Beef Stroganoff

I am becoming a recipe "musher" I look at so many recipes each week; I like parts of recipes or I have certain ingredients and not others, most of the time what comes out is good but not always where I started. I think that is the art of cooking though right?? You change things to suit your needs and the desires of those you are cooking for. Fall usually brings about a Stroganoff or two at our house. Mushrooms, beef, and a creamy sauce are so comforting on a rainy dark night. This meal comes together quickly and all on the stove top so it is great for a weeknight. This is also a great recipe to keep in mind if you've made a big roast for company and have a bit left over. Double-duty, right there....

Beef Stroganoff

Inspired by: Fall

1 lb. beef chuck roast

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 oz. butter

4-6 green onions, or 1/2 medium size onion

4 T. flour

2 cups beef broth

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

8 mushrooms sliced

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup white wine

salt & pepper to taste

Cut beef into strips, season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add steak strips and cook quickly. Move beef strips to one side and add onion and sliced mushrooms, cook slowly 3 to 5 minutes. Stir meat and veggies together. Add flour into the juices, stir to let the "flour flavor" cook out, slowly add beef broth whisking/stirring the whole time. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat and add in mustard. Cover and simmer, until meat is tender and cooked through.

Just before serving add the sour cream and white wine. Heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over egg noodles or brown rice.

Note: If you are using left over roast that has already been cooked you add that in after the mushroom and onions are cooked. There will be no need to let dish cook for very long on the stove top because the beef is done which makes this meal even quicker!

Click here for the printable.

Toast to cozy meals around the dinner table with your family.

Ginger

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are a lot of pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipes out there and they are pretty similar to each other. I tried this one last week and thought it was yummy! I have never made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies before and I think they make a winning combination. The cookies are more cake like than cookie like but that didn't slow us down. Some prefer them cool, even just out of the frig. I like mine right out of the oven when the chocolate is still "melty"....however you prefer them try them because they are delicious; my tasting crew determined them to be "blog worthy!" Here you go:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Inspired by: Fall

Recipe from: justeverydayme.com

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup Canola oil

1 large egg

1 T. vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, or just cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup oatmeal (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, and egg. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add the flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. The dough is very wet.

Stir in chocolate chips and oats, if desired. Put dough in frig. for 15 minutes, it will be easier to scoop them if you do this. Scoop cookies on to baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until firm. Place cookies on cooling rack.

(I changed out my parchment paper each batch too)

Click here for the printable.

Enjoy!

Ginger

Chickpea Chicken-Noodle Soup

This is a super quick and delicious soup. I found it in the November issue of my Food Network Magazine. The soup comes together in close to 30 minutes and the secret ingredient is cinnamon! The spices are added before the liquid which allows their flavors to develop a little more. The result is a scrumptious weeknight meal. I would also like to try this with brown rice in place of spaghetti noodles to bump the health factor even more. I love it when I come across a recipe and I have everything I need to make it without a trip to the store! Here's what you do:

Chickpea Chicken-Noodle Soup

Inspired by: Food Network Magazine

3 T Olive oil

4 oz. spaghetti, broken into small pieces

1 - 2 carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped cilantro, (I didn't have it so I didn't use it, but I bet it would be YUM!)

4 cups chicken broth

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 small, one big chicken breast, or 4-6 chicken tenders, thinly sliced

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, (1/2 of cilantro); cook, stirring, until the spices are toasted, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, (1 cup water, I used more chicken broth & no water.) salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low and cook until the spaghetti is just tender, about 8 minutes.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the soup. Simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining cilantro and season with salt & pepper.

Enjoy!

Ginger



Zucchini Gratin

Last weekend we went to a lovely fall dinner party. There is nothing I enjoy more than gathering around the table with good food and great friends. I am so blessed to be surrounded by many women who also LOVE to cook. It is awesome when we get the families together and share a great meal. This one did not disappoint. We had  braised short ribs, sweet potato puree, and zucchini gratin for dinner. Then we had a gorgeous and delicious pumpkin roulade for dessert. Everything was amazing; and a fantastic time was had by all. The zucchini gratin was what I brought to share for dinner and we decided it would make an excellent side dish for the Thanksgiving table. I think veggies sometimes don't get enough attention and the Thanksgiving table, they become almost an afterthought.....BUT this zucchini gratin is worthy of staking a claim at the table this year! It smells heavenly as it cooks and tastes just as delicious. It is simple to prepare and can also "wait" to be served.  Here's what you do:

Zucchini Gratin

Inspired by: Ina Garten

6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping

1 lb. yellow onion, cut in 1/2 and sliced. (2 large is what I used)

2 lbs. zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch-thick (4 zucchini, G- I used yellow and green squash)

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 T. flour

1 cup hot milk

3/4 cup bread crumbs, (G- I used Panko because that's what I had)

3/4 cup grated Gruyere (G- I may have used a little more....)

