Some Easy 30ish Minute Meals

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Many dinners can be cooked quickly and flavorful in a short amount of time in about 30-40 minutes including a bit of prep time. With a short list of ingredients and possibly items you might have on hand a meal can come together quickly. Every household has their favorite items they keep in their pantry and freezer. My pantry almost always has chicken and beef broth or stock, rice, a few assorted pastas or noodles, onions, potatoes and an assortment of can tomatoes. Items on my weekly shopping list usually include are a few peppers, fresh mushrooms, celery and carrots . These items along with your favorite protein will turn into a quick delicious dinner in a jiffy. Here are a few quick recipes you might like to try.

Same recipe meatless and without diced tomatoes

Any Meat or Not – Tortellini Soup

The only prep you need is chopping an onion, a couple of carrots and garlic.

Servings 6

Ingredients

1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage (if you have links remove the casing) Any meat you choose can be exchanged for the sausage. Diced chicken, ground beef or ground chicken or leave it out all together

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium-large carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 cartons (32 oz. each) chicken broth (Beef or Vegetable is fine too)

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (any flavor)

1 package (Approx. 12 oz.) refrigerated or frozen cheese or meat filled tortellini

1 bag (5 oz.) fresh baby spinach

Steps

1. In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook sausage or other meat, onion, carrots and garlic over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain any excess fat.

2. Stir in broth, Italian seasoning and diced tomatoes; heat to boiling on medium-high heat. Add tortellini; reduce heat to low and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Stir in spinach and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs

Baked Pesto Chicken is a fast chicken dish made with boneless thighs, pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. This recipe is easily doubled.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

1 Small jar ready-made Pesto or homemade if you prefer

1 Medium tomato, sliced thin

1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Wash chicken and dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Place the chicken thighs on prepared baking sheet.

Spread about 1-2 teaspoons of pesto over each piece of chicken, depends how much pesto you like.

Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Remove from oven; top with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve over cooked white rice or pasta.

Spanish Style Rice with Beef

         1 lb           Lean Ground Beef
         1 cup          Rice – Regular, Uncooked
        28 oz can     Diced Tomatoes
         16 oz can    Tomato sauce
         1 cup          Water
       1/2 tsp          Oregano Leaves
       1/8 tsp          Pepper
       1/2 cup         Onion – Chopped
       2/3 cup         Green Bell Pepper – Chopped or a combination of red and green
         1 tsp          Chili Powder
     1 1/4 tsp          Salt

Cook the meat and onion in a large skillet until the meat is
brown. Drain off the excess fat. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

In the skillet: Heat the mixture to boiling then reduce the
heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is
tender, about 30 minutes. (A small amount of water can be added if
necessary.)

Thank you for visiting and Happy Eating!
Please share my site with your family and friends and tell them about Recipes from a Cozy Kitchen where I share my favorite recipes. I hope my recipes will inspire you to take time to cook no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you and hear what you are making.

Easy Spring Holiday Breakfast or Brunch Ideas

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Happy Spring! I love to cook for my family when the holidays roll around but when you have family members who work in the services or health industries sometimes it’s not possible to schedule dinner. One way around it is by having a breakfast or brunch depending on the schedule. Here are some ideas you might like to consider making if you are thinking of planning a breakfast or brunch or going to one and bringing a dish. Enjoy!

Ham & Cheddar Muffins
makes 12-15 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup diced ham

Add some dried herbs and spices (1/4-1/2 tsp.) to the dry ingredients to make it more savory

Fresh cracked black pepper, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone muffin cups and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and any herbs you might like.

3. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, and butter. Add these wet ingredients to the dry and mix lightly (e.g., with a wooden spoon, not a mixer) until well combined. Once the batter is smooth, fold in cheese and ham.

4. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 of the way. If you like, sprinkle some more shredded cheese and freshly cracked black pepper on top. Bake for about 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and finish cooling on a rack. See notes above on storing these.

Spinach, Sausage, Feta and Egg Bubble-Up Casserole

Servings 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 Sliced green onions
1 package (5 oz) baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 lb Italian Sausage meat
1 can Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Homestyle biscuits (8 biscuits)
12 eggs
1 1/2cups half-and-half
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ cups crumbled feta cheese (6 oz)

Steps

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté Italian sausage breaking it up as it cooks. Then add bell pepper; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add garlic and chopped green onion; cook 60 seconds or until fragrant. Gradually add spinach, and cook until just wilted. Remove skillet from heat.
Separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each into 8 pieces, and place evenly in dish.
In large bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper with whisk until mixed well; stir in spinach sausage mixture and Feta cheese. Pour over biscuits in dish.
Bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and biscuits are deep golden brown.

Riviera Ham and Egg Pie

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 (9-inch) refrigerated, unbaked pie crusts (a 15-ounce package)

3/4 pound of a cooked ham steak, diced

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup ricotta cheese

4 eggs, plus 1 yolk, slightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent and just golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool while preparing crust.

Remove 1 of the prepared pie crusts from the refrigerator, and place in an ungreased, 9-inch pie plate. Shape the crust to fit the form of the pan with a 1/2-inch overlap around the edge.

To the onion mixture, add the ham, spinach, cheeses, 4 eggs plus 1 yolk, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Spread mixture into prepared crust. Cover with remaining pie crust; crimp edges and score to vent. Brush with egg white and bake until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Sheet Pan Fruity Pancakes

If you are looking for quick and easy breakfast or brunch ideas for a large group, here is the easiest way to make pancakes without having to stand over the griddle flipping individual pancakes.

Servings: 12-15 pancakes

Ingredients

4 cups Bisquick Mix

2 cups whole milk

4 eggs

Fruit toppings of your choice (I liked a mix of Strawberry and Blueberries as a suggestion)

8 tbsp. butter – melted

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and generously grease a sheet pan. (Cooking Spray works fine here)

In a large bowl, whisk together the Bisquick, milk and eggs

Pour the pancake batter onto your greased pan and top with the toppings of your choice.

In the center rack, bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.

Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the pancakes before serving. Serve with your favorite syrups and/or whipped cream.

Enjoy Valentine’s Day dinner at home – Shellfish

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Clams, or Mussels make the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner. They are often considered to be some of the foods of love and they are quick and easy to cook, and look absolutely sensational when served on a plate! Take the time to splurge on items you might not be able to afford at a restaurant and enjoy with your special someone. Put some flowers on the table, buy a nice bottle of your favorite wine or even Champagne, create an easy to make shellfish dinner and a small side salad and later on indulge with something a bit chocolaty.

Muscles Over Linguine with a White Wine Garlic Sauce

Prep Time: 15 mins, Cook Time: 20 mins, Total Time: 35 mins Yield: 4-6

2-3 pounds mussels, rinsed
1 pound linguine
¾ to 1 cup white wine (I usually use something like a Pinot Grigio , Riesling or Chardonnay whatever white wine we happen to have in the house)
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse the mussels and remove beards if necessary, discard any that do not fully close when rinsing (these are dead).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt to the boiling water, and cook linguine until al dente.

Meanwhile, with linguine still boiling, combine all remaining ingredients (except for the cream and Parmesan cheese) in a large covered sauce pan on medium-high heat.

Cover and simmer mussels in the white wine sauce until fully cooked and shells open up, about 5-10 minutes. Stir sauce and mussels to coat in the sauce.

When linguine is finished, strain and stir into the mussels and white wine sauce. Now add cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 5-7 minutes while covered, stirring occasionally until the sauce slightly thickens.

Serve topped with a pinch of fresh basil or chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. (Yes, it’s perfectly okay to have cheese with seafood if you enjoy it, LOL!)

For those who would prefer a red sauce with Muscles here is a red sauce version.

Mussels Marinara

2 lbs Mussels
1 cup white wine (use what you like to drink)
1 small onion
3-4 garlic cloves
1 quart your favorite marinara sauce
4 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Scrape mussels clean – Toss any that are not closed

Mince onion and garlic

Cooking:

In a tall pot, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until they are translucent (don’t burn the garlic).

Add the wine and bring to a boil.

Add the mussels, cover pot and cook until the mussels are fully opened (toss unopened mussels).

In a separate pot bring the marinara sauce to a boil, then pour it over the mussels.

Turn heat off and serve over linguine or you favorite pasta.

Serve with garlic bread and some more of that white wine. Heaven!.

Linguine with Clams

1 pound dried linguine
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
5 to 7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 pounds little neck clams, scrubbed clean and sand purged
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2-1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, zested, for garnish

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water.

Add linguine, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking together.

Cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent,

about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until the clams have opened.

Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.

Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water – this will remove the pasta’s natural starches.

Pour linguine into large serving bowl- arrange clams over linguine and pour sauce over all

Garnish with remaining parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Thank you for visiting!
Please share my site with your family and friends and tell them about Recipes from a Small Kitchen where I share my favorite recipes. I hope my recipes will inspire you to take time to cook no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you and hear what you are making.

Temperatures are Dropping and Soups On!

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

It has been a while since I posted soup recipes and with all this cold chilly weather here in the northeast soup is always on the weeks menu. I love soup no matter what the weather is, but once the cold weather sets in I start planning to make several types of soup. I have made chicken or beef soup from scratch other times I will buy ready made stocks depending on my mood. Using ready made stock is a time saver and I don’t think anyone should be put down for using it, a really hearty homemade soup can be made with out all the fuss.

This is a flexible recipe and you can exchange the sausage for diced chicken breast, ground beef or ground chicken. In this photo I used diced chicken.

Italian Tortellini Soup

Servings 6

Ingredients

1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage (if you have links remove the casing)

(Any meat you choose can be exchanged for the sausage. Diced chicken, ground beef or ground chicken)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium-large carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 cartons (32 oz. each) chicken broth

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (any flavor)

1 package (Approx. 12 oz.) refrigerated fresh cheese tortellini

1 bag (5 oz.) baby spinach

Steps

1. In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook sausage or other meat, onion, carrots and garlic over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain any excess fat.

2. Stir in broth, Italian seasoning and diced tomatoes; heat to boiling on medium-high heat. Add tortellini; reduce heat to low and cook 8 to 12 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Stir in spinach and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

This stuffed pepper soup is a hearty meal loaded with ground beef, onions, rice and bell peppers in a tomato based broth. It tastes just like classic stuffed peppers, but without all the work!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 14.5 ounce can beef broth
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 cups cooked white rice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up into smaller pieces with a spatula (approximately 5-6 minutes).
Add the onion to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Season the beef and onion mixture with salt and pepper.
Add the bell peppers to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth and Italian seasoning to the pot; bring to a simmer.
Cook for 15-20 minutes or until peppers are tender.
Stir in the rice and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste as desired. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Gnocchi and Sausage Soup

Servings 6 (This recipe easily doubles nicely)

Ingredients

1 lb bulk Italian sausage

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (2 teaspoons)

1 carton (32 oz.) chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional if needed)*

1/4 teaspoon pepper (optional if needed)*

1 package (16 oz.) potato gnocchi

3 cups packed fresh baby spinach (4 oz.)

1 cup heavy cream

Steps

1. In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook Italian sausage over medium heat 7 to 10 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Add onion and garlic; continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes or until onions are tender.

2. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper if you feel it needs it; heat to boiling. Stir in gnocchi and spinach; simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until gnocchi begins to float. Stir in heavy cream; serve.

*Notes: I found salt and pepper may be optional as some chicken broths are seasoned more than enough and do not need the additional salt.

* Depending on the brand of Italian sausage you may decide to not add pepper if the sausage is seasoned enough

Thank you for visiting!
Please share this site with your family and friends and tell them about Recipes from a Small Kitchen where I share my favorite recipes. I hope my recipes will inspire you to take time to cook no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you and hear what you are making.

Preparing Christmas Goodies – Fruit Cake

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

OK, not everyone is a fan of Old Fashioned Fruit Cake. I like to think it’s the cake to fruit ratio that matters. I remember having one fruit cake that I thought I was eating a mouthful of rocks, there wasn’t really any cake. There are light fruit cakes and dark fruit cakes. Some cakes are soaked in brandy for several weeks before serving. So it really is a matter of taste and preference.

Many people call the Candied Citron used in fruit cakes as “fake fruit”, but it really isn’t. Citron is an actual semitropical fruit that’s similar to a lemon but with thicker skin. You don’t have to use citron in your fruitcake if you don’t like it. You can use any candied fruit that you prefer, many types are readily available in the baking section of your grocery store. Think of pineapple, cherry, orange rind, or lemon rind. and if those don’t appeal to you try substituting plain dried fruit pieces in your fruitcake. You can find many types of dried fruit in the grocery store, including raisins, currants, apricots, peaches, bananas, mangoes, papaya, and more.

I often use a candied fruit mix readily available at the store this time of year. Some years back I came across a super simple fruit cake recipe on the back of a cake box that had a nice balance of fruit and cake and not as much work as ones I had made from scratch. I have tweaked the recipe a bit and I have been making it ever since. This is the way we enjoy fruit cake. You may want to give it a try.

Easy Fruit Cake

2 cups water

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

2 (16.6-oz.) pkgs. of a Date Nut Quick Bread & Muffin Mix

2 cups Pecans, chopped for the cake but save a few whole one for decorating the cake top if you like

2 cups Raisins

2 cups Candied mixed fruit

1/2 cup Candied Cherries, halved

1/2 cup Candied pineapple, cut-up

Corn syrup, if desired

Preparation Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bottom and sides of 12-cup Bundt® pan or 10-inch tube pan. In large bowl, combine water, oil and eggs; beat well. Add all remaining ingredients except corn syrup; stir with spoon until combined. Pour into greased and floured pan. You way wish set aside some candied cherry halves and Pecans to decorate the top of the cake before baking.

2. Bake at 350°F. for 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.

3. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in freezer for up to 3 months.

4. Just before serving, heat corn syrup until warm. Brush over fruitcake. If desired, decorate with additional candied fruits and nuts or as desired.

Favorite Meals Using Leftover Turkey

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. We had a lovely dinner at our sons home this year, the only thing I was asked to make was my homemade dinner rolls and biscuits. I did manage to score a turkey a few days before the holiday on sale so I prepared our turkey on Sunday with my sausage stuffing, and twice baked sweet potatoes. I made my Turkey Gravy the day before by roasting two large turkey wings.

