New Recipes
 

I've grown really tired of eating the same old stuff over and over so I am asking everyone to post a favorite recipe for a quick, easy, healthy dish that you like to make.

I've got one you might like to try. I was watching TV cooking show one day and saw someone make a Leek and Mushroom over Pasta. I could never find her recipe so I worked on my own. My husband loves it:

Prepare the leeks and mushrooms:

Good sized leek, split down the middle and sliced into thin rounds. Soak, soak and then soak the leek again to get all the sand out. People will tell you to use only the white parts, but I chop some of the green in too. Leave to drain.

Clean with dry cloth the mushrooms and slice into thick slices and any mushrooms will do.

Two pans one for leeks and one for mushrooms. Get a mix of butter and Olive Oil in both pans and bring to medium heat. Leeks take a while to saute so start those first and cook them down until they are soft. Then cook your mushrooms fast so that they don't get watery. Mix mushrooms into the leeks, add either chicken broth or vegetable broth to the pan until you have a pasta sauce. Season with pinch of hot pepper, salt and pepper or whatever you like.

Pasta should be cooked al dente and drained. Serve on hot plates and spoon leeks and mushrooms over the top. Add grated cheese. Crusty bread. Hearts of lettuce with blue cheese dressing and crumbles. Delicious!!!

It sounds complicated, but it is not, will cook in a half an hour.

And now I am waiting for someone to give me an idea for supper!

This one is easily halved;

Pasta With Mushroom Garlic Sauce Recipe - Genius Kitchen

That sound delicious. I have never cooked leeks but this does sound pretty easy. I have never met a vegetable I didn't like.

Johnny Marzetti from Central Ohio.
 

Johnny Marzetti was served at every picnic, potluck, wake and wedding when I was growing up. Even today it is a winner with the casserole scraped clean;

Johnny Marzetti Recipe - Genius Kitchen

I forgot to mention garlic when you are sauteing, loads of garlic, but you knew that didn't you!

Gracie ~ I was just talking to a forum friend about the Johnny Marzetti our school cooks served at least twice a month ~ graduated in 1968 in NW Ohio. Such wonderful women devoted to feeding children! Loved the dish! (ours didn't use any cheese)

Here's one my husband likes.
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce (or more)
sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded or sliced
grated parmesan if desired
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and mist with cooking spray. (I use nonstick tinfoil)
Butterfly or slice chicken breasts to create 4 thin cutlets. Season each piece with salt and pepper.
Spoon pesto sauce evenly onto each piece of chicken, and spread. Place in oven, and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 15-18 minutes.
Remove from oven, and top each piece of chicken evenly with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with some grated parmesan if desired. Return to oven and cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Thank you that sounds like another really interesting dish.

Making fried wontons takes forever. This worked for me.

I browned ground pork, mushrooms, apples, spinach, a little soy sauce but it could be almost anything. Using a skillet brown the square wontons a little on each side---like a chip you would dip in chile.

Then for a dipping sauce I use any kind of soy, white vinegar, hot sauce. I don't dip---I spoon the meat on the wonton and spoon a little sauce on top.

Wonton wraps freeze well.

Ooooh and I see they have gluten free wontons available. So excited these are all wonderful new dishes to try.

A cold pasta salad for the hot weather:

Greek salad dressing (mix 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup lemon guice, minced garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, pepper, 1 cup olive oil--you won't need it all)

1 lb fettucine or linguini, cooked how you like it. After draining, put in bowl and add Greek salad dressing while pasta is hot so it will absorb some of the dressing.

Add: batons of red pepper and green pepper, sliced red onion, black olives, chopped tomatoes or sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumber if desired (we don't), small cubes of cheddar. Authentically it would be feta, but feta kind of disintegrates. Cheddar holds up. More dried oregano to taste. Sometimes we serve it with shaved parmesan.

The longer it sits in the fridge the better it tastes. It can be a side or a whole meal. Nice to take on a picnic because there's nothing in there that will spoil very fast.

We like pasta salad for lunch but I have been kind of stuck to using mayo. Salad dressing sounds like a yummy change.

[off track a little]
I just got back from Aldi's but someone wanted something easy to make. They are selling California Rolls [avocado, imitation crab-made from cod fish* i think, carrot] Sushi marked down from $3 to $1, no raw fish. I bought these before and the first one didn't quite taste right "to the tooth" like when someone hands you one just made. I think the rice dries out. So I nuked the rest for 15 seconds to re-hydrate and it's almost perfect. You may need to eat it from a spoon but who cares.

*Knucky, it's definitely not tilapia :)

Melon gazpacho
I made this today--very good!

1 melon (orange flesh--I forget the name)--we have smaller melons over here, so maybe half a melon US size
3 mini cukes--I used 1/3 of one of those long English ones, and peeled it
1 red pepper chopped fine
1 yellow pepper chopped fine
3 ounces of olive oil
2 ounces of sherry vinager (I used a bit more)
Salt & pepper to taste (I didn't add)
some fresh currants or other berries to float on top
cilantro

Whiz up the first four ingredients, add the sherry & olive oil. Chill. Serve with currants & chopped cilantro on top.

However, we really like it with a dollop of this for a little kick:

Piri Piri sauce

6 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I didn't add because the pepper was really hot)
Combine and mix well; sit at room temp.