Category: Meals for Beginners

Step by Step Directions and amounts included

Shepherd’s Pie

Use Braised Beef (or any slow-cooked shredded meat) from a previous dinner.

shep-pieINGREDIENTS – FILLING

  • Leftover shredded beef or (traditional) ground lamb
  • 4 TBL butter
  • 1/4 C AP flour
  • 1-1/2 C chicken broth
    IN A SEPARATE MIXING BOWL, COMBINE
  • 1 small carrot – diced small
  • 1/2 C baby peas
  • 1 small stalk celery – diced small
  • 1/2 C shredded cheese
  • 4-6 black olives – diced
  • 1/4 C grated onion

INGREDIENTS – TOPPING

  • 2 C mashed potatoes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 TBL cold butter
  • 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 C cream cheese

STEP BY STEP

  1. Bring sauce pan up to medium heat
    FILLING – – – –
  2. Add butter to hot pan
  3. As soon as butter is melted, add flour
  4. As soon as flour starts to ball, add half your broth
  5. Stir until it starts to turn smooth
  6. Add the rest of your broth
  7. Stir until it starts to thicken
  8. When it has thickened (per video below) add it to the mixing bowl with your chopped veggies
    TOPPING
  9. Mix potatoes with salt, butter and cheeses
  10. Separate into 4 pieces and let rest five minutes
  11. Meanwhile, spoon your filling into ramekins for cooking
  12. Carefully spoon potato topping onto filling
  13. Gently spread it out covering the filling
  14. Drag fork tines across the top making a pattern
  15. Poke holes in the top so that steam can escape, otherwise the top may fail.
  16. Bake at 350º for 25-35 minutes until browned
  17. Let rest five minutes before serving, or cool on counter and refrigerate for reheating later.

Photo from The Little GSP.

Boiled Bacon ?!?

This is a tip from America’s Test Kitchen

Rather than cooking bacon in a hot skillet, where some pieces are overcooked and others are rubbery, try this:

  • Put bacon in the bottom of your skillet
  • Add water just to cover
  • Turn the heat up to high
  • When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium
  • Boil off all of the water
  • When the water is gone, reduce the heat to medium low
  • When the bacon is fully cooked you will see your bacon in just a bit of grease
  • Remove and blot the bacon
  • This should have a nice bite to it, be crisp yet chewy

 

 

Grandpa’s Hard Boiled Eggs

Consistent Results

Summary: Start cold, Bring to boil, Finish in 15.

      1. DO NOT USE FRESH EGGS.  Eggs should be at least near (or past) their last day of sale.  This is not an expiry date.  They plan on eggs being in your fridge for a couple of weeks after his date.
        • The time allows the shell to separate from the membrane making them much easier to peel.
      2. Put a dozen eggs (room temperature) into a deep pot, and add cold tap water until covering the eggs with an extra 2-3 inches of water
      3. Add 2 TBL salt and 1/4 cup white vinegar to water and stir until salt is dissolved.
      4. Turn burner on highest heat possible.  Watch closely to make sure it does not come up to a rolling (or roiling) boil.  If you have an immersible thermometer, you are looking for about 205º
      5. Meanwhile, prepare bowl of water containing about four cups of ice cubes, for when eggs are done. Set aside.
      6. When water starts to steam or lightly boil, turn heat to low and start timing
      7. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes
      8. (optional) Every 2 minutes or so, use a tongs to gently stir and rotate egg (to center yolk)
      9. At the eight minute mark, put water into your bowl of ice
      10. At 10 minute mark, use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer eggs from the hot water into the ice water.
      11. Let cool for 15 minutes.
      12. Eggs are done.
      13. Drain, dry and refrigerate.

Peeling Tips

  1. Start peeling from the fat end – the air sac usually makes this end float
  2. If you peel within 24 hours, they will peel more easily.  Any longer than that and the moisture evaporates through the shell, and makes them harder to peel.
  3. Use eggs that are several days past their “Sell by” date.  These are older eggs, and the membrane has begun to let go.  They will peel more easily.

THE STEAM METHOD

Another method that produces consistent results because the temperature is highly regulated is to put 1-2 inches of water in a steamer.  Put the eggs into the basket, but don’t put the basket on the steamer yet.  Bring the water up to a boil, and THEN put the basket back on the steamer and cover. 

Eggs should be room temperature.

