Green beans and mushrooms (Allrecipes)

 1 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths

matchstick carrots (4 carrots worth)

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion sliced

1 lb mushrooms sliced

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 cloves garlic minced

Cook or steam carrots and beans till tender but firm.  Saute onions and mushrooms and garlic till almost tender.  Reduce heat  Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in the rest.  Cook 5 minutes over medium heat.  

Chicken Shawarma from shred happens

 2.5 pounds boneless chicken thighs. Add 2 TBSP olive oil, 3-4 pinches salt, fresh cracked pepper, 2 Tbsp plain yogurt, juice of 1/2 large lemon, 1 Tbsp thyme1.5 Tbsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1/2 Tbsp Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes), 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Mix it up  well.  mix in 1/2 thinly sliced large red onion. Marinade 2 hours to overnight (best). Or make immediately. When ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temp (1/2 hour).  Preheat oven to 425. Pack the chicken tightly into a bread loaf pan.  Bake for 45-55 min. 

When done, tilt the loaf pan over a bowl to save the juices. Flip the chicken onto a cutting board in slice into strips. Keeps in fridge for 4-5 days. 

French Onion Soup

 5 lbs peeled onions

1 1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 c flour

3 quarts beef bouillon (96 oz)

1/2 c butter

2 T paprika 

1 bay leaf 

1 cup white wine

2 tsp salt 

Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce   

Slice onions 1/8 inch thick. Melt butter. Add onions. Sauté slowly 1 1/2 hours in large soup pot. Add pepper, flour, paprika and bay leaf. Sauté on low 10 min more. Add bouillon and wine. Simmer for 2 hours. Adjust color with Kitchen Bouquet. Add salt. Refrigerate overnight. 

To serve top reheated soup with French bread and Swiss cheese 

Place under broiler 5 min T 550 to brown cheese. 

Holiday Rice Pilaf

 Ingredients:

2 cups wild rice blend

vegetable or chicken broth to make rice, according to package directions

1/4 cup butter

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped carrot (or thinly sliced baby carrots)

2 cups shaved brussel sprouts

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dry Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1-2 sweet potato

1 cup dried cranberries or cherries (chop cherries roughly)

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

Cook rice, using broth instead of water. When cook time is up, do not lift lid but keep covered for 10 minutes with heat off. If rice isn't done enough, mix in a little broth and cook a little longer. When done, place in dutch oven.

peel and chop sweet potato into small chunks. drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast  about 20 minutes at 425 till tender and browned at the edges.  Add to dutch oven

Add butter to skillet. Cook onion and carrots with salt about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Brussel sprouts, Italian seasoning, and black pepper, stir and cook 2 more minutes.  Add to dutch oven. 

Add toasted pecans, parsley, thyme and cranberries or cherries to pot. Combine everything. If making a few hours ahead, add a little more broth when reheating so it isn't dry. 

Butternut linguine

 

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash weighing about a pound

• 1/2 pound pasta

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup chopped shallots or onions

• 1/8 cup packed, freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

  Pinch red pepper flakes

• Pinch grated nutmeg

• Fried fresh sage leaves , for garnish

  Crumbled bacon for garnish

• Pepper, to taste

• Water as needed to thin the sauce, about 1 cup

Method

Bake the butternut squash:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half and scoop out the guts and seeds and discard them Pour 1/4 cup of water into a baking dish and place the butternut squash halves cut side down.Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash. Allow to cool for 10 minutes

1. Meanwhile, fry bacon  pour off most of the fat when bacon is done   Fry sage leaves in same pan  Sprinkle sage with a little salt

   Scoop out the squash flesh from the skins and put into medium saucepan.  Discard the skins.

