Been Gone But Not Forgotten

Haven't posted since my father's sudden death early Feb. and besides, have been just plain busy. I had said that I would not let this become a chore. So here are a few of the many new, quick and easy (and inexpensive) recipes I have tried in the past couple of months.

Cheesy Tomato Bake

1 chopped onion
2 T. butter
3/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. light or regular mayo
1 c. shredded cheddar
1 c. shredded mozarella
salt and pepper to taste
dried Italian seasoning to taste
2/3 c. milk
2 c. biscuit mix (I used reduced fat with good results)
3 ripe tomatoes
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400. Spray 9 by 13 dish with cooking spray. In skillet, heat butter and onions, cooking until lightly brown and soft. Place onions in a large mixing bowl and add sour cream, mayo, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses and seasonings, mixing well. In a separate bowl, stir together milk and biscuit mix. Pat dough on bottom and up sides of baking dish. Slice tomatoes and place on top of dough. Spoon sour cream mixture over all, smoothing to edges. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 25 minutes until brown. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Tasty Corn Bake

1 c milk
1 beaten egg
1 c. cracker crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1 can creamed corn (17 oz.)
1 grated carrot
2 chopped green onions
1 T. melted butter

Heat oven to 350. Combine milk, egg, 2/3 c. of the crumbs, salt and pepper, mix well. Add corn, carrot and onions, blend well. Place in buttered 1 quart casserole dish. Toss melted butter with remaining crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. bake for one hour or until firm.

Spinach Parmesan

2 packages frozen chopped spinach (10 oz. each)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350. Cook spinach in microwave according to package directions. Drain well. Place spinach into buttered 1 qt. casserole dish. Combine softened cream cheese and 2 T. of the parmesan. Spread mixture over spinach. Sprinkle with remainder of the parmesan. Bake until heated through, around 20 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Blue Cheese

1 potato per person, peeled and diced
1 T. olive oil
dried thyme to taste
1/2 cup chopped pecans
crumbled blue or roquefort cheese

Heat oven to 425. Toss potatoes with olive oil and thyme. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Toss gently with pecans and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.



Golden Potato-Cauliflower Soup
2 t. olive oil
2-3 chopped green onions
1/3 c. chopped celery
1/2 cauliflower, sliced
2 medium sliced, peeled yukon gold potatoes
2 14oz. cans fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
dash of ground red pepper
1 t. lemon juice

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add green onions and celery, cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, potatoes, broth, and seasonings, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until veggies or tender. Add lemon juice. Place mixtues, in batches as necessary in food processor and process until very smooth. Add more broth if necessary to thin out to desired consistency.


This was a really satisfying pasta dish.
Rigatoni with Proscutto and Parmesan

1 lb. rigatoni pasta
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 ounces prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch strips
salt and pepper

In pot of boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, following package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, in a LARGE skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. add green onion and cook until softened about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium. Add pasta and toss. Remove skillet from heat and stir in the cheese, reserving some for the top.


Potato Mushroom Omelette

2-3 large potatoes, pared, diced, parboiled
3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. fresh or canned mushrooms
1/2 c. sliced white or green onions
7 eggs
1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
dash of hot sauce
dried Italian seasoning to taste
1/2 c. shredded Swiss

Heat oven to 350. In skillet, heat parboiled potatoes in oil for 5 minutes, then add mushrooms and onions, and cook until onions are tender. Spread mixture in greased 9-inch square baking dish. Beat eggs and milk in bowl with seasonings until very fluffy. Pour mixture over eggs. Bake 20-25 minutes until puffy. Top with cheese and serve immediately.


Okay, this might not sound great, but it was really quite tasty and an excellent way to use up the leftover sauerkraut from St. Patrick's Day.

Beef-Sauerkraut Skillet

1 T. butter
1 can or jar or whatever's leftover in the bag of sauerkraut
2 large potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. ground meat
1 8 oz. can tomato cause

Melt butter in large skillet. Spread sauerkraut in bottom of skillet (drain the sauerkraut first). Arrange potato slices on top and sprinkle with the onion. Top with the meat (raw). Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and any other desired seasonings. Pour tomato sauce over meat. Cover and place over high heat until heated through. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until potatoes are tender and most of liquid has evaporated.

An oldie but goodie

Mexican Egg Thingie

1 can (7 oz.) whole green chiles
3 cups shredded cheddar
1/2 shredded Jack
4 eggs
1 13 oz. can evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste
dash of hot sauce
1 bunch of green onions, chopped

Split chiles and cover bottom of baking dish. Spread chiles with the cheeses. Stir eggs with milk and seasonings. Pour over cheese. Can be refrigerated overnight at this point if desired. When ready to bake, top with green onions. Bake in 350 oven for 35-45 minurwa oe until casserole bubbles and puffs up.


Another satisfying pasta dish. I craved carbs during the winter. and yeah, gained back 5 lbs.!
Saucy Carbonara Pasta

1 16 oz. box spagetti
2 T. olive oil
4 oz. pancetta or bacon
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
4 (yes, four) cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. white wine
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 eggs
1 c. parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 c. chopped parsley
freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a LARGE skillet, heat the oil. Add pancetta and cook 3-5 minutes until crisp. Add walnuts, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring often to not burn the nuts. Add wine and cook another 2-3 minutes to slightly reduce. Drain pasta and add to the skillet. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with half of the cheese. Pour egg mixture into pasta and toss. Top with rest of cheese, parsley and pepper

Yet another pasta recipe

Spaghetti with goat cheese, Italian sausage and olives

4 Italian sausages (or 8 oz. bulk)
1/2 t. thyme
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 t. hot red pepper flakes
10-12 oz. spaghetti
2 T. olive oil
3/4 c. pitted greek olives
6 oz. crumbled goat cheese
chopped fresh basil to taste

Remove sausage from casings and break into small pieces. Saute until brown. Remove from heat and add thyme, garlic, and pepper flakes. Set aside. Cook spaghetti al dente. Drain and toss with sausage mixture. Add goat cheese and toss gently again. Top with basil and serve.

Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce

1 T. butter
1 chopped onion
 1 rib celery, chopped
1 finely chopped carrot
2 lb. lean ground beef
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 c milk
1 c. white wine
2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to high, add meat, cook until no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg. Pour in milk, wine and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook at a lively simmer until most of liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, stir in tomatoes, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove lid, stir and cook another 30 minutes.

Chicken Slivers with Chipotle-Peanut Sauce

1 T. olive oil
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 chopped onion
2 tomatoes, cut up
2 chipotles in adobo
1/2 c. peauts
1/2 c. chicken broth
salt to taste
4 boneless chicken breast halves

Over medium heat, cook onion and garlic until soft. Transfer mixture to blender and add tomatoes, chiles, peanuts and broth. Puree until smooth. Return to pan and simmer to blend flavors. Cut chicken into slivers and grill or broil in oven as desired. Serve with sauce.