Slow Baked Tomatoes

 Make this if you want your lunch to be divine:

1.5 lbs cherry tomatoes 

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil 

7 cloves garlic, peeled, halved, green sprout removed 

Some mint leaves 

1 tsp coarse salt 

Pepper

Toss all ingredients in 2 quart baking dish. Tomatoes should be in single layer and well coated with olive oil with about 1/8” on bottom. Bake 45-60 minutes at 325 or until tomatoes are roasted and bursting. Serve in bowl with bread cubes and feta or fresh mozzarella. Scoop the delicious sauce all over your bread. Trust me.

Revival with a stolen recipe

 Hey guys, just nonchalantly popping back on here 10 years later. I’m honestly surprised it let me sign in. I feel like I should let you know that I’m the same person, just with huge kids instead of tiny kids. Ok glad we got that cleared up.

I want to share a really good and easy recipe that feeds a crowd! I must admit that I’m taking it straight from Trim Healthy Table… ok maybe not *straight* from because you know me…

2.5-3 lbs pork loin 

10-12 oz bag onions etc (“seasoning blend?”)

2 cans coconut milk

2 cans tomato paste 

1 T curry powder 

1 tsp garam masala 

1 T salt

Red pepper flakes if you want 

4-5 garlic cloves minced 

1/2 cup frozen peas 

1/4 cup heavy cream 

Place all ingredients through garlic in crockpot; cook on low 5-6 hours. Add peas in last hour. Break up pork, stir in heavy cream, and serve over rice!

Oatmeal-Nutmeg Breakfast Cookies

OK cookies for breakfast...come on. But that is the title on the recipe card so that is what I'll go with.

1 1/2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. each salt and baking soda
1/2 c. butter (one stick) (room temperature)
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. (or more) chopped walnuts

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in butter. Stir in yogurt, raisins and walnuts. Batter will be stiff. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Remove to rack to cool.

Makes 2 dozen.

Chicken in Shallot Cream Sauce

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil or butter
4 shallots or 1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sour cream (can sub plain yogurt or cream cheese)
10 oz. fresh spinach or kale

1. Season chicken with S&P. Cook chicken in oil in large skillet about 12 minutes, flipping once. Remove from pan.

2. In same pan, cook and stir shallots (and kale if using) until tender. Add wine/broth and salt; bring to boil. Cook 2-3 minutes until thickened slightly. Stir in sour cream. Add spinach if using; cook until just wilted. Stir chicken back in and serve over rice.

This recipe is slightly adapted from Taste of Home. It's a go-to chicken recipe because it is cheap, fast, healthy, tasty and uses only one pan -- my top 5 criteria :)

Peanut Sauce

This is the best peanut sauce ever. Simple, quick, super tasty. It's from this cookbook of Ken's - the only cookbook he owns, actually - called Dad's Awesome Grilling Book by Bob Sloan. Bob Sloan is really funny, and he grills good food. He says this peanut sauce makes broccoli "dynamic." See what you think.

1/2 c. Chunky peanut butter (room temp)
1/4 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4 days (bring up to room temp before serving). Dip your broccoli in it and see.

Hobo packets

Dad likes it: meat & potatoes, and rrrrrreally hot.
Mom likes it: no dishes and no whining :)
Kids like it: they get to pick their own dinner!! Sort of.

Hobo packets are supposed to be cooked on a campfire but you can also do them in the oven:

Sausage - Italian or breakfast style, browned
Ground beef - can be raw
Potatoes, thinly sliced
Onion, thinly sliced
Carrots, sliced 1/3" thick
Frozen peas/corn

Choose your own adventure from the above choices! Give each person a sheet of foil to place all ingredients on and then season however you like. We seasoned ours with Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper and penzey's Tuscan sunset salt free seasoning blend, which is just basil, oregano, fennel and some other stuff. Then wrap up tightly, write your initials on with a sharpie, and throw it on the campfire for awhile. Or...the oven at 350 for 45 minutes :-) open the packets carefully because the steam coming out of there is wicked hot.

We then let the kids cover theirs in ketchup...who cares.

Antipasto Salad

Here is another winning recipe from Moosewood, tweaked by me.

1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off
1 red bell pepper
5 artichoke hearts
1 stalk celery
White balsamic or white wine vinegar
Evoo
Salt and pepper.

1. Red pepper: cut in half length-wise, discarding stem, veins and seeds. Place halves skin side up on a foil-lined baking sheet (toaster oven?) and roast at 425 for 20-25 minutes, until skin is blackened and bubbly. Let cool; peel off skin and discard. Cut pepper into strips, then 1" pieces. Add to bowl.

2. meanwhile, Asparagus: boil spears in a large pan/pot of boiling water for a few minutes, until bright green. Cut into 1" pieces; set aside in salad bowl
3. Chop artichoke hearts into 1" pieces. Thinly slice celery. Toss in bowl with vinegar, oil (use less if the artichokes were marinated), and salt and pepper to taste. Best part: it keeps in your fridge for a few days!!!

Other add-ins: olives, Parmesan cheese, croutons. Good served over lettuce, but don't mix in lettuce or tomatoes if you want to keep it overnight.

