Hi,
I’m sure many of you out there are in the same position as me. I have a limited selection of recipes that are on a constant rotation. My family can anticipate what is for dinner just by the day of the week. I need help! I love cooking but I just don’t have time to find new recipes. Does anyone have any good recipes or websites where I can find some great meals that don’t take hours to prepare?
I was a professional chef for 13 years at some of this countries top restaurants and resorts. I am compiling a database of the recipes I have collected over the years.
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Hi Reblog
Wow, I hear you! I knew it was bad when even my kids started to complain about too much spaghetti – a staple in our house that they used to beg for. I just don’t have the time or creativity to find new ideas, and the few times I have decided to be adventurous and check my cookbooks I never have the right ingredients. I was introduced to a website from a coworker called MealEasy.com. It’s great. Weekly menu plans are automatically generated, outlining everything you need including a grocery list of all the ingredients for the week. It has saved me time and even money. I feel better that my family is eating healthier and now they all think I’m this great, creative chef! Who would have thought!
Wow, I hear you! I knew it was bad when even my kids started to complain about too much spaghetti – a staple in our house that they used to beg for. I just don’t have the time or creativity to find new ideas, and the few times I have decided to be adventurous and check my cookbooks I never have the right ingredients. I was introduced to a website from a coworker called MealEasy.com. It’s great. Weekly menu plans are automatically generated, outlining everything you need including a grocery list of all the ingredients for the week. It has saved me time and even money. I feel better that my family is eating healthier and now they all think I’m this great, creative chef! Who would have thought!
I would love to help yo uwith some new ideas , but what type of recipe’s are you looking for ?
This is one of my family’s favorites, and adapted from some recipe I found online several years ago:
Salmon Chowder
Approximately 1 pound fresh salmon filet(s)
Poach the salmon over low heat in a saucepan with a lid in about 1/2 c. water. (This will take about 15 - 20 minutes). When the salmon is done, skin it, pick out the bones and break into small chunks with your fingers, feeling for bones. Strain the poaching liquid to add to the chowder.
In another saucepan, add 1/4 c. of the chicken broth
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups chicken broth, divided (1/4 c. & 1 3/4 c.)
2 cups diced peeled potatoes (plunge into cold water to keep them from turning brown)
1 cup sliced carrots, (cut in half lengthwise first, then thinly sliced)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 small zucchini, (cut in half first, then thinly sliced)
1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
about 2 cups cooked salmon chunks (see above)
Directions
In the second saucepan, cook onion, celery, and garlic in 1/4 cup broth until tender. Drain the potatoes. Add potatoes, carrots, seasoned salt if desired, dill and remaining broth. Add the poaching liquid from the salmon. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add zucchini; simmer for 5 minutes. Add corn, milk and salmon; heat through.
This serves 6, depending on appetite.
With a loaf of artisan bread and a green salad this is a filling and “comfort-food” meal for a cool day.
This one was printed in our local newspaper. It is courtesy of a very good restaurant in Michigan.
Charlie’s Crab Chowder
1/4 C. olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 C. onion, finely diced
1/2 C. celery, finely diced
1/4 t. basil
1/4 t. oregano
pinch of thyme
8-10 whole plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces (or 2 C. stewed tomatoes, finely chopped without the juice)
1 C. tomato sauce
6 C. clam juice
1 lb. boneless pollack cut into 1 inch cubes (you may use blue fish, striped bass, trout and catfish too)
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
salt to taste
In a (4 quart) soup pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic. When the garlic turns brown remove it quickly with a slotted spoon and discard. Reduce the heat. Add celery, onions and spices to oil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce; simmer for 5 minutes. Add clam juice and pollack.
Cover and bring to a boil. Remove cover and boil for 10 minutes longer. With a wire whisk, whip soup to break up fish into pea-sized flakes. Reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Add parsley and salt to taste. You may also serve by ladling soup over rice primavera in a soup crock.
Yield 8 servings
And I copied this off PBS when they were having a fundraising/recipe drive. This was demonstrated/cooked by a Fireman. (Fireperson?)
Fast. Easy. Good.
Firehouse Chicken ‘n’ Dumplings
Time-saver tip: Use refrigerated canned biscuits for the “dumplings”
6 c. water
1 small can (~10.25 oz) of cream of chicken soup
1 small can (~10.25 oz) of cream of mushroom soup
Stir together, over low heat until well combined
Add:
10-14 oz chicken broth
1 t. garlic powder
1 medium to large onion, diced
½ t. Freshly ground black pepper
Heat and stir well
2-3# of cut-up chicken; your choice (bone-in or bone out, any cut)
Drop the chicken in, bring to a boil and stir for about 20 min.
