World War II "Secret" Spaghetti Sauce

and All Day Spaghetti
(Taught to Derek's Grandfather by another comrade)
Stephanie Fay

Meatballs:

½ lb hamburger

2 sm grated onions
1 cup soda crackers

1 egg
salt and pepper

Fry 3 cloves of garlic in up to ¾ cup shortening. Discard garlic.

Cook meatballs in shortening until cooked, but don’t overcook (you can also bake them at 400 degrees for 25 min. ahead of time).

Sauce

3-14 oz cans tomato sauce + 1 tomato paste & water (OR: 8-8 oz cans of tomato sauce)
8 oz Parmesan cheese
c tsp. Salt and pepper
¼ Tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours, reserve one can of tomato sauce to put in one hour before eating. Can freeze leftovers.

Falafel

Christine Gilbert

One of the most popular foods from the Middle East. It is nutritious, simple to prepare and very flavorful! Small falafel patties are served inside Pita bread with fresh greens topped with delicious sesame tahini dressing.


Pita bread
Falafel balls: I buy the "Casbah" mix (at Winco by the rice section) and follow the easy instructions. I like to bake them instead of frying.
sliced tomato
chopped cucumber
feta cheese
kalamata olives
mint
parsley
Tahini sauce OR Yogurt sauce (recipes follow)

Tahini sauce:
1 c tahini
2/3 c water
1/2 t salt
2 lemons, juiced
1 garlic clove crushed
1 T parsley, chopped

Yogurt sauce:
2 c plain yogurt or sour cream
1/2 c cucumber
2 T Onion (thinly chopped)
1 t Mint
1 Garlic clove crushed

Tabouli

Christine Gilbert

A refreshing salad made with pre-cooked wheat, parsley, lemon juice, onion and fresh mint. Can be served over crisp romaine lettuce or used as a stuffing for tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini or grape leaves

I use the "Casbah" mix following the package instructions then add 2 diced tomatoes. Allow to stand for 1 hour in refrigerator. Very easy and so yummy!!

Basil Shrimp with Feta and Orzo

by Kelly Eyring

1 regular-size foil oven bag (I couldn’t find one so I just made my own with foil)

Cooking spray

1 cup uncooked 0rzo(rice-shaped pasta)

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 cup diced tomato

1 1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

dash pepper

1 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Pre-heat oven to 450

2. Coat inside of oven bag with cooking spray. Place in a large shallow baking pan.

3. Cook pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes, omitting salt and fat, and drain. Place cooked pasta inn a large bowl. Stir in 2 tsp olive oil and next 7 ingredients (oil through pepper). Place the mixture in prepared bag. Combine shrimp and basil. Arrange shrimp over orzo mixture. Seal bag

4. Bake at 450 for 25 minutes until shrimp are done. Open bag and drizzle with olive oil. 6 servings

Easy Bistro Chicken

by Kelly Eyring

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 chicken breast halves, skinned

4 chicken thighs skinned (I just used breasts)

4 chicken drumsticks skinned

2 cups chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped fresh basil

½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

½ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup sliced green olives

¼ cup capers

1 tablespoon sugar

dash of ground red pepper

2 bay leaves

1 28oz can Italian-style tomatoes, undrained and chopped

8 cups hot cooked macaroni or cavatappi (my favorite curly noodles)

1.Heat 1 ½ teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté 2 min on each side until lightly browned. Remove from pan.

2.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add celery, sauté 5 minutes. Add basil and next 8 ingredients. Return chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

3. Uncover and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is tender. Discard bay leaves. Serve with pasta. Garnish with parsley sprigs if desired. 8 servings.

Chicken Ratatouille
Sarah d’Evegnee

This French dish uses loads of Mediterranean vegetables and is a perfect way to use up the zucchini flooding your garden! We like to add chicken to ours to make it a whole meal and we usually serve it over rice. This is our family’s version, so it doesn’t have the eggplant or the fresh tomatoes that you see in most traditional ratatouille recipes (maybe when the kids grow up a little?). . . but this recipe did get the kids to start eating zucchini and mushrooms, which we never thought would happen!

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed (we usually do half a breast per person)
¼ cup red onion, cut in thin slices (about half an onion) (You can mince it if you have picky eaters who would be suspicious of the strips)
1 red pepper, sliced in quarter inch strips and then halved
1-2 green zucchini, sliced in thin half rounds
1-2 yellow zucchini squash, cut the same way
6-8 brown mushrooms, cut in half slices
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can tomato paste (you may need to add 2 t sugar to this if your paste is too acidic)
8 ounces water or chicken stock (or broth)
1 T herbes de provences (or you can substitute 1 T Italian seasoning or 2-3 T of fresh herbs on hand—parsley and/or rosemary and basil are good.)
2 t cumin (this gives it an “earthy” taste)

2 t celery salt (or seasoning salt or season all)

2 t oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Saute chicken and onion in olive oil until chicken is mostly cooked through. Add peppers, green and yellow zucchini, mushrooms and garlic. (You could add 2 cups cubed eggplant and/or two diced tomatoes here—my family will not allow me to do this, but it would be delicieux!) Cook for about 4-5 minutes and then add garlic. Cook for 3-4 more minutes, stir often to avoid burning the garlic. Add tomato paste and liquid of your choice. Add herbs, cumin, celery salt, and oregano and stir well. If the mixture gets too thick, simply add more of the liquid (it really also depends on how “saucy” you like it). When vegetables are just about completely cooked through (about 4-5 more minutes), you’re ready to dig in. (Unless you’re more like Eric and like them to be softer. . . in this case, you can cook for 4-5 more minutes. We try and compromise on this.) Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

We like our ratatouille over rice (brown rice is phenomenal), but you can also serve this over pasta. Some people also like to add a little parmesean cheese, but I really don’t think it’s necessary. I like the vegetables to speak for themselves! Bon appetit!

Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Greek Salad
Sarah d’Evegnee

We got this recipe from our good friend Demitrios Campbell, who is half Greek (you can see that from the Campbell part. . . just kidding), but served in the Bordeaux mission (go figure!). It is simple, healthy, and out-of-this-world refreshingly delicious!

Tomatoes, sliced in thin rounds
Cucumbers, sliced in thin rounds
Feta cheese
Olive oil
Balsalmic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Layer tomatoes, then cucumbers on a plate or platter. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the top, then do the same with the balsalmic vinegar. Crumble feta over the top and dive in! Sometimes we serve it over a bed of spinach or with grilled chicken to make it a meal.


Hummus
Rachel Helfrich

This is great as a snack for dipping fresh vegetables. I often make it into a meal by serving it with pitas or tortillas and grilling some seasoned chicken breasts for wraps. I serve it with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta or fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, lettuce, and shredded carrots. Everyone makes their own at the table so it pleases the whole family. Wendy and Nicole eat the hummus plain, with a spoon.

1 teaspoon garlic
1 can chickpeas, drained, reserve liquid
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ cup oil (I use half canola, half olive)
Fresh parsley (about 3 sprigs)
Fresh basil (about 6 leaves)
Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Process until smooth, adding reserved bean liquid if necessary.

Greek Salad
Nicole Burt (from Sandy Spackman)

Dressing
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
1/2 C olive oil
1 large garlic clove crushed
1 heaping tsp oregano (rubbed between fingers)
3/4-1 tsp. sea salt (adjust to your taste)
fresh ground pepper to taste

Pour over salad of choice here's mine...
Romaine lettuce
calamata or greek olives (my family prefers regular old black olives)
red onions
cucumbers
tomatoes

Linguine (or Fettuccine) with Tomatoes, Basil and Cream


Karen McMaster

2 TBSP Butter

1-2 garlic sections chopped

4 Cup diced or chopped tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4-1/2 cup shredded fresh basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3/4 lb noodles...cooked drained and set aside in a warm place

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese.



Melt the butter in a large non-reactive sauté pan. Add garlic and salt and
sauté over med-high heat until wilted but not browned, about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream,
bring to a boil simmer briskly until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes
. Stir in basil, salt, pepper. Pour over pasta and serve right away. Top with
 Parmesan cheese, or serve to the side.

Salsa and Cinnamon Chips
Mindy Jensen

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.


Greek Farmer's Market Vegetables
Maija-Liisa Adams

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to the recipe party Thursday, as I ran out of time to make this for you and switched making the soup recipe below and burned myself. So I made this instead for my parents and again for my own family and they enjoyed it.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 - 1 1/2 Cup olive oil (I bought the good stuff for this.)
1 lb. zucchini squash
1 lb. potatoes
1 lb. eggplant or yellow squash
2 small onions
3 peppers - one green, red, and yellow
3 tomatoes
1 small bunch chopped parsley or rosemary and thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean and wash your vegetables and cut them into slices. Put all ingredients into a large skillet and stir and coat vegetables with olive oil and cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for approximately 1-1 1/2 hours. Serve with crumbled feta cheese. Serves 4 to 6.

Cream of Zucchini Soup
Maija-Liisa Adams

My Mother asked me to make this recipe for her. She served it the last several years and shared it with several women although I didn't grow up with it. It was served to my parents on their official Ambassadorial visit to Ramstein Germany by Gloria Oaks, then a General's wife, now a General Authority's wife. RS sisters make and swap their recipes wherever they live and serve around the world.

3 lb. zucchini
2 cans chicken broth
2 tsp. salt
½ cup water
1 tsp. onion powder
1½ cups half & half
1 tsp. garlic powder
Seasoned salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Chives for garnish

Slice zucchini into 1" pieces. Put in a large kettle. Add salt, onion &garlic powder, white pepper, chicken broth and water. You may want to increase the spices called for according to your taste. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tender, about10-15 minutes, stirring now and then. Blend in a blender until smooth, about 1/3 at a time. Place in a clean kettle. Stir in half & half. Season to taste. Heat until heated through. Garnish with chopped chives. May be refrigerated overnight or FROZEN.

RECIPE CORRECTIONS AND OLD RECIPES

Here are the recipes from the "No Fail" Recipe Party as well as a recipe correction.  If you'd like to have me post any old recipes or if you haven't submitted recipes, please e-mail me and let me know! (devegnees@byui.edu)

*Please note the corrections on the sweet and sour sauce for this one.  It is DELICIOUS!!!

Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatball Kebabs

(Sarah Eyring’s favorite dinner)

Kelly Eyring

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon vinegar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold water mixed with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch

Boil the 1/2 cup water, add the sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and salt.
Stir well, then mix in the cornstarch and water mixture and stir
constantly until thickened.

(I usually make two batches since we seem to drink this with our meal) Notice this is all food storage ingredients.

Foster Farms Italian style turkey meatballs
Fresh pineapple (I have used canned from my food storage) chunks
Red and Green peppers cut up

I thread these on skewers and cook them on my George Forman until the meat is warm and the pineapple is carmelized.

I serve it over rice (half brown half white from my food storage) It is so easy and really yummy.

No-Fail Recipes 

*Desserts

Chocolate Raspberry Pie
Christine Gilbert

1 unbaked pastry shell
3 TBS sugar
1 TBS cornstarch
2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries thawed
FILLING
1 PKG (8 oz) cream cheese softened
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup whipping cream, whipped
TOPPING
2 sq. (1 oz each semi sweet chocolate)
3 TBS butter

In a sauce pan combine sugar & cornstarch. Stir in the raspberries bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil & stir for 2 min. Remove from heat cool for 15 minutes. Spread into shell: refrigerate. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Fold in whipped cream. Carefully spread over raspberry layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Melt chocolate & butter, cool for 4-5 minutes. Pour over filling. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Store in fridge.

