Sunday, October 3, 2010

Quick Man's Apple Crisp

Last night on a total whim my hubbie said he was craving apple pie...so I had to come up with something. I mean who doesn't like cooked apples. I had 3 apples waiting to be used so, I created the Quick Man's Crisp.

3 apples- peeled cored and chopped
1T butter
1T Brown sugar
1/4t salt
2t Corn starch

Put the first 4 ingredients in a small pot and cook on medium low until tender. Then, drain the juices into a small dish. Whisk in the corn starch until smooth. Then, return juices to the pot. Continue to cook on low until apples thicken, then remove from heat and spoon into a small baking dish.

Turn oven on to 375 degrees.

Topping:
2 spoonfuls oats
2 spoonfuls flour
2-3 spoonfuls brown sugar
1.5 T butter
**I used the larger spoons not the cereal size spoons.

Put all ingredients into the food processor. Process until crumbly. Sprinkle crumbles on top of apples and put in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a bit. Serve with vanilla icecream.

Super yummy and definitely super easy!!!

Meal Plan Monday...on Sunday (AGAIN...lol!)

So, maybe I need to change the name again...but at least this gives me an extra day for those weeks I fall behind. This week when I asked my hubbie what he wanted for dinner he said potatoes, rice and country fried ham. Usually I listen to what he says, do my own things and try to accomodate at least 1 of his requests. If it were up for him we would eat pork chops and potatoes every night...to mix it up he might mix in some baked beans or Rice-A-Roni...hence why I do my own thing. Yet, I did try to take his requests to hear this week.


Sunday- Pot Roast with root veggies (from last weeks menu)
Monday-Cube Steaks with boiled/butter/parsley potatoes (I will have a sweet potato or zucchini) and green beans
Tuesday-Chinese Pork Stir Fry with noodles
Wednesday- LO
Thursday-BBQ Pork Slopy Joes with Latkes and a salad
Friday-Mojo Pork Burritos with Red beans/Rice and Plaintains
Saturday-Country Fried Ham with Squash and salad

Eggplant Parmesan

I LOVE eggplant, but I don't get to cook it very often because my hubbie won't eat it. Eggplants are rather large,so, to make it for just me...it make way to much! Yet, I figured I would take one night and go all out. I started the sauce at 3:45 and finished everything by 5:30. Not too bad considering the massive servings I made.

I found this recipe on a cooking message boards. I also made Chicken Parmesan for my hubbie using the same process as the Eggplant recipe. I also only made half half the eggplant...3 eggplants is def too much for one person!!!

**Tip: Read through the recipes for both before you start cooking. Your first step should be to slice and salt the eggplant before you start the sauce.

Scalini's Eggplant Parmesan


3 medium size eggplants
1 cup of flour
6 eggs, beaten
4 cups fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned
Olive oil
8 cups of marinara sauce*
1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lbs of mozzarella cheese shredded
2 cups of ricotta cheese

After you wash the eggplant, slice them into 1/4 inch thick slices. You may choose to peel the eggplant before you slice it, however you may want to leave the skin on since the skin contains a lot of vitamins. Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy. This will drain the excess moisture. Let them set for about an hour.

Working with one slice of eggplant at a time, dust with flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with bread crumbs. Saute' in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.
In baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish about an 1/8 inch from the top. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 minutes in 375 degree oven. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

Scalini's Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil
8 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 cup onions chopped
1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (if you don't have use hot sauce)
1/8 cup of fresh chopped sweet basil
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of rosemary
One teaspoon salt
One teaspoon black pepper

Lightly sauté the onions in olive oil in large pot for a few minutes. Add garlic and saute' another minute. Add tomatoes and bring sauce to boil, then turn heat to low. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Cooking from the Couch: Croatian Style Goulash

If you are not used to eating sauerkraut, this recipe may scare you a bit. Yet, if you put it in the food processor it will chop it down nicely and add a great texture to this goulash. It is also not sour (pickled tasted) because you you drain and wash the sauerkraut. So, try it out...it really is yummy!

Croatian Style Goulash:

1.5 lbs Beef (I used pot roast)
2 T Olive Oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 T paprika (hot or mild)
1 (15oz) can diced (or crushed) tomatoes
1 t sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 (15oz) can sauerkraut
3/4 c sour cream

1 pkg egg noodles

1. Trim fat from meat and cut into 3/4" cubes.
2. In a med. pot, saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Then, stir in garlic and saute for 1 minute (or until fragrant). Remove pan from heat, add paprika and swish around to combine. Return to heat and add meat and brown until it releases most of its juices. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, and salt/pepper. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
3. Remove sauerkraut from jar. Rinse in water and squeeze to remove the excess of the water. Put in a food processor or chop until it is in smaller pieces. Add to beef and simmer for 40 minutes or until tender. (Add additional water as needed)
4. Stir in sour cream and allow to thicken. While thickening, boil water and cook pasta as directed.
5. Serve over egg noodles (or polenta, rice, mashed potatoes)