Ham/Bean/Barley Soup

For Christmas dinner, I prepared a COOK'S HAM. First, I rinsed the ham with ginger ale. I made a paste of brown sugar and orange juice and spread it on, I attached pineapple slices with cloves, and poured one can of ginger ale in the bottom of the pan, and baked according to the directions on the ham.

Itook as much ham as I could get off the bone for other uses and then placed the bone in a pot of water(with one cut up onion and one cut up carrot and a spoonful of refrigerated minced garlic) and simmered it for a little less than two hours. IThen I pulled the bone out and let it cool. I strained the vegetables out of the
cooked stock and threw them out.

When cooled, I cut the ham off of the bone, into very small pieces, and I also added some leftover ham that I cut up. INTO the strained stock. I added
some pearled barley
some minced garlic
some ketchup
worcestershire sauce
some Amish relish (I think it is zucchini relish)
the juices that were in the bottom of the pan I cooked the ham in (it was not at all fatty, but was very liquidy.
spices: celery salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, chopped celery and chopped onions
and some TANNA's Garamasala (a spice mix that I bought at a Garlic Festival)
one can of GLORY seasoned great northerm beans 15.5 ounces
one can of GLORY tomatoes, corn and okra 15.5 ounces

Simmered on the stovetop until the barley was cooked through.

Chocolate + + +

chocolate brownies with peanut butter swirled in them
chocolate pudding
whipped cream
blackberry jam
whipped cream
thin mints (chopped into small pieces)
chocolate pudding

Into small desert cups, put a tablespoon of chocolate pudding.
Place a couple of chopped thin mints on top of the pudding
then put a brownie on top of that
spread a layer of blackberry jam on the brownie
put some pudding on top of the jam
then put some whipped cream on top

chill in the frig for a couple of hours

DELICIOUS!!!! by very rich.

Cranberry Orange Sauce (for Thanksgiving)

One of Peg's friends made this and gave her some and she brought it for Thanksgiving dinner a few years ago. I love it.

Six cups of cranberries (two bags)
three cups of orange juice
three cups of sugar (I use two cups white and one cup brown)

boil those ingredients for about ten minutes.

skim off the top and let it cool (I don't get enough
foam to skim off, so I don't really follow this step)

you can add a few tablespoons of orange marmalade to add sweetness.
(I plan to add a half a jar)

Onion Soup: Crockpot

BETTY CROCKER French Onion Soup

3 large onions, sliced (3 cups)
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cans of beef broth

Cheesy Broiled French Bread
8 slices French bread, 1 inch thick
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
2 tablespoons grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

1 Mix onions and margarine in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on high heat setting 30 to 35 minutes or until
onions begin to slightly brown around edges.
3 Mix flour, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and pepper. Stir flour
mixture and broth into onions. Cover and cook on low heat
setting 7 to 9 hours (or high heat setting 3 to 4 hours) or until
onions are very tender.
4 Prepare Cheesy Broiled French Bread. Place 1 slice bread on
top of each bowl of soup. Serve immediately.

I added a bit of minced garlic to the mixture in the crockpot. When
it came time to do the french bread,I found mold on my french bread, so
I substituted several soft buns. I buttered one side and sprinkled some
garlic salt on that side, and put under the broiler for a bit, then
flipped the pieces over, and toasted for a bit. Then I put the bread
on top of bowls of the soup, and put shredded italian cheese and grated
parmesan on top and put back under the broiler until lightly browned.

It was very, very good!

tomato dumplings

I saw a recipe for this in Jaycee Duggards autobiography, but forgot to make a copy.
so I kinda made it up as I went along:

TOMATO DUMPLINGS

three cans of chopped tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
two tbsp brown sugar
1/8 cup of ketchup
dash vinegar
dash of soy sauce

bring to simmer

take a container of GRANDS refrigerated biscuits
(I used about 2/3 of the can)
cut each biscuit into fourths

set the pieces of biscuit on top of the simmering tomato mixture
I pushed the pieces down a bit and spooned a bit of the tomato
mixture over the top

simmer for nine minutes uncovered
then simmer for nine minutes covered

DELICIOUS

I served with some leftover meatballs.

