The Autodidact

Here is something that doesn't happen often: I tried a new recipe and EVERYONE liked it. I saw it in a magazine, thought it looked good, and tweaked it significantly in order to work with what I had on hand. This will serve 6-8 people.  Sautee a finely chopped onion in olive oil; add a few cloves of minced garlic. Add about 2- 2 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon cayenne, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Mix well and cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add about 2 1/2 cups short grain brown rice, a can of unsweetened coconut milk, a cup of water and a dash of salt. Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until rice is done, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, slice thinly a few handfuls of spinach and a half of a red pepper. When the rice is cooked, add the veggies and cover. Set the table and pour the wine. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime. Delish! Shopping List: 1 onion 3-4 cloves garlic 2- 21/2 pounds boneless skinle...

  Whipped up this delicious salad today. Chopped honeydew melon and cucumber make the base of this salad. A drizzle of avocado oil and a squeeze of lemon add a nice depth. Some shredded mint, a dash or more of crushed red pepper and some sliced red onion add spice. Feta cheese mixed in gives added richness. Oh, and bacon. I had some left over from breakfast and figured it would be good. It was. Salt and pepper to taste, and you are done. It was filling and refreshing.

Poking around in an interesting keto cook book, I stumbled across a lamb stew. I did tweak it quite a bit to suit my tastes and pantry supplies, so I do consider this my own. 1 large red onion, sliced or diced to suit you 2 T coconut oil 1-2 t crushed red pepper flakes 3 garlic cloves diced or run through the press 1 T freshly grated ginger root 1 T Chinese five spice (see recipe for homemade below) 2-2 1/2 pounds lamb cubes (I used leftover lamb roast, and I highly recommend it) 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes 4- 4 1/2 C chicken broth (have roast chicken the day before and boil the carcass to use in this!) 4-5 diced prunes 1/4 C fish sauce (I found some on Amazon, but an Asian store should have it) 1 T Miso (same as above) 1/4 C soy sauce 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped Salt to taste Saute the onions in the oil until shiny, add the pepper, cloves, ginger, and five spice. Cook on high for a minute, then add the lamb and stir. Lower temp to low. Add the tomatoes, prunes and br...

New Years dinner calls for a seafood pasta dinner in our house. This year, I tweaked it to create something a bit different and new.  This will be an approximate recipe- I was cooking on the fly. Cook up your favorite pasta- this time I used Penne.  Cook some shrimp, scallops and sausage. You could use chorizo or Italian, You could also add mussels or any other meat that appeals to you. I also added green onions and bell peppers to the seafood. For the sauce, I blended in the Vita Mix some milk, Romano cheese, butter and yogurt and a pinch of flour. Once thoroughly blended, I added taco seasonings.  Mix everything in a large serving dish and serve immediately.

Here's a quick and easy one-pot dish that even the kids could make. This was adapted from an old recipe from one of my favorite cook books- More with Less. This makes enough for my family of 9 with leftover for a few lunches. Cut up: 6 cups potatoes 3 cups carrots 3 cups chopped celery 3 cups frozen corn Place veggies in a large pot with 1 1/2 cups water and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are mostly done. Add 5 cups of milk and heat- but do not boil. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese until melted. It's that simple. Enjoy!

Here's a hearty dish for a cold night. It's kind of like chili; a bit sweeter, but just as satisfying. You can either bake it in the oven, or throw it in the crock pot. Typically, I use the following: 1 can green beans 1 can wax beans 1 can kidney beans 1 can lima beans 1 31 oz can baked beans But, sometimes I can't find wax beans, or I'm just not in the mood for limas. You can use two cans of a 3 bean salad if you can't find wax beans. Also, you can use another can of the baked beans in lieu of two cans of any of the beans. It's up to you! Anyway, whip up: 1 t chili powder 1 16 oz can tomato sauce 1 6 oz can tomato paste 1/4 cup water 1 T dry mustard 1 cup brown sugar OR 1/2 cup maple syrup and a pinch of stevia powder Set aside and start browning 1 pound of bulk breakfast sausage Meanwhile, cut up: 2 onions 2-3 stalks celery When the sausage is done, combine all ingredients in a very large casserole dish, or the crock pot. Cook in th...

Here's a quick and simple meal for after church or a busy day. In a crock pot, place slices of a bell pepper and an onion in the bottom. Layer raw Italian sausage over the vegetables. Last, pour over the contents a jar of spaghetti sauce or a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, seasoned to taste with Italian seasonings and salt. Cook on high if you need this for after church, or you are in a hurry, for 3-4 hours. Cook on low if you are eating this for dinner for 6 hours or so. Serve on buns with a side of fresh baby carrots dipped in ranch dressing or a salad. Today, I had some corn on the cob that needed to be used and made for a lovely, colorful meal. \

Here's an easy Italian dish that pleases the whole family. Prep time is not long, and you can do all of it, except for the baking, ahead of time. You will need: 3 chicken breasts 4 cups seasoned bread crumbs 3 eggs olive oil- up to a cup 1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 24-30 oz (or more if you want) of spaghetti sauce Cut 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips with scissors. It's much easier to do this when the chicken is partially thawed. Whisk 3 eggs in a bowl, and pour about 2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs onto a plate. Have 2 more cups of crumbs ready to use as the old crumbs will get gummed up from the eggs. Just add crumbs as you need them. Pour about a quarter of a cup olive oil into a large skillet and heat on medium high. When your oil is hot, coat the chicken pieces with egg one at a time, and dredge through the crumbs. Place in pan and brown on one side, then turn over to brown on the other. You...

