Hearty Minestrone

Soups are hard to write recipes for becaus, as I have said before, my goal is usually to use up what I have on hand rather than follow recipes to a tee.  So if you have sweet potatoes instead of carrots or green beans instead of zucchini-- then by all means, use THEM!  Don't ever be boxed in to recipes, ESPECIALLY soups.  That said- here is this particular days' variation.

1 pound mild Italian Sausage
2 med. onions, diced
2 med. green peppers, diced
1 T. minced garlic
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, cut into pieces

(Brown the meat with the tiniest bit of oil.  Add everything else and saute until the onions are translucent.

Then add:

14 oz. water
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can stewed (or crushed) tomatoes
4 T. sugar
1 jar spaghetti sauce  (I used a homecanned quart jar so I don't know if that is more or less than storebought, but they look about the same.)
1 T. italian seasoning
1 t. salt
A few turns of the peppermill
1 bay leaf

This you let simmer for a while and then, 20-30 minutes before serving add

2 cups of water
1 cup of pasta

When the pasta is cooked through, discard the bay leaf and serve!

PS.  Before adding the last water and pasta, if you have a smaller family you can divide this large portion of soup into smaller portions to freeze for later. Then simply thaw and some pasta and water and ta-da-  DINNER FAST!

PPS.  Soups always taste SO much better if given time to meld.  So if you can manage to make the soup in the morning and put it in the fridge, that is how soups love to be treated.  Even still, it is a great soup. 

Summer Squash Boats

 

The problem with my cooking is this:  I believe in the waste not, want not theory.  So I throw a little bit of this in, throw a little bit of that into recipes in order to clean my fridge.  This is how I make sure we use things up without being wasteful and also how I have taught myself to cook (learning what works and what emphatically DOESN'T!).

This method is great for our palates, not-so-great for writing recipes.

So here is the how-to for making zucchini boats, with the superfluous stuff in italics.

You'll need:

• 2-3 zucchini or summer squash
• 1 pound meat of some sort (I used a jar of homecanned ground beef in tomato sauce but sausage would be good!  Or chicken!  Or beef cubes!  Kielbasa works great too!)
•  1 large onion, diced
•  1 large green pepper, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, depending upon your tastes (I used two)
  
• any other veggies you might like or have to use up:  I used some leftover roasted delicata squash, zucchini and potatoes from the other night and two carrots that we pulled up for Sketch Tuesday that I promised we would eat for supper (our first pulled up garden carrots create quite the excitement around here!) 
• spaghetti sauce, about a 1 cup. (Mine was canned with the beef and I also added five fresh small tomatoes.
• Cheese of some sort, shredded (any would be good.  I used mozzerella because that is what I had.)
• Seasonings:  a few pinches each of salt, pepper and italian seasoning

Here's what you do:

Cut in half 2-3 zucchini lengthwise and hollow out seeds with a spoon or scoop, leaving the bottom intact.  Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, brown meat (and discard some fat if necessary) (OR use canned beef, like me!) then saute onion, green pepper, carrots, garlic in mixture until onions and peppers are nearly ready.  (This is when I added my roasted leftover veggies) Add sauce and a few fresh tomato hunks (if you want) and simmer for a few minutes some of the water is cooked off.

Fill up your squash boats with your beef mixture and top with mozzerella and put in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until the meat mixture is nicely browned and the zucchini is cooked.

Saucy Spareribs

Spare ribs are a very special treat in this house but since we had our home-grown hogs butchered, we happen to have them in the freezer.  So on a middle-of-the-week, hotter than heck summer day, and nobody present except our very own selves, we decided to have a feast.  

These spare ribs were delicious.  The sauce was divine.  Try them next time you want a middle-of-the-week feast.  That's all.

6 lb. pork spare ribs
1 t. salt
water
3 T cooking oil
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 c. ketchup
1/3 c. light corn syrup
1/3 c. vinegar
2 T. worcestershire sauce
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. spicy mustard

Place ribs and salt in a kettle with enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until almost tender.

