by jphilo | Oct 10, 2012 | Recipes
After yesterday’s top ten list of chilly weather meals, today’s post features a new recipe that might end up on next fall’s list. This crockpot chili recipe took a little work to throw together, but it was worth it. The house smelled wonderful all day while it cooked, and it made so much chili, I froze half. Woo-hoo!
Served with cornbread, the meal received the Hiram coveted seal of approval, which doesn’t happen often when beans are a major ingredient in a main dish. I liked it because it was hearty, low-fat, and dairy-free. Thanks to www.SkinnyTaste.com for first posting the recipe. Here’s my version:
1 onion, chopped
1 16 oz. can black beans, drained
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
10 oz. package frozen corn kernels
3 10 oz. cans mild Rotelle tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 large skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped fresh chopped cilantro
Combine onion, beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, taco seasoning, cumin, and chili powder in crockpot. Place chicken breasts on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6. A half hour before serving, remove chicken. Allow to cool, then shred, and stir into mixture in crock pot. Serve, topping each bowlful with fresh cilantro. Add shredded cheese and sour cream if you like.
by jphilo | Mar 21, 2012 | Recipes
One of our favorite foods is ham and scalloped potatoes. Hiram loves it because it tastes good. I love it for its flavor and because it’s a good way to use leftover ham and stretch those food dollars.
This recipe originally came from the Betty Crocker Cookbook Grandma Josie gave me before my wedding in 1977. I’ve mentioned it before. You know, the cookbook with the inscription “May you have many happy hours making delicious meals for a contented husband.” Grandma was an old school kind of gal.
This recipe is kind of old school, too, but it’s mighty tasty old school. Be sure and give it plenty of time to cook so the potatoes are cooked completely. They’ll cook faster in a wide, flat pan than in a casserole bowl.
Creamy Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
2 pounds potatoes (about six medium)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 1/2 – 2 cups cubed ham
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes, pare thinly and remove eyes. Cut potatoes into thin slices. Set aside.
Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and salt until smooth and bubbly. Add pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
Layer half of the potatoes in a greased 2 quart casserole (or 9 x 13 pan). Sprinkle with 1/2 the ham, half the onion, and half the milk mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes, ham, onion, and milk.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 60 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
by jphilo | Dec 7, 2011 | Recipes
Today’s recipe comes from the Nov. 4 – 6 issue of USA Weekend, a newspaper magazine. I’d been looking for a new vegetarian recipe to serve when the kids come home for Christmas, and this one looked promising. When I served it for supper last week, it did not get the coveted Hiram seal of approval. But that’s not surprising since hardly any meatless recipe does.
Of course, I didn’t have all the ingredients so some substitutions were required. Here’s the original recipe with the substitutions in parenthesis. I didn’t have mushrooms (but think they would add an interesting flavor) and added a little more of the other veggies to compensate. Next time I’ll experiment by using less thyme and adding a little oregano, rosemary, or dried basil.
Quick Vegetarian Pot Pie
1 large, sweet onion, diced
1/2 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 pound chopped cabbage – about 1/4 small head
1 pound red boiling potatoes or sweet potatoes, diced (I used russets)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk, combined
2 tablespoons dry sherry ( I used white cooking wine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 9-inch pie crust from a 14.1-ounce refrigerated box (I used homemade crust)
In a 31 x 19 pan, toss onions, mushrooms, cabbage and potato with 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and place pan on rack; turn oven to 425 degrees and cook vegetables, stirring occasionally until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in over medium heat in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven. Whisk in flour and remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme; cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk mixture; simmer until sauce comes to a boil and fully thickens. Turn off heat, stir in sherry and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked vegetables to sauce, along with peas. Pour mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cover with pie crust and flute as desired.
Bake on lowest oven rack until sauce is bubbly and crust is golden brown, 25 – 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.
by jphilo | Jan 21, 2010 | Recipes
The day before Anne went back to college, I asked her what she’d like for dinner. Her answer was spaghetti carbonara. Since she wants to master some of her favorite recipes before getting married and moving away next summer, we made it together.
The recipe comes from my sister-in-law who is an amazing cook. When we visit her family in Washington state, she always serves more adventurous fare than is common in our part of the world. We are all grateful for her recipe recognizance which give a cosmopolitan flavor to our meals.
One word of warning: if you have high cholesterol, don’t try this dish. If you don’t high cholesterol, make it infrequently or you’ll develop it. But, if you serve it with fresh fruit and a lightly dressed green salad, you might be able to convince yourself it’s healthy.
You won’t have to convince yourself that it’s delicious. One bite and you’ll be know it is. Enjoy!
Skillet Spaghetti Carbonara
Yolks of 4 large eggs 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup heavy cream 16 ounces spaghetti noodles
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons butter
Cook spaghetti in a large pot, according to package directions. Fry bacon over medium high heat in a deep skillet. Drain off half the grease and add garlic. When garlic is brown, add butter. While bacon cooks, mix egg yolks, cheese, salt, pepper, parsley and cream in a small bowl. Drain spaghetti noodles and add them to the bacon mixture in the frying pan. Toss to coat well. Remove skillet from heat and add egg yoke mixture. Toss again to mix well. Cover pan and let sit for a few minutes before serving.
by jphilo | Jan 6, 2010 | Recipes
I consider myself a make-it-from-scratch kind of cook. But in truth, a few of our favorite family meals come from boxes or cans. Nothing beats crockpot roast beef sprinkled with Lipton French Onion soup. In my family’s collective opinion, homemade spaghetti sauce doesn’t hold a candle to Hunt’s Garlic and Herb sauce from the can.
One of Hiram’s all time favorite meals uses Uncle Ben’s Rice, which makes us both happy since this recipe takes barely 45 minutes from start to finish. If you’re looking for an easy throw together meal this winter, it’s a good one.
Uncle Ben’s Rice and Sausage Skillet Meal
1 pound sausage 1 box Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice
2 cups celery, chopped 1 cup onion, chopped
Brown sausage in frying pan. Drain off grease. Add chopped vegetables. Add water, rice and seasoning packet, according to directions on the box. Bring to boil, turn down heat and put lid on pan. Cook for 25 minutes and serve.
You can add more or fewer onions or substitute any other vegetables your family likes. This recipe is very forgiving!
