My Mom Cookings

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

2012-02-01T06:47:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Brown Meat Loaf

Methods

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Stuffed Peppers

2012-02-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup water
6 green bell peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

mixed peppers

Methods

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned.
Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Sweet Porcupines

2012-02-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water

Sweet Porcupines

Methods

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, 1/2 cup of water and onion. Blend in salt, celery salt, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meatballs; drain fat.
In an 11x7 inch baking dish, combine the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Place the browned meatballs into the tomato sauce, turning to coat well.
Cover and bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Calico Beans

2012-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup bacon, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (15 ounce) can pork and beans
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can butter beans
1 (15 ounce) can lima beans, drained
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 cup chopped celery

Methods

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
Place bacon and ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
In a four quart casserole dish, mix together the bacon, ground beef, pork and beans, kidney beans, butter beans, lima beans, ketchup, onion, vinegar, dry mustard and celery.
Cover and bake for 1 hour.

Quick And Easy Potta Beans

2012-02-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed minestrone soup
1 (15 ounce) can ranch-style beans
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

Potato Beans

Methods

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain any excess fat and add the soup, beans and tomatoes and green chilies. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Spinach-Cheese Swirls

2012-02-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

Methods

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix egg and water. Set aside. Mix Muenster cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion and garlic powder.
Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Brush with egg mixture. Top with cheese mixture and spinach. Starting at short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Cut into 20 (1/2 inch) slices. Place on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 20 appetizers.

Berry mint salad

2012-02-01T01:39:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

125g fresh strawberries

125g fresh raspberries

125g fresh blueberries

1 tsp. orange juice

60ml maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla essence

20g fresh mint leaves

1 banana, sliced

Method

1) Place the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in a medium glass bowl.
2) In a separate bowl, whisk the juice, maple syrup, and vanilla essence together until well combined. Pour over the fruit, add mint leaves and toss gently.
3) Place fruits in serving bowls and arrange bananas slices on top

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

2012-02-01T01:30:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

175g plain chocolate, chopped

100g white chocolate, chopped

450g strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Method

1) Put the plain and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill 2 medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)

2) Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.

3) Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Chicken broth

2012-02-01T01:23:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 (1.8kg) chicken, whole

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

2 medium carrots, quartered

2 stalks celery, quartered

1 leek, dark tops only

1 medium parsnip, peeled and quartered, optional

3 generous sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried

3 generous sprigs flat-leaf parsley

5 whole black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

About 4 litres of water

Method

1) Combine the chicken, vegetables, herbs, and peppercorns in a large stockpot. Pour in enough water to just cover the chicken completely. Heat the water to just under a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a very low simmer, so that 1 or 2 bubbles break the surface of the broth about once a minute. Skim any fat and scum from the surface with a ladle, large spoon, or skimmer. (To prevent losing a lot of stock when skimming, put the skimmed liquid into a degreasing cup, and return any useable broth back to the pot.) Cook for about 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through but not dry.

2) Remove the chicken from the pot, but continue to simmer the broth. Cool the chicken for about 10 minutes. Cut the chicken meat from the bone, and reserve for a chicken salad, soup, or other recipe. Return the bones to the pot and cook for 1 hour.

3) Strain into a non-reactive container, like another pot, a large bowl, or plastic containers. Fill the sink with a mixture of ice and cold water so it comes about halfway up the sides of the container. Nestle the broth in the ice bath (stirring the broth speeds up the cooling process).

4) Cover and refrigerate or freeze the broth for future use. Broth can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If the broth is unused after 5 days bring it to a boil before using.

Wholemeal linguine with French beans, ricotta and lemon

2012-02-01T01:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

500g wholemeal linguine

125ml (½ cup) reduced-fat ricotta

3 tbsps olive oil

250g French beans, trimmed, halved lengthwise

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

250ml (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lemon, zested

Method

Wholemeal linguine with French beans, ricotta and lemon

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 240ml of the cooking water. Transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl and add the ricotta cheese. Toss to combine.

2) Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the French beans, garlic, salt and pepper and saute for 4 minutes. Add the 240ml of pasta cooking liquid and continue cooking until tender, about 4 more minutes.

3) Add the pasta with ricotta to the pan with the green beans and toss to combine. Add the tomatoes and gently toss.

Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and top with lemon zest. Serve.

