Green Tomato Pizza

A group of friends that we have dinner with each month gave five couples a green tomato and a challenge to cook it and share the recipe.  Well, we have all heard of "Fried Green Tomatoes" but you know me, I wanted to try something different.  The results were wonderful!  In less then an hour the house smelled like an Italian restaurant and our mouths were watering. 

Green Tomato Pizza
1.  Make a pizza crust.  I like the "Jiffy" pizza crust mix, it's perfect for three servings.
2.  Heat 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2 cloves of freshly pressed garlic.
3.  Kneed the dough and shape into a greased pizza pan. 
4.  Brush the crust with the olive oil and garlic mixture and sprinkle the crust with a little Johnny's Seasoning Salt.
5.   Bake in a 400 degree oven for two minutes. 
6.  Slice a green tomato 1/8 inch thick and place it on top of the slightly baked crust. Top with about four ounces of shredded Mozzarella.
7.  Bake for 16 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is starting to brown.

I think this would be a perfect appetizer.  Sam wanted to add cooked bacon or artichoke hearts...what do you think?  We will definitely have this again.  Thanks Tom and Jeanne.

Shrimp Po' Boy

If you have followed my blog for awhile, you know I like to serve a sandwich for dinner once a week.  This week's sandwich was a tasty Shrimp Poor Boy or Po' Boy as they are often called.  I always go "light" on the hot spices while cooking and give my family and friends the option to add more punch to the food on their plate if they so desire.  With that said, the amount of chili powder I used was just right for my taste.  It allowed the flavor of the butter, shrimp, red cabbage, etc. to come through and not be overpowered by HOT.  You'll decide how hot you want to make your shrimp.

Several hours before dinner, mix  2 Tablespoons of dill pickle relish with 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 Tablespoons of plain yogurt.  Add the mixture to 2 cups of raw shredded red cabbage. Salt and pepper to taste.  Set this in the refrigerator to cool.

Several minutes before dinner (really that's how little effort this sandwich takes) clean 1 pound of raw shrimp and saute them for approximately 3 minutes in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon of chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

Slice some red tomatoes and red onions and assemble the sandwich on a sliced sweet French Crusty Baguette.  You can toast the baguette if you like.  I know a lot of folks like to use Hoggie Rolls but I find they have way too much bread and calories (340) verses about 100 calories in a good serving size of the baguette.  I hope you enjoy this easy recipe it makes four sandwiches.

Sweet and Sour Beef with Asparagus

Looking for something different to do with a pound of lean beef stew meat?  Check this out.
Here's what you will need:
1 to 2 pounds premium lean beef stew meat
1 (16oz) package frozen Oriental stir-fry vegetables, thawed
1 (10oz) can beefy mushroom soup
1 (10oz) can beef broth (I used 1 lb of beef and 1/2 a can of broth)
2/3 cup sweet and sour sauce

In a skillet brown the stew meat sprinkled with Johnny's Seasoning salt.  In a bowl, combine soup, broth, and the sweet and sour sauce.  Place the meat and vegetables in a sprayed crock pot, add the soup mixture and stir it well.  Cook on LOW for 5 hours.  During the last 30 minutes of cook time, steam fresh asparagus and make 1/2 of an 8 oz. box of Maifun Brown Rice Noodles according to the box cooking directions.  Drain and rinse the noodles and drain the asparagus and add both items to the crock pot.  Stir one last time to coat everything in the yummy sauce.  Enjoy!

This made four servings with 1 pound of stew meat.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

Broccoli Chicken Casserole
3 cups cooked chicken
3 cups steamed broccoli
2 cups thick sliced celery
1 cup thick sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced white onion
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup of milk
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
12 Ritz crackers crushed

Time got away from me yesterday and before I knew it, the family was asking "What's for dinner?"  I looked at what I had on hand, and whipped up this great tasting casserole.  I melted the butter in a saute pan and added the onion, mushrooms and celery.  I steamed the broccoli and diced the left over chicken.  I mixed the soup and milk, put all of the ingredients except the crackers into a baking dish.  I crushed the crackers and sprinkled them on top with a little Parmesan cheese and baked the dish for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.  I noticed the crackers were getting brown so I took the dish out of the oven and pushed the crackers down so they wouldn't crisp up any more and placed the dish back in the oven for another 15 minutes to be sure it was heated all the way through.  It was GREAT!  I'll make this again.

