Samantha's Recipes

Chicken Curry

2011-09-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

You would think that with Indian food being my very most favorite food in the world, I would have a lot more of those recipes on this blog. The fact is, I love to eat it but have never been great at making it. All that has changed since I have been on a quest for good and reasonably easy-to-follow recipes. This one is definitely a keeper. I cannot take credit for this photo--I usually photograph my own food--because I borrowed it from the Internet. One of these days I may make that right but for now, this is actually very much what it looks like, sans the naan (Indian bread) because I haven't mastered that yet. Parathas are much easier (basically whole wheat flour and water made into thick tortillas and fried in a pan).

Are you surprised to not see curry as one of the ingredients? That's because you're kind of making your own when you mix all these spices together.

My husband says, "Mmm, I love this food." See if yours does too.

4 TBS cooking oil

2 lb. chicken breast, cubed

2 large onions, chopped

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 TBS garlic paste

1 TBS ginger paste

3 TBS tomato paste

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp garam masala powder

Chopped cilantro to garnish

In a large saucepan, heat half the oil and brown the chicken. Remove and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil and cook the onions until golden brown. In a food processor, blend the cooked onions, tomatoes, garlic paste, and ginger paste until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan.

Heat the mixture and add the tomato paste and all the spices. Mix well.

Add the chicken to the sauce and cook on medium heat until cooked through, about ten minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with hot Indian bread and rice.

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

2011-06-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

This is truly delicious. Don't forget to make up the rice so it's hot and ready to serve when the chicken is done. Steamed carrots with a little brown sugar glaze and a simple salad make this a beautiful meal.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1 cup chopped onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 TBS. olive oil

1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1 TBS cornstarch

3 TBS snipped fresh basil

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

3 cups hot cooked rice

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken in a medium bowl. In a small bowl stir together the curry powder, salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Sprinkle spice mixture over chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours to allow spices to penetrate meat.

In a large nonstick wok or skillet cook and stir onion, garlic, and jalapeño peppers in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Remove onion mixture from wok. Add half of the chicken to wok. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from wok. If necessary, add additional oil. Cook remaining chicken as above; remove from wok.

Combine coconut milk and cornstarch. Carefully add to wok. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Return chicken and onion mixture to wok. Stir in basil and ginger. Cook and stir about 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve over hot rice.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

2011-06-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Benay, for this addition to my cookbook. I use it all the time. These are perfect for a party. Kids love them too if you don't mention the onions. One of our pint-sized guests last night said, "These are great! Can you teach us how to make them?" Here you go:

1 ½ lb. thinly sliced ham

1 lb. sliced Swiss cheese

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 stick soft butter

3 Tbs. poppy seeds

3 Tbs. dijon mustard

2 Tbs. Worcestershire

3 pkg. small rolls (12, unseparated per package)

Mix onion, butter, poppy seeds, mustard, and Worcestershire. Slice rolls while still unseparated and spread paste-like mixture on tops and bottoms of rolls. Lay slices of ham and cheese on bottoms of rolls and put tops back on. Do not separate rolls until after they are baked. Wrap each set of prepared rolls in foil. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cut into individual sandwiches.

These can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. They should be wrapped in foil to be frozen. If frozen, they should be baked for 60 minutes.

Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

2011-05-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law makes this and it's wonderful. I like to make it on Sunday mornings for the church that meets in our house. It seems to be popular with both adults and children. Maple sausage adds a yummy dimension to this crowd pleaser.

6 cups fresh bread crumbs

1 lb. sausage

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped tomato

2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated

10 eggs, beaten

3 cups milk

2 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Brown sausage and mushrooms together. In separate bowl, mix cheese and tomatoes together. In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.

Layer in rectangle pan: 1/2 bread crumbs on bottom, 1/2 sausage and mushrooms, 1/2 cheese and tomatoes. Repeat the layers again. Pour egg mixture over top and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until done.

Cheese Ball

2011-04-30T05:52:00.000-07:00

Super easy. Super delicious. Super popular.