For large eggs, time 13 minutes exactly, then remove the eggs to a bowl of iced tap water to cool – about 30 seconds.  12 minutes will give you a softer white and creamy yolk.  15 minutes will give you a drier yolk and very firm white.  Peel underwater.

 

Carrot Cake

carrotIngredients

  • 1-1/2 C canola oil
  • 2 C sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 C carrots (about 1-1/2 LB
  • 1 C chopped almonds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 TBL cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 C flour

Step by Step

  1. Blend oil and sugar in large bowl
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg as you go
  3. Blend thoroughly
  4. Peel and grate the carrots, or use a food processor
  5. Pulse almonds to break them apart
  6. Add carrots and almonds
  7. Pour into well greased ten inch cake pan
    – or use four inch rings to make individual cakes – Drop baking time to 1 hour
    – or use two pans to create thin layers – Drop baking time to 1 hour
  8. Bake at 325º for 1-1/2 hours
  9. Cool and frost

Traditional Frosting

  1. Mix 1 8 oz package of cream cheese (room temperature) with 1/2 C melted butter
  2. Add 1 LB confectioner sugar, 2 TBL vanilla and mix well
  3. Spread while still room temperature

Glaze Frosting

  1. Mix 1 C confectioner sugar with 4 TBL lemon juice

Decoration

  1. For carrot use confectioner sugar and food coloring.  Use parsley sprig for the carrot top

RECIPE TWO

  1. Preheat oven to 350º
  2. Butter cake pan
  3. Sprinkle and spread flour
  4. Grate 12 oz carrots
    • Batter
  5. Mix dry, then wet, then combine
    • DRY INGREDIENTS
    • 12 oz ap flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • baking soda
    • 1/4 each alspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg
    • scant salt
  6. Toss with grated carrots to coat
    • WET INGREDIENTS
    • 10 oz granulated white sugar
    • 2 oz dark brown sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • 6 oz yogurt
    • DRIZZLE in 6 oz vegetable oil while mixing
  7. Pour wet over dry and mix barely to combine
  8. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes
  9. Reduce heat to 325º and bake for another 20 minutes
    • 205-210º internal temperature
  10. Create your cream cheese topping
    • 8 oz cream cheese
    • 2 oz softened butter
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 9 oz confectioner sugar
    • chill 5 minutes
  11. Spread topping

Cold Cucumber Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 TBL butter
  • 1/4 C chopped onion
  • 1/2 C diced raw potato
  • 2 C cucumber (peeled and seeded) diced
  • 3 C chicken broth
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard or wasabi
  • 1 C medium cream
  1. Saute onion in butter
  2. Add potato, broth, cumber and seasonings
  3. Simmer about 20 minutes, or until potato is soft
  4. Blend at high speed until smooth
  5. Pour about 1/2 C of the soup into a baggie, and put in freezer on a metal try
  6. Chill remaining soup for 4-8 hours
  7. When ready to serve, put soup into chilled bowls
  8. Break flat frozen soup into shards and place into served soup
  9. Garnish with cream, sliced cucumber and chives

 

Summer Borscht

  • 16 oz (2 C) beef stock
  • 2 medium sized beets (or 1 can)
  • 1 C beet juice
  • zest and juice from one lemon
  • 2 medium diced onions
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 C sour cream
  • 1 tsp Karo or simple syrup (or to taste)
  1. Put everything in a blender and puree
  2. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours
  3. Serve icy cold with a dollop of sour cream and a few shreds of dill on top

Lemon Soup

  • 16 oz chicken stock
  • 1/4 C chicken meat
  • 1 piece of white bread
  • Juice from four lemons (of 1/2 C)
  • 2 TBL Karo or simple syrup
  • 2 C light cream
  • 4 TBL chopped mint
  1. Blend chicken and bread with 1 C chicken stock
  2. Add remaining ingredients
  3. Blend to mix
  4. Chill
  5. Serve topped with a thin slice of lemon
  6. Top with a sprig of mint

 

Chicken Pot Pie – COLLECTION

Tips and Tricks

  • Use leftover shredded chicken (thighs are best)
  • Use frozen vegetables
  • Dice and saute onions and celery
  • Make your own roux, not Cream of XYZ
    • 2 TBL butter, 2 TBL flour, 1 C chicken stock or milk
  • Create a lid with puff pastry – Dock the crust – Alternate, cut moons or shapes
  • Bake before filling at 350º for 5 minutes

