Happy New Year!

Well, we made it through Christmas and all the good yummy food that comes with it. Now it's on to the New Year celebrations.

My mom always hosts a New Year's buffet. Each year, we have a new theme. Last year, we did Chinese New Year. This year, my dad wanted Tex-Mex.

I was talking with my husband and there are just so many possibilities for heavy appetizers/main entrees that could be used for this AND in everyday life.

I've touched on a few of them in earlier blog postings, but will rehash some titles below:

Touchdown Taco Dip
Chicken Enchilada Ring
Taco Ring
Mexican Chicken Lasagna

You could also do freshly made salsa and guacomole, which I am sure will appear at my mom's house for our festivities. You could also throw in the usual tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas and nachos.

Since winter is firmly entrenched here in MN, I'm thinking about a Chicken Tortilla Soup. I have a great recipe that's not too spicy and has good flavor. It's one of those things you could stick in the crockpot and forget about it. How nice is that?

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 corn tortillas
1/2 C onion. chopped - I leave this out
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin - I love cumin
2 cans chicken broth - (14 oz cans)
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes - undrained
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilis
4 t fresh cilantro - I like cilantro, but I think it's just a bit of a pain in this recipe...more for color than anything. You could skip it
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever type you have on hand)
4 thick slices of fresh lime - optional

Now, you are supposed to cook the chicken first if you are doing it on the stovetop. And then add in your seasonings and broth. Set aside the tortillas, cilantro, cheese and lime...and you can put everything else in the crockpot and let it do it's thing on low for 8 hours or so.

If you don't want to wait that long, dice the chicken and cook it in a 4Qt or larger pot with a little vegetable oil. Should take about 3 minutes or so. Then add garlic, onion, and cumin. Cook and stir a couple minutes. Add broth, tomatoes and chilis. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

Now, you can buy your own already baked tortilla strips, or you can use corn tortillas and bake some yourself. Use a pizza cutter to cut them into 1/2-inch strips. Bake on a stone at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes.

When you are ready to serve, place tortilla strips in the bottom of the bowls. Ladle soup. Top with cilantro and cheese. If you want a little more presentation, add a lime slice to each bowl to squeeze into the soup.

In any case, this is a very simple, very tasty soup that everyone should enjoy. Don't worry about the green chilis...they don't have a ton of flavor and add more texture than anything to your soup.

You could also serve with some cornbread! Yum!

Enjoy!

I'm

Holiday Helper Beverage #1 - Friendship Tea

I love the variety of fun beverages that can be used around the holidays. I need to be better at using them year round. But some of those just have a holiday feel...know what I mean. I LOVE this Friendship Tea recipe. It's just got great color and great flavor.

Friendship Tea
2 1/2 C cranberry juice
1 1/2 C water
1 C orange juice
1/4 C sugar
1 cinmamon stick
4 whole cloves
6 tea bags

Combine all ingredients except tea in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add tea bags. Let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and spices with a spoon or strainer. Serve.

YUM!

Holiday Helper Recipe #3 - Parmesan Pepper Pull Apart Bread

Bread is always a staple at family holidays. At least for the ones we attend. Here's a fun recipe that's few ingredients, easy to prep AND tastes amazing.

Parmesan Pepper Pull Apart Bread
1/3 C butter, melted
1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 t coarsely ground pepper - this is key. It makes a great visual and adds awesome flavor
2 garlic cloves pressed (this is always doubled at my house unless they are giant cloves)
2 pkgs (11.3 oz each) refrigerated dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 375. If you have a bundt pan, that works best for this recipe. Otherwise a deeper, rounded pan is the best choice for this recipe. It makes it easy to flip the bread out onto a serving plate.

If it's not a stone, spray or brush some cooking oil around the pan. Melt the butter in a wide, shallow dish. Grate cheese. Grind pepper and measure using a measuring spoon.

In a bowl, combine cheese, pepper and freshly pressed garlic. Separate dinner rolls and cut into fourths using kitchen shears. Dip rolls in melted butter and roll in cheese mixture.

Arrange rolls evenly in pan. Bake 25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on a cooling rack in the pan. Then flip bread out on the cooling rack. Cool slightly.

Alternatives: You can make this just about any flavor you want. If you want Italian bread, use an Italian seasoning. Rosemary also provides a great flavor.

Enjoy!

Holiday Helper Recipe #2 : A-Pizza-Teaser

Such a corny recipe title, isn't it?

Well, here's another holiday helper recipe that's quick to make and is arranged in the form of a Christmas Wreath.

A-Pizza-Teaser

1 pkg (12 oz) refrigerated biscuits
Olive Oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped - very important that you seed the tomato
1/4 C green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 C onion, diced - only if you really need it. It's majorly optional
1/4 t dried oregano
1/4 t dried basil
1/4 C fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Separate biscuits horizontally to form 20 biscuits. On round pan or stone, arrange 6 biscuits in a ring, touching in the center. There will be a hole in the center. Place remaining biscuits around the center ring, forming a second ring of biscuits and creating our wreath shape. Gently press biscuits together leaving a scalloped edge.

Spray lightly with olive oil or brush with a pastry brush. Pres garlic over biscuits and spread evenly. Chop tomato and bell pepper and spread evenly over biscuits with basil and oregano.

Bake 15-17 minutes or until dough is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately grate cheese over dough. To serve, pull biscuits apart.

Enjoy!

Holiday Helper Recipe #1 - Shrimp Wonton Cups

I'm SO excited that it's December. We finally have a little bit of snow on the ground and it feels more like the Christmas season.

Now's the time when we are either hosting holiday parties, or we are invited to those holiday parties. Sometimes you are making the food and sometimes you have to bring something to share.

Shrimp Wonton Cups are fantastic for these types of events. They make individual servings so it makes serving...well, a snap!

And they are ridiculously simple...as is usual for here.

If you aren't a seafood fan, you can easily substitute diced chicken if you prefer.

Shrimp Wonton Cups

24 wonton wrappers - you find these in your grocery section near your produce
1 T butter
10 oz shelled, deveined, cooked medium shrimp
2 green onions with tops - Mary never uses this
1 small carrot, grated - you can use baby carrots if you like
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 garlic clove, pressed - fresh garlic is KEY to this recipe
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a mini muffin pan for this recipe. Melt butter. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush butter over one side of a wonton wrapper. Press gently, buttered side up, into each cup of the mini muffin pan. Bake 5 minutes or until slightly browned.

Basically, you are helping it set its shape as a cup.

If frozen, thaw shrimp in a colander. Reserve 24 shrimp. Remove tails from the rest and chop finely with a food chopper or knife. In a bowl, place chopped shrimp and cream cheese. Add garlic, Worcestershire, diced onions, grated carrots and shredded cheese. Mix until well blended.

Using a scoop, place one rounded scoop of cream cheese mixture into each wonton cup. Top with one reserved shrimp.

Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

These can be served warm or cool and reheat easily.

Enjoy!

Hide the Turkey Part 4: Turkey and Stuffing Bake

This is a twist off of Turkey Hash, but is oh-so-simple.

I hope you all have enjoyed the Hide The Turkey series!

Turkey and Stuffing Bake
3 C prepared stuffing
1/2 C French fried onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 C milk
2 C cubed turkey
1 (10 oz) bag frozen green peas

Combine stuffing and 1/2 of the onions. Spoon into 9x9 baking dish or stone. Press stuffing into bottom and up sides to form a shell.

Combine soup, milk, turkey and peas. Pour over shell.

Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Top with remaining onions. Bake for 5 more minutes. Serve.

Enjoy!

Hide the Turkey! Part 3

Continuing with our turkey theme...Yet another good find for what to do with that leftover Thanksgiving turkey!

Today's offering is Southwestern Turkey Casserole!

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (7oz) diced green chilis - these are more for color than flavor...not spicy
1 C sour cream
16 corn tortillas, cut into strips - do not use flour tortillas for this!
2 C cooked turkey, diced - this is an estimate. I put in enough until it looks good.
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 T southwestern seasoning or your favorite taco seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add soups, chilis, seasoning and sour cream. Mix well.

