Homemade Italian Egg Noodles
I learned how to make these in a town close to Florence when we were there on vacation.

4 cups flour
7 eggs
flour

Make a hill with the flour on a flat surface.  Create a bowl in the middle and crack all the eggs into it.  (This is where the little Italian grandma suggested we wash our hands because the outside of eggs are dirty).  Start incorporating the eggs into the flour with your hands and add a small handful of flour as needed.  Knead until smooth.  Use a long, somewhat thin, wood rolling pin (preferrable without handles).  Roll the dough into a circle and when about 1/2 inch thick, sprinkle with flour and wrap the dough around the pin.  With your hands starting in the middle, do short back and forth motions with the dough wrapped pin, while working your hands out to the edges.  This will lengthen the dough and be easier to get it the desired thinness (yes, that's a word...I may have made up).  Unroll the dough from the pin and roll it a couple more times to get it as thin as you want (again "thinness" would be appropriate here). :)  Fold the dough in 3 inch lengths and use a knife to cut it as thin as you want.  Grab the ends and shake it out to reveal your beautiful egg noodles!

Toss them in boiling water to cook.

Weiner Schnitzel

(Ilse W. Bitburg, Germany Ward cookbook)

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 Calfschnitzel (each 125 g - about 1/4 lb.) I would use pork or chicken
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. flour
2 eggs
4 tbsp. bread crumbs
125 g porklard cooking oil/grease (Crisco)
1 lemon
Pound the schnitzel with a meat hammer fairly thin.  Cut along edges a few times with a sharp knife so it will not bend when fried. Mix salt, pepper, and flour.  Mix the eggs with two tablespoons of water in a deep plate.

Put the schnitzel first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mix, and then in the bread crumbs.  heat the lard in a large frying pan and brown the schnitzel for about 3 minutes each side. until golden brown.

Smart Cooking The Costco Way

I received a free "Smart Cooking The Costco Way" cook book a couple of years ago from a holiday promotion they were having. Every recipe I have tried in it thus far, has been MORE than satisfactory. You can view the entire cookbook by clicking HERE.

Below is listed a couple of the recipes I have made and LOVED. Also, I included one full recipe that we made tonight because I made some alterations with what I had and it turned out great.

Rafael's Honey Ginger Salmon
Grapefruit Alaska (minus the rum)
Penne with Walnut Pesto

Beef Stir-Fry with Vegetables
This recipe is one delicious way to use vegetables from an Eat Smart vegetable tray.

1/3 cup peanut butter or hoisin sauce (I used chunky peanut butter)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (I only had regular vinegar)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (I didn't have this and therefore did not include it in the recipe)
8 oz. linguine (I used 1 cup of Quinoa instead)
5 cups vegetables of your own choice from an Eat Smart vegetable tray (I used broccoli, peppers, onions, and carrots = whatever we had in our fridge)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
8 oz. top sirloin, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.

*(See below for what I did instead, with the Quinoa) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions. add carrots, snap peas and broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and rinse under hot water.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. add garlic and sirloin; stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until almost cooked. Add grape tomatos and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until the meat is cooked. Pour the sauce mixture over the top to warm.

Return the linguine and vegetables to the pasta pot and stir in the meat/sauce mixture. Thin with the reserved cooking water if necessary. Garnish with sesame seeds. Makes 4 servings.

*Instead of cooking the noodles and veggies together, I cooked my Quinoa in my rice cooker while I sauteed the sirloin and garlic together. Remove the sirloin from the pan and saute vegetables until they still have a little bit of a crispness when you bite into them. Combine sirloin/garlic with veggies in the pan, remove from heat, and pour in the peanut sauce. Stir to coat. Eat over Quinoa.

Tip from Costco: leftover party trays make great salad toppers, soups and stews. Or mix with light olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and roast in the oven (400 degrees F).