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Dash garlic salt

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Chopped pecans

Mix first four ingredients. Roll into ball. Roll in chopped nuts to cover.

Pesto

2011-04-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

Basil is easy to grow and worth the while if you enjoy this dish as much as my family does. My two-year old devours it.

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 tsp. salt

black pepper

In a food processor or blender, combine oil, nuts, basil, cheese, garlic, and salt. Cover and blend until nearly smooth, stopping and scraping sides as needed. Add pepper to taste.

Toss with hot penne - (I use whole wheat). It’s best served on a bed of marinara. It also freezes well for up to three months.

Masala Chai (Indian spiced tea)

2011-03-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

I got this authentic recipe years ago at an Indian food restaurant in New Orleans. You can buy the ingredients at most health food stores. Go ahead and spend the money because you'll want to make it again and it will still be cheaper than frequenting Starbuck's for their version.

3 cinnamon sticks

4 cloves

4 whole cardamom

2 tea bags

36 oz (4 ½ cups) cold water

12 oz (1 ½ cups) milk

sugar to taste (about 3/8 cup)

Add sugar and spices to cold water. Bring to a boil. Add tea when water is yellow. Boil for 60 seconds. Add milk and return to a boil. Strain and serve. Makes about 4 cups.

Ed's Lasagne

2011-03-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

I would like to say this authentic Italian recipe has been in my family for many generations but the truth is that we are not Italian and my mom got it from her neighbor - an Italian, by the way - when I was very young. I don't think I have ever met anyone who doesn't like it. It's that good.

1 lb. hot Italian sausage

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBS basil flakes

1 ½ tsp salt

1 lb. can whole tomatoes

2 6 oz. cans tomato paste (1 1/3 cups)

1 box lasagne noodles

3 cups fresh ricotta cheese (large container)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 TBS parsley flakes

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 lb mozzarella cheese (thinly sliced)

Cut skin off sausage. Chop up and brown slowly. Spoon off excess fat. Add next five ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook noodles in large pot of salted water until tender. Drain and rinse.

Combine remaining ingredients, except mozzarella.

Place noodles lengthwise (3 across) in bottom of large pan. Spoon sauce over noodles. Layer with cheese mixture. Top with sliced mozzarella. Do this making three layers in all.

Bake uncovered at 375° for 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-12-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

These nutty little treats are light and crispy on texture but heavy on deliciousness.

1 cup shortening (preferably butter flavored)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup natural peanut butter (preferably 1/2 chunky and 1/2 creamy)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Cream together the shortening, brown and white sugars until smooth; add eggs and vanilla and fully combine. Stir in the peanut butter. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly but don't overmix. Roll into walnut-sized balls and press flat with tines of fork to make a pretty design. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Moqueca

2009-09-19T14:03:00.001-07:00

If you like fish, you'll love this. It may be my favorite Brazilian recipe. If you don't like fish, forget it. I'm not going to pretend there's hope for you.

Read the recipe through and be sure you know that it's relatively involved, but oh so worth it. Make plenty of Piri Piri to use the next time you want to cook this. If you make it once you'll want to make it again and you'll be happy to not have to make the Piri Piri twice.

1/2 lb. red snapper, cut into 2-inch pieces (or substitute with any white fleshed fish)

1 cup roughly chopped onion, plus 1 cup julienned onion

2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes, plus 2 tomatoes sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

2 cloves garlic, plus 1 TBS minced garlic

5 TBS chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tsp. salt

3 TBS fresh-squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Piri Piri*

1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk

Place the fish in a large non-reactive mixing bowl. In the carafe of a blender, combine the chopped onion, the chopped tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of cilantro, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the lime juice. Blend until smooth in the blender, then pour directly over the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, and once hot, add the julienned onions to the pan and saute, stirring often until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pan and saute for an additional 30 seconds. Pour the fish and the marinade into the saute pan and add the remaining teaspoon of salt, the Piri Piri, and the coconut milk and stir to combine. Once the liquid comes to a boil, dot the top of the pan with the sliced tomatoes and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the flesh starts to flake, about 10 minutes.

