December 31, 2011: Crab Stuffed Belgian Endive Recipe

My husband and I don’t really have any New Year’s Eve traditions other than enjoying a nice meal of steak and lobster. If you need to prepare an hors d’oeuvre for a party tonight, this recipe looks very elegant and fits the bill as far as including seafood in the menu. I got this recipe some years ago from The Food Network website and modified it slightly.

Crab Stuffed Endive

½ cup mayonnaise

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 t. lemon juice

½ t. minced garlic

¼ t. hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

¼ t. salt

2 T. chopped green onions

¼ cup seeded, small diced tomatoes

2 T. small capers, drained

1 T. minced shallots

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage

4 heads endive, cored, leaves separated and wiped clean

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, hot sauce and salt. Whisk to combine. Fold in the green onions, tomatoes, capers, shallots and parsley. Gently fold in the crab meat, turning to coat with the dressing and being careful not to break up the lumps. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the stuffing into the endive leaves.

Makes about 40 hors d’oeuvres

December 5, 2011: Lil Smokies in Barbecue Sauce

This is an old favorite recipe for serving at holiday parties because it’s quick and easy to make while being quite popular with guests. Sometimes, however, I prefer to serve it as a main dish for my husband and I (it makes a little bit more than the two of us can eat but it’s great for a leftovers lunch the next day). Although it may sound strange to add jelly to the sauce, try it before you knock it; it’s quite yummy!

Lil Smokies in Barbecue Sauce

¼ cup finely minced white or yellow onion

1 one-pound package Lil Smokies (Hillshire Farm brand, for instance) sausage

½ cup ketchup

2 T. corn syrup

1 T. prepared yellow mustard

1 t. chili powder

½ t. ground cumin

2 T. grape jelly (or seedless jam, such as blackberry)

1 t. Tabasco sauce

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

In a small crockpot, add minced onions and turn heat to high. Allow onions to cook for a few minutes, until they begin to soften. Add remaining ingredients and turn heat to low. Simmer for an hour or so, until heated through and the flavors have been allowed to meld. Taste and adjust sauce as necessary.

Serves 3 – 4 as main dish, 8 as appetizer

November 19, 2011: Chili Mac Recipe

Here’s an old standby that was the perfect recipe for some leftovers I had hanging around in my fridge. While the dish is reminiscent of the goopy casserole I remember being served from the school cafeteria, this recipe tastes a whole lot better!

Tip: If you don’t have leftovers available, just go ahead and double the amounts listed in the recipe; use a full can of corn and chili. I used homemade chili and corn that I had canned myself over the summer.

Chili Mac

½ lb. macaroni noodles

4 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

½ t. dry mustard

2/3 cup nonfat or low fat Greek yogurt or sour cream

¾ cup shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese, divided.

1/3 cup cooked corn

1 cup chili with beans

Dash Tabasco sauce

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and return to cooking pot. Add cheese and stir until melted. To the pot, add mustard, yogurt or sour cream, ¼ cup shredded cheese, corn, chili and Tabasco. Pour into greased casserole cheese. Top with remaining cheese and cover with foil.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, until bubbly hot. Remove foil and bake an additional five minutes, until cheese is completely melted.

Serves 4

October 5, 2011: Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole Recipe

I guess I missed out when I was growing up in Wisconsin. According to several friends from the Midwest, this recipe is quite common there (where cheese RULES) – but my mom never made it. I had to wait until I was an adult to taste this dish for the first time; I’ve been hooked ever since. Yes, it’s full of fat and calories, but if you’re looking for a comfort food side dish, this one fits the bill.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

1 package (32 ounces) frozen hash browns, thawed

½ cup finely minced white or yellow onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Colby Jack work well)

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce

1 t. garlic salt

½ t. black pepper

This is a really simple recipe – combine all ingredients and put in a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 – 60 minutes, until bubbly hot.

Tip: You can make this dish in the crock pot; just let it cook for about 2 – 3 hours so that it heats all the way through.

Note: Some people top this casserole with a mixture of crushed cornflakes and melted butter.

August 25, 2011: Chili with Beans Recipe

I’ve been doing a lot of canning lately and my husband suggested that I try my hand at canning some more substantial food items, like chili. I don’t have any cans of chili in my cupboard so this seemed like an ideal time to make up a big batch that we could eat for dinner one night, then can the rest for later.

My dad is the “Chili King” as far as I’m concerned so I took a few hints from his recipe and created this one.

Chili with Beans

½ pound dry pinto beans

1 t. salt

1 pound ground beef

½ onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ red bell pepper, diced

10 roasted, peeled tomatoes

1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained

1/3 cup red chili powder

2 t. oregano

2 t. cumin
1 t. garlic salt

1 t. black pepper

Several shakes of Tabasco sauce

Sort and wash the pinto beans. Place them in a crock pot, cover with water and soak overnight. The next morning, drain the water and add enough fresh water to cover the beans by about an inch. Heat the crock pot to high, add the salt, and let the beans cook by themselves until almost soft, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef with onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Drain the fat and add to the beans. Roast and peel the tomatoes as instructed in my Miscellaneous Kitchen Tips post. Crush them with your hands, discarding the tough core, over the crock pot and add the crushed tomato pieces to the mixture. Add remaining ingredients, except Tabasco sauce (it will make the beans tough) and let cook for another 3 to 4 hours, until pinto beans are completely soft. Sprinkle with Tabasco sauce to taste. Serve with Southwestern Cornbread and a simple tossed salad for a complete, hearty meal.

Tip: If you need to head off to work in the morning and can't add the ground beef mixture later, toss all the ingredients in the crock pot at the same time and let it cook all day while you're gone.