Category Archives: Soups/ Salads / Stews

Chili with Slow Cooked Pork

Meat/ Poultry, Soups/ Salads / Stews, ,

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Chili is one of those dishes that packs in everything you need in a meal. Meat, veggies and protein. How can you can wrong? Usually, I make chili using ground turkey but I decided to shake things up a bit and added slow cooked pork instead. My original plan for the pork was to make shredded BBQ pork sandwiches but my family was not in the mood for BBQ. So I figured I would try the pork in a pot of chili to see how it would taste.

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After trying chili with slow cooked pork I am not sure I will ever make chili with ground turkey again. The tenderness of the pork combined with the beans and chili seasonings turned the chili into a delicious flavorful meal. Sports fans would love this chili after any “big” game especially with a side of cornbread.

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Chili with Slow Cooked Pork

Ingredients:
1 small pork shoulder cooked and shredded (see recipe below)
1 28 oz can black beans undrained
1 14 oz can small white beans undrained
1 14 oz can cannellini beans undrained
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 12 oz bottle beer
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 packet chili seasonings
½ tsp cayenne pepper

Add all ingredients to a large pot and let simmer for 1 hour on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Serve with corn bread.

Slow Cooked Pork

Ingredients:
1 small pork shoulder
1 large onion sliced
1 large green pepper sliced
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp Adobo seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Layer onions and green peppers in the bottom of a roasting pan. Sprinkle with a little salt. Sprinkle pork with seasonings and place on top of onions and peppers. Pour 1 cup of water into pan. Cover with foil and cook for 3 hours until pork is fork tender and easily pulls apart.

 

Spicy Tuna Salad

Appetizers, Seafood/ Fish, Soups/ Salads / Stews,

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Tuna is one of those foods you either love or hate. I actually love tuna but often forget about it when it comes to making a meal. Of course tuna is also one of those foods that requires lots of tender loving care to jazz it up and make it delicious.

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I thought I would jazz up my tuna by making it spicy. A little cayenne for heat and a few sliced almonds helped to give the tuna salad a nice texture and an extra kick of flavor. Sometimes folks like to just have the basics when they fix tuna salad – eggs, mayo, salt and pepper. I like to mix it up with the crunch of celery, the sweetness of relish, the nuttiness of sliced almonds along with the usual eggs, mayo, salt and pepper.

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One of the best things about tuna salad is that it can be turned into a few different recipes. You can eat it as a sandwich, use it to top a nice green salad, put it on crackers, add it to pasta or create an appetizer. No matter how you decide to eat tuna salad think about spicing it up and give your taste buds a reason to tingle.

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Spicy Tuna Salad

Ingredients:
2 small cans of albacore tuna well drained
2 boiled eggs chopped
1 stalk celery diced
1 small can green chiles well drained
2 tbsp roasted red peppers chopped
1 tbsp Italian parsley chopped
1tsp dill
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cilantro
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp mayonnaise
5 dashes hot sauce
½ toasted sliced almonds
Juice from 1 small lemon

…..
Mix all ingredients In a large bowl. Chill for 30 minutes. Enjoy as a sandwich, on crackers, on a green salad or a tasty appetizer.

Carrot Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables,

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Who knew carrots came in different colors? I didn’t until a recent trip to Trader Joe’s. I was surprised to see something other than orange carrots and of course intrigued with the thought of what I could do with them. A nice soup came to mind and I could only imagine what flavors the various carrots would produce.

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Soups are one of those dishes that no matter what you throw into the pot it can come out all right. I have had a few failures when making soup (my first attempt at miso soup with rice noodles) but most of the time it works as long as the soup is full of flavor.

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The carrot soup I created was a winner with the family using only a few basic ingredients. Keeping it simple also works. Especially in this case.

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If you like carrots and you like soup, try bringing the two together for a delicious appetizer or meal. If you are willing to walk on the wild side, try mixing up a variety of carrots to brighten up your pot of soup.

Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
2 lbs mixed carrots sliced
1 large onion diced
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup water
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup ½ and ½
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp smoked cumin
½ tsp cilantro
3 dashed hot sauce
1 baby hot pepper sliced thin (optional)

Place all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium high heat for 30 – 40 minutes until carrots are fork tender. Turn off heat and puree carrots with an immersion hand blender or place in a blender and puree. Add cream and stir until well blended. Add a little more salt if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley.

