Cornish Pasties

I tried this recipe from a kids' cookbook called Skillet Bread, Sourdough, and Vinegar Pie by Loretta Frances Ichord. I modified it slightly (and am sharing it the way I made it) and will continue to tweak it a bit more when I make it in the future.

Cornish Pasties

For the Crust:

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup cold water

Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Add the salt. Add the butter and cut in with a fork (I used two butter knives) until texture of flour is like cornmeal. Add water and mix with a fork (I used my hands). Turn out on floured board. Knead dough with hands for a few seconds until well blended. Form into four balls, cover each one with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

For the filling:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onions, chopped finely
2 cups diced potatoes (I would use less in the future)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I ended up using a little more)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (I ended up using more than this)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
I added a couple dashes of garlic powder, even though it was not called for.
milk to brush pasties

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix ground beef, potatoes, onions and spices together in a bowl with a wooden spoon (I used my hands as it seemed to work better). Take pasty dough out of fridge and roll out each ball into and 8 inch circle with rolling pin on floured surface. Brush the edges of the dough with milk, using a pastry brush. Place one cup of filling on to one half of each circle and fold the other half over it. Seal the edges by pressing with a fork and transfer to a lightly sprayed (with cooking oil) cookie sheet. Cut small slits on top of pasty (or poke with fork tines a couple of times) for steam to escape. Brush each pasty with milk. Back for 45 minutes.

I made smaller pasties so they would be individual sized. Next time I make them, I will also make a brown gravy to pour on top of, as they were a little dry. Overall they were very good and not too difficult to make.

Peach Cobbler

I received this recipe from my friend Stacie. It is my favorite peach cobbler ever!

Peach Cobbler

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar

Cream together until fluffy.

In a separate bowl mix together:

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Alternately add flour mixture with 1/2 cup milk into butter mixture. Spread sugar dough mixture onto bottom of a casserole dish. Put 2 1/2 cups sliced, canned peaches over dough mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar ver fruit. Pour 1 cup juice from peaches over mixture. Back at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or half n' half. (We prefer half n' half.)

Cream Cheese Frosting

This is my favorite frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter room temperature
8 oz cream cheese room temperature
1-2 teaspoons vanilla (I usuall use 1 tsp)
approximately a half pound of powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add vanilla and mix well. Then add powdered sugar until you get your desired consistency (I usually end up using a half pound). Tint with food coloring, if desired. Add to cupcakes, cakes or any other place you'd prefer.

Chalupa

Another recipe from my sister-in-law, Rachelle. This is a family favorite.

Chalupa

1 lb. pinto beans (soaked in water overnight, then rinsed and drained the next morning)
3 lbs. pork roast
7 c. water
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
two 4 oz cans chopped green chilis

Place all ingredients in heavy pot (I also have used the crockpot on high for 6 hours and then put on low until ready to shred and serve). Cover and simmer for about 5 hours. Cook until roast falls apart. Break up roast (remove any bones). Uncover and cook until thick (about 30 minutes).

We eat it on tortilla chips or in tortillas; top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa (whatever your favorite condiments are). We are going to be trying this over rice tonight (without the condiments). I am sure it could be used on navajo tacos or taco salad shells, too.

Italian Vegetable Soup

A recipe from my sister-in-law, Rachelle. She brought this to us one night and we all loved it.

Italian Vegetable Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. thinly sliced celery
1 c. chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz canned, chopped tomatoes
15 oz. tomato sauce
15 oz. kidney beans, undrained (Rachelle drains and rinses beans and increases the water.)
2 c. water
5 tsp. beef bouillon
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 c. shredded cabbage
1 c. canned green beans (Rachelle uses the whole can.)
1/2 c. elbow macaroni (Rachelle uses closer to 1 cup, and I am assuming it is cooked based on the the recipe instructions--I have not yet made this recipe, but will be this week.)

Brown the beef. Add all ingredients except the cabbage, beans and macaroni. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add cabbage, beans and macaroni and simmer. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Bagels

I got this recipe from my friend Lindsay and will try it soon:

Bagels

These turned out soooo YUMMY!!!
I am going to try making Honey Wheat ones later in the week.
The secret to GREAT bagles is Boiling them.....

Homemade bagel recipe

4 cups bread flour

1 Tbls sugar

1 1/2 tsps salt

1 Tbls vegetable oil

2 tsps instant yeast

1-1/4- 1-1/2 cups of warm water.


Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. You don't have to worry about soaking the yeast when you use instant yeast (most yeast sold these days is instant yeast). The dough should feel stiff, but add the extra water if it's really stiff, or you can't get all the dry flour incorporated.

