Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

ROMAINE LETTUCE, SHRIMP, AND PEA SALAD

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Pea salad and sautéed shrimp are two of our favorite dishes. And we also love romaine lettuce. So yesterday afternoon when I was thinking about what to fix for dinner (none of this pre-planning the week’s menu ahead of time for this gal, that would be way too efficient), I decided to combine our love of peas and shrimp into a salad with romaine lettuce.

Now sometimes my mash-ups work. Sometimes not-so-much! But this one was absolutely delicious. I simply prepared my usual pea salad recipe, sautéed some shrimp along with a few of the usual suspects, and chopped up a romaine heart. Then brought them all together. And thank God it only took about 35 minutes to prepare. Therein lies the tale.

As I advance in age it seems like my mind is regressing back to a time when we stayed home more and had a lot fewer commitments. And even though I knew Mr. C. had a rehearsal that evening and I usually start prepping for dinner around 4:00, yesterday late afternoon I was happily writing away when I looked up and it was 4:50. At about the same time Mr. C. reminded me that he had to be out of the house by 5:45. All I could think to say was sh–, sh–, SH–!!

So I quickly sent Mr. C. to the freezer for peas and shrimp while I started hacking and slashing (thanks Vicki for that term) the veggies for this recipe. Then I quickly set the shrimp to thaw in a bowl of water and ran tap water over the colander containing frozen peas.

From there everything got even more frenetic. All I remember is that between 4:50 when my potty mouth went into full gear and 5:25 when I set the salads on the table, life was a blur. I do remember Mr. C. handing me a martini, but I don’t really remember drinking it. But it was all gone when we sat down to dinner, so it must have been the martini that saved the day!

Now that I have told you all about my declining ability to juggle more than one ball at a time, please take my story to heart. This really is a very easy and quick recipe to prepare. And it truly is very tasty. But in all due respect for myself and my declining mental processes, I am going to take longer to prepare this dish next time! And I am going to be adamant that 4:00 means it’s time to prep dinner. No excuses! Even if we don’t actually eat dinner till 7:00 or 8:00 I want to be ready for any eventuality. Especially if that “eventuality” has been written in our calendar for weeks. And we had only discussed it a couple hours before!

1 T. unsalted butter

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ lb. large uncooked shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. caper brine

¼ c. light mayonnaise

1½ tsp. Dijon mustard

freshly ground black pepper

pinch dill weed

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

½ c. finely chopped celery

1 sm. shallot, finely minced

¼ c. thinly sliced green onion

1-1½ c. frozen petite peas, room temperature but not cooked

3-4 c. cut romaine lettuce

Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place shrimp in an even layer on the bottom of the pan and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Season shrimp with salt and pepper; cook and stir until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 1 minute.   

Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and caper brine; cook until all the shrimp are pink and opaque, 1-2 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. When cool cut the shrimp in half. (I use my kitchen shears for this. I cut them right in the pan.)

Meanwhile, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, dill weed, and seasoned salt together in a salad bowl. Stir in the celery, shallot, and green onions.  Gently fold in the peas and romaine. Plate the salad and top with cooled shrimp including any butter/garlic residue in the bottom of the pan. Serve immediately. This is the perfect amount for 2 people.

 

BACON, SPINACH, MEXICAN SHREDDED CHEESE, AND GREEN ONION QUICHE

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This quiche recipe calls for a homemade crust. But I know what it’s like to be short on time (and energy) in the kitchen. So if you must – start with a crust you purchased at your favorite grocery store. Or use your own favorite crust recipe. It really makes no never-mind. But if you intend to make your own crust or want to try a new recipe for crust, the recipe below is about as easy as it gets. So much so, that I never plan to build another quiche with any other recipe. (You heard it here first folks!)

Anyway, what drives my choice of what to cook for dinner a lot of times is what’s in my fridge. And the other day what I had at my disposal was a half-pound of bacon, a big container of fresh spinach, a couple sad looking (starting to get kind of slimy) green onions, and part of a large bag of shredded Mexican blend cheese. OK Patti, you’re fairly smart (on a good day), so what to do with these prime ingredients?

To my astonishment, quiche popped into my mind. I consulted Mr. C. about my choice for our dinner that evening, and as usual he was receptive to my suggestion. No dummy Mr. C.! But, and here’s the interesting part, I didn’t have any Crisco for my pie crust. Horror of horrors. How could this have happened? So now what to do? Well – when times get tough, the tough get going. So I got on line and did me some research. And I found an abundance of recipes for pie crust that were made with a fat other than Crisco or lard. Imagine my delight! But do I dare make a pie crust not using the same recipe I’ve been making for 55 years? Would a bolt of lightning hit me? (We do live on Lightning Way after all!) Or would I have to turn in my Girl Scout baking badge? I even feared retribution from some unknown deity. (There could be a God of pastry. Well there could!!) But I decided to flaunt my desire for quiche in the face of whatever unknown force might take exception. And I’m proud to say, I came out the other side unscathed. And, this is the good part too, a lot wiser about pie crust in general.

Not that I am going to throw away my old recipe. Because in 55 years it has never failed me. Never! But, for something like a quiche, this new recipe is going to make it possible for us to enjoy quiche more often. It’s just that much less effort to prepare.

I guess I should mention that not only was the crust really tasty, the filling stood up to our demanding standards as well. So if you love quiche as much as we do, get thee to your kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. And remember, you don’t have to use all the same ingredients I used. Be bold. Use ham or smoked salmon, cooked breakfast or Italian sausage, or whatever you happen to have on hand. And vary the type of cheese you use. Swiss, Gruyère, or Emmenthaler cheese are absolutely perfect in quiche. And the true beauty of quiche is that it is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Pretty cool huh?

And if you are interested in preparing my No-Fail Pie Crust, I have printed it at the bottom of this post for your convenience. And yes I know it’s a strange recipe. You have only to consider the source and all will make perfect sense. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

8-inch pie crust (see recipe for No-Roll Pie Crust recipe below)

8 slices thick, meaty bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp

1½ c. chopped fresh baby spinach

1½ c. Mexican-blend shredded cheese

1/3 c. thinly sliced green onions

freshly ground black pepper

¾ tsp. dry mustard

1 1/3 c. milk (whole milk is best)

4 eggs

ground nutmeg

Scatter cooked bacon over pie crust. (If you are using the recipe below, remember it has to semi-bake before you add this filling.)

Layer spinach and cheese on top of bacon. Add sliced green onions. Whisk together the pepper, dry mustard, milk, and eggs. Hint: Place pepper and dry mustard in bowl and add just a tiny splash of the milk. Whisk until there are no mustard powder lumps. Then add the remaining milk and eggs; whisk all together. (If you add all the ingredients together at once, you often end up with mustard lumps that, trust me, are very hard to incorporate with the other ingredients.)

Pour liquid mixture over all. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven until set, about 30-40 minutes.

NO-ROLL PIE CRUST

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour   

heaping ½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

scant ¼ tsp. baking powder

7 T. vegetable or canola oil

¼ c. cold water + 1 T. if the mixture seems dry

Whisk the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder together. Whisk the oil and 1/4 cup water together. Pour over the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened. Add additional tablespoon water if necessary.

Pat the dough across the bottom of the pie pan and up and a little over the sides. Crimp or mold the pie crust around the edge to make it pretty.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling for your quiche. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

For great “how to crimp piecrust” instructions visit www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-crimp-pie-crust-4123830

NO-FAIL PIE CRUST (makes a double crust)

¼ c. very cold water

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

heaping 2/3 c. Crisco

Step 1 – Pour cold water into a small bowl.

Step 2 – Measure flour and salt into a mixing bowl.

Step 3 – Take 1/3 cup of the flour back out of the mixing bowl and stir it into the water. Make a paste. Set aside.

Step 4 – Add the Crisco (heaping 2/3 cup) to the flour and salt mixture. Mix together. (I use my KitchenAid mixer.)

Step 5 – Add the water/flour paste to the flour/shortening bowl and mix just until blended. Do not over-mix. Roll out dough and place in pie plate. This recipe makes enough dough for a double crust 8-inch pie, or one large bottom crust with a little left over for pastry cookies or a free-form small tart.  

Helpful hint: Use a pastry cloth to roll out your pie crust. It really makes a difference. You can find pastry cloths in almost any kitchen wares shop. Well worth the $10 or so.

