Tag: Simple

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Good Pie

Good Pie
3 egg whites beaten
1 cup sugar
1tsp Vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 cup graham crackers crumbs
1 cup pecans chopped
½ tsp baking powder

Beat egg whites until stiff then add salt, sugar (slowly), and vanilla. Fold in or beat at low speed graham cracker crumbs, pecans and baking soda.  Bake for 25 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Last weekend the Normal Hill Gang gathered at Barking Dog Ranch.  Another Saturday, another opportunity to share good food and wine with good friends.  I’m reasonably positive my lovely wife has made this pie for the gang not just once but several times.  But everyone raved about the pie as if they never had it before.  As promised I put this recipe on my blog.

While researching a cooking method for sirloin tip roast I opened a 1947 copyright version of Irma Bombeck’s Joy of Cooking.  There are several copies in the house and this copy belonged to my mother-in-law Beverly.  On the inside front cover I found this pie recipe handwritten neatly.  It was the kind of place you put a recipe you don’t want to lose.  We figured the recipe was probably written in the book sometime in the fifties.

So here you go.  My modern day version of the inside cover of a treasured cookbook.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  But as I write this I realize why everyone loved the pie.

It was the pumpkin ice cream.  Not vanilla, nor whipped cream.  Pumpkin ice cream and Good Pie.  YUM.

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Squash Casserole – The Final Update 2022

Note the 12.21.18 update below from someone who shall remain unnamed. Now that the cracker brand issue has been settled, the rest of this post is the original post.

Life can be funny sometimes.  Every year the Thanksgiving menu never changes.  There was the occasional occasion where someone in the family said,

This is getting boring.  Time to change things up.

So a new dish gets introduced.  Everyone proclaims how delicious the new dish is but somehow the new dish is never to be seen again at Thanksgiving.  It took us a while to figure out but finally we figured out that boring was good.  And I’m not saying this squash casserole is boring.  You just have a tendency to forget how good it is.

So here’s to Thanksgiving with the same menu, the same people and one hell of a squash casserole.

  • 2 lbs yellow squash, rough sliced to 1/2 inch thickness
  • 1 medium sweet yellow onion, sliced
  • 3/4 C cracker crumbs (Keebler Townhouse)
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
  1. Place the squash in a sauce pot with about an inch of water.  Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and steam until just cooked through.  Drain, mash with a potato masher to a rough mash and set aside to cool.
  2. In a separate pan, saute the onion in butter until soft.
  3. Grease an oblong baking dish big enough to hold the squash (butter is better).
  4. Combine the eggs, 1 cup of the cheese, cracker crumbs, onions, and squash.  Mix well and place into the baking dish.
  5. Cover with the remaining cheese.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until the cheese is browned and the sides are bubbly.
  6. Let the casserole sit for 10-15 minutes to firm up.  Serve warm.

The other day we got some squash from our relatives to be in Claremore, OK.  The instant The Boss saw these beautiful vegetables she said,

Make squash casserole.  Grill chicken.  Make a salad.

Yes Dear.

Notes – butter is better.  More butter is more better.  Salt and pepper to taste, but you really don’t need much of either.  Use cheddar to your personal taste.  I like sharp cheddar.  But I used what was already open in the fridge and I cannot tell you the sharpness.  Cracker crumbs – some Southerners swear by Ritz crackers.  I used plain saltines and they worked just fine.

Credits – Aunt Kathy.

Update 12.21.18

“The recipe doesn’t say Ritz crackers.”

“But we’ve always used Ritz crackers.”

Cracker crumbs, bread crumbs all the same to me.  I’ve used plain saltines.  No one complained.  This time I used panko.  Think of the flavor profile.  Ritz will add a touch of sweetness to the squash.  Plain saltines or panko will add plainness.  Take your pick!

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Big Apple Pancake

This dish is not a fam fav from childhood but a recent addition to recipe collection.  For weekend stay-over guests you need a tasty easy to prepare dish for breakfast or brunch.  This is especially true when you have repeat customers.  You can serve only so many scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast, pancakes, etc. before your guests start asking,

“Can we go out for breakfast?”

