We had these with the Meatballs and ABCs recipe that I just posted. These start with frozen bread dough, which I think is a good idea. Some people (Tiffany) would say that these are not, then, homemade. But, I disagree, since I am making them AT HOME. So there. There is a nice picture in the magazine accompanying the recipe, which makes them look very nice. Needless to say mine did not really look like that. It's from the Nov/Dec '09 Simple & Delicious.
Herb-Swirled Rolls
1 loaf (1 lb) frozen bread dough, thawed
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp minced chives
2 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp dill weed or dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp water
sesame and/or poppy seeds
On a floured surface, roll dough into a 14x12 inch rectangle; brush with butter. Sprinkle with chives, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices. Place cut side down in greased muffin cups. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Combine egg and water; brush over tops. Sprinkle with seeds (I did half poppy and half sesame. Open sesame, that is). Bake @ 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire rack to cool.
So these tasted good but it was kind of different having all those seasonings in there. I'm not used to having that stuff in my bread, I guess. They had a good flavor. Nathan wouldn't eat one. I knew Emma would fight me so I gave her one that had been on the end of the jelly-roll thing so it didn't have too much of the seasoning on it, and she ate it. Sam loved his and offered to eat Emma's too. Steve was wolfing down his food and rushing off to class so I didn't have time to analyze his reaction to the meal like I usually do. Unless he didn't like it and pretended to be rushing so I could not interrogate him on his thoughts about it. Hmmmmm. Anyway I'm still thinking about whether to save this one. I'll see what Steve thought and decide from there.
I've been thinking that one of the reasons I liked these two recipes is because they used a lot of the spices I already have and I didn't have to buy anything except the pasta and beef broth for the soup. If you guys don't have all the stuff, don't worry. When I started doing New Recipe Night it seemed like I was buying a different spice every week. But now I have a full spice cupboard (which I love the smell of when I open) and only have to buy a few a year, when I run out of one I use a lot of. So if you like a recipe, don't skip it for the sake of a spice you don't have. Also don't leave the spice out, because spice can add flavor that makes it easier to leave out stuff like salt that they (the sage medical professionals) say we should be eating less of. Just buy the spice and hang on to it. The McCormick marketing people will tell you some bunk about spices only lasting like 6 months before you have to replace them, but they are lying. My mom has spices that are perfectly fine that have been around a LONG time. They just want you to buy more. The bay leaves I used in the soup recipe tonight, I know I have had for literally 3-5 years. They still smelled good when I opened the bottle and still gave a good flavor, were not brittle and did not break up in the soup. This little tip might not apply to all of you guys, those of you who have been cooking longer (and better) than me or whatever, but if you are just starting out, or just starting to cook more seriously, like I was 5 years ago when we started New Recipe Night, then that might be something for you to think about. To slowly build up your spice collection, I mean. I have gone from having like 5 spices, which were garlic salt, garlic powder, pepper, etc, to having a cupboard that smells deeeelightful when I open it with stuff in there ranging from spices I use all the time to stuff I use once a year. But I like having all that on hand so I can be more flexible about cooking.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Meatballs and ABCs
As Steve groans, I prepare another soup recipe. I can't help it if I like soup and think soup and rolls make a good supper. I got a cookbook at a yard sale a while back, the Working Mother Cookbook. Apparently there is a Working Mother magazine, and this cookbook is from those people. It has a lot of good ideas in it, like cooking a whole heck of a lot of food on the weekend and making different stuff out of those base things for the next week. I'm not sure if I'll do that yet. Depends how expensive all the stuff would be and if I like all the recipes. But they also have some stand-alone recipes like this one. Although this one does make a large quantity of soup, and you eat half tonight and freeze the other half to eat later. That's always good to have extra stuff in the freezer for quick meals. I thought the kids would like it too since the noodles are shaped like letters.
Meatballs and ABCs
4 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed (I used homemade bread machine bread yum)
1/2 cup milk
1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup baby carrots
1/3 cup dry sherry (I did not use this...if you google "sherry substitution" you can find a few options for replacing it...I replaced by mixing 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water and 1 tbsp sugar, then pouring that into a measuring cup to measure 1/3 cup which is what it calls for...I had to dump the remainder out but it's not like vinegar is that expensive so it's okay)
2 cans beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 cup alphabet pasta or other small shape (they don't have this at Walmart, I got it at Hannaford)
1 cup frozen peas
1. In medium bowl, soak bread in milk. Gently squeeze bread, pour off milk. In small bowl, lightly beat eggs, salt, and pepper. Add egg mixture to bread, then add beef. Mix with hands until blended (yecch I hate that but I did it). Form meatballs about 3/4 inches in diameter. You should have about 40.