Ham Slice (new recipe)

this one came off the top of my head
and it turned out great

One Ham Slice (ready to eat)

some honey mustard

some brown sugar

black pepper

Stir the brown sugar into the honey mustard, spread on one side of the ham steak.
Sprinkle pepper on top and put under the broiler, until the sauce on top starts to
carmelize.

Absolutely delicious!

Spaghetti with Roasted Zucchini

•12 oz spaghetti
•3 Tbsp olive oil
•2 1/2-in.-thick slices fresh bread, torn into 1-in. pieces
•2 cloves garlic, smashed
•4 small zucchini (about 1 lb total), sliced 1/4 in. thick
•1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
•Kosher salt
•1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 oz)
•1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
•1 Tbsp grated lemon zest



Recipe Preparation
1.Heat oven to 425°F. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with 1 Tbsp of the oil.
2.Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the bread and garlic until the bread forms coarse crumbs and the garlic is chopped.
3.In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, red pepper, remaining 2 Tbsp oil and ½ tsp salt. Add the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture and toss to combine. Spread the zucchini mixture on 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until the zucchini is tender and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
4.Toss the pasta with the zucchini mixture, parsley and lemon zest.
5.For a one-pan meal, skip the pasta and toss 1 lb large raw peeled and deveined shrimp with the zucchini and bread crumb mixture before roasting.

I used half zucchini and half yellow squash, and served this with italian sausage and a green salad.

Spanish Style Tortilla with Salami and Potatoes

Recipe Ingredients
•1/4 lb thinly sliced salami, halved
•1 large onion, chopped
•3/4 lb medium red potatoes (about 2), cut in 1/2-in. pieces
•3 Tbsp olive oil
•Kosher salt and pepper
•1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus 1 cup leaves
•8 large eggs
•4 oz sharp white Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)
•1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
•2 tsp Dijon mustard
•1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1.Heat oven to 400°F. Cook the salami in a large oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 1 minute per side; transfer to a plate.
2.Add the onion, potatoes, 1 Tbsp of the oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden brown and just tender, 10 to 12 minutes; stir in the chopped parsley and salami.
3.Whisk together the eggs and cheese, pour into the skillet and stir to distribute the ingredients. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the tortilla is puffed, brown around the edges and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.
4.Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, remaining 2 Tbsp oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat; fold in the parsley leaves. Serve with the tortilla.

Baked Country Style Pork Ribs

•1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless country-style ribs
•3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
•1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
•1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•1 medium onion, sliced
•1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Preparation:
Wash ribs and pat dry. Combine Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. Rub seasoning mixture over the ribs. Line a shallow baking pan with foil; oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange ribs on the foil. then top with onion slices. Cover with another piece of foil and bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until very tender. Remove the top piece of foil and brush with barbecue sauce; bake uncovered for about 15 minutes longer, or broil for about 5 minutes.
Serves 4.

I didn't have any cajun seasoning, so I looked up a recipe for it, and made my own. My available spices were not EXACTLY what the recipe called for, though.



Served with corn on the cob and baked beans, and refrigerator pickles. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

Ridiculously Easy Roasted Yellow Squash and Onions

about 2 small to medium yellow summer squash per person
1/2 small onion per person
freshly ground black pepper and salt

Preheat oven to 425F.

Lightly spray a baking sheet with canola or olive oil. Trim the ends of the squash, cut off the slender necks, and slice the necks in half, lengthwise. Then slice each squash into lengthwise slices, about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Lay the slices on the cooking sheet in a single layer.

Trim the ends of the onion and peel it. Cut it in half down through the top and place each half cut-side down on a cutting board. Slice into thin wedges. Separate the layers of the onions and sprinkle them over the squash.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until bottoms of squash begin to brown. Sprinkle with pepper and salt, turn each slice over, and bake until bottoms of squash are browned, about 15 minutes more. Serve immediately, hot out of the oven

I did it without the onion this time, but next time I will use one. Oh, and I used one zucchini and one yellow squash, but next time I want to use all yellow squash.

Homemade Refrigerator Pickles

one cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups white sugar
6 cups sliced cucumbers
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced green bell peppers
Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Place the cucumbers, onions and green bell peppers in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator.


