ER Forum Cookbook -- Recipe Posting Thread

[bright eyed]

<reposted, earlier posted in wrong thread!>

My easiest recipes:

Black Beans & Rice

1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of black beans
1 cup of rice
1 cup of chicken stock

If you are in the mood, you can saute some onions and garlic in a pan and toss that in first, then toss all the other ingredients (you can either use 2 cups of stock or 1 stock and 1 water depending on your taste,be aware of the salt content in your stock choice) and cook like regular rice, you can add a pinch of salt depending on your preference - I use a rice cooker so i plop all these in and push the button .

My Famous Trader Joe's salad

1 bag of mixed baby greens
handful of their Cranberry trail mix
1 apple (fuji, gala or granny), cut up into small pieces (1 inch or so)
2-3 tablespoons or slices of goat cheese
Trader Joes' Romano Caesar Dressing
TJ's parmasean pita chips

toss and enjoy!

Final contribution

Greek Burgers (adapted from Rachel Ray!)
Ground Meat (turkey, pork, chicken or combo)
mix in finely chopped onion and few garlic cloves (chopped)
dash of oregano
salt and pepper

mix well and make patties - 2 options here, you can make a true burger patty and serve on buns, or make smaller longer pieces for a pita/gyro style sandwich.

grill (i like cast iron), and on the side (in another pan or after the patties) grill sliced onions and red bell peppers.

also slice cucumbers to go on top (you can squirt some lemon juice on top). Add dollop of greek yoghurt too...

enjoy!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Super Meatloaf

For those who question the need for the veal and the pork, the pork adds considerable flavor and the high gelatin content in the veal traps considerable moisture inside the loaf. I substitute half and half beef and pork and add one half teaspoon of regular unflavored gelatin to the mix to create dang near the same result without the veal. Alas, I cant bring myself to eat the stuff.

4 tbl Unsalted butter - (1/2 stick)
1 1/4 cup Finely-chopped onions
1 cup Finely-chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup Sliced green onion
2 x Garlic cloves minced
2 x Eggs beaten
1/3 cup Canned beef broth
1 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tbl Hot pepper sauce
(preferably Franks Red Hot)
1 tbl Soy sauce
1 lb Ground beef
1/2 lb Ground pork
1/2 lb Ground veal
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese grated
3/4 cup Saltine cracker crumbs
1/2 cup Ketchup
5 slc Thick-sliced bacon halved crosswise

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When it foams, add the onions, bell pepper, green onion, and garlic. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring often, for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are lightly browned. remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and soy sauce until well blended. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, and veal with the onion mixture, the egg mixture, cheese, and cracker crumbs. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Transfer the meat mixture to a shallow baking dish and shape it into a loaf about 3 inches thick; smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

Spread the ketchup evenly over the loaf. Arrange the bacon strips atop the ketchup, overlapping them slightly if necessary.

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until an instant-reading thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees. Let the loaf stand on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I second the roasted root veggies - one of my favorites!!! I toss w/olive oil, sea salt and dried garlic. Also try cutting up a leak - adds nice flavor! also makes good baby food (i mash the sweet potatoes for the booboo).

Indeed, which brings us to my favorite instant toddler meal...root vegetable soup.

Mix any pureed vegetable (from current or leftover meal, or even a tub of #2 baby food); roots and peas work well, with an equal amount of milk, 1/2+1/2 or available stock. Pinch of salt, pinch of pepper. Offer in a plastic cup for drinking (I use little asian plastic tea cups like the restaurants use, from a restaurant supply company). I throw in a pinch of mint, curry powder, sage, thyme or chili powder to mix it up.

My wife tasted it once and I ended up making her some cold and hot simple vegetable soups.

Like many kids, gabe is sort of iffy on vegetables. Drinks his soup up and really enjoys the spiced variety. If we're going out to eat, i'll bring a tub of sweet potatoe or pea baby food (50c/tub in bulk at sams club), get a small glass of milk, have him drink half of it and then make his 'soup' with the rest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then he's at least got a full serving of vegetables and can snack on whatever else we've got...although he's almost big enough for his own meals.

Any more baby recipes or ideas for easy baby meals or is that outside the scope of your cookbook Al?

