Casserole #12 - Ham and Noodle Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #12 - Ham and Noodle Casserole

    I really loved this casserole from Treasured Southern Family Recipes, published in 1966.  I added garlic powder, a sprinkle of parsley flakes and had to use cream of chicken soup in lieu of cream of mushroom soup. I'm happy to say that the cream of chicken soup worked really well with this.  I used macaroni noodles, but you could use rigatoni, bow-tie, or egg noodles. My modifications will be in italics. 

Ingredients:

2 tsps salt

4 oz noodles (macaroni, egg, bow-tie or try your favorite)

water

2 tbsps butter

1/4 cup chopped onion (I used closer to 1/2 cup, because I wanted to)

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 1/4 cups diced, cooked ham

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken and it was good)

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp chopped pimento

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

parsley for decoration, if desired

1/2 cup grated cheese (the original recipe says American cheese; I used Monterrey Jack)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot about half full with water. Bring to a boil and add salt and noodles. Boil rapidly until al dente. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes while you finish with the other ingredients. While heating water to boil, melt butter in a saucepan. Add onion and green pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ham and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat soup with milk, ensuing they are well combined. Stir in pepper, pimento and garlic powder. Thoroughly drain noodles and return to saucepan. Pour soup mixture over noodles, add ham and veggie mixture and stir until well combined. Pour mixture into lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese, place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes or so. Serves 4 - 6.

Ham and Noodle Casserole

Ham and Noodle Casserole

Charley The Muffin Man is so jealous!

Gozleme (Flat Bread With Spinach)

            Gozleme (Flat Bread With Spinach)

    I really love trying cuisines from all over the world. This is a delicious recipe I found in a cookbook I bought after attending a cooking demonstration at the Dialogue Institute in Richardson, Texas. The cookbook is titled Turkish Culinary Art - A Journey Through Turkish Cuisine. I found a lot of recipes I would like to try from this cookbook published in 2014. The recipe does not list amounts for the seasoning, so my suggestion would be "season to taste". I will list  amounts I used/modifications will be in Italics. It takes a little bit of time to make the Gozleme, but it was easy and I will definitely make this again.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bag baby spinach, about 9oz, washed and chopped

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup feta cheese

15-20 flour tortillas (You may have a lot more filling than tortillas like I did, so buy two packages of 12 tortillas and make as many as you like.) 

water

butter

cooking spray or oil

Directions:

Mix onions, spinach and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix in feta cheese and stir until combined.  Place a tortilla on a clean work surface (I used a large cutting board). Place a small spoonful of the spinach mixture onto one half of the tortilla. Brush a bit of water along the edges of the tortilla and fold tortilla over the filled side. Use a fork to seal/crimp the edges of the tortilla.  Flip and crimp the other side, before laying the filled tortilla on a large baking sheet. Continue filling until you have used all tortillas. Lightly oil or spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray. Lay filled tortillas on pan (I used a cast iron pan) and cook until browned on each side. Remove from pan and lightly brush with butter. You can bake these in an oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes if desired. 

Gozleme

Chocoate-Walnut Pie

 Chocolate-Walnut Pie

    This pie recipe is in the Southern Living Annual Recipes - 2005 cookbook.  I made this pie to take to dinner with a friend and it was a hit! It was easy to make and I would make it again. The recipe calls for a 9-inch pan and I accidentally used a 9.5-inch pan. The pie turned out great, but I did have an extra bit of crust at the top. If you love crust, this is not an issue, so make it with a 9.5-inch pan if you like. I would make sure to try it with the 9-inch pan the next time. 

Pie Ingredients:

1/2  package 15 oz refrigerated pie crust or, one home-made pie crust (below)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup margarine, melted and cooled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup shortening

3-4 tbsp very, cold water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit pie crust into 9-inch piepan; fold edges under and crimp as desired. In a large bowl, stir sugar, flour, margarine and eggs until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour filling into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 servings.

Pie Crust Directions:

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in shortening until pea sized. Using clean hands or spoon, stir in water a little at a time. Make dough into a ball; roll out into desired size, using dusting of flour to prevent sticking. 

