Tag Archives: cooking

Jun 6 2011

Coffee Cake

I love coffee cake!  The recipe used to be on the box of Bisquik, but in recent years it’s disappeared.  I last saw it on a giant (Costco size) box of Bisquik at my mom’s house a few years ago. I had Paul copy down the recipe for me so we could make it at home. Now I have the recipe ready to use whenever I need it!

 

Cake:

2 c. Bisquik mix
2/3 c. milk
1 egg
2 TBSP sugar

Toppng:

1/3 c. Bisquik
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 TBSP  butter, firm

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.  Mix cake ingredients in a large bowl.  Spread into greased 8″x8″ pan.  Mix topping ingredients together, then cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork.  Mixture should be evenly crumbly.  Sprinkle topping over cake batter and bake for 18-22 minutes.  Check that the cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake.  If it comes out clean you are set.

I like to make a big 9″x13″ pan of coffee cake, so I double the cake recipe and triple the topping.  That way the top of the cake has a nice thick brown sugar layer!  Yum!

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May 24 2011

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Looking for an easy and delicious family meal?  Try livening up spaghetti night by making your own meatballs!

It’s very easy to make meatballs that turn out great every time.

Here’s how:

1 package Mild Italian sausages (uncooked)
2 lbs. ground beef
½ c. shredded parmasean cheese
½ c. plain bread crumbs
3 TBSP dried parsley
2 eggs
*optional: add minced onion and fresh garlic

Remove the casings from the sausages by cutting lengthwise and peeling.

Break up the meat into small pieces and put it in a large mixing bowl.  Break up ground beef and also place it in the bowl.  Add the parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and eggs.  Mix by hand until combined.  Roll the meat into small balls, about 1½-2 inches in diameter.  Place formed balls into two 9″x13″ baking dishes.  Bake uncovered at

400° for 45-55 minutes.  At the end of cooking time take a meatball out and cut it open to check doneness.  It should be cooked through – no pink.  Makes approximately 40 meatballs.

You can cook the meatballs ahead of time and place in a covered container in the refrigerator until dinner time.  When you are ready to start dinner, place the cooked meatballs in a 12″ skillet.  Add 2 small jars of your favorite pasta sauce and simmer until meat is heated through, about 15-20 minutes.  While meatballs and sauce are heating, cook pasta according to package directions.

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Mar 14 2011

Birthday Party Menu

It took me a long time to decide on what to make for Sean’s party.  We’ve been exceptionally busy all week.  When Thursday came I was finally able to focus on cleaning up and planning the party menu.

I decided on a Vegetarian Chili, assorted sandwiches, a salad and chips.  I had something else planned but then realized that my parents, who have been very faithful to the South Beach Diet, couldn’t eat any of what I had planned.  It was also a reminder that I need to get serious about South Beach cooking again.  So I opted for the chili which I made once before to be the center of the meal.  The non-South Beachers had sandwiches and tortilla chips with their chili. 

And I made a birthday cake, of course.  Chocolate with chocolate frosting (and SPRINKLES!!!) as requested by Sean.  I decided to go with a theme for his party this year – Toy Story.  It’s one of his favoite things and I found cute small figures on sale at Target for around $12.  I used them as cake toppers and they really made the cake fun.

The party was fun, low-key and easy for me to prepare – just as I had planned.  I baked the cakes (four 8″ round cakes) the night before and assembled the cake first thing in the morning.  Then I threw together the super easy chili, set out some chips and salsa and made an assortment of sandwiches.  I had sourdough and wheat bread, and made several combinations using turkey, ham, bologna, cheddar and Swiss cheeses with crispy leaf lettuce.  I cut them in half so guests could have more than one kind.

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Jan 24 2011

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili with Cheese & Sour Cream

Tonight I discovered I was missing an ingredient for the dish I intended to make.  So in a pinch I had to make something from what I had on hand.  It was cold tonight and I had plenty of canned items in my pantry so I made chili. 

It turned out very tasty!  Even my picky little kids ate some of it.  Of course, they mostly ate the cheese and sour cream off the top.  This is South Beach friendly as well!  Here is the recipe I used:

2 TBSP olive oil

1  small onion, chopped

1 cup chopped bell pepper (I used some red, yellow and green since that’s what I had)

1 TBSP minced garlic – I like to use the paste, so much easier

Salt & Pepper

2 cans Caribbean style black beans (black beans with chili, bell pepper and lime)

1 can cannellini (while kidney beans)

1 can diced tomatoes – do not drain

1 can vegetable broth

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

Heat the olive oil on med-high and add onions and bell pepper.  Stir and watch until they begin to soften.  Add the garlic and some salt and pepper.  When the peppers are tender, add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer on med-low for about 15 minutes.  Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream, if you like.  If you are not doing South Beach,  some cornbread or tortilla chips would go great on the side!

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Jan 11 2011

Vegetable Beef Soup

I made a vegetable beef soup for dinner on a cold day.  I took a basic recipe from the South Beach Diet Cookbook, and tweaked it a little to add more flavor.  It’s still Phase One legal for all of you who are doing the South Beach Diet.  And if you’re not, it’s still a tasty and healthy recipe. 

2 TBSP olive oil

1 lb lean beef, cut into cubes

1 rib of celery, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 can fat-free beef broth, plus enough water to make 5 cups of liquid

1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded

1/4 bag of fresh pre-washed spinach

1 can died tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot brown the steak with 1 TBSP of the oil.  Remove the steak from the pot and set aside.  Add the other TBSP of oil to the pot and cook the celery, onion and green beans until tender.  Add the garlic and cook a minute longer.  Add the cooked steak, and the rest of the vegetables and water to the pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 1.5 hours.

Serve with one of the following:  a squeeze of fresh lemon juice; a few drops of hot sauce; or sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

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