Pesto Chicken Manicotti

1 jar Alfredo Pasta sauce (16 oz
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp garlic powder
14 chicken tenders
1 tsp Italian seasoning
14 uncooked manicotti shells
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
1/3 cup basil pesto

Heat oven to 375 degrees,
Mix pasta sauce, water and garlic powder in medium bowl.
In ungreased 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish. spread about 1/3 (1 cup) of pasta sauce mixture.

sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning
stuff raw chicken into uncooked minicotti shells
Place shells on pasta sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce mixture evenly over shells

Cover with foil. Bake 45 - 50 minutes or until shells are tender.  Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 2-4 minutes longer. sprinkle with tomato. Serve with a dollop of pesto on each.

From Pillsbury Casseroles and slow Cooker booklet. Sept 2007.

Banana Bread

Fannie Farmer's Banana Bread

preheat oven to 350 degrees...

Put the following in mixer, and combine:

3 Ripe Bananas, well mashed
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar

Add 2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Mix it all together and pour into either:

paper lined muffin tins (makes 12) or (bake about 20 min)
2 small greased loaf pans, or (bake about 40 min)
1 greased loaf pan (bake one hour)

Slice and toast, spread with butter or cream cheese
or cream cheese frosting on muffins
I sprinkled sugar on top of muffins before baking and that was good.

Carissa's homemade brownies

Brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (one cube)
1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 350.  Grease a 13 x 9 pan, or cast iron skillet*

Heat butter in large saucepan and 1 cup chocolate chips, over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Stir in sugar, flour, vanilla, baking powder, salt, and eggs until smooth.  Stir in remaining chocolate chips.

Spread in pan.  bake about 30 minutes, or until center is set.

* it may take a little longer if you bake in the cast iron skillet because it will be a deeper brownie.

Oatmeal Jam bars

Oatmeal Jam Bars 

 from Pioneer Woman

This recipe is deliciously buttery and pretty high in calories.  The perfect takealong on a backpacking trip or ski outing.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup oatmeal (quick or regular)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar Strawberry Preserves (I used peach in the picture above)

Prepare:

Preheat the oven to 350.  Butter a 9 x 13 or 8 x 10 baking dish.
Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs (try adding the oats after mixing in the butter). Sprinkle half the mixture into the plan and pat lightly to pack it a little tight.  Spoon jam/preserves evenly over the surface, then use a dinner knife to carefully spread it around.  Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly again.

Bake until light golden brown on top, about 30-40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool in pan.

When cool, cut into squares and serve.

Banana Bread

from the

Fanny Farmer cookbook

This is my cookbook. I've had it for ages.  It falls open to this recipe automatically.  Its stained and has food spots and the spine is broken.  Its worth its weight in gold.  But, I do want to get this recipe down somewhere else, just in case...


Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a loaf pan (I use two small loaves)

Mix in a large bowl:      3 ripe bananas
                                    2 eggs

Add in:                         3/4 cup sugar
                                    1 tsp salt
                                    1 tsp baking soda
                                    2 cups flour

stir or mix until nicely combined.

Pour into one loaf pan or two mini pans and bake 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the pans.

This is my favorite all time banana bread.  No fat! Just "pure and simple banana bread, heavy, moist, and dark".

Good toasted, or slathered with cream cheese or butter.  The hardest part of the recipe is getting 3 over-ripe bananas.

OK, I took this one for fun, you can see the photographer/cook in the reflection in the saucepan behind the banana bread. 

Quick Black Bean Soup

QUICK BLACK BEAN SOUP

I usually make this with leftover roast beef but it is good with ground beef too.  Its like a gourmet chili.  I like it with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans (or whatever you like)
1 can beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
         minced garlic
         1/2 tsp thyme
         1/2 tsp cumin
one potato, peeled and diced
one carrot, grated or diced
leftover meat (ground beef, roast beef, chicken) or make it vegetarian.


Directions:

In a big pot, combine:

Beans (drained)
1 can beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
spices to taste.

