Meatloaf in a Slow Cooker

Autumn is in the air and it's time again to
think about slow cooking in crock pots.
Here is a recipe I have for cooking a real
tasty beef meatloaf using a slow cooker.
The crock pot does the work all day long
and when you get home a meatloaf is awaiting.

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
2 large brown shelled eggs
1 cup Quaker brand oats
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared brown mustard
1 tablespoon prepared barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon prepared dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
some tomato ketchup if you must on top

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine ground beef, eggs,
oats, brown sugar, mustard, barbecue sauce,
soy sauce, dried onion, ground black pepper.
Place it into the crock pot or slow cooker.
Top it with tomato ketchup if you desire to.
Cook on low setting for 8 or 10 hours.
And because you're always pressed for time
Stop by your grocery for some  pre-made sides.
Mashed potatoes and buttered corn is a good thing.

Lemon Chicken Chow Mien

I created this soup using canned ingredients.
Calling it a soup is kind of a stretch but it
just tasted so good to me with the lemons.
I wish they made this in the can already.

Ingredients:
1 bi-can of La-Choy Chicken Chow Mien
1 fresh lemon, zest and juice of
1 package Ramen noodles, cooked
Directions:
Heat up canned chow mien,
Cook Ramen noodles as directed.
Combine both in a mixing bowl.
Add in the zest and juice of lemon.
Serve.

Lima Bean & Spam Soup

Summer is almost over in New England.
and it's time for thinking about hot soup.
Get one of those colorful cans of Spam,
a can of Lima beans to easily create a good
tasting and satisfying stick to your ribs soup.
Along with an onion, carrot and some celery,
this soup spells comforting with a capitol S.

Ingredients:
1 can of Spam, chopped
1 can of Lima beans
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 Celery stalk, peeled and chopped
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 cup of Orzo pasta

Directions:
Open the can of Spam and chop it up,
open up the can of Lima beans.
In a soup pot place the chopped Spam,
can of Lima beans, onions, carrots, celery,
add in the can of stewed tomatoes, and the
add in the cup of Orzo pasta. Cover and
simmer on low heat for about 1 hour.

Bacon Dressed Salad

When I was young I'd listen to the radio,
waiting for them to air my favorite songs.
Grandma in the background singing along.
She put together this really simple salad.
It works well with any fresh leafy greens.
She even made this using dandelion greens.
One of her best salads was with watercress.

Ingredients:
fresh salad greens
rendered bacon grease, warm

Directions:
In a bowl mix the greens with the bacon grease.
Serve garnished with cheese, pepper as desired.

Potato Chip Dip

When I was was young I'd listen to the radio.
Munching on potato chips between each song.
With this potato chip dip it tasted so good along.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Real mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon clover honey

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, use as a dip.

Removing Meat from Lobster Legs

I always have trouble removing the meat from
the lobster legs that I have boiled or steamed.
Most of the time I throw the legs away thinking
it to be too much trouble to get out to little meat.
Use a baking rolling pin to roll the meat out.
Hmmm.
I'm going to get me a lobster just to try this out.

Snacking on Canned Tuna

When I was young one of the best snacks
on earth was to open up a can of tuna fish.
Back then a can of tuna fish was 6 ounces,
today with the down sizing of things it's 5 ounces.
Packed in water or in oil, your choice, drained.
Eaten right out of the can with some mayonnaise.
Simple, no cooking involved and good for you.

Ingredients:
1 can of tuna fish
1 tablespoon Real mayonnaise

Directions:
Using your teeth or a can opener,
open up the can of tuna, do not remove lid.
Using your fingers and holding the can
over the kitchen sink, press the lid into the can.
drain most of the liquid out of the canned tuna.
Remove lid and dump tuna into a mixing bowl.
stir in Real mayonnaise and use a spoon to serve.
At this point you can put it between slices of bread.

12 Pita Pocket Pizzas

These small size pizzas are great for parties.
You can make them ahead of time and
serve them at room temperature or cold.
I keep things simple with the ingredients.

