Chili Con Carne

Prepare two regular size cans of tomato soup or one family size tin, with the required water, in a large pot.
Brown 1 lb. hamburger; drain fat. Add pepper. Saute one onion. Add meat and onion to soup. Add 3 tbsp. chili powder. Add 2 cans red kidney beans. Bring to a boil, then simmer 45 minutes until thickened. Cut recipe in half for family of four. This serves 8-10 people. Also nice to add sauteed mushrooms and can of corn. Serve with salad and crusty bread. Top chili with cheddar cheese or a dollop of sour cream. We also like it topped with cheddar cheese and served with nacho chips on the side, for dipping. May be frozen.

Linguine and Shrimp

This is a nice, light supper.

Cook linguine al dente.
In a deep frying pan, pour ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tbsp. butter, 1 tsp. crushed garlic, (or two cloves), 8 sliced button mushrooms, 1 pkg. thawed and rinsed shrimp (with tails removed). Add oregano, pepper, parsley, onion flakes and red pepper flakes. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Add ½ cup of mayonnaise and mix until smooth. Serve over strained linguine.

Creamy Chicken-Pasta Soup

Although it sounds ordinary, it definitely isn't. It's a comforting and tasty soup. Add a salad, fresh bread or biscuits, and a rich dessert for a nice Sunday meal.

3 tbsp. butter
10-12 button mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp. flour
6 cups chicken stock
1-1/2 cups half & half
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1-1/2 tbsp. thyme
2 chicken breasts,chopped
1-1/2 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
1 cup sugar snap peas, halved
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Bake chicken breasts with any spices you like. Boil the pasta in salted water. Add the peas in the final two minutes.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms, celery, onion, and carrots. Cook until softened. Add the chopped chicken, parsley and thyme.
In a large pot, add flour into cold chicken stock and stir to get rid of lumps. Strain pasta and peas and add to stock. Add contents of frying pan to stock. Add lemon juice, half & half, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer.
Makes 12 first-course or 6 main course servings.

Chicken Pot Pie with Herbed Dumpling Crust

This is the ultimate in comfort food on a cold day. Add a hearty soup or salad and it is very satisfying.

1. Bake 2 chicken breasts for 40-45 minutes. Add your usual spices or chicken bouillon powder with water. Cool and chop.
2. Peel 6 mini potatoes or two large potatoes. Slice to bite size pieces. Microwave for five minutes until softened.
3. Chop: 1/2 leek or one cooking onion.
4 mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup green beans
2/3 cup carrots
1 stalk celery
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
4. In a large frying pan, saute, leek, garlic, mushrooms, and onion in mixture of butter and olive oil.
5. Add thyme, salt and pepper, poultry seasoning to taste.
6. Add celery, beans, carrots and peas.
7. Add potatoes, and chopped chicken.
8. Add 1 cup chicken stock with 2 tbsp. flour.
9. Heat until liquid thickens. Mix thoroughly.
10. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray. Pour mixture into it.
11. Top with Herbed Dumpling Crust (below).

Herbed Dumpling Crust

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cold butter
1/2 cup cold milk

Combine first five ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Sprinkle with milk. Gather together to form a dough. Roll dough on floured surface to fit the top of the casserole dish. Place directly on top of chicken mixture. Cut steam slits in dough. Brush top of crust with milk. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Two Great Okra Recipes

Okra is an acquired taste. I tried it first a few years ago, and my husband and I love it. Our kids hate it, mostly because of the texture, which can be slimy. Here are two ways I cook it. Enjoy…

Fried Okra and Tomatoes

Two trays of okra, washed and cut in bite size pieces, usually just in half crosswise. Also, trim off the head.
One onion, diced.
One large, or two medium tomatoes, washed and diced.
Grace Jamaican Jerk seasoning, 1/8-1/4 tsp. to taste.
Thyme, to taste.
Olive oil.

I first partially steam the okra, or they can be too tough, or the other ingredients could burn while they cook. Then I fry the onion in the olive oil, add the tomatoes, sprinkle with thyme, and add the Jerk seasoning. It’s one of those things that can be too hot very easily, so be careful. But it is essential to the recipe. Then I add the steamed okra and combine. That’s it. It’s a great side dish with fish, or curried chicken.


Shrimp and Okra Soup

8 cups of water, with 4 packets of Bovril chicken bouillon
1- 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice.
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 leek, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. thyme,
Cayenne pepper to taste, again, be careful, but it is essential to the recipe.
1 can corn, drained
2 trays of okra, with ends trimmed, and cut in half cross-wise. Steam for a few minutes. I usually just put them in a colander over the soup itself, until they are softened.
1 bag of cooked shrimp (20-30). Remove tails, and rinse.

Add the ingredients in the order above. Cook as you chop the vegetables, and then an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve with corn bread (see recipe below), and salad. Comfort food at its’ finest. A warning: for some reason, this soup is soporific (it makes you sleepy). I don’t know why, but that’s what we’ve found. It’s best served fresh. If you leave it overnight, the okra really slimes out.


Corn Bread

This is from the book, Traditional Jamaican Cookery, by Norma Benghiat. My husband’s grandmother sent it to me when we were first married. I guess she knew I couldn’t cook. It’s one of the tastiest corn bread recipes I’ve tried. I usually make it in a muffin tin so it only takes about 15 minutes to bake.

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup cornmeal
4 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
¼ cup softened butter

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add the cornmeal and sugar. Stir in the beaten eggs, milk and butter, mixing well until the batter is smooth. Pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or in a loaf pan for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy.