Pumpkin Zucchini Bread - Holiday Special

Happy Halloween!

So upon the request of your children, you ran out and got this GREAT BIG pumpkin to carve...now what? You clean out the guts of the pumpkin - you've got the meat of the pumpkin and the seeds. Don't toss them out! Make something out of it! Waste not, want not - right?

Combine Pumpkin (your favorite fruit) and Zucchini (which you have more than you know what to do with) into a bread recipe. The result is a splendid Pumpkin Zucchini Bread that everyone will enjoy. Pumpkin Zucchini Bread is high in minerals and vitamins.

This recipe yields two loaves of Pumpkin Zucchini bread. Yes, it will go quickly! Of course, if you didn't run out and buy a pumpkin, you can always buy it in a can!


Ingredients:

3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 can pumpkin (or about 10 ounces of pumpkin puree)
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 cups flour (or try Pumpkin Flour)
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped or ground walnuts (optional)

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans with cooking spray. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Stir in pumpkin puree and butter(or margarine). Mix flour, baking soda, and spices in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into the first bowl containing the egg mixture. Stir in the shredded zucchini. Stir in nuts, if you are using them. Divide the batter into the two bread loaf pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

Test bread with a knife or a toothpick to see if it is done. Insert the knife into the bread . If it doesn't come out clean, bake for an additional 5 minutes and re-test. Remove the bread from the oven and let set for ten minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, and place on a wire rack to cool.

Mmm Mmm good!!

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Flour

I'll be honest, I've never actually PURCHASED a pumpkin. I never saw the point. I've never taken my kids to a pumpkin patch because I didn't see the point of going if I wasn't going to buy one. Other than pumpkin pie, I never saw the use for a pumpkin!

Yes, I have the patience to raisea tribe of children, organize my refrigerator and pack a healthy lunch for my husband - but not the patience it requires to carve a pumpkin. Go figure!

So who knew you could make FLOUR out of pumpkin??

It's a great substitute for use in just about any recipe that uses flour. Pumpkin Flour is rich in minerals and vitamins, many of which are believed to have several medicinal benefits (see below).

Pumpkin Flour most likely originated in Mexico, the origin of pumpkins. It is popular there today. But, Pumpkin Flour is most popular in Japan and in Asian countries. We have also found reference to it's use in Nigeria, Thailand, and Brazil.

Potential and real medical benefits include:

Aids gastrointestinal ailments
Cancer avoidance and treatment
Kidney ailments
Diabetes- both helps in deterring the onset of Diabetes, as well as treatment.
Heart ailments.

Note: If you'd like to try pumpkin flour, but do not want to make it fresh, it can be hard to find. Try local health food stores, and Asian and Chinese groceries.


Ingredients:

There's just one ingredient..........one or more pumpkins. Easy, huh?

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Directions:

Select one or more fresh, ripe pumpkins. Cut open the pumpkin, remove and discard seeds and strings. Remove the skin from the pumpkin. Use a sharp knife for hard skins. A potato peeler may work on soft shelled varieties. Slice pumpkin into thin slices and set out to dry. A food dehydrator is helpful. Allow pumpkin to completely dry. Place slices into a food processor and grind into a flour-like texture.
Place pumpkin flour into an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry place.


Using Pumpkin Flour:

Pumpkin Flour can be used in any recipe that calls for flour. Most recipes suggest substituting pumpkin flour for up to 1/4 of the amount of regular flour.

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Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake

Everytime there's a function that requires me to bring a dessert, this is one of the two cakes that everyone raves about. It's easy to make and sure to please ANY chocolate lover...

Ingredients:

1 box of your favorite chocolate cake mix (the one with pudding)
3/4 cups of oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can of cherry pie filling
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips

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Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325. Prepare your bundt pan by lightly greasing (cooking spray is fine) the inside. Combine cake mix, oil, eggs and cinnamon in a large bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips then pour in the cherry filling. Make sure that you don't over mix the cherries otherwise they'll get squished!

Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes then invert and transfer to a plate to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or frost with cream cheese frosting and garnish with fresh berries. Serves well with vanilla ice cream! Store in the fridge and ENJOY!!

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Crock pot cooking without the fuss

If you don't already own a crock pot or a stock pot, I suggest you run out and get one if you're gonna be hanging around HERE! I use at least ONE if not both of them every week - for SOMETHING!

