January 25, 2023 by stevesacooking

Pepper and Cheese Lasagna

So I came home and on the counter was an old yellowed recipe that we haven’t seen for years. Lyn was having a craving and laid out the dish, box of lasagna pasta and had already prepared the spinach and broccoli. This is an interesting recipe everything but the initial pasta cooking is made in the microwave. You can tell the age by the one step that was rotate pan half way through, if you remember way back there was either no tray and it never rotated during cooking.

Ingredients

6-9 lasagna noodles

2 carrots shredded

1 small onion chopped –Steve Note: I used red I had half of one left over

1 red or green pepper, cut into thin strips

10 ounce of frozen chopped broccoli or spinach thawed and drained. Steve Note: Lyn had prepared a combo of each but used fresh.

I added 4 mushrooms sliced.

1/2 tsp of salt

15 ounce container of ricotta cheese

Optional 1 egg beaten Steve Note: like to add this to ricotta binds it together.

2 cups of shredded Fontina, Swiss or other cheese. Steve Note: Did not have enough mozzarella or provolone so I grabbed a stick of cheddar and shredded it. BTW take minutes and is way cheaper than buying already shredded. The cheddar turned out a nice choice went well with the veggies.

Lyn’s pasta sauce Steve Note: The recipe did not call for but I put small amount on bottom and top (before the last topping of cheese).

How

Prepare noodles conventionally as package directs; drain, separate and set aside.
in 12×8″ backing dish cook carrots, onion and pepper covered on high 6-8 minutes until tender-crisp stirring half way through. Spoon into bowl and add broccoli. In separate bowl combine egg, and salt and a real good pinch of dried basil.
thin layer in baking dish then top with three noodles. top that with half the ricotta cheese mixture and top that with 1/3 veggie mixture then 1/3 shredded cheese.
Repeat except except set aside the shredded cheese
Cook covered on high for 7-10 minutes until hot through
Sprinkle remain cheese cook 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted
Let stand for 10 minutes and serve

Makes 8 servings

August 27, 2018 by stevesacooking

From The Garden Goulash

I had a bowl full of cherry tomatoes, a yellow pepper and a pound of 90% burger from wholefoods and even though Lyn is not crazy about this dish I had a craving. So in this case the heck with her its all about me this time. I grew up calling a similar dish American Chop Suey so I based it a lot on my recipe but i’ve seen it been called Goulash so since this was different I ‘ll call it such.

Ingredients

1 lbs of hamburger
Maybe 30 quartered cherry tomatoes
One yellow bell pepper cored and chops
2 stalks of celery thinly sliced cross wise.
1/2 cup of Lyn’s pasta sauce which included a splash of water maybe 1/4 cup worth
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon basil
A pinch or so of red pepper flakes, depending how spicy you like it

I tired something I read on browning the burger and I have to say I think it worked. I flatten the burger out and place on the preheated pan on high with a little oil and browned on that side for a few minutes over medium, turning down the heat to medium as soon as it hit the hot pan.

Flipped it and then started to break up into smaller chunks. this did as I read kept the meat moister. I used to immediately start to chop up the meat. I had already added the pepper and celery and by the time the meat had browned they were limp but still had a little bite to them. Mine was 90% lean so there was very little fat render if you used 80% or lower then drain the fat out.

I then added the spices , tomatoes and sauce mixing well and brought to simmer then stirred occasionally.

In the meantime I had a plan I was going to freeze a lot of the meat mixture for a quick easy future bachelor meal so instead of cooking the one pound of elbow pasta I only cooked up 1 cup. and I only cook for 5 minutes.

When the pasta was done and bowled I scooped the meat mixture on top, mix to coat well it up and then being raised by my dad squirted some ketchup on it. I know I know I know.

It was quick and easy but did create a bunch of pots and pans but well with. Lyn shook her head and had a salad for lunch.

November 21, 2013 by stevesacooking

Reign on Mashie-Topped Meatloaf Cupcakes – Week 12

Someone asked me if I am a huge football fan is that why I do these weekly game day recipes? Yes I am a fan but I also am a fan of my son and patriotslife.com the blog he is involved in. I would do it for CelticsLife.com but I just can’t come up with that many recipes, beside the schedule would kill me or I would be 900 Lbs., anyway……

Meat and potatoes a man’s meal, a football man’s meal, a meal that will satisfy any half time hunger.

Now grab that pastry bag or a plastic bag, stuff it with mash potatoes and start decorating the top of your meatloaf cupcakes. What you’re unsure of your manliness, afraid of a little Dolphin treatment in the living room? We all know that when watching a football game we live by a different set of rules.

