Three more recpies

Time for a few more requested recipes.

Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole

Serves 4

½ pound lean ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (4 ounces) diced green chili peppers
1 carton (8 ounces) sour cream or light sour cream
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
8 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce or one can (10½ ounces) tomato puree
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Hot chili peppers (optional)

IN a 10 inch skillet cook the ground meat, onion, chili powder, and cumin till the onions are tender and the meat is no longer pink. Drain off the fat and cool.

Stir the pinto beans and the undrained chili peppers into the meat mixture. In a medium bowl stir together the sour cream, flour, and garlic powder until well blended.

Place half the tortilla strips in the bottom of a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, half the sour cream mixture, and half the enchilada sauce. Repeat layers. Bake covered in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake 5 minutes more. Garnish with cilantro and chili pepper if desired.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

You can make this up to a day ahead and chill in the refrigerator. After making the sour cream mixture, store it and the meat mixture in containers. When you’re ready to serve, assemble as described above and bake for 45 minutes instead of 30.

If you double the recipe (say for a potluck), use a 3 to 4 quart baking dish and bake for an hour. Using the tomato puree instead of the enchilada sauce will cut down on the spiciness of the dish if that is a concern for you.

Shredded Beef with Pickled Peppers

Serves 8

1 2½ to 3 pound boneless beef chuck pot roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon instant beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed
½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped pepperocini (Italian pickled peppers) or other pickled peppers
8 hoagie buns, rye buns, or Kaiser buns, split and toasted
6 ounces sliced Swiss cheese

In a 3½ to 4 Quart crockery cooker combine the meat, onion, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon granules, oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic. Stir to mix.

Cover and cook on low heat about 10 hours or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours. Stir to break up meat cubes. Stir in peppers.

Cook, uncovered, on High heat for 30 minutes more, stirring often to break up the meat.

Using slotted spoon, place meat mixture on bottom of toasted buns. Top with cheese. Broil 4 inches from heat about 1 minute or until cheese melts. Add top of buns.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

You can serve the meat juices in small cups with the sandwiches for dipping if you want.

Spicy Beef Pitas

Serves 8

1 pound thinly sliced cooked beef
½ cup picante sauce
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil or cooking oil
1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 large pita bread rounds, halved
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium avocado, sliced
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce)

Place sliced beef in a plastic bag in a bowl and set aside. For marinade, combine picante sauce, vinegar, oil, cilantro, garlic powder, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over beef. Seal bag: marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally

When ready to serve, drain and discard the marinade. Divide beef among pita halves. Add tomato, avocado, and feta cheese

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes form the Hare

For a quick side dish, cook a package of cheese stuffed tortellini as directed on package. Drain and cool, then toss with strips of sweet pepper, slices of red onion, olives, and Italian dressing

A trio of recipes.

Here are a few more of the Ox requested recipes for you to peruse and prepare as you see fit.

Sassy Beef in Tortillas

Serves 15

2 pounds lean ground meat (beef, chicken, pork, or turkey)
1 cup chopped onion
1½ cups shredded carrot or butternut squash
1 cup finely chopped green sweet pepper
1 can (14½ ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/3 cup light raisins
1/3 cup catsup
3 tablespoons steak sauce
2 tablespoons quick cooking barley
1 tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
15 8 to 9 inch flour tortillas

In a large pan or Dutch over cook the meat and the onion until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is tender. Drain off any fat

Stir in carrot or squash, sweet pepper, undrained canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, raisins, catsup, steak sauce, barley, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.

Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 to 15 more minutes or until the mixture has reached the desired consistency.

Spoon about ½ cup of the meat mixture over tortillas. Fold in half, then fold in half again.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

You can freeze this mixture for up to three months once it’s cooled down after cooking. To reheat, you can either cook a container over medium low heat until thawed and heated through, stirring occasionally, or you can transfer the mixture to a microwave safe bowl and cook on 70% power (medium high) stirring occasionally. For a 1 cup portion the microwave will take about 6 minutes to thaw and heat: 2 cups will need 10 or 11 minutes.

