4 Step Chicken Cacciatore

Step 1: saute 1 lb cubed chicken breast meat with garlic powder, black pepper, rosemary, oregano in large saute pan.  When half cooked, push to one side.



Step 2: in same pan, saute big chunks of onion and green pepper until partly softened.  (using large chunks makes it easier for picky eaters to push aside the parts they don't want)





Step 3:  add 29oz can plain tomato sauce, 1 can drained whole black olives, 1 can drained mushrooms.  Simmer 15 minutes.




Step 4: serve over pasta or with garlic bread.

Chilly Out There! Chili In Here!

The secret is Sausage! Mmmmm, sausage!


Start with 1# stew meat and 1# italian sausage links

Place on baking sheet in oven at 350 for 1 hour.

The juices from the sausage will help brown the stew meat.  Just throw 'em on there and let cook.

Meanwhile, brown 1# ground meat in skillet.

Drain and mix into crockpot or stew pot with:

32 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
3 tbsp chili powder

1 can diced tomatoes 
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp liquid smoke
1 can black or red beans
sprinkle of turmeric, cumin, black pepper

In same skillet, saute 1 small onion, diced.
(Optional - 1 small green pepper)
Add to stew pot.

Cut stew meat into smallish cubes, add to stew.

Slice sausage into chunks and saute in same skillet until browned on all sides.  Add to stew.

Cook all together for at least 1 hour before serving.  Best when made in advance and reheated.  Don't stir too much or beans will break up into mush.  The diced tomatoes should break down a bit though.

I prefer the addition of 1 c dark beer but not everyone likes that.  You can of course add cayenne pepper or tabasco to make it hot. I use hot sausage which adds a lot of spices anyway...

If you have a large crockpot or a dutch oven - double this recipe.  Feeds 10-15 :)

What do you do with a spaghetti squash?

I avoided them for years because I had no idea how to cook one. After some advice from cookbooks and some experimentation, I have found it to be quite good!  It tastes mildly like summer squash.  It is a good gluten-free or carb-free alternative to pasta.


The key is to poke holes in the squash rind before baking. Cut the ends off first, then slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. (Seeds can be toasted like pumpkin seeds)  Put cut-side-down onto a baking sheet and poke holes with a fork.  This allows the squash to cook through and gives a consistent texture. 

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes - you can tell when it is done by gently squeezing; it should squish a little. If not, let it cook for another 5 minutes.  It is better to overcook than undercook - if not cooked enough the strands will not have the texture of pasta.

It can also be cooked on the grill, but still must be on a flat surface like a baking sheet to keep the moisture in so the insides can steam thoroughly.

The strands run side-to-side, so take a fork and scrape them out all the way down to the rind.

Drain the strands in a colander for a few minutes to get rid of excess water.  Serve just like spaghetti!

My test group preferred it with meatballs and red sauce. The tomato brings out the sweetness of the squash.  I also tried serving it with stir fry instead of rice; that was ok but not great. Since some asian recipes include winter squash, it seemed like the flavors would work; perhaps it was just that particular ginger stir-fry sauce.

Please comment with other suggestions!