Chicken Bog

My husband and I have talked about Chicken Bog ever since we first ate it around 8 years ago. Why did we never search for it in the grand cyber space of recipes?? Mmmm.... This recipe is cheap, simple, delicious, and freezes well. It's soupy, salty, and satisfying. What more can you want in a recipe? Oh--it's kid-friendly and a crowd pleaser.

~Recipe adapted slightly from Paula Deen

• 1 whole chicken, 3-5 pounds, rinsed and cut into several pieces
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 t. Lawry's seasoned salt
• 2 t. House seasoning (see below)
• 1 t. black pepper
• 1 t. crushed red pepper
• 1/4-1/2 c. butter
• 8 c. water
• 3 c. white rice

1. Combine chicken, sausage, and seasonings in large stockpot. Pour water over. Bring to a boil, cover, and boil gently for 40 minutes.
2. Remove chicken pieces and let cool enough to handle. 
3. Add rice to stock mixture. Bring to boil and boil gently 10 minutes. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes.
4. Meanwhile, strip chicken meat from bones. Discard bones and skin. 
5. When rice is done, add chicken meat back to pot and stir. 

~Serves 8-10

House Seasoning: (I use this on all kinds of things--roasted sweet potatoes, ordinary rice, eggs, whatever...)
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
~optional: add some onion powder--few teaspoons or so
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

So far this week, unbeknownst to each other until after the fact, Carrie made sloppy joes using the mix, Betsy tried this recipe below, and our mom made a homemade version of sloppy job mix for Meatless Manicotti--clearly, we are all on the same page! It's always kind of scary when that happens.

This recipe below could be frozen before putting the mixture in the crock pot (after browning beef/onions and adding seasoning). Thaw the night before and proceed as directed. This is the kind of crock pot recipe you begin around lunchtime (or during kids' naps) since it doesn't take all day to cook. Recipe can be doubled and cooked in the same size crock. 4 quarts is preferable, round or oval.

~Recipe from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

• 1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
• 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 large rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
• 2 T. cider vinegar
• 2 T. firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 t. paprika
• 1/2 t. dry mustard
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. chili powder, or to taste
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• dash hot sauce
• dash cayenne pepper
• hamburger or soft sandwich buns
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce if you like yours extra saucy and want to eat it with knife and fork

1. Brown meat and veggies. Drain, if desired.
2. When cooked, add to crock with remaining ingredients (except sandwich buns). If you don't use the extra tomato sauce, the mixture can be piled on the buns, topped, and eaten as a (messy) sandwich. If you want them soupy, throw in the extra tomato sauce now, too.
3. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours. Mine went a bit longer than 6 hours and it was a little too long. Check it at 4 hours--all crocks cook differently.

Serves 4-5

Apple Spice Cake

This cake is super moist and gets more flavorful as it sits/cools--a perfect make-the-day-ahead-cake (or 2 days or... freeze it!).

~Recipe from Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition

• 1 1/2 c. flour (all white or half white/half whole wheat)
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. cloves
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 2 T. rum or brandy, optional (I didn't use)
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 c. chopped apples (can leave skins on if desired; I didn't)
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8x8-inch pan or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together, making sure to pinch out any lumps from the brown sugar.
3. Add buttermilk or yogurt, oil, brandy, and vanilla; stir until smooth.
4. Stir in apples and nuts, if using.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
7. Serve from pan or invert pan onto cooling rack, peel off paper, and flip back over (this is tricky!).
8. Can ice with basic white frosting but it's delicious plain.

Makes 1 8x8-inch cake (16 servings)

Easy Pizza Sauce

This is another great recipe from my friend Meadow--one of the people who has inspired me to attempt making homemade pizza!

• 2 (28-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• lots of fresh basil (can you have too much?)
• 1-2 t. red pepper flakes
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. sugar

Mix and simmer at medium low until sauce is reduced and thick. Use immediately or freezer for another time.

Pasta with Lentils (or other Legumes)

This was a wonderful discovery: sort of a pasta e fagioli meets lentil stew. It used up some pantry staples and will become part of our repertoire. Bonus: it freezes! You can use cooked beans instead of lentils (white beans would be good), but we really enjoyed the lentils. I used French green lentils (small, dark green) because they hold up better; regular brown lentils will also work, but will probably fall apart more. The entire recipe takes about an hour, but much of it is unattended.

