Vegetable and Beef Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuits

1 stick butter

1/8 cup olive oil

¾ lb carrots, peeled and diced

¾ lb parsnips, peeled and diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

1.5 lbs ground beef

½ tbls thyme

½ tbls rosemary

2 ¼ cups self-rising flour

2.5 cups milk

1 cup of chicken stock

5 oz frozen peas

4 ozs sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1.        Preheat oven to 450
• 2.       In a large skillet, melt 2 tbls butter and the olive oil.  Add the onion, carrots, and parsnips and simmer covered for about 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender, stir frequently.
• 3.       Add the ground beef and continue to simmer until the meat is browned
• 4.       While the meat is browning, mix in a large bowl 2 cups of flour, the remaining stick of butter (melted), cheese, and 1 cup milk.  Mix well into it resembles a dough and set aside.
• 5.       Drain
• 6.       Add the beef and vegetables back to the skillet, along with the thyme, rosemary, ¼ cup flour, 1.5 cups milk, and the chicken stock.  Stir well and simmer until it thickens about 12 minutes.
• 7.       Add peas to mixture and stir, remove from heat.
• 8.       Pour mixture into 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
• 9.       Spoon biscuit dough on top, should make about 18 2 tbls scoops.  Just spread them around, they will not cover the entire top of the dish.
• 10.   Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the biscuits are done throughout and the casserole is bubbling. 

Crab Stuffed Salmon

4 Salmon Filets
2 cups crab meat (flaked)
1/2 package softened cream cheese
olive oil
garlic powder
lemon pepper seasoning
breadcrumbs

In a mixer combine crab meat and cream cheese, pulse until it is well mixed but not liquid. Split each salmon filet open on the side and stuff the mixture in, about 3/4 of a cup in each one.  Place salmon filets on side with crab stuffing up in a baking dish.  Coat the salmon with a thin layer of olive oil and the seasonings.  Top with breadcrumbs.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 mins. 

Asian Invasion Slaw

2 pkg Ramen Noodles, broken into bits (discard flavor packet)
1 head cabbage, shredded
6 green onions, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Toast almonds in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 mins until they are slightly brown.  Watch closely, they burn easily.  Mix together cabbage and green onions, set aside.
Mix dressing and shake or stir well.  Before serving add dressing, almonds, and Ramen noodles to the cabbage mixture.

Spicy Chicken Spaghetti

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 oz spaghetti noodles

1 bell pepper diced

1 onion diced

1 can cream of celery soup (you can use cream of chicken or cream of mushroom also if you don’t have this)

1 can rotel

8 oz box of velvetta cubed

Salt pepper to taste

On top of stove boil chicken  until done about 20 mins, remove chicken and cook noodles in the chicken broth for amount of time specified on package.  While the noodles are cooking, shred the chicken into bite size pieces.  Drain the noodles.  In a large casserole dish ( 9 x 13) add all ingredients and mix well.  Cover and bake on 350 until the cheese is melted about 20 mins.  I usually remove the cover and let the cheese brown on top for about 5 mins. 

Sopranos Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Beaten with a meat mallet to ¼ inch thickness

2/3 cup wheat flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup red wine

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 large jar mushrooms sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp fresh thyme

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

In a large Ziploc bag combine flour, salt and pepper.  Add chicken and shake until chicken is coated completely.    Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large non stick skillet on medium, add chicken and brown on each side 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through.  Remove from skillet.  In a sauce pan combine the chicken broth and next 7 ingredients.  Bring to boil and reduce hit until thickened.  About 10 to 15 minutes.  Serve chicken over whole wheat spaghetti noodles with about a ½ cup of the sauce mix. 

Low Carb Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls:

• 1 head cabbage, Peeled into single leaves.  Try to not tear them, removing the core with a knife first helps. 
• 1 lb lean ground beef, I like ground sirloin
• 1 white onion diced
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt, Pepper, and Chopped Parsley to taste

Tomato Sauce:

• 1 large or 2 regular size cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tbls white wine vinegar
• 1 tbls splenda, or other sugar substitute
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper

Fill a large pot halfway full of water and bring to a boil, add cabbage leaves a few at a time and boil for 3 minutes, Drain and Set Aside.  In a mixing bowl combine ground beef and remainder of ingredients for rolls.  Mix well.  In a medium skillet combine all the ingredients for the sauce and simmer on low until it thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with Pam, layer cabbage pieces that are too small to roll up on the bottom.  Use the large leaves and roll a handful of beef mixture in each one.  To roll them.  Place the meat about an inch from the largest edge, fold the sides over the meat and then roll forward.  Place the rolls in the pan, then cover with the tomato sauce.  Cover with foil and bake on 450 for 1 hour. 

Baked Eggplant and Tomatoes

• 1 large eggplant, sliced into ¼ inch circles
• 2 sliced tomatoes
• Low fat Parmesan, or cheddar cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400, on a cookie sheet place the eggplant in a single layer.  Top each piece with cheese and tomatoes.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the eggplant is soft and the cheese is melted. 

Mushroom Turkey Burgers

• ½ lb ground lean turkey meat
• 2 large Portabella mushroom caps
• 2 slices reduced fat Colby Jack Cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ white onion diced
• ¼ white onion sliced in strips
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil

Burgers:  Combine the Turkey, garlic, diced onion, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.  Mix well in large bowl, I just used my hands, then form into 2 equal size patties.  In a small skillet simmer the patties and the strips of onion on low for 15 mins on each side, covered.  Cook them until they are white all the way through.

Mushrooms:  Place on cookie sheet gill side up, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Drizzle with Olive oil  and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 mins until they are soft and darker brown around the edges.

Stack the mushroom, patty, cheese, and onions.  Eat with a fork and knife, I dipped mine in mustard and it tasted just like a great burger off the grill.  I didn’t even miss the bun. 

Not Your Average Green Bean Casserole

2 cans of French Style Green Beans

2 cans of Shoe peg or White Corn

1 small jar pimentos

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ cup diced celery

½ cup diced white onion

½ cup diced bell pepper

2 cups grated cheddar

1 cup French style onion rings

1 stick butter

In a 2 quart casserole dish combine first 7 ingredients mix well.  Top with cheese, onions, and melted butter.  Bake for 1 hour on 325 or until cheese bubbles. 

Holiday Standing Rib Roast

• 4 to 6 pound standing rib roast, boneless
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ½ cup green onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• Splash of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• Pepper

Au Jus

• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup red wine
• ½ a stick of butter

In a roasting pan place the roast fat side up on a elevated rack.  Rub the entire roast down with the mustard and sprinkle with pepper.  In a food processor combine green onion, garlic, olive oil, rosemary and thyme.  Pulse until finely chopped and mixed.  Spread this mixture over the entire roast.  Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, try to get the end of the thermometer into the center of the roast.  Place in oven preheated to 450 for 20 to  25 mins.  Then reduce heat on oven to 350 and bake until the internal temp is about 140 for rare, 160 for medium.  Usually about 1 to 1 and half hours.  Let meat stand for 20 mins before carving.  Also, it is important not to open the oven until the meat is close to done.

When the meat is about 30 mins from done combine all the ingredients for the Au Jus sauce in a shallow skillet.  Simmer for 20 to 30 mins until sauce has thicken and reduced by half.