Ingredients:

• 1 8oz package of macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup soft buttered crumbs*

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cook macaroni in salted boiling water until almost soft (al dente). Drain well.
3. Grease a large shallow casserole dish and place a layer of macaroni on the bottom, sprinkle with cheese, butter, flour and seasonings. Continue to layer until all ingredients are used evenly in the layers. (3 layers works well.)
4. Pour milk over all. Top with buttered bread crumbs.  (*Combine 2/3 cup of bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons of softened butter and mix.)
5. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.  Serves 6 to 8.

Directions:

1. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken; cook until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add garlic, chile, snow peas, and 2 tablespoons water; cook until chicken is opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; stir in lime juice, peanuts, and if using, basil. Serve on rice or pasta if desired.  Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup diced bacon
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups cream-style corn
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups half-and-half

Directions:

1. Place the bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat, and cook until crisp. Drain and crumble, reserving about 2 tablespoons  of drippings in the pot.
2. Mix potatoes and onion into the pot with the crumbled bacon and reserved drippings. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Pour in the water, and stir in corn. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover pot. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender.
3. Warm the half-and-half in a small saucepan until it bubbles. Remove from heat before it boils, and mix into the chowder just before serving.

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, and pepper in a blender. Add hot pepper sauce and garlic, if desired. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed.
2. Pour marinade over desired type of meat. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Cook meat as desired.

MUSHROOMS:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter or margerine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 8 ounce fresh mushrooms, quartered
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth (use wine if vegetarian)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram, crushed

Directions:

1. In a large pan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat.
2. Add in the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
3. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms to the pan.
4. Cook for 6 yo 8 minutes, or until almost tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the wine or broth and oregano to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and the liquid has evaporated.
6. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.

Frozen Casseroles

Yup.  You’re already doing the work once, might as well get two or three times the benefit from it.  I really enjoy the idea of doing dishes once for 3 meals, instead of 3 times for 3 meals.  You?

So, I’m going to start a little series of recipes that are perfect for stocking your freezer (see “Wild Rice Turkey Bake” for the first one).  I have aptly named a new recipe category “Stock the Freezer!” so you can find these wonderful recipes easily.  In addition to the regular preparation and cooking instructions, I have added some extra instructions for preparation if it’s going straight into the freezer uncooked.  Oh yeah, and those little tinfoil baking dishes are a dream for freezing meals in – you don’t have to wonder where all your glass casserole dishes and Tupperware have disappeared to, and they’re all the same size so it’s easy to organize in your freezer.

I hope you enjoy.  Anything to lessen the workload, right?!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked wild rice
• 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 16 oz. pkg. frozen french cut green beans, thawed
• 17 oz. jar alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

Directions:

This recipe is “darn easy and quick and tasty and pretty healthy- what more could a girl ask for?!”  Plus, you can check out a video of how to make it on the Jamie Oliver website – and how fun is that?!  It might call for a few things that you don’t have on hand, but it’s good enough to plan for and add to your stash of favourites.

Ingredients:

• 2 naan breads
• 1 fresh red chili
• ½ a cucumber
• 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a few sprigs of fresh coriander
• 2 x 200g salmon fillets, skin on, scales and bones removed
• 1 heaped tablespoon Patak’s tandoori curry paste (which you might have on hand if you’ve ever made the Indian Butter Chicken!)
• olive oil

Directions:

1. • Preheat your oven to 110°C/225°F.
2. • Pop your naan breads into the oven to warm through.
3. • Halve, deseed and finely chop your chili.
4. • Peel and halve your cucumber lengthways, then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds.
5. • Roughly chop the cucumber and put most of it into a bowl.
6. • Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the bowl.
7. • Add the yoghurt, a pinch of salt and pepper and half the chopped chili.
8. • Pick the coriander leaves and put to one side.

1. • Slice each salmon fillet across lengthways into three 1.5cm wide slices.
2. • Spoon the heaped tablespoon of tandoori paste into a small dish, then use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to smear the tandoori paste all over each piece (don’t dip your pastry brush into the jar!).
3. • Heat a large frying pan over a high heat.
4. • Once hot, add a lug of olive oil, put the salmon into the pan and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side, until cooked through.

1. • Place a warmed naan bread on each plate.
2. • Top each one with a good dollop of cucumber yoghurt and 3 pieces of salmon.
3. • Scatter over a little of the reserved cucumber, chilli and coriander leaves and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

]]> http://mealsfortherestofus.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/quick-salmon-tikka-with-cucumber-yoghurt/feed/ 1 mealsfortherestofus lrg_1610 http://mealsfortherestofus.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/three-bean-cassoulet-bean-stew/ http://mealsfortherestofus.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/three-bean-cassoulet-bean-stew/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:44:33 +0000 mealsfortherestofus http://mealsfortherestofus.wordpress.com/?p=226 ]]> This meatless low fat main dish is full of hearty beans and vegetables.  If you really like your meat, it’d probably be really tasty with browned ground beef mixed in.  Serve over cooked brown rice for a complete meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried lima beans
• 1 cup dried great Northern beans (or other white bean)
• 1 cup dried garbanzo beans (also called chick peas)
• 4-1/2 cups water
• 16 oz. bag baby carrots
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

Directions:

1. Cover beans with cold water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain beans.
2. Combine drained beans, 4-1/2 cups water, carrots, onion, garlic and seasonings except salt, tomatoes, and tomato paste in 3-1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook for 8-9 hours or until beans and vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt, cover, and cook 1 hour longer on low. Remove bay leaf before serving. Makes 4 servings.