Our family loves any vegetable covered in cheese, but especially broccoli.  So, when I even considered serving broccoli without cheese sauce, I thought I’d better make it really good!  I’m happy to report that everyone forgave me, and they actually now request their new favorite.  The sour cream and lemon combination helps make this sauce nice and creamy, and almost, well, cheese-like!

1 bunch broccoli, cut into spears
1/2 C sour cream
3 T milk
1 t lemon juice
1/2 t lemon peel, grated

Place the broccoli into a steamer basket and place the basket over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the water to a brisk boil. Cover the basket and steam the broccoli 6 minutes or until crisp tender. Place the sour cream into a small microwavable bowl. Add the milk and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Place the lemon peel into the mixture and stir to incorporate. Microwave uncovered on 50% power for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the mixture is heated through. Transfer the broccoli to a serving bowl and pour the sauce over the top.  Serves 4.

This is a very fun take on the traditional stuffed peppers.  Watch in your area for the seasonal drop in prices on bell peppers, then try these cute little “Stoplight” peppers on your family.  Line them up on a rectangular plate and see who notices what you’ve done first.  Then, dig in!

2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
2 green bell peppers
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 pound grown beef, browned, rinsed and drained
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper
3 cups garlic, cheese croutons
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef until well done. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet, sauté croutons and 2 tablespoons olive oil along with garlic, red pepper and basil for 5 minutes. Slowly add mozzarella, salt and pepper. Fold in ground beef. Prepare peppers by cutting off tops, cleaning out seeds, rubbing with olive oil and filling with beef and crouton mixture. Replace pepper tops. Bake until peppers are tender. Remove tops, sprinkle with paprika and then replace tops for serving.

When we make a simple meat for dinner, like a very lean pork or beef roast, it’s nice to dress up the potatoes a little.  Without the gravy from a fatter cut of meat, the extras in the baked potatoes really complete the meal.  This stuffed potato is also a great, filling lunch, especially on weekends when you’re doing chores all day and need a little heartier mid-day meal.

6 large baking potatoes
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
Olive oil
1 cup milk
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon bits
Sour cream
Green onion tops, chopped
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Bake potatoes on rack for 1 hour or until tender to a fork. Saute onions in olive oil until tender and slightly brown. Drain and set into large mixing bowl. When potatoes are done, cut off top portion and scoop out the insides. Add potato to mixing bowl with onions. Blend in milk, butter and pepper. Mix like mashed potatoes. Blend in 1/4 cup of the cheese; set remaining 1/4 cup back in refrigerator for later. When smooth, return potatoes by the spoonful to the skins. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes longer. When done, top with sour cream, extra cheese, bacon bits and green onions.

We have access to fish every month of the year so we cook a lot of fish meals.  We’re always trying to find new ways to cook fish; something different and tasty.  This is a pretty simple little dish that tastes fancier then it really is.  The ingredients are simple and it’s easy to make, but the end result looks like you’re expecting company for dinner!

1 1/2 pound skinless fish, like flounder (or other thin, white fish)
1 pound cooked crab meat
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs, lightly seasoned
1 can cream of celery soup
Salt, pepper, paprika, to taste
1 lemon
1/2 pound butter

Cut fish into 4-inch strips and set aside. Mix breadcrumbs and soup together well, then gently blend in crab meat. Lightly spread crab mixture over strips of fish and roll up each strip tightly. Secure with a toothpick or skewer. Place rolls in baking dish and sprinkle with spices and juice of lemon. Cut butter into 4 slabs and place 1 on top of each fish roll. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until fish is flaky.

Kids love anything that looks like a miniature of something else.  The part of the chicken wing that looks like a drumstick seems to appeal to every child I’ve ever cooked for.  These mini drumsticks, or “drummies” are just a whole lot more fun to eat than regular drumsticks.  Now, what if you make them with a nice, sweet coating?  You can’t lose with kids that way, for sure!

1  T ginger juice
1  T honey
12 chicken “drummies”, the drumstick part of the wing
2  C canola oil
4  T corn flour
2  egg yolks, lightly beaten
4  T breadcrumbs

Place the ginger juice and honey into a sealable plastic bag big enough to hold all the drummies. Shake the bag until the ingredients are mixed together well. Add the drummies, seal and refrigerate 4 hours. Place the canola oil into a deep fryer or large heavy sauce pan and bring the temperature to 365 degrees. Remove the drummies from the bag and throw away the bag. Roll each of the drummies through the corn flour. Dip them into the egg and then roll them through the breadcrumbs being sure to completely cover the drummies. Place 4 drummies into the oil at a time and fry 4 or 5 minutes or until a golden crispy brown on the outside. Allow the heat of the oil to come back to 365 degrees before adding any more drummies. Drain on a paper towel and allow them to cool before serving.

