I just happened to throw this veggie dish together one day when I was tired of just the same old green beans. I just started by throwing in a little of this and a little of that and never measured anything, and this is what I came up with.
What you will need (amount obviously varies depending on how much you want to make)
*Frozen (or fresh) green beans. I've done this with the mixed bag of green and yellow beans and turns out good to.
*EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) a generous amount
*Butter (the fake butter works too) a couple table spoons
*lemon juice (fresh or bottled doesn't matter) a good squeeze
*Onion (amount all depends on how much you like onion, I usually use about 1/2 of one) sweet red onions works best but I have used white as well. Sliced in nice sized chunks (or smaller if you like)
*Dill weed (fresh or dried)
*Garlic powder (or fresh)
*Salt
Basically all I do is throw everything into a skillet and cook it on medium heat until the onions and green beans start to turn brown, not very pretty but you get more flavor this way (you can cook them for less time if you like them crunchy) . They will be soft when they are done. The end result isn't very great on looks, but it's full of flavor and thus ends the boring old green beans that so many people are used to. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
No Time For Bierocks
Do you ever crave bierocks? Wait - maybe that's just me. I really like bierocks, but they take time to make. I don't have an excess of bierock-making hours in my life. So, I cheat. And the result is quite tasty. Here you go:
Bake some fresh rolls. Brown some ground beef and simmer it with a bag of shredded cabbage, a chopped onion, a cup of water, and lots of salt, pepper, garlic. Eat the rolls and the meat mixture together.
The above recipe just sounds too simple to be trusted, doesn't it? Ok, I'll fluff it up a bit. Same ingredients, more words:
First, put some frozen roll dough to rise. Or, if you're really pressed for time, use the frozen pan rolls that you just pop into the oven. But buy a good, "homemade" type brand, not a simple brown-and-serve that you find in the bread aisle. Now, brown a pound or two of ground beef in your largest skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet. If you don't have a large one, use a Dutch oven. Brown the meat well, so that some of it actually turns brown - it will have a much better flavor than if you were to just stir the beef around until it's sort of wet-cement-colored. Next, add one onion, diced. Then dump in a bag of shredded cabbage. I prefer to use the "coleslaw blend" because it contains a bit of shredded carrot, too. This will take up all the room in your skillet, but don't worry, it will cook down. Sprinkle the mound of cabbage liberally with salt and garlic powder, grab the pepper grinder and be generous with it, then add a cup of water. Slap on the lid, lower the heat to a simmer, stir occasionally. When the cabbage is almost tender, put the rolls into the oven to bake. Check the ground beef-cabbage mixture, taste it, and add more salt and pepper to taste. To serve, simply scoop a mound of the yummy meat mixture into a freshly baked roll and enjoy.
There, that's it! Now you can't say that you have no time for bierocks.
Bake some fresh rolls. Brown some ground beef and simmer it with a bag of shredded cabbage, a chopped onion, a cup of water, and lots of salt, pepper, garlic. Eat the rolls and the meat mixture together.
The above recipe just sounds too simple to be trusted, doesn't it? Ok, I'll fluff it up a bit. Same ingredients, more words:
First, put some frozen roll dough to rise. Or, if you're really pressed for time, use the frozen pan rolls that you just pop into the oven. But buy a good, "homemade" type brand, not a simple brown-and-serve that you find in the bread aisle. Now, brown a pound or two of ground beef in your largest skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet. If you don't have a large one, use a Dutch oven. Brown the meat well, so that some of it actually turns brown - it will have a much better flavor than if you were to just stir the beef around until it's sort of wet-cement-colored. Next, add one onion, diced. Then dump in a bag of shredded cabbage. I prefer to use the "coleslaw blend" because it contains a bit of shredded carrot, too. This will take up all the room in your skillet, but don't worry, it will cook down. Sprinkle the mound of cabbage liberally with salt and garlic powder, grab the pepper grinder and be generous with it, then add a cup of water. Slap on the lid, lower the heat to a simmer, stir occasionally. When the cabbage is almost tender, put the rolls into the oven to bake. Check the ground beef-cabbage mixture, taste it, and add more salt and pepper to taste. To serve, simply scoop a mound of the yummy meat mixture into a freshly baked roll and enjoy.
