Pineapple Curry

I see that some die-hard out there has been looking at this blog and maybe hoping for a new recipe.  So here's a good one:

PINEAPPLE CURRY

1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. red curry paste
3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut in about 1/4-inch slices
1/2 small onion, peeled and sliced from "pole to pole" [that's how cooking people say it; slice from root-end to top—or the other way around :-)]
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1/2 - 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
2 Tbsp. pineapple juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
salt to taste
1/2 can (a 20 oz. can) pineapple chunks, drained [use this juice for your 2 Tbsp.—above]
kaffir lime leaves, shredded [I've not found any of these yet, but the recipe is good without them]
fresh basil leaves (optional)

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok.
2. Saute the curry paste until foamy.
3. Add the chicken and brown in the curry paste.
4. Stir in the onions and peppers and saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and bamboo shoots; cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
6. In a small bowl, mix the pineapple juice and flour together to make a thin paste.  Add to the pan and stir to thicken the sauce.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Stir in the pineapple and lime leaves and/or basil leaves.  Cook until pineapple is heated through.
9. Serve hot over rice. [I like Jasmine rice.]

This would look really cool served in pineapple boats! (Which would be awesome for a dinner date, but would make a HUGE meal for each person.)

• Slice a pineapple in half lengthwise, splitting the leaves as well so there are some attached to each half. 
• Scoop out the pineapple with a sturdy spoon leaving a 1/2-inch shell. 
• Set the pineapple aside to use another time (freezing it for pineapple smoothies come to mind).
• Place the pineapple shells hollow-side-down to drain while the rice and curry are cooking.
• When the food is all cooked, place each pineapple shell on a plate (hollow-side-up this time!). 
• Scoop some rice into each shell, then top with the pineapple curry.
• Garnish the plate with edible flowers or those little paper umbrellas or something.

Nice!

  

Chicken Supreme

This is the "honey-mustard" chicken that Boom—or was it Brian?—so astutely recognized as a curry recipe. Good stuff!

CHICKEN SUPREME

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder
3 lb. chicken pieces (I prefer skinless)
1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Mix together the butter, mustard, honey, salt and curry powder in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
3.  Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, turning to coat.
4.  Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, basting with sauce frequently, and turning over once after 30 minutes.

Or you can grill the chicken instead of baking, but then you won't have the extra sauce to put on top when you serve it. It's good either way.

I like it served with rice. :-)

Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry

For Kate-Bob:

BEEF & BROCCOLI
serves 4

4 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ginger
dash crushed red pepper
1 lb. thinly sliced beef
1 cup broccoli florets (I actually don't measure—I probably add more veggies than the recipe says)
1 large carrot, peeled and diagonally sliced
1/3 cup sliced water chestnuts
about 15 sugar-snap peas
4 green onions, diagonally sliced
1-2 tsp. cooking oil

1.  In a medium bowl, mix water, oyster sauce, cornstarchm, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper.
2.  Slice the beef into 1/4-inch by 2-inch strips.
3.  Add the beef to the soy sauce mixture and stir well. Let it marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
4.  Heat oil in a medium frying pan or wok.
5.  Remove beef from suace and add it to the pan; stir to brown on all sides.
6.  Add broccoli, carrots and peas; stir, then cover and let simmer about 2 minutes.
7.  Add remaining sauce (if any), water chestnuts and green onions; cook until hot.
8.  Serve with hot rice.

Tuna Casserole Supreme

I know. You're thinking, "How good can tuna casserole be?"
I know you're thinking this because I know that tuna casserole is THE default, can't-think-of-anything-else-to-make, last-minute dinner. A couple cans of cream-of-something soup, a couple cans of tuna and Voila! Dinner.

And that's how Bruce feels about it. He politely eats just enough to keep from starving.

But today I did something different; and Bruce said that I "transformed it from the last-minute, gotta-eat-something meal, to something [he'd] order at a restaurant and be glad that [he] did." High praise! And he said I'd better write what I did to make it before I forget. (He came up with the swell name, too.)

So here it is:

TUNA CASSEROLE SUPREME

1 1/4 lb. of your favorite pasta [I like penne]

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup can-milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cans tuna packed in water, drained, but reserve the liquid—you'll be using it .
6 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
2-3 oz. American cheese, finely diced
salt and pepper, to taste
dash Bon Appetit seasoning

1 cup Panko crumbs
onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1-2 Tbsp. butter

Put the pasta water on to boil after you chop the veggies, but before you cook the sauce. :-)

In a large skillet, melt 3 Tbsp. butter.

