Recipes

Here’s a few new recipes to share.  I’m sorry I forgot to take pictures.  I’ll try to remember the next time I make these.

First recipe is a link.  I know I’ve mentioned this recipe before, but the loin roast recipe over at Like Mother, Like Daughter is absolutely delicious.  It’s the recipe I used this year for Daddy’s birthday.

Have you seen the new flavoured Philly Cream Cheese tubs?  I picked up the herb and garlic one last grocery day and came up with these potatoes.  They are like my Company Potato recipe.

Easy, Fancy Mashed Potatoes

12 large potatoes, peeled and cooked

1 c lite sour cream (5%)

1 pkg (270g) flavoured cream cheese

3 T butter, softened

1/2 c mozzarella cheese (to make it stringy)

sprinkle of cheddar (for topping)

Cook and rice potatoes.  Have all other ingredients at room temperature for easy mixing.  Combine everything (except cheddar) and mix well.  Spoon into a greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle with cheddar.  Bake 350F for 30 minutes or until hot.

I had some boneless chicken breasts the other day and nothing to do with them.  So this is what I tried and it was yummy.

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves

1 c mayonnaise

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1/2 t pepper

1 t garlic powder

Mix everything together and spoon over top the chicken breasts.  Bake 375F for 45 minutes.

 

Here’s another yummy soup.  It works with canned tomatoes or fresh.

Tomato Potato Soup

1 T butter

2 T oil

2 large onions, chopped

4 c peeled and cubed potatoes

1 c each celery and carrots, chopped

2 garlic, minced

1/2 t thyme

1 (14.5oz) can tomatoes

1 c chicken broth

2 c milk

1 1/2 T cornstarch (dissolve in a little water)

Cook onions in butter/oil until nice and golden brown.  Add vegetables, thyme and stock.  Simmer until vegetables are tender.  Add milk  and cornstarch.  Stir over low heat until soup thickens.

 

 

 

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Recipes

Autumn Chowder –small recipe, double as needed

2 slices bacon, diced                 1 sm onion, chopped
1 med potato, diced                  1 carrot, sliced
1/2c water                                 3/4t chicken broth powder
1c milk                                      2/3 c corn
pepper to taste                          2 1/2t flour/cornstarch
2T water                                   3/4c shredded cheese

Cook bacon till crisp and set aside.  Saute onions in bacon fat.  Add potatoes, carrots, water and broth powder.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes till cooked.  Stir in corn, milk and pepper.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Mix flour and 2T water.  Stir into soup until thickened.  Remove from heat, add cheese and stir.  Sprinkle with bacon to serve.

Oven Beef Stew

1 lb stew beef                                           1/4 c flour

3 T oil                                                          1 t salt

3 T prepared mustard                          1 sm. can tomato paste

2 1/2 c water                                            1 sm. onion

3 carrots, sliced                                      10 oz frozen vegetables, like corn & peas

Dredge meat in flour.  Brown on all sides in oil.  Remove as browned and brown onions.  In remaining oil add flour, salt and mustard.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Then add the tomato paste mixed with water.  Stir constantly.  Pour over meat in oven-proof casserole.  Bake covered at 350F for 1 hour.   Add carrots and vegetables.  Bake another hour.

Potatoes can be added with the meat, but I prefer to cook them separately.  In fact, I made baked potatoes this time and it was a nice accompaniment.

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Disappointment

We were supposed to have company this weekend.  Daddy’s best friend Keith, from Centralia College, and family were supposed to be up from London.  Their little girl is 2 and they have a little guy turning 1 this month.  Ella was so looking forward to playing with Rachel.  She even went through her toys and put away all the little stuff that Brandon couldn’t have.  But poor Rachel has been fighting off a cold for a week or so and now it’s turned to pneumonia.

