Pie Crust

Estimated Cost: $1.25
Notes: Making your own piecrust is inexpensive and delicious!
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
5 tablespoons cold shortening
5 tablespoons cold butter
6 tablespoons and more ice water


Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in fats. Drizzle with ice water and shape into ball. Roll out and place in 8 or 9 inch pie dish.

Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

This is one of Isaac's favorite meals and I almost misplaced the link for it, so I' better get it posted.

Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

Vegetable Frittata

This was a last minute dinner thrown together with low expectations, but was such a hit I thought I'd better write it down before I forget.

6 eggs
3 Tablespoons cream (or milk)
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

3 small yellow potatoes
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl combine eggs, cream, and spices.

Wash potatoes and pierce with a fork. Cook according to microwave's directions for baked potatoes until soft, then dice. In an oven-proof skillet saute onions and pepper in 2 Tbsp olive oil until onions are translucent. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Turn off heat and add egg mixture and cheese. Stir to combine. Place in oven for about 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

We are this with leftover muffins from the freezer and fresh pears. Not a word of complaint was uttered, and all the food was devoured.

Lemon Sesame Dressing

Liz brought me some coleslaw with this dressing in place of the the stereotypical creamy kind. I licked the bowl clean, and then called for the recipe, made it and ate it with a spoon. Maybe I'm just pregnant, maybe it's just that good.

1/3 c. olive oil (more or less to taste)
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
small clove of garlic, crushed (I used powder)
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Combine and serve over salad, veggies, or eat with a spoon.

Spinach Stuffed Rolls

I made my own variation on this Spinach Twist from the Sisters Cafe to rave reviews all around. The boys around here were rather surprised that they liked them so much. Drew commented that it was the bacon and salt that made them so delicious, so I won't tell him that there was no bacon and they were still delicious.

While I have made the original version and liked it I made a few variation this time that I think put them over the top. The original recipe called for 8 oz of cream cheese, but I had half a brick of cream cheese and half a log of goat cheese so that's what I used. I think the goat cheese made all the difference in flavor. I also upped the spinach and decreased the meat. Then I opted for the traditional cinnamon roll style because it is easier than the original twist and caused less trepidation for my kids.

1 pizza crust, rolled into a rectangle
3 oz cream cheese
3 oz goat cheese
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 egg beaten
4 cups fresh spinach
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped ham (I used deli meat)
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cream cheese, goat cheese, basil, rosemary, and egg in a small bowl. Spread over rolled pizza dough. (You may need to soften at half power in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to make spreadable.) Saute onions and mushrooms in butter until translucent. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Add salt and pepper and ham. Spread spinach mixture over the dough. Sprinkle parmesan over top of spinach. Roll up and slice like cinnamon rolls. Place on a lined jelly roll pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Cottage Cheese Dip, 2 ways

Grandma LuDean's Garlic Dip

8 oz cream cheese

1 pint cottage cheese

1 T mayo

dash Worchestersire sauce

salt to taste

1 small clove garlic (or 2 or 3)

1 tsp onion juice (or minced onion)

chives if desired

Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Process until desired consistency is reached.

Uncle Mike's Crab Dip

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup diced onion

1 pint cottage cheese

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)

1 can crab

1 T mayo

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Process until desired consistency is reached.

Aunt Laura's Raspberry Jello

6 oz Raspberry Jello
2 C boiling water
1 C apple sauce
small container (pint?) frozen sweetened raspberries

In large bowl pour boiling water over Jello. Stir in apple sauce and berries until berries are defrosted. Pour in to a Jello mold, if desired, and chill until set.

Spinach Pear Cranberry Salad

Recipe Copied from Epicurious


Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
• 2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Notes) and chopped (I've used pecans and walnuts)

print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

To make the dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.

To assemble the salad, place the spinach, onions, and pears in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter the cranberries and hazelnuts over the top(s). Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes
Try to buy shelled hazelnuts (also called filberts) with the brown, papery skins removed as well. To toast, spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 375°F oven. Toast for about 12 minutes until lightly browned. If the nuts still have the skins on, transfer them while they’re hot to a clean kitchen towel. (Use a clean towel that is old or you don’t mind washing with bleach, because the skins tend to discolor the fabric.) Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never come completely off).

