Dr. Martin’s Mix

Dr. Martin's Mix

This is pure comfort food and is a dish that I remember well from my childhood. When I was old enough, I took over cooking dinner for my family since my mom, by that time, was working full-time outside the home. This is one of the first dishes I learned to make. We always had it with tossed salad. The original recipe was in Erma Bombeck’s I Hate to Cook Book. Last week, I made this for dinner when we had a friend visiting from out of town and she loved it. I hope you do as well!

Ingredients
1 lb. bulk sausage (you can use breakfast sausage or Italian sausage)
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 C. onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 C. chicken broth
1 1/2 C. uncooked rice
1 1/2 T. worcestershire sauce

1. Brown the sausage in a skillet or large pan with a lid. Break the sausage up into small pieces as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
3. Put the lid on and let simmer on low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is done. Fluff with fork and serve. Serves 4

Moroccan Spiced Salad

This is a wonderfully unusual salad. It’s a blend of savory spices, crunchy nuts, chewy raisins, rice, and beans with a hint of lemon and mint. The blend of rice, beans, and nuts makes it appropriate for a vegetarian main dish and it makes a great side with roasted chicken for the carnivores among us. Kudos go to my friend, Charmaine, who shared this recipe with me after bringing it to our Dining for Women group. I made a few adaptations but the spice blend remained the same as the original recipe.

Ingredients
2 T. olive oil
1 C. rice
3 1/2 C. water

4 T. olive oil
6 T. vinegar
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. honey
2 t. garam masala (a blend of spices)
2 t. ground coriander
1 t. dry mustard

1 – 15 oz. can small red beans (or kidney)
1 – 15 oz. can cannellini beans (or garbanzo)
4 shallots, chopped
8 green onions, trimmed and sliced
1 1/2 C. golden raisins
1 1/2 C. walnuts, coarsely chopped (or pine nuts)
1 T. chopped fresh mint

Chopped fresh mint to garnish
Lemon wedges, to serve

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium sauce pan with a lid. Add the rice and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, over low heat. Pour in the water and bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer on low for 25-35 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and pour the cooked rice into a strainer. Rinse under cold running water, drain well, and set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of olive oil and honey until emulsified. Mix in the vinegar, lemon juice, garam masala, coriander, and dry mustard and stir well.
3. Add the rice and mix well.
4. Drain and rinse both cans of beans and add them to the rice along with the shallots, green onions, walnuts, golden raisins, and mint. Mix well. Garnish with fresh mint and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 8

Stuffed Pepper Crockpot Soup

Stuffed Pepper Crockpot Soup

When on a trip to Florida last year, I ate in a deli where I tried their “Stuffed Pepper Soup.” It was delicious and did taste just like I remembered stuffed peppers tasting which I loved growing up. I decided to try to replicate it in a recipe that could be done entirely in the crockpot. Now I have a crockpot with a removeable crock so I brown the ground beef and onions in the microwave, toss the rest of the ingredients in (except for the rice) and stick it in the refrigerator overnight so all I have to do is place the crock in the pot, stir in the rice, turn the crockpot to the low setting and let it cook all day while I’m at work. I served it with Trader Joe’s cornbread and a salad. If you like stuffed peppers give this a try . . . you’ll really like it!

Ingredients
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 green peppers, diced
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 C. V-8 juice or tomato juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
15 oz. can beef broth
2 heaping T. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t. worcestershire sauce
2 C. water
1/2 C. rice

Place the ground beef and chopped onions in the crock and brown in microwave in 2 minute increments, stirring after each 2 minutes, cooking until the meat is browned and onions translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT the rice, and stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, place the crock in the pot, turn to low, stir in the rice and let cook all day. Stir well before serving and add water if too thick.