Fried Rice

Fried rice is a comfort food to me. It's also a favorite go to meal when the cupboards are bare and I'm resisting the urge to go out to eat. Of course, it can be tailored to suite your taste and what you have on hand. It makes a quick lunch, or paired with egg drop soup and be served as a dinner meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes (to cook rice)
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8
Cost: Approx. $3.00 (or free if your using left overs)

Ingredients:
3 cups dry rice
6 cups water
Soy sauce
2 Tbsp butter
Left over meat (pork, chicken, beef, fish)
3-4 eggs
2 carrots chopped
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1 small onion finely chopped
salt
pepper

1. Gather your ingredients. Cook rice.

2. Cut meat into bite sized pieces and until no longer pink and set aside. I often just set aside a piece of meat from a previous meal for this very purpose.

3. Melt butter. Place onion and carrots on griddle and cover with a layer of rice. Generously cover in soy sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn and add more soy sauce.

4. After turning rice make a hole in the middle in which to crack the eggs. Scramble slightly and let eggs cook until they begin to harden. Incorporate into rice buy tossing like your a chef at a Japanese restaurant. (That's my favorite part.)

5. Mix in meat and peas. Serve hot.

Now wasn't that easy?

Easy Apple Crisp

Somehow dinner doesn't seem complete until there's something sweet on the palate. In the summer, fruit easily fits the bill. After the rich desserts and candies of the holidays, apple crisp with a cup of tea is a healthy and quick solution for the end of a wintertime meal.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time 20-25 minutes
Serves: 8
Cost: Approx. $2.00

1 can of apple pie filling ($1.87)
2 1/2 cups of oats ($.30)
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter
3 T water
dash of salt

Melt butter. Add oats, sugar and cinnamon and salt. Mix well. Add water to apple pie filling and place in pie pan. Top with oatmeal mixture. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. d

Stove Top Granola

I love granola, but I refuse to buy it because I can't justify spending that much money for some fancy oats. Though I've made it successfully in the past, I always run into the problem of burning it in the oven. Not good. So I've been experimenting and combining some recipes to solve this inevitable problem. I've created a granola recipe that is super quick and burn proof. With some decorative packaging, I think this would make an original and healthy treat for teachers and friends this year.

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 3-5 minutes

Yields: 12 servings (1/3 cup each)

Cost: approx. $2.00

4 1/2 cups rolled oats ($.25- from salvage store)

2 Tbsp. olive oil ($.25)

1/4 cup butter ($.25)

1/2 cup honey ($.50)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Set oven to 400 degrees. When preheated turn off.

Heat oil in skillet. Add oats and toast stirring often. When oats turn golden brown remove from heat. Melt butter. Add honey and vanilla. Cook and stir until bubbly. Add honey mixture to toasted oats and incorporate well. Spread granola onto large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place in heated oven for one hour. When cooled add dried fruits, nuts as desired and store in an airtight container.

** For peanut butter granola, add 3 Tbsp of peanut butter to melted butter along with the honey.**

Bananas

My first choice would be to serve a piece of fruit for desert, but sometimes the fruit just needs a little dressing up. We had a who mess of bananas that we ready go bad, so I turned them into a special treat that made them disappear in no time flat.


Chocolate Banana Boats: Cut bananas lengthwise. Insert chocolate chips. Wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. I think next time I'll add a few marshmallows, too.






Cinnamon Maple Roasted Bananas: Slice bananas. Toss with 1 Tbsp of melted butter. Place in baking dish. Drizzle 1/4 cup of maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes stirring once.





*You can find this recipe and many others at The Grocery Cart Challenge's Friday Recipe Swap**

Bacon and Canteloupe Wraps

Ah... a taste of summer is a refreshing break from the stews and soups of winter. I found this recipe in a magazine and adapted it for what we had on hand. I can't wait to make it again especially on a hot summer evening. These would also be a great addition to a brunch.

Bacon and Cantaloupe Wraps

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Cost: Approx. $5.50


1 package of flour tortilla shells ($.99)
1/2 cantaloupe sliced into thin strips ($1.00)
1 package turkey bacon cooked until crisp ($2.00)
2 cups Romain lettuce cut into ribbons ($.50)
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
2 tsp sugar
Mayonnaise

Cook bacon and warm tortillas. Mix Vinegar, mustard and sugar. Pour over lettuce and toss. Spread tortilla shells with thin layer of mayonnaise. Layer bacon, cantaloupe. Top with lettuce and wrap.

