Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

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...

So what happens when a recipe is a flop? I made curry chicken (a staple in our house) 2 nights ago and the curry was cheap. NO flavor. John said old, but I know its not that old.....so I am going back to finding my Watkins curry.  It was NEVER going to get eaten so what to do....... Or maybe the kid/husband mis-measured and you have enough rice to feed an army! 3 cups cooked rice (ours had celery and onions) 1 tbsp Sunset Gourmet Garlic 3/4 cup red/green pepper diced Put into large mixing bowl. Add: 1 package of beef vegetable soup mix 1/2 cup water (if boullion in package is a lump in soup mix add to water and mix first) Press into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.  While baking: 2 cups frozen corn 1/2 onion diced 1/8 cup olive oil pepper to taste Sautee in a frying pan, until onions are tender.  Corn goes intothe center of the rice when it comes out of the bundt pan. We served this dish with ribs and coleslaw. "BON APET...

So we tried this as it was written. I have altered the recipe (in red) so it is 100% better! Although our first attempt was all eaten. Grease one 13x9 baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350. 1 cup of bacon bits (real) 1 1/2 cups canadian bacon cubed 1 (large) slivered onion 1tbsp butter Melt butter in frying pan and sautee onions. Add bacon and cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside while doing the next step. 8-10 eggs beaten 1 cup skim milk (I used 2%) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper (2 tsp) 2 tbsp chives 1/2 green pepper diced or shredded (1 whole) 1 whole red pepper diced or sliced 2 cups shredded cheese (strong flavored like old cheddar) 3 cups of grated potato or thawed hash browns (uncooked) (stick to 3 cups) In a large bowl combine ingredients above, then add bacon mixture to bowl. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. You may choose to sprinkle more cheese on top at this point. Bake another 10 minutes or until the casserole is firm. Serv...

take some leftover jell-o and leftover fruit cocktail and puree over heat. Set aside to cool. grind up some leftover cookies add 1/2 cup sugar and a little butter to make a cookie base. Press into muffin cups. when jello starts to cool, pour over cookie bases and top with a sprinkle of cookie. refrigerate until set. "Bon Appetit!" This came because I made this jello concoction to top some mandarin orange muffins I made. I used tropical fruit jello and the concoction smelt of mangoes!!!! yummmmmmm

2 cup pumpkin (I used the meat from a halloween pumpkin gutting) 4 eggs 2 1/2 cups sugar or sweetener replacement 1/2 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg or allspice 1/2 tsp. salt Blend well then add to: 3 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 cups chocolate chips or pecans 2 tbsp cointreau liqueur or 2 tsp orange peel 1 cup vegetable oil Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake in a greased pan Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Brush top of loaf with melted butter. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar, maple sugar, turbinado sugar or white sugar. Can be eaten plain, buttered, or with cream cheese "Bon Appetit!"

1 large cheap pork roast.....a good one does not shred as easy. Boil your roast, this will remove some of the salt and then roast in the oven at 350 for 2 hours with 2 cups of water (for moisture). Pull roast out of oven and let cool to be able to handle by hand. Remove any visible fat, and then with a fork shred the meat off the roast. Place into a crock pot. Add onion, peppers, pineapple, S&P, and 1 bottle of your favourite BBQ sauce. Fill the bottle with water and add to the crock pot too. Stir well, if you feel it is still too thick, add another bottle of water or tomato juice. You can add more spices or chilli's if you'd like. Cook at high for 3 hours. Stirring occaionally. Serve on buns, with a salad. This is lovely at backyard parties. Easy and filling. "Bon Appetit!"

Leftover uses! I am using up some pb/marshmallow/chocolate squares I make every year, but this works just as well with Reese PB cups. Cookie dough: (Blue Ribbon Chocolate Vhip Cookies ~ Mrs fields Cookie Book ~ pg 10) In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 1/2 cup white sugar with 1 cup room temperature margarine/butter at medium speed. Add 2 eggs and 2tsp vanilla JUST until blended. Do not overmix. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda 1nd 1/4 tsp salt on low speed. In microwave in a bowl warm up your pb/chocolate (depending on you microwave) for 35 seconds. Not to melting, just until soft. ***You can include some stale mini marshmallows at this time too! Just add to the chocolate when you start. They added a lovely texture. Quickly dump into cookie dough, and mix at low. I needed to use a wooden spoon as mine got pretty thick (I used a lot of chocolate and marshmallow!). Using a cookie scoop, place 15 balls onto a non stick cookie sheet. Mine did n...

