Casserole #7 - Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #7 - Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

 I'll start off by saying that for a little twist, I used a combination of cauliflower and broccoli. You could also make this with a different vegetable mixture, with chunks of chicken added in, or with a bread crumb topping. This recipe is in from The County Fair Cookbook, published in 1994. My modifications are in Italics. 

Ingredients:

20 oz (2 10oz packages) frozen cup-up broccoli, thawed (I used a cauliflower/broccoli mix)

8 oz cottage cheese

6 oz (1 1/2 cups) Cheddar (or Monterrey Jack), grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp spicy seasoning (optional)

1 chicken breast, cut into chunks and cooked (optional)

Optional - Bread Crumb Topping:

  3 tbsp melted butter or olive oil

  1 cup bread crumbs (Seasoned or add your favorite seasoning to crumbs)

Bread Crumb Topping Directions: Stir together oil/melted butter and bread crumbs until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle over top of casserole before baking.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8x8 square baking dish or equivalent casserole. Mix all ingredients, until combined. Do not over mix. Spoon mixture into greased dish/casserole. Top with bread crumb mixture if using. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and browned on top. Sprinkle with spicy or other seasoning if desired. Serves six. 

Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

Appetizer #20 - Herbed Parmesan Bread Dipping Oil

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #20 - Herbed Parmesan Bread Dipping Oil 

    I'm a big supporter of Ronald McDonald House. There are two houses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. One in Dallas and one in Fort Worth. I know there is also at least one Family Room at a local hospital as well. In 2016, the Dallas house celebrated their 35th anniversary of serving families. The Dallas house provides all three meals for families staying in the house. I've been honored to help serve meals at the Dallas house. This the meals that heal cookbook consists of recipes submitted by cooking volunteers and includes some favorite recipes for meals which have been served over their first 35 years. There are Ronald McDonald Houses all around and there are hundreds of hospitals worldwide, which are home to at least one core Ronald McDonald House Charities program. If you are so inclined, check out how you can support your local Ronald McDonald House or Ronald McDonald House Charities.

    This simple appetizer was very, easy to make. I served the oil with freshly, toasted French bread and it was delicious. 

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning or 1/4 tsp each dried oregano and basil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or use avocado oil, like I did)

2 tsp grated parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp ground black pepper (the original recipe doesn't give an amount; this is what I used)

crusty French/Italian bread

Directions: 

On a 6-inch plate, combine the Italian seasoning, parmesan and pepper. Drizzle oil onto plate and stir gently with the tip of a spoon, to combine. Dip hot bread into oil and enjoy!

Herbed Parmesan Bread Dipping Oil

Herbed Parmesan Bread Dipping Oil 

Week 32 - Vee's Homemade Bread

 Vee's Homemade Bread

Week 32 of 52

Bread #5

    So I was a big fan of the show "Orange Is The New Black" and when I saw a copy of the Orange Is The New Black cookbook, published in 2014, at Half Price Books a couple years ago, I had to get it. In the show, the character Vee, was not a pleasant person, but I think the thing about that show, was no matter how bad a character was, you pretty much saw at least some shred of humanity/decency in them. I can't remember what that was about Vee, but there was something there to you remind, you that she was a person.

    I want to say that this bead smelled good while it was baking. It took a long time to make (over 3 hrs), but it was worth it. It's made from a mixture of whole-wheat flour and flour, with flax seeds (I used ground flax seeds) and honey, so it felt healthy-ish.  I'm planning to make some grilled cheese sandwiches with it this week.  Can't wait. So, let me know how you like this.  Modifications/Notes in italics.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons, olive oil, plus a little more for oiling the bowl and pan (Honestly, I just used cooking spray for oiling the pan, the bowl, the parchment and the foil I used)

1/4 cup honey

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup flax seeds (I used ground flax seeds)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

You can use an electric mixer or mix with a spoon (like I did). If using an electric mixer, use the dough hook. Combine all of the dry ingredients with the water, to form a "rough" dough. Rest the dough for 20 minutes, then knead by machine or by hand for 10 minutes, until it is smooth. It will stay a bit sticky-ish. 

Grease a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. 

Grease a loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch). Shape the dough into a log shape, place in the loaf pan and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap (I used parchment paper, because I didn't have plastic; you could use parchment also as it worked just fine) lightly greased and let the dough rise for another hour. It could rise about 1 inch above the rim of the loaf pan. Mine didn't seem like it was an inch above the rim of the pan, but I think it turned out fine). Towards the end of this "rising", pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Remove the plastic wrap/parchment paper and place your pan in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes and then "tent" a piece of lightly oiled foil over your loaf and continue baking for another 25 minutes, or until firm and browned on top. Remove from oven, remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack, to cool completely (or at least 15-20 minutes, because you don't want to burn yourself) before slicing.

