod fillets (or tilapia or halibut)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
Lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler (low option, if available)

2. Set up the fish prep station by first placing beaten egg whites in a shallow dish. In the next shallow dish combine panko, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder, mixing together with your fingers. Next to that dish place a broiler pan, pre-sprayed with cooking spray.

3. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dip each fillet in egg white, then dredge in panko mixture, and finally placing it on the broiler pan.

4. Broil 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness (I look for flaky and easy to pull apart).

5. Combine mayo, pickles (or straight dill pickle relish works fine), lemon juice, and dill. Serve sauce fresh with broiled fish and lemon wedges.

Don't skip this step! This sauce is terrific, easy and a perfect compliment to the cod.

4. LEFTOVERS: keep tight and refrigerated, no more than a day.

Tj's Filipino Adobo Chicken

2010-11-23T14:49:00.021-06:00

There is something special about a shared family recipe. There are reasons that families go to certain dishes time and again. There are memories and comforts and love associated with some meals that make them uniquely part of a family's DNA. My friend Tj has cooked his family's Filipino Adobo Chicken for me several times (after the first time, all at my request!) and recently he shared that recipe with me so that I could create it on my own. I am incredibly flattered and wanted to post MY attempt at Tj's family dish here.

He assures me I can't screw it up but that each person learns how to make this dish 'their own.' My mission is to make it just like he does :)

TJ's Filipino Adobo Chicken

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 (de-boned) or 75 min (boned chicken)
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs (can be boned or de-boned, dark meat. bone-in helps sauce thicken as they break down.)
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chicken broth (some recipes call for more but a little goes a long way)
1/2 cup sliced white onion
1/2 cup of sliced green/red bell pepper
2 bay leaves
peppercorn or fresh ground pepper to taste
2 cups jasmine or brown rice (to serve)

Whoops, left out the rice vinegar! Sorry rice vinegar :)

*Option: replace chicken thighs with pork (dark meat) or beef of your choice

*Option: add ginger, crushed red pepper or potatoes to alter the meal to your preferences. if using potatoes put them into the dish later than other ingredients so they don't over-cook/break down.

Directions:

1. Marinade meat for 2 hours in extra soy sauce and rice vinegar. This step CAN be skipped but you will lose some flavor in your final dish. Throw out marinade when you're done.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add crushed garlic and brown slightly, then add meat and brown on both sides.

3. Add mixture to a dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

4. Cook for 45 minutes (de-boned) or 75 minutes (boned), covered, over medium heat. Uncover for the last 15 minutes to allow the juices to boil down to a gravy. The meat should be neatly pulling away from the bone when it is done.

5. Serve over jasmine or brown rice.

6. LEFTOVERS: Seal tightly and refrigerate with plenty of rice and gravy.

Holiday Cranberry Sauce

2010-11-21T19:18:00.013-06:00

This cranberry sauce is the perfect compliment to a holiday meal, and the dish I get asked to make most often for family get-togethers. The tartness of the cranberries is balanced out with the mellow flavors of apple, raisins, spices and nuts. Citrus gives it a final kick to your tastebuds to create a side dish that could serve as dessert ~ but you won't want to wait until dessert to try it!

Holiday Cranberry Sauce

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Serves: 8 + leftovers

Ingredients:

2.5 12 oz bags fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 can orange juice concentrate
2 cups finely chopped apple (any type)
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 orange
1 lemon
1+ tsp nutmeg
1+ tsp cinnamon

Optional: zest from orange, lemon

Directions:

1. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a large pot, creating a simple syrup. Once at a boil, add cranberries and bring ingredients back to a boil (berries will pop as they cook, completely normal), then reduce heat.

Cranberries float in the syrup until they begin to break down.
Stir occasionally to avoid your liquid burning on the bottom of the pan.

2. Add apples, nuts, raisins, orange juice concentrate, fresh lemon and orange juice, and spices. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*tip: roll your citrus between your palm and the counter several times to break down the pulp and juice inside before you cut it open to juice. You'll get up to 50% more juice out of your fruit.

Option: In order to up the citrus content in this dish you can zest your lemon and orange using a hand zester or that side of the cheese grater you never use that has the smallest holes. It definitely adds citrus flavor. Taste your sauce as it comes off the heat, then decide if you want to add zest. I almost always do.

3. LEFTOVERS: Refrigerate in an air tight container.

Sauerkraut and Pork Ribs

2010-11-16T17:10:00.011-06:00

This dish is from my German heritage and is traditionally something that is made on New Year's Day (rumor has it cabbage, which is what sauerkraut is made from, is traditionally considered lucky. So is pork. I don't know about all that, I just think it's good stuff.). A great cold weather meal, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes are a terrific side.

According to those that know more than me (ie. my parents) you can make this dish with any sort of higher-fat meat including pork chops or sausage, if pork ribs are not your style.

Sauerkraut and Pork Ribs

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 2-2.5 hours
Serves: 5
Oven Temp: 325

Ingredients:

1 Rack Pork Country-Style Ribs
2 1-quart jars of Vlasic Sauerkraut
3/4 cup white flour
seasoned salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp caraway seed
1/2 cup water

Optional: minced 3/4 cup garlic, onion
Optional: 4 tabs butter, needed if you have a lean piece of meat

Directions:

1. Rinse 2 quarts of sauerkraut under water for 3-4 minutes, squeezing excess water out. Transfer to and spread the sauerkraut on the bottom of a roasting pan.

**option: at this point, some people like to add minced garlic and onion to the sauerkraut to add a different flavor.**

2. Rinse, pat dry and slice pork ribs into smaller sections. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper, dredge in flour. Preheat olive oil in a pan.

3. Brown meat in olive oil, place on top of sauerkraut. Sprinkle with caraway seeds. Pour 1/4 cup of water into the bottom of the pan to keep sauerkraut moist and reserve the other 1/4 cup for half way through the cooking time.

option: at this point, if the meat is very lean you can opt to place the pads of butter on top of the meat to melt into the sauerkraut. It's important to have a "fat" (either from the meat or the butter) to counteract the brine taste of the sauerkraut and balance out the flavors of the dish.

4. Bake uncovered at 325 for 2-2.5 hours or until the meat is falling off of the bone. Pour the other 1/4 cup of water into the bottom of the pan half-way through baking if the sauerkraut appears too dry.

4. LEFTOVERS: Combine the ribs and the remaining sauerkraut in an airtight container, refrigerate.

Ain't Your Mama's Lasagna

2010-07-07T07:11:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago while I was visiting my dad in Minnesota, I helped him make HIS version of lasagna.

***point of clarity...the family was going to make lasagna for him for father's day. Then he decided we were 'doing it wrong' and took over. Which may or may not have been our intended purpose to begin with ;).***

My dad loves to eat fine food - and by fine food I mean food that's prepared so that you're getting the best possible experience whether it's hamburger or filet mignon. Good eats. He puts effort into cooking so that the dishes he serves live up to his own standards. When he shares a recipe with you, you pay attention.

The fundamentals of this recipe are his, and the results definitely live up to his standards. But I'm not going to tell him about this post because he'd tell me I was doing it wrong. Love ya dad :)

Ain't Your Mama's Lasagna

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 50 min
Serves: 8
Oven Temp: 375

Ingredients:

1 lb box of lasagna noodles
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
16oz ricotta cheese
4 oz provolone (block)
7oz basil pesto (Butonni makes a good version)
6 oz shredded Parmesan cheese
10 oz mozzarella cheese

Meat sauce*:

Jarred spaghetti sauce
1 lb browned lean ground beef
optional: Sauteed diced vegetables (your choice, I used carrot, broccoli, and zuchinni)

optional: black pepper
optional: garlic salt
optional: 2 tbsp oregano

*I highly recommend kicking up this sauce by making it ahead of time. Start with the jarred plain spaghetti sauce in a pan, add the browned beef. Dice and sautee up some of your favorite veggies and garlic, and add it in. Refrigerate in an airtight container until you're ready to make the lasagna.

