Oh Bring us some Bread-y Pudding

Bread Pudding



6 Cups of cubed potato bread
4 cups of whole milk
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of pecans
1/2 cup of raisins



Place bread in a 10x13 pyrex dish that's been sprayed with Pam. Pour milk over top. Mix remaining ingredients and stir in with bread and milk mixure. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.



This was on my Christmas Eve table last night. It was hands down the best bread pudding recipe ever - I got it from a coworker's cookbook in Berwick LA. It was fantastic! Optional is to add coconut, I'm doing that next time!



Merry Christmas!

Amazing Taste How Sweet this Sounds!

Banana Pudding

1 (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ cups cold water
1 (4oz)french vanilla pudding mix (instant mix)
2 cups (1pint) whipping cream
Box Vanilla Wafers
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 medium bananas sliced

Preparation
1st whip the whipping cream.
Then in a large bowl combine milk, water & pudding mix
Beat well then chill for 5mins
Remove from refridgerator and fold whip cream into the chilled mixture.
Dip the bananas in the lemon juice.
Then in a 2quart dish (preferably glass) put one-cup pudding mix then top with wafers and bananas and then pudding again. Repeat twice-ending w/pudding.
Cover and chill for at least 2hrs.
Garnish as desired.

Oh good god. This was served at a convention we participated in - they won 2nd for best dessert. I'm not kidding you, I'm a sucker for banana pudding, this is the Holy Grail as far as I'm concerned!

Versatility Heaven!

Rice Salad

1 avocado, sliced
1 cup white rice, cooked
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of RoTel rained
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded


Mix all ingredients and serve.

This is an extremely good dish for leftover chicken or a 2nd stab at taco night. Very simple items. I've added some light sour cream, even ranch dressing instead of an avocado. Other good items are cotija cheese, corn, sliced jalapenos or roasted red peppers.

Christmas Morning - In A Snap

Breakfast Casserole

2 green peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
1 lb of breakfast sausage
1 dozen eggs
2 cups of cheese

Crumble breakfast sausage in a skillet and fry, add in diced green pepper and onion. Transfer this to a 10x13 Pyrex dish.

Add half of the cheese to sausage mix and stir. Beat all 12 eggs and pour over sausage mix. Bake for 350 for 30 minutes. Add remaining cheese and cook another 10 minutes until melted.

This dish is fantastic for Christmas morning. Can make everything ahead of time minus beating the eggs. Add toast and hash browns and you're set!

You can also dress this up quite a few different ways. I've served over biscuits with gravy (heavy, but kicks a hangover!). I've added mushrooms. I omitted green peppers and put in artichokes and tomatoes. Change up the cheese. It's pretty versatile. Even snuck bacon in place of the sausage. Topped with salsa, with ketchup, even a way to make tacos if you cut it up!

Why do we call it Swiss?

Swiss Steak

1 lb of thin round steak
1 onion sliced thin
2 green peppers, sliced into strips
1 bottle of chili sauce

Fry steaks in a pan. Add onion and green pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add chili sauce and add water to thin out.

This is another Mom recipe. It must, MUST, be served with canned peas and mashed potatoes. You spoon the sauce over those as well. Most of the time, this meal ends up being a mixed pile on my plate rather than something that is civilized. This is good ol' Northern comfort food.

As a kid I used to sit in the corner of the kitchen and watch my mom cook on a stove that was retro yellow color. It had a light on and as she pan fried the steaks I'd watch her. I still remember the sound of the mixer on the potatoes... it's a good memory of Mom and growing up. Enjoy!

Why do they call it Wild?

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

1 quart half & half cans of beef broth
2 packages of "90 second" Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
1 package of fresh "mixed mushrooms" (or sliced white button)
1 onion, diced
2 tsp garlic
2 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
Salt & Pepper
2 Tbsp Oil

Saute garlic, onion and mushrooms in oil until soft. Add beef broth and simmer. Season with salt & pepper. Cook rice according to package directions. Add to pan, along with Worchestershire. Slowly add half and half and heat through.

This soup is fantastic next to a wedge salad with blue cheese dressing. It's also fantastic when thickened with a little corn starch (remove a ladel of heated broth to a bowl, add 1 or 2 Tbsp of cornstarch -- whisking to thicken -- and add back to soup) and poured over french bread.

Mmm...Mmm Good!

La Madeleine Tomato Basil

2 cans of 28oz diced tomatoes, not drained
2 sticks of real salted butter
1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped
1 quart of whole cream
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
salt & pepper

Melt butter in pot, add herbs and spices, add tomatoes. Heat through. Pour in cream stirring, continue to heat. Enjoy!

Today we're predicted snow in our little city. This soup is easy to grab the ingredients on the way home and simple to prep and eat while curled up on the couch!


Today we're predicted snow in our little city. This soup is easy to grab the ingredients on the way home and simple to prep and eat while curled up on the couch!

and a good ending....

Ambrosia

1 large container and 1 small container of Cool Whip
16 oz can of Fruit Cocktail
1 flat can of crushed pineapple
1 small box of Cherry Jelllo
16 oz container of cottage cheese

Mix all ingredients, adding jello last. Refrigerate.

