Grandma Susie's Junk

My Grandma Susie was the best cook ever.  I think her secret ingredient in every dish, from her pickle trays to her pound cake, was a love for those she was preparing the food for.  She recently passed away, and I made her recipe for "Grandma Susie's Junk" (her title, not mine!) in her honor.  It isn't fancy, but it is filling and yummy!  Plus, the three 15-minute breaks gives you a chance to fold a load of laundry.  Or drink a glass of wine.  Your choice!

Grandma Susie's Junk

1 onion, chopped thick
3-4 carrots, sliced thick
1/2 bell pepper, any color, chopped
2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

3 chicken bouillon cubes
3-4 potatoes, peeled and "chunked" (her words, not mine!)
1 lb lite smoked sausage, cut in bite-sized pieces

1/2 head cabbage, "chunked"

Combine first five ingredients, cover with about 4 inches of water, and boil for 15 minutes.
Add next three ingredients and boil for 15 minutes.
Add cabbage, and boil for 15 more minutes.
Especially good with cornbread.  This makes a big pot.
"You can substitute small corn on the cob for cabbage," says Grandma.  I've never tried it and don't trust her suggestion.  Cabbage makes it good!

Debbie's cheese appetizer

We recently had a "Cancer Stinks" family gathering to ward off the cancer epidemic that seems to have struck lately.   My second-cousin-twice-removed (or something like that!) brought this awesome cheese ball appetizer, and I had at least 50 servings. Thanks, Debbie, for adding 1,000 calories to my hips!

Not the exact one Debbie made, but I felt like this post needed a picture!

Debbie's Cancer-Killing Cheese Ball

INGREDIENTS:

            1 lb. sharp cheddar, graded fresh

            1 cup mayonnaise

            1 cup chopped green onion

            1 cup chopped pecans

            1/2 cup raspberry preserves

PREPARATION:

            Line small ring or ball mold with plastic wrap and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Put ½ cup of cheese in food processor, process until smooth.  Add remaining cheese and process until smooth.

           

Mix all remaining ingredients with cheese.

Press into mold and chill for 8 hours or longer.

Remove from mold, top with raspberry preserves and serve with crackers.

BBQ chicken tacos

Tried these last week, and the whole family loved them!  I've made a few changes and am serving them again tonight.

Monica's Version of Sassy Wonton Tacos
(original recipe from Hungry Girl)

Ingredients: 

8-12 small square wonton wrappers (usually stocked with the 

tofu in the refrigerated section of the market) 

2 cups dry coleslaw mix 

4 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

handful of chopped bell pepper, any color

4 tbsp. Newman's Own Lighten Up! Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing (or another low-fat sesame ginger 

dressing) 

8 oz. cooked and shredded (or finely chopped) skinless lean chicken breast  (from a deli chicken)

4 tbsp. BBQ sauce  (I used Stubbs original flavor)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Spray the backside of a muffin tin with Pam. 

Evenly drape the wonton wrappers down the middle of the wells, making triangle-shaped "shells." 

(Use two pans, if needed, to keep wontons from overlapping.)

8 wonton wrappers

 Bake until just crispy enough to hold their shape, about 3 minutes.  

Remove pan from the oven, but leave oven on. Carefully remove wontons and gently open to form "taco 

shells." Set aside.  

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine coleslaw mix, cilantro, bell pepper, and dressing. Mix well. Cover and microwave 

for about 30 seconds, until slightly softened. Set aside.  

In another bowl, combine chicken with BBQ sauce; mix well and set aside.  

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute the BBQ chicken among the shells, followed 

by the slaw, about 1 tbsp. of each per shell. Lay the filled shells gently on their sides on the baking sheet.  

Spray the shells lightly with nonstick spray. Bake until warm and crunchy, about 5 minutes. Let cool 

slightly and then serve! 

Tacos ready for dinner.  Yum!

You could also skip the whole wonton-turned-into-taco-shell step and just make nachos with chips you have on hand.

Summer Salads Part 3

I've actually made this salad as a meal several times.  Any salad that includes bacon* deserves a repeat!  The recipe is another one from Ray-Ray and can be found here.

Grilled Chicken Club Salad with Guacamole Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices of smoky bacon
• 1 cup chopped chicken from rotissierre chicken
• 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ripe Hass avocado
• 1/4 small onion, chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• Juice of 2 lemons or limes
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (a palmful)
• Salt

PREPARATION

Cook bacon however you normally do.  I microwave for 1 minute/slice, give or take 30 seconds.

Combine the lettuce and tomatoes in a large bowl. Cut the avocado in half, pit it and spoon the flesh into a food processor bowl. Add the onion, garlic, lemon juice, jalapeño and cilantro to the avocado. Turn the processor on and add 1/3 cup of the EVOO in a thin stream; process until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

Chop the chicken into pieces and arrange on the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad, then scatter the bacon across the top.

*Have I mentioned I love bacon?  So much that I had to change the font to red each time it is mentioned!

Summer Salads Part 2

While I love the idea of eating salmon, I'm not a huge fan of it.  But, since Dr. Oz tells me it helps to ward off alzheimer's, I force myself to eat it every now and then.  This salad wasn't too bad, and my husband loved it.  The original recipe was one I found in Rachael Ray's "30-Minute Get Real Meals".

Added a pic just because...ha!

Smoked Salmon with Crushed Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette


6 eggs
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons EVOO
8 slices "good quality" smoked salmon (whatever that means....ha!)
1 bag spring lettuce mix
1/4 cup fresh herb of your choice (recipe=parsley, monica=cilantro)
1/2 English cucumber, diced (you know--the one wrapped in plastic in produce)
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped green olive or capers

Boil eggs (cover w/water, bring to boil, turn off heat, cover, let sit for 10 minutes, drain, peel, blah, blah, blah).

