stromboli

Well...hello beautiful.

If you are looking for a fast, easy, hearty, and family-friendly recipe, this is it.  I've always loved stromboli because it is so easy to make and so easy to adapt to my family's tastes.  It's so easy that this recipe was chosen to appear in Gooseberry Patch's Speedy Suppers cookbook.  I love it...I think you'll love it, too.

Stromboli

• 1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed (or pizza crust recipe)
• cheese, meat, and/or vegetable fillings of your choice
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce

On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a large rectangle.  Place fillings down the middle of the dough.  Fold in the short ends, then fold the longer ends over the filling.  Pinch to seal.  Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Slice and top with spaghetti sauce.  Serves 6-8.

For a lighter meal, choose reduced fat cheeses and meats like ground turkey or turkey pepperoni..or omit the meat altogether!  This can easily be made into a vegetarian meal.

simple chicken stir fry

I used to laugh when I saw recipes for stir fry.  Why would anyone need a recipe?  Isn't the whole point to throw in whatever you feel like?

And, then I tried to make one.  I threw in whatever I felt like.  Afterward, I felt like crying...it was terrible.

I have since tried, on multiple occasions, to make stir fries by simple cooking instinct.  I've failed on all counts.  I've heard that some people have this ability, but apparently I don't.  I've come to terms with it.

Really, I have.

Now, I turn to recipes.  My favorites, though, are those basic stir fry recipes - the ones that provide the foundation for a successful stir fry but allow for some creative interpretations.  This is one of those recipes - it highlights the delicious flavors of the vegetables but not much else.  If you want to eat it just the way it is, it tastes great.  If you want to add more ginger, more heat, different veggies, more soy sauce, or even some orange juice, go right on ahead...it will still taste good because the foundation is there.

It's simple...but that's why it's a keeper.

Simple Chicken Stir-Fry

• 1 T. oil
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup each, carrots, broccoli, and green pepper (sliced)
• 3 1/4 cups water, divided
• 3 t. chicken bullion
• 1 T. soy sauce
• 1 t. ginger
• crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Cook chicken in oil in a nonstick skillet until cooked through; remove and keep warm.  Cook vegetables in skillet until crisp-tender; remove and keep warm.  Pour 3 cups water into skillet and bring to a boil; add bullion and stir until dissolved.  Add soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper.  Add back the chicken and vegetables, allowing to simmer for about one minute until heated through.  Mix together cornstarch with 1/4 cup water; mix into stir fry and bring to a boil.  Allow to simmer until mixture has thickened.  Serves 6.

bierocks

Ah, the bierock.  It's a beautiful thing.

But what is it?

Growing up, we always called them German hamburgers.  My mother would make them every so often, and I was always so excited when she did.  They are soooo good!

The basic concept is that it's like a hamburger...but not.  It's traditionally more of a delicious roll stuffed with a meat and cabbage mixture, although there are other varieties as well.  I'm going to show you my take on the traditional bierock.  Why?  Because it's one of my favorite comfort food meals of all time.

This recipe makes about 18 bierocks - they are the perfect size to eat with soup or salad, and they taste amazing...addicting, actually.  They also freeze well - just pile in a freezer-safe ziplock bag, freeze, and reheat in the microwave.  Bierocks are the perfect make-ahead meal!

Bierocks
Filling:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 3/4 t. salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup (see post above for directions on making your own)
• 1/2 cup jalapeno slices (optional)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Dough:

• 3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. instant potato flakes
• 2 pkgs. active dry yeast
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup margarine

To make filling, brown the beef, salt, pepper, and jalapenos.  Add the onion and cabbage; cover and steam until onion is crisp-tender and cabbage is wilted.  Add the soup and cheese (if desired) and mix thoroughly.  Set aside.

To make the dough, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, potato flakes, and yeast in a large bowl.  In a small saucepan, combine milk, water, and margarine.  Heat to 130 degrees (margarine does not need to melt).  Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and beat well.  Add enough additional flour to make a  soft dough.  Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Cover with a towel and let rest 15 minutes.

Pinch off a small amount of dough, about the size of an egg.  Roll into a circle and place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling on dough.  Bring edges together and pinch; place on greased pan.  Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

blueberry balsamic pork chops

Every once in a while, I have trouble coming up with things to put on our weekly menu.  That's when my hubby comes to the rescue.

