Monday, December 29, 2008

Beefy Tomato Rice Skillet

We had this last week, on Christmas Eve eve, but with all the stuff I've had to do between now and then, I haven't had a chance to post it! I did have the leftovers over the weekend while I was at work, so it made a lot of food and the leftovers were good, too. It's from S&D Nov/Dec 2008.

Beefy Tomato Rice Skillet
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I left this out because Sam hates them)
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup water
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 cup uncooked instant rice

In a lg skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, celery, onion, and pepper until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Add the corn, soup, water, and italian seasoning; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 10 minutes or until rice is tender. 6 servings

So this was quite easy to make. It wasn't fabulous, nothing to write home about, really. It's a lot like the goulash I already make, except all the kids will eat that. Not so with this, since it has rice. Sam did eat his and say it was good, but I didn't even attempt with the other two. They just had chicken nuggets, and I'm pretty sure Nathan is about to turn into one.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Party Time Mini Cheeseburgers

Well we were not having a party, in spite of the name. We had these for lunch yesterday, served with yummy tater tots. I thought the kids would think these were cute and fun, and I still don't really have a good meatball recipe either so I thought I would try these. It's from S&D Sept/Oct 2008.

Party Time Mini Cheeseburgers
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp dill pickle relish (we didn't have this so I left it out)
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp mustard
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 pound ground beef
3 slices American cheese
10 dinner rolls, split

In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 10 patties. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. Meanwhile, using small cookie cutters, cut out 10 shapes from the cheese slices. Immediately place on burgers; serve on rolls. 10 servings.

So Steve ate 4 of these (they're just little). Sam wanted 2 but could only eat one (that's how Steve ended up eating 4...he started out with 3). I ate 2, Emma ate 1!! A victory. These were a bit hard to cook, they didn't really stay together that well in the pan. Also that little tiny piece of cheese wasn't enough even though the burgers were small, so each person had like 3-4 shapes on theirs, but they did have fun cutting their own shapes. But I'm not keeping this one because I wasn't crazy about the mixture, and I can make little burgers any time I want. But you might like it, I don't know.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

So yesterday was a fairly prolific day for me, as well, recipe-wise. I made this bread and the next recipe, the mini cheeseburgers. I have been wanting to make this bread for a while, I just seemed to never have the time or opportunity. So yesterday I made it (with significant "help" from Emma and Nathan). It's from Simple & Delcious Nov/Dec 2008.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins
3 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large bowl (like your Kitchen Aid mixer bowl) combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and oil. Beat in eggs and buttermilk until combined. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins. Combine cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl; set aside. Spoon half of the batter into 2 greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar; repeat layers. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl. Bake @ 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. 2 loaves (12 slices each).

So this was pretty good. You could tell it was a quick-bread (as opposed to yeast bread) but it was still yummy. It didn't really toast up very well though, I think it was too moist. I'm sure I will make this again, but I will double the raisins, because many pieces only had 1 or 2 raisins. Nathan didn't have it, but the other kids did and there were no complaints, although no rave reviews either, but I think that still counts as a victory.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Cranberry Pork Chops with Rice

I know it seems I am on a cranberry kick lately; it's not my fault. These Simple & Delicious magazines are all like seasonal and stuff and cranberries happen to be featured a lot. My sister said to tell Steve I am just concerned about his urinary tract health, hence all the cranberries. We had this for supper on Wednesday night. It's from S&D Nov/Dec 2008.

Cranberry Pork Chops with Rice
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Rice:
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (almost a whole can)
2 cups instant brown rice
1/2 cup dried cranberries

In a lg ziploc bag, combine the flour, salt, seasoned salt, and pepper. Add pork chops, one at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook pork in oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. In a small bowl combine cranberry sauce and vinegar; pour over chops. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add rice and cranberries. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Serve pork chops with sauce and rice.

Okay so I just want to say that is too much vinegar. If I make this again I will omit the vinegar. The smell was so strong the whole kitchen smelled of it. When Steve got home from work, he was like "what are you making?" and usually he says "it smells good in here." The vinegar made the sauce really sour too. BUT, the pork chops were very moist so I think the coating is good and the method of cooking. So I'm keeping the recipe but not using the vinegar next time...the rice was good too (the kids didn't like it...Emma just picked out the cranberries...I'm gonna keep on them about the rice, though...).