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Pasta and Grains, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , , ,

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I was watching a cooking show the other day that was dedicated to Mediterranean cooking which my family and I really enjoy. The seasonings used in Mediterranean cooking are a lot different from those used in southern cooking. I always like a challenge whether in cooking or elsewhere so I decided to stretch my imagination and learn how to fix a simple Mediterranean dish. The chef on this particular show made a tabbouleh salad that looked delicious but required a little more work than I like to do.

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Instead of using bulgur wheat as the grain in the salad I decided to add a new twist and use Quinoa. Quinoa has a nutty flavor and takes only a few minutes to prepare. It also helped to add an extra layer of crunch to the salad along with the cucumbers. Texture and taste are two key elements of any dish especially for salads when you are trying to have layers of flavor.

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One of the best ingredients used in Mediterranean cooking is mint. I had not cooked with mint in the past except for making iced tea. The thought of using mint in a salad was a different but welcomed experience. It was amazing how the mint and other seasonings blended so well together and lifted my taste buds to a new level.

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Mediterranean Quinoa salad is a wonderful side dish that goes well with chicken, fish or pork. So the next time you want something healthy, quick and easy to make try this salad to help spice up your meal.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

 Ingredients:

1 cup Quinoa

1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in half

2 tbsp parsley chopped

2 tbsp mint chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 English cucumber chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp Gazebo Room Greek marinade and salad

½ cup feta cheese

Juice from ½ lemon

Prepare Quinoa according to package instructions. Let cool.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Artichoke Salad

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, ,

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Whenever I create a new recipe for an entree I also have to think of what side dish to make. In order to have a nice presentation of the main dish I need to have a complimentary side dish.

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This tomato, mozzarella and artichoke salad was born as a side dish to my Deli London Broil 2 for 1 recipe. I wanted something colorful and easy to make to help the pictures of the London broil pop. The color red is always and eye catcher. So, the combination of the tomatoes, the bright white of the mozzarella and pale green of the artichoke blend together well to create a nice visual dish.

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Besides using this recipe as a side dish I also used it as a topping for a salad which tasted great. No matter how you decide to use this recipe it will be a winner.

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Tomato, Mozzarella and Artichoke Salad

Ingredients:

1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 small jar artichoke hearts in oil or water

1 8oz container of mozzarella balls

½ cup kalamata olives

¼ cup Gazebo Room Greek marinade and salad dressing

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1tbsp fresh parsley chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp basil

½ tsp dill

½ tsp Adobo

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Optional:

Italian dressing

feta cheese

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well blend. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Endive Stuffed with Shrimp Salad

Appetizers, Seafood/ Fish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, ,

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Have you ever experienced riding along and all of a sudden you get a great idea and have to scramble around for a piece of paper so you can write it down? That is what happened when I thought of making a shrimp salad then stuffing it into endive. Because life is so busy right now I have to write down my ideas or they fly out the window and may or may not come back home.

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My hubby and I were driving back from a basketball tournament and I was trying to create new recipes for dmariedining.com when I started thinking about seafood and a different way to present a nice light seafood salad. I don’t know why the thought of endive popped into my head since I had never worked with it before. I just wanted something that would be easy to make, pleasing to the eye and wonderful to eat.

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The combination of the shrimp salad and endive created a cool refreshing appetizer that makes you want more. The first time my daughter taste tested this for me it left her speechless for a few seconds. When she finally did say something she told me it was a hit!

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For a light crisp appetizer consider making endive stuffed with shrimp salad. This will be a hit at any party and is pretty simple to make. So try this recipe the next time you have a few friends over and you want to show off your new culinary skills.

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Endive Stuffed with Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp

2 boiled eggs chopped

1 stalk celery diced

1 tbsp red onion diced small

1 tbsp parsley chopped

1 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1 tbsp old bay seasoning

1 tsp dill

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

pinch sugar

Juice from 1 small lemon

Add salt to 1 quart of water and bring to a boil Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Let cool then peel and dice shrimp. Pour lemon juice and set aside. Combine shrimp with lemon juice and remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Chill for 30 minutes.