Vee's Homemade Bread

Week 29 - Q'parol aka Stuffed Shells

 Q'parol aka Stuffed Shells

Week 29 - of 52

Vegetarian Entree #4

    Yeah, so I'm a big fan of Star Trek. My favorite is Deep Space Nine (DS9), which aired from 1993 to 1999. I'd seen some Star Trek over the years. However, I had never gotten into following any of the series.  That changed only about 4 or 5 years ago. I watched both DS9 and Voyager for the first time, simultaneously. I have re-watched the Voyager series once. I have re-watched DS9 countless times. I have watched all of the series. I greatly enjoy the animated series Lower Decks, which has had two seasons so far and the newest series, Strange New Worlds, which just aired the final episode of it's first season, last week. 

    In my collection of cookbooks, I have the Star Trek Cookbook, published in 1999 and written by Ethan Phillips, Neelix of Voyager and William J. Birnes. The recipes are divided into sections related to each series, from the original Star Trek, Next Generation, Enterprise, Deep Space Nine and Voyager.  This recipe is named as being one of Keiko O'Brien's favorite dishes. Keiko is the wife of Chief Miles O'Brien. Both appear on Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. 

    I bought Jumbo pasta shells and should have used only half the bag. I wished I'd found GIANT pasta shells, because this recipe seems to be for huge shells. I used about twenty or so and if I'd had the GIANT pasta shells, I probably would have only used eight. Because there was a lot of filling, I ended up topping off the stuffed shells with the extra filling. I used Italian seasoning in lieu of oregano and added some shredded white cheddar at the end, with some Parmesan.  

I did serve with a red sauce, which the recipe does not call for, because I wanted sauce, but I think this would be perfectly fine without sauce. Serve with a nice garlic bread and salad. Serves four.

Ingredients:

1 cup ricotta cheese (I used a 15oz container of ricotta)

1 16-oz package of large shells (Like I said, this seems like too much. Just cook them all and fill as many as you want until you run out of filling)

2 cups washed and finely chopped spinach (I used baby spinach)

1 egg, well beaten (Ooops, I forgot to beat the egg before adding, but it was fine)

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed (I used 6 cloves, because umm, it's garlic!)

2 teaspoons dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste 

grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, to taste (I used a little shredded white cheddar, along with the Parmesan)

chili pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. While you're cooking your shells, mix up your filling. Mix together your ricotta cheese, feta cheese, olive oil, spinach, and egg until thoroughly combined. Crush garlic and fold into the filling, with 1 tablespoon of oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill your filling mixture, while your shells finish cooking. Spray the bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray or lightly grease with olive oil (The original recipe calls for an 8x8 pan, but the only way that size would work, would be if using GIANT shells). I used a 9x13 pan. Fill your shells. As you fill a shell, set it in your pan and continue until you are out of filling (or space in the pan). Sprinkle the last tablespoon of oregano and the parsley, over top of the stuffed shells. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, checking after 30 minutes to ensure that the shells aren't burning. The shells should be a tiny bit crispy at the end of the 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with your Parmesan or Romano (or the cheese of your choice, because hey, it's your dish; make it yours). I stuck mine back in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese more. Using a large spoon or spatula, serve shells on a plate and serve with garlic bread and salad, if you wish. If you would like to have sauce with your stuffed shells, you should heat your sauce with the shells are baking. Spoon as much sauce as you want over your shells. Sprinkle with chili pepper flakes if desired. 

Q'parol (Stuffed Shells)

Q'parol (Stuffed Shells) ready for the oven

Q'parol (Stuffed Shells) 

Week 16 - Salad

  French Dressing/Sauce Vinaigrette

Recipe 16 - 52 in 2022

Salad #3

    I don't know that I've ever made a truly home-made salad dressing and thought there are so many recipes in my books for dressings, that for Week 16 (I'm late doing this entry), I decided to make a salad dressing and serve it with a simple garden salad. I chose this French Dressing/Sauce Vinaigrette from a 1973 edition of The Joy of Cooking. This dressing is used as a base ingredient in other dressing recipes in the book and I may some of those eventually.  I enjoyed this dressing so much, that I've already made it a second time. It is easy to make, takes just a few minutes to mix up and was great on my salad, but would be good to just marinate vegetables in and I think it would even be good in a rice/macaroni salad. 

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice (I used lemon juice and it was amazing!!!)