Chocolate-Walnut Pie

Serving Suggestion - Serve wedges of pie with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Appetizer #19 - Sausage Stuffing Balls

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #19 - Sausage Stuffing Balls

    This recipe was in a 1984 promotional calendar from Pete's Jewelers at 2223 South Buckner, Dallas, Texas. I searched and could not find Pete's Jewelers, so it looks like they are out of business or have moved. I did not see them at that location. The original recipe says you'll get 18 to 22 stuffing balls, but I got about double that, because I made smaller stuffing balls and I used more stuffing mix. Mine didn't turn out perfectly round, but they are tasty. I made a gravy to drizzle over the finished stuffing balls, but you could try them with barbecue sauce or an orange-cranberry sauce to serve for dipping. I also sprinkled dried parsley flakes on my stuffing balls for serving. 

 Ingredients;

1 lb pork sausage (I used turkey sausage)

7-8 oz seasoned stuffing mix (I used 11 oz)

3/4 cup hot water

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp baking powder

dried parsley flakes for decoration (Optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine stuffing and water. Mix in sausage, followed by onion, celery, egg and baking powder. Shape into balls and place on a baking pan. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover with foil and bake an additional 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove from oven, transfer to a serving dish/bowl and serve with gravy or other sauce for dipping. 

Sausage Stuffing Balls

Appetizer #17 - Toasty Cheese Crackers

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #17 - Toasty Cheese Crackers

    My first comment is that the recipe says you can make about six dozen crackers with this recipe. I did not get near that many. This recipe comes to us from The Quaker Oats Wholegrain Cookbook published in 1978. This little cookbook has a lot of recipes that I want to try. For example they have Several "Add-A-Crunch" mixes that can be used how you like or in recipes they are included in.  Some of them would be awesome over plain, non-fat yogurt.  If you're watching your sugar, you could try making some of these with Stevia or other sugar substitutes.  Several recipes have special notations that show they are simple enough for kids to make (with the appropriate adult supervision of course).  This recipe is one of those. I'll show my modification in italics. 

    I am going to admit that this is definitely not my favorite appetizer that I've made, even with the addition I made of chipotle seasoning. I don't want this to deter you from trying it though! I didn't add a lot of chipotle seasoning, so it ended up not being really noticeable, but try it and add more if you like it. You could also experiment with adding your favorite seasoning or you could try the cookbook suggestions of oregano or basil.  

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Monterrey-Jack)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine

3 tbsps water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 chipotle pepper seasoning (optional) or try your favorite seasoning

1 cup uncooked quick or old fashioned (Quaker Oats or whatever your favorite brand is)

Directions:

Mix together cheeses, butter and water until thoroughly combined. Add flour and salt and mix well. Stir in oats.  I ended up using plastic disposable gloves to make sure I got everything mixed together. Shape dough into a 12-inch log. Wrap securely and refrigerate for four hours. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into 1/8 or 1/4" slices and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. My slices were pretty stiff and I couldn't flatten, so I just left them as is. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.  Remove from the oven and immediately remove from the baking sheet. Cool on a wire rack. Serve plain or add a dollop of salsa, savory dip or even pizza sauce.

Toasty Cheese Crackers

Appetizer #12 - Sweet-Sour Surprise Meatballs

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #12 - Sweet-Sour Surprise Meatballs

    This recipe is based on a recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book published in 1969. I am also leaving out the 1/2 tsp of MSG called for in the original recipe. I made these meatballs for a church potluck and while I enjoyed the sauce, I wished I had used a better quality meatball. The recipe says you can use 1/2 pound tiny cooked mini meatballs, 1/2 pound cooked shrimp and 1/2 pound chicken livers (I'm not a liver fan, so "No, thank you"). I have a shellfish allergy and as I just mentioned, I won't eat liver, so I used all meatballs.  I used a zero-sugar pineapple juice drink for the pineapple juice, to lower the sugar and it worked well; you would have even more pineapple flavor if you used juice from canned pineapple. I feel this would work well also with chunks of cooked chicken. I had to cook these the night before my church potluck and even though I heated before serving, the sauce looked "chunky", not smooth as it was fresh. I would recommend cooking and serving these right away. Keep warm in a chafing dish or crock-pot if not served right away.

Ingredients:

2 tbsps cornstarch

2 tbsps sugar

1 chicken bouillon cube or equivalent of bouillon powder (1 1/2 tsps)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vinegar

1 cup pineapple juice or zero-calorie pineapple juice drink

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1 1/2 lbs cooked shrimp (shelled), beef liver, mini meatballs, pork or chicken (If using liver, pork or chicken, cut into small chunks)

Directions:

Combine cornstarch, bouillon cube/powder and sugar in a sauce pan. Stir in water, vinegar, pineapple juice, soy sauce and butter. Cook until mixture boils, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer on low for five minutes. Your mixture will have thickened up. Stir in your cooked protein (shrimp, liver, pork, chicken) and heat through before serving.  Pour into a serving dish and serve hot. You could also keep warm and serve in a crockpot (on low). You could serve this over rice as an entree.

