Category Archives: Recipes

FAMILY, Recipes

Cheese and Rice Casserole

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An excellent non meat recipe.  But meat can easily be layered on and consider other vegetables.  Pictured here, I used sliced zucchini from my garden and added ground chicken breast from pastured poultry raised by my friends at Pigeon Creek Farm.

Cheese and Rice Casserole  (Riso e Formaggio) 

8 servings 

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked regular rice (or barley or couscous or any combination thereof)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper sauce (optional
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 medium onion (I used green onions)
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped (optional)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
  • 4 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 2 ½ cups milk
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Heat water, rice, salt, mustard, red pepper sauce, and pepper to boiling, stirring once or twice; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes.  (Do not lift cover or stir.)  Remove from heat.  Fluff rice lightly with fork; cover and let steam 5 to 10 minutes.

Layer half the rice mixture in bottom of greased 11 x 7 x 1 ½ inch baking dish.  Top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (and 1 cup vegetable if desired); repeat.  Whisk together 4 eggs and 2 ½ cups of milk then pour over rice mixture.  Sprinkle with ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese.  (Casserole can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours at this point.)  Cook uncovered in 350°F oven until set; 45 to 50 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into squares.

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FAMILY, Recipes

Friday Night Homemade Pizza

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A tradition in my family growing up was to have pizza on Friday night.  I’ve carried that through to my family and seldom do we miss having home made pizza on Friday evening, even though the children are adults now and two live away from here.

Growing up, home made pizza was Chef Boyardee from a box.  No matter; Mom doctored up so it was great!.

Here’s my recipe.

For the dough be sure to allow at least 2 hours. (this makes two large crusts, so before the second rise, i stick 1/2 into a Ziplock Freezer bag and pop it into the freezer. Just bring it out of the bag enough time ahead for it to thaw – don’t leave it in the bag because it will rise as it thaws)

Pizza Dough - Wall Street Journal

PIZZA DOUGH

THE INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups all purpose or bread flour
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 teaspoon sea or Real salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 1/3 cups warm water

THE STEPS

Add flours, honey, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a food processor or electric mixer and process to combine  (i just put it in the bowl of my Kitchenaid Artisan bowl and mix by hand briefly).  Add water and 2 tablespoons olive oil and continue to process until dough forms a ball.  If dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.  If dough is too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until you have a smooth elastic ball, about 5 minutes.  I use my Kitchenaid Artisan mixer.

Form dough into a smooth ball and place in a large bowl greased with olive oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.  Cut risen dough in half.  Knead each half briefly and then shape into a ball.  Place the two balls on a lightly floured surface and cover loosely with a clean towel or plastic wrap.  Let rest 1 hour at room temperature or in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.  If refrigerated, let dough come to room temperature before continuing.

Use a rolling pin to roll out and your hands to stretch each ball into a circle or whatever size your pizza pan.  If dough becomes too elastic, place it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to relax before continuing.

The toppings:

That’s wide open and just your favorites.

If you want stuffed crust – Usually, but not always, i roll out the dough large enough that i can place thin slices of cheese along the edge of the pan and cover with dough for stuffed crust.

I top the dough with home made pizza sauce (still perfecting it, but it’s pretty good) or whatever commercial product you like.

Top with Parmesan or Parmesan mix shredded cheese.  I use 4C Homestyle Brand Parmesan or Parmesan/Romano Mix both of which i buy at Wal-Mart.

Next on is previous cooked, drained, and cooled 1 lb of our home raised ground beef (or i plan ahead and turn it into beef sausage – i don’t eat pig).

Thick sliced Portabella (Babybella) mushrooms and sliced natural olives.

Shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, but often i add Cabot Extra Sharp White Cheddar in the 2 lbs package which is also available at Wal-Mart. 

Enjoy and Shabbat Shalom!

tauna

 

 

 

 

FAMILY, Recipes

Comfort Food

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Wowzer!  the wind has been blowing like a banshee all day and temps dropped from 75  to 45 in about 2 hours this afternoon.  Will spring ever arrive in earnest?!  Vina’s Brownies to the rescue.

VINA’S BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Cream together the softened butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time.  Continue mixing and add remaining ingredients then bake in a greased 9×13 inch pan.  Bake about 40 minutes at 350°F oven.

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I sprinkled some dark chocolate Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking chips on top this before baking.  Turned out pretty good!  Chips available at many venues, i got mine online at Wal-Mart.

 

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FAITH, FAMILY, Recipes

Diets Galore!

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With the Feast of Unleavened Bread (one of Yah’s commanded feast/festivals for His Set Apart people), it brings to light His enduring love for us.  There are many specialty diets out there, but the one i focus on is the one YHWH defines for us in Leviticus 11.

