Creamy Meatballs

Make meatballs out of meat (2lbs), egg and oatmeal (3/4 cup). Fry them in a large skillet, turning frequently. When they are done, drain oil and add water/broth and steak seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of sour cream and you're done. I thought these were just OK but everyone else seemed to really like them.

Chicken pepper soup

 

I made up this recipe so the amounts are just approximations.

Creamy Chicken Pepper soup

1 1/2 cups of chicken
1/2 lb. Beef Polska Kielbasa (or sausage)
2 slices of onion
1/2 small red pepper
2 Tablespoons of oil
3 Tablespoons of flour
1/4 cup of cream (or milk)
1/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup corn
1 teaspoon sweet mesquite seasoning

In a large pot, boil a left over roasted chicken for at least 1/2 hour in several inches of water. This will create a broth and soften the chicken so it is easy to remove the bones. You can also use boneless chicken and broth but it won't taste as good. After the broth is made, remove the chicken from the bones and skim the fat off of the broth. Add the chicken.

In a frying pan saute the sausage, onion and red pepper in oil. Scoop out the sausage mixture into the broth. Skim off any fat in the broth created by the sausage. Add the salsa, corn and sweet mesquite seasoning.

Put some of the broth in a cup and mix in the flour. Add the cream to the flour/broth mixture and pour it all back into the soup.

Serve with shredded pepper jack cheese.

Minestrone Soup

 

Cook about a pound of hamburger with onions and drain off fat. Add a 16oz. can of tomato sauce and 2 cans of water. Add chopped carrots, 1 clove of garlic and Italian seasoning to cook until tender. Add pasta and more water if needed to cook until tender. Add green beans, kidney beans, olives and more water if needed. Heat through and top with Parmesan cheese (I was out).

Charlie made coconut cookies for dessert, they were so good I had to share the recipe:

Charlie's Coconut Cookies

2 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

He mixed them up the usual way: cream butter and sugar, add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until just blended. Use spoon to mix in coconut-- bake at 325.

Quick Chinese Salad with peanut sauce

On March 16, I made Chinese Chicken Salad from a recipe. Tonight I didn't have time or energy for that. I put out the basic ingredients (cold chicken, oranges, slivered almonds and Napa cabbage) and let people have at it. I threw together a quick Asian peanut sauce (Sweet Chili Sauce, peanut butter, olive oil and soy sauce) and it turned out pretty well.

I'm already thinking of some sort of recipe where I can use that peanut sauce again.

Chicken Enchiladas

I stuff my enchiladas with chicken or beef, lots of cheese and green chillies. Top them with my very easy enchilada sauce, a little extra cheese and bake them for 20 minutes at 350.

Gordon made "deer and pickle pie"--mincemeat for dessert. I'll probably blog that later after our walk.

Enchilada sauce

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3-4 cups of hot  water
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• cumin and cayenne pepper to taste

Heat a large sauce pan, add first the oil then the flour. Cook for a few minutes until smooth and bubbly. Add some hot water and it will thicken right away-- add more to the right consistency. Add the spices to taste. Pour over rolled and stuffed enchiladas. This will probably make more sauce than you need.

Omelet bar

I made up omelets for dinner and set out fillers so everyone could make them up as they wanted. The secret to making a good omelet is to not cook it too hot. That makes the egg puff up and crack when you fold it over. That's OK but doesn't look pretty! The pan needs to be hot enough to melt the butter but not make it sizzle and brown. Thoroughly whip the eggs with a fork until foamy. A 2 egg omelet is the best size for a small pan.

My omelet: cheese, bay shrimp, spinach, bacon, salsa, and avocado...

I had trouble deciding so I put it all in.

Gordon's: everything but the kitchen sink!

Charlie's: pepperoni, cheese, jalapenos, salsa, fresh onions, avocado.

Marielle's: cheese, shrimp and a little bacon with a side of spinach.

Timmy the Cat: shrimp-- hold the egg and cheese!

Beef Stir-fry

I totally cheat on this meal because it is almost as easy as fast food. I buy the thin cuts of beef (is it skirt or flank?) at Costco. Chop it into stir-fry slices and stick it in the freezer. Then when I need an easy meal I pull out the frozen beef and the frozen stir-fry veggies from Costco. I microwave the meat for 1 minute on full power- just enough to be able to break it up. Heat up the pan, add the oil and cook the meat. Take the beef out, add more oil if needed and cook the veggies (about 12 minutes?). While that is cooking, pour some rice wine (1/3 cup?) and soy sauce in a bowl. Add about a tablespoon of cornstarch and chopped garlic to the liquid. When the veggies look like they are almost done put some chopped ginger in. Cook for a minute or two and add beef and liquid. Stir to cook the cornstarch and you are good to go.

Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs
4 to 4 1/2 pounds beef short ribs (2-3lbs. boneless)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped, with tops
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
rice or linguine pasta, hot, cooked
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
Directions

1. Place ribs in the Crock-Pot. Combine green onions, soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and pepper in medium bowl; mix well and pour over ribs. Cover; cook on Low 7 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours or until ribs are fork tender.
2. Remove ribs from cooking liquid, cool slightly. Trim excess fat. Cut rib meat into bite-sized pieces discarding bones and fat.
3. Let cooking liquid stand 5 minutes to allow fat to rise. Skim off fat.
4. Stir sesame oil into liquid. Return beef to stoneware. Cover; cook on Low 15 to 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.
5. Serve with rice or pasta and garnish with sesame seeds.

Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Grapes

Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Grapes:
4 cups cubed (1/2 inch) cooked chicken (about 1 1/2 pound)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2-4 tablespoons chopped red onion
1-2 cups halved seedless red grapes
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper


Marinate chopped onion in a mixture of vinegar, honey and olive oil in a medium sized bowl. Broil walnuts in oven until toasted about 15 minutes. While the nuts are broiling combine all the other ingredients except the mayo and onion mixture. Don't forget to check the walnuts frequently.  Let walnuts cool while you thoroughly mix mayo into onion mixture. Stir all ingredients together and serve with chopped lettuce.

True Cod

My sister Marcia taught me how to cook true cod: Simply put it in the oven with butter, garlic and maybe a little wine (I'm not sure if I added that last bit or if she did!). Bake it at 350 until it flakes.

I make my own tartar sauce, mostly because I'm cheap:
mix: Mayo, dill relish (1-2 tablespoons), a large squirt of creamy dressing (ranch, Caesar etc.) a small squirt of mustard, add onions if you like them.

Company Meatloaf

This meatloaf is so good you can serve it to company. I served it with baked butternut squash and salad.
The meatloaf wasn't spicy enough for Charlie so he added his own jalapenos and sour cream.

Timmy the Cat liked the meatloaf just fine without sauce:

Sniff...sniff, any sauce?

 

Nom, Nom, Nom

Company Meatloaf

Several strips of bacon cooked crispy
1.5lbs. hamburger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4+ cup of chopped onion
1 cup mozzarella cheese
3 slices of bread
1 cup milk
1 egg

With hands mix bread with 1 cup milk and egg until homogeneous. Add the beef and spices and mix thoroughly. Put half of the beef mixture into loaf pan. Layer with cooked bacon, onion and cheese. Top with remaining beef. Cook at 375 degrees until the center reaches at least 160. Towards the end of the cooking time top with catchup or BBQ sauce.

Broiled Salmon, Chinese Chicken Salad and Birthday Cake

Broiled Salmon:
Brush melted butter with seasoning (we like Sweet Mesquite from Costco) on inside of fish. Broil skin side down until it flakes all the way through (about 15 to 20 minutes). You can add more butter as it cooks and lemon when it is done. 


Chinese Chicken Salad:
3-4 tablespoons butter 
1 package Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix, crushed
2 tablespoons sesame seed

2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1/2 cup almonds or peanuts
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup) optional
11 oz. can of mandarin oranges
about 16 ounces of Napa cabbage or coleslaw mix
Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar or sweetener equivalent
1/4 cup white vinegar
2+ tablespoons vegetable oil

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in seasoning packet from noodles. Break block of noodles into bite-size pieces; stir noodles into butter mixture. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly; stir in sesame seed. Cook about 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until noodles are golden brown.
Add remaining ingredients and noodle mixture; toss.
Serve with dressing.

Red Velvet Cake

2 1/2 cups sifted cake or regular flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 oz. red food coloring
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.  In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.  Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
4. Make sure you have cake pans buttered, floured, and nearby.  In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda.  Yes, it will fizz!  Add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine.  Working quickly, divide batter evenly between the cake pans and place them in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pan, place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, then gently lift the pan.  Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting. Frost with buttercream or cream cheese icing.
*Sift cake flour once before measuring, then sift again with the other dry ingredients per recipe instructions.

Mexican Chicken soup

Fry:
red, green or yellow pepper, onion in oil
Add:
chicken, salsa, sour cream, flour, water or chicken stock and avocado chunks
Cook the veggies in oil until onions become translucent. Add an equal amount of flour as oil and cook for a minute or two. Add the rest of the ingredients. Top with chips and cheese.

Pan-fried Oysters

Pint of Oysters
2/3 to 1 cup finely crushed saltines
about 3 tablespoons olive oil
about 3 tablespoons butter

Dry oysters on paper towels. Spread 1/2 of crushed saltines on wax paper. Place oysters on crumbs and shake the other 1/2 of saltines on top. Pan fry oysters in oil/butter for about 5 minutes, turning once.

Wheat Waffles with Maple Syrup and Walnuts

BRULAND WAFFLES 

Divide 2 eggs and put in separate mixing bowls. Whip egg whites with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Mix:
 1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup salad (olive) oil or butter

Fold in egg whites. For dinner- add scrambled eggs and sausage!

Shrimp Cobb Salad

 Mix together:
Iceberg lettuce
2 lbs. bay shrimp
1/2 to 1 avocado
2 hard boiled eggs
Lots of bacon (1/2lb?)
fresh mozzarella cheese (optional)
chopped tomato

Spaghetti

Cook in sauce pan:
1/2 to 3/4 cup of thinly sliced onion (not chopped- it should be noodle shaped)
1-2 lbs. hamburger (you can add ground sausage too)

Drain cooked meat if needed, add any of the following:
can(s) of tomato sauce
can of diced tomatos
can of tomato paste ( I don't add tomato paste very often, it's too sweet for me)

Bring to a simmer and add mushrooms, olives, 1 to 2 tablespoons of Italian herbs and garlic. Simmer 10 minutes while you cook the spaghetti.

Hawaiian Chicken with rice

In a sauce pan cook:
1/2 cup onion
1/4 cup green pepper (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
2+ lbs. chicken

Simmer in:
1 can pineapple
1 1/2? cups of BBQ sauce

Serve on cooked rice

Upside-down Chicken pot pie

2 cans of chicken
1/4 cup of butter
1/3 cup of onion
garlic
1 cup of frozen carrot and peas