Chocolate Eclair in a Pan


 Shannon Packer

1 c. water
 

1/2 cup butter
 

1 cup flour
 

4 eggs
 

3 cups cold milk 

2 small pkgs. vanilla instant pudding
 

8 oz. cream cheese
 

12 oz. Cool Whip (or real Whipping Cream)
 

1 cup Hershey's syrup



Bring to boil water and butter; add flour; cook and stir until mixture
cleans sides of pan (remove from stove); add the eggs one at a time, beating
after each one. Spread in a lightly greased large cookie sheet. Bake at
400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown; watch closely. Mix
cold milk with pudding. Add really soft cream cheese; spread over crust.
Top with 12 ounces Cool Whip or whipping cream. Drizzle with Hershey's
syrup. Chill until served.




Konda's Skor Dessert
Konda Fullmer

Bake 1 Devils Food Cake according to the directions. When cooled, cut the cake into 2 inch pieces. Prepare 1 large instant chocolate pudding according to directions. Prepare 1 box of chocolate mousse. This was a little hard to find. Broulims has it on the top shelf by the pudding. It mixes up to about 1/2 of the amount of the pudding.
1 large container of cool whip. ( I use light most of the time and it still tastes great)
3 Skor Chocolate Bars (I think Heath Bars would work too)
Get a pretty glass bowl. Presentation is 1/2 the fun.
Layer....1/3 chocolate cake, plops of choc pudding and mousse , whipped cream, 1 Skor bar broken into pieces and sprinkled. Repeat layers and top with whip cream and Skor Bar sprinkles.
Refrigerate and serve and devour. MMMMmmm!
This dessert serves a crowd. Probably a good 20 or more.

Rootbeer Cookies
Kelly Eyring

2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons root beer concentrate
2 sticks butter
3 ½ cups flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Mix to form dough. Chill at least 1 hour. Cook at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Frosting :
2 cups powdered sugar
½ stick butter
½ Tbsp root beer concentrate
1 Tbsp hot water
Combine powdered sugar, butter, and rootbeer concentrate. Start by adding 1 tablespoon of hot water. Continue adding just a little more hot water until spreading consistency. These are really yummy soft cookies with an unexpected flavor.

No-Fail Recipes
*Sides and Breads

7 Layer Bean Dip 

Jay McMaster



Layer in a round deep pie dish 1 can of refried bean spread evenly across the bottom of the dish.
Next
top with a layer of each: Cheddar Cheese; salsa; sour cream. 

Cook 1 lb. of hamburger, add some seasoning, (maybe parsley, salt, pepper
and garlic salt).

Add hamburger layer into dish, then add another layer of refried beans.
Top with salsa and then
cheese.


Cook in the oven at 300-350 degrees
for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and top with
sour cream, fresh diced tomatoes and
avocado slices.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Sweet Potato Casserole
Genn Rawlings


2 cups sweet potato (or yams--even better)

2 t. vanilla

1 cup sugar

1 t. flour

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs




TOPPING


1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar



Peel, quarter, boil sweet potato. Mash. Add butter, sugar and salt. 
Add eggs, vanilla and flour. Put topping on. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Seven Layer Salad 

Nicole Burt

Layer salad in this order in a 9 x 13 pan: 1 head lettuce chopped (or 1 1/2 bags) 4 stalks celery diced Small red onion chopped Small bag frozen peas-still frozen 2 c. Mayo. With 2 T. sugar (spread carefully over peas) 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped 2 c grated cheddar cheese ½ lb. bacon, crumbled (can buy in pkgs. Already cooked and crumbled)
Refrigerate. Can make up to 24 hours ahead. Left overs keep amazingly well too!
Flat French Bread Shannon Packer


Dissolve 2 pkg. yeast in 2 cups water with 1 Tb. sugar. Stir in 2 tsp. salt
and 4 cups flour. Cover and let rise until double in size - about 1 1/2
hours. Grease a 10 1/2x15 1/2 pan well (hands too). Press dough into pan.
Cover with 1/2 stick melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let rise
about an hour. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and turn down to 350 for
10 minutes more.





EASY Parmesan Rolls
Sarah d’Evegnee

People always gobble these up and then ask me how I made them. They always seems so shocked when I tell them how embarrassingly easy they are.

2-3 cans of cheap refrigerator biscuits OR 2-3 cans of big biscuits for those special occasions
1 cube butter, melted
¼ cup parmesan cheese (you can use the stuff in the green can, or you can use the shredded kind if you want them to look a little more sophisticated)
3 T minced, dried onion
2 t dill

Mix cheese, onion, and dill into melted butter and let sit for about 5 minutes, allowing flavors to meld. Using a fork, dip just the top of the biscuit in butter mixture and place in pan of your choice. I like to put them close together so they don’t look so much like “cheap biscuits.” As they cook, they stick together, and it makes them look more “home-made”
Once biscuits are all in the pan, place more cheese from the bottom of the butter mixture on top of each biscuit—I just use a fork, so the biscuits don’t get too soaked in butter.
Cook biscuits according to package directions, following the time and temperature on the package.


Orange Ginger Fruit Dip
Debbie Richards

7 oz. jar marshmallow crème
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. fresh orange rind
1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
Dash of ginger (I use more—about 1 tsp.)

Fold together until smooth. Make ahead of time so flavors can blend.
Serve with your favorite fruit.

No-Fail Recipes 

*Main Courses

Pasta "Putnessca" 

Stephanie Fay
Prepare: 12-16 oz Penne pasta 

Melt 1 cube of butter in a sauce pan then add ½ pkg (½ lb) bacon, cut into pieces.
When bacon is almost completely cooked, add 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into pieces (mix chicken pieces in bag with 1-2 tbs flour). When chicken is almost cooked add : ½ bag of already cooked shrimp (about 20 pieces) 8 oz (1 pkg) mushrooms 1 handful (about ½ bunch) cilantro, chopped 1 bunch green onion, chopped 1 ½ tsp basil. Stir and simmer 1-2 minutes
Add 2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced (or chopped sun-dried tomatoes) Whipping cream: about 1-1 ½ cups, or to taste Stir until blended well.
Add salt to taste. You can also add paprika or cayenne pepper to add a little tang. Serve sauce with pasta and top with cold, diced tomato.