Take out a 9x13 pan and line it with a layer of tortilla strips. Pour half of the soup mixture over the bottom. Add half the diced turkey. Top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers, topping with cheese again.

Bake 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is browned.

Enjoy!

Hide The Turkey! Part 2

In my latest idea on hiding that leftover Thanksgiving turkey, I turn to an oldie-but-goodie.

Kind of a twist on turkey hash, this recipe is one of those crescent roll-baked deals that turns leftover turkey into something kinda cool looking and mighty tasty.

Turkey Cranberry Ring
2 cans (8 oz) each refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 C chopped leftover turkey
1/2 C thinly sliced celery - I leave this out
1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese - if you don't have Swiss, use whatever you have on hand
1/2 C Craisins - sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 C real mayo
2-3 T Dijon mustard
1/2 t ground black pepper - only if you need it. If your turkey is well seasoned, you may not need it.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except crescent roll dough.

On a round pan or stone, unroll crescent triangles individually. Arrange on pan or stone so that bases of triangles face the center of the pan and tips are draped over the edge. There should be a 5"-6" circle in the center of the pan.

Scoop turkey mixture onto bases of triangles, making sure it's spread evenly. Bring tips of triangles up over filling and tuck under the base. The filling will be partially exposed.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until dough is golden brown. You are basically cooking this long enough to make sure the dough is done.

Options: You could always add in some leftover stuffing to put a twist on the filling. Or serve stuffing as a side dish with this recipe.

Enjoy!

Hide the Turkey! Part 1

It's November 1! We're only 26 days until Thanksgiving and I'm already thinking turkey!

I do love turkey, but there's always that perennial puzzle of what to do with those leftovers!

This month, I'm going to feature some recipes that you can use that leftover turkey for with stuff that's probably already in your own kitchen! And keep in mind...if something catches your eye, you can always use turkey or chicken right now and give a recipe a trial run!

Curried Turkey Salad

3 C cubed cooked turkey
1 1/2 seedless grapes, halved
4 celery stalks, chopped - if you really need to ~ Mary doesn't do celery
2/3 C mayo - real mayo - not Miracle Whip
2 T lemon juice
1-2 t curry powder
1/2 t salt
1 t sugar
1/2 C salted peanuts - optional. But having salted peanuts is important.

In a large bowl, add turkey, grapes and celery. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayo, juice, curry, salt and sugar. Pour over turkey mixture and mix until coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Give it time to marinate, so to speak. If you want to use peanuts, add to salad just before serving so they don't get soggy.

Enjoy!

Family Sized Baked Burrito

Can you tell I'm starving already today? It's only 10am and I'm seriously wishing it was lunchtime.

However, this recipe is fantastic for a family dinner. One giant burrito that can be shared by all! No need to fill and fold individual burritos!

Family Sized Baked Burrito
2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 C cooked chicken, diced
1/2 C chopped onion - you all know how I feel about it
1/2 lime
3/4 C thick and chunky salsa
1 T southwestern seasoning
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 C shredded Co-Jack cheese
4 burrito-size flour tortillas (11inches)
1 can (9oz) bean dip
Assorted toppings like shredded lettice, sliced black olives, cilantro, etc

Preheat oven to 425. Slice tomatoes and set aside. Dice chicken. Chop onion if you plan to use it. Juice lime with a citrus press into a large bowl. Add chicken, onion, salsa, garlic and seasoning. Microwave mixture for 3 minutes or until chicken is hot, stirring occasionally. Then stir in 1/2 C of the cheese.

This way, the filling is warm, melts the cheese a bit and acts like glue, keeping this filling where it needs to be.

On a round pizza pan or stone arrange the tortillas in an overlapping circular pattern, covering the entire surface of your pan. Start in the center and spread the bean dip over the tortillas. This sticks them all together. Spread it out in a 10x10 inch square. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly over the bean dip. Fold the edges of the tortillas over the filling in an envelope pattern.

Arrange 16 tomato slices over the top in rows. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top, covering completely. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are browned.

Cut into rectangles and serve with toppings of your choice!

Enjoy!

Twitter Moms: The Influential Moms Network

Chicken Club Brunch Ring

So I've had a crummy past 24 hours or so. I won't go into details, but those who follow me on Facebook or Twitter know of my bitter disappointment and frustration.

My trainer will so kill me when she reads this...well, or maybe she'll take pity on me since I suppose by a stretch of the imagination this recipe will be "in moderation" compared to the rest of my life.

But, I deliberately looked for something full of great taste...that's right it has cheese, real mayo and is tucked inside crescent rolls.

So it's your diet-free day today. Enjoy with no guilt. I'm hoping I have enough crescent rolls to make this recipe or I'll probably be hitting the grocery store.

Chicken Club Brunch Ring

1 C mayo
2 T dijon mustard
1 T onion - not in my version
1 can (10oz) chunk chicken, drained - I just cook up a large boneless skinless chicken breast
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 C (4oz) shredded Swiss cheese - or do like I do and use whatever you have
2 pkgs (8oz each) crescent roll dough
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
2 C shredded lettuce

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, combine mayo and mustard. (I also throw in some fresh garlic). Chop the onion if you have to have it and add to mayo mix.

In another bowl, add chopped chicken, bacon, 3/4 C of the cheese and 1/3 C of the mayo mix. Mix well.

Unroll crescent roll triangles. Arrange on a flat round pizza pan or stone in a circle, with bases of triangles toward the middle and points hanging over the edge of the pan. (You should have a 4-5 inch circle in the center.)

Scoop filling evenly onto the base of the triangles, spreading evenly all the way around. Bring points of triangles up over the filling and tuck in under the bases of the triangles. Don't worry, the filling won't be completely covered. It's an aesthetic thing.

Slice the tomatoes thinly and cut in half. Place one tomato half between openings in the ring.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Basically, you want the dough to be done enough to eat. Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Take remaining mayo mix and place in a small serving bowl. You can use this as a spread or a dip. Slice into wedges and enjoy.

Express Black Bean Chili

We can all appreciate quick, right? And this cold snap makes it feel like we skipped fall and went directly to winter, correct?

Chili is a great category for this time of year. There are so many ways to make a chili recipe and for the most part, most of them are pretty nutritious due to all the vegetables that go into a chili.

This one is no exception. It's a great low fat chili, originally was vegetarian, but I through in some ground turkey because I have a meat-o-saurus at my house.

1 lb ground turkey, browned and crumbled
1 C chopped onion - only if you need onion
1 C coarsely chopped bell pepper
2 T finely chopped jalapeno*
2 T snipped cilantro
1 t oil
2 garlic cloves pressed
2 cans (15.5oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 oz) refried beans, fat-free
1 can (14 oz) fat free vegetable broth**
1 T lime juice
1 t ground cumin

Cook turkey if you plan to use it. Chop onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Snip cilantro.

In a 3-4 qt. saucepan, heat oil and saute onions, peppers and garlic. Cook about 2-3 minutes. Add black beans, refried beans, broth, lime juice and cumin. Bring to a boil, them simmer for about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired.

* Wear plastic gloves when working with jalapeno. The juice from the peppers can cause your hands to sting/burn.
**You can substitute chicken broth if using ground turkey and wanting to enhance the meat flavor.

Serve this with a fresh batch of cornbread of you have time! YUM!.

Mushroom, Beef & Barley Soup

Well...It's still rainy/cloudy/foggy. One of my Facebook friends posted that her son said it was "sparkly" out. I thought that was great!

Fall has definitely arrived, so I'm continuing with another soup recipe.

I LOVE barley. A lot. No one else at my house really likes it so I don't get to cook with it as often as I like. But this soup ROCKS. Hearty, filling and great flavor. The three keys to a good fall soup.

