Bears Bake

January 5, 2010

This is named Bears Bake because I frequently make it for Sunday afternoon Bears games. It tastes a lot better than the offensive line played this year! Maybe we'll have a Jay Cutler sandwich. . . .

1 1/2 lbs ground meat (any kind, any combo)
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1/4 c chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1/4 c fresh cilantro
2 16 oz cans kidney beans
1 c chopped black olives
10 oz bag Fritos
1 lb grated cheddar

Brown meat, onion, and garlic. Drain. Add chili powder and cumin. Cook stirring for two minutes. Add tomato sauce, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp cilantro. Spray 13 x 9 pan. Drain and rinse beans and olives. Spread half the meat in baking dish, half the beans, half the olives, half the chips, and half the cheese. Repeat. Bake 40-45 minutes until bubbling. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

No Repeats for 2010

I have an obsession. I pull recipes out of magazines. Everywhere I go. I buy cookbooks. Everywhere I go.


I stalk recipe websites. This is the result of all that stalking and pulling. Have I actually cooked anything from this pile? Nope.

So here's my challenge. No repeats until I work my way thru all the folders and cookbooks. That's right. Different dinner every night. Well, at least every night that I cook. With little creatures in the house, we will be eating chicken nuggets and PB&J more than once in 2010 but the nights that I actually COOK A MEAL will be no repeats. I wonder how long I can go?!?

Banket

Well, I did it. I jumped into the Dutch world and learned how to make banket this year. I have always loved it but really had no clue how to make it. Add that to the fact that I have a pastry phobia and you have one Dutch girl who can't make a stick of banket! Well, Judy swooped in to save the day! My first batch turned out pretty good!

Pastry
1 lb COLD butter
4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c ice water

Mix first four ingredients and drizzle in ice water until dough forms a ball. Chill. Roll into a oblong strip~appx. 6" x 20". Fold into thirds and let rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. Do this 3 times.

Filling
1 lb almond paste~DO NOT use almond pastry filling
2 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten

Mix and chill in fridge. Divide into 8 equal parts.

Cut dough into 8 pieces. Roll into strips about 15" x 6". Place 1/8 of the filling down the center, about the width of a dime. Fold ends over and roll up, sealing with water. Place seam side down and brush with egg wash. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes and then pierce top with a fork about every 1 1/2 inches. Bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Meatballs

Meatballs are just yummy fun. Round and tasty and easily placed on a stick. This is a great basic recipe without frying! There is very little seasoning so add your own based on what you want~oregano and basil for spaghetti meatballs, thyme and rosemary for swedish meatballs, ect. Or leave out the seasoning completely and let the sauce season them!

4 lbs ground meat with at least 1 lb beef~other can be chicken, pork, turkey, venison, more beef, lamb, ect
1-2 onions, chopped
2 c bread crumbs
1 c egg substitute
2 1/2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and form into one inch balls. Bake 350 for 25 minutes. These freeze beautifully.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It was freezing rain/snowing when I got home from school with the kids today. This soup was simmering in the crock pot and it was perfect! Adjust the level of spice to your family's taste. We had plain cheese quesadillas to go with this thick-ish soup.

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp italian seasoning
1-2 tsp cumin
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 c chicken broth
1 cup water
1 can corn
4 ounce can chopped green chile peppers
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
rotisserie chicken, shredded

In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft. Stir in chili powder, italian seasoning, cumin, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn, chiles, and beans. Simmer for 10 minutes or place in crock pot for 2-5 hours on low. Top with crushes tortilla chips, avaocado slices, cheese and green onion.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Cake

Another cake from the non-baker. This is really a fall dessert but it equally yummy for the holidays.

5-6 cups of slices, peeled, cored Granny Smith apples
1/4 c sugar
cinnamon

CAKE
3 c flour
2 c packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter, room temp, cut into pieces
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c canned pure pumpkin
2/3 c sour cream
1/4 c sugar
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs

Mix apples with sugar and cinnamon to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13x9 cake pan. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1 1/3 c for topping. Add pumpkin, sour cream, sugar, spice, and baking soda into remaining flour mixture until smooth. Add eggs.

