Sunday, January 23, 2011

Chili

From my Taste of Home Cookbook

Serves 12
Cook Time: 15 min.
Crockpot Time:  4-5 hrs.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 t. minced garlic
2 16 oz. cans kidney beans, drained
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 14 oz. cans stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 c. water or even better: beef broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. chili powder
1 T. salt
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. dried basil
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 T. dried thyme
1 T. pepper
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried marjoram
shredded cheddar
fritos

In large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in everything else. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hrs. Discard bay leaves. Top with chips and cheese.

Maui Chicken and Rice

Serves 6
Prep. Time: 15 min.
Crockpot Time: 4-6 hrs.

6 chicken breast halves
2 T. oil
14 1/2 oz. can chicken broth
20 oz. can pineapple chunks
1/4 c. vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. minced garlic
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Brown chicken in oil. Transfer chicken to slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour oven chicken. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours. Serve over rice.

Bread Machine White Bread

Makes One Loaf

1 c. water + 1 T.
1 egg
1 1/2 T. vegetable oil
3 1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. active dry yeast

Put wet ingredients in and then top with dry ingredients. Hit dough setting and will probably take 1 1/2 hours. When done, knead a couple times and then put in greased bread pan in oven at 325 for 30 minutes.

To make WHEAT bread, use 2 c. wheat flour and 1 1/4 c. white flour.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Emeril's Jambalaya

Serves 4
Cook Time: 35 min.

2 chicken breast halves, cut into bite size cubes
1 T. Creole seasoning or Essence of Emeril or something
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green bell pepper
1/4 c. chopped celery
1 T. minced garlic
1 small tomato, chopped
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. hot sauce
3/4 c. rice, uncooked
3 c. chicken stock
5 oz. Andouille sausage, in bite sizes
salt, pepper, and more seasoning

In a bowl, combine chicken and seasoning and work it all in. In a large saucepan/skillet, heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper, and celery, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomato, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Stir in rice and slowly add stock. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and is tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes. Season to taste.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Zesty Penne, Sausage and Peppers

I found this in a Taste of Home magazine from a while back. It's also all over the internet.

Serves 4+
Cook Time: 25 min.

3 c. penne pasta, uncooked
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips, bite size
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips, bite size
1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 tsp. fennel seed
dash of crushed red pepper
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a large skillet. Add peppers and stir about 5 minutes. Stir in next 3 ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and mixed in well.

Drain pasta and add to sausage mixture. Stir it all together and serve with grated Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Pizza Bread

Serves 4
Prep. Time: 10 min.
Rise Time: 3 hrs.
Bake Time: 60 min.

24 frozen rolls
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 T. Italian seasoning
pepperoni and any other pizza toppings you like

Place 2/3 of frozen dough in a greased bundt pan. Combine cheeses and seasoning. Set aside 1/2 c. of cheese mixture. Sprinkle the rest over the dough in the pan. Scatter toppings over the cheese. Place remaining dough on top and sprinkle remaining cheese on top too. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until 1" from top of the pan, maybe 3 hours. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes (if top starts to get too dark, just cover with foil part way through baking). Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.

Sloppy Joes

Serves 6
Cook Time: 25 min.

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 T. minced garlic
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
14 oz. can tomato sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. seasoning
salt and pepper
6 hamburger buns

Preheat oven to 375. 

Brown the beef. Remove fat and add onion. Saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add red wine vinegar, cook 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, sugar, seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, warm the hamburger buns on a baking sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes. 

Serve 1/2 c. mixture on each bun to make 6 sandwiches. 

Sweet and Easy BBQ Sauce

Makes 3 1/2 c.

1 t. minced garlic
2 T. butter, melted
1 c. ketchup
1 c. water
3/4 c. chili sauce
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. salt
2 dashes hot sauce

Saute garlic in butter 4-5 minutes in medium saucepan. Add the rest and bring to a boil. You're done!

Great for Pulled Pork Sandwiches!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Serves 8
Cook Time: 6 hours in crockpot

1 pork shoulder
1 c. water
2 batches of Sweet and Easy BBQ Sauce or just a bottle of your favorite stuff
hamburger buns

Place pork and water in crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours. Then remove from crockpot and pull apart, removing the fatty parts if you like. Put the pulled pork back into the crockpot with 1 batch of BBQ sauce and cook on low for 1 more hour. Serve on hamburger buns and allow folks to drizzle even more BBQ sauce on top if they want.

White Chili

Serves 6
Cook Time: 6 hrs. in crockpot

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
(3) 16 oz. cans Great Northern beans
16 oz. jar hot salsa
8 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
2 c. chicken broth
4 c. frozen corn
2 T. minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Dump in crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with tortilla chips and more shredded pepper jack cheese. And with cornbread as a side.

Chicken with Smashed Potatoes

Serves 4+
Cook Time: 30 min.

1 1/2 lbs. baby red potatoes, quartered
1 T. olive oil
4 medium skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 t. salt, divided
1/4 t. black pepper, divided
5 oz. carrots, cut into 2" x 1/4" pieces
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 t. dried tarragon, crumbled
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
1 T. butter
(tarragon sprigs)

In 5 qt. Dutch oven, place potatoes with water to cover; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until tender, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in nonstick 12" skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken somewhere to keep warm (such as a plate and then cover with foil).

To that same skillet, add carrots, broth, cream and dried tarragon; cover and cook over medium-high heat until carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in peas.

Coarsely mash potatoes with  butter and remaining salt and pepper. Spoon potatoes onto platter; top with chicken and veggie mixture. Garnish with tarragon.

Supposedly something like 450 calories per serving and 40 g of protein for you prego peoples. To make it leaner, cut the cream and increase the broth by 1/4 c.