Chicken Parmigiana with a Tomato and Basil Sauce

1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1 small  onion, chopped

1/4 cup Italian Dressing

2   tomatoes, chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup  shredded Mozzarella Cheese 

 

HEAT oven to 400°F.
ADD Parmesan to coating mix in shaker bag; shake gently to combine. Coat chicken with Parmesan mixture, then bake as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, cook onions and dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat 4 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes; cook 2 to 3 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in basil. Keep warm.
TOP chicken with sauce and cheese.

Great with any type of pasta (my kids like Fusili, aka corkscrew pasta) and a nice italian bread or a baguette.

Crustless Bacon Quiche

5 green onions, chopped, divided

1   tomato, chopped, divided

12 slices Bacon

1 cup  sliced fresh mushrooms

12 eggs

1/3 cup  Sour Cream

1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 

 

HEAT oven to 325ºF.
RESERVE 2 Tbsp. each onions and tomatoes. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels. Add mushrooms to reserved drippings; cook and stir 2 min. or until tender. Remove from heat. Crumble bacon. Add to skillet with remaining onions and tomatoes; mix well.
BEAT eggs and sour cream with whisk until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking dish; top with bacon mixture and cheeses.
BAKE 30 min. or until center is set. Top with reserved onions and tomatoes. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

* I leave the  mushrooms out, since one of my children doesn't like them.  It is fun to substitute other veggies.

I like to serve with whole wheat toast and juice (even at dinner time).

Cashew Chicken and Broccoli

2	cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
9	tablespoons soy sauce
3	teaspoons grated gingerroot
3	teaspoon sugar
2	teaspoon sesame oil, if desired
1	lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4	cup chicken broth
1 1/2	teaspoons cornstarch
1	tablespoon vegetable oil
3	cups fresh broccoli florets
2	green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)
1	cup salted roasted cashews

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1. Cook rice in water as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix soy sauce, gingerroot, sugar and sesame oil. Stir in chicken until coated; let stand 15 minutes to marinate.
3. In small bowl, stir 1/4 cup of the broth and the cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.
4. In 12-inch skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and add to heated oil in skillet; reserve any remaining marinade. Cook chicken about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink in center.
5. Stir broccoli and remaining 1/2 cup broth into chicken in skillet; cover and cook 1 minute. Stir in onions and cashews.
6. Stir reserved marinade into cornstarch mixture. Stir into chicken mixture; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Serve over rice.

* I usually don't add the cashews until the dish is being served.  Partly because my husband doesn't like them in his portion, and partly because it maintains the crunch.

* I suggest adjusting the marinade amount to your liking.  This is how I do it, but it was a much smaller amount when I first tried to make this.  However, I discovered I need more!

British Beef Stew

I have been trying to find a great beef stew recipe, and came across many in my search, but nothing that was complete enough for me...so I picked and chose the parts I liked and made up my own.

British Beef Stew

1 Kg (about 2 lbs) Irish Casserole Beef
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. beef broth
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. paprika
4 carrots, sliced
6 potatoes, diced
2 onions, chopped
1 cup frozen sweet peas

Place meat in crockpot.
Mix flour, salt, and pepper, and pour over meat.
Stir to coat meat.
Add remaining ingredients, except peas, and stir to mix well.
Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 5-6 hours.
Add peas about 15 minutes before end.
Stir stew thoroughly before serving.

** for the beef broth, I use bullion cubes. I add an extra cube (usually 1 cube + 1 cup water = I cup broth) to the mix for a stronger flavor.

Fun Fish Cakes

Fun Fish Cakes

Here is another new recipe I've tried. They turned out okay, but were a little dry...easily overcome with some lemon and/or tartar sauce.

Fun Fish Cakes

50g salmon fillets
4 baking potatoes
lemon
round lettuce
cucumber
2 tomatoes
red onion
1 egg
salt and pepper
olive oil
mustard


Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes


1. Place the salmon fillets in a metal colander over a pan of simmering water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes.
2. Peel the 4 potatoes, cut each into about 8 pieces and boil until soft. Mash and leave to cool. Remove any skin from the salmon, flake and mix with the potatoes, one lightly whisked egg, lemon zest and some salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into 8 fish cakes.
3. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the fish cakes and cook on a baking tray in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 or until crispy on the outside and heated through.
4. To prepare the salad, quarter the heart of the lettuce and set aside. Chop all the remaining washed salad ingredients, including the outer lettuce leaves, on a large board. Make a well in the middle and squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Add a dash of olive oil, a spoonful of Dijon mustard and salt and pepper, then mix through the salad. Serve the fish cakes with the salad and quartered lettuce heart.

** I substituted smoked salmon for the fresh fillets. I like the smoked flavour. I used about 8 ozs of smoke salmon (flaked)

Carmelised Onion and Bacon Pasta

I found this recipe from one of the local grocery stores here in the UK (Sainsbury's). It is really good. Sorry the measurements are all in the British standard, but there are conversion sites out there if you want to try it across the pond!

Carmelised Onion and Bacon Pasta

• 200g bacon (more if you want an extra bacon flavour)
  
• 400g farfalle pasta (aka bow tie pasta)
  
• 4 onions, finely chopped
• 300ml crème fraîche
• 28g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• garlic, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• black pepper

1. Peel and finely slice 4 loose onions.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan, then add the onions and 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook over a medium heat for 12–15 minutes until the onions have softened and started to caramelise.
3. Meanwhile, chop 200g bacon into chunks and fry in another pan until crispy. Once cooked, add to the onions.
4. Cook 400g farfalle pasta, following pack instructions. Drain and stir in the onions and bacon. Add 200g crème fraîche and 28g fresh fat leaf parsley, finely chopped, and stir to combine. Serve the pasta sprinkled with black pepper.

Sausage and Potato Quesadilla

In an effort to be more "adventurous" with my culinary exploits, I thought I would try something new. I came across a quesadilla recipe, and tweaked it out for our family. Here is the recipe I ended up with.

Sausage and Potato Quesadilla

1/2 lb spicy pork sausage
2 cups mashed potatoes*
1 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1 tbsp dehydrated onion
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp butter
2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
12 flour tortillas, soft taco sized
cooking oil
salt
pepper

1. Brown sausage in medium frying pan, drain.
2. Mix mashed potatoes, sausage, herbs, and seasonings in large bowl.
3. On griddle (or large skillet), heat oil.
4. Place 2-3 tbsp of filling on middle of each tortilla.
5. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of cheese on top of filling.
6. Fold tortillas over filling, and place on griddle or pan.
7. Cook about 1 min on each side, or until tortillas are browned.
8. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

This was a super easy and quick meal to make. The kids even ate it! You can use a spicier sausage like chorizo if you want a more "authentic" experience.

You could even use this as an appetizer, just cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges, top with dollop of sour cream and garnish with sprig of fresh parsley or cilantro.

*For the mashed potatoes, I used normal white potatoes (about 3 medium sized). I cubed them, with skins still on, and boiled them for 15-20 min. I mashed them up and mixed in about 2 tbsp of butter and 2/3 C of milk. If you are in a hurry you could use instant mashed potatoes, just make sure that you use ones made from real potatoes.

Lonette Bushman’s Baked Garlic Chicken

We had this at our annual Visiting Teaching Dinner. It was SOOOOO good. I highly recommend it.

Lonette Bushman’s Baked Garlic Chicken

2 cups Ritz crackers, crushed

1 lemon

1 cup grated parmesean cheese

Parsley flakes

½ cup butter, melted

8 chicken breasts

4 cloves garlic, minced fine

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease a 13x9 baking dish.
3. Mix the cracker crumbs and cheese in a bowl together.
4. Combine butter and minced garlic in a bowl and microwave until melted.
5. Drench chicken breasts in the garlic butter then dredge in the crumb mixture.
6. Place in baking dish. Squeeze half a lemon over the top of the chicken and some parsley flakes.
7. Bake in 350 oven for 45 min- 1 hour.
8. Serves 8.

Spareribs Cantonese

I found this recipe and tried it last night and it was a HUGE hit!

Spareribs Cantonese

1 c. Orange marmalade
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
about 3lbs pork spareribs
orange/or lemon wedges to garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 450*. Place ribs in baking dish or roasting pan, cover with foil, and bake in oven about 45 min. Meanwhile combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk together. Pour sauce over ribs and return to oven UNcovered for about 1 hour- I suggest half way through you turn the meat so it doesn't get too cooked or dry on side not covered by sauce. Serve with rice.

