Guacamole

Avacado
Mayo
Green Onion
Garlic
Pepper
Salt
Lime
Tomato chopped

Cottage Pie

6 potatoes peeled and cut
2 TBSP butter
1 C. milk/cream
2 C. pepper jack cheese
1 tsp salt

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion diced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cans black beans
1 can corn
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies
1 C. pepper jack cheese/cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Spray baking dish with oil.

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain and mash until smooth. Add butter and milk until desired consistency. Stir in cheese and salt.

In a skillet over medium heat add onion, beef and salt until slightly cooked. Add garlic, cumin, paprika and cinnamon. Complete cooking until browned. Add beans, corn, green chilies and tomatoes.  Mix well.

Transfer mixture to baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 the pepper jack/cheddar cheese. Top with mashed potatoes. Cover with remaining 1/2 of cheese.

Bake 30 min until golden on top.

Grandma & Papa Fishies Hamburger Soup

In a big pot brown:

2-3 lbs hamburger meat
1 onion chopped

Add and bring to boil:

2+ quarts beef stock
(1) 28 oz can diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil

Add:

1 1/2 C. celery diced (about 4 stocks)
2 potatoes peeled and diced
2 cans green beans
1 can or 1/2 bag frozen corn
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Simmer until potatoes are done. About 30 min.

Add before serving:

2 C. cooked macaroni noodles

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Serves about 10-12

Shrimp Paravicini

4 TBSP Olive Oil
4lbs Medium shrimp peeled and de veined (or pre-cooked)
3+ cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup white wine
6-8 garlic cloves sliced or minced
2 onions diced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2lbs fettuccine pasta (home made is best)

Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and cook abut 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, onions and garlic.  Splash with wine.  Increase heat to high for 3 min, stirring.  Add cream and butter.  Reduce heat and simmer about 1-2 min longer.  Serve over cooked pasta.

Ham and Beans

Ham/Ham bone (boiled and fat removed, keep juice)
10 cups of soaked and cooked beans (fresh pinto is best)
6 garlic cloves minced
1 small can salsa
1 large can diced tomatoes (or dice up 8 fresh)
6 celery stocks chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
1 red onion chopped
1 large can Hominy
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp. Oregano
Salt if needed

In a large tall pot, boil ham bone with water almost covering bone. About 3 hours.  Remove all meat and take out large fat pieces.  Keep the juice. Add pre-cooked beans.  (OR pre-soaked beans un-cooked and cook longer) Add remaining ingredients and cook medium low additional 2 hours or until beans/celery cooked fully. 

Cold Ham Pasta Salad

Cook and cool:
1 box Organic Whole Wheat Pasta

Dice:
2 cucumbers
3 red bell peppers
2 large shallots
3 tomatoes
1 cooked ham steak (3+ cups diced ham optional)

Add:
1/2 cup pitted Kalmata Olives
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup Trader Joes Tuscan Italian Dressing (optional)

Tamale Pie

  

Serves 12+

Filling:
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
3 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
2 cans black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
(or 4 cups worth of any beans you like)
4+ TBSP tomato paste
2 cans olives cut in half
1 green pepper
5 celery stocks
1 pkg mushrooms
1 lge zucchini
1 bag baby spinach
1-2 lbs ground beef
1 can corn (optional, I do not)

Saute onion and garlic 5 min.  Add cumin.  Mash beans and add to onion and garlic.  Add tomato paste and rest of veggies and beef.

Corn Meal: (this is optional if you are on a low carb diet, I make half with half w/out)
6 cups boiling water
3 cups corn meal
1 tsp salt

Boil water and SLOWLY add cornmeal and salt stirring constantly until thick.   Grease 2 lge deep dishes and spread cornmeal on bottom.  Pour bean mixture over top.  Bake 350.  30 min.  Cover top with cheese (optional).  Bake additional 10 min. 

Veggie Heaven

Serves 8+

2 TBSP olive oil
2 Yellow onion
4 garlic
4 zucchini
4 yellow squash
3 sweet potato (I use sweet because regular potatoes are way too starchy, up to you)
4 tomato
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 lb lean beef cooked (optional)
salt and pepper
Italian cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

Spray the inside of a baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer beef and softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

 

 

Ratatouille Protein Style (2 versions)

PRETTY VERSION:

SAUCE:
2 red bell peppers
1 yellow onion
4 tomatoes seeded
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp marjoram, thyme, basil
1 bay leaf

Boil until looks like a nice sauce.

