Italian Recipes

Meatballs -- by Jenny Webb

1 lb ground sirloin (Don't use meat with more than 10% fat)

1 T. onion (dried), or 1/8 c. onion (fresh and chopped)

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c. bread crumbs (you can use crackers too)

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients (use your hands!). Roll mixture into 1.5 in. sized balls and place on nonstick cookie sheet (of course you can use a regular cookie sheet-- just spray it). Cook 10-12 min.

***I don't really like red meat but for some reason I think these are the BEST! You can eat them by themselves, in a sandwich, or with spaghetti. YUM!

Creamy Chicken & Vegetable Penne -- Lindsay Mills

Ingredients:

1/2 box penne pasta
2-3 boneless chicken breast (cut up into cubes or strips)
A bunch of yummy veggies, your choice: some favorites-Red & yellow peppers, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms.

1/4 cup butter

1 TBLS flour

2 tsp. chicken bullion (2 cubes mashed, *not dissolved in water*)

3/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cup milk (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half if you don't mind the calories!)

1/4 cup grated parm. cheese (or the shredded parm, romano, asiago cheese mix you get in a tub)

Boil noodles!

Melt butter and stir in flour in sauce pan. Stir in basil, garlic powder, pepper, and bullion. Add milk. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring as sauce thickens (add bacon if desired).

Brown chicken breasts in 2 TBS of olive oil. Once chicken is thoroughly cooked add vegetables.

Drain noodles and combine with chicken and vegetables then fold in the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.

April Cooking Club

We are excited about this month's cooking club.
** Theme: ITALIAN food :-)
** Host/place: Jamie Kendall's Home
** Date: Thursday April 2nd, 2009
** Time: 7pm-8pm
** Those signed up to bring a dish: Jenny Web, Lauri Leslie, Jamie Kendall, Necia Gooch, Angela Gilbert, Liz Dewey.
** If you are bringing a dish or would simply like to share a favorite Italian recipe for all to enjoy, please post your recipe on this blog. (instructions/username/password were sent out in an email from the RS on March 25th, 2009)

Hope you can come!!

March Cooking Club

We had a very successful cooking club this month. The "theme" was breakfast foods and everything was so yummy! Here are the recipes that were shared that evening.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread- Anna Despain

1 cup warm milk
¼ cup warm water
2 eggs
¼ cup butter/margarine, softened
¼ cup sugar
5 cups bread flour, may need more
2 ¼ tsp. dry yeast


Filling:
2 TBLS. butter/margarine melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 TBLS. ground cinnamon


Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4-5 tsp. milk
½ tsp. vanilla


Mix yeast with water and sugar, add the eggs, butter, milk, salt, eggs, and the enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 10x8 rectangle. Brush with the 2 TBLS. melted butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place seam side down in two greased 9x5 loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cover with foil; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Combine glaze ingredients; spoon over loaves.



Blueberry Coffee Cake - Anna Despain
1 egg
½ cup sugar
2 TBLS. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 ¼ cup flour
¾ tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk
3 TBLS. melted butter
1 cup fresh blue berries (I have used frozen and it turned out great)
In a mixing bowl, beat egg. Gradually add the ½ cup sugar, mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to sugar mixture alternately with milk. Stir in the butter. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into a greased 8 in. square pan. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Note. Can be prepared the night before and refrigerated; sprinkle with the sugar just before baking.

Sweet Dough- Anna Despain
2 c. warm water ½ c. sugar
2 T. or 2 pkgs. Yeast 2 eggs
¾ c. oil 6 c. flour (about)
¼ c. melted butter 2 tsp. salt

Set yest in sugar and water. Add oil, melted butter, eggs flour and slat to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth (6-8 minutes). Let rise until doubled (about an hour). Roll ¼”-1/2” thick.

Cinnamon Rolls- Roll dough about 20”x8”x ½”. Spread with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll lengthwise tucking last edges up and pinching closed. Using floss to cut off rolls every two inches. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. To make a Christmas wreath form a circle with your rolled dough (this is the step before cutting them off with floss)pinching together where ends meet in center. Cut through the ring most of the way about every 1”. Tip each slice slightly. Bake the same as the rolls. After they have cooled some frost the tops with a powdered sugar or cream cheese glaze.

Brunch in One - Anna Despain
2 lb. bacon or 11/2 lbs. ham or ready cooked sausage 1 dozen eggs
6-8 slices of bread 1 cup of milk
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese salt and pepper

Brown and crumble bacon or sausage (If ham is used, it doesn't have to be pre-cooked). Line a 9x13 in. greased pan with slices of read from which the crust has been removed. Sprinkle Bacon or other meats over bread. Sprinkle with 2 cups cheese. Beat dozen eggs and 1 cup mile, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over above. Refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Bake at 325 for one hour.



