Peasant Pasta

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, available in bulk at butcher counter or, 2 links, casings removed
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, available in bulk at butcher counter or, 4 links, casings removed
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped, optional
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen green peas
24 leaves fresh basil, torn or thinly sliced
1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente
Grated Italian cheese, for passing

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. Add sausage meat. Crumble sausage meat as it browns. Add chopped garlic to the pan. When all of the crumbles have browned evenly, deglaze the pan drippings using chicken or vegetable broth. Stir in crushed tomatoes and bring the sauce up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir cream into your sauce, this will blush the color and cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir peas and basil into your sauce to combine. Toss hot drained penne rigate in pan with the sauce, then transfer pasta to serving bowl.

California Pizza Kitchen Chicken Tequila Fetuccine

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry spinach fettuccine (or 2 lbs fresh) .
• 2 tbsps minced fresh garlic .
• 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced .
• 2 tbsps gold tequila .
• 2 tbsps minced jalapeno peppers (seeds & veins may be eliminated if milder flavor is desired) .
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced .
• 2 tbsps freshly squeezed lime juice .
• 3 tbsps soy sauce .
• 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced .
• 1 1/4 lbs chicken breasts, sliced 3/4 inch .
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced .
• 1 1/2 c heavy cream .
• 1/2 c sliced fresh cilantro (2 tbsps reserved for garnish or finish) .
• 3 tbsps unsalted butter (reserve tbsp per sauté) .
• 1/2 c chicken stock (preferably homemade)

Directions

• Step #1 Prepare rapidly boiling, salted water to cook pasta; cook this until al dente, 8 to 10 mins for dry pasta, approximately 3 mins for fresh.
• Step #2 Pasta may be cooked slightly ahead of time, rinsed & oiled & then "flashed" (reheated) in boiling water or cooked to coincide with the finishing of the sauce/topping.
• Step #3 Cook 1/3 c cilantro, garlic & jalapeno in 2 tbsps butter over med-heat/flame for 4 to 5 mins.
• Step #4 Add stock, tequila & lime juice.
• Step #5 Bring the mixture to a boil & cook this until reduced to a paste like consistency; set aside.
• Step #6 Pour soy sauce over sliced chicken; set aside for 5 mins.
• Step #7 Meanwhile cook onion & peppers, stirring every once in awhile, with remaining butter over med-heat/flame.
• Step #8 When the vegetables have wilted (become limp), add.
• Step #9 chicken & soy sauce; toss & add reserved tequila/lime paste & cream.
• Step #10 Bring the sauce to a boil; boil carefully until chicken is cooked through & sauce is thick (about 3 mins).
• Step #11 When sauce is done, toss with well-drained spinach fettuccine & reserved cilantro.
• Step #12 Serve family style or transfer to serving dishes, evenly distributing chicken & vegetables.

Massaman Curry

RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock 1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk or heavy cream 1/2 pound boiling potatoes (about 2), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cup chopped peanuts 1/2 pound plum tomatoes (about 4), cut into wedges 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

RECIPE METHOD

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and then the coconut milk; bring to a simmer. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and cook over low heat until they are almost tender, about 12 minutes.

Add the chicken to the sauce, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the peanuts, tomatoes, cilantro, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat off, cover, and let steam until the chicken is just done, about 2 minutes longer.

MENU SUGGESTION

For this curry, steamed white rice is the only accompaniment you need.

To Die For Pot Roast

1 beef roast, any cut, to fit size of crock pot
1 Pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 pkg. Italian Dressing mix
1/2 C. water

Methods/steps

Combine mixes well and sprinkle over roast in pot. Pour water into bottom of pot. Cook on low for 6-7 hours

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

Source

Copykat Recipe

1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1/3 C. White Vinegar
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Romano Cheese
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt - or one clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Parsley Flakes
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
Olive Garden Salad Mix

Methods/steps

Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar.