I seen this on tv last night! As you would normally do, prepare 4 slices of bread (4 per burger) to make 2 grilled cheese sandwiches! Over the cheese on one sandwich lay sliced cooked bacon or sprinkle crumbled cooked bacon and close. Set aside. Over the cheese on the other sandwich, add jalapenos or onions, or leave plain. Close and set aside. Cook your hamburgers as you would normally. When they are 1/2 cooked, make your grilled cheese sandwiches. Use the sandwiches instead of buns! Top with traditional toppings. ***We found lettuce a little too hard to handle, and we all removed it, as it made the burgers slide too much. "Bon Appetit!"

This is so simple I don't even look up the recipe anymore! 2 cups chocolate (you can use squares, wafers, bars, left over easter bunnies or foil wrapped balls) 1 cup butterscotch chips (I prefer 1/2 of a cup or none) vegetable oil 2 cup peanut butter (smooth is best but crunchy will work) 2 cup mini marshmallows (coloured looks nice) 1 greased cookie sheet Put a pot on very low heat on the stove empty (this is to ensure there is no dampness in the metal ~ water damages chocolate). Heat pot. Add small amounts of chocolate and stir from the bottom constantly. *** If your chocolate looks grainy, add small amounts of vegetable oil. Cheaper chocolate will need more oil....Just keep adding as needed. Melt thoroughly with the butterscotch chips (if used). Add peanut butter. Turn off heat and stir until mixture is smooth. Pour into a small greased cookie sheet and spread evenly. Place marshmallows on top of chocolate in rows so when you cut into squares each will get a marshmallow. Press i...

So everyone has been there. You open the fridge after Thanksgiving or Christmas and find all the bits no one has finished off. This is what I did. 1 cup of gravy or whatever is left over 1 cup parsnips/turnip/carrots 1/2 cup cream/regular corn 1/2 onion 4-6 cups of mashed potatoes 4-6 cups of liquid water/broth/consomme (equal to the amount of potato)OR milk for creamier S&P Now I put everything in the pot on med heat and mashed together (I used a emulsion mixer)be careful if you have used milk as it burns easier! i mixed in: 1/2 head of par cooked cauliflower florets or brocolli florets 1 cup of peas and 2 cups of ham cubes or turkey cubes Stir and pour into a crock pot. Now take the leftover stuffing (if there is any) and cut into cubes. About the size of croutons! Place on a cookie sheet and bake until crispy. Serve your turkey day croutons with your cream of leftovers soup! "Bon Appetit!"

The idea of this is you can prep everything ahead of time and clean the kitchen. You will only have a few bowls to wash in the end. In a pot boil enough rice for your diners. When rice is done to your taste, rinse quickly in cold water **This will stop further cooking (and cut down on stach and stickiness). Set aside until dinner time. In same pot you cooked rice, on med heat 2 tsp vegetable oil about 1/2 cup of thin soup noodles 1"ish (or broken spaghetti) about 1/2 cup chopped almonds, cashews, pecans or pistachios Essentially you are going to fry these noodles creating vermicelli! Watch carefully and when you start to see colour, remove from heat or you will have VERY well done noodles....) and cool/drain on a paper towel. Set aside until it is dinner time. On a large plate dice up a cheap steak into small cubes **You can use chicken, pork or sausage as well Set aside until it is dinner time In bowl #1 diced carrots, corn, water chestnuts **Any hard core veggies that need extra...

In a bowl: 2-3 cans of tuna, salmon, flakes of ham or flakes of chicken 1/2 chopped onion 4 stalks of celery and enough mayonaise/salad dressing to completely cover S&P Mix well and put in fridge for now. In a large bowl: 4 cups flour 4 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 5 tbsp of shortening, margarine, butter or vegetable oil 2 cups milk Mix well. If too wet, add a little more flour (YOU DO NOT WANT THIS TOO DRY!) If too dry, add a little more milk (YOU DO NOT WANT SOUP!) Pour mixture out onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle. It does not need to be perfectly shaped. Spread tuna (or whatever) mixture onto the dough and roll the longest end into itself forming a long tube. Do not roll the shorter end all the way down the rectangle! Too many layers does not allow the dough to bake in the center. Pinch off the ends of the roll, and make thin slices/poke with fork through the top of the roll to ensure the steam can get out. Beat an egg and a tiny bit of milk and brush all over t...

In a large bowl mix 4 cups blackberries 3/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp flour 1 tsp lemon rind Mix together and set aside. Take thawed but cold puff pastry (I used the thawed frozen kind). Roll out on floured serface. I rolled out until I had enough for 3-4 layers of pastry. Beat one egg with a little water and brush on both sides of pastry. In a lightly greased square or rectanguar baking pan, pour in the berries. Lay down layer after layer of pastry brushed with egg. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. "Bon Appetit!"