Transfer batter to pan. Scatter apples evenly over the top and sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake 65-75 minutes until knife comes out clean. Serve warm or room temp with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Pasta e Fagioli

Olive Garden is famous for their soup, salad, and breadsticks lunches. My favorite is the pasta e fagioli and this recipe is almost exactly the same!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 c EACH diced carrot, onion, celery
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can great northern beans, undrained
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 can beef broth
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
8 oz small pasta

In large soup pot, brown beef with carrots, onion, and celery. Drain. Add remaining ingredients except pasta. Simmer 30 minutes. Cook pasta al dente. Add to soup and simmer another 7-9 minutes.

Flank Steak with Confetti Salsa

You can never have too many grill recipes unless it's a cold wet summer like it's been here this year. I figure it'll be 85 in late October.

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 glove garlic, minced
1 avocado, chopped
1 c diced fresh mango
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 c cilantro
salt and pepper
2.5 lb flank steak

Combine red pepper, onion, garlic, avocado, mango and lime juice in a small bowl. Add cilantro.

Rub steak with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness. Remove from grill and tent with foil for 10 minutes before slicing thin across the grain. Serve with salsa, rice, and chips.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Another chicken casserole. . .yippee. I know they are not exciting but they are cheap and the fam likes 'em.

1 1b. chicken
12 oz spaghetti, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/4 c sour cream
10 oz frozen peas
3 Tbsp sherry

Cook and dice chicken. Combine chicken, spaghetti, soup, parmesan, and sour cream. Stir in frozen peas. Spread into 13x9 and drizzle with sherry. Top with more parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta

Lots of color and veggies and each girl CLEANED HER PLATE. They loved this. Packed with fiber and vitamins, this dish is good hot for dinner and as a cold pasta salad for lunch the next day.

1 lb pasta (penne, rotini, shells)
1 1/2 c broccoli
olive oil
1 pkg. turkey smoked sausage
1 c coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
dash salt

Cook pasta is salted water, adding broccoli in the last few minutes of cook time. Drain and return to the pot. In a skillet, heat olive oil to steaming. Slice sausage on diagonal in 1 inch pieces and add to the skillet. Cook til well browned and heated through. Add sausage to the pasta mix, scraping the pan to get all the oil. Add red peppers. Toss well to combine and heat thru. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Tortellini and Sausage Soup

It's time to eat healthy again! After all the rich food and drink of the past 6 weeks, I am ready to eat like a rabbit. This is a great quick soup that is low in fat too. Perfect with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

8oz turkey or vegetarian sausage
9 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
28 oz crushed tomatoes
14 oz diced tomatoes
2 medium zucchinis chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
4 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups water

Microwave sausage and crumble. In a large soup pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add zucchini, onion, and pepper. Saute until tender. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Smoky Orange Chicken

This is a really simple way to prepare chicken and it smells awesome. I am always looking for sauces and marinades that are lower in sodium and ARE NOT BBQ SAUCE! This fit the bill. This recipe makes enough for 3 meals so I often freeze them for a busy night.

10 chicken breasts
1 jar of orange marmalade
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp liquid smoke

Combine orange marmalade, soy sauce, and liquid smoke. Season chicken with pepper and a teeny pinch of salt. Brown chicken in a large skillet in batches til brown on both sides but raw in the middle. Place all the chicken in the skillet and top with sauce. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Tis the season for cookies! I do not have the patience to make batch after batch of cookies so I tend to make bars cookies. This is a simple and quick recipe when you have to bring a dozen cookies somewhere.

1 c peanut butter
6 tbsp butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 c flour
2 c chocolate chips

Cream peanut butter, butter, sugars, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add flour. Stir in 3/4 c chips. Spread in 13x9 pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining chips. Let stand for 5 minutes. Spread chips.

Sausage Stars

Tis the season for appetizers! This one is really tasty but I haven't eaten them since Christmas 1997. You see, I was 8 weeks pregnant that Christmas and I made these for a Christmas party. The smell and the raw sausage was too much for my tender tummy. That "pregnancy" is now a 10 year old girl who LOVES to cook so we're going to make these next week. Hopefully she'll love them!