Instead of spooning this onto tortillas, you can use it as a topping for baked potatoes, spaghetti, or spaghetti squash.

Three Bean and Beef Stew

Serves 6

8 ounces boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cups water
1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes
½ cup dry red wine, or 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar plus 1/3 cup water
1/3 cup tomato paste
¼ cup snipped fresh basil, or 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 carrots, cut into ¼ inch pieces
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) great northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (9 ounces) frozen Italian style green beans
Fresh sprigs of basil (optional

In a large pan or Dutch oven, brown beef cubes with onion and garlic in hot oil until meat is brown and onion is tender.

Stir in water, undrained tomatoes, wine (or vinegar and water), tomato paste, basil, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in carrots. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1¼ hours.

Stir in green beans and simmer 8 to 10 minutes more or until meat and beans are tender. Stir in canned beans and heat through. Serve in bowls, garnishing with sprigs of basil if desired.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

To make this ahead, after simmering for 1¼ hours, stir in canned beans. Transfer the pot to a sink of ice water to shill quickly, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to freezer containers and store for up to 3 months.

To prepare frozen stew, transfer a portion of the stew to a large pan and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally to break mixture up. Stir in half the green beans (depending on portion size – 2 portions in 1½ quart containers are recommended). Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until beans are tender.

Along with the soup, you can serve a tasty bit of bread. Brush 6-inch Italian bread shells with olive oil, then top with thinly sliced onions that have been cooked in a little oil until brown. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese over all and bake in a hot oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through. Cut into wedges to serve.

Parmesan Chicken and Broccoli

Serves 6

1 cup parboiled (converted) rice
½ cup sliced green onion
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon bottled minced garlic, or 1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2¼ cups milk
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, cut up
1½ cups loose pack frozen broccoli
½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup diced fully cooked ham
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

Cook rice according to package directions: remove from heat and stir in half the onion. Rinse the chicken and pat dry.

In a large skillet, cook chicken, Italian seasoning, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink, turning once. Remove from skillet, reserving drippings.

For sauce, cook remaining onion in skillet with reserved drippings until tender, adding more oil as needed. Stir in cornstarch. Add all the milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat and stir in cream cheese until nearly smooth. Remove from heat, stir in broccoli, Parmesan cheese, and ham. Cool the sauce.

Spread rice into a greased 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange chicken over rice and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken. Back casserole, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with almonds.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

You can make this ahead and freeze it for up to 4 months. After spooning the sauce over the chicken, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and freeze. The night before serving, move the dish from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw while covered. Bake the thawed casserole, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with almonds, then back for 20 to 25 minutes more or until heated through.

Black Bean and Salsa Noodle Soup

For everyone looking for a quick and tasty soup recipe for the winter months, I can readily recommend this one.

Black Bean and Salsa Noodle Soup

Serves 6

3 cans (14 to 15 ounces each) vegetable broth
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 package (5 ounces) Japanese curly noodles, or 5 ounces spaghetti
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon pepper

Heat broth to boiling in a large pot. Stir in remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender

Source: Super Sides in Seconds, © 2004

Notes from the Hare

I like a slightly heartier soup, so I double the black beans in this recipe. I leave the noodles out on occasion as well, depending on mood.

A sprinkling of cheese is pretty tasty on to of this soup, if you are so inclined.

Something for the Canines

Ox here - Christmas isn't that far away and for those of us who have canine (and feline) chilluns I thought it would be really cool to have something for the mutts that we could actually afford. My mother-in-law, being of the same mind, gave me this recipe. I admit I have not as yet tried it out, mostly since I have only recently received it. When I do, I will make sure and let you all know just how it turned out. And, as soon as I find something for the kitties I will also be sharing that with you.

Dog Biscuits

4 c. flour
3 c. oats
4 tsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 beef boulion cube
2 c. warm water


SHAPE AS YOU WANT!