Peachy Pork Chops

Several friends have commented how often there is fruit on our dinner plates.  It's true, we love fruit!  Last night I tried a new recipe and it was a huge hit.  My daughter actually ate the leftovers for breakfast, that's how good it was!  If you like peaches, you'll love this.





6 - 8 (or less) pork chops
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 (28 oz) can peach halves with juice
 (I used a 15 oz can of sections since I only had three chops)

I lined a 9 x 9 square baking pan with parchment paper.  I seasoned the pork chops before I placed them in the pan.  I mixed the sauce and poured it over the chops.  I then placed the peach slices on top of the chops and poured more sauce over that.  I baked it in a 350 degree convection oven for 75 minutes, uncovered.  I basted several times during baking.

Note: the original recipe called for 6 to 8 (3/4 inch) thick bone-in chops, I used three big pork center cut chops with no bones. There was extra sauce, but I can't wait to use it in other dishes.

Note: you could also make this recipe in the crock pot by covering and cooking it on LOW for 4 to 5 hours.

Caribbean Ham

I just love the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It has some really good recipes that have stood the test of time.  Our dinner tonight was one of those recipes.  I took a small three pound bone in ham and sliced it into three 1 1/2 inch pieces.  I trimmed the bone and reserved the end piece for soup.  I then cut the two thick slices into big chunks and placed them in a baking dish and baked them at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  While the ham was baking, I made rice and steamed brussel sprout.  I also made the yummy Caribbean glaze as follows:

Caribbean Glaze for Ham
1/3 cup of orange juice
1 Tablespoon whole cloves
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 Tablespoons rum
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup of crushed pineapple
In a saucepan combine the orange juice and the whole cloves, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer gently, uncovered for 5 minutes.  Discard the cloves.  Combine the brown sugar, rum and honey stir the mixture into the orange juice and cook for several more minutes until the sugar dissolves completely.  Add the crushed pineapple and then spoon the hot mixture over the ham and baste several times during the remaining cooking time.  I also spooned some of the mixture over the rice.  It was very good.

Easy White Fish Gumbo

Hello Gentle Chiefs,
Oh what a discovery I have made!  I took last night's leftovers (the stewed tomatoes with green chilies, rice and broth) and I add 1/2 a bag of frozen gumbo vegetables, 1/2 a package of cocktail weenies and another can of chicken broth and let it all simmer in my stock pot for about 20 minutes.  At the same time I also boiled three Cod fillets that were pressure wrapped in individual packages.  When the Cod was done, I opened each package and stirred the broken pieces into three individual bowls of Gumbo.  The results were fantastic!

Do try both the Mexican Chicken and the Easy White Fish Gumbo.  Two delicious dinners, so different and each oh so good.

Mexican Chicken

I was looking for something different to do with chicken last night and decided to try a twist on a favorite Italian chicken dish called Arroz Con Pollo.  Rather then do the Italian seasoning, I opted to create a Mexican flavored dish.  My family loved the results.
Ingredients
4 free range chicken legs and thighs
1 can of stewed tomatoes with green chilies
1/2 package of frozen peas
1 box of chicken flavored rice
1 can of chicken broth
Instructions
Spray the crock pot with olive oil. Place the chicken seasoned with Johnny's seasoning on the bottom.  Mix the box of rice and the seasoning packet with the broth and pour over the chicken.  Top with the can of stewed tomatoes and frozen peas. 
Cook on HIGH for 3 hours.  Remove the chicken and place it under the broiler set on LOW for approximately 15 - 20 minutes to brown.  Serve the chicken over the rice.

 

Tacos & Tostadas

Tonight our daughter was having a group of friends over, so we made some seasoned ground beef and refried beans and had all the fixings for either tacos or tostadas.  It was a big hit. 

Tip:  I always add diced onion, celery, red peppers, garlic, Johnny's seasoning and black pepper to the meat when I'm browning it. 
Then I add the taco spices and let it simmer for at least 20 minutes. 