Drain well.  Set aside (in fridge if it won't be for a while)


Meanwhile, heat oil in 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat and sauce onion and garlic in it about five minutes or until tender.  Add remaining ingredients, mixing well.  Cook until mixture comes to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. 

To Grill:

Grill ribs over medium heat, turning and basting often with sauce, for about 30 minutes or until ribs are well glazed.  

Sweet Pan Chili

Matt had a hunkering for baked beans one night, and I had only one can of Cambell's Pork 'n beans. Desperation is the mother of invention, and now we have a new favorite cool weather meal. That night I served it with cast iron cornbread and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In cast iron pan, brown and saute':

1 large onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef or sweet sausage (If necessary, drain excess fat)

Add to pan:

1 can black beans, drained.
1 can butter beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained.
1 can pork and beans, undrained

Then add:

3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 c. water
3-4 T. barbecue sauce
3 splashes Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
A sprinkling of: paprika, garlic powder, cracked black pepper and salt

Let simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Garden Veggie Pie

You will need:
prepared single pie crust
zucchini or summer squash
onion
tomatos
garlic
lemon juice
flour
sugar
basil
egg
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Saute' :
(in 2 T. olive oil for about 5 minutes until slightly tender but still crisp)

3 medium summer squash (I used yellow and zucchini)
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato (I used 6 or 7 cherry)

Add about 1 T. minced garlic for one minute before removing from heat.

Prepare pie crust: Once rolled flat cut into wedges like a pizza and put pointed side OUT in a greased pie plate. Pinch the wide wedges back together to create a solid bottom and leave points hanging over edge.

Mix:

1 egg
1/2 c. parmesan cheese (I like the shredded)
3 T. fresh basil, chopped
1 t. lemon juice
1/4 c. flour
1 T. sugar
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste ( I like plenty)

...into the saute'd veggies and pour into pie crust.

Fold over the extra pie crust points. If you want a fancy presentation, paint with an egg wash. (I didn't) Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and cheese is golden.

TRULY delicious.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice, to me, is either win or lose. There is no mediocre. This one is definitely a win, and I *think* it has to do with the home-canned chili sauce (which means I will have to get that recipe on here too!). My canned sauce has a sweetness to it that I think would be lacking in the storebought.

Of course, make it with storebought if you must. And hey~if you want to add some sweetness, just add some sugar! Try it and let me know if you like it.

I like to serve Spanish Rice with some cheese quesadilla topped with salsa and sour cream. It's cheap, it's light, and it's muy delicioso.

Here's what you need:

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 small to medium chopped onion
* half a green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can canned tomatoes
* 1 cup water
* 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
* 1/2 cup chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 pinch ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown your ground beef and cook your onions in a large, oven safe pot over medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Drain excess fat and turn heat down to medium-low. Stir in the green bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, chili sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.

Put the lid on and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add shredded cheddar cheese and put in 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. (Or-in the mid summer, just put the lid on tight and turn heat down low on burner to avoid turning on the oven.)

Mac and Cheese

A few months ago, my sister and I went out together and her teenage daughter graciously took care of my two eldest children until they could be picked up by Papa on his way home from work. Only about an hour...but one to look forward to anyway.

On the drive there, five year old Corynn said "Mama. Will we get to stay for SUPPER? Because Samantha makes the best supper ever!"

Curious, I asked what the best supper ever would be classified as.

"Oh you know...those noodly things. With the cheese?!"

At that moment I thought to myself. "Golly. My all-American children haven't ever had macaroni and cheese BEFORE?! That is just SAD."

I don't get the box mixes from the grocery but homemade versions never really floated my boat. But that has now changed.

I vowed at that moment, that I was going to conquer the macaroni. As I tested things, I realized that my palette rejects the crumb topping on some mac and cheeses. I also realized that when it comes to mac and cheese, LOTS of cheese is a must. Finally, I discovered that creating a white sauce turned cheese-sauce was way better than just mixing up cheese and letting it melt.

Here. Let me show you. Here is how it is done.

(PS. Pardon the awful pictures. Odd colored ham doesn't really make ME salivate. It was just the lighting, which STINKS in my house in the middle of winter. When I make this again, if I remember, I will update the photo into something so visually appealing you will be drooling over the keyboard.)