Basic Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is much like the one shown below. You may use my ingredients, but be sure to watch the video for some important tips.
2016-04-06 13.34.31Ingredients – Filling

  • 4 TBL butter
  • 1/4 C AP flour
  • 1-1/2 C chicken broth
    (or 1 can Campbells Cream of Potato Soup instead of above three ingredients)
    IN A SEPARATE MIXING BOWL, COMBINE
  • 1 small carrot – diced small
  • 1/2 C baby peas
  • 1 small stalk celery – diced small
    (or 1 C mixed veggies instead of above three ingredients – Skip to Step 7)
  • 1 C shredded chicken
  • 1/2 C shredded cheese
  • 4-6 black olives – diced – Optional

Ingredients – Crust

  • 1 C AP flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 C shortening
  • 3 TBL cold butter
  • 2 TBL granulated sugar
  • 1/4 C ice water
    (or prepared pie crust from the grocery store)

You will also need one egg yolk and one egg white (separated) in two separate bowls.
A pastry brush will be helpful, but you can use your fingers at the pastry brush step.
2016-04-06 14.05.16Step by Step

  1. Bring sauce pan up to medium heat
    FILLING – – – –
  2. Add butter to hot pan
  3. As soon as butter is melted, add flour
  4. As soon as flour starts to ball, add half your broth
  5. Stir until it starts to turn smooth
  6. Add the rest of your broth
  7. Stir until it starts to thicken
  8. When it has thickened (per video below) add it to the mixing bowl with your chopped veggies
    CRUST
  9. Pulse flour, salt, baking powder, shortening and butter in a food processor till combined
  10. Add 1/4 C ice water all at once and pulse until a ball forms
  11. Dump onto the counter to finish kneading
  12. Separate into 4 pieces and let rest five minutes
  13. Meanwhile, spoon your filling into ramekins for cooking
  14. Roll out your crust to a near circle.  If necessary, cut slightly bigger than diameter across top of ramekin.
    NOTE: My cutter was the exact size of my ramekin top, so I cut it, then rolled it more to make it slightly larger
  15. Brush the bottom with egg white and press into your pot pie filling, pressing around the edge
  16. Brush the top with egg yolk
  17. Poke holes in the top so that steam can escape, otherwise your pie crust will fail.
  18. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes until browned
  19. Let rest five minutes before serving, or cool on counter and refrigerate for reheating later.

 

Scratch Chicken Pot Pie

1 C chopped onion (1/4 inch pieces)

1 C chopped celery (1/4 inch pieces)
1 C chopped carrot (1/4 inch pieces)
1/2 C melted butter
1 C frozen tiny English peas (canned peas, in a pinch)
1/4 C AP flour
2 C chicken broth
1 C whole milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 C diced cooked chicken
2 pkg. frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk
1 TBL whole milk

1. Saute onion, celery and carrot in butter for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in peas and flour, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Gradually add broth and 1 cup whole milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in salt and pepper.
5. Add chicken, stirring well.
6. Ladle chicken mixture into cooking ramikins – just to the top
7. Set aside.
8. Roll pastry sheets to 1/8 inch thickness.
9. Cut pastry 1/2 inch larger than bowl(s).
10. Combine egg yolk and 1 tablespoon milk.
11. Brush one side of pastry. Place brushed side down over bowl(s), folding edges under and pressing firmly to sides of bowl.
12. Brush top with remaining egg mixture.
13. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes until top is puffed and browned.

Chicken Pot Pie – From a whole chicken

Piece an entire chicken.
Use dark meat (legs and thighs) or light meat (breast and back)
Place into stock pot with cut up carrots, celery, onion and garlic
Pour one can of chicken stock into pot, then add water until it covers the chicken
Bring up to simmer over medium high heat
When it starts to simmer, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes
Strain out solids, retaining liquid
Set both aside to cool

To prepare dough:
(Bisquick or Puff Pastry is also acceptable)
Add to a food processor:
– 1 1/2 C flour
– pinch of salt
– 1 stick of cold butter – cubed
– 8 ounces of cold cream cheese – pieces
Pulse together until it forms crumbs
– Add 1 egg yolk
– Drizzle in water until it STARTS to come together
Remove from food processor and finish on a floured surface (the counter)
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour to 24 hours

To prepare vegetables:
Cut butternut or acorn squash into 1/2 inch cubes
Cut 1/4 onion into pieces
Cut 1/2 stalk celery into 1/4 inch pieces
Cut carrots into 1/4 inch pieces
Toss in EVOO and salt and bake on baking sheet for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