There are many Jamaican spice blends on the market, but it’s easy enough to make your own blend just the way you like it.  This chicken is not only flavorful, but so pretty when it’s all baked to a golden brown and served on a nice platter.  The aroma is awfully pretty, too! 

1 large nice roasting chicken
2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 1/2 ounces rum
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix lime juice, rum, and brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Blend spices together in separate bowl. Coat clean, dry chicken with olive oil and then sprinkle spices over the top, bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and pour liquids over the chicken and bake. Baste every half-hour while cooking. Bake according to package instructions for chicken weight, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

I know, the whole world seems to be on a diet.  But, sometimes, the day just calls for a little chocolate fudge.  If you need an excuse, invite a few friends over for lunch to help you justify your indulgence.  They will appreciate the thought!  Don’t forget to make two batches, so you’ll have some left for the family.

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or blend of milk chocolate and semi-sweet
1 cup of white chocolate chunks or chips
1/4 cup real butter

3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup of Irish crème liquor

Using a double boiler, melt both kinds of chips and butter together until they blend together nicely. In large bowl, put the confectioner’s sugar and Irish crème, then quickly add the chocolate mix to the bowl, stirring until well blended. Press into an 8-inch pan that has been greased and smooth fudge out carefully. Let cool in refrigerator until firm. Top if desired with crushed nuts or a swirl of melted white chocolate.

Sometimes I like to make a real “hands on” kind of meal.  You know the kind; mixing ingredients, watching sauces, basting meat, etc.  It makes me feel like a real cook.  So, when I have the time to enjoy cooking a nice meal, this is one that often comes to mind.  It may be simply the flavor is incredible… I mean, how can you not love Dijon, brown sugar, apple, wine, and cloves?  Try this when you really want to enjoy preparing, and eating, a fabulous meal.

4 pounds boneless pork loin
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pork loin in a roasting pan. Blend mustard and 2 tablespoons brown sugar and spread over entire roast. Roast for 2 hours. Baste with 1/4 cup apple juice every 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine wine, brown sugar and 3/4 cup of roasting juices with cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer. When roast reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, remove from oven. Take 1/4 cup of drippings and mix with cornstarch. Add to saucepan of wine, sugar and drippings and simmer over medium heat until thick. Serve gravy over roast or place in a boat for self-service.

If you haven’t tried making crepes yet, this is a very simple, easy recipe to start with.  It’s also very yummy and looks pretty enough for guests.  If your kids like ham and swiss sandwiches, they are going to really think they got something fancy when you pull these crepes out of the oven!

Crepes:
3 eggs, brought to room temperature
dash salt
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup low-fat or skim milk
2 tablespoons canola oil

Filling:
1 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 pound sliced, cooked ham, cut into small pieces or cubed breakfast ham
1 bunch of chopped green onions
salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix eggs, salt, flour and milk in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth. Add in oil and blend thoroughly. Chill in refrigerator for an hour or more. Heat a small, crepe sized skillet. Lightly oil or spray, then fill bottom of skillet with 2 tablespoons batter per crepe. Make sure batter covers bottom. Brown over medium heat and flip. Crepes should be very thin. Cool.  Preheateat oven to 350 degrees. Combine onions, salt, pepper, ham and cheese. Spoon into center of each crepe. Roll up tightly and place seam-side-down into baking sheet or pan. Bake until cheese is melted and serve. Skillet fried potatoes go well with this for a lunchtime treat.

If you’re always looking for “real meals” to feed your kids, you know, things that they will eat besides hamburgers and fries, this dish may become one of your very own family favorites.  I’m not sure if it’s the brown sugar, or the ketchup, but for some reason this beef dish seems to agree with kids.  You can even eliminate the onion if you have to, just to help sell it to your kids.  But, once you put a little butter on the noodles, even the picky eaters seem to come around.

1 pound stew beef, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
dash freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup water

3 tablespoon white flour
1/2 cup water

wide egg noodles, cooked
In a large skillet, brown meat in olive oil. Add onions to skillet and cook until just transparent. In bowl, mix paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and ketchup. Slowly add to meat, along with 1 cup water. Stir until well blended; cover. Simmer on low until meat is done to desired level. Mix flour and 1/2 cup water well and add to meat mixture. Stir until well thickened. Meanwhile, cook noodles. Serve meat over hot noodles.  A side of tender green beans goes nicely.