Main Dish

Herbed White Beans Au Gratin

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Good over brown rice or couscous

  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or substitute dried oregano, basil, and/or marjoram)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 1lb cans of cannellini beans, drained
  • 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a corning ware dish or ovenproof skillet, sauté the onions in the

olive oil until they are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add Italian

seasoning and pine nuts and mix well. Immediately stir in 3/4 cup

milk, salt, pepper, and beans. Continue to stir until the mixture

comes to a boil. Remove from burner.

Moisten the bread crumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon milk. Add the

cheese and blend thoroughly. Spread this topping over the bean

mixture. Bake for 25 minutes.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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Adapted from Familyfun.com

  • 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 3 largish potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced rutabaga
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 pounds beef stew meat chunks
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1 (14 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • just under 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons tomato paste

Put everything but the flour and the tomato paste in a large slow cooker.  Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on “low” for 8 to 9 hours or on “high” for 4 to 5, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are just fork tender.

Stir the stew once or twice as it cooks, if possible.  About 30 minutes before serving, transfer a couple of ladlefuls of the broth to a small mixing bowl.  Add the flour and tomato paste and whisk until smooth.  Stir the mixture into the stew and cook for the remaining half hour.

Makes 8 servings.

Tangy Beef and Barley Salad

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· ½ cup pearl barley

· 2 cups beef broth

· 1 pint grape tomatoes

· 4 scallions

· ½ lb. sliced roast beef

· ½ cup raisins

· 3 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

· 2 Tablespoon cider vinegar

· 2 Tablespoon olive oil

· 2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

· ½ teaspoon brown sugar

· ½ teaspoon white pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the barley and beef broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the barley is just tender, 50-60 minutes. (Reduce time for quick-cooking barley.)

Meanwhile, cut tomatoes in half, coarsely chop the scallions and cut the beef into strips.

In a serving bowl, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, mustard, sugar, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until just heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and roast beef and toss to combine. Set aside until barley is cooked.

Remove barley from the saucepan, using a slotted spoon if there is excess broth in the pan. Add hot barley to serving bowl and stir to combine.

Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Sarah Chisholm’s “Famous” Poached Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce

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From (who else??) Sarah Chisholm


Poached Salmon:

Place 1 large (2-3#) Salmon fillet in a pot wide enough and large enough and cover it with cold water.

You can use a fish poacher but it’s not necessary. I bought a cheap roasting pan at Meijers and I use it for this.

Add 1 Tablespoon salt, several slices of lemon, and 1-2 cups white wine.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-5 min. Remove from heat and let stand in the hot water for 10 more min.

Remove fish, drain and refrigerate.

Take out of fridge about 20 minutes or so before serving to take the chill off. I garnish it with very thin lemon slices and fresh dill.  Serve with Mustard Dill Sauce on the side.

Mustard Dill Sauce:

Whisk together (I don’t usually use a recipe so my measurements are approximate):

  • 6 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 Tablespoons minced FRESH dill
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 4+ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Gradually add while whisking: 1/3 cup (or to taste~ I tend to like less oil more acid but it’s up to you) vegetable oil

Cover and let stand 2-3 hours or make the day ahead and store in the fridge.

Skillet Chicken and Rice

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Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2002. For a more interesting version of this, see Brazilian Chicken and Rice with Olives.

Serves 4.

  • 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips.
  • Ground black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • water with lemon juice added to total 1 cup
  • 1 (10-ounce) package Vigo yellow rice with seasoning**
  • 1/2 cup (or more to taste) chopped flat-leaf parsley

**Vigo rice comes in two sizes.  If you use the 8 oz. size, or another brand of seasoned rice, just adjust the liquid to equal the amount called for on the package.

In a bowl, mix chicken, pepper, garlic and lemon zest.  If there’s time, refrigerate several hours before cooking.  If not, just go ahead with the next step.

