The Brighton's Kitchen

Cheese Biscuits

2011-11-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

This started as a basic biscuit recipe, but what isn't better with cheese?! We were shooting for something similar Red Lobster's "Cheddar Bay Biscuits." (I have looked at several knockoff recipes, and it's the after-cooking butter mix that seems to be the secret ingredient.)
I have tried grating the cheese and also cutting it into cubes. As the photo shows, the cubes will melt and make little holes in the biscuits... I usually prefer grated cheese, but the bigger cubes do make a stronger cheese flavor, so experiment and see what you like.
This recipe is good for plain biscuits too.

3 c white flour (with the cheese this recipe is not very wheat flour friendly)
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cream of tartar (you can technically skip this, but if you have it do use it, it helps with fluffiness)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c lard or room temperature butter (or you can substitute in part bacon grease, but if you do that be sure to add it with the liquid part)
1 1/2 c milk or buttermilk (or milk with 1Tbs of lemon juice in it)
1 egg (optional)
1 - 1 1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated or chopped into little cubes
OPTIONAL
For that really Red Lobster touch, melt 2 Tbs butter and put in 1-3 tsp garlic powder and 3/4-1 tsp dried oregano. (I like lots of garlic and not much oregano, adjust for your tastes.) Use a pastry brush to put it on the biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven, OR take them out a couple of minutes before they are done cooking and brush it on and then put them back in for the last few min.

Preheat oven to 450.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Cut in the solid fat (lard or butter) until all is consistently crumbly.
Add liquid ingredients all at once, and stir with a fork just until moistened.
Stir in cheese.

Put in blobs on a baking sheet (just like cookies). If you have parchment paper that is really nice because otherwise the cheese will often melt out and stick to the pan.
Bake at 450 for 10ish minutes.

Potato Soup (Zuppa de Toscana)

2011-11-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

In its original incarnation this recipe was chopped potatoes with some hot dogs thrown in, but after an inspiring visit to Olive Garden my husband suggested putting in pork sausage instead of hot dogs, and the rest is history... I'm pretty sure that everyone who has tried this soup loves it.
Don't scrimp on the salt. It needs it. Potatoes absorb a lot of salt. Using sausage helps, but you'll still need more.

serves about 6

6 large potatoes, cut into 1/2in cubes (peel them first if you use russets, but you can leave part or all of the skins on if you use reds or golds)
1/2-1 onion, chopped little
1 lb ground pork sausage (actually 3/4 is plenty, but they come in 1lb portions usually...and it works)
salt and pepper
parsley (fresh is good in little sprigs, or use about 1Tbs of dried flakes)

Put the cut up potatoes and onions in a large saucepan, with just enough water to cover them. Boil them until they are soft (adding water as needed).
Meanwhile, cook up the pork sausage. When it is cooked through, set aside on a paper towel to let some of the grease come off (it's good if it's still a bit greasy though).
Return to the potatoes etc and drain off some of the water (leaving just a cup or so in the pan). Put in the sausage. Add milk to cover, and warm it on low or med-low heat but don't allow it to boil (milk gets ikky if it's boiled). Add salt (start with at least 2 tsp) and pepper. Use a potato masher to smash around in there until about half of the potato chunks are pulverized. That will give a nice thick consistency to the soup, while still having good chunks to chew on.
Add parsley.

Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley if you like.

Taco Cassarole

2011-10-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

We had nearly a pound of leftover taco meat (we'd had friends over and mis-estimated how much we would need), and since it was seasoned I couldn't really use it for anything with a different flavor palate... so I invented this. It was a big hit.
Tastes like tacos!!

Makes a 9x13 pan.
about 20-25min prep time + 15-20min of baking time

1 pound or so of ground meat
2ish cups uncooked rice (I did a mix of white and brown, it made about 5c cooked)
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes (or 1qt home canned)
1/2 onion, chopped small
1 can black beans (or pinto) (or about 1-2 cups cooked dry beans)
chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder salt and pepper or taco seasoning
about 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

If you are cooking your own beans instead of using canned, you will need to prepare them ahead of time since they take hours to cook.
Put the dry rice in a pan with the tomatoes and their juice, and add enough water for cooking (I don't measure, I just pour in water about twice as high as the rice, then let it simmer with the lid off and check it every couple of minutes, stir it, and add more water if it ever runs low).
While the rice is cooking, brown the meat with the seasoning. You can add the onions if you like them cooked. Drain off the grease. Set aside.
As the rice is getting nearly done, add the tomato sauce and mix it in.
Put the cooked rice, meat, onions (if they're not with the meat), beans, and half of the cheese into a 9x13 baking dish, and mix them all up. You can add additional seasoning if you like (I put in about 1 Tbs garlic powder, 1 Tbs chili powder, 1 Tbs cumin, and 1/2-3/4 tsp salt and just a little pepper).
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and bake at 350 until everything is warm and melted--about 15-20 minutes.

Basic Biscuits

2011-10-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

There is a cheese biscuit version of this recipe as well...this is the plain versionYou can make them with plain white flour of course, but I like putting in a little wheat because it makes them heartier.

3 c flour (I usually do 2 white 1 wheat)
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cream of tartar (you can technically skip this, but if you have it do use it, it helps with fluffiness)
1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c lard or room temperature butter (or you can substitute in part bacon grease, but if you do that be sure to add it with the liquid part)
*1 1/2 c milk or buttermilk (or milk with 1Tbs of lemon juice in it)

1 egg (optional)

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Cut in the solid fat (lard or butter) until all is consistently crumbly.
Add liquid ingredients all at once, and stir with a fork just until moistened.

*Put in blobs on a baking sheet (just like cookies). If you have parchment paper that is really nice because the cheese can melt out and stick to the pan.
Bake at 450 for 10ish minutes.

*If you prefer to do rolled and cut out biscuits instead of drop biscuits, reduce the milk to 1c, roll out the dough 3/4 inch thick and cut out in rounds, and bake for 12-15 minutes...otherwise the recipe is the same.

Granola

2011-09-03T00:57:00.000-07:00

Take this recipe as a guideline...I have indicated things that I adapt, but honestly I do it a little differently every time, and I don't usually measure very carefully... I've been complimented on this granola many times. Enjoy!
Oh, and use a big bowl. A really really big bowl. Or do a half recipe.

14 cups of rolled grain (the original says 8 cups oat and 6 of wheat, but I usually do more like 10 oat and then a little barley, rye, wheat, whatever I have around. If you can't have gluten, you can do this with all gluten-free grains!)
2 c untoasted wheat germ (or not, if you don't have it or can't do gluten if you don't do it, then do the higher amounts of coconut and/or nuts)
2-3 c shredded coconut (do the larger amount if you don't do the wheat germ, or add nuts)
1-2 c nuts if desired (I like doing sliced or slivered almonds. You can also add them at the end, but I like them to get coated in all the good stuff...)
1 T salt (yes that's a tablespoon)
1 1/4 c brown sugar

Mix dry ingredients together. Then pour the following over the top.

1 c oil (I strongly recommend coconut oil--melt it before pouring it in)
1 c water
1/2 c honey
1 T vanilla

Mix the liquids into the dry ingredients until all flakes are moistened and separated. (It will seem like it's not enough liquid, but just keep stirring, it will work out I promise!) Spread the granola onto 2 cookie sheets and bake for 2 hours at 200* or until golden. Stir them every half hour or so to break up the bigger chunks and to make sure it dries out evenly.

If desired, add dried fruit, seeds, nuts, etc. (I prefer to add a cup or two of sliced or slivered almonds with the dry ingredients, so they get coated and toasted.

Store in an airtight container.

Homemade Oreos

2011-06-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a friend, and the frosting was great but the cookie part came out really dry and hard when I made it. So I'll include that original cookie recipe at the bottom (in case you like hard/dry oreos), but the main recipe here is adapted from a different recipe I had before.

Makes about 32-36 cookies (so 16-18 finished oreos)

Chocolate cookies:
3/4 c butter
1 c + 2 Tbs sugar
2 regular eggs (only 1 if extra large)
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder (add with sugar or flour)
Whip butter, add sugar gradually, whipping frequently. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and cocoa and mix well. It will probably seem a bit dry, but keep mixing and it should moisten up. Dough will probably be a bit sticky. You can chill it, but it will probably be firm enough to just roll out right away. Use plenty of flour (I use a pastry brush to brush off excess flour so the cookies stay brown rather than white). Roll 1/4 inch thick and cut into 2 inch rounds. Bake at 350 for 10ish minutes.

Cream filling:
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c powdered sugar
Whip together until light and very fluffy. Pipe onto one cookie and put another on top.
Alternately, use a little cream cheese in place of (or in addition to) the butter. The batch in the photo I made part plain frosting, then added some strawberry cream cheese to the other half and made strawberry oreos, which is why the ones on the left are pink. They were fantastic. ☺

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original chocolate cookies:
1/2 c soft butter
1/2 c confectioners sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder (dark is best)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c flour
Cream butter until fluffy, add the sugar and mix well. Add the cocoa and vanilla and mix well.
Work in the flour until dough is soft but not too sticky. Knead lightly and chill for 40 minutes.
Dust chilled dough lightly with flour, then roll out 1/4 inch thick between two pieces of wax paper. Cut into 2 inch rounds. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min. Cool.

Bread Pudding

2011-04-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

I have never been fond of soggy bread, so the idea of bread pudding sounded simply awful to me. However, my mother in law made this and I tried it and loved it. Rather than being like soggy bread, as I had feared, it is basically a mild custard (egg-based pudding), and the bread gets absorbed so that it doesn't break up the texture much, but it give it some body and stability.
My mother in law gave me the tip that it is best to use two different types of bread, half of each. She usually uses one white (such as a buttermilk bread) and the other a cinnamon raisin, such as SaraLee's cinnamon swirl loaf. I really like using the cinnamon raisin bread, it rounds out the pudding nicely.

makes a 9x13 pan

about 8 slices of bread
4 eggs
1 c sugar (use 3/4 c if you use a sweet bread such as the cinnamon raisin)
4 c whole milk, cream, half&half, or some combination of them (you could use any milk, but fattier milks will obviously make a nicer pudding)
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon, nutmeg, or cinnamon-sugar to sprinkle on top.

Preheat oven to 350.
Put the eggs in a bowl and mix them with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. (If you have a stand mixer set them going while you do the bread, otherwise really do set a timer and mix them for the full five minutes. It makes a much smoother nicer pudding.)
Tear or cut the bread into chunks and spread it around in the pan, about two layers deep. Don't pack it tight, just drop it all in there. If you use two kinds of bread, mix them up. The pieces don't need to be bite-sized, because they will break easily once they've been soaked and cooked, so big chunks are fine.

Set the pan aside, and go back to the eggs. Add sugar, vanilla, and milk/cream. Beat until mixed. Pour over bread. Poke the bread a little if it floats, so that it all gets soaked. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg over the top (I do plain cinnamon).
Bake for 45-50 minutes. (My mother in law says she has one cookbook that says to do it at 350 and one that says to do it at 325, so if your oven runs hot, try the lower temperature or the shorter time.) The pudding will set up like a custard--when it is done it will be solid on the edges but jiggly in the center of the pan. The bread will rise to the top and make a somewhat crusty top.

really, what's not to love!

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

2011-04-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

A lady from church brought me a mini-loaf of this bread shortly after we moved here. The next month she asked if she could do anything for me and I said YES! I need that recipe!!
The original recipe calls for this to be made in mini-loaves, but it also works well as big muffins. Or probably as regular muffins, I don't know, I don't have a regular-size muffin pan. ☺ They have the pumpkin pie spices, so they have a flavor much like pumpkin pie, thus the name. Also a lot of sugar, like a pie...but they're kind of amazing so just pretend you didn't notice how much sugar there was, or use whole wheat flour to make up for it, or something!

[no picture, but they really don't look like anything special...they just taste fabulous!]

3 cups flour
2 Tbs pumpkin pie spice (3 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp ginger, 3/4 tsp nutmeg, 3/4 tsp allspice)
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 c sugar
1 15oz can pumpkin (2 cups)
4 large eggs
1 c vegetable oil (feel free to do this a little shy...)
1/2 c water (if you use home-processed pumpkin, which is much less dense/more watery than the stuff from a can, then leave out the water.)

Combine flour, spice, soda, and salt. Set aside. (Or you can cheat like me and not mix these up in advance...)
Combine sugar and pumpkin, beat. Add eggs, oil, and water. Beat until just blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture. Stir until moistened.
Makes about 5 mini-loaves, or 15 jumbo muffins (about 30 regular muffins I think).

Bake at 350* for 50-60 min for mini loaves
Bake at 350* for 30 min for jumbo muffins
Bake at 375* for 16-25 min for regular muffins (I haven't done this size, I'm estimating...start with 16 and then start checking them!)

Cream Cheese "Blondies"

2011-03-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

My husband called these 'blondies' because they look like brownies, only they're blond...
They are sortof naughty, because they start with a cake mix...I very rarely bake with premade mixes like that. But these are so yummy, and worth the exception. (Or, if you're resourceful, you could probably figure out how to make a from-scratch 'cake mix' and use that!) Since cake mixes come in gluten-free varieties, this recipe can easily be adapted for that.

Base layer:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
2 eggs
Mix together. It will be pretty thick, like cookie dough. Press it evenly across the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.

Top layer (frosting):
8 oz (on package) soft cream cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
3ish cups powdered sugar (a little more if it seems thin)
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and eggs and mix well. Gradually add the powdered sugar. It should be about the consistency of frosting--very easily spreadable, but not thin enough to pour. Spread it over the base layer in the pan.

Bake at 325 for about an hour.

Fish (or Chicken) with Veggies & Green Sauce

2011-03-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

I couldn't decide what to call this so I enlisted the help of some facebook friends. They suggested "Halibut Fishatore," "Pesce Verde" and, inevitably, we wound up at "Green Fish." Call it what you like, it's yummy!
I had thawed some halibut to make another dish, but when I got ready to begin cooking I realized I had forgotten one of the parts of the recipe (which involved marinating the fish for two hours prior to cooking!). So I had to scrap that recipe and just threw this together on the spot. It may look a little complicated because it has several parts, but really they are all pretty simple. The only thing that's complicated is the sauce (which can burn), but so long as you keep an eye on it and stir it a lot you should be fine.
For those of you who for whom halibut isn't your 'cheap, always-on-hand' meat, you can use tilapia or another white fish, or chicken will also work nicely.

Serves about 6
Prep time--about 30-60 min, depending on whether you use canned/frozen veggies, and whether your meat is thawed.

MEAT

About 2-3lbs thawed halibut (or chicken breasts/tenders/pieces)
olive oil
Salt and pepper
Breadcrumbs

Put about 1/4inch of water in the bottom of a baking dish (1/2" if using chicken since it will cook longer). Put the fish in the dish and shake a little olive oil onto the fish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Put in the oven to bake (about 15-20 min for halibut, 30-45 for chicken, depending on size of pieces...just check it periodically)
Once the meat is in, start on the veggies.

VEGGIES

2 potatoes, chopped into 1/2in cubes (peel first if they have tough skins)
3/4 c peas
3/4 c chopped carrots (I used a frozen pea/carrot mix)
other veggies if you prefer (asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, etc)

Put everything in a little water and steam it until soft/warm. (About 7-10 min should be plenty.) Once that's in, make the sauce.

SAUCE (this is a homemade version of Costco's spinach-artichoke-parmesan dip, so you could use theirs, just warm it up and thin it with a little milk...but of course homemade always tastes better)

4Tbs butter
4Tbs flour
salt, pepper, garlic powder (I did about 1/2tsp salt and 1 Tbs garlic powder...I don't measure.)
1 1/2-2 cups of milk (whole is best of course, or cream would be good...)
3/4-1 cup of grated cheese (parmisan is ideal, but I didn't have any so I used monterey jack and it was good)
2/3-3/4c chopped spinach (I used frozen)
1/2-2/3c chopped artichokes (I used canned)

Mix the butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat to make a rue. Be careful not to let it burn! Mix in spices. Slowly add about 1/4c of milk at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the cheese a little at a time, mixing often. Reduce heat to med-low. Add the chopped veggies and mix well. Let it sit on low heat if the other parts are not ready yet, otherwise bring it all to the table and serve immediately.

Serve the meat and veggies side by side, with the sauce poured over the top of everything.
It's pretty much awesome. All my kids liked it and the four-year-old asked for thirds.

Pitas

2011-02-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from ehow here, however it was lacking in specifics (such as how much yeast to use) so here is my modified/improved version. ☺
These are very simple and easy to make, but do require some patience. Plan to start them at least a couple of hours before you want to eat them.

1 cup warm water
1 pk yeast (2ish tsp)
1 tsp salt
2+ cups of flour

Put warm water into the bowl and carefully sprinkle the yeast over the surface, trying to make every grain get wet. Allow to sit for 5 minutes and then stir to dissolve the yeast. (I often let it sit for 10-15 min, just until it's a bit bubbly)
Add 1 tsp. salt to the yeast mixture. You may choose to add herbs at this point to flavor your pita. Mix until well incorporated.

