Eggplant Pita - Japan Compatible

Eggplant Pita (prep 25, cook 20, ready 45)
(If making in Japan, refer to the bottom)

Lactose Intolerant: Leave off the cheese and the ranch dressing. It should still be good.

INGREDIENTS*
• 1 small eggplant, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 pitas, halved*
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup ranch-style salad dressing (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine eggplant, mushrooms, green bell pepper, onion, garlic powder and olive oil in a skillet and fry until vegetables are gently brown and softened.**
2. Stuff hot vegetable mixture into pita bread pockets. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese into the pockets. Top the entire sandwich with ranch dressing if you wish.

Notes:
* Overall, I mostly double this recipe. That’s probably the long and short.
** There is a fine line when cooking this and it’s don’t cook it too long – especially the eggplant. If you’re a garlic lover, add just a bit extra too.

Japan Note:
I couldn't find pitas there. So, I made tortillas (which you can buy for a large sum – so putting in the work to make them is better).

Penne with Braised Squash and Greens

Had this last night, and it was quite good. I couldn't find any smoked tofu and didn't get any other kind - which was a bad choice. I think this recipe would've been great with it. Also, I couldn't find Swiss Chard so I subbed in spinach instead - which was quite tasty.

For this recipe, you either need tofu of some kind (try a more firm tofu, soft tofu will be useless and just become a pasty coating from my experience) or some chicken or something. You could probably bolster up the butternut amount some to help if you don't have tofu, but really, this would be way good with it.

A note to those having to sub chard with spinach (or kale). First, spinach is not quite as thick so it takes less time to cook. Second, when I put my 3/4 bunch of spinach in I thought, "Holy cow, that's a ton! It'll drown out everything else." How silly of me. I should've remember that spinach cooks down... way down. Go with a full bunch. If you love spinach, try a bunch and a half. It adds a great taste.

Lactose Intolerant and Japan: I think you can leave out the Parmesan and still be happy. I will tell you that I noticed the cheese taste and it was a great flavor in the mix. However, I think it will still be good even without it.

Japan eaters will you let me know if butternut squash can be located over there? I never tried to look for it, so I have no idea if it's available or not. If not, let me know and I will remove this label. Thanks.

Penne with Braised Squash and Greens

2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounce(s) cubed smoked tofu
1 medium onion, chopped
3 clove(s) garlic, minced
crushed red pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth
1 pound(s) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (3 cups)
1 bunch(es) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounce(s) whole-wheat penne, rigatoni or fusilli
1/2 cup(s) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking pasta.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add onion to the pan; cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
5. Return the tofu to the pan, add broth and squash; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Start cooking the pasta until just tender, according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
7. Add chard to squash mixture and stir to immerse. Cover and cook until the squash and chard are tender, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the squash mixture, Parmesan, salt and pepper to the pot of drained noodles. Toss to coat.

Salsa

This is an excellent recipe. Very tasty and fresh. Salsa from the store has become rather pale in comparison to the salsa made from our garden. Thank you to my friend for sharing this wonderful recipe (and your backyard!) with me . All of the comments in this recipe are from her as she explained what to do. She's amazing at eyeballing and improvising food. Her big thing with the salsa was variety.

You can add cumin to this. My friend and I were visiting one of her friends who had done this. It was described as having a bit of a smokey flavor. I didn't love it as much as this recipe, but it wasn't bad either. So, if you have a thing for cumin, you might want to try adding it in.

For my Japan friends: If you don't have banana peppers, don't worry. Just use some shishitos. Jalapenos were harder to find if I remember, so research some hot Japanese or chinese peppers. You could probably use shishitos in lieu of jalapenos, but then you won't have any kick whatsoever. I believe the name of the store I got my bottled jalapenos at was Pu-ro. They have some really good prices there and I think that's where I got my cheap shredded mozarella. Good memories.

Anyway, if you can find a fresh, hot version of an Asian pepper, that'll probably be best. Also, I can't for the life of me remember if cilantro is available to you. If it is, you can make this without too much trouble. If not, then please post and let me know so I remove the tag. Thanks.

Salsa o' Doom

8 tomatoes (I used a combination of Beefsteak, Roma, and Celebrities I believe, but any will do)

6 jalapenos. Half with the seeds, half without*

1 banana pepper (no seeds)

1 bell pepper (no seeds) (I used green but I prefer yellow for the color)**

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Juice from 2 limes

Salt to taste (this baby is loaded with sodium)

Directions:

1. Dice 5 tomatoes.
2. Dice the onion and cilantro.
3. Everything else including 3 tomatoes were chopped in my mini food processor but can be hand chopped.
4. Mix all ingredients and add salt to taste.

