Spicy Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

Spicy Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs
The amount of ingredients depend on how many people. It's easy to adjust. Just add a few more things or take away.

Olive Oil - around 1 tbsp.
Tomatoes - 4 to 6 chopped
Onion - 1/8 to 1/4 chopped
Jalapeno or Anaheim pepper - 1/2 chopped
Garlic - 2 large cloves
Fresh basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.

Meatballs
Shallot - one clove chopped
Pepper - small hot pepper chopped
Hot ground sausage - 1/2 to 1 lb

Put the oil and tomatoes in pan, bring to boil. Let boil a few minutes. You can leave it chunky or mash with a potato masher to make it a smooth sauce. Then add onion, pepper, garlic, and seasoning. Let simmer for as long as you'd like. But at least 30 minutes.

Mix the meat, pper and shallot's together and roll into balls. Slow cook on low until cooked through and brown. Add to sauce. Serve over thin spaghetti. Side dish bread and/or salad.

Roasted Chili Peppers

There really isn't a recipe for roasting chili peppers. Just instructions. You can roast them several different ways. Use a grill or a big roasting drum or you can do what I do, I broil them.

You start with a bunch, usually a bushel of peppers, I use Anaheim. Rinse and dry them and arrange them on a pan. Broil them for 4 to 5 minutes until they blister, do not let it char. Turn them over and broil another 4 to 5 minutes. Place them in a large bowl and cover the bowl with a towel. This will steam them and loosen the skins. Let them sit in the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes.

Take the stems out, there should be a good amount of seeds that come out also, but don't worry if it doesn't. You can skin them at this time, or freeze and remove the skin once thawed. This is what I do. You place three to four in a Ziploc bag, let cool before sealing the bag. Then let cool another hour before you put in the freezer. You can leave in the freezer for up to a year.

These chili's are good in almost anything, but one of my favorite's is Chili Verde.

I will see you in two weeks!

Chicken Pie

Chicken Pie

2 lbs Chicken cubed
6 potatoes cubed
2 carrots sliced thin
1 stalk celery sliced thin
2 cloves garlic minced
½ onion chopped
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup frozen corn
1 tsp sage
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil (1 tbsp dried)
2/3 cup half and half
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes and put them on to boil.

Clean and trim chicken then cube and place in pan with a little olive oil and brown. When there is enough broth from the chicken, add all the vegetables except the corn and peas. Cook until the carrots are tender. Add 1/3 cup half and half, bring to a boil. The other 1/3 mix with the flour until it’s a smooth paste then stir into the pan until it is thickened. Add the corn and peas and stir.

Scoop into the individual baking dishes. Mash the potatoes using the butter some half and half until creamy. Spread over the top of the dishes over the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, brown the top on broil for 5. Take out cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Coming end of September 2015!

Announcing the After Work Cook
Virtual Cook Book

Beginning the end of September 2015 on YouTube I will be posting mini video recipes once or twice a month. You can watch at:

The After Work Cook

Easy Side Dish

Cabbage on the side for two
Small head of lettuce cut into chunks
8-10 Small red creamer potatoes sliced in half
2 Medium size carrots sliced
1 cn Beef Broth low sodium
1/2 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Land o Lakes butter and canola oil blend
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add oil to large fry pan. Add chunks of cabbage on medium to low heat. Stir off and on. Boil potatoes and carrots in broth until tender, drain. Add salt, pepper and 1 tbsp of butter,
coat evenly and let sit on low for a minute or two. Add the other tbsp of butter to the cabbage and stir, add potatoes and carrots. Continue to stir until the cabbage starts to brown. Serve when tender, with pork or steak.

Easy Spinach Omelets with a kick!

As most of you know, I like things spicy. The hotter the better. So please use the crushed chili to your taste. Today I had planned to make scrambled eggs. But I thought, how boring. I scrambled around in the fridge and found small sweet bell peppers, of red, yellow, and green along with some spinach. Great start!

Spinach Omelet for Two. 1/4 Sweet yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 Sweet green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 Sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup spinach leaves
1 cup enchilada sauce (Homemade preferably, but canned works also)
2 tsp Olive oil (If you can find it Tuscan Herb)
1 tsp Hot sauce --Whatever your favorite is
1 tsp crushed chili
Salt and pepper to taste
5 - 6 eggs beat with a bit of enchilada sauce

Add 1 tsp of olive oil to small sauce pan along with the veggies--not spinach, add salt and pepper to taste, crushed chili, and your favorite hot sauce. Cook until tender. Add about 1/8 cup enchilada sauce. Let simmer on low.

Add 1 tsp of olive oil to large fry pan or two small omelet pans, warm to medium heat. Add beaten eggs evenly over the pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Let cook until it is beginning to look firm. Spread spinach leaves all over. Let cook until firm, scoop almost all veggies onto one side. Continue to cook, turn to low.

Add Enchilada sauce to the rest of the veggies and bring to beginning to bubble, then turn to low.

Once the eggs look firm all the way through, use a spatula on one side and edge over so that the omelet is folded. If you used one large fry pan, as I did, you'll have to cut in half, then slip each onto the plate. Cover with the enchilada sauce and serve with tortilla's or toast.

Cheesy spicy baked potatoes

I know today is St. Patty's day, so I probably should have posted something like corn beef and cabbage. However, potatoes are big in Ireland, so I think it will do!

Cheesy spicy baked potatoes Two servings
2 med. russet potatoes thinly sliced
1/4 jalapeno chopped
1 lg clove shallot chopped
2 lg cloves garlic chopped
1/4 lb grated white cheese of your choice (gouda, etc)
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees. If you have them use 18 oz ovenware dishes. One potato for each. Chop everything and mix in a bowl. Add 1 tsp oil to the bottom of each dish. Takes about three layers. Put first layer of potato slices, then a thin slice of butter spoon/sprinkle the chopped veggies, then grated cheese. Then repeat. Salt and pepper and then add the last of the cheese on top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.