Coleslaw

Yesterday I made coleslaw dressing.  It's way better the next day after the flavors have melded together.  Just as good, if not better, than store bought!  However, you can be like me and just buy a bag of coleslaw at the supermarket.

1/2 head coleslaw, coarsely shredded
1/2 green pepper, diced (optional)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise, fat free
1/2 tsp mustard
1 tsp honey or sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery seed, optional
2 T milk

For colesaw: combine vegetables in a serving bowl.  For dressing: mix mayonnaise, mustard, honey, vinegar, salt, celery seed and milk together.  If too think, thin with more milk.  Add dressing to salad and toss well.

Source: Merrill, Jane P. and Karen M. Sunderland.  Set for Life.  "Creamy Coleslaw".  Salt Lake City, UT: Sunrise Publishers, 1995. 139.

Easy Mini Quiche

I made these for a friend's visit last Friday (the 10th), and as the recipe's name promise, they are easy.  I made them in silicone muffin cup and they came out very easily.  Thanks to Amber for saying they have good flavor! ;)

wheat bread slices
onion, grated [of course I only had dried onions ;)]
1/2 cup cheese
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1 tsp dry mustard
pinch black pepper
[add garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning, Parsley, paprika]

Grease muffin tin.  Use a round cookie cutter, or a knife, to cut out bread to fit in the bottom of the muffin tin cups. Add cheese to each muffin cup.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, onion, mustard and spices/herbs.  Pour in each muffin cup, 3/4 full.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Check for doneness.

Recipe adapted from "Easy Mini Quiche Recipe".  Allrecipes.com.

Chili Biscuit Bake

I found this recipe in the Taste of Home cookbook and thought it was something that I would actually make.  It came together really well, except that the baking dish over flowed with too much chili, and some of the biscuits were not baked through in the center.

1 lb ground beef [ground turkey]
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen mixed vegetables [I used 1 can of corn and 2 cans of beans (kidney and black) hence the overflowing]
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
*flavor for taste: chili powder, taco seasoning, black pepper, onion/garlic powder, etc

Biscuits:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 T shortening
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

In a skillet, cook beef or turkey and onion until cooked through, drain extra grease.  Add flavorings.  Stir in tomatoes, vegetables, beans and tomato sauce.  Pour into a prepared 11x7x2 baking dish.  Cover and baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine flour and baking powder in a bowl.  Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  With a fork, incorporate milk and mustard and stir until it forms a soft dough.  Add six Tablespoons of cheese.  Drop onto the top of hot chili casserole.  Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

 made June 29th

Source: Brenden, Darlene.  Taste of Home Annual Recipes.  "Ground Beef Biscuit Stew".  Ed. Michelle Brett.  Greendale, WI: Taste of Home Books, 2007. 68-69.

octopus hot dog-with-spaghetti lunch

In the last couple of months I've found all my cooking ideas from Pinterest.  Yesterday I found a link for some cute recipes to make with preschoolers.  Julia enjoyed trying to stick the spaghetti through the hot dogs; she equally enjoyed throwing them into the pot of boiling water.  She did eat them, being the sausage fanatic that she is, but not without some prodding from her mom. :)

 Break several uncooked spaghetti in half.  Insert spaghetti through hot dog pieces, cut sausage, or the like...

 Boil in a pot of boiling water for 8-10 minutes.

They look pretty silly in this picture, and they are, but they're fun to make anyhow!

Source: Quirky Momma Kids' Activities Blog.  "Octopus Hot Dogs".  Cooking With Preschoolers - 5 Cool Things!  23. April 2012.

Mashed pototates with Greek yogurt

I'm starting to use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  I recently found a link (yes, through Pinterest!) for Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Greek Yogurt and Chives.  It makes a lot and we ate the leftovers all weekend long.  By Sunday, I was used to the Greek Yogurt and could taste the similarities between sour cream and Greek yogurt. 

3-4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup warmed milk
2 T butter
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt or light sour cream
4 T chopped fresh chives, divided
black pepper

Wash, (peel), and chop potatoes.  Bring a pot to a boil and cook until tender.  Drain.  Return to pot and mix in warm milk, butter, and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer mashed potatoes into a serving bowl, spooning the yogurt into the top layer.  Sprinkle chives on top with more black pepper.

Source: Natural Health.  "Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Greek Yogurt and Chives."  2012.