LOWFAT INDIAN CURRY SAUCE

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Usually when I make an Indian curry sauce it contains a lot of delectable fat. But we are trying to eat healthier, so I came up with this low-fat version. And it not only tastes wonderful, it’s just as satisfying as my old standard. Well – almost. (My mouth still loves the richness of butter and sour cream. But I’m sure my heart is happier with a bit of veggie oil and fat free yogurt. As of course is my jubilant conscience whenever I make a more “advantageous to my body” decision!)

Anyway, I worked out this recipe mainly to take along with us on our most recent trailer trip. Therefore, I wanted a curry sauce that would freeze well, work well with an assortment of meats or seafood, of course be delicious, and able to assuage our possibly devastating hunger while parked in the wilds of the Canadian Rockies. (I mean seriously. You can get mighty hungry after a long day of looking at beautiful scenery or staying around camp and reading a good book!)

So one evening we feasted in style with this sauce combined with diced and sautéed chicken, ladled over cooked brown rice, then topped with the condiments listed below. A simple salad on the side and life was just about as good as it gets.

So if you too love Indian curry, give this recipe a try. It’s really tasty and a lot healthier than more traditional recipes that call for butter and sour cream.

But if you should happen to want a creamy, old fashioned curry sauce recipe, you should consider preparing my Curry Sauce for Chicken, Shrimp, Beef, or Lamb on this site. It’s amazingly good and I’ve been making it for decades. In fact, it was one of my children’s favorite foods. It even includes cream of mushroom soup. And if that doesn’t make you want to rush into your kitchen and prepare it this instant, I don’t know what would?

And if you have never eaten Indian curry, you are missing out on one of life’s culinary pleasures. Indian food is delicious. So try some soon. Remember – today, tomorrow and all the future days of your life are not dress rehearsal days. This is it! And it’s SHOW TIME! So try a new recipe. Or make an old favorite that you haven’t prepared in a long time. Or learn to play the ukulele if that has always been your dream. Just don’t prepare a recipe while playing a ukulele. Makes for a horrendous mess! Hugs to all.

1 T. vegetable oil

½ yellow onion, finely chopped

½ carrot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 T. minced fresh ginger

2 tsp. curry powder, or more to taste

2 tsp. dried parsley

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 can (15-oz.) crushed or petite diced tomatoes (Italian preferably)

1 c. fat free plain yogurt

In a large heavy pan, heat the veggie oil. Add the onion and carrot; cook until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the curry powder, dried parsley, and salt.

Add the canned tomatoes and yogurt; bring to a simmer and let burble for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add whatever cooked meat or seafood takes your fancy. Adjust seasoning. Or before adding meat or seafood, allow the sauce to cool and store in your freezer. Then when you are ready to use, heat over medium heat and add your meat, seafood or veggies of choice. Great for camping trips.

Condiments:

chopped cashew nuts

thinly sliced green onion

mango chutney

         

SPICY LEMON SHRIMP WITH PASTA

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In my last post (Lemon and Caper Sautéed Halibut Cheeks), I mentioned that I sometimes used kind of a formula for cooking seafood and chicken when I wanted to prepare a simple entrée without giving it too much thought. (The older I get, the lazier I’ve become. I’m actually OK with that!)

Anyway, this is another one of those recipes that almost wrote itself since I have been making a version of this for just about forever. (Or as I am fond of saying – since God was a child!)

It uses ingredients I have on hand about 99% of the time. Even the shrimp, since I can buy frozen 1 pound packages of large uncooked shrimp from my local IGA. And shallots and fresh garlic play such a large part in my every day cooking, I almost break out in hives if my supply even starts to get low. Same with all the other star ingredients in this dish. I mean really, can you even imagine being without fresh lemons or Parmesan cheese?!?! It boggles the mind!

So the other day when I was contemplating a dinner I could quickly fix and serve because Mr. C. had only a short window of time in which to grab dinner between rehearsals, I came up with this recipe. At about the same time I realized that I had yet to write out how I prepared this dish and share it with you. So behold – a dish that is ever so easy to prepare, and tastes like a million dollars. And I’m sorry it took me so long to get this recipe out to you. Shame on me!

On a serious note: Please understand. I was being quite flip about having all my favorite ingredients always at the ready.  But I do understand, and fully appreciate that I am in the minority when it comes to even having enough food to eat. Much less being able to buy and consume any type of food just for the effort of driving to my local grocery store. But please know. I care a great deal about what is happening around the world to those less fortunate than myself. But one way I remain sane during these difficult times, is to interject a bit of levity into my writing and hope that in doing so I lift your spirits a bit too. Keep praying for peace. My love to all.