La Madeleine's Tomato Basil soup

Ingredients

4 C. (8 to 10) tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped, or 4 C. canned whole tomatoes, crushed
4 C. tomato juice and part vegetable stock or chicken stock
12 to 14 washed fresh basil leaves
1 C. heavy cream
1/4 pound sweet, unsalted butter
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

Methods/steps

Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan).

Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian Sausage
2 large Russet Baking Potatoes sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large Onion, chopped
1/2 can. Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Bits (these are less fatty than real bacon)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 C. Kale or Swiss chard chopped
2 cans Chicken Broth
1 qt. Water
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

Methods/steps

Cook sausage in a 300-degree oven. Bake approximately 1/2 hour, drain on paper towels and cut into slices.

Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt, and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat, add kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

Walnut Baklava

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen phyllo dough, thawed
• SYRUP:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, combine the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Grease a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish with some of the melted butter. Unroll phyllo dough sheets (keep dough covered with plastic wrap while assembling).
2. Place one sheet of phyllo in baking dish; brush with butter. Top with a second sheet; brush with butter. Fold short ends under to fit the dish. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup nut mixture. Repeat 18 times, layering two sheets, brushing with butter and sprinkling with nut mixture. Top with remaining dough; brush with butter. Cut into 2-in. diamonds with a sharp knife.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Pour over warm baklava. Cool on a wire rack.

Baked Orzo with Shrimp, Tomato Sauce, and Feta

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (28 to 32-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (about 36), shelled and deveined
1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
1 pound feta, patted dry and crumbled (3 cups)Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cook onion, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes in 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by 1/2, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and salt, then reduce heat, and simmer briskly, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir shrimp into sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes.

While sauce and shrimp are cooking, cook orzo in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain orzo in a sieve. Return orzo to pot and toss with remaining tablespoon oil. Stir in sauce with shrimp and reserved cooking water, then add olives and salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon 1/2 of pasta into an oiled 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish, then sprinkle with 1/2 of feta. Top with remaining pasta and feta, then bake in middle of oven, uncovered, until cheese is slightly melted and pasta is heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Crawfish enchiladas

I lost my recipe box somewhere in the move, it's very sad. I'm trying to rebuild my collection and keep some on here so I don't loose them again. So, instead of printing out little papers and hoping to somehow keep them, I'm going to try to cut and paste to the blog. Oh the wonders of technology... This one is from Cooking Light magazine.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 cups cooked crawfish tail meat (about 12 ounces)
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and next 6 ingredients (green onions through garlic); sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle flour over vegetables; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly. Stir in salt and next 4 ingredients (salt through black pepper). Remove from heat; let stand 3 minutes. Add cheddar cheese and sour cream, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in crawfish.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Add water to a medium skillet to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a simmer. Dip 1 tortilla in water using tongs. Spoon 1/4 cup crawfish mixture into the center of 1 tortilla; roll tightly, and place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with crawfish mixture and remaining tortillas. Spread remaining crawfish mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.

Cover and bake at 325° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 2 enchiladas)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 332(30% from fat); FAT 11g (sat 5.8g,mono 2g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 24g; CHOLESTEROL 106mg; CALCIUM 457mg; SODIUM 594mg; FIBER 4.3g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.7g

Cooking Light, APRIL 200

Caramel cake icing

This is Ray's favorite cake, and an old family favorite, but it's incredibly hard to make and have it come out right. The one we made for his birthday (Christmas day) turned out great...so here we go at trying to duplicate the recipe.

2 cups of sugar
1 can of evaporated milk
1 1/4 stick of butter

Blend in pot, stirring constantly, until boiling for quite a while and at the same time, in an iron skillet melt 1 cup of sugar. Combine the two and cook until soft ball stage. Remove from heat and use mixer to beat it while it cools. Poor onto cake. :) Watch for dribblies off the side and just put them back on top. Caramel should harden and become smooth.

Taco Soup

It seems like everyone has their own version of taco soup. I think this one is the easiest and the best.

In a large pot, brown 1 lb. ground beef. Add 3 cans of beans (i.e. black, kidney, pinto, etc. with the liquid), a can of whole kernel corn, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, a package of taco seasoning, and a package of dry ranch seasoning. Done! Let simmer and add as much water as you want. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, and tomatoes and lettuce if you like.

