Zesty Olives

This is a great holiday plate that satisfy most every taste.  A little bit salt and spice mixed with olive oil and some vinegar!


Ingredients
Two medium to large jars of pitted green olives.  One stuffed with garlic the other with pimentos
One can medium pitted black olives
One medium jar of (your choice) mild/spicy/hot banana pepper rings
One small jar of pearl onions (often found where alcoholic drink mixes are)
Two small jars of garlic cloves
Olive oil (good stuff - cold pressed virgin olive oil- don't buy the cheap shit)
Garlic salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning

In the serving dish or in a salad bowl pour about a quarter cup of olive oil and two teaspoons of garlic salt.  With two large spoons stir until the salt is evenly distributed.  Drain all the olives, the garlic cloves, pearl onions, all but the banana pepper rings.  Put everything into the bowl and mix throughly. Pour a liberal amount of olive oil on the mixture.  Drain about half the jar of banana pepper liquid and pour the rest with the banana peppers into the bowl. Lightly add Italian seasoning, pepper, and stir. (Test taste to make sure there's enough garlic salt)
If you refrigerate overnight the oil will congeal so you'll need to let it warm up some and keep it stirred.  Cheddar cheese bites are a great addition to this mix, but only good for one night.  Instead of the banana peppers try Giardiniera -- located same place as the banana peppers and olives!

Oven Baked Chicken/Green Bean/Potato Casserole

This twist on the traditional green bean casserole used at Thanksgiving, provides a meal for two, three, four depending on the amount of chicken you use in the casserole dish.  In this illustration we cooked four chicken thighs that made two dinners for us!

Ingredients:

Chicken (in this case 4 thighs)

Mushroom/Cream of Celery/Cream of Chicken/Creamy gravy sauce (here used two cream of chicken)

bag of frozen green beans (16oz)

4 tbls olive oil

French Fried Onions (handful)

Salt/pepper/garlic salt

1 and 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded.

Turmeric powder

Two onions, two cloves of garlic

Chicken spices - your choice spicy or mild

8 small whole red potatoes

Heat oven to 350.  Spray pan with Pam or like substance and arrange chicken.  Cut the potatoes in half and arrange around the chicken, add olive oil to the pan.  Salt and pepper the chicken and use whatever chicken seasoning then place uncovered in the oven.  Microwave the greenbeans while the chicken is cooking otherwise after the first 30 minutes add the greenbeans and the gravy.  Slice the onions and garlic and add to the top.  

In 30 minutes flip the chicken and the potatoes, re-season and put back in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and test temperature of the chicken.  When within 30 degrees of 165, then add the soup and the green beans to the casserole sprinkle with turmeric.  Everytime you remove the casserole from the oven, flip the potatoes and the onions and the chicken so they do not dry out on top.

In 30 minutes test the temperature of the chicken.  Close to or at, the desired cooked internal temperature (165,) increase oven temperature to 400, cover the casserole with cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes.  Remove and sprinkle french fried onion rings on top and place in oven for 5 minutes.

When done remove chicken and serve, remove potatoes, serve them, mix the remains together and serve.

Three Bean Salad

• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans
  • 2/3 cup vinegar
  • 1/3 cup canola & olive oil mix 
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, Italian seasoning
• 1 pound wax beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
• 3/4 cup white sugar
  
  
  
  
  Drain the canned beans.  Into the serving bowl combine the vinegar, oil, salt, sugar and stir. Add the beans, mix, top with italian seasoning andrefrigerate  overnight

Quinoa French Onion Casserole

Ingredients

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• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
  
  1/2 red onion
  
  pressed/squeezed garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup French-fried onions
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup French-fried onions
  
  
  This turned out tastier and healthier than I thought it would be to be honest.  The biggest pain in the ass is cleaning the quinoa.  Seems this stuff has a coating requiring rinsing - easiest way is to let it soak for 30 minutes then rinse the quinoa until the rinse water is clear.  Then in a pot with the 2 cups of water and salt add the quinoa and bring to a boil.  Once at a boil reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. In the meantime in a frying pan having cut up the onions, drizzle the bottom of the pan with olive oil, add the onions and the garlic and let them cook until soft.  Broccoli is another story -- I don't know how you like it cooked, some like it al-dente, others softer, I like it massacred so however you like your cooked broccoli, go ahead and do that at the same time.
  Once the quinoa is ready and still in the pot throw in the onion/garlic mixture, the broccoli, the cheese, the 1/2 cup of French Fried Onions, the lemon pepper, the ranch dressing and mix together.  Spray the dish you are going to use in the oven with some vegetable spray, then pour the mixture into the dish, then dish into the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 remove and cover the dish with the remaining 1/2 or more -- go ahead -- of French Fried onion rings and back in the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes.  Just to crisp them up not to burn -- and you're ready!
  
  
  
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Healthy Zucchini Pizza by Rebecca Bauernfeind

This is great and super tasty!!

Slice the zucchini in half. Slice off the bottom to keep it stable. Brush or spray with olive oil and top with garlic or garlic powder. Top with sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Use mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese or mixed blend.. Bake 375 for 20 to 30 minutes until soft.

Summer Chicken and Eggplant Pasta by Rebecca Bauernfeind

Summer Chicken and Eggplant Pasta
494 calories, 10.75 grams sugar, 15.6 grams fat, 66.6 grams carbohydrates, 29.45 grams protein
It may not be summer just yet, but this flavorful pasta is perfect all year long, especially when you want to indulge your carb cravings. Though the mouthwatering dish is on the heavier side, it includes plenty of fresh veggies (eggplant, zucchini, squash, and cherry tomatoes) and protein (chicken). You’ll walk away completely fulfilled!