Ingredients:
12 Pita pocket breads
12 tablespoons pizza sauce
12 deli sliced pepperoni (optional)
12 deli sliced provelone cheese
12 dashes dried oregano

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange pita pockets side by side on
an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
Spread pizza sauce on each pita then
top with cheese, a dash of oregano and
if using a slice of deli sliced pepperoni.
Bake until almost browned and cheese
has turned all melted into gooey goodness.

Garlic Pita Pocket Pizza

Use pita pockets to make garlic bread,

or add on some cheese to make pizzas.

I remember doing this from the 1970's

and it still tastes very good to this day.

Easy to make and the kids love them.

Ingredients:

4 Pita bread pockets

1 tablespoon butter

dash of garlic powder

Directions:

Place pita pockets on counter and

spread some butter on the top of each.

Sprinkle with garlic powder and place

them side by side in a toaster oven.

Toast until they brown and puff up a bit.

Remove and slice into serving size pieces.

How to Peel Fresh Peaches

I learned to peel whole peaches this way
from my Grandmother many years ago.
She canned the fruits for winter storage
and baked up the best tasting peach pies.
This method for removing the peels
works for fresh tomatoes as well.

Ingredients:
12 whole fresh peaches
hot water to boil peaches in
cold water for shocking peaches

Directions:
Fill a large bowl with cold ice water.
Place peaches in a large soup pot.
Cover with enough water about 1"
Remove peaches from water and cook
on high heat, bring water to a rolling boil.
Carefully place peaches into boiling water,
bring water back to a boil, remove peaches,
Placing them right into the bowl of cold water.
Let cool for about 2 minutes, then peel.

How to Shuck Fresh Corn

Shucking whole fresh corn on the cob,
removing the silk can be a difficult task.
Use the microwave to steam the corn
only for a few minutes allows you to
squeeze out the whole corn easily.

Ingredients:
2 whole corn on cob

Directions:
Cut the stalk end off the corn and
place them on a plate in the oven.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes,
then remove and squeeze the whole
corn on the cob out of the husks.
They come out cleanly with no silks.
Ready to be cooked, boiled or grilled.

Easy Way Peeled Garlic

I found an easy way to peel garlic cloves.
Simply place them on a plate and cook
in a microwave oven on high setting,
for only a minute or so, the peels fall
off each clove of garlic like magic.

Fresh Mexicorn Salad

A corn salad with roasted red peppers,
chopped black olives and red onions,
is a taste treat to scoop up with tortillas.
Add in some grape tomatoes to make
this colorful corn salad eye appealing.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 scallions, chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin powder
a dash of red hot cayenne pepper
a dash of salt or to taste

Directions:
In a big old mixing bowl, combine everything.
Serve cold or at room temperature as desired.

How To Freeze Grilled Whole Corn on the Cob

Corn on the Cob when in season is great.
I cook some up and freeze them in bags.
Take them out in the middle of winter
and reheat them in the microwave oven for
a summer time taste on a cold winters day.
You can boil the corn with good results,
in this recipe I grilled the whole corn on cob.

Ingredients:
24 fresh corn on the cob

Directions:
Shuck the corn and remove the silks.
Preheat outdoor gas grill to high heat.
lace corn on grill grates, cover the lid.
Cook for five minutes, turn over corn.
Close lid and cook another 5 minutes.
Remove corn to cool before placing in
zip lock freezer bags four per bag.
I like to cut the ears of corn in half
which makes easy serving sized pieces.
To reheat, microwave for 2 minutes.
Serve with melted butter and some salt.

New England SPAM Musubi

I haven't eaten anything SPAM in many years.
So I thought it time I'd give the canned stuff a try.
Musubi is a SPAM and rice snack found in Hawaii,
so why not give this stuff a try here on the main land?
Musubi is two slices of SPAM with rice in between.
In Hawaii they wrap it in Nori, seaweed stuff.
I'm here in New England without the Nori stuff.

Ingredients:
1 can of SPAM
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup cooked white rice, molded
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:
Slice SPAM and brown in a buttered pan.
Season molded cooked rice with soy sauce.
Place rice between two slices of SPAM.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mashed Potato Pizza

OH MY!
A tasty way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
With bacon, mushrooms and roasted red peppers.
You must try this pizza at least once in your life.
Cooked on a grill this is an amazing tasting pizza.
I like this with a few dashes of hot pepper sauce.
I add some sliced pepperoni because it's good.

