A Catholic Cooks

Macaroni and Cheese

2009-02-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

By now, I have made this recipe for three consecutive Fridays. I got this recipe from Martha Stewart's new cook book: Cooking School, Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook. (pgs 389-391.) It seems that Martha (can I call her by her first name?) has a lot of Macaroni and Cheese recipes on-line. As far as I know, this one isn't online.

I don't want Martha's cronies, if she has any, coming by and breaking my oven if I infringe on her copyright, otherwise I would love to post this recipe. It contains 4 cheeses, Gruyere, Parmesan, Cheddar, and Fontina. This recipe was a little daunting at first, but after I made it once, it seemed like a piece of cake the second time. I swapped Romano for the Parmesan and made adjustments with the liquids depending on what I had in the fridge. I also doubled the amount as the original amount would probably not feed a hungry family of 4.

The first time I made this, my children were talking to me and I added too much cayenne so it was a little spicy for my husband and daughter, but my son and I loved it.

She also suggests serving roasted tomatoes on top. I did this two weeks ago and it is a wonderful way to make nasty winter tomatoes very tasty and actually flavorful.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

This pancake recipe was from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. These are absolutely the best plain pancakes I have ever had. The batter takes about 5 minutes to make and I put the hot ones in the oven while I cook the rest. I have also found, like it suggests in the book, that powdered buttermilk is just as good as regular buttermilk. I figured that to make this recipe, it costs under $3.00 with butter and maple syrup. The syrup is the most expensive factor, lately I have not been able to find it for under $14.

Italian Pepper Steak

2009-02-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

This is an Italian Pepper Steak recipe from p. 297 of The Better Homes and Gardens New Book Book. I have no idea what year it was published, as it was a gift for my wedding shower and it has been well used these past 7 years. It is not my favorite cookbook though I think it is a good asset to have on hand. I originally made this recipe for my husband during the first year we were married. Usually I serve it with mashed potatoes, but this time we had boiled finger potatoes with butter, salt, pepper and sour cream.

Bacon Egg Bake

2009-02-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

Another egg bake!

This time I used:

3 strips of leftover bacon (actually I intentionally cooked extra the night before for this)
8 beaten eggs
2 cups of shredded cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
dash of cayenne
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Layer cheese in the bottom of a greased pan with bacon on top. Pour eggs with garlic powder, salt and pepper over top. Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

2009-02-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

8 cooked lasagna noodles
16 oz of your favorite sauce (I used a marinara because this was for a Friday)
8 oz (1/2 a large container) of ricotta
1 egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Mix ricotta, egg, basil salt and pepper
Divide mixture evenly onto noodles and roll up
Pour sauce over top
Top with mozzarella cheese
Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes

This was just something that I came up with to be a quick meal. We did not want any leftovers, so I made the exact number of roll-ups that I thought everyone would eat.

Simple and Quick Egg Bake

2009-02-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Six eggs, beaten with:

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 tsp garlic powder

sea salt and pepper to taste.

Layer cheese on bottom of a greased pan (I pour eggs over it). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. A simple breakfast that I did not have to mind while the kids and I got ready to begin a busy day.

Pardon my absence but I lost my camera, and have been busy preparing for the end of our school year.

Bruschetta

2009-01-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

I have to thank my friend T. for teaching me how to make this. It has been a favorite for awhile.

It is really flexible, you can make any amount and change the amounts of the ingredients to taste.

Here I used 2 Roma tomatoes; diced, 3 green onions; sliced, about 2 oz of feta; crumbled, 7 slices of French bread and pepper to taste. Normally, I would have used about 4-5 leaves of fresh basil, chopped; but it was after Christmas and the store was completely out.

It is pretty simple, just grill the sliced bread in a pan with olive oil (about 2 tbsp), over medium heat and top with mixture. Sometimes I use grape tomatoes because they are sweet. I believe my friend T. recommended that to me.

Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-01-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

I had some leftover spinach dip, and some extra mushrooms. I added about 1/2 c bread crumbs, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese to about 1 1/4c spinach dip and stuffed it into the mushrooms that I did not use for my traditional stuffed mushroom recipe. Baked at 350 for 15-20 minutes. These were good and a great use for leftovers.

Buttermilk Waffles

2009-01-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

Nothing fancy here, just a recipe from p. 234 of The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. I didn't read the directions right the first time I made these but they came out perfect and I have been making them the same since then. I used powdered buttermilk and have been using it in many recipes, it is really great to keep on hand. I wish someone would have alerted me sooner to the fact that homemade waffles are fantastic! I have ruined my family for the better, they will likely never eat pre-made store bought waffles again.

Cost analysis:

Flour $0.26

Buttermilk, salt, other stuff $0.10

Eggs $0.44

Unsalted butter $0.21

Butter $0.44

Over priced maple syrup $1.25

Total: $2.26 for eight waffles with fixings, that fed four people (we could have had a few eggs too, but it was a small breakfast)

I buy better flour and eggs, so if one were to do generic, the cost would likely be lower. Though I do buy flour in bulk.

