Spoon Tacos

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon taco sauce
14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
16 ounces refried beans
tortilla chips
lettuce
cheese
fresh tomatoes, diced
olives, sliced

Sauté ground beef, onion and celery. Stir in salt, chili powder, and taco sauce.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, cheese and refried beans.  Pour into a baking dish and bake at 350 for one hour.  Or simmer all ingredients over stove for at least 30 minutes.

Serve sauce over tortilla chips (I prefer Fritos Scoops) and top with lettuce, additional shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, olives, and other toppings as desired.

Mexican Quinoa Bowls

Recipe from kitchensimplicity.com.

Serves 4-6.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 1/4 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, quartered
To serve: salsa, sour cream shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and guacamole

Add a small bit of oil to a medium-sized pot set over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeños; cook just until fragrant (about a minute). Add quinoa, broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt. Bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed. 

Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice. Spoon into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Anna's Impossible Quiche

Passed down from Dad's oldest sister, his isn't your typical quiche (just as she's not your typical aunt). The recipe doesn't have a crust, but includes Bisquick in with the eggs and milk instead. It's the only quiche I'd eaten until I moved out of the house, and is still my very favorite.

3 eggs

1 ½ cup milk

1 ½ cup Bisquick

¼ teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

½ cup melted butter

½ cup diced ham or crisp bacon pieces

1 ½ - 2 cups grated cheese

Mushrooms

Chopped onion (yellow or green)

Chopped green pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat eggs, milk, Bisquick, salt, pepper, and butter with electric mixer. Pour into a greased 9”-10” pie pan. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over the top of the egg mixtures, then press into mixture.

Bake 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Tomato and Bacon Spaghetti (Pasta All'Amatriciana)

from America's Test Kitchen

serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1/2 pound sliced bacon (or salt pork), cut into ~1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
16 ounces spaghetti
1/4 pound Pecorino Romano, shredded

Cook bacon on medium high heat with about 1/4 cup water in a skillet. The water will evaporate over time, but keep the pork moist. Keep cooking until bacon is crisp and most of the fat is rendered (about 5 minutes). Pull out pork with slotted spoon and set fat aside to cool.

Add tomato paste, wine, and red pepper flakes back to the skillet and cook for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes with juice. Simmer for 12-16 minutes.

Bring water for pasta to boil. Season with 1 tablespoon salt. Cook pasta until al dente (follow package instructions, but about 10 minutes). Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain.

In a small mixing bowl, drizzle 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat over the shredded cheese and toss (this will help prevent clumping).

Combine spaghetti, crisp bacon, sauce, cheese, and about 1/3 cup pasta water (depends on how tight the sauce is). Top with a little more Pecorino Romano.

Teriyaki Steak

2 to 4 1/2 pounds top round steak, cut 1/8 inch thick
paprika
ginger
nutmeg
brown sugar
20-ounce bottle Teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
onion powder

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with paprika.  Sprinkle 1/2 to 2/3 as much ginger and nutmeg.  Lay steak evenly across the spices.  Cover with lots of brown sugar.  Pour Teriyaki sauce over meat.  Mix soy sauce, water and onion powder and pour over Teriyaki sauce.  Marinate overnight.


Grill on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. 


[This is a secret recipe from Uncle Rick.  Don't ask him for more accurate measurements because Mom was not supposed to pass it on.]

Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica

Adapted from Your Home Based Mom

Ingredients:
12 oz. Shredded chicken breast
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp Dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt

1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add apple juice, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream. Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces. Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole dishes.
Preparation Time: More than an hour

Chicken Marsala

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for coating
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
½ tablespoon chives
1 cup Marsala wine
½ cup cooking sherry
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup heavy cream


In a gallon freezer bag, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Add chicken breasts to bag, one at a time. Pound to approximately ¼-inch thick, then coat in flour mixture.

In a large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and brown on each side. Remove chicken to plate. Saute mushrooms and chives. Pour in Marsala wine, sherry and chicken broth. Reduce by a third; thicken the sauce with a flour and water slurry. Reduce heat to low, then add cream. Season to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with noodles.

Beef Stroganoff

When I was a kid, beef stroganoff was one of our favorite meals. It was probably the most common birthday meal request in our home. Mom made two different recipes, and this was considered the "fancy one" because it's made with steak, rather than ground beef.

1½ pounds round steak
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
Fresh mushrooms
1 can beef broth
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup flour
Water

Cut steak into 2 x ½-inch strips across the grain. Brown over medium heat in skillet, then turn heat to low. Simmer long enough to tenderize meat.

Add onion soup mix, soup, mushrooms, and broth. Bring to boil. Thicken with flour/water mixture. Add sour cream and serve over egg noodles.

Our Favorite Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying
Chopped tomato for garnish
Diced onion for garnish
Diced green bell pepper for garnish
Pita bread
Tahini sauce

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed.

Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onion in th ebowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons for flour, and pulse. You want to add enough flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl, covered, for several hours.

Form the chickpea mixture into balls abut the size of walnuts, or use a large cookie scoop.

Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion and green pepper. Drizzle with tahini thinned with water.

Makes 5 servings.

Fettuccine alla Carbonara

Recipe from Baci Trattoria in Salt Lake City.

6 slices bacon or 1/3 cup ham cut into narrow strips
1/2 clove garlic, finely minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon salt
8 ounces dried or 16 ounces fresh fettuccine
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Place bacon or ham in a heavy saute pan over medium heat. Cook bacon until crisp, ham until hot, adding minced garlic about 30 seconds before the meat has finished cooking. Add cream and peas and cook at a slow rolling boil for four minutes. Set aside.

Fill heavy stock pot with half-gallon of salted water. Bring to a boil. Add dry fettuccine and cook for 8-10 minutes or cook fresh fettuccine for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water.

