Don't Waste Gravy!

Time saver twist...If you make Tangy Pot Roast or any other gravy recipe, and are left with a bunch of gravy in the crockpot when the meat is gone, throw that gravy in a Tupperware and put it in the freezer for another night. Today I was caught unprepared when it came time to make dinner, and I ended up pulling off a pretty good meal anyway. The trick was my leftover gravy!

I grabbed some pork chops from the fridge, and the frozen block of gravy from the freezer. I could have used chicken, or steaks. I put the pork chops into a skillet to brown and microwaved the gravy to thaw it. After the pork chops were browned, I put in enough gravy to cover them, and covered the skillet. I let them simmer while I cut up and roasted some red potatoes, and threw some frozen peas under the hot tap to thaw and heat. Presto! Comfort food, ready in 35 minutes.

I'll throw my recipe for roasted potatoes up on the blog next. Like all my favorite recipes, it includes three ingredients!

Saucy Chicken and Peaches

As regular readers will know, I get many of my recipes passed to me from my sister, Mercy. She even sent me a whole cookbook put together by her church group. This is one of the gems I found in that cookbook, and it was submitted to the book by my awesome sister!  I had forgotten to post it to the blog until I was talking about it with my friend Carrie tonight.

Saucy Chicken and Peaches

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 2 c. canned peaches (1 large can)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon basil

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until hot.
2. Add chicken, cook 4-5 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover and cook another 4-5 minutes until juices run clear.
3. Remove from skillet; keep warm. You can also cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces to cook more quickly and for better serving sizes for small appetites.
4. Meanwhile, drain peach syrup into glass measuring cup. Add water to make 1 cup of liquid.
5. Whisk cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and basil into peach liquid.
6. Pour liquid into hot skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
7. Gently Stir in Peaches and chicken.
8. Serve over hot rice.

Mercy's family likes the sauce so much, she makes double. Then she saves half of the peaches in custard cups for the kids to eat cold.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Similar to the dish at Chevy's by the same name, this spicy soup will clear out clogged nasal passages in a snap!

Ingredients:

• 4 (small) corn tortillas
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz.), cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cans (about 28-30 oz) chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, undrained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup shredded mexican blend shredded cheese

 Preheat oven to 400. Cut tortillas into 1/2 inch strips. lay out flat on baking stone. Bake 7-8 minutes or until crispy.  In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken chunks and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add onion and garlic, chili powder and cumin. cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes and chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve Soup over tortilla strips, topped with cilantro. sprinkle cheese evenly between bowls.

Makes 4 servings

My kids are always asking for Hawaiian Haystacks!

This is a simple recipe to prepare, but since there's so many ways to eat it, I prefer to serve it to a group.

Ingredients:
1 pound (more or less) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cans of chicken broth (assume about a half-can per person)
1/2 cup cornstarch
White or Brown rice, cooked, about 1 cup per person

Toppings:
Pineapple chunks (or tidbits if you can find them)
Chopped green onions
Chopped green pepper
Chopped celery
Diced tomatoes
Sliced water chestnuts
Grated Cheddar cheese
Chow mein noodles
Shredded Coconut
Slivered almonds
Sliced black olives
Frozen peas, thawed (I put them in a strainer and run hot water over them until they're plump)

Directions: Boil chicken in water until cooked through. Remove from water and dice or shred. Return to saucepan with all but 1/2 cup of the broth, turn burner on medium to high heat. Add cornstarch to broth and whisk until well mixed. Add to the chicken and broth heating in the pan. If you like garlic, you can add a clove of minced garlic now too. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until broth is thickened. I like to then pour the chicken and sauce into a serving bowl, but you can just put the pan on the table too.

To Serve: Put a scoop of rice on your plate, or in a bowl. Ladle chicken mixture over rice, and add desired veggies and other toppings. If you don't like something, skip it. I'd love to hear other toppings you guys try and like. I like to serve this meal with a hearty whole wheat bread or roll.

Baked Rigatoni

I'm not sure how I "lost" this recipe, but I looked everywhere for it for weeks, and suddenly it was back in my recipe basket. Hooray! This recipe comes from my old boss, Denise Goldman, who had adapted another recipe to fit her family's low fat lifestyle.

The original recipe makes a 9x13 pan, but I like to split the casserole into two 8x8s. I cook one and freeze one for later use. If you choose to do the same, make the whole recipe as directed, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Move from Freezer to Fridge for about 24 hours prior to cooking, and allow to warm to room temperature in the last hour. Then bake as directed.