Preheat oven to 400

Melt butter in a very large saute pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and cook, covered for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into a 8X10 inch baking dish.

Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 T of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20  minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

Try it for you next gathering. I'm sure it will be a crowd pleaser!

Ginger

White Chocolate Ginger Drops

Well of course I had to try these cookies!  They were delicous; a perfect fall cookie. Soft and chewy with just the right amount of spice. I think the cookies kind of look like little bird nests with eggs, don't you? I got the recipe from a favorite blog, Baked Bree, she too has the perfect name for a food blog... The cookies were a hit with everyone who tried them; they didn't last long. This is a great cookie for little helpers; have one roll the dough balls in sugar and another can put the white chocolate chips on the cookies right after they come out of the oven. The recipe also makes quite a few with three cups of flour so it's a perfect sharing cookie. Bring a fall treat into the office and make everyone smile this week!

White Chocolate Ginger Drops

Inspired by: Baked Bree

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2  cup molasses

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

(3/4 cup white sugar for coating the cookies)

1 cup white chocolate chips

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside. Cream together butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Mix until the batter just comes together. Wrap dough in plastic and chill 4 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough and then roll into balls. Coat the ball in sugar and place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Take cookies out of the oven and immediately place a few white chocolate chips in the center. Cool completely on wire racks.

Click here for the printable.

Happy Fall!

Ginger



Fluffy Meatloaf

Yes we are a meatloaf eating family. It is one of my kids favorite meals and probably one of the few things I've made the exact same way since I first started dating my husband. In fact he may say, "you had me at meatloaf....." Ha! I think it was indeed one of the first dinners I ever made for him. I even remember, I was living with this family in San Clemente, CA. They lived in this mansion overlooking the ocean; one of the homes that was on Nixon's old estate. It was the kind of neighborhood with a guard you had to check in with before you could enter. Kinda funny to think back on it now; what a treat to get to live there. I think I lived there about 6 months....anyway, back to the meatloaf. I don't really know why it's called fluffy meatloaf but that's the name on the recipe I copied from my mom. We've been eating this meatloaf since we were kids. I love having those recipes that will delight everyone around the dinner table. It is a simple recipe, I usually make it early in the day and put in the frig. until it's time to bake it for dinner. Meatloaf makes my little man dance with glee. He's already said he's taking the leftovers to school tomorrow, he called it! That make his mama happy.

Fluffy Meatloaf

Inspired by: Mom

1 lb. ground beef, I use the leanest I can find

1/2 lb. ground pork

3 slices of bread, diced or torn

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp. pepper, dry mustard, sage, celery salt, garlic salt

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

ketchup for the top

Mix together meat, bread. Beat egg, then add. Add spices, mix well. Form into a loaf and place in Pyrex. Top with ketchup.

Bake @ 350 for 1 hour.

Click here for the printable.

To family recipes!

Ginger

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

This is a bonus pot this week because I wanted to give you the play by play on the oven roasted tomatoes. I just adore their flavor and there are so many things you can do with them! They are super simple to prepare and the result is so delicious you just must try them....

All you need: cherry tomatoes, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, garlic, olive oil, & salt.

Then you have your lovely sous chef daughter, slice the tomatoes in half. It's great knife skill practice and you can see she is happy to help me in the kitchen. She loves it when I set up a little station like this for her to work.....

Once the tomatoes are halved, put them on a parchment covered sheet pan and cover them with just enough oil to make them glisten. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and a little salt. Place whole garlic cloves on the pan, 3 or 4. And into the oven they go. 225 for about 3 hours. Here is the recipe again:

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Inspired by: SmittenKitchen

Cherry tomatoes

Whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled

Olive Oil

Fresh Thyme, chopped

Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven to 225. Halve each cherry tomato, arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle on herbs. Add a touch of salt and pepper.

