Squash Tian - My Favorite Recipe of this Summer

We love summer squash. It's inexpensive and plentiful and keeps well in the refrigerator until I get around to using it. We used to grow it ourselves. Now we just go to the farmer's market on Saturday morning or to our local Sprouts store and stock up for the week.

I originally saw this recipe for Summer Vegetable Tian on Pinterest. It came from a blog called Budget Bytes. Follow the link to see her original recipe. The first time I made it, I followed her recipe exactly and it was very good. Since then I've made a couple of changes. Basically, I use a lot more squash without increasing the amount of potatoes and onion.

Here is my recipe for Squash Tian:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 clove minced garlic
3 medium zucchinis
3 medium yellow squash
1 baking potato
1 large tomato
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheese (Parmesan, mozzarella, or Italian blend)

Preheat oven to 400.

Use a skillet with olive oil to saute the onion over medium-high heat. Add the garlic after the onion begins to soften.

Thinly slice the zucchini, squash, potato, and tomato.

Spray a 9"x12" casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the casserole dish. Then arrange the thinly-sliced vegetables standing up in the dish, alternating the squash, potatoes, and tomatoes in a random pattern. Sprinkle with thyme and salt and pepper. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and discard foil. Sprinkle with cheese and return, uncovered, to the oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese begins to brown.

I've been making this at least once a week since squash came into season. Adding the extra squash makes it stretch enough to be a side dish for dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day. Grandad hasn't complained about having it too often. I like it well enough that I will just eat it by itself for lunch the next day.

I've been trying to cook enough extra of everything to send a meal to my mother-in-law at least two or three times a week. She's doing better, but she's not up and around yet. She's gets around the house with a walker. The therapist, who visits three times a week is working on getting her to use a cane now, but she doesn't leave the house except for doctor visits.

What are you cooking this summer? 

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Summer, fitness, and food

Summer has settled into a rhythm around here. It's hot and muggy outside. I'm keeping myself occupied indoors with housekeeping, organizing, and sewing. Grandad has been in Houston all week, so it's been extremely quiet. He arrived home just before midnight last night after his flight was delayed by six hours.

My mother-in-law is still in the hospital. She has been moved to the rehab floor of  Christus Spohn Shoreline Hospital where she is receiving therapy three times a day. They make her work very hard and she doesn't like it much. She is of the generation of women who has never done any kind of a work out except that which you get from raising five kids. This is a different kind of hard work. She was kind of disheartened on Tuesday when they told her she would have to be there at least one more week. They explained that she can't go home until she is able to take care of her personal needs including showering, dressing, and going to the bathroom on her own. That has given her something to work towards and her spirit of determination seems renewed. She has also begun to welcome visitors and answer the phone in her room. Connecting with people seems to really be helping. I'm so glad she's finally decided it's okay.

In an effort to keep our gasoline consumption low, I don't make special trips to the hospital unless she needs something. Grandad visits every day on his lunch break and I visit if I'm going to be in town so I can combine my trips. It's only 16 miles from our house on the interstate, but it adds up after a few days. That usually means I visit three to four times a week.

I'm trying to work some exercise into my summer routine. My next-door neighbor and I have been walking every other day this week. We're starting out around 8 a.m. and walking about an hour. It's very hot by the time we get back. Next week we are going to switch to an hour-long session in the pool in nearby Odem. They have an hour from 8-9 every morning set aside for senior citizens to pool walk or do water aerobics. It should at least be cooler. I'll let you know how it goes. My goal is to get 25-30 pounds off this summer and get back into my size 12 jeans. Since I generally eat healthy, I know that I've got to get back to exercising.

And, speaking of eating, I've been meaning to share this recipe for quite a while. It is adapted from an Alton Brown recipe. The first time I made it, I followed Alton's recipe exactly. It was too peppery for both of us, so here is my adapted recipe for Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops.

2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar Splenda
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, slightly crushed
1 pound ice
4 (1 to 1 1/2-inch thick) pork chops
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 ounces dried apple slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, julienned
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine the chicken broth, ½ cup kosher salt, brown sugar Splenda and peppercorns in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook just until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from the heat and add the ice. Place the pork chops into a 2-gallon zip-top bag along with the mixture and seal. Place in a plastic container and refrigerate at least three hours. (You can let it marinate overnight.)