Pizza Mom!

2009-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

My mother made pizza for us on a Friday during her visit. The crust was a simple, basic pizza dough crust from a book that she had many years ago. The sauce was essentially tomato paste, tomato sauce, garlic powder, basil, oregano and who knows what else. Whenever I make sauce like that it NEVER comes out like my mother's. For toppings we had whole-milk shredded mozzarella, some fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and basil. Yum-diddy yum yum yum. Thanks Mom!

PS Fresh basil was nearly impossible to find the weeks after Christmas. I ended up buying a whole plant. It died the next day, but we got what we needed.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Jalapenos

2009-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Basically, you can use any amount of shrimp. This is a very flexible recipe.

Directions:

Marinade shrimp (tails removed) in a favorite marinade for 15 minute to 1 hour(I used balsamic vinegar dressing)
Microwave bacon for 1-2 minutes (I did one, but should have done two so it would be crispier)
Wrap shrimp with 1/2 piece of bacon, skewer with toothpick
Slide a slice of jalapeno in there, either seeded or with the seeds--your call
Broil for 9 minutes, turning every 3 minutes

I was thinking that roasting the jalapeno first might have given the pepper a bit more flavor and also made it softer. Next time I will do this.

Boy oh boy! These were awesome!

Chorizo Stuffed Chicken and Rice

2009-01-11T20:53:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 link of chorizo
5-6 button mushrooms
2 c spinach (I used roughly 1-2 large handfuls)
2 c cheese
5 chicken breasts (either pounded flat to roll up or with a pocket cut in the for stuffing)
salt
pepper
smoked paprika

1 c brown rice cooked according to directions in water with 2 cubes chicken bullion and 1 tbsp olive oil
1 can Rotel tomatoes, (medium, hot or whatever you prefer)
1 can green chiles
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Cook chorizo, draining excess grease, remove from pan
Saute mushrooms in same pan, adding spinach at the end with enough time to just wilt it a bit
Mix mushrooms and Spinach with chorizo
Stuff mixture into chicken and seal with toothpicks
Bake at 325 for 50-70 minutes, covered in a glass pan
While chorizo is baking prepare rice adding bullion and olive oil
Once rice is about 90% done, add chiles, cumin, and garlic powder and tomatoes
During last 10 minutes of baking, top chicken with cheese

If you have any leftover chorizo mixture, save it and make a dip layered with cream cheese, with shredded cheese on top. You can either microwave it or bake it until the cheese bubbles, serve with tortilla chips or on small flour tortillas for a snack or a light lunch.

Moroccan Chicken

2009-01-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

This recipe was from Gourmet Momma. I did not have some of the ingredients on hand, namely peas or squash. I used yellow bell peppers and some onion because that is all I had and the snow was piling up! This was are really great dish. I added a dash of Chipotle pepper powder for some heat. I made this while my mother was visiting and she also enjoyed it.

Shrimp Scampi

2009-01-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

20-25 shrimp peeled, de-veined (tails removed, if you prefer)
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c white wine (I used Chardonnay because it was on hand)
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch green onions sliced
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 small tomatoes, diced
sea salt
pepper
olive oil
1/2 lb fettuccine (or your favorite pasta)
hard cheese like Romano or Parmesan to serve on top

Directions:

In a large skillet, add 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic, shrimp, mushrooms and green onions
Saute over medium heat for 3-4 minutes
Add wine and butter
Add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste
Cook until shrimp are completely pink and tender. Careful not to overcook them or they will be like rubber!
Add tomatoes and remove from heat.
Serve over pasta with grated cheese on top.

PS Please excuse my absence, I have had guests and sickness and busy Holy Days! I hope to get back on track soon!

Crispy Oven Buffalo Wings

2009-01-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

I used Frank's Red Hot Chile-Lime Sauce, and this recipe as a guide. I omitted the salt and vinegar and just melted butter with hot sauce. I was a little more than generous with the hot sauce, I served the extra wing sauce on the side.

They were crispy and you would have mistaken them for being fried. Delicious.

Getting the Most From Your Roast- Tortellini Beef Soup

2009-01-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

I had some leftovers and I wanted to clear a few things out of the pantry and freezer. So here is how to turn your leftover roast into a soup.

On hand, I had the pan drippings, with the fat skimmed off from the roast, which was a brisket cooked with tomatoes, onions and wine. I would have made this on the stove, however, I had to run some errands so I used the crock pot.

Into the pot on high went cold, cubed roast, 2 carrots peeled and sliced, 6 cubes of beef bullion, about 2 cups of leftover boxed vegetable broth, the pan drippings and about 2-4 cups of water.