Mushroom Beef and Barley Soup

1 1/4 lbs boneless beef top sirloin steak - It's on sale at Cub this week!
2 t vegetable oil - olive oil works, too
2 C sliced baby portobello mushrooms - I really encourage you to use these for the extra flavor the portobellos provide. But if you need to, regular mushroom suffice.
1/2 C chopped onion - I leave this out, of course.
3/4 C sliced carrots
3 T snipped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 t dried thyme
1 carton (32 oz) beef borth
1 C water, divided
2 T steak sauce
1/4 t each - salt and black pepper
1/2 C uncooked quick-cooking barley
1 T cornstarch

Trim fat from beef if needed. Cut into 1/2-inch cubed. Heat 1 t oil in a 4-quart pot. Brown beef in two batches, 3-4 minutes each, or until outside surfaces are no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside.

Slice mushrooms. Chop onion. Slice carrots. Snip parsley.

Add remaining oil in same pan. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme. Cook 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth. 3/4 C water, carrots, steak sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; stir in barley. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 C water and cornstarch. Return beef and cornstarch mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. You are giving this time to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

This makes about 7 cups of soup.

I'd serve this with some crusty bread and butter! Yum!

Enjoy!

A big thanks to my friend, Angie Bailey of Eclectic Cat Lady, for nominating me for a Kreativ Blogger award!

I'm so new to blogging and sometimes feel like I have no idea what I'm doing...probably why I titled this Mary's Meanderings. As such, I haven't discovered a lot of blogs that I read on a regular basis. There are some rules here that I'm going to try and follow:

1. Thank the person who nominated you
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog
3. Link to the person who nominated you
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one really knows
5. Nominate seven "kreativ bloggers" - this will be hard for me as I don't know that I read 7 blogs.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

7 things about me that aren't known to most people:

1. I was a guest stunt person in an Indiana Jones Stunt Show
2. I like to try new things, but cooking is not my favorite thing
3. I just started a new business as a Virtual Assistant and I'm very excited about it
4. I really want to go to New Zealand some day
5. I used to teach Lifeguard Training and CPR for the Professional Rescuer courses
6. I was born in Washington DC. Sometimes when you have those password reminders, I can't fit the whole name in there.
7. I LOVE NCIS. Seriously. Don't ask me to do anything on Tuesday nights.

and my nominations for blogs that I read...

Virtual Moxie
DisneyParks
Virtual Wire
DISunplugged

Spiced Pumpkin Tartlets

Ok, I'm violating the whole recipes for quick meals with this posting. BUT, with the cold weather that blew in, I just had a craving for these tartlets and thought I'd share this recipe with you.

I supposed you could make a meal out of them, but it wouldn't be very nutritious.

However, if you have someone who just can't hack pumpkin pie, have them try these tartlets. The pumpkin flavor is more subdued and it's just a great recipe all way around.

Spiced Pumpkin Tartlets

1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

1 can (15 ounces) solid pack pumpkin

2 cups thawed, frozen whipped topping

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 package (3.4 ounces) cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Let crusts warm to room temp. Roll crusts out and cut out 24 circles. Put in a mini muffin , prick with a fork, and bake 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove tart shells from pan to cooling rack; cool completely.

Combine pumpkin, whipped topping and spice blend in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix; whisk until smooth and thickened. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Attach open star tip to a decorator; fill with pumpkin mixture. Pipe into tart shells. Chop pecans; sprinkle over tartlets.

Enjoy!

Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

I got up this morning and it was one of those mornings that just makes you think of fall. As the clouds continued to move in, that, mixed with the chill in the air just made me think of soup.

Hearty soups are great meals because they are so filling! And a lot of times, they are dump-and-pour! And you know Mary loves that.

This recipe is ready in 30 minutes! That's PREP and COOK time! You could even slice a few more minutes off, depending on how your ingredients are stored, or if you do a little prep work once you get home from the grocery store.

Turkey and Wile Rice Soup

1 C grated carrots
1 C sliced mushrooms
1/2 C chopped celery (optional; Mary hates celery so I always leave this out)
1/2 C chopped onion (this is never put in at my house)
1 T butter
1/2 C all purpose flour
2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
1 can (12 oz) low fat evaporated milk
1 1/2 C cooked wild rice (Hint: you can buy this already cooked at the store!)
1 C diced cooked turkey (chicken works too if that's what you have on hand)
1/4 C slivered almonds, toasted

Grate carrots with a cheese grater. Slice mushrooms. Chop celery and onion.

Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan. (You can use a larger pan if you like.) Add vegetables; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Stir in flour. Gradually add milk and broth, whisking until well blended. Bring to a boil. Stir in cooked rice and turkey. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place almonds in a small saute pan. Heat over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until almonds begin to brown, stirring frequently. Remove from pan and cool slightly. Stir almonds into soup before serving.

Tip: If you have stoneware, you can also toast your almonds in the microwave. 3 minutes on high, stirring every 60 seconds.

Tip: Cooked wild rice is available in your local grocery store where rice is sold. I've seen it sold in a can and in a pouch. Cooking wild rice from scratch takes much longer than white rice. Consider buying pre-cooked wild rice as a time saver for this recipe.

Yield: 6 servings (about 7.5 cups)

Apple Nut Ring

Well. Here we are. School has started. Fall has unofficially arrived.

I thought for today's offering, we'd do a little apple something. Something that could be a great brunch idea. Or if you are thinking evening meal, then a little "brupper for supper", as my kids would say.

Apple Nut Ring

2 pkg (7.5 oz each) refrigerated biscuits
2/3 C sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/4 C butter, melted
2 med. Granny Smith apples
1/3 C chopped nuts (Mary likes pecans)

Preheat your oven to 400. Separate your biscuits. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave butter on high for 30 seconds or til melted. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a container. Dip biscuits in butter. Roll in sugar mixture. Arrange biscuits in an overlapping circular pattern in a round cake pan or deep round stone.

Peel, core and slice apples. Cut in half crosswise. Place an apple slice between each biscuit and around the edges. Essentially, fill in as many gaps as you can. If you need to chop or grate nuts, then do that. Mix nuts with any sugar mixture that is leftover and sprinkle the whole thing over the pan.

Bake 25 minutes or until the biscuit dough is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

You have tomatoes coming out the wazoo. Maybe you've made salsa. Maybe you've made spaghetti sauce to freeze. Maybe you've cut some for hamburgers or chopped some for salads. But what do you do with the bowls and bowls that are left.

For some people, canning is an option. Mary's not really into canning. I should be, but I'll be honest. I'm too lazy to do it.

Baked stuffed tomatoes are simple and easy. This is one of those recipes where you literally could look in your fridge or your pantry and throw something together for it. (Remember, recipes are guidelines, not rules!)

But don't worry, I'm going to give you some guidance and ideas, but don't be afraid to experiment! Tomatoes are so juicy and when baked with other flavors, it's a pretty awesome feast!

Worried about the kids...tomatoes are just pre-ketchup! Plus, if you use some stuffers that they can get on board with, you are made in the shade!

So here we go with some basics, no matter what the filling:

Slice tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds before adding filling. You want your oven at 350 and for the most part, you are baking 15-20 minutes or until your stuffing and tomatoes are heated through. A good number of stuffing recipes have cheese in them, so if you use cheese, watching for fully melted cheese is a reasonable indicator.

Most of the recipes I'm going to share use 6 medium sized tomatoes.

Now, on to some filling options:

Greek Filling:
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 C yogurt, plain
2 C feta cheese, crumbled - I like the garlic and herb variety
8oz black olives, pitted, sliced
1 t sugar
1T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Greek, you bake the tomatoes for 10 minutes FIRST. Then add the filling and serve.

Beef Filling:
1/2 lb ground beef
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t dried oregano
2 C cooked rice - your choice in how you want to prep it
1/2 C dry bread crumbs
2 T butter
2 T water

Cook beef and drain. Add tomato pulp, cumin, chili powder, sugar, salt, pepper and oregano to pan. Heat til warm. Add cooked rice. Stuff tomatoes.

Melt butter and add water and bread crumbs. Cover filling with bread crumb mixture and bake until bread crumbs are lightly browned.

It's a Wrap!

Even though we've been having beautiful weather, we don't always need to heat up the kitchen, right?

How about some ideas for wrap sandwiches that can make a fun no-bake, no-grill meal!

The nice thing about wraps is you can set out the ingredients buffet style and let everyone make their own. So the picky eaters can't complain; they can put only what they want on their particular wrap!

