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RECIPE: Need easy recipes for my son

taterbug
17 years ago

Help, my 18 year old son is moving to L.A.!

Well, you might not be able to help me with that, but you could help me with easy, do I dare say cheap, recipes. I would like to make him a cook book. Thank you, from one sad mommy.

Comments (21)

  • gardenlad
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I know exactly what you mean. My youngest and his new bride moved out there this past January.

    FWIW, the terms "cheap" and "LA" are mutually exclusive.

    It would help narrow things down if we had some idea of the sorts of things he likes. And how "easy" is easy. I mean, do we start with things as simple as grilled cheese sandwiches? Will he willingly go with fresh and whole foods, or, as with most 18 year olds, are cans and prepared stuff in the offing?

    How adventursome is he? Will he need precise amounts, or can he work with directions that say "a pinch of this; some of that."

    Most of all is the basic question: Does he want to cook? That can make all the difference in the world in what he sees as simple, easy to prepare meals.

  • roselin32
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's one that got our son thru college when he was living with a couple other guys!
    Quick and Easy Chili (cheap too!! LOL)
    1 lb hamburger
    1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
    1 small onion, diced
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1/2 bell pepper or pepper of your choice
    1 15 oz can pinto beans or kidney beans (even black beans-whatever!!)
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 tsp chili powder
    1T veg or olive oil
    Cook onion and garlic in oil, add meat and brown. Add all ingredients and cook at a simmer for one hour.

  • lindac
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Convince him to buy a whole chicken...
    I can buy a whole 4 pound or more chicken for about $3...and just put it in a pan and pop it in the oven at 350, covered with foil ( because I am sure he will forget about it and over cook!) for 1 3/4 hours.
    Eat it hot with a nuked potato and bagged salad....and unless he has hungry room mates, he can eat on that for about 3 days.
    He can do the same thing with a chuck roast...but it will cost more...
    And home made pizza...my son knew all about dough as he had worked for a short time as a dough boy in a pizza restraunt...but show him how easy canned sauce and bagged grated cheese can make it....and lots less money.
    Linda C

  • taterbug
    Original Author
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, he wants to cook, and because of the expence will need to cook. He has a few things he knows how to prepare.
    Yes, you could say a "pinch of this".
    Thank you so much for these recipes. I never imagined my child moving so far away at this age!

  • roselin32
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How about meatloaf??
    We love this one-it was given to me by a butcher in NY:
    1 1/2 lbs ground beef
    2 slices bread, soaked in water and squeezed our
    8 oz tomato sauce
    1 can chopped green chilies
    1/2 chopped onion
    1 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp pepper
    2T Tabasco` sauce
    2 beaten eggs
    Mix all together and bake at 350 for 1/1/2 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan and slicing.
    This was the first meatloaf I ever really liked:
    Mix in the Bowl Meatloaf
    1 1/2 lb ground beef
    2/3c soft bread crumbs
    1c milk
    2 slightly beaten eggs
    1 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp pepper
    1T dehydrated chopped onion
    1/2 tsp sage
    topping:
    3T brown sugar
    1/4 catsup
    1 tsp mustard
    1/4 tsp nutmeg
    Mix first 8` ingredients and place in loaf pan. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over meatloaf. Bake for 1 hr at 400°
    From the Officer's Wives Club Quick and Easy Dishes Cookbook

  • ginger_st_thomas
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    BAKED CHICKEN REUBEN
    8 small boneless chicken breasts
    16 oz can sauerkraut
    4 slices Swiss cheese
    8 oz Thousand Island salad dressing
    1 TBL chopped parsley

    Preheat oven to 375°. In a 9x13" baking dish arrange chicken breasts in 1
    layer. Rinse sauerkraut & press out water. Cut cheese slices. Sprinkle
    sauerkraut on chicken breasts. Top w/dressing & cheese. Bake 40 minutes
    covered or until tender. Garnish w/parsley.~~

    Get him a crockpot, Mom. He'll like this one:

    FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES (serves 8 )
    2 cups water
    1/2 cup soy sauce
    4 whole peppercorns
    1 tsp dried rosemary
    1 tsp dried thyme
    1 bay leaf
    1 tsp garlic powder (had none so used 1 minced garlic clove)
    3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
    8 French or sourdough rolls, split

    Combine water, soy sauce, peppercorns, rosemay, thyme & garlic in a slow cooker, stirring until well blended. Place roast in cooker & cover.
    Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until beef is tender. Remove meat from broth & shred with a fork. Serve beef on rolls. Pour broth in small bowls for dipping.~~ Good topped with Swiss cheese or sauteed onions, peppers or both. I like mustard on the rolls, too.~~

    Marlen's Camarones al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)

    3 T Olive oil
    1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
    3 T minced garlic
    1/4 c fresh lime juice
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    Chopped parsley
    Sautee shrimp in olive oil along with the garlic until shrimp turn pink. Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, and cook another few minutes, until the shrimp curls slightly. Garnish with chopped parsley serve immediately over white rice.

    PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

    1 1/2 pounds ground beef
    1/2 cup raw rice
    1 cup chopped onion
    2/3 cup milk
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    1 can tomato soup
    3/4 cup water

    Mix first 6 ingredients together. Drop by tablespoons in a 9 x 13 pan. Set aside. Combine soup and water. Pour sauce over the meatballs. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour.~~

    STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS (serves 4)
    2 large green peppers
    1/2 lb lean ground beef
    1/4 cup uncooked instant rice
    8 oz can tomato sauce, divided
    2 TBL chopped onion
    1 egg, beaten
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 TBL grated Parmesan
    1/2 tsp Worcestershire
    Dash of pepper
    Cut peppers in 1/2 lengthwise & remove seeds. Combine meat, rice, 1/4 cup tomato sauce & remaining ingredients. Stuff peppers with mix & place in a greased baking dish. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over stuffed peppers & then sprinkle w/additional Parmesan. Cover & bake in a preheated 350° oven for 50-60 minutes.~~ You can mix mozzarella or cheddar into the meat mixture as well. ~~From By Special Request

    TEXAS TORTILLA SOUP (serves 6-8 )
    One 3 lb chicken
    10 cups water
    2 onions, cut into halves
    6 ribs celery, cut into halves
    8 sprigs cilantro
    4 chicken bouillon cubes
    12 corn tortillas, torn
    2 jalapenos, seeded & chopped
    2 cloves garlic
    Garnish: Fried corn tortilla strips, shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack, chopped fresh cilantro. ~~
    Rinse the chicken, combine the chicken, water, onions, celery, cilantro & bouillon cubes in a stockpot. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat. Simmer 1 hour or until the chicken is tender. Drain, reserving the stock & discarding the vegetables. Shred the chicken, discarding the skin & bones. Process 2 cups of the reserved stock, tortillas, jalapenos & garlic in a blender until pureed. Pour into the stockpot with the remaining stock. Stir in the chicken. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each serving w/corn tortilla strips, Cheddar, Monterey Jack & cilantro. ~~


  • msprettyky
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is very easy and he could freeze any leftovers if he has them!

