Cooking with KP: July 2018

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage and Peppers

I found a recipe online for this and made a couple of changes. Mikey P. made it for dinner and we truly loved it.

2 small-medium spaghetti squash
4 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper,diced
4 buds/cloves/toes garlic, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
a pinch of red pepper flakes
Diced green onions or parsley to top.
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds and lightly salt and pepper each half. Spread 1 tablespoons of olive oil over each squash. Turn face side down on baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until squash is tender. Remove from oven and scrape out flesh to make the squash noodles. Place noodles in colander.
In a large skillet, brown sausage until very little pink remains. Add bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium head to soften vegetables.
Mix chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, chili powder, ginger and pepper flakes in large measuring cup. Pour over Italian sausage and veggies and cook on low for 5-8 to reduce most liquid. Add spaghetti sauce and toss well. Sprinkle with green onions or parsley.

Mikey P.'s Easy Beef Enchiladas

This recipe is simple to make and tasty to eat! Try it and let us know what you think.

1 1/2 pounds of extra lean ground beef (We use 93/7)
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 small can diced green chilis
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 bell pepper, finely diced
3 10-ounce cans of red enchilada sauce (We use Old El Paso mild, but if you like spicy/hot, go for it!)
12 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
2 cups of Fiesta Blend shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat with diced onions and bell peppers. Cook until no pink remains in meat and onions and bell peppers are soft. Add garlic powder, pepper, green chilis, and one can of enchilada sauce. Cook on low for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of cheese to mixture and blend well. Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Put a spoon full of meat in the middle of each tortilla. Roll sides over to make a cylinder and place with seam to the bottom. Top with two cans of enchilada sauce and remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Kay's Yellow Squash and Sausage Casserole

I think one of the things I enjoy most about summer is all the fresh vegetables, especially squash. Here is a recipe I adapted from one I found online. Just add a side salad and you have an awesome meal.

8 cups of thinly sliced yellow squash
1 pound loose meat Italian or mild sausage (both types make a wonderful dish)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the green can kind)
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese for topping

Placed sliced squash in a pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and boil 10-12 minutes. While squash is boiling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sausage in a skillet and cook for 2 minutes. When sausage begins to brown, add onions, bell pepper and parsley. Continue to cook until sausage is fully cooked. Drain excess grease. Drain squash. In a large bowl, combine squash, garlic powder, pepper, bread crumbs, and pepper jack and Parmesan cheeses. Mix well. Fold in beaten eggs. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray and pour mixture in dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the mozzarella cheese and bake 10 more minutes.

Summertime Tomato Pie

There are many tomato pie recipes online that are wonderful. Here is mine. We think it is delicious! Try it and let me know what you think.

1 9-inch deep dish pie crust
5 Roma tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the green can kind)
3-4 green onions, sliced thinly
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of Italian blend seasoning (I use McCormick)
Dash of salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons of Italian bread crumbs

Rinse and slice tomatoes. Slice each tomato into 5 slices. Place the tomatoes on a wire cookie sheet that is on top a baking pan that is lined with paper towels for easy clean-up. This will allow the tomatoes to drain their juices. I recommend letting them drain for at least 25 minutes. If the tomatoes look too wet, pat with clean paper towels to soak up some juice. You don't want a watery pie!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pie crust for 12 minutes, while tomatoes are draining. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, mix cheeses, green onions, mayonnaise, a dash of salt and dash of pepper. Mixture will be thick.
Sprinkle one tablespoon of bread crumbs in pie crust (this helps to absorb tomato juices and keeps crust from getting too wet)
Place a layer of tomatoes in crust and sprinkle with Italian seasonings. Add another layer and Italian seasonings, etc., until all tomatoes are used.
Spread cheese mixture on top of tomatoes.
Sprinkle with a remaining Italian bread crumbs.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Allow pie to cool for 20 minutes prior to cutting.

Cream Cheese Delights

I found this recipe in a local newspaper, and it is a wonderful, especially during the holidays. The cookies are a soft, light, chewy shortbread packed with nuts and flavored with cream cheese. These little cookies are so flavorful to have such a short list of ingredients. Great with coffee, hot tea or cocoa!

1 cup butter, softened
1 (4-oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecan
1 tsp. vanilla

In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and continue to mix well. Add egg yolk, salt, and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. Stir in flour a 1/2 cup at a time. Add pecans and mix well. Cover with wrap and chill at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll cookie mix into small balls the size of a walnut. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 12 minutes. Don't overbake. The cookies should be soft, chewy and lightly colored.

Slow Cooked Chicken and Green Chili with Lime Tacos

This is a richly smoky tasting shredded chicken for taco. It is easy to prepare and worth the 6 hour wait to enjoy.

