Quick Recipes

Salmon Cakes

2010-04-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to make salmon cakes because I love salmon. Actually I enjoy most all seafood. Anyway I wanted to make sure they turned out well so I used a cookbook.

It was a disaster. The salmon cakes wouldn't stick together and they tasted really dry. So I decided I'd try making my own recipe - I mean it couldn't be worse than the first try. And I learned I should trust myself because they turned out quite well.

I used real mashed potatoes and haven't tried it with instant yet. When I'm running short on time (which is most of the time so the wait probably wont be long) I'll add a note about how it works with the instant. Also I used fresh rosemary because it grows in my garden. If someone tries it with the rosemary from their spice shelf let me know how much worked best.

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes
1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp milk
6 oz can salmon
2 tbsp cream cheese
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 large eggs

Peel and cube potatoes. Add to pan of water and boil for 15 minutes. Drain the water and whip (or mash). Add butter and whip. Add milk and whip until potatoes are a consistent texture.

Drain juice from salmon and remove skin. Add to potatoes. Add all remaining ingredients to potatoes. Stir until all ingredients are completely mixed together.

Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan at medium heat. Drop 1/8 cup of batter per cake onto hot pan. Flip when golden brown (about three to five minutes). Cook the other side for an equal amount of time. Serve hot.

Salmon Alfredo Pasta

2009-11-09T18:27:00.001-08:00

This is a quick meal--goes together in about 15 minutes (5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking). And I think you will be amazed that you can make such great tasting Alfredo sauce at home.

I didn't put in amounts for the pasta or the salmon (or lemon juice and garlic salt--salmon seasoning) because I figured that would very depending on personal tastes and needs. However, the sauce easily covers four servings of pasta.

Ingredients:

Pasta
Salmon
lemon juice
garlic salt
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 cup milk
3 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Turn oven to broil. Bring a pot of water to boil.

Grease cookie sheet. Top with salmon. Sprinkle with lemon juice and garlic salt.

Mix cream cheese, milk, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and parsley in saucepan over medium heat.

Add pasta to boiling water and put salmon in the oven. Stir the Alfredo sauce while cooking for 10 minutes.

Remove salmon from oven. Drain noodles.

Dish up noodles, top with sauce then flaked salmon. Use extra parsley for garnish.

Potato Stew

2009-09-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is a fairly simple soup with a lot of nutritional value and if you leave out the bacon it makes a nice vegetarian meal. (It's also less fattening.) It goes together quickly - the only prep work is peeling and cutting the potatoes if you use frozen vegetables and pre-cooked bacon. And it cooks up in about twenty to thirty minutes.

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 cup corn
1/2 chopped spinach
1/4 crumbled bacon
garlic salt

Peel and cube potatoes. Add to saucepan with milk, water, remaining vegetables and bacon if using. Salt to taste. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Begin over medium heat. When it begins to boil turn to medium low.

Apple-Sweet Potato Crisp

2009-09-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

This recipe would make a good side dish at Thanksgiving or a wonderful dessert throughout the year. It is sweet enough to eat by itself or for an extra treat you could top it with whipped cream or ice cream.

If you have an apple slicer it goes together quickly. I don't even peel the apple. Or if you don't mind chopped apples you could use a food processor. Otherwise everything else comes together quickly. Plus it only has a half hour cook time. Put it in when you start dinner and even if your dinner only requires a 15 minute prep. time desert will still be ready in time.

Ingredients:

1 large can sweet potatoes
1 large apple, sliced
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Drain sweet potatoes and layer with apples into a baking dish (about 9x9). Sprinkle in the pecans.

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Sprinkle over baking dish.

Cook for 30 minutes.

Eggplant in Tomato Sauce

2009-09-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

I decided I'd try to introduce a little more variety into the vegetables I feed my family. At first I thought I'd add the eggplant to a pasta sauce and serve it over pasta, but when I went to make the dinner I realized I had much more eggplant than tomatoes. When I mixed it up I realized it didn't really need the pasta at all.

Ingredients:

One large eggplant peeled and cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon basil

Heat the oil in a pan. Add eggplant. Sprinkle salt over eggplant. Brown on all sides. Sprinkle cheese over browned eggplant and let melt.

Add tomatoes, sauce and basil. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and serve warm.

Quick Crumb Cake

2009-08-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

This cake has a very crumbly texture and is sweet enough to eat unfrosted. However, if you want to take the time to frost a cake it also works well frosted. It mixes together very quickly and easily though it takes nearly an hour to bake.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rice flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Microwave butter until softened. Mix with sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time.

