just good cookin'

For He satisfies the thirsty & fills the hungry with good things.  - Psalms 107:9

Index:

Appetizers                                                     
Bread                                                        
Casserole
Christmas                                                    
Desserts                                              
Egg & Cheese   
Entrees                                                  
For the new cook                                
My friends in Brazil             
Salads                                                        
Sandwiches                                                          
Soup               
The way I do it                                     
Vegetables & Sides

Oven-Roasted Chili Corn

 8 ears fresh corn in husk

1 recipe chili butter

Sliced green onions and/or lime zest

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Place corn on sinner rack. Roast 45 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Remove husk and silks; spread each cob with 1 tablespoon chili butter. Serve with green onions and lime.

Chili Butter

1/2 cup butter

2 limes, juiced and vested

2 t ancho chili pepper

1 t chipotle pepper

4 cloves crushed garlic

    Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Will keep up to one week.

Creamed Spinach

1 pkg frozen chopped or 2 bags fresh spinach 

1/4 cup chopped onion 

1-2 garlic cloves, chopped       

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 T butter

Salt & pepper

    If you use the frozen spinach, thaw it and squeeze it dry. If you use fresh spinach, cook it and squeeze out of the water. In a sauce pan melt butter and sauté the onion and garlic. Add the cream and cook it until it thickens a bit. Add the spinach, salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes. Enjoy! 

    Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Genesis 9:3🌱

    

Mama’s Summer Squash Casserole

 

6 or 7 young & tender squash, sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

4 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Salt & pepper

Ritz crackers, crumbed

    Boil the squash and onion at medium low heat in a very small amount of water until tender(ideally there will be no water left in the pot but the squash will not have stuck to the pot).

Beat eggs slightly with a fork and then with the milk, salt & pepper. Mix in 3/4 of the cheese and then fold in squash. Pour into a baking dish and bake at 325°F for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and top with Ritz cracker crumbs and then the remaining cheese. Return to the oven and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until the center is set. Allow the casserole to rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Cheese Grits

1 cup grits

4 cups water

1/2 cup salt

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese 

1 t (give or take) garlic

    Cook the grits and garlic according to the package. When almost complete add cheese. 

Cooked Apples

6 large apples, peeled and sliced

2/3 cup sugar 

Couple pinches of salt

Dash of cinnamon 

    Put everything in a saucepan and cook until the apples are soft. The second option is to cook until it becomes applesauce.

Potato Salad

 This is another recipe that I don’t measure the ingredients. So I’ll do my best and you as always can make it your own.

2 large potatoes(baked or boiled)-cubed 

1 boiled egg-diced

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

3 T milk

2 t apple cider vinegar 

1 t sugar

1 T sweet pickle relish

1/3 cup chopped onion 

1/3 cup chopped bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped celery 

Salt & pepper 

    Mix all of the ingredients, except the potatoes and pour it over the potatoes-stir gently.

Mushroom Rice

1cup rice

3 green onions, sliced

1/2 stick butter

1 can beef Consommé

1/2 can water

1 jar(can) mushrooms 

    Mix everything, Cook in a sauce pan about 20 minutes, covered. Or add 3/4 can of water instead of 1/2 can and microwave on high for 13 minutes, covered, give or take a minute. For both of these methods the water should have been absorbed.

Pineapple Casserole

2 cans crushed pineapple 

1 cup grated cheddar cheese 

1 cup sugar

5 T plain flour

1 1/2 cups ritz crumbs

1 stick butter

 Pour pineapple (including juice) into a 9x13. Mix flour and sugar. Sprinkle over the pineapple followed by cheese, crumbs and butter. Bake for 30 @ 350°F.

Fettuccine with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil

6 oz fettuccine 

1 T olive oil

4 diced tomatoes 

2 cloves minced garlic

2 t chopped fresh basil or 1/2 t dried basil

Pinch of sugar

 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

2 T Parmesan cheese

In a large pan of boiling salted water cook fettuccine al dente; drain. In a heavy skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil and sugar. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add parsley, salt and pepper. Add to tomato mixture with cheese; toss to mix. Makes 2 main-course or 4 appetizer or side-dish servings.

Macaroni Pie

1/2 cup Uncooked Macaroni

2 Eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

3 to 4 oz. Sharp cheddar cheese

1 T Butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Beat the eggs then add milk, cheese, salt, pepper and mix well. Add cooked macaroni. Dot the top with butter. Bake at 325°F until the center has set. Depending on the depth of your dish it can take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let it set for 10 minutes before serving.