Vegetarian dinner

Tomato and Butter Sauce Pasta
(from our Nielsen family cookbook, submitted by Marisa)
1 (29oz.) can whole tomatos, with juice (I use diced tomatos)
1/4 c. butter
1 onion, cut in half
1 lb. pasta, (penne, gemelli) cooked
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan (I use the canned stuff)
Cut tomatoes into pieces and add to saucepan with juice, butter, and onion. Simmer until butter separates from sauce, 20-30 minutes. Mix with pasta and top with Parmesan.

Creamy Chicken over Rice

This was given to me by my friend Kate while in San Antonio. Such a great and easy crockpot recipe.

Creamy Chicken over Rice

2-3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 pkt. of dry zesty italian salad dressing mix

1 pkg. of cream cheese

1 stick of butter

1 can of cream of chicken soup

Put it all in the crock-pot and I think it is best if you put it on low for 6-7 hours. When it's done, I shred the chicken and mix it all together.

Best if served over rice!

Funeral Potatos

This recipe is a classic LDS recipe and I hope I NEVER tire of it!

Potato Casserole (otherwise known as "funeral potatos")
This recipe comes from my "Lion House Recipes" book. The Lion House is a restaraunt in the Joseph Smith Memorial building in Salt Lake City, Utah.
5 large potatos
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 can (10 1/2 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup cornflake crumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Boil whole potatos until tender. Drain and peel. Shred coarsely. Place in 9x13 (2-3 quart) casserole dish. Pour 3 tablespoons of melted butter over potatos. Mix together soup, sour cream, milk, onions, and cheese. Pour evenly over potatos. Do not mix. Cover the top with buttered crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees F. Make 8 to 10 servings.

Quick and Easy Sunday Meal

I got this recipe from my sister who got it from.... I don't know where. I made it after church today and it was super quick, easy, AND good (all wrapped into one!) It's not something that packs a punch of flavor but a little salt and pepper will perk it up if you need it. I personally liked it as is.

Quick and Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken and Linguine

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
1 Tbsp lemon pepper 1 tomato,diced
½ c butter* 1 pkg. linguine noodles,
1 sm onion, chopped cooked

Melt butter in microwave and add lemon pepper. Stir-fry chicken until brown. Add butter and pepper mixture. Add onion and saute. Remove from heat. Add noodles and tomatoes. Toss and serve. (*May want to cut back - high fat!)

I served it with Italian Herb Ciabatta Bread. A friend here recommended a bottle of "Aceto Balsamico Di Modena" (Balsalmic Vinegar of Modena) and Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive oil for dipping the bread in. The vinegar is fantastic! We dip any bread in it with the oil and it is super. It's one of the few items we can get at the commisary here so I can't imagine them not having it in the states.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This is a recipe I received from a friend in Cleveland, OH. I have loved it and it has become a staple. My husband who does not like meatloaf and other mixed meats really likes this recipe.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Mix the following ingredients together and roll into small meatballs:
1 lb. Hamburger (we like turkey burger)
3/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C. Oats
1/2 pkg. of Onion Soup Mix
1/3 C. Milk
1 Egg
A pinch of pepper

Place the meatballs side-by-side in a 9x9 dish. This recipe doubles well so feel free to use a 9x13 for a larger family.

Combine the following in a separate bowl:
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 C. BBQ sauce
1 tsp. Mustard
1/4 C. Vinegar

Pour sauce over the meat and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve it over rice.

A great side dish for this is green bean casserole.

2 months later...

I absolutely LOVE cooking this blessed Turkey on this blessed holiday all because of this blessed (that's right, I did say it again) recipe. "Absolutely fool proof!" to quote Julia Childs. Very easy and ends up being the most beautiful turkey. The picture below is from my first time cooking it in 2006.
Maple-Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 bunch fresh sage, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (12 to 14-pound) fresh turkey, giblets, neck, and liver discarded
• 8 strips bacon
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
  
• 2 tablespoons hot water
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.

Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. {I don't use "kosher salt" or "freshly ground pepper" AND I use dried sage off my spice rack since this is about the only time each year I use it. I use as much as it takes to look like a good mixture with the butter. I don't think you can go wrong on this one.}

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go. {I bath the bird under the skin with the butter mixture. I push up the skin as much as I dare without breaking the skin and massage the butter into the breast meat. You can see where the bird is darker colored on my picture - that's from the sage and butter under the skin.}

Truss the bird by crossing the legs over one another and tying with a piece of kitchen twine. Shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered. Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, cover the turkey with aluminium foil, and place in the oven.

In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown. When done take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stove top. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest at least 20 minutes before carving. Serve with Turkey Gravy. {I find that the worst thing you can do is overcook the turkey. We get so afraid of it being raw that it ends up being super dry from cooking too long. Just my observation.}

Zoppa Tuscana

This soup is supposedly the same recipe as Olive Garden's Zoppa Tuscana Soup. I can't guarantee that but I think I like this just as much as theirs.

Zoppa Tuscana Soup

2 3/4 C. Chicken Broth
1/4 C. Heavy Cream
1 Med. Russet Potato cut into bite size pieces
2 C. Kale chopped
1/2 lb. Spicy Italian Sausage (I find this a little spicy even when I use mild Italian sausage)
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper (maybe go lighter on this if you don't like spice)

Grill or cook sausage then cut it up (I cook mine like hamburger). Combine broth and cream over medium heat. Add potato and Kale to pot. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer until tender. *Serves 4 peeps as an appetizer or 2 as an entree.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad/Burritos

This is by far the best recipe I have found for these burritos so far.

CAFÉ RIO PORK SALAD
(Kaori Anderson)

4 lbs of pork roast
3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)
3 tsp pressed garlic
3 c brown sugar
4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 c Dr. Pepper
4 Tbsp Molasses
1/2 tsp salt
5-6 drops tobasco sauce
1 Sarrano chile

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, cover and cook 10 hours on low. When pork falls apart or shreds easily remove from juice. Simmer the juices until it reduces to 1/3-1/2. Put the pork back in the crock pot with a little juice (so it doesn’t dry out while waiting for the juice to simmer) and shred. Then add the juice back in for flavor.


CAFE RIO RICE-

3 cups water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic – minced
½ bunch cilantro
1/2 can green chiles
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
1 ½ cups rice (not minute rice)

Blend cilantro, green chiles, and onion together in food processor or blender. Bring water to a boil and add all the ingredients including the blended ingredients. Simmer covered on low for 25-30 minutes. Watch carefully as this can burn easily.


CAFE RIO DRESSING-

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (made as per recipe with 2 c.
buttermilk and 2 c. mayonnaise)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno (use the seeds too if you like it spicy)

Use a food processor or blender to blend all the ingredients.

BLACK BEANS
2 cans black beans
3-5 chopped green onions
Garlic salt to taste (not too much it won’t taste good)

Bring to boil and then simmer on low.


How to build your Salad:
Flour Tortilla
Cheese (you can melt the cheese on the tortilla in microwave if
desired)
Beans (pinto or black)
Rice
Chicken
Romaine Lettuce
Fresh Salsa
Guacamole
Sprig of cilantro
Lime wedge (squeeze over top)
Crushed Tortilla chips
Dressing

Pork Tacos
Toritilla
Pork
Cilantro
Avocado
Lime
Dressing
Cheese

Burrito
Pork taco stuff plus lettuce, beans, and rice.

On the Menu

One of my favorite dinner's is spaghetti and bread sticks. Here is my favorite spaghetti sauce from scratch... first though, have you ever wondered where the phrase "from scratch" came from? Well, I did and just looked it up. Click here to read about it's origins. You learn something new everyday!!

Now, on to the recipes...

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
From the kitchen of Vikki Barnett (I actually don't know this lady personally but she is a friend of my mom-in-law and came to my wedding shower. Everyone brought a recipe and an ingredient. This is the recipe she brought. Thank you Vikki!)