Mix together dry ingredients. Sift into sugar mixture. Add lemon peel.

Pour into a greased cake pan and bake for 50 minutes.

Dinner

2009-08-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Often the biggest meal of the day, dinner offers many creative options.

Breakfast

2009-08-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

The most important meal of the day, breakfast jump starts your metabolism. Here are a few of my favorite recipe choices:

Lunch

2009-08-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

Lunch can vary dramatically depending on the time you have and the setting for the meal, but for the purposes of this blog lunch will be lighter meals that are more easily transportable.

Snacks

2009-08-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

The word is out. We should be eating more times a day. That means we need a list of tasty snacks to get us through the day.

Desserts

2009-08-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

We all need a little tasty indulgence from time to time. So here is my list of simple, quick, inexpensive and just plan tasty treats:

Quick and Easy Potato Soup

2009-08-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

This is a good soup for any chilly day or night. And it's quick, easy to prepare and inexpensive. It only takes about fifteen minutes of preparation, depending on how quick you are at peeling potatoes. The cook time is twenty to thirty minutes depending on how you like your potatoes.

Ingredients:

4 russet potatoes
1/2 bacon bits
2 cups water
1 cup milk
1 tbsp chives
1 tsp salt (I prefer garlic salt.)

Peel and chop the potatoes. Add all the ingredients to a pan and cook over medium heat. When the soup starts to boil turn to medium low. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes.

As a cream based soup this dish does not keep well, but my family has never had trouble finishing off the whole pot.

Sugar Free Pancakes

2009-04-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

I was out of sugar one day and thought I'd do a little experimenting. It turned out quite well. And that's not just my opinion. My family enjoyed the pancakes too.

One final word before you begin cooking. The batter will be thiner so these pancakes cook more quickly--use a lower heat or the outside will burn.

1 1/4 cups flour (I use 1 cup white and 1/4 wheat)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup all natural applesauce
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp oil

Sift together dry ingredients.

Combine egg, milk, applesauce and oil. Add to dry ingredients. Do not over stir.

Drop 1/4 cups of batter onto hot griddle. Flip when bubbles are present.

Serve with fruit and whipped cream. Enjoy.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

2009-04-26T17:11:00.001-07:00

I've tried this recipe with yams and with sweet potatoes. It works well with either. So you can use the one you prefer or switch between the two for a little more variety. The recipe says to use 1/4 cup of sweet potato but I never measure. I just use one large sweet potato or yam. And I've found popping them in the microwave is the easiest way to prepare them for mashing.

This recipe will also work with rice flour rather than wheat if you'd like to be glutten free. It makes the pancakes a little more dense. You'll probably want to cook them a little longer on a lower heat.

Also, I've found that these pancakes taste good with just a little honey and butter. Hope you enjoy.

4 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat a large skillet or griddle.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

Drop 1/4 cups of batter onto hot pan. Cook 3 minutes per side--until lightly browned.

Chicken BLT Salad

2009-02-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

Salads make a healthy quick lunch. If you limit the amount of dressing you use and cut down on the bacon bits this salad is also low calorie. (Unfortunately I tend to prefer the higher calorie salads.)
Also the avocados make this salad rich in B vitamins. There have also been studies linking avocado rich diets to a lowering of cholesterol. The mixed greens and the tomatoes provide vitamin C and the spinach provides vitamin A. So enjoy the bacon knowing you are getting a vitamin packed lunch.

4 cups spinach
4 cups mixed greens
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/3 cup cooked chicken, cubed
1/4 cup bacon bits
bacon ranch dressing

Toss all ingredients except dressing. Lightly drizzle dressing over top of salad or serve in a small dish to the side of salad.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-02-09T09:27:00.001-08:00

There are a number of ways to make chocolate chocolate chip cookies: chocolate squares, coco powder and even chocolate pudding. I prefer using chocolate squares or pudding because I've found it makes the cookies more moist. But I also enjoy the pudding recipe for another reason. It gives you the chance to experiment. Substitute vanilla pudding and suddenly you have vanilla chocolate chip cookies. Or you could substitute butterscotch pudding and chips for butterscotch butterscotch chip cookies.
So here is the recipe using pudding. Have a little fun with it.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 (4 serving) package instant chocolate pudding
2 eggs
3/4 cups (12 oz) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sift together flour and baking soda.

Cream together butter, sugars, vanilla and pudding mix. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in chips.

Drop spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Salad

2009-02-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

The candied pears and walnuts give this salad a sweet flavor. While the vinaigrette dressing gives it a sour taste. It's not the healthiest use of your fruits and vegetables, but it is an excellent way to increase your intake if you tend to shy away from the healthy.

