Market Shepherd's Pie (Vegan)

For Potato Layer:

3 large potatoes (like Yukon Gold), peel on, roughly chopped

2 heaping C. cauliflower florets (or 2 additional potatoes to omit)

3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. white miso

1/4 C. unsweetened almond milk (or more, if needed)

1/4 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)

For Filling:

1 large onion, finely diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 medium sweet potato, peel on, chopped into 1/2-in. cubes

2 C. green beans, cut bite-sized (or 1 C. if also using green peas)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 3/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. ground sage

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)

5 oz. cremini mushrooms (or forest blend), finely diced

2 C. cooked black lentils, drained

2 tsp. white wine vinegar

1 C. frozen green peas (I omit these and double the green beans)

For Filling Sauce:

2 1/4 C. low-sodium veggie broth

4 Tbsp. well-stirred tahini

2 Tbsp. tamari

3 Tbsp. white miso

3 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp. arrowroot starch

3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

Preparation:

1) Make the potato layer. Add the potatoes and cauliflower to a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until potatoes are very tender (10–15 minutes or so). Drain well and return to the pot. Add the nutritional yeast, miso, milk, and salt. Mash and add more milk as needed to get a creamy–but not wet!–consistency. Set aside.

2) Make the veggie filling. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large sauté pan, sauté the onion, carrots, celery, sweet potato, and green beans in about 1/4 C. water until the onion is translucent and veggies begin soften (10 minutes or so). Stir occasionally and add more water as needed, 1–2 Tbsp at a time, to prevent burning.

3) Next, add the garlic, spices, and mushrooms (finely diced!) and cover. Continue to cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms release their juices and begin to brown. Remove the cover and stir a couple of times throughout. Add water if needed to prevent sticking.

4) Add the cooked lentils and white wine vinegar and cook for another minute. Turn the heat off.

5) Make the filling sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

6) Add the sauce to the pan of veggies and lentils and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered on low to medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens (5 minutes or so). Stir in the frozen green peas (if using) and remove from heat.

7) Transfer the filling to a 13x9-inch (or similar) deep casserole dish. (I use my lasagna pan.) Be sure to get all the sauce out of the pan! Now, vigorously stir the reserved potatoes and then gently spread the potato layer over the filling by dropping spoonfuls along the top and spreading it together with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Sprinkle extra nutritional yeast, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper on the top.

8) Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and lay a sheet pan underneath the casserole dish (on a different oven rack) in case the filling bubbles over. Bake the shepherd's pie for 30 minutes uncovered. The potato layer should firm up and brown in the corners and you might be able to see the sauce bubbling in the corners as well. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

NOTE: This recipe is adapted from the original called "Market Shepherd's Pie" in the highly recommended The Plant-Based Cookbook: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Recipes for Lifelong Health by Ashley Madden. (It is by far my favorite whole food, plant-based cookbook, filled with lots of helpful information and delicious recipes.)

Stuffed Acorn Squash (Vegan)

3 acorn squash, medium

3/4 C. quinoa, dry

1 1/2 C. vegetable broth

1 apple, large

2 stalks celery

1 onion, small

1/2 C. cranberries, fresh or frozen (opt)

8 oz. cremini mushrooms (or a wild forest blend)

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp. sage (preferably fresh)

1 tsp. thyme (preferably fresh)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. sea salt

freshly cracked pepper

your favorite legume or crumbled walnuts (optional, but nice if serving as a main dish—I add lentils and walnuts or pine nuts)

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2) Cut the acorn squash horizontally in half. Before doing so, make sure the two halves will each "lie flat" when placed on the baking dish like bowls. If not, you will have to remove a small slice, just enough to let it lie flat but not enough to put a hole in the bottom of the "bowl." Scoop out the pulp and seeds, reserving the seeds for later roasting. 

3) Sprinkle the inside with SPG and roast, flat edge down, for 30-45 minutes or until fork tender. Rotate pan once for even cooking, turning the squash "bowl" side up toward the end of the cooking time.

4) Cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for yummy flavor. When done, set aside while you sauté everything else.

5) Sauté the onion, celery, and apple until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

6) Add the rest of the veggies and spices and sauté until tender, maybe 5 minutes more. If the veggies begin to stick, deglaze with a little white wine or veggie broth.

7) Remove from heat and add the cooked quinoa (and legumes, if including). Combine well and taste for seasoning.

8) When the squash is fully roasted, fill with the stuffing mixture using a large spoon. Bake 10-15 minutes until quinoa is slightly crispy and all is heated through.

NOTE: These freeze well (stuffed but not yet cooked for the final few minutes). To reheat, thaw them, then pop them covered into the oven for 10-15 minutes to heat through.

Chinese Meat Balls

This recipe is from my friend Dot, who was a missionary in China for many years.

Mix:
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. salt
2 T. chopped onion
pepper

Form into balls (18 or more). Brown in a small amount of oil until cooked through. Drain.
NOTE: I often cook my meatballs ahead and freeze them, then pull them out for this recipe.

Sauce:
1 T. oil
1 can pineapple tidbits
3 T. cornstarch
2 T. soy sauce
3 T. vinegar (I use Cal's tonic)
6 T. water
1/3 C. sugar
green pepper & onions, sautéed or stir-fried

To oil add pineapple juice and beat over low heat. Add mixture of next five ingredients. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Thin with liquid (broth, orange juice, soy sauce, water) to right consistency if it thickens too much. Add meatballs, pineapple tidbits, and pepper and/or onion. Heat through thoroughly. Serve hot over cooked rice with stir-friend veggies and sautéed green beans on the side.

Crock Pot Mexican Burrito Bowls (Can Be Vegan)

Cooking the beans:
1 pound black beans, picked clean and soaked overnight
1 onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
5-6 C. water or broth (more if want soupy beans; less if want drier beans)

1) Place soaked black beans into Crock Pot with above ingredients. Cook on high for 3 hours or until tender.

2) 30 minutes before end of cooking time, add 1 Tbsp. salt.

3) Remove cooked beans and cooking liquid from Crock Pot and reserve for later use.
NOTE: You can also use canned black beans and start as indicated below.

Cooking the other stuff:

Chicken breasts and/or thighs, chunked (opt., omit if vegan)
2 15-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
2 C. brown rice (brown rice holds up better than white rice when cooked in this way)
2-2.5 C. veggie stock, divided
1-2 fresh jalapeños, finely diced (optional, to taste)
1 heaping Tbsp. APB
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. salt
2 C. frozen corn 
2 C. chopped zucchini 
2 C. chopped sweet pepper
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped 

1) Combine the chicken (if using), tomatoes, and spices listed above in the Crock Pot. Add enough stock to be sure the chicken is covered (about 1/2 C.).

2) Cover Crock Pot and cook mixture on low 3 hours, or on high for 1 hour.

3) Remove the lid and add the rice and another 1/2-1 C. broth, along with any of the optional ingredients you want to include.

4) Replace the lid and continue to cook on low for another 3-4 hours, or on high for 1-2 hours.

5) At the start of  the last hour of cooking, stir in the black beans, mixing everything well to ensure even cooking of the rice. Add more liquid if needed. Check the seasonings and augment as necessary.

6) Check and stir periodically during the last hour of cooking. It is done when the rice is tender.

NOTE: If you want it soupy, leave any excess liquid in--and even add some of the cooking rice from the beans, if desired. If you want it drier, leave the lid off once the rice is done to allow the liquid to cook off.

7) Garnish as desired. Chopped green onion, chopped tomatoes or salsa, avocado or guacamole are all yummy. Cheese and sour cream if not making vegan.

This recipe is heavily modified from an original that appeared on the kitchn.com.

