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

Baking for the Christmas Grinch!

I tire quickly of Christmas commercialism and some would even call me a Grinch! My enthusiastic daughter started Christmas baking for the freezer (we only ate the broken pieces ;-)... Here are the recipes she made this weekend.

Shortbreads
Molasses Crinkles
Pink Squares
Lemon Squares
Christmas Cake
Sugar Cookies