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Apple Cranberry Crumble

This was the dessert I made yesterday. This was very very yummy. It's from the Fruit section of the TOH cookbook (pg 360), not from the desserts, which I would expect. It seemed like a good seasonal recipe since people always use cranberries around the holidays (I mean Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm not trying to get out of saying CHRISTmas or anything).

Apple Cranberry Crumble
3 cups chopped peeled apples (I used my PC apple peeler/corer/slicer...that thing makes a mess but it does work well)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional (I left these out because the crazies I live with don't like nuts)

In a greased 8-in square baking dish, combine apples and cranberries; sprinkle with sugar. In a bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter; sprinkle over cranberry mixture. Top with pecans if desired. Bake uncovered @ 350 for 55-60 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Serve warm. 6 servings

So this was quite tasty but not very big. It is over half gone already, and that is just with me having one serving last night, and Steve having one last night and one in his lunch today. So if you were baking for anything besides your immediate family you would definitely have to double this one. But we're keeping this one because it was very very good.

Cheesy Noodle Casserole

This has been a very prolific few weeks for me, as far as going through recipes goes. That's good, I am making progress! Last night we had chicken with this as a side dish. It's from the Taste of Home cookbook pg 300, in the pasta & pasta sauce section. It turned out to be just a glorified mac & cheese...

Cheesy Noodle Casserole
5 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion salt
1 1/3 cups milk
8 oz velveeta, cubed
2 tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp butter, melted (how do you even measure that? I just guessed)

Cook noodles according to pkg directions; drain. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, garlic salt, onion salt until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cheese (they mean Velveeta, which my friend Nina assures me is not even real cheese), stirring until melted. Stir into noodles (which you should put back into the cooking pot after you drain them then you will have room to stir this all up...the recipe says to add the noodles to the cheese but it also tells you to use a small saucepan so you would definitely not have enough room...sheesh I thought they had a Test Kitchen where they would figure this stuff out). Transfer to a greased shallow 1 1/2 qt baking dish. Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, @ 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

So this was more expensive (due to the velveeta) than regular mac & cheese. Of course Steve liked it, the kids weren't crazy about it and I wasn't really either. So not a keeper. It reminded me of those packs of noodles you can buy at the store as a side dish that cost like $.97, like Lipton Noodles & Sides or something, they are called. But this cost me way more than $.97 to make so I guess I'll stick with the packets. It's not like this was a healthy thing to make it worth the extra money, anyway...

Monday, December 15, 2008

Sausage & Beans with Rice

We had this for lunch yesterday and then I took the leftovers to work last night. This was so good! And pretty healthy, I think! Even though it has a couple of unhealthy things in it (you'll see) you cannot take away what is healthy about it, namely the beans and rice part. I am very pleased with this recipe, it is definitely a keeper. It is from Simple & Delicious Sept/Oct 2008.

Sausage & Beans with Rice
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I left this out because Sam has been so anti-green-pepper the last few times, he doesn't even want to pick them out he just wants to not eat it at all. So I left them out. Stay tuned to see if this made a difference in him eating this nor not)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices (this is kielbasa. I used light kielbasa, which I don't usually do, but I thought with so many other flavors I wouldn't really notice that it was "light" and I was right)
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup instant brown rice (Uncle Ben's has an instant brown rice which is healthier than the Minute Rice version...by the box it takes 10 minutes instead of 5, but it is more nutritious and more like real rice)
1 cup vegetable broth (they do not have this at Wal-mart, I had to get it at Hannaford)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp corn syrup (see? a little unhealthy)
1 tbsp dijon mustard (I realize as I am typing this ingredient that I forgot to put it in...that stinks because I had to buy it for this recipe, and then forgot to use it...oh well)

In a large skillet, saute the onion, green pepper, and garlic in oil until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Cover and bake @ 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. 6 servings.

