Craig’s Brussels Sprouts

I’m just being facetious, naming this vegetable dish “Craig’s Brussels Sprouts.” The truth is, I saw it being made on a cooking show but didn’t pay that much attention and had to figure out the recipe later on when I decided to serve Brussels sprouts this way.

That being said, it’s a good way to get people to eat their vegetables – even those who say they don’t like Brussels sprouts.

Ingredients

• BRUSSELS SPROUTS, 12 to 20, trimmed
• BACON, 2 slices, cut into lardons
• SHALLOTS, 2 large, sliced
• BUTTER, 2-3 tablespoons
• LEMON JUICE, 1 lemon
• BREAD CRUMBS, ¼ cup (I use Progresso Italian)

Directions

1. Steam or boil the Brussels sprouts until a toothpick pokes through the stem side easily. Drain and let cool.
2. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise.
3. In a large pan, render the bacon until slightly crispy. Drain off the excess oil (save to use another time).
4. Add the shallots and butter. Stir.
5. When butter is melted, add in the halved Brussels sprouts.
6. Sauté for a minute or so, then add the lemon juice. Stir.
7. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs, toss, and serve.

Easy Roast Pork

Low and slow, it’s easy and uncomplicated. Just remember, low and slow.

Ingredients 

• PORK SHOULDER (BUTT), 3-4 pounds, bone-in is okay
• ONION, 1 sliced
• APPLE, 1 Granny Smith, cored and sliced
• LIPTON DRY ONION SOUP MIX, 1 package
• APPLE CIDER/JUICE, 1 small can
• PORK GRAVY MIX, 1 package

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Rub the onion soup mix all over the pork roast.
3. Place in deep pan on top of onion and most of the apple slices
4. Arrange a few apple slices on top of the pork.
5. Pour in the apple cider.
6. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
7. Bake for 3 hours or longer, until meat flakes off the bone
8. Pour pan liquid into a pot and add the pork gravy mix, along with one cup of water.
9. Bring gravy to a boil and reduce heat, cooking for a minute or two.
10. Shred or slice the pork and serve with the gravy.

Mexican Chicken

This is another fast and easy meal for the family.

Ingredients

• CHICKEN, 4 to 10 pieces
• FLOUR, ¼ cup
• SALSA, 1 large jar (I use Pace mild chunky)
• ONIONS (Maui or Vidalia or Texas Sweet), 2 large, wedged into 8ths
• WHITE MUSHROOMS, 8 ounces
• BLACK AMERICAN OLIVES, 1 can drained
• MEXICAN CHEESE BLEND, 1 package pre-shredded
• GARLIC SALT and PEPPER to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Dust chicken with the flour and brown in frying pan.
3. Place in large rectangular aluminum or glass pan.
4. Scatter onion wedges, mushrooms and olives on top.
5. Pour salsa on top.
6. Sprinkle garlic salt and grind on some black pepper.
7. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for two hours.
8. Uncover and confirm that chicken is cooked through.
9. Sprinkle with half-bag of the cheese and place under broiler for about a couple of minutes to melt and toast cheese slightly.
10. Let stand 5-10 minutes and it's ready to eat.
11. Serve with rice.

Salmon Omelet

This is so easy, no recipe is required.

If you have left-over salmon – baked, fried, smoked, miso-marinated, you name it – you can enjoy a salmon omelet in the morning, or maybe even for dinner.

All you need in addition to the salmon is butter or margarine (I use Benecol), sliced mushrooms if you have any lying around, chopped onions (sweet round or green) if you’ve got some, and a couple of eggs (I usually use one egg and egg substitute).

Sauté the mushrooms in a small nonstick pan in lots of butter, then add the salmon and onions. Start your omelet in a larger nonstick omelet pan flavored with more butter. Add in the heated salmon-mushroom-onion mix.

Slide the omelet off onto a plate, folding it over on itself.

If you are so inclined, you can add anything else to the innards that you can think of. Crispy bacon would be nice. So would bean sprouts. Heck, I’ve even added in chopped leftover Brussels sprouts.

Yum!

Easy Pleasy Apple Pie

This one’s easy, because I use refrigerated premade crust that I get at the supermarket … most likely Pillsbury. All you have to do is mix the dry ingredients and add them to the apples. Then, pour everything into the crust and bake.

I use two types of apples – Granny Smith for tartness and body, and Fuji for sweetness.

Ingredients

• BROWN SUGAR, ¾ cup, light (or white sugar will do as well)
• FLOUR, ¼ cup, all-purpose
• SALT, ¼ teaspoon
• CINNAMON, ¾ teaspoon, ground
• NUTMEG, to taste
• APPLES, 3 Fuji + 3 Granny Smith
• LEMON, 1, zest + juice
• BUTTER, 3 tablespoons, cold and diced
• EGG WASH
• SUGAR, to sprinkle on top crust

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Mix sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.
3. Peel, core, and cut apples into wedges.
4. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning, and toss.
5. Evenly coat the apples with the sugar mixture, sprinkling in some lemon zest if you are so inclined, otherwise, keep the zest for another recipe in the future.
6. Line a 9-inch pie tin with one crust.
7. Mound the apples in the crusted pie pan.
8. Dot the apples with the diced butter.
9. Cover with the second crust and seal the pie by crimping around the circumference.
10. Cut four 2-inch slits in the top, radiating outward from about an inch or two from the center.
11. Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle on some cinnamon and sugar.
12. Bake on center rack for 45 minutes, take out of oven and let the pie rest for 20 minutes.

Simple Dutch Baby Pancake

Also known in some circles as a German pancake, a Dutch baby is a very large, sweet pancake that’s made in a large skillet. It’s started on the stove, then finished off in the oven; the ones that I’ve had elsewhere are served with fruit toppings.

I make a much easier version. Instead of mixing my own pancake batter with eggs, flour and milk, I use packaged pancake mix … most often Bisquick. Why? Because it’s quick and I like the flavor of their pancakes.

The time-consuming part is the peeling, coring and wedging of apples, but what the heck, you can do that while watching the morning show on TV.

Ingredients

• PANCAKE MIX, 2 cups
• EGGS, 2 slightly beaten
• MILK, 1 cup
• APPLES, 2 (I use Gala or Fuji), peeled, cored and sliced into ½-inch-thick wedges
• BUTTER, 4 tablespoons
• BROWN SUGAR, 3 tablespoons

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. In a large pan (mine is 13 inches), melt the butter and add the brown sugar.
3. Add the apple slices and toss in the pan until all are coated.
4. Prepare the batter as instructed on the box (Bisquick calls 2 cups of mix, plus the eggs and milk).
5. Pour the batter over the apples.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the pancake is golden brown on top.
7. Remove and let sit for about 5 minutes.
8. Cut out wedges and invert before eating, with apples on top.