Frog Eye Salad

This salad is a family favorite.  I think we've enjoyed it all year round, spring, summer and even at Thanksgiving.  I talked to Grandma Bonnie about it back in February and she commented how much she likes it.  The recipe might be from her, my mom, or from the acini de pepe pasta box.  Who knows, but I wanted to make it for our Easter dinner.  Both Mom and Dad said that it's perfect and tastes like I've been making it for years. :-)

1 package (8 oz.) acini di pepe
3 cans mandarin oranges
2 (20 oz.) cans crushed pineapple
1 (20 oz.) can chunk pineapple {reserve the juices from the cans}
9 oz. Cool Whip
coconut to taste
2-1/2 cups marshmallows
1-3/4 cups pineapple juice
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
2 beaten eggs
1 T. lemon juice.

1.  Cook acini di pepe for 7-8 minutes in 3 quarts water with 2 tsp. salt and 1 T. oil.  Drain and let cool.
2.  In a saucepan mix pineapple juice, flour, salt, sugar and eggs.  Cook, stirring until thickened.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
3.  Cool sauce and mix with pasta
4.  Refrigerate several hours or over night
5.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients (pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows and Cool Whip)

This salad can keep for one week in the fridge.

Chicken Couscous Soup

All week long I wanted black beans and couscous.  I got some ideas on Allrecipes.com and finally adapted the dish, from my mind, for dinner.  I was worried that the couscous wouldn't absorb all the juices, but it did!  It wasn't too bad, and topped with Parmesan cheese, Thomas actually requested it again!

1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp butter
1 cup couscous
cooked (rotisserie) chicken pieces
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn (drained)
1 can black beans (rinsed)
reserved chicken broth
for flavor:
salt, pepper
onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder
taco seasoning
Parmesan cheese

I started with putting leftover chicken in a skillet.  To that I added the cans of diced tomatoes, corn, and black beans.  In a saucepan pour one cup of chicken broth and heat to boil.  Add the rest of the chicken broth into the skillet mixture.  While that is cooking, add any seasonings. When the boiling water begins, add 1 tsp butter and add 1 cup couscous, cover and set aside for 5 minutes.  When the couscous is set, fluff with a fork and mix into the skillet.  Lower the heat and wait until the couscous absorbs the mixture (this even happens off the stove.)  Spoon into bowls and top with extra Parmesan cheese.

A soup in a skillet?  It thickened quickly after taking the picture!

Inspired by allrecipes.com

Chili nachos

Last week I assembled leftovers for my lunch.  I melted some shredded cheese on top of corn tortillas chips (nothing fancy, just 30 seconds in the microwave), and topped them with sliced olives, sour cream and leftover chili.  I could have added salsa, too, but I forgot.  It was actually a pretty filling lunch.

Swedish Meatballs (BH&G)

This is a fairly simple recipe. I made a few alterations with the ingredients, and they still turned out nicely!  Although we served it with a German side dish, not Swedish, they complemented the Spätzle well and tasted great!

Ingredients

1 beaten egg
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup soft bead crumbs {I used Panko bread crumbs}
1/2 cup finely chopped onion {I used 2 T dried minced onion; however, an actual onion would help the moisture level a lot}
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley {again, I used what I have-- dried}
1/4 tsp tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground allspice or nutmeg
8 oz ground beef or ground lamb
8 oz ground pork or ground veal {I wish there was a variety, but we just had beef in our fridge}

Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg with the milk.  Add the bread crumbs, onion, parsley, pepper and allspice (or nutmeg.)  Mix the meats into these ingredients until combined.

Form into small meatballs and place onto a foil-lined baking sheet.  (Since we used such a low-fat beef, it would have been easier to spray the foil first.)  It made about 36, first time that I actually made more than the recipe says it will yield, which is 30.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.  The cooked temperature would read at 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Done!

Another way to cook these meatballs is by frying.
The rest of the recipe calls for:
1 T butter
2 T all-purpose flour
2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
3 cups hot cooked noodles
snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Fry half of the meatballs into a heated {stainless-steel} skillet with melted butter, over medium heat, turning to brown evenly, for about 10 minutes or until done.  Remove cooked meatballs and place on a paper-towel lined plate.  Repeat with the second half of the meatballs.  With the remaining skillet drippings (should have 2 T, if not add cooking oil to make up the difference), stir in flour, bouillon granules and the pepper.  Gradually add milk, stirring.  Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.  When the gravy bubbles, cook for 1 minute longer.  Return meatballs into the skillet and heat through.  Garnish with the snipped parsley.

Source: "Swedish Meatballs." Recipe. Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. 12th Ed. Des Moines, IA: Better Homes and Gardens Books, 2002. 362.

New Year's Lunch

We had a big lunch on New Year's Day with my sister.  She made the cranberry sauce, Thomas made the Spätzle, and I made the meatballs.  While we were eating, I mentioned that is could become a family tradition!