Cinnamon Biscuits

I've been neglecting this site, but I found a recipe that I didn't want to lose, so I figured it would be easiest just to add it here. I found it in a No Greater Joy magazine. It has to be one of the most fattening things on earth, but it is so good, and it's going to be so hard not to go make this right after I type it. Idea! Maybe I can make it for Ray to bring to work, that way it doesn't stay here and I don't eat them all. aha!

Mix together 1/2 cup of softened butter and 2 cups of self-rising flour. Stir in 3/4 cup of buttermilk. Do not over-stir. Scrape out onto floured surface, sprinkle with flour, and lightly pat down. Sprinkle onto the dough about 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup raisins (I omitted these), 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Fold dough over 3 or 4 times. Don't over fold. Pat it down lightly, then, using a cup as a cutter, cut out your biscuits. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix 2/3 cup melted butter, 1 to 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 cup of cream. Pour over very hot cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!

Try this...

Ray loves feta cheese, I guess its those Egyptian roots, so we look for all kinds of recipes to use it in. The newest one is scrambled eggs. yummy.

Instead of salad dressing, sour cream and salsa mixed is super yummy.

If you've never used Montreal Steak seasoning, you need too.

Same thing with Cavendar's Greek seasoning. The Lemoine traditional brisket is just covered with Cavendar's and cooked in a Reynold's plastic cooking bag.

Easy hummus...get the canned hummus with tahini (the one we get is Sultan brand), add lemon juice, olive oil and garlic salt.

Pumpkin Bread

It seems a shame to post this now. I don't think we ever ate it until the fall, but it was on the back of my tea cake recipe, so I'll go ahead and add it. The bread is best right out of the oven with lots of butter...hmm...butter seems to be a theme in these recipes.

3 cups sugar
1 cup butter (or margarine, oleo as some call it)
4 eggs
1 lb can pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking pwoder
1 tsp nutmegg
" allspice
" cinnamon
" cloves

Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. In the dry ingredient bowl, use mixer and add a little pumpkin mixture, then a little water, repeat a little at a time until all ingredients are mixed. Pour into loaf pans, but the best is empty tin coffee cans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Lemoine Family Tea Cakes

I'm pretty sure this was my Granny Grace's recipe, correct me if I'm wrong, Mom. This is probably Ray's favorite cookie.

Cream together:
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
Large spoon vanilla-1 tsp plus 1/2

Seperate bowl:
5 c. flour
Tsp baking powder

Combine ingredients, and refrigerate 1 hour. Roll to 1/4 inch and cut with small cup or biscuit cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Disgustingly Rich Brownies

This is another recipe from the cookbook. Unlike the cookie recipe, which I've made lots, this one I've only tried once. They were way too addictive and have way too much butter to make very much. They are really good and super-rich!

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cubes (1 cup) butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bowl
8 or 9-inch square baking pan

1. Smear the inside of an 8 or 9-inch baking pan with shortening. (or just spray PAM)
2. Melt the butter over a low heat. Watch it. It's easy to burn.
3. In your mixing bowl, stir the cocoa and sugar together. Then stir in the melted butter.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir again.
5. Now add the flour and salt, and mix just until smooth. Not too much. (If you're adding walnuts, now's the time.)

Cooking:
1. Scrape the mixture out into the greased pan and spread out into and even layer.
2. Bake in a 350-degree oven until the brownies just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan (or until you can stick a toothpick in and pull it out with no batter sticking to it). Takes about 40 to 50 minutes.
3. The hardest part. Let cool for a while before cutting.

Darrell's "Forget-the-Cookies-Just-Give-Me-That-Batter" Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This is my favorite cookie! It is in a Klutz cookbook I probably got when I was 10. There's little pictures of the ingredients in the book, but other than that, I'll copy it word for word. It's really funny how many compliments this recipe has gotten when it came from a kiddie book.

