30 Minute Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 pounds ground beef
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread

This recipe is from the Lil Luna (all things good) blog.  Of course I had no buttermilk or canola oil so I used veg oil and I made my own Buttermilk by adding 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice to my milk and left it sit for about 15 minutes.  This is a fresh, sweet, citrusy spin on zucchini bread!

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini
Glaze ingredients:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1 TB milk

Instructions

1. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then add oil and sugar until well blended. Add lemon juice, buttermilk, lemon zest to this mixture and blend all together.
3. Fold in zucchini until it is mixed well.
4. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend all together until well combined.
5. Pour batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
7. While still warm, make glaze and spoon over the bread. Let the glaze set up before cutting and serving.

BabababababANGIN' Blueberry Muffins! I finally found a recipe on Food Network.com  from a show called Sweet Dreams. These muffins not only deliver the bangin' blueberry flavor, they melt in your mouth!  This recipe is a must try!

Double Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
2 cups flour
1/2 cup of half and half
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin or line the cups with paper liners. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix. Add the eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix. In a shallow bowl, mash 3/4 cup of the blueberries with the back of a fork. Add to the batter and mix.

With the mixer running at low speed, add 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the half and half, and mix. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Fold in the remaining 1 3/4 cups whole blueberries by hand until well mixed. In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon. Use an ice-cream scoop or large spoon to fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over the muffins and bake until golden brown and risen, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan at least 30 minutes before turning out.

Sausage Potato Soup

I needed a new recipe for sausage and I was in the mood for soup.  I googled and found this. It is so simple and with the right sausage is really tasty!  I was worried about all the milk but it totally worked! This is a creamy soup made with Italian sausage and russet potatoes. Seasoned with parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• ½ pounds Bulk Italian Sausage, Cooked Until No Longer Pink
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 whole Onion, Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced Or Crushed
• 3 whole Medium Russet Potatoes
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Parsley
• 2-½ teaspoons Flour
• 4 cups Whole Milk

Preparation Instructions

1) Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until transparent. Add the garlic, potatoes, salt and pepper, and parsley and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the sausage.
2) Add the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk. Bring to a boil and simmer just until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Pierogis

This is an amazing and fun thing to do as a family with friends on a holiday. For us it was New Years Eve and we all got together to make homemade pierogies. Add some music, some drink and it was a fun night filled with laughter, family and friends and great food!

Pierogi:

Ingredients
Filling:

· 1 large red onion, chopped
· 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, to saute the onion
· 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
· 6 garlic chives, white and tender green parts only
· 3 tablespoons butter, for the mashed potatoes
· 1/4 cup milk
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dough:
· 2 eggs
· 1/4 cup water
· 1 tablespoon sour cream
· 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus some extra for the board and to adjust dough as needed
· Milk or water, as needed to moisten
· 1 or 2 eggs to make an egg wash to seal the pierogi
· 2 to 4 tablespoons butter, to saute the pierogi
· 1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Saute Sauce
A stick of butter
onions
garlic

Directions

Bring a pot of water to boil for the potatoes. Saute the onion in a small pan in 2 tablespoons of butter until translucent and set aside. Boil the potatoes until tender.

While the potatoes are boiling, begin the dough. Whisk together the eggs, 1/4 cup water and sour cream and pour into a small pitcher (or you can actually whisk them right in a container such as a 2-cup glass measuring vessel). Mound the flour in the center of a clean room-temperature work surface like a large wooden cutting board. Create a crater in the center of the mound. Pour enough of the egg mixture into the center to fill the crater. With a fork, gently begin to scramble the mixture within the confines of the crater, whilst integrating the flour from the sides of the crater as you carefully beat the egg mixture.