Remove the cover from the pan and sprinkle the remaining 4 tablespoons of cilantro over the fish. Serve accompanied by steamed white rice.

* Piri Piri

1 TBS, plus 1/2 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, smashed

4 cayenne chile peppers, stemmed, ribs and seeds removed, and rough chopped

(or substitute other hot red peppers)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and peppers to the pan. Saute, stirring often, until the edges of the garlic start to turn brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the pan, and remove from the heat.

Place the contents of the saute pan in a blender and add the salt. Puree the peppers and garlic in the blender until mostly smooth. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil through the feed tube of the lid of the blender. Let cool before using, and store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Jambalaya

2009-09-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Leslie, one of the best cooks I know, for this recipe. I lived in New Orleans before I knew anything about cooking so I didn't take advantage of the Cajun recipes in Louisiana. Good thing you did. The only thing I changed was doubling the ingredients to make more.

1/2 cup oil

2 cups finely chopped green onions

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 finely chopped bell pepper

16 oz. tomato sauce

4 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 cups raw rice

4 cups water

4 tsp Worcestershire

dash Louisiana Hot Sauce

2 pounds meat: raw shrimp, chicken, sausage, andouille sausage, etc.

In medium-sized saucepan, sauté the onions, parsley and bell pepper in oil

until the onions are clear. Stir in the tomato sauce and garlic and

continue cooking until the sauce starts to boil. Stir in the rice and

mix well, then add water, Worcestershire, hot sauce and shrimp.

Stir occasionally on medium high. After the water disappears from the

top, turn heat to low and cover tightly. Let steam undisturbed for 45

minutes. Stir to make sure that the rice is well cooked. If not, cover

and check often. Be careful to not overcook.

Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole

2009-05-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone in my family loves this recipe. The only thing we're missing for it in Brazil is sour cream.

2 cups cooked rice

3 cups diced cooked chicken

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (11 to 15 ounces) Mexican-style corn, drained

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, slightly drained

1 tsp. dried cilantro leaves or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro, optional

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. dried leaf oregano

1 TBS. chili powder

¼ to ½ tsp. ground red or chipotle pepper, to taste

4 TBS. butter

2 TBS. flour

1 cup milk

½ cup chicken broth

¼ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

½ tsp. salt

½ to 1 cup Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, optional

In a large bowl, combine rice, chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, and hot pepper. Stir to blend. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; stir in flour until well blended and bubbly.

Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir into the rice and chicken mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as needed.

Pour into a 2-quart casserole sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. If desired, sprinkle with the cheese about 5 to 8 minutes before done. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions and tomatoes, if desired.

Guava Cake

2008-10-07T12:19:00.001-07:00

How about a taste of Brazil for breakfast? Go shopping in the ethnic section of your grocery store for guava paste (sometimes called guava cheese) and maize flour (flakes of corn, not powder like cornmeal). Then enjoy this with a strong, black cup of coffee and pretend you're here.

5 TBS. butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup natural yogurt

2 cups maize flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 TBS. baking powder

1 cup guava paste, cut into cubes

Grease and flour a square pan. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and yogurt until creamy. Add maize flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan and top evenly with guava paste squares. Push squares down into the cake. Bake at 325˚ for about 30 minutes.

Cappuccino Cake

2008-09-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor in Nashville brought this cake to a cookout. It has since become one of my favorite dessert recipes. It seems to be a hit with coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers alike. Just a tasty little treat, or one step closer to total global coffee dependence?

Cake:

Yellow or white cake mix

3 tsp. instant coffee

Follow the directions on the cake mix, diluting the coffee in the liquid. Grease and flour pan. Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes. Poke holes in cake while hot.

Topping:

1 TBS water

2 tsp. instant coffee

1 can condensed milk

Mix well, in order, and pour over cake while hot.

