Awesome Broccoli-Cheese Casserole

 

 

Awesome Broccoli-Cheese Casserole

Good stuff especially if you have a lot of broccoli you need to use up (which I do).
Recipe by Stacy M Polcyn

Prep Time: 15 mins  Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
• 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 dash paprika

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Whisk condensed soup, mayonnaise, egg, and onions together in a medium mixing bowl until combined.
3. Place frozen broccoli into a very large mixing bowl and break it up if necessary; add soup mixture and mix well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and mix well; spread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

 

Homemade Ketchup (without vinegar)

 

Before the 19th-century, "ketchup" was what people called sauces with a thick consistency. An American scientist named James Mease is believed to have invented tomato-based ketchup sometime in 1812. His formula was tweaked over the years and in 1876, Heinz, introduced bottled ketchup. Heinz is still the leading ketchup maker to this day. They sell over 650 million bottles every year. Ketchup is a staple of American cuisine, from hamburgers, and hot dogs to French fries, This version eschews vinegar for soy sauce, pineapple juice and lemon juice. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups tomato sauce

• 2 ½ tsp salt

• 2 ¼ tsp onion powder

• ¼ tsp cumin

• ¼ tsp oregano

• ½ tsp paprika

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp soy sauce (to make it healthier use 1 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos)

• 3 tbsp pineapple juice

• 4 tbsp lemon juice

• 8 tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Mix 1 cup of water with each can of tomato sauce in a bowl.

2. Mix up all the liquids. Add the spices and seasonings, then stir to combine.

3. Pour mixture into a crock pot and bring it to 160 degrees in a slow cooker Cook on high until the mixture is reduced and thick (10 to 12 hours), stirring frequently. Smooth the finished ketchup in a blender. Not only does the Crock-Pot take out a lot of the legwork, it also ensures the perfect thick consistency every time.

4. Pour into containers (preferably glass). Refrigerate or freeze.

Corn Chowder

 

It looked better in the crockpot. I sprinkled some chives on it for the picture.
This was what was left. As usual we ate some before we got a picture.

 Modified this from the Brotherhood of Locomative Engineers & Trainmen Cookbook.  It called for a pound of bacon so I subbed vege-bacon and it worked fine. You could probably use TVB based Bacon-Bits (check the label).  I reduced the recipe a little but not much.  Here's how it goes. I really liked this recipe. It'll go in the family cookbook. Lovely stuff on a cold night. Sheila had me make grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it.

Ingredients:

 1. Stripples or Morningstar Farms Breakfast Strips (to taste - I used 4 crisp strips)
 2. 1/2 cup diced onion
 3. 2-4 large Russet Potatoes peeled and cubed
 4. 1 can cream of celery soup or substitute 1 can mushroom soup + TBSP celery seed
 5. 1 15 oz can whole kernel corn (I didn't drain it - figured it needed the moisture
 6. 1 can of evaporated milk
 7  1 1/2 cup water
 8. 1-2 TBSP McKay's chicken seasoning (or Wyler's)
 9. Mashed potato flakes
10. Crockpot or Stock pot depending on how much of a hurry you're in.

Directions:

1.  Crisp your vege-bacon in a skillet or in the microwave. If you like it baconish, use more. You can always add more by popping them in the microwave and piecing them up. Don't add them to the soup just yet. If you use a skillet add the onions and saute them a bit. Otherwise just dump them into the soup from the get-go.

2. Peel and dice the potatoes. add to the pot with the onions. Hold off on the bacon till the last.

3. Add soup, celery seed if needed, corn, McKay's or Wyler's Powdered Chicken seasoning. Turn on the crockpot or put the soup pot on medium heat.

4. Add evaporated milk and water

5. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring periodically. Heat until potatoes soften.

6. Add potato flakes 1/4 cup at a time until the soup reaches the desired thickness. 

Serving Suggestions:

Is great with grilled cheese sandwiches, club crackers, saltines, Ritz crackers, or cornbread. I like it in my big giant cup with the grizzly bear on it. Perfect for a cold winter's night by the fire. I keep the leftover soup in the bog bowl with the plastic lid. It's not safe for the microwave so from there on I just fill up my soup bowl and 3 minutes in the microwave gets it hot enough to suit me.  It's very filling and you'll have a nice warm tummy all evening. One of life's decadent pleasures on a peasant's budget.

Bon Appetit'
Tom

 

Breakfast Soft Tacos

 

Breakfast Soft Tacos are very tasty and so easy to make. The insides can be adjusted to what you have in your pantry, freezer or fridge and allow you to eat Tex-Mex in the morning without people thinking you are weird. Breakfast tacos are first cousins to the famed Breakfast Burrito (which I shall describe in a later post). The soft tacos are easier than burritos since they tortillas are smaller and can be corn tortillas if you must. But do try them with warm flour tortillas, preferably homemade flour tortillas warm out of the pan.

INGREDIENTS:

• Scrambled eggs and/or Morningstar Grillers Recipe Crumbles, vegetarian sausages, sausage patties or even vege-bacon. Pick your favorite or combine them.
  
• Vegetable oil
• Salt, or (optional) seasoned salt, Creole or Cajun Seasoning, or taco seasoning)
• Velveeta style cheese (optional)
  
• Butter or margarine
• Your favorite peppers, hot, medium or mild
• Chopped onions
• Grated cheddar cheese or Fiesta Blend (Monterey Jack and cheddar)
• Picante sauce
• Sour cream
• Diced tomatoes (and lettuce if you like lettuce in the morning
• Diced black olives and/or avocado slices
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. In (preferably) an iron skillet, sautee onions and peppers in light oil until the onions are caramelized and set aside in a bowl or on a plate.
   
