Shrimp Tacos

For a simply quick dish that is beyond great in the flavor department, let me suggest not "fish tacos" but shrimp tacos.  Here's why.  Texturely shrimp has that "bite" that works your mouth and distributes the flavor so that it is a bursting element.  Here's what to do.
1 package McCormick fajita seasoning mix.
12 ounces large cooked shrimp, tail on
2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
4 small flour fajita tortillas
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
finely shredded mexican cheese blend (I use Sargento)
1 lime for zesting and juice.
salt to taste.
Remove tails from the shrimp and using the directions for the fajita seasoning, stir fry your shrimp until heated through.  Set aside.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place tortilla shells over the rack of the oven so that they form the traditional shape of a "taco shell". Bake until it holds the shape and is a little crispy.  While this is happening, mix together your sour cream, your chopped cilantro, your lime juice and lime zest.
Remove shells from oven and immediately fill each with equal amounts of shrimp.  Top with lettuce and tomatoes and sprinkle with a little of the finely shredded mexican cheese blend.  Drizzle generously with your sour cream cilantro lime sauce.  Serve.  This is for 2 people at 2 tacos each.  Talk about delicious!  And when I say that even I could have eaten 2 more of them, that is not an exaggeration!  (In the picture below, my daughter hates tomatoes so they didn't make it to the plate because of that but I love them.  I could have also gone for some caramelized onions and bell peppers as well but that may be because of the fajita flavors that I love so much.)

Chicken Enchilada's

Tonight it was an easy dinner with simple ingredients.
Cooked Cubed Chicken
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Milk (at least half a can if not a whole can--depends on how thick you like your sauce)
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese
and for those of you that are adventurous, green chilis.
Whole Wheat tortilla shells.
In your whole wheat tortilla shells fill generously with your cubed chicken. Top with some cheese and then roll up.  Mix together the cream of mushroom soup, milk and sour cream and pour over the top of your rolled up tortillas.  Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.  (if you were brave you would have inserted those green chilis.)  Bake for about 20 minutes and let the sauce thicken and melt over your tortillas.  YUMMY!!!

Now there are some additions that you can add...Velveeta adds a creamy texture and more cheese flavor but that's up to you.  EXPERIMENT PEOPLE!
Also, if you wanted to you could cook your chicken with some taco seasoning or some fajita seasonings and add some veggies like the bell peppers and caramelized onions to the chicken before filling your tortillas.
The fun thing with this is that you can play around with your flavors and fillings.

Quinoa Burger and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Tonight I was treated to a special dinner that I love.  We weren't sure that we would do it but then the more we thought about it, the more we wanted it.  Quinoa is a seed but is also "sold" as a grain. There are many uses for the "seed" but adding it to ground beef and creating this burger (pictured below) is our favorite.  We used only 1 pound of ground beef and mixed it with prepared quinoa.  We add some apple juice instead of white wine as the recipe calls for, and had caramelized onions and mushrooms and added a slice of low fat swiss cheese on a toasted whole wheat bun. So...60 calories for a slice of swiss cheese, 975 calories for the whole pound of the 85% lean, humanly raised no hormone or antibiotic ground beef, 223 for the cup of quinoa, 60 calories in the "Simply Apple" juice.  120 calories in the whole wheat hamburger bun.  21 calories in the mushrooms, and 15 calories for the onions.  Now the glue that held the "burger" together is an egg and some oatmeal so those calories are 78 and 150 (oatmeal).  Sweet Potato fries were 122 calories.  Now lets total this up: 190 for the burger and mushrooms and onions  and 120 in the bun and 60 in the cheese for a total of ***370 calories for a half pound burger.  Let's compare:  1110 calories for the same size burger at one restaurant without toppings!  This means that my over satisfying meal was fully served to me for a total of 492 calories.  And it took me over half an hour to eat it.  It was FILLING and I really could have eaten it in two meals.  So while I am exploring the veggie thing and the grain thing to see if it helps with my health issues, (inflamation in my injured knees and joints) I thought I would tease that it doesn't have to be horrible and bland food.  This was as good as it gets and I should know because I have an executive chef as a father and a southern cook as a mother.  I KNOW GOOD FOOD.  So get out your shopping lists and add some quinoa to it.  And...sweet potato fries! (which I still drizzled with ketchup and they tasted fabulous!)