Bake tomatoes in the oven for about three hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside- this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.

Either use them right away or let them cool, cover them with some extra olive oil and keep them in the fridge.

Click here for the printable.

Enjoy!

Ginger

Pumpkin Bread

 I have made this pumpkin bread every October since 1993. This recipe only comes out in October and maybe once in a while in November. I have made it with classes of 3rd graders and classes of 5th graders, I've made it with my grandmother and my children. It is fantastic bread, dense, moist, just the right amount of sweet and spice. You could eat it for breakfast, a snack, or even serve it for dessert with a little fresh whipped cream of course. This recipe makes lots of baby loaves, so it's a great one for sharing.

 I enjoy sending things up to the school for the kids teachers, they each get a loaf, music teacher, PE teacher, there's plenty to go around! Usually a lucky friend or two receive a loaf. Some friends have even been known to hide it from their families so they don't have to share!! Try this recipe this October and maybe start a tradition at your house.

A little bite of heaven right here.....

Pumpkin Bread

Inspired by: Jen Anderson

Note: You will need a REALLY big mixing bowl to fit this in....

Mix dry ingredients:

5 1/4 cups flour

4 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/4 tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking soda

2 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix in remaining ingredients:

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups Canola oil

3 cups pumpkin (1 large can)

6 eggs

Mix well. Grease pans. Pour batter into pans, about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour. Until a cake tester comes out clean.

Makes about 8 baby loaves. I usually do some baby loaves and at least one big loaf for the house.

Click here for the printable.

Happy October!

Ginger

Tri Tip & Twice Baked Potatoes

Yes, this is more comfort food. Fall and comfort food go hand in hand don't they? I hope you enjoy comfort food because you will be seeing it often from me.....I had never tried making twice baked potatoes before but after watching Ree make them on her Pioneer Woman show, I knew it was a must try. Let me tell you, that although they take a bit of effort, they are absolutely delicious. Creamy, melt in your mouth goodness. The good news is you can make them ahead of time and just keep them in the frig until you're ready to bake them off.  Two things I love about a twice baked potato, you can put whatever you like in it, you could have some that are vegetarian and some that have meat;  and they would be great for a party because each person gets one, which makes for easy planning. I served the potatoes along side a tri tip that was tender and scrumptious. I love the smell of a roast cooking in the oven; it reminds me of Sunday afternoons as a child. We'd come home from church and the house would smell amazing because mom put the roast on a timer so it would be ready for us to devour, and devour we did!

Tri-Tip

Inspired by: Mom
 



Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large skillet, big enough to fit the roast, add 2 T. olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the roast. When the oil is hot, sear the beef on both sides. Place tri tip in glass Pyrex and sprinkle with one package of dry Lipton soup mix. Bake in the oven until roast reaches 160 - 170 degrees, that equals medium to medium well. It's about an hour but does depend on the size of your tri tip. Let the meat rest for 15 min. before slicing. Scoop some of the extra saucy bits up on your meat....delicious!!

Twice Baked Potatoes:

Inspired by: The Pioneer Woman
 

This is how I did it for our family of 4. We like leftovers and I of course wanted to have some for my parents to try....

3 good sized baking potatoes

Olive oil for brushing

6 slices of your favorite bacon, cooked and diced

1/3 to 1/2 cup sour cream

6 T. butter

1/2 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

4 to 6 green onions, diced

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Wash and dry potatoes. Rub with olive oil and poke with fork. Place on baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about an hour. Remove from oven and allow them to cool enough so you can handle them. In the meantime, use a good size bowl and combine, bacon, sour cream, butter, onions, and at least 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. (You want to reserve some cheese to go on top of potatoes once they've been re stuffed.) When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh, add it to the large bowl with other ingredients. Leave a thin layer of potato in the skin just to hold them together. Mix up the potato goodness with a spatula or potato masher. Add salt and pepper and taste. Adjust seasonings as needed. Ree also put in some seasoning salt, I did not. Once you've got the potato filling well combined use a spoon to refill the potato skins. Place them on a baking sheet. You could do all this a day ahead and refrigerate until ready to use. Sprinkle each potato with a little more cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until everything is heated through and cheese is melted. Prepare yourself for goodness! YUMO!

Hoping you can whip this up on a cool fall night! Invite some friends over and enjoy!

