Meals that you make ALL the time -- RECIPES!

[summerlilies]

Let's share one main dish recipe that is a family favorite. I'm talking about the meal you make ALL the time because everyone likes it. The one you probably don't even use a recipe for anymore because you've made it 5,000 times. I'll start:

Celery Seed Chicken
8-10 chicken thighs, skin removed

make a mixture of equal parts (1/3 c. of each) bread crumbs (I make my own from whole wheat bread in my food processor), wheat germ, and parmesan cheese. add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp celery seed.

roll the chicken in the mixture, place on ungreased baking pan, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until chicken is well done and crispy.

Yum!

[oneKnight]

The Rice Dish

we call it "The Rice Dish" (variation of a mexican chicken/rice bake in the red plaid cookbook)

*meat (browned, cooked, whatever you have dice into small chunks, good way to use cheap/tough steaks or leftover ground beef)
*2/3cup rice, cooked. I use brown rice & cook in beef broth left from a roast.
*1-onion, diced & saute
*1-garlic, 8-10 'cloves' diced or pressed
*1-can black beans (or about 1/2 cup dried beans cooked)
*1-can kernal corn, drained
*1-big (28oz) can Rotel
*8-10 mushrooms, sliced/diced & fried/sauted, if we have them.
Cook meat & rice, saute onions & mushrooms in grease leftover from meat, drain worst of grease, add everything into large pan or crock pot, simmer for 30min-to 1 hour, or longer before eating. I like making it on the stovetop in my large/deep cast iron skillet or in my crock pot.

Very good with Cornbread, my favorite recipe:

*1-cup four
*3/4 cup cornmeal
*3 Tsp sugar
*2 1/2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp salt
*2 eggs, beaten
*1 cup milk
*1/4 cup olive oil, or mixed with bacon grease

Mix everything together, I make in muffin pan but you can use cast iron skillet or whatever you like. Bake at 400F for 15-20min.

Partly because it's all just "one can this, one of that" it's so easy and I make it all the time. DH loves it!

[EnviroBecca]

The Earthling's Cookbook has all our everyday favorites, except the ones we've invented since the last update!

[summerlilies]

Thank you OneKnight and EnviroBecca for your meal ideas. Isn't anybody else cooking on the nutrition board??

[naturekate]

Oatmeal Hotcakes

2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup flour
2 cups buttermilk 1 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbs. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. melted butter

Night before: stir rolled oats and buttermilk together in a bowl. Cover and
let stand on counter overnight.

The next morning: add eggs, sugar, and melted butter. Stir well to combine.
In small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt; add
to the oatmeal mixture and stir until just combined. Cook on a lightly
greased hot griddle.

[oneKnight]

My mom's chocolate buttermilk birthday cake. I grew up on it so it can't be a birthday without it. The only chocolate cake that gets made at my house:

1-cup butter
2-cups sugar
3-eggs
1-tsp vanilla
1/2-cup cocoa
1-tsp salt
2-tsp baking soda
3-cups flour
2-cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F Beat butter at medium speed until smooth, gradually beat in sugar till fluffy, then beat in eggs one at a time, and vanilla.
Sift flour, cocooa, baking soda & salt together, beat flour mixture into batter on low speed alternately with buttermilk. Makes three 8" or 9" layer cake pans. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350F or until done.

I have successfully made this without an electric mixer, but it's harder. I love chocolate cake!


ETA: that's 3 cups of flour!

[homemademomma]

quinoa salad

quinoa
tomatoes
onions
garlic (i like to press it)
cukes
fresh parsley, destemmed and chopped ( i omit this bc dp HATES parsley, but i personally prefer it with)

chop all veggies and add to cooled quinoa. i like a high ratio of veggies to quinoa; others might prefer more quinoa. dress with olive oil, lemon juice, s&p, and FRESHLY ground cumin seed. or you can toss in whole cumin seeds if you dont have a way to grind them, but ground is better. i like mine realllly lemony and garlicy.
you can eat this by itself, or on pita bread, OR my favorite- on ezekial sprouted wheat tortillas with a smear of vegenaise and/or lemony hummus.




SO good. ds LOVES it. mmmmmmmmm

[sasntappy]

oneKnight, How much flour is in your cake recipe?


Black bean salad/soup

a couple cups of cooked black beans - maybe 1 large can? drained
a small bag of frozen corn -the tiny ones by organic valley
some chopped cilantro
diced tomato
ground cumin, salt and pepper to taste
some salsa to spice it up if for grownups

This salad is great as is served with tortilla chips
or wrap it up like a burrito with a little cheese and warm it,
or serve it over brown rice.

If you feel like soup instead of salad use beans with the broth and canned diced tomatoes with the juice and a little more salsa. Warm everything and serve with shredded cheese on top and with corn bread.