Below is a quote from one reliable source.  

"Somehow, a superfood that only health advocates like me have known about for years is now common fare for a wave of twentysomethings eating at trendy coffee shops and delis.

Although there is no accounting for taste or trends, quinoa does have some powerful health benefits. It tastes great, it is high protein, and it is part of another major food trend of today: gluten free eating.

Although referred to as a grain, quinoa is actually a seed from a vegetable related to Swiss chard, spinach and beets. Quinoa is pronounced "keen-wah," not "kwin-oh-ah." Learn its benefits, ancient history, preparation tips and cautions.

7 Health Benefits of Quinoa
1. High in protein -- its protein balance is similar to milk and has more protein compared to rice, millet or wheat.
2. A good source of riboflavin -- riboflavin helps reduce the frequency attacks in migraine sufferers by improving the energy metabolism within the brain and muscle cells.
3. The saponins from quinoa are used to promote healing of skin injuries in South America, making it a good antiseptic.
4. It's alkaline-forming. Although it is not strongly alkaline-forming, it is comparable to wild rice, amaranth, and sprouted grains.
5. It only has 172 calories per ¼ cup dry quinoa. (***This equates to 223 calories per cooked cup)
6. Since it is not related to wheat or grain, it's gluten-free. Millions are discovering they feel better and lose weight when they reduce gluten grains or at least  wheat products. 
7. It is a complex carbohydrate with low glycemic index. This is again good for weight management. I use it in a number of my health  Boot Camps.

Quinoa History
The Inca referred to quinoa as the "mother seed," and considered it to be sacred. They grew quinoa in South America in the high altitude of the Andes. It was also their staple food for 5,000 years. 
The Spanish conquistadors, not knowing its value, almost wiped out quinoa by making it illegal for Native Indians to grow. In the 1980s, two Americans rediscovered quinoa and started growing it in Colorado.

Quinoa Caution
Quinoa is coated with toxic chemical called saponin. It is therefore important to rinse quinoa thoroughly. And moderation is key -- even with healthy superfoods -- so it shouldn't be eaten every day. A few times a week is enough. Although quinoa is not a commonly allergenic food and does not contain lots of purines, it does contain oxalates. This puts quinoa on the caution list for an oxalate-restricted diet.

Interesting Facts:

• In South America they use the saponin removed from the quinoa as detergent for washing clothes.
• The sticky, bitter, soapy film of saponins also keeps birds from eating the quinoa seeds off of the bushes. Scientists decided to create quinoa that didn't have saponins, and guess what? The birds ate it all.
• More than 200,000 pounds are grown each year in the US Rocky Mountains.
• Quinoa is the sweetest tasting when grown above 12,500 feet.

Tips for Eating and Cooking Quinoa:

• Always rinse quinoa. Place quinoa in a strainer, run cold water over it until the entire soapy residue has been washed away. You can taste test a few seeds; if they still have a bitter taste, run more cold water over them. Rubbing the seeds while rinsing with water takes away even more bitterness.
• You may add quinoa to your salad or make quinoa porridge. Also quinoa pudding is a great substitute for brown rice while quinoa flour is a great substitute for your gluten free baking.
• Quinoa can even be popped like popcorn, a treat popular with Peruvian children.
• It is best to store quinoa in an airtight container; stored in the refrigerator, it will keep for three to six months."

Pasta Free for those who are in need of losing weight or can't have gluten. (as many of my friends are)

Gluten free is something that many people are doing these days for both health reasons and because they are either sensitive to gluten or are allergic to it.  So whatever your preference, or reason, here's something that you MUST invest in.


  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026RMEK4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

This product has changed my life!  Not that I am going gluten free but I am trying to incorporate move vegetables in my diet.  Since Christmas, we have had several dishes that have included carrots, cauliflower, zucchini and yellow squash all with this simple piece of equipment.  We had a stir fry that was to die for and then a spaghetti using these veggies as the pasta and today an alfredo meal with those same veggies.  Now, there are many things that I can think of to replace that has pasta.  That heavy gluten loaded, calorie loaded dough that becomes pasta is so yummy and yet so bad for you.  Use your imagination and go wild!  It is easy to do.  Can't you see it?  Getting veggies into your children and having them love it!