   Sauté the onion in some of the bacon grease  with a pinch of salt until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes

   Purée onion and squash with stick blender

   Add the shallots to the pot. Add 1/2 cup water, the parmesan, pinch salt and  nutmeg and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little more water

   Add sour cream and heat until warm: Do not let the sauce boil

2. Cook pasta in boiling salted water

   Mix cooked pasta with sauce: 

3. When the pasta is ready, drain and put it into a bowl. Mix with a little of the sauce and serve. Top with crumbled bacon and fried salted sage 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
427	Calories

potato cabbage soup

Cook chopped bacon in pan till crispy. Remove bacon and excess fat. Chop and saute one onion in bacon fat. Add chopped carrots and celery.  Saute 5 minutes. Add 2-3 cloves chopped garlic and 2 tsp Herbs de Provence. Stir one minute. Add chicken broth, diced potatoes, and chopped 1/2 head or less of cabbage. Add can of white beans, salt and pepper. Cook till cabbage and potatoes are soft. Use immersion blender to make soup thicker but leave most of it in chunks. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with bacon bits

Carrot Cake (adapted from from Inspired Taste)

2 c flour (250 grams) 

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 c canola oil

1 c sugar (200 grams)

1 c brown sugar (200 grams)

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

3 c grated carrot (300 grams)

1 c coarsely chopped pecans (100 g)

1/2 c raisins (65 g)

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar (225 g)

1/3 whipping cream

heat oven to 350.  Grease 9-13" pan. Sift together flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon. in another bowl, sift brown sugar. Whisk in sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, stirring with a spatula until smooth. Add carrots, nuts, and raisins. bake 45-55 minutes, till toothpick comes out clean. 

Using electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese one minute till creamy. Add sugar 1/4 c at a time.  add cream and beat 1 more minute.

Garlic Herb Roasted Shrimp (from joyful healthy eats)

 2 lbs shrimp

3-4 minced garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper

toss together. Bake at 400 8-10 min

cocktail sauce

1/2 cup ketchup and 2 heaping Tbsp horseradish

Zucchini Bread

 3 eggs, beaten 

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups grated zucchini with skins

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325. Mix together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini. Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry to wet ingredients. Add nuts if using. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 for one hour. 

Pesto Shrimp Pasta for 2

 6-8 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 oz pasta

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz grape tomatoes, halved

1 zucchini (optional), cut into slices lengthwise and then into short strips, like matchsticks but a little wider

1/4 cup pesto

 Grated parmesan for garnish

Cook pasta in salted water. Save 1/2 cup pasta water. While pasta cooks, saute zucchini if using, place in bowl.

Saute shrimp in 1 tsp olive oil and place in bowl.

Add 1 tsp olive oil, tomatoes and garlic to pan and saute till tomatoes start to break down 

 Add pasta and pesto to pan and stir. Add pasta water a little at a time so pesto coats everything. 

Return shrimp and zucchini to pan and stir to combine. Serve topped with a little parmesan. 

Maria's stuffed cabbages

 Saute 3 chopped onions in a stick of butter and salt till golden yellow

Cook one cup rice, set aside to cool

Put one pound ground meat (I used 1 1/2 pounds beef and pork) in a bowl with 1 tsp salt, onions and rice

Boil whole cabbage for about 10 minutes, let cool and then removed leaves. Cut off the thick part of the stem to make rolling easier. Put about 1/3 cup filling in each leaf and roll up. Place in pot seam side down

line bottom of pot with pieces to small to use

Place in pot with a can of tomato paste and about 5 cups cabbage water and 1/2 tsp vinegar. 

Alternatively, tomato juice with 2 TBSP tomato paste and 1/2 tsp vinegar

if hamburger was lean, dot with butter

use leftover leaves to cover the cabbage (not necessary in the crock pot). 

Bake at 350 for 90 minutes. 