So now what to do with the leftovers? I love a turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberries on toast. Do you have a favorite leftover turkey sandwich? Here are two dishes I have made over the years depending on how much leftovers we have. One is a Thanksgiving left over casserole the other is Turkey Tetrazzini. I have previously posted several chicken recipes that you can easily swap out with leftover turkey, like Chicken Croquettes, Chicken Noodle Casserole and a few others. Let’s not forget yummy turkey salad for sandwiches too.

Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

This tasty turkey casserole recipe is made with leftover turkey, leftover stuffing and gravy, and a little cranberry sauce for topping. I have sometimes tucked in some of the leftover green beans in between the layers too. This is an easy toss in what you like casserole.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups prepared turkey stuffing

2 cups cooked cut up or sliced turkey

1 1/2 to 2 cups prepared turkey gravy

1/3 cup jellied or whole cranberry sauce, cubed

Preparation:

Butter the bottom and sides of 2-quart baking dish. Arrange half of the stuffing in bottom of dish.

Add half of the turkey then half of the gravy. Repeat layers.

Top with cubes of cranberry sauce. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Serves 4

Left over Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini

Sorry, no photo for this next recipe. This recipe is yummy for a way to change up leftover turkey.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked spaghetti or pasta of choice

1/2 cup butter & 2 Tb

2 TB Olive Oil

Add any of these items to taste – I have no exact measurements

Onions

Garlic

Mushrooms

or frozen peas or peas & carrots

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken broth 2 cups milk

1 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese

4 cups chopped cooked turkey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al-dente. Drain, and place in the prepared baking dish.

3. Melt 2 tb butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

At this point I sauté the onion, garlic, mushrooms. Remove from pan and set on the side.

4. Melt 1/2 cup butter in same pan over medium heat.

5. Stir in flour, pan cook so flour cooks but is not brown

6. Mix in chicken broth and milk. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir in about 1 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, and remove from heat.

7. Add onion, garlic mushroom mix to the sauce and fold in. Add chopped turkey or any frozen vegetable you are using

8. Mix chicken sauce mixture with cooked spaghetti and put into a greased 9 x 13 casserole.

9. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until surface is lightly browned

Thank you for visiting!
Please share this site with your family and friends and ask them to join Recipes from a Small Kitchen where I share my favorite recipes. I hope my recipes will inspire you to take time to cook no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you and hear what you are making.

Quick and Easy Dessert – Fruit Cobbler

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Here we are in cooking and baking season and with all the celebrations happening I thought I’d share a quick and easy dessert to make when you might have some last minute dinner guests or just for a simple family dinner. You will never have to worry about fruits not being in season to make this dessert.

I love making a quick fruit cobbler, peach is a favorite at our house but you can make apple, cherry or blueberry or any pie filling you may have on hand. This recipe is easy to make and gives you that cozy homey feeling when you serve it warm topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Easy Fruit Cobbler

1 – 29 ounce can sliced peaches in heavy syrup (you can also use your favorite Pie filling if you want another fruit)
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted

In a 9×13 inch dish pour melted butter. In a bowl mix flour, milk, and sugar to make a smooth batter.
Pour batter over melted butter. Put fruit on top of the batter, syrup and all. With pie filling just put dollops of your favorite pie filling all over the batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.
Let it sit 10 minutes before serving. When serving top warm cobbler with with a scoop of ice cream or a big helping of whipped cream. Serves 8-10.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy for Gravy Lovers

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I don’t know about you but I love to have lots of gravy available for our Thanksgiving meal. I sometimes find that after roasting the turkey there just isn’t enough drippings to have gravy for all the leftovers in the days ahead. I can make this gravy a few days ahead of Turkey Day and have it ready in the fridge. It’s a great prep ahead of the holiday. Depending on the amount of guests you have coming for dinner there will be plenty of gravy for the turkey as well as the mashed potatoes, the stuffing and for those who enjoy second helpings. I have been making it for many years, it’s easy to make and you will be pleased you made it for the gravy lovers in your family.

I found this recipe from one of my recipe groups many years ago so it is not my own. I believe the full recipe originated on the Food Network by Tyler Florence. It is delicious!

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

Ingredients

2 pounds turkey wings

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, halved

4 carrots, chopped

1 head garlic, smashed

2 sprigs fresh sage

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

8 black peppercorns

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the turkey wings (also backbone and neck if you have it) into a small roasting pan and roast them until they are golden brown, about 30-45 minutes.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, herbs, and peppercorns and cook for 5 minutes. Add the turkey wings. Pour some water into the roasting pan and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom; add this to the pot. Cover everything in the pot with cold water by 1-inch and bring to the boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Strain out the solids and discard. Wipe out the pot and put it over medium heat. Melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the flour. Cook the roux, stirring frequently, until it is golden brown. Slowly whisk in the strained stock being careful to work out any lumps. Cook until the gravy has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Homemade Turkey Soup

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

The TV cooking shows teach us the many ways to prepare turkey this time of year. Over the years at our house we have made turkey many different ways. We have roasted, dry brined, wet brined, deep fried several times and one year even purchased a cherry smoked turkey for something different.

One of the few things I haven’t seen too often is what to do with the turkey carcass once the holiday is over. I like to make a pot of stock to enjoy in several soups after the holiday.

Have your ever made turkey stock? It’s really easy. Making stock takes a little bit of work but is so worth it in the end. Here is my recipe for making turkey stock.

Here are a few examples of the “faces” of our past Thanksgiving turkeys.

Turkey Soup from the Carcass

When making turkey soup, simmer the broken up carcass. Put any tiny bits of meat left on the carving board, the wing tips and tail, in enough cold water to cover. Add some celery, carrot, onion and the cloves of garlic to the pot. Add a little salt and pepper. Remember the stock will reduce and it’s easy to over salt at this point.

2 medium carrots, scraped and quartered

2 or 3 celery stalks with leaves, whole or cut in half

1 medium yellow onion, whole or cut in half, peeled or unpeeled

2 Garlic Cloves

3 parsley sprigs, preferably the flat Italian type

6 to 8 whole black peppercorns

Salt, sparingly

If the carcass has a little bit of stuffing in the nooks and crannies, all the better. Once the stock has simmered for an hour or two, strain and cool. Discard the vegetables and pick any useable meat from the bones.

Put the stock in the refrigerator overnight. All the turkey fat will rise to the top and congeal. Carefully remove this fat and use sparingly to sauté freshly chopped vegetables (celery, carrots, onions, plus whatever you like in your soup) until they are translucent.

Heat the stock and add the sautéed vegetables and any leftover turkey to the soup. Simmer until everything is tender and then season to taste. If you want you may also add cooked fine noodles or cooked rice or your favorite small soup pasta.

By using this method your soup isn’t greasy, and by using the turkey fat to sauté the veggies rather than oil or butter, it will have even more turkey flavor, and you’re using something that would have been thrown away.

Cool day meal to just pop into the oven – Swiss Steak

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

The temperatures are getting cooler now here in the Northeast so I got to thinking what meals I might make for dinner that I have not made in a long time. Earlier in the week when shopping at Costco I had picked up a package of 2 Eye Round Roasts that were on sale. One of the roasts I sliced into steaks slices approximately 1/2 inch each. The other roast I froze for another time and will decide what to make with it later on. The recipe that came to mind was Swiss Steak. I couldn’t remember when was the last time I made it so I put it on the weeks menu.

What is Swiss Steak you might ask?

Swiss steak is a dish of meat, usually beef, that is swissed by rolling or pounding before being braised in a cooking pot of stewed vegetables and seasonings. It is made either on a stove or in an oven, and does not get its name from Switzerland, as the name suggests, but the technique of tenderizing by pounding or rolling called “swissing“

Swiss Steak is easy to prepare and once you have popped it into the oven you are free for the next several hours to spend as you choose. I spent the time organizing my craft studio.
Once it cooks down in the oven, the tomatoes and broth will thicken and become sweetened from the carrots and onions and the meat will be fork tender. You will not need a knife to cut this steak. I hope you will give this recipe a try, it was a yummy meal that made my hubby very happy.

Swiss Steak

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

1 ½-2 pounds round steak – (I found and Eye Round Roast on sale and sliced it into steaks)
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil or as needed
2 onions, diced (or 1 very large onion)
3 large carrots, split and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes with the juice, 28 ounces
1 can beef broth, 14.5 oz.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Using a meat mallet, pound meat to ½″ thickness to tenderize.
Combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, pepper & salt to taste. Dredge meat in flour mixture.
Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or enameled cast iron skillet with lid. Brown the steaks on each side (adding additional olive oil if needed). Set the meat aside.
In the same Dutch oven or skillet place the diced onions & chopped carrots in the bottom of the pot and top with the browned steaks.
Add remaining ingredients right on top of the steaks and veggies. Put on the lid and cook in the oven for 2 ½-3 hours.
Serve over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.

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Autumn in Every Bite – Apple Cider Cinnamon Bread made in the Bread Machine, Chicken & Rice Soup made in the Instant Pot

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Now is the time to get cooking some comfort foods and when I get one of those busy days I like to use my Bread Machine and the Instant Pot. We just got back from a short trip away and stopped by our favorite cider mill farm stand. We always have to buy a gallon of freshly pressed cider on the drive home. A recipe I stumbled on last fall was an easy to make loaf of Apple Cider Cinnamon Bread that is easily made in the bread machine. It’s Autumn in every bite! I made French Toast for breakfast with it, ham sandwiches for lunch, as well as just good old buttered toast with tea or coffee. So next time you go to the cider mill save some to give this bread a try.

Then while you are easing into the cooler temperatures here is a weeknight Instant Pot Chicken & Rice Soup that takes very little time and will warm you and the family up quick. Easy to make while the kids are doing homework or a weekend meal after raking up leaves. I hope you enjoy both recipes.

Apple Cider Cinnamon Bread

Makes a 1.5 pound loaf.

Use the basic or white bread setting.

1 1/4 Cups Fresh Apple Cider

2 Tablespoons Vegetable or Canola oil

3 Cups Bread flour (I prefer King Arthur Bread Flour)

2 Tablespoons Brown sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Cinnamon (Costco Ground Saigon Cinnamon is delicious)

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of which ingredients to put in the bread machine first. It should be a smooth, round ball. If it’s too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks right. If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks right. It’s always a good idea to check on the bread after five or ten minutes of kneading as every bread machine is a bit different.

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

Servings 8

Ingredients

5 carrots peeled and sliced (bite size, not too thick)
2 stalks celery sliced, I like to include the celery tops too.
1 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1.5 to 1.75 lbs. boneless chicken breast or thigh meat (about four thighs pieces)
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
8 cups chicken broth (two 32 ounce cartons)
1 1/4 cups Instant Rice

Directions

Turn your 6-quart Instant Pot and press the Sauté button.

Add the olive oil, the sliced carrots, celery, diced onion, minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Turn the sauté setting off.

Add the salt, pepper and dried parsley. Toss to coat the vegetables.

Add the whole chicken pieces to the Instant Pot and top with the Italian Seasoning. (No need to cut up the chicken)

Pour the chicken broth over the ingredients and stir with a spoon.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure the valve is set to the sealing position. Press the manual button and set the pressure cooking time to 8 minutes.

After the timer beeps that the pressure cooking has finished allow to release naturally for 15 minutes. Now push the valve to the releasing position and wait for all of the steam to escape and the pin to drop. Hit the Cancel setting.

Use a slotted spoon or a kitchen tongs and remove the hot cooked chicken from the pot and to a bowl. Shred the chicken using two forks. Immediately return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot.

Pour the instant rice into the Instant Pot and stir. Place the lid back on the Instant Pot and lock into place (your Instant pot should be off at this point) Allow the rice to cook in the hot chicken broth until tender, about 12-15 minutes.

Remove the lid once again and serve.

Note: If you prefer noodles instead of rice, you can make your favorite style of noodles in a separate pot on the stove and then add them to the hot broth with the shredded chicken and serve immediately.

Just a girl who loves Fall – The last of tomatoes and basil from the garden

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Happy Autumn everyone! Well, in a few more day anyway. I love Autumn, Winter and Spring but not a fan of the Summer heat and humidity. Here in the Northeast we do have our nice days days and those I enjoy, but the hot days I just can’t seem to function very well. Once September arrives I begin to feel I can finally relax with the cooler temperatures slowly setting in, we now can open the windows and shut off the A/C and I feel like cooking again.

For those who may have some veggies and herbs left in the garden now is the time to use them up if you aren’t planning to can or freeze them. If you don’t have any homegrown take the time to visit some of your local farms or produce stands. Pick up some tomatoes, corn, squash or herbs, there are so many recipes you can make with them. Here I am sharing a family favorite at our house, plus another recipe for making homemade pesto and a chicken dish you can use both tomatoes and basil in.

Tomatoes

A simple fresh tomato sauce where you can use the last of your tomatoes. I have used Cherry Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes as well as Beef Steaks to make this sauce, they all work fine.

Makes 2 cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta

To keep the garlic from burning, start the olive oil and garlic in a cold pan. Add a pinch of sugar to the cooked sauce if your tomatoes aren’t as sweet as you’d like. If the sauce seems too thick, toss the sauce and pasta with a little reserved pasta cooking water to help spread the sauce evenly.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ripe beefsteak tomatoes (about 4 large), cored, peeled (see related How to Cook), and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Table salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Ground black pepper

Instructions

Stir oil and garlic together in large skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic is sizzling and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to rapid simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, reducing heat if sauce begins to stick to bottom of pan, until thickened and chunky, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Basil

I love making fresh Pesto with Basil from our small herb garden. This is a delicious Chicken Thighs with Pesto Recipe you might want to try.

Basic Pesto Recipe

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts, walnuts or pecans
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Optional:
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2-1 cup fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, or blender, combine all the ingredients except the cheese. Process the mixture in short bursts until it is smooth. It should not be soupy. If it is too oily, you can add more basil. Scrape down the sides as you work. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese. Place in a covered container and chill. It will last up to a week in the refrigerator. The optional ingredients are up to you-I’ve seen many recipes without them, but quite a few that include them.

Notes, Additions and Tips

Ingredients: Pesto is SO varied! Some people insist on pine nuts, others hate them. I always go with the concept of using what you have on hand and what you can afford at the time. Substitute walnuts or pecans if you wish! You can also use Pecorino or Romano cheese for a change. Salt and pepper should be used to taste. If you are on a low salt diet then leave it out. If you love garlic then try adding more, less if it’s too much for your taste. You can also toast the nuts in the oven, or in a skillet before using.