Stuffed Peppers are so simple that no recipe is really needed. But sometimes things are so simple, we forget about them! These can be whipped up in minutes but look like you fussed. They are truly comfort food on a cool evening, and are so easy.  For my crew, I cut off the tops of 14 Italian style peppers. I used about 2 pounds of Italian sausage. You can use bulk, or links (just remove the casing). You can use mild or spicy sausage. When my husband makes these, he mixes in Mozzarella cheese. Stuff the sausage in the peppers and bake at 350 or so for about 30-40 minutes. Keep an eye on them and test inside the largest pepper to make sure the sausage is fully cooked. Ready to pop in the oven. While they are baking, pull out some homemade  Italian bread  bread from the freezer, cook up some pasta and heat up some spaghetti or marinara sauce. Open a nice bottle of red wine. The peppers will brown and shrivel a bit, but they are delicious. Man...

The kids and I are studying South America this year for school, and I decided it would be fun to find traditional dishes from each country and cook as we work our way around the continent. This is a recipe that looked easy to make and used easy to find ingredients. For a large family, you will need: 3-4 pounds boneless chicken 16 ounces bacon 2 onions 6 garlic cloves 1 chili pepper 1 can tomato paste 4 t garam masala 10 allspice berries 6 T soy sauce 3 T brown sugar 2 cups chicken broth 2/3 cups coconut milk ! lg can of pork and beans 1 t salt 1 t black pepper 1/2 t nutmeg 1 T peanut oil celery leaves for garnish 1.Cut chicken into small pieces and season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside. 2,Mince onions, chili pepper and garlic. Set aside. 3.Cut bacon into small pieces and cook. Drain and set aside. 4. In a large pot, heat the peanut oil and a tablespoon or so of the bacon drippings and cook the chicken. Cook only halfway. 5...

Now here is a savory, easy and filling meal. It's not quite a taco, and it's not quite a Middle Eastern dinner, either. It's something in between. This recipe is just enough for my crowd of 9, with no leftovers. Fry together: 2 pounds ground beef 1 chopped onion 2 stalks chopped celery 1/2 diced green pepper When the meat is almost cooked, add: 4 T Worcestershire sauce 4 T soy sauce 2 t cumin 2 t Italian seasoning 1 T granulated garlic Stir in, and let cook a few minutes. At first, this combination of seasoning may not seem to go together. Trust me- they do! Serve on top of pita bread with yogurt, cheese, lettuce and tomato, and slices of avocado. Simple! For a allergen free meal, you can just load it all on a plate full of lettuce, eliminate the cheese and yogurt, and use Bragg's Liquid Aminos, instead of the soy sauce. Serve with corn chips, or use taco shells instead of pita.

Most of the time after a meal of creatively combined leftovers, I say to myself: "Well, I'm glad that's over with." But once in a while, I have just the right combination of leftovers and a bit of this and that needing to be used up, and presto! I have a meal that I would make again, on purpose! I can't quite remember how it happened, but the following ingredients found their way into one skillet: leftover baked potatoes half used up onions, chopped a variety of tomatoes, chopped some bacon, cut into pieces random mushrooms a couple of jalapenos from the garden a quarter of a bell pepper I fried them all up in a bit of butter until the bacon was done and dished it up. But then, I realized that it wasn't quite complete without 2 eggs, over easy with enough runny yolk to ooze down into my dish, and a dash of hot sauce. So, of course, I had to cook some eggs quickly. Oh my, but it was good. And most of the kids liked it too. So, now, this is a regu...

Here's a recipe so simple, I can write this from memory. Sweet and sour, this dish can be prepared in advance and clean up is a snap. Place 3-4 pounds boneless chicken in an oven-proof dish. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together: * a can of cranberry relish (or the same amount of freshly prepared cranberries), * one package onion soup mix (or 2 tablespoons each dried, minced onion and beef bullion) * a generous measuring cup of French dressing (or your own homemade version) This can be very convenient if you use the prepackaged ingredients, but not as healthful. Or, you can use homemade ingredients with a bit more effort. Either way it is delicious! You can see from the picture I used homemade cranberry relish and it does add a nice texture to the dish. Pour over the chicken and cover. Refrigerate for a few hours, or all afternoon, if you can. Bake, covered, for an hour at 325 degrees. Uncover for the last 15 minutes or so. Serve over rice with a side o...