You can substitute unsalted cashews for the hazelnuts. Toast cashews, as directed above for hazelnuts, for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Do AheadThe dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. The nuts can be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. The onions and cranberries can be prepared up to up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-Salad-with-Bosc-Pears-Cranberries-Red-Onion-and-Toasted-Hazelnuts-355430#ixzz1cOqOrwyH

Curried Butternut and Pear Soup

I loved this version of butternut squash soup. I liked that it leaned more to the spicy side than the sweet. The recipe is taken from here.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs butternut squash (raw weight), about 1 large or 2 small
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root (I used bottled)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (or less depending on saltiness of your broth)
• 4 cups broth (as always, I used my favorite vegetable broth concentrate)
• 2 firm ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch dice
• 1/2 cup whole milk, or half and half, or cream (I used milk

Directions

1. Prepare squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove and discard seeds and stringy stuff. Roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until tender. You can alternately cook this in the microwave in a glass casserole dish with 1 inch of water at the bottom, for 10-15 minutes on high, until tender. Or, place it in a crock pot for 4-6 hours. When squash is tender scoop out flesh and reserve for soup.
2. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt. Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the pears and squash. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes.
3. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender. Puree in batches until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the milk. Reheat if needed.

Hawaiian Haystacks with Mushroom Gravy

Despite the random assortment of canned fruits and vegetables, I really love Hawaiian Haystacks. Somehow the combination of flavors and textures just works. It is a great meal to feed a crowd with minimal preparation too. I used to make gravy with chicken broth and diced chicken breasts, but I've since decided I prefer it meatless, so I make this gravy instead. Dave does however like his chicken so I grill up a thigh or something for him to throw in or open a can of cooked chicken. I'm also thinking about experimenting by adding garlic and onions.

Mushroom Gravy

Melt  2T butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add 8oz finely chopped mushrooms and saute until tender. Add 2 T. all-purpose flour and stir well until mushrooms are well coated. Continue to stir about 2 minutes to cook out the flour taste. Slowly add 2 cups vegetable broth (made with my favorite veggie broth concentrate, or chicken broth, or beef broth). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, stirring constantly. Thin out with more broth or milk if you want it creamier

To make a Haystack: Start with cooked rice and top with gravy and any or all of the following:

Fresh or canned pineapple (or mandarin oranges, or marachino cherries)

Fresh or canned tomatoes

Shredded cheddar cheese

Green onions

Chow mein noodles (the crispy ones you buy in the Asian aisle of the grocery store)

More mushrooms

Chopped bell pepper

Chopped celery

Slivered almonds

Anything else that sounds good...

Liz's Egg Rolls

1/2 pound ground turkey or pork
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 C. shredded cabbage
1 small onion, shredded
1 shredded carrot
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch

1 package egg roll wrappers

Cook meat until no longer pink. Add seasonings. Let meat cool then combine the rest of the ingredients (except wrappers).

Fill and roll wrappers.

Fry in 1/2 inch hot oil (350 degrees) until brown and crispy.

Texanista Red Enchilada Sauce

Jessica posted this picture on her blog this morning and I immediately knew what I wanted for dinner. Luckily, she called and I was able to procure the recipe given to her by Aunt-In-Law Lidia, a true Texanista and master of Southwest/ Mexican cuisine.

Red Enchilada Sauce

1/4 cup oil (I used olive)
1/4 cup flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt (I may reduce this next time)
2 Tablespoons red chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
3 cups broth (I made it from my favorite veggie broth ever)

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Whisk in flour and cook until it is browned. Add garlic and saute until tender. Add cumin, pepper, salt, chili powder, and oregano. Slowly add broth while whisking. Bring mixture to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened.

Tonight I was feeling lazy so I mixed up some shredded cheese, sour cream, and shredded zucchini for the filling (kind random, but it was tasty). Then I stuck individual enchiladas in the micro as kids got hungry, but here are the instructions for Lidia's.

Lidia's Enchiladas

Cook and shred fryer chicken. Combine chicken with 1/2 cup of red enchilada sauce. Warm corn tortillas in hot oil in a shallow pan on the stove. Dip tortillas in red sauce. Fill with chicken mixture and roll. Place in casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

I haven't tried this rice yet, but I surely will. Tonight I mixed some leftover quinoa with some of the enchilada sauce and it was great.

Mexican Rice

1 T. oil
1/2 green onion, sliced lengthwise (you will remove this before serving)
1/2 green pepper
2 T bouillion
2 C. water
8oz tomato sauce

Heat oil in saute pan. Add onion pepper and rice. Saute until rice is lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

Broccoli Cheese Rolls

This is the result of my experimentation with the homemade pizza pocket. My attempts at calzones-like meals in the past generally become an oozy mess when they go into the oven so I was trying out new forms as well as other fillings. These broccoli cheese versions were a hit at dinnertime. They are as my six-year-old said, "Like cinnamon rolls, but with broccoli."

