Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

It is the end of May And here we are  with an abundance of rhubarb. I offered to make stewed rhubarb For a 90+ year old lady, And found this SUPER easy, Anyone could do this recipe! So dice up some rhubarb. **I heart today that 1 good rhubarb stalk Equals 1 cup. I filled a counter top turkey roaster Which is about 12 cups+. I added 2 bottles of no-name Pancake syrup. I kept the temperature at 300 Stirring constantly. **note For the first hour you could Smell burning sugar as it splashed Up on the sides of the pan. Do not scrape off. At 2 hours,  my rhubarb was getting soft. I used my hand blender And pureed it down. First taste test was soooo yummy. I then continued letting it cook down And pureed one more time With my hand mixer. Then I canned some! I am excited to be having this for Dessert tonight on ice cream. It would also be delicious On pound cake or on angel food cake! What about in a trifle With some fresh strawberries? The original recipe h

For this recipe you will need to Make a chicken seasoning.  I could NOT find in store so I found a recipe. Mix together: 1tsp paprika 1\4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp Italian seasoning 3\4 tsp dried parsley Make a sauce: 3/4 cup honey 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup honey mustard 1/4 cup lemon juice salt and pepper 4 tsp minced garlic The prepared chicken seasoning 2 cups chicken stock Blend the ingredients until smooth. Preheat oven to 450° Place 1\4 chicken for each person in casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven  Reduce heat to 350° and add: 1-1/2 pounds baby red potatoes cut in half 1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup frozen corn Pour sauce over meat and veggies. Roast for an hour or until veggies are cooked Covered loosely with foil. Remove chicken from oven  Let stand 15 minutes before carving. "Bon Appetit!"

I wanted some flavorful chicken for Our June Christmas dinner. Preheat the bbq on high While prepping the meat. Butterfly cut a whole shicken Which only means cut the chicken In half along the breast bone. Press down the chicken so it is flat. I removed that  whole bone.  *** It will take 15 to 20 minutes Off the cooking time. Cover a bbq cooking sheet with  2 layers of heavy foil. Lay the chicken skin up And press down Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you want some stuffing mix: 10 slices ripped up bread slice 1\4 cup of diced onion and celery 1 tbsp of holiday seasoning (epicure) After mixing roll into ball And cover in 2 layers of foil Then place under the chicken. In a bowl mix: 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped onion 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Brush all over the chicken And cover in 2 layers of foil. Refrigerate until cooking time. Set up the grill to cook  On indirect high heat   By

Make this hearty casserole for the group who helping during spring or fall clean up. Throw in any pizza toppings your family likes for example: bacon, olives, ham, green peppers, hot peppers... In a large skillet, cook: 1 pound ground beef 1 pound bulk Italian sausage 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional) Cook until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, breaking meat into crumbles, 10-12 minutes and drain. Put into casserole dish. Top with: 2 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese In mixing bowl, add: 1 package penne pasta cooked al dente 2 cups tomato sauce 1 cup pizza sauce 1 cup water 1 can tomato paste 1 package pepperoni diced 1 medium onion diced 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning And any other pizza toppings you like! Mix well and pour over ground meat. Top with: 1 cup shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese Sprinkle with parmesan cheese  And chives. ***Add red pepper flakes and cayenne if desired. Cover and bake until cheese is melted. Uncover and bake 15-20 m

I LOVE simple tasty recipes, and I like to eat. Here is  simple idea to try. Test this "on your family" !!! Every time a recipe calls for a chicken breast  person, take the time to cut it "almost" In half (butterfly cut) and open it all the way up making each portion look soooo big!!!! Or cut it in half all the way and make it into  Double the protein the recipe asked for.  If you want to extend the meat even further,  pre-slice or even dice instead of serving whole!  Much like rice krispie squares, they are  Popped into your mouth whole no matter what Size they are! Small or large! Extend your protein by making the portions  "look" like there is more. That is only 2 breasts. Whisk together: 1/2 cup half-and-half cream 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon brown sugar Set aside. Prep: 1 small onion very thinly sliced Now you will need: 4 boneless skinless chicken breast Cut in half (6 ounces each) salt and pepper Pound chicken breasts  With a meat

In a small bowl, combine: 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 tsp orange marmalade Set aside. 1 pork tenderloin (1 pound), cut into thin strips 1 tablespoon canola oil In a large skillet or wok,  stir-fry pork in oil until lightly browned About 5 minutes  **I used 2 leftover pork chops diced. Add: 1 small onion, sliced 2 stalks celery diced 1/4 pound fresh snow peas 1/2 sweet red pepper, julienned 1 can drained water chestnuts Cook and stir until crisp-tender 3-5 minutes. Stir orange juice mixture  Then add to pan.  Bring to a boil Cook and stir until thickened about 2 minutes.  Serve on rice.  Garnish with green onion  and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with egg rolls or spring rolls. "Bon Appetit!"

When corn is cheap and plentiful Not a lot of us think "Hey let's freeze some" But I can guarantee doing it, This recipe Will be a happy meal add on When it is not in season! And with very little extra work. FOR THE DRESSING: Zest from 1 lime 2 tbsp orange juice 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro 1\2 tsp mint extract 1\4 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp honey Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste Place all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. 3 cobs of corn 1 teaspoon vegetable oil Lightly coat the cobs of corn in the vegetable oil. Place them on the BBQ and grill for 10 minutes, turning the corn a few times. Remove from the grill. Remove kernels from cobs. Add: 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon or sausage Stir and let cool. *** I do a couple extra cobs at each bbq (and or the leftovers) -  and freeze. LOVE my pampered chef corn de-cobber!  *** Helpful Tip: To slice kernels off the cob without making a giant mess

I am currently watching a tv show And they keep talking about fried chicken. Now I want some! In a large bowl or dish combine: 1 cup sour cream or leftover chip dip 2 tsp Dijon\deli style mustard 2 tsp minced garlic Mix and coat: 8 chicken drumsticks **skin removed Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 400°.  In another bowl mix: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper Remove chicken from marinade  and add 1 piece at a time To flour mixture. Press to coat.  Spray a wire rack With cooking spray.  Lay chicken on rack. Bake 40-45 minutes. "Bon Appetit!"

