Shannon's Cookbook

I got the idea for this sandwich from my sister. Apparently they are the "thing" in Indiana. Matt and I both LOVED them! These will definitely be a staple on my menu in the future. 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 t seasoned salt 1 t garlic powder 1/4 t cayenne pepper 4 boneless butterfly pork chops, pounded thin 1/2 cup cornmeal 1/4 cup flour vegetable oil for frying lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mustard, mayo homemade burger buns (or your favorite variety) In a small bowl, mix buttermilk and seasonings. Add to a large ziploc bag. Add pork and marinate mixture overnight (or at least 4 hours). Remove pork from bag and drain well. Discard marinade. Mix cornmeal and flour in a large tightly covered container. Add seasonings if desired. Add pork chops and toss til well coated. Remove and set aside for at least 15 minutes before frying. Heat about a half inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat (or use a deep fryer if you have one). Fry p

Dinner doesn't get much more frugal than this meal. Feel free to add your favorite herbs and spices to jazz it up a bit. olive oil 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs 1/2 onion, chopped small handful baby carrots, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 cup canned diced tomatoes 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup dried white beans, cooked and drained (I used Great Northern) salt and pepper to taste Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chicken and brown well on both sides. Stir in onion and carrots and cook about 5 minutes or til veggies soften. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, or til chicken is cooked through. I served the stew with garlic toast.

When I got chosen as a Del Monte reviewer, I was glad to see one of the choices was a tomato product. I am not that fond of other canned vegetables, finding they don't taste much like fresh. I chose the Del Monte Zesty Tomatoes with Green Chiles and made a plan to make an easy salsa. 1 can Del Monte Zesty Tomatoes with Green Chiles diced onion to taste fresh garlic, minced fresh lime juice to taste sea salt to taste variations: fresh cilantro This salsa wasn't very good at all. I found out that Del Monte adds other (odd) ingredients to the tomatoes, like sugar and what tastes like Italian seasonings. It definitely didn't taste authentic. And at nearly twice the price of my usual tomatoes with green chiles, I would never buy them again. Matt said the flavor reminded him of spaghetti sauce. I did like the big chunks of tomatoes, so I give Del Monte 2 out of 5 chiles for this product. What a disappointment!

I came up with this recipe to use up many veggies I had on hand. Feel free to add your favorite herbs and spices. I was in the mood for something really simple, so just used bay leaves. olive oil 1/2 onion, chopped handful baby carrots, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped about 4 cups chicken broth (or use veggie) 1 1/4 cups uncooked pearl barley 1 small (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes 1 cup frozen green beans 1 small can sliced mushrooms 2 bay leaves salt and black pepper to taste Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion, carrot and celery about 5 minutes, or til softened. Stir in garlic and cook another minute or so. Stir in remaining ingredients. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium low heat 45 minutes or til barley is tender. Remove bay leaves. I served the soup with buttered cornbread.

My original plan was to make General Tso's with steamed broccoli on the side, but I make that all the time. I decided to try something a bit different and I found this in a google search on "Chinese Chicken Recipes". I ended up adding a lot more soy sauce than the original recipe called for. 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into pieces 2 cloves garlic, minced and divided 1" piece fresh ginger, peeled, minced and divided 2 T sugar 1 T soy sauce 1 T plus 1 t cornstarch, divided 1 1/4 t salt, divided 1 T sherry 1 T sesame oil oil for stir frying broccoli (I used peanut oil) fresh broccoli, stalks diced and cut into florets hot pepper flakes to taste toasted sesame seeds cooked white rice In a medium bowl, mix chicken with 1 clove garlic, 1/2 ginger, soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, sherry and sesame oil. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. In a small bowl mix the remaining co

This turned out absolutely fabulous! I loved the spice blend. vegetable oil 1 small pork loin, trimmed and diced 2 t ancho chile powder 1 t Mexican oregano, rubbed 1 t ground cumin 1 t smoked paprika salt and pepper to taste 1/2 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken broth (or more depending on how "soupy" you want it) 1 can hominy, drained (I used a small can) fresh radishes for serving Heat a little oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add pork and cook til nice and brown. Stir in onion and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and spices and cook another minute or so. Stir in remaining ingredients, except radishes. Cover; reduce heat to medium low and cook 1 1/2-2 hours or til pork is very tender. I served the stew with a side of radishes.

This recipe is adapted from one that came in my Allrecipes newsletter. Matt liked it so much he had seconds, which is rare. If mixture appears dry, add more broth. 1 lb ground beef 1/2 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 jalapeno, chopped (optional) 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes 1 cup beef broth 1/2 cup uncooked white rice 1 T chile powder about 1 t salt 1 t Worcestershire sauce 1 t brown sugar 1/2 t ground cumin about 1/2 t ground black pepper 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used sharp) Preheat oven to 375°. Brown the ground beef in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Drain. Stir in onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook another 5 minutes or so. Stir in tomatoes, water, rice, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes, or til cheese is melted and rice cooked.

For a "soupier" soup, add more broth or some tomato juice. For seasoning I added a couple teaspoons of Mrs Dash, but you could use your favorites, such as Cajun or Creole or whatever you have on hand. vegetable oil 1/2 an onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 12 oz smoked sausage, sliced about 4 cups chicken broth 1 (15 oz) can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained 1 small (15 oz can) diced tomatoes, pureed Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook til onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another minute or so. Stir in sausage and cook til lightly browned. Stir in seasoning. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to high. Stir in broth, peas and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, or longer if preferred. I served the soup with homemade buttermilk cornbread.

I found this recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine. It had great flavor and was so economical! For a thicker gravy, use less broth. about 1/4 cup flour season salt (I used a homemade blend) 1 small boneless chuck roast, trimmed and diced vegetable oil about 2 cups beef broth 1 (12 oz) Belgian ale small handful baby carrots 1 small onion, sliced 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered Place flour in a large ziploc bag and add season salt to taste. Shake to blend well. Toss with beef and coat well. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef and brown on all sides. Discard excess flour. Add remaining ingredients except potato; cover and cook about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add potato and cook an additional hour or til vegetables are tender and beef is very tender. I served the beef with pan gravy and veggies.