Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

These are delicious and give a cheesecake taste in a small portion, if you can stop at one square!

Cookie Base:

Cream
1/2 cup shortening with
1/2 cup sugar (white, brown or a mixture)
Add
1 beaten egg and mix well

Measure
1 cup all purpose flour and add
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Add
1 cup of miniature dark chocolate chips
and press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

Cheesecake topping:

Beat with an electric mixer
2-8 oz packages of cream cheese with
2 eggs and
1/2 cup sugar

Spread cheese mixture over cookie base and sprinkle top with
1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. Cut into squares when cool.

Pickled Carrots

This Vietnamese inspired pickle is adapted from a recipe seen here at Tea's Blog, Tea and Cookies. I love the fresh rice rolls from Salad King which I featured in this post. I have used fresh carrots, but these pickled ones are better. I used daikon and carrots, but don't really care for the taste of daikon and will use carrots only in the future.

Method:

Thinly slice carrots (/daikon with a sharp knife or mandoline. Do not use a grater. Pack carrots in a 500 ml jar. I used two carrots for this quantity.

Mix 1/2 cup vinegar, rice or white
2 tbsp sugar or sweetener
1/2 tsp salt

Pour over the carrots. Add water to cover the vegetables.

Let it marinate for at least 24 hours before adding to salads or fresh rice rolls.

Cabbage and Onion Slaw

Mom made a cabbage and onion slaw that kept for a few days in the fridge and actually improved in taste as the cabbage marinated in the dressing. She got the recipe from Catherine Philp, a neighbour on Unicorn Avenue when I was about 10 years old. Even then I liked the coarsely chopped cabbage and onion. The Becka loves this too and adds it to her elaborate sandwiches instead of lettuce.

Thinly slice 1/2 a large cabbage. I like Savoy cabbage the best
Thinly slice 1/2 a large Spanish or Vidalia onion and mix with cabbage in a large bowl.

Dressing

1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or sweetener (or to taste)
1-2 tsp salt

Heat dressing ingredients in microwave until hot. Pour dressing over the cabbage. Let sit for 12-24 hours before serving.

Variations

Grated carrot or green pepper can be added as well or other seasonings as desired.

This salad is delicious in wrapped in rice papers and served with peanut sauce making a Thai inspired "cabbage roll".

Mom's Goulash

Mom frequently made a one pan meal that she called goulash. Where I now live, goulash is a stew made with cubes of beef and seasoned with paprika. This dish is fast and easy to make and the leftovers are good too. Once again, this is a recipe that is highly adaptable and this is an approximate method.

1 lb ground beef, turkey or chicken or moistened TVP for a vegetarian option
1 diced onion

Brown meat with onion and drain off any fat. Season to taste with basil, oregano, hot pepper flakes, pepper, garlic as desired.

1 28 oz tin diced tomatoes
1-1/2 cups water or broth
1 cup rice (Basmati rice used here)

Add tomatoes, broth and rice, cover pan and simmer until rice is cooked. Add more liquid if necessary. Adjust seasonings.

I added a bunch of fresh spinach before serving and cooked it until wilted.

Serve with a salad and a baguette if desired.

Turkey Stuffing

Picture by The Becka

My family always made dry stuffing with stale bread cubes, chopped onion and poultry seasoning. My husband's family made a moist dressing in a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch way. Our children love this dressing, even the one who will not eat turkey. We cooked a small 10 pound turkey this Thanksgiving and this amount of dressing fit it perfectly. This recipe is one that you create and adjust as you go along. Here is an approximate method.

8 slices stale bread, cubed (I use whole wheat bread)
Poultry seasoning
1 diced onion
1 egg
1 cup broth
Milk
1 tbsp oil

Dice bread in small squares and sprinkle generously with poultry seasoning. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok and add onion. Cook until softened. Add broth and bread and stir until all is moistened. Add a little milk if necessary. Beat one egg and add it to the mixture stirring it in quickly. Adjust seasonings adding salt, pepper and more poultry seasoning or sage if desired. Stuff bird with the dressing, season the outside of the bird with salt and place in oven. We roast the turkey at about 300F for several hours (approximately 30 minutes a pound) until it is starting to fall apart. Our turkeys are never carved at the table but are moist and delicious.

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

Daughter #1 introduced us to a small Thai restaurant on Yonge St in Toronto across from Ryerson College. Salad King is always crowded and the food is superb. You can order your food with a hotness (chili) rating of 1 to 20. We settle for a "5" and this is fairly spicy.