Finishing Touch:

Top with

whipped cream

cinnamon

chocolate shavings.

Panquecas

2008-04-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

This is pronounced pun-keck'-uhz and Jonah thinks you're going to love it. After his first bite, he said to me, "Mom, you make goood food!" I hope you agree.

2 cups flour

2 cups milk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

2 tsp oil

1 pound of ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 tomato, diced 1 can tomato sauce

8 oz softened cream cheese

grated parmesan cheese

Put flour, milk, salt, baking powder, eggs, and oil in a blender and mix until creamy. Add a little oil to a pan and pour just enough of the mixture to spread around and make a crepe-type pancake. Flip and brown on other side. Set aside and make as many as the batter allows.

Brown the meat with onion and tomato. Mix with cream cheese.

Fill each crepe with meat and cream cheese mixture, rolling to form something like a burrito. Cover with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Bake on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Brazilian Stroganoff

2008-04-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

I know the recipe is a bit vague, but the meal is decidedly delicious. I'm in Brazil now and this is the way they do things - relaxed. Use your creative flare to decide what "tender beef" means and how big a "small carton" is. I put in extra tomato sauce and was very happy with it.

2 pounds of tender beef

1 TBS of butter or margarine

1 pinch of black pepper

1 pinch of oregano

1 pinch of rosemary

1 tsp of salt

1 TBS of Worcestershire sauce

1 small carton of heavy cream

1 jar of mushrooms

1 diced onion

1 diced tomato

5 tsp of ketchup

1 small can of tomato sauce

1 jar of palm hearts, diced

Clean the beef, cutting off all fat and slice into small pieces. Spice with salt, pepper, oregano, and rosemary. Melt the butter and brown the meat. Add the onion, tomato, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well then add ketchup, tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and palm hearts. Finally, add the heavy cream and simmer for 15 minutes.

Best served over rice with shoestring potatoes.

Suntanned Turkey

2007-11-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Heather. You are officially the first person to contribute a photo to my recipe blog. I L-O-V-E this! I am dying to see if it actually works or if this is just someone's idea of fun with Photoshop. Either way, it's a hoot.

Please, please try this at home. Then send me a photo.

1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
2. Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan, position the foil carefully.
3. Roast according to your own recipe and serve.

Beef and Bean Tamale Pie

2007-11-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

Hello again, my fellow chefs. Sorry to leave you hanging with nothing new to cook. This is an original, so be kind in your critiques. It is a family favorite that can be served alone; it contains all the food groups. Add a little salsa to make your mouth say, "Aye aye aye!"

1 large sweet green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS cooking oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 6-ounce can vegetable juice
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, undrained
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 8 ½-ounce package corn muffin mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley

In a medium skillet cook sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Brown beef in the same skillet. Stir in kidney beans, pinto beans, vegetable juice, chile peppers, chili powder and cumin; heat through. Spoon mixture into 2-quart square baking dish.

Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions; add cheese and cilantro, stirring just until combined. Spoon cornbread mixture evenly over the top of the beef and bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 400º oven about 25 minutes or until golden. If desired, serve with salsa and sour cream.

Oriental Slaw

2007-09-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Mix each step separately, then combine at end.

1. Dry Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower kernels
¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted
2 packages beef or mushroom flavored Ramen noodles

Break up dry noodles into small pieces. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter. Add to it the flavor seasoning packets for the noodles. Pour butter mixture into pan and sauté the dry noodles, coating with the seasoned butter, for several minutes on medium heat. Combine noodles with toasted almonds and sunflower kernels.

2. Salad:
1 package broccoli slaw mix
1 bunch chopped green onions

Toss these ingredients at the last minute.

3. Dressing:
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Combine dressing ingredients. Toss with salad and dry ingredients just before serving.

Moussaka

2007-09-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

This is a Greek dish that I love. Don't be scared off by all the ingredients; just make it when you feel like cooking. If you never feel like cooking, what are you doing here? Have you ever made one of my recipes? What did you think? Have I earned your trust? Do you believe me when I say this is worth making? Don't feel like you have to answer all of my questions, any one would be fine.