I didn't have a green pepper, so I substituted a sliced yellow squash, to add in some color, and I also added some dried dill weed.

DELICIOUS!

Rachael Ray's Turkey and Stuffing Meatloaves

Saw her make this on tv on Sunday morning, so looked up the recipe.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
2 McIntosh apples, cored and chopped I used one apple
3 to 4 small ribs celery, chopped I skipped this
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cup stuffing cubes (recommended: Pepperidge Farm) or stale cubed white bread (I used four cups)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
4 cups chicken or turkey stock in a box
2 pounds ground turkey (my package was three lbs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg (I used two)

oven 350 degrees F.

Heat the butter to melt in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute the apples, celery, and onions seasoned with a bay leaf, salt, and pepper, until very tender, 10 minutes. Add the stuffing cubes and moisten with 1 to 1/1 2 cups of stock; season with poultry seasoning. Cool completely, then combine in a bowl with ground turkey, salt, pepper, half the parsley, and egg. Form 4 oval-shaped loaves a couple of inches thick. Arrange on a rack over baking sheet or parchment-lined baking sheet and coat with a little oil to glisten. Roast until brown and firm, 45 minutes, depending on thickness.

For the gravy:

1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

In a saucepan, whisk the oil and 1/4 cup flour over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes,
(it did not take that long) until the color of peanut-butter. Add lots of coarse pepper to the roux, then whisk in a couple of cups of stock and thicken, season with salt to taste.

ABSOLUTELY SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!!

Rhubarb desert

IMPOSSIBLE RHUBARB PIE (modified)

3 cups chopped rhubarb
4 eggs
1/2 cup Bisquick
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
I added about 1/3 cup oatmeal


Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 10" pan, put rhubarb in pan.

Blend all remaining ingredients for 3 minutes. Pour over rhubarb. I spread some
brown sugar over the top and dotted with margarine and added a few dried cranberries that I pushed down into the batter. Let set for a few minutes. Bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Set oven time for 35 minutes at first, but then I added another 15 minutes
if I do it again, I will leave the oatmeal out, so that it will be more custardy.

Baked Cream Corn

one ten ounce package frozen corn
3/4 of a pint of heavy cream
1/2 cup milk (approximate)
saltine crackers crushed (about 2/3 of a sleeve)
butter
garlic salt
dried chives
pepper
sliced red onion

I sprayed the bottom of a casserole dish
put in some corn then a
layer of crackers
sprinkled on some chives and some garlic salt
continued layering
poured cream over the top
added some milk because it did not seem moist enough
pepper on top
onion slices on top
dots of butter on top
375 degress covered for 20 minutes
then 20 minutes uncovered

VERY GOOD! could use some garlic, though!

Baked/Roasted Parsnips with other vegetables

I bought some parsnips at the FROGPOND
and needed to use them up
this is what I did

I chopped them in my new food chopper
they did not come out "fine"
more like small, but smaller than cubed
I also chopped one carrot the same way
then I hand chopped one red onion
and sliced one red pepper

toss all of the above in a large bowl
with tbsp of minced garlic (from a jar)
some grated parmesan cheese
I had some fresh parsley which I washed
and added whole
pepper and salt
some EVOO

I put this in a large oval shaped shallow casserole dish
drizzled some EVOO on top and dotted with real butter.

Baked at 375 for about a half hour
stirred well and sprinkled more parm. cheese on top
and then raised the temp of the oven
to about 425
for another twenty minutes
let sit in oven for ten minutes

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!

Baked Oatmeal

got the idea from NOT YOUR MOTHERS CASSEROLES

9 inch square baking pan(greased), 350 degrees, 25-30 minutes

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
1/4 cup sugar
2.5 cups milk
raisins

I added some fruit and nut trailmix
baked for about 28 minutes
no additional sugar necessary
served with milk

DELICIOUS

Raisin Sauce for Ham

I found this recipe on the back of a box of raisins years ago. It had a lot fewer
ingredients than my mother in laws recipe, so I stuck with this one, which is just as good.

Every Easter I have to spend time looking for it, so I decided to blog it.

one tbsp flour
one half cup brown sugar
dash of salt
stir together in saucepan

add 2 tbsp vinear
one half cup OJ
one half cup water
one half cup raisins

bring to boil, simmer until sauce thickens
you may need to add more orange juice

Quicker Chicken and Dumplings

QUICKER CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
from TASTE OF HOME/SIMPLE

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups 2% milk
1-1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
I added a half of a can of chicken broth because I thought the
misture was too thick, I would add it again.

DUMPLINGS:
1 cup biscuit/baking mix
1/3 cup French-fried onions, coarsely chopped
7 tablespoons 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Directions
In a Dutch oven, combine the first six ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the biscuit mix, onions, milk and parsley just until moistened. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto simmering stew. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Cover and simmer 10-12 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift the cover while simmering). Yield: 6 servings.

best ever (and so easy) coleslaw

I bought an automatic chopper at Aldi's last week. I tried it out this morning
with some cabbage. It did a great job of chopping it very fine and even!

I added some canned sliced peaches (cut into small pieces) and a carton of
vanilla yogurt.

This coleslaw was absolutely delicious!!!

Pot Roast and Barley Casserole

tried these a few days ago

I did not have a can of mushroom soup, so I needed a new
recipe for chuck roast. This is what I found online


4 to 5 lb. chuck roast (serves 4 to 6)
my chuck roast was only 3.5 lbs, but I followed the rest of the
ingredient list without changing the proportions
1 cup flour (for dredging)
1 small onion (quartered)
Favorite meat seasonings (I used greek seasoning)
2 to 3 tbsp. of oil
1 cup of water or beef broth (I used about 2/3 cup broth and the rest water)
Tips
12
Season your chuck roast. Select from personal favorites but note that good-quality season makes a difference. A personal standby for a perfect pot roast recipe includes a liberal (1/3 to 1/2 tsp.) application of Greek season on one side, Nature's Seasonings on the other, a few dashes of Italian seasoning and pepper. Beef rubs and brining works well too.


Light browning is key to a great pot roast. Dredge the chuck roast in flour and brown evenly on medium heat to lock in the juices and flavors. A cast iron or heavy skillet seasoned with a light coating of oil or beef fat (to prevent sticking) is preferred.

Add chuck roast, quartered onions for flavor and about 1 cup of liquid (water or low-sodium beef broth) to a crock pot or roasting pan and cover.

Slow cook the roast on low in the crock pot 5 to 7 hours until very tender or in the stove at 325 degrees until done. Plan on 40 to 60 minutes per pound in the oven.

It was very good. I got enough broth to make gravy for leftovers.

ALTON BROWNS BAKED BARLEY
1 cup hulled barley (I used pearl barley from the Mennonite Store)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups boiling water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the barley into a 1 1/2-quart ceramic or glass baking dish (with a lid) and add the butter, salt and boiling water. Stir to combine. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on top of the foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the cover, fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

SLOW COOKER CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

I did this today,
found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Corned-Beef-and-Cabbage/Detail.aspx

SLOW COOKER CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
10 baby red potatoes,
quartered 1 onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cups water
1 (4 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet
6 ounces beer
1/2 head cabbage, coarsely chopped

Place the carrots, potatoes, and onion into the bottom of a slow cooker, pour in the water, and place the brisket on top of the vegetables. Pour the beer over the brisket. Sprinkle on the spices from the packet, cover, and set the cooker on High.
Cook the brisket for about 8 hours. An hour before serving, stir in the cabbage and cook for 1 more hour.

My Brisket was closer to three and a half pounds. I didn't cut the carrots into
matchstick pieces, I just peeled them and cut them into chunks. But, I followed the rest of the directions closely. I lifted the brisket out of the crockpot in order to put the cabbage under it, though.

It was delicious. I tried to slice the brisket thin (per Carol's request), but it was so tender that mostly it shredded. The meal was delicious. I served it with baked beans and rolls and butter on the side. THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER

Saturday recipes including Asian Pork in the crockpot

I was out every day during the week, so I decided to stay home today.
One way to relieve the boredom of being home is by cooking.