2. Warm oil in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook onion and carrot about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring (it does not say how often to stir. I say, occasionally). Add sherry; cook 3 minutes more or until liquid is almost gone. Add broth, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce, and 4 cups of water. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, uncovered, to blend flavors.
3. Carefully drop meatballs into simmering broth; cook 8 minutes. Add water to cover meatballs if needed (I didn't need to).
4. Remove half of soup (about 6 cups) to microwave-proof container (they mean Tupperware. If you don't have any, contact my Tupperware consultant, Rebecca Coffin. She's on facebook). Cool, then freeze.
5. Bring remaining soup back to a simmer; add pasta and peas. Simmer until pasta is done.
Reheating instructions: Defrost in refrigerator. Reheat in microwave or on stovetop. Cook 1 cup pasta separately; add with peas when reheating.
Makes 2 meals for a family of 4.
So usually I do not like homemade meatballs, and I expected to not like these. But, they were actually quite tasty. The soup had a very good flavor and seasoning to it. Half of it is going to be frozen, and without thinking I added the leftover soup that we ate to the container, which had pasta in it. If I remember right, pasta doesn't freeze very well. Well of course it freezes but doesn't taste good once it's reheated. So I guess we'll see about that. We had this with some rolls which I will post separately. Between the soup and the rolls I was busy in the kitchen all afternoon, which I do enjoy when the kids are being good and I have the time for it. But rather time consuming, so just be prepared. I think it will be a keeper.
Meatballs and ABCs
4 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed (I used homemade bread machine bread yum)
1/2 cup milk
1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup baby carrots
1/3 cup dry sherry (I did not use this...if you google "sherry substitution" you can find a few options for replacing it...I replaced by mixing 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water and 1 tbsp sugar, then pouring that into a measuring cup to measure 1/3 cup which is what it calls for...I had to dump the remainder out but it's not like vinegar is that expensive so it's okay)
2 cans beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 cup alphabet pasta or other small shape (they don't have this at Walmart, I got it at Hannaford)
1 cup frozen peas
1. In medium bowl, soak bread in milk. Gently squeeze bread, pour off milk. In small bowl, lightly beat eggs, salt, and pepper. Add egg mixture to bread, then add beef. Mix with hands until blended (yecch I hate that but I did it). Form meatballs about 3/4 inches in diameter. You should have about 40.
2. Warm oil in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook onion and carrot about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring (it does not say how often to stir. I say, occasionally). Add sherry; cook 3 minutes more or until liquid is almost gone. Add broth, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce, and 4 cups of water. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, uncovered, to blend flavors.
3. Carefully drop meatballs into simmering broth; cook 8 minutes. Add water to cover meatballs if needed (I didn't need to).
4. Remove half of soup (about 6 cups) to microwave-proof container (they mean Tupperware. If you don't have any, contact my Tupperware consultant, Rebecca Coffin. She's on facebook). Cool, then freeze.
5. Bring remaining soup back to a simmer; add pasta and peas. Simmer until pasta is done.
Reheating instructions: Defrost in refrigerator. Reheat in microwave or on stovetop. Cook 1 cup pasta separately; add with peas when reheating.
Makes 2 meals for a family of 4.
So usually I do not like homemade meatballs, and I expected to not like these. But, they were actually quite tasty. The soup had a very good flavor and seasoning to it. Half of it is going to be frozen, and without thinking I added the leftover soup that we ate to the container, which had pasta in it. If I remember right, pasta doesn't freeze very well. Well of course it freezes but doesn't taste good once it's reheated. So I guess we'll see about that. We had this with some rolls which I will post separately. Between the soup and the rolls I was busy in the kitchen all afternoon, which I do enjoy when the kids are being good and I have the time for it. But rather time consuming, so just be prepared. I think it will be a keeper.