Once this first amount of the egg mixture is mostly mixed in, shore up the sides of the mound again with flour, maintaining the crater shape. Repeat the process with a second pour of egg mixture into the crater, and again until you have combined all the egg mixture. (Remember that making pasta is not an exact science. Depending on the flour, you may need more moisture to make the dough come together, in which case use a little extra milk or water. Conversely, if the dough is too wet, add a little more flour - but just enough to make it the right consistency. This is an acquired skill so be patient with yourself.) Start kneading the dough with your palms, allowing the warmth of your hands to impart elasticity to the dough. Knead for a count of about 400 strokes or until you feel you have created a cohesive mass. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes.

Return to the potatoes, drain, and mash them with the sauteed onion, chives, butter, milk, and salt and pepper, to taste. You can make your potato filling anyway you like, I also add sour cream and cheddar cheese. Set aside.

Work with 1/3 of the pasta dough at a time - keeping the balance wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Use a pasta machine to gradually roll each section of the pasta down, successively reducing the setting on the machine until it is at a thickness of 1/16th of an inch.

Cut 3-inch circles of pasta, I used a draft glass - it just so happened to be the perfect size! Spoon some of the mashed potatoes into the center and fold the filled circles into half moons, sealing the edges with egg wash and pressing shut carefully with the tines of a fork.

Bring a large shallow saute pan of water to a boil, and gently boil the pierogi in batches for 2 or 3 minutes, removing carefully to a utility platter with a wooden spoon. They will float when they are done.

The final step is to melt the butter in a large fry pan and saute the garlic and red onions for a few minutes until it is tender and imparts its flavor to the butter in the pan. Be careful not to burn either the butter or the garlic. Saute the pierogi in this garlic butter sauce and serve.

Meat and Potato Casserole

I have made this on several occasions and with a variety of veggies.  No matter how I do it, it is always a crowd pleaser! You just can not go wrong with a meat and potato meal!

Ingredients

• 4 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef (season while cooking)
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen green beans
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

• Toss potatoes with butter and salt; arrange on the bottom and up the sides of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle beef, beans and corn over potatoes. Combine the soup, milk, garlic powder, pepper, onion and 1/2 cup cheese; pour over beef mixture.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (1 cup) equals 374 calories, 19 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 71 mg cholesterol, 778 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 22 g protein.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is from my Aunt Sonin. She made it when we were visiting for Justins return from Afghanistan. It feeds a lot and is very very yummy!!!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

10 ServingsPrep: 30 min. Bake: 35 min.

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 5 cups diced cooked chicken
• 20 flour tortillas (6 inches), room temperature
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, water, onion powder, cumin,
• salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in chicken.
• Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll
• up and place seam side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking
• dishes. In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, milk and
• chilies; pour over enchiladas.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated
• through. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese

Sesame Noodles

Simple yummy goodness!

Simple Sesame Noodles

Prep Time:

 10 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 10 Minutes

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

 8

Ingredients

• 12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil
• 4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Preparation Instructions

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and toss.
Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy!

*Compliments of Pioneer Woman Cooking Blog

Broccoli Pad Thai

After tasting Mama Siri's awesome Pad Thai on a visit to North Carolina to visit my sister in law, I knew I couldn't wait till we went back down to eat this simple but yummy dish! This recipe is still a work in progress as I have combined four different recipes ... and I thank Thy Vong (a co-worker of mine) for helping acquire all the unique ingredients in this dish. They are easy to find at your local Asian market. It is fairly simple in that all you do is blanch the broccoli, boil the noodles, fry the egg, then make the sauce and combine it all. You can add chicken and other veggies to this recipe as well. You can double the sauce ingredients to make this extra flavorful - which is what I do.  The secret... is after you put the noodles in the sauce - turn off the heat and continue to toss the noodles occasionally until all the sauce is soaked up and then add the broccoli, eggs, scallions, and cilantro. YUM YUM!

