Stuffed Zucchini

2 med.-lg. zucchini

1# ground beef and pork

1 med. yellow onion - chopped

1c chopped mixed sweet peppers

2-3 stalks cellery - chopped

1-2T extra virgin olive oil

2T tomato paste

¾-1c sour cream

1c seasoned croutons - crushed

Scrub the zucchinis, cut lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Place on a parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan.  Saute the meat with the onion, peppers and celery in the oil.  When cooked, tilt the pan and blot the grease with paper towels.  Stir in the next three ingredients and spoon into the zucchini shells.  Bake at 350⁰ for 45 - 60 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the meat mixture is bubbling.  This is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner! . . . Lin

Another Healthy Dog Food Option

1 5oz. chorizo sausage

1# sliced side pork

⅓ purple cabbage

2 chopped carrots

2 sweet potatoes

2c cauliflower

2 stalks celery

2 big chunks of oatmeal cornbread

I was organizing and cleaning out my 'fridge and freezer and this was all in my throw-away pile.  Then I realized, if put together properly, this could be another option to supplement the dry food I feed my dogs.

Start by finely chopping any freezer-dried meat you want to use for this.  Chorizo is pretty spicy, so I decided to only use one sausage.  The other two went back in the freezer for another dog food adventure!  To this I added the finely chopped, old, tired out, cabbage, celery and carrots.  Cover and simmer this slowly, to bring out all the fat in the meat, for a half hour or so, stirring occasionally until everything's starting to sizzle and snap.  If needed, add a little bit of water, then cover and continue to cook until the meat is done and the vegetables are soft.

At the very end, I add the crumbled, gluten-free cornbread I found in the back of the freezer.  I have a 14-year old Pitbull mix dog that has bad issues with grain in her diet.  I've been feeding her grain-free dry food for many years, which totally fixed the digestive problems she used to have.  She does well with oatmeal and cornbread that contains no wheat, and just loves it.

I only use these homemade dog foods as a supplement to their usual dry food.  They normally each get 1c of dry in the morning and evening.  When I make homemade food for them I cut their dry amount back to ½c for the evening feeding only, mixed with ½c of their usual dry food and some hot water.  I let it sit for a while to warm up the homemade food, which I store in the fridge in a Tupperware type container.  Needless to say they're smacking their doggy-lips while they wait. 😋 

If you decide to cook for your pups, PLEASE research what sort of foods they can and canNOT have.  Dogs are very sensitive to raisins, grapes, chocolate, garlic and onion. . .among others.  These can all be quite toxic to dogs.
Be Bold, Adventurous and try cooking for your Furry Buddies!  They'll love it! . . . Lin

Elk Roast With Vegetables

1 can cream of mushroom soup*

1 can water*

1 pkg. powdered onion soup*

fresh ground black pepper*

4 heirloom carrots - scrubbed

2# (grass fed) elk roast

2 lg. potatoes - peeled

1 lg. sweet potato - peeled

1 sm. head green cabbage

3 lg. cloves fresh garlic - smashed

In your crock pot, combine first four ingredients. Slice carrots, potatoes and cabbage in half. Coat the carrots with the soup mixture and put cut side down in the bottom of the pot. Coat the meat and potatoes as well, arrange everything in the pot and cook on medium or low until done. *This mixture can be used with chicken, venison, beef, lamb and buffalo with excellent results every time. . .Lin

Chorizo Meat Loaf

1# of lean ground beef

¼# chorizo sausage

4-5oz. crushed saltines

1 egg

1c± milk

1 med. chopped onion

Using clean hands, combine everything in a big mixing bowl. Form into a loaf and bake at 350° for an hour. Cover and let stand 5-10 minutes so the juices can settle and cuts are cleaner. Serve with your favorite fresh and steamed vegetables. . .Lin

Hungarian Goulash

1# pork sausage

or (ground beef or finely chopped stew meat)

2 med. onions

28oz. petite diced tomatoes

1 15oz. can tomato sauce

1T sugar

¼c finely chopped garlic

or~ ½c finely chopped elephant garlic

1c sour cream

Saute and break up 1# seasoned, ground pork sausage (ground beef or finely chopped stew meat). Add 1 of the onions, finely chopped, continue to saute' until translucent and just lightly browned. Drain off any excess grease before adding tomatoes and sugar. Simmer at least a half hour, then add the other rough chopped onion and garlic. Continue to simmer another half hour. Add the sour cream just before serving, bring back to a simmer. Serve over linguini. . .Lin

A Sailor's Breakfast

My Granddaughter and her boyfriend, both Lake Superior racing sailors, are visiting right now so this name seemed appropriate.