2 1-lb. eggplants, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
¼ cup cooking oil
2 lbs. ground lamb or beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
¾ cup dry red wine
2 TBS fresh snipped parsley
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried oregano, crushed
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg
¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
Dash black pepper
2 cups milk
3 eggs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Ground cinnamon
Snipped fresh parsley

Brush both sides of eggplant slices with the oil. In a large skillet brown eggplant sliced over medium heat about 2 minutes per side. Drain; set aside.

In the same skillet cook ground beef, half at a time, until meat is browned, cooking the onion and garlic with the second half of the meat. Drain off fat. Stir in the tomato sauce, wine, the 2 TBS parsley, the ¾ tsp salt, oregano, and the ¼ tsp cinnamon. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Cool mixture slightly. Stir ½ cup of the meat mixture into the 1 beaten egg. Stir egg mixture into meat mixture in skillet.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the flour, the ½ tsp salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. In a medium bowl beat the 3 eggs. Gradually stir the thickened milk mixture into the beaten eggs.

In a 3-quart rectangular baking dish arrange half of the eggplant slices. Spread the meat mixture over the eggplant slices; top with remaining eggplant slices. Pour the hot egg mixture over all. Top with parmesan cheese and sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon. Bake, uncovered, in a 325° oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares to serve. Sprinkle with additional parsley, if desired.

Gallo Pinto

2007-08-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a little recipe I picked up on our honeymoon in Costa Rica. It means "spotted rooster" in Spanish. We eat it with eggs and toast.

3 cups day-old cooked rice (I often use fresh)
2 cups cooked black beans
2 Tbs onion finely chopped
1 Tbs bell pepper finely chopped
2 Tbs fresh parsley finely chopped
3 strips bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbed
2 Tbs oil
½ Tbs Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbs Tabasco sauce

Sauté onion and bell pepper in oil on medium heat. Add beans and cook 2 minutes longer. Add rice and mix, cook 3 minutes more. Add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and parsley. Mix well. Garnish with bacon crumbs. If desired, top with sour cream.

Tortellini Soup

2007-08-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

You say tortelloni, I say tortellini. I have no idea what the difference is.

This is one of the few recipes of mine that John doesn't just love. But hey, everyone has a right to be wrong about something. The kids love it, I love it, and my guess is you will too. Don't whine about the heat and the fact that I just posted a soup recipe, OK? We all know you have air conditioning and no one's asking you to eat outside.

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
3 cans (about 14 oz. each) beef broth
1 can (14 ½ or 16 oz) stewed tomatoes
½ cup picante sauce
1 tsp basil leaves, crushed
1 pkg (7 oz) dried cheese-filled tortellini
1 green bell pepper, diced
grated parmesan cheese

Cook onion, garlic, and bell pepper in oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven until tender, about 6 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, picante sauce and basil; bring to a boil. Stir in tortellini; simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls; sprinkle with cheese.

Potato Salad

2007-08-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Whether you like mayonaisse or mustard potato salad, you'll like this. It's a little of both. Make sure to use the gold potatoes (usually from California). Sorry, Idaho.

2 lbs. gold potatoes
1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
1 TBS. prepared mustard
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
½ cup dill pickle relish
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Place potatoes and enough water to cover them in a medium saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered for 25 minutes or just until tender. Drain well; cool. Peel and cube potatoes.

Meanwhile, for dressing, in a large bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Stir in celery, onion, and relish. Add the potatoes and eggs. Toss to coat. Cover and chill for several hours.

Brigadeiros

2007-08-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

It's time for something chocolate. These delicious morsels are my very most favorite Brazilian confection. You have to roll them with your hands and they are a sticky mess to make but, hey, you can lick your fingers. I didn't, of course. I wouldn't do anything that unsanitary. I'm just saying you can if you want to.

