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Tradition has it that the type of food our mom’s used to make when she spent all day in the kitchen is the best. I think we still feel that way, but our timeframes have changed since then. Many of us don’t have all day to spend in the kitchen, unless we’re retired, are not involved in a lot of outside activities (like going to grandkids’ ball games, concerts, etc.) or perhaps just don’t care to get too involved in cooking. My thoughts about the sign of a good cook are creativity and quality, whether it’s convenience cooking or cooking from scratch. My mom was a very good cook, using both creativity and quality in her cooking. Growing up on a small farm we had the advantage of having fresh meats, fruit, veggies, milk and eggs, thus the quality and she could put together a nutritious, good tasting meal, often using leftovers. We always had homemade bread and the smell of break baking when we came home from school was perhaps the best perfume of the day, thus the quality.

So, in order to keep the “old-fashioned goodness” but make it less time consuming, I have recipes for you that taste pretty close to what mom made, but using short-cut methods and just a few different ingredients. The type of recipes you use, your choice of food combinations and the way you serve meals are tools for creative and nutritionally giving your best to yourself, family and friends, without spending a good part of your day in the kitchen. Be reasonable now. We don’t need a plate full of carrots, cauliflower, peas and sliced tomatoes, unless you’re a vegetarian, to make a meal look appealing as well as tasty.

With that, it will be main dishes, similar to what mom made, but in less time.

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This is the kind of dish that most families still love and is good reheated the next day or the day after for those who don’t like leftovers two days in a row.

MACARONI GOULASH

1 lb. ground beef (preferably lean)

1 small onion, diced (1/2 c.) or 2 T. instant chopped onion

1/2 c. diced fresh green pepper

1-15 oz. can tomato sauce

1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes or 1 pint home-canned tomatoes, cut in chunks (you may use Italian-style tomatoes if you wish)

2 c. raw macaroni

1 T. white or brown sugar

1/2-1 t. salt

In a large fry pan or Dutch oven, brown ground beef; drain off fat. Add onion and green pepper; continue frying over medium heat until veggies are tender. Add rest of ingredients; bring to a boil; lower heat and cover. Simmer 15-20 minutes until macaroni is tender.

A tossed salad and some type of bread goes good with this dish, ready in about a half hour. Serves 5-6.

My thoughts on this dish––make a double batch and freeze half for another quick meal or have it two days later.

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We ate a lot of chicken at home and mom would fix it similar to this dish, but using cracker crumbs.

OVEN-FRIED CRISPY CHICKEN

1/4 c. melted butter or margarine (It was butter on the farm.)

1 egg

2 T. water

1/2 to 3/4 cup mashed potato flakes

8 chicken drumsticks

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. paprika

Spray bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl, beat together egg and water; pour into pie pan or shallow bowl.

Put potato flakes in another pie pan. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture; roll in flakes to coat well. Put in single layer in pan; drizzle butter over chicken. Sprinkle with seasonings. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until tender and golden brown or until juices run clear when chicken is poked with a knife.

NOTE: If using just breast or thighs, use same baking time. If just wings, bake 25-30 minutes. If using a cut-up whole chicken, bake as for drumsticks.

Serves 5-6.

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You may use steaks, chops or tenderloin in this dish. It’s very easy as well as quick.

BRAISED PORK STEAKS

IN MUSHROOM SAUCE

6 pork steaks, about 2 to 2-1/2 lbs.

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. pepper

1 can golden mushroom soup (reduced sodium or reduced fat if you wish)

1-4 oz. can (undrained) mushroom pieces

In a large fry pan, brown steaks on both sides in 2 T. butter or oil (preferably olive or canola oil). Sprinkle with seasonings.

Combine soup and mushrooms and pour over meat.

Lower heat; simmer, covered 35-40 minutes or until done. Serves 4-6.

NOTE: If using pork chops, increase cooking time to 40-45 minutes; for tenderloin slices about 3/4-inch thick, decrease time to 20-30 minutes.

Check your cookbook if you’re not sure about making a white sauce. If making a white sauce, make a thick sauce.

+++++

If you like cooked cabbage and Polish sausage, you will like this dish. Good with mashed or browned potatoes.

CABBAGE AND SAUSAGE SUPPER

1 medium head cabbage, coarsely shredded (about 6 c.)

1/4 c. water

1/2 t. salt

1-16 oz. ring Polish sausage or ring bologna, cut in 3/4-inch pieces

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1-1/2 T. prepared mustard

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook cabbage with water and salt, covered, over medium heat until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain; top with sausage slices. Combine soup with mustard; spoon over sausage. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Serves 4-5.

NOTE: You can also use 8-10 weiners, cut and if you like the taste of caraway seed, sprinkle a little over the cabbage before putting the sausage on top.

This skillet dish is very good. When serving it, I turned it into a serving bowl and mixed it together.

