FAST FOOD: Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Everyone at my house is either sick or recovering... I feel like I should warn readers of this blog to wear respirators and/or bleach their computers when visiting this page! I'm finding myself exhausted at the thought of doing even the simplest of tasks (I can't remember when last I ate a hot meal) and dinner seems like a monumental task!  Whilst rummaging through the cupboards through swollen, gritty eyelids I discovered a can of mushrooms and another of cream of mushroom soup...inspiration hit (almost killed me but I went with it)!

Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff
1lb ground hamburger, browned and drained
1/2 C dried minced onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use "98% fat free")
1 can mushrooms
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 C sour cream ( I use "light")
1/2 pkg (4 oz) cream cheese (I use "1/3 less fat")

Add hamburger, soup, onion, garlic salt, and mushrooms with their juice to crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. At the last hour of cooking add the cream cheese and sour cream.
Serve over rice or egg noodles and ENJOY!

Surely this creamy, hearty meal will banish the last of the viral beasties lurking about and warm little bellies before bedtime! <3

FAST FOOD: Honey-Curry Chicken

The Hanukka before last, our Rabbi and his wife invited us over for a delightful dinner. The chicken was so fragrant and delicious it made the mouth water just smelling it! With two small children and a house full of chaos, I was afraid to even ask for the recipe because I was most certain it would be ridiculously hard.... full of vague ingredients that must be purchased at ethnic markets and directions that only a chemist could decipher. When I timidly asked the dear Rabbi's wife how long she slaved in the kitchen over the wonderful meal, she laughed and handed me this recipe.

IT'S SO EASY!!!!

The strangest ingredient on the list is Curry which is easy to find anywhere now a days! This has become one of my families favourite Shabbat meals! Bon Appetite!

Honey-Curry Chicken

3lbs Cut up Chicken (I use chicken thighs with bones and skin)

1/3C Honey

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tsp Dried Parsley

1 Tsp Curry Powder

      

              Preheat oven to 350 and arrange the chicken pieces in a shallow baking dish. Combine the mustard and honey in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 40 seconds. Stir in curry and parsley and pour the whole mixture over the chicken. Bake in the oven for 1 1/4 hours until done, remember to baste occasionally.

FAST FOOD: Crock Pot Lasagna

Let's face it, my family would starve if we didn't have a crock pot... I don't know how you all feel about them but I think whoever invented the mah-velous pot of crockery should have won a Nobel Peace Prize!!! What other kitchen appliance can make you look so much like Martha Stewart with such little effort? So to kick off the recipe portion of this blog, I'm going to share with you the KING of all Slow-Cooker recipes: The Crock Pot Lasagna... It's fast, easy, and makes me feel like a rock-star mom!  Bon Appetite!

Crock Pot Lasagna
12 Lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb Ground beef, browned and drained
1 jar Spaghetti sauce (I used Cascones Original)
1/4 C. Water16 oz Cottage cheese
2 C. Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Break noodles in half and place half of the noodles in the bottom of a greased crock pot. Stir Italian seasoning into meat and spread half over noodles already in crock pot. Then layer half of the sauce and water, half of cottage cheese and half mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, NO MORE than 5 hours! (sv 6-8)

* Just a note: I add a LOT more cheese and Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle makes a delicious Italian seasoning for the beef! Also this is not a picture of my lasagna...I'm too lazy to run to the kitchen and make it, wait 5 hours for it to bake and then snap a pic of it....but this gives you a great idea of what it will look like! :o)