Zucchini Casserole

My Dad once told me: "To feel like a successful gardener, always plant zucchini." He was right. By the end of the summer we always have zucchini and squash coming out our ears. This is my favorite zucchini dinner. All you need is:

4 heaping cups Zucchini or Squash (2-5 depending on size. Store bought zucchini I use 4 because they are usually more uniform in size. From my garden...well that's a whole other story. Sometimes I use just that one large zucchini that somehow stayed hidden from sight until it was longer than my arm!)
1 box Chicken Stove Top Stuffing ---> *can use veggie stuffing if you want to make it vegetarian*
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup -----> *can use veggie stuffing if you want to make it vegetarian*
3/4 cup Sour Cream
4 tablespoons melted Butter

Dice up zucchini and boil for about 10 minutes in salted water to soften. 

Melt butter in a bowl and pour in the box of stuffing. Mix well until all the stuffing is coated in butter. Put half the stuffing in the bottom of a casserole dish and reserve half for the top. 

Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream and boiled zucchini. Pour into casserole dish and top with reserved stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through and stuffing on top is crunchy. Enjoy!

Great on it's own or as a side dish to grilled chicken. Can be made in advanced and then baked off before dinner as well!

For easy reference:

4 heaping cups Zucchini or Squash (2-5 depending on size. Store bought zucchini I use 4 because they are usually more uniform in size. From my garden...well that's a whole other story. Sometimes I use just that one large zucchini that somehow stayed hidden from sight until it was longer than my arm!)

1 box Chicken Stove Top Stuffing

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

3/4 cup Sour Cream

4 tablespoons melted Butter

Dice up zucchini and boil for about 10 minutes in salted water to soften. Melt butter in a bowl and pour in the box of stuffing. Mix well until all the stuffing is coated in butter. Put half the stuffing in the bottom of a casserole dish and reserve half for the top. Drain zucchini. Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream and boiled zucchini. Pour into casserole dish and top with reserved stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through and stuffing on top is crunchy. 

Udo's Sauerkraut Suppe

This is another recipe from my sister-in-law Deanna that she brought straight from her time in Germany. I made it for my father who lived in Germany as well and he loved it. It's very authentic and yummy!

1 1/2 lbs. Potatoes (enough to cover the bottom of the pot)

3 cups German Wurst (6-8 sticks)

1 large jar Sauerkraut

2 cans White Beans

2 can cubed Carrots (or 4-6 carrots peeled and chopped)

2 tablespoons Tomato Paste (more or less to taste)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (more or less to taste)

instant potato flakes (optional)

*1 can Chicken Stock* (my addition)

Peel potatoes to cover bottom of pot. Cut Wurst into bite size pieces and add to pot. Barely cover with water and boil until potatoes are fork tender. Then add Sauerkraut, White Beans, Carrots, Tomato Paste, Worcestershire, and Chicken Stock; let boil. Optional-Add small amount of instant potatoes to thicken. Let simmer 30-40 minutes before serving.

Cream Cheese Chicken (for the Crock Pot)

This is my sister-in-law Deanna's recipe and it is delicious!

3 lbs. Chicken Breast

2 tablespoons melted Butter or Margarine

1 pkg. Dry Italian Dressing

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 eight ounce Cream Cheese

1 tablespoon minced Onion

Brush chicken with butter and place in crock pot. Sprinkle dry Italian Dressing mix over all. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. About 45 minutes before it's done mix soup, and onion in small sauce pan. Cut cream cheese into 1" cubes and add to the mixture and stir until incorporated. Pour over the chicken and cook another 45 minutes. Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Mushroom and White Bean Quinoa

Mushroom lovers rejoice! This is awesome! Makes a great lunch, side dish served with chicken or beef, or main dish served with some bread with melted cheese!

1 cup Quinoa
3 cups Chicken or Beef Stock (or substitute water or veggie stock to make it vegetarian)
1 can White Beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz sliced Mushrooms, sliced (about 15 mushrooms of your favorite kind. I like white button.)
1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter and extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In small sauce pan cook 1 cup Quinoa in 3 cups of liquid (stock or water) according to package directions. In saute pan, saute sliced mushrooms in butter and olive oil for a few minutes on medium/high heat. Add garlic and rosemary and continue to cook mushrooms until slightly browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Add to a serving bowl with white beans and cooked quinoa. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Kalua Ham

Unless you're Hawaiian, you've never had ham this good! This is the easiest way to prepare it too!