I have come to love fresh rolls. Various ingredients are wrapped in rice paper (available at our larger supermarkets) and the rolls are served with a vinegar sauce. They can be filled with combinations of rice vermicelli, shrimp, tofu, basil or mint leaves, sprouts and are not fried. The rolls at Salad King are filled with pickled carrot, mango and cucumber sticks.

Three or four of these make a very satisfying lunch for work. Mine do not look as perfect as the picture above of the ones we bought, but I am getting better at rolling them. I find grated carrot easier to manage than carrot sticks. Choose a firm, ripening mango and slice it in thin sticks. Slice the cucumber the same way.

Here are two YouTube links to demonstrate how to roll rice paper and how to make dipping sauce.

Aloo Gobi

This recipe is featured in the movie Bend it like Beckham, a favourite soccer movie of our daughters. They also like Indian food and this dish in particular. A few modifications are shown in italics.

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces (skip the onion for daughter #1)
Large bunch of fresh coriander, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped (skip the coriander for daughter #3...I use it as an optional topping at serving time)
Small green chilies, chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths (I cut it smaller than this)
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
1 large 28oz can of diced tomatoes with juice (I use a small tin of tomato paste instead and thin with a little soymilk during cooking)
Fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Fresh garlic, chopped
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Teaspoon whole mustard seeds
2 Teaspoons Turmeric or curry powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Garam Masala (available in spice row at bulk stores and supermarkets)


Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan.

Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin seeds/mustard seeds to the oil.

Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent.

Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt.

Add chopped chilies (according to taste)

Stir tomatoes into onion mixture.

Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly.

Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water or milk (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan).

Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce.

Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).

Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir.

Add one tin of drained chickpeas.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry. Add yogurt, raisins and chopped almonds if desired when serving.

Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.

Tastes even better the next day!

Crockpot Refried Beans

This is a very easy and low fat method of making refried beans. The beans can be eaten in many ways including taquitos, layered dip, or with tortillas and tacos. I like them for lunch as a dip for cut up raw vegetables. My family in Mexico use peruano beans for this recipe. They are exceptionally tender and delicious. I have never found them in Canada, but we buy several packages at Krogers if we cross the border into Michigan. Pinto beans can also be used.


I use my small 2 quart crockpot and add

1 lb washed and sorted beans. This fills the pot half way.
1/2 tin (2 oz) jalapeno peppers, nacho size
1 tsp of salt or to taste
1 chopped onion (optional)

Add water to the top of the pot and cook on high or low until beans are tender. Add more water if necessary It takes about 4 hours on high in my pot. The beans do not need to be soaked before cooking.

Mash the beans or pulse them in a blender or food processor. Freeze any beans you will not use in the next 2-3 days.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

I have been asked to make this recipe for a church luncheon this weekend. I have been supplied with a six pound pork roast and will cook it overnight. I am not a pork person, but will add this recipe for meat lovers everywhere.

Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich

Makes 8 servings

1 pork shoulder roast (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 bottle (14 ounces) barbecue sauce (not smokey or too hot)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 medium onion, chopped

1: Place roast in CROCK-POT® slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 10 \12 hours or on HIGH 5 to 6 hours.

2 Remove roast from CROCK-POT® slow cooker; discard cooking liquid

Shred pork with 2 forks. Return pork to CROCK-POT® slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and onion. Cover; cook on HIGH 1 hour or on LOW 2 hours.

3. Serve shredded pork on hamburger buns or hard rolls.

Tip : For 5-, 6-, or 7-quart CROCK-POT® slow cookers, double all ingredients except barbecue sauce. Increase barbecue sauce to 21 ounces.

From CROCK-POT® SLOW COOKER BEST-LOVED RECIPES

Apple plus Crisp

I was using up old apples and frozen fruit after I cleaned up the fridge and modified the recipe I posted for Rhubarb Crisp. This combination was a winner.

8 cups diced fruit
I used apples (I leave the skins on), 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and 1 cup frozen raspberries.
Cook fruit on high in the microwave for 3 minutes.

Topping

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp soft butter

Mix ingredients together and sprinkle over the fruit.
Cook on high in microwave for 10-12 minutes until the fruit is tender.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

Today I cleaned out the fridge and freezer and found a number of storage apples that are no longer good for eating. I cored them and cooked them with the skins on in the microwave and then pureed them in the Vitamix to make applesauce. I don't sweeten applesauce, especially when I cook the fruit without water. The applesauce contains the fiber and pectin found in the skin and the recipe is made with large flake oats and whole wheat flour. This recipe makes enough for 16-18 large muffins.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup milk
1-1/3 cups applesauce

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.
Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes.

