Brown Sugar Kielbasa Sauce

I chose not to take a picture of this.  Truth be told, the kielbasa was eaten before I had a chance.... I was hesitant to make this recipe because it uses fresh onion.  (not my favorite food)  I have to say,  the sauteed onion makes the sauce... it adds just the right amount of flavor.  One recipe coats two packages of kielbasa.   My husband said that he likes this better then the chili sauce and red currant jelly recipe that I have been using for years.  (this is just as easy to make)  Enjoy!


1/2 onion sliced very thin
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup ketchup
1/3-1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

• Saute onion in butter until very soft
• Add ketchup, brown sugar and worcestershire sauce
• Cook on simmer until thickened
• Add kielbasa and cook through

-Queenie Cuisine

Stew Beef with Gravy

 I had a package of stew meat in the freezer, and to be quite honest,  my husband is the only one who likes beef stew.  (besides, it's almost summertime)  I only had one can of cream of mushroom soup, so I decided to make my own.  (recipe to follow)  Most canned cream soups have over 800 milligrams of sodium... mine has none.  there was no reason to add extra salt, since the onion soup mix had plenty. There is plenty of gravy to support 2 lbs of meat.   Easy to make, and quite tasty!  -Kid Approved!


1 to 2 lbs bite sized stew meat
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or see my recipe below)
1 package onion soup mix  (I find store brands have less sodium)

• Place meat in a 1  1/2 quart casserole dish
• Add soup mix and cream of mushroom soup
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 ro 2  1/2 hours. (until meat is very tender)
• Serve with rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes.  (Have rolls on hand to sop up the gravy.)

Cream Of Mushroom Soup  21.5 oz (2 cans)

2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 cup milk
1  8 oz package sliced mushrooms

• Melt butter, add flour and mix until lumps are gone
• Add broth and milk, and stir until bubbly
• Simmer.  Add mushrooms, and stir until mushrooms are soft

-Queenie Cuisine

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Sweet and Herby Shrimp Marinade

Yours truly, Queenie Cuisine is back from her long hiatus, and I am back with a vengeance!  What a better time to cook then during Memorial Day weekend?  This marinade is a delicious combination of sweet  and spicy.  (not hot spicy,  but basil and oregano spicy)  In case you are wondering,  that is my husband's foot at the bottom right hand corner of the picture.  (I have yet to learn photoshop)      ENJOY!


1 lb raw shrimp
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup ground pepper
1 teaspoon basil (condiment)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

• Clean and devein shrimp, place in a bowl
• Mix together paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, basil and brown sugar, pour over shrimp and mix
• Cover and refrigerate for 2+ hours
• Turn shrimp over once to cover
• Grill for 5 minutes on each side, or until shrimp turns orange
• Serve immediately

-Queenie Cuisine

Queenie's Barbecue Sauce

No picture taken.  Just use with Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs.  Mmmmmmmm!

2 cups ketchup

1 cup brown sugar

8 drops hot sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 minced garlic clove

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Ground pepper

• Mix all ingredients in a medium size sauce pan
• Bring to boil
• Spread on ribs!

-Queenie Cuisine

Raisin Sauce

Tonight, I am  making what I fondly refer to as "Chunk and Clunk", or Ham Loaf  (December 2012, under Pork)  Upon hearing our menu, my husband said that he would enjoy Chunk and Clunk with some nice raisin sauce.  Well, here it is,  easy to make, tangy and sweet.  Hubby, this one's for you!




1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1  1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

• In a medium sauce pan, mix all ingredients together
• Add water, raisins, vinegar and lemon
• Boil for 2 minutes, until thickened
• Melt butter and mix

-Queenie Cuisine

Peanutty Caramel Sauce for Chicken

I decided not to take a picture of this, because I used thin chicken cutlet strips.  The picture didn't do the sauce justice.  I like this sauce because it is slightly sweet and nutty.... a delicious combination!  This would be good to serve over rice!


1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons wine vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• In a large skillet, over medium heat, add all ingredients until melted
• Simmer for 10 minutes
• 1 tablespoon of sauce with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a cup (add more if you want it thicker)
• Add to sauce and mix
• Stir continually until thickened
• Serve immediately

-Queenie Cuisine

Easy Chicken Brine

I am back to listening to my audiobooks about a caterer who solves mysteries.  "Goldy"  placed her chicken in brine, so I had follow suit.   The hardest thing about this recipe was finding a container large enough that would still fit in my refrigerator.  Once cooked, the chicken was tender and flavorful....mmmmm!!


One gallon of brine is enough for a 6 lb whole chicken or bone in chicken pieces, or up to 10 lbs of boneless chicken breasts.

1 gallon warm water
3/4 cup Kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil

• Pour water into a container that will hold twice the amount of volume
• Pour in salt, sugar, soy sauce and olive oil
• Stir until all ingredients are dissolved
• Allow the brine to cool to room temperature
• Place chicken in the brine (I kept the skin on, and removed it after cooking.  The meat was very flavorful!)
• **Refrigerate two hours for skinless chicken, 4 hours for bone-in pieces, and 4 hours to overnight for whole chickens
• Drain and pat dry chicken before cooking
• (I kept some brine and basted the chicken a couple of times during cooking)

-Queenie Cuisine

**This recipe is from allrecipes.com**

Homemade Strawberry Jam

I had only made jam once in my life.  The first time was with my mother.  We made blueberry jam to help fill Christmas baskets.  I don't know what we did, but the jam came out like large blocks of hard candy.  This time,  I recruited a friend of mine.  She is an experienced jam maker.  The recipe we used comes from a Ball canning cookbook. (Ball Blue Book of Preserving)   Perfect weather for strawberry picking and cooking  The jam came out smooth and creamy. (I was surprised at how easy and quick it was to make!)

