Greek Inspired Pasta Sauce

We have had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year and this was yet another recipe born out of necessity. In addition, we were given lots of eggplant and also had zucchini overflowing our kitchen counter. While I have plans for the extra zucchini, I wanted to make something that would use all of these vegetables. Today I was feeling in the mood to make something Greek. So after looking through my Greek cookbook, I saw a recipe for Eggplant Meat Sauce, which became my inspiration for this dish. This dish requires a little chopping but really comes together quickly and is so rich and flavorful. One of the things I love about Greek meat dishes is the addition of cinnamon. It adds a unique flavor and warmth that to me is simply addicting. This dish is also wonderful if you make the sauce ahead of time, refrigerate and then reheat, adding in cooked pasta when ready to serve. The flavors will be even better! Also, if you don't have fresh tomatoes, just use a large can of diced or crushed tomatoes with their juice.

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound of ground meat- lamb, beef (I used venison, which worked very well)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced or minced
• 1 medium zucchini, cubed
• 1 large green or colored pepper, diced
• 4 Tbsp butter/olive oil mixture (I used half butter and half olive oil)
• 2-3 Tbsp dried parsley, or 1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano, crushed before adding
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• pepper to taste
• salt to taste (I used Goya's brand Adobo seasoned salt mixture)
• 3-4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes (including juice)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 pound #2 ziti or pasta of choice, cooked for about 2 minutes less than directions state on package

This pot is almost full with all the veggies and meat, but everything will cook down.

Adding in the tomato paste- When I open a can, I freeze any extra paste for use later.

Directions:

• In a large covered pot, brown the meat with the chopped eggplant, onion, garlic, zucchini, pepper, butter/oil. As the meat begins to brown, add in the seasonings and tomato paste. Stir around until the paste becomes fragrant. 
• After all the meat and vegetables have browned/softened, then add in the chopped tomatoes, bay leaves and sugar. Cook covered over medium high heat for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down, then simmer for another 15 minutes uncovered to thicken the sauce. 
• Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. Cook the pasta as instructed above in salted water. When pasta is ready, use a hand strainer and put directly into the sauce pot. (Don't worry about some pasta water being added- it will thicken the sauce somewhat.) Lift and fold the sauce around the pasta and then allow to simmer for another 5 minutes to further meld the flavors.
• Garnish with feta cheese and/or a shredded hard Greek cheese, or may use grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Also optional is red pepper flakes.

This is good with a Greek salad or a simple side of sliced cucumbers, a dip made of lemon juice, a little mint, parsley and dill (or tzatziki sauce) and some olives.

Banana Rhubarb Bread

Ever have a bunch of food items that are going south quickly? Well, we had a bunch of bananas that ripened too quickly and I also needed to use up some frozen rhubarb... You know, when the freezer still hasn't been cleaned out and the next season's harvest needs to be put in soon! So I had an "A-ha" moment and realized I could kill two birds with one stone- and was this ever good! My daughter was even begging for some of this bread toasted with butter- our new way to enjoy sweet breads. Of course, if you really have a sweet tooth, you may glaze the top with a simple glaze, but I enjoy the simple flavors of the bread.

While on the subject about rhubarb, let me just say that I find people are often not very fond of the tartness of it, but it is something that blends so well with other flavors- both savory and sweet. If you do not like rhubarb, try substituting it for any of the berries and adjust the baking time.

Makes: 1 loaf, approximately 10 slices

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut oil or butter (I used a mixture)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1 /2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3-4 large bananas)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup flour (I used 1 cup white, 2/3 cup white whole wheat)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (See note below)
• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs and oil, beating well. Add in the milk, bananas and vanilla and mix again.
• Sift together in a medium bowl the dry ingredients and then combine gradually with the wet ingredients. 
• Stir in the rhubarb and nuts.
• Pour into greased and floured bread pans.
• Bake approximately 55-70 minutes (checking regularly after 55 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out dry.
• Cool on wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then turn out of pan onto rack to finish cooling.
• After cooled, place in plastic bag to preserve moisture.