Creamy Walnut Sauce for Pasta

The original recipe is from the cookbook Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone. If you are dairy- and wheat/gluten-free, I highly recommend it—but even if you're not, the recipes are all delicious! When we ate this pasta tonight, it didn't feel like we were being "deprived" on an Elimination Diet at all. Yummy!

My modified version of this dish appears below:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C. walnuts
1 1/4 C. reserved cooking water (from blanching walnuts)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound rice pasta (I used the rice penne from Trader Joe's.)

Optional additions:
Sautéed vegetables, optional and according to preference (I used onion, asparagus, and broccoli.)
Chicken breast strips, pan fried on stove in a little oil (If I'd had them, I'd have done this.)
Finely chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish
1/2 C. toasted walnuts, for garnish and texture

Preparation:
1) In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Add walnuts and cook gently for 15 minutes.

2) In the meantime, add the rice pasta to a different pot of salted, boiling water. Cook until al dente, according to package directions. Do not overcook!

3) While your walnuts and pasta boil, sauté any vegetables you want to add to your final pasta product and pan-fry your chicken strips, if using.

4) After 15 minutes boiling, strain the nuts from the cooking water, reserving the liquid for later use.

5) Transfer the blanched walnuts to the food processor. Add the nutmeg, crushed red pepper, salt, and 1 1/4 C. of the reserved cooking water. Process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds.

6) With the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil and process until creamy, about 5 minutes.

7) In a large serving bowl, toss half of the the sauce together with the pasta and the sautéed vegetables. Add more sauce until it is the consistency you want. (This was more sauce than we needed, so I reserved some to use like a non-dairy "cheese sauce" in another recipe. It will keep about 3 days in the refrigerator.)

NOTE: Garlic and black pepper would be good in this, but we're having to eliminate those ingredients for our Elimination Diet. Silvana boils a clove of garlic in with the walnuts, then processes it together in the food processor. She also adds an equal amount of black pepper when she adds the salt.

Aunt Kim's Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 thin slices prosciutto di parma
1/2 lb. gruyere, grated
1/4 C. flour
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 C. panko bread crumbs
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and freshly minced
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

3. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 1 slice of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast.

4. Sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

5. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic, kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown.

6. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs, and the crumbs are all seasoned.

7. Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs.

8. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it.

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

10. Cut into pinwheels to serve.

Aunt Kim's Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1/2 C. mayo
1/4 C. parmesan cheese (grated)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs

1. Combine mayo and cheese.

2. Spread onto chicken, then cover with breadcrumbs.

3. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, uncovered. (30 minutes if breasts are very large.)

4. Top with provolone cheese at the very end.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

My friend Janet posted this on Facebook. I haven't tried it yet, but she's a great cook, so I assume it's yummy. We may try this for St. Patrick's Day this year, so I'll let you know...

2 C. water
2.5-3.5 lb. corned beef brisket
1/4 C. honey
2 T. Dijon mustard, divided
1 med. head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
3 T. butter
1.5 tsp. chopped fresh dill, or 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
spice packet--throw this away!

Place brisket in water in a Dutch oven, cover tightly, and cook 1 hour at 350 degrees. It is very important to cook the meat slowly because boiling it will cause the meat to become tough.

Turn brisket over and continue cooking 1.5-2 hours more or until meat is tender.

Remove brisket from cooking liquid and place, flat side up, on rack in broiler pan so that the surface of the meat is 3-4 inches from the heat.

Combine honey with 1 T. mustard and brush half of mixture over top of brisket and broil 3 minutes. Brush with remaining mixture and continue broiling 2 minutes or until brisket is glazed.

Meanwhile, steam cabbage 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Combine remaining 1 T. mustard with butter and dill, spread over hot cabbage wedges.

Carve brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices and serve with cabbage.

Aunt Kim's Blue Cheese Burgers

Ground hamburger, at least 1/4 pound per burger
Crumbled blue cheese (more than you would think)
Onion, sliced thin (again, more than you would think, as they cook way down)
Olive oil, for cooking onions
Pat of butter and pinch of sugar, for caramelizing

1) Begin onions cooking in a very large skillet, totally full, in olive oil. Stir frequently as it cooks.