Sweet-Sour Surprise Meatballs

 

Pie Number 22 - Lemonchick's Chicken & Vegetable Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 22 - Lemonchick's Chicken & Vegetable Pie

    This is my creation! 100% mine! I loved it. I really loved the seasonings I chose. The only two things I would do differently, is to bake at 375 degrees, not 350 degrees and I would make a gravy with 1 cup water, not 2 cups of water (it made too much gravy). I baked the pie for 35 minutes at 350, but ended up adding at least 15 more minutes. The crust never did get golden, but it was still a good crust.  If I'd baked it at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, I think the crust would have turned out more like how I wanted it to (golden). The first piece out of the pie pan did not come out very, well, but that was because it was still too hot. The second piece I had (the day after) came out just fine. I thought this creation of mine was really good and I hope you like it. 

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast diced

1 medium/large potato, peeled and diced

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 12oz bag frozen mixed vegetables, use the "steam in a bag" kind

1 cup water

1-2 tsp chicken bouillon (I used a low sodium variety)

3/4 tsp onion powder

3/4 tsp garlic powder, 

3/4 parsley flakes, 

3/4 tsp celery salt

3/4 tsp spicy chili seasoning 

3/4 tsp ground sage 

1/2 tsp salt, plus a sprinkle

1/2 tsp pepper, plus a sprinkle

canola oil

cornstarch

two-crust pie crust (unbaked)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle a bit of canola oil in a large heated skillet. In a saucepan, boil diced potato in water until softened, but not mushy. Drain cooked potatoes and set aside. Season diced chicken with a sprinkle of salt, sprinkle of pepper and 1/4 tsp of each of the rest of the seasonings and add to the skillet. Cook completely and remove from skillet. Add chopped onion to the same skillet and cook until translucent. Return chicken to skillet and turn burner to low. In a saucepan, boil 1 cup water and 1-2 tsp chicken bouillon. Use a little bit of water mixed with cornstarch, to thicken the bouillon into a gravy. If it is not thick enough, add a little more water/cornstarch mixture. 

Combine the gravy, potatoes, onion, chicken and vegetables. Pour into unbaked pastry shell, add top crust and crimp edges to seal crusts together. Cut slits into top crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Serve pie with a sprinkle of parsley flakes if desired and serve with a garden salad. 

Serves 8

Lemonchick's Chicken & Vegetable Pie
(cooked by not golden)

The first piece of pie that I took out wayyyy too early.

The second piece of pie that came out wayyyy better. 

Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

 Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

    I made this simple cake for a Friendsgiving lunch at work last week. It was easy to make and it would be very, easy to swap out flavors. Use your favorite flavor cake mix and a pudding flavor which will go with that cake mix flavor. The cake I made used chocolate (like it says in the title) and vanilla cake mix. It was moist and tasty.  This was a Kraft/Heinz recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (2 layer size)

    You will also need the ingredients that your cake mix calls for; mine had 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp water, 1/4 cup vegetable (I used canola) oil and two eggs)    

2 packages (3.4 oz) Jell-O Cook & Serve Pudding

1 cup powdered sugar

4 cups milk (I used skim milk)

2 tbsp butter or margarine 

Directions

Make cake according to directions, using a 9x13 pan. While the cake is baking, combine the dry pudding mix and powdered sugar in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk until blended. Add butter and bring to a rolling boil on medium heat. Stir constantly and remove from heat when the pudding gets to that rolling boil stage.  When done, remove the cake from the oven (you can check that it is done by using a knife or toothpick and poking the cake to make sure the knife/toothpick comes out clean).  Poke holes throughout the cake with the handle end of a wooden spoon.  Pour the pudding mix over the cake. Cool for a short time and then refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve chilled.

I forgot to take a picture of my cake; this picture is from the Kraft/Heinz site. 

 

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce)

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce)

    I recently made Beef in Wine Gravy (delicious) from the same cookbook this recipe is from. That cookbook is Hellenic Cuisine copyrighted in 1957 by St. Helen's Philoptochos Society and Sts Constantine and Helen Parent-Teacher Association. I wasn't sure about the texture of the sauce, because it came out pretty foamy (not sure if it was supposed to be so foamy), but it tasted good. I had to buy mint, but the parsley I used was from my garden.  Yay!