There are also cheaper versions of this "machine" as well as a recipe book.  Take a look on the internet and at amazon and you will see these "package" that include both items.  It is well worth your wallet to buy this and explore the bounds of the veggie world.
Enjoy!

Busting out a New Year!

Well this year is a hard one to end.  So many things happened.  So many things didn't.  I had planned to just change life completely and that didn't happen.  So while I am posting new recipe and menu ideas on this page primarily, it's also a place for me to chat with myself.  So tonight as the New Year begins in less than 6 hours, I want to come clean.  I can actually cook.  I can actually create recipes and menus.  The problem is that I often don't.  I want to.  But I often don't.  Most times I am grabbing a sandwich or a piece of fruit or some veggies.  Yep, those broccoli, cauliflower, carrot with cheese sauce are a favorite.  Just microwave, and cut off half the bag and use a spoon and I am good.  No dishes to wash, and even the spoon is plastic.  However, there are good reasons for this little issue.  I won't go into them here or anywhere, but I will change that in 2015.  By doing so, I am going to take back control of my life and my health.  It's horrible to be in pain and to know that some of it can be as a result of what you are eating.  Yep, I have found out that I am "hyper sensitive" to some things that all along I have eaten regularly.  Seafood is now a rare thing.  Thanks.  Oh well...at least on those rare occasions that I can eat those things, I will make it worthwhile by creating wonderful dishes with them.  To that end, here is one of my favorite seafood dishes.  I will now only have once in a while.


SEAFOOD TOSTADAS

24 hard shell tostada shells
2 cups shredded crab or lobster meat cooked (I use the Louis Kemp stuff half of the time)
2 cups miniature shrimp or "salad" shrimp cooked
4 cups finely shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
2 cups sour cream
144 pieces sliced large black olives (I am not sure how many whole black olives this is--it depends on your ability to slice evenly)
Hungarian Paprika

On a couple of cookie sheets, spread out your tostada shells.  In a large bowl, mix together your cooked shrimp and crab or lobster meat.  Divide it evenly into 24 different amounts or just try to evenly spread the mixture over the 24 tostada shells.  This should be a good thick amount of seafood. Carefully spread evenly the shredded Monterey Jack Cheese over all 24 tostadas.  I like lots of cheese.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted thoroughly and tostada edge is crispy.  Remove from oven and quickly, using a pizza cutter or very large, very sharp knife, cut each tostada into 6 wedges.  Now dollop a drop of sour cream on top of each triangle, add a single olive round and sprinkle generously with the Hungarian Paprika.  Pass around the room and everyone enjoy!  It's a great "nosh".    I usually like to serve this with the previous recipe of Crab Fondue.
I do not like it with the jalapenos but here they are with them.  And I serve them neater than this.  I like to see the slices of the tostada.  In the second picture, they used cheddar cheese and chives.  You can do whatever you like but my version is the one I like best. Again...ENJOY!

Death by Chocolate Trifle

Everyone knows what a trifle is right?  It's a layered dessert that has many different individual things in it, layered over and over until you get to the top of the trifle "bowl".  See pictures below for examples.

                      

                     

Now as you can see there are many varieties that can be created.  However, I can promise you that I am going to make your eyes swim with delight if you are a chocolate lover.  So here goes....

You will need the following "ingredients".

Devils food cake, baked by the boxed directions and sliced horizontally into 4 "layers".

