Tag Archives: recipe

Braised Potatoes and Fennel

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Side Dish, Vegetables and tagged with , , , , ,
Braised Potatoes and Fennel

Braised Potatoes and Fennel

This is a neat little recipe to have up your sleeve for when you want to cook potatoes yet another way.  Besides the potato, fennel is included in this really easy way to make a side dish that goes with most any kind of meat or other vegetables.

Use 1 pound of potatoes that are similar in size so that they will cook uniformly. Slice them into 1/4 inch slices.

When selecting a bulb of fennel choose one that is firm, pale in color, with strong stalks and feathery fronds.

Fresh Fennel.

Fresh Fennel.

To prepare the fennel, cut off the stalks, cut the bulb in half lengthwise, and remove the hard core at the bottom.  Then slice it into 1/4-inch wedges.  Reserve the fronds.

BRAISED POTATOES AND FENNEL

SERVINGS:   4

  • 1 pound small potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 medium bulb fennel, sliced into 1/4 inch wedges  Reserve some of the fronds.
  • 1 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • lemon wedges, optional

1.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.

IMG_2402

Heat skillet and melt butter with olive oil.

Add potatoes and cook, turning occasionally until golden in color.  Do this in 2 or 3 batches.  Potatoes will brown better if they are not crowded in the pan.

Potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick.

Potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick.

Golden brown potatoes.

Golden brown potatoes.

Add fennel and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the fennel and continue cooking.

Add in the fennel and continue cooking.

2.   Stir in the chicken broth.  Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes.  Before serving sprinkle with fennel fronds.  Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

Braised Potatoes and Fennel

Braised Potatoes and Fennel

SOURCE:   slightly adapted from   EVERYDAY FOODS

A Loaded Panini

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals, Sandwichs and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

By day #4 of not having a refrigerator, I’m really getting to the bottom of the barrel in terms of what I can create for a meal.  This is what I have to work with:  some deli sliced smoked turkey,  sliced cheddar cheese and sliced provolone,  a few strips of bacon, and a tomato.  Does that sound to you like it could become a sandwich?   That’s what I thought, too.  EXCEPT we don’t have any bread.  So, I had to cheat a little.  I stopped at the grocery store and got a few rolls.  So for dinner this evening we had Toasted Panini Sandwiches with Sweet Potato chips and pickles.

Grilled turkey, bacon, cheese and tomato panini.

Grilled turkey, bacon, cheese and tomato panini.

A while ago I treated myself to a Panini//Grill pan.  I’m so glad I did.  I no longer use the electric sandwich toaster I had been using, choosing now to make grilled sandwiches on the stove top using the panini grill.  Plus this grill pan is great for grilling burgers or steaks and chops quickly indoors if you can’t use the outdoor grille.  Note that the pan comes with a weighted flat cover that is used to compress sandwiches, or anything else that you want to keep flat as it grills.

Panini Grill Pan

Panini Grill Pan

This is a little off today’s subject, but I also have a George Forman Grill that I don’t use.  I’m not pleased with the results when I use it.  Instead of getting a nice browned sear on meats, mine seem to steam-cook rather than grill.   Am I doing something wrong?  If anyone reading this has any suggestions for me I’d love to hear them.  Thanks.

The rolls I purchased were sesame bulky rolls.  So, starting with the rolls, slice each one in half, and spread each cut side with a little mayonnaise.   Next start layering in the fillings:  thinly sliced turkey breast, as many slices as you like, and  sliced cheese.

Sliced turkey and sliced cheese placed on the split rolls.

Sliced turkey and sliced cheese placed on the split rolls.

Then lay on the already cooked bacon slices, and sliced tomatoes.  A sprinkle of seasoned salt on the tomatoes is good, or regular table salt.

Lay on the bacon and tomato slices.

Lay on the bacon and tomato slices.

Lightly butter the bottom of each roll and place on the heated panini grill pan.  Place the flat weight on top of the sandwiches to press them, and toast till nicely browned on the bottom.  Now lightly butter the tops and flip over so the top get toasty and browned, the filling continues to heat and cheese melts.  Be careful to keep the heat on low or the rolls will become too crisp before the fillings heat and melt.

This is what the sandwiches looked like while grilling,

Sandwiches grilling.

Sandwiches grilling.

And this is what the finished sandwiches look like:

Plated sandwich with sweet potato chips and pickle.

Plated sandwich with sweet potato chips and pickle.

Note the  top side of the sandwich; it has grill markings on it, and the top is nice and toasty.  I like to use sesame rolls for this because the sesame seeds get toasted and their flavor is more pronounced.   Yum!  Wish you could taste this—-it was great.

A great sandwich whether for lunch or a light supper.

A great sandwich whether for lunch or a light supper.

Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions in Balsamic Cream Sauce

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Chicken with mushrooms and onions in a balsamic cream sauce.

Chicken with mushrooms and onions in a balsamic cream sauce.

Challenge day # 3 without a refrigerator.  This is the requirement right now:  cook with what you have on hand, ONLY.  Going to the grocery store to fill in the blanks is not an option.   Today these were the food items that had priority for usage:  a package of 6 chicken tenders that had defrosted,  a half-package of mushrooms,  some  light cream, and part of a can of chicken broth.  To those ingredients I added 1 large onion, some balsamic vinegar and some butter to come up with what turned out to be a very good chicken dish.

The chicken tenders worked well because they cooked quickly, and remained tender in the cream sauce.  You could also use boneless chicken breasts, cut vertically in half, so they are not too thick.  The amount of sauce is plentiful, so it’s a good idea to plan rice or noodles to spoon it over.  I used a package of herbed rice pilaf with our meal.  To go along with this I used up the leftover  herbed butternut squash from day #1.

This is how I created this entree:     CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC CREAM SAUCE, MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS

YIELD:   Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

  • Chicken tenders, at least 6 pieces, or 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut vertically in half.

  • Chicken Tenders

    Chicken Tenders

  • 1 large onion, cut vertically in half, then sliced into “half-moons”.

  • A large onion, cut into "half-moons".

    A large onion, cut into “half-moons”.

  • 1 pkg. mushrooms, (or less), sliced or halved

    Mushrooms, butter, and chicken broth.

    Mushrooms, butter, and chicken broth.

  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2  cup cream, light cream, or half and half
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Over medium heat, in a large skillet, melt 1 Tablespoon butter.

Hot skillet with butter melted.

Hot skillet with butter melted.

Add the sliced onions, reduce heat to low and sauté until nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes.  Remove to a bowl, and set aside.

Nicely browned, caramelized onions.

Nicely browned, caramelized onions.

2.  Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in the same skillet, add chicken pieces and cook to brown each side.  Chicken will not be fully cooked at this point.  Remove to a plate.

Chicken browned, but not thoroughly cooked.

Chicken browned, but not thoroughly cooked.

3.  Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits into the broth.  Add the cream and balsamic vinegar and stir.  Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper.  Decrease heat to low and simmer a few minutes.

Saute mushrooms, add broth and cream.

Saute mushrooms, add broth and cream.

4.  Bring heat back up to medium.  Add the chicken and onions to the pan mixture and cook the chicken all the way through.

5.  To serve, transfer chicken pieces to a serving dish, pour mushroom-onion-cream-sauce over the top and garnish with parsley if you wish.  (I did not have any parsley on hand.)

A satisfying dish of chicken, mushrooms and onions in a rich cream sauce.

A satisfying dish of chicken, mushrooms and onions in a rich cream sauce.

Our assessment of this dish?  My husband said ” UHMMM! this is great”.  But he loves mushrooms, so anything with mushrooms in it is AOK with him.  I thought it was a very good combination of flavors.  Most importantly for me is that the chicken remained moist and tender.  I always worry about white meat chicken becoming dried out, tough and chewy, but this didn’t.  The cream in the sauce smoothed out the tang of the vinegar, with the vinegar providing a dark color to the sauce. The mushrooms and onions rounded out the dish and were a good compliment over all.  I’m glad I made rice to go with it to put the sauce on.  I will definitely be making this dish again.

SOURCE:   A Carolyn Original

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bread, Rolls, Desserts, Snacks and tagged with , , , , ,
Pumpkin Spice Bread with Walnuts and Cappuchino Chips.

Pumpkin Spice Bread with Walnuts and Cappuchino Chips.

Challenge Day #2 without a refrigerator.  Back in October when pumpkins were plentiful, I roasted several and made pumpkin puree that I froze in 2-cup measured amounts.  Without the freezer to keep it frozen the puree ( which has a high liquid content) thawed out quickly.    So you have probably already guessed that I am making baked goods using the pumpkin puree.  The first item I made is today’s recipe:  Pumpkin Spice Bread.

This is a very nice recipe, quick to put together, and it makes a tasty bread that is good for dessert, a snack, or for breakfast.  You can add nuts, or chips of any kind to “fancy up” the recipe as you wish.  In this version, I added about 1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts, and also 1/2 cup cappuchino chips. Regular chocolate chips are also a good addition.  To get a nice crunchy top to the loaf, I sprinkled it heavily with demerarra sugar before baking.

PUMPKIN SPICE BREAD

YIELD:    1  9″ x 5″ loaf

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 3/4 cups flour  ( I used 1 cup all purpose white flour and 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour.)

    Lots of great spices go into this bread.

    Lots of great spices go into this bread.

  • 1 tesp. baking soda
  • 1 tesp salt
  • 1/2 tesp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tesp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tesp. allspice
  • 1/2 tesp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tesp. cloves
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree ( canned or homemade)
  • 1/3 cup water, as needed

1.  Mix together all the dry ingredients i.e. flour through cloves.

Mix together all the dry ingredients.

Mix together all the dry ingredients.

2.  In bowl of mixer, on medium speed, mix sugar, oil, and eggs.  Stir in pumpkin.

Wet ingredients: oil, eggs, and pumpkin.

Wet ingredients: oil, eggs, and pumpkin.

3.  Slowly blend in the dry ingredients, add water alternately, as needed.   I did not use the water because my pumpkin puree was so thin, that the batter was the right consistency without the water.

4.  Stir in any additional ingredients like nuts or chips.  Pour into prepared 9″ x 5″ pan.

Before baking sprinkle the top of bread heavily with sugar for a nice crunchy top.

Before baking sprinkle the top of bread heavily with sugar for a nice crunchy top.

Bake at 350* for 60 – 75 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cover with foil if the top is getting too brown.   Cool on wire rack.  Slice and serve when cool.

Fresh from the oven, cooling on a rack.

Fresh from the oven, cooling on a rack.

Delicious while still a little warm.

Delicious while still a little warm.

SOURCE:    Taste of Home

Challenge Day #1: Pan-Seared Steak with Balsamic Onion Sauce

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Pan-Seared Strip Steak with Balsamic Onion Sauce.

Pan-Seared Strip Steak with Balsamic Onion Sauce.

Day # 1 without a refrigerator.  I produced a pretty terrific dinner today, and I also made chicken broth for a future soup.  My dinner consisted of Strip Steaks with Balsamic-Glazed onions,  Baked Butternut Squash with Garlic and Herbs, and Hasselback Potatoes.   For today’s recipe I will be telling you how to pan-sear a steak, and a quick way to make caramelized onions.

Whenever we go to our favorite steak-house, I like to order a strip steak with a pile of caramelized onions.  I almost like the onions better than the steak.  They are so rich and glossy, they turn a simple seared steak into something really special.  I had purchased a package of two strip steaks with the thought of trying to recreate this simple dish at home.  Faced with the fact they had started to defrost, I realized the time to give this meal a try was now.

The part of this dish that takes the most time is caramelizing the onions–probably about 45 minutes.  When cooking the steaks only takes about eight to ten minutes, I wanted to speed up cooking the onions as much as I could.  So here’s where I hit upon a short-cut.  I cooked the onions in a little oil for about 8-10 minutes till they started to brown,

Onions browning in a little oil.

Onions browning in a little oil.

and then added balsamic vinegar to the pan.

A nice variety of balsamic, with a hint of pomegranate added.

A nice variety of balsamic, with a hint of pomegranate added.

Two minutes later the onions were soft and fully browned.  How could that be, you ask?  Well, the sugar in the vinegar speeds up the browning process, and the steam generated by the simmering vinegar softens the onions in a flash.  Finally, the vinegar turns the onions brown.  My balsamic onion sauce may not taste exactly like caramelized onions, but it came pretty darn close.

PAN SEARED STEAK WITH BALSAMIC ONIONS

SERVES:   2-3

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 Tbspns vegetable oil
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 boneless 8 – 10 ounce strip steaks
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tspn. minced fresh (or 1/2 tspn. dried) rosemary

1.  Heat 2 Tbspns oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 8 – 10 minutes.   Transfer onions to a bowl.

2.  Add remaining oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.    For a nicely browned and flavorful crust, pat the steaks dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook steaks, without moving, until browned on first side, 4 – 5 minutes.  Flip steaks and continue to cook until browned on second side, 3 – 4 minutes more.  Transfer steaks to a platter and cover with foil.