Pesto freezes well in ice cube trays. Store the frozen cubes in a plastic freezer bag to use in the off season. Add a cube to soups, stews or tomato based sauces.

Toss fresh pesto with hot pasta, rice, or steamed vegetables. Spread on toasted French Bread, use a dip for bread sticks, or spread on pizza crust in place of tomato sauce.

Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs

My husband loves the juiciness of chicken thighs, so this recipe was a winner with him. Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs is a fast chicken dish made with boneless thighs, pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. It can be even made on a week night. This recipe is easily doubled.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

1 jar ready-made Pesto or homemade if you prefer

1 Medium tomato, sliced thin

1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Wash chicken and dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Place the chicken thighs on prepared baking sheet.

Spread about 1-2 teaspoons of pesto over each piece of chicken, depends how much pesto you like.

Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Remove from oven; top with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve over cooked white rice or pasta.

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Ricotta Gnocchi in Sauce

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I haven’t been making much this summer, just focusing on home projects. We often ate easily prepared meals to beat the heat mostly but I know September is around the corner where I’ll be cooking more than chicken or making salads. I did manage to throw in a few Instant Pot dinners here and there.

Well, this past weekend Hurricane Henri was supposed to land in our area. I wanted some comfort food for all of us so I decided to make a dinner of ricotta gnocchi with marinara sauce served on the side with some Italian sausage with peppers and onions. Thankfully the storm downgraded and did not hit us head on. All we had was basically a rainy day and a comforting dinner to look forward to.

Ricotta Gnocchi is actually easy to make. The tiny dumplings once cooked are a bit heavier than your standard pasta so a small portion goes a long way. I made ours with a simple marinara sauce however depending on the season or meal you can serve them with melted butter and herbs or your favorite Bolognese. I also love making a simple soup with sausage, gnocchi dumplings and spinach, kale or escarole.

Ricotta Gnocchi in Sauce

Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus extra for kneading and dusting. Spoon flour into the measuring cup, don’t pack it down

16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese drain the excess liquid

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Marinara tomato sauce or

3 Tablespoons of melted butter and Sage leaves or Rosemary sprigs (see option

below)

Add extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the flour. Make a well in the center and add ricotta cheese, Parmesan, eggs, and salt. Mix until combined. Turn mixture to a well-floured board and begin gently kneading. Add a bit more flour as needed until the dough stops sticking to your fingers.

Form into a large ball and quarter the dough into four sections. Roll each section into 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut each rope in 1-inch pieces.

To make the ridges, roll each piece down the tines of a fork or gnocchi board.

Spread them out on baking tray lined with parchment and sprinkled with flour to prevent sticking. Allow the gnocchi to rest a bit while you heat the sauce and boil the water.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.

Gently add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place into a large serving bowl. Spoon tomato sauce over gnocchi and stir lightly until mixed.

Serve with extra tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese or toss the gnocchi in Butter and Herb Sauce.

Butter and Herb sauce option

Put the 3-4 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s melted, add the fresh herbs. Use about 5 washed Sage leaves or a full sprig of Rosemary and heat through in the melted butter.

When the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet. When all the gnocchi are tossed, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve immediately.

Sausage, Baby Spinach and Gnocchi in Chicken Broth for a chilly day

Sausage, peppers and onion with Ricotta Gnocchi in Marinara sauce

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Please share this site with your family and friends and ask them to join Recipes from a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be. I hope my recipes will inspire you to take some time to cook in your kitchen no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave a comment, I would love to hear from you and hear what you are making.

Coddled Egg with Mashed Potatoes

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I’ve been busy with several house projects and gotten away for a bit but it’s good to be back sharing again. I like to keep an eye out for recipes that are different yet enjoyable for us. I was watching TV one day when there was a segment about a place that makes Coddled Eggs with Mashed Potatoes. I just knew I needed to give this idea a try and went searching for a recipe. I can’t take credit for this recipe and will share the recipe and site where it is from. So if you are a soft boiled egg lover you may want to give this a try this just to mix up the breakfast menu for a change. It’s easy to do

Here are photos of my results, it was delicious!

Coddled Eggs with Mashed Potatoes

This recipe can be found here: Coddled Eggs with Mashed Potatoes

Coddled eggs, cooked on top of mashed potatoes and served with buttery, toasted bread slices.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time15 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Four 4-oz mason jars or ramekins (1/2 cup capacity)

Ingredients

4 large eggs pasteurized
2 servings prepared instant mashed potatoes prepared per package instructions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
Chopped fresh chives

For the bread slices:

8 slices bread ciabatta recommended, sliced diagonally into long slices
3 Tbsp. butter

Instructions

Prepare the instant mashed potatoes per the package directions and allow to cool slightly.

In a saucepan with a lid, large enough to hold your 4 jars or ramekins, bring enough water to a boil to come up the sides of the jars or ramekins about 2/3 up the side.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread slices by melting about 2 Tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread slices and toast in the butter until golden. Add the last 1 Tbsp. of butter to the pan and flip the bread slices over to toast the other side. Turn off heat under skillet and let sit until the eggs are ready.
Divide between four 4 oz. mason jars or ramekins. Filling about 2/3 full. Top potatoes with a small pat of butter and push into potatoes with the back of a spoon slightly, to make a small dent in the middle. Break an egg on top, with the yolk centered over the dented area.
Gently place your jars into the boiling water, then immediately reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer gently for 5 to 5 1/2 minutes, or until the whites of the eggs are just set. Carefully remove the jars from the water. Season with salt and pepper and top with chopped fresh chives. Serve immediately with buttery, toasted bread slices.

Notes

Food Safety: As coddled eggs are minimally cooked, always use fresh, pasteurized eggs. Out of an abundance of caution, the very young, the very old, pregnant women and anyone with a compromised immune system should avoid eating coddled eggs.

When simmering the egg cups, your cups should rattle just slightly. If they seem to be banging against the bottom of the pan too vigorously, reduce the heat slightly. Generally, my heat level is at or around medium-low.

On my stove-top, the barely set whites take between 5-5 1/2 minutes. Don’t be afraid to pop the lid and have a look to check their progress after the 4 1/2 minute mark or so.

Be sure to read the “Ingredient and Cook’s Notes” (above the recipe card!), where I share more detailed tips, variations and substitution suggestions for this recipe!

Nutrition

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Please share this site with your family and friends and ask them to join Recipes from a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be. I hope my recipes will inspire you to take some time to cook in your kitchen no matter what size your kitchen is.
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The Year of the OX 2021 – Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and Chinese Spare Ribs

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Our family loves getting Chinese Take-Out. A couple of times a month we might treat ourselves on a Friday or Saturday night when we had been too busy to cook dinner and just want to relax. Several years ago I jumped in and decided I would learn to create some of our favorite take-out dishes. So with wok in hand I have managed to find some very good recipes that made my attempts pretty successful. Years ago the first take-out recipe I tried was Pork Fried Rice. I managed to make a decent version and then from there I created what some restaurants call their “House Special Fried Rice” with added chicken and shrimp. Through the years I made many copycat dishes, sadly before I had a phone that took pictures so most were never documented. I’m slowly playing catchup, so I hope to post more of my copycat take-out dishes in the months ahead.

So this Chinese New Year which begins on February 12th it will be the year of the OX. My plan is to make Char Siu Pork. So today the pork will marinate and I’ll cook it tomorrow. I’ll post my results in a future post.

Until then one of my favorite take-out dishes is Shrimp with Lobster Sauce. It’s a simple dish to make and so satisfying. I’ll share the recipe here.

Shrimp With Lobster Sauce

Serves: 4 PEOPLE

• 12 ounces (340g) raw large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/3 lb ground Pork (Optional – I used it in the meal above but you don’t have to)
• salt and sugar to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1- inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced or thinly grated
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine, Shaoxing wine (see note)
• 3/4 cup store-bought frozen peas
• 3 dashes white pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

Lightly season the shrimp with salt and sugar to taste.
In a wok or large sauté pan, heat up the oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
Place the ground pork in the wok or large sauté pan.
Stir fry until the pork is about 3/4 cooked.
Transfer the shrimp into the wok and stir-fry until half-cooked or surface turns opaque. Pour in the chicken broth and Chinese cooking wine. Let it boil.
Add the frozen peas and stir to combine. Add the white pepper, soy sauce, salt and sugar to taste.
Prepare the cornstarch mixture by adding the cornstarch and water, mix well. When the chicken broth is boiling, gently pour in the cornstarch mixture while stirring.
Bring it back to a boil, swirl the beaten egg and immediately stir 3 times with a pair of chopsticks. When the egg white begins to form into silken threads, quickly turn off the heat.
Dish out to serving plate. Best served with warm rice.

Another favorite for many is Chinese Spare Ribs and you can make these at home too.

Chinese Spare Ribs
Serves 4–6

Ingredients:
• 7 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp ginger, chopped
• 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp five spice
• 2 tsp red food coloring
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 (1 lb) baby back rib racks, cut into individual ribs

Preparation:
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients, except the ribs and potstickers, to make a marinade.

• Take half of the marinade and coat the ribs completely. Place marinated ribs in a container. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.

• Place the ribs, bone-side down, on a baking rack. Place the baking rack on top of a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake the ribs in the oven for 1 hour. Using a pastry brush, baste the ribs. Continue baking for an additional hour. Baste the ribs another time and turn on the broiler in your oven. Broil for about 5 to 10 minutes, until you achieve a little charring on the ribs (watch carefully so they don’t burn).

Note: What is Shaoxing wine? Chinese cooking wine

Shaoxing wine, is a type of Chinese rice wine that comes from Shaoxing, a city in China’s Zhejiang Province. It’s a key ingredient in many dishes and will create that authentic restaurant flavor you may have found difficult to replicate at home. You can find this in the International food isle in some larger grocery stores or in Asian Grocery stores like H Mart. It’s not expensive approximately about $2-3 for a large bottle. Should you not be able to find this substitute with Dry White Sherry from your liquor store. Don’t use the cooking wines on the grocery shelf as they contain a lot of sodium and may ruin your dish.

A Northerner’s take on Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

When there is 6 to 8 inches of snow on the ground I crave comfort foods. I have a few dishes that I only make once every so often and Biscuits with Sausage Gravy is one of them as it not a very “figure friendly” meal. Biscuits and Sausage Gravy is a popular Midwest and Southern dish. We eat it here in the North East as well but I don’t think it has the same popularity. I’ve eaten this dish in restaurants and diners between New York and Virginia and have always enjoyed it.

I did find though that sometimes the sausage gravy was a bit on the bland side when making it at home using the original ground pork sausage in the round plastic tube; so I decided to change up the standard recipe of ground pork sausage, and use Sweet Italian ground sausage meat. (If you like something more spicy you can use Hot Italian sausage meat). So here is my version of the classic along with the easy biscuit recipe that I use. Serve it for Breakfast or dinner especially on a snowy day. I hope you enjoy it.

Easy Biscuit Recipe

Servings Approx. 8 biscuits depending on the size cutter you use.

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour
1 ½ cups heavy cream, cold (don’t substitute milk, heavy cream is a must!)
1 tsp fine salt

Instructions

Keep the heavy cream in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Add flour to a medium bowl. Pour in cold cream and stir with a heavy wooden spoon until mixed. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Dump bowl onto a counter and scrape out any remaining dough or flour. Pat into a rectangle about 2″ thick. Fold into thirds, turn 1/4 and fold again, continuing 3 times.
Cut biscuits with a 3″ biscuit cutter. Press down and bring straight up. Do not twist biscuit cutter. Pat excess dough out, cut, and repeat process again.
Place biscuits on a cookie sheet about 2″ apart. Bake for 12 minutes, until golden.
Brush with melted butter. Serve warm.

Sausage Gravy

Ingredients

1 – 1 1/2 lb. Sweet Ground Italian Sausage, casing removed if you have Italian sausage links
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/3 Cup Flour
3 Cups Milk
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, more to taste

Instructions

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
Add the butter to the pan and stir it around until melted.
Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and stir for 2 minutes to cook off the flour.
Pour the milk slowly onto the sausage and flour mixture, slowly mixing and stirring constantly until the sauce becomes smooth and thickens.
Stir in the seasonings. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve immediately over split or crumbled biscuits. I love it topped with fresh cracked pepper.

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Please share this site with your family and friends and ask them to join Recipes from a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be. I hope my recipes will inspire you to take some time to cook in your kitchen no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave a comment, I would love to hear from you and hear what you are making.

Finding My Roots and British Fish and Chips

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I’ve always wanted to take a trip across the pond and visit the countries in the United Kingdom. Maybe one day I’ll have that opportunity, but until then I’ll try and bring a bit of those places home through food.

While growing up I was told my family heritage is Italian, Irish and German. In these days of Ancestry DNA and trying to learn a bit more about my ancestors I learned a few things. Yes, I’m still Southern Italian/Sicilian on my father’s side but the slight difference is in my mother’s side. She thought her ancestors were Irish and German. The German side still definitely sticks from her mother’s side but the Irish side from her father now has a twist. There is the strong possibility we are also 31% Scottish, 12% English, 2% Welsh and nothing turned up in Ireland. Now that was a bit of a surprise. So in the months ahead I hope to learn more about the UK ancestry of my family. This has been the most difficult side of my family to research thus far as I don’t have any living relatives from my maternal grandfather’s side.

So to celebrate my UK ancestry I made a version of British Fish and Chips that was so delicious. Growing up I remember Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips was the place to go. Crispy fish and you added a few dashes of malt vinegar. It was something totally new and delicious back then. The fish was the crispiest batter dipped fish I ever ate. Any fried fish made at home was made with a coating of flour then egg and bread crumb then fried. This was also delicious but Arthur Treacher’s was something special. The restaurant has come and gone over the years and on a rare occasion I’ve had fish and chips while eating out, but I never quite made it the British way at home until now.

This recipe is from a terrific website called the Spruce Eats. I enjoyed many of their recipes and this one did not disappoint. It takes a bit of planning and work but the end result was amazing, my family loved it and I hope you enjoy it too.

Classic British Fish and Chips

Total:40 mins
Prep:20 mins
Cook:20 mins
Rest time for batter:30 mins
Servings:4 servings

Classic fish and chips are a British institution and a national dish that everyone can’t help but love. You can buy them from one of the thousands of fish and chip shops all over the country, including the world-famous Harry Ramsden’s—or you can make them at home.

