Recipes by Karen T.:
Ravioli and Sugar Snap Peas
1 pkg frozen cheese ravioli
1 bag froz sugar snap peas
1 pkg pre-sliced mushrooms
3 tbl butter
1 clove garlic, mixed
grated parmesan cheese
Cook ravioli according to package directions. Cook the peas in the microwave for HALF the time indicated on the package.
Melt butter in large frying pan, add garlic and mushrooms, cook until just tender. Add the half cooked peas, turn off heat. Add cooked ravioli, toss all ingredients to mix. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese to
taste. (the freshly grated "real" kind really makes this special)
Pasta Rosa and Chicken
1 16 oz pkg pasta--bow ties, ziti, med shells or curlies work well
1/2-1 lb chicken breasts, cooked, cut into cubes
1 package McCormick or Knorr Swiss Pasta Rosa sauce mix.
grated Parmesian Cheese
Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce mix. (NOTE: sauce mix says it is for 4 oz of pasta, ignore this!)
Drain pasta when done. In large bowl, toss pasta, chicken and sauce together. Serve immediately. Garnish with grated Parmesian cheese--freshly grated cheese makes this dish heavenly!
Other good combinations:
spinach fettucine, alfredo sauce mix and a package of frozen mixed vegetables--I use Birdseye Farm Fresh mixtures--just add the frozen vegetables to the last five minutes of cooking the pasta, drain together and toss with sauce.
gemelli or bowtie pasta, aspargus tips and ham with alfredo sauce
gemelli pasta or bowtie pasta, asparagus tips and shrimp with newburg sauce
Blueberry Cake
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup margerine
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries
Measure dry ingredients and mix together in a bowl. In seperate bowl, cream together the egg, sugar and margarine. Add the flour and milk, alternating.
When all is mixed, stir in the blueberries.
Bake at 375 in a greased, 8X8 pan. (OR, double the recipe, and bake it in a bundt cake)
I sprinkled the top with sugar before baking. You can also add a crumb topping like for a coffee cake!
Sweet Tea
To make a gallon:
6 cups cold water
3 cups sugar (too sweet for me, I cut down)
Mix sugar in cold water until dissolved.
6 cup boiling water
10 tea bags (I use half decaf)
Steep tea bags in water until lukewarm. Mix with sugar water and refrigerate.
Poor Man's Shepherd Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 bag frozen french style green beans, thawed
1 can tomato soup
1 package corn muffin mix (the cheap envelopes you can buy 5 for $1)
Brown the beef, drain any grease. Stir in the can of soup, along with one half can of water. I season with a dash or two of worchestershire sauce, some pepper and sometimes a tablespoon or two of catsup.
Pour into a greased 2 guart casserole mix. Prepare the corn muffin mix as directed on package, and spoon over the ground beef mixture.
bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until corn bread is lightly browned and gravy mixture is bubbling around the edges.
For a change, you can top with leftover mashed potatoes, but the cornbread is what is really delicious!
Lori's Cranberry Salad
1 5 1/2 oz can crushed pineapple
1 small box cherry or cranberry jello
3-4 red apples
2 cups cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup nuts
1 cup hot water
grind apples and cranberries, add nuts and drained pineapple.
Disslove jello in hot water. combine all with sugar.
Refrigerate until solid.
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
1 9 in pie crust
4 large eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
6 tbl butter or marg, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 tbl flour
1 tbl vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate morsels
Whisk together eggs and next 7 ingredients until mixture is smooth, stir in pecans and morsels. Pour into piecrust.
Bake on lowest oven rack at 350 for 1 hour or until set.
Pumpkin Walnut Date Pie
1 cup flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled
1 cup canned solid packed pumpkin
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tps cloves
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350. In work bowl or food processor, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar and butter. Process until mixture resemble coarse meal. Press evenly onto bottom and sides of a nine-inch pie plate. Prick bottom several times with a fork. Bake five minutes and remove from the oven. Increase oven temp to 375
In medium bowl, combine pumpkin, egs, milk, remaining 2/3 cup sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Stir in dates and walnuts, pour into prepared crust. Place pie on cookie sheet and bake 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely. Serve topped with whipped cream.
Karen's Turkey Casserole
2 cups turkey, cut in bite sized pieces
1 9 oz package of frozen chopped broccoli or spinach, thawed and drained.
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups leftover stuffing, or 1 package of Stove-top stuffing
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer the turkey across the bottom of the dish, and spread sour cream over the turkey layer. Layer the vegetable, then top with stuffing. Combine the soup and milk and pour over all of the layers. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly around the edges.