This sometimes gets marshmallows added. Sometimes the pineapple is mandarin oranges. I even made it with orange jello once. Yes, you can do sugar free with this when it comes to jello and the cool whip. I've even thrown in tropical fruit cocktail over traditional. Add nuts? Why not!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. This is my last in the Thanksgiving series. Add the aforeblogged macaroni and cheese, canned cranberries, a few baked sweet potatoes, a few ears of corn, a relish tray with sweet pickles, green and black olives & cream cheese stuffed celery. Have a few heat n serve rolls, with real butter. Serve red wine and egg nog. You're on par with what I'll have this year.

ENJOY!

Round 2

Diane's Pumpkin Pie
1-1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. quick or old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
2/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
4 eggs
2 cans (15 oz. each) solid pack pumpkin
2 cans (14 oz. each) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1 t. salt
Cool whip
Pecan halves (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats and brown sugar. Add chopped pecans. Melt butter and add to dry ingredients. Press mixutre on the bottom of a cookie sheet pan with high sides. Bake 15 minutes. Beat eggs and add remaining ingredients. Pour over crust and bake 30-35 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

I know, I've posted two pumpkin pies here. This one is so very uniquely different that I can't omit it from my table. Plus it's from my beautiful ex step mother in law, who makes desserts like no ones business. It's like an oatmeal cookie crust, and while I'm not a huge fan of nuts, something here lends itself in a way that says "I'm not just pumpkin pie". Don't be fooled by the flat square shape, this is not a pumpkin bar, this is still very much a delicate pumpkin heaven!

Fruits of our Labor

Baked Mixed Fruit

30 oz canned whole plums, halved and pitted
29 oz canned peach halves, drained
16 oz canned pear halves, drained
16 oz canned apricot halves, drained
8 oz can of sliced pineapple
1/3 C packed brown sugar
1 T butter
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves


Grease a 3 quart baking dish. Layer fruit except the pineapple. Drain the pineapple reserving 1/2 C of the juice. Place pineapple on top of fruited. In a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and juice. Cook until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Pour over fruited. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until it's heated through.

This dish is fantastic on and off the Thanksgiving table. I combine different fruits sometimes - add nuts, or even some oatmeal to the top. Makes for a nice base for alot of different creative ideas.

I brought the....

Green Bean Casserole

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 large bag of frozen green beans
1 - 1 1/2 C of half and half
Cornstarch
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 can of mushrooms
1/2 t nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
1 can of french fried onions

Cook green beans in a large bowl in the microwave according to package directions. In a large skillet, saute onion until it is soft. Add mushrooms, cooked green beans, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Push vegetables to one side of the pan and add half and half. With a whisk, add cornstarch in small amounts until half and half thickens up and creates a gravy. Adding any additional half and half if it gets too thick. Stir veggies into this mixture. Add 1 cup of french fried onions to this mix, stirring gently to not pulverize. Pour into a greased casserole dish, sprinkle more french fried onions on top. Bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Best green bean casserole EVER. I'm not kidding. This is not the mush that you remember from your days of canned cream of MUSHroom soup. This is really fantastic. I'm no food snob, but I'm not a fan of the "traditional nostalgia" known as green bean casserole. Try this. You'll change your mind!

He's Choppin' Broccoleeee...Broccoliiiieeee

Broccoli Cheese Rice

2 boxes of frozen broccoli, defrosted
2 C of instant rice, cooked
3/4 C celery, chopped
16 oz Cheese Whiz
1 C shredded cheese
1 C Milk
3/4 C onion, chopped
1 can of cream of chicken
1 can of cream of mushroom
1 stick of butter
1 can of mushrooms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except shredded cheese and pour into a greased 10x13 dish. Bake for 25 minutes, remove, add shredded cheese to top, bake until cheese has melted.

The possibilities are endless here for creativity. Throw some leftover turkey easily into this one for a good leftover casserole. Also just add chicken for an easy dinner during the week. Add a little jalapeno for spice. It's a fantastic base for alot of ways to make an easy dinner!

Potaytoh..Potahtoh

Hashbrown Casserole

1 bag of cubed frozen hashbrowns, defrosted
1 1/2 C. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 C of bread crumbs
1 stick of Butter

Cook hashbrowns and onion in a little butter. Mix with cheese and soup. Pour into greasted 10x13 Pyrex dish. Melt remaining butter and mix with bread crumbs, sprinkle on top. Cook for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.

This dish is fantastic at the table with everything mixed in. Consider it your base for making everything taste good. It's not a spicy or overly seasoned dish, but it adds that bit of warmth to the plate. Outside of the turkey arena, I trade out the cubed hashbrowns for the shredded variety (O'Brien style if they're available) and omit the breadcrumbs, slide it along with your eggs at brunch and you're all set!

Triple Threat

Turkey in a Bag
1 Turkey
Peanut Oil

Place Turkey in a brown paper grocery bag greased with peanut oil, breast side up. Fold over the ends of the bag and paper clip shut. Place in a shallow roasting pan with the seam side facing up.

Bake at 325 degrees, 20 minutes per poudn when the turkey is stuffed. Otherwise, bake 10-15 per pound. When done, poke the bag for the juices to be used in the gravy.

Turkey Giblet Gravy

2 T flour
1/2 Cup of Water
Turkey drippings & Giblets
Salt & Pepper

Cook the the turkey innards in the water (just enough to cover in a small saucepan). This takes a couple of hours. Remove the giblets/innards from the water.

Mix flour and a little bit of water in a cup to make a thin paste.

Add the turkey drippings to the stock you've made.

