Chrissi's Recipe Blog

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-10-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2-3 cooked chicken breasts (Costco!)
3/4 cup homemade chicken stock
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup Chardonnay wine
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 yellow onion
2 carrots
1 large potato
1 japanese eggplant (peeled)
1 zucchini
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

Dice all of the veggies and chicken into small cubes.

Put all of the ingredients (except the diced zucchini) in a large pot and simmer on MED-HIGH until the potatoes are soft and the sauce comes together. Stir occasionally ... cooking process should take about 15 min.

Once the veggies are cooked and the chicken has broken down into the sauce, add the zucchini. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings.

Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and then add to the boiling pot, stirring rapidly till the sauce thickens.

Pour mixture into a large baking dish and cover with Pillsbury Cresent dough. Bake at 350 degrees until the dough is puffy and brown.

Italian Sunday Gravy In a Crock Pot

2008-11-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen ... it's a cross between pot roast and a hearty spaghetti sauce. Most sausage has enough seasoning to make extra salt unnecessary.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound hot Italian sausage
2 onions , chopped medium
12 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
3 pounds beef tri-tip or chuck roast
Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and cook until well browned and fat begins to render, about 8 minutes. You might have to cook the sausage in batches so that it has room in the pan to brown.

2. Cook onions in sausage fat over medium heat until well browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook until paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine or water and simmer, scraping browned bits from pan bottom with wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker insert and stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

3. Submerge meat in sauce in slow-cooker insert. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until meat is tender, 8 to 10 hours. (Alternatively, cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.)

4. About 30 minutes before serving, transfer sausages, and beef to baking sheet and set aside until cool enough to handle. Shred beef into small pieces, and slice sausages. Use wide spoon to skim fat off surface, then stir sausages and shredded meat back into sauce. Enjoy.

Pesto Bruschetta

2008-10-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 sourdough baguette (sliced into thin rounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 tomatoes (diced)
1 handful fresh basil leaves (chopped)
1 clove garlic (grated)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup store bought or homemade pesto

Directions:

Lay out the slices of bread on a baking tray. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven is hot, TURN IT OFF, and place the bread/baking tray in the warm oven for approximately 10 min. This process will dry out the bread.
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Mix grated garlic, chopped tomatoes, chopped basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
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Remove the dry bread pieces from the oven and brush (or spray) one side of the bread with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper over the bread and return to the oven. Re-heat oven to 350 degrees and cook the bread pieces until they are toasted. This process will take approx 2-4 minutes. Watch the oven closely as dry bread pieces will toast very quickly.

Remove toasted bread from the oven and spread a thin layer of pesto over the bread. Top bread with tomato mixture and serve.
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Ingredients For Homemade Pesto:

1 bunch fresh basil (approx 2 cups of leaves)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic (chopped)

Place garlic in a food processor and pulse till finely chopped. Add all remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth. Add extra olive oil or a tablespoon of water if the mixture is too thick. Leftover pesto freezes well.

Potato Macaroni Salad

2008-10-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

A must have at all hawaiian dinner parties : )

Ingredients:
2 cups elbow macaroni
3 russet potatoes
3 eggs (hard boiled)
1 cup celery (cut into a small dice)
1/2 small yellow onion (minced finely)
1/2 jar Best Foods mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Optional = 1/2 lb bacon, cooked till crisp and then crumbled on top of the salad

Directions:
Dice potatoes and boil till they are tender, set aside to cool. Boil macaroni and set aside to cool. Boil eggs till hard boiled stage and set aside to cool.

Combine chopped egg, cooked potatoes, cooked macaroni, diced celery, minced onion, salt, pepper and mayo. Use as much or little mayonnaise as you like. Some families add bacon and frozen peas (thawed) for color/texture

Poke

2008-10-01T13:57:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
1 pound ahi tuna
1/4 cup green onions (chopped)
1/8 cup sweet maui or vidalia onion (minced finely)
1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 hawaiian chili pepper, seeded and minced (use any hot pepper to taste)
roasted sesame seeds -- use as a garnish

Directions:
Cut your sashimi grade ahi tuna into bite sized chunks. Mix all other ingredients and serve cold.

Add 1/2 teaspoon kukui nut, fresh seaweed, and/or 1/2 teaspoon hawaiian salt as additional flavor components.