Bake at 300* oven for 1 hour. Makes about 48 biscuits.

Peaches and Cream

Now that work has died down a good bit, I should be able to update a bit more regularly. For tonight, I’ll post a desert recipe that I made once for Ox and her husband and which Ox asked for yesterday

Peaches and Cream

Serves 6

½ of an 18 ounce package of sugar cookie dough
1 can (16 ounces) sliced peaches
9 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch round pan. Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until dough begins to set, roughly 5 minutes

Rain the peaches, reserving 2 tablespoons of juice. Arrange pieces over crust, leaving space between slices.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add reserved peach juice and egg. Beat until smooth.

Spread cream cheese mixture over peaches. Bake until firm, about 25 minutes. Cool before slicing.

Source: Easy Everyday Cooking cards

Notes from the Hare

You could use canned pineapple instead of canned peaches if you want.

Three Cheese Spaghetti Pie

Every now and then you find a recipe that just sounds odd, but has a good chance of tasting pretty good. Sometimes it’s a picture of the recipe, or the name of it. It was definitely the name with last night’s meal

Three Cheese Spaghetti Pie

6 ounces spaghetti, cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water
1 large egg, separated
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ pound ground beef
1 ¼ cup spaghetti sauce
¾ cup Ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Combine spaghetti, egg white, and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Press the mixture into the pie plate to form a pie shell

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the beef. Cook, stirring frequently, until beef is brown and crumbly – roughly 5 minutes. Drain and return to skillet, then stir in spaghetti sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.

Combine Ricotta, egg yolk, parsley, and ½ cup mozzarella in a medium bowl. Spread mixture into spaghetti pie shell

Spread meat sauce over cheese mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella. Cover pie with foil. Bake for 35 minutes, removing foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Let stand before serving.

Source: Easy Everyday Cooking cards

Notes from the Hare

Taste-wise this reminds me of lasagna.

You could substitute cottage cheese for the Ricotta and grated Romano for the Parmesan.

For a lighter meal, exchange the beef for ground turkey and 2 egg whites for the yolk. You could also use low-fat cheeses.

You can use the spaghetti pie crust for other meals – simply prepare the pie shell as above and fill it with roast chicken, pork, or beef.

Five-Spice Pork Sandwiches

There hasn’t been as much time to work on recipes of late as I would like, sadly – but now that I have a few moments in between trying to get everything to just calm down a bit, might I present Five-Spice Pork? It is very yummy.

Five Spice Pork Sandwiches

1 2 ½ to 3 pound pork shoulder roast
1 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 ½ teaspoons five-spice powder
6 to 8 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
1 ½ to 2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage

Trim any excess fat from roast. If necessary, cut roast to fit into a 3 ½ or 4 quart crockery cooker. Place meat in cooker

For sauce, combine apple juice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and five-spice powder. Pour over roast.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on high heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove roast from cooker. Remove meat from bone; discard bone and fat. Using two forks, shred the meat. Serve meat on toasted rolls with Shredded cabbage.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

You can serve this au jus by skimming the fat from the juices and spooning the juice into small bowls, supplying a bowl of juice with each sandwich.

Five-Spice powder should be in the Oriental section of your grocery. IF you can’t find it, you can make your own.

Combine all of the following:

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
6 star anise or 2 teaspoons aniseed
1 ½ teaspoons fennel seed
1 ½ teaspoons whole szechwan peppercorns or whole black peppercorns
¾ teaspoon ground cloves

in a blender. Cover and blend to a fine powder, then store in an airtight container.

A pair of beefy recipes

Updates are kind of sporadic here at the Inn – I’m having a lot of instances of “so little time” lately. So now, while I have some time, here are a couple more recipes that Ox asked me to post.