    TACO SOUP

    1 lb ground beef or turkey
    1 lg onions
    1 pk hidden valley ranch salad dressing mix
    1 pk taco seasoning mix
    3 cans chili beans
    1 4 oz can diced chilies
    1 can corn
    1 can diced tomatoes
    1 can diced tomatoes (mexican flavor)


    Brown meat and onion . Drain off excess oil. Mix ranch and taco seasoning into meat. Add all other ingredients without draining. Simmer 1 hour.

    Garnish with fresh cut cilantro and squeeze wedge of lime on top

  • teresa_nc7
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Does LA have soup weather? Soup can be easy to make and easy on the wallet too.

    Take a look at the 5 Ingredient cookbooks.

    Bean Soup (from Shaun)

    2 cans Goya Great Northern Beans (do not drain)
    1-2 TB olive oil
    a small onion chopped
    2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
    1 carrot chopped
    1/2 cup chicken broth
    1 Polish Sausage (take the skin off)

    Saute onion, garlic and carrot in olive oil in a soup pot. Add both cans of beans and the sausage, cut into bite sized chunks. Add chicken broth and s&p to taste. Simmer a few minutes until all the flavors have blended and sausage is hot through.

    Vegetable Burger Soup

    1 lb. ground beef
    2 1lb. cans stewed or diced tomatoes
    1 1lb. can tomato sauce
    4 cups water
    2 10oz. pkgs. frozen mixed vegetables
    1 envelope dry onion soup
    2 t. sugar.

    Brown beef, drain. Add rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer one hour.

    Or - brown beef, drain fat off, put everything in a crock pot. Cook on hight until it bubbles, the cook on low for 8 hours.

    Three Can Soup

    2 cans minestrone soup
    2 cans pinto beans
    2 cans Rotel tomatoes w/ green chiles
    3 lbs. ground beef
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 medium bell pepper, chopped

    Brown beef in skillet with the chopped onion and bell pepper. Drain off extra fat.

    Combine all ingredients in a large pot and heat through.

    Serve with corn bread or crackers.

    TERESA'S SPICY BEEF STEW

    Posted by: Teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Sun, Jul 25, 04 at 11:29

    1 1/2 to 2 lbs. stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
    4 medium potatoes, peel, cube
    4 medium carrots, scrape, slice
    1 medium onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 cans tomato soup
    2 soup cans water
    1 cup red wine
    2 TB flour
    1 t. salt
    1 t. paprika
    1/4 t. pepper
    1/2 t. each oregano, basil, thyme, sage, marjoram
    1 TB Worcestershire sauce
    2 bay leaves

    Mix flour, s&p, and paprika. Coat beef cubes with flour mixture. Put veggies in crock pot, top with floured beef cubes. Mix all the rest but the bay leaves and pour over meat and vegetables. Add bay leaves and stir all to combine. Cover and cook 8 hours or more, until meat and vegetables are tender.

    BECKY C'S CHICKEN TACO FILLING

    1 package taco seasoning mix (4 Tablespoons)
    1 cup chicken broth
    1 pound boned and skinned chicken breast halves

    Dissolve taco seasoning into chicken broth. Place chicken breasts in crockpot and pour chicken broth over. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

    With two forks, shred the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces. Use in soft tacos, hard tacos, burritos, nachos, etc.

    I would think you could sub skinless chicken thighs in this recipe to save some money. Thighs are a bit more juicy too.

    This recipe from Marilyn is very good and simple too.

    Oven Fried Chipotle Chicken

    1 1/2 pounds chicken (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings)
    1 chipotle pepper (or 2 tablespoons Adobo)
    1 generous tablespoon real mayonnaise
    1 cup Panko bread crumbs
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

    Cut chicken into serving pieces and remove all visible fat and the skin; remove the skin by holding the skin with a paper towel in one hand (so it wont slip) and pull it off. In a food processor, puree chipotle and mayonnaise until smooth. Coat all sides of the chicken pieces with the chipotle mixture and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours (plastic bag).

    Pre-heat to oven to 375° and coat a baking sheet lightly with 1 teaspoon canola or olive oil. Season Panko crumbs with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Completely coat the chicken pieces with the bread crumbs and place on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 35 minutes, turn pieces over and bake 25 minutes more. Comes out crispy outside and tender inside.

    *For boneless, skinless chicken breasts, baked at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes just until juices run clear, turning after half the time; spray lightly with cooking spray (Pam) to help the crust brown.

  • roselin32
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    For CA, how about Taco Salad
    Lettuce, shredded
    tomatoes, diced
    canned beans, drained
    crushed Doritos
    grated cheddar cheese
    1# hamburger meat sauteed with pk taco seasoning
    Toss all together with 1000 Island or dressing of choice.
    Can also do it with shredded chicken and Ranch dressing.
    Use whatever amounts you want or need.

  • msprettyky
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry I didn't think about the weather. I just thought boy's will eat anything! lol! At least my nephew will. Maybe you could make up a bunch of soups and chili, maybe Annie's salsa, can them and send them with him. There is nothing like having mom's cooking when you are feeling homesick. I used to live in Florida and my parents were in Kentucky. Everytime I would visit, I would come back with one of mom's "care packages". Filled with her best goodies...soups, veggies, jams and jellies....it was the best!

  • taterbug
    Original Author
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You guys are great. Thank you for your help!

