Cooking at Goat Creek

'Powdered' Fries

2010-04-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I came across a 'new to me' blog called 'Simply Sandra's' and I found a recipe she called 'Powdered Fries'. Well Wendell and I do like seasoned fries and these looked yummy, so I decided to try them.

The recipe is really super simple and only takes a few ingredients:

4 large - Potatoes, cut into 'skinny' fries
1/2 cup - self-rising flour
1 Tbsp. - Your favorite seasonings (I used an All-Purpose Seasoning)

Put the flour and seasoning into a large Ziploc bag or bowl with a lid. Add your potatoes and shake well until they are all covered with the flour/seasoning mixture.

Carefully drop into hot grease (I use lard) and let fry until golden brown

To help preserve the crispiness of the fries, I put them on a foil lined sheet and leave in my oven set at 200 degrees while the rest are frying.

These turned out great and we will be using this recipe again for sure.

Enjoy!,

Debbie

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-03-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

These are from a copy-cat recipe for the wonderful mushrooms I have gotten at Red Lobster. I tweaked a little because the original recipe just seemed to make more stuffing than what I needed for the mushrooms it called for.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. fresh Button Mushrooms
1/4 cup - Celery, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. - Onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. - Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped
6 oz. - Crab Meat, canned
1 cup - Bread Crumbs, unseasoned
1/2 cup - Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp. - Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. - Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp. - Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. - Salt
1 - Egg
1/2 cup - Water
6 slices - White Cheddar Cheese
4 Tbsp. - Butter or Margarine for saute

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Set caps aside, and chop half of the stems fine.

Saute chopped mushroom stems, celery, onions and pepper in butter for 2 minutes.

Add all of the rest of the ingredients into saute pan with vegetables except for the 6 slices of cheese, and mix well.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of stuffing into each mushroom cap and place into a sprayed or buttered baking dish.

Cover with the slices of cheese and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is lightly brown.

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I did not have the sliced cheese and had to substitute more shredded cheddar but they still came out delicious! Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Eggs

2010-03-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Easter... One of my favorite recipes. If you enjoy Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, I think you will love these too!

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

I found this recipe in 'Taste of Home' Simple and Delicious magazine.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup - Butter, softened
2 1/3 cups - Confectioners' Sugar
1 cup - Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 cup - Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 tsp. - Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups - Dark Chocolate Chips
2 Tbsps. - Shortening
Pastel Sprinkles

In a large bowl, cream the butter; gradually add the confectioners' sugar, cracker crumbs, peanut butter and vanilla.

Shape into 16 eggs; place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet, then refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

In a microwave, melt the chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth.

Dip the eggs in the chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Decorate with sprinkles. Return eggs to waxed paper. Chill until set.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*Instead of the chocolate chips and shortening, I substituted chocolate almond bark.

Enjoy! and Happy Easter!

Debbie

Irish Potato Casserole

2010-03-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

If I had been a good blogger... I would of posted this for St. Patrick's Day but I did not want to post something I had not tried yet. I fixed this potato casserole last night for supper and it turned out pretty good. Definitely something we will try again.

Irish Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups - peeled and shredded Potatoes

1/2 cup - Butter, melted

2 - Eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon - Minced Onion

1 teaspoon - Salt

1/2 cup - Milk

1/2 cup - Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 1.5 quart baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, butter, eggs, onion and salt

Place potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and pour the milk over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the cheese, then return to the oven and bake until the cheese melts and is slightly browned.

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*Special Notes: I did not have a grater to shred my potatoes, so I used my potato peeler and did them into thin strips. I also did the cheese a little different. I took the 1/2 cup of cheese and mixed it with the other ingredients. I let it bake for the 40 minutes then put about another 1/2 cup over the top.

If your family loves cheese, they will love this. Enjoy!

Vegetable Pizza

2010-03-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

I previously posted this on my other blog but wanted to be sure to post it here for those of you that need an idea for something 'meatless' and different. Vegetable pizza is one of my husband's favorite meals. To think he use to turn up his nose at the mention of broccoli.

