American Chop Suey

Forget about chinese. This has nothing to do with Chinese food.

Growing up in Northern New England, along with Baked Beans on Saturday night, American Chop Suey was a popular favorite (but not on Saturday- that was bean night). I still like it today and yes, it's one of those dishes that never gets wasted because it tastes better the next day. We sometimes make a large batch and freeze portions. Try it once and you'll be hooked. Don't be afraid to experiment. I even add alittle maple syrup to the mix!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 spanish onion -finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper cored, seeded, and chopped
2 cloves garlic -- finely chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 can (28 ounce size) whole tomatoes with their juices
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and black pepper -- to taste
1 pound macaroni, ziti, or penne
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese!

Directions:
In a large, flameproof casserole, heat the oil. When it is hot, cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for half a minute. Add the ground beef and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the meat loses its pink color. Tip the pan and spoon off any fat. Add the tomatoes and their liquid to the meat mixture. Stir in the tomato paste, water, oregano, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a soup pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, ziti, or penne and stir well. Cook the pasta for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until it is tender but still has some bite. Drain the pasta into a colander and stir it into the meat sauce. Spoon into deep bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve at once.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 742 Calories; 37g Fat (45.8% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 62g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 114mg Cholesterol; 155mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 5 Fat.
This recipe from CDKitchen for American Chop Suey serves/makes 6

Hey get in the kitchen!

Not very many residents seem to get very enthused about Real Estate blogs, so I thought I would try something new. Each week I will post a new recipe and see how that works!

This weeks' comes from Elise. She can be found at www.elise.com/recipes

Peach Cobbler Recipe

Use ripe, sweet, flavorful, firm peaches. The cobbler will only be as good as the fruit going into it, so taste test your fruit first. The best peaches to use with this recipe are yellow peaches. White peaches, although delicious on their own, are too delicate and don't hold their flavor as well as the yellow when cooked.

Preparation and cooking time: 1 1/2 hours.
Ingredients:

4 lbs of ripe yellow peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/2 inch thick wedges
1 cup sugar, divided 2/3 cup and 1/3 cup
1/2 cup quick cooking (instant) tapioca
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (6 oz) butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2/3 cup whipping cream


Method

1 In a large bowl, mix peaches, 2/3 cup sugar, and the tapioca, lemon peel, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let stand at least 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes to soften the tapioca, stirring several times.

2 In another bowl, combine flour with remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the baking powder, and nutmeg. With a pastry blender or your fingers, incorporate butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cream and stir just until dough holds together.

3 In a buttered shallow 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish, spread fruit level. Using your hands, crumble dough evenly over fruit.

4 Bake in 350°F oven until fruit mixture bubbles in center and topping is golden brown, 50-60 minutes.

Delicious with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Serves 8.