Broccoli Salad
I make this salad by eye, but I do have the proportions for the dressing, it is 1 cup mayo, 1/2 cup cider vinegar and 1/4 cup sugar.
When I make it, I use broccoli, shredded monterey jack cheese, chopped vidalia onion and bacon!! Yum but very fattening!
Tomato Cucumber Salad
Use either cherry tomatoes cut in half, or regular tomatoes cut in big chunks, along with cucumbers either sliced or chunked, whichever you prefer. I sometimes add some sweet onion chopped, For a dressing, I can't give amounts, but it is a good swirl of olive oil, some cider vinegar, a tad of water, and season with a sprinkle of sugar, salt and pepper and oregano to taste. This one does taste better if it sits for awhile.
Grandma Dot's Scalloped Tomato Casserole
1 large can of stewed tomatoes (or plain canned tomatoes if you prefer)
3-4 slices stale bread--leave it out overnight
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar or brown sugar
Butter a 9 X 13 baking pan. Empty can of tomatoes (juice and all) into pan.
Dampen slices of stale bread with water, and mix into tomatoes and liquid--I
use my hands to squish them together. Add salt & pepper to taste and
sprinkle with sugar or brown sugar. Bake at 350 for about 35 min or until
bubbly and brown around the edges.
Quick Personal Pizzas
You use a package of the Pillsbury GRAND biscuits for pizza dough--put them on a lightly greased cookie sheet and roll them out with a rolling in to about a 6 inch circle. I did this last night and let the kids put whatever toppings they wanted on their own. They were not bad--not really the same texture as pizza dough, but I made myself one with just mozzarella, parmesian cheese and broccoli with some garlic salt and it was pretty good.
Karen's Mexican Dip
1 can refried beans (size of can depends on the size of ser ving you are making--big platter, big can, etc)
1/4-1/2 envelope taco seasoning (season to taste)
Mix these two together and spread on a round platter for the first layer.
For the second layer, you can use plain sour cream, but I like to use guacamole, just because I love it any any excuse to serve it, you know!
The rest of the layers are, finely chopped lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese or monterey jack cheeseand slice olives. You could substitute green onions for the olives.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Sun-Dried Tomato Tortellini Salad
1 bag frozen or dried cheese tortellini, prepare as package directs, drain,
rinse with cold water.
Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes--if dehyrdrated, reconstitute with hot water first.
1 tsp basil
1 tsp minced garlic
Blend dressing ingredients in food processor until tomatoes are pureed into
mayonnaise. Toss tortellini with dressing, chill for at least 2 hrs.
Perfect side dish, may also add cubes of cooked chicken to make it a main
dish.
Meatless Chili Mac
1 TBSP Oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15 oz can chili beans
1 15 oz can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained1 8 oz can tomato sauce
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
2 cups of water
2 cups elbow pasta, UNCOOKED
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and garlic,
cook and stir until tender, about 3 min. Add remaining ingredients,
bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover. Simmer 15 min or until
liquid is absorbed and elbows are tender, stirring occasionally.
Garnish individual servings with sour cream.
Pork Chops in Sour Cream
4-6 loin pork chops
1/2 cup water
2 TBL brown sugar
2 tsp finely chopped onion
2 TBL catsup
1 garlic clove, minced
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 tsp instant bouillon
In a large skillet, brown pork chops. Add rest of ingredients, cover,
simmer 30-4- minutes or until tender. Remove chops to serving platter,
keep warm.
In a small bowl, combine 2 TBL flour with 1/4 cup flour, slowly add to
cooking liquid, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, stirring
constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream, heat thoroughly, do not boil
Serve sauce over chops.
Maple Baked Corned Beef Brisket
1 corned beef brisket (4-5 lbs)
1 cup maple syrup
Preheat oven to 300@. Place brisket and liquid from packaging in a
dutch oven. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 200@.
Cover and bake 4 hours. Drain liquid. Pour maple syrup over brisket.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, basting with syrup. Cut meat across
grain and arrange on plate. Pour syrup from dutch oven over meat.
Serve with mashed potatoes and boiled cabbage.
Honey Dressing for Spinach Salad
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey
5 tbl vinegar--white or cider
1 tbl lemon juice
1 tsp grated onion
1 cup salad oil
Mix dry ingredients, add honey, vinegar, lemon juice and onion. Pour
oil into mixture, beating constantly.