Brown Sugar Meatloaf

This one is a recipe of my own! :)  a family favorite.  

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4-1/2 cup ketchup

1.5 lbs Ground Beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 eggs

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup milk

1 package of McCormicks Meatloaf seasoning (I've tried others, but McCormicks tastes the best!)

Press the brown sugar in the bottom of a 5x7 loaf pan.  Pour ketchup evenly on top.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients.  Press into pan.  Bake uncovered for 60 min at 375 degrees.  

Oooooooohhh so good!!!  And easy too! ;)

Pollo Borracho (Drunken Chicken)

My dad loved mexican dishes!  My grandma would make this one for him.  YUM! 

Pollo Borracho (Drunken Chicken)

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Corn oil (olive oil would work fine as well)
1 Chicken whole, quartered/disjointed
1 1/2 teaspoons Red chile powder
Salt to taste
1/2 pound Chorizo
1 medium Onion finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic minced
1/2 cup Orange juice fresh
1/3 cup Gold Tequila
2 tablespoons Capers

  Instructions
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and brown chicken pieces in it with chile powder; salt lightly and transfer to a casserole dish. Cook sausage with onions and garlic, in the same frying pan, until sausage is cooked through. Distribute over chicken pieces. Mix together orange juice and tequila and pour over chicken, then sprinkle with capers. Cover tightly and bake in preheated oven at 350° for one hour or until chicken is very tender. Serve with Rice. 

Pesto Sauce!

Here is a great Pesto recipe!  

Pesto!

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups Fresh basil
2 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Walnuts or pine nuts
1/2 cup Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Salt or to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan freshly grated

  Instructions
In a blender or processor, combine basil, garlic, nuts and oil. Process until almost smooth. If pasty, add more oil. Scrape into a bowl and beat in cheese and salt to taste. Serve as a sauce on pasta or rice or use as a flavoring for vegetable soup. Is great on Chicken as well.

Chicken Saute Bercy

I made this tonight when I had my parents over for dinner. Also made the sweet potato casserole! Sooooooo good!

Chicken Saute Bercy

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Butter to saute with chicken

1 1/2 lbs Chicken
2 tablespoons Butter to saute with onions/mushrooms
14 ounces Mushroom
2 bunches Green onion
3/4 cup White Wine
4 tablespoons Butter for sauce
4 cloves Garlic fine minced

  Instructions
Saute chicken, set aside. Saute butter and mushrooms first, then add garlic and onions at the end; very lightly saute and add wine. Pour over chicken.

 

Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

Not the secret recipe, but a good one!  This sauce and meatballs are great over traditional spaghetti, or put a new twist on it and try over tortellini or other types of pasta noodles.  

Spaghetti Sauce & Meatballs

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

-- Spaghetti Sauce --
1 small can Tomato puree
1 small can Tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper or more
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 small Onion chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 Bay leaf
Water enough to cover meatballs and 1 inch over.

-- Meat Balls --
1 pound Ground Chuck
Salt & pepper to taste
1 small Onion chopped
1 Egg
Oatmeal enough to thicken meat mixture and shape into balls

  Instructions
Brown meatballs slightly over medium heat using 1 tbsp oil. Then pour the sauce over the meatballs, add a bay leaf or 2 and simmer slowly in a covered large corning ware dish for about 1 ½ hours. 

Sweet Potato Carmel Casserole

I added pecans instead of dates (only on half as my mom didn't want the pecans) and next  time I will sprinkle brown sugar on top.  YUM

Sweet Potato Carmel Casserole

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup Evaporated milk
1 Egg
3 cups Sweet potatoes mashed, cooked
3 tablespoons Butter
8 ounce Dates
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Butter

  Instructions
Add milk and egg to mashed sweet potatoes. Beat well until a smooth paste is formed. Melt 3 tbsp. butter in a frying pan. Add dates and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add Sweet potato mixture and blend until dates are dispersed. Place in large casserole dish.

to prepare topping, heat maple syrup and 1/4 c butter until butter is melted. Pour over top of the casserole. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and garnished with whole, pitted dates. Makes 6 generous servings.


