Taco Pie

Quick and Easy yummy taco pie!

My husband and I ate the whole pie....in one sitting! Easy Summer meal or a solid comfort food on a cool day, how versatile is that?

Brown 1 pound ground beef, drain and season with one packet taco seasoning. Set aside.
Line a deep dish pie pan with a package of croissants, separate into triangles and then press and manipulate them to cover entire pie pan, press seams together.
Place beef inside and top with 1/2  c chunky salsa.
Sprinkle with 1/4- 1/2 c cheese, and 1/2 small onion chopped.
Bake at 350 about 20 minutes or until croissants are golden.
Top with more salsa, cheese and chips.
 Add sour cream, jalapenos etc

before the oven

Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes

 Perfect for Sunday dinner.
In a large crock pot, pour a 32 oz can of chicken broth.
Clean potatoes, I used new potatoes, if they are large cut into quarters, leaving peel on, add to broth.
Slice 1 med onion and add to pot with 3 cloves minced garlic.
Remove skin from 1 chicken, cut up, or from 4-6 chicken breasts. Make sure pieces are uniform in size, if you need to cut breasts in half do so. Layer on top of vegetables.
Season by using fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs. Add pepper to taste. Use salt sparingly as most broth contains it. Turn on high and let cook 4-5 hours or until potatoes are tender and chicken is no longer pink.

Sauerbraten

1 quart water
2 c red wine vinegar
12 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
3 tsp. salt
3 tsp. brown sugar
1 boneless beef chuck or rump roast (4 pounds)
1/4 c flour
2 Tbs. oil
1 large onion, cut in wedges
5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 in pieces , or mini carrots
2-4 celery ribs, cut into 2 in pieces

 In a large bowl combine water, vinegar, cloves, bay leaves, salt and br sugar.
Remove 2 cups and refrigerate for later use.
Pour remaining marinade into a 2 gallon resealable bag, add roast and refrigerate overnight and up to 2 days, turning occasionally if meat is not completely covered.
Discard marinade, pat roast dry and dredge in flour, Over med high heat brown roast in oil and transfer to a roasting pan, add vegetables and reserved marinade. Season lightly with salt and pepper if you like.
Cover and bake at 325 for 3-3 1/2 hours.
Alternative:
Place meat, veggies and marinade into crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours, reduce to med for another 2-3 hours, or until tender.

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Reuben Crescent Bake

 2 tubes (8oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 lb sliced swiss cheese
1 1/4 lb sliced deli corned beef
1 (14oz) can sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
2/3 c Thousand Island dressing
1 egg white, beaten
3 tsp caraway seeds

Unroll 1 tube of dough, seal seems and place in sprayed 9X13  pan. Bake at 375 8 min. Layer with half of cheese, and all of meat. Mix sauerkraut and dressing and spread over meat, top with remaining cheese and next tube of crescent dough.

 Brush with egg white and top with caraway, Bake 12-16 min or until heated through and top is browned. Let stand 5 min to cool, cut into servings. 8 servings

Honey Creamed Pheasant

Clean and rinse 2 pheasants (or chickens).
 Cut into serving size pieces, Dredge in mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Heat 1/4 c oil and fry for 3 min on each side. Drain and place in  9X13 baking pan with 1/2 c butter cubed.

Cook at 325 for 40 min. In a small sauce pan bring to a simmer 1 c heavy
cream and 1 c honey. Pour over birds and let cook another 30 min, or until bird tests done and clear juices run when poked. (The size of the birds and pieces will effect cooking time)

Alternative breading choices. top gluten free bread crumbs, standard plain bread crumbs, Panko-Japanese bread crumbs.
Linking to Foody Friday! Be sure and check the side bar for a $25 Watkins giveaway.

Steak Fajitas

Cook thinly slice beef or chicken (beef shown here) in a pan with a little oil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder,
1/2 tsp cumin,
1/2 tsp Lawry's season salt ( or any basic seasoning mix)

and add 1/8 c Dale's seasoning, if you can't find it you can use soy sauce. Simmer 10 min.




In another pan, saute sliced onions and peppers in oil until tender.

Warm tortillas in oven for 2-3 minutes.
Stuff a tortilla with meat and veggies, throw on some cheese, sour cream and hot sauce.