I've had some people email me questions about crock pot recipes, and let me say this - there is NO SECRET to making simple and easy meals with your crock pot. Hell, I've even made some things up and much to my delight, everything turned out fine and my family loved it!

You can NEVER EVER go wrong with chicken, pork chops or your favorite cut of beef, a can or two of cream of mushroom soup, an onion (sliced) and a tablespoon of garlic salt and pepper (in equal proportions) - or substitute the garlic salt and pepper with 2 tablespoons of Cajun spices (my personal favorite) and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

I'll warn you now (if you're new here), I use creole seasoning for just about EVERYTHING I cook...except for maybe Italian dishes...

At any rate, only YOU know your taste buds and what they'll like...so you can always play with the amounts of seasoning that you use. You can always add fresh (sliced) mushrooms and a couple stalks of celery (chunked or sliced).

Put the veggies on the bottom of the crock pot. In a bowl, combine the soup, seasoning and cornstarch. Put the meat on top of the veggies, then pour the soup mixture on top of the meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

This is what I call a "Fix it and forget it" recipe. Throw everything in the crock pot in the morning before work and come home to a cooked meal. Steam some rice, add in a salad and you've got dinner!!

Thank me later!

Enjoy!

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French Toast Breakfast Casserole

I love my friends!! Here's another submission from my dear "K" in Canada. This one sounds so delicious, I think I'll be trying this one over the weekend! It sounds YUMMY!!

INGREDIENTS:

12 (1 inch thick) slices day-old French bread (Sara Lee Raisin Bread doesn't hurt either)
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 pkg low fat cream cheese

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DIRECTIONS:

Chop bread loosly in squares. Arrange bread in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
Glop the cream cheese on in chunks and then drop on the blueberries...mix loosely
In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg; pour over bread.

Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pecans over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining sugar; drizzle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Yum! Enjoy!

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Chinese Soup

At least that's what my kids call it!!

I'm half Chinese, but my mother didn't really cook Chinese food when I was growing up. We're 3rd and 4th generation Chinese Americans...so by the time I came along, it was fried chicken, pork chops and tacos!

And I won't lie, I'm a completel Asian food snob...if it smells funny or looks strange, I'm not eating it - and you CAN'T MAKE ME!!

I came up with this soup one night while I was hosting a dinner party for a couple of my girlfriends. The theme of the night was Chinese food. I made fried won ton, chicken chow mein, steamed rice, Chinese sausage (called Lap Xiang) and soup.



The soup has quickly become a family favorite - especially for me kids...I would probably call it Egg Drop Won Ton soup, but my kids simply refer to it as CHINESE SOUP.


Ingredients:

12 cups of water
1/4 cup of Knorr Chicken Bullion
1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots
2 cups of bean sprout (canned or fresh)
6 baby bok choy (bottoms chopped off)
2 small cans of sliced waterchestnuts (slivered)
2 small cans (or 1 regular sized can) of bamboo shoots
6 green onions (minced)
1 bag of frozen chicken gyozas or pot stickers
4 eggs (scrambled)
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
** OR you can use 3 tablespoons of cajun seasoning for a nice kick (my preference)!

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Directions:

Ok, brace yourself...this is the BEST part...pull out your stock pot and pour everything in EXCEPT the scrambled egg and pot stickers. Bring the broth to a rolling boil and then turn down the heat to medium, cover and let simmer until the the bok choy is tender (about 45 minutes). Add pot stickers and cook for another 15 minutes. Pour in scrambled eggs and STIR (to break the eggs up in the broth).

I started serving the soup with rice in the bowl and we all love it!

Enjoy!

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

This sounds like a crowd pleaser!! I'm eager to whip this one up for the fellas to see if they'll like it! Thanks Monie for the submission!!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
1 (12-ounce) bottle Frank's Hot Sauce
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (16-ounce) bottle ranch salad dressing
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack or a combination

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Directions:

In a large saucepan, boil the chicken in water until cooked through (about 15 minutes), drain and shred with two forks.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 13-by-9-inch baking pan, combine the shredded chicken meat with the hot sauce, spreading to form an even layer.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream cheese and ranch dressing, stirring until smooth and hot. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, then sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with celery sticks, tortilla chips or crackers (not saltines, but the fancy party kind!)

Enjoy!

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Sponge Toffee

Sweet Treats! Just in time for Halloween...

This recipe was passed along to me from a Canadian friend of mine! Thanks K!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (625 ml)
2/3 cup light corn syrup (150 ml)
6 tbsp water (90 ml)
2 tbsp baking soda (30 ml)
2 tsp vanilla (10 ml)

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Directions:

Grease a 9 by 13-inch pan with vegetable oil.

Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper, making sure the parchment sides are at least 2 inches above the sides of the pan. Grease the parchment paper with a little more oil.

Add sugar, corn syrup and water to a deep, heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, without stirring and cook until hard crack stage: when the temperature on a candy thermometer reads 300 degrees F. This should take about 10 minutes. During the cooking process, if there are any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan, brush the sides of the pan with a clean pastry brush dipped in water.

Remove from heat and working quickly, add the baking soda, whisking to incorporate. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit when you add the baking soda so be very careful not to touch the hot toffee. Immediately pour into the prepared pan. Let cool and set completely before touching. Break into pieces and serve. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

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Tuesday's Tips - Storage and Consumption

Yes, I REALLY do cook on the weekend for the entire week!

Rarely do I ever worry about food going bad because regardless of how much I spend on weekly groceries (which is about $175), we consume EVERYTHING. Now, there ARE some "fillers" in my weekly menu that I don't list...simply because they're not really part of my planned meals.

My kids are funny eaters...especially my 8 year old (ML) and my 4 year old (LL). As a rule of thumb, I always keep certain items stocked...like lunch meat, tuna, PB & J and corn dogs (chicken, of course) for those, "Can I have a sandwich?" moments that pop up during the week. We all can agree that kids are "special"...lol!

Since my husband is a gym rat, he changes his own diet according to whatever the goal is at the moment and I work around it. He works 12 1/2 hour shifts up to 6 days a week when he's working OT, so I have to make sure there's enough food in his lunch bag to keep him covered for the entire shift. By the time he gets off of work and then home from the gym, he's rarely hungry. But it doesn't matter because there's always enough food to go around...

Here's his typical lunch:


The bottom container is 3 pieces of marinated baked chicken (2 thighs & 1 leg) and greens. The bowl is chicken vegetable soup with barley, and the foil wrapped item is a tuna sandwich on a French roll. What you DON'T see is the other items in his lunch bag...2 packets of low-sugar organic instant oatmeal (for breakfast), 1 bag of Sun Chips (to go with the sandwich), a banana and an orange.

Of course he doesn't eat all of this food at one time. Remember, he's there from 6:30AM until 7:00PM. How many times would YOU eat during that amount of time?

I've also learned to use my freezer more often. I cook in larger quantities, package and separate. I put the food we can actually CONSUME within a week in the refrigerator and put the rest in the freezer for the following week or so.

My fridge looks like this:





Tidy, huh? I try to keep things simple, for myself and for the kids. And there's certainly nothing wrong with preparing foods JUST to put them in the freezer. Let's face it, we all could use an extra few hours in the day - right? Cook and store is the BEST way to accomplish that.

I have also been known to cook for the week and freeze, only to defrost days later to preserve the food. There's nothing wrong with that either. For those of you who tend to eat a lot of fish, you may want to prepare only the sides in advance and prepare the seafood the day you're going to eat it.

Depending on how my weekend shapes up will dictate how everything is prepared. I may shop on Saturday and spend the day "preparing" - chopping, shredding, cutting, dicing (I really need to get a food processor). Sunday morning I'll get up and start cooking - which will generally take the entire day. Imagine how much fun THAT is with 3 boys and a newborn baby girl! I can't believe that I'm still SANE!

So remember, it's ok to cook and freeze. You can even try preparing sides dishes on one day and main dishes the next. Whatever is easier for YOU! That's the key...keep it simple!

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Enchilada Bake - A family favorite!

Having a gang of kids and little time to hand roll enchiladas, this recipe is great for giving you the taste of enchiladas that yields more than if you rolled them!

I actually had this for the first time back in college and over the years I've made changes to suit my taste. I recently started using the green sauce because a friend of mine hipped me to it. I've been using it ever since and I'm so happy that my family loves it as much as I do!



Ingredients:

2 lbs. lean ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 minced onion
1 small can of mild green chiles
1 bunch of cilantro
4 minced green onions
2 1/2 cups of water
1/3 bottle of La Victoria MILD Green Taco Sauce (you can use the red sauce like in my taco meat recipe and use the red enchilada sauce with it)
2 large cans of La Victoria Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1 small can of sliced black olives
18 corn tortillas
16 oz. of shredded cheese (the Mexican blend - Monterey Jack and Cheddar)

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Directions:

Cook the meat and onions until browned. Drain the fat. Stir in the taco sauce, water and the entire can of green chiles until blended. Using medium-high heat, boil down the liquid until the meat is moist. I actually cooked the meat last night, but never got around to putting this thing together until tonight!



Preheat the oven to 375. Pour the enchilada sauce in a large bowl. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, pour 1/2 cup of sauce along the bottom of the dish. Dip 6 tortillas in the enchilada sauce until they are well coated on each side then place them in the baking dish. They will overlap, don't worry about it! Sprinkle 1/2 of the meat mixture on top of the tortillas (think lasagna if that makes it easier).



Next, sprinkle cheese, cilantro, green onions and olives on top of the meat...and continue to layer.



The top layer should look something like this:



Bake until the cheese is bubbling and melted. Serve with Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice (cook as directed and add 1 can of whole kernel corn) and a salad...Dinner is SERVED!

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New Spin on Taco Meat!

My 8 year old (ML) requests Tacos nearly EVERY WEEK and my husband can eat Mexican food EVERY DAY (if I let him). I'm not sure how MOST of you prepare taco meat, but I haven't used packaged taco seasoning in DECADES (and seeing how I'm only 36, that means it's been a LONG TIME)!

Try something different! And if you've got an even better way to prepare it, please share...I like trying different things!

This is super easy...

2 lbs. of ground turkey or ground beef (which ever is on sale this week!)
1/2 sweet onion finely diced
1 bottle of La Victoria MILD Red Taco Sauce
2 1/2 cups of water

Cook the meat and onions together and drain fat. Stir in the water and add 1/3 bottle of taco sauce. Turn up the flame to medium-high and boil the water down until the meat has absorbed all of the water.

And since times are lean these days when it comes to money and how far the dollar and a meal goes, try adding a diced potato to the meat. It makes the taco meat STRETCH and makes a pretty decent filler for burritos!

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Alfredo Lasagna

Ok, I started getting threatening emails for this recipe - so I decided to just post the damn thing before someone came lookin for me, hiding in my bushes, tryin to steal my personal cookbook!

It's really fool proof...although XL didn't care for it much, his sister LOVED it. He thought it was too cheesy - and that's not really what he was experiencing...it was the creaminess of the alfredo sauce. It's perfect for a nice dinner party! Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I'm a Trader Joe's shopper. If you don't have one near you, you may have to play with the vegetable quantities a bit. I purchased all of my ingredients from TJ's except the pasta and sauce.

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage (I used pork, but turkey sausage is fine too)
9 lasagna noodles
1 package FRESH white sliced mushrooms
3/4 bag of chopped frozen spinach
1/3 bag of frozen bell pepper medley (includes all three kinds - red, yellow and green)
1 container of COTTAGE CHEESE (I substitute cottage cheese for the usual ricotta - it's much lighter)
1 - 16oz. bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 jars of Bertolli Sundried Tomato Alfredo Sauce (or ANY kind of Sundried Tomato Alfredo if Bertolli isn't available)
1 large egg

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Directions:

Boil lasagna noodles (that one is kinda obvious). Remove sausage from its skin, crumble and brown. Set aside. Microwave (or thaw)the spinach and drain WELL (otherwise things may turn a bit runny). Mix spinach and egg in the cottage cheese. The egg holds everything in place - this is VERY important!!

Lightly oil a pan with cooking spray and saute the mushrooms until they're fully cooked. Set aside, then saute the peppers. Empty both jars of sauce into a large pot. Use a little bit of milk to get ALL of it from the sides of the jar - it's a little thick. Add cooked sausage, mushrooms and peppers to the sauce and simmer on low until the sauce thins out a bit.

Preheat the oven at 350.

LIGHTLY oil the bottom of a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish with cooking spray. Layer 3 lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the cottage cheese/spinach mixture, mozzarella and then sauce. Then another 3 strips of lasagna noodles, the second 1/2 cottage cheese/spinach mixture and mozzarella. Then the final 3 lasagna noodles, the remaining sauce and the last of the mozzarella.