Better Butter Cookies

2012-02-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 eggs
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Sift together the flour, and baking soda, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the white sugar and brown sugar with the butter. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and peanut butter. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Finally, stir in the nuts.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on wire racks.

Slightly Spicy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-02-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Mix flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves in small bowl.
In large mixing bowl combine sugar, butter, and extracts until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Slowly add flour mix, beating dough between additions. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop dough by tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until cookies are just brown. After cooling cookies on the tray for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Vegan Brownies

2012-02-01T00:49:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in water, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Casserole Bread

2012-01-25T02:02:00.000-08:00

Casserole Bread

1 package active dry yeast
½ cup warm water
½ cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
2½ cup flour, divided
½ cup cornmeal
¾ tablespoon chopped green chiles
1 cup shredded cheddar or hot pepper cheese

Dissolve yeast in warm water in mixing bowl. Add milk, butter, eggs, salt, and 1 cup of the flour.

Beat on low speed about 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes, scraping occasionally.

Stir in remaining flour, cheese, chiles, cornmeal until smooth. Scrape batter from bowl sides, cover and let rise in a warm place, until the dough has doubled; about 30 minutes. (The batter is ready if indentation remains when touched with a floured finger.) Stir down batter by beating about 25 strokes. Spread evenly in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Brush loaf with melted butter and sprinkle with a dusting of cornmeal. Cover and let rise again until it has doubled again, 40 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 375 F, and place in center of oven.

Bake about 50 minutes, until loaf is brown, and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from casserole dish immediately. Brush top with melted butter.

Curried Squash Soup

2012-01-25T02:01:00.000-08:00

Curried Squash Soup

3 pounds butternut squash, halved, with seeds and strings removed
1 medium large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1½ teaspoons curry powder
¼ to 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream

Cut squash in half and roast at 350 F until soft, which takes approximately 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook onion, carrot and apple in a large, heavy, covered pot in the butter or olive oil until the pieces soften, about 7 minutes. Don’t brown them.

Stir in the curry and cayenne and cook 1 minute. Add the broth and squash, cover, and simmer until squash, carrot, onion and apple are tender, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly, then purée in batches until smooth. Return soup to pot and add cream. Heat the soup, but don’t boil it after adding the cream. This soup is good garnished with chopped chives and a dollop of sour cream or créme fraîche. Serves 6 to 8.

Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats

6 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies®; cereal
3 tablespoons salted butter
10-ounce bag of marshmallows
Orange food dye Decorations: Rolo candy for stems, spearmint jelly-candy leaves, colored frosting, tubes of colored gel icing, and assorted hard candy or candy corns to make the face
Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan and lay a sheet of parchment paper across the pan, leaving the ends folded over the edge for use as handles to lift the treats out.
Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large pot or saucepan. Once the butter has melted, add marshmallows and several drops of dye. Stir until the marshmallows melt into a nearly smooth mass. (These steps can be accomplished with a microwave by heating both the marshmallows and the butter in the microwave on high for about two minutes and then stirring them to redistribute. Heat again for another minute on high and then stir until all is
melted together.)
Pour the crisped rice into the pot and stir until the rice is evenly coated and no more large clumps of marshmallow remain. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Let cool until firm. Using a pumpkin cookie cutter or the top of a cup, cut out shapes. Let children make their own pumpkins using the candy and frosting decorations

Candy Shop Pizza

2012-01-25T01:58:00.001-08:00

Candy Shop Pizza
1½ cups all-purpose flour BD teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
(Subtract 2 tablespoons from this amount to adjust for altitude.)
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
One 12-ounce package (2 cups) chocolate morsels, divided
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup chopped chocolate-based candy, such as Nestle Crunch bars, Alpine White bars, Butterfinger bars, Baby Ruth bars, Goobers, Hershey Kisses, Snickers, etc.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 12- to 14-inch pizza pan or baking pan. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large mixer bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Spread in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 24 minutes until lightly browned.
Immediately sprinkle remaining 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels over crust; drop peanut butter by spoonfuls on morsels.
Let stand 5 minutes or until morsels become soft and shiny.
Gently spread chocolate and peanut butter evenly over crust. Decorate pizza with candy. Cut into wedges; serve warm.