You'll need:

About 12 oz. Macaroni

.....Prepare as directed and set aside.

~1 small onion, chopped
~2 T. butter

....Saute the onion in the butter until it is translucent

~1 T. flour

....Add to onion and butter mixture and stir until flour is coating onions and turning golden.

~1 2/3 c. heavy cream (yeah. you CAN use regular milk, but WHY?!?)

....Slowly add cream (or milk) to the flour-y mixture of onion and stir. Allow to boil over medium-high heat until thickened.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and if you are feeling exotic, sprinkle some cayenne pepper in there too.

now, brace yourselves....

3 cups shredded cheese. ( I like to use a variation of cheeses and that variation almost always includes jalepeno cheese. It really enhances the flavor.)

If you like creamy creamy macaroni and cheese, add the full three cups of shredded cheese to the prepared white sauce...let melt ( always stirring), add to the pasta and cook for just a moment or two more, until it is all melded and the pasta re-warmed. Then feel free to snarf.

If you like baked macaroni with a bit of a cheesy crust here and there, add two cups of cheese to the white sauce and stir until melted. Mix with cooked pasta (which is now in an oven safe pan) and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake until golden on top in a 350 degree oven (about 15 minutes)

Cheddar Sausage Strata

oh my.

Why hasn't strata entered my world (and mouth) sooner?

I cannot tell you. However, I can tell you that it will never leave again.

A FABULOUS way to use up bread. And eggs.

A FABULOUS way to entertain guests...that leaves you FREE from the kitchen.

A FABULOUS way for a two week postpartum Mama to actually get food on the table, since dinnertime is inevitably the time littlest babe wants to nurse. And edible food, no less.

And Strata ought to be synonymous with Simple. I'll take that up with Roget next opportunity I get.

Here is the recipe, plain and simple.

You'll need:

1 pound sausage
1/2 pound bacon

which you can brown. Right now.

While that is cooking, grab your bread and start cubing. I used unsliced bread-so I can't verify the amount of bread. If you were using sliced, I would say....it would be about 10 slices. cubed.

Of course, the cheese is one of the best parts~so don't be stingy. I used 1 1/2 cups. And SHARP cheese is a must. All others might just make this second rate.

Add the bread and cheese to a large mixing bowl, and when the sausage and bacon is fully cooked, you can add the meat mixture to the bowl too. Make sure the bacon gets crumbled, so everyone gets a taste!

Next pour three cups milk over everything. There is nothing worse than milk-soggy bread so this part sort of grossed me out. Momentarily.

Then, wisk 8 eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons of mustard together and pour THAT slimy concoction over the soggy mixing bowl. Stir together.

Then admire~ it doesn't look that gross after all.

Cover and stick in the fridge for 8 hours, or overnight. Forget about it. Do something for YOU. Enjoy yourself-because you don't have to give another thought to dinner (or breakfast) (or brunch) for another 8 hours or more.

Give nice big sigh of relief.

Go nurse wailing, half-starved child. (oh wait. That's me.)

Take Strata from fridge 30 minutes before putting in oven. Preheat oven to 350 and then bake for 60-65 minutes.

Just wait until you open that oven door when it is all done. It is beautifully fluffy and golden, and just...a work of art. It tastes as good as it looks, too. Trust me. Better yet: don't. Go see for yourself.

Hearty Split Pea Soup

You know what I love about homemade soups? They are great for using up leftovers. It is a rare occasion when I make a soup from scratch for the intent of making a soup, from scratch. Rather, my goal is usually to clean the fridge of it's bits of this or that. For that reason, it is hard for me to post recipes for soups- because soups are rarely alike in the Newman household and those phenomenal soups created once will likely never be created again.

But not THIS soup. THIS soup is made because the taste of it pervades me dreams and ONLY for that reason. It is not a "use this up, toss this in" sort of soup-but one that you make solely to smell it cooking away in its' crockpot for hours at a time- or to feel it's hearty thickness warm your innards on a cool day. This is, plain and simple, my own kind of comfort food.

You know what else I love about this particular soup?

1) It's cheap. Like feeds a family of 6 for under $4.00 kind of cheap!

AND

2) It's a cupboard stocker. Being made with dry split peas means that you can have the ingredients in your cupboard and they can stay there for a LONG time, just WAITING to bail you out on that week when grocery money is non-existent or...catastrophic world events take place...or the internet crashes and the whole world goes insane...or the snowstorm of 2009 leaves you holed in your bear cave until 2011. That sort of thing.

Hearty Split Pea Soup

* made in the crockpot *

You'll need:

* 16 ounces dried split peas
* 2 cups sliced sausage/kielbasa
* 1 1/2 diced carrots
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 5 cups chicken stock (made simply with boiling water and chicken bouillion)
* 1 cup hot milk

In your crockpot, layer the first nine ingredients in order listed (do not stir). Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender. Before serving, pour in hot milk, stir. Sniff. Smell. Salivate. Then go fishing for bay leaves~ discard when found. (The bay leaves, not the soup!) THEN- discard the soup. RIGHT down your throat.


Lots of pea soups are made with ham and I *like* it that way, but I tend to go the whole sausage/kielbasa route for one simple reason. That is how Mom made it. That is how I grew up with it-and so, call me partial, but that is it for me. If your mommy dearest made it with ham, by all means- make it with ham. Or, if you have an extra hambone lying around- go ahead, TAINT it with leftovers! (ha! JUST KIDDING!)

Pita Pocket Chicken Salad

My trip to Indiana was very productive-even resulting in a few new (and already well-used) recipes. These next three recipes are thanks to Mrs. Bibby with an adaptation here and there.


2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 ½ cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup sliced almonds
¾ cup mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup Kraft poppy seed salad dressing
6 pita breads (6 inches), halved
Leaf lettuce, optional

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, grapes, cucumber, almonds and mozzarella cheese. Add dressing and toss to coat (You may want more or less, depending upon your preferences..)

Line pita breads with lettuce if desired; fill with chicken salad. Yield: 6 servings

Mexican Lasagna

I first tasted this while visiting friends and it was so delicious I have made it several times since. So really-I stole her recipe but adapted it slightly to suit our family. The only real difference is that my host made it with noodles and I opt for tortillas. Seems to me tortillas finish off the 'Mexican' theme...AND they require NO prep and no addition cooking time! Can't beat that! But it really is delicious-no matter what you choose!

You'll need:

1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or ¼ t. granulated garlic)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
3 cans (10 ounces) enchilada sauce (I used 2 red and 1 green)
2 eggs
1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
6 soft flour tortillas (or you could opt for noodles)
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

In a large skillet, cook onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in chicken and enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese and cilantro. Spread ¾ cup chicken mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Layer with two slightly overlapping tortillas, 2/3 cup ricotta mixture, ¾ cup chicken mixture and 1 cup shredded cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining tortillas, sauce and shredded cheese.

Cover and bake 375o for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Veal Parmesan

This was the first time I had ever made veal (come to think of it, the first time I had ever EATEN it too!) , and I was nervous about it. ESPECIALLY when I went to the meat market and saw the accompanying price tag. But, it was Matt's requested birthday feast and I wasn't going to disappoint~ and I didn't. If you are one of those people that don't mind eating baby animals then you'll love this. I can't tell you how full of compliments this meal was.

6 Italian style veal cutlets, about 1 1/2 lbs.
1 egg, well beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 c. french fried onions, crushed
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. olive oil
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Buy fresh veal from the meat market. Swallow your tongue and hand over the bills and baby that meat until it is gone!

Beat egg with salt and pepper.

Crush french fried onions until they are very fine crumbs, then mix with breadcrumbs and with the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Put crumbs in a shallow pan or plate.

Dip cutlets into egg, then put veal cutlets on crumbs, turn and press crumbs firmly onto meat.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown breaded cutlets on both sides. Put cutlets into a greased shallow baking pan. Top each with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce and shredded mozzerella. Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake in moderate oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Serve on a bed of pasta and be sure to make more sauce available to those who would like it. And serve wine, because you are feasting like kings!

