October 25, 2011: Baked Meatballs Recipe

I’ve recently figured out that there’s an easier way to cook both bacon and meatballs – and that’s by baking them. Cooking these meats on a baking sheet in the oven results in less mess and actually should be healthier because you can drain away all of the grease.

I had a large jar of leftover homemade pizza sauce recently. In order to transform it into spaghetti sauce, I thinned it down with water and added these baked meatballs to give it extra Italian flavor.

Baked Meatballs

1 T. dehydrated minced onion

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 t. garlic salt

1 slice of day old sandwich bread, torn into small chunks (the heel works great)

¼ cup milk

1 egg

1 T. ketchup

1 pound 80% lean ground beef

Combine onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, bread cubes and milk in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Let stand for five minutes to rehydrated ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix with thoroughly with your hands.

Shape balls out of the meat mixture (make them small or large, depending on your preference. Mine were medium-sized and I made about 13 of them with this recipe; you'd get about twice as many by making them walnut-sized or half as many by making them the size of tennis balls).

Place on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 20 minutes, or until completely browned. Add to spaghetti sauce during last half hour of simmering.

 Note: You can also use a half pound of ground beef and a half pound of Italian sausage, if desired.

June 14, 2011: Patty Melt Recipe

Nearly everyone grills hamburgers over the summer – but why not mix things up a bit and make patty melts instead? This recipe is a nice change from boring hamburgers yet it's still a breeze to make and clean up.

Patty Melts

1 ½ lbs. ground beef (80% lean is preferred)
1 T. bottled steak sauce
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. Montreal steak seasoning
8 slices sturdy bread (rye, multi-grain, or whole wheat)
8 slices cheese of your choice (Swiss, cheddar, American)
Caramelized onions (you may want to use this recipe for balsamic caramelized onions, peppers, and mushrooms)
3 T. softened butter
3 T. mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients and mix with your hands. Form into thin, bread-shaped patties. Grill over medium heat about 3 – 4 minutes per side (for medium). Remove from grill.

To assemble patty melts, place a slice of cheese on one slice bread. Top with burger patty and about a quarter cup of caramelized onions. Add one more slice cheese and top with slice of bread. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Note: I don't think any condiments are necessary but you may want to spread a bit of Dijon mustard on the inside of the sandwich for extra flavor.

Mix together butter and mayonnaise. Brush on one side of each sandwich. Place assembled sandwiches on a Panini press or griddle heated to medium, buttered side down. Brush tops of sandwiches with remaining butter mixture. Cook until golden and crispy on both sides, flipping once (about 1 - 2 minutes).

Serves 4

May 12, 2011: Garlic Cheddar Biscuits Recipe

If you love the Cheddar Bay Biscuits they serve at Red Lobster, then you are going to love this homemade version. These are as close as you can get to the restaurant’s biscuits – and some say they are even better!

Biscuits are a great addition to your summer picnic of fried chicken and cold dishes. They are delicious either hot or cold. If you find that you have any leftovers (hard to believe you would but you never know…) use them to make fresh bread crumbs.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. baking soda
1 t. sugar
½ t. salt
8 T. butter (1 stick), divided
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup buttermilk
Garlic salt

Combine the dry ingredients; add 6 tablespoons butter. There are two ways to do this: 1) Freeze the butter and grate it into the flour mixture; combine with your fingers; 2) Chop the butter into small pieces and incorporate into flour mixture with a pastry blender. Either way works great.

Mix in the cheese. Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until combined. Do not over mix or your biscuits will be tough.

Grease a round cake pan. Drop the biscuit dough by heaping tablespoons into the pan. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately spread the remaining two tablespoons of butter over the hot biscuits (you can also melt the butter and brush it over the tops of the biscuits – but why make another dish dirty?). Sprinkle with garlic salt.

Makes 6 - 8 biscuits

Tip: Don’t have buttermilk on hand? Add a teaspoon of vinegar to a cup of plain milk and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes.

April 6, 2011: Overnight Breakfast Casserole Recipe

This is a recipe I made a couple years ago for our church’s annual Easter breakfast, served right after the Easter sunrise service. It came out delicious – and it was a breeze to serve it on Easter morning since the preparation was all done the night before. You could also make this after Easter – if you’re serving a ham for the holiday dinner, the leftovers are perfect for this casserole.