5 russet potatoes, peeled, chunked and half cooked

½# precooked sausage
(ours was locally raised and wonderful!)

1 lg. onion – slice-chopped

* Cook chopped sausage in a little butter a few minutes, until the whole house smells wonderful. Add onion and reduce heat. Cook a few minutes then add drained dried potato pieces. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done the way you like them. Serve with eggs and / or cantaloupe slices. . .Lin

* I blogged this as I was cooking.  It actually needed to be modified a bit.  At the very end I added some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Then to create a sauce I stirred in about 2/3c sour cream and a little A-1 Steak Sauce.  This worked beautifully but may not be necessary for your taste if it doesn't appear too dry.

Classic Beef Stew

This is great chilly weather food. It can also be made with Venison, Elk or Bison (Buffalo) and will turn out great every time.

1½# very lean stew meat

2T Balsamic vinegar

2T extra virgin olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes and juice

½–1 pkg. dry onion soup

Brown the meat in the vinegar and oil. Brown it very well, adding a little water to the pot, from time to time, to keep it from sticking.

When meat is very well browned, add tomatoes and onion soup. Simmer, covered for an hour, adding water, a little at a time, as needed. Then add the following rough chopped vegetables:

3 big carrots

2 big potatoes

3 stalks celery and tops

2 medium onions

Simmer another half hour. This is best chilled at this point and reheated later. Serve as is or with buttery, crusty Italian bread. . .Lin

A Hodag-Country-Fest Breakfast

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a large glass pie pan. Chop and arrange the following ingredients in layers, covering the bottom evenly with each:

some chopped Lit'l Smokies* optional

separated broccoli florets

sliced pieces of red (yellow, orange, green or purple) sweet peppers

chopped tomato

chopped onion

vertically sliced pieces of kohlrabi for crunch

whisk together:

4 eggs

½c milk

1-2T self-rising flour

Pour this over the vegetables in the baking pan. Sprinkle with 2oz. shredded sharp cheddar or Swiss cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes, until quiche' is set and a knife inserted half way between edge and center, comes out clean. Serve with fruit and/or sliced vegetables. Shown are tomatoes and kohlrabi, cantaloupe craisins and prunes. (Fruit is best when sliced, combined and refrigerated the night before).  Serves 4-6. . .Lin

Smoked Turkey Pasta Salad

¾c craisins

2T capers

3 dill pickles

1sm red onion-chopped

2 stalks celery-sliced

mayonnaise-enough to hold it all together

1# smoked turkey, ham or chicken

1½c dry pasta, shells, penne or bowties

This recipe wasn't supposed to happen! However, when you come home with 1# of what was supposed to be sandwich meat, only to have it crumble when you try to separate it. . .well. . .when the Deli guy hands you crumbly smoked turkey. . .you make Smoked Turkey Salad! Combine all together except pasta. Cook pasta until almost done. Drain and mix with all the other ingredients in a large bowl. For turkey salad sandwich spread, omit the pasta. . .Lin

Dressing for Reuben Sandwiches

pickles – dill, sweet or a mix of both

¾c mayonnaise

¼c catsup

2T  spicy-seedy mustard

Chop pickles very fine and combine with the other ingredients. We had a piece of unsliced corned beef leftover from our St. Patrick's Day dinner yesterday. This was my first attempt at Reuben sandwiches so this may not be traditional, but they turned out well and tasted great.

Spread the insides of the bread slices with dressing. Top with corned beef, Swiss cheese and drained sauerkraut. Grill or eat cold. With a little water added to loosen it up, this dressing would also be good on salads. . .Lin

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

1 Corned Beef Brisket - remove or leave fat on

3 carrots - cut in big chunks

1½c celery - sliced

½ large red onion - cut in wedges

½ head green cabbage - cut in wedges

5 Yukon Gold potatoes - scrub and leave whole

Simmer the Corned Beef, covered, 2-3 hours in enough water to cover roast, with spices included in package. After 1½ hours, add carrots and celery. After 2 hours, add remaining vegetables and continue to simmer another half hour. . .Lin

Muffin Cup Quiches

8oz  ham, smoked turkey, crisp-cooked bacon, etc.