Vegetable Pizza

Ingredients:

2 packages - Crescent Rolls

2 - 8 oz. packages - Cream Cheese

1 Cup - Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. - Dill Weed

1 Tbsp. - Minced Onion

1 Cup each - Assorted Vegetables (chopped/sliced/diced)

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Carrots

Tomatoes

1/2 Cup - Assorted Extras

Green Onion

Black Olives

1 - 8 oz. package - Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Press crescent rolls flat onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown. While this is baking, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed and minced onion.

Once crust is out of the oven and cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust evenly. Next top with the assorted vegetables and shredded cheese.

Slice and enjoy!

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This would be a great dish to serve over the lent holiday when it can be so hard to come up with a 'meatless' meal or even a great appetizer for a party. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Debbie

Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

2010-02-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

Seeing that yesterday was Ash Wednesday and that I am happily married to a Catholic boy I needed to come up with something I could make with tuna fish for supper. Normally I am guilty of grabbing a box of Tuna Helper but since I have not been grocery shopping in a month I had to do something up from scratch. Here is what I came up with.

Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

1 Bag (12 oz) - Wide Egg Noodles

2 cans (5 oz) - Tuna Fish, in water and drained

2 cans (10.5 oz) - Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup

1/2 cup - Milk

4 Tbsp - Butter
1/2 cup - Frozen Peas

1/2 cup - Frozen Carrots

1/2 to 3/4 cup - Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare Egg Noodles per package directions.

Over medium heat, combine and mix well in a large skillet the butter, mushroom soup, milk, salt and pepper.

Next add the tuna, peas, carrots and noodles (cooked and drained). Mix well, cover and let simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat and sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Replace the cover till the cheese has melted, then serve.

Enjoy!

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Now to just come up with six more weeks of fish meals! *laughing* If you have one that you think we might enjoy, please share with us at cmdarlin@hotmail.com and I will be happy to post it for all of us to share.

Take Care,

Debbie

Chicken Scampi and for dessert.... Cinnamon Roll Cookies...

2010-02-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

Since money has been almost non-existent this month I had to make a few changes in my Valentine's Day menu. Instead of the steak my husband loves, and the Red Lobster Crab Stuffed Mushrooms I had hoped to fix him, I sorted through the freezer and found 2 chicken breast and a half of a sirloin steak I had cut in two from a previous meal. He still got a little bit of steak and I got to try a new chicken recipe! It turned out yummy!

p>Chicken Scampi

Ingredients:

4 - Skinless Chicken Breast, cubed into bite-size pieces

3/4 cup - Butter or Margarine

2 Tbsp. - Olive Oil

3 cloves - Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. - Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp. - Dried Parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat until the butter melts.

Add the chicken chunks, garlic, salt and pepper then saute until white. Lower the heat, and add the oregano and parsley. Let cook for about 10 to 15 minutes to be sure the chicken is cooked. Additional butter can be added, if needed.

Can be served over rice or noodles

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Early last week I found this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cookies over at the Picky Palate. Jenny has a great recipe blog over there that you should really check out if you love to cook like I do.

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

p>Ingredients:

2 Cups - Sugar

1 Cup - Butter, softened

3 - Eggs

1 tsp - Vanilla

1 Cup - Sour Cream

6 Cups - Flour

2 tsp - Baking Powder

2 tsp - Baking Soda

1/4 tsp - Salt

12 Tbsp. - Butter, softened

1 1/2 Cups - Light Brown Sugar, packed

1 1/2 Tbsp. - Ground Cinnamon

Frosting

8 oz. - Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup - Powdered Sugar

2 to 4 Tbsp. - Milk, to thin icing

In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well mixed.

In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.

WARNING: This is where I changed things up because her recipe seemed a little too technical to get the same results.

I took the dough out of the refrigerator and let sit for a little while so I was able to roll it into 6-inch by 12-inch rectangle. It was about 1/4-inch thick. I spread on the softened butter, then sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Next I started to roll the dough, by the small end, and cut it into 12, half inch rounds using a sharp knife. Place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degree F for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

To prepare the frosting, beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth, slowly add the powdered sugar and milk until you get the desired consistency. Frost cookies then place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Both recipes got a thumbs up, especially the cookies. Needless to say, Wendell has a sweet tooth. We will definitely be using both of these again. I hope you like them too! Anytime you use a recipe I would love hearing from you and what you thought, or if you added something.

