Kat's Recipe Box

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.

Just tried this cake yesterday, and there in none left today…It was so yummy I am going to make another one this week for my weekend get together.

1 (18.5 oz) box white cake mix
1 3oz. box of strawberry Jell-O
10 oz. package frozen strawberries thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
Strawberry cream frosting – recipe below
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9” cake pans.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, Jell-O. Add the strawberries, eggs, oil and water; mix on medium speed until smooth. Pour into cake pans and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool on wire racks until completely cooled.

Strawberry Cream Frosting

½ cup softened butter
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup of frozen strawberries, pureed
½ tsp. strawberry extract
7 cups of confectioners’ sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in strawberry puree and strawberry extract. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar beating until smooth.

Frost cake with a thick layer of frosting between cake halves and put remaining frosting on top. Be sure cake is completely cooled before frosting. Do not over beat frosting.

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.

A few years ago, I worked as an HR Manager for a Wholesale Nursery that was run by a wonderful family…not sure if I should mention their name or not…hmmmm…lets wait to hear from them. Anyway, I ran into Don and Kathy, the owners who I hadn’t seen since I left my job at the Nursery. The main offices were housed in a ranch house with a full kitchen of which I made great use. I used to get into the office in the morning and either bake a cake or make my apparently famous Sausage, Egg and Cheese Muffins. As I was talking to Don he reminded me that I used to do this and asked if I could come back and make him some so as they are his favorites; I told him I would post it on my web site. It was wonderful to see you and Kathy again Don…keep in touch. I would love to make you some more muffins.

1 package of sausage links
3 green onions (as I recall, Don asked me to leave these out but I really like them so the choice is yours)
2 eggs
1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 tubes of buttermilk hungry Jack biscuits
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked thru.
2. Meanwhile, take tubes of biscuits and separate each biscuit into two biscuits and press down each half into a cupcake tin and pressing up the sides. The cup cake tins do not need to be buttered as there is a lot of butter in the biscuits and they will not stick.
3. Mix, two eggs, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and add green onion if you so choose and add cheese. My family likes cheese so sometimes I add 2 cups.
4. Remove sausage from skillet and slightly cool and chop links into smaller pieces. This is also a preference, my family likes the chunks of sausage where some might like is a little more finely chopped.
5. Take a spoonful of sausage and place into the bottom of the biscuit and then top with the egg and cheese mixture. I use a cookie scoop the get the right portion into the biscuit.
6. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the biscuit edges are lightly brown and egg looks to be set.

Remove, serve and enjoy!

Sometimes, the biscuits may stick around the top due to the egg and cheese so I just use a knife to loosen around the sides.

Coming from a long line of potato lovers and not being one myself it was always a challenge to find a potato that I actually liked, with the exception of French fries. It is extremely simple to make and you can always jazz it up to fit your tastes. My brother has taken these potatoes with him to an Eagles game for his tailgating breakfast. He put his own spin on it by adding Cajun seasoning…(I think that is what he added. Let me know Tim)

1 small bag of red skinned potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
¼ of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt

Oven 350 degrees

Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Add olive oil, garlic and kosher salt. The amount of salt depends on what you like. Toss together and spread out on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes flipping once halfway thru.

I usually leave the potatoes in until they are well browned and crispy. I have even added fresh chopped rosemary for a change. Warning, your whole house will smell like garlic!

I prefer the kosher salt and use it in all of my cooking but there is no need to go our and buy it if you don’t have a need for it. Regular salt should do.

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.

I recently had my first request for a recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese, as my kids only eat the one from the blue box I had to do some searching. This recipe was given to me by a co-worker from our New York office. I hear it is a big hit with everyone there and several people have made it and it seems easy. Thank you Big Mamma! Let me know that you think.

1 jar of Kraft Cheese Wiz cheese
1 jar Rague Cheddar cheese
1 large stick of Velveeta cheese – 16 oz.
½ cup of milk
1 stick of butter
1 box (1lb.) large shells

Combine and cook for approximately 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

This recipe was given to me by my friend Nicole who stumble upon it somewhere and it has become our all time favorite.

I started serving this dessert to friends in the neighborhood and they all had an issue with the name Frog Eye Salad so the gang tried to renamed it Greenbrier Salad after our development but the name never seemed to stick.

½ cup of sugar
1-tablespoon flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 – 20oz. can of pineapple chunks, undrained
1 – 8oz. crushed pineapple, undrained
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/3 cups Acine di Pepe pasta, uncooked
1 – 11oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained
3 ½ cups cool whip, thawed
½ cup flaked coconut (I prefer to leave this out)
Maraschino cherries
3 cups of miniature marshmallows (I usually leave these out also)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt.
2. Drain pineapple reserving enough just to make 1 cup and with whisk gradually add to sugar mixture along with beaten egg.
3. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat allowing mixture to cool.
4. In the meantime, cook pasta according to box directions. Rise with cold water and drain immediately.
5. In a large bowl, combine pineapple juice mixture and pasta. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
6. Add crushed pineapple and pineapple chunks, oranges and 2 cups of whipped topping, marshmallows and coconut and mix. (I usually leave out the coconut and marshmallow and I always add the whole container of cool whip and maybe a bit more)
7. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Garnish with cherries and serve.

Another party pleaser it doesn’t look so good but sure tastes great. This recipe came from my cousin Teri. I first tried it at my brother’s engagement party when my mom made it and I have been hooked ever since.

