Chicken Artichoke and Rice casserole

Here's a recipe I've adapted from a small Pillsbury recipe booklet.
It's elegant enough for company.
 It would be a lovely recipe to use for some of that leftover turkey.

This recipe serves 10-12 but you can easily halve it to serve 4 or 5.

White Sauce*

• 6 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper ( I often use Montreal Steak Spice)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk

*2 cans of undiluted cream of chicken soup can be substituted for the white Sauce.
Casserole:

• 1 1/2 cups julienne cut (2 x 1/4 x 1/4") carrots
• 1/2 cup julienne cut green peppers
• 1/2 cup julienne cut red or yellow peppers
• 1/3 cup green onions cut into 1" strips
• 1 tablespoon  butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken cut into strips
• 3 or 4 strips bacon, crsply cooked and crumbled
• 8 ounces shredded cheese ( mozzarella or swiss or montery jack or combination)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice*
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice*
• 1 or 2 14 ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained, and sliced
• 1/4 cup grated Prmesan cheese
• Dried parsley flakes

* I cook 1 cup of a rice blend (found at Costco) which cooks up to 3 cups rice.
For Sauce:

1. Melt margarine in medium saucepan over medium heat (or in microwavable bowl) Stir in flour, salt and pepper.
2. Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly.
3. Gradually add milk and chicken broth, and cook stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. (or cook for one minute intervals in microwave, stirring well after each interval)

For the Casserole:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In large skillet over medium high heat, cook and stir carrots, and peppers in 1 tablespoon butter until crisp tender, adding green onions about half way.
3. Stir in white sauce, 1/2 cup milk, sherry, chicken, bacon and cheese. Blend well and remove from heat.
4. Combine white and wild rice and spread evenly over bottom of greased baking dish.
5. Arrange artichokes over rice.
6. Spoon chicken/sauce mixture evenly over artichokes. (Dish can be covered at this point and refrigerated up to 24 hours)
7. Spinkle with grated parmesan and parsley
8. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until casserole is throughly heated and begins to brown.
   

Country Fried Pork Steaks

Any kind of country fried steak or Schnitzel, be it beef, pork or chicken is a favorite for the one I cook for most.

For this recipe I purchase fast fry pork cutlets and tenderize them with a meat mallet until they are quite thin. You can also use rouladen cut beef or thinly slice some chicken breasts and tenderize them.

Ingredients:

• 6 - 8 slices of fast fry boneless pork cutlets or as many you wish to make
• salt, pepper, seasoning salt and garlic powder
• 2 - 3 eggs
• 1 -2 cups fine bread crumbs
• oil for browning
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup light cream
• 1 - 2 Tbsp flour

Method:

1. Trim fat on meat. Tenderize and season lightly on both sides.
2. Prepare a shallow bowl of whisked eggs as well as a plate with bread crumbs for dipping
3. Pour about 2 -3 tablespoons of oil into a large non-stick or stainless steel frying pan, set on medium heat.
4. Dip each slice into egg, then coat with crumbs and place into heated frying pan.
5. Fill pan, but do not crowd. Brown both sides, repeating with added oil if needed. Keep warm on ovenproof plate covered, on low heat or serve immediately if not making gravy.
6. To make gravy, add sliced mushrooms to pan drippings, stirring for a few minutes.
7. Stir in cream. Shake up flour with a small amount of cream or water and add to thicken.Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

 

Pork Chop Casserole

Earlier this summer I put out a request on facebook for good recipes using apples since our apple tree was full and ready to harvest. My bloggy friend Pat at Mille Fiori Favoriti suggested a family favorite and I tried it  and it was very good. Thank you Pat for letting me share it with our readers.