This recipe is a Gourmet Classic that I encountered in 2011.  We made it once only because we didn’t own a cast iron skillet and quite frankly,  we completely forget about this recipe.  One weekend we decided to do something a little different to hopefully blunt any thoughts of going out.  A cast iron skillet is mandatory (probably not but I made it up and it sounds good).  The only changes made to original recipe are the butter and milk.  The original Gourmet recipe calls for whole milk (we had 2% in the fridge) and sweet butter (salted works, trust me).  Serves about six.  Add fresh fruit and pass around the maple syrup.

Breakfast was served buffet style.  After all the guests served themselves and sat at the table, the room fell silent.  Yeah, it’s that good.

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place a rack in the middle position.
  • Melt 2 T butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Core and peel one large golden delicious apple into 1/4 inch wedges.
  • Add apples to the skillet and cook turning once until they start to soften.  This takes 3-5 minutes.
  • Arrange apple wedges around the edge of the skillet.
  • With a hand beater mix 1/2 C all-purpose flour, 4 eggs, 1/2 C whole milk, 2 T sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt until smooth.
  • Pour mixture over the apples and transfer the skillet to the oven.
  • Bake for around 15 minutes or until the pancake is puffy and the edges are golden brown.
  • Dust with confectioner’s sugar, cut into six wedges, and serve.
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Chili Chicken Fricassee

11.21.20 (yesterday)

“Why don’t you make that Chili Chicken Fricassee dish you used to make?”

“HUH?”

Clearly it’s been years since I’ve made this. When the years start passing by faster than the weather changes in Oklahoma and you’ve been cooking as long as I have you forget. So I’m glad I wrote this recipe down when I did because I had to look it up to remind myself how to make this dish.

  • 1 to 1.5 lbs boneless chicken cubed
  • 1/4 C seasoned flour (salt pepper cumin oregano)
  • 3 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large Sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 C chicken broth
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 3 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 C frozen corn
  • 1 C frozen peas
  • 1 16 oz can organic kidney beans, drained
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Combine flour and a dash each of cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a gallon size plastic baggie.  Add the chicken, close the bag, and shake well until all of the chicken pieces are well coated with the flour mixture.
  2. Heat 3 T olive oil in a large stock pot over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides.  Lower the heat to medium high to avoid burning the chicken.  You will get pieces of flour and chicken stuck on the bottom of the pan.  This is OK.  Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add 1T olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots and green pepper, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.  Saute 5 minutes.
  4. Add chicken broth and scrape the brown pieces from the bottom of the pot.  Add tomatoes, bring up to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by one half.
  5. Add chicken and continue to simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes.  If the mixture starts to get too thick, thin out with more chicken stock.
  6. Five minutes prior to serving, add the corn, peas, and beans.  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the vegetables are warmed through.
  7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  8. Serve in soup bowls, chili bowls, or any bowl  of your choosing.

I seriously doubt this dish was a family favorite.  But the original recipe was preserved on an aging yellowed 3 x 5 and I’ve made this dish many times over.  But again, I find the same pattern.  The dish I make is not the dish on the recipe.  So, this recipe is how I make it now, the modifications long etched in my aging brain and definitely NOT the recipe on the card.  Let’s be honest here.  The family (to the best of my recollection) never requested this dish.  As best as I can recall, I started making this concoction during a “healthy” phase when I wanted chili but lighter, with more vegetables.

You will need rice and some nice crusty bread, salad on the side, and a tasty light red like Pinot Nowhere.  I’ve used both breast meat and thigh meat for this tasty meal.  Let your preference be your guide.

Ah the hell with it.  Drink whatever you want because this dish ROCKS!

This fricassee freezes well.  ROCK ON.

TIPS

Use a combo of grapeseed and olive oils to brown the chicken. The grapeseed oil has a higher smoke point and will brown the meat better than when using olive oil alone. I tossed in a a stalk of celery diced along with the other veggies. Why? Because I had celery in the fridge. Purely optional. I’m making this recipe for the first time in years and I changed my mind on the nice crusty bread accompaniment. I’m making Texas Corn Bread instead. And since I rarely drink wine anymore (this is a whole other story) grab a PBR instead.