My favourite part of fried chicken or breaded pork chops is the coating. I love it when it is thick and crunchy. I dug this recipe out of an online site and made it my own. Crush leftover crackers, plain cerreals (rice krispies and corn flakes) and bread crumbs with some Italian seasonings, garlic powder and S&P. Mix into a large bowl. In a seperate bowl, just some plain flour. In another bowl mix 1 cup milk, 2 large tbsp mayo and 1 egg. Mix well. Dredge thawed meat in flour, then milk mixture, then into bread crumbs. I was able to do each piece of meat (5 pieces) twice. Refrigerate for 2-3 hour. At dinner, fry each piece of meat in a small bit of oil until brown. Then bake in oven until dinner is resdy to serve. "Bon Appetit!"

I wanted to make something different and still easy for my family for breakfast this Sunday.  It doesn't get much easier than this.  It's a great idea for when you are having a bunch of people coming for breakfast and you want to serve pancakes, but don't want to stand at the stove all day.  I hope you enjoy it.  We did! Yields:  6 servings Ingredients : 2 cups pancake mix (don't use the just-add-water kind) 1 1/2 cups milk 1 egg 1tbsp vegetable oil 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon Generous 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (or 1/2 sliced bananas and 1/2 chocolate chips) butter, maple syrup and/or powdered sugar Directions: In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, milk, egg, oil and cinnamon just until blended.  It's OK if the batter is still lumpy! Fold in berries.  Pour into a generously greased 9 x 13" pan.  Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes or until golden.  Serve with deserved toppings.

The MAgic of Jell-o Recip Book 1 pckg of jell-o powder (any flavour) 24 large marshmallows Empty powder into ziploc bag Moisten marshmallows 3-4 at a time, by floating in bowl of water, then drop into bag and shake to coat. Yup! thats it!. "Bon Appetit!"

There are many versions of the out there, but here's my variation.  I have been known to eat a couple of pieces of this with a salad for lunch or supper, and it makes great "picky" food too. It makes a great potluck offering, too. Ingredients: 2 packages Pillsbury crescent roll dough 1-2 cups of chopped raw veggies of choice (I use red pepper, zucchini, green onion, broccoli and shredded carrot) about 1/2 a tub of garlic and herb cream cheese (you can use more or less depending on your taste of course) 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella usually, but use whatever you like) Directions: Open both packages of crescent rolls, one at a time, and unroll dough side by side onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  press down on perforations so that it forms one solid sheet of dough. Bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Set aside to cool completely. Spread cream cheese over dough, leaving a small border around much like you would expect fro...

I made this for lunch today, and it was a hit! Very easy, fast and made with pantry ingredients you could keep on hand all the time. So far I'm still loving this book! Mix the following in a medium pot, simmer for 5 minutes (or until heated through and bubbling) and serve. That's it!! One 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained One 15-ounce can cream-style corn One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onions (mine had Italian seasonings) One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and well rinsed 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth Serve topped with generous portions of shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions and a dollop of sour cream (if desired). Happy Eating!

Also from The Good-to-Go Cookbook . I had to try this one because it seemed so easy. Too easy, in fact. But it was actually pretty good. I'd make this again. Here's how simple it is: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1/2 cup honey mustard 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce Pour all but about 1/3 cup of marinade over chicken and marinate for as long as you have the time. Overnight is great, but even just an hour worked too. Grill chicken until no longer pink inside, basting halfway through the grilling time with remaining marinade. We served it with rice, caesar salad and veggies. Two two-year-olds gobbled it up, and three 30-something parents didn't think it was too shabby, either! Next time I think I'd add some garlic powder or maybe some ginger to punch up the flavour a bit, but this was a great meal made with just three ingredients! So far I'm digging this cookbook. Definitely glad I bought it. Going to try a few recipes from it in the coming days, so stand...

This is from The Good-to-Go-Cookbook , by Kathleen Cannata Hanna. It can be found on page 289. This was super easy to make and you probably have everything in the house already to make it, which is a real bonus in my opinion. Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Yield: 6 servings 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt 2 1/2 cups milk 2 cups cooked rice (instant is fine) 2 eggs 1/2 cup golden raisins, optional (I did not include) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract Directions: Stir together the sugar, flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the rice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 10 mins. Boil for 2 minutes longer and remove from heat. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Slowly add 1 ladle of the hot pudding mixture into the eggs, briskly stirring the the egg/pudding mixture. Still off the heat, pour beaten egg and pudding mixture back into the rest of th...