Korean Beef and Rice

This recipe----THIS RECIPE!!! The first time I made it, it was gone so quickly I couldn’t believe it. The next time I made it, I had to make a double batch so I’d be able to have it twice! It’s that good, and so stinking easy! The only change I made was to double the red pepper flakes. It’s just a perfect recipe to please the whole family.

So, let’s get cooking!

Set a pot to cooking for rice. When done, set aside.

Peel and mince the garlic and slice the scallions.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.

While the hamburg is cooking, make the sauce by mixing together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, and pepper.

Add the sauce to the browned hamburg and garlic, heating for a few minutes.

Serve the saucy beef mixture over rice and top with scallions.

Enjoy! ~TMMF

Miss Megan slicing the scallions.

Korean Beef and Rice

1 lb ground beef

3 cloves garlic

¼ c brown sugar

¼ c soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp red pepper flakes

¼ tsp pepper

2 2/3 c cooked rice

3 scallions, thinly sliced

Soba Noodles with Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce

This recipe comes to us from Food.com. I wanted to try it because it seemed to be very easy, and who can resist a Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce?? The ready-to-serve packaged noodles make this a time saving recipe, and switching out the julienned cucumber for sweet red bell pepper adds to the flavor and eye appeal. I didn’t have chili oil, so I added red pepper flakes, and I increased the honey. This is a winner of a recipe that I know we’ll make again in the future.

So, let’s get cooking!

First, chop the cilantro and mince the ginger. Slice the red bell pepper and cut into one inch lengths. Mix together the ingredients for the sauce.

In a large skillet with a little oil, sauté the red bell pepper slices for about 4-5 minutes. Add the pre-cooked soba noodles. Stir in the Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce and heat through. Serve and Enjoy! ~TMMF

Soba Noodles with Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce

14 oz. Precooked packaged Soba noodles

(or other packed pre-cooked Asian noodles)

1 red bell pepper

Sauce:

1 ½ c thinly sliced scallions

2 Tbl minced ginger

¼ c chopped cilantro

3 Tbl sesame oil

2 tsp oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbl soy sauce

2 ½ Tbl rice wine vinegar

3 ½ Tbl honey

Spaghetti and Meatball Soup

What could be more comforting on a cool night than a plate of spaghetti and meatballs? How about a bowl of Spaghetti and Meatball Soup? This is a great recipe that I found on Skinny Taste. You make it all in one pot, which is a bonus.

The changes I made: I added basil and oregano to the soup, and instead of the small amount of tomato sauce, I used a can of crushed tomatoes. I also added green bell pepper to the soup, and green bell pepper plus grated carrot to the meatballs. You knew I’d be sneaking extra veggies in there, right? ;-)

The only negative thing I can say about this recipe is that the meatballs are better cooked in the oven and added later. The first time I made it, I did cook them in the soup as directed, and you can go ahead and do that, but they didn’t hold together as well as when they were baked and added at the end. It doesn’t add to the work; I mean, you have to cook them anyhow, whether you do it in the soup or in the oven, right?

So, let’s get cooking!

First, dice the pepper and onions. Mince the garlic and peel and grate the carrot. The carrot will be used in the meatball mixture.

Sauté half of the diced peppers and onions and the minced garlic in the oil in a large pot, until tender.

Add the chicken broth, water, crushed tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for twenty minutes.

While that’s cooking, make the meatballs. In a bowl, mix together the ground turkey, the other half of the diced peppers and onions, grated carrot, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and eggs. I find that using my hands to mix it is the best way. This is also a fun step for kids to do and have them involved in the cooking.

Form the meatballs by using a small scoop to make little one inch balls. This is also a fun way for the kids to help. I portion out the meatball mixture, and then have one of the kids roll them with their hands.

If you’re going to cook them in the soup, just set them aside, but if you’re doing them in the oven, which I do recommend, put them on a sheet pan and toss them in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes or so.

If you’re cooking the meatballs in the soup, add them now, and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the broken spaghetti. I broke it into thirds.

If you’re doing the meatballs in the oven, add the broken spaghetti (in which case I still broke it into thirds, hahaha!) to the soup, cooking for about 7-8 minutes, and then add the cooked meatballs.




Ladle into the bowls and watch the smiles. Enjoy! ~TMMF


Spaghetti and Meatball Soup

1 green bell pepper
1 Vidalia onion
3 cloves garlic
1 carrot
5 c chicken broth
2 c water
1 1.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbl dried parsley
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tap black pepper
1 lb ground turkey
3/4 c breadcrumbs
1/4 c parmesan cheese
2 eggs

Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake

So, it’s Monday again, but I’m cutting down the Gourmet…Way Before Payday recipes to the first Monday of the month. And because of that, I now present you with….<insert dramatic drum roll>….Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake!

Omgoodness, this is so yumminy, you’ll be glad you made it! This recipe comes from lilluna.com. It’s easy, quick, and oh so good! It’s supposed to be made with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but I made it with thighs, and I added some mozzarella cheese to the equation because that’s how I roll. ;)

So, let’s get cooking!

