Re Working Leftovers

Here's hoping that Easter Sunday was a great tradition of family and friends, gathered around some of the most awesome foods and desserts.

Every day we are blessed, and there are certain days we are blessed even more. And we can count our blessings by our family and friends we hold so dear.

Now, what are we going to do with all those leftovers? That's if there is anything left?

One baked casserole dishes...a good thing: 

Ham and Macaroni and Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F

• Dice ham in 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes, or you can shred or slice the ham.
• Remove macaroni and cheese from original dish, put in a clean casserole or baking dish. Add your cubed ham.
• Whip up 8 ounces of sour cream with one cup of milk and pour over ham and Mac mixture.
• Top dish with 8 ounces of shredded cheese.
• Bake in oven at 350 F for 30 minutes. 
• Season to taste

Tips:  
Add peas, broccoli, and one pound mixed vegetables 

Lamb and Rice Casserole 

Preheat oven 350 F 
 Do not mince or cube the meat until you actually want to cook with it or it will go dry and hard.

• Sauté 1 cup onions and 4 ounces of mushrooms in olive oil.
• Put 3 cups of cooked rice in a casserole or baking, add sautéed vegetables and mix.
• Stir in 2 cans of diced tomatoes (with basil and roasted garlic) add the seasonings and grated Parmesan
• cheese and mix well. 
• Dice, cube or slice the lamb and fold into the mixture and top with shredded cheese.
• Bake in preheated  350 F oven for 30 minutes.

Tips:
In place of rice, use spring vegetable mix.

Roast Beef 

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Make your biscuit layer by combining biscuit mix with 1 1/2 cups of milk. You want this consistency of pancake batter, set it aside.
Peel and slice 6 to 8 mediums potatoes about 1/4 inch.
Mirepoix
We are going to modify the size of the vegetables.

• 1 cup sliced white onions, cut in half, follow grain and slice about 1/4 inches.
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots 2 inches long cut on the diagonal.
• 1/2 cup sliced celery 2 inches long cut on the diagonal.

Layer your vegetable and sliced potatoes in the casserole or baking dish with your left over roast beef, add one can of diluted mushroom soup (follow their directions for dilution} and add to casserole.

Layer biscuit mix on top and bake in preheated oven 350 F for 30 to 45 minutes. 

Tips:

Pillsbury garlic and Herb Crescent rolls can be substituted for biscuit mix

Candid Yams or Sweet Potato Pudding 

preheat 350 F

One 8 ounce Pillsbury crescent refrigerated dinner Roll.
12 cup muffin pan

In a medium bowl whip your sweet potatoes until creamy.

• Add 8 ounces of vanilla yogurt.
• No need to add sugar.
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. 
• Unroll Pillsbury dough and separated into triangles. Press triangles in muffin cup
• Fill muffin cup with sweet potato mixture.

Bake in preheates 350 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes...

Makes a nice snack or dessert for the kids. Top with fat free yogurt or ice cream.

Tips:
Use other fillings: fresh fruit, cooked chicken topped with mozzarella cheese, apple and blueberry pie fillings.
For appetizer you can fill with meat mixtures left over from your Easter dinner. 

Change It Out 

Your Masterpieces has been sitting out for a couple of hours. And now it’s time to put them away.
Store your leftovers in fresh clean containers, remove the garnishes.

• Bacteria and germs grows at a rapid rate, by the time you set your dishes out, it has already started and by the end of the meal food borne bacteria is in full force.
• Don't store your leftovers in their current liquids and juices. Use fresh chicken or beef stock when reworking.
• Cut all fat from meats before storing, don't Cross-Contaminate by storing different meats and seafood on the same dish or next to each other.

Your reworked dishes will hold in your refrigerator for up to 4 days and can be easily frozen.

Don't forget to label and date it.

Cooking with Teens: Chili Mac

Cooking with Teens: Chili Mac

Francina M. Parks

Cooking provides opportunities for teens or older adolescents to learn about nutrition, kitchen safety, cooking basics and organization skills. While cooking together, parents and children spend quality time together talking and learning. In addition, cooking with teens is just plain fun for everyone. Chili Mac is a quick and easy dish for teens to make.  The recipe takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, each step if kid-friendly and the one-pot cooking process means an easy clean-up. Choose your ingredients carefully to make a healthy Chili Mac. Your kids are more likely to eat and enjoy a meal they helped to prepare and cook. Smaller kids can help with setting the table and assembling a salad.

Getting Started

Choose the perfect day for launching this cooking event since you will need time to supervise the teens for preparation, clean-up and cooking. A weekend day might work best. This two-batch Chili Mac recipe feeds a family of five for two meals. Serve one batch the day of cooking and save the other for a quick thaw-and-heat meal later in the week. Your teens will be proud to revisit their handy work.

INGREDIENTS AND UTENSILS

Have the teens gather the ingredients and cooking utensils and place everything on a counter.

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (85-15 percent lean) or ground turkey for a healthier meal
Two 16 oz. jars chunky vegetable Spaghetti sauce
One 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with basil and Garlic
One can Chili Magic, Bush brand if available
One 16 oz. box elbow macaroni
One medium onion, diced onion

One medium green pepper, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 oz. package shredded cheese
Seasonings

Large spoons

Food processor or chopper
2-qt. pot
Colander
Two casserole dishes with lids or foil baking pans and aluminum foil

Pot holders

Preparation

Supervise the teens as they prepare the ingredients. Provide aprons if they are available. They should use the food processor of chopper to prepare the onion and green pepper, open the jars, set the pot on the stove and assemble the cooking utensils and seasonings.

