Greek Style Shish Kabobs

Pork Meat cut into chunks (We used sirloin end chops and Lesa just cut around the bones)

Marinade:
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Oregano (Heavy)
Rosemary (med)
Mint (light)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic

Red Peppers, cut into chunks
Sweet Onion, cut into chunks

Sorry no measurements...I just whisked the oil and lemon juice together and added the spices as I went. Marinade meat for a couple of hours, this will make the pork meat tender and flavorful (left it marinading while we were at church). Soak your skewers in water before you start threading the meat and veggies. Grill and squeeze additional lemon juice over cooked kabobs if you like. DELICIOUS!! We also grilled sliced zucchini with this and did a veggie rice stir-fry. Great Sunday dinner ;)

Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken

1(3lb) broiler-fryer cut up
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup ketchup
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
'1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash ground red pepper
dash ground ginger
1 cup pineapple chunks

Preheat oven to 400. In medium skillet, cook onion, green pepper, and carrots in butter for 5 minutes, stirring. Stir in ketchup, pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic salt, salt, peppers, and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Add pineapple chunks. Arrange chicken pieces skin side up in a 9x13 baking pan. Pout sauce all over. Bake covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes or longer until tender or chicken tests done.

This recipe comes from Christy Escobedo. She is a great cook and is always trying new recipes. She says... I just made this for dinner and it was sooo good! A nice change from teriyaki, but you still get the tender, falling off the bone texture you want.

Quick Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas

1 can Chicken Chunks, drain most of juice (Costco)
1 Roasted Pasilla Pepper (I buy these when on sale, roast them remove chard skin and freeze, then I use as needed)
1 tsp minced garlic (I buy a lg bottle at Walmart in produce section)
1 Tb Butter
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Ground Cumin

8 Corn Tortillas
Shredded cheese
Salsa Verde (Any kind will do)
Sour Cream

In a medium sauce pan Melt butter and Oil together, saute garlic. Slice roasted Pasilla and saute with garlic. Add chicken with a little of the remaining juice and sprinkle with cumin. Break down chunks of chicken and let everything heat through. Lightly oil tortillas and heat thru on a dry pan. As the tortillas are warmed take each tortilla and sprinkle a horizontal line of cheese down the middle of the tortilla, then spread a spoonful of chicken on top of the cheese. Roll tortilla and leave the edge down on the plate. I then spoon as much or as little of the salsa verde (I just used whatever I had in the fridge, Hernandez or Victoria something) over the tortilla and top with sour cream.

Yeah, I'm using my own picture this time. We usually eat everything before I get a chance or remember to take a picture.

Really the quick part is only if you roast the pasilla ahead of time. And using the canned chicken chunks (they are great when you are in a hurry, soups, tacos and sandwiches). The roasted pasilla has such a great flavor. You can add them to scrambled eggs or any other kind of meat for great tacos. Kulesa and I really like this version instead of the creamy american kind.

Best Pot Roast & Gravy

Roast (I usually get what ever is cheapest, bottom round roast)
Worcestershire Sauce
Basil
Onion Soup Mix
Garlic
Salt
Pepper

Yellow Potatoes, quartered
Baby Carrots
Large onion, chopped

Gravy:
Drain Drippings, remove as much oil as possible
1-2 cans Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup
Cornstarch, if needed.

I usually bake this in my roaster oven so it doesn't heat up your house. I place the roast in the pan and dowse it generously with Worcestershire sauce, then sprinkle it heavily with basil to completely cover the top of the roast. I then sprinkle evenly with remaining spices and cover. Bake at 275 for 6hours. After about 4 hours I add the cut up vegetables, cover and cook 2 more hours. Then drain liquid drippings and mix with condensed soup, do not add water. If the gravy is still to thin mix a heaping table spoon of cornstarch with a little water and add to gravy mixture to thicken. Slice roast to serve.

DELICIOUS!!! This is one of our favorite Sunday meals. Add some rolls and a nice green salad (really the salad is just for me cause salad is like criptonite to Kulesa).

Tater Tot Casserole

2lb Hamburger
1/2c. chopped onion
Salt,Pepper, Garlic
Cream of Mushroom Soup, 2small or 1 Lg Family size
Slash of Milk (just so its not to thick but not soupy either)
1 envelope Onion Soup mix
2 cans Green Beans, drained
Tater Tots (or in a pinch Instant Mashed Potatoes)
Grated Cheese

Brown hamburger, drain excess grease, add onion and spices, cook until onion is clear and tender. Mix in soup, onion soup mix and green beans. Spoon into a large baking dish. Arrange tater tots (or mashed potatoes) evenly on top of hamburger mixture. Bake at 350 for about 45mins to an hour until tater tots are cooked, then sprinkle with grated cheese and return to oven to melt, then serve. If using mashed potatoes I just heat in oven until all ingredients are warmed through and bubbly (maybe 20mins)then add cheese.

