Deviled Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Green Beans

This is a sheet pan supper recipe that was in a booklet sent to me by my health insurance provider. I can't find the exact recipe online so am putting it here for future reference. It was so good we licked the pan...

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (Note: I had boneless, skinless thighs and they worked just fine)
5 tsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
6 tbl. Dijon mustard (Note: I was out of Dijon and used spicy brown mustard)
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1 tsp. hot sauce
1-1/2 lbs. small new potatoes, halved
1 lb. green beans, trimmed

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Place potatoes and green beans in a single layer on an 18" x 12" rimmed baking sheet
Drizzle with 4 tsp. olive oil and sprinkle with half the salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, shallots, hot sauce, and the remaining 1 tsp. olive oil. Mix well.

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the remaining salt and pepper. Spread the mustard mixture on both sides of each chicken piece, then nestle the chicken pieces among the vegetables.

Note: I also sliced up an apple (next time I would use two) and spread the slices on one end of the pan to cook along with the chicken and vegetables.

Roast until the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 30-35 minutes; then broil for about 3-5 minutes until a deep golden brown. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serves 6.

*****

Nutrition per serving in the original recipe, not counting the apple slices I added. There would be less fat if you used skinless thighs, as I did:

Calories: 244
Total fat: 8.2 g.
Saturated fat: 1.6g.
Cholesterol: 47 mg.
Sodium: 429 mg.
Carbs: 25 g.
Dietary fiber: 4g.
Sugars: 4g.
Protein: 17g.

Chicken Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

This recipe originally appeared on Delish. I'm very proud to say that our granddaughter made it for her family when her mom was recovering from surgery. What a good daughter! Yay, Isabella! Get well soon, Aimee! The photo was taken by Isabella and is used with her permission. This looks yummy.

1 lb. lasagna noodles
3 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 c. milk
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c. grated Parmesan
2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 lb. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 15-oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped
2 pints skim ricotta
4 c. shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain and transfer to a sheet pan to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then add flour and whisk until golden brown, 1 minute more. Pour over milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let thicken, 2 to 4 minutes. Add Parmesan and stir until creamy, then add shredded chicken, spinach, and artichokes and stir until combined.

Assemble lasagna: In a large baking dish, spread a thin layer of the sauce mixture. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping each, a layer of ricotta, a layer of the chicken mixture, and a layer of mozzarella. Repeat for three layers, ending with mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake until warm and bubbly, 35 minutes. Broil until cheese is golden, 2 minutes more.

Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

The Real Tortilla Casserole

We all know about the food memories of childhood--things we wouldn't cook now are remembered ever so fondly. I just heard a food show host tell how his father used to mash up canned salmon with a dollop of catsup and serve it on crackers. And his kids loved it!

It's funny how recipes change over time--but perhaps not so funny to my kids, who remember a tortilla casserole that I made for them long ago when they were little. The recipe was probably from some old 1950s gringo cookbook, copied down back when I lived in California or Washington or British Columbia and imagined that a red chile sauce was red because of the paprika.

And it's really funny to me that the original recipe card, just unearthed today, calls this "Beef Enchiladas," when we've always called it Tortilla Casserole.

Over the years, I stopped frying the tortillas and used them right out of the package; I forgot to add olives, and used whatever was in the fridge--any kind of leftover meat, vegetables, perhaps a chopped up tomato or potato or both. When we moved to New Mexico, I was able to use high quality red chile powder and chopped green chiles, all from crops grown right here in the Mesilla Valley. That's evolution and it happens in every kitchen. (The evolved recipe is here).

But my grown children have always argued that there was once a very different version, the one they remember from childhood. For them, here it is (in case you don't want to decipher my handwriting on the card):

1 lb. ground beef
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbl. chile powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbl. paprika
1/2 tsp. oregano
3 tbl. flour

2 cups water

1 cup whole pitted olives.

6 tortillas [I'm sure this means corn tortillas, from back in the days when that was the only kind available in most grocery stores. I've used flour ones, too, in more recent times].