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One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #7 Sandi’s Memaw’s Chicken Spaghetti

Sandi’s Memaw’s Chicken Spaghetti

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

2 C chicken stock

1 T chopped parsley

1 whole onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Pinch each, basil and thyme

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 rotisserie chicken, de-boned and diced

1 lb mushrooms rinsed and sliced

2 T flour

1 C cream

1/4 lb grated cheese, Monterrey Jack and Parmesan

1 lb Spaghetti

2 T Butter

  1. In a medium stock pot simmer tomatoes and chicken stock until reduced by half.
  2. Add parsley, onion, garlic, basil, thyme, Worcestershire, and chicken.
  3. In a separate pan saute the mushrooms in butter.  Stir in flour, cream, and cheese.  Add to chicken/tomato mixture.
  4. Cook spaghetti until al dente.  Drain and combine with the sauce.
  5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

 

When you want a tasty baked pasta dish that’s not exactly Italian try this recipe.  The origin of this recipe is as interesting as the dish itself.   Sandi is one of my wife’s childhood friends.  Sandi called her grandmother “Memaw”.  Hence, this is Sandi’s grandmother’s recipe.  Over the years this pasta supper was made with minor variations.  I’ve always substituted half and half for the cream.  But if your intention is for a creamier dish, go for the cream.  Different pasta shapes work well too.  Don’t just limit yourself to spaghetti.  Be generous with the cheese quantity also.

 

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One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #6 Pasta with Chicken, Vegetables, Oiive Oil and Garlic

Pasta with Chicken, Vegetables, Olive Oil and Garlic

Parmesan cheese (lots)
3 medium carrots
2 small zucchini

2 small yellow squash
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

4 oz mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil for sauteing, 3-4 tablespoons for dressing the pasta
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 – 4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb cooked, drained bow tie pasta

One Rotisserie Chicken, carved off the bone, cut into pieces that match your pasta shape.

  1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package for al dente.  Drain and set aside.
  2. Cut carrots and zucchini on the diagonal into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick.
  3. Heat 1 T olive oil (preferably extra virgin) in a frying pan.  Saute the carrots and squashes for several minutes on each side until golden brown and caramelized.
  4. Add the onion, red pepper, mushrooms and garlic.  Saute for several minutes until the onions are translucent.  Add more olive oil if necessary to prevent sticking.
  5. Toss chicken into the pan and stir until the chicken is warmed through.
  6. Add pasta to the vegetable chicken mixture and stir to mix well.  Add remaining olive oil.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh basil and grated Parmesan.  Salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Top each serving with more shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

 

It was hard figuring out how this dish started.  When the kids were little time was always limited, especially around dinner time when they needed to eat RIGHT NOW.  One night there was leftover spaghetti in the fridge.  It got tossed with some sautéed onion and garlic, topped with cheese and served.  Not only did the pasta get eaten, but the kids requested the dish again.  We had discovered a fast meal without resorting to fast food.

Over the years this simple meal evolved.  More vegetables got added.  The browning of the squashes came later, spurred by a memory of a dish eaten in some Italian restaurant a long time ago.  Chicken was added to make the dish more substantial and to take advantage of the cooked birds that every market started to prepare and sell.

TIPS – use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.  Add crushed red pepper in Step 4 if you want some zing.  You’ll need a nice loaf of bread and a salad to complete the meal.  Either red or white wine will work but if you choose red, get a lighter bodied Italian red like Bardolino.

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Eddie’s Carrot Sheet Cake

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot (3 large carrots, peeled)
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 C sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

  1. Grease and flour a 10 x 15 inch baking pan.  Preheat oven to 350°.
  2.  Stir together first 4 ingredients.  Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.   Add sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Beat some more until smooth.
  4. Add flour mixture and continue beating at low speed until blended.
  5. Fold in carrot, pineapple, coconut, and pecans.  Pour batter into prepared pan.
  6. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  7. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan before icing.
  8. Spread cream cheese frosting on top of the cake.