1 clove garlic (I used a rounded tsp minced garlic)

1/4 tsp dry mustard (optional) (I used Trader Joe's Spicy Mustard) 

Directions:

Combine 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice. Whisk together until smooth. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and whisk again, thoroughly. Add the last tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and the last 3 tbsp olive oil. Whisk together and add 1 tsp minced garlic, whisking again before pouring into a jar. Cover well and refrigerate until ready for use. Shake well before using. I discovered the dressing will congeal a bit when it is refrigerated. Just let it warm up a bit before using and remember to shake well each time you use it. 

Enjoy!!!

French Dressing/Sauce Vinaigrette

Garden Salad with French Dressing/Sauce Vinaigrette

Week 11 - Green Peppers, Roman Style (Peperoni a Pomodori)

 Green Peppers, Roman Style (Peperoni e Pomodori)

Recipe 11 - 52 in 2022

Side Dish #2

    This recipe comes from Better Homes & Gardens - Meals with a Foreign Flair, published in 1963. I think this cookbook is interesting, because it feels to me like the early 1960s is when the basic, American housewives and their families started experimenting with foods from other cultures. I personally love trying foods from different cultures and I enjoyed looking through this book for a recipe. I've made Italian food before; I've just never made a dish with the main ingredient being green peppers. The recipe calls for only 1 teaspoon of basil, but a little more would be fine also. It was pretty easy to make and would be tasty with a side of or on top of your favorite pasta and chicken or beef. I didn't have pasta ready to make, but I did have some leftover sirloin steak, cooked to medium rare, so I just had a simple dinner of the peppers and the steak. You could have this as a meal, just with garlic bread.  

    I thought this sauce was good and it would work with other vegetables as well. Maybe some sliced zucchini or yellow squash, or maybe even served as sauce on spaghetti squash. I liked this with the green peppers, but would be interested in trying it with zucchini or yellow squash. Whatever you decide, green peppers or substituting zucchini or spaghetti squash, I hope you enjoy this side dish.  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup thinly slice onion

2 cloves, garlic, minced (I used 3 cloves)

1/4 cup olive oil (I forgot I bought olive oil and used canola)

2 cups stewed tomatoes

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper (I used about 1/8 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon basil

4 to 5 large green peppers, cut in strips, 3/4 inch wide (4 cups) (I used 5 peppers)

Directions:

Cook onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet until tender; add tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. In a separate large skillet, cook peppers in the remaining oil, turning often, until crisp-tender. The original directions say to "Remove to warm dish; season. Pour sauce over." However, I simply used a large pair of tongs to move the peppers into the skillet with the sauce and combined.  Serve with parmesan cheese and red chili flakes. Serves 5 to 6. 

Green Peppers, Roman Style (Peperoni a Pomodoi)

Green Peppers, Roman Style (Peperoni a Pomodoi)
with Parmesan Cheese

White Bean & Roasted Garlic Dip

 White Bean & Roasted Garlic Dip

 I've adapted this recipe from "dip it!" by Rick Rogers. Printed in 2002. This dip is pretty much like hummus.  I really liked it. It is good on crackers, pita chips and could be used as a dip for veggies or even as a sandwich spread on pita bread. 

Ingredients:

2 cans {15 1/2 to 19 oz) cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (the original recipe calls for a large head of garlic roasted)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (the original recipe calls for fresh herbs like, sage, thyme, rosemary, a combination of the three, or Italian seasoning)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used fresh squeezed, which I recommend, but in a pinch, you can use botttled)

1/8 teaspoon or to taste crushed red chili pepper flakes (I think I used 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil as needed (I didn't have olive oil, so I used a little bit of canola oil)

salt to taste (I didn't add salt to mine)

Directions:

    Open your cans of beans and rinse well, retaining the juice from the cans. You're retaining the juice, in the event that your dip is a little too thick.  The dip may thicken if you refrigerate the dip overnight or you may just want a little bit thinner dip. Me? I refrigerated overnight and I wanted to have a little thinner dip anyhow, so I mixed in some of the reserved liquid the next day. 

    I roasted my minced garlic until soft, on a pan which I'd sprayed with a little non-stick cooking spray. I don't know how long that took exactly. I just know how soft I wanted the garlic.  Either way, if you use minced garlic or if you are using the whole garlic head (you're going to squeeze the garlic from the skin), add the garlic to your food processor with the beans, herbs or seasoning, lemon juice and the chili pepper flakes. Process your ingredients until smooth, adding enough of the oil to make it into the consistency you want.  

    Serve in a little bowl or on a chip and dip tray with crackers, pita chips or veggies.  You could sprinkle a little extra seasoning on top before putting your bowl/tray out, to make it pretty or just if you want to when serving just on crackers.

A plate of crackers with dip and as you can see my canine "helpers" were waiting to see if they were needed for a taste test. 

Close-up shot of one of the crackers.