From How to Cook Everything, 10th ann edition

• 3/4 c. dried lentils, washed and picked over, or 1 1/2-2 cups cooked or canned small beans
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• salt and pepper
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 pound elbows, shells, or other cut pasta
• 1 t. minced garlic (I used 2 smallish cloves)

1. Combine lentils, carrots, and half of the onions in a large pot. Pour in enough water to cover and simmer over medium heat until lentils are tender, but not mushy. This took my dark green lentils about 30 minutes; brown lentils won't take as long. Add tomato, half of the oregano, some salt and pepper, and stir and cook for another 10 minutes or so; keep warm over low heat.
2. Cook pasta in large pot of salted water until almost al dente (you're going to cook it another couple of minutes, so make sure it's still underdone a bit). When done enough, drain and reserve about a cup of cooking water. Don't worry about keeping it warm--you're going to cook it again still, so it can sit out for a bit.
3. Saute remaining onion in two tablespoons olive oil over medium low heat until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes--stir occasionally (you're going to have all three pots going at the same time, here).
4. Combination time! This makes a large amount. I reserved half for the freezer before combining (details below if you also won't be able to eat it all in one meal). Add remaining oregano, garlic, sautéed onions, and pasta to the lentil mixture. Add enough cooking water to make it moist. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until pasta is done.
5. To freeze half for later: take out half of the pasta and let cool in one bowl. Take out half the lentil-tomato mixture and let cool in another bowl. Add half the cooked onions, half the garlic, and half the remaining oregano to the lentil mixture. When all is cooled off, bag up the pasta in one ziploc bag, the lentil mixture in another, and put both of those bags into a third gallon ziploc bag; freeze for up to a few weeks. Thaw overnight in fridge and combine all in one pot to reheat. The pasta will finish cooking while you're reheating it (you may need to add a bit of water).

Serves 8

Serve with a salad, crusty bread, and/or crudite (or just eat it by itself!)

White Bean and Garlic Soup

'Tis the season for soup! This is simple, rustic, and tasty. Can be made ahead and/or frozen.

From The America's Test Kitchen Family Favorites Cookbook

• 1 pound dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed (other white beans can be used, but these are best)
• 4 ounces bacon, chopped (about 4 slices)
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 small head garlic, top third and loose paper skins removed and discarded
• 6 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• salt
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• pepper
• 1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
• olive oil (optional)

1. Bring beans and 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain.
2. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered fat behind in the pot. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and drained beans to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
3. Remove pot from heat. Add rosemary sprig, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes.
4. Discard rosemary. Remove garlic and squeeze out the softened cloves. Mince the softened garlic and return to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnishing bowls with reserved bacon, parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil (if desired).

Serves 8

Chicken Stew

My mom reminded me of this recipe of mine today--it's a wonderful, hearty version of chicken noodle soup. If you don't have all of the ingredients on hand, you can probably substitute with what you DO have on hand (i.e. a few extra regular onions in lieu of pearl onions, etc.). This can be frozen--see below for freezing directions.

Recipe from Meals for a Month

• 3-pound stewing chicken, cut up
• 1 t. salt
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 c. water
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 c. frozen pearl onions
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 1 c. frozen green beans
• 1 c. uncooked egg noodles

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat olive oil in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until crisp-tender. Add chicken pieces and water to pot. Bring to a boil; then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 70-80 minutes, until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken from broth, remove and discard skin and bones; strain broth. Wash stockpot and dry thoroughly (don't know why this is specified....).
2. Place broth back in stockpot and add carrots. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until carrots are tender. Add chicken meat and remaining vegetables. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add egg noodles and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender.

Serves 4-6

Green Tomato Cake

Once upon a time, my boys picked green tomatoes from my garden, called them apples, and proudly handed them to me or threw them over the garden fence into the compost heap. Waste not, want not, right! Between the boys and the squirrels, I harvested quite a few green tomatoes. I discovered this yummy cake recipe back then--like a spice cake and very similar to Green Tomato Bread. Somehow, despite their nearly identical ingredient lists, the two recipes do taste and feel different. Now that I'm getting green tomatoes from the Colvins, I'm revisiting this delicious recipe! You can freeze the tomato puree if you need to save the cake-baking for another day. I'm assuming you can freeze the cake as well since other, similar cakes freeze just fine.