BISQUICK COBBLER

2 tbsp. butter
1 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
3 c. cut up peaches or other fruit of your choice (can be fresh, frozen
(thawed) or canned)(I used a can of cherry pie filling)

Turn oven to 375°F.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Mix Bisquick, sugar, and milk. Pour over melted butter. Spoon fruit over. If using canned peaches, pour on some of the juice also.

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS



Layered Salad (my own invention)

one can diced beets drained
put on bottom of clear glass bowl

one can Goya small white beans drained
spread over the beets

half bag of frozen peas, thawed
spread on top of the beans

one half red onion sliced thin
put over the peas

two small oranges peeled and sliced thin
(slice against "the grain"
put over the peas

I spooned lite Mayonnaise on top of this
sealing the edges

refrigerate for a few hours
then I put tiny pieces of raw Kale on the top

This was absolutely great........I think the oranges
are a necessity.

ideas for future salads: layer of chopped hard boiled egg
layer of hard cheese, cut into small chunks


BRAISED ASIAN PORK

1/4 cup soy sauce
one half cup brown sugar
half tsp. allspice
one inch piece of fresh ginger sliced
2.5 lb boneless pork shoulder cut into two inch pieces

stir the first four ingredients together in crockpot
brown the meat and then put in the pot
stir
about half way through cooking this I added
several whole pickled garlic cloves

seven to eight hours on low in the crockpot
SO TENDER and TASTY!

Baked Eggs

http://epicureanbliss.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/when-an-egg-met-a-cupcake-tin/

I started with that page but made lots of changes.

I used a six muffin tin (non-stick) sprayed with PAM. I used a round cookie cutter and cut a round circle out of the middle of six slices of ham. Then, I put the "round" in the bottom of the muffin tin. I cut the remainder of the ham into small pieces. I put in a bit of shredded cheese and
a small dollop of hot pepper relish, and some dried onion bits. (on top of the round ham slice).

I scrambled three eggs with a bit of milk and minced garlic and some of the ham bits and poured that into three of the "cups".
I broke the other three eggs individually into the other three cups. I put some
cilantro on top. Then into the oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes. Then I sprinkled some
shredded cheese on top (and the rest of the ham bits on top of the non scrambled eggs) and back into the oven for about five minutes.

When the white part of the eggs gets a bit fluffy and the yolks are no longer runny,
take them out. Wait one minute, and then turn the muffin tin over onto a plate and the eggs come right out.

Creamed Potatoes and Peas

I had some frozen peas thawing out and my plans were to bake some potatoes to go along with the meatloaf I took out of the freezer, but I decided to try CREAMED POTATOES AND PEAS.

This is what I did
I cut the potatoes into bit sized pieces and placed in a pot of water. I brought it to a boil and cooked the potatoes until they were a touch away from being completely cooked through. Then I added the peas and cooked a bit, but not long, since they had been thawing out for several hours.

I melted a half a stick of margarine in a large flat frying pan. Then I drained the peas and potatoes and put them in the pan. I sprinkled a couple of tablespoons of flour over them along with some sea salt and ground pepper and stired that up. Then I put about two and a half cups of milk over that and brought the mixture to a simmer. It seemed too thick, so I added some instant mashed potato flakes to thicken it up. I also added a couple of spoonfulls of horseradish sauce from Quizno's and some basil.

It was delicious! Even though it thickend up a bit too much! Next time I will cut the potatoes into smaller pieces and maybe add a can of mushrooms.

Pear Cobbler

I started with this recipe:
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/38984/bisquick-cobbler
and made some additions

PEAR COBBLER

1 c Bisquick
1 c Milk
1 c Sugar
1 Stick Margarine
1 Large Can Pears; in Heavy Syrup

I used the lowfat bisquick and the batter seemed rather thin, so I added another
quarter cup or so. Also, I threw in about a cup of FIT AND ACTIVE VITALITY CEREAL with RED BERRIES (that I get at Aldi's and some raisins.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the margarine in the (13"x9") pan. Mix the milk, sugar and Bisquick together in a bowl. Pour into the melted margarine. Pour off half the syrup from the peaches. Spread the peaches with the remaining syrup on top of the batter. I sprinkled with cinnamon. Bake 45 minutes. Serve warm.


