Cooking with KP

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

This recipe is my version of several that I have seen online. It makes a wonderful meatless meal or side dish. I hope that you will like it.

2-3 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

10-15 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut half

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small purple onion, cut in ½ inch pieces

4 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound long linquine or pasta of your choice

½ cup of reserved pasta water

2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped or dry flakes

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a long baking pan with foil. In a large bowl, place chopped zucchini, sliced tomatoes, chopped onion, sliced garlic, 3 Tablespoons of oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat veggies with oil. Pour on baking pan so that all veggies are in a single layer. Bake 20-25 minutes or until zucchini is lightly browned. While veggies are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil pasta for 10-13 minutes. You will need to reserve ½ cup of the pasta water when you drain pasta. When pasta and is cooked, drain (keeping the ½ cup pasta water to the side). Return pasta to pot. Toss with the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Cover pasta pot with a lid. Remove roasted veggies from oven when they are ready. Pour the ½ cup of pasta water on the baking pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the “browned” vegetable juice spots on the foil into the veggies and water. If you are using red pepper flakes, add them now. Pour vegetables and baking juice on to pasta, add parsley and Parmesan cheese. Toss and serve. Sprinkle a little cheese on top and enjoy!

Pulled Pork and Tater Tot Casserole

There are several recipe versions of this in cook books and online, but this is my version. It is a quick evening meal and wonderful to take to potlucks.

2 cups (16 ounces) of barbecued pulled pork or chicken (you can find already cooked containers for this in your grocery store or you can make your own)

1 16-ounce can baked beans (I use Bush’s brown sugar baked beans)

30-40 tater tots

2 cups of shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese

5 strips of bacon, fried and crumbled

½ onion, finely diced

sour cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon baked beans in the bottom of dish, top with pulled pork/chicken, and line the tater tots across the meat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tater tots are starting to brown and crisp. Remove from oven and top with shredded cheese, bacon, and onions. Bake for an addition 8-10 minutes until cheese is completely melted and bubbly.

Top each serving with sour cream. (optional)

Note: Many recipes that I have read use diced green onions, but we use yellow onions instead. You decide.

Zesty Italian Roasted Asparagus

This is not my original recipe, and I honestly don't remember where I originally found it. What I do know is that we love it.

1 pound of fresh asparagus spears, cleaned and woody ends removed
4 Tablespoons Zesty Italian salad dressing
4 Tablespoons shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Lightly spray the foil/paper with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix olive oil and bread crumbs. Pour salad dressing in a zip block bag. Add cleaned asparagus spears. Toss for a few good shakes. Lay spears on baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese and top with bread crumb mixture.
Bake for 7-10 minutes depending on the size of the asparagus and bread crumbs are lightly browned.

Kay's Broccoli and Rice Casserole

I combined four recipes to arrive at this casserole. It is wonderful for pot luck dinners and any time you want something other than steamed broccoli for dinner, and its a great way to use leftover rice or broccoli This
is great as a side with almost all meats, but we really like it with ham or baked chicken.

2 cups cooked rice
1 16 ounce bag of frozen broccoli pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons cream cheese
2 Tablespoons creole mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a sauce pot with water and when it comes to a boil, add frozen broccoli. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse in cold water. Put cooked rice in a large mixing bowl. Add drained broccoli pieces. In a small skillet melt 2 Tablespoons of butter, saute onions and bell pepper in melted butter. When vegetables are tender, remove from heat and add cream cheese. Mix until cream cheese is melted. Pour this mixture in bowl with rice and broccoli; add mustard, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, salt and pepper and 1 cup of cheese. Mix well. Pour mixture into casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining 1/2 of cheese. Bake for 5-10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

You can also make this casserole with a frozen veggie blend of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. (I think I enjoy it this way more than just broccoli.)

Fried Zucchini

In the 1980s there was a craze for beer batter batter for frying vegetables. This is the recipe that my mother taught me. It makes a great dipping batter for frying any vegetable. But, we use it mostly for zucchini. I prefer to cut the zucchini in sticks, so they can be dipped much easier in ranch dressing!