Herb Chicken with Honey Butter
This is another recipe from this month's Simple & Delicious (Nov/Dec 2009). I like recipes with poultry seasoning because they're very Thanksgiving-y and I like that flavor. Also, I paid way too much for my bottle of poultry seasoning so I like to justify it like that. I think maybe when I run out of it I will google "poultry seasoning" and see if I can make it myself. That's what I did for pumpkin pie seasoning and saved $9 (I am not kidding; that was the real price of pumpkin pie seasoning at Hannaford, they didn't even have it at Walmart).
Herb Chicken with Honey Butter
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp dried parsley flakes (when I put in 1 tbsp it seemed like too much almost, so I left out the 2nd tbsp)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
Place egg in shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl combine bread crumbs and seasonings. Dip chicken in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in 3 tbsp butter for 4-5 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear. Meanwhile, combine softened butter and honey. Serve with chicken.
I will confess that I did not make the honey butter. It just seemed like it would be extra fat that we didn't need to consume. I knew the kids wouldn't want it because they would think it was "sauce" so it would just be me & Steve, and maybe Sam, for this quantity of honey butter. So we left it out. The chicken was still quite good, the kids enjoyed it and it was very very moist. Had a good flavor. I wasn't going to keep this one because it didn't stand out to me, and I have bunches of yummy chicken recipes, but now I as I'm typing I'm remembering the good things about it. Also I did not have to buy any of these ingredients so it would be good on a night that I have no idea what to make. So a keeper after all.
Herb Chicken with Honey Butter
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp dried parsley flakes (when I put in 1 tbsp it seemed like too much almost, so I left out the 2nd tbsp)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
Place egg in shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl combine bread crumbs and seasonings. Dip chicken in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in 3 tbsp butter for 4-5 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear. Meanwhile, combine softened butter and honey. Serve with chicken.
I will confess that I did not make the honey butter. It just seemed like it would be extra fat that we didn't need to consume. I knew the kids wouldn't want it because they would think it was "sauce" so it would just be me & Steve, and maybe Sam, for this quantity of honey butter. So we left it out. The chicken was still quite good, the kids enjoyed it and it was very very moist. Had a good flavor. I wasn't going to keep this one because it didn't stand out to me, and I have bunches of yummy chicken recipes, but now I as I'm typing I'm remembering the good things about it. Also I did not have to buy any of these ingredients so it would be good on a night that I have no idea what to make. So a keeper after all.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Sausage Skillet Dinner
Just got my new Simple & Delicious in the mail last week WOOT! This is the first of a few recipes we'll be trying out of this one (Nov/Dec '09). This one was DEEE licious.
Sausage Skillet Dinner
3/4 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces (smoked sausage comes in 1-lb packages, so I used a whole pound in this recipe.)
2 tbsp butter
2 cups refrigerated red potato wedges (found @ Hannaford, they don't have them @ Walmart)
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 apple, cut into wedges
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (I knew by the ingredients that we would love this, even without expensive caraway seeds, so I didn't buy them)
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley (another thing I left out)
In a large skillet, saute sausage in butter for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, onion, and apple; saute 4-5 minutes longer or until apple is tender and potatoes are golden brown. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and caraway seeds. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley. 4 servings.
I cannot tell you how happy I am with this recipe. It really tasted so so good. The kids were a bit weirded out by warm apples, but they ate them. Nathan even ate this, but not the potatoes because he doesn't like them. We tried to tell him that potatoes were the main (only) ingredient in french fries but he did not believe us. He's so silly. Anyway this one is definitely a keeper and you should really try it!
Sausage Skillet Dinner
3/4 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces (smoked sausage comes in 1-lb packages, so I used a whole pound in this recipe.)
2 tbsp butter
2 cups refrigerated red potato wedges (found @ Hannaford, they don't have them @ Walmart)
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 apple, cut into wedges
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (I knew by the ingredients that we would love this, even without expensive caraway seeds, so I didn't buy them)
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley (another thing I left out)
In a large skillet, saute sausage in butter for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, onion, and apple; saute 4-5 minutes longer or until apple is tender and potatoes are golden brown. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and caraway seeds. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley. 4 servings.
