Welcome to my kitchen! Sit right down and join me for something yummy!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Vietnamese Fried Rice

When I find a recipe online, I like to give that person credit for it. This time, however, I cannot remember where I found it. I'm sorry about that, and if I remember it later, I'll post it. I did make a few changes to the original recipe.

2 cups brown basmati rice
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 tsp minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp La Choy Lite Soy Sauce (or more to taste)
1 cup frozen vegetables (I like the green bean, corn, peas, etc. mixture)
2 eggs, beaten

Cook rice and set aside. In a hot skillet saute the ground beef in olive oil. Add some soy sauce, if desired. When meat is done, remove from skillet and add garlic, onion, pepper, sugar, and soy sauce. Stir fry until onion is cooked through. Stir in the beaten eggs and stir fry until eggs are cooked. They will not look like scrambled eggs that you would eat for breakfast. Add the ground beef back into the skillet along with the cooked rice. Add more soy sauce, if desired.

**I also throw on some chow mein noodles when I serve it**

Tuna Casserole

I found this recipe in my mom's quilter's cookbook. I've never found a tuna casserole that I really *love*...I hope this one is it!

4 tbsp margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 1/2 oz can tuna, undrained
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz egg noodles (I'm going to use elbow macaroni)
1/2 cup bread crumbs

IN large skillet saute onion and celery with 2 tbsp margarine. Add flaked tuna with liquid, milk, mayonnaise and cream of mushroom soup and heat through.

COOK noodles according to package directions. Drain.

MIX noodles with everything else and pour into a well greased 2-quart baking dish.

MELT remaining 2 tbsp margarine. Toss bread crumbs in margarine and arrange over other ingredients.

BAKE at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Zucchini Bread (Paula Deen's recipe)

This was my first time making this recipe and it turned out very yummy. It is NOT low fat or low sugar, so beware! I had trouble with one loaf sticking to the pan, so be sure and spray your pan well! This recipe makes two loaves.

3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used freshly ground Spelt flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar (I used Sucanat with Honey) **next time I will use 2 cups sugar instead of 3**
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. **I checked after 45 minutes and they were done**

Double Layer Chocolate Pie

4 ounces light cream cheese
1 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tub (8 ounces) Cool Whip (light), thawed, divided
2 cups cold milk
2 packages (4-serving size) Chocolate instant pudding & pie filling
1 chocolate crumb pie crust (store bought or homemade)

MIX cream cheese, one tablespoon milk and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of the Cool Whip. Spread onto bottom of crust.

POUR 2 cups milk into bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk until well mixed. (Mixture will be thick.) Immediately stir in remaining Cool Whip. Spread over cream cheese layer.

REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until set. Garnish as desired. Makes 8 servings.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Oven-Fried Fish

I found this recipe in a Quilter's cookbook that my mom has. It sounds nice and easy on these hot summer days!

1 lb skinless, boneless lean fish (I like to use Tilapia)
4 tsp cooking oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp plain or seasoned bread crumbs (I purchased plain and I'll add my own seasonings)
salt, pepper, paprika and parsley to taste (I'll probably throw in some dill)

1. Choose thin fillets and cut into four pieces (I buy my Tilapia prepackaged, so I'll take out enough fish for my family)

2. Mix oil and lemon juice in shallow plate. Mix crumbs and dry seasonings on separate plate.

3. Turn fillets lightly in oil mixture, then press into crumb mixture until lightly coated. Arrange fillets on greased baking sheet. (I like to cover my baking sheet with aluminum foil and then spray that.)

4. Bake on center rack at 450 to 500 degrees for 6 to 10 minutes, until fish is cooked through and coating is crisp.

Menu Plan Monday for Week of July 25, 2010


Last week's menu went really well. We did end up eating leftovers one night with the Spaghetti Pie, and then Neal and I went out to supper on Saturday. So, I pushed two of my meals into this week's menu. :)

It really does help to plan our meals. It takes a lot of pressure off during the week to have the meals planned out. Just because I make a menu doesn't tie me down to a certain meal each night, but it gives me the option of having it and I know the ingredients are in my pantry! It's nice!

Here's my plan for this week:

Sunday: Barbecue Pork in the crockpot (I used liquid smoke, salt and pepper) and then we made sandwiches using Sauer's Original Barbecue sauce. This is a good, "vinegary" sauce. We topped it off with coleslaw and it was so good! We also had Cowboy Caviar, scoop style tortilla chips, and canned baked beans. It's nice to have a quick meal after church on Sundays!

Monday: Hot Dogs (We don't have these often, but we enjoy them from time to time), oven-baked red potatoes, and salad.