Spätzle-Presse

{Spätzle- German egg noodles}

Spätzle recipe
500 g Mehl {5 cups all-purpose flour}
1 Prise Salz {pinch of salt}
8 Eier {8 eggs}

Shift the flour into a large bowl, add eggs and salt one after the other with a dough attachment on a hand mixer or stand mixer.  After it's kneaded, it will be tough and won't run off a spoon.  Fill the Spätzle-press, place over a large boiling pot of water and move it back and forth so the dough falls into the water.  The Spätzle is done when it floats.  Use a large slotted spoon (Schaumlöffel) to scoop up the Spätzle and place in another bowl.  Repeat the process with the next portion of dough. 
{Source: Chefkoch.de}

(Swedish) Meatballs

Gute Appetit!

Mashed potato casserole

With some leftover ham from Thanksgiving and leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to get rid of them all by making a casserole.  The great thing about this idea is that anything that complements potatoes would work well in the casserole.  I started out by layering the mashed potatoes, mozzarella cheese, chopped ham and topping it with more cheese.  I decided to amp up the flavor a bit by mixing garlic powder, onion powder and dried parsley with the potatoes (also stir in some milk if they need moistened.)  After that I decided to mix it all together instead of doing a layer-thing.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then broil on low for 4-5 minutes to brown the top.

Easy garlic bread

I splurge and use "white" bread, any kind, usually we buy them at Costco {below is their Torta sandwich rolls.}  Spread some butter, sprinkle garlic salt (I used garlic powder, but Thomas said it needs salt), and Parmesan cheese.  Broil on low for 4 minutes, but check multiple times to make sure the bread doesn't burn.  In the future, we (re: Thomas) want to try to make garlic bread with grated, fresh garlic.

This is from last night when I made chili.

"Flower" Biscuits

I made soup last night, but instead of throwing pasta in there, I decided to make biscuits.  Whenever I make biscuits, I ask myself why I like making them so much.  They're messy and the biscuits are saturated in flour.  I used little flower cookie cutters to cut them out, and in the end they turned out pretty well.  We all ate four of them with our soup.  Julia was eating them by the hand full.

The recipe is so easy, and doesn't have any butter in it.

1 cup whole wheat flour {I use wheat pastry}
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. baking powder
2-4 T. oil
1 cup 1% or skim milk

Mix dry ingredients (you may also use 2 cups white flour), add liquids and stir just until blended.  Knead dough on floured counter top for 30 seconds.  Press or roll dough to 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch circles or squares.  Place on a nonstick baking sheet, bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Recipe source: Merrill Jane P. and Karen M. Sunderland.  "Baking Powder Biscuits." Set for Life.  Salt Lake City, UT: Sunset Publishers, 1995. 94.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

As part of the Strawberry Party, I served this salad.  It was very sweet and got a lot of compliments! :)

For the salad dressing:
1/3 cup raspberry vinaigrette
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
4-1/2 tsp poppy seeds (I used 2 teaspoons)

Add the dressing to:
10 oz fresh baby spinach
1 pint fresh strawberries, fresh
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Whisk together the raspberry vinaigrette, sugar, salt and mustard.  Stir in the oil, in a constant stream, then the poppy seeds.  Store in a container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.  Toss together the spinach, strawberries, pecans and dressing.

From: Taste of Home Annual Recipes. "Strawberry Spinach Salad." Ed. Michelle Bretl. Greendale, WI: Taste of Home Books, 2007. 211.

Macaroni Salad

At times I like macaroni salad more than potato salad.  Pasta is addictive, but aside from just taste alone, it's a lot easier to prepare and cook than potatoes are.  This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook although I only used half of the ingredients.  Pasta salads are very versatile so it works every time!

2 cups macaroni or wagon wheel pasta
1/2 cup salad dressing {Miracle Whip}
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 T mustard (to taste)
1-2 T milk
paprika
garlic powder
onion powder
 dash black pepper
2-3 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup frozen peas
3/4-1 cup diced cheddar cheese
2-3 whole dill pickles, diced
black olives

Other ingredients in original recipe:
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (1 stalk)
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
2 T thinly sliced green onion or chopped onion
1/4 tsp salt

Boil water in a medium saucepan.  Boil two cups of pasta according to package instructions.  Boil water in a small saucepan for hard-cooked eggs.  Meanwhile dice cheese, pickles, eggs, black olives and other ingredients.  Drain pasta when cooked.  Pour pasta into a large bowl.  Add frozen peas to the pasta.  In a separate bowl mix together the salad dressing and mayonnaise (I used a 3/4 measuring cup and eyeball it), mustard, onion- and garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients into the pasta.  Stir in the salad dressing.  Add a little milk if it need moistened.  Chill at least four hours before serving.