Pool Gogi


(A Korean Teriyaki Beef Dish)
 

Shannon Packer
1 1/2 Tb. Sesame seeds
 1/4 cup chopped green onions
 2-3 cloves garlic - crushed and minced
 1/4 tsp. fine grain salt or 1/2 tsp. coarse grain salt
 1/4 tsp. black pepper
 1 Tb. sesame oil
 2-4 Tb. soy sauce
 3 Tb. sugar
 1 lb. tender beef, sliced very thin


In a dry skillet parch sesame seeds until slightly brown. Combine all
ingredients except meat. Add this mixture to the meat using your hands to
mix the flavoring thoroughly with the meat. Let set for 30 minutes to 2
hours. Use one of the following methods to cook:
1 - Cook over hot charcoal fire
1- Broil under an oven broiler
3- Cook in hot oil in a fry pan

To eat the Korean way, wrap meat in romaine lettuce leaves with a spoonful
of rice (guests make their own bundles) or just eat the meat alone. Really
great tasting and fun to serve.

Impossible-to-Mess-Up Lasagna
Sarah d’Evegnee

We always use this to serve large groups of hungry people at casual family gatherings or parties because it’s a crowd/kid pleaser and it “freezes beautifully” (I love that movie!) so you can make it ahead. This way you can spend time with your guests or family instead of sitting in the kitchen.

Cook one package of lasagna noodles according to package directions (adding a small amount of olive oil to your boiling water will make the pasta easier to work with later). Drain hot water and allow noodles to cool. (I usually pour cold water over them and then leave a little water over them so they don’t stick together)

In a large bowl, dump in :
1 pound hamburger, cooked and drained
1 jar spaghetti sauce of your choice
3-4 ounces of sour cream
3-4 ounces of cottage cheese
8 ounces shredded cheese of your choice, plus a couple of handfuls for the top.

Mix what you’ve slopped in the bowl together, adding more sour cream and cottage cheese to your liking.

Spread a small amount of sauce across the bottom of a 9x13 pan (I usually use the foil kind, especially if I’m doubling or tripling). Alternately layer noodles and 1/3 of sauce in three layers and top with more shredded cheese. Cook for 40 minutes at 350. We like to put the oven on broil for the last 3-4 minutes, to bubble and brown the cheese.

If you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, you can easily make THREE 9x13 pans with 2 packages of 16 ounce lasagna noodles. You can also stretch the sauce by just adding another jar of spaghetti sauce, but not adding more meat.

White Tacos
Maija-Liisa Adams

This recipe originated in the Salt River Valley of Arizona and has been handed down from Brad's Mothers line.

In a large skillet, saute 1 to 1.5 lbs. ground hamburger or ground turkey and a chopped onion. Drain the grease and add a 4 oz. or 7 oz. can of mild, fire roasted, peeled and diced, green chiles. Use the bigger can if serving adults only and the smaller amount for kids. Remember jalapenos come in the same size can, so avoid grabbing them, as they will make it too hot.

Now stir in 2 cans of cream of chicken soup and 1 can evaporated milk. If it's a little bit thick, add a little bit of regular milk. You want it a little bit soupy, but not too soupy. Mix this altogether in the skillet. You may try diced, cooked chicken, if you desire.

Spray your 9x13 glass pyrex with Pam and set aside. Slice 1 pkg. (12) corn tortillas down the middle, then slice each half again lengthwise for a total of 3 times. Then line up like noodles and cut into strips.

Put half of the tortillas strips in the bottom of the 9x13 and then pour the filling from the skillet in. Sprinkle with Mexican mix or cheddar cheese. Now add the rest of the tortillas. Bake for 30 min at 325 degrees (glass) until it looks bubbly all over.

Serve with salsa and a green salad.


Taco Soup 

Sarah d’Evegnee

You probably all have this recipe, but this is our family’s modified version. It is a regular in our dinner rotation because it’s so easy to throw together and we always have the ingredients on hand.
1 pd extra lean ground beef or turkey

2T dried minced onion 

1 T garlic and drained 

3 T fresh cilantro, minced or 1 1/2 T dried cilantro

1 T dried cumin

2 cans black beans, rinsed 

2 cans chili beans 1 can corn 

1 8 oz can tomato sauce 

1 package taco seasoning 

8 oz water
Cook ground beef or turkey with onion, garlic, cilantro, and cumin.  Add rest of ingredients in a large soup pot (I actually cook the ground beef in the soup pot first so I have less pans to wash) and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. (You can also put it in the crock pot and let it simmer all day.)
Serve in a bowl with crushed baked chips and low-fat mozzarella on the bottom so the hot soup melts the cheese. (Of course you CAN use regular corn chips or fritos, but this is the lower fat version.)

ANYTHING GOES!

Sesame Chicken and Asparagus Thai Pasta
Christine Gilbert

8 oz linguini
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T brown sugar
6 T chunky Peanut Butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
6 T sesame oil
3 T hot chili oil
2 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
5 T sesame seeds, toasted
1 pound think asparagus, trimmed
3 green onions, white bulb and 3 inches geren, cut into 2-inch julienne
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine, and cook at a rolling boil until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Then , drain again and set in a large mixing bowl
2. Place the garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and soy sauce in a food processor. Process for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add the sesame and hot chili oil through the feed tube and process until well blended.
3. Shred the chicken into 2-inch julienne and toss with the linguine. Add the sauce and 4 tablespoons of the sesame seeds, and toss to coat well.
4. Cut the asparagus on the diagonal into 1-inch length. Blanch in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water and pat dry.
5. Place the linguine and chicken in a large flat serving bowl and arrange the asparagus on top. Sprinkle with the scallions, cucumber and remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.