Pork Chop Casserole

4-6 bone in loin Pork Chops
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
4-5 peeled, cored and chopped apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pan heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter and saute the pork chops on both sides until nicely browned.
Set the sauteed chops aside.
In the same saucepan saute the rice and onions until the rice is golden and onions are soft.
Add the chicken broth and the apples and 1 tablespoon cinnamon and heat till almost boiling.
Transfer this mixture to prepared large casserole dish.
Place the pork chops on top of the rice mixture.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the melted butter.
Uncover the casserole and brush the pork chops with the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture.
Cook for 20 minutes longer or until rice is cooked to tender.

 This will serve at least 5 people and more if you split some of the pork chops.
If you are only serving 4 people use 4 chops and cut down the rice to 1 cup rice and 2 cups broth and 2 cups apples. Or you could add 1-1/2 cups rice and 3 cups broth with 3 cups apples. 

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

On a recent road trip, we stopped off at an ABC restaurant where I had my first pulled pork sandwich. I loved it! On the same weekend, I found a recipe in the July issue of Woman’s World, called Carolina Pulled Pork sandwiches. I’ve changed it up a bit, but however you make it, you won’t be disappointed. It is a perfect no ‘fuss meal’ to serve for a larger group.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 - 3 pounds pork shoulder blade roast
• 2 tablespoons dry fajita seasoning
• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Method:

1. Place onion and garlic in bottom of 3-qt slow cooker. Top with pork. Sprinkle with seasoning.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and salt, until smooth.
3. Pour over pork. Cover and cook on low about 8-10 hours. (to have it done in 8 hours, I cooked it on high for the first couple of hours.)
4. Transfer pork to a plate, reserving sauce in slow cooker. Skim off oil/fat coming to the top.
5. Cool pork slightly. Using two forks, shred pork into bite sized pieces. Return to slow cooker, mixing with sauce. Stir in 1/4 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, according to taste, if desired. Keep warm to serve.
6. If serving the next day, refrigerate and reheat in roaster or other ovenproof dish.

Serving suggestion: Serve on large buns with coleslaw and baked beans.

Tacos

When I was dating my husband, his Mom would often have some of the young people from church over and she would make homemade tacos. They were a favorite then and have been one of the most requested meals from our girls and their friends while growing up. We all gathered in the kitchen and would each be given a few items to chop or grate. Have you ever heard of putting mashed potatoes, peas, and dill pickles in tacos? Well we do and it is tasty! Weird, but tasty! Try it, I think you will agree!

TACO SHELLS

• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt

Whisk ingredients together until you get a smooth runny batter.
STEP ONE-dry frySpray a non stick fry pan with a small amount of PAM
Heat on medium heat until pan is hot. Place about 1/2 cup of batter into the middle of the pan and with the back of a spoon swirl batter into a very thin circle. Allow to set and then flip to dry fry the other side. Place on cooling rack and continue until all the batter is used up. You will have about 6-8 shells. You can use these shells now or for added flavor and slight crispness deep fry in canola oil. They don't freeze well.
STEP TWO-deep fry (optional)Using a deep sided fry pan add about 2 inches of oil to the pan and heat on med-high. You want the oil to be hot enough that when you drop the shell in it sizzles. (not too hot or they get too crispy) I usually just dip the corner of one shell into oil to check it out.
When oil is hot enough drop shells in one at a time , let fry for about 20 seconds and then flip with a spoon and fork and fry about 20 more seconds. They should not get too crispy as you want to be able to roll them after filling. After deep frying each shell place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towel to absorb excess grease. Continue until you have all the shells fried. Once fried they are best eaten right aways. I keep them in a warm oven.
Before I make the shells I usually cut up all the fillings. Put each item in a serving dish ready for everyone to fill their own shells.

