Hungarian Beef Goulash

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds beef stew meat, (such as chuck), trimmed and cubed
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 1/2-2 tablespoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
Place beef in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well. Top with onion and bell pepper.
Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Pour over the beef and vegetables. Place bay leaves on top. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high or 7 to 7 1/2 hours on low.
Discard the bay leaves; skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition
Per serving (8 servings, 1 cup each): 180 calories; 5 g fat ( 2 g sat , 2 g mono ); 48 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 250 mg sodium; 298 mg potassium.

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Homemade Lasagna Noodles

Ingredients
4 cups Semolina Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Basil
½ tsp Oregano
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
1½ cups Warm Water

Instructions
Take a large bowl and put flour, salt, basil, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder in it. Mix well. Add warm water to the flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon. Now, use your hands to mix water and flour well. Clean a smooth surface and flour it lightly. Knead the water-flour mixture on it for 10 minutes and prepare dough. Divide the dough into two even balls and cover them. Leave them to stand for 15 minutes. Divide each of the two dough balls into four, equal pieces. Now, you will have eight relatively-even pieces of dough. Take one of the eight dough pieces and roll it out, with the thickness between 1/8 and 1/16 inch. With the help of a knife, cut the rolled-out dough into strips that are 3 inches wide and 6 inches long. Repeat the above two steps for the rest seven pieces of dough as well. While working on one piece, make sure to cover the rest.
Take a large pot and fill it with water. Put 1 tsp salt in it and bring it to a boil. After the water starts boiling, put the dough strips in it, one at a time. Cook for five minutes or until tender.
While the noodles get cooked, use a wooden spoon to gently move them around in the pan. Make sure not to let them stick to the bottom or sides or each other. After the desired tenderness has been achieved, drain the noodles and put them in your favorite lasagna recipe.

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Hamlin's Dip

We can't usually make a trip to Muskogee, OK without eating at Hamlin's, a Mexican restaurant famous for this dip.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup minced green olives

1/2 cup minced onion

1 quart. Real Mayonnaise (not salad dressing)

5 ounces crumbled blue cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together well. Add more buttermilk if too thick. Chill for 2-4 hours for desired results.

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Herbed Adobo Pork Chops

We had this for our Christmas dinner. It was incredibly tender and tasty. I'm not a huge fan of pork chops, but these were fantastic. On Christmas Eve, there was a huge blizzard and we weren't about to try to find the grill under the snow. We cooked this on our griddle and it was fantastic! Served it with some sauteed zucchini squash.

INGREDIENTS

6 boneless pork loin chops

2 tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. orange juice

1 tsp. dried cilantro

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cinammon

3 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

Trim fat from chops. Place chops in a plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl combine brown sugar, oil, orange juice, cilantro, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, red pepper, cinnamon, and garlic. Pour over chops, seal bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours, turning occasionally. Drain chops, discarding marinade.

For a charcoal grill, grill chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12-15 minutes or until chops are done, turning once halfway through grilling.

For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chops on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.

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Ham Crescents

Ingredients

1 can refrigerator crescent rolls

1 package thin-sliced ham

4 tsp. mustard

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

Directions

Unroll dough into 4 long rectangles. Press perforations to seal. Place ham slices on rectangles. Spread ham with mustard and sprinkle with cheese. Starting at longest side, roll up in jelly roll fashion. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned at 375 degrees.

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Ham and Cheese Manicotti

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces manicotti

3/4 pound precooked ham, cubed

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 white onion, chopped

2 tsp. garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 tbsp. butter

6 tbsp. flour

3 cups milk

2 cups Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook manicotti according to package instructions, careful not to overcook.  Drain and rinse in cool water and set aside.  Place the ham cubes in a medium bowl.  Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Saute the onion, garlic, and oregano, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the onion mixture to the bowl with the ham and let cool for 10 minutes.  Stir in parmesan cheese.

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles, about 2 minutes.  Add the milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens.  Stir in Swiss cheese.  Mix 1/4 of cheese sauce with ham mixture.

Fill manicotti shells with ham mixture.  Spread about 1/2 cup cheese sauce in a baking dish and arrange filled shells over sauce.  If there is any leftover stuffing, just sprinkle it over the filled shells.  Pour remaining cheese sauce over filled manicotti.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Sprinkle with extra Parmesan, if desired.

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Ham Steak with Chili Gravy and Cheesy Polenta

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable, peanut or canola oil, divided
1/2 pound ham steak
1/4 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 bell pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon (a few dashes) hot sauce
1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the ham steak for 3 minutes on each side to brown and heat through, then remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and cook 4-5 minutes, until soft.
Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the tomato paste and chili powder, and cook for a minute. Stir in the stock and simmer for a couple minutes more.

While the gravy is working, bring the milk and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Add the polenta and whisk for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Melt the butter into the polenta and stir in the hot sauce and cheese. Remove from heat.
Top the ham steak with the chili gravy and serve the polenta alongside.

* Rachael Ray Show, 11/5/08...we both drooled when she made this. Its on the next family menu!

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Hawaiian Stuffed Peppers

This was a recipe I created...on paper. My husband was the one who cooked it the first time and it was great (though he said he added his own special ingredients and that's what made it perfect...whatev!)

Ingredients:
1 pound Ground Beef
1 tbsp. cilantro
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Salt
4-6 Green Peppers
1 bottle Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 Onion chopped
1 can Pineapple, drained
1-1/2 cups Rice
3 cups Water
1 tbsp. butter

Instructions
PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Prepare rice as directed. Mix meat, cilantro, garlic, salt and cooked rice. Cut green peppers in half and remove the seeds. Fill each green pepper with the meat mixture. Place in baking dish. Top with sweet and sour sauce and a few pineapple chunks. Bake loosely covered at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until meat is cooked.

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Huevos Rancheros

Ingredients:
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons cilantro
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs
1/2 cup 2% shredded cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions:
1. Combine first 8 ingredients (tomatoes through pepper) in a nonstick skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer approximately 10 minutes.
2. Warm tortillas according to package directions.
3. Break each egg into a custard cup and slide gently into mixture. Cover and simmer 7-8 minutes or until eggs are done. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.
4. Place 2 tortillas on each plate; top each with tomato mixture and an egg. Sprinkle with cheese and green onion.

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Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pinch paprika

DIRECTIONS
Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

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