Dinner Rolls

Forgot all about this, but you can still do for Christmas, parties, etc. Put your dinner rolls in your Crock Pot on low or keep warm setting. They are out of the way, you don't have to worry about them at the last minute and they stay nice and warm.

Best Pot Roast

Go to foodnetwork.com. Search "pot roast", select Paula Deen's, the one with mushroom soup. It is THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD!!!

Try These Green Beans for The Holidays

These Green Bean are a nice and easy change from the usual Green Bean Casserole.

To serve 10:

5 cans (drained) of green beans, cut, not french style

6 - 8 pieces of bacon cut in 1 inch pieces

Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Optional: sliced fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced onion

Saute the bacon till crispy in a sauce pan large enough to hold all the beans or a high sided frying pan. If you are adding mushroom and/or onions, saute them separately in a little olive oil and butter. Then add all to pan with the bacon and add Lawry's Seasoning Salt to taste. Heat slowly so the beans don't break up. Don't drain the bacon grease - that's where the great flavor comes from!!

For Mayo Lovers (Best Foods!)

This is one of my favorite condiments but it is soooo full of fat! My girlfriend Kathie kept saying, "buy the light mayo it's not bad". Humph. Well, I bought it and all I could think of was it was bland, not good and why bother?

So I did a little experiment. Since the light lacked the zing of regular mayo, I tried adding a little lemon juice to it and, Viola!, it tastes almost the same as regular Best Foods! Very, very good. I wouldn't do the whole jar at once, just as you use it.

Best Foods regular mayo has in 1 Tbs, 90 cals and 10 grams of fat. Best Foods light has 35 cals and 3.5 grams of fat, no carbs to speak of!!

Try this, I think it is a miracle.

Cookies and Sweets

Anyone interested in cookies and sweet treats for the holidays?? Let me know and I will give you some great recipes!!!

Mango Chutney

I love sweet and savory with a little spice! Take some mayo and add some mango chutney, available in most supermarkets (Cost Plus has a great one) and combine. It is to die for....spread it on chicken, turkey, ham sandwiches/panini's, you'll love it.

Mango Chutney is great on Brie, both warmed up and served with your favorite crackers.

Also great over a mound (not a block - make it look pretty!) of cream cheese, again served with your favorite crackers.

Ahead of the Thanksgiving Last Minute Chaos

Last year, yes, maybe I'm slow to catch on, I cooked everything the day before - except the turkey and gravy. I did real mashed potatoes, put 'em in a nice oven proof dish and reheated them very low and slow in the oven. Did the stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans (or whatever vegetable you're having) and the homemade cranberry relish a day or two before the big day, too.

I also set the tables and get out all the dishes and serving utensils I'll need and put a post- it on which utensil goes with what dish. So, all you have to do on the "day of" is put the bird in the oven, reheat the sides and do the gravy at the last minute.

I like to have others bring the stuff like appetizers, rolls & butter, desserts, wine, beer, soft drinks, etc.

I used to spend ALL morning (up at 5 or 6 a.m.) of Thanksgiving doing everything fresh. Believe me, one day ahead and the food is just as good and YOU'RE the one who's fresh!

Ah, well, there's still the dishes.....

Thanksgiving

Stay tuned for some turkey day tips and recipes!!

Crock Pot "Goop"

My girlfriend, Judy, came up with the name for something that we both make. We have never had each others "goop" but we're pretty certain they are similar. Basically it's stuff we throw in the crock pot, usually with chicken and usually with a "Mexican" theme. Here's how I did mine today.

Put all the following in your pot to serve 4:

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts OR 6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs

2 cans of Ro-Tel Tomatoes, regular flavor

2 cans of black beans

1 heaping TBSP of chicken/tomato boullion granules (Knorr)

1 to 1 1/2 cups of water

2 tsp of cumin

2 tsp of coriander

1/2 can (small can) of diced "hot" jalapenos - or to taste

1/4 c honey or to taste

2 - 3 TBSP tomato paste

Combine and cook on low for 6-8 hours or till chicken is very tender. I usually check it about halfway through to see if seasonings need to be adjusted. Sometimes I cut the chicken in chunks and I serve it in a shallow bowl over rice with a dollop of sour cream, little grated cheddar. It's pretty darned good!

Trust Me! The Best Salad Dressing....VIVIENNE'S

Vivienne's Salad dressing, while not low in fat - which we all wish it were, is sooo good you'll be inclined to take spoonfuls of it on the sly. I can only find it locally (in SoCal) at Claro's Italian Market. You can find it easily online.

It is a Romano Cheese italian dressing. Not only is it great on salads, but I make a pasta salad with small elbow macaroni, sliced black olives, lots of green onions, craisins and diced roasted chicken. Pour Vivienne's over and OMGosh you have a killer meal. Omit the chicken and you have a great side dish to be the delight of every potluck or family get together!!

Try marinating chicken with it - amazing.

Tomato Chutney - Who Knew?

I'm not a Trader Joe's rep, but I am a fan. Try their Tomato Chutney. It is a rich, dense, sweet and spicy condiment. I used it in a meatloaf and it was terrific. You can mix it with a little mayo and have a fabulous spread for a sandwich. Use it in place of ketchup on your fries - you'll love it! Try it as a base for bruschetta and it's great on eggs, chicken (especially on TJ's Chicken Meatballs which are wayyy good). All in all a wonderful addition to your kitchen.

All Chopped Up and Ready To Go

Again, Trader Joe's has another great item for helping us homecooks: a container that has chopped shallots, garlic and onion. I used it to put under the skin of a whole chicken along with lemon slices and minced fresh rosemary, sea salt and pepper, more of the same inside the chicken and olive oil and salt and pepper on top of skin. Really good. Used it in a meatloaf as well, very good. What I like about it is it is something I would never think about, but with it right there at TJ's it give us additional possibilities to broaden our cooking scope.