When the carrots were cooked, I added a can of Northern Beans that had been living in the cupboard for some time, a can of stewed tomatoes, the last of a bag of frozen corn, and some frozen tortellini.

I added a little extra balsalmic vinegar, and served it with grated Romano cheese. There was enough soup left over for lunch for two days.

Potato Gnocchis, from Mashed Potatoes

2008-12-19T21:31:00.000-08:00

While I didn't get any pictures of them finished, here they are. I was too busy eating. You can use leftover mashed potatoes and it really is easy.

To about 4-6 cups of mashed potatoes, add 1 egg, and 1/2 cup of flour at a time, mix until it has a semi-firm consistency that hold its shape. (About like play dough)
Roll out into snakes about 1-2 inches wide and cut into pieces about 2 inches long
Turn each cut piece onto its side, pressing thumb in center to make a well
In a pot of boiling water, with salt and oil added, drop 8-10 gnocchis in
When they float, they are done, drain and serve with your favorite sauce

Meatballs

2008-12-18T22:59:00.000-08:00

I made these for meatball subs and for some sauce. Its nice to have spaghetti and meatballs for lunch and this recipe makes a whole lot.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
1 c bread crumbs, regular or Italian
1 green pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 medium to large onion
2 tbsp worcestershire
1/4 c grated romano
1 egg

Directions:

In a food processor, combine garlic, green pepper, and onion, pulse until minced
In a large bowl, combine above mixture with meats, egg, worcestershire, bread crumbs, and cheese
Roll into balls and place on baking tray
Bake at 325 for 30-45 minutes

Dinner Rolls and Scotcharoos (not together though)

2008-12-17T22:19:00.000-08:00

Rich and Tender American Dinner Rolls, from p. 455 of the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. This is an oldie, I made them at Thanksgiving. I will never go back to Pilsbury rolls, ever. I can't believe how simple they are to make. I wish I had known sooner.

This was my daughter's birthday scotcharoo "cake." I made mushrooms and a cat from marizpan.

Scotcharoos:

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1 generous c. peanut butter
6 c. Rice Krispies cereal
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips

Directions:

Melt sugar and corn syrup in a pan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved--it should not be grainy and should be just about boiling.
Add above mixture and peanut butter to cereal in a big bowl, mix well
Press into a 9 x 13 pan
Allow to cool
Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together on stove top or in microwave, mixing well
Spread over cooled mixture, allow time for frosting to set

You can decorate it any way you like.

Phoencian Bread

2008-12-16T22:14:00.000-08:00

This is "Phoencian Bread" (pita bread) from my son's history activity book, Story of the World Vol. 1. It is one of the activities from the chapter on Phoencia. We ate ours warm, with honey and the others stuffed with ham and cheese. The latter is not very accurate but it was yummy, escpecially while the bread was warm.

St. Ambrose

2008-12-15T22:42:00.000-08:00

This is my take on a Milanese dish, credited to St. Ambrose. I made this for his feast but never got around to posting it.

Ingredients:
Chicken:

4 chicken breasts pounded flat
1 cup bread crumbs
sea salt
2 tbsp grated hard cheese, like romano or parmesean
1 egg
3 tbsp water

Sauce:

10-12 button mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 tbsp butter
1/2 c white wine (I used Chardonay)
1/4 chicken broth
2 tsp lemon juice
pepper
2 tsp corn starch
1/8 c half and half
olive oil

1 lb of pasta boiled, drained

Directions:

Pound chicken to about 1/2 thickness
Mix grated cheese with breacrumbs, cheese, pepper, and sea salt to taste
Beat egg with water
Preheat oven to 400 and start water for pasta
Coat chicken in egg and then in bread crumbs, placing on an ungreased, rimmed baking tray
Cook in oven on 400 for 15-20 minutes

For the sauce:

While chicken cooks and pasta boils, sautee mushrooms in a pan with olive oil, butter, shallots and chicken broth over medium heat
When mushrooms are tender, add garlic, cook 1-2 minutes, and then add wine
Mix cornstarch with cold half and half (I put mine in a cup and stir it around with a fork)
Add cornstarch mixture, and stir
Season with pepper to tasteServe chicken over pasta with sauce on top, garnish with grated cheese

St. Lucy's Braids

2008-12-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

I did not have any little candles for these or candied fruits, so I used M&M's. The recipe was delicious and came from here. I used toothpicks to hold each layer together. It was absolutely delicious, I can't wait to make it again next year.

