Berry Cobbler

Nope, don't have pic. But the recipe and a photo are at The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I used blueberries instead of blackberries and I overbaked it slightly. But it was still yummy. Next time, I'm going to try 3/4 of a stick of butter. One stick was just a little too much.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Another Tasty Tuesday recipe for Angie's challenge

This is the recipe exactly as it was given to me. I haven't made it, but I did taste it and it was yummy! The hostess substituted roasted pine nuts for the almonds and it was delish!

a bunch torn spinach (or one bag of baby spinach)
1 basket strawberries - large slices
1/3 C toasted, slivered almonds

Dressing:
1/2 C sugar
2 T sesame seeds
1 T poppy seeds
1 1/2 t minced onion
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t paprika
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 C apple cider vinegar

Combine spinach, strawberries & almonds. Mix dressing together and toss with salad. Yummy!!!

Swiss chard

There was a request for swiss chard recipes and I was planning on posting one for Angie's Tasty Tuesdays, but I misplaced the recipe, sorry. So instead, I'll just tell you how we've been cooking it at home.

We always separate the stems and leaves since the stems take longer to cook. Sometimes we just stir fry them with lots of garlic (start with the stems, then add the leaves).
The last time I make chicken soup, I chopped the stems like I would celery and added it to the soup. A fried up the leaves with a bit of oil and lots of garlic. We were going to have it as a side dish, but ended up adding it as a topping to the soup. Oh, so yummy!
Since I have a million cookbooks (I love cookbooks), I'll have to look up some recipes later.

Here's A's mom's version. Very tasty, but not too healthy.

Ingredients
Swiss chard (we've always used the white stemmed version)
egg
bread crumbs (I like Panko flakes, A likes Italian seasoned bread crumbs)
oil

Directions
1. Separate leaves from stems.
2. Parboil stems.
3. Dip stems into egg, then bread crumbs.
4. Pan fry in oil till golden brown.
5. Cook leaves as you would any leafy vegetable (we usually stir fry). A's mom would cook the leaves with tomatoes, kinda like stewing them.

Say goodbye to the crockpot

It lived a long, productive life. But the last time I set it up, I didn't notice that it wasn't getting hot (I usually set it up right before I leave for work). Luckily, A came home for an early lunch and noticed. For all you food safety experts, yes, it was probably a bit outside the safe zone, but A said that everything was still really cold and he brought everything to a boil on the stove when he cooked it. Plus this was several days ago and we're still alive with no ill after effects.

I have no idea when we're going to get another one. I'd like one with a timer, 6 qts, glass top, compact, easy to clean, and not too expensive. Guess I better start looking. Or maybe I should get a smaller one so we don't have so many leftovers.

Oven Hash Browns

Another Tasty Tuesday (even though I'm posting on Monday, lol)

Ingredients
7-8 potatoes
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp paprika (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions
1. Peel and cube potatoes. Pieces should not be any larger than 1x1x2 (okay, that's not exactly a cube, but you get the idea). If potato pieces are larger, increase baking time.
2. Combine all the ingredients, except potatoes, in a large bowl.
3. Add the potatoes and coat evenly.
4. Place potatoes in an even layer in a large Pampered Chef bar pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees or until the potatoes are done.

Cook's notes:
This is a great way to use up extra potatoes. I like this better without the paprika, but A likes it with.

Also, I do wish these would get a little crispier, since that's how I like my hash browns. But still, this is pretty darn easy and frees up a pan on the stove. Any suggestions for making these crispier would be welcome.

Celery casserole

In honor of Angie's Tasty Tuesday recipes, here a new one.

I had way too much celery in the vegetable bin (somehow I bought two) so I made up this variation of the classic green bean casserole.

Ingredients
4 cups sliced celery
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1/4 red pepper, finely chopped
1 can French's onions

Directions
1. Saute the celery in the butter for five minutes or so (longer if you don't want the celery to be crunchy after baking).
2. Remove the celery and add the flour all at once (or, if you're lazy like me, move the celery off to the side of the pan and add the flour). Stir to incorporate flour.
3. Gradually stir in the milk. Make sure the roux (flour-butter mixture) dissolves.
4. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper, then remove from heat.
5. Add 1/3 of the French's onions.
6. Pour into a medium sized baking dish. I used a 1 quart oval Corningware baking dish. An 9x9 dish would probably also work.
7. Sprinkle 1/3 of the French's onions on top (you could probably use half in step 6 and half here, but I wanted to save some to top tomorrow night's salad).
8. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
If the top starts to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.