3 bone-in chicken thighs with skin
3 boneless thick cut chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon smoky paprika
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 Tablespoon seasoned salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 package of mild taco seasoning (I use McCormick reduced sodium)
1 16-ounce jar of 505 fire roasted green chili salsa
2 limes, juiced
10-12 small tortilla or taco shells, heated
Suggested toppings:
Shredded lettuce
Taco or Fiesta Blend shredded cheese
Diced tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Sliced red onion or pickled red onion (recipe below)
Cilantro
Sliced avocado
Sour Cream
Green Verde sauce

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Mix the paprika, garlic powder, seasoned salt and black pepper. Sprinkle and rub seasoning mix on both sides of meat. Place seasoned chicken in a crock pot that has been sprayed with cooking spray.Sprinkle pack of taco seasoning on top of chicken and then pour jar of green salsa on top. Cook on low for 6 hours. Stir every 2 hours. When done, remove skin and bones from thighs. (I use the whole thigh because the skin and bone add flavor.) Shred chicken on a platter and sprinkle with lime juice. Return to crock pot and mix chicken with the remaining juices in the pot. Serve on tortilla shells or in taco shells. Add your preferred toppings.

Pickled Red Onions
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced and rings separated
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 dash of salt
1 dash of pepper

Put onions slices in a bowl with a tight lid or mason jar. In a 2 cup measuring cup, mix all other ingredients and stir well. Pour mixture over onions. Put on lid and lightly shake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Over night is better! (Picked onions will last at two weeks in the fridge.)

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Cheaper Cuts of Beef Don't Have To Be Tough

Most people avoid the cheaper cuts of beef because they tend to be tough. With 8 children and three adults in our home, my mother had to find ways to tenderize the cheaper cuts of beef. One way to cook "down", as my mother used to say, a tough cut of beef steak is to season both sides of the steak with garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Lightly brown the steak in a large skillet and on top add a diced green bell pepper, medium onion, a bay leaf, parsley flakes, a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce, and a can of diced tomatoes. Cover with lid. Let the steak simmer for 30-50 minutes. Remove lid and thicken juices by cooking 5-10 more minutes. You can also do the same with a cheap beef roast in a crock pot. Add all the ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The flavor is simple, amazing and great with mashed potatoes.

Fall Vegetables for a Healthy You

As the fall approaches, we will all start to stay indoors more hours. This will lessen our vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and K, which are enhanced by sunlight. Below are a few vegetables you might want to increase in your diet as the fall and later winter days approach. Besides, they are very tasty. In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be posting recipes that incorporate many of these delicious veggies.

Sweet potatoes and yams are very rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber and are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries.

Bell peppers are great sources of potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and K. These sweet peppers are flavorful additions to salads and healthy stir-fries. You can choose from a rainbow of colors, including: green peppers,yellow peppers, orange peppers,and red peppers.

Summer and winter squash are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and fiber and can be served alone or added to many dishes.

Just a few tips for you...

Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato- based sauces. No more stains!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugarcone to prevent ice cream drips!

Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

If your celery begins to wilt in the fridge, fill a large cup half full of water and place celery in the cup. Put back in the fridge for two hours--it will be crisp. (Learned this from my mother).

Cooking Myth Busted

A Potato Can Save a Salty Soup or Stew. True or False? False. "This is an attractive idea, but it doesn't work because potatoes are not particularly absorbent," says Wolke, who conducted his own soup-and-potato experiment for his Cooking Myth Busters book. "There is no reason they would attract salt." If you remove the raw potato from the soup, the potato will taste salty, but so would a sponge — it has simply soaked up some of the salty liquid. Still, there is hope for salty stews: Adding a bit of vinegar or sugar can "cancel out" the saltiness by giving your taste buds competing flavors.

Super Moist Turkey

If you are looking for a way to get a moist turkey, you might try one of these family hints:

1--bake the turkey upside down--breast down for the first half of the cooking time. It will help the darker meat cook more thoroughly and the fatty juices of the darker meat will drip down to the breast and add moistness. Use a deep roasting pan for this.

2--bake the turkey with the breast up, but rub it with butter, garlic powder and pepper only. Do not salt the skin. Instead, mix salt in a cup of warm water and pour that cup of salted warm-not hot-water inside the cavity of the turkey. The salt water will steam up into the turkey, making it very moist.

3. bake the turkey with the breast up and slice two lemons and one orange in halves. Place the halves inside the seasoned turkey and the juices will steam into the meat, adding moisture and flavor.

Hint of the Week

Here is something I learned from my wonderful Mother, the greatest cook I have ever known. When you have just a small serving of cooked vegetables leftover from dinner, don't throw them away. Keep a large plastic container in the freezer and put the vegetables in the container. Mix them--carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli, etc. When the container is full make a pot of soup or stew. Also, if a recipe calls for 1/2 a chopped onion, chop the whole onion and add the half to the freezer container. My mother made the best vegetable soups from this idea.

Hint for the Week

With Fourth of July quickly approaching, you might be thinking of making Deviled Eggs. If you want perfectly boiled eggs, place eggs in a large pot and completely cover with cold water. Do not layer eggs on top of one another. Bring water to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, reduce to simmer and let eggs simmer 8 minutes, return to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and empty hot water and fill pot with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. To peel easily, slightly crush shell in your fist and roll on counter with a firm grip. Of course, you don't want to push through the egg, but by making the shell crack in many small pieces, it is easier to peel. My father saw this on a cooking show years ago and taught me this. It truly works.