  • Daisyduckworth
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I put together a book for my son when he was leaving home. He was quite a capable cook, but he asked me to simplify things for him 'because he was guaranteed to forget when I wasn't around'. He used this book a lot, he tells me.

    Here's a couple of recipes I did for him:

    Your Very First Meat and Vegetable Meal (Step by Step)

    The meal consists of fried or grilled steak or chops, vegetables such as beans, peas, carrots, pumpkin, broccoli and mashed potatoes or chips. You can serve the meat a number of ways - plain, or with a gravy, or with a Savoury Butter.

    You will need the following equipment:
    sharp knife to prepare vegetables
    frypan
    2 saucepans (one for mashed potato, one for other vegetables)
    slotted spoon to lift vegetables
    tongs (to turn meat, serve chips)
    oven tray (if serving chips)
    potato masher or fork
    fork to make gravy
    spoon to serve gravy
    colander or large sieve to drain vegetables (optional)

    Step 1:
    When deciding on quantities, just look at the food and visualise it on your plate. Multiply the amount by the number of people to be served. Any leftovers can be used later.

    Step 2:
    Gather together all the foods you will require - number of chops or steaks, vegetables, seasonings, butter or oil etc.

    Step 3:
    Gather together all the utensils you will need.

    Step 4:
    Prepare the vegetables - peel (if desired) and slice or chop as required. If using frozen vegetables, put required amounts into a saucepan. Except for the potatoes, all the vegetables can be cooked in the one saucepan if desired or convenient. (You could always use whole baby potatoes, or potato chunks and cook them in with the other vegetables, though the end result might be a stew-like mixture if it is overcooked!) If using frozen potato chips, put them onto an ovenproof tray, turn the oven to 200C and put them straight into the oven. (They should be done by the time the meat and other vegetables are cooked.)

    Step 5:
    Begin heating up your frypan or griller (adding a little butter or oil to the frypan). Do not allow the butter to burn.

    Step 6:
    Add a little water to the vegetables and put the saucepan onto high heat until the water comes to a boil. You do not need to cover the vegetables with water. Cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Check contents frequently.

    Step 7:
    Put the meat into the hot frypan, allow it to brown on one side before turning it over. Once the second side has browned, reduce heat to medium and cook until done to your taste, checking frequently by pressing it down with a fork. Do not pierce with a knife, or you may lose precious juices. As soon as it has cooked to your liking, remove pan from stove, remove the meat from the pan and transfer to a serving plate while you attend to the vegetables and make a gravy. Keep the meat warm if necessary by placing it in an oven heated to about 50-100C (any hotter and your plate may crack!)

    Step 8:
    Make your gravy.
    (If you want to make an Onion Gravy, have ready some sliced onions, toss into the frypan when meat looks nearly done.)

    (1) The Easy Way:
    Add a tablespoon or two of commercial gravy mix to the pan juices, add warm water a little at a time (you can use the water in which the vegetables were cooked for extra nutritional value and taste). Stir with a fork until the mixture boils and thickens. The amount of water your use will depend on how thick or thin you like your gravy. As a rough guide, you'll need about a cupful. If you like, toss in a sprig of rosemary or other herb (or use a pinch of dried herbs), a clove of garlic, a dash of tomato and/or Worcestershire sauce for extra flavour. Serve immediately.

    (2) The Harder Way:
    Drain off all but about a tablespoon of pan juices. Put a tablespoon of plain flour into the pan and allow to brown for a minute or two. Add water (as above) and stir with a fork until mixture boils and thickens. Use the fork to crush any lumps which may appear, and if the mixture is too lumpy, push it through a sieve before serving. Add flavourings as desired. If the gravy is too pale, add any of the following:
    A drop or two of Parisian Essence
    A teaspoon of Vegemite
    A dash of Worcestershire or soy sauce

    Step 9:
    Drain excess water from vegetables and put on serving plate with the meat. Mash potatoes, adding a little milk and a dob of butter (warm milk will make it fluffier). Or remove chips from oven, switch off oven.

    Step 10:
    Pour gravy (if using) over meat, or add your Savoury Butter, eat and enjoy!

    To Fancy Up Your Meal Second Time Around:

    Cook and serve vegetables separately.

    Soak your meat for an hour or two in a simple marinade - a tablespoon or two of oil, a sprig of herb (or a pinch of dried herb), a little lemon juice, or wine. Turn the meat over several times while it marinates. (Keep it in the fridge while it marinates.)

    Instead of Mashed Potatoes, try preparing one of the potato dishes included elsewhere. Do this in advance, keeping note of cooking times - cook it earlier rather than later - most can wait a while.

    Add something to the Mashed Potato - a dash of orange juice or some grated orange peel (good with pork); some snipped chives or parsley; some grated cheese; a little grated onion. Sprinkle it with Paprika.

    Heat some frozen potato chips in the oven. Follow directions on the packet, or simply put the chips on a tray, switch on the oven and by the time the temperature reaches about 200C they will be sufficiently cooked and browned. Depending on your oven, this will probably be about 15 minutes - time to cook your meat and vegetables.

    Or have a baked potato - this will take about an hour in the oven, so prepare ahead. Serve it with a dob of sour cream and a few snipped chives. (You can do jacket potatoes in the Microwave much more quickly.)

    Keep your meat plain and make a white sauce to serve over the vegetables.

    YOUR VERY FIRST STIRFRY (STEP BY STEP)

    This recipe will serve 3-4 people. A stirfry is a quick, economical, nutritious meal.

    You will need the following equipment for Stirfries:
    Chopping board for preparing vegetables
    Sharp knife for preparing vegetables
    Saucepan for cooking rice (if using)
    Large metal spoon or egg slide
    Large frypan or wok

    Step 1:
    Gather together at least two or three of the following vegetables (or use them all):

    100g snowpeas, used whole
    100g bean sprouts, tails removed
    1 red capsicum, seeded and thinly sliced
    a few shredded leaves from any Chinese green (or use baby spinach, or cabbage)

    Step 2:
    Gather together your remaining ingredients:

    1 tablespoon cooking oil
    2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
    1 teaspoon sesame oil
    1 tablespoon bottled fish sauce

    Step 3 (a) - optional:
    Cook some rice according to instructions on page 33, and keep the rice warm while preparing the vegetables.