Happy Eating!

Debbie

Desserts For Your Sweetie...

2010-02-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Hey guys and gals... Valentine's Day is this Sunday. Have you decided what your going to do for that special someone? Maybe you are planning a special dinner... If so here are a couple great desserts that will make the meal complete.

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>Turtle Cake

Ingredients:

> 1 Box (18 oz.) - Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 1/3 Cup - Water (per cake mix directions)

1/2 Cup - Vegetable Oil (per cake mix directions)

3 Eggs - (per cake mix directions)

1 bag (14 oz) - Caramels

1/2 Cup - Evaporated Milk

1 Cup - Pecans, chopped

1 Dark Chocolate Bar (for making curls)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease the bottom ONLY of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Prepare the cake mix per the directions on the package. Br sure to scrape the sides of the bowl constantly but do not over mix.

Pour half of the cake batter into your baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. (Set the other half to the side for later)

About 10 minutes before your cake is due to come out, heat the caramels and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the caramels are melted.

Pour warm caramel over the already baked cake in the baking dish. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans. Pour the remaining cake batter over it and spread evenly over the top. Put back into the oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes.

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Once the cake is cooled, you are ready to top with the cream cheese topping, chocolate curls and pecans.

Cream Cheese Topping

Ingredients:

8 oz. - Cream Cheese, softened

2 Cups - Whipped Topping

1/2 Cup - Confectioners' Sugar

1 tsp. - Vanilla Extract

Combine all the ingredients, in order in a mixing bowl on low speed. It will thicken up but you won't get stiff peaks.

Next you can either pipe the topping on your cake using a pastry bag and tip #32, or spread on top with spatula.

Garnish with dark chocolate curls made from the candy bar and remaining 1/4 cup of chopped pecans.

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Helpful Hint: To make the chocolate curls I used a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate bar. To make the curls, I put the bar into the refrigerator to keep it cold so it would handle better when making the curls. I used a good vegetable peeler to run across the edges. When the chocolate begins to warm up a little you will get nice, big curls but work fast as the bar will heat up fast in your hand.

If you don't want to go through the trouble of melting your caramels, you can substitute a jar of caramel ice cream topping.

Enjoy!

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Our next recipe is Strawberry Napoleon. This is one of my husband's absolute favorites!

Strawberry Napoleon

Ingredients:

1 sheet - Puff Pastry, thawed at room temperature

8 oz. - Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 Cup - Confectioners' Sugar

1 tsp. - Vanilla Extract

1 lb. - Fresh Strawberries, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 Cup - Granulated Sugar

2 Cups - Whipped Topping

1/4 Cup - Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Makes 3 servings.

Cut the sheet of puff pastry into six, equal portions and bake per the instructions on the package. Once these are baked, remove and let cool.

Next, clean and slice the fresh strawberries. Place in a bowl and add the granulated sugar. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the cream.

In a large mixing bowl, add your softened cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Next add the 2 cups of whipped topping and mix at medium speed to incorporated into your cream cheese mixture. Put plastic wrap over the box and put into your refrigerator to keep cool until needed to put the napoleon's together.

Now place one piece of puff pastry onto your plate. Add a few tablespoons of the cream mixture on top of pastry. Next you will add your strawberries. I took them and arranged them into a nice layer on top of the cream mixture. Add a small dollop of cream mixture to the top to help secure the next piece of puff pastry to stay in place. Repeat your layer.

After you put the berries on the second time, add a little bit of the whipped topping and spread it evenly on the top. Now you will melt your chocolate chips and drizzle the chocolate over the whipped topping.

You may sprinkle with a little pinch of confectioners' sugar in order to 'dress it up' a little more.

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I hope these recipes will help you on your special day. I can guarantee that they were both keeper's in our recipe book! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Debbie

Caramel Corn

2010-02-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

The other night we were both hungry for something sweet to snack on but since I have not been able to do any grocery shopping for the past week I dug into my stack of recipes to see what I could come up with.