Dried fruit or nuts can be added to the batter if desired.

Magnolia Cupcakes

See this post on Body Soul and Spirit and read about these cupcakes. The picture above is of cupcakes we made using the recipe below.


Here's the recipe that put cupcakes back on the map. It's from the Magnolia Bakery in New York, a small bakery with such a huge demand for cupcakes that customers are limited to a dozen.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen large cupcakes

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) self-rising flour*

1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups (500 mL) sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (250 mL) milk

1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract

*To make your own self-rising flour, use 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of baking powder and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of salt for every two cups (500 mL) of flour.

(For 1-1/2 cups of flour use 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full (a large ice cream scoop does this job well). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of cupcake comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Butter cream Icing

Note: This makes a LOT of icing. I used about a third of it to generously ice about 20 cupcakes, the number made from the recipe above.

Technically, this is not butter cream but an old-fashioned frosting made with confectioner's sugar and butter. Be sure to beat the icing for the time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (250 mL/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6-8 cups (1.5 to 2 L) confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) milk

2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract (I left this out and just put vanilla in the cake)

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups (1 L) of the sugar, then the milk and vanilla. Using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about three to five minutes. Gradually add more sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about two minutes), until icing is thick enough to be a good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food colouring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature; it will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

Approximate nutritional content per cupcake: Calories 420. Protein 3 g. Fat 18 g. Carbohydrates 64 g. Dietary fibre 0 g. Sodium 125 mg.

Taquitos

We had these delicious taquitos for supper tonight, courtesy of our daughters. Taquitos are a Mexican dish consisting of rolled up tortillas with some sort of filling. They can be deep fried or crisped in a frying pan with a little oil as these were. They can be filled with shredded or ground meat, beans or potatoes and cheese. They are served with red sauce, green salsa and sour cream as desired.

Corn Tortillas, 6-8 inch diameter

Filling options: Refried beans with or without grated cheese
Cooked and seasoned shredded chicken, beef or pork
Mashed potato and cheese (can be mixed with meat)
Anything else you think of

Place some filling in the tortilla and roll up, securing edge with a toothpick
Fry in a hot skillet until crisp.

Red sauce- Crushed tomatoes (canned) , a little vinegar, oregano, salt
Hot green salsa and sour cream or any other topping or taco sauce/salsa your desire

Lemon Bread

This was my Mother's Day dessert and it was delicious! Homemade lemon bread was thinly sliced, layered with Devon Cream (vanilla pudding or custard would work too), whipped cream and fresh strawberries. The flavours mixed so well! This combination would also work as a trifle, layering the bread, pudding, cream and fruit in a bowl and letting it sit overnight. Other berries such as blueberries go well with lemon too.

Lower Fat Lemon Bread (less guilt with the cream fillings!)

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar (Splenda)

Cream together and add

2 eggs, beaten

Add
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
rind of one lemon, finely grated

Place in a loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes at 325 F.

Glaze: juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup sugar. Drizzle on top of hot baked loaf.

Grandma's Macaroni and Cheese

Aunt Lois had us over for dinner on the weekend and served Grandma T's Macaroni and Cheese. I didn't know about this family dish but it was absolutely delicious!!! The best of comfort foods! Aunt Lois sent me the recipe and I made it tonight. It was good, but not as excellent as hers. I may have to watch her make it as the recipe is one of those "you just know the right amounts" recipe.

GRANDMA TOLMAN’S MACARONI ‘N CHEESE RECIPE

With Crumb Topping

5 to 6 cups macaroni cooked a la dente

1 large bar of medium cheese, grated (540 grams)

1 large can of tomatoes, crushed or diced)

(I sometimes add a small can of tomato sauce to give it a bit more moisture)

1 large onion finely chopped

6-8 slices of bacon cut into small pieces or 1 lb with fat cut out

Seasoned bread crumbs

Parmesan cheese

Butter or margarine

Method

Use large casserole or rather deep rectangular pan or medium roasting pan

Place half of the macaroni in dish

Sprinkle half of onion over macaroni

Distribute cut bacon over onion & macaroni

Layer a good portion of cheese on top

Cover with tomato

Repeat above for second layer but, REVERSE cheese and tomato

Topping

I use probably a cup of grated cheese, maybe more, a few good shakes of parmesan cheese, bread crumbs (and I can’t tell you how much for sure) maybe half a cup and then 2 tbsp of butter. Work is with you hands so it is well combined then place on top of the last layer of cheese. ( I toasted and blended 6 slices of whole wheat bread for crumbs)

Bake uncovered at 350 F for one hour in a medium roasting pan.