Potato Klub (kloob)

OK here it goes..... this is not for the faint of heart or the kitchen novice. I grew up with my great grandma making this, only occasionally but it was quite a treat every time. I married a man who's mother used to make it in her restaurant, she actually taught me hands on how to do it. Thanks Carolyn! It is an absolute favorite. I have heard it has Norwegian as well as German roots.  No dieters allowed past this point!
 All amounts are approximate, it is not an exact kind of recipe, it is more about technique. This is a large recipe that will make about 25 klubs.
Boil ham bone in a large, very large pot filled half way.( I use my canner and another large aluminum pot) If you don't have a ham bone you can simply boil water and season with ham seasoning.
Peel approximately 15 pounds of potatoes and cut into pieces like this

Now, I use an old fashioned meat grinder......I have been asked if you can use a food processor, I don't know. I never have,  this is the way it was done and taught to me so this is the way I do it.

place ground potatoes into cool water, by handfuls, SQUEEZE the water and starch out of them and place into another bowl.

Now chop ham, left over or a Jenny-o ham, into 1/2 in squares, set aside.

For the 15 lbs of potatoes it ends up being about 10 c flour used. I keep the flour and potatoes separate and in a third bowl I begin to mix, add a little of each and form a ball, one that holds together like a snowball.  Too much flour or too little flour will cause klub to fall apart when boiling.  If you have the right consistency you can push your thumb in the middle to form a hole, place 4 or so pieces of ham inside, seal, again, squeeze hard, make sure the klub is firm, it will still be soft but should hold together well, form all balls, setting on a lightly floured surface.

Drop gently into pot a few at a time, try to keep at a full boil, cover partially with lid to keep temperature steady. When all have been added, gently stir to keep from sticking, soon....they will begin to float.

Let boil for about 1 hour and 15 min. To test doneness, let one sit for about 2 min, cut open, it will be slightly wet but firm and will continue to firm up and "dry out" if in 5 minutes it has a nice texture, it is done. Usually they don't take longer than 1 1/2 hours if the boil has been maintained.

You can remove them and let sit on a cooling rack for about 5 min, then.......Smother them with butter, salt and pepper. NO you can not merely place a little bit of butter on them, it is against the law. I know, some of you are saying..."Are you kidding?"  well...try them and see. They say you shouldn't swim for an hour after you eat.... with potato klub I think it is 4 days, you will sink!
When you are done....some fun things to know....here is all the starch sitting in the water bowl after grinding.

YUK! and here is what your kitchen will look like if you did it right.

Take that Julia! Bon Appetite

chili

I have to admit, I don't know if I ever make chili exactly the same way twice but here is a basic recipe that I probably adhere to the most.

This fills a large crock pot.

2 # ground beef or turkey, browned and drained

8 cans of beans, I use red kidney, chili, and white beans. Fell free to mix and match.

   (drain and rinse kidney, white, or navy beans. if I use chili beans I will put the liquid in with them, up to 3 cans, then I will drain any after that)

1 29oz can tomato sauce

2-3 cloves crushed garlic or 2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 large onion, diced

1/4 c honey

2 tsp. cumin

1-2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 c chili powder

salt and pepper

Put into crock pot and let simmer about 8 hours, a couple hours in, do a little taste test, add more of what you like, if it is too thick add 1/2 c water or more tomato sauce. 

You will notice I do not add canned tomatoes to mine, you however can if you like. I don't because I simply don't like them in my chili.

Toppings:

chopped onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, crackers, corn chips 

Salad Bar

Having guests? Do they all have different tastes? Maybe different dietary needs? How about a build your own salad bar at home. Have all the ingredients and keep them all separate so the gluten free person can steer clear of the croutons and blue cheese,and the vegan/vegetarian can have all the veggies and fruits they can eat.

Start with the greens; 

iceberg, romain, endive, arugula, chard, spinach or mixes

Throw in the veggies, use bowls, Tupperware and relish trays;

cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower........

Fruits:

chopped apple, mandarine oranges, strawberries, dried cranberries

Nuts and seeds:

almonds, pecans, walnuts, shelled sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, flax seed

hard boiled eggs

meat; chicken, ham, pastrami, bacon

cheese- shredded or chunks, any kind, how about a sharp cheddar, a mild mozzarella, and an asiago wedge

Don't forget the olives and the breads

hard rolls, croutons, crackers

Now be sure and have a good variety of dressings, including olive oil and a good balsamic vinegar.