There, that's it! Now you can't say that you have no time for bierocks.
Orange-Cheese Danish
Soooo easy. And soooo good.
What you'll need:
2 (3 oz. ea.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 can refrigerated Orange rolls (house brand or Pillsbury)
reserved icing from rolls
2 to 4 Tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds (optional)
What you'll do:
Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, milk, and almond extract in a smallish bowl. Separate the dough into strips and place on a lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet. Put the strips side-by-side, with the cinnamon mostly facing up. Spread the cream cheese mixture across the center of the dough strips, leaving a few inches on each side bare. Now, bring the ends of the dough strips to almost meet each other over the cream cheese. Just fold them over gently. Don't press down. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow the dough to cool for 5 or 6 minutes, then drizzle with the orange frosting. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired. Serve warm.
What you'll need:
2 (3 oz. ea.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 can refrigerated Orange rolls (house brand or Pillsbury)
reserved icing from rolls
2 to 4 Tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds (optional)
What you'll do:
Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, milk, and almond extract in a smallish bowl. Separate the dough into strips and place on a lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet. Put the strips side-by-side, with the cinnamon mostly facing up. Spread the cream cheese mixture across the center of the dough strips, leaving a few inches on each side bare. Now, bring the ends of the dough strips to almost meet each other over the cream cheese. Just fold them over gently. Don't press down. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow the dough to cool for 5 or 6 minutes, then drizzle with the orange frosting. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired. Serve warm.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
"Mexican Chocolate" Pudding
One night, I wanted to make Pudding for One, but had no chocolate chips. I whipped up this cinnamon-y pudding that's become a staple in our house.
1/4 C cocoa powder
4 T flour
1 1/2 C milk
1/3 C sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
Combine the cocoa powder and the flour. Gradually whisk in the milk.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes and stir.
Now lower the microwave to medium, and microwave for 90 seconds, then stir. Do this twice more, or until it's thickened.
Add your sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Spoon into individual cups and refrigerate, or eat right out of the bowl while it's still hot.
1/4 C cocoa powder
4 T flour
1 1/2 C milk
1/3 C sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
Combine the cocoa powder and the flour. Gradually whisk in the milk.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes and stir.
Now lower the microwave to medium, and microwave for 90 seconds, then stir. Do this twice more, or until it's thickened.
Add your sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Spoon into individual cups and refrigerate, or eat right out of the bowl while it's still hot.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sweet Spiced Pork Roast
The other day we bought a pork roast for dinner and didn't know what to do with it, so we threw it in the crock pot with two ingredients, cooked it for about five hours, and were rather surprised when it was amazingly delicious. It's no Slow Cooked, Seasoned Pulled Pork, but it involves some similar flavors and takes five hours instead of two days.
All I did was pat some Crash Hot Sweet Potato Spice over the roast, brown in it a skillet, drop it in the crock pot, and pour over a can of Coke. (If you don't feel like clicking through to the recipe: combine brown sugar with cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and every kind of chili powder you have in the house, plus a bit of salt and pepper, in whatever proportions seem appropriate).
That's it! It turned out tender and flavorful. We used a $6 pork roast and a generic soda and fed six people off of it, so it works well on your shoestring budget meals.
All I did was pat some Crash Hot Sweet Potato Spice over the roast, brown in it a skillet, drop it in the crock pot, and pour over a can of Coke. (If you don't feel like clicking through to the recipe: combine brown sugar with cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and every kind of chili powder you have in the house, plus a bit of salt and pepper, in whatever proportions seem appropriate).
