Sunday Pot Roast & Shepherd's Pie

The best roast I have ever made. It comes out perfect every time.

3-4 pound boneless beef chuck roast
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
(I mix 1/3 instant soup mix with the coffee and pour it over the roast. Plus, I slice mushrooms and throw them in.) 1/3 c coffee or water

Place roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with dry soup mix. Mix can of soup and coffee and pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Cook in oven: cover and bake at 300 for 4 hours.
(The gravy this makes is delicious. I serve it with mashed potatoes)

If you have leftovers this makes the best Shepherd’s Pie.

Shepherd’s Pie

Left over roast with gravy- Shred meat and place in the bottom of a casserole dish.
Spread pre-cooked green beans over meat.
Spread leftover mashed potatoes over green beans.
Sprinkle with 1 c sharp cheddar cheese

Bake at 350 for 30 min or until heated through.

Quick Pumpkin Muffins- So good!

This recipe came from my friend Ruth. She makes then in a mini muffin pan and her son’s have nicked named them “crack bites” because they are extremely addicting!

1 -15oz can of pumpkin
1- box spice cake mix

Blend these two items. Spoon into muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 15-20 min.

You can add a bag of mini chocolate chips or nuts.

Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes

www.tasteofhome.com
I made these for my friend Amy’s birthday once and they were a hit. I have tried “short cut” versions since, but the work is worth it. This recipe is my favorite, so far.

photo taken by Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon                                                                               
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

FROSTING:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the eggs, pumpkin, oil, honey and water. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined; fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.

Fill greased or foil-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 15 cupcakes.

Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 each) equals 388 calories, 22 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 53 mg cholesterol, 276 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein

Instant Cream Soup

This replacement is gluten free, incredibly affordable and really does taste great. One batch of mix usually last around 2 months in our house before I mix up more.

2 c instant milk
¾ c corn starch
¼ c instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. basil
¼ tsp. pepper

Combine above ingredients and store in an air tight container.

To use soup combine 1/3 c of the mix and 1 ½ c water (or broth if you want to omit chicken bouillon). Bring to a boil stirring often. Add vegetable for flavor of soup, such as, diced celery (for cream of celery) or mushrooms, (for cream of mushroom) broccoli (for cream of broccoli).

Replace canned soup in recipes by boil 1/3 c mix with 1 ¼ c water until thickened then add to your recipe.

Ruth's Four Cheese Baked Ziti

Looking for quick cheesy pasta, but tired of Mac-n-Cheese; this is it! My kids love this dish.

16 oz. ziti pasta
20 oz. jar of Alfredo sauce
8 oz. sour cream
2 eggs
15 oz. ricotta cheese
½ c grated parmesan cheese, divided
¼ c grated Romano cheese
2-3 T of parsley or basil
1 ¾ c mozzarella cheese

Cook ziti, drain and return to pan. Stir in Alfredo sauce and sour cream. Spoon ½ into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

Combine, eggs, ricotta cheese, ¼ c parmesan cheese, Romano cheese and parsley; spread over pasta. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining parmesan. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes until bubbly.

Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Tip: Sometimes I add 3 cups fresh, chopped spinach to the ricotta cheese and top the dish with diced tomatoes for color.

Ruth's Hot Pesto Sandwiches

This was the first recipe I asked my friend Ruth for. Who needs a sub shop when you have this recipe?

Black Forest Ham sliced lunchmeat
Turkey lunchmeat
Salami lunchmeat
Provolone Slices
Jar of Pesto
Red Onion slices and tomatoes
Good sub rolls

Slice rolls open longways.  (disconnect top from bottom) Spread pesto spread on top and bottom. Layer ham, turkey, salami, provolone, thin red onion and tomato slices. Top with bread. Place on cookie sheet and put foil on top. Warm in oven at 350 for 15-20 min. Take out and slice in 2 inch slices. Serve with tri-colored cold pasta salad, chips and dip.

Tip:
Sometimes I don’t use the ham. I also like to add spinach and sundried tomatoes instead of the sliced tomatoes.

Almond Butter Crunch

Nanny’s Recipe…Mom’s favorite! I remember Nanny sending a tin home with Mom full of this stuff. Mom would hide it the back of the fridge so that we wouldn’t know where it went. So every year I make this especially for my mom since I was lucky enough to have Nanny teach me before she passed away.

