Magic In the Middle Cookies

I was pleasantly surprised with these cookies (although I shouldn't be--I got it from one of my favorite blogs). They were even better than expected--a chocolate cookie holding a soft peanut butter filling. And for once, when they say it makes 26, it really does make 26!

Printable Recipe

Magic In the Middle Cookies

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

 Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut Butter Filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar


Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and the eggs, beating to combine.

Then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.

With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls. (I use the natural peanut butter, and it's not sticky at this point, so I don't usually flour my hands. I'm leaving it in though, in case regular peanut butter makes a stickier filling.)

Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.

Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out.

Roll rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.

Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate.

Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Makes 26 cookies.

Beef Stroganoff

I got this recipe from another college roommate. It's a little thicker than other stroganoff recipes I've tried, which makes it so much better in my opinion. You don't need a whole lot because it stretches really well over the noodles. Most of the time, we mix the corn in with the stroganoff. Yum!

Printable Recipe

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 pint sour cream
Egg Noodles


Brown ground beef and onion. Drain.

Stir in flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

Add cream of chicken soup, and cook 10 minutes.

While beef mixture is cooking, prepare egg noodles according to package.

Just before serving, add 1/2 pint sour cream to beef mixture.

Serve over noodles.

Make 4 servings.

Serve with: Corn, Peas

Philly Cheese Steaks

I have worked really hard to get this recipe down pat, and I think I've finally got it. I LOVE Philly Cheese Steaks, and there are about a hundred different recipes out there, so I've mixed and matched to create my own. There are some key things you need to consider:

1. Good sandwich rolls--This can make or break your sandwich.

2. Thickness of the steak--Cut it as paper thin as possible. Lately I've been using the slicing blade on my food processor--it works so well and cuts the prep time way down!

3. Cheese--There are two schools of thought here--some say it has to be Cheez Whiz; others say Provolone. I go with the Provolone.

4. Toppings--Some think it's just green peppers and onions, others say mushrooms and onions. I go with all three.

And now for the recipe!

Printable Recipe

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

1 (12-ounce) boneless beef rib eye steak

2 Tbsp. margarine or butter

1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1 medium green pepper, cut into thin strips

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

4 hoagie buns, split

4 ounces Provolone cheese, either sliced or grated

Partially freeze beef.

Very thinly slice beef across the grain into bite-size strips (or if your food processor has a slicing blade, use that).

In a 10-inch skillet melt margarine or butter; add onion, pepper and mushrooms. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add spices and cook for 1 minute.

Remove vegetable mixture from skillet with a slotted spoon. If necessary, add additional margarine to skillet. Add beef; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until done.

Mix in the sauteed vegetables. Top with cheese and melt. If needed, put a lid on the pan to help the cheese melt faster.

While cheese is melting, toast buns under broiler. Spread lightly with mayonnaise if desired.

Spoon the cheesy meat mixture into warm buns and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Serve with: French Fries, Salad

Baked Potato Soup

I have always loved potatoes--mashed, baked, scalloped, fried. Yum! One of my favorite ways to eat them is in this Baked Potato Soup. I've seen multiple similar recipes, and I tweaked this one to come out exactly the way I like it. I based mine off of a recipe from The Cooking Photographer. Just thinking about it makes me want to make another batch. Delicious! Sometimes I like to make the 60 minute rolls along with it (hello, Carb City!). And this one is perfect to use with purees--I love putting in cauliflower and carrots (squash also works well, and sometimes I add all three). They give it a great flavor without being obvious that they are there. And making this soup healthier helps me feel a little less guilty about serving it.

Printable Recipe

Baked Potato Soup
from The Cooking Photographer

2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (I use 1/3 c. white and 1/3 c. wheat)
7 cups milk (whole works best, but I usually do 2%, and I don't notice the difference, except in my pants size)
6 large baking potatoes, baked, peeled and cubed (microwaving is completely fine)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (you can add more if you like it a little cheesier)
1/2 - 1 cup sour cream (I like less, Anthony likes more, so I taste as I go along--each batch is different)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¾ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
½ teaspoon pepper, plus more for seasoning
Garlic powder, to taste
Onion powder, to taste
8-12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a large pot, melt the butter. Stir in flour; heat on medium and stir until smooth.

Gradually add milk, stirring until thickened. Be careful not to burn on the bottom of the pan.

Add potatoes. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes.

Add cheese, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper; stir until cheese is melted.

Season to taste with onion powder, garlic powder, and extra parsley, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately and top each serving with crumbled bacon.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Serve with: Rolls

Classic Southern Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake

I made this cake for a dinner with friends, and all week long I've been wishing for more. So, so good! It was great the first time around, and even better after it was refrigerated--the strawberry taste really came out then. I actually combined a couple recipes to put the cake together. The original one called for a buttercream icing, but I thought cream cheese would be even better. I must not have been the only one, because the icing recipe I based mine on was attached to a VERY similar cake recipe. The name makes it sound complicated, but other than chopping the strawberries, you can throw this one together pretty quickly. (Don't forget to factor in the cooling time when planning.) Run to the store and get the ingredients because you don't want to miss this one!

Printable Recipe

Classic Southern Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake

from Southern Living

 Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix

1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting 
adapted from Food.com

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature 
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 
3 ½ - 4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat cake mix, strawberry gelatin, eggs, sugar, 1/2 cup strawberries, milk, vegetable oil and all-purpose flour at low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute.

Scrape down sides, and beat at medium speed for 2 more minutes, stopping to scrape down sides, as needed.

Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes, or until cakes spring back when pressed lightly with a finger.

Let cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely (about 1 hour.)


While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing.

Combine the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds.

Stop the machine and add the sugar and strawberries. Blend the frosting on low until the sugar has been incorporated.

Then raise the speed to medium and mix the frosting another minute or until the frosting lightens and is well combined.

Store in the refrigerator until cake is ready.


To assemble, spread the icing on the top of the bottom cake layer.

Add another cake layer and repeat.

Add last layer and frost the top.

Continue frosting the sides.

Garnish with whole and halved strawberries.

Serve immediately, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 12 servings.

Chicken Baguette

Love this sandwich! It's our version of something you would order in a restaurant. But I'm positive it's better for you than most things when you eat out. And it's delicious! I couldn't remember where I got it from, but a quick search came up with an I Can't Believe It's Not Butter recipe. Which makes me think of their Fabio commercials. Which makes me think of this one.
 

Ha! Love that one! Okay, back on topic.

This is a sandwich that you can vary each time to your mood. I usually use regular Swiss instead of the Jarlsberg variety. We've tried Mozzarella and Cheddar too, if you like something a little more subtle. Anthony likes to put Ranch dressing on his, making it a Chicken Ranch Bacon Melt. And I know it says it makes two sandwiches, but I usually just cut small sandwiches off for Will and Ethan, and that is plenty for all of us.

You can also substitute Rotisserie Chicken instead. (I like it better that way.)

Printable Recipe

Chicken Baguette

from I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leave
1 French baguette
3 ounces Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled


In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1 Tbsp. butter over medium heat.

Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden. Remove onions from skillet and keep warm.

In same skillet, melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat.

Cook chicken until it is no longer pink. (Or substitute Rotisserie Chicken and skip this step.)

Sprinkle with thyme, and if desired, salt and ground black pepper.

Make a horizontal cut through center of baguette, cutting almost but not all the way through, and spread open.

Arrange chicken on 1/2 of bread, then top with hot onions, cheese and bacon. Close baguette.

Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To serve, cut baguette in half to make two sandwiches.

Serve with: Ranch Dressing, Velveeta Shells & Cheese, Carrots, or French Fries

Poppy Seed Chicken

This one is a great casserole dish (which means it photographs terribly). I originally got the recipe from a church cookbook, but it was one of those recipes where some of the steps have been forgotten, so I had to make a few changes. For some reason, I always thought I needed to melt the butter, but the crackers stay a lot crisper (more crisp?) if you don't. It works better if you mash up the butter in the bowl, and then add the other ingredients. The original recipe also said to put the chicken into the casserole raw and to cook everything for an hour. While you can do that, and it's fine, to us it has a "different" taste. I can't put my finger on it, but the cracker crumbs just taste a little off, like you can tell they were cooked with raw chicken. I really prefer baking the chicken separately. It doesn't really change the prep or cooking time because you're able to cut way back on the final bake, and you're not left wondering if it is truly cooked in the middle.

I was all set to try cauliflower puree in this, but I forgot to add it in at the last minute. I am 90% positive you could mix it in with the creams, and it would work.