Ingredients

Meatloaf

1 1/4 lbs. extra-lean ground beef (4% fat or less)
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute or egg whites
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. each salt and black pepper

Mashies

20 oz. (about 3 medium) white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 tbsp. light sour cream
1 1/2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. paprika
Optional seasoning: black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups, or spray it with nonstick spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine all meatloaf ingredients. Thoroughly mix.

3. Evenly distribute meatloaf mixture among the muffin cups, and smooth out the tops with the back of a spoon. Bake until firm and cooked through with lightly browned edges, 20 – 25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes, and once returned to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cook until very tender, 15 – 20 minutes.

5. Drain and transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients for mashies except paprika. Thoroughly mash and mix.

6. Evenly top mini meatloaves with mashies, and sprinkle with paprika. Makes six servings; two cupcakes per serving. Eat up!

HG Tip! Use a piping bag to distribute the mashies. You can even create your own makeshift piping bag! Just transfer mashies to a plastic bag, and squeeze them down toward a bottom corner. Snip off that corner with scissors, creating a small hole for piping. Ta-da!

Serving Size: 2 meatloaf cupcakes – Steve says: Ya right, these are poppers .

This recipe was from hungry-girl.com

For further inspiration, Hungry Girl just released her official “Top Ate” reasons to love potatoes:

Potatoes are seriously satisfying! A study of nearly 40 common foods found that potatoes deliver the most satisfaction.
A 5.3-ounce skin-on spud (the size of a computer mouse) has 45% the daily value of vitamin C and only 110 fat-free calories. Potatoes also have fiber.
Dining out? Top a plain baked potato with salad-bar goodies like broccoli & salsa.
White veggies are underrated and provide key nutrients we need. In fact, potatoes have even more potassium than bananas.
Gluten-free alert: Potatoes are a great alternative to pasta and bread. You can even make lasagna with spud slices instead of noodles, Lillien adds.
Russets, reds, purples, fingerlings, yellows, whites & petites… So many possibilities!
HG Lisa’s favorite way to eat a potato? Twice-baked, stuffed with light cheese and veggies.
Potatoes are ALWAYS in season. “Put ’em on your grocery list today,” she says.

Thanks hungry girl even more reason to eat a manly potato.

Southwest Mini Meatloaf (Stevesacooking.com)
Tex Mex Meatloaf (Stevesacooking.com)
Meatloaf 101 (Stevesacooking.com)

October 1, 2013 by stevesacooking

Reign On Game Day Recipe Week 5: Spicy Southwest Meatloaf Minis

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/4 lbs. raw lean ground turkey (7% fat or less)
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup seeded and finely chopped jalapeño peppers
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)- I used one real egg
1/4 cup frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed
1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 tbsp. ketchup
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
Optional toppings: salsa, fat-free or light sour cream, hot sauce

How:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 10 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups, or spray them with nonstick spray.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Cook and stir bell pepper and onion until softened and lightly browned, 5 – 7 minutes.

Transfer cooked veggies to a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except ketchup and cheese. Mix thoroughly.

Evenly distribute mixture among the 10 lined or sprayed cups of the muffin pan. Evenly top with ketchup, about 1 tsp. each. Bake until firm and cooked through with lightly browned edges, about 35 minutes.

Sprinkle meatloaves with cheese. Bake until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.

Eat up!

From http://www.hungry-girl.com/

July 21, 2013 by stevesacooking

Quick Cucumber Salad

Dressing

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
½ teaspoon salt

Salad

½ medium cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
¼ red bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

How:

Combine you can let sit in frig to let flavors come together or server right away as side or topping

Red Onion Relish (stevesacooking.com)
Cucumber Salad or Gurken Salat (denisedesigned.com)