Good-for-You Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Meat Loaf
Sarah d’Evegnee

11/2 pounds extra-lean ground turkey or beef
¾ c Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs or ¼ c liquid egg substitute
2 T Worcestershire sauce
½ package onion soup mix
2 t italian seasoning
3 T parmesean cheese
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
2 cups fresh spinach (or 10 oz package frozen, thawed and drained well)
4 slices turkey bacon (optional)

Combine ground turkey (or beef), bread crumbs, eggs, worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, Italian seasoning, and parmesean cheese, mixing well with hands. On a length of wax paper or tin foil, pat meat mixture into a 10x14 inch rectangle. Spread cheese over top of meat and then spread spinach over top of cheese—leave about an inch around the sides so the cheese doesn’t melt out. Starting at the short end, roll the meat up as you would a jelly roll—you can make this easier by grabbing the wax paper or foil and using it to help the meat roll over itself. (I know it sounds weird, but it works!) Seal sides and top well. Place roll in a baking pan, seam side down. Optional: Cut turkey bacon in half, and place slices on top of roll. Bake at 350 for one hour. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.


Smashed Red Potatoes
Sarah d'Evegnee

1-2 pounds red potatoes
Green onions, sliced (I usually use about ¼-1/2 cup)
Olive Oil
2-3 T Rice Vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut potatoes into small cubes and place in salted water. Bring to a boil and let boil for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft in the middle and cooked through. Drain potatoes and put them back in the pot. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes, add green onions and then sprinkle vinegar and desired amount of salt and pepper over the top. Using potato masher (or if you don’t one, a fork works fine), smash potatoes until all ingredients are blended. You want them “smashed,” but not “mashed.”

Baja Shrimp Cocktail
Rachel Helfrich

1/4 cup mild salsa
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1-2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
 1 lb baby shrimp (cooked)

 1/2 cup tomato, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
 2 avocados, chopped
 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
 lime wedge

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together salsa, lime juice and hot pepper sauce.

2. Add shrimp, tomato, onion and cilantro. Toss gently to coat.

3. Cover and chill for 2 to 4 hours.

4. Just before serving, add avocados and toss to coat. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro.

Cranberries and Brie

Nicole Burt

 

2 T brown sugar

2 T butter

2 T cooking sherry

1/3 C dried fruit-cranberries

    In a small saucepan melt butter and sugar, add sherry stirring until sugar is dissolved and bubbly, add fruit.  Serve over top of warmed brie (bake in oven 350 until soft).

Mushroom Croustades

Christine Gilbert

CROUSTADES
24 each white bread slices -- thin
2 tablespoons butter
FILLING
3 tablespoons shallots -- minced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms -- finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons chives -- minced
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
TOPPING
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese -- fresh grated
2 teaspoons parsley -- minced
2 tablespoons butter

This is one of thoes recipes that has been closely guarded by caterers and proudly demonstrated by cooking instructors for years. It is a must in your collection. The tartlets can be made in quantity and frozen.

CROUSTADES: Preheat oven to 400F. Cut a 3-inch round from each bread slice. Brush insides of 2 miniature muffins tins generously with butter. Gently fit bread rounds into each mold to form a cup. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

FILLING: In a heavy skillet, sauté shallots in butter for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and simmer, uncovered, until all liquid has evaporated; about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir flour into mushrooms. Pour cream over and return to heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook another minute or so while mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate.

At this point, you may spoon the mushroom mixture into the toast shells and freeze in their tins. Once frozen, remove to plastic bags for easier freezer storage.

TOPPING: Thaw croustades completely before baking. Preheat oven to 350F. Sprinkle each one with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Dot with specks of butter and arrange on an ungreased baking. Bake 10 minutes; then, if you wish, pop under broiler for a quick browning. Serve immediately.

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Sarah d'Evegnee

Our kids love these, but we have to warm-up before we have these because it's like running a culinary lettuce-wrapping marathon.  Our kids have been known to eat these for an HOUR at a time.  We finally have to make them stop eating before it gets dark outside.  It's scary!

4-5 Chicken Breasts

1 cup Asian Dressing (We like the Ken's lite soy and ginger kind)

2 T garlic

1/8 cup soy sauce

2 T lime juice

1/2 cup grated carrot

1 cucumber, peeled and cut in quartered, round slices

1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts

1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut in half and then separated into "cups" (Somtimes we also use reed leaf lettuce or butter lettuce)

Thai Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

1/2 cup Asian Dressing 

Marinate chicken breasts in a marinade made from Asian dressing, garlic, soy sauce, and lime juice.  (I like to marinate them all day, but 3-4 hours will do the trick.)  Grill chicken 7-9 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Set out lettuce cups, carrot, cucumber, and water chestunuts next to grilled chicken pieces.  (I usually put everything in sections on a platter and then put the peanut sauce and dressing in serving dishes on the platter).  Add desired amount of veggies and chicken to a lettuce cup and then add about one teaspoon of peanut sauce and 1/2 teaspoon Asian Dressing.  Then fold lettuce like a burrito and enjoy the lip-smacking Thai goodness!

Thai Peanut Sauce:

4 T peanut butter

4 T warm water

2 T soy sauce

1  1/2 T brown sugar

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1 1/2 t lime juice

Mix all ingredients together with a fork until well blended.  (Sometimes it helps to stick it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften the peanut butter)

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Maija-Liisa

Ingredients:
bacon
pitless dates
paprika
toothpicks

Directions:
Line up 1/2 strips of bacon on a cookie sheet.
Sprinkle paprika on them.
Bake, then wrap a bacon strip around a pitless date and secure with a toothpick.
Serve with a spicy dip sauce.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Livers
Maija-Liisa

Ingredients:
Italian dressing
chicken livers or breasts
water chestnuts (optional)
pineapple chunks (optional)
toothpicks

Place chicken breast pieces (personally not fond of chicken livers) in a ziplock bag. Add some Italian dressing and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, precook as many pieces of bacon as you would need in the microwave, oven or grill until partially done.