Ingredients:
12 oz. pkg. Whole Grain Rigatoni
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsifted flour (I use whole wheat)
4 cups milk
4 teaspoons chicken boullion
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 pound cubed cooked ham
10 oz. pkg mixed veggies

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In large pan, cook onion in oil until tender
3. Stir in flour, then milk and boullion. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly; remove from heat.
4. Stir in one cup cheese, stir until melted
5. Combine noodles, sauce, ham and veggies. Pour into a greased 13x9" dish. Top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 30 minutes or until hot & bubbly.

Serve with french bread & salad.

Creamy Tomato Bisque

Oh my goodness, has it really been nearly a month since my last recipe? Oh this just won't do! Here's tonight's dinner - Creamy Tomato Bisque. I love it served with a salad and French Bread, but if you need to serve more people, use it as a sauce on Pasta! I actually got this recipe from my friend Karol. She thought of it when we shared our dinner at Palermo, Elk Grove's best Italian Ristorante! I made a few adjustments, mostly due to not shopping in advance!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped onions (chop them as small as possible! A pampered Chef food chopper works wonders!)
• 3/4 cup unsalted (I used salted) butter
• pinch dill seed
• dash dill weed
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (add an extra can of tomatoes if tripling recipe)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 Tbsp. flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• pinch white pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (I used some fresh, some dried)
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola or parmesean cheese

Directions:
If you have a food processor - get it out. You'll need it to puree the soup. If you DON'T have a food processor, I advise chopping the onions to smithereens before cooking, and combining all other veggies and herbs in a blender before they go in the soup pot.

In a large pot, saute onions in 6 Tbsp. butter along with dill seed, dill weed, and herbs for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and chicken broth and heat.

Make a roux (thickening paste) by blending 4 Tbsp. butter and 4 Tbsp. flour, whisking constantly over medium heat for 3 minutes, without browning. Add roux to soup and whisk to blend. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add chopped parsley, honey, cream, half and half and cheese. Remove from heat and puree. Strain. (I just poured it through a wire strainer). Reheat to serve. Since this soup is thin, it is best served in a mug. Dip Fresh warm french bread in it if you like!

Smashing Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 large can of 100% pumpkin
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• dash salt and pepper
• 2 cans coconut milk

Directions:
In a large pot, melt buttter over medium high heat. Add onion, and cook until soft. Add broth, pumpkin, onions and spices, and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, and remove from heat. Stir in coconut milk. Test. If the coconut milk made the soup too cool, heat on low for 10-15 minutes, but do not boil!
I served this with a Spinach Salad and garlic bread, and it ended up being a really filling meal! I'll post my spinach salad recipe next.

Another from my Sis - Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I have to tell you - my Sister Mercy should really be the one with the blog. I have gotten SO many recipes from her over the years. Granted, she cooks for a family of 7! So I'm guessing it's not "leftovers again" at her house very often. In any case, I'm so glad she gave me a cookbook she and her church friends put together. Everything is super easy and so good! But of course - as all recipes - I've changed it a bit....

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Pinch Pepper
• 1 bag frozen veggies, thawed (my house likes the potato & carrot stew mix, Mercy's family prefers broccoli, corn & cauliflower.)
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken (or about 2 chicken breasts)
  
• 1 (10 oz+) can of refrigerated flaky biscuits (we use Pillsbury Grands)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add Celery and onion, and stir over medium-high heat until crisp tender. Stir in Soup, milk and spices. Mix well. Stir in thawed veggies and chicken. Heat through. Pour into 13x9" baking dish.

Separate biscuits, and cut each one into four or six pieces. Place these chunks of dough on top of the filling mixture. They won't completely cover it, but nearly. Place in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and filling is bubbly.

A new favorite - Caramel Apple Pork Chops

This recipe comes from my Sister, and it might be my new fall favorite! If you have the Pampered Chef Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer, this is a good time to get it out! A paring knife or veggie peeler will work too.

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tart apples, peeled, cored & sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in warmed pan. Cook 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until evenly browned. Transfer to an oven safe dish, and pop in oven to keep warm. (250 degrees should be a good temp).
In a small bowl, combine sugar & spices. Add butter to skillet and stir in spices and apples. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove apples to the small bowl and cook sauce uncovered until thickened slightly.
To serve, divide apples over chops and spoon sauce on top. Sprinkle with Pecans.
I think a bacon-cheddar mashed potato compliments these chops nicely.

Guest blog from the NorCal Knot's sm23

Thanks for the suggestion, Shelly!