*Note: I used frozen rhubarb and included most of the rhubarb juice. If you are using fresh rhubarb, there will not be all the extra liquid but it will be inside the fruit and come out during the baking process. So check your bread as it nears the 55 minute mark and onward to make sure it does not dry out/overbake. I  also used glass bread pans, which seem to bake hotter/make the crust darker. So you will need to turn the temperature down about 25 degrees if using glass pans. 

Easy Garden Bake

This is another one of my favorite brunch casseroles and it is perfect for those times you have a bunch of different vegetables and want to throw together something satisfying and balanced in no time at all. It can easily be an easy lunch or dinner with a salad, as well. 

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped zucchini (about 1 smaller)- you can always add more
• 1 large tomato, chopped- about 1 cup, or may use chopped cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 medium - large onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup baking mix of choice
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt (may use a seasoned salt)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend, crushed in palm of hand (or 1/2- 3/4 tsp oregano, crushed)
• 2 eggs
• cheese of choice for topping - I like Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Mozzarella  
• green onion and parsley or cilantro for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease square baking dish- 8x8 or 9 inch pie plate (I doubled everything and put in 13x9 inch pan because I like leftovers!). 
• Sprinkle chopped vegetables and parmesan cheese evenly over baking dish. 
• Stir baking mix, milk, salt, pepper, seasoning and eggs together and pour over top of the vegetables and cheese.
• Bake uncovered about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to wire rack and sprinkle with cheese for topping. Cool 5 minutes and then garnish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and sliced green onions, if desired. 

*This is also wonderful with 1 cup cooked chicken or sausage added in with vegetables when assembling the casserole.

[Adapted from Bisquick Breakfast and Brunches recipe booklet, 1999]

Perfectly Simple Fruit Cake or Bread

I was given this recipe years ago by a coworker who brought in this cake made with fresh peaches and I just fell in love with the simple flavors. I have changed it a little over the years and find it is the perfect basic recipe that can be adapted in many different ways. Originally, the recipe called for cinnamon to be sprinkled on top of the cake instead of a crumb topping. While that version is delicious and simple, I have added a cinnamon crumb topping with a simple glaze for the apple version I made for this post. Either way, it is a wonderful moist cake that is perfect for any occasion. Try substituting all different types of fruit and use the crumb topping, or leave it off- it will be sure to please everyone! This can also be made into sweet bread using 2 bread pans and adding about 10-15 minutes to the baking time, checking regularly.

Makes 16-18 servings
Ingredients:
Cake:

• 3 eggs, beaten well
• 2 cups sugar (may use 1/2 brown sugar, 1/2 granulated sugar)
• 1 cup oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or may use apple pie spice if using apples)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups fruit- peaches (sliced or chopped), apples (chopped), blueberries, pears, or variety of berries, etc

Crumb Topping (optional):

• 1/3 flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

Glaze: (optional)

• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2-4 Tbsp milk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease (2) 8x8 inch or (1)13x9 inch baking pan or (2) bread loaf pans.
• Mix eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla together in a large bowl.
• Sift the dry ingredients together in another bowl and add into the wet ingredients, combining well.
• Stir in fruit.
• If not using toppings, then pour batter into prepared pan(s) and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture (2 Tbsp sugar mixed with 1 1/2 -2 tsp cinnamon). Bake for about 45 minutes, checking after 35 minutes (if using loaf pans, bake for about 45-60 minutes but start checking at 40-45 minutes)- until toothpick inserted in middle comes out pretty well clean.
• If making the crumb topping, combine the dry ingredients and then use a fork to cut in the butter until it resembles peas. Sprinkle over top of the batter waiting in the pans. (This can be made ahead before starting cake batter). Bake as instructed above.
• After the cake is cooling on a wire rack, combine sifted confection's sugar and vanilla and milk, stirring until smooth. Start with the lesser amount of milk and gradually add more by tablespoons until the desired consistency is obtained. Pour over the cake/bread after it is cooled.

Italian Escarole Turkey Soup

I am a huge soup lover and really love ones that are easy to put together. This is one of these types of soups- if you have some greens (any type of salad greens, really) and leftover turkey or chicken, you can put this together pretty quickly. While this soup makes a larger pot, I like to have some leftovers and if you are a small family, put part of it in the freezer for another meal or two. It is a perfect cook-ahead meal. If you haven't tried escarole, be sure to give it a try. I just love having different types of greens wilted in soups.

Serves- 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (preferably with Italian herbs)
• 1 15oz. can white beans, drained
• 8 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 2-3 cups rice
• 2 heads escarole
• fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
• shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

• In a large stockpot, sauté onion, carrot and celery in oil until onion is becoming translucent. Then add in minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. 
• Add in tomatoes, beans, broth, seasonings and turkey. 
• Bring to a boil, then simmer while you prepare rice and escarole.
• Cook the rice per instructions on the package, seasoning it well. 
• Wash the escarole well and chop it.
• When rice is cooked, add in escarole to soup and allow to wilt for a couple minutes. Adjust salt to taste, if needed.
• To serve, put a large rounded spoonful of rice in a soup bowl, then ladle soup over top and garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Good with crusty, rustic bread for dipping in broth. 

Shared with:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday 3-27-14

Easy but Amazing Bolognese Sauce (Meat Sauce)

This is the sauce to make when you are short on time and need something full of flavor. Although I have typically kept a stock of store-bought spaghetti sauce on hand and add in herbs and other items to give it more flavor, I have been looking for recipes to make more things from scratch and be more in control of the ingredients in our food. When I saw this sauce recipe from Kristin Porter (Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce), I was impressed with how easy it looked and is similar to how I made some homemade sauces in the past. I have adapted this recipe and was so pleased with the flavors- totally worth a little extra effort over opening a jar and pouring it in a pot. 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound ground beef (or may use part or all Italian sausage)
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or a little more)
• 1 cup half and half or milk (not lowfat)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning, crushed in palm before adding
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt (or adjusted to taste)
• 1 pound pasta of choice

Directions:

• Brown meat and vegetables together in large covered pot until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. If meat is very fatty, you may drain off/sop up some of the extra fat.
• Add in the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) and cook uncovered on medium-high for about 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened somewhat. If it is too bubbly, keep lid on partly so moisture can still escape. 
• Cook pasta according to directions and then drain, adding some of the sauce to mix with the pasta and flavor it prior to serving. Serve with parmesan/romano cheese and a little oregano sprinkled on top.

Zucchini Potato Tart

This is the perfect lunch or light supper dish and is wonderful with different meats-- or leave the meats out entirely, if you prefer. I love how the tomatoes take on a roasted flavor as it bakes. This dish is a real breeze with a mandoline slicer- have I told you how nice this tool is? I have fallen in love with it for thinly slicing garlic when I sauté vegetables, slicing carrots thinly for salads (my kids don't love big chunks of anything hard to chew- eating a salad will take forever!). I also love to use this slicer for the veggies in this dish. I'm so crazy that I almost took it to my parents house when I went for a visit the last time because it is cuts down on prep time so much! Anyways, back to the recipe-- check this out and give it a try and see my notes at the bottom.

Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:

• 1 pie crust
• 1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 1 small zucchini squash, thinly sliced
• 1 large or 3 small potatoes, thinly sliced (may leave skins on)
• 1 medium or large onion- I used a mix of red and sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 pound ham, diced (may use bacon or other meat)
• 1 cup shredded cheese of choice- I used mix of cheddar and monterey jack
• 1 large tomato or 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
• oregano, divided, crushing in palm of hand before sprinkling over tart
• seasoned salt/pepper
• celery salt
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• 5 eggs

Directions:

• After your vegetables are sliced, cover the potatoes so they do not brown.
• Place pie crust in a deep dish 10 inch pie pan. 
• Begin layering about half of each of the vegetables except the tomatoes, seasoning well with salt/pepper and herbs between each layer.
• Then sprinkle top of vegetables with onion and cheese and then ham or meat. 
• Repeat layers, seasoning each layer well until all the squash, potatoes, onion and meat is in the pie.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with 1/4- 1/2 tsp seasoned salt/pepper and then pour over the vegetables in the pie crust.
• Arrange tomato slices over the top and sprinkle with more salt/pepper and crushed oregano. Cut a couple smaller slices into 1/2 to make crescent shapes and place them in the center to form a swirl or pinwheel effect.
• Fold the top edges of the pie crust over the pie.
• Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 1 hour- 1 hour and 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender to fork. Remove foil for the last 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle more cheese on top if desired.

