Meat Rolls

My daughter has been ribbing me about this recipe ever since I made it, but I actually like it. This is something my mother made occasionally when I was young, and I most recently used my Aunt's recipe to make it for my family. There really isn't much recipe to it, but for those cooking challenged, here is how I made it.

First make biscuit dough. I have posted a recipe once before that you could use. Click here for that recipe.

Roll out the dough to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

In a bowl combine:

About a pound of uncooked ground beef
About 1 can vegetable soup (concentrated)

I didn't have vegetable soup when I made it, so I used 1/2 can of tomato soup, and one can of mixed vegetables (drained).

Spread meat mixture on top of biscuit dough. Roll up and slice like you would if you were making cinnamon rolls. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 -30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, melt about 2 tbl. butter in a pan. Add about 2 tbl. flour. When it is combined well, add about 1 cup of milk, stirring constantly. I also like to add about a teaspoon of chicken soup base or bouillion. You are making a white sauce. You can adjust the amount of milk if you like the sauce to be thinner or thicker. Serve the white sauce over the meat rolls.

My daughter asked if I was going to make meat cupcakes the next night for dinner. I don't think she could get past the cinnamon roll effect. My husband suggested I make individual meat loafs in a muffin pan. ;D

Sweet Potato & Hominy Stew With Cumin Polenta

I got this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. My husband and I both liked it, although my kids weren't in love with it. But to me, this is what real Mexican food is like. It has very unusual ingredients. I happen to love hominy, so this is a good recipe for me. I found it was very important to use the lime and cilantro. The sweet potato doesn't come out tasting sweet like you would think it would. And the cinnamon is almost undetectable, but important in the flavoring. If you are adventurous, you should try this. The magazine suggested serving this stew with polenta. I am including that recipe here too. I LOVED the polenta, but as I mentioned before, I love grits too. My kids hated the polenta, but to me it was creamy, buttery, and good, like mashed potatoes. :)

Sweet Potato and Hominy Stew

6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tb. olive oil
2 14 oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
3 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped (to make 5 cups)
1 Tb. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 14-15 oz. cans of golden hominy, rinsed and drained
1 large red sweet pepper chopped
1 18 oz tub of barbecue sauce with shredded pork. (I couldn't find this, so I just baked some pork with barbecue sauce, then shredded it)
Cilantro, chopped
lime wedges

1. In saucepan or Dutch oven, cook onion and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in broth and water; add sweet potatoes, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, and cumin. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Stir in hominy, red pepper, and shredded pork. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until heated through.
2. Serve with cilantro, lime wedges, and cumin polenta. Makes 8 servings.

Cumin Polenta
from Betty Rosbottom's book, "Sunday Soup"
(I halved this for my family. Good thing since the kids didn't like it)

2 14 oz. cans reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tsp ground cumin
1 C yellow cornmeal
1/2 C whole milk
1 Tb. butter

In large heavy saucepan, combine broth and cumin; bring to boiling. Reduce heat; gradually whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir until thick, about 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk in milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 8 servings.

Pizza Dough

This recipe comes from my brother Sticks, but I have added a couple of ingredients.

3 Cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. (or one package) yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 c warm water
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 c cornmeal

Grease the pizza pan lightly.
Put the yeast, sugar, and 1/2 of warm water in a small bowl. Allow the yeast to activate. If the yeast does not start to grow and bubble, it probably is too old. Do not use it if it doesn't activate.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.
Make an indentation in the flour mixture. Pour in the yeast mixture, and the 1 Cup warm water. Stir together until dough follows the spoon. Knead (using a little more flour if needed) until the dough is elastic and smooth. Allow to rise until double in size.

This next step is what I learned on television, and I really like the addition.
To roll out the dough, dust the rolling surface with cornmeal. It's okay if the cornmeal gets in to the dough, it adds a nice texture. For crispier crust, roll out thinner. For thicker crust, you can roll it to a thicker size, and allow it to rise a little more.

Place in greased pizza pan and spread with your fingers until the dough evenly covers the pan. A round pizza pan works best. Top with your favorite toppings, and bake at 350 degrees until under side of dough is lightly browned.

Pesto Pizza

I saw this recipe on television last night and tried it for dinner tonight. I thought it was good, although I also made some pepperoni pizza just in case no one liked it. I added spinach, even though the tv recipe didn't call for it.

Pesto Pizza
fresh spinach leaves
tomatoes
feta cheese
red onion
chopped garlic
pesto
Balsamic Vinegar

Chop the tomatoes and onion. Put in a bowl, and add garlic. Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar.

Brush the dough with olive oil
Spread the dough with pesto
Put a layer of fresh spinach leaves.
Layer the tomato/onion mixture evenly over the spinach.
sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese on top.

Bake 350 degrees until crust is golden.

