More Tips

Tip #5
When buying potatoes, look for those that are firm, well shaped and free of blemishes.  Avoid potatoes that are wrinkled, cracked or sprouting.  If kept in a cool, dark, well ventilated place, most potatoes will keep for up to 2 weeks.


Tip #6
White wine vinegar is made from white wine and , although its flavor is pungent, it is milder than distilled white vinegar.  Distilled white vinegar is made from a grain alcohol mix.  It has a strong, sharp flavor and is most often used for pickling foods and as a cleaning agent.


Tip #7
I've found that a melon baller works great to scoop out the seeds and membranes from red and green peppers. 

Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 6 servings


INGREDIENTS:
2-1/2 pounds medium potatoes, peeled
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbl butter, melted
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp pepper


DIRECTIONS:
1.  Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain.


2.  In a large bowl, mash potatoes.  Add sour cream, milk, butter and 1 cup of cheese.  Stir in onion, bacon, salt and pepper.  Spoon into a greased 2-qt baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.


3.  Bake uncovered at 350' for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.


I cooked extra strips of bacon so that I could top my potatoes with not only cheese, but bacon too!

BBQ Sauce

So for Memorial Day my family and I made BBQ ribs with our homemade BBQ sauce.  It was very yummy.  Here is the recipe for the sauce.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 dashes hot pepper sauce

1 cup of honey

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup, honey, pepper, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Blend until smooth.

Meatballs with Pepper Sauce

Prep: 25 min.  Bake 1-1/4 hours


1 cup evaporated milk
1 Tbl worcesershire sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 pounds of ground beef


Sauce:
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1-1/2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 Tbl chopped onion
1 Tbl worcestershire sauce


Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, combine the milk, worcestershire sauce and soup mix.  Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  Shape into 1-in balls.
2.  Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan.  Broil 4-6 in. from heat for 5-6 minutes or until browned.  In a dutch oven, combine sauce ingredients.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat; add meatballs.  Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour or until the meat is no longer pink.


These meatballs go great with either noodles or rice.  


Yield: 60 meatballs

Tips

I have come across some greatful and helpful tips.  So I thought I would share them with you and hope that they help you in the kitchen.  You may or may not know them, but it's always a great reminder of what we can do while preparing to cook.  


Tip #1
Instead of draining jumbo pasta shells in a colander (which can cause them to tear), carefully remove them from teh boiling water with tongs.  Pour out any water inside the shells and drain on lightly greased waxed paper until you're ready to stuff them.


Tip #2
When taking food to a potluck, welcoming a new family to the neighborhood or bringing meatls to someone, use dishes you've purhased at yard sales.  That way, you'll never feel bad if the dishes are lost, broken or not returned.


Tip #3
When a recipe calls for green onions, to avoid using a cutting board, cut the onions with a pair of kitchen scissors rather than a knife.  If you need a quite a bit, grab a bunch at one time and snip away.  You'll be done before you know it.


Tip #4
To keep fresh parsley in the refigerator for several weeks, wash the bunch in warm water, shake off excess moisture, wrap in paper towels and seal in a plastic bag.  If you need a longer storage time, remove the paper towels and place the ealed bag in the freezer.  Then simply break off and crumble the amount of parsley you need for soups, stews and other cooked dishes.

Lattice Chicken Potpie

Prep: 10 min  Bake: 35 min.


INGREDIENTS:
1 package (16 ounces) frozen California-blend vegetables
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can condensed cream of potatoe soup, undiluted
1 cup of milk 
1 cup shredded chedder cheese
1 can french fried onions
1/2 Tsp seasoned salt
1 tube refridgerated crescent rolls


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables, chicken, soup, milk, cheese, onions and seasoned salt.  Transfer to a greased shallow 2-qt baking dish.
2. Unroll crescent roll dough and seperate into two rectangels.  Sealthe perforations; cut each rectangle lenghtwise into 1/2-in strips.  Form a lattice crust over the chicken mixture.  Bake uncovered, at 375' for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.


Yield: 4-6 servings

Hash Brown Pork Bake

Prep: 15 min.    Bake: 1 hour


INDGREDIENTS:
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 package (32 ounces) of frozen hasbrowns, thawed.
2 cups cubed cooked pork
1 pound process cheese (velveeta), cubed
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups crushed cornflakes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine sour cream and soup. Stir in the hash browns, prok, process cheese and onion. Transfer to a greased 3-qt baking dish.
2. Toss cornflake crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top.  Bake, uncovered at 350' for 50 minutes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly.


Yield: 4-6 servings