I used a small pork loin  From the freezer for this recipe. Marinate it in: 1 cup orange juice 1\2 cup soy sauce 2 tsp sugar 2 tsp orange rind  (I used 2 oranges -reserve the actual oranges) 1 tbsp ginger root 3 tsp minced garlic Salt and pepper Slice the 2 oranges and place over meat. Leave to soak overnight. (I did 2 nights) Roast for 1.5 hours at 350. Remove meat   Strain and reserve juices. ***smells divine! Cut 1 Savoy cabbage into 8 wedges And boil 5 minutes, Drain. Place meat back in roaster Arrange cabbage around Pour strained juice back in. Roast for 45 minutes With lid  Basting cabbage a few times. "Bon appetit!"

This is the kind of recipe you can  prep ahead for a big meal later. I left the meat to marinate And the potatoes I reheated  In the oven at supper time! In a bowl mix: 1 teaspoon cornstarch 3 tablespoons maple syrup 2 teaspoons wasabi mustard (I used deli) 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon pepper Add: 1" cubes of pork (I used 1 chop per person) Stir to coat Set aside until dinner time. I prepped this ahead too: 1xl peeled\cubed sweet potato 1 medium apple peeled\cubed 2 potatoes peeled\cubed Place in a large saucepan  with water to cover.  Bring to a boil Reduce heat, cover  Cook just until tender *10-12 minutes.  Drain.  Mash potatoes and apple.  Add: 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Mix well and keep warm. In a large skillet heat: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced Add meat and marinate Cook on medium Adding 1\2 cup water when needed. Cook 3-5 minutes longer.  Serve o

Super easy and a nice Salad to go with your next bbq. Ingredients torn fresh spinach fresh strawberries, halved 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted Toss in an oversize bowl. Now make the DRESSING: 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped onion 1 teaspoon poppy seeds 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Place dressing ingredients in a blender cover and process until combined.  Pour over salad and toss to coat.  Serve immediately. For a whole meal option Add shredded shicken And 1 drained can Mandarin oranges! "Bon Appetit!"

2 cups uncooked orzo pasta 2 teaspoons dried basil 3 tablespoons olive oil Cook orzo according to package directions Rinse in cold water and drain.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add basil and oil Toss to coat  Add: 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 1 can drained sliced black olives Mix together Set aside. In a large skillet sutee:  3 chopped green onions 2 tablespoons butter 3 cloves minced garlic Add: 1 large can diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons dried oregano Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes.  Add: 1 pound cleaned large shrimp Cook and stir until shrimp  Turn pink 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in the orzo mixture.  Transfer to a greased 5-qt. slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours  or until heated through. I served this with  Mini naan bread on the side. "Bon appetit!"

Recently my recipes are  Calling for sun dried tomatoes More and more often. Today I had none left So I googled how to make them. They are just dehydrated!!! Packed in olive oil Some with spices, Some not. I could do that. There are methods to make Them in the oven or a dehydrator. My air fryer happens  To be a dehydrator as well. Most recipes wanted you to Occasionally pull them out And dip in red wine vinegar. After reading the recipes And the reasons... I could do that... And I could do easier. So I grabbed the 4 tomatoes I bought from the reduced rack For $0.99!!!!! I sliced them thinly And placed them on the baking tray, Not the rack because I was Going to add spices. I covered them in Kraft Classic Herb salad dressing Which was what was in the fridge. This was my oil, spices and vinegar! Now I selected Dehydrate fruit And I let the machine do it's job. At the 2 hour mark They were half the size already. The dehydrator stopped At 4.5 hours and they were

When making this it kind of Resembles a cornbread\chicken Meatloaf and is a very homestyle kind Of family meal. Ingredients 1 cup cooked cubed chicken 2 cups cubed cornbread 2 cups cubed bread 1\2 onion diced 2 stalks diced celery 1 can cream of chicken soup 1\2 cup chicken broth 1 cup frozen veggies (I used mixed) 1 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoons rubbed sage salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400°.  In a large bowl,  Combine the all the ingredients.  Adding the chicken last. Transfer to a greased casserole dish (My suggestion would be 9x11 cake pan) I used parchment paper. Bake, uncovered,  until heated through about 45 minutes. We served with fries and gravy But would be equally good With mashed potatoes. "Bon appetit!"

A pork tenderloin is very versatile. On sale they can be anywhere From $3 to $10 Depending on the size you need Making this a good meal for a big family. I prepped this hours ahead  FROM FROZEN! 1 tablespoons oil 1 pork tenderloin In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil  over medium-high heat.  Brown tenderloin on all sides. Remove from heat.  ***For the casserole dish I was using,  I cut the pork in half. Spread pork with: 3 tbsp honey mustard Place into an appropriate size Covered casserole dish Sprinkle with salt and pepper And cover. ***good time to pull out that spiralizer you just had to have!!!! In a 2 cup measuring cup: 1\2 cup apple juice 1\2 tsp cinnamon 1\8 tsp nutmeg 2 medium apples, thinly sliced ***the apples soaking in juice Will stop them from browning. Now fill the measuring cup off with: 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced thin *************************** Set aside until dinner time. *************************** Roast pork in oven For 15-20 minutes at 400. Meanwh