1 bunch spinach
2 bacon slices
1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbl. water
1 egg, hard boiled, chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Serves; 4
* Wash spinach, remove stems and coarsely chop. * Cut bacon slices into 1/4 inch slices. * Fry bacon slices in a medium skillet until crispy. * Reduce heat. * CAREFULLY add vinegar, water and spinach. * Partially cover skillet and simmer until spinach wilts (about 45 seconds to 1 minute). * Remove from heat. * Add salt and pepper and sprinkle with chopped egg.
* In a large frying pan, cook sausage until almost done. * Drain fat. * Add onions and garlic and cook until onions become translucent and sausage is browned. * Add spinach and cook until spinach is thoroughly heated. * Add eggs. * Cook, stirring frequently, until eggs are done. * Add pepper and salt to taste.
1 lb. Polish sausage links
4 med. red potatoes, cooked and cooled
1 med. onion, sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced
1 Tbl. oil
* Cook the potatoes the night before. * Cut them into half inch slices. * Cut polish sausage into 1/2 inch slices. * Place oil in the bottom of a large skillet. * Add potatoes, onions and peppers. * Cook over medium to medium high heat until the potatoes begin to browned and the onions translucent. * Add the polish sausage slices and continue to cook until the polish sausages are heated and beginning to brown.
Serves; 4
Hint: For best browning of potatoes, do not stir then too frequently.
1/2 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled
1/4 lb. Louisiana hot link, diced
1 med. red bell pepper, seeded
1 jalapeno or 1/8 tesp. hot sauce
2/3 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 Tbl. olive oil
* Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. * Add chopped peppers, onion, garlic, celery, and diced sausage. * Cook until vegetables are almost tender. * Add wine and bring to a simmer. * Add shrimp and continue to simmer until shrimp are pink and tender. * Season with salt and pepper to taste. * Serve immediately over steamed white rice. * Add a crusty loaf of bread and a mixed green salad.
2 slices pound cake
1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen/defrosted
1 square semisweet chocolate
4 tesps. milk
2 tesps. powdered sugar
dash vanilla extract
1 tesp. cognac or brandy, optional
* Place pound cake slices on a single plate. * Sprinkle cognac over pound cake. * Cover with raspberries. * In a double boiler, place chocolate square, milk, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. * Over medium heat, melt chocolate and blend with other ingredients until it becomes a fully integrated sauce (3-5 minutes). * Pour over raspberries. * Serve immediately.
1 box macaroni and cheese
1 hot sausage
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tesp. thyme
* Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package instructions. * Cut hot sausage into small pieces. * Place sausage, onions, garlic, and thyme into a small frying pan. * Saut� over medium heat until onions are translucent. * Mix macaroni and cheese into sausage mixture.
2 - 8 ounce steaks
2 strips bacon, sliced 1/4" strips
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbl. brandy
2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup cream
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
* Cook steaks as you usually do. * While steaks are cooking, fry bacon strips until crisp. * Keep bacon grease in pan, but remove fried strips to a paper towel. * Add red onion and briefly saut�. * Carefully add brandy. * Add blue cheese. * Stir until cheese is melted. * Add cream. * Stir until fully blended. * Simmer until reduced by 1/3 or until desired thickness is obtained. * Add fried bacon strips, and season with salt and pepper. * Pour over cooked steaks.
10 broccoli floweret's
1/2 med. onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 sm. red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 sm. zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 sm. yellow squash, sliced 1/4" thick
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
* Heat olive oil in a skillet. * Add onion, zucchini, and yellow squash. * Saut� until onion is translucent. * Add broccoli and red bell pepper. * Saut� for 1 minute. * Add Worcestershire sauce. * Place a cover on the skillet. * Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. * Return to heat and saut� for 1 minute.
3 lbs. chicken
3 Tbls. mole sauce
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
12 corn tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
* Cook chicken by any method (I use a pressure cooker). * Skin cooked chicken and tear meat into small pieces. * Combine chicken and mole sauce in a bowl and mix with a fork or electric mixer gradually adding broth until chicken is shredded into uniform pieces. * Add onion and thoroughly mix. * Spoon 1/12th of mixture into a tortilla and roll into a cylinder. * Place rolled tortillas into a 9x13 baking pan. * Pour enchiladas sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. * Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. * When done, the cheese will be melded and sauce will be bubbling. * Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves; 6
NOTE: Mole is a mixture of spices and cocoa. If you can't find it, don't worry about it. Just leave it out.
1/3 lb. chorizo
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tesp. oregano
1 1/2 tesps. cumin
1/4 tesp. Tabasco sauce
12 oz. beer, or water
salt
* Soak beans over night. * In a heavy bottomed pot, saut� chorizo, onions, garlic, oregano and 1 teaspoon of cumin until chorizo is fully cooked. * Drain beans and add to pot. * Add Tabasco sauce and beer/water. * Add enough water to cover mixture plus 1/2 inch. * Bring to a boil and then reduce to a bare simmer. * Cook uncovered until beans are tender about 1-2 hours. * Take out about 1/3 of the bean mixture and mash. * Return mashed beans to pot and stir. * Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and salt to taste.
Serves; 6
NOTE: If you can't find chorizo, you can substitute a spicy uncooked sausage. It won't be quite the same, but that's life.
1 cup rice
1 cup water
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 tesp. butter
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
* Bring water, enchilada sauce and butter to a boil in a heavy bottom pot. * Add rice, onions and pepper. * Stir once. * Cover and simmer hard for 20 minutes. * Do not uncover pot or stir while simmering. * This will lead to sticky rice.
Serves; 6
NOTE: You can substitute liquid drained from salsa or spicy V-8 juice for enchilada sauce.
3 packed cups fresh basil, washed and dried
8 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tesps. pine nuts
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
* Place pine nuts in a shallow baking dish and broil until lightly toasted. * Be sure to watch the broiling process so that they do not burn. * Depending upon your broiler, this will take 5 to 10 minutes. * Place all ingredients into a food processor. * Blend until well chopped, but not liquefied.
2 pork chops, 1/2 to 3/4" thick
1 Tbl. pesto sauce
1 Tbl. butter
1/4 cup bread crumbs
* Rub pesto sauce into all side of pork chops. * Allow to sit for 2-4 hours. * Melt butter in a sauce pan. * Blend in bread crumbs. * Press bread crumb mixture onto the top and side of the chops. * In a preheated 425 degree oven, bake for 20-30 minutes. * You may need to cover with foil to prevent over browning of bread crumbs.
2 lg. russet potatoes
1/2 cup pesto sauce
3 Tbls. milk
2 Tbls. butter
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
* Wash potatoes and coat skins with oil. * Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. * Remove (take care and use oven mits - potatoes will be hot) a slice on the top of the potato. * Carefully scoop out potato meat retaining potato skins intact. * Mash removed potato meat. * Add pesto sauce, milk, butter, and cheese. * Stuff combination back into potato skins. * Return to a 350 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes (until they reach serving temperature).
* Separate crescent rolls into 2 sections of 4 triangles. * Roll out sections onto a baking pan. * Spread with pesto sauce and then ricotta cheese. * Roll into a long (jelly-roll). * Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until brown (15-20 minutes).
4 qts. tomatoes (about 24 large), peeled and chopped
3 lg. red peppers, seeded and chopped
4 lg. green peppers, seeded and chopped
4 med. serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
4 lg. onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic -- chopped
1 cup sugar
3 cups cider vinegar
2 Tbls. salt
1 tesp. ground cloves
2 tesps. ground ginger
1 1/2 tesps. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tesps. ground pepper
* Wash vegetables thoroughly before chopping. * Combine everything but spices in a heavy kettle. * Bring to a boil. * Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches the desired consistence (about 2 to 3 hours). * About 15 minutes before the sauce is done, add the spices. * Stir well. * Taste and add more spices to taste. * Carefully pour into hot, sterilized 1/2 pint or pint jars leaving 1/4 inch of head space in each jar. * Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.
4 lbs. chuck roast
salt
garlic powder
pepper
flour
3 Tbls. vegetable shortening
6 sm. red potatoes, peeled and halved
6 lg. carrots, peeled and halved
3 med. onions, peeled and halved
* Melt vegetable shortening in a covered roasting pan. * Rub salt, garlic powder and pepper onto roast. * Lightly flour all sides of the roast and pat in. * Add roast to pan and brown on all sides in a preheated 375 - 400 degree oven. (You may also brown the roast on top of the stove.) * When brown, add about 1 inch of water to the pan, cover, reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour. * Add potatoes, carrots and onions to pan. * Add more water so that there is 1 1/2 to inches in the bottom of the pan. * Return roast to oven.
"Go off to church. Return an hour later, and dinner will be ready except for the gravy."
* Carefully pour drippings into a saucepan. * Make a past of flour and water and add to the drippings. * Stir until thickened.