     Get that cooking, and add in peeled diced potato (about 1/2 inch cubes), 1 grated carrot, and your leftover meat.  Let it simmer until the potato is tender (about 25 minutes).  Serve with cornbread and honey.

This should be enough for two.

Salsa

Home Made Salsa


1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 T chopped fresh Cilantro
1 tsp lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce

Serve with chips or Mexican food.

Garlic Sriacha Chicken

GARLIC SRIRACHA CHICKEN



1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Sriracha sauce
2 T minced garlic
6 chicken breasts

Combine all in a ziploc bag. marinate one hour. grill, fry or bake.

I would serve with rice and peas

or instant mashed potatoes and salad

Ground Beef Week

Ground Beef Week

Purchase about 2 lb of the best burger you can afford.  brown it and add taco seasoning mix. Let it cool and divide it into 4-5 portions.  Refrigerate until needed. It also freezes well at this stage.

Meal 1:  Tostadas (shells, refried beans, meat, cheese, shredded cabbage instead of lettuce)

Meal 2:  Rice Bowl (rice, meat, corn, cheese, salsa, chopped onion, cabbage)

Meal 3:  Burritos (leftover refried beans, meat, corn, cheese, salsa).

Meal 4:  Black Bean Soup with bread or cornbread (should be leftovers for lunch) See recipe in this blog.

Meal 5: (if there is still meat left, bake two potatoes, when done, open them up and top with meat and cheese).
             or "dressed up leftovers"*

shopping list:

2 lb ground beef                     1 envelope taco seasoning             corn (canned or frozen)
cheese                                    Tostada shells (the flat ones)
a potato  (or 3)                        flour tortillas
a carrot                                   2 cans black beans
salsa or recipe (in blog)           1 can beef broth
small head cabbage                 1 can tomatoes
onion




*Dressed up leftovers: (cabbage rolls)
Dip whole cabbage leaves in boiling water until pliable (about a minute).
Spoon leftovers (meat, rice, veggies, cheese, etc.) in small blobs onto the end of the leaf and roll it up.
Make as many as you can with what you have leftover.
place in greased baking dish or skillet and sprinkle with cheese. cook in oven until heated.

Chicken week

Chicken for a week (almost)

This post is meant to be a guide to cooking on a budget, when you have to ride the bus or walk or ride a bike to the grocery store.  Normally I would recommend eating more variety in a week, but one could start out freezing some of the meals to mix in with another week.

Purchase some chicken - 8-10 chicken thighs or legs, or 4-5 leg-thigh joints.

Cook them all at once.  Either put them in a cast iron skillet, season with salt and pepper and curry powder and saute til cooked through ... or cook them in the oven at 350 degrees.

Set aside some of the broccoli and carrots for fried rice later in the week.

meal 1:    Roasted chicken, steamed rice (make extra), steamed carrots.

meal 2:    leftover chicken with 3 ingredient pasta and steamed broccoli (should be leftovers for lunch)

meal 3:    Fried rice (with extra rice from meal 1) with cut up chicken, carrots, garlic, broccoli, egg, etc.

meal 4:     Chicken soup and cornbread or Focacia or
                Salad with bread and cheese

meal 5:     treat yourself to dinner out - carry out Chinese?

shopping list:
chicken
rice
pasta
1 lb fresh carrots
fresh broccoli
frozen peas for fried rice and soup if possible
eggs
Parmesan
soy sauce
soup: canned tomatoes, beans, chicken broth or
salad: Romaine, tomato, cheese, dressing

3 ingredient peanut butter cookies

Peanut butter cookies

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Get out your mixing bowl and turn the oven to 350.
whisk your egg well
add one cup sugar and stir that
add the peanut butter and stir until its all mixed together.

make smallish balls of dough and set them on your cookie sheet.  not too close together.
If you want to get fancy roll them in sugar first.
criss-cross the tops with a fork to make them authentic.

