Lazy Girl Lasagna

Lazy Girl Lasagna

Ingredients

• 8 ounce bag of egg noodles

MEAT SAUCE

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1-1/2 bottle of marinara sauce

• RICOTTA AND PARMESAN FILLING

• 1 pound of part skim ricotta (maybe ¾ lbs)

• 1 cup grated or shaved Parmesan

• Sprinkle Oregano

• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy

TOPPING

• 1 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, spices.

3. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

4. Brown the meat and drain.

5. Stir in pasta sauce and reheat.

6. Add the pasta to the pot with the meat sauce, and stir to combine.

7. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

8. Add about half of the pasta & meat sauce mixture and spread evenly.

9. Spoon the ricotta mixture over the pasta

10. Use the back of a spoon to evenly distribute it.

11. Add the second half of the pasta and meat sauce on top.

12. Top with the mozzarella cheese.

13. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

Potato Leek Soup

 

Ingredients

• 18 small white potatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 leeks washed thoroughly, tops and roots removed and sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel the potatoes and cube.
2. Add the cornstarch to the chicken broth, add the potatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Potatoes should be al dente when adding the leeks, since they will cook more.
3. Make sure to wash the leeks thoroughly because they normally have dirt in them.
4. Remove the tops and roots and slice.
5. Melt butter in a large pot, add the leeks, season to taste and saute until cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
6. Add the leeks to the potato mixture.
7. Stir in the heavy whipping cream, reduce heat to simmer, and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
8. Before the potatoes are ready, use a potato masher and smash up a few of the potatoes, which will thicken up the soup a bit. Don't go hog wild and make mash potatoes!!

Garnish with some green onion tops, Serve with sour dough bread.

Options: There are so many things you can add. Sliced carrots, white beans, celery, crumbled up crispy bacon... 

Breakfast Casserole

 Ingredients

• 1/2 lbs sausage lightly browned to remove fat.
• 9 eggs - lightly beaten
• 3 cups half-half
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Mrs Dash Extra Spicy
• 1 block Sharp Cheddar cheese
• Butter
• 1 pkg Shredded Hash Browns
• 9x13" Glass Baking Dish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown sausage lightly just to remove fat. Allow to cool.
3. Brown the shredded potatoes also lightly to remove the water. Allow to cool.
4. Mix egg and milk and add salt and spices.
5. Spray Baking Dish with Olive Oil.
6. Layer sausage on bottom on pan and smoosh down to cover bottom.
7. Add a layer of Shredded Cheese.
8. Layer shredded hash browns on top.
9. Pour egg mixture over top
10. Top with a layer of cheese.
11. Bake 350 degrees for one hour.

Ryan's Grandma's Sweet Potatoes

Ryan's Grandma's Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk

Topping

• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup nuts (pecans are my favorite)

Directions

1. Cook sweet potatoes until done.
2. Mash well and measure out 3 cups.
3. Mix all ingredients well into mash and place into pie pan.
4. Top with topping.
5. Bake at 350 deg for 30 min.

Chile Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped roasted Green Chiles, peeled, stems and seeds removed.
• 1 lbs lean ground pork
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sugar (Note: experiment with this. I'm starting out with 1/4 cup)
• 2 eggs, separated
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 tsp salt (Maybe less??)
• flour for dredging
• oil for frying

Directions

1. Brown the pork, add the onions and saute until the onions are soft.
2. Stir in the chiles, raisins and sugar.
3. Beat the egg whites until they form peaks.
4. Combine the flour and egg yokes and mix thoroughly.
5. Fold the egg egg yoke mixture into the egg whites and combine to form a batter.
6. Take about 1 teaspoon of mixture, roll it into the flour and shape into 1 inch balls.
7. Dip the chile balls into the batter and deep fry in 350 deg oil until golden brown. Remember the balls continue to cook after you take them out, so don't over cook them.
8. Drain them on paper towels.

One Pan Pasta

Adapted from Martha Stewart Kitchen.

 Ingredients

• 12 oz Linguine
• 12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium red onion halved and sliced
• 4-6 cloves garlic
• 1/2+ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 sprigs Basil, torn leaves
• 2 teaspoon Olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy
  
• salt/pepper to taste
• 4 cups water
• Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

 

Directions

1. Put all Ingredients into a large pan/skillet and bring to a boil.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water is nearly all boiled off. Approx 9 minutes.
3. Divide into 4 bowls, garnish with Basil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
   

Cacio e Pepe (Pepper Cheese) Pasta

Twirl the pasta onto the dish.

