Leila’s Home Recipes

Pasta with Other Stuff

The original name for this dish was Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta and Pine Nuts. I didn’t have any of those ingredients, so I made up the following instead.

Pasta with Other Stuff

8 oz uncooked Cavatappi pasta
3 cups Broccoli
1 lb boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of Bacon1 Lemon, juiced (about 5 Tbsp)
1 tsp minced Garlic
2 tsp extra virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 oz Parmesan Cheese

Start the pasta cooking. During the last 2-3 minutes, add the broccoli to the cooking pasta. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.

While the pasta/broccoli is cooking, heat a skillet and brown your bacon. Give it a rough chop and set aside to drain on a paper towel. Drain any excess bacon grease from the skillet. In the same skillet, begin cooking your chicken. Add oil if necessary to keep from sticking. When chicken is almost finished, add 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice to the skillet as well as the chopped bacon. Put heat on low until chicken is cooked through.

In a separate dish, whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Add to the chicken skillet and toss. Now, toss the chicken mixture into the pasta and broccoli pot and toss well, making sure everything is coated. Add additional olive oil or seasonings to taste.

Serve warm, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

If you’re interested in the original recipe, you should be able to find it at MyRecipes.com.

Dutch Baby (Keelan calls it the “Sunday Morning Breakfast Thing”)

As the title suggests, I tend to make this on Sunday mornings.  I tried it on Saturday once… just not quite the same.

Dutch Baby

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. milk
2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat your oven to 450F.  Using a wisk, beat the eggs.  Sift in the flour and salt and mix well.  Mix in the milk then butter to form a batter.  Add other ingredients* as you wish.

Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch skillet (my best results have been with a heavy cast iron skillet).  Bake at 450F for 20 minutes.  Prick any bubbles that may rise during this step.  If additional baking is needed, reduce the heat to 350 for another 10 minutes.

* Other Ingredients: I chop an apple (Fuji or other crisp variety) and add to the batter.  Pears are good too.  I also add cinnamon, cardamom and a little sugar to the batter then drizzle with honey or agave nectar before serving.  The basic recipe would also be tasty topped with ice cream and/or berries and served as a dessert.

I’m posting this on a Sunday morning… guess what we just ate.  Mmmmmmm.

Tuna Casserole

This is one of those recipes where you pretty much throw everything in a dish in whatever proportions you like.  You can use a variety of vegetables, pastas, cheeses to please everyone in your family.  Don’t like tuna?  Try using canned chicken instead.  Don’t like carrots?  Use broccoli.  My mom always added a can of chopped water chestnuts to her casserole.  They added a nice crunch without covering up any other tastes.  And did I mention leftovers?  Perfect for tomorrow’s lunch.

Tuna Casserole

Egg Noodles (I measure by putting the dry noodles in the bottom of the casserole dish in which I will be cooking.  Usually 4-5 cups, dry)

2 cans chunk tuna, drained

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

Any other veggies you like… broccoli, cauliflower, frozen peas, etc.

1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

Milk to fill 2/3 of the empty soup can

Shredded cheese or cheese chopped into small cubes

Crushed crackers or potato chips

Salt, pepper, other seasonings to taste

Start by mostly cooking the noodles.  You want them flexible, but not so much that they end up mushy after 30 minutes in the oven.  Once the noodles have been drained, place them in the bottom of your casserole dish and set aside.  Chop your vegetables into bite sized pieces.  Combine veggies, tuna and the can of soup in a mixing bowl.  Add milk and stir until the mixture is similar to a runny sauce.  Stop before it becomes soupy.  Mix in the cheese and seasonings.  Pour the mixture evenly over the noodles.  Cover and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle crushed crackers or chips over the top and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Cranberry-Apple Salad

It’s the last day of summer, but it feels like fall!  There’s snow falling in the mountains and we’ve got cold rain along the Front Range.  Weather like this makes me think of all my favorite fall recipes and Cranberry-Apple Salad is at the top of the list.  This is the perfect recipe for holiday gatherings… easy to make, easy to transport, and wonderfully refreshing!

Cranberry-Apple Salad

Combine and refrigerate overnight:
1 lb. Cranberries, chopped (don’t use the cranberries from a can… get the fresh ones… and buy extras for the freezer!)
1 orange rind, grated
½ c. orange juice (yup, use the orange you just undressed/un-rinded)
3 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
1 c. sugar

 Soak until dissolved:
1 Tbsp gelatin (if you can’t find plain gelatin near the Jello, look near the canning supplies in your grocery store)
3 Tbsp cold water
 

Stir until dissolved:
1 pkg Jello gelatin (lemon, strawberry, cranberry flavor, etc)
1 c. boiling water
Soaked gelatin from above 

Combine gelatin and cranberry mixtures.  Add 3 apples, chopped.
Pour into mold or serving bowl and refrigerate until firm.

*Note – While it’s not strictly necessary to refrigerate overnight in the first step, it does help merry the flavors and allows the juices to come together.

Swedish Meatballs

Last night’s experiment… Swedish Meatballs.  I’ve never actually made meatballs from scratch, so I was pleasantly surprised when they turned out well.  Listed below is the original family recipe, though I made a few adjustments.  I’m no good at gravy, so instead of consommé I used a can of cream of mushroom soup thinned with milk.  I also added finely chopped mushrooms and celery to the onion sauté.  I served this up over pasta with a side of vegetables.

Swedish Meatballs

Cook until tender:
·         ¼ c. chopped onion
·         1 Tbsp butter

Combine and beat thoroughly:
·         1 lb beef
·         ¾ tsp salt
·         Pepper to taste

Beat in:
·         2 Tbsp flour
·         1 egg
·         ¼ c. light cream
·         Cooked onion from above

Mixture should be light and fluffy.  Form into 1-inch balls.  Brown in skillet.  Remove excess fat and add:
·         1 can consommé

Cook uncovered 12-15 minutes.  Thicken juices to make gravy if desired.  Makes 2 dozen meatballs.

This would be a really good party dish too.  The 1-inch meatballs are the perfect size for a toothpick.

Skal!
Leila

Skal is Swedish for Cheers!

Beef and Barley Soup

This one-dish meal is easily prepared with pantry staples.  Essentially, toss everything in a pot and let it simmer.  You’ll be rewarded with a tasty dinner tonight and left-overs tomorrow.  This is one of those dishes that actually tastes better the second day.  You can also change it up.  Don’t have chuck steak?  Use ground beef instead.  Or try chicken or turkey, ground or cubed, whatever you have around.  As a time saver, you can use quick cooking barley.  You’ll save about 20 minutes during the simmer stage.

Beef and Barley Stew

·   2 cups onion, chopped (about 1 large)

·   1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

·   1 1/2 cups carrot, chopped and peeled

·   1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)

·   5 garlic cloves, minced

·   1 cup uncooked pearl barley

·   5 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

·   2 cups water

·   1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato puree

·   1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

·   1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·   2 bay leaves

·   Cooking spray or olive oil

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Coat the pan with cooking spray or olive oil.  Add the chopped onion and beef to the pan; cook for 10 minutes or until the onion is tender and the beef is browned, stirring occasionally.  Add the carrot and celery and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Add the barley and remaining ingredients, stir and bring to a boil.  Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the barley is done and vegetables are tender.  Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Enjoy!

Leila

Interested in Real Estate Investing?  Check out my husband’s blog at www.keelandenver.blog.com.

Pizza!

What’s for supper tonight?  The age-old question.  Well, tonight is Pizza Night.  I have to give credit to my mom for the pizza crust.  Thanks Mom – You’re the best cook in the world! 

Pizza Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast (equiv to one packet)

Italian-type Herbs (optional), fresh or dried, whatever you have on hand

Dash of salt

1 cup hot water (don’t scald yourself, but it should be hot, around 125 degrees)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Combine the yeast, herbs, salt and 2 cups of the flour.  Add in the water and olive oil.  Stir well to combine.  Add in enough of the remaining flour until the dough starts to form a ball.  Flour a clean work surface and knead the dough.  Add more flour as needed.  In the end, the dough should be firm, not sticky or tough.  Lightly flour the outside of the dough ball and put it back in the mixing bowl.  Cover and set aside in a warm-ish spot for about five minutes (warmth helps the yeast activate.  Only put the dough in a cold place if you really wanted to order carry-out).

