Meatballs with Orzo and Collards

* 3 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 bunch collard greens, thinly sliced into strips
* 6-7 sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
* 1/3 cup chicken stock
* juice from half a lemon
* 2 Tbs. butter
* 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
* 1 cup orzo
* pinch of salt

Pinch little pieces of the sausage and roll them into 1-inch balls. Brown them in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through. Set aside.

Back in the skillet, add the oil, garlic, collard strips and sundried tomato slivers. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and let it bubble for just a sec. Add the sausage and lemon juice. Toss toss.

In the meantime, boil the orzo in a pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, and transfer the rest of the pasta into the skillet. Off the heat, add the butter and cheese. Toss it all together until melted and coated and ridiculous. Taste for any adjustments. Salt? If needed 

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Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken
• 10 flour tortillas (taco size)
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mozzarella)
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles or  1/4 cup of salsa verde.
• salt & pepper & garlic powder , to taste or about 
• 1/2 teaspoon of each one. Not combined, each one.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• You can cook your chicken a couple of ways. You can roast a couple of chicken breasts in the oven. Just drizzle a bit of olive oil on them and season with salt and pepper and cook for about 35-45 minutes.
• Or you can boil your chicken until cooked. Or you could use a store bought rotisserie chicken. It just depends on how much time you have to prepare this and what flavor you want from your chicken. The roasted and rotisserie chicken are going to give you the most flavor.
• Once chicken is cooked, you'll want to shred it using two forks. Or if you have a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, put your chicken in the mixing bowl. Turn mixer on and within a minute your chicken will be perfectly shredded.
• Add in 1 cup of shredded cheese to shredded chicken along with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Place chicken mixture in each of the flour tortillas.
• Roll them all up and place them in the baking dish.
• In a medium sauce pan, melt butter.
• Whisk in flour and let cook and thicken for 1 minute (don't let it burn).
• Add chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
• Stir in sour cream and green chiles. Be sure not to let the mixture boil.
• Take sauce off the heat and pour it over the enchiladas.
• Top with remaining shredded cheese.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
• If you'd like, you can turn the broiler on high and broil these for a minute or two until cheese is slighly browned and bubbly.
  
  

SPANISH POTATO OMELETTE

tortilla de Patatas (Spanish Potato Omelet)

6 large Yukon gold potatoes 

2 sliced onions

5-6 eggs

Olive Oil

Salt

Chorizo 

1. Peel and slice potatoes into thin rounds; slice onion into thin pieces. Wash both in cold water and pat dry; set aside.

2. Heat 1 cup of olive oil over medium-low heat in a deep frying pan. Add the onions and potatoes and stir gently for 5 minutes. Then add the chorizo and cook another 5 minutes.

The mixture should be a little brown, and soft.

3. Drain mixture into a large bowl and reserve olive oil; set aside.

4. In small bowl, beat 6 eggs with 1 tsp of salt. Pour beaten eggs over potatoes mixture to let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken .

5. Add 1 tablespoon of reserved oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat and add potato-egg mixture. When eggs are set, turn omelet over onto a plate; add a bit more oil to pan, and slide the omelet back into the pan to finish cooking the other side. Slide onto plate and serve warm , to eat, slice like a pie.

DORITO TACO SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Pound Ground Beef, Turkey or Chicken80/20
• 1 Package Taco Seasoning
• 1 Cup Yellow or red Onion, Chopped
• 1 (16 Ounce Can) Chili Beans(optional)
• 1/2 cup of Catalina dressing 
• Our favorite is ranch dressing or sour cream 
• Jalapeño peppers

Salad Mixture:

• 1 Head of 
• Lettuce, Romaine or Iceberg, Cut Into Chunks or strips 
• 3 Cups Grape Tomatoes, Sliced In Half
• 1 1/2 Cup Cheddar, Shredded
• 
  
• 
  

Topping:

• 2 (14.5 Ounce) Bags Nacho Cheese Doritos, Lightly Crushed
• Ranch Dressing, Enough To Lightly Dress The Salad

• INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the beef and onion until its cooked through and no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat. 
  • Stir in taco seasoning, if you use the Chili Beans or black beans add them with their liquid, and the Catalina Dressing. Simmer on low 10 minutes.  Then turn off the burner and cover skillet with a lid.
  • You can make up individual bowls , so that it does not get soggy or move to step 4.
  • Layer salad onto a serving platter and lightly drizzle with Ranch Dressing and top generously with lightly crushed Doritos.

You can use sour cream or ranch dressing I like to switch it up.

     

MY MAMAS APPLE TURNOVERS

Ingredients

• 1 tube of refrigerated biscuits
• Flour for rolling out biscuits
• 1 cup canola oil
• 20 oz can Apple pie filling
• 1 teaspoon of Nutmeg 
• 1 tablespoon of butter 
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon and sugar  each not combined 

Instructions

1. Remove biscuits from the package, let stand at room temperature for 5minutes
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each biscuit until about 4-5 inches
3. Mix the butter, cinnamon and Nutmeg to the canned Apple filling Add 2 tablespoons pie filling to the middle of the biscuit
4. Fold over and seal with a fork, Make them all before you cook them, they cook fast and will burn easily.
5. Heat oil in a pan
6. Carefully add 2-3 pies at a time, depending on the size of your pan
7. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown - then flip and repeat.
8. Remove and place on paper towel to drain
9. Dust with cinnamon and sugar mixture
10. Optional, they smell so good you won’t have time 😂

POTATO PANCAKES

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and very finely grated 
• 1 small yellow onion, very finely grated. I use my cuisinart food processor 
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper each.. each !
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

• Thoroughly  get out the liquid in the grated potatoes by placing them in a colander and squeezing them with your hands or by placing them in a clean  towel and out the liquid.  
• Place the drained grated potatoes in a medium-sized bowl with the grated onion, eggs, flour and salt and use your hands to work it into a tacky mixture.  Add a little more flour if needed.  Do no let the mixture sit for long before using it, use it immediately. It will get brown 
• Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mixture (depending on size preference) in the hot pan and flatten into pancakes with the using the back of a spatula.  Fry on both sides for 3-5 minutes until the Pancakes are golden.  Place them briefly on paper towels.    
• Serve immediately while hot Eggs and my favorite..... Bacon .

