Potato/Corn/Ham Chowder

Prep Time:  20 min    Cook Time 40 min

Serves 8

Perfect Partner: Dinner Rolls and Side Salad

Ingredients:
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" pieces (yukon gold or red are preferred)

2 c. water (reserved from boiling potatoes)

1 small onion, diced

1 c. diced celery

4 T. butter

4 T. flour

dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

2 c. heavy whipping cream

2 c. whole milk

1/2 t. sugar

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (use a good quality cheese that will completely melt)

1 c. cooked ham, diced (easy to buy package of diced ham). Can also sub diced bacon.

1 can corn

1. Boil potatoes at medium-high heat until soft.
2. When pouring out the water from the potatoes, reserve 2 cups for use.
3. In a pot large enough to hold 8-10 cups of liquid, melt butter over medium-high heat.
4. Add onion and celery and cook until translucent/soft, careful not to burn the butter.
5. Add flour and pepper to the mixture in the pan.  Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
7. Simmer on low 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning to bottom of pan.
8. Depending on the ham you use, this recipe often doesn't need any salt. Add salt to taste once done simmering.

Spinach Pasta Salad

Prep Time:  10 min    Cook Time 10-12 min

Serves 10

Perfect Partner: Grilled Balsamic/Greek Chicken

Ingredients:
8 oz. bowtie/rotini/penne pasta

6 T. EVOO

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

3 cloves minced garlic

1 t. ground mustard (optional)

1 t. salt

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

4 c. baby spinach

1/2 small red onion sliced

2 c. grape tomatoes, halved or quartered

1/2 c. parmesan cheese 

3 oz. salami, diced (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse in cold water until completely cool, and strain.
2. Whisk together EVOO, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper until emulsified.
3. Add pasta, spinach, red onion, tomatoes cheese (and optional salami) to a large bowl. If not serving immediately, add the spinach just before serving, otherwise it will wilt.
4. Pour liquid mixture over pasta and mix together.

Autumn Soup

Prep Time:  10 min    Cook Time 30 min

Serves 10
Perfect Partner:  Dinner Rolls & Side Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Beef

1 c. diced celery

1 large chopped onion

8 c. water

2 t. beef or vegetable bouillon (prefer Better than Bouillon)

2 c. diced carrots

2 c. diced potatoes (peeled) - 4 medium-sized potatoes (prefer Yukon Gold)

1/2 t. Italian seasoning
2 t. salt

1/4 t. ground black pepper

1 clove garlic (or 1/8 t. garlic powder)

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes (and liquid)
1 clove minced garlic

Optional:

1/2 c. peas (can use canned or frozen)

1/2 c. corn (can use canned or frozen)

1. Start with a pot large enough to hold 10-12 c. of soup.
2. Add ground beef, celery and onion and cook on high until ground beef is browned and onion and celery are soft/translucent.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.  If liquid reduces too much, add more water and salt/boullion if needed.

Low-Carb Asian Lettuce Wraps

 Prep Time:  10 min    Cook Time 10 min

Serves 4
Perfect Partner:  Basmati Rice and Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Chicken (can substitute ground sausage or ground turkey)

1-1/2 T. sesame oil

4-5 mushrooms (diced)

8 oz can water chestnuts (drained)

4 T. low-sodium soy sauce
3 T. minced ginger (I like to use the pre-minced ginger you can find in the produce section)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 c. water (if needed)

3 T. chopped green onion

1 head iceberg lettuce

1. Heat sesame oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat, turn down to med-high once oil is hot.
2. Add ground chicken, mushrooms, water chestnuts, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to the hot oil and sauté until chicken is browned, mushrooms are tender, and water chestnuts are crisp-tender.  Add water 1/4 c. at a time if it seems to begin to dry out as cooking. 
3. Add chopped green onion to chicken mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
4. Spoon into iceberg lettuce.