2. Melt butter in the skillet. Season and brown the Recipe Crumbles or what have you if you're going to use them. Set these aside in a bowl or on a plate. 
3. In the skillet melt butter, scramble your eggs with a bit of salt and maybe a little seasoned salt, Cajun or Creole seasoning (optional). I cube up some Velveeta type cheese and add to the eggs to make them fluffy. Stand over them while they cook or they get overdone and dry. Set eggs aside in a bowl or on a plate.
4. Gently warm your flour tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave or in the skillet. If you make homemade flour tortillas (recommended) prepare them in advance and keep them warm. (You should buy a tortilla press, they're totally worth it.)
5. On a bed of eggs, recipe crumbles, sausage crumbles or whatever you want in your tacos.
6. Add onions and peppers, grated cheddar, diced tomatoes, black olives, avocado slices.
7. Top with picante sauce and sour cream, fold them over and eat them (see photo above).

Serving Suggestion:

A little OJ, cup of milk, some sliced fruit and you've got a ranch breakfast worth serving to the visiting academy choir. Let them make their own soft tacos. Gives them something to do with their hands.

One of my favorite things for breakfast. Enjoy!

Tom King

Poblano Vege-Chicken Enchilada Casserole

 
Prep: 15 mins Cook:1 hr Total:1 hr 15 mins Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

•  6 tablespoons butter or margarine divided (you could even use olive oil)
•  2 cans diced vege-chicken (Loma Linda or Worthington)
•  2 fresh poblano peppers, seeded and slice into strips
• 4 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lime, halved
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pint half-and-half
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 ounces sour cream
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Step 1:  In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Drain diced vege-chicken. Sautee diced vege-chicken in olive oil in the skillet with poblano peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Squeeze the juice from one lime half over the vege-chicken. Simmer for 25 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 3: In a medium saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over low heat. Gradually stir in flour and half-and-half. Mix mushrooms, sour cream, cilantro, and the rest of the lime juice. Simmer until mushrooms are tender (about 10 minutes).

Step 4: In a 9x13 inch baking dish melt butter in the baking dish. Cut up and spread 3 tortillas. Pour half the chicken pepper mixture and one cup mozzarella over the tortillas. Pour half the cilantro sauce evenly over the first layer. Add another layer with remaining chicken and pepper mixture. Pour the rest of the vege-chicken pepper mixture and the cilantro sauce evenly over the casserole. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Step 5:  Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

 

 

Sheila's Mexican Cornbread

When I was a kid, I wasn't a fan of cornbread. Then I married my Sweet Baboo and discovered iron skillet-baked Southern cornbread. After she moved in with me in Texas, she took her cornbread to the next level with the most delicious Mexican skillet cornbread. We used to have this stuff ever once in a while and every time I found myself wondering why we didn't have this more often.  It's not hard to make and it's sure to be a family favorite. I could make a whole meal out of a skillet load of this stuff.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup stone ground corn meal 
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 cup whole kernel corn
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 cup sweet milk
• 1 small onion chopped finely
• 1 small bell pepper chopped finely
• 1 tsp. finely chopped garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• small jar diced pimiento 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers (vary according to taste)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In mixing bowl beat together eggs, soda, salt, milk, and oil 
3. Add corn meal, whole corn, onion, peppers, garlic, pimiento, and grate cheese
4. Mix well
5. Heat tsp oil in iron skillet - make sure the bottom of the skillet is oiled
6. Pour cornbread batter into skillet
7. Bake cornbread in oven until a table knife inserted into the bread comes out clean

 Serving Suggestions:

Goes great with any Tex-Mex casserole, Frito chili pie, or even haystacks. A little butter is nice but not necessary. Absolutely lovely cornbread.

Tom King

Southwestern Vege-Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Didn't dice the avocado. got in a hurry. Topped with a little sour cream.

I'm from Texas so I have to have lots and lots of Tex-Mex recipes - especially enchiladas. I have recipes for enchiladas with flour tortillas and corn tortillas. This is one of the corn tortilla types. I used several types of vegetarian chicken including Morningstar Farms chicken strips, Fri-Chik cut up into strips, Morningstar Farms Vege-Chicken Nuggets, and other vegetarian chicken substitutes. The rest of the enchilada recipe is what makes the dish good anyway.  Here we go....

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups vege-chicken cut up
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp Canola oil
• 1/2 onion chopped
• Red or green bell pepper chopped
• About 10 oz spinach, fresh or frozen chopped
• 1 1/2 cup salsa mild to hot depending on your taste
• Corn tortillas (6 inch)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack is good but so it cheddar, mozarella and once I grated up some leftover Brie), 
• 1/4 lb cubed Velveeta.
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes 
• 1 Avocado peeled and diced
• Chopped black olives
• Cilantro for garnish
• Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray
2. In a medium bowl, combine chicke, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Add to lightly oiled skillet and cook over medium high heat for 4 to six minutes until vege-chicken starts to brown. Remove and set aside.
3. Add oil to the  skillet. Add onion and pepper; cook over medium heat stirring occasionally about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the spinach. Add cubed Velveeta, diced tomatoes, milk  and salsa. Stir until melted. Add chicken srips to sauce
4. Coat a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
5. Fold sauce and chicken mixture by spoonfuls into corn tortillas and roll. Place tortilla rolls side by side in the casserole until you fill up the casserole. Spread the rest of the sauce and chicken mixture over and around the enchiladas. 
6. Cover with shredded cheese and bake 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Peel and dice avocado. Garnish the top of the casserole with avocado, black olives and cilantro. 
8. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. 

Serving Suggestion:

Serve with sweet corn and maybe a salad with a nice Ranch dressing and some tortilla chips, iced decaf tea or caffeine free Dr. P. 

Tom King.