Add the chopped onion, chopped celery and 1/2 tsp. salt to the melted butter. Turn heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent—5-8 minutes.
Add flour to onion mixture and stir until it's all moistened up with the butter and veggies.
Stir in the can-milk and the milk. Turn heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens up.
[Is your water boiling yet? If so, add the pasta—and keep an eye on it . . . who likes mushy pasta?]
Whisk the cream-of mushroom soup and the water from the cans of tuna into the sauce [don't whisk it into your boiling pasta!].
Whisk the sour cream into the sauce.
At this point I got out the hand-blender—because my kids won't eat anything that has the appearance of little veggie pieces in it—and I blend it until it's smooth. But this step is totally optional!
Stir in the tuna.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Bon Appetit seasoning.
Add the cheese and stir until just melted, then remove from heat.
Now you can set it aside while you wait for the pasta to finish cooking.

Drain the cooked pasta and then put it into a LARGE baking dish.
Stir the sauce into the pasta.

Put the Panko crumbs into a separate, smallish bowl. Sprinkle them with onion powder and about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. of salt.
Dollop the 2 Tbsp. butter onto the crumbs and work it into them with your fingers. You don't want to see any big pieces of butter.
Sprinkle seasoned crumbs on top of the casserole.
Bake at 325 for about 10-15 minutes, or until crumbs turn golden-brown. OR you could just stick it under the broiler until the crumbs look nice.

Serve it up hot! Mmmm—mmm good!

Better Than Fried Chicken

OK. I have to admit that I am on a healthy, light-cooking kick. This is nothing new; I've been doing this kind of thing for years. But, aside from that, deep-frying anything is a big, total pain—especially chicken (which never seems to get cooked all the way through). And this is a really good recipe. I'm sure it would work beautifully with fish, too.

Use four split chicken breasts, or a whole, cut up chicken. If the breasts are big I will often cut them in half. Absolutely use the Panko crumbs—they give it a nicer texture than regular, fine bread-crumbs. [You can find them in the bulk-bins at WinCo. I've also seen them in boxes in the Asian food aisle at other stores.]

OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

1 whole chicken [see note, above]
3 large egg whites
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. garlic
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 oz. panko bread crumbs
2 oz. dry wheat bread crumbs
a dash or two of Season-All (optional)
2 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425.
Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray.
Mix the egg whites, Dijon mustard, thyme, garlic and cayenne pepper together in a shallow bowl.
Mix the panko crumbs, wheat bread crumbs, Season-All and vegetable oil together in a shallow dish.With your left hand, dip a chicken piece into the egg mixture.
With your right hand, dip the eggy chicken piece into the crumbs, pressing to make sure they stick.
Put the piece on the prepared rack, and repeat the process with the rest of the chicken pieces.
Spray the tops of the chicken pieces with cooking spray.
Bake until golden-brown and the meat is no longer pink, about 50-60 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Brasilian (?) Salmon

Here's the salmon recipe Bruce mentioned. I don't know if it's authentic Brasilian—it's just a recipe I found on the web. It is the only "Brasilian salmon" recipe I found on the web, and it is exactly the same on every site. But, authentic or not, it is really good!

SALMON BAKED WITH BRASILIAN RUB

4 salmon fillets, 5 to 6 oz each
zest of 1/2 large orange
juice of 1/2 large orange
juice of 1/2 large lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a shallow dish large enough to hold the salmon, combine the juices, salt and pepper. Add the salmon, turning to coat with the marinade. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, turning the fillets once.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil and grease with a little of the melted butter.
In a small dish, combine the orange zest, brown sugar, chili powder and minced garlic. Rub the marinated salmon with the brown sugar mixture. Place fish in the pan, and drizzle with the remaining melted butter.
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. (If you're using a whole fillet, it needs to cook longer, maybe 20 to 30 minutes.)

I bet this would be yummy on other kinds of fishies, too!

Easter Sunday

We just had Easter; and so, naturally, food was a big deal on Sunday. Well, OK, food is always a big deal to me, a big-time foodie.