I found this great recipe for Caramel Corn and after scanning the recipe I headed to the pantry to collect the necessary ingredients. Yay! We had them all but the plain popping corn so I substituted three bags of microwave popcorn and it worked just as well.

Ingredients:

1 cup - unpopped Popcorn

2 Tbsp. - Vegetable Oil

3/4 cup - Brown Sugar, packed
6 Tbsp. - Butter or Margarine

3 Tbsp. - Light Corn Syrup

1/4 tsp. - Salt

1/4 tsp. - Baking Soda

1/4 tsp - Vanilla Extract

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

In a large pot, heat oil over high heat. Add the unpopped popcorn. Moving the pan constantly, pop the corn. Remove from the heat and place into a large baking pan, and keep warm in the preheated oven. Discard any unpopped kernels.

Mix brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt into a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture starts to boil. Continue cooking for five minutes without stirring.

Remove from heat. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Pour over the popped popcorn and stir until evenly coated. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in your preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from pan and put into bowl to allow to cool.

Then enjoy!

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We absolutely loved this! The only changes I did was that I popped three bags of microwave popping corn and that I doubled up the caramel portion of the recipe. I think this would also be good if you added a cup or so of dry roasted peanuts too!

It did not take long for the popcorn to cool so we could enjoy and clean up consisted of letting my pan and utensils soak for just a few minutes in hot dish water.

Kids old and young will enjoy this quick and easy snack!

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Tomorrow, just in time for Valentine's Day, I will post my recipes for Turtle Cake and Strawberry Napoleon. Both are really good recipes that I am sure you and your sweetie will enjoy!

Take Care and Happy Cooking!

Debbie

Stuffed Green Peppers

2010-02-06T05:58:00.000-08:00

Last week when I went into Aldi's I stumbled across a great sale they were having on some of their produce. Lettuce was only $1.00 a head compared to the $1.48 it was everywhere else. Then they had carrots, broccoli, mushrooms and green peppers for $ .59 a package. I couldn't believe it... four green peppers for $ .59! I quickly snatched up a couple packages with plans.

One of my favorite meals is 'Stuffed Green Peppers'. Its something I never had growing up but now that I have tried them, I love them!

Stuffed Green Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

4 large - Green Peppers

1 lb. - Ground Beef

1/3 Cup - Onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. - Salt

1/4 tsp. - Pepper

1 (16 oz) can - Diced Tomatoes

1/2 Cup - Water

1 Cup - Long-Grain Rice, uncooked

1 tsp. - Worcestershire Sauce

5 slices - American Cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Pre-cook peppers in boiling water that is salted for about 5 minutes. Drain and sprinkle the insides of the peppers with salt and then set aside.

Cook the ground beef and onion until the meat is lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add the 1 lb. can of tomatoes, water, rice and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and let simmer until the rice is tender; about 15 minutes. Lay 4 of the American Cheese slices over the top of the meat mixture and let melt. Once they are melted, stir in to blend together.

Next stuff the peppers and stand upright in a baking dish. Place 1/4 of the remaining cheese slice on top of each pepper. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.

The green pepper just about melts in your mouth... My mouth is watering just thinking of the leftover pepper sitting in my refrigerator now! *laughing*

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Since Valentines' Day is only eight days a way, I thought I would dig back through my files and post a couple recipes this coming week that you might be able to use for a special dessert for your sweetie. So watch for them if your needing something for your special day!

Enjoy your weekend!

Debbie

Caramelized Baked Chicken and German Potato Salad...

2010-01-27T04:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was in the mood to cook so I decided to try two new recipes. I have to say that they both turned out really good.

The first recipe was for 'Caramelized Baked Chicken'

Ingredients:

6 Leg and Thigh pieces of Chicken

2 Tablespoons - Olive Oil

1/2 Cup - Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons - Ketchup

1 Cup - Honey

1 Clove - Garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Place chicken into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish which has been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken.

