Greco Casserole-- Great for Potlucks!

The mainstay of most working mom's freezers is the all-mighty casserole. OK pizza is a mainstay too. This very traditional potluck casserole has been popular since the 1960's. My mom used to make it and us kidlets loved it! It's also called "More" casserole in some cookbooks due to the fact that everyone who tastes it always want more! 

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef (you can try ground turkey, but it won't taste as good)
1/3 C chopped onion
3/4 C chopped green pepper
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 can corn
one can stewed tomatoes (or peel 3 fresh and quarter them)
1 t sugar
2 t salt
2 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic salt
pepper to taste
8 oz. egg noodles or shell pasta
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (medium sharp)

Directions:

Cook beef and green pepper in skillet until beef is brown and crumbly. Drain off oil. Mix rest of ingredients in a bowl and add them to skillet and simmer. Bring all to a boil and add noodles. Cook with top off until noodles are done. Put in a greased casserole. Cover with shredded cheddar and keep oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve hot and cheesy!

Anzac Cookies...

Napa is a wonderland of great restaurants and cute shops. We stumbled on a great section of the historic part of town that included "Sweetie Pie's Bakery".  Oh my. This bakery had amazing platter-sized cookies...voluptuous cupcakes...lavish layer cakes and luscious pies.  However, I picked out this humble cookie because I love oatmeal. "What's an ANZAC?" I queried.  Biting into it--I was not disappointed. An ANZAC is a very chewy and deliciously sweet oatmeal cookie. Looking it up on the Internet, I found they're named ANZAC because that's the abbreviation for the combined Australian and New Zealand (military) Corps. Apparently women used to send these cookies to their sweetheart soldiers who fought in the war. I found several recipes on "Down Under" online. This was the best. Yield: 12 huge cookies (5" in diameter)

Ingredients:

1 C oats (Quick Oats are best)
1 C coconut (sugar-free or see note below)
1 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar (don't pack)
4 oz. butter (one stick)

1 t soda powder

2 T boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Melt 1 stick butter in saucepan...add 2 T corn syrup. Dissolve soda in water...add to butter mixture. Don't worry if it froths a bit. It should. Measure in 1/3 C measure scoops onto a parchment lined pan. Make into a ball then squash with the heel of your hand. Bake 10-12 minutes until just light brown.

Note: If you can't find any sugar-free shredded coconut in your town...you can always make your own. Simply put your sugar-y "Angel Flake" into a colander the night before you make the cookies...run cold water through it for a few minutes to wash off the sugar and oil ...and let it dry on paper towels for the next day's baking. I actually like using this method better than buying sugar-free coconut at the health-food store.  Sugar-free coconut tends to be too dry and crunchy.

Carol Lawless's Curried Chicken Salad...

Category: Main Dish
Difficulty: Medium (lots of chopping--really easy if you use a Rotisserie Chicken)
Sorta Healthy-- has lots of vegetables!

This was one of two salads served at my daughter's fabulous wedding shower put on by the very hospitable Carol Lawless in 2011. As we entered her garden, we were treated to a view of 3 tables set up outside with a green arched canopy overall. Glorious roses bloomed pink and red near the table. Our hostesses' porcelain gleamed on white tablecloths with green linen napkins. The weather was perfect, and the food was a divine gift from heaven.

Most of the time chicken salad is rather sodden. Gloppy. It's delish...but it hits your stomach like a ton of bricks. This recipe is different. The chopped cabbage lightens the whole thing up! Do try it for your next outdoor party. It's a winner.

Ingredients:

Salad:
4 baked skinless/boneless chopped chicken breasts--seasoned with garlic salt before baking OR use the meat from 2 Rotisserie Chickens.
1 head Napa cabbage, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1/2 C raisins (can use both dark and golden if you like)
1/2 C roasted/salted sunflower seeds
1 bag Croutons (your choice of flavor--I use garlic/butter flavor)

Dressing:
1 C Best Foods or Trader Joe's Real Mayonnaise
2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
2 T honey
Garlic Salt
Lemon Pepper
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
a few drops green Habanera sauce
2 Tablespoons Curry powder (yes...LOTS)
1 T milk

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl in the order shown. Layer salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with dressing ONLY when ready to sit down and eat--to keep the salad crisp.

Ginger-Peanut Chicken-Salad Wraps

It is now Indian Summer in Santa Cruz County. Often our hottest time of year. It was so hot for my daughter's wedding in October last year that my polyester zipper almost melted! We couldn't get it open!  No problem--we sewed me into the dress after breaking the zipper. Finally evening came with cool breezes and tall glasses of iced lemon water. Perhaps it's a hot evening for you tonight? How about something refreshing.... like salad? This tastes like Chinese Chicken Salad in a tortilla. It's got so many vegetables--it's a one dish meal! Common Sense Tip: use a cooked rotisserie chicken from Costco or another store instead of making your own. From "Cooking Light" magazine, I don't know what year. Yield: 8 wraps. 280 calories each...

Note: You can substitute a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (Costco?) instead of cooking your own. That makes it really easy!