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 TBS butter
3 TBS cocoa
Chocolate sprinkles

Over medium-low heat, stir vigorously the first three ingredients.
Cook the mixture until it thickens enough to show the pan bottom during stirring (it will be firm enough to stay together and not spread) Pour into a greased dish and let cool to room temperature (or chill a few minutes in the fridge) Grease your hands with butter and take small amounts of candy and form into 1 ½ inch balls.

Roll the balls in chocolate sprinkles to decorate.

If the balls don't hold their shape, cook an additional 5 minutes until it thickens up more.

Beef Bourguignon

2007-07-30T19:28:00.001-07:00

I have no earthly idea how to say this, but I can cook it and eat it, and that should count for something. I saw Paula Deen make this on TV once. I'm sure she said it just fine but I apparently wasn't paying attention. This is not Paula Deen's recipe, by-the-way. Look, never mind her. I'm sorry I even gave you the link to her page. Her beef burgy-something probably looks better and tastes better than mine and I don't need you stopping by there every day to see her instead of me.

1 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into cubes
1 TBS. cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups Burgundy wine
¾ cup beef broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
¾ tsp. dried marjoram
3/4 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 cups fresh mushrooms
4 medium carrots, cut into pieces
2 TBS. flour
2 TBS. butter, softened
2 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled

Hot cooked noodles

In a Dutch oven, brown the meat and onion in the hot oil.

Stir in wine, broth, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Add mushrooms and carrots. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, covered for 25 minutes more or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves.

In a small bowl stir together flour and butter until smooth; stir into meat mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in crumbled bacon.

Serve over hot noodles.

Blueberry Muffins

2007-07-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

My kids told me this morning that these were better than cookies. Nuff said.

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 beaten egg
¾ cup milk
¼ cup cooking oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

1 recipe Streusel-Nut Topping (below)

Grease and lightly flour muffin pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside.

In another bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries and lemon peel.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup two-thirds full. Sprinkle Streusel-Nut Topping over muffin batter in pan. Bake at 400º for 20 minutes.

STREUSEL-NUT TOPPING

¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 TBS. all-purpose flour
2 TBS. butter
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine all ingredients in small bowl with pastry blender.

Brownies

2007-07-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Another stolen recipe! These were originally "Bobby's Favorite Brownies", but I have changed that to the more exciting name you see at the top of this entry. Now, you know I have a bit more creativity than that. So why do I assign such uninspiring names? Let's just say, I don't feel the need for 20 different recipes for any one food. If it's the best in that particular category, it 1.) doesn't need a fancy name and 2.) earns its place on this recipe blog without competition. My recipes don't suffer from low self-esteem; they know they have been chosen from among many others and that I will cherish them forever and wouldn't trade them for the world.

P.S. If you send me a better brownie recipe, I will burn this one and bestow the strong, simple name "Brownie" on the new winner.

¾ cups unsweetened cocoa
½ tsp baking soda
2/3 cup oil
½ cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Stir baking soda and cocoa in bowl. Blend in 1/3 cup of oil. Add boiling water. Stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs, and remaining oil. Stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla, and salt. Blend completely. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour in to lightly greased pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Banana Pudding

2007-07-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

I made this for some guests we are having tomorrow. I also made it for some guests we had last week. I can't figure out why I can't lose weight.

This recipe is pirated from a good friend. (You know who you are.) I'm sorry, it was just so delicious that I needed to share it. Please forgive me for passing it off as one of my tried and true recipes. Actually, I'm not very original. Every good idea I've ever had came from someone else. Even that - what I just wrote - was what someone once told me.

1 large box (4.6 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. Cool Whip
Vanilla wafers
2-3 medium bananas

Mix instant pudding with milk and sweetened condensed milk. Add Cool Whip.

In a bowl, layer pudding mixture with vanilla wafers and bananas. Chill.

