Archive for Mama

| November 30, 2011
No comments

Slow Cooker Beef Noodle Casserole

This casserole is very filling and satifying. It can serve as a one pot meal or as a main dish with a salad or vegetable sides.

  • 1 1/3 pounds ground beef
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1 teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning
  • 1 6 oz jar or can sliced mushrooms
  • 1 4 oz jar diced pimientos
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 10oz can of whole kernal corn, drained or 1 cup of frozen whole kernal corn, thawed
  • 8 to 10 oz egg noodles or other pasta
  • 16 oz container sour cream

The ground beef can be browned in a skillet, drained and added to crockpot or can be prepared in the crockpot. To prepare ground beef in the crockpot, place raw ground beef in the pot and use a turner to break up and spread across bottom of pot. Cover and cook on low for an hour. Use turner to break up beef and stir. Cover and cook on low for another hour. Remove most of the drippings before proceeding.

Add bouillon, seasoning, mushrooms, pimientos, onion and corn to cooked beef and stir. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Add sour cream and stir well. Cover and cook on low for an hour.

Prepare pasta per package directions and stir into casserole before serving.

6 large servings

Category: Main Dishes, My Recipes |
| November 29, 2011
No comments

Slow Cooker Beef, Potato and Corn Stew

This is a very hearty stew that is soothing and filling. Serve with cornbread for a very satisfying meal.

  • 1 1/3 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large russet potato
  • 1 10oz can of whole kernal corn, drained or 1 cup of frozen whole kernal corn, thawed
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped in inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon garlic and herb mix
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 14.5 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 can tomato sauce
  • water

The ground beef can be browned in a skillet, drained and added to crockpot or can be prepared in the crockpot. To prepare ground beef in the crockpot, place raw ground beef in the pot and use a turner to break up and spread across bottom of pot. Cover and cook on low for an hour. Use turner to break up beef and stir. Cover and cook on low for another hour. Remove most of the drippings before proceeding.

Peel and cut potato into half inch cubes. Add to pot with cooked beef. Add other ingredients. Half fill the tomato and tomato sauce cans with water, stir and add to pot. Stir contents of pot, cover and cook on low for 4 or 5 hours.

6 servings

Category: Main Dishes, My Recipes |
| November 25, 2011
No comments

Review: Pumpkin Pie

http://www.allthecooks.com/recipe/Pumpkin+Pie-15940621/

This is a very basic recipe, but works and is delicious.

Category: Desserts, My Reviews |
| November 23, 2011
11 comments

Cornbread Crusted Beef Pie

This is a hearty dish that can be a one dish meal or can serve as an entree.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1 large green bell pepper, cut in roughly 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 10oz can of whole kernal corn, drained or 1 cup of frozen whole kernal corn
  • 1 14.5 oz can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 cup self rising corn meal mix
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese (optional)

In a skillet or sauce pan, brown ground beef and drain. In sauce pan, combine browned ground beef, bouillon cube, bell pepper, corn, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir and cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, stirring occasionally. Cook until peppers are tender.

Remove from heat and pour into a deep casserole dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl mix corn meal, buttermilk, vegetable oil and cheese. Mix and drop by spoonfuls on top of the beef mixture evenly. I would suggest putting a cookie sheet with an edge on the rack below the casserole in case it runs over while baking. Bake for 30 minutes.

Makes 6 generous servings.

Category: Main Dishes, My Recipes |
| November 20, 2011
One comment

Review: Angel Hair with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Typical of my extent of following recipes, my version of this is barely recognizable, but for me, it is actually pretty close to the spirit of the original.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/angel-hair-with-feta-and-sun-dried-tomatoes/detail.aspx

I wanted to have this as a main course, so added a package of Al Fresco Sundried Tomato Chicken Sausage sliced up. Since the sausage had sundried tomato, I didn’t add the extra called for.

I used fettuchini instead of angel hair, and I didn’t add the parmesian mostly to limit the saltiness.

So you can be the judge if I was close enough to the recipe to pass judgement on it, but I will say that the results were very delicious and I would certainly make this again.

Category: Main Dishes, My Reviews |
| November 13, 2011
No comments

Guacamole

Guacamole is best made fresh right before serving. It’s always fantastic with tortilla chips but is wonderful to top a taco salad or on a chicken sandwich or wrap.