Ingredients:

2lbs ground beef or veal (I used ground turkey)

2 small onions, chopped finely (I used one large)

3 tbsps chopped parsley and mint leaves (This is for sprinkling over the dish when serving, so you can actually use more)

1/2 cup rice, cooked

2 tbsps butter or oil

1 tsp vegetable salt (I used a salt free table seasoning)

2 cups water

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper, to taste

plus

2 eggs 

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

in a large bowl, thoroughly mix the meat, onion, salt, pepper, rice and vegetable salt. Form into small meatballs (I laid out my meatballs in a 9x13 pan and it was completely filled when I was done making the balls). Sprinkle with flour. Bring a saucepan with water and a little salt, to boil. Add meat balls and butter or oil and simmer for 40 minutes.  When you have about ten minutes of cooking time left, make your sauce by separating eggs and beating the whites until they form soft peaks. Beat yolks with lemon juice and fold into the egg whites. Remove the pan from heat and drain any leftover water. Pour the sauce on top and stir to coat meat balls. Sprinkle with chopped mint and parsley. Serve over rice or even noodles if you'd like that better.  Serving size depends on how many meatballs each person gets.  

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce

Keftethes Me Saltsa Krasi (Meat Balls in Wine Gravy)

 Keftethes Me Saltsa Krasi (Meat Balls in Wine Gravy)

    This recipe is in Hellenic Cuisine, produced by St. Helen's Philoptochos Society and Saints Constantine and Helen Parent-Teacher Association in 1957. My copy is a thirteenth printing from 1966 and belonged to a man named Frank Guarnacci. I just searched Mr. Guarnacci's name and I not only found him, I identified his wife, Marguerite. Mr. Guarnacci served in the United States Navy during WWII and he sounded like an amazing person. He and Marguerite were married for 55 years before his passing. I dedicate this post to Mr. and Mrs. Guarnacci. This recipe was not difficult, but you do have shape small meatballs (I used a tablespoon and ended up with 40) and it is worth the work. It was yummy and I am excited for my leftovers. You could serve this over rice, noodles or even make a hot sandwich with nice, toasty French bread.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (try it with ground chicken or turkey)

3/4 cup bread or cracker crumbs (I used fine, plain bread crumbs)

1 small onion, minced

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup cream or milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup oil or butter (I used avocado oil)

6 tbsp flour (divided use)

2 cups water

1 cup red wine

salt

pepper

Directions:

Mix together ground beef, crumbs, onion, egg, cream/milk and salt. Shape into small balls. I used a tablespoon for scooping and rounded them out, but rolling between my hands (This method produced forty small meatballs and I thought were the perfect size for this). In a small bowl, roll meatballs in 3 tbsp of flour and set aside. While you are working on shaping the meatballs, start heating the oil in a large skillet (I used a 12 1/2 inch cast iron skillet and it was perfect). When you've floured all of the meatballs,  your oil should be hot enough. You can test out the oil by dropping a little piece of meat or flour in and seeing if it sizzles. Brown the meatballs a few at a time and remove to a bowl or platter. Blend flour with the oil left in the skillet, stirring in wine and water. Stir with a whisk, cooking and stirring until smooth. Place meatballs back into the grave and simmer on low to medium low for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Keftethes Me Salts Krasi (Meat Balls in Wine Gravy)

Sopa Paraguaya (Paraguayan Corn Bread)

 Sopa Paraguaya (Paraguayan Corn Bread)

This dish from Betty Crocker's International Cookbook, published in 1980. I really liked this dish. You could eat this as a main dish or as a side dish like I did. This is like a casserole. I couldn't find a 2 quart casserole dish that the recipe called for, so I used a 3 quart dish and thought that size worked perfectly. I also didn't have all the seasonings in the recipe. I'd thought I had them! That's okay, because I just used more red pepper.  I also used Colby Jack cheese, not Monterey Jack cheese. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup cornmeal

2 tbsp margarine or butter, softened

3 eggs, separated

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground red pepper (I used 1 tsp, since I didn't realize that I was out of cumin and allspice)

1 can (8oz) whole-kernel corn, drained

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4oz)

1 small onion, chopped (I used 1/2 of a large onion)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2-quart (I used 3-quart and it was perfectly fine) casserole dish. 