Anyway, we started the day with a delicious, raspberry-filled coffeecake. Then, after church, we had a simple meal of scrambled eggs and toast for lunch.

A humble dish of scrambled eggs. This is what happens when you dye the eggs before you cook them!

And for dinner we had a . . . non-traditional Easter meal: an excellent pot of Feijoada (Brasilian black beans), served with Farofa and rice, cucumber salad, a tossed green salad, and a lovely salmon fillet, seasoned with an orange-zest rub. It was truly a most excellent meal. So, for your culinary delight, I'll give you the recipe for the Feijoada.

I grew up eating "Rice and Beans," made by my Brasilian mother. She used to tell us that in Brasil they would serve it with every dinner. She also told us—almost every time that we ate it—that the rice with the beans make a complete protein. Hmm; ok. All I know is that it's probably my favorite meal; it is comfort food to me.

All right, here is the recipe:

FEIJOADA

1 lb. black beans, rinsed, with the little rocks and yucky-looking beans picked out
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1-2 good-size smoked ham-hocks or ham-shanks
1 stick (about 6-inches long) of pepperoni [optional—but I always use them]
1 red-wine sausage link (about 6-7 inches long), sliced [actually, this is the first time I used one of these in my beans, and it was fabulous!]
dried onion, to taste [probably about 1-2 Tbsp.]
garlic powder—a few dashes
1/8 tsp. baking soda
salt, to taste

In the evening—the night before you want to eat the beans—clean them, rinse them and put them in a large pot. Cover them with water, so the water-level is two to three inches above the beans. Stir in 1/8 tsp. baking soda, put a lid on the pot and go to bed.
In the morning, drain the beans in a colander and rinse them with clean water. Rinse the pot too.
Put the beans back into the pot and cover with water the same as before (about 2-3 inches above the beans). Put your ham-hocks/shanks down into the beans; add the dried onion and garlic. Stir in the other 1/8 tsp. baking soda. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low; cover and let it simmer for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally and periodically making sure there's still some water in there.
After 3-4 hours, remove the ham. Remove the meat from the bones and return it (meat, not bones) to the pot of beans. If you're using a ham-hock, discard the skin along with the bones. [Actually, Mom leaves the skin in her beans—she thinks it's yummy. I heartily disagree.]
If you're using it, slice the pepperoni stick into thin slices and add them to the pot. Add the browned sausages slices to the pot, too. Continue to cook for another hour or two—until the beans are tender enough. Taste it. Add salt, if needed.
Serve hot, over hot rice. With lemon or lime juice, and nice salads on the side. Yummy!

It Really IS Spring!

Trees budding, changeable weather, tulips popping up, grass greening—it is springtime! So, naturally, this is the time for Pasta Primavera (which literally means Springtime Pasta). This recipe has nothing to do with the big party last week. It's just a really yummy, family-favorite around here—even the kids love it. And that's saying something!

PASTA PRIMAVERA

3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 lb. asparagus, tough ends snapped off
1 small zucchini, diced
1/4 cup slivered ham
1-2 small carrots, sliced thinly
1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry basil
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. linguine or fettucine, cooked according to package directions

Slice the asparagus diagonally, in 1-inch slices, leaving the tips whole.
Melt butter in a large saute pan; add asparagus, zucchini, ham, carrots and mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes, uncovered; then cover and cook 3 more minutes. Add the salt, basil, nutmeg and peas; toss to combine. Pour heavy cream into pan and let cook until large, shiny bubbles appear on surface.
Toss vegetable mixture with pasta; add half of the Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Serve hot and pass the remaining Parmesan.
Delish!

I think this would be good with some shrimp tossed into the sauce, too. I'll have to try that out some time (although, then my kids probably wouldn't like it so much.)

Garlic Chicken and Parslied Potatoes

Last night was our ward's Relief Society birthday social. The menu was fantastic, and received rave reviews.

The Garlic Chicken was excellent! A dish of tender chicken breasts, subtly seasoned with herbs, and served with a sauce that’s a garlic-lover’s dream. This recipe will fill your home—and maybe your neighbor’s—with an irresistible aroma. As a matter of fact, a friend came over to my house yesterday the afternoon to deliver some potatoes for the dinner, and she said as soon as she opened her car door she could smell the good things cooking inside the house.