* If you decide you want it hotter, keep the seeds.
** Japan friends, use yellow. They're sweeter, and I noticed my Japan green bell peppers were different from the States.

Eggplant Curry

Oishi desu!

I got this recipe from a wonderful friend in Japan. What I'm relaying is totally from memory as I can't locate the recipe she wrote for us. It's sad because she has beautiful writing and her pictures are great! It's probably the reason I can remember anything. If it doesn't taste great, you'll probably have to blame it on my faulty memory. I still look for that recipe from time to time.

The key to this is getting a hold of Japanese curry. I don't have a recipe for making it from scratch. When we learned our Japanese recipes, curry was so cheap to get no one bothered to give us recipes for making it. If you go to buy some, I would recommend House brand and then S&B, but that's just me.

The packages we have are two parts of four to six squares each. We use half of one of these packages. If you get a small package with only four or six squares, use the whole thing for this recipe. For the friends with a double package like ours, remember to cut the water in half.

Eggplant Curry

150 grams of hamburger (1/3 lb)
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced*
3 medium onions
3-4 eggplants, chopped**
Japanese curry
1 square from a Hershey bar**

Directions:

1. However you make rice, work on getting that set up.
2. Cook the hamburger. Drain off the fat. Keep off to the side.
3. Cook the onions and garlic.
4. Add the amount of water specified by the curry. Then put in the eggplant and cook until barely softened.
5. Add the hamburger and curry. Stir and heat until simmering. When the eggplant is soft and the curry dissolved, add the chocolate.
6. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

* We tend to like a lot of garlic, so we go with 4 - 6 minced cloves.
** Yes, it really is that little, but it makes all the difference in the world, so don't forget it. just one little part of a full bar.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

I found this recipe on this website. It is so good! Absolutely love and enjoy this recipe. I recommend upping the amount of asparagus (because it tastes so good) to 1.5 - 2 lbs, but if you don't, it's still wonderful.

One thing. When I got to the step to reduce the vinegar I was so mad and thought, "You should've had me doing this at the beginning, it'll take so long to reduce it by that much!" Vinegar, for those that did not know, will reduce quickly. You can do it earlier, but it shouldn't slow you down too much in the order they direct.

This recipe fed three adults without sides and we all felt full. With sides, this should feed four to six people.

One last note. For my lactose intolerant friends, just remove the cheese. It's not a fundamental taste of the overall food. Leaving it out won't change it too much. Also, I'm guessing you probably have a substitute for butter/margarine. If not, then look for margarine labelled "pareve".

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

1 pound asparagus*
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon(s) brown sugar
1 pound(s) penne
1/4 pound(s) butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F and start your penne water boiling.

2. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them.** Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.*** Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

4. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt.

Serve with additional Parmesan.

Variations:

Penne with Roasted Broccoli and Balsamic Butter: When asparagus is not in season, cut 1 pound of broccoli into small spears for roasting. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes.

Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Toasted Nuts, and Balsamic Butter: Toss in 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts at the end with either asparagus or broccoli.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus, Balsamic Butter, and Chicken: Just cut up some chicken (1 - 2 breasts) and cook it in salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Blends very nicely.

* I love asparagus. I'd recommend upping the amount to 1.5 - 2 lbs.

**To snap off the hard ends, just break it where it naturally tends to break. Really, I looked it up in a couple of places. I tried it and it worked beautifully.

*** I put it into a bowl, tossed it around, then put it on a baking sheet. Worked quite nicely.

Infallible Rice

So a while back we had terrible stomach issues. I called my mother for suggestions on what we could eat that wouldn't make our innards feel like we'd swallowed nails. This was the rice she suggested and we love it! Very simple, very tasty. It's an excellent side whether your stomach is unhappy or not.

Infallible Rice

*I medium onion, minced
2 T butter
1 c long grain white rice, **uncooked
2 c chicken broth
Saute onion in butter. Combine with rice and hot broth. Bring to boil. Put in casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake at 325 for 20 minutes.

Variation: Add peas - as many as you'd like. We did about a cup.


*For IBS, you might want to use onion powder instead of the onions.
**We used left over rice and just warmed it up in the chicken broth - which I believe I reduced to about 1.75 or 1.5 cups of water with two bullion cubes. The rice became very soft and a little pasty, but it was still very tasty.