Add the flour paste in very small amounts while whisking to make it thickened. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Turkey stuffing
4 Tbsp of onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 T of cooked, pulverized giblet (optional)
4 hamburger buns (8 slices)
Butter Water

Wet the buns in the sink and squeeze them out. Break up by hand into a bowl.
Saute the onion and celery in a little butter until they are soft.
Add this to the bread. Add giblets, salt and pepper to taste. Bake inside the turkey.

I don't care what you've tried - this is the easiest and best turkey I've ever had. This is Mom's turkey, because who's recipe isn't their Moms? , but man, fall apart fantastic. Plus, no basting, no fussing, easy and pretty still after it comes out of the oven!

When the Moon hits your eye like a big pumpkin pie....

Mom's Pumpkin Pie

3/4 C Sugar
1/2 C Bisquick
2 T Margarine
13 oz. Can of Evaporated Milk
2 eggs
16 oz canned Pumpkin
2.5 t of pumpkin pie spice
2 t of vanilla

Grease a pie plate. Beat all ingredients until smooth. Pour into pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.

Warning - this pie is crustless! Which I love, I'm not a crust fanatic by any means - you'll find me next to a pie scooping out the middle usually...so this works me over just fine!

Thanks Martha

Roasted Parsnip Bread Pudding

1 pound of parsnips cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 T of butter, separated into 2 T and 3 T Olive oil
Salt *
Pepper
large leeks, white and pale green only, halved lengthwise and then sliced.
~3 C. 1/2 C dry white whine
2 T chopped fresh thyme
2 C heavy cream
5 large eggs
1 C parmesan
1 loaf of brioche, crust removed and cubed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle parsnips with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender - 25 minutes.

Heat 2 T of utter in a saute pan. Add leeks and cook, remove from heat, add wine. Simmer until this is reduced. Add thyme, stir in parsnips.

Whisk together butter, cream, eggs and 3/4 parmesan in a bowl. Add leeks and parsnips. Fold in bread cubes.

Grease a 2 quart baking dish. Pour mixture into dish. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 C of parmessan and bake uncovered for 10 minutes more.

Each year I take one recipe from the Martha Stewart Thanksgiving edition of Living Magazine. This year, this is it. Parsnips are a new ingredient to me, and I"m enjoying them - potato feel with carrot goodness. Plus, a casserole at Thanksgiving like bread pudding? Who's going to say no?

It's the Best Month Ever

Corn Casserole

1/2 C butter melted
8.5 oz of corn bread mix
1 can of corn
1 can of creamed corn
1 C Sour Cream
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 dish. Mix all ingredients, pour into dish and bake for 45 minutes.

This is the start of my Thanksgiving recipes. Will do the entire table if Mom will give up her Twice Baked Potatoes recipe! This is my favorite holiday and I go out big style for it. Each year has a bit of the same, a bit of new. Hang on tight - it's my favorite!

Coincidentally, this dish also rocks with some bbq pork on top! :)

Saag Paneer

Halloween Chili

1 can Garbanzo beans
1 can corn
1 can ripe olives
1 can pinto beans w/Jalapeno
1 can green chilies
(drain all above)

1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
2 1/2 lb ground turkey (I use 1 lb)
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
1 can stewed tomato
1 tsp oregano

Mix together. Place in large cleaned pumpkin. Bake at 325 F - 3 hrs Stir every hour scraping pumpkin.

Opa!

Pastitsio

1 package (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
SAUCE:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook macaroni according to package directions. In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, water and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain macaroni.

In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, egg and Parmesan cheese; set aside. For sauce, in a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and cinnamon until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Stir in cheese.

In a greased 3-qt. baking dish, spread half of the macaroni mixture. Top with beef mixture and remaining macaroni mixture. Pour sauce over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

I cannot tell you what a change up on lasagna this is! The spices make it a little more adult, the white sauce makes it a little more comfort food. I did this with a greek salad and thick ciabiatta bread and called it a night.

Don't know greek salad? Easy stuff - lettuce, black or kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, pepperoncini (i.e. the infamous peppers that come with the delivery pizza), feta cheese. Additionally, red or green bell pepper or croutons are nice.

However, if you really want to delve into greek cooking, and you should, there's not a dish I've hated yet - then try moussaka - which is very similar to this dish omitting the pasta and white sauce for eggplant and more tomatoes.

There's also the option to do spinach or roasted potatoes with this. I put a little seasoning salt and pepper, lemon juice and oil and let the potatoes go into the oven at a high heat until their done. Spinach with a little feta and sauteed onion mixed in is also a nice accompaniment.

Enjoy!

It's NOT Chinese

Banh Mi Thit Nuong

2 cups very thinly sliced roast pork
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 baguette, about 24 inches long, split lengthwise
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or shredded
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and thinly sliced or minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, toss the pork with the soy sauce, garlic and fish sauce. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Spread the cut sides of the baguette with the mayonnaise. Layer the pork, cucumber, carrots, onion, chili and cilantro on the bottom half of the baguette. Close the sandwich with the top half of the baguette and cut on the diagonal into 4 individual sandwiches.

This is one of my favorite sandwiches. It's all the ingredients you know and love in a new and fantastic order. I highly suggest all the work that it takes. This is a fantastic new twist on flavor!

Banh Mi Thit Nuong translates into Bread with Grilled Pork. I grew up in a neighborhood with a large Vietnamese population. This is actually one of the languages I picked up - nothing extensive - but enough to get me politely through ordering it in the restaurants where english was definitely not a first language.

