Artichoke Dip

Look for several Dip recipes this week in anticipation for the Superbowl weekend!

Artichoke Dip

1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
1 cup mayonnaise (Duke's is my favorite!)
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (buy the good stuff!)
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash hot pepper sauce (optional)
Hungarian Hot Paprika (My Favorite)
Toasted & Buttered Bread slices

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Place in a 1 quart greased baking dish. If desired, sprinkle with paprika.
2. In an uncovered baking dish, bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until top is lightly brown. Serve warm toasted and buttered bread slices. (I use a hoagie roll and slice thin round slices after the bread has been toasted!) Also, you can add spinach to make a great Spinach-Artichoke dip that is also very yummy! ENJOY!

Brown Brothers' Sausage Potato Soup

Like the Olive Garden Toscana Soup

Every year Brown Brothers' Plumbing Co. gives 10 lbs of fresh sausage to our office for Christmas. There is a mad dash to get it. One year I tried to copy the Olive Garden Sausage Potato Soup.

• 1 lb. Favorite Sausage (out of casing)
• 1 Large onion sliced
• 2 Medium potatoes cubed
• 1 Large clove of garlic, minced
• 2 cups of Kale sliced
• Chicken Broth
• 3 T. Butter
• Water
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 cup of skim milk

Brown sausage, onion, potatoes, garlic. Add chicken broth, water, butter, salt, pepper. Simmer. Before serving add kale, and milk.

For a thicker soup add a can of potato soup or instant potato flakes.

Serve with crusty bread.

Quick Vegetable Soup

Mom's Quick Vegetable Soup

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 large carrots sliced/chopped
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 medium potatoes chopped
• (washed/I never peel potatoes)
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 packet of Splenda
• 3/4 cup frozen green peas
• 1 cup frozen corn (white shoe peg good)
• 1 can creamed corn (frozen creamed corn
• is best when you can find it. Comes in a tube
• like sausage. Use about half a tube)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  1 cup of water
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder1 T. Basil

Brown ground beef, add carrots, onions, celery and potatoes. Add broth, tomatoes, Splenda, creamed corn and water. Stir in peas and corn after soup has simmered a while.

Great with Grandmothers Jalapeno cornbread, crusty bread or saltines.

Grandmother's Jalapeno Cornbread

Grandmother's Jalapeno Cornbread

1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix

1 can creamed corn

1 small can jalapeno peppers drained

(or Green Chiles)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg

Mix together, top with more cheese.

Bake at 350 a little longer than box directions, until cheese on top has browned a little. Let set. Cut in squares.

Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup

Best time to make this is after having a Spiral Ham!
But can be done using smoked turkey parts that can be found in most grocery stores these days. Wings and legs best.

1 pkg. green split peas
1 large onion sliced/chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
1 ham bone (or smoked turkey part)
1 T kosher salt
1 T ground pepper

Wash and drain peas, put in a large stockpot with the vegetables, ham bone and 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer stirring occasionally. Cook about 2 1/2 hours.

Remove bones, chop any large ham pieces into smaller bite size, stir, puree or use a potato masher for consistency you want. Can use a food processor, but not really necessary if you cook long enough.

Great with croutons or the fresh baguette slices.

Great for a cool winter day.

Ladle into bowls.

Lena's Spaghetti

Lena's Spaghetti - This is my Mom's VERY FIRST SPAGHETTI RECIPE EVER!!
Thank You Lena!

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion chopped

2 cups of mushrooms

1/2 green pepper chopped

1 can tomato soup

1 can mushroom soup

1 can tomato paste

1 soup can of water

salt, pepper to taste

3 T. Oregano

3 T. garlic powder

1 tsp. Tabasco Sauce

Brown ground beef, onions, green peppers, then add mushrooms. Add seasoning, soup, tomato paste and water. Simmer.

Today's spaghetti sauce everything is pretty much the same without the soup, but I do use Classico Tomato and Basil Sauce. I also use a lot of fresh basil when I have it and garlic cloves (usually about 3-4 chopped when browning the meat). Most of the time I add some red or white wine (about 3/4 cup), whatever is available. When cooking with any kind of tomato sauce, etc. I always add at least one packet of Splenda. Not sure where I learned this tip, but it works in all tomato dishes. Another good way to fix this is using turkey Italian sausage either the hot or sweet. When using the hot, you can leave out the Tabasco.

Serve over noodles. When cooking noodles, I always add about a teaspoon of olive oil to the water.

I have started using the multi-grain pasta. When you use this, it takes a little longer to cook.

Spinach Lentil Stew

Lentil-Spinach Stew
There is no way you can eat just one bowl of this soup! The first time we had this we decided if we ever had a restaurant we would charge a $1.00 for the first bowl, $2.00 for the second, $3.00 for the third and so on!

Simple and Delicious!

• 1 medium onion
• 3-5 cloves garlic
• (6oz, 1 cup) split red lentils
• 1 (14oz) can chopped tomatoes (with juice)
• 4 cups Vegetable Stock (more or less depending on the consistency soup you like)
  
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, or dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp ground fennel seed (this is what makes you keep coming back for more!)
  
