Birthday Pie

Today's creation was Moriah's birthday pie for her fiancé.  Strawberry Rhubarb looks good, doesn't it?

It is worth noting that she only made one, and we didn't get any of it. :o(  That is not what her momma taught her. I always make enough for an army!

Pie Week Cometh!

You read that right, Pie Week. It's a beautiful thing.

A number of years ago, Father's Day was approaching, and I had no money to speak of for a gift. My hubby wasn't demanding a gift or anything, but he's a great dad and I really wanted to do something to mark the occasion. Well, my man loves pie. An idea was born! And so we had our first annual Pie Week. Every day for one week, he got a different pie. He loved it, the kids loved it. Their friends loved it!

When we started Pie Week, I was a stay-at-home mom. It was not a tremendously big deal to make a pie every day (even though I HATE making pie crust!) One year, I even made two every day. One sweet, one savory. But then the job came along, and my kids started branching out and doing silly things like getting jobs and going to college. Having social lives. Suddenly, it got complicated to make a pie every day! I switched over to pre-made pie crusts, and that helped. Then hubby asked if we could pretty please space out the pies so he didn't go into a sugar-induced coma. Yep, I can make that happen too! So Pie Week has morphed a little bit over the years, but essentially it's still the same: 7 Pies in honor of Father's Day.

I'd love to tell you what is on the agenda for this year, but the Father In Question stalks my blog. I've got some surprises up my sleeve that I don't want him to know about yet! Suffice it to say, you're going to see a lot of pies in the coming weeks. I'm even going to attempt my own crusts again.

There will even be some bonus items, because my soon-to-be son-in-law has a birthday today! Of course, it might be another week before we can all get together to celebrate his birthday, but we shall do it in style when the time comes.

Welcome to the celebration zone!

Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee

Ahhh, it's that time of year again. That's what I keep telling myself. Despite the high of 65 degrees today, and the black storm clouds that look suspiciously like snow clouds. But the calendar says it's June 4th, and so I am moving forward with my favorite summer treat. Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee concentrate. 

This stuff is soooo good. Moriah and I are big fans of coffee in general, but especially iced coffee in the summer. With this recipe, all of the guess work is taken out of the coffee/ice ratio, and finally, I can have what I can't seem to get in any restaurant. Decaf iced coffee! Is that too much to ask? I love the coffee, but my heart does not love the caffeine. So I can have my decaf, Mo can have her flavored coffee, our wallets can keep their cash, everyone is happy.

You'll notice over there on the right that I have Pioneer Woman's site linked. I first came across Ree when someone told me about her blogging her story of meeting her husband and making the transition from city girl to ranch girl. I'm a sucker for a good love story, so I checked back every week to get the next installment, and while I was waiting, started exploring other parts of her blog. 

I have to say, as much as I love food and cooking, what really draws me is the personality of the writer. I can get a recipe anywhere, but I love to come across a writer that is just real, you know? I try to be myself in my writing, and hope that it's enough for whoever is reading. I've had my fill of trying to be all things to all people. It doesn't work and stresses you out. When I read Ree's writing, she just seemed genuine. All that to say, I came to her food as a secondary thing. 

Boy, am I glad I found her food! I have been incredibly pleased with all of her recipes that I've tried. One of them even made the cut for my daughter's wedding. ;o)  

Also, for someone who is trying to learn how to cook, Ree's format of photography is terrific! I love that after each step, she shows what it should look like at that point. Great idea for Kids in the Kitchen.

You'll be seeing more here from her in the future, but I'm trying to pace myself, lest I look like a stalker. 

I'm going to link Ree's recipe for Iced Coffee, because it's perfect. The only thing I changed a bit was the gear I used, which is pictured below.

Leni's Notes:
~ I went and bought a brand new dish pan that we only use for coffee.
~ When I first made this, there wasn't a single piece of cheesecloth to be found in four counties. So I bought some new kitchen wash cloths, and we use those for straining the grounds. They get packed up with the dish pan, so they are never used on anything else.
~ We found a nice container that fits in our fridge, Walmart had a ton to choose from.
~ Something you don't hear me say often...don't change anything! Follow her directions exactly!

Click here for Pioneer Woman's Perfect Iced Coffee ingredients and instructions. I'm listing the ingredients here just in case disaster strikes and the recipe disappears!  But if you don't go to her site, you'll miss out on her beautiful presentation.

Ingredients
1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
8 quarts Cold Water

For Serving:
Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!

(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)

In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.

Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

The Kids are Cooking Again

Tonight is the night I work late, and it seems my family is really catching on to the idea that if they want to eat, they'd better cook something! ;o)

Oldest daughter and her fiancé are making pizza tonight. I hear rumor that there may be a Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pizza in the works.

So, when your kids cook, what are their go-to recipes? Leave a comment, and tell us what you've been surprised with.

Salisbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes

If you follow my Facebook at all, you'll know that I spent last night sitting up until the wee hours talking with my best girlfriend. We were so engrossed in our conversation, we had no idea that it was 3 am! All that to say, I've been off kilter all day, which is why I'm posting my regular Monday recipe at 11 pm!

I had decided on a crock pot meal today so we would be free to spend Memorial Day doing whatever we felt like doing, (which ended up including a nap!) This is one of my meals that I never measure, so I am attempting to write it down for you. On very little sleep. Check back for edits in the coming days... ;o)

I urge you to remove from your thought process everything you might know about Salisbury Steak. No cream of mushroom soup. No cream of chicken (what?!) or canned mushrooms. And for heaven's sake, don't cook it in a microwave! This meal is simple and easy without taking nasty shortcuts.

Leni's Notes:

~I made these with sirloin patties this time, which were very lacking in flavor despite my best efforts. They just didn't take on the great flavor of the gravy. Next time I will make a meat-loaf type mixture for the patties.
~Planning to use the leftover gravy with homemade meatballs.
~Serve with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. But if you really love your family, you'll make the mashed potatoes. Real ones. With lumps.

Ingredients:

Roux:
1/2 C butter
1 C flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 quart beef broth (Rachael Ray was the choice today)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Everything else:
Burger patties (straight burger, meat loaf mixture or meatballs, whatever floats your boat)
flour for dredging patties
olive oil for browning patties
8-16 oz  sliced fresh mushrooms, depending on how many you like
1/4 C dry onion

Instructions:
To make your roux, melt the butter, and slowly add in the flour, whisking as you go.
Let this cook, while sirring, for about a minute, and then start to drizzle in the broth, continuing to whisk so it remains smooth.
Add in spices and Worcestershire sauce.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick. When mixture is bubbly and thick, remove from heat and set aside.

In my trusty cast iron pan, I heated some olive oil and then browned the patties that I had dredged in flour. As the patties finish, stack them in your greased crock pot. Kind of criss-cross them, leaving some space for the sauce to flow between.

When they are all done, pour just a bit of water in the pan to deglaze it, and pour all of that into the crock also. Top with the mushrooms and onions, and cover all with the roux.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 4.

Since you've come this far, go ahead and make the mashed potatoes! Your family will cheer. Or at least mine did. ;o)


~

Apple Drop Doughnuts

Reposting this because in my clumsiness, I deleted it this morning while attempting to delete something else. Oy!

Our family has an exciting time coming up, as my oldest daughter is getting married in September. In preparation for that event, we have a need to empty as much as possible from our chest freezer. Problem is, that freezer is full of the applesauce we made last season! So, in order to do my part, I am going to make an old favorite that we haven't had in ages.

Apple Drop Doughnuts are ridiculously easy to make, and so very good. I don't often fry things, but these are worth it. They will make your family smile. They will make you smile. I'm smiling just thinking about it.