3.  Discard fat in skillet, return onions to pan, and set over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add 1/4 cup vinegar, rosemary, and cook, scraping up browned bits, until thick and syrupy, about 2 minutes.  Pour any accumulated steak juices into pan and mix in.  Season with salt and pepper.

4.  Slice steaks crosswise into 1/4 -inch slices and transfer to serving platter.

Slice steaks crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

Slice steaks crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

Spoon onions and sauce over steak.

Steak with Onions and Sauce.

Steak with Onions and Sauce.

SOURCE:   COOK’S COUNTRY

Eggnog Baked French Toast

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Breakfast, Brunch and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Eggnog baked French Toast

Eggnog baked French Toast

If you are anything like me right about now you have “bits of this” and ” a little bit of that” left over from Holiday cooking and baking, and you’re wondering how to use it all up.  If it’s eggnog you want to use up, wonder no longer.  I have just the recipe for you.  You’re gonna love it, and so will any children you may be feeding.  This might even turn into a post Holiday tradition, or a special breakfast for New Year’s morning.

The cranberries provide a hit of tartness in amongst the sweet.

The cranberries provide a hit of tartness in amongst the sweet.

Besides including eggnog, this French toast will also accommodate any other additions such as fresh or dried cranberries, or raisins that you might want to add.  In my version, pictured here, I used fresh cranberries, and we particularly liked the occasional tartness in amongst the sweetness of the toast.   Since this is prepared the night before and baked in the morning it is an ideal menu item for either breakfast or brunch.

Great for a Holiday breakfast or brunch.

Great for a Holiday breakfast or brunch.

EGGNOG BAKED FRENCH TOAST

YIELD:   4 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup low-fat eggnog
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 small French baguette, (or half a large one) cut into 1-inch cubes.  (About 5-6 cups )
  • 1 cup additional fruits, i.e. cranberries, raisins, dried cherries

DIRECTIONS

Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, and whisk briefly.  Add the eggnog, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix in.  Add the cinnamon and nutmeg.  Whisk well till all is evenly combined.

Stir in the bread cubes until evenly coated.  Stir in the fruit.

Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.  Transfer the bread-egg mixture to the baking dish.  Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or over night.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375* F.   Remove the plastic wrap, and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until puffed and light golden brown.  Let cool a few minutes, then serve with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and additional maple syrup if desired.

IMG_2350

SOURCE:   Everyday Occasions,  via Annie’s Eats Blog

Baked Seafood Newburg

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , , , ,
Baked Seafood Newburg

Baked Seafood Newburg

New Year’s Eve, a night when many people are out on the town,  Mr. D.  and I are rather low-key in our celebration.  I like to splurge a little on the ingredients for a really nice dinner that includes a good bottle of wine.  After dinner we usually watch a movie.  That’s about as exciting as it gets around here.

This year’s dinner was a baked casserole of Seafood Newburg, along with a salad of mixed baby greens, green grapes, dried cranberries and pistachio nuts, with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  A loaf of crunchy ciabatta bread and a bottle of Pinot Grigio completed the meal.   Amazingly I turned down having any dessert.  I know, I can’t believe it, but that casserole was so darn good I couldn’t stop going back for more.

Seafood Newburg with salad and ciabatta bread.

Seafood Newburg with salad and ciabatta bread.

I must give credit for the original recipe  to The Ranting Chef Blog where on a Monday, the guest blogger Maggie, gave a recipe called Seafood Casserole.  It looked really good so I made note to try it.  Then using it as a basis I added some of my own “twists” to it to come up with this one.  So thank you Pat and Maggie at the Ranting Chef for a great recipe.

These are some of the additions I made.  I wanted this to be a rich and decadent kind of dish so I added the meat of one small lobster to the scallops and shrimp  called for.

Just your everyday friendly lobster.

Just your everyday friendly lobster.

I used a can of condensed cream of shrimp soup as the basis for the cream sauce, and thinned it with one cup of half and half;

Condensed cream of shrimp soup and spaghetti, broken into thirds.

Condensed cream of shrimp soup and spaghetti, broken into thirds.

and for the topping I mixed crushed Ritz crackers, a little melted butter and the Parmesan cheese for a more substantial topping with a lot of crunch.  This is without a doubt the best recipe for Seafood Newburg.  Instead of mixing the spaghetti with the seafood and sauce you could serve the sauce over spaghetti, or on toast points, or in a puffed pastry shell.  Once you have a good recipe like this one there are so many ways to change its presentation or how you use it.  I just love its flexibility!

BAKED SEAFOOD NEWBURG

SERVINGS:   about 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 ounces spaghetti, broken into thirds,  and cooked as directed on the package 

    Scallops, shrimp and lobster.

    Scallops, shrimp and lobster.

  • 1/2 pound scallops,  If large sea scallops, cut in half or quarters.
  • 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 pound cooked lobster meat,  ( 1 – 1/4 lb. lobster)
  • 6 Tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 can condensed cream of shrimp soup
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 4 Tablespoons white wine or Sherry
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 10 Ritz crackers, crushed

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375*F,  Butter a large ( 4 qt. ) casserole

2.  Melt 3 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet.  Add the scallops and shrimp and sauté 6-8 minutes till opaque.  Add the lobster meat just to heat it; then remove all the seafood to a bowl and set aside.  Retain any liquid in the pan.

Saute all the seafood in butter.

Saute all the seafood in butter.

3. Add 1 Tablespoon butter to the pan and melt it.  Add the mushrooms and sauté  until browned.  Remove them and set aside.

4.  Empty the can of condensed soup into the skillet and over medium heat stir to smooth it out.  Gradually add the 1 cup half and half, stirring all the while.  Add the wine or sherry and 4 Tablespoons Cheese.

Newburg sauce with peas added.

Newburg sauce with peas added.

5.  At this point taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed.  Add the peas and heat through, then add back the mushrooms and all the seafood.

Mushrooms added.

Mushrooms added.

Seafood added.

Seafood added.

Heat slowly over low heat, while you drain the spaghetti.  Add the spaghetti to the skillet and stir to mix in.  Pour all of this into the buttered casserole.

Spaghetti added.

Spaghetti added.

6.  Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter.  Add the crushed Ritz crackers and stir to coat well,  Stir in the remaining 4 Tablespoons cheese.  Sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole.

7.  Bake at 375*F for 25 – 30 minutes till brown and bubbly around the edges.

Brown and bubbly round the edges.

Brown and bubbly round the edges.

Baked Seafood Newburg

Baked Seafood Newburg

SOURCE:   adapted from The Ranting Chef Blog

Creamy Garlic Coleslaw

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Dressings, Sauces, Salads, Side Dish and tagged with , , , , , , , ,
Creamy, Garlicy Cole Slaw

Creamy, Garlicy Cole Slaw

In the days before food processors, making coleslaw was a laborious task involving cutting the cabbage with a knife.  In my growing up years I was very used to having coleslaw that was cut extremely fine, and mixed with a dressing consisting of mayonnaise, thinned with a little vinegar or pickle juice.

I had an aunt who was my mother’s sister, and she spent a great deal of time at our house.  One of her special skills was cutting the cabbage for coleslaw.  She removed the hard rib from each leaf, tightly rolled up the leaf (like a cigar), and cross cut it into very fine shreds. She thought nothing of spending an hour or more doing this, and it was her contribution to dinner.  I share this story with you so you will know that where coleslaw is concerned I am very ” spoiled”.  I like it shredded very thin therefore,  I rarely use packaged coleslaw mixes.

My solution to getting cabbage shredded thin is to use a plane grater which is adjustable for thickness, and it does a pretty good job of getting the cabbage as thin as I like it.  Which brings me to my recipe for today.  I cooked fish this past weekend, and I aways think that coleslaw is a good side dish with fish, so I made some.  Besides the usual cabbage, mayonnaise and vinegar, this recipe includes shredded carrots, a few stuffed green olives sliced thin, and some parsley for color.  The dressing includes garlic, grainy mustard, and sugar.  There is such a good balance of flavors that no single one stands out, but together they make a tangy, cool, crunchy, taste sensation.

Cool, Crunchy and Tangy

Cool, Crunchy and Tangy

CREAMY GARLIC COLESLAW

SERVINGS:  about 12 – 1/2 cup servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups  shredded cabbageIMG_2083
  • 1 large carrot shredded
  • 12 – 14 pimiento-stuffed olives, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
  • 1 or 2 small garlic cloves, minced ***
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
  • ***note to myself in my recipe book: ” Be sure to use enough garlic”

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrot, olives, and parsley;   mix well and set aside.

2.  Combine  the garlic and salt in a mortar and press with a pestle until mixture becomes a paste.  Scrape into a small bowl.