Green Tomato Cake

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

• 4 cups pureed green tomatoes (puree in food processor until small pieces remain; don't liquefy)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins (I think chocolate chips or Craisins would also be good)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Place pureed tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Place in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan or 2 8x8-inch pans.
3. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until creamy.
4. Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add raisins and nuts to dry mixture; add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Dough will be very stiff. Mix well.
5. Add drained tomatoes and mix well. Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Green Tomato Bread

That's "green tomato" bread, not green "tomato bread." Yep--you can eat green tomatoes in more ways than fried. This bread is every bit as good as zucchini bread--maybe better! It's quite reminiscent of my mother-in-law's plum cake as well. If you're a gardener, you can now use up every last little bit of that tomato crop when frost approaches. Or, if you're like me, you can hope the green tomatoes keep coming in those boxes from the Colvins!

Green Tomato Bread

Recipe from Cooking with Michelle Recipes

• 2 cups green tomatoes, pureed, juice drained and discarded*
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
• 8-oz. plain yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. cloves
• 1/8 t. salt

*I pureed my tomatoes (cutting out the stem end) until not quite liquified. Then, I poured them into a wire strainer. I measured the pureed tomatoes before I drained them. You can also freeze extra puree--a nice time-saving touch for future loaves.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans (I used 8x4-inch). Combine oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, and tomatoes in large bowl; mix well.
2. Sift together white flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Add to wet ingredients along with whole wheat flour. Stir together just until combined. Batter will be fairly runny.
3. Divide evenly between the two pans and bake just until a toothpick comes clean from the center of the bread--about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pans, then remove.
4. Note from recipe originator: to retain moisture, wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. May be frozen.

Makes 2 loaves

Sausage Scones

This is a different take on the usual scone, but it's delicious! The sausage gives the scones a touch extra protein as well, making them a nice choice for a quick breakfast on the go. I like to double this recipe because then it uses an entire pound of sausage.

Recipe from Meals for a Month

• 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1 1/2 cups flour*
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour*
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 c. heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. butter, melted

*can use all white whole wheat flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In heavy skillet, cook sausage until crumbly and brown. Drain on paper towels. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix to combine. In small bowl, combine cream, egg, and melted butter and beat well; add all at once to dry ingredients along with dained sausage and cheese. Stir until dough forms.
2. Pat out dough into an 8-inch round on ungreased cookie sheet. Cut the circle into 8 wedge-shaped scones. Bake scones at 400 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes, until very lightly browned and set. Cool on wire rack, then flash freeze on cookie sheet (if you haven't already done so, separate scones before flash freezing). Pack into rigid containers (or large ziploc bag), separating layers with wax paper; label, seal, and freeze.
3. To reheat: Place frozen scones on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and hot. Let cool a few minutes before serving.
4. Alternatively, before freezing, bake scones until they look done (light brown) and simply microwave or pop in a toaster oven to reheat.

Serves 8

Egg McMuffins for the Freezer

These are tasty and super easy to assemble/freeze/thaw/eat! There's some assembly work required, but it's not complicated, so your children could probably help. Recipe can be doubled or tripled quite easily (if you triple it, you can use up all the English muffins in the packages you'll have to buy as well as almost an entire can of evaporated milk).

Recipe adapted from Meals for a Month

• 2 T. butter, softened
• 8 English muffins
  
• 8 eggs, slightly beaten
• 8 slices Canadian bacon (can use regular, but Can. is so much easier!)
• 1/3 c. evaporated milk
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1/2 t. thyme (dried)
• 16 slices American cheese, unwrapped

1. Spread butter on both sides of (split) English muffins and toast in the toaster oven until light brown. Set aside (incidentally, we always skip this step and don't pre-toast). If using regular bacon, cook in heavy skillet until crisp; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the skillet.
2. (This is where I start, skipping step 1 entirely) In large bowl, beat eggs with milk and seasonings. Pour into hot drippings (or 1 tablespoon butter in heavy skillet) and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until just set. Remove from heat, and then crumble bacon and stir into egg mixture. If using Canadian bacon instead, then don't use the bacon yet.
3. Spread out bottoms of English muffins on cookie sheet(s). Place one slice American cheese on bottom half of each English muffin. Place one slice of Canadian bacon, if using, on top of each cheese slice. Top with egg mixture, dividing evenly among the muffins. Top egg mixture with remaining cheese slices and cover with remaining English muffin halves. Flash freeze sandwiches in single layer on cookie sheet until solid. Wrap in microwave-safe paper towel, then pack into ziploc bags (we can fit several into one larger gallon sized bag). Label bags, seal, and freeze.
4. To Thaw and Reheat: Place frozen, wrapped muffins, one at a time, in microwave and heat on high power for 1-3 minutes, until thoroughly heated and cheese has melted.

