Weekly Cooking Thread Ping List
(to be added/deleted ~ please post on thread or PM me)
Recipe Recap from last week’s thread:
Appetizer* 15 Easy Garlic Escargot
Meal* 12 Outback Steakhouse Mac A Roo & Cheese
Meal* 13 Crock-pot Pulled Pork
Meal* 19 Chicken (or Turkey or Ham) A-La-King
Meal* 33 Dr. Pepper Pork Chops
Side* 3 Black Eyed Susan
Side* 6 Paintpeeler Sauce
Side* 11 Pickled red onion
Link to May 21st recap post:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2723032/posts?page=37#37
I have three very ripe bananas that I was going to throw out. My daughter, who is visiting us for another week, suggested we make banana nut bread with them.
So . . . I am looking for a recipe for banana nut bread.
Here are a couple of recipes that are easy to make and fairly inexpensive. Both of these dishes can be made for $5 or less in my part of the country.
Italian Stir Fry Noodles
This is what I would call a “fusion” recipe since it is made like Asian Stir Fry Noodles, but with ingredients popular in Italian Food.
1 pound Spaghetti Pasta
cooking oil
1/2 - 1 pound Italian Sausage (use what ever kind you like)
1-2 onions, cut in small strips (I like to use red onions for this dish because the color looks nice, but any will do)
1/4-1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper flakes (optional)
2-3 zucchini, cut in 1-2 inch strips
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (optional)
Italian Salad Dressing to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese to taste
Cook Pasta according to package directions, and drain.
While Pasta is cooking, stir fry the Italian Sausage in a wok or a large frying pan with just enough oil to get the meat started cooking and prevent it from sticking to the pan, moving it around as you would for a stir fry. When the meat is almost cooked through add the onions and cook them to translucent, continuing to stir fry. We like our zucchini barely cooked, so I add it last and stir fry it just until it is slightly cooked and still quite crisp.
Add the pasta and red pepper flakes and stir fry until the noodles and other ingredients are well combined. I then add the tomatoes and a little Italian style salad dressing to the pan to season the pasta, and toss well.
Remove from heat and finish off the pasta with Parmesan cheese (we like a lot of freshly grated parmesan on this recipe). Serve with garlic bread and a side salad. In the summer months I like to serve it with a fresh fruit salad, since there are veggies in the pasta.
When you are craving a nice fruit salad in the Winter here is a great alternative to a fresh fruit salad:
Wintertime Fruit Salad
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 jar of maraschino cherries, drained (optional)
1-6 ounce container of plain or vanilla yogurt (some people also use mayo, sour cream, or even whipped cream instead of the yogurt)
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Combine all the ingredients and serve. In my family I have to serve the marshmallows, cherries, coconut, and pecans on the side since I have picky eaters. That way everyone can add the extra’s they like, and everyone will eat the fruit salad. I have also added grapes instead of the maraschino cherries and that is good too!
Notes: I like the fruit to be nice and cold, so I drain the pineapple and oranges early in the day, and leave it in my collander with a bowl under it so any extra juice drains off as well. My collander fits in my large tupperware bowl with a lid, so I set the collander in that and put the lid on it and put it in the refrigerator until just before I am ready to mix up the salad at dinner time. Use plastic wrap if you don’t have a bowl with a lid, so the fruit doesn’t dry out.
My mother used to save all the juice from the fruit and add it to orange juice to make a delightful and refreshing orange punch.
SNICKER SALAD
1 tub Cool Whip
2 unpeeled Granny Smith apples chopped into small pieces
2 Snickers chopped into small pieces
Mix all ingredients together, enjoy
A very big thanks to the person that posted the Upside Down Pizza recipe. It’s become a family favorite. I’ve made it 4 times already!
I wanted to do an artichoke chicken pizza. I didn’t like any of the recipes I was finding so I came up with my own. My daughter absolutely loved it and so did I.
Upside down Artichoke Chicken pizza
1 lb Chicken breasts, chopped
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, reserve liquid
butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 small can sliced mushrooms, reserve liquid
1 C mayonaise
8 oz cream cheese, very softened (tip: place by hot pan while sauteing)
3/4 C parmesean
Mozzerella, shredded (1 small package- 2C or more as desired)
dash Worchester Sauce
dash lemon juice
dough:
1 1/8 C flour (eyeball 1/2 of a 1/4 C)*
1 1/4 C milk*
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
parsley
Saute onions in butter until translucent. Add garlic and briefly saute (don’t burn it), add chicken, and artichoke hearts and mushrooms, both with their liquid, and Worchester sauce. Cover and cook till chicken is done and tender.
In the meantime, mix dough and add a few dashes of parsley (if desired). Stir 20 times and let rest. Mix mayo, cream cheese, Parmesan and lemon.
Drain chicken mixture very well. Place in 13x9 pan, cover with cheese mixture. Top with mozzerella, then spread dough on top. Cook at 425* for 20-30 min.
*Original recipe called for 1 C of flour and milk. I tweaked the dough to make it a little easier to spread and cover all the top.
GLOP (don’t ask)
1 onion
2 yellow squash
2 green zucchini
Carton baby Bellas sliced
1 pound turkey or whatever protein sliced into 2 inch strips
Good olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion and mushrooms in olive oil until almost soft. Add zucchini and squash, cook that down. Add protein and cook until protein is done.
I put this over brown rice. It is low calorie, low fat, low sodium, high protein and low carbs. You can also add bok choy, throw it in a wok with veggie oil and add soy sauce. If you want to fatten it up a bit and gve it more flavor, add a pat or two of butter at the end.
Cost per serving including rice, about a buck fifty.