Banana Bread

2007-07-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

Look what we had for breakfast. Yummm.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
1 ½ cups mashed bananas (5 medium)
1 cup sugar
½ cup cooking oil or melted butter
¼ cup chopped walnuts

1 recipe Streusel-Nut Topping (below)

Grease bottom and ½ inch up the sides of a loaf pan; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle Streusel-Nut Topping over batter.

Bake in a 350º oven for an hour or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

STREUSEL-NUT TOPPING

¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 TBS. all-purpose flour
2 TBS. butter
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine all ingredients in small bowl with pastry blender.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-07-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

I am sharing my secret with you. You can't imagine how many times I have been asked if these are the Nieman-Marcus cookies. I'm not charging you anything for the recipe (except maybe some feedback in the future about how they turned out for you). I've perfected this recipe over the course of many years and, chances are, if you know me you've eaten these.

¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup of butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
2 cups rolled oats

Preheat oven to 375º. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla, egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts, chocolate chips, and oats. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Beef Brisket with Barbecue Sauce

2007-07-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

I guarantee this to be one of the best pieces of meat you have ever put in your pie hole or your money back.

1½ cups water
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS vinegar
2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 2½-pound fresh beef brisket

1 cup catsup
4 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS butter or margarine

For cooking liquid, in a bowl combine water, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, bouillon granules, dry mustard, chili powder, red pepper, and garlic. Reserve 1 cup liquid for sauce; set aside in the refrigerator. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut brisket to fit into crockery cooker. Pour remaining liquid over brisket.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours.

For sauce, combine the 1 cup reserved liquid, catsup, brown sugar, and butter. Mix into the brisket sauce.

Chili

2007-07-05T16:59:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, it's hot outside and this is the last thing on your mind. But it's ever so good with fresh summer tomatoes instead of canned.

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 medium chopped onion
1 medium chopped sweet green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. dried basil, crushed
¼ tsp. black pepper

In a large saucepan cook ground beef, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender; drain fat. Stir in kidney beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, basil, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Meat Loaf

2007-07-04T17:27:00.001-07:00

Doesn't sound exciting? Then why does my family love it so much? This is one of the few meals where both of my kids want seconds. I usually make it with mashed potatoes and peas. But for the love of all things edible, buy the good ground beef - it makes all the difference.

2 eggs
¾ cup milk
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or 2 cups soft bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped onion
2 TBS snipped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp black pepper
1½ pounds ground beef

¼ cup catsup
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard

In a bowl combine eggs and milk; stir in bread crumbs onion, parsley, salt, basil, and black pepper. Add meat; mix well. Lightly pat mixture into a loaf pan or small pie plate.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

In a bowl combine catsup, sugar, and mustard; spread over meat. Bake for 10 minutes more.

Spinach Quiche

2007-07-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe is for all of you real men out there. Actually, not only do real men eat quiche, but they also admit it. So cook it up, eat it, love it, and tell all your friends. I stole this from Betty Crocker but I asked her and she said it was OK. I changed a few things to make it a little less ridiculously bad for you like the six slices of bacon (DON'T DO IT) in the original recipe. I use three or less. I figure one of the left-out pieces may contain the very particle of cholesterol that would have sealed the clog in my artery.

1 recipe pie crust (below)
½ cup chopped onion
3 slices bacon, chopped
8 beaten eggs
½ cup dairy sour cream
½ cup milk
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
3 cups lightly packed chopped fresh spinach
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
Cherry tomatoes, cut up

Prepare and roll out pastry for single crust pie. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry. Trim, crimp edge as desired. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450º oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or until pastry is set and dry. Reduce oven temperature to 325º.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook onion and bacon until onion is tender and bacon is crisp. Drain on paper towels.

In a bowl stir together eggs, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, and, if desired, nutmeg. Stir in onion mixture, spinach and cheeses.

Pour egg mixture into hot, baked pastry shell. Bake in the 325º oven 45 top 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent overbrowning. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with cherry tomatoes.

PIE CRUST

1 ¼ cups flour
pinch salt
1/3 cup oil
3 - 4 TBS. water

Makes one single crust.