1 lb. ground beef
1 yellow onion diced
1 tsp. salt
1-2 cloves of garlic

Brown and drain above items. Then add:
3 small cans tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 tsp. oregano leaves
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. hot pepper flakes
1 tsp. parsley
1 cup of water (I hold off the water unless I really need it. I like thicker sauce.)

Simmer ingredients, covered, for 1-2 hours (or as long as you can. The spices just need to meld together and season the sauce. I sometimes only have time to simmer it for 1/2 an hour. If you can do 1-2 hours, do it.) Serve over spaghetti and "oh what a night, what a beautiful night,..." (sung as you share a noodle with your dog... I mean loved one....got the movie?)

*I have made this sauce without meat in it as well. It's still good, but the beef gives it a little extra somethin'.

Breadsticks
From chef: Tori Howell (who got it from her mother, who received it from.....)

1 tbsp. yeast (I use SAF instant yeast because all you have to do is just add it. There's no waiting)
1 1/2 c. warm water
3 c. flour (only add enough flour for the dough to be soft but still a little sticky)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
melted butter
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
Dissolve yeast in water (you don't have to wait for it to dissolve). Add to dry ingredients and knead well (if you have a Bosch mixer, you just run it on the fastest level for 8-10 minutes). Let rise for 20-30 minutes (if you have time and want fluffier bread sticks. Lately, I haven't had time and actually prefer a denser bread stick for lapping up all that fabulous sauce!) Pour melted butter on a cookie sheet (I use about 3-4 tablespoons but you'll have to see what you like) and roll dough on top of it. When I roll it, butter gets on top of the dough too. You do want butter on top as well so your garlic salt will stick AND because we can all use a little more delicious fat in our lives! Cut the dough into strips and cross ways down the middle. Sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Let it rise to desired height and bake at 350 for 20 min. (I check mine after 15 because of the humidity).

No rinsing your plates tonight! That's the bread sticks job.

Dinner of the Day

Today, it being Conference Sunday, I made the main course from the book "Essential Mormon Celebrations" that they suggest for this Sunday. This cookbook is split up into holidays and seasons and gives you suggestions for an entire meal for that holiday/season. It's kind of a fun book.

So, here was our menu:

Missionary Chicken (Essential Mormon Celebrations)

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
S and P to taste
2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of Chicken soup
2 c. sour cream
1 8 oz. bag grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. sliced, sauteed mushrooms (optional)
16 asparagus spears, crisp cooked (optional)

Arrange chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. In a bowl, mix cream of chicken soup and sour cream together. Spread over chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Garnish with mushrooms and asparagus spears, if desired. Makes 8 servings. (I serve it with rice)

I've made it with and without the asparagus and mushrooms. Both ways are great although I think the asparagus gives a great flavor to it all. This is a really easy recipe which honestly, can magically make things taste a little bit better. :)

Jello of my own concoction
(Essential Mormon Celebrations suggested a Jell-o but since I didn't have what they suggested, I used what I did have, thus the title)

Make 1 box of Raspberry Jell-o as directed and add frozen (or thawed) sliced strawberries and mini marshmallows while still in liquid form. Refrigerate until desired texture.

Jell-o has been a staple side dish as of late. It has been on sale at Walgreens so I have many boxes. You can dress it up with fruit, whipped topping, nuts ... or you can dress it down by just eating it plain. Sometimes it's fun to substitute Sprite for the water part. Either way, it's a side dish your kids are sure to love.

What else:
I was going to steam broccoli (we LOVE fresh steamed broccoli) but my kids are still little and what I made already was going to fill them. So, it being Sunday, a day of rest, we kept it simple. Essential Mormon Celebrations suggested making Zucchini and a German Choc. Cake. I didn't have all those ingredients so I made a Pumpkin Crisp. It was good but I haven't decided if it's worthy to be one of my favorites.

Happy Conference!!