While the dough is settling, prepare your toppings.  Once that’s done, prepare your baking pan by spraying with olive oil or cooking spray (I use a 12×14 inch pan for this recipe).  Roll the dough out to fit your pan.  Spread the pizza sauce, put your favorite toppings on (don’t forget the cheese!) and bake.  Mine goes for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees.   Keep in mind, I’m at high altitude so your baking time/temp might vary.

Because time is an issue in our household, I like to keep the toppings easy.  Pre-cooked chicken breasts are a staple in my fridge for this application.  You can get them already seasoned and they are easy to chop up as a topping.  I also use green peppers that I’ve previously chopped and frozen.  I find that using frozen peppers (green/red/yellow/orange) works better than fresh because the fresh ones cook so fast, they’re overdone by the time the rest of the pizza is ready.  This is also a creative way to use left-overs.  You can easily use only what your family enjoys and you don’t need a lot of any individual topping.  Let your imagination be your guide!

Enjoy!

Leila

Pasta with Chicken Sausage

This is an easy weeknight meal.  If you get two pots going, you can cook the sausage part while the pasta is cooking.  15 minutes and you’re eating!  What’s listed below serves 2 people easily with leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  When choosing which pasta to use, try to use one that will hold on to the other ingredients.  You could even modify this to make really good lasagna.  Try it and let me know how it turns out!

Pasta with Chicken Sausage

8 oz pasta (Campanelle, penne, shells, etc)

1 large sausage, about 8 oz. (My favorite is the Spicy Parmesan Chicken Sausage from the local Sprout’s Grocery)

1 large carrot, diced       

1 small onion, diced

1 can diced tomatoes (the tomatoes that come already flavored are add a nice flavor)

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt, Pepper, Spices to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, do not overcook.  Squeeze the sausage out of it’s casing and brown in a large skillet (the sausage, not the casing).  Once brown, set aside on a plate lined with paper towel to drain.  Wipe most of the grease out of skillet, then sauté vegetables in the same skillet.  Add tomatoes and balsamic vinegar to the skillet.  Allow to cook for several minutes.  Add back sausage and add salt, pepper and spices to taste.  Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss to coat.  Serve with shredded cheese or parmesan if you like.

Bon appetito!  Be sure to check out my husband’s real estate blog at:  www.keelandenver.blog.com

Leila

Tiramisu

This is one of my favorite desserts.  It should be made several hours prior to serving so it can chill and the flavors can marry.  Just prior to serving is the time to sprinkle the final bit of cocoa powder and chocolate shavings on top.  I mean really… what’s better than dessert with a little kick?

Tiramisu

 3 large eggs, separated

2 cups mascarpone cheese, at room temp

8 oz cream cheese (optional, helps the mascarpone go farther)

1 Tbsp vanilla sugar (or regular sugar with a splash of vanilla)

½ c heavy whipping cream (approx.)

¾ c cold, strong coffee (good quality, fresh, not from instant)

½ c liqueur (Amaretto, Grand Marnier, Kahlua, etc)

18 ladyfingers

Cocoa powder

Chocolate shavings

Combine coffee and liqueur in a small bowl and set aside.  Whisk or beat the egg yolks, mascarpone, cream cheese and sugar until well combined and creamy.  While combining, use as much of the whipping cream as necessary to achieve your desired consistency.  In a glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.  Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.

To begin layering, put a few spoonfuls of mascarpone mixture into your serving dish and spread to cover the bottom.  Quickly dip the ladyfingers into the coffee-liqueur mix.  Don’t let them soak too long or they will dissolve!  Place dipped ladyfingers onto mascarpone base forming a layer.  Spoon mascarpone mix over ladyfingers and continue layering, about 3 layers.  Sprinkle cocoa powder over each mascarpone layer and on top.  Also top with chocolate shavings.  Chill for several hours or overnight.

Bon appetito!  Be sure to check out my husband’s real estate blog at:  www.keelandenver.blog.com

Leila