Kielbasa Potato Hash

 I got this from Mom. We like it with barbecue sauce or the kids like ketchup. It's so easy to scale also. I usually use one pound kielsbasa, 2 peppers (any color) and one onion and about 4-5 potatoes (depending on size).

1 (14 ounce) package turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 small or 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced small (half inch maybe)
olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large skillet (cast iron works well with this, but isn't necessary), heat oil. Cook the potatoes in batches so that the potatoes are in a single layer. When crispy scoop into a bowl and season with salt and pepper and cook another batch of potatoes. When all potatoes are done, then cook the kielbasa until browned. When they are done, add them to the bowl with the cooked potatoes and sautee the onion and peppers together. Add to the bowl and mix all together. 

Chicken Shwarma

 These are good, but nothing like real shwarma in the Middle East. 

4 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin ground
2 teaspoons black pepper ground
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cinnamon
4 cloves garlic minced
3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
1 large onion sliced
2 tablespoons parsley fresh, for garnish

Garlic Sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup lemon juice

6 cloves garlic peeled
1 egg white 
1 teaspoon salt
6 cloves garlic peeled
1 egg white 

1 teaspoon salt

Chicken Shawarma Wraps
hummus
garlic sauce

Tortillas 

In a large bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, garlic, and whisk well. Add the chicken and toss making sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. Add sliced onion to bowl with chicken and toss well so that the onion is fully coated in the marinade. Add everything to a 9×13-baking dish. I didn’t have much marinade leftover since the chicken absorbed most of it, so that’s why I added everything to the baking dish. Spread everything evenly over the baking dish.Bake in the oven until the chicken is browned and crisp on the edges, for about 40 to 45 minutes. If you want the chicken crispier on top, turn the broiler on to high and broil for 3 minutes until nice and crispy on the outside.

Let rest for a few minutes and then slice into thin strips.

For the Garlic Sauce: (I usually half this)

Add all the ingredients to a blender (or an immersion blender) and blend until smooth, it should take 1 to 2 minutes. This recipe will make about 1½ cups of sauce, refrigerate leftover sauce. Give it time - it will be like mayo when it's done. 

To make the wraps:

Spread hummus on the tortilla, put chicken on and then add the garlic sauce, you can add lettuce and tomatoes if you want. A truly authentic shwarma will also have french fries inside. 

Veggie Pot Pie

 Ingredients:

 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch wide
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 recipe pastry for double-crust pie

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Cook onions, mushrooms, and garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and celery. Stir in cauliflower, green beans, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir into vegetables, and cook until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.

Roll out 1/2 of the dough to line an 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour the filling into the pastry lined dish. Roll out remaining dough, arrange over the filling, and seal and flute the edges.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown.

You can use any kid of veggie I think. Last time I forgot to buy green beans and used peas instead. Corn or broccoli would probably be good as well. 

Easy Curried Shrimp

This is a Stay family recipe 

1-2 lbs Shrimp, the more the better. Use big ones as the little salad shrimp get lost in the sauce. Precooked and frozen are fine. Thaw them out and dry them off before cooking.

½ cup White Flour 

1 large Onion, diced

1 large Green pepper, coarsely chopped up

2-3 cans condensed Tomato Soup

Curry Powder

1-2 T Sugar

4-6 T Butter (replace with oil for Dairy-free)

Hot cooked rice `

Start the rice cooking first.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan (or just pour in the oil).  Add onions and cook just until golden. Meanwhile, dredge the shrimp in flour and then LIGHTLY fry in the butter with the onions. Sprinkle the shrimp liberally with curry powder and lightly with sugar. Fry a bit more, turn over and sprinkle second side with the curry powder and sugar. Add the green peppers after you season the second time. Add two cans of tomato soup. If you want more sauce, add another can of soup. Add water as needed to keep the sauce saucy. Taste the sauce and add more curry and hot sauce if wanted. Cook only until the sauce is all hot and bubbling. Serve over the rice.
You can make this more of a curry by serving it with small dishes containing finely chopped fresh green pepper, raisins, coconut, chunk pineapple, etc. (These are my mother-in-law's suggestions, I never do them, but they would probably be good.)

Hawaiian haystacks

 
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks 
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic; finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth (I use low sodium)

INSTRUCTIONS 

• In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and raw chicken.
• Saute the onion and chicken until the onions are soft and translucent and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.
• Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for one minute.
• Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat.
• Add the salt and pepper. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
• Serve the chicken sauce over rice with your toppings of choice, such as olives, tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, green onions, pineapple, coconut flakes, and chow mein noodles.