Grated cheese (the amount is up to you)

• Brown the ground beef in a bit of oil. 
• Add the salt, chile powder, garlic, paprika, oregano, and flour. Stir well. 
• Add the water. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. 
• Add the olives.
• Simmer for 15 minutes until sauce has thickened and reduced.
• Alternate six lightly fried tortillas, the sauce, and grated cheese in a casserole
• Bake at 350 for ten minutes. [This surprises me--I like it baked much longer so the edges of the tortillas start to get crisp]. 
• Cut into wedges and serve with chopped lettuce [what else?] .

Beef Enchiladas

Beez found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It's always a great success when he makes it for potlucks with our friends.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground beef 1 small onion, chopped 1 (1.5 ounce) package dry enchilada sauce mix

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until beef is evenly browned and onion is tender.
2.	Prepare the enchilada sauce according to package directions. Pour 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3.	On each flour tortilla, place an equal portion of the ground beef mixture and about 1 ounce of Cheddar cheese, reserving at least 1/2 cup of cheese. Then tightly roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish.
4.	Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and olives.
5.	Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is thoroughly melted.

Beef Enchiladas

Because Beez has been working in another part of the state, he has been doing a lot of cooking for himself and even trying out some new recipes. He loves this one and plans to make it for our company tomorrow night. You can see the original at AllRecipes.Com.

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (1.5 ounce) package dry enchilada sauce mix
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until beef is evenly browned and onion is tender.
2. Prepare the enchilada sauce according to package directions. Pour 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. On each flour tortilla, place an equal portion of the ground beef mixture and about 1 ounce of Cheddar cheese, reserving at least 1/2 cup of cheese. Then tightly roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish.
4. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and olives.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is thoroughly melted.

Chinese Pie

I have an old 1962 cookbook called Creature Comforts that was compiled by the Ladies' Evening Circle of the Chester Congregational-Baptist Church in Chester, NH. Chester is the town next door to Candia, where our family spent so many wonderful years. This recipe is contained in that cookbook.

When we first arrived in New Hampshire from Washington state, we were puzzled by a number of things. For instance, we could hardly understand what people were saying a lot of the time. I took a call at work from someone in the "Kearsarge" School District and couldn't for the life of me understand the name of the district. It was pronounced something like Keeeahhhsaaaj and, since I had never heard of the place, I was at a loss as to what to write on the message pad. Asking the person to spell it didn't help at all--my request just resulted in a mystifying series of unfamiliar sounds: K-E-A-Ahh-S-A-Ahh-G-E.

Ladies who sewed shared dress "pattens"--back in those days when there were ladies and sewing and dresses.* And patterns.

Dinner was suddenly called supper (suppah), and lunch was dinner (dinnah). A "little lunch" could be eaten as an evening snack--perhaps after the business part of a community meeting.

Something else we had never heard of was "Chinese Pie," which was a popular dish served in school lunchrooms and at potlucks. My questions about it were met with incredulity--You've never heard of Chinese Pie??? Here is the recipe, courtesy of the Congregational-Baptist ladies of Chester.

1 lb. ground beef, fried

1 onion, cut up and browned

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cans cream-style corn

5 or 6 potatoes, cooked and mashed

Put beef in the bottom of a buttered casserole with onion and seasonings. Add the corn and cover with the mashed potatoes. Bake in a moderate oven till hot [I'm guessing this would be a 350° oven for 35 to 45 minutes]. Serves 4.

***

*Here is a delightful "household hint" from this same 1962 cookbook (incidentally published the year I graduated from high school): When ironing dresses for school girls, put hanky in pocket before hanging it up.

Don't you just love it? Ironing! Dresses! School girls! Hankies! It makes you think about how much times have changed.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

The season arrives with "the chill", the sound of rustling leaves, an instinct to hurry up and tuck in, and that "autumn smell". Gosh, I love the fall! Pumpkin season. Of course you can buy canned pumpkin year-round, but there's something really great about eating it right when the fall shows up. This recipe may sound somewhat bizarre, but it's pretty delicious. Hearty. It comes from allrecipes.com.