Healthy and individual, your guests should have a wonderful time.

Salmon Patties

Use 2 large cans of canned salmon, drain and remove bones and skin, crumble into a bowl. 

Add 2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 c panko* or 6 crushed saltine crackers

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

salt to taste

1/4 tsp dill and1/4 tsp thyme (opt)

Mix well and form into patties, makes about 8.

I use the George Foreman Grill, I spray with nonstick cooking spray and cook about 15 min., this works well because it eliminates turning the patties which can cause them to fall apart. You can pan fry in a little oil or bake at 350 until heated through and crisp.

*Panko is Japanese bread crumbs and can be found in most grocery stores or Asian markets.

Sushi (California Rolls)

 Seaweed, rice wine vinegar and Sticky rice are all available at an Asian market. Many grocery stores will also carry them in the Oriental aisle. NOTE: You must use sticky rice or sushi rice, regular or quick rice will not work!

cook 1 c sticky rice according to package directions

Place in bowl and toss with 1/8 c rice wine vinegar

slice and prepare vegetables and crab.

I use imitation crab sticks, English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced into long strips.

You can slice avocado, asparagus, etc. make it vegan with no meat.

You can also make your sushi with raw fish, shrimp, sliced salmon, tuna etc.

Use a sushi mat, also available at an Asian market, however this is not needed, it just makes rolling a little easier.

Place seaweed onto mat

Spread cooked rice evenly over seaweed and place filling inside, and roll up.

Wrap in plastic and let sit an hour in fridge. Slice when ready to serve.

Use horseradish, sweet and sour or Thai dipping sauce

 

Taco Ring

On a round pan, I use stone wear from Pampered Chef (also where this recipe originated)

place 2 pkgs of ready to use crescent rolls in a circle, overlapping large ends and leaving points hanging out.

Brown 1 lb ground beef, drain and add 1 pkg taco seasoning, and 1/4 c salsa. Place a bit on each roll, see photo above. Fold over tips and tuck under.

Bake at 350 until crescents are golden brown, about 15-18 min.

Slice apart and top with shredded cheese, lettuce, onion, black olives, sour cream and whatever else you like!

Dorritos Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 small onion diced
1 10.75 oz can fiesta nacho soup
1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 12oz bag nacho Doritos -crushed
1 8 oz pk shredded cheese

oven350
brown ground beef and onion, add taco seasoning
in 3 qt dish layer half of chips, combine in bowl beef mixture, soups and undrained tomatoes and chilies, spoon over chips, top with remaining chips and cheese bake 20 min.

Broiled Salmon

This is my friend Renee's great salmon recipe.

Marinate 1 salmon fillet (enough for 6-8 servings) in 1 c chardonnay

Place in a broiler pan and spread on 1/4 c melted butter

2 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp garlic salt

Broil 20-25 min until starts to blacken slightly.



Renee is in the center with the dark hair. This was taken at a Christmas tea/cookie exchange at my house a couple years ago.

Egg Rolls

Use 1 package egg roll wrappers, these are the large 4 or 5 in won ton wrappers found in the produce dept.

Brown 1 lb ground beef, or sausage or a mix of the two.

Drain meat, mix in

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

soy sauce- approx 1/4 c

add 2 shredded carrots

1/2 large head of cabbage finely chopped

mix well.

place about 3 Tbs mixture onto wrapper in the center, fold up one corner to middle, then bring sides to middle. It will look like an envelope. then moisten top corner with a little water and fold over, bring all ends in tightly, if you have to much air your egg roll will hold too much grease. Deep fry in 2-3 inches of oil or deep fryer until golden turning once. Line a cooling rack with paper towels and let egg rolls drain excess grease.  Serve warm with sweet and sour or http://northdakotakitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/thai-hot-and-sweet-dipping-sauce.html

Wild Rice Chicken Casserole

1 6 oz pkg Uncle Ben's Wild and Long Grain Rice

3/4 c mayo, (you can lighten this recipe by using plain yogurt here)

1 c chopped celery

1 small onion chopped

1 green pepper chopped

1 can sliced water chestnuts chopped

1 large can of chicken (like the ones sold at Sam's club) -you may also use left over shredded cooked chicken or turkey

Cook rice according to directions on package, don't drain any left over liquid. Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 45-60 min. (can be refrigerated over night before baking)

Pasta Bake

Meatballs

Mix 2 lb ground turkey or beef

with 1/2 tsp salt

   1/2 tsp pepper

   1 tsp garlic powder

   1/2 tsp onion powder

   1 tsp basil

   1/2 tsp thyme

shape into meatballs and brown,set aside

Use 1 large can of spaghetti sauce or make your own*

Boil 1 lb box of penne pasta or pasta of your choice,drain

Layer in 9X13 sprayed pan, meatballs, sauce, cooked pasta, add 1 pkg sliced pepperoni and 8-12 oz shredded Monterrey cheese, sprinkle with a little more basil. Bake at 350 for 20 min.

