No Peek Casserole

Today is going to be busy, with a toddler running me ragged right about the time I normally need to get dinner going, so it's a great day for this meal.  I don't know if this technically meets the definition of casserole, since the noodles over which it is served are cooked separately and a green vegetable ought to be fixed to go along with, but this is what it's been called for my entire life, and I'm not changing it.  Ridiculously easy to make, decidedly delicious, absolutely convenient on a busy day.

2 lb. Stew Meat (beef)

1 pkg. Dry Onion Soup mix

1 can Golden Mushroom Soup

1 lb. fresh Button Mushrooms, washed and trimmed

½ C Red Wine

Trim meat into 1” cubes.  Combine all ingredients and put into a covered casserole dish.  Bake at 300 degrees for 2 ½ hours.  Remove lid, stir and return to oven for 30 minutes.  Serve over egg noodles.

Turkey Picadillo

This is my new go-to taco meat. I have been making this since having it at a friend’s house and questioning him closely on how it was made. Traditional picadillo is made with ground beef, and calls for a potato instead of carrots. I make it that way sometimes as well, but developed this version since we usually eat more poultry than beef at home. You’ll notice some flexibility in the ingredients and their amounts. Make this to your taste. If you like it hot—throw in more of those jalapenos (and/or) serrano peppers; if you aren’t sure about the number of garlic cloves—add or subtract! Serve this traditionally in tortillas, or roll into a lettuce wrap, or simply eat it with a spoon. Picadillo keeps well if refrigerated for leftovers, and microwaves easily, so don’t be afraid to make a lot!

Simply Marvelous White Chicken Chili

Perfect for a rainy day.  Heat it up to your taste with the Tabasco- I usually go for the maximum amount, but then, that's my preference.

Haystacks

This is great for first time guests or finicky kids! Everyone chooses his own combination of tastes, yet you haven’t had to be a short-order cook to accomplish it. And use your imagination- the possibilities for toppings are pretty endless. 

Green Enchiladas

 Just dusted off this old family favorite to make for dinner tonight.  It has been a long time since I made it, and it's a lot of work, but I will have some hungry guys at the table tonight and it will be just the thing to fill them up. 

Blackened Chicken Breasts

While I'm thinking about yummy, spicy chicken sandwiches, here's another favorite from the past which we haven't made in way too long! 

1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 sandwich rolls, split and lightly toasted

Spray oil or low-fat margarine

Spice mix:

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

½ tsp. dried oregano leaves

Place chicken breasts, one at a time, inside a plastic zip-top bag and beat with a meat mallet to about a 1/2 inch thickness.  Using a pastry brush, gently baste each piece of chicken with melted margarine, or spray with light coating of oil.  Coat each piece of chicken with 1 tablespoon of spice mix.  The mixture is hot and spicy (!), so adjust to taste of each person.  Grill chicken, basting after turning once.  Grill about 3 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle.  You may also cook in a non-stick skillet in hot oil over medium heat.  Serve on sandwich rolls spread with a little low-fat margarine or mayonnaise.

Hot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe came to mind this morning as I stared into the depths of the refrigerator, willing the ingredients therein to reveal a menu to my out-of-ideas brain.  We haven't made this in years, for which I owe my family an apology.  We all love these sandwiches, and they aren't complicated to make!  

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

When my family, one by one, with the notable exception of the cook, chose to eat a vegetarian diet, my friend Stephanie Schaeffer gave me this recipe.  It became a staple in our menu, and has remained so even now that we are all omnivores again.  This is simple and quick to make, and most of the ingredients are already in the pantry and fridge.

Fragrant Chicken in Creamy Almond Sauce

I found this years ago in Cooking Light Magazine and I love it.  Sometimes I just want the fragrant spices of the East and this dish headlines the meal.  Serve with Tomato Chutney; a match made in heaven.

Coconut Curried Red Lentils

 Comfort food from another culture.  Don't forget Naan bread, warmed in the oven.

Barbequed Brisket

Now that we live in the land of Spectacular Smoked Brisket, it seems silly to post this.  Since I have not yet mastered the mystical art of smoking a brisket, this is my fall-back recipe, and it's delicious.  The sauce is reason enough to make this, and it works wonderfully as a make-ahead meal for any occasion, whether you want a sit-down meal or sandwiches.  I originally found this in Taste of Home magazine, way back in the 90's, and typed it up when the print began rubbing off the saved magazine page from repeated use.

Please note that the recipe is for a 3 to 4 lb. brisket.  I don't believe I have ever seen such a small brisket.  Adjust your sauce amounts accordingly, and even add some time to the first baking of the meat. I'm making this with a 9 lb. brisket right now, so I tripled the sauce and added an hour to the baking time.  Only 2/3 of the sauce will go onto the meat for the second baking, the rest will be saved for extra.

Wanita's Marinade for Grilled Chicken

This recipe is as simple as it gets.  I got it from a friend in Pennsylvania who had to translate the ancient hand-written copy handed down the generations in her family.  She substituted butter for the margarine and decided that the vinegar called for must be white vinegar, since that's all anybody used back then.  She also wisely chose to allow the marinade to cool before pouring it over the chicken.  I'm adding to the quantity of chicken, since this goes pretty far.  For the overnight bit, you may keep it in a covered bowl or put it all into a couple of gallon-size zip-closure bags.