Separate endive leaves and stuff with shrimp salad.  Garnish with dill and lemon zest.

Fishermen’s Stew

Seafood/ Fish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, , ,

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My Mom celebrated another birthday recently and we are all grateful that she did. As our parents get older it is nice to spend time together and celebrate life, family and love. For my mom’s birthday I thought I would fix her a special meal and use her as a guinea pig for a new dish at the same time. She loves seafood so I decided to have fish as the centerpiece of the meal

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Both my parents grew up fishing in the south so you can only imagine what I learned to do when I was old enough to hold a fishing pole. There were many weekends we loaded up the car and cast our poles out on a pier or lake in a nearby town. One of the best parts of going fishing was preparing the day before we went. My dad and I would walk down to the compost pile in a nearby field and dig for worms. No, I was not afraid of worms and found them to be quite interesting. Besides, if I was going to fish I had to learn how to bait my own hook. We created a lot of fond memories fishing together and trying to out do each other by catching the biggest fish. If we were fortunate, we would catch enough fish to last a few weeks to keep in the freezer. Thursdays was fish fry day and we would have it with either fried potatoes or grits, hot sauce and a slice of bread (told you I was a southern girl at heart).

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I came up with the idea of fishermen’s stew because there was one southern dish my mom liked to fix that I could never bring myself to eat. Fish head stew. Yes, you actually cook and eat the fish heads in a stew. Me? I only like the parts that are used for fillets.

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Fishermen’s stew is a combination of fish, shrimp and scallops in a flavorful broth. I would suggest you use a firm white fish or catfish. I used two types of fish just to shake things up. If you really want to make it a hearty dish you can add diced potatoes or corn sliced off the cob.

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Thanks mom for inspiring me to make a wonderful stew and for teaching me how to fish.

Happy Birthday !!!

Fishermen’s Stew

Ingredients:

1 lb of tilapia cut into chunks

1 lb of halibut or cod cut into chunks

1 lb of shrimp peeled and deveined

1 lb scallops

1 large onion sliced thin

1 large green pepper sliced thin

2 14 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp old bay seasonings

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp cilantro

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ cup fish broth or chicken broth

1 14 oz can lite coconut milk

 

Optional:

diced potatoes

corn sliced off the cob

Stir together lemon juice, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and paprika in a large bowl. Add fish and shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Reduce to medium heat and add peppers, tomatoes, remaining seasonings and broth. Cook for 5 minutes then add fish and shrimp. Pour coconut milk over the mixture and stir gently. Cover and reduce heat and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the shrimp turns pink.

Corn Chowder

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, ,

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I don’t know about you but I can eat soup any time of the year. Winter, spring, summer or fall it does not matter what the weather is on any given day, soup can be a tasty appetizer or a full meal. During the summer when corn is plentiful, sweet and delicious it is a great time to make corn chowder. I love creamy soups but soups made with a flavorful broth is wonderful too.

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I have to be honest. I just started making corn chowder. I have been happy through the years to just eat corn chowder whenever someone else made it. I finally decide it was my turn to try and make a delicious soup that others would love to eat. I really like what I created but I want to hear from the other amateur chefs and soup lovers of the world.

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As with most of my recipes I tried to make this one simple but full of flavor. If you can, let it sit overnight. You will find the flavors really come together and burst in your mouth. The first time I made corn chowder my hubby and son loved it so much I had to make another pot of soup the next day. Thankfully, I had bought extra corn!

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Since this is the height of corn season try blanching a few ears of corn then cut it off the cob and freeze the kernels. That way, you can make corn chowder winter, spring, summer or fall.

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

5 ears of corn

3 slices of bacon chopped

4 cups chicken stock or broth

1 tbsp butter

1 medium potato peeled and diced

1 cup onion diced

2 stalks celery sliced

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp parsley

½ tsp Adobo

1 cup half and half milk or heavy cream

Shuck the corn and strip the kernels with a sharp knife. Set aside.

Place bacon in a large pot and cook over medium high heat until it starts to turn brown. Reduce heat to medium and add butter, onions, potatoes, seasonings and diced celery stalk. Stir to coat veggies with bacon fat. Cook for 5 minutes then add flour. Stir constantly for 2 minutes then slowly add chicken stock. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat.  Let simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in half and half. Add corn and let simmer 5 more minutes. Taste and add a little more salt if necessary.