Chicken Sandwich with bacon, swiss and honey mustard

2008-12-10T22:37:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breast, cut in half and pounded to about 3/4 in. thick
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. flour
2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 rolls
8 sliced swiss cheese
8 strips of bacon, cut in half and cooked
prepared honey mustard sauce

Directions:

Mix paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper with flour
Flour chicken, dip into egg and then into bread crumbs, laying on a baking sheet
Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, turning once
Assemble sanwiches, with bacon, swiss and honey mustard.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed-Chicken

2008-12-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

4-5 chicken breasts
1 pkg. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess liquid
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2-3 strips of bacon per chicken breast
paprika
pepper
toothpicks

Directions:

Combine spinach with feta and pepper to taste.
Slice chicken breasts down the middle to form a pocket (you could also pound them out)
Stuff chicken with filling and seal up with 2-3 tooth picks
Wrap 2-3 pieces of bacon around chicken
Sprinkle with paprika
Bake on 325 for one hour or until juices run clean on chicken

Meat Loaf-- My family's way

2008-12-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 lb bulk Italian sausage
2-3 lbs ground beef
1 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1 medium onion
1 large green pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
2 tbsp worcestershire
1/4 grated parmesean or romano cheese
1 15 oz can tomato sauce

Steps:

In food processor, add garlic, green pepper, onion, pulse until minced
Add all ingredients EXCEPT tomato sauce in a large bowl and mix well
Shape into loaf in along pan and pour tomato sauce over the mixture
Bake, covered on 325 for about 1 hour or until loaf is firm or thermometer registers 160 in center

Sometimes we serve this with mashed potatoes and spoon the pan sauce over them.

Thankyou Grandma, for passing this one down.

Chicken Fingers

2008-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

5 chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise about 1/2-1 inch thick
2 cups flour
3 eggs beaten
4 cups bread crumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
dash fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
dash cayenne pepper

Directions:

In one bowl, add flour 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste, 1/8 tsp paprika, and a few dashes of cayenne, mix with a fork
In a second bowl beat eggs
In third bowl add bread crumbs and remainder of spices, with a dash of pepper and cayenne
Dip a strip of chicken into flour, shaking of excess
Next dip floured chicken into beaten egg
Last, roll chicken piece in bread crumbs, shaking off any excess and lay on a greased baking sheet
Repeat with remaining chicken pieces
Bake at 400 for 7-8 minutes and turn, then bake for 8 more minutes or until juices run clear
Serve with your favorite sauce (mine is ranch mixed with a generous amount of hot sauce)

Easy Salsa Dip

2008-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

This salsa dip is just cream cheese spread on the bottom of the bowl, covered with salsa and cheese on top. It is one of my favorite quick snacks.

Apple Crisp

2008-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I used this recipe. However, I did not layer any of the crumb mixture on the bottom, I put it all on top. I also halved it, so that we would not be eating it all week. Additionally, I used 4 Cortland apples, I thought they were a little soggy but otherwise they were fine.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Cookies

2008-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

The dough was the recipe that you find for chocolate chip cookies on the back of the chocolate chip bag. I added 2-3 tbsp of cocoa powder (I should have added 5, will do next time) and instead of chocolate chips, I used Reeces Pieces candies. These were so good, nice soft and moist.

Buttermilk Sandwich Bread

2008-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is another recipe from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. I had some extra buttermilk that I wanted to use before it went bad. I didn't have any honey so I proofed the yeast before adding it with the same amount of sugar as the recipe called for honey. The recipe also said to add all of the dry ingredients, including yeast, at once, which I sort of did out of order.

The only dumb thing I did, was actually follow the recipe in one place, it did not say to oil the baking pan, so my bread stuck. Hence there is no picture of it out of it's loaf pan. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't pretty or easy to get the thing out of the pan. The result was a nice fluffy loaf with just the right crust, perfect for sandwiches.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

2008-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. Its the Basic Sweet Dough Recipe on pg. 470 and the Cinnamon Roll Recipe on pg. 474. The dough has to rise twice, once when you make it and once after it is rolled out. I put mine in the fridge at let it do it's magic overnight. I put it in the oven right away in the morning and made the icing, which was super easy, while they baked.

PS The cookbook is definately worth having, it's very well-done in my opinion and actually contains at lot of good information about cooking, in general.

Teriyaki Marinade

2008-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Wisk following ingredients together in medium bowl:

1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup light soy sauce
3 tablespoons worcestershire
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 2-3 inch piece of ginger peeled and minced
5 tbsp honey
1 tbsp pepper

Marinade over night for best result.

I use this for steak tips on the grill. I buy the steak at Costco, make the marinade and then throw it into the freezer in a large plastic bag.