Red Cooked Beef Noodles

From Chinese Snacks

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. beef rump roast
2 stalks green onion
2 slices ginger root
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. hot bean paste
1 Tbl black bean paste
1/2 C soy sauce
6 C water
3 sections of star anise
1 1/2 lbs. precooked noodles
2/3 lb. green cabbage(or other green leaf vegetable)
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl. chopped green onion
6 C hot stock
Directions:
Cut beef into bite-size pieces. Smash first 3 ingredients. Heat pan and 3 T oil; stir fry onion, ginger, garlic mixture with the hot bean paste, black bean paste, and soy sauce. Add beef pieces. Place this mixture in a pressure cooker and cook 30 minutes over medium heat. (You can also brown the meat and cook it in a crock pot) Mix sesame oil, black pepper, soy sauce and green onion. Portion in to individual serving bowls. Add hot stock, noodles and green cabbage. Ladle some of the beef mixture over the top and serve. This is one of my family's favorite meals

Number Of Servings:6

Reuben Sandwich Casserole

Description:
This recipe came from PBS and is delicious! It is like making Reubens for the whole family without as much work.
Ingredients:
One large bottle of saurkraut rinsed and drained
2-3 pounds of thinly sliced cooked corned beef
Approx. 1 cup Thousand Island dressing
One pound sliced swiss cheese
Rye bread cubed
1 stick margarine or butter
Directions:
In a 9X13 pan you will layer the indgredients:First put in saurkraut. Top it with the corned beef. Next spread the thousand island dressing over the corned beef. Arrange the swiss cheese slices over the dressing. Melt the margarine. In a bowl, pour the margarine over the bread cubes to coat. Put the bread crumbs on top of the swiss cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Delicious!

Number Of Servings:10-12

Jambalaya

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound andouille, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
3 cups chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon Essence
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 pounds boneless white and dark chicken meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound ham, cubed
3 bay leaves
3 cups medium-grain white rice
6 cups water
1/2 pound shelled shrimp
1 cup chopped green onions, green tops only
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Essence:
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Mix all ingredients and store in air tight jar.

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook. Add the onions, bell peppers, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the Essence, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables and sausage until they are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. †Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. †Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken, ham, and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles.†Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Add the shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking and cook until just pink. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. †Stir in the green onions and parsley, and serve.

†Number Of Servings:Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Italian Meatballs

I learned to make these from my mother in law who is Italian. Mine can't compare with hers, but I think they are still pretty good. I'm not going to give exact amounts here because I don't measure.

Ground beef (you could use some sausage, but we prefer ground beef)
Seasoned bread crumbs (these are sold in a canister)
1 egg
grated parmesan cheese
Grated Romano cheese

Basically, you add enough cheese to the meat to satisfy your taste buds. :) Add the egg and mix well. Now add the bread crumbs until the mixture is dry feeling. Next form the meat mixture in to golf ball size balls. Brown in oil on medium heat. Drain off excess oil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to steam for a few minutes. Then add spaghetti sauce. You could make a good spaghetti sauce from scratch by adding tomato sauce, garlic, chicken bouillon, and fresh chopped basil. When I make meatballs, I feel like I put enough effort in to the meat, so I usually just used Prego. :) Cover again and simmer on low until you are ready to eat. I like to add about 1/2 cup of water to the sauce to help the meatballs soak up the sauce. While it is simmering cook the pasta of your choice.

That's a spicy meatball! ;)

Honey Curry Chicken

This recipe comes from my brother in law's mother. We eat it over rice.

Honey Curry Chicken

1/2 C Honey
1/4 C mustard
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/3 C margarine
12 chicken thighs and legs separated, and skinned

Melt margarine. Add other ingredients. Pour over skinned chicken. Bake 350 degrees for about one hour. Baste frequently while baking.

Red-Cooked Beef Noodles

This is one of my favorite dishes, one that I ate often when I lived in Taiwan. My husband and children also love it.

Red-Cooked Beef Noodles

from: Chinese Snacks, Wei-Chuan cooking book

1 1/2 pounds rump roast of beef

Mixture 1:
2 stalks of green onion
2 slices ginger root
3 cloves garlic

Mixture 2:
1 tsp. "hot bean paste" (la do ban jiang)
1 Tbl. Black bean paste (he do ban jiang)
1/2 C soy sauce

Mixture 3:
6 C water
1/2 tsp MSG (optional)
3 sections star anise

1 1/2 lb precooked noodles
1/2 lb green cabbage (I like to use Swiss Chard, and I cut it in manageable size pieces.)

Mixture 4:
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbl. soy sauce
1 Tbl chopped green onion
6 C hot stock

1. Cut beef rump into bite-size pieces; smash ingredients in mixture 1.
2. Heat pan and 3 T. oil. Stir-fry mixtures 1 and 2 until fragrant. Add mixture 3 and beef pieces. Place this mixture in a pressure cooker and cook 30 minutes over medium heat. This is what is known as "Red-cooked beef" (I don't own a pressure cooker, so I cook it in a crock pot until the meat is tender. You could also cook it on the stove top, simmering for one hour.)
3. Prepare mixture 4 and portion into serving bowls. Add hot stock, noodles and green cabbage. Portion red-cooked beef and some of its broth on top. Serve.

Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo

1 1/2 C water
4 pds. of chicken thighs skinned
1 to 2 cloves of garlic crushed
1/2 C vinegar
1/2 C soy sauce ( I use dark)
1 bay leaf
1 TB honey
1 dried red pepper
black pepper

Put all ingredients in pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes without stirring. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until cooked through, about one hour. You can stir after the first 10 minutes, but try not to stir too much. I serve this over rice. The juice is good on the rice too.

I like to eat this with stir fried cabbage.

sliced onion
cabbage sliced in thin strips
2 cloves of garlic
1 tb soy sauce

first stir fry the onion in a little oil. Then add cabbage and garlic. If the pan starts to get a little too dry, you can add more oil. When cabbage is almost tender, add soy sauce. don't over cook...you want the cabbage to have some crunch.