8 cups of prepared chocolate pudding, cold and set

10 cups of nearly frozen cool whip

8 full size kit kat bars, broken into sticks and the sticks in half for 8 pieces per full size bar

8 full size butterfinger bars, crushed. divided into 2 bar bowls

8 full size milky way bars, cut into half inch slices

40 strawberries

1 bag of milk chocolate chips, melted to dip the strawberries in

4 full size heath bars, crushed

The trifle is layered in the following way;

1. devils food cake layer

2. 2 cups prepared chocolate pudding spread over cake

3. 2 full size kit kat bars broken in 8 pieces each for 16 pieces sprinkled in the chocolate pudding

4.  2 cups nearly frozen cool whip spread over the pudding and kit kat bars

5.  sprinkle 2 crushed butterfinger bars over the cool whip

6.  2 milky way bars, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and dropped over the butterfinger cool whip layer

Start all over again.  Repeat layers until you have all four or your bowl is nearly full.  (we use the largest we could find)

To top it off, spread over the top the extra two cups of cool whip and place in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.  Now melt your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and after cleaning and drying your strawberries, dip them in the melted chocolate chips.  Place on a wax paper lined tray in the fridge to harden up.  While this is happening, crush your Heath bars.

After your strawberries have hardened, place them in a circular pattern on the top, point side up, of your trifle.  Sprinkle with the crushed Heath bars.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  

Serve cold. (Hint:  If you desire to add more calories and more lusciousness, heat up caramel sauce and hot fudge sauce and drizzle only as you serve each individual serving.  DO NOT PUT ON THE TOP OF THE TRIFLE!  It will not be as yummy cold.  Only serve that individually.  And this is truly DEATH BY CHOCOLATE TRIFLE.

One of my Holiday Party Favorites--Crab Fondue

Okay so this is just something that I love for the holidays and for superbowl parties.  It's my version of Red Lobster's Crab Fondue Bread Bowl.

1 large bread bowl
2 baguettes sliced into thin "crustini's"
1 pound miniature shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 pound crab or lobster meat (you can use the louis kemp stuff)
2 large jars of queso dip
1/4 block of Velveeta, cubed
dash of balsamic vinegar
dash of worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Cut into your bread bowl to create the "bowl" part of your bread bowl.  Take the top that you have cut out and slice it into 2 inch thin pieces.  On a couple of cookie sheets, spread out all of the crustini slices and the slices of your bread top in a single layer.  On another cookie sheet, place your bread bowl.  Set this all aside until after the "fondue" is done.
In a large skillet, place your butter, shrimp, crab or lobster meat (or both) and season with salt and pepper to taste and stir fry everything till cooked and heated to the point of crisp edges on the meat. Now add your queso and stir to incorporate your seafood.  Once all is hot add your cubed Velveeta, dash of vinegar and worcestershire sauce.  Stir until completely melted and well blended.  Remove from  heat.  Now toast lightly your bread bowl and crustini's.  Remove from oven and pour your dip into the bread bowl and serve with the crustini breads or you can use any "scoop" tostito chip.

Thick Center Cut Pork Chops, leftover hash browns, yellow and green squash, apples

8 thick, center cut pork chops
2 cups hash browns potatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
4 yellow squashes
4 zucchini squash
2 apples
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dry ranch dressing powder
1 cup panko bread crumbs
butter
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees and line a roasting pan with tin foil and spray generously with Pam or other oil spray.  Butterfly your thick pork chops. (this means to slice them open horizontally but do not slice completely through). Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together your shredded hash brown potatoes, eggs, and cheddar cheese.  Divide this mixture into 8 equal portions and place each portion on 1/2 side of the butterflied pork chop. (if they are smaller pork chops, you may need to use less)  Fold the empty side over the top of mixture and if necessary, use a toothpick to secure the two sides together. They don't have to be sealed, just held together.  In a small bowl, mix together ranch dressing (you choose how much--some people like it really strong) and your panko bread crumbs.  Make sure that you have all the pork chops touching, and sprinkle over the whole grouping of chops your panko bread crumbs and ranch topping. Bake for 35-45 minutes (depends on thickness of pork chop) until your pork has reached a temperature of 145 to 150 degrees.
While this is baking, cube, skin on, your yellow squash, zucchini squash and your apples.  Once cubed in a large skillet, using butter, saute your cubed mixture.  They should remain crisp tender.  Sprinkle over the whole mixture, the brown sugar, ground ginger, cayenne pepper.  It should be all in one bite, tangy(ginger) sweet(brown sugar) and a little kick of heat(cayenne pepper).
As an additional side dish, I like to heat up sauerkraut and diced beets.  This makes for a very colorful plate.  Also, a basket of corn bread muffins is a great compliment to the meal.
ENJOY!