Add 1 cup of flour and mix until batter cascades down the back of a spoon (or just until it's smooth but not terribly thick--you can use a whisk up to this point). Then, carefully mix in about 3/4 c. flour (you'll need to switch to a wooden spoon) until all the four is absorbed.

Gradually add more flour 1/4 c. at a time until dough is no longer sticky. You many have to use your hands at this point.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for about 5 minutes. Pour a small amount of oil into a bowl and toss dough in the bowl until lightly coated. (Really, do this, it's worth it.) Cover bowl and let sit in a warm place free from drafts for about 1 hour or until dough is doubled in size.

Punch down dough and knead a couple of times to work out air bubbles. Divide into 12 equal parts.

Dust each piece with flour and roll into circles about 6 inch diameter and 1/ 8 inch thick. Dust each side with flour again and set aside. Allow rolled dough to rest about 10 minutes.

Do NOT stack up the rolled-out pitas for their 10 minute rest. They will stick to each other like crazy! I just roll out a few at a time, setting them in a row on the counter, and as I cook each one, I roll another and stick it in its spot. DO make sure you make it into a ball before rolling it, otherwise you'll get some really weird shapes...

Heat pan on medium-low to medium heat. Allow to reach full heat before you start cooking.

Back off, don't touch it yet!!

Place a pita round on the skillet. When it begins to bubble, rotate it slightly.

NOW you can flip it!

Allow the pita to puff up completely before turning it over to cook on the other side for a minute.

Cool on wire racks.

Beef & Broccoli (in a crockpot)

2011-01-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

I adapted this recipe from these two here and here (the links show a standard way to make it in a wok, but this is my crockpot version). My biggest complaint about the B&B I've usually gotten is that the beef is tough and chewy. Using a crockpot seemed like the obvious solution for this, and it works beautifully!
The first time I did this I put the broccoli in at the start with the beef and it turned to grey mush. Don't do that! Save it for the end like the directions say. Also, I found that this really only needed to go for about 4-5 hours, but I had put it in too early so ended up putting it on 'warm' for a few hours in the middle of the day to slow the cooking...it worked, but next time I'll just put it in later in the day. So this is not a leave-it-all-day recipe, but it can be put in in the early afternoon. ☺

[my apologies, I forgot to get a photo of this...but it looks awesome I promise!]

Cooktime--about 4-6 hours

Marinade:
1/3 c oyster sauce (don't try to substitute this, it really is the magic ingredient--you can find it in the Asian section of the grocery store)
1 Tbs Asian (toasted) sesame oil
1-2 tsp soy sauce
1/4-1/3 c rice wine vinegar (in the Asian section) OR rice wine OR cooking sherry (the recipes call for the wine/sherry, I didn't have it so I used the rice vinegar and it was fine. You could probably get away with plain white vinegar, but if you cook much Asian you'll want the rice stuff on hand anyway, so just get it!)
1 Tbs cornstarch (or 2 Tbs flour)
2-4 cloves minced garlic (or 1-2Tbs garlic powder)
1 thin slice of ginger root, shredded (or about 1/4 tsp powdered ginger)

3/4-1 lb beef. Ideally steak cut into strips (can be raw or leftover), but you can also use stew meat or pretty much any cut. I don't recommend leftover roast as it will shred rather than staying in nice chunks.
1 smallish onion, cut into strips
1 small head broccoli, cut up (or about 3/4 lb frozen florettes)

Mix up all the ingredients of the marinade. Put beef in the crockpot (I used a 4qt) and pour the sauce over it and stir around until the beef is well coated. Turn on low. After the first couple of hours, check in on it and see if it's getting done. The meat should be all browned though not thoroughly cooked at this point. Stir it around to keep the sauce distributed, and adjust the cooking temperature up to 'high' or down to 'warm' if you think it's going too slow/fast for when you want to serve dinner.
At about 90 min before dinner time, put in the onion and stir it all around.
At about 60 min before dinner time, put in the broccoli (or 40 min for frozen florettes). Stir it all around.

Serve over rice.

Eggnog Pie

2011-01-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from allrecipes but of course I tweaked it a bit.We love this pie. Enjoy!

* 1 1/4 cups white sugar
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups eggnog
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
* 1 (9 inch) pie crust, uncooked (I used a deep dish pan and that was perfect, I think this would be too much filling for a regular 9inch pan)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix the sugar and flour together in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggnog, eggs, and vanilla to make a smooth mixture. Stir in the butter. Pour into the prepared pie crust.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the custard is set, 45 to 60 minutes. (The original recipe says a shorter time, but I had to go this long, and most of the people who commented on the recipe said they had to cook it this long as well.) Yes, the top will get kinda dark, but follow the 'set up' guideline, not the color, and you'll get a good pie.

can you see how flaky that crust is? I'm lovin my coconut oil crusts!

Crockpot Omelet Casserole

2011-01-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

I got this from a cookbook compiled from ladies at church, but I've modified it quite a bit since then. The original recipe was huge, so I've adapted it to serve about 6 people.
This has some 'western' ingredients, and we like them so we just do it this way...however I'm sure it would be good with olives, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, or whatever you like best in an omelet.
I didn't include a photo because the truth is this one isn't very pretty...the eggs especially end up looking quite weird. But it tastes great! It's convenient to be able to put it in before we go to bed, and then have a hearty breakfast waiting for us when we get up. We like to do it for Christmas morning.

2 cups of cubed potatoes (I like using red or gold, with the thin skins, or else peel them. Cut to about 1cm cubes. The original recipe called for using a bag of hash browns, if you do, we like 'country style' best)
1/2-3/4 lb pre-cooked meat (cubed leftover ham, sausage, etc)*
1 medium onion (about 1/2-3/4 c) chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped (about 3/4-1c, I often use frozen strips chopped up)
1-1 1/2 c grated monterey jack cheese
8 eggs
2/3 c milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

*the original recipe calls for ham. This last time we didn't have any though, so I used sausage and it was really good. The spiciness did permeate all the other foods, so the other flavors were not as clear...but it was still good!

I used a 4 qt crockpot

Chop all the ingredients. Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the crockpot, followed by a layer of meat then onions, peppers, and cheese. Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a layer of cheese.
In a separate container, beat the eggs, add the milk, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture around over everything in the crockpot, cover, and turn on low. Cook about 8-10 hours (we find it always gets done in the lesser time).

Pinwheels

2010-12-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

I encountered this idea at a local cafe. It's very simple, and really good! They served the rolls plain, or you could get it sliced in half and get it as a sandwich filled with ham, melted cheese, peppers, onions, and other veggies.
It's a nice food for taking on picnics and sack lunches, because the whole sandwich is rolled into the bun before it's baked--nothing slides apart en route!

Use your favorite roll recipe (not a sweet roll, just a regular dinner roll)
Roll out the dough as though you were going to make cinnamon rolls, but instead of putting in butter and cinnamon and sugar, put in cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, spinach, bits of ham or bacon, or whatever other savory thing strikes your fancy.
I did ham, spinach, and mozzarella in these ones.
Try turkey with cranberry, beef with swiss, or all kinds of veggie combinations!

Fruit Braid

2010-12-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

This recipe is made with dried fruit filling. I got the original recipe from an old issue of "Taste of Home" and it said to use dried apricots. But I didn't have any apricots, and I did have a bulk-sized bag of cranberries, so I made it with cranberry filling instead. It was amazing! I took it to a church ladies function and got lots of compliments on it.

this was the photo from the magazine

this was mine...not quite a pretty, but still awesome!

Preparation time--the actual work is about 20 minutes, but the rise times will add another hour plus, and the cook time is 20-25 minutes.
Yield: 3 braids

BREAD
1 c water
1/2 c butter
3/4 c sugar
5 1/2 or 6 c flour (I used about 1 1/2 c wheat, and needed the lesser amount of flour)
3 packages dry yeast (1 package = 2 1/4 tsp, so that's 6 3/4 tsp needed)
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten

In a mixing bowl, blend the sugar, yeast, salt, and 3 c flour. Set aside. Put the butter and water in a saucepan and heat just until the butter melts (120-130*). (Be sure it doesn't get too hot or you'll kill the yeast!) Add butter mixture to flour mixture and beat just until moistened. Add eggs, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 30-40 min (Mine took much longer than that, partly because I have a cold Alaskan kitchen, and partly because I think I killed part of the yeast by having my water/butter a little too hot.)
While it rises, make the filling.

FILLING
2 1/4 c chopped dried fruit (craisins don’t need to be chopped since they’re already small)
1/2 c water
(for the cranberries I also added about 1/2tsp of almond extract and 1/2tsp of orange extract)
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
Put the dried fruit and water in a saucepan (and the extracts if you're doing those). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until water is absorbed and fruit is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor; add brown sugar. Cover and process till smooth. (My food processor is a little one and would't fit everything, so I just put in the fruit, processed that, then dumped it back into the pan and mixed in the sugar with a fork.) Set aside.

When the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide into thirds. On greased baking sheets, roll out each portion into a 12in x 8in rectangle (I rolled a little, but mostly just mooshed it out with my fingers, it was easier because the sides of the pan kept getting in the way of my rolling pin handles!) Spread filling down the center of each rectangle. On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2 inches into the center. (I actually did the cutting first and put on the filling afterwards, it seemed less messy.) Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling. Pinch ends to seal. (Rather than pinching the ends, I just folded the two end strips straight up inside the loaves on both ends, and then did the alternating down the sides.) Cover and let rise for 30 min.
Bake at 375* for 20-25minutes or until golden brown. Remove pans to wire racks to cool. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over braids.

GLAZE
1 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 Tbs milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (a little orange or almond would be good here too, though I didn't do it)

Filled doughnuts

2010-12-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

I think doughnuts are meant to have the hole in the middle--it helps them cook evenly without having a soggy center. However, if you watch them carefully, you can cook holeless doughnuts, and then you can be really fancy and put jelly or pudding in the middle!
Jelly-filled doughnuts are a traditional Hanukkah treat. This is certainly not an authentic suvgani'ot recipe, but it's still a jelly-filled doughnut, and they're pretty good. ☺

Make up some spudnuts, but just cut round doughnuts--do not cut out the middles!

If you have an icing bag with a long tip, that would make things simple (just use it to pump jelly or pudding right to the center of the doughnut, with hardly a hole to the outside!)... BUT if you are like most of us and just have standard kitchen equipment, then take a knife and cut a small slit into the side of the doughnut and to the center.

Using an icing bag or ziplock with a small bit of corner cut off, gently put the tip/corner into the hole in the doughnut, and squeeze in about 1 Tbs of jelly or pudding.

Voila! Jelly filled doughnuts!

"Spudnuts" Doughnuts

2010-12-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

The potato in these doughnuts makes them more filling, and adds something to the texture that I can't quite describe, but I love it (something like potato bread...)
Plus, when there's potato in your doughnuts, it's a valid excuse to eat one or two more, right?!

they are pretty good just plain, but we usually frost them

Makes about 100 doughnuts (yes, you can easily do a half recipe, but once you get going on the process it's just as easy to make a lot...so plan a party and share!)

1 c warm water
2 Tbs dry yeast
1 c shortening (or butter)
6 eggs, beaten (I actually forgot these once, and they still came out fine)
2 tsp salt
3 c milk
1 c sugar
2 c mashed potatoes
2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
2 tsp grated lemon rind (optional)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
12-13c flour
(I never do any of the optional ingredients)

Dissolve yeast into water, and set aside for a few minutes to proof (get frothy). Combine milk, shortening, salt, sugar, potato and seasonings. Heat to lukewarm. Add beaten eggs and yeast mixture. Add 6 c of flour and beat until well blended. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough (firm enough to roll).
Knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until double.
Punch down, divide in half. Roll 1/2 inch thick (yes, that's pretty thick, don't get them too thin!) and cut out with a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter. (I used a 3" round and then a water bottle lid to cut out the centers, or you can do other shapes as shown.)

if you have nesting cookie cutters in shapes, such as stars or hearts, you can make shaped doughnuts too!

Rise again for 30-40 min.
Deep fry at 375 in an electric fry pan, or on med-high in a heavy pan (cast iron is good) on a stovetop. Turn them overhalfway through cooking, so that they get golden on each side. (Throw in the doughnut holes too, those are one of our favorite parts! The holes cook much faster than the doughnuts though, so I do them in separate batches.)
Set on racks with paper towels underneath the rack to drain (see top photo).
If desired, sprinkle on powdered sugar while they are still hot and wet. Otherwise, allow them to cool a little and then frost.

You can use this recipe to make jelly-filled doughnuts too!

Latkes

2010-12-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

Latkes are a Hanukkah food (although we make them for most Jewish holidays, simply because I don't know many Jewish recipes). Traditionally they are served with applesauce or sour cream, but my family seems to prefer them with salt, ketchup, or barbecue sauce...oh well, so much for tradition eh?

5 large potatoes (washed and trimmed, but they don't need to be peeled unless you want to)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (I skip these half the time, just because I forget)
1/4 c flour
3 eggs, beaten

Over the sink, grate the potatoes into a colander. Press out as much of the potato water as possible. Place the grated potatoes in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir into a thick 'batter' (it's not really much of a batter, but it will all get sticky and clump together).
Over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet (cast iron is best), heat about 1/4c oil until hot. Drop in scoops of batter and flatten with a pancake flipper. Fry on each side until golden.
Drain latkes on a plate lined with paper towel. Serve warm.

Stovies (Scotland)

2010-12-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

We found this recipe when looking for something scottish to celebrate Saint Andrew's Day. Stovies are a great way to use up some leftover beef and gravy. Of course you can work from scratch also, but I have a feeling this is really meant as a sort of "inspired leftovers" meal. I got this recipe from epicurean, who recommends serving them with oat cakes. I've just copied the recipe from there, and added my own notes.
These were a big hit, and will definitely be regularly seen on our menu in the future.

50g (2 oz.) oil, drippings or butter (I used bacon grease)
3 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 kg (2 pounds) floury potatoes, main crop or new
125ml (4 oz.) meat stock or gravy (I used a handful of my beef-stock 'ice' cubes)
125-250g (4-8 ounces) cooked meat (I threw in ground beef because I didn't have leftovers handy. I just browned it, drained it, and set it aside, then added it back in later as per the recipe.)
2 -3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, chives, or spring onions
Seasoning salt, freshly ground black pepper, allspice, or grated nutmeg

Directions:
You will need a large heavy-base pan with a tight-fitting lid. Heat the fat in it and add the onions. Cook until lightly brown. Peel potatoes if they are "main crop", but leave the skins on new potatoes. Slice about 5mm (1/4-inch) thick. Or slice roughly in different thickness so that the thin go into a mush, while the others stay whole. Add them to the pan with the onions and stir well. coating all sides with the fat.
Put the lid on the pan and leave on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Then add the gravy or water. Cover and cook over a very low heat, stirring once or twice until the potatoes are cooked. Add the meat, mix through, and turn up the heat to brown a little.

Taste for seasoning. Mix in some freshly chopped parsley, chives, or green onion and serve with oatcakes and a glass of milk.

Scottish Oatcakes

2010-12-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

These are somewhere between a biscuit and a cookie...they're a bit sweet, but definitely have a bready aspect to them. I got the recipe from epicurean.com, where they were recommended to serve with Stovies. I've copied the recipe here just as it is on the site, but added some notes of my own.

1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups shortening (I used a mix of room temperature butter and coconut oil--I didn't have enough butter softened to do all butter. They came out a bit salty...so either use unsalted butter or skip the salt if you use regular butter!)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups bran flakes (I didn't have any, so I left them out...I honestly didn't notice them on the recipe until I had already started mixing ingredients... I'm sure you could do some extra oats, but it also worked fine to just skip this ingredient.)

Directions:
Add soda to boiling water and let stand until cool. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, bran flakes, rolled oats and sugar. Cut in shortening; add water and soda. Roll out thin on a floured board. Bake in hot oven until golden brown.
(I just lightly greased a cookie sheet and smooshed the dough around on it until it was pretty thin. It spread a bit as it cooked and ended up filling the pan, but it had not reached all the corners before I put it in. I baked at 400* for about 10ish min...I didn't set a timer, I just left the oven light on and kept an eye on them as I cooked other things...)

Lebanese Spinach Puffs

2010-11-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across a Lebanese cookbook on the "new arrivals" shelf at our library, and as I started flipping through it I realized that all my life I'd been craving Lebanese food, and I'd never even known it! Most of this recipe is just copied straight from that cookbook, however I have added a couple of notes of my own as well.
These are a bit labor-intensive, but they are fun, and they are yummy.
If you're not into spinach, try stuffing them with cheese, sausage or other spiced meat, or a combination.

Preparation time:
Dough--5 min, plus 1 hr 15 min rising
Filling--10 min (do it while the dough is rising)
Putting it together--an hour
Bake time--18-20 min
They are time and labor-intensive, however they keep well in the fridge or freezer, are good cool or cold, and reheat well too.