Haupia

2008-10-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is my Aunty Donnie's recipe for the hawaiian coconut milk dessert, haupia. It's a cross between almond jello (color/texture) and coconut pudding (flavor). At times I have substituted splenda for sugar and Lactaid for regular milk. While the mixture takes only minutes to cook it will require a few hours in the fridge to cool and set. Cut the haupia into squares and serve cold.

Ingredients:
3 cups coconut milk (2 cans/13.5 oz)
2 & 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Combine cornstarch, vanilla and regular milk in a bowl and stir until there are no lumps. Set aside. Combine the coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan and cook over med heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves.

Add the cornstarch/milk to the sugar/coconut in the saucepan and stir constantly. Cook everything together until the mixture starts to bubble and get thick. Pour into 9x13 baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture cool for a few hours (or overnight) in the fridge. I would let the mixture cool for 15 min on the counter before you put it into the fridge. Piping hot food should never go directly into the fridge.

Cut into squares and serve cold.

Meatloaf

2008-08-31T17:59:00.001-07:00

Ingredient:s

2 slices bread

3/4 cup milk or water

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 lbs. ground chuck

1 small yellow onion diced ( or ½ large onion diced)

Directions:

In a frying pan, stir fry the diced onion then let cool to room temp. Remove from pan to cool faster. Do not add immediately to cold meat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, soak the bread slices in the milk and mush around until broken up . Then add the eggs, garlic powder, pepper, salt, mustard, pepper, and ketchup and mix well. Gently stir in the ground chuck and mix just until combined.

Line a pyrex baking dish with aluminum foil. Form the meat into a loaf shape and place on foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees.

Hamburger Stroganoff

2008-07-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Super easy ... and super satisfying. This entree takes only 15min from start to finish. Serve over rice or boiled egg noodles.

Ingredients:
2lbs ground beef
1 yellow onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (crushed) OR 1 tsp dried garlic powder
2 cans of Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup sour cream (optional)
1/2 of a can of water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
Dice onions and crush your fresh garlic if you are using whole cloves vs. dried garlic. Stir fry your ground beef, onions and garlic in a hot skillet for 5-7 minutes or until fully cooked. Add the 2 cans of soup and 1/2 of a can of water to the skillet and mix well. After the soup is mixed in, add the sour cream and salt /pepper.

Serve over rice or boiled egg noodles. If you don't have the sour cream you can omit it, but it does make the sauce taste richer. The recipe can be doubled easily as leftovers freeze well.

Green Onions 365 days out of the year !!!

2008-07-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Smong buys green onions a few times a month, but is always bummed to find that they have wilted and turned all slimey after only a few days. Check out this cool tip from lunchinabox.net.

Cut the green onions and place the cuttings on a tray or plate in the freezer. Once the cut pieces are somewhat hard (10 min), transfer them to a water bottle and store the bottle in the freezer. As the pieces are all pretty much individually quick frozen you will be able to "shake out" the amount you need and still have more for later.

I'm soooo pleased with this tip. Saimin is not the same when it's missing the green onions : )

Tomato Beef Gravy

2008-06-10T04:34:00.000-07:00

My Popo always poured this sauce over pork chops or noodles so I'm not sure why it's called tomato "beef" gravy but here is the recipe. It's super easy and makes any plain meat taste yummy. My friend Terrina's family only makes the sauce to pour over noodles so they call it "ketchup noodle" sauce. Call it what you like ... it's easy to make and a great way to get veggies into your kids.

Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper
2 stalks of celery (optional)
1 large yellow onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 packets Splenda
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 or 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chicken base / beef boullion base (can use 1-2 cubes)

Directions:
Slice onions, celery and red bell peppers into thin slices, as if you were going to make fajitas. Heat a frying pan on high, add oil when the pan is hot, then add sliced onions. Cook the onions for a minute or so ... until they are translucent, then add celery and red bell peppers. Cook veggies for an additional minute.

Mix the remaining "sauce" ingredients in a bowl, then add mixture to veggies in the hot frying pan. Let the sauce bubble/boil, then taste for seasonings. You may have to add more ketchup, soy or pepper (all depends on your tastes).

Thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch (mixed with water to form a slurry) if the sauce is too "thin" and not the consistency that you like. The Smongs like our sauces thick, like a gravy, so we always use cornstarch in ours.

