Category: Vegetables

Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Slow-Cooker Green Been Casserole

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This is a wonderful side dish to add to the Thanksgiving table. Taken from Cooking with Paula Deen, November 2017 magazine, it is one of the recipes that will be at our Thanksgiving dinner. This whole magazine is full of great recipes. Get out and buy it…you won’t be sorry.

3 tables butter
1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh baby portobellos mushrooms
2 large shallots,sliced
2 cloves garlic, diced
5 tables flour
1 cup half & half
2 teas kosher salt
1 teas Italian seasoning
1/2 teas black pepper
2 pounds fresh green beans, cute into 2″ pieces
1 cup fresh french-fried onions

Spray a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker wit cooking spray.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender out 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic, cook for 1 minute.
Stir in flour, cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in half and half, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper. Cook until mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes. Stir in green beans and spread mixture into the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low until beans are nearly tender ,4 to 5 hours. Stir mixture and increase heat to high.Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened and beans are tender, about 30 minutes more Transfer to a serving dish and top with french fried onions Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Vegetables

Caesar Mushroom Caps

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Isn’t it great to receive those cooking magazines that all us to have wonderful evenings when we get to just sit and look through them for new ideas?
Because Fall is (hopefully for those of us who live in the Sun Belt, known as Arizona) right around the corner, it seems like those kind of evenings just come around a little more often than they did in the summer. Maybe it is because our hearts turn to cooking and baking, because after all, isn’t that what Fall is for? As I got out some old magazines last night, while watching Diners, Diners and Dives, this page called to me. Loving mushrooms and loving what great appetizers they always make, it got my attention.

12 large whole mushrooms
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 teas onion flakes
1 tables olive oil
1/4 teas ground cayenne pepper
3 tables Brianna’s Asiago Caesar salad dressing

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Careful break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough ends.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Salute until any moisture has disappeared and stems are tender. Set aside to cool.

Combine cream cheese, Caesar dressing, onion flakes, cayenne pepper, cooled mushroom stems and chopped pecans together mixing well. Mixture should be very thick.
Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange mushroom caps in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over each mushroom.
Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven or until the mushrooms are piping hot and the parmesan cheese is a golden brown.

Casseroles · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Squash Casserole

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6 Tables unsalted butter, divided

3 lb yellow squash, sliced thick (about 5 medium squash)

1 medium size yellow onion, chopped

2 teas kosher salt, divided

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 (8 oz) sour cream

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese

2 oz Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup mayonaise

2 teas chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teas black pepper

2 sleeves round butter crackers (such as Ritz),coarsely crushed

1 oz parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350. Melt 3 tables butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash, onion and 1 teas salt; cook stirring often, until squash is just tender until liquid has evaporated, about 10 min.

Transfer mixture to a colander, set over bowl. Drain for 5 min; discard any liquid.

Stir eggs, sour cream ,cheddar, swiss, mayo, thyme, pepper and remaining 1 teas salt in a large bowl.  Gently fold in the squash mixture.  Spoon into lightly greased 11×7″ baking dish.

Microwave remaining 3 tables butter in microwave safe bowl until melted. About 15 seconds. Toss the crackers, parmesan cheese and melted butter until combined. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake in preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until crackers are golden brown.

*Taken from Southern Living Magazine

appetizers · Breads · Daily Thoughts · Super Bowl Recipes · Vegetables

Bruschetta Melts

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One of my favorite foods is bruschetta. Sometimes on a Friday or Sunday evening, instead of making dinner, we choose to just have a plate of bruschetta. When I saw this in a Taste of Home magazine from 2015 (ok, I have been kinda busy and am just sitting down to go through some old magazines) I knew this would be our dinner next time we went for a little healthier dinner than running to Baskin-Robins for a hot fudge sundae. Yes we do that about once a month, nothing like a gorgeous hot fudge sundae for dinner….try it sometime. It will make your heart sing.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teas lemon juice

1/2 teas seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)

1/2 teas pepper

1/4 teas garlic powder (I will use probably about 3 cloves as we just cannot get enough garlic, hum…I wonder why we don’t have many friends?)