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 medium carrots
• (9oz) fresh or frozen chopped spinach
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar (add with each serving)

1. Chop the onion.
Sauté in olive oil until soft but not browned.

2. Meanwhile, chop the garlic and rinse the lentils.

When the onion is soft, add the garlic, lentils, tomatoes, vegetable stock, Worcestershire / soy sauce, salt, thyme, fennel and bay leaf to the pan, along with (2-4 cups) stock.

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils have started to break up. Stir occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, peel the carrots and chop into 1cm (1/4 inch) cubes.
If using fresh spinach, wash, remove large stalks and chop roughly.

5. Add the carrots and spinach to the pan.
Stir until mixed, and until frozen spinach has defrosted.
Cover and simmer a further 15 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are cooked.
Remove bay leaf.

Using frozen chopped spinach gives a more homogeneous texture - fresh spinach will be in larger pieces
I sometimes like a mixture of the two.

As always, adjust to your liking! We never really "measure" or follow a recipe exact! That is the major joy of preparing and cooking food, especially SOUPS!... ENJOY!!

Mom's best pizza EVER!

New York Style Pizza dough
Fresh Mozzarella from Deli
(or regular shredded Mozzarella cheese)
Roma Tomatoes sliced thin
ground beef
1/4 thinly sliced onion (we used red)
1/8 thinly sliced green pepper
8 mushrooms thinly sliced
4 to 6 sliced proscuitto from Deli
3 T. Garlic Powder
3 T. Oregano
Salt and Pepper

First off the PIZZA dough:

We found a great frozen dough in Harris Teeter called REAL NEW YORK PIZZA DOUGH out of Brooklyn, NY. Follow Thawing directions and press into a standard baking sheet pan, shape of your choice, we like oblong. Rub dough lighty with olive oil.

Slice fresh (or grated) mozzarella cheese as first layer of pizza
Add thinly sliced Roma tomato slices
Crumble hamburger over tomato layer (not too thick)
Add thinly sliced onion, green peppers, mushrooms
Put on thin slices Proscuitto Ham
Sprinkle with Garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
Then cover entire pizza with mozzarella cheese.
Cook according to dough package instructions.
Then top with grated fresh parmesan, and red pepper flakes if desired (always on the table at the Open Kitchen!).
425 for about 20 minutes, monitor for your preference.

My mom grew up with pizza at the Open Kitchen in Charlotte, NC.
We both agreed that this is the closest we have ever come to capturing their great flavors. Since my brother and I also enjoyed the Open Kitchen, this has become a generational thing. Nice to have it at home, now that we are out of the Open Kitchen range.

Adjust toppings to your preference! and ENJOY!
and Thanks to the Open Kitchen for inspiring and pleasing generations of Pizza Lovers!

Quick Corned Beef & Cabbage

Mom's quick throw Together Corned Beef and Cabbage

From Paula Deen

1 can corned beef

4 slices bacon

1 small head of cabbage chopped

salt & pepper to taste

2 T butter

Fry bacon, take out of pan. Cook cabbage in bacon drippings until tender. Salt, pepper and add a little butter. (Paula added a lot, but really just a little taste will do). Stir in crumbled corned beef and heat through. Add crumbled bacon to top.

Can't beat it for a quick and very inexpensive dinner. For two people a half can of corned beef is enough and half the cabbage.

Mom's Microwave Shrimp Scampi

Mom's Microwave Shrimp Scampi

1 lb. shrimp (peeled)

1 lb fresh mushroom sliced

3 T. butter

3 cloves garlic chopped

Juice of one lemon

2 T. cornstarch

1/4 cup white wine

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in microwave. Add mushrooms and garlic, cook on high for 3 minutes. Add shrimp trying to keep larger ends to the outside of the dish. Cook 3 more minutes. Add wine and cornstarch. Cook until shrimp are all pink about 3 more minutes. Add parsley, salt, pepper. Stir. Serve over noodles or rice. Cooking times will vary by microwaves, but do not overcook. Test one of the shrimp when they turn pink to make sure they are firm, but overcooking will make them rubbery.

I use the Uncle Ben's 90 second pouches. This is good over the brown/wild rice mix. Noodles work too but we prefer brown rice!

Mom's Meatloaf

Mom's Meatloaf:

• 1 lb ground beef/chuck
• 1/2 large or 1 small onion chopped
• 1/3 cup green pepper chopped
  
• 1/2 sleeve saltines crushed
• ( I use fat free, about a cup)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 T. melted butter
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (I use Splenda)
• 1/4 cup vinegar

In a large bowl, mix meat, onions, green peppers, crackers, egg, butter and milk. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, 1/2 can tomato paste, 1/2 mustard. Form loaf and put in pan. With the handle of a wooden spoon make several holes in the loaf.

In a small saucepan combine rest of tomato paste, mustard, brown sugar, 1/4 cup vinegar heat and mix thoroughly. Pour over loaf, coating sides.

Bake at 350 for one hour and 15 minutes.

*NOTE* This recipe is also good to "use what you have". No tomato paste? Use catsup, then use less brown sugar. No onions? use shallots! no green pepper? try a red or yellow pepper! or spice it up with a jalapeño! The joy about my Mom's cooking is there really are no "recipes" just guidelines to follow. All measurements are done with the eyes!