I cannot tell you how happy I am with this recipe. It really tasted so so good. The kids were a bit weirded out by warm apples, but they ate them. Nathan even ate this, but not the potatoes because he doesn't like them. We tried to tell him that potatoes were the main (only) ingredient in french fries but he did not believe us. He's so silly. Anyway this one is definitely a keeper and you should really try it!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
I have never made whoopie pies before, although I have eaten many. Friday at work we had a "whoopie pie party." One of the girls at work has a second job at a place that makes pizzas and desserts, and she brought in a big tub of whoopie pie filling (a 5 gallon bucket. Seriously, I have never seen the likes of it), and we brought the tops and bottoms (BYOTB, Annette said). I did not have a recipe for any parts, so I went to google and found a Rachael Ray recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies, which seemed good since it is fall and everything. I will include the whole recipe, but will not vouch for the filling since I didn't make that part.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1-2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.
I only buy salted butter. In retrospect, I should not have added the salt, since I used salted butter. Oh well. Anyway these were SO moist and delicious. Some of you may remember that my husband does not like pumpkin-containing desserts (he's so crazy). So I like bringing stuff like that to work so that other people besides me can eat them. One friend at work, Sherri Joy, said, and I quote: "It was good." Thank you, Sherri!! Anyway I will definitely keep this recipe because it was easy to make and so so yum. And it's all because of Rachael Ray.
UPDATE: I have made this recipe several times now, and the filling is awesome as well. Not too sweet. It doesn't taste like frosting, like some whoopie pie fillings. It is creamy and perfect. I love this recipe!
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1-2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.
I only buy salted butter. In retrospect, I should not have added the salt, since I used salted butter. Oh well. Anyway these were SO moist and delicious. Some of you may remember that my husband does not like pumpkin-containing desserts (he's so crazy). So I like bringing stuff like that to work so that other people besides me can eat them. One friend at work, Sherri Joy, said, and I quote: "It was good." Thank you, Sherri!! Anyway I will definitely keep this recipe because it was easy to make and so so yum. And it's all because of Rachael Ray.
UPDATE: I have made this recipe several times now, and the filling is awesome as well. Not too sweet. It doesn't taste like frosting, like some whoopie pie fillings. It is creamy and perfect. I love this recipe!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuscan Bean and Sausage Stew
This is the last soup recipe I was saving from Better Homes & Gardens 5 Ingredient Favorites. I love this time of year! Baking and soup and such. This is another crock pot recipe, which I like very much as well. Also I really like smoked sausage or kielbasa or whatever you want to call it. I know it has nitrites and stuff but it's so good!!
Tuscan Bean and Sausage Stew
1 pound cooked smoked sausage, sliced
2 18.5 oz cans ready-to-serve minestrone soup
1 15 oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1. In crockpot combine all ingredients except parmesan cheese.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
3. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
This sounded good, but seemed like quite the mishmash when I put it all into the crockpot. The only ready to eat miniestrone I could find was Progresso, and it had a bunch of stuff in it. I'm not sure how this is going to turn out, it's in the crockpot right now...I am fairly certain that the kids will not like it...probably Steve won't either. I bet we'll all end up just picking out the smoked sausage. Stay tuned, we'll be back after a word from our sponsor.....
I always buy gold from Goldline. With the economy the way it is, the dollar becoming play money, etc. I always invest in gold. Call Goldline at #1-800-555-5555.
Welcome back to New Recipe Night. Well, as luck would have it, Steve actually liked this one! He had seconds, which may be a first for any soup I have made ha ha. I knew Emma and Nathan wouldn't eat it, so they had (any guesses?)..........chicken nuggets. I thought Sam would eat it but I was wrong. I made Easy Cheddar Biscuits to go with this soup, so at least he ate something. So now we have a bunch of this soup leftover. I am undecided about keeping this one or not. It took a lot of ingredients I had to buy, and only 2/5 of the family will eat it. Probably by the time the leftovers are gone, Steve will be sick of it and the decision will be made for me! As I'm rereading this, I notice that I forgot to spinkle Parmesan cheese on top...oh well it was still good.
Tuscan Bean and Sausage Stew
1 pound cooked smoked sausage, sliced
2 18.5 oz cans ready-to-serve minestrone soup
1 15 oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1. In crockpot combine all ingredients except parmesan cheese.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
3. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
This sounded good, but seemed like quite the mishmash when I put it all into the crockpot. The only ready to eat miniestrone I could find was Progresso, and it had a bunch of stuff in it. I'm not sure how this is going to turn out, it's in the crockpot right now...I am fairly certain that the kids will not like it...probably Steve won't either. I bet we'll all end up just picking out the smoked sausage. Stay tuned, we'll be back after a word from our sponsor.....
