Cream of Potato Soup

I looked through countless recipe books to find the easiest, most tasteful Cream of Potato Soup. I either didn’t have all the ingredients (spices) they called for or it just didn’t taste right. So I decided to experiment and create my own. This is what I came up with.

4 medium potatoes (cubed) Cooked in chicken broth instead of water.

While potatoes are cooking: combine the following ingredients in a small pan.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in pan and add:

1/4 cup onion chopped fine

3 celery stalks chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup chicken broth

Let this simmer at a low heat until all are tender.

You will need 1 cup of Light cream, 1/2 and 1/2 or a can of evaporated milk and 1 tablespoon of flour.

When potatoes are tender, add the vegetables to this. DO NOT DRAIN.

Using an immersion blender, cream all ingredients until smooth.

Add 1 TBS flour to 12 oz. of light cream, 1/2 and 1/2 or a can of evaporated milk Whisk well to remove any lumps. Add to potato/vegetable mix. Stir constantly until thickened.

You may add small cubes of ham, cut up shrimp if you like. I don’t add cheese as this will make the soup pretty thick.

Let simmer at low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Sunshine Casserole

This is an easy recipe that is listed as a vegetarian meal. You could add a protein and use this as a side dish. This is especially good on a cold, dreary day where you are just looking for a little sunshine.

2 Cups Finely Shredded Carrots

2 Cups Cooked Rice

2 Eggs Beaten

1 1/2 Cups Diced Am.Cheese

1/4 Cup Milk

1 can of Creamed Corn

1 Tbs. Butter or Margarine (melted)

1 Tbs Minced Onion

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until set. Makes 6-8 servings.

Crabmeat Quiche

If you want an easy quick meal, this makes great leftovers. I usually freeze a couple of pieces for a later meal. Just thaw and microwave it or put it in an oven at 300 degrees and warm it for 1/2 an hour. Served with baked potato or rice makes it a full meal or you could just eat it alone as a small lunch.

If you do not care for crabmeat in a quiche (it has cheese in it), substitute the same amount of protein. Ham, Kielbasa, Veggies etc.

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Thaw a ready made frozen pie crust

Mix together the following in a large mixing bowl.

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise*

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs, beaten

Mix these ingredients in a bowl using a whisk. Be sure to whisk out all the flour lumps.

Add 1/3 cup (total) of onion, pepper and celery chopped very small

Add your crabmeat or other protein to the mix. I use 8 ounces of crabmeat or 1 and 1/2 cups of veggies, ham, etc. Broccoli, chopped small, can be added if you are using ham.

Add 8 oz. of finely shredded mozzarella cheese. If you are using ham as your protein, try using shredded swiss cheese. I initially tried this with mild cheddar cheese, but found the crabmeat taste was more pronounced with a lighter, milder cheese.

When it is all mixed together, pour into the thawed pie crust. Brush water or melted butter over the crust edge or use a crust cover. Put on a covered cookie sheet to catch any drips and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. To check if it is done, use a regular dinner knife and poke it into the middle of the quiche. If it comes out clean and dry, your quiches is done. Take it out of the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes while you put out the rest of your meal. Slice and serve.

*If you need to measure out mayonnaise, it will work easier to fill the measuring cup with the liquid you are using (in this case 1/2 cup of milk). Like in science class, solids will disperse the liquid. So, 1/2 cup of milk will make it to the 1 cup measure if you add 1/2 cup mayonnaise to it.

Baked Ziti

I have tried several Ziti recipes. This one is probably the easiest and my husband’s favorite. I made mine in an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. As my husband can eat pasta every day, I elected not to freeze half. But you can do that easily. I prefer to bake it before freezing and then after it is cooled, I put it in containers to freeze. It is easily thawed and reheated in the micro for lunch or for those nights where you want something warm, but don’t want to waste a lot of time cooking. Also great when you don’t have to turn on the oven during the warm summer days.

1/2 of a 16 oz. box of ziti or penne pasta

12 oz. ricotta or cottage cheese*

8 oz. finely shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 beaten egg

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 pound cooked hamburger if desired.

Bring to a boil 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon oil. When water is boiled, add 1 teaspoon salt and pasta. Cook for about 12 minutes until pasta is soft, but not mushy. It will cook in the sauce so you don’t want it overcooked.

If you decide to add hamburger to your mix, cook it in a small fry pan with 2 teaspoons chopped onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/8 tsp. garlic powder. Drain before adding to sauce mix.

While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, mix hamburger (if using) spaghetti sauce, egg, ricotta/cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and 6 oz. of the shredded Mozzarella. When ziti is cooked, drain and add to the sauce mixing well. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water when draining. After everything is mixed, if you feel like the mixture is not moist enough, add a little of the pasta water until it is a little moist.