Printable Recipe

Poppy Seed Chicken

3-4 boneless chicken breasts (I normally do 3--the original called for 6, but that's WAY too much)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

2 sleeves Ritz Crackers, finely crushed

1 stick margarine or butter

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 ounces sour cream


Place chicken breasts onto baking sheet.

Rub with a small amount of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until done.

After chicken has cooled slightly, cut into cubes and set aside.

Combine crushed crackers, butter and poppy seeds.

Layer 1/2 of the cracker mixture on bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish.

Add cubed chicken.

Stir together the soup and sour cream, and pour over the chicken.

Layer with remaining cracker mixture.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until it is warmed through and crackers are lightly browned.

Makes 6 servings.

Serve with: Mixed Vegetables

Lasagna

This is the best lasagna recipe I've ever made. Technically, it's the only lasagna I've ever made, but when you find something that works, why look anywhere else? It's delicious and easy (as easy as lasagna gets, and we won't even mention certain frozen brands). You don't have to boil the noodles beforehand, and don't even bother with the no-boil lasagna noodles. They don't taste as good, and they're unnecessary. My first roommate in college, Jacqie, made this as one of our first meals together. She used to sing "Sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, cheese, (repeat), sauce, cheese." I know it sounds silly, but I still sing that every time I make it. This was also the first meal I made for my husband when we started dating. When I asked him how it was, he told me, "I'm choking it down." Honestly, he's lucky he got another date. Or meal. But, enough background, let's get to it!

(Since the sauce has a tomato base, it's great for hiding vegetable purees, or mix some fresh spinach into the cottage cheese.)

(Last thing, I promise! I'm not a big fan of cottage cheese--and by that I mean I wouldn't touch it unless my life depended on it, and even then it would be a struggle. But it really works in this recipe as a milder alternative to ricotta.)

Printable Recipe

Lasagna

Prep. Time: 30 mins    Bake Time: 1 hour

1 lb. ground beef
1 jar (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce
8 oz. pkg. lasagna noodles
1 container (16 oz.) cottage cheese
1 egg
3-4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground beef in large skillet: drain. Add spaghetti sauce.

Stir egg into cottage cheese.

In a 13x9-inch baking dish, place a thin layer of sauce, followed by a layer of lasagna noodles.

Spread half of the cottage cheese over the noodles, making sure to cover the noodles completely.

Then layer with 1/3 of the mozzarella.

Repeat layers.

Place remaining sauce on top.

Bake at 350 for 45 mins.

Add remaining mozzarella and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Makes 9-12 servings.

Serve with: Salad, Garlic Bread

Cream Cheese Brownies

These were so, so yummy! Can you tell they were part of our Valentine's Day meal? The original recipe calls them Red Velvet Brownies, but technically most red velvet use vinegar and/or buttermilk to make the red coloring. I don't count adding red food dye as qualifying for red velvet. So I'm calling them Cream Cheese Brownies. Regardless, they are a tasty concoction, a moist brownie right in the middle between being fudgy and cakey. Next time I'll leave out the red dye--even with using the gel, it took quite a bit to get them red, and I could really taste it. But they sure were pretty!

Printable Recipe

 Cream Cheese Brownies

from Jamie Cooks It Up

Prep. Time: 20 mins.   Bake Time: 45-55 mins.

Brownie Layer:
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red food coloring gel (optional)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (I used chocolate chunks, and they were divine!)

Cream Cheese Layer:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla 


BROWNIE LAYER

Place 1 cup melted butter, 2 cups sugar and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa into your stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Mix it until well combined, about 2 minutes. 

Crack one egg and add it to the batter. Mix until the egg is incorporated. Repeat with the three remaining eggs, mixing them into the batter one at a time.  

Add two teaspoons vanilla to the batter and mix it in. 

Put 1-1/2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine the two. Add these dry ingredients to your batter and mix until they are well combined.

(If you want to make them red, add 1 teaspoon red food coloring gel to the batter and mix until the batter is a nice color.)

Toss in 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and mix until combined. 

Line a 9x13 pan with wax paper, parchment paper or tin foil and spray it with cooking spray. This will help you lift the brownies out of the pan when they have cooled and are ready to cut. 

Spread the batter out evenly in the pan.


CREAM CHEESE LAYER

Place 1 package softened cream cheese into your stand mixer or medium sized mixing bowl. Beat it until nice and smooth.  

Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. 

Drop the cream cheese mixture onto the brownie layer in spoonfuls. 

Drag a knife through both layers to create a marbling effect.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Let the brownies cool on a wire rack, then lift them out of the pan, cut and serve.

Baked Pork Cutlets

I'm not a huge fan of regular pork chops, so I've found couple ways to change them up. This is my second favorite way to make them (my absolute favorite are the Stuffed Pork Chops). They have a flavorful cracker crumb coating, and they're easy enough for any weeknight meal.

Printable Recipe

Baked Pork Cutlets

 from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Prep. Time: 15 mins     Cook Time: 45 mins.

2 cups finely crushed Ritz cracker crumbs (this is just a little more than one sleeve)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. dried sage
6 boneless pork chops
1 cup plain yogurt


Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking dish (or two, if your pork chops are large) with nonstick spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and sage; set aside.

Trim the fat off of the pork chops. Coat each chop with yogurt, then dip both sides into crumbs.

Place chops in greased baking dish.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until cooked through.

Makes 6 servings.

Serve with: Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Green Beans (What? You don't know what Cheesy Grean Beans are? Guess I'll have to make a new post!)

Chocolate Chess Pie

In honor of Pi Day, I figured we had to celebrate with pie! This is one of my favorites, and it's a recipe my grandma found several years ago. The original name was Pie In The Sky, but when I looked up the meaning of that phrase, it said, "Refers to a prospect of future happiness which is unlikely ever to be realized." Which seems kind of like a downer. After looking around, I think it's actually a Chocolate Chess Pie. The top is kind of like a fudgy brownie, and the middle layer is, well, custardy. Yep, that's a word now. If anyone has something better, feel free to email me. Otherwise, make this baby up, and enjoy 3.14!

Printable Recipe

Chocolate Chess Pie

1/4 cup margarine

1-1/2 squares bittersweet chocolate

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

1 unbaked pie shell (regular, not deep dish)

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt margarine and chocolate together, either in a double boiler or microwave. Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Add chocolate mixture to custard mixture, and stir well for several minutes.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Using Vegetable Purees

I need to add this post in before I get too far along because it will be important to other posts. For awhile now, I've been following some of the guidelines in the book Deceptively Delicious to help get more vegetables in our meals. I posted the following excerpt originally on our family blog, but it's even more necessary here because a lot of the recipes I will post are ones that lend themselves nicely to adding purees:

I've never really been one to get organic foods or be the all-natural "granola" mom. But for awhile, I've been looking for ways to help us be healthier. I think we do a pretty good job on a normal basis--we rarely (as in once every few months) eat out, and I don't buy a lot of snacky foods (my kids hardly know what soda is). Not that I'm bragging. I just know we all REALLY like that kind of stuff, and it would be way too easy to go overboard (do I need to mention my Doritos addiction again?). So I don't even buy junk food. We've always had a hard time with vegetables though, which I'm sure almost any parent with toddlers can say. Ethan is the pickiest--the boy refused to eat a berry cobbler because he didn't know what it was--and for awhile he didn't eat any vegetables unless they were hidden. I received a book a couple years ago for Christmas that was called Deceptively Delicious. It was something I had requested, but it sat on the shelf because I didn't think I had time, even though it sounded like a good idea. Wow, was I wrong. The idea is to make vegetable purees and then mix them in the foods in your regular meals. That way the kids don't even think about turning up their noses because it's something they already like. I had also purchased a Baby Bullet a little while ago to make some baby food for Jonathan, and I pulled out the book to see if I could go ahead and make the purees along with the baby food. So easy! Most of the time I incorporate the ideas she gives, instead of using the recipes in the book (although I'm sure I'll be using some of the recipes--the brownies with spinach are supposed to be great--Oprah said so!). I ended up making a meatball dish and hid sweet potatoes in the meatballs, carrots in the sauce, and cauliflower in the mashed potatoes. And the boys cleaned their plates! Will would have eaten most of it anyway, but not Ethan, so I was pretty excited. The next day I made macaroni and cheese that had cauliflower and navy beans. Ethan actually said, "This is great!" The boy has never said anything like that about any food. The funniest part was when Anthony and Will split a sweet potato, and Ethan turned his head away and refused a bite, without knowing that he'd had some at dinner with no complaints. Anyway, I just wanted to share because I'm loving the results. I love that even I'm eating some of the vegetables that I know are good for me, but aren't super exciting. I don't have to cover them with cheese sauce to make them more appetizing, and nobody notices any difference because the purees mix right in. And no, even though it sounds like it, I'm not getting a commission for selling the book.


