Emeril's Sloppy Joes

Submitted by Stefanie Moore

I love sloppy joes. And when I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine a couple of years ago I had to try it. It is now one of the yummy, simple, go-to meals that I fall back on from time to time. I'll also be honest and say that it wasn't too long ago that I would have been happy with the canned sloppy joe sauce you add to browned meat.....what can I say, I'm a simple girl. But this recipe is so much better than anything you'll find in a can and I'm sure it's a lot better for you, too.

Serves: 4
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced small (2 cups)
• 1 large celery stalk, diced small (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced small (1/2 cup)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3 Tbsp dark brown sugar (you can add less if you don't want it as sweet....I don't always add 3Tbsp)
• 3Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups prepared tomato sauce
• 1 cup beef/chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth (I use the low-sodium chicken broth because I usually have it on hand. Also I usually add just a little broth at a time. If I don't have time to let it simmer long I don't add the whole cup. It cuts down on the sloppiness and Phil and I prefer our sloppy joes a bit thicker.)
• 2 tsp hot-pepper sauce--optional (I usually add a couple of dashes of Texas Pete)

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat
2. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, season with salt and pepper then cook until vegetables soften, about 2 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more
4. Add beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned, about 2 minutes
5. Add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and stock/broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
6. Add hot-pepper sauce (or Texas Pete) if desired and remove from heat.
7. Generously spoon beef mixture over toasted buns & enjoy! Phil likes his sloppy joes with a slice of cheese. :)

Sweet Potato Casserole

Submitted by Stefanie Moore



Ingredients

• 4 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Preparation

• Bake sweet potatoes at 400° for about 1 hour or until tender. Let cool to touch; peel and mash sweet potatoes.
• Beat mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, and next 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
• Combine cornflakes cereal and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle diagonally over casserole in rows 2 inches apart.
• Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle alternate rows with marshmallows; bake 10 additional minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving

Cape Cod Scones

Submitted by Courtney Steadman

 

Preheat oven to 425.

2 cups sifted all purpose flour - measure after you sift

1 Tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries, or strawberries, or blueberries (optional)

1 1/4 cups whipping (heavy) cream

Mix dry ingredients together with fork.  While mixing pour in 1 and 1/4 cups cream.  Form into a dough ball.  Knead a few times on wax paper with a little flour - I just fold it over a few times.  Flatten to a 9 inch circle or so.  Brush with some melted butter and then I sprinkle with coarse sugar could also just use regular sugar.  Then I cut it into 12 pieces or so using a pizza cutter.  Transfer the pieces to an ungreased cookie pan about an inch apart.  Bake for 15 minutes at 425 (middle rack).  My oven gets hot so I usually bake at 425 for 5 minutes and turn it down to 400 for the last 10 min so they don't get too brown on the bottom.  Let cool and enjoy:))  They freeze well too.

Chocolate Sauce

Submitted by Carla Winter

2T Nutella

¼ c semisweet chocolate chips

¼ c heavy cream

Microwave in 30 second increments till it stirs easily and melts together. 

Can also add 1-2 T of brewed strong coffee to this. 

Balsamic Chicken with Wild Rice

Submitted by Courtney Steadman

Ingredients

1 lb Chicken Breasts

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 Garlic Clove, pressed

1 pkg Mushrooms

3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

¼ tsp Thyme

Directions

Trim and Rinse Chicken Breasts.

Cut into 1” cubes.

In a bowl, combine garlic, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and thyme.

Add chicken to bowl and coat with mixture.

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Add contents of bowl to skillet.

Cook Chicken until done.

Add mushrooms.

Cook a box of Uncle Ben’s Fast Cook Wild Rice according to the directions.

Serve Chicken over Wild Rice

Servings:  4

Southern Peach Scuppernong Salsa

Submitted by Stefanie Moore

We got some huge scuppernong grapes in our produce box last week. They had listed this recipe in the newsletter and it is awesome! If you find yourself with some scuppernong grapes and don't know what to do with them I suggest you try this recipe. I think it would be good with regular grapes, as well.

Ingredients
1 cup seeded and quartered scuppernong grapes
2 medium peaches, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 20 minutes.

Spaghetti with Eggplant

Submitted by Conner Evans

 

Ingredients 

1 med. eggplant

olive oil

1 finely chopped clove garlic

1 1/2 - 2 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes

     (or 1 can diced )

hot pepper flakes to taste

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked & drained

 

Directions 

Cut off the ends of the eggplant & discard.  Cut eggplant into quarter inch rounds or chunks.  Place in mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1 T. salt.  Mix well and let stand an hour or more. 