1 ½ cup of vegetable oil

2-3 zucchinis cut into sticks (see note at bottom)

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup of cornstarch

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon seasoned salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 ½ cup water

½ cup beer (optional—if you don’t want to use beer, use water)

Grated Parmesan for garnish

Wash and slice your vegetable, pat dry with paper towel. Heat oil in a deep stick or pot for frying. While oil is heating, in a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (optional). Pour in eggs, water, and mix. Pour in beer slowly (it might get foamy; that is ok). You want the batter to be the thickness of pancake batter. If it is too thick, add more water 2 tablespoons at a time until you have the right consistency. Place 8-10 veggie pieces in batter and make sure they are coated. Drop in hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Place on paper towel to drain while frying the next batch. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan before serving. Great with marinara sauce and ranch or dill dip.

NOTE: Rinse zucchini and pat dry. Trim off ends. Cut zucchini horizontally into thirds (if your zucchini is small, you can just cut it in half horizontally.) Next, cut each piece of zucchini in half the long way. Then cut each of those pieces in half the long way. Using a small knife, trim off the layer of seeds (if there are any) from each plank of zucchini. (The seeds can affect the flavor.) Next, thinly slice each plank, starting along the side with skin. You should end up with strips of zucchini about 3 inches long, 1/8 inch-to-1/4 inch thick, and around 3/4 inch wide. Each strip should have an edge of green skin on it.

Italian Pizza Pasta Bake

I found the idea for this dinner casserole online one evening when I forgot to take out meat for dinner but had some pepperoni. Since then I have adapted this recipe to include Italian sausage or ground pork and other things we like on our pizza.

3 cups of uncooked bow tie, wagon wheel or other sturdy larger pasta shape

1 pound of ground Italian sausage

1 6-ounce package of pepperoni, cut into quarters, except for 20 slices for topping

1 14-ounce jar of marinara sauce (I like Emeril’s)

1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 medium onion, diced

1 small bell pepper, diced

1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained

1 4-ounce can sliced black olives, drained

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoons Italian seasonings

1 Tablespoon sugar

½ Tablespoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ cups Italian blend shredded cheese

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large pot, boil pasta in lightly salted water. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sausage, onions, and bell pepper. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and onions and pepper are softened. All diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasonings, sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, and the quarter pepperoni slices. Bring to a boil and then simmer until pasta is done. Drain pasta and return to large pot. Add black olives to sauce and meat mixture. Pour sauce over pasta; mix. Add 1 cup of Italian blend cheese and ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Mix. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of Italian blend cheese on the top and then arrange the whole pepperoni slice on the top of the cheese. Bake of 40-45 minutes.

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Bake

My daughter has always joked, “Give my mother a can of cream of something soup, and she will make you a great dinner.” It is true; I love to cook with cream soups. Here is a recipe that I threw together one night, and my husband loves it. It has become one of our go-to recipes. It is perfect with a side of rice or pasta. We enjoy putting some of the extra sauce on top of rice/pasta.

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1 small onion, diced

½ bell pepper, diced

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of cream of celery soup

1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1 cup of shredded cheese, divided into ¾ cup and ¼ cup portions (I have use lots of varieties, but our favorites are Fiesta Blend or Colby Jack for this dish)

1 teaspoon garlic powder, plus some for chicken

½ teaspoon pepper, plus some for chicken

½ teaspoon seasoned salt, plus some for chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly season both sides of chicken pieces with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper. Place chicken in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. In a bowl, mix together onion, bell pepper, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, mushrooms, 1 tsp of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon seasoned salt and ¾ cup of shredded cheese. Spoon mixture on top of each piece of chicken. Pour any remaining sauce around the pieces. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, check to make sure chicken is cooked through (170 degree/clear juices). Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of cheese on top and return to over until cheese is melted and lightly browned—about 5 minutes.

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.