Corn and Wild Rice Casserole

2012-01-25T01:57:00.003-08:00

Corn and Wild Rice Casserole
½ cup wild rice
Dash of salt
3 ears of corn, shucked, or 1 box of frozen corn, defrosted
½ large onion, diced
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup flour
1½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
Dash nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups cream
1 jar chopped pimentos and/or 1 cup mushrooms, diced
Cook wild rice in 2 cups water and a dash of salt until al dente. At Durango altitudes, this will easily take at least 1 hour. Keep the pan covered, but check occasionally to make sure there is still liquid.
Put shucked corn in a hot oven and roast until done and there is some browning of the corn. This will provide a very tasty, sweet corn.
In a large bowl, combine onion, eggs, flour, salt, pepper, sugar, nutmeg, melted butter, cream and pimentos or mushrooms. Stir, then add rice and corn. Thoroughly combine. Pour into buttered 2-quart, shallow baking dish. Set dish in a larger pan and pour hot water into the larger pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325 F for 1 hour, uncovered, until pudding is firm and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into squares and serve hot. Makes 8 servings

Cranberry Salad

2012-01-25T01:57:00.001-08:00

Cranberry Salad
2 small packages cherry Jell-O
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 cup hot water
1 cup pineapple syrup (or juice)
1 cup sugar or Splenda
1 cup ground raw cranberries, ground*
1 orange, sliced and ground*
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped walnuts

Add hot water to Jell-O and sugar. Stir until dissolved.
Add lemon juice and pineapple syrup. Add rest of ingredients. Pour into bundt pan. Chill well.
* Cut the orange into wedges
and put through a grinder with the
cranberries. It is best to prepare these ingredients a day ahead as they take a while to set up.

olden Apricot-Almond Fruitcake

2012-01-25T01:56:00.001-08:00

olden Apricot-Almond Fruitcake
1½ cups dried apricots, cut into fourths
¾ cup water
¾ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups unsifted flour, divided
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon soda
1 cup whole candied red cherries
1 cup slivered almonds
1½ cup golden raisins
½ teaspoon lemon peel, grated
½ cup flour

Boil apricots in water for two minutes. Set aside to cool.
Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. In a separate bowl, mix 1½ cups of the flour with the salt and soda. Stir into creamed mixture.
Combine cooled apricots with cherries, almonds, raisins, lemon peel and the remaining ½ cup flour. Add to batter and blend well.
Spoon batter into two large, or three small, greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 275 F oven for 1¼ to 1½ hours, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Brie and Basil

2012-01-25T01:54:00.001-08:00

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Brie and Basil
1 pound spaghetti 2 pounds assorted tomatoes, diced 1/3 pound brie 1 cup chopped basil 2 cloves garlic, minced	1 cup extra virgin olive oil 2½ teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes, optional Freshly grated Parmesan
Cut off the white rind on the brie and cut into pieces. The colder the cheese, the easier it is to cut. Combine in a large bowl with tomatoes, basil, garlic, oil, salt and hot pepper flakes, if using. This can be made in the morning and refrigerated until dinner. Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss the noodles with the tomato-cheese mixture. Adjust seasoning, plate and garnish with Parmesan. Serves 4.

Herb Frittata

2012-01-25T01:53:00.000-08:00

The following recipe is for a frittata: an open-faced omelette that can be filled with anything you have on hand. This is the simplest kind, adding only fresh herbs and seasoning. A frittata is easier to make than an omelette because you do not have to fold it. Pour the eggs into a hot, nonstick pan, let them set, add fillings and bake in the oven for a few minutes. It is great for breakfast, late night snack or supper served with a fresh green salad. Herb Frittata
1 tablespoons butter 6 eggs 4 tablespoons water	Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat the eggs, water, salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat with the butter. Add the egg mixture and let set for 3 to 4 minutes without touching the eggs. Start lifting the edges of eggs to let more eggs run underneath. When about halfway cooked, sprinkle herbs and cheese over eggs and place pan in oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until completely cooked. Slide off pan onto large plate and serve. Serves 2.

Apple Bread

2012-01-25T01:23:00.000-08:00

Apple Bread

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups oil
2 apples, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until well blended. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for about 1 hour.

Pumpkin Bread

2012-01-25T01:22:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Bread

5 cups flour
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 large can pumpkin
2 cups nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs. In another bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Add flour and pumpkin alternately to the egg mixture. Add nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

Cranberry Bread

2012-01-25T01:21:00.002-08:00

Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup cranberries, sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Juice and rind of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add water to orange juice to make 3/4 cup liquid. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes.