Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas

These were a hit with the hubbs. The kids, not so much, but you can't win them all!
Found on Pinterest:

http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2011/03/01/vegetarian-black-bean-enchiladas-2/

Baked Potatoes-- The best way

Here is my new favorite way to bake a potato. I actually bake them on a rack on top of a cookie sheet rather than directly on the oven rack. It makes a mess of your oven racks otherwise. Here is the tutorial:
http://howtobakeapotato.com/

It is to basically clean the potatoes, poke with a fork to vent steam, roll them in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on a rack in the oven at 350 for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Mine always need a little longer, an hour and a half. If they are golden brown, crispy, and puffed up a little, stick a fork in them to make sure they're soft inside.

Broccoli Shrimp Pasta Toss

I used this recipe that I found online, with a few minor changes:

1 package whole wheat linguine pasta
5 minced garlic cloves
2 T. butter
1/4 c. olive oil
One large head of broccoli cut into small florets
salt and pepper
16 oz package cooked, deveined shrimp
1 c. chopped, fresh spinach
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a shallow pan, arrange broccoli in a single layer and add just enough water to cover the bottom of pan and broccoli halfway, cover. Bring water to a boil and simmer broccoli for 6 minutes and drain. Meanwhile, remove tails from shrimp and rinse. When pasta is done cooking, drain in a colander. In the pasta pot, add olive oil and butter and heat slowly. When butter is melted, add garlic and cook for about one minute. Toss in broccoli and shrimp and fresh spinach, stir to heat up shrimp and wilt spinach, this only takes a minute. Add pasta, salt and pepper and toss. Remove from heat, add cheese, and toss.

A 1-1/4 c. serving is about 200 calories.

My son, who doesn't eat anything, had three plates full!!!

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

This is from "Easy Everyday Cooking".

2 T. olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes.
1 carrot, sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch pieces
Broccoli florets, steamed until just tender
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. angel hair pasta
2/3 c. chicken broth
1 t. dried basil
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan Cheese

Heat 1 T. oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add chicken. Cook, stirring.,until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Heat remaining oil in same skillet. Begin heating water for pasta. Add carrot to skillet; cook stirring, for 4 minutes. Add broccoli and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta is cooking, add chicken broth, basil, and Parmesan to skillet. Stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain pasta. Place in a large serving bowl. Top with chicken and vegetable mixtrue. Serve immediately.

Braised Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
4 bone-in, center-cut pork chops (6-8 oz each)
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into wedges
2 golden delicious apples, halved, cored, cut into wedges
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge chops in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add onion to skillet and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Pour in broth, increase heat to hight and bring to a boil, stirring to pick up any browned bits on bottom. Pour over pork chiops in slow cooker. Scatter sweet potatoes and apples around chops and thyme. Cover and cook on low until tender, about 3 hours, or on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Per Serving: 435 cal. 18 g fat (5 sat. fat), 58 mg chol, 6 g fiber, 25 g. protein, 44g carbs, 797 mg sod.

Pickled Dill Beans

2 lbs green beans
1 c. white vinegar
2 T. pickling salt
2 t. dill weed
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
2 cloves crushed garlic

Wash and drain beans, snipping off yucky ends. Cut to fit jars. Cover beans with boiling water and cook 3 minutes. Pack into hot jars leaving 1/2 " head space. In 4-6 qt. pot combine vinegar, 3 c. water, pickling salt, dillweed, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Bring to boil. Cover beans with pickling liquid leaving 1/2" headspace. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 4 pints. Will be ready to eat in 4-6 weeks.

Mom's Pot Roast and Vegetables with gravy

1 Roast, beef or pork
olive oil
salt and pepper
Rosemary (or any other herb, such as thyme, sage, or garlic)
3 c. beef broth, chicken broth if using a pork roast
potatoes, peeled, cut into big chunks
carrots, peeled, cut into big chunks
onions, peeled, cut into big chunks
1 c. milk
4 T. corn starch
opt Kitchen Bouquet

In an oven-safe pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Pat the roast dry and cover in salt and pepper and rosemary. Brown the roast on all sides. Transfer the roast to a crockpot. Pour beef broth over the roast. Heat on low for four hours or until tender. Pre heat oven to 400. In the pot, place potatoes, carrots and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and rosemary. Toss to coat. Cook one hour or until tender.
When roast is finished, remove from crockpot and let rest covered with foil on a plate. Remove vegetables from the pot. Transfer the liquid from the crockpot to the pot. Place pot on the stove. Add one cup of milk and 4 T of corn starch, whisking vigoriously releasing all the bits from the bottom of the pot, bring to a simmer. Simmer until desired thickness. Add a drizzle of Kitchen Bouquet, and season to taste. The gravy will have bits of vegetables and meat in it, but you can sieve the gravy if you prefer. Serve over meat and vegetables.