BASIC DOUGH
1 cup + 1 Tbs lukewarm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp sugar
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs olive oil
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Mix well. Set aside for several minutes, allowing the yeast to proof (foam). Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the yeast mixture into the well, followed by the olive oil. Using one hand, quickly mix and knead the ingredients to form the dough. (If the dough seems sticky, which it probably will, sprinkle in a little more flour.)
Use both hands to lift the dough out of the bowl and tuck and shape it into a ball. Sprinkle flour around the sides and bottom of the bowl, then set the ball back in. Sprinkle the top of the dough with some more flour. Cover the bowl with a dish and set it aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour 15 min.

FILLING
2 lbs frozen chopped spinach (thawed, drained, and squeezed dry) (I use 3 10oz boxes, but you can also fill it out with some shredded zucchini or other mild vegetable)
1-1 1/2 cups chopped onion (chopped little)
1 Tbs salt (yes that's a tablespoon)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/3-1/2 c olive oil
1/3-3/4 c lemon juice
1 Tbs lemon zest if available

Squeeze the thawed spinach over a colander with small perforations. It is very important to make sure that all the moisture has been hand-squeezed out of the spinach, otherwise the filling will be wet and the pastries may open while baking.

In a bowl, combine the spinach and onion. Just before you are ready to fill the pastries, add the salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest, and mix well. (Mixing the salt with the onions at the last minute prevents the onions from producing additional moisture in the filling.) [The original recipe calls for 1/3 c olive oil and 3/4 c lemon juice, however I find that is a little tangier than I like. So I prefer to make it closer to 1/2c of each. It's still tangy.]

Once the dough has risen, roll out half the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8" thickness. [It will be around 16" across. If you make it thinner/bigger, it still works, however you will end up with more dough than filling...when that happens to me I grab a little cheese or whatever to fill up the leftovers. Also, use as little flour as you can to do the job. If you get too much flour, the dough will not stick closed very well.] Gently hold the rolled-out dough by the edges and lift it about 2 inches off the counter (this will allow any contraction in the dough to occur before cutting). Cut the dough into 3 inch rounds with a cookie cutter; make one cut directly next to another to maximize the number of rounds.

Preheat the oven to 450*F. Foil-line a baking sheet, lightly brush it with olive oil, set it within reach.

Pick up one dough circle at a time and hold it stickier-side up in your hand. Put about 2 Tbs of filling into the middle of the round (this will probably seem like too much filling, but you want it stuffed so they will be plump once they are baked). Use a fork [or one of your fingers] to push the filling inside as you close up the dough. Be sure to keep all the edges free of filling, or they will not stick together. Form a triangle by raising three sides of the dough up and over the filling until they meet in the center. Press them closed.

[this video is made by the guy who wrote the cookbook, showing how he stuffs and closes the puffs]

Pinch each seam closed, securing the filling inside the triangle. Remember to keep the seams free of filling. Repinch the seams so that the pastry will not open while baking. Reshape the pastry into a triangle as needed, and place it on the greased foil-lined baking sheet. Fill and close the remaining dough rounds in the same manner, and place them on the baking sheet about 1/4 inch apart. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

Dip a pastry brush in a few tablespoons of olive oil and generously dab the tops and sides of each triangle puff. Place the tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Traditionally, spinach puffs are served at room temperature. Our family likes them a little warmer than that, but as I said before, they are also pretty good straight from the fridge.

* To prepare ahead, you can keep them in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for a few weeks. Freeze uncovered on a baking sheet, then transfer to an air-tight bag or container. Reheat thawed puffs at 350* for 5-7 minutes.

Pulled Pork (or Beef) Sandwiches

2010-11-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

You've asked for slowcooker recipes...
☺
My husband actually does most of the crockpot cooking around here. He does this one with a homemade barbecue sauce. Sorry, I can't give you the recipe for that, because he can't give me the recipe for that, because he just dumps stuff in and does it by smell every time.
Purchased barbecue sauce usually has lots of additives, but if you learn to make your own it can be free of gluten and other allergens... ours usually has tomato paste, tomato sauce or ketchup, brown sugar and/or honey, vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, salt, etc...(Obviously to be GF you'd then have to eat the meat with a fork, rather than on a bun...but we tend to do that sometimes anyway!)
You can also do this with beef brisket.

1 pork shoulder of several pounds (other pieces may work also, but you want one that will shred apart, so not chops or loin) With or without bone is fine.
Barbecue sauce
(that's it!)

Put the (thawed) meat in the crockpot, cover it with barbecue sauce (as in, put sauce all over it, not bury it under a lake of sauce!). Cook on high for a few hours. I always like to check in on it about halfway through the day, and if it's cooking fast then switch it to low...but it can go on high for a good 6-8 hours (or on low for 10-12 I would guess).When it is done, get a fork or knife or tongs and pull the meat all apart. Stir it around, add a little more sauce if you like, and let it cook a few more minutes.
Serve on rolls (I used these ones) with mayo and/or barbecue sauce.

(Fresh) Salsa

2010-11-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my aunt. Of course it can be adapted (some of our adaptations are mentioned at the bottom). I like it chunky and fresh, (and I can it that way--just put it raw in the jar) but it doesn't develop a thick sauce that way. If you like a thick sauce, you'll need to simmer it on the stove a while. I can't give you any specific directions for that though, because, as I said, I don't do it. ☺

makes about 3-4 cups of salsa (I usually 6x it or more for canning)

3 med/large tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 sweet pepper (bell, any color)
1 hot pepper (I use jalapenos, but if you like it hot use something hotter or use more of them)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs something acidic (apple cider vinegar or lime juice is what we usually use, but lemon juice or other vinegar would work also)
cilantro, if desired

Chop it all up--I like my tomato, onion, and bell pepper chunks bigger and my garlic and hot pepper minced into oblivion...do what you like.
Toss all the veggies into a big bowl, and then sprinkle the spices and vinegar/juice over the top. Mix mix mix! Yum yum yum!

If you're canning it, put it straight into the jars, and process following the directions for tomatoes (it is acidic enough to process in a waterbath or steam canner, you don't need a pressure cooker).

Some of our favorite variations
Lime/garlic/cilantro ~ Use lime juice instead of vinegar, double the garlic, put in a bunch of cilantro.
Spicy ~ Use a habanaro pepper instead of jalapeno, or use 2-3 jalapenos instead of just one. Cilantro will add kick as well if you like that flavor.
Southwest ~ add a (drained) can of corn and a (drained) can of black beans to the recipe above.

Stardrop Cookies (gluten-free)

2010-09-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

I took the simple GF cookies and tweaked them... I wanted to try using honey instead of sugar, but then they were too runny. So I swapped out the egg for baking powder, but it was still too runny...so I added cocoa. (This was not my first attempt at using honey in this recipe, it was just the first attempt that actually turned out as anything other than a pile of goo!)
I decided to name them stardrops because the dark cookie with the glittery sugar reminds me of the nighttime sky. They're really pretty.

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa

Blend together, then put in the fridge for about an hour to chill. It is very soft and sticky, so it needs to chill or you'll never be able to roll it into balls.
Honestly, I betcha you could put in 1/3-1/2 cup shredded zucchini. If you're into that. It would help them be not quite so sticky. ☺ I haven't tried it though.
After it chills, roll it into little balls (work fast, because as it warms it will soften and increase in stickiness again!), then roll each ball in a bowl with sugar, and place it on a greased cookie sheet. (I tried doing some without the sugar, and they stuck really badly, so while you can do it that way, I don't recommend it.)
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. They will be extremely soft when they first come out, just let them sit a couple of minutes and then you'll be able to get them off the pan. ☺

Simple Cookies (Gluten-free)

2010-09-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

My friend gave me this recipe--I think she invented it but I'm not certain. In any case, as she pointed out, it's just intended to be a simple cookie recipe, but it also happens to be gluten-free. And dairy free. Cool!
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix together. Roll into balls and put on a greased cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a cup in sugar and then press down on the top of each ball to flatten it a bit (I use a tupperware cup, thus the double circle in each cookie ☺)
Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

You can also add in all sorts of other things, nuts, chocolate chips, oatmeal...whatever you like. You may need to bake them as bar cookies or change the cook time if you do those things.

Here is one rendition I've done:
Egg, peanut butter, sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats (which i ground in the food processor so it was more like flour than oatmeal) 1/2 cup applesauce
about 1/3-1/2 c chocolate chips.
I put it in a 9x9 pan and baked it at 350 for 25min. It could have gone a little longer probably--it was really mushy when it was hot (I ate it out of a bowl rather than as a bar)

Indian-ish Chicken

2010-09-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

This isn't a true Indian recipe in that I didn't get it from a cookbook or anything, but it's a combination of traditional Indian spices, even if not traditional cooking methods, so I surmise that it's 'authentic' in that it's the sort of thing an Indian housewife might throw together...
The flour in the coating is merely to spread the spices around evenly. I used rice flour and it was gluten free. ☺

1/4 c butter
Cut up butter into a 9x13inch pan and put it in the oven to melt as the oven preheats to 350* (don't forget to get it out as soon as it's melted!)
Set aside.

COATING (mix in a shallow dish or pie tin)
(all amounts are approximate, I just dump stuff in)
1/2 c flour (or rice flour ☺)
1 Tbs salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs turmeric
1 Tbs cumin
1-2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cloves
(1 Tbs cinnamon would also be authentic, but I forgot it, so either way...)

8 chicken pieces (I used thighs because they were on sale, but any pieces would work) I skinned them but left the bones in.
Press each chicken piece into the coating and get it fully covered on both sides. Then lay the pieces in the melted butter in the pan.
Bake for about 20 min, then turn each piece over and bake for another 20 min. (Meanwhile cook the rice and veggies)

RICE
1 chopped onion
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
*2 cups white rice
4 cups broth and/or water and/or coconut milk (I used about 2 cups homemade broth then the rest water)
Put a little oil in a pan and saute the rice, onion, salt, and garlic until the onion and rice get glassy. Then add the liquid and let it simmer (without stirring) until all the liquid is absorbed (about 15min for white rice)

*adjust the amount of rice accordingly if you use brown or a white/brown mix

VEGGIES
I just used some frozen peas/carrots/green beans and steamed them, which is very not authentic. If you want something more authentic, try peas, carrots, potatoes, or tomatoes. You can steam them or saute them in a little oil or cook them in with the rice.

Serve everything together in a heap. Or not. However you like it. ☺

Veggie Gingerbread Muffins

2010-08-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

I invented these as a good snack for my son to take to school. He loves muffins, but isn't so much into veggies...so I decided to put his veggies into muffins so that he would have something healthy and conveniently portable (and yummy!) all in one. I usually make them as mini-muffins, and a batch rarely lasts 24 hours. He has taken them as a class snack as well and said that everybody liked them.
There are two ways to make these muffins--one is with grated veggies (carrots or zucchini), and the other is with pureed veggies, such as squash or even baby food. There are a couple of other changes to make up for the textural differences between those two options, so read the recipe carefully! (Using the pureed veggies makes it an egg-free recipe.) The veggie taste is masked by the stronger gingerbread flavor, so you can use pretty much whatever veggies you want. I have done it with carrots, mixed veggies, and squash, but I'd love to hear about your experiences with other veggies!
As a note--this is a pretty potent gingerbread. We like it that way. However if you like a milder flavor, just use half the amount of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

mix
1 1/2-2 c grated carrots or other veggie
2 eggs
OR
7-8oz pureed veggies (carrots, pumpkin, squash, etc)
2 tsp vinegar

add
1/2 c oil
1/3 c molasses
2/3 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

mix well
add
2 c flour (I use whole wheat, as you can't tell in the gingerbread flavor)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 min for regular size muffins (10 min for mini-muffins)

Hot Mexican Salad

2010-08-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

I realized recently that one of my favorite things at a Mexican restaurant is the rice and beans that they serve on the side--especially when they have melted cheese and that little bit of lettuce and tomato and sour cream. So I played around a bit and came up with this. I like the contrast of hot and cold, as well as different textures. Rice + beans makes a complete protein so it is filling as well as delicious. Think of it as being like a taco salad...only without the taco bowl!
We have been on an extra-tight budget since being laid off, so one thing I have done is figured out ways to use my WIC vouchers more effectively, to make entire meals rather than just compliment them. This salad is one of those meals. (I know there is some variance between states, but ingredients marked with * can be purchased with WIC vouchers in Alaska.)

serves 2

*2-3 cups cooked white and/or brown rice (1ish cups dry)
*1 can beans (I like black beans) (alternately use about 1 1/2-2 cups cooked beans which is about 3/4c dry)
*1 can diced tomatoes OR 1 largeish fresh tomato
*2/3 cup grated cheese
*1- 1 1/2 cups chopped lettuce
Sour cream, ranch, or other creamy dressing

a note on lettuce--I like the crunch and texture of iceburg lettuce, but you could use a leaf lettuce as well, or some other kind of greens if you prefer.

This can be prepared two different ways--one is to prepare all the parts and then let people put them together at the table. The other is to put the plates together as you prepare them.
For a la carte serving:
Cook rice. Heat beans, then drain. Chop up tomato, or drain/rinse canned diced tomato (if using canned, heat tomatoes, if using fresh, keep them cold). Grate cheese and chop lettuce. Serve everything in little bowls.
For prepared plates:
Cook rice then divide and portion onto plates or wide bowls. Drain and rinse beans, then layer over rice. Sprinkle on grated cheese. If using canned tomatoes, drain and rinse, then layer over rice/beans/cheese, then put the whole thing in the oven or microwave until heated through. If using fresh tomato, then heat plates before adding tomato. Then top warm mixture with cold lettuce (fresh tomato if applicable), and dressing.

If you want to use this as a packed lunch, it does reheat really well. Just use two containers--one for the hot parts and one for the cold parts. Heat the hot parts, then add on the cold parts...voila, easy meal on the go!

Salmon Dill Quiche

2010-07-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

I looked up several recipes and then sortof adapted this based on what I had on hand. I've never been fond of quiche, or of salmon either for that matter, but this was pretty good! The kids liked it, and my husband had two portions and then ate the leftovers for a bedtime snack. Anything that is worthy to be a bedtime snack is probably pretty good. ☺
I confess I've become a fish snob since living in Alaska, so I wouldn't dream of feeding canned salmon to people (we give it to our dog)...but if it's all you have it will work. I actually used leftover from the patties I'd made earlier in the week.

makes 2 8" quiches, or probably 1 deep dish 9" (I prefer to do two smaller ones so they cook through more easily)

2 pie crusts

6 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2-2 c grated cheese (I did half mozzarella and half monterey jack, but swiss would also be good)
1 1/2 c shredded salmon (or about 1 can). You can also use leftover baked/grilled salmon if it's not heavily seasoned, but make sure it's thoroughly de-boned!
2-3 Tbs dill
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Bake (empty) pie crusts for 5 minutes.
Beat eggs, then add milk, cheese, salmon, and spices and mix well. Pour into slightly cooked crusts, then bake for 45 more minutes (it may need a little longer--test by inserting a knife in the middle of the quiche, when it comes out clean the quiche is done)

Salmon Burgers

2010-07-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

We have started catching out own salmon this year, but we're still getting the hang of filletting them, so there ends up being lots of little pieces of meat that we trim off the bones after the fillet is off. We didn't want to waste the meat, but at first I wasn't sure what to do with so many tiny pieces (it was from 16 fish so there was a lot!). Finally I hit upon the idea of using it like ground beef--mashing it up, shaping it into patties, and serving it as burgers.
They were awesome! The texture was perfect, but we couldn't really taste the dill I'd seasoned it with, so next time I'll use something a bit stronger.

2 cups salmon bits (fresh & raw is best, leftover would also work I think, or canned...)
1/4-1/3 c bread crumbs or rolled oat or leftover cooked rice
1 egg
seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic or garlic powder, dill, tarragon, etc)

Whir the salmon around in a food processor for a minute, or chop it/flake it into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. If it's too sticky, add more bread crumbs, if it's too dry, add another egg or a little milk. It should hold together well--like ground beef does when making regular hamburgers!
Heat a little oil in a pan on medium heat. Pack the salmon mixture into tight balls (I used a scooper like I do with the black bean and rice patties) and then flatten them into a frying pan. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side. Salmon cooks quickly, and changes to a much lighter color when it is done. The outside of each patty will be a little browned and crisp (and hold it together), but the middles will still be soft.
Can be eaten on buns with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion...or eat them plain, perhaps with some sour cream, sundried tomatoes, etc...

Risgrot

2010-07-09T11:45:00.001-07:00

"reese-grit"
Rice cereal, a recipe my husband brought home from Norway. I admit I wasn't thinking it sounded very appetizing, but it's really quite good.
It's traditionally served with butter and cardamom, but cinnamon or cinnamon-sugar is good too and may be a more familiar taste for some.

1 cup short grain rice (other white rice will do, but short grain is best)
1 1/2-2 cups water
1 cup milk
butter
cardamom, cinnamon, or cinnamon-sugar

Put water and rice in a saucepan and simmer until water is dissolved (or nearly so). Add milk and keep simmering until all is soft and liquid is gone. Keep a good eye on it so that it doesn't boil over or burn to the bottom of the pan!
Serve hot with butter and cardamom or cinnamon.

