Italian Stuffed Meat Loaf
1 lb. ground beef
1 C. uncooked oatmeal
15 1/2 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/3 C. grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1 t. pepper
1/3 C. of any of the following (for stuffing): sliced mushrooms, sliced ripe olives, shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded zucchini
1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
sliced ripe olives
Preheat oven to 350; grease 8" baking pan. Combine ground beef, oats, 1/2 C. spaghetti sauce, onion, parmesan cheese, egg, worcestershire and pepper; mix well. Separate mixture into two equal parts. Shape each into a patty about 7" in diameter. Place stufing choices on one patty to within 1/2" of edge. Top with other patty. Pinch sides together to enclose stuffing; smooth edges into rounded loaf. Place into pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until meat is done. Top loaf with 1 C. spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. Garnish with olives and serve with remaining sauce. Makes 6 servings.
Fettuccine Alfredo
1 (12 oz) pkg dried fettuccine pasta
1 lb. medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1 T. butter
3 cloves minced garlic
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/3 C. milk
2 T. each cream cheese and chopped fresh parsley
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t. each grated lemon zest, salt and pepper
Bring water to a boil, cook pasta, stirring occasionally for 7 minutes. Add asparagus; cook 5 minutes, until pasta is firm to the bite, and asparagus is crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt butter. Add garlic; saute 2 minutes. Whisk in flour, then milk; cook, whisking, for 7 minutes, until thickened. Whisk in cream cheese. Stir in parsley, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/3 C. cooking water. Drain pasta and asparagus; transfer to serving bowl. Stir the water into sauce; pour over pasta; toss gently. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.
Herbed Chicken Strips
1 1/4 C. uncooked oatmeal
1 1/4 t. basil
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. thyme
1/4 t. garlic powder
2 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned, and split
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. butter or margarine, melted
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 C. sliced green onions
Heat oven to 425. Put oatmeal in blender for approx 1 minute, stopping occasionally to stir. Cut chicken breasts in 1" strips. Coat chicken in combined ground oats, 1 t. basil and spices; dip into milk, then again into oat mixture. Place in 15x10" pan; drizzle with margarine. Bake 25-30 minutes or until tender. Combine sauce, onions and remaining basil; heat through, stirring occasionally. Serve with chicken. Makes 4 servings.
Salad Using Dry Jello
1 container Cool Whip
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 container cottage cheese
1 pkg dry jello - any flavour
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until time to serve.
Baked Plantains
Choose ripe plantains and rub the skins with vegetable oil. Cut long slits in them lenggth-wise, plus a few cross slits. Put them in preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 20 -30 minutes, or until the flesh puffs out of the slits. Dress them as you would baked potatoes. They go well with baked fish and cook at the same temperature in about the same amount of time.
Maple-Walnut Carrots
2 C. scraped, sliced fresh carrots
1 C. water
1/4 C. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 c. walnut halves
Combine carrots and water in saucepan, bring liquid to a boil, and cook, covered, until carrots and tender - 5 to 8 minutes. Remove carrots with slotted spoon. Over high heat, reduce the pan juices to about 1/4 cup. Whisk in the syrup and dry mustard, and continue to cook over lowered heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the walnuts. Return the carrots to the pan until they are heated through and well glazed. Makes 4 servings.
Steamed "Candied" Sweet Potatoes
10-12 oz package fresh cranberries
1 C. sugar
1 C. water
1 cinnamon stick
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 T. cider vinegar
Combine sugar, water and cinnamon stick in deep saucepan and bring to a boil; cook for 3 minutes. Add washed cranberries and cook uncovered at low boil, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until berries have popped open but still retain their shape. Remove cinnamon stick and set berries aside to cool slightly (sauce will thicken) while preparing potatoes. Peel potatoes and cut into thick, even slices. Steam them over 1" of water to which you've added the vinegar for 10 minutes, or until tender. Scoop them into serving dish and ladle cranberries on top. Makes 4 servings.
Summer Salad (from my friend Barb)
1 head broccoli, broken into pieces
1 head cauliflower, broken into pieces
8 oz shredded cheese
1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
1 small onion, chopped
12 oz Miracle Whip
8 oz. sour cream
Mix together, add salt and pepper to taste. Chill.
