Sausage and Pepper Pie

Sausage and Pepper Pie
Sausage and Pepper Pie

Growing up with a large family my Mom would make this tasty casserole often . She would said to me, “get out there in the garden and get some fresh peppers and herbs, we are having a sausage pepper pie tonight!) Yes we always had a garden and this was a favorite dish our family enjoyed. As mom would say “it was enough to feed an army.”
16 pork sausage links or Italian sausages,  both are great
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. oil
3 cups cooked long grain rice
4 to 5 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 package (10oz,) frozen corn, thawed
1 cup (4oz.) shredded cheddar
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tsp. salt
1 Tsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 cup soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1. Place sausages in a large pot of water and boil for about 15 minutes. Take them out and brown them in butter. Cut them up into 1 inch pieces, set aside.
2. In a large skillet, sauté peppers in oil for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to 3 -qt. baking dish. Add the sausages and the next eight ingredients.
3. Combine bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degree for 30 to 40 minutes. Make sure to add extra cheese when you serving. ENJOY!!

Monster Caramel Apples

Monster Caramel Apples
Monster Caramel Apples

Halloween is just around the corner! It is my favorite holiday and the most fun one as a kid. Bring back a childhood favorite by making timeless treats. These caramel covered apples take a dip in crushed Oreos before getting drizzled with white candy coating. Oh I forgot, my mom used change it up using pears.
8 to 10 medium Apples
10 wooden sticks
32 Oreo cookies, chopped up
1 cup of butter, cubed
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 squares (1oz.) white candy coating, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup orange and brown sprinkles
1. Wash and dry the apples; insert a wooden stick into each. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet; chill. Place cookie crumbs in a shallow dish; set aside.
2. In a heavy 3-qt. saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, milk and corn syrup; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until mixture reach 248 degree (full-ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.
3. Dip each apple into hot caramel mixture to completely coat, then dip he bottom in the cookie crumbs, pressing lightly to adhere. Return to baking sheet to cool.
4. In a microwave, melt candy coating; sit until smooth. Transfer to small plastic bag; cut a small hole in corner of bag. Drizzle coating over apples. Decorate with sprinkles.
Make different kind of decoration to your apples. ENJOY!!
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Creamy Mushroom Meatloaf

Creamy Mushroom Meatloaf
Creamy Mushroom Meatloaf

For the meatloaf
I use 1 pound of ground beef. You can use 1/2 pound of ground beef, pork and veal. Your choice.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup Italian-seasoned dried bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
For Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
1 1/2 tbsp. flour
1 1/4 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
Make Meatloaf:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix all meatloaf ingredients together with your hands in a large bowl until well blended. Transfer mixture to an 8×3 1/2 x 2 inch loaf shape pan.
3. Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, 2 minutes. Add broth, rosemary, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream.
4. Spoon sauce over meatloaf. Bake for about 1 1/2 hour. Cut meatloaf and serve with mushroom sauce. ENJOY!!

Almond Crusted Tilapia

Almond-Crusted Tilapia
Almond-Crusted Tilapia

Prep: 20 min                                          Cook: 10 min
Ready : 30 min Serves 8
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt or pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups finely ground almonds
1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan
8 tilapia fillets
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread butter over bottom of 12×17-inch rimmed baking sheet.
2. Stir together flour, peppers and salt in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Whisk eggs in separate shallow bowl or pie plate until combined. Combine almonds and cheese in separate shallow bowl.
3. Dredge each fillet in flour mixture, shaking off any excess, than dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge each fillet in almond mixture, coating both sides, and transfer to prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes. ENJOY!!

Freezing Produce for the Winter

My Garden Veggie
My Garden Veggie

Every time I go to the farmers’ market I buy extra. I can not help it, it looks so good and smells wonderful. So yes , I freeze extra produce. It is not as simple as throwing it in the freezer and calling it a day. For one thing, freezing whole vegetables can harm their texture. This happens when ice crystals form, rupturing cell walls. The faster water freezes, the smaller the crystals it forms, so small or thin vegetables- peas, corn kernels, green beans- freeze best.
Before freezing, blanch the vegetables in boiling water. This helps maintain bright color and fresh flavor by deactivating enzymes that would cause them to drab during thawing.

Blanch the vegetables
Blanch the vegetables

Plunge vegetables into boiling salted water for a few moments to destroy enzymes that cause them to turn drab and mushy.

Spread into a single layer
Spread into a single layer

Spread the blanched veggies on a rimmed baking sheet, and place in the freezer until frozen.

My peppers
My peppers
My carrots
My carrots

And for the first time I tried cauliflower.

from my garden
from my garden
Fresh corn on the cob
Fresh corn on the cob

I bought a lot of white corn, blanch them , cut the corn off the cob and place them on a baking sheet. Place them in the freezer and when they where frozen I made 6 small bags for us for the winter. Oh, we also eat the other 6 ears just the other night wow it was great !  So try and see what you can grow or buy at the market to freeze. Winter veggies are great in soups or just by themselves. ENJOY!!

Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and Sour Pork

I love me some taken out Chinese food, so instead, I made my own this week! Wow it was great and easy to do!

Prep: 25 min Cook: 10 min
Makes: 4 Servings
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium green pepper, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 can (8oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
Hot cooked rice
1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce. Pour half into a large plastic bag; add the pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Set remaining marinade aside.
2. Drain pork and discard its marinade. In a large skillet, cook pork in oil over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add onion, carrots, pepper, and ginger. Add garlic; cook 1 more minute.
3. Cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Add reserved marinade. Bring to boil; cook 1 minute. Sir in pineapple. Serve over white rice. ENJOY!!

Beef & Spinach Gyros

Beef Spinach Gyros
Beef Spinach Gyros

What is a gyro you ask? Well it is typically made with meat, often lamb, roasted on a spit and served sandwich style in a folded pita bread. It is topped with tomato, onion and Greek yogurt. Here is the catch, you can made it with ground beef, spinach and black olives, and it is delicious!
Prep: 25 min Makes: 6 servings
1 pound lean ground beef or use ground Lamb
1 package (10 oz.) fresh or frozen chopped spinach, cooked, squeezed dry
6 green onion, chopped
1 can sliced black olives, drained
2 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup (8oz.) plain yogurt (fat-free)
1/2 cup reduced mayo
lettuce leaves
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4oz.)
1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the spinach, onions, olives and 1 teaspoon lemon pepper; heat through. Sir in tomato; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayo and remaining lemon pepper. Line pita halves with lettuce; fill with beef mixture and feta cheese. Serve with yogurt sauce. ENJOY!!

Beef Ragu with Ravioli

My Ravioli
My Ravioli

When I make a great pasta sauce, I always made extra. Serving it over my favorite ravioli is just great. So I give you, how to make the sauce and put together this easy tasty Ravioli!
Prep: 15 min Cook: 40 min
Makes: 4 Servings
1 pound ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
1 pound plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup beef both
1 can (6oz.) tomato pasta
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package (20oz.) refrigerated cheese ravioli
Gated Parmesan cheese, not a optional
If you did not make your pasta sauce start here:
1. In a large skillet cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, broth, pasta, rosemary, sugar, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
2. Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Serve with meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. ENJOY!!

Light Breaded Chicken Strips

Chicken Strips
Chicken Strips

These Chicken Strips are a fast new way to serve chicken. They go great with barbecue or sweet and sour sauce for dunking.
Start to finish: 30 min
Makes: 6 servings
1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
1 1/4 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1. In a shallow bowl, combine flour and seasoned salt. Place breadcrumbs and butter in separate shallow bowls. Coat chicken with flour mixture, then dip in butter and coat with breadcrumbs.
2. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. ENJOY!!

Creamy Noodle Casserole

Creamy Noodle Casserole
Creamy Noodle Casserole

Forgot to take something out for dinner? This is fast and easy to make in a hurry and realy tasty.
Start to finish: 25 minutes Makes: 8 Servings
1 package (12oz) egg noodles
1 package (160z) frozen broccoli cuts
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup (4oz) shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 tsp. each garlic powder, salt and pepper
1. In a Dutch oven, cook noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. Add broccoli and ham; cook 5 -10 minutes longer or until noodles are tender.
2. Drain; return to pan. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted and mixture is heated through. That’s it! ENJOY!!
FREEZE OPTION: Freeze cool noodle mixture in freezer containers. Microwave, covered on high until heated through.

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