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

When I first found this recipe, I was looking for a dish to prepare for some friends of ours that were vegetarians. I got all the ingredients because it sounded so good to me. Matt saw the artichokes on the counter and said, "WHAT are THESE!?!?" The conversation that followed went something like this...

Matt: "WHAT are these?!?!"

Sugarbear: "They are marinated artichokes. When Nate and Julie come, I am making spinach and artichoke lasagna."

Matt: "Well, I am not going to eat it!"

Sugarbear: "WHY not?!?!"

Matt: "Because I don't EAT artichokes. I don't like them."

Sugarbear: "Have you ever HAD them before?"

Matt: "no..."

Well. I made it anyway. And know what? After the first bite-he proclaimed this to be his FAVORITE lasagna...even beating out (brace yourselves...) MEAT lasagna! So-even if you can't bear the thought of eating artichokes, this recipe might just surprise you. It did Matt!

Here it is, courtesy of allrecipes.com

• cooking spray
• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
• 1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.
4. Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.
5. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Sausage Quiche

My husband does not like Quiche. I, on the other hand, not only LIKE it-but it holds a special little crevice in the food section of my enlarged, clogged heart.

Only on rare occasions do I make it, usually when I can blame it on hospitality-not my own cravings. This is how this particular quiche came about.

You will need:

1 pie crust
1 lb. sausage (I used sage sausage)
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1/2 c. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 of an onion, chopped
9-11 eggs

Brown the sausage. Chop the veggies. Break the eggs and add to a large bowl. Beat the eggs a bit. Add all the ingredients (except of course, the pie crust.) to the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Start with 9 eggs and see how 'wet' the bowl looks with all the other ingredients added. If it is too dry and there isn't an eggy glaze over everything-add two more eggs.