+++++

Thought for the day: You can’t control the length of your life, but you can have something to say about the width and depth. I think we still feel that way, but our timeframes have changed since then. Many of us don’t have all day to spend in the kitchen, unless we’re retired, are not involved in a lot of outside activities (like going to grandkids’ ball games, concerts, etc.) or perhaps just don’t care to get too involved in cooking. My thoughts about the sign of a good cook are creativity and quality, whether it’s convenience cooking or cooking from scratch. My mom was a very good cook, using both creativity and quality in her cooking. Growing up on a small farm we had the advantage of having fresh meats, fruit, veggies, milk and eggs, thus the quality and she could put together a nutritious, good tasting meal, often using leftovers. We always had homemade bread and the smell of break baking when we came home from school was perhaps the best perfume of the day, thus the quality.

So, in order to keep the “old-fashioned goodness” but make it less time consuming, I have recipes for you that taste pretty close to what mom made, but using short-cut methods and just a few different ingredients. The type of recipes you use, your choice of food combinations and the way you serve meals are tools for creative and nutritionally giving your best to yourself, family and friends, without spending a good part of your day in the kitchen. Be reasonable now. We don’t need a plate full of carrots, cauliflower, peas and sliced tomatoes, unless you’re a vegetarian, to make a meal look appealing as well as tasty.

With that, it will be main dishes, similar to what mom made, but in less time.

+++++

This is the kind of dish that most families still love and is good reheated the next day or the day after for those who don’t like leftovers two days in a row.

MACARONI GOULASH

1 lb. ground beef (preferably lean)

1 small onion, diced (1/2 c.) or 2 T. instant chopped onion

1/2 c. diced fresh green pepper

1-15 oz. can tomato sauce

1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes or 1 pint home-canned tomatoes, cut in chunks (you may use Italian-style tomatoes if you wish)

2 c. raw macaroni

1 T. white or brown sugar

1/2-1 t. salt

In a large fry pan or Dutch oven, brown ground beef; drain off fat. Add onion and green pepper; continue frying over medium heat until veggies are tender. Add rest of ingredients; bring to a boil; lower heat and cover. Simmer 15-20 minutes until macaroni is tender.

A tossed salad and some type of bread goes good with this dish, ready in about a half hour. Serves 5-6.

My thoughts on this dish––make a double batch and freeze half for another quick meal or have it two days later.

+++++

We ate a lot of chicken at home and mom would fix it similar to this dish, but using cracker crumbs.

OVEN-FRIED CRISPY CHICKEN

1/4 c. melted butter or margarine (It was butter on the farm.)

1 egg

2 T. water

1/2 to 3/4 cup mashed potato flakes

8 chicken drumsticks

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. paprika

Spray bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl, beat together egg and water; pour into pie pan or shallow bowl.

Put potato flakes in another pie pan. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture; roll in flakes to coat well. Put in single layer in pan; drizzle butter over chicken. Sprinkle with seasonings. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until tender and golden brown or until juices run clear when chicken is poked with a knife.

NOTE: If using just breast or thighs, use same baking time. If just wings, bake 25-30 minutes. If using a cut-up whole chicken, bake as for drumsticks.

Serves 5-6.

+++++

You may use steaks, chops or tenderloin in this dish. It’s very easy as well as quick.

BRAISED PORK STEAKS

IN MUSHROOM SAUCE

6 pork steaks, about 2 to 2-1/2 lbs.

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. pepper

1 can golden mushroom soup (reduced sodium or reduced fat if you wish)

1-4 oz. can (undrained) mushroom pieces

In a large fry pan, brown steaks on both sides in 2 T. butter or oil (preferably olive or canola oil). Sprinkle with seasonings.

Combine soup and mushrooms and pour over meat.

Lower heat; simmer, covered 35-40 minutes or until done. Serves 4-6.

NOTE: If using pork chops, increase cooking time to 40-45 minutes; for tenderloin slices about 3/4-inch thick, decrease time to 20-30 minutes.

Check your cookbook if you’re not sure about making a white sauce. If making a white sauce, make a thick sauce.

+++++

If you like cooked cabbage and Polish sausage, you will like this dish. Good with mashed or browned potatoes.

CABBAGE AND SAUSAGE SUPPER

1 medium head cabbage, coarsely shredded (about 6 c.)

1/4 c. water

1/2 t. salt

1-16 oz. ring Polish sausage or ring bologna, cut in 3/4-inch pieces

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1-1/2 T. prepared mustard

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook cabbage with water and salt, covered, over medium heat until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain; top with sausage slices. Combine soup with mustard; spoon over sausage. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Serves 4-5.

NOTE: You can also use 8-10 weiners, cut and if you like the taste of caraway seed, sprinkle a little over the cabbage before putting the sausage on top.

This skillet dish is very good. When serving it, I turned it into a serving bowl and mixed it together.

+++++

Thought for the day: You can’t control the length of your life, but you can have something to say about the width and depth.

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