Cut string beans into 1/2 inch pieces
Add a small can of peas (or fresh if you desire)

To finish up:
Set dough on counter to start to come up to room temperature
Shred or cube chicken
Make a roux (see recipe here) with the leftover strained chicken stock – be sure to stir constantly
Mix chicken, fresh veggies and cooked veggies together
Roux should be thickened, but not pasty or lumpy
– If necessary, thin by whisking in 1/2 C chicken stock

Flatten dough to about 1/4 inch
Fill ramekin with veggie mixture
Label roux over top of veggies about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up
Top with dough, brush with melted butter and trim edges
Poke holes (or a smiley face) into top of crust to let steam vent
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes

Third Party Recipes

The information below this section is from a third party. It is part of Grandpa's Personal Recipe box. Feel free to browse, but know that this information is from someone else.

Clipped from People Magazine

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 PKG (about 8 OZ) frozen vegetables
1 CU cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey
1/2 CU milk (or less)
1 egg
1 CU Bisquick
1 prepared pie plate

Instructions
1. Mix soup, vegetables and chicken in bowl, then pour into 9″ pie plate
2. Mix milk, egg and Bisquick (very thick) and spread over chicken mixture
3. Bake @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden

Special Steps
Variations If you are feeling energetic, cut your own vegetables: onion, broccoli, bell pepper, carrot, green beans, Anaheim chilies

Third Party Recipe

Chicken Pot Pie – VIDEO – W Puck

Chicken Pot Pie – VIDEO – Tasty

Video Library – Tasty.

image

Shuck Corn Easily

Oh my God…. I tried this and it works! I was amazed. Here is the video of this really cool Life Hack. Below are some other corn tips and tricks.

Another video by PDX Traveler

Tips and Tricks

  • Corn on the cob should be cooked and eaten as soon as possible.  Definitely within 48 hours of being picked, or the sugars will turn to starch, and the corn will become tough as time passes.
  • When buying corn ASK when it was picked.  If it has been anything other than “this morning” don’t get it – or at least know that you are buying inferior tasting corn.
  • When not using the tip above, use a steamer (10 minutes) or a pot of boiling salted water (5 minutes)   Actually, the microwave idea is pretty cool, but does not cook the corn as nicely as steam or boiling water.
  • Yellow kernel corn has a more fully developed flavor, but white kernel corn tends to be sweeter.

MEXICAN CORN ON THE COB

  1. Grill the corn off the husk and on sticks
  2. Coat the cooked corn with sour cream or mayo
  3. Sprinkle with Tajin and salt – If you can’t find Tajin, use ground cayenne
  4. Roll in grated cotijo cheese or queso fresco
  5. Serve with wedges of lime for squeezing.

Easy Dinner Rolls – with video

Good Basic Information

  • Rapid Rise Yeast: Fermented granules of living yeast.  Ready to go.
  • Active Dry Yeast: Sugar and fat needed to reconstitute and proof
  • Basic Rolls: Flour, water, yeast and salt
  • Modifiers: milk, butter, sugar and eggs
  1. Mix, rest (proof) then knead
  2. Rise, punch and then shape
  3. Proof, bake and cool

Recipe for 16 Dinner Rolls

(or 2 small loaves of bread)

  • 8 oz milk @ 100º
  • 1/3 C sugar
  • 2 TBL honey
  • 4 tsp yeast (proof if Active Dry)
  • 2 egg yolks plus 1 egg
  • 16 oz (by weight) of AP flour
  • 3 tsp salt
  1. Paddle mix above ingredients just to incorporate ingredients
  2. Rest for 15 minutes to let liquid absorb
  3. Add 2 oz room temperature butter
  4. Use dough hook on low for 2 minutes
  5. Switch to medium and go for 8-10 more minutes
  6. Knead and form on LIGHTLY floured counter top
  7. Rise for 1 hour
  8. Flatten and shape into final form or portion

Parker House Dinner Rolls

  1. Roll into a thick rope and cut in half
  2. Cut in half again, then again, then again.  You will end up with 16 pieces.
  3. Form balls and flatten to about 3 inch diameter
  4. Put 1 tsp butter in the center and fold over into an empanada shape
  5. Press lightly to secure.
  6. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  8. Bake 8-10 minutes @ 400º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  9. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Braided Rolls