I always buy gold from Goldline. With the economy the way it is, the dollar becoming play money, etc. I always invest in gold. Call Goldline at #1-800-555-5555.
Welcome back to New Recipe Night. Well, as luck would have it, Steve actually liked this one! He had seconds, which may be a first for any soup I have made ha ha. I knew Emma and Nathan wouldn't eat it, so they had (any guesses?)..........chicken nuggets. I thought Sam would eat it but I was wrong. I made Easy Cheddar Biscuits to go with this soup, so at least he ate something. So now we have a bunch of this soup leftover. I am undecided about keeping this one or not. It took a lot of ingredients I had to buy, and only 2/5 of the family will eat it. Probably by the time the leftovers are gone, Steve will be sick of it and the decision will be made for me! As I'm rereading this, I notice that I forgot to spinkle Parmesan cheese on top...oh well it was still good.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sour Cream Spice Cake
I made this yesterday. It seemed like a good fall dessert recipe. I made it in cupcakes for a few reasons: 1) I was supposed to make a snack for women's Bible study and it seemed like cupcakes would be easier than one big cake. 2)I had to make a meal last night for a family with a new baby and this way I could give some to them. And 3) I have never made this before so this way I could sample one before giving them away to people ha ha. It's from the Betty Crocker cookbook that I've beeng going through.
Sour Cream Spice Cake
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup raisins, chopped (it is hard to chop raisins, even with a PC food chopper. I chopped about half of them, then got tired of it and put the rest in whole)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out because #1 I didn't have any and #2 Steve doesn't like them)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup water
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9 pan or 2 round pans. (I used 2 cupcake pans)
2. Beat all ingredients except frosting with electric mixer on low speed x 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).
3. Bake 13x9 40-45 minutes, rounds 30-35 minutes, (cupcake pans 25-27 minutes), or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost.
So, even though this had many ingredients, it wasn't that hard. I just put everything in my sweet Kitchen Aid mixer bowl and it did all the mixing. These tasted very very good. I was very happy with how they turned out. They were moist and flavorful (of course did you see that it has sour cream, butter, AND shortening??). Definitely a keeper. Not so sure about this particular frosting...
Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tbsp milk
Heat butter (do not use margarine or spreads, it says) over medium heat until light brown. Watch carefully because butter can brown and burn quickly. Cool. Mix powdered sugar and browned butter in medium bowl. Stir in vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth and spreadable.
So I know frosting is supposed to be sweet, but this was almost a little too sweet. And I'm not sure I loved the "browned butter" flavor. But I am keeping the cake recipe, at least. There are a bunch of different frostings in here to try.
Sour Cream Spice Cake
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup raisins, chopped (it is hard to chop raisins, even with a PC food chopper. I chopped about half of them, then got tired of it and put the rest in whole)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out because #1 I didn't have any and #2 Steve doesn't like them)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup water
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9 pan or 2 round pans. (I used 2 cupcake pans)
2. Beat all ingredients except frosting with electric mixer on low speed x 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).
3. Bake 13x9 40-45 minutes, rounds 30-35 minutes, (cupcake pans 25-27 minutes), or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost.
So, even though this had many ingredients, it wasn't that hard. I just put everything in my sweet Kitchen Aid mixer bowl and it did all the mixing. These tasted very very good. I was very happy with how they turned out. They were moist and flavorful (of course did you see that it has sour cream, butter, AND shortening??). Definitely a keeper. Not so sure about this particular frosting...
Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tbsp milk
Heat butter (do not use margarine or spreads, it says) over medium heat until light brown. Watch carefully because butter can brown and burn quickly. Cool. Mix powdered sugar and browned butter in medium bowl. Stir in vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth and spreadable.
So I know frosting is supposed to be sweet, but this was almost a little too sweet. And I'm not sure I loved the "browned butter" flavor. But I am keeping the cake recipe, at least. There are a bunch of different frostings in here to try.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Beef and Barley Soup
'Tis the soup season! Did you guys hear Steve groan from there? Ha ha. He does not love soup. At least, he does not love it in abundance. But for this week and next I am making the soup recipes I had marked this summer that I couldn't bring myself to make in July. It's from the Better Homes & Gardens 5 Ingredient Favorites cookbook. I made some bread in the bread machine to have with it. It is personally one of my favorite things to eat...soup and fresh bread mmmmmmmm.
