MUSHROOM QUICHE

Light and savory Mushroom Quiche. Not just for special occasions, easy to make and versatile enough for everyday. The basic quiche recipe remains constant, but you can add your own twist to it. This time, I had lots of mushrooms so that's what I made. Next time, who knows? Maybe asparagus...

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.

SALAD DAYS

Fresh, crisp and full of flavor! Salads just seem to taste better in the summer. Take a trip to your local Farmers Market and pick up some beautiful greens, ripe tomatoes and succulent vegetables. Put them all together and enjoy a salad you create yourself.

For this salad, prepare and assemble your ingredients:

• lettuce and other greens (spinach, arugula, etc.)
• 
  
  red or green onions
• 
  
  cherry or grape tomatoes
• 
  
  avocado

Add protein:

• 
  
  hard boiled eggs
• grated cheeses
• ham, turkey, chicken, etc.
• crisp, crumbled bacon

Add other vegetables and toppings depending on your preferences:

• 
  
  cauliflower, broccoli
• cucumber
• sprouts
• sesame seeds
• edamame
• tofu
• croutons

Dressing:

Use any dressing you prefer or offer a selection if you are serving to guests.

What is your favorite salad topping? Which dressing do you prefer for a mixed salad like this one? Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

TENDER BAKED MEATBALLS

So easy to make and versatile to use in many different ways. This recipe makes 36 meatballs that are two inches in diameter. Make a batch of these and freeze some for next time. Good in pasta dishes with a red sauce, on a meatball sandwich, as an appetizer with a marinara dipping sauce, sliced on a pizza or what ever you like.

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.

MINESTRONE SOUP

Freshly made hearty soup filled with vegetables and flavored with simple herbs and spices. So easy and very tasty. If you have never attempted to make soup from scratch, start with this one. You can make this and enjoy lovely hot soup for several meals. I made a double batch and put some in the freezer.

For a printable version of this recipe (with an itemized ingredient list and without photos) click here.

Use whatever leftover meat and vegetables you have in your kitchen. I used about a cup of chopped ham, some carrots, celery, potato, cabbage, beans, peas and onion.

QUICHE with HAM and MUSHROOMS

QUICHE with HAM & MUSHROOMS

Here's another way to use your leftover baked ham. If you don't want to use ham, just leave it out. It will still taste delicious. This recipe makes two 9-inch pies. As long as I'm going to the trouble of making something I know I like, I like to make extra for another meal or to share.

If you have not attempted a quiche before because you thought it was tricky or too difficult, you will be surprised at how simple this dish really is. Just get everything together before you start and follow the steps and you will enjoy your own homemade quiche today. I like to pair it with a fruit salad and a croissant for lunch. You can enjoy this for breakfast too. It's even good cold!

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

SPLIT PEA SOUP w/HAM

Put this easy recipe together in your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a rich, hearty soup at the end of your day. So easy and delicious! This recipe is a good way to use the leftovers from the baked ham you made for dinner. If you didn't bake a ham, just buy a slice of ham at the grocery store. Get a piece that has a bone. This recipe is almost fool proof and a good recipe for a beginner.

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable verison of this recipe without photos, click here.

BAKED HAM

Easter time is a great time to find a wide assortment of inexpensive hams. This one is about 10 pounds, butt cut, bone-in.

Thaw your ham if necessary. Rule of thumb is 4-6 hours per pound. So if your ham is 10 pounds, allow about 2 days to thaw in the refrigerator. Never thaw ham out on the counter. There is too much risk of bacterial growth. Your refrigerator is the best place to thaw any food.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

CORNED BEEF & VEGETABLES

Every year, corned beef is traditionally served for Saint Patrick's Day on March 17th. As much as I love tradition, I love a bargain even more! If you like corned beef, you can find it for a very low price the week before Saint Patrick's Day. I buy several and freeze the extras for later in the year.
Here is a very easy, basic dinner of corned beef, onions, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. It might also be called a New England boiled dinner, except, this is California and I put it all in a slow cooker.
Use your slow cooker for these types of meals and you'll not only save yourself time and effort, but it's economical as well. Next time, substitute a cut of roast beef or pork, instead of the corned beef, and you'll have a hot, delicious dinner waiting for you at the end of the day!

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.

OLD FASHIONED MAC & CHEESE

Who can resist this warm, cheesey goodness? With the cold, rainy weather, I always turn to comfort food recipes. This mac and cheese casserole is so satisfying. Don't we all have a mac and cheese story? The best you ever tasted or the worst? Do you remember the first time you tried to make this dish? How did it turn out? I have searched for and experimented with all kinds of mac and cheese recipes and found this one to be the easiest and tastiest basic recipe. Try it yourself and let me know how it turns out.

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.
   

JAMBALAYA with Chicken and Andouille Sausage

Every cook has his or her own special recipe for Jambalaya. We each put our own spin on it and you can too. One of my favorite childhood memories was when our friends, Irene and Lucien, came to visit. They were a lovely, warm, sweet, generous couple and every time we visited with them, the house was filled with incredible scents of exotic food. They were originally from Louisiana and Lucien had been a professional cook all his life. I remember him as a very tall and serene gentleman. He didn't talk much, and I remember seeing him standing in the kitchen, calmly creating masterpieces of flavorful food. Irene was my idol. She was tiny, fearless and full of energy. She never let anyone get away with any bull and she didn't take nonsense from anybody. We shared the same birthday, September 22nd, although we were decades apart in age, we had a special connection.

I cherish memories of sitting down to a meal that took days to prepare. Nothing fancy, nothing fussy, just really good, down-home cooking! I treasure the recipes from those days and have one here that you can make at home.

Last weekend I put together a pot of Jambalaya in honor of Irene and Lucien, Mardi Gras and the Saints winning the Superbowl. Seemed like a perfect reason to cook. (but, then what isn't?)

So here is my version of Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to prepare this recipe. Allow at least 3 hours before you want to eat. This is not a difficult recipe, but it does take time. Get everyone involved! Share the preparation and share the love! Put your own twist on this recipe. Write and let me know how it turned out!

For a printable version of this recipe click here.
 

BAKED CHICKEN PIECES

Follow these simple, step-by-step directions and you will enjoy a delicious chicken dinner tonight! Bake more chicken than you need for one meal and you can use the leftovers for another dish. Try it cold on a salad or sandwich, add to a soup, a stir fry or mixed with vegetables for a pot pie. You have lots of delicious choices!

This recipe works best with pieces of chicken, not a whole chicken. That’s another recipe and uses a different technique.

First, determine how much chicken you have or want to bake. This recipe is for approximately 5 pounds. Adjust the ingredients and cooking time proportionately if you have more or less chicken.

For a printable version of this recipe without photos: click here