Rhubarb Crunch (or Strawberry-Rhubarb Crunch)

2010-07-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

This is the only way I've ever really liked rhubarb. I have a tendency to eat it for breakfast, but it's also good a la mode.
The original recipe is made with just rhubarb, but I've found that substituting in as much as half strawberries (and cutting the sugar down by 1/3c per cup of strawberries) is also really yummy.

Makes 9x13 pan

1/3 cups brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup softened or melted butter
3 cups rolled oats
Mix together. Press half of the mixture into a 9x13 pan, reserve the other half for the top. (I often do closer to 2/3 in the bottom of the pan, as the under layer gets the juices soaked in and is better than the top in my opinion.)

6 cups finely chopped rhubarb
3 Tbs flour
1 cup white sugar
Mix flour and sugar together. Coat rhubarb by shaking them all together in a covered bowl (or just dump them all into a really big bowl and stir a lot). Put filling in pan on top of under-crust. Cover with remaining crust mixture.
Bake 1 hour at 350.

Halibut with Tarragon-Cream Sauce

2010-06-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

This could work with any white fish--halibut is my favorite and is plentiful here, but I know it's very expensive in other places!
Try this with dill instead of tarragon for a different twist.
I served it with couscous & veggies on the side (and kinda mixed them together as I ate). It would also work well with pasta, potatoes, or rice (with veggies).
My kids gobbled this up--and we parents really enjoyed it too.
Serves 4

1 lb halibut, deboned and cut into smallish chunks (bite size more or less)
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour or cornstarch
1-1 1/2 c milk
1/4 c parmesan cheese (this could be omitted, or another cheese could be substituted--I admit I used the cheap powdered type)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2ish Tbs tarragon

Cut fish and set aside in a 9x9 baking dish.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and mix well with flour until it becomes smooth and thickens. Slowly add milk, about 1/4c at a time, and mix thoroughly after each addition. Add seasonings. Add cheese if desired. Stir continuously or at least very frequently so that it does not burn. Sauce will thicken as it cooks, so each time it starts to thicken you can add a little milk again until it reaches a nice thick cream sauce (it should be like gravy). Pour sauce over fish, stir to coat each piece of fish, then bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes (stir once in the middle to make sure that all pieces of fish are cooking evenly).

Spinach Stuffed Pork Loin

2010-05-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

If you have never made stuffed meat before, I heartily recommend watching this youtube tutorial for how to slice open the meat. It was very helpful for me.
I started with this recipe as a basis, but altered it a lot.
I think this same filling combination would be awesome in a turkey breast, although you'll have to do your own research on how to slice the sucker. ☺

1 pork loin (I don't know how many pounds, but mine was about 12inches long..3ish pounds maybe?)
1 c sour cream
1/2-3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2-3/4 (10 oz) package of frozen spinach, thawed (about 1 1/2 c cooked and chopped), and well drained
1/2 c diced onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic (I did 5...)
1/3 c dry bread crumbs
a few Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
string (I made due with thread, but that tends to cut into the meat, so string is much better)

Cut open roast according to directions in tutorial, so that is lays flat.
Spread sour cream evenly over meat.
Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over sour cream.
Saute onions in a little olive oil until they get soft and glassy--but not browned (optional), then mix spinach, garlic, onion, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Put in the olive oil from the onions, plus a little extra as needed to make the mixture stick together (it should not be crumbly nor slimy, but just kinda gooshy...) Sprinkled spinach mixture evenly over the mozzarella on the meat.

Roll up the meat log, and tie closed to secure it. Then carefully transfer it to a pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 325 for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It is done when the internal temperature reaches 160* (use a food thermometer, if you overcook it it will be very dry, but if you undercook it it won't be safe). I hear that you can cook it to about 135 or 140, then take it out and 'tent it' (cover it with foil while still in the hot pan) and let it sit for about 15 minutes, then it will finish cooking in its tent. I have not done this personally, so I don't know. ☺

"Breakfast Cake"

2010-05-21T15:11:00.001-07:00

Most folks in the world call these coffee cakes, but in a coffee-free household, I grew up calling it breakfast cake, because that was when we usually ate it. ☺
This cake--especially the sugar topping/filling part--is moister than most other coffee cakes I've had. I like it that way, but if you like the really dry/crumbly ones then this probably isn't the recipe for you. If you melt the butter in the topping, it will be moist but also sink to the middle or bottom of the cake. If you use just softened butter it will be a dryer topping and will stay on top better.
One of our favorite things to do is layer sliced peaches in the bottom of the pan before pouring in the batter (if you use canned, which I usually do, be sure to drain them first!)

[sorry I don't have a photo here, this was posted spur-of-the-moment specially for SamauriMom who needed a coffee cake recipe!]

Makes 1 8x8 pan (double recipe for a 9x13 pan) (I admit I usually do 2x the cake and 3x the topping in a 9x13...)

Cake
1 egg
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c milk
2 Tbs melted butter (the original recipe says shortening, but eww!)
1 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
Cream egg, sugar, milk, and butter. Add flour and baking powder. Mix well and pour into greased pan (over peaches or other soft fruit if desired).

Topping
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs flour
1 Tbs softened or melted butter
Mix together with a fork, and sprinkle over top of cake batter (or drop in more-or-less-even little blobs all over).

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Basic Bread

2010-05-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

I usually make this half wheat/half white, because I've had troubles with it being too heavy when I did 100% wheat. However, I've recently begun using white wheat from the LDS church cannery and I am able to do 100% with that. The more whole wheat you use, the longer rising time it will need compared to if you do white.
This is my basic bread recipe, and the one I use to experiment with alternative flours, such as oat flour. Whenever exchanging in a new flour remember that not all flours have the same gluten content, so not all of them will rise very well. Oat flour for example won't hardly rise at all, and needs to be mixed with at least an equal amount of wheat flour or else have gluten added separately.
These photos happen to be of a rare white batch.
2 Tbs yeast
1 cup warm water
3 Tbs sugar (the original recipe called for more but I cut it back. I've tried leaving it out and it really seems to feed the yeast and help the whole thing rise--without the sugar I had flat bread--so I have settled on using this amount)
3 cups warm water or milk
4 Tbs oil or melted butter
1 Tbs salt
12 cups flour (white, wheat, or other)

Soften yeast in 1 c water with a little of the sugar. Set aside until it gets frothy (about 5 minutes). Put remaining water/milk, oil, salt, remaining sugar, and 2-3cups of flour in a very large bowl and mix well. Add frothy yeast and mix. Put in remaining flour and mix. Knead until smooth--about 10 minutes (don't short yourself here, a good knead makes a huge difference in the texture of your final outcome!). Grease or lightly flour the bowl, return dough to bowl and cover with a clean towel, and set somewhere warm to rise until double. Punch down the dough, then re-cover and let rise until double again. Divide into 4 parts, shape each into a loaf and place in pans. Cover with a towel and let rise again. (As a tip, whatever height the bread is at when you put it in the oven is roughly what it will be when it comes out of the oven...)
Bake at 400* for 25-30 minutes

See the light fluffy texture? (yes it gets that whether it's white or wheat, it's all about thorough kneading and having enough rise time!)

Potstickers

2010-05-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

I am often an "eyeball measurer" meaning that I just dump a bit in and guess, rather than actually measuring. However sad experience has shown me that this recipe is one where it is worth measuring everything!!

1/2 lb ground pork (I recommend unseasoned, as maple or italian seasoning would be a bit weird for this!)
1/4 c chopped scallions (or onion, or green onion)
2 Tbs chopped red pepper
1 egg
2 tsp ketchup
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)

1 package potsticker or wonton wrappers (you can also use eggroll wrappers cut in quarters if you can't find the small ones)

Brown pork and remove to a paper towel to drain off grease (you can save the grease for frying the potstickers, or just drain it and fry with something else).
Mix pork with all other ingredients in a bowl (except the wrappers of course).

Put about 1 tsp of filling in each wrapper and close the edges (the packages usually have directions, otherwise see below). Fry in a little oil/grease for a couple of minutes--until browned on 2-3 sides. If desired, add 1/2-1 c water and put on a lid to steam them through, (some recipes say to boil them but I think they get waterlogged)

**To seal potstickers:

Put filling in the center of the wrapper
Moisten your finger in a bowl of water, then run it along the edges of the wrapper to make them sticky
Fold the wrapper in half (with the filling in the middle) and stick the edges together. If you're feeling daring, try one of the fancier ideas below
Squeeze out any excess filling juice as you seal it.

Envelope fold: bring one corner across the middle, then the opposite corner across the first. Finish by bringing the other pair over one at a time. This makes a flat little "package" that looks like an envelope.
Square Purse or Pyramid (shown above): pull all four corners together at the tips, then seal down each straight side (so it makes a little pyramid with the filling in the base).
Round Purse or Pyramid: find three roughly equally-spaced points around the edge, and bring them up to the center, sealing the edges between them. (I will try to remember to take pictures next time!)

Sesame Chicken

2010-05-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from the ones I found at allrecipes and recipezaar. It has a lot of ingredients, and no, you shouldn't leave anything out. There's a delicate balance at work here, and everything plays a part. The sauce is very sweet, and it needs the salty chicken to balance it; if you use the sauce alone you'll need to add some salt.
I like steaming some broccoli, onions, and carrots and serving them with the rice/sauce as well. Alternately, make just the sauce, and use it as a stir fry sauce (rather than making the fried chicken part).
Cornstarch can usually be replaced by using double the amount of flour...I don't recommend that for this recipe though because the thickening properties of the cornstarch are really important to the texture, and flour really doesn't do it as well.
To make this dish gluten-free, replace the flour with half the amount of cornstarch OR (better) with rice flour or a GF flour blend.
Chicken Marinade
mix in a medium sized bowl
2 Tbs soy sauce
3 drops *toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs flour
2 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs water
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vegetable oil
*the "toasted" part is important, it means the seeds were toasted before the oil was expressed, and it has a much stronger flavor. It's available in the asian section of the grocery store

Use fresh or thawed chicken--about 3 breasts or 4-5 thighs. Cut it into 1 inch chunks and then put into the marinade to sit for about 20 minutes (the marinade is thick so the chicken is not so much 'soaking' as it is 'coated' with the marinade).

Meanwhile get some rice going. ☺

Sesame Sauce
mix in a medium sized saucepan
1 1/2 c chicken broth
6 Tbs cornstarch dissolved into 3/4 c cold water
1/2 c sugar (this could probably be reduced, but I haven't played with that yet)
3 Tbs soy
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp chili paste (or same amount of chili oil, or you could probably use red pepper flakes)
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
2 Tbs sesame seeds (you can sprinkle them on top at the end, but I find it easier to just mix them right into the sauce)
Mix over high heat, stirring continuously, until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low so that the sauce stays warm and thickens while you fry the chicken.

To Deep-Fry the chicken, I recommend using a wok if you can, because of its shape you'll be able to use less oil. To be really authentic, use peanut oil. Vegetable oil also works fine. (Light olive oil might be ok, but don't use EVOO--extra virgin--as it has a stronger flavor that just won't work for this.) Put enough oil in your pan to be about 1 1/2 or 2 inches deep, and heat it until very hot. Carefully add the chicken pieces a few at a time--they will want to stick together if you add them at once, so add them individually. Cook for 3-5 minutes (I always cut open the largest chunk from my first batch or two to check for doneness). Remove chicken from oil and set on paper towels to drain. You can set the cooked portions in the oven on low to keep warm while you cook the remaining chicken.

Place chicken on a large platter and pour sauce over it, then serve over rice.
Or, if you're like me, just serve everything in it's own dish and let people choose their own ratios. ☺

Honey Oatmeal Bread

2010-05-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is light and yummy, but really fills you up.
As photographed here, I baked it in one big loaf in a deep cast iron pan. It came out really well that way. If not using stone or cast iron, then make sure to make two loaves rather than one, otherwise it will be too big to get cooked through evenly.
1/2 cup warm water
4 t yeast
Put together then set aside

1 1/4 cup water or milk
3 Tbs oil
6 Tbs honey
2 cups dry rolled oats
Mix liquids in a large bowl, then add oatmeal, and allow to soak for a few minutes before adding additional ingredients.

4-5+ cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
(if desired) enough powdered milk to make the water be 'milk' instead
Add some flour, then the yeast mixture, then the rest of the flour etc.
Stir until well mixed. It is a somewhat sticky dough, but add flour until you are able to knead it.
Set in the bowl in a warm place with a towel over the top and let rise until double.
Punch down, divide if necessary, and put into well-greased pan(s). Cover with towel and let rise a second time until double.
Bake at 375 for about 30-40 minutes.

Battered Fish

2010-04-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Traditionally this deep-fried battered fish would be served with 'chips' (fat french fries), but I actually prefer to do onion rings, because I use the same batter for both fish and rings.

Cut white fish into fillets and make sure there are no bones. (If you buy it it should already be this way, but if you caught your own then obviously you'll have to do it yourself!) I like to make them on the smaller side--I slice thick fillets in half depth-wise (so I have two thin fillets), and I cut them down to about 4x4inch pieces. I like a high batter-to-fish ratio. ☺

Batter:
In a wide and/or shallow bowl, put 1 cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup white flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt). Slowly add water until it is about the consistency of pancake batter...maybe 2/3 or 3/4 cup of water usually. If it is too thin it will all drip off the fish (or onions)!

Heat oil in a wok, saucepan, or deep frying pan (I like using a lid to avoid oil splatters, but an oil screen works too). You can deep fry the fish, but I find that using a high-sided frying pan I can 'deep fry' them in only about an inch of oil, I just have to turn the fish over halfway through the cooking. It uses less oil, and seems to get less oil into the fish as well.

Put battered fish pieces into oil and fry until golden and cooked through--about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the size of the pieces and whether the fish was frozen or thawed. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove fish and set on a paper towel to drain. Serve hot!

*This does NOT reheat very well (it's ok in the oven but terrible in the microwave), so if you have leftovers I recommend eating them cold.

French Bread Pizza

2010-04-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Recently I had some leftover pizza sauce and toppings from family pizza night. I wanted to use them up, but didn't feel like going to the full effort of making pizza, so I did this instead. (Conveniently I had a leftover loaf of french bread as well!)

serves about 4

1 loaf leftover french bread, cut into slices
pizza sauce (tomato sauce with garlic powder, basil and oregano)
shredded mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings--cut into little pieces

Spread the slices of french bread on a cookie sheet. Put a generous amount of sauce on each (the bread slices are thicker than a typical pizza crust, so you'll want the extra moisture). Then put a generous amount of cheese and whatever toppings you like best.
Bake at 400 for about 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Pizza Pasta

2010-04-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

This is a pasta dish inspired by pizza...it's just much faster to make!

Serves about 4

4 c cooked pasta (about 3c dry), I recommend penne or macaroni or some other firm/small piece pasta, not spaghetti or linguini.
Favorite pizza toppings, such as pepperoni, sausage chunks, olives, peppers, onions, etc Pre-cook anything that is raw.
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes and/or 1 small can tomato sauce
about 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
(optional) basil, oregano, garlic powder

Cook the noodles and drain off excess water. Return noodles to a wide saucepan (or a high-sided fry pan). Add tomatoes/sauce and stir a bit until the juices release into the pasta. (If the stewed tomatoes are in large chunks, chop them up before adding.) Add spices and all other pizza toppings, and sprinkle in cheese. It should be a little cheesy but not stuck together in one big gob.
Serve immediately.

New Sections

2010-04-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

I just want to take a moment to point out some new sections on the "cookbook tabs" section in the sidebar.
I already had categories for food types, meal types, allergen-free/friendly recipes, kid-friendly recipes (stuff my kids love anyway!), quick & easy recipes, things that reheat well, and International flavors.
I have now added a section for "Food Storage Foods" which is recipes made almost exclusively from items that would (should!) typically be found in food storage. They use canned, frozen, or dry goods rather than fresh (or canned/dry/frozen could easily be substituted). I certainly believe that fresh is the ideal from a nutritional standpoint, but we all know that unless you live in a temperate climate you can't get fresh year-round. Having a food storage, whether it's 3 months worth or a full years worth, is a good idea. A lot of people get some wheat and beans but then have no idea what to do with it all...hopefully some of these recipes will be helpful.
I also added a section for budget-friendly foods.
Finally, I've added a tag called "pack-it" which is foods that are good for packing, whether it's for picnics, vacations, school lunches, or eating at work. Most of the 'reheats well' recipes are already great to take along to work or school if you have access to a microwave or oven, but the 'pack-it' foods are things that do not need to be reheated, and for the most part are packed with nutrients for kids like mine who rush through lunch so they can get out to the playground. ☺ (You know you're doing something right when your 9 year old son comes home from school one day and says "I don't like hot lunch anymore, I'd rather take leftovers.")