Beef and Barley Soup
12 oz boneless beef chuck roast (they had this at Walmart but it was like in 3 lb portions...way more than I needed and I didn't want to buy that much...I bought stew beef instead...it's going in the crock pot anyway so I figured it was okay)
Nonstick cooking spray
4 cups water
1 10.5 oz can condensed French onion soup
1 cup purchased shredded carrot
1/2 cup regular barley (as opposed to quick barley, which they do have)
1 tsp dried thyme or oregano, crushed (I used thyme...I used oregano last night...gotta shake it up a bit)
Salt and black pepper
Here are the steps, in the enumerated method:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1/2 inch pieces. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook meat in hot skillet until brown.
2. In a crock pot, combine meat, water, soup, carrot, barley, and thyme.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Don't do like I did and unplug the crock pot instead of the bread machine when the bread is done. The crockpot was off for like 2 hours. Ugh, how frustrating!! But it ended up okay. I like my soup piping hot, so I ended up microwaving my bowl, but nobody else thought it needed it. And the beef was cooked, and the barley was done, the carrots were a bit crunchy but that's okay. This made a bunch of soup so I froze what we didn't eat to have later. I think I will keep this one because it was easy to make it ahead and it will be good to reheat.
Beef and Barley Soup
12 oz boneless beef chuck roast (they had this at Walmart but it was like in 3 lb portions...way more than I needed and I didn't want to buy that much...I bought stew beef instead...it's going in the crock pot anyway so I figured it was okay)
Nonstick cooking spray
4 cups water
1 10.5 oz can condensed French onion soup
1 cup purchased shredded carrot
1/2 cup regular barley (as opposed to quick barley, which they do have)
1 tsp dried thyme or oregano, crushed (I used thyme...I used oregano last night...gotta shake it up a bit)
Salt and black pepper
Here are the steps, in the enumerated method:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1/2 inch pieces. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook meat in hot skillet until brown.
2. In a crock pot, combine meat, water, soup, carrot, barley, and thyme.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Don't do like I did and unplug the crock pot instead of the bread machine when the bread is done. The crockpot was off for like 2 hours. Ugh, how frustrating!! But it ended up okay. I like my soup piping hot, so I ended up microwaving my bowl, but nobody else thought it needed it. And the beef was cooked, and the barley was done, the carrots were a bit crunchy but that's okay. This made a bunch of soup so I froze what we didn't eat to have later. I think I will keep this one because it was easy to make it ahead and it will be good to reheat.
Beef Enchiladas
We had this last night for supper. Steve loves enchiladas. They are kind of a lot of work. I had another recipe I made a while back for something like garlic beef enchiladas or something...these were good too. They are from the Betty Crocker cookbook I am working my way through.
Beef Enchiladas
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup chopped green pepper (I left these out because Sam doesn't like them)
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 whole green chilies, chopped, if desired (I did not...I do not like spice)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
8 6-inch corn tortillas (I prefer flour so that's what we used)
Additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions, if desired
A friend of mine just sent me a recipe and enumerated the steps. I thought it looked nice and easier to read, so I shall try enumerating the steps in this one:
1. Heat oven to 350. (that was a short one)
2. Cook beef in skillet until browned; drain. Stir in onion, sour cream, 1 cup cheese, parsley, and pepper. Cover and set aside.
3. Heat green pepper, water, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chilies, garlic, and tomato sauce to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Pour into ungreased pie plate.
4. Dip each tortilla into sauce to coat both sides. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture onto each tortilla; roll tortilla around filling. Place in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 11x7 inches. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas (that whole pie plate thing sounded messy, so I didn't coat the tortillas. I put some sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, arranged the filled undipped enchiladas into the dish, then poured the sauce over it all. They stuck together somewhat when they were done, so I had to be careful about separating them, but I'd rather do that than get enchilada sauce everywhere).
5. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and onions if desired.
I knew Nathan wouldn't like this so he had PB & J, one of two things on his approved list (the other being chicken nuggets). Sam and Emma both ate theirs. They kept insisting it was spicy, even though it wasn't. I told them I had left out some stuff that would have made it spicy. I do not like spice, so if this was spicy, I would know. And it wasn't. Emma did not want to eat hers. The way we convinced her is that she would not have to eat it next time, she could have PB & J like Nathan, but she had to eat it tonight. She grumblingly obliged. I thought they were quite tasty. Steve really liked them too. It's a keeper!! Let me know, girls, what you think of the enumerated recipes vs. the rambling paragraph form that I usually use...have a good day!!