3. Bake in preheated oven for one hour or until sauce is caramelized.

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German Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb. - Potatoes (about 4 medium sized)
1/4 tsp. - Salt
6 slices - Bacon
1/2 cup - Onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. - All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp. - Sugar
1/2 tsp. - Salt
1/2 tsp. - Celery Seeds
1/2 tsp. - Dry Mustard
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. - Black Pepper
2/3 cup - Water
1/8 cup - Vinegar

1. In a medium saucepan place potatoes, the 1/4 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. simmer covered 20 to 25 minutes or until just tender. Drain well; cool slightly. Halve, peel and cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.

2. For dressing, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

3. Add onion to the reserved drippings in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour, sugar, the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, celery seeds, dry mustard and pepper. Stir in the 2/3 cup of water and the vinegar. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

4. Add potato slices , stirring gently for 1 to 2 minutes more or until the potatoes are heated through. Transfer to a serving bowl.

NOTE: This salad is best when served warm but taste great cold the next day too!

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I hope this has given you some inspiration for your next meal.

Take Care,
Debbie

My Twist on Hamburger Vegetable Soup...

2010-01-26T05:35:00.000-08:00

Since the weather changed once again to cold and windy, I decided that I wanted to make some type of soup for supper. I checked in the freezer and I did not have any stew meat but I did have hamburger.

When I lived in Maine, I came across a few places that made what they called 'Macaroni Tomato Soup'. It basically only had hamburger, macaroni and tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.

"CLICK"

Here is my twist on a 'Hamburger Vegetable Soup'.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of Ground Beef
1 medium size Onion, diced
6 - 8 Potatoes, bite-size chunks
5 Carrots, sliced
2 - 16 oz cans - Tomatoes, diced
1/2 bag of Frozen Corn
1/4 cup - fresh Parsley, minced
2 stalks - Celery, sliced or diced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef with the onion.

Once beef is browned and onions are tender, add the potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, celery and salt and pepper.

Let simmer on medium-high for about an hour, then add frozen corn and parsley.

Let cook for about 15 additional minutes then serve! It turned out delicious!!

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NOTE: You could also add peas and green beans too but I did not have any frozen ones left in the freezer. Canned could of been used but I don't care for them in my soups. Next time I will also add a half cup of barley.

I hope you enjoy!
Debbie

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

2010-01-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the plan was to try a new recipe for Chicken Parmigiana but.... like all best laid plans, something came up and it did not happen. Anytime I suggest making pasta or anything with a 'spaghetti-type' sauce the husband tends to say... "fix whatever you want... I am not hungry" which translates into 'I don't like that'.

Well after checking the pantry and refrigerator, I found the ingredients to make Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. It is so simple to make and can basically be done in 30 minutes.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 stick of Margarine

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream

1 1/2 cups Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

4 Chicken Breast

1 box Fettuccine Noodles (makes 6 servings)

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1.) Prepare pasta per package instructions.

2.) While pasta is cooking, cut the chicken breast (or tenders) into strips or bite size pieces and put in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, over medium-high heat and cook thoroughly. Remove from skillet.

3.) In same skillet, Add garlic and melt butter/margarine. Once this is melted, add heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching and allowing sauce to thicken. About 10 minutes. Turn on low.

4.) Add cooked chicken into the skillet. Drain pasta thoroughly and add to skillet, mixing well.

5.) Top with fresh parsley if you have it.

Then Enjoy!

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This turned out wonderful and just a note... you may want to add a little more heavy cream because it comes out cheesy! :)

Take Care,

Debbie

Hamburger Hash

2010-01-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

This recipe is what I consider one of my favorite comfort foods. It is something that my mom use to make us and we absolutely loved. It was not anything special and most people may turn up their nose at it but to me and my brothers it was one of our favorite dishes.

Ingredients:

2 lbs - Ground Beef

1 medium - Onion, chopped

6 to 8 - Potatoes, sliced

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Water

First you brown your ground beef with the onions. Drain off most of the grease and return to stock pan.

Add your potatoes, salt and pepper, then add water just up to the top of the potatoes and set to boil. Once it starts to boil, turn down to medium heat and let cook until potatoes are tender. You may have to add additional salt and pepper depending on your taste.

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That is it... Nothing special but something I crave when the weather turns cold.

What are some of your comfort foods?