Black Bean & Brown Rice Veggie Burgers

2010-04-14T09:51:00.001-07:00

I may give up ground beef now. If you leave off the cheese these are easily vegan as well. If you just stack the patty with the veggies and no bun, then it's gluten-free. ☺
Rice + beans = a complete protein, and we find these just as filling as meat burgers. For variations, add barbecue sauce to the mixture, top the burgers with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole instead of traditional burger toppings.

1 can black beans rinsed and well drained or about 1/2 cup dry, cooked until soft (alternately, use refried black beans)
1 cup cooked brown rice, (1/2 cup dry) cooked until soft (drain any excess liquid)
Cheddar Cheese (we like grating about 1/2 cup of cheese and mixing it right in with the beans and rice, it helps everything stick together...alternately place a slice of cheese on top of the burger while it's cooking on the second side)

Mash up beans with a fork. Add rice (and cheese if desired) and blend well. Pack into tight balls--I use a round scoop like this --->
and then smoosh them out a bit in the pan, but the scooper compacts them nicely. Fry in a little oil (a cast iron skillet works wonderfully). Cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until the surface of the patty gets a bit browned and crunchy. Don't try to do it faster--they will fall apart!! I put a lid on the pan to melt the cheese. Put on a bun and accessorize as desired. ☺

This makes about 2 1/2 cups of mixture, and the original recipe said that made 4 patties, but we don't make them quite that big or that thick or something, because I was able to get 5 or 6 patties (4-5" across) from a batch. We normally make slightly smaller burgers so I could get 6+ of those.

Leftover bean/rice mix is great rolled up in a tortilla with some sour cream and guacamole by the way. ☺

40-Minute Hamburger Buns

2010-04-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

from Best of Country Breads cookbook--many thanks to Maria for giving me this recipe, we use it constantly! I love how fast they are to make--they really are just 40 minutes. My husband says he thinks he likes it better than my grandma's rolls (which might be blasphemy). These buns are nice and hearty, so I do a wheat/white blend for plain eating, but most (or all) white when we use them for burgers. I don't think I'll ever want to eat a purchased burger bun again though. I am going to start experimenting with making these oblong for hot dogs and hoagies.
Makes 10-12 buns (the recipe says it makes 12, but I usually do 10, and they are still on the smaller side (I like smaller burgers so that works fine). If you want big 'quarter pounder' size buns, expect this recipe to make 8-9 buns.

2 Tbs active dry yeast
1 cup + 2Tbs warm water (that's 1 1/8 cups)
1/3 c oil (vegetable or olive)
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour (can be done whole wheat, although tastes best at about 50/50 white/wheat. You will need more flour for higher white content, less for higher wheat content)

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar, let stand for 5 minutes.
Add the eggs, salt, and enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise! Divide into 12 (or fewer) pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 2-3" apart on a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes (they will rise). Bake at 425* for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Swapped-Center Sugar Cookies

2010-03-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to bring a dessert for our local cub scouts' annual Blue & Gold Banquet. I decided I was going to do something blue and gold...

I started with the recipe for my great-grandma's sugar cookies. Once mixed, I divided the dough into even portions in two bowls, put blue food color in one half, and yellow in the other.
With the first color of dough I used two same-shaped cookie cutters in different sizes, and cut out large stars with small stars cut out of their centers. Then I did it with the other color of dough.Then I swapped the centers and sprinkled each with a little sugar (I also put food color in my sugar, and put it in an emptied spice jar, so it's easy to sprinkle on... I like this better than frosting sugar cookies because it's faster, easier, and not quite so over-the-top sweet, and these cookies are pretty rich already!)
This worked very well with my recipe because the cookies spread a little, so the two colors expanded into each other a bit and stuck together. If your dough does not spread while cooking, this won't work.
Try hearts, circles, or another simple shape where you have cookie cutters of different sizes in the same shape!

Butter Cream Syrup

2010-03-19T13:53:00.002-07:00

My dad's family makes this to pour over pancakes, waffles, crepes, or scones. It is simply decadent.

1/2 c (1 stick) butter
1 c sugar
1 1/2-2 c cream

(you can do this in any amount--the way my aunt actually gave it to me was "1 part butter, 2 parts sugar, 3-4 parts cream)

Melt it all together in a saucepan, blend well.
Serve warm over pancakes with fruit and slivered almonds. Or use in place of other syrup. Store leftovers (if you have any!) in the fridge.
Don't try to cheat and use milk. It's worth the cream. Trust me.

Banoffi

2010-03-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

This Irish dessert was introduced to me by my mother in law after she lived there for three years. I like to make it in a pie dish and put the crust up the edges (like a pie) but it can also be made flat with a square dish, with the crust just on the bottom (not up the sides).

Just layer the following into the dish:
1--Crumb crust (I use a graham cracker crust, although I used 2/3 graham crackers and 1/3 almonds--just toss them into the food processor, first process the almonds, then add & process the crackers, then add the butter and a half portion of sugar because banoffi does not need any extra sugar in the crust!)
2--1 can of sweetened condensed milk which has been cooked into dulce de leche (put the unopened can into a pan of boiling water, cover, and simmer for about 90 minutes, checking periodically to add more water so that it does not boil dry. Lay the can on its side so it can roll, if you put it on its end the contents will scorch on that end.)
let it cool before adding final layers
3--sliced bananas
4--whipped cream (I whipped about 1 cup of cream, and added a few Tbs of sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla)
5--top with chocolate shavings (or smashed/processed chocolate chips ☺)

Put it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to set up before serving. This is a great make-ahead dessert, and was the finale of our Irish Feast for St Patrick's Day this year.

Spider Spaghetti

2010-02-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks JT for telling me about this!

A fun variation on regular spaghetti--kids enjoy helping make it, but it's also fun to just surprise them with it at the table. I originally heard the recipe with hot dogs, but I don't generally feed my family on such cheap meat, so I did it with polish sausage.

At first glance it looks like ordinary spaghetti with chunks of meat (I took the photos before putting on the sauce, but yes, we do put sauce on our spaghetti... ☺)

But look a little closer...

what was that?

ahh, there it is, the reason we call it "spider spaghetti"

Pretty fun isn't it?

And in case you haven't figured it out on your own (because my mommy brain had to have it explained to me), here is how to do it:

Yeah, stick the noodles through before cooking. Then stick them all in the boiling water together. I put in some extra noodles too because I thought it made a better meat to noodles ratio.

Once the noodles are soft (and the meat is warm) just drain the water, and serve with your sauce of choice. ☺

Troy's Chicken

2010-01-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my mother in law. My husband had been asking me to get the recipe for months, so when I proudly brought the dish to the table I was puzzled when he said "what's this?" Apparently he remembered the title of this along with the taste of something else...but it was good anyway!

makes 1 9x9 pan (double recipe for a 9x13 pan)

Chicken pieces (4 breasts or thighs, or about 8-10 'tenders'--not small pieces)
oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder
cheese--swiss or mozzarella (I think parmesan would be good too)
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup + 1/3 can water
about 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs or stuffing mix
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of melted butter
noodles or rice or mashed potatoes (this was not in her recipe, but there was so much sauce that I felt it really needed something to go over...)

Slightly brown the chicken pieces in a little oil. Remove from pan, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Lay in the baking dish and put a slice of cheese over each piece of chicken (you could use grated cheese, especially if you use tenders rather than larger cuts). Mix the can of soup with the water, and pour over the chicken. Add a little extra water if it is not enough sauce to cover everything. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top of everything. Pour melted butter over everything so that crumbs are moistened.
Bake at 350 until chicken is cooked--about 25-30min for tenders, 40-60 min for breasts.

Serve over noodles or rice or mashed potatoes. ☺

Speedy Burritos

2010-01-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

I invented these the other night when I "didn't have any food in the house." I really liked them, and a couple of days later my 9yo son asked when we could have them again, so I think they were a hit. ☺

2-3 c cooked rice (I used 2 1/2 c water & 1 1/4 c plain white rice, but adjust amounts for what type of rice you use)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained (pinto or refried would work too) Obviously you could use dry beans but they would have to be cooked which takes several hours. Lentils would work also and they cook much faster than dry beans.
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or stewed tomatoes, or 2-3 fresh chopped tomatoes, or even 1 can tomato sauce)
about 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
cumin
chili powder
garlic powder
8-10 tortillas (I used whole wheat ones)
optional--1-2 pieces chopped chicken or 1 can chicken meat or 1/2-1 lb ground meat (I didn't use meat and don't think it needs it.)

Put the rice in to cook.
In a large pan (I used a cast iron saucepan) saute the onion in a little oil until it softens. Saute meat with onions if you're using it. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, and spices to taste (I use 2-3 Tbs of each). Add rice when it gets done. Mix it all up, then put in tortillas, roll them up, place them in a large baking pan side by side. Sprinkle cheese over the top of everything.
(Alternately, layer tortillas and stuffing in the pan more like a lasagne, then sprinkle cheese over the very top. My large pan was in use so I used a smaller deeper pan, and layered like this.)

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks Becky!

1 can (15oz) solid-pack pumpkin

1 ¼ cups eggnog

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves)

¼ tsp salt

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggnog, sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

Pour into pastry shell.

Bake at 375º for 60-65 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until serving.

Danish Abelskiver/Ebelskiver

2009-10-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

"Abel-sheever" or "Eebel-sheever"

First and foremost, you MUST have a proper abelskiver pan to make these. Mine is cast iron--I think they all are. If you don't have the right pan, don't bother trying to make them. It won't work. If you need one, you can get them here.

OK, so now that we have that out of the way, I've noticed that several countries seem to have their own variations on pancakes...there are crepes in france and johnny cakes in the southern USA, and abelskivers are the Scandinavian version. Like crepes and german pancakes, they are heavy on the eggs, and make a hearty breakfast if you can eat them slowly enough to feel how full you're getting!
I tried the recipe that came with my pan, but I prefer this one which I copied out here (I figured I should give the source link too)

Hubby says that in Denmark they actually make them more spherical--they pull each one up the side of the depression and cook it in 3-4 steps rather than just flipping it over and cooking it in 2 steps like I do. One day I may get up the energy to try that, but for now I just flip them over and they are puffy but not really balls. It's faster. ☺

4 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup melted shortening
Scant 2 cups milk

Directions:
Beat egg yolks; beat in sugar. Combine dry ingredients. Add alternately with shortening and milk. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into batter. Grease an Abelskiver pan (I put about 1/4tsp of butter in each depression). Heat until smoking. Fill depressions about half full.

When cooked on bottom, turn with two forks. (Some people use knitting needles to turn.) (I use a smallish spoon. There is definitely a learning curve to it, and I botched several batches before getting it straight...having a well-greased pan helps a lot.) Cook other side until cooked through. Regrease pan between batches (I use about 1/2tsp butter spread between the 7 depressions--just a tiny dot in each, although once you've developed a good seasoning on your cast iron then you'll only need to grease every 4th or 5th batch).
Serve warm with applesauce or sprinkled with sugar. We also like them with fruit + powdered sugar, fruit + whipped cream, or the boys like them with plain old maple syrup.

As with all my cast iron, I use only saturated fats to grease my abelskiver pan (in this case butter) because they put in a good seasoning (nonstick surface) and unsaturated fats will just break down. I also never wash it with soap--cast iron is porous and the soap will get into the pan and stay there (and then get into our food). I take the pan while it is still hot, and wash it with straight hot water from the tap. I have a (never-touches-soap) long-handled scrubby brush that I use if there is stuff stuck to the inside, but often a good rinse just gets everything nice and clean. Then just make sure the pan is fully dry before putting it away so that it will not rust. ☺

German Pancakes aka Dutch Babies

2009-10-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

I grew up calling these German Pancakes. A few years ago a friend introduced them to me as Dutch Babies...I do like her idea of baking them in several small pans rather than one large one because the best puffy parts are always on the edges of the pan, but otherwise old habits die hard and I still call them German Pancakes.
My husband had never seen them before, and once when we were engaged we were visiting my family and my mom made these. He looked at the pans and thought it must be the bottom layer of some dessert, and was surprised to see everyone start eating it plain for breakfast...but once he tried them he decided it didn't matter if they were funny looking. ☺

1/4 c butter (don't try to cheat and use some fake margarine or something--you will really taste it so you want the real stuff)
6 eggs
1 heaping cup flour
1 cup milk

Turn on the oven to 450 to preheat. Put the butter in a 9x13 pan (or a couple of smaller ones) and put it in the oven as it preheats. If you took the butter from the fridge, cut it into a few pieces so that it all melts evenly rather than half of it melting and then burning before the rest finishes melting.
Beat the eggs until frothy (I like to just put them in the blender). Add the flour and milk and mix. Pour the egg mixture into the pan right on top of the butter, and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with syrup, lemon juice and powdered sugar, or fruit and cream...the same kinds of things you would use for pancakes or crepes.

Cheesy Artichoke French Bread

2009-10-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

A friend brought this to a potluck gathering of our email group, and so many of us requested the recipe that she just emailed it to the whole group! It's a little spendy to make, and thoroughly fattening, but it's so yummy that every once in a while it is worth it. ♥
The comment at the end (about pigging out) is from her...but I agree.

1 loaf french bread (fresh and homemade is always nice, but this recipe also works well for a loaf that's getting a little crusty)
1/2 cup butter
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T sesame seeds (I never have these on hand so I always leave them out)
1 1/2 c sour cream
2 cups cubed Monterey Jack cheese (this is more or less a pound)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 T chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning (she used fresh grated lemon zest and salt and pepper, I often just use a lemon herb seasoning, such as the "fish seasoning" from costco)
1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained (chop up a bit if they are large)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut bread lengthwise. Tear out insides in large chunks (though not too huge--go for about 1 inch chunks).
Melt butter in a skillet, stir in garlic and sesame seeds. Add chunks of bread and fry until golden brown. Remove from heat.
Combine in a medium bowl: sour cream, jack cheese, parmesan, parsley, and lemon seasoning. Mix well.
Stir in artichoke hearts and bread mixture. Mix well.
Spoon into bread halves and sprinkle top of each half with cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes. Slice into servings or just take one half for yourself and pig out! ☺

Quiche Lorraine

2009-10-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Katrina for submitting this recipe (her second!). She says: "Here's another one. I'm hoping it qualifies as a "pie" in this case, since it's in a crust. It's far and away the best quiche recipe I have ever made OR tasted!"

I have never been a big fan of quiche, but I have to agree this one was the best I've ever had. The family all seemed to enjoy it as well--Hubby requested it for pie night. ☺
I had trouble with it overflowing all over the place (thank heaven I put the cookie sheet under it!), but I suspect that was because I didn't measure the broccoli very carefully, I just chopped a bunch and put it in there...if I'd backed off on the broccoli I think it would have been ok. Alternately I could have reduced the milk a bit. I did find that I needed to cook it for about 30 minutes longer than the recipe says.
(I didn't manage to get a picture of this one because after dinner when I went to take one, I found that Hubby had already put all the leftovers into a dish to take for his lunch the next day.)

Pastry for 9" one-crust pie (preferably homemade)
12 slices bacon, crisply fried and crumbled (I use much less--at least half as much--and it's still delicious. Usually I cram as much chopped broccoli in as I can instead.)
1 c. shredded cheese
1/3 c. minced onion
4 eggs
2 c. whipping cream or 1 can of milk (in a pinch I have also used regular milk--still very good, just not as rich)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. red or cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 c. chopped broccoli florets

Prepare pastry. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle bacon, cheese, and onion into pastry-lined pie pan. Beat eggs slightly. Beat in remaining ingredients. Pour cream mixture into pan. Bake 15 min. Reduce oven temp to 300 and bake 30 min longer or until tested. (Done like custard.) Let stand 10 min before serving.

I used swiss cheese because I had it on hand, and it added a very nice touch flavor-wise. I had 1cup of cream, so I used that, and then did the other cup with regular milk. I sauted the onion in the bacon grease for a couple of minutes before adding it to the pie, and I think that added a nice touch as well.

French Chocolate Silk Pie

2009-10-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Stacy for this recipe submission.

Our Review: Hubby says he likes this one (and the Chocolate Velvet) both better than my old Chocolate "Barbarian" Pie. This is certainly another very rich pie, but in a deeper sort of way than the Chocolate Velvet, as that one is made with milk chocolate and this one is made with dark chocolate. The directions call for a lot of mixing to get the sugar to fully dissolved, and I mixed it as directed, then even some extra, and it still seemed slightly grainy to me...perhaps I did not add the sugar gradually enough to begin with? I don't know. Anyway, that's my one complaint.
I did find that putting on the whipped cream really made a difference (a good contrast with the deepness of the chocolate) and I would not serve this pie without it.

1 Cup Butter
1 1/2 C Sugar
4 Squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 prepared pie crust (I like graham cracker)

Cream Butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in sugar with an electric mixer until creamy and light colored. Stir in the thoroughly cooled chocolate and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 5 minutes after each addition. (Don't skip the mixing time or the sugar won't dissolve.) Spoon chocolate filling into the pie crust. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Serve with whipped cream.