Beef Burgundy

Serves 6

1 10 to 11 ounce can condensed golden mushroom soup
¾ cups burgundy
¼ cup quick cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1 ½ pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into ¾ inch cubes
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, halved
Hot cooked noodles

In a 3 ½ to 6 quart crockery cooker, stir together soup, burgundy, tapioca, thyme, and pepper. Add carrots and onion. Top with stew meat and mushrooms.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours.

Serve over hot cooked noodles.

Beef and Barley Soup

Serves 6

1 pound boneless beef chuck pot roast, cut into ¼ to ½ inch cubes
7 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon granules
½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
½ teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed
½ teaspoon dried pepper
½ cup pearl barley, or 1 cup quick cooking pearl barley
1 10 ounce package mixed frozen vegetables

In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, combine beef, water, onion, celery, bouillon granules, thyme, marjoram, basil, and pepper. Bring to boiling. Stir in pearl barley (if using) and return to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. (If using quick cooking barley, add during the last 20 minutes of cooking.)

Stir frozen vegetables into soup. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes more or until meat, barley, and vegetables are tender.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

For the Beef and Barley soup, you can add more flavor, color, and nutrition by stirring in ½ of a 10 ounce package of frozen spinach with the other frozen vegetables.

Something Different, 5 GREAT RECIPES

HUG RECIPE 2 people 4 arms 2 hearts A touch of love A pinch of humor A sprinkle of gleeExtend arms and wrap them around each other. Clear your minds, take a good look at each other, then pull yourselves together and mix well. Serves 2.
----------------------------
RECIPE FOR CHILD RAISING 1 c. Proverbs 22:6 1 tbsp. Proverbs 19:18 Dash of Proverbs 23:13 Pinch of Ephesians 6:4 1 teaspoon Proverbs 3:5 1/2 c. Titus 2:3 though 7Mix all the ingredients, add a pound of persistence, 1 cup of love and whip until right consistency.---------------------------------
FOR A GOOD LIFE

1 c. good thoughts
1 c. kind deeds
1 c. consideration for others
2 c. sacrifice
3 c. forgiveness
2 c. well-beaten thoughts

Mix thoroughly. Add tears of joy, sorrow and sympathy for others. Fold in 4 cups of prayers and faith to lighten other ingredients and raise the texture to great heights of honest living. After pouring all this into your daily life, bake well with the heat of human kindness. Garnish with lots of love. Serve with a smile. Enjoy!
----------------------------------
RECIPE FOR A HAPPY HOME
2 pinches of tenderness
3 c. of love
5 tsp. of happiness
1 qt. of patience
6 oz. of faith
3 tsp. of forgiveness
4 c. of understanding
1 barrel of laughter

Mix love and happiness, add faith. Blend in understanding, patience and tenderness. Add forgiveness. Toss in laughter with HUGS all around. Generously serves the whole family.
----------------------------------
RECIPE FOR LEFTOVER FRIENDSHIP

Fold two hands together
And express a dash of sorrow
Marinate it overnight
And work on it tomorrow.
Chop one grudge in tiny pieces
Add several cups of love.
Dredge with a large sized smile
Mix with the ingredients above.
Dissolve the hate within you,
By doing a good deed
,Cut in and help your friend,
If he should be in need.
Stir in laughter, love, and kindness
From the heart it has to come,
Toss with genuine forgiveness
And give your neighbor some.
The amount of people served
Will depend on you,
It can serve the whole wide world,
If you really want it to.

Salad, Soup, and Sandwich

It’s been a little longer than I expected it to be – my apologies.

Hare here. I got sick not long after posting the Swiss Steak Café recipe. Then I went home for a weekend, and then work got busy, and life got busy for a bit – at any rate, I’m back.

And I make my return with more requested recipes – today I drop off a salad and a sandwich and a soup to make up for the lack of updates on my part.

I don’t know that I’d recommend serving all of these together, per se, but they do sound tasty.

