The Funky Oven

Baked spring veggies

It really cannot get any more simple. A grilled piece of fish (salmon), tender white rice, and a baked vegetable dish makes a perfect light yet healthy meal. Not only is it good for us, the whole meal cooks in under 30 minutes.

2 roma tomatoes diced large

handful of cherry tomatoes sliced in half

1 onion thick chopped

1 zucchini thick chopped

1 yellow bell pepper thick chopped

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of dried sweet basil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Stir once after 7-8 minutes.

Rosemary dijon pork tenderloin

Dinner

This is very similar to the French’s mustard recipe online.

1 pork tenderloin center cut

1 cup dijon mustard

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon horseradish…. or so… we like hot food

1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Over medium high heat, I seared the tenderloin on each side for 3-4 minutes. I happened to have cooked bacon today so I used 2 tablespoons of the leftover bacon grease instead of olive oil.

Mix all the other ingredients together. Pour 3/4 sauce on the pork. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until 165-170 degrees. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

I used the remaining sauce for dipping but the dried rosemary was still crunchy. In hindsight I should have baked it in the oven to the side of the pork for 5-10 minutes.

…….More about the pretty tart tomorrow….

Broccoli cheese soup

Dinner, Soup, Uncategorized

This is a lighter version with so much flavor.

2 broccoli crowns

2 ribs celery finely chopped

1 small vidalia onion finely chopped

2 small carrots peeled and finely chopped

4 tablespoons margarine

1/3 cup flour

2 cups water plus reserved broccoli water

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaves

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

salt to taste

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

The first step is to wash the broccoli. Put it in a pan of water and boil it until it is bright green in color and fork tender. This takes 5-8 minutes.

Next up… Saute the onion, carrot, and celery in margarine on low for about 10-15 minutes. It should be very cooked and mushy but not burned.

Add in the spices. Cook 1 minute. Add flour. Slowly stir in 2 cups of water stirring constantly. Simmer on low. Remove broccoli from water and cool. Rough chop the broccoli and add it in with the other veggies. Add the heavy cream. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Continue to simmer 10-15 minutes. Add broccoli water as needed to thin soup. I used 2 cups. Use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup to the desired texture. If using a food processor, remove small amounts of soup then puree them, and return them to the pot. Salt to taste.

After the puree it looks like this.

Easy garlic basil cheese toast

Bread, Side dishes

I kind of feel silly writing about something so simple. This is delicious.

Sliced french bread

2-3 cloves minced fresh garlic

3-4 tablespoons butter

basil paste – in the produce section in a tube

shredded parmesan cheese

I put the butter and garlic in a bowl and microwave it for 40 seconds total but stir after every 10 seconds. Allow to set for 2-5 minutes. Sprinkle the butter on sliced french bread. Cover each bread with a thin layer of basil paste. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 425 for 5-10 minutes until desired firmness in achieved.

I elevate my bread on a wire rack because I like it super crispy. Also, I used to strain the garlic from the butter. My husband likes the garlic pieces so I started just leaving them in. You can do it either way.

Beef enchilada casserole

Dinner

This is the most ridiculously easy dinner. We are having this and a garden salad with ranch for dinner. Traditionally enchiladas have fried tortillas. Yes, this probably lacks some flavor because I skip that step. It also will be less calories my way…. which is never a bad thing.

1 pound 80% ground beef

1 7 ounce can diced green chili undrained

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

11-13 corn tortillas (white or yellow)

1 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Combine the beef, onion, and green chilis in a skillet. Cook over medium low heat for about 20-30 minutes. After this step, I place the beef in a strainer and allow it to drip to remove additional fat.

In a 6×8 or 8×8 prepard pan, layer the following 1. 3 Tortillas 2. 1/2 beef mixture 3. 3 tortillas 4. 1/2 beef mixture 5. 3-4 tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the casserole. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

Top with black olives, green onion, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

Chocolate pudding

Dessert

This is definitely a little more sweet than using a recipe calling for cocoa powder. My kids like the chocolate flavor a bit more with the chocolate chips instead of unsweet chocolate. I like the recipe because it makes a very thick pudding. Thick enough for pie. This is so much better tasting than the box mix pudding and really not that much harder to make.

