Sloppy Lentils

This is made to be a vegetarian version of sloppy joes, although I like adding a little extra liquid and eating it as a soup as well. It is SO easy to make. Just dump in a crock pot and go! Delicious!!

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
One 14.5-oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
Toasted rolls or buns (if eating as a sandwich)

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, coverand cook until softened, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, stirring to coat.

Transfer onion mixture to a 3 1/2 - 4 quart slow cooker. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water, tamari, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.

Serve on toasted rolls with a fresh batch of coleslaw. Serves 4-6

Mexican Casserole

Adapted from Kelly Jones

4 cups rice, cooked

3 ½ cups Salsa, divided (replace ½ the water with salsa for the rice.)

1 large can Refried Beans

1 can Black Beans

1 can Corn

1 lb. Ground Beef, browned

Taco Seasoning

1-2 cups Cheese, shredded

Onions, diced *optional

Bell Peppers, diced *optional

Carrots, shredded *optional

Sour Cream *optional

Guacamole *optional

Cook rice, replacing half the water with salsa or picante sauce.

Brown beef and add taco seasoning.

If using onions, bell peppers and/or carrots, sauté them for a minute or two, until just softened.

Layer in a 9x13 pan: rice – beef – optional veggies - refried beans – black beans – corn – salsa – cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with Guacamole and/or sour cream on top and use tortilla chips to eat it.

*Make meatless, just season either the rice or beans with taco seasoning instead.

Kids love to eat this with chips!

Potato Onion Frittata

This is from:

http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/03/potato-onion-frittata.html

Ingredients
4 – 5 potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled, and cubed or sliced
3 tablespoons of oil
1 onion chopped finely
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 eggs, whisked
½ cup sour cream

Directions

In an oven proof skillet, cook onion in oil until tender. (I like to use my cast iron pan.) Add potatoes and stir until potatoes are slightly browned. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, sour cream, and cheese. Pour over the potato onion mixture.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until eggs are done. Cool about 5 minutes and cut into wedges and serve.

I was surprised how easy and yummy this was!

Stroganoff Sandwiches

A twist on stroganoff - now as an open-faced sandwich! This is one of our favorites!

1 lb ground beef (cooked with onion, dry minced or fresh chopped)
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
grated cheddar cheese
tomato, sliced(optional)
green onions (optional)
1 loaf french bread*

Brown hamburger with onion. Drain off grease and add sour cream, Worcestershire, garlic salt, and pepper. Heat until slightly bubbly, turn off heat and set aside. Cut a loaf of french bread*  in half lengthwise. Butter both halves and broil until golden. Take out and spread meat mixture on both halves. Add optional toppings if desired and top with grated cheddar cheese. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Slice for individual servings

Serve with a steamed veggie

**Growing up my mom always made this with french bread and no additional toppings, just meat and cheese. Since I've started making it for myself, I usually buy hard rolls from the bakery and make individual servings instead of the entire loaf of french bread. That way I can make a fresh sandwich with the leftover meat and not have a soggy sandwich the next day. It is probably still easier to make it on french bread if you're feeding a whole family.

I still eat mine plain, but Paul really likes the optional toppings on his. In fact, most of the time I will add a small scoop of salsa over his meat instead of the tomato and green onions.

Bagel Pizzas

4 Bagels, split in half
Pizza Sauce, 1 small jar will do aprox. 16 bagel halves.
Mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni.

Spray cookie sheet with Pam.
Place Bagels with split side up and spray with Pam.
Spoon Pizza Sauce onto bagels and spread around.
Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
Place 4 Pepperoni's on each slice.
Sprinkle more Mozzarella cheese over the Pepperoni's.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Quick Beef lo Mein

Disclaimer: I got this off a blog/internet but didn't document from where. I've made it a lot and really like it.

3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 Tablespoon Chili Paste with Garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper Flakes
4 Cups cooked Whole Wheat Spaghetti noodles
2 teaspoons Dark Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon fresh Ginger, peeled and minced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Cups frozen Broccoli Florets
1 medium Onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 lb. Flank Steak, trimmed and cut across the grain into long, thin strips
thinly sliced Green onions to garnish
toasted Sesame Seeds to garnish

Directions
In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, chili paste and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat.

While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, broccoli and onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the steak and saute for 5 minutes or until done. Add pasta mixture and soy sauce mixture and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

Serve garnished with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

I don't use Chili Paste or Red Pepper Flakes because I don't like spicy food.

Pantry Tacos

This is a recipe that I threw together for lunch today. I call them pantry tacos because it is all stuff that in theory you could have in your pantry! :) They are yummy.

Pantry Tacos

1 Can of chicken (large)
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
I can of mushrooms (small)
I can of Rotelle (small)
Ranch Dressing
Fajita Seasoning
Tortillas
Cheese Shredded

Open and drain all canned food. Dump into a pot and turn on med-low heat. Sprinkle with fajita seasoning. Add ranch dressing. (I used about 1/2 bottle). Warm up tortillas and add a couple scoops of mixture and top with Cheese and enjoy!

You can also add some Spanish Rice and Guacamole if you have some on hand!