--1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
--1 cup chopped Onion
--1/2 cup chopped Green Bell Pepper
--1/2 cup chopped Yellow Bell Pepper
--1 clove Garlic, minced
--1 lb Ground Turkey
--1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
--2 cups Pumpkin Puree
--1 and 1/2 tbsp Chili Powder
--1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
--1 dash Salt

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve on top of Corn Bread, topped with Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream.

The Genuine Charcutier's Meatloaf

According to Pork and Sons, a cookbook by Stéphane Reynaud (here's my intro to this cookbook), "the term charcuterie is used to describe both the branch of cooking devoted to cooked or processed meat products, primarily from pork, and a shop selling these products. A charcutier is the man or woman behind the counter, and they are a great source of information and advice on pork." I've never made the following recipe, but the page is already well worn. I'm preparing the card for my recipe box so that it will be ready for me when I can go visit my local charcutier... Porky Meatloaf, here we come!

--Sweet Butter, for greasing
--2 and 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, plus a little more for dusting
--4 tbsp Olive Oil
--3 Shallots, chopped
--1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
--4 Eggs, lightly beaten
--1/2 cup White Wine
--1 cup fresh Whole Milk
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped Smoked Bacon
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped Jambon de Paris or other Unsmoked Fully-Cooked Ham
--1/4 cup coarsely chopped spicy Spanish Chorizo Sausage (or Mexican Chorizo)
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped Prosciutto

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan with butter and dust with flour, tipping out any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add the shallots, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the eggs, white wine, milk and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well, then stir in all the meat and the shallots. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

Jessi's Lasagna

Jessi had made a great lasagna a few months ago, but could only provide me with a loose outline. Here's my approximation of it based on what she told me (using the guidelines of a recent lasagna recipe I posted!)

Filling:
--3 10-ounce packages of fresh or frozen Spinach, thawed, drained and chopped fine if frozen. If fresh, wilted over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, drained and chopped fine.
--3 cups Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
--1 cup Low-Fat Sour Cream
--1 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
--1 cup diced Mozzarella Cheese
--Salt and Pepper to Taste

---------

--1 Eggplant, sliced
--Olive Oil
--1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
--1 lb Ground Chicken or Ground Turkey
--1 Zucchini (and/or any Other Squashy Vegetables, perhaps some minced Fresh Herbs), cubed
--Lasagna Noodles
--2 jars Pasta Sauce
--1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Mix together all of the filling ingredients, cover and set in fridge until ready to use. Heat a skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Add the slices of eggplant and cook. Remove and set aside. Return the saucepan to the heat and add a little more oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the ground meat and brown. Add in zucchini and/or any other veggies and cook. Remove from heat. Boil the lasagna noodles in water until al dente. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a 9x13-inch pan, spread 1/2 a cup of the pasta sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagna strips and spread about 1 and 1/2 cups of the filling on top of that. Add a layer of eggplant, then some of the meat and zucchini mixture. Spoon on a thin layer of sauce on top of that. Repeat 2 more times, the top layer lasagna noodles. Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce on top of that, then sprinkle with the grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Cover with Aluminum Foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

White Lasagna With Pine Nuts

One of the cookbooks that I inherited from my mother was Ciao Italia, by Mary Ann Esposito. Here's one of the recipes that we cooked from it. It's a "light" variation on lasagna, though closer inspection looks heavy to me! I'm sure that mom has some variation. The filling is perfect for stuffed shells too!