Leni's Notes:
~In theory, these should work with any pureed fruit. I used to use jars of baby food pears, and they turned out great.
~As with most fried foods, these are best eaten the day they are made, but I never heard any complaints from my kids when they were eating leftovers.
~Save a step and skip rolling them in sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup or glaze for dipping.

3 T. softened butter
3/4 cup raw sugar (adjust if you use a sweeter fruit)
3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 cup milk
Oil for frying
sugar to roll in after frying

Combine wet ingredients except milk. Sift dry ingredients, mix into wet alternately with milk. Batter should be thick.

Heat oil to 375. Drop by teaspoonfuls carefully into oil. Fry about 1 minute on each side. Drain and roll in sugar while warm. Makes about 5 dozen.

What to do When the Cook Doesn't Want to Cook?

And then there are days when you wake up in a bad mood, and the day continues to do go downhill from there. You ever have those days? I woke up in a bad mood today. There was no reason for it, but there it was. Fibro has sapped my energy for the last three days, and I just am not in a mood to be around people. Please don't touch me, or try to have conversation with me, I might bite! 

On these days, I tend to be very clumsy, and working in the kitchen is just a bad idea that might result in a trip to the ER for cuts or burns...

On days like these, I am so thankful for back up plans! 

I try to keep the makings for 'fast food at home' in the freezer and pantry. Tonight ended up being Chicken Parmesan. 

I pulled out some Tyson Chicken Breast Fillets. Popped those in the oven while I cooked up some whole wheat spaghetti (and promptly burned myself!) When the chicken was done, I topped it with some Classico Marinara and shredded mozzerella, and popped it back in the oven for a couple minutes.

I then was a gracious host to my family and yelled, "FOOD!" Everyone served themselves and I reveled in the fact that they were fed and I was guilt free. Now I am collapsing and hoping there's something good to watch on TV because I am beat. 

3 Packet Pot Roast

Today's recipe is one for the days when you need a good meal and have zero time to cook.

I originally found this recipe on A Year of Slow Cooking. I was told afterward that it's been around forever, but I had never seen it! 

This produces a pot roast that is tender and flavorful with little work on your part. I served this to guests and they were astonished that their 3 year old was eating it, because she never eats meat. She was even stealing bites off of mom and dad's plates. ;o) Not that's an endorsement!

Leni's Notes:
~As you'll notice in the picture, I used Simply Organic Ranch mix. I like to get things as clean and chemical-free as possible. I've made it many times with the Hidden Valley Ranch, also.

~Instead of spending money on individual packets of McCormick Grill Mates, I bought the seasoning by the bottle, and used a capful on the roast (probably about a Tablespoon, give or take.)

~We like to thicken the juices with corn starch and serve this with whole wheat cous cous or crock pot baked potatoes. Makes a nice meal for inviting company over after church.

~My husband suggested using this mixture on a pork shoulder roast and it was a big hit!

~PLEASE do not skip the last step of adding extra water, or your roast will be seriously over-seasoned. If you add it ahead of time, it won't hurt the taste, but it will stew the meat, rather than roast it. Totally different texture.

Ingredients:
1 packet of Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
1 packet of Italian salad dressing mix
1 packet McCormick Grill Montreal Steak Seasoning (or whichever flavor you prefer)
3 C water

Directions:
Place roast (about 3 lbs, but we have used much larger) in crock pot.
Mix seasonings in a small bowl, then sprinkle entire amount over the roast, turning to get it evenly covered.
Pour in 1 cup of water
Cook : Low for 8 hours, or High for 4-5. (Low is better.)
Half and hour before serving, pour in 2 more cups of water and set on high.

Serve with noodles, rice or potatoes, and veggie of choice.

Who Taught These Kids Kitchen Skills?

Sometimes, teaching your kids to work in the kitchen really works against you.

Hubby was out of town, and I was working late. So I gave the kids two easy options for dinner, told them the ingredients were in the freezer, and I'd eat when I got home.

When I got home, they had decided to make tuna sandwiches with chunks of raw celery. That was not on my list. Mostly because I hate tuna. And raw celery.

I feel so loved. ;o)

Not Your Momma's Stew

This stew has morphed so many times over the years! This is the version we made last week, and it got a big thumbs-up and "I need another bowl of stew" reactions. Sometimes the best indicator of success is how much is leftover! 

This is a hearty, spicy meal, and sometimes more spicy than you intended. The recipe calls for Chili Powder. Well, my sweet husband, always on the lookout for interesting new ingredients to have me play with, brought me chili powder from an Indian market. Let me tell you, it was NOT the same thing! It was pure ground chili peppers, and I didn't notice til later that they were marked "extra hot." Of course, I would use this powder when we were having guests. Thankfully, Uncle Dave loves a good spicy dish. But his poor daughter in law was nursing a baby, and I could not feed her that! And this is why we keep chicken strips in the freezer... Good thing hospitality is not all about food, huh? 

Leni's Tips: 

~If you use plain old store-bought chili powder, this will have a mild warmth to it. If you use extra hot Indian chili powder, use about 1/4 teaspoon! 

~If you don't like chunks of meat, cook this without the veggies, then put your blender right in the soup, and the meat will shred. Then add your veggies and let those cook.

~This is wonderful with a nice crusty bread or over rice.

~Also great with some beans thrown in. Great Northerns or Garbanzos would be my choice.

~This recipe filled an 8 Quart crock.

Ingredients:
4 1/2 pounds stew beef
6 large potatoes, washed and cubed
3 large carrots, coined
2 large stalks celery, chopped
1/4 C dry onion
48 ounces beef broth (I prefer Rachael Ray Beef Stock) 
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 Tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons dried oregano
1 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garnish:
Sour Cream
Lime wedges or lime juice

Dump everything but the garnish into the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Serve with a squeeze of lime and a dollop of sour cream.

Cous Cous Davis Style

 

Cous Cous is a ridiculously easy dish to make, and so versatile. If you have any type of broth or gravy with your main dish, you can just make cous cous plain, and serve it along side. However, if you want a wonderful dish that stands on it's own, might I suggest you make it Davis style?

We are blessed to have a great Mennonite shop in a nearby town where we can get bulk ingredients, and some healthier options like whole wheat cous cous. Admittedly, the whoopie pies we stock up on while there no doubt cancel out the whole wheat benefit, but what are you going to do?

Here's a shot at what you need to gather up.

Leni's Notes:

The proportions for this recipe feed my family of 6, with leftovers for 2 or 3 lunches.

In pan, place:
2 1/2  C water
2 T butter
2 T dry chopped onion
1 T dry parsley
2 tsp. better than bouillon
1 tsp. minced garlic

In bowl, place:
2 C plain cous cous
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

Put it all together:
Bring the ingredients in the pan to a boil.
Add the dry mixture, stir, cover and remove from heat.
Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.
Add salt as needed.

Crock Pot Pork Stroganoff

You're in for a treat today. A family favorite that is simple yet hearty. Great for a Tuesday night family dinner or a Saturday night dinner party. But either way, you throw it in the crock pot in the morning and forget about it. Half an hour before dinner, add in the last ingredients and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. So satisfying to hear the oohs and ahhs when I make it. ;o)

Spreading the love one plate at a time,
Leni

Leni's Notes:
~Goes well with egg noodles, mashed potatoes or cous cous.
~A nice green salad adds some nice color to the table.
~This full recipe will feed our family of six for two solid dinners and a couple of lunches.
~We use pork tenderloin because it is convenient for us. Use whatever cut you have available, and trim it well.
~To use ground beef or stew meat, swap out the chicken broth for beef broth.

For a 6 qt crockpot

4 lbs pork loin, cubed
1 lb. mushrooms, diced or sliced
1/2 C diced onions
4 C water
4 tsp Better than Bouillon
1/2 C corn starch
3 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 T prepared mustard
2 C sour cream
2 T parsley

Place meat, mushrooms and onions in greased crockpot.
Mix all other ingredients except sour cream and parsely, pour over meat.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 8 hours.
If mixture is thin, add more cornstarch, or thicken with instant potatoes.

