Easy Tastebud Delights
12.31 Edition (December 31, 2007)
Easy Recipes
45 minutes+
Hi Everyone! Today is a very special day for Easy Tastebud Delights. It is the One Year Anniversary of the Newsletter. I am really enjoying putting this together and strive to find recipes that are quick and easy, interesting and don't call for exotic ingredients. I think I've done well so far.
I would also like to thank everyone who has sent in recipe submissions and comments or suggestions. Many times, I like to try the recipes first, then I can post my comments, other times I just post the recipe as it is received.
Today, to mark the One Year Anniversary, I will be sharing a few of my favourite recipes. These recipes will be recipes that I have tried and probably make quite often, there will be comments about the recipe and most of them have been featured throughout the year 2007. Enjoy!
The first time I made this recipe, I had a friend of mine on the phone walking me through it step by step. Over the years this recipe has been revised to our liking and doesn't even resemble the original recipe she gave to me anymore.
Meaty Lasagna
Meat Sauce:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 diced onion
fresh herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme)
worchestershire sauce
tabasco sauce
salsa (optional)
Cheese Layer:
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups cream cheese**
1 frozen pkg. spinach
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup fresh parmesan
1/2 diced onion
fresh herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme)
1/2 cup chopped celery (optional)
**originally I started using ricotta cheese but found that I like the consistency of cream cheese better, not to mention the fact that it is MUCH cheaper to buy.
12 ready to use lasagna noodles or 1/2 pkg. fresh lasagna noodles
1/4 can tomato juice
Preheat oven to 350*. Bring to room temperature the cottage cheese, cream cheese and spinach. Brown ground beef with onions, garlic, worchestershire sauce and tobasco. Drain and return to pan. Add tomato sauce and bring to a slow boil. Turn element down to minimum.
Mix cottage cheese and cream cheese. Add spinach, onions, herbs and cheese. Mix well.
In 9x12 pan pour enough tomato juice to cover the bottom. Layer lasagna noodles. If using salsa, spread on top of the juice. Layer meat mixture and cheese mixture then noodles until reaching 3/4 of the way to the top of the pan. Finish layering with noodles, meat mixture, the rest of the tomato juice and end with grated mozzarella.
This recipe freezes well. I often intentionally make a double batch so that we have a future meal.
To save time, cook a bulk package of ground beef and make meat sauce. With 1/2 make a lasagna and freeze the other 1/2 for future use.
If you want to make a complete lasagna and freeze, follow instructions but omit cooking time. Cover with plastic wrap then aluminum foil. When you want to cook the lasagna, remove from freezer the morning you plan to serve it and place in refrigerator until 1/2 hour before cooking time, remove plastic wrap and place on the countertop to reach room temperature. Cook as usual.
This is one of those flub-ups that ended up working in the end. The original recipe called for milk and butter to make the potatoes creamy. One day I forgot to add them and ended up with something that was similar to cheesy nacho-type potatoes. Everyone preferred them this way, so this is how I have been making them ever since. In fact, we are having them tonight for dinner with our ham.
Scalloped Potatoes
8 large potatoes
3 diced onions
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350*F. Peel, wash and thinly slice the pototoes and dice the onions. Spray 9x12 inch pan with no stick oil. Layer potatoes, onions, garlic, salt and pepper and cheese, continue layering until pan is full * or ingredients are gone, top with cheese, add milk. Bake for 1 hour, covered with aluminum foil. Uncover and broil for approx. 5 min. or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Let cool for 10 min. before cutting.
* To make cheese crunchy, (like nachos), omit the milk.
A nice change is to add diced ham after the potato layer.
* When potatoes are cooking, the cheese will bubble but the height will drop.
This is a treat that we enjoy having when the sea scallops are on sale, usually on a Sunday night with steak or a roast that is also on sale. Last night we had them and Hunter decided to gobble on them after supper. He said they were REALLY good. There were none left!!
Bacon Wrapped Scallops
We have had these 2 different ways and they are delicious.
Marinade:
juice of full orange
juice of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
worchestershire sauce and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Marinate scallops for an hour. Wrap with 1/2 slice of bacon and secure with toothpick.
Grill method:
Place on preheated grill on high heat until bacon is cooked, about 5 minutes.