2 cans refrigerated biscuits
Drop in the biscuits and cook for another 20 min or so. (Fireman says he did not cover. Try either way. This makes a rather “soupy” Chicken & Dumplings).
Serves about 12. We have frozen this, but not the dumplings. Perhaps they would freeze okay but we’ve never tried that.
Another recipe copied off a PBS fund drive. It sounds wierd, but if you like the flavors of Reubes, chances are, yu will really like this!
Reuben Pizza
Ingredients for the filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1+1/2 cups chipped corned beef, chopped; OR 1 (16-ounce) can corned beef, crumbled
1 (15-ounce) can sauerkraut, slightly drained
Ingredients for the pizza:
2 (16-inch square or round) pre-baked pizza shells
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 tsp. caraway seeds
Directions to make the filling:
Place the ingredients for filling into a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low setting fior about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until ready to assemble the pizza.
Directions to make the pizza:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spoon the hot filling onto each shell, and spread filling evenly to cover dough to edges. Sprinkle with the cheese and caraway seeds (season with caraway seed to your taste). Bake for 14 minutes (or 7 minutes on each rack, to bake evenly). Cool for 10 minutes before serving. The filling will be very hot.
Note: Variation: Instead of using this filling for pizza, it also can be a warm dip for rye bread pieces. Hollow out a round rye loaf, and use the insides for dipping pieces.
A friend gave me this one, but I do not know where she got it.
5-ingredient casserole
1 c. converted rice
1 qt. (28 oz) canned tomatoes
1 lg onion
1 bell pepper (we prefer red over green)
1# kielbasa cut in angled segments
Preheat over to 350. (Also makes a wonderful crockpot dish). Cut everything in rather large chunks. Slice the bell pepper about 1” wide, turn & cut into chunks. Plunk into casserole dish. Chunk the onion & plunk on top of the pepper. Put kielbasa on top. Put rice on top and tomatoes on top of that. Stir. Cover. Bake 2 hours, check after 1 1/2 hours and add more liquid if necessary.
Serve with a pat of butter on the top.
We really like this one:-D
Wisconsin Cheddar Soup Veloute recipe
From the family vaults of Kevin Taylor, the BBQ Guru
4 cups chicken stock
2 leeks, white part only
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
6 sprigs fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups Wisconsin Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup dry white wine
Chop the leeks and add them plus the other veggies and turmeric, parsley and chicken stock. Bring to boil.
Simmer for 1 hour. Cool and strain.
Reheat and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water. Cook and stir until slightly thickened.
Shred the cheese and add. Add the paprika, white pepper and nutmeg. Heat gently to melt the cheese.
Beat together the egg yolks and the half-and-half.
Whisk in 1/2 cup of the soup and then add this mixture to the soup. Reheat but DO NOT BOIL.
Add wine and adjust seasonings with salt.
And a friend and I have been sharing this one. We think it may also have been copied from a PBS fund drive…
Hot Chicken Salad
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 c. diced cooked chicken, mostly dark meat.
½ c. diced onion (or use green onions)
½ c. diced celery
½ c. chopped egg with some chopped pimento (or red pepper) added
½ c. mayonnaise
½ c. sour cream
Combine the soup, mayonnaise and sour cream in a bowl. Stir together well. Add the egg & pimento and the celery and onion. Stir. Add the chicken. Stir together well. Pour in the bottom of a greased 9x13” baking pan. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Add layer of butter-crushed potato chips, Ritz crackers or corn flakes. Bake another 10 minutes.
This is another one, given by a friend. And I don’t know where she got it.
CHICKEN POT PIE LASAGNA
12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed and well drained
1 tsp. ground thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 (15-oz.) carton low-fat ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Spray a Dutch oven or a large skillet with cooking spray; place
over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and sauté 4
minutes or until cooked through. Drain well and set aside.
Recoat Dutch oven with cooking spray and place over medium-
high heat until hot. Add mushrooms, carrots, and onions;
sauté 6 minutes. Set aside.
Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk,
stirring with a wire whisk until blended; stir in sherry & thyme.
Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes or
until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and red
pepper. Reserve 1 cup of sauce and set aside.
In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, and
the Swiss cheese. Combine sautéed vegetables, peas, and
chicken in another bowl.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom
of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Arrange 4 of the cooked lasagna noodles
(3 lengthwise, 1 widthwise) over the sauce. Top with half of the
ricotta cheese mixture, half of the chicken mixture, and half of
remaining sauce mixture.
Repeat layers, ending with 4 pieces of lasagna noodles. Spread reserved 1 cup of sauce over the last complete layer of lasagna, being sure to cover lasagna completely.