Take your ham (I usually do a 4-6 pound ham, but you can do it with any size), remove it from it's packaging and rise well with water. Wrap the entire ham in a few layers of tin foil. It needs to be well wrapped so the juices don't escape.

Bake on 225 degrees for 6-8 hours. When it comes out of the oven. Remove the tin foil and flake it apart with 2 forks. Serve warm.

Seriously, that's it! No seasoning, just a piece of ham in oven. Awesome!

Old Spaghetti Factory's Brown Butter and Myzithra Pasta

Only 3 ingredients! You'll never pay $9.99 for a plate of theirs again after you see how easy it is while serving 4 people for about $5!

1 pkg. Spaghetti Noodles (12-16 oz)
1/4 lb block of Myzithra Cheese--Usually found in the deli/specialty cheese section.
1/2 c. Cold Butter (one stick)

Boil pasta until desired tenderness. Strain. Meanwhile, cut the COLD butter into a few pieces. Place in a cool pan over medium-low heat. Let butter slowly melt. (Cold butter, into a cool pan in the key to make it right!) Once melted, stir every minute until you see it start to brown. The top with get foamy so you really have to watch it. Once it browns, turn the heat off. Add cooked pasta in to the pan. Grate about a 1/2 cup cheese and toss all together. Separate evenly between 4 plates. Grate more cheese on top. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas- Made w/ leftovers!

A great way to use up leftover chicken and rice!

1/2 Rotisserie Chicken-Shredded

1 cup Rice

1 cup Cheese (or more if you like it really cheesy)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 (10 oz) can Green Enchilada Sauce

1 (4 oz) can Diced Green Chilies

12 small Corn Tortillas

Combine shredded chicken, rice, sour cream and green chilies in a bowl with 1/4 can of enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup of cheese. Evenly distribute mixture into the 12 tortillas, roll up, and place in a casserole dish. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top, and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the whole thing. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melty, and the enchiladas are warmed through. About 15-20 minutes.

Serve with Sour Cream, Salsa, Avocado, Olives, and/or Lettuce on top.

Better Than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

For a more figure friendly version, substitute half & half, or milk for heavy cream...The sauce won't be quite as thick or rich, but still really good.


1 pint Heavy Cream 1 stick Butter
2 tablespoons Cream Cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (use the good stuff, not the powdery stuff)
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder


Combine butter, cream, and cream cheese together in pan over medium low heat. Simmer until melted and well mixed. Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer 15-20 minutes on low, stirring often, until all melted and incorporated. Serve immediately.

Crock-Pot Chicken with Peanut Sauce

6-8 Chicken Breast Tenders
1 can Coconut Milk (14.5-16 oz)
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 Thai Chile or Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Throw it all in a crock pot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Whisk sauce together before serving because the oil separates a little while cooking. Add extra chicken sauce to thin out the sauce to desired consistency.

Stir in 1 bunch of fresh spinach
Salt and Pepper to taste

Serve over rice.Not necessarily authentic but quick, easy, and delicious!

Even my 3 year old loves it, served with spring rolls! (Spring rolls: fresh spinach, broccoli slaw, and a little cilantro rolled up in rice wrappers. Wrappers can be found at any Asian Market. They are usually dried. Just soak in warm water for about a minute, until pliable, before using.)

Pie Crust

I've decided this is my favorite pie crust recipe!

2 cups Flour
1 cup Butter Flavored Shortening
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 tablespoons COLD water

Cut shortening into flour and salt. Add in water and mix lightly with a fork. Handling as little as possible, form into 2 even size balls. Refrigerate until cold. Roll out with well floured counter and rolling pin. Bake according to filling directions. (Cut recipe in half for one crust.)

It's great for fruit pies, or savory pies. Last night I had some left over turkey so I added it to a can of Cream of Chicken soup, celery, onions, carrots, and peas. Then, put it in this pie shell and baked at 375 degrees until golden brown. Delicious!

Mexican-Style Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I thought these deserved their own post. I originally wrote this recipe with hamburger meat, but substituted Quinoa and it was awesome!