Remove the chops from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Season on both sides with the kosher salt and set aside.

Place the apples in the slow cooker.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the pork chops on both sides until golden brown, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. Once browned, place the pork chops into the slow cooker atop the apples. Spread the sliced onions on top of the pork chops.

Add the chicken broth to the skillet to deglaze. Add the black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. Pour broth mixture into slow cooker. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

I hope you're all having a great summer. I'm working on my plans for "Grams Camp" which will be sometime later this summer. It's certain to include a trip to Cole Park's new children's play area, the Texas State Aquarium, a visit with Great-Grandma, nightly drives over Corpus Christi's "Rainbow Bridge," and plenty of time for cuddling and reading. This year it will be a little more of a challenge with both a one-year old and a three-year old, but I'm looking forward to it. How could it be anything but fun, fun, fun with these two? I'll put my plans in a detailed post later.

What are you planning this summer?

Grams Made Cavatini

Last night Grams hosted Bunco. My Bunco club is so much fun. We've been playing together for many years with occasional changes when someone moves away and someone new joins. Originally, we all lived in the same neighborhood, but over the years many of us have moved to different neighborhoods, but still in Calallen. Hosting includes serving dinner, snacks, and dessert. Adult beverages are optional.

I almost always know exactly what I want to make, but not this year. I just felt uninspired. So, I sat down at my computer and browsed, and browsed, and browsed. I just couldn't decide. I knew I wanted to make a casserole or something in the crock pot. I looked at soups, chili, enchiladas, tacos ... none of them appealed to me. Then I saw a reference to a dish that Pizza Hut used to serve that I loved, Cavatini. Cavatini is a pasta casserole with pizza flavors. Yum! I started with this recipe and tweaked it to make it closer to the way I remember the original.

Image source

I was very pleased with the way it came out. The recipe calls for a 9" x 12" casserole. I used two CorningWare skillet/casserole dishes. I have my mother's original Cornflower pattern and the one I got for a wedding gift back in 1975 which is Spice of Life pattern. They are about 9" square. I have recently rediscovered my CorningWare. If you have a ceramic cooktop on your stove, I highly recommend it. It seems to heat up much faster than my traditional metal pans, it doesn't darken or stain the ceramic top, and it's much easier to clean anything sticky out of it. Just soak it for a few minutes and wipe it away.


Cavatini  

1 onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 package sliced pepperoni
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 (24 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (I used HEB Puttanesca Sauce)
8 ounces penne rigate pasta
8 ounces rotini pasta
8 ounces cavatappi pasta (or macaroni)
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup grated Italian blend cheese

In a large saucepan, brown ground beef with onions. Add green pepper, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, tomato paste, and spaghetti sauce. Cover, and simmer for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Mix together pasta and 2 cups mozzarella. Layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish, pasta, sauce, then top with remaining mozzarella and Italian blend cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

(You can make this recipe using almost any short, macaroni-style pasta.)

I served this with a simple salad and garlic bread. For dessert, we had old fashioned pineapple upside down cake. It was delicious and a big hit with the girls. Some of them went back for seconds.

My Secret Weapon for a Happy Thanksgiving

Yesterday, both Grandad and Grams had the day off. We're still working on cleaning out closets and cabinets in anticipation of a big garage sale this weekend. We spent the morning running errands which included a drive to a credit union which is located on the other end of town about thirty miles from home. Fortunately, there's a Starbucks nearby which made the drive worthwhile. While riding around together, we used the time to discuss and firm up our plans for our Thanksgiving meal and the weekend.

My mother was not a great cook. I really hated a lot of the things she cooked on a regular basis; her chili mac comes immediately to mind. But, she always did and outstanding job of putting together a delicious Thanksgiving meal. Meals at my mother-in-law's table were always delicious, and her Thanksgiving meals were always outstanding. As newlyweds, we always ate two, yes two, Thanksgiving meals. My mother served Thanksgiving lunch and my mother-in-law served Thanksgiving dinner. So we would go to my parents for lunch, watch a little football with them, then later in the afternoon, we would pack up the kids and make the 45 minute drive to my in-laws house for dinner. No wonder I once weighed 300 pounds.