Ranch Pork Chops

The Ranch Dressing Mix really gives these chops a different and good flavor.

 6 (3/4 inch) thick bone-in pork chops
1 (1 oz) packet Ranch Dressing Mix
2 (15oz) cans new potatoes, drained and quartered
1 (10 oz) can French onion soup

Place the pork chops on the bottom of a sprayed crock pot.
Sprinkle pork chops with the ranch dressing mix and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
Place the potatoes round the pork and pour the French onion soup aroud the potatoes and pork chops.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. 

I only cooked three pork chops tonight, so I added about 1/2 the packet of dressing and only 1 can of sliced potatoes.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

I made these delicious appetizers for a super bowl party and as always, they were a big hit.  My family wanted more, so I made some last night for dinner.  Try these, even if you don't normally eat jalapenos (which I do not) you will love them.

Ingredients
1 (16oz) package Jimmy Dean Sausage
20 jalapeno peppers
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1 pounds of bacon

Directions
Cook the sausage and drain the fat.  mix it with the cream cheese.  Set it aside.  Clean and half the jalapenos.  Stuff each half pepper with the cream cheese meat mixture and wrap each half with 1/2 slice of bacon.  Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 degrees for about 18 - 20 minutes. Drain them on a paper town and serve.

Savory Beef Tips

This is a very good recipe that I usually use for a beef brisket but I got to thinking, why not use smaller pieces of beef to get more of the flavor infused into each bite.  It worked beautifully!  It was so tasty and the whole house smelled so good from the aroma.

I placed  2 1/2 pounds of beef tips, seasoned with Johnny's Seasoning in a well greased crock pot.
In a bowl, I mixed 1/3 cup of grape jelly, 2/3 cup of ketchup and 1 (1oz) packet of dry onion soup mix.  I poured the savory mixture over the beef tips and stirred it up well.  I turned the crock pot on HIGH and let it cook, stirring it occasionally for 2 hours, then I turned it down to low and let if finish cooking for four hours. 

I served it with red potatoes, you could try mashed potatoes, noodles, rice anything really.  There will be lots of delicious gravy.  What a hit.  I hope you try this and enjoy it.  Let me know.

Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops

I was looking for a new recipe for pork chops and I ran across this one.  The combination of Greek seasoning and brown sugar intrigued me.  It was very good, I'll definitely make it again.

Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 tablespoon butter Box stuffing mix made with only 1cup of water 1/2 tablespoon Greek-style seasoning * 3 pork chops 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, melted

* McCormick makes a nice Greek Seasoning Mix

 

Directions: 1. In a small skillet melt 1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine. Add onion and celery and saute until translucent. Add saute mixture to a large bowl with prepared box of stuffing and Greek seasoning.  Mix well. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 3. Spread bread mixture/stuffing in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x9 inch baking dish. Top with pork chops; if desired, sprinkle chops with additional Greek seasoning. In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar and melted butter or margarine and mix together. Brush mixture over the tops of the pork chops and drizzle over chops and stuffing, allowing some to seep into the stuffing. 4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until internal temperature of pork has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Baking time will vary slightly depending on thickness of chops. If desired, baste with additional butter/sugar mixture while baking. Serve by dishing chops out of the baking dish, including stuffing. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Pork Spareribs

If you are in the mood for ribs but don't want to hang around the kitchen while they bake, check out this crock pot rib recipe.

4 pounds of boneless pork spareribs
1/2 of a large onion sliced
1/2 to 3/4 jar of bar-b-que sauce

Place the onion slices in the bottom of the crock pot to prevent the ribs from sticking.  Place the ribs on top of the onion.  Pour the sauce on top of the ribs.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours.  Go out and have some fun...then when you return, just prior to dinner time....cook your favorite side dishes and while you are doing that place the ribs in a single layer on a lined cooked sheet, add the sauce from the crock pot and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes to crisp up the ribs and add a nice brown color to them.  Enjoy!

Fancy Meatballs

The sauce really makes this dish.  It could be an appetizer or a main dish.