1sm onion

1c± broccoli florets

2     sticks smoked string cheese

Chop all above into small pieces and arrange in a muffin tin. *

3    beaten eggs

¾c milk

3T  self-rising flour

1T  vegetable oil

pepper & salt

Beat these ingredients together, pour over vegetable-meat-cheese cups then let stand on counter 5-10 minutes. Bake @ 350° about 18 minutes until set. If needed, switch to low-broil for a few minutes to brown the tops. Serve with fruit or vegetables. Makes 12 mini-quiches. A Facebook friend posted a picture of something very similar to these, but I couldn't access the recipe. The great visual helped me create it myself. Thanks for the idea Janice! . . Lin

* Mine stuck to the pan.  I'd suggest greasing the pan well or using foil muffin tin liners.

Lit'l Smokies-Root Vegetable Stew

½ 13oz pkg. Lit'l Smokies

1 med onion-chopped

1T Rosemary Seasoning

3c celery & carrots-chopped

3 sm purple turnips-sliced

4 baby bok choys-sliced

1 lg kohlrabi quartered-sliced

celery tops

1 can white beans drained-rinsed

Cut the Lit'l Smokies in half and saute' with about 1/3 of the onion and Rosemary Seasoning in 1T butter. Add 1-2c water and continue to simmer with carrots and celery. After about 5 minutes, add turnips and bok choy. Simmer, covered another 5-10 minutes.

Add kohlrabi, rest of the onion, celery tops and simmer another 5 minutes. Then add beans, stir, heat another 5 minutes. Serve with cornbread, biscuits or crusty Italian-French bread. . .Lin

Spaghetti And Meatballs

Meatballs:

1-1/4# very lean - 96/4% ground beef

1/3#  Italian sausage

1       egg

1/2c  milk

1/2c  Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1T     Rosemary Seasoning

Combine all in a bowl.  Let stand 10-15 minutes then mix again and form into 2-bite meat balls.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.  Drain on brown paper or paper towels.

Red Sauce;

1 sm-med  onion

1 lg elephant garlic clove

1T   extra virgin olive oil

1T   Rosemary Seasoning

1-2T  sugar

Combine and carmalize-saute' all the above, then add:

1/2c  chopped calamata olives

1/2c  chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 can  crushed tomatoes

1 can  petite diced tomatoes

Stir together and simmer this for a couple hours.  Check thickness and flavors.  Add sugar, salt or pepper and/or tomato paste if needed.  Just before serving, add as many meatballs as you need (you can freeze the rest.)  Bring the sauce to a low simmer for 5-10 minutes, just to blend the flavors and heat the meatballs.

Serve over spaghetti with a salad (and brownies?). . .Lin

Dinner In No Time.....

1/2  13oz package of Lit'l Smokies

2     carrots - chopped

1     stalk of celery - chopped

1 lg clove elephant garlic

1 T  butter

1 T  extra virgin olive oil

2 T  balsamic vinegar

1- 1/2 c  cooked spaghetti

Combine all the above - except the pasta - in a non-stick pan.  Saute' until the vegetables are almost done.  Add pasta, stir and continue to cook until heated through.  The balsamic vinegar brings out all the flavors so nicely. . .Lin

A High Protein Breakfast, Lunch or Snack

4oz smoked ham
4oz Swis cheese
3T onion

3 sweet mini-peppers

Rice cake, English muffin, bagel

Using a food chopper, chop onion, peppers and ham. With a sharp knife finely chop the cheese. Combine all in a small bowl, with a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise. Drop a couple spoonfuls on your rice cake, etc. Microwave just enough to melt the cheese a little. Serve with fruit or vegetable sticks. Makes enough for 3-4 servings. . .Lin

Vegetable Rice Pilaf (and pork roast)

2T  dehydrated vegetables

2T  water

3/4c  any kind of 20 minute rice

2T  butter

1/2 sm  onion - finely chopped

1-1/2c  water - or chicken broth

Seasonings:  Seasoned Salt, pepper

and some powdered chicken bullion

**3c  chopped fresh vegetables

Mix the dehydrated vegetables and water in a custard cup.  Microwave a minute or so to get the water to a quick simmer.  Let stand 30-60 minutes to rehydrate.