CAJUN CHICKEN BROCCOLI PASTA

Ingredients

Salt for pasta 

1 pound penne or other small pasta

2 cups broccoli florets

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets

2-3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups (8 ounces) parmesan cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

 

How to Make It

Heat oven to 200°F. In large pot, bring 4 quarts salted water to boil.

Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving cooking water. Set pasta aside.

Return cooking water to boil. Add broccoli; boil until just tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. 

Plunge immediately into bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of chicken generously with Cajun seasoning.

In large skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Arrange chicken in single layer and sauté, flipping once, until temperature on internal thermometer reaches 155°F, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, cover with foil and transfer to oven to keep warm. 

Wipe skillet with paper towel and return to stove. Over medium-high heat, melt butter and heat until foaming. Stir in garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Whisk in cream; simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Fold in parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Add reserved pasta to skillet and toss gently to coat. Arrange broccoli over pasta; top with chicken and garnish with additional parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes:

To make your own Cajun Seasoning: Combine 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon black pepper, 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme and 1/2 tablespoon onion powder. 

To get a head start: The pasta can be cooked in advance, refrigerated and refreshed in hot water just before serving. The broccoli can be blanched and shocked in ice water in advance; simply store in refrigerator in cold water. The Cajun seasoning can be made anytime.

FRIED CHICKEN LEGS

• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 10 Chicken legs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Vegetable oil (for frying)

• Whisk salt,  black pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Season flour with spices above, including starch. Then taste a pinch before you put the chicken inside.
• Place chicken in a medium bowl, rinse well.
• Pour oil into a 10"–12" cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet (not nonstick) to a depth of 3/4". Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°. Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet.. Place flour mixture inside a freezer bag . Place 5 pieces of chicken in the bag to cover all pieces with flour and ziplock the bag and shake well .  Remove the chicken and shake off the excess flour Fry chicken  got 12 to 15 minutes  depending on the size of the chicken and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temperature of 300°–325°, until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for thighs, legs, and breasts.
• Using tongs, remove chicken from skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet; transfer chicken to prepared rack or plate lined with a paper towel.
• Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let cool for at least 5minutes before serving.
• If you don’t have s thermometer it’s ok. Just make sure the chicken is cooked on a medium heat and has a golden brown when removing from pan . If you see any red put it back and cook another five minutes 

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IRISH CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole chicken - cut into parts
• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 1 medium onion
• 4 potatoes
• 4 slices thick bacon
• 1/4 cup water

Rub

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix together rub ingredients. Roll the chicken pieces in the spices and set aside.
3. Fry the bacon. When cooked put on a paper towel to drain. Drain most of the bacon grease from the pan, leaving enough to brown the chicken in. (you can also use olive oil if desired) Quickly brown the chicken pieces. When browned set aside on a plate.
4. While the chicken is browning, roughly chop the cabbage. Then slice the onion into thin slices. Next peel the potatoes and slice into rounds. When the chicken is browned, add the cabbage to the pan with 1/4 cup water, after a few minutes mix in the potatoes and onions. Take off of the heat.
5. Cut the bacon into pieces and sprinkle over the cabbage mixture.
6. Add the chicken pieces on top of cabbage mixture. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the chicken is done, about 45 - 50 minutes for all to cook. The juices from the chicken will help to cook the cabbage and potatoes.

Orzo with Greens and Meatballs

This is what we need to feed four

* 1 bag of frozen Italian meatballs, I get mine from Aldi of course.
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 bunch collard greens, thinly sliced into ribbons
* 6-7 sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
* 1/3 cup chicken stock
* juice from half a lemon
* 2 Tbs. butter
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan
* 1 cup orzo
* pinch of salt

This is how we do it ...

Take the meatballs. Brown them in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until brown . Set aside.

Back in the skillet, add the oil, garlic, collard ribbons and sundried tomato slivers. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and let it bubble for just a sec. Add the sausage and lemon juice. Toss toss.

In the meantime, boil the orzo in a pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, and transfer the rest of the pasta into the skillet. Off the heat, add the butter and cheese. Toss it all together until melted and coated and ridiculous. Taste for any adjustments. Salt?  Pepper .  Add more if needed.

MEXICAN SPAGHETTI

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 of a yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 of a 17.6 oz package of spaghetti
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 can pinto beans rinsed and drained
• 1 can of corn drained
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 can of  Tomato soup
•  shredded cheddar cheese, I prefer the Mexican blend from Aldi  
• avocado cut into chunks
• green onion chopped
• 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa we used the Aldi brand. I go there every two weeks 
• 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot cook your spaghetti per package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet brown your hamburger over medium heat and crumble as you go.
3. Once the hamburger is browner drain off any extra oil and add your onion, garlic and garlic powder to the mix. Stir well and cook about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft.
4. Add your  tomatoes, pinto beans, corn, : Spaghetti sauce, Soup, and 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa. Stir well and let cook until simmering.
5. Add your hamburger mix to your drained spaghetti noodles and stir well.
6. Put your spaghetti into bowls or onto a plate and add your avocado chunks & green onion. Sprinkle with your favorite shredded cheese and place In microwave 
    for about 1 minute so that the cheese is all melty and good!