In a large bowl, stir boiling water into cornmeal. Stir until smooth, then blend in margarine/butter and egg yolks. Stir in milk, cottage cheese, salt, baking powder, spices, corn, cheese and finally the onion. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into corn batter. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serves 9 to 12

Sopa Paraguaya aka Paraguayan Corn Bread

Sopa Paraguaya aka Paraguayan Corn Bread served with tilapia and grilled onion

Pie Number Six: Jack's Apple Pie

 The Year of Pie 

Pie #6 - Jack's Apple Pie

    Jack's Apple Pie is a recipe by Jack Jadkowski. Jack's recipe is in the Kalamazoo County Fair section of The County Fair Coobook, published in 1994. Jack has won numerous blue ribbons and won a Best In Show ribbon in 1992.  So, my crust didn't turn out great. Rolling dough is not my forte and while the top crust ended up with a nice texture, I did not like how the bottom crust was kind of soft.  I think if it had been thicker, it might have been better.  I also wasn't sure about the 4 tablespoons of butter in the filling. Overall though, and even with the crust problem(s), with the finished product tasted good. Modifications/What I did, in Italics.

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 to 6 tablespoons very, cold water

Filling:

6 to 8 McIntosh or Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 7 Granny Smith apples)

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 generous teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons butter, softened

Optional Serving Toppings:

whipped cream

vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Make your crust - Combine flour and salt, cut in shortening until the mix resembles course meal. Stir in water a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap (I had wax paper) and refrigerate while you make the filling. Make your filling - Mix together in a large bowl, the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss the apples in this mixture, making sure to coat all of the apple. Finish your crust and assemble - Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out bottom crust and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. Spread two tablespoons of the softened butter, evenly over the crust. Pour in apples and dot the remaining butter over top. Roll out your top crust. Cover the filling, crimp edges and cut vents for steam. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  

Jack's Apple Pie

Side View

The piece I had for dinner. It didn't come out of the pan nicely, but it tasted good.
Topped with whipped cream. 

Pie Number Three: Pork and Tater Pie

The Year of Pie

Pie #3 - Pork and Tater

     Pork and Tater Pie.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this recipe which comes from the Favorite Recipes From Southern Kitchens - Meats: Including Seafood and Poultry, published in 1967, but it turned out really well. This recipe was submitted to Southern Kitchens by Mrs. A. Tschoepe Jr, of San Antonio, Texas. I adjusted some of the seasoning, because I didn't have any "savory" seasoning and also because I wanted to. Also, I added nutmeg. It is a two crust pie and although I still struggle with making pretty circles when I roll out my dough, but overall, I am doing good with crusts.  I brushed melted butter on the top crust, before baking and it gave it a nice, golden brown color.  Modifications in italics. Note that the original recipe only calls for salt, savory (1/2 tsp), sage (1/4 tsp), cinnamon, cloves (1/8 tsp) and pepper. The original recipe does not include thyme, Italian seaoning or nutmeg. I really liked this pie. I served with a nice garden salad and it was perfect. So, try this pie!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

1 lb ground pork, browned

2 cups diced potato, cooked

2 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup water

1 tsp salt 

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8tsp thyme

1/8 tsp Italian seasoning

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp pepper

parsley (optional)

Directions:

Sift flour and salt together and cut in shortening until pea-size crumbles form. Sprinkle 6 or 7 tablespoons cold water over the pea-sized crumbles and mix until dough forms (I used my hands to form the dough ball after mixing with the fork). Separate dough into two halves. Roll out one half of dough until about 10 inches round. Loosely lay dough over a 9 inch round pie pan. Cook pork in skillet and drain off fat. Add seasonings and 1/2 cup water. Mix thoroughly until heated through. Pour the meat & potato mixture into the pie pan. Set aside and roll out the second half of dough. Place over the filling. Crimp top and bottom crust together and trim any excess dough. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush top crust with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with sprinkling of parsley flakes. The original recipe says four to six servings. You can get six to eight servings. 

Pork and Tater Pie

Pork and Tater Pie

Nancy's Easy Potato Soup

 Nancy's Easy Potato Soup

Recipe 50 of 52

Vegetarian Entree #7

    Next to last recipe for this Fifty-two in Twenty-two and I am late writing about it, because you know "life happens" and sometimes things get away from us, which we've planned to do. Nancy's Easy Potato Soup is in the 1997 Sharing our Best cookbook by the Greenville High School - Class of 1997.  This Greenville High School is in Greenville, Texas. This soup was really, easy. It took just about 53 minutes to make, from pulling out the pan from my cupboard to turning off the stove. It was perfect for a cold, Winter's day and I do plan to make this again. Enjoy with a salad, 1/2 sandwich or a nice piece of toasted and buttered bread. I got yummy Bolillo bread from a Fiesta grocery store.  Bolillo bread is like french bread, but is shorter and wide. Bolillo bread makes great sandwiches and garlic bread. I sprinkled shredded Monterrey Jack cheese and chopped green onion on my bowl. I would make this soup again. You should try it; it really was quick, easy and tasty.  