You essentially make your spread using cream cheese as a base, spread on a tortilla, layer with your greens, meats and cheeses, top with vegies, roll and serve!

But how about some fun ideas to try? You can pick one and run with it, or have a few options available for everyone!

The other cool option is you can make the wraps and then cut them in snack size slices. Homemade is better than buying a platter of pre-made that you don't know how long has been sitting in the refrigerator case at Sams Club.

Hopefully my formatting will work out here, but if it's not readable, email me!

Southwestern Turkey Wrap
8oz cream cheese mixed with 1 small seeded jalapeno, chopped, 1 pressed garlic clove an 1/4 t cumin
Spread over 6 flour or chili lime tortillas
Layer with 6-12 romaine lettuce leaves, 8oz sliced deli turkey, and 3/4 C shredded Co-Jack cheese
Top with 1 diced mango and 1 large red bell pepper, cut in strips
Roll up and serve

Makes 6 wraps

Southwestern Roast Beef Wrap
8oz cream cheese mixed with 1 small seeded jalapeno, chopped, 1 pressed garlic clove an 1/4 t cumin
Spread over 6 flour or chili lime tortillas
Layer with 6-12 romaine lettuce leaves, 8oz sliced deli roast beef, and 3/4 C shredded Co-Jack cheese
Top with 2 large tomato, diced and seeded and 1 firm avocado, seeded and diced
Roll up and serve

Makes 6 wraps


You can interchange ingredients and make your own combination as well! Whatever items you and your family like!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Bake

Zucchini seems to be a bumper crop...as usual. And while zucchini bread is probably a staple for a lot of us, and you can throw some in a stir fry, what the heck else can you do with zucchini?

Well, thanks to my mother-in-law, I have a hearty meat-free dish that could be its own main course, or be a great side dish. And it's perfect for right now when those garden vegetables are ready for harvesting.

Zucchini Bake

4 cups diced fresh zucchini, peeled
1 large tomato, diced - (I like tomatoes so I usually use 2)
3/4 C grated cheddar cheese (or whatever blend you have. Today, I used Co-Jack)
1 C butter (2 sticks)
1/4 C flour
1 1/4 C milk
1 C crumbled saltine crackers

Peel and dice zucchini and place in an 8x8 dish or similar size. Dice tomatoes. Grate cheese, if needed. Add tomatoes and cheese to zuccini.

On stovetop, melt one stick butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and mix till blended. Slowly add milk while stirring. Stir till thick and smooth. Pour over zucchini mixture.

Melt remaining stick of butter. Can be melted in microwave. Crumble saltines. Mix saltines and crackers together. Pour over top of zucchini mixture.

If you have a microwave safe dish with lid, you can cook this on high for 10-12 minutes or until zucchini is fork tender.

Otherwise, bake in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until zucchini is fork tender.

Yumatrocious!

Add some protein to this dish by tossing in some cooked, diced chicken, turkey or pork. And wah-lah! Another yummy one dish meal!

Enjoy!

Did somebody say, "Cheeseburger"?

Cheeseburgers. Yum.

I recently came across an older recipe and thought, "OH! I need to give this one a shot again!" I probably tried it like 6 years ago when my kids were still in la-la-land when it came to trying food that looked different.

This is yet again a great one dish meal that you can put together fairly quickly. Now that the kids are older, I'm finding they like these one-dish meals A LOT. And given that they are fairly active, constantly eating and growing, I'm thinking, "Whatever keeps your hollow leg fuller longer is fine by me."

With that, let me introduce you to the Cheeseburger Stuffed Calzone!

2 pkgs (11oz each) refrigerated French Bread Dough (Pillsbury is your friend!)
6 slices American cheese (like the kind you make grilled cheese sandwiches with)
1/2 C chopped onion (yes, I leave this out)
1/4 C dill pickle, diced
3/4 C ketchup
2 t yellow mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 lb lean ground beef, cooked, crumbled, drained
1 T olive oil
1/4 C grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional. It's for garnish)
Shredded lettuce, tomato slices, pickle slices - all optional add-ons

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Unroll one package of the dough onto a large round pan - stone is best, but if all you have is a metal pan, you can make it work. If using metal, I'd spray with a little oil and dust with cornmeal to keep it from sticking.

Spread dough over the pan to within an inch of the edge. Cut cheese slices in half and arrange over dough as evenly as possible.

Chop onion (if you are using it). Dice pickles. Combine onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add cooked ground beef and mix well. Spoon meat mixture over cheese as evenly as possible. Unroll other container of dough and place directly over filling, matching edges as closely as possible. Trim excess dough and crimp edges.

Drizzle olive oil over the top and grate Parmesan cheese over the top. Make 6 cuts in the top of the dough for venting, using a pizza cutter. Bake 18-20 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve with condiments, if desired!

Enjoy!

Make some homemade milk shakes and you've got a Back to the 50s meal made in the shade!

Need Comfort Food

It's just been one of those weeks that suck the energy right out of you!

I worked pretty good on Monday and felt good about my productivity. Until about 8:30pm. My husband, Bryan, calls. Now Bryan plays soccer on Monday evenings and that was a bit early for him to be calling to say he was on his way home.

No, instead he's calling to find out if the urgent care clinic is still open because he thinks he dislocated his shoulder. Turns out he had to go to the ER and he'd completely separated his clavicle from his shoulder blade. Didn't get to bed until nearly 2am on Tuesday morning.

Then we had doctor appointments the next day and then it seemed that whole world's problems were coming to roost on my doorstep. I know it wasn't, but boy, it sure seemed like it.

For those of you who don't know, I live in Minnesota. It's been blissfully pleasant weather this week and that's about the only thing I can't complain about.

Well, today, it has been partly cloudy with a brisk northwest wind...nice and cool. My computer weather station says its 72 degrees. On August 1, no less. But it sure feels like October 1 or even November 1. And I LOVE IT!

But being cool weather, it makes you feel like having some comfort food.

So what it comfort food? I define that as heavier, filling food that makes you go, "Ummmm. Full tummy. Can I have some more?"

I recently test drove a Loaded Baked Potato Chowder recipe that you make in the microwave. Yeah, this is another super simple, less than 30 minute meal that everyone will want to try.

Perfect for a day like today. Excellent in a large mug while reading a good book or watching a fun movie.

So file this one away. Maybe if you are in the 90s, you aren't ready for a hot meal, but this one's a keeper.

Loaded Baked Potato Chowder
3 large baking potatoes
3 1/2 C milk, divided
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 T butter
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t coarsely ground black pepper
Optional toppings: 2-3 green onions with tops, sour cream, bacon, broccoli, chili...whatever you'd try on a baked potato

So slice those potatoes in half lengthwise. Keep the skins on. Place in a deep, microwave safe baking dish so all 6 halves can fit. Pour 1/2 C milk over the potatoes. Cover the dish. Microwave on High for 11 minutes. Move center potatoes to outside and outside potatoes to center so you can get even cooking. Cover again. Microwave another 10 minutes or so. You want to be able to easily pierce with a fork. Take out of microwave and coarsely mash inside the baking dish.

Note: Coarsely mash is important. This is a chowder so you want it chunky.

While the potatoes are cooking, whisk your cream cheese until it's smooth. I like to get the Whipped Cream Cheese because it's already smooth. Slowly add the rest of the milk while whisking. Don't do it too fast. The reason you do this slow is so you don't have lumps of cream cheese when you are done.

Add this cream cheese mixture to your mashed up potatoes. Add butter. Cover it up and microwave again for 3-5 minutes on until mixture is pretty hot.

If you haven't sliced your green onions, do that now.

Carefully remove your dish from the microwave. Dump grated cheese over the chowder. Add salt and pepper and mix until cheese is melted. Add in your optional toppings as desired.

It makes about 8 cups of chowder which is a good large amount for a family meal and will most likely yield you some leftovers!

Now while I didn't do this with my initial test run ~ mostly because we eventually ate it all ~ is whether this fully cooked recipe is freezable. I think it will be a great freezer meal that you could save as a "thaw, heat and serve" meal for the cooler months.