Original recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. "Macaroni Salad." 12th ed. Des Moines, IA: Better Homes and Gardens Books, 2002. 463.

Set for Life's Potato Salad

I'm not one to follow a recipe.  This time, I was determined to follow the potato salad's recipe to.the.teaspoon!  I did make a couple of adjustments, but really minor. ;) 

6 large potatoes, boiled or baked in skins[*]
4 large eggs, hard boiled
1 small onion, chopped[*]
2 dill pickles, finely chopped
1 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise, fat free[*]
1 tsp mustard (to taste)
1 tsp honey or sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
2-4 T milk

Peel potatoes, dice, and boil until tender.  Drain and pour into a large mixing bowl.  Dice four hard boiled eggs, two pickles and one onion.  Add these with the potatoes, gently stir together.  For the dressing, mix dressing, mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir and add 2 T of milk for thinner consistency.  Pour dressing over the potato mixture and combine.  Refrigerate at least three hours, or overnight.
*Now for the changes, I peeled and diced raw potatoes then boiled them.  I used one stalk of green onion.  I also used light Miracle Whip.

We'll see how the gang likes it tomorrow.  It's different from what I usually make (without black olives, Salad Supreme, paprika or black pepper), but the combination of honey and apple cider vinegar will be quite refreshing.

(Merrill, Jane P., and Karen M. Sunderland.  Set for Life. "Potato Salad." Salt Lake City, UT: Sunrise Publishers, 1995. 141.)

Zucchini fries

When I saw these on Our Best Bites, I thought it would be the perfect use for the two zucchinis that were laying in my fridge.  They are time-consuming to make, and since I made my own bread crumbs, they clumped up considerably.  I honestly thought they would be a disaster, but they turned out delicious!  The recipe is very forgiving, so I might decide it do it differently next time, or even buy panko bread crumbs. They are a great alternative to baked french fries.

The linked site, above, shows the step by step process of making them.  I used two zucchinis, cutting them lengthwise.  Beat two eggs in a bowl, and in another bowl, about two cups bread crumbs, mixed with this garlic bread seasoning because I didn't have the suggested Italian panko bread crumbs.  I patted flour on the zucchini sticks, coated them in the beaten eggs, then rolled them around in the bread crumbs.  The process was pretty darn messy, the way I did it!

Also makes a tasty toddler treat!

Tuna (or Salmon) Quesadillas

This was a quick lunch that I made today.  I mixed together 1 can of tuna fish [canned salmon would also be good] with 1/4 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic salt (or to your liking), 1/2 tsp paprika (or to your liking), and 1 tsp onion powder.  It would also be tasty to saute garlic cloves in 1 tsp oil then stir in tuna/salmon with the spices.

After the tuna/salmon is mixed, spray a skillet with cooking spray and place down a (wheat) tortilla.  Heat over medium low.  Add 1/4 cup cheese, layer with the tuna/salmon mixture, and top with 1/4 cup cheese.  Put another tortilla on top of the cheese.  When the cheese has melted on the bottom, flip over.  It's done when the tortillas are crisp and cheese is melted.  The tuna mixture with a 7-ounce can made two quesadillas.

Cucumber Salad

I've had a lot of different types of cucumber salad.  Ones with yogurt sauces, ones where you mix seasoning packets (e.g. dill) with oil, and this kind, which is the easiest.  We cut up 1 to 3 cucumbers.  In this picture, Thomas peeled the entire skin off because it was on the bitter side.  Pour in 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 T of sugar, salt (we like using kraeuter salz) and pepper.  It's that easy!  But really, it's an experimental thing because Thomas likes to add a tablespoon of olive oil. 

Becky's Classic Potato Salad

Thomas' favorite potato salad!
***
6 medium (I put in 10 small) potatoes
about 1 cup Miracle Whip
about 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping Tablespoon mustard
paprika and/or Salad Supreme
Salt and Pepper
1 bunch green onions
black olives (I put in 10)
dill pickles (I put in 3)
hard boiled eggs (I didn't put those in this time, but I would use either 2 or 3)

Peel potatoes, dice and put in a medium pot with salted water. After it comes to a boil, cook for 20 minutes, check for doneness (a big piece of potato will be easily cut through with an inserted fork), and drain. Dice washed green onions, pickles, black olives and the hard boiled eggs. Mix together the mayo and Miracle Whip with the mustard, salt & pepper and paprika/Salad Supreme in a separate bowl. Combine the green onions, pickles, black olives and eggs with the mayo/mustard mixture. Chill overnight (at least 4 hours) before serving.

***
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens and Mom