*Note: If you want this to bake quicker,  sauté the squash and potatoes with a couple tablespoons of butter or oil for about 5 minutes until they are just beginning to soften. Then follow the recipe as above. This will shorten the baking time by at least half.

Enjoy!!

Blueberry Buckle (coffeecake)

This is one of the recipes I remember my mom making throughout my childhood and I always thought the name was so funny. It wasn't until just recently when I was watching Alton Brown on "Good Eats" talk about his Blueberry Buckle and how a Buckle was actually an old-fashioned coffee cake that I understood the name. Don't ask me to explain or remember how the word "buckle" has anything to do with a cake!

Anyways, I love this cake because it is easy to make, full of fruit and a dense but moist cake that is a perfect treat for any occasion. I don't remember my mom ever putting a glaze on top, but it adds a nice touch. I also added the almond extract to the cake and put vanilla in the glaze, but you could use whatever flavor you like in the cake and glaze-- lemon or vanilla would be great, even coconut and mix some coconut in with the crumble topping. Also, try this with 1/2 cup chopped nuts added in the crumb topping, as well. This cake is just perfect for switching up the flavors and fruits! So give it a try and have fun with it.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening (I use palm oil shortening), or you may use another oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (if using vanilla- increase it to 1 or 1 1/2 tsp)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups well drained blueberries

   Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup soft butter

   Glaze:

• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp milk, more if needed

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix sugar and shortening together until well blended. Add in egg and wisk together. Stir in the milk and extract.
• In a smaller bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Mix into the wet ingredients in thirds.
• Fold in the blueberries carefully so as not to break up the berries. Batter will be very thick.
• Put in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan and press out to the corners of the pan, making sure it is pretty evenly distributed in the pan.
• In small bowl previously used for dry ingredients, mix together topping dry ingredients and then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until dry ingredients have combined well with the butter- should be little clumps without a lot of extra loose flour mixture.
• Sprinkle evenly over top of the cake batter in the pan.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• While cake is cooling on a wire rack, mix up the ingredients for a glaze, adding milk 1Tbsp at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. If it gets too wet and runny, add more sugar. Cover glaze until cake cools.
• After cake has cooled completely, use a spoon and drizzle the glaze over top of the cake, back and forth. Cut and serve!

Party Mini-Quiches

I made these mini-quiches recently for a garden party. These are really a quick version of quiches since they do not have a pastry crust. Instead they are made with a baking mix that gives them more of a muffin consistency. However, these are still light and not too dry. If you want to make them even more egg-like in consistency, try using more egg and less baking mix. This recipe is also wonderful for all different vegetable and meat variations. Since I didn't have bacon when I made these, I made them vegetarian, but they would have been even better with a little crispy bacon. The great thing about making them in mini-muffin pans is that they are great for tea parties or other occasions when you do not want to worry about utensils.

Makes approximately 24-36 depending on muffin size and number of add-ins
Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• 2/3 cup baking mix
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 Tbsp half and half (may use light cream or whole milk)
• 1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2- 3/4 tsp dried oregano (crushed in palm)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a pizza blend)
• 1 medium pickled sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)
• 2-3 small mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped

Directions:

• Beat eggs in large bowl.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Grease mini-muffin tin- if it is not non stick, then you should use the baking spray with flour.
• Fill muffin tins using small cookie scoop and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool in the pan. 

