Mountain Hot Dishes

This is what I cook…to have an easy side dish that lasts a few nights. This is one of my favorites!  Bite size pasta (Ditalini), English cucumbers, kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, chick peas and a light dressing!  Chop all vegetables in to bite size pieces. Cook pasta al dente. Toss with dressing. Refrigerate until serving or at least an hour.  Dressing:  1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil  1/3 cup red wine vinegar  Squeeze 1/2 lemon 1 tbsp dill 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp garlic powder  1 tbsp sugar Salt and pepper to taste  

This is what I cook… for a dinner on the deck! One of my favorite summer grill meals! Always perfect for outdoor dining with a simple pasta salad and some good focaccia bread!  Skewer onions, peppers and your cut of steak cubed. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, garlic powder and chili flakes. Grill on a very hot grill. Yummy! 

This is what I cook…for movie night! And Tacos are my husbands favorite meal.  Pizza is my favorite meal.  So I generally put them together to make us both happy.   Taco Pizza 1 refrigerated Pizza crust or fresh dough from the deli or homemade 1 lb. browned ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning if you like 1 jar of taco sauce - Ortega is my favorite Shredded cheddar cheese Sour Cream Chopped onions or scallions Sliced Black Olives Diced Tomatoes Any other taco toppings that you like:  lettuce, jalapeños, tortilla strips, cilantro, etc. Follow pizza crust directions and use taco sauce as your "pizza sauce".  Top with onions, ground beef, cheese, black olives, tomatoes.  Bake according to pizza crust directions.  Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and scallions.  Ole!

This is what I cook… for a crowd! This is my favorite go to hot dish for lots of people or just an easy dinner! I got this recipe from one of my mom’s friends. It’s a Minnesotan go to for many events!  Mock Chow Mein 1 lb browned hamburger  1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped onion 1 can cream chicken soup 1 can chicken & rice soup 1 can sliced mushrooms  1 can Veg All 2 cups prepared minute rice I bag chow Mein noodles 4 tbsp soy sauce Brown hamburger with onions & celery. Add cream of chicken soup, chicken with rice soup, minute rice, mushrooms, soy sauce, Veg-all canned vegetables with juice and chow mein noodles.  Mix all together, put a few additional chow mein noodles on top and bake for an hour at 350 degrees. You can double the recipe for a larger portion.