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

2008-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2lbs baby spinach
1 package of filo dough (found in the frozen section)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8-10 ounces, feta cheese, crumbled
olive oil
pepper
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

In a large skillet, sautee garlic and green onions in olive oil, about 6 minutes over medium heat.
Remove garlic and onions to a large bowl
Using same skillet and working in small batches, cook spinach until wilted and add to bowl with green onions and garlic
Add feta cheese to your taste (I like a lot) and mix well
Melt unsalted butter
Open filo dough and slice strips of about 3-4 inches in thickness
Working quickly, brush butter thinly onto one strip of filo dough, adding about a 2 heaping tbsp of spinach mixture, until it is gone
Fold into triangle shape and place on rimmed baking sheet
Brush triangles on the outside with remaining butter
Bake for 30-45 minutes (or until triangles are a light, golden-brown) on 325

Chicken Soup

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

Ingredients:

2 whole chickens
1 large onion, quartered
4 stalks celery, halved
4 bay leaves
8 carrots
1lb pasta
8-10 cubes bullion
pepper

Directions:

Put chickens, onion, celery and bay leaves into pot and cover with cold water
Boil until chickens are fully cooked
Remove chickens, cool and debone
Remove and discard, celery and onion
Skim the top, and remove all the oil
Add bullion and carrots
When carrots are about half-way tender, add deboned chicken, shred into smaller bite-size pieces
Add pasta
Add fresh ground pepper to taste and more bullion if desired

I did not boil my pasta first, but you can do this so that it won't soak up the broth. I also used up the contents of two leftover boxes of pasta that were half-full.

Bacon Mushroom Burger Baked Pasta

2008-11-13T06:00:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

1lb pasta
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 lb bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
6-8 button mushrooms,
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
2 tbsp McCormick's Montreal Seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder

Directions:

Cook ground beef while you cook the bacon, draining both of excess fat
Boil pasta to al dente
Sautee peppers for 3-5 minutes, add mushrooms and onions until all are soft
In a large bowl mix ground beef, bacon, onions,peppers, mushrooms, 1 can of stewed tomatoes and seasonings
Layer mixture in an overn safe bowl with cheese
Cook for 1 hour on 300, or until cheese is bubbly

Buttermilk Biscuits

2008-11-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

These are buttermilk biscuits from 100 Cakes and Bakes, a book that I cannot find right now. I cut them out with leaf and acorn-shaped cookie cutters, for a more festive look.

All Saint's Day Cookies

2008-11-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

I did spell out "Happy All Saint's Day" in letters, but I did not take a picture, with the rest of the dough, I made fall shapes. This recipe comes from page 46, of the book The Cookie Jar. It was originally a recipe for Christmas cookies. The gray leaves are my poor attempt to make brown. I would definately make this again, but with less runny icing. A lot of the icing seemed to end up on the newspaper, which my son tried to eat whenever I was not looking.

Crustless Egg Bake

2008-11-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/4 green pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
5-6 button mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups shredded cheese
10 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

preheat oven to 300
beat eggs and add spices
layer green peppers and onions on bottom of 9x13 pan
layer cheese on top of green peppers
layer mushrooms
pour melted butter over top
pour egg mixture over over layered vegetables and cheese
bake at 300 for 45-55 minutes, or until center is cooked

Steak Subs (and waffle fries)

2008-11-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

I did not make the waffle fries, they are Alexia. We bought a huge bag at Costco, they are delicious.

Steak Subs:

1- 1/2 lbs of steak, sliced thin
1/2 green 1/2 red pepper, sliced
1 medium onion or 1/2 one large onion, sliced
5-10 button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp worcestershire
1 tsp onion powder
provolone or american cheese
sub buns (or rolls, if you call them that in your neck of the woods)
olive oil

Directions:

In large skillet, add steak and peppers with 1 tbsp olive oil, sautee over medium heat for 5 minutes.
add onions, mushrooms, seasonings and worcestershire
cook until steak and vegetables reach desired doneness, if you find that you have trouble timing this, try cooking the steak and the vegetables in a separate skillet
assemble subs with cheese, place under broiler until cheese melts, if desired

Soul Cakes

2008-11-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Soul! soul! for a soul-cake! I pray, good misses a soul-cake-- An
apple or pear, a plum or a cherry, Any good thing to make us merry, One for
Peter, two for Paul, Three for Him who made us all.

Soul Cakes

1 yeast cake (I took this to mean 1 packet of yeast, and it worked)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups flour
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 lb. butter
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Dissolve the yeastwith 1 teaspoon of sugar in the lukewarm water and let it stand in a warm place. Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the milk which has been scalded and slightly cooled and then add the yeast. Sift the flour with the salt and cinnamon and add to the mixture, kneading for a few minutes. Place in a bowl and allow it to rise in a warm place to double its bulk. Shape the dough into round buns and bake at 375 degrees F. for about thirty minutes or until lightly browned. Originally, these cakes were shaped like men and women and were given raisins or currants for eyes.

I think this recipe was originally in Cooking with Christ, by Florence Berger.

I did not think I would really like these too much but they are great, I ate mine with butter, I plan on giving a few to some friends.

Yellow Cake with Buttercream Icing, for All Saint's Day

2008-11-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Happy All Saints Day

This was a basic Yellow Cake recipe, from the Better Homes and Garden Cook Book. I would post it, but I cannot find the book. I can't find the book that I got the Buttercream Icing recipe from either. This cake was very light tasting and the buttercream icing was rich and smooth. I had to double the recipe to make enough icing to frost the cake initially and the decorations on the cake were made from a second, more stiff buttercream.