Enjoy,
Debbie

Lasagna

2010-01-12T04:42:00.000-08:00

Did you ever have one of those 'family' recipes that you did not think you wanted to share? Well, my mama's lasagna recipe is one of those. I don't know what I thought but after researching many different ones, its not all that different. Maybe it was just the memory of seeing grandma and mom making it. Anyway... I decided to share. Ingredients:

1 lb - Ground Beef, cooked and drained

1/2 cup - Onion, chopped

1 Clove - Garlic, minced

2 - 8oz cans - Tomato Sauce

1/2 tsp - Oregano

1/2 tsp - Salt

1/4 tsp - Pepper

1 - Bay Leaf

1 pkg. (8 oz) - Lasagna Noodles, cooked and drained

2 cups (16 oz) - Ricotta Cheese

2 - Eggs

1/2 cup - Parmesan Cheese

8 oz. - Mozzarella

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Pre-heat your oven to 350 degree F.

Brown your ground beef with onions and garlic. Once they are cooked tender, drain off excess oil. Add tomato sauce and seasonings and cook at least 20 minutes. (the longer the better)

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan cheese together well.

Place half of the cooked noodles in a 13 x 9 x 2 -inch baking dish. Layer with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Next you will layer half of the meat mixture on top of the ricotta, then layer with half of the mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the layers.

Bake at 350 degrees F or until bubbly. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

NOTE: If you make ahead and freeze, please add 10 to 15 minutes more to your cook time.

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I usually serve it with a tossed salad with mama's oil and vinegar dressing. It consists of oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic salt, oregano and Parmesan cheese. There are not any measurements for this as she just did it to taste. Everyone in our family loved it. You basically add a small amount of each seasoning and taste till you get the result you like. (Not much help, huh?)

I hope you enjoy!

Debbie

A Kitchen Favorite...

2010-01-10T03:32:00.000-08:00

I was chatting the other day on Facebook with one of my new BFF's and we got to discussing food. (I always ask her what she is cooking because I like knowing what other people enjoy.) Well as we chatted I mentioned that one of my favorite seasonings was 'Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt'. We use it on everything from steamed vegetables to steak. The ingredients listed on the shaker are: Salt, Herbs and Spices, Dehydrated Onion and Dehydrated Garlic. All I can say is YUMMO! I actually have three shakers of it sitting in my spice cabinet. If you can find it, try it. You won't be disappointed.

Take care and Happy Cooking!
Debbie

Italian Beef for your crock pot!

2010-01-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

I have been asked to share some crock pot recipes and thought this would be a great one to start out with. Its super simple and practically makes itself.
Ingredients needed:

3 lb. Beef Roast

Water

1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced

1 Medium Sweet Yellow Onion, cut into slices

1 pouch - Louie's Italian Beef au jus Seasoning

Put the contents of the seasoning pouch and 3/4 cup of water into your crock pot and mix thoroughly. Then place your roast on top of it. Add more water just until you cover the top of the roast and let it slow cook all day on your crock pot's low setting. (About 10 to 12 hours)

About 10 - 11 hours into cooking, the roast was falling apart so I took it out and began shredding it. While I was doing that, I added my onions and green peppers. Once the shredding was done I added the meat back into the crock pot and let cook for about another hour for a total of 12 hours.

Serve on Hoagie Buns or French Bread. It was delicious!

Hope you enjoy!

Debbie

Italian Marinated Chicken Breast with Broccoli and Cheese Sauce...

2010-01-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

This was one of those quick and easy meals for when you don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. It took about 30 minutes total! Gee.... almost like Rachael Ray! *laughing* Well... we are both Italian. :)

Italian Marinated Chicken Breast

4 Chicken breast
1 cup - Italian Dressing (your choice)

Put the four chicken breast into a ziploc bag or bowl and cover with the Italian dressing. You may have to 'move them around' some to be sure they are all coated. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Heat your oven to 375 degrees F and cook breast on a rack in the oven, over a baking sheet. (I use my small roasting pan that has a wire rack). Let cook for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Note: If you are like me, I always worry about my chicken being done. The easiest way to check is to insert a cooking thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. It is done once it reaches 165 degree F.