Citrus Rice Salad
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges
1 C. water
1/4 C. raisins
1/4 t. each salt, pepper and dried tarragon
1 1/2 C. minute rice
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 C. each thinly sliced celery and green onions, toasted chopped pecans, and plain low-fat yogurt
Drain oranges, reserving juice. Mix juice, water, raisins and spices in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir in rice. Return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Spread in shallow pan; freeze 10 minutes to quickly cool rice. Toss with remaining ingredients. Makes 5 cups, or 8 servings.
Harvest Vegetables with Lemon-ginger Butter
1 lb. peeled fresh baby carrots, halved
2 pts. halved brussels sprouts
1 T. + 1 t. butter
2 t. grated gingerroot
1 1/2 t. cornstarch
1/2 C. chicken broth
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
Bring large pot of water to boil; add carrots; boil 3-5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. With slotted spoon, remove to bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain. To the boiling water, add brussels sprouts; cook 6-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop cooking; drain again. (Carrots and brussels sprouts can be made up to this point 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Store carrots and sprouts in separate food-sstorage bags.) To serve: In large non-stick skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add ginger; cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add brussels sprouts and carrots; cook, stirring, 1 minute. In 1-cup glass measure, combine cornstarch, broth, lemon juice and salt. Add to skillet; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Simer 1 minute or until liquid is very slightly thickened and vegetables are hot. Makes 8 servings.
Chicken Avocado Salad
2 C. chopped, cooked chicken
4 oz. hot pepper cheese, cut into strips
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained
2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 small onion, thinly sliced
chili mayonnaise (recipe below)
1 medium avocado
1 small head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 pkg (6 1/4 oz) tortilla chips
Place chicken, cheese, beans, celery, tomatoes and onion in large bowl. cover and refrigerate 4-6 hours. Prepare Chili mayonnaise. Just before serving, peel avocado and cut into thin slices. Reserve a few avocado slices for garnish. Add remaining slices and the lettuce to salad; toss with chili mayo. Top with 1 C. of the tortilla chips. Garnish with reserved avocado. Serve with remaining tortilla chips. Makes 6 servings.
Chili Mayonnaise
1/2 C. mayo or salad dressing
1/4 C. chili sauce
1/2 t. salt
2 drops red pepper sauce
Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Kitty Litter Cake
A fun dessert!
1 spice cake mix
1 white cake mix
1 pkg white sandwich cookies
12 small tootsie rolls
1 box instant vanilla pudding
green food colouring
Clean, new kitty litter pan and pooper scooper
Bake cakes according to package directions, and prepare pudding according to the directions. Chill pudding. Crumble cookies into small batches. Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup, add green food colouring and mix. When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining cookie crumbs. Stir in the pudding. Pour into litter box. Microwave 3 tootsie rolls until soft, and shape ends so that they no longer look blunt. Repeat. Bury in the cake mixture. Sprinkle remaining cookie crumbs over the top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. Heat remaining tootsie rolls in microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle some cookie crumbs on top of them. Serve with pooper scooper.
Quick Praline Peaches
4 fresh peaches
4 T. dark brown sugar
cinnamon
12 pecan halves
Peel and slice peaches; divide them among 4 microwave safe dessert dishes. Sprinkle each portion with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Add a dash of cinnamon. Arrange 3 pecan halves on each serving. Cook 2 dishes at a time in the microwave for 4 - 5 minutes, or until peaches are tender. Let them cool to room temperature. Makes 4 servings.
Cherry Pretzel Crunch Dessert (from Carol, one of Michelle's old teachers)
1st layer:
1 1/2 C. crushed pretzels
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. melted margarine
Combine ingredients and pat into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool.
2nd layer:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. powdered sugar
8 oz. cool whip
Combine ingredients and spread over pretzel layer.
3rd layer:
Spread 1 can cherry pie filling over top, or you may use a can of thickened sour pie cherries. Chill in refrigerator until serving time.
Home-made soap
You will need:
Word of caution: Lye must be handled with extreme care! Never allow lye or freshly mixed soap ingredients to touch your skin or eyes. Wear gloves and goggles, and if it does contact your skin, neutralize with vinegar.
