Category: RECIPES

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Here’s a simple casserole made using leftovers! It’s so good that when I’m making mashed potatoes for a meal I intentionally double the batch so I can make this with the leftovers the next day. You can use fresh mashed potatoes or boxed in a pinch.

What you will need: mashed potatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions (not shown).

Just mix the sour cream with the mashed potatoes (use a little sour cream or a lot, that’s up to you). Spread in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until heated thoroughly. Top with cheddar cheese, cooked crumbled bacon. Pop back in the oven until cheese is bubbly. If desired add thinly sliced green onions for extra flavor and garnish.

If simple cooking is your style be sure to visit me at Seaside Simplicity for lots of quick and easy ideas!

LUAU BENEDICTS

LUAU BENEDICTS
1 English muffin per person
2 eggs per person
enough leftover sweet and sour pulled pork
hollandaise sauce

  • Prepare Hollandaise sauce.
  • Toast English muffins.
  • Poach eggs.
  • Layer together starting with English muffin, pulled pork, poached egg and the hollandaise sauce.
  • Enjoy.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
finely chopped fresh parsley, if desired

•    Heat butter in a heavy saucepan until hot and foamy, but not browned.
•    In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg yolks with lemon juice, salt, and  hot sauce.
•    Gradually beat in butter, then water.
•    Return mixture to saucepan and beat over very low heat until mixture is slightly thickened.
•    Serve immediately or let stand over warm water for up to 30 minutes.
•    If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Makes about 2/3 cup of hollandaise sauce.

 Submitted to:

Mom’s Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrot Salad

This recipe is one of my mom’s best and one of our most favorite.  It is perfect for Memorial Day or any backyard BBQ!

Mom’s Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrot Salad
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
10-15 sliced carrots
1/2 diced red onion
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup mayo

Directions:  Wash vegetables.  Cut up broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and red onion.  Combine sugar, mayo and apple cider vinegar.  Pour the dressing over the vegetables, mix and refrigerate.

Wash and cut off stems from broccoli.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Wash and cut off stems from cauliflower.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Slice up carrots.  I used about 15 baby carrots.

Measure out 3/4 cup mayo, 3/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar.  Mix until the mayor is absorbed.
Dice 1/2 of a red onion and then pour the dressing over the veggies.

KRABBY CHICKEN CASSEROLE & ASPARAGUS with LIME BUTTER

KRABBY CHICKEN CASSEROLE
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 cups flaked Krab
1 cup diced celery
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1 small can french fried onion rings

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Toss together the chicken, krab, celery and onions.
  • Whisk together the sour cream and mayonnaise.
  • Fold sour cream mixture and cheese into chicken mixture.
  • In a small saucepan melt butter.
  • Whisk in flour until golden.
  • Add milk and whisk until well blended.
  • Fold roux into chicken mixture.
  • Pour into a greased 2 quart episode.
  • Top with french fried onion rings.
  • Bake 30 minutes.

5-6 spears of asparagus per person
2-4 tablespoons butter

1 lime, juiced
  • Clean and snap asparagus.
  • Spray a flat cookie sheet with PURE.
  • Arrange asparagus in a single layer.
  • In a small bowl melt the butter.
  • Add the lime juice and whisk well.
  • Pour lime juice evenly over the asparagus.
  • Increase oven temperature to broil.
  • Broil asparagus until just done.
  • Turn off oven and serve both dishes immediately.
 Submitted to: 

    KRABBY CHICKEN CASSEROLE & ASPARAGUS with LIME BUTTER

    KRABBY CHICKEN CASSEROLE
    2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
    1 1/2 cups flaked Krab
    1 cup diced celery
    1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
    1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
    1/2 cup sour cream
    1/2 cup mayonnaise
    4 tablespoons butter
    3 tablespoons flour
    1/2 cup milk
    1 small can french fried onion rings

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Toss together the chicken, krab, celery and onions.
    • Whisk together the sour cream and mayonnaise.
    • Fold sour cream mixture and cheese into chicken mixture.
    • In a small saucepan melt butter.
    • Whisk in flour until golden.
    • Add milk and whisk until well blended.
    • Fold roux into chicken mixture.
    • Pour into a greased 2 quart episode.
    • Top with french fried onion rings.
    • Bake 30 minutes.