Wrap each chicken piece with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. I usually add a water chestnut or pineapple chunk before I wrap it.
Place on a foil wrapped pan in the oven at 425 for around 15-20 minutes or until bacon is done the way you like it.

Fruit and Cheese Sticks
Maija-Liisa

Ingredients:
cheese, cubed
grapes
toothpicks

Place a piece of cheese and a grape on a toothpick.

Fried Mozzarella Sticks
My friend Jonna @ http://getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com/2009/03/fried-mozzarella.html

Ingredients:
16 oz Package of Mozzarella Cheese
or you can also use Mozzarella sticks
2 Eggs Beaten
1/4 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cup Italian Panko or Plain Panko Crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
2/3 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Corn Starch

Directions:
Cut the mozzarella into either triangles or sticks. Beat the eggs with water and set aside. Mix the bread crumbs, garlic salt, and Italian seasonings and set aside. Blend the flour with corn starch and set aside. Heat your vegetable oil for deep frying to 360 degrees. Dip cheese in flour then in egg wash and then coat with bread crumbs. Place carefully in hot oil and fry until golden, this takes just a few seconds so watch carefully. When golden remove from hot oil and drain. Serve with marinara sauce.

Cocoa Roasted Almonds
Jann Johnson

1/3 C sugar
1/3 C cocoa
pinch of salt

Place sugar, cocoa and salt in large ziplock bag and shake to mix.

2 C whole raw almonds
1 egg white
1 tsp water

In small bowl, beat egg white and water until frothy. Add nuts and stir until nuts are well coated. Drain off excess egg white mixture and place nuts in the ziplock with cocoa mixture. Shake until nuts are well coated. Spoon nuts into a sieve or colander and gently shake off excess cocoa mixture. Place nuts on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 325F for 25 minutes.

Kids' Favorites

Monster Meatballs and Spaghetti
Then Meatball Pizza the next night! 

Sarah d'Evegnee

We like to use the leftovers for Meatball Pizza (one of Eric’s Eastern favorites!)—just slice the meatballs and put them over your favorite pizza crust recipe (mine follows).  The kids LOVE IT when they see me cranking out Monster Meatballs because they know what's coming the next night! Eric is in HEAVEN because he missed the pizza places in Connecticut that sell Meatball Pizza!


3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (16 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
3 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh oregano, divided
(or 3 T dried)
1 dried bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ground round
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley ( 2 t dried)
2 t Worsteshire sauce
1/8 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked spaghetti

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until lightly brown. Mix in 2 cloves garlic, and cook 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, 1/2 the oregano, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer while preparing meatballs.
In a bowl, mix the ground round, bread crumbs, remaining oregano, remaining garlic, parsley, worsteshire sauce, milk, eggs, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into 2 inch balls, and drop into the sauce. Cook 40 minutes in the sauce or bake at 350 for 45 minutes covered in the sauce.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and stir in the spaghetti. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the cooked spaghetti.


Italian Breadsticks

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen white bread dough, thawed or one batch of pizza dough recipe that follows
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted

In a shallow bowl, combine the first five ingredients; set aside. Spread dough on cookie sheet and score into breadsticks with pizza cutter or bread-knife.  Let rest for 10 minutes. Brush on butter and then sprinkle cheese mixture over top.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza Dough
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups bread flour, olive oil, salt, white sugar and the yeast mixture; stir well to combine. Beat well until a stiff dough has formed. Cover and rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Form dough into a round and roll out into a pizza crust shape. Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Mini Muffin Madness
Christine Gilbert

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour, spelt or barley flour (substitute half of the flour with ground almonds for more protein)
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 cups fruit/veggie puree (puree apples, pears, peaches, zucchini, carrots, squash, pumpkin, etc. in a food processor with water until thick but pour-able)
1/2 c maple syrup
1/4 c canola oil
1 T vanilla extract
Added water to liquid to achieve muffin batter consistency
Other optional ingredients: chopped dates, toasted and chopped nuts, lemon or orange zest, poppy seeds, chocolate chips, etc.

Preheat oven to 400˚ and lightly oil a mini muffin tin. Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients. Mix to just moisten the dry with the wet. Fill muffin tin and bake for about 10-15 minutes.



Broccoli, Ham, Cheese Noodle Casserole (AKA Noodle Casserole)
Nicole Burt

6 oz. uncooked extra wide egg noodles, cooked
2 cups chopped ham
10-16 oz chopped broccoli cooked till crisp tender
1 can cream of mushroom soup thinned with 1/2 cup of milk
grated cheddar cheese

Mix everything together cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
Top with cheese. Cook in moderate oven (350-375) till hot 30-45 min.
Never met a kid who didn't like this one, even if they don't like broccoli.

Casserole of Rice and Beef
Maija-Liisa N. Adams

1/2 cup dry rice
2 cups tomatoes or tomato sauce
3/4 to 1 lb. ground beef
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
dash of pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups water from tomato sauce

Sort rice, but do not wash. (I love these older directions). Melt butter (I still use this even in this Pam or EEOV era) in frying pan. Add dry rice, chopped onion, diced green pepper, salt, pepper and hamburger. Brown to a rich golden brown. Add tomatoes and water. Let simmer in the covered frying pan (I only use cast iron nowadays) for 30 minutes. Watch it so it doesn't dry out. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

I serve it with corn and a green salad.

Pot of Beans
Christine Gilbert

I’ve been really into a book called “Food Matters” where the author, Mark Bittman is really into making sure that every fridge or freezer in America is stocked with a container of home-cooked beans. This recipe is from his book and he makes it a very simple process that can provide the backbone fore several delicious meals (soups, dips, salads, stir-fries or just over rice). I like this recipe because he gives ideas for flavoring the beans with or without meat. For my adaptation to the recipe, I used my pressure cooker which makes the whole process finished in just over a half and hour! This is easy and tastes so much better than beans from a can.