* tomato sauce

use 2 large cans tomato sauce

   1 tsp melted butter

   dash of lemon juice

   1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

   1/2 tsp garlic salt

   1 Tbs dried minced onion or 1/4 tsp onion powder

   dash of salt and pepper

   2 Tbs Parmesan cheese

mix and use like canned sauce, (adjust spice to taste)

Pepperoni Baked Beans

1 can baked beans- your choice
1-2 can(s) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans
1 can green beans- drained
1 can wax beans- drained
1 can butter beans- drained

Mix in large casserole dish

Brown

1 lb sausage- hot and spicy if you dare

1 lb hamburger

add to beans

add 1 package sliced pepperoni

Add 1 can tomato soup

1 small can tomato paste

1 c brown sugar
pepper to taste
dash of cayenne

mix all together

Pour over top 1 small bottle of bar-b-q sauce, do not stir

Bake 1 1/2 hours at 300 uncovered.
 To make in crock pot, stir all ingredients together and place on high 2 hours, then on keep warm until serving.

Gumbo

Heat 1/3 c oil in heavy skillet, add 1/3 c flour,stir until caramel color- this is called roux . do not burn- set aside

In another pan saute 1 c  each chopped onions, green peppers, celery and 4 cloves minced garlic in a little oil, add 2 tsp gumbo seasoning* about 3-5 minutes

In a large stock pot combine roux and vegetables, stir in 4 c chicken broth, 1/2 lb sliced polish sausage and 1 c chopped tomatoes or 1 c tomato sauce. Cover and simmer 20 min. Add cooked shredded chicken and shrimp (approx 1/2 lb each) Heat through, shrimp can be previously cooked or raw (will turn orange when done).

Serve over cooked  rice.

  Now here is the thing about gumbo, it isn't exact, you can really change the recipe around to fit your taste. Most recipes include okra I omit it because I don't like it. You can change the basic amounts of vegetables as you like but in Southern cooking, onion, garlic and celery are considered the trinity.(correction, onion, bell pepper and celery are trinity) If you want more meat add crab or more sausage, bigger pot? double the roux and broth- no problem.

  Also if you should come across File' (fee'-lay) grab it, usually it is sold in good spice sections. You can make gumbo without it but they do call it File' gumbo. It is dried sassafras leaves. It can be a little expensive but if you have it throw in 1/2 tsp.

   Folks in the North don't always eat spicy foods, in fact if you use a little pepper it qualifies as spicy for some here. But for the adventurous.....make a pot of gumbo! (You ought to see  Yankees when you serve them crawdads!)

*make your own gumbo seasoning

   2 Tbs onion powder

   2 Tbs garlic powder

   2 Tbs oregano

   2 Tbs basil

   1 Tbs thyme

   1 Tbs each black and cayenne pepper

   5 Tbs paprika

   3 Tbs salt

Mix and store in airtight container

Photo is Zach, a family friend, eating a crawdad.

Classic Romegrad (Rice Mush)

Warning.... if you are on a diet... this is not for you!

Mush

3 c milk

4 c cream- not 1/2 and 1/2

1- 1 1/2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Heat milk seperately

Heat cream in heavy kettle, watch closely, when it boils stir in flour, then pour in hot milk

mix with whisk until smooth, add sugar and salt.

Rice

Cook 1/2 c rice, start with 1/2 c water, add milk until cooked well. watch carefully.

Place rice in large dish,cover with Mush. Serve with lots of butter, cinnamon and sugar.

My aunt Orvie always brought this to the holiday gatherings. I imagine if you have never had it you could have quite a look on your face right now. But hey, it gets cold in ND and you need something to keep you warm and full, you can imagine in the old farm days, this would be simple available food. I think it is comfort food to the max!