The recipes:
Before combining ingredients, be sure to read the instructions that follow the recipes. Note: Amounts are by weight, not volume.
Simple soap
7.5 oz vegetable shortening
14 oz olive oil
2.25 oz castor oil
3 oz lye crystals dissolved into 7 oz cold, distilled water
Oatmeal and honey soap
Melt together:
1 oz beeswax
32 oz lard
6 oz olive oil
4 oz coconut oil
2 oz cocoa butter (This and the coconut oil can be found at health food stores)
Lye/water: 6 oz lye crystals dissolved into 15 oz cold, distilled water
Added after trace (see Step 5):
4 T. honey
2 T. finely ground oatmeal (not instant)
Fragrance
Add a tablespoon or two of essential oil after trace; oils of peppermint, rosemary, clove and patchouli work well. Make sure you use pure essential oil; alcohol will cause your soap mixture to harden before you are able to pour it. Synthetic fragrance oils with more exotic scents may be ordered via the Internet.
The steps
Step 1: In a well-ventilated area or outdoors, carefully dissolve lye in water. Use exact amounts (weigh water, too). Never mix water into lye; this could cause a violent eruption in the container. The solution will get very hot. Set the water and lye mixture safely aside.
Step 2: Weigh out the amounts of fats/oil called for in the recipe. Combine in a microwavable container and microwave at three-minute increments until melted and the side of the bowl is warm but not extremely hot to the touch.
Step 3: Using a kitchen thermometer, test the warmth of both the lye/water solution and fats. You want both to be 95-105 degrees. You may have to warm the container of the lye/water solution in a sink filled with warm water if the solution has cooled too quickly.
Step 4: When both the fats and lye/water are in the correct temperature range, pour the lye/water slowly into the fats, stirring constantly. Once the two have been combined, you may use the stick blender, being careful not to splatter the freshly mixed ingredients.
Step 5: Stir until the concoction reaches the consistency of thin pudding and a droplet left on the surface remains raised a few seconds. This consistency is called "trace". After your soap has traced, you may stir in additives such as fragrances.
Step 6: Slowly pour into a mold that you have greased with cooking spray or lined with waxed paper.
Step 7: Place mold away from drafts. Unmold after 24 hours. If soap is stubborn, freeze for an hour and try again.
Step 8: Cut into bars and stack like bricks, allowing air to circulate around the bars. For the lye to completely neutralize and the bars to harden, wait three weeks to use.
Ancient Irish Cough Medicine
Take a handful of garlick and boil it in two quarts of spring water to the consumption of a quart. Then strain it and put a quart of honey to it, of which make a syrup. Take a spoonful of this at a time and it will infallibly cure any cough, asthma, shortness of breath, etc.
I have no proof of this claim - I merely copied this from a book!
Spice Tea Mix
from Connie
3 C. sugar
2 C. Tang
1 C. instant tea
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 T. cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together. Use as needed - approx 1 tsp per cup of hot tea, or 2 tsp for glass of iced tea.
Fresh Ginger Syrup
Along with its uses as an ingredient, this syrup makes a delightful fresh ginger ale. Combine 1 or 2 tablespoons of syrup with 8 oz. chilled seltzer or plain water. A teaspoon of ginger syrup is also a refreshing sweetener for hot tea. Recent studies have shown that ginger helps prevent motion sickness, and soothes already upset stomachs.
1 lb. fresh ginger root, peeled
3 1/2 C. water
1 1/2 C. sugar
Mince the ginger in a food processor. Combine with water, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Cover and let stand overnight. Strain the mixture through double cheesecloth, squeezing to get all the liquid; discard the solids. Combine the juice with the sugar, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Keeps 2 weeks or more in refrigerator.
Circletes
Almond-cardamon cakes
1 C. butter
2/3 C. brown sugar
1 beaten egg
2 1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
3/4 tsp. crushed cardamon>BR>
1/2 C. ground almonds
1 C. currants
Butter for greasing baking sheet
Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter. Blend in sugar, beating with a spoon until frothy. Whip in the beaten egg. Stir peel, cardamon, sugar, almonds, and currants into the flour. Beat the dry mixture into the sweetened butter. Chill dough for at least 1 hour. Using well-floured fingers, shape dough into small balls, placing them 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 7-10 minutes until light golden brown. Cool on racks.
