Kat's Recipe Box

This is one of those recipes that you just add whatever you feel like to. You can change up the fruit and nuts to suit your own tastes. I have added dried cranberries and dried apricots in the past. I am going to mix it up next time with different nuts.

3 cups of quick cooking oats
1 package of dried blueberries
1 package of dried cherries
1 ½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup of coconut
½ cup oil
1/3 cup of honey
Cinnamon

Combine above ingredients and lay flat on a baking sheet, Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cook for about 25-30 minutes mixing at least once until golden brown in a 350 degree oven.

Serve over ice cream or vanilla yogurt.

Last night I had to come up with something for dinner and I had no clue what to make, so I decided to be inventive and I have to say, it was pretty good. I don’t have exact measurements for anything since I just threw something together but I will give it my best shot. Everyone thought it was good and my son who is Mr. Picky had seconds. Today Kevin and I will find out how leftovers taste. You can choose what to add or delete from the recipe based on personal preference.

1 package chicken tenders
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic powder
about 6 tablespoons butter
about ¼ cup flour
about 1 cup chicken broth
sliced portabella mushrooms
onions
red pepper
green pepper
onion
1 1lb. whole wheat linguini, cooked and drained
Parmesan cheese

For starters, I sliced the chicken tenders into bite size pieced and seasoned with salt, pepper and then sprinkled with balsamic vinegar. I heated about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and tossed in chicken for about 5 minutes until cooked thru. Use a slotted spoon and remove chicken and set aside. Add about 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and melt. Add mushrooms, peppers and onions to sauté and sprinkle about 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes and about 1 tbsp of garlic powder. (the garlic and pepper flakes measurements are based on personal preference, you can add as much or as little as you would like based on your families tastes) Once vegetables are sautéed remove vegetables with slotted spoon and drop in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to melt. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk together until there is a think paste made then gradually whisk in the chicken broth to combine, this is all being done over a medium heat. Keep whisking until mixture is thick and bubbly. Once gravy is thickened, add back the vegetables and chicken to heat thru and add the cooked pasta. Once everything was combined, I sprinkled with about a ½ of grated parmesan cheese and mixed well. The amount of cheese is also a preference. I know Kevin added more to his.

Enjoy!

My mother in law just sent us this recipe the other day. Although I have yet to try it she says it is very good. Let us know what you think.

2 cups elbow macaroni
2 cups milk
4 Tbsp. Flour
4 Tbsp. Butter
½ tsp. Pepper
1 to 1 ½ tsp. Dry mustard
2 cups grated cheese
1 cup dry bread crumbs
½ cup butter

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. cook macaroni until al dente, drain and place in a casserole dish
3. melt butter in a saucepan. Add flout, salt, pepper and dry mustard. Stir until combined and bubbly.
4. remove from heat and very gradually add milk while constantly whisking.
5. return to heat and heat until boiling. Stir constantly.
6. remove from heat and stir in cheese until cheese is melted.
7. pour over macaroni and stir.
8. melt butter and add bread crumbs to melted butter and sprinkle on top of macaroni.
9. bake for 15 minute until bubbly.

Notes from mom:

Cheese – I prefer sharp cheddar but I often make this to use up extra cheese and use a mixture of different cheeses. You can use a milder cheese and even Velveeta works if you like.
Dry mustard – use more if you like a spicier flavor.
Bread crumbs – you may use regular bread crumbs but I pre Panko bread crumbs.

I don’t really know what this recipe is actually called so I just call it Poor Mans Stroganoff. I got this recipe years ago from my first husbands mother whom I adore and still speak to. I have been making this for years because it is so easy since you just cook it in the crock pot. I have made a minor change over the years by adding fresh mushrooms which can certainly be omitted. Serve it with your favorite bread.

1 package of beef cubes or beef stir fry
1 package of onion soup mix
1 package of fresh mushrooms
2 cans of golden mushroom soup
flour
salt and pepper
egg noodles
oil

Simply get a zip lock bag and add some flour, salt and pepper, just enough to coat the meat. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil. Drop beef cubes or stir fry into the bag, seal and shake to coat the meat with flour and drop into the hot skillet to brown on each side.

In the crock pot, add 2 cans of mushroom soup, fresh mushrooms, envelope of onion soup mix and 1 can of water and stir. Add browned meat and cook for 4 to 8 hours. Sever over cooked egg noodles with your favorite bread.

I found this recipe while my husband and I were away in Florida and even though it seemed strange I decided to try it. It was a big hit and I have been making it ever since. I get many requests for this recipe so of course I had to put it on the site.

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
8 oz. of picante sauce
1 – 11 oz. can of white shoe peg corn, drained
1/3 cup of Italian salad dressing
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
4 green onions, chopped, white and green parts
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ cups of salted roasted peanuts (of course I add as much as I want)
Hot pepper sauce optional
Tortilla chips

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl and cover and refrigerate overnight or about 8 hours. Before service, add peanuts and hot pepper sauce if desired and serve with chips.

I found this recipe the other night and decided to give it a try. My son even ate it which is a big surprise as it is a vegetable. I love snap peas and usually include it in my salads and pasta salads but up until this point haven’t found a way to cook them that I liked.

¼ cup of butter
1 large shallot chopped
1 lb. of sugar snap peas
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

2. Chop shallot and add to melted butter and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender.

3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Once the water is at a boil, drop in snap peas and cook for about 5 minutes and remove and add to ice water to stop the cooking process.

4. Add peas, tarragon and salt to melted butter and shallots and toss gently to coat.

5. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes more stirring frequently until heated through.

I tried this recipe the other night and my family just loved it. It was fairly simple to make and surprisingly good. I imagine you could trade out the fresh thyme with other fresh herbs and it would be just as good.

1 whole chicken about 5 lbs.
¼ cup of softened butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon cut into quarters

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Loosen the skin from the breast without removing it and place chicken in roasting pan on a rack.

3. In a small bowl combine the butter, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

4. Rub about 2 tablespoons of butter mixture underneath the skin of the chicken and rub the remaining butter onto the top of the chicken.

5. Place quartered lemon and garlic into the cavity of the chicken and tie off the legs for baking.

6. Bake for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes or until juices run clear or internal temperature is 165 degrees.

7. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

This recipe is loosely based on Alton Brown’s rib recipe located here. Anyone who knows me, knows I love ribs and Alton Brown. If you have never watched Good Eats, you are missing an educational, funny show that will feed your need for the science behind cooking.

Ingredients:

Pork Ribs

Dry Rub:

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon of garlic salt

2 teaspoons of Cajun Seasoning (I like it spicy)

Braising Liquid:

1 can or bottle of your favorite beer.

2 tablespoons of vinegar

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce

Prepare the dry rub by combining all ingredients in a bowl and mixing thoroughly. Place the ribs in a glass casserole dish and coat liberally with the dry rub. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The day of cooking, prepare an aluminum foil pouch that will hold the ribs and the braising liquid. I usually double wrap and leave one end open to fill with the liquid.

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Close off the open end of the foil and cook in oven for 2 hours. This slow cooking will break down the ribs and make them almost fall off the bone.

Remove the ribs from the foil, coat with your favorite barbeque sauce and finish off on your gas grill. This will give a nice crust on the outside and a tender interior.

Alternative Ending: Alton likes to take the braising liquid and reduce it on the stove top to produce a super sticky and very tasty glaze for the ribs. I have done this and it’s good, but I am lazy and like the ease of using bottled sauce to finish off the ribs.

Make it your own…

Try wine or soda instead of beer for the braizing liquid. Also you may want to work in your favorite herbs and spices into the dry rub.