Spicy Meat and Cheese Stromboli

This is a favorite at my place and also with all of my family members. And...missionaries love it. It so happens they are coming over tonight, so I decided to make this for them. I wish I had a picture of it, because it is so tasty!! I think we might have had it with the Cline's too.

The recipe actually comes from Rachael Ray so you can link right to it here. The only 2 changes I make are 1. changing the Italian hot ham to canadian bacon, and 2 leaving out the crushed red pepper. But if you like it hotter (Danny and Darcie) all the better. =) This can also be made in one long roll instead of cutting the dough up into 4 separate stromboli's. That way it feeds more and you eat less...although, it really is yummy and it will fill your belly full.

Racheal has a recipe for a sauce to use, but I have never used it. I have used a simple Basic Pizza Sauce instead. Which I use when making pizza too. It's really easy and yummy and you can freeze what you don't use.

Basic Pizza Sauce:
1 TB Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
Table salt - ground black pepper

Cook oil and garlic in med.saucepan over low heat until fragrant; about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, increase heat to med, and cook until slightly thickened, 10-15 min.
Season with salt and pepper.

Easy peasy...and so yummy!!

Bestest Blueberry Muffins Ever

Because I love you guys, I shall no longer withhold this wonderful recipe from you. We went blueberry picking the other day, and had all those fresh, frozen blueberries. So, before I knew it, I, Fran, was suddenly baking in the kitchen. Best decision ever. These are fantastic. So much so that I made them twice in like less than two weeks. Yup. The original recipes had grams and stuff, so I converted it for you guys as good as I could. Should work fine.

Dry Ingredients:
2 absolutely full cups of plain flour (they don't have to be heaped but definitely full to the edge)
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
6 oz sugar (normal sugar, and I think that's a 3/4 cup)
5 oz blueberries (I think that's about 2/3 cup of blueberries...)

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
6 fl oz canola oil (3/4 cup)
6 fl oz soured cream (3/4 cup) - I substituted with fresh plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
a little less than 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
grated zest of 1 small lemon

1. Mix all the dry ingredients well in a bowl.
2. Mix all the wet ingredients well and then pour them into the dry ingredients and mix it all until you have a nice smooth batter. This worked fine with a spoon.
3. Put your batter into your muffin baking dish, and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 395 degrees.
4. Eat all the muffins in 10 minutes.

French Peasant Bread

I got this recipe from Marianne Gessel.

1 pkg dry yeast
2 c warm water
1 Tbl sugar
2 tsp salt
4 c flour
oil
cornmeal
melted butter

Mix yeast, water, sugar and salt in a warm bowl and stir until dissolved.
Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead.
Cover and rise 1 hr or until doubled.
Flour hands and remove dough. Divide into 2 rounds on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
Let rise 1 hr or until doubled.
Brush with melted butter.
Bake 10 min at 425.
Decrease temp to 375 and bake 15 min.
Remove from oven and brush with more melted butter. Serve warm.

Baked Spaghetti

The leftovers multiply in the fridge- seriously this lasts sooo many meals!

16 oz spaghetti
1 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
26 oz pasta sauce
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
2 eggs
1/3 c grated Parmesan
5 Tbl melted butter
16 oz cottage cheese
4 c shredded mozzarella

Cook spaghetti and drain
Brown beef and onion, drain. Add pasta sauce and salt.
Whisk eggs, Parmesan and butter. Mix with spaghetti.
Spread out half of spaghetti in greased 9 x 13 pan.
Top with half the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella. Repeat layers.
Cover and bake 40 min at 350
Uncover and bake 20-25 min

Fancy Quesadillas

Here's another pretty simple and cheap recipe for those who like Mexican food, or American Mexican, or whatever it would be. I guess for those who like tortillas, refried beans, cheese, salsa and the like. :)

Ingredients:

1 pack of tortillas (flour/whole wheat...whatever, as long as you can fold them)
1/2 can of corn
1/2 jar of salsa
1/2 can of refried beans
fresh cilantro chopped
1 lime
grated cheddar cheese
some chopped, fried/baked/out of the can or whatever else works for you chicken (optional)
enchilada sauce (optional)

1. Mix your corn with your salsa, and add the chopped cilantro and lime juice. You can adjust the quantities to your liking and to your family needs. Basically you're just jazzing up your plain bought salsa.

2. Take a tortilla and spread some refried beans on one half of the tortilla. Next, spread the salsa on top of the refried beans. Then add the chicken if you're using any, then the cheese. Fold the 'clean' half over the covered half and fry the baby in a frying pan until both sides are slightly crisp and browned, and the cheese has melted.

3. Pour some heated enchilada sauce over the tortilla when it's done (do that on your plate not in the frying pan).

4. Eat. Repeat the whole process until you have enough. I can usually only eat 1, maybe 2 of those.

This meal can actually really be quite healthy if you use whole wheat tortillas, fat-free beans, and find a good salsa that's low in sugar (and don't overload on the cheese). We really love these, Sophia included, and it's one of my favorite things to make on a Friday night or so. I should mention that these don't really taste good re-heated later. And even though it may sound a little complicated to make them, it really only takes 10 minutes, maybe 15. Unless you struggle with opening jars and cans...