 

Rinse & drain the eggplant and squeeze out extra juice.

 

Heat about 3 T olive oil in skillet, add garlic and eggplant and cook eggplant on all sides until golden.  Add tomatoes, hot pepper flakes and other seasonings you like

(such as a generous pinch of Italian dried herbs).  Stir well, cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes.

 

You can personalize this to your own taste by adding chopped onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, etc. when you add the tomatoes.  Serve on top of spaghetti

Salsa Chicken

Submitted by Stefanie Moore

I like this recipe because I usually already have all of the ingredients at home!

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 tsp taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese
sour cream (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken and place in the dish. Pour salsa over the chicken. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired and serve.

Tortilla Soup

Submitted by Carla Winter

As you can see I follow the original recipe VERY loosely :) so I'm sure you could put whatever in there.

Ingredients

4 cooked and shredded chicken breast

1 garlic clove

A slice of butter

2 -14.5 ounce cans of chicken broth

2-14.5 ounce cans of chopped stewed tomatoes

1 cup of salsa

.5 cup of chopped cilantro

1 T or more of cumin

1-2 cans of black beans

.5 bag-1 bag of corn

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or I've done high for 3-4).

Serve with crushed chips, sour cream and cheese.

*I've literally thrown in all kinds of stuff like celery or whatever.  I think last time I had 3-4 different jars opened of different kinds of salsa, verde sauce...and I just dumped them all in there :)

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Submitted by Stefanie Moore

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds, halved lengthwise, seeds and fibers removed
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (I usually use black pepper)
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Rub the cut slices of the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Set the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the squash and place in a large bowl, discarding the skin. Mash into a chunky puree with a potato masher, then let cool, about 15 minutes.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, oregano, chopped sage and nutmeg and work into the warm squash. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and using your hands, work into a smooth, soft dough. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 30 to 45 minutes. If your dough feels too sticky, gradually add flour a little at a time until you reach a good consistency. I ended up adding approximately 3 cups of flour.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion between your palms into a long rope, about 3/4-inch thick. If the rope won't hold together, return it to the bowl with the remaining dough and work in more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed. Cut each rope of dough into 3/4-inch long pieces. Press each piece against the tines of a floured fork, then drop into the lightly floured surface.

(Gnocchi also can be placed in a single layer on a lightly floured baking sheet and refrigerated for several hours. Alternately, the gnocchi can be frozen for 1 hour then transferred to an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month.)

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt to a low boil.

Add the gnocchi in batches and cook just until they float to the top, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (or 3 minutes for frozen gnocchi.)

We added pesto to ours and served it with a side salad. This recipe made enough that we were able to freeze half of the gnocchi.

Pam's Chicken

Submitted by Courtney Steadman

Ingredients 

4 Chicken Breasts

½ tsp Kosher Salt

¼ tsp Pepper

¼ tsp Paprika

1 Tbsp Minced Onion

1 tsp Garlic Powder

¾ cup White Wine

¾ cup Mushrooms

8 oz Sour Cream

½ cup Slivered Almonds

Directions 

Spray Pam in a large casserole dish

Place Chicken Breasts in and drizzle a bit of Olive Oil on them

Sprinkle Salt, Pepper, Paprika on top

Cook (covered) at 400 Degrees for 35 minutes

In a bowl, mix salt, pepper, minced onion, garlic powder, white wine, and sour cream

Set aside

When Chicken is cooked, cut into cubes

Leave in juice

Pour White Wine mixture over chicken cubes

Add mushrooms

Stir

Add almonds to the top

Cook (uncovered) 350 Degrees for 20 min

Serve over rice, noodles or couscous

Flour's Famous Banana Bread

Submitted by Stefanie Moore

This is delish! I've made healthier versions of banana bread but this one is so moist and so good. Makena, who is my pickiest kid, even ate it. I chopped my nuts in my mini food processor to make sure they were small enough that Makena wouldn't notice them. This is one of the things I've made when I'm told I'm "the best cooker ever!" :)


Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, creme fraiche/sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Mac and Cheese with a Twist

Submitted by Courtney Steadman

Ingredients

8 oz shell pasta

1 cup sour cream

1 lb can stewed tomatoes

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 stick butter

1 small onion - chopped

salt and pepper

Directions 

Cook pasta according to directions, drain and then add all ingredients.  Bake @ 350 in a casserole dish for about 40 minutes uncovered.  I use it as a main dish but could also use as a heavier side dish.  Enjoy:))

Corn Chowder

Submitted by Stefanie Moore

I made this last week using fresh corn and it was great! We're getting a lot of fresh corn in our produce box and it is so good right now! You can increase or reduce the amount of broth and milk that you use depending on how thick you like your chowder. And I probably doubled the amount of bacon in the recipe. :)

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 ears of fresh corn or 3 cups frozen whole kernel corn
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 14-ounce can chicken broth
• 1 cup cubed, peeled potato (1 medium)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 3 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled or 2 tablespoons cooked bacon pieces
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. If using fresh corn, use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs (you should have about 3 cups corn). Set corn aside.