This recipe is challenging! First and foremost, have EVERYTHING available, measured and ready to go, including warm plates to serve on. People should be ready to eat right away, as this goes from pan to plate very fast. 

Ingredients
    • 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt 
    • 6 oz. pasta (spaghetti)
    • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed, divided
    • 1/4-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan
    • ⅓ cup finely grated Romano cheese.

Preparation
    1.  Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender (around 8-9 minutes). Turn heat off on stove. DO NOT Drain pasta water.
    2.  While the pasta is cooking, grind pepper into a hot frying pan. Stir the pepper around so it does not burn and toast the pepper slightly.

    5.  Put your track shoes on, because it goes very fast from here and it’s about 5 minutes until plating! 
    6.  In the frying pan with the pepper, Melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Cook about 1 minute.
    7.  Add ½ cup reserved pasta water to skillet and bring to a boil and immediately lower to simmer.
    8.  Using Tongs, add the pasta and to the skillet. Add remaining butter. 
    9.  Reduce heat to low and add Parmesan cheese, stirring and tossing with tongs until melted (about 2 minutes).
    10.  Now the gooey part... Turn off the heat; add Romano cheese, stirring and tossing until cheese melts and coats the pasta. Note: Expect the cheeses to be very stringy when tossing. Use a spoon to scrape off of the tongs while tossing. (Add more pasta water sparingly if sauce seems dry.) 
    11.  (The secret) Cover frying pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes to allow the cheeses to melt and blends. Toss again to continue to coat the pasta. While waiting grab a shot of tequila for the Chef, since there are strings of cheese everywhere by now!
    12.  Twirl pasta into a ball (see picture) and transfer pasta to warm bowls. Serve immediately.

Modified from a TV program by Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy.

This recipe is nice for a no meat dinner and serve with red wine and garlic bread and a shot of tequila for the Chef. My first time cooking this was very trying to say the least with the @#$% stringy cheese!!!! 

I think a small 1/4th chicken breast on the side would go good with it as an extra. 

Ed's Crock-pot Ribs

Ed's Crock-pot Ribs 

This recipe is so easy, your kids can make the best ribs on the block!!!!

Ingredients

• 1 rack of ribs
• 1 bottle Famous Dave's Devil Spit BBQ sauce (or your favorite weak a$$ sauce. The spicier - the better in my opinion.).
• Season with whatever you like... Garlic powder, Mrs Dash Extra Spicy, Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb, red pepper, Pork seasoning...
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 head garlic, sliced
• 1 cup Beef Broth

Directions

1. Cut the ribs into individual ribs, place raw ribs in a crock pot, pour the whole bottle of BBQ sauce on top, Add Broth, onion and garlic  sprinkle spices on top. 
2. Turn the crock pot on High for 30 minutes, stir, turn down to low and let cook 5-6 hours. Maybe stir it every hours or so if you feel like it... I don't care! It's your ribs!

Now THAT was Easy!!!

Optional: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 deg F
2. Remove the ribs and discard the onion.
3. Place on baking sheet, meat side up
4. Add a layer of BBQ sauce (Like Kinders)
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on the sauce so it doesn't burn.

Even that was quick and easy!!

Rice, Salmon and Peas

 This is a quick and easy Friday recipe! 

• 1 7.5 oz can salmon
• 1 package frozen green peas
  
• 1+ cup Hot white or brown rice
• Splash of Soy sauce
• garnish as needed
  

Now, the Hard Part!

1. Mix them all together in a bowl with a fork to break up the salmon into smaller pieces. Only use a little soy sauce and mix well. Add more individually on your plate according to your taste. It is best to go sparingly and add more as necessary.

Options:

• Add cut up cooked green beans
• A small amount of Garbanzo beans
• Lima beans
• any vegetable
  

Pairs well with Osetra Sturgeon Black Caviar and Dom Perignon Champaign. Enjoy! 

OK, OK - Just kidding!!! The pairings will cost you about $400++!!!

