Simple Italian Salad

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce, washed and torn
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 can black olives, drained and sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly slices and separated into rings
• 8 peperoncini (pickled peppers, in the olive/pickle aisle)
• 1/4c Parmesan cheese
• 1/2c Italian Dressing
• 1c Italian Croutons

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine vegetables and cheese.
2. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat.
3. Top with croutons.

Avacado Basil Pasta

Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 8  oz dried bow tie and/or wagon wheel pasta
• 2  md avocados; seeded, peeled, and coarsely chopped
• 6  slices bacon; cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled
• 2/3  c chopped fresh basil
• 2  Tbs lemon juice
• 1  Tbs olive oil
• 3  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4  tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8  tsp salt
• 1/2  c finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine: avocado, bacon, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt.
3. Add the hot pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese.

Roasted Cabbage

Preheat: 425F Bake: 20-30 min Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oi
• 2-3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled.
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Medium Head of Cabbage

 Directions:

1. Mix the olive oil, bacon bits, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to make the marinade. 
2. Prepare the cabbage. Rinse under water and remove any yucky loose leaves. Cut the head in quarters then core...
3.  Lay each wedge on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap it up in. Spoon about 2 tbsp of the marinade on top making sure to get it in all the nooks and crannies.
4.  Wrap each wedge and bake.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Serves: 4, 1 1/2 c Cost per serving: $1

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped (or 1/2 Tbs onion powder)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 c cooked brown rice
• 2 c frozen vegetables (corn, peas & green beans)
• 1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 c cooked meat (leftovers make an excellent addition)
• cheddar cheese chunks

Directions:

1. Spray a deep 12 in skillet with cooking oil & hat over med-high heat.
2. Pour the eggs into the skillet.
3. Cook the eggs without stirring until fully done; remove from pan & cut into strips, set eggs aside.
4. Return skillet to the burner, heat oil over med-high heat.
5. Add garlic & onion sauteing.
6. Stir in rice, vegetables, soy sauce, & meat if desired; heat through stirring occasionally.
7. Return eggs to pan, heat through.
8. Pepper to taste & serve.

Mashed Potatoes (Variations)

Prep: 10 min Cook: 10 min Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound potatoes, quartered; Optional: peeled
• cold stock, such as: beef, chicken, veal, or vegetable
• 6 whole roasted garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c heavy whipping cream, or low-fat buttermilk
• 2 Tbs butter, plus more to taste
• Salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Optional Ingredients:

• mascarpone cheese
• sour cream

Ingredients For Mash Potato Dinners:

• bacon, green onion, cheese
• broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, cheese, ground meat, such as: beef, chicken, lamb, veal

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan cover potatoes with cold stock & bring to a boil.
2. Cook just until tender -- do not overcook or potatoes will be watery.
3. Drain well, return pan with potatoes to low heat & shake to dry.
4. Heat butter in a small pan & saute garlic.
5. Add butter, garlic, cream, salt and pepper to potatoes.
6. Mash together with a potato masher until ingredients are combined but potatoes are still lumpy.
7. Serve.

Tip: save your starchy stock for: more potatoes, risotto, or soup!

Green Bean Casserole

Preheat: 350 F Prep: 15 min Bake: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 1/3 stick butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups sliced green beans
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1, 10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 1, 2.8 oz can fried onions
• salt & black pepper, freshly ground to taste
• 1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet.
2. Sauté onions, garlic & mushrooms in butter.
3. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 min & drain.
4. Add green beans, mushroom soup, salt & pepper to taste, to the onion mixture, stir well.
5. Pour into a greased 1 1/2 qt baking dish.
6. Bake 20 min.
7. Top casserole with fried onions & cheese & bake an additional 10 min, or until the casserole is hot & cheese is melted.

Traditional Cranberry Sauce (& Jellied)

Prep: 5 min Cook: 10 min Refrigerate: 2-3 days

Ingredients:

• 3 c (12 oz) fresh whole cranberries, washed & picked over
• 1 c sugar (reduced if using orange juice)
• 1 c water

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 orange, zested & juiced (should yield ab 3/4 c juice)

Directions:

1. Mix sugar & water in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar.
2. Add cinnamon stick if desired & bring to a boil.
3. Add cranberries (allspice &/or nutmeg if desired) & return to a boil.
4. Reduce heat & continue cooking ab 10 min until berries begin to pop, gently stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally.
5. Remove from heat (add in orange juice & zest if desired) & cool completely at room temp.
6. Remove cinnamon stick & refrigerate.

For Jellied Sauce:

1. Cook berries in water & seasonings until softened & they mush easily.
2. Remove cinnamon stick & mash berries in the pot, using a fine strainer filter over a bowl or place berries in a food mill & mill until you only have the peels left.
3. Return sauce to the stove with sugar & cook for 1-2 min until sugar is dissolved.
4. Pour sauce into a lightly oiled mold & chill

Southern Fried Green Beans

Prep: 5 min Cook: 30 min-1 hr

Ingredients:

• 2 slices thick cut bacon
• 1 lb fresh green beans
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Pre-heat a med sized sauce pan over med-high.
2. Slice bacon into 1 in wide pieces, add to pan & cook until almost crispy; stirring so pieces do not stick.
3. Optional: Saute garlic in bacon grease until golden brown.
4. Add green beans & enough water to bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling reduce heat, cover & simmer 30 min to 1 hr.
6. Season with salt & pepper.

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Prep: 10 min Bake: 60 min Servings: 12, 1/2c

Per serving: 96 calories; 2 g fat ( 1 g sat , 0 g mono ); 5 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 118 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 1/2-in pieces (ab 8 c)
• 1/3 c pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbs butter, melted
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange sweet potatoes in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Combine maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper in small bowl. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes; toss to coat.
3. Cover and bake the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes. Uncover, stir and cook, stirring every 15 minutes, until tender and starting to brown, 45 to 50 minutes more.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Just before serving, reheat at 350°F until hot, about 15 minutes.
Courtesy: Eating Well 2007

Macaroni & Cheese (Variations)

Preheat: 375° F Cook: 15 min Bake: ab 20 min Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. 9 oz macaroni, or mini shells
2. 1/4 c breadcrumbs
3. salt & pepper to taste

Mornay Sauce:

1. 3 Tbs butter
2. 1/3 c flour
3. 1 1/2 c whole milk
4. 1 lb shredded cheese, divided

Variations:

1. 1/4 c onions and 1/2 c crumbled bacon
2. Chicken Bake: 3/4 lb precooked cubed chicken with 1-2 c steamed vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, & cauliflower or green beans, corn & peas
3. Cheeseburger Mac: 3/4 c precooked ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard & relish
4. BBQ Mac: 3/4 c precooked ground beef or stew meat with barbecue sauce
5. Mac & Cheese Mini Muffins: double all ingredients; add 3 eggs, whisked, for binding; put in a lightly greased muffin pan, over fill cups; top with breadcrumbs & bake at 350 F for 20 min or until browned on top. Cool 10 min. Makes: 48 mini muffins

Preparation:

1. Cook macaroni in a lg saucepan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes; drain well & set aside.
2. Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan slightly larger than that used for the macaroni, whisk in the flour to form a roux.
3. Gradually add in milk, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth.
4. Add spices & any optional ingredients.
5. Bring sauce to a simmer & cook for 5 min.
6. Remove sauce from heat, add 13 oz of cheddar cheese & stir until cheese is well combined & melted.
7. Add macaroni to sauce, mixing well.
8. Transfer to a deep 9x9" glass pan, sprinkle remaining cheese & breadcrumbs over the top.
9. Place in oven & bake until cheese is bubbling.
10. Let stand 5 minutes, & then serve.

Julia Child's Ratatouille

From: "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking"
Serves: 6-8
Per serving (based on 6): 116 cal., 2 gm protein, 13 gm carbs., 7 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 135 mg sodium, 4 gm fiber
Ratatouille perfumes the kitchen with the essence of Provence & is certainly one of the great Mediterranean dishes. As it is strongly flavored it is best when it accompanies plain roast, pot-au-feu (boiled beef), broiled lamb, broiled or sauteed chicken. Equally good hot or cold, it also makes a fine accompaniment to cold meats, or may be served as a cold hors d'oeuvre.
A really good ratatouille is not one of the quicker dishes to make, as each element is cooked separately before it is arranged in the casserole to partake of a brief communal simmer. This recipe is the only one we know of that produces a ratatouille in which each vegetable retains its own shape and character. Happily a ratatouille may be cooked completely the day before it is to be served, and it seems to gain in flavor when reheated.
Hardware Needed:

1. A 3-qt, porcelain or stainless-steel mixing bowl
2. A 10-12" enameled skillet
3. A 2 1/2 qt fireproof casserole ab 2 1/2 inches deep

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb eggplant
• 1/2 lb zucchini
• 1/2 lb, ab 1 1/2 c, thinly sliced yellow onions
• 1 lb red tomatoes; peeled, seeded & juiced (makes ab 1 1/2 c pulp)
• 2, ab 1 c, sliced green bell peppers
• 7 Tbs olive oil, divided; more if necessary
• 2 cloves garlic; mashed
• 3 Tbs parsley, minced
• 1 tsp salt, plus more salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Peel eggplant & slice lengthwise 3/8' thick x 3" long x 1" wide.
2. Scrub zucchini, slice off ends, & cut into slices ab the same size as the eggplant.
3. Place eggplant & zucchini into a bowl & toss with salt. Let stand 30 min, drain & dry ea slice in a towel.
4. One at a time, saute eggplant then zucchini in hot oil, ab 1 min on ea side to brown very lightly. Set aside.
5. Saute onions & peppers in oil ab 10 min, until tender but not browned.
6. Stir in garlic, salt & pepper to taste.
7. Slice tomato into 3/8" strips, lay over onions & peppers; salt & pepper to taste.
8. Cover skillet & cook over low ab 5 min, until tomatoes begun to render their juice.
9. Baste tomatoes with juices, raise heat & boil several min, until juice has almost entirely evaporated.
10. Layer 1/3 tomato mixture sprinkled with 1 Tbs parsley, half of eggplant & zucchini mix, repeat until gone.
11. Cover casserole & simmer over low heat 10 min.
12. Baste with rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary.
13. Raise heat slightly & cook uncovered ab 5 minutes, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil.
14. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole.
15. Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold.

Potato Au Gratin (Variations)

Prep: 15 min Preheat: 375 F Bake: 80 min Serves: 8-12 Cost: ab $8for basic and $12 for casserole

Ingredients:

• ab 12 red potatoes (3-4lbs), washed
• 1/4 c butter
• 1 Tbs onion powder
• 1 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper, freshly ground
• 1 1/2- 2 c milk
• 2 1/2 c shredded cheese, divided
• 1/4 c dry bread crumbs
• paprika

Potatoes Au Gratin Casserole Options:

• 1-2 c broccoli or cauliflower florets
• 4-5 carrots, peeled & sliced 1/8" thick at an angle
• 1 turkey or chicken horseshoe sausage, sliced 1/8" thick at an angle

Directions:

1. Line a 9x13" pan or 1 1/2 qt casserole dish with aluminum foil, shiny side up, to save yourself on cleanup.
2. Melt butter in baking dish, pour into a large bowl.
3. Mix in: onion powder, flour, salt & pepper until thoroughly combined.
4. Stir in milk & 2 c shredded cheese
5. Spread potatoes & any desired optional ingredients evenly in pan & cover with cheese mixture.
6. Bake 1 hour.
7. Combine remaining shredded cheese & bread crumbs in a bowl.
8. Sprinkle cheese & bread crumb mixture over the top of the potatoes.
9. Sprinkle with paprika, to taste.
10. Bake an additional 20 min.

Holiday Stuffing

Prep:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c unfiltered apple juice
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 Tbs salt
1 1/2 c butter, melted
1/4 c whiskey
1 lb sausage links, removed from casings & cooked
8 c cornbread stuffing
4 c diced apples
1/2 c cranberries
1 1/2 c chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine apples, raisins, apple juice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, sage, salt, butter, and whiskey. Mix to combine and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, add cooked chunked sausage, cornbread stuffing, and pecans; mix together.
3. Ladle apple-raisin mixture over bread and sausage mixture. Mix to combine.
4. Transfer mixture to a non-stick or greased loaf pan or deep cast-iron skillet. Bake uncovered at 400°F for 35-45 minutes or until set and top crusted.