This is an easy but messy recipe. The good news is, you can prep it up to 24 hours in advance, giving you plenty of time to clean up! 6 whole, boneless chicken breasts 12-14 thin slices ham 12-14 thin slices Swiss cheese (provolone would work, too) 1/2 cup melted butter (melt in a pie pan for easy rolling) 2 cups Italian bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, mixed in another pie pan Ziploc bag meat mallet The first messy part is flattening out the chicken breasts. You need a sturdy ziploc bag- not a cheap imitation. And a meat mallet. Don't have one? I don't either, but my husband has a handy looking tool that I borrowed, and it worked wonderfully: Anyway, just don't use a hammer, as I did the first time I made this. Not a good idea. Flatten all the breasts individually and lay aside. Mine looked like this: On each breast, lay a couple of slices each of Swiss cheese and ham: Roll up and roll it in melted butter, then bread cr...

It was one of those days when I winged it and dinner turned out great, and everyone (even the 3 year old) loved it. And now I have to write it down before I forget! Saute a flour dusted pork loin in olive oil in a skillet. (The roast I used was about 3 pounds). Brown on all sides. Transfer to an oven proof dutch oven. Cast iron is best. All measurements are approximate. In a food processor, blend thoroughly: 1/2- 3/4 cups walnuts 1/4 cup olive oil 3 T balsamic vinegar 3 T soy sauce  (or Bragg's Amino Acids) 2 T vegetable bullion 1/3 cup water 1 t basil 1 t garlic powder 1/2 t black pepper 1/2 t  tarragon 1 t parsley Mixture should be watery. Pour mixture over the roast, and cook on the stove for about an hour and a half on low heat. Transfer to a 325 degree oven and cook for another hour and a half to two hours. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable, and watch it disappear.

Store bought tortillas are convenient but can be filled with ingredients hard to pronounce or not healthful. Sometimes I make my own, and I am always glad I did. Combine 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Stir in 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 cup warm water. You will need to drizzle in some more water to get it soft and pliable. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or so. Shape into a ball, cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Divide into balls slightly bigger than golf balls, roll out on the floured surface. If you are fortunate as I am, you may have a cutie pie like this one helping you. But if not, they will taste almost as good. In a preheated, un-greased cast iron skillet, cook on each side just a few minutes. When it bubbles like this, turn over. They cook quickly, so keep an eye on them. I have two skillets going at the same time, and they are cooked up in no time. Then, you fill them with whatever you want. Tonig...

Here's a spicy and cheap one-pot meal. It was inspired by a recipe I found in one of my cook books. Combine in a dutch oven the following: 1 14 oz can and 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes 1 chopped pepper, your choice of color 2 onions, chopped 3 stalks of celery, sliced 3 cups water 1 Tablespoon bullion (I used chicken, but vegetable would be fine) 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder pinch ground cloves 1 bay leaf 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Bring to a boil, and then add 2 cups of rice (I use short grain brown rice) Cook until rice is done, then add a pound or so of cooked shrimp and a teaspoon of vinegar. Serve with hot sauce if desired. This is nicely paired with corn bread. My husband ate 3 bowls of this, so I guess I will be making this again. This easily serves 9 with leftovers (unless your husband eats 3 bowls!)

Pot Roast. I know, it's a simple thing, and hardly worth writing about. But recently, while making up my menu for the week, I found an easy recipe. But there was one problem; there was a mistake or a typo, and the instructions were confusing. So I pondered it for a bit, trying to figure out what the author meant, and decided to wing it. So this is my version (interpretation?) of a recipe found in House Specialties Encore, a lovely cook book. Put 3 tablespoons of flour,1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a ziploc bag. Add the roast and coat it with the flour mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven, and add the pot roast. Brown well on both sides. Here, I must make a note that not all dutch ovens, nor cookware for that matter are all the same. Cast iron is my favorite cooking vessel, and while other types will work, cast iron always adds such a wonderful flavor to food. I used my cast iron dutch oven for this roast. While the roast is browning, mix ...

Here's a simple chop suey recipe that is quick, delicious and simple. Cut 4 stalks of celery and 1 large onion: If you have fresh mushrooms, chop up an 8 oz package too. I don't always have fresh, so I use 2 cans. Saute the veggies in a couple of tablespoons butter. If using canned mushrooms, you can throw them in later. When the veggies are soft, add 2 or 2 1/2 pounds ground beef. This is a good time to throw in the canned mushrooms. Cook the beef thoroughly. Meanwhile cook up about 2 1/2 cups dry rice. I know, I know, you are asking about the bean sprouts, but I never seem to have those on hand. So, I just leave them out and put in extra veggies. But if you have them, by all means, throw some in! When the meat and veggies are done, add 3 cups of chicken or veggie broth. Simmer about 10 minutes. Whisk together 4 tablespoons each corn starch and soy sauce. It looks really lumpy and as if it will not mix, but it will. Add the corn starch mixture to th...