Use a thick white fish for this recipe; sustainable cod, haddock, or pollock are preferable. The fillets are dipped in a flour batter that includes both dark beer and sparkling water, and the carbonation ensures a light, crispy fried fish. The “chips” are simply freshly cut fried potatoes. Use one pot to fry the chips, then the fish, then the chips again (for that crisp exterior and fluffy interior) to ensure both fish and chips are ready to eat at the same time. Serve with a pint and bring the pub home.

Ingredients

For the Fish:
7 tablespoons (55 grams) all-purpose flour (divided)
7 tablespoons (55 grams) cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
Sea salt (to taste)
1 pinch black pepper (to taste)
1/3 cup dark beer (cold)
1/3 cup sparkling water (cold)
4 (7-ounce) fish fillets (thick, white fish)
For the Chips:
2 pounds potatoes (peeled)
1 quart (1 liter) vegetable oil (or lard; for frying)

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Set aside 2 tablespoons of flour. In a large, roomy bowl, mix the remaining flour with the cornstarch and baking powder. Season lightly with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper.
Using a fork to whisk continuously, add the beer and the sparkling water to the flour mixture and continue mixing until you have a thick, smooth batter. Place the batter in the fridge to rest for between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into a little less than 1/2-inch-thick slices, then slice these into 1/2-inch-wide chips. Place the chips into a colander and rinse under cold running water.
Place the washed chips into a pan of cold water. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain carefully through a colander, then dry with paper towels. Keep in the fridge covered with paper towels until needed.
Meanwhile, lay the fish fillets on a paper towel and pat dry. Season lightly with a little sea salt.
Heat the oil to 350 F in a deep-fat fryer or large, deep saucepan. Cook the chips a few handfuls at a time in the fat for about 2 minutes. Do not brown them. Once the chips are slightly cooked, remove them from the fat and drain. Keep to one side.
Place the 2 tablespoons of flour reserved from the batter mix into a shallow bowl. Toss each fish fillet in the flour and shake off any excess.
Dip into the batter, coating the entire fillet.
Check that the oil temperature is still 350 F. Carefully lower each fillet into the hot oil. Fry for approximately 8 minutes, or until the batter is crisp and golden, turning the fillets from time to time with a large slotted spoon.
Once cooked, remove the fillets from the hot oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with greaseproof paper (parchment paper) and keep hot.
Heat the oil to 400 F, then cook the chips until golden and crisp, or about 5 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain. Season with salt.
Serve immediately with the hot fish accompanied by your favorite condiment.

Tips

When making this classic version, be sure to use the freshest cod, pollock, or haddock that you can find for the best results. Frozen fish is also fine, but make sure it is thoroughly defrosted and dried with paper towels first.
Prepare the batter and only dip the fish at the last moment before plunging into hot oil to fry. This way you will always have a light and crisp snap to the batter.
Use a floury potato for the chips. The best varieties are King Edward, Maris Piper, Sante, and Yukon Gold.

Why Is Simmering the Potatoes Important?

British “chips” are the same as french fries, and restaurants use a few tricks to make really good and crispy fries. The most important of those are blanching and double frying; the same method used in this recipe. Simmering and the cold water rinse leaves you with blanched potatoes that contain less moisture and will result in crispier fried chips.

Why Do Fish and Chips Get Soggy?

A few factors may result in soggy fish and chips. The first is that the fish and potatoes need to be dry. Removing moisture produces crispier fried food and reduces oil splatter. Oil temperature is also key: If it’s too cool, the food needs to cook longer, will soak up more oil, and become soggy. You also don’t want it too hot because that can lead to a burnt batter or undercooked fish and potatoes. When deep-frying in a pan, use a thermometer to monitor and maintain the oil temperature. Avoid overcrowding the pan, which will lower the temperature as well.

Credit to website: https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-fish-and-chips-recipe-434856

New Cooking Adventures for 2021 – Shabu-Shabu

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I hadn’t been on in a while. No real reason, the motivation just wasn’t there. I did manage to make a few dishes to mix things up on my break. We have been home more than we normally would be this past year and things had gotten a bit humdrum in the kitchen.

The holidays had come and gone, I found myself not feeling so enthusiastic this past season. Christmas was a simple meal of Cranberry Roast Pork which the family enjoyed but things just didn’t feel the same as I’m sure many have experienced as well. It is just hard to feel joyous during a pandemic.

I spent some of my time off baking breads, rolls and biscuits, and found an amazing recipe for homemade English style Fish & Chips that was over the moon. We turned out some pretty nice homemade pizza and even made some old time candy too. I’ll share these in the weeks to come.

For New Year’s Eve we decided to start a new cooking adventure. Something I had wanted for quite a while we purchased a Hot Pot. We really enjoy making Asian style dishes at home. I guess the recipes are not necessarily traditional and are probably more American versions but we enjoy it just the same.

My husband and I went to the Asian grocery store, purchased the Hot Pot, an assortment of vegetables, and thinly sliced meat (beef) for shabu-shabu, tofu and small dumplings for the soup.

It was an evening of fun for the both of us. I know we will be planning more Hot Pot dinners in the future.

Here is the list of Ingredients I used:

The beef based broth used was from a packet purchased at the Asian Market

Napa Cabbage
Baby Bok Choy
An assortment of Enoki, Oyster, and Shitake Mushrooms
Snow Peas
Green onion
Beef specially sliced for quick cooking in the Hot Pot

Firm Tofu

An assortment of small frozen dumplings

I hope you will have your own cooking adventures in 2021

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Cozy Soups for those Blustery Days

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Autumn is in full swing here in the Northeast. The leaves have changed color and are falling, and the winds are picking up a bit. The nights are a bit chilly that even the heat turned on the other night. These are the days that I especially love having soup though I could eat soup most any time of year. It doesn’t matter if the soup is completely made from scratch cooking down a whole chicken and vegetables for a wonderful stock or an easy version made in the Instant Pot with stock purchased at the grocery store. Both are satisfying and delicious.

I previously posted my recipes for a good hearty basic chicken stock. Here is the link just incase you missed it.

Basic Chicken Stock Recipe

So here are a few different recipes you can try. All having that tummy warming goodness we crave this time of year. Enjoy!

Mini Meatball Soup

Total Time:47 min
Prep:20 min
Cook:27 min

Yield: 4 big servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal combo or ground turkey or ground chicken
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried pasta, rings, broken fettuccini or Ditalini
1 pound triple washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

Directions

In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, & pepper.

Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Amish Beef Barley Soup

The Pennsylvania Dutch people take advantage of their gardens whenever possible, and this easy version of a classic hearty Amish Beef Barley soup is chock full of veggies for a healthy stick-to-your-ribs main dish soup.

Serves: 8
Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 min

•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
•1 onion, chopped
•8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
•3 carrots, coarsely diced
•1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, not drained
•8 cups beef broth
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon black pepper
•3/4 cup quick-cooking pearl barley

Directions
1. In a soup pot over high heat, heat oil. Add beef, onion, mushrooms, and carrots and sauté 6 to 8 minutes,
or until they begin to brown. Add diced tomatoes including the liquid, beef broth, salt, and pepper;
bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low 30 minutes, or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Add barley and simmer an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until barley is tender. Serve immediately.

Notes
•This is great to serve after a bone-chilling afternoon of raking leaves.

INSTANT POT CHICKEN AND RICE or PASTA SOUP

Makes 8 Servings
INGREDIENTS
5 medium carrots sliced
2 small ribs celery sliced
1 cup diced onion
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1.5 lbs. chicken – skinless boneless breast or skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
6 to 8 cups chicken broth/stock or Better than Bouillon
3 cups cooked rice or follow directions for using 2 cups of instant rice. You can also use previously cooked noodles or favorite small pasta.

INSTRUCTIONS

Turn a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot on and press the Sauté button.
Add the sliced carrots, celery, diced onion, minced garlic and butter. Sauté until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the whole chicken pieces to the Instant Pot. Add fresh or dried thyme & parsley.
Pour 6 cups of the chicken broth over the ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure the valve is set to the sealing position. Press the manual/high pressure cook button and set the pressure cooking time to 7 minutes.
After the timer beeps alerting you that the pressure cooking has finished allow the steam to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then push the valve to the releasing position and wait for all of the steam to escape and the pin to drop.
Carefully twist off the lid.
Use a slotted spoon or a kitchen tongs to remove the hot cooked chicken from the pot and place it in a bowl. Allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes before shredding the chicken with two forks.
Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot soup. You can now add the cooked rice, cooked noodles, or small cooked pasta. Allow the rice/pasta to warm through for 5-10 mins and serve. If the rice has absorbed too much of the chicken broth add the remaining 2 cups of broth and stir.

(If using Instant Rice do as follows…)

Pour the 2 cups of instant rice into the Instant Pot and stir with a wooden spoon. Replace the lid on the Instant Pot and lock into place. No setting needed, just allow the rice to cook in the hot chicken broth until tender, about 15 or 20 minutes.
Remove the lid once again and stir the cooked rice into the chicken soup. If the rice has absorbed too much of the chicken broth add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and stir. Serve

Serve any of these with your favorite dinner rolls and a side salad perhaps or maybe a favorite sandwich.

Keep Warm and enjoy the Autumn weather. Have a mug of warm apple cider or tea and watch a cozy movie, because before you know it we will be planning Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Stay healthy and Safe Everyone.

A Taste of Apple Season

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Autumn, it’s a season of memories for me. It’s time to stop by our favorite orchard for apples and cider. I enjoy remembering taking our kids to go apple and pumpkin picking every year. We would eat apples as we walked along the orchard and they would try and pick the biggest pumpkin they could find, such fond memories. Today seeing families pushing their large wheel barrels loaded up with apples and pumpkins against a backdrop of crimson and orange leaf trees as their tired little ones trail behind reminds me of those early years.

All these years later my husband and I still enjoy stopping by a wonderful orchard we know of for a bag of apples and a gallon of fresh cider. One of my favorite apples is Honey Crisp. To me it’s the kind of apple that you can actually taste the Fall. It’s not too sweet or tart but a balance of both and a wonderful crispness as you take a bite like the Autumn air.

Here are a few recipes for you to try.

Apple Cider Cinnamon Bread for the Bread Machine

Makes a 1.5 pound loaf.

Use the basic or white bread setting. Makes a great French toast with some cooked sliced cinnamon apples on top or the side.

1 1/4 Cups Fresh Apple Cider

2 Tablespoons Vegetable or Canola oil

3 Cups Bread flour (I prefer using King Arthur Bread Flour)

2 Tablespoons Brown sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Cinnamon (Costco Ground Saigon Cinnamon is delicious to have on hand)

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine as to which ingredients to put in the bread machine first.

Kneading: It should be a smooth, round ball. If it’s too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks right. If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks right. It’s always a good idea to check on the bread dough after five or ten minutes of kneading as every bread machine is a bit different.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Ingredients

Yellow box cake mix – your favorite
3/4 cup fresh apple cider
1/4 cup water
½ cup apple sauce (Homemade if you have made some would be great)
3 eggs
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
⅛ cup cinnamon
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the dry cake mix, apple cider, apple sauce, water, and eggs. Add in the brown sugar and vanilla to the cake mix batter.
Pour mix into a well-greased Bundt pan.
Place Bundt pan on center rack and bake for 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick by sticking into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean it is ready. Remove from heat and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Autumn, My Favorite Time of Year – Cottage Pie

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I have to admit I am not much of a Summer person, heat and humidity are not comfortable for me. Yes, I do love the bright sun, vegetables growing in the garden and longer daylight hours but when the temperatures get into those 90+ degree days I’m pretty unhappy and hide out in the air conditioning and just throw together some simple dinners that require very little cooking.

I love Autumn, the feel of the cool breezes and crisp air. The softness of long sleeve sweatshirts and sweaters again my arms. We are just getting started in this wonderful season here in the Northeast. By this time I have grown tired of the lighter dishes of Summer and start to crave comfort foods. The temperature was only in the high 60’s yesterday and I decided to celebrate and make Cottage Pie.

What is Cottage Pie? Many people also call it Shepherd’s Pie. Both use ground meats but the difference is the Irish specialty Shepherd’s Pie normally uses lamb while the English Cottage Pie uses beef. The names are pretty much interchangeable for most people though. But what ever you choose to call it it’s comfort food at it’s best. Here is the recipe I use, I hope you enjoy it.

Cottage Pie

Baked in an oven-to-table casserole or 9 x 13 pan, this dish will be very hot when it comes out of the oven, so be sure to let it cool for several minutes before serving.

Meat Filling:

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 cup diced canned tomatoes or crushed tomatoes in puree
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Mashed Potato Topping:

6 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
2 teaspoons salt, plus salt to taste
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated white or yellow Cheddar cheese
Paprika

Step 1
Cook the corn according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Step 2
Start the potatoes for the topping. Put them in a large pot with enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Cook them for 10 to 13 minutes. Meanwhile, make the meat filling.

Step 3
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and celery in the butter, stirring often, for about 5 to 6 minutes.

Step 4
Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon as it browns. Remove the skillet from the stove and, resting it on a heatproof surface so it won’t feel so heavy, tilt the pan so that the excess fat runs to the side. Carefully spoon out the fat and discard it (this will make the dish leaner and healthier, as well as lighter tasting).

Step 5
Put the skillet back on the burner and set the heat to medium low. Stir the garlic and flour into the beef mixture. Stir in the beef broth, then the canned tomatoes, then the herbs, reserved corn, and Worcestershire sauce.

Step 6
Gently simmer the mixture for several minutes, partially covered, then add salt (1/4 teaspoon, give or take a little) and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a large buttered casserole. Set the oven to 400°, and while it heats, check to see if your boiling potatoes are done.

Step 7
To test the potatoes, use a slotted spoon to transfer a cube from the water to a cutting board and allow it to cool for 30 seconds or so. If you can slice through the chunk easily with a butter knife, the potatoes are done.

Step 8
Set a large colander in the sink and drain the potatoes in it (this job can generate a lot of steam, so it is best done by an adult or under adult supervision). Transfer the drained potatoes to a large mixing bowl and scatter the butter pieces over them. Spoon the sour cream here and there over the hot potatoes as well. Wait several minutes for the butter to melt and the sour cream to warm so the ingredients will be easier to blend, then partially mash the potatoes with a hand masher.

Step 9
Switch to an electric mixer set at medium speed and continue to mash, adding enough milk to make medium-soft mashed potatoes. Don’t make them too soft, however; you want them to have some body.

Step 10
Salt the potatoes to taste and spoon them evenly over the filling. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, then sprinkle on some paprika (be sure to wash your hands right afterward so you don’t accidentally rub any of the spice in your eyes). Bake the pie on the center oven rack for about 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Cool for several minutes before serving. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

August Harvest – Tomato Sauce Fresh off the Vine

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Here in the Northeast it’s time to start harvesting what we planted in the late Spring. The tomatoes and zucchini are ripe on the vines, the herbs are fragrant and time to start cooking some dishes with them. Last time I posted my zucchini bread recipe and the other week some nice salads for using those cherry tomatoes this Summer. Have you tried that Orzo salad recipe yet? It’s a wonderful side dish with grilled meats.

There is nothing better than the taste of ripe tomatoes from the garden. I love using ripened cherry tomatoes for salads, Roma tomatoes for creating yummy pasta dishes or sliced Beefsteak tomatoes for putting on juicy burgers that were cooked on the grill. The possibilities are endless.

Here is my delicious recipe using fresh Roma tomatoes on pasta. We are a bit partial to having this fresh sauce on angel hair but you can use what ever pasta you prefer. The juicy chunks of fresh tomato, along with a simple garlic and basil sauce flavors this pasta dish. An easy Summer dish for you to enjoy at home.

So whether or not you are growing your own tomatoes or buying them from the market or vegetable stand this is a recipe you should really try.

Fresh Roma tomato sauce over angel hair pasta

Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce over Pasta

A simple fresh tomato sauce recipe made with just barely cooked tomatoes, garlic, basil and seasonings comes together in no time!

2 1/4-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (I’ve often used Roma, or Cherry but any tomato you have on hand.)

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice

1/2 teaspoon Sugar, optional

1/4 cup Fresh Basil Leaves – chopped

1 Tablespoon Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley – Chopped

½ teaspoon Salt (to taste)

Freshly ground Black Pepper (to taste)

1 or more Garlic cloves – minced (depends how much garlic you like)

1 pound of your favorite spaghetti or angel-hair pasta or rotini/fusilli or penne

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Core and coarsely chop two-thirds of the tomatoes. Halve the remaining tomatoes down the middle and discard the tough top part where the tomatoes met the stem.

Rub the cut sides of the tomatoes against the large holes of a box grater set in a large bowl. Leave the tomato pulp in the bowl and discard any skin.

Add the chopped tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, sugar, parsley, basil, freshly ground black pepper and the minced garlic to the bowl.

Mix well. Let the mixture marinate while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and then cook the pasta just until al dente, according to package directions.

Reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.

Drain the pasta, then immediately return it to the pot. Pour in all of the tomato sauce and the cup of the pasta cooking water.

Cook over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, tossing gently and often, you want this step just long enough for the tomatoes to gently warm through and soften a bit.

Remove from heat and toss with Parmesan cheese.

Optional – You can add cooked shrimp or scallops to this dish if you would like to add a light seafood protein.

Fresh cherry tomato basil sauce over angel hair and cooked shrimp

Thank you for visiting!
Please share this site with your family and friends and ask them to join Recipes from a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be. I hope my recipes will inspire you to take some time to cook in your kitchen no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave a comment, I would love to hear from you and hear what you are making.

Stay strong, Stay Safe and Keep positive!

The Zucchini are growing and time for a bit of a change

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Well, here it is the end of July 2020. We are still social distancing, wearing our masks and keeping pretty much to ourselves and our family, thank goodness as I had missed them all so much. While I am happy to see the virus levels declining in the state where I live it has risen in other states and this makes me sad. So all I can do is encourage people to wear masks, wash your hands often and continue to do social distancing so our county can heal and get through this.

Hopefully you will have noticed I made a change to the the title of this blog. Now that I am fully retired Sundays is no longer my only day to cook. I have had the joy of cooking meals I would prepare on a Sunday during the week now. Not every day but more often than I used to. I felt it was time to update the title a bit. I hopefully have worked out all the changes and I should be able to move forward, if I find anything that still needs changes I will make them along the way and eventually get there.

So the zucchini are in from the garden and first thing I made was my zucchini bread and then for a meatless dinner we had zucchini pancakes served with sour cream and apple sauce.

I hope to make a few more loaves of zucchini bread for the freezer so we can have some for later in the fall. Served either spread with butter or my favorite cream cheese and a cuppa it’s a winner.

Here are my recipes that I used I hope you enjoy them.

Sorry I didn’t get a “pretty” plated shot of the zucchini pancakes but we had a hard time trying to keep from eating them as they were done frying.

The Barefoot Contessa’s Zucchini Pancakes

PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOK TIME
5 minutes
TOTAL TIME
15 minutes

Ingredients
2 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons grated sweet onion
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
6 to 8 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter and vegetable oil

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. (To keep the pancakes warm)
Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs.
Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini,
add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.)
Heat a large (10 – 12 inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan.
When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan.
Swirl the back of the spoon around the batter to even out the pancake. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
If keeping the pancakes warm in the oven, place cooked pancakes on a baking sheet and keep warm in oven for up to 30 minutes.

My Favorite Zucchini Bread

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Servings: 24 – This recipe makes 2 loaves of zucchini bread

“A moist and delicious zucchini bread flavored with walnuts and cinnamon. Easy to bake and freeze, this recipe makes two loaves.”

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (no need to peel)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

A Simple July 4th, 2020 Celebration

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

The 4th of July is a much loved holiday among Americans and I can’t imagine what’s not to love? Family, friends, barbecues, picnics, and the beach, the list goes on and on.

This year however, most families will probably not be having the larger celebrations that they may have had in previous years but people can still have smaller gatherings of family in their backyards. That is our plan for this year. I’ll send out a message to our kids and see if anyone wants to drop by, and even if they have other plans it can be just the two of us, our dogs and Cousin Brucie’s July 4^th radio program. We will be sitting around the backyard fire pit enjoying great music and yummy food. It will still be fun.

As for the menu I think I will keep it simple this year.

Hamburgers and or Hot dogs on the grill with all the fixings

I’ll make either a homemade potato or pasta salad of some kind

Maybe some chips for snacking, our favorite wine and perhaps a fruit salad, dessert or both.

So here is a small parade of salad recipes I have made for get-together’s in years past, maybe you might like to try a few.

Orzo Pasta Salad

This easy salad is light and delicious

8 ounces orzo pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in olive oil, vinegar, red onion, tomatoes and basil and toss to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Italian Style Bread Salad

You can get creative with this salad so feel free to add or substitute your favorites, it works well with what ever you have on hand

3 cup fresh Italian or French bread cut into cubes
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or basil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 lb. plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1/4 lb. lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced and/or roasted red or yellow peppers sliced in strips
2 oz. thinly sliced Italian salami, or Genoa in strips or prosciutto
2 green onions, sliced or very thinly sliced red onion
1 bunch baby salad greens or favorite lettuce torn

Spread bread cubes on cookie sheet and let stand 2 hours. Whisk oil,
oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and pepper flakes together in large
bowl. Add remaining ingredients except greens; toss. Let stand 15
minutes. Add baby salad green, toss well and serve at once.
Makes 6 servings.

Instant Pot Potato with Egg Salad

PREP TIME – 10 minutes,

COOKING TIME – 4 minutes

ADDITIONAL TIME NEEDED FOR COOLING – 2 hours

This Instant Pot Potato Salad Recipe is so easy, you’ll want to make it all the time!
Cook hard-boiled eggs and potatoes together in the IP for quick, perfectly cooked eggs and potatoes every time.
This is our favorite Instant Pot potato salad recipe!

INGREDIENTS
6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and large cubes
1 1/2 cups water
4 large eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 TO 1 cup chopped celery (as you prefer)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Put the steamer basket in the pressure cooker pot. Add the water, cubed potatoes, and eggs on top. Lock lid in place, select High Pressure, 4 minutes cook time, and press start.
When the cook time ends, turn off pressure cooker and do a quick pressure release. When the pressure valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
Remove the steamer basket from the Instant Pot. Put the eggs into ice-cold water to cool. Allow the potatoes to cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, mayo, parsley, pickle juice, and mustard. Add the cooled potatoes (you can now slice smaller if you prefer) and gently mix the mayonnaise mixture into the potatoes.
Peel and dice the cooled eggs and stir into potato salad. (If needed, add more mayonnaise to achieve desired consistency.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chill at least one hour before serving.

Lastly an American favorite, Macaroni Salad. This recipe can be easily doubled for a large gathering.

Macaroni Salad

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb macaroni, cooked and drained
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions
Combine dressing ingredients.
Stir into remaining ingredients.
Cover and chill.

Stay Healthy

Stay Strong

Stay at Home and remember to wear a mask when going out in public

Easy Summertime Supper

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

How about an easy chefs salad on a warm evening, simple to make for two or a few by taking your favorite veggies, maybe some leftover shrimp or diced deli ham and make matchstick slices of cheese and a light salad dressing of your choice. I sometimes set it up buffet style so the family can just dig in with their plates right from the kitchen counter. It’s easy clean-up afterward as everything is in the kitchen.

White Zinfandel Salad Dressing

If you are entertaining a group of friends you might want to consider this salad dressing as a part your summertime meal. it’s light and has a refreshing flavor.

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar (I use Colavita)

3 Tbsp. Water

1 pouch Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup White Zinfandel Wine (I have also made this dressing using Moscato white wine and it was delicious too)

Pour Vinegar and Water into Salad Shaker

Add contents of salad pressing pouch, shake until well blended

Thank you for visiting!
Please share this site with your family and friends and ask them to join Sundays in a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be. I hope my recipes will inspire you to get take some time to cook in your kitchen no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave a comment, I would love to hear from you and hear what you are making.

Staying Home and Chicken Etouffee’

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I hope during these trying times you are all staying safe and remaining at home as much as possible. The virus here in the Northeast is at tremendous levels. My heart goes out to everyone during this awful pandemic and hope we reach an end soon. Prayers for all of those who are caring and serving the community in what ever capacity they are greatly needed. The healthcare workers are going above and beyond and deserving of our love and support, so I just want to put a huge Thank You out to all of them.

So while we are at home I was going through my old recipes and decided to try something I hadn’t made in quite a while. I had only made a version of Shrimp Etouffee so this time I decided to use boneless chicken thigh meat instead and use what I had available in my fridge and cupboard. I only had half a red pepper and a whole yellow pepper but it turned out fine. So if you are in the mood for a big flavors kind of dinner give this one a try.

Chicken Etouffee

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or Cajun Seasoning (You can adjust depending on the heat level you prefer)

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 (16 ounce) package skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or skinless boneless chicken thigh meat, cubed

1 large (or 2 small) green or red bell peppers, chopped (I like to mix colored peppers depending what I have on hand)

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 clove garlic, minced

2-3 tablespoons butter, as needed (See the Directions)

1 (14.5 oz.) can Stewed Tomatoes with Onion, Celery & Green Peppers

1 cup chicken broth, to cover

3 cups cooked rice for serving

Directions

1. Whisk flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.

2. Place a large skillet on the stove and set to medium heat and melt 1/4 cup butter with the olive oil.

Dredge cubed chicken in the seasoned flour and fry in the hot butter and oil until golden brown and no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.

Remove chicken, leaving butter mixture in skillet. Reduce the heat to low.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet if the skillet seems dry from frying the chicken and add 1 tablespoon leftover seasoned flour into pan drippings in skillet; cook and stir until the mixture forms a paste/roux and cook to a dark caramel color, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Add bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, and 2 tablespoons butter to flour paste and toss to coat vegetables with butter and browned flour mixture. Cook and stir until vegetables are soft, about another 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the can of stewed tomatoes and breaking up any large pieces. Then pour in enough chicken broth to cover vegetables, and bring to a simmer.

Stir in the cooked chicken to the skillet and cook until flavors are combined, about 10 more minutes.

Serve with cooked rice.

Stay Strong

Stay Healthy

Stay Positive

Stay at Home

Escarole & Bean Soup to Perk You Up

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

The weather has been pretty gray and rainy here lately and being many of us are remaining indoors to help flatten the curve it’s a good time to make a pot of soup. I’m from the “old school of thought” that a bowl of soup will make you feel so much better whether you are ill with a cold, just feeling a bit glum or maybe chilly from the cold weather. Soups are one of my favorite meals to prepare. Depending on your mood you can make them from scratch if you want homemade stock or you can buy broth already prepared. You can make a very hearty soup or one that is light and still flavorful and satisfying. So why not give making soups a try. Soups can be easy on the budget too.

Escarole and Bean Soup

Ingredients:
3-4 Tbsp. of olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of a soup pot)
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
2 heads of escarole- Cut off the base, spread the leave and wash in a colander very well, rinse them a few times, drain, you can blot the water with a paper towel and chop into bite size pieces
2 (14 oz.) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed- divided: 1 ½ cans whole,
½ can mashed (a potato masher works great for this)
8 cups of chicken broth (or 2-32 oz cans)
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

Parmesan
Rustic crusty bread – sliced

Directions:
Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the soup pot
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes plus a pinch of salt and sauté for a minute or two, be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the chopped escarole and stir to coat with the oil. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the escarole begins to wilt. Add a pinch of salt.
Stir in the beans (1 ½ cans whole and ½ can mashed)
Lower the heat, and add the chicken broth and tomato sauce
Add salt, pepper to taste.
Simmer for another 10-15 minutes

Serve with grated parmesan cheese (optional).

Serve soup with a slice of warm rustic crusty bread topped with butter or melted cheese.

Hot Dog Goulash and a No Bake Dessert the Kids will Enjoy

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Right now families are trying to make ends meet and a meal that will stretch to feed everyone. With so many folks having to remain indoors I thought I would pull out one of my own kid friendly recipes that my children enjoyed when they were growing up. Sorry I don’t have any photos as it has been some time since I made these dishes but they are very simple and the kids can help make the dessert.

Hot Dog Goulash

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tbsps. butter
• salt, pepper, and paprika, to taste
• 3 Russet or Idaho potatoes, diced
• 2 cans (14.5-oz.) Stewed Tomatoes (any favorite style), do not drain
• water
• 6-8 hot dogs, sliced (your favorite brand)
Directions

Sauté on medium temperature the onion in butter until almost transparent. Add salt, pepper, and paprika. Add diced potatoes. Mix in stewed tomatoes with the juice. Add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add sliced hot dogs, cook for another 8 minutes.
Serve in a bowl as is or you can do one of following: serve over noodles, or rice if you prefer, or a open faced grilled cheese sandwich on the side.
Options:
You can also sauté a diced green pepper along with the onion if you like.