Chile Cheese Impossible Pie

2009-10-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to SisuGirl for this submission (as much as I love chocolate, it's good for us all to have some other kinds of pies too!)
Official Review: The first thing I noticed as I started to make this pie was that nowhere in the directions does it mention a crust...so I made it without one. It's eggy base though gives it a quiche-like texture, so next time I'll try it with a crust. I'm pretty sure it's good either way. ☺
As for whether we liked it, well, there are only 4 of us, and two of us have very small appetites, but this was all that was left at the end of dinner...
(A note on the photo...I think I should have taken it out a few minutes sooner...I'm still getting used to my oven here and it seems to run on the hot side...)

4C finely shredded cheddar cheese (mild or sharp, depending on your taste)
2 cans of diced green chiles
1 cup of Bisquick (can be substituted with 1 c flour, 1 1/2tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt)
2 cups of milk
4 eggs
Blend milk, eggs and Bisquick in a large bowl or blender until frothy.

In a large pie plate, sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese, layer with both cans of chiles and then top with remaining cheese. Carefully pour egg mixture into the pie pan; it will be VERY full. (I put an aluminum-lined cookie sheet under it just as I do with fruit pies.)

Bake at 450* for 30-45 mins or until knife comes out clean.

I have made this using only 2 cups of cheese and 1 large can of chiles and it turns out beautifully and lower in fat! (I did this)

Chocolate Velvet Pie

2009-09-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Katrina for submitting this recipe. (There are three more contest recipes coming, so I'll announce winners in a couple of weeks once we've had a chance to try the rest of them!)

Official Review: More substantial than the light and airy Chocolate Bavarian Pie, this pie is faster to make but the ingredients cost a bit more. It is very rich—a "just a sliver will do thank you" sort of pie. It nearly qualifies to be a candy rather than a pie (it's like a chocolate cheesecake, or fudge with a crust). Hubby made the comment that he thought it was over the top for Thanksgiving (when there are so many other rich foods) but that it would be lovely at Christmas. He also told me I had better make sure to keep this recipe. ☺
One thing I want to try next time I make it is to use a precooked pastry crust rather than a crumb crust--I think it might tone it down a little.

This pie pushes the boundaries of ‘decadent’ and
teeters on the verge of ‘naughty’

2 c. (11.5 oz. pkg.) milk chocolate morsels
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped
Chocolate crumb crust or graham cracker crust
Sweetened whipped cream (opt'l)
Chocolate curls (opt'l)
Chopped nuts (opt'l)

Microwave morsels for 1 min. Stir. Microwave 30 sec. more; stir until smooth. (For those, like me, who have a microwave-free kitchen, just heat them on the stovetop over low heat for around 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.) Cool to room temperature. Beat cream cheese, chocolate, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until light in color. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into crust. Chill until firm (it only took about 30 min). (Top with opt'l ingredients if desired.)

Marie Callender's Blueberry Cream Pie

2009-09-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe here but in case the other site ever goes down or something, I'm copying the recipe over as well. ☺
This recipe is fairly time consuming, but if you try it I think you'll agree that it's worth the effort. (Unfortunately it's not a terribly photogenic pie...it's soft and tends to slide and 'melt' a little even when properly chilled...but it tastes fantastic!)

1 baked and cooled 9" pie shell (it really will overflow an 8", so get yourself a nice big deep pan for this one!)

*Blueberry Filling
1 can blueberries in heavy syrup (15 oz), drained, reserving juice in one bowl and berries in another (if you use fresh berries, use around 2cups, and cook them down over low heat with a little water and around 1/2 c sugar until they thicken.)
1 1/2 c water (I found that this made the pie a little runny, so in the future I'll either reduce it or drain off half of it after the apples cook)
1 c pea-sized diced apple
3 Tbs cornstarch (you can substitute with 6Tbs flour, but you'll want a little extra water to blend it with, so you'll need to reduce the water elsewhere to balance it)
1/4 c water
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Sour Cream Topping
1 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sugar
1 Tbs cream cheese
1/2 tsp knox gelatin
2 Tbs cold water

Filling
In a medium saucepan combine diced apples with 1 1/2 c water and sugar at medium temperature until the apples are done but not mushy. (Do make sure they are done, otherwise the texture will stand out from the blueberries...it tastes fine, but the texture of a not-quite-cooked apple is a little odd in the middle of a blueberry pie!)
While the apples are cooking mix cornstarch with 1/4 c water until dissolved. When apples are done add lemon juice and berry juice, cook and stir until blended. While stirring on medium heat add dissolved cornstarch slowly and stir constantly until thickened. Add berries and cinnamon and mix well. Remove from heat and cool before placing into cooled prepared pie shell.
Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Topping
Dissolve gelatin in 2 Tbs water and set aside. Mix the sour cream, sugar, and cream cheese in a pan on low heat until sugar is dissolved and everything is mixed thoroughly. Stir and watch that mixture does not burn or dry out. When all is smooth and blended add vanilla and stir. Then gradually add gelatin until mixture has a firm consistency of soft pudding. Remove from heat.
Topping can be smoothed over blueberries while luke warm, then chill the whole pie.

*If you are on a tight schedule you may substitute blueberry pie filling, but it will be sweeter... if you do this, it replaces the entire filling mixture--not just the blueberries. When I tried this though it did not set up very well. The pie tasted great, but it was very runny.

Momma's Apple Pie

2009-09-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Brooke, this is one of the recipes submitted for my pie contest...
Our official review of this recipe: It’s slightly sweeter than my old apple pie recipe, and it has a pronounced cinnamon flavor. It’s a very attractive pie, with the filling turning a pretty red rather than staying pale and colorless as most apple pies do. My hubby’s conclusion is that it’s a good apple pie but so similar to my other recipe that he wouldn’t be able to tell them apart unless he had a slice of each on his plate at the same time (which he did for the official review). My conclusion is that I like the sharper cinnamon and bright color, but I prefer the more gelled texture of the filling in my other recipe (caused by adding flour to it) so in the future I will probably combine the two to create a perfect apple pie.
Did I mention that apple pie is my favorite kind of pie?
Yeah, it is.
I think.
My favorite fruit pie anyway.
I think. ☺

sour apples (6-7 Johnathan apples or 4 Granny Smith) (I used granny smith)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamin
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp butter
pie crust (I tend to buy them because I have yet to make a good one!)

Peel, core, and chop apples;
Put apples in a large pot along w/ the sugar, spices, and butter;
Cook and stir until syrupy and the apples are partially cooked;
put them into your pie crust, put on the top crust;
bake @350 for 50 min
(tends to make a mess in the oven, so be prepared by putting a cookie sheet under it)

Tips for Pies

2009-09-11T11:17:00.001-07:00

It's pie season, and that warrants a post full of tips about pies. ☺ (If you have other tips, please leave them in the comments and I'll add them to the post!)

CRUSTS
Pie crusts are not hard to make, but you do have to follow the directions (no shortcuts!) otherwise they will lose the flakiness or fall apart. I have posted my own favorite crust recipes here, meanwhile here are a few tips for making your own pastry crusts:

Have all the ingredients as cold as possible--you can even set the bowl and mixing implement in the fridge for a little while ahead of time.
Handle the dough as little as possible. Extra mixing, rolling, or mooshing reduces flakiness and makes it more stiff and chewstiffer.
Don't try to use an electric mixer--use a pastry mixer or a fork. Electric mixers tend to overhandle the dough.
Pie dough is the one time when I use shortening instead of butter--the texture really does make a difference.
Shortening is not hard to measure--you can buy the pre-marked cubes (they keep well in the freezer) or you can use water displacement--get a 2c measuring cup and put in 1c of water, then put in blobs of shortening until the water level moves up to indicate that you have enough shortening (1 1/2c water level for 1/2 c shortening, etc). No sticky greasy measuring cups, just one sticky spoon and some slightly damp shortening...but you'll be adding water to the dough in a second anyway so it's ok! ☺
Did I mention to touch it as little as possible?!

TOO MUCH/TOO LITTLE DOUGH?

Leftover crust dough always gets snitched around here, either raw, or made into pastry goodies.
Another option for extra crust is to use a small cookie cutter and use the little cutouts to decorate the top of your pie.
If you're shy on the amount of dough you need for a top crust, try cutting it into strips and making a lattice (make the spaces as wide as you need to so that there are enough strips). Alternately, use a small cookie cutter in a simple shape such as a star and cut out a bunch of those. Lay them together around the top of the pie with the edges touching--voila, a top crust!

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

There are two main ways to get the crust from the counter to the dish: first, gently fold it into quarters then lift it over and unfold it into the pan...this is what I do for bottom crusts (and if it gets a little wrinkled or cracked it's ok because it will be covered!). For top crusts, I gently roll the pie crust up onto the rolling pin, then move that over to the pan and unroll the crust right across the filling.
If you get your finger wet with water and run it around the edge of the pie before putting on the top crust it will help the two layers stick together. It's not such a big deal with a full top crust, but it will hold the pie together if you're making a lattice-top or doing the cookie cutter top.
One area of pie making that I have always struggled with is making a pretty crimped edge. After years of simply pressing it with fork tines (which works fine for single-crust pies but not so well for two-crust pies) I have finally learned to make a nice crimp. My mom always used the tips of her thumbs and forefingers, but I can't get that to work. What does work for me is to use the first knuckles of my first two fingers. So play around a bit, see what works for you!

FRUIT PIES
Put a cookie sheet under them because pretty much every fruit pie I know of will overflow and drip juices over the edge of the pie dish and you don't want to have to scrub that sticky goompy mess off the inside of your oven! I like to line the cookie sheet with foil because then the cookie sheet doesn't become a sticky goompy mess either.

PIES WITH PRECOOKED SHELLS
Use pie weights in the bottom of the shell to keep it from puffing up as you bake it. If you don't have pie weights, a small oven-safe plate or saucer works, or you can lay in 2-3 spoons (be careful when they come out, they'll be really really hot!!)
Make sure the shell is fully cooled before you try to put the filling in. Yes, this means waiting a while, but trust me, it's not worth the runny pie that you'll get if you don't wait. ☺

Grandma B's Buttermilk Scones

2009-07-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Grandma likes to make these for the family for Pioneer Day (the day when the Mormon Pioneers came into the Salt Lake valley...it's a big deal in SLC which is where she lives...it also happens to be today, July 24). She always insists on doing them in a dutch oven in the back yard, but you can fry them in a regular pan on the stove or in an electric frypan on the counter just as easily.
Yes, they are deep fried. Geeze, how could they be scones otherwise?!

1 qt. buttermilk warmed (you can also use regular milk with a couple Tbs of lemon juice to give the tartness
2 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 T. oil
1-1/2 t. salt
3 t. baking powder
1/2 t. soda
8 C. flour

In a large bowl, soften the yeast in 3/4 cup of the warmed buttermilk. Add next six ingredients and stir. Add flour stirring to make a soft dough. (Dough will be sticky.) Allow to rise until double. Punch down, place lid on bowl, and refrigerate overnight.

Put a small bit of test dough into the oil as it begins heating--that will keep things from exploding on you (so says Grandma at least!) and also you can look at it to see if your oil is the right temperature for cooking. Gently lower little blobs of dough into the hot oil. As they get golden, turn them over with a long-handled something. When they are golden on both sides, take them out.
Serve with honey, butter, honey-butter, or jam...

French Bread

2009-07-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

I never liked french bread until I was introduced to this recipe (thank you Gina!). Even the fresh french bread at the store seemed dry and the crusts were so hard...this is a nice soft french bread. If you prefer that crustier bread, this will harden a bit overnight, or if you cook it for a few extra minutes.
I prefer to mix this bread by hand with a big wooden spoon--an electric mixer can lead to overmixing, and that will ruin the light texture of french bread.

*Note, you can do part wheat flour in this recipe if you like--I've had it work fine up to about half wheat--but hey, this is french bread...I like it white! ☺

Makes 2 large loaves
Preparation/cooking time = about 2 hours (it's easy, but there's a lot of rising time, and this really can't be rushed)

In a smallish bowl or measuring cup mix
5 tsp yeast (or 2 packets)
1/2 cup hot water
Set aside

In a large bowl mix
2 cup hot water
1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
3 Tbs sugar (I usually put part of it in with the yeast to help it get off to a good start)
1 Tbs salt

Add to water mixture
3 cups flour
Blend well
Add yeast mixture (which should now be nice and bubbly)
Blend well
Add
3 more cups flour
After mixing, dough will be pretty sticky. Cover bowl with a clean towel and set in a warm place for 10 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes, stir it down. Repeat the rising/stirring down for a total of 5 times. (If your kitchen is on the cooler side, try doing 15 minute risings, or if you have an oven-safe bowl you can set it in a slightly warm oven for the risings.) It's these multiple risings that make the big bubbles in the bread. ☺

Preheat the oven to 400*
Place the dough onto a floured counter and knead just a little (about 10 times) then divide into two parts and roll into long skinny loaves. If you have a french bread pan you can use that, otherwise sprinkle cornmeal on a cookie sheet and place the loaves side by side (leave a little space--they will rise as they cook). Do not rise them again before cooking, just put them into the oven. Bake at 400* for about 30 minutes.

Yummy variations

Sprinkle grated cheese into the bread dough while kneading for a cheesy bread.
Make ahead of time, then slice loaves in half lengthwise and spread butter and garlic inside and warm in the oven until flavors melt together.
Make ahead of time, slice loaves lengthwise, then put cheese in the middle and melt in oven.

Couscous with Veggies

2009-04-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

I love couscous. I'm not exactly sure why...maybe it's because it's pasta (but seems like a grain), maybe it's because it feels exotic, maybe it's because it is so SO easy to cook. In any case, I ♥ couscous.
I tried this recipe today with saffron--a middle eastern spice to go with a middle eastern pasta. ☺
1 cup boiling water
1 cup dry couscous (or follow the directions/proportions on your couscous--some is different)
3/4 cup (or so) of veggies (I used chopped carrots, frozen peas, and canned corn...it was what I had on hand)
2-3Tbs butter
seasonings as desired: salt & pepper, lemon pepper, basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, or even saffron if you're feeling adventurous (or wealthy!)

Set the water to boil. If you're using fresh veggies and want them softened, put in an extra 1/4c of water and put the veggies in the water as it heats up.
Once the water is boiling, take it off the heat, dump in the couscous and stir until all liquid is absorbed and the couscous gets soft (about 2 minutes). (Most couscous sold in western groceries is pre-steamed, so cooks very quickly...but double check the directions on your couscous because if it's not pre-steamed it will need a little longer and different cooking method.)
Add additional veggies if applicable. Add butter and seasonings and stir in until butter is melted.

Pike's Chicken (aka "The Stuff that Kids are Guaranteed to Like")

2009-03-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

How can you go wrong with a name like "the stuff that kids are guaranteed to like"?! That's what the Pike family called it when they gave us the recipe. We went for the simpler name of "Pike's Chicken" because I'm fairly sure that Mama Pike invented this one. Regardless, it's fast, easy, and yes, the kids like it.
It is not one I make very often because it's made with canned soups which are highly processed, so they're both expensive and unhealthy...but it is quick and easy, and every once in a while that's what counts.

serves 4-6, depending how much chicken you use, and it's easy to stretch it by adding some milk to the sauce, or an extra can of one of the soups

Some cut-up chicken (however much your family eats)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (cream of something else will work in a pinch)
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can tomato soup
Pasta

Combine the soups to make a sauce. Put the chicken in a 9x13 pan and pour the sauce over the top. Bake at 350* for about 1 hour (less for boneless or small pieces--see time guides from Chicken in Mushroom Sauce)
Serve over pasta.

Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

2009-03-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

If you're a mushroom-hater like me, don't let the title scare you! Honestly it's a lot like a stronganoff, only with chicken. In college I used to make a big batch (sometimes meatless) and eat it all week. I think meat tastes odd if reheated in a microwave, but it's fine on the stove or in the oven, and if you make it meatless then the microwave works great.

serves 4-6, depending how much chicken you use

1-2 lbs chicken (if you do cut up pieces it's easy to get away with less, which is cheaper, but it also works fine with whole breasts, thighs, or drumsticks) (I usually do 1-2 breasts cut up)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c sour cream or plain (unflavored) yogurt
parmesan cheese (cheddar is a nice variation if you don't have parmesan)
extra mushrooms, if desired

Cut up chicken into 1-inch pieces and spread in a 9x13 baking pan. (If using larger pieces, either precook them for 30 min, or plan to cook the final dish for longer).
Spread soup/sour cream mixture over the meat, and sprinkle enough cheese to cover the top. Bake at 350* for 30-45 min (1hr or a little more for larger pieces).
Serve over noodles or rice.

I prefer to cut up the chicken, and if you use leftover chicken (or even canned) then it is pre-cooked and you only need to put it in the oven long enough to get everything warm--about 10-15min. That is a very fast dinner!
However, if you use whole thighs/breasts, and sprinkle it all with some extra parmesan when serving over a nice bed of noodles, it can be quite a fancy looking meal. Throw some steamed veggies on the side and voila!

