DDC CookBook Thread

[bdavis337]

Ok here it is, the official July DDC Cookbook Thread. Can we sticky this???

So list up your recipe and meal ideas here. Freezer cooking, crockpot meals, meals to serve a crowd, anything that we can use to eat healthy, save money and time and of course enjoy eating! And let's also include kitchen tips and tricks, things we do to save money and time in the kitchen, etc. If we get enough, maybe someone (me??) could organize them into a text or pdf file that we could all download and print out easily. But let's start sharing for now and see where that takes us!

[DahliaRW]

Oooh, great idea! I will post some more recipes when I have time. But here's what I did for dinner a couple of nights ago (and it took about 30 minutes start to finish including the time it took to make it up!).

"Asian" style soup with bok choy

6 c soy ginger broth (from Trader Joe's) or miso broth
dash red pepper flakes (opt)
1 bunch bok choy, washed
3 carrots, sliced thinly or matchsticked
1 lb tofu, cut in small cubes
1/3 package soba noodles, cooked according to package directions

Seperate leaves from stems on the bok choy. Chop the stems into small piece. Lay the leaves on top of one another and slice into strips. Set aside

Bring broth and red pepper flakes to boil. Add carrots and bok choy stems and simmer about 5 minutes or until tender crisp. Add tofu, noodles, and leaves. Simmer until leaves are wilted and tofu and noodles are heated through.

Easy, healthy, and surprisingly yummy. You could easily throw in other veggies too. My 2 yo gobbled it right up!

[Lissybug]

Gotta post a family breakfast favorite around here- Makes this cool pancake type egg thing. Unfortunately tastes very good with loads of brown sugar or maple syrup on top.

Dutch Baby- Oven to 425f
1/3 C Butter
5 Lg. Eggs
1 C Milk
1 C Flour (adding more whole wheat than white will make it flatter, but still good)

Chunk up the butter and put it into a 9x13 glass baking dish. The smooth sides are important. Put dish into the pre-heating oven.

Either in a blender or with electric mixer beat eggs for about 1 min.

Add milk and flour and beat again for about 1 min.

Pour mixture into hot pan (I just leave the pan on the oven rack and pull it out part way). Pan should be very hot, butter melted, even starting to brown.

Bake at 425f for about 25 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can see a puffed up middle (the "baby") with curling up sides (the "cradle") This is your cue to call everyone into the kitchen to admire the baby before it collapses Serve with whatever topping sounds good. Maybe a a side of bacon just to be really sinful.

[manitobamama]

Made this last night for supper, I was tired and felt yucky so it was quick and easy.
Hamburger Stroganoff
1 lb Hamburger fried with onions
Add:1 can mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
3 tbsps sour cream
Package of egg noodles. Prepare egg noodles as per package directions

Simple as can be and even my picky 13 yo who turns her nose up at everything had two servings. Which never happens!

[Mel L]

Cranberry Chicken
1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix (optional)
1 small bottle Russian Salad Dressing
1 can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in glass baking dish. Combine soup mix, dressing, and cranberry sauce. Pour over chicken, coating all sides. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.

I haven't frozen this before (not enough leftovers), but I am pretty sure that you could. You could also make more by using a larger bottle of dressing (don't use all of it) and adding more chicken.

Pork Chops and Apples
6 boneless, thin cut pork chops
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2-3 apples (Galas are my favorite for this)
Cinnamon, to taste
Olive Oil, for browning meat

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet, brown the pork chops on both sides using a little olive oil, about 5 minutes. Core and thinly slice apples. Place them in a glass baking dish large enough for your chops. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon to taste over apples. Place browned pork chops over the apples. Cover dish with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. You can make this dish with more pork chops by adding more apples.

[bdavis337]

Freezer Enchiladas/Burritos

2 lbs ground turkey or ground beef, whichever you prefer
2 packets taco seasonings OR enough of your homemade to suffice
1 large can crushed tomatos
1 can black beans, drained
12-18 tortilla shells, the large ones
shredded cheese of your choosing

Brown, drain and season the beef/turkey. Pour into a good sized mixing bowl and let it cool slightly. Add the tomatos and black beans. Spoon onto tortillas/soft taco shells, add shredded cheese, roll and wrap in aluminum foil and then put into ziploc bags. Label and freeze. They'll last for months. Either defrost on the stove for a few hours, or in a sinkful of warm water. b/c they are already fully cooked, the warm water thaw is ok. Serve with sour cream and guacamole. Makes about 12-18 tortillas. ** If you don't care for black beans, omit them and replace with refried beans, or leave them out completely. **

I put 2 of these in dh's lunchbox in the morning, and he says theyre' thawed enough by lunch to stick in the microwave for about 1 minute to warm them up. If I serve them for dinner, I make cornbread and a green salad to go with it.