4 peppers- Pablano if you like it spicy, Green Bell if not

1 1/2 cups Quinoa

4 cups Liquid- 1 can tomato sauce, the rest water

3 cups Corn

1 medium Onion, chopped

2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon Cumin

1 tablespoon Chile Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

A few dashes of hot sauce(to taste)

1 cup Medium Cheddar Cheese (more or less to taste)

cilantro and sour cream to garnish

-Cut peppers in half and remove ribs and seeds. Put on baking sheet, skin side up, and broil until the outside begins to blister and char. Turn over and broil 2-4 minutes more.

-Boil water/tomato sauce mixture. Add in quinoa.Turn down heat and simmer until cooked. (or cook in rice cooker) Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chile powder and hot sauce.

-In large skillet, saute onion on medium heat until cooked through and starting to brown slightly. Add in corn and saute until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in seasoned quinoa. Stuff mixture into peppers. Top with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream.

Creole Fish Marinade

Creole Style Tilapia with multi-colored Carrots and Wild Rice! Quick, Easy, Healthy, & Delicious!

Start with this:
Emeril's "Essence" Creole Seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Then do this:
With each Tilapia fillet, put one tablespoon of Essence and one tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a plastic bag . Marinade for at least 1 hour. Saute with a little butter and olive oil in a non-stick pan until fish is just cooked through. (about 3-5 minutes on each side) It's just that easy!

Thai Lentil Soup and Garlic Naan Bread

I was having a difficult day yesterday, so even though it was almost 100 degrees outside, I went for this comforting soup. It's my absolute favorite! I tried to make Naan bread to go with it and after some tweaking, I got the recipe just right!

Garlic Naan Bread: (Original recipe from allrecipe.com but I've updated it slightly)

1 pkg. or 2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

1 cup warm Water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons Salt

4 -5 cups Flour

2-3 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 cup melted Butter

In a large bowl or stand mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Let stand about 10 minutes to activate. Stir in milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes. Pinch off small handfuls of dough. Shape into ball and place in well oiled bowl. Let rise about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Mix garlic into melted butter. Take a ball of dough and pinch it in half. Roll out each as thin as possible on a large piece of tin foil. Sprinkle with salt and brush with melted butter and garlic. Place on grill buttered side down. Brush other side with butter. Turn every 1-2 minutes to get nice grill marks and avoid burning until cooked through. About 4-8 minutes total. Repeat process until all the dough in grilled. Serve warm.

Thai Lentil & Coconut Soup: (Originally from The Soup Bible, but I've updated it slightly)

2 tablespoons Sunflower oil

1 large Red Onion

1 Thai Chile, seeded and finely chopped

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

2-1inch pieces Lemon Grass

1 cup Red Lentils (usually found in the bulk bin section of Grocery Stores. This recipe only works with RED lentils because of the way they absorb moisture and almost dissolve!)

1 tablespoon ground Coriander

1/2 tablespoon Paprika

1 tablespoon Salt (it sounds like alot, but you really need to flavor those bland lentils!)

1 teaspoon black Pepper

1- 14 oz can Coconut Milk

3 3/4 cup Water

Juice and Zest of 1 Lime

3 Scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large soup pot and add onion, chile, garlic, and lemon grass. Saute about 5 minutes or until onions have softened but not browned. Add lentils and spices. Pour in coconut milk and water and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 40-45 minutes. Before serving, add in Lime juice and zest as well as scallions and cilantro. Serve hot.

Rice Kripsy Chicken Tenders with Blue Cheese Hot Sauce

This is all I have to show for the yummy chicken tenders I made last night...They got gobbled up so fast!

Instead of bread crumbs or corn flakes, I breaded chicken tenders with crushed up Rice Krispies Cereal and it was delicious!

8 Chicken breast tenders

2 Eggs, beaten

splash of water

4 cups slightly crushed Rice Krispies Cereal

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

pinch of garlic powder

1-2 tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce

1/2 cup Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Put cereal in one bowl with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Beat 2 eggs with a splash of water and a few squirts of Frank's hot sauce in another bowl. Double coat the chicken by putting it into the egg, then cereal, then back in the egg, and back into the cereal. This gives it a great crispy crust.

Saute in a non-stick pan, on medium heat, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese hot sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 c. Blue Cheese dressing

1 tablespoon Frank's Hot Sauce (more or less to your desired heat level)

Quinoa--Healthier Option for Food Storage and Vegetarians!

I was first introduced to Quinoa by my Aunt Kaly. They are selling it at Costco right now, so I tried it, fell in love, and have been cooking with it a ton!

