Hot Dogging It

Party Barbecued Franks:

2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. cold water
18 ounces peach preserves
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 pounds miniature hot dogs or smoked sausages

In large saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in preserves and BBQ sauce. Bring to boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in hot dogs until coated. Cover and cook for five minutes or until heated through.

These Noodles Are Nutty!

Peanut Noodles:

1/3 cup lowfat peanut butter
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 T fresh ginger, minced and peeled
1 T rice vinegar
1 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T packed brown sugar
1 garlic clove, chopped
6 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, pelled, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 carrot, shredded

Puree peanut butter, water, cilantro, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic in a food processor or blender. Cook noodles according to directions and drain. Rinse under cold running water and drain again. Transfer noodles to a large bowl. Add peanut sauce, bell pepper, cucumber and carrots. Toss to coat.

Something Sweet and Spicy

Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin:

1 T chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 small onion, grated
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. yellow mustard

Mix chili powder, garlic powder, oregano and cinnamon. Rub all sides of pork with spice mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Nake a glaze by whisking OJ, brown sugar, onion, Worcestershire and mustard in a medium saucepan until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture is thick and reduced. This should take about 15 minutes. Let mixture cool completely.

Preheat grill. Spray both sides of tenderloin with non-stick spray. Grill until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn pork, brush with 1/4 cup glaze and grill another three minutes. Turn pork again and grill again, brushing frequently with remaining glaze until instant read thermometer reads 155 degrees, about 2-3 minutes. Let pork stand for five minutes before slicing.

Tried Something New

Usually when I make pork, it comes via the crock pot. However, a few weeks
ago, I opted to try a new recipe that looked intriguing, and it worked really well for us.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin:

2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
dash pepper
dash cayenne pepper
1 pork tenderloin

Glaze:

4 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. honey

In small bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Rub mixture over pork. Place in large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and refrigerate overnight.

Combine glaze ingredients. Place tenderloin in greased, shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes. Baste pork with glaze. Bake another 15 minutes. Let stand five minutes before slicing.


5 oz. cooked pork = 263 calories, 7 grams of fat, 95 mg of cholesterol, 737 mg of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 35 grams of protein>

This recipe will be linked to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

Something to Do with Leftovers

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. In case you are staring your turkey down wondering what to do with it now, this is an easy and quick recipe. Hopefully I have not posted it already but, if I have, then you just get to see it again. It's that good, and that easy!!

Turkey and Rice:

1 cup chopped turkey
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of chicken stock
1 bag Boil in Bag Rice

Boil the bag of rice. Meanwhile heat the cream of chicken soup and the chicken stock. Chop a cup of turkey and add to the soup mixture. When the rice is done, you can either pour it into the soup or plate it and put the turkey mixture on top. Either way, it comes out about the same. Season with a dash of pepper.

An Unexpected Surprise

This recipe has been saved for quite a while in my "to try stash". So, the other day when I absolutely could not figure out what in the world to make for dinner, I pulled out my trusty stack of saved recipes.

Sure enough, this caught my eye again, so I decided to dive in and give it a shot. We were so excited that I did because they sure were good!!!! Not only were they good, but they were also extremely easy. We love Mexican food too, so that made them an even bigger hit.

These will be made again real soon around here. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as we did. If you do, please come back and let me know.

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas:

1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 minced garlic cloves
1 T olive oil
1, 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1/4 cup salsa
1 T chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked brown rice
8 flour tortillas
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheese
3 T cilantro

In large non-stick skillet, saute onion, garlic and green pepper in oil until tender. Add beans, tomatoes, salsa, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until heated through and mixture thickens. Add cooked rice. Cook five minutes or heated through.

Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides over the filling and roll up. Place in a 13x9 coated baking dish. Spoon remaining salsa over each tortilla. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

This recipe will be linked to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Return of Cold Weather Comfort Food

I LOVE cold weather, and since it has made its return around here, I decided to embrace it by making this fabulous soup that comes from 365crockpot. I also saw it on Sister's Cafe. I really like tomato soup, but this was unlike any I have ever tried. Hesitation set in as I began to make this, but in the end, even hubby liked it too! Try it, and I think you will like it just as much as we did. I was so excited to make this as I have seen lots of good reviews for it all over the blogosphere. Though I made a few minor changes, you can't go wrong with this recipe. Can't wait to hear back from you once you make this.



Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup:


2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup finely diced onions
1/2 bay leaf (I had to leave this out and it worked just fine.)
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups fat free half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt (I also left this out.)
1/2 tsp black pepper

In the slow cooker, combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, bay leaf, oregano, and basil (if using fresh oregano and basil; if using dried oregano and basil add those two ingredients in the last hour of cook time). Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours.

An hour before serving, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup from the slow cooker. Add another 3 cups soup and stir until smooth.

Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for another hour until ready to serve. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

This recipe will be linked to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

Something Smells Fishy

My husband adores tuna salad, so I found a way to enjoy it with him.

Tuna Salad:

1 can tuna (solid white packed in water)
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. mustard
2 Tbsp. Dill relish
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Drain and flake the tuna. Combine all ingredients together. Serve on toasted bread. Hubby likes to add a cheese slice to his sandwich.

A Taste of Sweden

IKEA is quite popular around here, and one reason people keep coming back is the Swedish meatballs served in the store's cafeteria.

So when I found the recipe online, I had to make them. It doesn't hurt that hubby loves meatballs to begin with.

IKEA Swedish Meatballs:

2 bags frozen turkey meatballs
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can French onion soup
8 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
chicken broth, if needed

Place meatballs in slow cooker on low heat. In medium bowl, stir together soups and sour cream until well-combined. Season with garlic powder and pepper. Pour mixture over meatballs, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, if your mixture appears to be too thick, add 1/2-1 cup of chicken to thin it out. I served mine over whole wheat pasta shells.

Happy Halloween!

Though it's been pretty busy around here this month, I didn't want October to pass without sharing these recipes with you. These recipes come from Recipe Girl's blog. They would be a perfect accompaniment to your trick-or-treating tonight or anytime this fall.



Pumpkin Chili:

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 cans petite cut diced tomatoes w/no salt added
15-ounce can pumpkin
15-ounce can kidney beans
15-ounce can Northern beans
15-ounce can black beans
15-ounce can tomato sauce
4-ounce can diced green chiles
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
Dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water

Brown the ground turkey. Remove to a plate. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic cloves until softened. Add turkey back in. Add pumpkin and tomato sauce, stirring well to combine mixture. Add diced tomatoes and green chiles, stirring well to combine. Add beans, stirring well. Lastly, add seasonings. Stir well to combine. If mixture is too thick for your liking, add 1/2 cup water to thin it out. Cover and simmer on medium-to-low heat for 30 minutes. Serves 8 people.

Pumpkin Cornbread:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon molasses

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a square baking pan. In a bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk in cornmeal. In separate bowl, beat eggs, stir in pumpkin puree, add brown sugar, oil and molasses. Combine well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to center of well. Stir just until combined and moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 8 people.

I will be linking this to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Pasta....Take Two

This dinner is the absolute opposite of what was intended. However, it turned out better than I ever could have imagined. A few simple ingredients was all this took and it came together in an instant. I look forward to having this again. My husband loves pasta, and this was an amazing diversion from the typical thick, heavy sauce usually seen with pasta. Take one was a hot mess, so I revised my game plan and it worked!!!!

Tomato and Broccoli Pasta:

6 oz. Whole Grain Rotini
1 can petite cut diced tomatoes with no salt
1 1/2 cups broccoli
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp. Greek seasoning

Boil your noodles. Add the broccoli in the last 4 minutes. Drain both and leave in the colander. While they drain, add the tomatoes to the pot, smashing them with a potato masher. Add the pasta and broccoli back to the pot. Stir in the Parmesan and Greek seasoning. Toss well.

FINALLY!!!!

I'm back with a recipe I think you will enjoy. There are several reasons for the delay since the last post. We have made some changes in our eating habits and it has taken me a little while to get accustomed to our new routine, but mostly I was just in a cooking rut.

So, I was happy to find this recipe from the crockpot lady, AKA Stephanie, and realize that with all of our changes, I could make this one work. I hope you will let me know if you try it and tell me how you like this.