Anonymity.

I interrupt this blog on dish ideas to talk a bit about anonymity.  It's funny that the whole purpose of the Internet is to share information.  However, there seems to be a little too much sharing of that information.  Too much really bad stuff.  From the innocent that discovers porn through a popup to a very bad person who seeks to find victims.  The internet is allowing crime to explode and harm so many people.  And yet, there are those who can easily hide behind the anonymity of open wifi hotspots, and made up names and it is mind-blowing that the "authorities" are unable to catch them.  I am saddened that so many people are hurt.  And yet, one of the things that we depend on is that privacy, that anonymity.  The ability to learn.  To research.  To teach, even.  Is there a line that is crossed?  You bet.  But who is to define that line?  Governments?  Religions? Or the people themselves?  Well yes.  All three.  We need to govern ourselves.  We need to make right choices.  We need to go to the religious leaders and even if we find fault with them, they mostly stand for truth and righteousness.  I hate that we can't always depend on them...but they are, after all human and suspect to human frailties. The government?  Yes the government.  If there was a way to "police" the internet as much as they are able to hand out speeding tickets through speed traps, then we would be able to have a cleaner place to do all of that research.  So anonymity offers privacy.  But it also offers protection to those that would do wrong.  What do we sacrifice?  Why do we sacrifice?  For me, it would be nice if, like on TV there was a sensor.  That porn would be eliminated from the internet.  Trust me it's easy to find and to get to.  Why?  Because they charge for it and the know that corrupt minds lead to addiction of corrupt actions.  And the sale of illegal substances, guns, and other horrible things would be policed with just as much vigor.  And so , I would be willing to have a little less anonymity, if there could be some entity that would police the content for its value on the INTERNET.  It is a tool of good quality.  It is also a tool of evil.  Beware how you use it.  Because you are NOT anonymous.  Not to everyone.

Beef and dumplings! Yes!

1- 3 pound pot roast.
4 large carrots, diced
2 large onions, cubed
1-12 ounce bag of frozen peas
1-4 pack of cheap biscuits
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons butter
water
2 cups flour
salt and pepper

In a slow cooker or the oven cook your pot roast as you normally would with the carrots and onions.   I usually cook it at 350 for about an hour. And set aside.  In a large pot, melt the butter to an almost brown state...not burnt, and of the half cup of flour, add at least 3 tablespoons and stir to make a paste.  I add salt and pepper too.  Then add water a little at a time to make a great gravy for your "beef and dumplings".  Go back to your beef and shred it to pieces.  Pour your beef and carrots and onions into the pot with the gravy.  Leave it on warm.  Now, take the biscuits and roll them out flat in the flour and then, using a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut into strips about 1/2 to 1 inch wide.  Turn on your beef mixture and bring it to a boil and add the peas (I add chopped up mushrooms as well) and drop a couple at a time the biscuit strips.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the dumplings puff up and cook.  Remove from heat and let it sit for about 15 minutes.  Serve in a warm large bowl.

 

Cubed Steak, potatoes, beets.

Well this is easy.  Pan fry the cubed steaks coated with salt, pepper and flour.  Leave bits and pieces in the frying pan and add some flour and water and make a gravy.  Cube your potatoes.  In a separate pan, using a little oil and butter, fry the potatoes for a "home fries" dish.  Lastly, heat up your beets in a pot with the liquid from the can and some apple cider vinegar.  Serve as 3 separate parts of a meal.  No need for casseroles tonight.

Shrimp, pasta shells, zucchini, bell peppers.

Whew!
Okay.  I am not sure that any of these items really go well together.  I am going to give it my best shot below.
So here's what I have come up with:
Shrimp,
pasta shells,
zucchini, diced
bell peppers, diced
parmesan cheese
2 crushed garlic cloves
flour
butter
red pepper flakes
salt
black pepper
2 cups milk
Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. In a large skillet, stir fry your diced bell peppers and zucchini just enough to "crisp" the edges.  Remove from pan and set aside.  In your skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter and saute your crushed garlic.  Add two more tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons flour.  Stir to make a paste.  Slowly add the 2 cups milk and 1 cup parmesan cheese.  Add your vegetables and pasta and lower your heat to warm.
In a separate skillet, place your shrimp toss with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.  This should take only a couple of minutes.  Be careful on the red pepper flakes because too much will ruin the meal.  Serve shrimp on top of the pasta.