2. In a large saucepan cook onion and sweet pepper in hot oil until onion is tender but not brown. Stir in chicken broth, potato, and corn. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. In a small bowl combine flour, salt, and pepper. Stir milk into flour mixture; add to corn mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Add bacon; heat through. If desired, garnish each serving with parsley.

4. Makes 6 servings (5 1/2 cups)

5. Corn and Crab Chowder: Prepare as above, except omit bacon. In Step 3, after cooking for 1 minute, stir in one 6- or 6-1/2-ounce can crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed. Heat through.

Sausage & Wild Rice Casserole

Submitted by Paige Archer

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 lb. ground pork sausage sage flavor
1 t butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 c chopped celery
2 6oz. packages long grain and wild rice mix (Uncle Ben's style)
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1T chopped fresh or 1tsp dried rubbed sage
1/2 tsp pepper
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions
1.  Heat pecans in large skillet over medium heat, stirring often until toasted.  Remove from skillet.

2.  Brown sausage in same skillet.  Remove sausage from skillet using slotted spoon; reserve drippings in skillet.

3.  melt butter in drippings over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and saute 10-15 minutes until tender.

4.  Remove 1 seasoning packet from rice mixes; reserve for another use.  Combine sausage, vegetable mixture, remaining seasoning packet, rice, and next 3 ingredients in lightly greastd 13x9 baking dish.  Stir in chicken broth until well blended.

5.  Bake, covered at 325 for 1 hour our until liquid is almost absorbed.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Sprinkle chopped pecans on top.

**I usually divide this before I stir in the broth.  I bake the first part in an 8x8 casserole that night using 1/2 of the broth, and freeze the rest of the mixture in a ziploc freezer bag.  Then when I need to fix a quick supper, I dump it into an 8x8, add the rest of the broth, and bake it like normal.

Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes

Submitted by Tiffany Deonanan

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr 15 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 30 Min

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes

8 slices bacon

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

8 green onions, sliced, divided

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

1. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
3. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
4. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Chicken Divan

Submitted by Carla Winter


Ingredients
4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts 
1 pkg frozen broccoli (cook and drain)

Sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chicken broth

2 tablespoons sherry
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese


Topping:
1 cup pepperidge farm stuffing mix
1/2 stick margarine


Preparation
Place broccoli in casserole dish and top with chicken.  Mix ingredients for sauce and pour over chicken.  Melt margarine and mix with stuffing mix.  Sprinkle on top.  Bake 20 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered at 350. 

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Submitted by Stefanie Moore

We had this for dinner tonight. When I told Phil what we were having, he told me he thought he had only ever had salisbury steak in a cafeteria. He changed his tune after eating it. We will defintely be adding this to our recipe box! It was very good!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef

1 (10-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, divided

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup frozen chopped onions

1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup sherry  

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms (I found a good deal on portabello mushrooms so I chopped mine.)

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 (1.2-ounce) packet brown gravy mix (I used Knorr brand)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine beef, 1/4 can mushroom soup, bread crumbs, egg, onions, and steak seasoning. Mix thoroughly and shape into 4 oval patties.

Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown patties on both sides and transfer to a plate.

Add remaining butter and sherry (remove pan from heat when adding sherry.) Saute mushrooms for 7 to 8 minutes. Add beef broth and whisk in gravy mix until smooth. Stir in remaining mushroom soup.

Return patties to skillet and spoon gravy over top. Cover pan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

This would be great over cooked rice or mashed potatoes.

Quinoa and Black Beans

Submitted by Lauren Smith

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat oil in saucepan.  Stir in onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned. Mix quinoa into saucepan and cover with vegetable broth.  Season with cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir frozen corn into saucepan and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through.  Mix in black beans and cilantro.

3 Bean Salad

Submitted by Courtney Steadman Mix together:  1 can Red Beans - drained 1 can Black Beans - drained 1 can White Beans – drained 1 can of sweet corn and 1 can of chick peas 1 green pepper chopped 1 red pepper chopped 1 small onion chopped Add Paul Newman's Family Recipe Italian Dressing. Yum!!  I also added some pasta noodles to make it a cold pasta salad.