Banana Muffins

I used to make a double batch of muffins every weekend for quick breakfasts and lunches but have stopped doing so as the household has shrunk in size. I have one daughter who always despised banana bread and muffins as she didn't like the black specks that were visible from the fruit, so I didn't make them often. But this recipe is easy, adaptable and always moist with the bananas. For a special treat, half a cup of chocolate chips can be added to the batter. I chopped up a 3 ounce 70% cocoa chocolate bar for the double recipe I made today.

Combine

2 cups flour (I use at least 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup sugar ( I use 1/4 cup and it is sweet enough)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Beat together

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas

Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir until blended.

Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, chocolate chips or raisins if desired. A friend of the family adds maraschino cherries to the recipe at Christmas time and bakes it as a loaf.

Makes 1 9x5x3 inch loaf. Bake at 350F for 65 to 70 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Or the recipe makes 12 large muffins. Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes.

Graham Wafer Pie

My sister-in-law, Shirley, made this pie when I first knew her in the 1970s. It is easy and economical to make. I made it today for the first time in years. There is one piece left. The recipe has been adapted for the microwave oven.

Crust: 1-1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/4 sugar (optional, I don't add sugar here)
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients together and press into a 9 inch pie plate. Chill in the fridge or freezer. You can use a prepared graham cracker crust from the grocery store instead.

Filling: In a microwave proof bowl combine

2-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda
3 beaten egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
pinch of salt

Cook on medium or high in the microwave for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Stir the mixture well every 45-60 seconds to make sure it doesn't lump. Pour into prepared crust and chill well.

Meringue: Beat 3 egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff (add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar if you want) Spread over top of pie and bake in a 350 F oven until browned nicely. Watch it carefully.

Red Cabbage and Apple

One of my German patients gave me this recipe and it is a family favourite.

Coarsely shred 1/2 large head of red cabbage
Add one or two thinly sliced apples (I don't peel them)
1/2 cup water

Cook over medium heat in a large pan with a good lid. I use my wok. Stir occasionally and add a little more water if it gets dry. When the cabbage is tender (about 20-30 minutes) take the lid off until the water is mostly evaporated. Add

3 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp sugar

Stir through and serve hot. Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Vegetarian Lasagna

I rarely make lasagna except for special occasions. It is not the type of meal that can be made in thirty minutes after work. One of our regional grocery chains is now selling fresh lasagna noodles made of 100% whole wheat flour (President's Choice). I bought a package of them and put this lasagna together very quickly. It was handy to skip the "boiling noodles" stage of the process, but you could use regular dried lasagna noodles that have been cooked instead of the fresh noodles.

In a large frying pan or wok heat 1-2 tbsp oil. Add:

1 onion, diced, diced
1/2-1 sweet pepper, diced
2 portobello mushrooms thinly sliced (or equivalent amount of another mushroom)

Cook until softened and then add

1 pound of chopped raw spinach.
Cook until spinach is wilted
Add 1 jar of pasta sauce of your choice

Assemble lasagna in a 9x13 inch pan.

Put a little pasta sauce in the bottom of the pan
Add a layer of fresh or prepared noodles
Add another layer of sauce, sprinkle with parmesan or other grated cheese, then
Add a layer of noodles, then
Mix 1 egg into a 500 ml container of cottage cheese and spread on top of noodles, then
Add a layer of noodles and the rest of the sauce.

Sprinkle the top with grated mozzarella cheese. You can top the lasagna with another layer of noodles if desired. I find noodles on the top get hard, so I end with sauce.

Cover lightly with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350F.

(Vegetables and cheeses can be varied)

Venison Stew

A friend from our church, John, gave us some game meat from moose and deer he hunted last fall. I checked a few recipes and then created this dish with what was on hand. It was very good! This type of recipe can be modified in many ways.

Heat 15-30 ml of oil in a dutch oven or stew pot

Add one diced onion (I would have added green pepper if I had some) and cook for a couple of minutes until it is starting to soften.