COOKING

In the two-quart pot, bring cold water to a rolling boil and add the macaroni. Cook the macaroni for 12 minutes or until it is tender. Do not add oil to the water since it will prevent the sauce from sticking to the macaroni. Drain the macaroni and set it aside. Use the same pot to brown the ground meat and drain the excess fat. Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pot and sauté the diced onions and green peppers until they are tender. Add the browned ground meat, diced tomatoes, Chili Magic and spaghetti sauce to the pot and set the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes and remove the pot from the heat. Add the macaroni to the pot and mix well.

SETTING IT UP

Spoon the Chili Mac into the two casserole dishes until they are half-full and sprinkle the ½ bag of cheese on top of each. This is a good time to talk about safety and handling hot items in the kitchen. Cover the dishes for about 10 minutes while the cheese melts. Supervise the teens since the Chili Mac is hot. That’s it – no oven time needed. Allow one dish to cool completely and place it in the freezer.

Dishing It Up

Have the teens set the table. This is where smaller kids can help. Allow them to set the table with minimal help from parents unless they ask for help. Add a simple side salad assembled by the smaller kids – you do the prep for safety – and display the salad prominently on the table. Add Italian style garlic toast and a healthy beverage, such as fruit juice or homemade lemonade. A fruit cup is a healthy end to a great meal. Have fun, add drama, light a few candles. Don’t forget to tell everyone what a good job they did cooking the meal. 

Our Tradtional Easter Dinner

Ham With Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glaze 

Ingredients
5 to 6 pound bone in Ham
1 20-ounce can pineapple slices, juice reserved
15 to 20 whole cloves
1 small jar maraschino cherries
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard (I prefer French's)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
1. Score ham in a diamond pattern, and stud with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined pan.Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and just enough pineapple juice to make a thick glaze.
3. Remove Ham from oven and brush glaze over ham, decorate with pineapple slices, with cherries in the center and brush again with the glaze.
4. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the oven.
5. Baste ham every 10 to 15 minutes with the Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glaze.

My Mom's Famous Potato Salad

Ingredients
10 medium size white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped celery
8 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
8 ounces dill pickle relish
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Place cubed potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and place in a serving bowl.
2. Fold the onion,celery, salt and pepper into the potatoes while they are still hot. This allows the potatoes to absorb the flavor.
3. Let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Gently stir in the eggs and dill pickles.
Add the mayonnaise and mustard to the salad, and mix well.
5. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Southern Style Collard Greens

Ingredients
5 bunches collard greens - rinsed, trimmed
2 quarts chicken stock
2 smoked turkey legs
2 large onions peeled and diced 1/2 inch
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Bring a large pot with 3 quarts of chicken stock to boil, add smoked turkey legs and bring back to a rolling boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the collard greens and diced onions to the pot, and turn the heat up to medium-high.
3. Let the greens cook down for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Reduce heat to medium, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until the greens are tender and dark green, 45 to 60 minutes.
5. Drain liquid from greens and cut up.

Home Made Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients
2pounds elbow macaroni
2pounds grated or shredded sharp cheese
1 cup milk 2 12 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
salt to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a large bowl combine milk, one pound of shredded cheese, white pepper and salt. Add the cooked macaroni and mix well
4. Place 1/2 of cooked macaroni mixture in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, layer top with cheese, add remaining macaroni mixture, layer with remaining cheese, Pour sauce over top.
5. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.

Candid Yams

Ingredients
6 large yams peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup Packed brown sugar
1 cup Pineapple juice
1 stick butter

Salt to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place sliced yams into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon and white sugar. Cover with brown sugar.
4. Pour Pineapple juice over casserole just enough to cover.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until done. 

Feeds 8 to 10 people

Beverage Suggestions                                  
Pink Lemonade
Ginger Ale
Iced Tea
Dessert Suggestions 
Sweet Potato Pie
Banana Pudding
Lemon Meringue Pie
Pineapple Up-Side Down Cake

 

 

Let the kids decorate the dinner table with baskets of decorated eggs nestled among spring flowers.Colorful desserts and fruits add texture and visual interests to the flow of the table.Serving food in clear colorful dishes add to the color and drama as well as showing off your masterpieces. Dress your table with linens and place settings in colors of yellows, pinks , blues and greens and don't forget to decorate the rest of the house.

COMING SOON - A WORK IN PROGRESS

My Blog..how exciting for me and hopefully for many others.

 POWER TO THE FAMILY
Here on Francina's Blog we are all about the family and what we need to do to improve our quality of life.
After paying 
         the house note.
                 the car note 
                         the utilities note 
                                  can we afford to pay the grocery note.?
Can I afford to entertain?
Is there money left for activities for the kids?
Can I feed my pets?
I will be addressing many of  these questions and showing you ways to empower you and your family.
I look forward to input and feed back from you folks out there
You have been there, done that... and may be making a return visit.

We are looking to create some fabulous and healthy menus and recipes and  lot of networking for information, ideas and just some plain friendly advice.

I look forward to the day it's up.......OK give me about a week to 10 days.

Francina