Creamed Rutabaga

Rutabaga used to be considered poor man's food because it was easy to grow, like potatoes. This is an easy and nutritious side dish; a nice alternative to mashed potatoes.

1 rutabaga, peeled, cubed
6 carrots, peeled, cut up
¼ cup butter to season
Salt & pepper to taste

Boil veggetables until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Mash and add seasonings.

Spaghetti Squash With Vegetables & Mozzarella

I bought a spaghetti squash at a garge sale (of all places) last week and we had this recipe for dinner this week. It's really yummy and rather filling on it's own.

1 spaghetti squash
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3-5 cloves garlic
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
1 C grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Serves 6-8
Cook spaghetti squash by your favorite method and remove flesh. I cut mine up and put it in a 9X9 pan in the microwave, covered with a little water in the pan for 5 minutes. It took three batches to cook the entire squash. Preheat oven to 375 F.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the onion, pepper and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Mix squash well with the cooked vegetables and put half in the bottom of a large (13 x 9 inch) baking dish. Top with half the cheeses, followed by the other half of the squash mixture, then the rest of the cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Seed of Knowledge. There are also some other recipes for spaghetti squash.

Tiny Carrots with Dill Butter

This is found in the Better Homes and Gardens cook book (my staple). Anyway, my family loves these. They are a great side dish for just about anything. Enjoy.

1 16oz package tiny whole carrots (3 1/2 cups)
2 Tbs butter or margarine (or olive oil if you prefer)
1 Tbs fresh snipped dill or 1/2 tsp dried
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling water until crisp tender (usually 15 minutes or so at high altitude). Drain. Stir butter/margarine/oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into carrots; toss lightly to coat. Makes 4 servings.

Fresh Tomato Soup

Here is one of our favorites, and it is so much better then the canned stuff.  Best part is that it really doesn't take much effort.  We like it best with grilled cheese sandwiches.

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered or 2-14 oz cans tomatoes

3 cups water 

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

6 oz can tomato paste

4 Tbs snipped fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried

4 tsp instant chicken bullion granules

4 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp sugar

1. If desired, seed fresh tomatoes.  In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes.  Cool slightly.

2. In a blender, blend half of the mixture until smooth.  Repeat with the rest.

Makes about 8 cups

Funeral Potatoes

I'm not sure why they call this funeral potatoes. My sister prefers to call them "Happy Potatoes". All I know is that they are really yummy!

1 bag frozen shredded hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped onion (fine)
2 cups crushed corn flakes
2 Tbs butter melted

Put hash browns into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Combine soup, sourcream, cheese, 1/2 cup melted butter and onions (you may want to saute the onions to make sure they are tender. it depends on how small of a dice you can get). Gently bend into potatoes. Combine crushed corn flakes and the 2 Tbs of melted butter. Sprinkle on top of potatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. makes 12 servings.

Hot and Sour Chinese Eggplant

This recipe tastes very much like the eggplant dish we ate and fell in love with in China. It is quick and easy and cooks in a dark, sweet and tangy sauce. Serve with white or brown rice.

1 eggplant (cut into 1 inch cubes)
3 T soy sauce (I prefer light sodium)
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T sugar
1 green chile pepper chopped, or red pepper flakes (optional)
2 t cornstarch
1 t chili oil, or to taste
1 t salt
4 T vegetable oil

Place the eggplant cubes into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse well and drain on paper towels.
In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, chile pepper, cornstarch and chili oil. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over med-high heat. Fry the eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown-about 10 min. Pour in the sauce and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is evenly coated. Serve immediately with rice.