Don't let the amount of garlic deter you. This dish really is superb! [If you don't believe me, you can ask Marian. ;-) ]

CHICKEN WITH GARLIC SAUCE

2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. sage
1 1/2 tsp. rosemary
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 (6-oz.) boneless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp. olive oil
20 garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. soft butter mixed with 1 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. Italian parsley (optional—for garnish)

Preheat oven to 325°. Combine flour, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper on a plate. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess flour. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a large sauté pan set on medium-high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking dish.
Add the remaining olive oil to the sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat until sizzling, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and onion and cook until the onion softens and the garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Pour the wine into the saute pan and cook until reduced by half. Add the chicken stock and boil until reduced by half, about 7-8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter-flour mixture, stirring until it has melted completely. Return the pan to the heat and boil for a minute, until the sauce thickens.
Spoon sauce over chicken breasts, and bake for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken topped with sauce and garnish with Italian parsley.

And the perfect compliment to this savory chicken dish is the subtle flavor of Parslied Potatoes. These yummy potatoes take less than an hour to make, from start to finish, and they go good with just about anything!

PARSLIED POTATOES

3 lbs. small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into about 1-inch cubes (think potato salad)
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper, freshly ground
dash paprika (optional)
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped parsley

Absolutely dice the potatoes before you cook them! (This way the skins won't shred off while you are trying to chop them up.)
Put the potato cubes into a large pot; put in the bouillon cubes and add water to cover it all (about 7 cups water). Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender. [Check them after 10 minutes, and then about every 5 minutes or so after that until they are done.] Scoop out 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid; set it aside.
Drain the potatoes in a colander. Put the butter, reserved cooking liquid, salt, dash pepper and paprika into the cooking pot. Stir until the butter is melted, then return the potatoes to the pot. Add the parsley and toss gently until potatoes are covered with the other ingredients.
Serve and enjoy . . . with anything!

Coming up next . . . the fabulous dessert-bar recipes!

Name This Recipe

Last night was one of those busy nights when I didn't have any dinner plan and didn't have a lot of time to make dinner either. So I looked around the kitchen and came up with a pretty tasty meal--even the kids really liked it! But what would you call this dish?

NAME THIS RECIPE

1 lb. spaghetti
1 pkg. (12-16 oz.) breakfast sausage
1/2 -1 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
1/2 large white onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
thyme, to taste
oregano, to taste
lemon pepper, to taste
a few handfuls of fresh spinach
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
feta cheese, crumbled

Put a pot of water to boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
While the spaghetti is cooking, brown the sausage in a large frying pan. Add the fennel seed to the sausage while it is browning. When the sausage is mostly cooked add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are limp. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano and lemon pepper; cook for a minute or so. Add spinach and cook until it's wilted. Stir in the tomatoes and remove from heat.
By now the pasta should be all cooked. Drain it, then return it to the pot and stir in the sausage mixture and about half of the feta cheese. Add salt, to taste. Top with remaining feta cheese and serve immediately.

Pretty darn good, but what would you call this?

Cheddar Chowder

I suppose if I'm going to gripe about whether or not people read this blog, then I ought to at least post something to read once in a while. So here's a recipe that's a family favorite--I mean everyone in my family likes it!
No, I take that back. Kaylie refuses to eat anything that's called "soup" (or anything like unto it). But I bet she'd like it if she'd actually taste it. :-)

CHEDDAR CHOWDER

1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
2 cups diced potatoes
water
chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup flour
2-3 cups milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (sometimes I throw in a pinch of pepper-jack, just for kicks)
1 cup diced ham

Put onions, celery, carrots and potatoes into a big soup pot. Measure in enough water just to cover the veggies (probably 3-4 cups). Add one bouillon cube per cup of water you've put in. [Oh no! Did you forget to MEASURE the water? :) ] Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are tender.
In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and flour. Add to the soup and mix in thoroughly. Then add the milk and stir until smooth [well, actually it's kind of chunky because of the vegetables; oh well]. Add cheese and ham and stir until cheese is completely melted. Serve right away. Preferably with hot bread--in fact, this soup is just the right kind to put into bread bowls--Yum!

Veggie Lasagna

Yesterday was Bruce's birthday; he is 40 (and better than ever!). We had a surprise dinner party--and, yes, he really was surprised! (Thanks, Family!) Once again, I used a house full of guests as guinea pigs to try out a new recipe; a vegetable lasagna, this time. The lasagna got praised all over the place, so here is the recipe. Well, I didn't have a sauce recipe--I just kind of made up my own, but I'll do my best to give you something.