Ginger



Pizza with Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Zucchini

We LOVE pizza at our house. It's probably our most favorite thing to eat on Friday or Saturday night. And pizza at our house is always best when it's homemade....I put this little number together last Friday and sometimes I just out do myself...this one was SO good I had to share it with you....

First and foremost is the crust. You really must make your own crust; it is so simple and makes the pizza that much better. Of course, my friend Julie, introduced me to this pizza crust yeast; it works beautifully. It comes in a three pack and it is the only yeast I use for pizza. The dough comes together easily and you can roll it out right away or let it set for a bit and then roll it out. I prefer to let it set for at least an hour just because the dough becomes even easier to work with. The recipe for the dough is on the back of the package, below I will share how I do it.

This pizza has: chicken Italian sausage, thinly sliced zucchini, feta, and the most delicious oven roasted cherry tomatoes....I had some left over tomatoes from something else I made this week and so I decided to try roasting them....can you say A-MA-ZING! I'm going to get some more cherry tomatoes at the store today just so I can roast them! They would be great in a sandwich, added to pasta dish, salad, eaten on a cracker with a little cream cheese.....yum, yum, yum! A must try!

Pizza Dough

Inspired by: Movies with the family on the weekends

2 1/4 cup flour

1 envelope Fleischmann's Pizza yeast

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)

3 T. olive oil

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil. Mix together until well blended, about 1 minute. I begin bringing things together with a spatula and then use my hands to really get all the flour incorporated.  Let rest for 1 hour if possible, covered.

Preheat oven to 400. Push out pizza dough onto oiled, sheet pan. Square pizza is very European...Top pizza with toppings of choice.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Inspired by: SmittenKitchen

Cherry tomatoes

Whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled

Olive Oil

Fresh Thyme, chopped

Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven to 225. Halve each cherry tomato, arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle on herbs. Add a touch of salt and pepper.

Bake tomatoes in the oven for about three hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside- this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.

Either use them right away or let them cool, cover them with some extra olive oil and keep them in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Ginger



Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Two of my favorite summer things combined. I discovered this recipe last summer when I had more zucchini's than I knew what to do with. It is now my go to recipe. It is dense and moist, absolutely delicious. I love that it makes two loaves, one to keep and one to share.  I took the second loaf up to the kids school this week and the plate was pretty much licked clean before lunch time! Here's what to do:

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Inspired by: Allrecipes.com

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup canola oil

3 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup sugar

2 cups shredded zucchini

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 T. cinnamon

1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf pans. Two large or four mini pans

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, ans sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to prepared pans.

Bake 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, the turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Click here for the printable.

Invite a friend over, brew some tea, and share a treat! Enjoy!

Ginger

Pot Roast

It's getting to be pot roast season isn't it? Last week I tried The Pioneer Woman's version and we thought it was good. Spooning cooked veggies and melt in your mouth beef over mashed potatoes, says fall like nothing else.  I took this photo before I put the roast in the oven, pot roast isn't very photogenic after it's been in the oven for several hours....Add this to your menu this week you won't be disappointed...

Pot Roast

Inspired by: Pioneer Woman

1 whole (3 to 4 pound) Chuck Roast

2 T. Olive Oil

2 whole onions

6 carrots

Salt to Taste

1 cup Red Wine or beef broth

2 cups To 3 cups beef broth, if you don't use the wine

3 sprigs fresh Thyme

3 sprigs fresh Rosemary

Generously salt and pepper your roast. Heat large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil ( or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut the carrots into 2 inch slices. You don't have to peel the carrots, it adds to the rustic feel of the dish. When the oil in the pot is hot, add the halve onions, browning them on all sides. Remove the onions to a plate.

Add the carrots into the same hot pan and toss them around a bit until lightly browned, about a minute or so. Remove carrots add them to the plate with onions.

If needed add a bit more olive oil to the hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides. It should be nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

Deglaze your pan with either the red wine or cup of beef broth, scrap the bottom to get all the good bits off.

Place the roast back in the pot, add enough beef stock to cover the roast half way. Return the onion and carrots to the pan, as well as your sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Put the lid on your dutch oven and roast at 275 for 3 hours. (4 hours if you have a 4 to 5 lb. roast)

Serve over mashed potatoes and toast the changing leaves!

Ginger