Just before serving, add in sour cream and parsley.

Let Your Kids Make a Mess in the Kitchen

A word to families with younger kids. If you're anything like me, you'd really rather they NOT make a mess in your kitchen. I will admit that cooking with the my kids stressed me out in ways I didn't know were possible. I knew it was a good thing to do, and I knew it was the homeschool mom thing to do. But I still hated it. So I compromised a little bit.

When my children were wee, I focused on kitchen safety. I taught them how to properly mix, measure, cut and handle the stove and oven. I taught them how to follow a recipe (and subsequently ignore it completely!) And then I left the kitchen. Turns out, what was stressing me was watching the process and fighting the urge to take over.

When it was time for them to play in the kitchen I would step out and let them go to it. I was always nearby for questions and to step in if there was any kind of emergency. Pretty much, I was a security blanket. As you would expect, they regularly destroyed my kitchen. And then they learned how to clean it up. They made some fantastic disasters along the way. They made amazing discoveries. They learned how to cook!

When my oldest got old enough to babysit, they would always make something adventurous while we were gone. The girls still do this with the kids they now babysit. Sometime I must get and share the recipe for Sugar Delight. Helpful menu item if you were hoping to go into a diabetic coma.

Fast forward to the current day. My kids are now 19, 17 and 15. My oldest is going to college and preparing to get married, my middle is graduated and trying to find work so he can afford to go to college. My youngest is working, working, working and seeing what amazing thing she'll tackle next. (Have to throw my daughter's fiancé in the mix, because while I didn't raise him, he's family and cooks just as much as everyone else around here does.;o)

In addition to continuing to homeschool our youngest, I work part time at the library and battle daily health issues. Sometimes life is great, and I can do it all. Sometimes not, but still everyone needs to eat! As I was hobbling through the grocery store this weekend, I knew that I probably had another difficult week ahead of me, pain wise. So I shopped with that in mind, and basically just stocked the kitchen with enough meat, veggies and fruits and work with and hoped for the best.

When I got home from a late doctor's appointment last night, I was hurting, but what a sight to come home to. Everyone had gotten home from work/school and gotten started on dinner. They were on the porch grilling, and it smelled wonderful. They had raided the kitchen and come up with fresh grilled burgers served with whole wheat bread, fresh grilled pineapple, sautéed mushrooms and onions, some romaine and for the brave, guacamole. Wonderful meal!!

It really pays to have kids that aren't afraid of the kitchen, and who don't see food as magically appearing on the table.

Whatever your 'Kid in the Kitchen' time looks like, make it happen. It will benefit everyone, and with any luck they won't move out and eat nothing but microwaved frozen dinners.

Moriah Cooks Too!

I had a monster fibro flare this weekend (still on-going, thank-you-very-much) so I did no cooking whatsoever. Thankfully, my oldest daughter was feeling just fine, and was in the mood to bake. The beauty of this is that her specialty is cheesecakes. It's a rough life, isn't it? ;o)

I call myself her consultant, just so I can take credit for some of this wonderfulness. But really, the ideas are all hers, and certainly the work is all hers. I'm more like the 'swap out' queen. "If I wanted more of this texture instead of that, should I use ingredient A or B?" Usually she already knows, and is just looking to confirm.

Much to the delight of her fiancé, this time around she decided to create a banana cheesecake. It turned out wonderfully! I don't know why recipes always call for banana extract or artificial banana flavor. This was real food all the way and the flavor of the bananas came through beautifully.

She hasn't shared the recipe with me yet. Maybe if we plead?

Here is a cell-phone shot of the finished product. The strawberry eyes were a nice touch.

Meatball Evolution Meatloaf

It's been a hectic week. My youngest daughter has been keeping the kitchen moving and making sure we don't all starve to death while we get through the end-of-semester crazies. This week she tackled a favorite of ours that she'd never made before. It was such a hit, we had her make it again two days later.

Before I found this recipe, meatloaf was one of those things that everyone loved, but the leftovers ended up getting thrown out. Nothing gets thrown out now, and my kids are very put out if they happen to miss out on dinner that night. There are no pictures today...they ate it all! I found one pan of leftovers! As you can see, our wee Irish hearts love potatoes, too.

I picked up this cookbook because the title promised so many good things. Dollars to Donuts: Comfort Food & Kitchen Wisdom from Froute 66's Landmark Rock Cafe. How do you pass that up? Then I started reading it, and it spoke to my heart. Cook once, make two or three different meals. Good meals. Cheap and irresistible. A working mom's dream. IF the recipes were good.

I tried a couple, and they turned out well. But the meatballs...they went beyond good. I had to chase my family out of the kitchen when I cooked them! I had a link for the meatballs, but the link seems to be dead. It also doesn't give the instructions for the meatloaf, so I'm going to post that here. Best meatloaf. Best ever. Trust me.

Leni's Notes:
~Something I don't think I've ever posted before. Don't change anything. I tweak everything to our liking. This recipe is perfect exactly the way it is.
~These meatballs freeze really well, and are great for stocking up the freezer.
~Double the glaze recipe for dipping.

Meatball Evolution
from Dollars to Donuts, pg 24

1 C dry bread crumbs
1 C milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 C parmesan
1 lg onion, chopped
1/4 C parsley
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 T olive oil for frying

Meatballs

Make the meat mixture. Place the bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, stir together, and set aside. Whisk the eggs and 1 cup of the Parmesan together in a large bowl. Stir in the onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper and then add the beef and the breadcrumb mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until the mixture is well combined. Use your hands to roll golf ball–size pieces into smooth balls.

Cook the meatballs. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough meatballs to fill the pan without overcrowding and cook, covered, until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel–lined plate, sprinkle with some of the remaining Parmesan, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Stir the meatballs into sauce or serve as is, sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan.

(These also bake well...wing it, bake until they are done. ;o)

Meatloaf
1/2 of meat recipe from meatball evolution
(Recipe calls for 6 fresh sage leaves which I didn't have so I left out.)
3 Bacon slices

Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
1T honey
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place the meatloaf mixture in a bread pan or on a broiler pan, poke down through with a wooden spoon handle to help it cook evenly. If you're using bacon, place it on top.

Bake at 350 for about 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven, and slather with glaze. Bake 10-15 more minutes.

Baken Chicken Parm Casserole

My friend Kim pinned a recipe on Pinterest that has made my family so happy! Chicken Parm Casserole was originated with Chef John from Food Wishes. I haven't read much of his blog yet. Just browsing the pictures, my mouth is watering.

Chef John does video recipes. They are great for seeing how he puts them together, but I'm going to sum up here. Please do go over and watch his videos!

Back to the Chicken Parm. I was skeptical for a couple of reasons. First of all, I'm supposed to believe you can get good chicken parmesan without frying? Second of all, because I am not a fan of meat cooked in tomatoes or tomato sauce, especially not chicken. I don't mind sauce being added afterward, but shy away from cooking in sauce. This recipe got such rave reviews, I decided to give it a try. My husband loves chicken parmesan, so it was worth the risk if it might give me an easy way to make this dish for him. Suffice it to say, I make double the amount now, because the first time everyone came back for seconds and were disappointed when it was gone. No leftovers for lunch!

Leni's Notes:
~The original recipe said this was done in 35 minutes. Probably because I do a large pan of it, it needed closer to an hour. Adjust accordingly.
~I pound my chicken just enough to even it out. Just pop it in a plastic storage bag, and use the flat side of a tenderizer to flatten it out a bit.
~If the topping starts to get too browned, slip a piece of foil loosely over the top for the last 15 minutes or so


Ingredients: 
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded and cut in half to make easier to serve pieces 
3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 Tablespoon of Italian herbs (oregano for us) 
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
about 10oz croutons, more as needed to cover the caserole

Preheat oven to 350.
Place olive oil and garlic in the bottom of the pan.
Place chicken on top of oil, evenly spread to fill the pan.
Top with marinara, basil, half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Evenly coat with croutons, then finish with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 35-60 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken. This is one of those times when I highly recommend a meat thermometer.

We like to serve this with a side of whole wheat spaghetti and marinara.

Enjoy! Love to hear your reviews!

Brine is My Friend - And Yours Too!

Let's talk a little bit about brining meat, shall we?

Back in 2006, I posted quite a bit about brining turkeys, but have since found a much easier way to do so. Dry brining has to be the the most brilliant thing to ever happen to a piece of meat or poultry. Makes for a moist, tender final product.

So on my meat recipes, I will always note if I have brined the meat, because it impacts how much salt you'll want to add to the rest of the recipe.

Wet Brine 
There are two ways to do a wet brine.
Slow Brine: Dissolve a lesser amount of salt in water, good if you have a longer time to let it sit.
Quick Brine: Higher amount of salt in the water, especially good for if you need the meat quickly.


Either way, when you're ready to cook, you need to rinse the brine off before cooking the meat.

Dry Brine
Place meat in bag, add salt, leave it alone until you're ready to cook.

Much easier, and much less messy.


You do NOT need to rinse the salt off of this meat before cooking.


Essentially, you are putting the salt on the meat and allowing it to draw the moisture out, then allowing the meat to reabsorb the moisture. Ideally, this is a three day process. Remember, salt helps preserve the meat, so you don't need to be concerned about raw meat in the fridge for three days.

For a turkey, roaster bags work wonderfully for the brining process (though you don't need the bag for roasting!) You can start the process when the turkey is still frozen, but it tends to take longer than three days, so plan accordingly.

When we bring a package of meat home, we divide it up into large tip-top plastic bags, and sprinkle it with kosher sea salt. When you're doing a turkey, it's a tablespoon of salt per five pounds of meat. When I'm working with smaller amounts, I kind of eye-ball it. A teaspoon or two of salt per bag. If we're eating it in the next 24 hours, I leave it in the fridge. If not, I throw it in the freezer as is, and it will brine as it thaws.

Brined meat tends to cook faster, so you'll want to check it a little sooner, and possibly lower your cooking temp.

Leni's Most Awesome Yogurt Pancakes Ever

These produce a soft, eggy pancake, they were just wonderful. Last night, my oldest and her fiancé doubled this amount for 6 of us, and we had enough left over for some lunch today. They go quickly!

Mix everything up, cook on hot griddle. They stay soft, so it will look like they aren't ready to flip, but trust the bubbles!

Leni's Notes:

~If you have cast iron, use it! Nice, even heat.

~Did I say trust the bubbles? Trust the bubbles!

~These stay nice and pliable, so they would be great to use for rolling up with a cream cheese or fruit filling.

Leni's Most Awesome Yogurt Pancakes Ever

1/2 Cup flour

1/2 Cup whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons raw sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Cups yogurt (we used peach)

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 Tablespoons milk

Serve with chopped fresh strawberries, or your favorite fruit.

Photography

These aren't food pics, but since my daughter does all of my photography for me, I thought I'd share some of the shots she got today. Our Crab Apple tree is in full bloom, and we might possibly get a couple feet of snow, so she captured the blooms before they were blown away.

Anti-Philosophy

I plan to get more into my philosophy of cooking a little later this Spring, but if you've known me for 5 minutes, you know that I believe in real food. Wholesome, natural food that sacrifices none of the yum factor. Some day I'll get into Food as Medicine, because that is a favorite topic. But not today. Today is sunny and warm and I have much too much to do to get started on those topics today.

Today, my topic is anti-philosophy. Sometimes you just have to throw philosophy out the window and enjoy a greasy pizza from your favorite joint, you know? I truly believe that as long as you don't live on junk food, a little isn't going to kill you.

And so today, I bring you Pistachio Salad. I think every family has some version of this dish, but I've never seen our family's exact recipe listed, so I thought I'd share. Even though it is loaded with not-so-good-for-you ingredients. But there are a couple of good ones in there!

The real controversy with this dish is categorizing it. Is it a salad? A dessert? More importantly, why is Jello EVER considered a salad? This is a question that rages every time we have a fellowship dinner at church. I always vote dessert. I always lose. ;o) But I submit to the wishes of my cohorts on the Social Committee. There's a lot of combined wisdom there, and these ladies know how to cook! If they say it's a salad, it's a salad.

This is a go-to for summer picnics and buffet tables. It's also very helpful when Grandma is in the nursing home and refuses to eat anything, but thinks she's getting away with something by demanding to only eat Pistachio Salad. Fooled her, it's loaded with protein! ;o)

Today I will go buy the ingredients, and enjoy some this weekend in fond memory of my Grandma. Many thanks to my mom for actually having measurements for this one. And here's a nod to what I affectionately refer to as the Jello Generation. They sure knew how to combine box mixes to come up with something yummy.

Leni's Notes:

~For some not-so-yummy treats from the Jello Generation, you have got to pick up The Gallery of Regrettable Food. You will laugh until your stomach hurts. But then you can eat some jello to make it feel better.

~I don't think I have ever in my life made a single batch of this stuff. Great for a large group, everyone loves it, and it's pretty!

Pistachio Salad

1 (24 oz.) cottage cheese
1 (9 oz.) whipped topping
1 (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (2 1/2 oz.) pkg. pistachio instant pudding

Dump it in a bowl. Mix it up. Cover and refrigerate.

Best eaten by snatching a spoonful as you pass the refrigerator.

Accidental Chicken Soup

Some of the best recipes are a product of total accidents. This recipe is one of those. I started out the day throwing a bunch of ingredients in the crock pot so we'd have something to eat for dinner. That evening when I got home from work, I was trying to decide if I should make chicken soup or chicken pot pie. I decided on soup, and added the noodles, and then without thinking about it, went right over to the stove and started making the roux for pot pie!

When my brain caught up and I realized what I had done, I decided to throw it all together and make a creamy chicken noodle soup. I hate wasted effort almost as much as I hate wasted ingredients. The results were wonderful, and per my future son-in-law's request, I wrote everything down so I could make it exactly the same way the next time. ;o)

Leni's Notes:

~I like to use real ingredients that are as unprocessed as possible. That said, I don't like to reinvent the wheel, so wherever I can take short cuts without sacrificing quality, I do. These might be dried veggies or herbs, frozen chopped produce or pre-made (without nasties added) base ingredients. Wherever I use a specific brand, it's noted.

~If you leave the noodles out and lessen the broth, this would make wonderful pot pie filling.

~To make ahead for the freezer, I recommend leaving the potato out and adding it when you are warming it to serve. Potatoes tend to get mushy and grainy when frozen if they don't have special preparation.

Accidental Chicken Soup

3 chicken breasts, can be added still frozen (I prefer brining mine first)
1 lb frozen peas
2 cups sliced carrots
1 large potato, diced into small cubes
1/4 C dry onions
1 clove minced garlic (from a jar)
salt and pepper to taste (if you brine your chicken, reduce salt)
2 quarts chicken broth (Better than Bouillon or Rachael Ray stock)
1 package of whole wheat egg noodles
Roux (recipe below)

Place everything but egg noodles and roux into crock.

Cook on low for 6 hours, high for 3-4 hours.

Remove chicken, set aside. Chop when cool enough to handle.
Remove 2 cups of the broth and set aside for roux.
Add 1 package of whole wheat egg noodles to the crock, stir to cover with broth and replace cover.

Roux
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Flour
1/4 - 1/2 C half and half
1 Tbsp bouillon concentrate (Better than Bouillon is my favorite)
2 C reserved broth from crock

Melt butter and bouillon, slowly incorporate flour until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly for about one minute.
While whisking, drizzle in half and half. Continue whisking while slowly adding broth. Continue to whisk til smooth, then remove from heat.
Add roux and chopped chicken back into the crock. Noodles should be tender by this point. Mix thoroughly.

Serve with biscuits.

Creamy Garlic Pasta

This recipe created quite an overwhelming response when I posted it on Pinterest. I'm talking 1,387 re-pins as of this posting. That's crazy! Creamy Garlic Pasta is a simple recipe, and my family loved it. Please take time to visit The Cheese Pusher for the original recipe, and let her know you love it.

Leni's Notes:

~ I've made it a number of times, and advise you to spend just a smidge more and buy shredded parmesan, not dry grated parmesan. We experimented with the dry, and it produced a very salty, heavy taste.

~We used whole wheat pasta, turned out wonderfully.

~I didn't have any cream, used Half & Half.

Creamy Garlic Pasta
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil.

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

Back to Basics

In thinking about what I enjoy putting out there in the blogosphere, I realized that food is it. I like gathering and testing recipes, talking about food, planning events, sharing my own recipes. So that's where I have decided to concentrate my efforts.

So much of the internet is full of people who finally got a platform, but really don't have much to say, and I don't really want to add to the din, you know? I've recently found a ton of terrific recipes via Pinterest, so as they are tested, I'll post here about them and link back to their original authors.

Here's a place to pull up a cozy chair, see what looks good (or maybe what went horribly wrong...) and decide what's going to get served up.

Better than Manwich Sloppy Joes

A new family favorite, given to me by Kim in TX

I threw it all in a crock pot, and it was ready when we were!

1# lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 C. water
3/4 C. BBQ sauce (your favorite)
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 chopped green pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients in saucepan and simmer until think, about 1 hour. Spoon onto buns.

Note: Our family doesn't care for the green pepper flavor, so I omit it, however, many do like it, so include it if you want!

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday

Really have to get back over here to post! I've been putting all the recipes I want to save in a gmail account, so I don't post here much.

Scalloped Pineapple

Scalloped Pineapple

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs beaten
1 can crushed pineapple, with juice
5 slices of cubed white bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugar; add eggs, mix well.
Fold in pineapple and bread cubes.
Bake in a greased baking pan until golden brown, about one hour.
Serve warm or chilled.

Double for a 13 x 9 pan.

Mediterranean Meatballs (LC, FG1+2)

These are really good, and freeze well.

1 1/4 lbs. gr. beef
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
10 oz. pkg chopped Spinach, thawed and dry
1 C. cooked brown rice
3/4 C. chopped onion

2 Cups Marinara (Leave out if you are Stage 1 Feingold)

Mix all ingredients + 2 T. of the Marinara in bowl.

Shape into 60 1-inch balls, place in greased pan. Bake 25 min.

Top with sauce in crock pot for appetizers.

Each meatball is 2.2 protein and 1.2 carbs.

Zucchini Pie

This recipe uses those zucchinis that get missed in the garden until they're too big to use for much else. Makes filling for a 9" 2 crust pie.

8 cups of peeled and sliced zucchini (slice as you would apples, removing all seeds)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cube butter
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (I use Minute Maid frozen juice)

Mix all together and cook on stovetop for 30 minutes. Bake using your favorite 2 crust pie crust recipe at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes until crust is nice and brown.

I make the filling ahead of time as the zucchinis become available and freeze it. Just thaw when you get a hankering for "apple" pie.

Oatmeal Cream Pies (Like Little Debbie's Cookies)

COOKIES
1 cup margarine
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups oats

CREAM FILLING

2 tsp very hot water
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups marshmallow cream (one 7oz jar) (We use Ricemellow)
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

The secret to cloning these mouth-watering sandwich cookies is recreating the soft, chewy consistency of the oatmeal cookies. To duplicate the texture, the cookies are slightly underbaked. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix in the oats. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookes are just starting to darken around the edges. They will still appear moist in the center. Be careful not to overcook - when cooled, the cookies should be soft and chewy.

While the cookies bake, prepare the filling. Use a small bowl to dissolve the salt in very hot water. Set this solution aside to cool.

Combine the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix well with electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add the cooled salt solution to the filling mixture and combine with the mixer.

Assemble each cream pie by spreading the filling over one side of a cookie (the flat side) and press another cookie on top, making a sandwich.

Makes 2 dozen.

Onion Cheese Frittata (LC, FG1)

Onion Cheese Frittata

2 Tbsp. oil
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
6 eggs
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Set oven to 350. In cast iron pan, saute onion in oil, mix all other ingredients together, and pour over onion, bake for 30 min.

Simply the Best Turkey Ever

This really is the best I've ever made, and honestly, the best I've ever HAD.

Start with a natural turkey, no nastiness injected into it.

Soak it in a brine of 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar per gallon of water. Soak for at least 12 hours, I did mine for about three days.

Drain off, let sit, uncovered, in fridge for at least one day so the skin dries out.

Place on rack in pan, sprinkle with pepper and sage. Tent with foil.

Roast at 325 for as many hours as recommended in any cooking guide. (Our ten pounder took about 3 1/2 hours.) Should register between 180-185 degrees.

Let set for at least 1/2 an hour before carving.

The moistest, most wonderful tasting bird you'll ever have. I promise.

Baked French Toast

For Debbie B...

1 large loaf of bread (the drier, the better)
12 eggs
2 cups of milk, give or take
Sugar (to taste, 1/2 cup is a good place to start) or pancake syrup
1/2 brick of cream cheese
vanilla or maple flavoring
blueberries or other fruit, optional


Chunk the bread and place half in 13x9 pan. Chunk the cream cheese into small squares, layer over bread, put your layer of fruit, if using, and top with the rest of the bread chunks.

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, sweetener, flavoring. Mix well, pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Pull out 1/2 and hour before baking, uncover and bake for about one hour at 350, test for doneness. (If you forget to pull it out early, extend the baking time a bit.)

You can top with fruit, syrup, powdered sugar, whatever you like.

I also add coconut sometimes. It's very versatile.

Rugelach

Continuing in my Jewish theme....My dear pal PamLa shared this recipe with me, since my search was failing. The ones I have had are Cinnamon, and they were wonderful!! They hold a special place in my heart, as I bought these and took them to my dad when he was dying. We had removed all treatment, except pain control, and my diabetic dad had the BEST time, having all those treats with no one yelling at him! ;o) He thought these were wonderful, and they will forever more remind me of dad.

So here you go....

http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/classrug.htmSource

The Jewish Holiday Baker, by Joan Nathan, Random House, 1997
Yield: 64 servings

THE DOUGH:
8 ounces cream cheese - at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter - at room temperature
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar

APRICOT FILLING:
1 cup thick apricot preserves3/4 cup walnuts - roughly chopped

CHOCOLATE FILLING:
1 cup shaved bittersweet chocolate - preferable imported1/4 cup sugar

CINNAMON-SUGAR FILLING:
1/4 cup unsalted butter - melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

The dough:
1. Place the cream cheese and the butter in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Cream at a low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until a very soft dough is formed, about 2 more minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Filling and baking the rugelach:
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment.
3. Mix the ingredients for the apricot or chocolate filling and divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll the balls out into 4 circles about 1/8 inch thick and 9 inches in diameter. Spread the apricot or chocolate filling over the dough. If using the cinnamon-sugar filling, brush the melted butter on first, then the combined cinnamon and sugar.
4. Using a dull knife, cut each circle of dough into 16 pie-shaped pieces about 2 inches wide at the circumference. Roll up from the wide side to the center. Place the rugelach on the parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake in the oven on the middle and lower racks, switching after 12 minutes, also switching back to front. Continue baking about 13 more minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rugelach to racks to cool. Sprinkle the apricot and chocolate rugelach with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Note: Probably the most popular of American Jewish cookies, this horn-shaped treat was made in Europe with butter; cream cheese was added in this country. I love Ann's version: it has no sugar in the dough but a sprinkling on top of the finished cookie. She also uses this dough to make hamantashen.

