1 Tbsp Olive oil or butter
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup half n half
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1 Tbsp fresh parsley or 1 tsp dry parsley
Parmesan cheese

Blend oil and flour in a saucepan, and heat it on medium heat until it’s starting to bubble. Add half n half and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Add parsley and garlic and cook for another minute. Add parmesan and remove from heat. Serve over pasta.

When my kids were little, we hardly ever ate red meat.  I finally made a pot roast and for Ali it was truly love at first bite.  He still loves it and often makes it, too – in a pressure cooker since he just can’t wait!

4 lbs. rump roast, sprinkled with salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 onions, cut in quarters
2 cups carrots, cut in bite size chunks
4 stalks celery, cut in bite size chunks
5 large potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into bite size pieces
kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
Beef base

Heat oil in a dutch oven and brown rump roast well, turning to brown all sides. Add a 1/4 – to 1/2 cup water and all veggies. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 325 for 3 hours. Remove from oven, and pull out veggies, and meat. Keep warm. Place dutch oven on stove on low heat and add beef base and enough water to end up with 2 cups of gravy. Add cornstarch to a little water in a cup and stir well. Pour cornstarch slurry into pan, stirring well. Cook on low heat, scraping up any cooked on bits until the gravy thicken. Serve with the veggies and meat.

Ali’s additions:  1 cup red wine, splash of balsamic vinegar and a splash of asian fish sauce.

Super easy dish to make – especially if you’re staying somewhere with limited kitchen supplies, like a cabin.

1 pkg elbow macaroni (can use odds and ends of pasta, too)
salt
1 can of Hormel Turkey Chili Can also use vegeterian chili beans.
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Boil pasta in salted water according to label directions. Drain and heat chili in the saucepan. Add pasta and cheese and stir.

I am not a big user of soup mixes – but I really like the Pasta Fagioli recipe from Bean Cuisine.

1 Bean Cuisine Ultima Pasta Fagioli Mix
1 1/2 onions diced and fried, or 3/4 cup Barista (Fried onions)
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
1 stalk of leek, cut in half and then in 1/2″ slices
3 tsp garlic puree
7 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp Beef Base
1 tsp salt
14 ox. can diced Italian tomatoes (used Dei Fratelli with herbs and olive oil)

Add all to a large soup pot and cook for three hours.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp cornstarch
4 Tbsp soy sauce

Mix cornstarch and soy sauce, and marinate chicken in it for 15 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon before cooking.

2 Tbsp peanut oil
1/2 lb. broccoli, cut into small bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed well
1 cup chicken broth

Heat oil to medium-high, and stir fry chicken until browned. Remove and add broccoli and onion. Stir fry for 2 more minutes. Add mushrooms, sprouts, chicken, chicken broth and remaining marinade and cook five minutes.

Serve over rice.

This recipe came out of “Louisiana Real and Rustic” and I have a note on the page: Bam! It was when the Food Network was new and Emeril was big, big news. We loved watching Emeril cook and on a visit to New Orleans in 1999, Kumy and I treated ourselves to a fabulous multi-course dinner sitting at the coveted counter of one of Emeril’s restaurants. The cooks used Emeril’s famous “throw the salt on the pan from far away” trick, although they didn’t yell “Bam!” – but it was still fun to watch.

I know that some people use lima beans or other beans to make this, but I love red beans. It’s worth it to use red beans you soak yourself if you have the time, but comes out pretty good using canned beans, too. I must have made this for Mardi Gras, 2001, according to the name.

Soak 1 lb. red beans overnight in water, drain and set aside.
(Or use 4 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained. We don’t get the red beans they use in New Orleans in Nebraska, but kidney beans work fine.)

1 tsp oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped peppers (I often use more – 1 cup, because I love peppers.)
1/2 cup celery (Again, I often use more because I love celery.)
1 tsp salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme leaves (I often use more because, well, you know.)

Heat oil in a dutch oven and saute veggies and spices for 5 minutes.

4 bay leaves
1 lb. turkey ham or regular ham cut into cubes
6 oz. smoked sausage, cut in half and sliced into 1/4″ thick pieces

Add bay leaves and meat and saute 5 more minutes.

Beans
3 Tbsp chopped garlic
8-10 cups water

Add beans, garlic and water and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer two hours. Use a spoon to mash about 1/2 of the beans against the side of the pot. Add water if the mix gets too dry. Cook 1 1/2 more hours. Check the seasoning and serve with rice. You don’t want the red beans too dry – you’ll want to sop up all the broth with some crusty french bread.