Spinach Salad With Chicken and Fruit

Serves 4 to 6

6 cups fresh spinach (about 8 ounces)
¼ cup salad oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
½ teaspoon poppy seeds
1 11 ounce can mandarin oranges, chilled and drained
1 ½ cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey, or two 5 ounce cans chunk style chicken, drained and flaked
2 cups strawberry halves or cantaloupe cubes

Rinse and tear spinach. Cover and store in refrigerator.

For dressing, in a screw top jar combine oil, red wine vinegar, orange juice, mustard, and poppy seeds. Cover and shake well. Chill up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, in a large salad bowl combine spinach, orange sections, chicken, and strawberries or cantaloupe. Shake dressing and drizzle over salad: toss to coat.

Hot Apple and Cheese Sandwich

Serves 4

1 medium apple
4 English muffins, split
2 tablespoons creamy Dijon-style mustard
4 slices Canadian bacon
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon margarine or butter

Core the apple and slice crosswise, forming rings. Spread mustard on one side of muffin halves

To assemble, top 4 muffin halves with a slice of bacon, 1 or 2 apple rings, a slice of cheese, and the remaining muffin halves. Spread margarine lightly on the outside of each sandwich.

Heat a large skillet or griddle. Cook sandwiches over medium low heat about 5 minutes, or till toasted. Turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes more or until toasted and cheese starts to melt.

Sausage Vegetable Soup

Serves 8

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 14 to 15 ounce cans beef or vegetable broth
2 14 to 15 ounce cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 ½ cups water
1 15 ounce can cannelline or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 3 cups)
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic, or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

In a 4 ½ quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook sausage till crumbly and browned. Drain off the fat.

Add broth, undrained tomatoes, water, beans, potatoes, celery, onion, and garlic. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in zucchini and boil soup for 5 minutes more.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

The soup (or any leftovers) can be frozen for up to three months. To do so, remove the soup from the heat immediately after adding the zucchini and allow it to cool, then transfer to freezer containers (a pair of 2 quart containers are recommended). When you’re ready to serve, transfer one portion of soup to a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally to break up the mixture.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

Hello, this is OX. Yeah, I know, it has been a while since I've posted anything here. The novel I was working on is finished and I am quite happy to say that come the 26th it will be mailed out for its try at acceptance. In the mean time, I am really doing a good amount of cooking and just realized that everyone should know how to make an easy Alfredo sauce which is wonderful over pene pasta or linguini especially.

The really strange problem is that there really aren't any measurements to be had so, good luck.

1. Use as much milk or evaporated milk or cream as you would want the amount of Alfredo sauce to be into a skillet on the stove on medium heat. This is most important - DO NOT BOIL THE MILK/CREAM/EVAPORATED MILK!

2. Depending on the amount of milk/cream/evaporated milk you have, put in about 6 tablespoons of butter in and let the warming milk melt the butter.

3. Once the butter is melted, season it with salt.

4. Add in Parmesan cheese. It will take a good amount, so two cups isn't out there. Stir this in until the mixture is thick and creamy. Don't stir it hard, just let the mixture do all the work for you. It doesn't matter if the Parmesan cheese is fresh grated or from a nice box. Before taking it off of the heat, add garlic. Make it as garlicy as you would want, then pour it over pasta you have prepared.

One note I would like to make: Don't use sweetened condensed milk because that makes it way too sweet and you have to work with it a lot to make it less sweet.

So, enjoy!

Swiss Steak Cafe

More requested recipes – this one involving the crock pot, steak, and coffee.

Swiss Steak Café

Serves 4

1 ½ pounds boneless beef round steak, cut ¾ in thick
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
2 onions, sliced
1 cup strong coffee
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Trim the fat from the round steak and cut into 4 serving sized pieces. In a 12 inch skillet, brown the meat on all sides in hot oil. Drain off any fat.

Place onion in bottom of a 3 ½ to 6 quart crockery cooker. Add meat. Combine coffee, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Pour over meat and onion.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours.