Directions:

1. Boil your noodles to be al dente, or slightly firm. They'll cook the rest of the way when you cook the lasagna. While that's happening, take 1 tbsp of EVOO and coat the bottom and sides of your pan.

2. Add one layer of noodles, then evenly spread your ricotta cheese across the layers, pressing th cheese down slightly. After that, spread the pesto across the top. (The pesto will both add the olive oil and sweet basil flavors to this layer to compliment the ricotta)

3. Thinly slice the provolone and add (this cheese is sharper than the ricotta with an added bonus that it'll melt in the oven to hold this layer together). Then add a second layer of noodles.

4. Over the second layer of lasagna noodles, add the parmesan cheese. Seeing a cheese theme here yet?? :) I asked dad why we hadn't added any meat/red sauce at this point and he tells me it's to create layers of flavor. If you put the sauce on all layers, your lasagna ends up all tasting relatively similar - with this version your brain can pick apart the different flavors as you eat. Good to know!

5. Finally! The meat sauce. I stewed mine up a couple of days before starting with plain old store bought spaghetti sauce and adding 1 lb of lean ground beef and diced/sauteed vegetables. What veggies exactly I'm not sure and vary depending on what looks good, in this I added diced zuchinni, carrot, broccoli and garlic.

5. Another layer of noodles (you should be almost out) and mozzarella cheese on top. I mix the mozzarella with a healthy dose of black pepper, a bit of garlic salt and oregano to give this layer a cheesy-bread kind of flavor on top. The noodles near the top will end up being a little crunchy under the cheese, yum.

6. Your layers are done! Cover with aluminum foil (tent a bit at the top so that it's not touching the cheese and your aluminum foil won't stick) and put your lasagna in the oven for 35 minutes.

7. Take the aluminum foil off for the remaining 15 minutes to let the top layer melt and brown. If it hasn't browned enough, you can broil the top for a minute or two. This one is a little bit over-broiled, but you get the point.

4. LEFTOVERS: Lasagna freezes so well! Do it in batches for easy heat-up.

Spinach & Bacon Quiche

2010-06-15T12:14:00.005-05:00

To be clear: there are a million and one ingredients that you can mix and match to make your perfect quiche. I chose bacon because...it's bacon. And spinach so that I am not so guilty about the bacon :) Made for the first time this Easter Sunday, I'll definitely be making this again.

I believe this recipe originated with a foodtv.com Paula Deen recipe, changed a bit to suit my preferences. It comes out light and fluffy and very richly flavorful and really is a no-brainer easy way to make an impressive breakfast or brunch.

Spinach & Bacon Quiche

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35-45 min (depending on your pie pan)
Serves: 6
Oven Temp: 375

Ingredients:

6 eggs, beaten (I separate 2 yolks out to cut calories a smidge)
1.5 cups half and half
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups chopped spinach, packed
1 lb thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1.5 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 9" refrigerated pie crust in a pie plate*
optional: sour cream garnish

*tip: if you add extra ingredients like I did, you won't have room for all of the egg mix in 1 pie plate so you'll end up making 2. Be prepared, buy an extra pie crust. And a little bit more egg mix if you need to fill that extra pie to the top.

Directions:

1. Combine eggs, half and half, salt & pepper with a hand mixer or whisk until very mixed.

2.Layer spinach, bacon, onion and cheese at the bottom of the crust. Pour egg mix on top.

tip: wrap the crust in tin foil until the last 10 minutes of baking so that the crust is crisp, not burnt.

3. Bake 35-45 minutes (depending on depth of your pie crust) until the egg mix is set (slightly firm to the touch and not watery. the top of the quiche may brown a bit).

4. I served with a spoonful of sour cream on top, which was a big hit.

5. LEFTOVERS: cover and refrigerate.

Onion Au Jus Pork Tenderloin

2010-01-17T11:18:00.005-06:00

I found the original recipe for this a-mazing pork tenderloin recipe at allrecipes.com. You can find the original HERE. This was an incredibly tender and TASTY way to cook a pork loin. I served with some simple steamed and buttered asparagus and crusty french bread.

Note on equipment: You're going to need a crockpot, so get it ready!

Onion Au Jus Pork Tenderloin

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 4 hours
Serves: 4
Oven Temp: crockpot, set on low

Ingredients:

2 pound pork tenderloin*
2 tbsp olive oil
1 whole red onion, cubed
1 onion soup packet
1 cup water
3/4 cup red wine (mine was a bottle that cost me $10 or less that came from Trader Joes. Delish.)
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp minced garlic
black pepper to taste (don't be shy!)

*This recipe is easily doubled, which is what I did when I cooked it because I had 4 lbs of tenderloin. I added an extra 1/4 cup of water and wine, 1 more tbsp of soy and garlic, and doubled the fresh red onion and onion soup packet.

Directions:

1. In a shallow pan, heat oil on high heat. Coat the tenderloin with pepper while the oil is heating up and brown on all sides (about a minute on each side).

2. Place tenderloin in the slow cooker with half of the contents of the soup packet, water, wine and soy. Ladle the mix over the tenderloin to coat.

3. Spread the minced garlic over the top of the tenderloin, pour the rest of the soup packet over the garlic, then top with half of the cubed red onion.

4. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours (if you choose to double, cook for 6 hours).

5. During the last hour, add the rest of the onion to the pot. Then serve pork roast with onion and the remaining liquid as au jus on the side.

6. LEFTOVERS: Leftovers should be covered tightly and refrigerated. You can also freeze leftovers (seal with as little air as possible to avoid freezer burn).

Oven Sweet Potato Fries

2010-01-08T07:31:00.005-06:00

There are several holiday dishes that I fell in love with (or re-discovered) over the past few months that I will be posting over the next few days. However...I couldn't wait on this one! Found on the Discovery Health* network ( so it's healthy!), these fries were incredibly simple and so tasty that I thought momentarily about hijacking the pan and running away with it, never to be seen again. Instead...I'll just make them again, soon :)

I declined a photo opportunity because...I was too busy munching. But imagine...crispy outer skin, bright orange flavor, a bit of carmelization on the bottom and the slightest hints of salt and cayenne to balance the natural sweetness of sweet potato. Perfect compliment to a burger, porkchop, or in our case fajitas.

Oven Sweet Potato Fries

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20-30
Serves: 4
Oven Temp: 450

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
4 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Pour oil, salt and cayenne together into a medium sized bowl.
2. Toss wedges in with oil mixture, making sure to completely coat each piece.
3. Arrange on a foil-lined baking pan and bake until browned and tender, turning once about half way through. Will take between 20 and 30 minutes depending on your preferred level of doneness.
4. If you're a salt-lover like I am, sprinkle a little bit of extra kosher salt on the wedges immediately out of the oven for extra flavor and texture. (This step is NOT included in the nutrition info below.)
4. LEFTOVERS: should be sealed and refrigerated, then reheated in the oven for crispy leftover fries.

You can call and thank me later! :)

*I found this recipe at Discovery Health as part of their National Body Challenge. I've tried several recipes from this site and have not been disappointed yet. And the best part? Not only do they taste great, they're also designed to be as healthy as possible. For this dish, Discovery Health tells me the following nutrition information...