  1. Flatten dough into a 24×6 sheet
  2. Use a pizza cutter and cut in six strips
  3. Cut six strips into six inch pieces, then form into ropes
  4. Braid three strands at a time
  5. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  7. Bake 8-10 minutes @ 400º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  8. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Monkey Bread Rolls

  1. Flatten dough into a 24×6 sheet
  2. Use a pizza cutter and cut in six strips
  3. Cut these into two inch pieces and roll each roughly into a ball
  4. Toss in melted butter, then put into a pan
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  6. Bake 10-12 minutes @ 375º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  7. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Brown and Serve Freezer Rolls

  1. Roll into a thick rope and cut in half
    – This starts the same as the Parker House Roll Recipe
  2. Cut in half again, then again, then again.  You will end up with 16 pieces.
  3. Form balls and flatten to about 3 inch diameter
  4. Put 1 tsp butter in the center and fold over into an empanada shape
  5. Press lightly to secure.
  6. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  8. Bake 30 minutes @ 275º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 185
  9. Cool 10 minutes, the remove to a rack and cool for 40 more minutes
  10. Bag and refrigerate for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to two months
    WHEN READY TO COOK
  11. Thaw for 60-90 minutes on the counter
  12. Bake 10-12 minutes @ 400º or until browned
 

 

Another video by PDX Traveler

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

  • 1  C dry lentils
  • 2 C distilled water
  • 2 C beef stock

Step by Step

  1. Heat above to boiling and simmer 5 minutes
  2. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour
  • 1 bottle lager beer
  • 1/2 C diced celery
  • 1/2 C diced carrots
  • 1/2 C diced onion
  • 3 slices bacon (minced0
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 sliced all beef hot dogs
  1. Heat to boiling
  2. Reduce heat to simmer
  3. Simmer 60-90 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are tender
  4. Serve hot
  5. Option: Blend and strain

Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 LB sausage
  • 2 C raw potatoes (diced)
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 3 C milk
  • 1 can whole kernel corn (or 4 ears of corn)

STEP BY STEP

  1. Crumble and fry sausage in a heave skillet
  2. Remove and set aside on paper towel or newspaper
  3. Fry onions in sausage fat
  4. When onion is softened, add diced potatoes and milk
  5. Cook 20 minutes
  6. Add 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper
  7. Add kernel corn
  8. Heat thoroughly
  9. Just before serving, add sausage back in

ALTERNATE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 TBL butter
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 1 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
  • 2 TBL all-purpose flour
  • 3 C canned vegetable stock
  • 1 C heavy cream
  • 1 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced small
  • 3 ears corn
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 TBL chopped fresh parsley leaves

STEP BY STEP

  1. Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables are good and soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well.
  4. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
  5. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a boil and boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down (this will help to thicken the soup and give it a good texture).
  6. Cut the corn kernels off the cob and add to the soup.
  7. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the corn is soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  8. Stir in the parsley and give it another little drink of olive oil.
  9. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

 

Cream of Broccoli Soup

  • 1 small onion (pieces)
  • 1 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 box frozen chopped broccoli
  • 1 C chicken broth
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 TBL butter
  • 1 can mushroom soup
  • 1 C sour cream
    or 1 C heavy cream with 1 tsp sugar
    or 1 C sweetened condensed milk
  1. Soften onion in 1 TBL olive oil
  2. Add broccoli, broth and nutmeg
  3. Cook about 5 minutes
  4. Add butter and mushroom soup
  5. Bring up to simmer
  6. Put into blender and add 1 C sour cream
  7. Serve from blender, or return to saucepan a place at a low simmer until your guests are ready to eat
  8. Garnish with diced tomato

Serve with Homemade Pita Bread fresh out of the oven

Grandma’s Oatmeal

Ingredients

  • 1 C Quaker Original Oatmeal
  • 1 C Water
  • 3/4 C milk
  • 1/4 C salt

Step by Step

  1. Put into toaster oven for 5 minutes
  2. Bring water to a boil
  3. Add milk to the water all at once
  4. Add Oatmeal all at once, and it will kind of disappear
  5. Reduce heat to low
  6. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally.
  7. Add salt halfway through
  8. Continue to stir and watch for boil-over
  9. It is done when you can start to see the individual flakes of oatmeal again.