Course, you have to laugh, I'm a tall white girl in an Asian only sandwich shop. I stick out like a sore thumb. So when I say "Hai Banh Mi Thit Nuong, Mot Pho Tai, Mot Pho Ga, Kham Un"....it always garners a cute twittering laugh of surprise. I love it. It's a nice bridging of the culture gap.

One time the store owner brought me a dish of what was similar to Egg Foo Yong. I don't know what it's called to this day. It wasn't on a menu. But my God, it was heaven. They tried telling me, but I tell you what, you say one little inflection wrong in Vietnamese, and you're telling someone bad things about their mother and you're no longer welcome! ;)

I highly suggest making Pho for the side of this. That's traditional Vietnamese soup. I'll post my recipe for that sooner or later. It's a lovely beef broth and rice noodle soup. Again, complicated flavors from simple known ingredients and voila! impressed all over again.

You Taste It. You Like it Eh?

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb round steak, cubed
1/2 stick of butter
1 onion, chopped
1 package of wide egg noodles, cooked
1 can of mushroom stems and pieces 4oz
16oz sour cream

Saute onion and steak until cooked through. Add remaining ingredients - stir to combine.

This is another Mom recipe. I can't remember the sides for this though. It varied. I remember my dad putting alot of salt and pepper on it. It was always in this huge pot on the table with her ladle. I have the plates that she served it on (I'm a huge plate shopping fiend) and have fond memories of smelling it cook.

Zuppa Toscana

4 cans of chicken broth
3 medium potatoes, quartered
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. of Owen's Italian Sausage
1 bunch of kale, cleaned and torn into pieces
1 quart of half & half

In a skillet, fry sausage and onion until soft.

Boil potatoes in water until cooked through and fork tender. Drain off water. Add broth and kale and cook on medium until it wilts. Add sausage and onion and cook for 20 minutes to blend. Add half and half, salt and pepper to taste.

This is one of the easiest and most impressive starter soups for an Italian Feast. It's different tasting though pleasing and not overly "odd" for cuisine. It's a crowd pleaser and surprising instead of your basic minestrone.

I'm a dieter and replace the potato with frozen cauliflower and fat free half & half works fine here too. I make it and take it for lunch. It's fantastic!

Fill Your Boots

Calves Liver and Onion and Bacon

8-12 rashers rindless, dry-cured streaky bacon
700g calves’ or lambs’ liver, thinly sliced
25g plain flour, seasoned (1/5 of a cup)
2 tbsp sunflower oil

For the onion gravy:
25g unsalted butter (2 Tbsp)
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
600ml home-made or fresh beef stock (2 1/3 Cups)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp English mustard
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Make the gravy. Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the onions and sugar and cook over a medium heat, stirring now and then, for 20-30 minutes until very soft and nicely browned.

Stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds, then slowly add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and thyme leaves. Season, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat the grill to high. Grill the bacon until crisp and golden, then keep hot. Season the liver on both sides, then lightly coat in the seasoned flour, patting off the excess.

Put half the oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Fry half the liver for 30 seconds each side, until browned but pink and juicy in the centre. Lift onto a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the oil and liver.

Before you say "OH MY GOD! Not LIVER!" try this. Seriously. I grew up on liver and onions as a kid. I love them. I know they have a taste to them that some people can't take. But there is nothing better than the smell of this cooking.

This particular recipe however is English and is fabulous. I never had the bacon portion as a kid, but the smoky flavor truly heightens the dish.

Side dishes for this are set - peas with a bit of mint and a knob of butter. And perfectly creamy mashed potatoes. Bit of heavy cream and again a proper knob of butter.

This is also fantastic the next day with a little butter on bread. It's a great sandwich as it's thin.

Enjoy this in the fall, it's a warmer!

Polished Polish

Halupki 1 cup uncooked instant rice 1 lb. ground beef 1/2 onion, chopped 1 - 2 heads of cabbage 1 bottle of Heinz chili sauce 1 link of Polish Keilbasa sausage, cut into 2" pieces 2 cans of sauerkraut 2 T. vegetable oil Salt & Pepper Take off outer leaves of cabbage and boil about 12 - 15 leaves until soft. Drain delicately and set aside. Saute onion until soft in oil. In a bowl mix with uncooked rice and raw meat. Taking a cabbage leave, roll ground beef mixture like an eggroll. (See diagram at left). Repeat with remaining leaves and mixture. In a large pot, layer 1/2 a can of sauerkraut and 1/4 bottle of chili sauce. Lay halupki rolls on top of the sauerkraut, adding 1/2 link of the sausage in between. Layer more sauerkraut, chili sauce and more rolls, sausage. Top with the rest of the sauerkraut and chili sauce. Add 1 "chili sauce bottle's worth" of water to the pot. Let simmer until all is cooked through (at least an hour....but the longer, the better!!!) adding water as necessary if it dries out.

This is quintessential Polish food. My mom makes them. My grandmother makes it for Easter. It's at weddings with fried chicken. They have dinners of them at the church (see that woman above, picture clones of her en mass making these). This is Pennsylvania's version of the southern barbecue or chicken dinner. This is it. And it's fantastic. FYI, they are also called Golabki, I guess it depends which side of the tracks you're on!