Pigs ears

Yum or yuck? Huell Houser, a reporter/all around nosey guy/Tennessee escapee on PBS, did a recent segment on pigs ears. He's done different series about California's parks, environment, and hidden treasures. I'm not sure pigs ears are a hidden treasure, but it is just the kind of quirky thing Huell would do a show on. It was pretty amusing to see people's reactions, especially Huell's, to the different forms of pigs ears. You can have them pickled, fried, and braised. I remember seeing pigs ears at the delis in Taiwan, along with pigs feet, pigs snout, and pigs tails. Obviously, nothing was going to waste. And I know you can buy pigs feet and the pigs head at the local Chinese deli, if you have a hankering for them.

If you want to see it yourself, you can purchase the video or DVD here (scroll down to the bottom).

Pork with Mushroom Gravy

This is a variation of one of my mom's standbys. Actually, I have two variations--same ingredients, different cooking methods. Ingredient amounts are vague because that's how I cook--I use what's on hand/on sale.

Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced
approx. 3 lbs pork (I've used pork chops, pork cutlets, country style pork ribs)
1 to 1 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Dash of wine (optional)
Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste

Directions, Version 1
1. Brown pork in large skillet (need not cook through, you're browning for flavor). Remove from skillet and set aside temporarily.
2. Brown onion in same skillet.
3. Deglaze skillet with wine or water.
4. Add pork back to skillet, along with the mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup.
5. Add a bit of water (I usually fill the can about 1/4 full) to the can of soup to get the last bit and add that to the skillet.
6. Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder and pepper.
7. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms and pork are cooked.
8. Salt/pepper to taste.
Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 6, depending on how much meat you started with.

Directions, Version 2
1. Place onion, pork, and mushrooms in crockpot.
2. Add cream of mushroom soup.
3. Add the wine or some water (I usually fill the can about 1/4 full) to the can of soup to get the last bit and add that to the crockpot.
3. Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder and pepper.
4. Cook on high for 5-6 hours.
5. Salt/pepper to taste.
Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 6, depending on how much meat you started with.
This version is more liquidy and the meat falls off the bone from cooking so long. I actually prefer the first version, but this version is good for weekdays.

Exploding Chili

That's what we had for dinner tonight. It started with a pound and a half of dried red beans, a huge onion, and a pound and a half of ground beef. Actually, it started with a can of beans I was going to put into a casserole, but decided they were too spicy. So since I already opened the can, I had to use it right away. Hence the chili.

The beans, onion, and beef filled my four quart stockpot so I moved to my eight quart stockpot. Added canned tomatoes, canned beans, and lots of spices. Filled the pot to within a couple inches of the rim. A calls this method of cooking, "Exploding Whatever" since I do this all the time to soups, stews, chili, etc. Good thing I stopped at the 8 quart pot. If I get desperate, I can always use my 16 quart stockpot, lol.

I oversalted the chili (something I rarely do) and tried the add-a-potato-to-absorb-the-extra-salt trick. It worked! I remember trying it before and it didn't.

Anyway, I don't really have a recipe for this, but here's the basics.

Cook dried beans (way cheaper than using canned, plus you can avoid the extra sodium)
Chop onion and brown with ground beef.
Add to cooked beans.
Add a couple of chopped carrots (for color and sneaking in a bit more veggies)
Add a can or two or three of diced tomatoes
Season with cumin, chili powder, lots of garlic (prefer fresh, but can use powdered), fresh ground pepper, a dash of soy sauce, and a bit of salt.
Simmer for an hour or longer to blend flavors.

I added canned beans to today's chili because it ended up being too spicy in addition to being too salty.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken, my version

I made my variation of this tonight. As usual, I made a few changes. Here's my version.

Ingredients
6-7 slices white bread
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ½ ounces)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Fresh ground pepper
4 pounds chicken thighs (approx. 9 small)

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Remove crusts. Using a food processor or hand blender (which is messy), turn the bread into bread crumbs.

3. Stir together buttermilk, hot pepper flakes, thyme, and fresh ground pepper. Add chicken and coat all sides. I "marinated" the chicken for a few hours, which I think makes the chicken more tender.

4. Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.

5. Remove a piece of chicken and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. (I find it easiest to first coat the skin side, then the other side.) Place coated chicken pieces in a 10x15 rimmed baking sheet. If possible, leave space between pieces so they crisp better.

6. Bake until chicken is golden brown, about 35 minutes. If you use chicken quarters or the pan is crowded, it could take more like 50 minutes to cook through.



Cook's notes:
I experimented tonight and added chicken hearts and gizzards about halfway through (you can see them in the middle of the pan in the photo above. I don't recommend gizzards. Too chewy. I think I'll try chicken livers next time. (Hope I'm not grossing you out, lol.)

I've always used my Pampered Chef stoneware pan. If you use a regular baking pan, you'll probably need to grease the pan first.

Zucchini Egg Squares

Notes: I was looking for something to take to Easter dinner and came up with this. My mom used to make something like this all the time, but she added ground meat (pork, beef, or Italian sausage) in the first step. I don't think she added cheese and definitely didn't have the topping. You can use any summer squash or add mushrooms for a slightly different flavor. Adjust spices to taste.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 pounds of zucchini, shredded
5 large eggs
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (divided)
2 cups fresh bread crumbs (divided)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil

Directions
1. Saute onion in butter until translucent. (I used a 5 qt saute pan so I'd have enough room for the zucchini in step 2.)
2. Add zucchini and cook for several minutes until the zucchini starts to change color. Try to cook off most of the liquid that the zucchini gives off. Remove from heat.
3. Beat the eggs and add to the zucchini.
4. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs, and spices. Mix well.
5. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour in zucchini-egg mixture.
6. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
7. Mix together 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese and 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs for topping.
8. Raise temperature to 400 degrees. Remove pan from oven. Add topping.
9. Bake for 10 minutes more.
Casserole is done when edges are lightly browned and a knife inserted comes out clean. Cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

I made a variation of this recipe last night. I made several changes, like we didn't have any hot sauce so I used southwest seasoning instead, plus I eliminated the thyme. Oh, and I didn't add any salt because I figured the cheese and breadcrumbs had enough sodium. It took longer than 35 minutes for the thighs to cook (more like 50 minutes, but maybe because I overcrowded the pan). But all in all, I'd recommend this. I baked it on my PC (Pampered Chef) bar pan and it browned really nicely and didn't stick at all. I'll need to try this dish again a few times before I come up with my own variation of the recipe and publish it here.

Japanese Steak Sauce

AKA Japanese Shrimp Sauce. There's a whole website about this elusive sauce. How is it that there are so many fans of this sauce, yet I can't remember ever tasting this? I've eaten at formal and informal Japanese restaurants both here in the US (and in several states) and in Asia. I've had homemade Japanese meals. I've never seen this sauce. Maybe I'm just not ordering the right food?

Now, if you can find me a recipe for Dynamite (a baked seafood dish in a mayonnaise sauce, sort of like an au gratin), I'd be forever grateful. Hey, I wonder if I could use the white sauce and bake with that? Hmmmmm.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is an easy way to use up leftover chicken. I usually try to cook some extra chicken whenever I'm baking or boiling chicken to make salads, quesadillas, or casseroles like this.

My version is a variation of this recipe.

Ingredients
2 to 3 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 can chicken broth (1 1/2 cups)
4-5 carrots, choppped
1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen green peas or any frozen mixed veggies
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups baking mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
dried parsley, optional
paprika, optional

Directions
1. In a saucepan bring chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, and carrots to a boil. (If using all frozen veggies, add in step 2 instead.)
2. Add frozen veggies and pepper to soup mix; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine biscuit mix, milk, garlic powder, and parsley (mixture will be thin). If you don't like a lot of garlic, leave this out or decrease the amount. The garlic aroma is stronger during the baking than the taste when you eat this dish.
4. Pour hot chicken mixture into 9x13 greased oven proof dish.
5. Immediately spoon biscuit mixture evenly over the top of chicken mixture. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.
6. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Serves 6-8.

Cook's notes: Don't add too many more veggies than above. Otherwise the mixture won't fit in a standard 9x13 Pyrex dish. Or even if it does fit, the biscuit mixture won't.

Oatmeal-Cranberry Cookies

from Redbook magazine, October 2006

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 14 minutes

Ingredients
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture; stir in oats, cranberries, walnuts, and coconut.

3. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Press each into a 2 1/2 inch circle. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let stand 2 minutes on baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 14 cookies.

cook's notes: For more flavor, toast the walnuts. You can make the cookies a little smaller so you get more cookies. This recipe is easily doubled.

Peruvian Chicken Cilantro soup

Recently, I made Peruvian chicken cilantro soup. It was a mix of this recipe and this
one.

Based on what I learned from my first attempt, here's my version

Peruvian Chicken and Cilantro Soup
Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
2 to 2 1/2 lbs chicken quarters
3 medium peeled potatoes, diced (6 pieces each)
6 T rice, washed and strained
1 celery stalk
1 T fresh chopped garlic (you definitely need this much)
1 tsp salt or to taste
8 C water
1/2 bunch cilantro blended in a 1/2 cup of water
1 to 1 1/2 cups veggies (a mix of diced green beans, diced carrots, corn, and peas; can use fresh or frozen veggies)
lime wedges

Directions:
Place water, chicken, potatoes, rice, celery and garlic into a 5 qt pot and bring to boil over heat; once boiling, reduce to medium heat for 20-30 minutes (or until chicken is tender), stirring occasionally.
Add the cilantro mixture, green beans, carrot, corn and green peas.
Remove the celery stalk and chicken. Discard the celery. Separate the chicken from the bones and shred into chunks. Place back into the pot.
Let simmer for 5 more minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with a piece of lime on the side.