1 T. unsalted butter

1 small shallot, peeled and finely chopped

3 lg. cloves garlic, finely minced

1 lb. lg. raw shrimp, peeled with tails removed

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional if you can’t stand the heat)

¼ c. chicken or fish stock

¼ c. dry white wine

zest of 1 lg. lemon

2 T. fresh lemon juice

6 oz. pasta, cooked al dente in salted water

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

¼ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the shrimp are pink on both sides and no longer opaque.

Add the chicken stock, wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let cook for a minute or two to allow the sauce to boil down a bit. Remove from heat.

Stir in the cooked pasta, adjust seasoning, and serve immediately topped with the parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Lessons I have learned about cooking pasta: Perfectly cooked pasta is actually one of the most important parts of this or any other pasta dish. (And please don’t let the time directions on the pasta package be your only guide for cooking pasta to the al dente stage. Biting into the pasta is still the best way to tell if your pasta is done to your liking.)

So stir your lightly boiling pasta frequently and taste often. Then drain immediately and add the still hot pasta to your sauce. Or for cold pasta dishes, pour the pasta into a colander and run cold tap water over the colander until every bit of the pasta is cooled. Then let the pasta drain and use it immediately or refrigerate until needed.

When your dish calls for hot pasta: Never make your al dente pasta (or molto al dente pasta if your pasta dish is not going to be served almost immediately) sit in its cooking water or having been drained, sit in a colander while you finish your sauce. If anything, make the sauce wait for the pasta to become al dente. Then quickly drain the perfectly cooked pasta and add it to your sauce. Or do like I do, and lift the pasta out of the cooking water with a fine meshed strainer or pair of tongs and transfer it directly to the sauce. Also, don’t forget to save at least a cup of the pasta water. You might need some of the starchy water to thin your sauce to desired thickness.  

When your dish calls for cooled pasta: (like for a pasta salad)

As soon as your pasta is perfectly cooked, pour it into a colander in your sink. Turn on the cold water, and let it flow until all of the pasta is cool to the touch. Then either refrigerate the cooked pasta or use it immediately in whatever dish you are preparing.

 

HEALTHY GROUND TURKEY MEATBALLS IN HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE

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This is a low fat recipe. Both the meatballs and the sauce are basically good for you. Now what you serve them on can be a different story. But I’ll get to that later. For now let’s just concern ourselves with the meatballs and sauce.

First the meatballs. What can I say except I probably have never met a meatball I didn’t like. OK, that’s not true. Let me re-state that. I have never met a homemade meatball I didn’t like. I have unfortunately met quite a few mass produced meatballs that, well frankly, I wouldn’t give to a dog. (And I’m not crazy about dogs.)

But homemade meatballs. Ahhhhh. They are routinely delightful. And these ground turkey meatballs are no exception. Thanks to the Culinary Hill web site for this terrific meatball recipe.

Now on to the marinara sauce. This is my “go to”, never fails me, always loved by one and all, never to be changed, simple, always in style, Italian to the core, decades old recipe for marinara sauce. (If that description doesn’t win you over, I haven’t a ghost of a chance of converting you to my thinking, so leave this post immediately.)

But if you are still with me, this is the sauce for you.

Now onto what to serve these delightful meatballs and this incredible sauce on. (And yes I know not to ever, ever end a sentence with a dangling participle. But shucks, I only minored in English in college, so cut me some slack!) Anyway…..

If you are truly concerned about healthy eating, you can always serve these meatballs and this sauce on spaghetti squash, quinoa, black beans, or shirataki noodles. (Haven’t tasted shirataki noodles myself, but what I have read scares the heck out of me, so you will have to venture into this uncharted territory with someone else as your guide.) But if you are like me, and want to stick to the real reason meatballs and sauce were invented in the first place, let’s talk pasta. (And yes I know, pasta gets a lot of bad press.) But from everything I’ve read and heard, foods we eat affect our blood sugar. And since pasta is a high carbohydrate food, diabetics particularly need to watch portion sizes so their blood sugar levels don’t spike.