Honey Creme Sauce
3 T. honey
3 large egg yolks
3 T. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 t. grated lemon rind
2 C. milk
1 T. butter
Mix honey, yolks, flour, salt and rind. Heat the milk in a saucepan over a very low flame. Slowly add to the milk the honey, yolk, and flour mixture, beating constantly. Continue slow, intermittent stirring for about 7 minutes, carefully avoiding boiling. Remove from heat. Add the butter; stir and serve warm with fish or broiled meat.
Amondyn Eyroun (almond omelette)
1 C. ricotta cheese
8 T. butter
3/4 C. slivered almonds
2/3 C. oats
4 chopped hard-boiled eggs
1/2 C. raisins
6 raw eggs
2 T. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed fennel seed
2 T. oil, for sauteeing
Place ricotta in large bowl. In a large, heavy skillet, melt half of the butter; toast the almonds and oats until golden. Pour off almonds, oats and butter into the ricotta and mix well. Reserve skillet, and any residual butter therein, for later. Stir chopped hard-boiled eggs and raisins into the ricotta mixture. Beat the raw eggs with honey, salt, and fennel. Stir the sweetened eggs into the cheese. Heat remaining butter with oil in skillet. Pour mixture in to fry until golden, about 5 - 8 minutes on very low heat. Turn the omelette if you prefer the eggs well done. Cut into individual wedges and serve hot.
Brie Tart
8 inch pastry shell, unbaked
1 pound brie cheese, with rind
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 t. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. saffron
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Bake pastry shell for 10 minutes at 425 and let cool. Reset over to 375. Remove the rind from cheese, and cut rind into small pieces with moistened knife. Reserve. Beat softened brie cheese, yolks, ginger, brown sugar, saffron, and salt until smooth. Pour into pastry shell. Strew cut find evenly over the surface of the pie. Combine cinnamon with white sugar and sprinkle around pastry edge. Bake until set and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Can be served either warm or cool.
Potrous (a spicy egg in a coddler)
Potrous is an intriguing egg dish originally made in a fireplace shovel hardpacked with salt, not readily available in the modern kitchen! The common egg coddler works just as well - the tightly covered porcelain vaariety placeable in boiling water is best. For each portion, a two-egg capacity coddler is recommended.
1 raw egg per portion
1/2 tsp. butter for greasing coddler
1 T. ricotta cheese
1 T. honey
1/2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1 sliver spicy cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried sweet basil
1/2 tsp. crushed fresh sorrel
Break egg into well-greased coddler, piercing the yolk. Spoon ricotta into center of egg. Make a cavity in the ricotta and spoon in the honey. Into a well in the honey, spoon in the mustard. Place the cheddar sliver in the middle of the mustard. Sprinkle salt, basil, and sorrel on top. Cover the coddler. Measure enough water into a small pot so as to equal the height of the coddler; bring the water to a rapid boil. Gently place the coddler in the pot and continue boiling for about 7 minutes. Check to determine whether egg has hardened and concentric stuffings have warmed. If egg is still soft, return to pot for another 3 minutes. Serve hot.
Garlic Snacking Bread
1/4 C. olive oil
1 T. finely minced (not pressed) garlic
1 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. white flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried herb leaves of your choice - rosemary, marjoram, thyme, dill, tarragon, basil, or store-bought Italian seasoning (do not use ground herbs)
1 c. milk
1 egg
Preheat oven to 400. Pour oil into heavy 11X7" pan or 10" cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with garlic. Put the pan on range top on warm until the garlic sizzles and softens. Let mixture cool to lukewarm while taking the next steps. Sift together both flours with the baking powder and salt. Stir in herbs. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and egg. Scrape in all of the garlic and oil from the prepared pan, and whisk this together with the milk and egg mixture. When ready to bake, pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, stir just enough to blend completely, and spoon the batter into the oiled pan. Quickly use a spatula to level the batter, and bake the bread on the top shelf for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and tests dry when pierced. Makes 8 servings.