Servings Per Recipe: 4 (assume 2 per sweet potato)
Calories: 122
Fat: 5g
Sat Fat: 0g
Chol: 0g
Sodium: 323mg
Carbs: 19g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 2g

Impressive Pork Tenderloin with Tomatoes & Green Olives

2009-11-08T11:41:00.011-06:00

Originally an Atkins recipe, this pork tenderloin recipe has been dubbed "Impressive Pork Tenderloin" because it never fails to impress dinner guests. It's also low-carb for health-conscious types. I just add garlic bread on the side ;)

Impressive Pork Tenderloin with Tomatoes & Green Olives

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30-45 min (until thermometer reaches 160 degress)
Serves: 6
Oven Temp: 400
Nutrition Info: See the bottom of the post

Ingredients:

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup sliced green olives & their juice

1/4 cup dry white wine OR reduced sodium chicken broth

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 whole pork tenderloins OR 1 small pork loin (2 lbs total)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth (I actually didn't have chicken broth last night and used beef broth, I liked it just as well)
2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

1. Combine tomatoes, olives, white wine, rosemary and garlic.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a heavy oven-proof skillet (cast iron works too) over medium heat until hot. Sprinkle pork loin with salt & pepper, then brown the pork on all sides, for about 5 minutes total. The more brown you have on your pork now, the tastier it will be later.

3. Add tomato mixture. Insert an oven-proof meat themometer into the thickest part of the pork, and place skillet in the oven. Bake for about 30 (if using tenderloin) to 45 minutes (if using the thicker pork loin like in these pictures) until the themometer reaches 160 degrees.
4. Remove pork from the skillet to rest and cover it to keep it warm.

5. Place skillet over medium heat and add remaining broth and thickener. Bring mix to a boil then reduce heat and simmer slightly until it's thickened. Serve tomato-olive sauce over the pork.
6. LEFTOVERS: dish the rest of the sauce over remaining slices of pork, cover and refrigerate.

**************************************************

Atkins says...

If you use ThickenThin Not Starch Thickener instead of cornstarch, this recipe has the following nutrition info:

Carbs: 2 grams

Net Carbs: 1 gram

Fiber: 1 gram

Protein: 25 grams

Fat: 7 grams

Calories: 185

Tandoori Chicken & Flash-Fried Chickpeas

2009-11-04T08:54:00.006-06:00

Robin Miller from the Food Network is my "real life" cooking hero. She cooks meals my household will actually eat, and uses leftovers to make whole new meals out of. This recipe comes from her book Robin's Rescues Dinner that I picked up from the library. It uses totally different flavors from what I normally cook, was EASY and turned out great. Creamy sauce and nutty-tasting chickpeas. Mmmmmm. I could have used the leftovers for another recipe but...there was none left!

Tandoori Chicken & Flash-Fried Chickpeas

Prep: 15 min.
Cook: 25-30 min.
Serves: 4-6
Oven Temp: 400

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger*
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp curry powder or garam masala
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 15-0z can chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

2. Season the chicken breast halves all over with salt & pepper and place in the prepared pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, cumin, curry powder and chili powder. Spoon the mixture all over the chicken in the pan.

3. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink on the inside.

4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

5. Serve chicken and chickpeas together.

6. LEFTOVERS: WHAT leftovers??

*************************************************************

*How to Prepare Fresh Ginger

Do NOT be intimidated by using fresh ginger. It looks a little scary the first time you work with it, but you'll soon learn it's easy to use and well worth the extra work. Here are some quick tips:

--Pick up a small root from the produce section at your grocery store. It's usually by other "ethnic" ingredients.

--A small root is PLENTY for Tandoori Chicken. If you know you'll be using the ingredient again soon you can get a bigger root and cut off a small piece for this dish. I've found that it will save just fine for a few weeks.

--Shave off the rough outer layer of the root with a sharp paring knife or peeler, similar to a carrot.

--Dice like normal. The texture is similar to an uncooked sweet potato, with enough give that it's easy to slice and dice.

This recipe is not as flavorful as it should be without fresh ginger. Good luck and have fun!

Asparagus & Shrimp Pasta Bowl

2009-11-01T18:08:00.006-06:00

At the grocery store and at a loss for something to fix for dinner that night, I picked up a package of Arctic Shores tail-on uncooked shrimp. This recipe was on the back of the package - not only was it a huge hit for dinner but it was EASY.

Asparagus & Shrimp Pasta Bowl

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

12 oz. linguine pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
14 oz. frozen medium tail-on uncooked shrimp (I used Arctic Shores, 1 package)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper (I don't have the white in the house often and substituted for plain black pepper - did just fine.)
1 cup half & half
1 med. tomato, diced (or...1 10-oz can of diced tomato)
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (or double if you like Parm. like I do!)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shrimp, asparagus, salt & pepper. Saute until shrimp is opaque and asparagus is tender (about 5 min.).

3. Stir in half & half; bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat to low and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and pasta; toss to coat pasta.

5. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with basil, if desired.

LEFTOVERS: Package in individual containers for terrific lunches the next day.

Mom's Zuchinni Bread

2009-09-07T10:57:00.007-05:00

This is the most delicious way I know to eat zuchinni - with a little cream cheese on top and a big cup of coffee this is a perfect weekend breakfast :)

Mom's Zuchinni Bread

Prep: 20 min.
Cook: 1 hour
Serves: 6+
Oven Temp: 350 degrees, farenheit

Ingredients:

*Note: this recipe will make 2 loaves. Halve the recipe if only 1 loaf is needed.

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil (mom's recipe calls for veggie oil, I use canola and it comes out fine. you can also substitute applesauce for a healthy option, look online for tips :)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups coarsely grated zuchinni (you can use a traditional cheese grater on the side with the biggest holes, or just stick it in a food processor if you've got one.)

2 cups sifted whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts (I've used walnuts and almonds, both good!)

*Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar, oil and vanilla.

2. Beat until lemon-colored, then stir in rest.

Go ahead, be brave, add in the zuchinni ;)

3. Pour into greased, floured 8x5 loaf pan.

4. Bake for one hour, then test with toothpick to make sure it's cooked all through. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks.

5. LEFTOVERS: Cover loaves with saran wrap and aluminum foil (don't put aluminum foil directly on the bread because it will mess with the taste). Freeze any you're not going to eat in the next few days after baking.

Grilled Summer Veggie Sandwich

2009-08-09T10:16:00.014-05:00

After planting an eggplant in this year's garden and harvesting a ton of the vegetable, I was in need of a new recipe that could use up my eggplant. This one, originally titled "Grilled Eggplant Pepper Sandwiches" in the August/September '09 issue of Country Magazine, fit the bill. However, if you don't LIKE eggplant feel free to switch it out for your favorite grilled summer veggie. Summer squash, zuchinni, tomato, you pick!

The Mediterranean olive spread is a "good-fats" alternative used in place of mayo and other heavy condiments leaving the sandwhich light and REALLY flavorful. The family said it was their favorite part of the meal :)

Grilled Summer Veggie Sandwhich

Prep: 15 min.
Cook: 10-12 min., grilling
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

Spread:

1/2 cup pitted ripe black olives

2 to 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

pepper, to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

Sandwiches:

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into "planks"

2 large sweet red peppers, quartered
8 slices firm white bread, about 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup basil leaves (sliced or whole, your preference)

Directions:

1. Place the "spread" ingredients (the first 5) in a food processor, puree. Set aside. (I made the spread the night before and chilled it, worked great.)

2. To prep veggies: In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic pepper, salt. Brush over vegetables.

3. Prepare grill for indirect heat. Arrange vegetables on a grilling grid (or directly on the grill, but be careful they don't fall in!).

