My Redi-Set-Go

Yup, I bought one of these...ME, the great wannabutneverwillbe chef! And I have a confession to make: I LOVE it! I succumbed to an infomercial and bought one. When it arrived, it was VERY poorly packaged and had a tiny scratch, so I called them. I was treated very kindly and apologies were profuse. I was promised and quickly received another one, this time in perfect condition. They told me to keep the other unit and so I now have TWO of them! My friend Daryn will receive it as soon as I get around to packing it up and sending it. I've had great fun with this machine and find it a great item to take when one is spending a night or weekend in a motel. Also great for your college kids.
P.S. BELIEVE them when they say you need PAM or some other spray! If you don't, you'll have a big mess.

Chicken Chile Verde Stoup

Found a wonderfully simple recipe on the internet and changed it up a bit. Laura said it was the best soup I'd ever made and she always loves the soups I make.

Chicken Chile Verde Stoup

8 or 9 chicken thighs, roasted and taken off the bone
2 cans low sodium NO MSG chicken stock or equivalent amount of home made
1 large can green enchilada sauce (store brand works just fine)
1 large onion, chopped
1# or more frozen corn
2 cans black beans, well rinsed
3 cloves garlic, minced (I use the larger ones on the bulb)
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons oil (I used olive)

First, cook onions in oil until limp(ish), OR you can toss them in with all the other items, except the chicken. The really wonderful thing about this recipe is there's alot of wiggle room. If you're in a hurry, toss it all in, reserving the chicken for the last 10 minutes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25 to 30ish minutes. If you'd prefer NOT to roast the chicken, cut up the raw thighs and toss it in with the rest of the items rather than saving it for the last 10 minutes. This is a delicious and VERY easy soup/stew.
Kat's recommendation: If you're not in a hurry, roast the thighs first. My first batch was the best. Second batch I did the fast way and, while it was delicious...the first batch was more so!

Cissy's Quiche Lorraine

Mom called me "Cissy" due to my bro as a wee child not being able to say "sister". It stuck for life unless she was reeeeeely ticked off then it was my entire name run together as a single name. YOU know the tone.....big trouble! But I digress. This is a fab recipe that I somewhat adapted from a cooking card from Idon'trememberwhere. Enjoy. Hope to have photos soon of my first two recipes.

Cissy's Quiche Lorraine

1 stick or 1/2 pkt pie crust
12 slices (1/2 lb approx) bacon crisply fried and crumbled
1 cup shredded natural Swiss cheese (4oz)
1/3 cup minced onion
4 eggs
2 cups light cream (20%) or whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne red pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry for 9" one-crust pie. Sprinkle bacon, cheese, onion in pastry-lined pan. With rotary beater, beat remaining ingredients. Pour into pie pan. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven tem to 300 degrees. Bake pie 30 minutes longer or until edge comes out clean. Let pie stand 10 minutes befor cutting; Serve in wedges. 6 servings. (yeah right!)

Cooking Comfort - Grandma's Concoction

This is an original recipe likely adapted from a recipe even older. My Grandma Hill was a caterer and in spite of it's humble appearance, served it at many of her parties. It has been a favorite of mine since I was old enough to chew. As a wee one, I always thought the definition of 'concoction' was that delicious dish!

Grandma's Concoction

1# ground beef
1#can of corn or substitute equal amount of frozen or fresh corn
1# can whole tomatoes not drained
1 large XLNT or similar commercial tamale
1 large onion, chopped
1# bag noodles, cooked to just before al dente
1# or so grated cheddar cheese

cook beef and chopped onion to done, add everything else except noodles and combine until hot and fully mixed in. Fold in noodles and place in casserole dish. Top with as much grated cheddar cheese as you like and bake in 350 degree oven until browned. I like it crispy, but do it to suit what you like. Serve with tossed salad and enjoy!