Plop the dough down onto the counter, and knead for about ten minutes, or until the dough is uniform and smooth.

Cut the dough into 8 equal sized balls, and let rest for 10-20 minutes.

Pre heat your oven to 425.

Now, take each of the dough balls and using two hands, roll it into a little snake on the counter. When the snake is longer than the width of your two hands, wrap it around your dominant roiling hand. The dough rope should be wrapped so the overlapping ends are together at your palm, near the start of your fingers. Now take the two overlapping ends, and use your palm to squish/roll these two ends together. Once the dough is fused, you should have a perfectly circular bagel-to-be! This is the only part of the process that can take a little practice before your bagels will look really professional. Don't get discouraged if they don't look perfect, it just takes practice!

Let your bagels rest on the counter for about 20 minutes, and meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, and grease a large baking tray lightly. You can just rub a splash of vegetable oil and rub it around.

After the 20 minute wait, your bagels will start to look puffy, and it's time to get them boiling! Add them as many at a time as you can to your boiling water without crowding them. Boil for about a minute, turn them over, and boil for another minute. Take them out a let dry for a minute and then place them on your oiled baking tray. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled.


Add the tray to the oven, and after 10 minutes, flip the bagels over, bake for another ten minutes; and they're done!

Let them cool for at least 20 minutes, get the cream cheese ready, and feast on what's got to be one of the best weekend brunch treats possible!


You can add any toppings you like to these. To make sesame, onions, poppy seed, caraway etc. etc. bagels just have a dry plate ready with the seed or spice topping spread out on it. After the bagels have come out of the boiling water, place them face down onto the seeds, and then place the seed side up onto the baking tray. Bake and flip as for plain bagels.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Another one from my mother-in-law, and of course, it is the best!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup chopped onion

Cook in large pot until onions are tender and clear.

Add:

6 cups water
6 chicken bouillon cubes

Heat to boil and add:

12 oz. twisty noodles
1 tsp. salt

Cook for a few minutes, then add:

broccoli (my mother-in-law uses two 10 oz. pkgs. of frozen broccoli and I use a head or two of fresh broccol--only the florets)
1 tsp. garlic powder

Cook 5 minutes with lid on pot, then add:

6 cups whole milk (I have used skim and others before, but whole is best)
2 lbs. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Cook until melted, stirring frequently. Add a teaspoon (or less, if you prefer) of pepper (white or black).

Serve hot with bread or rolls (orange rolls are a nice combo--salty and sweet) and a garden salad.

Chicken Casserole Supreme

Easy and super filling for those ever-growing and super hungry kids (I have 8). Healthier if served with a large garden salad. ;-) I double or triple this recipe for my family.

Chicken Casserole Supreme

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast (I usually cube mine before I cook it.)
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup butter, melted
6 oz. crushed Ritz crackers
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Saute chicken and onion until cooked and tender. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl blend butter and Ritz crackers. In a bowl mix Cream of Chicken soup and 1/4 to 1/2 cups water (you want don't want it too liquidy). In a 2 qt. casserole dish layer the chicken/onion mixture, then the soup/water mixture, then cheddar cheese and lastly, the butter/Ritz cracker mixture. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes. Serve over rice.

San Francisco Chops

My family loves this recipe:

San Francisco Chops

In a large crockpot add the following:

6-8 boneless pork chops
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. canola oil
5 Tbsp. broth (I used chicken)
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. cornstarch
2-3 cups water (you need to keep an eye on this to make sure the pork never gets dry--you can add more water as needed)

Set on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours. When finished it should be very tender and moist with some broth/juice still in crockpot. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Judy's Meatloaf

This is the best meatloaf in the world, because there aren't any tomatoes in it. ;-) Also from my mother-in-law.

Meatloaf

In a blender combine 1/2 cup milk and 1/3 cup chopped onion.

In a large bowl add 3 pounds ground beef (80%-90%), 3-5 slices white bread (crumbled fine) and 2 eggs. Mix thoroughly with hands or large wooden spoon. Add in salt and pepper (probably a teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon pepper) and milk/onion mixture. Mix. Press into 13 X 9 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours.

Goes great with green beans and mashed or roasted potatoes.

Judy's Chinese Chicken Salad

This is my favorite Chinese Chicken Salad recipe. I got it from my mother-in-law.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Dressing (I usually double or triple this)

4 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup oil (I usually do a combo of canola and sesame oil)

Heat all, except oil, in a saucepan over low to medium heat until dissolved. Let cool. Add in oil.

