Always a Favorite!

I made Spinach Salad for dinner last night.  It is always a hit at home.  The dressing doesn't  "travel well" so I never take it to potlucks..you have to come to my house if you want some!

1 bag of  baby spinach ( I buy the baby becasue I don't want to spend the time tearing the regular into bite sizes pieces)**
1 good handful of fresh bean sprouts
1  8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, well drained
8 slices of bacon, well cooked and crumbled
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Dressing
1 C veg. oil
1/2 C sugar
1/3 catsup
1/4 C vinegar (NOT balsamic) I use red wine or white
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 med. onion grated

Mix well and add to salad just before serving.

**If you are using it as a main course, I just use one bag of spinach (serves 4) You can add fresh shrimp or chicken too!
If you use it as a salad you can use two bags of spinach, just toss really well to distribute the dressing.(serves 8)

This is my new favorite spice!

New Sodium Guidelines

The government just announced new sodium guidelines.  People over 50 should not have more than 1500mgs per day.  I do not use salt, I rarely cook with salt but when I started reading labels..even I am going to have to watch what I do more closely.  So I bought  a new McCormick seasoning..."Perfect Pinch Savory All-Purpose".  It is salt free and I used it in this recipe.

2 to 3 lbs. of chicken ( I used boneless skinless thighs)
1 T olive oil
1/4 C of chopped onions (I used dry because my husband hates onions)
3 stalks of celery, sliced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/4 C wine
2 "handfulls" of fresh spinach
1 can of cream of celery soup (I used the fat free)
2 C of long grain rice
2 C of water
1 T Perfect Pinch
1/4 t garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350
Par boil rice in water (about 14 minutes) Now, while you are waiting on the rice..
Put onions and celery in frying pan w/olive oil. Saute for 5 minutes, remove from pan, set aside in small bowl.
Cover chicken w/ perfect pinch, garlic powder and brown in pan.  Set aside. Place mushrooms in pan and saute. Add mushrooms, soup and wine into small bowl.  Mix well. Grease large casserole dish. Put  1/2 rice in casserole,  throw in the spinach, put in the rest of the rice, mounding it to the center.  Place chicken on rice, cover with soup mixture.  Bake for one hour! Comfort Food!

Save Your Marriage Pot Roast

Well, at least that is what my Mother in law called the recipe...she must have been ahead of her time.  It has been YEARS since I cooked a roast using that recipe and the other day Rachel Ray was doing a version.

1 3 to 4 pound beef roast
 Preheat oven to 500.  Place roast in shallow pan (I put a light coating of dry rub spices) Cook for 35 minutes. Turn the oven off, leave the roast in for 2-2 1/2 hours. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR
That's it.....lets hope it turns out..we will know @ 6 p.m.

I need to be clear......

I am NOT a Martha Stewart wanna be...in fact when I cook I will take every shortcut and easy fix I can.  Cooking isn't brain surgery, it is only as complicated as you make it.  I have lots of recipes from family ( I will share many of them in the future..except Michael's Grandmothers potato salad recipe.  It is the family secret) I have collected recipes from friends.  I will share those also. I have been "stealing" good food ideas for years.  Isn't plagiarism the sincerest form of flattery?
What I do know is I am not going to reinvent the wheel....I am just going to cook and share!

One-pot steak and pasta casserole

1 T olive oil
1 lb. lean sirloin steak, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 onion chopped
1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
1 28 oz.can of chopped tomatoes (I used italian tomatoes w/garlic, basil and oregano)
2 T tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic crushed
3 C reduced sodium beef broth (divided)
4 celery stalks, sliced
8 oz. of fusilli pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 1/2 C button mushrooms
1 t dried oregano or 1 T chopped fresh oregano
coarse ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in large Dutch oven, brown the meat, remove with slotted spoon. Add onions and peppers to the pot, stirring often  until soft (about 5 minutes) Add the tomatoes with their juice, the paste, garlic and 2 cups of the broth. Stir well and bring to a boil.
Return the beef to the pan and the celery and season w/ pepper. Cover and simmer gently until the beef is tender (about an hour).
Add the pasta, oregano, mushrooms (cut the buttons in half if they are large) and add remaining broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer,  reduce heat and cover the pan.  Cook until the pasta is tender.  (about 20 minutes) Serve immediately.

The recipe said it serves 4..but it looks like it will feed 6.  It was quite yummy!

EASY Vegetable Beef Soup

This recipe is always a hit...and it is so easy.  The entire prep takes about 5 minutes..come home from work and the house smells dee-vine! Many times I double it.

1/2 lb. for stew meat, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 can (14 oz.) tomatoes (I used Del Monte diced with basil, garlic, and oregano)
1 small onion diced (Michael hates onions so I sneak in dried chopped)
coarse ground pepper to taste
1 stalk of celery sliced
3/4 cup of frozen mixed vegetables
1 beef bullion cube
water

Put all ingredients in crockpot.  Add water to barely cover. Stir thoroughly.
Cover and cook for 10-14 hours

Baptism by Fire

I don't think I can say I LOVE to cook...but I really do enjoy cooking for my family and friends.  When I was a newlywed (that was so far back I like to say it was before there was dirt) it was kinda baptism by fire.  Millington TN was our first duty station.  Michael was a student and he found our rental house in Atoka TN across the street from one of his classmates.  At the wise old age of 19 I was playing house and I did not have a clue.  I got up every morning, picked up the "entire" house and mopped my way to the sink and stove (true story) and made a home cooked breakfast.  Well, one weekend morning I made pancakes..from scratch.  After breakfast Michael walked across the street and was talking to his buddy Ken(pictured above). Later, I wandered over and just happened to overhear the part of their conversation where my beloved referred to my Pancakes as GUT BOMBS. I was making them many times a month...in the same sentence he said.."they are killin' me"  Bless his little heart, he did  not tell me because he did not want to hurt my feelings!
Breakfast is not my favorite meal to cook..Michael makes breakfast every Sunday. But I did get waaaay better.  I also discovered Bisquick..another "don't reinvent the wheel" tip. My Bisqick pancakes are excellent..no more gut bombs!