Chili Con Carne

This is such a great recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Slow Cooker Texas Chili or something like that. It comes out fabulously every time.

I made this originally for work for our "Crockpot Cookoff" but it didn't end up going to work because I didn't go to work (snow day!). Bummer...I think it would have done very well for itself.

Also, this blog won't be updated until the weekend. I've got a trip to Alaska and will be dining out. Until then, happy cooking!

Cowgirl Beans, Brown Rice, Green Beans

Cowgirl beans again. This dish is wonderfully filling and easy. It feeds a family of five with a second helping for the teenager (i.e. bottomless pit). Here is the recipe from http://hillbillyhousewife.com :

Cowgirl Beans

1/2 to 1 pound ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon EACH vinegar and Worcestershire Sauce
8 ounce can tomato sauce
2-15 oz cans of pork'n beans or a 28 oz can baked beans or 3 cups homemade baked beans

First take out your trusty large skillet. Put the hamburger, onion and garlic in it. Fry everything over medium heat until the meat is cooked through. Break the hamburger up into smallish pieces with a fork as you cook it. Drain off the fat if necessary. Add everything else listed above, choosing either the canned beans or the homemade leftover beans. If the mixture seems dry, add a little water for simmering. Cover the skillet and cook the mixture for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until everything is hot, and the flavors have blended some. Spoon the hamburger and beans over cooked brown rice or whole wheat egg noodles.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pulled pork sandwiches with homemade bread (toasted), corn and green beans.

The pork is easy; put it in the crockpot with about 2 cups of BBQ sauce. Let it cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Pull it apart with two forks so it becomes shredded. Slice an onion thinly and add to the pot. Let it sit for about 15 minutes or so. Serve on hamburger buns or thick, toasted bread.

Easy and delicious! Can't lose with that!

Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

Carb Bonanza!!

Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread made with my homemade bread. Wow; that bread tastes amazing!!!

Taco Soup and Cheese Muffins

Ahhhhh......it feels so good to eat this soup without having to measure it or feel guilty for a couple of tortilla chips crumbled on top or a dollop of light sour cream on top. I forgot how good this soup was. I used Yves Ground Round (shhhh!) so the meal was totally vegetarian.

Here is a close up of the muffins which were much better than yesterday's:




Cheese Muffins

1/4 cup oil
1 medium egg
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup cheddar, grated
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
1 tablespoon baking powder (3 teaspoons)
2 cups flour

In a large bowl combine the oil, egg, milk, sugar, salt and garlic salt. Mix it very well with a fork or wire whisk. Add in the cheeses. Measure in the baking powder and flour. Mix again until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not over mix. The whole thing should take about 20 to 30 strokes. Spoon the batter into a dozen well oiled muffin cups. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before removing from the pan.

Chicken Stroganoff, Cheddar Muffin, and Vegetables

I love this chicken stroganoff. It's the second time we've had it and I love it just as much. It's easy peasy, too. Here's the original recipe from cooks.com:

QUICK CHICKEN STROGANOFF

2 1/2 to 3 lbs. thighs & legs
2 tbsp. butter
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 c. minced onion
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz.) drained mushrooms
1 c. sour cream
1 (8 oz.) pkg. noodles

Brown chicken lightly in butter; set to one side. Add garlic and onion; cook until lightly browned and tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour tomato sauce into bowl; stir in sour cream gradually. Pour over the chicken, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Prepare noodles. Garnish chicken stroganoff mixture with heated mushrooms, serve with hot noodles.



I made several changes. First, I use chopped chicken breast instead of thighs and legs. Second, I put the mushrooms in with the tomato sauce and sour cream. I use a whole onion, sliced instead of a miniscule amount minced (after all, nothing says stroganoff to me like onions and mushrooms). I only simmer for about 20 minutes because the chicken is mostly cooked prior to that stage. Lastly, I mix in the cooked pasta (and I use bowtie pasta) to sop up all the liquid in the pan. Yum!!

I made cheddar muffins from the Hillbilly Housewife website. They were rather flavorless so I've got to work on them. They probably need some garlic and maybe a bit more cheese.

Bread!!

These loaves came out so much better than the last batch I made. I used 3 cups of whole wheat flour and 9 cups of white flour this time (vs. all whole wheat flour last time). The dough was easier to shape, knead, and it raised much better.