Okay - on to the recipe! This is a vegetarian pasta dish that I only just tried tonight. I can't say it was my favorite dish ever, but my family all liked it, and the children even cleaned their bowls! They're not the easiest kids to please, so I'm going to have to keep this recipe!

Lemon Gnocchi with Spinach & Peas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (you can substitute half and half, or milk, but it may cause the sauce to separate some when you add the lemon)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes (we skipped this - not hot peppers for kiddos!)
  
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 3 cups packed baby spinach (about 3 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound dried gnocchi
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan (make sure to use grated, not shredded, or you will end up with a big, tough ball of cheese)

Directions:
Simmer peas with cream, red-pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large, heavy skillet, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add spinach and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain gnocchi.

Add gnocchi to sauce with cheese and some of reserved cooking water and stir to coat. Thin with additional cooking water if necessary.

***Wendy here - we skipped the hot pepper flakes, but I will probably add them in when I cook this for just hubby and I. I didn't add in any of the pasta-cooking water, just threw the sauce in and served it up with Garlic bread. Thanks sm!***

Gardener's delight - Vegetable Primavera over Pasta

I used to garden, but now I just enjoy the overflow from my Mom's veggie patch. I found this recipe years ago when I needed a simple way to use up ALL that squash!

Ingrediants:

• 1 package of your favorite pasta (I use a whole grain penne most often)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 zuchini, halved and sliced
• 1 yellow squash, halved and sliced
• 1 or 2 bell pepper (red, orange yellow or green), sliced
• 1 cup light cream (sub whole milk for lower fat version)
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesean

Optional:

• grilled, sliced chicken breast

Directions:
Boil Pasta according to package directions.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a large skillet, and brown onion. Add green beans, saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add zucchini and yellow squash, then bell pepper. You shouldn't be cooking them long, they should be hot in the time it takes to boil the pasta. Add heated veggies to strained, cooked pasta, cover and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add cream and parmesean, stirring constantly. When cheese is melted, pour over pasta & veggies, toss and serve.
Obviously, this recipe gets less healthy if you put a ton of sauce on each serving. But there's lots of vitamins in the veggies, and whole grain pasta adds even more fiber. If your husband really needs meat with his meal, add sliced chicken breast on top of the pasta/veggie/sauce mixture.

Great Grandma's Potato Soup

Okay, this is another of my favorite fall soups! Once again it feeds a crowd, but it doesn't freeze quite as well as Taco soup. The recipe can be halved though.

Ingredients:

• 6-10 Potaotes, peeled [2.99 for 5 pounds]
• 1 Tbsp salt [on-hand]
• 1 Onion, chopped [0.44]
• 1 clove garlic, minced [1.29]
• 2-3 cans evaporated milk [4.77 for 3]

Optional:

• 4 strips bacon [3.59 for Turkey bacon]
• 2 cups broccoli florets [1.50 for one pound]
• 1 cup shredded cheese [4.89]
• 1 can chicken or vegetable broth [1.59]
• 1 can creamed corn [1.49]

Directions: Cut up potatoes into chunks and drop into a large pan of cold water. Strain, and refill the pot with just enough water to barely cover the potatoes. Add salt, and cook the potato chunks until soft. In a medium skillet, brown the onion in a little olive oil, or even the drippings from the bacon. Add garlic to the onion, drain if needed, and let sit until the potatoes are cooked.
For a really thick soup, pour off half of the water from cooking the potatoes, for a thinner soup, leave more (or even all) of the water. Add in the onion and garlic, as well as any optional ingredients, and heat again to near boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from heat, and add evaporated milk. Stir and serve with crusty French bread.
[With ALL of the add-ins, this meal ends up being about $25.00 for 8-10 generous servings. And we usually use only 1-2 add-ins, making our usual cost $2 or less per serving]

An Old Favorite - Swiss Chicken Cutlets

This is another recipe that is easy to make, but impressive for company. It may look tricky, but the extra steps are well worth the taste!

Swiss Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients:

• 2-4 thin slices reduced-fat swiss cheese (approx. 2-4 ounces)
• 4 chicken cutlets, 1.4 inch thick (4 oz. each) You can substitute turkey breast slices if you don't want to find or pound cutlets.
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine (I generally serve the rest of the bottle with dinner)
• 1/4 teaspoon Oregano

Directions:
Starting at the narrow end, Roll each chicken cutlet with 1/2 a slice of cheese, jelly roll style. Tie with string. Combine flour & pepper in a ziplock bag, and toss cutlets in flour until coated. Melt butter over medium heat. Add cutlets, turning frequently, until golden (about 3 minutes).

Add broth, wine & oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 10-12 minutes. Remove string & serve with rice and a veggie (Our favorite is Brussels sprouts!). I like to melt another 1/2 slice of cheese over each cutlet, and add a dash of oregano before serving. But I'm also a cheese fanatic, so you can do it either way!

Company favorite - Tangy Pot Roast

The first time someone comes to dinner at my house, this is usually what they'll be served. I'm not a very good housekeeper, and this recipe lets me get the food ready first, so I can clean house right up until the doorbell rings. Shh, don't tell!

Tangy Pot Roast
Ingredients:

• 3-4 Pound Lean Beef Roast (look for the string netting - I get that kind!)
• 1 packet of powdered onion soup mix
• 1 can jellied cranberry sauce
• 4-6 small red potatoes, scrubbed

Directions:
Sprinkle the powdered onion soup mix around the bottom of the crockpot. Place the roast on top. You can leave the string on or not, it won't hurt the flavor. Spoon the jellied cranberry sauce around the sides of the roast. Cut the potatoes into halved or quarters, and place on top of the roast & cranberry sauce. Cook on High for 4 hours, or low for 6-8. I've cooked it as long as 10 hours (my normal time away from home) and the meat falls apart really easy, but it still tasted good. The cranberry sauce cooks into a delicious gravy. Sounds weird, but I promise it's really tasty!
Serve with a salad of baby greens.

Store to table in one hour - Pork Chops

Hubby’s favorite Pork Chops Dinner

Now this recipe is really simplistic. But we never ate pork chops when I was growing up, so I didn’t know how to cook them. Maybe you're in the same situation, or you just haven't thought of pork chops in a while. But they’re a cheap, lean protein, and make a quick meal!

Ingredients:

• Pork chops (thick cut is served in our house, but get whatever you like.) [4.29 for two]
• 1 packet gravy mix. (Hunter gravy, roasted pork gravy, brown gravy, it’s up to you!) [1.79]
  

Directions:
In a large skillet, drizzle a little olive oil, and brown the pork chops. You’ll probably cook the first side about 5 minutes over medium heat, and then turn. While the chops get golden brown, mix the gravy packet with about 2 cups water. (This is probably more than the packet recommends, but it will cook down.) When the second side of the pork chops are browned, pour the gravy into the skillet. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pork chops. It’s pretty hard to over-cook these, so they’re a good option when you’re waiting for a hubby to get home.

We serve almost all meats with a veggie, and a starch. For these chops, I like steamed broccoli [1.29] and a rice pilaf [1.89] (Rice-a-roni is your friend!)

[Total price is about 10.00 for the full meal, or about $5 per serving]

My first request - Taco Soup

Okay Jackie – here you go! This recipe is great for fall, but I'll warn you, it feeds an army! You may need to invite a few friends over for dinner! It also freezes well, so you can always save half for another time! Just put the finished soup in a freezer safe container, and chill well. When you're ready to have it again, throw the block o' soup in the crockpot to thaw and reheat.

Taco Soup
· 1 pound ground beef, or ground turkey (can substitute chicken breast pieces or skip the meat all together if your veg SIL is coming over!) [1.99 for lean ground beef]
· 1 onion (yellow or white or red), Chopped [0.44]
· 1 packet taco seasoning [0.99]
· 1 can corn [1.00]
· 1 can kidney beans [0.99]
· 1 can garbanzo beans [0.99]
· 1 can black beans [1.00]
· 1 can stewed or diced tomatoes [1.00]
· 1 can tomato sauce [0.99]

· Tortilla chips [1.99]
Toppings:
· Shredded cheese [2.50]
· Sour cream [1.00]
· Guacamole [3.65]

In a large soup pot, saute onion in a little oil. Add the meat, brown and drain if desired. (If using chicken, cut into ½” chunks and just brown the outside.) Add all cans of ingredients, undrained.
Heat until nearly boiling. If you want to make this in a crockpot, just cook the onion and meat and throw it in the crockpot with the other ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours, or on high for 2.

To serve: We like to crush a handful of tortilla chips in a soup bowl. We then add the soup, and desired toppings. You can also serve the crushed chips on top. If some people prefer a meat free meal, you can also serve the meat on the side like a topping.

[Total cost is about $20.00, and you can probably serve 10 people. This is even more affordable if you have some items already, or skip the more expensive things like meat or guac! An additional way to stretch the servings, is to add another packet of seasoning and 4 cups of water. The thinner soup is still SO filling!]