Category: Cooking

The other day I made Jack a casserole with Penne Pasta in it. I cooked the entire box, not knowing how much pasta I would actually need. Since I only used half the box, I sat down and thought about what to do with the other half. This simple and easy recipe is what I came up with!

Penne Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

8 ounces Penne Pasta
1 bottle Poppy Seed Dressing Low Fat
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
Basil leaves chopped as desired

1 pint Grape Tomatoes, halved
1 cup bite-size Mozzarella Cheese, balls, halved
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Cook pasta as directed on package. Or until tender. Drain well.

Add Pasta and Basil to Poppy Seed Dressing while pasta is still warm, toss to coat. Add tomatoes and cheeses; toss to mix well.

Serve chilled.

I was low on bread this morning, so I decided to try this recipe for Orange Marmalade Muffins. It is sweet and the flavor of orange is not overpowering. I might sprinkle some orange zest in next time. Still, we enjoyed them and it was a nice change.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup sweet orange marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 whole eggs, beaten
Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, granulated sugar and baking powder. Place the flour mixture in a mixing bowl. Cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients.

Mix the marmalade, orange juice and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour the marmalade mixture into the flour mixture. Pour the eggs into the bowl. Mix all ingredients together gently.

For the topping: Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl.

Fill muffin pans with batter. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of topping ingredients over each muffin.

Bake until done, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Cabbage Meatball Soup

Slice into bite size pieces:

• 2 – 3 large onions
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 4 stalks celery
• 5 carrots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 a head of cabbage cut into bite size pieces.

Meatballs:

• 1 pound minced beef
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbs parsley

With your hands mix it all up and then form tiny meatballs.

Saute the vegetables (except cabbage) in olive oil, and then add:

• One-28 ounce can of diced Italian tomatoes
• 2 tbs Parsley
• 1 tbs Italian seasoning
• 1 tbs Oregano
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1/2 tbs salt
• 12 cups of beef broth
• cabbage pieces

Bring to a low simmer and add the meatballs. (Do not precook the meatballs, they will cook in the soup). Add 1 zucchini cut into quarters. Correct the seasoning to taste.

Simmer medium low for 2-3 hours or until all vegetables are done. Serve with crusty bread.

Large fireproof Dutch Oven, 3 inches deep (large size)

1 -2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
2 pounds lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
4 carrots chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1/2 cup green pepper,
1/2 cup red pepper chopped
1 – 2 large onion chopped
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cups of a full-bodied young red wine, or a Chianti (I used a Burgundy)
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic chopped
1/2 – 1 teaspoon thyme (to taste. I tend to go a little heavy on spices)
1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered, sauteed in butter
3 medium potatoes peeled and quartered.
1 package frozen peas with pearl onions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Place olive oil in Dutch Oven and toss beef in flour and then saute the beef. Remove to dish.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. (You may need to add a little more olive oil.) Cook mushrooms in saute pan with butter.

Return the beef to the Dutch Oven and toss with the salt and pepper. Add mushrooms.

Stir in the wine and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is  covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 3 – 4 hours. Add potatoes after 1 hour. Then add the frozen peas and pearl onions. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

For immediate serving: Serve in its casserole.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Serves 8

Pork Chops with Country Gravy

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 teaspoon salt
3. 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
4. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5. 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
6. 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
7. 2 tablespoon butter
8. 1-1/2 cups fat free milk

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, salt, dried marjoram, dried thyme, and dried rubbed sage in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in flour mixture, turning to coat; shake off excess. Reserve remaining flour mixture.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat, and cook for 10 minutes or until done, turning pork once. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.

Combine reserved flour mixture and milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add milk mixture to pan; place over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Serve with the chops.

I decided to make a favorite from my childhood to share at Mandy’s Labor Day Barbecue! It’s an Icebox Cake!

I love Ice Box Cakes. My Grandma Honey used to make them and they are so easy. Here are the directions:

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (9 ounces) chocolate wafers
Chocolate curls, optional

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff. Spread heaping teaspoonfuls on the cookies. Make six stacks of cookies; turn stacks on edge and place on a serving platter, forming a 14-in.-long cake.
Frost top and sides with remaining whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours before serving. Yield: 10-12 servings.  