Alaina's Crock Pot Sesame Pork Chops

I often find pork chops marked down at our local grocery. However, I'm not the best at making sure that pork chops are well cooked without being too dry. After trying Alaina's original recipe, pork chops have quickly become but one of our family favorites. Usually I have all the ingredients on hand, but simple substitutions like ketchup or dried ginger always work in a pinch.

Alaina's Crock Pot Sesame Pork Chops

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours in the crock pot
Yields: 6-8 servings
Cost: Approx. $5.00

6 lg. bone-in pork chops ($4.50 on sale)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 Tb. brown sugar
3/4 c. tomato sauce
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1 Tb. fresh ginger, minced
pepper to taste

Put chops in crock pot and season with pepper. Mix remainder of ingredients and pour over the pork chops. Cook on low for 6 hrs. Serve over rice.

Gluten Free Biscuits

My first attempt at gluten free biscuits was a disaster. They resembled salty, putty colored hockey pucks. Out of desperation for something bread like the kids ate them covered with maple syrup. Take two was much, much better.

Gluten Free Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
Cost: Approx. $2.50
Yields: 12 biscuits

2 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free baking flour ($1.50)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
5 tsp sugar
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp vinegar
4 tbsp butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 egg and 1 egg yolk

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix milk, vinegar and eggs together well. Fold dry ingredients into wet. Add butter and mix by hand. Form into disks. Bake on greased baking sheet for 12-15 minutes at 350.

Amish Cole Slaw

Believe it or not, we are still eating out of our freezer. It looks like about ten more dinners and I'll have to rethink our fall menu. Looking forward to trying some new soups/stews and stocking the freezer with some turkeys.

My family is not a fan of slaw with mayonnaise so I'm always on the lookout for an alternative way to use cabbage. Recently I ran across this recipe for slaw and found it to be just the right balance of sweet and sour. It's not something to make right before dinner. The flavors are best if the slaw is refrigerated for at least twelve hours. (We learned this the hard way.) I think next time I'll make a double batch and have it as a side several times during the week.

Amish Cole Slaw

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 8-10
Cost: Approx. $2.00

1 medium head cabbage shredded ($1.50)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, onion, and 1 cup sugar. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, salt, celery seed, 1 teaspoon white sugar, mustard and oil. Bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Cool completely, then pour over cabbage mixture, and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 12 hours for best flavor.

Minty Cucumber Salad

I recently had this salad at a church pitch in and was so surprised at how well these flavors blended together. It's a perfect cool salad for these hot summer days! Enjoy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Serves: 10-16
Cost: approx. $2.50

8 cups cubed watermelon ($2.00)

2 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced ($.50)

6 green onions, chopped (I eliminated the onions)

¼ cup minced fresh mint

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

In large bowl, combine the watermelon, cucumber, onions and mint.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Pour over watermelon mixture; toss to coat.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Chef Salad

Summer is a difficult time for me in the kitchen. I feel less inspired to look through cook books and turn on the oven. It also seems that we are always running low groceries. I think all of the outside activities results in bigger appetites.

Last week I found myself scavenging through the fridge to put together dinner. I had just a little bit of this and a little bit of that. What came together was surprisingly received by the whole family. With a bit of chopping, dicing and arranging, the kids loved creating their own salads. In the end there wasn't a scrap left.

What are some quick meals you are able to pull off from what you have on hand?

Ham and Egg Bake

Recently I was in the middle of the week with little groceries to speak of and even scarcer time. Then I remembered the Heavenly Baked Ham in the freezer left from the holidays. With a dozen eggs and about eight potatoes for hashbrowns, I was able to throw together this meal which received rave reviews. If they only knew.


Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
Serves: 6-12
Cost: Approx. $3.00

1 dozen eggs ($.88)
12 slices of ham or deli meat ($2.00)
cooking spray

Spray the bottom of a muffin tin. Line each cup with a piece of meat. Carefully crack an egg into the cup. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes depending on how well cooked you prefer the yolk.

You can find this recipe along with may others at The Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap.

Allergy Free Chocolate Cupcakes

I wish I could have somehow added the smell to go
along with the picture. I had to hurry
and snap a shot before they were all
gobbled up. These cupcakes were
divine!


Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yields: 18 cupcakes
Cost: Approx. $2.50

2 cups gluten free baking mix ($1.00)
1/2 cup tapioca flour ($.25)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xantham gum
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup melted coconut oil ($.50)
1 egg or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/3 cup sugar or 2/3 cup agave nectar ($.25)
2 cups rice milk ($.50)
3 tsp vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients well. In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add slowly to dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes. Place in lined muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes.