Remove meat and onions to platter and keep warm. Measure 2 cups of the cooking liquid and pour into a small saucepan. Discard bay leaves. Combine water and cornstarch and stir into saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Serve sauce with round steak.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

I must admit, I’ve never considered using coffee as an ingredient before, but this sounds very tasty.

Turkey Loaf with Pesto

Continuing with our requested recipe extravaganza, we come to an interesting way to use some ground turkey – not so helpful for Thanksgiving leftovers, but it might be interesting to try once.

Turkey Loaf with Pesto

Serves 4

1 egg
¾ cup soft rye bread crumbs (about 1 slice)
¾ cup shredded Provolone or Mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
3 tablespoons beer, milk, or water
2 tablespoons purchased pesto
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground turkey
Shredded Provolone or Mozzarella cheese (optional)

In a large bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, the ¾ cup shredded cheese, desired liquid, pesto, nutmeg, and pepper. Add turkey. Mix well. Form into a loaf and place into an 8x4x3 inch loaf pan.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Remove from oven and transfer loaf to a platter. Top with additional cheese if desired. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

Don’t want to use the oven for some reason (and given the temperatures around here, I can understand)? Make the loaf in your crock pot. Assemble as above, then place the loaf in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. To make moving the loaf easier, form three long strips of folded aluminum foil and place them under the loaf in a spoke like fashion. Lift the ends of the foil to place the loaf in the crock pot, then leave them in there to take it out with later.

Ginger and Molasses Beef Stew

I made this last night – it’s not on the list of requested recipes, but it was pretty tasty. Tart and kind of sweet, but not overpoweringly so.

Ginger and Molasses Beef Stew

Serves 6 to 8

2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 carrots, sliced
2 medium parsnips, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 ¼ inch slice fresh gingerroot, or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup quick cooking tapioca
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup raisins.

In a 10 inch skillet, brown the meat a third at a time in hot oil. Drain off any fat.

In a 3 ½ to 6 quart crockery cooker, place carrots, parsnips, onion, celery, and gingerroot (if using). Sprinkle tapioca on top of vegetables. Place meat in cooker. Combine undrained tomatoes, vinegar, molasses, salt, pepper, and ground ginger (if using) and pour over meat.

Cover and cook on low heat for 9 to 10 hours, or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours.

Stir in raisins. Cover and cook 30 minutes more.

Remove slice of gingerroot (if used) before serving.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

This was very good stew. I’m not sure what my thoughts are on the parsnips – this was my first time eating them – but as a whole the stew works. It was tarter than I expected (probably because I used apple cider vinegar), and not as sweet as I perhaps expected, but this plus some biscuits made for an excellent meal.

Cincinnati-Style Chili

Another recipe request from Ox – this time something she thinks her husband will enjoy.

Cincinnati-Style Chili

Serves 8

1 ½ pounds ground beef
2 large onions, chopped
3 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
1 cup water
½ ounce unsweetened chocolate, cut up
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 bay leaf
1 dried red chili pepper, or ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
Hot cooked spaghetti
Chopped onion (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1 15 ounce can kidney beans, warmed and drained (optional)

in a 4 ½ quart Dutch oven, cook ground beef and the 2 chopped onions until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off any fat.

Add the tomato sauce, water, chocolate, chili powder, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon, cumin, salt, garlic powder, allspice, clove, bay leaf, and red chili pepper or ground red pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until desired consistency. Stir once or twice.

Remove bay leaf, and, if using, the red pepper. Serve over spaghetti and, if desired, top with onion, cheese, and / or beans.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

I’ve never had Cincinnati Style Chili before, so I haven’t a thing to add here.

Filipino Chicken

First and foremost - Cajun Pot Roast? Is very good. My crock pot only took about 8 hours to prepare it, but that wasn’t a big concern for me. I tweaked the rice a little by adding a shot or orange juice to it before it cooked and served it up with a can of corn. The sauce / broth it creates, with the celery, onion, and tomatoes was absolutely delicious.

Secondly, let’s keep things going this week with a n interesting looking chicken recipe.