At first, it sounds like it's an odd flavor combination - the acidity between the sauerkraut and tomatoes is quite alot. But for some reason it works. Please make sure to use full fat ground beef as the fat does tend to cut this and help it.

Oh man, how do you serve it? Most easily with mashed potatoes. (Little bit of milk, little pat of butter mixed in.) But on my Grandmother's easter table it's with fried chicken, pasta salad, salad, green beans, aforementioned mashed potatoes, etc...basically it's every which way!

This stuff makes leftovers BEAUTIFULLY. It's like gumbo, even better the next day!

For an "easier" but not as fabulous version, and probably sacrilege to my Polish/Czech ethnic standing, grab a crock pot. Forget the rolling. Precook your ground beef and rice and onion, mix it. Layer the sauerkraut, chili, cooked cabbage, ground beef, repeat. Like a lasagne. Leave it on all day and continue to add water. Shhh, just don't tell my grandma.

Entree Du Jour

Coq Au Vin

1 split chicken
2 C Cabernet Sauvignon
Salt and pepper
1 package of bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
3 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bag of frozen pearl onions
2 cups white button mushrooms, chopped
3 T flour
1 T tomato paste
2 T Cognac
2 bay leaves
5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 t herbs de Provence

Place chicken in a large bowl, and add wine. Cover, and let sit for 2 hours to overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove chicken from wine, and pat dry; reserve wine.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate, leaving drippings in pot, add olive oil. Raise heat to medium-high.

Working in batches, cook chicken, flipping once, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add onion to pot, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes. Add pearl onions and mushrooms, and cook until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes. Add Cognac, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Return bacon and chicken to pot. Pour in reserved wine, and add herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover, and place in oven until chicken has cooked through and vegetables are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

I cannot tell you how much this dish is worth the effort. It's classic, it's simple in it's preparation, just lots of steps and time. Perfect for that fall day inside where there's nothing better to do than watch a movie, get up, do a few things, and let this simmer. I make it while doing laundry and chores.

By the way, I know there are a million rules of thumb about the type of wine to get for cooking - i.e. "only use wine you would drink"...NOPE! Get the cheapest stuff you can. It's FINE!

You need a good hearty bread for this. I know french bread is the obvious choice, but ciabiatta is actually a fantastic change up here. or a sturdy sourdough. Depending on your number of guests I sometimes put fresh green beans and roasted potatoes with this.

For the roasted potatoes, just quarter (skin on) potatoes into a greased 10x13 pyrex. Sprinkle them with olive oil, salt and pepper (and herbs de provence if you feel especially French!) Turn the oven to 400 degrees and let them go until they are cooked through (at least 30 minutes).

Need more? Oui!

Aye...Aye...Aye Aye....

Posole

1-1/2 pounds pork stew meat, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cups beef broth
2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) hominy, rinsed and drained
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, cook the pork, onion and garlic in oil over
medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the broth, hominy,
chilies, jalapeno if desired, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper and cayenne.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until meat
is tender. Stir in cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

This soup is fantastic for a crowd! Add some crusty french bread and a few Mexican farmer's cheeses. It's not crazy spicy and can't be adjusted as necessary with more or less fresh jalapenos. It's also good with a little fresh crema (or some sour cream thinned with milk) on top.

A Taste of Thai

Gang Ga Lee (Yellow Curry)

4 red potatoes, quartered
2 yellow onions, sliced and halved
3 carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 can of coconut milk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 Tbsp yellow curry powder
4 C. Jasmine Rice, cooked

Boil potatoes and carrots until soft. In oil, saute chicken and onion until cooked through and soft. Add carrots and potatoes. Add coconut milk and curry powder. Heat on low for 20 minutes until combined. Serve over rice.

This was my first Thai curry ever. If you aren't an Indian fan, and we'll get to those recipes one day, Thai might still work for you. It's a little less of a stretch flavor-wise. As you can see, most of these aren't your "exotic" ingredients.

I love this dish for comfort food on a wintery night. You can adjust the spice as necessary. Salt and pepper aren't insanely necessary here, but change at will. This is also, for a strange twist, good over pasta as well, omit the rice.

Have fun, try new things -- you may never know!

Fall is Here

Apple Butterscotch Pie

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 can of Apple pie filling
1 jar of Butterscotch Sundae Topping
1 small package of pecan halves

Mix all ingredients and pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Let cool and set up before slicing.

This is an easy peasy recipe. I was inspired by one of the signs of the fall holiday season - the bake center appearance at Walmart. (See photo). This always inspires me to get to baking and taking places! (I can't have those calories sitting at home).

This one is sugary sweet, but reminds me of the Halloween candied apples that everyone likes to make. It's fantastic with a cup of coffee or after a rich Sunday dinner of roast and potatoes. Enjoy!

Poor Man's Cobbler

1 can of crushed pineapple
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 stick of margarine

Grease a deep round casserole dish. Dump pineapple on the bottom, followed by the pie filling and cake mix. Cut butter into pats and dot the top. (Do not mix!). Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until heated through.

This is one of my favorite dessert in the whole world as a kid. It's cheap, it's fast, it's done. It's a sugar rush and super sweet. So I warn you, you gotta be "in the mood" for sweetness when you make it.

I make this for office parties - it works as a sugary side to a good strong cup of coffee just as much as it compliments a dinner at someone's house. It's easy, homey and comfort food-y enough. I've tried it with peaches instead of cherries and fruit cocktail instead of pineapple and spice cake, it's not as fabulous (I'm nostalgic I guess) but it's still different!