Depending on the size, bake 6-10 minutes.  Let them cool a bit before you take them off the cookie sheet as they are quite fragile when they first come out of the oven.

Try not to eat them all in one day.

Coffee Cup diner in Hillsdale MI

SUN TEA

A glass pitcher or mason jar (at least a quart)

4 teabags

water

Fill your glass container with water.  dunk in 4 tea bags.  place in the sun.  It should look like tea in an hour or so.  Add ice and sugar if you like it sweet.

Now sit in the sunshine and have a glass of iced tea. 

Hallelujah Biscuit

Hallelujah Biscuit

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold butter, diced in smallish pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk (or regular milk, possibly rice milk is ok) a little more if its too dry.

I mixed all but the buttermilk first, then added buttermilk and stirred.  I actually kneaded it a little to make sure everything was incorporated into the dough (no dry floury spots).  form into one large biscuit.

Heat the oven to 450 while you're mixing up the biscuit.

Melt a couple of T's of butter in cast iron skillet, then put in your biscuit dough.  Flatten it a little so it cooks evenly. (my first try was doughy in the center).  Bake 12 minutes, check it for doneness.

+ eat like a big scone with butter and jam; or
serve with chili or spaghetti or vegetable soup.

*you could also make it into four smaller biscuits and cook a little less time. A little less impressive maybe but could be a  little more convenient?

Overnight oatmeal

Honest Oatmeal

I've looked at lots of oatmeal recipes...crockpot...in a jar...baked...looking for something easy to set up so I am not stirring oatmeal for 20 minutes in the morning.  This recipe is tried, tested, retested, always good.

In a large saucepan, boil 4 cups of water;
When water is boiling, stir in 1 cup steel cut oats *
remove from heat, put a lid on it. Leave it on the counter overnight.

That's it!

In the morning scoop some into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Add your own brown sugar, milk, rice milk, fruit, or a sprinkling of granola on top. Scoop the leftovers into a bowl and refrigerate for tomorrow's breakfast.

*you can do this will rolled oats too.  I've tried it and it came out a little watery, so maybe 1/2 cup less water. I prefer the steel cut oats but I don't think my family even notices the difference between steel-cut and rolled.

Nero Wolfe Corn on the Cob

This summer we have been re-watching our set of Nero Wolfe dvd's.  Nero Wolfe is passionate about food! (and orchids).  He was so excited about fresh corn in one episode that we decided to google the recipe.

Oven 4475 - 500 degrees
Place ears of corn on baking sheet (or just put on the baking rack).  Do not shuck!
Let roast 40 minutes. exactly.

Present on a platter at the table with butter and salt on the side.
Have guests shuck at the table.
"It tastes like cake".

We're going out for more corn today.

I roasted smallish new potatoes on the same baking sheet.  When it was all nearly done we put thin pork chops on the grill. Easiest summer dinner ever.

The corn gets a little scorched on the outside.  Its super easy to shuck. The silk comes right off with the husk.  I know it seems like a long time to cook corn. Trust me.

Rustic Fruit Pie

Rustic Fruit Pie

Pillsbury Pie Crust (you find them in the refrigerator section, near the butter and yogurt type stuff)
or, make your own from scratch - see never-fail pie crust recipe
Fruit (3 biggish granny smith apples - or 3 big peaches)
1-2 T. Flour
1/2 cup Sugar

1.  Let the crust come to room temperature and unroll into cast iron skillet.
     (Or put on a cookie sheet on top of foil or parchment paper)
2.  sprinkle center of crust with 1-2T of flour
3.  Peel and cut fruit into wedges.  Pile in the center of the crust.
4.  Sprinkle with sugar
5.  fold up crust over fruit -- the center circle will be open.
6.  optional: brush crust with milk or egg white and sprinkle a little sugar on it.
7.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until crust is golden and fruit is cooked.

Peach Pie 7-23-13

PESTO (special equipment required*)

Pasta with Pesto Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds)
2 cups fresh basil leaves, firmly packed.
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup grated Parmeson cheese

12-16 oz pasta

Combine all ingredients except Parmeson and pasta in a small food processor* or blender.  blend evenly, almost smooth.

scoop into a big serving bowl and stir in parmeson.