Cover with non-stick foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 15 minutes to brown the top layer of cheese. Add a salad, some garlic bread and your favorite wine. YOU'VE GOT DINNER!!

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Menu Plan Monday - Week of October 27

There's no particular order in which these items will be served because nobody likes to eat the same thing at the same time! Don't ask me what THAT'S all about! HAHAHA...

Enchilada Bake (made with ground beef and green sauce)
Spanish Rice
Meatloaf (with dressing mix instead of bread crumbs)
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Greens (Mustard & Turnip)
Chili (always a favorite when served over fries, Fritos or rice)
Baked Marinated Chicken
Rice Pilaf
Jambalaya
Cornbread
Chicken, Barley & Vegetable Soup (this is new...I've never used barley before)
Green Salad (served with every meal)


See? There's nothing elaborate about my meals...I just know how to stretch them by swapping sides! I cook the food and let everyone decide how they want to eat it!


What's on YOUR menu this week? Feel free to email me your recipes and pictures of YOUR creations! If there's something on my menu that you'd like the recipe for, just drop me a line and I'll post it!

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Chicken Carbonara

Oddly I had ordered this very dish one night from a pizza joint. I'm not naming names because there is no such thing as free advertising around these parts - I'm not getting paid to pump up someone else's product! It was soooo good that I decided to re-create it on my own (without really knowing how it would turn out). Well...it was PERFECTION the first time out and super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast (or chicken tenders)
1 pack of fresh CHOPPED mushrooms
1/2 medium sweet onion - the purple one (sliced, not diced)
6-8 slices of cooked bacon

1 cup of frozen peas
1 jar alfredo sauce
3/4 cup milk
16 oz. package of penne rigate pasta
Salt and pepper to taste

*3 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley OPTIONAL

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DIRECTIONS:

I hate to chop, so I use my kitchen shears to cut the chicken into small pieces BEFORE I cook it. Saute chicken in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil until cooked - set aside. Saute mushrooms and onions. In a separate pot, warm the alfredo sauce and add the milk. BOIL THE PASTA (there's no way around this - hehehehee). Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine pasta, sauce, chicken, veggies and crumbled bacon.

For variation, you can also add sundried tomatoes, capers and/or artichoke hearts and/or serve over rice. Serve with garlic bread and a salad...

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Cake Mix Cookies

This is one of my FAVORITE recipes because it's quick and SUPER easy to make...

Ingredients:

1 box of cake mix*
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 large eggs

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients well - it'll be a little gummy. Drop teaspoons of dough on an ungreased** cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes (do NOT over bake). Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then place on a wire rack. Cookies will be completely cool in 30 minutes. Store TIGHTLY covered.

*Get creative with the cake flavors. Lemon is my personal favorite for this cookie, but you can also try yellow cake and chocolate chips, spice cake, german chocolate (just top with a little german chocolate frosting for a yummy treat.)

** To help with the mess that baking usually creates, try lining parchment paper on the cookie sheet (creates less mess, nothing sticks and if following the directions properly - NO BURNT COOKIES!)

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Crockpot Beef Stew

How wonderful would it be to throw everything in the crockpot before you go to work, and come home to a house filled with wonderful aromas and dinner already finished?? This is a great recipe (one of the family favorites)...especially in the winter!

** DISCLAIMER: All of my crockpot recipes are prepared to fit a 6 qt. pot...you may choose to lessen the amount of each ingredient in order to make things FIT!

Ingredients:

3lbs. beef stew meat (diced into 3/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons of cajun seasoning (salt and pepper with an extra kick!)
2 tablespoons of oil
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
3-4 small red potatoes (quartered)
1/2 medium sized onion sliced

4 stalks of celery
2 - 1lb pkg of fresh baby carrots
2 - 12 oz. jars of beef gravy
1 - large can of diced tomatoes (undrained)
1/2 cup cold water

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Directions:

Place the flour, salt and pepper into a large ziplock bag and toss stew meat until well coated. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add coated beef and stir for about 5 minutes until browned. Set aside.

Layer potatoes, onions, celery and carrots in the crockpot. Add browned meat and any leftover flour mixture. Top with gravy and tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. About 10 minutes before serving, blend water and 3 tablespoons of flour until smooth....stir into stew. Increase heat setting to high, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes or until thickened.

This dish goes well with a small dinner salad and warm sourdough bread with butter.

