Easy as 1-2-3

Pork Chops or Chicken: Pop 'em In the Oven

Some nights you just need a simple dish that requires little prep and gives you an hour to unwind. This is the perfect dish for those lazy, carefree evenings.

Using a deep baking dish, add the following ingredients and bake @ 400 degrees for approximately one hour. Keep covered for the first 50-55 minutes; the last 10 minutes or so, uncover the dish and cook until moisture evaporates and the top layer is crispy.

• Choose your meat: lean pork chops OR boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-4 pieces)
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (low sodium if you prefer)
• 1 can of green beans (drain before mixing)
• 1 cup of uncooked rice (white)
  
• 1 cup of water
• Once, mixed-- sprinkle ground pepper and seasoning salt to the top layer
  
• Optional (cut up about 1/2- 1 cup of fresh mushrooms)
• Optional (cut up additional fresh asparagus and/or green beans-- about 1 cup)

After the dish is baked, let stand for about 5-10 minutes. Serve with frosty cold milk.

A New Mahi-Mahi Favorite

Ginger Glazed- yum!

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
• 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper (each)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Optional (cut up one fresh green onion, and sprinkle the remaining chives)
• Optional- sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds

1. In a shallow glass dish (or Ziploc bag), stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish (or baggie). If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.** optional-- add the chopped green onion). Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm (using foil).
3. Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.** optional-- add chives and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve over rice with either fresh green beans or asparagus.

Diane's Goulash

This is a dish Rick learned from Diane. Every time he was at their home visiting, he would scarf this meal down-- even if it was weeks old. It's an easy one and makes several meals for two people.

In a large frying pan, brown 2 lbs raw burger, 1 cup of chopped onion, 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery. Brown all on medium heat. When all is cooked, drain excess fat.

Combine in a baking dish for the oven or in a crock pot:

• Hamburger mixture
  
• 2 medium cans of mixed vegetable (drain liquid off vegetables before adding)
• 2 10 oz cans of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 10 oz can of chicken with rice soup
• 6 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 cups of dry chow mien noodles

Mix all together in the baking dish. Bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour or low on crock pot for several hours.

Liquid Lunch

(Rick's Bloody Mary Mix)

This is a great drink to serve when you are impressing a group of friends or having a poker party.

Here is what you'll need~

• Pint Glasses
• If desired, salt the rims by wetting the glasses; then, on a small plate: combine favorite seasonings such as chile powder, celery salt, margarita salt-- all or one of these; set the pint glass in the rimmer mix
  
• Fill the pint glasses with ice cubes (3/4 way full)
• 1 teaspoon of horseradish (chunky; non-cream style)
  
• 3-5 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
• 3 shakes of celery salt
• 3-5 shakes of Tabasco sauce
• 2 shakes of ground pepper
• 1 shot of vodka (or more if you are in the mood)
• 2 green olives
• 1 slice of dill pickle spear (optional)
• 1 stick of celery (optional)
• Fill the rest of the pint with spicy V8 or Caesar Clamato; of course you can use any bloody mary mix
• Mix all by stirring
• An accessory is a small 6 oz. schnit of beer (pilsner) and/or a slice or lemon or lime

Two Varieties of Shrimp Meals

RECIPE #1
My sister-in-law gave me an awesome Christmas gift-- Quick and Easy Indian Cooking. In the book my favorite recipe is the Shrimp with Garlic and Chilies.

Here is that recipe as well as a few of my own adaptations. It will serve 2-4 people, depending on your appetite. Another quick hint, have your rice already cooking while you are preparing the shrimp, getting the ingredients chopped and ready to go. Rice takes around 20-25 minutes while the meal takes only 15 minutes. This is why you have time to let the shrimp stand with the spices (see below).

Ingredients:
1 pound medium-sized shrimp~ peeled, deveined, and washed, patted dry
1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup of oil (I use Olive Oil, you can use Vegetable Oil)
1/2 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped (or minced)
1 fresh, hot green chili (or 1/2 a jalepeno pepper) finely chopped-- for extra spicy do not remove the seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons (or more) finely chopped fresh cilantro

Put the shrimp in a bowl. Sprinkle the tumeric and cayenne over them evenly and rub in. Let stand at least 10 minutes for the spices to absorb. Put the oil in a wok or large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the mustard seed (be sure to cover, otherwise it pops all over the place). As soon as they begin to pop-- this takes only a matter of seconds-- put in the garlic and green chile/pepper. Let these get golden brown. Put the shrimp in shortly after. Stir and fry them over the same heat until they turn opaque. This will take 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and toss (I also add a little ground pepper). Dash the cilantro, then toss and serve over brown rice (or white if you prefer it).

