Hi everyone. I seem to have gotten into a rut with my cooking. Everything I cook seems to be the same and I just don't feel like cooking anymore. I was wondering if you could share some of your favourite recipes with me, to get me inspired. I love my crockpot, so recipes for it would be great. And I love my BBQ too!!!! Your help would be greatly appreciated!!! By the way, we are not big fish people. Here we live on the west coast and we don't like salmon. The only food I don't really like is peppers, and hubby does not like coconut. Hubby loves salads. I have never been one to try new things, and I think it must be about time, since I am so tired of the same old stuff!!!!
Thanks!
Glenda
Looking for New and Interesting recipes.My cooking is boring
Hi Glenda: I dont do much cooking in the summer - mostly cold meats and salad meals but here are a couple of chicken recipes I like.
Easy to fix and can be frozen. And one has pappers!
BAKED CHICKEN AND RICE
1 box Uncle bens long grain and wild rice
2 Tbso butter
4 chicken breasts halved( I use chicken thighs - usually get 8-l0 in the pan.)
1/4 pkg onion soup mix
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup red peppers cut into 1/2 inch cubes ( I like to put green peppers in too and dont particularly measure either)
1 10 oz canmushroom soup
1 soup can water
Spread rice in 9x13 baking pan, stir together, dot with butter
Arrange chicken on top, sprinkle with soup mix.
Arrange muchrooms and pappers on top. Add sliced onions if you wish.
Blend soup and water, heat and pour over all
Seal pan with foil, bake at 350 for 50 mins, remove foil and bake uncovered another 10 minutes.
CHICKEN WITH PEACH JAM
6-9 chicken pieces
1/2 cuo (125 ml) flour
1/2 tsp each salt and paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
Oil for frying.
SAUCE:
8 ounce jar peach jam
1.2 cup choppedonion
1.2 cuop barbecue sauce
22 tbsp soy sauce
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips.
Preheat oven to 350.
Coat chicken in flour/salt/pepperpaprika mix.
Brown chicken in large skillet in hot oil.
Combine sauce ingredients.
When chicken is golden arrange in bottom of 9x13 baking pan.
Pour sauce over.
Bake uncovered 40 minutes (reduce heat by 15 degrees if using glass pan)
Add green pepper and bake another 5-10 minutes.
If using chicken breasts baking time can be decreased to 25 minutes.
Enjoy!
carol
Thanks Carol. Those look great. I have made one similar to the first one, but there are some interesting additions in yours. The second one looks great, and I will do that one soon. Just a quick question: Is it really 22 tbsp soy sauce??? Maybe just two??? LOL
Glenda
Yeah, maybe just!
Sorry didnt proof read!
carol
2 recipes. Hi Glenda, long time no hear!
the first one, is comfort food, and MUST like tomatoes.
1 can 16 oz diced tomatoes
1 sleeve of soda crackers
salt & pepper to taste.
Use baking paper or grease the cassorle dish
pour in tomatoes, with crackers still in sleeve, gently crunch them up to smaller than bite size pieces.
add crushed crackers to tomatoes and mix.
Add a few pats of butter/margarine to top
cook uncovered in 350*F over about an hour, until it's bubbling in the middle.
Potatoes Romanoff.
I often take this when going to a potluck, so no one can take it if I'm going OK?!
It's also great made the day ahead of time.
6-8 good size potatoes
500 ml sour cream, (plain yoghurt if dieting :( )
one bunch green onions
500-750 mg of shredded medium cheddar cheese.
Boil the potatoes WITH the skins still on.
Once cool, peel and grate the potatoes into a large bowl.
Grate the cheese.
chop the onions.
Mix ingredients together, saving some cheese to cover the top.
Bake in a 350*F oven (is there any other temp to use?? not according to my mother)
covered if you can, until it's bubbling in the middle, about 1 1/4 hours.
I think they both could come under the heading of comfort food. Too bad you didn't want salmon recipes, those I have! Yummy.
Wow Linda, those both look great. I am looking forward to the tomato one. A comfort food I remember every Saturday night was when Mom made macaroni and tomatoes. How easy is that? I don't think I have ever made it in my married life, and certainly not right now as both kids don't like tomatoes. One kid is moved out, and the other is moving in August, so there will be more tomatoes around here!!!
