What's for dinner/supper tonight? - RECIPES

[BubbleGumTiger]

Balsamic Glazed Salmon that tastes restaurant worthy but is really an easy homemade meal.

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over high heat. Stir in brown sugar, reduce heat to low, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, or until liquid is reduced and slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, place salmon on baking sheet and evenly sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Drizzle balsamic glaze over salmon, and serve.

[caglewis]

NOTE FOR FISH LOVERS - Pick-N-Save has their Alaskan Pollock on sale for $1.78/lb -
That's just $17.80 for the 10-lb box of loose, individually frozen fillets [useable 1 at a time]!!
If I had enough freezer space I'd have bought 2 boxes!! GREAT BUY!
That's a price comparable to 5 yrs ago [usually $24 - $26 /box now], and it is really good fish.
I repackaged the bulky box into two 2-gallon-sz plastic freezer bags and counted 34 fillets total.
I sprinkle defrosted fillets with 1-2 tsp of Andy's Cajun Fish Breading [or just Old Bay seasoning]
and fry them 2-3 minutes per side in just enough oil [1-2 Tbsp] to make the skillet glisten.

[BubbleGumTiger]

watch out for the radioactive fish from Japan.........the FDA says it is safe but I will wait a while to be sure...............

[BubbleGumTiger]

Ribs

2 (10-1/2-ounce) cans condensed beef broth
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red food color (see Notes)
2 teaspoons salt
4 pounds pork baby back ribs



In a 9" x 13" baking dish, combine all ingredients except the ribs; mix well. Add ribs, turning to coat well with the marinade. Cover and chill overnight, or at least 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place spareribs on baking sheet; reserve marinade for basting.

Bake 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350°F. and bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until ribs are tender and glaze is crispy, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

[Leo Byrd]

enchiladas and tacos

[Charley Hustle]

Shrimp Scampi

1 pound linguine
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
10 garlic cloves, minced (see Note)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
Cook and drain the linguine according to the package directions; keep warm.


Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter and heat the oil over medium heat.


Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes; do not brown. Stir in the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until pink. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley; mix well. Serve immediately over the warm linguine.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Cheesy Ground Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey 1 cup milk 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 2 eggs 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3/4 pound Colby cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/2 cup ketchup (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a bowl, mix the turkey, milk, bread crumbs, and eggs by hand. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese cubes into the mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan, and top with ketchup.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

[BubbleGumTiger]

RAGU SPAGHETTI TACOS


2 cups Ragu® Old World Style® Pasta Sauce
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
12 taco shells, heated


Heat Pasta Sauce in 1-quart saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Toss with hot spaghetti.
Serve in warm taco shells and, if desired, with additional heated Pasta Sauce, shredded lettuce, shredded mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese.

[caglewis]

SAUSAGE SPINACH QUICHE - based on allrecipes.com - serves 4-6

1 lb sausage - any variety
1 onion, finely diced
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups (16 oz) low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups [8 oz] shredded Cheddar [or any combo] cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch square [or 11" X 7"] baking pan/dish.
2. In a skillet, brown sausage and onion. Add spinach and cook over medium heat, stirring occ til meat is no longer pink and onion is soft. Thoroughly drain off any remaining grease/liquid.
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together eggs, cottage cheese and shredded Cheddar cheese combo.
Add drained contents of skillet to that bowl and mix well. Pour into prepared baking pan.
4. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Sprinkle top with Parmesan/Romano cheese. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes until eggs are set, knife inserted in center comes out clean, and it's browned on top. [Cover top with foil if becoming too brown.]

This is a delicious brunch or pre-parade breakfast! Put it together the night before, refrigerate it overnight, and put it in the oven to bake while you're all getting showered and dressed.
The fact that it's crustless cuts way down on carbs and calories. Using "low-fat" cheeses reduces the calorie/cholesterol content even more. I love this! Perfect for "low-carbers" and diabetics alike!