Di's Low-Calorie Broccoli Cheese Soup

Using Mom's Gravy Recipe, I make this low-calorie soup. It can also be gluten-free as long as gluten-free broth is used.

Ingredients
Sliced carrot
1/2 diced red bell pepper
diced onion
olive oil
1 head of broccoli cut into small pieces and steamed
1/2 head of cauliflower cut into small pieces and steamed
3 cans chicken broth, or six cups broth (six cups water with 10-12 boullion cubes)
2 cups milk (If I can afford the calories, I like to use evaporated milk)
1/2 c. corn starch
salt and pepper
cayenne
nutmeg
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese, any variation of cheddar, colby jack, swiss, parmesan, whatever you like.


Saute sliced carrot, 1/2 diced red bell pepper, and diced onion together in olive oil until just soft in sauce pan. In a bowl, whisk together broth, milk, and cornstarch. Pour over sauteed carrot, bell pepper and onion, whisking, bring to a simmer. When thickened, add steamed broccoli and cauliflower.
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of Cayenne
Dash of nutmeg
Remove from heat
Stir in 1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
Eat plain or pour over baked potatoes.

Di's Butternut Squash Soup or Sauce

This is very low-calorie as I don't add any cream to it, but I do like to add a small dollop of low-fat sour cream to my bowl when I'm eating it. This is also gluten free as long as gluten free broth or boullion is used.

1 roasted butternut squash (cut the squash in half, remove seeds, place cut-side down in a 9 X13 with a couple inches of water. Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until a fork can pierce through it easily)

2 cans chicken broth or four cups water boiled with six boullion cubes*

one small onion, sautee'd in olive oil

Scoop out the flesh from the squash removing skin, add to blender or food processor. Add broth and sauteed onion. Blend until pureed. Add to pot. Simmer about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. If it's too runny, boil it down for a few minutes being sure to stir frequently.

*Use less broth to make it thicker, and it can be a yummy sauce for whole wheat cheese tortellini or other pasta

Boeuf Bourguignon

This is Julia Child's Boeuf, and one of Matt's favorites. It has a lot of steps, but it's well worth it. She recommends serving it with boiled potatoes, but we like it over mashed potatoes.

The best choice of meat for this stew would be a Rump Roast cut into chunks, next would be Chuck pot roast, sirloin tip, top or bottom round.

6 oz bacon cut into thick chunks
1 T olive oil
3 lbs beef, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T flour
3 c. red wine (I used a Cote du Rhone)
2-3 c. beef stock
1 T tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 t. Thyme
Crumbled bay leaf
18-24 small white onions (You find these in the freezer section)
1 lb mushrooms cooked according to directions in  stroganoff and sauteed mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400. Saute bacon in oil in a casserole pan over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with slotted spoon. Reheat the pan until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef. Dry the beef in paper towels or it will not brown. Saute it a few pieces at a time in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides, remove from pan and add to bacon. In the same fat, brown the slices vegetables, pour out the sauteing fat. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole dish and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in the middle position of a preheated oven for four minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for four minutes more. This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust. Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325. Sir in the wine, and enough stock so the meat is barely covered. Add the toamto paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the sotve. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers solwly for 2 1/2-3 hours. The meat is done when fork pierces it easily. While the beef is cooking prepare onions and mushrooms. When meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucpan. Wash out the cassole dish and return the beef and bacon to it. Distrubute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat. Skim fat off the suace. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 c. of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, add some stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.
This much can be prepared in advance.
For immediate serving:
Cover the casserole and simmer for 2-3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded by boiled potatoes, noodles, or rice.
For later serving:
When cooled, cover and refrigerate. About 10-20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Stroganoff and Sauteed Mushrooms

Matt loves stroganoff! So I developed my own recipe that I think is pretty good.

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground turkey (or just another 1/2 lb. beef)
1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 cans beef broth, or 3 cups
1/2 c. sour cream
opt. mushrooms
Cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes

Season meat well with salt and pepper and saute first four ingredients together until meat is browned. Remove from pan, drain any fat.

In the same pan, cook butter with flour, whisking until turns brown. It will look like a paste. Slowly add two cans of beef broth while whisking. Bring to a boil and let simmer about ten minutes until thickened. Temper 1/2 c. sour cream and stir into the sauce while whisking to avoid clumps. Finally, add the meat. Serve over cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Optional mushrooms (I don't like mushrooms, but Matt does, so I cook them separately)

Slice mushrooms. In a saute pan, melt 1 T. butter with 1 T. olive oil until butter starts to bubble, don't let it burn. Add mushrooms in a thin layer leaving plenty of room between slices. Let the oil/butter get soaked into the mushrooms, lower the heat until the oil/butter is released from the mushrooms, then turn them over and do the same thing on the other side. Both sides should be brown and crisp, but the mushrooms should not be shriveled up. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper. Add to sauce or eat on the side.