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As a side, I steamed broccoli and made homemade cheese sauce. Surprised the heck out of my husband because I usually try to keep it as low-cal as can be. :)

Cheese Sauce

1 Tbsp - Butter or Margarine

1 Tbsp - All-Purpose Flour

Dash of Pepper

3/4 cup - Milk

1 cup - Shredded Cheddar Cheese

In a small saucepan melt butter or margarine. Stir in the flour and pepper. Stir in milk all at once. (*I prefer to use a whisk over a spoon for this)

Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly.

Turn down your heat to low and stir in the shredded cheddar until melted.

Serve over your favorite vegetable.

*Another version of cheese sauce you can do is take about a cup of Velveeta and 1/2 cup of milk and put it into a double boiler, stirring frequently. This is usually my choice but I didn't have any Velveeta in my pantry.

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I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Debbie

Beef Stir-Fry in 30 minutes or less...

2010-01-06T05:13:00.000-08:00

I love Chinese food and when I can make it for myself, that is a good thing. Last weekend while looking through several cookbooks I came across this recipe and knew I was going to have to try it. Ingredients:

1 lb. - Boneless Beef Sirloin

2 cups - Water

1 pkg. - Oriental Ramen Noodle Soup

1 bag - Frozen Stir fry Vegetables (14 -16 oz)

1/4 cup - Stir fry Sauce

1.) Cut the beef into thin strips. Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the beef for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally until brown, then remove from the skillet.

2.) In the same skillet, heat water to boiling. Break the block of ramen noodles and mix into the water. Stir until they are slightly softened. Stir in the vegetables and heat to boiling. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

3.) Stir in the contents of the seasoning packet from the soup, the stir fry sauce and the cooked beef. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently until hot.

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We loved this but the one change I would personally make is not to use the ramen noodles. They seemed to be too soft. (Know what I mean) I think it would be much better served over rice or Shan Dong Dried Noodles (or linguine if you can't find them).

I had never used stir fry sauce before and was a little leery at first, especially after opening the bottle and taking a sniff. It had a strong smell that reminded me a little of vinegar but I tasted it and loved it. It goes to show that we should try things before we tell ourselves we don't like them.

I hope you enjoy!

Debbie

Garlic Salt Rubbed Rib Roast with Crash Potatoes

2010-01-02T05:06:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but my husband loves rib roast a.k.a. prime rib. Because I love him I will splurge once a year on New Years day to make him his favorite cut of meat. This year I did the roast with a garlic salt rub with a 'crash' potato and steamed broccoli.

Garlic Salt Rubbed Rib Roast

4 lb - Rib Roast

1 Tbsp - Olive Oil

1 tsp - Garlic Powder

1 tsp - Kosher Salt

1 tsp - Ground Black Pepper

1. Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. In a small bowl, mix together the seasonings. Rub the olive oil on top of the roast, then spread the seasoning mixture over the fatty layer of the roast and let the roast sit out until it is at room temperature but no longer than 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C.).

3. Bake the roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and continue roasting for an additional 60 to 75 minutes or until the internal temperature of the roast is at 145 degrees F (53 degrees C) for medium rare.

4. Allow the roast to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving so the meat can retain its juices.

*My original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried thyme but for some reason thyme and rosemary are two herbs Wendell isn't crazy about. Since he was watching me apply the rub I left them out but if he had been gone.... it would of been in there! *laughing*

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Crash Potatoes

1. Boil new red potatoes until tender.

2. 'Crush' them into mounds with a potato masher on an oiled baking sheet. (I used olive oil but if you don't care for the taste of olive oil you may want to use vegetable oil)

3. I put a pat of butter on top of each potato and then sprinkled liberally with salt, pepper and other herbs that we like.

4. Bake at 425 degrees F for another 20 minutes. *a few minutes before they come out you may want to sprinkle shredded cheese across the top.

I found this great recipe, along with several others, at a blog called Mennonite Girls Can Cook . You should check out the site because their are some great recipes there.

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I hope you enjoy these recipes. It is my goal in 2010 to try at least one new recipe a week and I hope to share them with you too!

Enjoy!

Debbie

Homemade Pizza Dough and Sauce...

2009-12-31T05:17:00.000-08:00

Wendell has been talking about pizza for a week now and since I am trying to make it two weeks with no eating out, I dug around in my big book of recipes for a pizza recipe I had tucked away but never tried. Its safe to say that now that we have tried it, I will be using it always! He even said he liked it better than take out! Yay Me!!!
Pizza Dough:

3/4 Tbsp - Yeast
1 1/2 Cups - Warm Water
1/4 tsp - Sugar
1 1/2 tsp - Salt
3 Tbsp - Oil
4 Cups - Flour

Pizza Sauce:

1 (6 oz. Can) - Tomato Paste
1/2 cup - Red Wine or Water
1 tsp - Oregano
1/2 tsp - Basil
1 tsp - Salt
1/2 tsp - Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp - Olive Oil
1 - 2 Tbsp - Parmesan Cheese

In a large bowl, add the warm water and sugar then mix together. Sprinkle yeast over the warm water and allow to set until it begins to foam. About 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in salt, oil and half of the flour. Gradually add the remaining flour mixing well.

Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and let rise until its doubled. This takes about 30 minutes to an hour depending on how warm your kitchen is. Punch down and divide into two. Pat out on two pizza pans. (I sprayed mine with a light coating of Pam cooking spray)

While I was waiting for the dough to rise I mixed all the ingredients for the pizza sauce together in a small saucepan. I did add additional water to get the sauce to the consistency we like. I cooked on low to warm it but the original directions did not require you to do this.

Top your dough with pizza sauce and your choice of toppings.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Place on the top rack for a softer crust, lower rack for a crispier crust.

This recipe makes enough for two, 12 inch pizzas.

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This turned out great and was definitely a keeper. We gave it two thumbs up! Hope you enjoy!!!

Happy Cooking,
Debbie

Mexican Roll-Ups

2009-12-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

With many New Years Eve celebrations approaching, I thought I would post a few recipes you might find useful. I know, some of you may be saying 'Hey... you posted this last year' but just in case your new or missed it I will share it again. :)

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MEXICAN ROLL-UPS

Ingredients:

1/3 Can - Green Chilies
10 - Black Olives, chopped fine
5 - Green Onions, chopped fine
1 pkg. - Taco Seasoning Mix
8 oz. - Cream Cheese, softened
8 oz. - Sour Cream
1 pkg. - Large Tortillas

Mix the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well blended.

Next spread the mixture on to the tortillas and then roll them up and slice into bite size pieces.

Serve with your favorite salsa and enjoy!

Debbie

Welcome!

2009-11-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

When I originally started blogging it was my intent to have a blog dedicated to sharing my love of cooking and my discovery of some of the great recipes I find. That did not exactly happen with my blog, 'News From Goat Creek' so I am now starting a new blog dedicated to my love of food. I hope to share all sorts of recipes, not just from my kitchen but others too! My dream is to develop an online 'cookbook' of sorts that others will find useful.

So if you try a recipe that you really enjoyed, or got one from here, please let me know so we can share it!

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With the holidays coming up, I wanted to share this wonderful salsa recipe that I discovered one day while reading my list of favorite blogs. This recipe comes from Carrie at 'Carrie's Little World'. I love salsa but always seem to be searching for that one that isn't too spicy and if your someone that does not care for 'chunky' salsa, you will love it! I prepared this the other night, less the peppers and we loved it. I especially loved this recipe because I had everything but the cilantro in the pantry.

Salsa

2 large cans Crushed, diced or whole tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Green Pepper, cut thinly
1 Jalapeno Pepper, chopped and seeds removed
1 medium Onion, chopped thinly
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 Juice of a Lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Puree everything in a blender or food processor.

2. Serve up and enjoy!

Note: You can substitute the canned tomatoes for 6 to 8 Roma tomatoes. Par boil them (just a couple minutes until you can remove the skins) then mash tomatoes and bring everything to a boil. Let simmer until the onions are translucent. Then puree and cool in the fridge.

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Thank you Carrie, this one is definitely a keeper!