Indy Sauce

My new Aunt Indy is a fabulous cook! She made dinner for the whole family and the thing everyone kept raving about was the zucchini in a creamy sauce. When we asked how she made it I found out the secret was the type of cheese. She used a mexican cheese called " Cotija". (Some stores have it with the specialty cheeses and others have it by the cream cheese. )

To make the sauce she just sautéed onions and peppers then added Sour cream and shredded Cotija cheese. She poured it over cooked zucchini but said it is great on anything. And it really is so good on ANYTHING! I like to dip garlic bread in it. I like it with pasta, I like it with vegetables. I like it with meat. ...I think it would even be great on a pizza. Above I have it with asparagus, sausage and pasta and it is soooo yummy!!! 

Thank you Indy! I feel like such a good cook now that I know about Cotija cheese. 

Freezer Meals

I have been working double time to stock my freezer. I hope it will make life easier when I have this baby. Here is what I have in my freezer:

4 (4 servings)-Mashed Potatoes

1 (8 servings)-Loaded Baked Potatoes

3 (4 servings)- Chicken Spaghetti

3 (4 servings)- Sweet and Sour Chicken

28 (single serving)- Chicken Rice Wraps

1 (8 servings)- Enchiladas
2 (4 servings)- Broccoli Risotto
3 (4 servings)- Baked Ziti
4 (4 servings)-Alfredo
4 (4 servings)-Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
3 (4 servings)-Garlic Bread
4 (4 servings)- Peppers and Onions 


 
Freezer tips:

• A lot of casserole recipes will cook just great on the stove top. I put most everything in a plastic bag because it cooks faster on the stove top and it doesn't heat the whole house up like the oven seems to. Plus it takes up less space in the freezer.

• A lot of people do one day of cooking and make lots of meals. That is just overwhelming to me ...especially in my condition (8 months pregnant). I'll do two meals in on session, but usually I just double or tipple what's for dinner that night. It is just as easy to double a recipe and freeze some for another day as it is to make one.

• When you notice something that goes on sale stock up and freeze it. I use peppers and onions for several meals (curry, fajitas, philly cheesesteak) When I see peppers on sale I go crazy. I also buy chicken in bulk when it is on sale. I cook it, shred it, and put it in bags for several uses. (I keep shredded chicken in my main freezer so it is handy when I am cooking.)

• When cooking I like to keep my sink filled with soapy water. That way when I am done with something, I can quickly wash it up. It really cuts down on the amount of dishes you use and when your done cooking, your pretty much done cleaning too.

• I keep a small garbage sack on the counter while I prep. Our city recently started doing curb side recycling, so I actually keep two grocery sacks on the counter (one for garbage and one for recycling) When I'm done cooking  they go right out to the big cans outside. 

• As you can see in the picture everything fits in the freezer so well when it is frozen flat first and then stood up later. I use a cookie sheet to lay the bags on while it freezes and then stand it up the next day. I got lazy a couple of times and I always regret it. (like the potatoes) They just don't fit as well and with the air in the bag it doesn't stay as fresh as long either. 

• I never seemed to have trouble with my feet hurting while I cooked until I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant. Now I do, but I have found it helps sooooooo much to where my Crocs while I cook! I defiantly recommend it if your feet or back get sore.  

If you have any good freezer recipes or tips, please share. I still have room in my freezer and until this baby comes I'll continue to fill it up. :)

Freezer Sweet & Sour Chicken

I found this recipe on Creatively Domestic. It was suggested to double the recipe and split into 3 meals. That is what I did...  I am patiently waiting until after baby comes to try it.


Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup sliced carrot
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/3 cups water
3 tablespoon canola oil
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup chunked onion
1/2 cup chunked red bell pepper (I used all green pepper)
1/2 cup chunked green bell pepper
1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained

Cut chicken in 1inch cubes. Cook in oil with carrot and garlic until no longer pink
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Combine sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Stir in water. Add oil, vinegar and soy sauce. Cook and stir until thick and clear. Remove from heat stir together chicken, sauce, vegetable and pineapple. Allow to cool. Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze. Serves 6.