    Step 3:
    Heat the oil in a deep frypan and brown the garlic in it. Add the thicker vegetables or stems first, and when these have wilted slightly, add the rest, one at a time, stirring and tossing for a moment. The whole process should not take more than 2 minutes.

    Step 4:
    Add the sesame oil and fish sauce, stir well and remove from heat.

    Step 5:
    Serve hot. (Note: Chinese vegetables do not reheat well as the crisp texture is lost. In Asian cookery, vegetables should be just barely cooked through and still quite firm - if you want to be really 'genuine', they should still be quite crisp.)

    YOUR SECOND STIRFRY (STEP BY STEP)

    You can make many variations of this recipe by selecting from the vegetable ingredients to suit yourself. Vegetables must be very fresh - in most Asian cultures, food shopping is done on a daily basis and there is very little, if any, food storage. Frozen Oriental mixed vegetables come in a number of varieties. Use them alone with flavourings (such as garlic, chilli powder, ginger) depending on whether the frozen packages come with flavourings. If they do, they may be more expensive. Read the labels to get ideas, then purchase fresh vegetables to create your own mixtures. Stirfries may a little more expensive because of the high cost of some vegetables, but they can be considered economical in the long run because they are quick to prepare, and the method of cooking ensures a near-maximum of nutritional value and a minimum of fat. They can also be quite filling, although your dinner plate might not be piled high.

    Step 1:
    Prepare 3 cups cooked rice according to instructions on page 33 and keep it hot. Or use noodles.

    Step 2:
    Gather together the other ingredients:

    500g beef, lamb, pork or chicken, cut into strips
    vegetables: choose from
    1 onion, chopped
    3 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 carrot, chopped
    1 capsicum, sliced
    1/2 cup frozen peas
    1/2 cup tinned or frozen corn
    small pieces broccoli, chopped
    4-5 mushrooms, sliced if very large
    1 bunch bok choy, sliced
    frozen Oriental mixed vegetables
    sauce (choose from commercial bottled oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli sauce, satay sauce)

    Step 3:
    Heat a little oil on a wok or deep frypan. Add meat or chicken, saute until brown.

    Step 4:
    Add vegetables, saute 2-3 minutes, add sauce.

    Step 5:
    Serve vegetables on rice.

    YOUR VERY FIRST TOSSED SALAD:

    You will need the following equipment:
    Chopping board
    Sharp knife
    Salad bowl(s) or plate
    Set of salad servers
    Saucepan for hardboiling eggs (if using)

    A salad can consist of just about anything you fancy, in any combination. It can be a savoury salad to accompany meats, or it can consist entirely of fruit to be served as a dessert, or it can be a combination of both.

    A simple tossed salad will consist of some lettuce leaves, broken up (not chopped); some tomatoes sliced into quarters, some cucumber slices (slice it very thinly and leave the skin on if you like); some small cubes of cheese, a few strips of capsicum and a sprinkling of salad dressing. You can use any ingredients you fancy or which you have available. Add a few leaves and/or flowers of nasturtium, some torn up pieces of spinach leaves, some herbs such as Salad Rocket, some shallots, some sliced onion, a few radishes, some chopped hard-boiled egg, even the leaves of weeds like dandelion. You might prefer zucchini slices instead of cucumber. Just put it all into a bowl and refrigerate to chill before serving. Put the salad dressing on and toss it through lightly immediately before serving - if you leave it to sit after the dressing has been added, it will go soggy and limp.

    You can add leftover vegetables, too, such as cauliflower, broccoli, whole cooked baby potatoes or carrots. Or you can grate some raw carrot into the bowl.

    You can vary your salad dressings to suit your taste - many varieties are available commercially. Or you can leave it plain and serve it with a mayonnaise, or just sprinkle it with lemon juice.
    To Make an Easy Mayonnaise:
    Open a tin of Sweetened Condensed Milk. Pour the contents into a bowl or large jar. Sprinkle in a teaspoon or two (according to taste) of dry mustard. Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar and stir thoroughly. Add more vinegar according to how thick or thin you want your mayonnaise. It will thicken a little if left to stand or after refrigeration. It will keep for several weeks in the fridge. (Of course, you can make smaller quantities in the same proportions.)

    To Make an Easy Salad Dressing (French Dressing):
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    pinch salt
    freshly ground pepper
    pinch sugar
    pinch dry mustard
    1 tablespoon lemon juice or wine vinegar or herbal vinegar

    Place the oil, salt, pepper, sugar and mustard in a small screw-top jar. Cover and shake well. Add the lemon juice or vinegar and shake again until all ingredients are well blended. For variety, add a little Parmesan cheese, or herbs of your choice. Adjust the amount of garlic to your taste.

    Presentation Salad:
    Instead of tossing the ingredients together in a single bowl, why not get a little fancy? You will need a serving plate of some kind - a small tray or a large dinner plate will do. Use a little imagination to make an attractive presentation. Start with some whole lettuce leaves. Spread them all over the plate. Thinly slice some rounds of tomato and cucumber. Lay the tomato slices, slightly overlapping, around the edge of the plate, then repeat with the cucumber slices. Around the inner edge, lay a circle of purchased rice salad, then either a circle or a pile of other purchased salad (coleslaw or potato salad, for instance), depending on the size of your plate.

    You can use any prepared salad mix you fancy, of course. Put a sprig of parsley in the middle for decoration. You can use all sorts of vegetables or fruit. Try slicing a whole orange thinly (skin and all). Cut each slice once from the outside to the centre, then twist it to make two joined semi-circles. This makes a pretty decoration. Use chunks or slices of mango or pineapple, halves of peaches (fill the centres with a little cream cheese if you like). Put a few halved or quartered hard-boiled eggs here and there. Add a few onion rings (slice onion very thinly and break the rings apart.)

    Instead of prepared salads, make rings of grated carrot and grated cheese.

    Or make individual mini-salads. Simply fill a bowl-shaped lettuce leaf with some potato salad or coleslaw or pasta salad or rice salad and top with a slice of tomato, cucumber or whatever you fancy.

    To Make an Easy Coleslaw:
    Quantities are not important. Very finely slice some raw cabbage (a little red cabbage makes it attractive). Grate some carrot and if you like about a tablespoon of raw onion. If desired, also grate a radish or two for colour and extra flavour. Slice some capsicum (red or green or both) thinly, then chop it finely. Add some mayonnaise (see above) and stir the lot together, adding more mayonnaise if the mixture seems too dry. You can use only the cabbage and carrot with the mayonnaise if you want to keep it really simple.

    To Make an Easy Potato Salad:
    If using tinned Baby Potatoes, just drain off the liquid and put the potatoes into a bowl. If using fresh potatoes, peel and cut them into evenly sized chunks, then boil in salted water until tender. Do not overcook them or they will fall apart. Let them cool before preparing your salad.

    Very finely chop or grate an onion (or you can use chopped shallots instead for a milder flavour), then snip a few chives. Chop about a tablespoon of fresh mint. You can add a few leftover cooked peas if you like. Now make your mayonnaise, and have it fairly thin, but not runny. Stir all your ingredients together. You might like to add some chopped hard-boiled egg, or a small amount of grated carrot for colour. Or if you are using a red-skinned potato, don't peel it before chopping it. Or you can keep it really simple by just using potato and mayonnaise. Some people like their potato salads with a French Dressing instead of Mayonnaise, but it will soak into the potato more than the mayonnaise and make it a little soggier.

    To Make an Easy Rice Salad:
    Cook your rice specially as directed on page 32-33. Or use cold leftover rice. Again, add whatever you fancy to it. Try some grated or finely chopped raw carrot, a few cooked corn niblets (tinned corn kernels are ideal - drain off the liquid first!), some chopped capsicum, a small chopped onion or a few chopped shallots, a small handful of chopped cooked bacon or ham (or other cold meat), some leftover beans and/or peas, leftover cauliflower or broccoli chopped. A rice salad is better with French Dressing, but mayonnaise can be used. Stir the lot together. Make sure you have a good range of colour - red, green and yellow - to make it more attractive.

    Leftover fried rice can be eaten cold as a salad if desired. Just fluff it up with a fork before serving.

    To Make an Easy Pasta Salad:
    Choose a pasta such as spirals or large tubes about 4cm long, or multi-coloured pasta shapes. Or be adventurous and try some bows or shells. Boil some salted water, add the pasta and cook until just tender. Drain it carefully, rinse it under cold water to remove excess starch, then drain it again. While it is still slightly warm, put it into a bowl and stir in a little French Dressing, making sure the dressing coats all the pasta pieces. You won't need a lot of dressing. Now prepare your vegetables and hard-boiled eggs - use the same selection (or your choice) as for Rice Salad. When the pasta is quite cool, stir the lot in together, adding a little more French Dressing if it seems too dry.

    You can wait until the pasta is quite cold, and use Mayonnaise instead of Salad Dressing if you prefer.

    Made with French Dressing, this salad is delicious when fried with a little butter or more French Dressing until just heated through, and served on toast as a snack.

    Fruit Salad:
    Again, the choice of fruits is up to you. Peel and chop as appropriate, and toss lightly together in a bowl. You will not need to add any syrup or sugar. Choose at least 3 different kinds of fruit, preferably of different colours to make it more attractive. Try apples, oranges and a melon or strawberries to start with, but any fruit will do in any combination. A fruit salad will benefit from the addition of a little passionfruit pulp added, but this is a matter of taste. Try adding a tiny sprinkle of champagne, or some finely chopped fresh mint or coriander for a special occasion.

    Bananas are delicious with fruit salads, but they don't keep well. When using apples or bananas, always chop them into a separate bowl first and sprinkle with a little lemon juice. Stir it around so that the lemon juice covers all the fruit. The lemon juice helps to prevent the fruit from turning an unattractive brown. The lemon juice can be added to the fruit salad if desired.

    Serve fruit salad as an entrée (first course) to a meal, or as a dessert with or without cream, ice cream or custard. Fruit salads are a delicious, healthy snack. A fruit salad should be eaten within a day or two of making.

    Your Very First Spaghetti Bolognese (Step by Step)

    You will need the following equipment:
    medium saucepan
    large saucepan
    wooden spoon
    colander
    casserole dish or other serving dish
    cheese grater
    sharp knife
    chopping board
    salad bowl
    a small cane basket or other serving dish for the garlic bread
    a spaghetti server

    You will need the following ingredients:
    500g minced beef
    2 onions, finely chopped
    2 tablespoons tomato paste
    410g tin tomatoes, undrained
    1 sprig fresh basil
    2 sprigs fresh oregano
    2 cloves garlic, crushed
    2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
    1/2 cup red wine (optional)
    few mushrooms, sliced (optional)

    grated cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
    grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup or to taste)
    ingredients for a tossed salad
    ingredients for garlic or herb bread

    (Step by Step instructions follow.) Combine all ingredients, making sure to break up the meat by stirring often. Cook until liquid has and oregano before serving. (Dried herbs may be used.) Serve over cooked spaghetti. reduced to consistency required. Remove basil. This mixture can be used to make Lasagne.

    Note:
    (1) Many recipe books will tell you that you have to fry the onion first, then brown the meat and so on. The method describes here makes a delicious meal and is easier for beginners.

    (2) It is a good idea to prepare your salad and garlic bread before starting on the main meal. Put the garlic bread into the oven just after you add the spaghetti to the water.

    Step 1:
    Gather together all your equipment.

    Step 2:
    Gather together and prepare all your ingredients.

    Step 3:
    Put all the ingredients into a medium sized saucepan. Cook over high until the mixture reaches boiling point, then reduce the temperature to low and simmer. Stir the mixture often.

    Step 4:
    Once the mixture has boiled and you have reduced the temperature, begin preparing your pasta. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to the boil. Add salt to the water. Measure out your spaghetti - as a rough guide, use a woman's handful for 3-4 servings. (This is one aspect of cooking at which I have never been a good judge!) Add the spaghetti to the boiling water, pushing it down gently until it is covered by water. Take note of the time. It should take no longer than 12 minutes to reach 'al dente' stage. Reduce the temperature under the saucepan of water to reduce splashing.

    Step 5:
    While the spaghetti is cooking, grate some cheese and keep it separate. Prepare your salad ingredients and make a tossed salad if you haven't already done so. Prepare the garlic bread if you haven't already done so.