Make dressing by placing sliced tomatoes in bowl.  Add vinegar, EVOO, salt and pepper.  With a fork, crush tomatoes a bit.

Combine lettuce, fresh herb, cucumber, and olives in bowl.  Toss with crushed tomato dressing.

Place two slices salmon on plate.  Top with tossed salad.  Add a quartered boiled egg to top.  Enjoy!

Summer Salads Part 1

It's too hot to turn on my oven, so I've been making salads for dinner at least once a week.  I'll be posting a few of my favorites.  Part 1 is a version of Thai Steak Chili salad I found here.

what you need

6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (Just wait 'til you see what you do with this!)

1   beef sirloin steak (1 lb.), 1/2 inch thick (could also use chicken or fish)

1 pkg. (6 oz.) torn mixed salad greens1/2 cucumber, sliced

2 cups  fresh green beans, steamed in microwave for 2 minutes

1/4 cups sweet chili sauce

2 Tbsp.  rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. oil (1 each of sesame and olive oil)

1 tsp.  lime zest2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Unsalted Peanuts

make it

HEAT oven to 400°F.

CUT cream cheese into 8 slices; cut each slice diagonally in half. Place in single layer on parchment-covered baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake 10 min. or until golden brown. Set aside.

Season steak with salt and pepper.  Grill for 5 minutes on each side.  Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain.

Mix chili sauce, vinegar, oil, lime zest, and cilantro.  Toss greens, cucumber, and beans, and then chili dressing.  

Layer salad, cream cheese, peanuts,  and steak on plate.  Enjoy!

Week of April 24

Happy Easter All! I cook Sunday through Thursday so I'll post what we're having this week, starting with today!

Sunday: Well we went out for lunch, and we're too full for ham so we'll save that for another night. Tonight it's egg salad sandwiches with leftover Easter Eggs. We'll have leftover pasta salad from a bbq this weekend to go with it, but I really like the boxed Suddenly Salads if you don't happen to have leftovers from a BBQ. :)

Monday: Garlic & Lime Shrimp with Spanish Rice

Super easy, my husband's favorite.

1 1/4 lbs uncooked large shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp chopped garlic (used the minced in a jar in a pinch)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 to 2 tsp hot pepper sauce (tobasco)
1 tsp grated lime peel (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 package spanish rice (Iuse the Knorr brand b/c it's easy)

Combine shrimp, 2 tbsp lime juice, garlic & salt in a large bowl (huh? I think I've always forgotten the salt, whoopsie). Cover and marinate in fridge for 15 minutes (ok, I never really marinate, I just set aside while I cook the rice and make the sauce).

Blend sour cream, remaining 1 tsp lime juice and tobasco and lime peel, if you're using it, in a small bowl, set aside. Cook rice according to package directions.

Remove shrimp from marinate and saute in olive oil (about 4 minutes).

Serve shrimp over rice, with sour cream mixture (just as a dip on the side), and lime wedges and sprinkled with fresh cilantro if you wanna get fancy with it.

Tuesday: Ham & Mac & Cheese

I bought a "ham steak" to try out. There's just 2 adults and a 3 yr old and a baby in our family, so I didn't want to get a whole ham, but feel free...I am pairing it with the Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese (the one you actually bake) and frozen mixed veggies.

Wednesday: Baked Parmasan Chicken

Not to be confused with Chicken Parmasan. Line a roasting (or baking) pan with foil. Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper. Pour Casear salad dressing over chicken liberally and cover with parmasan cheese (used the shredded, not grated powdery stuff). I sometimes use Asiago instead. Keep in refridgerator for a few hours (yeah right, I skip this part, still turns out great). Preheat to 375, place chicken in oven and then reduce temp to 350 (not sure why, just what it says to do). Bake for 25 minutes. Good served with pasta and marinara or any sides and/or veggies really.

Thursday:

I will be leaving for Scottsdale, AZ for a spa weekend(!), but have left my husband Easy Beefy Cheesy Enchilada Casserole previously made & frozen for him to pop in the oven. Make this one when you have some time, then freeze it or put it in the fridge to bake later. It's a toughie to make this during the week with 2 kids, after work...trust me...

olive oil
onion
salt
tomato paste (2 tbsp)
3 cloves garlic
cumin
fresh thyme leaves
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
beef broth (a cup)
green bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
onion powder
taco seasoning packet
2 roma tomatoes
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack
18 (5 inch) corn tortillas

Sauce:

Saute 1/2 cup minced onion with some salt in olive oil. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste when onions are soft. Stir and cook till it deepens in color, then add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves. Stir to blend and cook until fragrant then add 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes and 3/4 cup beef broth. Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil then lower to a simmer and cover, for 20 min.

Beef Filling:

Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup finely choppped green bell pepper, 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper, pinch of salt. Saute till tender (about 5 min), add 2 cloves minced garlic, cook till tender (about 4 more min). Add 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves, packet taco seasoning, 2 roma tomatoes chopped, 1/4 cup beef broth, pinch of salt, grind or 2 of pepper. Cook until beef is cooked through.

To assemble:

Toss 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, 1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack together. Add 1 cup red sauce to a baking dish and spread to coat the bottom evenly. Top with 6 corn tortillas, overlapping when needed. Layer the dish by next adding 1/2 of the beef mixture, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheeses, spreading evenly. Dunk 6 tortillas in the red sauce (one by one) and layer over the cheeses and beef (overlapping where needed). Top with beef, another 1/2 cup of the cheeses, adn another layer of dunked tortillas. Pour rest of sauce on top, cover with rest of cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and sauce bubbles - 25 - 30 min.