Category: Meals for Beginners

Step by Step Directions and amounts included

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

  1.  Wash large, nicely symmetrical, yams
  2. Poke a zillion holes in each with a fork
  3. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour
  4. Cut in half and set aside to cool
  5. Let cool until they can be handled without being burnt
  6. Scoop out meat of potato, leaving skin boat intact
  7. Mash and mix with 1 TBL butter and 1 TBL cream per half of potato
  8. Spoon back into skin boats
  9. Sprinkle with cheese, salt and paprika
  10. If desired, whip up just a bit of meringue and put on top (See recipe below)
  11. Bake another 15 minutes at 350º

Meringue – Totally optional… I usually don’t do this step.

  1. Separate 2 eggs – keep yolks for other uses
  2. Beat whites until they start to come to peaks
  3. Add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  4. Add 1/4 C sugar
  5. Keep beating until they form stiff peaks

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie

shep-pie1/2 pound ground lean beef
1/2 pound ground pork or lamb
1 sweet onion (large dices)
1 carrot (large dices)
1 TBL tomato paste
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can whole peas
1/2 C kernel corn
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, thyme and/or rosemary
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder or four cloves minced garlic
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
About 1/2 teaspoon salt
About 1/4 teaspoon pepper
About 1/2 cup fat-skimmed beef broth
1/2 C white wine
1 C beef broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup shredded Swiss or Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 oz.)

3 large potatoes
3 TBL butter
1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature

  1. Cut 3 large potatoes into one inch pieces and start heating in salted boiling water
  2. Brown beef/pork mixture in hot skillet
  3. Add onion and carrot – cook until it starts to become translucent
  4. Add flour, parsley, mustard and egg
  5. Add salt, pepper and broth
  6. Add tomato paste
  7. Deglaze pan with white wine
  8. Add 2 TBL butter, canned peas and crushed tomatoes
  9. Add beef broth
  10. When butter has melted, remove from heat and add cheeses
  11. When potatoes have finished mash them with 3 TBL butter and cream cheese – mix until smooth
  12. Salt and pepper potatoes to taste
  13. Butter a shallow 3 1/2- to 4-quart casserole.
  14. Spread two-thirds of the potato mixture evenly over bottom and up sides.
  15. Spoon meat mixture into the center.
  16. Spoon remaining potato mixture decoratively around edge of meat mixture
  17. ALT: Boil potato medallions and place (overlapping) around the edge
  18. ALT: Boil potato medallions and place them over the top of the meat mixture – sprinkle with cheese
  19. ALT:  Pipe mashed potatoes using a pastry bag with a 1-inch star or round tip and pipe around the edge
  20. Bake pie in a 400F oven until potatoes are browned, 30 to 35 minutes

NOTES:

  • If this were to be made with ground beef only, it would be called a Cottage Pie, rather than a Shepherd’s Pie
  • If you do make this the day before serving, don’t bake it until just before planning to eat it.
  • It should take 35 to 40 minutes to heat through after it’s been stored in the refrigerator.

Chile Verde

image3 LB Pork Shoulder
– trim some (but not all) fat
2 LB Anaheim or Hatch chilies
3 Jalapeños

1 can diced tomato
1 can navy or pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can whole corn
1 onion
1 head of garlic
1/4 C clour
4 C chicken broth
1 TBL cumin

Preheat oven to 500°
Coat pork in Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder
Bake at 500° for 20 minutes
Heat 1/2 C water and 1 tsp salt
Reduce heat, add pork, cover, and simmer 20 minutes

Meanwhile blacken chilies, sweat 5 minutes in plastic covered glass bowl, and remove skin. DO NOT RINSE.

Drain pork, cut in 8 pieces, and brown newly exposed sides.

Chop your chilies, add 1 can diced tomato, 1 onion, 8 cloves smashed garlic, 1 TBL cumin, 1/4 C flour and 4 C chicken broth.