Ingredients:
1 pound pizza dough
2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
2 slices cooked bacon slices
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Spread raw pizza dough on sheet pan and
top with tomato sauce, cheese, bacon
mushrooms, red peppers and potatoes.
Bake until heated through for about 30 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Eggs in English Muffins

This is a copy recipe that I've made.
An egg and bacon muffin sandwich.
Kind of like the Egg McMuffin.
Made using the microwave oven,
it's quick to prepare in the morning.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 large egg, beaten
1 English muffin, toasted
1 slice Deli American cheese
1 slice smoked Canadian bacon

Directions:
Place butter in a one cup glass dish.
Crack the egg into to dish and using
a fork scramble the egg a little bit.
Place dish in microwave and cook
on high power for 2 minutes.
Place cooked egg on bottom of the
toasted and buttered English muffin.
Place a slice of bacon on top.
Place a slice of cheese on top.
Cover with the other English muffin.
Serve warm with a cup of hot coffee.

Fried Pork Chops in Butter

I learned to make this dish from my Grandmother.

Back when real men ate Pork chops for Breakfast.

This is a good way to make juicy pork chops

that have the great flavor of melted burnt butter.

Ingredients:

2 pork chops, bone in, thawed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup water

a dash of ground black pepper

Directions:

Place pork chops in a saute pan.

Add in a little butter and cook uncovered

for about 5 minutes until slightly browned.

Turn over pork chops, add water and cover.

Cook for another 10 minutes until heated through.

Sprinkle with ground black pepper and serve.

Quinoa Burgers

Frozen until cooked in the microwave oven.
The star of these burgers is in the toppings.
I like BBQ sauce and pickles on mine.

Ingredients:
4 Quinoa burgers
4 hamburger buns
4 pickle slices
BBQ sauce of choice

Directions:
Cook frozen burgers on a plate, uncovered
one at a time in the microwave on high power
It should take about for 2 minutes for each burger.
After cooking each burger keep them in a covered bowl.
When all four are cooked place the burgers on a bun.
Top with your favorite hamburger condiments.

Creamy Good Grilled Avocados

Simple to make avocado halves are easy
to grill up and eat right out of the rind.
Grilled avocado halves get warmed through
with grill marks creating a fine presentation.
Serve one halve per person to scoop out
the creamy goodness with a spoon.

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons olive oil
a squeeze of lemon juice
a sprinkle of sea salt

Directions:
Preheat grill to high heat.
Slice each avocado in half lengthwise and
remove pit then dip cut side in olive oil.
Place on grill, uncovered for 5 minutes.
Turn avocado halves over and close grill cover.
Cook for another 5 minutes and turn them again
to cook until heated through for about 2 minutes.
Remove to a serving bowl and cover until serving.
When serving drizzle with lemon juice and salt.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

There are many ways to grill fresh whole corn.
I like to remove the husks, soak in a brine and
simply keep turning them over to get grill marks.
The corn cooks through and has a nice flavor.

Ingredients:
6 fresh whole corn
6 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
Butter for serving

Directions:
Remove husk and silks from corn.
Place in a large pot and cover with water.
Season water with salt to create a brine.
Let the corn sit in brine solution for 30 minutes.
Preheat grill to high heat and place corn on grill.
Cover and cook, turning every few minutes.
Some golden grill marks should appear on corn.
Remove corn when heated through, about 20 minutes..
I like to melt some butter on the corn when serving.

Gourmet Stuffed Fresh Tomatoes

Using garden fresh Big Boy tomatoes. is a start,
but what makes these Gourmet is in the cheese.
Gruyere cheese melts into a creamy of goodness.
These tomatoes can be grilled, baked or broiled.
With freshly grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
along with toasted Italian flavored bread crumbs.
These make for a great tasting summer side dish.
I use more butter than is really good for you...
but hey, you only live once, it should be with butter.