Filipino Chicken

Serves 4

8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon cooking oil or olive oil
1/3 cup water
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sliced fresh red chili pepper, or ¼ cup toasted shredded coconut (optional)

Remove skin from chicken: rinse and pat dry with paper towels. In a 10 inch skillet, brown chicken thighs in hot oil on all sides. Drain off fat.

Add water, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, garlic, and pepper to skilled. Stir gently. Bring to boiling and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Transfer chicken to platter and keep warm.

Bring liquid in skillet to boiling. Boil uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes or until reduced to about ½ cup. Skim off fat. Remove and discard bay leaves. Drizzle juices over chicken. Sprinkle with sliced chili pepper or coconut if desired.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

As a serving suggestion, cut up and cook about a pound of fresh broccoli until crisp-tender (I imagine you could use frozen broccoli prepared to package directions as well). Drain. Stir together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, and a sprinkling of sesame oil. Toss this with the hot cooked broccoli.

Mediterranean Beef Stew

Continuing with our requested recipes, we start the week with a nice looking beef stew.

Mediterranean Beef Stew

Serves 8

2 pounds boneless beef chuck pot roast, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups beef broth
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
¼ cup quick cooking tapioca
¼ cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges, or one 16 ounce package frozen small white onions
3 cups peels sweet potatoes or butternut squash
2 cups pitted prunes
Hot cooked couscous or brown rice

In a 4 ½ quart Dutch oven, brown the meat cubes a third at a time in 1 tablespoon hot oil, adding more oil if necessary. Drain off any fat. Return all meat to Dutch oven. Stir in broth, undrained tomatoes, tapioca, vinegar, honey, cinnamon, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat.

Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the onions and sweet potatoes or squash. Cook covered for 20 to 30 minutes more or until meat and vegetables are tender.

Stir in prunes and heat through. Serve over couscous or rice.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

Nothing today, ladies and gentlemen.

Citrus Marinated Flank Steak

Moving on with the requested recipes, we find a pleasant little marinated steak recipe that I think sounds pretty good. Hopefully I can get the grill out soon and give this a whirl.

Citrus Marinated Flank Steak

Serves 4 to 6

1 1 to 1 ½ pound beef flank steak
1 cup Citrus-Spice Marinade
1 medium orange, sliced
Crushed peppercorns

Score the meat on both sides by making diagonal cuts at 1 inch intervals on the surface. Place in a plastic bag in a shallow dish: add the marinade and the orange slices. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

When ready to serve, remove the steak from the bag, reserving the marinade. Grill on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals to desired doneness, allowing 18 to 22 minutes for medium. Turn and brush with reserved marinade heavily halfway through grilling time.

To serve, slice the meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Sprinkle with pepper.

Citrus-Spice Marinade

Makes 2 cups

1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
¼ cup cooking oil
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons bottled minced garlic, or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

In a screw top jar, combine all ingredients. Cover and shake well to mix. Store in refrigerator.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

And you’re right – the marinade recipe makes twice as much marinade as needed for the steak. The solution? I see two

1) The omnivorous option – you can use marinade as a dressing for a light salad, like some mixed greens with bits of feta cheese and some walnuts.

2) The carnivorous option – you make more steak.

We’ll pick this back up on Monday – have a great weekend everyone.

Three more things to do with Brown Mushroom Sauce

So what else can you do with the Browned Mushroom Sauce? Here’s three recipes that call for a portion of the sauce (one portion being 2 2/3 cups of sauce).

Turkey-Mushroom Baked Potatoes

Serves 4

4 medium baking potatoes
Cooking oil (optional)
1 2 2/3 cup portion Browned Mushroom Sauce, thawed
2 ounces process Gruyere or process Swiss cheese, cut up
2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken (10 ounces)
1 small red sweet pepper, cut into strips (optional)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Scrub potatoes and pat dry. Prick with a fork. If desired, rub with a small amount of cooking oil. Bake in 425 degree F oven for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tender. (alternatively, cook the potatoes in a microwave on 100% [ high ] power for 13 to 16 minutes, rearranging once.