My children decided to reach over the cake and mess up the lettering. It is very hard to keep kids away from cake. As of posting this, about half of the cake remains.

Amish White Bread

2008-10-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

This is such a great sweet tasting bread. It is the first time I have ever baked bread without a bread machine. I got rid of the bread machine,the bread never tasted good. This is almost gone as I type this. I used extra-virgin olive oil and I only made one loaf because bread baking is usually a disaster, well not today. I plan on making this again and again.

Here is the link: Amish White Bread

Basic Biscuits

2008-10-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour sifted, plus some for rolling
1 tbsp. baking powder, sifted
4 tbsp. butter, diced
2 eggs
7 tablespoons milk
1 beaten egg to glaze

Directions:

combine flour, baking powder and butter
add eggs and milk (originally the recipe called for 1 egg, but it was so dry that I added two, use your discretion)
roll out on a floured surface to about 3/4 in. thickness
cut with a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass
lightly grease baking sheet and transfer
use beaten egg to glaze
bake for 8-10 minutes on 425

We served this with Chunky Beef Stew, which you can find my recipe for on this blog to the right.

Make your own Salad Night

2008-10-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

In our home we have radically different ideas about salad and what we like in it and not in it.

So I provided the following ingredients:

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 lb of bacon crumbled

dried cranberries

a rotisserie chicken, shredded and warm

sliced almonds

croutons

tomatoes, chopped

goat cheese

onion, chopped

hard boiled eggs

various dressings

The master salad is supposed to have lettuce, chicken, almonds, cranberries and goat cheese topped with a balsamic dressing-- i.e. my salad.

Here are the results:

The Mama Bear

The Papa Bear

The Baby Bear #1

The Baby Bear #2

Baji's Butter Chicken

2008-10-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

I prepared everything according to the directions on the box. I added some vegetables that I had on hand, celery (sauteed first), thinly peeled carrot, onion and green pepper. I know it is probably not very authentic that way, but it stretched the meal out and provided some extra vegetables in our diet. I thought this was a pretty good product, it had the right amount of spice and was good. I've never eaten Indian food before so I have nothing to compare this to. I bought this at Costco because it looked really good, I am looking forward to trying the Chicken Tikka Masala.

Tex-Mex Casserole

2008-10-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1-1/4 lbs ground beef
Taco seasoning:
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
2 tsp chili powder
dash of cayenne or chipotle powder optional
sea salt, according to preference
pepper, according to preference
1 small can tomato sauce or tomato juice
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
1 can of black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 medium onion chopped
2-3 cups Mexican cheese
1 lb (1box) of pasta, like penne or farfalle

Directions:

Brown ground beef with onions, peppers, taco seasoning, (drain beef if necessary) adding tomato juice after beef is nearly done browning.
boil pasta to al dente, and strain
combine beef mixture, beans and corn with pasta in a big bowl or pot that you boiled pasta in
layer pasta mixture with cheese
bake at 300 for 1 hour or 325 for 40 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

Restaurant Reviews

2008-10-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

The reason there have been no posts, has been because I have not been cooking. It dawned on me that I should review some of the restaurants that I have been to recently.

We took my father-in-law to Border's Cafe for his birthday. I love this place and I'll tell you why:
They serve Tex-Mex and Cajun food, what could be better? But not only that, the prices for everything are reasonable and they have the best tasting Mexican food in the area. Every other place I have ever been to in this area is bland. I have tried most of the things from the "Mexican" side of the menu. The Cajun choices sound good, but I enjoy the Guadalajara Chicken (stuffed with chorizo) and their shredded beef Burros too much to think about defecting to the other side... of the menu that is. If you have a choice for sides, get the jambalaya, it is great.

You will find medium sized portions, but everything is so reasonably priced that you could just order an appetizer without breaking the bank or have some endless warm chips and delicious salsa for gratis. Kids meals are 2.99, come with apple slices, fries, a drink and a candy for dessert.

The only complaints I have about this place is that it is too crowded inside and really noisy. The waitstaff are always kind and courteous.

Second review:

We were going to go to Chili's. We should have gone to Chili's. I know Chili's isn't gourmet dining, but it is pretty decent for a chain. For years, we had passed this place on the highway. It looked really good. The Chateau seemed to have an overflowing parking lot and usually that means good food in my book. I did not know it could also mean that a lot of people have bad taste in Italian food, but it does.

It was classy, clean and had great furnishings. But I was going there to eat, not to admire pictures of immigrants or my dining chair. My problem is that I have expectations, maybe they are high, but when I order homemade ravioli, I want it to be filled with ricotta, and warm. My ravioli had a dab of ricotta and was a little cold in the middle. I am also a red sauce snob, so I was not impressed with theirs. I ordered Chicken Francaise, which was supposed to chicken fried lightly in egg with a lemon wine sauce with mushrooms and prosciutto. What I got was Lemon Chicken Strips with Ham and Canned Mushrooms with ravioli on the side.