Chocolate Chip and Cream Dessert

1 large container of frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 large package of crunchy chocolate chip cookies – reserve a few cookies to crush down to top the dessert just before serving.

In a large bowl or pan start with a layer of chocolate chip cookies, then cover in a layer of whipped topping. alternate layers making the final layer of whipped topping.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve crush down the reserved chocolate chip cookies in a sandwich bag, top the dessert and serve in dessert bowls.

You can also top with mini chocolate chips, chocolate sauce or just chocolate sprinkles before serving.

This recipe can be adjusted for size very easily depending on the size of your family.

Bread Machine Burger Buns and Homemade Chicken Salad

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Things are just are a bit crazy in the world right now. Keeping ourselves safe and healthy is a number one priority. I thought I would share a recipe that is easy to make this way you won’t have to run out to the store right now. Whether you like hamburgers, sandwiches like some homemade Chicken Salad (recipe is below) or perhaps some Sloppy Joe’s these buns are perfect. You can choose to make them with a seeded or plain top that’s completely up to you. So get out that Bread Machine as this is the perfect time to use it.

Bread Machine Burger Buns

Remember to put the Ingredients in the order that is recommended for your bread machine. I have a Zojirushi Virtuoso and this is the order I use.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (make sure it’s fresh)

Directions

Add the ingredients in the order that is recommended for your bread machine. This will then be mixed & rise on your dough setting.

Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Now take the dough out of the bread machine pan and turn out on to a lightly floured cutting board. I like to put the rolled dough balls on baking sheet covered with and a piece of parchment paper but you can use a greased baking sheet. I use a kitchen scale and depending on how large I want the buns to be I weigh them between 2.5 to 3.5 ounces each, this will keep the buns all the same size.

To assemble just cut off a piece of dough, weigh and form into a ball, place on the baking sheet and pat the top down lightly. Once you have all the dough balls made cover with a linen towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Seeded tops: With a beaten egg brush the tops of the buns and sprinkle with your favorite seeds. This step is optional.

Put the baking sheet of dough balls into the heated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or adjust an extra minute or two if you are making larger buns. Once they are nice and golden remove from the oven.

I hope you will try making these delicious sandwich buns.

Chicken Salad for Sandwiches

2 whole cooked chicken breasts
1 cup celery, chopped
1 1/2-2 cups mayonnaise (depending on how wet you like your chicken salad)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dill (optional) 1 finely chopped scallion (optional)

Directions
In a food processor or by hand chop the chicken breast.
In a medium sized bowl combine chicken with mayonnaise, salt& pepper, parsley, dill, scallion, chopped celery and lemon juice.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Kielbasa & Yellow Rice Skillet Dinner

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Here is an easy economical skillet meal to make for your family especially on a weeknight. With just a bit of dicing and using some pantry ready items you will have a dinner the family will enjoy. Clean up is quick and easy too!

Kielbasa and Yellow Rice Skillet Dinner

Ingredients

1 package kielbasa (14-16 ounce – Your choice, Polish, Turkey or Beef) sliced. (If you are feeding a large family or group of hungry eaters use 2 packages if you would like more meat)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Large Onion chopped
3 Cloves Garlic minced
1 Green or Red Bell Pepper – diced
1 can (15 oz.)Black Beans (Do not drain)
1 Large can (28 oz.) Diced Tomatoes (Do not drain)
1 can Corn or Mexi-Corn or Fiesta Corn –Drained
1 tsp Spanish Style Paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 10 oz. package yellow rice (Cook according to the directions on the package) I recommend to prepare this first

Directions

Heat oil on medium high heat, add the kielbasa, diced green pepper, onion & garlic. Cook until the onion and pepper is tender, be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the black beans (Do not drain), tomatoes (Do not drain), corn (drained), and seasonings. Cook to a boil and reduce heat for 6-8 minutes. Fold in the cooked Yellow Rice, stirring to combine the ingredients.

Serve with your favorite hot sauce, Cholula is a favorite in our house.

Add the can of Diced Tomatoes & seasoning

Fold in the Yellow Rice
Serve with a green salad or vegetable and Dinner is ready!

My Favorite Rare Roast Beef

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

After taking several weeks off trading cooking time for crafting time for the holidays I’m happy to get back to my blog and sharing the recipes I make.

I have had successes and fails over the years trying to make the perfect roast beef in the oven. We enjoy our roast beef rare to medium rare. I know there are many folks who don’t enjoy it this way but for those of us who do I’d like to share how I now make roast beef in the Instant Pot. Surprised? Me too. I never imagined how this could be possible but believe me it is and turns out terrific, and is simple to make.

Instant Pot Rare Roast Beef and Gravy

3 – 4 lb beef roast
salt and pepper as you prefer
1 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups beef broth (or use Better Than Bullion Beef)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried herbs of your choice (I like using Italian Seasoning)

For the Gravy 1/2 cup water or beef broth
2 1/2 Tbsp flour

This recipe works in a 6 Qt Instant Pot

Directions
Season the roast with salt and pepper as you prefer
Hit the Saute button and when the display says Hot, add the oil. Brown the roast well on all sides for a nice rich, beefy flavor.
Transfer the roast to a plate. De-glaze the pot by adding the beef broth, the Worcestershire and Soy sauce to the pot. Scrape all the browned bits off the bottom and into the liquid. Add the garlic and any dry herbs you like. Put the trivet in the Instant Pot and place the roast on the trivet.
Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to Sealing. Push the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button and adjust the time using the + and – buttons to get to 3 minutes. Yes, just THREE minutes! When it beeps that it’s done, leave it in the Instant Pot for 25-60 minutes natural release (on Keep Warm).

You can use an instant-read thermometer for this roast. Open the pot after the minimum time and check the temperature with your thermometer. If it’s not quite there, close the pot for another 5 minutes or so. The residual heat will continue to cook the roast.

Here is a doneness reference chart. The roast will continue when left in the Instant Pot just remember to keep checking the temperature.

Rare	115 – 120ºF
Medium Rare	125 – 130ºF
Medium	130 – 135ºF
Medium Well	140 – 145ºF
Well Done	150-155ºF and up

For a 3-pound rare roast, start check after 20 minutes natural release. For a 4 pound roast, leave it for a little longer, but start checking after 40 minutes. For a 4 lb roast that is longer and thinner rather than round and thick, check it after 20 minutes.
It’s not just the weight that counts, it’s the thickness of the meat.

When it’s done to your satisfaction, transfer the roast to a plate and cover with aluminum foil while you make the gravy. Resting it first is important this way the juice will distribute through out the entire roast.

The Gravy
Whisk together the flour and water until completely smooth. Remove the trivet and hit the Saute button. When it’s boiling, add about half the flour/water slurry to thicken. If you want it thicker, add a little more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice and serve with your favorite biscuits, butter and honey. A favorite vegetable, baked or mashed potatoes.

Thank you again for visiting!
Please share this site with your family and friends and ask them to join Sundays in a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be. I hope my recipes will inspire you to get take some time to cook in your kitchen no matter what size your kitchen is.
Please Like and leave a comment, I would love to hear from you and what see what you are making.

Homemade Gifts – Christmas Toffee Crack

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I love the old fashioned ways of Christmas celebrating most of all. There is something special about homemade Christmas gifts. Sometimes you have to bring something to gathering at a friends home or maybe contribute to your office holiday party. This is a favorite recipe I have been making for the past several years. It’s has that sweetness that nearly everyone craves and it’s hard to turn down taking a second piece. Enjoy!

Christmas Toffee Crack

This is an easy recipe to make but wonderfully delicious. I pack them in holiday containers to give as gifts.

Ingredients

4 ounces saltine crackers with salted tops (about 40 crackers)
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or crushed pretzels. Colorful sprinkles add a fun touch too

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.
In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Giving Thanks – Holiday Sausage Stuffing

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

“Give **thanks** not just on **Thanksgiving** Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have.” “If the only prayer you said in your life was ‘**Thank** you,’ that would suffice.” “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift.

I love this season, from the crispness of the Fall air to the Halloween decorating that brings us joy when we get to entertain the neighborhood children. The fun we have getting together with our family for Thanksgiving dinner and just sharing conversation and catching up over a wonderful meal. Autumn reminds me to remember to be thankful for our backyard garden and how we enjoyed the vegetables Mother Nature’s earth allowed us to grow through the Summer, no matter how large or small the garden was that year. For those who take the time to read my musings let us remember to be thankful for our kitchens where we get to make our favorite baked goods and meals for ourselves and our loved ones every season of the year.

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

I love all the many dishes that are prepared for the Thanksgiving family dinner but the one thing my family loves is the sausage stuffing I have been making for years. My mother made a similar stuffing (or dressing as some prefer to call it) but when I had my own kitchen I changed it up a bit and this is the recipe I have stuck to. Whether it’s used in the bird or not it tastes great either way.

Thanksgiving Sausage Stuffing

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

2 lb of Day Old Bread, cubed (weight is approximate) Several days before I try and bake a large size loaf of Brioche bread and use that but you can use your favorite store bought bread cubes which is about 1 large bag of bread cubes.

2 Medium size Onions, diced

4 Stalks of Celery, chopped I like to include the tops of the celery too)

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Olive Oil

1/2 cup of Butter plus a bit more is needed for greasing the pan

1 lb of Italian Sausage, casings removed, crumbled up

4 Eggs, whisked

About 1 Quart of Chicken Stock

1 tsp of Poultry Seasoning

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup of chopped Parsley

1) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Slice your bread into large cubes, toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and pop it in the oven for about an hour making sure to give it a toss every 20 minutes. Once the bread is toasted, increase the temperature to 375 degrees.

2) Start with a large pot as everything will get tossed in. First start to cook the crumbled sausage in a touch of olive oil until it begins to change color then add the diced onions, chopped celery and sliced mushrooms.

Add a pinch of salt and allow to cook on medium heat for about 7 to 10 minutes the vegetables are soft and the sausage is golden and a bit crispy.

3) Stir in the poultry seasoning, cook it for about 30 seconds, then add the toasted bread cubes, then slowly start adding the chicken stock. Toss to mix and make sure you add more stock as needed, as it gets absorbed in the bread.

4) Stir in the whisked eggs and add the parsley, to the bread mixture in the pot. Put the entire mixture in a buttered casserole dish. (I like to use a 9″x13″). Cover with aluminum foil and bake covered for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top.

When Your 1960’s Casserole is Calling – Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Casserole

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I haven’t done a whole lot of cooking lately as I get caught up in a few things one is my crafts, whether I am crocheting or doing a variety of arts and crafts and the other is computer gaming. Even at my age I love computer gaming and my current obsession is Farm Together. If you are a computer game lover you understand how it is easy to get sucked down into the proverbial “Rabbit Hole” where hours can just whiz by. So I haven’t made much time for cooking other than fast easy meals. So last week we purchased a rotisserie chicken and from it I made a basic pot of soup with chicken and tortellini and with the remaining chicken I made a chicken noodle casserole my mom used to make. It’s nothing special other than 1960’s comfort food recipe so here it is, it does use what some people refer to as the “dreaded canned soup” but it wouldn’t be mom’s casserole without it. It’s an easy meal for when you want something other than burgers and gets you back to what else you would rather be doing.

Mom’s Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe

This is the basic recipe I always use. All my measurements are approximate I adjust as I go along, never seem to make it the same way twice.

2 (10 3/4 ounce) can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken and Herb soup (I some times mix and match the cream of chicken soup with cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom – use what ever you either have on hand or you can choose what you like)

1 soup can of milk

10 oz pkg frozen peas and and or carrots or mixed vegetables

1 1/2 to 2 Cups leftover cooked chicken

1 pkg (16 oz) medium or wide egg noodles – cooked

Few dashes of Worcestershire sauce to taste (optional)

1 small can of sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)

½ cup dry breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Stir soup, milk, peas & carrots, chicken, Worcestershire sauce and noodles together. Put in a lightly greased 9×13 casserole dish. (You can use Pam spray for this). Mix bread crumbs with melted butter in a cup and sprinkle over chicken mixture

Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, until hot and bread crumbs are golden brown.

Happy Halloween – Bubble Pizza

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Even though our children are grown and no longer living at home we enjoy Halloween. We decorate our front yard and look forward to the trick-or-treaters and seeing their costumes. This year however it may end up being a wash out as it has been raining all week and more predicted for today. So we will just roll with it and hope we can hand out most of the treats we have.

So tonight I’ll be making Bubble Pizza. It’s a quick easy version of pizza and can be lots of fun when you add your favorite toppings. Not sure who actually created the recipe but this is the version I adapted for our family. I make it all different ways and you can too. It can be made easily at home, great for a Friday night or family night not just for a holiday, Make several different versions if you have a small gathering or kids sleep-over.

Bubble Pizza

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 (14-16 ounce) jar pizza sauce or favorite tomato sauce

Add about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of dry Oregano to the sauce if not using pizza sauce

1 or 2 packages Grands refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough (depending how large you like your crust. (1 for a thinner crust, 2 for a thicker crust)

* Note – Toppings below are up to you and only suggested in the recipe – the possibilities are endless. You can also use your favorite cheese or cheese mixture.

1/4 pound sliced pepperoni sausage (optional)

1/2 onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 (10 ounce) can sliced black olives

1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms

1 thinly sliced green pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish or slightly larger. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Stir in pepperoni (optional), and cook until browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in the pizza sauce. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Cut biscuits into quarters, and place in the bottom of baking dish. Spread the meat/sauce mixture evenly over the biscuits. Sprinkle top with onion, olives and mushrooms, peppers, what ever you like.
Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Sausage & Mushroom Bubble Pizza with a thick crust (sort of a Sicilian Style pizza)

Easy Weeknight One-Pot Sausage, Peppers and Pasta

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I remember those Autumn weeknights where there was a crisp chill in the air and we would look forward to a warm hearty dinner after a long day at work or school. I would get dinner going as the kids would be doing homework at the dining room table. Later we would gather around the same table, enjoy a delicious meal and catch up on everyone’s day.

Those days haven’t changed too much, parents are are still working, kids are still doing home work and after school activities. Life is busier than ever before. I hope this recipe will give you some help on those busy days at dinnertime.

One-Pot Sausage, Peppers and Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb. your favorite short pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

6-8 sweet Italian sausages or a combination of sweet and hot is delicious!

1 red bell pepper, large, diced

1 green bell pepper, large, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, large, diced

1 small to medium onion, sliced (yellow or white)

3 cloves garlic, sliced

28 oz. can of diced tomato

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black ground pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt, cook until not quite al dente. (You want the pasta a bit underdone as it will finish cooking when the dish is put together)

2. Strain pasta and set aside. Toss it with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking

3. In the same pot or large skillet if your prefer, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil and fry the sausages, working batches as needed, until well browned on all sides.

4. Remove sausages, slice into pieces (about 5 pieces per link), and set aside.

5. Sauté all of the bell peppers, onion, and garlic for about 2 minutes.

6. Add the canned tomatoes, all the spices, and the sausage slices to the pot.

7. Simmer about 10 minutes.

8. Add the pasta back to the pot and stir gently until all the ingredients are coated in the sauce. Continue to simmer until pasta is al dente.

9. Serve with grated parmesan.

10. Mangia Bene!

Pumpkin Season – Waffles and Pancakes

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Pumpkin spice season has arrived!

I just love Autumn, it’s my favorite time of year. You still can get a mix of warm summer days and the nights are becoming much cooler. Then the closer we get to Halloween and then Thanksgiving the sweatshirts and hooded jackets start to come out of the closet here in the Northeast and the aroma of soups, stews and spices fill the kitchen once more. Pumpkin waffles and pumpkin pancakes are a favorite in our house for a relaxing Fall breakfast. The waffles are a little bit of work but the payoff is big in flavor and brings lots of smiles around the breakfast table. Don’t forget the whipped cream!

Homemade Pumpkins Waffles for my honey for Samhain brunch. The best pumpkin waffle recipe ever!

Pumpkin Waffles

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 large round “Belgian” style waffles

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg*
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and warm
*Grated and lightly packed into the spoon, use 1/2 tsp. If you use pre-grated, dried nutmeg, use 1/4 tsp.

DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly oil the waffle iron with vegetable oil, and set it to the desired temperature.
2. Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend.
3. Separate eggs: yolks go in a medium-sized bowl and whites get set aside in a smaller bowl.
4. Add pumpkin and milk to the egg yolks. Whisk to blend and set aside.
5. Whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form – about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Set aside.
6. Pour melted butter into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture. As you pour, whisk to combine.
7. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix them together until just combined. A little lumpiness is fine. That will smooth out when the egg whites are added.
8. Slide the whipped egg whites out of the bowl and onto the mixture you just prepared. Gently fold them in until no white bits are obvious.
9. Once the waffle iron is heated, you’re ready to pour the batter! cook time is about 2-3 minutes for Belgian size waffles. Less if you are using a smaller waffle iron.

Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

These little beauties are a beautiful color and will keep you full for hours after eating just one serving.

16 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 4

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch clove
1 cup milk (can be any kind)
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg

1.Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together milk, pumpkin, melted butter, and egg.
3. Fold mixture into dry ingredients.
4. Spray or grease a skillet and heat over medium heat: pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.
5.Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and syrup.
6.Makes about six 6-inch pancakes.

Chinese Eggplant and Chicken in Spicy Garlic Sauce made in the Instant Pot

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I thought this week I would share one of my Instant Pot recipes. This is an easy dish to make, doesn’t take much time at all and tastes as good as if it were from your local Chinese take-out. I usually have my rice cooker set up and going as I prepare this dish so both are finished in about the same time but you can make the rice ahead of time.

Chinese eggplant and chicken

Instant Pot Spicy Eggplant & Chicken or Pork in Garlic Sauce

Servings: 4-6

A mildly spiced chicken or pork and eggplant in a savory garlic sauce

Ingredients

3-4 Chinese eggplant (depending on size) cut down the middle and quartered then into 2 inch long pieces

1 pound ground chicken or ground pork

1 tablespoon cooking oil

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled and finely minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more if you prefer a spicier dish)

1/4 cup chicken broth

Sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce (you can also use oyster sauce if you prefer)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons corn starch

Cooked white or brown rice for serving

Instructions

Mix in a bowl the sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, and corn starch well and keep aside.

Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat oil. Add garlic. ginger, green onion, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 secs.

Add chicken or pork, cook for 4 minutes breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.

Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth then stirring to making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom and add the cut-up eggplant. Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing.

Set on Pressure Cook High for 2 min then do a Quick Release.

Open the Instant Pot and set to Sauté mode. Add the sauce and stir everything together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

Bring to a gentle boil as you allow it to thicken and then turn off the Instant Pot.

Serve over white or brown rice.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls in a Skillet

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Well, the temperatures have been a bit cooler here in the northeast so I’m looking forward to digging out some recipes and doing some cooking. As you know I’m not one to make many long involved complicated meals, I’ll leave those dishes to the experts. I like to think if you have a good recipe with a handful of ingredients, cooking can be a breeze. My version of unstuffed cabbage rolls made in a skillet is one of those types of dishes. You have all the flavor of the traditional recipe but takes considerably less time to prepare. I hope you will give it a try.

Skillet Unstuffed Cabbage1

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls in a Skillet

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 large Onion (diced)

1 Green or Red Bell pepper (diced)

2 cloves of Garlic (minced)

2 Tablespoons Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (or 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley)

1 Small Head of Cabbage (shredded or chopped)

2 cans (14.5 ounces) Diced Tomatoes

1 can (8 oz.) Tomato sauce

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Cooked White or Brown Rice

Heat a large, deep skillet or sauté pan (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil then add the ground beef. Break up the beef with a spoon and cook, stirring, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the diced onion, green pepper, parsley, and garlic and continue cooking, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is translucent and the green pepper has just begun to soften.
Add the chopped cabbage to the ground beef mixture along with the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the cabbage is slightly wilted. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.
Reduce the heat to low, simmer about 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Adjust any salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed.
Serve over cooked white or brown rice

skillet unstuffed cabbage 4

Thank you again for visiting.

Share this site with family and friends and ask them to join Sundays in a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be. I hope my recipes will inspire you to get take some time to cook in your kitchen no matter how small it may be.

Please Like and leave a comment, I would love to hear from you and what you are making.

Summer Seafood – Linguine & Clams

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

As Labor Day approaches there is still time left to enjoy the fruits of the sea here on the East Coast. By this time I had my fill of BBQ meals so I thought I would share one of our favorites when getting together with friends and family, Linguine & Clams. No matter what the season is this meal is good anytime.

It’s simple to make and feeds a crowd. A fresh loaf of Italian bread, a delicious green salad, some white wine, and Parmesan cheese and you have a Summer feast.

linguine and clams

Linguine with Clams

1 pound dried linguine

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

5 to 7 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed clean and sand purged

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup dry white wine (I prefer using Pinot Grigio when making seafood)

2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, zested, for garnish

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water.

Add linguine, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking together.

Cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent,

about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until the clams have opened.

Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.

Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water – this will remove the pasta’s natural starches.

Pour linguine into a large serving bowl or large platter – arrange clams over linguine and pour the sauce overall.

Garnish with remaining parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Skillet Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I prefer to cook at home as often as I can. We usually only eat out in restaurants or have Take-Out when we really need a night off or a date night. There are many easy to make recipes that only take about 30-45 mins from start to finish and when you think about it that much time will usually pass while driving to the place, waiting for a table or your order, then the drive back home.

One easy comfort food dinner we like is simple Skillet Potatoes and Smoked Sausage. This was a recipe that I grew up on. My mother would often use Italian sausage which I sometimes do as well. This recipe can be easily doubled.

If you give this a try I hope you enjoy it!

Skillet Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

Serves 2-4 depending on portion size

2 large russet potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes…

14 oz. smoked sausage, thinly sliced (You can use Kielbasa, or links of Italian Sausage cooked whole then sliced.)

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 c. chopped bell pepper (red or green)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 c. chicken stock

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

1/4 tsp. dried parsley

2 tbsps. veg. Oil

In a large skillet heat oil…add in the smoked sausage and cook, turning often till browned on edges. Remove meat from skillet and add in the potatoes and cook over med. high heat till they begin to brown and become tender. Add in the Onions, Bell Pepper and Garlic cooking for about 5 minutes then add in the chicken stock and cover. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and check potatoes for doneness. Add the spices, stir and add in the smoked sausage.

skillet potatoes and Kielbasa

Thank you for visiting my blog I hope you will enjoy this dish.

Please Like and leave a comment, I would love to hear from you.

Also, share this site with family and friends and ask them to join Sundays in a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be.

Easy Weeknight Chicken Croquettes with Gravy

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I love to make a nice plump roasted chicken on a Sunday for dinner then I can have leftovers for another meal during the week. This past week I made a roasted chicken by just stuffing the cavity with a quartered lemon and a handful of rosemary from the garden, oh so flavorful. There was still plenty of chicken leftover for another meal so all I had to do was decide which recipe to make. I use this croquette recipe in several ways, it’s super easy for a weeknight dinner after a long workday. You can easily swap out the chicken for cooked salmon, tuna, ham, turkey or anything you like really, just adjust the portions of meat to stuffing to your liking.

Easy Weeknight Chicken Croquettes

Ingredients:

1 Box of Stove Top Stuffing (6 0z box)
Leftover roast chicken shredded approximately 3-4 cups, not tightly packed down
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Grease a baking sheet and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Also, have an ice cream scoop handy.
Pull and shred by hand the leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken
Prepare the stuffing according to box directions
Add the shredded chicken to the stuffing and add the beaten egg.
Mix all the ingredients well
Using the ice cream scoop portion out the croquettes on to the greased baking sheet. (The ice cream scoop I have makes 9 croquettes)
Put into the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes
While croquettes are baking prepare the chicken gravy.
Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Simple Chicken Gravy

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning

Directions:

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.
Add flour and blend thoroughly.
Slowly add in the broth, mixing with a whisk,
Add salt, and pepper and Poultry Seasoning.
Allow to simmer and continue to mix with the mix until mixture thickens.
Serve!

I hope you will enjoy this dish and thank you for visiting my blog. Please Like and Comment, I love hearing from you. Also, share this site with family and friends and ask them to join Sundays in a Small Kitchen to see what my next cooking adventure will be.

A Dish from the Garden. Summer String Bean Salad with White Zinfandel Salad Dressing.

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Since my husband retired last year he was looking forward to starting up a vegetable garden again. Really just the basics to pique his interest. Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, snap peas, yellow wax beans, and string beans. The zucchini plants didn’t make it this year otherwise I’d be posting one of my many versions of zucchini bread. The herb garden did well with lots of fresh Basil, Parsley (flat and curly), Rosemary, Chives and some Oregano. I hope to expand it a bit more next year. This dish starts with great produce from the garden or your local vegetable stand. Here is my delicious Summer String Bean Salad with White Zinfandel Salad Dressing.

This recipe has no measurements. You can make as much as you need and season to taste. It’s a very flexible recipe.

Summer Bean Salad

Fresh Blue Lake Green Beans, cook or steam but leave a bit firm. (I used a combination of green beans and yellow wax bean this time)

Cherry Tomatoes sliced in half

Mozzarella cut into small bite-size cubes (You can also use Feta cheese or any semi-soft cheese to your liking cut into small bites)

Fresh garlic, grated fine on a Microplane. How much you use is up to your personal taste

Add your favorite herbs of choice. The dish in the photo has a chiffonade of some basil and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the bean salad with your favorite Oil & Vinegar dressing, or a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Here is one of my favorite ways to make salad dressing.

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White Zinfandel Salad Dressing

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar (I used Colavita)

3 Tbsp. Water

1 pouch Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup White Zinfandel Wine

Pour Vinegar, Water, Olive oil and white zinfandel into a Salad Shaker. Then add contents of the Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix. Shake until well blended. Let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before using it.

I hope you will enjoy this dish and thank you for visiting my blog. Please share this site with family and friends.

Baked Parmesan Tilapia in the Instant Pot Vortex Oven with Basil Penne on the side.

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

I had been away a bit longer than I had planned. Since the beginning of Summer, my weekend time where I usually enjoy writing about my cooking adventures has been filled with vacation time, house projects, and several milestone birthday parties that needed planning, all great times but it means time away from my computer. So I am trying to pull back the reins to get back on track which can be difficult when you are an easily distracted person like myself.

One of the most exciting things I purchased while on vacation was an Instant Pot Vortex Oven. It is just what I needed now that we are empty nesters and don’t necessarily need to use our larger oven for smaller weeknight meals. Years back I had one of those Showtime Rotisseries which I loved using, but unfortunately during a kitchen renovation when we put it in storage the oven was damaged and became unusable. I enjoyed having a rotisserie for roasting chickens and roasts. While the IP Vortex is a bit smaller than the Showtime Rotisserie it will still do the job perfectly. So I have been having fun making dishes this hot Summer while avoiding heating up the house which is a plus.

Here is a photo of my first time cooking in the IP Vortex making chicken wings in the rotisserie basket and I also made home cut fries that turned out great.

One hot night this past week, I made an easy Baked Parmesan Tilapia in the IP Vortex oven. You can easily adapt this recipe to be made in any oven.

Baked Parmesan Tilapia

INGREDIENTS:

Two large pieces of Tilapia fish fillets
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning for rubbing on to the fish
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
coarse ground black pepper to taste

On a plate or small cutting board sprinkle the Old Bay seasoning on both sides of the fish. Mix the mayonnaise, parmesan cheese and garlic powder in a small bowl. With the fish still on the plate apply the mayonnaise mixture to the top of the fish. Transfer the fish to the baking tray. I set the oven to bake then baked these two lovely pieces of fish at 380 degrees for 12 minutes. They came out golden brown, moist and delicious. I served the fish with a few lemon slices and a side dish of penne pasta tossed with pesto made with fresh basil from our garden.

Basil Pesto Sauce

3 cups fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts walnuts, almonds, pignoli (pine) nuts or pecans
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a food processor, blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic, and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper. Toss over warm pasta. (Note: You may want to reserve a cup of the pasta water to thin the pesto sauce should you feel it is a bit too thick)

Enjoy, and thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you will share it with family and friends.

My Journey Making Bread

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

20180113_122952

I love homemade bread. I even plan on making some today, as it’s been a while. I remember as our children were growing up we had two bread machines going every Sunday to prepare for sandwiches and toast during the week for work and school. Now that we are empty-nesters I don’t nearly bake as often as I use to. I love to make bread and rolls to have for a family dinner.