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 in. thick slices
2 chicken breasts, about 4 oz. each
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 c. grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt & pepper
Non-stick spray
Grill seasoning
6 oz. angel hair pasta
5 tbsp. good, olive oil-based Italian dressing, divided
8-10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced or torn

Directions:
Lay eggplant slices on a cooling rack. Generously salt each side and let sit for 10 minutes. Blot excess moisture and salt off the top with a paper towel. Brush each side with extra-virgin olive oil and season with pepper. Spray chicken breasts with non-stick spray and season each side with grill seasoning. Cut the ends off the zucchini and yellow squash, then cut in half. Cut into strips with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, then add strips and tomatoes into a medium-sized bowl and toss with 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil and grill seasoning. Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat and generously spray with non-stick spray. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Grill the eggplant slices until tender, about 3 minutes per side. Grill squash, zucchini, and tomatoes together until tender, tossing every so often, about 5 minutes total. Chop chicken and eggplant into bite-sized pieces. Meanwhile add angel hair pasta to a large pot of salted boiling water, and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Toss with 3 tbsp. Italian dressing. Divide pasta between four plates. Top with grilled chicken, eggplant, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes. Drizzle each plate with the remaining Italian dressing, and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Makes 4 servings.

Breakfast Pizza

1 can of refrigerated Pillsbury crescent rolls
3 eggs
shredded cheese - sharp cheddar
bag of frozen hash browns
Frozen sausage crumbles or crumbled bacon or crumbled vegetarian sausage
either a pizza pan or a rectangle cookie sheet
salt/pepper/turmeric

Set the oven to 400 and then with the selected pan, open the crescent rolls and spread them out. If using the pizza pan, separate the crescent slices and form a circle best you can, stretching and patting the dough to fill the empty spots.
Shake out enough hash browns to cover the dough thinly.
Shake out crumble of your selection and add enough to cover each quarter section with a taste of the sausage.
Mix well the three eggs, a sprinkle of turmeric, and add a small amount of the cheese to help the eggs spread out easier. Then slowly starting at the outer edge drizzle the egg mixture throughout the pizza.
Add cheese to the pizza top in a thin layer.
Salt/pepper to taste.

Polk Pizza

This easy to make, vegetarian or meat pizza, is easier on the stomach for those of us with issues with red pizza sauce

1 can of pizza dough, from dairy, whole wheat
1/2 jar of white sauce -- often Alfredo sauce
pizza pan
olive oil
1/4 of a yellow onion
1 tomato
1 clove garlic
4 mozzeralla sticks
sage
garlic salt
oregano
spicy garlic hummus
pan spray

Use the square pizza dough, or once a little warm reshape into a round pizza pan sprayed with olive oil spray, and place in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. While cooking the dough, slice the 1/4 of an onion and then divide into half. Slice the tomato as thinly as possible as well as the garlic. Slicing the long way divide the mozzarella sticks into four -- slice it once into half then the halves once again to make four from each stick.
Check the dough and make sure it is browning on the bottom -- if not put it back into the oven for a little more time. Once ready spread the hummus on the dough, the hot dough should make this fairly easy. Next the Alfredo sauce spread it around the pizza then add the mozzarella slices in a pinwheel fashion on a round pizza, church rows on a square. On top of the mozzarella evenly distribute the onion then the tomato slices. Liberally cover the pizza with oregano and sage then use garlic salt to taste. Drizzle olive oil over the entire pizza and slip it into the oven.
In 15 minutes check the pizza and once you see the mozzarella mostly melted, it's ready!

French/Swiss Onion Soup

There's nothing like a bowl of French Onion soup while people watching along the Champs-de-Elysees, something we've done many times.  But, at about 6 Euros a bowl for the privilege of sitting in one of the fancy restaurants you can make a bowl of this soup and look out your own window on the  world.



  Here's what you'll need.
6 medium onions
7 cups of broth (beef/poultry) using either powder, canned bullion, whatever you prefer
1 clove garlic
garlic salt
red pepper
salt and pepper
olive oil
3 tsp sugar
Parmesan cheese
Swiss Gruyere Cheese (the original for French Onion Soup) or thick slice Swiss Cheese
French/Italian Bread

In a Dutch Oven, which is a medium to large pot with a lid probably about 8 to 10 quarts, cover the bottom with about 4 tbls of olive oil.  Thinly slice the clove of garlic and put it in the pot.  Slice do not dice the onions and drop them into the pot, separating the slices as you drop them in the pot and turn on the stove top to low as you continue to slice up the onions.  After about 15 minutes sprinkle the onions with the 3 - 5 teaspoons of sugar to  help caramelize the onions.  Cook the onions for about 45 minutes to an hour, turning constantly, with the lid on the pot about half the time.  Once they are soft and brownish start adding the broth and bring the stove top to medium heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste, about two teaspoons of red pepper, and cook for 45 minutes then cover and set aside.
Now like many soups, this taste better the following day but if you are ready now, take the French or Italian bread, wrap it in aluminium foil and place it in a 350 degree oven.  You can actually do this about 15 minutes into the last step of making the soup.  Once warm remove from the oven and slice as many slices of bread as bowls of soup you are serving.  Using oven safe bowls, fill each bowl about 2/3 full with the soup.  Add a slice of bread on top and then top that off with either the Gruyere or Swiss cheese.  If you use the Swiss cheese, then sprinkle the top of the soup with the Parmesan  cheese too.  Place in the oven allowing about 10 minutes for the cheese to melt and brown a little on the top.