Fried Green Tomatoes

Ever since the movie, everyone has heard of Fried Green Tomatoes, but have you ever tried them? They're simple to make and it's the perfect way to use up end of season tomatoes. And they're so good! As with any popular recipe, there are many variations. Some are just fried, some are batter dipped and some are served with a milk gravy (Secret's in the sauce!). Seriously, though, I chose this basic recipe because, honestly, in my opinion, it doesn't need to be anything else. It's perfect as is!


3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper


Tip:
I like nice big thick slices, but if you prefer a thinner slice, you can do 1/4 inch slices instead of 1/2 inch.
To get a really crispy fried tomato, after you season the tomato slices, you can put them between paper towels in order to absorb as much moisture as possible.

Pineapple Chicken

A few weeks ago, my brother shared some pineapple chicken that was leftover from a catered party. It was REALLY good! So I began searching for a recipe for it, but I wanted something very specific. I didn't want a recipe where the chicken is breaded, I was thinking of something a little lighter. I also wanted it to have only a few ingredients, preferably items that you might have in your pantry. And of course it had to be simple to make. Ultimately, I wanted a low fat, time saving, simple-to-prepare meal requiring only a few ingredients that would be perfect for a mid week's hectic schedule. That's not too much to ask, is it? Well, I'm happy to say that this recipe is all of those things! And most importantly, it's delicious!


3 boneless chicken breasts
Pepper
Paprika
20 oz crushed pineapple
2 tbs Dijon mustard
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced


Trim fat from chicken breasts. Split each breast in half horizontally so that you have twice as many pieces that are half as thick. Arrange chicken in 9x13x2 casserole dish. Sprinkle with pepper and paprika. Mix pineapple, mustard, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic together. Pour over chicken. Place in a 350F oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve it up with some rice and a steamed vegetable and you're set!

Tip:
The original recipe didn't specify how much soy sauce to add. I just guessed that this would be a good amount. If you'd like to add more or less, go for it!!

Breakfast Casserole

I first heard of this casserole when I ran into Kathy and Brian at the Pathmark. They were buying ingredients to make it for their family's Easter morning breakfast and I thought "Mmmm, how perfect!" It would also be great for Christmas morning, don'tcha think? But why wait for a holiday? It's perfect for any Sunday breakfast or brunch when you'd like to serve a big meal without having a big mess to clean up. Thanx guys!

1 bag (32 oz.) of frozen southern style hash brown potatoes
1 pound of bacon, crisp cooked and drained, cut into small pieces
1 pound sausage, crumbled, browned and drained
1/2 cup diced onions
1 green pepper, diced
1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 dozen large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
salt & pepper


Layer the frozen potatoes, bacon, onions, green pepper and cheese in the crock pot in two or three layers. Finish up with cheese. Beat the eggs, milk and mustard, salt & pepper together. Pour over the whole mixture. Cook on low for ten to twelve hours.


Tip:
Be sure to season it well. The potatoes and the eggs require more salt and pepper than you think they will. So, season as you normally do, and then add a few extra pinches of salt and a few extra grinds of black pepper.
Feel free to do as many variations as you like. You can add or substitute ham for either the bacon or sausage, or add all three! You can do different kinds of cheese and any kind of veggies you like. I'm sure broccoli, asparagus or spinach would be delicious. Add a little heat with some diced jalapeno peppers and serve it with your favorite salsa. Yum!

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake

Usually when you think of cooking in a crock pot, you think of making soups or stews or something savory and comforting. But have you ever thought of making DESSERT in a crock pot? Absolutely! Why not bake a cake???? This one is for all the chocoholics. It only takes a couple minutes to throw together and it couldn't be simpler. This is one of those recipes where I read it for the first time and thought "How can this not be good??" We're talking SERIOUS chocolaty yummness!

1 pkg chocolate cake mix
1 pkg {3.9 oz.} instant chocolate pudding mix
2 c. sour cream
4 eggs
1 c. water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
Whipped cream or ice cream

In a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a 5-quart crock pot that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Serve it while it's still warm in bowls with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Tips:
Usually when you cook something in a crock pot, you don't have to be so exact with the time. If it's an extra hour on low, it'll still turn out fine. But with a crock pot cake, you want to try to hit the mark a little more closely. In other words, plan your time so that it's finished cooking around the time you'll be wanting to serve dessert. Otherwise the cake might begin to burn a little around the edges. If this happens, don't fret. Just scoop it out of the center!
For an easy variation, try different combinations of cake flavors and kinds of chips. How about white chocolate, peanut butter, or caramel chips? Can you say DECADENT?? Seriously!!!