This is the obligatory round loaf (I only have three loaf pans). I slit the top prior to baking and sprinkled it with sel gris (gray sea salt). I can hardly wait to tuck into this loaf but it will wait until we have pasta or something.

I am very pleased with how this batch came out. And making bread really is very easy.

Toad in a Hole (Again)

My oldest son needs to make a few meals for school. I was going to make this dish tonight and thought it would be a good one for him because it's fairly easy. However, it didn't come out as well as mine did. I wonder if there was not as much fat left in the pan. Or if he didn't mix the batter enough/mixed it too much. Hmmm... Anyway, even though it was dense and heavy the flavor was still nice. I posted it here because even though I didn't make it this time I wanted to contrast it with mine which can be found here.

Here's the recipe:

1 pound bulk pork or turkey sausage
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium eggs
2-1/4 cups milk

Fry the sausage in a large iron skillet. You can shape it into patties first if you like, or just smash it into little pieces as you cook it. Be sure to cook it all the way through. While the sausage is frying, get out a bowl. In it combine the flour, salt, eggs and milk. Stir it up really well, so the batter is creamy and smooth. You can combine this batter in the blender if you prefer.

When the sausage is done cooking, drain off most of the fat. You will need a little fat left in the pan to make this dish, so don't drain off all of the fat. Next pour the batter into the hot skillet, over and around the cooked sausage. Bake the mixture at 425° for about 30 to 40 minutes. The bread will be puffed up around the sausage like a giant popover. It will be golden brown and crispy all over. Cut the dish into 8 wedges.

Chicken Lasagna with Smoked Mozzarella, Broccoli, and Homemade Garlic Bread

After so many budget meals I needed something a little more upscale. I found this recipe on my local newspaper's website but at the bottom it cites from where it really came. This was good. I don't know if I'd make it again, though. I think it would actually be better with alfredo sauce instead of a marinara sauce.

Chicken Lasagna with Smoked Mozzarella

Serves 6 to 8

Nonstick or olive oil spray
1 container (about 15 ounces) ricotta cheese
8 ounces smoked mozzarella, coarsely shredded
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) marinara sauce
½ cup water
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
9 no-boil lasagna noodles (an 8-ounce box contains 12) I used 12, actually.
8 ounces (about 2 cups) cooked chicken, (rotisserie or homemade) shredded
½ cup shredded Pecorino-Romano cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13-by-10-inch baking dish lightly and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, smoked mozzarella, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Combine marinara, water and tomato sauce. Pour some sauce in the prepared baking dish so it covers bottom of dish. Place 3 noodles on top. Spread with another layer of sauce, and top with a third of the ricotta mixture and a third of the chicken. Repeat layers twice more, beginning with a layer of noodles and ending with a layer of sauce.

3. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with Romano cheese and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle top with olive oil and let rest 15 minutes before cutting.

Note: Resting the lasagna before cutting allows the steam trapped inside to be absorbed into the pasta layers, causing the pasta to plump and soften more. Since there is less unabsorbed water, the center is drier and the lasagna is less likely to ooze and fall apart.

From "Homemade in a Hurry: More than 300 Shortcut Recipes for Delicious Home-Cooked Meals" by Andrew Schloss

Quinoa and Black Beans

I got this recipe from the Seattle PI but they've since removed it from their website. Shame, as I think I linked to it last time. Oh well, I found that someone posted it on allrecipes.com so here it is:

Quinoa and Black Beans
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.


I used one can of chicken broth and it was the perfect amount. I remember the last time I made this the amount of vegetable broth it called for was not enough. Quinoa can be purchased at Trader Joe's or perhaps in the health/natural food section of the grocery store. Since it is gluten free it should be fairly easy to find these days. This was tasty as a main dish but my husband noted that it'd be really good with a piece of white fish that had been steamed in a packet. I have to say I'd agree!

Six Layer Casserole

This was pretty good, actually. Much better than I thought it'd be. The layers were (bottom to top):

sliced potatoes
sliced carrots
1/2 cup uncooked rice
thinly sliced onions
raw ground beef
(salt, pepper, seasoning salt, etc.)
large can of crushed tomatoes (I used petite diced)

Layer, cover, and bake for 3 hours in a 325-degree oven.

Easy and actually tasty. It makes a lot, too, which is always good when there's a teenager in the house.