Enjoy!

Easy Beef French Dip

Just got home from working out. Nearly an hour on the elliptical can make you a little hungry, especially around lunch time.

I know I've been sharing a lot of chicken recipes, but this is a great crock-pot recipe that you can "Dump and Pour" - those magic words! - and let it do its thing.

Here's what you need:
2-3 lb beef roast - I use whatever happens to be in the freezer, rump or chuck roast
1 can of beef broth - 10 oz regular size, not the giant sized - or make your own broth with bullion
1 bottle or can of beer - whatever is handy
1 C water
Famous Dave's Steak and Burger Seasoning

Put the thawed roast in the crock pot. Add the broth, beer and water. Sprinkle with Famous Dave's seasoning. Don't ask me how much. It's one of those "until it looks good" type recipes. If I had to guess, I'd guess 2 T.

Cook on Low for 7-8 hours. Take the meat out and slice diagonally. Sauce in crockpot has been reduced and has yummy flavor.

Serve on rolls or buns with butter. Yum.a.tro.cious!

Aloha Pizza!

Aloha!

I'm just in a little Polynesian/Hawaiian mood!

It's not exactly hot today, but the air feels a little "still".

You know how sometimes you want to cook, but you don't want to cook? You want good food, but you are just feeling a bit lazy?

How about a casual pizza with some chicken, fresh pineapple (since the prices are quite reasonable) and maybe some green pepper for color? And a magic ingredient...barbecue sauce. Aren't you a little intrigued?

If you are a make-your-own-pizza-dough type person...my hat's off to you! I'm not homemade all the time. Pillsbury can be your friend when you want a little homemade, a little convenience.

Aloha Pizza

1 green bell pepper, diced - you could skip this or substitute something else. I just put it in for color
2 pkgs refrigerated pizza crust
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 C BBQ Sauce
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2 C diced cooked chicken (2 average sized boneless skinless breasts)
1 med. pineapple

Preheat oven to 400. Roll out both packages of pizza crust on a large cookie-sheet sized pan. Stoneware will yield better results than metal.

Combine fresh garlic and oil and brush over pizza crust evenly. Then spread half of the BBQ sauce on top of that, using the back of a spoon or a scraper. Sprinkle chicken and cheese over crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden.

Meanwhite, peel, core and slice fresh pineapple. If you have a pineapple wedger, that's an ideal tool for this job. Dice pineapple and bell pepper. Mix pineapple and bell pepper in a bowl. Spoon evenly over pizza, draining extra liquid against the side of the bowl - this keeps your pizza from getting too soggy.

Then drizzle the remaining BBQ sauce over the whole thing.

Cut into squares and serve!

Enjoy!

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

Need a quick dessert to go take to your 4th of July gathering? Categorize this one under "ridiculously simple"...I seem to have a lot of those, now that I think about it.

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

1 prepared angel food cake (or if you prefer pound cake, you can use that)
1 qt. fresh strawberries
3 C fresh blueberries
1 (16oz) container frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
2 T lemon juice
3 (6oz) containers strawberry yogurt
1 pkg white chocolate instant pudding
2 C Cool Whip, thawed

Cut cake into 1" cubes. Clean, hull and slice fresh strawberries. Rinse blueberries. Set aside 1/2 C each fresh strawberries and blueberries.

In a bowl, mix fresh and frozen strawberries together. In another bowl, whisk lemon juice, yogurt, and pudding mix. Once well blended, fold in 1 C of the Cool Whip.

To put the trifle together, have a trifle bowl or other bowl ready. Layer 1/3 of the cake cubes on the bottom of the bowl. Top with 1/3 of the strawberry mixture and 1/3 of the blueberries; press gently. Add one third Cool Whip mixture. Repeat layers 2 more times. Be sure to spread flat before adding the next set of layers.

To garnish, use a decorator tool or bag with an open star tip and pipe the top of the trifle. Lay reserved strawberries and blueberries as "stripes" across the top of the trifle, with "white" gaps in between each stripe of fruit.

I know these directions are longer than normal, but if you re-read through it and picture it in your mind, this is just dumping and pouring. Very very easy. And it looks so "Martha"...like you spent all day on it.

Enjoy your 4th of July!

Pizza Burgers

Pizza and hamburgers. 2 foods that just about every kid eats.

How about make your own Pizza Burgers? Yet another freezer meal waiting for you to WOW your family. You can call it Gourmet Burger Night.

Here's what you need for Pizza Burgers:

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
2 oz pepperoni slices (15-20 slices)
1/2 C pizza sauce (or plain tomato sauce)
1/2 C dried bread crumbs (if you have the Italian kind in a tub, that's perfect!)
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Place beef in a large mixing bowl. Coarsely chop pepperoni. Add pepperoni, sauce, bread crumbs and cheese to beef. Using your hands, wearing disposable gloves (or a real sturdy spoon), mix until well blended.

If you plan to save this for later, you have 2 options:

1. Put the entire bowl full of meat into a gallon sized freezer bag. Flatten, removing as much air as possible. Seal and freeze.
OR
2. Shape immediately into 8 hamburger patties and place on waxed paper on the bottom of a freezer-safe container. Can be layered 4-on-4. Cover top layer with another sheet of wax paper and seal.

Otherwise, shape into patties and enjoy immediately! Serve with your favorite condiments.

As we are in the thick of summer, look for more "Gourmet Burgers" to come!

Fun Food Facts ~ Part 1

I know I've been on hiatus for a while, but I have to get back in the groove.

Today, I'm going to offer some food tips that fit our power cooking theme: save time and be efficient with the ingredients you use in the kitchen.

~ Keep your guacomole fresh and not-brown by putting the pit of the avocado in the bowl of guac between serving.

~ Male or female bell peppers? You can tell which ones are which by how many bumps there are on the bottom. 3 bumps is a male pepper and it's best used for cooking. 4 bumps is a female pepper and it's best used raw.

~ Cabbage is over 91% water.

~ Lemons have more sugar than strawberries

Back with a recipe later!

Bubble Up Pizza

Pizza is already easy. But how about a twist?

Bubble Up Pizza is actually baked. Not ideal for a 90 degree day, but save this for when people have a hankering for pizza and you just don't have one in the freezer.

Totally easy...have I ever given you any other kind?...and you could put a good portion of the ingredients in a ziploc and freeze it for when you are ready to use it. Everything but the biscuits and cheese.

Bubble Up Pizza
1/3 C green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 C onion, chopped
1 C fresh sliced mushrooms
1/3 C pitted ripe olives
1 jar (14 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 garlic clove, pressed - I'd probably make this at least 2 cloves
3 pkgs (7.5oz each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 C (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Chop bell pepper and onion. Slice mushrooms. In bowl, combine vegetables and spaghetti sauce. Add pressed garlic. Mix well.

Cut each biscuit into quarters using kitchen shears. Arrange half of biscuit pieces evenl over bottom of 9x13 baker. Bottom will not be completely covered. Spread with half of sauce mix. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat layers. Bake 23-28 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 8 squares.

Enjoy!

Next blog, I'm going to focus on some food facts to help you maximize the use of certain foods in your kitchen.

Jerk Chicken, Mango and Avocado...Salad!

Jamaica, mon! Now that summer is here, there's nothing like a filling and refreshing salad on a hot summer day!

Jamaican jerk was always scary to me. My dad is big on spicy...really spicy. I just was scared off that it would be a 4-alarm fire so I resisted trying this recipe. However, it only used a bit of the jerk seasoning on the chicken and nowhere else.

WOW! Can I eat this every day? I LOVE IT!

Give this one a try. It blends some great fruit flavors with chicken and a lettuce salad AND the homemade dressing couldn't be easier! AND super-de-duper tasty!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Mango and Avocado Salad
1 T lime juice
1 T jerk seasoning
2 t vegetable oil or olive oil
2 t finely chopped jalapeno pepper (no seeds)
1 garlic clove pressed
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1 bag shredded lettuce - or your own favorite lettuce head, bag or fresh greens from the garden!
1 avocado, peeled and cubed
1 mango, peeled and cubed

Dressing:
2 T lime juice
1 T sugar
1 t lime zest
Dash of salt
2 T vegetable or olive oil

Add all dressing ingredients together. Whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For chicken, whisk lime juice, jerk seasoning, jalapeno, oil and garlic until blended well. Dice chicken. Add chicken to bowl with seasoning mix and coat well. Stir fry in a skillet until well done.