Oinka-Doodle-Moo Baby Bakers

OK, Oinkadoodle-Moo, this BBQ place, has the most amazing potatoes everrr. So I tried to recreate them at home. It was a somewhat-fail, but now I know what to do. This is even a potatoes after church recipe, which I think is nothing to sneeze at :)

Slow Cooker Baby Bakers
====================
1.5 lbs potatoes (supposed to be new potatoes but I just had regular old russet)
2 Tbsp. + 1/4 c. butter, melted
salt
---
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. granulated onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder

Leaving skin on, scrub and chop potatoes into 1-2" pieces. Toss potatoes with 2 Tbsp. melted butter and some salt. Spread in single layer on cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Pour remaining 1/4 c. melted butter over top.

Mix brown sugar and spices together to create a dry rub. Sprinkle over potatoes and butter in slow cooker and cook on low 3-4 hours. Serve with sauce.

Roasted Zucchini

Check it out, Martha has a new cookbook. I thought the portobello and zucchini tacos looked really good, so, feeling sort of half-hearted about it at lunchtime today, I just made the roasted zucchini part and thought I would turn it into a sandwich by melting some cheese over it.

It was A.Ma.Zing!!!!

Roasted Zucchini
1 zucchini, cut into 2"x1/2" sticks
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. Tuscan Sunset seasoning (or oregano)
salt and pepper
1 tsp vinegar (white balsamic or red wine)

Toss zucchini with olive oil, herbs and salt & pepper on a baking sheet. Roast at 425* for 20-25 minutes, tossing once. Drain on paper towel. Transfer to plate and sprinkle with a bit o' vinegar.

I stuffed as many of these little friends as I could into a sandwich with some melty muenster cheese. YUM.

Curried Lentil Soup

from Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook
Really flavorful, especially when topped with plain yogurt!
Serves 4

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 large onions, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. curry powder
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 quarts water
1/2 lb. lentils
1/4 c. brown rice, uncooked
5 oz. frozen peas
1/4 c. bottled mango chutney (Trader Joe's?)
Salt and pepper to taste (for me...a lot :-) )

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, curry powder, bay leaf and parsley. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, 8-10 minutes or until onions are translucent.

2. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils and rice. Cook partially covered, stirring frequently for 1 1/2 hours, until tender.

3. Stir in peas, chutney, salt and pepper. Continue cooking over low for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and taste for seasoning. Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream and Trader Joe's pita crackers.

Note: Everything in this cookbook seems to have extraordinarily long cooking times, so I'm not sure if quite this much time is necessary, but the brown rice at least would require a long time.

Pureed Butternut Squash Soup

I made this out of some leftover cooked butternut squash so it was fast work. The squash broke down in the pan so I didn't puree it, but it was still super good. I usually add sugar to my butternut squash soup, but the orange juice made it sweet enough and the ginger was super tasty!

from Everyday Food (Martha Stewart for the common man)

2 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 2" piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 3/4 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped (1" cubes)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
salt and pepper
sour cream (optional)

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium. Cook onion 2 minutes; add ginger, garlic and squash and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender (20 minutes).

2. Puree soup in two batches. Stir in orange juice and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Season with pepper and serve with sour cream if desired.

Spaghetti Sauce

This recipe is from Once A Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg (so it goes without saying that you can freeze the part that you don't use).

Karen Eckardt gave this recipe an A+ and Ken called it "awesome." :) It's so good you don't need cheese on top!

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 12-oz can tomato paste*
3 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
2 cups water*
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. salt

In a large pot, cook and stir the sausage with the onion until meat is brown. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil; reduce heat. Partly cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Makes 12 cups sauce.

*I omitted the tomato paste and the water. It was still a good consistency though obviously made less - maybe more like 10 cups sauce.

Fish Amandine

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. sole, flounder, swai, perch, whatever
1/2 c. Sliced almonds
1/4 c. Butter
2 Tbsp lemon peel, grated
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Method
1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9x13 baking dish.

2. Rinse and dry fish. Cut into 6 servings. Place in baking dish (skin side down, thin ends tucked under)

3. Melt butter. Mix in almonds, lemon peel, salt and lemon juice. Bake 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice and a plain green vegetable (broccoli?) and maybe bread to soak up the good salty sauce.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients
4 Tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, sliced
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 c. sliced mushrooms (12 oz?)
1/4 c. white wine
1/4 c. chopped parsley
Pinch thyme
Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper
1 c. Sour cream

Hot cooked egg noodles, for serving

Method
1. Saute sliced onions in butter in a large pot on medium-low heat, for about 20 minutes or until golden-brown. Add a bit of brown sugar toward the end of the simmerage.

2. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until tender (15-20 minutes). Add the wine and bring back up to a simmer, stirring to deglaze. Stir in parsley, Season with salt and pepper, thyme and cayenne if desired.

3. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and sour cream. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over hot egg noodles.

Orange Marmalade Dipping Sauce

This is from Elise at Simply Recipes, to go with her sesame fish sticks (which I thought were great but Claire thought she could do without). Whatever Claire, I still think it is cool that you can make your own fish sticks. Maybe we will try them again sometime without the sesame.