Salad

chicken breasts (cooked, cooled and diced--about half a breast per person)
half a head of iceberg lettuce
one green leaf lettuce
half a head of green cabbage (sliced thin)
2 green onions (sliced thin)
about 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I used pecans and almonds), lightly toasted
1/4 cup sesame seeds, lightly toatsted

Toss all together in a large bowl.

Something Crunchy

My mother-in-law uses a can of fried wonton noodles that you can find in the Asian section of your local grocery store. I like to take fresh wonton wrappers (usually in the produce section), slice them thin and fry in oil for a couple of minutes (drain on paper towels). I have also used broken corn tortilla chips in the past.

You can toss the fried wonton noodles into the salad at this point and add the dressing and toss together. Or you can leave the fried wontons and dressing separate and let everyone add their own. This also helps with leftovers, as adding the dressing will make the leftover salad and wontons limp and unappetizing.

Serve with rolls or good bread. (Photo to follow.)

Mexican Wedding Cookies

My husband's favorite cookie:

Mexican Wedding Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I only use 1)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a bowl stir together flour, salt, and pecans to combine thoroughly; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine butter and a 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar; beat until fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until dough clings together.

Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until firm and lightly browned (20 to 25 minutes).

Spread about 3/4 cup of the remaining powdered sugar on a rimmed baking sheet. As cookies finish baking, remove them to the sugar-lined baking sheet; generously sift some of remaining powdered sugar over warm cookies, turning in sugar if necessary to coat all surfaces liberally. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Perfect for a cold winter day:

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

In a large pot boil a whole chicken (make sure you have taken the "innards" out). (Place chicken in pot and add water until chicken is covered. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and a sprinkle of ground ginger to water. Then bring to a boil. Simmer for about 3-4 hours.) Remove chicken from broth. Reserve broth. Take meat off of bones. Discard all fat, bones and cartilage. Add chicken meat back into pot of broth. Add more water and spices (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder & pinch of ginger). You want to leave about 5 (or so) inches between water level and top of pot. Bring to a bowl. Add homemade egg noodles and stir. Let boil for 5-10 minutes, then serve hot.

Egg Noodles

2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

Mix all ingredients together with an electric mixer (I use Kitchenaid) until a dough is formed. Roll out thin (1/8-inch or so) on a heavily floured surface. Cut into short, thin strips with a pizza cutter. Dredge heavily in flour before adding them to the pot of chicken soup. Once dropped into the soup, mix soup thoroughly. Add a handful of noodles at a time.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

This is my favorite homemade whole wheat bread:

Honey Wheat Bread

1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons--though I usually do about 3 teaspoons)
2 cups warm water
1/3 cup honey or molasses (I use molasses)
2 tablespoons soft shortening (I use butter)
2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 to 6 cups whole wheat flour (I use about 5 scant cups)

In a mixing bowl place ingredients in order given, except the flour. Add flour gradually to make a stiff dough. Knead on a well-floured surface until smooth and satiny (8-10 minutes). Place in greased bowl (I use Pam). Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled (1 1/2 to 2 hours).

Divide in half; shape into balls. Cover with bowl; let rest 15 minutes. Shape into loaves. Place into well-greased (Pam) 9 X 5 or 8 X 4-inch pans. Cover and let rise until light and double (about 1 hour).

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a deep, golden brown. Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks.

Rhubarb Pie

This turned out fantastically delicious!

Rhubarb Pie

2 pie crusts for 9-inch pan (see recipe below)

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I used pumpkin pie spice)
5 cups sliced rhubarb, cut 1/8-inch thick (I used frozen--but defrosted, cut rhubarb)
2 tablespoons butter (I forgot to put this in)
2 teaspoons sugar

Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg, stirring until blended; stir in rhubarb, and let stand 15 minutes. Spoon mixture into pie shell; dot with butter. Add second pie crust on top of filling. Trim edges, fold under, and crimp edges. Prick top or cut design. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 30 more minutes or until crust is browned. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.


Beginner's Pie Crust

2 cups flour
1 cup shortening (I use butter--I do not ever use shortening)
2/3 cup buttermilk (You can use soured milk)
1 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening until all flour mixture is moist. Then add buttermilk and blend together. Cover and let stand in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Then divide in half and flour a flat surface generously; roll your dough until 1/8-inch thick. Put in pie plate and bake according to pie recipe instructions.

Potato Salad

This is the very best potato salad in the world. I am not kidding. I always get compliments when I make it.

Judy's Potato Salad

5 lbs red potatoes, cooked and diced
1 dozen hardboiled eggs, diced
1 lb bacon, cooked and diced
2 stalks celery thinly sliced (I omit these.)