2) Meanwhile, add blue cheese crumbles to hamburger and mix well. (You want a lot of cheese in there, so that it's speckled heavily throughout. Even if you don't like blue cheese, trust me!)

3) Stir your onions.

4) Shape hamburger/cheese mix into thick patties, one per person.

5) Stir your onions.

6) Grill the burgers as you normally would, but not too overly well-done.

7) Stir your onions. At some point, when they are soft and slightly browned (but not cooked down into mushy "worms," as OG calls them), add a small pat of butter and a sprinkle of sugar. Stir it in, to help aid in the caramelization. Again, not much. It isn't supposed to sweeten them, just aid in the formation of that great almost crispy-brown that comes from caramelization of sugar on something.

8) Serve the caramelized onions over top of the burger, which does not take a bun.

Any kind of side dish will do. We love fresh corn on the cob or some kind of potato and a nice salad.

NOTE: During our family's Elimination Diet, we were allowed goat cheese but not blue cheese. I replaced the crumbled goat cheese for the blue cheese and prepared these exactly the same way. It is a different flavor, milder, but still quite yummy. My family agreed that they like them both ways.

Easy White Chili

Easy White Chili

Rating: 4.6 Stars

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Description:

A very tasty, somewhat spicy, variation of chili that uses chicken. I like to serve it with sweet corn bread.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cooked, boneless chicken breast half, chopped

3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

2 (4 ounce) cans canned green chile peppers, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

5 (14.5 ounce) cans great Northern beans

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 10 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add the chicken, chicken broth, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and add the beans. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated thoroughly. Pour into individual bowls and top with the cheese.

View this recipe and others:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-White-Chili/Detail.aspx

Chicken over Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe is from my friend Laurie Jones.  It is my daughter Elanore's request for her birthday dinner.  "She made this one time when I was over there and it was SOOOO good!" she told me. 

4 chicken breasts, cut in strips

2 C heavy whipping cream

2 C half and half

1 C Chardonnay

1/2 jar julienne-cut sun-dried toms, drained (8.5-oz Bella Sun Luci SDT w/Ital. Herbs - Julienne Cut)

2 shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

fresh basil to taste

salt and pepper to taste

flour for coating chicken

In a dish, combine flour, salt, pepper, and any seasoning you like on the chicken to coat the chicken.  Sometimes I just mix the flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  I almost always only use seasoned pepper around here if that makes any difference. Fry the chix in olive oil and butter.  Remove and keep warm.  Place shallots and garlic in pan to brown scraping up bits of chix.  Stir in creams and wine and bring to a low boil and let simmer for a few minutes so it will thicken.  Reduce heat and stir in toms and basil.  When it thickens to your preference, add back the chix and warm for a bit.  Taste test it around this point as it generally needs more salt than one would think.  Serve over Cappellini noodles with freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

*If your boil is not very low, the wine and cream will separate and curdle, making a big mess!

*Adjust everything to your family’s preference.  It tastes a little different every time I make it!

*I use one of those counter skillets so there will be enough room for everything.

Sliced Baked Potatoes

• 4 medium baking potatoes (evenly-sized)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, thyme, sage, etc.) or 2-3 teaspoons dried herbs (of your choice
• 4 Tablespoons cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Scrub and rinse potatoes. Cut into thin slices, but NOT all the way through.

Put potatoes in a baking dish and fan out the slices. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter, then sprinkle with herbs.

Bake potatoes  for about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Then bake for another 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and potatoes are done.