Optional = Cut a tomato into wedges and add it to the finished sauce at the end its cooking process. As a kid, I always avoided the tomato wedges as they got to be kinda soft after sitting in the hot gravy but again ... it's another way to try and get veggies into your kids : )

Enjoy!!

Mexican Chicken Stew

2008-04-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

8-10 chicken thighs (skinless & deboned)
1/3 cup corn starch
1 egg
2-3 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional - but it helps the chicken to "brown")
1 can enchilada sauce (8 oz)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white wine (substitute extra water if none)
2 tablespoons olive oil (use less if using a non-stick wok/dutch oven)

Remove bone and skin from chicken and chop into large 2 inch cubes/pieces. Place chicken, 2 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder, egg, soy sauce and corn starch in a bowl and mix well.

Heat a large wok or non-stick soup pot on high and add olive oil. When pan is heated, add the bowl of chicken (including the marinade). Spread the chicken out evenly across the bottom of your hot pan and leave it to "fry" or form a brown coating. Yes the chicken will look like it's sticking together in one mass.

Once the chicken "mass" has browned on one side, divide it in half or large pieces with a spatula and flip the "mass" over to brown on the other side. Once the chicken has "somewhat" browned on both sides, add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Mix the chicken and wine, and break apart the mass. Not all of the chicken will be fully browned or cooked through, this is OK ... you just want most of it browned to make the sauce taste good.

Add the water and can of enchilada sauce to the pan and mix well.

Cover the pan (but leave it slightly ajar to vent) and turn the stew on med or low and allow it to simmer for 30 - 45 min (stir occasionally). Taste the sauce and add the remaining teaspoon of salt if necessary.

The stew will thicken and look like chile colorado (except it's made with chicken and a less spicy red sauce).

Serve with spanish rice or in tortillas.

Broccoli Casserole

2008-03-12T01:24:00.000-07:00

Homey creations made with Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup are a big hit with guests at the Smong house. Per request from my friend Renee here is the recipe.
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3-4 bunches fresh broccoli tops
1 can of Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream cheese (or approx. 1/2 block)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Microwave the cream cheese until it's soft. Mix with mushroom soup and mayonnaise. Cut the broccoli into 2 inch florets. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and lay out the broccoli florets in the pan. Spread the soup/cheese/mayo mixture over the broccoli then cover with breadcrumbs and salt. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees.

5 Min Cous Cous

2008-03-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

1 tomato (seeded and diced)
2 carrots (grated)
1 cup cous cous
1 + 3/4 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Microwave 1 + 3/4 cups water in a large bowl for 2-3 min / until the water is boiling hot. Pour dried cous cous into the hot water, stir to coat each grain, then cover the bowl with a plate or cutting board. Let sit for 3 min then mix (fluff) with a fork.

Cut tomato in half, dig out the seeds, then dice. Peel then grate 2 carrots. Add veggies, salt, pepper, olive oil and butter to the fluffed cous cous and serve.

Easy Shrimp Pomodoro

2008-02-22T19:53:00.001-08:00

1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 cups cooked pasta (any shape)
2 tomatoes (diced)
1 clove garlic (grated)
2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Boil pasta then set aside.

Heat a large/dry saucepan on high heat. Place butter in the pan and cook for 30 seconds - 1 minute ... essentially until the butter foams and bubbles. Add garlic, salt, & pepper to the pan and cook for an additional minute. Add shrimp to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and wine to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down. Add the cooked pasta and chopped basil to the pan and cook until the pasta is heated through and coated with sauce.

Total cooking time is under 15 minutes. The dish should be served immediately after cooking.

These Meatballs are to die for !!!!

2008-01-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

Grandma Maronis Meatballs 100 Year Old Recipe - From Mike Maroni

1 pound ground chuck
4 oz dried bread crumbs
4 large eggs
4 oz whole milk (I omitted this ingredient)
6 oz grated Romano (I used 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan)
3 oz grated Spanish onion (I used 1/2 of a yellow onion)
2 oz finely diced fresh garlic (I used 4 cloves)
2 oz finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (I used 1.5 tablespoons dried)
2 oz finely chopped fresh basil leaves (I omitted this ingredient)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.
Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Maroni Sauce - From Mike Maroni

6 ounces good olive oil, not extra-virgin
12 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 large or 2 medium Spanish onions, finely diced
2 (28-ounce) cans imported crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
1 large handful julienned fresh basil leaves

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil.
Once heated add the finely sliced garlic and onions to the pan.
Cook over medium heat until soft and slightly brown.
Next add the canned crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the julienned basil.