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Green Chile Quiche

This is one of my favorites! I know 8 eggs sounds like a lot, but when you think a quiche can yield maybe 6 "nice sized" slices, its not as bad as it sounds! Most quiche recipes call for heavy whipping cream, but for this recipe - 2 cups of heavy whipping cream alone (in lieu of 1 c. sour cream and 1 c. half & half) equals 1580 calories (and that's not including the eggs, pie crust and cheese). Make it on Sunday...freeze one (they freeze well) and take a slice to work each day for breakfast (or lunch). Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS:

2 frozen pie crusts (not the deep dish ones)
8 LARGE Eggs (beaten)
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 cup Chedder Cheese, shredded
1 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup of half & half
1 small can mild diced Green Chiles

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DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425. DO NOT THAW PIE CRUSTS PRIOR TO BAKING!! Combine all ingredients and evenly fill both pie crusts. Place on center rack and bake at 425 for 8 minutes. Turn oven down to 325 and bake for 45-50 minutes. Crust should be golden and quiche is done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Wait 10 minutes prior to cutting.

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Gumbo

Since everyone was asking and emailing for the recipe...here it is. It's a bit different from the original recipe I had posted on my old cooking blog because I've figured out a way to make it EASIER (read: a little less chopping and cutting). But feel free to add fresh ingredients in place of my canned ones. I have a SEVERE intolerance to shell fish...so my recipe does NOT include ANY seafood, but you're free to add it if you'd like.

Since I have a large family, I don't know how to cook for 2...so before you prepare any of my recipes, you might wanna run out and buy a great big stock pot...like this one...16 cups of fluid fills about HALF of this pot (just to give you an idea of how much it holds).

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken leg meat (or chicken thighs)
1 box Farmer John Louisiana smoked links (approx. 3 lbs), thinly sliced
1 cup olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced garlic (which I substituted with shallots)
14 cups chicken broth (I used Knorr chicken bullion in a jar)
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (My preference is Heineken)
6 stalks celery, diced
2 large cans of diced tomatoes
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, with liquid
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (try not to substitute this one)

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DIRECTIONS:

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, blend olive oil and flour to create a roux. Stir constantly until browned and bubbly. Mix in garlic, and cook about 1 minute.

Pour chicken broth and beer into a large stock pot and gradually stir in the roux mixture. Bring to a boil. Mix in sliced smoked links, chicken meat, celery, tomatoes, sweet onion, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Reduce heat to medium-high, cover, and simmer about 40 minutes. Pull chicken meat out and separate meat with a fork and return to the pot. Simmer for another 45 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. If adding seafood, at during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

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Homemade Granola

This is a SUPER easy recipe! If you've got kids, it's something you can make together...or simply supervise and let them do all the work! It's great for a snack...and even better as a hot or cold cereal! Feel free to add more to it...I kept it simple because I wasn't sure how it would turn out the first time. I liked it so much that I ended up making another batch 5 days later (because I ate it all)!

Ingredients:

7 cups of whole grain oats (not the instant kind)
3/4 cups of sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup of oil (olive or vegetable)
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
3/4 cups of raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cups of sweetened coconut (found in the baking section near the chocolate chips)

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Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (oats, almonds, coconut, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon). In a saucepan warm the oil and honey. Whisk in the vanilla. Pour over the oats and gently stir with a wooden spoon until everything is coated. Spread evenly in a cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes - this step is VERY important. If you don't stir, the granola may burn or stick to the pan. Cool on a wire rack. The granola mixture will harden as it cools. Let cool for about 30 minutes then use a spatula to lift and break up the granola. Pour it back into your mixing bowl and mix in the raisins and cranberries.

Store in an airtight container and consume within 7 days, otherwise it may go bad due to the oil used to prepare it. You can also freeze the granola for preservation.

Other variations include adding dried mangoes (which is what I did), banana chips, flax seed, wheat germ, sunflower seeds and other kinds of nuts. It tastes great sprinkled over vanilla yogurt (or your favorite flavor) too!

I was kinda shocked that while eating it as a cold cereal, it doesn't get soggy!!

Enjoy!

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Menu Plan Monday - Week of October 20

Gumbo (I made enough to yield 40 cups!! OMG!)
Steamed Rice
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry (served over rice)
Tacos/Burritos (I cook enough meat to serve either depending on what the kids want to eat)
Chicken Carbonara
Green Salad (served with every meal)

Enjoy!

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