If you like it really cheesy, mix all the shredded Mozzarella into sauce mix. then lay 4 thin slices of mozzarella over top. This gives you a nice cover and also adds more cheese to the casserole.

I always use cottage cheese with pineapple. It adds a little sweetness to your sauce and also, if I don’t use the full container, it makes a great afternoon snack. I am not a fan of ricotta cheese so this works well for me.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until cover cheese is browned and bubbly.

Napa Cabbage Salad

1 head Napa or Bok Choy cabbage
3 green onions
1 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles with seasoning pack
1 (6-ounce) package slivered almonds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds *
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Place the rack at least two shelves down from the broiler. You will need to watch the toasting very closely.

Tear or slice the cabbage into shreds. Slice the onions thinly, and place in a large salad bowl. Crumble the noodles into a broiler pan, Save the seasoning packet for later. Add the almonds (or walnuts) and sesame seeds, and broil for 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the sesame seeds.

In a jar with a tight lid, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, and salt with the contents of the seasoning pack. Cover the jar and shake well to blend the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the toasted sesame and almond, and toss to combine. It is best to let the salad sit overnight before serving.

I usually cut the cabbage in half and save for another use or for another salad at a later date. If you want an extra large salad to use as a party pot luck, use the whole cabbage. I use 2 packages of Ramen Noodles & the seasoning if I use the whole cabbage. I also increase oil to ¾ cup and 3 ½ tsp of vinegar. (No extra sugar need be added).

*I don’t use the sesame seeds, I just add a couple extra tablespoons of walnuts and toast them.

Basic White Sauce

This is a basic white sauce that can be utilized in many dishes. We usually make it to go over Salmon Pie. It is a creamy sauce that can stand the addition of hard boiled eggs or peas and/or carrots. This recipe only takes about 10 minutes so do not start it too early.

In a medium saucepan. melt 2 tablespoons of butter. When melted, mix in 2 tablespoons of white flour. Using a rubber spatula, mix well and let cook for a minute or two. It will be very thick, but the flour needs to cook off a little or it will taste like paste. Slowly add 2 cups of milk stirring constantly. This is not a recipe that you can leave alone. It will clump up and stick to the bottom of the pan. The sauce will thicken slowly. Add salt an pepper to flavor. You may add chopped 2 or 3 hard boiled eggs or 1 cup of peas to the sauce. Remove from heat when it reaches the thickness you desire.

Melting Bean Pot

This is a favorite of ours. It is made in a large fry pan or saucepan. It is similar to Mac and Cheese, but adds protein in the hamburger and baked beans. You can change up the flavor of the baked beans depending on your personal taste.

This is also listed as a meatless recipe. You just need to omit the beef and change the canned beans to a vegetarian style instead of Pork and Beans. It will still be a very tasty meal.

You may think that 2 teaspoons of chili powder is too much, but you will be surprised with the flavor. Try it with 2 at first and increase or decrease to your liking.

1/3 Lb. Ground Beef 3 Cups Cooked Macaroni*

1/4 Cup Onion Chopped 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/8 Cup Diced Green Pepper 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 Cup Milk 2 tsp. Chili Powder

1 Can (8 oz.) Pork & Beans

In saucepan, brown beef and onions and peppers with chili powder until tender. Add beans, cooked macaroni, cheese, milk and salt. Pour into small sprayed casserole dish.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 6 cups.

By leaving out the hamburger, you could make this a vegetarian meal.

* 1 ½ cups raw macaroni makes 3 cups cooked.

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To Cook Macaroni

Take a medium sauce pan and fill about ½ full of water. Add 1 tsp oil. Bring to a boil. When boiling, add 1 tsp of salt. Always salt pasta water. Add pasta. Stir and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes until soft but not mushy. Macaroni will cook with the other ingredients in the oven. rain using colander and add to beef mixture.

Macaroni and Cheese

3/4 Cup Uncooked Macaroni 2 Tbs. Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt 8 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

2 Tbs. margarine 1 1/2 Cup Milk

1/8 tsp. Pepper 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs

Cook macaroni in water with a little oil*. Place this in a Pam sprayed casserole.

While macaroni is cooking. Melt margarine in medium saucepan. Add flour, salt and pepper. Mix well. It will be thick. Let cook for one minute. Slowly add milk about 1/2 cup at a time. Let thicken between each portion. Stir constantly when adding milk. When milk is all added, let sauce thicken a little. Then add shredded cheese, still stirring constantly. When cheese is all melted and blended in, add this mixture to macaroni in baking dish. Mix together. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Should be golden and bubbly.

To Cook Macaroni:
In medium saucepan put 2 inches of water. Add 1 tsp. oil. Bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp. salt and stir. Add uncooked macaroni. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until soft but not mushy.

Remember, pasta doubles when cooked. so if a recipe asks for 3/4 cup uncooked macaroni, it will be 1 1/2 cups when cooked. Always check recipe to see if they ask for cooked or uncooked.