4. Grill, covered, over indirect medium-low heat until veggies get tender and show grill marks. Remove and cover to keep warm.

5. Grill bread over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until toasted.

6. Spread olive mixture over toast. Top with veggies and basil, then another layer of toast.

4. LEFTOVERS: Cover ingredients separately (toast, spread, veggies) and store in the fridge. Eat within 1-2 days.

I laid all of the ingredients out on our kitchen island and let everyone assemble their own sandwhiches. It was fun and everybody got to customize their own meal :)

South Beach Italian Chicken Packets

2009-07-03T09:29:00.004-05:00

From a South Beach cookbook ~~ healthy and full of flavor.

Italian Chicken and Roasted Veggies

Prep: 15 min.
Cook: 60 min.
Serves: 2 (easy to double, triple, etc)
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/4 tbsp salt
1 tbsp margarine
2 medium zuchinni, sliced thick
3 large pitted black olives (or 1 sm. can of sliced black olives, drained)
2 tbsp tomato pesto (can use tomato sauce in a pinch)
1/2 tsp oregano
assorted bell peppers (red, green, yellow, etc), chunked

Directions:

1. Sprinkle chicken strips with salt and pepper

2. Cut a piece of heavy duty tin foil large enough to hold all veggies and chicken. Either buy the non-stick tin foil or coat with cooking oil spray.

3. Place chicken strips on the bottom, then veggies, and finally olives and pesto. Sprinkle oregano on top and add a dab of margarine.

4. Wrap securely in foil and bake (alternative, put on the grill at medium indirect heat).

5. LEFTOVERS: Put into a plastic bag or freeze for an easy lunch later on.

Chicken Parmesan

2009-07-03T09:21:00.004-05:00

Mom came for the 4th of July and brought this recipe with her - special request from Sean who lives overseas. He got to pick one "mom dish" to have made for him and this was it - must be pretty special, eh? It was DEE-licious, just like when we were kids :)

Chicken Parmesan

Prep: 30 min.
Cook: 35 min.
Serves: 6
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 boneless chicken breasts
2 sticks butter (!!), melted

Directions:

1. Combine bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken breasts in the melted butter and then into the bread crumbs, coating the chicken heavily (that's the good stuff :).

2. Roll each breast into itself and place into a glass baking dish. When done, the chicken can be touching. Bake uncovered until done. Do not turn chicken.

4. LEFTOVERS: Cover the rest of the dish and put into the fridge OR freeze individual chicken breasts for easy re-heat (stick back into the oven to reheat and make the parmasean coating crispy).

Sometimes, You SHOULD Play With Your Food (a.k.a. Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers, Grilled Asparagus)

2009-06-21T09:22:00.016-05:00

There is nothing I like more than a meal that is fun to eat. Fondue - love it. Give me skewers and bits of meat and bread to dip anytime. Whole artichokes - in my top 5 foods, peeling off the leaves and dipping them in garlic butter layer by layer is not just tasty, it's fun, too. Summertime offers another option for playing with your food ~ campfire grilling. We recently introduced Cole to the fine art of cooking over the campfire by starting out with the most basic and fun of dinner treats - hotdogs.

With the "main course," as it were, being so simple, we could concentrate on the sides! The Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos and Simple Grilled Asparagus amped up the classiness of hotdogs grilled over the campfire ~ check out the easy recipes below:

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

I had these at a potluck BBQ a few weekends ago - and couldn't get enough of them! They're similar to a recipe I found a while back over at Pioneer Woman Cooks, but with a few extra ingredients ~ the result is amazing. So when I found jalapenos at the farmer's market a few days later, I knew I was going to try them for myself.

One word of caution: Take it from me, when you're prepping jalapenos you need to wear gloves. The trick to making these little buggers tamer than whole jalapenos is to make sure to get all of the insides OUT - seeds, rind, all of it. I used a sharp knife and the pointy side of a peeler to get it all. I also chose not to use gloves and jalapeno juice seeped into my hands as I was working, particularly around my wedding rings and in the webbing between my fingers. For the record, I have never felt such a prolonged BURN as what those damned jalapenos gave me. After several ice packs and my hands in bowls full of milk for the next 24 hours I finally got rid of it, and have learned my lesson!

Prep: 20 min.
Cook: 40-60 min.
Serves: 4-6
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients:

20 whole jalapenos, topped and seeds and rind removed.
5 oz. cream cheese
3/4 package of bacon, cut in half
1 package lil' smokies
toothpicks, soaked for 1 hour in cold water

Directions:

1. With a kife, spread cream cheese inside the cored jalapeno

2. Place 1 lil' smoky on top of the cream cheese

3. Wrap half a strip of raw bacon around the stuffed jalapeno and secure with a toothpick run through the middle.

4. Place on a broiler pan (or, if you don't have a broiler pan, you can cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place a metal cooling rack on top of it.)

5. Repeat with the rest of the jalapenos until all are stuffed and wrapped. Place on your pan so that they don't touch, and put in the oven to bake. By putting the jalapenos just above the pan, the bacon grease will drip to the bottom and you'll get a nice crispy bacon shell.

4. LEFTOVERS: WHAT leftovers? OK - in case you make a triple batch - these are actually very good at room temperature as well. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Simple Grilled Asparagus

I typically steam asparagus on the stove - by putting it into grill packets instead, it added just that little extra flavor that has me considering cooking it year-round on the grill. When you live in Minnesota like I do, that's quite a committment.

Prep: 5 min.
Cook: 8-10 min.
Serves: 4
Grill Preheat: Medium, Indirect Heat

Ingredients:

olive oil spray (like Pam)
2 bunches Asparagus, bottoms trimmed and washed
4 pads of butter (2 per grill packet)
1 whole lemon (1/2 per grill packet)
onion salt
cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Tear aluminum foil into squares big enough to hold 1 bunch of asparagus and some extra to fold over. For two bunches, you'll have 2 big squares.

2. Spray olive oil on the bottom of the aluminum foil square

3. Pile asparagus on the aluminum foil, top with 2 pads of butter, the juice of one half of the lemon, then salt and pepper.

4. Pinch the sides and top of the aluminum foil so that there's room inside the packet for the veggies to steam on the grill.

5. Place the grill packets on the pre-heated grill over indirect heat for 8-10 minutes. The asparagus will be tender and bright green when done.

6. LEFTOVERS: Cover and refrigerate.

Serve in whatever way works for you ~ we opted for the classic porch-stoop sidebar and chairs around the campfire :)

It was a big hit.......

Tuna & Tomato Pasta

2008-11-28T19:30:00.000-06:00

This recipe was featured in Rachael Ray's October '08 Magazine and said I could make a 1-dish dinner for under 10 bucks. Oh really? I'll try anything once - and I'm glad I did, because it was fantastic. It just so happens it was ALSO fantastic the second time I made it, and the third ;)

Tuna & Tomato Pasta

Prep: 10 min.

Cook: 25 min.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup chopped, flat leaf parsley (fresh)

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (or several fresh, skins steamed off)

salt & pepper

4 tbsp butter

1 6-oz can white tuna in olive oil, drained (I have doubled this and it's worked great)

1 one-lb box medium pasta shells

Directions:

1. If you haven't already, coarsely chop the parsley and finely chop garlic. You can, of course, opt for pre-prepared but the fresher the ingredients the better the results.

2. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of parsley and cook for another few minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

4. Whisk in the butter, then stir in the tuna.

5. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until it is al dente (slightly chewy), then drain. Add the pasta to the tuna sauce and stir in 3/4 of the remaining parsley; season with salt and pepper.