Lumpia (Filipino egg rolls)

 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground pork or 1 pound ground beef of 1/2 pound each
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed and diced
• ½ cup minced carrots
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• ½ cup thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional, but highly suggested)
• Bamboo shoots (optional)
• Grated Ginger (about 1" of ginger)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy
• 1+ teaspoon soy sauce, or as needed
• 30 lumpia wrappers
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

1. All Ingredients need to be very finely diced/minced.
2. Chop or mince anyway you want to get all vegetables chopped finely.
3. Heat the 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in a large frying pan and cook the pork thoroughly, so no pink is visible. Chop the meat as it is cooking to make it into fine crumbles.
4. Add the spices and salt & pepper to the cooking meat.
5. Remove the meat to a separate plate and leave some of the fat behind, or add more vegetable oil to saute the onions, carrots and garlic first, then add the remaining ingredients except raisins and cook until tender.
6. Add the meat back to the pan and mix thoroughly.
7. Add the raisins and soy sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
9. Place the Lumpia wrapper so that one of the corners is pointing toward you.
10. Add about 2 Tablespoons of the filling to the closest corner area of the Lumpia Wrapper near you. Fold the sides toward the middle and roll the Lumpia wrapper up away from you. The last 1/4th of the wrapper moisten your finger in a cup of water to smooth some on the wrapper and finish rolling it up. This causes the wrapper to seal the edges.
11. While rolling the Lumpia, pour approx 2 cups of vegetable oil in a large pot to get it hot. I use a laser thermometer and when the oil is 390-405, it is ready for the lumpia to be placed in.
12. Only add four lumpia at a time in the oil. 30 seconds, turn them over for 30 seconds, remove them to a paper towel to drain.
13. Note: the wrappers will continue to cook after you take them out of the oil.
14. Wait until oil returns to 390-405 degrees.
15. Repeat the process until all wrappers are cooked.
16. Eat when hot and the wrapper is nice and crispy.
17. The wrappers will become soggy after they cool. Reheat in a frying pan turning constantly.
18. Use sweet and sour sauce or sweet chile sauce or a orange sauce for dipping.

Air Fryer Directions

• 5 minutes at 370 deg, flip the rolls over and cook an additional 3 minutes at 370 deg.

Pepper infused honey

I went to a restaurant named, "Zona" in Mesa, and they have Habanero Ribs, that are to die for! I had an idea to try to make a Habanero honey glaze similar to what they had and came up with this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2+ Habaneros sliced with seeds
• 2+ Jalapenos sliced with seeds
• 2+ Tablespoons red pepper flakes
• approx 1/2 cup honey, enough to cover pepper in pan.
• Note: All amounts are up to you to modify according to your heat tolerance, but then again you wouldn't be on my blog if you were a heat wimp!

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a small pan, almost bring to a boil, then reduce to very low heat and simmer 2-15 minutes (pick a number).
2. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Pour honey thru a strainer into a jar.
4. Next step is optional. Remove the Habanero and Jalapeno pieces from the strainer and scrape the red pepper flakes into the jar with the honey.

I plan on trying it on ribs this weekend.

Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon

 OK... This recipe didn't turn out like I wanted, but there's potential and I have added some suggestions. A Note on the original recipe said people complained about the sauce being too watery. I'm one of them! Tasted good, but never thickened.

Ingredient

Salmon

• 4 ea 6 oz salmon filets
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• smoked paprika to taste
• Mrs Dash Extra Spicy to taste
• I say to taste, because 1/2 tsp of salt on something is way too much like the original recipe calls for!!!

Sauce

• 3 Tablespoons Butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons olive oil (maybe just 1 teaspoon)
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sriracha sauce
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 Tablespoon PF Chang's Sweet Chile sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Pat salmon dry, then season. Set aside to rest. It had a hard day and it will get worse soon!
2. Put in all Sauce Ingredients In a medium sauce pan, and simmer over medium heat until melted and hot. This is where I deviate from the original recipe... Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature to thicken, or.... simmer longer to reduce the liquid down 50%.  Try both and let me know which works best.
3. In a medium hot pan, spray cooking oil in pan and place salmon skin-side down.
4. Cook 3-4 minutes, but don't burn the skin.
5. Flip over and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Flip back over and watching the salmon very closely, increase temperature to hot to sear the skin and make crispy. Remove from the pan immediately. Don't over cook it!!!
7. Pour (hopefully) the thickened sauce over salmon and serve right away.
8. Garnish with green onions.

