Mom’s Recipes

These are some of my recipes. Some are completely my own originals, and some are adapted from other recipes. Frankly, I could not tell which is which, so if something looks familiar, please forgive me.

Mom’s Pepper Steak

• Round steak (or your preferred beef) 1 to 1 1/2 lb—Cut into chunks, roughly 1” square, or to the size you like
• 2 15-oz cans tomato sauce
• 3 green bell peppers, sliced, about 1/2 “ X 2” slices
• 1 yellow onion, sliced, about 1/2 “ X 2” slices
• Flour to coat beef
• Water to thin, as needed, probably no more than a cup
• ¼ cup (approx.) oil to brown meat
• 1 tsp. Ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. Chili powder
• 2 tsp. Onion powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic powder
• Ground chipotle if you like it spicy, but be conservative with it!
• ½ tsp. regular black Pepper , or to taste

(There’s usually enough salt in the tomato sauce so you don’t need to add more.)

I serve this over white or brown rice.

1. Take beef chunks and roll in plenty of flour.
2. Heat oil in fairly large pot. When oil is hot, add coated beef and put heat at med-low. Cover with lid.
3. Allow beef to cook for a few minutes, stir every once in a while to keep from sticking.
4. When beef is browned, add all remaining ingredients.
   1. Here you have a fork in the road: If you are using a cheap cut of beef, it will be tough. If so, go back to Step 4 and only add spices, tomato sauce, and water. Put on low with a lid, and simmer the crap out of it until the meat is tender. You’ll have to check it now and then to stir and add water so it doesn’t burn.
   2. When meat is tender, add vegetables and simmer until they are just tender.
   3. If you did not need to take the fork in the road, simply simmer until vegetables are tender.
   4. Serve over rice and eat.

If you make a really big batch, it’s great to have over scrambled eggs the next morning.

Adjust spices and such to taste; I give you permission.

Love,

Mommy

Mom’s REALLY Easy Chicken & Mushroom Gravy Bake I

• 3 chicken breast or 5 thighs, skinned
• 1 can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup
• Casserole dish with lid or baking dish and plenty of foil

(There’s usually enough salt in the soup so you don’t need to add more.)

I serve this over white or brown rice OR mashed potatoes.

This is easy to double, but I would make sure to pull off the skin because otherwise it’s REALLY greasy.

1. Rinse chicken and throw (okay…don’t literally THROW it—place it gently)  into the casserole dish.
2. Cover with soup, UNdiluted.
3. Cover and bake at 350 degrees until chicken is falling apart, usually about an hour.

There is a SLIGHTLY more difficult stovetop version called Mom’s REALLY Easy Chicken & Mushroom Gravy II

Love,

Mommy

Mom’s REALLY Easy Chicken & Mushroom Gravy II Bake Stovetop Version

• 3 chicken breast or 5 thighs, skinned (boneless, if you can get them)
• 1 can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup
• 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
• Lg. frying pan
• Oil
• Water, no more than a cup

(There’s usually enough salt in the soup so you don’t need to add more.)

I serve this over white or brown rice OR mashed potatoes.

This is easy to double, but I would make sure to pull off the skin because otherwise it’s REALLY greasy.

1. Brown chicken in a little oil in frying pan
2. Add water, up to about ½ inch
3. Cover with lid and allow to cook on medium until JUST cooked through.  I take breasts, put them between two pieces of wax paper, and smack the heck out of them with my old rolling pin until they are only about a half inch thick, which makes them cook a LOT faster. You can do it with boneless thighs, too.
4. Don’t overcook; if you do, they’ll be tough.
5. Remove chicken and pour off any really excess water, but don’t wash the pan!
6. Warm cream cheese in the same pan until it’s really soft.
7. Add soup and stir them together to make a gravy. If they’re really thick, add a bit of water.
8. Serve gravy over the chicken and the rice or potatoes.

There is a SLIGHTLY less difficult oven version called Mom’s REALLY Easy Chicken & Mushroom Gravy Bake I.

Love,

Mommy

Mom’s Granola

1 ½ cups old fashioned oatmeal, raw
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup honey
½ cup vegetable oil (I mix in some olive oil and usually only use 1/3 cup, total.)
½ cup slivered almonds
¾ cup pecan halves (You can also add in another 1/2 cup of other kinds of nuts if you want.)

½ cup macadamia nuts——All nuts are suggestions based on the ones I use, but you can come up with any combination, or even just one kind, but shoot for about 1 3/4 or 2 cups, depending on how “nutty” you like it.
½ cup raisins (or lately I’ve been using Craisins, dried cranberries)
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

1. Mix together the dry stuff EXCEPT for your raisins (or Craisins): oatmeal, coconut, flour, wheat germ, and all the nuts.
2. Put the oil and honey together in a small pan and heat it on high until it froths up.
3. Remove from heat immediately, and stir in the almond extract.
4. Mix the oil, honey, and almond extract mixture into the dry ingredients until they’re well mixed and the dry stuff is moistened.
5. Spread the mixture into a lightly oiled baking pan, 13 X 9 inches or bigger. Don’t use a cookie sheet. It’s too big, and your granola will get too overcooked because the layer will be too thin.
6. Bake it for 35 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and immediately stir in your raisins (or Craisins).
8. Allow to cool for 15 minutes or so, and then stir it again so that it doesn’t stick to the pan. You can do this every now and then until it’s completely cool. If you don’t move it around as it’s cooling, it can CEMENT itself to the bottom of the pan, and then it’s a booger to get it all scraped out.

That’s it. Put it in an airtight container. It will last for at least a couple of weeks.

Love,

Mommy