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

As I was searching for Mac and Cheese recipes, I kept finding variations of this one. It seems that everyone has a version of it, and they're all very similar. So, here's mine. It only cooks for four hours, as opposed to the all-day recipes I usually like to do with a crock pot. With this recipe, I found that the advantage wasn't that I could make it in the morning for that night's dinner. The advantage was simply that it was in a crock pot and that I didn't have to turn on the oven! It was definitely better to have a nice cool apartment when my guests showed up!


1 pound rotini pasta, cooked and drained
2 tbsp. oil
1 stick butter, melted
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. whole milk
2 eggs
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed
Kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Mix all together and top with a small amount of cheese. Cook 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high in your crock pot. How simple is that??

Tip:
To save time, boil the macaroni in advance. Just drain them well and then pour them out onto a large baking tray so that they form a single layer. When they're cool and somewhat dry, you can put them into a large ziploc bag and then keep them in the fridge until it's time to assemble everything in the crock pot. By the way, It's probably not a bad idea to spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray before you add your mac and cheese. I'm just sayin'!

Coke Roast

I had originally planned to do a regular classic pot roast, but then I remembered this recipe that I got from my niece, Katie. I had heard of using Coca Cola with roast beef, but I had never tried it. Katie RAVED about it, so I thought it was worth a try. Her favorite way to serve it is on fresh bakery rolls with a slice of provolone cheese. Works for me! I made it for our weekly get together and everyone loved it! It's super simple and you seriously need no cooking expertise at all for this one. It's really that easy! Thanx Katie-Kate!

1 3-lb beef roast
1 packet onion soup mix
1 can Coca Cola
freshly cracked black pepper


Place beef in crock pot. Add soup mix and cola. Sprinkle with pepper. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. To serve, pull the beef into shreds with a fork and serve it on fresh rolls.

Tips:
I guess, since the roast is cooked in cola, I was expecting a much sweeter taste, but the onion soup and juices from the meat sort of countered that. So, I added a few tablespoons of brown sugar. CJ and I decided that that was the answer.
If you'd like to add potatoes, carrots, and/or onions, go for it! Oh, and when you're cooking it for such a long time, you can get away with buying a cheaper cut of meat. It'll still turn out great! So, definitely save the expensive cuts for another meal!

Crock Pot Pizza Pasta

I wanted to do a pasta recipe, but wanted something other than the usual ziti or lasagna. Then I remembered a pizza casserole I did a few years ago and thought, why not try it in a crock pot? So, here it is. I'm really pleased with how it turned out! It's delicious and hearty and it feeds a crowd. Hope you like it!

1 lb. rigatoni (uncooked)
2 26 oz jars tomato sauce (or your own marinara sauce)
1 tbs. dried oregano
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. Italian sausage, (removed from casing)
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, roughly chopped
1-2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
sliced pepperoni

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain excess fat. Remove from pan and set aside. Do the same thing with the sausage, making sure to break it up into small pieces. Meanwhile, mix the sauce, uncooked pasta, and oregano in a large bowl until the pasta is well coated. Spray the inside of a large crock pot with cooking spray.
Now make layers using half of each ingredient and then repeat using the other half. Layer in this order: Pasta, beef, sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms, cheese. Place slices of pepperoni on the top and sprinkle with a little more oregano. Cook on low for about 6 hours.

Tips:
I've heard from a few people that cooking this on low for 5 hours was too long, and the result was burnt pasta. I'm sorry for that! I guess the best thing to do is to check on it after a few hours (if you can) the first time you make it, and be sure to use plenty of sauce.
I only add pepperoni to the top layer because it makes the entire casserole a little too spicy for me if I include it on both layers. If you're all about spicy, then go for it! Add as much as you like!
Be generous with the sauce because the uncooked pasta really absorbs a lot. If you want, you could even add a little extra layer of sauce between the meat and the vegetables.
Feel free to change the ingredients to include whichever pizza toppings you like.
You can make this a low carb dish by omitting the pasta completely and by choosing tomato sauce that has less sugar added.