Step by Step for Overnight Oatmeal
(High in soluble fiber)

  1. Put into toaster oven for 5 minutes
    • 150 gm oats
    • 8 gm chia
    • 120 gm dried fruit
    • 2 TBl dark maple syrup
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • .25 tsp cinnamon
    • .25 tsp salt
    • 300 gm coconut milk
    • 300 gm unsweetened almond milk
    • 12 gm flax seed meal
  2. Mix and separate into 4-6 canning jars
  3. Refrigerate overnight
  4. Eat cold or warmed

 

Family Reunion Baked Beans

Home made Baked beans

5 pounds (80 oz) baked beans

  • Tomato sauce:
  • 3 large onions – very finely chopped
  • ½ bulb of garlic – roughly minced
  • ½ C olive oil
  • 3 C tomato puree or ketchup
  • 1 C molasses
  • 1 C lemon juice
  • 1 TBL vegetable stock powder
  • 32 oz apple juice
  • 16 oz water
  • 1/2 C soft brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cracked pepper
  • 1 level tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves (or 8 whole cloves)
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 tsp dried dill
  • 5 bay leaves
  • ½ C tamari sauce
  • 1 LB of cooked bacon :: added during the cooking process.
  1. Fry onions and garlic until soft, then add all the other ingredients.
  2. Cover with a lid, bring to boil, then simmer for 90 minutes on a low heat.
  3. Stir from time to time.  If it becomes too thick, add more apple juice.
  4. You want to end up with a thick sauce which will bind the beans together.
  5. After the cooking have a taste – add more salt or sugar if necessary.
  6. Add the canned beans last.
  7. Stir into the sauce
  8. Simmer 30 minutes.

Alternate for Step 8:  Put into a large flat baking pan, sprinkle with brown sugar, and bake for 30 minutes

Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potato

  1. Start out just as if you were making a twice-baked potato.
  2. Scrub four russet potatoes (high starch – good for baking)
  3. Poke a few holes in the top of the potato to let the steam escape.
  4. Bake the potato for about 40 minutes at 400º
  5. Cut the top off the potato
  6. Scoop out the meat of the potato, being careful not to poke through the skin.
  7. To the meat of the potato, add –
  8. 2 TBL butter
  9. 1/2 tsp salt
  10. 1/2 C lowfat buttermilk
  11. Mash until smooth.  Use a mixer if you must – it needs to be smooth, not lumpy
  12. In a skillet, brown 8 oz 85/15 ground beef
  13. Drain the excess oil
  14. Add  –
  15. 1/2 onion – diced
  16. 1 TBL butter
  17. 1 TBL olive oil
  18. 3/4 tsp white pepper
  19. 1 tsp salt
  20. 2 TBL flour
  21. 1 tsp corn starch
  22. 1 C beef broth
  23. 2 tsp Worcestershire
  24. 1-1/2 C frozen chopped vegetables
  25. Simmer until sauce thickens
  26. Fill potato boats
  27. Pipe smooth white potato mixture over the top
  28. Use a fork to create patterns on top
  29. Bake at 350º for about 15-20 minutes or until singed brown
    –
  30. This can be prepared 24 hours in advance, and refrigerated
  31. Increase cooking time by five minutes – or until singed brown

View YouTube Video on which this recipe was based.

Norwegian Meatballs

meatballs1 LB ground beef
1 LB ground pork
1 LB ground veal
2 medium eggs – well beaten
1/3 C milk
2 medium potatoes – peeled and coarsely grated
1 onion – grated
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground clove
salt and pepper to taste

Gently mix meat with other ingredients – DO NOT OVER MIX

Shape into 1 inch balls
Fry in skillet with EVOO until browned on all sides
In cast iron skillet mix 1 can broth
1 C sour cream
1/4 tsp dill
Add meatballs and simmer until liquid is absorbed
Serve with mashed potatoes on the side

 

Next Week’s Spaghetti Sauce

1 16 OZ can tomato pieces
1 6 OZ can tomato paste
1 LB ground beef
1/2 LB ground pork
1 large onion
5 cloves garlic
1 TBL oregano
1 TBL olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Dice onion and saute
Mince garlic and put into pan when onion has become transluscent
In large pot heat tomato paste
Add diced tomatoes
Add onions and garlic
In separate skillet brown the ground meats and drain grease
Mix everything so far into the larger skillet
Add oregano, sugar, salt and pepper
Reduce heat and simmer 3 hours stirring occasionally

Add sliced mushrooms, olives or green bell peppers for variety.

Keep in the fridge for up to a week, or the freezer for up to six months.

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