Sprinkle each bowl of soup with fresh chopped basil, parsley or cilantro.

A New Kind of Potato Salad

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, ,

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Who said creamy was the best way to make potato salad? I did until I started focusing on new ways to prepare some of my old recipes. I love potatoes in general so potato salad is also a favorite. However, I had to find a simple way to cut down on calories but still have a great tasting dish when all was said and done.

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I think (and so does my family) that I hit the mark with my “New Kind of Potato Salad”. It still has layers of flavor and has many of the ingredients you would put into a creamy potato salad. Believe it or not, if it were not for the mayonnaise in potato salad it would be considered quite healthy. Eggs provide protein and essential amino acids. One stalk of celery has about 10 calories so eat up. Potatoes? Well, potatoes are not the villain most folks think they are regarding maintaining good health. Actually, certain potatoes have only 26 calories and are considered a complex carbohydrate which is better than simple carbohydrates like sugar or bread.

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Eating potatoes the right way will help make you feel full quicker and will satisfy your taste buds. So, put away the mayonnaise and pick up Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade. This is a light delicious dressing that adds tons of flavor to every dish I include it in. Potatoes can act like a sponge and will soak up the dressing so you can limit additional salt. Limiting salt is always a good thing.

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If you are a potato lover like me but want to find a healthier way to eat them, try my New Kind of Potato Salad. I think you will pleasantly surprised.

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A New Kind of Potato Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb red potatoes cut into bite size pieces
2 stalks of celery sliced
4 boiled eggs chopped
1 12 oz bag broccoli florets
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp brown mustard
1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
1 tsp dill
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp Adobo seasonings
½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
½ cup Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade

Add eggs and a pinch of salt to a pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from stove and run cold water over eggs. Let cool for 5 minutes then chop and set aside.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add Broccoli and cook for 3 minutes. Remove broccoli and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Drain broccoli from ice bath and set aside. Bring broccoli water to a boil again and add potatoes. Cook until fork tender. Be sure not to over cook the potatoes or they will get mushy when you mix the ingredients. Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Whisk together the brown mustard and salad dressing then pour the mixture over the potatoes while they are hot so that the potatoes will absorb some of the dressing. Let the potatoes rest for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently. Serve warm or slightly chilled.

Sprinkle additional cheese on top if you really like cheese.

Chick Pea Stew

Meat/ Poultry, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, ,

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On one of the many days I had run out of ideas for dinner my Chick Pea Stew recipe suddenly came to me. I had leftover taco meat in the refrigerator and a can of chick peas staring me in the face so I thought why not combine them! Some of the best recipes come from leftovers and a little imagination. This recipe is one of my family’s favorite meals so now whenever I make tacos for dinner I cook extra meat for a Chick Pea Stew dinner the next day. I think the seasoning tastes wonderful the next day.Chick Pea Stew 14_1

Even if you don’t have leftover taco meat in the frig you can pull this dish together in just a few minutes. In the fall and winter you can add potatoes or pasta to make the dish a little bit heartier. In the spring and summer keep it light with just the basics. If you are truly adventurous, try adding seasonal veggies to the stew to give it a new depth of flavors.

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Although I usually make this dish during the week when my time to cook is limited due to a hungry crowd, I really enjoy making it on weekends. On the weekends I can roast the onions and tomatoes instead of using canned tomatoes. Roasting veggies adds a wonderful smokiness to the stew that you can smell and taste. However you decide to make this delicious stew it will become your own and everyone will love it.

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Healthy, quick and easy works every time!

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Chick Pea Stew

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 pkg taco seasoning (hot or mild)
1 ½ bag fresh baby leaf spinach
1 12 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 large can chick peas rinsed
1 large onion diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Adobo seasoning
½ tsp red pepper flakes

Optional:
diced green peppers
diced potatoes
small pasta shells
roasted yellow squash
Seasonal Vegetables

Brown turkey and drain. In a large stock pot add meat, tomatoes, onions, chick peas,chicken stock and seasonings. Stir and let simmer 10 minutes. Add spinach and let wilt. Simmer on low for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.