Place the pie crust in a piepan and poke some holes in the bottom with a fork. Add the 'filling'.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the quiche is 'set' (the middle does not jiggle when bumped) and the the top is nicely colored.

~~~~~~~~~

Quiche is wonderfully versatile-you can add whatever you like and omit everything you don't. It doesn't have to have meat. It doesn't have to have vegetables. It may or may NOT have crust, it make or may NOT be round. For example: This weekend we had four houseguests. Two were carnivores and two were herbivore. To accomodate both sets of homo sapiens, I decided to make two quiches's's's (whatever that word might be...)

So-I used the exact same ingredients except substituted 1/2 cup spinach (leftover from the lasagna) for the sausage.

But then~I realized I didn't have another pie crust made. So-I cut off the crusts of normal sliced bread and pressed that into a single layer upon the pie plate. The vegetarian version was JUST as delicious!

May you be confident in your quiche-making and find excitement in experimentation...it is worth it, and you CAN'T mess up!

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

You'll try these and immediately shuffle through your cupboards with avengence-grabbing and promptly BURNING all those boxes of hideous dehydrated pieces of cardboard the stores CLAIM to be scalloped potatoes. Trust me. I used to like those boxes of scalloped potatoes. And then I made these.

This was one of those recipes that my husband talked about when we were first married. He loved it, especially how his mother made it. I sort of got sick of hearing how wonderfully his mother made scalloped potatoes, so I decided I needed to get her recipe so he could put ME and MY scalloped potatoes on a pedestal too. Thankfully, my mother-in-law Linda was happy to share HER way, which has now become my own. So, you can thank my Mother in Law Linda for this one!

10 potatoes, sliced

1 large onion

4 T. butter

4 heaping T. flour

4 c. milk

Melt butter in pan, stir in flour to make paste and slowly add milk and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Peel and slice onion and potato. Grease casserole dish and make a layer of potatoes and onions. When thick, pour over potatoes in a casserole dish. It's best to layer: potatoes, sauce, potatoes, sauce. I like to season each layer too...with pepper.

Put in oven at 350 for about an hour until bubbly, covered. Uncover it and let it brown on top for about 1o minutes.


Eating these potatoes has changed my whole outlook on life. Let them do the same for you....

Spiedie Marinade

Spiedies are a New York thing. A New York thing that made New York a wonderful place to live. A New York thing that I miss now that I live in Pennsylvania. A New York thing that caused many a cross-eyed stare at my request for them when I first moved this spiedie-forsaken land.

Spiedies are, basically, small pieces of marinated meat. Very versatile. They can be made from chicken, beef, lamb, etc. They can be used to make spiedie subs, make pizza amazingly delicious, fill up shish kabobs, or fancy up some salad.

When I lived in New York, I would buy the marinade from the store. Since moving here, I had to create my own version, a version only SLIGHTLY lesser than the store-bought one.

Here it is, in all its spiedie glory....

1 c. oil
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. parsley
1/4 c. vinegar
1 t. oregano
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t. rosemary

Simply pop all the ingredients in a plastic ziploc bag and add small chucks of chicken breast (or other meat).

Marinate for 24 hours.

Here's some more versatility for you...

You can freeze them too! Freeze them uncooked, freeze them cooked...grill them, bake them, cook them on a skillet. Use them on pizza, salad, or just from the fork.

Go forth and spread the good news of the Spiedie and fill the land with them! :-)

Lemon Chicken Scaloppini

A chicken dish with ZIP! The zippyness comes from lemon and marinated artichokes but is mellowed out by a lovely thick, creamy thyme sauce.

Apparently, this recipe tastes like that of the Scaloppini served at T.G.I Fridays. What BETTER way to enjoy especially yummy food without the waiting spoiling your appetite than to just make it at home! Plus-this recipe has the added benefit of shoving artichokes down a certain man's man throat. ;-)

Serves: 6 - 8

2 cups very dry white wine
1 Tbls. real butter
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
*a teaspoon cornstarch mixed in water to thicken-only if needed.

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbls. olive oil
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 t. minced garlic
2 lemons – sliced in half
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, marinated artichoke hearts
4 tsp. chopped fresh parsley OR 2 tsp. dried parsley
1 lb. box pasta. I wanted to use Fettuccine but realized I only had angel hair. :-(


-In a 2-quart saucepan, boil wine until reduced by half. Add lemon juice to pan, then whisk in butter until melted. Add 2 cups cream and simmer on low heat until thickened, stirring often. If necessary you can add some diluted cornstarch and boil until thickened. This is what I did because I am impatient! :-) Remove from heat, stir in spices, and set aside.

-Pound chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass or in my case, a normal lumber hammer. I will say I pounded them INSIDE a ziploc bag-so you don't think I am WEIRD or anything. :-) Pound them until thin.

-Fill a large pot with water and begin to heat to boiling. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

-Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat; add chicken to pan and sauté on each side for 60 – 90 seconds, or until chicken is cooked through. I took the chicken out and put it on a warmed plate because my skillet was too small. If you have a large skillet-by all means, do this stuff all together!) Add mushrooms to pan and sauté with until mushrooms begin to soften. Squeeze juice from both lemon halves over chicken and mushrooms; pick out any seeds (Pssst. you can also use LEMON JUICE-I did). Add garlic. Add 1/2 cup cream to pan and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in artichokes, parsley, and prepared lemon sauce; set aside (add chicken back to skillet if necessary) and keep warm.

-On individual serving plates or one large platter, swirl portions of drained pasta into “nest(s)”. Arrange chicken pieces in center of nest, pour sauce/mushrooms over and around chicken.

Stromboli

These are wonderfully versatile as they can include any 'innards' that you prefer. You could have a ham and cheese stromboli, all veggie, meat and veggie, pizza topping, sausage and EGG even. You are only limited by your own imagination. This particular loaf includes a mixture of nearly all the suggestions above.

To make the dough you can do it the easy way or the 'not AS easy way'.

The easy way? Use thawed frozen bread dough.

The 'Not Quite as Easy' way: make the dough using your breadmachine.

Here is how to do version one: Go the store. Go to the freezer section. Find frozen dough. Purchase it and bring it home. Allow it to thaw on your countertop and then allow to 'rest' until it has risen just a bit.

Here is how to do version two:

Put: 6-7 oz. warm water
3/4 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. sugar
1 3/4 t. active dry yeast

...all in the bread machine in that order and turn on dough setting.

Regardless what method you get your dough-the following steps are the same.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.


Roll out your dough-or stretch it (as I prefer doing) into a large rectangle and place on a greased and cornmeal sprinkled cookie sheet.

Now simply add whatever "toppings" you would like.

I layered mine with:

pepperoni
ham
green peppers
onion
garlic
and mozzerella cheese.

Then I sprinkled the whole thing with Italian Seasoning.

FIll it up in the center, leaving about two inches on the two long sides and one inch on the short sides. Bring the long sides up and pinch together to create a seal. Pinch the short sides together as well.

Now CAREFULLY flip the 'boli over so that the seal is underneath. Take a sharp knife and make a few shallow slashes on the top.

Place in a preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until nicely golden brown.

Some notes: The dough recipe is easily doubled so that you can make an extra 'boli for larger families or to freeze for another day.

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Would you believe I have never had Spaghetti Squash before? Neither had Matt. And obviously not the children. Our whole family had been deprived of spaghetti squash our entire lives. 'Tis true, 'tis true.

So here I was, again, ready to introduce the family to something new and exciting. This time in the form of squash.

I knew the transition would be too great for Matt, the meat and potatoes farmboy that he is, if it didn't include some sort of meat so I found some kielbasa we had on hand. I imagine ground beef would be equally as tasty.

This particular version is a good mix of Pasta Primavera and stir fry. Hard to explain the taste, but I guess that is natural when the ingredients are so schizophrenic. Rather than try to explain~just see for yourself, would ya?

You'll need:

2 spaghetti squash. Cut in half lengthwise, seeds discarded.
A carrot. Shredded.
An onion. Chopped.
1/2 c. each~ red and green peppers. Diced.
1 clove garlic. Minced.
1 can Italian Style Stewed Tomatoes. Opened.
1 package Kielbasa. Sliced.
2 t. olive oil
1/2 c. frozen corn. Thawed.
1/2 t. each: salt, Oregano.
1/8 t. Thyme. Crushed.
1/2 c. Parmesan Cheese. Shredded.


Place cut side of each squash up in microwave (two at a time)-cover with wax paper and microwave for 9 minutes.

Meanwhile~ Saute meat and all veggies except shredded carrot in a large skillet with oil. Add spices and shredded carrot. When mixture is heated through, add 1/4. Parmesan cheese. Cook five minutes more, until cheese is melted.

Back to the squash: once all the squash halves have been cooked...use a fork to scrape and pull up the strands of squash, making a whole for your skillet mixture. (We all liked eating them in the shell, but you could scrape all the strands of squash and put them in a different dish if you preferred.)

Spoon skillet mixture into shells (or overtop dish of squash) and then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

And with that, tonight~you get to have an especially fun dinner!

Fruited Pork with Apple Cider Glaze

I am not a big pork person, but it just happens to be Matt's favorite meat so I force myself to make it for him. (weirdo.)

Oftentimes I end up adding fruit of some sort to mask the flavor~this particular time I added several.

I used four bone-in pork chops~but any sort of pork would work well. Any quantity too...just add a bit more fruit to compensate.

Brown pork in a skillet, along with a T. of olive oil and a sliced onion. Add 2 apples (peeled, cored, and sliced) to the mixture and saute until not-quite tender.

Salt and pepper to taste...sprinkle a bit of nutmeg and a smidgen of cayenne pepper.

Add about 1/2 c. Apple Cider to skillet and a splash of lemon juice. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for about 7/8 minutes or until pork is cooked through.

Add 2 T. maple syrup and a small handful of raisins.

In a small dish, mix 1 heaping T. of cornstarch with a touch of water. Stir until 'dissolved' and put into skillet.

Raise heat and bring to boil-and then LET boil until sauce has thickened well.

Sorry about the vague amounts...I made this two weeks ago and am working off of memory. A smidge here. A splash there. Go for it~you'll be fine.