[caglewis]

Tuesdays are "old-people's" day at Pick-N-Save - 5% discount if you're >55.
Their 3-lb pkg of frozen boneless/skinless [NO WASTE] chicken breasts is on sale this week for $5.01 [1.67/lb] which makes it $4.75 [1.59/lb] with the Sr discount. Now that's a bargain!!
My freezer is very full of chicken now. I absolutely refuse/can't afford to pay more than $3.00/lb for meat, and now even hamburger costs more than that. They also had nice-looking little pork loin roasts for $1.99/lb. Got a couple of those, too, so I'm going to be eating a lot of chicken and pork this month. Thankfully I have several recipes for each already in my collection - but any additional suggestions would be welcome - enough to last me at least til beef goes on sale somewhere.

[BubbleGumTiger]

shrimp scampi.........

1 pound linguine
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
10 garlic cloves, minced (see Note)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Cook and drain the linguine according to the package directions; keep warm.


Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter and heat the oil over medium heat.


Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes; do not brown. Stir in the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until pink. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley; mix well. Serve immediately over the warm linguine.

[caglewis]

Have right at it, TTT
To me - If creatures have a hard shell making their interior difficult to reach, then that's a sign they're not meant to be eaten - so don't tell me they're a coveted [and pricey] "delicasy"!!
But if you insist on finding shrimp an appealing menu choice, then could you somehow fix them with much less fat ["1 cup (2 sticks) butter, 3 tablespoons olive oil "] than listed in your recipe?
I'm not a picky eater, but shell-fish are at the top of my list of things to avoid, and drenching them in that much fat [calories and cholesterol] just makes it worse!!! I don't order them out, and I NEVER cook them to eat for myself or guests. Sorry - I'll have to take a pass on this recipe suggestion.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Have right at it, TTT
To me - If creatures have a hard shell making their interior difficult to reach, then that's a sign they're not meant to be eaten - so don't tell me they're a coveted [and pricey] "delicasy"!!
But if you insist on finding shrimp an appealing menu choice, then could you somehow fix them with much less fat ["1 cup (2 sticks) butter, 3 tablespoons olive oil "] than listed in your recipe?
I'm not a picky eater, but shell-fish are at the top of my list of things to avoid, and drenching them in that much fat [calories and cholesterol] just makes it worse!!! I don't order them out, and I NEVER cook them to eat for myself or guests. Sorry - I'll have to take a pass on this recipe suggestion.

I agree on several things and you can substitute and rather than go thru the cooking part I have found Sams sells a box of scampi for around 12 buckaroos that you get about 4 meals out of depending on the amount of shrimp each person has.........

[caglewis]

Ribs

2 (10-1/2-ounce) cans condensed beef broth
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red food color (see Notes)
2 teaspoons salt
4 pounds pork baby back ribs



In a 9" x 13" baking dish, combine all ingredients except the ribs; mix well. Add ribs, turning to coat well with the marinade. Cover and chill overnight, or at least 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place spareribs on baking sheet; reserve marinade for basting.

Bake 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350°F. and bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until ribs are tender and glaze is crispy, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

I know I'm repeating, but here are a couple more suggestions for RIBS

Here are 2 different slow cooker Rib Recipes from Fix-It-and-Forget-It which just called for use of a slow cooker, but which I have modified a little. Cooking times are based on doing this pre-cooking.
In both cases, I pre-cook the ribs for 20 minutes in my pressure cooker [or just boil them] to tenderize and render out fat. Meanwhile, I pre-cook the remaining ingredients in a skillet to combine the flavors, reduce, and thicken to make a sauce. Additional thickening, if needed or desired, can be achieved by adding 1-3 Tbsp of cornstarch disolved in 1/4 c water to the boiling skillet liquid.
Then I combine/dredge the pre-cooked, drained, and trimmed ribs with the skillet sauce in a slow cooker or an electric roaster, electric skillet, or in a covered pan in the oven to finish them.