Serrano Pepper Salsa Recipe

One of my first recipe posts back in 2006, was my award winning Jalapeno salsa. Over the years, the recipe has changed many times over, as well as our tolerance for heat-level spiciness. So, I decided to update to a new recipe. Note: The new recipe is very spicy!!!

• 2 - 8 oz cans of Hunt’s Diced Petite Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic completely drained
  
• 1 - 8 oz can Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 small can Rotel Extra Spicy with Habaneros *optional
• 1 - 12 oz can La Costtena Pickled Serranos peppers, 1oz+ juice reserved.
  
• 1 - 4 oz can Ortega Diced Jalapenos *optional
• 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
• 1/2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Chile Powder
• 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (one of the few recipes I add salt to).
• 1 whole bunch of Cilantro, stems removed.

1. Drain as much of the juice out of the cans of tomatoes tomatoes as possible. I dump it in a strainer and spoon it back and forth until all of the juice is removed. 
2. Cut the tops off of the serranos and cut them into half or thirds.  Save the Juice and the carrots and onions in the can. Caution: Serranos are spicy and it is highly recommended that you wear gloves while handling them.
3. Everything goes into a food processor.
4. optional - Add the whole can of the Herdez jalapeños with its juice.
5. Add all of the carrots and onions in the Serranos can, about 1+ oz of the juice from the Serranos can.
6. Add the tomatoes and cilantro in a food processor.
7. Add all seasonings to the Food Processor and Pulse puree.
8. Let sit at room temperature and stir every few minutes. Taste and adjust the spices and seasoning.
9. Add the salt, as necessary and stir/pulse.

The "+" on the ingredients is add more if you wish.

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork

Note: The original recipe called for 1 cup of white sugar(!!!) I reduced that down to 1/3 cup. There are other modifications as well from the original recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Peanut or Vegetable oil.
• 1/3 cup white sugar.
• 1 lbs thin cut pork slices, or pork spareribs cut into 1" pieces.
• 4 green onions cut into 2" lengths, including the white parts.
• 1 jalapeno pepper diced.
• 1/4th yellow onion thinly cut and diced
• 4-6 cloves of garlic sliced.
• 1 teaspoon Kirin oil or Sesame oil.
• 1+ teaspoon Hoisin sauce (optional).
• Mrs Dash Extra spicy to taste.
• Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb to taste.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• 1 green onion sliced into 1/4" pieces for garnish
• White rice for serving.

Directions

1. In a heavy skillet, wok, or large frying pan, heat the oil over high heat and pour the sugar in and stir immediately to coat all of the sugar with oil. Cook and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and turns a light brown. Note: The melted sugar is VERY HOT! I have a blister to prove it.
2. Once the sugar turns a light brown, reduce the heat to medium high. Stir in the pork, onion, jalapeno, garlic and Mrs Dash spices.
3. Toss the ingredients in the caramelized sugar until well coated.
4. Continue to cook until the pork is cooked and brown.
5. Drizzle the Kirin and Hoisin sauce and reduce heat to low and simmer until the juices are reduced.
6. When the juices have been reduced, increase to high heat and stir until the sauce has thickened (Note: When I increased the temperature, the sauce just got thinner. Use your judgement.)
7. Reduce temperature back to low and add the sliced green onions and allow to cool so the sauce really thickens and coat all of the ingredients well, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
8. Sprinkle with green onion rings and serve over rice.

Note: Next time, I would pre-cook the pork in a separate frying pan initially over high heat to brown, then cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes to make it more tender.

Spicy Asian Chicken Wraps

Spicy Asian Chicken Wraps

The original recipe that this was adapted from said the Prep Time was 15 minutes. ROFL!!! Yeah if you have a full time sous chef mincing the vegetables and getting everything ready!!! It took me an hour to get all of the ingredients prepped and ready to start cooking.

Ingredients

The Filling:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
• ½ onion minced
• 2 Tablespoon red pepper minced/diced
• 4-5 garlic cloves minced
• ½ large jalapeno minced
• 1 - 8 oz can water chestnuts drained and minced
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy

For the Sauce:

• 3 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoon Hoisin sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoon finely crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts
• 2 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp pickled ginger minced (get at sushi counter in grocery store or sushi restaurant)
• 1 healthy squirt Sriracha sauce, depending on spiciness you desire.