But pasta itself is a lower glycemic index food. And eating food with a lower glycemic index can help keep blood sugars more stable than eating foods on the higher glycemic index scale. So here’s the good news. Cooking pasta al dente, which I always recommend, helps keep blood sugar in better control. Plus, when pasta is cooked al dente, it remains firmer for better texture, mouth feel, and taste. So for those of you who are especially concerned, but don’t want to entirely give up pasta, always cook pasta al dente, if not molto al dente, and reduce the quantity you normally consume.

For more information, go on line. There is more information about pasta being OK (within limits) than you can ever hope to read. Also there are some great articles on how to cook pasta al dente. Actually molto al dente is best when you are adding the pasta to a sauce. I recommend an article written by Alex Delany for Bon Appétit magazine – December 14, 2017. Good information.

I hope you enjoy these recipes. Happy eating everyone.

Meatballs Recipe:

½ c. finely minced onion

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/3 c. minced fresh parsley

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 c. rolled oats

2 lbs. ground turkey or chicken (93% lean)

extra virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the onion, garlic, parsley, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano, seasoned salt, and pepper.

Stir in the oats and ground turkey. Mix well, but don’t over work the meat. Using a small ice cream scoop, plop meatballs on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, gently slather each meatball with olive oil.

Bake the meatballs in a pre-heated 400 degree oven until browned and cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes (an internal thermometer should read 155 degrees). Remove from oven and use immediately, or allow to cool and refrigerate or freeze.

To freeze the meatballs:

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, not touching. Freeze until solid, about 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and store up to 1 month.

Marinara Sauce Recipe:

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

½ c. chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (28-oz.) can chopped or diced tomatoes (Italian tomatoes preferably)

1 bay leaf

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. dried oregano (I use Mexican oregano)

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 T. chopped fresh basil leaves

1-2 T. butter, opt.

In a large covered sauce pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. (Take the lid off part way if the sauce is too thin or allow to gently burble away until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.) Remove from heat, discard bay leaf, add the basil, and adjust seasoning. If the sauce tastes acidic, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavor.

 

CHEESY STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

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For me, there is nothing that says “fall is really here” better than large, relatively inexpensive green peppers in the produce section of our local IGA. And every fall I buy the biggest and most gorgeous peppers I can find to fix one of my favorite dishes – stuffed green peppers. I absolutely love stuffed peppers. And of course, most years I decide that yet another stuffed pepper recipe on this site wouldn’t be a problem because everyone likes choices – so here goes with another option for this perennial favorite.

Since I’m still on my “let’s get healthier” kick (please may it last forever God), I decided to come up with a recipe that contained no starch. (Of course it still contains fat, because really, could you even conceive of a stuffed green pepper without cheese? I didn’t think so!) Anyway, this recipe does contain cheese, and plenty of it. But remember – cheese is a great source of calcium, fat, and protein. It also contains high amounts of vitamins A and B-12, along with zinc, phosphorus, and riboflavin. So to my thinking, all things considered, if I am going to push the boundaries of healthy eating, cheese is still better for me than say – a chocolate chip cookie even if it’s made with whole wheat flour. But if you are still concerned about the amount of cheese in this recipe, you can always reduce the quanity. Just don’t tell me about it or I will feel guilty. In other words, don’t spoil my self-delusion that cheese is really good for us. Thank you.

But back to this recipe. For starters, let me just say that McCormick’s Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning is a really great item you should consider adding to your spice collection. I use it a lot. Just a tablespoon added to a pound of ground beef makes for truly delicious hamburger patties. And I often sprinkle it on steaks before I throw them on the grill. It’s also fabulous in meatloaf. Or added to the braising liquid for pot roast. And the best part. If you buy it at Costco in the 1 lb., 13-oz. container, it is very inexpensive. If you don’t want to start with as large an amount, Bartell’s (drug store) usually carries the small bottles in various flavors at a very good price. (FYI: I buy the small jars in several flavors for my trailer collection of spices and herbs.)

Anyway, give this recipe for peppers a try. Or check out my other stuffed green pepper recipes on this site. All are really tasty. And if you have never eaten a stuffed green pepper because you think that every bite would include green pepper – you’re right. But also know that cooked peppers are milder in flavor than when they are raw, and are a perfect partner with savory sauces and nicely seasoned meat.

Now you will have to excuse me. There’s half of a stuffed pepper in the refrigerator. And I’m hungry. And Mr. C. is at a rehearsal. So it’s mine. All mine. Life is good!