    Step 6:
    Once the spaghetti is cooked, pour it into a colander to drain off the water. Do not rinse the spaghetti, just give it a little shake to remove excess water, and transfer it immediately to your serving dish.

    Step 7:
    Remove any herb stalks and leaves from the meat mixture and discard them. Spoon the meat mixture over the spaghetti in the serving dish. Sprinkle over some grated cheese and some grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with the salad and garlic bread to one side.

    To Make Garlic Bread:
    Preheat the oven to 200C. Choose a long crusty French loaf, or use dinner rolls. Slice the French loaf into pieces about 1cm thick, being careful not to cut the slices all the way through. Cut or break the dinner rolls into halves. Put about a tablespoon of butter into a small mixing bowl, add about 1 clove of finely chopped fresh garlic (or use dried or minced commercial garlic). Add a teaspoonful or two of fresh or dried chopped parsley. Mix all together and spread over both sides of slices of French loaf, or onto dinner roll halves. Reassemble the French loaf and dinner rolls, wrap in foil and put into the oven. Remove after about 10 minutes. Serve immediately, still wrapped in foil.

    If you want a Herb Bread for a change, simply use about a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs instead of the garlic (you can use any herbs of your choice).

    To Make a Lasagne:
    Hints:
    Make the meat mixture and White Sauce in advance. It does not matter if they get cold.

    You will need the same utensils and ingredients to make the meat mixture as for Spaghetti Bolognese

    In addition you will need a small baking dish, preferably square or rectangular in shape

    Instead of spaghetti, you will need some INSTANT lasagne noodles. (If you prefer to use ordinary lasagne, it will need to be cooked first - it can be a bit messy and time consuming.)

    You will need a quantity of White Sauce.

    To Make a White Sauce:
    (You can buy a packet of White Sauce Mix and just follow the instructions on the packet, or you can make your own using milk as described below.)

    2 tablespoons butter
    1 tablespoon flour
    1/2 cup water or milk
    salt
    (1 cup grated cheddar cheese for Lasagne)

    Melt butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat, being careful not to let it brown. Dredge in the flour and add water (or milk), stirring constantly and quite quickly until the mixture has thickened. Use milk for a thicker sauce. Add a bay leaf if liked (this goes well in the Lasagne). Add the grated cheese if using. Cook for a minute or two, or until the cheese has melted into the mixture. The whole process could take about 10 minutes, during which you must stir the mixture without stopping or it will burn on the bottom of the saucepan. Use a wooden spoon.

    If used for fish, add a squeeze of lemon juice. For a sweet custard sauce, replace salt with 1 dessertspoon of sugar, and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg. Serve with boiled or steamed puddings. If a richer sauce is required, add 2 egg yolks and simmer gently for 1 minute.

    To Make the Lasagne:
    Step 1:
    Grease the sides and base of a baking dish with butter. Prepare a tossed salad and garlic bread as per instructions above.

    Step 2:
    Heat your oven to 200C.

    Step 3:
    Make your meat mixture according to instructions for Spaghetti Bolognese.

    Step 4:
    Make your White Sauce. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf.

    Step 5:
    Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a single layer of Lasagne noodles. If using Instant noodles, they do not need to be cooked first, just put them in dry. You may need to break the noodles to cover the bottom of the dish evenly. It does not matter too much if the pieces overlap slightly.

    Step 6:
    Spoon a little of the meat mixture over the noodles, spreading it out more or less evenly. You do not have to cover the noodles entirely - it depends on how many layers you want for your Lasagne. With practise, you will soon learn how much to use. Aim for at least three layers of pasta, or better still, four.

    Step 7:
    Spoon some of the White Sauce over the meat mixture - you do not have to cover the meat entirely.

    Step 8:
    Repeat Steps 5-8 until all ingredients are used up, making the top layer White Sauce.

    Step 9:
    Sprinkle the White Sauce with a generous layer of Parmesan cheese.

    Step 10:
    Put the Lasagne into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown. While it is cooking, toss your salad and heat the garlic bread in the oven. Prepare your table and drinks.

    Step 11:
    Remove the Lasagne from the oven, switch off oven. Put the salad and garlic bread on the table. The Lasagne should sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the mixture to 'set' slightly, making it easier to cut into squares or rectangles for serving. The mixture should not ooze too much between the pasta layers. Use a knife to cut the serving-sized squares and use an egg slide to lift out the squares. (You might find the first square will be a bit messy until you get practised.) Make sure you have cut through the bottom layer of the paste before attempting to lift the square.

    Step 12:
    Serve the Lasagne on its own and allow guests to serve their own salad from the bowl on the table.

  • gardenlad
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm sure that helped, Daisy. But my young 'un, who was a very accomplished cook when he left home 15 years ago, and has only gotten better, still calls to ask "what was your recipe for...." or "how do you do such & such."

    Taterbug, you didn't say whether he'd be living alone or not. Assuming he is, I'd recommend stealing a march on Linda C. But instead of roasting the whole chicken (and I need to move near her---on sale I pay twice as much for a 4-5 lb roasting hen as she does) break it down into component parts. What he would get is:

    1. Two breasts.
    2. Two wings.
    3. Two thighs.
    4. Two legs.
    5. One carcass.

    The carcass, of course, is used to make stock. But there is a lot of meat on it, and those cooked pieces, stripped off the bones, can be used for innumerable recipe, such as Chicken A La King; Chicken Pot Pie; Chicken Salad, etc. Or he can use them and the stock as the base of a chicken soup.

    Anyway, he can then ring the changes on the chicken, preparing each part a different way. Each breast half would be one serving (two meals, in other words). The thighs and legs would each provide one serving. The wings can be saved in the freezer, until he has enough to make hot wings. Or he can just cook-up the pair of them for an appetiser or snack.

    So he would wind up with 5-6 different meals from the one bird, instead of 5 meals that were all the same---which can get pretty boring.

    The one thing to caution him is that a roasting chicken is not a good choice for deep frying. If he wants fried chicken he'll have to buy a fryer/broiler.

    Here are some representative recipes that aren't too difficult.

    Chicken with Cheese & Mushrooms

    Flatten two chicken breasts, skinned and boned, and dredge them in flour seasend with salt & pepper. Saute the chicken in 2 tbls butter and 1 tbls olive oil until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a shallow fmameproof serving dish and keep warm.

    To the pan add a quarter cup dry white wine and 1 tbls dry red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring in the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Simmer a couple of minutes and add salt and peper to taste.

    In another skillet, saute 6 mushroom caps, cut in straws, in 2-3 tbls butter for 5 minutes or until they are just cooked, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

    Top each chicken breast with a slice of Munster cheese, divide the mushrooms over the chicken, and spoon the pan juices over that. Put the dish under a preheated broiler and broil for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

    I adapted the above to serve two instead of six, as is usual with recipes. But for the rest of these, you or he can do the math, as I'm too lazy to go through it:

    Chicken A La King

    Poached meat from three large chickens (thighs, legs & backs)
    2 cups thick white sauce
    1 green pepper, diced
    1 cut each diced carrots, celery, onion.
    1 cup mushrooms, sliced
    1 cup peas
    1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
    2 cups chicken stock
    3 tbls butter
    1/4 cup Sherry
    2 egg yould, beaten with water
    salt & pepper to taste

    Saute vegetalbes until tender. Add chicken meat. Add peas.

    Mix in sauce. Stir in wine. Stir in egg yolks. Mix well until thickened. Serve on rice or noodles, or use as the filling in a chicken pot pie.

    Chicken Quenelles

    In a bowl over ice combine 1/2 pound finely ground chicken with 3/4 cup heavy cream, adding the cream 2 tbls at a time. Add 3/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and form the mixturte with moistened hands into small balls or oval shapes.

    Poach the quenelles, covered, in 3 cups barely simmering chicken stock for 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a dish, cover them, and chill.

    Hot Wings Starter Mix

    Chicken wings
    Hot sauce
    Melted butter

    Mix the butter and hot sauce at the rate of 10 tbls sauce to each stick of melted butter. Adapt this to your taste, using more or less hot sauce.

    Deep fry the wings until the are browned, about 13 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper and drop into butter/hot sauce mixture.

    Serve wings with celery and blue cheese dressing.

    This next one would be a pain in the neck to make for one person. But if he has a party or a group over for, say, a ball game, it would be worthwhile makeing

    Chicken Empanadas

    1 lb ground chicken meat
    1 large onion, diced
    1 15-oz can tomato sauce
    3 tsp Cajun seasoning
    1/2 cup packed grated Montery Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
    3 10-count cans refrigerated biscuits
    1 egg, beaten

    Saute the chicken in a heavy skillet over medium heat until cooked through and bvrown, breaking up meat with a fork, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add onion to drippings in skillet and saute until light brown, about 7 minutes. Return turkey and any juices to skillet. Add tomato sauce and Cajun seasoning; simmer until mixture is almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Cool completely. Mix in cheese.

    On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 biscuit to 4 inche diameter round. Place a heaping tbls of the fillon on the round. Brush half of dough edge with egg. Fold dough over filling to create a half circle and seal endges by pressing with tines of a fork. Set on a baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat with remaining biscuits.

    Heat 1/2 inch oil in skillet and fry empanadas in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

    This last one was posted previously, but I didn't note who did so. The recipe actually came from Cooking Light, though, and we made it this week for the first time. I recommend it highly---but cutting it down might be a chore.

    Honey-Pomegranate Roasted Chicken Thighs

    3/4 cup honey
    1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    1 tbls grated lemon rind
    2 tbls pomegranate molasses
    1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
    1 tsp hot sauce
    6 garlic cloves, minced
    4 lbs (more or less) chicken thighs, skinned
    1 tbls cornstarch
    1 tbls water
    Cooking spray
    1 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp black pepper

    Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

    Preheat oven to 425.

    Remove chicken from bowl, reserving marinade. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

    Place chiken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes or until chicken is done, basing with reserved marinade every ten minutes.

    When he skins chicken parts he should not discard the skin. Instead, cut it in small pieces and toss them, along with as much of the chicken fat as possible, into a saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the skins are brown and crisp. Drain well on absobent paper. Eat either plain or sprinkled with hot sauce.

    What you've done, basically, is make cracklings using chicken instead of pork. And the melted fat can

  • canarybird01
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Daisy...that looks like a labour of love! I'm going to copy and paste it for my granddaughter who leaves Canada this weekend to go to university in Scotland where she'll be sharing a cottage and kitchen with four other students.

    She already does some cooking but perhaps her housemates as well will need some step-by-step guidance in the kitchen.

    SharonCb

  • ruthanna_gw
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Daisy, what a nice gift that must have been for your son.

    Here's one my daughter makes when the "cupboard is bare", meaning the day before payday. LOL She buys a few pepper strips from the grocery salad bar and they cost a lot less than buying a whole pepper, especially a red one.

    POTATO CORN SOUP

    2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
    1 /4 sweet red or green pepper, chopped
    1 /4 onion, chopped
    1 /2 to 3 /4 cup water
    14.5 oz. can cream sweet style corn
    1 /2 cup milk (can be 1%)
    Salt and pepper

    Put potatoes, chopped pepper and onion and 1 /2 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add more water if necessary. Add the milk and can of corn and continue heating on low until the contents are hot, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  • roselin32
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Great idea on the pepper strips from the salad bar, Ruthanna......I need to remember that when I only need a couple of pieces and they are going for $2 each.
    Here's another quick and easy one that my son always liked that yours reminded me of:
    Frank 'n Corn Chowder
    1 lb hot dogs, sliced
    1/2c chopped green pepper
    1/2c chopped onion
    2T butter or marg.
    2 16 oz cans cream style corn
    2c milk
    1 lb Velveeta, cubed
    dash pepper
    Saute hot dogs, peppers, and onion in butter til onion and peppers are soft. Add remaining ingredients and stir over low heat til cheese melts.
    6 servings.

  • nsf798
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This one is very easy & delicious:

    PORK CHOPS WITH SCALLOPED POTATOES

    3 T butter or marg.
    3 T flour
    salt
    pepper
    1 can chicken broth
    6 pork chops (3/4" thick)
    2 T cooking oil
    6 c thinly sliced peeled potatoes (4 lbs.)
    1 med. onion, sliced
    paprika & chopped fresh parsley, opt.