In recent years our Thanksgivings have changed drastically. My mother-in-law is in her eighties now and doesn't cook any more. My parents have both passed on and my siblings don't often get together for Thanksgiving. We all have kids of our own and have started our own traditions. You can read about our last Thanksgiving gathering here. I will admit that I feel a little bit guilty about not hosting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to include my mother-in-law. But she has two grown daughters who have never hosted Thanksgiving or cooked the meal, so I've decided that I can deal with my own guilt. Bylinda will be picking Kay up from her group home and taking her out to lunch with them. As long as someone makes sure Kay is taken care of, I'm good.

My mother's Thanksgiving menu was set in stone and never, ever changed.

Mom with Nick circa 1986

Appetizers

• Celery stuffed with pimento cheese (it had to be Price's pimento cheese, no substitutions allowed)
• Deviled eggs
• Cheese ball with assorted crackers
• Crudite with Hidden Valley Ranch Party Dip

Meal

• Roasted Turkey
• Cornbread dressing (never stuffing)
• Cranberry sauce (the jellied kind straight out of the can)
• Green bean casserole
• Broccoli and rice casserole
• Sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top (the marshmallows were always burned to a crisp)
• Giblet gravy (this was the one thing that was AWFUL, Mom just didn't do this well)
• Fruit salad (always forgotten and left in the refrigerator until we were finished eating)
• Dinner rolls

Desserts

• Pumpkin pie
• Pecan pie
• Coconut pie
• Chocolate pie
• Chocolate cake with walnuts & raisins (not every year, but often)

Yes, that does look like a lot of food and it was. But keep in mind that my parents had six children. As we married and had kids of our own, it got to be quite a crowd. We needed a lot of food.

I remember my mom would get up very early and put the turkey in the oven. My dad, who always woke up early, would get us kids up early and whip us into a frenzy about watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. He liked it as much as we did. Watching the parade with him is one of my sweetest memories. Meanwhile, Mom would slave all morning in the kitchen. Then we would all gather round the table and feast. After lunch there was football, the Aggies vs. Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys.

As the years went by and our parents got older, Bylinda and I took over the cooking and hosting responsibilities. Bylinda's menu is even more impressive than the one listed above. My children would probably kill someone for her macaroni and cheese. She also adds ham and mashed potatoes to the menu.

The last time I hosted while Mother was still alive, I decided to try something a little different. We still had the usual roast turkey and dressing with all the usual sides. However, neither Grandad nor I really like the sweet potatoes with marshmallows, so I went looking for a different way to prepare them. I found a recipe from Chef Emeril Lagasse for Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

I looked over the recipe ingredients and decided that it would work nicely. It had enough molasses that it would still be sweet, but not sticky with marshmallows on top. I wasn't really worried about the potatoes containing bourbon because I've always heard that the alcohol cooks off when you prepare food and two pounds of potatoes only has a quarter of a cup of bourbon.

I don't remember exactly who was at Thanksgiving that year. I think it was a mix of my family and Grandad's family. Grandad and Bylinda made the turkey and dressing and then we all worked on the sides.

It wasn't until Thanksgiving morning, as I was making my Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes, that I realized that the bourbon was not cooked into the sweet potatoes. It was added during the final preparation stages so it was not cooked. But, by then it was too late. I was committed. When we served, Mom expressed disappointment at not having our traditionally prepared marshmallow sweet potatoes but she dug into the Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes enthusiastically.

At this point, I should tell you that my mother was a teetotaler. Only once in my entire life did I ever see her take a drink. That was a pina colada at Red Lobster which she only took about two sips of before being giddy, giggly, dizzy, and visibly drunk. (And a lot more fun than usual.) After that she absolutely swore off of all liquor. She wouldn't even taste anything that had any small amount of liquor in it and she was kind of rude and condescending about it. I should also mention that we didn't tell her that the potatoes had bourbon in them.