[bdavis337]

Shepard's Pie

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed
1 cup shredded cheese
mashed potatos
1 small onion, diced
1 can diced tomatos, do not drain

Brown the beef and onions, mix in veggies and tomatos. Grease a large casserole dish, pour the beef mixture in. Spread the mashed potatos on top, cover with cheese and back for 20 minutes. Cool and cut into serving pieces, wrap in foil and put in ziplocs. Makes 6-8 servings depending on how hungry you are.

[proudhsmommy]

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup (makes 6 1/2 cups)

4 cups chicken stock
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2 inch cubes
2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/4 cups chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup light (10%) cream

In a large pot, combine stock, squash, apples, onions, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Allow soup to cool slightly.

In a food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth, transferring each batch to a saucepan. Bring to a boil before serving.

[proudhsmommy]

Salmon Noodle Casserole (serves 4)

1 pound rotini or other pasta
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green onion, diced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cans (each 6.5 ounces) salmon, drained
1 1/2 cups condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook pasta until tender but firm.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, green pepper and mushrooms; cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add salmon; cook for about 1 minute.

Transfer pasta to casserole. Add vegetable-salmon mixture and toss together. Pour soup over and top with parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour.

[BrownEyed]

Buffalo Chicken Dip

INGREDIENTS
2 packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup pepper sauce or buffalo wing sauce
1 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended. Mix in the Ranch dressing, chicken and Cheddar cheese. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake 30 minutes

I swear by this recepe. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and it is so yummy. All the ingredients have low fat/non fat equivalents which I usually use to save some calories. Tastes just like buffalo wings, which have been my craving while pg.

[DoulaClara]

Cherry Lemon Sorbet

Ingredients:
* Approx. 3 c. frozen cherries
* 1/2 c. - 1 c. lemonade

Blend cherries and lemonade in blender or food processor. Place into a bowl or baking dish and cover with plastic- freeze until firm.

[goodearthmama]

Red Beans and Brown Rice w/ Sausage (or without for vegans)

Serves 4

*1 lb. of Smoked Sausage (we're lucky to have access to local, all-natural fresh smoked sausage and we like a cajun, hot style for this meal)
*1 tb of olive oil
*1 Small yellow onion, diced
*3-4cloves of garlic, chopped or smashed
*1 or 2 red or yellow bell peppers, diced (your choice, I like both)
*1 can of Small Red Beans (we sub w/ Black beans, too)
*1 cup of water or broth
*2 cups of cooked Brown Rice


First, I start the brown rice cooking on its own. Then, I make the rest and by the time the brown rice is done, everything else is ready to pour on top of it!

If you want to add the sausage, I like to brown mine in the skillet first. Just brown it on each side and then place to the side to add later. Rinse the pan and warm your olive oil. Then add onion, garlic and peppers and let it simmer until the onions and peppers are really tender, maybe 10-15 minutes. Be careful the garlic doesn't brown or else it will be bitter-cook on lower temp. Then, add the beans and sausage and either the water or broth. You may not need the whole cup of liquid as I am not an exact measurement person, so it is approximate. Then, allow to simmer until the rice is done cooking, stirring occasionally. Serve over brown rice, salt and pepper to taste. We always love some garlic or even garlic cheesey bread to go with it! Add some steamed veggies or a salad for your greens!!

YUMMY!!

[DoulaClara]

Trail Mix Cookies
(Modified from Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. AP flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. uncooked oatmeal
1 1/2 c. muesli
1/2 c. mini m&m's
1/2 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or peanuts worked out well with this)
1/2 c. dried cranberries or cherries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350* (180*C). Cream together the butter and sugars, and then add the eggs and vanilla and blend well. Add dry ingredients, mix until well blended, and place heaping tablespoons of dough onto baking sheet. Bake approx. 12-14 minutes (or until they're finished, but slightly soft).

*This recipe is slightly gooier than a regular oatmeal raisin cookie dough because of the modifications.