As far as grilling instructions go-- you're on your own.  When we had a gas grill we cooked this over a nice low flame to avoid burning it outside before it cooked through to the inside.  I'm now struggling to re-learn using a charcoal grill.  I think "patience" must be key....

Sauce Bolognese

This sauce is the reason I don't order Bolognese when we eat out.  It's my absolute favorite.  If the world ran out of pasta, I'd eat it as a soup.

From Trattoria Cooking, by Biba Caggiano

Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

When I first made this a couple of years ago it needed salt, and I was only somewhat impressed.  This time I bumped the salt up, changed the brand of broth I use- only because the store had ZERO cans or boxes of any beef broth except for what was in with the Campbell's soup display- substituted pinto for kidney beans (hey, I'm in Texas, for crying out loud, it's pintos all the way!), and chose a larger can of chopped green chilis.  Wowsers!  It was so flavorful I didn't even top my bowl with Fritos and cheese the way I always do (or the second bowl)!  Now, for full disclosure, I did use leftover black beans that I had cooked from scratch a few days ago and they were already seasoned.  Any changes I made are reflected here in the recipe as it is posted below.  I don't want to forget what I did today!

*Just in case you have never used Spike Seasoning, I have included a photo of what to look for.  I found it on the bottom shelf in my HEB, near the non-salt seasonings.  It is worth trying if you've never used it- even if you only use it for this recipe!

2-3 tsp. olive oil                                 
1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 tsp. salt 

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
5 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground Ancho chili pepper 

(or use a little more chili powder if you don't have this)
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. Spike Seasoning 1-7 oz. can diced green chili peppers

2 cans Campbell's beef broth
1 can (15 oz. can) pinto beans, rinsed with cold water
2 cans (15 oz. cans) black beans, rinsed with cold water
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz. can, not pumpkin pie filling!)
2 cans petite diced tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz. cans)
grated cheese for serving if desired

Fritos for serving if desired

Heat a small amount of oil in a large heavy frying pan, add ground beef, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and cook until the beef is well browned. Add browned meat to the crockpot.

Add a little more oil to the frying pan, add diced onion and green bell pepper and cook 2-3 minutes, until the onion and pepper is just starting to soften. Add minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, ground Ancho chili pepper, dried oregano, Spike Seasoning and diced green chiles and sauté a couple minutes more. Put the onion mixture into the crockpot, then deglaze the pan with the beef stock and add that to crockpot.

While onions and peppers are cooking, drain the beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. (This removes excess starchiness and makes the beans easier to digest.) Add beans to the crockpot. Add canned pumpkin and diced tomatoes with juice.

Stir the mixture to combine ingredients, then cook on high for 4-6 hours, (or 8-10 hours on low) stirring a few times if you're home.

Serve hot, topped with grated cheese and Fritos  if desired. This chili will be even better after it's been in the fridge overnight, and also freezes well.

Polpettine di Manzo in Umido con Piselli

My favorite recipe for meatballs.  I only recently carried through and made the sauce as well, and it is delicious!  This comes from my favorite Italian cookbook, Biba Caggiano's Trattoria Cooking, and I hope to cook my way through from cover to-cover someday!

Baked Ratatouille Gratin

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child asserts that, "A really good ratatouille is not one of the quicker dishes to make..."  Whether Julia would consider this version to be a "really good ratatouille" concerns me not.  We love it and it is not only quick to make, but rather simple as well.  We serve it with pasta and a nice crusty loaf of bread.  I'll give Julia's version a try someday, when I have more time.

Cooking Light's Ultimate Roasted Turkey

After many years of turkey-baking this is the recipe I settled on, mostly, to be quite honest, because of the silky-smooth gravy.  Moist and juicy turkey can result from most recipes but there is something delightful about this one, with the apple cider and- yes- the corn syrup.  I may try the trick of baking it upside-down for the first hour, but turning it is iffy, at best!

Pasta Pomodoro

Yes, I bought my first running magazine for the recipes.  This amazing—and easy—Pomodoro (tomato) sauce is the base for all of Chef Joe Bastianich's pasta dishes which I will also be posting.  Yet the sauce with simply the pasta is marvelous. 

Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara

Jamie Oliver calls them courgettes, we call them zucchini or summer squash.  Whatever you call them, pick some fresh from your garden—or the Farmers' Market—and make this lovely carbonara.  You'll be so glad that you did!  Serve with a loaf of bread and a crisp white wine: Chenin or Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris.

* We sometimes throw in some fresh asparagus too, as the photo above shows.  There can never be too many opportunities to eat fresh asparagus!

Salmon Caesar Salad

To be honest, I can't remember which magazine this came from.  I know we began making this while we lived in Florida, so it may have been Cooking Light, but we have given it a tweak or two over the years, so it''s all ours now.  This is perfect for a light summer supper or first-night of camping meal to cook over the campfire when you are anticipating a steadily degenerating diet going from burgers and finally to hot dogs in the coming days...  (the photo above was taken on a camping trip.)

Broiling salmon in your oven's broiler may be an option if you are grill-less and desperate, but I don't like the smell it leaves behind in the house, so I'm including the grill tips we have learned over the years.