3.  To the garlic paste, add the mayonnaise, and mix well.  Add the vinegar, sugar, and mustard.  Mix well with a whisk.

Shredded vegetables in one bowl, dressing ingredients, in another. Mix together and chill.

Shredded vegetables in one bowl, dressing ingredients, in another. Mix together and chill.

4.  Pour dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate as long as possible before serving.  The time allows the flavors to meld, and the cabbage to become crisp.  It is best served cold.

Creamy, Garlicy Cole Slaw

Creamy, Garlicy Cole Slaw

Another way that I love this coleslaw is on a sandwich with pulled pork.  You won’t believe how good it is unless you try it!   XOXO

SOURCE:    Simply Vegetables,   Linda Fraser

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Sometimes I am in the mood for a comforting meal that’s filling and delicious, but don’t have a lot of time to prepare it.  I’m sure you have the same experience on many occasions. Well, I am alway on the look-out for easy to prepare, quick meals, and when I find ones that look interesting, I dog-ear the page, or tear out the clipping.  The problem with me is that I can’t remember where I saw it , or where I put the clipping.  I just remember enough to purchase the necessary ingredients,  and then go “where did I see  that recipe? or,” where did I put that clipping?”  I am developing a better system of recipe organization,  but that story will wait for another time!  This recipe meets all my requirements:  quick, easy, well-balanced, not very fancy, but just plain good.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

For the pasta, I recommend Orzo, because it cooks quickly; and tastes good with some sauce over it.  To round out the meal add a vegetable like broccoli, which  also cooks quickly, and  looks great on the plate with the white pasta and red sauce.  A side salad would go well with this meal, but not really necessary.   I would, however, have a great white wine with it , like a Chardonnay!

Total time to prepare:  about 30 minutes.   Yield:  4 servings

  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon minced parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 pound chicken breast tenders
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 1/2 cups bottled tomato-basil pasta sauce, or better yet, your own homemade tomato sauce.
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 cup shredded provolone cheese
  1. Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish.
  2. Place egg in another shallow dish.  Dip each chicken tender in egg, then dredge in bread-crumb mixture.
  3. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken;  cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.  Set aside in the pan.
  4. Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap;  vent.  Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
  5. Preheat broiler.
  6. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the pan.  Sprinkle  evenly with the remaining Parmesan and all of the provolone cheese.  Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Chicken Parmesan with Orzo and Broccoli

Chicken Parmesan with Orzo and Broccoli

Source:  slightly adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Creamy Hash-Brown Casserole

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Side Dish, Vegetables and tagged with , , , , , , , ,
Creamy potato hash brown casserole.

Creamy potato hash brown casserole.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like potatoes, do you?   And there are umpteen thousand ways to prepare them.   So this is what I was asked recently:  “Carolyn,  I love the way you make potatoes, would you, could you, make a big pan of something special for Christmas Dinner?”   Who could say “no” to that?  Start with a compliment and then ask the question.  That’s how to get results.  Here’s the situation;  when we all get together there are usually somewhere between 15 and 20 people.  So I needed to make  A LOT!

Fortunately, I knew immediately what I would make.  I’ve made it before and it was a great success.  People always go back for seconds whenever I serve these rich, cheesy potatoes.  The casserole is a snap to fix using convenience foods, and it travels well, too.

The recipe as presented here makes 12 – 16 servings.  In my need to make sure there was plenty for everyone, I expanded the recipe by adding some additional diced potato, that I cooked in advance;  added some milk to the soups for more liquid, and increased the sour cream to 1 1/2 cups.

Recipe:  CREAMY HASH-BROWN CASSEROLE

Convenience foods make it a snap to put together

Convenience foods make it a snap to put together

SERVINGS:  12 – 16

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cans (10 3/4 oz. each ) condensed cream of potato soup
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 package ( 32 oz.) frozen hash brown potatoes
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, and garlic salt.

Mix together the soup, sour cream and garlic salt.

Mix together the soup, sour cream and garlic salt.

Add potatoes and cheddar cheese;  mix well.

Mix in the hash browns and grated cheese.

Mix in the hash browns and grated cheese.

Pour into a greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish.  Top with parmesan cheese.

Spread in a greased baking dish, and top with more cheese.

Spread in a greased baking dish, and top with more cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 55 -60 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Top should be browned and bubbly.

Creamy potato hash brown casserole.

Creamy potato hash brown casserole.

SOURCE:   slightly adapted from TASTE OF HOME