1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/8 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 bag (6 ox.) chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
Small bowl
Mixing bowl
Cookie Sheet
Spatula

1. Turn your oven on to 375 degrees
2. In the small pan, melt the butter. While it's hot, add both sugars. Stir, then let cool a bit.
3. While the butter mixture is cooling, mix the flour, soda, and salt in the mixing bowl.
4. In the small bowl, beat the egg lightly with a fork, then add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture. Stir.
5. Now add the butter, egg, and vanilla to the flour mixture in the mixing bowl. Stir again, then add chocolate chips and nuts if you want them.
6. Stir everything until it's all mixed up well and put the bowl in the refrigerator to cool for about an hour.

Cooking:
1. When time's up, get your cookie sheet--don't grease it. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, put them on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Don't Overcook! You want your cookies to be moist and chewy. Take them off the cookie sheet carefully with your spatula and let them cool. Yum!

A few notes, on this one...make sure the butter and sugar mixture is very cool before mixing everything together or you chocolate chips will melt in it. I rarely put it in the fridge to cool for an hour. I usually grease the pan, and be very careful about the timing. It seems to be very particular on this recipe. Too much and they're hard, too little, and they are fall apart gooey.

Cheating chicken and sausage gumbo

It would take my Mom an entire afternoon to make a gumbo, but it's really hard to find time to stir a roux for 20 mins. with two kids running around. The first time I made a roux, I had just gotten it right and a fly flew in it. It seared it's wings off immediately. The next time I made a roux, I splashed it on my face and had a scar on my cheek for months. Be careful!

1 jar Savoie's Dark Roux
1 Rotisserie chicken (Honey jalapeno is interesting)
1 lb. package smoked sausage
2 lb. fresh pork sausage (They do NOT have good cajun sausage in Texas, or if they do I have not found it...the closest substitution is HEB's Cayenne sausage. Be careful though, this stuff is so spicy you won't have to season the gumbo at all.)
2 bell peppers
2-3 onions
Tony Chacherie's Cajun seasoning
2 Bay leaves

First, you make the roux...not really, you just empty it into a heavy bottom pot. The whole jar will make 1 huge gumbo or a really stout regular. It's very rich, so you might not want to use the whole jar. Be careful to reconstitute it. It seperates in the jar. Cut up the bell peppers and onions, but watch the roux, it takes it a little while to get hot, but be careful not to burn it. It's ready when it becomes smooth and easy to stir. Add your vegetables and saute. While, you're doing this, cook your fresh sausage in a skillet. When vegetables are soft, add water, as much as you think you need, but probably at least 8 cups. Cut up the cooked sausage and smoked and add to the pot. Seperate the meat of the chicken into small strips and add to the pot. Add your bay leaves and wait a big to taste the gumbo and then season. Let it cook as long as you want, at least 30 mins, but the longer the better. Serve with rice. It freezes well, which is good, because we can never eat that much!

Hamburger Pasta

This used to be the special on Wednesday nights and Semolinas. It was Ben's favorite so Mom started making it and then I just repeated after hers. There's lots of variations you can do. I like to add Bacon and Blue Cheese.

1 package Penne Pasta (Barilla Plus in yellow box is great)
1 lb. ground beef
Mustard and Mayo (Mayonesa with lime instead of lemon is much better)
Salt, Pepper, and/or McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning
Grated cheddar (about 1 cup)
Diced tomatoes (vine ripe best)
Shredded lettuce
Coarsely chopped onion

Brown ground beef with Montreal Steak seasoning, you can add the onion in if you like it cooked rather than crunchy, it also makes the onion sweeter. Boil pasta and drain. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and adjust ingredients to taste. Easy, huh? It's good for bringing meals to people, everyone likes hamburgers and it makes several meals.

Why am I up this late?

Well...I think it has something to do with my epilepsy meds. Anyhow...I've been wanting to keep track and share recipes and voila...there's this thing called the internet! Who would have thought of using THAT? Anyhow, good, easy recipes...and hopefully sharing them will motivate me to try new things rather than repeat old ones over and over.