Serves 8; recipe tripled serves 24

Chicken, Corn, Black Bean, Tomato Salad

This is a delightful, mild summer salad that can be eaten as is, with a big spoonful of zesty salsa (how my hubby and I like it), and/or eaten in a tortilla as a wrap. You can also skip the mild dressing and just use Italian dressing. If you use Italian dressing, you can freeze it! My kids eat the mild version and seem to enjoy it.

Recipe based on one from Group Recipes

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped

4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed
1 bag frozen corn, thawed
6 Roma tomatoes cut into small bite size pieces*
4-6 green onions, finely chop the whole stalk*
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime squeezed
½ cup light olive oil
½ cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons of sugar
Salt & Pepper

*I used 2 small all-purpose tomatoes from the garden; my sister's made a similar salad using 1 can diced tomatoes. I also used 1 small regular onion in place of the green onions.

Mix all together and chill for several hours to let flavors blend.

Makes a lot--maybe 6-8 servings.

Group Power Cooking Day Lineup (Bulk Cooking Line-Up #4)

My friend Bridgette and I learned a lot from our grueling power cooking marathon in the fall. We've decided to try to do this periodically with other people and keep our list small--our Power Cooking Day involves very little actual cooking this time, as a matter of fact, but it does involve assembly that will greatly speed the actual cooking later on. I worked most of these into my May menu. Three of us met at 7 a.m. with no children in tow and worked for 4 hours. That's it! That includes clean-up, too. Above is one of the "stations" Bridgette set up--it's the "chopping/mixing" station, complete with ingredients and recipes.

Bridgette figured out costs for each recipe, so I'll put that in parentheses. Costs are for the equivalent of 1 recipe (plus or minus--there are quite a few staples left over and the cheese was not on sale). We each walked away with a slightly different number of meals, depending upon whether our individual families wanted one, two, or even three of certain meal items. Below is what I came away with (and my chicken is organic chicken--bought on sale).

• 16 seasoned hamburger patties ($13.00 for 5 pounds)
• 2 Herb-Roasted Chickens ($6.50/chicken)
• 3 Chicken for Stir-Fry ($2.01/recipe)
• 1 Sausage Pie (Quiche) ($8.98/pie)
  
• 1 Spinach Pie (Quiche) ($5.24/pie)
  
• 8 Fish Packets ($1.12/packet)
• 1 Pound Cake ($2.00 for a loaf-pan size)
• 2 Lemonade Pies ($2.24/pie)
• 2 batches Pancake Mix ($0.49/batch)(this is a different one than my usual one; it doesn't have dairy already in it, which means we'll add the buttermilk on the day we make the pancakes)
• 
  
• Group Total Meals (1 recipe = 1 meal): 46: 3 sausage quiches, 4 spinach quiches, 6 stir-fry batches, 6 herb-roasted chickens, 4 loaf-pan sized pound cakes, 4 sets of fish packets (16 total), 5 lemonade pies plus a tray of mini-lemonade tarts, 4 batches of pancake mix, 12 pounds of hamburger patties (44 patties!)

Sausage Pie (like a quiche)

This is nearly identical to Spinach Pie; the primary differences involve sausage in this one and more veggies (the same ones as below) in the other. Both are prepped the same; they're a good pair to make at the same time if you like a little variation in the menu but want to save on prep time. This filling recipe makes a very full pie (even with medium sized eggs); if you are tripling the recipe, you will probably get 4 pies out of it instead of 3!

Recipe from Meals for a Month

• 2 9-inch pie crusts*
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. flour
• 1 c. frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed
• 1 c. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 5 eggs
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1 (8-oz.) package ricotta cheese
• 1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 T. milk

*If making as part of a freezer cooking day, you might consider buying the crusts that come with their own aluminum pie pans. Also, you will only need 2 crusts if you want to top the pie like you might a chicken pot pie. Otherwise, you can leave off the top crust.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one crust. In heave skillet, cook sausage with onion and garlic until sausage is thoroughly cooked. Drain fat, then sprinkle flour over sausage. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
2. Drain spinach and broccoli well. Beat eggs, pepper, ricotta, and cream cheese until well mixed. Add vegetables, then add pork mixture, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
3. Pour sausage mixture into prepared pan. Top with remaining crust, if desired, and crimp edges. If using crust, cut vent holes and brush with milk. Bake for 50 to 65 minutes, until crust is browned and pie is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving or cool in refrigerator and wrap for the freezer.
   