It’s turned out to be a much quieter weekend than expected.  I’m actually home alone tonight.  Ella and I went over to Grandma’s to cut grass this afternoon.  When it was time to come home she asked to stay.  So I said yes.  Colin and Dad are going to the tractor pull over in Beachburg tonight.  I was invited, but a tractor pull is about the last place you’d find me -too loud for starters.  I forget how much admission is, but I’d be better to save my admission money and buy wool  🙂

I had a cauliflower that I was going to gratin to have with the roast chicken but since there’s no company I won’t.  So I turned the cauliflower into soup for Grandma.  I know this is an odd time of year to be thinking about soup, but I like to make soup when the vegetables are fresh and then pop them into the freezer for winter enjoying.  Here’s a couple of our favourites.

Cream of Cauliflower or Broccoli

2T butter                                            3 c cauliflower/broccoli, chopped fairly small

1 onion, sliced                                 1 c beef broth

1 c potato, sliced                            2 c milk, any kind we usually have 2%

2 T butter                                          2 T cornstarch

salt & pepper

Saute onions in butter until soft.  Add in potatoes and broth.  Simmer, covered, until soft.  Add vegetables and simmer 5 minutes.  Blend carefully -the blender will try to spit.  Separately, melt butter and add cornstarch.  Carefully add milk, salt and pepper.  Stir till fairly thick.  Add pureed vegetables.  Do not boil.

Tomato Soup

3 T butter or bacon fat                        3 onions, chopped

2 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped but not peeled

1 t sugar                                                   1/2 t salt, to taste

1 c chicken stock

Saute onions until golden.  Add tomatoes, sugar, salt and stock.  Simmer, covered, until soft; about 30 minutes.  Blend in the blender, again be careful.  It’s best to cover the blender lid with a tea towel and hold on tight.  Also, don’t over fill the blender jar.

Kartoffel Suppe (potato soup)

2 c potatoes, sliced -about 6 medium

1 garlic                                          1 onion, chopped fine           2T butter

3 c salted water                        3 c milk, again whatever is in the house

3 T cornstarch                          3 T butter or bacon fat

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in butter until soft and golden.

In another pot, boil potatoes and garlic in the water until tender.  Remove garlic and put the potatoes through a ricer (save water).  Add potatoes and onions back to cooking water.   In another pot, melt butter/fat.  Add in cornstarch and carefully blend in milk.  Stir till fairly thick.  Add to potato mixture and simmer.  Do not boil.  This soup is very good with homemade garlic croutons.

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Recipes

Here’s a couple of my new favourite recipes.  And, other than the puff paste, I have all the ingredients in my house at any given time.  They are easy to make too.

Corn Chowder

makes about 8 cups
2 T butter or bacon fat
1 c chopped onion
1/2 t salt and pepper
1/4 t paprika
11/4 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced fairly small and cooked
2 c milk
2 14oz cans cream-style corn
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded -or to taste

Melt butter or bacon fat, add onion and cook until starting to caramelize but not too brown.  Add seasonings.  Add potatoes, milk and corn.  Stir until heated through.  But don’t boil.  Stir in cheese until melted.

If you have leftover potatoes this goes together really quickly.  It’s very yummy and freezes well.

I’ll mention one of my favourite kitchen ‘gadgets’.  It’s called the Simmer Mat and it’s from Lehman’s.  It allows me to simmer things, like cream soups, without having to worry about it sticking and burning.  My gas stove only goes down so low before it goes out, so the mat is heaven-sent.  I actually have 2  🙂

Bavarian Beef Pie

pastry for a 2 crust, 7-8 inch pie pan (I used a French tart shaped pan)

1 lb stew beef, cut into 1/2 inch cube
2 t oil and 1 T butter
1 small potato, cut into 1/2 inch cube
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 c shredded apple
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t flour
1 1/2 t beef bouillon granules
1 t parsley
1/8 t celery seed, dill weed, thyme, and pepper
1/2 c water

Brown beef in oil.  Remove.  Melt butter and saute onions, potatoes and apple for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in garlic and flour.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add seasoning, beef broth, beef, and water.  Cook and stir until thickened.

Pour into a pastry lined pie pan.  Cover with pastry.  Cut slits to let out steam.  Bake 375F for 30-35 min.

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