If not, another quick and easy one is Gabes standard breakfast. I mix yogurt (brown cow...accept no substitutes) with the powdered enriched organic whole grain baby oatmeal until its the consistency of wallpaper paste. Sticks to both sides of the spoon so its great for learning self-feeding. Served with a small cup of apple sauce or diced/sliced fruit, its a very complete meal and he likes it a lot.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

My wife loves this, and its easy to make. On paper its a very weird set of ingredients. Hearty winter meal and tastes better the next day.

Polish Stew

1 pound link sausage, preferably kielbasa
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds stew beef, diced
2 onions, sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 (16-ounce) package refrigerated sauerkraut
1 cup dry white wine
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

In a saucepan over medium heat, saute link sausage cut into 1/2-inch pieces for 15 minutes; place in a baking dish.

Add oil to the sausage drippings and brown diced stew beef, about 15 minutes. Place in the baking dish.

Next, saute sliced onions; add to the baking dish. Saute sliced mushrooms with sauerkraut and white wine. Add tomato sauce, soy sauce, caraway seed, and basil. Stir into the baking dish; mixing well.

Cover and bake at 375*F for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

We also like tagines. Made with chicken or beef, lots of spices and dried fruit, they're an interesting change of pace.

2 lbs well trimmed shoulder/chuck beef or shoulder of lamb, cubed
1 tablesp. ground ginger
1 teasp. ground black pepper
1 teasp. ground cinnamon
1 tablesp. turmeric
1½ tablesp. paprika
½ teasp. chilli powder
1-2 tablesp. olive oil
2 large onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 oz dried apricots, chopped
2 oz raisins
½ pt tomato juice
¼ pt beef stock
1 tablsp. honey
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt to taste

Set oven to 350ºF

Place the meat in a large bowl. Mix the spices together and coat the meat with the spices. Heat half the oil in a large pan and brown the onions well and place in a flameproof casserole, then brown the meat in the remaining hot oil (do this in batches to get the meat a good color). Transfer to the casserole with the onions. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir well, bring to the boil. Place in the oven for approx. 1½ hours or until the meat is very tender. Sprinkle on the topping and serve with rice or couscous.

Topping: (optional - this is where I like to add a little fresh garnish to a long cooked rich meal)

Mix together:

* 1-2 tablesp. fresh coriander, chopped
* Grated rind of 1 lemon
* 2 oz almonds, chopped
* Salt and black pepper

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Chicken Tagine. NOT easy to make, but good. Another one of my wifes favorites.

Preserved lemons can be bought or made. Substitute a little lemon zest and juice if you cant find them or dont want to bother. To make them, quarter or thickly slice and halve the slices of a bunch of well scrubbed lemons. Dip the chunks into a bowl of coarse salt and coat thoroughly. Too much salt cannot be an issue here, too little is a problem. Pack into a sealable jar like a mason jar, sprinkle in more salt, and then pour in lemon juice until everything is well covered. Put in the back of the fridge for a couple of weeks, occasionally stirring/mashing with a spoon. After the two weeks, pour a 1/4" (or more) skin of olive oil on top. This concoction will now last 6-12 months well refrigerated. Never put your fingers or a dirty implement into the jar, always use a clean fork or spoon. If it ever starts turning brown, growing anything moldlike or smelling like anything other than lemons, throw it out. GREAT way to deal with having a lot of leftover lemons if you like to use them in cooking. After about a month the rind becomes soft and they're fully edible. Chop and add to anything you want to have a salty lemon taste, add a half teaspoon of the juice to season sauces or dips, and a bit of the salty/lemony oil from the protective covering can be used in a stir fry. You may also do the same thing with any citrus...preserved limes chopped finely are dang good in a salsa. You have in essence 'salt cured' the citrus and as long as the salt and acid content of the jar remain high and uncontaminated, it'll be good for some time. Rinse well before using to remove excess salt.

1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 large pinch saffron
1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken, cut up into small pieces or 2lbs of boneless skinless thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 preserved lemon (see below)
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1 cup chicken stock

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and cloves until they start to smoke. Remove from the heat and grind in a spice grinder or put in a plastic bag or plastic wrap inside of a kitchen towel and whack with a skillet until coarsely ground. Or go simple and use ground pepper and cloves, adding the pepper early and the cloves late to the heating process.

