sausage and beef

Here's a great recipe (from WGN - tv). Sausage isn't just for breakfast or meatloaf....

Pound several cuts of beef (even flank steak) until thin. Spread sausage (I like Jimmy Dean sausage with sage.) on top. Roll up as if making rolled cookies. Chill for about 10 minutes (to make slicing easier). Then cut into "patties". Grill (or freeze and grill later).

Savory Cheese Rice

aka Weidman Rice (after a friend of ours)

1/3 c finely chopped green pepper
1-1/2 t. salt
1/2 c sliced green onions
3/4 c. white rice
3 T. butter (or oleo)
1 c. cubed Cheddar cheese (1/3lb)
2 c canned tomatoes (1 lb can)
1/2 c white dinner wine (sauterne)

Sauté green pepper, onion & rice in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, salt, and wine. Cover & cook over low heat for 25 min. or until rice is tender (or in microwave set on high for about 8-10 minutes). Just before serving, add cheese. Heat briefly .

OK to substitute: Port Salut cheese & water (or juice) for cheddar cheese and wine; tomato sauce or can of crushed tomatoes for canned tomatoes

Mediterranean chicken

Mediterranean chicken as adopted from a local newscast
Chop onion and place in casserole along w 1 T butter. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
Add 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t Italian seasoning, 6 olives (cut up). Stir and then add chicken pieces. Bake.

Alternatively, after microwaving the onion, add about 2 c chopped apples and 1/2 c raisins. Then add a whole chicken (cut in half and spread out, skin side up) seasoned with barbecue seasoning.
Bake.

It just dawned on me. ..... Both recipes are akin to "stuffed chicken" recipes. The "stuffing" is placed on the bottom of a casserole. Then the chicken is placed on top.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Even though I have a dishwasher, I don't like to get bowls dirty. The trick is to add the eggs last. Here's a way to make scrambled eggs in the skillet:

Melt butter (about 1/2 T) in small skillet over low to medium heat.
If adding chopped green onions and/or Canadian bacon, add now, increasing butter to 1 T. Heat/fry till hot.
Add 1/4 c milk, 1/4 t salt, dash pepper, and then a handful of grated cheese, if desired.
When milk is hot, add 2 eggs.
Scramble.

beans

just a note on how to prepare dried beans for cooking....

I used to soak them overnight to get them softened up for cooking. I accidentally discovered an easier and faster way a few years ago.

Pour boiling water over the beans (or else cover the beans with water and heat in the microwave oven for a couple of minutes). Let the beans soak for an hour (or more, depending on the hardness, mineral content, of the water). Then they're ready to cook.

Fudge

This is the recipe I (and probably many others) use for fudge. Here are my adventures the last time I tried this recipe.

3 c sugar
3 1-oz squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate
2 T Karo syrup (It doesn't matter if it's dark or light syrup.)
1 c evaporated milk (I usually substitute regular milk.)
2 T butter
1 t vanilla (not necessary)
1/2 c chopped nuts (not necessary, but I usually use pecans)
Cut chocolate over sugar in large pan. (It's not necessary to cut the chocolate up.)  Add syrup and milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to boil. Cover and wait for 2 minutes. Remove cover and stir occasionally until mixture is at the soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Add butter. Let cool. When still warm, beat mixture until smooth. Add nuts and vanilla. Pour into greased 9" x 13" pan. Let sit for a while and then cut into squares.

Note:  A family favorite is chocolate covered popcorn.  It was my dad's mom's recipe.  Pour the fudge over popcorn before cooling and fold - being careful not to burn your hands from the hot mixture.

Tags: fudge, candy

Swedish Pancakes

This is a traditional Swedish recipe to be served especially on Thursdays.  The thin pancakes can be eaten with jam (as a lot of Swedes do) or with lemon juice and powdered sugar (as a lot of English people do) or by themselves.

1 egg
1 c milk
½ c flour
½ t salt
1 T melted butter
1 T butter for skillet

Beat egg. Add flour, salt, and half of milk. Beat until there are no lumps. Add butter and rest of milk. Let sit 10 min. Melt butter in skillet. For each pancake, add ½ c of mixture to skillet. Fry until browned on one side. Flip and brown the other side. Makes 6.