I wish I knew who Eddie was.  My lovely wife of too many years lovingly informs me this is the only dessert I know how to make well.  It’s true.  Put me in charge of making dessert and you’re getting carrot cake.  One day while leaving the Y I noticed a stack of bright purple colored papers.  Upon closer inspection, the pieces of paper were copies of Eddie’s Carrot Sheet Cake recipe.

“I love carrot cake.  Is this recipe any good?”

“Why do you think we have a stack of ’em on the counter?”

So here’s to Eddie, whoever you are.  Thanks for the recipe.  Without you I wouldn’t be making any desserts at all.

TIP – save the pineapple juice for marinade.

10.02.21

I still don’t know who Eddie was or is.

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Mike’s Pot Roast

Mike’s Pot Roast

Ingredients

  • 3 to 3 1/2 lb boneless chuck roast,  well marbled
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T butter
  • 1 large Sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1/4 lb Porcini mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
  • 1/2 C Sweet Marsala wine
  • Pinch dried thyme
  • 2-3 T organic tomato paste
  • 1 C low sodium beef broth
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Use a cast iron enamel covered pot  large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 T of oil and 1 T butter on medium high heat.  Sprinkle and rub roast with salt and  pepper. Brown roast in pot, several minutes on each side.
  2. When roast is browned, remove from the pot and set on a plate.  Drain all but 1 T of the fat from the pot.  Add the onions, diced carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown.  Add the garlic, Porcini mushrooms and a pinch of thyme, and saute for another minute.  Add the Marsala wine and continue to saute until the alcohol evaporates.   Add tomato paste, beef broth and mix thoroughly.   Create a “well” in the center by pushing all of the vegetables to the sides of the pot.
  3. Place  the roast in the well you’ve created. (It’s OK if a few veggies are underneath the roast)  Sprinkle another pinch of thyme over the roast. Add extra broth if required to bring the liquid level up to the top of the roast.  Cover and adjust the heat down to a low simmer.
  4. Cook for 2 hours, or longer.
  5. Approximately 45 minutes before serving, remove the roast from the pot and set on a plate.  Allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
  6. Increase heat to medium high and  reduce the gravy to one half its volume.  Add 1 T butter and the carrot chunks.  Reduce heat back to low.
  7. Trim all visible fat and gristle from the roast.  Slice the roast against the grain and return to the pot.  Stir to coat the roast slices thoroughly.
  8. Simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes.

Yield: Serves 4-5.

I have no memories of pot roast from my childhood.  I’m pretty certain we never had pot roast growing up.  Dad did all of the cooking for the family and if you ever tasted my Mom’s cooking you would understand why.  So for me pot roast was  and still is a special dish to be savored.  And this past week, I’ve been thinking about pot roast a lot.  It’s not a hard dish to make and everyone makes it differently.  I kind of made this recipe up and thankfully it worked.

I say thankfully because we were serving this pot roast to friends.  As things turned out, the pot roast turned out.  Mike had seconds.  Mike also won at cards.  So I’ve named this pot roast after Mike.

Tips – Find a nice chuck roast that has a lot of marbling.  This adds tremendous flavor and remember, you’ll be trimming the fat off before serving.  Remember the gravy makes this dish.  I found the addition of Porcini mushrooms to be quite a difference maker. MASHED POTATOES.  You need mashed potatoes, period.  Since we’ve added extra carrots, try a green salad on the side.  And bread.  Some good bread to sop up the gravy is also essential.  One of these times when I have leftover pot roast, I’ll post my Next Day Pot Roast Sandwich.  Sorry, no picture…we ate it all.

More Tips – I have also used a cut of beef called Cross Rib Roast and the results were superb.  Don’t confuse this cut with prime rib or rib roast.  The two are different.  The Cross Rib Roast is basically a different chuck cut.  It is leaner than a chuck roast and possesses a rich, deep beefy flavor.  I also started the dish on the stove top then put the enamel pot covered into a 250 degree oven for three hours.  The roast was fork tender, no knifes needed.

Even More Tips – One day I could not find a decent looking piece of chuck for pot roast.  Every roast I saw didn’t have enough marbling.  I did find some well marbled top blade steaks.top blade steaks.  If you’ve ever been out and had a flat iron steak, you have eaten this cut.  But since I bought top blade and not the flat iron cut, it was perfect for this recipe.