I like to serve this with Basmati rice for those in my family who want to eat carbs.  They can add a spoonful of rice to each lettuce wrap.  For my picky eater I serve the chicken mixture over the rice, and serve the lettuce with some salad dressing.  My family also enjoys eating this with egg drop soup.  I just stop by the local Chinese takeout place and pick up a pint.  Serve the egg drop soup with freshly cracked pepper and chopped green onion (and those crispy chip things it comes with).  This will satisfy most of my Chinese food cravings for a fraction of the calories, sodium and cost.

VARIATION: Instead of serving this as lettuce wraps, you can add cabbage and serve as a "casserole." You can thinly slice fresh cabbage, or for a quick "cheat" buy coleslaw cabbage already sliced.  Add once the chicken is nearly cooked through, and cook until the cabbage is tender. Adding a little water and covering with a lid for a minute or two also can help the cabbage steam and cook more quickly.  If making this recipe you can also add 1/4 c. julienned carrots (you can also buy those pre-cut).  I have seem similar variations call this "egg roll in a bowl."

Low Country Shrimp Boil

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 20-25 min

As you prep this meal, think rustic. Food should be cut in pieces big enough to eat with your bare hands.

Ingredients:

• 1 Zararan's crab boil seasoning bag (usually can find in the seafood section of store)

•2 Lemons -- quartered, leave peel on

• 1 large white onion, cut in wedges (or sub a number of small pearl onions)

• 6 white potatoes, halved (leave peel on)

• 1 lb Kielbasa Sausage, cut into 1" diagonal pieces

• 4 cobs of corn, shucked and halved (cut off any bad ends--these will boil with everything else)

• 1 lb. medium shrimp (31-40 size work great), rinsed (do not peel). I only use fresh, so if using frozen shrimp, thaw first.

Note: You can easily add more of any number of ingredients. For instance, my family are shrimp lovers, so I always do 2 lbs. shrimp, 2 lbs. kielbasa. You can also add more potatoes and corn easily. The seasoning bag is enough for at least double the recipe above.

Fill a LARGE pot with water, and bring to a boil. Add Zataran's seasonings bag (just place the entire bag in--do not open it). Add lemon quarters, onion wedges, potatoes, potatoes and sausage. Boil for 10 min, stirring occasionally.

Add corn on the cob, boil another 10 min. Add shrimp and boil another 2 min.

Strain and serve all in one big serving bowl. Have lots of napkins handy! And a bowl or two to toss spent corn cobs and shrimp shells into.  Cocktail sauce/ ketchup are nice additions.

A fun tradition of the Low Country of the South is to cook this all in a big pot outside in the summer, then dump onto newspaper spread on the picnic table, and eat from the pile with your hands. We eat this entire meal with our hands, no utensils allowed, even when eating indoors. My kids love it.

Maple Mustard Pork Chops

Prep Time:  5 min    Cook Time 7-10 min
Serves 4
Perfect Partner:  Rice Pilaf, Sweet Potatoes, or Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
4-5 bone-in pork chops
3 T. maple syrup
3 T. Dijon mustard
2 t. olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

1. Preheat grill (or cast-iron skillet) to medium-high.
2. In a small bowl, stir together syrup, mustard, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Separate 1/4 c. of sauce to baste chops after cooked.
3. With remaining sauce, baste the pork chops on both sides.
4. Grill (or cook on skillet) 3-5 min per side.
5. Remove from grill and baste the remaining sauce on the chops.  Let stand 5 min before serving.

Source:  Men's Health Magazine, Dec. 2005

Mom's Beef Stroganoff

Prep time: 5 min     Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
1/2 package extra-wide egg noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
1/2 t. garlic powder (sprinkle more if tastes bland)
1/2 t. salt (sprinkle more if tastes bland)
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. milk
1 T. ketchup

1. Combine cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk and ketchup in a small mixing bowl, and whisk together until smooth.
2. Prepare noodles according to package directions.  While noodles are boiling:
3. Brown ground beef over high heat.
4. Pour sauce over ground beef, and then add garlic, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir frequently until warmed.  Taste sauce to see if needs more garlic or salt.
5. Can serve spooned over noodles, or combine noodles and sauce together in a large serving bowl.

Source:  Mom