So, whenever there's a recipe that I add purees too, I'll put a note. Don't feel like you have to add them to get the recipe right, but it's there if you're interested. For most vegetables purees, you just need to steam the vegetable, put it in your food processor (you can use a blender, but it likely won't be as smooth of a texture, unless you have a fabulous blender), add about 1/4 cup of water (or more as necessary), and blend. I put 1/2 cup of the mixture in a Ziploc sandwich baggie, mark the bag with a permanent marker, and then freeze until it's ready to use. Then I defrost the puree, add it in to the meal, and most of the time, no one is the wiser.

I used to have a pretty comprehensive list of which purees worked with each meal, but I forgot to make a back-up, and my iPod ate the list. From memory, some common purees I use are:

Cauliflower--I buy a frozen bag, steam it, and divide it into two batches and blend each. It mixes into a lot of things very well because it doesn't have a very strong taste. Some recipes I add it into are Baked Potato Soup, Chicken & Noodles Turkey Burgers, and almost anything with a tomato sauce (Italian Pasta Bake, Spaghetti, etc.). Sometimes I'll mix in with ground beef just after it's browned, and it cooks right in.

Sweet Potato--Bake a couple sweet potatoes, and puree half of one with a 1/4 cup of water. These hide well in beef recipes (Meatloaf, Meatballs), Turkey Burgers, Soups, and again, tomato sauce bases. I put this and cauliflower in Tater Tot Casserole the other day, and it was AMAZING!

Carrots--I use regular (not baby) carrots, steam them, and then you can puree several at a time with  water as needed. I did 6-8 and got 2 1/2 cups of puree. Tomato bases, chili, and soups work really well.

Butternut Squash--I bake the squash for about an hour, and then puree it with water. A small one will yield about 2 cups of puree. The taste reminds me a lot of sweet potatoes, so they're often interchangeable. 

Navy (or any white) Beans--These you have to be careful with because they change the texture. The kids were okay with it in macaroni, but I was not. They work really well in hamburgers or Turkey Burgers.


Okay, now that I'm looking it over, I suppose I use them in most of the same kind of recipes, but you can change up the combinations. I usually do one or two when I add them in, but too many will change the flavor. I haven't been brave enough to try them in any white sauces, but I guess I should branch out. I'll keep experimenting and let you know!

Beef Stew

This recipe came from my freshman roommate, Jacqie. We ate this stew at her sister's house one Sunday, and I had to get the recipe. It has a creamy base instead of broth, and as always, it's easy and delicious. Great for throwing in the crock pot on Sunday morning. You can put it in a bread bowl, or serve homemade rolls on the side.

Printable Recipe

Beef Stew

2 lbs beef stew meat

4 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 cups carrots, sliced

1 onion, diced (optional--I have some onion haters in the family, so I don't put it in anymore)

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

Add beef, potatoes, carrots and onion to crock pot.

Cover with Cream of Mushroom soup. 

Cook on low 6-8 hours. 

Stir in cheese just before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Serve with: Rolls

Freezer Meal: Freeze after preparation. To eat, thaw and heat through.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

After making another pumpkin recipe, I had an extra cup of pumpkin that I couldn't figure out how to use. A quick search brought up this recipe. Originally, she used regular chocolate chips, but we've been using chunks lately, and they seemed to give the muffins just the amount of chocolate they needed. She also used 1/3 cup of applesauce instead of oil, but I was all out, so that's your call. I sent a few muffins with Anthony to work, and the reactions from the guys ranged from swearing (in a good way, if that's possible) to an offer from one to divorce his wife and move in with us. I think this recipe is a keeper.

Printable Recipe

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

from The Petite Filet

 

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1-1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Stir into pumpkin mixture until well mixed.

Add chocolate chips, and stir to combine.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for two minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

60 Minute Rolls

I am about to give you an amazing gift. Ready? Who doesn't love homemade rolls? I know, I know, they take forever: kneading, rising, rising again, forming them, rising again, etc. But what I am about to share with you is a recipe that can even be made on a weeknight. Don't believe me? When I came across this recipe on The Mother Huddle, I thought it was too good to be true. Rolls in an hour? Never. And yet, they worked, and they were amazing! Okay, it is just a few more than 60 minutes from measuring the flour to putting them on the table, but it's really, really close. Like any new recipe, it might take you just a little longer the first few times as you get used to it, but soon you'll be churning these out like a pro.