1 pound dried beans
(any kind but lentils, split peas or peeled and split beans) washed and picked over.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Put the beans in a large pot with a tightly fitting lid and cover with cold water by a couple of inches. Ring the pot to a boil and let it boil, uncovered for about two minutes. Cover the pot and turn the heat off. Let the beans soak for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.
2) Taste the bean. If it’s at all tender (t won’t be ready), add a large pinch of salt and several grinds of back pepper. Make sure the beans are covered with a bout an inch of water; add a little more if necessary. If the beans are still hard, don’t add salt yet, and cover with about 2 inches of water.
3) Bring the pot to a boil, then adjust the hear so that the beans bubble gently. Partially cover and cook, stirring every now and then, checking the beans for doneness every 10 or 25 minutes, and adding more water if necessary, a little at a time, small beans will take as little as 31 minutes more; older, large beans can take up to an hour or more. If you haven’t added salt and pepper yet, add them when the beans are just turning tender. Stop cooking when the beans are done the way you like them and taste and adjust the seasoning.
4) Here you have a few options. Drain the beans (reserving the liquid separately) to use them as an ingredient in salads or other dishes where they need to be dry; or finish them with on the ideas from the list below. Or store the beans as is and use with or without their liquid as needed. They’ll keep in the fridge for days, and in the freezer for months.

Adding flavor to a Pot of Beans—Here are some goodies to add (alone or in combination) when you start cooking the beans.
Herbs or spices: a bay leaf, a couple of cloves, some peppercorns, thyme sprigs, parsley leaves and/or stems, chili powder, parsley leaves and/or stems, chili powder or other herbs and spices.
Aromatics: Chopped onion, carrot, celery, and/or garlic. If you like, sauté them in a little olice oil until soft and fragrant.
Vegetable stock: In place of all or part of the water.
Other liquids: A coup or so of cooking wine or juice.
Smoked Meat: Ham hock, pork chop, beef bone, or sausage finished out after cooking, the meat chopped and stirred back into the beans.

Add any of these ingredients after cooking and draining the beans. Add any reserved cooking liquid if needed to keep beans moist.
2 T olive or dark sasame oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, mint, or any basil leaves
2 T chopped fresh rosemary, tarragon, oregano, thyme, majoram or sage leaves
Chopped scallions, garlic, ginger or lemongrass
1 cup any cooked sauce (like tomato sauce) or raw sauce (like salsa)

Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatball Kebabs
(Sarah Eyring’s favorite dinner)

Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

½ cup sugar
1 Tblsp vinegar
2 Tblsp catsup
¼ tsp salt

1/2 cup cold water and 2Tblsp cornstarch mixed

Boil the water, add the sugar, vinegar, catsup, and salt. Stir well then mix the cornstarch with the cold water and add to the sauce, stirring constantly. Stir until thickened. (I usually make two batches since we seem to drink this with our meal) Notice this is all food storage ingredients.

Foster Farms Italian style turkey meatballs
Fresh pineapple (I have used canned from my food storage) chunks
Red and Green peppers cut up

I thread these on skewers and cook them on my George Forman until the meat is warm and the pineapple is carmelized.

I serve it over rice (half brown half white from my food storage) It is so easy and really yummy.

Eyring’s Favorite Homemade Pizza Dough

3 cups hot tap water
3/8 cup oil
3 T sugar
3 cups flour
2 T instant yeast
2 ½ tsp salt
1 cup powdered milk
4 cups flour (I use ½ white, ½ wheat for all of the flour in this recipe)

In a large mixing bowl with dough hook attachment, combine water, oil, sugar and flour, just until flour is wet. Sprinkle yeast over top and mix until distributed evenly. Add powdered milk and salt and mix. Add up to 4 cups more flour until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to ad too much, or the dough will be too stiff. Mix on high for 5 min. Divide into 4 sections, and press dough onto pizza pans or cookie sheets to form pizza crusts. (Dough can be frozen for later use). Spread sauce and desired toppings and bake for 12-15 min at 425 F until crust is slightly brown and cheese is melted.

Moosewood Mexican Corn & Cheese Bread


Penny Hughes

2 C unbleached white flour


2 C yellow corn meal


2 eggs, lightly beaten


4 Tbsp honey


6 tsp baking powder


1 tsp salt


2 C milk



1/2 c olive oil


1 C finely minced onion (or dry equivalent)


2 C Corn (canned, frozen -- fresh is best)


1 C grated Cheddar cheese



1.Heat olive oil and sauté onion until translucent - set aside to cool.


2. Beat eggs, honey and milk


3. Combine dry ingredients


4. Mix dry and wet ingredients.


5. Add corn kernels, sautéed onions (with all the oil scraped from the pan)
and grated cheese.


6. Mix well
Bake in 9x13 pan at 375 for 25-30 minutes - till lightly brown on top.


Crepes
Hilary Jensen

1 c flour
1 TBS sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 c water
3 eggs
3 TBS butter melted.

Mix all together in a blender. Pour on 400' griddle and flip when brown. Add a spoonful of filling, roll up and top with fruit.

Filling

1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar

These cookies make a great food storage recipe because every ingredient can be found in the pantry. Any dried fruit would be delicious. If you’re feeling decadent, this recipe can handle an extra 1/2 cup of bits of semisweet or dark chocolate. Or, if you want to make the spice flavors more prominent, bump up the amount of cinnamon to a teaspoon, and add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice and nutmeg.

Easy Tortellini Soup
Gennifer Rawlings
For food storage purposes, all of this but the zucchini is in your pantry or freezer. (And, you don't have to add the zucchini anyway.) You can use dehydrated onions and carrots.

Cook:
1 lb Italian sausage and drain well. Remove from casing if you can’t find it ground. We like the hot stuff but it might be too much for kids.