Leftover Stroganoff

Leftover pot roast, thinly sliced or cut into bite size pieces
Onion, diced
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Butter
Tarragon
Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
Milk
Sour Cream, Chives, Bacon, frozen peas (optional)

Saute onions in 1-2 Tbsp butter until they just begin to brown. Add pot roast and stir around a bit to warm up the meat. Add the cream of mushroom soup, add in a dash of milk to thin if you want. I like it on the creamy side, so I just used a splash of milk. Add 1/2 tsp Tarragon and 1/8 tsp of Nutmeg, season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir and heat through. If adding peas, add them at the end just before serving, allowing just enough time to warm up.

Serve over buttered egg noodles, potatoes, rice, a thick/crusty bread or anything else that hits your fancy.

Throw a dollop of sour cream on top and chives and bacon if you are so inclined.

This is one of those throw together meals with what you have on hand, so amounts will vary. I had a half of a roast, and used one family size and one regular size cans of cream of mushroom soup. After making it I decided that chives, bacon and peas would really be excellent with this as well. I could have eaten the buttered egg noodles all by themselves. You will want to use a more substantial noodle, etc. because the sauce is heavier and meaty. This ain't delicate, it's filling and yummy and warm on a cold night.

P.S. The 3 year olds loved it!

Shepherd's Pie Ann style

6-8 potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1 lb. hamburger
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cans green beans
Worcestershire Sauce
Ketchup
Mustard
Salt and Pepper

Chop the onion and garlic, cook until tender in a bit of olive oil. Add hamburger and brown. Add Worcestershire sauce (to taste, aprox. 1 Tbsp.), ketchup (I squirt enough out to cover the hamburger, aprox. 1/4 cup), mustard (to taste, aprox. 2 Tbsp.), salt and pepper to taste. Mix and let simmer on low while you do the potatoes and green beans.
Peel and cut up potatoes; boil until tender; mash with sour cream and butter, season with salt and pepper.
Heat up green beans.
To serve: Put a mound of mashed potatoes, then the hamburger mixture, then the green beans.
Using potato pearls, or any instant potato mix you like, makes this an even faster dinner.

Potato Cheese Soup

6 medium potatoes – peeled and diced
1 medium onion
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 cups sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese
Garlic Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put the potatoes, onion and bullion in a pan and cover with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil until tender. Do not drain.
Take a potato masher and mash, but leave some of the potatoes chunky. Add the sour cream and cheese. Stir until blended. Top with grated cheese and chives.

Note: I've been using 2 or 3 sweet potatoes in place of some of the "regular" potatoes and it turns out really yummy and a very pretty yellow/orange color.

Steak Salad

1 Steak
1 tomatoe, cut into wedges
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 onion, thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp. Butter
Olive Oil
1 tsp. Molasses
Spinach or lettuce of choice
Dressing of choice, We really like Vidalia Onion Vinegarette by Virgina Brand, or as I call it the Sam's Club dressing.

You can make the steak two ways...the first is to cook it under the broiler on high to your preference. Rub with olive oil, place in pan as close to broiler as you can get it without touching. Cook for 4-6 minutes, turn and cook another 4-6 minutes, again depending on if you want it rare, medium, well done. Remove and season with salt and pepper. Let rest for 5 minutes then slice thinly.
Or you can slice your steak and brown in a skillet with olive oil, remove and set aside. Heat butter up in skillet, thinly slice onion and add to skillet. Saute until beginning to brown, add 1 tsp. of molasses (or more depending on how sweet you want it) and continue cooking for a minute or two more. Add steak back in and heat through.
Place spinach on plate, add steak and onions, tomatoes, red onion, and walnuts drizzle with dressing.
I've made this with and without the caramelized onions, I really prefer it with, but it is just great without too.
Makes 2 servings.

Strawberry and Spinach Salad

Spinach
Strawberries, hulled and cut up
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

This was a surprisingly great combination and perfect for this time of year when strawberries and spinach are in season and cheap! Perfect for a light lunch or dinner.

Taco Salad

1 lb. hamburger, browned and fat drained
2 cans kidney beans, drained
2 bags Lettuce (I like spinach)
2 tomatoes, diced
2 carrots, shredded
1-2 Cups Shredded cheese
Catalina dressing
1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos
Taco seasoning

Brown hamburger, drain off excess fat and then add Taco seasoning, following package directions. I also add the kidney beans to the meat, but you don't have to.
Then layer your salad with what you want and then crush the Doritos over the top and add dressing.
This makes enough for 8 really big salads (Adult size)
Other topping ideas: avocado, cilantro, black beans, refried beans, rice cooked with salsa, salsa, tomatillo dressing, ranch dressing, chopped olives, cucumbers, corn, really anything goes. The Doritos and the Catalina dressing are really what makes this a bit different and yummy. It's also an easy recipe to make a lot or a little.
Stuff all the yumminess in a pita bread and you now have a yummy portable taco salad.

Party Pita Pizza

Pita's
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Pizza Sauce or
Tomato Sauce
Basil
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Any other toppings you desire.

Ingredients:

Mix seasonings with tomato sauce.

Place Pita on plate.

Spread sauce over pita.

Sprinkle lots and lots of Mozzarella over top. (Add any other toppings as desired)

Put in microwave, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watch it, it bubbles fast.
To entertain the kids let one "blow up" by cooking it a few seconds too long :).
(It won't really blow up, just get puffy like a marshmallow)

This is what you'll have!

Cut into pizza slices.

Feed to kiddo!

Have a party because dinner just took like 2 minutes!

Note: if you cooked them under a broiler or in a toaster oven you would get that nice brown toasty topping with the cheese.