FIXINS'
1 lb lean ground beef cooked (optional)
4+ zucchini
4+ yellow squash
Japanese eggplant (1 large eggplant)
4+ roma/plum tomatoes seeded

Slice all veggies 1/4" thick or as desired.  Place cooked ground beef as a layer on bottom of dish.  Pour sauce over top.  Arrange by alternating veggies UPRIGHT. Cover with parchment paper.  Bake 350 until tender. 

BIG POT VERSION:
*** to keep each individual veggies flavor, you can cook them separately then mix together before serving.

1 yellow onion sliced
4 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 large eggplant 1/2" pieces
4 zucchini cut in half and then in 1/2" pieces
4 yellow squash cut the same
1 red, yellow, orange bell peppers cut into chunks
4 plum tomatoes BIG chunks
1/2 tsp marjoram, thyme
1 lb lean beef cooked (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. fresh basil
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large pot add 3 TBSP olive oil, onion, garlic, bay leaf and eggplant.  Cook 8 min.  Add zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatoes, marjoram and thyme.  Cook another 7 min or until tender.  Stir in salt, basil and pepper.

***LEFTOVERS CAN BE USED AS A PIZZA TOPPING***

Foil Baked Salmon

8 Alaskan wild caught salmon 
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Large can diced tomatoes
2 yellow onions
2 lemons for juice
Spinach
Organic butter
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle salmon with olive oil, salt and pepper. (I put all the salmon in a big bowl and mixed it) In a small bowl stir the tomatoes, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and more salt and pepper. 

Place a big handful of spinach on a square of foil large enough to hold your salmon. Place about 2 tablespoons of chopped onion on top of spinach. Next place salmon on top of spinach and onion.  Add a small bit of butter to top of fish and then spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon.


Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely and seal the packets closed.  Place the foil packets on a large baking sheet.

Bake until salmon is just cooked through. About 25-30 minutes.

Use a large metal spatula works well to transfer salmon to plate. Use the juices left in the foil and pour over the top of the fish and pasta.

HOMEMADE NOODLES:

2 cups semolina
1/2 tsp salt (opt) 
2 eggs 
2 TBSP water
2 TBSP olive oil 

Kneed dough WELL until stretchy.  Use your pasta maker to roll out dough and cut into desired noodles. Cook in boiling water for 5 min.

Egg Salad

- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 1 tbs organic mayonnaise
- Dash of curry, sea salt and pepper
- 1/2 tbs chopped red onions
- 4 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 tbs chopped cucumber
Instructions:
1. Mash up your eggs with the mayonnaise to your desired consistency.
2. Add the curry, salt and pepper and mix.
3. Stir in the onions and cucumbers.
4. Gently stir the tomatoes into the mix.
5. Enjoy your egg salad on a bed of lettuce

Garden Bake

2 zucchini diced
2 yellow squash diced large pieces
1 onion chopped (I love red onions)
3 small tomatoes diced
2 large carrots chopped small
1 pkg Cremini mushrooms

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 eggs
3 cups milk
2 1/2 cups Bisquick (Trader Joe's Multi-Grain baking/pancake mix)
3/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400

Rub olive oil on a large 11x14 dish and add chopped squash/zucchini, onion, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.

In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, Bisquick, pepper and salt.  Blend for 15 seconds.  Pour over top of veggies.


Bake for 45 min or golden on top AND knife inserted in center comes out clean.  (this is like a quiche so if there is a little sticky on the knife it is okay.
Cool about 5 minutes before serving.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top.

Meat Loaf with Cucumber Sauce

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (less fat % the better)
1 cup oats
1 small onion chopped
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup tomato juice or sauce or V8
1 egg beaten
2 garlic cloves

Mix all together and place in a loaf pan.  Bake 350 for 1 hour 15 min.  Let set 5 min. before slicing.

Here is a sauce you can add to the top of your meat loaf if you are looking for a way to jazz it up, I found it when I had a million cucumbers in my garden! Or you can just add ketchup....

Cucumber Sauce:
2 cucumbers seeded, peeled and diced very small
1/2 tsp. salt.
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp dill

Add diced cucumber to a strainer and sprinkle salt over it and fold.  Let drain for 10 min.  Mix rest of ingredients together in a bowl and add cucumber, mix in well.  Serve over meat loaf.

Oven Fried Catfish with Southwestern Relish

Coating:
1/2 c. Corn Meal
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or 2 cloves)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup milk

Add all dry ingredients in a flat dish (big enough to dip your catfish fillets in)
Put milk in a bowl.  Dip catfish in milk.  Flip in mixture to coat. Place coated fillets on a GREASED cookie sheet.  Coat the top of the fish with olive oil.

Bake 425 for 15-20 min. 