Many scholarly types wish to change the dietary laws by twisting Scripture in other parts of the Bible (and some even use extra biblical passages as ‘gospel!) to support their ideology.  But honestly,  if God says, why manipulate and contort to in your own mind justify your man-made habits and traditions.

In the popular vernacular – ‘What would Jesus do?’  the answer is for sure He would not eat ham!  Are we to follow Jesus (Yahshua) or not?

Today’s menu includes salmon patties, so i’m replacing crushed crackers or breadcrumbs with rice and smashed sweet potatoes.

Israeli Salad would be another great side dish, but it is too much chewing for June (Allen’s 99 year old aunt) so my sunday lunches tend towards very soft.

On the side are new potatoes tossed with sea salt, olive oil, and rosemary and baked for 40 minutes.  Lettuce bed.  Dessert is our home raised, canned apples warmed with honey from Nebraska, butter from Ireland, and a good dose of cinnamon from somewhere.  Topped with fresh sweetened cream.

Yummy!

FAMILY, Recipes

Mixed Grain Bread – Scottish

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I have discovered my favourite bread to make!

MIXED GRAIN BREAD – SCOTLAND

Modified from Scottish Cookery Cookbook, 2010

INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 oz (about 3 cups) strong white flour
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 oz (about 2 cups) whole wheat flour
  • 8 oz (about 2 cups) Einkorn flour
  • 1 oz butter, diced
  • 2 teaspoon yeast
  • 1 oz (1/3 cup) rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoon sunflower seeds
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • ¾ pint warm water
  • 1 medium egg

DIRECTIONS:

Sift white flour and salt into a large bowl.  Stir in the wheat and Einkorn flours then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Stir in the yeast, oats, and seeds then make a well in the centre.

Stir the molasses into the warm water until dissolved.  Add the molasses water to the dry ingredients.  Mix to a soft dough. (I used paddle hook on KitchenAid mixer)

Using a dough hook, knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Put in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours, or until double in size.

Preheat the oven to 425°F, 15 minutes before baking.  (I start the oven now, then do the below and leave the loaf and pan on top the stove – the warmth from the oven helps with rising, especially in winter.)

Using dough hook, knead again for a minute or two to knock out the air.  Shape into an oval loaf about 12 inches long and place on a well-oiled baking sheet.  Cover with oiled (important) plastic wrap and leave to rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Brush the loaf with beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven 35-45 minutes (mine was 35 minutes) or until the bread is well risen, browned, and sounds hollow when the base is tapped.  Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe - Mixed Grain Bread

FAMILY, Recipes

Beef Enchiladas – Recipe

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Recipe – Beef Enchiladas

Beef Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 flour tortillas (whole wheat is best)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds grass-finished ground beef
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
  • 3/4 cup dairy sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons snipped dried parsley
  • 24 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/3 cup sliced pitted ripe olives (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 inch pan with olive oil.  Soften chopped onions in olive oil, then add ground beef and brown ground beef.  Drain if necessary.  Return to pan and warm through, remove from heat.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, the sour cream, and parsley.  Cover and reserve.  Heat remaining ingredients except olives to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered five minutes.  Whilst beef mixture simmers, prepare enchiladas by placing about 3/4 cup of meat/cheese mixture in each tortilla, roll and place in pan.  Pour tomato mixture over the top.  Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.  Bake for 25-27 minutes.  Serve with olives, sour cream, and additional salsa if desired.
Serves 6
FAMILY, Recipes

Flour Tortilla – Mexican Style

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Oi!  Finally found a flat tortilla recipe that works for me!  I use freshly ground red wheat berries.  Granted, the experts recommend white wheat, but i just grabbed the red and proceeded.  Figured if it would work with that, it’ll work with any.

Recipe – Mexican Flour Tortillas

Flour Tortillas – Mexican Style

Takes about 25 minutes to mix all together and allow dough to rest.  Cooking is about 20 minutes.  This recipe yields 15 tortillas rolled to about 10 inch diameter, but I halved it and it worked great.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (white wheat is better for tortillas, but this even works pretty good using red)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 to 6 tablespoons butter

1 ¼ cups warm water (approximately but you may need more if using whole wheat flours)

Directions:

Mix the dry ingredients; then drop in the butter.  I squish it round in the dry ingredients with my fingers until the mix resembles coarse crumbles.  Add the warm water and mix.  I prefer using my Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer with the dough hook and let it do the work.  Cover the dough and let rest for about 10 minutes.  Knead a time or two, then tear off about 15 pieces of dough and roll into balls.  I throw the balls back into the mixer bowl, but just put them somewhere and cover – let rest for 10 minutes more.  Now they are ready to roll out.  Dust a bit of flour on your surface.

Cook in a dry heavy flat bottom skillet like a cast iron one for about 30 seconds each side on medium heat or less.

Keep warm or use them immediately for enchiladas or another favorite Mexican dish.

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