Sliced Baked Potatoes Recipe is a post from: Money Saving Mom

Black Bean Tostadas

OG made our lunch today, from a recipe she found online. I have no idea where, or I'd give credit where credit is due. Anyway, I just found a document open on the computer where she had copied the recipe. It was delicious, so I figured I'd share:

• 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil--we used olive oil
• 3 small onion, chopped
• 1-1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained--we used Trader Joe's organic black beans
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno peppers
• 9 ounces cream cheese
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven heated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.
2. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.
3. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture.
4. Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up. Serve immediately.

EV made our tortillas homemade from freshly ground whole wheat--and she left out the baking powder--so they were more like flat crispy tortillas. We ate these like tostadas. We added a little salsa and leftover rice and a can of Trader Joe's corn (the only canned corn that is any good; otherwise use frozen) and topped it off with avocado slices. We didn't have fresh cilantro, though I would have loved it!

Yum!

How Nanny Cooks the Turkey

And here's one small example of the millions of ways my sweet husband makes me laugh and smile every single day...

I asked him one year, very early in our marriage, to find out from my mother how she cooks a turkey.  He called her and jotted it down for me in a loose notebook lying around.  This is what I found lying on the counter when I got ready to prepare the bird:

Aunt Kaarin's Moo Shu Pork

Yield: 20 moo shu "pancakes" (serves 10) - Not sure if this is accurate... will update after I make it.

1 2-lb. boneless pork loin roast, fat trimmed, quartered lengthwise
1 C. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
6 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 1/2 cups bagged shredded carrots (I used the Cuisinart.)
1/4 C. sliced scallions
3 Tbsp. rice-wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
20 flour tortillas, warmed

Put pork, 1/3 C. hoisin sauce, and the ginger in a large slow-cooker.  Turn pork to coat.

Cover and cook on low 6-9 hours or until pork is very tender.  Turn off cooker.  Remove pork to cutting board and pull meat into shreds using two forks.  Return pork to cooker.

Toss cabbage, carrots, scallions, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl to mix.

Spread each tortilla with about 1 1/2 tsp. remaining hoisin sauce.  Top with about 1/3 C. cabbage mixture and 1/4 C. shredded pork.

Serve with hoisin sauce and chopped scallions on the side (optional).

This is also good with a side salad topped with oriental dressing.

Leftovers Turned Mexican Lasagna

This meal was the result of a creative use of leftovers.  If you want to try to recreate something like it, here's a description of what I did.  My friend Kathy ate some at our homeschool co-op where I served it for lunch, and really wanted the recipe.  So, here it is...

The first meal was homemade pintos and cheese.  (Recipe here.)  This is a staple in our home, near weekly, because iivo loves it and it is very cheap.

Also, for Evie's birthday, she wanted these burritos I used to make a lot when we were home for lunches.  I would turn the leftover pintos from pintos and cheese into refried beans by coarsely mashing them in a pot on the stove over medium heat and melting in some mozzarella or monterey jack cheese.  The burritos she requested involve those homemade refried beans with sauteed zucchini and onions (seasoned with SPG) on homemade whole wheat tortillas.

Those were the preliminary meals which resulted in that Crock Pot leftover meal, which was as follows:

I sauteed some finely chopped onions and peppers in olive oil and SPG.  Then I took the extra leftover rice and cooked it, fried-rice style, with that veggie mix and a little, little bit of chicken broth.  I also remember throwing in some very finely chopped leftover Hebrew National hotdogs we had from a grill-out earlier in the week, too, and some frozen corn.

I then took those raw ingredients and layered them, lasagna style, in the Crock Pot as follows:

sprayed with Pam to prevent sticking
placed a flour tortilla (store-bought, as it is exactly the same circumference as my Crock Pot)
spread it with a combination of some of the leftover homemade refried beans blended with some salsa (just enough to make it more spreadable)
a layer of the rice blend
a layer of sour cream mixed with chopped green chiles
a layer of grated Mexican/cheddar cheese mix

I then repeated those layers two more times.

I then cooked it all morning on low--about 4 hours, I guess.

Cheri's Beef Stroganoff

Hi,
After looking at my recipe that had little quantities, I came up with this one from Paula Dean with a great rating.  The following ingredients are on my recipe, but not hers.  I would consider adding all of them.  I left the item called cream soup thinking you would put what you want.  I would make homemade.  Other than the addition of those items, our recipes look identical.

garlic
fresh mushrooms (sliced)
2 ts + worcestershire
2Tb or so catsup

Ingredients
 a.. 1 1/2 pounds cubed round steak, cut into thin strips
 b.. House Seasoning, recipe follows
 c.. All-purpose flour
 d.. 2 tablespoons olive oil
 e.. 2 tablespoons butter
 f.. 1 medium onion, sliced
 g.. 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
 h.. 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
 i.. 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
 j.. Salt and black pepper
 k.. 1 cup sour cream
 l.. Cooked egg noodles

Directions
Season the steak strips with House Seasoning, then dust with flour. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.


House Seasoning:
 a.. 1 cup salt
 b.. 1/4 cup black pepper
 c.. 1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Regina's Potatoes Gratin

potatoes
onions
milk/cream/chicken broth
SPG
grated cheese (parmesan, cheddar, etc.)

Slice potatoes.  Layer in pan: put a layer of potatoes (slightly overlapping) topped with a layer of onions, sliced in half-moon rings.  Sprinkle with SPG.  Repeat a second time to fill 9x13 pan.  Pour over top, to fill pan about halfway up the side: light drizzle each of whipping cream and half and half, then chicken broth and milk to fill about halfway up side of pan.  Cover pan with foil and bake for at least an hour in a very hot oven (like 425 or 450 degrees).  Remove from oven and uncover.  If I have them, I like to stir in those last couple of leftover sausages (brats, Italian sausage, andouille sausage, etc.), sliced into quarters and then into little bite-size pieces.  Stir into potato mixture, then top with cheese.  (I use a good bit of shredded parmesan, because the flavor is outstanding, then a sprinkling of cheddar since it melts up so nicely.)  Return to over until cheese is nicely melted and bubbling.  The sauce will seem a bit runny still, but it will thicken up nicely as it sits there before serving, and even some more once you serve it onto your plate.

We like this with lightly steamed broccoli on the side (no seasonings, as the potatoes are very savory and need the fresh, plain taste of the broccoli), and a nice oil-and-vinegar style pre-dressed salad.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 pkg. pie crusts (2 crusts)
2 C. cooked cubed chicken

Boil together until tender (10 mins.):

1/4 C. carrots
1/2 C. green peas
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C. cubed potatoes
1 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/8 tsp. pepper

Sauce:

4 Tbsp. butter
5 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 C. milk

Make white sauce. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Mix filling and sauce, reserving some for serving on the side. Pour into crust. Cover with top crust and slit. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Cover for last ten minutes or so.

Cheri's Italian Meatloaf

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 lb. pork sausage
2 eggs
1 15 oz. can tomato (stewed, sauce, etc.)
garlic
dried minced onion
salt
pepper
Italian seasoned bread crumbs or crumbled crackers
oatmeal

Mix meats, eggs, tomato, and spices. Add just enough bread crumbs and oatmeal to keep it from being too soupy to shape. (Maybe 1/4-1/2 C. of each?) Shape into one huge—or two small—loaves. Top with a little bit of the Classico-style marina you will serve on the pasta before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. (I use a cookie sheet or pampered chef bar pan or something without super tall sides. If it's sitting down in a 9x13 pan, it will cook, but it will be a little mushier.)

Serve with pasta and marinara and a side salad.

P.S. When I make this, I make six! I use 6 pounds of hamburger and 3 pounds of sausage and a dozen eggs and a couple of huge cans of crushed tomatoes and what feels like a lot of oatmeal and bread crumbs. It freezes beautifully, uncooked, and the leftovers are really delicious. It also makes delicious meatloaf sandwiches with bread, mayonnaise, lettuce, and salt and pepper. Yum!

Beach Week