Recipes

Baby Carrots and Artichokes Vinaigrette

Baby Carrots and Artichokes Vinaigrette

Tossing hot, cooked vegetables with the vinaigrette dressing lets the flavors permeate the vegetables. During the winter serve this side dish warm or at room temperature. During the summer, refrigerate the vegetables up to four hours if you like.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the carrots in a medium-size pot.
  • Add the chicken broth and bring the liquid to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook the carrots for 10 minutes.
  • Add the artichoke hearts.
  • Cover and cook on low heat for 5 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is almost absorbed.
  • If any liquid remains in the pot, remove the lid, increase the heat to high and cook off the liquid.
  • While the vegetables are cooking, stir the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a cup.
  • Spoon the vegetables into a serving bowl.
  • Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss gently, but well to coat.
  • Speed It Up!
  • Use 2 packages (9 ounces each) of sliced frozen carrots instead of the fresh baby carrots.
  • Reduce the cooking time to 5 to 10 minutes.
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Course; Dressing

Chicken, Cheddar, and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken, Cheddar, and Broccoli Casserole

Using a combination of vegetables, starch, and chicken or meat, vary this recipe according to what’s in your refrigerator. I call for half-and-half and milk because that’s what I have in my refrigerator. You can use whatever combination works for you.
Couverts4
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Ingredients

  • 1 package 10 ounces frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1 cup cooked couscous or another cup of rice if that’s what you have
  • 1 cup diced cooked chicken breast meat
  • 2 tablespoons minced scallions
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 2/3 cup half-and-half
  • 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 drops hot red pepper sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • Stir together the broccoli, rice, couscous, chicken, and scallions in a bowl.
  • Spread onto a shallow casserole dish or deep 10-inch pie plate.
  • Melt the butter in a small pan.
  • Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat to form a paste.
  • Reduce the heat to low.
  • Gradually pour in the half-and-half, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and thick.
  • Stir in the milk.
  • Add the cheese stirring constantly, until the cheese melts and the sauce is thick.
  • Add the hot red pepper sauce.
  • Pour the sauce over the broccoli mixture.
  • Place the dish in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the food is hot.
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Course; Casserole / Cheese / Chicken

French Fry Soup

French Fry Soup

Who would’ve thought that there’d be a use for leftover fries? Admittedly, this soup is more of a novelty than a prize-winning recipe. But if you can’t resist a few fries with a restaurant burger, this is the perfect alternative to eating the whole delicious-but- fattening order. French fries have an alluring aroma that comes through in this robust and satisfying soup. And don’t tell the family what you’re serving until you hear the compliments. French fry soup is quite a surprise.
Couverts4
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large pot.
  • Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds over high heat.
  • Meanwhile, place the French Fries and 1/2 cup chicken broth in a blender.
  • Blend the fries to a puree, scraping down the sides of the blender occasionally if necessary.
  • Remove the fry puree and add to the pot.
  • Add the remaining 2 cups chicken broth, cream, pepper, and dill weed.
  • Cook the soup over low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly hot.
  • Do not boil.

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!

Season the soup with 1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme instead of dill weed. Sprinkle the soup with 4 strips of cooked bacon. You may also try adding leftover onion rings to this soup for delicious onion-potato chowder.
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; European / French

Steak Sandwiches with Tomato Relish

Steak Sandwiches with Tomato Relish

Use leftover tenderloin or filet mignon for this robust steak and tomato open-face sandwich. Buy the meaty and briny Greek kalamata olives at better supermarkets.
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Ingredients

  • 1 medium shallot minced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped kalamata olives
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
  • 2 small-medium tomatoes cored and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 large slices Italian bread
  • 1 cup arugula leaves
  • 12 ounces rare cooked beef tenderloin , sliced 1/4 inch thick

Instructions

  • To prepare the tomato relish, combine the shallot, olives, oregano, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
  • Stir well.
  • To assemble the sandwiches, place the bread on a work surface.
  • Arrange 1/4 cup of arugula on each slice of bread.
  • Place the beef strips over the arugula and top each sandwich with 1/4 cup of the tomato relish.
  • (Save any leftovers to serve as a spread over garlic bread. )

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!
For a hand-held-sandwich, serve the tomato relish on the side and add a second slice of bread. You may want to add a spread to the sandwich for moisture. Mustard is the obvious choice, but you can make a luscious blue cheese spread that’s divine, as follows:
Combine 1/4 cup blue cheese, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk to make the mixture a spreading consistency. Mash the ingredients together with the back of a fork until light and smooth.
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Course; Meat / Sandwiches

Steak and Mushroom Salad

Steak and Mushroom Salad

Toothsome strip steak, mushrooms, and capers are delicious tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Add a crusty bread, and you have a filling meal.
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound cooked leftover strip Kansas City or T-bone steak, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
  • 1 cup sliced white mushrooms
  • 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion or scallions
  • Balsamic Dressing

Instructions

  • Place the steak strips in a salad bowl.
  • Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, capers, and red onion.
  • Toss gently but well.
  • Make the Balsamic Dressing (recipe follows) and pour over the steak salad.
  • Toss gently but well.