** I would replace dates with pecans** 

Best Damn Salsa

My Dad's famous Salsa, this is the best evah!  No joke.  I can't stand the heat of most salsa's but this is worth the tears.  soooo good!  

Best Damn Salsa! Yields: 6 Servings Ingredients 1 can (14 oz) Diced tomato with juices 1 can Diced Chili's (Ortega brand) 1 Onion diced 1 bunch Green onion diced 2 cloves Garlic chopped 1/4 bunch Cilantro chopped 1 Vietnamese Chili's chopped dash Salt dash Pepper
Instructions mix together and enjoy! For a mild salsa you can leave out the Vietnamese Chili's but that is what makes this Salsa the Best Damn Salsa, Ever!

How about some coffee to get us started

My Grandfather was Irish (hence my flaming red hair).  Boy he was put through the ringer with my Grandmothers Italian brothers!   They made quite the pair though.  Eventually the family cam around and grew to love him as much as she did.  :)  

Here is an Irish Coffee for Grandpa.  Notes on top show it came from Vera in 1973 from a trip they took to Reno.

Irish Coffee

Vera - Reno 1973
Yields: 1 Servings

Ingredients

1 ounce Irish Wiskey
1 teaspoon Sugar
5 ounces Coffee strong, black
Heavy cream

  Instructions
Coffee - Strong as a friendly Hand
Whiskey - Smooth as the wit of our Land
Sugar - Sweet as the tongue of a Rogue
Cream - Rich as an Irish Brogue

Into a 6 or 8 oz glass gobblet, pour one ounce of Irish Whiskey. Stir in one teaspoon sugar. Leaving spoon in the glass, add strong black coffee to within about an inch of the rim. Stir well. Beat cold heavy cream with a wire whisk until aerated but not whipped. Hold warm spoon upside down over the glass and slowly pour the cream over the back of the spoon until it fills the glass up to the rim. Do not stir after adding cream, as the unique flavor is obtained by drinking the whiskey and hot coffee through the cold cream.

Where it all started.

Neva was my Grandmother.  She passed away less than 10 years ago.  My father, Bob, also passed away a couple years ago.  In going through their belongings, I've found a world of family treasures.  Old Army uniforms from my father, scrapbooks and slides from my Grandfather with pictures from prohibition, family and vacations from the 1920's through the 90's.  I even found the old cuckoo clock that haunted me as a child.  LOL

Anyway, in this great search through memories I found a recipe.  My grandma's beloved spaghetti sauce recipe.  It was like finding an undiscovered Picasso. Her secret, won't tell anyone recipe.  The recipe older than my father and probably older than my grandmother herself.  God love that sweet little Italian catholic woman.  She never swore, was always patient and polite, but get near her recipe and watch out!  While I can't share that treasure with you, I can share the hundreds of other recipes I found alongside that.  Some were her legendary recipes, like homemade pizza, Georgia Pecan Pie and Peanut Butter cookies that can make you beg for more.  Others have notes on them, stating they were her sisters recipe or long time family friend.  Then were recipes that everyone loves, like TollHouse chocolate chip cookies and rice krispie treats.  

And last I found some more treasures.  My fathers chili and salsa recipes.  He had many chili recipes, again I have to keep his most treasured to myself, but he loved to experiment.  This is shown by all his notes, articles and recipes from magazines, recipes written on old bank statements and used envelopes.  Anything nearby to jot quick notes on so he can re-create his masterpiece again.  

This blog is created in their honor, to share with you the many wonderful dishes I grew up on.  I will not have pictures of most as I will be trying out these recipes for the first time myself.  I'm scared to do so, They were both such wonderful cooks, I hope my versions of their recipes can measure up.  As I create them I will post pictures and my on notes on variations, if the kids liked it, etc.  Enjoy and share with your family.  Feel free to comment on ones you've tried, ones you want to try and ones that just inspire you.