Relish:
1 can black beans
2 avocados diced
2 tomatoes
2 TBSP sliced scallions
2 tsp lime peel
4 TBSP lime juice
2 TBSP fresh cilantro chopped
2 TBSP fresh oregano chopped (1 tsp dry)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
2 TBSP olive oil

In 1 bowl add lime peel, juice, cilantro, oregano, scallions, olive oil, salt and pepper. 

In another bowl add avocado, tomato and beans.  Stir.  Add to other mixture, cover and refrigerate. 
I placed my fish on top of a bed of baby spinach and covered with relish. 

Chicken Cream Cheese Enchiladas

3 cooked and chopped chicken breast (boil is best, use broth)
1/2 green AND 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 small onion chopped
1 cup salsa
3 fresh tomatoes diced
2-3 garlic cloves (optional)
1 - 8oz package Philadelphia cream cheese
10-15 - 6" tortillas
3 cups Cheddar cheese

In a medium pot boil chicken till cooked all the way (about 20 min boiling), remove chicken from pot and set aside. Drain broth from pot (or put in freezer safe container and freeze broth).  Chop or shred chicken.  In the same pot add cream of chicken soup/broth, chopped onion, peppers, garlic and the chicken.  Heat through, not boil.  Add salsa.  Stir. Turn off heat and remove from burner.  Dice up your cream cheese add to mixture and stir softly.  Add generous amount of mixture to center of tortilla and roll.  Place in a large baking dish that has a LID or you can use foil to cover.

Once you have your tortillas filled, there will be left over sauce, that is OK you want to leave some left over, about 1/2 or 1 cup worth, chicken and all!! Add cheddar cheese to the left over sauce and stir until melted.  Poor over the center of the enchiladas in baking dish then cover with lid or foil.

BAKE 350 for 20 min. uncover and bake additional 10 min to make cheese on top slightly golden. 

Serve with salad on side.

Bean soup!

In a big pot COOK 1 pound ground beef, adding seasoning as you wish (onions, salt, pepper, fresh basil and Parsley, fresh garlic)

ADD: (I use organic) JUICE AND ALL
1 can White Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Sweet Corn
1 can diced tomatoes/6+ fresh tomatoes diced

While you are heating that up, dice some CHEDDAR CHEESE to put on the top. Optional.

FROM SCRATCH:

Soak over night 1 cup of each bean rinse and drain then add water to cover the beans about 2" above them and cook till tender. Add the rest of the ingredients. You may need to add more water as the beans cook but when they are done you will want some water left in, just enough to cover the top of the beans for the soup part.  So you may need to take some water out after cooking them, then add your other ingredients.

Pot of Gold ~ Chicken and Sweet Potato

4 to 6 free range organic chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tbs Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
Sliced Munster cheese
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 LARGE red onion (sliced in large chunks... they are SO good!!!)
15 cherry tomatoes
1 ½ cup baby carrots
¼ cup organic chicken stock

Pre- heat oven to 350 degrees

In a large baking dish combine cubed sweet potatoes (½ inch chunks) sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, and olive oil. Stir until all veggies are coated in oil.  Add a touch of salt and pepper to taste.

Place chicken in the middle of the dish.  Cover chicken with Munster cheese slices and sprinkle Italian seasoning over the cheese.

Pour chicken stock over veggies and place in oven to bake for 30-45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

You can add Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, asparagus 

Wild Rice Stuffed Beef Peppers

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 3 – 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2/3 cup tomato juice
• 10 grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 4 bell peppers of choice
• 4 slices of Munster cheese
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

One: Cook rice accordingly.

Two: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add oil and onions to a large sauté pan and cook over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the beef, tomato juice and seasoning. Cook until the beef is done all the way through, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and black pepper, cook covered for another 5 minutes.

Seth, our food critic of the house.... thumbs up!!!

Three: Add cooked rice to beef mixture and stir. In a glass baking dish stand peppers and fill with rice and beef mixture. Top the pepper with a slice of Munster cheese and place the top on pepper. You can also choose not to put the top on, and the cheese wont stick to the pepper top. Bake for 15 minutes.

Fresh Salsa

2 cucumbers diced

4-5 tomato

1 red bell pepper diced

1 orange bell pepper diced

1 yellow bell pepper diced

1 green bell pepper diced

1 small onion diced VERY SMALL

4 cloves of garlic minced/chopped up good

2-3 small limes juiced

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

3/4 tsp. dry dill

3/4 tsp. salt

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

1 can corn drained (or I used 2 cups of my cannery corn soaked and drained YUM!)

Cook 1lb Ground Beef and drain.  Cool and add to salsa.

avocado (on the side because they turn brown)