Maple Syrup – Loralee Warner
4 cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups water
2 tbs. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. maple flavoring

Combine first four ingredients in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and maple flavoring. Allow to cool completely in the pan before transferring to container. (Syrup will thicken as it cools). Syrup can be stored in the pantry for up to three weeks or in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

Oven Pancakes – Loralee Warner
2 tbs. butter or margarine
1 cup flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
8 eggs
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt margarine in 9 x 13 pan in oven. Beat eggs, flour, milk, salt and cinnamon in blender until frothy. Pour into pan with melted butter and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed in the center. Serve with maple syrup.




“Fruit and Veggie” Muffin Recipe - Lucy Jesse
1 cup whole wheat flour1 cup white flour3 T vegetable or canola oil3 T applesauce2/3 cup sugar4 eggs1 teaspoon baking soda2 teaspoon baking powder2 teaspoon cinnamon2 cup mashed or grated fruit/veggie ***See ideas below!1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350.2. In bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar and mashed fruit or veggie. Mix well with whisk, hand blender or KitchenAid.3. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix until it forms into batter. Fold in nuts if you like.4. Pour into muffin cups.5. Mini muffins: Bake 8-10 minutes. Regular muffins: Bake 15-20 minutes. Tops will turn golden.6. Cool on cooling rack and then serve to hungry little people!
Fruits and Veggies Options2 cup mashed banana with walnuts or1 cup sweet potatoes and 1 cup bananas or1 cup grated apple and 1 cup grated pear or1 cup squash and 1 cup grated apple or1 cup grated carrots and 1/2 cup raisins or2 cup peeled and grated zucchini or1 cup blueberries and 1 cup bananas or1 cup bananas and 1 cup strawberries or2 cups pears with 1/2 cup chopped pecans
…or 2 cups of any other fruit or veggie you like…just mash or grate them up! The possibilities are endless…
Note: These freeze beautifully! Thaw in just 10 seconds in the microwave, or in a few minutes on the counter.
http://happytobeathome.net/fruit-and-veggie-muffins/



Peach Puff Pancake - Lucy Jesse
Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons butter or margarine
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large can sliced peaches (2 cups), drained

Directions:
-Heat oven to 375. Spray 2 ½ quart casserole or 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Melt butter in baking dish in oven.
-Beat eggs slightly in large bowl with wire whisk or beater. Beat in flour, sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
-Stir peaches into butter in baking dish; return to oven 2-3 minutes or until sizzling.
-Pour batter over peaches. Bake about 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, peach preserves, or maple syrup.



BAKED MEXICAN QUICHE - Necia Gooch
1 lb. breakfast sausage, browned
1/2 cup melted butter (use a little to butter the dish)
1/2 cup flour
dash salt
2 cups cottage cheese
12 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
8 ounces chopped mild green chiles
4 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

**Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well. Add melted butter, leaving the pan buttered. Add chiles, sausage, and cheeses. Mix together and pour into baking pan. Back uncovered at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Test for doneness with a knife.



Breakfast Orange Rolls - Melanie
3 packages of Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (the "pop open" can)
1 Cube butter
1 Cup sugar
1/3 can Orange Juice Concentrate

Melt butter, sugar, and OJ concentrate in medium sauce pan. Stir until sugar is dissolved but do not boil. Arrange buttermilk biscuits in a bundt pan one by one, layer by layer (slightly over lapping each other). When all the biscuits are in there, the bundt pan will be about half full. (Pretty much if you just throw the biscuits one at a time into the bundt pan, they will turn out!) Then pour the hot orange sauce over the biscuits and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until golden brown on top. When done, flip bundt pan over onto large serving platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.


GRANOLA- Melanie
Dry Ingredients:
15 C. Old Fashion Oats
1 C. Coconut
1 C. chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)
1/4 C. Sesame Seeds
1 TBS Cinnamon
1 TBS Salt

Sauce:
1 1/2 C. Honey
3/4 C. Molasses
3/4 C. Oil
3/4 C. Water
1 TBS. Vanilla

*Warm all the "Sauce" ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally. While that is heating, mix together all dry ingredients. When honey and molasses have melted together, pour over dry ingredients and bake.

*For CRUNCHY granola bake at 300 for 30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes)
*For CHEWY granola bake at 350 for 14 minutes and immediately store in air tight container

I think everyone left with happy tummies and a lot of fun, new recipes. Thank you ladies for sharing this fun night with us!