Quinoa--pronounced kean-wa--is a grain from South Africa that has a high protein content and a balanced set of amino acids. It is also high in dietary fiber, magnesium, iron and is gluten free. It is the healthier grain choice for cooking as well as food storage, and is great for vegetarians.

It can be cooked like rice (2 parts liquid to 1 part grain) and, like rice, takes on whatever flavors it is cooked with. It can even be cooked in a rice cooker!

Here are some great Quinoa recipes:



Quinoa Taco Filling: (This idea came from my Aunt)

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Water
1 Taco Meat Seasoning Packet

Boil water. Add in quinoa and seasoning packet. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender. Use in taco's instead of meat. It tastes just the same, and has a similar texture. You're still eating all the great protein, but without the fat!



Quinoa Stuffed Peppers: I wrote this recipe with hamburger meat and rice originally, but now I substitute quinoa.


4 peppers- Pablano if you like it spicy, Green Bell if not
1 1/2 cups Quinoa
4 cups Liquid- 1 can tomato sauce, the rest water
3 cups Corn
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Chile Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
A few dashes of hot sauce(to taste)
1 cup Medium Cheddar Cheese (more or less to taste)

cilantro and sour cream to garnish


-Cut peppers in half and remove ribs and seeds. Put on baking sheet, skin side up, and broil until the outside begins to blister and char. Turn over and broil 2-4 minutes more.

-Boil water/tomato sauce mixture. Add in quinoa.Turn down heat and simmer until cooked. (or cook in rice cooker) Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chile powder and hot sauce.

-In large skillet, saute onion on medium heat until cooked through and starting to brown slightly. Add in corn and saute until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in seasoned quinoa. Stuff mixture into peppers. Top with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream.

Quinoa Side Dish: Aunt Kaly's recipe

Cooked quinoa

sauteed onion

1 can black beans

Half a container corn salsa

salt and pepper to taste

-Mix and serve

Lemon Pepper Marinade

Lemon pepper is definitely not a new concept for grilling, but try this real marinade instead of just the stuff in the jar:

For 2 servings--approx. 8 ounces

Adapted from Rachel Ray's Lemon Pepper and Herb Chicken

Zest of 1 Lemon

1 tablespoon Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Put all ingredients in a plastic food storage bag with chicken or fish. Marinate for 15 minutes, or up to 3 hours in fridge, turning occasionally to season all sides.

We tried it with Mahi Mahi on the grill today and it was so delicious!

Dijon Poppy Chops

4 pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup + half a can of water
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 sleeve Ritz crackers
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

-Brown pork chops in skillet about 3-5 minutes on each side
-Add in mushroom soup, water, and mustard
-Stir all together and let simmer at least 30 minutes to make sure they are cooked all the way through. But, the longer you simmer them the more tender they become!
-Crush the crackers
-Stir crackers, poppy seeds and butter together

Before serving, put cracker mixture on top of pork chops and broil on low until slightly browned and crunchy. Serve over rice.

**This would also be delicious with chicken--thin cutlets or tenderloins!**

Crock-Pot Kalua Pork

This recipe isn't "authentic" but it's easy, delicious!

1 Pork Shoulder Butt Roast (about 6 pounds)
2 tablespoons Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
1/2 cup Beef Stock (optional...my crock pot is older and needs a little liquid in the bottom to get it going)

Put roast and stock into crock pot. Rub salt and liquid smoke into meat. Cover and cook for 10-12 hours on the lowest setting. Shred and remove extra fat. Garnish with chopped green onion and serve with rice.

**If you don't have a crock-pot. You can make this recipe by wrapping the roast in a few layers of tin-foil (prepared the same way with stock, salt, and liquid smoke) then putting it into a roasting pan or cake pan, and baking in the oven at 225 degrees for 10-12 hours.***

The Best Wheat Pizza Crust

My Grandma's recipe uses all white flour, which is delicious. Brian was the one who thought to try it with wheat flour, and it is awesome! Quick and Easy Pizza Crust!

1 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

3/4 cup Warm Water
pinch of sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/3 cup Oil
1 cup Wheat Flour
1 cup White Flour


Combine yeast, water and sugar. Stir until yeast "melts". Let sit for a minute to activate. Add in oil, flour and salt. Mix until combined. Bake at 350 degrees with desired toppings until crust is golden brown.