Multigrain pilaf/ patties

Uses up the few grains of miscelaneous beans/grains left at the bottom of the bag or jar. Barley, lentils, wheat berries, quinoa, brown rice

saute onion, celery, garlic, maybe some thyme or sage, add salt, pepper a bay leaf if you have it and whatever grains you have. No special ratio, just measure how much you are putting in total. Stir it all around and add 2 times as much water as grains. So if you added 2 cups of mixed grains you need to add 4 cups of water. Stir briefly, cover and bring to a slow simmer for 35-45 minutes until all grains are tender. Use it as a side dish to your favorite whatever. Great with chicken (can be made in crockpot with chicken) and hearty greens like collards or kale.

To make the patties, use whatever you have left over, add a good sprinkling of whole wheat flower to coat and beaten egg to moisten. Form into patties and fry in a heavy skillet (I use cast iron) in oil. These little patties freeze well and are delicious as veggie burgers or in school lunch bags.

[nym]

Ginger Beef and Brocolli

1 large steak (I use inside round)
3 cloves garlic
1 inch knob of frozen ginger
4 tbsp (or so) kikoman soy sauce
a bunch of brocolli, speared
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp kikoman soy sauce
pepper to taste

while still partially frozen slice beef into thin strips, grate ginger and garlic into beef, add soy sauce, cover and refridgerate.

in hot cast iron pan add a little oil and beef, stir fry over high heat until partially cooked. remove from pan. Add a little oil if needed, put in brocolli, onion and carrot. stir fry over high heat, add water and cover to steam. after a minute or so, add the beef back in with any juices, splash with some more soy sauce and sprinkle with pepper. Serve as is, or over hot brown rice!

[VikingKvinna]

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew

1 can or 2 cups dried (soaked and cooked) black beans
1 onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatos, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small can tomato sauce
cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and pepper in a splash of olive oil. Add garlic, sweet potatoes, and black beans, and saute for a few minutes more. Add tomato sauce and spices. Add a cup or so of water, depending on how saucy you like it, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender. If desired, you can add some minced chipotles in adobo, tabasco or other hot sauce, or fresh cilantro. I like to serve this on brown rice, but it would be good on white rice, as burrito filling, or just by itself.

Enjoy!

[mamabohl]

Jen's Chicken Chimichangas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, defrosted
1 lb pinto beans (soaked overnight)
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 -1/3 of a small can of chopped chilies
flour tortillas
grated cheese (optional)

First thing in the morning, put everything in a crockpot except tortillas and cheese, and add enough hot water to make sure that the beans are covered with water. Cook on HIGH for first 45-60 min, then switch to LOW. Let cook all day until about 1/2 hour before dinner. Shred the chicken with two forks.

Preheat oven to 425° Grease a cookie sheet.
Spread some of the filling on the center of a tortilla, sprinkle on a small
handful of cheese. Fold in sides of tortilla, then fold up bottom. Finally,
roll all the way up. Place seam-side down on the prepared cookie sheet.
Continue filling tortillas until you've got what you need, or run out of
ingredients. Brush the exposed sides of the chimichangas with olive oil.
Bake for 10-13 minutes, then turn over and bake for another 10 min or so until
nicely browned. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and any other accompaniments
you like.

[mamabohl]

Taco Soup

1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning (I use my own mix of taco seasonings)
1 can pinto beans (or 1.5 C cooked beans)
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 C salsa
2 C water (or chicken stock)

Brown ground turkey, onions and bell peppers in oil in a large stock pot. Add everything else and simmer for 30 minutes. Great with crackers or corn bread.

[mamabohl]

Black Bean Soup

1 C tomato salsa
3 C cooked black beans (or 2 (15oz) cans)
2 C chicken stock
1 tsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream (optional)

Heat salsa in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Stir in beans and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer soup, covered, for 15 minutes. Let soup cool slightly, then ladle half of it into a food processor or blender and puree it. Return the pureed soup to the pot. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and heat the mixture through. I usually double the recipe cuz it doesn't make a lot, but it is SO tasty!

[Jude Rose]

O.k. I'll play.
This is a variation on a marinara sauce, taught to me by my SIL who lives in southern France. It really has a different flavor than regular spaghetti sauce.
One can add meat and it's good, but it's just not quite the same.