White Trash Skillet

I'd like to call this white trash in a skillet. White Trash Skillet. Basically, fry up some hamburger or whatever ground meat you have. Add vegetables, one can of tomatoes, and then grate about 1/2 cup or so of cheese and mix it in. Easy peasy. My husband had two servings because he was hungry but I was amazed he ate it. I used: hamburger, onions, celery, beef Rice-a-Roni, frozen mixed vegetables, Tillamook cheddar cheese. It was all right. Would have been better had I sliced my onions thinly and omitted the celery. But I'm glad I used the Rice-a-Roni over regular rice because it gave the dish a lot of flavor. Anyway. It's something for the repertoire.

Garlic Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice

This was so disgusting that I won't bother to copy the recipe. Ugh. Seriously not even worth it.

Italian Beans and Brown Rice

This was pretty yummy. It's vegetarian and good for you. I'm proud that I remembered a vegetable (other than the dish, that is) this time! The recipe for the beans did not include a green pepper but I had one in the fridge that desperately needed to be cooked so I added it.

Toad in a Hole

This was really cool!



This is the dish on my plate:



Toad in a Hole from the Hillbilly Housewife website:

1 pound bulk pork or turkey sausage
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium eggs
2-1/4 cups milk

Fry the sausage in a large iron skillet. You can shape it into patties first if you like, or just smash it into little pieces as you cook it. Be sure to cook it all the way through. While the sausage is frying, get out a bowl. In it combine the flour, salt, eggs and milk. Stir it up really well, so the batter is creamy and smooth. You can combine this batter in the blender if you prefer.

When the sausage is done cooking, drain off most of the fat. You will need a little fat left in the pan to make this dish, so don't drain off all of the fat. Next pour the batter into the hot skillet, over and around the cooked sausage. Bake the mixture at 425° for about 30 to 40 minutes. The bread will be puffed up around the sausage like a giant popover. It will be golden brown and crispy all over. Cut the dish into 8 wedges and serve with applesauce and mixed greens.


Amazingly simple, tasty food. I will definitely make this again.

Corned Beef and Colcannon

Marvelous! The cut of corned beef wasn't the greatest (it was almost like a flat-point hybrid but not large enough to definitely have both parts of the cut) but the taste was good. The colcannon, though, was amazing. Even my potato-hating middle child loved it and had seconds. Here is the recipe from allrecipes.com:

Diane's Colcannon
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

"While Colcannon seems to be associated with St. Patrick's Day, I love the combination of potatoes, cabbage, onion and bacon all through the cooler months of Fall and Winter! I attend an annual St. Patty's Day party and this is the dish I'm always asked to bring... and I'm happy to say that the bowl comes home empty every time!"

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 slices bacon
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
3. Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.


I used a coleslaw mix with green and purple cabbage and carrots. I liked it because it gave the dish a nice color. This was so good I need to make it more than with just corned beef. Wonderful!

Steak, Potatoes, and Green Beans

And we shall eat like kings!

We received Omaha sirloin strip steaks from my husband's surrogate parents. I cooked them in a pan on the top of the stove in a little canola oil after first patting each side with some steak seasoning. They were soooooo yummy! The potatoes and onions were so good, too, but I really should revamp that recipe as it's a bit greasy. But the steaks... I'm going to have steak salad sometime early this week for lunch.

Brats and Mac & Cheese

I made a good recipe for Bratwursts and Macaroni & Cheese. It was a yummy dinner! My oldest son made the focaccia bread and it was all right except it was a bit dense. To his credit, the mix was around for quite a while... And I forgot to make a green vegetable. *grin*

Enchiladas!

Black bean and cheese enchiladas, Mexican flavored Rice-a-Roni, and peas.

I used a sauce recipe from the Hillbilly Housewife website. Next time I will leave it to the professionals and just use canned sauce. This sauce was too sweet. Still, the filling (sour cream, cheese, and black beans) was ingenious and tasty!

Chicken Vegetable Lo Mein and Potstickers

This meal was tasty! I felt like I had good Chinese take-away yet none of that heavy, greasy feeling that normally comes with it. The lo mein was so easy to make.

