Parsley Salad, from Carolyn

Parsley Salad
1 medium cucumber
1 medium tomato
1/4 medium onion
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
vinaigrette (we used Good Seasons Italian dressing, which is our standard salad dressing)
crumbled feta

Chop all veggies in small bite-size pieces, add parsley, and toss in vinaigrette. Add feta when served.

Crockpot Chicken and Veggie Curry, an idea from Carolyn

--- potatoes, baby carrots, and onion on the bottom
--- an overgrown chicken breast, cut into 5ish large chunks on top of that
--- Trader Joes curry simmer sauce (half a jar) over the top, and a big splash of soy milk on top, too
--- cooked on low for 6-1/2 hours (but timing is probably not critical)
--- then added frozen peas, turned up to high, cooked for another 30 minutes or so

Served atop steamed rice, cooked with the rice cooker that resides on the counter next to the crock pot.

Crockpost Experiment Chicken, an idea from Carolyn

Okay, so the crockpot experiment was edible, tasty even, and will be further experimented with before I codify the recipe. But I'll tell you briefly what I did:

-sliced a chicken breast, put at bottom of crockpot with seasoned salt on top
-added a small chunk of butter and a splash of sherry
-poured a cup or two of stuffing mix (the seasoned bread crumbs)
-put more butter and sherry on top, then some water (1/3 cup?... I just eyeballed it)
-cooked on low for, hmmm, 7 or 8 hours

Next time around I plan to actually mix the stuffing mix with melted butter, sherry, diced onion, and maybe some parsley or something, put that on top of the chicken, and then add the water.

Kebobs, an idea from Carolyn

I like to marinate chicken with teriyaki, wine (usually just sherry, but feel free to play), and garlic. Mushrooms get the same treatment (but in a separate container). Then I usually add cherry tomatoes, onion, and zucchini. Serve with rice, maybe a salad or a fruit salad.

Carolyn's Famous Potluck Bean Dip, from Carolyn

The layered taco dip sounds a lot like my famous potluck bean dip, which I have not been able to eat in a long, long time. Sigh. It is only 4 layers: a can of refried beans, a brick of cream cheese, a layer of salsa, and shredded cheddar. Cream cheese on bottom, then salsa, then beans, then cheddar. (The beans can go under or on top of the salsa... either way works.) Nuke until everything is melty. Ohhhhh, I want some!

Chicken Salad Ideas, by Carolyn and Sue

Basically, put chicken, celery, and nuts (I like walnuts, but pick your fave) through a food processor, add mayo and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add broth, but since you're using leftover rotisserie (and don't have broth due to cooking the chicken), it isn't necessary. It's easy and deeeee-lish.
I meant to say that you can throw so many things in chicken salad, so that is my basic recipe, but you could add:

-Sue's cranberries
-apples
-raisins
-grapes
-shredded carrot
-onion
-fancy mustard
-whatever spice you like... a little curry, some garlic, whatever you fancy

Faboo Turkey Meatloaf, by Carolyn

Faboo Turkey Meatloaf

1 lb ground turkey
1/2-1 small onion, diced or chopped
2 slices of bread (about 1/2 cup), broken into crumbs
1 egg
1 15-oz can of tomato sauce
garlic powder (or fresh chopped garlic)
parsley
Italian seasoning
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix turkey, onion, bread, egg, and 1/2 can of tomato sauce in a loaf pan. Add seasonings as desired. Pour remaining tomato sauce on top of loaf and sprinkle with additional seasonings as desired. Bake in 350 degree oven for about an hour.

A tip I'll add that I use whenever I make meatloaf is this: Before adding sauce to the top, I make little channels in one or more corners to collect oils from the meat. I just stick a finger down along the corner of the pan so that none of the meatloaf mixture is touching the actual corner. Then when I pour the tomato sauce on top I am careful not to pour any down the channel(s). When it cooks, all the grease collects in the corners, and you can drain it off.

I'm in the mood for broccoli with my meatloaf, but I suspect we'll also be having some peas and carrots, since my daughter hasn't been touching broccoli lately.

Cous Cous ideas, by Carolyn

I usually add tofu (cut into small pieces, and you don't even notice it is there) and frozen peas. Brocolli is nice, esp. in teeny bits. I've tried raisins in it, and like it.

Two Takes on Sloppy Joes, from Carolyn

Tintin requested my sloppy joe recipe. I will post 2 versions, the one my mom always made (and I did prior to this attempt), and the one I made yesterday. I never measure anything, so I'm sorry that I can't be more precise.

Mom's recipe
1 lb ground beef
ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
garlic powder
onion powder

Brown and drain beef and return to heat. Add enough ketchup until it is saucy and a few (?) t of Worcestershire sauce. Add garlic and onion to taste. Serve on hamburger buns with lots of napkins.


My new recipe
1/2 medium onion, diced
oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 T ketchup
1 t vinegar
2-3 t (?) Worcestershire sauce
garlic powder
pepper

Add oil to skillet and saute onion until translucent. Remove from pan. Brown and drain turkey with 1 t of garlic powder and return to heat. Add onion. Mix in tomato sauce, ketchup, vinegar, and worcestershire sauce. Add garlic and pepper to taste. Serve on hamburger buns with lots of napkins.

Italian Sausage Casserole, from Carolyn

Here's a favorite that I got from my mom, which she created and called "Italian Sausage Casserole". This recipe is written in my usual "just throw some stuff together" style. Sorry, I don't measure, I just cook.

Cook up Italian sausage (pork, turkey, or soy-based), a nice marinara, and some pasta (rotini works best, penne will do).

Mix 4-6 cups of shredded mozzerella, one container (pint???) of ricotta, one egg, one cup grated parmesan, and garlic and Italian herbs to taste.

Layer the ingredients in a casserole dish in the following order: sauce, pasta, sausage, cheese... until you fill the casserole or run out of stuff. The top layer should be cheese!!

Bake in the oven, um, until it's done.

Dressed Up Cous Cous, an idea from Carolyn

I had cous cous from a $2 mix made by Near East. It is soooo good. It was just five minutes in the microwave in a covered casserole: water, seasoning mix, and added peas, broccoli, and raisins. Then I pulled it out of the microwave, added the cous cous and (again, my addition) cut up tofu, and let it sit with lid on for five more minutes. Voila, dinner.

A Gnocchetti idea from Carolyn

We (the dog and I) had gnocchetti tossed in olive oil, garlic, and parsley.