Polska Kielbasa Sausage, pasta, frozen veggies-several different ones

Wide Noodle Pasta

Polska Kielbasa Sausage

Steamers with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and cheese sauce x 2

Velveeta cheese 1/2 block

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

Boil your noodles and set aside.

Slice up the sausage into diagonal 1/4 inch slices.  In a frying pan, pan fry the sausage till there is a crispy outside edge.  It adds flavor.

In a separate pot, melt your butter and slowly whisk in the flour to form a paste.  Slowly add milk to make a thick sauce.  Melt in the Velveeta cheese.  If you like a thinner sauce, feel free to add more milk.

In your microwave cook the steamers as directed on the package.

Mix your steamers into the cheese sauce.  Toss in the noodles and make sure that your noodles are completely covered with your sauce and mixed well with the veggies.  Add more if you like.  I like lots of veggies.  Then when it is all well blended, toss in the cooked sausage pieces.  Serve!

I know it doesn't sound sexy or gourmet or even "wonderful".  But trust me it's good.

Second Menu

Wide Noodle Pasta

Polska Kielbasa Sausage

Frozen peas and carrots

Campbell's french onion soup, 2 large cans

Red pepper flakes (to taste)

Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded

Boil your noodles.  The last five minutes of cooking, add your frozen peas and carrots.  Immediately drain after al dente and set aside.  Fry up your sausage in slices in a hot pan.  In the pot with your noodles, peas and carrots add your onion soup and a 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.  At the very end add the sausage.  When serving in a bowl, sprinkle with the finely shredded Mozzarella cheese.  

Canned Tuna, Carrots, Potatoes, Cheese, Almonds

Whew!!!  This one was hard.  Of course I had in mind when I saw tuna the traditional tuna casserole.  But with no noodles, I had no choice but to come up with something else.  I did find out that she does have so frozen peas as well.  And so, the following was born:

Tuna Au Gratin

8 large potatoes
2 cans tuna in water
1 bag frozen peas
2 large carrots diced
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
4 cups milk

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Slice the large potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and add the two cans of tuna by tossing together with the peas and the diced carrots.  Make 2 layers of potatoes first in a buttered deep large casserole dish.  This part doesn't have to be layered but they can be as long as you make sure that the tuna is dispersed nicely among the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside.
In a pot on the stove, melt butter and slowly stir in the flour, salt, and pepper over medium heat, whisking CONSTANTLY.  DO NOT STOP OR YOU WILL GET LUMPS IN YOUR SAUCE.  Add milk a cup at a time until sauce is smooth and silky.  When it has thickened add in three and a half cups of the finely shredded cheddar cheese.  Continue to stir until cheese is completely melted.  This should be about a minute.  Remove from heat immediately.  Pour over the casserole dish filled with your potatoes, tuna, peas and carrots.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 1 and a half hours. (90 minutes).  Just before moving this from the oven, in a frying pan on the stove, toast your slivered almonds.  (I would add some seasoning like garlic salt, or cayenne pepper,)  When the casserole comes out of the oven, remove tin foil and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.  Bake another 10 minutes to form a top to the casserole.  When you remove it from the oven for the last time, sprinkle with the slivered almonds and serve.

Chicken Breast Fillet, Asparagus, Stove Top Stuffing, Carrots, Mushrooms

4 Chicken Breast Fillet's butterflied (lay on a flat surface and slice horizontally but not all the way through)
2 boxes stove top stuffing mix
Asparagus,
Carrots
Mushrooms
Honey,
Pecans
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter.
4 slices swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can of milk
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar.

