Baked Oatmeal with Apple and Cinnamon

I had no idea this tasted this good until I had it at my daughter's. It's one of those comfort foods that I could have for breakfast or for dessert. This can be prepared the night before; refrigerated and baked in the morning.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups oats or quick oats (not instant)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut (optional)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 apple, grated
• 1 cup milk

Method:

1. Mix ingredients in order given and pour into greased 8x8 inch pan.
2. Bake at 350° F for about 30 minutes
3. Serve warm with milk and brown sugar (optional).

It's a piece of cake to wrap up for breakfast on the go, or lunch.

Berry Crumble (or Apple Crumble/Crisp)

I got this recipe from the Mennonite Treasury and usually make it with apples, but lately I’ve liked using a combination of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
I also like to make a larger batch of the crumble mix (times it by four) and freeze it for a quick dessert another day. Most times I add slivered almonds or chopped pecans.

Ingredients:

• 3 - 4 cups berries or chopped apples (Granny Smith or Graffensteins are good)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cups rolled oats

Method:

1. Place fruit in a pie size baking dish. 
2. Blend the rest of the ingredients with a pastry blender until all the butter is blended in to make a crumb mix. 
3. Squeeze to make larger chunks as you sprinkle it over the fruit. 
4. Bake at 350 F about 30 min. Serve hot, with ice cream. Serves 4-6

PS The crisp in the photo is baked in individual serving dishes.

Schwartzies

This hash brown dish takes a few minutes to mix and is a good addition to a brunch or main meal. Last Sunday morning I added some peeled and cut farmer sausage in a separate dish with a little water. I covered both dishes, pre-set the oven and we came home to a ready meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (2 lb) frozen hash browns
• 2 cans cream of mushroom
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. fine onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt,
• pepper
• 2 cups grated cheese
• sprinkle Parmesan cheese
• paprika

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then spread into 9x13 Pyrex dish. For four people I do half the recipe in a 1 quart casserole dish.
2. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika.
3. Bake 1 hour at 375° F.
   
   Variation: Add cubed cooked ham or bacon bits.

Cottage Cheese Blintze

I'm bringing back these blintzes for Flashback Friday. They are an old favorite of ours. I know there are other ways of making them but this is how I make them. Sometimes I roll them up instead of these bundles..the taste is the same. I use the recipe for German pancakes to make the blintzes. I changed it up a wee bit.

German Pancakes:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk

1. Mix flour and salt, add eggs and milk. Beat until free of lumps, this makes a thin batter.
2. Heat up a cast iron frying pan, works in other pans but I like my well seasoned cast iron pan the best and when 'almost smoking hot' brush with butter and pour approx 1/4 cup batter in the pan tilting the pan till a thin layer covers the bottom of the pan.
3. Cook on med high until dough is set. Turn and cook until golden brown underneath. Watch carefully as these brown up fast.
4. Pile up on a plate and keep warm in oven.

Cottage cheese mixture for the blintzes:

• 1 375g tub dry cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix well and start making the blintzes.
2. Place a spoonful of cottage cheese mixture in center of pancake, fold in the edges and place folded side down in well buttered cast iron frying pan.
3. You may now just pile them all up in the pan as I did and bake them covered at 350 for 15 to 20 min OR brown the blintzes in the frying pan and serve immediately. They are delicious served with cream gravy.

Cream gravy:

• Melt 3 tbsp butter in frying pan, add 1 cup whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil over high heat. I also add a pinch of sugar.
• Turn oven down to medium heat and cook until gravy thickens, stirring frequently. 
• Pour over blintzes and enjoy. These are good served with farmer sausage and coleslaw.

Chicken Noodle Soup

When I make homemade Chicken Noodle Soup I use a whole fryer or broiler chicken. I don't use all the meat for the soup. Once the broth has simmered several hours I allow the broth to cool enough to handle the chicken. Remove the chicken using a small colander with a handle. Take off the two breasts and use them for another meal that needs chopped chicken. The options are endless. You could make a casserole or just use it for sandwiches or for wraps. Since the chicken had simmered in the seasoned broth. . .it will be flavorful for another use. With the rest of the chicken I remove from the bones from the meat and put the meat back into the broth. If we are not eating the soup that day .. .I refrigerate the broth and then before reheating .. .I remove all the solid fat at the top of the broth.

• 1 chicken
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 star anise
• 5 cloves
• a small handful chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon Maggi seasoning ( optional )
• salt to taste

1. Put your chicken in a soup pot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil and add the spices (not the parsley) which you have tied into a bit of cheesecloth.
3. Simmer for 2 -3 hours.
4. Remove from heat and take chicken off the bones when it is cool enough to handle.
5. Remove the breasts and refrigerate for another use. Remove the rest of the meat from the bones and put back into the broth.
6. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the Maggi seasoning and parsley.
7. Simmer for 1/2 hour and taste and adjust the salt and Maggi seasoning if needed.
8. Serve the broth over cooked fine egg noodles. (Do not store leftover soup with noodles. .keep them separate)

Baked Spaghetti

This is a good old-fashioned one-dish dinner, easy to prepare in advance and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.  It can also be frozen unbaked and partially thawed overnight in the refrigerator before baking.  If I am not cooking for a crowd, I split this recipe into two smaller 9" pans...one to serve and one for the freezer.  Baked spaghetti is a favorite of young and old alike!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound lean ground beef 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 4 cups prepared pasta sauce (use your favorite bottled variety or prepare your own)
• 2 cups creamed cottage cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone. Drain and rinse. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook until meat is browned. (Use a potato masher to break up the lumps of meat while sautéing.) Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté another minute. Stir in the pasta sauce.
3. Spray 9" x 13" deep-dish casserole with cooking spray.
4. Cover bottom with a layer of meat sauce (about half).
5. Spread cottage cheese over sauce.
6. Add the pasta and spread evenly in pan.
7. Spoon remaining sauce over entire dish.
8. Sprinkle surface with Parmesan cheese and top with mozzarella
9. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. 
10. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted  and bubbly. 