Tuesday: Oven Fried Fish, brown basmati rice, squash, and lima beans

Wednesday: Homemade Pizza (I'll grind the wheat for my pizza crust and call it healthy. :) Salad

Thursday: Vietnamese Fried Rice, sauteed squash, mushrooms, onion and garlic

Friday: Tuna Casserole, some type of veggies (with a garden right outside, we'll eat what's ready)

Saturday: Oriental Salad with Chicken(I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and cook in lite soy sauce.

This week I'm also planning on making Zucchini Bread (using Paula Deen's recipe) and Double Layer Chocolate Pie.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Menu Plan Monday for July 19, 2010

I used to make menus weekly, but for about the past year I've failed to do so. I started back last week, and thought it would be fun to start blogging my menus. I love the blog "I'm an Organizing Junkie" and on Mondays, she hosts Menu Plan Monday.

Here is what we are planning on having this week:

Sunday (we had this yesterday): Ranch Turkey Bacon Wraps

Monday: Spaghetti Pie and sauteed summer squash with onions, mushrooms and garlic

Tuesday: Oriental Salad with Chicken

Wednesday: Taco Soup and Cornbread

Thursday: Baked Tilapia (I just use Grill Mates Salmon seasoning), Greek Salad and Cowboy Caviar

Friday: Homemade Pizza and salad

Saturday: Pork Ribs (cooked in crockpot and add barbecue sauce), sauteed squash and oven-baked red potatoes





Oven Baked Red Potatoes

Red potatoes, quartered or cut in half if small (use however many you would need for your family)
Olive Oil
Garlic Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat potatoes in olive oil and spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Garlic Salt. Bake until potatoes are fork tender. Approximately 20 to 25 minutes. You may want to turn over halfway through.

Oriental Salad

4 chicken breasts (cooked) -- I only put chicken in if I want this to be the entire meal. If I only want it as a side dish, I omit the chicken.

1 package of cole slaw mix
1 package of broccoli slaw mix
Green Onions (to taste)
3 packages chicken-flavored Ramen noodles
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup oil (vegetable or corn)
3 Tablespoons soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1 Tablespoon pepper
2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Toast dry noodles, crunched up, along with almonds and seeds for 5 minutes in a pan. (to keep crisp)

Mix sugar, oil, dry flavor packets, soy sauce, pepper and vinegar in a bowl.

Mix cooked chicken, slaw, noodle mix and onion in a large bowl. Pour oil mixture over top. Stir and refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

***** Note: After making this, I've decided that I will only add in about half of the Ramen noodle/nut mixture and I will save the rest to put on when we eat. That way we will have a crunch. This is such a delicious meal!*****

Cowboy Caviar (or Bean Salsa)

2 (15 oz) cans blacked-eyed peas, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (I use Rotel)
1 can corn with red and green peppers
1 cup diced peppers (I use red or yellow bell peppers)
1 cup diced sweet onion (Vidalia is best)
1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
Cilantro, to taste
1/2 cup Italian dress (or to taste)

Mix all the ingredients together and let them sit for at least a couple of hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips (scoops work best).

Greek Salad

Salad:

Romain lettuce
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Feta Cheese

Greek Dressing:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup corn oil
1/4 cup olive oil
4 T water
2 cloves fresh garlic, diced
1/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp grated parmesan

Mix together and store in refrigerator.

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 16 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
2 16 oz cans kidney beans, undrained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can water
2 Tbsp ranch dressing mix
2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix (or to taste)
shredded cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips

Brown beef and onion in large skilled. Drain. In Crock Pot, combine tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, tomato sauce, water, ranch mix and taco mix. Add beef mixture. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Spaghetti Pie

1 box spaghetti, cooked and drained (I use whole wheat)
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 egg
1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 jar spaghetti sauce or homemade sauce
8 oz cottage cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Stir olive oil into drained spaghetti. Stir in Parmesan and egg. Form spaghetti into a "crust" in a greased baking dish (I use a 9 x 11). Spread cottage cheese onto crust. In skillet cook beef and onion until meat is brown. Drain. Stir in sauce. Heat through. Put meat and sauce mixture in center of crust. Baked uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake until melted. (about 5 minutes)

Ranch Turkey Bacon Wrap

1 cup Ranch Dressing
8 oz lite cream cheese, softened
1 or 2 Avacados -- scoop out avacado and smash into a paste -- add a bit of salt to taste)
4 (12-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
8 slices of turkey lunchmeat
8 slices of Monteray Jack cheese slices (I use block and slice it)
4 slices of turkey bacon, cooked crisp
Shredded lettuce or several pieces of fresh spinach
pickles or thinly sliced cucumber
(add any other toppings you wish)

Blend together dressing and cream cheese. Spread Cream Cheese mixture on each tortilla, then spread avacado. Next layer two slices of turkey and cheese, one slice bacon, spinach and pickles or cucumber onto each tortilla. Roll tortilla firmly from the bottom until completely wrapped. Place seam side down and cut in half diagonally. Makes 4 servings.