July 7, 2013 by stevesacooking

Buffalo Bufallo Burgers

We have been suffering from a heat wave and after the 5^th day of over 92+ degree temps we decided to forgo our normal Sunday walk at the Wrentham Mall which is one of those out-door discount malls, flat and if you walk all the lanes is a one mile walk. Yesterday we did the Natick Mall this is a good one inside and if you do top and bottom is 2 miles. Yep we both like to walk but with the temps and humidity the way it has been we also like to be comfortable. Early in the week Vermont and NH were much cooler and no humidity and we did go to Nebo’s new location which was right on the water front so while we waited for them to open we sipped wine and gazed out over the harbor enjoying the cool breeze but most especially the smell of salt air. Anyway before I drift to far from my point we decided today to go to Solomon mall but half way there I asked why not Wegman’s it is huge and a bet just about 1 mile if we did all the isles, besides we needed a few things. I ask you what weekend is a weekend without visiting at least 3 grocery stores each with their own specialties. As we walked picking up this and that we saw the ground buffalo still at $7.399 for a 1lb package all the other stores were at $9.99 so I figured we would use at some point. Oh I was right the walk was just over 1 mile. Tonight just before the thundered and rain rolled in I quickly made some patties roasted some corn and prepared dinner. I was not going to post this but it came out so good I decided it was a keeper for me, hence not a lot of pictures.

Ingredients

1 lb ground buffalo
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons bread crumbs, you could use some crunched us puffed brown rice
Some slice Jalapeno that I diced
1 tablespoon of the Jalapeno juice from jar.
Small amount of smoked maple cedar to melt on burgers

Roasted Corn salad – I have made this before but every time it is different here is another version

1 can black beans drain
1 Red bell pepper chopped into bean size pieces
1 Yellow or orange bell pepper chopped into bean size pieces
Salt and pepper
Jalapeno rough chopped
2 teaspoons juice from Jalapeno jar
1 tablespoon or so of 18 year old balsamic vinegar
Chopped fresh cilantro
2 ears of grilled corn

How

Burgers

Combine all ingredients and mix well set aside and let sit

I added the breadcrumbs because it is a leaner meat and the bread crumbs help retain some moisture

Form 4 patties

Grill on preheated oiled grill for about 4-5 minutes

Flip top with the cheese continue to cook 4-5 minutes

Take off grill and cover loosely let sit 4-5 minutes

Roasted corn salad.

Shuck the corn rub with olive oil put on grill turning occasionally until the corn is slightly charred in spots.

Set aside until cool enough to hold.

In the meantime chop the peppers and combine all ingredients

I like to take a small cup inverted in the middle of the bowl place the con bottom down and cut the kernels off the cobb with a sharp knife following the cob. This way they fall into the bowl. Now combine mix completely. You can server right away of refrigerate and the flavors should come together. I say why wait that’s what left overs are for.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad (undertheinfluenceoffood.wordpress.com)
New Recipe – Chilled Corn Salad (daneblogpress.wordpress.com)

June 20, 2013 by stevesacooking

Bison Stuffed Red Bell Pepper

Last Sunday was father’s day, Mike and Laurel came over which was all I really wanted. I can’t explain how proud of him I am he has done well just want it to take off for him so to speak he has so much to offer and does. Laurel brightens any situation she is always so up and being a foodie puts her in a special place in my heart. Since I got what I wanted and Mikie was not going to be around for Lyn’s birthday on the 29^th I thought why not take advantage of this gathering and throw a surprise birthday party. Laurel, Mike and I thought about it and a new Nespresso maker that Lyn had been hinting about for years is what we decided on. Sunday morning I snuck out at 6:30 AM to pick up the Boston Cream Pie, her favorite, (I don’t bake) that I ordered from Ray & Dick’s Bakery. Then I thought to Facebook message a bunch of family and friends to have them text her Happy Surprise Birthday at 2 PM. It was success and for someone who normally does not get a lot of texts she was delighted. I love this woman and was happy to see her big fat smile for the text and the espresso maker. So enough of the mushiness. I cooked Missi’s Dill Chicken with Tomato-Dill Relish and ribs for Father’s day. The ribs I cheated bought pre-cook and wrapped in tinfoil with sauce and baked at 175 for hours and finished on the grill. Being a good father I cooked enough so that leftovers could be taken home which left me with this week of leftover meals. The ribs, I eat fatty meats very limited these days, I dove into on Monday only looking up to wipe my face when they were all gone. Lyn bought some macaroni salad for Sunday which I made a meal of the leftover and diced Dill chicken breast, the Blue Grass Coleslaw also from WholeFoods was added to my regular work lunch salad with chicken and 18 year old balsamic vinegar. That brought me to last night everything gone what to do. We had bought some ground bison and I had frozen two leftover patties so I defrosted them and add a few things to make a Stuffed red bell pepper.

