The Daily Rush

6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 to 3 pounds round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into cubes
3 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
¼ teaspoon each: dill, chives, parsley, sweet basil, dry mustard
1 cup water
1 tablespoon grape jelly
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in ½ cup water

Place cubed meat in slow-cooker crockery pot. Mix the rest of ingredients
together, stirring well and pour over meat. Stir again well to coat all. Cover with
lid and cook on low setting for 5 to 7 hours, or until meat is very tender. Serve
the meat and sauce on rolls. (Can shred the meat if desired.)

RUSH HOUR TIP… using dark brown sugar in your recipes adds depth and a nice caramelizing flavor to sauces and glazes.

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
4 stalks celery, cut in 1/2
1/2 large onion, quartered
2 cups water
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, to be divided
1 tablespoon garlic pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

Place vegetables in bottom of slow cooker. Add water, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, and the garlic pepper. Place chicken on top of vegetables and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of Italian seasoning and the red wine vinegar. Cook on high for 1 hour and low for 4 to 6 hours. Or cook on low setting only, for 6 to 8 hours.

8 ounces elbow macaroni
2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
4 Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning. Chop tomatoes into bite-size chunks and stir to coat in oil mixture. Drain pasta and toss with tomato mixture. Add cheese and toss until just melted. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

This simple recipe is a “reader’s favorite” and goes over well with kids too. Be prepared-they will likely request seconds!1(16 ounce) package penne pasta
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup Mexican-style cheese, shredded
1 container part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces pepperoni sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Spray a 9 x 13 -inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk eggs lightly. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drain pasta and add to mixture, tossing to coat. Transfer mixture to baking dish. Bake at 375º for 25 minutes or until edges are golden. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb. lean ground chuck
1 medium onion chopped
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (I use 2, love that garlic!)
2 cans (15 ounce) Hunts tomato Sauce
1 can (15 ounce) Hunts Tomato Sauce with Basil and Oregano
1 small can (6 ounce) Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
3 tablespoons light Brown Sugar
16 ounces pasta

Brown beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Drain. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT tomato paste and let simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Check for consistency - if you like a thicker sauce add paste by spoonful to reach desired consistency. (I add the whole can at this point in the cooking process.) If you add paste, stir and let simmer another 10 minutes. Sample. it should be delicious! If you like a sweeter sauce, add one more tablespoon of light brown sugar. Serve

Note: Although we only have a family of 3 and my daughter is going through her anti-sketti-sauce phase, I still make the full batch and sometimes even double it! This freezes easily and keeps for 3 months. Simply transfer from freezer the night before and then reheat in a saucepan. You can add fresh green peppers, mushrooms, garden tomatoes… to jazz up the sauce to your liking.

6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 (3 pound) chicken, left whole
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, sliced
2 celery stalks, with leaves, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ to 1 teaspoon crushed basil
½ cup water, chicken broth or white wine
Put vegetables in bottom of slow cooker. Salt and pepper the chicken and put
on top of the vegetables. Pour in the ½ cup liquid and sprinkle with basil. Cover
with lid and cook on low setting 7 to 10 hours (or 3 to 4 hours on high setting,
adding another ½ cup liquid). Carefully remove chicken from the crockerystyle
pot using a spatula and place on serving platter Strain remaining cooking
juices and make gravy.

4 to 6 servings

1 to 1-1/2 pounds boned sirloin steak, cut into 1/4 -inch thick strips
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 cups sliced bok choy
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
3 tablespoons *low-sodium soy sauce (I like to substitute-in 1 tablespoon of Oyster Sauce, although the recipe as written does not call for it)
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine beef and garlic in a bowl, cover and chill for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat a nonstick skillet, coated with cooking spray over medium-heat until hot. Add beef and sauté 5 minutes or until beef is done. Remove beef from pan and keep warm. Combine bok choy and green onions in same skillet; sauté for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; simmer 3 minutes more, or until thickened slightly. Mix meat back into pan and serve.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve with plenty of fluffy steamed rice or cellophane noodles. (To cook cellophane noodles, just follow directions on the package. You can find cellophane noodles in the oriental section of your market.)