Spaghetti Squash

I have always wanted to try making spaghetti squash.  So, I researched a few recipes on the Internet and decided to stay simple with it.  Plus add some Parmesan cheese, you just can't go wrong with Parmesan.

I served this with steak, peas and Swiss chard.  Turned out to be a great meal.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

olive oil

salt and pepper

grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Slice spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Drizzle cut side with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place squash, cut side down on parchment lined baking sheet or a nonstick baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove squash from oven and cool slightly, to handle. Into a bowl, shred the inside of the squash with fork to resemble spaghetti. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Crock Pot Texas Chili

In the Fall and Winter time I start craving chili.  Especially, on football Sundays, chili is a go-to meal.  I like chili with or without beans.  In Texas, it ain't chili if it has beans.  So, in this recipe I don't add any beans.  If you must have beans a can or two of pinto or black beans would work well.  I doubled the recipe below when I make chili, that way we have leftovers for a few days.
Chili is great by itself, on a baked potato, a sweet potato, over cornbread and on Frito's corn chips.  Cheddar cheese and sour cream are my favorite toppings to put on it.

Ingredients:

1 Carroll Shelby Chili Kit

2 lbs ground meat or ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 green or red bell pepper from my garden

2-3 banana peppers from my garden (optional)

1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed

8 ounces tomato sauce

1 jar Rotel tomatoes

Directions:

Saute onions and peppers, season with just a little salt and black pepper.  When onions are translucent add ground meat and cook till no longer pink.  

Add meat mixture to crock pot.  Then add all the seasoning packets except the masa to the crock pot. Add Rotel and tomato sauce.  

Add water as directed by package.

  Cook in crock pot on high for a 3-4 hours.  Enjoy!

Crock Pot White Beans and Sausage

I discovered how to make beans in a crock pot when trying the recipe for white beans on The Happy Housewife blog.  I adapted her recipe to make it more cajun/southern.  I make red beans like this too.

Ingredients:
1 lb dry white beans (Northern Beans)
1 small onion, diced
1 Bell Pepper
2-3 Jalapenos
3 -5 banana peppers (optional)
1 large stalk of fresh Rosemary
3 links of cajun andoille sausage, sliced
1 large piece of  tasso ham or a ham hock
l carton of Chicken Broth, preferably organic
cornbread or rice, for serving

Directions:
Rinse beans, then soak overnight.  I add a capful of apple cider vinegar to my soaking beans, its optional.  I was told it helps prevent gas later.  Not real sure it works though.  :)  

Drain the water, then place beans, sausage, tasso ham onion, peppers, rosemary, salt and pepper  in the crock pot. Add the 32 oz carton of chicken stock to the beans.  Cook on high for 6-8 hours.  Serve with cornbread.

Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes

At Thanksgiving, it seems that the sweet potato casseroles are always loaded with sugar.  It feels more like a dessert than a side dish.  The other day I ran across a recipe in the Nov/Dec 2011 issue of Clean Eating magazine.  I adapted the recipe a little bit and my husband and I loved it, it went great with the baked turkey breast I made.

Ingredients:
4 lbs sweet potatoes, scrubbed well
1 head garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  I put my sweet potatoes in my potato bag that my friend, Jo Ann  gave me for cat sitting one weekend.  Then place the bag in the microwave and I use the Potato button on my microwave.  I enter how many potatoes I have and it calculates the time for me.  If you don't have a potato bag, you can prick the potatoes and place in the microwave.  I would bake them 5 minutes per potato, flipping potatoes half way through cooking.  They should be very tender when done.  If they aren't soft then microwave them some more.

Meanwhile, loosely wrap garlic in foil, sealing it.  Place on a cookie sheet ( I had my turkey breast in the oven, so I placed it in the roasting pan, the turkey wasn't giving off any liquid for me to be concerned about it getting soggy)  and bake for 35 minutes, until softened but not browned.

Let potatoes and garlic cool.  When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and place in a large bowl.  Squeeze garlic cloves from their skins and add to the bowl.  Make sure the garlic is well mashed or chop it.  We had large chunks in ours, that were not as appetizing when the pieces are so big.  Add broth and use a potato masher to mash until smooth.  Stir in rosemary, salt and pepper.

Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.  Add potato mixture, using a spatula to smooth top.  Transfer  to oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Serve hot.

HOT PEPPER SAUCE

I always grow an abundance of peppers in several varieties.  This year I have banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, green and red bell peppers and fajita bell peppers.   The combination of all these peppers makes a fabulous hot sauce and salsa.  You can make it as hot or as mild as you like it.  

For a really hot sauce, leave some seeds on the jalapeno peppers or try adding some Serranos, Pequin, or Habanero peppers.  For a medium sauce, no seeds needed.  Just make sure you have enough jalapeno peppers in the mix to give it a little heat.  And for a more mild sauce, use less jalapeno peppers and more banana and bell peppers.

Ingredients:

1/2 to 2 lbs of peppers

1 clove of garlic
1/2 large onion

16 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp crushed red peppers
2 tsp salt

         
Two cans of tomato sauce are pictured below, but only one can is needed.

Directions:
Chop and de-seed peppers and onion. Make sure to wear gloves when de-seeding the peppers.  You will regret if you don't!  Add to food processor along with garlic clove.  Pulse till well chopped.

Add tomato sauce, pepper flakes, salt and pulse till combined well.

Pour into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer.  Then add vinegar.  Let simmer 10 minutes. 

Let sauce cool and put in jars and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy hot sauce with tortilla chips, on fish with a little lemon juice, in breakfast burritos or on anything that needs a little kick.  
This a staple on football sundays in my house and when I cook fish. We aren't big seafood eaters but this sauce makes fish taste great!

As you can see the second jar already has a little less in it.  My husband could not wait till it cooled off to enjoy the hot sauce with some chips.  He is my handsome taste tester!

OCTOBER 2011 GARDEN

This fall is the first time I have tried growing a fall garden.  I have planted Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, cabbage, and spinach.   Also, the peppers that I planted in the Spring are still growing strong.

                                          Square Foot Garden

                                            Swiss Chard

                                                               
                                            Banana Peppers

                                           green bell pepper

This is the first time I have tried composting as well.  It is rather slow going.  Patience is key, I guess.

My cat Patches loves to hang out in the sun with me when I am working in the garden!

BANANA BREAD

This is my favorite thing to make with over ripe bananas!  I have used the same recipe for years and have made it a bit more nutritious this time.  By using whole wheat flour, only using 3/4 cup sugar and adding ground flax seed.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat or a combo of the two
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar, preferably organic
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 eggs
1 cup mashed over ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup ground flax seed, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray or butter loaf pan.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a bowl.  Add bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix.  Add nuts and flax seed (optional).
Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes.