Jenn's Cookin' Corner In the kitchen with Jennifer Sabovcik Hi to you all! I just wanted to share a few recipes with you. I love to cook and especially bake! Growing up, my father was the cook in our family. He still makes the best pasta dishes and one of my favorites, Caponata. So that's where it all started for me. In the beginning I had NO idea how to cook. (Jozef agrees, I'm sure.) But now, I enjoy trying to make different dishes for my family and friends. My kids LOVE to bake with me. Little Jozef loves to mix everything together and cut out the cookie shapes. Blade loves to lick the bowl and be my professional taste tester! I hope you enjoy some of my favorite recipes. Please feel free to share a few of yours with me too! Jenn

APPETIZERS Black Olive Oil Pesto SOUPS Carrot Soup Lentil Soup Potato Soup Pumpkin Soup Taco Soup SALADS Citrus Romaine Salad with Strawberries Cauliflower Bacon Salad Laura's Chinese Salad Marinated Vegetable Salad ENTREES Caramelized Onion Pizza Jenn's Bean Casserole Mama's Meatballs Vegetarian Chili SIDES Baked Zucchini Frittata Broccoli Cheddar Potato Skins Grape Slushy Potato Casserole DESSERTS Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Bread

APPETIZERS

Black Olive Oil Pesto

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This recipe is an easy and delicious one! You can serve it cold with bread as an appetizer or serve it hot over your favorite pasta!

9 ounces black pitted olives
1 red chili
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 tsp. thyme
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
zest from 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients in a food processor and serve!

Submitted by Jenn

SOUPS

Post-Thanksgiving Soup

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This is from the.....The Reluctant Gourmet....

The clean-out-the-fridge-after-Thanksgiving soup is even easier. If your fridge looks like my fridge after the holidays, there will be:

Turkey - Ham - Peas - Mashed potatoes - Carrots - Roasted sweet potatoes
Stuffing - Green beans - Cranberry sauce

First and foremost, you’ll want to make some stock out of the turkey carcass - that will free up a lot of space. Make a minimalist stock - by just covering it with cold water, adding some salt and peppercorns and letting it simmer for a few hours while you do other things. Once you’ve got your stock, the rest is easy.

Dice leftover meat
Mix some stock with the mashed potatoes and some stuffing - this is what will thicken your soup and give it a cream soup texture.
Add all your leftovers to the pot. They’re already cooked, so you’ll just want them to heat through.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Best practice is to chill the soup overnight and then reheat so the flavors will marry, but you can just go ahead and eat it.

1. In a big pot, heat oil and add onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes.
2. Then add all other ingredients and let simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Transfer (in small amounts) to food processor and puree.
4. Let stand for a few minutes and serve. (Also a great one to freeze.)

If you’d like to do a little more cooking to make your leftover soup, try this.

Heat your soup pot and add some oil.
Throw in about a cup or so of stuffing and stir it around until the stuffing starts to brown a little -I make mine with celery and onions, so, instant aromatics!

Add some stock and about a cup of mashed potatoes. Stir everything around a little more.
Add the rest of the stock and your other leftovers.

Add any herbs or spice blends that you want (poultry seasoning is nice for a turkey soup). Don’t be afraid to add the cranberry sauce (maybe 1/2 cup or so) - I think you’ll like it.

The sweet-tartness will help to balance all the other rich ingredients.
Taste it for seasonings and adjust as necessary. Chill overnight and reheat for best flavor.

Submitted by deb

Carrot Soup

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This is a fall favorite or I like this one when I am sick!

1 T. vegetable oil
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
4 potatoes
1 tsp. curry powder
28 oz. vegetable broth

In a big pot, heat oil and add onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes.
Then add all other ingredients and let simmer for 40 minutes.
Transfer (in small amounts) to food processor and puree.
Let stand for a few minutes and serve. (Also a great one to freeze.)

Submitted by Jenn

Lentil Soup

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Jozef likes this one. It is also a tradition in his country to eat lentil soup on New Years Day.

2 cups dry lentils
2 quarts veg or chicken broth
1 onion diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin

You can do this in a large pot or like me, in the slow cooker. Combine ingredients, bring to boil, then lower heat. Simmer for about 45 minutes.

Submitted by Jenn

Potato Soup

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2 large onions chopped
4 potatoes peeled and diced
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups evaporated milk
1 can cream style corn
3 tablespoons butter

Cook potatoes and onions in water until potatoes are tender. Add salt. Mash potatoes and onions in the water they are cooked in. Add milk, corn and butter. Heat (do not boil) and serve.