Jewish Apple Cake

My pastor's wife made this for a dinner we had with missionaries from Hananeel House, and it was WONDERFUL! Now, I love all things apple, so I'm not surprised *I* liked it, but EVERYONE loved it!!!

I'm making it for Easter dinner this year.

Cake Layer

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (1/2 oil, 1/2 applesauce for lower fat)
4 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice (going to use lemonade - dd is allergic to oranges)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apple Layer

4 large or 5 medium apples - peeled, cored and sliced (Or pears, for Feingold stage one)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 teaspoons brown sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan.
Combine the apples, ground cinnamon and the 6 teaspoons of brown sugar together and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 cups of the sugar. Stir in the vegetable oil, beaten eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well.

Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan.
Top with apple/cinnamon sugar mixture.
Pour the remaining batter over the top.
Bake for 70 to 90 minutes, checking after 50 minutes or so.

Let cool completely in pan.

Thin Pizza Crust

Thanks to Tiata!!! This is REALLY good!!

This makes enough dough for one 12 inch pizza.

.25 oz. active dry yeast (1.5 tsp)
1/4 tsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup 110 degree water (luke warm)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I had to add more!!)
1/2 tsp salt

Disolve yeast and sugar in water and allow to stand for 8 munites
In a seperate bowl combine flour and salt
Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with heavy spoon
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes
Working from the edges to the center press dough into 12 inch circle (I use a rolling pin)
Place on lightly greased pizza pan and strech edges to edge of pan
Spread dough with sauce, cheese and toppings.
Bake at 500 degree oven for 8-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Dessert Pizza

If you don't have time for pizza crust, this can be modified quite well for tortillas!

One recipe for pizza crust (look up to the Thin Crust Pizza post.)

Top with:
Cream Cheese
Brown Sugar
Unsweetened Coconut
Fresh Ground Nutmeg

Bake according to pizza directions.

Enjoy!

ChanceLee Chicken

Better known as Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken, we affectionately renamed it for a small guest in our home. While everyone else was begging for dessert, little ChanceLee, baby cheeks glowing, begged her mama to get the chicken back out of the fridge so she could have more. Who could resist a request like that?

Making this tonight for a family that's been sick.

Chicken pieces-enough to feed your family-legs, thighs etc.
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
2-3 Tbls. minced garlic
2 Tbls. soy sauce
1 tsp. pepper (regular black or cayenne)

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles. You can thicken the juices after cooking with a little cornstarch. If using cayenne pepper, it gives dish a szchewan flavor.

ONE NOTE: This is great done in the oven, but if you use the crock pot, you MUST give it the full amount of time, because it takes a LONG time, and no one wants undercooked chicken!

Enjoy!

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins from Feb/Mar 2006 Taste of Home

These are EXCELLENT, 5 thumbs up from my family.

Muffins:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1- 3/4 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 C sour cream

Glaze:
2 C. powdered sugar
3 Tbls. lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and extracts; beat well. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 for 18-20 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 min before removing from pan to a wire rack. combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Carmelized Rhubarb Sauce

3 cups chopped rhubarb
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

boil for about 5 min.

About 2 minutes through, walk away and forget about it. When the smoke detector goes off, run to the stove, and remove from heat. It will be a nice brown/black color, and there will be just the faintest hint of rhubarb smell left.

Cool, realize the fruit is scorched and throw it away. Then realize the pan is ruined with carmelized sugar. Throw it away also.

Serve the ice cream w/o fruit sauce.

It happens to the best of us.

Sweet Potato Latkes (FG)

Haven't tried these yet, but they look GREAT!

5 large eggs, beaten
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated (about 2 lbs)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup unsalted Matzo meal
1 T. chopped parsley
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

Combine all but oil in a pan, shape into patties using 1/2 cup of batter for each.

Heat large skillet on medium, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Place a few patties in the pan, fry 3-4 min until browned on one side, then 2-3 min more on other side. Add more oil as needed.

Remove from skillet and place in single layer in parchment lined shallow pan.

Bake browned latkes 10-15 min at 350.

(May burn easily during browning because of high sugar content of potatoes!!!)

Tetrazini

Not just for Turkey any more! Try with ground beef, chicken, turkey, stew beef.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
salt & Pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup parmesan
2-6 cups of meat (depending on how many you feed!)
1 lb of egg noodles

Basically, melt butter, whisk in flour, salt and pepper, slowly att milk and broth, stir and cook til thickened. Add cheese, meat and cooked noodles, place in pan and bake til it just starts to brown.
Easy, good, never any leftovers.
Freezes well, also, if you want to make extras for busy nights.
Leni<><

Strawberry Protein Smoothie (FG, Low Carb)

Adding in some modifications. Could be made FG safe.

For carb count: (total 9 carbs), peaches(14) or berries(11)

1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup water
2 pkts Stevia or preferred sweetener

Blend, enjoy!!

Variations:
You may use 1/4 cup of plain yogurt in place of cream and water, but will have to up the carb count accordingly.
I added half a scoop of hemp protein powder - if you have a powder you like, throw it in for an extra protein boost.
If you use frozen fruit, either thaw it first or add a splash of hot water.

Cheese Sauce (FG 1, Low Carb)

Been fiddling around with this.

Again, no measurments, sorry! Play with it! If the outcome depended on exact measurments, I'd write them down, I promise!

Cream cheese (1-2 oz?)
Cream (1/4 cup?)
pat of butter
Shredded cheese

Melt everything but cheese at low temp. Add in cheese and remove from heat, stir til melted.

NOTES:

Good on veggies, or on tortilla chips for nachos.

I used taco cheese with seasonings in it (NOT FG) and it turned out well!

In my experience, Monterey Jack alone ends up very stringy and clumpy in this type of thing.

Breakfast Rice Bake (FG 1)

Cheap, nutritious, uses up left overs, what more could you ask?
I always make extra rice on nights that we have it, so the kids can have this for breakfast or lunch the next day.

Feingold approved!

Cooked rice (you can use white, but brown is better and stays in their bellies longer!)
Sweetener, to taste (we like brown sugar)
vanilla (or whatever extract you like, maple is wonderful!)
eggs (I use one per kid here)
milk (Add last, just enough to soup it up a bit. If you use liquid sweetener, use less milk)

Optional ingredients:
Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc...)
Dried fruit (raisins, dates, cranberries, etc...)

Mix it up and either bake immediately or refrigerate over night. One hour at 350.

Sorry folks, this is really how I cook! I never measure much of anything.

Mexican Rice Casserole

Another throw together, but it's a hit. Adjust to your tastes!

ground meat, browned and drained
flour
cumin
fennel
onion
garlic
water
shredded carrot
shredded sharp cheddar
brown rice, cooked

Add flour and spices to ground meat, and stir to coat evenly while warming. (The amount of flour and water added determine how much 'gravy' you get.) Add water and let it come to a boil, and cook til thickened. If you have too much water, just let it keep cooking while you stir, it will cook down.

Add cheese, stir til melted, then add in cooked rice.

Good as a casserole, or served with tortilla chips or in tortillas for burritos.

Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake

So this was an experiment, but it went pretty well.

No crust in this, because quite honestly, I didn't want to spend the carbs on it!

Enjoy this Leni Original!

