Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Onions

You need:

2 tsp of olive oil

4 boneless or boned pork lion or rib chops

3/4 tsp of black pepper

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp of packed brown sugar

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Sprinkle the chops with black pepper.  Cook chops in hot oil for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through.  Remove the chops from the skillet, cover and keep warm.

For the sauce, add the onions to the same skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until tender.  Push the onions aside and add the orange juice and brown sugar.  Cook and stir for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved.  Stir the onions into the sauce.  

Spoon the sauce over the chops and serve.

Onion Seasoned Potatoes

These were the easiest in the world to make and Shane loved them and wants to have them at least once a week.

You need:
4 medium potatoes cut into chunks
1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1/3 cup of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a casserole dish in tin foil for easy clean up.  In a mixing bowl, mix olive oil and dry soup mix.  Toss potatoes in mixture until coated and spread out into the casserole dish.  Cook for 35 minutes or until browned and tender.

Whole Wheat Banana Strawberry Muffins

These were great!  I never use wheat flour and I was worried that they would be dry and unsweet, but we are trying to eat less refined sugar and bleached flour.  They were so moist and perfect for breakfast or in place of cake for dessert.  

You need:

2 eggs

1/2 cup of apple (puree or finely chopped)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp of vanilla extract

3 bananas (mashed)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup strawberries (frozen and chopped)

Preheat the oven to 375 degress.  Line 24 regular or 12 large muffin cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and bananas.  Combine the flour and baking soda.  Stir into the banana mixture until moistened.  Stir in the strawberries until evenly distributed.  

Spoon batter into muffin cups until completely filled.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed lightly.  Cool before removing from the muffin tin.

I am linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

You will need
4 Bell Peppers
1 Onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup mustard
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Start the brown rice.  Cut the top of each bell pepper.  Dice the top of the peppers and add to a skillet with beef, garlic, and onions.  Cook until the meat is fully cooked and browned.  Drain the cooked meat and place in a mixing bowl.  Add the rice, ketchup, mustard, and beaten egg.  Spoon the mixture into the bell peppers and pack in tightly.  Add ketchup to the top of each stuffed pepper and place in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

I'm linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Mahi with Lemon and Tomato Sauce

You need:
4 Mahi fillets
1/2 stick of butter
2 gloves of garlic
Juice of 2 lemons
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped green onions
2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Wash and pat dry the fish.  Rub each side with olive oil.  Place the fish in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in oven.
In a sauce pan, melt butter, add garlic, onions, lemon, and tomato.  Stir until the tomatoes are tender and falling apart.  Add half to one teaspoon of cornstarch and stir until thickened.  It should be the consistency of gravy.
The fish needs to cook for about 20 minutes of until it flakes easy with a fork.  After plating the fish, spoon the lemon and tomato mixture over each fillet and enjoy.

Today I am linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace.

Puerto Rican Style Pork Shoulder

I decided to cook for Taft's Birthday Party this year.  I knew that we would do hot dogs for the kids, but I wanted something good for the adults.  Something that could be cooked in the house so that there was no grill by the pool.  It is enough to try to watch children in the pool and way too much to have to also remember to keep them away from a hot grill.
My friend, Yvette, makes the best pork that I have ever tasted.  So - I got the recipe from here.  There are no amounts or measurements since they just make it from memory and it is prepared to taste.  But here is basically what you need to do.

You need:
Pork Shoulder (ours were about 10 pounds each and we cooked 3)
White Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Garlic
Adobo (you can find it in the Hispanic food section at the grocery store and we got the one with the blue top)
Sazon (also in the Hispanic food section and it is the one that has coriander and annatto)
Gloves (the Sazon will turn you hands orange)
Tin Foil

The first thing that we did on Friday was to put the pork shoulder in a large disposable tin pan.  We then added vinegar and lemon juice to the container to put the pork in a brine.  We also poked lots of little holes the meat.  We then covered it with foil and put it in the fridge.  It needs to be in the brine for at least 4 hours.
On Saturday morning, I took it out and drained off the brine.  Then I put the following into a boil to make a paste:  garlic, Sazon, Adobo, and olive oil.  I cut large hole in the meat and stuffed them with the paste and then rubbed it into the meat all over.  I left the fat side up and covered again and put back in the fridge to marinate.
On Saturday night, I set the oven for 250 degrees and put the covered meat in to cook.  When I woke up on Sunday, it was done.
We then uncovered the meat and put it back into the oven on broil to crisp up the skin.  That makes some great homemade pork skins. We then pulled all the meat off the bones (and saved those for Shelby Dog).  You also take the juice that the meat cooked in and add more adobo, then pour some over the shredded meat. 
It is so good.  You can make it to eat as a sandwich or alone.  We had both options and most people thought that it was good enough that it needed no BBQ sauce.

Today I am linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Spaghetti

I love spaghetti.  My dad has made it for years and everyone that eats it, loves it.  I even remember picking it for my birthday dinner once when I was in high school.  My girl friends came over and had spaghetti and cake.  Mine isn't exactly like his, but it is pretty good.