We topped each cupcake with some glaze instead of the traditional iciing. To make the glaze slowly melt 3 oz of chocolate in 2 Tbsp on coconut oil.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Can I just say, "I LOVE my new Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker!" It's going to allow me to provide ice cream that is all natural for my family for a fraction of the price. I'm finding that I can have it churning while we eat dinner and ready to serve as dessert as we finish. This recipe was just the perfect balance of the richness of a fine dessert and the freshness of fruit. I can't wait to try it this summer with ripe strawberries!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Processing Time: 20-25 minutes
Yields: 1 quart
Cost: Approx. $2.00

8 ounces cream cheese ($.99)
1/4-1/2 cup agave nectar ($.25)
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup frozen or fresh strawberries ($.50)
1 1/2-2 cups milk

Blend all ingredients well in a food processor. Pour directly into ice cream maker and churn for 20-25 minutes. Eat soft serve or freeze for at least 2 hours for hard serve ice cream.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

In a moment of weakness I bought a package of gluten free pizza crust mix to the tune of $6.99. Ugh. It was good, but I just kept thinking, "I could have made this myself." So after several attempts, I've come up with a winning combination. I plan to make the prebaked crusts in bulk for the freezer so that pizza can be at our fingertips.
(As you can see we are still dairy free at this point. But, believe it or not, we're enjoying pizza just the same.)


Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yields: 3 large round crusts
Costs: Approx. $3.00

3 Tbsp dry yeast
2 cups brown rice flour ($.75)
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour ($.75)
3 tsp xantham gum
2 tsp salt
3 tsp unflavored gelatin ($.25)
3 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups warm water (approx. 11o degrees)
2 tsp agave nectar
3 tsp olive oil
3 tsp vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Blend all ingredients in an electric mixer for 3 minutes with regular beater attachments. Dough should be soft and sticky.


Divide dough into three parts. Place dough in the middle of a pizza stone. (I found that the stone worked best in cooking the dough all the way through and alleviating some of the heaviness that comes with gluten free grains.) Using parchment paper sprayed with cooking oil roll dough to fit the stone. (This will save you a lot of frustration and time in trying to get this sticky dough to conform.)

Bake crust for 10 minutes. Remove and top as desired. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Thanksgiving Noodles

We almost had a noodle scare. My mom spoke of not making noodles this year and the men about rose up in rebellion. "What! You can't do this to us!!"

She relented and will be, once again, blessing the family with at large pot of perfection this Thanksgiving. I thought I'd repost how to make her famous-to-us egg noodles in hopes of inspiring some of you. Here in Indiana we eat them over a pile of mashed potatoes. Can you say carb overload?

Need some other inspiration in the kitchen? Head over to Friday's Recipe Swap.


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: approx 20-30 minutes
Serves: 10-12 (3 batches of noodles)
Cost: approx. $3.00

1 cup flour x 3($.75)
1 tsp salt x 3
milk
1 egg x 3 ($.25)
chicken or beef broth ($2.00)
Pepper to taste

Make each batch of noodles for this recipe individually. Mix together 1 cup flour and 1 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Make a "well" in the middle of the flour and crack 1 egg. Pour in 1/2 egg shell of milk and mix with a fork slowly working in the flour from the sides or the bowl.


Continue adding flour or small amounts of milk as needed until the dough is well formed and no longer sticky. Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface and form into a disk.



Roll out the disk until very thin and let the dough dry until air bubbles are noticeable on the surface.
Lightly flour top of dough and roll into a jelly roll. Slice noodles thinly and separate to dry. Allow to dry at least 1 hour.



Add noodles to rapidly boiling broth stirring constantly. When noodles become plump turn down heat to continue cooking. Add pepper to taste.





Cooking tips:
*Don't overuse the flour or the noodles will be bland. Use just enough to get rid of the sticky texture.
*Noodles can be completely dried before cooking.
*Chicken broth/beef broth left after roasting added to canned broth is optimal.
*It's better to use more broth rather than too little. The noodles will absorb quite a bit of liquid in cooking.
* Noodles can be stored in a bag and frozen. Just add frozen noodles to boiling broth.

Granola

I so am not a fan of grocery store cereal. It's so bad that my kids get cereal for their birthday and think it's the most special gift in the world. So recently I've been striving to keep homemade granola on hand for those who just can't stomach one more bowl of oatmeal. They like it so much, that I've had to put a measuring cup in the container. In reality, if we all ate this it would probably last us two days if we ate the right portion size. This stuff is packed full of good calories, but too much of a good thing in the end is not a good thing- if you know what I mean.