Needless to say, Mom really liked the mashed potatoes. She liked them so much that she had seconds and then thirds. She liked them so much that she kept on eating them until they were all gone. She kept saying how good they were and eating more of them. Before long she was smiling happily and soon she was giggling. We never told her about the bourbon.

My friend Lisa over at Grandma's Briefs is hosting a Thanksgiving recipe exchange today. So, in the spirit of sharing, I'm sharing this recipe which came from Good Morning America. It's my secret weapon for making everyone enjoy Thanksgiving just a little more.

Emeril Lagasse's Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes


1 3/4 to 2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Lightly rub the sweet potatoes with the olive oil. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon their size. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Peel the sweet potatoes and transfer the flesh to a large bowl. Add the cream, bourbon, brown sugar, molasses, and salt, and beat on high speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Grams Made Black Olive Hummus

Grams has been taking care of Her Highness since Thursday while her family went camping. She has been the best baby! She wakes up happy and smiling every morning. She laughs and plays most of the day. She rarely cries. The only exception to that no crying has been bath-time. I have only bathed her every other day. I tried the bathtub, the kitchen sink, and the bathroom sink. She screamed every time! I'm talking about blood-curdling, murderous-sounding screams.

My next-door neighbor brought her the cute little dress that she's wearing in this picture. Sorry about the quality of the photo. I took it with my cell phone and no flash. I can get a better picture quality if I use the flash, but when it flashes, she bugs her eyes out and it looks pretty funny.

Meantime, Grandad has been dieting. He was not happy with his weight when they weighed him at the doctor's office last week so he's put himself on South Beach Diet. When he came home tonight he brought the ingredients for hummus which will be his afternoon snack, along with celery.  It's super simple to make and delicious, so I thought I would share the recipe with you. Most hummus is made with tahini (sesame paste) which is challenging to find and a little bit pricey. This one uses a little extra olive oil in place of the tahini. My recipes uses twice the amount of chickpeas called for in most recipes. I actually like it better without the tahini.

Black Olive Hummus

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives packed in Cabernet
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil

Drain olives and reserve Cabernet.

Place all ingredients except oil and Cabernet in food processor and pulse until a paste forms.

Turn food processor on and drizzle in olive slowly to achieve desired texture. Add a couple of teaspoons of the reserved Cabernet if it needs further thinning.

Store in refrigerator.

NOTE: If you can't find Kalamata olives packed in Cabernet, just use any Kalamata olives and drizzle in some water instead of Cabernet if you need to thin the hummus.

This is really good served with pita chips, but for a lower carbohydrate treat, serve with celery or carrots.

Grams Made Chicken Divan Pot Pie

Grams spent the day sewing and doing laundry. It was kind of a rough day. I started out by breaking my pinky toe. I banged it on the cedar chest that sits at the end of our bed. That's right, a huge cedar chest that has been sitting in the exact same place for, oh, 20 years or so. I felt stupid and I've been in pain ever since. I now have it taped to the toe next to it, but when I walk, if I move the wrong way, it hurts so bad that I feel nauseous.

So I was looking for something to make with leftover rotisserie chicken. The other prerequisite for the recipe was that I had to have all the ingredients on hand. I didn't want to limp to the grocery store. I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker web site. After a few alterations to their original recipe, this is what we had for dinner tonight. It was good and I will make it again.

Chicken Divan Pot Pie

Adapted from Betty Crocker

2 refrigerated pie crusts (like Pillsbury All-Ready Crusts)
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup diced onions
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz)
2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 bag (12 oz) frozen broccoli florets, thawed and well drained

Heat oven to 425°F. Line one 9-inch pie plate with one crust.

In 2-quart saucepan, sweat onions in olive oil. Add butter, reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in flour, garlic powder, and pepper; cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually add broth and milk, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens.

Add cheese; stir until melted. Stir in chicken and broccoli. Pour mixture into crust-lined pie plate. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in top crust to vent.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

* * * * *

I'm working tomorrow, but I'm hoping to have another day off later this week. I have sewing to finish and some alterations to do for some of my neighbors. Today, I made the cutest baby gown for Bubbles. I also have a cute little outfit cut out for Our Little Princess. I'll post pictures of some of the finished sewing projects later this week.