    5-6 spears of asparagus per person
    2-4 tablespoons butter
    1 lime, juiced

    • Clean and snap asparagus.
    • Spray a flat cookie sheet with PURE.
    • Arrange asparagus in a single layer.
    • In a small bowl melt the butter.
    • Add the lime juice and whisk well.
    • Pour lime juice evenly over the asparagus.
    • Increase oven temperature to broil.
    • Broil asparagus until just done.
    • Turn off oven and serve both dishes immediately.

    Veggie Tales by Kris: Smoothies!

    SMOOTHIE TIME! Smoothies are a great snack, small breakfast, and they make your skin look fabulous from all of those vitamins and nutrients! Get creative!

    Here’s my smoothie recipe!
    Very Berry Banana Smoothie:
    Toss the following into a blender: 1 handful blackberries, 1 handful raspberries, 1 handful blueberries, 6 large strawberries, 1 banana (cut into pieces first). Add 3/4 low fat milk or carrot juice for dairy free. Blend away then slurp up! You can add a little peanut butter too and then it would be like a PB&J Smoothie! For the adventurous… you can add 2 large handfuls of spinach or kale to the blender. You won’t taste it I promise. It’s a great way to get more fiber, vitamin c, k,  and iron!

    MAITAKE MUSHROOM LACED CASHEW CHICKEN

    This is a recipe I revamped to include the awesome dehydrated mushrooms that I received from Justin at Marx Foods a while back. I was NOT disappointed and you won’t be either.  Marx Foods has some great quality bulk online wholesale foods available.  These mushrooms added a rich nutty flavor that complimented the cashews perfectly.
    4 chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
    1 small bunch green onions, sliced
    1 ounce dehydrated Maitake mushrooms, re-hydrated and then chopped
    1 tablespoon canola oil
    1 tablespoon brown sugar
    4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
    ½ teaspoon sea salt
    ¼ cup soy sauce
    1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    3 tablespoons oil
    2 cup hot chicken broth
    2 teaspoon lemon juice
    ½ cup cashews
    cooked rice
    • Heat canola oil over medium high heat until JUST sizzling.
    • Saute’ green onions and mushrooms until tender. Using a slotted spoon remove onions and Maitake mushrooms to drain on paper towels.
    • Stir fry chicken in hot oil in frying pan or wok until chicken is lightly brown and tender, about 8 minutes. 
    • Remove chicken from oil and drain excess oil from the pan. 
    • Whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and  the  Worcestershire sauce. 
    • Blend well, then add chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. 
    • Add lemon juice; add chicken pieces, onions and mushrooms and reheat. Do not boil. 
    • Taste to correct seasonings. 
    • Add cashews. 
    • Serve over hot rice.
    He all but licked his plate!

    KUNG PAO CHICKEN

    I looked everywhere for hot chile paste. I have no idea what it is. I haven’t found it at my local grocery stores so when I decided to make this recipe that called for hot chile paste, I just subbed hot red pepper spread. It’s super spicy by itself but delicious in sauces. It worked. This was awesome. I’ll for sure make it again.

    I’ve made several versions of Kung Pao chicken recipes but this is my favorite. I also cut WAY down on the peanuts. Kung Pao chicken is known for having a lot of peanuts in it. This recipe called for 4 oz. Well, 4 oz. of peanuts was more calories than the chicken so I decided just to put in a few. Again, it worked and it seemed fine. You are welcome to add more peanuts if you’d like. My husband ate this over rice and as usual, I chose to put it over broccoli. While it had a wonderful flavor, it wasn’t overly saucy so if you want a lot of sauce, go ahead and double the sauce. It was fine for me, I enjoyed it. The egg roll was just from Asian Sensations. I love egg rolls.

    Kung Pao Chicken
    1 pound boneless chicken breasts
    2 tablespoon white wine, divided
    2 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
    1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
    2 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
    1 tablespoon hot red pepper spread (or hot chile paste)
    1 teaspoon white vinegar
    2 teaspoon brown sugar
    4 green onions
    1 tablespoon
    chopped garlic
    1 can water chestnuts
    3 tbsp chopped peanuts

    To make marinade: 

    • Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch water mixture and mix together. 
    • Place chicken pieces in plastic bag and add marinade for about 30 minutes.
    To make sauce: 

    • In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chile paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together.
    • Add green onions, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. I
    • n medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic. 
    • Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in large skillet until meat is done. 
    • When sauce is done, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens. 
    • Serve over rice or broccoli.
    Total calories = 1015
    3 servings = 338 calories

    CRY BABY BURGERS & ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES

    CRY BABY BURGERS
    1 pound ground chuck
    sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
    1 small can jalapenos, drained and chopped (save a small amount for the mayo)
    1 small can green chiles, drained and chopped
    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    2 slices pepper jack cheese
    jalapeno mayo (small amount of minced jalapenos whisked into mayo)
    caramelized onions – 1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

    • Combine ground chuck, jalapenos, green chiles, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
    • Form into 3 patties. Refrigerate for several hours.
    • Whisk together mayonnaise and minced jalapenos.  Refrigerate until chilled.
    • Sear and brown patties, turning frequently until cooked through.
    • While cooking the patties, melt a small amount of butter in another pan and caramelize onions to desired doneness.
    • When burgers are done, top with cheese, mayonnaise and caramelized onions.
    • Enjoy!

    ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES
    2 pounds baby red potatoes
    sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
    Hungarian paprika
    1/4 cup melted butter

    • Scrub potatoes.
    • Boil for 10-15 minutes.
    • Drain the potatoes until cool enough to handle.
    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Spray a 9×9 shallow baking dish with PURE.
    • Place potatoes on bottom in an even layer.
    • Smash each potato slightly.
    • Evenly sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.
    • Pour melted butter evenly over top.
    • Bake 30 minutes until crunchy and bubbling.

        TURKEY MILANESE

        8 turkey cutlets, pounded down to about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness
        Salt and black pepper
        1 cup flour
        2 eggs, lightly beaten
        1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
        1 cup panko crumbs
        1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
        1 teaspoon dried basil
        1 teaspoon dried oregano
        2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley
        2 tablespoons butter
        Oil for frying

        • Generously season the turkey cutlets with salt and pepper and set aside.
        • Sift together the bread crumbs, panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil oregano and parsley until well blended.
        • Set three shallow bowls side by side on your counter.  Fill the first one with the flour, the second one with the beaten eggs and the third one with the bread crumbs mixture.
        • Dredge cutlets, one at a time, first in the flour, then in the egg and finally, in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess crumbs and reserve on another plate.
        • Chill the cutlets in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  This will help the coating stay intact when you fry it.
        • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to come up about 1/4-inch high.  Add butter.  Add cutlets and fry until cooked through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.  Do NOT crowd the pan.  If necessary, do this step in batches.  As each cutlet is cooked, transfer to a platter.   You can keep the cutlets warm in a low oven.
        • Serve with rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, buttered parsley noodles or some lemon wedges.
        • Top with minced parsley.
        • Serves 4.

        TURKEY MILANESE

        8 turkey cutlets, pounded down to about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness
        Salt and black pepper
        1 cup flour
        2 eggs, lightly beaten
        1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
        1 cup panko crumbs
        1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
        1 teaspoon dried basil
        1 teaspoon dried oregano
        2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley
        2 tablespoons butter
        Oil for frying

        • Generously season the turkey cutlets with salt and pepper and set aside.
        • Sift together the bread crumbs, panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil oregano and parsley until well blended.
        • Set three shallow bowls side by side on your counter.  Fill the first one with the flour, the second one with the beaten eggs and the third one with the bread crumbs mixture.
        • Dredge cutlets, one at a time, first in the flour, then in the egg and finally, in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess crumbs and reserve on another plate.
        • Chill the cutlets in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  This will help the coating stay intact when you fry it.
        • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to come up about 1/4-inch high.  Add butter.  Add cutlets and fry until cooked through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.  Do NOT crowd the pan.  If necessary, do this step in batches.  As each cutlet is cooked, transfer to a platter.   You can keep the cutlets warm in a low oven.
        • Serve with rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, buttered parsley noodles or some lemon wedges.
        • Top with minced parsley.
        • Serves 4.