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat thawed Brown Mushroom Sauce to boiling. Add cheese: Stir until cheese is melted. Add turkey or chicken and heat through. Cut potatoes open and serve turkey mixture over potatoes. Top with sweet peppers and parsley if desired.

Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine

Serves 4

8 ounces fettuccine or linguine
2 cups small broccoli flowerettes
1 2 2/3 cup portion Browned Mushroom Sauce, thawed
2 tablespoons dry cherry or beef broth
6 to 8 ounces cooked chicken or smoked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli flowerettes during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain, cover, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan, heat thawed Brown Mushroom Sauce just to boiling. Add sherry or broth, then whisk until sauce is smooth. Stir in chicken and heat through. Serve over pasta and broccoli. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Cheesy Vegetarian Lasagna

Serves 6

9 no-boil lasagna noodles, or regular lasagna noodles
1 2 2/3 cup portion Browned Mushroom Sauce, thawed
1 15 to 16 ounce can butter beans or great northern beans, drained
½ cup chopped red or green sweet pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
¼ teaspoon pepper

If using regular lasagna noodles, cook according to package directions.

In a 3 quart saucepan heat the thawed Brown Mushroom Sauce to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in beans and sweet pepper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine egg, 1 cup cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ricotta cheese. Stir in basil and pepper and set aside.

Lightly grease a 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Place 3 cooked lasagna noodles on the bottom (or 3 no-boil noodles). Top with one third of the mushroom sauce and half of the cheese mixture. Top with 3 more noodles, another third of the mushroom sauce, and the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the last 3 noodles and remaining mushroom sauce.

Bake, covered with foil, in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cup of Cheddar cheese; return to oven. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut into squares to serve.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

And there you have it – three more things to do with the Browned Mushroom Sauce.

It might just be me, but if I was serving the Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna to some of my vegetarian friends, I’d probably make the Browned Mushroom Sauce with vegetable broth instead of beef broth. I’m not sure about the milk / cream / half and half, though – although, unless I was dealing with a total vegan I probably wouldn’t have to worry about it.

As an accompaniment to the Lasagna (or any lasagna or Italian dish, I would imagine), cut on 16-ounce loaf of Italian bread in half horizontally. IN a small bowl, stir together the following:

2/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 tablespoon pesto – purchased is fine

Spread this over the cut sides of the bread. Place the bread, pesto side up, on unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 or 5 inches from the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with lightly crushed red pepper. Cut diagonally into 2 inch slices. Makes about 14 slices.

Browned Mushroom Sauce

As promised – A mushroom sauce. This one actually has a couple of additional recipes that it is a key ingredient for – I’ll be posting those in the next few days, most likely.

Browned Mushroom Sauce

Makes about 8 cups

1/3 cup cooking oil
¼ cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
6 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
¾ cup onion, chopped fine
¾ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 cups beef broth
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 cups milk, half and half, or light cream

in a large (4 ½ quart) Dutch oven, combine oil, flour, and margarine. Cook and stir over medium heat until golden brown.

Stir in mushrooms, onion, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until onion is tender.

Combine beef broth and cornstarch. Add to mushroom mixture along with milk / half and half / light cream. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Cook 2 minutes more.

Divide into three 2 2/3 cup portions in freezer containers: seal, label, and freeze

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

Sadly, the book says nothing about how long the sauce will keep

The book recommends you thaw your sauce in one of these four ways.

1) Transfer a portion of sauce to a microwave safe bowl. Micro-cook uncovered on 30% power (medium-low) 8 to 12 minutes. Stir once

2) Place one freezer container of sauce in warm water for 1 hour

3) Transfer one portion of frozen sauce to a heavy saucepan. Heat covered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until thawed, stirring occasionally

4) Let one portion of sauce thaw overnight in the refrigerator.