Filling:

--1/2 cup Pine Nuts, toasted
--3 10-ounce packages of fresh or frozen Spinach, thawed, drained and chopped fine if frozen. If fresh, wilted over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, drained and chopped fine.
--3 cups Ricotta Cheese
--3 Eggs
--3 tbsp minced Fresh Parsley
--1 and 1/2 cups diced Mozzarella Cheese
--2 tbsp room-temperature Butter
--1/4 lb Prosciutto, diced
--1 tsp grated Nutmeg
--1 tsp Salt
--1 tsp White Pepper

White Sauce:

--4 cups Milk
--1 stick Butter
--1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour, sifted
--1 tsp Salt
--1/2 tsp grated Nutmeg
--1 and 1/2 tbsp finely minced Fresh Sage

--Lasagna Noodles
--1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

In a large bowl, combine the spinach and the pine nuts. Beat in the eggs. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large saucepan, scald the milk (bring to just under a boil). Remove from heat and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the milk, salt and nutmeg and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the sage. Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boil the lasagna noodles in water until al dente. Drain. In a 9x13-inch pan, spread 1/2 a cup of the white sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagna strips and spread about 1 and 1/2 cups of the filling on top of that. Spoon on a thin layer of sauce. Repeat 2 more times, the top layer lasagna noodles. Spread 1 cup of the white sauce on top of that, then sprinkle with the grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Cover with Aluminum Foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

This makes a nice supper, just by itself.

1 onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 lb. ground beef

Salt, pepper, cumin, chile powder to taste

1 cup of corn (you can use creamed corn, or just canned or frozen whole corn)

1 can of diced tomatoes and green chiles

Additional green chiles, if you wish

Grated cheese--about 1 cup

Your favorite cornbread recipe--this one is mine

Saute the onion and garlic in a little oil until they are a bit transparent. Add the beef and seasonings and cook until there is no more pink showing. Add the corn, tomatoes, and chiles. Stir well, heat until simmering, then remove from heat.

Mix up the cornbread. Spread half of the batter in a greased 2-quart casserole or a 9" x 13" pan. Sprinkle the meat mixture evenly over the batter. Sprinkle on the grated cheese, then top with the rest of the cornbread batter.

Note: If you want a less bread-y meal, you can prepare a half-recipe of cornbread and just spread it on the top of the meat mixture, and proceed with the baking.

Bake at 350˚ for 35 to 40 minutes.

Tamale Pie

Back in the 1950s when this recipe was popular, we knew very little about Mexican cooking. We put catsup and tabasco sauce on our tacos, for Pete's sake, and the tacos were something new my mom made from a recipe in Sunset Magazine!

The only tamales we ever saw were in a can from Hormel, so this tamale pie was considered a big improvement. Even though we now love the tamales made in homes here in New Mexico by groups of friends or family working assembly-line fashion and making dozens for holiday eating or freezing, this recipe still counts as comfort food in my family.

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

3/4 lb. ground beef

2 8-oz. cans seasoned tomato sauce (2 cups)

1 12-oz. can corn, drained (you may use frozen corn, of course--it was pretty newfangled when this recipe was first written)

1 cup chopped ripe olives

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt to taste

2 to 3 tsp. chile powder

Dash of pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Cornmeal Topper:

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups of cold water

1 tbl. butter

Cook onion and green pepper in a little olive oil until tender.

Add meat; brown lightly.

Add the next 7 ingredients. Simmer 20-25 minutes until thick.

Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Pour into greased oblong 10" x 6" baking dish.

Make the cornmeal topper: Stir cornmeal and salt into cold water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick. Add the butter and mix well. Spoon over the hot meat mixture in 3 lengthwise strips.

Bake casserole at 375˚ about 40 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Chicken Pot Pie

If you have been reading this blog for a day or two, you will see a certain resemblance between this recipe and the one for Chicken and Dumplings. They are exactly alike, except that one is cooked in a pot and served with dumplings, and the other (this one) is baked with a biscuit topping.

Chicken stock

Potatoes, cubed

Celery, chopped

Carrots, peeled and sliced

1 tbl. cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Frozen peas

Optional: Small onions, peeled

Cooked chicken, cut up

Directions:

Simmer the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onions in the stock until done. Thicken the stock with 1 tbl. cornstarch mixed into 1/4 cup water. Cook for three additional minutes, then remove from heat.