Lime Cilantro Rice

This is a great side dish. It goes very nicely with the Pork Roast that makes Sweet Pork Burritos. I forget how easy it is to find cilantro in Japan. If it's difficult, let me know and I'll remove the "Japan Friendly" label.

Lime Cilantro Rice

4 cups water
2 cups white rice (not instant)
4 T. lime juice
4 t chicken bouillon (or 4-5 bouillon cubes)
1/2 onion
4 t garlic –minced
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles—or equivalent fresh
¾ t salt
1 T butter
1/2 t. cumin

Directions:

In a blender, combine onion, garlic, cilantro and green chiles. In a large pot, bring water, lime juice, bouillon, salt, butter and cumin to a boil. Sir in rice and blended cilantro mixture. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.

Goes well with green sauce and sweet pork burritos.

Pork Roast (for Sweet Pork Burritos)

The meal I tend to eat is the Sweet Pork Burritos and Lime Cilantro Rice. I've posted them as two separate dishes, but they are quite tasty together. Thanks to my sister-in-law for this wonderful recipe. I shared it with friends and they loved it. Even my spouse, who dislikes pork, enjoyed its flavor.

*Pork Roast (for Sweet Pork Burritos)

1 3lb. pork roast (trimmed of fat as much as possible)
2 cups salsa
2 cups brown sugar

Combine above ingredients in crock pot; cook for 8-10 hours on low or 6-8 hours on high. Remove roast and shred with a fork. Return shredded pork to the crock pot and stir together with the liquid in the crock pot. Let it simmer in the liquid for more intense flavor.

Goes well with Green Sauce and Lime Cilantro Rice (side).

Additional Toppings/Sides:

Rice, prepared any way you choose
Tortillas, soft (small tortillas are easier to assemble/hold)
Cheddar cheese, grated
Black beans
Tomatoes, diced
Lettuce, chopped (I use cabbage instead to add extra 'crunch' / better flavor)
Lime/Lemon to squeeze over the top

To Serve Burritos:

Top warmed tortillas with pork, cheese, green sauce and any other fillings you like. Roll up and enjoy!

*This recipe can be served over salad, too. Omit the tortillas, put pork over lettuce and drizzle sauce over the top.

Penne Tricolore - Vegetarian or Not

I saw this and was worried by the lemon. However, it was delightful. For my lactose intolerant friends, leave out the cheese. One way we made this go a bit farther was adding chicken. I will place my chicken "recipe" at the very bottom after the notes for you who would like to add it in.

Penne Tricolore

(Optional: 1 - 2 chicken breasts cubed)
3/4 pound(s) penne rigate
*1 small zucchini, seeded and cut into 2-inch-long matchstick strips
*1 small summer squash, seeded and cut into 2-inch-long matchstick strips
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchstick strips
1/2 cup(s) Kalamata or other black olives, pitted
1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 cup(s) olive oil
Grated zest from 1 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne rigate until almost done, about 11 minutes. Add the zucchini, summer squash, and carrots and bring back to a boil. Cook until the vegetables and penne are just done, about 2 minutes longer. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the penne and vegetables.
2. In a large bowl, toss the pasta, vegetables, 6 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, olives, basil, Parmesan, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.

*Notes: Seeding Zucchini and Summer Squash: Because the zucchini and summer squash are boiled in this recipe, it's a good idea to seed them first. Otherwise, the pulpy seeds get water-logged. To remove them, cut the zucchini or squash into quarters lengthwise. Then simply cut off the seeds.

Chicken:

1-2 chicken breasts, cubed
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
Lemon Pepper

Directions:

1. Put olive oil into skillet and warm up.
2. Place chicken into skillet and add Lemon Pepper to taste. By taste, this does not mean that I'm encouraging you to lick raw chicken. I use a lot of lemon pepper, but I didn't measure it. I covered the pieces thoroughly. If you like a lot of seasoning, put a lot. If you don't, don't.

Easy Blueberry Crisp

Easy Blueberry Crisp

2 cans (21oz each) blueberry pie filling
2.5 granola cereal
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

1. Grease 3 to 4.5 quart crock pot.
2. Pour in pie filling.
3. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over the pie filling in the order listed above.
4. Cover and cook on low heat 3 hours

Makes 7-9 servings.

Jambalaya

For those that have the book, this recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen page 221-224. I love this book and recommend it again. It's for those that hate guess work, love to know the reasons why, and enjoy complicated, but delicious, food.