Or Cook in Crockpot on low 8-9 hours

Baja shrimp bowl for two (from Home Chef)

• 1 Jalapeño Pepper
• ¾ cup Jasmine Rice
• 1 Lime
• 3 oz. Corn Kernels
• 1 Roma Tomato
• 8 oz. Shrimp
• 3 fl. oz. Sweet Chili Sauce
• ½ oz. Baby Arugula
• ½ oz. Tortilla Strips

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Bring a small pot with rice, 1½ cup water, and a pinch of salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 18-20 minutes. Remove from burner and stir in 1 tsp. lime zest (zest is made in a later step). Set aside. 
Zest lime and halve. Quarter one half and juice remaining half. Core tomato and cut into ¼" dice. Stem jalapeño, halve, seed, remove ribs, and mince. Wash hands and cutting board after working with jalapeño. Pat shrimp dry.
Place a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp. olive oil. Add corn to hot pan and cook undisturbed until lightly charred, 2-3 minutes. Transfer corn to a mixing bowl. Add tomato, ½ tsp. olive oil, ¼ tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper and stir to combine. Set aside. Wipe pan clean and reserve.
Return pan used to char corn to medium-high heat and add 1 tsp. olive oil. Add shrimp and 1 Tbsp. jalapeño(reserve remaining for garnish) to hot pan. Cook undisturbed until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. If you received 16 oz. shrimp, use a large non-stick pan. Add sweet chili sauce and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, stir occasionally until shrimp reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees, 1-2 minutes. Remove from burner.
In another mixing bowl, combine arugula with 1 tsp. lime juice, 1 tsp. olive oil, and a pinch of salt. To plate, top rice with salsa and shrimp. Garnish with tortilla strips, remaining jalapeño (to taste), and dressed arugula. Squeeze lime wedges over dish to taste

Celery Soup (from Erren's Kitchen) Serves 4

1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cloves garlic, chopped
1 quart chicken or veggie stock
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
handfull parsley

Heat oil. Add onion. Cook till soft. Add garlic. After a minute, add other ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook about 20 minutes, till celery is soft but not mushy. Take 2 slotted spoonfuls out.  Puree soup. Add back reserved celery.

Tilapia Fish cakes

Preheat oven to 400

1 shallot if small, half if big
1 Tbsp Old Bay
1/4 oz parsley, chopped
12 oz tilapia filets
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
saltine crackers (about 1/2 sleeve or 1.8 oz)
2-3 Tbsp mayonaise
1 egg

Par filets dry; place on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil. Roast 12-14 minutes to 145 degrees. Transfer to a plate to cool for 5-10 min.

Mince shallot. Chop parsley. Save some for garnish.  Crush crackers. Mix ingredients, let set 5 min,  and form 4 fish cakes. Fry 3-4 min per side in 2 tsp olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges

Salmon, green beans with tomato jam

7 oz green beans
1 shallot
3 cloves garlic
5 oz grape tomatoes
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 salmon filets
3 oz white wine
4 Tbsp milk, cream, or evaporated milk
2 Tbsp butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees Trim beans. Peel and halve shallot. Mince half; thinly slice the other half. Halve grape tomatoes.

In a small pot, combine tomatoes, half the garlic, red pepper flakes and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Cover and simmer 15 min on medium low, until tomatoes are broken down. Increase heat to medium high 3 minutes more and crush with masher. Set aside

Place shallots and beans on cookie sheet. Toss with 1 tsp oil, salt,pepper, and remaining garlic. Roast 8-10 minutes till beans start to brown

Rinse salmon and pat dry. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add salmon and cook 4 min per side to 145 degrees.  Wipe pan clean.
Heat 1 tsp oil in pan. Add shallots and wine, cook 1-2 minutes. Add milk and cook 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add butter

Serve beans topped with tomatoes and salmon with cream sauce on the side

Salted Caramel Butter Bars (from Cookies and Cups)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Yield: 24 bars

For the crust and crumble:

2 cups (1 pound) salted butter at room temp

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 cups flour, sifted

For the filling: 

1 (14 oz) bag caramel (Kraft is fine)

1/3 cup milk or cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp coarse sea salt

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 9x13 baking dish

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars, mix on medium speed until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture on low speed and mix until a smooth, soft dough forms.

Press 1/3 of the dough into the pan, and bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are a pale golden brown. Refrigerate the remaining dough. 

