Rice Pilaf

4 cups chicken broth
Two stalks celery

One stick of butter cubed
Butter to sauté vermicelli 

One half onion diced
2 cups Long grain rice uncooked 

Add whatever you like. I add: peas, slivered almonds, 1/2 pkg vermicelli sautéed in butter on the stovetop until golden. Cook in oven for one and a half hours on 350° until moisture is absorbed in rice. Can be cooked ahead and reheated for 45 minutes if taken out of the fridge a few hours before. 

Orange Pineapple Jello Fluff

One 3 ounce package of orange Jell-O
One 3 ounce package vanilla pudding, cook and serve type
One 3 ounce package tapioca pudding, americana brand if possible

One 8 ounce container of Cool Whip

Two small cans mandarin oranges drained
One large can crushed pineapple drained

Combine the packages of orange Jell-O, vanilla pudding, and tapioca pudding, dry in a saucepan. Add 3 cups of water and stir together. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes. Cool completely. Add a container of Cool Whip. Finally add the drained oranges and pineapple. Chill in the fridge before serving. Yum. 

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

The serving size says 24 shells but it is closer to 35.

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (I cook extra because some always seem to break and there is extra filling)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon

1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped (I used a small 7-oz jar of marinated artichokes and it worked out great!)

1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)

Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped (I actually left this out because the store didn’t have it, and it was just fine without it)

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 5 cups

Old-Fashioned Beef Stroganoff

I made this not long after I was married, and then tragically haven't been able to find the recipe since!  Then, as I was flipping through the Ivory Homes Favorites cookbook, there it was!  There is just something great about this recipe: it isn't too salty, which stroganoff has a tendancy to be, and the tomato juice adds a unique twist.  Enjoy! 





2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into thin strips (I only used one pound and it was enough)
1/4 Cup butter
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
1 (8 oz) package sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash of paprika
Dash of seasoned salt
Dash of pepper
1/2 Cup tomato juice
1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 Cup sour cream

Hot cooked egg noodles

Remember to slice the meat against the grain, it helps with tenderness.  Brown the sirloin in butter, along with the onion and mushrooms.  Add juice and seasonings.  Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in soup and sour cream, heat gently and serve over egg noodles.

Lemon Fruit Dip (French Cream)

Recipe from Paula Deen

§ 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

§ 1 cup powdered sugar

§ 1 cup whipping cream

§ 1/4 cup granulated sugar

§ 1 lemon, zested and juiced

§ Pineapple juice (used to thin out if needed - I rarely need to)

Directions

Soften cream cheese and then whip with powdered sugar. Whip cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks. Combine beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon juice and zest; continue to beat, adding just enough pineapple juice to achieve desired consistency. Serve with fresh fruit tray or fruit salad. (I think this tastes best with apples, but Gavin's aunts were even using celery to dip in it!)

Dinner Rolls

2 1/2 C hot tap water

1 Cube butter

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 tsp salt

2 eggs

7 C flour

1 1/2 Tbsp yeast

Put water, butter, sugar, salt and eggs into blender (or bosch with whisk attachment). Blend for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp yeast; blend for 1 minute. Pour mixture over 7 C of flour. (or if in bosch, just add it and switch to the bread hooks). Mix well. Let rise (1-2 hours). form into rolls; (by rolling out and cutting like a pizza into small triangles). Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 1 hr. Bake at 400 degrees 10-12 minutes. Makes 36 rolls.

Pumpkin Bisque

Pumpkin Bisque (Recipe from Laurel Cummins) (Picture from Google-mine was not this cute).

1 lb can of pumpkin

4 cups seasoned chicken stock

¼ cup chopped onion

3 scallions chopped

½ teaspoon of salt

1/ cup light cream

2 medium tomatoes (optional)

Bring chicken stock, onions, and white of scallions to a boil. Add pumpkin after 15 minutes of simmering, blend well. Reboil, simmer 5 minutes. Remove to blender (or use immersion blender) and purée. Cool, add cream and blend. Garnish with cream, scallions, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with green part of green onions.

Caramel Apple Pie

Caramel Apple Pie (picture taken from google-I forgot to take a picture of mine. Quite frankly it was much messier than this, but it was delicious!)

6 cups apples peeled and thinly sliced (about 8 apples)

1 Tbsp. lime juice

¼ Cup flour

¾ Cup sugar

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Pastry for a 2 crust pie

2 Tbsp butter

¼ cup butter

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

½ C brown sugar

½ C pecans, chopped (optional)

Sprinkle apples with lime juice. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and spices. Sprinkle over apples and lightly toss. Place in a 10-inch deep pie plate lined with unbaked pie crust. Dot with 2 Tbsp. butter. Top with pie crust pastry. Seal and crimp the edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes. In a saucepan, combine ¼ cup butter, heavy cream and brown sugar. Stir on medium heat and bring to a boil for two minutes. Pour over hot pie and sprinkle with pecans if desired. Place on a baking sheet or foil. Return to oven for an additional 3-4 minutes until caramel bubbles. Serve warm. Note: Rome Beauty of Braeburn apples work best in this pie.