That's it! It turned out tender and flavorful. We used a $6 pork roast and a generic soda and fed six people off of it, so it works well on your shoestring budget meals.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Simple Tomato Sauce
This, for me, is The Sauce. It's surprisingly cheap. It's elegantly simple. It's incredibly tasty. It requires only slightly more effort than opening a jar. You'll never want to pour Ragu on your spaghetti again.
This is a recipe which has made its rounds on cooking blogs. I first saw it on Smitten Kitchen. It apparently originates here, in a book which is near the top of my wish list.
Anyway, the sauce. The Sauce. There are three ingredients in the original recipe: tomatoes, onion and butter. Yes, that's it. No pinch of sugar or cinnamon, no dribble of red wine, none of that. If you're me, and you're bad, you assault The Sauce with a couple cloves of garlic. This here is the way I make it (garlic; doubled; with residual onion bits) - that Smitten Kitchen post has the original, unadulterated recipe.
You need:
2 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes (Any brand will work, but San Marzano are especially good. You do have to search a bit for them.)
10 T butter (I usually have salted on hand, so that's what I use. If you use unsalted, you'll probably want to have some salt nearby.)
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
Put everything in your biggest saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, then drop the heat, keeping it at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir it every now and then, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot. The original recipe tells you to remove and discard the onion - me, I like the onion, and it's usually started to disintegrate by that point anyway, so I remove only the biggest, most solid chunks - and then I crush some of those up with a fork and put them back in.
That's it. For me, this makes enough sauce for a pound of noodles, and I always make that much because the leftovers are fantastic.
This is a recipe which has made its rounds on cooking blogs. I first saw it on Smitten Kitchen. It apparently originates here, in a book which is near the top of my wish list.
Anyway, the sauce. The Sauce. There are three ingredients in the original recipe: tomatoes, onion and butter. Yes, that's it. No pinch of sugar or cinnamon, no dribble of red wine, none of that. If you're me, and you're bad, you assault The Sauce with a couple cloves of garlic. This here is the way I make it (garlic; doubled; with residual onion bits) - that Smitten Kitchen post has the original, unadulterated recipe.
You need:
2 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes (Any brand will work, but San Marzano are especially good. You do have to search a bit for them.)
10 T butter (I usually have salted on hand, so that's what I use. If you use unsalted, you'll probably want to have some salt nearby.)
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
Put everything in your biggest saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, then drop the heat, keeping it at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir it every now and then, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot. The original recipe tells you to remove and discard the onion - me, I like the onion, and it's usually started to disintegrate by that point anyway, so I remove only the biggest, most solid chunks - and then I crush some of those up with a fork and put them back in.
That's it. For me, this makes enough sauce for a pound of noodles, and I always make that much because the leftovers are fantastic.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Grandma's Old-fashioned Oatmeal Cookies
This is the best oatmeal cookie recipe ever! It's a very old recipe, though to look at the list of ingredients it seems like just about any other oatmeal cookie recipe. The secret to their special deliciousness is the trick of soaking the raisins in the egg and vanilla for an hour. One day when I was in a hurry, I omitted that step and the end result was not as good. So, trust me on this one.
1 cup raisins
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shortening
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Beat the 3 eggs in a smallish bowl with the vanilla; add raisins. Let this set for one hour. (you don't need to refrigerate it.) Next, cream the shortening and the two sugars together, add to egg mixture. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oatmeal and nuts. Now, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Scoop up dough by heaping teaspoons and form into balls. Roll in additional white sugar. Place on cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a small glass in sugar and flatten each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Don't overbake! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Great warm or cold.
1 cup raisins
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shortening
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Beat the 3 eggs in a smallish bowl with the vanilla; add raisins. Let this set for one hour. (you don't need to refrigerate it.) Next, cream the shortening and the two sugars together, add to egg mixture. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oatmeal and nuts. Now, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Scoop up dough by heaping teaspoons and form into balls. Roll in additional white sugar. Place on cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a small glass in sugar and flatten each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Don't overbake! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Great warm or cold.
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