Beef Enchiladas

This is a recipe I've pieced together from several. I love the cottage cheese/meat mix inside the enchiladas. I also like the homemade sauce because it uses ingredients I usually have around the kitchen anyway; whereas, I usually do not have a can of enchilada sauce in the house. I found the recipe makes a LOT of sauce though, and using all of the sauce in the recipe makes it a little acidic. Next time I will probably only make/use around half of the sauce.


1 lbs ground beef
1 cup cottage cheese
1 can (4 1/4 oz) chopped ripe olives, drained
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8-10 flour tortillas (7 inches)

Sauce:
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chilies
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups (or more) shredded cheddar cheese

Make the sauce first. Saute the onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add tomato sauce, green chilies, chili powder, sugar, garlic powder, oregano, and marjoram. Set aside.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain. Combine with cottage cheese, olives, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, spoon a couple large spoonfuls of sauce over the bottom to "grease" the pan. Place about 1/3 cup filling, 1 large spoonful of sauce, and some cheese on each tortilla; roll up. Place tortillas seam side down, in the baking dish. Pour (some of) remaining sauce over top of the rolled tortillas. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

*For softer tortillas, dip in hot oil before filling & rolling.

**Casserole Style: add a can of corn to meat mix. Layer like lasagna rather than rolling up tortillas.

Apple-Glazed Beef Brisket

1 (5-lbs) beef brisket, trimmed
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
2 cloves garlic, cut into halves
10 whole cloves
1 1/4 cups apple jelly
1/3 cup dry white wine or white-wine vinegar
3 Tbsp minces green onions
3 Tbsp brown mustard
3/4 tsp each cracked black pepper and curry powder
1/2 tsp salt

Place beef, onion, garlic, and cloves in an ovenproof Dutch oven. Add just enough water to cover beef.

Bring beef mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until beef is tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Drain, discarding onion, garlic, and cloves. Return beef to Dutch oven.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine apple jelly, wine, green onions, brown mustard, black pepper, curry powder, and salt in a small saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Brush beef with the apple glaze.

Bake beef, basting frequently with apply glaze, for 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer the beef to a heated serving platter. Slice and serve immediately.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

(yes I know the picture is terrible. It still tasted great.)

2 quarts fresh strawberries
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup water
1 package (1 3/4 oz) powdered fruit pectin

Wash and mash the berries, measuring out enough mashed berries to make 4 cups; place in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup and lemon juice. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, bring water and pectin to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1 minutes. Add to fruit mixture; stir for 3 minutes.

Pour into jars or freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks ro freeze for up to 1 year. Yield: 4 1/2 pints.

Sausage with Apple Sauerkraut

Don't be discouraged by the sauerkraut. I like sauerkraut, Alex doesn't; we both love this dish. The apple gives it a great taste.

1 medium sweet onion, sliced
3 Tbsp butter
2 medium apples, peeled and shredded
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 can (8 oz) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed (mine weren't crushed and it was still good)
1 package (16 oz) smoked Polish sausage

In a large skillet, saute onion in butter for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add the apples, sauerkraut, apple juice, caraway and fennel to the onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat sausage according to package directions; cut into slices. Serve with sauerkraut. (My sausage was fully cooked so I just sliced it and simmered it with the sauerkraut in the last step.) Yield: 4 servings.

Rich Hot Fudge Sauce

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 squares (1 oz each)unsweetened chocolate
4-5 tsp vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine cream and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add the sugars and salt; cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. (Don't let mixture boil too hard. Lower/raise heat as needed to maintain a low boil/simmer.) Stir in the cocoa and corn syrup; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until cocoa is blended.

Add chocolate; cook and stir 3-4 minutes longer or until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat to medium-low (just enough to maintain a simmer.) Simmer for 12-16 minutes or until desired thickness is reached, stirring constantly. (I like it thick and sticky, so I boil it longer than that. I used a small cup of ice cream to test the fudge on. Remember it will thicken as it cools.) Remove from the heat; stir in extracts. Cool slightly. Serve warm over ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: about 3 1/2 cups.

Mom's Homemade Bread

5 cups hot tap water
4 cups wheat, ground OR 6 cups flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup honey (measure in the same cup as the butter)
3 eggs, whisked
2 tsp salt
OPT. 1 cup flax seed, ground (not by themselves. grind with the wheat: 1/2 cup flax per cup wheat.)
OR OPT. 1 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp yeast

Add all the incredients in a bread mixer (yeast last). Mix for about 5 minutes and then let stand for 15 minutes. Start again and add around 9 cups white flour, adding half the flour and then 1 cup at a time until it pulls away from the bowl. Let run for 5 minutes. Pour into large well oiled bowl and turn over so that the top is coated with oil. Cover with a damp towel. Let rise till double (1/2 hour plus or minute.

Punch down and divide into 5 loaves. Roll out to remove bubbles and form into loafs. Place into pan with seam down. Rise until double (around 1/2 hour) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes till tops are golden brown.

Brownie Swirl Cheesecake

(Didn't Rachael do a great job with the photo?!)

1 (19 oz) package brownie mix
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet and it was still fantastic)
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries or sliced strawberries (or any other fruit for that matter.)
Whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Prepare brownie mix using package directions. Spread in prepared springform pan. Bake until edge pulls from sides of pan, about 28 minutes. Leave oven at 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Spoon over baked layer.

Heat chocolate chips in top of double broiler set over simmering water until melted. Drizzle over prepared layers and swirl with a knife to marbleize. Bake until set, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Chill for 2 hours or longer.

Combine the raspberries and remaining sugar in a small bowl and toss to mix. Remove sides of pan and slice the cheesecake. Top slices with whipped cream and sprinkle with fruit, if desired.

Crepes

2 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking pdr
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

Mix all ingredients together. Fry 4" circles on lightly greased griddle until golden brown. (both sides)

Fill with fruit fillings and roll.

Swedish Meatballs

1 lb. hamburger
4 slices bread
3/4 cup milk
1 cup chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cups butter
2 cup beef boullion

Gravy
1/2 cup cold water
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup evaporated milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Crumble bread and add milk. Stir until paste-like. Add meat, seasonings, and eggs. Beat until stiff. Roll into 1" balls. Heat butter in a skillet. Brown the meatballs and add boullion. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

After baking, make the gravy by blending water and flour. Remove meatballs from oven and from juices. Set aside. Skim fat from juices. Stir 1 cup evap milk and flour/water mix into juices. Cook, uncovered, over med heat, stirring until sauce thickens. Return meatballs to sauce and stir in lemon juice. Serve over noodles.

Caramelized Onion Broccoli Quiche

1 unbaked pie crust
3 cups sliced sweet onions
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 cup (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese
2 eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 cup milk

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the onions, sugar and salt in oil over low heat for 40 minutes or until onions are softened and liquid has evaporated. Turn heat to medium-low; add hash browns. Cook 8-10 minutes longer or until potatoes are golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using your favorite pie crust recipe prepare an unbaked pie crust in a 9-in. pie plate. Spoon onion mixture into crust. Top with broccoli and cheese.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and milk; pour over cheese (pie plate will be full). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cover edges with foil. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 6 servings