This is a typical casserole but my kids LOVE it!

Sunday Meatloaf

2.5 lb Hamburger
1 loaf of white bread, wet and squeeze out excess water.
3 eggs
1 envelope Onion soup mix
a handful of Oats
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Worcestershire Sauce, douse generously
2/3c. Milk
Topping:
Ketchup or BBQ Sauce

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and smoosh together. Do not over mix, I like to leave the bread so that chunks are still visible. form loaf meat mixture in a 9x13 pan or fill one to sides a little smaller, mine measures 7x10. Pat the meat so top is smoothed. Spread a layer of either Ketchup or BBQ over the top. I Bake this in the oven at 275 for three hours while we are at church and when we get home it is perfect.

With this I usually bake a pan of cheesy au gratin potatoes (for the same amount of time at the same temp)and then when we get home all I have to do is warm up a vegetable and maybe slice up some french bread.

Chop Suey

1 pkg Glass Noodles (or they are also called Bean Thread. I buy them at an Oriental Market and they usually come in a cellophane pkg with a pink netting around it)
1 lb Pork Stew meat (You can also use Chicken or Beef, cut into bite size pieces)
1-2 Baby Bok Choy, chopped (or you can use reg Bok Choy ist's just bigger, you can even use spinach or reg cabbage)
1-2 Carrots, Julianne cut or like match sticks
1/2 onion, Sliced to size of carrots
2 Tb Fresh Ginger, minced
Salt, Pepper, Garlic
Soy Sauce about 1 c. or so

Unwrap noodles and in a lg bowl cover with very HOT water, set aside. In a stock pot, season and brown meat in a little oil. Add carrot, onion and ginger to the meat and keep cooking until carrots are tender. Then stir in Bok Choy. Using scissors cut up warmed noodles a little. Pour noodles and water into pot, add Soy Sauce and stir to combine all ingredients. The combination should be dark brown in color if not add more soy sauce. Let simmer slightly do not boil. Noodles will soak up water and soy.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 1/2c. rice
5 c. water
Salt and Garlic
Shredded Cheese
1 Rotisserie Chicken, de-boned and chopped
1 envelope Onion soup mix
1 lg Family size can Cream of Chicken soup

In a lrg baking pan (11x15?) Place rice in pan and cover with water, season with salt and garlic. Then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Next place chicken pieces evenly over rice ans cheese layers. Sprinkle with onion soup mix and then spoon condensed cream of chicken soup as evenly as you can over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 2 hours. Remove foil and check if rice is done. Then sprinkle with shredded cheese and return to oven, once cheese is melted it's ready to serve.

9x13 baking dish:
1 1/2 c rice
3 c water
1 can Cream Chicken soup
everything else the same...

This recipe is from Emily Dixon and is now a family favorite. She uses 3-4 raw chicken breasts cut into pieces. I just find it easier to pick up an extra chicken at costco and then use it during the week in different ways.

BBQ Chicken Salad

Lettuce, chopped
Baby spinach, optional
Cucumber, sliced
Roma Tomatoes, diced
Purple onion, sliced
Grated cheese
Hard boiled eggs
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
BBQ Boneless Chicken pieces, heated (either bought from deli or in freezer section)
Ranch Dressing

Layer in large bowl, serve then let individuals add dressing.
Just don't let your boys pick out only the chicken like mine do!!! Gotta eat your greens!

Spaghetti

2 lb. Hamburger
1.5lb. Italian Sausage, casing removed
1/2 sm onion, fine chop
1 lg. bottle Prego Traditional Sauce (Costco size)
2 envelopes Thick and Zesty Spaghetti Seasoning
Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Italian seasoning
2 boxes Angel Hair Pasta

Brown Hamburger and Sausage, season. Drain excess grease. Saute onion until clear then add spaghetti seasoning and Prego. Let simmer to heat thru. Boil noodles and serve.

The sausage gives it great flavor and something a little different.
The left over sauce is great for homemade Pizza Pockets, which are basically grilled cheese and spaghetti sauce sandwiches made in the sandwich maker. 2TB spaghetti sauce a slice of cheese and 2 slices of buttered bread, so easy! I think my kids like these just as much or even more than just spaghetti. Try it some time.