When ready to cook, heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken mixture and sauté until chicken is lightly browned.  Add chicken broth and water/juice mixture and bring to a boil.  Mix in rice with seasoning.  Return to boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat; let stand covered 10 minutes.

Stir parsley into rice mixture and serve.

Orange Meatballs

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  • 1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 small zucchini, finely shredded
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs (The “Italian” ones in the can work well.)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 can condensed tomato soup
  • 1 soup can of milk or water

NOTE:  I have been known to sneak all sorts of “healthy” things into these meatballs.  For example, wheat germ and/or flax seed meal can be substituted for some of the bread crumbs and shredded carrots work well in place of or in addition to the zucchini.  Use your imagination!

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT soup and milk/water.  Form into golf-ball-size meatballs. This step can be done ahead and the meatballs refrigerated until ready to cook.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, mix soup and water/milk; bring to a gentle boil.  Add meatballs, reduce heat to low, and simmer until done, about 20-30 minutes.  Serve with rice or noodles.

Pasta with spicy shrimp & sun-dried tomatoes

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Submitted by Deborah Gibbs, adapted from Cooking Light

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound uncooked large shrimp – peeled & deveined
  • 4 shallots, sliced
  • ¾ cup sliced, drained, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
  • ½ cup sliced, pitted, Kalamata olives
  • 1 pkg frozen artichoke hearts ( You can substitute or add asparagus.)
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • ½ tsp. dried crushed red pepper
  • 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice drained ( I sometimes add fresh diced as well.)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 (12 oz.) package linguine
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add shrimp & cook about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a bowl. Add remaining oil to pot- add shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic, lemon peel, crushed red pepper, artichokes (and other vegetables as desired). Sauté about 4 minutes. Add canned tomatoes ( and fresh if desired) Simmer about 3 minutes until thickened. Mix in basil- add shrimp back.

Cook pasta. Drain. Add pasta to sauce. Transfer to bowl & top with cheese.

Rehfwitz Weeknight Chili

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  • 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, whole or chopped
  • 1 small can chopped green chiles
  • 3 cans of beans (can be black, Kidney, pinto, Great Northern, Canellini, or a combination)
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can beef broth
  • 1/4 cup Chili Powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • Kosher salt to taste

In a large saucepan or pot, brown meat with onion, garlic, and pepper; drain fat.  (NOTE: I often brown and freeze meat ahead of time.  If using pre-cooked meat, start the veggies first and then add the meat to warm it up and mix the flavors.)

Add remaining ingredients and simmer 30 minutes to 3 hours.  Freezes very well.

Simmered Tuscan Chicken

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Submitted by Deborah Gibbs who cut it out of a magazine – sponsored by Ragu

  • 1 pound boneless chicken breast – cut into cubes
  • 2 gloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 medium potatoes cut in cubes (about 4 cups)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper diced
  • 1 jar (27.7 oz.) Ragu pasta sauce (or your favorite.
  • 1 pound fresh or frozen green beans
  • 1 tsp. dried basil

Saute chicken & garlic in olive oil until chicken is lightly browned. Add potatoes & pepper – cook about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rest of ingredients – bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover & simmer about 35 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked & potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally.

Taco Lasagna

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Submitted by Beth Isola

  • 1 package flour tortillas
  • 1 1/2 lbs. Ground Chuck
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 Bell Pepper (your choice of color, red, green, etc.)
  • 1 package of Taco seasoning mix (reg or spicy)
  • Shredded Cheese
  • 1 large can of enchilada sauce

Brown the meat and mix in taco seasoning.  Spray a casserole dish with Pam and pour a small amount of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Dip flour tortillas into the remaining sauce and layer in the bottom of the dish.  Add a layer of meat mixture and cheese.  Continue to layer until  all the  ingredients are gone.  If you have leftover sauce pour it in.   Bake at 350 until the top is brown and the casserole is bubbly.

Easy and simple.  You can add jalopeno peppers if you like a bit of a kick.  Also you can top the final layer with olives or tomatoes, whatever your gang likes.