Chicken Vegetable Lo Mein

8 ounces dry spaghetti
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound chicken breast, chopped in 1/2" pieces
1 pound package of frozen stir-fry vegetables or 3-1/2 cups fresh chopped veggies
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. When it is tender, drain it well and return it to the pot. Heat oil in a very large iron skillet, or a wok. Add the onion and garlic. Sautè until the onion is tender and fragrant. Add the chicken breast and stir until it is mostly cooked. Add the frozen stir-fry vegetables. Cook them very quickly over high heat until they are mostly thawed, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked spaghetti. Stir everything all up and let it heat for about 5 more minutes. Sprinkle over the soy sauce and sesame oil, mix in, and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes. Makes 4 servings.


ETA: I forgot to say that I also added Gomasio at the end with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Love that stuff!

Bean, Cheese, and Rice Squares

This was another recipe from Hillbilly Housewife. It was all right... I would only make it again if I had to make something for dinner but didn't really want to go to the store. It is very nutritious. Two out of three kids had seconds so that says something!

I served this with Trader Joe's broccoli and it reminds me that I should buy all my frozen vegetables from TJ's. Very good quality!

Creamed Turkey, Vegetables, and Pasta

Another keeper from Hillbilly Housewife. Seriously, can I devote some serious love time for that website? Of course, her recipe is creamed chicken but I had turkey. This was really good. I used two different types of pasta because I had two partial bags/boxes that needed to get consumed.

Cowgirl Beans, Brown Rice, and Corn

Cowgirl beans, brown rice, and corn. I got the bean recipe from my new favorite website, Hillbilly Housewife! There are some great recipes on this website that look good and are frugal.

Anyway, this recipe was a success in our house. My husband and I liked it. The toddler liked it all right (well, at least she ate some) and the boys both had more than one helping each. Definitely a keeper!

I also made bread today. I've made homemade bread without the aid of a bread machine only once before, and that was probably 15 years ago. I can hardly wait to taste it. I have no idea how hot bread is surviving in this house, actually! I was thrilled to find we had whole wheat flour. Maybe next time I'll make white bread but that would definitely not last long in this house!

The round loaf. I only have three loaf pans so I had to improvise with the fourth. This one looks okay, if not perfectly round. We'll most likely use this one for a dinner accompaniment.



Two of the regularly shaped loaves. They're kind of ugly looking, I think, so I look forward to experimenting to improve shape. If anyone has any tips, please share!

Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Peas

I love this meal when there's no holiday angst surrounding it. I am so happy, so satisfied by this beautiful comfort food. I really didn't mean to have that many mashed potatoes but they were yummy and I was hungry, having only half a can of chicken chili for lunch.

Now I have a turkey carcass for turkey stock (doubles for chicken stock) and enough meat for one meal this week as well as sandwiches/snacks. All this for about $5.50 for an already cooked turkey from Fred Meyer. $5.50!

Chicken Stroganoff with Rosemary Bread

As I was eating this it occurred to me that I should have made a green vegetable to go with the meal but plain forgot. The stroganoff was so good, though, that I ate two servings which is very rare for me these days. I loved it! The recipe is a keeper. I tweaked it from a recipe I found on the internet (of course).

CHICKEN STROGANOFF

3 chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
2 tbsp. butter
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 c. onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz.) drained mushrooms
1 c. sour cream
1 (8 oz.) pkg. farfalle (bowtie) pasta

Prepare noodles. Brown chicken lightly in butter; set to one side. Add garlic and onion; cook until lightly browned and tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour tomato sauce into bowl; stir in sour cream gradually then mix in mushrooms. Pour over the chicken, add cooked pasta, cover and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Kalbi Marinated Pork Loin, Peanut Noodles, and Green Beans

The pork loin came pre-marinated from the grocery store (on discount!). I made the peanut sauce for the noodles and it wasn't very spicy but the kids did have to eat them. Then I heated up frozen green beans. This dinner was a nice change of pace and I was very satisfied!

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Garlic Bread

My oldest son actually cooked this under my instruction. It turned out pretty well! We used turkey Italian sausage, Ronzini Healthy Harvest Rotini, and Barilla pasta sauce. We also had a local grocery's garlic bread which wasn't great. But the pasta was!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Chicken Noodle Casserole
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups cubed cooked chicken OR turkey
3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 3 cups dry)
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all ingredients except cheddar. Place in 9x13 pan, top with cheddar and cook for 25 minutes.


This was yummy comfort food. Nothing wrong with that!