1 prepared pizza crust, uncooked
2 small crowns of broccoli, steamed, well-drained, and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine broccoli, cheeses, and spices in a medium bowl.

Roll out pizza crust in large rectangle, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch think. Spread broccoli mixture evenly over rectangle, leaving a half inch of dough at the top to seal later. Starting at bottom long end, roll up the dough jelly roll style and seal tightly. Cut into 1-1/2 inch segments, like cinnamon rolls. Place on greased baking sheet, not touching each other. Let rise for 20 minutes.

Bake for 25 minutes, until rolls are browned.

August Menu

Oriental Chicken Salad
Fish tacos
Eggplant melts
Beans and Rice
Shepherd's pie
grilled potatoes
wild rice stuffing with green bean wraps
tacos of some kind

Menu June

Cukes, artichokes, celery, lettuce, broccoli, fava beans

BLTs and broccoli salad

Fried Asian Cucumber Crinkles

PW Sour cream enchiladas with red sauce, Best bites black beans and mexican rice

Roasted Cabbage wedges

Fettucine with fava beans (sub spinach for escarole)

Stuffed Peppers (obb?)

Bean curry with pitas

Uncle Mike's Spaghetti Sauce

2 Medium Onions, diced
8 oz mushrooms chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs hamburger
2 tsp oil
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato puree
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 cups water
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp parsley flakes
2 TBS butter

in saucepot brown hamburger until well done. In a separate frying pan place oil, onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute for 4 minutes. Combine and cook for 5 minutes.

Combine with tomato sauce, puree, and pater. Add all of the seasonings and butter. Bring to a boil .

Reduce heat to low and cook for 3-4 hours.

Pompanoosuc Porridge Bread

Pompanoosuc Porridge

5 parts steel cut oats
2 parts bulgur wheat
1 part whole flax seed

Porridge:

Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Sprinkle in 1 cup porridge and stir. Turn heat down, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a bit before eating. Add your favorite topping.

Bread

2 TB sugar

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 ½ cups lukewarm water

1 cup cooked Pompanoosuc Porridge

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups bread flour (1 Tablespoon gluten to a cup of all-purpose flour)

2 ½ tsp. salt

4 TBSP butter, softened

Mix together all of the above ingredients till you’ve made a soft smooth dough. Turn onto floured work surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then knead for 3 to 4 minutes more. Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Punch it down, turn it onto floured surface and knead briefly. Shape into round or oval loaf and place on greased baking sheet. (*I usually just divide it into two loaf pans) Cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until slightly less than doubled in bulk. Dough will spring back when gently pressed. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until interior temp is 190 degrees.

A Menu to Get Me Out of a Cooking Rut--I Hope

Produce in my fridge: onions, red potatoes, lettuce, green peppers, cucumbers, artichokes, mangos, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spaghetti squash, and way too much cabbage.

Drew's birthday dinner:
Spaghetti with Uncle Mike's sauce
French bread and bread dip
Whatever veggie we have lying around
Strawberry shortcake on cream cheese pound cake

Pretzel Bites with cheesy dip, spaghetti squash

Black bean sweet corn quinoa

Jessica's skinny soup

stroganoff, artichokes
Broccoli cheese calzones and roasted red potatoes

Homemade pizza and salad/smoothies

Red beans and rice with leftover chorizo

tomato soup, italian grilled cheese on foccacia

April Menu

What to use: chayote, spinach, celery, onions, green cabbage, swiss chard

Shrimp ettouffee with steamed rice and mirliton strips

French Onion soup

BLT and corn chowder

Give butternut squash lasagna another try

Thai peanut noodle saute

Swiss chard and beans

fajitas--maybe with chicken

Zuppa Toscana

My friend Becky pointed me to this recipe to help utilize the kale that came in my bountiful basket. My mom makes a similar soup with ham and spinach instead of sausage and kale. I reduced the meat in the original recipe. I ended up picking out almost every piece, but it gave the broth great flavor. I also increased the green ratio.

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 oz Italian sausage ( original recipe calls for 16 oz package smoked sausage)
  
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 or 2 strips bacon (original called for 6--way way way too much)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2-3 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded
  
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 1 quart water
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Cooks sausage in heavy sauce pan until browned. Remove to paper towel to drain.
2. Place onions and bacon slices in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside.
3. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken soup base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.
4. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.