This is such a cool and refreshing dessert on a hot day!.

Savannah loved it and actually ate two slices. That made me so happy because as a child I always loved this, and it always tasted like it was made with love.

Last night I had an idea. You see, I’d been making garden fresh tomato sauce all day. You know a slow simmer. So I thought what the heck, why not make pizza for dinner! So I:

1. Made a nice big yeast risen pizza dough. And spead across the 20 inch pizza pan.
2. Spread it with my delicious garden tomato sauce.
3. Added some sauteed hamburger and sausage.
4. Added thinly sliced vidalia onion, and green and red pepper.
5. Carefully spread mozzarella cheese all around the pizza, until well covered.

Placed the pizza into a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, until cheese was nicely melted and starting to brown a little. I pulled it out, let it set up for a few minutes, cut and ate!  

All I can say is YUM!

I was looking around for a good, never fail recipe. I used to only use Shake N Bake, but lately my chops were dry and tough. So I found this never fail recipe and then expanded on it, which is what I usually do. Here are the tricks and tips!

1. Use a lot of garlic! You can use fresh and mince it all up and that is fabulous, but recently I found something new for this type of cooking. Granulated Garlic. Not Garlic Salt, just plain granulated garlic!
2. Powdered Rosemary leaves. I use a spice grinder to get the dried leaves nice and fine. Remember, don’t be shy with the seasoning!

Pork Loin Chop Recipe Ingredients:

1. Pork Loin Chops
2. 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3. 6-8 cloves Garlic (rough chopped) or Granulated Garlic
4. Fresh Rosemary (or dried leaves)
5. Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Season both sides of chop before cooking–and don’t be timid with the seasoning–it makes all the difference! I often use just salt and pepper, but experiment with your favorite seasonings, too–every now and then I’ll season up chops with ground ginger and saute them with onion and sliced, fresh ginger–it’s pretty darn good.
2. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet (I love my good old fashioned skillet that my cousin gave me!)–not smoking hot, but pretty darn hot–we want to sear the pork and seal in the flavor.
3. Place chops in the skillet; they should sizzle when they hit the pan.
4. Cook chops 3-4 minutes on one side and then turn. This is for chops approx. 1″ thick–adjust cooking times according to the size of the chop you use.
5. Cook chops 3-4 minutes on second side, then remove skillet from stove-top and slide skillet into oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Cook another 4-5 minutes and return to stove-top.
6. Remove chops from skillet and set aside to rest, just a few minutes

   That’s it…super easy and super flavorful–it’s a great way to cook up a juicy chop without drying it out, so give this recipe a go and let me know what you think!

Here is a great recipe for Lentil Soup. I admit to never having liked Lentil Soup, but Hubby loves it, so he asked me to make it for him.

Well, I tried it after I made my first ever batch of this soup, and I am now a convert. Not for just any Lentil Soup, but for mine.

Maribeth’s Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1. 2 Tbs Olive Oil
2. 1 Cup Diced Onion
3. 1/2 Cup diced carrot
4. 1/2 Cup diced celery
5. 1 Tsp Salt
6. 2-1/2 Cup Dry Lentils
7. 1-15 ounce can Diced Tomatoes
8. 8 Cups Vegetable Broth
9. 1/2 Tsp Cumin
10. 1/2 Tsp Coriander
11. 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
12. 1/4 Tsp Cardamom

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, celery and salt. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

Sort and rinse the Lentils, then add them to the pot, along with the tomatoes, vegetable broth and spices. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the Lentils are tender, about 35-45 minutes.

I’ve decided to make one of my favorite recipes today. Carrot Casserole. It’s kind of like a carrot souffle. Very light and very tasty! Here is the recipe.

Carrot Casserole

3 Eggs
1/2 cup sugar or (1/2 cup Splenda sugar blend)
1 stick butter
1 tbs. baking powder
2 tbs. flour
1 cup milk
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups hot cooked carrots

Place all ingredients into blender and puree. Pour into buttered (or Pam) casserole dish 8 X 10 and bake at 350* for  about 30 minutes or until set. This is good either warm or cold.