Submitted by Jenn

Pumpkin Soup

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1 tsp. butter
1 cup diced onion
2 celery stalks (diced)
1 tsp. flour
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 15-oz. can of pumpkin
1 T. honey
1/2 tsp. salt pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. tarragon chopped
1 can evaporated milk (I use non fat)

Melt butter. Add onions and cook until soft. Add celery.
Next, add flour and thicken.
Then add broth and stir until smooth. Add pumpkin, honey, spices
Finally add evaporated milk and cook for 15 minutes on low.

(Jozef puts sour cream in his & Blade even likes chopped up potato in his.)

Submitted by Jenn

Taco Soup

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1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes w/green chiles
2 15-ounce cans of pinto beans
1 15-ounce cans of black beans, drained
1 pkg. Ranch-style dressing mix
1 15-ounce can of creamed style corn
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 cup water

Brown beef with onions in a medium size soup pot. Drain excess grease off.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes before serving.

Note: I made this recipe once using Morning Star Crumbles which is vegetarian hamburger and it was really good. So if you are vegetarians this would be good.

Submitted by Elaine

SALADS

Citrus Romaine Salad with Strawberries

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My family enjoys this one, especially in the summertime.

Dressing:	Salad:
2 navel oranges	5 cups tightly packed shredded romaine lettuce
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar	1 cup halved strawberries
1 tablespoon honey	1/2 cup vertically sliced purple onion
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp salt, pepper too

Combine 2-3 tablespoons of orange juice, vinegar, honey, oil, salt and pepper. Stir with wire wisk.
Combine lettuce, strawberries, and onions.
Pour dressing over.

Submitted by Jenn

Cauliflower Bacon Salad

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1 head lettuce	Dressing:
1 head cauliflower	1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
1 lb. bacon, fried and diced	1/4 cup sugar
1 finely chopped onion	1 cup Miracle Whip

Cut cauliflower fine. Tear lettuce medium fine. Layer lettuce, cauliflower, onion, and bacon.
Mix dressing ingredients. Before serving pour dressing on top of salad and toss lightly. Serves

Note: I buy the bags of the bacon that is already cooked and crumbled to make it even easier!

Submitted by Elaine

Laura's Chinese Salad

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This recipe is my dear friend, Laura's. We recently lost her, so I wanted all of you to at least taste some of her cooking. She made the yummiest dishes. Laura was ALWAYS invited to pot lucks! We love you, Laura!

Basic recipe for salad:
1 large, firm head Napa cabbage, sliced thin
l bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sliced pecans or almonds
1 small jar sesame seeds
2 packages Top Ramen noodles, crumbled (discard seasoning pack)
1/4 cup melted margarine or butter
2 8-ounce cans of mandarin oranges, packed in own juice, drained well
Optional: 1 lb. shelled, deveined shrimp, cooked and cooled

Dressing:
3/4 cup salad oil
1 T. soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar (or 1-2 T. sugar substitute)
1/2 cup white vinegar
Combine all in a jar and shake well.

Combine the cabbage and onions. Cover well and refrigerate. Pour melted butter on the cookie sheet. Spread around. Put the almonds, sesame seeds, and noodles on the cookie sheet and bake at 350, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until browned. Watch these. They can burn quickly. Cool in the refrigerator. Just before serving, toss everything together in a large bowl.

Submitted by Cindy

Marinated Vegetable Salad

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1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 14.5-ounce can French-style green beans, drained
1 15-ounce can green peas, drained
1 15.25-ounce shoe peg whole kernel corn, drained
1 2-ounce can pimento, drained
1 cup celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cool.
Combine remaining ingredients. Stir in vinegar mixture.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Submitted by Jenn

ENTREES

Caramelized Onion Pizza

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This is one that my dad makes for us all of the time. LOVE it!

Boboli large pizza crust (or any pizza crust)
3 onions, sliced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sherry
Boil onions in salt water for 6 minutes, then set aside.
In another saucepan, combine broth and brown sugar.
Add sherry and cook until thick

Place the onions on top of the crust and then place the mixture on top.
Cook at 375 for 10 minutes.
Yummy!

Submitted by Jenn

Jenn's Bean Casserole

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ALL of us LOVE this. I modify the recipe to make it vegetarian. I hope you find this a favorite too.