Tips Ten Years After This Recipe was Posted

The Ten Year Tip is Tri-tip.  A few weeks ago the local grocery store had a ton of tri-tips on sale for $3.99/pound.  I bought a few packages pre-cut into “steaks” and one entire roast which I cut into pot roast pieces.  Tri-tip is an excellent cut for pot roast.

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Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

1 stick butter or margarine

1/2 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 C whole wheat flour

1/2 C white flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 large ripe bananas (or 3 small) smashed

1/4 C plain yogurt

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium size mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat some more.
  3. Add smashed bananas. Stir to mix.
  4. Add flours. Sprinkle baking soda and salt evenly.  Stir with a fork until the dry ingredients are just moistened.  Do not over-mix.
  5. Place baking cup papers into a 12 cup muffin pan.
  6. Fill each cup 3/4 full.
  7. Bake 20-22 minutes.

 

This morning I got a little lightheaded after a walk.  After a quick glance at the clock (it was 9:30 am) I realized I had not eaten any breakfast.  I’ve come to realize this symptom as low blood sugar.  I needed to eat something STAT!

Whole wheat banana muffin, banana, and milk.  I felt better immediately.

This recipe is adapted from Jean Hewitt’s Natural Foods Cookbook.  I’ve changed only a few things.  For example, the original recipe was for banana bread.  Well, that took too long to bake and I ended up having to slice and wrap individual pieces to freeze.  So I started making muffins instead.  The muffins freeze well and thus, instant homemade breakfast.  Since I always buy too many bananas I always end up making muffins.

Update 10.05.14

For the first time I had to go out and buy a ripe banana to make these muffins.  There were two aging pieces of fruit on the counter when The Boss said,

“Why don’t you make banana muffins?”

So with banana muffins on my mind, so too came some cooking tips.  I always use paper muffin cups rather than greasing and filling the muffin tins.  Of course, there are two schools of thought here.  I prefer less fat and muffins that fly out of the cups when you turn the muffin tin upside down.  You can add nuts or chopped fruit to this recipe.  Then you’ll have a new recipe like Banana Nut Muffins with Raisins or something similar.  A chopped fresh apple works well too.  Feel free to use real butter instead of margarine.  Real butter makes a more moist richer muffin.

And for my non-family member readers this recipe is Daughter-in-Law Approved.

It’s that good.

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Italian Sausage and Beef Meatballs

I was at the grocery store this past weekend and found sweet Italian Sausage and Aged Angus Ground Beef both on sale for $3 a pound.

I’ll have a pound of each please.

When I got home I started thinking about what to make with a pound of Italian sausage and a pound of ground beef.  Meatballs!
Toss these into some Tomato Sauce 2.  You really didn’t want a vegetarian meal anyway.

Italian Sausage and Beef Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (80/20)

1 lb sweet mild Italian sausage, bulk

Leftover Italian or French bread, coarsely chopped

Milk

1 egg

1 cup Parmesan cheese

White wine

  1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the coarsely chopped Italian bread with just enough milk to moisten.  Beat in the egg, add a pinch of oregano or basil (optional) and incorporate the Parmesan cheese.
  2. Mix in the meats and blend well.  Chill for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  3. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Form 1.5 – 2 inch meatballs and spread evenly in a roasting pan large enough so that the meatballs don’t touch one another.
  5. Add a little white wine and water to the bottom of the roasting pan and bake the meatballs for 40-45 minutes.
  6. Cool and drain the meatballs on paper towels to absorb as much grease as possible.
  7. Toss into Tomato Sauce 2 and simmer for two hours.
  8. Serve over pasta or make into sandwiches.

 

Tips – note the basil and oregano are optional.  Go light on the herbs and spices because any Italian sausage you buy will already be seasoned well, and perhaps salted fairly well also.  When using sausage in meatballs, you won’t need a lot of additional spices.  When I was younger, I fried my meatballs.  Nowadays I prefer roasting my meatballs in the oven with a little wine.

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