4 cups spinach leaves
4 cups mixed greens
2 cups pears, peeled and sliced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 sliced cucumber
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 raspberries
1 tbsp mustard
1/4 vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil

Melt butter in small skillet over medium. Add pears, walnuts and brown sugar. Heat until well coated.

Mash raspberries. Add mustard, vinegar and oil. Shake to combine. (Run through a strainer if you want to remove the seeds.) Salt and pepper vinaigrette to taste.

Combine remaining ingredients. Add candied pears and walnuts. Top with raspberry vinaigrette. Enjoy.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

2009-02-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

Do you enjoy a good pizza but find delivery too expensive? Then you should enjoy this recipe. It is quick and easy but still tastes gourmet. And at a fraction of the price.

Pizza dough (You can find it in the refrigerator section of your grocery store or if you'd like to make your own try this recipe. It makes two medium pizzas.)
Garlic Alfredo Sauce (one jar will make about three medium pizzas)
Frozen Spinach, chopped (Again one box will make about three medium pizzas depending on how generous you are with your toppings.)
Bacon bits
Frozen grilled chicken, chopped (pre-cooked)
Mozzarella cheese
Cheddar cheese

Spread your pizza dough on pizza stone or baking sheet. Top with Alfredo sauce. Thaw spinach in microwave and squeeze out water. Add toppings as generously as your family desires. Cook for 20 minutes at 375 degrees or as indicated on your pizza dough package.

Spicy Carrot Soup

2009-02-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

This soup is a bit spicy, so I wouldn't serve it as a main dish. But it makes a good side dish or appetizer or even a mid afternoon snack. The pureed vegetables give the soup a nice creaminess.

3 tbsp oil
1/2 onion
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp curry powder
16 oz carrots (chopped)
1 large potato (peeled and chopped)
3 cups V8 (and 3 cups water)

Heat oil in deep saucepan. Add vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until softened (about 15 minutes). Add liquid and spices then cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Puree the mixture. If necessary gently reheat.

Moroccan Beef over Rice

2009-02-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

This is a nice dish when you are tired of standard American fare. It also works well wrapped in a tortilla and served for lunch, but I prefer it over rice. Also, I use dehydrated chopped onions. (You can find them in the baking section of your grocery store.) If you are using fresh onions you will need to fry them in olive oil before cooking the beef.
This recipe only requires 10 to 15 minutes of active cooking. But it does need to cook unattended for about 25 to 30 minutes.

1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cups ground beef
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp coriander
1 bay leaf
8 dried chopped dried apricots
1 can diced tomatoes, strained
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 dried cranberries
1 cup V8 juice

In a large skillet combine beef and onions. Cook until browned.

Use garlic press. Then add garlic, coriander and bay leaf to beef. Cook an additional minute.

Add apricots, tomatoes, tomato paste, cranberries and juice. Cook uncovered on medium low for 25 to 30 minutes. (If you are not using instant rice add one cup rice and two cups water to a small saucepan. Heat to boiling. Cover. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.)

Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice.

Mini Breakfast Muffins

2009-01-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

These muffins make a great breakfast when you are running a little late or are otherwise crunched for time. Or you can use them as a tasty snack at anytime. One note before you make them, be sure and use paper muffin cups because these muffins will stick to the pan if you don't.

1/2 cup and 1 tbsp pitted dried chopped dates
1/2 water
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup and 2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin pan with paper cups.

In small saucepan bring to boil dates and water. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile sift together flour, baking powder and sugar.

Stir in baking soda and butter into saucepan. Stir till butter melts.

Beat eggs. Add eggs, vanilla and date mixture to flour mixture. Mix until combined. Pour into paper cups. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. (Please note that the baking time is for mini muffins - larger muffins will require more baking time.)

Strawberry Smoothie

2009-01-21T14:36:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a quick snack for your kids that is better for them than cookies or chips would be try making this delicious treat. It has the consistency of a milkshake and the chocolate gives it a rich taste. You could also add a cup of strawberry yogurt. (You could try other flavors but I don't guarantee your results. :) )

10 frozen strawberries
4 ice cubes
1 cup of milk
2 tbsp chocolate syrup

Add ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Taco Soup

2009-01-20T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is an easy and quick soup to make. It is also fairly inexpensive and my family loves it. My daughter (she's a toddler) like to pick out the individual chili beans and pieces of corn. The spices are also easily modified to suite your family's tastes.
I like to serve the soup with chili cheese bread. I'll try to get that recipe in here too.

