Cooking Ideas

[CoyoteChris]

About all the standard meal recipes I make come from Friends. My wife is an athlete so they have to be healthy. They have to be made so that they can be frozen and thawed when needed to save time. I usually add more meat of some type to my portion of the dinner. I shy away from any complex recipes that have ingrediants I have never heard of. Any ideas? Here is an example. I got this one from the former head of the Boise High school English dept, who I have known for 50 years. I bet I have made it 50 times. She gave me this one and another. CZ Cabbage stew.
Portugese Kale Soup. I make it with low sodium kidney beans and tomatos. I use Jennie O's Ground Turkey of some flavor. I leave out the butter. I usually put heated sausage in my portion for more "mouth feel" It takes about an hour to make but we get at least three meals for two people off the carcuss as it freezes really well.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Stuffed pumpkin? Winter squash is seasonal now in North America.
No recipe really, you just halve a pumpkin, scoop out the insides, mix up the stuffing in a separate pot with seasoning (salt, pepper and whatnot), stuff it into the hollowed-out pumpkin halves and cover the tops with foil to stop it drying out. Then just roast it in the oven at ~400-450 Fahrenheit (as an American you probably know Fahrenheit better than me) until the pumpkin shell can be poked easily with a knife. Stuffing can include rice (pre-boiled for 10 minutes), beans (canned is easiest), veggies (pre-cut frozen stuff like corn or peas save time)... Mushrooms and onions are a nice addition. If you mix in a beaten egg or two, it helps bind the stuffing together so you can chop it into smaller portions after cooking. You could also put extra ground turkey or sausage in your own half if you like.

I tried with a little pie pumpkin - preparation took ~20 minutes and roasting less than an hour. Got about 4 servings out of it. I reckon it would have frozen well if I hadn't finished it off quickly, since it's essentially mixed rice/veg in a roasted pumpkin.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Stuffed pumpkin? Winter squash is seasonal now in North America.
No recipe really, you just halve a pumpkin, scoop out the insides, mix up the stuffing in a separate pot with seasoning (salt, pepper and whatnot), stuff it into the hollowed-out pumpkin halves and cover the tops with foil to stop it drying out. Then just roast it in the oven at ~400-450 Fahrenheit (as an American you probably know Fahrenheit better than me) until the pumpkin shell can be poked easily with a knife. Stuffing can include rice (pre-boiled for 10 minutes), beans (canned is easiest), veggies (pre-cut frozen stuff like corn or peas save time)... Mushrooms and onions are a nice addition. If you mix in a beaten egg or two, it helps bind the stuffing together so you can chop it into smaller portions after cooking. You could also put extra ground turkey or sausage in your own half if you like.

I tried with a little pie pumpkin - preparation took ~20 minutes and roasting less than an hour. Got about 4 servings out of it. I reckon it would have frozen well if I hadn't finished it off quickly, since it's essentially mixed rice/veg in a roasted pumpkin.

Not a bad idea. My wife likes squash(s) and sweet potatos more than I do. I could take the recipe and add cooked chicken breast. Pumpkin is very healthy.

 

[elbkup]

Favorite salad, quick, easy
Arugula and Parmesan.. Very high in calcium.. no measurements, combine ingredients to taste

Individual salad.. can be expanded for larger dinner

Main ingredients:
Handful of Arugula, coarsely chopped (include stems finely chopped)
Shaved Parmesan cheese to taste
Greek dressing (usually contains cheese so adjust cheese for salad to taste) use dressing sparingly and toss lightly so each leaf is coated but not soggy

Additions... anything goes
I like to add a bit of Iceberg lettuce for crunch, chopped red pepper for color and crunch, a (very) few black olives, dried herbal parsley and chive

Usually served with:
a small simple omelette (just herbs.. no milk or cheese) and long grain rice on the side
Or with
cup of homemade veggie soup (similar to the Coyote Chris recipe above) and rustic hearty bread with lots of butter

 

[Amei]

1 of my winter favorites because I can make it and have it last for several days (depending on the number of people eating)

Stuffed Pepper Soup:

• 4 Bell peppers (2 red, 2 green)
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage - you could make this a spicy soup and use spicy sausage
• 1/2 pound ground turkey, chicken or beef*** I use ground turkey or chicken to make the soup healthier (plus those are usually cheaper meats), or you could always substitute in another 1/2 pound of Italian sausage.
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (fire roasted gives the best flavor in my opinion but any kind will work)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 15-ounce cans of beef stock; if you prefer less of a broth you can reduce the amount of stock and alternatively you can add more stock
• Italian seasoning to taste
• 1-2 cups of rice or quinoa - You can add this to the pot with the soup after it's been cooked or add it to your individual bowl when you are ready to eat, if you put the rice/quinoa in the pot with the soup it will absorb a lot of the broth.

Brown the meat, chop the bell peppers then throw everything into a pot and put it on the stove for 25-30 minutes low heat.

Toppings: shredded parmesan and mozzarella cheese