Quick Chicken Cacciatore

This is a great, quick dinner that you can make in 20 minutes. Use pre-cooked, cubed chicken or you can saute your own. If you use your own, cut up the chicken while still a little frozen; it's easier that way. Cook it for about 10 minutes, until it's not pink. You can substitute any vegetable that you like in this recipe; be flexible.

Chicken Cacciatore

1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 pound chicken meat, cooked and cubed
1 can peeled tomatoes
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (I use broccoli stir fry)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Grated Parmesan to taste



In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft. Add chicken, then stir in tomatoes, vegetables, and oregano.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve hot. Top with grated Parmesan and serve over noodles or rice if you prefer.

Pot Roast

Pot roast is one of my favorite dinners. It takes longer to cook, because you have to melt that tough connective tissue, but you don't actually have to do much to it. Turn it to a low simmer, and let it cook away. Make sure you use a pan with a tight fitting lid, or your pot roast may turn out dry. If using a slow cooker, just brown the meat, then put it in the cooker. Serve with a spinach salad and garlic mashed potatoes, or add carrots and potatoes to the pot.

Pot Roast

3 to 4 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup of red wine



Use a thick-bottomed covered pot, such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Sprinkle and rub salt and pepper all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Don't move the roast while a side is browning, or it won't brown well.

When roast is browned, add garlic and chopped onion to the bottom of the pan. Let the roast sit on top of the onions. Add 1/2 cup of red wine. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered.

Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until meat is tender.

Jamaican Jerk Shrimp

This is one of my favorite meals; it's quick, easy, and delicious. I love shrimp, and it's quick cooking and economical. If you don't want to fire up the grill for the five minutes, tops, that it takes to cook this, broil them in the oven. Careful, though; shrimp doesn't take long to get tough, and this requires only about a minute for each side.


1 dozen large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large clove garlic, minced

Mix all spices together. Toss the shrimp in the bowl to coat well.

Then grill, 1 to 2 minutes on the first side, about 30 seconds to 1 minute on the other. You can thread them on skewers first if you want; it makes them easier to turn. Make sure you soak wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes before you do it, though, or you'll set your skewers on fire.

If you absolutely don't have the five minutes it takes to make this seasoning, you can buy a reasonable alternative. I've used this kind before, and it's pretty good.
Jamaica Jerk Salt Free Seasoning Blend 1 lb: C


Here's my apron for when I'm cooking shrimp:

Who ordered the Jumbo Shrimp?

Black Beans and Rice

This is one of my favorite dishes. I serve it with chopped raw onions on the top, and lime wedges and avocado slices on the side. It's also great without the rice, and potatoes as a side dish. I roast them in the oven with olive oil and garlic. Great economical dish with wonderful taste.


Black Beans and Rice


Makes 7 Cups

* 1 lb. Dried Black Beans (3 cups)
* 8 cups Water
* 6 Cloves Garlic; Crushed
* 2 Tbs. Dried Oregano
* 1 Bay Leaf
* 2 tsp. Olive Oil
* 1 Large Onion; Chopped
* 1 Red Bell Pepper; Chopped
* 1 Tbs. Ground Cumin
* 1 Jalapeno Pepper; Seeded and Chopped
* 2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
* 1 tsp. Salt
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
* 2 cups Long-Grain White Rice


Soak beans in cold water overnight making sure all beans are covered by 2-inches of water.
Drain and rinse beans.
Place in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
Add 4 cups of water, garlic, oregano, and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. cover and simmer until beans are tender, approximately 2-hours.
Remove bay leaf and discard.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally until softened for about 5-minutes.
Add cumin and jalapeno, cook, stirring until softened for approximately 1-minute more.
Stir onion mixture and vinegar into beans.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring remaining 4 cups of water and 1 tsp. salt to a boil.
Add rice, cover and reduce heat to low. simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, approximately 15 to 20-minutes.
Serve the beans over the rice with lime wedges on the side of the serving dish.