To Serve:

• ¼ cup peanuts crushed.
• Lettuce or your favorite Asian salad

Directions

1. Whisk all the ingredients for the Sauce in a small sauce pan until blended. Cook over low heat until adding to meat mixture. Stir occasionally. 
2. Heat 2 Tablespoon peanut oil in a frying pan and add the ground chicken.
3. Using a wooden spatula or edge of a cooking spoon, cut the sliced chicken across the slices to cut into smaller pieces. Continue to cut the pieces into smaller and smaller pieces while cooking until pieces are fine.
4. Cook until some of the chicken begins to brown.
5. Add the Mrs Dash spices, garlic powder and Sriracha sauce with the onions. and cook until the onions become translucent.
6. Add the garlic, peppers and water chestnuts and cook an additional 5 minutes or until peppers are soft and add the pickled ginger.
7. Add sauce to the mixture and mix well to coat all of the meat. 
8. Serve on lettuce leaves or over a salad, or over noodles or rice.

BBQ Chicken Nachos

 BBQ Chicken Nachos

I saw this recipe and I have not made it yet, but will soon.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz tortilla chips (a little less than a standard bag)

• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded

• 1 cup black beans, drained

• ½ lb skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (rotisserie is okay)

• 1 cup of BBQ sauce, and more for topping

• ½ avocado, diced

• ¼ red onion, finely diced

• ¼ cup chopped green onions

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 2-3 jalapeño, thinly sliced

• Sour cream, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

2. Arrange the tortilla chips on baking sheet.

3. Top chips with cheddar cheese, and black beans.

4. In a small bowl mix shredded chicken and 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce.

5. Top chips with chicken, bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.

6. Drizzle a bit more BBQ sauce to the tops of nachos.

7. Top nachos with avocado, red onion, green onions, cilantro and jalapeno.

8. Dollop the sour cream in 4-5 parts of the nachos and serve right away.

9. This recipe is excerpted from "Everyday Entertaining" by Elizabeth Van Lierde.

New Orleans Style Gumbo

This recipe is challenging because you have to have one interrupted hour stirring the Roux. But the Roux MADE this meal!!! 

Ingredients

• For the Roux:
• 1 heaping cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• For the Gumbo
• 1 bunch celery dices leaves included
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 bunch green onions
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 2-4 jalapenos
• 4 Tablespoons Cajun or Gumbo File seasoning divided
• 8 cups Chicken broth
• 12 oz package Andouille sausage, sliced
• meat from 1 Rotisserie chicken, broken into smaller pieces (optional)
• 2 lb Shrimp, de-veined and shells removed
• 1 Tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme leaves
• 2-4 bay leaves
• 1 (14.5 can) Stewed or Crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can Tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic and herb
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy
• 1 teaspoon red chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1-2 packages frozen okra
• 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Roux:
1. Whisk together flour, oil in a large, heavy bottom sauce pot over medium-low heat, until smooth. Cook Roux, whisking initially and then with soft spatula, stirring constantly, until it turns an rich mahogany brown color. Add more flour or oil while cooking to maintain a nice thick, smooth texture. This will take 30-60 minutes, so be patient!!! Do Not let the roux burn. Remove from heat (put on cool burner) and continue to stir until the mixture stops cooking, so that it doesn't burn. It should turn a rich chocolate brown.
2. Gumbo:
1. In a large frying pan, Cook sausage and chicken (option) together.
2. Place vegetables in food processor and pulse until chopped.
3. Mix chopped vegetable and meat together into the roux and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add about 1 cup of chicken broth to the mixture to prevent from drying out.
4. Add the remaining chicken broth, thyme, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, Mrs Dash seasonings, garlic powder, red pepper powder.
5. Simmer for 1 hour. Add remaining Cajun seasoning about 45 minutes in.
6. Fry okra in frying pan with a little bacon grease until cooked.
7. Add shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, okra, vinegar and 2 more Tablespoons of Cajun seasoning and more hot sauce. Simmer until blended up to 15 additional minutes, until shrimp is cooked.
8. Serve with white rice, french bread for dipping.