Toss fettuccine with cream mixture, then add Parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Chicken Ham Rolls

6 slices ham

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons parsley

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup saltine crackers (crushed)

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1 1/2 cup shredded chicken

1/2 pound cheese

Mix up all ingredients except for ham. Roll up the mixture inside the ham, and place in a shallow baking pan. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, removing foil for the last 5 minutes.

Suddenly Dinner

1 box Suddenly Salad, any flavor except Chipotle

1/2 cup mayonaisse

6 to 8 strips of bacon

1 to 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 red pepper, chopped

spinach

Prepare pasta salad as directed, but do not rinse with cold water. Meanwhile, cook bacon and remove from pan along with excess drippings. Saute' red peppers in the bacon pan and cut bacon into bite-size pieces. Mix together pasta, dressing, and the remaining ingredients and serve warm. Serves 4 to 6.

Beef burritos

As a warning, this is one I kind of made up, recalling something my mom used to make. I like to adjust the recipe to may feelings that day, so feel free to add spices that you like.

Ingredients:
Beef Chuck Roast ~ 2# (will serve 4-6 people)
Garlic Salt
Cumin
Chili Powder
Onion, sliced into half rings
Black beans
Green Chile (optional)
Potatoes, the frozen cubed kind (or o'brien, which has a few extra ingredients)

Season the chuck roast* with garlic salt (~1 tsp per side), cumin (~1/2-1 tsp per side), and chili powder (~1/2 tsp per side). You can also add other spices you like, such as oregano, real garlic, cayenne, etc. Slice onion into thin half rings. Place meat and onion in slow cooker (crock pot) on low for ~6-8 hours or until the meat is easy to shred. Remove meat and shred and place back in slow cooker.

*Any cut of meat will generally work, such as round or rump roast. Use a cheap cut of meat because the slow cooker will allow for the tougher stuff to be broken down and shredding the meat makes it plenty tender.

Drain can of black beans and add. Add a small can of green chiles or fresh roasted chiles as desired. If you have access to Bueno's green chile sauce (usually in the frozen section), it is really good. Sautee potatoes (~1 cup) in 1 Tbls butter until golden brown. Add to slow cooker. Mix and season to taste.

Serve on warm tortillas with your choice of toppings: sour cream, cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, etc.

Beef Brisket Marinade

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons liquid smoke

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon ground red pepper

½ cup butter

½ cup ketchup

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried mustard

Cut brisket into ½ inch strips leaving about an inch at the bottom, allowing for more of the meat to be marinated. [Don’t cut off the fat as it will easily fall off once it’s cooked.] Combine onion, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and red pepper in a gallon-size bag. Add meat and marinate for up to two days. Once marinated, take out the meat and pour marinade into a pan. Add the remaining four ingredients and boil. Reduce sauce to approximately ½ cup and use to baste. Cook meat in a disposable casserole pan on the grill for 1 to hour on medium, basting the meat periodically and turning it over halfway through. Place brisket directly on the grill for the last 10 minutes.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

Recipe based on Christensen's Christmas Lasagna
7 cloves garlic, minced
1 #10 can (106 ounces) tomato sauce
4 cups tomato paste (from #10 can - 111 ounces)
7 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, slightly drained (optional)
1 3/4 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 3/4 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons parsley

Mix and heat ingredients in a large pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. This recipe is enough for 7 pounds of meat and 7 pounds of pasta. Measure 20 ounces of sauce (about 2 1/4 cups) in each freezer bag to store. The can of tomato paste is 12 cups total. Divide the remaining 8 cups of paste into two freezer bags for future batches of sauce.

Christmas Lasagna

10 no-boil lasagna noodles (or half of a 1 pound box)
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2½ cups (about 28-ounce can) diced tomatoes, drained slightly
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley

Set noodles aside. Brown and drain sausage. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered (I use a splatter guard) for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

½ pound mozzarella, sliced or shredded
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ pound shredded mild cheddar

Combine and set aside for cheese layer.

2 eggs
1 pint cottage cheese
2 tablespoons parsley

Beat eggs. Stir in cottage cheese and parsley.

Layer noodles, cottage cheese mixture, meat sauce, cheese in greased 9x13-inch pan or two square pans. Repeat twice for a total of three layers.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Can be frozen. Allow at least 24 hours to thaw in fridge, then bake.

Burnt Vegetables

3 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, sliced
1 pound broccoli, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 pkg. Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage (any variety)
salt and pepper to taste

Steam carrots and potatoes for five minutes. Meanwhile, place sliced sausage and diced onion in a wok or frying pan and saute on medium heat. Add carrots, potatoes, broccoli and spices. Stir frequently until broccoli is tender. Serve with ketchup if desired. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

1 package wild rice cooked and cooled
2 shredded chicken breasts
1/2 to 1 lb sliced mushrooms
1 package Spinach leaves
2 green onions, sliced
1 large tomato diced

Dressing
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Mix dressing together and pour over salad mixture. Chill before serving.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
minced onion to taste
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon seasoning salt

Mix above ingredients and form into balls. Brown in 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Sauce:

6 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar

Mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is disolved. Combine mixture with remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.

Add meatballs, pineapple chunks (drained) and bell peppers (1 to 3). Heat thoroughly. Serve over hot rice. [Note: It's a lot of sugar, so I used Splenda and it tasted just as good.]

Asparagus and Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 chicken breasts
12 trimmed asparagus spears
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
lemon pepper seasoning

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet to flatten. Place 3 trimmed asparagus spears in the center of each breast and top each with 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese. Bring in sides of chicken and tie in 1 or 2 places with kitchen string. Season to taste with lemon pepper seasoning and place in a baking dish. Add 1/4-inch of water to dish; cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Makes 4 servings