Eggplant parmesan

This is a great eggplant parmesan recipe for when you're in a hurry. You cook the eggplant in the microwave, and it doesn't take nearly as long, plus, you don't fry them, so you cut out a lot of calories. It's still good, and it takes a lot less time to prepare. Quick, easy, and delicious.
Ingredients:
1 lg. eggplant (1 1/2-1 3/4 lb.)
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
2 c. spaghetti sauce
1 1/2-2 c. (6-8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Pierce skin of eggplant several times. Place on paper towel in microwave at high 6-7 minutes. Roll over 2 times. Let cool. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and butter. In 8 inch square dish, alternate layers of spaghetti sauce, eggplant, breadcrumbs and mozzarella cheese, with the last topping being the sauce and cheese. Cook in 350 oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pulled Pork with Mustard BBQ sauce

Cook a pork shoulder or pork roast in slow cooker on Low or smoker until internal temperature reaches 190 (or it falls off the bone). Let rest and cool for approx 1/2 hour, then pull apart and cook with mustard sauce to taste on low for another 30 minutes.

Serve on toasted buns with coleslaw, either on the side or on the bun. Excellent.
Mustard Sauce


* 1 cup prepared yellow or any other type mustard
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix all ingredients together and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. Cool and store in refrigerator until pork is done.

Garlic Lentils (Lehsuni Daal )

Lentils are very nutritious, filling, cook quickly, and are arguably the most flavorful of all the legumes. We've been eating them since prehistoric times, and as they're high in protein, they're often a staple of vegetarian meals.

And they're cheap.

This is an Indian dish, and it's very spicy. It makes a great dinner on a cold night, but I can eat it anytime, even in the summer. I love lentils. If you can't do without the meat, add some cubed ham or italian sausage.

Quick, easy, delicious, and economical. You can't get a better recipe than that.

Garlic Lentils (Lehsuni Daal)


* 1 cup lentils
* 3 cups water
* 2 tbsps olive oil
* Salt to taste
* 1 onion,finely chopped
* 1 tomato, finely chopped
* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
* 1/2 tsp red pepper
* 3 tbsps butter
* 3 dried chilies, chopped
* 1 tsp cumin seeds
* 8-10 cloves of garlic


* Mix the lentils, water, olive oil, turmeric powder, red pepper, salt to taste, onion and tomato in a deep pan and boil till the lentils are very soft. Depending on if you're using fresh or dried lentils, it can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.
* In another small pan, heat the butter and add the cumin seeds; they'll pop and sizzle.
* When they stop sizzling add the garlic and chilies and sautee until the garlic is lightly browned.
* Add spice mixture to the lentils and stir well.
* Serve with rice.

Lemon Pepper Salmon

This is a quick and easy salmon recipe to make for dinner. The spinach in this recipe is really just for flavor (and iron), but you can add more to make it a regular serving size for everyone. If you want to, throw in some sauteed onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. Tasty and delicious.
Lemon Pepper Salmon

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 salmon steaks
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
* 1 cup spinach leaves
* 2 cups boiling water
* 1 cup uncooked couscous



1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Put salmon in the skillet and sprinkle lemon pepper and salt. Add garlic and sautee about half a minute. Pour 1/4 cup water around salmon. Place tomato and spinach in the skillet. Cover and cook 15 minutes, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork.
2. Bring 2 cups water to boil in a pot. Remove from heat, and mix in couscous. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Serve the cooked salmon over couscous, and cover with tomato spinach sauce.


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If you need a green way to carry your groceries home, or just something to carry things around in, this three salmon tote by Ghost Dog Productions is perfect. Three salmon represent the circle of life. Plenty stylish.

Habanero Lime Shrimp

I found this design, and I have it on an apron. Love that bright orange habanero pepper. You can look if you want, right here

This is one of my favorite recipes for dinner. It's quick, easy, and delicious. If you prefer to use a different chili, feel free. I love the ultra hot habanero, but this is easily adaptable to jalapeno, the Scotch bonnet, or even a plain old garden variety red or green pepper.

The habanero chili is one of the most intensely spicy chili peppers. Unripe habaneros are green, but the color at maturity varies. Common colors are orange and red, but white, brown, and pink are also seen. Hot and tasty.




Habanero Lime Shrimp


4 Cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 habanero chile, fresh or dried, stem and seeds removed
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 - 2 tomatoes, chopped
1 Pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 - 2 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste

Directions:

If using dried chilies, soak in hot water for 25 minutes or until they become soft. Saute the garlic and chile in olive oil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute or so more. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turns pink. Add the lime juice, simmer for two minutes and serve over rice.

Habanero pepper design that says I like it hot, click here