Place the unwrapped caramels and cream in a microwave safe bowl and zap on high for 1 minute. 

Stir until smooth. If the caramels are not completely melted, continue microwaving on high for 30 sec intervals, stirring after each one. 

Once the caramels are melted, stir in the vanilla. Set aside until the bottom crust is done baking. 

Pour the caramel filling over the crust, sprinkle with salt and crumble the remaining dough over the top.

Continue baking until the filling is bubbly and the topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes. 

Let cool before cutting into squares.

This recipe can be halved and baked in an 8x8 or 9x9 dish. using about 25 cubes of Kraft caramels

Southwestern spaghetti squash

1 spaghetti squash
2 chicken breasts
Tsp olive oil
1/4 c chopped green onions, plus extra for garnish
1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 tsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup or more shredded cheese (cheddar or jack)
cilantro, chopped tomato, and green onion for topping
Sour cream ( optional)

Preheat oven to 400
Stab the squash and place whole in microwave for 3 minutes, until soft enough to cut through easily.
Cut in half and scoop out seeds. Place in dish, face down, with about an inch of water and cook till soft enough to pierce skin with a fork, another 7 minutes or more. Let cool
Chop chicken into bite size chunks and saute in a large oven safe pan (like cast iron) with oil, salt, pepper,  and taco seasoning. When chicken is nearly done, add jalapeños and cook for two more minutes. Add onion, beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder and stir. Scoop squash flesh into pan  along with enchilada sauce and stir gently to combine. Top with cheese. Pop into oven for 15 minutes till cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.  Serve topped with  tomato, green onion and cilantro. About 400 calories. More if you also top with sour cream.

Hot Honey Salmon with zucchini (from Home Chef)

1 tbsp butter
2 green onions
2 zucchini
4 oz grape tomatoes
2 tsp sweet basil, citrus and garlic rub
12 oz salmon
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400. Halve zucchini and cut on an angle into 1/2 inch pieces. halve tomatoes. Cut white of onion into 1 inch lengths. Cut green part thinly on an angle. Pat fish dry and season with pinch of salt and pepper. Place large non stick pan over med-high heat. add 1 tsp oil. Sear fish 2-4 min till brown. transfer to baking sheet. Roast 7-10 min.
Combine butter, honey and pepper flakes with pinch of salt in small bowl. Set aside.
Add 2 tsp olive oil to hot pan and fry zucchini 3-5 min till browned and tender. Add tomatoes and white part of green onion. Cook 3-5 min, till tomatoes are tender. Add 1/4 tsp salt and seasoning. Remove from burner. Plate salmon with hot butter and zucchini garnished with green part of green onion.
{466 calories per person)

Chicken paprikash

3-4 pounds chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp Hungarian paprika
3 tbsp flour
1 cup canned tomatoes or 1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
Wide egg noodles

In a dutch oven, brown chicken in 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil (4-7 min per side). Remove chicken. Remove all but 2 Tbsp grease. Add onion and cook till soft and translucent (3-4 min). Add garlic and cook another minute. Add paprika and flour and stir to combine. Cook a few more minutes (4-5). Add tomatoes and broth. Whisk till smooth. Gently add chicken in pot with browned part up and put in oven 25-30 min. Remove chicken to platter with buttered noodles. Add sour cream to  paprikash and pour sauce over chicken and noodles.

Tilapia cakes

1 shallot
1 Tbsp old bay seasoning
1/4 oz parsley
1 package (16 oz tilapia)
1 lemon
crackers
1 1/2 oz mayo
1 egg

Pat fish dry. place on baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil. Roast at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Let cool. Mince shallot. Juice 1/2 the lemon and cut the rest into wedges. Stem and mince parsley.
Finely crush the crackers and place in bowl with minced shallow, lemon juice, old bay, and parsley. Add a pinch of peer. Set aside 5 minutes. Stir in egg and shredded fish. Form 4 fish cakes and fry in 2 tsp olive oil 4 min per side, till browned and warm. Serve with lemon wedges.