Mix well. Add salt, pepper and celery seed (do NOT use celery salt) to taste. Add in enough Best Foods Mayo to coat salad (about a quart). Chill for a few hours (overnight is best).

Orange Rolls

These are the best!

Orange Rolls

1 cup milk--heat in pan to almost boiling (stir frequently). When cool enough for yeast (lukewarm), add 1/2 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 2 pkg active dry yeast, 3 tbsp shortening (I actually use butter) and beat. Let rise 1 hour. Add 3 + cups flour (just have the flour come above the measuring cup a tad with each scoop), 1 tsp. salt and stir with wooden spoon. Let rise until real light--about 2 hours.

Flour counter space well. Take 1/2 of dough and roll thin. Spread with filling (see below). Roll as a jellyroll (or cinnamon roll). Cut into 1 inch slices (I'm never precise about this). Put into greased muffin tins. Let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 8 minutes (just prior to baking, I put a dot of the leftover filling on top of each roll). Remove from oven. If desired, brush with butter (I don't). They are delicious when hot.

Filling

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 6 tbsp room temp. butter, grated rind of large orange (I usually double my filling, and with the extra, I put a dab of it on top of each roll right before I bake it).

White Bread

White Bread

This is an easy-to-handle, 2-loaf recipe:

1 package active dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast
1/4 cup water

* * * * * *

2 cups milk, scalded
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon shortening (I use butter and have also used canola oil--the same 1 tbsp.)

* * * * * *

6 to 6 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (I never sift)

Soften the active dry yeast in warm water or compressed yeast in lukewarm water. Set aside. Combine hot milk (bring to nearly a boil and remove from heat), the sugar, salt, and shortening. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in 2 cups of flour; beat well. Add the softened yeast; mix (I use my Kitchenaid). Add enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough (I usually get in a little less than 4 additional cups of flour...bringing the total to just less than 6. If I make it with wheat flour I am only able to get a total of 5 cups).

Turn out on a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and satiny (about 6-8 minutes). Shape into a ball; place in in lightly greased bowl (use a large one, and I always spray it with Pam), turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 1/2 hours).

Punch down. Let rise again until double (about 45 minutes). Cut into 2 portions (I put it on the counter for this and just cut with a large knife). Shape each into a smooth ball. Cover (I use the same large bowl); let rest 10 minutes. Shape into loaves*. Place into greased (I use Pam) loaf pans. Let rise until double (I cover with a clean, wet dish towel that I have used to cover the bowl throughout, but you can also cover loosely with plastic wrap)--about 1 hour. Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees F) for 35 minutes or until done (when you put them in the oven, make sure there is space between them, so that the hot air can circulate properly). Peek in oven after 15 minutes; if tops are browning too fast, cover loafs with foil. Brush tops with butter when done for soft, shiny crusts. Cook on cooling rack. Slices best when cool (but is delicious when fresh and hot).

*To shape loaf, flatten dough with rolling pin in a 15 x 7-inch rectangle (I do not measure mine, just eyeball it). Roll up like a jellyroll (start at narrow side), sealing at each turn with fingertips or edge of hand. Press down ends of loaf with sides of hands to make two thin sealed strips. Fold strips under loaf as you put it in the pan so bread will have smooth crusts at both ends.

Greek Chicken

This is delicious, so give it a try.

Greek Chicken

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, diced
1-2 T. olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. dried parsley or 2 T fresh chopped parsley
2 T. lemon juice

In a large skillet, cook chicken in olive oil until browned. Add onions and cook until golden and soft. Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer over low heat for approx. 30 minutes.

Serve over penne pasta with feta cheese, and a nice garden salad.



Before feta cheese ...



After feta cheese (the more the better in my opinion)!

Lasagna

Debi's Lasagna

Meat Mix
1 lb. ground beef cooked
1 lb. ground pork or ground Italian sausage cooked
1 large jar Classico spaghetti sauce
1/4 or 1/2 of spaghetti jar filled with water (after you pour the sauce into the meat)

Mix all together.

Cheese Mix

2 pints cottage cheese (small curd)
Kraft parmesan (enough to make cheese mixture thicker--you don't want it too runny--usually about 1 cup)
2 eggs slightly beaten

Mix all together.

Grate about 1 lb of mozzarella cheese and set aside.

Layer a 13 x 9 or larger dish (I use a Pampered Chef large baking stoneware dish). First goes lasagna noodles uncooked. Then in order add meat mix, cheese mix, and grated mozzarella. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes covered. Take tinfoil off and cook 15 more minutes.