In typical Candy fashion, I took the original recipe and added a bit of heat with green chiles while making it a bit healthier with the addition of chopped vegetables. Serve this breakfast casserole with sliced fresh fruit and it is a complete breakfast.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole Recipe

8 eggs, beaten with a fork
2 cups milk
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. dry mustard
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1 can mild green chiles (or 1 – 2 fresh roasted green chiles)
8 slices soft bread (white or wheat)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed ham (or cooked, crumbled sausage)

Mix eggs, milk and seasonings. In a 9 x 9” glass or ceramic baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, layer half the bread slices, vegetables, ham and cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Pour egg mixture over all. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour, or until completely set.

Note: I doubled the recipe to make enough to serve about 16 people.

April 2, 2011: Easter Side Dish – Crispy Asparagus Bundles Recipe

I love looking for cookbooks when I’m out prowling through yard sales. I’ve found some really great old cookbooks – which I really love. One of my favorite finds is The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking. It is a huge tome filled with information about veggies normal and exotic, plus some truly unusual (both yummy and yucky) recipes.

This recipe is based on one I found in the Vegetable Encyclopedia. It sounds a bit strange, but even my picky husband loves these. I think they would be a great accompaniment to your Easter ham or lamb. Give them a try and tell me what you think.

The photos shows crispy asparagus bundles served with grilled tuna and tomato slices.
Crispy Asparagus Bundles

4 T. butter, divided
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. lemon pepper seasoning
8 slices soft bread, wheat or white
1 bunch asparagus (thin or thick, green or white), steamed

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small dish; add the mustard and lemon pepper and mix well. Cut the crusts off the bread and brush with the melted butter mixture on one side. Use about 6-8 thin asparagus or 2 thick asparagus spears per bundle; align them along one corner of the buttered bread, placed diagonally. Roll the asparagus up in the bread; use your fingers to shape the bread in an even covering across the vegetables. Place seam side down in a greased baking pan.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and brush across the top of the bundles to coat any dry areas of bread.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes, until crispy. Serves 4 - 8.

Tip: For a little extra zing, try adding some grated Parmesan cheese to the butter you use to brush across the tops of the bundles.

March 11, 2011: Meatloaf Recipe

Ah, meatloaf… it’s one of the most popular comfort foods – unless your mom’s recipe wasn’t all too tasty. That’s the thing about meatloaf; it can either be really good or really bad. I tend to stick with my own recipe because I know I like it but never order meatloaf when I’m eating out in a restaurant.

These days not a whole lot of people make meatloaf, even though it used to be a mainstay for families in the 50s, 60s and 70s. The declining popularity is most likely due to the fact that it takes so long to cook; by the time a busy mom or dad gets home from work, there just isn’t enough time to prepare and bake a meatloaf.

It’s a shame, though, because leftover meatloaf makes THE best sandwiches the next day! When I used to work at a hotel in Mesa, a couple of my lunch buddies, who were much younger than me, used to beg me to make meatloaf and bring sandwiches for all of us the next day. Soft wheat bread, mayo, a bit of ketchup, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and... yum! Of course, I didn't mind obliging them.

I think I’ve mentioned before that both my son and my husband are picky eaters. But there’s one thing that both of them agree on and that’s my meatloaf, which is a family favorite (and the older my son got, the less likely the chance that there would be any leftover for sandwiches the next day because he would finish it off for dinner).

Mama’s Meatloaf

2 slices bread, torn into small pieces
1 – 2 T. dried, minced onion (depending on your preference)
1 t. dried parsley
Milk (about ½ cup)
1 egg
¼ cup ketchup
Dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
2 t. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. ground beef

In a large mixing bowl, combine the torn bread, onion, and parsley. Add enough milk to cover all the ingredients. Let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, and seasonings and mix with a spoon. Add the ground beef, and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.

Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pat the ground beef mixture into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour to 1 ½ hours. After 45 minutes of baking, remove the loaf and pour off excess grease. Pour off the remainder of the grease again before slicing and serving.

Note: I know some people prefer a tomato sauce on top of their meatloaf but I'm not including a recipe for that here because my boys like ketchup better than anything else. For a quick sauce, use a can of condensed tomato soup.

Tips: You can use either 80% lean or 93% lean ground beef; the former makes a juicier, more tender meatloaf while the latter produces less grease – your call.
For the bread, I use the heal of a loaf since it’s not good for sandwiches. Then again, you can use any type of bread you have around. Last time I used one heal of wheat bread plus one cheddar garlic biscuit leftover from a previous meal. Cracker crumbs will also work if that’s all you’ve got handy.