To serve: Thaw. Heat until hot and bubbly. Serve with hot rice.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

My mom has been on a no sugar diet for a few months. It seems soooo hard to me to come up with recipes that are sugar free, but I am always amazed by the wonderful food she comes up with ...Especially these carnitas!! So I asked for her recipe and here it is:

4 pound     Boneless pork shoulder
11 cloves   Garlic (7 whole, 4 slivered)
1/2 Tbs      Salt
1 tsp          Pepper
2  Tbs        Garlic Powder
2 Tbs         Onion powder
2 Tbs         Cumin
1 Tbs         Coriander
1 Tbs         Chili powder
1/2 tsp       Oregano
1/4 tsp       Cinnamon
2                Onions sliced
2                Bay leaves
2 cups        Chicken Broth
1/4 cup       Lime juice


Using a knife, make incisions all over the pork and insert the slivered garlic.  Mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin,  coriander, chili powder, oregano, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat the pork wiht the spice mixture. Place onions, bay leaves, and and whole garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker, and place the pork on top. Squeeze on the sitrus and pour the broth evenly over the top.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork.

Shred meat and serve with tortillas, sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado.

Quick and Easy Alfredo

My husband mentioned he wanted to make some Alfredo at home. He was working late, so I surprised him with this and he loved it!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 cups milk
• 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

I served this with bow-tie pasta and broccoli. It made a lot! I should invite someone over next time I make it.

I found this recipe HERE.

Halloween Recipes

I just found this great website. I found some great dinner ideas and some cute ideas for Halloween. like this:Click here for to link to Picky-Plate

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I went to TGI Fridays with my family and ordered the Parmesan Crusted Chicken. It was so good that I looked up a recipe and made it for dinner tonight. It turned out great and I know that I will make it again.

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 lb chicken cutlets, washed and patted dry
• cooking spray

	In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg, water, and salt until smooth.
	In another shallow bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, stirring well to mix.
	Dip the chicken cutlets into the egg mixture, coating well on both sides; then place into the Parmesan mixture, coating well on both sides.
	Place prepared cutlets on a separate plate and set aside.
	Coat a large nonstick skillet generously with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.
	Working in batches, cook the chicken in a single layer, for 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through and Parmesan crust is browned to desired crispiness.
	In between batches, wipe the skillet clean with paper towels and re-coat it generously with cooking spray.

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

1 bag (32 ounces) Southern-style hash-brown potatoes, thawed (about 7 1/2 cups)

1 can (6 ounces) French's® French Fried Onions (2 2/3 cups)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup (Regularor 98% Fat Free)

1 cup milk

• Stir the potatoes, 1 1/3 cups of the onions, peas, cheese and bacon in a 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) shallow baking dish. Stir the soup and milk in a medium bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the potato mixture. Cover.
• Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until hot. Stir.
• Sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes more or until the onions are golden brown.

RECIPE TIPS

• Time-Saving Tip: To thaw the hash browns, cut off 1 corner on bag and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes.

Mmmmm... Risotto

(I modified a risotto recipe and it turned out sooo good!!!)

3 cups -water
1 can - chicken broth
3 Tablespoons -butter or olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon- salt
1/2 teaspoon- pepper
1 pound - broccoli florets
2 cloves - minced garlic
1/2 cup - chopped onion
1 cup - uncooked Arborio Rice
1/2 cup - chopped green onion
1/3 cup - dry white wine
1/2 cup - heavy cream
1/3 cup - grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat water and broth in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
2. meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat; add salt, pepper, and broccoli. cook until tender crisp. remove broccoli from pan and set aside.
   
3. In the same saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of butter, garlic, and onion. Cook until onion is soft.
   
