Kielbasa & Pierogies

More comfort food. I'm obsessed. Frozen pierogies were a treat when I was growing up. They were always potato and onion, and they always came frozen, in a box. Mrs. T's.

Somewhere along the line, I learned to love cooking.  Then I became obsessed with the ethnic cooking, and eventually searching for the roots of the ethnic food my own family ate when I was growing up.  Now I know that I could make pierogies from scratch, but instead I've switched to the Sam's brand of the months (and flavor of the month) and look for recipes I can use them in.

Kielbasa & Pierogies

Ingredients

• About 16 frozen pierogies
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3-4 cups packaged coleslaw mix
• 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 12 ounces kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions

1. Bring a large shallow pot of water to a boil and drop in frozen pierogies. Boil over medium heat until pierogies float to the top, about 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add cabbage and onions, cooking about 5 minutes until cabbage is wilted. Stir in kielbasa pieces; cook until sausage is heated through, another 5 minutes.
3. Gently lay pierogies into the skillet and move sausage mixture aside to allow pierogies to cook on the surface of the hot skillet.  Turn heat down to medium-low and cook until they puff up and brown slightly, about 10 minutes on each side.

This is a great, easy to make dinner.  And SO tasty!  Use whichever type pierogi you love.  My personal favorites are potato and onion, but the rest of the family loves potato and cheddar.  I would have no problem doubling the amount of cabbage to stretch this for unexpected company.

~ Enjoy!

Scrambled Eggs Southwest

I'm not sure this is a recipe so much as a scrumptious and healthy way to eat eggs. It just happens to be my favorite breakfast!

Scrambled Eggs Southwest

2-3 eggs, scrambled
1/8 - 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1-1 Tbs guacamole
1-2 Tbs salsa

Layer all ingredients in your favorite flat bowl (plate works, too).

This is my pretty picture version.  Normally, you would see the guac and salsa schmeared all over the top of the eggs and cheese just as I'm getting ready to eat.  While it's tasty that way, it doesn't make for a great picture. :p

~ Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder that was supposed to be chicken thighs. Leftover rice. Sweet & Spicy. Sounds like a winning combination!

Sweet & Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbs chili garlic sauce
• 1 Tbs ground ginger
• 1 Tbs granulated garlic
• 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice
• Salt, to taste
• 2 1/2 lbs. pork shoulder

Directions:

Salt (and pepper, if you must) the pork shoulder to taste.
Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, ginger, garlic, and 5-spice in a large bowl. Add pork shoulder and turn it in the mixture until it is well coated. Put pork shoulder into slow cooker and pour remaining sauce over the roast. 
Cook on low 7-8 hours (high, 4 hours).
Serve over rice or noodles.

I'm going to roast asparagus to serve alongside this, but if I didn't have the fresh asparagus I would roast some Chinese vegetables - maybe Bok Choy, carrots, mushrooms, onions, and sweet pepper.

If the sauce isn't thick enough, I may pull some out of the cooker and thicken it up with cornstarch.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free)

The original recipe I used called for regular, unbleached white flour. To make these gluten-free, I am substituting Pamela's artisan flour blend. Some day I may be brave enough to pull together my own gluten-free flour, but at this point I'd rather use the Pamela's and get used to how gluten-free flours work.

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 bananas, peeled and mashed
3 1/2 cups rolled oats*
1 1/4 cup Pamela's artisan flour blend
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl and mix well.
Add the bananas and rolled oats, mix thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Add to wet ingredients, 1/2 cup at a time and continue to mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by tablespoonful on baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart, and bake 12-15 minutes at 350F.

This is a heavy batter, so I used my KitchenAid stand mixer. Also, I used regular rolled oats, but I imagine that quick oats would be okay for these recipe.

This recipe is adapted from the recipe for Banana Oatmeal Cookies in Extending the Table: Recipes and Stories from Argentina to Zambia, in the spirit of More-with-Less, p312.

~ ENJOY!

Onion Soup Mix

The search for this recipe started when the Dollar General Market (grocery closest to us) didn’t have any french onion dip. I found the recipe for Homemade Onion Soup Mix at Our Nourishing Roots and then adapted to both our tastes (must have GARLIC!) and the ingredients I have in the house (white pepper vs. black pepper).

Ingredients
2/3 cup dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
3 heaping tsp granulated garlic
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

Directions
Mix all ingredients together with a whisk. Store in an air-tight jar or baggie.

*2 tablespoons of this homemade mix equals one “packet” of the store-bought version, but it is MSG and gluten-free.


To make the dip, I mixed 1 cup natural sour cream, 1/3 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip), and 2 rounded tablespoons of the Homemade Onion Soup Mix. Does it taste just like store-bought french onion dip? Nope. But it is WAY better!

~ Enjoy!

Thai Peanut Curry Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
1 can of coconut milk
2 Tbs Thai red curry paste
1 Tbs chili garlic sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
juice of 1/2 a lime
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-sized pieces
salt
cabbage, shredded
cooked rice or noodles

DIRECTIONS:
Heat coconut milk in a small pot over medium-low heat, stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick. Once warm, add curry paste and chili garlic sauce, whisk until thoroughly blended.
Add fish sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime. Continue to whisk. (Add additional garlic chili sauce if you like it spicier.)
Salt chicken pieces to taste and fry in pan until cooked through. Add chicken to sauce, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Lightly steam the cabbage, and place a bed of it on rice or noodles. Cover with sauce, and garnish with finely chopped peanuts and/or green onion.