Thanks again.
Glenda
I'll add some later - gotta get into the garden. But have you checked the recipes forum? Lots of good tips there.
Ann
Hi Glenda. Here's some of my all time favourites. I hope you find that you enjoy one of them. --Ginny
Antipasto Salad
Salad:
8 oz. canned green beans
8 oz. canned chick peas
1/2 c sliced olives
1/2 c sliced pepperoni
2 oz. sliced pimiento
Dressing:
1/3 c olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1. Combine all salad ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
2. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake well. Pour over salad and toss gently to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Drain salad immediately before serving.
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Tabouleh (small - can be doubled, tripled, etc.)
Salad:
2/3 c bulghur
2/3 c boiling water
3-4 chopped green onions
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/3 c parsley, chopped
1 T chopped mint leaves
Dressing:
2/3 oz. lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1. Combine all dressing ingredients and refrigerate.
2. Place bulghur in a bowl, add boiling water, cover, and let stand 2 hours. Squeeze out excess water if necessary.
3. Combine all Tabouleh ingredients, pour on dressing, mix lightly, refrigerate overnight.
___________________________________________________
This one has no amounts - it's flexible according to your personal tastes.
Pasta "Lite"
1. Cook pasta - amount and type of choice - linguine and fettucine work well
2. Saute: green and red sweet bell peppers - large dice (or substitution of choice), diced onion, sliced mushrooms, crumbled Italian sausage (mild, hot, or combination), as much as desired, and plum tomatoes
3. Add: Bottled Italian salad dressing and heat through.
4. Add vegetables and "sauce" to pasta, along with grated parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Serve with crusty rolls and garlic butter.
Hi Glenda :)
I use www.allrecipes.com all the time, especially when I get in a rut! People are allowed to write reviews of the recipe, so I only pick the recipes that get the best reviews.
Take care,
Kristine
Thanks ladies. Ginny, the antipasto salad looks great. I'm not a big fan of chick peas, but I will eat them. Hubby loves them. Kristine, yes, I use allrecipes quite often, but I find that so many of the recipes are the same. I look there every day though.
Keep 'em coming folks!!!!
Glenda
Great recipes here from internet friend in Whitehorse. Haven't tried them all yet, but the 2 I have made are def. keepers.
http://www.northsixty.com/kitchen/
Thanks Inanda. I will take a closer look at those, although I will definitely pass on the fish cakes!! Fish and I don't get along!!! That's what comes from growing up on the prairies and not having fresh fish.
Mango Dessert
Ingredients
3 very ripe mangoes(approx 2 cups when peeled & pureed)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup boilng water
1-1/4 cold water
1 1/2 pkts. unflavoured gelatin
1 cup cream (I use whipping cream)
Method
Dissolve sugar into boiling water
Dissolve gelatin into 3/4 cup cold water, then stir into sugar water
Add remainder cold water
When this mix is at room temp, mix in puree & cream. Stir well.
Pour into individual serving dishes or 8" square tin to cut into squares.
Chill overnight. Chill till serve.
For elderlies, I sieved the puree after using blender or whatever to puree fruit.
Oh, that looks great. And since no one else in the family likes mango, I guess it is all mine.
THANKS!!!!!
My cooking is boring too Glenda. My theory is when the cooks efforts get boring, it's time to take the cook out more often. For inspiration, you know. And there is some wonderful pre-packaged frozen food out there if you look around.
I am terrible in the kitchen lately, just don't want to be there. I figured if I change some flavours, they would think It was something special so now we barbeque and give things a shot of lemon pepper, Montreal Chicken, Montreal Beef, and Johnny's Garlic dip mix and everything is new again.
My family likes the veggies baked in foil, especially the potatoes.When it's not too hot, I often oven fry/bake them with a little oil and seasoning.
Just a thought, do you use parchment paper to line your baking pans and sheets? Crisps things up nicely and makes clean up so easy.
Will try to think up some of my favourites, but I think I need the inspiration too.
The Lazy Cook
Hi Lazy Cook!! You sound just like me. I agree about the frozen foods too. There are so many things out there that taste good, and you can buy them cheaper thanyou can make them yourself. One I have found is Bassili's Chicken Lasagna. It's really quite good. I also buy t M&M Meat Shop. A favourite in this house is the turkey meatballs, baked in BBQ sauce and served over rice. How easy is that!