The Good Stuff (aka Homemade Hamburger Helper)

2009-03-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

I think in the official family recipe book this is called "Hamburger Cheese Macaroni Dish" but everyone in the family just calls it "The Good Stuff."
The original recipe calls for american cheese--the processed junk like velveeta. That will give it more of an "out of the box" taste, but if you like classier food I'd recommend using grated cheddar. ☺

serves about 6

About 1 lb ground beef
4 cups cooked *macaroni noodles (about 3 c uncooked)
1 10.5 oz can tomato soup
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
About 1/2 lb cheese (diced american, or grated cheddar)

*shell noodles work fine, but I don't recommend trying penne or spaghetti or something too different...

Cook noodles. Meanwhile brown the hamburger in a large saucepan and drain off the grease. Mix in tomato sauce, soup, and noodles. Melt in the cheese.

Vegetarian Nachos

2009-02-26T05:56:00.000-08:00

Instead of ground beef this uses lentils or pinto beans. When seasoned the same way, they taste quite similar. (please note that all spice amounts are approximated, as I have never measured them...)

makes enough for a 9x13 pan of nachos

around 3 cups Tortilla chips
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 or 1 1/2 cups cooked (or canned) lentils or pinto beans (they have to be soft) I like to use leftover lentils/beans if I have them
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp garlic power*
1 Tbs ground cumin*
1 Tbs chili powder*
*(spices can be replaced with a half packet of taco or other mexican seasoning if you want, but I prefer to use separate spices so I can customize the proportions)
optional--a few drops of tabasco sauce

Spread the chips in the pan.
Put ketchup and spices in with the lentils and blend well (use a blender or an electric mixer). Drop the mixture in blobs around on the chips.
Sprinkle cheese over the top of everything.
Cook on 350 for about 10 min or until cheese is melted and everything is warm. To keep chips crunchier, use a higher temperature for a shorter time.

Fudge Pudding Cake (Chocolate)

2009-02-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

Like cake?
Like pudding?
Mix them together!!

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp cocoa
Mix together in a bowl.

1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs melted butter
Mix together, then add to dry mixture and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into a greased 8x8 pan.

3/4 c brown sugar
3 Tbs cocoa
Mix together, then sprinkle over batter in pan

1 1/2 cups boiling water
Pour over the whole mess in the pan.

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes (you might want to check it at 40 min). It should be bubbly and brown but not blackening at all (my oven runs hot and I really have to keep an eye on this one!) Let it sit a few minutes before attempting to serve it. :)

Crazy Cake (Chocolate)

2009-02-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

This is a very moist cake, however it doesn't seem to work for cupcakes (they're yummy, they just sink in the middle). I've had mixed experiences with trying different sizes/shapes of pans, but in a good old 9x13 it seems to be ok.
The reason this is a 'crazy' cake also makes it really fun to make with kids (read the directions!)

3 c flour
1/2 c cocoa
2 c sugar
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 c oil
2 Tbs vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 c water

Mix all dry ingredients together. Make 3 large holes in dry mixture. Pour oil in one, vinegar in the second, and vanilla in the third. Then pour the water over the whole mess and stir until blended.
Bake at 350 in a 9x13 pan for 30-45 minutes.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

2009-02-22T01:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't actually used this one yet, but it comes highly recommended, and I've been wanting a ww pizza dough recipe (my regular one doesn't work so well with wheat flour), and I don't want to lose this one...
I got it from ZestyCook here (but just in case they ever take down their site, I'm copying and pasting the recipe too!)

1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
2 Packets Active Dry Yeast (this is about 5tsp for those of us who buy the big jars!)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Place water in large bowl - sprinkle with yeast.
Let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).
Brush another large bowl with Olive Oil.
In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar, oil and salt. Stir in flours until a sticky dough forms.
Transfer to oiled bowl (brush top of dough with oil).
Cover dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until it doubles in size (about an hour).
Turn dough onto a well floured surface and knead until smooth.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Prepare dough in shape of pizza.
Spread sauce and then most of the cheese.
Add toppings as desired, top with remaining cheese (cheese on top helps hold on the toppings)
Bake until crust golden brown and cheese has melted. Time varies depending on the thickness of your crust (12-20 minutes).

Some Notes on Beans

2009-01-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Here are a few basic tips about cooking with beans (specifically dry beans):

Beans are very easy to prepare, so long as you allow enough time and use enough water. Don't be scared of them!

There are a lot of kinds of beans, but most of them are pretty interchangable. For example the classic "beans and rice" that is served in most of Central/South America is prepared similarly in most areas, but different regions use different beans, according to what grows locally. In Sao Paulo they use pink beans, but I've used the exact same recipe with pinto beans, and my sister prefers it with black beans. SO, if the recipe calls for one kind of bean and you don't have it, get adventurous and substitute in something that you do have!

Use LOTS of water. Having a bit extra won't hurt anything, but having too little can make a scorched, stinky mess. The recipes rarely give specific measurments, so I just put in the beans, then water to twice the height of the beans, then check in on them every so often, and add more water if it gets below the level of the beans.

Beans take a loooong time to cook. I prefer to cook them overnight in the crockpot, but if you want to do them in one day make sure you allow at LEAST 3 hours for preparation. I still recommend letting them soak overnight beforehand, but there are "quick preparation" methods which can be done in just a few hours.

Beans grow a lot when cooked--the average bean (or lentil) will more than double in size...so 1 cup of dry beans will go a long way!

The average bean is fairly bland, which is why you can get away with making them into foods ranging from a main dish to a dip to even pie! As a main dish, I like to serve them with something more flavorful--either some kind of sauce, or something cooked in a good bone broth. When I make beans and rice, I cook the rice in broth which adds flavor to it. I suppose you could cook the beans in broth but I've never tried it.

I do hope to learn a bit more about the various types of beans, and when I do I will add those specifics to this post (which ones are best for various recipes, etc)

Finally, it IS on my blogroll, but if you're interested in more bean recipes, visit my friend Katie's Beans & Rice blog. ☺

Bone Broth

2009-01-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

(I originally posted most of this here, and you might appreciate some of the comments that were left there. However it's still worth reading here as this post has additional information and links.)

The best broth in the world comes from bones, not from meat. Bones are full of nutrients, and even when the meat is gone, bones can provide several more meals if you know what to do with them. At our house, bones never end up in the garbage can!

The best part of the bird, really!

Here's a short overview:

Bones (in the marrow) have lots of vitamins in them. The best way to get those nutrients out is to leech it out into broth. You know how you always heard that chicken soup was good when you're sick? Well, if it's made with real bone broth, it actually does have immuno-boosting properties! If you add 1 Tbs or so of vinegar to the water, it helps to get the nutrients out of the bone and into the broth.
Adding onion, celery, garlic, or other herbs can make for a richer broth, but they are optional.
Putting fat and skin in the broth will make it nice and fatty, and it does taste good, but those parts of the animal (especially poultry) tend to hold toxins, so many people prefer to avoid having them in the broth.
Putting meat in the broth will not add to flavor, and it will suck the flavor out of the meat...so strip off the meat, then make the broth with just the bones. After the broth is done, strain it, and then if you want to make soup go ahead and put the meat back in at the end.
Feel free to use bones that have been nibbled...after all, 12 hours of boiling will destroy any germs...
If you don't have enough bones to make a broth yet, just save them in the freezer until you do have enough.
Once made, bone broth can be canned in a pressure cooker and kept in the pantry, or it can be refrigerated or frozen. My mom puts it in a jar in the fridge to cool, then freezes it in ice cube trays. Once it's frozen into cubes, she stores it in a big ziplock bag in the freezer. Anytime she has a recipe that calls for broth, she can easily grab a cube or two or five and toss them in!
Oh yeah, real bone broth tastes better than that canned stuff or *gag*choke* MSG-laden bullion. Use it for soups, sauces, graveys, or even cooking rice.
"Broth is Beautiful" (published by the WestonAPrice Foundation)--this page has lots of information about the health benefits of bone broth, as well as specific recipes for chicken, beef, and fish stock, and how to use your stock to make sauces (the recipes are at the bottom--just scroll down).
"Why Broth is Beautiful" is a lengthy article (with lots of references) explaining more of the health benefits of bone broth.

Chicken and Turkey Put the bones in a crockpot, cover them with water, and let them simmer at least overnight (they can stay as long as 2 days if you don't get to them sooner) . If you don't have a crockpot, you can let them simmer on the stove for at least 4-5 hours (ideally 8-12). At this point the bones will be bending, breaking, and literally falling apart. This is good--it means you've gotten all the nutrients out of them! Strain out all the solids, and voila, the best broth you've ever had.

Beef Same as chicken, just stick the bones in a crockpot or stockpot, and let them simmer for hours...

Ham Take that hambone and stick it in the pot along with any bits of leftover ham, plenty of water, and lots of beans. My mom always used pinto beans, my mother in law uses white 'navy' beans. You can pretty much use whatever you like. Add some onion, garlic, celery, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Let it simmer all day...

Fish I confess that I can't stand fish broth, but it's mostly because I don't care for most seafood...if you like seafood, or even a good clam chowder, try making fish broth! The whole heads can go in, so this is an especially good option if you catch your own fish, or buy them with the heads on. ☺

Pork (ribs etc) Honestly, we usually give these ones to the dog. She loves them. However pork bones can make a stock just like any other bones.

Mmmm, nothin like real broth!

(I know it looks ikky, but I just wish you could smell this picture!)

Great Grandma's Sugar Cookies

2008-12-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

We had been making this recipe for years. It was extremely rich and we loved eating the cookies, but the dough was soft and could be difficult to work with if not chilled well enough (we had to put it back in the fridge between batches). When I was in my late teens, my mother came across another sugar cookie recipe and said "hey, this is almost the same as great-grandmas, except that instead of 1 cup of butter, it has 1 cube..." ...and then the light came on. Somewhere along the line someone had written "1c" instead of 1 cube, and ever since then we'd been doing a double portion of butter in the cookies. Since then I have opted to use 3/4 cup of butter--halfway in between the two. It maintains the rich flavor of our old recipe, but is much easier to work with.

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
a dash of almond extract if desired
2 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Add flour.
Chill thoroughly (at least an hour). Keep firm in order to handle (any portion you are not working with should be put back in the fridge). Roll out about 1/4" thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place on a very lightly greased cookie sheet with space between cookies (dough will spread a little). Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Cookies can be frosted, but I prefer to sprinkle them with colored sugar (or sprinkles) before cooking...they are rich enough without frosting, and sugar is just as pretty without the mess!

Meltaway Christmas Cookies

2008-12-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

My mother had been making these for years, and told me that she liked them as a Christmas cookie. With sugar cookie snowmen in competition, I could never understand why she felt this was a holiday treat... After I was married I made them one day and my husband said "this is what they make at Christmas in Norway!" Aha!
makes 5 doz

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour

Heat oven to 400*. Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, vanilla. Stir in flour. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet (I roll little balls). (Cookies don’t spread.) Bake about 10 min, until set but not brown. While still warm, roll in powdered sugar.

Cardamom Bread

2008-12-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

A braided Christmas tradition from Scandinavia.
I grew up with this from my Danish ancestors...imagine my delight to learn that my husband had grown up with an almost identical recipe--from his Finnish ancestors! While our recipes are the same, our methods of eating are different: the Danes frost it and put on maraschino cherries (as pictured) and then tear off chunks from the braid, while the Finns slice it, toast it, and eat it with butter. We all eat it strictly at Christmas--my family saves it for Christmas morning, but my husband's family enjoys it throughout the holiday season.
makes 2 large (or 6-8 small) loaves

8 cups flour
2 cups scalded milk
2 Tbs yeast
1/2 cup warm water (for the yeast to grow in)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup melted butter
1 tsp cardamom (powdered form, not the whole pods!)

Dissolve yeast in water and set aside. Mix milk, butter, sugar, egg, salt, cardamom, and a little of the flour and beat until smooth. Add yeast and mix again. Add the rest of the flour and beat well. Knead for about 10 minutes. Cover dough and let it rise until double. Place on a floured board and knead until smooth. Divide into 6 even-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a 'snake' and braid together into 2 loaves, tucking the ends under.
Put loves on a large greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until double again. Bake at 375* until golden brown--about 20 minutes for large loaves (less for smaller loaves).

If you are new to bread making, check out my bread making tips!

Sweet Pumpkin Pie

2008-12-02T15:35:00.001-08:00

I got this recipe from my sister, who got it off a kitchen towel. Seriously, she did! Could I make that up?!

15 oz can pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (or homemade)
1 graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 425'F. Beat together pumpkin, eggs, spices and milk. Pour into shell. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350'F. Bake 35-40 minutes longer until done

[sister's notes]
I covered just the sides (crust) with foil before baking, so they were protected and the middle was exposed.
I baked it a lot longer than it said, until it stopped wiggling in the middle.
It was so darn yummy, I didn't even need whipped cream!

Peppermint Pie

2008-12-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

There's a real irony to the fact that I like this pie...because I hate marshmallows! But somehow, when it's peppermint...well, nothing can be wrong with the world when I can smell peppermint!!

Makes 1 8" pie
If you want to make a 9" pie, or a deep dish, you need to double the recipe!

graham cracker crust (or a chocolate crumb crust!)
24 large marshmallows (or 3 cups minis)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
6 drops peppermint extract (doubled = 1/4 tsp)
6 drops red food color (doubled = 1/4 tsp)
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 Tbs crushed peppermint candy (this is great for leftover candy canes! Be sure to really crush them up though)

Heat marshmallows and milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, just until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, peppermint extract, and food color. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.
Beat whipping cream in a chilled bowl until stiff. Stir marshmallow mixture until blended, and then fold into whipping cream. Pour into crust. Refrigerate at least 12 hours. *Just before serving, sprinkle with crushed candy.

Alternately, make it as bars instead of a pie. (I actually like this better, because I think the proportions of crust to filling come out nicer. Press the graham cracker crust into the bottom of a 8 or 9" square dish (make sure it's greased!). Don't put the crust up the sides--just on the bottom. Make a single batch of filling, and spread it over the crust. Put it in the fridge to set up overnight. Cut into squares. The first one will probably be hard to lift out (you might have to eat it ☺) but the rest should come up nice and pretty, something like cheesecake squares... :)
*if you sprinkle the candy on too early, it will sink into the pie rather than staying on top! If you do it more than an hour before serving, the colors from the candy will bleed onto the pie and the whole thing just looks a bit sad...

Harvest [Bean] Pie

2008-11-30T01:30:00.000-08:00

My husband is scared of this pie, but he confessed that if I hadn't told him it was made with beans, he would have thought it was a new variation on a pumpkin pie...it has the same spices and texture as a pumpkin pie, but less sugar and more protein. I also happen to like it a little better!

2 cups bean puree (recipe below)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
9" pie shell (uncooked)

Prepare bean puree (it takes overnight)
In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add bean puree, milk, and evaporated milk. Stir until smooth. Add sugar and all spices. Stir until blended. Pour into unbaked shell. Bake 1 hour at 375* or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Serve chilled (it's good with whipped cream!)

Bean Puree
1 cup dried beans
water for soaking
2 1/2 c water
1 Tbs vegetable oil
Soak beans overnight, drain and combine remaining ingredients in a pan. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer until tender--1-1/2 hours. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Blend the beans with around half the liquid in a blender on medium speed (it will be about the consistency of pumpkin from a can). Makes about 2 cups.

Cream Cheese Pie

2008-11-25T06:14:00.000-08:00

This is the pie that most of my family requests on their birthday (rather than a cake). Dad gets it layered with fresh raspberries for his summer birthday, the rest of us just take it straight up. It's got a bit of a lemony tang, it's richer than a cheesecake, and it's oh so good!

1 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (cooled if homemade)
1/3 c lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 graham cracker crust

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and blend thoroughly. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
Pour into crust. Chill at least 3 hours (if you try to take a shortcut on this you will end up with 'pile' rather than pie, and trust me, it tastes great, but it's ugly!!)

Sweetened Condensed Milk

2008-11-24T01:42:00.000-08:00

yup, you can make your own. It's not even hard!

1 cup sugar
4 Tbs butter
3/8 cup water
1 1/2 cup instant dry milk or heaping 1/2 cup non-instant

Combine sugar, water, and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly, then mix in dry milk (using beaters or a blender to make sure it's thoroughly mixed).
Refrigerate, covered, until needed

Self-Rising Flour

2008-11-13T01:47:00.000-08:00

No need to buy it ever again!

1 cup regular flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

mix it up!!

I use self-rising flour, mixed with a little water, as the batter for onion rings and fried fish. My husband says I could give any English *chippy a run for his money

(*the guys who sell fish and chips on the corner)

Irish Stew

2008-11-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

Irish stew is a simple yet hearty meal which will fill you up and warm your belly even after a long, cold, wet day in the fog or with the sheep ☺

1/2-1lb leftover lamb roast (beef works if you don't have lamb, but lamb is better!)
2 potatoes
2-3 carrots
1 onion
2-3Tbs garlic (or 1Tbs garlic powder)
salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf (I use a good sprinkle of each...amounts are very much up to you. I use lots of salt and thyme, and very little rosemary, because that's just what I like...)