Ingredients:

1 t olive oil
24 oz. cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken or saute 4 chicken breasts with a sprinkle of salt until done)
1 C chopped seeded peeled cucumber
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T minced peeled ginger
3 T minced peeled fresh ginger
3 T fresh lime juice
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 t ground pepper
1 crushed garlic clove
1/4 C creamy peanut butter
2 T water
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
8 (8-inch) GF tortillas or large iceberg lettuce leaves
4 C chopped romaine lettuce

Directions:

Shred cooked or packaged sliced chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss chicken...cucumber...and bell pepper together in a large bowl; set aside. Place the sugar and the next 6 ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Add peanut butter and water, process till smooth. Scrape sides. Add to bowl with chicken mixture; stir well. Add cilantro and toss. Warm tortillas according to package directions...or just use cold. Spoon 1/2 C chicken mixture into each tortilla and top each with 1/2 C lettuce; roll up like a burrito. If you elect to use lettuce leaves instead of tortillas--carefully roll the lettuce leaf around the chicken mix like a burrito without the extra lettuce topper. Serve with tall glasses of something cold!

Lamb Chops with Cilantro-Mint Sauce

This recipe is so quick and good! It's got that lip-smacking tang that makes you want more and more. Common Sense Tips: Lamb is expensive...so be sure and buy the chops at your local Big Box Store in spring when they're almost reasonable. Also, you won't need more fresh ginger root than a piece the size of your thumb even if you double the recipe. DO double the sauce recipe and freeze some for later! You will want some for another night. My daughter found this--it's by Wolfgang Puck. Yield: 8 chops (serves 4)

Ingredients:

 2 t minced fresh ginger
1/4 C packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 C packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 T honey
1/4 C rice wine vinegar
1/2 C canola or other mild vegetable oil
8 rib lamb chops--up to 3/4-inch thick--or regular lamb chops
Fresh mint and cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade combine all of the marinade ingredients and process until completely blended and smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.  Place the lamb chops in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour in 1/4 C of the marinade. Turn the lamb in the bag to coat it evenly. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours--turning once or twice. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as a sauce. Grill chops. Place lamb chops on serving plates and crisscross the ends if you used rib chops. Spoon the remaining refrigerated sauce over the top and garnish with mint or cilantro leaves. Scrumptious!

Wedding Mac N' Cheese...

Recently, I helped out at Lindsay Stover's wedding and had the best Macaroni and Cheese I have ever tasted. Pam, the caterer, served a variation of Wolfgang Puck's CUT steakhouse version. She was nice enough to give it to me.

Well, I have to tell 'ya this recipe was a flop the first time I made it. Why? I just didn't have the right cheese combination. I had used a pricey Irish cheddar that was just ...too mild. I needed a fierce cheddar. My daughter (bless her) suggested Cracker Barrel Aged Cheddar in the black packaging.  Hurray! I did add half cup of shredded mozzarella at the end to create a little gooier instead of silky texture.  Yield: 4- 5 servings of Mac N' Cheese. Double or quadruple this recipe to feed more people! Freezes well!

Ingredients:

8 oz. elbow macaroni (you can also use small-size penne or cavatappi)
3 T unsalted butter--plus more for greasing the baking dish
3 T all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free blend if you use GF pasta)
1 small bay leaf
1/2 medium white onion (sliced)
3 1/2 C whole milk
1 t sea salt or table salt (add more to adjust to taste after you add the cheese)
1 t. black pepper (I used 1/2 t)
1 oz. Parmesan
10 oz. shredded Cracker Barrel Aged Cheddar (black label)
3 oz. shredded Gruyere 
Optional:  1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (add at the last minute)
1 C Panko breadcrumbs (smashed Saltine cracker crumbs work in a pinch)
Optional: Truffle oil

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot cook elbow or penne macaroni following directions on the package until al dente. While pasta is cooking use a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat to melt the 3 T butter. Stir in the flour until blended --about 1 minute. Add the bay leaf and sliced onion. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Simmer whisking occasionally until the mixture starts to thicken for about 7 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and onion at this point--or you will be SORRY. Bay leaf has a very strong taste! Simmer and whisk for another 7 minutes until mixture is as thick. Sauce should be creamy...not grainy. If it's grainy, throw it all out and do it again!  Whisk it more often on the second try.  Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 C of the aged Cheddar, Gruyere and Parmesan until melted. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. At this point the pasta is probably done. Drain the water by putting it in a colander run cool water through it and set aside.

Put the drained macaroni back into the pot you boiled it in... fold the cheese sauce into it then adds the 1/2 C mozzarella if you decide you want to use it.  It's not good for the mozzarella to completely melt into the sauce like the other cheeses at this point. But if it does...it's OK. Transfer to a 9X12" or 1 qt. greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with Panko or brioche breadcrumbs and remaining cheddar cheese. Drizzle (optional) truffle oil over the top. Bake until the crumbs are golden, and the cheese is bubbly--about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew

I thought I was done blogging...but then I tried this recipe. It was just too darn good not to include in my collection. Adapted from a 2013 Bon Apetit issue it will knock your winter socks off your cold little feet. Double the recipe and freeze some! It can be made with Chorizo if you like a spicy sausage--but personally I prefer a really good Italian. Common Sense Tip: get a good chicken Italian sausage at your local specialty food store (like WholeFoods).  Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 lb. fresh chicken Italian or Chorizo sausage links
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. dried thyme
2 15 oz. cans white kidney beans
2 C low-sodium chicken broth
Salt (kosher or sea-salt is best) and pepper to taste
5 oz. baby spinach (about 10 cups)
Smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook whole. Cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel on a plate to drain. Note: you can use blobs of sausage that is not in links. It's often less expensive.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 T oil in the same skillet. Add onion garlic and thyme. Cook until onion is softened 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook. Crush a few of the beans as you go to help thicken the sauce as you stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted.  Slice sausage and fold it into stew. Add water to thin if needed. Divide stew among bowls and sprinkle with a bit of smoked paprika if desired.