Potato and Farmer Sausage Casserole

I remember how Lovella thought she might lose a “whack of readers” when she posted a recipe that called for farmer sausage.  Where it's readily available, this smoked pork sausage seems to find its way into all kinds of recipes. If you prefer, you can substitute it with smoked ham. This is really just a version of scalloped potatoes and adding the meat makes it an easy family meal. I got the recipe from a friend, Karen, a number of years ago, but have changed up the sauce amounts a bit over the years. If you use a few more potatoes, just double the first 5 ingredients of the sauce.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 - 3/4 link farmer sausage, peeled and sliced

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• ½ - 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

1. Arrange potatoes and farmer sausage in layers in greased 8 cup casserole dish. If you use the slightly larger version of the recipe ( 8 potatoes, 3/4 - 1 link sausage, double milk and cheese) a 9x13 Pyrex pan is good. 
2.  Melt butter; blend in flour, salt and milk gradually, stirring constantly. 
3. Add cheese and soup, stirring until sauce cooks. 
4. Pour over potatoes and sausage. I like to layer it with the sauce.
5.  Bake at 375° F for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours. Serves 6 (8 with larger version) You can leave uncovered until it starts to brown (45 minutes) and then cover with foil, or the other way around. 

Cabbage Roll Soup

 I'd describe this soup as half way between Borscht and Hamburger Soup. And for me.....soda crackers with butter are a given when serving a tomato based soup....it's a taste from childhood for me. 

(This recipe if made as directed is gluten free)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, diced fine
• 1 cup celery, sliced fine
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups low sodium beef broth ( gluten free)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 4 cups canned diced tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice ( I use Kokuho Rose gourmet sticky brown rice, which is wheat and gluten free)
• 2 cups cabbage, finely chopped (or more)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Method:

1. Fry ground beef in large soup pot over medium heat breaking up the ground beef as it fries to make it very fine.
2. Once beef is half way cooked through add the onion, celery and parsley. Continue to cook meat and vegetables until onions are translucent. 
3. Add water, broth, diced tomatoes and the spices and bring to a light boil. 
4. Immediately add rice and cabbage. Turn to a low simmer and allow soup to cook for an hour, but it's even better if you leave it too cook for several hours for all the flavours to combine.

Note: This soup will be quite thick. If you like a less thick soup add an extra cup of water. 

If you don't have tomato sauce substitute with a can of tomato soup.

Portzelky (New Year Fritters)

By the sound of the name, I imagine that these New Years fritters were adopted from our Ukrainian roots. My own mother was not in the habit of making these, but the family I married into was, so I chose this recipe many years ago, submitted by a Mrs. J. H. Peters to the Mennonite Treasury of Recipes. The trick is to make sure that the oil is the right temperature, so it is good if you can use an electric pan or fryer where you can set it. This recipe makes 3 dozen.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1/2 cup prunes cut into small pieces
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites, beaten stiff
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 litre Canola oil (approx) for frying

Method:

1. Rinse raisins with boiling water to plump
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, water, salt, sugar, soda, raisins and prunes.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and yeast, adding some to the liquids.
4. Stir egg yolks into batter and then add the rest of the dry ingredients to make a heavy batter which will be rather stiff.
5. Fold in beaten egg whites with spatula
6. Cover and let rise until double in size. (half to one hour)
7. Using two regular tablespoons (one for scooping and one for scraping) drop into hot oil (about 375° F or 190° C), turning over once and frying until brown. I also like to use a cast iron for deep frying. Pop in a few kernels of popcorn, once they pop, you know the oil is hot enough. 
8. Scoop into a paper towel lined pan and roll in sugar while still warm.

Happy New Year!

Turkey Enchiladas

 Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States and many of us will be gathering around the table with family and friends to have our traditional meal of Turkey with all the fixings and side dishes that our families enjoy. For dessert there will be pumpkin pie and other favorites. Over the next few days we might wonder what to do with the leftover turkey. Here is one idea for those leftovers.

• Flour or Corn tortillas
• Shredded cooked turkey
• Shredded Cheese
• Refried or whole beans (black, ranch or pinto)
• Enchilada or Ranchero Sauce

Take one flour or corn tortilla at a time and fill with shredded leftover turkey, a little shredded cheese and refried or whole beans.  Fold and place seam side down in a casserole dish side by side. Cover with your favorite sauce and more cheese.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until sauce bubbles well and cheese melts.

I used green enchilada sauce and flour tortillas because that is what I had on hand. Corn tortillas would lend themselves well to this recipe. A red ranchero sauce instead of the green enchilada sauce would be a moce alternative.You could also substitute your favorite salsa in place of the sauce for this simple turkey leftover dish. If you only need a quick meal for one, place ingredients in your choice of tortilla and heat in the microwave.

Happy Thanksgiving! We at MGCC are very thankful for all of you!