Cover lasagna with foil and bake 1 hour. Uncover lasagna, sprinkle
remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on top and bake an additional
5 minutes, uncovered. Re-cover and let stand 15 minutes before
serving.
This was from about 5 years back from a now-defunct recipe exchange website. It was posted by a member who called herself “Katza”. It’s simple and good. The wine adds depth.
Lasagne
Brown together:
1 lb. hamburger
1t. salt
1/4t. pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1t. basil
1/2t. thyme
1t. oregano
1t. Worcestershire
1t. Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1 large chopped onion
Drain when meat is cooked and then add:
1 lg. can whole tomatoes, crushed 28 or 32 oz.
2-6oz. cans tomato paste
1/2 can water of tomato paste can
Simmer one hour.
After simmering add 1/2c. red wine.
Fix about 10 noodles as directed on package, you will use nine.
Mix 1 egg with a tub of ricotta cheese and set aside.
In baking dish, put little sauce in bottom. Add 3 noodles, sauce and cheese. Repeat from noodles until ingredients are gone. save some sauce for the top then use mozzarella cheese to top off. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
This one was demonstrated by a chef, cooking on a TV News show
Chef Dan’s Bowtie Pasta, Goat Cheese Cream Sauce, and Shrimp
12 oz. Bowtie Pasta
11 oz. Chèvre Blanc
1 Cup Half & Half
Salt & Cayenne Pepper to taste
20 pieces 16/20 Shrimp
3 Cloves Garlic Minced
1 oz. Olive Oil
Broccoli
Red Bell Pepper
Yellow Squash
Cook pasta al dente.
While pasta is cooking heat half & half in sauce pan. Add chèvre when warm stirring to combine for sauce. Season.
Sauté shrimp with garlic in olive oil.
Boil vegetables in salted water.
Plate pasta, cover with sauce, garnish with shrimp and vegetables.
Serves 4, depending upon appetite and quantity of vegetables used.
This one was also demonstrated/cooked on TV by a restaurant chef. It’s really good! 
ANGEL PASTA AL FRESCO
Description: Fedelini (thin-angel hair pasta) garlic, shallots, chicken stock, Roma tomatoes, basil, Parmesan-Reggiano, extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients:
1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. Garlic Puree
2 Tbsp. Fresh Shallots
8 oz. Chicken Stock (can stock OK – organic better)
8 oz. Fedelini Pasta (can use standard angel hair pasta)
½ tsp. Kosher Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
½ oz. Real Butter
1 cup Diced Fresh Roma Tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Basil
¼ oz. Shredded Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese
Procedure:
Cooking Tips:
Extremely simple Fettucine Alfredo - also courtesy of a friend:
FETTUCINE ALFREDO
1 # Fettucine, cooked al dente
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup light cream
1/4 lb. butter
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
Heat cream, butter and cheese to almost-boiling, add egg yolk, whisk well, and pour over drained noodles.
Serves 4
Another from television:
Emeril’s Pasta
> See this recipe on-air on 10/23/2001 at 8:00 PM ET.
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 1999
3/4 pound pepperoni, sliced in half, lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1/2 pound assorted mushrooms (portobello, shiitake and button), sliced
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons garlic
1/4 cup torn basil
3 cups spinach, chiffonade
2 cups veal demi-glace
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 pound fresh fettuccine, cooked al dente
Place pepperoni on a hot grill (or iron skillet), cut side down. Grill for 3 minutes per side.
Remove from the grill and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté for 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the grilled pepperoni, garlic, basil and spinach. Sauté for 3 minutes or until spinach has begun to wilt. Add the veal demi-glace and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add the heavy cream and bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Add the pasta and toss well.
Season with salt and pepper.
Yield: 4 to 5 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Courtesy of TGI Friday’s (and very good!)
Garlic Chicken Primavera for 2
INGREDIENTS
Chicken Breast, 4oz. wt., Garlic Marinated 2 ea. (recipe below)
Oil, Olive 2 oz. vol.
Onions, Red, Diced, ½” 3 oz.
Peppers, Red, Diced, ½” 3 oz.
Zucchini, Diced, ½: 3 oz.
Tomatoes, Sundried, Julienne 2 oz.
Sauce, marinara 4 oz. vol.
Lemon, Juice, Fresh Squeezed 2 lemons
Pasta, Fettuccine, Cooked 12 oz.
Salt and pepper To Taste
Basil, Fresh, Julienne Garnish
Cheese, Parmesan, Shaved 2 Tbsp.
METHOD
GARLIC MARINADE
Garlic, Fresh, Minced 1 oz.
Parsley, Fresh, Chopped 2 Tbsp.
Oil, Olive 1 oz. vol.
METHOD
Courtesy: TGI Friday