Supposedly this makes 20 to 24, but our family is used to rolls the size of a softball, so I usually get about 12 rolls. If you're looking to feed a larger crowd, make sure you make them normal size. These are great for holidays, special occasions, Wednesdays, whenever. They go perfectly with the Beef Stew that I'll be posting in a few days. And with homemade honey butter, which I'll also post later, all I can say is, "Wow!"

After making them numerous times, I just realized that you should use the rapid rise (Bread Machine) yeast for best results. It was all an accident. I grabbed a jar out of the fridge and threw the yeast in the bowl. It wasn't until we sat down to dinner and we realized they were even more amazing this time that I thought to check. Regular yeast works, and the rolls will be great, just a bit more dense than with rapid rise.

Printable Recipe

60 Minute Rolls

from The Mother Huddle
 

4-5 cups flour (can use a cup or two of wheat flour)

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp Rapid Rise yeast

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 tsp salt

Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar and yeast. 

Heat milk, water, and butter until very warm (about 110°).

Add warm liquid to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for two minutes. 

Add 1/4 cup flour and 1 tsp salt. Mix for two more minutes. 

Continue adding the rest of the flour until a stiff dough forms. 

Knead on a lightly floured surface or in your mixer for 2-3 minutes.

Place in greased bowl and let rise for 15 minutes (I turn the oven to 200° while I am mixing up the dough, then turn it off once it's preheated and put my dough, in an oven-safe bowl, for about 10 minutes to rise.). 

Punch down and form dough into 20-24 small dough balls and place on baking sheet.

Let rise 15 minutes. 

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

Italian Pasta Bake

We make this pasta bake at least once a month because: a) it's that good, b) it's super easy, and c) the ingredients are things I usually have on hand. I like to keep them around for when I get that last minute phone call asking me to take a meal to someone since it's very portable and they can actually do the final baking on their own, so it's ready whenever they are. I found it years ago (although I can't remember where), and it's become a staple. This is another one that's great for adding extra vegetables with purees, since it has a tomato sauce base. Technically, the original recipe said to use either sausage or ground beef, but we tried it with the ground beef, and in my opinion, it was only so-so, whereas the sausage kicks it up a notch. I was tempted to just take out the ground beef and not give you an option, but I relented. Do what you want, but you know what I would say!

Printable Recipe

Italian Pasta Bake

1 lb. Italian sausage or ground beef

1 box mostaccioli or penne

1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brown meat in large skillet; drain.

While meat is browning, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Stir in meat, spaghetti sauce and 1/2 Parmesan cheese. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish.

Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Serve with: Salad or Green Beans, Garlic Bread


I've also made this one ahead of time as a freezer meal, and it came out pretty well. I don't know if you can keep it frozen for a long time and still have the noodles turn out okay, but it worked when I made it a couple weeks later.

Tuna Crescents

This recipe is from the The Pampered Chef: Kids In The Kitchen cookbook, which I think is out of print. Since it's a kids' recipe, it's obviously pretty easy, and it's nice when you need a quick dinner with things you probably have on hand. I don't use celery because I don't care for it, but "to each his own." I also added an extra can of tuna since they're 5 ounces instead of 6 now, and I prefer a little extra in each crescent roll instead of making the tuna stretch. Two cans is fine though. Just reduce the mayonnaise to 1/4 cup. After looking over the recipe, I think I fold the crescent rolls wrong, so if it doesn't look like exactly like the picture, your version is probably right.

Printable Recipe

Tuna Crescents

1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 cans water-packed tuna, drained
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place drained tuna in a medium sized bowl. Flake tuna with spoon.

Add celery, onion, cheese and mayonnaise to the tuna. Mix well.

Unroll crescent dough and separate into 16 triangles.

On a round baking stone or a non-stick cookie sheet, arrange triangles in a circle with the wide ends of the triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside. (There should be an open circle in the center of the baking stone. The tips of the rolls will hang off the edge for now.)

Scoop tuna mixture onto the wide end of the overlapping triangles.

Bring the outside points of the triangles up over the filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. (Filling will not be completely covered).