RECIPE #2

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

1 pound uncooked shrimp (peeled, deveined, you may/may not want to leave tails on) 4 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced 1/2 stick butter 1/2 cup olive oil 1 cup white wine 1-2 tbsp. chopped parsley 1-2 tbsp. chopped basil Lemon wedges 2 tbsp. lemon pepper usual amount of uncooked pasta * Extra- one green onion, finely chopped (not the dark green part) Start boiling the water for pasta noodles. The prep work and cooking of the shrimp take about the same amount of time as it takes to cook the pasta. Prepping shrimp- sprinkle the chopped parsley and basil on the uncooked shrimp. Then, add the lemon pepper (and any other spice if you like extra flavor- salt/pepper/Italian spices). In a skillet add the oil and butter, saute garlic until lightly browned. (do not leave for long, or else it will get burnt). This is when you would also add the green onion if you choose to add this. Add shrimp, sqeeze the juice from a couple of lemon wedges and cook until shrimp are pink (a few minutes) and juices in pan are bubbling hot. Next, add the wine which will evaporate quite a bit. Serve shrimp with scampi sauce over the pasta, and garnish with extra lemon wedges.

Simple Taco Salad

This is a delicious and easy meal to whip up! I remember the days of swinging by a taco stand at 2 a.m. to order chips, cheese and guacamole (which was really sour cream and green food coloring). These days, I require a little healthier Mexican snack, so I hope you too will love this tasty dish.

Ingredients (I add in these items in this order):

• Bag of salad (or cut up a mixture of Iceberg and loose/leafy greens-- Farmer's Market all the way!)
• 1 avocado sliced into chunks (very important ingredient!!!)
• 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
• 1 medium sized vine ripe tomato cut in chunks
  
• about 15 sliced olives (for taste- optional)
• 1/2 a bell pepper cut in chunks (optional)
  
• crunched up tortilla chips (about 1/4 of a bag)
• cook ahead of time-- 1/2-1 pound of ground beef or turkey. After draining, I also add taco seasoning (either from the pouch or use paprika, cumin, garlic salt, pepper). Once browned and seasonings are added, let this cool for about 15-30 minutes (whatever you have time for) before adding to the salad
  
• 1 cup of grated cheese (your choice)
• creamy French dressing- I think Kraft is the best brand-- it is the Light orange one, not the bright reddish colored one (put as much as you'd like, but add it to the entire salad before mixing)

Mix all this together thoroughly with salad tongs (or your hands if they are squeaky clean and it's just for your family).

• If you would like extra yummy toppings, add fresh or store bought salsa and/or sour cream
  

Bulk Spaghetti

As I mentioned in my $ saving tips, making spaghetti in the bulk can save on cost and provide around 4-5 frozen meals. This recipe can also be used if providing for a large group. If you are providing for less than 8 people though, I would cut the recipe in half. Enjoy : )

Ingredients:

1-1.5 pounds of spicy Italian sausage- the ones in links.
Squeeze out the sausage and cook before adding to the sauce (or ground beef/ turkey). Be sure to drain the grease.
Sauce:

• 4-5 cans of Hunts spaghetti sauce (we can usually find for $1 a can when on sale). You can use any sauce you'd like.

• Chop the following vegetables: 1 medium sized white or yellow onion, 1 green or orange bell pepper, 1 jalapeno pepper, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 1/2 to 1 packet of mushrooms, 1/2 can of olives (be sure to slice), 1-2 tablespoons of fresh cut parsley, 1-2 tablespoons of fresh cut basil (Sometimes I cook the onion, jalapeno pepper and bell pepper with the meat, but other times I just throw those into the sauce)
  
• a handful of the following spices should be added to the sauce: an Italian seasoning blend, garlic salt, dried basil, dried parsley and/ or any other spice you like with pasta
  
• a new addition that we sometimes add when warming up the meal later: 1-2 slices of cooked bacon- chopped in tiny pieces.
  
• We have also added 1/2 a container of the Alfredo sauce when we warm up the sauce if we feel like a little change. It's creamy and adds some flavor. Obviously the additions are fatty, so they are extras if you can spare those calories. If you don't eat meat, this sauce is still very tasty without the meat

When reheating, cook up any type of pasta, heat the sauce, and broil some garlic bread. This meal is great with salad and a bottle of Cabernet or Barbara wine! (some of our favorites for a simple meal like this: Columbia Crest, Bogle, or Redwood Creek-- all of those are between $8-$12).