Everything on the menu was overpriced for the quality and portion. I have never left an Italian restaurant hungry, so this was a new experience for me. Even the kids wanted to eat dinner when they got home. So they obviously considered it a snack.

I will be going back at some point, as they have a good Sunday Brunch, where no Italian food is served.

Oh-boy-you-have-to-make-this Beef Brisket

2008-10-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

I bought this beef brisket from Costco and used this amazing recipe. I cannot tell you how good it was. Well, actually, yes I can...

I only deviated in that, I did not have Merlot, so I used Cabernet. I also added some taters, precious. Otherwise I followed this recipe to the letter, and let me tell you... using onions as a roasting rack-- ingenious! I'm not normally an onion person but they were delicious. There was a lot of liquid left in the pan, so I strained it and popped it in the freezer to use as beef stock later.

Make this! You will not be disappointed!

Sausage and 'Shroom Calzone

2008-10-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

I started out with this recipe for a guide, but actually my mother had made something similar in the past.

I made one big one, out of some store bought pizza dough. I used a combination of hot and sweet Italian sausage and waaaay more cheese than the original recipe. I also sauteed 1/2 of a green pepper and 1/2 of a medium onion with my sausage and mushrooms. I was so eager to cut this thing up, that I forgot to take a picture of it after it was baked. I did serve it with pizza sauce; we all loved it.

Shredded Chicken Sandwiches AKA "Ohio Chicken"

2008-10-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

Alright, now I will divulge my deepest secret: How to make shredded chicken.

I found out that outside of Ohio, this is not a common thing. My husband, a New Englander, calls this "Ohio Chicken" and it is one of his favorites. I've always thought of it as either a hick food or some kind of traditional depression era cooking. Well I like it anyways so here it is:

Ingredients:

1 whole cooked chicken de-boned
2 stalks of celery diced
1 medium onion diced
1-1 1/2 c. chicken stock, or 2-3 cubes chicken bullion
pepper
water
2-3 tbsp. constarch
cooking oil
buns or rolls

Directions:

in a medium to large sauce pan, add 1 tbsp cooking oil, celery, and 1/4 cup broth or 2 bullion cubes and 1/4 c. water
sautee celery for 4-5 minutes over medium heat
add onions and cook until onions and celery are tender, add broth as needed
add chicken, stirring and shredding it with a fork, adding broth as needed to keep chicken from burning
dissolve cornstarch in water and add to pan, stirring frequently until thickened
season with pepper to taste

If extra salt is desired, add a bullion cube (or even a little sea salt) dissolved in a little water between step 4 and 5.

Serve on a bun or your choice of bread.

Note: I usually use a chicken that I have made stock from, making a smaller batch of shredded chicken and reserving some of the meat for chicken soup

Penguin Natural Foods: Cornbread

2008-10-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

This was so good, and easy to make. I picked it up at Costco after trying a sample. Mix, oil, milk and bake. I used half and half because we were out of milk and it was delicious and moist. I like mine with butter and honey. I'd say it is one of the best boxed products I have tried in a long time.

We had sort of a cheaper version of a Boston Market night, I picked up a rotisserie chicken form Costco and I made boiled potatoes.

White Bean, Chicken, Poblano Chili and Tortillas

2008-10-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Rachel Ray's Magazine it can be found here.

The only thing I did differently, as you can see, I used a food processor and instead of 3 poblanos, I used two. Also, I used the shredded Mexican cheese that I had on hand. I thought it needed extra cumin, and there were a little too many beans for my liking, but the flavor was good and I even made tortillas. It was my first time making them and they were very easy and fun to make.

For the tortillas, I use this recipe. I did not make whole wheat ones, and I halved the recipe, also I used olive oil instead of shortening. They turned out great, I would definately make them again, though I am a little worried about setting off the fire alarm again. They really made the meal, and a lot of smoke in my apartment. I wish someone had told me sooner how easy it is to make tortillas, and to open a window if I were to try it!

My Favorite Spinach Dip

2008-10-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

I cannot remember where this one came from, but my mother first made it for my graduation party and we've been making it ever since.

Ingredients:

box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess water strained
8oz brick of cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar ( I use a Mexican Blend)
1 bunch of green onions sliced
1 small tomato, diced

Directions:

In a microwavable bowl, add spinach, cream cheese, shredded cheese and green onions
microwave for 3 minutes in 1 minute intervals, stirring between each interval
add tomatoes and mix well
serve with crackers or pretzels

Note: Reduced fat cream cheese and cheeses work fine in this recipe. Sometimes, I make a tomato rose for the center, if I am bring this to a party.