Timing is everything here. While you are simmering the vegetables, prepare the biscuit dough below.

Add the peas and chicken to the stock/vegetable mixture and bring all to simmer.

Place the very hot chicken/vegetable mixture in an oblong Pyrex dish, 9" x 13". Top immediately with the cut out biscuits and bake in a preheated oven at 450˚ for 10 to 12 minutes.

If the chicken mixture isn't hot when you add the biscuits, they will be soggy.

Biscuit Topping for Chicken Pot Pie

2 cups sifted flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. sugar
½ cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once, stir only until dough follows fork around the bowl. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead gently ½ minute. Pat or roll ½ inch thick, cut with biscuit cutter. Follow directions above.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken stock

Potatoes, cubed

Celery, chopped

Carrots, peeled and sliced

Frozen peas

Optional: Small onions, peeled

Cooked chicken, cut up

Simmer the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onions in the stock until done. Add the peas and chicken. Bring it all to a boil, then drop dumplings (see below) from a tablespoon on top of the bubbling mixture. Cover tightly, bring to a boil. Don't lift the cover! Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until done.

Dumplings

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup milk

2 tbl. salad oil

Sift the dry ingredients. Combine the milk and the oil; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Follow directions above.

Polenta Pie

This was so good, and so good for us. I forgot to get the mushrooms and the green peppers, and I put the toppings on in the wrong order, and it was still good. The recipe comes from The New Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen.

One change that I might make next time would be to halve the ingredients for the crust and bake it accordingly. It was pretty thick.

CRUST:
1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 cups boiling water (in a saucepan)
A little olive oil

FILLING:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
10 mushrooms, sliced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
5 to 6 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced [I used just two]
2 teaspoons dried (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh) basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound mozzarella [I used jack cheese], grated
2 small (or 1 medium-sized) ripe tomatoes, sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine cornmeal, salt, and cold water in a small bowl. Have the boiling water on the stove in a saucepan, and add the cornmeal mixture, whisking. Cook about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently, It will get very thick. Remove from heat, and let cool until handleable.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Oil a 10-inch pie pan. Add the polenta, and use a rubber spatula and/or wet hands to form it into a smooth, thick crust over the bottom and sides of the pan. Brush the surface with olive oil, and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
3. While the crust bakes, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion, and saute for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini, and saute until everything is tender, but not too soft. Stir in the garlic, herbs, and some black pepper, and saute just a few minutes more.
4. Turn up the oven to broiling temperature. Sprinkle half the cheese onto the bottom of the baked crust (it is okay if the crust is still hot), and add the tomato slices. Spread the sauteed mixture over the tomatoes, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil until brown (about 5 minutes) and serve hot.

4 servings (one 10 inch pie)

Corn Dog Dressing Bake

Thursday night, Jessi and I were brainstorming an easy and cheap meal based on ingredients we both had in our kitchens. She found this potentially horrifying (though intriguing) recipe, kind of a corndog/T-Day stuffing hybrid. We had to modify it because we only had TOFU dogs. Then, it turned out that there was no milk in my fridge. And not so much cheese. And was the batter REALLY Frankenstein Green? Were we imagining that? We sure weren't imagining the desperate flight of my new furry roommmate, fearlessly darting from under my fridge to under my stove, angrily squeaking mousy epithets and scaring the living Bejeebus out of both of us.

"What was I thinking? This was a bad idea," Jessi said apologetically.

"Please go in the other room. Just case I blow us up," I instructed her, crawling inside the stove with a lit match and trying to forget the image of my grandmother with no eyebrows. Boldly go, young Ben...

