A Make Ahead Brunch … Make this the day before company arrives. Did I say microwave! Yes, you just might need to use the microwave for heating if your oven is stuffed. This is delicious and rich. They won’t be hungry ’til dinner.
This delicious recipe for Portuguese Peas is one of my Grandmother’s. She didn’t make it often but I really enjoyed this dish as a child. It was always served as a side dish garnished with hard boiled eggs. It really is surprisingly different in flavor, so very tasty.
You will enjoy this dish. Give it a try.
Pair this casual dinner with a dry or sweet Rose’, or beer or even a skinny Margarita. Sounds a bit like summer! Just a bit of fun before slipping into the icy cold of winter. No intense spiciness here. This enchilada casserole can be a welcome in cold weather too … with rice and beans. Or for a brunch!
For those intense spicy meals wines with higher alcohol content are not suggested nor are expensive reds. The expensive reds will be clouded by the spiciness. And alcohol adds fuel to the fire of spice. FYI: Dry Rose’ generally has a higher alcohol content than the sweeter variety.
Meat and Potatoes, these guys are still around! And this one is having a birthday today. This London broil meal can be fixed in a jiffy. And is so economical … not to worry about how many guests he brings! Pair it with a good tasting economical wine. This is a London Broil Complete Dinner for Four!
Good cheap wine choices are out there, and it makes good sense to pair this meal with a value wine instead of something you would serve with filet mignon. The wine … spicy Cline zinfandel. All this is a hungry man’s delight! Oh, and French apple pie for dessert!
Three recipes here … Well, four if you include the mushrooms smothering the meat … London broil with mushrooms, twice baked potatoes, and balsamic salad dressing.
The sequence of putting the meal together could go like this.
Come join us, wine or beer or even diet cola to celebrate Stephen’s birthday!
For recipes HERE!
With one of the most popular instant macaroni and cheese products changing their recipe this seemed to be the perfect time to introduce my instant, sorta, Macaroni and Cheese.
My first two children rarely experienced instant box dinners. These box mixes were not plentiful in the day. And everyone in my family was a scratch cook, including my dad … apple pie and Portuguese beans. It was hard to take the step.
When my next two children became toddlers more than ten years later the choices for these instant meals had grown into quite a selection and had a popular following. While the older children loved home cooked the younger children definitely had different food likes and dislikes. So, while i was busy working nights on the oncology floor and my husband was busy by day prosecuting a lengthy infamous trial were we serving this out of a box to the children? The younger ones, maybe. Or maybe the taste for this came along in their college days.
There is definitely a smoothness, creaminess, that is hard to achieve with some cheeses … Something that is easily achieved with a box mix. But this is just what makes scratch recipes interesting … The ability to change up texture and taste.
The Mystery Man in Black introduced me to this dish, Braciole. Marc or Ed has been my Italian Food Critic for over 15 years. I knew when I heard, this tastes as good as my mom’s … It was just right! This is my reinvented recipe.
I hope you will enjoy this perfect family meal. Too … great to share by candle light and Jerry Vale’s Mama.
Mangia!
This Pork Chops Recipe will quickly become a family favorite. A great treat anytime. Impress guests too! The addition of apples gives a nice presentation and adds just the right amount of sweetness.
Everyone will feel special at the dinner table with this Pork Chops Dinner. Enjoy!
Yep, this is my brother, Dan, who was one tough high school and college football player … even playing for the Arkansas Razorback Team way back when.
He has mastered the taste of Portuguese cuisine, notably from the Azores. Never being timid about spices … this being taught by our Grandmother Rose. Cumin and cinnamon are of particular importance.
Dan and his son, David, are the cooks in his family. Well, wife, Ruth, can certainly hold her own but she leaves this cuisine to Dan. Thank you Dan and David for including us and providing the photography. Dan has promised to send me some linguica soon.
Caramelized vegetables are a favorite. So easy to do, and why not add the chicken in the last minutes and have a one dish meal … Chicken Breasts with Roasted Vegetables.
Ina Garten first introduced me to roasted vegetables … Something I now cook regularly and especially at Thanksgiving. I put just about every vegetable I can think of in the mix. My sons now find brussel sprouts one of their favorites. Who knew!
In this dish I have included summer vegetables, cauliflower, red potatoes, and onion. These were cooked until almost done and then I turned the heat down, added the chicken on top and continued to cook until chicken breasts were tender, about 20-25 minutes.
This Easy Baked Pasta is a changeable recipe. Use your favorite meat sauce or marinara, or try my gravy, or use a jar of marinara, and even make it vegetarian. It’s easy to change up.
The dish in this picture was made with my Italian gravy rich with meat and meat balls. The only ingredients I added to my gravy were the cheeses and pasta. Just layered in this oblong baking dish without much significance in what layer goes first.
Now I am going to give you ways to change this up, add meat or vegetables, add your sauce or jar.
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