[BrownEyed]

Greek Watermelon Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups mashed watermelon, seeds removed
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS
1.Place the flour in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Set aside to cool.
2.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.In a large bowl, stir together the watermelon, flour, honey, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Grease a 9 or 10 inch pie plate, and sprinkle half of the sesame seeds over the bottom. Pour the watermelon filling over the seeds, the filling should be about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds over the top.
4.Bake for 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers.

[~Demeter~]

Quick and Easy Lasagna (alright, alright it's LAZY!) or sometimes known as Ravioli Casserole

1 package of frozen raviolis
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 container of cottage cheese
1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese

At the moment I can think of measurements and of course if you are so inclined you can always make your own fresh, that just takes extra time and I haven't had much energy in the cooking area lately.

Preheat oven to 350. Use a glass pyrex type pan and using a spoon put a small layer of sauce down. Layer some ravioli's on top of that, then put another layer of sauce on top of the ravioli's. Take the cottage cheese and spread about half of it on top of the sauce, sprinkle half the package of mozzarella cheese on top of that. Continue layering in the same manner until you have used everything. Bake in the oven for 30-45 or until the cheese is bubbly on the top. Take out and serve.

Not sure how many servings this is.. or calories or anything like that. I like this recipe because it is quick and easy and goes over extremely well with my family. I have served this at family parties and usually have to bring it out last because it goes that quickly. I hope my instructions were clear enough, if not please PM me and I will attempt to clarify some. Forgive me as I don't have it written down and am going off of memory.. it's so much easier to just do it without thinking about what it is that I am doing.

[BrownEyed]

That recipe looks great Nic! I have everything on hand, and I think I'll be making that tonight for my family that's come into town.

[Mel L]

Tomato Soup

2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 1/3 cups of milk (I used 2%)
1 tablespoon dried basil (you could also use fresh...would have if I had any left)
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons sugar (use less or none...I use it because of tomato acid)

Simmer tomatoes (including juice from can) for 30 minutes. Puree tomatoes and basil in a blender or food processor. Return to pan. Add milk, butter, and sugar, and stir and cook until ready.

The only bad part of this (didn't change taste, but made it look a little funny) was that adding cold milk to the tomatoes broke up the milk. Dh suggested heating the milk and butter in a different pan so that you can add hot to hot. Since this is adding milk to acid, there may be nothing you can do. I have seen several recipes that use cream instead of the milk. I just wanted to make it healthier. I think substituting chicken/veggie broth for the milk/cream would work as well.

[farmama]

Sage-Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy

for the Biscuits:
2 c flour
1 T dried sage, crumbled
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar
3/4 cup buttermilk, well shaken, plus extra for brushing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together first 6 ingredients.
Blend in butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse meal. Stir in grated cheese, then buttermilk, stirring until a dough forms. Gather into a ball and knead gently about 8 times on a lightly floured surface. Form about 8 balls and flatten slightly onto a greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with additional buttermilk and bake about 15 minutes, until lightly golden.

Gravy:
Brown 1/2 lb seasoned sausage. Drain. Add 2 T flour and stir vigorously, mixing with sausage. Let cook briefly, then add 1 T butter and 1 1/2-2 cups of milk. Cook on medium heat until gravy thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

[Lissybug]

farmama- Thank you Thank you! I LOVE buscuits and gravy.

[jee'smom]

pierogie pie

Ok, the problem is... it's not a recipe, just something I came up with, so play with it.

I take cooked lasagna noodles, lay them down in a pan, then mashed potatoes (saute onions and butter first, then mix the mashed potatoes in, then spread mixture on lasagna noodles), then a variety of cheeses (american, cheddar, whatever). Keep layering it. Bake at 350 for (how long does lasagna bake? almost 1 hour? Check the cheese on top.) (I never use salt in recipes, but I think this could use a little salt and pepper. I usually put it in the mashed potatoes, along with some onion powder.)

I don't have any lasagna noodles right now, so I'm going to take ziti noodles, and make a pierogie casserole this time and just mix it all in! YUMMY!!!

*** I think that dollops of sour cream would taste really good mixed into these recipes, so I'm going to try that this time as well. ***
You have to really love pierogies to eat this!!! and I do!

I made it and didn't like it. It had too many noodles, and was too dry. I need to play with the recipe. The concept is still good though...I LOVE pierogies!!!

Yeah, thanks for the sausage and gravy recipe.. I LOVE IT!!! and have been looking for a great recipe for it.