Category Archives: Recipes

Egg Drop Soup ~ Happy Lunar New Year!

Today is Lunar/Chinese New Year. It was high time I made this simple soup that many Chinese Restaurants serve. Several recipes were very similar online so I really don’t know who to credit this recipe to. Our local restaurants call this soup Egg Flower Soup and another name is Egg Drop Soup.

Ingredients:
4 cups prepared chicken broth
2 Tablespoons chicken stock reserved from the 4 cups
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 green onions chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste

Make a slurry of the 2 Tablespoons broth and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, set aside.
Pour the remaining broth into a medium sized pot.
Add the soy sauce and grated ginger to the broth.
Bring the broth to a boil.
Add the slurry slowly and stir to incorporate it all until the broth thickens for at least 2 minutes.
While the broth is boiling and the slurry thickens the broth add the beaten eggs slowly in a stream while stirring the broth in one direction.
Keep stirring and adding the egg as it becomes feathery in the broth.
After the beaten eggs are added turn off the heat.
Taste and see if you need added salt or white pepper.
Add the chopped green onions and serve.
Serves 4 people.

Happy Lunar New Year!

 

Pasta Carbonara

This is a pasta dish based on eggs, bacon or ham, and cheese.

Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 pound bacon or Pancetta, cut up into bite size pieces
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup thawed frozen peas (optional)
  • 1/4 cup snipped parsley
  • 1 pound pasta of your choice
  • Pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Let eggs and butter stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
  2. Heat an ovenproof casserole dish (approx. 9 x 13) in a 300 degree oven.
  3. In a skillet, cook bacon or pancetta for a few minutes and then add red onion and continue cooking until red onion is soft, add garlic and heat for an additional minute.
  4. Remove this mixture and drain on paper toweling.
  5. Meanwhile, beat together eggs, salt, and cream just until combined.
  6. Add pasta to a large amount of boiling salted water.
  7. Cook 10 to 12 minutes or until tender; drain well.
  8. Turn hot pasta into the heated serving dish; toss pasta with butter.
  9. Pour egg mixture over and toss until pasta is well coated.
  10. Add bacon, onion, cheese, peas and parsley; toss to mix.
  11. Season to taste with pepper.
  12. The heat of the pasta and the casserole dish cooks the egg mixture…

Oops, on my Wednesday Hodgepodge I said I’d be sharing the Skillet Chicken today but that was scheduled for next Saturday. 

Pelemeni ~ Russian Dumplings

Pelemeni (Russian Version of Ravioli/Dumplings)

Filling:

  • 1/2 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 pound ground veal, or lamb, or beef
  • 1 medium onion grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Dough:

  • 2 cups sifted flour
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup water

Filling:

  1. Combine the two meats with onion.
  2. Add seasonings, mix well and set aside.

Prepare Dough:

  1. In a small mixing bowl, sift the flour and a pinch of salt.
  2. Lightly beat the egg with the water.
  3. Make a nest in the flour.
  4. Add the egg with water into the nest.
  5. Work the flour into the egg and mix.
  6. Knead to a rather dry dough.
  7. Use more flour if needed.
  8. Roll dough very thin.
  9. If you don’t have a mold cut the dough into 2″ circles.
  10. Put a small ball of filling (about 1/2 tsp) onto each circle and fold over and pinch edges making a half-moon shape.
  11. Now bring each corner of the moon shape together and pinch together.
  12. At this stage you can freeze them, or you can go on to the next step.
  13. Bring your favorite broth to a boil.
  14. Add the Pelemeny to the boiling broth.
  15. When they are done they will surface like doughnuts.
  16. You can serve them with the broth like a soup or you can have them plain with some sour cream.
  17. This recipe should feed 4-6 people.

Tip: If you are going to freeze them place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze partially before putting them in a freezer bag so they don’t stick together.

Making Pelemeni with my family which you can call Russian dumplings.

 

These are filled with a combination of ground chicken, lamb or beef.

This family cooking day happened several years ago while Dear and I were living in Camarillo for a few years because of his work. We gathered at my sister Vera’s home in Huntington Beach. This was probably sometime in 2008 or 2009.

It is fun to do this kind of cooking when my family can gather together. Nowadays I make a special trip to Kiev Market in Spokane and buy them packaged and frozen and ready to enjoy.

We enjoy them in a non-traditional way in a soup broth with chopped spinach in the broth along with the dumplings and served with chopped hard boiled eggs and a dollop of sour cream.