My caveat to everything is this: I've never had Louisiana Jambalaya. Therefore, my judgment on this is based on the fact that it tasted really good and was better than a box.

I will note that I couldn't find andouille sasuage, so I used chorizo. A friend told me that our equivalent to andouille is hot link sausage (John Morrell sells it). So, there's a hint. However, I did find that chorizo worked well. For this meal, I didn't add more cayenne because one of our dinner party didn't care for super spicy. In other situations, I would take the book's recommendation and increase the amount of cayenne.

Also, to all those seafood haters. First, I used 1/3 lb of shrimp for the one person in the group that like shrimp. That didn't add a seafood taste. Second, I was nervous to add the cup of clam juice. I despise seafood. However, friends counseled me that the clam juice doesn't make the food fishy. Based on their opinion, I added it. So you know, they are correct. This meal is not fishy. If you use shrimp for someone in your group that likes it - just pick 'em out and give 'em to that person. The meal is great, spicy, and seafood-less in taste. I highly recommend it.

Jambalaya (Serves four)

1 medium onion, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
1 medium celery rib, cut crosswise to quarters
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and quartered lengthwise
5 medium garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp vegetable oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
8 oz andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch pieces*
1.5 c. long grain, white rice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (increase amount for chorizo or linguica sausage)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/4 cup juice reserved
1 c. bottled clam juice (really, it won't make it taste like the ocean)
1.5 c. low-sodium chicken broth
2 large bay leaves
1 lb large, raw shrimp, peeled (and deveined if desired)
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until chopped fine, about six, 1 second pulses. Do not overprocess; the vegetables should not be pureed.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (we used a big pot) over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn the chicken and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the andouille; cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the chopped vegetables, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables have softened, about four minutes.
5. Add the rice, salt, thyme, and cayenne; cook stirring frequently, until the rice is coated with fat, about 1 minute.
6. Add the tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, clam juice, broth, bay leaves, and browned sausage to the pot; stir to combine.
7. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken; place the chicken, skinned-side down, on the rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir once keeping the chicken on top, skinned-side down. Replace the cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is no longer pink when cut into with a paring knife, about 10 minutes more; transfer the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
8. Scatter the shrimp over the rice, cover, and continue to cook until the rice is fully tender and the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about five minutes more.
9. While the shrimp are cooking, shred the chicken with your fingers into thin strands. When the shrimp are cooked, discard the bay leaves. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and shredded chicken. Serve immediately.

Suggestion: Corn bread and pears.

Notes:

- Andouille substitutes: tasso, chorizo, or linguica. Avoid ground and go for encased.
- Use the thighs as suggested. They have more fat and more taste. Chicken breast won't accomplish the same thing.
- To make things go faster, while things are cooking, you can group the next ingredients. For example while the chicken and andouille were doing their thing, my friend minced the vegetables and I put the rice, salt, thyme, and cayenne in a bowl. This helped to keep things moving.

Falafel and Cucumber Sauce - Vegetarian

This is a very yummy meal. I didn't have any big sides (bread and cheese and pineapple). Fruit goes really well with this meal. We had four people and it wasn't enough. Each falafel has around a 3.5 - 4" diameter. I would say people need 3 - 4 each. The sauce is great, too!

Lactose Intolerant: No sauce and you can work it out. I have no idea if they have subs for yogurt and mayo but if so, give that a go!

Falafel and Cucumber Sauce (for two to three people)

Falafel

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs
oil for frying

Cucumber Sauce

1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Directions
1. In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don't use a blender*, as the consistency will be too thin. In a blender, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth.** Stir into mashed chickpeas.
2. In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed. Form 8 balls and then flatten into patties.
3. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties in hot oil until brown on both sides.
4. In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

*I couldn't get the chickpeas to mash to save my life. So, I pulled out my little food processor and did a couple of pulses inside that. They chopped up nicely and in small bits - not a smooth paste. This worked quite well.

**I got this to work, eventually. The problem is that in a blender, the blades are so fast they throw everything around and then there's nothing to puree into smoothness. So I added the olive oil to it and continually fed it back down into the blades. Then I just left it to go for about 10 minutes and it eventually worked itself into a nice, smooth blend.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs - Crock Pot

Okay, so this was hard for me to taste, but my spouse said it was great! This can also work as an appetizer. I will advise that you go for the lower end of cooking time. I like firmer meatballs and we went a little over time. Though still good, the meatballs were a little too soft. Also, when we made this, I halved it and did not have crushed pineapple, so I used slices and asked my spouse to cut them up into bits.