Made 9 - 8 oz canning jars 

2 quarts strawberries
1 package powdered pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 cups sugar





Jar preparation:

• Wash jars and 2 piece caps in hot, soapy water, rinse well
• Dry bands and set aside
• Heat jars and lids in a pot and simmer to 180 degrees.  DO NOT BOIL LIDS!
• Jars and lids should remain in hot water until ready for use.  Remove one at a time as needed

Making the Jam:

• Wash strawberries and drain.  Remove stems
• Crush strawberries one layer at a time.  (we used a potato masher)
• Combine Strawberries, powdered pectin and lemon juice in a large saucepan
• Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.  (We used a nonmetallic spatula for stirring)
• Add sugar; stirring until dissolved
• Return to a rolling boil
• Boil hard 1 minutes, stirring constantly
• Remove from heat, skim foam
• Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space
• Adjust two-piece caps
• Boil for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner
• Remove.  (make sure bottle makes a "burping" noise.  (this means that it has sealed properly)
• Let settle for 1 day before opening and eating

-Queenie Cuisine  (It was a lot of fun to make!)

Marinara Sauce

Yum,  homemade marinara sauce!  Quick and easy to make!  I used Del Monte Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes with no added salt.
Not sour or to sweet, perfect to add to ravioli or pasta.






2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 small onion, chopped
1 minced garlic clove
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh basil (fresh from my window box)
1 teaspoon salt
1  14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1  6 oz can tomato paste

• In a 2 quart sauce pan, over medium-low heat, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender
• Stir in sugar, basil, salt, tomatoes in their liquid and tomato paste.  Heat until boiling
• Reduce heat to low, cover saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes, breaking up tomatoes and stirring occasionally.

-Queenie Cuisine

Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

OK, once again,  this picture was taken after considerable wine consumption.  As before, since these were baked and not fried, they do not have the same crunch as what you would find at a Chinese restaurant .  Regardless, these were very tasty along with the sweet and sour sauce. (shown at the bottom of this page)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups savoy cabbage, chopped

2 cups shredded carrots

2 cups bean sprouts

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 can chopped water chestnuts

2 tablespoons sliced green onion

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon corn starch

1/4 cup water

14 egg roll wrappers

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat
• Add cabbage, sprouts, carrots, chestnuts and ginger and cook
• Stir frequently until vegetables begin to wilt, but still remain crispy 9 about (4 to 5 minutes)
• Mix the corn starch with the water and mix thoroughly
• Add the corn starch mixture and soy sauce to the pan along with the green onions
• Cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens
• Remove from heat and let cool
• Place 2 tablespoons of the cooled mixture on the center of the egg roll wrap
• Fold the bottom up over the filling
• Next, fold the two sides over, making it look like an envelope, then roll it up like a burrito
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray
• Place the egg rolls on the sheet (making it look like an envelope) and then spray the top of the egg roll with cooking spray
• Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, then turn them over
• Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown

In case you are wondering, that is not my finger.  My friend thought it would add to interest to the picture.  This sauce is quick and easy.  It tastes just as good as what you would get in a store or restaurant; all with out preservatives.

Each recipe makes 1 cup.


1/4 cup sugar or lightly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

• Combine sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar and water in a small sauce pan
• Bring to a near boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar
• Give the corn starch a stir and then add to the pan
• Continue cooking, stirring for about 15 seconds, or until the sauce comes to a full boil and thickens
• Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl
• Set aside for 10 minutes to cool 

-Queenie Cuisine

Cheese Ravioli with Browned Butter Sauce

I didn't know what to make my husband for dinner tonight.  I had a good brand of frozen cheese ravioli, so I added this brown butter sauce.   Serves 1 or 2 

2 tablespoons butter
1/3 clove minced garlic
2 teaspoons total of fresh basil, sage, oregano and parsley (I used some dried, it worked)
2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese (you can use Romano or Asiago also)
Ground pepper to taste

• In a medium sauce pan, combine garlic and butter.  Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted.  
• Cook until butter is lightly browned
• Remove from heat and stir in herbs and pepper
• Drizzle sauce over cooked ravioli, sprinkle with cheese

Finished!

-Queenie Cuisine

Beef Ravioli in Cream Basil Sauce

The ravioli may be frozen, but the sauce is delish!  This meal is easy to make, and certainly beats regular jarred tomato sauce.

1 24 oz package frozen beef ravioli

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 lb sliced mushrooms

3  chopped green onions (I used less, we are not an oniony kind of family)

2 minced garlic cloves

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 10 oz can diced mild tomatoes and green chilies, drained.  (I did not use the can with chilies)

2 tablespoons fresh basil

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt. (I did without)

• Prepare ravioli in a large Dutch oven according to package directions;  drain and keep warm
• Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms and next 3 ingredients;  saute over medium high heat for 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.  Stir in diced tomatoes and green chilies, basil and cream; bring to a boil.  reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally  5 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan cheese; add salt.  Stir in ravioli and toss. 

 Buon Appetito

-Queenie Cuisine