4. To thaw and reheat: Thaw pie overnight in refrigerator. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until thoroughly heated. (You can also freeze and reheat individual slices; shorten reheating time to 10-15 minutes.)

Serves 8

Lemonade Pie

This is an old recipe my mom just told me about! We made it during our recent freezer cooking day, and it is super easy AND super tasty. You might even have all the ingredients already on hand!

1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk, chilled
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. lemon juice (fresh is preferred, but from concentrate also works)
1 graham cracker crust or graham cracker crumbs

If using graham cracker crumbs, spread in bottom of 8x8-inch pan. If using pie crust, have it ready to go (already cooked).

Whip milk in an electric mixer until it starts to stiffen--it won't get as stiff as whipped cream, but it will start to thicken up. Add the sugar while mixing. Add the lemon juice while mixing. Pour into shell or prepared pan and freeze for several hours!

To make lemonade tarts or individual servings:
Pour into individual molds and freeze. Unmold onto a plate spread with crumbs (or line the molds with crumbs they are a plain shape).

Tuna Sandwiches in Bulk (for the freezer!)

These are great little tuna sandwiches, lower in fat because of the Miracle Whip, full of good crunch because of the veggies, and ready to go for those lunchboxes on hectic mornings. They should be thawed by lunchtime if you pull them from the freezer first thing in the morning. I find them easier to assemble if the bread is already frozen. Mix up the tuna part, then pull the bread from the freezer and work quickly. Package each sandwich in ziploc bags, then fill a larger ziploc bag (gallon freezer bag) with as many as will fit.

Recipe based on one from Meals for a Month

3 (3-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened (can use low-fat)

6 tablespoons Miracle Whip

3 (6-oz.) cans tuna, drained*

3/4 c. chopped green onions

3/4 c. shredded carrot

3/4 c. chopped red bell pepper

3 T. lemon juice

6 T. butter, softened

24 slices whole wheat sandwich bread

*I found this to be not enough tuna; we usually use 21-22 ounces of foil-pouch-packed tuna and get 18 or so sandwiches instead of the 12 listed. You might want to be prepared for this amount and have enough tuna/bread on hand if you, too, think there's not enough as listed.

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and Miracle W h ip and beat until smooth. Stir in tuna, onions, carrot, bell pepper, and lemon juice. Blend w e ll to combine.
2. Spread softened butter thinly on each slice of bread and sp read tuna filling to make sandwiches. Wrap in freezer wrap or place in sandwich bags. Place as many as will fit in gallon ziploc bags. Label and freeze.
3. To thaw: Thaw overnight in fridge or during the day in the lunchbox.

Makes 12 sandwiches (or 18 or so if you add lots more tuna)

Mom's Split Pea Soup

Mmmm... This soup is the reason to have a ham (with the bone) in my opinion. It's an economic meal that makes great use of the leftover ham bone and any little bits of meat. Leftover soup freezes well.

• 1 pound split peas
  
• 1 t. salt
  
• 1/2 t. pepper
  
• 1 ham bone
  
• 1 1/2 c. chopped onion (more or less)
  
• 1 c. chopped celery
  
• 1 c. chopped carrots (2 carrots)
  
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
  
• 1 t. sugar
  
• 1 t. beef boullion (I often leave out)
  

1. Cover peas with 10 cups water. Simmer gently 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour.
   
2. Add ham bone, salt, pepper, and onion to peas and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or more. Add vegetables. Cook another 30-40 minutes. Taste to correct seasonings.
   
3. For thicker soup, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons flour. Add a little soup to this, then add the paste to soup and stir around.
   

Gyoza (Chinese dumplings, aka "pot stickers")

Gyoza is the word that refers to boiled Chinese dumplings; the steamed versions and the skillet-cooked versions are each called something slightly different. Because my husband ate gyoza in China most often, that's what we call them regardless of how we're cooking them. These are labor intensive the first go round, but provide both the opportunity to fellowship during preparation and the opportunity to freeze an outstanding meal for later consumption! Our recipe makes roughly 60 dumplings, or the amount in the storebought wrapper packages (you can make your own dumpling wrappers, but I always buy them in the grocery store--near the tofu; look for wonton wrappers and the like); you will have leftover filling which is great cooked/browned and then mixed into rice for fried rice (or served as part of Bibimbap). We can polish off 1/3-1/2 a recipe in no time; I freeze the leftovers for a second meal that we cook slightly differently (see below). We don't use a recipe for the filling, really, but sort of "eyeball" it. The one below is a great start.