And now, here is the recipe:

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Sauce:
1 tsp. olive oil
salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes

left-over roast beef, a piece about half the size of your fist should do it (optional, but it makes a yummy sauce)

1 cup chicken broth
about 2 Tbsp. basil, or to taste
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. oregano (optional)
other herbs (thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, etc.) to taste (optional)
1 bay leaf
2-3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 can black olives, drained

Cheese Filling:
1 lb. fat free ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded reduced-fat mozarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
black pepper
nutmeg

Veggie Filling:
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
2 tsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. zucchini, slice 1/4-inch thick
1 (10 oz.) package broccoli florets, thawed to room temperature

Lasagna:
*12 no-boil lasagna noodles (look for Ronzoni or Barilla)--about an 8-oz. package

*I made my lasagna the day before I baked it, but I think the noodles absorbed too much liquid by the time they'd sat in the sauce overnight and then baked for two hours. (Yes, two hours--I made a double-sized lasagna, and it needed more time to cook after being completely refrigerated. For a regular-sized one [like this recipe], I'd cook it for about 1 hour and 15 minutes after it's been refrigerated.) Anyway, if you want to prepare your lasagna a day ahead I would recommend using regular noodles. Boil them for about 9 minutes and drain them well before you assemble the lasagna. Refrigerate over-night and don't forget to cook it longer than 45 minutes. :-)

Sauce: Combine olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and onion in a large sauce-pot and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook about 30 seconds. Add one can of tomatoes; squish the tomatoes with a potato-masher. Blend or process the other can of tomatoes until almost smooth; add to the sauce. Add the roast beef, chicken broth, basil, bay leaf and any other herbs. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender enough to shred with a fork; 3-4 hours. Remove the beef from the pot, shred it and return it to the pot. Remove the bay leaf. Add the tomato paste, stirring until it's completely blended in. If the sauce has reduced a lot, add some tomato sauce to it. Stir in the olives.

Cheese Filling: Mix the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg together until thoroughly combined. [I find that this is easiest to do if you just stick your hands right in it and mix it like you would do cookie dough.]

Veggie Filling: Combine mushrooms, 1 tsp. olive oil and 1/4 tsp. salt in a large, non-stick skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 8 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook until all of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl; set aside.

Add the remaining teaspoon olive oil to the skillet and return to high heat until just smoking. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl; set aside.

Squeeze as much liquid out of the broccoli as you possibly can. Chop into small pieces; set aside.

To Assemble and Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Pour about 1 1/2 cups sauce into the bottom of the pan. Lay 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, spaced evenly apart. Put about 1/3 cup cheese filling on each noodle and spread evenly over the noodles [I use my fingers to spread it around--easier.] Scatter the mushrooms evenly over the cheese filling, then spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the mushrooms. Repeat this layering two more times, substituting the broccoli and the zucchini for the mushrooms. (Each vegetable has its own layer.)

Lay the last three noodles on the top; spread the remaining sauce evenly over the noodles, making sure to cover the edges. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozarella cheese over the top.

Spray a piece of foil with cooking-spray and cover the lasagna tightly. Place the pan on top of a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any stuff that spills over) and *bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Delicious!

Fish Soup

Well, this recipe was originally called "Pacific Stew Pot," which sounds a lot nicer. But in our house it just evolved into "Fish Soup."

If you're not a seafood lover, skip over this one. But if you do like seafood, then this is delectable. Not only that, but it has no added fat, it probably does have those fabulous omega-3 fatty acids (from the fish) that you're always hearing about, and it fits into most diets--including low-carb diets. And it's soup! Can't get much better than that! ;-)

FISH SOUP

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup water
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 cup water
*1/2 lb. white fish (like cod, tilapia or roughy), cut into bite-size pieces
*1/2 lb. medium (raw) shrimp, peeled
*1/3 lb. scallops (bay scallops, or you can get sea scallops and cut them into bite-size pieces)

*You could substitute any seafood you like, I'd imagine. Or skip some that you don't like and add something else. You could be daring and add octopus, or squid, or frog's legs, I suppose. That's the fun of cooking. :-)

Bring the onion and celery and 1 cup water to a boil; simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire, salt, curry powder and remaining 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Add seafood and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until seafood is cooked through. [Don't overcook the seafood or it will be tough. Yuck!]