Add 500 g diced venison and cook until browned

Add 30 ml cider vinegar
250 ml vegetable or beef broth
250 ml tomato sauce (I used some left over pasta sauce)
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
5 ml allspice
other seasonings to taste

Simmer slowly for 40- 50 minutes until meat is tender.

Add chunks of potato (4 medium), carrots (2), onions (1) as desired and simmer until vegetables are done.

I served it with a salad and Canadian wild rice.

Dessert Crepes

There are endless possibilities when it comes to filling basic crepes for dessert. We tried this simple and delicious end to our crepe experiments and the warm fruit and ice cream was quite perfect. The Becka assembled and photographed the finished product.

Cook two sliced bananas on high in a frying pan with a little butter until slightly browned and soft. Drizzle the inside of a crepe with chocolate sauce and place bananas inside. Fold crepe in thirds over the fruit. Place a scoop of ice cream on top and drizzle with a little chocolate sauce.

Chicken and Spinach Crepes

We created this dish today with ingredients on hand. I cooked 2 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts in 2 cups of salted water and saved the broth for the sauce. Make the crepes using this basic recipe.

Creamed Chicken and Spinach Filling

Saute one onion and one large portobello mushroom in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. When softened, add 1 pound chopped raw spinach and cook until wilted. Add 6 tbsp flour to mixture and stir in. Slowly add 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup milk, stirring until thickened. Add 1/4 parmesan cheese and/or grated cheddar cheese and stir until it melts. Add 2 cups diced chicken if desired.

Spoon into crepe and fold over or roll up before serving.

Makes 8 filled crepes.

May 15/08 -Variation- We liked this filling even better!

6 tbsp flour
3-4 cups milk or soymilk
1/2 tsp salt
curry powder
cumin powder
4 cups spinach
3 chicken breasts grilled and chopped up

Blend milk slowly into the flour, add seasonings and cook in microwave stirring often until thickened. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add chicken. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Crepes

We visited a new restaurant in our area called Cora's last weekend. They serve breakfast and lunch only and feature decadent but healthy platters of fruit, crepes, pancakes, sandwiches, omeletes, etcetera. Crepes were very popular in the 1970's before people felt guilty about eating eggs and creamy sauces. Our weather today is horrid, so Becka and I experimented with making crepes. The results were delicious! Here is a basic crepe recipe, easy to make and handle.

In a blender mix:

1 cup flour (I used high fiber white flour)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter

Lightly oil and large skillet (10") and add about 1/4 cup batter. Tip the pan quickly to let the batter cover the entire pan in a very thin layer. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and then turn crepe for until done. Each crepe takes a minute or less to cook once the pan is hot.

Makes 8 -10 inch crepes. Fill as desired with a savoury or sweet filling.

Seven Layer Casserole

Before our children were born, one of my patients gave me a cookbook put together by the New Dundee Women's Institute. (No. 3-1973) It is full of the best of local cooking, meals to fill hungry people after a day working on the farm, meals to serve large families on a budget, meals featuring locally available foods, and meals that are quick and easy to assemble.
I made this casserole many Sunday mornings before church and put it in the oven to be ready at 1:00 PM. It is a perfect one dish meal and can be varied as needed. Add a salad and the dinner is complete.

Lightly grease a small roasting pan or large casserole dish.

Spread one pound of lean or extra lean ground meat on the bottom of the pan. (We prefer ground turkey) Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Next, sprinkle 1/4 cup raw long grained rice evenly over the meat.
Add one layer each of raw onion, sliced raw carrots, frozen or canned peas, thinly sliced raw potatoes. The potatoes are the thickest layer. Season each layer as desired. Mix one 10 oz can of tomato soup (or mushroom soup) with 1 cup of water and pour over the mixture. Cover and bake at 325F for 1-1/2 hours

Nine-a-day Salad

Here is one recipe from the book 12 Best Foods Cookbook that can be made at home or assembled at most restaurant salad bars. Served with grilled salmon and a fresh berries for dessert, the meal includes most of the 12 best foods. (This recipe serves 4). Read about the book here.

Nine-a-day Salad

1 cup broccoli,
4 green pepper rings, 4 red pepper rings
2 to 3 thin onion slices
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced zucchini
1 large sliced mushroom
8 whole cherry tomatoes
2 cups spinach, washed and torn
1 tbsp soynuts

Dressing
2 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp dried basil and oregano,
1 clove garlic chopped, 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp canola oil, salt and pepper to taste