Grams Made Pizza Casserole

When Nick was in primary school, the class made cookbooks for Mother's Day gifts. As part of the assignment, each child listed their mom's favorite foods. This was not a problem for Nick. He only put two items on the list of my favorite foods ... pizza and chocolate. And may I say that he was spot on. Those are still my two favorite foods.

Grandad and Grams both love pizza. When we heard the story this week about the lady who was saved by her pizza delivery person, I thought to myself "that could be us." We used to order pizza every Thursday night. We would watch Survivor and eat pizza. We ordered the same pizza with such regularity that, on the rare week we didn't order, the pizza delivery guy would tell us the next week that he had been worried about us. We've given that up, although we do occasionally still order a pizza. We try to eat something a little healthier.

This week, when Thursday rolled around, I had my Thursday night pizza craving.  Then when I checked my computer I saw a recipe for an Italian casserole in my inbox. Both of these combined made me decide to come up with a recipe for a pizza flavored casserole.

Pizza Casserole

2 cups uncooked Rotelle pasta
½ pound mild Italian sausage
1 package sliced Pepperoni
1 package (8 ounces) Velveeta
2 cups grated Italian blend cheese
1 can sliced black olives
2 jars (8 ounces) pizza sauce
1 can sliced mushrooms

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Spray a 9” x 12” casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread half of one jar of pizza sauce in the bottom of the pan.

While the pasta is cooking, remove sausage casing and brown the sausage in a skillet with a little olive oil. Add mushrooms in the last few minutes of browning. Drain.

Cube the Velveeta and cut half of the Pepperoni slices into quarters.

Drain pasta and return to pan. Stir in Velveeta, olives, sausage-mushroom mixture, the quartered Pepperoni, one cup of the grated cheese, and the rest of the pizza sauce.

Pour the pasta mixture into the casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Spread the remaining slices of Pepperoni over the top like a pizza. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

I used Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, mushrooms and black olives because those are our favorite pizza toppings. You can substitute your favorite toppings for any of these.  


This turned out to be so delicious that I'm definitely making it next time Our Little Princess visits.

Grams Made Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Soup

Grams is in the habit of making a one-pot meal to eat anytine Grandad spends a few days working in Houston. I don't really get bored eating the same thing several meals in a row and I love only having to cook and clean the kitchen one time. Today, I made chicken soup. I had everything on hand except a rotisserie chicken and the frozen peas. We made a quick trip to HEB after church this morning, but they were already sold out of rotisserie chickens. I'm thinking it might have been because of the Super Bowl. Since they were out, we had to make a second trip about an hour later. Fortunately, it's not a long trip.

The recipe is adapted from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. I made it without the noodles. Instead I cooked both rice and noodles separately so I can have either Chicken Noodle Soup or Chicken & Rice Soup. I also changed the herbs, because I wanted to use dried herbs that I had on hand.

Here's my recipe:

1 rotisserie chicken
1 cup onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup frozen peas
7 cups low sodium chicken broth (4 cans)
2 (10 ¾ ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
¼ teaspoon ground sage

Remove skin, debone chicken and chop the meat. Put the chicken into a slow cooker with the onions, celery, carrots and peas. Stir in broth, mushroom soup, and herbs.

Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 8 to 9 hours.

Serve over cooked egg noodles or cooked rice.

Grams Made Turkey Feta Olive Burgers

Grandad and Grams are working on getting back to healthy eating this week. We've been somewhat out of control since the holidays. I'm also working on "shopping my cupboard" which means I'm trying to use up what is in my cabinets and refrigerator. I had about 3/4 of a package of feta cheese and a pound of ground turkey breast. This is what I came up with.

1 pound ground turkey breast

1 egg

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and form into 4 patties.  Cook on pre-heated George Foreman grill for 9 minutes or cook on grill for 4-5 minutes on each side.

They were really good. I served them with baked sweet potato fries and spinach with garlic and olive oil. 

Grams Made Greek Chicken & Orzo Soup

It's Monday evening and we're at our son's house in Houston waiting for Grandad's pre-operative testing tomorrow. We have to be at the Texas Heart Institute at 9 a.m.