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!
Arrange the salad in cups of Bibb lettuce. You can also toss the salad with a cup of cooked rice. If necessary, add more dressing.
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Course; Meat / Salad

Balsamic Dressing

Balsamic Dressing

Steak can stand up to a strong-tasting dressing. This vinaigrette uses balsamic vinegar, a barrel-aged Italian vinegar, for its full flavor.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the vinegar, 5-spice powder, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
  • Whisk to blend.
  • Pour over your favorite salad.
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Course; Dressing

Slaw-Topped Barbecued Pork Sandwiches

Slaw-Topped Barbecued Pork Sandwiches

Backyard summer lunches and barbecued pork sandwiches are a natural match. Look for tubs of barbecued pork in supermarket meat cases. You can substitute barbecued chicken if you prefer. Serve with potato chips.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • Place the buns in the oven to warm for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place cabbage in a bowl and stir in mayonnaise, vinegar, chives, salt, and pepper.
  • Set aside.
  • Heat the barbecued pork in a microwave oven according to the manufacturer’s directions.
  • Remove the buns from the oven.
  • To serve, divide the barbecued pork on the bottom halves of 4 rolls.
  • Top each portion with 1/2 cup of coleslaw and a pickle slice.
  • Close the sandwiches with top halves of rolls.

Notes & Wine Advice

Speed It Up!
If this isn’t fast-cooking enough, you can shave off a couple of minutes if you use store-bought deli coleslaw
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Course; Pork / Sandwiches

Sweet-Hot Pork

Sweet-Hot Pork

Fully cooked pork roast is available in most supermarkets, but if you can find another more economical pork cut, substitute it. Look for a brand of pork that has au jus on the label. This is the fancy name for the delicious pork cooking liquids.
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Ingredients

  • 1 package 16 to 17 ounces pork roast au jus
  • 1 teaspoon medium-hot chili powder
  • 1 jar 12 ounces mild to medium salsa
  • 1/4 cup apricot jam or orange marmalade
  • 2 cups cooked rice

Instructions

  • Drain the liquid off the pork, pouring the liquid into a skillet.
  • Cut the meat into 1-inch chunks.
  • Add the chili powder, salsa, and jam to the skillet and stir well.
  • Add the pork chunks.
  • Simmer over low heat 5 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve over rice.

Nutrition values

Calories: 290 kcal
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Course; Pork

Texas-Style Brunch

Texas-Style Brunch

Messy, gooey, savory, and delicious . . . and that’s not the best part. Starting with precooked ground beef, you can make this meal in minutes.
Couverts6 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 tomato cored and diced
  • 1 package 12 ounces Mexican-seasoned ground beef, or half a 20-ounce carton or tub of taco sauce with seasoned ground beef
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup crumbled tortilla chips
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup salsa

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large, nonstick sauté pan over high heat.
  • Add the onion and sauté 2 minutes or until limp.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook 2 more minutes.
  • Stir in the ground beef and cook over medium heat 1 minute to warm.
  • Beat together the eggs in a bowl and pour into the sauté pan over the ground beef.
  • Let the mixture set for 2 minutes or until the eggs are almost firm.
  • Stir in the tortilla chips and cook 1 more minute.
  • Stir gently and briefly to break up the mixture into large chunks.
  • Sprinkle on the cheese and heat 1 minute or until the cheese melts.
  • Serve the salsa over the eggs or on the side.

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!
Substitute taco-seasoned grated cheese for the plain cheddar cheese. You can also serve warm flour tortillas on the side and allow everyone to spoon the egg and beef mixture into flour tortillas.
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Course; Brunch
Cuisine; American

Speedy Beef Stew

Speedy Beef Stew

Starting with fully cooked beef tips and cooked, diced potatoes, you can have a robust beef dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes. Look for cooked, diced potatoes in your supermarket’s produce section.
Couverts4
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium red bell pepper cored, seeded and diced
  • 1 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 package about 1 pound refrigerated, cooked, diced potatoes
  • 1 package about 17 ounces fully cooked beef tips with gravy
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil over high heat in a large sauté pan.
  • Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic and sauté the vegetables 5 minutes or until tender.
  • Add the potatoes, beef tips with gravy, beef broth, and pepper.
  • Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until the potatoes and beef are hot.

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!
Skip the potatoes and serve the stew over cooked noodles. Add a cup of frozen sliced carrots along with the red bell pepper and onion. It’s an effortless way to serve more vegetables.
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Course; Beef / Stew