Sausage with Fried Cabbage and Onions

1 pkg. link sausage (I like to use the John Morrell brand. It's skinless and very tender.)
1 medium onion
1 bag shredded coleslaw mix or 1 medium head cabbage, coarsely shredded
butter
salt and pepper to taste

Heat large skillet over medium heat.

Slice sausage in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch pieces. Cut onion into 1/4- to 1/2-inch wedges. Cook together in skillet until sausage begins to brown; add about 1 Tbsp. butter.

When onion begins to turn clear, add cabbage and salt and pepper. Add more butter as needed to keep food from burning. Saute 3 or 4 minutes or until cabbage cooks down and starts to turn clear.

Serve hot with cornbread.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Roasted Cauliflower

I fell in love with roasted cauliflower at Fadi's, a local Mediterranean restaurant. Not long ago, I found it on the buffet at Ali Baba, another Mediterranean eatery. It's better at the buffet because there I can eat my fill! :o)

1 head of cauliflower
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Set oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut cauliflower into 1 1/2-inch size florets; rinse well. Dry with a kitchen towel to absorb moisture; water will keep the cauliflower from browning.

Toss cauliflower florets in a medium bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper, mixing well.

Pour onto a baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning. Brown until deep golden spots appear.

*For some extra flavor, try snipping about 7-8 fresh sage leaves into tiny pieces and tossing in with the cauliflower before roasting. Delicious!

Black Bean Quesadillas

I started making quesadillas in college after I heard an El Chico commercial on the radio explain how they make theirs. I like mine better. :o)

10 taco-size flour tortillas
butter or margarine
Mexican blend shredded cheese
garlic powder
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 can black olives, rinsed, drained, and sliced
green onions, thinly sliced
tomato, diced
jalapenos, seeded and diced

Butter one side of tortilla and place butter side down into medium-hot skillet.
Sprinkle cheese and a little garlic powder on one half; top with desired fillings. (Be sure you don't put too much for your filling or everything will fall out!)
Top with a little more cheese, then fold the empty half over.
Flip quesadilla to other side and grill until lightly browned.
Cut into two or three wedges and serve hot with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

*To cut fat and calories, lightly spray hot skillet with olive oil in place of buttering the tortilla. Also, use less cheese.

*Add cooked, seasoned chicken or steak strips for meat quesadillas. Use desired fillings.

Chicken Pot Pie

I originally found this recipe on All Recipes, but I've since tweaked it to make it my own. It's really quick and easy! I make mine family-sized, but you can easily cut the recipe in half.

1 refrigerated pie crust
2 12-oz. bags frozen mixed vegetables
3 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. milk
seasoning to taste (I use Tony Chachere's. Surprise!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook vegetables according to package directions. In large bowl, combine cooked vegetables, chicken, soup, milk, and seasoning.

Roll out crust onto wax paper. Place baking dish upside down onto crust and make an impression of it. Cut around the edge of the impression for a well-fitted top crust.

Pour chicken/vegetable mixture into baking dish; top with crust. Cut a few vent holes into the top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve hot.

Tips:
*I boil my chicken with trimmings from onion, bell pepper, and celery. After the broth has cooled, I freeze it for later use. It's healthier than prepackaged broth.

*I don't like a bottom crust in this because it tends to be gummy. If you prefer a bottom crust, line your baking dish with one pie crust, prebake according to package directions, then fill with chicken mixture and top with remaining crust. Or you can purchase the frozen pie crusts in the pan and use those.

*For a prettier top crust, brush with melted butter before baking.

Vegetable Soup

2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
2 cans whole kernel corn, with liquid
2 cans sliced carrots, with liquid
2 cans potatoes, with liquid, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cans green beans, with liquid
salt and pepper to taste

Bring all ingredients to a slow boil in a large soup pot; simmer 10-15 minutes.

*I usually brown a pound of ground beef and add for some protein and a little extra flavor.

*Feel free to use fewer cans of vegetables or to add cans of different vegetables to suit your family's preferences. Be sure you always include the liquid from the can or add an equivalent amount of water to keep plenty of broth in the soup.

*You can use fresh vegetables instead of canned ones, but cooking time will need to be increased until vegetables are tender.

*Fresh, hot cornbread is a perfect complement.

Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut/torn into bite sized pieces
*chicken broth
1 pkg. spaghetti
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 8-oz. pkg. fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 8-oz. container light sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup

Boil chicken; reserve broth. (*Add celery, onion, and bell pepper trimmings to water to flavor broth.)

While chicken is cooking, chop celery, onions, and bell pepper; slice mushrooms. Saute in olive oil until tender.

Remove chicken from broth; skim out trimmings. Cook spaghetti in broth according to package directions.

While spaghetti is cooking, cut up chicken. In a large bowl, mix sour cream, soups, seasonings, sauteed vegetables and chicken. Drain pasta; add to bowl and mix well.

This makes A LOT of chicken spaghetti, so be prepared to have leftovers - or invite someone over for dinner!

Better Broccoli Cheese Soup

*This is the second broccoli cheese soup recipe on this blog. The first one has a sweet flavor; I prefer this more savory one.

3 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
6 Tbsp. margarine
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. milk
1 1/2 lb. Velveeta, cubed
pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, simmer broccoli for 15 minutes.
*
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until clear.

Add flour to the sauteed onions and stir well, forming a pasty substance. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick. Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well.

Add cheese, stirring until melted. Be sure not to bring soup to a boil or the cheese will break down.

Season to taste. Serve hot.

*Note: You can substitute broccoli florets for the chopped broccoli if you like large pieces in your soup.

If you like your soup thinner, add about a cup of water to the broth/broccoli mixture. You can skip the broth and use only water, but the broth adds a richer flavor to the soup.

Breakfast Pizza

Crust:
1 pkg. (22-24 oz.) hash brown patties, thawed
1 egg, beaten
salt & pepper to taste

Topping:
1 pkg. sausage gravy, prepared according to package directions
1 lb. ground pork sausage, browned and drained
8 eggs, scrambled and seasoned to taste
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (your choice)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl, break hash brown patties into small pieces. Add egg, salt, and pepper; mix well. Press into large rectangular dish and flatten evenly. Bake 20 minutes.

Top baked hash brown crust with gravy, sausage, eggs, and cheese; bake additional 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Optional toppings: bacon, ham, green onions, onion, bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, etc. Add whatever you like! You can also top individual servings with salsa and/or sour cream.

Yields 8-10 servings.

Red Beans & Rice

This is an all-day Crock Pot dish. There's a lot of prep to it, but it's the best homemade red beans & rice I've ever eaten.

1 lb. small red beans - rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
1 lb. thick-cut ham, diced
1 lb. link sausage - quartered, sliced, browned, and drained
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 1/2 c. onion, chopped
3/4 c. green onion, sliced
1 1/2 c. celery, chopped
2/3 c. bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. water

Add all ingredients to Crock Pot. Cook on HIGH 2 hours, then reduce heat to LOW for the rest of the day - or until beans are tender. (If you get a late start on it, leave it on HIGH all day.) Stir occasionally.

Optional: Remove 1/2 to 1 cup (or more, depending on personal preference) of beans and blend; add back to Crock Pot and stir in for creaminess.

Serve over rice. Cornbread makes a great side!

Florentine Scrambled Eggs

The original recipe, Florentine Scramble, is from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Cooking Made Light cookbook. I made changes to suit the tastes of my family.

8 eggs
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning Mix (I use Pampered Chef's brand.)
1 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 c. frozen chopped spinach, cooked
1/4 c. red bell pepper, diced
olive oil

In small bowl, stir together eggs, seasoning, and cheese; set aside.

Squeeze excess water from spinach and put in microwave-safe bowl; stir in tomatoes. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute; set aside.

Heat medium skillet over medium heat until hot; spritz with olive oil. Scramble eggs until almost done; add spinach mixture. Fold until combined and eggs are just cooked.

Serve hot with buttered toast and fresh fruit.

Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Chutney

8-10 chicken tenders, thawed
3 Tbsp. Pampered Chef® Jamaican Jerk Rub, divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

Heat oil in skillet. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. rub evenly over both sides of chicken; cook until no longer pink, turning once.

In large bowl, combine pineapple, beans, and peppers; toss with 1 Tbsp. rub. Pour over chicken and cook 3-5 minutes or until hot throughout.

Serve immediately.

*This goes well served over a bed of brown rice, with a fresh green salad on the side.

Southwestern Cornbread Salad

1 6-oz. pkg. Mexican cornbread mix
1 bottle Ranch salad dressing
1 small head lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
1 15-oz. can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 8-oz. pkg. shredded Mexican blend cheese
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
5 green onions, chopped

Prepare cornbread as directed on package; cool and crumble. Set aside.

Layer a large bowl with half each of cornbread, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, corn, cheese, bacon, and onions. Spoon dressing evenly over top. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, and top again with dressing.

Serve immediately or cover and chill for a few hours.

*This salad presents beautifully in a trifle or other large glass bowl, but it tends to get soggy if left overnight. When I know the whole thing won't be eaten at one meal, I prepare each serving bowl separately, saving the leftover ingredients to make fresh salads the next day.

*The original recipe calls for Romaine lettuce, but I use whatever I have on hand. I love adding fresh spinach to it.

Greek Pita Pizzas

This recipe has been modified from the one found in The Pampered Chef's® Stoneware Inspirations cookbook.

I don't measure my ingredients for this. I just use what I like in whatever amounts I want, based on my family members' preferences.

whole wheat pitas
black or kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
feta cheese, crumbled
Roma tomato, seeded and diced
cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
red onion, chopped
dried basil or PC's Greek Rub*
olive oil
Ranch dressing, sour cream, or tzatziki* (Greek cucumber yogurt sauce)
(*preferred)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place pitas on baking stone and slice into fourths; top with olives and feta. Bake 7-9 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned.

In small bowl, combine tomato, cucumber, onion, and seasoning to your taste. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and mix well. Top pitas with mixture and drizzle with dressing, sour cream, or tzatziki, if desired. Serve immediately.

*Since we all like different ingredients on our pitas, I mix up three small bowls according to our preferences. The boys like everything but the onion, Billy likes everything but the tomato, and I like it all. To make the topping come out evenly, I add extra cucumber to the boys' toppings and extra cucumber and onion to Billy's.

We typically use Ranch dressing on ours. I made tzatziki once, but it was complicated, made more than we wanted, and wasn't that great. Now that we have a nearby Greek restaurant where I can buy good tzatziki, I'll do that next time.

If you have toppings left over, refrigerate them and make another pita pizza the next day. I've been known to eat this 2 or 3 times in one week!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

broccoli cheese soup paired with tomato basil bread from Panera
My sister Lindsay gave me this recipe. It's from a lady we went to church with long, long ago.

1 8-oz. block of mild Mexican Velveeta cheese, cut into small cubes
1 large bag of frozen broccoli florets, cooked according to package directions
1 large onion, chopped and sauteed
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3 large cans evaporated milk

Combine cooked broccoli and sauteed onion in large pot; add cheese and stir until almost melted.

Stir in soup and evaporated milk; cook over medium-low heat until hot throughout, about 20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent soup from scalding on the bottom.

Season to taste.