Nick returned from a week in Canada with his wife Marie where they snowboarded and rang in the new year. He's feeling a little under the weather so I cooked up a big pot of Greek Chicken & Orzo Soup. This is one of my favorite recipes. The first time I had it, Katy made it for us. It's thickened with eggs instead of corn starch or flour, so it's high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

8 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup of orzo
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

Roast chicken breasts in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until done. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces.

In a large saucepan, bring stock to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and add orzo and parsley.  Cook uncovered about 15 minutes until orzo is done. Five minutes before pasta is done, add chicken.

Place eggs in mixing bowl. Whisk eggs while adding lemon juice. Whisking constantly, slowly pour a ladle of the hot stock into the egg mixture to temper.

Reduce heat to very low. Then, while whisking the soup in pan, slowly pour in the egg mixture. Soup should thicken slightly. Add salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Serve with crusty bread.

Grams Made Old Time Beef Stew

Grams has told you before that I didn't cook much when my kids were at home. There were a few exceptions. I taught myself to make this old fashioned stew as a young bride. The first time I made it, I couldn't believe that I made something that tasted this good.

The original recipe came from a Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book that I received as a wedding gift in 1975. Over the years I haven't changed it very much. The original recipe called for shortening; I use olive oil instead. And we like lots of broth so I add more water than the original recipe called for and I over the years I have increased to spices and seasonings to make up for adding extra water.

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut in 1½ inch cubes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 medium onions, sliced
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dash ground cloves
6 carrots, pared and quartered or a 1 pound bag of baby carrots
4-6 potatoes, pared and quartered
1 pound small white onions
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

In a Dutch oven, thoroughly brown meat in 2 tablespoons hot olive oil, turning often. Add 4-6 cups hot water and next nine ingredients. Cover; simmer for 1 ½ hours stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Remove bay leaves. Add vegetables. Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes, or till vegetables are tender.

Slowly blend 1/3 cup cold water into the 3 tablespoons flour. Stir slowly into hot stew moisture. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir 3 minutes longer to thicken broth.

Grams Made Pork Chops with Mustard-Caper Sauce

Grams had a great weekend. We did a little shopping on Saturday and went to Chili's for dinner. Today after church we went to Denny's for breakfast and then we decided to the movies.

We saw Red, which has an amazing cast -- Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker. But in my humble opinion John Malcovich stole the show. Nobody plays a crazy person better than him. The movie was fast paced and very entertaining. I want to be Helen Mirren when I grow up. She's so elegant and beautiful.

We came home and caught up on our television shows and both of us took nice, long naps. When we woke up it was late and I had to think of something quick for dinner. I had some wafer-thin pork chops in the freezer so I took them out and looked for a recipe that would be quick. I found one at Food and Wine that was easily modified for what I wanted and I had all the ingredients in my cupboard. You can find the original recipe here.

Here's my version of Pork Chops with Mustard-Caper Sauce.

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 thin-sliced boneless pork chops
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup drained capers
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, add them to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned. Transfer the pork chops to a large plate and cover loosely with foil.

Add the stock, capers and chopped rosemary to the skillet and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Return the pork chops to the pan and simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the pork chops to 4 plates. Whisk the mustard and butter into the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mustard-caper sauce over the chops and serve.

I served it with green beans, baked sweet potato fries, and a green salad. It was one of my best ever quick meals.

Grams Made Pumpkin, Cranberry & Pecan Muffins

When we were in Houston last weekend Grams went to Ikea where I bought a new muffin tin. It makes a tall, skinny muffin which is bigger than a mini-muffin but smaller than a regular muffin. I've been dying to try it all week but I've been crazy-busy. This afternoon, while Grandad went dove hunting I decided to give it a try. The muffins sort of look like pop-overs when you fill the tins properly. I had to experiment a little to get it just right.

I got this recipe from another blogger. I modified it to use Splenda for Baking which is a Splenda/sugar blend. Click on For the Love of Cooking for the original recipe. While you're there, look around. She has some great recipes.

2 cups of flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Splenda for Baking
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a muffin tray with cooking spray.