FILLINGS

• 1 pound ground beef -fry and salt/pepper to taste(or add a package of taco seasoning)
• 2 cups of mashed potatoes - I add a bit of milk and butter to make them creamy
• 1 cup cooked peas
• diced tomatoes
• diced dill pickles
• shredded lettuce
• finely chopped onion
• grated cheddar cheese
• taco sauce - My in-laws always went to the States and bought La Victoria taco sauce at Fred Meyers. We haven't changed a thing. We still pick up a good supply for us and our married kids. There is just something about an original flavor. You can use any taco sauce of salsa.
  Get creative and add what you like. (sour cream, guacamole, black olives, celery re fried beans)
  You might think us weird, but we also have a tradition that we only drink Good Host Iced Tea with this meal....with lots of ice of course.
  AND our tradition for dessert, home made Chocolate Cake with Seven Minute Frosting. I will post that another time.

Mushroom and Chicken casserole

I had nothing planned for dinner last night so I needed to come up with something when I got home.

 I had 2 cooked chicken thighs leftover from dinner 2 days ago and some mushrooms 

that needed to be used. Here's what I came up with.

 My husband's comment was -"This is something you can make again!" The French Fried onions make the casserole especially good.

• 1 package wide egg noodles
• 1 - 2 cups cut up chicken
• 1 - 2 tablespoons butter
• 1-2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 onion coarsely chopped
• 1 large rib celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 fresh tomato seeded and chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 can cream of celery soup, undiluted (use all of it if needed)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 can French Fried Onions

1. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water until tender.
2. In frying pan, melt butter, (I often add a bit of oil to keep the butter from browning too much) saute' mushrooms, onions and celery until mushrooms are browned.
3. Mix soups and mayonnaise together in a bowl.
4. In shallow buttered casserole dish, layer noodles, mushroom mixture, chicken and sauce.
5. Mix gently with a spatula.
6. Sprinkle with french fried onions.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F  for about 30 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Crepes

These crepes often bring back memories of the couple who was teaching/mentoring us when we were in a young marrieds class. Hank and Joyce modeled true caring and hospitality to all of us and often had a large group at their house on Sundays for brunch. We learned so much from them! I remember large cookie sheets of crepes coming out of their oven and being so impressed with the ease and joy they served us with, together. It made me want to be like that. I have altered the recipe a bit, although I think I would like to try it again in the way that they made them, with a little dry white wine in the sauce. For now I will just write it out the way I’ve made them. Always good! Use leftover, turkey, roast chicken or rotisserie chicken (when it's too hot to cook). Cubes best once it's been refrigerated. The meat goes a long way. I usually serve these with stove top dressing and/or rice, steamed broccoli and a cucumber salad.

CREPES

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup flour

1. Beat with whisk or electric beater.
2. Fill ladle with 3 tablspoons of batter and pour into a small, heated (7 inch) Teflon pan, holding it slightly at an angle and then rotating to cover. Cook just below med heat. Usually no need to grease, maybe spray for first crepe. Makes about 10.

CHEESE SAUCE

•  2 - 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour (mine are rounded, so maybe 3 to be exact)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons cheezwhiz or 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
• 1 Knorr chicken bouillon, divided 

1. In small saucepan, melt butter and stir in the flour with a whisk
2. Add milk, starting slowly, while stirring, and continue until smooth and bubbly.
3. Stir in your preferred cheese and 1/2 of the bouillon cube (use other half in the water that you cook the rice in.)

ASSEMBLING:

1. Mix 1/1/2 – 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken with cheese sauce, saving some of the sauce for topping.
2. Spoon into crepes, roll up and lay side by side into Pyrex casserole dish.
3. Spoon saved cheese sauce over center of crepes and bake at 350 F, 20 min. I usually cover with foil to prevent drying out. You can probably heat them for 10 min without foil. These can be made ahead of time and refrigerated before baking.

BBQ'd Ribs in the Oven

These ribs are a great side to any BBQ, especially in the summer. Pork ribs are pricey, but go on sale quite often and freeze well.

Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 pounds spare ribs (I use back pork ribs)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/3 cup hot ketchup
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper
• garlic powder

Method:

1. Bake spare ribs at 350° F in covered roaster for 1 1/2 hours. Drain fat.
2. In a small pot, sauté onion, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 15 min.
3. Pour over baked ribs and continue baking 1/2 - 3/4 hours, covered.
4. Serve with baked potatoes or pasta and a salad.