    I had to substitute a bag of cubed style hash browns with green & red peppers for the bag of hash browns, because that was literally the only bag at the grocery. That said, I would recommend the hash browns with peppers in it, because it added color and a little extra flavor. The recipe also calls for chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. To keep this a vegetarian recipe, I substituted vegetable broth and used two cans of cream of celery soup, instead of one cream of chicken and one cream of celery. You can keep the original recipe or make substitutions like I did. You could also sprinkle cooked bacon as a topping, if you eat meat. 

Ingredients:

16 oz package frozen hash browns (I used chunked style with red & green peppers)

1 cup chopped onions (the recipe calls for 3 or 4 green onions, but I used regular sweet onion)

1 can vegetable broth (the original recipe says chicken broth)

2 cups water

2 cans cream of celery soup (the original recipe calls for one can cream of celery and one can cream of chicken)

2 cups milk

black pepper to taste

red chili pepper flakes (optional)

shredded cheese (optional)

chopped green onion (optional)

Directions:

Mix together hash browns, onion, broth and water in a Dutch oven (or large pot). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in milk and canned soup. 

Nancy's Quick and Easy Potato Soup

Fresh Bolillo bread (with a cameo by the grapes I'd also bought; lol)    `

Cranberry Pork Roast

 Cranberry Pork Roast

Week 48 of 52

Meat/Fish Entree #7

    Week 48's recipe comes to us from the Southern Living - Slow Cooker Cookbook, published in 2002. The copy I have belonged originally to a lady named Beth Kirner.  I only know that, because her name is written on the inside cover.  I recently used my Crock-Pot slow cooker and decided to use it again, after I found this recipe.  I don't use my slow cooker very, often and now I've used it twice in a month.  The recipe calls for a 3lb boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of fat. Cut in half cross-wise, it fit nicely in my crockpot. I had hoped for a little more cranberry flavor to come through, but overall, I liked this recipe. Served with a vegetable and rice or mashed potatoes, you could easily have enough for four servings with just one of the halves. 

    When I made this recipe this past Sunday, I started the recipe too late in the afternoon for it to cook the whole six hrs on low (after you do one hour on high). I had to turn it off early (by about two hours) so I could go to bed. The next day, I cut a few slices and admittedly, re-heated it in the microwave. Was this ideal? No, but it worked just fine.  The pork loin was cooked through and just needed re-heating. It was tender, but I know I would have enjoyed it a little more, if I'd been able to eat it fresh from the slow cooker. This recipe calls for making a gravy-like sauce after removing the pork loin. I put the melted cranberry sauce juice in a bowl and made the gravy in a pan. I plated with rice and cooked & buttered onion, and spooned the cranberry sauce gravy over top. 

    Today I'm enjoying some of the pork loin, which I cut into chunks and mixed with the gravy in a bowl.  It's still pretty tender. Like I said above, I liked this recipe. I only wish it'd had more cranberry flavor. You could remedy that, but adding extra cranberry sauce or even some fresh cranberries.  If you try it, let me know how you like it. 

Ingredients:

1 3lb lean boneless pork loin roast (trimmed of fat)

cooking spray

1 16oz can whole cranberry sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

2 teaspoons corn starch

2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Coat trimmed pork loin with cooking spray. Brown all sides of pork loin in a skillet on medium-high heat. When all sides are browned, put both halves in the slow cooker. In a bowl, mix together the cranberry sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Poor cranberry mixture over the pork loin and cook on high for one hour. Turn to low and cook for another 6 hours. Remove roast from cooker and keep warm. Mix the corn starch and water together and stir in the cranberry sauce liquid. Heat in a microwave on high for two minutes or until thick, stirring after one minute. I made the gravy in a pan on the stove. Serve slices of roast with vegetables and rice or potatoes, with the sauce over the slices of roast. 

Cranberry Pork Loin Roast w/Rice and Cooked Onion

Week 47 - Pepper Cabbage

 Pepper Cabbage

Week 47 of 52

Side Dish #7

    Side Dish number 7 comes to us from Amish Dutch Cookbook, copyrighted in 1960 and I believe the copy I have was printed in 1971. I'm guessing that the year copy is, is 1971, as the last year listed is 1971. The recipes in this recipe booklet are from restaurants and hotels in the Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish region of Pennsylvania. In the introduction of the booklet, some of the history and traditions of the Amish are explained. It's pretty interesting and I feel a connection to the region, as the first of my ancestors who immigrated to America, came over in 1727 on a ship called "Friendship" and settled in this area.  While this ancestor was not Mennonite or Amish or German (he came from Switzerland), I am kinda fascinated with this region. 