Both warm or cold, leftover or right out of the oven, this dessert lasts awhile. A la mode? A la YES.

Haluski

1 package bacon
1 whole head of cabbage, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 package of wide egg noodles, boiled and drained
1 stick of butter

Cut bacon into small pieces and fry in a large frying pan. Add butter and onion. Fry until onion is soft. Add cabbage and continue to cook until cooked through. Toss with noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This is Polish food. My parents hail from a small town south of Pittsburgh, PA. My dad is Polish and my mom is Czech and this recipe, while not either sides family version, is a typical Polish food - starch plus fat and if you can, cabbage of some sort.

I truly like this dish next to a plate of fried or grilled chicken. It looks heavy at first (that's what bacon fat and butter will do to you) but it's really actually quite sweet and goes well with a lighter meat. Add some green beans or peas in on the side and it's quite a nice home style meal. Think macaroni and cheese for the Polish soul.

Making Friends at the Office

Kahlua Vodka Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (the kind that says it has pudding in the mix)
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup Kahlua
For the icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, water, vodka and Kahlua; beat for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with electric mixer.

Bake at 350 in a greased and floured bundt pan 55 to 60 minutes.

Icing: In small pot, stir confectioner's sugar and butter. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Just before pouring over the cake, stir in Kahlua. Once cake has cooled, drizzle icing over the cake.

This cake is to die for. It's absolutely amazing. It starts off as your basic yellow cake mix - but it morphs into this delicately moist chocolatey heaven! I wouldn't opt for icing, I would use the glaze above, it is a bit sweet and the kahlua adds a nice richness that I think buttercream or any other frosting would just tip the scales on "too much".

This cake travels well because of the lack of frosting though, it's good for coffee cake in the morning, good for a fun thing to bring to parties. It can be broken off just as well as it can be sliced. The longer you let the icing ooze into it, the richer it gets. Although just after you make it and it's warm and gooey is fabulous as well.

Who doesn't love the sound of a cocktail and cake? This is always a hit!!

Treats and Eats

Oreo Balls

1 bar of cream cheese, Softened
18 ounces package of Oreo cookies, crushed
1 package of chocolate bark/ candy coating - regular or white

Mix cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add the crushed Oreos and beat on high until well mixed. Chill for at least 2 hours in the freezer. Then roll Oreo cookie mix into one inch Oreo Balls.

Dip the Oreo balls completely into the melted chocolate bark using tongs or a toothpick. Put on wax paper. After the Oreo balls harden, keep them in the refrigerator.

I first made these using the golden oreos and white chocolate and have never gone back to the original chocolate on chocolate you thought it would be intended for. I try and bake for my work team weekly and these were actually gone by 10 AM. Admittedly, they are amazing and I really stress, they are easy to make.

Plus what's great is that there's no baking, a bit of mess (which who doesn't like a little hands in the bowl action) and the results are near perfection for a three ingredient wonder dish. I invite you to try other cookies even, you may have to add cream cheese in for missing filling, but why not chocolate chip or even ginger snap? I"m sure there are ways you can use any cookie here. Experiment - that's the best part of cooking!!

Pot of Gold

Irish Stout Beef Stew

4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
2 1/2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium beef broth
1 can (14.9 ounces) Irish stout beer
10 garlic cloves, sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen baby peas, thawed


Preheat oven to 350. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, toss beef with flour; stir in tomato paste. Add potatoes, onions, broth, beer, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Transfer pot to oven, and cook, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in peas, and season with salt and pepper.

It's obvious who's recipe this is. And before the world's start to rain me with insults for liking the woman - she's my idol. I love Martha Stewart. Economically speaking, I can appreciate any woman who's worked her way into that sort of net worth. I mean come on, do you see her success? It's staggering? And who goes to jail and comes out even better? HELLO!

She can cook, clean, sew, craft, wedding, she can do it all. And she knew the market and grabbed onto it with gusto. I can't rave about her enough. For the purposes of this food blog, I'll let the recipe speak for itself.

This soup S C R E A M S Autumn Dinner on the weekend. It requires nothing more than a fantastic soft French bread and REAL butter and of course, a beer. It's simple and warms you. I love soups of all times, but today's reason is that I'm home sick and in bed and need tos tay awake so I can sleep tonight. So here I am, blogging.

Enjoy it. It's a heart and soul warmer.

Base Sauce

Alfredo Sauce

1 Pint of Sour Cream (full fat only)
1 stick of butter (or margarine)
1/2 onion, minced/grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bar of Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan.


Melt butter and saute onion and garlic until onion is clear. Break up cream cheese and stir until melted and combined. Add sour cream and parmesan. Serve over hot pasta.

This is the beginning sauce for alot of things. You can add cajun hot sauce or seasoning, a little shrimp, green & red bell pepper and it's fantastic over linguine. Add chicken and broccoli for another dish. I've used it over top of shrimp and scallops on shell pasta for a seafood alfredo. I've added it to tortellini with bacon and peas.

Because of the fat content, it tends to break up if you keep it overnight in the fridge, so always make it the day of. Margarine is perfectly fine in this dish, just salt it a bit less as butter is delicate and can take the salt.