You need:
2 pounds of ground beef, browned and drained
8 ounces of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 chopped bell peppers
2 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 cup of water
salt
pepper
Olive oil
2 packages of McCormick brand Thick and Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Mix


In a large sauce pain, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped onion, peppers, and the sliced mushrooms.  Saute over medium heat.  While the onions and mushrooms are cooking, I start the meat.  Just brown and scramble, salt and pepper to taste, and drain the oil.
Once the onions are clear, add one cup of water, the caned tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste, and sauce mix.  Add the drained meat.  Stir well, cover and let simmer.  It really is better the longer it simmers.  We let our cook at least one and half hours.
Serve over pasta.

Today I am linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed With Grace.

Chicken Broccoli Cheese Casserole

You Need:
1 whole chicken, boiled and deboned
1 box of chicken flavored stuffing mix
2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1 family size can of cream of mushroom soup
1 lb bag of frozen broccoli

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix the soup, mayo, and 1 cup of cheese together.  Set aside.
Cook the broccoli until tender.  Layer the chicken, stuffing mix, soup mixture, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.

I am linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed with Grace.net. 

Best Rotel Dip Ever

Almost everyone loves Rotel Dip.  It is one of the easiest party foods that you can make.  Especially if you make it in the crock pot.  We have a secret ingredient in ours - cream cheese!  It really does make a difference.

Here is what you need:

1 large block of Velvetta Cheese

1 8 oz package of Cream Cheese

2 cans of Rotel

1 pound of sausage

Start by cutting the Velvetta cheese into blocks and adding to the crock pot.  Do the same for the cream cheese.  Add the two cans of Rotel (you use hot and spicy ones if you like).  While that is starting to warm up, brown your sausage in a skillet and drain off the oil.  Add sausage to the cheese mixture.

Then just let it get hot and melted, stir occasionally,  and serve with chips.  Easy Peasy!

Today I am linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed With Grace.

Banana Bread

You Need:
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups self rising flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

This was so good.  I remember making some recipes for banana bread that were so hard to mix by hand.  This is not.  It is more like a cake batter.  I think we will be making this a lot more.

RECIPE 5:52 FOR 2012
BAKING 1:26 FOR 2012

Baked Potato Soup

Another great recipe from Pinterest.  The source is here.

You need:
6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 4 lbs)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 – 3 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3 T. parsley
1 (8 oz) sour cream
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled  - Optional and we didn't use
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large crock pot. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 8 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened. Stir in milk, cheese, sour cream and parsley.
Sprinkle with bacon and Cheddar cheese before serving.
Makes 12 cups of soup.

Completely yummy!

Garlic Salmon Fillets

This was VERY good.  I found a recipe in a magazine and altered it a bit.

You need:
6 4 oz salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick, thawed if frozen
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup snipped parsley
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Rinse salmon and pat dry.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix parsley, broth, olive oil, and garlic.
Place salmon, flat side down, in a glass baking dish.  Pour parsley mixture over salmon fillets.
Bake, uncovered for 8-10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. 

RECIPE 3:52 FOR 2012

Baked Chicken with Beans and Potatoes

I found a great recipe on Pinterest and couldn't wait to try it, but I didn't get all the ingredients.  So this is what we came up with instead.  It was very good.

You need:
Split Chicken Breasts (bone in)
Large can of Green Beans (we use Kentucky Wonders)
10-15 New Potatoes, quartered
Black pepper
Celery salt
Olive oil

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Drain beans and place in an oven safe baking dish. Place quartered potatoes and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl and toss.  Add celery salt and pepper to taste. 
Cut skin off chicken and place on cutting board.  Sprinkle each side with celery salt and pepper.  Place chicken on top of the beans.  Add potatoes.  Cover dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until chicken is down and juices run clear. Leave uncovered for the last 15 minutes to brown the chicken.

NEW RECIPE 2:52 FOR 2012.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

I found this recipe here via Pinterest.

This is WONDERFUL!!  I have to say that there is nothing low fat about it.  It is pure comfort food.  So good.

Cheesy Chicken  Spaghetti

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken fryer
1 - 12 oz package spaghetti noodles
1 - 16 oz (1 lb) package Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 - 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 - 14 oz can chicken broth or 2 cups reserved broth
1 - stick margarine (1/2 Cup)
1 - 8oz package shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
1 - small onion, chopped
3-4 celery ribs, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped

Fill a big stock pot with water. Clean and rinse whole fryer or chicken pieces. Add chicken, I like to add a little seasoning salt, pepper and poultry seasoning while the chicken cooks. Wash hands after handling chicken. Let chicken come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer chicken until done. Cook whole fryers about 2 hours and chicken breasts or pieces 45-50 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and place on a plate to cool. Drain the broth through a strainer and reserve. Cook the spaghetti per package directions. Instead of cooking the spaghetti in water, we are going to use the reserved chicken broth. ( I did the same.  I didn't have enough stock left over to make the noodles completely, so I added water to it)

Add spaghetti and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer noodles until al dente. While spaghetti noodles are cooking start de boning the chicken (make sure it is cool enough to handle) or break chicken breasts to smaller pieces. Chop up all the vegetables and set aside. Melt margarine in a small skillet and add the vegetables. Sauté’ vegetables until they are tender and translucent in color. When noodles are done drain and set aside.