How To Perk Up Jarred Salsa

While I have written before about how I love fresh salsa and there is nothing that can beat its flavor, I also know that fresh salsa is quite expensive to buy and even make any time of year, especially in the winter when so many of the items are not in season. So I LOVE shopping at Aldi's for fresh produce because it is so much cheaper. I can find grape tomatoes and avocados, among other things, at about half the sale price at other stores. Jarred salsa makes a great snack and is much cheaper but really needs a little something more to enhance it. I love avocados, but not alone, and they are a great super-food. So one of our favorite ways to eat them is chopped in salsa. Also, I am a great fan of cilantro and it is affordable any time of the year. Lately, we have been hooked on this recipe and I thought I would share it with everyone here. Here's to spring and getting a salsa garden going!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of salsa
• 1 15 oz. can of corn, drained or 2 cups of fresh/frozen cooked corn, drained
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained or 2 cups of cooked black beans
• 2 avocados, cut into small chunks
• cilantro, chopped (according to taste)
• lime juice (according to taste), may substitute lemon in a pinch
• 1 small- medium chopped red onion, or whatever type you have on hand
• Handful or more of grape tomatoes, quartered

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients together and allow flavors to combine for a couple hours- although I found this quite addicting when I was tasting during preparation!

Succotash

Succotash is a dish that immediately takes me back to my grandmother's house. She seemed to regularly make this and would offer us some when we came to visit. I came to enjoy this dish very much and eventually joined her in a mission to find the beans when local growers stopped growing them for the markets around us.

This dish was especially popular years ago with farm and country folks. The dish is based on beans (often lima beans) and corn. However, the version my grandmother always made is quite different- she always used a shell bean.

The shell beans that my grandmother and great grandmother used seem to resemble closely the cranberry bean- the shells were a red and cream/white variegated pod and the beans also had a similar creamy background with reddish swirls around the bean. When dried, they are often anywhere from a tannish/red flecked color to a darker reddish/brown color. These beans can be difficult to find- I was not able to find them for many years after I married and moved away from the area where I grew up near my grandmother.

For this reason, my grandmother tried to find farm markets that would sell the shell beans so she could make her succotash the "right way"- she actually canned the beans together with fresh sweet corn, cut from the cob. The two would cook together during the canning and the flavors would be so concentrated. After I married, she gave me some beans to plant in our garden, with the idea that we would share some of the harvest with her. So I decided to can the beans and corn together- when I finished canning, I thought I was doing something wrong because almost all of the juices came out of the jar and everything cooked into a solid mass. When I was talking lately with one of my aunts about this recipe, she told me that this is how the jars of beans/corn come out. Anyhow, I do know that the flavor was different than just cooking the beans and then adding in the corn.

My grandmother grew up in a poor family where most of the children spent their teenage years working on nearby farms because the family needed the money and could not really afford to feed and clothe everyone. This is one of the family dishes that was passed down from her mother and could be made with things from the garden that were inexpensive and yet filling. 

If I do not have the home-canned beans and corn, I found that you can get a pretty close flavor by pressure cooking the beans (saves a lot of time and there is no need to soak the beans first) and then simmering the beans and corn together for an hour or two. If you do not have a pressure cooker, try cooking the beans in a crockpot on high for about 6 hours. This is a very simple dish- my grandmother only used the beans, corn, salt and pepper, and some canned milk at the end. Now, on the other hand, I have never been one to leave a simple recipe alone! So I have almost always sauteéd some onions and celery to put in the succotash, added chunked potatoes to make it more of a main course soup and added some other seasonings.

These beans were quite red (usually the beans are more of a brown color when cooked) and colored the succotash. They still taste the same. The corn was farm-fresh grown and frozen white corn that is very sweet.

Servings: about 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bag of cranberry beans or similar shell beans
• 1 quart bag (or 4 cups) of frozen or fresh sweet corn with juice
• 3 medium-large potatoes, cut into chunks (optional)
• chicken soup base or broth
• water
• 1-2 large onions
• 2-3 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
• seasoned salt/pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp dried parsley
• evaporated milk or cream

Directions:

• Cook the beans as instructed on the package, or cover beans in a slow cooker with about 2-3 inches of water and cook on high in a slow cooker for 6 hours, or in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes. Drain beans from liquid.
• In a dutch oven style soup pot, sauté onions with a couple Tbsp of olive oil until they become translucent. 
• Add in the garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the beans, sweet corn, chunked potatoes and enough water/broth to cover all the ingredients. If using water, add in a few bouillon cubes or a few Tbsp of soup base. 
• Season with salt/pepper and dried parsley.
• Simmer together until beans and potatoes are soft. 
• When finished cooking, add in milk/cream gradually until broth is milky-- if you use a whole can of evaporated milk, it will be quite thick. If you desire a thinner succotash, you may need to add a little more water to thin it out. Season to taste, adding more salt as needed.

*We recently ate succotash (made for this picture without the potatoes added) over top of mashed potatoes and it was delicious.

If you are only cooking for a couple people, cook up the entire recipe and then freeze half of the succotash for another time- although it is best frozen if you do not add in the potatoes.

Plain Muffins

This is another one of the nice little foods we had at our cooking club tea party recently. One of the members shared her family's old recipe that she remembers being served at her aunt's home many times when she was young. This is a simple muffin (I was struck by the idea of a plain muffin when she shared them with us at first!) but is wonderful with jam or lemon curd as we had them at the tea party. They are not very sweet- just a hint of sweetness. Since they are easy to make, they are great to make for something different for a snack or tea-time.

Makes 1 dozen regular sized or 36-48 mini muffins (depending on amount used)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 4 Tbsp melted butter, shortening or oil
• optional: 1 tsp vanilla 
• optional: confectioner's sugar for dusting

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg slightly and add milk and fat, as well as vanilla if using.
• Sift together dry ingredients and then add into the liquids.
• Beat about 1/2 minute just until all the flour is mixed throughout the batter.
• Prepare greased muffin tins and fill half full. Bake at 375 degrees about 15-20 minutes for regular sized muffins or 8-12 minutes for mini muffins (start checking about 3-5 minutes before time ends in case your oven temperature varies.) They should be light golden brown. 
• Cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool longer.
• May be served warm or cool with jam or other toppings. Dust the tops with confectioner's sugar, if desired.

Tortellini In Vegetable Sauce

This was my latest brainstorm recipe that turned out so well that my husband and I could hardly stop eating this. I had a lot of different vegetables that needed to be used up, not enough time to thaw some meat and wanted to do something easy before I had to run off to work in the evening. It turned out that the veggies I had worked wonderful together for this dish, but I really think you could use all different types of vegetables and have a great dish. The cooking time for this is less than 30 minutes and would be a great weeknight meal if you have the veggies already prepped.

Serves about 6 (or 4 adult servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cauliflower, cleaned and finely chopped, including the upper stems
• 1 pint size container of grape tomatoes (or you could substitute 1  15oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice)
• 1 large onion or 2 small-medium onions
• 2 medium carrots, medium diced, or may use baby carrots chopped
• 2 large celery ribs, chopped
• 2-3 mushrooms
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• olive oil
• palmful of Italian seasoning/herb blend
• salt blend like Goya Adobo with pepper
• 1 pound pasta of choice
• cream or half and half
• 2-4 large handfuls of spinach, chopped (or may use 1/2 small package of frozen spinach); may use another type of greens
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup romano cheese, shredded
• 2-3 low fat string cheese sticks, shredded and then chopped (optional), or may use handful of shredded mozarella cheese
• chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

• In a large covered skillet, generously drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with seasoned salt blend and crushed Italian seasoning. After it has begun to cook and soften a little, cover the pan so the juices do not evaporate out. Stir occasionally and add a little water if needed.
• While the veggies are cooking, start the pasta water. Liberally salt the water. Cook pasta about 2 minutes less than the recommended time as it will cook in the sauce at the end.
• As the veggies become tender as you desire, add in the cream gradually until the sauce is lightly creamy- I used about 1/4-1/3 cup.
• Add in the chopped spinach. 
• Pull out about 1 - 1 1/2 cup of pasta water as the pasta is finished and set it aside.
• Add the cheeses to the vegetable mixture and then add in the drained pasta.
• Combine everything together and add in as much pasta water as you need to make enough sauce to cover the pasta. Cover the pan as it cooks together for a couple more minutes. 
• Garnish with parsley and serve with a garlic bread or other warm rustic bread.