Recipe based on one from thekitchn

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 4-6 cups or so chopped napa cabbage (maybe half a head? we sort of eyeball it)
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 T. or so soy sauce
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or smashed (about 2 tablespoons) (or much more!)
• 3-inch grated ginger (about 2 teaspoons) (or more!)

1. Mix the pork and chopped cabbage and scallions. Mix in the soy sauce. Add the garlic and ginger and mix well. (It should look like the picture just above)
2. Place a tablespoon on each wrapper. Moisten edges with water and seal up (I usually make little half-circle shapes; technically, the steamed varities are made differently--check out the recipe link above for a picture). You'll have extra filling--we mix it into fried rice.
3. If boiling, drop in boiling water for about 10 minute (test one to be sure it's fully cooked). You'll have to do this in batches because you don't want to crowd the pan too much. Cook the first 10 or so while you're making up the next ones. These will be slightly "slimy," very soft, and slippery.
4. If steaming, lightly spray a flat steamer basket, and steam as many dumplings as will fit in one layer for 10-15 minutes (again, cut into one to check). We now cook all the dumplings this way the first day we make them; this verison is the one that freezes well once cooled--just freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet and pop into a ziploc bag once solid). These are a little more solid than the first, boiled version. You can pick them up with chopsticks (or fingers) and dip them easily. Mmmmm
5. If cooking in a skillet, generously film the bottom of a skillet with oil and "fry" the dumplings in one layer, flipping only once. The bottoms will get crusty and stick a bit to the skillet bottom (hence, "pot stickers"), but that crusty edge is to die for!!! This is the way we "reheat" our previously frozen, steamed dumplings for a quick meal. Yum yum yum yum....

Our kids love these!!! We serve them with rice, fried or steamed, and sometimes nothing else!

Serve with dipping sauces of choice (teriyaki, soy sauce, etc.). My husband makes one with Chinese vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and something else. You can also search the web for Gyoza dipping sauces or Pot sticker dipping sauces. Enjoy!

Honey Whole Wheat "Quick Bread"

This is a quick bread, not a yeast bread; as a result, the texture is more similar to cornbread instead of a light and airy yeast bread. It has a nice, strong flavor from the honey or molasses (or sorghum) and is great warm with a little butter! I think it would go nicely with good cheese or a bowl of hearty soup.

Recipe from How to Cook Everything, 10th edition

2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1/2 c. honey, molasses, or sorghum

1 2/3 c. buttermilk or yogurt (or 1 1/2 c. milk plus 2 T. white vinegar*)

*If using milk/vinegar, warm the milk slightly in the microwave (1 minute or so), add the vinegar, and let sit while you get the other ingredients ready

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8x4- or 9x5-inch loaf pan (I used an 8x4-inch).
2. Combine dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and add the buttermilk and sweetener. Stir just until combined. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. (Let cool almost entirely before cutting or it will be very crumbly.)

Makes 1 loaf

Simple Cornbread

This is basic, plain cornbread; crumbly and slightly dry. It is the easiest of the three recipes on this blog (although Grandmother's Cornbread and Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread are not hard, either). It is also the most frugal of the three since it uses only 1 egg (significant only if you are planning to make a bunch!). It freezes just fine (although you'll lose a bit of the crunch in the crust) and works well with soups, beans, etc. 

Recipe from How to Cook Everything, 10th anniversary edition

• 1 1/2 c. cornmeal (I use stone ground yellow)
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. sugar, more if you like your cornbread sweet
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 c. buttermilk or yogurt
• 2 T. drippings, butter, or olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place fat in ovenproof 8-inch skillet or baking pan (cast iron is best!). Place over medium heat; heat until good and hot, about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. 
2. Combine dry ingredients. Mix eggs and buttermilk; add to dry ingredients all at once, stirring just until moistened. Pour batter into hot skillet and put in oven.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes, until sides start to pull away from pan and top is lightly browned. A toothpick inserted in middle should come out clean.

Makes one 8-inch cornbread