Cut up the lamb, potatoes, carrots and onion into 1/2inch cubes. If the meat had leftover juices, those are the best base for the broth, however stock or bullion (lamb, beef, or vegetable) will suffice in a pinch. I put all the ingredients in a large pot, and add just enough water to cover them all. Stir around a bit, and then cover and cook on med-low heat until all veggies are soft, stirring occasionally. Once veggies are soft, remove lid and allow to simmer until you're ready to serve it. (With 1/2" chunks, my soup needed less than an hour to all be soft.)

I recommend serving it with warm biscuits, homemade bread, or rolls.

"Tasty Goodies"

2008-11-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

You know how there's always just a little pie crust left over when you make a pie? No matter how many pies I make, I always seem to end up with scraps. Courtesy of my mother (a most frugal and also brilliant cook) I share an idea of what to do with those scraps! Mom called them "pastry goodies" but at least one of my little siblings mispronounced it as "tasty goodies" and the name stuck.

Take the leftover pie dough and moosh is together then roll it out.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then cut into squares/triangles of around 2" across (we always end up with a lot of irregularly shaped pieces but of approximately the same size).
Place on a cookie sheet with a little space between them--they won't rise much, but will stick together if they are touching.
Bake (with the pie--whatever temperature that is) for about 8-10 minutes (check them, because thinner ones or higher temperatures will cook faster, so the bake time will vary from batch to batch).

Voila, tasty goodies!

Chocolate Bavarian Pie

2008-11-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

Affectionately known as "Chocolate Barbarian Pie" when I was growing up, this delicacy has a mousse-like quality. It does have to chill for a while, but it's actually VERY easy to make.

(I confess that this particular one is in a purchased crust...I made three pies today because it's pie night, and I just didn't feel like doing a 4th!)

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 c cold water
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cocoa
1 can evaporated milk
1 Tbs vanilla
graham cracker or cookie crumb pie crust

In 1 qt saucepan, soften gelatin in the water. Stir in sugar and cocoa.
Stir over medium heat until gelatin and sugar are completely dissolved (about 5 minutes). Do NOT let it boil.
Take off heat, and stir in 1 c of the evaporated milk, then put in a medium size (2qt) bowl and chill until firm (at least 1 hour).
Remove from fridge, and slowly mix in the rest of the can of milk (about 2/3 c) plus the vanilla. Beat on low speed until the mixture is broken up, then beat on high speed until the mixture fills the bowl.
Allow to rest for a few minutes, then put in the pie crust and chill until firm--about 1 hour.

Pie Crust

2008-11-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

I know most folks have a pie crust recipe someplace, but for the sake of convenience, I here share my favorites...
Obviously you can always go down and buy a crust, but it's really not that hard to make your own, and they taste SO much better!

GRANDMA M'S MOST AWESOME PIE CRUST EVER
I love grandma's pie crust. She got it from Betty Crocker or something, I don't know, but I adore it and it's the only crust I like. It must be good though because I get compliments on it!
1 1/2 c flour (I stick to plain white for this one)
1/2 t salt
1/2 c shortening, lard, or coconut oil (this is the only time I use shortening instead of butter, but it really does affect the texture)
4-5 Tbs cold water
Blend the flour and salt, then cut in the shortening. Sprinkle in the water, 1Tbs at a time, mixing after each addition until the dough holds together. Let the dough rest for a few minutes before rolling out or pressing into the pan.
TIP: have all the ingredients as cold as possible. Also, handle the dough as little as possible--each time you re-roll it, moosh it, handle it, or get more flour into it it will get stiffer and less flaky. The secret to a flaky crust is to not touch it!
This recipe is supposed to make two 8" crusts, but I usually use deep-dish 9" pyrex pie dishes, so I get 1 crust plus some leftovers...I either do a lattice top or make pastry goodies.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
Crush 11 crackers (1 package) into crumbs. Add 1/4 c sugar and 1/2 c melted butter. Stir well, then press into greased pan and chill. My grandma just throws everything (whole crackers even!) into her food processor and lets it whir for a few seconds. I do it the old fashioned way with a baggie and a rolling pin...whatever works for you!
This happens to also work really well with the chocolate graham crackers...

For more tips about pies, see this post of tips (it's linked on the sidebar too).

Homemade Noodles

2008-11-04T13:36:00.000-08:00

These take a little bit of time, but are not difficult. If you have a pasta machine it's faster and easier (and the noodles come out prettier) but you can do it just rolled out on the counter as well.

makes enough for 3-4 people in a pasta dish, or 4-6 in soup
1 cup flour
1 beaten egg
a little water

Put the flour in a bowl, add the egg, and mix. The egg won't be quite enough liquid to make a dough, so add water about 1-2tsp at a time until dough all sticks together. (I usually need about 2-3Tbs of water, but it varies by the size of the egg, and whether I use wheat or white flour or a combination.)
The noodles will be pretty sticky, so use plenty of flour when you roll them out. The noodles will get bigger when cooking, so cut them thin and small.

Bread-Making Secrets

2008-10-30T02:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a few bread-making tips to help the aspiring bread maker!

Yeast needs a warm safe place to grow--most recipes call for putting yeast in warm water for a bit before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. The water should be just warmer than skin temperature, but not hot. Too hot will kill the yeast, but too cold will not stimulate it. This is one reason why most recipes call for warm water or milk--it warms the whole dough so that it can accept the yeast.

Add just a pinch of sugar to the yeast as it sits there--yeast loves sugar, and will grow fast and bubbly for you! (Do take care, as I've had it bubble right over onto the counter more than once!!) Happy yeast helps make a nice airy bread though.

Yeast is inhibited (or even killed) by fats and salts. So don't put yeast with butter/oil or salt until after it's growing well. (This is one reason that many recipes call for adding at least some flour before adding the yeast, and also why many recipes say to scald the milk--scalding the milk helps destroy its natural enzymes which would battle with the yeast.)

When you are kneading, put flour on the counter, but get your hands wet with water (rather than flouring them also). I was skeptical of this at first, but it has worked well for me. Basically if you add flour from both the counter and your hands, then it is making the dough stiffer as you work...however if you balance the counter-flour by having water on your hands, it helps maintain the texture of the dough. And no, I don't get sticker hands--if anything, they seem to be less-sticky when I do it this way!

and...
Here is the great secret about kneading. One of my friends told me this, and she heard it from her grandmother...it's certainly a married woman's secret, but I have found it to be perfectly accurate! How do you know when you've kneaded the dough enough? When it feels like the family jewels! ☺

Beef Stroganoff

2008-10-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

The original recipe I found used ground beef and an onion soup mix, but I've adapted it, added some things, and made it yummier and healthier to boot!

1 c Leftover beef (from steak, roast, etc) chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 chopped onion
3/4-1 c sour cream
1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup
4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
4 c cooked pasta
(amounts are pretty flexible, I just put approximately what I use--I don't measure!)

Set noodles to cook (they will need around 15 min, and everything else will cook within that time)
If beef is not pre-cooked, then put beef and onion in a hot skillet and saute until meat is cooked and onions look glassy (to prevent sticking, add a little oil if beef is not fatty). If beef IS pre-cooked, then just saute onions, and add beef after onions are glassy. Mix in Worcestershire as the beef cooks.
Dump in sour cream and cream of mushroom soup with the meat/onions, and stir in pan until mixed and warmed-through.
Serve over noodles!

5 Minute Chocolate Cake

2008-10-12T00:17:00.000-07:00

This isn't my own recipe, but I had to post it here so that I'd have it saved somewhere that I could find it again!

Single Serving Chocolate Cake in a Mug

(seriously, isn't that the greatest idea?!)

Fast, Cheap, and Easy ("bangers & mash" goes American)

2008-10-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

In Britain (so I hear) they will take mashed potatoes and then slice up some bangers (a sausage that my husband tells me actually isn't very good) and they mix it together and call it "Bangers and Mash." Here is my variation--the kind of meal that takes 5 minutes to make yet is a step up from PB&J, and even has a hint of healthy.

Mashed potatoes (I confess to using instant)
1 can of corn (drained)
some hotdogs, bratwursts, or kielbasa.

Make the mashed potatoes, mix in the corn.
Chop up the meat and either mix it in or serve it on the side. (I prefer to serve it on the side because it's easier to adjust proportions, but I do mix them up as I eat...)

Indian Rice

2008-09-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

This was taught to me by an East Indian friend--she moved to the USA as an adult, but she knows her Indian cooking! Cooking rice this way is very simple, but adds real richness to any Indian dish. We never use plain white anymore!
All spice measurements are very approximate...I just dump some in, more of this and less of that...do what smells good to you!

2-4 Tbs oil (I like coconut oil, or any veg oil works fine)
2ish Tbs butter
1/2 c onion, chopped small
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped small (or garlic powder)
1 Tbs turmeric
1 Tbs cumin
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
2 tsp cardamom
1 jalapeno pepper (optional--see instructions)
2 c long grain rice (like jasmine or basmati)
1 can coconut milk
enough water to add to the coconut milk to make 4 cups

Put butter and oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and all spices, stir a bit, then add rice. Stir as it warms until spices are evenly distributed and the rice begins to turn glassy looking. Add the coconut milk and water (I use the milk can to get my water and then pour it into a measuring cup, so I get every last drop of coconut milk!) Mix, cover, and turn to low heat until rice is done--usually about 15-20 minutes (depending on what type of rice you used).
Eat topped with whatever Indian dish strikes your fancy! (I'll be posting some, I promise, but the simplest thing to do is stick some chicken or lentils in and pan and spice them exactly the same way as the rice...voila!)
If you like it spicy, remove the seeds from a jalapeno pepper and then cut it in 3-4 pieces and drop them in with the spices. They will add zing! (don't eat the peppers). I prefer it without the peppers though

This is a modified recipe, as I prefer to use the whole can of coconut milk and not have leftovers...what my friend actually does is use 1c coconut milk, 1c evaporated milk, and then 2c water...

Rotisserie Chicken in a Crockpot!

2008-08-26T14:44:00.001-07:00

This is not my recipe, but a friend posted it on her blog and just looking at the pictures makes me all drooly, so obviously I will be trying this soon. :)

http://mickismenagerie.blogspot.com/2008/08/recipe-rotisserie-chicken-in-your.html

I do want to add a couple of notes:
At the end she does a great job of describing how to make bone broth (which is the healthy kind!) She mentions that you can add bullion...while technically I'm sure you can, I never do because bullion has MSG which is bad news. I DO often add chopped onion, celery, and garlic. They all will add flavor and make an amazing broth (and the actual chunks will be strained out with the bones).

Also, as someone who likes to cook with whole chickens (for the purpose of having leftover bones for broths!) You don't have to debone the thing...just serve it whole like the turkey at Thanksgiving. Then just collect all the nibbled-on bones when you're done and stick them in the broth. Yes, I do put those bones in for the broth...it's going to boil for hours people, it's not like any cooties will survive!

Sue Gregg's Soaked Whole Wheat Bread

2008-08-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

This bread is “NT-friendly” meaning that it pretty much follows the rules of Nourishing Traditions, or traditional foodism. There is no sugar (only honey) and no partially hydrogenated oil (just butter). The flour is soaked overnight to release the phytic acid. The recipe does use a little yeast, which is an NT-no-no, but the only other option is sourdough breads, and some of us are anti-sourdough. J

I always struggled with whole wheat breads because they were so heavy, and the taste was just, well, too wheat-y! I love this recipe because it makes a loaf that is light, both in flavor and texture, but it is still whole wheat! I think the secret is the soaking. In warmer climates this bread may rise faster, but in my experience it’s best to consider this a 24hour recipe: start it in the evening, let it soak overnight, and then the following morning finish the mixing, and allow the risings all day long, baking in the evening.

Makes 4 loaves

A
12 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups warm water
1/2 cup ACV (apple cider vinegar—plain white vinegar can be substituted in a pinch)
Mix together and then cover bowl with a damp towel and set aside to soak overnight. This will be a very thick mixture, and awkward to mix. Just go at it with a wooden spoon until it’s consistent in texture. (I also recommend getting out the butter for part C, as you will want it to be soft in the morning.)

B
1/2 cup very warm water
4 tsp yeast
1 tsp honey
1 tsp baking soda
In a small bowl or cup, add ingredients together in the order listed. Mix and set aside for a few minutes while you prepare part C.

C
2/3 cup butter (room temperature)
2/3 cup honey
1 Tbs salt
yeast mix from B
In another bowl, mix together, adding yeast mix last (make sure it has begun to bubble before adding it).

Add part C to flour mixture and mix well. I find this is nearly impossible with a spoon—just get your hands in there and goosh it around…it makes it easy to transition directly into kneading! I use an extra large bowl and knead right in the bowl. Add flour a little at a time as needed to knead the dough into a nice ball. It will probably be at least a couple of cups of flour total, depending on the humidity and such where you live. (The recipe recommends using white flour for this part, as it doesn’t have the phytic acid. It doesn’t have any other nutritional value either, but I do find white flour easier to knead with.)

Leave kneaded bread in the bowl, cover with towel, and let rise until double. (I find that in my cool climate my bread likes a couple of hours per rising.)
Punch down dough, and let rise until double again.
Divide into loaves, place in pans, cover and let rise until double.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

2008-07-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

Makes about 4 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, and soda. Shape dough into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake about 8 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Soft Shortbread

2008-07-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Being of Scottish descent, it is more or less required of us to like shortbread...but then again, with a recipe like this, what's not to like?!
I adapted several other recipes to create this one, and I like it because it is sweet and crumbly, but doesn't completely fall apart, and doesn't get hard if it sits out overnight...honestly I don't know it might get hard if it sat out for two nights...it's never lasted that long for us!

1 1/4 c white flour (this is one of those rare recipes where I actually use plain white flour)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c room-temperature butter (don't try to microwave it to soften it, you have to let it just sit out for a few hours so that it's an even consistency through the cube)

Mix flour and sugar together. Cut in butter until mixture is relatively even and crumbly--no large chunks. With your hands, smoosh it together into one large ball.
Pat or roll the ball on a cookie sheet so that it's about 1/2 inch thick (a little thicker is ok, but too thin will get crusty). Shape into a circle and cut wedges, or shape into a rectangle and cut blocks (I prefer to cut blocks). If you have room, use the knife to gently scoot the pieces apart from each other (they don't need much room, but will stick together if they don't have some space).
Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes.
If pieces were not separated prior to baking, re-cut with a knife while still hot.
Let cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before attempting to eat. 10 minutes is better, but it's really hard to wait that long.

Breakfast Bars

2008-07-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

My husband and son don't like to eat when they first get up. However, by the time they are ready to eat, it's time to head out the door to school...so there were a lot of mornings with just grabbing a piece of toast or something. I knew they needed a more solid breakfast option, because then by mid-morning they were both getting the munchies and snacking on unhealthy things, leading them to not be hungry for the good lunches I worked to make. It was a vicious cycle, and it needed to end...so I came up with these!
This recipe is vague on purpose--it is intended to be high-protein and the saturated fats and whole grains make it filling, but the specific ingredients can easily be adapted for your preferences and needs.

I don't measure anything in this recipe, and it's never quite the same twice. Amounts here are estimates, but feel free to interpret them loosely...
1 stick (1/2cup) butter (or coconut oil, or peanut butter)
2/3 cup brown sugar (or other sweetener of choice)
2ish cups rolled, cracked, or sprouted grain, or leftover hot cereal (cracked wheat, sprouted wheat, rolled oats, 10grain cereal, leftover cream of wheat, etc)
1 Tbs cinnamon (add with flour or sugar)
1-2 eggs
1 or 1 1/2 cups milk (I use powdered and add extra powder for the extra protein)
2ish cups whole wheat flour
1/2-1 cup fruit, dried fruit, or nuts (raisins, craisins, chopped apples, walnuts, etc)
1/2 cup leftover mashed potatos or potato flakes/pearls (potato gives a feeling of fullness)
optional additions: protein powder, cod liver oil, etc

In a large saucepan over med heat, melt butter and brown sugar until dissolved. Add raw grains and some liquid (to soften grains). Stir until well moistened. Add dry ingredients (and additional wet ingredients if/as needed) until the mixture is about the consistency of cookie dough.
Dump the big blob into a 9x13 pan and spread it out evenly. Bake at 300 for about 30 min, or until it turns a bit golden. It should still be soft, but not mooshy.

Variations:
apple craisin oatmeal is one of my favorites
pumpkin raisin might be good! just add some canned pumpkin
raisin walnut
???
whatever you love best!

Mujadarrah and Masala

2008-05-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my friend here. It's actually Arab, but when made with the spices it's very reminiscent of Indian cuisine.

It's a lot like the simple lentils that I make, only with some ethnic spices and sweet caramelized onions on top. It's the same ingredients, but it's a very different meal. We liked it!

I just wanted to add my recipe for masala (nope, you don't have to buy the fancy spices, you can use combinations of your own!

MASALA
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ground black pepper