4. Add rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add wine and stir until absorbed.
   
5. Increased heat to medium-high; stir in 1 cup of water-broth mixture until liquid is absorbed. Continue stirring and adding remaining water-broth mixture 1 cup at a time allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding another . Cook until rice is tender ad mixture has a creamy consistency (approximately 25-30 minutes).
   
6. Stire in asparagus, green onion, cream, and cheese. Stir until mixture is creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.
   

Black Bean Burrito Bake

Last sunday I realized I didn't have something in mind for Sunday dinner. I went through my recipes and saw this. I just happened to have everything for it :) I made it and it was so yummy!! The only problem is that it calls for just one chipotle chili and I didn't want to waste the rest so I thought I would put it in some rice, and I DON'T recommend that. I think you could probably put three in the burritos and three in the rice, but a whole can makes it uneatable.

Ingredients

• 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup bottled salsa
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove one chile from can. Chop chile. Reserve remaining adobo sauce and chiles for another use. Combine sour cream and chile in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes.

Place half of beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add chopped beans, remaining beans, and corn to sour cream mixture.

Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

365 (29% from fat)

Fat:

11.7g (sat 5.8g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

15.7g

Carbohydrate:

55.3g

Fiber:

7.2g

Cholesterol:

28mg

Iron:

3.5mg

Sodium:

893mg

Calcium:

311mg

Pork Chop Supper

1 Tbsp. butter
4 pork chops
5 potatoes, cut in wedges
1 (16 oz.) bag baby carrots
1 medium onion, sliced
2 (10 ¾ oz.) can cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
½ c. water


In skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Brown chops for 3 minutes on each side. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion. Combine soup and water: pour over the top. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Makes 4 servings.

ROASTED THANKSGIVING TURKEY

I have tried so many different ways of cooking a Thanksgiving turkey, slow cooked 200º ; fast cooking 400º ; breast down, breast up; stuffed with dressing, not stuffed; regular salt, course kosher salt; herbs, no herbs; soaked in a salt brine, and marinated in apple cider, even deep fat frying. I have tried anything that sounded reasonable. They were all eatable, but today I do something like this:

20 lb. or more turkey – turkey will thaw in the fridge in about four days.
Remove giblets and neck from cavities of turkey (I forgot this step on the first turkey I did). The giblets and neck can be boiled in salt water and used in the dressing. Saving the water for the gravy.

Rinse and dry bird. Season cavity with 2 tsp. kosher salt and fill cavity with large pieces of two carrots, four stalks of celery and one onion (These add flavor to the meat. Discard when turkey is cooked.) Make an herb butter of: 1 cup butter, 2 tsp. of each thyme, sage, parsley and chives; 1 tsp. rosemary. Starting at the neck end of turkey, loosen skin by sliding fingers underneath it. Slide hand as far as possible toward other end of turkey, separating skin from meat. Rub two-thirds of herb butter under skin, over entire breast. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cover with thin piece of cloth (like cheese cloth) pour ½ cube melted butter over the cloth. Baste every hour.

Preheat oven/electric roasting pan to 350º. Place turkey breast down

Turkey is done when the breast meat reaches an internal temperature of 170º. Remove from oven and let stand 30 minutes before carving. This lets the juices settle into the meat making a moister meat. Carve against the grain of the meat. Garnish with orange slices and parsley.” – Nadine

ZESTY PARMESAN CHICKEN

Patrice
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 envelope Zesty Italian salad dressing mix
½ tsp. garlic powder
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Mix cheese, garlic & salad dressing mix. Moisten chicken with water and coat in mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 400º for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through.

“I found this in a magazine and tried it. It is delicious and very easy to make.”
– Patrice

TURKEY STEAKS

Slice a partly frozen turkey (bigger the better, because you get larger slices)
Form pieces into patties.

Dip patties in seasoned flour (l cup flour, 2 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper).
Then dip in milk mixture (2 cups milk -5 eggs, slightly beaten together)
Finally dip in fine bread crumbs.