In a bowl large enough to accommodate the chicken, add the oil, spice mix, garlic, ginger, cilantro, bay leaves and saffron. Mix to a paste. Add chicken, rubbing the marinade over all the pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve marinade. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a tagine or large casserole over medium high heat add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Put in chicken pieces and lightly brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Rinse preserved lemon well. Scoop out flesh and discard; cut peel into strips and add to pan. Add reserved marinade, olives, and chicken stock. Cover tightly and cook over medium low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove bay leaf and discard. Taste juices and adjust seasoning. Place chicken on a warm platter. Spoon juices with the preserved lemon, olives, and onions over chicken and serve accompanied by couscous with apricots, raisins or some other dried fruit.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Bunny Chili

Theres no bunny in this, but I use several techniques that can make a difference in any chili or red sauce recipe.

Its pretty free form, and I probably never make it the same way twice, so ingredient quantities are roughly specified.

Chop an onion and start sauteeing it in a little oil. When its mostly a rich brown, add a few chopped cloves of garlic. Adding the garlic in early will result in the garlic burning and becoming bitter as it'll cook way faster than the onion.

Add 2 lbs chuck, cut into roughly bite size chunks. Chuck has been the best for flavor and texture in my experience. Sirloin and round can get mushy and sometimes have a livery taste to them. Brown thoroughly on all sides. The brown stuff will become absorbed into the liquid, making for a richer flavor

Add a large can of chopped tomatoes, a can of beef stock, and a bottle of dark beer...guinness stout is my favorite. By using the can of beef stock instead of water, we're getting a lot of concentrated rich beef flavor dialed in right away. The same trick works wonders on a quick meat sauce for pasta...add beef stock instead of water or another liquid to give it that "cooked all day" richness. The beer adds exceptional depth.

Flavor with cumin, chili powder, italian dry seasoning...for this amount I'd dump some into the palm of my hand and throw it in...probably 2-3 tablespoons each, but add some and test the flavor...its easy to add more but a little tough to take some out. I like the earthiness of cumin so I add more than most recipes would call for, and I make my own chili powder. To do that, go to the nearest market that sells dried chilis, or look in the latin/mexican food section of your market for dried chilis. Get a variety of 2-6 different ones. Smaller ones are usually hotter, large ones sweeter. Break the stems off and any nasty looking bits and throw the rest into a blender or food processor and whirl away until powdered, then store in a container with a tight fitting lid...it'll last a year or so before losing potency. If its too mild, add some cayenne. If its too spicy, add some sweet paprika.

Simmer until the beef is tender.

At this point you're pretty much good to go. Salt to taste. If its thinner than you like, add a few teaspoons of coarsely ground corn meal (polenta) and let it simmer a few minutes. The corn meal will add another little flavor dimension, a little extra texture and absorb water from the chili. The grains turn red and are nearly invisible.

Add a can of beans if thats your thing, or leave them out. Half the time I throw in a can of black beans, drained and rinsed.

Serve with diced onions, shredded aged cheddar cheese, sour cream and my other secret weapon for those who like it hotter. Take a can of chipotles in adobo sauce, which can be found in the mexican food aisle of most markets. Puree the entire contents of the can in a blender or food processor. Be very careful with touching this stuff, getting a lot on you, or getting any in your eyes. These are smoked jalapeño chilis in a tomato sauce. Depending on the scovilles of the jalapeños in the batch used in the can, this can be anywhere from dang hot to holy crap my face is on fire hot. A teaspoon of this will make a bowl of red quite spicy and impart a nice smoky dimension of flavor and aroma. Three or four for that guy who swears he loves food as spicy as can be, although you may wish to advise him to put a roll of toilet paper in the freezer before he goes to bed.

 

[bright eyed]

Indeed, which brings us to my favorite instant toddler meal...root vegetable soup.

Any more baby recipes or ideas for easy baby meals or is that outside the scope of your cookbook Al?

If not, another quick and easy one is Gabes standard breakfast. I mix yogurt (brown cow...accept no substitutes) with the powdered enriched organic whole grain baby oatmeal until its the consistency of wallpaper paste. Sticks to both sides of the spoon so its great for learning self-feeding. Served with a small cup of apple sauce or diced/sliced fruit, its a very complete meal and he likes it a lot.

thanks for the tips!

mostly a struggle to consistantly offer the nice array of veggies - my problem not the babies - she will eat what i feed her! but if i'm disorganized it's usually some cut up fruit, and rice or whatever i'm having!