Cover and simmer 90 minutes at 280° in the oven.
Add 1 can each kidney beans, navy or pinto beans, whole kernel corn.
Let rest covered for 30 more minutes.
Cool until you can shred the meat.
Deseed jalapeños, mince and add to chile
Mix in 1 TBL lime juice.
Serve topped with sour cream (crema) and/or cilantro

Jambalaya

Basically you can just say that Jambalaya is kind of like a casserole.  It’s a concept, rather than a dish.  Here is an easy step by step, but if you want to go with tradition, click on the images to the right:

  • Raw meat (chicken, sausage, shrimp, pork, beef, fish, etc)
  • Lots of minced garlic (to taste)
  • One green bell pepper – diced
  • One onion – sliced thin
  • One celery – chopped
  • One can crushed tomatoes
  • 1-2 C chicken stock
  1. Brown the meat in EVOO
  2. Cook the above together for about an hour
  3. Stir occasionally
  4. Spill some of your beer and Tabasco sauce in there occasionally
  5. Put some rice and beans in during the last half hour

Browse the recipe to the right for a few other ideas and ingredients.

 

Potato Skins

Before we begin…

  • When you grate potatoes for hashed browns, or cut them up for potato salad, don’t lose those wonderful potato skins.
  • Cut off nice thick pieces for potato skins.
  • Store them for up to a week in salt water

Ingredients to feed 4 people

potato skins
– cut thick enough to enjoy
  • 1 C hot water
  • 1 tsp salt

Step by Step

  1. Stuff a canning jar with the potato skins
    – use the whites of the potato for whatever recipe you have going
  2. Fill a measuring cup with two cups of hot water
  3. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water and stir to dissolve
  4. Pour over the potatoes in the jar
  5. Put the lid on the jar
  6. Let them cool on the counter for half an hour
  7. Put them into the refrigerator and store for up to a week

fried eggWhen you are ready to eat your potato skins…

  1. Dump the salted water
  2. Fill the jar with fresh water
  3. Dump this rinse water, but only rinse them once.
  4. Pat them dry with a towel and spray with vegetable spray or wipe lightly with EVOO
  5. Bake in the oven at 400º for 45 minutes to an hour
  6. Serve with sour cream mixed with your favorite dried spices.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or ketchup, and serve with eggs.

This is a recipe that has been created or modified by Robert (Grandpa) Andrews.
CLICK HERE for a free sample copies of Grandpa's Cookbooks. © 2016, 2017, 2018.

Smoothie Recipes

HINT: Frequently the blender blade will fit into a ball jar, which can then be screwed into place. Use this for your smoothie and everything is self-contained.

Kale Breakfast Smoothie

6-8 Kale leaves
1/2 C water
1 C frozen banana slices
10-12 seedless grapes
1 VERY ripe pear (peel is OK, but small pieces)
1/2 C orange juice
1 tsp grated ginger
Blend well and serve on ice.

Banana Breakfast Smoothie

1 C frozen banana slices
1 C milk
1/2 C strong coffee (cold) – espresso is even better
1 TBL coconut oil
1 TBL peanut butter
1 TBL honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

A few other smoothies:

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
The Ultimate Smoothie
A Google Listing

Growing and Making Pickles

CLICK HERE for an index of all Grandpa’s Pickle Recipes.

Lacto-fermentation

Simply put, lacto-fermentation is a microbial process using beneficial bacteria including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. and other lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (commonly known as probiotics), which thrive in an anaerobic fermenting environment.  Beyond preservation advantages, lacto–fermentation also increases or preserves the vitamin and enzyme levels, as well as digestibility, of the fermented food.

Balance is crucial.  Too salty and fermentation does not take place.  Not salty enough, and they rot.  It is not a fine line, but one that needs to be considered.

Planting your own Pickles

  • Plant specifically pickling cucumbers.
  • They are a bit smaller than regular ones.
  • The take about 4-5 weeks to harvest, so plan your time accordingly.
  • The first part of August is a good time to plant.