Peel, slice and dice avocado and mango.

Add chicken and fruit to a bowl with lettuce. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

Margarita Salmon with Margarita Slush

Whew! I know it's been a couple weeks, but I had a crazy time wrapping up work before heading to Florida for Star Wars Weekends at Disney World for my husband's birthday. And I'm still trying to re-organize the disaster that is my desk.

But, now that we've turned the corner to summer, I've been bringing out some more lighter recipes that don't fill you too full and make you have sour stomach in the heat.

My daughter is a HUGE salmon fan. And while I know not everyone digs salmon, you can substitute your own favorite fish. Or if seafood is not your gig, by all means, try it with some chicken.

Marinades are the key to summer flavor!


Margarita Salmon
1 filet of salmon
Lime Juice
Salt
Olive Oil

Ideally, you should be able to lay your salmon filet out in a shallow dish. In a bowl, mix together 1 C lime juice, 1/4 C olive oil and 1 t salt. Pour over salmon. Cover dish and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Discard marinade before cooking.

Salmon can be grilled or baked. Cooking time depends on the size of your filet. But salmon is done when it's a lighter pink and easily flakes with a fork.


Want to have a whole "Margarita" meal? Make some Margarita Slush. I do this at parties all the time.

Margarita Slush
1 can (12 oz) lemonade
1 can (12 oz) limeade
1 can (6 oz) orange juice
6 C water
Your favorite "uncola" - Sprite, Sierra Mist, Fresca, etc.

Mix juice concentrates and water in a larger pitcher. Blend well. Divide into 3 quart-size, freezer ziploc bags. Freeze. 1 bag makes a single 2 quart batch.

When ready to make slush, take out a freezer bag and let it slightly thaw so that the mix is slushy. Add contents of bag to 2 quart pitcher. Add 1 liter (1/2 of a 2-liter bottle) of your favorite uncola and mix well.

This recipe is virgin. You can soup it up with the tequila if you like. But I find it to be a fun and refreshing alternative all year round, but especially during the summer.

Enjoy!

Sinfully yummy

Candy Bars. Don't you just love candy bars? I know this is so off-topic, but I'm feeling a little more meandering than normal.

I just spent yesterday at my son's Eagle Scout Service Project. All day. I'm sore. I'm tired. I'm sunburned. I don't feel like eating healthy today.

So I'm making an old favorite that I can't even remember when I made it last...Candy Apple Delight.

Now, this recipe actually calls for 2 candy bars. I'm telling you right now...it needs FOUR candy bars. Seriously.

Sometimes, you need to have some of that oh-so-delicious-not-necessarily-healthy-for-you stuff.

Candy Apple Delight
3 large Granny Smith Apples
2 Snickers Bars - (Remember, Mary says you need FOUR)
1/2 C peanuts
1 can (8oz) drained pineapple tidbits
1 container (8oz) Cool Whip

Peel, core and slice apples. Cut into quarters. Place in bowl. Coarsely chop candy bars into small pieces. Chop peanuts. Add candy bars, peanuts and pineapple into bowl. Fold in Cool Whip. Serve.

Or eat by yourself. :-)

Enjoy!

Dijon Garlic Chicken

I'm just on a chicken spree here!

Normally my freezer meal recipes call for boneless skinless chicken breasts. And you can still do that with this recipe, but it also works quite well on drumsticks.

Dijon Garlic Chicken
2 cloves pressed garlic
4 T dijon mustard
2 T lime juice - (you could use lemon juice in a pinch)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 6-8 drumsticks

Place garlic, mustard and juice in a gallon size freezer bag. Grab the outside of the bottom of the bag and squeeze it a few times to blend the ingredients. Add chicken. Remove air to make bag as flat as possible and seal.

When ready to eat, take out the night before and thaw in fridge. Discard marinade before grilling.

New Marinade!

Happy Memorial Day!

I'm waiting for the rest of the family to bebop over to my house for the afternoon and had to share this new marinade I got from one of my friends! I haven't had a chance to try it as I literally got it from her yesterday.

But talk about awesome freezer meal for the grill: Cranberry Chicken!

Ok, I know cranberries seem to be relegated to Thanksgiving, but this marinade sounds divine! Remind me to share the Pork Loin with Cranberry Wine Sauce later on...

Cranberry Chicken:
2 T butter
1 T soy
1/2 C cranberry juice
1/4 C orange juice
1/4 t ground cinnamon
Boneless Skinless chicken breasts - I usually use 4

Add all ingredients to a gallon ziploc freezer bag and then flatten as much as possible before sealing. As usual, take out of the freezer the night before and put it in the fridge to thaw during the day. Discard marinade before adding chicken to the grill.

Can't wait to try this this week! And again, this is a list of ingredients you will most likely have in your kitchen already!

Enjoy! Please post a comment if you try this or any other recipe! I love to hear your feedback or if you tweak it and make something fun and tasty!

~Mary

Italian Pork Tenderloin

Okay, doesn't that sound fabulous? I wanted to make the meat rub post it's own animal, but I have to share something I make on occasion that is just so quick and easy, and tasty, that it's almost not fair.

Get a pork tenderloin, and if need be, thaw it. Cut it into slices about 1/4" thick. (I'm totally guessing here; I eyeball my cuts each and every time. Not too thick but not too thin. Guidelines, remember?"

For freezer cooking, place all in a ziploc gallon size freezer bag and then pour an entire small bottle of Wishbone Robusto Italian Dressing (or your favorite Italian salad dressing) into the bag. Seal and freeze. Take out the night before and thaw in the 'fridge. Discard marinade. Grill, fry, or bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Yumatrocious.

OR

If you plan to make this right away, you can place it in a bag if that's more convenient, but you could place the meat and marinade in a container large enough to make sure the meat has a chance to marinate well. I'd leave it in the marinade for at least 30 minutes. An hour is better.

Seriously. 2 ingredients: meat and Italian dressing. How much easier can it get? And not terribly expensive The small bottles of dressing are usually less than $2.

Quick. Easy. Inexpensive. Tasty.

All magic words at my house.

Meat Rubs....Yumatrocious!

My daughter, Caitlin, came up with "Yumatrocious" when she was really little. It cracked us all up and our family still uses it to this day for yummy stuff!

So you may be wondering, "What the heck is a meat rub?"

Meat Rubs are usually a dry combination of herbs and spices. There are all different kinds out there, from the plain jane to the exotic. Usually, I grill when I'm using a meat rub. But you can stovetop fry or bake as well.

There are a couple ways to get this meat rub on your meat.

1. You can brush or pat olive oil (or your favorite oil) on all sides of the meat. Then sprinkle the rub all over.
OR
2. Mix 1/2 C oil and 2-4 T of your rub together. Then using a basting brush, spread that combination over the meat.

I've also done #2 as a marinade for freezer cooking. But instead of spreading it over the meat, I'll pour the whole thing in a ziploc freezer bag, add the meat, seal and shake a bit so it coats the meat some. Then freeze it. As always, when it's thawing, it will marinate with those flavors.

One of my favorite meat rubs is one that has Italian seasonings. It's great for chicken and pork. And then that meat can be served with pasta or potatoes.

Check your spice cabinet. You may have meat rubs already. And you can make your own combination from dry spices you do have. My dad makes this great spice rub for brisket in the summer. He really coats it on thick, but when it's done grilling, it has a fabulous flavor.

Experiment a bit. Use a small ziploc bag or one of those teeny plastic storage containers to store your experiments. Then it's very easy to pull them out, prep the meat and grill (or whatever).

More on chicken...

Just a quick tip today as I'm juggling a long list of things on the to-do list.

I always buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts already frozen in the bag. While my family loves chicken legs and I will buy them, I don't really like spending money on chicken with bones since we don't eat the bones and I'm paying for that package by the pound.