Sweet and Sour Meatballs

40 frozen meatballs
1 can (14oz) crushed pineapple, w/ juice
1 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water

1. Place frozen meatballs in greased 3.5 - 4 quart slow cooker.

2. In a saucepan, combine pineapple w/ juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

3. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together, then add to simmer sauce to thicken.

4. Pour sauce over meatballs, cover and cook on low heat 3 - 4 hours. Makes 10 - 15 servings

Meatballs can be served on a platter with toothpicks as appetizers or over hot cooked white rice garnished with chow mein noodles as a main dish.

Beef Fajitas - Crock Pot

Okay, so this and the next post are based on mostly my spouse's preferences. I was not functioning in the olfactory region very well at the time.

What I will tell you about these Beef Fajitas is that they do not taste like Chili's or Applebee's fajitas. They are good - but if that's the taste you were shooting for, this isn't the recipe.

Japan: You might have to search for jalapenos. Try Pu-ro if you have one. As for cilantro, I can't remember if you all have cilantro there. Let me know if you don't, and I'll remove the label.

Beef Fajitas

1 1/2 lbs. beef flank steak
1 lg. onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 med. green sweet pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can stewed tomatoes (8 oz.)
12 flour tortillas (7-onch.)
2 tsp. lime juice (up to 3 tsp.) (optional)

Shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Guacamole (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Directions:

1. Trim fat from steak. Cut steak into 6 portions. Combine steak, onion, green sweet pepper, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic, and salt in Crockery Pot. Add undrained tomatoes.

2. Cover; cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. (Or cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.)

3. Set oven to 350°. To heat tortillas, wrap them in foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until softened. remove steak from cooker and shred. return steak to cooker. stir in lime juice, if desired.

4. To serve, use a slotted spoon to spoon steak mixture onto warm tortillas. Top with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, if desired. Roll up tortillas.

Makes 6 servings.

Latkas - Vegetarian

These are good. There's nothing shocking about them, but at the same time, they really are tasty. If fried foods don't work well with you, this isn't the meal for you. It can take a little time (unless you have a food processor - if you do, power to you). However, it is worth the time.

Latkas

4 large potatoes
1 medium onion
1 large egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
vegetable oil (for frying - not deep frying, but definitely a good layer to fry with)

Directions:

1. Grate potatoes and onion. Transfer to colander and squeeze mixture to press out as much liquid as possible. *
2. In a large bowl, mix egg, salt, pepper, flour and baking powder. Add potato and onions, and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a deep, heavy skillet.
4. Drop about 2 tablespoons of potato mixture into the pan for each pancake. Flatten with back of spoon so each pancake is about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter.
5. Fry over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp. Turn carefully with 2 spatulas so oil does not splatter.
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. Before frying each new batch, stir potato mixture. If all the oil is absorbed, add a little more to the pan.
8. Serve hot with applesauce, or sour cream, or sugar.

*Cheesecloth is a great way to help squeeze out the moisture as you can ring it out.

Found at: http://judaism.about.com/od/chanukahrecipes/r/latkas.htm

Meatball Subs - Crock Pot

I know, it's so simple, why would I post on this idea. Because, sometimes we all just want a recipe and this is a good and tasty one.

Lactose Intolerant: Just leave off the cheese.

Hot Meatball Subs

25 - 28 frozen meatballs (about 18oz)*
1 jar (26 oz) chuncky garden-style spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c. onion, chopped
Montery Jack or Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Hoagie Buns

Directions:

Combine meatballs, spaghetti sauce, onions, and garlic. Cook on low heat 4 - 6 hours. Place meatballs and desired amount of sauce on bun. Lay cheese slices on top of meat. Makes 6 - 8 servings.

*So I hate how hard it is to eat meatball subs. The meatballs are so big! So, I thawed mine, cut them in half and found it much easier to stuff my mouth with that.

Spicy Potato Soup - Crock Pot

Hello! Sorry to be so long in the writing. We ate this on Wednesday, and yesterday was pizza 'cause I was feeling lazy and sick.

The deal with this meal is that I was sick when we made it so I couldn't taste a thing. This makes it difficult for me to do a full analysis on what it tasted like. However, my spouse had some input:

"It's incredibly simple and that's the best thing about it. It's more bland, but with pepper and salt, that improves the taste. I also think that this soup could use some peas."

So, there you have it. I will put the recipe below. I personally added a ton of hot sauce 'cause I like spicy and that's about the only thing I might've been able to register. :) We did add salt and pepper to our bowls individually. I'm guessing if peas were to be added, it needs to be near the end so they don't go mushy. Also, add another potato if you want something with a bit more substance... there's a lot of broth otherwise (I'm someone who likes stew-y-er soups). Last thing, we used ground beef.

Spicy Potato Soup

1 lb. ground beef or sausage, browned and drained
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
5 to 6 cups water
3 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp hot pepper sauce

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in greased 4.5 - 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 7 - 9* hours or on high heat 3 - 4 hours. Makes 10 - 12 servings.

Variation: Omit black pepper and hot pepper sauce and replace with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning for a milder soup.

* To get the potatoes cooked, you're going to go for 8 - 9 hours. You might be able put the crock pot on high for the first or last hour to get them softer faster. Just a suggestion.

Easy Bean Soup - Crock Pot

So, we ate this on Tuesday and it was pretty darn good. It's not my favorite soup, but it is easy and our friends also enjoyed it. For us, we might make it occasionally, but as my spouse says, "It's not our favorite."

Easy Bean Soup

1 can (15.5 oz) Cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained
1 can (16 oz) pinto or red beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
2 cans (10 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chilis w/ liquid*
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth**

Combine all ingredients in greased 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 6 - 8 hours or on high heat for 3 - 4 hours. Makes 6 - 8 servings.

* For a milder soup, just use diced Italian tomatoes. If you want a stronger soup or you don't have diced tomatoes with green chilis, use diced tomatoes and dice up 2 - 3 green chilis to give it more umph.

** Use vegetable broth and voila - vegetarian!

Pasta Salad - Vegetarian

So I'm still working on getting use to the idea of posting daily - though sometimes I don't post because I've not cooked something new. Then I think, "Well, I could at least say that."

This pasta salad was given to me in vegetarian form. However, pasta salads can be toyed with so if someone would like to add some cooked chicken to it, I'm sure that would be wonderfully delicious too.

This was given to me by a friend and it makes a large amount. I would plan to share with others or expect to eat a lot of it throughout the week.

Lactose Intolerant: Though yummy, I think you can leave off the cheese and still have something enjoyable.

Pasta Salad (ingredients and directions are together)

Vinaigrette:
1 c olive oil
4 T Balsamic vinegar
2 T dried basil
1 t fresh oregano
1 t salt
3 minced garlic cloves

Put all ingredients in blender and pulse on high.

Marinade overnight:
Vinaigrette
1 lb cooked pasta (shell or spiral)*
2 T parsley
3 cloves garlic (chopped)

Add diced tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts (optional), and 1/2 lb grated cheese (mozzarella). ** Serve cold.

* I couldn't figure out how much dry I needed to make a pound cooked. I found something that said four cups of elbow macaroni made a pound cooked. I used this with my shells. It made a whole lot of pasta salad and I think spread the vinaigrette, which is quite tasty, too thin. I would recommend 3 cups of dry, small shells or spirals.

** Here is where you can be a little creative. Cold, cooked chicken might go well here. Because our family doesn't like tomatoes, we used green olives and it complimented the overall taste. The artichoke hearts are excellent as well, so I recommend them along with the cucumbers and cheese.

Spicy Rice Casserole - Crock Pot

We really enjoyed this recipe. My spouse doesn't like sausage very much, so we went with ground hot Italian sausage as opposed to pork sausage. Also, cook it on the lower end of the recipe. The rice was just a little too mushy, but again, the taste was great!

Spicy Rice Casserole

4 c. boiling water
4 beef bouillon cubes
24 oz pork sausage*
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 med. onions, chopped
4 med. green peppers, chopped
1 can (4oz) chopped jalapenos, drained
2 pkgs (6.25 oz each) long grain converted and wild rice mix, with seasoning packets

Pour hot water into greased 6 – 7 quart slow cooker already set on high heat. Stir in bouillon cubes. Brown sausage, garlic powder, and cumin in skillet. Drain. Add onions and green peppers, sauté until vegetables are tender (5 – 7 minutes). Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in jalapeno peppers, rice, and seasoning packets. Cover and cook on low heat 4 – 5 hours**. Do not overcook. Makes 8 – 10 servings.

Serve with warm cheese bread.

* We used ground, hot Italian sausage.
** Go with the shorter time.