Tuesday, November 26, 2013

NonTurkey Casserole

NonTurkey Casserole


If you are interested in a break from TURKEY this week and next, here is a recipe that I just concocted. But wait, it was so good according to the guys that let’s say I CREATED the recipe. There, that sounds divine.
I had some Smithfield Rosemary and Olive Oil pork tenderloin left over-we usually do not have red meat in the house except for the rare Sahlen’s Hot Dogs, but I have been advised again to increase my red meat consumption, gross. So, I am blindly agreeing with the doctors and calling it red meat and also the spin doctors for the Pork Industry and referring to it as “The other white meat.” A piece of meat like this will give us three meals!
Leftover number one was the following casserole. And since I only used about 4 ozs of meat for the entire dish, I added to the protein with Feta cheese.
Here goes:
-2 cups cooked rice-I only had white rice because I used up all the brown rice on that recipe for stuffed pepper soup that I made for the recent Soup Tasting Fundraiser-seemed to go over well-let me know if you want that recipe
-1 LARGE TBSP. Crushed garlic-added to rice while it is cooking
-One bag BIRDS EYE frozen mixed veggies-cooked. Tim reminded me that he used to like the “carrot squares and peas” that I gave them when they were kids. At that time-I used canned-and it was only slimey carrots and peas-these BIRDS Eye veggies are really good: peas, carrots, corn and green beans (Matka just popped into my head to remind me that she liked to cook elbow macaroni and add these mixed veggies to it for a meal-thanks Mom)
-4oz. Cubed cooked tenderloin pork (cooked chicken or that “T” meat of course could be used)
-2 TBSP. Olive Oil
-2 TBSP. Lemon Juice
-1 cup Chicken Broth-if you think you need more-splash it in-you do not want this to be dry when you take it out of the oven
-1 cup Feta cheese-crumbled (I only had plain, but I am thinking that one of those flavored kind with Mediterranean spices would be good-omit the additional basil-but maybe not the one with the sun-dried tomatoes though-but you decide-hey, you the boss!)
-1 tsp. Basil-dried -or any other not too overpowering seasoning -the lemon juice and olive oil keep the flavors light for this dish
-1 tsp. Black pepper Stir all together very well in an ovensafe pretty dish, cover with foil and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes Did you know you can buy a box of Reynolds “Wrappers”-box of 25 pre-cut foil sheets for $1.00 at Dollar Tree? Perfect size. I know, if you count the amount you get against a regular box of Reynolds foil-it is not a bargain-but if you count that you always need a piece of foil now and this one allows you to just pull it out the box-snappy-well, that is a savings in my book!
Stir before serving, and remember, if you change just one ingredient-you can lay claim to it being YOUR recipe-my new rule!
Reviews: Three out of three thumbs up, and plenty left for another meal. My kind of cooking.


Thursday, November 14, 2013

Nightmirth on Williston

Nightmare we have all of heard right? We have a dream that is so real and so upsetting that we awake with a startle and remain upset even if we know it was not "real" What do you call it if you have a dream where you are having a fun, mirth filled time that you awaken laughing and can not stop? Well, now we have a word "Nightmirth" and if you live on Williston Road instead of "Elm Street", it is called "Nightmirth on Williston!" And the reason for this new word description? I had a Nightmirth on Williston to beat all others last night! Rare is it for me to sleep soundly through the night, and this year has been a particularly health changeling one-and continues regardless of the steroids and antibiotics poured into me. But, it is what it is, this too shall pass, and whatever feel-good phrases I can talk myself into. I will survive! Hey, that is a good one, song perhaps..............
So about this Nightmirth, I dreamt that our Kiwanis Club was doing a live segment on how to make bread-we did a run through, I was to handover a portion of the ingredients from the refrigerator when asked-live on camera. Someone was up front, nervously but efficiently giving the directions and completing the steps for the bread making. Well, just before my cue, I dropped some butter on the floor, slipped and cleaned it up-all off to the side, then I was asked for an EGG (should have know this item would be the precursor to calamity), I dropped the egg and then fell-standing right on screen view. It was one of those slapstick falls-feet up in the air, arms flying for purchase, all to no avail. I got up, plucked another egg out of the safety of the egg tray and proceeded to make my way to the front-but I was laughing so uncontrollably that I could not stop and off it went-laughing enough to destroy the sanctity of the segment being broadcast, falling down laughing, getting louder and louder-then I woke up laughing in the same manner-trying to stuff the noise into my pillow-the sound must have sounded alarming because my SweetHusband also woke up and was worried that I was crying, I could not explain for a time, finally he realized that I was laughing and could not understand why I was out of control with happiness. He was assured that I was ok, and he went back to sleep-and so did I-still laughing into my next sleeping adventure. As soon as I woke up this morning-I started laughing again-silently so as not to put SH into another fright. When he woke up he asked "Do you know what happened last night?" and I starting laughing again-what a wonderful feeling to laugh at the beginning of the day! I am even smiling while I type this. With the health problems causing me to change routines for the next month or so, it is nice to have a rush of positive energy, after all "Laughter is the Best Medicine!"