3 large or 4 small green peppers

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. lean ground beef

½ c. chopped onion

1 lg. stalk celery, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

8-oz. tomato sauce

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 T. dried parsley

freshly ground black pepper

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1½-2 c. shredded cheese (whatever combination of cheese you happen to have on hand)

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Set peppers aside. Discard the stem, and chop the pepper tops into small pieces.   

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the ground beef until it’s starting to brown. Add the chopped pepper tops, along with the onion and celery; cook until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, Montreal Steak Seasoning, parsley, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a few minutes to blend flavors. Remove from heat.

While the meat sauce is simmering, bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the green peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from water and drain. Place in a lightly greased baking dish.

Fill each pepper half way, add half the cheese; add remaining meat mixture until it reaches the top of the pepper. (If you have extra filling, tuck it in among the peppers. Makes for great nibbles for the cook!)

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes or until the peppers are soft and the filling is brown. (If the top is browning too quickly, gently lay a piece of aluminum foil over the whole mess.)

Remove from oven, top with remaining cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted. Great served with a side of brown rice and/or a salad.   

LEMONY BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS

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Now this is what I call a quick and easy chicken dish. Really very little time spent in either preparation or cooking time.

I based this dish off of one of my favorite ways to cook chicken breasts – Chicken Piccata (recipe on site). But unlike my piccata recipe, there is no flour, butter, or chicken stock in this recipe. (I am trying to cut down on our butter and high carbohydrate consumption, so this is my stab at eating healthier. Without sacrificing flavor. Not an easy task, I assure you!)

But when each of us bit into the chicken last evening, we didn’t feel like we were missing a thing. Great flavor, great texture, and just the right amount of zing from the lemon juice and capers. And even a tiny bit of sauce to spread on the chicken pieces.

And sure, I could have made a meal of the sauce alone. But sauces are not what I should be eating, even if they are one of my favorite food groups.

Unhappily, my list of food groups is very different than the 5 healthy traditional food groups listed below:

Vegetables

Fruit

Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fiber varieties

Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, dried beans, and legumes

Milk, yoghurt, and mostly reduced fat cheese

My food groups:

Vegetables and some fruits

All dairy products, the higher fat content the better

Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, whole grains, dried beans, and legumes

Every conceivable kind of sauce

Bread

Chocolate

Gin

(And yes, I have 7 in my food groups list.) But there is not one of those categories on my list that I would ever be able to give up without feeling that I was being severely picked upon. But alas, with age some eating habits simply have to change. And hopefully I will continue to realize as I did with this recipe, that it is sometimes much better for us if I gracefully substitute a healthy ingredient for one that is possibly not as good for us.

But never fear. I will still be posting recipes that might cause some health-food conscience foodies to break out in hives. Because I am still alive and great food is still one of the reasons I get out of bed in the morning. I just plan to practice moderation. And continue to create and adapt recipes to better help all of us remain healthy. Stay tuned. In the meantime, give this simple recipe a try. It really is delicious. And easy.

5-6 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs (organic if possible)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. dry white wine

1 garlic clove, finely minced

juice of 1 lemon

1 T. drained capers

1 T. chopped Italian parsley

Cut off any fat or sinew on chicken thighs. Dry off the pieces with a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until light brown and done. Do not overcook. Remove to a plate. Tent with aluminum foil to help retain heat.

Deglaze the pan with wine and add the minced garlic. Cook for about a minute and add lemon juice and capers. Cook until the sauce is about 1/3 reduced.

Place the cooked chicken back in the pan and turn pieces until both sides are covered with sauce. Remove from heat; garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

GARLIC AND ROSEMARY ROASTED RACK OF LAMB

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Now, I have a quest for each of you readers. If you can find an easier and more delicious way to serve Lamby pops (that’s what we call the individual ribs on a rack of lamb) please do not hesitate to send me an email with that recipe. But remember, one of the qualifications is easier. Because I too have an incredibly delicious recipe for lamby pops already on this site (Rack of Lamb with Kalamata-Rosemary Crust). But dear friends, it is just a whole lot more work to prepare. (But you should try it too, because it is really fantastic.)

Anyway, the main thing I want to convey is that this is an almost foolproof recipe that can be prepared in minutes. And yes, I am getting more and more inclined to take the easy road on meal preparation. But having confessed that, I still want the food I serve to be delicious. I just don’t want to spend as many hours in the kitchen as I used to.