Sides? Just about anything here. I throw it with garlic bread and salad on the table. Be wary, this stuff is pretty rich, it's diet unfriendly as all get out. But it's worth it, don't do the jar any more, it's too easy to turn this out in 30 minutes.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

2 chopped green bell peppers
1 small (6 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 large (15 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 lb of ground beef
1 cup of instant rice, uncooked

Mix ground beef and rice (both uncooked) along with green bell pepper and large can of tomato sauce in a greased 8x8 pyrex dish. Spread evenly through pan. Top with small can of tomato sauce. Cover with foil. Bake @ 350 degrees until cooked through - about 45 minutes.

This recipe is another one of mom's. Must go with canned corn and butter bread. Don't even consider cutting carbs here. It's the only way to go. It also lends well to making ahead and freezing before you cook it. It works with ground turkey too if you want to cut calories.

This is one of those dishes from my childhood that I remember was a great fall dish. I remember sitting in the corner of my parents kitchen, watching mom cook. I remember the little yellow pot that she had to put the corn on to cook. I remember the little vintage-y white pyrex dish that she cooked the casserole in.

Dad sometimes brought mom the bread from the Mrs. Baird's store. Rianbow bread was a special thing. Forget flowers, that stuff was tops. We'd put margarine on that and rock out. On "special" occasions, we'd put garlic powder on and microwave the bread. As a middle class kid, that was pretty cool to us.

That yellow pan for corn. Mom got rid of it later. That was one of the pans I wanted when she goes to the big kitchen in the sky. I miss it already, it had a wobbly handle, but fit perfectly on the smaller burner. Shame it's gone.

Oh my my....Spasketti Pie

New York Spaghetti Pie

8 oz Spaghetti
2 eggs
1/4c grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2c chopped green bell pepper
1/3c chopped onion
1 lb. Italian Bulk Sausage
1 6oz can of Tomato Paste
1 c Water
4 oz sliced mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Break spaghetti in half and cook in salted water until barely tender. Beat eggs, add parmesan, toss with spaghetti. Put the spaghetti mixture in greasted 10-inch pie pan. Melt butter or margarine in a medium skillet; add green pepper and onion, saute for 5-7 minutes. Do not brown. Add sour cream to vegetables, mix and spoon over spaghetti. Cook sausage; drain off grease. Add tomato paste mixed with water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon tomato sauce over sour cream mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Cut cheese in strips and arrange over top. Return to oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Note: Make two and freeze one.

*Cook spaghetti now or use spaghetti you have prepared and frozen.
Serves 6

Another Mom recipe. The picture this time is the actual page of the book that my mother has been cooking out of for years. I've already put dibs on this piece of literature when she dies. It's a nameless cookbook, but several of her dishes come from this book.

I have a fond memory of my mother putting taco seasoning into this dish on accident. I never read the recipe, but I don't even know why should would have been doing that. I remember there being a spatula and lots of giggling involved in the process. and her trademark "Ohhh, Lesley...look what I didddddd". Messing up recipes counts as cooking, the memories are classics for me.

No set sides for this one, we didn't have it a ton, as you can see it required quite a bit of prep. But if it were mine now, I'd say salad and bread. It's fantastically vintage housewife food - everything fits nicely into the pie and you can get yourself together just in your best dress prior to hubby getting home! ;)

My Ultimate Comfort Food

Homemade Mac & Cheese

4 Cups Cheddar Cheese
1 Stick of Margarine or Butter
1 Can of Evaporated Milk
1 bag of pasta (small shells preferred)
Splash of Milk

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Turn heat to simmer and add in butter, milk and then stir in cheese until it melts. Toss pasta on top and continue to stir and add milk to adjust until desired consistency is achieved.

That's it. You can read about 1,000 other recipes for macaroni and cheese. You can make bechamel sauce bases until your hearts content. You can stir and whisk and add breadcrumbs and make. Not for me, nope, nuh-uh, ain't gonna do it. This is the easiest version I have come up with entirely on my own, and it works.

This is my go-t0 food. Stressed? Here's comfort in a bowl. For those of you who follow me personally, after the apartment fire, we were at the table eating this and corn dogs. I add pepper to this and on a winter's day with a good movie and a puppy beside me, I can't ask for a better time to relax. It takes minutes and impresses every time.

As an FFG (Former Fat Girl), I used to consume this in quantities that I'm a bit embarrassed to admit to. On the cheat days that I do allow myself, this would be at the top of the list. It's far from dietetic, but it can be leaps and bounds above the blue box stuff.

It's also extremely flexible. I've added bacon, carmelized onions and blue cheese. I've put in artichokes and sundried tomatoes. You like swiss? Try it. I try to keep the cheddar to "other cheese" ratio to half and half, most cheeses just don't melt as nicely. Gruyere is good, a smack of brie, try it. You can't hurt it badly by adding, just make sure that you don't take away the other fats.

Unfortunately this doesn't keep as well. As with anything with this much "love" (known to non-foodies as butters, creams and cheeses) in it, it tends to congeal up into a mess. Will I eat it the next day ? Yes! It makes alot, so assemble a crowd. It's great for Thanksgiving with some of those "fancy breadcrumbs" thrown on top - no one will know you didn't take all day. Roux schmoo, this is easy stuff.

Papri-what?