Since I used thighs for this, I removed the skin and some of the extra fat. If you’re using boneless skinless breasts, you’ve got it made in the shade. Place them in a greased 9 X 13" baking dish.

In a smallish bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, and spices.

I had no sliced Swiss cheese, but I did have a block of it, so it had to be grated. Maybe you have a block of mozzarella that has to be grated also? You really have no idea if this is Swiss or mozzarella, do you? It could even be extra sharp cheddar for all you know. ;)





Ah, silly me….it really is grated Swiss. I just get giddy when I’m sleep deprived and it’s ridiculous o’clock in the morning and I decide to write. And you are my captive audience, so you are the recipients of my goofiness. ;)

Shall we move on?

Sprinkle the grated Swiss and mozzarella cheeses on top of the chicken in the pan.

Spread the mayo/sour cream mixture evenly on top.

Now bake at 350° for about an hour.

Serve up and listen to the sounds of Yum. Enjoy! ~TMMF

Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake

4-6 pieces chicken
6-8 slices Swiss cheese
   (or 1 c shredded)
¾ c mozzarella cheese
½ c mayonnaise
½ c sour cream
¾ c Parmesan cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Breakfast Burritos

Okay, I’ve been absent due to needing time off for various reasons, but here I am again! And since this is Monday, I have a new recipe for the Gourmet…Way Before Payday series. I’m going to slow it down to the first Monday of the month now. With the summer coming up and my sons out of school soon, I’ll be even busier than ever.

Anyhoo, here we are with this recipe that I’ve been making for a long time, decades. It’s just something I threw together one night and everyone loved it. Yes, it’s Breakfast Burritos, but I don’t think we’ve ever eaten them at breakfast! It’s usually something I make for supper when I need something quick, easy, and inexpensive. And the kids and grown ups love them! At $1.04 per serving, it’s a deal!

So, let’s get cooking!

First up, dice the onion and pepper. I’ve made this a boatload of times with no onion and pepper in it and it’s still yummy as anything!

Break the eggs into a medium bowl. Poke the yolks with a fork and whisk together until solid yellow. Add in the milk and mix thoroughly.

In a skillet, melt a little butter, and pour in the egg mixture. Add the onion and pepper, and cook, stirring and scraping with a spatula, until cooked solid. There will be liquid from the milk you can either drain with a strainer, or use a slotted spoon to scoop the eggs when it’s time to serve.

Now to assemble: Lay a tortilla wrap on the plate or table. Using the spatula, cut through the cooked eggs as if slicing a pie, dividing them into eighths. First you halve it, then halve again. Now you divide each quarter in half, so you end up with eighths. If nothing else, you’ll at least be able to see the outlines of the division lines. Scoop out the egg mixture and lay it onto the tortilla wrap in the very middle, from the top to about ¾ down.

Sprinkle on about ¼ c of the grated cheddar cheese.

Then scoop on ¼ c of the salsa or picante sauce.

Some variations of the cheese that we’ve tried and liked: sprinkle on shredded Fiesta Cheese blend. Or how about sharp cheddar cheese and some mozzarella for that stringy cheesy goodness?

Then simply fold up the bottom flap of the tortilla, and fold one side over, then the other.

Serve and enjoy! ~TMMF

Breakfast Burritos

½ green bell pepper
½ Vidalia onion
10 eggs
2 c milk
2 c cheddar cheese
2 c picante sauce or salsa
8 lg flour tortilla wraps

This cost me $8.35 to make the way I did and serve 8 people. :)

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Okay, this is one of those I-love-this-so-much-I could-eat-it-for-breakfast recipes! The kids loved this just as much as I did. It’s fairly quick, and so easy. The only change I made to it was to up the amount of chili powder so it’d have a little more kick to it. I will make this one again and again. It’s also so easy to veganize it by just leaving out the meat and using a vegan cheese.

So, let’s get cooking!

If you don’t have rice already made, get it going while you’re doing the other steps for the recipe.

Chop the onion and peppers and mince the garlic. I had some red and yellow bell peppers along with my green, so I used a combination. It made it look real perty! ;)

In a large skillet, sauté the ground turkey with the onions, peppers, and minced garlic.

Add in the cooked rice, tomato sauce, and spices, plus ¼ c of the mozzarella cheese. I, um, may or may not have added a teeny tiny bit more cheese. Like, maybe an entire cup of it…

Pour the whole schlamoodle into an 11 X 15” baking dish.

Sprinkle the remaining ¼ c <snort> of mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes, until all bubbly and scrumptious. Enjoy! ~TMMF

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

½ Vidalia onion
2 bell peppers
2 cloves garlic
2 c cooked rice
1 lb ground turkey
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 ½ tsp chili powder
¾ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
½ c mozzarella cheese

Creamed Tuna on Toast

Oh, Monday, Monday, how do you come around again so quickly? Yes, today is Monday, and that means it’s Gourmet…Way Before Payday day! Well that sounded weird. At any rate, this is a dish my mom prepared whilst I was growing up, and I really have no clue how she made it, but this is how I make it, haha!