Italian Bake

My son was coming home for supper and I thought he would like this dish. He loved it although he requested a tomato soup gravy to go with it. Add a salad and you have a wonderful meal.
This reminds me of shepherd's pie pizza style but with a puffy golden dough topping instead of mashed potatoes.

Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup warm water

1. Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor. With motor running add water and oil just until mixture forms a ball.
2. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 10 turns.
3. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Filling:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, lean
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup green peppers, chopped, I used red, green, and orange for color
• 1/2 cup of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups zesty spaghetti sauce or use your favorite tomato based sauce
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2/3 cups pepperoni, chopped
• 1/4 cup olives
• 3 cups of shredded cheese, divided
• 8 to 10 pepperoni slices for the top
• Sprinkle of Italian Seasoning
• Your choice of fresh chopped herbs

1. Crumble ground beef into a frying pan, add garlic and seasonings. Stir until beef is browned.
2. Add peppers, mushrooms and sauce.
3. Stir in cornstarch, chopped pepperoni, olives, and 2 cups of cheese and cook for a few more minutes, until bubbly.
4. Pour beef mixture into an 11" x 7" baking dish. (approximate size)
5. Roll out dough to fit over the meat mixture.
6. Bake in a 400º oven for 20 minutes.
7. Then sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top and arrange pepperoni slices over the cheese. Sprinkle a little Italian seasoning over all and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is melted and pepperoni slices turn up at the edges.
8. If you desire sprinkle fresh chopped herbs on top it does make the dish look pretty.
9. Place dish on cooling rack and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.
10. Yield: 8 servings

Roasted Grape Tomato and Mushroom Pasta

Cherry tomatoes will soon be ripe on the vine and in the meantime, I have been buying the little cartons of grape tomatoes in the produce section.  Pairing them with mini Bella mushrooms makes a delicious beginning to a quick pasta dish.  You could do this completely vegetarian but I like to fry some boneless chicken breasts in the pan first to add flavor to the sauce.

• 3 cups sliced mini Bella or button  mushrooms
• 3 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more or less to your liking)
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• a handful of fresh basil and parsley mix chopped
• 5 cups baby spinach . .more or less ...if you like more wilted greens. .add more
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Spaghetti noodles for four

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil. I don't use parchment paper here because I don't' want to waste any of the juices that eventually seep through the paper. ..but not the foil.
3. Slice the tomatoes and put them in a medium-sized bowl and add the mushrooms and garlic
4. Toss together with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
5. Spread the veggies in a single layer over the cookies sheet and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
6. Roast about 40 minutes or until the juices have been released and the veggies are beginning to caramelize.
7. While the veggies are roasting. . . preheat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add the oil and the chicken. 
8. Brown on both sides and then cover leaving the lid tilted over the pan so that you don't steam the chicken but still keep the heat in. 
9. Heat the water for your pasta and cook it while you finish your sauce.  Reserve one cup of pasta water.
10. Turn the heat to medium and cook the breasts through.  Remove to a plate and keep warm in the oven.
11. Add the cream to the pan to deglaze it. Stir for a minute to scrape the bits off.
12. Add the veggies and the juices from the cookie sheet into the large skillet.
13. Add the reserved pasta water to the skillet.
14. When the pasta is al dente. .drain it.
15. Add the spinach and the herbs  to the pan and stir one minute until it wilts. 
16. Serve the veggies and chicken over the pasta and grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the dish.

Orange Glazed Chicken

This is a simple, economical and delicious family meal idea I got from my dear long time walking friend. I like to make it with chicken thighs and serve it with orange raisin rice on the side.

Ingredients:

• 10 -12 pieces of chicken
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper, garlic powder 
• 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate (scooped out of the tin)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Method:

1. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper and garlic powder or preferred seasoning salt.
2. Bake on foil lined cookie sheet at 375° F for 40 minutes
3. In a small pot, bring orange juice, butter and ginger to boil. Spoon over chicken and bake another 20 minutes.