6. Top with the remaining parsley and serve.

7. LEFTOVERS: Leftovers should be dished into single servings, sealed tight, and refrigerated. Fantastic leftover meal for the next few days!

Sausage & Potato Egg Bake

2008-11-26T12:11:00.002-06:00

Mom found this recipe off the side of some box, tried it out, then shared the goodness with the rest of the family. I go back to this over & over, sometimes for Sunday brunch, other times when I'm entertaining, and then others when I crave it for dinner with a salad :)

Sausage & Potato Egg Bake

Prep: 15 min.
Cook: 50 min + 10 standing
Servings: 8
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients

2 Packages (8 oz each) Swift Premium Brown N' Serve Sausage (or any other pre-cooked sausage)
3 1/2 cups frozen potatoes o'brien (ie breakfast potatoes with bits of onion and pepper)
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups milk
5 large eggs
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Grease 11x7x2 inch baking dish
2. Cut sausage links into slices
3. Stir together all ingredients into a bowl, then pour into a baking dish
4. Bake 50 min. or until knife comes clean (this usually means 60 minutes in my oven), then let stand for another 10 to let the dish set up.

5. LEFTOVERS: This dish makes GREAT leftovers because it's a good lunch stand-in and reheats well. Keep it all in the baking dish, cover & refrigerate OR put into individual tupperwares for easy grab-and-go meals on the go.

Strawberry Lemonade

2008-08-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

I think sometimes I invite people over just so I can try out new recipes on them :) I have a newly pregnant friend who came over with her husband to grill and hang out last weekend, and she's still trying to figure out what she can and can't eat/drink. I knew this would be a safe one (and the rest of us would like it, too!)~

Strawberry Lemonade
found via The Food Network, adapted to fit my tastes

Prep: 10 min
Chill: A couple hours

Ingredients:

4 lemons, sliced
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 cup sugar (+ extra, to taste)
1 pint strawberries
1 quart water
1 quart club soda, chilled

Directions:

1. Slice lemons (my lemons had a pretty thick rind, so I cut off excess and stuck 'em down the disposal to make the kitchen smell fresh), put them in the bottom of a pitcher. Add 1 cup of sugar, mint.

2. Mash with a wooden spoon for at least 1 minute. Get your aggression out! The more you beat up those lemons, the fresher your lemonade will taste.

3. Take the tops off your strawberries and slice 'em up.

4. Add your berries (the original recipe calls for added berries, like blue- or rasp-berries. Not everyone in my family will eat those, so I skipped it.)

5. Add the pint of water to your lemon/mint/berry mix, put the top on your pitcher, and chill the mixture for a few hours to let it all set up together.

6. Finally, when you're ready to serve fill your glasses full of ice. Twist your pitcher to strain so you don't get big pieces of fruit in the glass (or run the mix through a strainer to remove even more pulp) and fill the glass 3/4 of the way to the top with lemon/berry mix. Fill the rest of the way with club soda. Serve!

7. LEFTOVERS: You can keep the lemon/berry mix in your fridge for another day or so, but I wouldn't recommend much longer. You can also pour leftover mix into a popsicle mold for homemade fruity popsicles the next day!

Pam's Cucumber Salad

2008-08-10T22:09:00.000-05:00

There are some recipes where I look at the ingredients and think "I like all of these things separately, why wouldn't I like them mooshed together?" Peanut Butter Cup Cookies = Peanut Butter Cups + Chocolate + Sugar. Of course that works! A warning, the recipe I am about to share is NOT one of those intuitive mixtures.

In fact I would venture to say I would keep these ingredients far apart from each other. Until you taste the wonderful result with a subtle refresher from the cucumber, depth of flavor from the sweet onions, smoothed out with a creamy tangy sauce that is just at the height of perfection over boiled baby red potatoes.

And I never think of this salad without thinking of the person who introduced me to this mid-summer dish, my Bonus Mom Pam. I know she makes this with her eyes closed, has done so all her life. I am going to venture to say this is a Mid-Western, German-inspired dish but in my world this is HER dish. And I have finally gotten it all down on paper to be able to copy in my own kitchen (probably because she got tired of me begging her to make it for me in her kitchen). So thanks Pammy for teaching me to make this salad. I didn't tell you I was planning on posting this to the web, but it is simply not fair for you to keep this secret to yourself any longer. The world needs to know!

Pam's Cucumber Salad

Prep: 10 min + 5 min
Chill: 3 hours, minimum

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers, peeled, halved & sliced.
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced & chopped
3-ish tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup-ish of half & half
3 tbsp salt + to taste
2 tbsp cracked black pepper + to taste

NOTE: This recipe doesn't really call for exact ingredients, the above are simply meant to be a guide. The rule of thumb is to add the ingredients until you think they're perfect, then add a splash more vinegar and a dash more salt.

Directions:

1. If you haven't already done so, peel, halve and slice your cucumbers. Then do the same prep with your onion.

2. Place the 2 veggies in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt & pepper. Mix to incorporate the spices into the cucumbers & onions.

3. Now cover your veggies for at least an hour, letting the salt pull out the juices of the cucumber and onion in a process I've heard called "juicing." DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP, your salad will not come out the same without juicing the veggies (trust me).

After an hour (or preferably 2 if you can plan ahead that far), drain the excess liquid out of your salad veggies.

4. Now add your half & half. I've loosely recorded 3/4 of a cup, which is probably close.

I know it's enough for me when I see the creamer peep out of the veggies like milk in a bowl of cereal. Some people like a MORE saucy salad, and add more creamer. Some like a dryer salad, and add less. The good thing is that you really can't screw up the amount, it will just give you more or less sauce in the end.

5. Now add about 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Again this is an approximation based on how much cucumber, onion and creamer you have in the bowl.

The purpose of the vinegar is to balance out the milky taste of the creamer. I would recommend starting small, then adding until you hit that balanced taste. Salt & pepper to taste also help make that balance of flavor.

And of course, Master Cuke Salad maker Pam says just when you think it's just right, add a splash more vinegar and a dash more salt.

6. OK - from here it's a one-two punch! Mix well and slide your salad into the fridge to let it set up. You want it in there for an hour or two at least, the longer it marinates together the better it's going to be. Then serve, either as a side dish with classic summer dishes like ribs or burgers...

Or (my personal favorite) over boiled baby red potatoes, which could honestly be a meal unto itself. MMMMmmmmmmmmm.........

7. LEFTOVERS: Cover & refrigerate, any leftovers you have will tend to mellow out as they sit in your fridge, you can keep for up to a week. Do not freeze, this is a recipe that's best made fresh each time.

Easy Frozen Key Lime Pie

2008-08-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

I was inspired to create this recipe from an issue of Real Simple magazine. I tore out the page from the magazine that was sitting around at Grandma's lake cabin, so am not sure what issue it came from. I then adapted the recipe to suit my own tastes!

This easy dessert is a perfect finish to a hot summer day, and so easy that you can even avoid turning on the oven (because who wants to do that in the middle of summer for ANY reason?). Enjoy!

Easy Frozen Key Lime Pie

Prep: 20 min
Chill: 2 hours + 2 hours

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can frozen limeade concentrate, frozen
1 cup whipping cream
1 container whipped cream
1 graham cracker piecrust

Directions:

1. Pour sweetened condensed milk,

rip open that can if you're not patient (I'm not)...

limeade,

and whipping cream into mixer bowl.

2. Using the whisks on your stand or handmixer,

whisk the mixture on high...

bubbles are a good sign...