Spicy Hamburgers

1 lb ground beef
1 lb mild pork sausage
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup Yoshida's gourmet sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well.
2. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. Form into 6 patties.
4. Grill for 5-7 minutes on each side (until internal temperature of meat reaches 165 degrees F).
5. Serve with favorite burger toppings.

Super Chunky Chicken Soup

I have been trying to "experiment" with some new meals lately (trying to change up the routine). I wanted to make a chicken soup, but didn't find a recipe I really liked, so I winged it (note to self, winging it not always a good idea).

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans chicken broth
1 Cup chopped carrots
1 Cup chopped celery (about 3 medium stalks)
4 medium potatoes (white, yukon gold, or red baby are best) cubed
1 1/2 cups uncooked seashell pasta
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in a large stock pot (or other large pan) and cover with hot water (about 1 inch above the chicken).
2. Boil chicken for about 20-30 minutes.
3. Remove chicken, and shred with forks.
4. Pour water from pan into separate bowl.
5. Place chicken, veggies, and seasonings in stock pot.
6. Pour both cans of chicken broth into stock pot.
7. Measure out 2-3 cups of water from the bowl (the chicken stock from boiling the chicken breasts), and add to stock pot.
8. Bring soup to boil over medium heat.
9. Bring heat down to low, and let soup simmer for 20-30 minutes (until veggies and potatoes are tender).
10. Serve Hot!!

This turned out better than I had expected, and was pretty good. I might add some more garlic and salt if I made it again. You can also add other veggies if you want.

We served with some nice soft wheat bread (which I did NOT make, bought it at the commissary, but it was delish).

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I don't know about everyone else, but my kids love mac and cheese! I am not a fan of the boxed kind (too many memories of the broke college student days), so I decided to try out a homemade bake version.

Bake Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz Macaroni (elbow is easiest, but you can be creative)
1/4 Cup margerine or butter
3 Tablespoons of Flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Cups milk (for even creamier mac and cheese you can use evaporated milk)
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 Cup grated parmesean cheese
Topping:
1/2 Cup bread crumbs
1/4 Cup grated Parmesean cheese
1 1/2 Tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Boil macaroni for about 10 minutes.
3. Melt margerine in sauce pan.
4. Add salt, pepper and flour, mixing until smooth.
5. Add milk slowly, stirring until mixture reaches smooth consistency.
6. Cook over medium heat until it thickens and begins to boil.
7. Lower heat and add cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesean, stirring until smooth and all cheese is melted.
8. Drain macaroni (do not rinse).
9. Place macaroni in 3 quart baking dish and pour cheese mixture over it.
10. Stir until macaroni is well coated.
11. Mix bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parmesean, and melted butter until mixture is crumbly.
12. Sprinkle crumb mixture over macaroni.
13. Place dish in oven.
14. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

**Choose your cheese: the sharper the cheddar, the stronger the taste. You can also go for a white cheddar, for a different look.

**You can add some onion or leeks for a more "grown up" taste.

Chicken Ribbon Satay

Chicken Ribbon Satay

4 boneless chicken breasts

Marinade
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves minced garlic
2T lemon juice
2T brown sugar
3/4 t ground ginger
1/2 t crushed red pepper

1. Cut chicken into strips.
2. Place in ziploc.
3. Combine all marinade ingredients in saucepan.
4. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Mix with chicken in Ziploc.
6. Marinate in fridge 6 hours or overnight.
7. Thread on skewers (a messy task, but worth it) and grill.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I found a sweet and sour pork recipe a while ago, and then tweaked and changed it to my liking.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Cooking oil
Rice

Sauce
1 8 ounce can pineapple chunks (with juice)
1/3 Cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon (or one cube) instant chicken bouillon

Breading
1 beaten egg
1/4 Cup cornstarch
1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1/4 Cup of water
1/8 teaspoon black or white pepper
1/8 Teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

1. Cut meat into small pieces (make size to your liking, but no bigger than 3/4 inch cubes).
2. Heat cooking oil in deep skillet to 365 degrees Farenheit.
3. Cook rice.
4. In medium bowl combine breading ingredients and stir until smooth.
5. Dip chicken pieces in batter mix.
6. Fry chicken in hot oil (about one quarter of the batch at a time) for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until batter is golden.
7. Drain on paper towels.
8. While chicken is cooking, get out medium sauce pan.
9. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice.
10. Add enough water to the juice to equal 1 1/2 cups of liquid.
11. Stir in sugar, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, soy sauce, and bouillon.
12. Make sure mixture is well blended.
13. Heat over low-medium heat until sauce begins to thicken.
14. Be sure to stir occassionally so the sauce does not burn.
15. Once sauce is thickened, add pineapple chunks.
16. Serve chicken and sauce over rice.

