Glenna’s Spaghetti Salad

This is so simple, and tasty. Thanks Glenna.

• 1 pound cooked with 1 teaspoon of oil
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 bottle of Viva Italian Dressing

Cook spaghetti with 1 teaspoon of oil in the water. Drain and let cool

Mix with chopped vegetables and dressing.

Red Beans and Rice

In the summer, I hardly ever use my oven. If I can't cook it in a crock pot of micro wave, I don't cook it. 

Crock-Pot red beans and rice

• 6 can red beans
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• ½ green pepper, chopped
• 1 to 2 cups ham scraps
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon seaming salt

Add all ingredients to a crock-pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve over white rice.

Courtesy of Cousin Jeanie    Adams' Family Cookbook

Best Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 4 medium potatoes, cubed
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 8 oz chicken stock
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup water
• 2 (28oz) cans chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp pepper
• Salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley
• 2 lb fresh cooked chicken breast fillets, chopped into cubes.

Instructions: 

In a large pot, heat the oil. Add chopped peppers, celery, onion, garlic and carrots and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, clam juice, water and stir. 

Then add basil, oregano, pepper and parsley and bring to a quick boil. Lower temperature to medium and simmer the soup until the potatoes are beginning to soften. Add the cans of tomatoes and simmer for a further 30 minutes. 

Add the chicken for the last 3 minutes, or until heated through. . Adjust seasoning to taste

Let the soup stand for a little while, then serve with crusty French bread.

Broccoli and Pork Salad

Seems like every one has a broccoli salad. Well here's mine. It is a Broccoli Pork Salad.

Seasoned Pork cooked and cut into strips

2 bunches of broccoli 

2 Roma tomatoes chopped 

1/2 cup celery

1/2 cup craisins or grapes

Bell pepper cut in small strips

3 tbl chopped onion

1/4 shredded mozzarella 

1/2 chopped nuts

Favorite dressing

Chop broccoli into small florets. Place in a large bowl with the strips of pork. 

 Add chopped tomato, onion, celery and peppers. Toss well. 

Sprinkle on the cheese and nuts. 

Top with a favorite dressing.

Boiling the Bones

The other thing that happened at the end of last year, was i moved to a new apartment. This one has a little bit bigger kitchen. That means I can experiment a little more. the increase in counter space means I think I can make pizza..

I want the focus to still be on good old fashioned comfort food, with a a direction in cooking for two. That will be my challenge. I always cook for a crowd. When there really is just two of us.

More on soup stuff:


one of the things i learn working in the restaurant, was that if you roast the bones, you get a richer flavor to your broth. The trick is not to let them burn, but to give them a nice brown color.

In the stock pot, put in plenty of water and salt. also add veggies, like onion, celery, carrots.

let it simmer all day. i sometimes use my crock when making stock.

When I'm satisfied with it. I strain it toll the bones, and the veggies. Toss the bones. skim the fat off then freeze it.

Did you know that it easier to remove that fat from frozen broth? Reason because the fat doesn't freeze as hard as the broth.

Cobb salad

                                                                  

The Cobb salad is a main-dish American garden salad made from chopped salad greens (iceberg lettuce, watercress, endives, and Romaine lettuce), tomato, crisp bacon, boiled or roasted (not fried) chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, avocado, chives, Roquefort cheese, and red-wine vinaigrette. -- wikepdia.com

...As to who invented it. varies depending on who tells it, but it was invented at the the then famous Brown Derby restaurant in LA. It was named for the owner Robert Cobb who own the Derby in the 30's.

Anyway the salad is delish, and one of my all time favorites.  The is the Weight Watchers version.

Ingredients 3/4 cup(s) canned cranberry sauce, whole-berry 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped 1 Tbsp olive oil 5 cup(s) romaine lettuce, coursely chopped 3 cup(s) Iceberg lettuce, coursely chopped 8 oz cooked turkey breast with skin, smoked, chopped 1 cup(s) low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese, white 1 cup(s) frozen corn kernels, thawed 1 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), diced 1/2 cup(s) uncooked celery, chopped 1/2 cup(s) (sliced) uncooked red onion(s), diced Instructions Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended. Cover, and set aside. Combine romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce in a large bowl. Place 2 cups lettuce mixture in each of 4 large salad bowls. Arrange 2 ounces chopped turkey, 1⁄4 cup cheese, 1⁄4 cup corn, 1⁄4 cup red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons celery and 2 tablespoons onion over each. Serve vinaigrette with salad. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 salad and about 1⁄3 cup dressing).

  

© 2012 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2012 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and PointsPlus® are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Well here's another soup. For some reason my curmudgeon just can't get enough soup. Chicken noodle, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken. ... Loves the asparagus and the zucchini soup.

The nice thing about soup is that you can put the whole meal in one bowl Serve with some chips, bread or apple sauce, and it's a full meal.

It's always nice when when he chops the vegetables.

Ingredients

4 cups broccoli, cooked
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/3 cup flour
4 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups water, boiled
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1 In a blender, process half of the broccoli until fairly smooth.
2 Chop remaining broccoli and set aside.
3 In a large pot, melt butter. Saute onion and celery for 3 - 4 minutes or until soft.
4 Add flour, stirring for 1 - 2 minutes.
5 Crumble bouillon cubes in 3 cups of boiling water.
6 Blend into onion mixture and bring to a boil.
7 Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thick. Stirring constantly.
8 Add milk, pepper, nutmeg and broccoli.
9 Heat thoroughly.
10 Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese.



Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/homestyle-cream-of-broccoli-soup-223484#ixzz1uyJ8Cpb4

Split Pea with Ham

Ingredients

1 lb dried split peas
2 small potatoes diced small
2 carrots sliced thin
1/2 small onion diced
2 cups ham or pork broth
3 oz sliced ham
1 celery stalk
garlic powder
salt and pepper
sour cream


Directions

Rinse and drain peas. Add to a large pot. Add broth salt pepper and garlic powder.
Dice the potatoes, carrots, onion and celery. Add to the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil. Stir well so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Simmer on low for 2 hours, or until all the veggies are tender.
Dice the ham, add to the soup. Stir gently folding in the ham.
The soup should be slightly think and be shiny green in color.
To serve top with a dollop of sour cream and crusty bread if desired

Dirty Rice

Traditional dirty rice is made with ground organ meats, but I'm not a fan. So i substitute ground beef. I also don't like it as spicy, so I use more bell pepper, and less hot pepper.. Ingredients


1 1/2 cup long-grain rice (Carolina, basmati, jasmine, etc)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper or 1-3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 green onions, chopped

Method

1 Cook the rice according to the package instructions, but use chicken broth for one third of the cooking liquid. So, for example, if the package says to use 3 cups of water for 1 1/2 cups of rice, use 2 cups of water and 1 cup of chicken broth. Once the rice has finished cooking, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Turn the rice out onto a sheet pan and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over it. Mix to combine and let cool.

2 While the rice is cooking,  get a large pan that can eventually hold the rice plus everything else, put 1 tablespoon of oil plus the bacon in and cook over medium-low heat until the bacon is crispy.

3 Add the ground pork and ground beef and increase the heat to high. Allow the meat to brown before stirring. As soon as the meat starts to brown, add the final tablespoon of oil and add the celery, peppers, and onions. Brown them all over medium-high heat. You may notice the bottom of the pan getting crusty. Keep it from burning by lowering the heat if needed. 


4 Add the remaining cup of chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the Cajun seasoning and turn the heat to high. Boil away most of the chicken stock and then add the cooked rice. Toss to combine.

5 Turn off the heat and add the green onions. Toss once more to combine and serve hot.



Yield: Serves 4.

Red Beans and Rice

ingredients

1 pound dried red kidney beans, picked over
1 pound smoked link sausage, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 large onion, chopped
2 pale-green inner celery ribs (with leaves), chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced, or to taste
6 cups water
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon Tabasco
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

In a bowl soak beans in water to cover by 2 inches overnight. In a 6-quart heavy kettle combine all ingredients except 1/2 pound sausage. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, covered, over moderate heat 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid and cook mixture at a bare simmer 1 hour more, adding more water if mixture is too thick.
Remove 1 cup bean mixture and mash to a paste. Stir bean paste and remaining 1/2 pound sausage into bean mixture and simmer 5 minutes. Serve bean mixture with rice.


Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/New-Orleans-Style-Red-Beans-and-Rice-with-Sausage-Fulcher-11359#ixzz1mhGQyW2E


Accompaniment: white rice
print a shopping list for this recipeview wine pairings


Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/New-Orleans-Style-Red-Beans-and-Rice-with-Sausage-Fulcher-11359#ixzz1mhFtnrgU

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups dried split peas
• 2 quarts cold water
• 1 1/2 pounds ham bone
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pinch dried marjoram
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 potato, diced

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, cover peas with 2 quarts cold water and soak overnight. If you need a faster method, simmer the peas gently for 2 minutes, and then soak for l hour.
2. Once peas are soaked, add ham bone, onion, salt, pepper and marjoram. Cover, bring to boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove bone; cut off meat, dice and return meat to soup. Add celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook slowly, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender

Cornbread Stuffing

Some folks insist on cornbread stuffing... It is good and it is a southern tradition. So here's a goodie

This sturdy corn bread works well in stuffing.




Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2 and store in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw before continuing.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

2 cups cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups skim or low-fat milk
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cups chopped onions (2 medium)
2 cups chopped celery (4 large stalks)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
Freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
 Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl and mix well. Whisk together egg, milk and 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in another large bowl; add to the dry ingredients and stir just until evenly moistened. Turn the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a rack. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

Heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add the cubed corn bread and parsley; toss to mix. Slowly add broth, tossing until the corn bread is well moistened. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe reprinted by permission of © EatingWell Magazine. All rights reserved.

Date Added: 01/01/2008

Everything goes Better with Gravy

What is the one thing you don't like doing for holiday meals? other than the dishes? For me it's making the gravy. It all ways comes out lumpy, runny thin.... ug. So, i decided to turn to me friend the Internet to see how to really make gravy, because after all mashed potatoes and stuffing wouldn't be special without the gravy. Here are two, one is traditional, and one is very easy.


First Tradition:

Ingredients


1 1/4 pounds giblets and neck from turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 pinch ground white pepper, or to taste
2 (1.2 ounce) packages dry turkey gravy mix
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth, or more as needed
1 3/4 cups turkey drippings
1/4 cup quick-mixing flour (such as Wondra®)
1/2 cup milk (optional)

Directions

1.Remove the wrapping, and place the giblets and turkey neck into a large saucepan with onion, celery, white pepper, and turkey gravy mix. Pour the chicken broth over the mixture, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the turkey liver and set aside. Allow the stock to simmer for 2 1/2 more hours. Stock should equal about 3 cups; add more chicken broth if necessary. Remove the giblets and chop them if you want to put them back into the gravy. Chop the liver if desired. Strain the stock into a saucepan; discard bones and spent vegetables.

2.When the turkey is finished roasting, pour the drippings into a fat separator or bowl, and skim off the fat. In a bowl, whisk the quick-mixing flour with the pan drippings until smooth, then whisk the flour mixture into the stock. Bring the gravy mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, and add the chopped giblets, if desired.
 
 

Second easy:
 
Ingredients


1/4 cup all-purpose flour, or more if needed
1/4 cup turkey drippings
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Directions

1.In a skillet over medium heat, whisk the flour with turkey drippings until smooth, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until dark brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the water and bouillon cubes, and simmer until the cubes have dissolved and the gravy is thickened and smooth, about 10 minutes.