45 minutes later, we pulled the monstrosity out of the oven, and though my unlevel stove provided one thin burnt side and one thick barely-cooked side, it was not green and... well, it was dang delicious! In fact, I'm eating the leftovers right now! (here's the original recipe, from "The Homesteading Housewife" on recipezaar.com)

--1 cup Celery, chopped finely
--1 Large Onion, chopped finely
--2 tbsp Butter
--2 packages Hot Dogs, cut into 4ths lengthwise, then each strip cut into 4ths again
--2 (8 1/2 ounce) packages Cornbread Mix
--2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
--2 Eggs
--1 1/2 cups Milk
--1/4 cup Sugar (I recommend substituting in some Honey)
--1 1/2 tsp rubbed Sage
--1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a skillet, combine celery, onions and butter. Saute until cooked, then set aside in a medium bowl. In the same skillet, saute hot dog pieces until lightly browned. Mix with the the celery and onions and allow to cool. In another large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, sage, and pepper. Add 1/2 of the hot dog/celery mixture and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. Mix in, then add the corn bread mix. Spread the mixture into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Top with the remaining half of the hot dog/celery mix and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top. Bake, uncovered for approximately 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Jessi's Skinny Manicotti

Here's a low-fat version of manicotti courtesy of Jessi. I grabbed it from her on the go, so it comes without measurements and without herbs and spices. I'll leave those things up to your ingenuity.

--Manicotti Shells, cooked al dente
--Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
--Low-fat Sour Cream
--Fat-Free Small-Curd Cottage Cheese
--Shredded Parmesan Cheese
--Salt and Black Pepper
--Tomato Sauce
--Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While the pasta shells boil, mix the drained spinach, cottage cheese, sour cream, and shredded Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus any spices or herbs that you prefer (oregano, basil, parsley, etc). When the manicotti shells have been drained and are sufficiently cool, spoon the spinach and cheese mixture into them. Place the stuffed shells in a baking dish, pour tomato sauce over and around them, then top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Chicken Dinner Crepes

I'm not entirely sure if the memory of this dish is real or not, but I swear that mom made this once or twice. Or maybe not. But here's a recipe, from The Frugal Gourmet, by Jeff Smith.

--1/2 lb Mushrooms, washed and sliced
--Butter
--1 cup Green Beans, cut into inch-long pieces
--1/2 Green Pepper, chopped
--1/2 Tomato, Chopped
--2 cups Cooked Chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
--1 cup Bechamel Sauce
--Salt and Black Pepper
--8 Crepes
--Fresh Grated Swiss Cheese

Saute the mushrooms in butter and set aside. Saute the green beans until just hot, then add the green pepper and tomato. Saute until all is tender, then add the cooked chicken and the mushrooms. Blend in the Bechamel sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the crepes with the mixture, roll up, and place in a greased baking dish or casserole. Top with Swiss Cheese. Bake at 375 Degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot.

Tortilla Skillet

You can see that this is one of those flexible recipes that comes in handy when your tortillas are about to go stale. You can add any number of things to this skillet: Chopped green chiles, chopped fresh tomatoes, black beans in addition to or instead of the beef, etc. 

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped up

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 15-oz can of tomato sauce

1 cup salsa

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup water

Chile powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper

4 or 5 flour or corn tortillas

1/2 cup grated cheese

Saute the onions and garlic together for a bit; add the ground beef and cook until all the pink is gone. Add the tomato sauce, salsa, corn, and water. Season with the chile powder, etc. to taste. 

Bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes while you chop up the tortillas. Stir in the tortillas and the grated cheese. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, until it is of a consistency that pleases you. 

I like this with a dollop of plain yogurt on top. Non-heart healthy alternative: Sour cream. 

Aimée's Lazy Man's Chili

Like everything else that Aimée has made for us, this dish is absolutely delicious. She serves it with corn chips or cornbread.

2 lbs. ground beef

1 pkg. ranch dip mix (1 oz.)

1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (1.25 oz.)

1 - 10 oz. can tomatoes and green chiles, drained

2 - 14.5 oz. cans tomatoes with onions

2 - 12 oz. cans chili beans

1 - 11 oz. can corn, drained

1 tbl. Tabasco sauce

Brown the beef in a large pan and add the remaining ingredients. Cook on medium heat for 35 minutes.

Serve topped with grated cheese and/or sour cream.