**for a heavier meal, stir fry vegetables like carrots, onions, peppers, water chestnuts, etc, and mix with chicken and sauce.

Green Chile Pork Soup

In response to favorite pork recipe.

My husband's favorite recipe of his mom's was a pork green chile- but her recipe was too complicated and time consuming for my liking- so I started looking for a simpler one. I found one that I've since played with and present in its "perfected" form here. You can used chopped pork or stewing pork for a spur of the moment making- but the "pulled pork" is our favorite. My husband says it has even surpassed his mom's recipe.

1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 tsp minced garlic
1 med onion chopped
1-2 Tbsp Olive oil

1 jar "El Pinto" Green Chile Sauce (I've tried several jarred green chile sauces/salsas and this is our favorite- it comes in mild, medium, and hot- all are good for whatever heat preference you have)
2 cans chicken broth (or equivalent homemade stock)
1 can black beans
1 can white beans
1 tsp. Cumin

1 lb pork. cooked in crock pot in water then drained and shredded.

Sautee first four ingredients until onions are clear and soft. Add second set of ingredients, bring to boil and let simmer 10 minutes. Add pork.

We always serve with tortilla chips (Tostitos gold), shredded cheddar cheese and a bit of sour cream.

Penne and Veggies in Tomato-Basil Sauce

This is one of the best tomato based pasta recipes I have ever made. It is easy and delicious! We usually add more parmesan cheese to our individual plates.

Servings: 4
Prep & Cook Time: less than 30 minutes
2 c uncooked penne pasta (6 oz)
1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 c)
1 medium carrot, chopped (1/2 c)
1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 small unpeeled zucchini, chopped (1 c)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh or ½ tsp dried basil leaves
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
¼ c shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and carrot in oil 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini and basil; reduce heat to medium. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is desired consistency. Stir in parsley. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese. YUM!!!

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

½ c. bread crumbs

½ c. milk

2 eggs

½ onion (minced)

chopped garlic

2 t. salt

2 t. pepper

pinch of oregano

1. Put all ingredients in big bowl and mix.
   
2. Form in small round shape (I use small cookie dough scoop.
   
3. Melt some butter in a skillet, electric skillet or in the oven.
   
4. Cook meatball on medium heat until done.
   
5. If you want gravy, add sour cream and a little soy sauce (opt) and stir.

Garlic Pork Tenderloin

We had this at an enrichment meeting, and it was delish. The woman who made it used the cranberries and pistachios to stuff it. I don't normally like pork, but this was so tender and tasty.

Garlic Pork Tenderloin

3 T. olive oil

1 T. vinegar (any, but I use rice wine or white wine vinegar)

2 t. fresh, chopped rosemary

½ t. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed/chopped

2-3 lbs. pork tenderloin

Combine oil, vinegar and spices, stir well. Put pork in Ziploc bag with mixture; chill for a few hours. Grill or cook--325 degrees (till juices run clear).

For special look, butterfly the marinated pork and stuff with cranberries, pistachio nuts, apricots, mushrooms, etc.

Spicy Meatloaf

1 egg (beaten)
1/4 Cup dried bread crumbs (or 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs)
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1/4 cup raw minced onion)
2 Tablespoons dried parsley (or 1/3 Cup fresh parsley)
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound hot pork sausage

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2. Combine egg, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, and Oregano in medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Add in ground beef and pork sausage.
4. Mix ingredients together by hand, until meat and spices are evenly distributed.
5. Form mixture into loaf or ring in shallow baking pan.
6. Cook meatloaf for 45-55 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
8. Use ketchup or other sauce (such as barbecue sauce) as a dressing.

** We like to serve with either mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes, hot fresh rolls, a veggie (usually corn or green beans), and some applesauce or fresh apple slices. It make a great meal.

Favorite........Beef Recipe

You are all invited to share your favorite beef recipe. Simple, complicated, it doesn't matter!