Mix together the flour, Splenda for Baking, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the pumpkin, oil, eggs, cranberries, and pecans. Mix until just combined. Divide batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly over batter in each cup.

Bake in the oven for 20-23 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

These were delicious, even with the Splenda/sugar exchange. I had two for dessert tonight.

Grams Made Capellini with Shrimp, Peppers and Salami

When I first started cooking a few years ago, my daughter, Katy, gave me a subscription to Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine. It's an excellent resource for a rookie cook and I learned a lot of great techniques and terminology from this magazine. It's still one of my favorite magazines. It's the only magazine that I save and go back to over and over again. None of the recipes have more than 10 ingredients and most of them have 8 or fewer. The recipes are also arranged seasonally, so they don't call for ingredients that are not readily available. This recipe came from one of the first issues I received.

Capellini with Shrimp, Peppers and Salami was one of the first recipes that became part of my regular repertoire. Grandad loves it and it's one of the few things he actually asks me to make from time-to-time. Make sure that you buy Genoa Salami (instead of hard salami) because most of the seasoning in this dish comes from the salami.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 bell peppers, mixed colors (ribs and seeds removed) thinly sliced lengthwise
1 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami, cut into strips
1/4 cup pepperoncini, stems removed, thinly sliced crosswise
8 ounces capellini pasta (angel-hair)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add bell peppers, and cook, tossing, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook, tossing until opaque throughout 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in salami and pepperoncini; season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta until al dente; drain and return to pot. Serve pasta topped with shrimp mixture and pan juices.

Grams Made Chicken Spaghetti

When Grams was growing up, my mom used to make a dish she called Chicken Spaghetti.  It's an understatement to say I was not fond of it.  I hated it so much that I pretty much refused to eat it.  Since then, just the mention of Chicken Spaghetti makes my appetite disappear.  I'm 55 years old and I haven't eaten Chicken Spaghetti in at least 40 years.  That's how much I didn't like it. 

Last week at my book club, the hostess announced that she made Chicken Spaghetti.  I was kind of stricken with fear at the thought of eating it.  I really didn't expect to like it, but it was delicious.  I liked it so much that I came home, looked up the recipe, and made it myself just two days later. 

This is a Paula Deen recipe.  Her recipe called for 3 1/2 cups of cooked chicken and a teaspoon of salt.  I used a rotisserie chicken and I omitted the salt.  Be aware that this makes 10-12 generous servings.  This is going to be my new "go to" dish for pot luck dinners. 

2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (reduced sodium)
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken soup (reduced sodium)
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 (4.25-ounce) can chopped black olives, drained
1 (4-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
½ cup sour cream
1 rotisserie chicken, de-boned and torn into small pieces
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (16-ounce) package angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions
¾ cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

If your skillet is big enough add broth, soups, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and sour cream. Stir in chicken and cheese. Add pasta, tossing gently to coat. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.  (If your skillet is not big enough, use a big mixing bowl.)

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Grams Made Mini-Honey Mustard Meatloaves with Roasted Potatoes

Let me start by saying that Grams is not a huge fan of meatloaf.  As far as I can remember my Mom didn't ever make meatloaf.  If she did it was probably so horrible that I've blocked it from my memory.  The only meatloaf I remember eating as a kid was that 1960's public-school cafeteria concoction of mystery meat and filler that was topped with a glob of cooked ketchup, which really grossed me out.

When Grams was a young bride, Grandad reported that he loved meatloaf and asked me to make some for him.  (This was before we reached the unspoken agreement that it was better for Grandad to cook than for Grams to keep producing horrible disasters in the kitchen.)  So I got out my trusty-dusty Betty Crocker Cookbook (circa 1970) and whipped up a batch of said meatloaf, as requested.

Needless to say, Grandad had an entirely different concept of meatloaf.  You see Grandad went to Catholic schools where meatloaf was not a mass-produced mystery meat.  In his mind meatloaf was a savory recipe which included a delicious brown gravy that was produced by "the Nuns."  So when I served up my version of meatloaf, Grandad had a temporary lapse of sanity and said something like "This is not the way 'the Nuns' made it."  As a matter of fact this may have been the very day Grams decided that cooking should be Grandad's realm. 

