Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

So easy! Make ahead and sit in the fridge until needed! 5 cups of stock (homemade, canned or powder) 1 tsp pepper NO SALT Bring liquid to boil. Add curry to taste. ****Depending on your curry and where you have purchased it from your stock can become very salty! Add a raw potato to absorb the salt if necessary! When you are happy with it, add these items. 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken (diced will work if necessary) 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 cup shredded carrot (optional) Bring to a boil. Refrigerate until planning to eat. A day in the fridge will enhance the flavour! Bring curry to a boil again. When vegetables are to desired texture, add: 1/2 cup water mixed with 2 tbsp of cornstarch. Add small amounts at a time! STOP when sauce is desired thickness! It will have a green or dark mustard colour. Serve over rice or egg noodles. "Bon Appetit!"

3 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 1/4 c. milk 1/2 c. shredded cheese  **You can use 1 can of condensed cheese soup instead (I also added 3 tbsp of onion blossom horseradish dip from Sunset Gourmet) http://sunsetgourmet.ca/products/condiments-sauces-spreads/onion-blossom-horseradish-dip/ 1/2 lb fried ground hamburger 1/2 med. green or red pepper, chopped  1/2 onion sliced thinly  1 pkg. frozen French fried crinkle cut potatoes 1/2 cup shredded cheese For sauce, in a large saucepan melt the butter. Stir in flour and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add half of the shredded cheese, stirring until cheese melts.  In a baking dish sprinkle ground beef, toss peppers and onions as desired on top. Pour sauce over meat. Cover and chill. Throw frozen fries over the meat/cheese mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until potatoes are tender and mixture ...

Hide the veggies!!!! 2015 is a year I plan to do MORE cooking and buying less premade. I think one of the basics I need to master is spaghetti sauce as that is one of John's favourite meals AND not something he can have in the truck during the week. Although it is easy enough to get at any truck stop diner, watered down sauce and overcooked pasta is JUST not the same. SO what can I do differently. John loves my cooking. I am not a bad cook, but have become supremely lazy in past years. This was today's sauce: 1 can of tomatoes diced (now when veggies are plentiful and inexpensive these will be fresh) $0.99 1 bunch of green onions (I like the colour -chunkily chopped) $0.79 2 regular onions (chunkily chopped) $0.50 1/2 of a bunch of celery (chunkily chopped) $1 1 green pepper (chunkily chopped) $1 1/2+ cup of parmesan or romano cheese $1 generous amount of your favourite Italian seasonings 2 tsp garlic 2 cups of water subtotal $4.28 **** and w...

What do you do with leftover orange marmalade the last recipe called for???? Well I have one! In a frying pan: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 lbs of pork cut into 1" cubes Brown meat and transfer to a crock pot. In the used frying pan: 2 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup red wine or another 1/2 cup broth 1/4 cup orange marmalade (I used a small can of drained mandarin oranges that I processed in a food processor) Stir well and pour over meat in crock pot. Add: 1 large can diced tomatoes WITH juices 1 large green pepper diced large 2 cups frozen beans or stir fry blend 2 minced garlic cloves 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp fennel seed (omitted) 1 tsp black pepper 1/8 tsp chilli flakes Stir well. Refrigerate if you want for next meal. OR Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. (I cooked on high 4-6) ***Uncover 1/2 way through if there seems to be a lot of liquid. Combine: 2 tbsp cornstach 2 tbsp cold water Stir until smooth and add gradually to stew to thicken....

Well isn't this appropriate for most of the authors on this site! LOL I am pretty excited about this one, it has all my favourite veggies in it. I made this whole thing 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Prep: 1/4 cup flour 2 lbs stewing beef  (1" cubes - I buy the prepackaged beef and cut them in 1/2) 2 tbsp oil coat beef in flour and fry on med-high heat until brown....keep scraping browned bits off bottom of pan.  In a large crock pot: 1 can tomato soup undiluted 1 cup water or red wine 2 tsp beef boullion granules *****I substituted with 1L of vegetable cocktail juice 3 tsp italian seasoning 1 bay leaf 1 tsp black pepper Stir well and add fried beef cubes. Add: 4 medium potatoes cut into cubes (I omitted) 3 medium onions cut in rings 3 medium carrots cut into cubes 3 medium parsnips cut into cubes 1 small rhutabaga peeled and cut into cubes 1 cup celery chunks **12 large fresh mushrooms (add just before starting crock pot if you...