Ingredients:
6 fresh tomatoes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 slices Gruyere cheese
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
6 tablespoons Italian flavored bread crumbs
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine grated cheeses with
olive oil, ground pepper and bread crumbs.
Cut the tomatoes into serving size bowls.
Stuff and cook, bake or grill until done.
Serve with a sprinkle of lemon juice to taste.

Potatoes & Beef on Toast

Similar in taste to a Shepherd's pie.
Here's a recipe to use up some
left over mashed potatoes the kids will love.
Mashed potatoes together with cooked beef
with chopped fresh tomatoes and any fresh herbs.
This makes for a good late summers day lunch.

Ingredients:
Left over mashed potatoes
1 pound cooked ground beef
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
slices of white bread, toasted

Directions:
Mix the beef, tomato, onion and mashed potatoes
in a bowl and microwave until heated through.
Serve warm on top of a slice of fresh white bread.

Horseradish Salsa with Shrimp

Horseradish goes well with shrimp.
The tomato salsa adds great texture
along with just the right amount of heat.
Simple to make and tastes great.

Ingredients:
1 ( 8 ounce ) jarred tomato salsa
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 pound cooked shrimp
1/4 iceberg lettuce, chopped

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine shrimp with
salsa and horseradish until coated well.
Serve shrimp on top of a bed of lettuce.

Crunchy Beef Burgers

Everyone likes a nice juicy hamburger.
These burgers are the size of Sliders.
With ground beef and american cheese,
pickle slices and the potato chip crunch.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground minced beef
6 slices deli American cheese
6 slices red onion
12 slices dill pickles
6 small hamburger buns
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

Directions:
Form ground beef into 6 burgers.
Place on a grill and cook until done.
Create a burger by arranging burger
on a bun along with onion, cheese, chips,
pickles, ketchup and BBQ sauce.
Serve warm.

Grilled Corn Cobs

Yes, just the cobs with corn removed.
There's a lot of flavor left on the cobs.
The heated corn cob milk is so tasty.
The cobs are soaked in beer.
Then grilled until nice and toasted.
Serve these with sliced red onions.
Your guests will be looking for more.

Ingredients:
12 fresh corn on the cob
4 bottles or cans of beer
butter and salt to taste

Directions:
After removing corn from cobs,
place them in a pot and pour beer on them.
You'll have to move them around some.
Let sit for about 30 minutes or so.
Preheat grill and place cobs on grate.
Turn them a few times to heat through.
This should take about 10 minutes.
Serve warm with butter and salt.

Homemade Peanut Butter

This is so easy to make and tastes great
without any added weird stuff in it.
Just peanuts, a little oil and salt.
Once in awhile I add in some honey.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh raw peanuts
2 tablespoons cooking oil
salt to taste

Directions:
Heat up cooking oil in a large saute pan.
Add in peanuts to brown a little but not burnt.
Remove toasted peanuts to a food processor
add salt and pulse into desired creaminess.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Apple Iceberg Lettuce Salad

This is a lighter version of a Waldorf Salad.
With grilled apples and fresh lettuce in a light
slightly sweetened creamy salad dressing.
I like this with toasted chopped walnuts.

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed yellow apple
1 cup cubed iceberg lettuce
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
Preheat outdoor grill or inside
the kitchen grill pan to high heat.
Cut apple in half and core to remove seeds.
Place on grill flat cut side down to get
those great looking grill marks for 5 minutes.
Remove apple and use a knife to remove peel.
Cut into small cubes and place in a bowl.
In a bowl combine mayonnaise, sugar and water,
Mix all together and serve topped with some
with chopped toasted walnuts if desired.

Fried Bacon Rings

Like fried onion rings but made with bacon.
Deep fried to be golden crispy and salty.
These are similar to Chicken fried bacon,
without the thick batter coating on those.
These bacon strips are addictive tasting.