Orange rice
Add one tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate per cup of water to rice. Add 3 - 4 tablespoons of raisins just before rice is done, so it plumps.

Tips
For extra flavor and tenderness, marinate the chicken in buttermilk or yogurt for a few hours. Drain, season and follow above method.
Have fresh ginger on hand in the freezer to finely grate when needed, then return to freezer.

Oma's Goulash

This is the goulash that my Oma always made. It has very few ingredients but the flavor is so good. This recipe stems back from Russia, trekked across Europe to Germany, then to Paraguay and finally Canada. Needless to say that her family has been eating this for generations. You can serve this with rice or pasta your choice. A simple salad completes the meal.

• 1 lb round steak cubed, or use stewing beef cubed into smaller chunks
• 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 small can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of cream, or if you must go lighter, milk, but it is so good with the cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 heaping tbsp flour

In a pot brown the beef cubes well. Add barely enough water to cover the meat and cook until tender. About 40 minutes to an hour depending on the meat.
Mix flour with cold water and add the paste to the meat. Cook for a few minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, and the cream.
Heat through and season to taste.
So Kinder jetzt essen (so children let's eat)!

Cabbage Rolls (Holubtsi)



This recipe takes me back to my Mom's kitchen and early years of marriage when I wanted to make something fancy. We called them Galopse ( a variation of the Polish name for them, while others call them by the Ukranian, Holuptsi). Although we don't have these that often any more, (mainly because we have so much to choose from today) I still do enjoy that "comfort food" flavor. It's a good make-ahead meal because they are always good re-heated. Cabbage rolls are great for pot-lucks and very economical. This recipe makes 12-18 rolls. Sometimes I form a few meatballs for those who don't care for the cabbage.

Ingredients:

Rolls / Filling:

• 1 head Savoy cabbage
• 1- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper
• 1/2 grated onion
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups cooked rice

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ chopped onion
• ½ chopped pepper, any color
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups water (approx)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (or 2 teaspoons better than bouillon)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste (according to taste)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 can tomato soup (optional) 
• 1 bay leaf

Method:

1. Place cabbage in a large pot of boiling water and peel off leaves as they become soft. Set aside. If you are using regular cabbage, cut around the core before placing it in the water.
2. In a large frying pan, cook onion and pepper in a small amount of oil until tender. 
3. Mix flour and half of the water in a sealed container until well blended and add to onion/peppers. While cooking, add the rest of the water and stir until smooth and bubbly. Add bouillon and tomato paste. For more sauce, mix more flour and water and add another bouillon cube for flavor. Adjust amounts according to desired consistency and add salt and pepper according to taste.
4. Mix raw meat, salt, pepper, onion, sour cream and cooked rice. Place a few tablespoons of meat mixtureonto each leaf, fold ends and roll up. Place close together in roaster.
5. Pour sauce over cabbage rolls, tuck in bay leaf and bake at 350° F for 1 1/2 hours. 
6. Once cooked, remove rolls to serving plate. If there is not enough gravy, add a can of tomato soup to the liquids in the roaster and bring to boil. With the soup you can also adjust flavors by adding some milk or cream.

Saturday in Norma's Kitchen..making perogies.

My sister Norma and I often talked about making perogies/varenechi together and after they had their kitchen renovations done she suggested we make them in her kitchen and enjoy a meal together with our husbands. We came happily with camera in hand. Norma mixed and rolled and I pinched perogies. Jack watched over the boiling process and John made sure all was done right, oh and he took photos when I was busy.

Norma's Cottage Cheese Perogies, we use the same recipe.

