Hot Dog Sauce

Ingredients:

Hot Dog Sauce

1 lb hamburger
1 large onion diced
1 29oz can of tomato sauce
1/8 cup sugar
1 pinch of italian spices
1/4 tso if celery seed
1 tsp salt ( or less according to your taste preferences)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 chili seasoning packet 
1 taco seasoning packet
2 tsp garlic powder 
1/2 cup water

Over medium heat, brown burger and onions in large skillet or dutch oven. Break up burger chunks by mashing down and rolling burger with spatula while cooking.

Add tomato sauce to cooked burger onion mixture and stir.

Then add remaining ingredients, stir and continue to mash down and roll the burger with spatula to make burger texture finer.

Continue to cook over medium low to medium heat for at least 1 hour (or longer depending on how thick you want your sauce).

If sauce is too thick add water to get desired thickness. Stir frequently while cooking to prevent scorching and sticking. 

ENJOY!!!!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 Large Russet Potatoes
1 C Chicken stock
1 Clove crushed Garlic
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

* Hint add the liquid while the potates and the liquid are hot. The starch hardens as it cools and will not allow the liquid to penetrate.

Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender.

Sautee garlic in Olive Oil until golden brown, add to heated Chicken stock season with salt and peper drain and mash potatoes while still very HOT.

Add the stock to the mashed potaoes and beat to desired consistency.

* Notice the lack of Butter or milk products? Great for your figure!
and Great Comfort Food!

Fresh Leek Soup

4 cups water
1 tbsp. paste chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp Olive Oil
1 small onion chopped
3 large leeks washed and thinly sliced (with greens)
2 stalks Celery (thinly sliced)
Root veggies or other fresh items in season diced coarsely If you like garlic add some to the leek step

Saute Onion, leek and celery in olive oil for 5- 10 min until tender In a separate pot bring water and chicken paste to a simmer and cook chicken for 40 min or until tender remove chicken and chop when cool enough (coarsely)

Whisk stock into flour slowly until thin (about half of stock).. add to Leek mixture, boil for 5 min. stirring (or it will stick) then add the rest of the stock reduce heat to simmer until leeks and celery are tender enough to blend.. or immersion blend.
the soup will be a pleasing soft green color

add chicken and root veggies ( I used turnips and squash) any veggie would work.
simmer till veggies are tender

Serve with a soft bread for dipping..

Yum!

Martha White Cornbread Recipe (Golden Cornbread)

2 eggs slightly beaten
1 Cup Milk
1/4 cup oil or melted Shortening
1 1/2 Cups Martha White self rising Cornmeal 
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup sugar

Heat oven to 450 Grease 8 or 9 inch square pan
In large bowl combine all ingredients Pour batter into Pan. bake at 450 for 20-25 min  Makes 6-8 servings

Cornbread gets  tough if you over handle it.. Mix it with as few strokes as you can..to ensure a tender crumb..

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon- Bleu?

A great dish for a Painter ... and it uses some color theory too... This dish uses the Complimentary Color Scheme of Red and Green which are opposites in the Color wheel...

2 Chicken Breasts (no bones)
1/4 cup "Real" butter
6 Cloves fresh Garlic chopped
2 Giant handfuls fresh Spinach
4 Slices Swiss Cheese (I used a baby Swiss which are longer than the sandwich squares, Double this amount if you are using square Swiss)
1/2 Cup Medium hot Salsa- (If you have a Sam's Club in your area "Jacks Special Salsa" in the fridge section is AWESOME!!)

Heat the over to 350

Pound the snot out of the chicken breasts.. (place between two pieces of wax paper), you want them about 1/4 inch thick... heat the butter ( real butter makes this dish magical)

Keep the heat medium or lower or the butter will scorch.. lay the chicken breasts in the butter and slowly cook on both sides.. ( if you do this slowly they are super tender) They should be lightly golden when done.. Toss the Garlic into the pan
when you take the Chicken out and saute for 30 seconds. ( garlic gets bitter if it overcooks) then place all of the spinach into the pan and saute until completely wilted.

( I used to make cordon Bleu that rolled up the chicken but this is a pain in the "_ _ _ " so I just layer them instead...

Lay 1 Chicken Breast in an oven safe pan or platter.. Place 1 slice of Swiss Chees on the breast then all of the Spinach another slice of Cheese, then 1/4 cup salsa, Another Slice of Cheese... the other chicken Breast top this with the last piece of Swiss and the rest of the salsa. Heat in the oven until the Cheese melts.. To serve I cut into even size portions.. Mighty delicious!

Serves Two with leftovers for the painter the next day (wink)

Serve with the Colorful Orzo.. Mmmmmm... Mmmmm...

Colorful Orzo

Orzo is a tiny pasta the size of big rice the shape looks like little footballs.. it will be in the pasta section of the sore..

I love the idea of eating by the color wheel... if you eat from all of the color families each day then you are probably doing something right.. Leave it to a painter to make the color - food connection (grin)

1/4 C Olive Oil
1 C Orzo
1 Stalk celery
1 Med Onion
I/4 Yellow Squash
4 Cloves Garlic
1 TBSP Chicken Stock paste
1 1/2 C Water
1/4 Green Pepper
1/2 carrot

Chop all of the veggies to a medium fine size.. chop the garlic but keep it separate.

Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the veggies until the onions are transparent.

Remove the veggies from the pan with a slotted spoon.. (we want the oil to remain in the pan, add more if you need to) turn up the heat a bit and toss in the Orzo.. toss it around in the pan until it turns golden brown.. Once it is brown.. toss in the Garlic for about 30 seconds.. Put the veggies back in and add the water and the Chicken stock paste. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.. the pasta will be tender and most of the water gone when done.. This dish has a creamy consistency..
without the guilt of cream.. and it is delightfully flavorful!

And just look at how many colors we used!

Serves Two with leftovers for the painter the next day (wink)

Oatmeal Scones with Caramel Topping

Caramel Topping:
( this topping is great on ice cream or cereal or yogurt.) 
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/4 Teaspoon salt
2 Cups uncooked oatmeal

Pre-heat the oven to 325

Mix the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small suacepan over low heat, sir constantly until the sugar has disolved.

Put the Oatmeal in a bowl, pour the melted Caramel sauce over and toss the mixture until the Oatmeal is evenly coated in sauce. spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, stirring the mix once or twice.

Remove from the oven and Cool.

Store in an airtight container.

Scones:
4 cups All-purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 3/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon salt
1/2 pound Butter chilled ( 2 sticks)
3 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup raisins
2 Cups buttermilk 

Pre heat oven to 375 

In the Cuisinart with the metal blade in place , combine the flour , sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt pulse to blend.

Cut the chilled butter into small pieces add it to the flour mixture and pulse for about 10 second ( all of the pieces should be mixed in with the flour mixture, and not visible)

Add the Oats and raisins and pulse to mix. Turn the machine on and add the buttermilk in thru the adding hole. The dough wil become a ball almost instantly, turn the machine off as soon as the dough balls and goes around once.

Sprinkle a board with flour, remove the dough and divide into 3 equal parts. Pat each section into a circle about a 1/2 inch thick.

Press on an even layer of Caramel Topping and cut into 10 wedges. place wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1/2 apart. bake for 25 minutes or until the scones are lighlty brown. Serve warm

Mushroom Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons butter
1 onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot diced small 
3 tablespoons dried sage
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups turkey or chicken stock
1/3 c. brown rice
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 lb turkey pieces cooked


Melt 3 tblsp. butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and sage.

Cook until the onion is softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 more minutes.(you can add a little more butter if needed)

Add 1/4 of the stock slowly stir well then add the rest of the stock Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.

Stir in rice and season with salt and pepper. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Melt remaining butter in and saute sliced mushrooms until the begin browning.add to the soup.

Add the cooked turkey pieces to the soup and cook until heated thru.

Optional: you can serve with a touch of Heavy Cream in the soup (add at the end) and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.

 

Patty's Bread Dip Soup (or - Cauliflower soup your faimily will eat!)

1 Medium Onion/ sliced
1 Medium Carrot/ sliced
1 celery stalk with leaves / sliced
2 or 3 cloves Garlic/ smashed
½ cup of water
1 head of Cauliflower/ separated
1 teaspoon salt
1+ teaspoon Cayenne
½ Cup cooked macaroni
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup cream (optional)
1 Loaf Crusty Bread

While prepping the veggies get the macaroni cooking. Drain when done.

Steam the Onion, Carrot, Celery and Garlic in the ½ cup of water until Carrots are tender. (Add water as needed)

In a separate pot stem the Cauliflower until tender (do not over cook)

Purée the veggies, Cauliflower and macaroni with the cup of Chicken stock until the lumps are gone (I used my immersion blender a blender or food processor would work too) add the seasoning and Cream if you choose (I am lactose intolerant so I removed my serving before I added the Cream)

It was YUMMY!

Sprinkle a touch of the Cayenne on top or sprinkle with sliced green onions for color.

Serve with Crusty Bread and remember don’t tell them the name of what they are eating…  My 16-year GOBBLED it up! (And he hates veggies especially Cauliflower)

Enjoy