Ingredients:
1 pound smoked bacon
2 cups all purpose flour
canola oil for deep frying

Directions:
Remove bacon from package and cut
each slice into 1/4" X 2" strips.
Place flour in a large mixing bowl,
add in cut up bacon slices and mix well.
Preheat deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
To fry bacon remove them from flour
knocking off excess flour if any.
Drop into oil and fry until golden brown.
It should take about 6 minutes each batch.
Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Grilled Fresh Apples

Grill red, yellow or green apples.
Cut in half, seeds removed these make
for a fine looking and tasting dessert.
They get nice grill marks and bake up as
soft dessert apples good with ice cream.

Ingredients:
2 Red Delicious apples
2 Yellow Delicious apples
2 Granny Smith apples
cooking spray
honey
salt

Directions:
Preheat grill to high heat.
Slice apples in half and remove cores.
Spray cut side of apples with cooking spray.
Place hem cut side down on grill.
Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes.
Remove from grill using a spatula and season
with salt, drizzle honey over them to serve.

Mama Mancini's Meatball Grinders

The red sauce with the meatballs makes this great.
You can use either the beef, pork or turkey meatballs.
Serve them on fresh baked hard, bulkie or hoagie rolls.
For game day prepare the meatballs on a long French bread
with plenty of parmesan or mozzarella cheese on top.
Cut into serving size pieces creating meatball hand sandwiches.

Ingredients:
2 packages frozen Mama Mancini's meatballs in sauce
2 fresh baked French breads, sliced in half lengthwise
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 roasted red bell peppers, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:
Heat frozen Mama Mancini's meatballs in sauce
as directed on the package and slice bread in half.
Ladle some red sauce on one half of french bread.
Slice the meatballs in half and arrange on bottom half.
Place sliced roasted red bell pepper with meatballs and
sprinkle with cheese and dried oregano to taste.
Place top half of bread on sandwich and wrap in foil.
Bake for 20 minutes or until bread is just starting to crisp.
To serve cut into serving size pieces and serve warm.

Homemade Teriyoki Sauce

This sauce tastes great on chicken.
Easy to make in a saucepan.

Ingredients:
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon fresh minced ginger
½ teaspoon fresh minced garlic
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Directions:
In a small saucepan combine all ingredients.
Bring to a boil and turn off heat to cool.

Mustard Pickles

These have a sour dill and mustard taste.

You can use sweet pickles as well but

I like the sourness of dill pickle spears.

Best served at room temperature.

Ingredients:

Dill pickle spears

Brown or dijon mustard

Directions:

Cut pickles into serving size pieces,

mix up with some mustard and serve.

Frozen Waffles Pizza

The waffles crisp up while the cheese melts.
I used plain frozen waffles not flavored.
The kids love to make these tasty pizzas.

Ingredients:
4 frozen round waffles
4 teaspoons tomato sauce
4 slices provolone cheese
12 small slices pepperoni

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
ace frozen waffles on foil and
spread with some tomato sauce.
Place one slice of cheese on each waffle.
Top with sliced pepperoni and bake for
about 12 minutes or until cheese melts.

Fresh Lemon White Rice

I know what your thinking, white rice is boring.

Enter the fresh lemons into this and POW!

Your taste buds are now happy happy.

Add some Ground Pepper and Soy Sauce

for the salty taste to create an amazing side dish.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked white rice

2 fresh lemons, juice and zest of

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all in a mixing bowl, serve.

Avocado and Fruit Salsa

This Salsa has Pineapple and Peaches in it.
No added sugar or salt and tastes great.
I like to serve it with pork, chicken or fish.
This also goes good along with brown rice.

Ingredients:
1 fresh avocado, chopped
1 fresh lemon, with zest
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 ( 15 ounce) can sliced peaches
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup red be pepper, chopped
1 cup red onion, chopped
1 ( 5 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup water, or more
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

Directions:
Remove pit from avocado and cube flesh,
drizzle with juice of lemon and zest of.
Place prepared avocado cubes in a bowl.
Open can of sliced peaches and drain liquid,
chop peaches into small dice, place in bowl.
Open can of crushed pineapple into bowl.
Open can of beans, drain and place in bowl.
Add in corn, onion and chopped bell peppers.
Open can of tomato paste into another bowl,
add in water, ground black and cayenne pepper.
Mix well and stir into other ingredients in bowl.
Refrigerate for two hours or overnight.