Meatless Monday - Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Before you say anything, this is vegetarian, not vegan. Just getting that out of the way. Don't ask....lol. I have been trying to  cut back on our meat intake, not totally cut it out, but cut way back because we really don't need it. Nature Guy is on board with me amazingly enough, as he is my hotdogs, hamburgers, fish and chips fanatic. Be that as it may, he has noticed that he feels better when we don't eat so many heavy meals. He has a weight goal that he is almost at, and wants to keep it that way. Me, I find the older I get the less meat I seem to need, and sometimes just can't tolerate. Enough of the chatter though and on to the good stuff! I found a recipe that I tweaked a bit, oh yes I did! Surprising I know.... I added lentils for protein, and lots of veggies, because I like them! I even made this recipe with less cheese and it has lower cholesterol per serving than the original because of the changes in cheeses and amounts. I hope you give this one a try, it's really delicious.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

Filling
1/2 c. red or green lentils simmered in 1 c. water + 1 tsp chili powder
1 c. each diced bell pepper, celery, onion and mushrooms
1- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1- 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained and  rinsed
1 -15 oz can corn, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
2 T Italian seasoning blend
1 tsp worcesteshire sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp seasoning salt

Potato Topping

4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and microwaved in a bag for 8 minutes, diced
1/2 t salt, 1/2 t. basil
1 T each olive oil and butter
1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar, grated
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese


Simmer the lentils in 1 c. water with chili powder until just tender, about 20 minutes. While they are simmering, saute in the olive oil the chopped bell pepper, celery, mushrooms and onion until just tender. Add the garlic, and stir in, cook one minute more, then add the rest of the ingredients, including the cooked lentils. This may look a bit "wet" but it will all be absorbed during the baking process. Pour into 9" x 13" baking pan or dish.
Microwave your scrubbed potatoes for 8 minutes in a bag, then cool and dice. In your saute pan melt the butter with the oil. Add your basil and cook for 1 minute. Then stir in the potatoes and salt. Cook one more minute and turn off burner. Mash lightly then dollop the potato mixture onto the veggie mixture in baking dish. Top with the cheeses and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serves 8-10. Enjoy!

Chipotle Cranberry Marmalade

I created some delicious pepper jelly a couple of years ago, no, I was inspired by a recipe I found in Matthew Mead's new holiday publication, well, okay I had some cranberries I needed out of the freezer, and I was craving pepper jelly, and I really wanted to make something delicious with the mandarins we had but couldn't eat before they went bad. So it was all those reasons that I created this new recipe, but couldn't settle on how to start this. There you have it, I have all the reasons in the opening sentence. Lol. This is great on turkey sandwiches, or cream cheese and crackers, there are a lot of ways you could use this.
Here's the recipe:

Chipotle Cranberry Marmalade

10 mandarins  - peel all but three and thinly slice. About 3 cups
2 1/2 cups frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cups minced onion
1 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 t. canning salt
4 T. instant pectin
3 whole cloves
2 allspice berries
5 cups sugar
7-8 half pint canning jars, sterilized

In a large pot combine fruit, onion, salt and vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes and then crush with potato masher. You should have about 4 cups pulp and juice combined. Sprinkle the pectin over the pulp in the pan. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Boil hard stirring constantly, for one minute. Take off of the heat and pour into sterilized jars. Water bath process for 15 minutes. Yield 7-8 half pints

Foodie Friday - Spicy Ginger Pork with veggies

 Blogger won't let me start with a clever paragraph above so let's get going on this recipe. Marinade ingredients - 1 tablespoon each peach or blueberry jam, honey, soy sauce, Tiparos fish sauce, and seasoned rice vinegar.  2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, 4 cloves of garlic, crushed. 1" of fresh ginger, peeled and grated. Combine and place in a bowl. After you're done admiring the colorful vegetables.....

of which you will need 4 stalks of bok choy, 2 peeled and thinly sliced carrots, 1 medium onion, chopped, 4 green onions sliced, 8 oz cup of sliced mushrooms, 1 red bell pepper chopped......

 Take two beautiful thick pork chops  and thinly slice them. Add to marinade and coat.

 Heat a wok or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil or sesame, or canola oil, depending on your preference. I used peanut oil as I didn't have sesame oil. After oil starts to smoke scoop out and slightly drain pork and add to hot pan. Stir occasionally and cook meat until done and starting to carmelize. Scoop out and add 2 more tablespoons oil and then toss in the vegetables.

Cook until crisp tender and add back the meat. While the veggies are cooking take the leftover marinade and add 1/4 cup of water, 1 tablespoon each honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and corn starch and 2 tablespoons of the jam. Combine well and stir into pan with veggies and meat. Cook until sauce is thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Whaalaa! Serve over rice or noodles. Yield 4-6 servings
Spicy Ginger Pork
Marinade
1 tablespoon each blueberry, or peach jam, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, seasoned rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 inch fresh peeled ginger, grated
the rest of the ingredients
1 lb. lean pork or two thick boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
4 bok choy stalks, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped,
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 8 oz. cup sliced mushrooms
2 peeled carrots, thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
sauce
1 tablespoon each honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and corn starch, left over marinade, 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons jam
This recipe would also be great using chicken. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Kent says this is one of the better Asian style dinners I've fixed, he loved it! Here's to a great weekend! Enjoy!

Leftover Magic - Velveeta Weenies

There's something so deliciously creamy and cheesy about Velveeta isn't there?! It was a staple in our home growing up, and my children loved grilled cheese sandwiches with Velveeta slices. I haven't bought any for about 10 years or more though because I thought it had more calories and was more expensive than regular cheese. At least that used to be the case.
I found out over the holidays that Velveeta actually has 1/3 less calories than regular cheese, and now, it's as inexpensive or less than cheddar depending on the week. We used it for our Christmas Eve bash when we usually have cheesy bean dip. I like to use Cheez Wiz so the dip is nice and smooth but the local store was out so I decided to use Velveeta, oh yum! Okay, I realize it's a cheese product, but hey, why split hairs when going for taste and creaminess?
What is this all leading to? In my quest to not let food go to waste I had some leftover items in the fridge that needed to be used. Nathan dogs, Velveeta, leftover sour cream and yogurt, potatoes, and onions that we bought way back in October at 25# for 3.84. Can you see where I'm headed? Well here's what my hubby dubbed Velveeta Weenies.

Velveeta Weenies
2 T canola oil
3 Nathan dogs or any other hot dogs sliced into coins
3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cupped cubed Velveeta
1 can Mexi corn with liquid or 1 cup frozen corn plus 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
Tabasco, a dash or two
pepper

In a large frying pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add hotdog pieces and brown lightly. Add the cubed potatoes and corn liquid. Cover and turn down heat to medium low and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are done. Add cheese and corn. Stir to melt cheese. Add sour cream or yogurt and stir in with a dash or two of Tabasco. Taste and season with a dash of salt and pepper if needed. Serves 6.