Chicken Paprikash

2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T. flour
3 cups of sour cream
1 stick of butter or margarine
2 T. garlic, minced
1 whole chicken
1 large can of whole tomatoes (32 oz)
1 package of spiral noodles, cooked
salt, pepper, paprika

Boil entire chicken until it's cooked through. Remove all meat and discard carcass. Saute garlic, bell peppers and onions in butter. Add flour to thicken. Add tomatoes with juice, breaking up with spoon. Add sour cream, salt, pepper and about a tablespoon of paprika. Stir until combined and add noodles. Serve hot!

It's said Chicken...Pop-Ree-Kosh. It's another recipe from mum, and my favorite go-to for a crowd pleaser that isn't your basic spaghetti or chili. Everyone tends to love it - hello sour cream and butter - and it's easy on the wallet as well. If you want to make it easier, grab a rotisserie chicken or even just grill up some chicken breasts. Get canned diced tomatoes instead of whole. They also sell chopped onions and green bell peppers in your freezer section, so at some point this entire dish becomes dump into pot, stir, cook, eat.

Out of respect for mum, I'm going to give you the recipe as it should be...and then tell you how I might make it easier now. I have come to appreciate very much the long handed method of cooking certain dishes, but when applicable, the fast method is just easier, you might lose some pride, but it's on the table and still fabulous.

This dish doesn't really have a side dish to it, we throw a little bread and salad on the table and call it an evening. But it does highlight one of my mom's favorite qualities about a dish - the one pot use. I am a big pot user - okay Clintonites, calm it down - I love dishes that require a little bit of a stove challenge. This is relatively easy if you do the footwork (or the easy route!) on the chicken and noodles and set it aside and then make the sauce.

This dish reminds me of the coming of fall, it's fabulously warm and rich. Don't expect to eat tons of it, and honestly, it's not a great leftover item. The sour cream and butter tend to separate. It's not terrible, but don't expect the same product to come out. It's sorta like heated up boxed macaroni and cheese the next day - not the same. Okay, so it's rare that I want to save that stuff, but every now and again....

One of My First Recipes

Chicken & Rice

1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can of Chicken and Rice Soup
2 "cans worth" of water
2 "cans worth" of instant rice
4 Bone In Chicken Thighs - 2 skin on, 2 skin off.

Mix first four ingredients in 9x13 Pyrex dish. Put the skin on thighs in opposite corners and put skin off thighs in remaining corners. Place foil on pan. Bake at 400 for 45 -1 hour until chicken is done.

This is one of my favorite recipes from my mum. Upon giving it out, she'll also tell you that they used water because they were poor, and if you really want a good one, replace the water with milk and the chicken with pork chops. That works too. Oddly enough, I've never had this one with pork chops.

You'll learn quickly through my blog here that I love, live, breathe and of course, eat, food. So I figured why not devote a huge portion of my blogging to another passion entirely.
I have several blogs:
http://randomthoughtsofananalyticalmind.blogspot.com/ - personal
http://latoomuchfortheman.blogspot.com/ - humor
http://prettysmartphotography.blogspot.com/ - my budding almost business
and even...
http://ralphthomas.blogspot.com/ - yes, my dog.

But I digress, you'll learn about me that when it's my mum's recipe, there's almost always a preset side dish to go with it. This one is a can (must be can) of french cut green beans. Over the years this has attempted to get a dish of frozen peas, or even canned peas. But it's not right. And don't get regular green beans either. It doesn't work, they don't stick on the fork with the rice well. It's wrong on many levels.

So there's your first recipe. Get to getting on it.

Start your Whisks...

Welcome kitchen geeks!

I have a hands down sickness for eating and cooking and baking and chopping and...you get me. I have decided to start this at the urging of several friends who have asked for recipes and figured...well, why not. I like to write and am finding alot of fun sharing stuff with the big ol' world out there. Who they aren, I'm unsure, but maybe one person wants a recipe and I helped. Lord knows, the internet has given me plenty by way of recipes!

I've been a big cook since as far back as I can remember. I grew up middle class, with a mom who had a fantastic talent to cook and "after she had kids, the house plants died and she didn't have tons of time to make all day spaghetti sauce any more."....enter me.

I've gotten my hands on her recipes as well as many others along the way. Growing up in a huge city, I have gotten the taste for Vietnamese, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Greek, even Bosnian. You name it. I've learned techniques and spices and seasonings. These dishes not only have added a great level to my cooking, but they've also helped me learn that there's a bigger world than the fantastic home cooking that I grew up on.

I will admit my food tends to never be "hoity toity". I can make it look that way, but to me, it's like what people in the wedding cake business tend to struggle with. It can look absolutely beautiful, but it HAS to taste good. So with that said, I can serve up anything on a leaf of endive or on a perfectly toasted canape base, but unless that morsel tastes great, I'm just not into it.

Let's not forget one big thing to me, I'm cheap and impatient. I'm not into mushrooms you can only find growing on the side of a mountain in China and mortgage your house for. I'm also into using convenience products when it's not hurting the overall dish. I'm not asking you to spend all day unless it's totally worth it and while I'm a self professed, self indulgent gadget junkie (My name is Lesley and yes, I'm beverage and chocolate fountain owner...) I also feel like anyone can get by on a good skillet, pot and a knife.

There's the whole underlying need for me to "feed the masses". Growing up, no matter what, when we did have guests over, all stops were pulled out and we made sure that there was a feast on the table. Cook like you have 20 people coming when there is only 10 invited. It's how I learned to love people, by feeding them. So here's to feeding the masses in a new conduit, welcome to my blog.