Friends and Family Recipes

Mashed potatoes

2009-07-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite meals is salmon with a red potato dish. I recently made mashed potatoes with some ricotta I had left over from making lasagna, and it was really good. I won't tell you how I made the salmon, because it didn't turn out so good! I will say it's better to go ahead and invest in fresh salmon, not frozen. This was the second time I've bought frozen salmon, and both times it's been disappointing.

If you have leftovers, you can make potato salmon soup; there's a good recipe in the Simply Delicious Soups Volume 1 at www.savingdinner.com.

Mashed red potatoes with ricotta*

*Since I made this up as I went along, all of the ingredient measurements are very subjective. I eyeballed it.

1.5 lbs small red potatoes
1 1/4 c ricotta cheese
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c cottage cheese
1 T butter
2-3 T chopped fresh dill (or dried dill)
salt & pepper to taste

Boil potatoes for about 25 minutes. Drain and add the remaining ingredients. Mash!

Asian dressing, fried rice, & tofu

2009-06-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

As I may have mentioned, I am trying to do a meat-free meal at least once a week. Usually this will be a bean-based meal, but I recently tried cooking up some tofu, and Mike hailed it as my no. 2 dish (after the couscous recipe I posted a couple weeks ago!)

Asian Dressing
The key is to start with a dressing recipe I got from my friend Aimee:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 garlic clove (pressed)
2 tsp. sugar
1 cup of canola oil

Mix well!

Fried Rice
Asian dressing (above recipe)
3 celery stalks
1 large carrot
3 green onions
2 eggs, beaten
soy sauce, garlic, ginger, salt, & pepper, to taste
~2 c cooked rice (I use brown rice)

Dice vegetables; especially make sure carrots are in small pieces. Cover bottom of pan with thin layer of the dressing, throw in the vegetables and spices, sautee over medium heat for a few mintues. Turn heat to low, cover pan, cook for a few more minutes (until vegetables are tender). Add rice to the pan, mix with veggies. May add more dressing and a little soy sauce, to taste. Push the fried rice to the sides of the pan, making a "well" in the middle. Make sure the pan at the bottom of the pan has some light oil still, or add it. Pour eggs into the well, stirring the eggs occasionally until they are cooked. Then, using wooden spoon, spatula, etc, chop the eggs until smaller pieces, mixing with the rest of the rice mixture.

Tofu
Freeze a block of tofu, then thaw it. Once it is thawed, gently squeeze the excess water out of the block. You can then cut the tofu, and the pieces should remain firm. You can then sautee the tofu in a pan with the dressing, then add to the fried rice.
*Note: After squeezing the water from the tofu, I tried to marinade it in the dressing. Then I decided that was going to be way too oily and tried to squeeze the oil from the tofu block, but I think it was one squeeze too many, as it began to get crumbly. It was still tasted good! Next time, I may try to marinade it with just soy sauce and ginger.

2009-06-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

Becoming a mother changes you in subtle yet significant ways. I used to get a high when I found something really good on sale at H&M while shopping on Bond Street in London. I experienced the same high today when I saw the price of this at Trader Joe's:

Super lean ground beef for.... $3.99 a pound. Woop! Trying to decide whether I should pack my cart full of ground beef, I asked if this was just a sale price and was told that no, a switch to less packaging has saved them money, which was passed on to the customer. Better for the environment and cheaper than the fatty meat in the mega grocery store next door. Score.

I love shopping at Trader Joe's because the total at the cash register is almost always a surprise. A pleasant one. Check out if there's one near you.

Couscous Salad

2009-06-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

Couscous is cheap and easy to make. It can be found in the bulk section, or if your grocery doesn't have a bulk section, it will be boxed.

This is one of our favs, and it got great reviews at Mike's birthday party this weekend.

Couscous:
1 c shelled raw pecans
1.5 c couscous
1 c dried cranberries (or use the dried cranberry & pomegranate mix from Trader Joe's)
1/2 t tumeric
2 c boiling water
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, diced
1 t dill
salt to taste

Dressing:
3/4 c olive oil
2 T lime juice
pepper to taste

Toast pecans at 350 for about seven minutes. Set aside. Place couscous, dried fruit, and tumeric in large bowl. (May also add some salt to taste.) Pour in boiling water, stir, then cover bowl with large plate or foil. Sit for 10 minutes. Remove cover, fluff couscous with a fork. Cover again and let sit for 5 more minutes. Mix dressing ingredients. Set aside. Stir in pecans, green onions, cucumbers, dill, and dressing.