    This recipe is from Haag's Hotel in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania. At first when I finished this recipe, I wasn't super happy with how it turned out. The sweet/sour/tangy flavor wasn't as strong as I'd hoped. I thought the cabbage I had selected for this recipe was "medium" sized, but maybe it was too big? Could that be one reason that it wasn't as tangy as I'd hoped, since there was maybe too much cabbage for the amount of liquid? After chilling in my refrigerator for a couple days or so though, the flavor is stronger. I do like this recipe. I like the crunch and the tangy-ness and it makes me feel healthy. Although I prefer a hot German slaw, I would try this cold cabbage slaw like dish again.

Ingredients:

1 medium green pepper, shredded (I chopped finely)

1 medium green cabbage, chopped finely (or diced)

3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/2 cup water

poppy seed (optional)

Directions:

Combine vegetables in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Pour over vegetables and combine thoroughly. Refrigerate to blend flavors and to cool. Serve cold with poppy seed sprinkled on top, if desired. 

Pepper Cabbage

Week 46 - Daricraft Biscuits

 Dari-craft Biscuits

Week 46 of 52

Bread #7

    With only four recipes left (Entree Meat/Fish, Dessert, Entree Vegetarian and Appetizer), plus the third drink, I can't believe I'm coming to the end of this Fifty-Two In Twenty-Two project.  I've really enjoyed this project and have decided that I will have another recipe project next year. I'll let you all know what that will be, soon.  This recipe is in a 1945 recipe booklet produced by "Producers Creamery Company". The brand of milk was Daricraft. I've not been good at making biscuits, so I thought I'd try making them (you need to be able to do basic recipes well) and long story short, although they tasted good, they were not fluffy biscuits. I'm pretty sure it was because I rolled the dough too thin. I also realized after the fact, that Daricraft is evaporated milk. I used regular milk. I enjoyed my thin little biscuits with butter and bacon jam, with some eggs. Although they were thin, they'd be good with sausage gravy or any other way pretty much that you'd enjoy biscuits.  I do plan to try these again and hopefully I don't make them too thin. I'll also try using evaporated milk and see if that also makes a difference.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons shortening

1/3 cup Daricraft (evaporated milk) 

1/3 cup water

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Into a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening. Combine the evaporated milk and water and add slowly to the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough can be handled, but is still soft. Knead quickly on a floured board and roll to 1/2 or 3/4 inch thickness. Cut biscuits out, placing on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. I managed to get 12 biscuits My apologies, I don't know how big the biscuit cutter I used was. That said, you can use whichever size you like.

"Daricraft" Biscuits

Bacon, Eggs and Biscuits

Week 44 - Fried Spinach Balls

 Fried Spinach Balls

Week 44 of 52

Appetizer #6

    This appetizer recipe is from the Culinary Arts Institute's 500 delicious dishes from Leftovers, published in 1950. It was easy to put together and I enjoyed the finished dish.  I actually only had enough spinach for a half recipe, which gave me eighteen balls.  These are obviously better freshly made. I had leftovers, so had to eat my leftovers and they were still tasty even though not "crispy". I'll give the full recipe below and you can see how easy it is to "half the recipe". Like I said, I enjoyed the finished dish and would make these again.  

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked spinach, chopped

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated onion (I finely minced)

2 tablespoons grated cheese

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/4 cup water 

1 bread crumbs for rolling balls in

Directions:

Combine spinach with butter, 1 beaten egg, bread crumbs, onion, cheese and allspice. Let stand for 10 minutes and shape into balls. In a shallow dish, combine the 2nd egg and water. Add the 2nd cup of bread crumbs into another shallow dish. Roll spinach balls in crumbs, then the egg wash mixture and then the bread crumbs again. Fry in hot fat (375 degrees) until brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt while hot. 