 

[scrinch]

Spicy Seafood Chowder

This is a quick recipe that I like to fix in the winter when it's cold out and I need to fill up on something warm and hearty. It is flexible in that you can make it as mild or spicy as you like, and can add whatever seafood you like, have on hand, or the cat drags in.


one onion
couple stalks celery
couple cloves garlic

one big can hominy
a cup of corn
one small can chiles (ortega or hotter if you like)
one can chopped tomatoes
one big can enchilada sauce (or tomato sauce)
small bunch of cilantro, chopped
two cups water
couple diced potatoes (optional)

1/2 to 3/4 lb each of your three favorite seafoods, bite sized
(I like tilapia filets, squid, and scallops, but salmon and shrimp are good, too)


Chop and saute the onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil in a large pot.
Add the next eight ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the seafood, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer another 10 minutes. If it's not spicy enough you can add a little cayenne pepper as well. Mmmmm, good with piping hot french bread!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

thanks for the tips!

mostly a struggle to consistantly offer the nice array of veggies - my problem not the babies - she will eat what i feed her! but if i'm disorganized it's usually some cut up fruit, and rice or whatever i'm having!

No problem, its a constant battle. Besides the hot/cold vegetable/fruit variably spiced "soups" I've found enough of a variety in tiny little frozen dinners like michelinas, kaschi, zatarains and similar, mostly vegetable/grain items that gabe likes. Four minutes in the nuker when i'm too lazy to make something or have a small time window. Usually more than he can eat, so dad gets a bite or two. Buck or two a pop if you shop around.

Between that, and the "toddler" version of Clif Bars and Nouriche smoothies, we stuff an awful lot of nutrition into him even when time is tight or we're on the road.

 

[simple girl]

Artichoke Dip
from simple girl

This is a party favorite. Every time I take it, the bowl gets licked clean, and I get multiple requests for the recipe. Before the next party I'm asked..."Are you bringing your artichoke dip?"

2 – 14 oz cans of artichoke hearts (drained & chopped up)
2 cups of mayo
1 bar of cream cheese (softened)
2 cups parmesan cheese
2 to 3 tsp minced garlic

paprika

tortilla chips

Mix first 5 ingredients. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake @ 350 degrees for ~ 40 to 45 minutes – until bubbly throughout.

Serve with tortilla chips.

 

[simple girl]

Brownie Pie
from simple girl

Decadent. Need I say more?

2 eggs
1 c sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) butter melted
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 c all purpose flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/4 t salt
1 c semi sweet choc. chips
1/2 c walnuts, chopped(optional)
vanilla ice cream or cool whip

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9" pie plate. Beat eggs, stir in
butter, sugar, and vanilla. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt in a separate bowl.
Add to butter mix. Then stir in chips and walnuts. Pour into pie plate.
Bake 30 minutes or until set.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream (the best way, IMO) or cool whip.

 

[simple girl]

Chicken Pot Pie
from simple girl

Good comfort food that really isn't all that hard to make. The filling is fairly lo-fat, but the pie crust packs a punch. You could make it with a lower fat and calorie crust, but, IMO, the crust makes the pie!

1 package refrigerated pie crust
½ medium onion
1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables
5 oz mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup of diced white potato
1 can of 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
5.5 oz of cooked chicked, cubed
1 cup of fat-free chicken broth
1 tsp garlic (minced)
1 ½ tbsp flour
¼ tsp basil
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp parsely
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt

Saute garlic, onions, and mushrooms using non-stick spray.
Add the broth, potatoes, and veggies.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low.
Simmer ~12 minutes, partially covered (potatoes should be a bit undercooked). Remove from heat.
Combine soup and flour in a bowl. Add this to the veggie mix, plus the cooked chicken and spices.
Place bottom of pie shell in a DEEP 9” pie dish. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Cover with pie crust as instructed on box (crimp edges, cut vent holes, etc.).
Bake at 400 degrees for ~ 40 minutes (when crust is nicely browned).
Tip: after the first 15 minutes, place aluminum foil around the edges of the crust to keep it from becoming overbaked.