BARBECUED RIBS
4 lbs country-style pork ribs
1 12-oz jar of chili sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp brown mustard
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cajun or barbecue spice mix
2 tsp steak seasoning
1/2 cup grated or finely diced onion if desired - I usually OMIT
Crock pot - low for 6- 8 hrs
Roaster - low 250-300 degrees for 4-6 hrs
Oven - 300-325 degrees covered for 2 hrs and uncovered for an additional 1 hr.

SWEET AND SOUR RIBS
4 lbs country style pork ribs
1 20-oz can of pineapple tidbits - undrained
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1/2 - 1 cup finely diced onions {I use a 16-oz pkg of frozen pepper
1/2 - 1 cup diced green pepper {stir-fry chopped up for these 2 items
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce [low sodium]
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp seasoned salt or steak seasoning
2 tsp garlic and herb seasoning [Mrs Dash]
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
Crock pot - low for 6- 8 hrs
Roaster - low 250-300 degrees for 4-6 hrs
Oven - 300-325 degrees covered for 2 hrs and uncovered for an additional 1 hr

ALL varieties are delicious - it just depends on the time, space, travel time, and appliances you have available for cooking - and the idiosyncratic preferences of the folks for whom you are cooking.
I must always OMIT onions, mushrooms [and nuts] when cooking for my allergic extended family.

[caglewis]

I found a new rib recipe - based on Prevention SlowCooker 60 Best-Ever Comfort Foods.
Then I saw Rachael Ray do a similar cabbage combination in a skillet rather than a slow cooker as a topping for a hot dog/brat in a bun which she called a fake Reuben. They both sounded good.
A while ago, I bought a 10-lb box [so you couldn't see what they looked like] of ribs for $12.00 at Pick-N-Save. They proved to be pretty poor ribs, but I managed to break them into two 5-lb chunks.
As always, I pre-cooked them for 20 minutes in my pressure cooker to render out the fat and make it easy to trim away. As I said, they weren't "good" well-cut ribs, but they turned out pretty well. There were multiple quarter-sized cross-section pieces of bone - like the meat had been sliced across rather than length-wise - but it turned out tender and tasted really good.

BEEF [OR PORK] RIBS WITH SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE

1/4 C flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1 can [15-oz] diced tomates, undrained
1 tsp seasoned salt - or steak or barbecue seasoning - to taste
1/2 tsp ground pepper - to taste
1/2 tsp ground cloves
7 C shredded cabbage - 1 med head
1 med onion diced
4-5 lbs ribs - pre-cooked by my choice

Spray a 5-6 qt Slow Cooker with vegetable oil spray.
Add first 8 ingredients and whisk til smooth to combine well
Add cabbage and onion, and stir together to coat and combine
Place ribs on top and push down to partially submerge
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hrs or on HIGH for 3-4 hrs

[BubbleGumTiger]

chicken salad

6 cups............... cooked chicken breast
6.......................boiled eggs, diced
1/2 cup..............celery chopped
1-15oz...............pineapple tidbits, drained
2 cups...............Hellman's mayonnaise
1 cup................pickle relish
3 oz..................slivered almonds
1/4 cup..............chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste


Mix all ingredients togerther and chill

[caglewis]

Here's a desert recipe that is actually pretty "low-fat/low-carb" with no-added sugar.
Obviously the "cake" part is the biggest carb culprit - so just cut that in half if you want.
I have had people tell me how "rich" this tastes despite its being reduced in both fat and sugar.
It looks prettiest in a glass bowl where the "trickle-down" layers show down the sides.

