one of those Cooking Families....

This is my Dad:

He loves to cook.



Dad has long been retired, but during my growing up years, Dad was a fireman with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It was standard procedure for all the guys at the fire station to take turns cooking, but he enjoyed cooking so much that he always ended up taking all the turns and doing all the cooking. My (ex)Father-in-law was also a fireman and used to tell stories about how a lot of the guys would try to transfer to whichever station Dad was working at the time, not just because his cooking was legendary, but because then they wouldn't ever have to cook!


And, for the last 20 or so years, my parents have cooked regularly at their church for all kinds of groups, big and small, sometimes for as many as 200 people. They are the first ones asked when someone needs food prepared for their gathering.


Yes,we are one those "Cooking Families".

You know what I mean....one of those families that are all about food: cooking and eating and recipes, and everything that goes along with it.....

Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about:

1. Youngest Son is an Executive Chef (see here)


2. Oldest Son is not a chef, but would happily be one if his current career quit working out (see here)


3. Daughter and I are always looking for a reason to plan a menu or try a bunch of new recipes (see here)

4. We have an annual Family Chili Cook-off (see here)


5.We have a Family Cookbook that has had 3 updates over the years (see here)

6. Even all the Grandkids love to spend time in the kitchen (see here, here, and here)

(Dad teaching a cooking class at church a long, long time ago!)

Dad recently shared this recipe with me:

It had all the qualities I look for lately with my current healthy eating plan so I gave it a try, making these minor changes:

I used sugar-free maple syrup

I used Lawry's seasoned pepper and garlic powder since I didn't have Montreal Seasoning.

I added 1/4 of a small onion and put the onion and apple in the food processor so it would be finely minced

TA-DA! Yummy Sausage patties....and healthy, too! I made the first one off the grill pan into a burger on an Oroweat Sandwich Thin, with honey mustard and sugar-free apricot jam.
DELICIOUS!! You were right Dad...this one's a keeper! I've already added it to the current cookbook update.

The other night, Daughter-in-Law was looking through the Family Cookbook for something quick and easy to make for dinner and chose one of Dad's recipes that we hadn't tried before.

TEXAS TWO-STEP CHICKEN PICANTE

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 cups Pace Picante sauce (12 oz)

3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard (she use honey mustard)

3 cups hot cooked rice

Place chicken in 2 qt. shallow baking dish. Mix picante, sugar and mustard and pour over chicken. bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over rice.

Wow Dad! What a great dish! I loved it! Your recipe is from the original edition of our cookbook from about 12 years ago and I can't believe I'd never tried it before! This one is going into the regular rotation at our house from now on.......

Thanks Dad! .....and keep all those good recipes coming!!!