Beef Enchiladas
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup chopped green pepper (I left these out because Sam doesn't like them)
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 whole green chilies, chopped, if desired (I did not...I do not like spice)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
8 6-inch corn tortillas (I prefer flour so that's what we used)
Additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions, if desired
A friend of mine just sent me a recipe and enumerated the steps. I thought it looked nice and easier to read, so I shall try enumerating the steps in this one:
1. Heat oven to 350. (that was a short one)
2. Cook beef in skillet until browned; drain. Stir in onion, sour cream, 1 cup cheese, parsley, and pepper. Cover and set aside.
3. Heat green pepper, water, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chilies, garlic, and tomato sauce to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Pour into ungreased pie plate.
4. Dip each tortilla into sauce to coat both sides. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture onto each tortilla; roll tortilla around filling. Place in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 11x7 inches. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas (that whole pie plate thing sounded messy, so I didn't coat the tortillas. I put some sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, arranged the filled undipped enchiladas into the dish, then poured the sauce over it all. They stuck together somewhat when they were done, so I had to be careful about separating them, but I'd rather do that than get enchilada sauce everywhere).
5. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and onions if desired.
I knew Nathan wouldn't like this so he had PB & J, one of two things on his approved list (the other being chicken nuggets). Sam and Emma both ate theirs. They kept insisting it was spicy, even though it wasn't. I told them I had left out some stuff that would have made it spicy. I do not like spice, so if this was spicy, I would know. And it wasn't. Emma did not want to eat hers. The way we convinced her is that she would not have to eat it next time, she could have PB & J like Nathan, but she had to eat it tonight. She grumblingly obliged. I thought they were quite tasty. Steve really liked them too. It's a keeper!! Let me know, girls, what you think of the enumerated recipes vs. the rambling paragraph form that I usually use...have a good day!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sizzling Skillet
This is the last recipe for the Fall 2009 Food & Family that I had marked. Many of you who know me know that I love bacon. So what could be yummier than bacon, cooked in a skillet, then chicken cooked in the bacon drippings, then potatoes fried in the bacon drippings? If you can't think of anything else, neither can I. So that's basically tonight's recipe in a nutshell. Here are the details:
Sizzling Skillet
4 slices bacon
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 cups (1 lb) frozen diced potatoes with peppers and onions, thawed (Walmart just got these and I am very excited about that)
4 oz (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet to paper towels; discard drippings in skillet (according to my friend Laura, there are many ways to do this. If you are her friend on FB, see her recent note on the subject)(also don't "discard" the drippings to the point that there is not enough to cook your chicken in...dump out the excess but don't like wipe the pan out or anything). Add chicken to skillet; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; cover and keep warm. Crumble bacon. Add to skillet with potatoes; cook and stir 5 minutes or until heated through. Place chicken over potatoes; top with cheese. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. 4 servings
So as I hinted at above, this was quite a delicious meal. In retrospect I should have served a vegetable with this but next time I will. Definitely a keeper. When I have said above that you are cooking in the bacon drippings, it doesn't end up like fried chicken or anything. It's just like when you use cooking oil or cooking spray or butter, just instead of one of those you use bacon drippings. Okay? It was really good and you should try it!!
Sizzling Skillet
4 slices bacon
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 cups (1 lb) frozen diced potatoes with peppers and onions, thawed (Walmart just got these and I am very excited about that)
4 oz (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet to paper towels; discard drippings in skillet (according to my friend Laura, there are many ways to do this. If you are her friend on FB, see her recent note on the subject)(also don't "discard" the drippings to the point that there is not enough to cook your chicken in...dump out the excess but don't like wipe the pan out or anything). Add chicken to skillet; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; cover and keep warm. Crumble bacon. Add to skillet with potatoes; cook and stir 5 minutes or until heated through. Place chicken over potatoes; top with cheese. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. 4 servings
So as I hinted at above, this was quite a delicious meal. In retrospect I should have served a vegetable with this but next time I will. Definitely a keeper. When I have said above that you are cooking in the bacon drippings, it doesn't end up like fried chicken or anything. It's just like when you use cooking oil or cooking spray or butter, just instead of one of those you use bacon drippings. Okay? It was really good and you should try it!!
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