ANGEL BERRY TRIFLE - serves 6-8

1 pkg [1.34 oz] sugar & fat free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 C low fat milk [at least 2%]
1 pkg [8 oz] low fat cream cheese - Neufatchel - softened
1 carton [6 oz] low fat "lite" [sugar-free] vanilla yogurt
1 tub [12-oz] reduced fat "lite" frozen whipped topping - thawed
1 pkg [0.3 oz] raspberry or strawberry sugar-free gelatin
1 C boiling water
1 pkg [12 oz] frozen mixed berries [without sugar glaze or syrup]
1 prepared angel food cake torn or cut into small [1 - 2 inch] pieces

Place the cake pieces in a 2-qt serving bowl or pan - deeper is better than flat

In a different mixing bowl, whip together the milk, cream cheese, and yogurt
Add the pudding mix and whip with an electric mixer for 2 minutes
Gently fold HALF the thawed whipped topping into the pudding mixture
Pour that combined mixture over the cake pieces in the serving bowl

Meanwhile in an empty/clean bowl - disolve the box of gelatin in 1 cup boiling water
Add the pkg of frozen berries; stir thoroughly and allow to thaw and thicken slightly
Then pour that mixture over the pudding and cake layers in the serving bowl

Cover with plastic wrap or whatever lid and refrigerate for 2-3 hrs
Spread the remaining HALF of the whipped topping over the top and smooth to the edges
[Decorate additionally with whatever seasonal or any other celebration if desired]
Continue to refrigerate for another 1-2 hrs. before serving.

Granted - This doesn't do well at outdoor picnics in hot weather
It needs some degree of refrigeration to keep it looking good
But a little "melting" affects only its looks - not its taste, or even its safety [no eggs in it]
It is a delicious allowable treat for all of us counting carbs, calories, and cholesterol

[caglewis]

Cheesy Ground Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey
1 cup milk
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound Colby cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup ketchup (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a bowl, mix the turkey, milk, bread crumbs, and eggs by hand. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese cubes into the mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan, and top with ketchup.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

GIVEN THE RECENT NEWS REPORTS RE GROUND TURKEY
I have some ground turkey I purchased a long time ago and divided into 1-lb lumps to put in my freeezer - but I since discarded the original packaging so I don't know its company origin or date.
This sounds like a good recipe to cook the meat thoroughly and get the temperature uniformly high enough to safely kill any pathogenic organisms that might happen to reside in the raw meat.
I'll just cut the quantities in half and then leave it in the oven long enough to be sure it gets hot all the way through to reach 180 degrees! Will Velveeta cheese be an adequate substitute for Colby?

[BubbleGumTiger]

Cheesy Ground Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey 1 cup milk 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 2 eggs 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3/4 pound Colby cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/2 cup ketchup (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a bowl, mix the turkey, milk, bread crumbs, and eggs by hand. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese cubes into the mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan, and top with ketchup.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

GIVEN THE RECENT NEWS REPORTS RE GROUND TURKEY
I have some ground turkey I purchased a long time ago and divided into 1-lb lumps to put in my freeezer - but I since discarded the original packaging so I don't know its company origin or date.
This sounds like a good recipe to cook the meat thoroughly and get the temperature uniformly high enough to safely kill any pathogenic organisms that might happen to reside in the raw meat.
I'll just cut the quantities in half and then leave it in the oven long enough to be sure it gets hot all the way through to reach 180 degrees! Will Velveeta cheese be an adequate substitute for Colby?

velveeta will work fine............

[caglewis]

There's another thread about "obesity". I absolutely grant you I am overweight and have struggled with that propensity all my life - I've been as low as 103 and as high as 203. When i was 9 mos pregnant 44 yrs ago I weighed 167 lbs. which is what i weigh now! I'll settle for 133, which is something I think I can maintain; but my real goal is 123 - which is still well above what the charts say I should weigh - but i doubt I can get down to 113, let alone 103.
Aren't there a great many of us who have struggled with weight issues and have succeded in losing weight? So - don't all of us struggling with weight for ourselves or our families [or trying to do both] still have to cook? Ideas - Suggestions? I always COOKED - couldn't afford "eating out" on a regular basis - pizza was a luxury! And I included my kids in planning menus and a grocery-shopping list.
I cooked what we ate! My kids ate at home. We very rarely ate out.
I grew up on a farm - cooking was considered a worthy skill and even a "talent", and we ALWAYS cooked our supper! I wonder if ANYONE does now. Is COOKING no longer a matter of PRIDE?