Pickling ingredients

  • Enough for a one quart canning jars
  • Different vinegars contain different acid levels, which affect the taste of your pickled ingredients.
    – LOW ACID: Apple cider vinegar
    – MEDIUM ACID: White wine vinegar
    – HIGH ACID: Red wine vinegar – increase sugar
  • Main pickling ingredients:
    – 1/2 C sugar (dissolved in heated vinegar)
    – 1/2 C salt (dissolved in heated vinegar)
    – 2 C heated white vinegar – heated in microwave 1 minute
    – 1 C water – also heated
  • Flavor ingredients:
    – 2 large (or 3 small) cloves garlic – whole, but squashed
    – 1 dried arbol chili – dried, but flexible – not brittle
    – 1 lemon – zest and juice
    – 1 bay leaf
    – 1 rosemary sprig
    – 1 tsp black peppercorns
    – 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    – 1/2 tsp tarragon
    – 1/2 tsp thyme
    – 1/2 tsp vanilla

Basic Steps… Really Easy

  • Stuff jar full of whatever you are pickling
  • Pour in hot salty brine – About 1 sugar, 1 salt, 2 water, 4 vinegar
  • Process with hot water bath for 10 minutes

If you are going to eat them within a month or so, you can skip the canning process, but you still want to use jars and lids that have been sterilized.  If you do this, they will stay good for up to four months.

  • Pickles should always set for at least 36 hours before you eat them.  A week is even better.  In the case of olives or peppers, a few weeks is in order.

Items that are good pickled

  • Hard boiled eggs – whole
  • Red  or sweet white onion – cut into slices
  • Cucumber medallions with sweet onion slivers
  • Radishes – small ones whole, big ones halved
  • Jalapeño peppers
  • Small pickling cucumbers
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Asparagus
  • Zucchini
  • Red or brown olives fresh from the tree (2 week cure time) – Black is too ripe
  • Shredded cabbage (sauerkraut)
  • Green beans

Most seasonal vegetables can be pickled as long as they have some structure to them. Forget leaf vegetables, apples, pears, etc.

Grandpa’s Refrigerator Pickles

PREPARE YOUR BRINE

  • 2 C water – About 1 sugar, 1 salt, 2 water, 4 vinegar
  • 2 C apple cider vinegar
  • 3 TBL kosher salt
  • 3 TBL sugar
  • Several sprigs fresh dill – whole
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp coriander seed
  • 1 tsp mustard seed
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 10 cloves peeled garlic – whole

PREPARE YOUR CUCUMBERS

  • 6 Kirby or Pickling Cucumbers – Quartered lengthwise
  • English Cucumbers and Persian Cucumbers are also good choices.

    OTHER VEGETABLES YOU CAN USE

  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Peppers
  • Green beans
  • Cauliflower

COMBINE IT ALL

  • Bring your brine up to boiling
  • Simmer 5 minutes
  • Place 1 clove of garlic and some of the peppercorns into your jars
  • Pack with vegetables as full as you can get it.
  • Pour the boiling brine into the jars
  • Put lids on them
  • Process in hot water bath if keeping for more than 4 months, otherwise just put the lid on and you are good to go.
  • Always best after a few days.

Grandpa’s Bread and Butter Pickle Chips

INGREDIENTS

  • 15 Small Cucumbers
  • 3 onions – thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper – thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 C salt
  • 2 C apple cider vinegar
  • 1 C white sugar
  • 1 TBL mustard seed
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric

STEP BY STEP

  1. In a large bowl, toss together cucumbers, onions, green bell peppers, garlic and salt. Allow to stand approximately 3 hours.
  2. In a large saucepan, mix the cider vinegar, white sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, whole cloves and turmeric.
  3. Drain liquid from the cucumber mixture. …
  4. Transfer to sterile containers.
  5. Store in the refrigerator for up to three months

Party Potatoes

Heat up 2 C cream and 1 C half and half just to the point where it starts to steam
Add peeled and grated fresh horseradish, and one thinly sliced Valida onion
Add two cloves thinly sliced garlic, just a bit of grated nutmeg
Add salt and pepper to taste
Continue to simmer for about ten minutes while you slice potatoes
Slice Yukon Gold Potatoes thinly
Layer cream, potatoes and cheese until you are out of potatoes or cream
Add in whatever you have left, then top with Panko bread crumbs
Bake at 375º for about 90 minutes
Top with thyme, chives and finely diced red bell pepper or sumac
Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving

Twice Baked Potato

This recipe is not much more difficult than making a baked potato, but is a lot fancier and always very well received.