2 cans chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 package frozen corn (16 oz)
1 lb hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika

In the morning combine chili beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, chili powder and paprika to crock pot with 3 to 4 cups of water. Set to low heat.

About an hour before meal time place the hamburger and onion in a skillet. Sprinkle with remaining garlic salt. Brown. Drain excess grease. Add to soup.

Enjoy.

Mochico Bread

2009-01-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

If you are allergic to wheat flour or would just like a sweet bread I recommend this rice bread. It is actually sweet enough to use as cake. You could top it with a dusting of powdered sugar or a honey glaze.
It's very heavy and kind of spongy. The sponginess will increase as the bread cools. (Although at my house it tends to get eaten so fast it doesn't have time to cool.

Ingredients:

3 Eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 can coconut milk
enough regular milk to make a total of 3 cups (about 2 cups regular milk)
1 box mochico rice flour (2 cups)

Combine wet ingredients and baking powder. Beat until well blended. Stir in rice flour. (Take care as rice flour is very fine.)

Grease and lightly flour an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the top is brown (approximately one hour). Rising will deflate when the bread cools.

Thanksgiving Sandwich

2008-11-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving coming you will soon have a lot of leftover turkey. Before your family rebels at the idea of any more Thanksgiving food try this simple sandwich.

Ingredients:

cream cheese
cranberry sauce
chopped turkey
sliced bread

Spread cream cheese over your bread or toast. Top with cranberry sauce then chopped turkey. Then top with another piece of bread or toast and enjoy.

Granola Mix

2008-11-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

This granola makes a great breakfast cereal--even my daughter loved it. It makes healthy taste good.

Ingredients:

10 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 lb shredded coconut
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
4 or 5 cups chopped nuts (almonds, pecans and/or walnuts)
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 to 5 cups dried fruits (best with a mix of dried fruits)

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Combine in a large bowl oats, wheat germ, coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and nuts.

In a saucepan, heat brown sugar, water, oil, honey, salt, cinnamon and vanilla until sugar is dissolved--do not boil. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir till well-coated.

Spread on baking sheets with sides and bake 20 to 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool. Add dried fruit.

Store in air tight containers. If stored in a cool dry place will last 6 months. (I've never gotten to test the truth of that statement as it always disappears very quickly in my house.)

Makes 24 to 27 cups of granola cereal.

Honey Nut Pork Stir-Fry

2008-05-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

Stir-fry is always a good choice for a quick meal and it is usually fairly healthy. This particular recipe is probably a little higher in sugar content than most stir-fry, which is probably why it went over so well with my family.

This recipe does call for nuts, but cashews are a relatively soft nut and once my daughter had a fair number of teeth she never had a problem with them. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredient:

1/2 cup orange juice
3-1/2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1-1/4 tsp vegetable oil
2 carrots, sliced diagonally
2 celery stalks, sliced diagonally
11 ounces pork chops, sliced
1/3 cup cashews, chopped

Combine first five ingredients and mix well. Heat half oil in pan over medium high. Add carrots and celery and stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove vegetables and set aside. Heat remaining oil and stir-fry pork 3 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet. Stir in sauce and nuts. Cook over medium heat until sauce thickens and boils.

"Can't Be Beat" Pot Roast

2008-05-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

This is the first pot roast recipe I ever tried and it is still my favorite. This recipe is actually one of the reasons I started this blog. I lost the original recipe (still can't remember where I got it). However, I recent discovered that I'd made a copy for a friend and so was able to recover my recipe.

Anyway, as I said, I made this recipe with no experience at making pot roast and it was scrumptious. This is probably one of the few recipes that I've never altered. (It's also one of the only times I use rutabaga.)

Sorry, it's not terribly quick. But as far as meat dishes go, it is one of your less expensive options.

Ingredients:

1 3 to 4 lb beef chuck roast
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1/3 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 cup plum preserves
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6ths
4 medium carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and halved crosswise
1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium onion, cut into large wedges
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp cold water

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 6 to 8 quart Dutch oven brown meat on both sides in hot oil. Drain off excess fat. In a small bowl stir together wine, 1/3 cup water, basil, garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper; pour over meat. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

In a small saucepan melt preserves; pour over roast. Add potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, and onion to Dutch oven around meat. Cover and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour longer or until meat and vegetables are tender, stirring vegetables once during cooking. Transfer meat and vegetables to serving platter; cover to keep warm.

For gray, measure juices and skim off fat. If necessary, add enough water to juices to equal 1 1/2 cups. Return to pan. Stir together the cornstarch and cold water. Stir into juices in pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Serve with meat and vegetables. Makes 8 servings.