A lot of times, I will throw 4-5 chicken breasts in its own ziploc bag with a marinade I have in the 'fridge or with some ingredients I know will make a decent marinade. (Remember, recipes are guidelines, not rules.)

Anyway, what I also have done is let those thaw a bit OR if there's a deal on fresh chicken breasts, I'll do this with those...but I'll throw a bunch of them in a 9x13 baker in the oven at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Basically until the juices run clean and meat is cooked through. I'll let them rest for 5 minutes or so and them chop them with my salad chopper (which is a really funky giant set of scissors, bigger than normal kitchen shears) in the pan. Then I can portion them out in ziploc freezer bags and freeze them.

Then when I'm in need of some chicken for a salad, lunch or dinner, I can just pull out a bag of already cooked chicken. A huge timesaver to do some of this bulk cooking and it can make dinnertime a little less stressed.

Have a great weekend!

I'm hungry...what should we eat?

How many of us have heard that day in and day out? Here's a quick recipe that can be whipped up really fast, is totally yummy, but a little different and I can say that my kids do like it! Don't let the curry frighten you away...I was afraid myself that "curry" meant "spicy"...until I got educated on the yummy flavor that curry spice offers. There is a zip to this recipe, but it's not a 4-alarm fire.

Curried Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1/2 C sour cream
1/4 C real mayo - (Miracle Whip will ruin this recipe)
1 t curry powder
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 t salt
1/2 c finely diced celery (Celery and I hate each other, so I leave this out)
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped (If you don't have a GS, any tart, crisp apple works)
1/4 C finely diced red onion (Onions don't come in my house so I leave this out, too)
2 C cooked chicken, chopped (Leftover turkey works good, too)
1/2 C Craisins (love love love these!)
1 small head Bibb/Boston/Butter Lettuce (it's called one of these names in your store)
1/4 C toasted almonds, chopped (optional)

Mix all the ingredients, except the lettuce and almonds in a bowl. You need the Bibb/Boston/Butter lettuce because the leaves are very flexible and it has a very small spine. This is why this lettuce is ideal for wraps. It can "wrap" without snapping in half like Iceberg Lettuce would.

Separate and rinse your lettuce leaves. If you have a salad spinner, that's ideal to use for this recipe to remove as much liquid as possible.

If you have a large cookie scoop, that's an ideal tool for filling your lettuce leaves and completing the wrap. Sprinkle with almonds if you like and there you go!

In a pinch, if you don't have the right lettuce, then corn tortillas work as a nice substitute. Or this filling is darn good all by itself with a spoon. I can attest to that one from personal experience.

The apple gives it a nice crunch and a little sweetness to go with the curry. Enjoy!

Mushroom Chicken

I gotta get back on the bandwagon here. Summer will be here before we know it! I suggest you take a couple hours and make a bunch of freezer meals all at once. Yeah, it takes a couple hours, but in the end you seriously could make 12-14 meals in that time. It's a HUGE time saver to do this for yourself.

Here's one I love...Mushroom Chicken

2 lbs frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts ~ around 4 pieces
1 can Golden Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 C milk
8 oz carton of fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 slices crumbled bacon
3 cloves of freshly pressed garlic
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
2 T lemon juice - (zest before juicing! You can save the zest and freeze for later use)
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Place frozen chicken in gallon size freezer bag. Combine remaining ingredients - except Parmesan Cheese - Pour sauce into bag and coat chicken well. Press air out of bag, making as flat as possible. Label with Sharpie marker. Put in freezer. Chicken will marinate as it defrosts in the refrigerator. I recommend you take it out of the freezer the night before you want to make it. Remove chicken from bag and place in a 9x13 pan. Stoneware gives the best results, but whatever you have in that size works. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until chicken juices are clear. Grate fresh Parmesan over the chicken after removing from the oven.

I like to serve this with rice and a salad, but you can choose your own sides!

Enjoy!

Macadamia Nut Hummus...Oh. My. Gosh.

So I've been a little lax in updating the blog here, but it's been crazy at my house lately.

I have to thank my friend, Tatiana, for sharing this recipe with me. I've always been on the indifferent side to hummus. If I find a kind I like, that's great...But I'm not likely to go out of my way to get hummus. It's just not a staple for me.

Boy, is that going to change! This mac nut hummus is TO DIE FOR! I know it's not fitting with my power cooking theme, but you just have to give this a try. It's chock full of protein with garbanzo beans, which I got for 67 cents at my local Super Target. And you don't have to buy name brand mac nuts. I'm sure Mauna Loa would love your business, but they were twice the price of my store brand.

Hummus can be a great snack, appetizer, or even one of those grazing type meals with a salad or vegie tray. (See I'm trying to justify posting this fabulous tasting recipe!) And all the other ingredients are pretty much staples...nothing terribly out of the ordinary and easy to find in your local store.

And it's FAST. I'm a big fan of dump-and-pour cooking. This is a D&P for the food processor or blender.

Macadamia Nut Hummus
1/2 C macadamia nuts, roasted - (can be done in the microwave for 2 min. On a clay dish is best)
2 C garbanzo beans (one can should do it - be sure to drain and rinse)
3 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
3 T water
1/2 t freshly minced garlic
10 fresh basil leaves (this is hugely important. I made this with dried basil and with fresh and the flavor with fresh basil is just infinitely better. You can get this inexpensively in the produce section of your grocery store)

Put all ingredients in food processor or blender. Pulse and blend till smooth. Serve with pita chips.

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo...Tacos in a Bag

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, one big reason to party Mexican!

Tacos in a Bag floats around my region every so often at fairs and such. I had my first experience myself a few years ago at a VFW Holiday Bazaar. I couldn't believe I hadn't had this before ~ so simple to make and SO easy to clean up! A match made in heaven.

You need to get a bag of those Doritos snack bags ~ the size you get for kids lunches.

Then get your Make Ahead Taco Meat out of the freezer; thaw and heat. OR take 5 min. and brown some ground beef or turkey with your favorite seasoning.

Chop up 2 Roma tomatoes. Shred some cheese and lettuce. And make sure you have sour cream and salsa on hand, if your crowd likes those condiments.

Now, to make a Taco in a Bag...

First, take one of the little Doritos bags and open one end. Then smoosh your chips coarsely. Scoop in 1-2 T meat. Then add sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. This order tends to work best because after all your toppings are added, you use a spoon to mix it up.

Then you eat this taco from the bag with the spoon! When you are done, you throw the bag and (assuming it's plastic) spoon away! No leaky taco shells and easy cleanup!

Adios!

Make Ahead Beef

One thing I do like to do is get about 10lbs of ground beef and then do a base batch for other recipes.

One thing that is essential is a giant skillet so you can cook up a bunch of it at a time. 5lbs at a time is about the most I like to do, or it just get to be too much.

Brown and crumble your ground beef until it's a consistent size. I like to use salt, pepper and some garlic.

If you aren't feeling particularly motivated, then let the meat cool right there and then separate into 5 quart sized ziploc freezer bags. Label with a Sharpie "Base Beef" so you know it's just ready to add.

If you give yourself another 20 minutes or so, you can go to town with a couple other basic recipes and save yourself a little time later on down the line.

Here are some options:

Spaghetti Sauce - take one pound of your beef and mix with your favorite canned or jarred spaghetti sauce in a ziploc freezer bag. Label as spaghetti sauce and freeze. When ready to use, take out in the morning and let thaw during the day. This will only need to be reheated because the meat is already cooked.

Sloppy Joe's - Hmmm. I'm hungry. So here's what I'd do for this:
1 can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste (for thickness)
1/4 c yellow mustard
1 t Liquid Smoke (you can find this by your salad dressing section in the grocery store. It's not required, but it does give it a twist.)
A squirt of honey - enough to give it just a little sweetness.
1 lb ground beef

This is a rough recipe, definitely adjust it to taste. But it's oh, so good! Freeze and label when done. This is a Thaw, heat and serve type recipe, too!

Taco Meat - add your favorite Mexican or southwestern seasoning to meat when still warm. It blends better that way. Put in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. Thaw, reheat and serve!