Bake two large potatoes just as you normally would:
( Poke them full of holes, bake at 450º and then let cool to the touch )

Cut the potato in half, and scoop out the white part making sure you don’t tear the skin
Crush and mix the white with 4 TBL butter, garlic powder and onion powder
Add in 1 TBL sour cream, 1/4 C cheddar cheese
Mix in 1/4 C chives, salt and pepper to taste and 1/2 tsp oregano

Pack all of this back into the shell of the potato skin, top with cheese and bake at 400º for 20 minutes.

Breakfast Enchilada

  1. Scramble an egg in a skillet and then dump onto a plate and set egg aside
  2. In the empty (but not yet cleaned) skillet add 1 TBL butter and 1 TBL flour
  3. Cook until the flour starts to brown
  4. Add 1 tsp paprika
  5. Add 2 TBL chicken broth and stir to incorporate
  6. Add 2 TBL more broth, stir
  7. Add 2 more TBL broth and then stir until it is smooth
  8. Put a corn tortilla on a heat resistant plate or bowl
  9. Top with your egg
  10. Pour sauce on top of the egg
  11. Add shredded cheese
  12. Bake under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese starts to brown
  13. Serve with strong hot coffee

 

Russet Chips

    • Slice washed russet potatoes as thinly as possible on a mandolin
    • Put into heavily salted water so that they don’t brown while you prepare for the next step.
      • Soak/brine in 2 C solution of 2 TBL salt, 2 TBL sugar and 1 C vinegar overnight in the fridge
    • Drain, spin and towel dry
      –

      • FRY METHOD
    • Fry at 370º in small batches until golden brown the following day.
      You do not need to season after frying cause they brined already
      –

      • OVEN METHOD
    • Brush parchment paper with EVOO
    • Put sliced potatoes on parchment paper
    • Brush top of slices
    • Baked at 450º for 15 minutes
      • Flip and bake another 15 minutes
    • Salt while still warm

Lemon Pudding Cake

Lemon Pudding Cake
1 C whole milk
1/2 C heavy cream
Bring up to a simmer . Med high
3 TBL lemon zest
Cover and Simmer 15 minutes
Meanwhile mix:
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C flour
Salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
In separate bowl mix
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C lemon juice
Temper in hot mixture
Strain liquids
——-
Beat FOUR egg whites until soft peaks
Add 1/4 C more sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
——-
Mix ALL until homogeneous in color
——-
Put into baking ramekins placed in a baking tray
Put in 2 C tap water
325° for about 50-55 minutes
Cool for 10 minutes

Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 PKG Pillsbury crescent rolls
  • Pepperoni
  • Red sauce – Your choice of Marina
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Garlic and onion powder

STEP BY STEP

  1. Spread out a sheet of Pillsbury crescent rolls – lay lat and uncut
  2. Spread a THIN layer of red sauce
  3. Spread out a later of pepperoni
  4. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses
  5. Season with garlic and/or onion powder
  6. Roll into a long rope
  7. Cut 3/4 inch medallions and place in a lightly greased muffin tin
  8. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees
  9. Let rest just a few minutes before serving

OPTIONAL FILLINGS

  • Ham and Cheese
  • Turkey
  • Veggie and Cheese
  • Pig in a Blanket

Tips: Omelets

  • Don’t get your skillet too hot, or it will burn before it fully sets
  • Be patient.  Slower is better.
  • 1 egg is 1.5 ounces – two is 3.0 ounces – three is 4.5 ounces
  • Some great omelet and frittata filling suggestions
    • Asparagus, ham, Parmesan cheese, parsley
    • Gruyere and mushroom
    • Feta and spinach
    • Bellpeppers and onion.

OTHER COMMENTS

The easiest way to get egg shells in your eggs is to baby them. Slap them firmly on the edge of the sink to crack the shell, then decisively split the shells apart. No fuss, no muss.

If you do get a shell piece in your egg, use the edge of the broken shell to scoop it out.

Easy Spaghetti with Red Sauce

Ingredients

Spaghetti noodles
1 can diced tomatoes (cut up)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 TBL olive oil
1 carrot (cut into long strips)
several sprigs of of rosemary
two stalks of celery (cut into long strips)
1/4 CU mozzerela
1/4 CU Parmesean

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil up to smoke point
2. Saute onion
3. Add tomatoes to pan
4. Tie carrot, rosemary and celery with white cotton string and add to pan
5. Bring contents up to boiling and simmer 60 minutes
6. Boil spagetti until al-dente
7. Remove spice bundle
8. Plate spagetti noodles, spoon sauce over top, and sprinkle cheese on top

Kate’s Easy Cheese Omelet

Grandpa Teaches One-on-One Cooking Classes using Zoom for young Chef’s

Here is an example of Kate’s Class

Zoom Participants / Screens

  • Kate (Chef) and Jenn (Parent and Helper)
  • Laptop with Grandpa and Grandma
  • Skillet camera, so Kate can see the skillet

Here is the plan

  1. Talk and chit chat a little bit
  2. Review things we will need – make sure they are set out
    1. Talk about WHY of mis-en-place

What you will need before we start to cook

  • Non stick Skillet – Put skillet on stove but don’t turn it on yet
  • Two eggs
  • Mixing bowl
  • Fork (or whisk) and butter knife
  • 3 tsp pieces of COLD Butter
  • A wooden spatula and a rubber spatula
  • Shredded cheese (or slice of cheese)
    • If a slice of cheese, cut a triangle for garnish
    • Break the rest of the cheese into pieces
  • Plate
  • Bread, Tortilla or English Muffin

Extra Toppings

Before you start, decide if you want any extra toppings or ingredients.
Dice any of the following and sprinkle on before you put the cheese on:
•   Ham
•   Cooked bacon
•   Cooked onion
•   Mushroom
•   Bell pepper
•   Peppers
•   Olives
•   Chives
•   Avocado
•   Spinach

Here is what you do

COOKING

  1. Break your egg into a little bowl.  If you get any shells in the bowl, use the edge of the eggshell to remove them
  2. Dump the egg into your mixing bowl.
  3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 with the other egg
  4. If you have an electric stove top, turn the heat on your pan to Medium-High.  If you cook with gas, turn stovetop on medium after Step 6
  5. Beat the egg with a fork (or whisk) until well mixed
  6. Put three small tabs of COLD butter in the pan
  7. How many is the chef cooking for today?  Talk about if you are making omelets for more than two people, you can put them on a baking sheet in the oven set to about 250º
  8. Check on your butter – is it starting to melt?
  9. Spread it around the pan with the wooden spatula
  10. It will melt, then it may start to turn a tiny bit brown
    – This is “brown butter” and tastes better than plain old melted butter
    – You want it to cook just a little bit, because it tastes better
    – If it goes too far, it gets bitter
  11. Pour in your egg and tip the pan to spread it around the bottom
    It doesn’t have to cover the pan completely, just as much as you can
  12. If you are using a toaster, put your bread it
  13. When the egg is not shiny, sprinkle your cheese on it
  14. If not using a toaster, put your bread or tortilla in the microwave for 20 seconds
  15. Use your rubber spatula and fold over the edge, then fold it again
  16. Carefully move it to the plate
  17. Top with a bit of cheese or your triangle of cheese
  18. Serve with your bread and some butter

Next meal ???

  • Spaghetti and Meatballs
  • Grilled cheese sandwich
  • Hamburger
  • Hot dog
  • French Toast
  • Scrambled Eggs
  • Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Meatloaf

 

Muffin Tin Omelets

There are a lot of steps, but if you go step-by-step this is an easy no-fail recipe.

Preheat your oven to 350º

Spray (or grease) a cupcake pan.
1/2 onion – diced
thick slice of ham – diced (or bacon)

Fry ham/bacon in a fry pan
When nearly done add diced onion
Cook about 5 more minutes

Optional DICED or SLICED things to add:
Mushrooms, bell pepper, jalapeño peppers, olives, chives

Mix the cooked vegetables and put on a cutting board
Divide in half, then half again, then again until you have as many piles as you have muffin spaces.

Loosely place the mixture into each space
Top each space loosely with a bit of grated cheese.

In a mixing bowl, crack 1 egg per 2 spaces. (eg) 16 muffins = 8 eggs

Whisk together with eggs: 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp EVOO, and salt/pepper to taste.

SLOWLY pour the egg mixture into the spaces. If you run out of egg mixture, just break/beat an extra egg and use that.

Put into the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.

After they’re cooked, allow them to cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes.

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