Original recipe found here: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/hawaiian-haystacks-chicken-sauce-reinvented/ 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ onion, chopped
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken stock 
  
• 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Sep 1

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion in hot butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

• Step 2

  Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until flour loses it's granular texture, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if necessary to keep the flour from burning, 3 to 4 minutes.

• Step 3

  Gradually pour milk into flour mixture while whisking constantly. Stir chicken stock into milk mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until flour taste is gone and mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, sauteed onion, and celery; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

• I don't follow step three. After I get the milk and chicken stock mixed in, I dump in all the veggies and let them cook while the mixture is thickening. 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/235874/copycat-panera-broccoli-cheddar-soup/

Chicken, Broccoli Peanut Curry

 This is written for an Instant Pot, but it's just a slow cooker recipe. So if you don't have one, just put it in a slow cooker.

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup chopped green onions

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced 

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons red curry paste

3 cups broccoli florets

1 cup sliced carrots

1 tbs cornstarch

2 tbs cold water

rice

cilantro

1/4 cup chopped green onions

chopped roasted peanuts

Directions

Select saute on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Add oil and sauté onion, ginger, and garlic. for one minute. Press cancel and add chicken, broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, and curry paste. Stir. Cover with lid and open the pressure release valve.

Select slow cook, adjust to MORE and cook for 2 hours or until chicken is done. Stir in the broccoli and carrots and cook, covered, for an additional 30 minutes. 

Press cancel. Combine the cornstarch and water and stir into pot. Select sauté and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

If cooking in a slower cooker, just slow cook the onions, garlic, ginger, chicken, peanut butter, soy sauce, and curry paste for 2 hours on high. Then add the broccoli and carrots and cook until crisp tender. thicken with the cornstarch.

Serve over rice and topped with green onion, cilantro, and peanuts. 

Garlic and Oregano Pizza Dough

 Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 3 tsp. instant yeast
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. oregano
• 1-2 Tbsp. minced garlic 4-8 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups warm water 90-110F

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the hook attachment until the ingredients come together to form a ball. If it is too sticky, add a small amount of flour. If it is too dry, add a bit more water
2. Continue to knead with the hook attachment for 2-3 more minutes.
3. Put a teaspoon or so of olive oil in the bottom of the bowl and roll the ball of pizza dough in it, coating all sides. Place the ball of dough in the bottom of the bowl, and cover it with a light towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
4. Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface, punch down your dough, and put the dough onto the floured surface. Split the dough into two halves and set aside one. Work with the first half by gently flattening it with the palms of your hands. Add flour as needed if it sticks to the table. Use a rolling pin to create a round dough, or whatever shape you’d like.
5. Preheat the oven to 425F. Lightly oil a heavy baking sheet. Place the rolled out dough onto the baking sheet. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise another 20 minutes.
6. While it is rising, prepare your toppings, including sauce, cheese, pepperoni, olives, sausage, peppers, etc. Once the dough has had its second rise, place all the toppings on it.
7. Put into the preheated oven and bake for 13-15 minutes.
8. While the first pizza is in the oven, start working with the second pizza dough half so it’s ready to get in the oven soon after the first comes out.

This was from https://feedingourflamingos.com/garlic-oregano-pizza-dough/

Greek Chicken and Rice Bowl

 

Ingredients

• 2 skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups brown basmati rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (If you prefer a kick)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons hummus I used Trader Joe's
• 4 tablespoons tzatziki sauce
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• 4 tablespoons feta cheese

Instructions

• Season the chicken with the thyme, cumin, turmeric, paprika, red pepper, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Add the chicken to the pot with the chicken broth.
• Cook for 10 minutes on Manual > High-Pressure Cooking.
• When the Instant Pot beeps to indicate it is finished, allow the steam to release naturally for 10 minutes instead of quick release.
• Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Using a large knife and fork, shred the chicken.
• Rinse the brown rice with water in a large bowl. Drain the water from the rice.
• Add the rice to the Instant Pot with 2 1/2 cups of water.
• Cook for 22 minutes on Manual > High-Pressure Cooking.
• Allow the steam to release naturally for 10 minutes instead of quick release.
• Remove the rice from the pot.
• Create the rice bowls with equal amounts of rice, shredded chicken, olives, 1 tablespoon feta cheese, 1 tablespoon hummus, and 1 tablespoon tzatziki sauce.

Notes

I chose to cook the chicken first before the rice because once the rice is cooked, the Instant Pot will become sticky. This makes the process easier.

You can make your own hummus using the following:

1 15oz can chickpeas

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

salt to taste

Combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until creamy