Quick Fruit Cobbler

2008-05-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

Cobblers are naturally faster than pies but this cobbler whipped up particularly easy. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen fruit or two cans of fruit

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place fruit in a 8 inch pan.

Mix flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter. Add milk. Pour over fruit and bake for 40 minutes.

Black Bean Quesadillas

2008-05-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

What makes these quaesadillas so good is the spice--cumin. The spice is native to East India and the east Mediterranean. It has a very distinctive warm, earthy flavor and is popular in North African, Middle Eastern, Western Chinese, Indian, Cuban and Mexican cuisine.

The whole seed will last longer than the ground variety, but most recipes call for ground cumin and as I never have time to grind it myself I keep the ground variety on hand. Also, if you are making scrambled eggs or omelets sprinkle on a little cumin for a wonderfully warm flavor.

Ingredients:

3 cups Cooked Black Beans or 2 Cans of Black Beans
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
Cumin
Flour Tortillas

Spread black beans lightly over half of tortilla. Add half that amount of tomatoes to the black beans. Cover with cheese. Lightly sprinkle with cumin. Fold over tortilla. Fry in a pan of hot oil.

Note: I usually turn my oven to warm and place finished tortillas in the oven till I've finished frying all the tortillas I will need.

Beef Stroganoff

2008-05-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

A quick easy standby that works well with green beans.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked rice

1 lb hamburger

1/2 onion

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup sour cream

6 large mushrooms

In a small saucepan add the rice and two cups water. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown the hamburger with the onion. Drain off grease. (Do not rinse!) Add the condensed soup and the sour cream. Chop and add the mushrooms.

When the rice is finished cooking top with the sauce and serve with your favorite vegetable.

Baked Potato Salad

2008-05-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

This recipe wasn't terribly quick but my husband fell in love with it so I want to remember it.

I know everyone has their own potato salad recipe so here is mine:

Ingredients:

6 large Russet Potatoes

Celery Salt

Lemon Pepper

Garlic Salt

Mayonnaise

Apple Cider Vinegar

Chives

Paprika

Crushed Red Peppers

Rosemary

5 to 6 strips of bacon

Cheddar Cheese

Peel and cut your potatoes into bite-sized bits. Depending on your definition of bite-sized boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Season the boiling potatoes with celery salt.

Fry the bacon till it is very crisp.

When the potatoes have finished cooking, drain and spread upon a cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with lemon pepper and garlic salt.

(Note: I didn't measure the spices when preparing the dressing so these measurements are all approximations.)

In a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of chives, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, dash of crushed red peppers, 1 teaspoon rosemary (crushed). Mix the dry ingredients.

Then add a healthy splash of apple cider vinegar, about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Crumble the bacon and add to mixture. Crumble 1/8 cup of cheese and add to mixture. Finally add enough mayonnaise to evenly coat everything (don't forget to add a little extra for the potatoes).

The dressing will be strong in flavor, but when you add the potatoes the flavor will become less intense. The potatoes can be added when they have cooled. I recommend refrigerating for about an hour before serving.

Vegetable Cheese Chowder

2008-05-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

There are many different varieties of chowder. In fact it used to be that chowder was made from anything that flew, swam or grew in the garden. Perhaps that is why it was considered "the poor man's food".

Vegetable Cheese Chowder can also be an inexpensive dish. Unless you choose to use an expensive variety of cheese. Even then cheese is much less expensive than meat or seafood.

This chowder is great if you are like me and end up with a lot of odds and ends of frozen vegetables in your freezer. Also, it's a good idea to pick up fresh bread to go with it. (Or better yet, you could send your husband while you're cooking the soup.)

It takes about 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 to 2 cups frozen vegetables (Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas and corn all have worked well for me.)
1 Chicken bullion cube
2 cups milk
1/3 cup flour
dash of pepper
1 cup shredded cheese

Combine vegetables, one cup water and chicken bullion in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 4 minutes.

While that is simmering combine milk, flour and pepper and mix well. Add to saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. (If you don't stir well the flour may clump.) When bubbly cook for 1 minute more. Add cheese. Cook and stir until just melted.

Why this Blog?

2008-05-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start this blog mostly for myself. I have a tendency to get into a rut with my cooking. I come home from work and I'm tired. I don't want to spend a lot of time making dinner. So I find myself making the same thing a million times, which is crazy because I know more than a handful of recipes.

So as my own personal reminder of the recipes I do know I am starting this blog. I will track what worked, what didn't and I'll even try to include about how long each took to prepare and to make. If this helps someone else that's great. But like I said it's mostly for me anyway.