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 cups whole milk

4 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter

Place sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk into a saucepan and mix thoroughly. Cook over medium heat. Stir constantly. Just after boiling, the pudding will thicken and turn a yellow color. Remove from heat. Add in chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla. Pour into cups or pie crust. Cool at least 3-4 hours. Enjoy!

Borracho beans

Side dishes

2 cans pinto beans drained

6 sliced bacon cooked

1 tablespoon grease from bacon

1 small yellow onion diced

1/2 green bell pepper diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 can IPA beer

2 cups chicken broth

Place all in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Salt to taste.

Beef and broccoli Stir fry

Dinner

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds thin sliced chuck roast

1/3 cup corn starch

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 cup water

1 yellow onion coarse chopped

2 cups broccoli florets

3 cloves garlic chopped

2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Hoison sauce

1 teaspoon chinese 5 spice

This recipe really work best if everything is prepared before cooking. Mix the seasoning. Mix the beef. Chop the veggies.

Mix the cornstarch, water, and garlic powder in a boil. Add beef and let set at least 30 minutes. Heat oil in wok over medium high heat. Add beef and cook until just done. Cook in batches if needed. Remove beef from pan when done. Add veggies into pan and saute for 3-5 minutes. Mix the soy, hoison and 5 spice. Pour over veggies. Cook until the veggies are done (to your liking). We like ours crisp so we just add the beef in and mix.

Serve over cooked white rice.

Granny’s crunchy pea salad

Side dishes

My Granny passed a few years ago. She could cook like no one else. Holidays were full of her famous dishes and this was one. My oldest daughter had a tea party at school. They painted tea pots and practiced tea service for months for thei. When asked to bring a dish, it was fitting that I bring Granny’s crunchy pea salad. Who knows where Granny found this recipe. It was likely in the Sunday paper way back in 1950. We never asked. It was always in a crystal bowl waiting for us every holiday for 38 years.

1 head of cauliflower – cut small no stems

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1 packaged of frozed green peas, thawed

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and small chopped

2 cups shell pasta, cooked al dente and rinsed in cold water

1 cup cashews

2 stems celery, fine chopped

1 cup ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dill

Mix all except bacon and cashews. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, mix and add salt and pepper as needed. If dry, add a little more ranch (2 tablespoons) mixed 1:1 with milk. Add cashews and bacon. Serve immediately.

I made my own ranch dressing which I do not think she did. It was fabulous. Everyone was pleased!

Garlic shrimp with mashed parmesan cauliflower

Dinner, seafood

We need to be a bit healthier when it comes to dinner. Normally we eat a LOT of BBQ. For the last year I have been trying to prepare seafood at least every 1-2 weeks. This is very challenging for a girl from Missouri who grew up hating seafood because it was frozen, gross, and fishy. This was my second time even cooking shrimp in my life.

Tonight’s dinner was amazing! We had a big side garden salad. The salad added vitamins and fresh flavors. I would like to say this dinner only took 30 minutes… but the prep takes a lot more time. Actual cook time is about 30 minutes.

1 pound or so shrimp – peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves of fresh garlic minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 lemon juiced

1 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons butter

Heat the olive oil over high heat almost smoking. Add the shrimp. Cook 1 minute. Add the salt and half of the parsley and stir. Cook 1 minute. The shrimp should now be turning pink. Add the garlic and red pepper. Cook 1 minute. Add lemon and cold butter. Wait until butter melts. Change the temperature to low. Add remaining parsley. Cook 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens. The shrimp will be opaque and pink.

Mashed parmesan cauliflower

1 head cauliflower

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Steam the cauliflower for 20-25 minutes. It should be very tender. Place the cauliflower in a food processor with salt and parmesan. Pulse until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the cream while still pulsing.

I would have to say I would eat this any day. From a person who typically hates shrimp, I think that says a lot. I usually eat one or two. Tonight, I ate them all.

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