10 minutes later, air is working into the mixture and you can see the mix gaining volume. Still whisking...

thank GOODNESS I didn't have to do THAT by hand, otherwise I couldn't say it was "Easy" anything! Eventually you will see soft peaks form, like below:

3. Take your concoction to your Official Taste Tester to see if they approve. If you do not have an Official Taste Tester, mine would be glad to help you out.

Keep your eye on the prize, quit looking at my cluttered kitchen.

4. Pour the mixture into your pie crust

Mmmmmm.......

Don't you hate it when there's some mixture left and not enough space in your pie crust?

Not to worry, we'll improvise...

and stick your pie + improvisations in the fridge for a few hours till the mixture is chilled and slightly firm.

5. Once your pie is chilled,

Add a nice, thick layer...

of whipped cream. You could make your own, but again because this is "Easy" pie, I've opted for the store-bought kind. Don't forget to add a dollop to each of your improvs!

Add your lime zest garnish for a little bit of color,

then stick the pie in your freezer for a few hours to completely firm up.

6. Take the pie out of the freezer 5 minutes before serving. Yum!

I added graham crackers to pretty up the "improvs," and renamed them "Frozen Key Lime Pie De-constructed," then passed them off as a fancy-schmancier version of the pie. Come to think of it, you could make a bunch of these for a personalized dessert with all of the same flavor as the original pie. In my house, these also may become "Midnight Snack."

7. LEFTOVERS: Stick your pie back into the freezer until all leftovers are gone :)

Jessica's Chicken-Avocado Summer Salad

2008-06-04T22:22:00.000-05:00

This one is an original :) A great one-dish meal that you can make before company comes over, then add a few ingredients right before serving and enjoy the results without having to be stuck cooking in the kitchen instead of enjoying good company.

Jessica's Chicken-Avocado Summer Salad

Prep: 15 min + 5 min before serving
Chill: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2-3 cups cooked, diced chicken breast
2 cups brown rice, cooked per bag directions
3 avocados, diced
2 tbs lemon juice
1-2 packages pecan halves
1 bunch scallions, diced (people generally don't eat the green part)
1 cup halved seedless red or black grapes
1/2 cup (or so) frsh parsley, finely chopped
2 cups lite mayo
1 tbs Worschestire (sp?) sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Toss diced avocado in lemon juice. This helps them stay green! Set aside.

2) Combine chicken, rice, pecans, diced scallions, and grapes, set aside.

3) Combine mayo, worchestire sauce (I really have no idea how to spell this and am too lazy to go look in my fridge, but you get the idea), and parsley (don't skimp, go for the fresh as it adds a lot of color and flavor), mix well to create your sauce.

4) Mix Step 2 ( chicken mix) and Step 3 (mayo mix).

5) Gently fold in 1/3 of your avocados (so they don't smoosh). Keep the rest separate to add in right before serving.

NOTE: The longer you let these ingredients chill & set up together before serving, the better. Minimum: 2 hrs. Best if made the night before for dinner the following day.

6) LEFTOVERS: Because avacado gets brown when the meat is exposed to air, I would recommend eating this one soon after cutting up the last of the avacado for your finishing touches!

Warm You Up Beans & Ham Soup

2008-06-04T22:16:00.004-05:00

I found this in a Midwestern Living "Top 20" list and adapt it if I have leftover ham to add to the recipe. I have copied it exactly here so you know the original recommendations, but I've found that this soup is BEST when you throw in leftover holiday ham, torn into bite sized pieces.

Warm You Up Beans and Ham Soup

Prep time - 35 minutes
Stand time - 1 hour
Cook time - 1 1/4 hours
Servings - 6

Ingredients:

1 lb dried pinto beans
8 cups water, 4 cups water
1 to 1 & 1/2 meaty smoked pork hock (or ham bone)
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1) Rinse & dry pinto beans. Combine with 8 cups water in dutch oven, bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover & let stand 1 hour (OR cover & let cool overnight). Drain and rinse beans.

2) In same Dutch Oven (ie big heavy pot) stir together beans, 4 cups fresh water, pork hock, onion and pepper. Simmer, covered, for up to 1 3/4 hours (check at 1 1/4 hours) or until beans are tender and beginning to split. Remove from heat.

3) Remove pork hock and let it cool slightly. Trim & chop the meat, then return the meat to the bean mixture. Heat through. Add salt to taste (shouldn't need much as ham provides plenty). Optional, serve with chopped onions.

Note - Check beans occasionally during cooking. Add more water if necessary. Beans should be moist but not runny

4) LEFTOVERS: ALWAYS make a large enough batch of this for plenty of leftovers, because this soup gets better with time. I often double the recipe purposefully for leftovers. What you don't eat in the few days after the meal should be frozen into individual servings, then all you have to do is thaw it out when you want a quick meal.

Super Bowl Snack Pretzels

2008-06-04T22:07:00.000-05:00

Originating in my food stratosphere around the Super Bowl, they became an instant party snack hit! And they are so easy to make, why not keep this munchie recipe handy for unexpected guests, too?

Super Bowl Pretzels

Prep: 5 minutes
Makes: 1 Large Bowl of snack pretzels

Ingredients:

2 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp.lemon pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 1oz. dry ranch original dressing (powder) (or three tablespoons)
2 15 oz. bags of mini pretzels
¾ C. Orville Redenbacher buttery popcorn oil

Directions:

1) Pour the buttery oil over the pretzels. Shake to mix around.

2)Mix all dry ingredients and then pour over pretzels.

3) LEFTOVERS: Keep leftovers for up to a week in an airtight container or plastic bag. Yum!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

2008-05-24T17:43:00.000-05:00

Like peanut butter cups? Like cookies? I know, the answer is yes! and YES!! Why not combine those 2 beautiful treats into one amazing baked good :) *Note, this recipes was adapted from allrecipes.com, you can find the original here.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
As seen on Allrecipes.com

Oven Temp: 375 degrees
Prep: 15 min
Bake: 12 min
Makes: About 40 cookies

Ingredients:

•1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 cup butter, softened
•1/2 cup white sugar
•1/2 cup peanut butter
•1/2 cup packed brown sugar
•1 egg, beaten
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•2 tablespoons milk
•40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2) SIFT together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

3) Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.

4) Shape into 40 balls and place each into a greased mini muffin pan.

5) Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

6) LEFTOVERS: Enjoy until gone!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2008-05-24T17:24:00.001-05:00

I just won a cookie baking contest! This is especially amazing considering I am NOT a baker by trade, I do it mainly so that I can eat the results! I got first and second place, a one-two baking punch, so I wanted to share these winning recipes with you! They were both brand new, plucked off of allrecipes.com after reading glowing reviews.

The first is below, find the original here~

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
As Seen on Allrecipes.com

Oven Temp: 350
Prep: 15 min
Bake : 12 min
Makes: About 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

•1 cup butter, softened
•3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
•1/2 cup white sugar
•2 eggs
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/2 teaspoon almond extract
•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
•1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350

2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.

3) Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate.

4) Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

5) LEFTOVERS: WHAT leftovers??! Didn't you hear me, this is an award winning cookie, friend!

Mu Shu Pork Casserole

2008-05-11T11:16:00.000-05:00

If you are a fan of Mushu Pork at your local Chinese restaurant, or even just a fan of Asian flavors, this casserole is a sure winner. YES, there's a lot of prep. I said it, there's no hiding or denying it. But the end result is SO DELICIOUS that you will forget all of the chopping and dicing as soon as that first bite hits your mouth. Oh, and the people you fix this for will think you are a cooking GOD.