• 1 cup whipping cream 
• 1 cup milk
• 2 egg whites (save yolks for the cottage cheese filling)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups flour (plus extra you need for rolling the dough)

1. Beat together cream, milk, and egg whites.
2. Add salt and flour, 3 cups of flour to begin with then add the rest as needed,  knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
3. Divide dough into 3 parts.
4. Spread a little flour on the counter and roll out each part of the dough to 1/8" thickness.
5. Cut circles with a 3" biscuit cutter, spoon a tablespoon of filling into the center of the circle, fold over the dough and pinch the edges to seal. I do it this way, my sister has her own method. 
6. Place on cookie sheets sprayed with cooking oil.
7. Bring water to boil in large pot, place approximately a dozen perogies at a time in the boiling water.
8. Boil for 10 minutes.
9. When done scoop perogies out of the pot with a slotted spoon and brush with butter to prevent sticking together.
10. Serve with cream gravy, warm Saskatoon sauce, and farmer sausage. Coleslaw is a very good side dish as well.
11. Yield: 35 perogies.

Cottage Cheese Filling:

• 2 containers of dry cottage cheese
• 2 egg yolks and 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1. Mix all together until well blended. I do this by hand. Because that's how Mom always did it. 

Cream Gravy:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and whisk till mixture is smooth.
2. Add the cream slowly stirring constantly until thickened.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Saskatoon Sauce:

• 2 cups Saskatoon berries or you can use blueberries. We like Saskatoon berries the best for this sauce.
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat,  bring berries and water to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. In a small bowl whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
4. Add to berries and stir constantly until mixture is clear and thickened.
5. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

My Dad didn't care for the regular cream gravy so Mom would make his favorite kind and when she made it we all wanted some of it as a topping on the cream gravy. It sure tastes wonderful but it does add extra calories. I don't make it but my sister does and they call it Grandpa's gravy at their house.

Grandpa's Gravy:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup whipping cream

1. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it curdles and turns golden in color.

I love handwritten recipes. Don't you?

Beef Stew

 

Stew is one of those old fashioned comfort foods that most people grow up having strong feelings about. I have always loved the flavor of slow cooked or roasted vegetables in a flavorful sauce - especially with a crusty bun to sop up the juices with. The nice thing about a meal such as this is that it's a great meal to make ahead and tastes better every time it gets re-heated. Much like soup. I got my stew beef recipe from my mom who always made it on the stove.  My friend, Doris told me that she makes hers in the roaster in the oven and I liked that idea because you can pretty well ignore it once it's in the oven. So, go ahead and try this recipe, either in a large pot on your stove, in your Dutch oven, or roaster in your oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds stewing beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 - 1 1/2  teaspoons salt
• good shake of pepper
• paprika
• 2 tablespoons flour if cooking in the oven
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small sweet pepper, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2-3 potatoes, cubed
• ½ large head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2-3 heaping tablespoon tomato paste  mixed with 1 cup water  OR
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 bay leaf

Method:

If cooking on stove top:

1. Trim and cut stewing beef into small, bite size pieces. Brown in oil, cooking and stirring as needed, for about ten minutes or until juices are gone. Add seasonings.
2. Once the meat is browned and begins to sizzle, add onion and stir, cooking until onion is soft.
3. Add water to cover beef and let simmer for about an hour. Add more water as needed to make sure it's cooking in a bit of liquid. Lid should be on with room for steam to escape.
4. Add all of the vegetables, except for the peas.
5. Mix tomato paste with 1 cup water and pour over the vegetables. Add bay leaf. Cook for another hour. Stir as needed and make sure there is always some liquid at the bottom.
6.  Add peas for last 15 minutes of cooking. Adding a flour/water mixture to thicken juices is optional.

If cooking in the  oven:

1. Spray Dutch Oven or roasting pan with cooking spray. 
2. Trim and cut beef into small bite size pieces. Put in roaster. 
3.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and flour to coat lightly.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, stir. Roast open at 400° F for ½ hour. 
4. Add chopped vegetables, tomato sauce and bay leaf. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Cover with lid and bake another 1 ½ hours, adding peas near the end.
5. You may want to check it in between to see if there is enough liquid to your liking.  Add more water if you like it runnier.