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almonds, chopped and toasted
1 ^1/3 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1T. light corn syrup
3 T. water
4- 4 ^½ oz milk chocolate bars

 1. Place almonds in a baking pan. Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven, shaking pan occasionally, until golden beneath skins, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-low heat, stir sugar, butter, corn syrup, water until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, when mixture starts to boil turn heat to medium low until mixture is deep golden brown (300° on a candy thermometer; see notes), 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir half the almonds (mixture may bubble up). Immediately pour into a 10- by 15-inch greased, baking pan with 1-inch-tall sides. Let toffee cool at room temperature until set, at least 30 minutes.

 3. Meanwhile, place chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in bottom of double boiler or a pan that the bowl can nest in; remove pan from heat. Place chocolate over water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 10 minutes.

 4. Pour chocolate over cooled toffee; with a knife or an offset spatula, spread level. Sprinkle remaining almonds evenly over chocolate. Let stand at room temperature until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour (or chill about 30 minutes).

 5. To remove, gently twist pan to release toffee, then chop or break into chunks. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days, or chill airtight up to 1 month.

Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

9 cups Crispix cereal (any flavor)

3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Combine peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.

2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir well.

3. Place the 9 cups of Crispix cereal in a very large bowl.

4. Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss evenly, making sure all the cereal gets a good covering.

5. Place the powdered sugar in a large zip-lock type plastic bag.

6. Add the peanut butter-chocolate cereal mixture to the bag, leaving enough room for the puppy chow to be shaken (you may have to divide the mixture into smaller batches, coating one batch at a time).

7. Shake the bag vigorously to evenly coat each piece of the puppy chow with powdered sugar.

8. Once the mixture is fully coated, place in a large serving bowl.

9. Coat any additional pieces by shaking the mixture in the powdered sugar filled bag.  Add powdered sugar to the bag as needed until all the mixture is coated.

Martha Washington's

2 lbs. Confectioner's Sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter or Margarine soft

1 cup Condensed Milk

3 cups Pecans chopped  or Walnuts

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Mix all ingredients well.

Ball. (roll into one inch balls, place on cookie sheet covered in wax paper)

Freeze.

Dip. (Melted Chocolate Almond Bark) (Place back on cookie sheet covered with wax paper)

Freeze.

Serve.

Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf with Bacon

Ingredients

Meatloaf:

• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 6 slices White Bread
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3/4 teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
• 4 whole Eggs Beaten
• 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon
• Sauce:
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• Tabasco To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

Serve with mashed potatoes. Yummy!

Note:
I use the meat mixture above for my meatball recipe. I scoop into 1"-1 1/2" balls and bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. 

Broccoli Cheese Soup

My dear friend, Andrea, posted this recipe on her blog. She is an incredible cook so I knew I needed to try it for myself, and we LOVED it.
To reduce the calories, but not the flavors, substitute for the things in parentheses’.  

1 lb fresh broccoli, chopped

4 cups water ( or 4 c chicken broth)

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed (or 3 c Colby Jack cheese)

10 3/4 oz can cream of celery soup ( or 2 stalks celery sliced and 1/3 celery soup mix)

Salt & pepper to taste ( I added fresh garlic)

Wash & chop broccoli into bite size pieces or larger discarding large stem or trunk of the broccoli. Combine all of the ingredients together into a slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, stirring a few times during cooking as cheese melts.

This soup can be doubled and freezes well too. This soup could be served by itself or with a sandwich, baked potato, salad, and/or French bread. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Baked Tomato, Basil & Spinach Ravioli

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 c fresh spinach, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T sugar
2tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 ½  teaspoons dried thyme, oregano, & basil
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought frozen ravioli
1 ½  cups shredded mozzarella
½  cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, spinach and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add spices and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

 2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

 3. Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving

Authentic Louisiana Red Beans & Rice

My friend, Callie passed this recipe on to us. It was great! I am finally old enough to like eating beans. I am sure my mom will be shocked when she reads this! Sorry for all the complaining I did as kid Mom.

Ingredients                               
 1 pound dry kidney beans                                 
1/4 cup olive oil                                 
1 large onion, chopped                                 
1 green bell pepper, chopped                                 
2 tablespoons minced garlic                                 
2 stalks celery, chopped                                 
6 cups water             
2 bay leaves                                 
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper                                 
1 teaspoon dried thyme                                 
1/4 teaspoon dried sage                                 
1 tablespoon dried parsley                                 
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning                                 
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced

                               
4 cups water                
2 cups long grain white rice 

Directions

1.  Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.

2.  In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.

3.  Rinse beans, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

4.  Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. OR use a rice cooker.

 Serve beans over steamed white rice.

Perfect Stove Top Popcorn

•             Cook time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

•             3 Tbsp canola, olive or coconut oil

•             1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels

•             1 3-quart covered saucepan

•             2 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter

•             Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat.  

2. Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.  

3. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. (Count out loud; it's fun to do with kids.) This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time. 

4. Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper) We use our colander as a lid. Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.

With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop (I counted 4 un-popped kernels in my last batch), and nothing burns. 

5. If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan. 

6.Salt to taste. (I added salt to the oil) 

a If you add salt to the oil in the pan before popping, when the popcorn pops, the salt will be well distributed throughout the popcorn. 

b Fun toppings for the popcorn - Spanish smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, cayenne powder, chili pepper, curry powder, cumin, grated Parmesan cheese.

Yield: Makes 2 quarts, a nice amount for two people, or for one hungry one.

Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese

Jay and I really enjoyed this dish. We actually put the mixture into a whole wheat pita and then heated it in the oven at 400 until melted. Really good!

Makes 2 sandwiches
Found on pintrest

What You Need
Fresh spinach – enough for about 3 cups chopped
Canned artichoke hearts – about 3 (around 6 ounces)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese (we used a blend of mozzarella, Monterrey jack and provolone)
4 pieces bread
Kosher salt
Butter or more olive oil

What To Do

1 Dice the 2 cloves garlic. Chop the artichokes. Wash and stem the spinach, then chop it coarsely.

2 Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Then add the spinach and a pinch of kosher salt, and saute for a few minutes until just limp. Add the artichokes and saute for another minute or so, until heated through. Drain off any liquid from the pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream and another pinch of kosher salt.

4 Spread butter (or olive oil) on one side of each of the 4 bread pieces. Heat a griddle pan to medium high heat. Place 2 pieces of bread on the griddle, buttered side down. On each piece, spread some shredded cheese, the spinach artichoke filling, some more cheese (1/2 cup cheese per sandwich), and the other piece of bread. When the bottom bread is browned, flip the sandwich and cook until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

 Source: Annie's Eats

 Makes 24 muffins

For the filling:

 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

 1 cup powdered sugar 

For the muffins:

 3 cups all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 1 teaspoon ground cloves

 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

 1 teaspoon salt

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 4 large eggs

 2 cups sugar

 2 cups pumpkin puree (see Note)

 1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:

 ½ cup sugar

 5 tablespoons flour

 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 

Note: A standard sized can of pumpkin is 15 ounces, just shy of 2 cups (16 ounces). You could open another can if you want and freeze the extra or just use one can which is what I did. The amount is so little I don't think it makes a difference in the final product. 

Directions:

 To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours. The mixture will still be somewhat soft but firmer. 

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. 

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. I always get inpatient here and mix it together with my hands so that it looks like the texture of wet sand. I know you aren't supposed to do it this way but I'm impatient. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until ready to use. 

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. You want to put the cream cheese lower than you think because it will rise a lot during the baking process. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Kuku Paka- Kenyan Chicken Cocunut Curry

This was wonderful!
This simple dish, sometimes called kuku na nazi, is a fabulous coconut curry from the East African coast. It is a perfect illustration of how African, Arab and Indian influences meld in the coastal region.

This recipe was found on the website below

http://www.whats4eats.com/africa/kenya-cuisine 

Ingredients

·        Chicken, cut into pieces -- 3 pounds

·        Onion, chopped -- 1

·        Hot chile peppers, chopped -- 2 or 3

·        Ginger, peeled and chopped -- 2 tablespoons

·        Garlic, chopped -- 2 tablespoons

·        Oil or ghee -- 1/4 cup

·        Curry powder -- 1 tablespoon

·        Cumin seeds -- 2 teaspoons

·        Chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce -- 2 cups

·        Coconut milk -- 2 cups, or 1 (15-ounce) can

·        Salt and pepper -- to taste

·        Cilantro, chopped -- 1/2 cup

       

Method

1.     Add the onion, chiles, ginger and garlic to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add a little water if necessary.

2.     Heat the oil or ghee in a large pot or wok over medium flame. Add the onion puree, curry powder and cumin and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until cooked down.

3.     Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the chicken, coconut milk, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Add more water as needed.

4.     Stir in the cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with with rice or chapatti.

Kuku Paka Variations

·        For authentic flavor, grill the chicken pieces before stirring them into the simmering sauce. If you like, you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.

·        Some recipes add potatoes or hard-boiled eggs to the curry. The potatoes can be cooked ahead, cut into chunks and stirred into the curry toward the end.

·        Eliminate the hot chiles for a milder dish. Or substitute a chopped sweet bell pepper.

·        Reserve some of the coconut cream that gathers at the top of the can and stir it into the sauce at the very end for extra silky results.