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Crock Pot Sauerkraut, Kielbasa, and Potatoes

Adapted from http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/11280117/crockpot-sauerkraut-kielbasa-and-potatoes/.

Ingredients

  • 2 (14 ounce) cans sauerkraut, undrained (or 1 2-pound jar or bag)
  • 3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
  • 1 pound Kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1” chunks (could use smoked sausage)
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Layer sauerkraut, potatoes, sausage, and spices in slow cooker (I do three layers of each). Cook 4 hours on high or about 6 hours on low or until potatoes are done. Makes 4-6 servings.

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Crash Hot Potatoes

From The Pioneer Woman Cooks website, which has nice photos: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

  • 12 whole new potatoes (or other small round potatoes)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  •  Kosher salt to taste
  •  Black pepper to taste
  •  Rosemary (or other herbs of choice) to taste

Preparation instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato. With a greased potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

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Coleslaw with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

Adapted from Bobby Flay’s recipe. Use half a head of cabbage or a really small head.

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • Few dashes Bobby Flay’s Hot Sauce, or your favorite
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl, toss with the dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • 1 bag julienned carrots
  • 1/2 medium head green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 small red bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Salt and pepper
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Pecan Pie

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks website: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/the-pie-thatll-make-you-cry/

  • 1 whole unbaked pie crust
  • 1 cup white sugar (Jack says to use a little less)
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup corn syrup (use a little less)
  • ¾ teaspoons vanilla
  • ⅓ cups melted butter (salted)
  • 3 whole eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups chopped pecans

Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Spread chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

Pie should not be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

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Oatmeal-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

  • 1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. orange-flavored liqueur
  • 3 c. rolled oats, uncooked
  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 12 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 Tbs. butter

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; blend in liqueur. Add oats and flour, mixing well; refrigerate 10 minutes. Shap into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; press into 2-inch circles. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet; cool completely.

Combine chocolate chips and butter in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute; stir until smooth. If necessary, microwave in 20-second increments, but stop before chocolate is completely melted; it will continue to melt as you stir. Spread 2 tsp. chocolate on flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies. Drizzle with remaining chocolate. Refrigerate 10 minutes. Store tightly covered in cool, dry place. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Recipe from Quaker Oats and Nestle chocolate chips.

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Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Great with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Variations: use chicken thigh meat instead of turkey; Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (double batch) instead of red enchilada sauce (omit canned tomatoes); and/or Monterey Jack instead of cheddar.

  • 1 medium red or green pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 c. corn kernels (frozen is fine)
  • 2 cups enchilada sauce (I make my own, recipe here)
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon each chili powder, garlic powder and ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound leftover cooked turkey, diced or shredded (a mix of dark and light is best)
  • 12 corn tortillas (6 inches) (In Chicagoland, El Milagro fresh tortillas)
  • 1 TBS oil (I use avocado oil)
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided

 

Coat the sides and bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the red or green pepper and onion over medium heat for several minutes, until soft and golden. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the beans, corn, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in turkey. Adjust seasonings.

While the filling mixture is cooking, prepare the tortillas. Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil, break or cut in half, and stack on a plate. Heat small skillet over medium-high heat, then cook tortillas one-at-a-time, turning until pale golden on each side.

Spread 1 cup meat sauce into baking dish. Top with six tortillas (12 halves). Spread with half of the remaining meat sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer with remaining tortillas and meat sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 10-15 more minutes.

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Bacon-Wrapped Dates

These are awesome, yet so simple and easy. It’s one of the few things I can make easily in the boat’s tiny toaster oven. A perfect addition to the appetizer/munchie repertoire.

  • 4 large Medjool dates with (try to get soft ones with pits; I buy from the bulk bin at Whole Foods)
  • 6 pecan halves, each cut in 1/2 (total 12 pieces)
  • 4 strips bacon, not too thin, preferably without nitrates or nitrites (I like TJ’s Applewood Smoked Bacon)
  • 12 toothpicks

Preheat oven to 325. Place a piece of foil in a shallow metal baking pan (the toaster oven one is perfect).

Cut dates horizontally into thirds, removing pit. Stuff a pecan piece into each date piece. Cut each bacon strip into thirds. Wrap each date piece in a bacon strip, being careful to cover the dates completely. Stick a toothpick in each to secure the bacon and make a convenient handle for serving. Place on foil and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the bacon is done to your liking. Check often so you don’t overcook. Makes 12 pieces, enough for four servings (but we’ve never had any leftovers if it’s just the two of us).

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Spinach Dip

I made this up a number of years ago.

  • 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1/3 c. chopped green onions
  • 1 or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, dissolved in a little boiling water (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
  • Hot sauce to taste
  • ½ c. plain yogurt (amount is approximate)
  • ½ c. mayonnaise (Hellman’s or Best Foods) (amount is approximate)
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs

Drain spinach well. In food processor, combine spinach, green onions and dissolved bouillon cubes, processing until finely chopped. Add half the yogurt, mayonnaise and hot sauce, and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add more yogurt and mayo until the mixture is the right consistency and tastes good. You may need other seasonings. Add 1 chopped hard-cooked egg and process briefly. Scrape into serving dish and chill. Garnish with the other hard-boiled egg (chopped) before serving.

Serve with Pepperidge Farm Pumpernickel Snack Sticks. Update 11/16/13: Apparently Pepperidge Farm discontinued the Pumpernickel Snack Sticks a few years ago. Trader Joe’s sells a similar product. Snyder’s Pumpernickel and Onion Braided Twists are a good replacement, if you can find them.

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Fettuccine with Mushroom-Wine Sauce

This recipe was given to me by Mary Lynn Crites. Mary Lynn and Doug Crites were our next-door neighbors and good friends in rural Carbondale when we were at SIU in 1979-1981.

  • 1 8oz pkg white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 c. chopped onions
  • 2 Tbs butter (you’ll need additional butter, see below)
  • 1 c. dry white wine
  • 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (I use Better Than Bouillon vegetable base)
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 16oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (look for beans without added sugar)
  • 1 1/2 c. peapods, cut up if large (or 1 pkg frozen)
  • 10oz fettuccine, cooked al dente
  • 3 Tbs butter
  • 1/2 c. Parmesan
  • 1/2 c. chopped parsley

Saute onions and mushrooms in butter. Add wine, bouillon cubes, thyme, and pepper. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

Add beans and peapods. Simmer, uncovered, 5-10 minutes.

Gently mix in drained pasta and 3 Tbs butter, tossing to coat and cook a couple more minutes. Mix in Parmesan and parsley. Serves 4.

 

 

 

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots

Posted on WW Power Foods message board by becca-belle (Rebecca van Uum).

Ingredients:

  • 3 slices Oscar Mayer Bacon, Center Cut, diced
  • 2 medium uncooked shallot(s), chopped
  • 1 pound(s) uncooked brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced (about 8 cups)
  • 1/4 cup(s) chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp, about 5 minutes; remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon to drain.

Add shallots; cook, stirring often, until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, broth, salt and pepper to taste to skillet; increase heat to medium-high and cook, tossing frequently, until sprouts are crisp-tender and golden in spots, about 8 minutes. Stir in vinegar and bacon; remove from heat.

Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.