Here's arecipe I tried last night and it went over big.
OF course, I adapted the recipe abit, but will tell you about that after I put the recipe here.
Sesame Pork Tenderloin
This pork tenderloin recipe is marinated then coated with a sweet sesame seed mixture.
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/3 cup soy sauce, low sodium
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 garlic cloves crushed and finely minced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons sesame seeds
Combine soy sauce, sherry, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil; place in heavy food storage bag with pork. Turn bag to coat pork; refrigerate and let marinate for 3 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.
Combine honey and brown sugar. Rub all over the pork then roll pork in sesame seeds to coat well. Roast at 375° 25 to 30, minutes or until done.
Instead of leaving the tenderloin whole, I just cut it up in small chunks. Then I used all the marinade ingredients plus the brown sugar and honey. Had it sitting in a bag in the fridge all day, then drained most of the marinade off. Put it in a shallow pan in the oven after I liberally sprinkled with sesame seeds. Served it with a white rice/wild rice mix.
By the way, I do oven roast veggies. Just drizzle them with olive oil and perhaps balsamic vinegar. Sometimes rice vinegar. Also do that on the BBQ. I bought a package of tin foil pans with holes in them, at Costco that works great. They are also good for shish kabobs, and they don't burn as readily.
Appreciate the recipes here too (we've been cheating and buying a number of Safeway's cooked chicken and meatloaf lately).
Condensed milk recipe
Makes same amount as one tin Eagle Condensed Milk
Tins used to evaporate every time I bought them, even when I removed the labels and hid tins.
Recipe is not quite as thick as tinned milk, but tastes the same in recipes.
In a blender
I cup dried powered milk
1/3 cup boiling water
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tablsp melted butter
pinch of salt
Blend well.
Rhubarb Meringue Cake
2 greased and floured 9" cake pans
350 @ 30 - 35 mins
Ingredients
Cake
4 room temp eggs, seperated
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teasp. vanilla
1 cup four
1-1/4 teasp. baking powder
1/8 teasp salt
Meringue
1 teasp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Filling
3/4 lb. chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablsp. butter
2 teasp. zest
1 to 2 teasp. ground coriander (chopped from garden in summer)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Method
Cake
Cream butter & sugar, add yolks, milk & vanilla. Mix dry cake ingredients, add to butter & sugar, mix well.
Put into 2 cake pans.
Make meringue using 4 eggwhites and other ingredients. Add half to each pan, making sure you seal meringue to edges of each pan. Sprinkle nuts onto top of one pan.
bake 30 - 35 mins in preheated oven at 350 degrees. Let cool for minimum 10 minutes before carefully removing from pans.
Filling
Cook rhubarb for 20 mins with ingredients MINUS cream. Let cool completely. Beat whipping cream till stiff. Fold into cold rhubarb and spread one halpf of cake.
Store in Fridge until served.
Rhubarb Slushie
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup water
1 cup sugar
Cook till tender
Puree in blender when cold
Add one cup apple juice
I cup vodka (I use rum)
I can pink lemonade - freeze
Serve in your tallest most elegant glasses with lemon-lime pop (soda to murricans) to taste
For kids, skip the booze.
I bag & freeze measured rhubarb in the summer for a great Christmas punch.
We had Wanda the cow, so we had tons of cream all the time.
Well, Glenda, looks like you have all the help you need! Do you have a vegetable garden? I have been known to just make up a recipe from what is abundant in the garden. One was a great success, using a massive, but still tender zucchini. I decided to just make up a stuffing, and bake it in a shallow pan with a bit of water in the bottom, and yes, at 350 degrees!!! LOL. Too funny, but it works for most things. Just vary the filling according to taste. I browned up a pound of pork sausage and drained it well, dried sliced bread in the oven (although flavored croutons might be nice, as long as you add enough tomatoes, etc, to moisten while baking) chopped onion, diced fresh tomatoes, parsley, whatever herbs you have fresh and what your family likes. If you want cheese on top, that could be done.
I just created something, and everyone liked it. Very little preparation, and all done in one large pan (covered in foil) and very easy and flexible. I never minded cooking, in those circumstances, because it was more like a creative experiment. Good luck. BAM