So I came up with this take-off of my other recipe and found no fault with it at all. And to make the whole meal an effortless experience, I oven roasted some tiny potatoes in a bit of olive oil and herbs, and sliced up a couple of lovely tomatoes, sprinkled them with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, drizzled them with balsamic glaze, dribbled on some extra virgin olive oil, and lay a nice layer of fresh basil chiffonade over the whole works.     

All my prep work for this meal took me less than 30 minutes. In fact, I was finished prepping the meal before I finished drinking my before dinner libation. And that almost never happens. So for ease of preparation, overall presentation, and culinary appeal and flavor, I awarded myself the “Carr family spontaneous achievement of the day award”. (I received no resistance from Mr. C. for my self-aggrandizement. He knows on which side his bread is buttered. Smart man!)

4 garlic cloves, rough chopped 

2 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary leaves

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 Frenched rack of lamb, (just means you can see the nice shiny bones)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Whirl the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and Dijon mustard in your food processor (use your mini processor if you have one) until the garlic is finely chopped and the mixture resembles a thick paste. (You probably won’t get a smooth paste, but that’s not you want anyway. Tiny chunks are your friend in this case.)

Lightly season the lamb with kosher salt and pepper. Rub the garlic mixture all over the rack of lamb, but mostly on the fatty side. Place the rack fat side up on a rimmed baking sheet and let stand at room temperature for at least an hour.

Roast the lamb in the upper third of a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn the rack over and roast for 5-10 minutes longer for medium-rare meat. (The internal temperature for medium-rare lamb is 120-125 degrees.) When the meat reaches the desired temperature on your Instant thermometer, remove from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Cut the racks in between the rib bones and serve immediately.

INSTANT POT AND OVEN OLD FASHIONED BAKED BEANS

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before the beans went in the oven

So call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think a BBQ picnic is complete without baked beans. And not the kind of baked beans containing fancy new ingredients like quinoa, agave nectar, or stevia. I’m talking about the kind of baked beans I’ve been preparing since my early 20s. Dry beans rehydrated with lots of ketchup, brown sugar, bacon, onion, rum, Dijon mustard, etc. (OK, I didn’t use rum or Dijon mustard when I first started making baked beans. But a few concessions for the sake of flavor simply had to be made as I developed as a cook. And I’m sure my father, the baked bean maker in our family would agree with each of my respective inclusions.)

So, because I consider myself to be am open minded person, and my daughter Paula just happened to have gifted me with an Instant Pot a couple of Christmas’s ago, I decided to make this recipe for baked beans a generational mash up.

First and foremost, baked beans have to be made from scratch. (And yes I have cheated over the years and purchased a big old can of baked beans and doctored them up to my liking. But in my defense, that was when I was much younger, still working, and had kidlets littered about the house. However, now that I am retired with virtually nothing stopping me from spending hours in the kitchen, I no longer go that route.)

Anyway, this recipe contains all of the ingredients I used when I began preparing baked beans decades ago, except for of course the aforementioned rum and Dijon mustard.

So if you too love baked beans, give this recipe a try. And yes it still takes a good deal of time to bake beans from scratch. But most of the time you are free to pursue other activities. Very little prep time is involved. The rest of the time your Instant Pot and oven are doing the heavy work.   

So host a picnic before the summer is over. There is just no better way to spend quality time with your family and friends than by getting your faces totally smeared with BBQ sauce, or having your arms and elbows become sodden from the juices dripping out of a luscious hamburger. Good times my friends. Good times!

And for a recipe for Vegetarian Baked Beans – check out the recipe already on this site.

2 lbs. Great Northern beans, picked over and washed (about 4½ cups dry beans)

8 c. water, plus more as needed

1 lg. yellow onion, chopped, divided

2 tsp. paprika

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

¾ lb. lean thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces

2/3 c. molasses (not blackstrap – too strong)

2 c. ketchup, or more to taste

½ dark rum, opt.

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. dried parsley

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

½ tsp. dried savory

1-2 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ c. Dijon mustard

1½ c. brown sugar

Place half of the beans, water, half of the chopped onion, paprika, garlic, and bay leaves in the Instant Pot. Note the water level for future reference. Set on high and cook for 35 minutes. (See guide below if not using Great Northern dry beans.) Once machine is done cooking, allow it to naturally release pressure for about 20 minutes. Manually release the remaining pressure and carefully remove the lid. Using a large slotted spoon, lift the beans into a container. Save the water.