About a year ago we were at a funeral for one of our dear friends who was a priest and Grandad pointed to a very elderly Nun in the crowd and said, "That's one of 'the Nuns' who used to make the meatloaf."   I had to restrain myself during the funeral from jumping over a couple of pews and begging for the recipe.  Alas, I was unable to find her in the crowd afterward.  

Since I went back to cooking, I've experimented with a couple of meatloaf recipes.  What I've discovered is that if I make the meatloaf, it doesn't have that mysterious quality that I found so distasteful. 

Grams made this recipe for the first time last night for dinner.  It's been in my recipe file for quite a long time.  I'm not sure where I got it, but it's very tasty and I highly recommend it.  I made a couple of changes, the original recipe called for Panko instead of oatmeal and I use extra-lean ground beef instead of ground chuck.  Even Grandad approved and there was no mention of "the Nuns." 

1 Tablespoon olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray
2 Tablespoons honey mustard
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup oatmeal (processed finely in food processer)
1 cup shredded white cheddar (about 4 ounces)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound red new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons mustard and ketchup.

In a medium bowl, combine beef, egg, panko, ½ cup cheddar, ½ teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Form into four 2-by-4-inch loaves; place on baking sheet. Pour mustard mixture over meatloaves. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.

Start with meatloaves on upper rack of oven and potatoes on lower rack. Bake 15 minutes, top the meatloaves with the remaining cheese, then switch the positions of the pans and bake another 10-15 minutes.  Remove meatloaves from oven and test potatoes.  If they're not done to your liking, you may need to bake the potatoes a few minutes longer.  

Grams Made Lavender Bath Salts

Every year at Christmas, Grams gives small gifts to all the ladies in the family.  Everyone gets exactly the same gift.  Over the years I've given a variety of items including house slippers, friendship tea, candles, mugs, and many others.  I call them my Elvira Elf gifts.  The point is to do something small but special for all the women.  Some years they're hand made, some years they're purchased.

However, since Grams stopped working full time, it's become essential to keep the cost to a minimum.  So last year I started brainstorming early to find a gift that would be nice but producing 15-20 of them wouldn't break the bank.  I hit on the idea of homemade bath salts.  Making them was surprisingly simple.  There are quite a few recipes and instructions on the internet.  The one I settled on is my own recipe, arrived at by tweaking several of the recipes I found on the web. 

I chose to make it lavender scented because it's one of my favorite scents.  I always keep a bowl of lavender sitting in my linen cabinet.  Not only does it smell wonderful, it keeps the silverfish away.

Christian legend says that lavender got its lovely scent when the Blessed Virgin Mary laid the clothes of the the Baby Jesus on the lavender bush to dry.  Early Christians believed that lavender kept away evil.  They often kept a cross made of lavender above their doors. 

I found pretty jars for $1.00 each at our local Big Lots.  I added a pretty lavender bow, a tag that said "Grams Made It" and included the legend on the tag.  I was very pleased with the result.  Here's my recipe.

1 cup Epsom Salts
1/4 cup Sea Salt
3 Tablespoons Baking Soda
1-2 Teaspoons Glycerin
8 drops Lavendar Essential Oil

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to mix well.

You may substitute any other scent of essential oil and experiment with mixing fragrances and more or less glycerin.  You can also add food coloring if you choose, but I love the way it looks kind of glittery and white.

Grams Made Asparagus and Bacon Quiche

I found this recipe in my e-mail inbox last week. I would give credit to the source but I forgot to make a note of it. I made it for dinner tonight and it is quick, easy and delicious. I highly recommend it.

1 refrigerated pie crust (like Pillsbury All-Ready)
1 pound fresh asparagus
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (5-ounce) package grated Swiss cheese
5 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Unroll pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Fold pie crust edges under and crimp. Set aside.

Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces; place in a small microwave-safe baking dish. Cover dish tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap; fold back a small corner to allow steam to escape.

Microwave on High for 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender; drain well.

Place asparagus in bottom of prepared crust. Top evenly with crumbled bacon and cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Pour over cheese.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until set.