American Goulash

American Goulash
Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 jar tomato based pasta sauce (approximately 26 oz)
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 cup low sodium beef broth (or water)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cups Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat and return to pan.
Add tomato paste, pasta sauce, and diced tomatoes. Stir to coat. Pour in broth. Season with Italian seasoning and paprika. Stir in macaroni. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in cheese and remove from heat. Garnish with parsley.

Chicken Spaghetti Bake

Chicken Spaghetti Bake
Serves 6

8-12 ounces dried spaghetti, broken into pieces
3 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 jar of spaghetti sauce or marinara
1 can of diced tomatoes
8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
Can also add vegetables such as green peppers, chopped onion, mushrooms, etc.

Preheat oven to 350.

Season the diced chicken with the dried oregano, salt and pepper.
Spray 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour sauce to cover bottom of dish. Start alternating layers of spaghetti, vegetables, and chicken. Add diced tomatoes and repeat layers. Make sure all spaghetti is covered with sauce. Cover with mozzarella cheese generously.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina
Serves 4

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Tasting Variations: Any small pasta will work: used elbow and cappelleti. Added second smaller can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. Used gruyere cheese instead of mozzarella. Used panko instead of bread crumbs.

Shakshuka

Shakshuka
Serves 4

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 large jalapeño chile, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground caraway
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped, or spinach
4 large eggs
Optional: Ground beef (my variation)

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook just until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add beef if adding beef.

Slowly pour in the tomatoes. Stir in the bay leaf, sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, pepper, chili powder, and caraway and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Layer the Swiss chard leaves on top.

Crack the eggs into the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are no longer translucent.

Taste variations: Utilize ground meat for more protein.

Baked Breaded Tilapia

Baked Breaded Tilapia
Serves 4

1-1/2 lbs. tilapia fillets
1 cup bread crumbs or panko
2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a plastic or paper bag combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano (or Italian seasoning), salt and pepper. Hold the top of the bag shut and shake to mix everything together.

Pour vegetable oil or Dijon mustard into a small bowl. Working with one fillet at a time, brush both sides with a little of the oil, then drop into the bag with the bread crumb mixture and shake to coat well. Remove from bag and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fillets. Bake for 10 minutes, turn fillets over and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes when you poke into it with a fork.

Honey Soy Chicken

Honey Soy Chicken
Serves 4

1½ – 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs or breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons honey
4 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8×8″ pan with 2 layers of tin foil. In small bowl, whisk together oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ground ginger, and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in the foil layered pan, then pour the mixture on top of it. Coat chicken in the sauce.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the tops are not browning too quickly. If they are, cover with foil and resume baking until chicken is done.

Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes prior to plating. Immediately after plating chicken, pour sauce over top of chicken.

Taste Variations: Cut chicken into pieces (similar to teriyaki chicken). Can add red pepper flakes for some spice.

Sour Cream Paprika Chicken

Sour Cream Paprika Chicken
Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

You can leave breasts whole or cut them up, whatever your preference. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and pan-fry until cooked through and juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Using the same skillet, cook onion in butter until translucent but not brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Season with paprika, pepper, garlic, and salt. Pour chicken stock into the pan, and bring all to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; mix flour with sour cream until smooth, then whisk into chicken stock. Place chicken in skillet; simmer until chicken is heated through and sauce has thickened.

Taste Variations: Place seasonings on chicken. Add veggies, such as peas or mushrooms. Can bake chicken instead at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Oven roasted tilapia and vegetables with lemon herb butter

Oven roasted tilapia and vegetables with lemon herb butter
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds fresh tilapia (4 each 5-6 oz filets)
1 tomato (sliced in 8 slices)
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 lemon (sliced in 8 slices)
To taste Italian seasoning (use your favorite)
To taste salt and pepper
4 Tbsp butter
2 cups cooked brown rice (use what is in your pantry)
4 sheets aluminum foil (approx 12-16 inches long)

Lay four pieces of foil out on counter top or work table. Place two slices of tomato in center of each sheet, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the zucchini and yellow squash into four portions, and place over the top of tomatoes. Try to keep them as flat and evenly spread out as possible so they will cook evenly. Season the vegetables with Italian seasoning. Use whatever seasoning blend you normally have in your pantry. If you prefer all basil, or have a blend you normally use, substitute here. You could replace with fresh basil leaves, but fresh herbs may be expensive depending on timing and market prices.

Place the tilapia on top of the vegetable stack. Place 1 Tbsp butter on top of fish. If you soften butter slightly you can spread it easily over fish. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and same seasoning you used on vegetables. Top with two slices of lemon. Form a pouch with foil and crimp edges, forming an envelope or bag.

Place in 350 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and open foil; use caution as steam will be trapped in foil. Serve the tilapia and vegetables over cooked rice. Make sure to spoon liquid from bottom of foil over top of the fish and vegetables.

Roasted Sausage and Onions Pitas

Roasted Sausage and Onions Pitas
Serves 4

1 to 1-1/4 lbs. sweet Italian turkey sausage
3 onions, cut in one inch chunks
1/3 cup plus one Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.

In a 9 x 13 pan combine sausage, cut into one inch chunks, with onion and balsamic vinegar, along with pepper to taste. Roast in oven until sausages are completely browned, onions nicely carmelized and liquid is almost completely evaporated, about forty-five minutes. Stir occasionally, and add water in 1/4 cups if pan seems to be drying out.

Remove from oven, add an additional tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon water. Let stand for three minutes, then stir, scraping up brown bits and sauce. Pour into serving dish, or directly in pitas, whole wheat or white.

Lamb Gyros

Lamb Gyros
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

For the Gyro Meat:
1 pound ground lamb
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
½ yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 clove garlic, sliced
3 ounces slab bacon (or 5 slices sliced bacon), cut into ½-inch pieces

To Serve:
Pocketless pita bread
Tzatziki Sauce
Tomato, coarsely chopped
Yellow onion, thinly sliced

1. Make the Gyro Meat: In a medium bowl, combine the ground lamb, salt, pepper and oregano leaves with your hands, mixing until all of the seasonings have been evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the lamb mixture in the bowl of a food processor and add the onion, garlic and bacon. Process until a smooth puree is formed, 30 seconds to 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. With moistened hands, shape the lamb mixture into a rectangle about 8 inches long and 5 inches wide. Bake until the center of the loaf reaches 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

4. Adjust the oven rack to the highest position (1½ to 2 inches below broiler element) and preheat broiler. Slice the loaf of lamb meat crosswise into very thin pieces (they should be about ⅛-inch thick; no more than ¼-inch thick). Lay the strips on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil until edges are browned and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it, as the broiler works quickly!

5. Serve the Gyros: Warm up the bread either in the microwave (30 seconds), on the stovetop or in the oven. Top each with ¼ cup of tzatziki sauce, chopped tomatoes, sliced onions and gyro meat. Wrap with foil and serve.