~335 calories per slice (makes 8 servings)

 

[Dreamer]

Sweet Potato Casserole


This is especially good around the holidays. It is almost like a dessert. I have had many requests for this recipe.

1 40 oz can Sweet Potatos
1 c white sugar
1/2 c milk
1/4 c softened butter
3 large eggs
1 t salt
1 t vanilla

Beat until smooth. Put in greased 2 quart baking dish. If doubled, use 9 x 13 baking dish.

Topping:

1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 c chopped pecans
2 T cold margarine

I put the topping in a ziploc bag and mix it.

Put topping on the Sweet Potato mixture and bake uncovered at 325 for 50 minutes or until golden brown.

If you are making this dish the day before, leave the topping in the ziploc bag until it is ready for the oven.

Enjoy!
Dreamer

 

[Dreamer]

Tortellini Soup

99 oz chicken broth, low fat (2 49.5oz cans)
2 28 oz cans tomatoes, Hunt's Diced, with basil,garlic and oregano
20 oz tortellini, frozen or fresh
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large stock pot. Add as much or as little minced garlic as desired for your taste.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, salt and pepper to taste, cover and simmer one hour.

Serve hot in large bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan on top and a crust of hearty Italian bread.

 

[Dreamer]

Cavatini

1 pkg Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix
Onions and green peppers, chopped
1 8oz shredded mozzarella
1 8oz shredded cheddar
1 large jar spaghetti sauce (I use Prego)
pepperoni sliced (according to taste)
1 lb ground beef or more
1 box trifoli pasta

Brown ground beef, pepperoni, onions and green peppers with the taco seasoning. Drain, add suace and simmer.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package (I undercook slightly). Drain, rinse,drain again.

In casserole dish, layer pasta, sauce and cheese. Last layer should be cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted. (approx 20 minutes)

In casserole

 

[Dreamer]

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 C Silk Vanilla Soymilk
1 sliced, frozen banana
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 c frozen strawberries
2 T sweetener (I use either sugar or Splenda)

We like blueberries, so I usually throw in 1/4 c frozen blueberries and add a little more soymilk. My daughter is lactose intolerant and loves these. I have used skim milk for these for spouse and I, but I prefer the soymilk.

 

[Dreamer]

Potato-Sausage Casserole

I make this every year as part of our Christmas breakfast. I make it the day before and pop it in the oven while we open our presents.

1 lb sausage
1 32 oz package frozen hashed brown potatoes, thawed (I use southern style)
1 10 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz jar Cheez Whiz
1 8 oz sour cream
1/2 to 1 c chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in skillet, stirring until crumbly; drain. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Spoon into greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Jogged my memory on the tortellini...

Tortellini Salad

Cook a package of whatever tortellini you like, drain and let cool.

Make a basic vinaigrette or use bottled italian salad dressing.

Chop a red onion, celery stalk and bell pepper, add to bowl with tortellini.

Dice any lunch meats and cheeses you like, I use salami, cheddar cheese, provolone, and ham. Bite size pieces. Add to the bowl.

Toss in any addition accompaniments, like quartered artichoke hearts, black olives, etc.

Dress with your vinaigrette and serve immediately.

 

[Dreamer]

Baked Beans

1 30 oz can kidney beans
2 28 oz can pork and beans
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup
1 lb either hamburg or bacon (our family prefers the fried bacon and cut up into 4-5 pieces per slice)
1 14 oz bottle of ketchup
1 T mustard
3 shakes or so of Worcheshire sauce
Brown sugar to taste

Brown the meat, drain, and mix everything together and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

 

[Dreamer]

Apple Pie

5 c sliced apples (I use Golden Delicious and do 3 or 4 slices per apple quarter)
1/2 c sugar
2 T flour
1/2 t cinnamon

Put in 9 in pie crust (I use pie crust in box in refrigerated section,I think it is Pillsbury and very good) Cut slits in crust, spray with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray a little on crust and then sprinkle it with sugar.

Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Rash of breakfast dishes

Pasta alla carbonara (Italian bacon and eggs)

1/4lb Bacon or pancetta, which is cured, unsmoked bacon. You may get el cheapo "bacon ends" or butchers "cooks bacon" already diced
Enough dry pasta for 3-4 servings
4 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp. olive oil or butter
2 tablespoons cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil water, add a big pinch of salt and start pasta, cooking per its directions. Regular spaghetti works best.

