Roasted Vegetables

This past summer I tried a few recipes for roasted veggies and loved them.  My family now asks me not to make mashed potatoes since they like the roasted ones the best.  Last night I made two cookie sheets of roasted vegetables and they were wonderful.  Roasted carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, and asparagus.  The veggies have such good flavor and texture.  I think my favorite has been roasted green beans.  I do all the non-potato vegetables the same way, douse with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and salt.  Such a simple way to cook them, but oh-so-good.

Sauteed asparagus

Sorry there isn't a picture for this one.....it was amazingly wonderful and none were left over.  My husband is the creator of this recipe.  When I got home from work on Valentine's Day, he made us a wondeful meal including this asparagus.

Wash a trim 1/2 bunch of asparagus.
Melt 1/2 T butter in frying pan.
Add asparagus and cook on low heat, covered, 5 minutes.
Add seasoning (he used lemon pepper).
Cover and cook until tender (about 5-7 minutes).
Serve and enjoy!

Very Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

For Christmas we had a spiral cut ham and there was plenty of leftovers.  I searched for a recipe where I could use some of the leftovers.  This recipe was SO good!  I would have posted a picture, but we ate it too fast.  I think that next time I will double it so I can have some leftovers.  The good part about using the food processor was the veggies were so small that you could add other vegetables without anyone noticing.

Ingredients


2-3 stalks celery, diced or chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 T oil of your choice
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced cooked ham
3 3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste

5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Directions

1.I used my small food processor to chop the celery and onion.  I sauted them in canola oil in my stockpot.  Add the potatoes, ham and water.  Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Keep an eye on the water level, you may have to add more during cooking.  Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

2.In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.

3.Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.  Garnish with shredded cheese or green onions.

THE best tomato!

This is the best heirloom tomato--Black from Tula. They are absolutely delicious... and this is the first ripe one of the season!

Ranch Burgers

I made these burgers for the 4th of July when we had my dad over for dinner.  I usually like to make a few extra so I can put them in the fridge and have one the next day for lunch.  No such luck this time.  They were such a hit that there weren't any leftovers!

When I make meatloaf or burgers I usually just throw things together as an experiment.  The down side to that is when I get a really good batch made and I can't remember how much of what I put in.  These Ranch Burgers are like that.  I was tired of the plain old burger everytime I make it, so I happened to have some ranch dressing mix and threw some in.  It made a great burger.  There is a recipe on the back of the package, but it's kind of plain and I add extra ingredients.  Here's an approximation of what the recipe would be.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (feel free to make a mixture of beef and turkey if you are looking for lower fat)
2 shakes Worchestershire sauce
1/4 t onion powder
2 shakes Johnny's seasoning salt
1 egg
two palmfuls of bread crumbs (prob abt 1/2 c.  I used whole wheat and it didn't change the taste)
a sprinkling of dry Hidden Valley Ranch mix (prob abt 3 teaspoons)

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and squish together.  Separate into 6 balls and make patties.  I make mine thick and they still fill a large hamburger bun.  Cooking time varies depending on how thick the burgers are, how you are cooking them, and how you like your burger done.  I put a whole bunch of toppings on mine.  Tomatoes, sliced pickles, lettuce, onions, ketchup, mustard, mayo.  I think with the ranch taste they would be good with a special sauce, but I haven't made one yet.

Craig's Cheesy Bread

Fabulous, easy bread. Goes great with soup, salad and pasta!

I've made this for almost 15 years! Thank you Craig!

6 pc Sliced bread (White, Wheat, Hoagies, Hamburger buns, etc) *
4 T butter *
2 T Parmesan Cheese * (grated)


Preheat the oven to 400 F to heat your oven. You will later switch to broil, but make sure that the oven is hot before you put the bread in the oven.  Lay pieces of bread out on baking sheet. Melt butter in a frying pan. When melted, turn off heat, add the cheese, mix together. Using a rubber spatula, spread the mixture on each piece of bread. Broil on high for 2-3 while watching. When the bread is brown and cheese has browned, remove from the oven. Try not to eat the whole loaf before you serve it for dinner. Beware, its difficult!

*these are estimates--I have never measured using this recipe, but have noticed when I have added too much cheese to the butter, it is difficult to spread and you'll end up having to make more mixture to cover all of the bread. I think that the 4T/2T should be a good ratio, but play with it.

* this is one of the only times I recommend using Parmesan in the can/jar rather than fresh grated. The consistency works better when mixing with the butter.  I had to use the fresh grated tonight (in the pic), but still recommend the can as it makes it more consistent and more delicious the whole way through!

* I don't recommend using heavy wheat, multigrain breads. They detract from the 'flavor' of the cheese!

Company Potatoes

I've heard these potatoes called by a few names: Company Potatoes, Funeral Potatoes, Potato Casserole, Cheesy Potatoes.  Whatever you call them, they are good.

1 bag shredded hash browns (1 lb 4 oz or so bag)
1 10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 c sour cream
1/4 c butter, melted
2 T onions, chopped
dash of pepper
Topping:
2 C crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 c margarine/butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 2 quart baking dish and place hash browns in bottom of dish.  Mix all remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add mixture to the hash browns and stir until well mixed.  Combine the topping ingredients and put on top of casserole.  Bake 45 minutes.  Makes about 10 servings.