Let stand 15 minutes before browning, (doesn’t have to be cooked all the way at this point.) Cool before putting in freezer bags and freezing for future use. Do the final cooking when you are ready to use them by steaming for 2 hours.

20 lb. turkey yields approximately 36 to 45 steaks

“Our ward in Pocatello had a dinner every year where they served this Turkey Steak recipe which was from a member’s local restaurant. We were able to help make the steaks and that is how I got their secret recipe. I now use my own seasoned flour recipe (found under the Swiss steak recipe) rather than the mixture listed above.)”
– Nadine

SWISS STEAK – DUTCH OVEN

Buy cubed steaks, or round steaks and have the butcher cube them.
Dip steaks in seasoned flour recipe (see below). Then brown in oil. When all steaks are fried put them back in the pan they were browned in and pour mushroom soup over the top. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

“My mom made Swiss steaks with a tomato sauce. VeLoy wasn’t fond of the tomato sauce part of the recipe so we substituted mushroom soup.”
– Nadine

SEASONED FLOUR

West Jordan Relief Society


2 cups flour
2 tsp. Lowrey’s seasoning salt
3 tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. onion salt
2 Tbsp. salt
1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning


Blend well.

“What you don’t use, save for another time. I use this for Swiss steaks and when cooking chicken. I find it easier to make several small containers of the spices and then add the flour and salt as needed. When I came across this recipe we loved it because it tastes just like Kentucky Fried Chicken.”
–Nadine

Prepare as instructed above. However, you can cheat and brown the meat at home. When ready to cook, pace them in the Dutch oven, pour on soup and cook over the fire. This recipe seems to taste better when cooked in the Dutch oven.

SEASONED FLOUR

West Jordan Relief Society


2 cups flour
2 tsp. Lowrey’s seasoning salt
3 tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. onion salt
2 Tbsp. salt
1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning


Blend well.

“What you don’t use, save for another time. I use this for Swiss steaks and when cooking chicken. I find it easier to make several small containers of the spices and then add the flour and salt as needed. When I came across this recipe we loved it because it tastes just like Kentucky Fried Chicken.”
–Nadine

SWISS STEAK

Buy cubed steaks, or round steaks and have the butcher cube them.
Dip steaks in seasoned flour recipe (see below). Then brown in oil. When all steaks are fried put them back in the pan they were browned in and pour mushroom soup over the top. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

“My mom made Swiss steaks with a tomato sauce. VeLoy wasn’t fond of the tomato sauce part of the recipe so we substituted mushroom soup.”
– Nadine

SPRING VEGGIE PIZZA

2 pkg. uncooked crescent rolls
16 oz. cream cheese
½ cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
½ cup sour cream
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch mix


Press crescent roll dough onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350º for 14-17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before topping with cream cheese.
Top with desired vegetables (chopped broccoli, yellow or red peppers, red onion slices, cucumber slices, shredded carrots, etc.)

SPAGHETTI SQUASH

To prepare: Cut Spaghetti Squash in half lengthwise and clean out seeds.

Oven: Place cut side up in a baking dish with a half inch of water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375º for approximately one hour or until you can easily remove spaghetti-like strands with a fork.
Microwave: Place cut side down in a baking dish, add ¼ cup water. Cover with clear wrap and cook 7-8 minutes.
Stovetop: Place side down in 2” of water cover and boil for 20 minutes.

Scoop out spaghetti and serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce and cheese.

SHEPHERD’S PIE

1 pkg. frozen peas & carrots – thawed.
1 cup tomato soup
1 tsp. chili powder
1 lb. ground beef, browned & seasoned
mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


After you have cooked the ground beef add the tomato soup (don’t add milk or water), and chili powder and place in bottom of a baking dish. Next layer is the peas and carrots, then spread a layer of mashed potatoes, sprinkle top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 – 40 minutes.