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper slice in half length wise
1 carrot grated and minced
½ shallot minced
A few cherry tomatoes chopped fine

¼ lb. ground bison

Hoisin sauce
Salt and pepper to taste – I used very little
Red pepper flakes
Grated cheese – whatever you have on hand – I had parmesan

How:

Sauté the shallot and oils in a little butter and olive oil until shallots are slightly transparent

Add ground beef and a pinch of hot pepper flakes and cook until brown

Add tomatoes and about 1 tbs. Hoisin sauce

Stir to mix

Stuff the pepper halves and top with cheese

Roast in 350 oven for about 10-15 minutes until cheese melts

Then I ate! Was pretty good for a from the gut meal!

October 1, 2012 by stevesacooking

Pork with Pineapple

Never really understood coupons, always seems that they are for something I do not use. Switching to another brand just because I can save 20 cents made no sense, will I like it, and back in the day will the kid eat it. Don’t get me wrong I am not against using them for something we already use that would be foolish. Then there are the coupons that print out when you are checking out, you know the ones they are counting on you to forget about or leave at home. Save $7.00 on your next order of $70 or more. Can’t tell you how many times we have forgotten about them until we see them on the counter at home, after shopping. Why can’t they just add it to your non privacy store card and automatically deduct it, makes more sense to me. Better yet why not get rid of those cards all together and give us lower more reasonable prices. So back to my point, we had one of these coupons and remembered it but had to go around finding things that we use to get the total up to take advantage of the coupon. We did it but one of the things was a buy one and get one free package of center cut boneless pork chops. I am still on the fend for myself diet so I figure I could put them to good use. I decided with the suggestion from my wife that I could slip each chop and make cutlets. I know that the loin in the better cut for this but one makes do with what they have. So split and pound I did.

I made the following first and then some pan fried cutlets for salads and other meals.

Ingredients

½ small pineapple or 1- 15oz can unsweetened pineapple.
8 oz. of pork cullet slice thinly across the grain
1 Tbsp. Cornflour
1/ tsp. salt
½ tsp. Ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. Light soy sauce
2 Tsps. Sesame oil
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
6 Spring Onions, slice
1 green or red bell pepper cut into bite size pieces
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

Sauce:

2 Tsps. Cornflour
½ cup pineapple juice (either juice from other half or can).
1 Tbsp. light soy sauce.

How

Skin the pineapple, clear all the eyes, and cut lengthways into triangles wedges. Trim away the core then cut across into slices.

Pound the pork until very thin and slice thinly across the grain

Toss Pork in a mixture of cornflour, salt and pepper until well coated.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic to pork and mix well

Heat peanut oil in wok or fry pan, add pork and fry just until the color changes. Add pineapple, bell pepper and red pepper flakes reduce heat cover and simmer about 3 minutes. Give the sauce a quick stir and add to pork and stir until thicken, toss in spring onions and mix thoroughly. Spoon into serving dish.

Sauce: Add pineapple juice gradually to cornflour, mixing until smooth. Stir in soy sauce.

I prefer fresh pineapple rather than canned.

This can also be made with Chicken instead of pork, works well some might say better.

8 Healthy Facts About Pineapple

From Webmd.comPineapple Discovery

In 1493, explorer Christopher Columbus found pineapples on Guadeloupe Island in the Caribbean. The fruit is also native to southern Brazil and Paraguay.

Pineapples in Colonial America

American colonists regarded pineapples as a luxurious treat because of their rarity and cost.

Pineapple Anatomy

A pineapple is the result of many flowers whose fruitlets have joined around the core.

Pineapple Nutrition

Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that may help arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. They are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps strengthen your immune system.

Pineapples in Hawaii

Some of the largest pineapple crops are in Hawaii, which produces 500,000 tons of the fruit each year.

Pineapple Selection

Pass over sour-smelling or bruised pineapples. Fruit from Hawaii or Central America tends to be freshest.

Pineapple Care

To make your pineapple softer and juicier, keep it at room temperature for one or two days before cutting.

Pineapple Calories

One cup of pineapple has 70 to 85 calories.

September 21, 2012 by stevesacooking

Halftime White Turkey Chili

Nothing better than the fall it brings sweatshirt weather and football, not to mention the trees start to put on a show of their own. I grew up in the music department at Norwood high and spent at 4 years at every football game marching, first with those high topped hats then in our Norwood blue blazers and white bucks, ahhh white bucks. My most favorite memory is the one parade where they stuck us behind the cows or horses, I had it better than most I played the trombone, was in the first row and could see it coming.

I also like squash soups, butternut being my favorite fall treat.

We love Wholefoods and found this recipe on their site for a chili with a different twist from the red Chili we all picture in our minds eye. It makes for perfect halftime eating on a crisp autumn day.

Go Pats!