Add the remaining half of the dry beans and enough water to bring the level in the pot up to where it was for the first set of beans.

Please note: If you have a large Instant Pot, you may be able to pressure cook all the dry beans at once. If so, lucky you! I only have a 6 quart pot so I had to cook the beans in 2 batches.

While the beans are cooking, fry the bacon in a large fry-pan until crisp. Add the remaining onion and sauté just until translucent. (And no, you don’t drain off the bacon fat unless there is quite a bit. But with lean bacon you shouldn’t have too much.) Remove pan from heat and stir in the molasses, ketchup, rum, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme, savory, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar.

When the beans are all cooked, drain off all the water. (Save a couple cups of the water just in case additional liquid is needed during the baking process.) After the beans are drained, add them to the fry pan. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as required.

Pour into an oven proof covered casserole. Cover and bake in a pre-heated 275 degree oven for about 2 hours. Remove the lid and continue baking for another hour so that the top can brown nicely. (During the baking time, check the beans periodically to make sure they aren’t drying out too much. Add reserved Instant Pot water as needed.)

Remove from oven and serve warm.

Can be made ahead, refrigerated, and warmed just before serving.  

Instant Pot Cooking Time for Dried Beans:

Black Beans–30 Minutes on High Pressure

Chickpeas–40 Minutes on High Pressure

Kidney Beans–35 Minutes on High Pressure

Pinto Beans–25 Minutes on High Pressure

Navy Beans–30 Minutes on High Pressure

ĆEVAPČIĆI (SERBIAN GRILLED SAUSAGES)

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Although this is basically a Serbian recipe, Ćevapčići – pronounced chae vap chee chee (or something like that) is served in some form or another throughout the Balkan States. Basically Ćevapčići is just a wonderful combination of 3 types of ground meat, spices, and veggies. When formed into patties, or into the more traditional shape of small sausages, grilled, then laid in a warm pita and smothered with Tzatziki, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and chopped white onion, there is just nothing finer.

And who told me about this wonderful dish? My PA (Randy) at my dermatologist’s office. (You just never know when you might meet a foodie.) Life is wonderful. Right!

Anyway. You need a new taste sensation? You need a new way to fill a pita bread pocket? You need an amazing new way to justify eating an inordinate amount of Tzatziki at a single meal? Well thanks to Randy, you now have it! And while you’re at it – make some hummus to go along with the meal. (You can never have too much “Mediterranean” food around. In all our travels, we have never found anything that was made, grown, or served around the Adriatic and Mediterranean oceans that we didn’t love!)

So go a little out of your comfort zone, and treat yourselves to some Ćevapčići. Even if you just grill this mixture up and serve it like you would a regular all beef hamburger, you will not be disappointed. Even go without a pita pocket or bun of any kind! Set a new trend. Be the first on your block! So stop balking and go Balkan in the near future. You will thank me. I know you will.

Oh, and sorry I haven’t posted any new recipes for a while. We were on vacation and posting our trip report when we got home took precedence over posting a new recipe. But I have some fun recipes to share with you, so keep tuning in.

1 lb. pork sausage

1 lb. ground beef  

1 lb. ground lamb

1 egg white

1 T. Hungarian paprika

1 tsp. baking soda  

1 tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

freshly ground black pepper

1 c. finely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. finely chopped Italian parsley

warm pita bread, opt.

Tzatziki (recipe below), opt.

shredded lettuce, opt.

chopped tomato, opt.

chopped white onion, opt.

Combine the pork sausage, beef, and lamb together in a large bowl. Whisk the egg white, garlic, onion, parsley, paprika, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and black pepper together in another bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the meat and mush together with your hands.

Form into fairly thick patties about 3½-inches in diameter. Place on a waxed paper lined platter. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Grill over 350 degree heat, 4-5 minutes per side, or until nicely browned and kind of spongy. Serve in warm pita bread with Tzatziki, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and chopped white onion.

TZATZIKI  

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 c. plain Greek Yogurt

3 small or 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced

½ tsp. dill weed

¼ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1 English cucumber, partially peeled, seeded, grated, and allowed to drain for a few minutes in a colander

Combine all ingredients. Adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.