Add cooked pasta and a little of the pasta water if it seems a little dry or sticky.

You can buy it already made but it isn't as good.

I have seen recipes that don't use the blender so that might be worth a search.

Spaghetti CACIO E PEPPE

Three Ingredient Spaghetti

8 oz spaghetti or linguine (half a box)
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cube butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup grated parmeson

In a large pot or frying pan, combine spaghetti, water, butter.  When it comes to a boil, start timing your pasta according to the box directions (about 9 minutes).  Stir frequently, watching the water.  You want it to use up the water, but not go dry.

When the pasta is done, take it off the heat, put in your grated parmeson and toss.

Serve with more parmeson and freshly ground pepper.

I would serve with a salad and a piece of meat.

We ate this with Salmon Caesar Salad.

spicy peanut chicken pasta

Spicy Peanut Chicken Pasta

from Clueless in the Kitchen by Evelyn Raab

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 T veg oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 T honey
1 T soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, squished
1 red or green pepper, thinly sliced

Cut meat up into approximately 1/2 inch pieces.

Heat veg oil. Add chicken chunks and cook over high heat until lightly browned (5-7 min). remove chicken from pan (put in lid?)

In a bowl whisk together broth, honey, soy sauce, peanut butter, cornstarch, ginger and hot pepper flakes. Pour into skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth.

Add garlic, green or red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes. return chicken pieces and any juice from it to the pan and simmer all for 2-3 minutes.
Serve over hot cooked pasta. linguine or spagetti

We served it over rice, with green peas on the side, on a soup plate,

topped with chopped peanuts and slivers of basil.

Curly Noodle Dinner

Curly Noodle Dinner

1 lb medium ground beef
1 package oriental noodle soup, any flavor
1 12 oz can corn, drained
1 19 oz can diced tomatoes

In large skillet, cook ground beef until browned. Drain off fat.

Add flavor packet from noodles, corn, tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Crumble in the noodles and cook about 10 minutes. The end. Serves 3-4.

This was pretty tasty and definitely "good enough" if you're in a hurry for something fast and filling. We thought it was kind of like a "goulash".

Should be enough for one big meal and a lunch.

Carrot Soup or X-ray vision soup

X-ray vision soup

From Clueless in the Kitchen by Evelyn Raab

2 T butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cups peeled, coarsely shredded carrots (I would guess about a pound)
1/4 tsp turmeric (if you have it)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (or dried oregano, thyme,basil or dill)
1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned)

Melt butter in a large saucepan and saute chopped onions about 5 minutes.  Add carrots and turmeric and cook 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth and Italian seasoning, bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.  Add corn and cook another 5 minutes.

Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed. (If you use canned broth it is probably already plenty salty enough)

Makes 6-8 servings.

One pot chicken & rice

Chicken and Rice in a pot
(arroz con pollo)


4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
Olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup rice
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 cups chicken broth *
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces.  salt and pepper

2 T olive oil.  Brown chicken and set aside (in lid?)

Saute 1 onion, finely chopped and 1 garlic clove, minced.

Add one cup uncooked rice, saute a bit.

Add seasonings and browned chicken.

*Stir 2 cups heated chicken broth or other liquid (even water is ok).

Cover and cook over low about 30 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup frozen peas at the end.

Serve hot with lemon wedges and cilantro.  Hot sauce is good too.

Blueberry Cornbread

BLUEBERRY CORNBREAD

Cast Iron

1 box jiffy mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Make cornbread mix according to directions.

Add 1 cup blueberries. (could be frozen)
2 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Melt 1T butter in cast iron skillet.
pour in batter.
sprinkle cinnamon and sugar generously on top before baking.
Bake according to package directions.

Cut into wedges to serve.  Top with maple syrup. Eat with a fork!

