The Lonely Cowgirl’s Cookbook

  This new creation of mine was inspired by a lizard actually!  I have recently adopted a bearded dragon and their diet consists of mostly greens.  So to use up some collard greens I made this creation and it is absolutely DELICIOUS!  You can use any greens you want like kale, spinach, whatever.  I just happen to have an over abundance of collard greens. Ingredients: 1/2 lb baby red potatoes quartered (about 7 or 8) 3 links of hot italian sausage baked in water bath 4oz white button mushrooms sliced 1/2 yellow onion diced 1 1/2 cups collard greens ripped into two inch pieces 2 cloves garlic minced 4 cups chicken broth (I love Better than Bouillon) 1/2 cup milk 1 TB all purpose flour 1 TB butter 1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried) 1-2 TB or more as needed Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt and pepper to taste I bake the sausage ahead of time. Preheat oven to 350.  I like glass baking dishes and I place three links in an 8"X 8" glass baking dish with water to fill the bott...

    Again, another delicious dish I don't need a recipe for because it is forever burned into my brain. I used to work at an Italian restaurant but sadly this was not a dish I got to make there.  I did however make many other things.  I learned over the years how to make a delicious Italian stuffed shell on my own. I was originally inspired by Carlos Italian Restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine.  I was born in Bar Harbor and that is where all my family was from.  I have many fond memories of going to this restaurant with my Mother and Grandmother and this was where I discovered stuffed shells and I forever love them!  I was vegetarian back then so if you wanted this dish to be vegetarian simply leave out the sausage maybe adding a delicious veggie of your choice instead maybe broccoli.  The ones I ordered were just plain ricotta with the cheese and egg etc.   These are so delicious!  Bon Appetite! Ingredients: 12 Large pasta shells cooke...

           It's to the point now that I don't even follow a recipe to make this anymore I just know how to make it.  This recent batch came out so damned delicious!  I think it was my best yet.  Haddock chowder is one of my most favorite comfort foods.  I prefer making mine on the stove versus in a slow cooker.  Slow cookers tend to cook it too much to death where on the stove you can control it better on how long it cooks for.  Here's how I made it. Ingredients: 1lb fresh or frozen at sea haddock  4 large golden skinned potatoes peeled, cubed and steamed (not russets!) 1 yellow onion diced (I like a large dice for this as onions tend to disintegrate a little) 1 stick of butter 1/2 gallon whole milk 1/8th cup of all purpose flour  salt and freshly ground pepper to taste In a double boiler or using a steam basket in a pot steam the potatoes for about 10 minutes and set aside. In a large soup pot melt the butt...

      This is a staple in my family handed down from generation to generation.  I have added the technique to this as my family only really wrote recipes as an ingredient list and the techniques were taught to each of us.  My mom always made this with walnuts but none of the family copies of the recipe includes walnuts so I suspect it was an addition that my mother made to the recipe.  I have made this countless times and it is delicious as a breakfast in the morning with butter spread on top.   Ingredients: 2 Cups All purpose Flour 1 Cup Granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 tsp shortening Orange juice 1 egg 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved (note: frozen cranberries are easier to cut) 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a bread pan and set aside. In a one cup measuring cup take the shortening and add enough bo...

     I have been making Thanksgiving meals ever since I was 19.  Over the years I have been repeatedly told I make the best turkey they have ever had, hands down.  I have had other people's turkey at Thanksgiving and I am ever grateful for a meal I did not have to cook, but often find that turkeys I did not cook are extremely dry (please no offense, I am always honored to be a part of someone else's festivities!).  Turkey's don't have to be dry if you are doing it right.        This is my Thanksgiving edition where I will share my secret of a delicious juicy bird no matter how big or small and a few side recipes and even a holiday drink I like to make that is delicious and festive.  These are full sized recipes, you could easily halve them, except the cornbread, you will just have a half a skillet cornbread left over for eating.   The Turkey The basic rule of thumb for roasting a turkey is 20-25 minutes per pound.  I surpr...

 Today's culinary adventure was to make a batch of everything bagels.  I haven't made any in years because I can never eat bread fast enough.  I discovered though that breads can be frozen and keep for months and take them out and defrost just what you need a night or day ahead of time it still tastes just as fresh as when it was frozen. I like breakfast sandwiches a lot so I figured I can switch it up every now and then and have a bagel instead of my normal healthy cereal.  This recipe makes eight bagels.  If you want to make more simply make another dough recipe.  This is definitely not a recipe you want to double, it will overwhelm your mixer. If you want plain bagels simply just use the egg wash only and bake.  Or you can make them onion, garlic or salt bagels, whatever you like. I am hoping to make a batch of cheddar bagels next.  I will be adding 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded cheddar when starting to mix the flour into the yeast mixture.  An...