Easy Cornbread Muffins

This is such a simple recipe but it is much more moist and sweeter than regular cornbread.

1 yellow cake mix

2 jiffy corn bread mixes

Oil, milk and eggs according to directions on both packages

Preheat oven according to directions on cake mix box. Combine cake mix and corn bread mixes in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil and milk according to package directions (replace all water with milk). Mix together according to cake mix directions.

Bake according to times and temperatures on the cake mix box. Makes 24 corn bread muffins.

Chipotle Chocolate Chili (Our Best Bites Cookbook)

Don’t be scared of chocolate in a chili recipe: it just adds richness and depth.

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 pound lean ground turkey or beef

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 Tablespoons chili powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not chocolate milk mix!)

2 15oz cans diced tomatoes

2 14.5oz cans kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can beef broth

Chipotle sauce from a 7oz can of chipotle chilies

3-4 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar

½ ounce unsweetened chocolate (1/2 of an unsweetened baking cube) chopped. Optional – don’t use more than this, or the chili will be bitter.

Chopped green onions, sour cream or shredded sharp cheddar cheese for garnish, optional.

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium. Sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, and ground turkey or beef until meat is cooked through. Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, tomatoes, beans and beef broth. Add all or most of the sauce from a can of chipotle chilies. If you don’t like too much spice, be careful here. Heat to boiling and then reduce to a simmer (uncovered) stirring occasionally until thickened as desired (about 30-40 minutes.

If desired, add some chopped chipotle chilies. Stir in 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Add chopped chocolate a small amount at a time until desired richness is reached. If necessary, add more red wine vinegar to cut the sweetness of the chili.

When thickened and seasoned as desired, serve with toppings.

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread (adapted from ahintofhoney.com)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (I choose to leave this out. I don’t like the taste it brings out)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.

2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.

4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.

6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 round loaf.

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 Tablespoon reserved oil from sun dried tomatoes/olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

¾ cup shredded carrot

4 cloves garlic minced

2/3 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

2 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes undrained

1 14oz can chicken broth

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

3 ounces reduced fat cream cheese

Garnishes: grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Place oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender, stirring often. Add sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. If you’re using red pepper flakes, add them now. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer soup to a blender or use an immersion blender. Add cream cheese. Remove center piece of blender to allow heat to escape. Process for a few minutes until smooth. Add additional salt and pepper to taste then serve.

Chicken Enchiladas

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 can evaporated milk

1 can of diced green chilies

1 bottle of Herndez salsa Verde green sauce

1/2 package of white corn tortillas

Sour cream (mom suggests 1 cup)

Chicken -precooked.

Monterey-jack cheese shredded

Directions: Put a small amount of soup into a 9 x 13 pan. Layer chicken, tortillas, cheese, and cover with soup mixture again. Cook in the oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until done.

Crock Pot Garlic Bacon Chicken & Couscous

5-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I cut them in half)

1 (3-oz) package precooked bacon bits (not artificial)

1 can roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

½ cup flour

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix all remaining ingredients together well and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles, rice or couscous.

If Freezing: Place chicken in gallon-size freezer bag. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Seal and freeze.

Basic Couscous
1 garlic glove, finely minced or pressed
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup couscous
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat garlic, onion, and salt in sauce pan with olive oil over medium heat. Stir and cook until onion becomes translucent (about 2-4 minutes). Add couscous, toss until couscous is coated. Cook, stirring often, until some of the grains are just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate sauce pan (or in the microwave) heat broth, bringing to a boil. Once couscous has begun to brown and get toasted, remove from heat. Carefully pour hot broth over couscous, quickly stir to combine, and place lid on saucepan. Let set for 5 minutes. When 5 minutes is up, fluff with a fork and throw in parmesan (and S&P to taste). Serves 4.

G.O.R.P.

I always thought my mom had just made up the name "gorp" as a funny term for this mix. However, I learned from Wikipedia that it actually stands for both "Good Old Raw Protein" and "Good Old Raisins & Peanuts". Hikers are apparently big fans of mixes like these. So, to begin: Mix the following items in a large bowl.

½ box Crispex cereal

½ box Golden Grahams cereal

½ package shredded coconut

1 Cup slivered almonds

Combine the following items in a saucepan:

¾ Cup butter

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup karo

Stir together and bring to a full boil – boil for 2 minutes, then pour over cereal mixture, & mix gently.

Macaroni and Cheese

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 tbsp. mustard powder
• 1 tsp. cayenne powder
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 200 grams elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups aged cheddar, grated (I like white & orange)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• salt & fresh cracked black pepper
• olive oil
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup fine bread crumbs

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cook your pasta according to directions, but undercook by a minute or two. Once baked, the pasta will be cooked perfectly.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Whisk continously for 3-5 minutes and until mixture is smooth. Add in the milk and cream and bring to slow simmer. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
4. In a mixing bowl, add and mix the cheese varieties together. Add half to the hot milk mixture and combine well.
5. Drain pasta and add in with cheese/milk mixture, combining until pasta is well coated.
6. Butter all sides of casserole dish or individual ramekins and add in the pasta mixture. Top with remaining cheese.
7. Using a saute pan, melt the butter and fold in the bread crumbs until mixed well. Sprinkle on top of the cheese and put on a baking tray and into the oven.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned and bubbling.
9. Remove and let rest five minutes before serving.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

• 2 cups buttermilk biscuit mix (such as Bisquick or Jiffy)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together biscuit mix, cheese and garlic powder. Add in milk, and stir until well mixed. (Heads up – the dough will get very sticky!)

With a spoon, cookie scoop, or with your fingers, shape the dough into biscuit-sized clumps, and drop onto the baking sheet. (Note that the dough will pretty much hold its shape when baked, so feel free to pat down random peaks in the dough if you’d like them to look more uniform!)

Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until biscuits begin to brown slightly around the edges.

While the biscuits bake, prepare the warm butter mixture by mixing together the melted butter, oregano and garlic salt in a small bowl. As soon as the biscuits are removed from the oven, brush the biscuits (while they are still on the baking sheet) with the mixture until they are well-coated.

Serve warm.

(*This recipe usually makes about 16 biscuits for me when I use my scoop.*)

Tip: If you’d like to actually see more of the grated cheddar in the finished biscuits, opt for the more thickly grated cheddar (rather than the super-fine stuff!). Both of course taste exactly the same, but I love seeing the little whisps of cheddar.

Cheesy Baked Dip

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese

16 oz. cheddar cheese grated

4 oz. chopped green chilies

Green onion (I like about 4-6)

1 C. chopped ham

½ pound chopped bacon (or less)

1 round hollowed out sourdough bread loaf

Method: Mix first seven ingredients together and put into the hollowed out bread loaf. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for one hour. Served with squares of leftover bread or chips. I like the gluten free “Food Should Taste Good” brand in the black bag from Costco.

Two Sauce Weeknight Lasagna Bowls

A couple of months ago Gavin and I saw Rachael Ray make this quick version of lasagna. So, on Valentine’s Gavin and I made this and we thought it was delicious! The only tips we would add are the following: Start preparing the red sauce first because it takes the longest, then let it simmer. Next, do the white sauce, and then while it’s thickening, boil the noodles. We thought it could’ve been used more of the cheese sauce, but that could be because we used the spiral noodles and they hold more sauce in. So, we suggest using either fewer noodles or those with a flatter surface area. Our pictures don’t do this dish justice! The smells and combination of all the flavors really made this dish unique. Bon appétit! (Or buon appetito!)

Two Sauce Weeknight Lasagna Bowls

Ingredients

Salt

1 pound Campanelle pasta (A flat pasta is better)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 pound pan

cetta, a couple of thick slices, chopped (Harmons Meat Counter)

3/4 pound ground beef pork and veal mix or ground beef

1/2 large carrot, peeled and grated or finely chopped

1 small to medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, 2 chopped or grated, 1 peeled

1/2 teaspoon allspice, a couple of pinches

Freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons tomat

o paste

1/2 cup dry red wine (Red cooking wine works fine)

2 cups beef stock

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

Nutmeg, to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus some to pass at table

A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Directions

Heat large pot of water to a boil, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.

While pasta water comes to a boil, heat olive oil in a medium sauce

pot over medium-high heat, add pancetta and render 2 to 3 minutes then add meat and break up as it browns. When the meat has begun to caramelize and develops a nice brown color, 4 to 5 minutes, add carrot, onion, 2 cloves of garlic, allspice, salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more to soften onions and carrots bits then stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in wine and cook out 1 minute then stir in stock and reduce heat to simmer.

While red sauce cooks, cut remaining whole clove of garlic and rub the inside of a medium sauce pot with it. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together a minute or so then whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, reduce heat then season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, thicken 8 to 10 minutes.

Toss pasta with white sauce and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Serve pasta in individual bowls and top with a ladle of meat sauce in the middle of the bowl for mixing in. Garnish with parsley.

Carrot Cake

This is one of our family’s favorite cakes (especially because my dad doesn’t like chocolate). The only tricky part is the frosting; I never seem to get the measurements quite right and my mom has to fix it. She just does it “by taste” - a concept I hope to someday understand. Here are the directions:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2-teaspoons soda

2-teaspoons salt

3 cups carrots, grated, uncooked

1 ½ cup cooking oil (corn oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil)

2-teaspoons Cinnamon

4 large eggs

Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooking oil and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time mixing well. Add grated carrots.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (approx.)

Frosting

1 pound powdered sugar (approx.)

½ cup butter (I find this is too much and only do ¼)

3-8 oz. cream cheese (soften) (I do about 5 oz)

2-teaspoons vanilla

My mom adds more vanilla and a little milk. You can also add ground raisins or dates & nuts to the cake if desired.