Tacosagna

Here is a recipe that is a perfect mid week night dinner. Quick and easy while you are rushing off to the next soccer game or music lesson.
It comes together quickly. Can be assembled ahead of time and baked when needed.

• 1 package of 6" soft tortilla (8 in a package)
• 2 pounds of lean ground beef or chicken / turkey
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 - 19 ounce / 540 ml can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 jar (about 2 cups) of medium salsa
• 4 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt (I used 1/4 cup of each)
• 2 cups low fat shredded Mozzarella, Cheddar Cheese or a combination of both (whatever kind you have on hand)

1. Brown the beef with the onion and green pepper drain the fat if needed.
2. Add the taco seasoning, water, beans, corn and salsa.
3. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. In a 9 x 13 inch pan layer a bit of salsa, tortilla shells, sour cream mixture, cheese, beef, and continue with repeating the layers. It should give 4 layers.
5. Top with the final amount of cheese.
6. Bake in 350 oven for 20-30 minutes and all the cheese is bubbly and melted.
7. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
8. Serve with a fresh crisp salad.

Lasagna

This recipe was shared with me when I was just a newly wed. Over the years I've made minor changes, but all in all, it's a basic lasagna recipe that always goes over well.

Ingredients:

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 1/4 lb lean hamburger
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 - 19 oz can tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon freeze dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon freeze dried basil
• 2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 - 8 cups grated mozzarella cheese (or 4 cheese Italian Mix)

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions. 
2.  Brown meat in large frying pan, drain, add seasoning, tomatoes (while cooking, chop tomatoes into smaller pieces with spatula)) and tomato paste according to taste.
3. Mix cottage or ricotta cheese with egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper.
4. Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with noodles (3). Layer with 1/3 of the meat, cottage cheese and mozzarella. Repeat to make three layers. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350° F - 45 min. (serves 8)
5. For two people: Make 2 smaller casseroles, freeze one (before baking) and you’ll still have left overs to enjoy each time.

Big Batch Lasagna

We love Lasagna but  it takes time to make from scratch.  
So when I do make it, I like to make more than one.  
This recipe made  3 Lasagnas - one 11x13 inch pan, one 8x12 inch pan and one 9x7 inch pan.  The large one went to a birthday party the next day, 
The smaller one went into the freezer of a new mom and
 the third I brought for a potluck family meal at my sister's.
This time I added Italian sausage to the meat sauce for a hearty flavour change., 

For the sauce

• 2 pounds / 1 kg hamburger
• 2 pounds / 1 kg bulk Italian sausage meat
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 red peppers  or 1 red and 1 yellow pepper,chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2  8 ounce / 398 ml cans tomato sauce
• 3  5.5 ounce / 156 ml cans tomato paste
• 2 cups / 500 ml water
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon / 15 ml dried basil
• 1 tablespoon / 15 ml dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons/ 8 ml salt
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml pepper or more to taste

1. Brown hamburger in large skillet, drain and remove to large Dutch oven.
2. Using the same skillet, brown sausage meat, drain and add to hamburger.
3. Add remaining ingredients  to Dutch oven and stir well.
4. Bring to a boil on medium high heat and reduce heat to simmer.
5. Simmer, stirring frequently, for about 1 hour or until sauce is thick. 
6. Note: This sauce can also be used for other casseroles or pasta dishes.

For the Cottage Cheese Mixture

• 1  24 ounce / 750 ml carton 2% cottage cheese
• 2  16 ounce / 425 g cartons Ricotta cheese
• 2 cups / 500 ml grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml chopped fresh parsley
• 3 large eggs, beaten

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Additional Ingredients :

• 1  16 ounce / 500 g box lasagna noodles, cooked 'a la dente' and drained.
• 2 1/2  16 ounce / 55 g packages mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1  4 ounce / 125 g package shredded Asiago cheese
• 1  4 ounce / 125 g package shredded Parmesan cheese

To assemble Lasagnas: 

Note: Assemble one lasagna at a time.  That way you can determine what size the last pan should be according to how much sauce and cheese mixture is left after the first 2 pans are complete.