Mu Shu Pork Casserole
As seen in: Real Simple Magazine, March 2007

Oven Temp: 350 (preheat)
Prep: 35 min
Total: 1 hour
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

½ cup hoisin
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp canola oil
1 lb boneless porkchops, ½” thick
2 carrots, shaved
1 8oz can water chestnuts, chopped
1 sm head Savoy (Chinese) cabbage
8 oz Shitake mushrooms, stems out and caps sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
6 scallions (white & green) thinly sliced
2 cups pancake batter, thickly pre-mixed.
1 ½ tsp sesame seeds

Oh yeah, and I forgot poor OJ:

Instructions:

(1) Prep veggie ingredients (cabbage, carrots, cilantro,scallions, water chestnuts)

Thank goodness for my new food processor. The last time I made this recipe, I chopped that damned cabbage by hand, this is much prettier and less dangerous :)

Then come the carrots, shaved is the best texture I've found and the bright orange color of this veggie makes this dish so pretty.

After washing, take the stems off of the shitake mushrooms, and slice the caps. Keep these in a separate bowl from your other veggie ingredients, because they will be cooked first.

Wash those scallions...

And prep by taking off the little root danglies at the root bulb and the top half of the green tops.

Thinly slice, and put them into a separate bowl.

See, I warned you that this was a lot of prep, but if you're still with me - ITS WORTH IT, and you're almost done :)

Slice the water chestnuts, these will give your end casserole a nice crunch.

Now set aside the veggies, the worst is over! :)

(2) In a small bowl, combine hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy, orange juice and ginger. Set aside.

First comes hoisin...

My orange juice with the abandonment complex after being left out of the initial ingredients portrait...

Rice vinegar,

Soy sauce (low-sodium is best, tastes just like the full-salt original),

And possibly my favorite kitchen spice, ginger:

Now mix your little heart out! Your kitchen is starting to smell delicious, and you haven't even cooked anything yet!

(3) Slice chops into this strips. If you thought about it ahead of time, you had the butcher slice your pork for you. Unfortunately, this stroke of culinary genius did NOT occur to me.

(4) Place pork in a bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch, toss.

(5) Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add pork and brown (4-5 min), stirring occasionally.

Once browned, transfer your pork to a plate and set aside for a little later.

(6)In same wok, add remaining oil to pan and reduce heat to medium low. Add mushrooms and cook, 2 minutes.

(7) Add cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts, cilantro

(8) Add sauce from step 2 and cook until cabbage is slightly wilted, about 4 minutes

(9) Add pork and toss to cover with sauce. Now it's really beginning to look like Mu Shu Pork!

Transfer to an 8X11 baking dish.

(10) Add scallions to the thickly-prepared pancake batter, mixing well.

Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

(11) Bake until top is golden brown (about 25 min).

Plate, then eat to your heart's content.

And if you are a Mu Shu Pork purist, here is an easy recipe for Plum Sauce to serve on the side. I've never found that this dish needed it, but that's a matter of taste.

Quick & Simple Plum Sauce (Optional):
(as seen on recipes.target.com)

Ingredients:
3/4 (16 oz.) jar plum jam
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Instructions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine jam, vinegar, brown sugar, dried onion, red pepper, garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat.

12) LEFTOVERS: Cover & refrigerate for a delicious meal later!

Guacasalsa

2008-04-19T19:46:00.001-05:00

My family fights over avocados. If you put avocado in a family dinner salad, be prepared to duke it out to get your share, because they're ruthless and will leave you none if you aren't careful! This guacamole-meets-salsa concoction takes that taste to a whole new level by combining the acidity of the tomato-ey (is that a word?) salsa with the creamy light avocado. Enjoy.

Guacasalsa

Prep: 20
Chill: 2hrs+
Serves: 4+

Ingredients

3 avacados
3-4 Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup white or red onion
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin seed
1 large lime
salt & pepper

Directions:

(1) Time to start chopping! Make sure to wash your cilantro before chopping~

Mmmmmm....smells good! You want to take out stems and stalks where possible, leaving the cilantro leaves to go into your guacamole.

Dump your chopped cilantro into your mixing bowl to make room for the next ingredient, taking out any extra stalks that you see.

(2) Next comes the onion - don't skip this step as it adds a ton of flavor and a little bit of nice crunch. You can use red or white onions, this time we had a white onion in the cabinet.

Chop it up well, or the fresh onion chunks will be too strong and your guests will be crying over the bowl (NOT an ideal situation)~unless it's football and you're a Vikings fan, then no one will notice anything out of the ordinary OR blame your guacasalsa for the tears. But I digress...

Into the bowl they go...

(3) Next comes to the tomatoes - preferably you will use Roma tomatoes (smaller and flavorful) - even better if you can get them off the vine and in season. I prefer to mildly juice the Romas so that the guacasalsa mixture stays nice and thick.

(4) Peel and finely chop your garlic - check out the last post on prepping fresh garlic for details.

(5)The next step is to juice your lime. To get the most out of this fruit, first roll the lime between your chopping board and your palm, pressing down to add pressure and squish the meat of the fruit to get nice and juicy. Then, when you cut open the lime you'll easily get the maximum amount of juice and pulp out of it.

Juice with the cut side of the lime facing the ceiling, letting the lime juice drip out from between your fingers into the bowl. This keeps any rogue seeds out of your dip. Thanks to my buddies on Food Network for that gem.

(6) Ok, now let's get down to business - the avacados! The avacado fruit, when ripe, has a thin, dark green and inedible skin, softened-butter consistency light green meat, and a big inedible pit. I should note that at this point in the recipe, Scott STOPPED rolling his eyes as I was taking pictures, and instead posed with the ingredients at every key step, even reminding ME to take a picture. Ha!

Pitch the skin and pit, coarsely chopping the meat and throwing it into the mixing bowl.

(7) Add in your cumin,

(8) then salt and a liberal amount of pepper, to taste.

(9) Now gently mix the ingredients (by gently mixing you keep the chunkiness of the avacado)

Keep mixing till it all looks about the same...

(10) Tightly cover the dip to keep air out, that way the avacados will stay nice and green!

Chill the mix for no less than 2 hours and no more than overnight.

Now serve with your favorite tortilla chips! Enjoy!

(11) LEFTOVERS: This recipe is really meant to be eaten fresh - I recommend gobbling the whole thing up. You will know when it's time to say goodbye when your avocado begins to brown.

**TIP** To keep your guacamole fresh, reserve one of the avocado pits and stick it right into the finished guacamole. Cover with plastic wrap or in a air-tight container.

How to Prepare Fresh Garlic

2008-04-05T14:33:00.001-05:00

I love garlic. No, that's not right: I LOVE garlic!!! In the same family as onion, shallot and leeks, I have found garlic to be a versatile savory flavor that works with a ton of dishes and styles.

I always used the pre-diced and pre-prepared garlic that you can get from the grocery store, which worked fine. But after watching countless food shows I have found that preparing my own garlic is really easy, takes little time, and packs a powerful punch. I recently taught a friend how to prepare garlic, and he let me photograph each step so I could share it with you.

OK - here it goes:

First, using a sharp knife cut off the bottom of the bulb.

Then take the full bulb of garlic and press your thumbs into the middle of the cut to help break out the individual cloves.

The individual cloves will be prepared to eventually go into your dish. Usually recipes will call for X amount of cloves to be used. If you cook like me, you always add a few more for good measure :)

When handling the individual clove, separate the papery skin on the clove from the meat. First, cut the tip off the clove. Then use your fingernail or a the tip of your knife to help separate the skin and peel it off. The meat of the clove will be shiny and a little bit sticky.

Put the clove on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top. A quick pop with the palm of your hand will crush the bulb (my favorite part!). This will prepare the bulb to be diced.