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • around half a cup of fresh chopped cilantro
  • around half a cup of diced red onion
  • around a quarter cup of diced pickled jalopenos (optional)
  • a tablespoon of lime juice or juice from a fresh lime
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of minced fresh garlic

It is best to not touch avocados with metal utensils or bowls. I usually use glass or corningware bowls and a wooden spoon.

Cut each avocado lengthwise around, cutting to the pit. Then cut lengthwise again to make quarters. A ripe avocado should separate readily from the seed. A ripe avocado should also separate easily from the rind by pulling the rind back from the flesh. If avocado sticks to the rind, use a wooden spoon to scrape the inside of the rind.

Put the avocado quarters in a large bowl. Us the wooden spoon to chop the avocado into chunks then to mash it. Once the avocado is mashed well, add the other ingredients and stir well to combine. Serve immediately.

Leftover guacamole can be refrigerated for a couple of days, but any parts of it exposed to air will turn brown. It can be stored in a ziplock bag with air removed or can be stored in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly to the guacamole.

 

Category: Appetizers, My Recipes |
| November 8, 2011
2 comments

Review: Sweet Potato Chicken Stew

This is Sweet Potato Chicken Stew from Spark Recipes. I stumbled upon this once while searching for something to make with ingredients I had on hand. I now make it every couple of weeks.

 

Category: Main Dishes, My Reviews |
| November 8, 2011
4 comments

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Hot Pot

This dish is equally delicious made with chicken, pork or beef. Serve over cooked rice.

Ingredients:

  • A pound and a half of boneless and lean chicken, pork or beef
  • A tablespoon of garlic sesame sauce (I like Iron Chef brand)
  • A tablespoon of hoisin sauce
  • A tablespoon of chili garlic sauce (for a medium hot dish, can leave out or adjust to preference)
  • A large sweet onion, cut into roughly inch square pieces
  • Three large red bell peppers, cut into roughly inch square pieces
  • A 20 ounce can of pineapple chuncks in juice, or can use fresh pineapple

Put meat in slow cooker and pour sauces on top. Cook on low for four or five hours or until meat is tender. Break up meat with a large spoon or turner.

Add onion and pepper and stir ingredients. Continue to cook on low for two hours.

Add pineapple and stir. Continue to cook on low for two hours.

Serve over steamed rice. Yields approximately six servings.

Category: Main Dishes, My Recipes |
| November 7, 2011
One comment

Greek Salad

I could eat this salad every day. It is so light and fresh tasting.

Dressing Ingredients:

  • About half a cup of red onion, quartered and cut into thin slices
  • Up to half a cup of seeded and roughly chopped kalamata olives
  • Tablespoon of lemon juice
  • Two teaspoons of salt
  • Two teaspoons of minced garlic
  • One teaspoon dried oregano (optional – to taste)
  • One half teaspoon black or white pepper (optional – to taste)
  • A cup of extra virgin olive oil

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar or other container with a leak proof lid. Shake vigorously until well mixed and onion is thoroughly coated. Refridgerate for at least four hours, optimally 12 to 24 hours. Dressing will keep for several days.

Salad Ingredients:

  • A 10 oz bag of pre-washed and chopped romaine lettuce or two romaine lettuce hearts, roughly chopped
  • Four roma tomatoes, halved and sliced
  • A medium cucumber, peeled and seeded, sliced
  • A small or half a large green pepper, cored and seeded, cut into inch by 1/4 inch sticks
  • Around half a cup of crumbled feta cheese
  • Greek dressing (see above)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Just before serving, add dressing and mix salad until well mixed and coated with dressing.

Yields four nice sized side salads or two entree sized salads.

Category: My Recipes, Salads |
| November 7, 2011
No comments

Welcome to Mama’s Cookin’

I just make simple food for myself and my family. Often I’m asked for recipes and I can rattle off some ingredients, but haven’t formally set them down in writting to share. Maybe this blog will remedy that.

My intention is to try to finally document some of the dishes that I have been making for many years. I will also post links to recipes I find online that I like.

Thanks for reading.

Mama

 

Category: Uncategorized |
  Recent Entries »