It's been a long time, and I'm trying to play catch up, but here goes.
EXCELLENT/VERY GOOD
Baked Pears with Walnut Oat Crumble – Pretty and delicious. We’ve used Starkrimson pears (a crimson pear) and red Anjou. Bartlett pears also would work. We like these served with Greek Yogurt.
usapears.org/recipe/baked-pears-with-walnut-oat-crumble/Five Ingredient Vegan Vodka Pasta Sauce – Uses ingredients you can keep on hand, and tastes really good.
pinchofyum.com/5-ingredient-vegan-vodka-pastaMashed Potato Cakes – DH loved these. See recipe as I make it below (I use egg yolk only, and a bit more flour, so mixture holds together). It’s the cheese and green onion that puts these over the top. You can watch Becky make these here:
Pumpkin Sausage Pasta – I replaced the cinnamon with chili powder (1/2 tsp) for a bit of heat.
www.jocooks.com/recipes/pumpkin-sausage-pasta/Spaghetti with Crispy Zucchini – Different way to serve zucchini; really good.
pinchofyum.com/spaghetti-with-crispy-zucchiniSkillet Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Zucchini – Easy and healthy.
www.melskitchencafe.com/skillet-lemon-chicken-and-zucchini/Cheddar French Dip Sandwiches – Quick dinner.
www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cheddar-french-dip-sandwiches/Just Like Wendy’s Chili – For beans, I used 1 can dark red kidney beans and 1 can black beans. Also added cayenne pepper to taste. Surprisingly good!
www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231082/just-like-wendys-chili/Caramelized Lemon Butter Orzo with Kale and Garlic Breadcrumbs – vegetarian granddaughter and I made this; very good.
www.saratane.com/recipes/caramelized-lemon-butter-orzo-with-kale-and-garlic-breadcrumbsVegetarian French Onion Soup - Granddaughter makes this about once a week now.
foodwithfeeling.com/vegetarian-french-onion-soup/GOOD
Creamy Balsamic Pasta Salad – I doubled the balsamic vinegar, and used the vegetables suggested in recipe.
www.bestfoods.com/us/en/recipes/creamy-balsamic-pasta-salad-recipe.html#!
Weeknight Tandoori Chicken – Either chicken breasts or thighs can be used (thighs take longer to cook than recipe states)
www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/weeknight-tandoori-chickenFast and Easy Ham and Bean Soup – recipe from QVC message board, see below. Good option for leftover ham.
Mashed Potato Cakes
Acre Homestead on You Tube
Makes 4 cakes
1-1/4 cup seasoned mashed potatoes (cold)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or gruyere
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 to 4 Tablespoons canola oil
Gently mix together first 7 ingredients. Form into 4 patties/cakes. (If the mixture is sticky, you can lightly dust your hands with flour before forming the cakes.) Place cakes on a plate lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to cook the cakes, heat oil in a nonstick skillet (or a cast iron skillet if you have one) over medium-high heat. Add cakes. Cook 4-5 minutes, until bottoms are browned. (*If cakes are cooking too fast, lower the heat!) Flip the cakes over, and cook 4-5 minutes more, until bottoms are browned and cakes are heated through. Drain cakes on a platter lined with paper towels.
Fast and Easy Ham and Bean Soup
QVC kitchen message board
Serves 4 - 6
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced or sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cans (15.5 oz. each) Great Northern Beans (Bush’s), undrained
4 cups chicken broth or stock (Swanson’s low sodium broth)
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1 teaspoon chili powder (I use Penzey’s Medium Hot)
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper, or more to taste
1 large bay leaf, or 2 smaller ones
In a large saucepan or stockpot, saute the carrots, celery and onion in butter until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes (test carrots to make sure they’re tender). Discard bay leaf/leaves.
Notes:
*Do not add salt to the soup. It will be salty enough, with the ham and the beans.
*For a clearer soup, you can drain and rinse the beans before using; we prefer undrained beans because they make the soup a little thicker.
