Yummy

I finally got around to making the meat perishky from Mennonite Girls Can Cook. I used the leftover Russian Brisket I made a few weeks ago (froze it of course). Oh my, these are sooooo good. I did change the recipe a bit. I used the "gravy" from the roast instead of the cream soup, I just thickened the sauce till it was cream soup consistency. I also left out the onion soup mix, since I used that in the Brisket recipe.

Russian Brisket

4lb pot roast, I used a prime rib -just make sure you use something with a good marble

Put roast in roasting pan. Pour in water up to about 1 inch around meat. Sprinkle around with onion soup mix, 3T brown sugar, and garlic powder to taste. Pour a 12oz bottle of chili sauce (like Heinz) over the roast. Cover tightly and roast for 2 1/2 hours at 350F. Uncover and continue to roast for 1 hour. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a bit of water.

Just some photographic evidence of how tired poor Daddy is :) This is how he spent last Sunday. In between watching NASCAR crashes, I mean the race. I keep trying to get him to go upstairs to rest, that way Ella doesn't have to be so quiet. I don't think Daddy understands that little girls just have to make noise :)

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This recipe comes from my Great-Grandma's cookbook -Kate Aitken's Canadian Cook Book It's one of those books I like to sit and read even when I'm not looking for a recipe. It's not very "chatty" but I find Kate's "Note to Brides" interesting and a window into a world gone by.

Chicken a la King

3-4 lb chicken, or 3 cups leftover chopped chicken (bite size)

if using raw chicken, simmer in water with a chopped onion and a couple whole cloves until cooked. Cool chicken (saving broth) and remove from bones and chop.

In a largish saucepan (I use my non-stick) melt 3T butter and 2 T green relish, cook till tender. Add 5 T flour or cornstarch and cook 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups broth (or gravy) and cook over medium heat until thick and smooth -stirring constantly. Add 3/4 cup cream (milk will work), 1 eggs and the chopped chicken. Heat to boiling, but don't boil.

Serve over toast cups or patty shells.


This week's beef roast is too big for the crock pot, so I'll do it in the oven. Nothing fancy.

7lb beef roast
sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder
a little water in the bottom of the pan to prevent smoking

Roast 350F for approximately 20min a pound, until it reaches 160F for medium. I always use my digital meat thermometer with an alarm -no more overcooked meat.

Recipes -June 22

Sticky Chicken

Combine:

4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp pepper

Rinse and dry chicken. Rub inside and out with spice rub. Refrigerate overnight.

Roast 250F for 5 hours or 350F for 30/lb if you are in a hurry.


Cowboy Casserole

1 lb hamburger
1 cup cheese, Colby, cheddar, etc
1 can tomato soup
16 oz can corn
16 oz can kidney beans
1 tsp onion flakes
1/2 tsp chili powder

Brown beef, drain. Put everything into crockpot, stir to mix. Cover and cook on low 4 hours.


Barbecued Short Ribs

4 lbs beef short ribs
1 1/2 cups water
1 T vinegar
1/2 c ketchup
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt & dash of pepper

Cut ribs into serving size pieces. Mix everything else together then pour over ribs in large crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Could be done in the oven too, but it was delicious in the cp so why heat up the kitchen :)

This is supposed to serve 4-6, but it was barely enough for 4 (including a picky 3 year old). Next time I will definitely use closer to 6 lbs ribs and likely more sauce. I like to have leftovers.

Menu Plan Mondays -22 June 09

I thought I was busy last week!! I've got to sew a winter coat and bonnet before Thursday and get all our laundry washed and sorted. I desperately need to get out the summer clothes.

Monday:
OVFC Board meeting at noon -potluck, I'm bringing a marinated pork roast and garlic bubble bread.

Crock pot beef short ribs -new recipe, sounds good <-- to quote Ella, they were "deee-licious"

Tuesday:
Hot dogs and chips

Leftover tenderloin from Sunday

Wednesday:
Cowboy casserole

Sticky chicken and roast potatoes

Thursday: Ella, Grandma and I are off to southern Ontario for a road trip, ending with a surprise. I'll talk more when we get back. This is the menu for the rest of the week, I'm not responsible for whether Colin eats it or not -ha ha

Ham sandwich and chips

Leftover sticky chicken

Friday:
Tenderloin or chicken sandwich

Leftover ribs

Saturday:
Peanut butter and honey sandwich (likely what he'll eat the whole time we're away)

Leftover chicken -we should be home sometime Saturday, but will likely grab something to eat along the way

Sunday:
Waffles

Roast beef -done in the crockpot if it's as hot as they say it will be. Why heat the oven?