I like to serve this soup over a scoop of hot rice. But I suppose that would blow the low-carb thing, wouldn't it?

Savory Shell Soup

This cooler weather means it's soup time again! Yea!! Well actually I eat soup all year round, even in the hottest weather because I love soup. It's easy to make, it's delicious and it tastes even better as left-overs. What's not to love? And this recipe is a favorite of all my kids—which even makes it more lovable.

SAVORY SHELL SOUP

1 lb. beef, cut into bite-size pieces (DON'T use hamburger! Yuck!)
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. marjoram
1 celery rib, sliced
6 cubes or 6 tsp. beef bouillon
10 cups water
2 medium potatoes, diced
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 1/4 cups shell pasta, uncooked

In a 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil; add the meat and cook over medium-high heat until browned. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and marjoram over the meat and stir. Pour the water over the mixture and bring to a boil. Add the bouillon to the soup and stir until dissolved. Add the celery; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Adjust the heat to bring soup back to a full boil. Add potatoes, carrots and shells and cook over medium-high heat until pasta is completely cooked and veggies are tender.

Serve with fresh, hot bread. Mmm-mmm good!

Beef & Spinach Pitas

It's about time I posted a new recipe. But what do you cook in the summertime, when all the world is way too hot? First I thought of posting my favorite cookie recipe, but who wants to bake? Then I thought of some no-cooking-at-all type of recipe, but I don't seem to have any of those. So I flipped through my cookbook and came across this recipe. Just a little time at the stove and, voila! A tasty dinner!
Of course when I decided to post this recipe Bruce said we should have it today. Nice! I don't have to figure out what to make for dinner. But I am going to make my own pitas--that kind of defeats the no-baking thing.

BEEF & SPINACH PITAS

whole wheat pitas, cut in half
or you could use those really yummy, Greek flat-breads--the thick, puffy ones, not the thin Flat-Out wraps. Don't cut them in half (unless you're feeding a two-year-old, in which case you might not want to put the filling in them either). Just wrap the filling up--like a taco. That's what I would do!

FILLING:
1 lb. lean ground beef
salt, pepper and garlic to taste
1 tsp. lemon pepper
dried thyme, to taste
dried oregano, to taste
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed (sqeeze as much moisture from spinach as possible)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 can (15 oz.) black olives, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
SAUCE:
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt (you can just use 1/2 cup of sour cream if you don't have plain yogurt, but that's not very Greek. Of course, I don't think Miracle Whip is very Greek either)
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
dash dried thyme
dash dried oregano
salt to taste
dash red wine vinegar
TOPPINGS:
diced red onion
diced Roma tomatoes
cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
sweet bell peppers, diced (optional)

For the Filling: In a large skillet brown the ground beef until crumbly, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and garlic. Drain extra fat from beef; add lemon pepper thyme and oregano; stir well. Add spinach, green onions, and olives. Stir in tomatoes [the drained, canned tomatoes--not the Romas!].

To make the Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend with a magic wand until smooth. A magic wand? That's what my mom calls a hand-blender. If you don’t have a hand-blender, drive to the store, purchase a hand-blender, and then blend until smooth. Or you could just use a real blender or a food processor.

Make the Sandwiches: Split pita breads open; line insides with a lettuce leaf. Stir cheese into beef mixture and divide filling evenly among pita pockets. Top with a dollop of sauce, and chopped veggies, to taste. Serve immediately. [Actually I let my family assemble their own sandwiches at the table. I'm not sure if this is easier on me or not]

Yummy!

Chicken Supreme

When Michael, my oldest son, was eight years old he became very interested in cooking. Unfortunately that has waned a little, although he does make the best grilled-cheese sandwiches in the house. When he was eight we found this recipe in the Friend Magazine; Michael made it with minimal help from Mom. And everyone liked it! Yea!

CHICKEN SUPREME

3 lbs. chicken pieces
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder

In a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, mix all ingredients except for the chicken. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, turning pieces and basting every 15 minutes.

This is also great cooked on the grill. Marinate it in the honey-mustard sauce for at least 30 minutes. Then cook it on the grill until done all the way through.

Supreme!