We had this meal served with ham and veggies.  I've never tried it, but I think that if you add ham to the casserole it would be a good complete meal.

Award Winning White Chicken Chili

Every year at our church we have a chili cook off.  A few years ago I decided to enter...and I got the Grand Champion award.  What a surprise!  It is a really good chili recipe.  Not a hot chili (but that can be changed by ingredients you put in if you want it hotter), but very nice flavors.  Hope you enjoy it.

This recipe is set for using a slow cooker.  Can be modified for making on the stovetop.

3 cans white Great Northern bens, drained
2 c shredded cooked chicken
1 c finely chopped onion (or equivalent to onion powder-which is what I use)
1/4 t garlic powder
1 4oz can chopped green chiles
1 T ground cumin
1/2 t salt or 1 chicken flavored bouillon cube
2 cans chicken broth

1. Place all chili ingredients into a 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker.  Stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook until the ingredients have cooked down and the liquid has thickened (4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low).
3. Spoon the chili into bowls and garnish with your choice of toppings: sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges, monterey jack cheese.  You may serve with tortilla chips or cornbread.

Creme Brulee ... Pear, too.

My all time favorite dessert...

1 vanilla bean
4 c. heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. superfine sugar
3 T. almond extract
1/3 c. brown sugar (not shown in pictures)

Preheat the oven to 350. Place 6 (1/2 c.) ramekins in a roasting pan and set aside. With a small, sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the black seeds into a medium saucepan (put the remainder of the whole bean in as well). Add the cream and bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 15-20 minutes. Remove the bean.
In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, superfine sugar and liqueur, if using, until well blended. Whisk in the hot cream. Pour into the ramekins.
Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan (to make a water bath for the ramekins) to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until the custards are just set. Remove ramekins from the pan and let cool. Drain pan. Return to the dry roasting pan and chill.
Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of each of the brulees. Using a propane kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. (Careful not to burn yourself or the sugar!) Let sit for a few minutes to harden.

Options:
Don't run to the store option: Use 3T of vanilla extract. The better quality vanilla extract, the better it will taste.... Superfine sugar isn't a necessity--just make sure you whisk the egg/sugar mixture very, very well! Don't have a torch? Just preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the custard and broil for 30-60 seconds until the sugar melts and caramelizes. (Do not let the sugar burn or the custard curdle) Place in fridge to set the crust and chill completely.

Pear Brulee:
10 pieces of dried pear
Tear 7 of the pieces of pear into small pieces. Tear the remaining 3 pieces in half to get 6 halves. Set the halves in the bottom of the ramekins. Set aside. After bringing the creme to a boil, add these small pieces. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean, but leave the pieces of pear. Follow the above directions, but the almond extract is left out or reduced to 1 T. Pour the finished mixture over the pear halves and follow the rest of the above directions. Very yummy.

Slow cook: My recipe book calls for 300 degrees, but we have to cook it for about 50 minutes. We tried the 350 last time and it turned out great...

Insalata Caprese

We have these 3 or 4 nights a week when the garden is producing tomatoes and basil. Simple and yummy!

Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4" thick
2-3 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
20-30 basil leaves
Salt & Pepper to taste
Italian bread, thinly sliced

Slice cheese and 'marinate' in dressing. This struck me as strange the first time I made the recipe. I thought it would make the cheese all slimy and gross, but it didn't. Let sit for an hour or two. On a plate, lay a piece of cheese, then a basil leaf--slightly staggered, then a slice of tomato--slightly staggered. Repeat this pattern in a circle around the plate. Sprinkle on a bit of S & P if you want... Enjoy on top of a slice of Italian bread... or just eat as it is!

Variations:

Flip and Bake: Lay the tomato on a baking sheet, with a piece of basil directly on top, then a slice of cheese on top of that. Don't over lap these as they will all melt together.  Bake 350 for about 10 minutes until the cheese has melted. Don't over bake as the cheese will run everywhere and the basil will crisp up or get too chewy.

Shredded cheese: My daughter likes these made with a shredded 4-cheese mix. Prepare like flip and bake, just sprinkle some shredded cheese on top of the basil leaf and bake!

Hide-the-Healthy Chicken Soup

Chicken cut-ups or Whole chicken, skinned
Veges of your choice
Herbs
Seasoning
S & P

Chicken Soup is a great way to get nutrients to your kids. Shhhhh.... I've learned that my kids will pick out certain foods they don't like, so I hide them! When making Chicken Soup, I cook the chicken cut-ups and remove the meat. Continue cooking the bones to make more broth. While I am doing this, I skillet-fry onions, garlic, celery until well cooked.  (Very important to cook well or the broth will taste like raw onions!) I transfer these ingredients (or any other that my children dislike at that moment in time) to the blender and puree away. The kids love the flavor of the broth, the just don't like the slime of the onions, celery, mushrooms...  All the nurtrient and flavor... just hidden!! Then I prepare the rest of the veges--thick chunks of broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, etc. (Thick chunk help prevent mushy (hence, slimy) veges. After removing the bones from the broth, I add the pureed mixture and season with rosemary, thyme, and sometimes basil. Then, toss in the rest of the veges and cook. Season to taste with salt and pepper... Add noodles or rice. My love it with the Fluffly Spanish Rice--tastes fabulous!

