“In college, my best friend, Alvin, was the cultural programmer in one of the dorms. He asked me to help out with a cooking class by making a variety of dishes from different countries. I made these, Kathy’s Jumbo Stuffed Shells, and some other things that I can’t remember now.” – April Ferre
Heat oil in fry pan. Fry corn tortillas for a few seconds on one side. Remove to cutting board. In center, place come chicken, black beans, onion, and cheese. Roll up enchilada and place in 9×13-inch baking dish. Be sure to do these steps quickly after tortilla is removed from fry pan or you will be unable to roll up the enchilada. Repeat for remaining enchiladas.
Pour over enchilada sauce and top with remaining cheese, olives and green onion. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.
“The main dish served at Delandy’s send off to her medical career. We are so proud and happy for Delandy as she works towards a career she has wanted for so long, but we will all miss her terribly. The Shacklett Lab will not be the same without her.” – April Ferre
Cook noodles as directed on macaroni & cheese package, drain noodles in colander.
Microwave chili until hot.
In empty pan combine milk and dry cheese from package until smooth.
Add back the noodles and add heated chili. Serve.
Notes
You will not need the butter called for on the Mac & cheese box. There is enough grease in the chili to compensate. If box calls for a different amount of milk then use that amount.
“I use to be able to make this from memory by taste. But with my allergies, I can’t make it any more. The first time I made it for my husband, he was impressed at how much meat was in the sauce. It’s thick and hearty and makes pasta into a main entree.” – Calla Ferre
“Macaroni and Cheese that comes in a box or from the freezer isle is so chocked full of preservatives and artificial colors and other things that aren’t that great for you. About half way through, I usually regret it, but then Mac and Cheese is a quintessential comfort food. So I developed this homemade version based on a simple white sauce and adding lots of cheese and a bit of garlic. Make only what you can eat in one sitting because it does not reheat well.” – April Ferre
In small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup milk to lukewarm over low heat. Remove from heat, whisk in cornstarch until incorporated. Return to heat and add 1 cup grated cheese. Heat and stir mixture until smooth.
Add remaining milk; combine. Stir in remaining cheese. Mix until smooth. Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Continue heating until hot.
Combine macaroni and sauce in bowl and serve immediately. Makes approximately 1 1/2 Cup sauce. Makes 1 to 2 servings.
“My Mom makes the best pot roast! Somehow, it took awhile for us to realize the recipe wasn’t in our cookbook, so this recipe is a lot older than 2017.” – April Ferre
Remove any visible fat from sides of meat. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown meat in deep frying pan that has been heated with olive oil in it. Brown well; dark brown, but not black. The darker brown will help color your gravy. At this point you have to decide if you are cooking on the stove top or in the oven. Both end up with equally good results.
If cooking on the stove top:
Add water to near the top of the fry pan, it does not need to cover the meat. Cover meat with chopped onion, half on top and half on sides in water. Chances are you will need at least one full onion, maybe one and a half for a 3 to 4 pound piece of meat. You can vary the amount of onion to your own taste.
Before adding bay leaves, break in a couple of places to help release oils. Bay leaves will be removed before serving, so for easier removal break in a manner so that the vein of the leaf remains intact.
Simmer with pan covered until done, there is no need to turn meat over. Watch to make sure pan does not go dry. Allow enough water to evaporate to make room for adding vegetables.
When meat is done it will be very tender and nearly ready to fall apart. This should take approximately 3 hours. Time will vary according to size and thickness of meat.
If cooking in the oven:
Place meat in a 9×13-inch pan (use a smaller pan if roast is small.) Choose a pan that allows for roast and just enough room to have vegetables placed around it and so that the liquid needed to cook does not dilute juices that will be used for gravy.
Then proceed with adding water to the pan and add ingredients the same as if done in a fry pan. When adding water keep in mind you will be adding vegetables, so do not over fill. Not much, in any, water will evaporate when cooking in oven. Remember, you do not need to cover the meat with water. Cover pan with foil during cooking.
For both methods:
Half way through cooking, add carrots and potatoes. Do not over load pan with carrots; cook only the amount that you will be using. Too many carrots will change the taste of the gravy. Use baby carrots or cut whole carrots to this approximate size. Small potatoes can be left whole, but larger ones should be halved or quartered.
You will need to watch carrots and potatoes so that they do not over cook. If vegetables are done before meat, remove from the pan. These can be added back to reheat when meat is done or reheated in the microwave before serving.
Before serving, remove bay leaves and discard. Remove meat and vegetables and place on a serving platter.
Thicken juices with flour or cornstarch to make gravy. If using cornstarch for thickening (making this a gluten free meal) then add a splash of milk to make gravy look more traditional.
“I developed this recipe to suit our low carb diet, and still be able to enjoy a good meatloaf. The secret is in using celery instead of bread crumbs.” – Calla Ferre
“You don’t even taste the celery in this.” – April Ferre
Mix together Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, salt, catsup and eggs in heavy duty mixer. Add onion and celery, mix well. Add ground beef and beat hard until light. Remove any fibrous material from beater and discard.
Add mushrooms and stir to combine. Shape into loaf and place in loaf pan. Top with bacon. May be prepared the day before. Drain any liquids that accumulate overnight.
Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet on middle rack of oven. Bake at 375 degrees until nicely browned on top and knife inserted in center runs clear, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Part way into cooking, start draining liquid that accumulates. A turkey baster works well to accomplish this.