Kay's Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe is super easy, and really yummy. The texture of this bread is better than other homemade breads- it doesn't fall apart when slicing. You can find soy lecithin in the organic section of the supermarket.

3 c white bread flour
2.5 c wheat flour
1/4 c. sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 Tbsp instant yeast
2 quarter sized circles of soy lechithin
2.25 c hot water

Mix dry ingredients. Add soy lecithin and waters. Mix for one minutes and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. Dough should be very sticky. Mix for five minutes (do not add flour to the dough after it's done mixing.) Spray counter and pans with Pam. Shape loaves and cover with a dish towel. (It makes two loaves). Let raise 25 min. Bake at 375 for 25 min.

For whole wheat bread, use the same recipe, but add 1/2 cup of applesauce, 1.5 c hot water, and 1/2 additional quarter size of lecithin. Mix for ten minutes. (I have not made this version, so let me know if it works out!)

Creamy Chicken Chowder

1.5 c half and half
1 c. chicken broth
1 can cream of potato
1 can cream of chicken
2 c. cooked cut up chicken
1/3 c. chopped green onions
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 c. shredded cheddar cheese
white, black and cayenne pepper to taste

Combine first nine ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Once mushrooms are softened, about 20 min, add cheese. Stir until melted. Add peppers to taste.

Sweet Potatoe and Spinach Gratin

This is also vegetarian, fairly easy, fairly cheap, and surprisingly yummy. At least I was surprised when I made it. Kari and Darcie both liked it. Sarah, you never got to try it.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of butter (you'll need a total of 4 tbls)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and liquid pressed out

2 cups whole milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons of butter

2 pounds medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6-8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

1. Peel and slice your potatoes. In the mean time sautee your thawed, drained spinach with about 2 tablespoons of butter and your chopped onion in a frying pan. Season your spinach with some salt/pepper.

2. Make a bechamel (white) sauce by melting your 2 tablespoons of butter in a pot. Then whisk in your flower until it all gets lumpy. Then slowly add in your milk constantly whisking to get a smooth sauce. Then add some salt, pepper, garlic and a pinch of nutmeg to spice it up.

3. Get out a 9x13 or whatever-that-average-casserole-size-is dish, and cover it with a layer of sweet potatoes, some salt and pepper on the potatoes as well as some of your chopped parsley, then your spinach mix, then your white sauce, then sprinkle some cheese. Repeat the whole thing and make one more layer.

4. Bake the baby at 400 Degrees for about 50-60 minutes. Let it stand for about 10 minutes after you pull it out.

P.S. The orginial recipe layered this differently. I've never tried it, but you could. Basically you do the potatoes, then cheese, then spinach, then cheese, then potatoes again, cheese, spinach, and then the bechamel sauce. I think I didn't do that because I didn't have enough room or something. Also, you can stretch your sauce by simply adding more milk, and then a bit more flour if it gets too runny...

Bean and Rice Salad

I told Kari about this recipe the other day, so I'll just post it here. It's pretty cheap, healthy, yummy and vegetarian.

1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of corn
2 chopped avocados
2 chopped bell peppers (I used red and yellow but whatever you like/can afford works I'm sure)
5-6 chopped tomatoes
1 small red onion chopped up
2 cups boiled rice (I use instant brown rice - healthier) mostly cooled
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

3 limes

Throw all of that stuff in a bowl, and don't forget to drain your beans and corn before you do that. Then squeeze in the juice of the 3 limes, add some olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. You could also add a bit of crushed red pepper to add some kick, if you so wish. Mix well. Tastes best right after. Serves about 5 I'd say.

Arugula Salad

1 Box of Arugula
1 chopped Avocado
1/2 can of corn
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1/2 of a hothouse cucumber, sliced and halfed (or you can use one whole funky, short normal cuc)
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 chopped onion if you like - I usually left it out since Kari and Henry are opposed to fresh onions

Throw all that in a bowl, and mix it. Done.

For dressing I'd usually just pour some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over my salad and then some salt and pepper.

Grandma Linnie's Dressing

This is what I always made for the Westland Ward Thanksgiving Feast. It's my Grandma's recipe so there aren't exact measurements. You just kind of taste it as you go. You'll get better at it each time you make it.

9 x 13 pan of cornbread (bake 2 days prior and allow it to dry out)
1 bag of stuffing mix (I like Pepperidge Farm)
Half an onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
Whole chicken, cut up or 6 dark pieces and 6 white pieces
1 can chicken broth
celery salt
salt and pepper
sage

Cover chicken with water and boil with salt, pepper and celery salt.
Boil celery and onion with water in a small pot for 10 min. Drain.
Crumble cornbread. Mix with dry stuffing, celery and onion.
Remove chicken and shred. Save stock.
Add stock to cornbread mixture until "juicy." Add canned chicken broth if necessary.
Season with salt and sage to taste.
Add chicken.
Spoon into a deep 9 x 13 pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours, stirring after first hour.

Finally!

Before I moved several of us talked about swapping recipes but of course we never did. I've often thought about starting a blog for this very purpose but I never did that either....until now. The purpose of this blog is to share those recipes we love, ask for the ones we never got around to getting and sharing new recipes that we think others will enjoy. If you think of any buckeyes who might like to contribute just let me know!