Stuffed Eggplant
Description:
This is a great way to use up all those eggplants from your garden! This can be served as a fantastic meatless meal.
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, washed thoroughly
1 t. garlic salt
1 small red onion chopped finely
2 T. olive oil
¾ c soft bread crumbs
½ c fresh mushrooms, chopped
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded not grated
Instructions:
Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving a ¼” thick shell. Set shells aside. Chop pulp finely and place into colander. Sprinkle with salt, and let stand 30 minutes to remove excess moisture. Pat dry with paper towel.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch baking pan.
In skillet over medium high heat, sauté onion and eggplant pulp in oil until tender. Remove from heat and add rest of ingredients, except for cheese. Spoon mixture into shells and place into prepared pan.
Bake uncovered 15 minutes, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more.
Serve warm.
Sopapilla Cheesecake
Description:
A quick fix using canned crescent rolls, this is a delightful take on the popular Mexican dessert.
Ingredients:
2-8 oz cans crescent rolls
3-8 oz packages Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 T. vanilla
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ t. cinnamon
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Unroll 1 can of roll dough, and press into the bottom of the pan.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with white and brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the crescent roll dough. Cover with the remaining can of roll dough.
Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the dough. Mix remaining ½ cup of brown sugar with cinnamon, and sprinkle over dough. Sprinkle almonds over dough.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until dough has puffed up and browned. Cool completely.
Shepherds Pie
Description:
An excellent way to get kids to eat their veggies! You can use whatever vegetables your family likes. Save time by using instant mashed potatoes, or leftovers.
Ingredients:
6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 ½ pound ground beef
½ cup onion, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1/8 t. Worcestershire sauce
½ t. sea salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
1-15 oz. can French-style green beans, drained
1-15 oz can whole corn, drained
2 T. flour
3 T. water
2 T. milk
2 T. butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
In a large pot, boil potatoes 15 minutes. In skillet, brown ground beef and onion, drain fat. Add to skillet the Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, beans and corn. Heat through. Mix flour and water until smooth, add to skillet. Cook until warm. Spread into prepared pan.
Drain potatoes and mash with milk and butter. Spread potatoes over beef mixture.
Bake uncovered 30 minutes, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more.
Serve warm.
Sausage Gravy Recipe
Description:
This is my youngest brother’s signature dish. Every time we all get together as a family, he is expected to make this for breakfast at least once. Serve over freshly baked biscuits.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground sausage
1/3 cup flour
2-12 oz cans evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk)
1 cup milk, if needed
1 t. hot pepper sauce, if desired
Instructions:
In a large saucepan, brown the sausage. Don’t drain the grease, unless there is more than 1/3 cup. Sprinkle flour over sausage, stir to blend, cook 2-3 minutes over medium high heat. Add canned milk, and cook till thickened, stirring regularly. If gravy is too thick, add milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Add hot sauce, if desired.
Potluck Lasagna
Description:
This is a favorite entrée at all our church functions. The committee always asks me to bring two pans, and it is one of the first dishes to be eaten!
Ingredients:
1-12 oz tub small curd cottage cheese
½ c grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
¼ c dried parsley
1 t. onion powder
½ t. dried basil
½ t. dried oregano
1/8 t. pepper
2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1-32 oz jar spaghetti sauce (Bertolli’s Roasted Garlic and Onion is what I use)
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
¼ cup water
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl, mix the first 8 ingredients until well blended. In another bowl, mix spaghetti sauce and ground beef.
In a 12x8x2 inch baking dish, spread ¾ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom. Layer 3 noodles on top of the sauce. Cover the noodles with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, then 1/3 of the meat mixture, then 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat the noodles, cheese meat, mozzarella layers until the pan is full. Pour water around the edge of the pan. Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray, and cover the pan, sprayed side down. (This will prevent the mozzarella from sticking to the foil.)
Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, until mozzarella is bubbly and browned slightly.
Parsley Potatoes
Description:
This elegant side dish never fails to impress dinner guests. They are very easy, but complement prime rib quite well.
Ingredients:
1 cup bread crumbs, finely crushed
¼ t. black pepper
¼ t. paprika
1 large onion, sliced in ½ inch rings
8 medium potatoes, washed and peeled
2 T. olive oil
4 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped
Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Place first three ingredients in a shallow bowl or plastic bag and mix well. Spray a shallow baking pan with cooking spray. Spread the onion rings evenly across the bottom of the pan. Coat the washed and peeled potatoes with olive oil, and coat with crumbs. Place the potatoes on top of the onions. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until potatoes are fork tender. Remove the cover for the last 20 minutes of baking and turn the potatoes over to allow them to brown evenly. Just before serving, sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with an onion ring on top.
Palak Paneer Recipe
Description:
Fresh spinach, ricotta cheese, yogurt and spices never tasted so good! Serve over basmati rice, or with naan for a delicious meatless meal.
Ingredients:
8 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. fresh ginger root, grated
¾ cup red onion, finely chopped
3 T. red pepper flakes
3 t. ground cumin
1 ½ t. ground coriander
1 ½ t. ground turmeric
1 cup plain yogurt
4 pounds fresh spinach, washed thoroughly and torn into pieces
2 medium tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup fresh cilantro
12 oz ricotta cheese
Instructions:
Saute onion, garlic and ginger in 3 T. olive oil until brown. Add pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, turmeric and yogurt. Add spinach in small batches, stirring to cook down spinach. Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Pour spinach mixture into blender, add tomato and cilantro. Blend until spinach is finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Pour back into pan and keep warm.
Heat remaining 3 T. olive oil in frying pan over medium heat, add ricotta cheese and fry until brown. Drain and add to spinach. Cook for 10 more minutes over low heat.
Mango Salsa
Description:
This fresh take on salsa is fantastic served over chicken or pork chops. To make it hotter, add more jalapenos, or Serrano peppers. Great served as a dip with tortilla chips.
Ingredients:
3 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large red onion, diced
6 jalapeno peppers, deeded and diced
3 mangos, peeled and diced
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 t. sea salt
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. chili powder
½ cup olive oil
2/3 cup lime juice
1 T. hot pepper sauce
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a non-metallic bowl. Refrigerate at least one hour, and serve chilled.
Jicama Salad
Description:
This salad is best served chilled. Pair with a grilled chicken breast for a delicious low-fat dinner.
Ingredients:
1 medium jicama, peeled and finely shredded
1 medium apple, finely shredded
½ medium red onion, finely sliced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
½ cup cilantro, chopped
3 medium limes
1 ½ T. hot pepper sauce
½ T. minced garlic
1 T. Chinese hot mustard
1 T. fresh ginger, grated
4 T. peanut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Place first five ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Squeeze juice from one lime over ingredients, toss to coat. In a small mixing bowl or blender, add juice from remaining two limes, hot pepper sauce, garlic, hot mustard, and ginger. Blend well. Drizzle the peanut oil into the mixture, blending as you go, to emulsify the sauce. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and stir to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Hummingbird Cake
Description:
This is a very popular dessert in the South. Using a box mix and premade frosting cuts prep time down as well.
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla extract
1 ½ cup pecans, chopped
2 cups bananas, chopped
1-8 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 tubs cream cheese frosting
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
In a large bowl, mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla together until moistened evenly, but do not beat. Add 1 cup pecans, bananas, and pineapple. Stir until combined. Pour into cake pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans and cool completely.
Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup pecans on top of cake. Refrigerate cake.