4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 tables minced fresh basil

1 carton (8 oz) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese

24 slices French bread (1/4″ thick)

2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Additional minced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, wish the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder until blended. Stir in tomatoes, onion and 2 tables fresh basil

Spread cream cheese over French bread slices and place on greased baking sheets. Top with tomato mixture; sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake 7-9 min or until mozzarella cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional minced fresh basil if desired.

Daily Thoughts · Vegetables

Spiraled Zucchini

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When we arrived in Texas on our trip back 2 weeks ago, my sister-in-law welcomed us there with a veggie meal, which I had requested. She makes the best veggies and after two days of Mexican food on the road, we were more than ready to see something green on our plates besides green chiles.

As we sat down to dinner, I saw that she had added a new dish to the ones I had requested. Spiraled Zucchini. Along with fried potatoes with onions, fried cabbage, a pot of beans, cornbread was this awesome dish of zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Not wanting to look like I hadn’t eaten in 3 days, I only requested the bowl to be passed twice, but as we were cleaning up, I ask her if I could just eat what was left in the bowl. It was that good. So here is my first healthy recipe for March.

Spiral 2-3 zucchini (everyone who is anyone, has a spiral cutter, right? I actually just got one from a friend who gave me her old one, since she bought a better much pricier one)

In a skillet, add about 1 tables of olive oil and heat. Add the zucchini and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the squash around making sure it is coated in the oil. After about 3-4 min throw in about 1 cup of cherry tomatoes which you have cut in two. When veggies are tender (about 5 min) sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.  If I hadn’t eaten them up so quickly I should have taken a picture.

Thanks Janece for a great vegetable dinner only to be topped of by your not so healthy, but delicious homemade chocolate cream pie with whipped cream.  And you wonder why we always stay with you? Really?

appetizers · Vegetables

Zucchini A La Meatless

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I know, that is a corny name, but just couldn’t help myself today. This past weekend we had two different sets of friends from California over for dinner as they were passing through town. It was not only imagegreat to see them, but it allowed me to cook for more than two, which just thrilled my soul. On Facebook last week, there was a recipe for stuffed zucchini, which looked and sounded so good, I had to try it. Am so glad I did. It was delicious! I do have to admit that the first night I made it, I followed the recipe pretty much to a T, and felt that it could use a little more seasoning, so the second night I made it, I added more and it was really good. So here it is:

4 zucchini, washed, dried and cut in half, vertically. With a small spoon, scoop out the middle of the pulp, being sure to leave the skin in tact. I also left the each end intact, so as to create like a boat, so the stuffing wouldn’t fall out either end.

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 tea each s of the following: Italian seasoning, seasoned pepper, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into 1″ size squares (or you can sometimes find the fresh mozzarella already in little balls)

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

6 teaspoons of Italian flavored breadcrumbs

Chopped fresh basil

When zucchini is washed and wiped dry, scoop out the seeds with enough of the pulp to give you room to stuff each piece. Combine the seasonings with the olive oil. Using a pastry brush, brush the seasoned olive oil in all of the insides of the zucchini. Use a teaspoon to sprinkle about 1/2 to 1 teas of the breadcrumbs into the zucchini boat. Then cutting 16 cherry tomatoes in half, place 4 halves in each boat, leaving room between them to place a piece of mozzarella in them (this will be done after the first baking, not now)k Sprinkle some of the parmesan cheese over the tomatoes.

Bake in preheated 350 oven for about 25-30 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from oven and place now the mozzarella pieces (or balls) in-between the tomato halves.

Cut fresh basil and sprinkle over the top. Place in oven and broil for 2-4 minutes until cheese is melted and is beginning to brown.

Uncategorized · Vegetables

Baked Cabbage Steaks

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Last evening, we discovered that something very simple to make can be extremely good! Wow, we were shocked at how good the cooking method could change the normal flavor of boiled or fried cabbage. I had seen this on FaceBook and decided to just try it last night. Even picky Randy who isn’t a real cabbage eater, said, “this is really so good” and ate all of his plate full. So see, something good does come from FaceBook!

1 large cabbage head, cleaned and outer leaves peeled away.

Seasonings: onion powder

Salt & pepper to taste.

Fresh garlic, minced (amount to your liking)

Olive oil

Cut cabbage into about 1 1/2″ “steaks” (I got 4 steaks out of the head of cabbage)

Place in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over the steaks and season with the onion powder, garlic,  salt and pepper to taste.