If you are not using canned chicken broth, reserve 2 cups of the cooked broth. In a large bowl combine Velveeta cheese, chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. Place in microwave and cook on low for 5-7 minutes or until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted. (You can also use the defrost setting).

To the cheese mixture add cooked vegetables with butter, spaghetti noodles and chicken pieces. Stir to combine. Spray a 9x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and add combined mixture. Top finished casserole with 8oz of shredded cheddar cheese. Place casserole in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and casserole is bubbly. Remove from oven let cool and serve.

NEW RECIPE 1:52 FOR 2012

RECIPE #36 - BALSALMIC CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

This is another great Pinterest find!  This recipe comes from C+C Marriage Factory.  It is already on my favorites list!

Ingredients:
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (four 4 oz pieces)
2 cups mushrooms, small, halved
1/3 cup canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Directions:
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a nonstick skillet.

In a medium bowl, mix 2 tbsp vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat. Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Saute chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.

Heat remaining tsp of oil in the skillet. Saute mushrooms for one minute. Add broth, thyme, and remaining tbsp of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about two minutes longer.

Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

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RECIPE #35 - CREAMY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This was a very quick and easy weekend dinner for us.  Even Taft liked it since it was noodles.  ;0

I am happy to announce that you can now print off the recipes on this blog.  Well - you can print this one and future postings.  I will be working on getting the older recipes added too.  Just click the Print Recipe at the bottom and start cooking!



Ingredients:

2 cups cooked diced chicken

1 package Egg Noodles (cooked)
1 to 1.5 cans of Cream of Chicken condensed soup
1 can of Cream of Mushroom condensed soup
1/2 cup of milk
Shredded Cheese ( I used Sharp Cheddar)
1 can of Vege All mixed vegetables

Preheat oven 350. Put cooked egg noodles, cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup, mixed vegetables,  and milk into casserole dish and mix. Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Take out of oven. Sprinkle cheese on the top of casserole. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Print Recipe.

RECIPE #34 - HASSELBACK POTATOES

OK - I wanted to make these because they looked pretty.  But they taste great too.  Recipe is from Seasaltwithfood.

Ingredients:
6 Medium Size Potatoes
2 - 3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
30 g Butter
Maldon Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 220˚C (425˚F). Put the potato on a chopping board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, at about 3 to 4 mm intervals.
Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

RECIPE # 32 - TOMATO PIE



simplyrecipes.com

I got this recipe from an old school friend, Jason Crane.  He highly recommended it so I had to try it.  And - he was right.  It is yummy!

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie shell

1/2 yellow or red onion, chopped

3-4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield approximately 3 cups chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced basil

2 cups grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozzarella)

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of Frank's Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. If you are starting with a frozen crust, you'll need to cook it a little longer. If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then line the crust with aluminum foil and pre-bake it for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel. 

Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.

Be sure to check out the website at Simply Recipes for lots of versions of this pie.  There are many cheese combos that you can use.  I did a mixture of Colby, Sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack.  Next time I am planning on some Mozzarella.

RECIPE # 31- TACO STUFFED SHELLS

I must say that Pinterest is giving me WAY to much inspiration.  Not only are there crafts to do and just pretty things to look at, but there are lots and lots of yummy recipes just waiting for me to cook.  I found this one and it comes from a little blog called Pearls, Handcuffs, Happyhour.  I did a few minor changes to make it better for us, but it was great!

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 {14 oz.} pkg. cream cheese

12 large pasta shells

1 cup salsa

I cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 chp shredded monterrey jack cheese

1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed

3 green onions, chopped {we left these out}

1 cup sour cream

In a fry pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to season package. Add cream cheese cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool. While the meat is cooking cook the pasta shells.

Pour salsa in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with a little salsa.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top. Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream and chopped onions.  Our just about anything that you like with tacos.

**I am thinking that the next time we are just going with the Mexican Blend shredded cheese instead of buying two separate ones.

RECIPE # 29 - GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, browned and drained

1 medium chopped onion

1 can of diced tomatoes, drained (14 oz)

1 can of corn, drained (15 oz)

16 ounces diced frozen hash browns, thawed OR 3 to 4 cups sliced potatoes

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 small can of tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large skillet, brown ground beef, salt, pepper, and onion, drain.  Place beef mixture in the bottom of a glass casserole dish.  Layer the tomatoes, bell pepper, potatoes, and corn on top.  Spread the tomato sauce on top and place in oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Removed from oven and sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese.  Return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

An entire meal in a dish!