2007-12-03T18:05:00.002-08:00

Hawaiian Chili

2007-12-03T18:05:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground chuck/hamburger meat
1+1/2 large yellow onions(diced fine)
4 cloves garlic (minced fine)
3 (8 oz) cans of tomato sauce
1 (8 oz) can/cup water
5 tablespoons chili powder (McCormick or Safeway brand)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup frozen white corn

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan/dutch oven. Saute onions and garlic until they are golden brown. Add ground beef and saute until browned. Add chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to the meat mixture and saute for an additional minute.

Add 3 cans of tomato sauce, 1 can of water, corn and sugar. Simmer on med/low for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Add more salt/pepper/chili powder as needed.

* Optional: Add 1 can of red kidney beans (drain and rinse)

** Note: Hawaiian chili is not peppery hot and the chili powder I am recommending is very mild. You can add cayenne pepper to increase the heat of the dish if you want a spicy chili.

Cheesecake TIP

2007-11-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

If you like to make cheesecake but don't have time to let the blocks of cream cheese sit out on the counter and come to room temperature I suggest this tip. Remove the cream cheese from the foil package and place the blocks in a Ziploc baggie. Seal the bag and "smoosh" the blocks around. The warm heat from your hands will bring the cream cheese up to room temp and allow for easy incorporation of the remaining ingredients.

Cous Cous in 5 minutes

2007-11-29T15:35:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

1 cup boiling water
1 cup whole wheat cous cous
10 radishes (chopped fine)
1/8 cup chopped green onion (1 large stalk chopped fine)
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon (or 1 cube) chicken boullion

Directions:

Bring 1 cup water to a boil and add the chicken boullion. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the dried cous cous. Cover the pan and let the cous cous sit for 5 minutes (do not remove the lid). After 5 minutes, stir the cous cous to "fluff", then stir in the diced radish, green onion and capers. Season with salt/pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers are fantastic.

** Radishes might seem like an odd ingredient but they add a nice "crunch" and flavor to the dish.

Garlic Fried Rice

2007-11-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups leftover (cooked) brown rice
4-5 cloves crushed garlic (use a garlic press or a grater to get tiny pieces)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds (toasted) = optional
1/4 cup frozen peas (defrosted) = optional

Directions:

"Fluff" or break apart the mass of leftover cold rice and place in a bowl.

Heat a nonstick frying pan or wok and pour in the olive oil. Once the olive oil is heated through, add the crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Stir vigorously so that the garlic doesn't burn. (If it does, toss it and start again). Once the garlic is browned, add rice and stir fry everything together until the rice is hot. Add slivered almonds or peas to "fancy" up the dish.

** If you are planning to use freshly cooked rice in this dish, you need to cool the rice before you stir fry it. Placing the hot rice on a large baking tray to cool down for 10 minutes and then do the stir fry. Fresh rice will "clump" in the stir fry.

Food tip of the day ...

2007-10-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

If you make chili, sloppy joes or taco filling from scratch, try grating a few zucchini's and adding the pulp to your dish. The zucchini cooks down to almost nothing and adds a nice dose of (undetectable) fiber and vitamins to your food. The flavor is mild and does not alter the overall appeal to the dish. I added 3 grated zucchini's to a pot of chili that I made this week and you really couldn't tell that it was in there. The green specks in the food look like herbs. If you don't want the green flecks you can always peel the skin and then grate the veggie. You will lose nutrients by omitting the skin but something is always better than nothing.

Also my mom made Eggplant Parmesan with long slices of zucchini (instead of eggplant) and it was super good. Just another way to add veggies to a carnivore's diet.

Note, if you buy a block of extra firm tofu and grate it, the "strings" make a nice addition to stir fry dishes. The strings soak up the flavor from the pan.

Low Fat Mini Cheesecakes

2007-10-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a yummy cheesecake receipe made from splenda and a tofu based cream cheese spread. The dessert is low carb, low fat and easy to make. Prep time is 10 minutes. Cooking time is about the same.

INGREDIENTS:

2 (8 oz.) containers of Tofutti "Better Than Cream Cheese" spread
2 eggs
1/2 cup Splenda **OR** granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 foil cupcake liners
12 Nilla Wafer Cookies (omit if you want the dessert to be sugar-free)

DIRECTIONS:

Place cream cheese spread in a bowl and mix well, until there are no lumps. Add the eggs, vanilla and Splenda (or sugar). Mix well.

