Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Mix all the ingredients but the olive oil. Make balls the size of a walnut. Heat the oil in a big skillet and brown the meatballs on both sides at medium heat. Remove from the skillet.

Spaghetti Sauce:

 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 big garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup grated yellow onions
2 cans (14 oz each) Italian-Style ready-cut tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/3 cup red wine or water
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon each: dried parsley, Italian seasoning, crushed fennel seeds and celery flakes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon each: dried oregano, freshly ground pepper and sugar
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 package (12 oz) spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan. Cook the onions for 2 to 3 minutes, Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients but the basil. When the mixture starts to boil, cover the saucepan and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes stirring occasionally. Finally, add the meatballs and cook for 5-7 minutes on low heat, partially covered. Make sure that you turn the meatballs over very carefully. Stir in the basil before serving.

Serve over hot cooked spaghetti or linguine. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Serves 6-8

Note: Italian seasoning can be used instead of the spices.

Fiesta Rice

Your Family will love it Cookbook, from the food editors of Prevention Magazine and Health Books.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup diced onions
1 cup long grain rice
1 clove minced garlic
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn

Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rice and garlic; cook stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the water, tomato paste, chili powder, salt and oregano. Mix well.

Add the peas and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Blueberry Coffee Cake

The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries

Glaze:

1 cup Confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons milk


Grease a 13 x 9 -inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar baking powder, lemon zest and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the milk and eggs, slightly beaten, vanilla and stir well.

Pour 3/4 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the blueberries, then spoon the remaining batter over the blueberries. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, almond extract and milk. As more milk as needed for the icing to be thin and easy to drizzle over the cake. Cut into squares and serve.

Zucchini Cakes

Posted by Sonia Mendez Garcia
www.hispanickitchen.com

I love this recipe. I made a couple of changes like decreasing the amount of cumin and oregano because I do not like strong flavors. My hubby loves Herdez Salsa Verde so no need to make our own Tomatillo Sauce.

2 small zucchini (about 1 cup), shredded
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup corn
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup orange bell pepper, finely diced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
3-5 tablespoons Canola oil

Coarsely shred zucchini. Drain on several layers of paper towels, patting dry with more paper towels. In a large bowl, stir together eggs, flour, cheese, onion, pepper, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Add zucchini and corn.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil to medium high heat. Drop by 1/4 cup full into hot skillet and slightly flatten. Cook for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a 250 F oven. Serve with Tomatillo Salsa or Salsa Verde.


Makes 10 cakes

No Flour Monster Cookies

Courtesy of Becca Betts

Full Recipe:

12 eggs
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
8 teaspoons baking soda
1 lb butter
18 cups whole oats
4 cups craisins
4 cups M&M's or chocolate chips
2 cups ground flax seed
2 cups sunflower kernels

(Makes 70 large cookies)


1/4 of the Recipe:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 stick butter
4 1/2 cups whole oats
1 cup M&M's or chocolate chips
1 cup craisins
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup sunflower kernels

(Makes 18 large cookies)

Mix in the order given. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet with an ice cream scoop and flatten slightly with a pancake turner. Only put 6 on a half sheet cake pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes at high altitude. Cool on cookie sheet before removing for about 10 minutes.

Wrap individually and store in an empty oatmeal container.

French Puffs

Deep on the Heart, A Collection of Recipes: Dallas Junior Forum

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
1/3 cup salad oil

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease small muffins tins (miniature). Combine first 5 ingredients. Blend in eggs, oil and milk. Fill muffin tins and bake 10 minutes.
Remove from tins to a wire rack. While still warm, roll in melted butter, then in sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Yield: 2 dozen small puffs
                                                                                          Mrs. Robert Bostwick (Diane)

Country-Style Pork Ribs in Apricot sauce

1 1/2- 2 lbs country-style pork ribs

Sauce

2/3 cup beef broth
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon apricot preserves
1/8 teaspoon Five-Spice powder
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Place the ribs on the bottom of a slow-cooker. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour into the slow-cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Serve over hot brown rice.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Chili Seasoning Mix

Christmas Gifts of Good Taste

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup dried minced onions
2 tablespoons dried minced garlic
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon sweet pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

In a small bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir until well blended. Store in an airtight container. Give 1/4 cup seasoning with Chili recipe.

Yield: about 1 1/4 cups seasoning mix

Chili

2 pounds ground beef
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can (16 ounces) pinto beans, undrained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup Chili Seasoning Mix

In a large skillet cook beef over medium heat until brown; drain meat. Stir in tomato sauce, beans, tomatoes and chili seasoning mix. Reduce heat to low. Stirring occasionally, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Yield: about 7 cups chili

Mixed Berry-Banana and Citrus Smoothie

1 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 medium size bananas, very ripe cut into chunks and frozen
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
2 cups frozen strawberries, halved or raspberries
Honey to taste
1 cup ice cubes

Mix the liquid ingredients in the blender. Add honey to taste.

Stir in the frozen bananas and blend on the "ice" setting. Once it is smooth, add the remaining fruit and follow the same process.

Finally, add the ice and crush it well.

Makes 4 servings

White Chili

www.tasteofhome.com

24 ounces chicken breast (I use a little less and it is still very good)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) Chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/3 cup lime juice

 Toppings:

Tortilla strips
Chopped fresh cilantro
Shredded white Cheddar Cheese (I used Mexican blend)
Sour cream

My Variation:

Add:

1 can (15.5 oz) white hominy rinsed and drained

1 extra cup chicken broth

2-3 extra tablespoons lime juice

Extra Topping:

Chopped avocado

Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan with the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the temperature. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

Remove the chicken and cut into cubes. Add the corn and 1 can of white beans to the saucepan. Mash the other can of beans with a potato masher leaving some chunks. Stir in the beans and combine well. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes or until hot.

Add the lime juice and serve garnishing with your toppings of choice.

My variation:

When I add the mashed beans, I also add the hominy and extra cup of chicken broth. Cook as directed.

Note: I am not too fond of the very strong cumin flavor same as oregano so I usually decrease to half what the recipe calls for.