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.

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.

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 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

I made this easy crock pot recipe for my brother, his wife and my dad tonight..it was so easy and so good. I am a big fan of the crock pot now so I am always searching for something new and easy…well, this is it.

2 tbsp. olive oil
3 lb. beef rump roast
Salt and pepper
1 ½ cups roasted garlic and herb tomato sauce
¾ cup Madeira wine
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 ½ cup frozen pearl onions
1 cup slice carrots
Heat oil in skillet on medium high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to skillet and brown on all sides.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine, tomato sauce, wine and garlic and mix. Add slow carrots and onions to crock pot and top with beef. Pour sauce over beef. Cover and cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours.

I made these crab cakes for the first time a few years ago and they were a big hit. I had never made them before and I asked a neighbor who manages the seafood counter at a grocery store what the best crab meat would be to use, his suggestion and we have since used only this crab meat was Phillips canned Jumbo crab meat. This recipe can be easily doubled. I am posting this recipe because my brother who is at this minute on vacation in the Outer Banks is going to attempt to make them…enjoy.

3 tbsp. butter
1 green onion
2 tbsp chopped red onion
1 garlic clove minced
3 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 egg
½ tsp. fresh minced parsley
Cayenne pepper
¼ cup grated parmesan
1 cup bread crumbs
1 lb. jumbo crab – gently go through to make sure there are no shells.
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Melt 1 tbsp. of butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic for about three minutes. Add cream, mustard 1 egg, parsley and cayenne pepper and ½ cup of bread crumbs to taste mix well, gold in the crab meat. Form the mixture into patties. Combine the remaining bread crumbs with the parmesan cheese. Pat toppings onto both sides of the patties. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until firm.

Using the skillet you cooked the onion in, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter and the vegetable oil and sauté the crab cakes on both sides for approximately 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
My preference is to also bake the crab cakes in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes as I like to have a dryer and crunchier crab cake.

Well, recently I have decided that I needed to make some changes in my life so you know what that means, diet. I have been following weight watchers for about a year now and have been maintaining my weight for about that long but am constantly looking for different “good for me recipes” So, last night I decided to attempt a turkey burger, they are suppose to be good for you right. Well, having never made a turkey burger I needed some advice and who do I turn to, my friend who does not cook but does eat healthy. Nicole and I have been friends for a long, long, long time and she is the one that always calls me for cooking advice so what was I thinking? But, she actually came through for me…she has never made them but offered advice that worked out!!! Go Nicole, my best friend who never cooks.

2 lbs. of ground turkey
1 package of bag n seasons meatloaf mix
Onion
Garlic
Teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. butter

Sautee onion and chopped garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until tender and add to ground turkey. Add seasoning packet and 6 dashes of teriyaki sauce and shape into hamburger patties. Grill and top with your favorite cheese.

I served mine on whole wheat buns…you know how those weight watchers points go.

Well, as I never actually really liked pulled pork to being with I had no idea what a good recipe for it consisted of. I found this recipe last year and decided to try it because I knew it was something my husband would like and it only had 4 ingredients and looked easy. This recipe has been used over and over again in the year since I came across it and has been the center of many family functions since then. I actually was asked to make it for my sister in laws bridal shower and I got many compliments on it. Of course Kevin always puts his own spin on things with his hot sauce but even I have come to really like this dish and my son eats it as well.

1 boneless pork shoulder
1 jar of Heinz chili sauce
3 packages of McCormick Sloppy Joe mix
½ cup of beef broth
lemon pepper
garlic salt
olive oil

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I always cut of excess fat off of the pork as I don’t want to chew on a big bite of fat. Sprinkle meat with lemon pepper and garlic salt and place into hot oil, browning meat on all sides. Once the meat is browned on all sides, place into a crock pot.

Meanwhile, combine the chili sauce, sloppy joe mix and beef broth and mix well. Pour over meat and cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low setting or 3 to 4 hours on high setting. Use a large fork and shred meat in crock pot before service.

Kevin puts a few dashes of hot sauce on his, the rest of us like it plain.

Serve on your favorite sandwich rolls or hamburger buns.

Well, for this recipe I needed a little help from my Uncle Mike. I had a wine question and I know nothing about wine. Tonight’s dinner called for a Chardonnay and I swore I had some at home collecting dust, but what I really had was Riesling…what the heck is that? Anyway, this is where Uncle Mike comes into play. I called him for some sage wine advice and knowledge, my question, can I use the Riesling, what I learned, Riesling is sweeter. So after Uncle Mikes Google search he surmised that I could use the Riesling. Dinner was a hit…thanks Uncle Mike.

2 lbs. turkey breast cutlets cut into bite size pieces
1 ½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 small fennel bulb chopped into small pieces
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup white wine
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
1 box of frozen puff pastry shells

Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl except puff pastry and stir. Place into a crock pot and cover and cook on low heat for about 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours.
About a half hour before serving, bake the puff pastry in a preheated 400 degree oven according to package instructions. Serve in pastry shells.