Place the foil cupcake liners on a baking sheet (remove the paper liner) and then lay 1 Nilla Wafer cookie inside each liner. Spoon 1/8 - 1/4 cup of cheesecake mix into each foil cup. Fill the cups as high as you like (the mix won't spill over as it cooks).

Bake the cheesecakes at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool then top with your favorite fruit pie filling or fresh berries (mixed with lemon juice).

** I've served this dessert at two dinner parties and both times, the guests never knew that they were eating a tofu based product. The cheesecake flavor and texture is spot on. **

Pasta Pomodoro Sauce `ala Rob

2007-10-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4-6 large beefsteak tomatoes (or 10 romas)
1 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Score tomatoes with an X on the bottom, place in a large pot of boiling water to blanch. Par boil for 1 minute (turn over occasionally in the water) then remove from pot and rinse. Let tomatoes cool then peel skin and dice.

Heat a large skillet. Place olive oil in skillet and heat for 15 seconds. Add diced onion and crushed garlic. Sweat the onion and garlic until they barely start to brown. Add tomatoes, salt and both peppers. Lower the heat and cook for 7-10 minutes. Add the basil towards the end of your cooking process.

Serve over pasta, grilled fish or chicken.

Garlic Beef Cabbage Rolls

2007-08-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Great as an appetizer or main dish. Very diabetic (or Atkins) friendly meal.

Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large head red cabbage
1 zucchini (grated)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons flour
toothpicks
water (for boiling cabbage)

Directions:
Remove core from the head of cabbage then pry off the leaves, trying to keep them whole/untorn if possible. You can cut the head in half and then pry apart the leaves if it's too hard to core the cabbage head. The goal is to get boats or cups to place the meat mixture into.

Boil the cabbage cups for 2 minutes until the leaves are wilted. Drain and cool.

Grate zucchini and mix with salt, pepper, soy and flour. Heat a nonstick pan on high. Brown ground beef and crushed garlic. Add zucchini mix and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spoon the garlic beef mixture into a cabbage cup and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.

Not all of the cabbage cups will be easy to roll. Cut the middle rib of the cabbage leaf out if it makes it easier to roll.

You can substitute raw lettuce leaves for the cooked cabbage.

Strawberries & Cream

2007-07-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Tastes just like homemade strawberry ice cream.

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen/sliced strawberries
3/4 cup fat free half & half (coffee creamer)
4 teaspoons sugar or 4 Splenda packets

Directions:
Mix the cream and sugar. Spoon the sweetened cream over the frozen berries. The cream will freeze when it hits the berries making a thin coating of ice cream-like ice on the outside. Serve immediately.

** Don't defrost the berries, serve frozen.

Crack Pot Roast

2007-07-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's so easy to make and tastes so good, I call it "crack" pot roast

Ingredients:
4-5 lb beef chuck roast
3 carrots (peeled then cut into 3 large chunks)
2 potatoes (peeled then cut in half)
1 large onion (peeled then cut into 4 large chunks)
2 zucchini (cut off ends then cut in half)
2 packages Lipton Onion Soup Mix (dry seasoning packet)
1 cup water

Directions:
Pour water and 1 onion soup packet into the crock pot. Wash the roast and then place it into the crock pot. Place all of the veggies on top of the meat and sprinkle the second packet over the top of the meat and veggies. Put the lid on and walk away for 5-6 hours. If you are home during the cooking process, then remove the veggies from the pot after 3 hours, so that they don't get too over cooked or mushy. If not then it's OK ... as Rob and Uncle John say ... "it all goes down the same".

** Food Network tip = place cold items into a cold crock pot, place warm items into a heated crock pot !! (Apparently, if you do the opposite and merge hot items and a cold pot then you are inviting salmonella into your dish.)

