Lasagna (Meatless)

Ingredients:

• 9-12 Lasagna Noodles
• 1 Pint Cottage Cheese
• 4 Eggs
• 1/4-1/2 C Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 C+ Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/3 C Parsley
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• ~1 C Grated Mozzarella Cheese
• Spaghetti Sauce (We like Prego Mushroom)

Preheat oven to 375* F.  Cook Lasagna noodles about 1/2-2/3 recommended cook time (~6 minutes) and drain.  Meanwhile, combine eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.  In pan, layer two repetitions of noodle, cottage cheese mixture, spaghetti sauce, and mozzarella topped with a layer of noodle, spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese.  I won’t tell you what size of pan because you might prefer two thin layers or two or more thicker layers.  We like to use small loaf pans and make individual lasagnas.  They look really classy and are easy to serve and portion.  Bake 30 minutes at 375*.  Consider aluminum foil or a cookie sheet beneath pan in case of spilling over.

 

Sticky Buns

A favorite from my in-laws.  While this recipe is intended for dutch oven/camping opportunities, we may have been guilty of making them in the oven because they are just that good and we can’t wait for the next camp-out!

Ingredients:

• 18 White Frozen Rolls (we like Rhodes)
• 1/2 C Melted Butter
• 1/2 C Brown Sugar
• 1 t Cinnamon
• 1 C Chipped Walnuts
• 1 sm pkg Butterscotch Pudding Mix (not instant)

If using a dutch oven, place rack inside.  Line dutch oven or deep pan (if cooking indoors) with foil.  Spray with cooking spray.  Cover bottom with nuts.  Using a spoon, dip each roll in butter and arrange in bottom of oven/pan.  Add dry pudding cinnamon and sugar to remaining butter.  Mix and then spoon over rolls.  Cover with lid and let stand over night.  Do not refrigerate.   In the morning:

• For 12″ dutch oven, prepare 25 charcoal briquettes.  Rest oven on 8 briquettes and place 17 briquettes on lid.
• For 14″ dutch oven, prepare 32 charcoal briquettes. Rest oven on 11 briquettes and place 21 briquettes on lid.
• For indoor cooking, preheat oven 350 and insert pan.

Bake 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.  Invert onto a cookie sheet or large platter.

 

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 2 T Shortening
• 3 T Flour
• 2 T Chili powder
• 1 t Cumin
• 1 t Garlic powder
• 2 C Water
• 4 oz Tomato paste
• Beef (such as Country Style Beef Ribs)
• Tortillas
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Heat and blend shortening and flour in sauce pan.  Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, water, and tomato paste.  Stir until blended and cook another 2-3 minutes.  If you start early enough in the day, you can put the sauce and the beef in a slow cooker/crock pot on low for 5-8 hours.  This variation makes the beef easier to shred (plus the house smells like Mexican food all day).  If you don’t have all day, however, you can add the beef to the sauce pan and let it simmer for 1.5 hours.  Remove the beef and shred it using two forks.  Wrap the shredded beef in tortillas.  Top with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese and warm in the oven.  I like to serve this with refried beans and Mexican rice.

 

Chili

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 C diced onion
• 3/4 C diced green pepper
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 14.5 oz can pinto beans
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 t salt
• 2 t chili powder
• 1 bay leaf

Brown beef in large pot.  Add onion and green pepper (cook until tender).  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and simmer for approximately 1 hour, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.

 

Falafalas

Ingredients

• 16 oz can garbanzo beans
• 16 oz can white/pinto beans
• 1/2 C fresh chopped parsley
• 2 T fresh chopped cilantro
• 2 eggs
• 1 medium cucumber (peeled and diced)
• 1 medium yellow onion (peeled and diced)
• 3 cloves garlic or comparable amount of garlic powder (3/4 tsp?)
• pepper
• salt
• flour
• vegetable oil

Combine all ingridients (except spices, flour, and vegetable oil) in blender and puree.  When batter is smooth, pour into a large bowl and mix in spices (salt and pepper to taste.  Add flour about a 1/4 C at a time until batter is a little thicker than pancake batter.  Heat vegetable oil in large pan (1/4 to 1/2 inch deep).  Drop about 1/3 C of batter into oil and fry over medium to medium high heat until golden brown (3-5 minutes on each side).

Serve with pita bread, diced tomato, diced avocado, and ranch or blue cheese dressing

 

Lemon Spritz Cookies aka So-You-Hate-Sugar-Cookies

I have never liked sugar cookies.  I grew up making lemon spritz cookies at Christmas time with a cookie gun.  Recently, I discovered the wonderful versatility of the spritz cookie.  This cookie can replace nasty sugar cookies as one to use cookie cutters with and have fun decorating with frosting and sprinkles!  The only catch is that it is a bit more difficult to roll out.  It’s worth it, though, I promise!  The animal cookies pictured were left white and I only dyed the frosting.  With the watermelon shaped cookies, I dyed the dough green and cut into circles.  After cooking, I dyed the frosting pink and topped with chocolate sprinkles.  (See Recipe: Best Frosting Ever)

Ingredients:

• 1 C Margarine
• 2 3/4 C Flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 t lemon peel
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1 C sugar