Easy Noodle Bake

From time to time we are asked for recipes for easy meals for busy moms with young children. This recipe will fit the bill. This recipe is enough to serve two adults and one or two younger children. It can be doubled to feed more.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1-1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles (I used medium)
  • 1 cup frozen vegetables of your choice (I used chopped broccoli)
  • 10 oz. can of cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup shredded colby/jack cheese

Method:

  1. Saute onion with a little olive oil until translucent.
  2. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, drain excess fat, set aside.
  3. Spread uncooked noodles evenly in bottom of prepared baking dish.
  4. Top with cooked beef and the vegetables.
  5. Whisk soup, milk and water together.
  6. Pour over vegetables.
  7. Top with cheese.
  8. Cover dish with foil sealing well.
  9. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
  10. Serve hot with a side salad if desired.

Ellen’s Extra Tip:
Why not cook up a larger portion of ground beef when preparing this easy meal since ground beef usually sells for less in larger packages. Use a whole onion and cook up a three or more pound package of ground beef and save equal portions in freezer ziploc bags for future use. You could store one package in the refrigerator and make a nice taco salad another night of the week. Freeze the other portions for easy retrieval for a quick meal like hamburger soup or chili.

Sirloin Soup

This soup is rich and delicious and because it calls for Sirloin steak the meat is very tender.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 large leek, rinsed well and finely chopped
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper depending on your heat tolerance
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 quart beef stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Method:

  1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the leek and carrot and cook until soft, stirring frequently.
  4. Add the beef, salt, pepper and spices.
  5. Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
  6. Make a slurry with the flour and 2 tablespoons water.
  7. Add to the pot and stirring for a minute.
  8. Add the stock and bay leaf, stir well, and bring to a boil.
  9. Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 1 to 1-1/2 hours stirring occasionally.
  10. Remove the bay leaf, add the parsley, stir well.
  11. Serve with good crusty bread.

This recipe makes about 4 servings.

Butterflied and Roasted Chicken With Veggies

This is a rustic meal with rough cut vegetables roasted in a pan that can go from your stove top to your oven. Butterflying the chicken gives you the option to cook the chicken breast down which results in breast meat that is not dried out while you wait on the dark meat to be cooked thoroughly.

Ingredients:

  • 1 -3-4lb. whole chicken
  • 4-5 white potatoes, quartered
  • 4-5 carrots rough cut
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed, optional
  • Seasoned salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil and more Olive Oil to coat the vegetables.
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper.

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Rinse and pat the whole chicken dry.
  3. Using good kitchen shears cut out the backbone of the chicken and set aside to make chicken stock or discard.
  4. Flatten the whole chicken by pressing firmly on the breast bone. Remove any excess skin.
  5. Prepare vegetables placing them in large bowl and season them with salt and pepper (to taste).
  6. Add the smashed garlic.
  7. Sprinkle the vegetables generously with olive oil and toss together to coat all the vegetables evenly.
  8. Set aside.
  9. Heat oil and butter in large oven proof pan or dutch oven.
  10. Season chicken well with seasoned salt of your choice.
  11. If you don’t have seasoned salt season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
  12. Place chicken breast side down in heated pan to brown and crisp up the skin.
  13. Turn the chicken over carefully and brown the other side.
  14. Remove the chicken to a plate or platter while you go on to the next step.
  15. De-glaze the pan with a little chicken stock or white wine.
  16. Add all the seasoned and oiled vegetables to the pan.
  17. Place the chicken breast side down on top of the vegetables.
  18. Place pan with vegetables and chicken on the center rack of preheated oven.
  19. Roast for 60 minutes.
  20. Turn chicken over and roast for 10 more minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees at the thickest part of the dark meat.
  21. Remove the chicken from the pan onto cutting board and cut the chicken into serving sizes.

You can return the chicken to the roasting pan or onto a platter at this point adding the vegetables.

Remove the chicken from the pan onto cutting board and cut the chicken into serving sizes. You can return the chicken to the roasting pan or onto a platter at this point adding the vegetables.

Serve with your favorite additions or no additions. We chose some salad and sour dough bread.

Crock Pot Carnitas

This easy recipe using inexpensive meat would be great to have cooking all day long before your New Year’s Eve festivities. Carnitas is Mexican slow cooked pork that is easily shredded for fillings in soft tacos or burritos or Chimichangas.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. pork ( I used a pork shoulder)
1 lb. pinto beans (dry)
6 cups water
1/2 Cup onion, chopped.
2 cloves garlic, minced.
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon salt
1 small can diced jalapenos
1/2 – 1 cup salsa of your choice

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until beans are soft and meat falls apart. Uncover and cook on high to thicken liquid to desired consistency. At this stage you can skim off any fat if you desire.You can also cook these ingredients in a dutch oven on the stove top for 5 or more hours.

Serve with flour or corn tortillas, shredded cheese, cilantro, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, green onions, limes, avocado, and salsa.

This recipe will serve 8-10 people generously.

A Grand Day

Our grands came over for a few hours on Monday afternoon. We had some fun activities planned. First off, they both were ‘hungry’ so we sliced some of their mom’s homemade sourdough bread and they enjoyed it with some honey on top. They also enjoyed some hot chocolate with marshmallows in their special Christmas mugs.

Then it was time for the dollar store aprons and cookie baking. I had to take photos fast because JJ was already unwrapping the butter.

We got everything mixed in with their help leveling the sugar and flour with very minimum spillage. Then it was time to roll the dough into balls and lay them on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Poking a hole in each round with the end of a wooden spoon was fun.

Ready to go into the oven.

Once they were out with lots of warning not to touch the hot cookie sheet we carefully helped each other put some melted semi sweet chocolate into each hole.

We didn’t taste test till after their mom came back from some alone time and we enjoyed dinner together. We all agreed this was a good recipe. I’ll add the link to Charlotte’s German Hazelnut Cookies here. We did not have hazelnuts so we substituted pecans in this recipe.

After cookie baking, Addy and JJ were given the task to set up a Christmas village with these pop up cards we have received every year from my college roommate and her husband. I told the Grands to be extra careful with them since they are paper and won’t last forever. Over thirty of these pop up cards have survived over the years.

On the day the kids were setting up the village this year’s card arrived in the mail.

A cuckoo clock. We had a fun discussion about Cuckoo birds with Addy and JJ.

The vintage angels were my mother-in-law’s. They are sweet but when I think of angels and the verses in the Bible that speak of angels, I never think sweet as a description. They startled and caused fear and were powerful and not easily described. I prefer my wooden angel on the left.

The three mugs in the back are Josh, Dan and Katie’s mugs. The two in the front I purchased for Addy and JJ.

Today we will pick up our food items for our Christmas Eve and Christmas day meals. Tomorrow our daughter and hubby arrive from the west side of our state and celebrations will continue. Hope all is merry and bright in your corner of the world.

Roasted Cranberry and Goat Cheese Flatbread

This easy to make flatbread appetizer would be a nice addition to your Christmas or New Year’s Eve festivities. I found this recipe in a grocery store flyer.

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon chopped leeks
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
  • salt to taste
  • 2 flatbreads (14.1 ounces)
  • 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
  • For topping: freshly chopped arugula, pomegranate arils, and honey

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Mix cranberries, maple syrup, leeks, thyme and salt in an 8 inch square baking dish.
  3. Roast, stirring every so often, until the mixture begins to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven and stir until cranberries are broken down and the mixture is thick.
  5. Cool for 5 minutes.
  6. Divide the cranberry mixture and spread evenly over the flatbreads.
  7. Top each with goat cheese and pecans.
  8. Bake directly on oven rack for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is warmed and the flatbread is crispy.
  9. Remove from oven.
  10. Garnish each with freshly chopped arugula, pomegranate arils and a drizzle of honey.
  11. Cut into small wedges or strips and serve.
  12. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves: 8 generously as an appetizer

I used the Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads for this recipe. They come 2 in a package.

Pecan Pinwheel Cookies

These cookies started with a basic Butter Cookie Dough that could create a variety of cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1-3/4 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons soft butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:

  1. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth but not fluffy.
  2. Beat in egg.
  3. Add flour and mix until incorporated, using hands if needed.
  4. Chill dough for one hour.
  5. On floured parchment, roll half the dough into a rough rectangle about 10 x 8 inches.
  6. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
  7. Slide rectangles on parchment to baking sheet.
  8. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  9. Meanwhile mix 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon in small bowl.
  10. Spread half of this mixture over one of the rectangles of refrigerated dough and distribute well.
  11. With long side facing you, use parchment paper to help you roll into log.
  12. Repeat for the second rectangle adding the rest of the filling.
  13. Chill until firm.
  14. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  15. Cut logs into 1/4 inch slices.
  16. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
  17. Bake until lightly browned, 12-17 minutes.
  18. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes 5-6 dozen cookies.

You can freeze one of the logs for future use if you don’t need this many cookies at once. Just wrap them in parchment and put the log into a freezer safe zip loc bag until ready to bake.