Chop bacon into 1" or so chunks and cook until bacon fat melts off and the bacon is done. Remove from heat and loosely cover with foil.

Beat cream and eggs in a large bowl then stir in half the parmesan cheese.

When the pasta is done, drain and re-warm the bacon skillet and add the drained pasta. Stir to mix bacon with pasta and thoroughly heat the mixture.

Add the pasta to the bowl containing the cream/egg/cheese mixture. Stir to combine and add more cream if its too thick...you want a nice pasta with sauce but the heat from the pasta/bacon should 'cook' the egg mixture.

Serve in large bowls, topping with a healthy grind of pepper, pinch of salt and the remaining parmesan cheese.

If all that bacon fat scares the lipitor out of ya, drain the bacon but add a few tablespoons of olive oil, butter or other similar 'better' fat before adding the pasta.

Frittata

For an alternative, or great way to use up last nights leftover pasta make the same way except drain all the bacon fat, use 6-8 eggs with the cream and add all of the parmesan. Add the pasta to the bacon pan as above, then return to medium heat and add the eggs/cream/parmesan and cook over medium-low heat until the whole thing is nearly cooked, then stick it under the broiler for a few minutes until it sets and puffs on top. Slide the frittata out onto a plate, slice like a pie and serve with a drizzle of warm tomato sauce.

You can replace the pasta in the frittata dish with a few cups of cooked rice, add herbs, change the cheese, top with alfredo or other sauce, etc.

Eggs poached in tomato sauce

Some attribute this dish to originate in the italian countryside, others claim its been a persian staple for centuries.

Make your own basic onion/garlic/tomato pasta type sauce or fill a sauce pot with some good jarred sauce. Thin it out with water or wine so its not super thick and heat to a simmer. You'll know if the sauce is thin enough at this point...if its spitting blops of tomato sauce onto your stove, its too thick. Add more wine. Drink some of the wine. Add some more wine. *BLAM* Wheres my tv show? Anyhow, once its up to a simmer, break in as many eggs as you want, keep a few inches away. Cover the pan. After the whites look to be starting to set around the sides and bottom, carefully spoon a little of the sauce over the top of the eggs. There should NOT be any boiling going on, you want these eggs to poach nice and mellow in an extremely hot but not bubbling sauce. After about 15-20 minutes, prod the eggs to see if the yolks are done to your liking. Slice up some crusty bread, warm and plate. Top with a poached egg and some sauce.


Wrecked Eggs

Thoroughly scramble eight eggs in a bowl. Add a few big spoolfuls of salsa. Cook like scrambled eggs. Eat. Kids like these a lot. Very unattractive but tasty.

 

[Dreamer]

Chicken Waikiki Beach

Original recipe

2 whole chicken legs and 2 whole chicken breasts
1/2 c flour 1/3 c oil
1 t salt 1/4 t pepper

Sauce
1 can (1lb,4oz) sliced pineapple (I use pineapple in its own juice)
1 c sugar
2 T cornstarch
3/4 c cider vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t ginger
1 chicken bouillon cube

1 large green pepper, cut crosswise in 1/4 in circles

Wash chicken, pat dry and coat with flour. Heat oil and brown chicken on all sides and put in roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Make sauce: Drain pineapple, pouring syrup into 2 c measure. Add water to make 1 1/4 c.

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, pineapple syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and bouillon cube. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly: boil 2 minutes and pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add pineapple slices and green pepper. Bake 30 minutes longer or until chicken is tender. Serve with rice.

I usually use 6 to 8 boneless chicken breasts and skip the coating with flour and frying them. I put them in 9 x 13 pan and I make double the sauce recipe, since my daughter loves to eat rice with the sauce over it the next day). Adjust the cooking time. It doesn't take quite as long, since you are using boneless meat. I only use the green pepper if I have one handy.

 

[Dreamer]

Ham Barbecue

1 lb chipped ham, pulled apart
1 bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 t mustard
2 T cider vinegar
2 T or more brown sugar
Add maybe 3 T of Heinz ketchup, if you want

Cook the sauce ingredients, covered, for a couple of minutes, then add meat and cook covered for a few more minutes. Put on buns.

 

[TromboneAl]

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