Sliced Cucumbers

I'm reminiscing about the recipes from my mother in law's personal collection.
This one is still served at our house.

4 medium cucumbers, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 C mayonnaise
4 TBS white vinegar
4 TBS sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Mix the last 4 ingredients well, in a bowl.
Add the cucumbers and onion, stir.

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight .

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Beef and Taters Casserole

Here's a classic recipe from my mother in law in Kansas. This would have been a family casserole or a casserole taken to a church gathering. It's simple and hearty.
I use a vegetarian version of ground beef in equal amounts to replace the meat. I also noted a change in the Cream of Chicken soup to make it vegetarian.

1 pound of ground beef
1 (28oz) bag of Tater Tots
2 tsp instant minced onions
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use Mushroom)
1 can of cream of celery soup
2 soup cans of whole milk

Crumble and cook the ground beef.
Set aside
In a large bowl, mix soups and milk.
Add, beef, onions and Tater Tots.
Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Hobo Bread from my mother in law's collection

This is another  Mennonite Family recipe from my mother in law's personal collection.
I've adapted it a bit. This recipe is old and some of the ingredient descriptions or directions needed to be updated. I did not change the integrity of the original recipe.

2 C raisins or dates
2 C boiling water
3 tsp baking soda
2 C sugar
4 TBS vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts
4 C flour

Chop raisins or dates.
In a medium bowl, combine raisins or dates with baking soda and boiling water.
Set aside overnight.

In the morning add all remaining ingredients and blend well.
Divide dough in half

Spray 2 Loaf Pans with a baking spray. ( the directions say to line the pans with waxed paper, I use my Pan Release Mix, equal parts of vegetable shortening, flour and vegetable oil, mixed well and coat the pans with a pastry brush.

Place the dough in the pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pizza Dough / Ree Drummond / The Pioneer Woman

Another favorite from Ree Drummond.
I happen to like a very thin crispy pizza crust. Pizza crust is personal. It's the reason that this recipe is appealing to me. I would consider making this on our grill too.
I spent some time in Italy in the 70's. My first experience having Italian Pizza was in Naples. I bought it from a street side window. A very large slice was served wrapped in a piece of butcher paper. The paper was used to soak up the excess grease. A lot of grease, amazing tasting grease. The pizza was the best I had ever had. I have now changed my taste in pizza. It could be a health issue.....! I certainly don't need that grease. Most of it came from the Pepperoni. At that time I was not Vegetarian so that pizza is out of the question for me today. But I embrace this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. It has a thin crispy crust and I can control the amount of oil!

Dough:
1 tsp active dry yeast
4 C flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 C Olive Oil

In a bowl:
Sprinkle over 1 1/2 C warm water (not lukewarm, but warm)

Stand Mixer with paddle attachment:
flour
salt
With the mixer on slow speed, drizzle in the oil and combine well.
Add yeast and mix until combines

Coat a mixing bowl with additional oil and add the dough.
Form a ball and toss to coat well.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap refrigerate and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Divide dough into two equal parts.
If baking one at a time, refrigerate the other ball until ready to use.

Roll out thin on a cutting board
Transfer to a baking sheet pan and spread out.
Top with marinara sauce (recipe to follow) and favorite toppings
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

Marinara Sauce:
2 TBS olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 C vegetarian chicken broth
1 - 15oz. cans crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper
a pinch of sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
8 - 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

In a saute pan over medium heat
Heat the oil.
Add :
garlic
onion
Cook 4 - 5 minutes

Add:
broth and whisk well.
Continue to cook until the liquid reduces by 1/2.

Add:
Tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Stir well

Add:
Sugar
Oregano
Basil
Stir well
Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.

For a Four Cheese Pizza:
2 TBS olive oil
salt and pepper
1 - (3.5oz) jar of Pesto
12 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
4 oz. fontina cheese, grates
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 C pecorino romano

Drizzle dough with oil
sprinkle with salt and pepper
pour on pesto , spread evenly
Add all of the cheeses
Bake at 400 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.



Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Shiner Bock Beer Ice Cream from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

Wow, what can I say about an ice cream made with our favorite beer? Shiner is the beer of Texas!

Shiner Bock Ice Cream:


2 cups heavy cream
1 cup Shiner Bock beer
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cajeta, for serving (optional)
Crushed peanuts, for serving (optional)

In a large saucepan, stir together the cream, Shiner Bock, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Place over medium-low heat and cook just until the mixture is warm—do not let it boil—about 3-5 minutes.

When the cream is warm, scoop out 1/4 cup of the mixture and stir into the beaten egg yolks until well combined. Slowly pour the cream and egg yolks back into the pot and while stirring, continue to cook until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 to 4 minutes. Again, do not let it boil. Remove the cream mixture from heat, stir in the vanilla, and then cool covered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

After the cream has cooled, freeze in your ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Chill in the freezer for 4 hours for a firmer ice cream or serve immediately for a softer ice cream.


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Cinnamon Cornflake Squares from Real Simple

• Our children, our friends children and our grandchildren all love Rice Krispie Treats. I consider it to be an Iconic All American Recipe.
• Here's a twist on that recipe. These are basically Corn Flake Treats with a hint of Cinnamon.
• I think they'd be a perfect dessert any time of the year.
• I would certainly make them for Christmas.
• 
  
• 2 TBS  butter, plus more for the pan
• 1 10oz. package marshmallows
• 6 C cornflakes
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment, leave an overhang on two sides.
2. In a large saucepan, cook the butter and marshmallows over medium heat, stirring, until melted. Mix in the cornflakes and cinnamon.
3. Press the cornflake mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Let cool completely, then lift out and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Cheesy Baked Jalapeno Popper Dip from Wisconsin Cheese

As a Texan I love any recipe with Jalapenos.
I thought about making this recipe Tex-Mex but there was something about it that was intriguing to me. I  adapted some of it but I did not change the integrity of the original recipe.
It comes from Wisconsin Cheese.

6 jalapenos, divided
8 oz. (1C) mascarpone cheese
1 (8oz.) package of cream cheese
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 C plain bread crumbs
1 TBS butter, melted

Slice 1 jalapeno into thin rounds, set aside
Dice remaining jalapenos, set aside

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl:
mascarpone cheese
cream cheese
cheddar cheese
garlic powder
diced jalapenos
Mix Well
Spread in the bottom of a 1 quart casserole dish

In a small bowl:
parmesan cheese
bread crumbs
melted butter
Mix Well
Sprinkle over dip

Top with sliced jalapenos
Bake 30 minutes
Serve warm with Tortilla Chips

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!