1 pound bulk sausage
1 1/2 c cheddar
1 1/2 c monterey jack
1 c ranch dressing
1/2 c chopped red pepper
1 pkg. won ton wrappers

Brown and drain sausage. Combine all ingredients except won tons. Spray muffin tins with Pam. Press won tons into cups. Spray again. Bake for 5 minutes at 350. Remove from tins, fill and bake 5-7 minutes. Serve HOT!

Caramel Apple Cider

I hate coffee. I know, it's not normal but I really hate it. In our coffee-obsessed culture I have found alternatives so I can still carry around my Starbucks cup and look cool. In the fall, I love their Caramel Apple Cider. This is as close as it gets!

1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c brown sugar
3 c apple cider
1/2 water

Bring cream and brown sugar to a boil. Stir in the cider and water. Heat until it begins to steam, about 4-5 minutes.

1/2 c heavy cream
1 Tbsp brown sugar. In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with brown sugar until soft peaks form. Add to the top of each cup of cider.

Pineapple Bars

Good change from brownies or other typical bars. These are really good in January when you need some sun!

2 c flour
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat over to 350. Beat together and pour into greased and floured 13x9 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting~
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 3/4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until creamy. Frost bars when cool.

Marshmallow Krispie Brownies

These are a little tricky since you can't under-bake them as I love to do! I would reccomend a glass baking pan instead of metal. Also make sure you allow them to cool all the way before adding the top layer.

19-21 oz brownie mix
10 oz mini-marshmallows
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
1 c peanut butter
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 c rice krispies

Prepare bownie mix according to directions for fudge-like brownies. Sprinkle baked brownies with marshmallows and return to oven 3-5 minutes. Cool. Combine chips, peanut butter, and butter til melted. Stir in cereal. Pour over marshmallows. Refrigerate til set.

Oreos

These are so so so so good! They are a zillion times yummier than regular Oreos. Use food coloring to tint the filling any color you want.

2 boxes devils food cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 c oil
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c butter
3/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cakes mixes, eggs, and oil. Batter will be really stiff. Roll into one inch balls and flatten slightly. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese and butter. Add sugar and vanilla. Add food coloring and spread on cookies. Make sandwiches.

Hawaiian Egg Rolls

I hated my deep fryer. It totally smelled up the kitchen so we could only use it outside. Hated it so I sold it in my garage sale. This was one of the only recipes I ever needed it for but it works just as good in a deep skillet.

10 fresh spinach leaves
1/2 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb chopped ham
4 water chestnuts
1/4 undrained crushed pineapple
2 Tbsp green onion
1 Tbsp soy sauce
7 egg roll wrappers

Saute spinach and ginger in oil. Combine remaining ingredients. Add spinach. Place 3 Tbsp on the mixture in the center of an egg roll wrapper. Roll and moisten edges to seal. Fry in oil til golden.

Beef Burgundy

I made this for our small group Christmas party a few years back and it was yummy! It's a great party meal since it bakes for so long and smells just divine.

1/4 c olive oil
2 1/2- 3 lbs lean sirloin, cut in chunks
3 Tbsp flour, plus some for dredging
salt and pepper
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
2 lg carrots, peeled and chopped
1 lg onion, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
one bottle French burgundy wine
2 c beef stock
5 Tbsp butter, divided
1 c frozen pearl onions
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 mushrooms
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 c flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 375. In a oven proof stock pot with tight fitting lid, heat olive oil til very hot. Dredge beef in flour and add to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, brown meat evenly. Remove to a plate. Add chopped bacon to pan. Cook bacon til it starts to crisp. Add carrots, onions, and bay leaf. Cook veggies 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add beef back to the pot. Pour in wine and beef stock. Cover pot and transfer to the oven for 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skilelt, melt 3 Tbsp butter. Add 3 Tbsp of flour and whisk to make a roux. Transfer to a small dish and reserve. Return pan to heat and add 1 Tbsp of butter. Add pearl onions and sugar. Cook until evenly caramelized, set aside. Cook mushrooms in butter til tender. Add citrus zest. Reserve.

Remove beef from oven. Place over medium heat on the stove top. Whisk in roux to thicken and add pearl onions and mushrooms. Stir in parsley. Serve over almond rice pilaf.