Kat’s Recipe Box

This recipe came to me thru my friend Rose who I work with. She brought this concoction into work one day and asked me if I wanted to try it. Now generally I would not even attempt to try this but having decided to broaden my horizons I was brave and gave it a taste…you never know what will happen when you try something new! I loved it and have made it twice since. It is very simple and a very inexpensive dinner. If you need something heartier you can make a ham slice and use this as a side.

1 head of cabbage, chopped into large bite size pieces
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 stick of butter
1 bag of wide egg noodles

Melt 4tbsp. of butter in a large saucepan and add cabbage and garlic sauté until cabbage is tender, about 35 minutes stirring frequently to coat the cabbage in the butter.

Halfway thru the sauté, cook the noodles. Once noodles are cooked, add to sauté pan and toss to coat adding the final 4 tbsp of butter and serve.

Alright, I jumped on the bandwagon and bought into the hype ! Yes it’s as good as everyone says, and being on the Atkins Diet, it’s the perfect snack for me. Just in case you have been living under a rock for the past few days, check out BBQAddicts.com for the recipe. I smoked mine with Alder wood which gives a sweet flavor. And if you notice from the pictures, I made one a little spicier with the addition of some Jalapeno Peppers chopped and mixed in the sausage. I used a digital thermometer and it took about 2.5 hours in a 225 Degree F. smoker. The family loved it and I think it’s just as good cold, as warm. This morning we made our Sunday Omlettes and I took the sliced Bacon Explosion and warmed them in the pan, for a special breakfast treat.

Now for the experimenting !!! How about blue cheese in the middle? Or maybe replacing the sausage with some salmon? I guess the sky is the limit.

Here is to the bacon weave, a great way to encase anything in a heart stoppingly good blanket of goodness !

This is my favorite roast beef sandwich!
For the Sauce:

1 – 10 oz. can of diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 – 8oz. cans of tomato sauce
¼ cup of fresh cilantro chopped
2 – 3 chipotle chilies in Adobo seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce
1 lime juiced
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup of low sodium beef broth

For the meat:

2 tablespoons of oil
1 large onion chopped
1 green bell pepper sliced in thin slices
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
1 lb. of deli slice roast beef sliced into strips
1 hass avocado mashed
4 ciabatta or crusty sandwich roll

To make the suace:
In a large sauce pan, add the diced tomatoes, sauce, cilantro and chipotles, lime juice and salt and bring to a boil, reduce and then simmer for about 15 minutes.

To make the meat:
In a large skillet, over medium heat add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions start to get soft. Add the jalapenos and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the meat and toss until heated thru. Add ¾ cup of the tomato sauce and toss to coat.

Meanwhile, remove the sauce from the heat and add the broth. Put broth into a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until the sauce is smooth. Dish out into 4 separate bowls for dipping.

To serve:
Spread the avocado on your roll, top with the meat mixture and serve with the dipping sauce.

My husband and I are big blue cheese fans so when I came across this recipe I had to give it a try. This recipe can be doubled for a large party.

2 bags of pre packaged cole slaw mix
1 bag of shredded red cabbage
1 cup of mayo
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard
½ teaspoon of celery seed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
3 oz. of crumbled Roquefort blue cheese
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Wisk together the mayo, mustard, celery seed, salt and pepper and then pour over the slaw mixture. Add in the blue cheese and parsley and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

If you would like to make this a head of time, just add the dressing before serving.

Well, this year for Christmas I was asked to make two things that I had never made before by my brother Tim. One was the Cranberry Salad and my husband’s grandmothers Apple Cake.
Mom Mom frequently brings this cake to family gatherings and my husband’s family is so used to it but to my family it was something special and a huge hit. I am not a big apple fan so I have not personally tasted it but I hear it is fabulous. I spent Christmas at my brothers house along with my sister-in-law Adrienne’s family and they were so impressed that they asked if I would post the recipe so here it is.

1 ½ cups cooking oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon sugar
3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup nuts (I used walnuts)
1 cup shredded coconut
3 cups chopped apples (I used Granny Smith)
Grease a 10 inch tube pan. Combine all the above ingredients and beat well. Pour into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours.
Icing

1 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk
Boil 2 ½ minutes and pour over the cake when it comes out of the oven. Leave cake in the pan until it is completely cooled and turn out onto a serving platter.

I sprinkled with powdered sugar just for a little extra kick.

Well, it has been a while since I have had the opportunity to post anything on my website, and today is the perfect opportunity to get started again.

With the holidays behind me I had the opportunity to observe which family recipes were the most well loved and this happens to be one of them. My mother-in-law has been making this cranberry salad recipe for years and although it is the same old thing to her family it is very new to mine. Everyone loved this recipe and I was even requested to make it for my brothers Christmas get together. I was never a big fan of the out of the can cranberry jelly thing and most people don’t seem to like it either, but, this one is well received.
1 lb. of fresh cranberries
2 cups of sugar
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups water
6 oz. strawberry jello
½ cup chopped walnuts
Combine cranberries, water and sugar and boil for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine celery, nuts and jello. Add cranberry mixture to celery mixture and chill until set.

I got this recipe years ago from my friend Carol who is a food demonstrator. It is an old favorite that pops out every once in a while for special occasions.

10 slices of bacon cooked until crisp
1 medium tomato, seeded
½ small onion
4 oz. of Swiss cheese, shredded
½ cup of mayo
1 tsp. of basil
1 -10 count Hungry Jack biscuits
1 – 5 count Hungry Jack biscuit
Cook bacon and coarsely chop along with the onion and tomato and combine with the cheese, mayo and basil. Separate the biscuits into 3 thinner biscuits and place one biscuit disc over a mini muffin pan and push into pan and up the sides of each cup. Fill each cup with the mixture and bake for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I first tried this quiche at my friend Carol’s house. I am not a big Asparagus fan but I actually liked this. The only change I made was to use a frozen puff pastry instead of a pie shell which Carol used. Of course the asparagus can be changed out for another vegetable if you would like. It makes a very thin quiche so if you are looking to use this for a meal, I would double the recipe. I am going to try to make this with out a crust as well.

10 bacon strips, diced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

3 eggs

1/2 cup half-and half cream

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. In the drippings, sauté onion until browned; drain. Cut eight asparagus spears into 4-in.-long spears for garnish. Cut remaining asparagus into 1-in. pieces. In a saucepan, cook all of the asparagus in a small amount of boiling water until crisp-tender; drain.

In a bowl, toss the bacon, onion, asparagus pieces, cheese, flour, salt and pepper. Pour into pastry shell. In a bowl, beat eggs and cream; pour over bacon mixture. Top with asparagus spears. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and crust is golden brown., Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup diced fully cooked ham

1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Place hash browns in a greased 9-in. microwave-safe pie plate. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes or until thawed. Press onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of the plate. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, ham and broccoli.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and seasonings; pour over ham mixture. Cover with waxed paper. Microwave at 70% power for 10-12 minutes or until set. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 4-6 servings

This used to be my pop pops favorite potato salad and then little brothers. It is best served warm.

4 cups of sliced cooked potatoes
1 – 2 onions
4 or more strips of bacon
½ cup of white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
Fry bacon until crisp, remove from pan and drain. Mix sugar, salt and vinegar and pour into bacon fat. Break bacon into pieces and add into hot sliced potatoes. Add the onion. Pour in hot fat and vinegar mixture. Sprinkle in celery seed, mix well.