Navy Bean & Vegetable Soup

Can Chili cure asthmatic bronchitis?

I have been plagued by a bought of asthmatic bronchitis for over a week now. I missed two days of work last week (Monday and Tuesday) and it got really bad on Thursday and Friday. I am feeling better; however, I feel alien from all of the breathing treatments, steroids, antibiotics, and antihistamines. I thought a spicey bowl of chili will help to open things up!

Bangers and Blue Cheese Mash

grilled spicey italian sausage

mashed potatoes with 1 cup of crumbled blue cheese

corn wrapped with schmere of butter, wrapped in foil, and grilled

Seared Tuna & Mauhi Mauhi with steamed potatoes, corn, broccoli & topped with curry & garlic butter

Roasted Lemon Chicken

3-4 pounds chicken parts (thighs and legs recommended), skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat

2 Tbsp lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 Tbsp of Jerk Seasoning
2 Tbsp Curry Powder
2 Tbsp Emeril's Essence

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2-3 Tbsp melted butter

Lemon slices for garnish

1 Place lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, whisk to combine. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut into each chicken piece one or two times by about 1/2 an inch. (This will help the marinade penetrate.) Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (in case of leakage). Let marinate for 2 hours.

2 Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer in a large baking dish, skin side up. Reserve the marinade. Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter on to each piece of chicken.

3 Bake for a total of 50 to 55 minutes, until the skins are crispy brown, and the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear (breasts have an internal temperature of 165°F and thighs 175°F). Half-way through the baking, at about the 25 minute mark, baste the chicken pieces generously with reserved marinade. Depending on the size of the breasts, they may be ready before the thighs, so if you are cooking a mix of chicken parts, keep that in mind, you may have to take them out of the oven before the thighs. Let rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving.

4 Pour the juices from the pan into a serving bowl. Use a tablespoon to skim the fat off the top (save the fat for cooking with later, or discard, but do not discard down the drain or it will solidify and clog your drain). Serve the chicken with the juices on the side or a little poured over the top of the chicken.

Roasted Barbecued Country-Style Ribs

Roasted Barbecued Country-Style Ribs

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless country-style ribs
* Rub mixture: cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and curry powder
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* 1/2 cup spicy barbecue sauce

PREP:
Wash ribs and pat dry. Combine cajun seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder, and curry powder. Rub seasoning mixture over the ribs. Line a shallow baking pan with foil; oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange ribs on the foil, then top with onion slices. Cover with another piece of foil and bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until very tender. Remove the top piece of foil and brush with barbecue sauce; bake uncovered for about 15 minutes longer, or broil for about 5 minutes.

I served with roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions that were dusted with sour cream & onion mix and EVOO.

**Save the dripping for a nice addition of flavors for a soup! I removed the first drippings when I added the BBQ sauce.

Crackers!

Crackers are dogs that cooked on a hot grill until they crack, making them extra crispy! In NY, they call them rippers. What a great treat on a beautiful Sunday in Florida! I served them with a side of potato salad and garlic stuffed olives. The bun were coated with spicy mustard, sweet relish, and onions.

Salisbury Steak

Ingredients
• 1 ½ lb of ground beef
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• ½ can of water
• 2 table spoons of diced garlic
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 diced onion
• 1 can of sliced mushrooms
• 10 finger potatoes
• season to your liking

Make the ground beef into patties and stuff with the ground pepper. Place the patties in a skillet for 2 minutes per side. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic cloves. Cook for 7 minutes. Bring a pot of water to boil and boil potatoes for 15 minutes. When finished, set potatoes aside in closed container to keep warm. After 7 minutes, add the soup, a ½ can of water and simmer for 15 minutes. This is an easy comfort food dish! I add salt, pepper, crushed red peppers, Emeril’s seasoning, and curry powder to the dish when I incorporate the soup to the skillet.

I serve with the meat and potatoes smothered with the gravy and veggie side.

Low Country Boil

In a dutch oven, bring water to boil with 2 gallops of butter, curry , garlic powder, Emeril's Essence, 4 small potatoes, two peeled whole onions. After water is boiling for 5 minutes add 1 Kobasa Sausage for 10 minutes. Add 1 pound of peeled shrimp for 2-3 minutes. This is a southern favorite that everyone will enjoy. The best part of this dish is you only use one pot!

Ox Tails!

I took a 1 1/2 lbs of Ox Tails with one cubed sweet potato, one diced jalapeño, 2 diced onions, diced celery, 2 ears of corn, snow peas, and 12 cloves of garlic. I placed these ingredients in a crock for 3 hours on high. The broth from this concoction is awesome and intense! The combo of roasted garlic and the other ingredient's drippings in incredible! I will freeze this broth and use it for a soup in a few weeks.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can of Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups frozen or cans of peas and corn
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 diced jalapeño
a lot of garlic!

Directions:

Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in an 11 x 8-inch (2-quart) shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Season the chicken as desired.

Bake at 375°F for 50 minutes. Top with cheese and let the casserole stand for 10 minutes.

Slow Cooked Country Ribs

The Crock Pot is your friend!

2 lb. Boneless County Ribs (pork)
2 cups chopped Celery & Onions
1 chopped Jalapeño
6 Garlic cloves chopped
1 Lime juiced
2 chopped Turnips
2 cubed Sweet Potatoes

Pour some EVOO in the bottom of the Crock Pot and add the chopped Celery, Onions, Garlic, and Jalapeño. Place the Ribs over this mixture and pour the Lime juice over the meat. Sprinkle some Curry Powder, Ginger Powder, and Emerald’s Essence over the meat. Place the Turnips and Sweet Potatoes on top of the meat. Add Salt and Pepper over the mixture. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. The will hit the spot and your house will smell good!

I am in the mood for some comfort food!

I have had a headache all day and was hungry! I decided to try a new recipe for lunch:

Cheeseburger Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Beef Broth
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked medium shell-shaped pasta

Directions:

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring frequently to break up meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the soups, water and pasta into the skillet. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender but still firm, stirring often.

Now, being the person that I am…I changed the recipe to meet my new comfort needs. I used ½ lb. ground beef and ½ lb. ground sausage. I also added garlic, onions, and a jalapeño. Now we are cooking!