Hoppin' John Soup:

4 cups chicken broth
1 lb. turkey sausage
1 lb. dried black eyed peas
2 15oz. cans low sodium turnip greens
1 can Rotel
1 boil in bag brown rice

Soak your black eyed peas overnight in some water. The next morning, drain and rinse them. Add them to the crockpot. Pour your cans of low sodium turnip greens over the peas. Top them with your can of Rotel. Thinly slice the turkey sausage and place the slices over the top of the tomatoes. Pour 4 cups of chicken broth over the top of this. Cover and cook on low 12 hours. About an hour before serving, boil your brown rice and stir it into the soup. The longer your dish cooks, the more flavor it will develop and softer the peas will be. I really thought this was actually tastier the next day. It serves 8-10 people. Leftovers can be frozen easily.

Slow Cooked Stroganoff

We make beef stroganoff every once in a while, but this was the first time we tried this recipe. This recipe came from the back of a Lipton Recipe Secrets Beefy Onion Soup Mix box.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff:

2 lb. boneless chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1, 8-ounce container sour cream

In slow cooker, toss beef with flour. Stir in remaining ingredients except sour cream. Cook covered on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours until meat is tender. Stir in sour cream. Serve, if desired, over hot cooked noodles.

This recipe is linked to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Fajita Fun

Oh my gosh!!!! You must RUN NOW to get the ingredients for these fajitas. They are sooooooo good!! Seriously, they are THAT good. You will not be disappointed if you make these. The only thing that disappoints me is that it had been so long since I had made them.

My parents originally gave me this recipe, but no one remembers where it came from. I assume I have had the recipe for at least 10 years. I had jotted it down on a piece of paper, only to forget about it for a very long time. Then, when I came across it again, I knew to transfer it to a recipe card and place it in my recipe box.

On Friday, we were looking to eat dinner at home, but wanted something different, something out of the ordinary. BINGO!!! These fajitas came right to mind. It also didn't hurt that my parents had recently mentioned having fajitas, albeit, they weren't THESE fajitas.

James loved, loved, loved them, and I could just kick myself for not having remembered them before now. Needless to say, we will be making up for lost time by having them again real, real soon.

Enjoy them as we did, and if you don't have the ingredients right now, then run, run run to get them. What are you waiting for? This should be your next meal. The picture likely doesn't do them justice, but trust me, and then come back to tell me you made them and let us know how you liked them.

Fabulous Fajitas:

1 lb. chicken strips-(pkg. will say "for fajitas")
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
2 cups onions
red bell pepper
green bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
1 tsp. oil
small tortillas

In a large resealable bag, place the chicken and lime juice. Close the bag, allowing air to escape, and squeeze the lime juice into the chicken. Open the bag and add the salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and ground red pepper. Seal the bag again, allowing excess air to escape. Again, rub the spices into the chicken, tossing the closed bag until everything is nicely mixed together. Place the bag into the refrigerator to marinate.

Chop the onion and peppers to desired size of your liking. We prefer ours to be extra small and thin, so I chop the heck out of mine. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, adding the onion and peppers. Cook a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the chicken to the skillet, discarding any remaining liquid from the marinade. Cook the chicken until it is done and the onion and peppers reach your desired tenderness. This took about ten minutes for ours.

Place tortillas flat on a plate. Scoop about 2-3 pieces of chicken per tortilla. Add a spoonful of peppers and onion to each tortilla. Top with your choice of cheese. Fold tortilla over almost halfway. Eat and enjoy!!

You can also top your fajitas with sour cream, but we opted not to do so.

I will be linking this post to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

Successful Salad in the Summertime

I have said it before, but there is nothing harder than cooking in a hot kitchen during the heat of summertime. So, we didn't cook today. We opted for a salad, and it turned out quite nicely. It was even edible, despite eating pink chicken.

Strawberry Salad:

1 bag Italian Mix
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1 cup strawberries
1/2 lemon pepper rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup Ken's Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Chop the lettuce, shred the chicken, wash and slice the strawberries, and combine everything in a large salad bowl. Enjoy!

From Ham to Pork

We make the Maple Ham recipe, from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow, frequently. So, I decided today to give the same ingredients a try only this time with a pork loin instead of ham. The results were pretty good. Although I must admit, I am so used to slow cooking pork with Coke and barbecue sauce. I don't typically stray from what I am used too. After all, you are dealing with someone who orders the same thing every time she goes into a restaurant.

Maple Pork:

1 pork loin
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup maple syrup

Brown the pork on all sides. Place into the crock pot topping it with the brown sugar. Pour the pineapple juice and maple syrup over the pork. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Well, I had a royal flop in the kitchen today. I am proud to report though, that the flop had nothing to do with dinner. In fact, dinner was fabulous. Best of all was the smile on my husband's face when he ate this meal.

The flop was disappointing though. No one wants to fail at anything, and what I screwed up on was not exactly what I would call cheap. Oh well, there are plenty of other recipes that are successes. This is definitely one of them, and it is all thanks to Pioneer Woman.

Bowtie Lasagna:

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 jars marinara sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella
generous handul of grated Parmesan
12 oz. bowtie pasta
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Brown and drain the ground beef. Boil and drain the noodles. In a large Dutch oven, layer ingredients beginning with the ground beef. Add the noodles and sour cream, the seasonings, cheeses, and finally the sauce. Toss well to combine mixture. Heat through on mediyum heat. Enjoy!! We sure did.

Thrown In

We use our crockpot ALL the time. In fact, we have more than one of them. Often, we will use them at the same time. The other day, I had a roast I wanted to make, so I literally just took what I had out of the pantry to throw this together.

Clean Out The Pantry Roast:

1 pot roast-2-3 lbs.
1 pkg. Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
2 small cans tomato juice
1 large carton beef broth
1 bag crinkle cut carrots-(Yes, I realize they were not in the pantry.)

Salt and pepper the roast. Dust with a little flower. Brown in the skillet with a pat of butter. Transfer the browned roast to the crockpot. Turn on low and add the beef broth, carrots, tomato juice, and soup mix. Cook for 8 hours.

Smells Fishy in Here

This is a recipe that I remember from my childhood. James has developed a love of it now, so he requested it as soon as we arrived home from vacation. It really is so easy. In fact, I can't believe I am posting this, but we enjoy it too much not to include it on the blog.

Salmon Croquettes:

1 can red salmon
1 egg
1 1/2 sleeves of crackers, crushed

Drain the can of salmon. Preheat a skillet with a quarter inch of oil. Once you drain the salmon, transfer it to a bowl so that you can remove the little white bones. Mash the salmon with a fork. Slightly beat the egg and incorporate it into the salmon. I then crush the 1/2 sleeve of crackers and combine them into the mixture, but I never remember my mom doing this. Form the mixture into 4 large patties. I flatten mine like hamburger patties, but my mom always made hers round. Either way you prefer, they turn out great. Coat the outside of the patties with remaining sleeve of crushed crackers. Cook in the skillet until each side is browned, which is approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. ENJOY!

Mayberry Meets the Crock Pot

Growing up, my family watched countless episodes of Andy Griffith and we still do today. All these yesrs later, the show is still funny, and I still wish I lived in between Mayberry and Mayfield (Leave it to Beaver).

Yesterday, James and I watched a marathon of the show, ironically on the same day that we were making a new recipe from the Mayberry Cookbook. You see, every time we go on vacation, my souvenier is a cookbook. So, it was fun to find the Mayberry Cookbook last week. I am sure we will have a good time with that.

Even though pork chops aren't usually my first choce, hubby really likes them. So, this was our first trial recipe from the book. I have to say they turned out really well, and we will make this again. I would like to get away from using so many cans when I cook, so I might alternate with beef broth and Velveeta next time.

Mayberry Pork Chop Casserole in the Crock Pot:

4 pork chops
4 potatoes
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
2 cans french onion soup

Season the pork with salt and pepper and coat both sides in flour. Brown on both sides. (This is optional, but I did it). Cut the potatoes in thin slices. Combine all of the soup into the crock pot, turning it on low. Add the potato slices and top with the browned pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.