Corn Salad

Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed, drained
10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained (or fresh corn; about 1 3/4 cups)
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped
1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow pepper(s), chopped
1 medium uncooked red onion(s), minced
1/2 cup(s) cilantro, fresh, minced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, minced. green part only.
Vinaigrette

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lime zest
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin seeds


Instructions

In a large bowl, combine black beans,  corn, peppers, onion and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients.

Drizzle vinaigrette over bean mixture and toss to coat. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Bacon, Avocado and Jack Cheese Omelets with Fresh Salsa

Ingredients


1 small tomato, chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
0.5 jalapeño pepper, fresh or canned, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
4 large eggs
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
3 Pieces slices bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
0.5 Haas avocado, peeled and sliced
4 Ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Prepare salsa: In small bowl, combine tomato, green onions, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk eggs with water and season with salt and pepper.

Melt half the butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, add half the egg mixture. Tilt pan to coat bottom and cook 1 minute, until almost set. Sprinkle half the omelet with half the bacon, avocado and cheese and cook 1 minute.

Fold empty half of omelet over filling and slide omelet onto a plate. Keep warm.

Repeat with remaining butter, egg mixture, bacon, avocado and cheese. Serve with salsa.

Salsa Chicken and Rice

You are just home from work, and you are tired and hungry. The last thing you want to hear is
'hon, what's for dinner?' Ugh.
Here is a quick week night dinner.

Salsa Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 large onion
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cup salsa
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• dash salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken breast. Ccook over medium heat. Add salt pepper, cumin, and chili pepper. Cook about 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the pieces.
2. When chicken is cooked, take off the heat. Add the peppers and onions to the hot pan. Saute the vegetables until soft. about 5 to 7 minutes
3. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
4. Add back to the pan add broth and salsa. Simmer another5 minutes. Serve over hot rice. add a dollop of sour cream if desired.

The Stuffed Potato

I love baked potatoes Lots of people do. What's great is that you can also stuff them with almost anything. Broccoli, cheese, butter and sour cream, chili... etc.. The other night I stuffed them with chicken, peas and a cream sauce made with a can pf cream of chicken soup, salsa spur cream and a little salsa.

This however is my all time favorite.

2 large baked potatoes
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz each ham and turkey
1/2 cooked broccoli
2 tbs green onion
4 tbs sour cream
3 tbs crumble bacon
4 tbs butter
salt and pepper

Split the potatoes in half. add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the remaining ingredients between the potatoes the sour cream.

Place them in the microwave for 45 seconds, or long enough to melt the cheese, and to make sure their hot.

Plate the potatoes add the sour cream and enjoy.

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.

Dressed up Burgers

Ingredients


.2 pounds ground chuck 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard



Directions:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; shape into 6 patties.

Cook patties in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side or until browned; drain and remove from skillet.

Sauté onion and bell pepper in skillet over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard; bring to a boil. Add patties; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 more minutes or until patties are no longer pink.



Southern Living

FEBRUARY 1999

Beef Stroganoff

This is one of my favorite meals. It's great on rice, noodles or smashed potatoes. And as it is my birthday... Well, that and some red velvet cake. yum.

This recipe however comes from Atkins.com... so it is low carb. and still delicious.

Ingredients:


1 ¼ pounds skirt steak or beef tenderloin, cut into 2 x 1 strips
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup finely chopped Spanish onion
3 ounce small white mushrooms
¼ cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth (not low sodium) or 3 tablespoons demi-glace mixed with 3/4 cup water
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

1.Heat oven to warm setting. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
2.In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown meat in batches, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a platter and place in oven.
3.Melt butter in skillet; add onion and cook 3 minutes, until softened. Add mushrooms. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushroom liquid evaporates.
4.Add wine; cook 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth and cook 10 minutes, until mushrooms are coated with a thick sauce. Stir in sour cream and mustard. Add meat and accumulated juices.
5.Reduce heat to low and cook 2-3 minutes, until meat is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Pork chops and escarole

Ingredients:



Marinade:

½ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
5 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoon low-carb Hoisin sauce*
1½ tablespoons tamari
3 tablespoons water



Pork chops and escarole:

4 (8-ounce) center-cut pork chops
28 escarole leaves


Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the canola oil, shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, Hoisin sauce, tamari and water. Reserve one-third of the mixture. Using the rest of the mixture, coat each pork chop and marinate in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish in the refrigerator for 2–4 hours, turning the chops once.

2. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Also preheat the oven to 375ºF.

3. When the grill is ready, remove the chops from the marinade and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to a baking pan and bake another 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, transfer the mixture used to marinate the pork to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, add the water and then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

1. Coat the escarole leaves with the reserved marinade and place them on the grill for 1 minute. Remove and place on a serving plate.

2. Place the pork chops on top of the escarole, drizzle with the warm marinade, adding any marinade not used for the escarole, and serve.

Frittata with Sausage

Ingredients

1 (12 oz.) roll Jimmy Dean extra mild pork sausage
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. oil
2 med. shallots, finely chopped8 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 sm. zucchini, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
12 lg. eggs
1 1/2 c. shredded med. cheddar cheese
2 med. tomatoes, sliced
Sour cream


Slice sausage, cook in medium skillet until done. Remove and drain on paper towel. Heat butter and oil in a non-stick 12 inch skillet. Add shallots, mushrooms, zucchini, and garlic. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cooked sausage. Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in mixing bowl until blended. Stir in all but 1/4 cup of the cheese.

Pour over vegetables in skillet. Cook stirring occasionally, over medium heat until bottom of mixture is slightly set. Arrange tomato slices on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place skillet in oven and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, until puffed and brown. Slide out of pan onto large platter. Slice like a pie and serve with sour cream on the side.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, broth and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat buttermilk until warm. Drain potatoes and garlic; mash with buttermilk. Stir in the onions, salt and pepper. Yield: 6 servings.

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

Hungarian Meatball Stew

Ingredients




1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon caraway seeds


1. In a large bowl, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well and form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add the meatballs and cook, shaking the skillet often, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet and add the carrots, onion and celery. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the reserved meatballs and caraway seeds, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Summer Pizza from Olive Garden

This is a yummy pizza recipe from the Olive Garden


7 ½ cups all-purpose flour (approximately)

1 pk dry active yeast
2 ½ cups water, warm
½ Tbsp +1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
All-purpose flour as needed
8 green onions, cut into 3” pieces
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
16 oz marinara sauce (your favorite)
1 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
20 slices pepperoni
16 black olives, pitted


Procedures

Pre-heat oven to 550ºF.

PIZZA DOUGH:

POUR warm water into a bowl. Add yeast. Using a wire whip, whisk to completely dissolve yeast. Set aside for about 5 minutes, or until yeast activates. Add 1 cup flour, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Mix well. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time until dough is soft and springy. Dough should turn into a ball. If dough is too dry, add a very small amount of water. If it becomes too wet, add a small amount of flour.

PLACE ball of dough on a floured board and cover with a dry towel. Allow to sit until ball doubles in size.

CUT risen dough into 4 equal pieces. Again, roll into balls and allow to rise*.

GRILLING VEGGIES:

PLACE washed green onion, yellow and red pepper onto grill. Allow to grill for approximately 5 minutes or until grill marks are visible. Remove from grill and set aside.

Once peppers are cool enough to handle, remove skin and cut into 1” pieces.

PIZZA:

PLACE dough ball on floured board. Using hands, flatten and spread out to form a circle.

SLIDE pizza dough onto a pizza pan or parchment paper.

PLACE marinara sauce and mozzarella slices on pizza. Evenly space green onions, red and yellow pepper pieces on top of cheese. Add pepperoni and olives.

BAKE at 550ºF for 5-6 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

*If not using dough immediately, wrap each ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready for use. Once ready to use, remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Meet Our Team

Take this to your next party, and watch it disappear. By the way, this recipe make 6 servings with only has 1 carb per serving.
Ingredients:


¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 ounces white crab meat, drained and picked over
2 green onions, finely chopped
½ chopped red bell pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, seasoning and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Add crab, green onions and pepper; stir until ingredients are well combined.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with vegetables for dipping.