Bake 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Makes 4 servings.

Serve with: Corn, Green Beans, Salad

Handy Substitutions

I have multiple lists of substitutions in multiple cookbooks, but this is the first time I've come across such a comprehensive list. I printed it off for my recipe binder, and I thought I'd share!

Printable List

Handy Substitutions

from http://www.ourbestbites.com

Baking Products

• Baking powder, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• Semisweet chocolate, 1 oz.: 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate + 1 Tbsp. sugar
• Unsweetened chocolate, 1 oz. or square: 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa + 1 Tbsp. butter, margarine, shortening, or oil
• Semisweet chocolate chips, 6 oz., melted: 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, 2 Tbsp. shortening, + 1/2 c. sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa, 1/4 c.: 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 Tbsp.)
• Corn syrup, light, 1 c.: 1 c. sugar heated to a syrupy consistency with 1/4 c. water
• Cornstarch, 1 Tbsp.: 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• Cake flour: Sift together 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, 1/4 c. cornstarch. This works in a pinch, but for a really, truly light and airy cake, you’ll need the cake flour.
• Substituting cake flour for all-purpose flour: 2 c. flour + 2 Tbsp.
• Bread flour: Add 1-2 Tbsp. gluten to desired amount of flour.
• Self-rising flour: 1 c. flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt
• Marshmallow cream, 7-oz. jar: 16 oz. package marshmallows, melted, plus 3 1/2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• Marshmallows, miniature, 1 c.: 10 large marshmallows
• Pecans, chopped, 1 c.: 1 c. regular oats, toasted (in baked products)
• Powdered sugar, 1 c.: 1 c. sugar + 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, processed in food processor
• White sugar, 1 c.: 1 c. corn syrup; decrease liquid in recipe by 1/3 c.

Dairy Products

• Buttermilk, 1 c.: 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice, plus milk to make 1 c. (let stand 10 minutes); 1 c. milk + 1 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• Sweetened condensed milk, 14 ounces: Heat 1/3 c. +2 Tbsp. evaporated milk, 1 c. sugar, 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine until sugar and butter dissolve
• Sour cream: Plain yogurt

Miscellaneous

• Tomato sauce, 2 c.: 3/4 c. tomato paste + 1 c. water
• Chili sauce, 1 c: 1 c. tomato sauce, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, dash of grown cloves, dash of allspice
• Ketchup (for cooking): 1 c. tomato sauce, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar

Spices

• Allspice, ground, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon + 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• Apple pie spice, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
• Bay leaf, 1 whole: 1/4 tsp. crushed bay leaf
• Chives, chopped, 1 Tbsp.: 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion tops
• Garlic, 1 small clove: 1/8 tsp. garlic powder or dried garlic
• Garlic salt, 1 tsp: 1/8 tsp. garlic powder plus 7/8 tsp. salt
• Herbs, fresh, 1 Tbsp.: 1 tsp. dried herbs or 1/4 tsp. ground herbs
• Mustard, dry, 1 tsp.: 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
• Onion powder, 1 Tbsp.: 1 medium onion, chopped or 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
• Parsley, dry, 1 tsp.: 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
• Pumpkin pie spice: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/8 tsp. ground allspice, 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• Vanilla bean, 1: 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp.: 1 tsp. bottled steak sauce

Alcohol (use water, white grape, or apple juice to make up the rest of the liquid in the recipe)

• Amaretto, 2 Tbsp.: 1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract
• Bourbon or Sherry, 2 Tbsp.: 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Brandy, fruit-flavored liqueur, port wine, rum, or sweet cherry, 1/4 c. or more: Equal amount of unsweetened orange or apple juice plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract or corresponding flavor
• Brandy or rum, 2 Tbsp.: 1/2-1 tsp. brandy or rum extract
• Grand Marnier, 2 Tbsp.: 2 Tbsp. unsweetened orange juice concentrate
• Red wine: Equal amount of red grape or cranberry juice
• White wine: Equal amount of white grape or apple juice

Beef and Vegetable Pitas

I'm always looking for new ways to use spinach. I know it's good for us, but frozen spinach smells like wet grass to me, and I can't stand to use it. Thankfully this one calls for fresh spinach. These pitas come together quickly, so I have to keep myself from making it too often. If there is any leftover filling, it's also good in a tortilla. I usually mix cauliflower puree in with the beef after it's done browning, and you can't tell the difference. Try making these with homemade pitas (don't worry, they're really easy!) to kick it up a notch.