IT IS ABSOLUTELY HEAVENLY!!!!

Paula Deen's Corn Casserole

for years, I have made a kind of corn pudding usually at a holiday. I wanted something a bit different. My friend Muriel once told me about a dish she really liked, it was kind of a polenta or very moist cornbread and she served it with maple syrup. I can't remember the name of it, and could not find anything online that I thought matched up to what I remember, but I did find this.

Paula Deens Corn Casserole

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

I did not have cheddar so I used mozzerella cheese, and I think I lighted up on the amount of butter. I served this with LIGHT maple syrup on top and it is absolutely delicious.

Here is a picture from the internet.
I would never serve lima beans with it.......I served eggs and bacon on the side.

Quick Fake-Out Stuffed Eggplant

I almost forgot that one of the purposes of this blog is to document recipes I try.
A couple of days ago, I used a recipe in Rachael Rays LOOK AND COOK book. The neat thing about this book is that the recipes have a picture of the finished product, which I like.

I could not find the exact recipe online, the ones on her website seem to be a little bit different. So, I will post one of those and make notes of the differences

•5 small firm eggplants, about 6-7 inches long and 3 inches wide or 5 Japanese eggplants about the same size, divided
•5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 pound ground beef or lamb (I used ground sirloin)
•2 tablespoons tomato paste (the recipe in the book called for ONE tbsp.
•1 small to medium onion, finely chopped
•3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•A small handful of raisins
•A splash of white wine or chicken stock (this was not in the BOOK recipe)
•3-4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts ( left this out)
•A handful basil leaves, torn or chopped (I used the dried herb in a jar)
•3 tablespoons butter
•1 cup breadcrumbs
•1/2 cup finely chopped parsley leaves (a couple of generous handfuls) (dried herbinjar)
•1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
PreparationPre-heat the oven to 475°F.

Halve four of the eggplants lengthwise. Pour about 1/4 cup EVOO on a rimmed baking sheet. Season the cut eggplant with salt and pepper, to taste, and arrange, cut side down, in the EVOO. Put in the oven and roast until tender, about 20 minutes.

Peel the remaining eggplant and dice into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO. Stir in the beef or lamb, tomato paste, onion, garlic, diced eggplant and raisins. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the wine or stock and cook until the eggplant and onions are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pine nuts and basil.

While the meat cooks, melt the butter in small skillet over medium heat, add the breadcrumbs and toast until golden. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

Stir the parsley and cheese into the breadcrumbs and add half of this mixture to the meat.

Remove the eggplant from the oven, flip it over and transfer to a serving platter. Top each halved eggplant with a mound of stuffing and sprinkle the remaining cheesy breadcrumbs over the top before serving.

IT WAS DELICIOUS! I had a lot of leftovers, so after dinner I chopped up the remaining eggplant halves and stirred them into the beef mixture. Not sure what I will do with that now.

BEST EVER BAKED BEANS

I first made these for the FDC picnic last fall. Several people asked for the recipe and I have made them once or twice since then. Connie asked me for the recipe, so I am posting them here in my EVERYDAY blog.

Sue and Gloria's Baked Beans
from Paula's Home Cooking
show: barbeque bonanza

4 (16-ounce) cans baked beans
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup molasses
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 tablespoon yellow or brown mustard
5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 (6-ounce) can french-fried onions, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

mix together beans,
pineapple, molasses, BBQ sauce,
mustard, 1/4 of the bacon, and 1/4
of the onions. Add some salt and
pepper, to taste. Pour beans in 9
by 13-inch casserole dish and
sprinkle remaining crushed onions
and bacon on top. Cook in oven for
1 hour or until beans brown and bubble.
Serve warm.

Time to get started again, with a new thrust!

I decided to revamp this blog.........and to make sure I record my cooking efforts. I was talking to Connie on the phone last night and she was asking me for recipes for various things she has tried at my house, and I realized that I have not kept any records and indeed, I have not even kept recipes that I have tried and liked.....so its very hard to remember where I got each recipe and or find directions.

So, I will be changing this to a cooking blog.......and will also stick in day to day information.