Spinach Balls

Spinach Ball 

McGregor Cake

 McGregor Cake

I've got a bonus recipe for you and boy am I glad I made it.  This cake came out better than I'd hoped. It is moist, and sweet, but not too sweet. You have a little crunch from the pecans and chewiness of the coconut. It is sooooo good.  Don't walk, run, and make this cake! I found this recipe while looking for a recipe to use for my #FiftyTwoInTwentyTwo project.  The recipe is in a thin, paper, recipe pamphlet, produced by Crisco Oil, in 1965. There's a little bit of prep work, but it is so worth it. Be careful when you get to the broiling part. I either had the rack too close to the top and/or just plumb broiled it for too long. I checked on my pan about half-way through the final step and the top was burning! I removed the pan and frantically scraped off the topping and managed to save the cake. Luckily I had enough ingredients to re-do the toppings and when I put my pan back in to broil, I watched it really closely and I think I just broiled for two minutes.  

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup Crisco Oil (or other vegetable oil; I actually used canola oil and it was just fine)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup soft butter or margarine (I used butter and softened it in the microwave)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13x2 inch pan. Add boiling water to oats in a bowl and let stand for 15 minutes. Thoroughly combine sugar, oil and eggs. Stir in the oatmeal. Sift dry ingredients and add to the batter, followed by 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30 to 5 minutes. You can use a toothpick to help ensure the cake is done. For the frosting, combine butter/margarine, 1/2 cup brown sugar, evaporated milk, pecans and coconut. Immediately spread with the frosting and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned. 

McGregor Cake

McGregor Cake

The artwork on the cover page of the Crisco Oil recipe pamphlet

Week 41 - Fried Fish & Swamp Gravy

 Fried Fish & Swamp Gravy

Week 41 of 52

Meat/Fish Entree #6

    When I picked this recipe, I had no idea of the story behind it. I found the recipe I used in a tiny cookbook I bought at a Buccee's gas station store North of Dallas. It's titled Texas White Trash Cookbook. The author is Betty Ann Stout. I picked it purely because of the name, because "Swamp Gravy"?? I had to know what it was. So, Swamp Gravy is a stew like dish that starts with oil drippings from frying fish. It is indigenous to the area of Colquitt, Georgia. It is a very, simple dish, without much seasoning, but that's one of the things that is so great about it. If you have seasonings you can add them, in addition to the salt and pepper called for in the recipe, by all means do so. I added garlic powder and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and drizzled hot sauce over my serving. The other thing that is so great about this dish, is that you can make it pretty inexpensively, depending on the cost of fish. There are not many ingredients, you don't need much of any of the individual ingredients, this made a huge amount and it is filling. So, if you're looking for a budget friendly recipe to feed several people, check this out.  My modifications in italics. I would definitely make this again. 

Ingredients:

Catfish, cleaned and dressed (I used boneless tilapia fillets, because I couldn't find catfish; I prefer fillets, so that's what I will use in the future)

Cornmeal (I used a package of Gladiola brand cornbread mix)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used 3 medium sized)

1 large onion, chopped

1 14oz can whole kernel corn (It doesn't say to drain, but I drained the corn)

1 14oz can cut okra (I couldn't find just okra, so I used what I found, which was Trappey's brand cut okra and tomatoes)

28 oz can crushed tomatoes (Do not drain; save the can for measuring water)

water

Directions:

    I'm going to give directions for using fillets. I rinsed off my tiliapia fillets and patted them dry. Pour about an inch and a half or so of oil into a large skillet and heat. The oil is ready when a sprinkling of cornmeal sizzles in the oil. Pour your cornmeal/cornbread mix into a gallon size zipper top plastic bag. Add salt, pepper and extra seasoning as desired to the cornmeal/cornbread mix. Add fillets to the plastic bag and shake. Coat each piece of fish individually; remove and set aside. When your oil is ready, gently place fillets (no more than two at a time) into the hot oil. Fry for three to four minutes (until golden brown) on each side. Remove to a plate with a towel to catch grease. I actually ended up transferring fillets to a pan and placed in my oven to keep warm, while I made the Swamp Gravy. Continue until you've fried all of the fish. 

    Pour out most of the oil from the fish (into a metal coffee can and save for frying fish in the future), reserving a tiny "skim" of oil on the bottom. Mine had bits of cornmeal in there also. Place back on the stove.  Add all of the vegetables. Use the empty tomato can to measure out 28 oz of water and pour that over the vegetables. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are softened and the mixture has thickened. I ended up using some corn starch to thicken it up, because it wasn't as gravy like as I wanted. To serve, place a fillet on a plate and cover it with Swamp Gravy. Add extra seasoning as you like. You could serve hush puppies or cornbread with this, but it was plenty filling for me by itself. 

Fried Tilapia & Swamp Gravy

Nom, nom