1 cup pureed pumpkin
2 (8 oz.) blocks of cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup xylitol (or sugar sub of your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla

Blend all ingredients until smooth, and place in a pie plate. (I used my Pampered Chef deep dish pizza stone.) Bake at 350 for one hour. Chill completely.

Makes 8 servings, 4 net carbs per serving.

It is not overly sweet, so if you like things more sweet, you might want to adjust the sweetener, or serve with some whipped cream.

Zuppa Toscana Souplike Olive Garden's®

Zuppa Toscana Souplike Olive Garden's®

Serves: 10Prep. Time: 0:35

1 lb. spicy Italian sausage - crumbled
1/2 lb. smoked bacon - chopped
1 qt. water
(2) 14.5 oz. cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth
2 lg. russet potatoes - scrubbed clean, cubed2
garlic cloves - peeled, crushed
1 med. onion - peeled, chopped
2 cups chopped kale OR Swiss chard
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper - to taste

-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside.-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside.-Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.-Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes.-Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.

Notes: I am currently on a low-carb diet and I have substituted cauliflower in place of the potatoes and you can't even tell the difference.

Soup for a Sick Day.

Chicken and Stars Soup

One whole chicken
garlic
onion
bay leaves
marjoram
parsley
basil
salt
pepper
star pasta, or pasta of choice

Throw everything but the pasta in a stock pot, fill up with water and simmer for hours. Remove chicken, and while it's cooling, strain broth into another pan. Debone chicken, add to broth. When it's boiling, add pasta and cook til pasta is done.

After thought...should have added carrots. Oh well, next time.

Linguine With Clam Sauce

This goes into the "must try" file. Gleaned from the Feingold Message Board.

Oh gosh, it's so easy I'm not even sure it qualifies as actual cooking! I mince up some garlic and saute it in a little olive oil, then add the juice from 2 cans of clams, some dried basil and heat that up, then add the clams, squeeze a lemon over the whole mess, and heat it through. Toss with pasta and fresh parmesan cheese. Grinding of pepper and chopped fresh parsley on top. I've also skipped the lemon and used half-and-half for more of a cream sauce. If you were inclined you could put some white wine (st. 2) in the sauce; I prefer the wine on the side...in a glass.

Frozen Apple Pie Filling

Cocoa shared with me, she got it from Kiersten, not sure if it's HER recipe or someone else's, but it's really good.

7-8 C sliced apples (thin) Granny Smith's are best
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons Butter cut into chunks

These are the directions as I tried a bunch of different ways to assemble them quickly (we still have 20 of these in our freezer... and I have made a lot of pies after we froze them)

Take your ziplock bag and dump in everything except the apples and lemon juice and butter.

Hold the top of the bag and shake it up really good. (I did 10 of these bags at a shot, and let the kids help me, since they would just measure the same thing over and over into each bag)

Peal, core and slice your apples and dump them into the bag. Chop the butter up into chunks (I tried to get at least 8 chunks.. it helps to freeze the butter before chopping it up) and dump that in the bag. Zip it shut with lots of air and flip the bag over and shake it all really good until everything is coated well. Open the bag, pour in the lemon juice, squish it around and suck all the air out of the bag with a straw and zip it shut.

Squish it flat and lay it flat in the freezer. I can get 15 high this way.Dont wait until all the bags are done before putting them in the freezer.... they get WAY to juicey.. and dont pour the lemon juice ON the apples before putting in the bag, because then the mix in the bag doesnt coat the apples well.

When you want pie, take it out and lay flat on the counter for about 30 minutes (covering with a warm wet t-towel helps speed it along) OR in the fridge over night. Squish it around to make sure the butter is evenly distributed and dump in a 9" regular raw pie shell, cover with a crust or with a dutch crumb topping. Set the pie on a drip pan (you WILL need it) and bake as you would a normal pie (I did about 20 minutes at 400, and then 45 at 325). I think a deep dish might have worked better, but it wouldnt be up to the top of the pan then once it was cooked. Maybe you could just add an extra cup of apples and use it for deep dish.

The apples will STILL hold their form and not be mushy. I was SO pleased with this recipe.. I intend to do this every year. It takes approx 9 apples to make a pie, and we used about a bushel to do 20+ pies.

BTW, Kiersten gave me this recipe. she must be a VERY good cook! ;o)

The Best Granola

The Best Granola Bars (instructions at the bottom)

Granola can be made according to individual taste and the ingredients on hand. The only basic ingredients needed are oats, oil, and sweetener. The proportions depend on individual taste and how "healthy" you want it. Here is a basic recipe with many options.

Combine in a large bowl 7-8 cups dry ingredients:

3-6 cups oatmeal

1/4-1/2 cup each of any of the following: wheat germ, whole wheat flour, bran, cornmeal, coconut, milk powder, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds

1-1 1/2 tsp spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice

Combine separately and add to dry ingredients:

1/2-3/4 cup oil, margarine, or butter, melted
1/2-3/4 cup honey, or brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla or other flavoring

Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes on large baking sheets until golden brown. Stir occasionally.

After taking granola from oven, add any of the following, if desired:

any dried chopped fruits
Chocolate chips

Add any of the following with wet ingredients: 1/4 cup acceptable juice, 1/2-1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 tsp maple flavoring

TO MAKE THIS RECIPE INTO GRANOLA BARS: Make granola and add 2 beaten eggs and 1/3 cup milk. Press granola into two well-greased 10x15-inch cookie sheets. Bake at 325F until golden brown. Cut into bars immediately. Remove from pans when cool. Increase sweetener if desired. Enjoy

ABC Muffin Mix (Make it fit any diet except low carb!)

This recipe has been passed around so many times, and no one seems to know where it originated from. Everyone adds their own touch. Take it, use it, if you came up with it, or know who did, let me know!

As for FG and such, use safe ingredients and have fun!

A-B-C MUFFIN MIX

18 cups flour (whole wheat pastry, white, kamut, your choice!)
5 cups sugar (or equivalent, like Sucanat, Splenda [I do NOT recommend Splenda!])
2 1/4 cups buttermilk blend or non fat dry milk
6 Tb. baking powder
2 Tb. baking soda
2 Tb. salt

Stir together well, breaking up lumps.

Place ingredients in a large airtight container labeled with the date. If it's going to be stored for long, place contents in the freezer.

Mix makes enough for about 5 batches of 24 muffins each.

If desired, dry sweetener can be omitted then stir in 1 cup honey for every 24 muffins as you make them.

TO MAKE 24 REGULAR SIZED MUFFINS: {I used 1/2 recipe & made 18 muffins - don't know what size muffins tins she used. I used 1/4 cup batter per muffin}

Preheat oven to 400.
Coat muffin tins with an oil/lecithin mixture, grease with butter, or spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat:
4 eggs / 3 tsp. vanilla / 2 cups water / 1 cup oil** or butter- this measurement is up to your tastesand desires. We find them perfectly acceptable without ANY fat, but any amount of oil can be added up to one cup.

Stir in 5-1/2 cups muffin mix and any additional ingredients (listed on chart) just until moistened.
The batter should be lumpy.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown. {I baked for 15 minutes, depends on your oven & pans}
Muffins freeze well.
To reheat frozen muffins, microwave on high for 30 seconds per muffin. (or heat in the oven until warm)

These two toppings would go well with almost any of the ABC muffins.
Sprinkle mixture atop uncooked muffins before popping them into preheated oven:

STREUSEL TOPPING for 24 muffins:
Mix together:
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup flour
cut in 1/2 cup cold butter until mixture iscrumbly.