*Note- if using more sturdy greens in place of spinach, add them in with the vegetables at the beginning since they need more time to cook.

Baking Mix (Biscuits, Pancakes, etc)

Here is another one of the mixes I came up with recently through trying different recipes and incorporating ones that I already use and love. As I already wrote previously, I have been looking for more mixes that are homemade because they are great for saving time, but they also save money and allow me to control more what our family eats. It is hard to find mixes that are part wheat flour and do not use partially hydrogenated oils.

This mix can be used in place of any baking mix in recipes, as well as to make biscuits or make into pancakes (although I have a buttermilk pancake mix I previously posted that I prefer). I also used palm shortening since it is naturally solid and does not turn rancid at room temperature. I had to order palm shortening online (I bought from Tropical Traditions) since it is not always readily available in many grocery stores in the U.S.

Makes about 9 batches of biscuits or pancakes
Ingredients:

• 10 cups flour total (may divide into different types of flour but is best if not using more than 1/2 whole wheat flour)- I used 6 cups white flour, 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour and 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup baking powder
• 2 Tbsp cream of tartar
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups shortening or butter
• 2 cups dry milk powder

Directions:

• In a very large bowl or clean bucket/dishpan, mix all the dry ingredients together except the dry milk. 
• Cut in the shortening or butter until it is mixed throughout the dry ingredients and is about pea-sized
• Stir in the dry milk and mix together well.
• Store in a cool dry place in a 1 gallon sized container. If using butter, you should keep it in the freezer or at least the refrigerator.

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To Make Biscuits:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Mix together 1 1/2 cups of baking mix with 1/2 cup milk in a medium bowl. (Add it gradually and use a little less if you want to make the dough drier so it can be rolled/cut out).
• Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or just until the tops are golden brown.
• Remove to a cooling rack.

To Make Pancakes:

• In a medium bowl, beat together 1 egg, 1 cup of milk and 1 tsp vanilla.
• Add in 1 1/2 cup of baking mix and stir just until moistened being careful not to overmix.
• Fry on a greased, hot frying pan or griddle.

Adapted from Baking Mix recipe in Simply In Season, 2009

Buttermilk Pancake Mix

I love buttermilk pancakes but do not always have buttermilk on hand to use. Sometimes I make soured milk to use, but it takes a little time and forethought. On the SACO Buttermilk Powder container, there is a recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes that we use and really enjoy. I have adapted it and made it into a bulk mix that can be made up and save some time when you are making pancakes. I was able to find buttermilk powder in a 10 pound package much cheaper at one of the local country stores, and I store the extra in the freezer. If you have any stores near you that sell bulk foods, they are probably able to order the buttermilk powder for you at a much cheaper price than the name brands available online or in the stores.

*Note: the label in the picture has been changed since I took the picture and should not be followed for this recipe since I adjusted ingredients in the meantime.

Bulk Recipe Ingredients:

• 10 cups all purpose flour (or up to 5 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour; may also use 4 cups all purpose flour, 3 cups cake flour and 3 cups whole wheat flour)
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 2 1/2 cups powdered buttermilk powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 tsp salt

Bulk Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine/sift together the ingredients, being sure to mix everything together very well.
• Store in a cool place in a well-sealed gallon container.

Below are the instructions that you can print out on a large label and affix to the side of your container. This way you always have the instructions when you are ready to make pancakes. You may need to copy/paste and adjust according to the size of your labels.

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                            Buttermilk Pancake Mix

To Make Pancakes:    Makes about 10 pancakes (4 inch) 

• 1 1/2 cups pancake mix
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 - 1 cup water (depending on how thick you like your pancakes)
• 2-4 Tbsp oil or melted butter

Directions:

• Measure 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix into a medium mixing bowl. 
• In a smaller bowl, mix together egg, vanilla, water and oil.
• Add liquids into the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened/combined, being careful to not over-mix.
• Heat skillet or griddle on medium high heat. 
• Drop 2-3 Tbsp of batter into greased skillet/griddle and cook until bubbles appear around the top of the pancakes. 
• Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until other side is golden brown.