Printable Recipe

Beef and Vegetable Pitas
from 365 Easy One-Dish Meals

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/4 pounds fresh spinach, cleaned and chopped
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 to 6 pita breads, split open at one edge
1 tomato, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)


In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring often, until beef is done, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off excess fat.

Stir in mushrooms and spinach and cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook 1 minute more, or until spinach is tender.

Stir in salt and pepper.

Spoon beef mixture into pita breads and top with chopped tomato and sour cream. 

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Freezer Meal: You can freeze the filling once it's prepared. Just thaw, and heat through.

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

This is my favorite dish to order at P.F. Chang's, and I was so excited to find this version in my Top Secret Recipes book. Definitely a keeper--even the boys loved it! This is supposed to serve two, but it made enough for the four of us. You can also use two pounds of flank steak without doubling the rest of the ingredients (although you'll want more rice). There's a lot of sauce left over in the standard recipe, and since you're supposed to discard it anyway, it stretches enough to cover the extra meat (we actually add some sauce on top of the rice--it seems like such a waste to put in that much work and then throw it away!). Since you don't cook the steak very long, if you get something other than flank steak, it's important to get a good cut that doesn't need a lot of cooking to become tender. We've used a top round London broil with great success.

Printable Recipe

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

2 tsp. vegetable oil
½ tsp. minced ginger
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
¾ cup dark brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil
1 lb flank steak
¼ cup cornstarch
2 large green onions
3 cups cooked rice


Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot or you'll get a major spatter when adding the other liquids.

Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.

Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into ¼" thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.

Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.

Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.

As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).

Heat the oil over medium heat until it's hot, but not smoking.

Add the beef to the oil and saute for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.

After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and place onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.

Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.

Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.

Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.

Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan (or put a little on top of your rice).

Serve over warm rice.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Serve with: Egg Rolls

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have never been one to hoard my recipes, but this one is hard for me to post. While I can easily follow someone else's recipe, I'm not very creative. These cookies are one of the few recipes that I came up with on my own, so I'm tempted to hold onto them. But in the end, they're just too good not to share.

For the cherries, we love Traverse Bay's Montmorency Dried Cherries that you can get on Amazon. They're wonderful for baking, adding to oatmeal, or just eating by the handful. And they're perfect for food storage! They fluctuate in price, but when they're around $20 for 4 lbs, it's a better price than I've found in any store. If you don't want to wait, or you don't feel like you need that many dried cherries, I'm sure you can find something comparable at any grocery store. My friend Missy used chopped up Maraschino cherries, and they tasted great, but the cookies were too sweet. I think using a tart cherry is probably the best way to go.

In Alaska, they are best the first day (nothing seems to last long in Alaska, except snow), so feel free to eat them all in one sitting. If you're outside of the state, I guess you can spread it out a little more.

Printable Recipe

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1-1/4 cups dried cherries
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter, shortening, and sugars.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the batter while beating on low.

Add both chocolates, cherries and nuts, and mix by hand until combined.

Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, and return the extra dough to the refrigerator between batches.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Do not over bake.

Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Multigrain Bread

I'm just going to post the link for this recipe because the pictures that went along with it, at Our Best Bites, were very helpful, especially when I was mixing the dough. (I did make a new copy of the recipe for you to print off, though. Their version is very difficult to read.) I think I've been adding too much flour all along to other recipes because my dough is always a lot drier. I ended up adding another half cup of warm water after I let it rest for the first 20 minutes because it didn't look like the pictures. Sure glad I did. The bread turned out really well! We had a little mishap with the oven--someone turned it off, but neither of us thinks we did it--which made the top deflate a little. Please disregard the sad-looking bread in the picture. It really did taste wonderful!

I couldn't find the 7-grain cereal at the Commissary, so I ordered some from Amazon. They had the Bob's Red Mill cereal--4 packs for about $9.00. And you can make about 8 loaves per bag of cereal, so it seems like a pretty good deal!

Printable Recipe

Printable Recipe 2 (I took out the seeds and the oats--the oats just fall off when I make it, so I'm not going to bother anymore--and that way I could get it to print on one page instead of two.)

Multigrain Bread

from http://www.ourbestbites.com