Foodie Friday

My mom is a master at taking left overs and making them into something quite tasty for the next meal and when ever she makes something I make her write down exactly how she makes it. This includes the ingredients and the process - I do this because I never paid attention when she was trying to teach me how to cook when I was in high school and because she has her own way of cooking food and it almost always comes out great! Here is her recipe for Pork & Chili:

PORK & CHILI BY NELDA

INGREDIENTS:
Left over pork loin - cut into cubes (about 1 lb cooked)
Approx. 1 cup canned tomatoes or tomato sauce
1/2 onion - diced medium fine
1 can Rotel
1 can mild chilies (or hot if you like it spicy)
Tortillas

PROCESS:
Cook all ingredients together (except tortillas) - probably will need to add some water 1/2 - 3/4 cup.
Let simmer; salt and pepper to taste.
Mix 1/2 cup flour with 3/4 cup water (she uses a tupperware shaker) and stir into chili.
Let simmer to thicken up chili some. If the chili is too thin add more flour mixed with water and if the chili is too thick add just a little more water (no flour).

Taste and adjust hotness to suit.

Serve with flour tortillas, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream.

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

This is the best Peanut Butter Cookie recipe that I have found. It has a great PB taste and the cookies are soft and chewy not hard.

2 sticks butter (1 cup) - softened to room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (sifted) I usually don't sift.
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1) Combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a mixer on a medium to
low speed until light and fluffy.
2) Slowly add eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then mix in flour,
baking soda and salt.
3) Roll dough into approximately 1- 1/2 in balls and place on a cookie sheet
lined with parchment paper. Place about 2 inches apart.
4) Dip a fork into sugar and flatten each ball in a criss-cross pattern.
5) Bake at 325 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. I bake just until the bottom of the
cookies become a light brown.

I also like to add chocolate chip "chunks" to the dough and then you would just roll into balls and bake and do not flatten.

Crock Pot Roast

1-1/2 to 2 lbs rump roast

1 bottle beer

2 medium onions

1 tablespoon butter

1 seasoning packet of McCormick pot roast seasoning

potatoes and carrots

Spray crock pot with non stick spray. Slice onions and cook in skillet with butter until soft. Put onions in bottom of crockpot. Brown Roast in same skillet and then place roast on top of onions in crock pot. Follow directions on seasoning packet, but instead use 1/4 cup water and the whole bottle of beer. Pour over the roast. Cook on low 6-8 hours. 2 -3 hours before you are ready to eat, peel and quarter 5-6 potatoes and place around roast. Peel and cut carrots into 2 inch lengths and place in crockpot with potatoes and continue cooking until potatoes and carrots are done. There will be a very nice gravy left over to put on potatoes.

What Are We Eating?

Pork Chops with Cream of Onion Soup

4-6 boneless pork chops
1 can Campbells Cream of Onion Soup
Rice
Green Beans
Grapes

Preheat oven to 350
Brown the pork chops. Spray a 9x9 glass baking dish with vegetable spray. Mix the soup with just enough milk to thin it out a bit. Spread a little of the soup in the bottom of the glass baking dish and then put the pork chops in the dish. Pour the rest of the soup mixture over the chops and bake for 30-40 minutes until tender. Serve over rice with the green beans and grapes on the side.