Meatloaf

2009-05-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

Recently I set out to make meatloaf, and I combined a few different recipes that I found online. It turned out really good - very moist! - and froze really well in ziploc bags. Note: when I make meals in advance to freeze, I freeze them before I cook them. Makes a big difference, in my opinion! From the below, I made three meatloafs for our 2.5 person family, with a little leftover each time. I added about 3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese to one of the meatloaves for variety.

2 lbs. ground turkey (or beef)
2 eggs, beaten
1 red onion*
1 c milk
1 c dried bread crumbs
2 T brown sugar
2 T dry mustard
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c grated carrot (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Topping:
I always eyeball this: a mixture of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Probably about 1 part mustard to 3 parts ketchup, and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Spread over top before putting in the oven.

Mix everything up**, stick it in a casserole dish, spread on topping mixture, and cook on 350 for about 45 minutes.

*I almost always use red onions instead of white or yellow, as I've heard they are healthier. I have no idea if this is actually true. They do taste better, at any rate.

**Make sure it's moist: Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk while you're preparing the other ingredients.

Slow cooker/crockpot Sunday chicken dinner

2009-05-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if it's bad to copy recipes from elsewhere on the web, so to give its original author their proper recognition, I found this recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sunday-Chicken-Supper/Detail.aspx.

The best part of this recipe, besides the fact that it cooks in the crockpot, which I am going to start referring to as my Magic Dinner Making Machine, is that the chicken turned out so tender and juicy.

4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 cups fresh green beans (2-inch pieces)
5 small red potatoes, quartered
1 (3 pound) broiler/fryer chicken cut up
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch pepper

1. In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer the first seven ingredients in order listed. *Uh, I think you should put the chicken on bottom so it absorbs the juice of everything else!
2. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over the top. Do not stir. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until vegetables are tender and chicken juices run clear. *We had this on low for about 4.5 hours, then turned the heat to high and it was ready about two hours after that. I would plan on it being more than 6 hours on low.
3. Remove chicken and vegetables. Thicken juices for gravy if desired.

Pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies

2008-11-30T22:47:00.000-08:00

I just made these, and they were great. The taste reminded me of my grandma's pumpin logs (pumpkin bread wrapped around cream cheese), so I also tried some cream cheese on top of the cookies after they had been in the fridge for awhile, which was very yummy.

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (instead of 2 t of cinnamon, I used 1 t cinnamon, 1/4 t of allspice, 1/4 t nutmug, 1/2 t ginger)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2. Add vanilla and chocolate chips.
3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. [I then sprinkled raw sugar on the top of the cookies.] Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

2008-09-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of potato soup, undiluted
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried whole thyme
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 (10 ounce) bag of frozen or fresh broccoli

Heat soup in a 2 quart saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring until smooth.
Add remaining ingredients; cook over low heat 40 minutes, stirring mixture occasionally.

Yield: 5 cups

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

2008-09-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Large Baking Potatoes - 1 for each
Shredded Cheese
Sausage (Pork of Turkey)
Onion
Sour Cream
Milk
Salt and Pepper

Preheat Oven to 425

Crumble sausage in pan and fry with onion until done. Drain on paper towels to absorb grease.

Bake Potatoes in microwave until done. Carve out an oval on top, and dig potato out of skin, putting in bowl. Set potato shells aside. Using electric mixer (or masher) mash the potatoes adding milk to desired consistency. Mix in Cheese, Sour Cream, Salt, Pepper to taste, mix in sausage and onion mixture.

Scoop the potato mixture back into the shells. (don't worry it never seems to all fit back in) Top with extra cheese. Place potatoes in the oven for about 25 minutes.

If you are making these for a large group, you can skip the steps to stuff back in the skin and just make it in a big casserole dish!

Fruit Pizza

2008-09-30T05:35:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup sliced banana
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup seedless grapes, halved

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Press cookie dough evenly into a 12 inch pizza pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack.
3.Spread whipped topping over cooled crust. Arrange fruit in a decorative pattern. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2008-09-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
4 ounces linguine pasta
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes).
Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat.
Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Heat through. Add the cooked linguine, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

*I use milk and a touch of fat free coffee creamer (Original, no flavors like hazelnut, obviously) instead of the whipping cream. So Yummy!

Easy Muffins

2008-09-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

For my first recipe post, I'll start with one that I've recently fallen in love with because it's so easy and so versatile and pretty good for you if you use whole wheat flour.

1 1/4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 c frozen fruit

Mix together and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

TIPS:
**Use whole wheat flour and canola oil to make more healthy.
**You can also reduce the sugar. I use 1/4 c.
**The 1 c of frozen fruit can be substitued for other things. My favorites are banana with chopped walnuts or chocolate chips with chopped walnuts.