He's Superman like that.

I told him that I couldn't figure out what to fix, and he started to get this mischievous little gleam in his eye (he gets those a lot).  He started rifling through recipe books, pulling out all the spices in the cabinet, and muttering to himself.  And then he smiled...

"I've got it!" he exclaimed.

"Well, which recipe did you pick?" I asked.

"I didn't.  I'm making up my own."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep.  We're gonna need some pork chops."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how this recipe came to be.

Pork Chops with Blueberry Balsamic Glaze

• 2-4 pork chops
• 2 t. oil
• 1-2 t. minced garlic
• herbs to taste (your choice)
• pepper to taste (we recommend ground red pepper)
• equal parts balsamic vinegar and blueberry-lime jam

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet.  Rub pork chops with minced garlic and then cook them in the oil.  After they are cooked, sprinkle the pork chops with herbs and pepper.  Remove to a plate.

For glaze, combine equal parts balsamic vinegar and blueberry-lime jam.  If blueberry-lime jam is unavailable, simply splash some lime juice into blueberry jam for the same effect.  Spread glaze over pork chops just before serving.

mama's potato salad

My mom always made the best potato salad.  I'm sure many of us love our mother's recipes the best, but this one is truly special.  I think it may be the pimento...or celery seed...or the added bacon.  Whatever it is, it's a keeper.  I've never tried another that topped it!

This salad is incredibly easy make, especially if you take care of some of the prep (like boiling the potatoes and eggs) in advance.  It's also a great make-ahead dish.  In fact, I prefer it made ahead...it allows the flavors time to get nice and cozy with each other.

Mama's Potato Salad

• 4 medium cooked potatoes, cooled, peeled, and diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup pimento, chopped
• 2 boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/2 t. celery seed
• 4 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip!...that's the way my mama does it)
• 1/2 T. mustard
• 1/2 T. white vinegar
• 1/2 T. sugar

Mix together until potatoes are covered and evenly coated.  Garnish with paprika.  Serves 10.

homemade taco seasoning

Store-bought taco seasonings are often more expensive than they are worth and contain ingredients that you might not always want (citric acid, high salt content, milk solids, hidden MSG, etc.).  The solution?  Make your own!

Making your own taco seasoning isn't rocket science.  There are numerous recipes floating around on the web and in cookbooks, and the end result is often very similar no matter which one you pick.

If you haven't yet tried homemade taco seasoning, I encourage you to play around with seasonings until you come up with something that suits you and your family.  In fact, feel free to use my recipe as a starting point.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

• 2 t. each chili powder and cumin
• 1/2 t. each coriander, salt, oregano, and black pepper
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 T. cornstarch

Mix spices together and sprinkle over cooked ground meat.  In a separate bowl, mix together water and cornstarch.  Stir into ground meat and bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for one minute or until water has evaporated.

double chocolate cheesecake ice cream

This ice cream is the perfect example of delicious food that doesn't have to be horrible for you!  The ingredient list includes skim milk, fat free sour cream, fat free cream cheese, chocolate chips, sugar, salt, and fat free sweetened condensed milk.  (Yes, yes, you can make it with full fat ingredients, and it tastes amazing.  But don't knock the fat free variety until you've had it...it's phenomenal!)

My favorite part?  Made with full fat ingredients, it has approximately 266 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 7 grams of saturated fat.  With fat free ingredients (the way it's shown here), each serving has only 181 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 2 grams of saturated fat.  

Double Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream

• 1 quart milk
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup egg substitute
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• broken chocolate graham crackers (optional)

Stir together milk, cream cheese, sour cream, and chocolate chips into a medium saucepan.  Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly until chocolate chips and cream cheese have melted.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.

In a separate bowl, combine egg substitute, sugar, and salt.  Slowly whisk into milk mixture; cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until thickened.  Mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon.  Place pan into a bowl filled with ice; stir constantly for 5 minutes.  Slowly whisk in sweetened condensed milk.  Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze in an ice-cream freezer according to manufacturer's instructions.  Immediately after freezing, fold in graham crackers or other mix-ins.  Freeze for several hours to achieve a firm texture.  Serves 20.