Finally, slice or dice the garlic, depending on the recipe. The more you break into the clove, the more you will unlock the fragrance and taste of the garlic. Now all you have to do is add your freshly prepared garlic to your dish and enjoy.

Simple Garlic Enchiladas

2008-03-15T23:36:00.001-05:00

I am truly indebted to Rachael Ray for this one (again from the March edition of Everyday w/ Rachael Ray) - we made a quick lunch out of this recipe yesterday and knew we had found an unexpected treasure! As always, I've modified the recipe to fit my tastes.

Simple Garlic Enchiladas

Oven: 375
Prep: 25
Cook: 20
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained
1 can refried beans (with green chiles if you can find it)
1 can green chiles
1/3 cup chicken broth
salt
6 tortillas
2 cups store-bought salsa, drained (Rachael recommends verde, I liked roasted-tomato personally)
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack (I added sharp cheddar)

Directions:

(1) Preheat the oven to 375. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the garlic & cook until it's golden (approx. 2 min). Stir in both cans of beans & cook for 1 minute, then stir in the chicken broth. Season with salt and cook, mashing the black beans until softened, 7 minutes. Let cool slightly.

(2) Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a small skillet heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil. Fry each corn tortilla for 3 seconds on each side (and trust me, it only takes that long if the oil is hot enough!). After that 3 seconds, transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain.

(3) Place about 1/4 cup of mashed beans on 1 tortilla and roll up to enclose; transfer to oiled 9x13" baking dish. Repeat with remaining beans & tortillas.

(4) Pour the salsa over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle cheese on top, then bake (without covering!) until cheese is melted and the salsa is bubbling (about 20 min). Serve with sour cream!

(5) LEFTOVERS: Seal tight and put in the fridge, good stuff for another day or two!

Farmer's Muffin-Stuffin Hash & Eggs

2008-03-15T22:34:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite meals to cook is Sunday breakfast. Every other day of the week is a rush through this morning meal on our way out the door to school and work ~ but on Sundays we are all home and life slows down for a few hours. Cole, at 2, loves to help Mama in the kitchen which makes Sunday breakfast especially fun :)

Rachael Ray brought this tasty one to me via the March edition of Everyday with Rachael Ray, and I modified it to fit what I had in my kitchen (you'll see the modified recipe below). Check out the mag's site here!

Farmer's Muffun-Stuffin Hash & Eggs

Prep: 20
Cook: 20
Makes: Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbs butter, softened
3 corn muffins, halved
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 lbs spicy sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, prepared & chopped
4 cloves garlic, smooshed & finely diced
1 2/3 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
1 tbsp hot sauce
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp smoked paprika

Directions:

(1) Spread half the softened butter on the cut side of the corn muffin halves. IN a medium skillet, cook the muffins cut side down over medium heat until toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

(2) Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sausage to the pan. Cook while breaking up the sausage, stirring occasionally until crisp at the edges (2-3 minutes).

(3) Add onion, bell pepper, celery & garlic and season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender (approx. 5 min).

(4) Crumble in the muffins and add chicken broth - then heat through (1-2 min)

My kitchen helper - supervising the making of his breakfast :)

(5) Top your newly-made stuffing with cheese (yum!), then cover and remove from heat.

(6) In a medium non-stick skillet, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp of butter over medium heat. In a bowl beat the eggs with hot sauce, then season with salt & pepper to taste. Add the eggs to the skillet and scramble (about 5 min).

(7) Serve stuffing with eggs on top! Sprinkle with paprika for extra flavor and some additional color.

Enjoy!

(8) LEFTOVERS: I would recommend eating any leftovers by the next day, or the textures that make this dish really good are at risk...

Ad-Lib Vegetable Soup

2008-03-15T18:33:00.002-05:00

There isn't a vegetable that I've tried that I haven't liked! Surprisingly though, I've never tried to make vegetable soup until last weekend when we went through our last cold snap of the season. I call this recipe "Ad-Lib" because I made it up as I went along, and added the vegetables I wanted. Rules need not apply! So feel free to modify this to fit your own tastes.

I recommend starting to cook this soup on a weekend day around noon so that it has enough time to set up for dinner that night.

Ad-Lib Vegetable Soup

Prep: 30 min (including veggie prep)
Cook: 4-5 hrs
Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients:

Base:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, diced
2 celery stalks, prepped and diced
1 red pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, smooshed & finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium beef broth

Soup:
4 carrots, cut length-wise and chopped
1 white or red onion, roughly chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can tomato puree
1 bag frozen corn
1 bag frozen peas
1 bag frozen green beans
1 can low-sodium beef broth
2 tbsp oregano
salt & pepper (to taste)

(optional) diced jalapenos

**General rule of thumb for a soup is to make all solid ingredients roughly the same size, so that the person eating the soup has a similar-sized bite in every spoonful.

Directions:

(1) Place olive oil and base veggies (onion, celery, pepper, garlic) in stock pot over medium heat, sautee until tender (about 7 min.)

(2) Once the base veggies are tender, add beef broth and bring the mixture to a low simmer.

(3) Add remaining veggies, tomato puree, oregano and beef broth to the stock pot and mix thoroughly. Salt & pepper to taste.

(4) Add water to the soup as necessary to just cover the vegetables (in my version I didn't need any extra, the beef broth & juice from the tomatoes was enough).

(5) Cover the soup and cook on low for an afternoon. Anytime between 3-5 hours is perfect. This time gives the soup time to settle and for the different tastes to set up together.

** Tip: Cornbread or garlic bread is a terrific compliment to this soup ~ sprinkle oregano on the bread to give it a similar taste profile to the soup and bring the meal together.

(6) LEFTOVERS: Freeze leftovers. Soup is one of my favorites to heat up at work for lunch - it makes my co-workers jealous :)

Mediterranean Braised Turkey over Egg Noodles

2008-03-15T17:46:00.001-05:00

I watched Dave Lieberman make this gem on The Food Network (click to the episode here) and had to try it for myself. It came out better than expected ~ this is a keeper! Even though I made this just for two people, I would easily make this recipe while entertaining too. The recipe below has a few minor modifications from the original:

Mediterranean Braised Turkey over Egg Noodles

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 4 hrs
Makes: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
4 to 5 pounds turkey wings
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 stalks celery, prepped & chopped
6 oz tomato paste
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar
12 ounces dark beer
6 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 cup pitted black olives
2 large sprigs fresh rosemary (I found at the grocery in the produce area)
Cooked egg noodles (I used whole wheat, yum)

Directions:
(1) Salt & Pepper turkey wings

(2) Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, then add turkey and brown evenly. I took Dave L's advice and did this in batches to get the browning as even as possible.

(3) Once all turkey is browned, remove the meat from the pot. Reduce heat to medium-high and add your veggie base of onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender.

(4) Stir in tomato paste. Then add all remaining ingredients (except olives & rosemary), stir until everything is incorporated.

(5) Add turkey back into the pot, then add olives & rosemary. Bring to a simmer.

(6) Cook about 3-31/2 hours at a low simmer until the turkey meat falls off of the bone if you put a fork into the wing. At this point your house will smell delicious!! Remove rosemary sprigs & throw them away.

(7) Remove turkey and pull meat away from the bone and gristle. Add meat back into the pot.

(8) Serve over egg noodles (again I used the whole wheat kind for extra healthy bonus points - Scott & I liked the taste of them better than the normal egg noodles anyway.

(9) LEFTOVERS: I recommend freezing leftovers that you aren't going to eat into serving-sized packets. You'll be rewarded with an easy and tasty meal right out of your freezer!