Over the years I have managed to find recipes I liked and I am comfortable making and feel turn out well. There have sometimes been “failures” but it has been a journey of learning and in this great technical age, the amount of information on social media and videos available out there is wonderful. There is always someone who is willing to share their “secret” to bread baking. So I’ve gone from not only from baking bread in my bread machine but to making No-Knead Artisan bread. I love using my mixer to make dough for bread, rolls and more recently to making bagels for the first time several weeks back.

There are bread snobs who think if you haven’t baked “real” bread from scratch, by hand and use a bread machine or a dough mixer that it isn’t bread baking. I don’t believe that at all. I have made bread in several different ways and the joy I get from a freshly baked loaf is the same no matter how prepared.

So give bread baking a try. Bread machines can now be purchased at a fraction of the cost from when they first came out or there are many that can be found in really good condition at local thrift shops for great prices. So while you are thinking it over if a bread machine should be something you would want to think about, how about trying to make a loaf fo No-Knead Artisan bread. They are simple, you can prepare a loaf in the evening and then bake it the next day.

A great place to start is Crusty Bread the Movie

Then you can move onto to these delicious loaves of bread.

cranberry walnut bread no knead

No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread
Recipe adapted from My Bread by Jim Lahey

Equipment: a 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 quart enameled cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid (I use a Le Creuset Dutch Oven)

Ingredients:
3 Cups (400 grams) Bread Flour
1/2 tsp instant or other active dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp (8 grams) salt
½ cup (85 grams) dried cranberries
½ cup (50 grams) chopped walnuts
1 1/3 cup (350 grams) cool water
extra flour for dusting

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, cranberries, and walnuts. Add the water and using a rubber spatula mix until a shaggy ball forms. If the dough does not feel sticky to the touch, add in a bit more water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for about 12 – 18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size.

When the slow rise is complete, Lay a 12 x 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside a 10-inch skillet and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Generously dust your counter, a large cutting board, or a silicone mat with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out in one piece. Using lightly floured hands, lift the edges of the dough and fold them in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round. Transfer the dough, seam-side down, to the parchment-lined skillet. A bench scraper is helpful for doing this. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray and cover the dough loosely with the wrap. Place the dough in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled, and if it holds an indentation when gently poked with your finger.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third position, and place a covered pot in the center of the rack. Take the pre-heated pot out of the oven, and carefully transfer the dough into the pot by lifting the parchment paper and lowering it into the pot. Quickly cover the pot and put it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color, 10 – 20 mins more. Make sure to check the bread so it doesn’t burn, because every oven is different. An instant-read thermometer will register 210 degrees, or you can tap the bottom and listen for a hollow sound. Carefully remove the bread from the pot and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

no knead olive bread

No-Knead Mediterranean Olive Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups bread flour. (I use King Arthur bread flour)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. Thyme
Zest of 1 Lemon
3 oz of sliced black olives
3.5 oz of stuffed green olives (sliced)
4 oz of Kalamata olives (sliced)
1 tbsp. Olive oil
12 oz. cool tap water

Directions:

Mix up the dry ingredients and slice up the olives. Add the zest of one lemon and the sliced olives and mix. Now add the olive oil and the water and mix until you have a uniform consistency. Now cover with plastic wrap and let it proof for 12 to 24 hours somewhere on the counter. After the initial proofing scooped it out onto a well-floured poly board. Fold it back onto itself and from this into a ball. Cut the ball in half and form each half into a loaf shape and let this proof again from another 1.5 to 2 hours. Pre-heat your oven baking vessel to 450. After the second proofing, place the loaf into the preheated baking vessel and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. (adjust this time as necessary)

Everything Bread mixed in my Bosch mixer 20160228_201417

Challah Bread mixed in the Bosch mixer 20160131_144852

Kaiser Rolls, dough mixed in the Bosch mixer and I used a Kaiser roll stamp to make the design.

20150902_220711

Father’s Day Menu – Chinese Style Pineapple Chicken & Spare Ribs

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

The weather here has been disappointing on the weekends lately, on again off again showers. This Spring has brought lots of rain and our backyard garden is enjoying it even if we aren’t. My husband had made some of his great smoked ribs for the family for Mother’s day this year but he fought the elements throughout the whole day just to prepare me a fantastic meal. Rain showers are predicted again for all day tomorrow so I decided to plan a fun indoor meal for our family and one I know he will enjoy as well.

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there!

Here is my menu:

Eggrolls for an Appetizer – Not making them from scratch this time because of time constraints.

Instant Pot Chinese Spare Ribs – the terrific recipe can be found here:

pressure-cooker-char-siu-pork-ribs

Instant Pot Chinese Spare Ribs

Chinese Pineapple Chicken with White Rice

Chinese Style Green Beans – the recipe can be found here:

Chinese Restaurant Green Beans

Chinese Restaurant Style Pineapple Chicken

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1½ cup cornstarch
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup canola oil

1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon cornstarch
1 red pepper chopped
1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
In separate bowls, place cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs. Dip chicken into cornstarch then coat in egg mixture.
(yes, you dip the chicken first in the cornstarch. I promise this method is amazing.)

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and cornstarch.
Add the red pepper and pineapple tidbits. Pour over chicken and bake for 1 hour.
I stir the chicken every 15 minutes so that it coated them in the sauce.

Savory Meat & Spinach Pie

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

“What should I make for dinner?” This usually happens when I know I have made the rounds in recent weeks that seems to cover all the bases. One of my go to recipes when this happens is I like to take any meat I may have leftover and turn it in to a savory meat and spinach pie. This often happens after making a Virginia Ham but you really can use any favorite meat of your choice. This recipe can be easily modified to not only use ham but also ground meat, cooked chicken or sausage instead.

Riviera Egg Pie

Savory Meat and Spinach Pie

8 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 (9-inch) refrigerated, unbaked pie crusts (a 15-ounce package) or freshly made pie crusts
3/4 pound of your favorite ham, diced * You may want to substitute 1 lb of ground meat, cooked chicken or Italian sausage (a mix of sweet & hot sausage is great!)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 cup grated Parmesan ** You may want to add another of your favorite cheeses in place of the Parmesan like mozzarella or cheddar, I usually add 11/2-2 cups of shredded cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 eggs, plus 1 yolk, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent and just golden, about 8 minutes. *If you are planning to use fresh ground beef or sausage this would be the time to cook that meat as well. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl, draining off any excess oil and allow to cool while preparing crust.

Remove 1 of the prepared pie crusts from the refrigerator, and place in an ungreased, 9-inch pie plate. Shape the crust to fit the form of the pan with about 1/2-inch overlap around the edge.

To the onion mixture, add the ham*, spinach, cheeses**, 4 eggs plus 1 yolk, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Spread mixture into prepared crust. Cover with remaining pie crust; crimp edges and score to vent. Brush with egg white and bake until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serve with a Tossed Green Salad and you have a wonderful meal.

Old School Dinners – Salisbury Steak

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Cooking dinners have evolved over the years with modern day appliances like the Slow Cooker, the Air Fryer and the Instant Pot to name a few. The one thing that seems to carry on is some of those old school dinner recipes that continue to evolve with the times. The kind of recipes you not only remember your mom making but maybe your grandma as well. I love to see the new ways people are adjusting the cooking of these dishes for today’s popular appliances. Salisbury Steak is one of those meals that has been around since the late 1800’s and people continue to make to this day. There is even a version for the Instant Pot.

This dish takes me back to when I was growing up and my mom would make Salisbury Steak in her large copper bottom Revereware skillet. It would be served with creamy mashed potatoes or buttered noodles and a vegetable.

It’s a meal that can be served in any season and is easy enough to prepare on a weeknight for a hungry family. Hope you will enjoy this recipe.

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

1 egg
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed French onion soup (undiluted, divided)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
pinch pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, sliced
8 oz Fresh Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water or Beef Broth (I use Better than Bullion)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
6 cups hot cooked egg noodles

In a large bowl, beat egg. Stir in 1/3 cup of soup, bread crumbs, salt and
pepper. Add beef, mix gently. Shape into six oval patties. Brown in a
skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set
aside.
Sauté the sliced onions and mushrooms. Until soft and cooked, remove and set aside.
In the skillet, combine flour and water or broth until smooth: add ketchup,
Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and remaining soup. Bring to a boil.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Return patties to skillet. Then add the sautéed onions and mushrooms.
Cover and turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
Serve patties and gravy over your favorite noodles, pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.

Mother’s Day Planning – Luncheon Ideas

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

vintage mothers day

Thought I would post a few days early as Sunday I’ll be busy with my family and I thought I would share some Mother’s Day food ideas for anyone looking. I was always one to do lots of things for my mother throughout the year but I made sure I would do something a little extra special for Mother’s Day. Twice we took mom out to dinner and it was really a big mistake, restaurants are super busy, long wait times and they are looking to turn over tables as quick as possible, leaving you feeling rushed through a meal. So instead I would plan a nice day with an extra special dinner or Spring luncheon. Lunch was often a perfect choice, we would have the entire afternoon to enjoy being together and share some Springtime dishes.

The dining table would be nicely set and a floral centerpiece to pretty things up. Here are an assortment of the recipes I used over the years.

Sunshine Salad

I found this recipe years ago. When prepared for an evening meal, it’s called “Sunset Salad”.

8-10 Servings
Prep: 10 min. + chilling
Ingredients
•1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits
•1 can (11-15 ounces) mandarin oranges
•1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding
•1 cup quartered strawberries
•1 cup sliced ripe bananas

Directions

Drain pineapple and oranges, reserving juices. In a large bowl,
combine pudding mix with reserved fruit juices. Fold in pineapple,
oranges and strawberries; chill for at least 2 hours. Add bananas
just before serving. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Chicken Salad for Sandwiches

You can serve this salad on rolls, sandwiches cut in triangles or fill shells made from biscuits.

2 whole boneless chicken breasts
1 stalk celery
1 onions, quartered
1 cup celery, chopped
1 1/2-2 cups mayonnaise (depending on how wet you like your chicken salad)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dill (optional)
Directions
Place chicken, celery stalk and onion in saucepan with water to cover.
Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is done.
Drain and discard onion and celery.
Let chicken cool.
In a food processor chop chicken.
In a medium sized bowl combine chicken with mayonnaise, salt& pepper, parsley, dill seed, chopped celery and lemon juice.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Orzo Salad

orzo salad 2

8 ounces orzo pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in olive oil, vinegar, red onion, tomatoes and basil and toss to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Salad Nicoise

Romaine Hearts
4 Hard-boiled eggs
1 can artichokes
Steamed Green Beans
3 Roma tomatoes cut into wedges
Nicoise olives (Greek pitted Olives)
Potatoes cooked and cut into quarters
1 sweet red onion, sliced into thin rings
2 cans of white solid tuna
Anchovies
Dressing
1 garlic clove minced
Lemon Juice
olive oil
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Optional – Fresh chopped basil

Separate romaine heart leaves and arrange on a platter. Arrange hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters, green beans, artichokes, tomatoes, potatoes, and olives decoratively over lettuce leaves. Add the anchovies and onion rings. Break up tuna and arrange over vegetables. Drizzle with dressing.

Cucumber and Onion Salad

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups sliced cucumbers
1 small onion (sliced thinly)

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and salt. Add cucumbers and
onions; stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Yield: 6-8
servings.

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Deli Style Tuna Salad

You can easily make as much as needed by doubling or tripling.

One 6 oz can albacore tuna
1/4 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped onion
2 Tbsps drained sweet pickle relish
4 Tbsps mayonnaise
2 tsps fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in food processor and process until consistency of pate.

Tomato & Onion Salad

3 large Tomatoes – sliced into wedges or slices if your prefer
1 small to medium sweet red onion – size depends how much onion you prefer
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
2 teaspoons fresh basil leaf (or ½ teaspoon dried basil)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Directions:

Peel the onion and cut into thin rings. Add slice vegetables into a glass bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.

Pour over tomatoes and onions.
Cover and allow to stand 30 minutes at room temperature or longer, refrigerated.

Serve with a nice loaf of bread.
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Rainy Day Comfort Food – Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Featured | Posted by Craftyfae

Mac and Cheese Casserole

Even though the calendar says it’s Spring there still may be a bit of a chill in the air and right now we have hit several weeks of on again off again rain. So it’s still a bit early for starting to make those lighter warm-weather dishes and my old stand-by comfort foods still have a chance to be made once again. So why not make a dish of my homemade baked macaroni & cheese. I know there are many preferences on how people enjoy their mac & cheese, anywhere from the “blue-box” to a thick creamy sauce stirred with pasta and sometimes baked or served as is. I have made and enjoyed them with my family so you won’t get any arguments from me.

While I was growing up my mother made a baked macaroni and cheese casserole that we loved and I pretty much make it the same way. Over the years I made a slight revision to my mother’s recipe to make it just a bit richer by adding two eggs to the milk so it has a more custard-like consistency. I also on occasion add other cheeses to the shredded cheddar like Mozzarella or Fontina when I have it on hand to vary the taste and creaminess.

classic make and cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

You will need: A deep casserole dish or pan

1 lb Elbow macaroni (sometimes I use shells or Cavatappi)

Block of a good quality Sharp or Mild cheddar cheese (about 4 cups shredded) I have on occasion mixed other cheeses to the cheddar like adding Mozzarella or Fontina when I had some left over.

1 Quart (4 cups) Whole Milk

2 Eggs, beaten

1 Stick of Butter

Ground Black Pepper (as desired)

Directions:

Boil pasta according to the package in salted water, al dente works perfectly.

Drain.

Butter a deep casserole dish

Add the two beaten eggs to the quart of milk and mix well

Place a layer of macaroni (about 1/3), enough to cover the bottom, of the casserole dish. Dot with some butter.

Add a layer of the shredded cheese covering the macaroni.

Repeat these layers until you are out of pasta – the top layer is cheese. Don’t push down on the macaroni or it will make it too dense.

Slowly pour milk/egg mixture over the casserole until the milk almost reaches the top of the casserole dish.

Dot top layer of cheese with butter and ground pepper

Bake uncovered for about 50-60 minutes in a 350-degree oven depending on how crisp you like the top, just make sure the milk mixture has turned to a custard-like consistency when a knife is inserted into the casserole.

You’ll know it is finished cooking when the milk is no longer liquid and is custard-like.

Serves 6 – Cook time and servings are approximate.

A secret to switching up this recipe: If you want to push this recipe over the top my daughter sometimes adds BBQ pulled pork in between the layers when building the casserole. It’s fantastic!

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