Recipes -June 15

Honey Pork Chops serves 6

Mix together:

1/2 c honey 1/4 c apple cider vinegar 1/4 t powdered ginger
1 T dried garlic 2 T soy sauce dash of pepper

Add pork chops and refrigerate for a few hours. All this can be added to a freezer bag and tossed in the freezer for an easy, quick, freezer meal. If using frozen mixture/chops, thaw first. Dump into bake pan, in a single layer.

Bake 350F for 45min, turning occasionally.



Hamburgers/Meatloaf/Meat Balls

1 lb hamburger 1c bread cubes/large crumbs
1/4c milk 1 t salt
1 T parsley 1 onion, chopped fine, very fine for meatballs -I use dried, or onion soup mix
1 egg

Soak bread and milk. Mix in everything else. Form into patties.

If making meatloaf, put into greased loaf pan and bake 350F for 1 hour



Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Put trimmed tenderloin on a parchment lined jelly roll pan (with sides). Mix oil and balsamic vinegar -use 1T each per tenderloin. Rub onto tenderloin. Make slices in tenderloin and put in slices of garlic, to taste. Sprinkle with steak spice, thyme and rosemary.

Roast 500F for 20 minutes, though I have been known to use a lower temperature and longer time because I always seem to smoke up the kitchen at 500, but maybe you'll have more luck.

Some Recipes

Garlic Bubble Bread

**do NOT try this with real garlic, it will burn and look terrible.

Melt 1/4 cup butter and add 1tsp of garlic powder. Take a loaf size chunk of proofed bread dough (one rise) and cut into inch size pieces. Dip balls and pile up in greased loaf pan. Top with any leftover butter. Let rise an hour. Bake 350F for 30 min. For best taste use real butter.


Chicken Casserole

This is a good recipe for leftovers:

2 cups leftover gravy or thickened chicken stock
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups bite sized cooked chicken
8 oz cooked noodles (homemade or not)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
sprinkle of breadcrumbs

Mix gravy/chicken stock and milk over medium heat and stir till thickened. Add meat, noodles and cheese; remove from heat. Pour into a greased 8 cup casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs and bake 350F for 45min.


Meat Pie

Another good leftover recipe:

pie pastry for a two crust pie (your choice of size)
1-1 1/2 cups cooked beef, I shred in food processor
1 1/2 -2 cups cooked vegetables, whatever is leftover or can use frozen vegetables. I usually have to make a few more mashed potatoes
1-1 1/2 cups gravy

I mix all the filling in a bowl first, but that's the way my family likes it. Feel free to put filling in pastry lined pie plates in layers. Gravy can be poured over top, but I also mix this with the filling. You want the filling fairly moist. Top pie with other piece of pastry. Cut slits for steam to escape.

Bake 425F for 35 minutes, let sit for a few minutes before serving.


Stuffed Baked Potatoes
I do these the easy way:

Scrub as many potatoes as necessary. Cook in microwave until done. If you want to use the oven, toss clean potatoes in a 350F oven for an hour or hour and a half until soft. Carefully slice top off potatoes and scoop insides into a bowl. Save the skins. Mash or rice the potatoes. Add in enough butter, sour cream, minced onions, and cheese to make the potatoes yummy. Refill potato skins. 10 minutes or so before supper, put potatoes into a 350F oven and reheat to melt cheese -these also reheat nicely in my toaster oven.


Pizza Dough
I've tried a number of recipes over the last 6 years. This is Colin's favourite:

1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oil
1 Tbsp sugar
2 3/4cup flour
1 Tbsp yeast

Put in bread maker in order given, set for dough cycle. This can also be made by hand the usual way for yeast dough. Let rise and roll out to fit pan. This fits a large-ish cookie sheet.