1, 16oz can of whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 cup of ketchup
1/3 cup of packed brown sugar
1/2 cup beef broth
1, 18oz package of frozen meatballs, thawed
or you could use homemade meatballs.

Combine the cranberry sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and broth in a large crock pot.  Turn the heat to HIGH and let the mixture come to a boil for 30 minutes to 1 hour.  (If you are in a hurry, you can skip this step and add the sauce and the meatballs at the same time)  Place the thawed meatballs in the sauce, stir to really coat each meatball.

Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours.

Remove the meatballs to a serving dish with a slotted spoon.  Insert a toothpick if you are serving them as an appetizer or serve them plated with your favorite side dishes. 

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I cooked a chicken in the crock pot the day before making this soup.  That evening, our family of three enjoyed a dinner of chicken, and all the fixings.  There was lots of meat left on the carcass and nearly three cups of broth left over.  I modified a Turkey Soup recipe I received from my friend and neighbor.  The outcome was amazing.  My sister was over for dinner and she loved the creamy soup and all the flavor.  I didn't get to take a picture of our actual dinner, but luckly my daughter snapped a photo before she enjoyed the left over soup for lunch today.  Here is the recipe. 
Creamy Turkey (or chicken) Soup
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoon crushed basil leaves
2 Tablespoons butter
2 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 can of chicken broth -OR- broth from the turkey or chicken
1, 16oz can of diced tomatoes
2 cups of turkey or chicken and
3/4 cups egg noodles (uncooked)
Saute the onions, garlic and basil in the butter.  Add the turkey,soup, broth and tomatoes and bring it to a boil.  (NOTE:  rather then cook it on the stove, I did it in the crock pot on HIGH). If cooking it on the stove, reduce the heat and add the noodles and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  (NOTE: since I was using the crock pot, I added the noodles about 45 minutes before dinner)  You'll notice I also added about a cup of diced carrots to the soup for a little color and variety.

Oven-Fried Catfish

A healthy version of a good old fashioned fish dinner.  You are in for a real treat with this simple recipe. 

Here is what you'll need:
1 pound of fresh catfish filleted
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup fine dry Italian Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup of butter
Johnny's Seasoning Salt

Cut the 1 pound fish into five serving pieces.  Dip the fish into the beaten egg, then into the bread crumbs.  Place the fish on a well-greased, shallow baking pan.  Sprinkle with Johnny's and drizzle with the melted butter.  Bake in a 500 degree oven for ten minutes or until the fish is golden and flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Cowboy Hash

This is an updated version of a meal the cowboys use to cook over an open camp fire in the old west.  One secret to this dish is in the seasoning of the ground beef or ground chuck you use.  I like to use Johnny's Seasoning Salt, pepper, garlic powder, kitchen bouquet and a splash of Worcestershire Sauce.  The second secret is that YOU CAN NOT MIX OR STIR THIS DISH while it is cooking.  If you want to try something different with a pound of hamburger, check this out.  It makes six servings.  My family of three, loves the leftovers with an egg for breakfast or reheated as lunch.

Ingredients:
1 pound of SEASONED, browned, ground chuck or ground beef
1 cup of onion, chopped and browned with the meat.
1 can of cream corn
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided in two)
1 package (16 ozs.) frozen hash browns
1 can of cream of celery soup
1 (5 oz) can of evaporated milk

Directions:
Brown the meat with the onions, season well.  Place the meat in the bottom of a well greased crock pot. Next you will create layers with the other ingredients.  Pour the cream corn over the meat, and spread half of the cheese on top of the corn, top with an even layer of the partially defrosted hash browns, then top that with the second half of the cheese.  Next in a separate bowl mix the cream of celery soup with the can of evaporated milk and pour it evenly over the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.  I put a note on the top of the crock pot that says "DO NOT PEAK, STIR, or TASTE UNTIL DINNER".  If your family is like mine, they are always curious what's cooking!

My family can never wait to eat this dinner, but if your posse is patient and can wait about ten minutes after you shut off the crock pot, you can actually serve this like you would lasagna in a neat square.

Chicken Pot Pie

Looking for something easy to do with left over chicken?  Try homemade chicken pot pie.  It takes some time to make, but you can make it ahead of time and bake just in time for dinner.

