Cooking with KP

Pickled Cucumbers and Red Onions

This is a quick and easy recipe for some pickled red onions and cucumbers. I like to use it when I have only used a half red onion for a recipe and one half left. You can make it spicy or mild. The recipe is the mild version with a note at the bottom to make them spicy.

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 large cucumber with skin, thinly sliced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2/3 cup water

1 tsp. salt

1 large or two small bay leaves

Two twists freshly ground pepper

Prepare your onions and cucumber. Layer then in a large jar with lid or plastic container with a tight lid.

Put all other ingredients in sauce pan and bring to simmer (small bubbles not boil).

Pour over vegetables, pushing down with fork to make sure the vegetables are covers. Let cool. Top with lid and place in fridge for up to 5 days.

To make the spicy, add red pepper flakes to liquid. Just a small pinch.

Ground Beef and Broccoli Ramen

This is not my recipe. I found it at The Menu Maid. She has a lot of great recipes. This one doesn't disappoint. Quick, easy and so tasty.

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1-2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper cut in thin slices
2 packages of beef top ramen (don’t use seasoning packet.
toasted sesame seeds optional (I have used sliced green onions on ours)
Sauce
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp corn starch
pinch of red pepper flake

Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil and broccoli florets. Cook florets until just tender, about 8 minutes. They should still be slightly crisp. Transfer broccoli to a plate.
While the broccoli cooks, whisk sauce ingredients in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.
To the same skillet cook ground beef until no longer pink. Remove any excess grease. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and bell peppers. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Peppers should still be crisp tender.
Add the broccoli back to the pan with the cooked beef and veggies and pour in the sauce. Bring to a low simmer and cook 5-minutes until sauce is thickened. Stirring occasionally.
Prepare ramen noodles in a small sauce pan following the package directions-minus seasoning packet, only undercook by 1-minute. Immediately transfer just the noodles (no cooking liquid) to the pan with the beef and broccoli. Toss to combine with the sauce and serve with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Simple and Delicious Pork Tenderloins in Crockpot

This is my adapted recipe from on I found online at Salt and Lavendar. It is so easy but so tasty.

2 pork tenderloins about 1-2 pounds each

1/2 cup beef broth

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 stick butter sliced into small pieces

Prepare the tenderloins by trimming off excess fat and the silver skin (the tough part that may cover some of each tenderloin).

Pour the beef broth into your slow cooker.

Add the spice rub ingredients (brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper) to a small bowl and stir together. Using your hands, coat the tenderloins all over with the spice rub. You may want to do this on a plate with each tenderloin one at a time.

Add the pork tenderloins to your slow cooker, along with any excess rub that is on the plate. Place the butter pats on and around the tenderloins and close the lid.

Cook on low for 4 hours and check for doneness (150 degrees). Cook on low until you reach this temperature.

Remove to cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Toad in the Hole

In America, a Toad in the Hole generally refers to a slice of bread with a circle cut from the middle in which an egg is fried. It is toasty and yummy. But, the original Toad in the Hole is a British dish with is a type of Yorkshire egg pudding with sausages in the middle. I found this recipe online at Taste of Home--called Grandmother's Toad in the Hole. It is perfectly simple and delicious. Great for breakfast, brunch, and dinner!

3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup 2% milk (whole is good, too)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 package (12 ounces) uncooked breakfast sausage links
3 Tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt. Whisk flour into egg mixture until blended. Let stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook sausage according to package directions; cut each sausage into 3 pieces.
Place oil in a 12-in. nonstick ovenproof skillet—cast iron is best. Place in oven until hot, 3-4 minutes. Stir batter and pour into prepared skillet; top with sausage pieces. Bake until golden brown and puffed, 20-25 minutes. Remove from skillet; cut into 6 wedges. If desired, serve with butter and syrup.

Tomato Tart

I was looking for a recipe for some extra tomatoes that I had
when I found this recipe. My daughter and I made with some minor changes. We love it! It is great for an appetizer, lunch with a side salad, or a meatless meal.

2 cans crescent rolls

4 large tomatoes, sliced thin and seeded

2 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

2/3 cup of mayonnaise

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning blend

1 small onion diced (We actually used 1/2 cup of pre-diced fresh seasoning of onions, celery, parsley, and bell pepper from the supermarket)

black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While oven is heating, thinly slice tomatoes and remove seeds. Place slices individually on paper towels to absorb some of the juice. Place parchment paper on a 9x14 baking pan. Roll out both cans of crescent, pressing seams to make one large rectangle pan. Sprinkle 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese on top of crust. Arrange tomatoes in single layer on top of cheese. In a small mixing bowl, mix all other ingredients. Spread on top of tomatoes. Bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly golden. Cool 5 minutes and then use a pizza wheel to cut into squares.

Easy Mexican Cassrole

If you are looking for a super easy and super delicious dinner, here it is. This is great for family dinner, game nights, etc.

1 can of crescent dough or crescent rolls

1 pound of ground beef

1 package of taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

2 cups of shredded cheese (Fiesta or Mexican is best)

Select your toppings:

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

sliced green onions

sliced black olives

salsa

sour cream

guacamole or slice avocado

sliced jalapenos

extra cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x7 casserole dish with cooking spray. Put crescent dough in the bottom of the dish, making sure to make an edge on the sides. If you are using rolls instead of dough, make sure to press the seams together. Place in oven to bake for 8 minutes. While crust is baking, brown your ground beef and follow directions on taco seasoning package. Spoon out half of the can of refried beans into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-3 minutes to soften them so that they are easer to spread.

After 8 minutes, remove dough from oven, gently spread a layer of beans on top of of dough, then top with ground beef and cheese. Return to oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese has melted and it bubbly and the edges of the crust is golden. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, slice jalapenos, and/or more cheese. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Crockpot Pork and Gravy

Here is an easy supper. The prep time is less than 10 minutes and the cook time is 6-3 hours depending on the heat level use. The chops turn out tender and the gravy is amazing.

4-6 pork chops, bone-in or boneless (Bone-in chops will take longer to cook than boneless)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 packet of dry brown or pork gravy

2 medium bell peppers, sliced

1 large yellow onion, sliced

seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper to your taste

Sprinkle seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper on both sides of chops. Place in sprayed crockpot. Top with onions and peppers. In a small mixing bowl, blend dry gravy packet with undiluted soup. (If you want extra gravy use 2 packets of gravy and 2 cans of soup.) Put lid on crockpot and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. If you chops are thick or long, you may need to cook longer. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles. Also good on top of biscuits.

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.