Okay so here goes:
Take your butterflied chicken breast fillets and season them liberally with salt and pepper.  Set aside. Take your fresh asparagus and break them where they break on their own.  If you don't know what I am talking about, here is a video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hx6rNViqbs   Set aside.
In a frying pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter, and saute your mushrooms.  (DO NOT ADD SALT)
Take 6 asparagus spears and place them on the one side of your butterflied chicken breast fillets.  Top with mushrooms.  Place a slice of swiss cheese (or other white cheese) over the top of the asparagus and mushroom filling.  You may want to "seal" these fillets together with toothpicks, but I just do things carefully.  In your frying pan, place your fillets and pan fry them partially.  Making sure to get a good browning on the fillets edges.  Prepare your stove top stuffing.  Place in a 9x13 inch casserole dish, spreading evenly.  Now place your partially cooked chicken breast fillets on top of stuffing.  Cover with tin foil. (to prevent drying out)  Bake for 15 minutes or until your chicken reaches 165 degrees.  While this is baking, in a small pan, empty your cream of mushroom soup, worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar and mix with 1/2 of a can of milk and heat through.
In a second small pan, slice on a diagonal your carrots in thin slices.  Add 2 tablespoons of butter, and saute the carrots until crisp tender.  Now add pecans and toast them just enough to bring out the nutty oils.  You will see the glistening sheen on them.  Now add 1 cup of honey and stir the whole mixture and serve as an amazing side dish.
To serve your main dish, plate and pour over the top of each serving  your mushroom "sauce".  In this dinner meal you get some decadence without much work.  It's easy and in spite of the prep time, requires no real expertise.   Enjoy!

Center Cut Pork Chops, potatoes, broccoli-cauliflower-carrot mix

Center cut pork chops
White potatoes, mashed
Bagged broccoli-cauliflower-carrots
Jiffy corn bread mix
Garlic Salt
Butter
Milk (for potatoes)
30 Wheat Ritz Crackers, ground
1 tablespoon Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1 cup Flour

In a small bowl, mix together flour and wheat Ritz Crackers, salt and pepper and sugar. Set aside.  In a second bowl, mix milk and eggs.  Dip pork chops into the egg-milk mixture and then dredge them in the flour and wheat Ritz Cracker mixture.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the internal temp is 145 degrees.
While this is cooking, peel, cube and boil potatoes. In the pot, add milk, butter, garlic salt, (you can also add some sour cream and chives here and some cream cheese--it's a taste thing)
Steam your veggies and top with cheese if you want to.
Make your Jiffy corn bread according to the directions.
Serve!!!

Easy Peasy!!!

Beef, mixed vegetables, steamed potatoes, canned tomatoes was the list today.  And so..what else could it be but SOUP!!!  Vegetable Beef Soup.
2 pounds cubed (1 inch) beef
3 cups cubed steamed potatoes
15 ounce canned tomatoes
32 ounces frozen corn, peas, beans and cubed carrots
2 quarts beef broth
1 large diced onion
In a large skillet, brown off and cook the cubed beef and the diced onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a large dutch oven or soup pot, pour all beef broth, and the frozen vegetables.  In a smaller bowl, mash up the tomatoes and then add them to your soup pot.  Bring the whole pot to a boil.  Once boiling add the meat and the potatoes.  Reduce to a simmer and serve with your favorite grilled cheese sandwich or even a PB&J.  Either way it's a filling healthy meal.  By the way, leftovers will freeze easily or you may "can " it.  This you can do buy heating to a boil and pouring into jars.  Add your lids and place on a cookie sheet inside a 250 degree oven for about an hour.  This is called oven canning and when you remove the jars from the oven, carefully place the jars on the counter to cool.  As they cool you will hear a distinctive "pop" of the lid sealing itself.  Once cooled, tighten lids completely and store on your shelves.  According to the information I have read, this will last up to a year if unopened and properly sealed.

Using the same ingredients, you can combine all the ingredients but the canned tomatoes (after cooking the beef and onions) and add a lovely brown gravy to serve over white rice.  It can also be thickened to make a"brunswick" type stew that can be served over either rice or mashed potatoes.

Now,...if you really want to get ambitious, make a thicker stew and with a can of grands type biscuits, place half (horizontally) of your biscuit in a large muffin tin, fill with stew mixture and top with the other half of the biscuit and bake for a quick individual sized beef pot pie popover.