Beef base can also be used for any fake-Stroganoff-type recipes, hamburger hotdishes, etc. Lots and lots of options here!

You can substitute ground turkey for any of these recipes! Enjoy!

Apples and Jello...not what you think

How about a fun, colorful snack for kids and adults alike? How about if you could each make your own?

Take an apple and cut into wedges. If you have an apple wedging tool, that's ideal. Then you take a package of Jello crystals and pour it into a small bowl. Having a couple choices is good for a group.

Take a small spoonful of Jello crystals and sprinkle over your apple wedge (over the bowl or a plate to catch any excess). You have colored apples with a little sweet surprise! And yes, it actually is pretty tasty!

I'm not sure if it's still out there (as I haven't looked lately), but at one time, Jello made a color changing set of flavors. So in the package it might look white, but once you mix it together, it turned red or green or blue. That was really fun because the kids thought it was just sugar and then when they sprinkled it on the apple, it turned colors!

Enjoy!

Making your own Salsa

Did you know that salsa vies with ketchup as America's most popular condiment? My son adores freshly made salsa. Salsa can be a little spendy at the grocery store. Depending on the brand, it's usually $3-$5 for a smallish jar.

Why not take about 5 minutes and make your own fresh salsa and save a little money, too?

You need tomatoes. I personally prefer Romas, but you can use whatever type you like. Romas are usually on sale somewhere and even when they are not, they are usually the least expensive variety. Depending on how spicy you want it, you can put a few jalapenos in your mix. I don't like spicy, so I usually stick with one jalapeno, seeded. The seeds and the white flesh are the hottest part of the pepper. So remove those if you don't want a four-alarm fire. Then just add in some chopped onions, if you like, fresh garlic, lime juice and a pinch of salt.

This is another one of those recipes where you add ingredients "until it looks good". But here's my rough recipe for it:

5-8 Roma tomatoes, chopped - you can use a knife or a food or salad chopping tool
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped - wear gloves when working with the pepper. It will the pepper oils away from your skin and prevent any stinging sensation.
1/2 C white onion, finely chopped - I don't do onion in my house, so this is definitely an estimate
2-3 cloves of garlic, freshly pressed
3 T lime juice
Pinch of salt

Here's a tip on chopping tomatoes. Whatever tool you are using, be sure you have the skin side up. You'll get cleaner chopping that way than if you try to chop through the fleshy side.

This recipe usually makes a good bowlful of salsa rather than a jar. Jalapenos are sold by weight and are usually 20 cents a piece, maybe less. White onions are large, but any extra can easily be refrigerated or frozen for later use. As for the rest of the ingredients, you'll find you may have excess that can be easily stored for later use or used to make a larger batch. The bottom line is your salsa will be nice and fresh and can be stored in a sealed container in your refrigerator for your family's enjoyment!

Crockpot Quickie...Chicken Yummy

I know I'm on a chicken roll here, but I was thinking about this on the drive into school today and how I hadn't made it for a while.

If you don't have a crockpot, I highly recommend you get one. It doesn't have to be big and bulky, though there are enough of those out there. But a crockpot is something you can turn on in the morning on low and when you get home or ready for dinner, then it's done. There's no babysitting; no being a slave in the kitchen. It takes a little forethought, but if you can give yourself a little planning time, you'll find your prep time for dinner can be slashed significantly.

Chicken Yummy is a recipe I found and adapted a long time ago. I know it wasn't called Chicken Yummy, but that's what it's called at my house.

So you need 4 good sized boneless skinless chicken breasts. And they need to be completely thawed and slightly patted dry with a paper towel. Place those in the bottom of your crock pot.

Now you have to make "the sauce". And this is where adaptability can play a huge part because you can customize this to your own tastes.

Chicken Yummy:
2 cans of cream based soup - I use Campbell's Cream of Chicken and Mushroom. But you could do a Cream of Celery and a Cream of Potato if you wanted
1 soup can water
1/2 C white wine - the real stuff, not cooking wine. This gives this recipe a nice flavor boost.

Whisk together until blended. It will be thick. Pour this over your chicken breasts in the crockpot. Top with parmesan cheese. No measurement - just "until it looks good".

Put the cover on your crockpot and cook on Low for 10 hours. A lot of times, I don't get my act together early enough and then about lunchtime it's like, "Oh, crap! I didn't start the chicken yet!" Then you can turn it on High for 4-5 hours. I love the flexibility a crockpot gives you.

When it's done, you get this great sauce that has thinned out and has the chicken broth mixed in. Chicken...yummy.

I usually serve this with rice and then either steamed broccoli or grilled asparagus. But you can use pasta and your choice of vegetable as well.

Freezer tips - what you should always have in there.

The freezer is becoming more and more a part of cooking. Power Cooking, Freezer Cooking, Once-a-month Cooking...there are a lot of terms. There are even some companies that have opened up stores where you can make your own freezer meals there. I do have some recipes that I'll share with you that I've found are just delectable and easy.

Save yourself time and freeze meat in meal size packages for your family. This allows you to thaw only what you need for a given meal.

Ground beef and turkey - cooked and uncooked. You can even season some ahead of time and label it - Taco Meat, Sloppy Joe's, etc.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs
Pork Chops
Beef and pork tenderloin
Cooked and uncooked shrimp
Cooked chicken

Pantry Staples - The Basics

How many of you have gotten home, opened up the refrigerator and asked yourself, "Ok, now what do I make for dinner?" I'm sure we've all done it a time or two.

The cool part about having your pantry packed with staples is that it makes it easier to throw something together without a firm plan. You can avoid last minute grocery runs and save yourself some time in the process

So here's some items you should always have on hand:

Basics:
Vegetable and olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray
Flour
Sugar and Brown Sugar
Cornstarch
Dried bread crumbs
Crackers
Cornmeal
Herbs, spices, seasonings
Sandwich bread
French or Italian bread
Flour and corn tortillas
Prebaked thin pizza crust
Nuts
Raisins

While these things aren't items you might normally eat by themselves, they can be invaluable ingredients for many recipes that are out there. Next post, I'll talk about some freezer tips.

Quick Dinner Idea...Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs

This is one meal that I always have a couple of in the freezer. It's an easy make-ahead meal that you can take out the night before or just before you go to work in the morning, and by the time you get home, it's thawed AND marinated, ready for baking or grilling. You can prep this today and give it a couple hours to marinate for really good flavor.

So you need a package of chicken thighs. These usually come in a pack of 8-10. I usually use the entire package for one recipe because I have a 12 and 13 year old. Food radar is always on. And on the rare occasion we have leftovers, these leftovers always get eaten.

The marinade is ridiculously simple. Now you can dump all these ingredients into a gallon size freezer bag directly, or mix in a bowl before dumping in a bag.

1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tbps molasses or honey
2 tsps worcestershire sauce
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
Pinch of salt

Fresh garlic is very important. Do not use garlic powder or dried garlic. Fresh garlic actually has better flavor; it's a bit sweeter. And I'm a big fan of garlic. My mantra is if it doesn't have sugar, it's need a little garlic.

So add all those to your ziploc freezer bag and then add your chicken thighs. Push out all the extra air and seal it up. This makes a nice flat package that takes up a tiny space in your freezer. Thaw and grill. Or if you prefer to bake, then bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.

Enjoy!

Welcome to Mary's Meanderings!

I've been thinking about blogging about being in the kitchen for a while now. I often hear people around me comment on how they hate to cook or they don't cook at all.

In reality, we all cook. If we didn't cook, we'd never eat.

But I think we all have this pre-conceived notion in our heads that "cooking" means spending hours at a time, each and every day on a meal. No one has time for that! So they think they "can't cook" or they "don't cook."

I have a lot of tips and tricks that make cooking, whether it's for dinner, a potluck recipe for the next church social, a dessert just because, or a recipe for when company's coming.

So whether you are a Chef Boyardee that prefers to just open cans, or a Betty Crocker/Rachel Ray type who hankers to bake and do quick meals, or a Martha Stewart who likes to entertain, I'm sure that you can take some ideas back to your kitchen.