Anyway, the Orange sauce is amazing. To die for. It would also be amazing on chicken, or just rice...if you have some orange marmalade hanging around you have got to try it.

Ingredients

1/3 c. orange marmalade

1/3 c. rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger (can use 1/4 tsp. powdered)

pinch of salt

Method

Place all ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to a boil; simmer uncovered for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before serving.

Spinach-Walnut Pesto Tortellini

This is really yummy. Thank you Rachael Ray.

It was also really easy. I just got out my food processor, chopped up 10 oz. spinach, then put a cup of walnuts in there and 2 garlic cloves, chopped them up, then switched out the chopper blade for the grater and grated some Parmesan (2/3 cup) right in there, then stirred in salt and pepper. So - didn't bother with the chicken broth, olive oil, nutmeg (although I'm sure that would be tasty) or edible flowers (come on).

I made the pesto the night before, then in the morning I cooked the tortellini, tossed it (along with a little pasta water) with the pesto and brought it to the church potluck in a 9x13. The dish was like licked clean. Winner.

Savory Scallion Scones

This recipe is from Moosewood. The cookbook calls it "dependable." I totally concur.

2 c. flour (can use up to 1/2 c. whole wheat flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil
1 c. yogurt
1/2 c. minced scallions
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In separate bowl, combine oil, yogurt, scallions, dill and pepper. Blend yogurt mixture into flour mixture quickly and thoroughly to form a soft dough.

2. On floured board or countertop, pat dough into 3/4" thick circle and cut it into 8 wedges. Separate wedges and place on oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Recipe Re-Do: Fish Tacos!

The weather is getting warmer...how exciting! So of course, I revamped Fish Tacos thanks to Jorge Cruise's magnifique sauce recipe. Check it out.

Chicken Cheese Chowder

3 c. chicken broth
3 chicken breasts
1 lg onion, diced
2-3 potatoes, diced
2-3 celery stalks with leaves, diced
1 cup frozen corn kernals
salt & pepper
2 c. grated sharp cheddar
3 c. milk

Simmer broth, chicken, onion, potatoes, celery and corn (as Rachael Ray says, chop and drop, meaning chop as you go; you don't have to get everything chopped before you start). If you start with raw chicken breasts, take them out after about 15-20 minutes of simmering and chop or shred into bite-sized pieces. Simmer everything for 30-45 minutes. Season to taste with S&P.

Stir in cheese until melty. Stir in milk and reheat gently (10-15 minutes?) This soup is really rich and heavy so make sure it's a freezing cold night, and serve with good crusty bread for dipping.

Yogurt

How to Make Yogurt without a Yogurt Maker :)

Ingredients

1 qt whole milk (my preference is whole, but you could probably use whatever kind you have)

2 Tbsp. plain yogurt

Equipment

Candy thermometer (with range from 115 - 180)

Heating Pad

Glass quart jar with lid (like a canning jar, or you could use 2 smaller jars)

Huge soup pot

Kitchen towel

Wire whisk

Pyrex glass measuring cup

2 qt (ish) saucepan

Method

1. Measure milk and pour into a medium saucepan. Start it heating up over medium heat. Rig your candy thermometer so its tip is in the middle of the milk. I do this by sort of threading it through the wires of a wire whisk. Stir occasionally with said whisk.

2. In your now-empty pyrex measuring cup, measure out 2 Tbsp. yogurt to start hanging out at room temperature.

3. When your milk gets to 180 degrees, remove from heat. Let it cool down to 115 degrees. This takes a while...but exactly how long depends on how warm your kitchen is, among other things.

4. Pour a little cooled milk (115) into the Pyrex holding the (now room-temp) yogurt. Using that same old whisk, whisk it together real good. Then pour the yogurt-milk mixture back into the saucepan holding the rest of the cooled milk. Whisk it all together real good, again, some more.

5. Pour into glass jar, set jar on top of heating pad set to low, cover with kitchen towel and then put huge giant soup pot on top. Leave it for 8 hours (or a little more is fine too). Then put it in your fridge and call it a day. It keeps for about 5 days.

Note: For you working women, you could feasibly start this yogurt when you get up in the AM and have it be done when you come home. But I would try it the first time on a Saturday so you'll have an idea of how much time it takes at the beginning.

Another note: You can "chain" the yogurt once you make some. When you get down to your last 2 tablespoons (or almost) you will want to make some more. You can also freeze it in 2 Tbsp. amounts; it will just require a little more forethought with thawing and all that.

Suggestion: If you want to substitute this yogurt in a recipe that calls for sour cream, you should make it into "yogurt cheese" first, by straining it for a while in your fridge. The name is kind of misleading, it isn't really like cheese. It becomes a very similar consistency to sour cream.

Final note: If you don't have a big enough soup pot to keep your yogurt incubating on the heating pad, you can try putting your heating pad on an oven rack, the yogurt on top and then just a towel snugly around it. There are different creative ways you can incubate it. It just has to stay warm for 8 (ish) hours.