***************
Meatless Provencale Marinara Sauce

serves a couple and one kid-doubling recipe is just fine, but adding more canned tomato sauce will mean you need more herbs and wine to enhance the flavor

olive oil
small-med onion chopped
garlic -Can use up to 3 cloves, 1-2 is probably the norm
can of tomatoes -I use my own canned tomatoes, but when using store-bought, italian recipe stewed Del Monte are a great choice, or just toally whole stewed tomatoes with no extra flavor
small can of tomato sauce
red wine-nothing sweet. You want a Merlot or Shiraz or something
fresh mushrooms sliced a pound is fine
1/2 TBSP Herb Du Provence-you can find that at many stores or places like World Market-a decent substutie would be to herb with thyme, rosemary crushed well, basil with optional tarragon, winter savory, lavander,
BY NO MEANS ADD MARJORAM OR OREGANO-they are ‘pizza’ flavors and can quickly overpower this sauce
salt and pepper to taste


Saute chopped onions in olive oil to start softening. Add chopped mushroom and herbs now or a little later is fine too. You may need to splash a bit of water as you wait for the mushrooms to start releasing their juice. The ideal time to add the garlic is before the mushrooms make everything too watery. It essentially ‘quick sautes’ it which brings out the flavor, but doesn’t overcook it. It would overcook if added at the beginning. Add maybe about 1/2 c of wine and cook everything down on a med-high heat for about 10 minutes. You want the juices to condense, but you don’t necessarily want them all to go away.

Now add your tomatoes and sauce and simmer for a bit. I like to add a little more red wine (maybe another 1/2 c-I never measure anything when I cook) and make the sauce more of a burgandy color. Allow to cook long enough to release the alcohol and develop the flavors.

Serve over pasta-use in a lasagna base, etc. I have made this so often, I can go from start to finish including veggie prep in 22 minutes.

ETA: If you want your sauce a little thicker, there's nothing wrong with using the old corn starch/cold water trick to thicken it up.

[Jude Rose]

Here's another from my SIL. It's a little more involved, but there's usually left-overs and anyone who's ever tried it has just flipped over the taste. It's indescribable what the carrots and beef and tomato and !olives! do in this meal.

******************

Provencal Beef and Tomato Daube


1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion coarsely chopped (could thinly slice instead)
3 garlic cloves
2 lb beef chuck cut into cubes (a thick line of fat is helpful in flavoring)
can of tomatoes
1 1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
herbs du Provence 2 tsp
4-5 carrots halved
about 1 3/4 cups beef stock (or water)
1/2 cup pitted olives green black or both-very important, the greek kind, not the soaking in water kind
5-6 small vine ripened tomatoes chunked
salt and pepper

totally optional additions:
orange zest
1/2 c basil leaves
pesto
2 TBSP brandy
potatoes

beurre manie
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour (or cornstarch)

Saute onions in butter and oil until softened and translucent
And the garlic and saute briefly. Working in batches, add the beef to the pan and brown on all sides to seal-keep the pieces well apart so they saute, not boil. Remove them to a plate while you brown the remaining pieces. Put all the pieces back in the pan, and the canned tomatoes and wine, and bring all to a boil. Reduce heat amd simmer 1 minute.
Note: I tend to skip straight ahead and put everything into the crock right away. You do lose a little flavor for certain, but gain a ton in prep time

Meanwhile, put the bay leaves, herbs, and carrots in a crock pot then add contents of skillet. And the beef stock, salt and pepper, mix, and cover with a lid. Cook slowly for 3 1/2-4 hours or longer until beef is falling apart.

To make the beurre manie, mash the butter and flour together into a paste and form into several small balls.

Either do the next step in the crock pot if you can get it to boiling, otherwise take a good amount of juice and transfer it into a small pot. Bring to boil and slowly add the beurre manie until the sauce is thick and creamy. Pour back into the main pot. Just before serving, add the olives and fresh tomatoes. Serve with rice.

This meal is great when cooked all day long, starting very early, but even better the next day.

[thismama]

Vegetable Fried Rice

Sesame oil
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Chopped veggies - I use zucchini, broccoli, red pepper, mushrooms
Brown rice
Eggs
Chili powder
Braggs
(I don't have quantities - I tend to use one onion, a LOT of veggies, and slightly less rice so the rice/veggie ratio is more veggies than rice).

Steam rice.
Heat sesame and olive oils in a pan. Add onion, garlic. Clarify onion, then add chopped veggies (longer cooking veggies first).
When veggies are tender, add rice.
Scramble eggs in microwave, leaving them slightly runny (I do two or three).
Add to pan.
Add chili powder.

Presto! Serve with Braggs.

[Ryver]

subscribing to this one

[JenLove]

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[oneKnight]

oneKnight, How much flour is in your cake recipe?

I was thinking 2 cups, but I asked mom to be sure, it's 3 cups of flour. I probably just do it automatically based on how much the sifter holds! lol

[PortraitPixie]

Easy, Yummy, Toss Together Pasta

1 box of whole wheat penne, cooked al dente

olive oil (eyeball to coat liberally)

a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar ( I like lots )

2 cans of Italian style stewed tomatoes undrained (you could also use fresh farmers market tomatoes, chopped and marinated in olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar )

1 cup Kalamatta olives (or however many you like! )

handful of fresh basil, chopped roughly

a dash of dried or fresh oregano

1/2c (ish) Parmesan cheese

If you are a meat eater you could easily add some chicken or shrimp to this dish...

Just heat thoroughly and serve with crunchy bread and or salad!