Fast Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

2008-10-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
cookies
ice cream
candy sprinkles

Directions:
Allow ice cream to soften and scoop onto cookie to make sandwich, press cookies together until ice cream is even, roll sides in sprinkes. Place in plastic baggies and put back into freezer for at leat 1-2 hours, or until ice cream is hard again.

Quick Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Appetizer

2008-10-13T12:30:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
tomatoes
fresh mozzarella
fresh ground pepper
fine ground sea salt
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Slice tomatoes and mozzarella, arranging in a fan or a line.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle with olive oil.

Optional: Add fresh basil leaves and or sliced onion

Greek Pork Tenderloin

2008-10-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Marinade Ingredients

Mix it up

Don't forget some wine for you

Served with green beans and baby potatoes

Ingredients:

pork tenderloin, I buy the 2 packs at the wholesale club

1 cup white wine, I usually buy Pinot Grigio, but even cheap cooking wine tastes great, just omit salt if you use it

1/2 cup olive oil

4-5 cloves garlic, smashed

1/4 tsp oregano

1 small lemon juiced

2 bay leaves

pinch of sea salt

pepper

Directions:

Mix everything in a big bowl, marinade tenderloin overnight, or at least 5-6 hours in fridge

Cook on 325, for 45 -65 minutes or until thermometer reaches 155 or juices run clear, pork can be slightly pink in the middle, according to the new guidelines

serve with your favorite sides

Note: this is also the marinade for pork souvlaki that I use, but I do not have use of a grill this week

Chunky Beef Stew

2008-10-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4lbs beef top round roast, cubed
water
4-6 red potatoes, cubed
1/2 lb green beans
3-4 carrots, sliced and peeled
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 lb of pasta
1 large onion
2 stalks of celery
8 cubes beef bullion
4 bay leaves
pepper

Directions:

Add beef, onion, celery, and bay leaves to pot, covering with cold water
cook on low heat for 2 hours or until beef is cooked through, stirring occasionally
strain any fat or grease off of the top, remove onions, celery and bay leaves
add bullion, pepper,carrots and potatoes, cook on low-medium for 1 hour
add pasta, corn and green beans
cook until pasta, green beans and potatoes and carrots a done
add salt cautiously, if needed and pepper to taste, sometimes I even add more bullion instead of salt, if needed
Serve with dinner rolls

Normally I make this recipe with soup bones as well, but I forgot them. This is a great recipe because you can add any of your favorite vegetables, or even beans. Overall, this is a pretty wallet-friendly recipe, and you can eat the leftovers for lunch or serve them with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for dinner the next night.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

2008-10-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

16-20 large stuffing mushrooms, save 10-12 of the stems
1 small green pepper or 3/4 of a large green pepper
1 medium onion
garlic powder
1-1.25 lbs bulk Italian sausage
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated hard cheese such as Romano or Parmesan

Directions:

begin to brown sausage over medium heat
chop onions, green peppers and about 10 of the stems and add to pan with a few dashes of garlic powder
brown meat and cook off any excess liquid
add butter and melt it, mixing it into the other ingredients
allow mixture to cool enough that you can work with it
grate cheese into a large bowl
add meat mixture and breadcrumbs
preheat oven to 350
stuff mushrooms with mixture
cook for 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender

This can be a great appetizer or can be served as a meal with a side salad.

Save a few dollars:

buy store brand sausage
or buy sausage in bulk
buy mushrooms (and a big wedge of grating cheese) at a wholesale club and save any extras for dinner on another night
make or use your own bread crumbs

Splurge:

make your own sausage (I have yet to do this but I just bought a grinder!)

Ranch Taco Salad

2008-10-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1- 1 1/4 lb ground beef, sirloin if you want to spend the extra money
1/2 c. frozen corn
1 carrot, shaved with a vegetable peeler
2-3 cups of your favorite shredded cheese, I like Kirlkand Mexican Blend
1 small can tomato sauce or 1 small can tomato juice
Your favorite tortilla chips, I like Garden of Eatin Blues
Ranch Dressing
Hot sauce, optional
Taco seasoning, you can use a packet or make your own:
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
2 tsp chili powder
dash of cayenne or chipotle powder optional
sea salt, according to preference
pepper, according to preference

Directions

Brown beef with carrots and add taco seasonings, drain fat if necessary or desired
Add can of tomato juice or sauce
Add corn and simmer
Assemble your salad, crumbling tortilla chips on top

Save money on this meal:

buy beef and cheese in bulk and freeze in appropriate proportions for your family size
keep a good stock of seasonings on hand to avoid convenience foods, which are almost always more expensive in the long run
add pinto beans or black beans (at the end) with less meat or the same amount to stretch it out
eat leftovers in a tortilla for lunch

Splurge:

use ground sirloin (it is a lot more flavorful that regular old ground beef)
use a specialty cheese (like chipotle cheddar and grate it yourself)
use 2-3 cloves of minced garlic in place of real garlic
serve with cornbread on the side