Add:
(1) large onion, chopped
(1) garlic clove, finely chopped
(3) 14.5 cans beef broth
(2) 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
(1) 8 oz can tomato sauce
(1) cup dry red wine — substitute cranberry juice
(2) carrots, sliced thin
(1) tbsp sugar
(2) tsp italian seasoning — if you don’t have that, just do mix of oregano, basil and thyme

Simmer above for 30 mins or, actually, as long as you want.

Add:
(2) small zucchini, sliced thin — not necessary if your kids would freak about green stuff in their soup
(1) 9 oz package of cheese-filled tortellini — get the good stuff — it’s worth it

Simmer all for 10 more mins.

Grate about a cup of parmesan cheese (or any cheese) and sprinkle on top. Great with sour dough bread on the side.

Pizza Pasta

Sarah d'Evegnee

We made this up one day when we were scavenging the pantry to figure out what to make for dinner. Eric made up the name and it stuck. This is a great way to rotate your food storage and everything in the recipe except the cheese can be stored outside the fridge.

1 package macaroni or other pasta you have in storage

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 package turkey pepperoni, slices cut in half

1 package italian shredded cheese

Cook pasta and drain. In round pizza pan (or you can really use any pan you want--the kids just think it's fun in the pizza pan) combine with sauce, pepperoni slices and cheese, reserving a handful or two for the top.

Cook for 30 minutes at 350, then broil for 2-3 minutes.

Nutty Oatmeal Cookies
Christine Gilbert

1/2 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup chopped dried apples or other fruit
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1) Heat the oven to 375. Cream oil and sugars together; add applesauce or eggs and beat until well blended.
2) Combine the flour, oats, fruit, nuts, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Alternating with the milk, add the dry ingredients to the oil/sugar mixture stirring to blend. Stir in the vanilla.
3) Put teaspoon-size mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for about 2 minutes on the same sheets, then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish the cooling.

Vegetable Soup
Maija-Liisa Adams

4 cups water
3/4 to 1 cup dried vegetables (green beans, corn, peas, tomatoes, onions, etc.)
2 packages beef bullion granules or 4 cubes
Seasonings to taste such as herbs, soy sauce, or curry

Bring water to a boil. Add dried vegetables, bouillon and seasonings.Simmer about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender though chewy. (Freshly dried vegetables will not take as long to
reconstitute as those that have been stored for a long time.)
As a variation, add 1/2 cup cooked rice, noodles or barley with the other ingredients, or add 1/4
to 1/2 cup dried jerky, cut in bite-size pieces. Using low-sodium soup granules or bouillon cubes will allow those on low-sodium diets to enjoy this versatile recipe.


Barley Split-Pea Soup
Maija-Liisa Adams

3/4 Cup Split Peas
1/2 Cup Barley
2 Tablespoons Carrots, Dehydrated
1 Tablespoon Celery Flakes
2 Teaspoons Vegetable Broth Powder
2 Teaspoons Onion Flakes
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1/8 tsp. Garlic Granules
1 Bay Leaf
1 tbsp. Oil
10 C Water
6 oz Ham, Canned -- cubed, optional

1. Bring water and oil to a boil. Slowly sprinkle in dry ingredients. Stir; cover

2. Bring to boil again, and keep at high simmer for 45 to 60 minutes or until peas have softened.

3. If used, add pre-cooked meat cook for the last 15 minutes.

No-FAT White Bean Cinnamon Rolls

Janeese Summers

2 1/2 C. warm water

1/2 C. powdered milk
2 T. active bakers yeast

7 C. flour
1/2 C. sugar

2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, or egg substitute

1 C. brown sugar
1 3/4 C. white beans pureed

1 T. cinnamon



Put warm water in a large bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Add eggs to the mixture. Add 1 cup of the pureed beans and powdered milk. Mix in salt and flour. Beat with and electric beater until smooth. Mix remaining flour into the dough by hand. Dough should be soft and not too sticky. Cover dough and let rise for 45 minutes. Make 2 balls of dough and roll each of them out on a floured board into rectangle shape. Spread the remaining pureed beans on top of the dough. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the beans. Roll dough into a log; cut in 1 inch slices with thread. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 10-13 minutes. Use powder sugar and skim milk to make a glaze. Drizzle over the rolls after they cool.

Jello Salad
Nicole Burt

1 small pkg. lime (or lemon or really any flavor) jello

3/4 cup boiling water

dissolve jello in water and set aside (in fridge to cool, but not set)

1 cube butter, melted

1 box Nilla wafers-crushed

Mix butter and wafers, press in bottom of 9x13 pan reserving some (about 1 cup) for top

8 oz. cream cheese softened (Recipe calls for 4 oz. and I usually use 4 oz. but for Recipe night @ Kelly's I used 8 oz. and it turned out great!)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Mix above ingredients and add cool jello

In separate bowl whip 1 can chilled evaporated milk till slightly thickened. Add cream cheese mixture, pour over crust in pan. Top with remaining crumbs and chill!

Black Beans and Rice

Karen McMaster

This is the consistency of a soup or stew. If you like cook it down to make it thicker... also mashing the
black beans with a potato masher a bit helps too.

Heat approximately
2-3 TBSP of oil in a pan
add two cloves of minced garlic
and 1/4 (or more if you prefer) diced small onion.
When clear add (prepared/ soaked and rinsed) black beans (one 16 oz bag) and cook for a couple more minutes. Stir.

add 1 cup of water if you are cooking in a pressure cooker; otherwise add about 4 cups of water
add chicken base (I use 1-2 TBSP); also add 1 tsp cumin; 3/4 tsp tsp red pepper flakes; 3/4 tsp ground cardamom; salt and pepper to taste.

Cook/ Simmer for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours (checking beans to see if they are done) or just follow your pressure cookers instructions (mine takes about 20 minutes on high).

I like to serve this over Calrose rice, with sliced tomatoes and avocados; also, you can serve it with Chicken legs; or chicken breasts...

Good luck!