Tuna Casserole

1 pkg Wide Egg Noodles
1 stick butter
1/3 med onion, small chop
1/2c. flour
Salt, pepper, garlic
4-5c. Milk
4 cans Tuna fish
1/2 bag Frozen Peas
Parmesan Cheese
1 sleeve Ritz crackers

Boil noodles with a little salt in the water. In a med sauce pan melt butter, saute onion until clear then add flour and cook to toast flour. Then slowly add 2c. milk and keep stirring to keep from forming lumps. When thickened add 2c. milk and stir until thickened if to thick add a little more milk. Taste sauce, add more spices if needed, then add drained tuna. When noodles are cooked drain water but keep noddles in pot. Add frozen peas and stir into noodles. When sauce is finished combine in pot with noodles then pour mixture into a large glass baking dish. Spread out evenly in pan then sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese then evenly with crushed Ritz crackers. Bake in Oven at 350 for 30mins.

This is Mahonri's favorite! I have obviously adapted this to make a large amount for my large family. You may want to cut it down for a 9x13 pan or even in half. Enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Pork

Lg Pork butt Roast or Spareribs
Salt, Pepper, Garlic
Dark Brown Sugar
Postum or Pero (Coffee substitute, not caffeinated)
BBQ Sauce (My favorite is Sweet Baby Ray's)

I like to cut up roast into pieces so I can layer with ingredients. Place Meat in Roaster Oven, sprinkle evenly with remaining ingredients. Bake slow at 275 for 6-8 hours. Then I skim off as much grease as I can and discard. This is good to serve in chunks, if so you may want to remove the sauce and thicken a little with corn starch, then pour over chunks of meat and serve. Or you can leave the meat in the sauce and pull chunks apart and stir to combine with sauce and serve on buns for great sandwiches.

This is a 4th of July Family Tradition! Yum!

BBQ Ribs

1 pkg Pork Ribs (Costco they come in 2 slab pkgs)
Chili Powder
Rib Rub Seasoning
BBQ Sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's, my Favorite)

Sprinkle Slabs generously with spices. I layer slabs on top of each other in my turkey roaster oven. Bake at 275 for 6hrs until tender. Remove slabs one at a time and brush the bottom side of slab with BBQ sauce then place under the broiler to caramelize BBQ sauce, about 5-8mins. Then flip slab over and brush BBQ sauce on the top of slab and Broil for another 5-8mins. Cut individual ribs apart and serve. Out of this world GOOD!

We had these for our New Years Eve Party, they were a HIT!

Gloria's Raisen Pork

or you can use Chicken

2lbs Meat (Pork or Chicken)
4c. Salsa
1c. Raisins
1/2c. Dark Brown Sugar
Salt, Pepper, Garlic

You can use different cuts of meat for this recipe. Most commonly we use boneless Pork meat (Spareribs) but you can still use the spareribs with bone in as well. Same with Chicken, you can use breast meat cut into bite size pieces or a whole cut up fryer or just leg and thighs.

First brown meat with spices. While meat is browning, Microwave raisins in a little water, to soften. Then liquefy in blender to make a smooth mixture. Combine raisins, salsa (see Blender Salsa recipe)and brown sugar (I like to use DARK brown sugar because it has a richer flavor but you can use reg brown sugar as well). When meat is browned add sauce mixture and let simmer until meat is tender, approx 30mins. Simmer longer for meat with bone in.

Serve with Spanish Rice. It's also great with whole pinto beans or refried beans and tortillas.

This is one of my and Mike's favorites!

Julie's Favorite Salmon

3lb Salmon Fillet
1/2 a Lg. Onion, coarse chop
2 oranges, squeeze juice and pulp
1/4c sugar
Zesty Lemon Seasoning for Seafood (Weber grill creations)
Olive Oil

Spray oven baking dish with cooking spray. Cut fillet into portion size pieces and place in baking dish. Drizzle with Olive oil. Juice oranges and keep pulp. In Blender Liquefy onion, OJ and sugar. Layer a spoonful of onion and orange juice mixture evenly over each pieces of fish. Sprinkle heavily with Zesty seasoning. Let Marinade for 20 mins then Bake in oven at 450 for about 10mins then Broil to caramelize topping.
The topping makes a savory and slightly sweet glaze that is so delicious!

Kalua pork

3 lbs. pork butt
1 cup water
1 TB Liquid Smoke
2 TB Hawaiian Salt (coarse sea salt)
optional: Sliced cabbage, saute then mixed into shredded meat.

Place pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan.
Combine water and liquid smoke, pour over meat.
Sprinkle with salt.
Cover and roast in electric oven at
350 degrees for 6 hours or until tender.
Remove from pan and shred pork in juices.