Enjoy!

Today's request included:  Ground Beef, Frozen Green Beans, 1 Sweet Potato.  My solution?
Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
(adapted from the same recipe at the "Taste of Home" recipes. Prep time is 25 minutes and the Bake time is also 25 minutes.
1 large sweet potato
1 large white potato
1pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
frozen green beans
1 cup tomato sauce
2 ounces softened cream cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Scrub and pierce sweet potato and white potato; place on a microwave safe plate and microwave uncovered on high for 10-12 minutes or until tender.  Turn once.
While that is cooking, in a large skillet cook beef and onion until it's cooked through. Drain completely.  Add the beans tomato sauce and spices.  Spray down your casserole dish and then pour the meat mixture into the dish and set it aside.
When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half and scoop out the pulp and place in a small bowl.  Mash with butter, milk, softened cream cheese, salt and pepper and spread evenly over the meat mixture.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
***the recipe at Taste of Home uses corn instead of beans and used more spices.

Now this is only one recipe.  There are plenty of things you can do with these ingredients seperately.  I tend to do casseroles because they are easy "one dish wonders".

If you want to do separate "dishes" I would follow the following menu:
 1 pound of ground beef,
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup diced onions
1 egg
mix all ingredients together and form into small meat balls.  Brown off in a skillet until done.
In the same pan, add your favorite BBQ sauce and simmer on low.
green beans
1/4 cup diced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 sweet potato, sliced
1 white potato, sliced
In a separate skillet, stir fry your sliced potatoes with onions and garlic and butter. When these are done and have a nice caramelization on the edges, add in your green beans and saute for a couple of minutes until they are heated through.
Serve with Corn Bread or Corn Bread Muffins.

Turkey Tired!!!

Today was leftover turkey, stuffing, broccoli, carrots,  and rolls.  So of course the recipe will be...Turkey Stuffing Casserole.  Quite simply this is the same as the Chicken stuffing casserole but you use your leftover turkey.
layer stuffing, broccoli, carrots in a casserole dish.  Open a can of cream of chicken soup and mix it with half a can of milk.  Pour over the whole dish and bake.  If you want to make it even healthier, add all the green been casserole leftovers as well.  It will just make it a creamier messy dish.  Either way, by the time you get to this point, it should be the last of your Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner.  Enjoy!

Chicken, Broccoli, and rice?

Today's challenge for dinner was Chicken, Broccoli and Rice.  My solutions were the following two recipes:  

Broccoli Rice Casserole
1 can of condensed cream of broccoli soup
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 chicken breasts (or pieces)
1 pinch Paprika
Broccoli
Velveeta or shredded cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Stir together the soup, water, rice and pepper in an 11 inch casserole dish.  Top with chicken breasts.  Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and on the outer rim of the casserole dish, surrounding the chicken, place your broccoli pieces and sprinkle with the shredded cheese or pieces of Velveeta.  Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes,  Make sure that your chicken is at 165 degrees on the meat thermometer. (NO PINK AT ALL)
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Balsamic Chicken 
Broccoli
Chicken
Cream of chicken soup
Cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk
Velveeta (1/4 of bar)
3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar (or to taste)[we like lots]
3 tablespoons Worchestershire Sauce (or to taste)[we like lots]
Butter, margarine, or Pam Spray
Cut chicken into bite size pieces and season with salt and pepper.  Stir fry in a pan with the butter, margarine or Pam the chicken until the edges are crisp tender and the chicken is done.  Remove from pan the pieces of chicken and set aside.
To the pan, add the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, milk and velveeta and stir to get all ingredients combined and smooth.  Once smooth, add the Balsamic Vinegar and Worcestershire Sauce TO YOUR TASTE.  This is an important step because in our family we love the strong taste of the Balsamic and Worcestershire.  After the sauce changes to that nice deep rich color from the last two ingredients, add your chicken back and simmer until hot through.  Serve over rice with a side of Broccoli.  I suggest a salad as well, since this is a very starchy meal.

And there you have it folks....2 "meals" using the 3 requested ingredients.  If you have a set of ingredients, please let me have a go at it.  I love coming up with menu suggestions.