1. Spread a thin layer of sauce in bottom of pan.
2. Lay cooked lasagna noodles over sauce.
3. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over the noodles.
4. Spoon dollops of the cottage cheese mixture on to the sauce layer and carefully spread it to cover the sauce. (some sauce will still show through)
5. Add a layer of  mozzarella cheese slices.
6. Add one more layer each of noodles, sauce, cottage cheese and cheese slices.
7. Top with a generous handful of shredded Asiago and Parmesan cheese.
8. Repeat with the next pan(s).
9. Wrap tightly in foil and place in a plastic bag and freeze or
10. Cover lightly with foil and bake in preheated 350degree F / 125 degree C oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until bubbling.  (Remove foil for the last 15 minutes to brown top)
11. Set stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This ensures nice firm pieces when you cut it.

Tips:
1. When baking the frozen lasagna, it should be removed from the freezer about 6 hours before baking as directed.  Always give yourself plenty of time to bake a lasagna.  Sometimes it takes a bit longer depending on how cold it is when you put it in the oven.. 
2. Lightly oil the foil before covering the lasagna.  This will help to keep the cheese from sticking to the foil when you remove it during baking.

Lasagne

I think we can all admit...it's the season to change a few of our cooking routines. I sort of like the thought of cleaning up the BBQ and letting the garden take care of itself for the winter months meanwhile, we can cook up some of those warm comfort foods that remind us of the cooler days to come. Today I want to share with you our favorite lasagne dish, which brings comfort on any cold rainy or snowy day. This recipe takes a bit more effort, but if you make it in advance, you have the rest of the day to relax.

Lasagne

• one pound farmer sausage
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1  (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 2  (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
• 2  (6 oz.) canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna, oven ready.
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. In a large Dutch oven, cook chopped sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned.
2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, paste, sauce, and water.
3. Season with sugar, basil fennel seeds, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley.
4. Simmer covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg and remaining parsley and salt.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Assemble: spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
8. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce.
9. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture.
10. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices.
11. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
12. Optional; Cover with foil to prevent sticking or spray foil with cooking spray.  Make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.  I usually do not cover mine with any anything.
13. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
14. Bake it longer 45-60 minutes if lasagne has been refrigerated for a few hours.  Bake until heated and cheese has melted on top.

It's easy to make in advance, up to a day or two, and warm it up as family or company arrives on the doorstep.  Complement it with your favorite salad and my favorite bun recipe.

Farmers' Chili

Al Neenya says we are going to have a cold winter...I've heard others say that also in the past week. So, let's prepare ahead of time and I'll share with you this all-time favorite chili dish. Our family loves chilli any time, but as the kids sat down to supper tonight, one of my family members said, "Hm....this has a smoked taste." Yes, it does...tweak this with some farmer sausage, and you will have one hefty bowl of Chilli.

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 ring farmer sausage cubed.
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 can of canned tomatoes (28 oz.)
• 1 can tomato sauce (14 oz.)
• 2 cans tomato past (6 oz.)
• 1 can kidney beans (19 oz)
• 1 can beef broth (10 oz.)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chilli
• 1 1/2 cups Salsa
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Brown ground beef and saute onions together.
2. Drain off extra liquids.
3. Pour into a large cooking pot.
4. Add all ingredients in order.
5. Simmer and cook for 2 hours on medium heat.

Don't worry too much if all your ounces and milligrams don't match up completely...Just take whatever you have in your cupboard and I'm sure it will have just the right zest. Why don't they have a few standard sizes for cans instead of 5 different sizes?
Oh, by the way, add a fresh salad and don't forget to add some Health Buns.


Marg