Dry toast the rice in pan, stirring and shaking 5-10 minutes to give a nutty flavor and brown it a bit.  Add butter and a little of the onion, stir and brown another 5 minutes.    At this point you can just add the water, cook until it absorbs and serve the pilaf as is.

**If you want more of a combination:  vegetable, rice pilaf side dish, add the water and fresh vegetables as shown.  Slowly simmer, steam until rice absorbs the water and vegetables are barely tender.  I served this with a 1-1/2# pork roast, cooked uncovered, in the oven at 350° for about an hour or to an internal temperature of 160° on a meat thermometer.  Also shown is 'Nancy's Cranberry Festival' cranberry sauce.  'Plum Conserve' would also be excellent.  Both recipes have been posted here earlier.

Leftovers — We did have them - and I had a couple ideas. . .

~ I'll slice then cube the pork and quick fry that with a little more onion in 1T of butter to brown the meat.  Add the vegetable rice pilaf, stir and saute' until everything's warm to make a Vegetable Pork Stir Fry.

~ Another idea would be to slice the pork thin and make Pork Ruben Sandwiches with rye bread, drained sauerkraut and some thin sliced Swiss cheese.  Put that together and either grill, or heat a little, to warm and melt the cheese. . .Lin

Sausage and Red Bean Stew

4oz  (2 bratwurst type) sausages

1med  onion - chopped

4sm    carrots - chopped

1/4 sm head of cabbage - chopped

1lg      Yukon Gold potato - chopped

1 can   red beans - rinsed and drained

1/4-1/2 can Cream of Onion (celery, mushroom, etc.) soup

Remove casings and brown the sausages, chopping them up a little, in about 1T butter and a handful of the chopped onion.  Brown and add a little water to deglaze the pan.  Do this several times then add the remaining onion, carrots, cabbage and a little more water.  Simmer 5-10 minutes.  Next add the potato, beans and soup and a little more water if needed.  Simmer another 5-10 minutes to cook the potato chunks and heat the rest of the ingredients.  Makes 2-3 servings. . .Lin  

First-Snowfall-Of-The-Winter Elk Roast

We're so lucky to have an Elk Ranch not far from here.  I bought this roast from them at one of our Wednesday Downtown Markets this summer.  Tonight seems like the perfect night for it.  This never-fail 'recipe' is one I use for all good quality lean red meat roasts.  It also works well for pork and chicken.

2-3#     roast - beef, pork loin, elk, venison

                         or boneless chicken breasts

1 can   cream of:  Campbell's mushroom, (onion, 

             asparagus, celery, chicken, etc.) soup

1 pkg  Lipton's dry onion soup

Put fresh (or frozen-thawed) meat into crock pot.  Mix soup, 1 can of water and dry soup together and pour over the meat.  Cover and cook on high until it's a bubbling mass.  Turn the heat down, move the meat around a little so it doesn't stick.  Check in an hour or two, move it around again and add water or a little wine if needed.  Cook on low-medium just so there's a little bubbling going on - for 3-5 hours.  Serve with roasted potatoes, onions, carrots - or - steamed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes, using the soup-liquid in the pan for gravy.  Put the roast on a cutting board and let it rest, covered for 5 minutes before slicing.  MmmMmm Good!  :o)

Today's vegetables were an assortment I combined then cooked separately from the meat.  Fresh sliced peppers, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes and frozen green beans, minimally cooked then buttered. . .Lin

Pasta, Kale and Kidney Beans

1 bunch of green and purple kale

3/4c   dry pasta

1/4c   dehydrated vegetables

1 med    onion-chopped

12 oz     turkey sausage

15.5 oz  can of dark red kidney beans

  rinse and drain well - then rinse and drain again!

1/2c   sour cream

1T      balsamic vinegar 

Cook the first 3 ingredients together for 10± minutes.  Drain in colander.  Meanwhile, in a big non-stick pan, combine a little of the onion, chunks of turkey sausage and brown in a little olive oil.  When well browned, add rest of the onion and saute' until that's translucent.  Add the beans and kale mixture to the sausage.  Heat and blend then add sour cream and vinegar, stir and serve. . .Lin