Ingredients:

2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets (or any veggie mix)
1 package Linguine
2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Sauce: 

1/2 Cup water

1/4 Cup soy sauce 

1 Tablespoon sesame oil 

1 Tablespoons fish sauce (optional)

1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce (cayenne pepper and chili flakes will also work)

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1  Tablespoon Rice Vinegar

1  Teaspoon ground Ginger

1  Tablespoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

Optional Garnishes:
Sprouts
Scallions
1/4 Cup Cilantro
Chicken
More chili sauce or soy sauce to taste!

Directions:

1. Blanch broccoli in boiling salted water, drain, set aside.
2. Cook noodles in boiling salted water, drain, set aside.
3. Add the oils to a skillet and cook eggs, stirring constantly until scrambled, set aside.
4. Add water, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, ginger, chili-garlic sauce, garlic and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Turn off heat and add noodles, toss in the sauce occasionally until most of the sauce is absorbed.  Add broccoli and egg; toss to coat.  Add bean sprouts and top with 1/4 cup cilantro.

Chicken Spinach Pasta

I had chicken, spinach, and pasta. I googled a recipe and ended up with this yummy dish!  Even my "I don't like chicken" guys liked this one. Its a keeper!

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups uncooked medium pasta shells
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large portobello mushroom, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used 2 cups of fresh)
• 6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. 
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute the onion, mushroom and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk and broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Add the chicken, spinach, 3 tablespoons cheese, lemon juice, pepper and pepper flakes; heat through.
• Drain pasta; toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Facts1-1/2 cups equals 396 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 74 mg cholesterol, 337 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 40 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Home Made Bread

After my first attempt at homemade bread (which turned into a think glue paste...I apparently killed the yeast). I did some google investigations, pulled my grandmothers recipe and went hard at it again.  This was the result. I am so thrilled I have tackled another "I can't do that" moment in the kitchen! 

Ingredients:Serves: Yield:  2 loaves

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups water, warmed
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (Room temp)
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or 5 1/2 cups bread flour
(beaten egg and tablespoon of water for egg wash)

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the warm water and stir in salt/sugar/butter until dissolved.
2.  Add the flour, one cup at a time until dough comes together and chases the spoon around the bowl.
3.   Move to a floured surface and knead bread for about 5-10 minutes.
4.  Place bread in a large bowl sprayed with olive oil spray and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and place in(inactive/not hot) oven to rise for one hour or hour and a half, until dough has doubled in size.
5.  Move to lightly floured surface, punch down the bread and shape into buns, or put it into two loaf pans. Score the top with a sharp knife. Brush with egg wash. Let the dough rise for another half hour/hour. 

6.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 25/30 minutes. 

Note: To store this bread, wrap very tightly in several layers of foil, or put in a large Ziploc bag and seal. But, it's best warm and served the same day -- however putting chunks in the microwave for 10 seconds if it's a day old helps, too. 
ENJOY!

Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

Our non-cooking friend makes these for our gourmet parties and football parties. They are fun, easy and so damn good!

Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

1 pound ground Italian sausage (or regular pork or whatever appeals to you)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (original recipe used Parmesan)
1 pound jalapenos, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 green onion, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place sausage in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease. In a bowl, mix the sausage, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and green onion. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeno half. Arrange stuffed halves in a baking dish. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.


***Tips on seeding the jalapenos. 1) Wear gloves throughout the entire process, then remove right after so you don't transfer to sink faucet, cabinet handles, etc. 2) I love my little lemon zester tool for seeding but a small melon baller works great too. 3) As you half and seed the jalapenos, put into a bowl of continuous running water. This helps soften to bake better and removes some heat.***

CINNAMON ROLL SWIRL CAKE

I decided to try this yummy looking cake that has been seen all over Facebook lately. It was very yummy!

CINNAMON ROLL SWIRL CAKE

BATTER:
3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping:
1 cup butter, soft to the point of almost melted*
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together except for the butter.
Once mixed; slowly pour in the butter. Stir into batter.
Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Glaze:
2 cup powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

While the cake is warm ~ drizzle the glaze over the cake. *This cake is outta this world!!!!!!*