So Steve and I really liked this. The beans and rice had a kind of sweet flavor from the brown sugar & corn syrup. I am on a quest to get my children to like rice, because of anticipated future time we'll be spending in Haiti, where beans and rice are a staple. I thought this would be a yummy recipe for them...but all they did was pick out the sausage and eat that, leaving the rest. Sam tried to explain this by telling me that he was not that hungry before he even started eating, so he got full fast. He ate 3 of each bean, he told me. He is such a sweet boy that he never tells me that he doesn't like something, he just tries to explain why he won't eat it in a way that does not reflect on my cooking. He gets that from his Daddy, so considerate, I love it. Although I think it may be deceptive...just tell me if you don't like it, I understand, even I do not like everything that I cook...I guess if he read my blog he would know that. While Emma was watching me cook this, she told me she was not going to like it because she doesn't like rice or ketchup, and she didn't want her sausage touching those things, either. And while she was eating, she would put a bite of sausage on her fork and ask me if it had ketchup on it. I told her "no." But I am definitely keeping this recipe and making it again, bad reviews and all, because I really liked it. I think it will be the type of recipe that I will make for Steve and I to pack in our lunches, instead of a family meal, because it was so so yummy and also good for you.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

I made this on Friday when I was making a meal to bring to a family with a new baby. It was one of the recipes I had marked as wanting to try without having to buy ingredients. It was a bit of a gamble giving a new recipe to people, but I figured I couldn't mess up chicken and vegetables too bad. I saved a little for myself so I could try it and appropriately review it here for my reading public =) I thought it was pretty tasty. The original recipe was for turkey rather than chicken, but that's okay, poultry is poultry (even though Emma does not believe this). I liked that it had potatoes in it instead of noodles, so it was more like stew than soup. It's from Simple & Delicious Nov/Dec 2008.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp butter
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups diced peeled potatoes (I used red-skinned potatoes so left the skin on, because you can eat it and it is good for you. Fiber and stuff. But wash them first of course hee hee)
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
3 tbsp flour

In a large saucepan saute the carrots, celery, and onion in butter until tender. Stir in chicken, water, potatoes, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in 2 cups of milk. Combine flour and remaining milk in small bowl until smooth (or do it right in your measuring cup if it's big enough). Stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. 4 servings.

So like I said, pretty good...try it if you like soup. I gave Easy Cheddar Biscuits along with the soup which I believe I posted earlier. At work last night I had it with a few tortilla chips. A weird pairing, I know, but I really wanted to work those chips into my meal somehow because I love tortilla chips. It turned out okay. This morning in church the husband told me that they liked the soup and that his wife wanted the recipe so that's two votes for the soup. Really if you count them individually it's more. So I guess it was good. And it was pretty easy even though it took a while to cut all the vegetables. So in this cold and flu season it would be a yummy easy restorative soup to make for your sick family member that would say "I love you and want you to feel better" just a little more than a can of Progresso would.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Garlic-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

We had this for lunch today, in fact less than an hour ago. This may be my fastest posting time yet. It is from Simple & Delicious Nov/Dec 2008. It was quite yummy.

Garlic-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp salt, divided
6 bone-in chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
6 medium red potatoes (2 pounds) cut into 1-inch cubes
24 garlic cloves, peeled (that seems like a lot, huh?)(takes a long time to peel that many, too)
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and 1/4 tsp salt; set aside. Place the chicken, potatoes, and garlic in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with butter; sprinkle with remaining salt. Toss to coat. Bake @ 400 for 40 minutes. Drizzle maple syrup mixture over chicken. Spoon pan juices over potatoes and garlic. Bake 20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180 and potatoes are tender. 6 servings.

So we didn't eat the garlic. But it sure smelled good. This chicken had such a good flavor. It was moist and yummy. The potatoes were not all cooked all the way, but pretty close. The funniest thing about this meal was poor Emma. She took a bite of chicken and said "My chicken has a seed in it" and I told her chickens don't have seeds. Samuel pipes in "yeah chickens have babies" and I said, "No they don't, they lay eggs, right Emma?" Because we just learned in science last week that all birds lay eggs. And she said "I am NOT eating a chicken bird." Then she started crying, before I even really said anything, and she said "I AM eating a chicken bird." I guess she didn't realize that the chicken we eat comes from the actual bird that is a chicken. This was troubling news to my 4 year old. Sam helpfully says "You like chicken nuggets don't you?" and she agreed that she did. And he said "those come from chickens, too." This may have ruined her, I'm not sure. More updates to follow. But the rest of us really liked this chicken.