Cream butter with cream cheese (should be like whipped butter).  Gradually add sugar.  Beat in egg yolks, lemon peel, flour, and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Color with food coloring as desired.  Chill for 1 hr.  Shape using cookie press or rolling out between two sheets of wax paper and using cookie cutters.  Bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

 

Everyone’s Favorite Potato Salad

I have never had another kind of potato salad that I liked, probably because most had ‘crunchies,’ which I don’t like.  My husband does not like pickles.  Growing up, he also believed he did not like potato salad, although his mother assured him there were no pickles in it.  He only discovered after we had been married for two years that, not only did he like my potato salad, but his mother had been putting pickle juice in hers all those years!  I have brought this potato salad to every pot luck and BBQ I have ever attended and it has never failed that at least one person has asked for the recipe.  I tried to find the origins of potato salad and reports vary wildly; however, it appears that my recipe is a cross-breed between German and American versions.

Ingredients:

• 5 Medium Potatoes
• 5 Eggs
• 3/4 C Mayonnaise
• 1 T Mustard
• 1 t Vinegar
• 1 T Milk
• >1/2 t Onion Powder
• 1/4 t Garlic Powder
• 1/2 t Celery Salt
• <1/2 t Dill Weed
• 1/2 t Pepper
• 1/4 t Paprika

Hard boil eggs (slowly bring to a boil, turn down and simmer 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, drain and fill pan with cool water, let sit until eggs are cooled).  Peel and quarter potatoes.  Boil until soft enough to spear with a fork (about 15 minutes).  Blend liquids and spices in large bowl.  Drain potatoes and add to liquid/spice mixture.  Peels eggs.  Slice 4 eggs in three directions and add to mixture.   Stir well.  Even out surface with a spoon.  Slice the last egg in only one direction and arrange slices along the top.  Shake a small amount of paprika over the top.  Can be served still warm (YUM) but keep refrigerated.

 

Nacho Bites

Doesn’t take much more work than regular nachos.  Less mess to serve.  Also fun as a party appetizer.  A family favorite!

Ingredients:

• Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips (or any bowl shaped tortilla chip)
• 1/2 lb Ground Beef
• Taco Seasoning
• 1 can Refried Beans
• Finely Grated Cheddar Cheese
• Avacado, Peeled and Cut in Small Pieces
• Sour Cream
• Salsa

In frying pan, combine ground beef and taco seasoning (an arbitrary amount according to your taste buds) and brown beef.  Set out individual chips in rows on a cookie sheet (we fit about 30).  Add a small amount of beef to each chip.  Next add a small amount of beans and top generously with cheddar cheese.  Turn oven on broil and put in the oven until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and top with sour cream, chunks of avocado and salsa.  Use your own favorite nacho toppings!

 

Scallops with Pasta and Herbs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb scallops
• olive oil
• flour
• salt
• pepper
• basil
• Mushrooms, washed and quartered
• Garlic Salt
• Margarine/Butter
• 6 oz (uncooked) bowtie noodles
• Thyme
• Bay leaf
• Garlic
• Diced Tomato
• Parmesan cheese

Put noodles on to boil.  Put scallops in a Ziploc bag with flour, salt, pepper, and basil.  Shake until coated.  Heat olive oil in small frying pan and fry scallops until cooked through (cut in half with spatula to verify complete change in opacity), turning regularly.  In another pan, sautee mushrooms in garlic salt and margarine.  Meanwhile, heat margarine in saucepan with thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, garlic, basil, diced tomato, and Parmesan.  Stir until blended.  Drain noodles.  Combine noodles, mushrooms, scallops, mushrooms, and sauce.

 

Dodo and Nigerian Stew

Ingredients:

• 3 Plantains (on the yellowish end)
• Vegetable Oil
• >1 lb chicken
• 1/4 red bell pepper, minced (I minced it all and froze the remainder in three separate bags for next time)
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 14.5 oz can diced tomato
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• <2 C water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube or equivalent
• Salt and Pepper
• Thyme
• Rice, preferably basmati or jasmine

This recipe can be made on the stove or in the crock pot.  Watch for distinction in directions.  Sautee onion and bell pepper in tomato paste in fry pan for crock pot or large stew pot for stove.  Move to crock pot if cooking that way.  Add chicken, diced tomato, bouillon, salt and pepper to taste, a dash of thyme, and water (less than one cup for crock pot, 1-2 cups on stove).  Don’t add too much water–remember, the diced tomato were canned in water and you don’t want it to taste too watery.  Simmer (1.5-2 hrs on the stove or >6 hrs in the crock pot), stirring occasionally and watching viscosity.  During the last 30-60 minutes, peel plantains by chopping off the ends, slicing down the side (just through the skin), and removing the skin.  Slice at an angle to make elongated pieces about a thumb joint thick.  Heat vegetable oil in frying pan.  Place plantain pieces in oil not touching.  Turn when the bottoms are light to golden brown.  Remove after the other side has reached a similar color and place on a napkin-lined plate to absorb excess oil.  Add plantains to stew and cook for a minimum of 10 additional minutes.  Cook rice according to instructions.  Serve with stew over rice.