Cheese Manicotti (serves 7-8, if you are a small eater, Evan and I eat half a recipe for one meal with a little leftover Ü)
14-16 Uncooked Manicotti Shells
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (1 c.)
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
dash of onion powder
32 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce (I use a 26 oz. can)
Mix all cheeses and spices and egg together. Pour a small amount of sauce in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Fill uncooked shells with cheese mixture. (I find that a fork works really well). Line up filled shells on top of sauce and pour remaining sauce down the middle of the row. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Take out of the oven, leave foil on, and let steam for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
Variation: thaw some frozen chopped spinach and squeeze out excess water, add to cheese mixture.
Hint: ricotta is expensive but it keeps for quite a while unopened in the fridge (look at dates on carton), so I only buy it on sale, then you can keep it for a little while if you'd like and make it cost less.
Hint #2: This Recipe also freezes well. I frequently make a whole batch and divide it into two pans (7 shells in each) then I cover them in foil and put one in the freezer for later. When you bake it later either take it out of the freezer the day before or bake it a little longer.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Burrito Sauce (from Better Homes and Gardens)
In a medium saucepan melt 2 tbsp butter. Stir in 1 tbsp all purpose flour. Gradually stir in 1 cup chicken broth. Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir 2 tbsp all purpose flour into 8-ounces of dairy sour cream. Stir sour cream mixture and 2 tablespoons canned chopped green chili peppers into sauce. (I use whole can unless the burrito recipe calls for some, or I use taco time green sauce (they give out lots of packets and we used to eat there a lot)). Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more.
Enjoy over any burrito.
Enjoy over any burrito.
Chicken A La King
This is a super high fat recipe. If I made it again I think I'd maybe use more milk and flour to thicken it and cut the butter by at least half. This is the original recipe.
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup chopped celery
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms or 1/4 lb. fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped pimento, if desired
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
Cooked rice
slivered almonds, for garnish
Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add celery and mushrooms. Saute until tender. Blend in flour and let simmer 1 minute. Slowly add chicken broth. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly until thick. add chicken, milk , pimento, and parsley flakes. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice or baked puff pastry shells. Garnish with almonds. Makes 6 servings. ( I think I doubled it for the 8 of us).
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup chopped celery
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms or 1/4 lb. fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped pimento, if desired
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
Cooked rice
slivered almonds, for garnish
Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add celery and mushrooms. Saute until tender. Blend in flour and let simmer 1 minute. Slowly add chicken broth. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly until thick. add chicken, milk , pimento, and parsley flakes. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice or baked puff pastry shells. Garnish with almonds. Makes 6 servings. ( I think I doubled it for the 8 of us).
Hawaiian Haystacks
2 (10 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
4 cups cooked rice
chow mein noodles
3 medium tomatoes sliced (I dice them)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (20 oz. ) can pineapple chunks (I like the tidbits)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup coconut
1 (2 oz. ) jar pimento drained and diced, if desired (I don't even know what these are)
Combine soup and chicken broth in a medium saucepan to make gravy. Stir to blend. Add chicken or turkey. Simmer about 8-10 minutes, until heated through. Layer all ingredients to preference. (This says it makes 8 servings from this recipe. I would say it probably really makes four. When I make it for the 8 of us I two and a half times the gravy and rice to make sure there is enough.)
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
4 cups cooked rice
chow mein noodles
3 medium tomatoes sliced (I dice them)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (20 oz. ) can pineapple chunks (I like the tidbits)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup coconut
1 (2 oz. ) jar pimento drained and diced, if desired (I don't even know what these are)
Combine soup and chicken broth in a medium saucepan to make gravy. Stir to blend. Add chicken or turkey. Simmer about 8-10 minutes, until heated through. Layer all ingredients to preference. (This says it makes 8 servings from this recipe. I would say it probably really makes four. When I make it for the 8 of us I two and a half times the gravy and rice to make sure there is enough.)
Pizza Dough (From Becki Underwood), Calzones, Breadsticks
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups flour (plus 1- 1 1/2 cups more until thick and manageable)
Mix and knead. (The best dough was probably 2/3 to 3/4 whole wheat flour with the last bit white flour. When I make it I use my mixer and just add enough flour for the dough to clean the other dough off the sides. I think it tastes kind of metallic and it's flat when I have used 100% Whole Wheat flour. Becki uses all white.) Let raise. Punch down and spread for pizza. Grease hands with oil, shortening, or pan spray to make easier to handle. Bake at 425 degrees without toppings until surface is crisp. (it makes it crispier crust if you use a hot pan to spread the dough on, we use one with holes in the bottom that cost 5$ at Shopko.) Top and bake until done.
I also used this same recipe for bread sticks. I brushed olive oil soaked with garlic, pepper, salt, basil, and parsley on them before I baked them. They don't work very well if you don't have time to let them raise. Ü
Calzones
Make dough above.
For filling mix in big bowl add in whatever proportions seem right:
Chopped fresh spinach
diced Zucchini
sprinkle of dried basil
sprinkle of black pepper
sprinkle of salt
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded Parmesan cheese
Take portions of dough and spread out for size of calzone you want (the above recipe is only for one pizza so it probably makes about 8 small calzones or six slightly larger ones). Layer what ever kind of meat on bottom of circle (pepperoni, Canadian bacon, ham, Italian sausage). Put a hand full of filling mixture on top and then fold dough over and seal. I didn't have to use any water or anything I just pinched it together. Put on greased sheet and bake at 425 for about 15 minutes until browned.
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups flour (plus 1- 1 1/2 cups more until thick and manageable)
Mix and knead. (The best dough was probably 2/3 to 3/4 whole wheat flour with the last bit white flour. When I make it I use my mixer and just add enough flour for the dough to clean the other dough off the sides. I think it tastes kind of metallic and it's flat when I have used 100% Whole Wheat flour. Becki uses all white.) Let raise. Punch down and spread for pizza. Grease hands with oil, shortening, or pan spray to make easier to handle. Bake at 425 degrees without toppings until surface is crisp. (it makes it crispier crust if you use a hot pan to spread the dough on, we use one with holes in the bottom that cost 5$ at Shopko.) Top and bake until done.
I also used this same recipe for bread sticks. I brushed olive oil soaked with garlic, pepper, salt, basil, and parsley on them before I baked them. They don't work very well if you don't have time to let them raise. Ü
Calzones
Make dough above.
For filling mix in big bowl add in whatever proportions seem right:
Chopped fresh spinach
diced Zucchini
sprinkle of dried basil
sprinkle of black pepper
sprinkle of salt
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded Parmesan cheese
Take portions of dough and spread out for size of calzone you want (the above recipe is only for one pizza so it probably makes about 8 small calzones or six slightly larger ones). Layer what ever kind of meat on bottom of circle (pepperoni, Canadian bacon, ham, Italian sausage). Put a hand full of filling mixture on top and then fold dough over and seal. I didn't have to use any water or anything I just pinched it together. Put on greased sheet and bake at 425 for about 15 minutes until browned.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
QUICHE!
Pie crust (store bought or homemade, your choice)
Beat three eggs with a fork in a glass, two-cup measuring cup. Add milk to make 1 1/2 cups, then add sour cream to make 2 cups of liquid*. Combine with a pinch of pepper, maybe 1/2 tsp salt, and some nutmeg. You can use italian spices if you want to make a pepperoni quiche.
Press pie crust into glass pie dish. Layer cheese** on the bottom, and then any toppings you like. My favorite is bacon and diced onion (pre-cooked in a sauté pan).
Layer some more cheese on top, pour egg mixture on top, and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 35-45 minutes. It should be mostly set, and a little brown on top.
*You can use any combination of milk products, including cream, yogurt, evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed), etc. The thicker your milk products, the thicker your quiche will be.
**I prefer cheddar with a bit of parmesan cheese. You can use mozzarella, or whatever else you have on hand.
Beat three eggs with a fork in a glass, two-cup measuring cup. Add milk to make 1 1/2 cups, then add sour cream to make 2 cups of liquid*. Combine with a pinch of pepper, maybe 1/2 tsp salt, and some nutmeg. You can use italian spices if you want to make a pepperoni quiche.
Press pie crust into glass pie dish. Layer cheese** on the bottom, and then any toppings you like. My favorite is bacon and diced onion (pre-cooked in a sauté pan).
Layer some more cheese on top, pour egg mixture on top, and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 35-45 minutes. It should be mostly set, and a little brown on top.
*You can use any combination of milk products, including cream, yogurt, evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed), etc. The thicker your milk products, the thicker your quiche will be.
**I prefer cheddar with a bit of parmesan cheese. You can use mozzarella, or whatever else you have on hand.
Corn and Potato Chowder
Corn and Potato Chowder
4 slices bacon (or more or less)
1 onion, diced
2 TBSP butter- if there's not enough bacon grease
2 cloves minced garlic
3 c. chicken broth
2 or 3 potatoes, diced
16 oz. corn (two cans or one bag frozen)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 TBSP flour
3 TBSP cool water
1 cup heavy cream
Cut the bacon into little pieces (I use kitchen shears and just do this over the pot). Fry up the bacon in your dutch oven or 5-qt. pot. When it's almost done, reduce to medium heat and add the onion. If there's not enough grease for the onion to cook without sticking, add 2 TBSP butter. Let the onion soften, then add two cloves of minced garlic. Add broth, bring to boiling. Throw in veggies. Cover, reduce heat to medium if the boiling goes too crazy.
Once it's been boiling for 20 or 25 minutes, and the veggies are soft, mix the flour and cool water THOROUGHLY to make a paste with no lumps. Stir into soup, let it return to a boil and thicken for a few minutes. Then add cream. Heat through, serve with biscuits from the chicken pot pie recipe.
4 slices bacon (or more or less)
1 onion, diced
2 TBSP butter- if there's not enough bacon grease
2 cloves minced garlic
3 c. chicken broth
2 or 3 potatoes, diced
16 oz. corn (two cans or one bag frozen)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 TBSP flour
3 TBSP cool water
1 cup heavy cream
Cut the bacon into little pieces (I use kitchen shears and just do this over the pot). Fry up the bacon in your dutch oven or 5-qt. pot. When it's almost done, reduce to medium heat and add the onion. If there's not enough grease for the onion to cook without sticking, add 2 TBSP butter. Let the onion soften, then add two cloves of minced garlic. Add broth, bring to boiling. Throw in veggies. Cover, reduce heat to medium if the boiling goes too crazy.
Once it's been boiling for 20 or 25 minutes, and the veggies are soft, mix the flour and cool water THOROUGHLY to make a paste with no lumps. Stir into soup, let it return to a boil and thicken for a few minutes. Then add cream. Heat through, serve with biscuits from the chicken pot pie recipe.
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