CRUNCHY TOPPING for 24 muffins:
Mix together:
1 cup rolled oats1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
cut in 1/2 cup softened butter with fork or pastrycutter until crumbly

Add-in's for muffins:

APPLE MUFFINS:
3 cups raw grated apples
1 tsp. gr. cloves
1 cup nuts or raisins
sprinkle with cinnamon and sucanat mixture beforebaking

APPLESAUCE MUFFINS:
1 cup applesauce omit oil

APRICOT MUFFINS:
1 cup chopped dried apricots

BANANA MUFFINS:
2 mashed bananas
1 cup walnuts (optional)

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS:
2 cups fresh or frozen rinsed blueberries

BRAN MOLASSES MUFFINS:
Use only 3 cups of muffin mix.
Stir in:4 cups bran cereal
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup raisins

CARROT MUFFINS:
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup raisins
1-1/2 tsp. allspice

CASHEW MUFFINS:
2 cups unsalted coarsely chopped cashews

CHERRY MUFFINS:
2 cups fresh or dried pitted cherries

CHOCOLATE CHIP FUDGE MUFFINS:
1-1/2 cups cocoa {try carob}
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups mini carob chips

COCONUT MUFFINS:
3 cups toasted flaked coconut
reserve some to sprinkle on the top

CRANBERRY ORANGE MUFFINS:
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup nuts
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tb. orange peel

CURRANT MUFFINS:
1-1/2 cups currants
1 cup chopped nuts

DATE MUFFINS:
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped nuts

EGGNOG MUFFINS:
4 tsp. rum extract
2 cups eggnog (omit water from recipe)
before baking, top with mixture of:
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

FIG MUFFINS:
2 cups dried chopped figs
1 c. chopped walnuts

FRUIT MUFFINS:
2 cups dried diced fruit

GARDEN FRESH MUFFINS:
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

GINGERBREAD MUFFINS:
2 Tb. ground ginger
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups raisins

GRANOLA MUFFINS:
reduce muffin mix to 4 cups and add:
1-1/2 cups granola
Top with additional granola before baking

GRAPENUTS MUFFINS:
reduce muffin mix to 4 cups and add:
2-1/2 cups grape nuts
1 tsp. allspice

HAZELNUT MUFFINS:
2 tsp. ground cardamom
2 cups chopped hazelnuts

INCREDIBLE CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS:
combine:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Drop this mix by Tb. onto top of muffins beforebaking

JAM MUFFINS:
1-1/2 cups jam or preserves(strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

LEMON MUFFINS:
omit 1 cup water and replace with 1 cup lemon juice{haven't tried this, but sounds like too much lemon juice to me. I would start with 1/2 cup}
use 4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts

MANDARIN MUFFINS:
1 (11oz) can mandarin oranges chopped andundrainedreduce water to 1 cup
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots

MAPLE MUFFINS:
6 Tb. maple syrup
reduce water to 1-1/2 cups

MARMALADE MUFFINS:
1-1/2 cups orange marmalade
1 cup chopped nuts (opt)
1 cup orange juice (omit 1 cup of the water)

MINCEMEAT MUFFINS:
1-1/2 cups mincemeat

OATMEAL MUFFINS:
reduce muffin mix to 4 cups and add:
1 cup oats
use 4 eggs
up to2 cups raisins or grated apples

ORANGE MUFFINS:
2 cups sour cream or yogurt
1 cup nuts or coconut (opt)2 cans (11 oz. each) mandarin oranges, drain
use 4 eggs

PEACH MUFFINS:
2 cups fresh or one large can (drained) choppedpeaches

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA MUFFINS:
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
3 mashed bananas

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY MUFFINS:
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
drop 1 Tb. jam into each muffin before baking.

PEAR MUFFINS:
2 cups fresh or one large can (drained) choppedpears

PECAN MUFFINS:
2 cups chopped toasted pecans
1 tsp. maple extract

PINEAPPLE CARROT RAISIN MUFFINS:
1 cup grated carrots,
1 cup crushed pineapple,
drained1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

PINEAPPLE MACADAMIA MUFFINS:
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
1 jar (7 oz. or about 1 cup) macadamia nuts,chopped

PLUM MUFFINS:
2 cups fresh or canned plums, chopped

PRUNE MUFFINS:
1 to 2 cups chopped prunes
1/3 cup poppy seeds

PUMPKIN MUFFINS:
2 cups or 1 can solid pack pumpkin
1 Tb. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup each chopped nuts and raisins

RASPBERRY MUFFINS:
2 cups fresh or frozen whole, unsweetenedraspberries

RUM RAISIN MUFFINS:
3 tsp. rum extract
before baking, top with mix of:
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

SESAME SEED MUFFINS:
1 cup toasted sesame seeds
before baking, top with mix of:
1/2 cup nuts
4 Tb. sugar
4 Tb. sesame seeds
2 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. each cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

SOUR CREAM MUFFINS:
omit one cup of the water and add:
1 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 cups nuts
2 tsp. grated lemon peel (opt.)

SQUASH MUFFINS:
2 cups mashed squash
1 Tb. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup each chopped nuts and raisins

STRAWBERRY MUFFINS:
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped

SWEET POTATO MUFFINS:
1 Tb. allspice
4 Tb. dry orange peel
2 cans (10 oz each) sweet potatoes, mashed,well drained (about 2-1/2 cups)

TROPICAL TREAT MUFFINS:
1 cup dried mango or papaya, chopped
1 cup chopped banana chips or 2 fresh mashed
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 tsp. lemon peel, grated

WHEAT GERM MUFFINS:
2-2/3 c. wheat germ
use 4 eggs
1/2 cup extra water
before baking, top muffins with mix of:
1/2 c. wheat germ2 Tb. sugar

YOGURT MUFFINS:
reduce water to 1-1/2 cups and add:
2 cartons (8 oz each) yogurt -- plain or flavored

ZUCCHINI MUFFINS:
2 cups grated zucchini
2 Tb. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Shepherd's Mac & Cheese (FG 1**, Crock*)

This recipe was inspired by Dinosaur Bar B Que; An American Roadhouse.

Now, the Dinosaur happens to be our very favorite restaurant. At the time of this writing, there are only three locations, and if you aren't fortunate enough to live in Rochester, Syracuse or New York City, well, I am truly sorry for your loss. But if you come to visit, I promise to feed you Dinosaur BBQ!! (If you live near a Wegmans, they are carrying heat and serve Dinosaur now, try the pulled pork!)

So aaaannnnyyyyways....

I found this recipe for Dinosaur-Style Macaroni & Cheese Shepherd's Pie. We've never seen this offered at the Rochester Location, but it looked SO good, I just had to try it. It was as good as it looked!

In true Leni fashion, I have changed the recipe a bit to make it suitable for various diets, but not too much.

**FG 1 means that it is acceptable for Feingold Program, Stage 1
*Crock Pot directions at the bottom

Shepherd's Mac & Cheese (FG 1)


1 lb. pasta shells, cooked and drained
1 lb. ground meat
2 C. chopped onion
5 cloves of garlic, chopped (I used about half)
1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 T. black pepper
1 T. salt
1/4 C. butter
2 t. dry ground mustard
1/4 flour
2 1/2 C. milk
3 C. shredded cheddar
1 C. grated parmesan


Preheat oven to 375. Boil and drain pasta, set aside.
Brown the ground beef with 1/2 of the onions, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper.
Drain all fat, and place this mixture in the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 pan.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and fry the rest of the onions.
When they are soft, add the flour, remaining salt and pepper, and dry mustard, and whisk until thoroughly blended.
Slowly add the milk, whisking as you go.
When mixture is bubbly and thicker, remove from heat, and add 2 cups of cheddar and the parmesan cheese.
Fold in the cooked pasta.
Place this evenly over the meat mixture.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake 30-45 min, til golden on top. Serves 6-8 people.

*Crock instructions.
Do everything the same, but layer in your crockpot instead of pan, and bake on low for 3 hours or so.

I will warn you though, it doesn't get golden and nice on top in the crock pot, but it still tastes great!!

Enjoy!