What you will need:
1 single pie crust
2 cups of cooked chunked chicken
1/2 cup of onion and celery sauteed in butter
2 potatoes diced and par boiled
2 large carrots diced and par boiled
1 cup diced and par boiled rutabaga
1 cup of frozen peas
1 small jar of pimentos
1 jar of chicken gravy, 2 if you like it moister then pictured

How to assemble the pot pie in a large casserole dish:
Mix the sauteed onions, celery, potatoes, carrots and rutabaga place in the casserole dish.
Salt and pepper to taste, next add the chunks of chicken, gravy and top with the still frozen peas.
Finally add the pimentos and top crust.

Bake in a hot oven 425 degrees for 20 minutes, protect the crust's edges with foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes.  Serve and enjoy the comfort of a warm one dish meal.

Baked Salmon

In the summer we love to grill salmon, but it's also good when you bake it in the oven.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, then simply drizzled some Rosemary with Roasted Garlic Dipping Oil  in a 9 x 13 glass pan.  Next I smudged the top of the large salmon fillet in the oil.  I then flipped it over, seasoned it with Johnny's seasoning and light lemon pepper. Cover the fish with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Just prior to serving, top the fish with a dollop of Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and serve the salmon with steamed vegetables.  What a delicious, quick and easy dinner.

All American Pork Loin

Yesterday, I baked a large pork loin and in the last stage of cooking I cut the loin in half reserving half for another day.  I made a zesty South of France dinner the first night and now tonight I am adding some good old American favorites, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy.  I simply took the second half of the pork loin, heated the oven to 350 degrees, sliced the pork and placed it on a cookie sheet.  I warmed it for 20 minutes while I boiled potatoes, make a box stuffing and heated up some gravy.  In about 30 minutes we had a delicious dinner we shared with company.

South of France Pork Loin

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, place a large 4 lb. center cut pork loin in a shallow roasting pan.  Roast for 20 minutes uncovered, remove from the oven and flip the pork over, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and place the pork back in the oven for another 40 minutes, uncovered.  Next remove the pork from the oven and cut it in half. (Put half aside for another day)

Return the other half of the pork loin in the roast pan and top it with a Green Olive Tapenada (we like the Trader Joe's version with olives, tomatoes, red peppers, garlic and lemon juice).  Cover the roast and bake it for an additional 15 minutes.  Slice it thin and serve it with crusty bread, corn and feta cheese and cranberry salad for a very European dinner.

Baked Marinated Tri Tip

We usually cook our tri tip on the grill, but it is also very juicy and delicious when baked in the oven.

Simply marinate or buy a pre-marinated tri tip, cover it tightly with foil and bake it in a 350 degree oven turning every 20 minutes until it's done to desired wellness.  I cooked this 2 1/5 pound tri tip for 40 minutes and even the small end pieces which I love, were slightly pink and so juicy.

Make Ahead Meat Loaf

I love to make this meat loaf ahead of time and just pot it in the oven an hour or so before we want to eat.  I scrub some Idaho Baking Potatoes and have them rubbed down with oil and ready to put in the oven along with the meat loaf.

You'll need:  one egg, 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef/pork, 1/3 cup of oatmeal, 1/3 cup of ketchup and 1/3 cup of chopped onions, a squirt of yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon ground sage, salt and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat one egg, add the ketchup, mustard, chopped onion, sage, salt and pepper mix well.  Next add the oatmeal and the meat.  I like to use a combo of ground beef and pork, if you like you could probably use ground turkey.  Shape into a loaf and place in a ungreased loaf pan.  When you are ready to bake it, place the loaf pan in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 90 minutes, let it cool for ten minutes before you slice it and serve.

Crunchy Baked Cod

Serves 4
12 Ritz crackers, crushed
1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoons dried
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon butter
 4 skinless cod fillets
salt, pepper and lemon wedges

Toss cracker crumbs and the dill in a baggie, set them aside.  Mix mayo, mustard, lemon juice and butter.  Brush the cod fillets with the mayo mixture then sprinkle on the cracker crumbs.  Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown and the fish flakes apart easily.