Homemade Granola

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 24
Cost: Approx. $2.50

6 cups old fashioned oats ($.25)
1 cup oat bran cereal ($.75)
1/4 cup flax seeds ($.50)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped almonds ($.75 if bought in bulk)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil or unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey ($.50)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Mix oats, bran, seeds, cinnamon, almonds and brown sugar. In a sauce pan combine oil/applesauce, honey water and vanilla over low heat until well incorporated. Pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix well.

Spread on cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake at 300 for 60 minutes stirring every 15.

Let cool completely and store in air tight container.

Apple Butter Cake

As promised, I've begun using our apple butter to trial some new recipes. This cake was SO delicious! The icing wasn't quite what I expected. It turned out to be more like a glaze, but it did not lack in flavor. I made it a two layer round cake. Next time I think it will be bundt. Sorry, no picture for this one. It was gone before I had a chance.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Serves: 16
Cost: Approx. $2.50

1/2 cup butter ($.75)
1 cup sugar
4 beaten eggs ($.25)
2 1/2 cups flour ($.25)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 cup apple butter ($1.00)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add sifted dry ingredients alternating with milk. Mix well. Blend in apple butter. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Quick Caramel Icing

1 cup brown sugar ($.25)
1/2 cup cream/milk
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar and milk in a saucepan and cook covered for several minutes. Remove lid, bring to a boil. Allow to boil for a few minutes stirring occasionally. Add butter. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Add vanilla and beat until thick and creamy. (Mine never reached this consistency.) Spread on warm cake.

Creamy Stewed Apples

Last weekend I picked up a small cookbook entitled, "Old-Fashioned Apple Recipes". Knowing that I had 30 pounds of apples at home waiting for me was quite the motivating factor. I just couldn't pass up a 5lb bag of gala apples for $1.89 each. Here's one simple way to cook apples that is beyond delicious.

Prep Time: less than 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 8
Cost: Approx. $1.00

4 apples cored and sliced
bacon grease or 2 Tbsp butter
2/3 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbs flour
1/2 cup cream or milk
cinnamon

Cook apples in bacon grease or butter for about 2 minutes stirring constantly. Mix brown sugar, salt and flour into the cream/milk to form a smooth paste. Add to apples. Cook at medium heat until mixture thickens. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.

This would make a great side dish, but we enjoyed our served over cinnamon french toast. It made for a perfect accompaniment to spinach/bacon/cheese crustless quiche. Pretty good for a meal made from what was already on hand.

Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza

There's nothing quite like it. Can't drive to Chicago to get it. So here's my attempt. Using what I had in my pantry, I combined several on line recipes.

It wasn't bad for the first try. The crust was great, but I need to work on the sauce. I think there are a few people around who would be willing to try it again:) It was a great way to use the tomatoes from our garden, but next time I think it will be sauted mushrooms, garlic and onion.

Prep Time: 30 minutes (includes rising time)

Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Cost: Approx. $5.00

Crust

1 cup warm water
1 package quick rise yeast ($.50)
2 eggs
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour

Place sugar, yeast and water in a bowl and mix well until dissolved. Let rest 5 minutes. Then add 2 eggs well beaten.

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients adding additional flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky. Knead for five minutes. Let rest in greased bowl for 15 minutes. Press into deep dish pan and add toppings.

Toppings

Pizza Sauce (I made my own from canned tomatoes and this mix) ($.50)
3-4 cups shredded mozarella cheese ($2.50)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese ($.75)
diced onion and minced garlic sauted in olive oil until tender ($.25)
Sliced tomatoes (from garden)

To assemble pizza:

Press dough in deep pan or iron skillet making sure that dough is covering the sides. Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom. Layer 1/2 of onion/garlic mixture, sprinkle 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 3 large spoonfuls of sauce, 1/2 of mozzarella cheese and repeat.

Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese becomes golden brown.

Orange Shake-ups

I spent many a summer making lemon and orange shake-ups in a family friend's hot stand at a county fair somewhere in the Midwest. Recently I bought a huge amount marked down oranges for $2 and improvised to serve a no mess version of this special treat. It just tastes like summer!

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: none
Serves: 4 glasses
Cost: Practically free

3 oranges sliced
1/8-1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute to taste
ice
water
large jar (I used a very large plastic applesauce jar)

Place the sliced oranges in the bottom of a large jar. Using the end of a wooden spoon smash oranges until just rinds are remaining. Fill the jar to the rim with ice. Add water. Seal and shake for about one minute.