Spicy Ginger Turmeric Chicken Soup

 Spicy Ginger Turmeric Chicken Soup

Active time: 30 mins; Total time: 1 hour

SERVINGS: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium carrots diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• ½ teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb
• ½ teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
• One (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the carrots, 
celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 
about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic, spices and turmeric and cook for 1 minute 
more. Add the broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chicken. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken 
is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the chickpeas and green beans to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high and return 
the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the green 
beans are tender, about 10 minutes.

While the green beans are softening, use two forks to tear the chicken into bite-size 
pieces. When the green beans are tender, return the chicken, with any accumulated juices, 
to the pot. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, 
ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Pineapple Liqueur

 All of the ingredients go into a sterilized One Gallon jar. 

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple
• 1 quart-sized bottle of Svenska vodka
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• (optional) 1/2 cup Simple Syrup

Directions

1. Make sure jar is sterile! 
2. Rinse off pineapple.
3. Slice the pineapple vertically and remove the outer skin.
4. Slice the pineapple into 1/4" slices and horizontally into smaller ~2" pieces to fit in the jar.
5. Pour the Vodka over the pineapple.
6. Add the cinnamon stick
7. The pineapple is probably sweet enough, but if you want it a little sweeter, then add the Simple Syrup.
8. After 1 week, remove the cinnamon stick.
9. Shake slightly every few days.

Liqueur is infused enough after 2 weeks to serve.

Pomegranate Liqueur

Sheesh!! What a pain, but I think worth it. Have plenty of time to get the Pomegranate seeds out of the fruit. It took me well over an hour with 5 poms. DO NOT wear a white shirt while doing this!!!

Utensils required

• 1 Gallon Glass jar with lid
• multiple glass or similar bowls
• potato masher
• vegetable peeler
• strainer
  
• lots of paper towels
• lots of patience and time (2 hours)
• Do Not wear something you don't want stained.
• Note: Wipe up any Pomegranate juice on your counter right away. It Stains!
  

Ingredients

• 5-6 Pomegranates
• peel of One Lemon (use potato peeler to get the peel only - do not get the white pith! Pith will make it sour.
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 1.75 Liter of Svenka vodka
• 1 cup Simple Sugar

Directions

1. Cut the Poms vertically, not horizontally, from the stem down, in half.
2. In a large bowl, fill with enough water to cover most of the Pom when face down in the water. The water prevents most of the Pom juice from going everywhere. Pom juice stains!!!
   
3. With the cut side in the water, press in the center of the Pom to push the seeds out into the water. You are basically pushing it inside-out.
4. Remove any stubborn seeds and place in the water. The Membranes, pith, flesh all float to the top. Remove and discard. Any seeds stuck to anything white, remove the white portions and discard.
5. Since 5-6 Poms is a lot of seeds, I placed the seeds removed into a larger bowl with water to cover. Any white membranes that float to the top, remove and discard.
6. Repeat 1-5 until all Poms are processed.
7. With all of the seeds in a large bowl, completely fill to the top and mix with your hands to find white membranes. Remove and any seeds that float to the top. 
8. Now the hard part... In a small flat bottom glass bowl (with high sides is the best or more Pom juice everywhere!!!), use a potato masher and press firmly down on the seeds to break open. Some people use a blender or food processor - let me know how that works. You will feel and hear the seeds snap. Crush as many as possible, but it's OK to leave some whole ones.
9. Place in a 1 gallon sterile jar. 
10. Repeat process until all Poms are crushed and placed in the  jar.
11. Pour  in the entire bottle of Svenka vodka.
12. Add the cinnamon stick.
13. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off of a whole lemon. Try not to get too much of the pith (white part). Add to the mixture.
14. The original recipe says to wait 3 weeks to let steep before adding the Simple Sugar, but I added it at the beginning of the process.
15. Close the jar tightly and store in a dark, cool place for 3-8 weeks.
16. Shake the jar a few times a week to mix.
17. After the steeping is finished, pour the liqueur through cheese cloth very carefully to not agitate the Pom residue at the bottom too much (it tastes nasty). Remove the liquid as best possible and dump the remaining fruit into the cheese cloth and squeeze to get all of the liquid out.
18. When pouring into bottles, if any fruit pieces made it thru the first filtration process, filter again while pouring into bottles.