1 large (14-15 ounce) can vegetarian baked beans
1 small can lima beans
1 small can kidney beans
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 lb ground beef or 2 large cans great northern beans
4 turkey bacon strips

Directions:
Brown the onion and meat if you are using it.
Mix remaining ingredients. Add all together and place in casserole dish.
(If using the turkey bacon, place on top of the casserole the last 10-15 minutes.)
Bake at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Submitted by Jenn

Mama's Meatballs

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My father has made this one for many years and my boys love it on top of pasta or even as a meatloaf !

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh parsley -chopped
1/2 cup grated cheese (I use Swiss)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
1 onion minced

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Let stand for 1/2 hour
Shape into meatballs and cook at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Submitted by Jenn

Vegetarian Chili

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I like this one myself a lot! You don't need to put any meat in it, BUT if you want, you can add 2 lbs. of ground turkey. Enjoy !

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 15-ounce cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15-ounce can of pinto beans
2 15-ounce cans of diced Italian seasoned tomatoes
1 large can diced yams plus 1/4 can of juice
24 ounce vegetable broth
plus: 1/4 tsp black pepper, cumin, Cajun spice and a dash of paprika

Cook garlic in oil. Transfer to a slow cooker or crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients and cook on high temp 1-2 hours, until thick.

Submitted by Jenn

SIDES

Baked Zucchini Frittata

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I like to eat this in the mid-morning or as a late night snack. All of the boys like it as a side dish.

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 cup shredded carrot
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cups dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 2 tsp.
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup diced onion

Sauté onions in butter.
Combine all ingredients and pour into a buttered shallow dish (or spray dish with Pam).
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until set.
Cool and serve into squares or triangles. :)

Submitted by Jenn

Broccoli Cheddar Potato Skins

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This recipe is from Rachel Ray..we LOVE potatoes and I decided to give this a try! Very good and pretty easy to make!!

A baked potato with broccoli and cheddar, but all combined!

Ingredients
4 Idaho potatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head broccoli, trimmed of tough end and cut into small chunks
1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation
Preheat an oven to 425ºF.

Scrub the potatoes of any excess dirt and prick them each several times with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, tossing lightly to coat.

Bake in the oven until tender, about 45-60 minutes depending on the size of the potato. Remove the baked potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle.

Once the potatoes are cool, prepare the broccoli by placing high-sided pan with a lid over high heat with about an inch of water (if your pan doesn’t have a lid, just cover it with foil). Cook the broccoli in the pan until tender, 3-5 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the pan with a slotted spoon to a medium-size mixing bowl.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise and scoop the insides out into the bowl with the broccoli, leaving a thin layer of flesh still intact. Be sure not to pierce the skin of the potato.

Add your chicken stock and a large handful of shredded cheese (about 1/2 cup) to the broccoli-potato mixture and mash everything together (use more stock if you like your potatoes wet and less to keep them drier). Season the filling with salt and freshly ground black pepper and scoop the filling back into the hollowed out potato shells, dividing it evenly between all eight.

Place the potato skins back onto a baking sheet and sprinkle the remaining cheese over each one. Place back into the oven to melt the cheese, 1-2 minutes, and serve them up with your favorite salad alongside.

Submitted by Jenn

Grape Slushy

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Fruit Smoothie to start your day off, yummy!

Ingredients
3/4 cup frozen grapes
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tray ice cubes

Preparation
In a blender, add in all the ingredients and blend until made into a slushy!
You may need to add a few ice cubes until you get a desired consistency.

Submitted by Jenn

Potato Casserole

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6 or 7 large potatoes
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
paprika

Preheat oven to 350°.

Peel, wash and slice potatoes. Cook in water in a saucepan until fork tender.
Drain potatoes and beat in soft cream cheese. Add sour cream and butter,
continuing to beat until creamy and smooth. Add onions, garlic and salt and mix well.
Spoon into a buttered 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before baking.
Bake uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes.

Submitted by Jenn

DESSERTS

Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Bread

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This is my FAVORITE bread and one that I love to give out during the holidays.

3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp: salt, cloves, cinnamon, nutmes & ginger
1 cup oil
1 cup water
3 1/2 cup flour
2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash
4 eggs or equal amount of egg beaters

Combine all dry ingredients. Add water, oil and pumpkin. Pour into three 9x5 greased loaf pans (fill about 1/2 full).
Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour-15 minutes
P.S. Blade and Jozef Jaden love this with chocolate chips mixed in.

Submitted by Jenn