This recipe is still a work in progress. I had it for the first time years ago at Royal Thai restaurant in Bowling Green. I’ve tried to find a recipe on the internet that is as good, but haven’t had any luck. Since I’m not known for my great recipe-following skills it only makes sense that I’d try to come up with a recipe on my own. :) This is very, very close.

This recipe is adapted from Praram Long Song (Thai peanut curry sauce) at Subverting Solitude.

~ Enjoy!

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

I love cabbage rolls. Really, really love them. But they are a pain to make. I saw a recipe on Facebook a couple of days ago for unstuffed cabbage rolls and I knew it was just what I needed. This is easy comfort food at its finest!

Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbs olive oil 
• 1 pound lean ground beef 
• 2 Tbs Hungarian paprika 
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 small cabbage, chopped 
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes 
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce 

Preparation: 
Sprinkle the ground beef with the paprika, pepper, and salt. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender and sauce is thick. 

Serve over rice or pasta.  (I prefer rice!)

Although the Facebook recipe inspired me, this is my own creation using my memory to recreate the cabbage rolls my mom made. I also like to stick to only one pound of ground beef since I'm only cooking for four these days and my ground beef comes in one pound chubs.

 ~ Enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Pot Roast with Gravy

We're having good, old-fashioned comfort food for Sunday Supper this week. Yum. It's easy to make and the results are wonderful. Not to mention, by doubling the typical recipe I'll have leftovers for beef pot pie later in the week.

Ingredients:

• 6-7 lbs boneless chuck roast**
• granulated garlic, to taste
• 2 onions, sliced thickly
• 6-7 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into two lengths
• 1 can golden mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 Tbs worcestshire sauce
• 1 Tbs beef bouillon
• 3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Add the roasts to the slow cooker, sprinkling liberally with granulated garlic, and layering with the the onions. Toss remaining onions into the slow cooker.
3. Whisk together the red wine, worcestshire sauce, beef bouillon, and water in a bowl, then pour over the roasts and onions in the slow cooker.
4. Place potatoes and carrots on top of the onions and around the roasts.
5. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.**

* I used two roasts, but it would be fine to use a larger roast and cut it into two pieces to fit into the slow cooker.
  ** My chuck roasts are frozen, so I'm going to cook this for 2 1/2 hours on high and then about 4 1/2 hours on low.

Personally, I'm not a fan of canned, condensed soup. There are exactly TWO exceptions to this in my recipe box and this is one of them. When it comes down to spending extra time in the kitchen versus more time with my family on Sunday, time with family wins every time. I can also throw this together before we leave for church and not come home to a big mess in the kitchen. Plus, the gravy tastes really good and is ready the same time everything else is ready! So, all the way around, it's worth sacrificing real food principals sometimes. (Just don't let it become a habit! ;) )

 ~Enjoy!

Mexican Grilled Corn (Elote)

This is the most amazing corn I've ever eaten. Very messy, but very worth it!



Ingredients:
4 ears of corns in husks
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tsp chili powder
dash cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Heat the grill to medium.
Pull the outer husks of each of the corn down to the base (be sure to keep them attached) and remove silk. Fold husks back into place, and soak the ears of corn in a large bowl of
cold water for 10 minutes. Remove corn from water and shake off
excess.
Place the corn on the hot grill, close the cover, and cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
To serve, brush each ear with melted butter then brush on the mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle liberally with parmesan cheese and cilantro.

Did I mention that this is really messy to eat? Worth every dribble of butter and mayonnaise on my chin.

Now I'm trying to figure out if I could make this with corn OFF the cob so I can serve it without having to stop mid-dinner to wash my face.

~ Enjoy!

Beef & Mushroom Barley Soup

I've been craving a hearty, beef and mushroom soup for.ever. Finally gathered all the ingredients together and started searching for a recipe. Could not find a single one that sounded like what I wanted to eat. Normally, I would start with someone else's recipe and modify it. This time I couldn't even find a good starting point. So I winged it.

What else was I supposed to do?

Beef & Mushroom Barley Soup

• 1 lb stew meat, cut into bite sized cubes (I prefer SMALL)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 2 carrots, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 - 16 oz package sliced mushrooms
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup barley

1. Brown stew meat (I used 2 Tbs olive oil) in dutch oven or heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat. When meat is browned, add garlic and onions into the pot. Cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir tomato paste into beef and onion mixture, cook for another three minutes.
3. Add carrots and mushrooms into the pot, stir well. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mushrooms are done. Stir occasionally.
4. Pour in beef broth. Stir well, then add the barley.
5. Cook over medium-low heat for about two hours - until meat and vegetables are tender.

If you like a thicker soup, you can bring the soup to a boil then add about 2 Tbs corn starch mixed with water to thicken. I also added about 3/4 cup of heavy cream to my soup at the end. It was sitting in the fridge and I didn't want it to go to waste - the soup would have been fine without it.

~ Enjoy!