Optional add-ins:  1/4 cup applesauce or grated apples or other finely chopped fruit, 1/4 cup coconut or chopped nuts. If using chocolate or other flavored baking chips or berries, toss first in a couple Tbsp of flour to keep them from falling to the bottom of the bowl. 

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Mop It Up Monday 51

In Search of the Best Biscuits...and Buttermilk Biscuit variation

I have been trying different biscuit recipes for a while- always searching for the best taste and the fluffiest texture. So this quest has turned into a 2 day baking challenge trying different versions and techniques. I read numerous cookbooks (old and new) and looked at videos online-- I also tried buttermilk versus using regular milk. There are two different types of recipes, one that uses self-rising flour and ones that keep the flour and other ingredients separate. Some even recommend cake flour for the best rise. I, however, used all-purpose flour for my different biscuit recipes. The first baking powder and buttermilk biscuits I made, I didn't brush the tops with butter prior to baking-- but when I tasted the last butter-brushed batch, I was convinced that it is truly necessary for the best taste.

Also, the last batch I made, I put the biscuits in the pan so they were all touching each other. This seemed to give more uniformity to the rise and they were not as lop-sided. In the future, I will put one batch of biscuits in an 8 or 9 inch pan so they can touch and have side of the pan all around to keep the outer biscuits from spreading out too much. Initially, I indented the centers of the biscuits in the first couple batches because people said that helps them rise straight, but I still had a problem with some of them being a little uneven. Another thing I experimented with was my biscuit dough more wet and sticky versus not-so-sticky. The last batch was a more wet dough and seemed to have the most tender texture inside.

My conclusion? I could not decide which I preferred more- baking powder versus buttermilk biscuits. They were equally good- especially when brushed with butter before baking. The most important things seemed to be working with a more wet dough and not mixing or kneading it very much at all.   Do you have a favorite biscuit recipe?

Biscuits Yields: 16 medium biscuits (if rolling out dough to 1/2 inch thickness), or approximately 8 extra thick (if rolling 1 inch thick)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour (or cake flour as some recommend)
• 1/2- 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp sugar- up to 4 Tbsp if you like a sweeter taste
• 1/2 cup shortening or butter (I used palm shortening, which is not artificially hydrogenated)
• 2/3- 3/4 cup milk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Sift dry ingredients together into a medium bowl. 
• Cut in shortening or butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour all the milk in at once.
• Stir just until dough follows the mixing utensil around the bow, adding milk as necessary to get a moist dough.
• Lightly flour your counter/cutting board and sprinkle top of dough with some flour. Roll dough ball around in the flour, giving it a couple gentle kneads until outside is not so sticky. Pat or roll out the dough. 
• (Optional- fold one third towards the middle and then the other third over the first- like an envelope. Then pat the dough out to the desired thickness.)
• Cut with a biscuit cutter or glass, being careful to press straight down and not twist until the cutter is all the way to the bottom. Alternatively, you may just cut them into equal squares with a sharp knife, but make sure your dough is squared up on the corners and sides first. 
• Place on an ungreased baking sheet with sides touching and brush with melted butter for extra flavor! 
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

** For Buttermilk Biscuits:

do not use cream of tartar, increase baking soda to 1/2 tsp, decrease the fat to 1/3 cup and use 1 cup buttermilk instead of milk. Follow the directions otherwise as above.

flour and shortening

first batch of dough- less sticky

first batch cooling

wetter dough sprinkled with flour

Make sure you brush the top with butter!

final biscuit batch

tasting the final batch- YUM!

If you really want a shortcut- make the dough wet enough that you are unable to roll out the dough, then put into a greased glass baking dish in which you have melted 1/4 cup of butter. Lightly press flat in the pan and pour 1/2 stick of melted butter over top and score top of the biscuit dough 3-4 times in each direction. (courtesy of The Country Cook) Bake for about 20 minutes or just until golden brown.