February 26, 2011: Southwestern Cornbread Recipe

There are few things that go better with a hot bowl of soup, stew, or chili than fresh bread. However, if you don’t have the time to make a loaf of sourdough or French bread from scratch, cornbread is a good alternative.

After trying many different recipes and being disappointed at the dry texture, my friend Kathy once again came to my rescue by providing me with the following recipe. This cornbread is melt-in-your-mouth good and doesn’t need any butter because it’s already rich enough as is. If you’re counting calories, this cornbread would definitely be on your verboten list but otherwise, try it with a steaming hot cup of chili or bean soup for a scrumptious cold weather dinner.

Note: Do you see the area on the top of my cornbread where it sank? That's because I forgot to adjust the leavening for my altitude, which is about 6,400 feet above sea level. I should have reduced the amount of baking powder.

Southwestern Green Chili Cornbread

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening (butter-flavored Crisco is best)
¾ cup sugar (reduce this about 1/4 cup if you don't like somewhat sweet bread)
4 eggs
½ cup green chilies, diced (optional)
1 ½ cup creamed corn (you can use one can and add a bit more flour to account for the extra moisture)
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Blend the butter, shortening, and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well before adding the next one. Add the remainder of ingredients and mix well (a stand mixer will save your arm muscles). Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan (the recipe calls for a 9” square pan but I’ve found that’s too small; try a larger, 13 x 9" casserole dish or two medium-sized cast iron skillets). Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until firm in the center.

In the picture above, I've served the chili in a big bowl surrounded by thin cuts of the cornbread, then topped it with thin slices of cheese, sliced avocado, chopped green chiles, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of minced green onions. Mmm!


Tip: This cornbread is also an excellent accompaniment to barbecued ribs.

February 21, 2011: Sourdough Starter Recipe

While winter is still upon us and the temps outside continue to be cold, there’s no better time to create sourdough starter.

I was lucky enough to get my starter from a friend who got it from a friend who had kept this particular formulation going for 50 years! So I didn’t have to create my own starter, but it’s not difficult to do and it’s incredibly cheap, requiring only flour and water - no yeast necessary. That's why "Cookie", in charge of the chuck wagon during an Old West roundup, used sourdough as the basis for his bread.

Sourdough starter is a living thing – somewhat like a refrigerator pet. So once you get it started, remember to occasionally give it some care and feeding.

The first thing you need is a clean container with a lid. I use a canning jar but you can also use any type of glass or ceramic jar. Some people use plastic containers but I don’t recommend it because it is very hard to get them, and keep them, sterile. Don’t use metal – and don’t use metal utensils to stir the starter when using it in a recipe.

The recipe is:
1 cup warm water
1 cup flour

Just mix these ingredients together in your jar. If you want to boost the growing process, you can add a bit of yeast (1 packet) to this mixture, but it won’t be a purist sourdough starter and won’t have the same distinctively sour taste in baked goods.

Place your jar in a warm place (70 to 80 degrees is ideal). Too hot and you’ll kill the yeast present in the flour; too cold and it will take much longer to get your starter growing.

During the growing process, you will need to feed your starter every 24 hours. Discard half of your mixture and add a half cup of water and a half cup of flour to your container. Do this until the mixture gets bubbly throughout (as in the photo on the left) and smells yeasty, about three days to one week. Then you’re done! Just make sure the lid is attached loosely and then place it in the refrigerator.

At this point, some people recommend feeding your starter weekly as described above but I’ve never done this and y starter has done just fine. It may be that after a certain period of time (several times or so) that feeding is no longer necessary. If anyone has insight into this, please let me know.

At any rate, every time you use the starter, you will need to replace what’s missing by adding in at least one fresh cup of water and one cup of flour then allow it to “proof” in a bowl overnight. When it’s frothy, you will take one or two cups of the starter to add to your recipe then add another half cup each of flour and water to what’s left and store it back in your refrigerator.

Often the sourdough starter will develop what is called “hooch”. This is a grayish liquid that forms on top of the starter. It’s completely harmless. You can choose to pour it off or stir it back into the mixture.

Once you’ve gotten your starter created, you can make some lovely, crusty bread or some incredibly tender pancakes. I’ll share those recipes with you soon!