3 – 11oz. cans of Mexican style corn
1 – 4oz. can of diced green chilies, drained
5 green onions
1 – 8oz. container of sour cream
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
¾ cup of mayonnaise
10 – oz. shredded cheddar cheese (we are big cheese fans so I usually add the whole bag)

Combine all of the above ingredients and mix well. Serve with nacho chips.

Years ago, when I first stated working one of my co-workers brought this dish into work and everyone loved it. I was just starting out in the kitchen and thought this is something I can actually do. It taste great and is so simple to make, has very few ingredients and goes a long way. My younger brother had one particular friend who could eat the whole batch by himself and I renamed it Johnny D’s dip. I wonder if he still makes it.

Mexican Velveeta (I use mild)
Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
Onion, chopped
Nacho chips

Simply cut Velveeta into cubes add chopped onion and drained rotel into a microwave safe dish and heat until cheese is melted stirring occasionally so that cheese doesn’t burn. Serve with nacho chip.

Tip: Some people prefer to sauté onion in a bit of butter until soft. I happen to like the crunch so I just use raw onion. You can also use the hot Velveeta if you like something with a bit more heat.

I got this recipe years ago from a man I worked with after I tried it in the office. It has become a house favorite that has been passed around and around. Most people might pass this one by since there is no frosting on it but you should give it a try you might just be surprised.

1 box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix (not the butter kind but the one that calls for oil)
1- 3 oz. box of instant vanilla pudding
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 cup of oil
½ cup of water
10 x sugar (powdered sugar)

1. Combine cake mix, vanilla pudding, 4 eggs, oil and water in a mixer until well mixed and fluffy.
2. While cake is mixing, in a food processor or blender and chop up a ½ of bag of chocolate chips. Don not chop until a fine powder forms, just do a rough chop. Add to batter and mix. You want to make sure there are some bigger pieces of chocolate chips in the batter.
3. Pour into a greased metal pan and bake at 375 degrees or until cake is no longer wet in the middle and starts to pull away from the sides of pan. You should start to check cake after about 45 minutes as oven temperatures vary.
4. While cake is baking, rough chop in food processor or blender the remaining chips, leaving some bigger pieces. Remove cake and sprinkle chopped chocolate chips over the top.
5. Cool for about 10 minutes, top with 10x sugar (powdered sugar). Serve warm or completely cooled

Tips: Most people in the family prefer this cake to be served warm. About 20 seconds in the microwave should do it.

My oven doesn’t run as hot as most so baking this is a cake that I just watch to be done instead of timing it. I shake the pan and if the center moves it certainly isn’t done, I also touch the center, if the cake springs back, it is done or if I seen the edges of the cake start pulling away from the pan.

For some reason, the Duncan Hines brand works the best, that is why I specified it is the recipe.

I prefer to eat this cake once it is cooled but most everyone else wants it warmed. You decide.

This recipe has been around for a while.  It was given to me by my sister in law Patrice after she tried it at a Chinese restaurant where she had dinner.  They were kind enough to tell her how to make it and it was passed on to me and has been around ever since.  Even the kids like this one. I always leave the deep frying to my husband and he has it down to a science.

1 8oz. cream cheese, softened

3 green onions, chopped both white and green parts

1 package of imitation crab meat, chopped into pieces

won-ton wrappers

peanut oil for frying

1. Combine the cream cheese, onion and crab meat in a bowl until all ingredients are well mixed.
2. Take won ton wrappers and place them in a single layer on a flat surface and place 1 teaspoon of mixture into the center of each wrapper.  Dip finger in water and run finger around the edge of the wrapper. Fold over to form a triangle and press the edges together to seal.
3. drop into hot peanut oil just until golden brown and put on a wire rack to cool down and drain.

Tips:  Won ton wrappers can be found in most grocery stores and are usually found in the refrigerated produce section.  If you can’t find the won ton wrappers you can substitute egg roll wrappers and just cut them in half. 

            You will be able to decide for yourself exactly how much filling you should put into the wrappers.  When you are deep frying if the filling starts to come out the sides you might be putting too much filling in.

            We prefer to use peanut oil but you can use regular cooking oil instead.  Olive oil is not recommended.

This has become a quick and favorite meal of mine after a busy day at work.  I continually add different vegetables based on what I have on hand so feel free to include your families favorites.  The original recipe called for 3 teaspoons of fresh chopped ginger as I am not a ginger fan and can’t see buying it for just on recipe I never include it and I don’t feel the recipes is hurt by this.

I usually serve it over white rice.  As a short cut, I just use boil in a bag white rice…ready in 5 minutes! 

3/4 cup stir-fry sauce

2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 package of sliced fresh baby bella mushrooms

1 1/4 lbs. of chicken tenders cut into bite size pieces

1 half of medium size green pepper cut into bite size pieces

1 half of red pepper cut into bite size pieces

1 half large onion cut into bite size pieces

1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin slices

1 can of water chestnuts

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 large garlic clove chopped

1 1/2 cups of salted cashews

1. In a small bowl, combine stir fry sauce and brown sugar and mix well.

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium – high heat and saute chicken pieces just until cooked.

3.  Add mushrooms, onions, carrotts, red and green peppers and garlic saute until vegetables are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4.  Add water chestnuts, red pepper flakes and stir fry sauce and stir.  Remove from heat and add cashews.

Serve over white rice.