It’s inexpensive, and if you have a few boiled eggs in the fridge, that saves a step. I frequently make up a big pot of boiled eggs because my kids, my sons especially, like to have 2 or 3 for a snack, sometimes twice in one day. Yes, they do eat like that. My sister always told me how her teen boys ate her out of house and home, but until mine were older, I didn’t realize how true it could be!

Anyhoo, I frequently have some boiled eggs around, but if I don’t, it’s not the end of the world to make some. And I have to tell you, my kids love this recipe. They love it. L-O-V-E love it. When I say this serves 6 people, I’m kind of thinking of six regular eating people. Which kind of rules out my sons at this moment in time. I have to make a little extra to satisfy them. The rest of us will have 2 slices of toast with the Creamed Tuna, but they kind of, sort of, okay yes they do have FOUR. Where do they put it all??

So, let’s get cooking!

Set the peas to cook with water in a small saucepan, and drain when done. If you don’t already have some boiled eggs, get ‘em done now! ;)

Drain the tuna and *save the juice!

Dice the celery and onion. If you don’t happen to have onion and/or celery, this will still taste yummy, but with the onion and celery, it’s like Deluxe Yummy.

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and celery with the butter until translucent.

Stir in the flour and cook a minute to make the roux.

Slowly add the milk and tuna juice, whisking the entire time, scraping the edges of the pan with a rubber spatula as needed, until mixture is thickened. Add the salt and pepper.

Chop up the boiled eggs.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the tuna, drained peas, and chopped eggs.

Place two slices of toast on the plate and top with a generous serving of the Creamed Tuna.

Enjoy! ~TMMF

Creamed Tuna on Toast
   (serves 6)

4 Tbl butter                
¼  c plus 2 Tbl flour    
½ small Vidalia onion
1 stalk celery                
3 ½ c milk                                    
½ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 ½ c frozen peas           .
12 oz tuna, drained      
   *save the juice!
6 hard boiled eggs        
12 slices bread, toasted

It cost me $5.32 to make this delicious old fashioned meal.

Hot Dog Creole

It’s Monday, and another installment of Gourmet…Way Before Payday! This recipe is one my mom, Deborah MacDonald, made up when I was growing up. She was always creative, even with cooking, and with five kids, she had to stretch a buck. So this is one of her recipes.

Creole cooking is a style of Louisiana cuisine that combines  French, West African, Amerindian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian influences, according to Wikipedia. A specific dish named Shrimp Creole typically has in it tomatoes, onions, green peppers, celery, and shrimp, and is served over rice. Mom’s Hot Dog Creole is her version with meat that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. ;)

So, let’s get cooking!

Set the rice to cooking according to the directions on the package.

While that’s being done, dice the onion and green pepper.

Cut the hot dogs into slices about 1 inch. This is a great job for younger children.

In a skillet, sauté the diced onion and peppers with a little oil, until tender.

Add the tomato paste, water, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together well with a whisk.

Stir in the hot dogs and simmer until thoroughly heated, about 10 minutes.

Serve over rice. Enjoy! ~TMMF

My Megan helping cook. 

Hot Dog Creole
  (feeds 6)

2 12 oz packages hot dogs  
½ green bell pepper            
½ Vidalia onion                  
1 6 oz can tomato paste      
9 oz water (1 ½ cans)
1 c ketchup                        
1 Tbl mustard                  
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 ½  c uncooked rice  




This recipe cost $3.94 to make it the way I did.                          

Quick Turkey Chili

This has got to be the quickest chili recipe I’ve ever met. I love me some chili, and I’ve always loved my recipe for Crock Pot Chili, that cooks overnight for a Sunday lunch. That one is so easy too, and it doesn’t take long to throw together in the slow cooker. But when you need something to make and it’s almost supper time, and you want chili, this recipe is perfect and so stinking good!

When I made this, I had Megan helping me. I set her to work cutting the celery while I did the rest of the veggies. It’s a great recipe for littler children to help with because you can set them up with the celery or the green bell pepper (core it and slice into strips for them to dice) and by the time you’re finished with the rest, they’re usually done.

The only thing I’d do differently the next time I make this is add one or two carrots, diced. I add it to spaghetti sauce and it goes well with that, and boosts the nutrition. It’s a great way to add more vitamins, fiber, and so on.

So, anyhoo, let’s get cooking!

Dice the Vidalia onion, green bell pepper, and celery (do a carrot too!). Mince the garlic.

In a large saucepan, brown the ground turkey with the vegetables.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, sugar, and spices. Stir thoroughly to blend in that tomato paste.





Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, and it’s done!

Serve with sharp cheddar cheese and/or sour cream…we like both on ours! Enjoy! ~TMMF

Quick Turkey Chili
    (serves 6-8)

1 lb ground turkey
½ green bell pepper
½ Vidalia onion
1 ½ stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 cans light red kidney beans
1 can black beans
2 Tbl sugar
½ tsp ground cumin
1-2 Tbl chili powder
½ tsp black pepper
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)