Irish Brown Oatmeal Bread
2 C. whole wheat flour
2 C. unbleached all-purpose white flour
1/4 C. sugar
1 T. baking soda
1 tsp. each baking powder and salt
1 C. each oatmeal and dried currants
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 C. vegetable oil
about 1 1/2 C. buttermilk (or sour milk made by stirring 2 T. white vinegar into plain whole milk)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Sift together the first 6 ingredients into a large bowl. Stir in oatmeal, currants, and caraway seeds. Stir in oil. Add just enough butterrmilk to make a soft dough. Knead briefly and form 2 round loaves; place them on a prepared pan. Cut an inch-deep cross in each loaf. Bake 30 - 35 minutes, until lightly browned and dry inside when tested with a toothpick. Cool on wire racks before cutting. Makes 2 loaves.
Cherry Brunch Muffins
1 egg
3/4 C. milk
1/4 C. vegatable oil
3 T. maraschino cherry syrup
2 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. chopped maraschino cherries
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. chopped almonds
Heat oven to 375. Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Beat egg; stir in milk, oil and cherry syrup. Mix in flour, 1/4 C. sugar, the cherries, baking powder and salt just until flour is moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Mix 2 T. sugar and the almonds; sprinkle over batter in cups. Bake 25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
Browned Butter Buns
1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 C. warm water (105 - 115)
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 C. softened butter or margarine
3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. chopped nuts
3/4 C. raisins
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixer bowl. Add sugar, salt, eggs, egg yolk, butter and 2 cups of the flour. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 10 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour, nuts and raisins. Cover dough and let rise in warm place until double, about an hour. Stir down by beating 25 strokes. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 48 hours. (When you want warm buns, bake as many as you need.)
1 1/2 hours before serving, stir down dough. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls 3" apart on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 40 minutes. Heat over to 375. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Spread with browned butter glaze while warm. Makes 24 - 30 buns.
Browned Butter Glaze
Heat 1/4 C. butter or margarine over medium heat until melted and golden brown; cool slightly. Add 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 to 2 T. water; stir until smooth.
Potato Pancakes
This recipe is from An American Place, a popular New York restaurant that specializes in great American food.
2 medium sized all-purpose potatoes, about 12 oz, peeled
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 C. butter or margarine, melted
2 T. flour
1/4 C. finely chopped onion
1 T. thinly sliced scallions
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 T. vegetable oil, or as needed
1 T. butter or margarine, or as needed
Using coarsest side of hand grater, grate potatoes into large bowl. Toss with lemon juice to coat thoroughly; let stand 5 minutes. Drain well. Add melted butter, flour, onion, scallions,egg, salt, pepper and baking powder to potatoes; stir to mix well.
In 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 T. each oil and butter. Working in batches of 3 to 4 pancakes, add potato mixture in heaping tablespoonfuls to skillet; using tines of fork, flatten each portion into very thin round about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
Cook pancakes 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to paper towels to drain; keep warm in 300 degree oven. Repeat procedure until remaining potato mixture is used up, adding more oil and butter to skillet as needed. Serve immediately, accompanied by country breakfast sausage and chunky applesauce. Makes about 16 pancakes.
Tropical Fruit Soup
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, flesh removed from pit
1 (11 1/2 oz)can guava nectar
1 (11 1/2 oz)can mango nectar
1 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. sugar
2 C. diced pineapple
1 C. diced red or yellow fleshed papaya
2 kiwi, peeled and cut into chunks
Dice 1/2 cup mango. In processor, puree remaining mango, nectars, lime juice and sugar. Transfer to bowl. Stir in diced mango and remaining ingredients. Chill. Makes 4-6 servings.
Potato Chowder
3 strips bacon
2 C. diced raw potatoes
1/2 C. sliced fresh carrots
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 C. chopped onion
2 C. boiling water
1/4 tsp. ground sage
Dash ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. parsley flakes
2 T. flour
2 C. milk
Fry bacon until crisp, set aside to cool. In saucepan, combine potatoes, carrots, salt, onion and boiling water. Cover. Cook until vegetables are tender, 10 - 15 minutes. Add seasonings. Blend flour with 1/4 C. milk until smooth. Add with remaining milk to the vegetable mixture, stirring constantly. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Crumble bacon and sprinkle over soup. Makes 4 - 6 servings.
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