To speed up cooking time place in the microwave and cook for four minutes. Continue cooking in the oven at 325°F. Until the center is set.

This is my family’s  version of mac & cheese.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Bake sweet potatoes(very orange, firm, smoothish, skin) until soft-about an hour

Generously cover with sugar-maybe 1 cup to 6 large potatoes 

Dab butter generously over the potatoes

        Bake at 350° F until butter and sugar are bubbly and gooey. You may want to baste the sugar if it is not all melting.

BRAZILIAN VINAIGRETTE SALSA

 

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion, diced

• 4 tomatoes, diced

• 1 green or red bell pepper, diced (optional)

• ⅓ cup chopped parsley

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar

• ½ cup olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

2 Season with salt and pepper and serve.

         Serve with black beans and rice.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

2 bunches medium asparagus                

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

Grated or shaved Parmesan, optional

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus, usually about 1 1/2 inches. Spread the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and roll to coat thoroughly. Roast the asparagus until lightly browned and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes, giving the pan a good shake about halfway through to turn the asparagus. Arrange the roasted asparagus on a serving platter and top with some Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature

Baked Spinach Gnocchi

10 oz frozen chopped spinach

¼ c finely chopped yellow onion

2 c low-fat milk

½ semolina or quick-cooking farina

1 t dried basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T butter or margarine 

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

      Cook the spinach and onion according to directions on spinach package; drain well, pressing out excess liquid with paper towels.

      Meanwhile, in a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together ¾ cup of the milk the semolina, basil, and garlic. In a medium size saucepan, bring the remaining 1 ¼ cups milk and the butter to a boil over moderately high heat. Slowly add the semolina mixture to the boiling milk, attiring constantly. Cook, uncovered, for 3 to 5 min. or until very thick.

      Remove from heat. Stir about 1 cup of the mixture into eggs; return mixture to the saucepan. Stir in the spinach mixture and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese, Pour into a lightly greased 8x8x2 baking dish. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours, will keep for 1 day.

      Preheat the oven to 425^0. Turn chilled mixture out of baking dish onto a cutting board. Cut into diamond-shaped pieces. Sprinkle pieces with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 min. or until golden. Makes 8 side-dish or 4 main-dish servings.

Broccoli Casserole

20 oz. chopped broccoli

2 eggs

10 ½ oz can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup mayo

1 t salt

½ t pepper

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 med. onion

1 oz small very early petite young peas

½ c Ritz ( Memaw used cheese crackers)

Cook broccoli a little then mix everything and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Baked Beans

This is a recipe that I have gotten from my mother. She rarely cooked (not to be confused with baked) with a recipe so here goes.....           

 

1 can 15oz. VanCamp's pork 'n beans
1small onion chopped
3 T ketchup-give or take
1 T brown sugar-give or take
2 strips of bacon or 1 T oil

          Mix first 4 ingredients ( I do it in the bowl I am going to bake it in. Just be careful not to get it all over the bowl) then lay the bacon on top (or chop and mix all). Bake at 425 about 35 to 40 min. When the onions are translucent and the mixture is bubbly it’s done.

Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is all to taste....

Peal and thinly slice potatoes. Boil until soft. Drain but not completely dry. Then add sour cream, butter, half and half all to taste and to the right consistency. Remember you can always add more but you can’t take away. I would suggest starting with sour cream and butter then add half and half to achieve  the consistency you want. Add salt and pepper.


All of this can be modified to fit your likes (add cheese or garlic) and your refrigerator (chicken broth or milk instead of half and half or margarine instead of butter). This will also change the consistency so pay attention.

Roasted Mashed Potatoes (Estonia)

Make mashed potatoes. 

Allow the potatoes to cool until they are comfortable to the touch. 

Place mashed Potatoes into a pastry bag with a star tip. 

Make bite size stars on sprayed pan and lightly brush with butter or spray with butter or butter substitute. 

Bake until golden. 

These will get cold fast so serve right away.

Roasted Potatoes (Latvia)

Cut potatoes into medium size cubes and place in sauce pan, boil for about 15 minutes. 
Drain. 
Place in dish or pan and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, stir to coat the potatoes. 
Bake at 400 for 50+ minutes. 
Well into baking turn the potatoes. In the last few minutes you may need to turn them several times. 
Bake until golden brown.