    Melt butter in saucepan; stir in four, salt & pepper. Add chicken broth; cook & stir constantly until mixture boils. Cook for 1 minute, remove from heat & set aside. In a skillet, brown pork chops in oil; season to taste with additional salt & pepper if desired. In a greased 13x9 baking dish, layer potatoes & onion. Pour broth mixture over top. Place pork chops on top. Cover & bake 350 one hour; uncover & bake 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.

    Baked Ziti

    1 lb. ziti, or other med. pasta shape, uncooked
    1 lb. ground hamburger
    1 32 oz. jar pasta sauce
    1 cup cottage cheese
    1 - 2 tsp. parsley
    4 oz. grated parmesan cheese
    8 oz. mozzarella cheese

    Cook noodles; fry hamburger with some Italian seasoning. Mix cottage cheese & parsley. Coat 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer as follows:

    Sauce (1/3)
    Pasta (1/3)
    cottage cheese (all of it)

    sauce
    pasta
    mozz (all of it)

    sauce
    pasta
    parm. cheese (all of it)

    Cover & Bake at 375 for 30 min. or until cheese melts.

    This is Betty Crocker's recipe. It's very easy & we love it.
    Ultimate Chicken Fingers
    Restaurant food made at home! Did you know it could be so easy?

    2/3 cup Original Bisquick® mix
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    1/2 teaspoon salt or Garlic salt
    1/2 teaspoon paprika
    3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
    1 egg, slightly beaten
    3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted


    1 . Heat oven to 450ºF. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.
    2 . Mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon resealable plastic food-storage bag. Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.
    3 . Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.
    This is from my Weight watcher days, but it's very easy & delicious. You don't have to put the rice in it.

    Salsa Chicken
    4 servings @ 7-8 points ea.
    (4 Points w/out rice)

    1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    1 jar salsa
    1 pkg. taco seasoning
    1 pkg. Lipton Spanish Rice

    Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken and cover pour salsa on top. Cook on low 10-12 hours . ( I usually cook on high for a few hours since I use frozen chicken breasts.) I sometimes add a salsa jar full of water so when I put the rice in it wont be too dry. 20 minutes before ready to serve, turn crockpot to high and stir in pkg. of rice. Cook 20 min, or until rice is done.

    If you have leftovers, shred chicken and put it in a low fat flour tortilla with fat free sour cream and low free shredded cheese.

  • doucanoe
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This one is really easy and very delicious. Looks like you spent hours on it, really!

    GREEK-STYLE PASTA WITH SHRIMP

    Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
    1/4 cup olive oil
    4 teaspoons minced garlic
    1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
    1 1/2 cups drained canned artichoke hearts, chopped
    1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
    1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
    3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
    2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
    12 ounces angel hair pasta or linguine
    Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp and sauté until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add artichokes, feta, tomatoes, lemon juice, parsley and oregano and sauté until shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
    Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer pasta to large bowl.
    Add shrimp mixture to pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

    Serves 4.
    Bon Appétit
    June 1995

    My notes: This is also good with chicken in place of the shrimp. Add cheese last and do not cook longer than instructions.

    Linda

  • ginger_st_thomas
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Forgot about this one. It's practically fool-proof:
    BBQ CHICKEN
    1 frying-size chicken, quartered
    1 onion, sliced

    Sauce:
    3/4 cup catsup
    4 TBL Worcestershire sauce
    2 tsp prepared mustard
    3/4 cup vinegar
    2 bay leaves
    1/2 cup water
    1 TBL sugar
    1/4 tsp salt
    Tabasco

    combine ingredients for sauce, pour over chicken & cook in a preheated 350° oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until done. Baste frequently.~~Queen Anne's Table

  • woodie
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Debbie 814's Chicken Riggies

    1 stick butter, melted
    1 onion minced
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    20 oz. jar of sweet peppers (sliced with seeds removed)
    3 sliced hot cherry peppers (packed in jar with oil)

    Saute above ingredients.

    Add:

    1 cup parmigiano cheese
    2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cubed
    1 can chicken broth
    1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

    Cook for 1 hour.

    Pour over 1 1/2 boxes of cooked Rigatoni pasta. Serve with fresh Italian bread.

    OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN

    Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
    Mayonaise
    Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs mixed with grated parmesan cheese
    Marinara sauce
    Mozzarella cheese, sliced
    Parmesan cheese
    Brush chicken with mayo, then dip in bread crumbs, coating well.
    Bake uncovered 20 minutes.
    Pour the marinara sauce on top and around the chicken,then sprinkle with parmesan then top with mozzarella, then sprinkle with more parmesan.
    Bake 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

    Makes 4 servings

    Meat And Potato Loaf
    Easy meatloaf and potatoes in one dish

    Ingredients

    4 cups thinly sliced peeled raw potatoes,
    1/4 cup chopped onion,
    1 lb. ground beef,
    5 oz. can evaporated milk,
    1/2 cup breadcrumbs,
    1/4 cup chili sauce (or catsup),
    1/4 cup chopped onion,
    1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste

    Directions

    1. Mix potato slices and 1/4 cup chopped onion together and place in greased 2 quart square baking dish.
    2. Mix remaining ingredients together and spread over potatoes.
    3. Decorate top with more chili sauce or catsup (if desired).
    4. Bake 350* for 1 hour.

    ONE POT SAUSAGE AND PASTA

    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings
    1 onion, sliced
    2 zucchini, chunked
    4 garlic cloves, chopped
    2 teaspoons oregano
    3 cups water
    2-1/2 cups Rotelle pasta
    3 cups spinach
    2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

    In large pot, brown sausage and onion in oil, add zucchini, garlic and oregano. Cook 5 minutes and remove to a bowl. In same pot, boil water and cook pasta 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add sausage and vegetables. Heat until warm throughout and add spinach and tomato, stir together, cover for a few minutes until spinach is wilted.

  • cookie8
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Easiest ever and embarrassingly good. Hamburger and cream of mushroom soup. Brown the meat, salt and pepper it, drain off the fat, and add can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. Add rice and green beans for sides, and for the those extravagent days you can make meatballs! I add an egg and breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, cook at 375 till cooked thoroughly, put in pan, add soup mix and heat. My kids are pretty young and love it, and so long as they love it I'm making it, too easy to pass up.

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