Chickastrone Soup

2007-06-12T23:20:00.000-07:00

Rob was sick so I attempted to make him Chicken Noodle Soup … long story short, I added tomatoes to the broth which turned the yellow soup, a funny shade of red. After I had my little cry, I decided to add more veggies and call the soup Minnestrone. The soup turned out yummy and hearty. I play with the addition of new veggies and fresh herbs if I have them on hand. This soup freezes well, is great as a leftover and works well at dinner parties. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 box chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
6 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts (skinless) - OPTIONAL
2 carrots – diced
3 zucchinis - diced
½ yellow onion - diced
4 cloves garlic - minced
½ cup frozen white corn
1 cup frozen spinach (I don’t defrost the spinach before I measure it out)
1 can diced tomatoes (8oz)
1 cup dried pasta (any kind)
Add whatever other veggies you have (mushrooms, celery, parsnips, etc)

Seasonings:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried Italian Herbs (mix of oregano/basil/parsely)
½ tsp dried celery seed
3-4 cups water

Directions:
Bring chicken broth and 3 of the 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized stock pot. Add chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to med/low. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to the pot and add all of the remaining ingredients. Simmer the soup for at least 1 hour. I simmer for 2 hours or longer -- until the chicken falls apart into shreds, and the pasta breaks apart into little bits. I like it when the veggies are small and not chunky. If you prefer a chunkier soup, perhaps if you are serving it at a dinner party, then simmer for less time. Add the 4^th cup of water if the soup gets too thick as it simmers.

White Bean Chili with Sausage

2007-06-12T23:19:00.001-07:00

Once you do all of your chopping, this dish is really "dinner in a flash".

Ingredients:
4 Italian Sausages, chopped or crumbled (depending on the kind you buy)
1 can white cannellini beans - drained
1 red bell pepper - large dice
3/4 cup frozen white corn
3/4 yellow onion - large dice
3 garlic cloves - minced
2 jalepeno peppers - seeded and minced
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (use 1 teaspoon if using regular table salt)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Heat a medium size pot or dutch oven then add olive oil, salt, pepper, and onion. Saute till onions are translucent then add garlic and sausage. Saute sausage till brown then add all of the other remaining ingredients. Cook on HIGH until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to MED-LOW, cover the pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

**Trader Joes sells a pre-cooked Italian Sausage with fennel seeds. The fennel flavor is a nice compliment to the other ingredients.

Bruschetta Pasta Salad

2007-06-12T23:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4 cups dried pasta (rigatoni, penne, farfalle, etc.)
3 tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped)
1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (roughly chopped)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder (for pasta water)
2 tablespoons salt (for pasta water)
1 tablespoon dried italian herbs (oregano, basil, or a mix of both)
additional salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
Place a pot of water on high and add garlic powder, dried italian herbs and salt. Once the water comes to a boil add the pasta and boil till the pasta is "al dente" (approx 8-10 minutes). Drain all of the water from the pasta (don't rinse) and place in a bowl to cool. Chop fresh basil and tomatoes then add to pasta bowl. Toss in all remaining ingredients. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

Note, if your sundried tomatoes come packed in olive oil then you can use the oil from the tomato jar, instead of fresh olive oil.

Spoonbread (Cornbread Casserole)

2007-06-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe is perfect as a side dish for dinner or brunch.

INGREDIENTS:
1 can creamed corn (17 0z)
3/4 can whole kernal corn (11 0z)
1 box corn muffin mix (8.5 oz)
8 oz sour cream
2 eggs (beaten)
1 stick of butter/margerine (melted)

DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter and mix with wet ingredients (corn, sour cream, eggs)
Combine the box of muffin mix with the wet batter, then pour into a greased baking dish
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

** Dairy does crazy things to the digestive tracks of my family. I often substitute, IMO (non-dairy sour cream) for the regular sour cream that is called for in this recipe. You can't tell the difference.

Pork Adobo

2007-06-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

Yummy yummy for your tummy !!! This recipe is Uncle Rob's favorite dish so it's only fitting that it is the first recipe posted to the site. Prep time for this dish is about 5-10 minutes, doesn't get easier than this : )

Ingredients:
3 lbs pork shoulder or butt
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce
3 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt (kosher)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Cut pork into large cubes/chunks. Place flour, ground pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add pork cubes to the bowl and toss to coat evenly.

Heat a large frying pan or dutch oven on HIGH. Add oil to the pan and gently add the pork cubes. Sear the pork cubes on all sides and then add all remaining ingredients (garlic, liquids, bay leaves). Bring the sauce to a boil, then allow stew to simmer on LOW for about thirty minutes (cover pot with a lid). Stir occasionally. Remove lid after 20 minutes and the sauce will thicken. Serve over rice