Now its here, now its gone Cini Rolls

Very fun recipe for kids! Very yummy treat for everyone! When cooking with your children... help them see the magic of the disappearing marshmallow!

1 pkg Crescent Rolls
10-15 large marshmallows
3 Tbsp butter
Cinnamon
1/3 c. Sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Open pkg of cresent rolls and separate. Do not roll yet. Melt butter in a ramekin or small bowl. In another bowl, mix sugar with a bit of cinnamon. Dip/roll the marshmallow in butter, then roll in cinn-sugar mix. Next, place the covered marshmallow on the wide end of the crescent and roll up as usual. Repeat until you run out of the crescent dough. Place on a greased baking pan. Bake for 11 - 13 minutes or until the rolls are lightly brown. Let cool for a few minutes as the goo will be extremely hot and sticky. Remove from the sheet to a rack within 10-15 minutes!

Patty's Yummy Chicken Rice Casserole

I had a friend 4 years ago who made this for me shortly before she moved away and we lost contact.  Thankfully I asked her for the recipe...but forgot to ask for the name of it.  So I just made it up.  It's really tasty and easy to make.  I usually add green beans or steamed carrots as a side to add some color and a fresh garden salad also.

1 c uncooked rice

1 10oz can of chicken (do not drain)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c mayo

1/2 c evaporated milk

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz shredded cheese

1. Cook rice according to directions.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except cheese.  Pour into greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.
4. Bake 25 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese on top and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
5. NEW STEP: Turn the broiler on.  Broil casserole for 5-8 minutes, until golden brown on top.

My notes:  I never have evaporated milk, so I use regular milk.  The evaporated milk does make it quite a bit richer and sweeter.  Also, I don't use the canned chicken.  I boil 4 chicken tenders to use in the recipe and either shred the chicken or chop it.  I add 3 tablespoons of the water that I boil the chicken in to make up for the liquid from the canned chicken.  To add more taste to my rice I use the chicken water to make the rice also.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Tomato and Cucumber Salad 

(recipe from Lion House International Recipes cookbook)

3 med tomatoes, sliced in 1/8 inch slices

2 med cucumbers, peeled and sliced in 1/8 inch slices

1/2 small oncion, chopped

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1/4 c veg oil

2 t sugar

1/2 t salt

pepper to taste

1/2 t cilantro (optional)

In medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.  In small bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Pour over vegetables and toss to mix well.  Let stand in refrigerator for one hour before serving.

    Personal notes:  I use canola oil when making this recipe.  I've also used many other vinegars to change the taste slightly and they have all worked for me.  Lemon juice can also be used to substitute vinegar if you want.  When I make this recipe I do not slice the vegetables as directed in the recipe (and in the picture).  I just chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into squares and have found that I like the flavor a lot the first day, and even better the second day for leftovers.

Twice baked potatoes

A few years ago I went through a Rachael Ray phase.  Can you blame me?  30-minutes to make a whole meal?  I thought that was great.  I had a Barnes and Noble gift card, so I picked up Rachael Ray's Classic cookbook.  I've tried a few recipes and liked the ones that I've tried.  One was her twice baked potato.  If you get the big baking potatoes you can have one of these as your meal.  A smaller one could be a side to a meal.

Super Stuffed Potatoes with the Works

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 potatoes

1/2 cup sour cream

2 scallions/green onions, chopped fine

1 cup shredded cheese of your choice

1)In a non-stick skillet brown bacon pieces, then drain on a paper towel.

2)Pierce potatoes with a fork.  Microwave on high for 12 minutes.  Let them cool for a few minutes before handling.

3)Preheat broiler.

4)Carefully split potatoes and scoop our flesh into a bowl.  Combine with sour cream, scallions, cheese, and browned bacon.  Scoop back into potatoe skins and place under broiler to lightly brown the tops.

My notes: I add 1 tablespoon of margarine to make it a bit more creamy.  It is also easy to make as a "light" dish.  Substitue turkey bacon, reduced fat sour cream, and low fat cheese.

Mint Majesty Brownie

A simple way to dress up a box of brownies!
Make as directed. Add about 1/2 - 1 tsp Mint extract to the batter. Mix well. Bake as directed. Cool for 10 minutes and then dollop a spoonful of chocolate frosting on the top and allow it to ooze/melt. Top with mint white chocolate chips. Yum!

Fluffy Spanish Rice

2 T. canola oil
1 c. white rice
1 med/lg tomato or 1 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp chicken bouillon
Pinch salt or Johnny's seasoning salt

Toast rice until it is almost burnt-looking. Watch closely or you might be doing this step 2 - 3 times. Boil 2 c. water, add bouillon, salt. Add hot toasted rice. Careful or it will splash/steam burn you. Add tomato. Cover. Set stovetop to med-low or low and wait about 20-30 min til rice is tender. EAT!!!