Serve with peas to get the ultimate Matt-experience!

Maureen's Vegetable Soup

I don't know who Maureen is or who gave me this recipe, but on the recipe it says, "I got this recipe from Kathy Sorensen. She got it from Maureen, her housekeeper when we moved to Hanford. Kathy made this real often in the winter. We did too. Dad always put grated parmesan cheese on it."

3 lbs stew meat
18 oz can tomato or V8 juice
1/3 onion, chopped
4 t. salt
2 t. Worchestershire sauce
1/4 t. chili powder
2 Bay leaves
1 lb can tomatoes, cut up
1 c. celery, diced
1 can corn
1 c. carrots, sliced
1 c. potatoes, diced
10 oz package frozen baby lima beans

Combine meat, juice, onion and seasonings in 6 cups water in a soup kettle. Cover and simmer 2 hours. Add vegetables, cover and simmer 1 hour.

French Potato Salad

I got this recipe from our friends, the Tiltons. If you don't like mayonnaise-based potato salad, then this is for you.

3-4 lbs. red or white new potatoes-- scrubbed and sliced in 1/2" slices and boiled until just tender. Fresh green beans may also be cooked until just tender, drained and added to the salad. Cool the vegetables and add the dressing. Can be served warm or cold, but not hot. If the vegetables are too hot, the dressing separates.

Dressing:
3 T. minced shallot
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
3 T. country style Dijon mustard
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 c. corn oil

Put all ingredients except oil in a blender. Pulse a few times then with the machine running, pour oil in slowly in a steady stream until all blended.

Leek Soup

4-5 c. chicken broth
3 potatoes peeled and chopped
1 1/2 c. chopped cabbage
1 leek diced (use only the white and lightest green part, rinse well!)
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 carrots diced
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 t. salt
1/4-1/2 t. pepper (depending on how spicey you want it!)
1/2 t. caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. sour cream
8-16 oz. cooked, crumbled bacon (optional)
Dump everything into a crockpot except the sour cream and bacon. Cook low 8-10 hours, High 4-5 hours. Discard bay leaf. Put the sour cream in a small bowl, whisk in some of the hot broth from the soup to temper the cream, then add it all to the soup. Stir in the bacon. ENJOY!! I know you will!

Lemon-Pepper Pork Chops and Vegetables

4 pork chops
2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning, divided
1 lb new potatoes, sliced
1/2 inch thick1 medium onion, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 lb baby carrots
2 cans (10-ozs each) low-sodium chicken broth-
vegetable cooking spray
1/4 cup flour.

Instructions:
Sprinkle 1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning over pork chops. Set aside. Place potatoes, onion, and carrots in saucepan. Add remaining lemon-pepper seasoning and 1 can chicken broth. Cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, basting occationally with liquid.While vegetables cook, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, brown pork chops on both sides. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until no longer pink in center, about 8 to 10 minuts. Transfer pork chops to a serving platter; keep warm. Combine remaining can of chicken broth and flour; pour in skillet and cook until bubbling and thickened, stirring frequently. Serve sauce over pork chops and vegetables.

Funeral Potatoes

Preheat oven 350

Saute:
1 chopped green or white onion in 1/4 c. butter
Add:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 t. salt
1 pint sour cream
2 + c. grated cheese
1/2 small bag boiled, peeled, sliced potatoes
mix
Place in 9X13 pan. Top with crushed Ritz crackers, corn flakes, or bread crumbs.
Bake 40 minutes

Doubled:
1 1/2 chopped onion
3 cans cream of chicken
2 t. salt
1 3/4 pint sour cream
5 + c. grated cheese
1 small bag boiled, peeled, sliced potatoes
Place in large jelly roll pan
Bake 45-50 minutes

Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole

McCormick Recipe

1/2 c. fine plain bread crumbs
1/4 c. plus 2 T. grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 T. melted butter
1/2 t. Italian seasoning, divided
1 pkg (16 oz) broccoli, thawed
1 pkg (16 oz) cauliflower, thawed
2 T. butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 T. flour
1 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 1/4 c. milk
4 oz cubed cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350
Mix breadcrumbs, 2 T. of Parm cheese, 2 T. melted butter, and 1/2 t. of Italian seasoning in a bowl. Cut up any large broccoli or cauliflower florets into bite size pieces.
Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add onion, cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, remaining 1 t. Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper. Add milk, cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cream cheese and remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Add vegetables, toss gently to coat. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle top evenly with bread crumb mixture.
Bake 40 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly browned.