Place a sheet of foil over the dish and bake in preheated 350 oven for about 40-45 minutes. I took the dish out after 40 minutes and removed the foil, placing cabbage back in to get a little brown for about 5 minutes. Serve with a spatula onto plate.

Meats · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Pork Roast

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A couple of days ago, taking a break from packing boxes, I got hungry for a pork roast!  We  texted (only old people call their kids) our kids and ask them if they wanted to come over for dinner.  I think we all know the answer to that question anytime free food is involved! So I got busy and began to look for the necessary food items that I normally use for pork roast.  They weren’t there, such as brown gravy mix, cream of mushroom soup and That brown stuff you sprinkle on meat that starts with Worches, but I can never remember the spelling and since I don’t have any in the fridge, I can’t run to check the spelling, so you will just have to guess what I’m talking about! Anyhoo since we are trying to use up all the items in our pantry and not keep buying I went with what I had in hand!  It turned out so good!  Will make this again as all four of us loved it!   I used cream of celery soup, a packet of dry French onion soup and about 4-5 shakes of Kikoman sauce!

1 (2-3 lb) pork roast

2 tables olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 reg size can cream of celery soup

1 envelope of Liptons dry French onion soup kix

4-5 shakes of Kikoman sauce

garlicpowder to taste

pepper

in large Dutch oven heat with olive oil. Sprinkle roast with pepper and garlic powder to your liking! Because of the onion soup mix and Jimoman you  don’t need to add any salt!

brown roast and sliced onion in hot oil on both sides about 3-4 min on each side. When roast is brown sprinkle it with the dry soup mix, then cover with cream of celery soup and splash in the Kikoman sauce! add about a can or more water to roast and bake st 350 for 2-3 hours!  The last hour of baking I add cut up potatoes and carrots.  Bake until roast is tender and veggies are done!  The gravy this makes is so good!

Daily Thoughts · Starches · Vegetables

Chile Rellanos/Tkbakesalot Style

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image.jpegRandy and I are hooked!  We have such fun making these so we look for anyone who is wanting to try them! Last week we had some family over who loves Mexican food so had told them we would make them! They brought guacamole and I fried flour tortillas into homemade chips!  The difference is that I make green chile sauce to pour over the Rellanos and then sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top and put them in the oven for a min until the cheese on top is melted!  I just googled “recipe for chile Rellanos” which is easy so am only posting the green chile sauce! There are several recipes that are posted for these do pick one that you like and use this sauce to make them extra flavorful!

1 small can (like a soup size can) chicken broth

1 small can mild green chiles (diced)

1 small can mild green chile sauce

1 stick butter

1/3cup flour

sslt, pepper & garlic powder to your liking

melt butter in large skillet! Sprinkle flour a little at a time over melted butter and whisking continually to avoid lumping. When you have a paste of the flour mixture add the green chilies, green chile sauce and chicken broth (a little at a time as you might not need all the chicken broth) and seasoning! Stir continually until mixture is thickened as gravy consistency! Set aside while you make the Rellanos and the top each Rellano with about 2 tables of the sauce mix! Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the entire pan and place in preheated 425 oven until cheese is melted!

I also use this green chile sauce over my chicken green chile enchiladas!

 

 

 

appetizers · Holiday Fare · Vegetables

Stuffed Red Peppers (Vegetarian Recipe by Melissa Southam)

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What a great recipe to serve at a luncheon (especially at Christmas because of the gorgeous colors) alongside any type of meat, or even combined with a couple of different salads for a beautiful plate of salads. Taken from Frisco Style Magazine, this one caught my eye.

2 red bell peppers

olive oil

7 oz feta cheese (I will probably use the herb & garlic feta crumbles for extra flavor)

20 cherry or grape tomatoes

2 Tables pesto

2 tables water

ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Halve the peppers, cutting right through the stalk. Scoop the seeds out of the cores of the peppers. Brush an oven dish with oil and place the peppers on it. Dice the feta cheese and add it to a bowl with the halved cherry tomatoes. Mix the pesto with the water before adding it and the ground black pepper to the bowl. Stir the mixture before spooning it into the pepper halves. Bake the peppers in the oven for about 15 to 18 minutes or until they bubble and are heated thoroughly.

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