Curry Roasted Chicken

EASY CURRY ROASTED CHICKEN

4 chicken legs
1 T olive oil
2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper

Heat oil in cast iron skillet.
Season chicken with curry and salt and pepper.
Brown stovetop for 5-7 minutes, then put in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with rice, vegetable, naan


You can cook any amount of chicken.  Just make sure the chicken is cooked, breasts and thighs might take a little longer.

Porcupines

PORCUPINES

serves 4

about one pound ground beef
one package beef rice-a-roni (reserve seasoning)
1 egg
*optional 1 envelope brown gravy mix

Mix beef, rice a roni and egg and form into golf ball size meat balls.  Put in skillet.  Mix 2 1/4 cups water with the seasoning packet and pour over the top.  Bake about 45 minutes at 350.

To add gravy mix, dissolve in 1/2 cup cold water, then add to skillet in the last ten minutes.

serve with a green vegetable or steamed carrots.


Alternatively, you could brown the meatballs in a skillet with some cooking oil in it, and then add water and seasoning and cook stove-top with a lid on for 20-30 minutes.

Blondies

Giant Cookie; Blondies in cast iron skillet

In a bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter (one cube).

Stir in 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

Whisk in 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla

Mix in 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and then 1 1/2 cups flour. stir well.

add in 1 cup chocolate chips. (could use m&m's or white chocolate, or anything like that)

Heat oven to 350.  Melt 1 T butter in bottom of skillet, then spread batter on top.

Bake until golden, about 15-20 minutes.

You can also bake in a 9" x 13" pan, for a little less time - 10-15 minutes. 

If you want to give a big cookie for a gift, line the pan with foil first so it can be lifted out in one neat piece.

DUTCH BABY

DUTCH BABY

 Heat oven to 450

1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour

Whisk all the above ingredients together in a large measuring cup (or any bowl)

Put cast iron skillet in oven with 1-2 T of butter to melt.

When butter is melted, pour batter in, put in oven for 10-15 minutes, until puffed and browned.

Serve with syrup and powdered sugar, or jam and powdered sugar, or just powdered sugar...

Honey Dijon Chicken

HONEY DIJON CHICKEN (OR PORK)

ONE:

gather your ingredients:

1. four chicken breasts (or a few more boneless skinless thighs,

or I did it with thick pork chops)

2. a bottle of non-fat honey dijon salad dressing (I used Kraft)

TWO:

Put ingredients in a crock-pot in the morning.

Turn it on Low.

Ignore it until dinnertime.

THREE:

Just before you want to eat...

make some rice or couscous

cook a nice vegetable or have salad stuff.

EAT!

meat, rice, vegetable. Enough for four.

This makes a somewhat sweet gravy to pour over your rice or couscous. Sometimes I break up the meat when I cook the rice, so it gets more coverage with the gravy.

Fruit cobbler

Fruit Cobbler

(Marionberry)

FRUIT COBBLER

1 cube butter, melted

1 cup sugar
1 cup self-rising flour *
1 cup milk

Mix the above all together into a nice batter. *if you don't have self-rising flour, just use 1 cup regular flour and add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt*

Pour into a buttered casserole dish (or cast iron skillet)

Cut up 2 cups of peaches, or use 2 cups of blackberries, or blueberries. Try something new!

Sprinkle fruit over the top of the batter in the casserole. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup sugar on top.

bake 350 for about an hour. Serve warm with ice cream or whipping cream.

One Pan Pasta

ONE PAN PASTA

nine minutes
one pot
feeds two


(from Martha Stewart)

12 oz linguine
12 oz cherry tomatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 sprigs basil
2 T olive oil
4 1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper

Combine all in one pot -- boil and stir (uncovered) about 9 minutes, until the water is absorbed and there is a nice sauce on the pasta.  Sprinkle handfuls of parmeson on top.

the basic formula is the pasta and water ... use whatever vegetables and seasonings you have on hand.

Could feed more if you serve chicken or a pork chop and a vegetable on the side.