Frying Pan:
Put 1 tsp. vegetable oil to pan and heat. Place scallops in pan and cook for a couple minutes per side.
Serve Immediately!
It is no secret that I love soup. One night during a recipe group chat someone mentioned this recipe then sent me their original version. The day I wanted to make it, I didn't have all the ingredients called for so I improvised. I improvise every time I make it now and it gets approval from everyone in the family...there is rarely ever enough to freeze.
Tomato Florentine Soup
5 cups water
1 tbsp. concentrated chicken stock
1 can vegetable soup
1/2 cup salsa
1 can tomato soup
1/2 pkg. frozen spinach
1/4 tsp. oregano
ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
hot sauce to taste
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 pkg. Spring Vegetable Cup-a-Soup
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1/2 cup uncooked mini pasta shells
Combine all ingredients in saucepan without thawing the spinach. Allow to heat gently for 20 minutes on medium-low heat until spinach is tender. Do NOT boil!
When pasta is al dente, soup is ready to serve. Enjoy!
Freezes well.
This is the recipe for Potato Salad that I grew up on. Mom would make it every summer and I just loved it. After she passed away, my oldest brother moved in with hubby and I and he would often make potato salad. I wouldn't touch it because I was under the impression that I didn't like it...once I had a taste of hubby's and was SHOCKED that it was the same recipe as Mom's. The next time my brother made it, I sat there and took notes. I've been making it ever since.
Potato Salad
10 potatoes, peeled, cubed, boiled and cooled
4 eggs, chopped
5 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 chopped onion
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
dash worchestershire sauce
dash hot pepper sauce
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red pepper
4 celery stalks, chopped
cracked black pepper
salt
paprika
3 stalks fresh dill, chopped
fresh herbs, (rosemary, thyme, oregano), chopped
Mix cooled potatoes and mayonnaise together, add other ingredients and mix well. Top with egg and paprika. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
This recipe was typed out in Mom's cookbook and sounded so yummy I had to try it. It has become a keeper in our house and it has rarely failed me. The sauce is juicy and thick and the colour is out of this world, especially if multi-colour peppers are used. I will definitely be putting it in the family cookbook.
Pepper Steak with Rice
3 cups hot cooked rice
1 pound lean beef, round steak, cut 1/2 inches thick
1 tbsp. Paprika
2 tsp. Butter
2 cloves crushed garlic
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup sliced green onions, including tops
2 green peppers, cut in strips
2 tbsp. Cornstarch
1/4 cups water
1/4 cups soya sauce
2 large fresh tomatoes, cut in eighths
While rice is cooking, pound steak to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 1/4 inch strips. Sprinkle meat with paprika and allow to stand while preparing other ingredients. Using a large skillet, brown meat in butter. Add garlic and broth. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in onions and green pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes more. Blend cornstarch, water and soya sauce. Stir into meat mixture. Cook, stirring until clear and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add tomato and gently stir gently. Serve over beds of fluffy rice. Serves 6.
In memory of Eloda Berkin
This is my favourite way of making chicken. Sometimes I bread it, other times I just brown the outside of the chicken. It comes out so juicy and tasty after sitting in the stock and we always save the juices for other dishes.
Chicken Parmigiana
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, split in half
Container #1:
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. minced jarred garlic
Zippy Bag #1:
1 cup bread or cracker crumbs
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
In heavy frying pan:
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chunky salsa or tomato sauce
1/2 cup wine or chicken stock
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1/2-1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Dip chicken pieces in milk and egg mixture then shake in bag with bread or cracker crumbs.
In a frying pan on the stove add oil then chicken pieces, browning each side for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove chicken from pan and add chicken stock. Deglaze "yummies" on bottom of pan then return chicken to the pan. Add salsa and cheese, cover and cook in the oven until done, (about 15 minutes).
Happy New Year Everyone, stay safe if you will be travelling anywhere for festivities tonight. For dinner tonight we are having ham and scalloped potatoes then will be sitting around the house probably playing X-box until about 11pm or so, then turn on the countdowns and snack on crackers, cheese, pickles and smoked oysters. At midnight, hubby and I will have a glass of sparkling wine and the boys will have sprite...then it's off to bed! See you all next year!
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