COOKING

Wednesday June 10th

Hamburgers

Did you know that  recipes for hamburgers existed in the Roman Time?  It wasn’t exactly a hamburger, it was minced meat (cut into small pieces) and mixed with pine nuts, pepper and white wine.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_hamburger,  

Though the  recipe does not include a bun or ketchup,  it’s possible that a Roman in hurry could have used some flatbread to put around that cooked concoction to  make it easier to eat on the way to the coliseum.

This is what my recipe is based on,  

It’s a 1600 year old burger recipe!

 

The hamburger as we know it is American,  here is a quick 4 minute history if you are interested.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAHvdlvjWbI

Have a little fun with your recipe the next time you make a burger-

 

Equipment

Mixing spoon

Mixing bowl

¼ cup measurer

Plate for raw burgers

Tablespoon

Skillet

Spatula

teaspoon

 

Ingredients

½ pound of ground beef

¼ cup of flour

¼ cup of marion berries

¼ cup of chopped pine nuts

2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cooking oil

Hamburger buns

Ketchup 

Mustard

Lettuce 

Tomato

 

Directions

1. Put ground beef into a medium mixing bowl
2. Add flour
3. Add Marion berries 
4. Add Pine nuts
5. Worcestershire sauce
6. Salt
7. Pepper
8. Mix thoroughly 
9.  Shape burgers into patties the same size as your buns
10. Make a dimple with your thumb
11.  Put a teaspoon of cooking oil in pan
12. Turn heat on to medium high 
13. Heat oil 
14. When the oil is hot put the hamburger patties in the pan
15. Cook for 4minutes
16. Turn over with the spautal
17. Cook for another 4
18. With a meat thermometer check temp of burger, should be 160
19.  When burgers are finished transfer them to a clean plate
20. Dress buns how you want
21. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Monday June 8th , 2020

I can’t believe this is my last cooking post of the school year!  Summertime is almost here!

So, in honor of that I went with two recipes that I absolutely have to have in the summer.  Hope you enjoy! ~Heather

 

At least once a week, this time of year I make a Caprese Salad.  I love the combination of flavors!  So simple, and so delicious! 

Tomatoes, soft mozzarella, basil, olive oil, oregano, salt & pepper.  Yummy!  In the video below Chef Gennaro shows how it’s done:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgLhokt0uAQ

 

Something else I can’t live without in the summer are s’mores.  I don’t have them as often… maybe only once or twice over the whole summer. 

But, summer would not be summer without them.  Click on the links below to find fresh new ways to upgrade your s’mores.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHywb4g0GvY

https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a28189946/smores-recipe/

 

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Wednesday June 3rd, 2020

Quick and Easy Pizza

I did this recipe with Zander once, he liked it because it tasted good and was easy to make.

The sauce

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/44975/easy-pizza-sauce-iii/

1- 15oz can of tomato sauce

1- 6oz can of tomato paste

1- Tablespoon Oregano 

1 and 1/2  teaspoon of minced dried garlic or garlic powder

Paprika.

 

The crust     Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
   
• 1 teaspoon white sugar 
   
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
   
• 2 ½ cups bread flour
   
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
   
• 1 teaspoon salt

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20171/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust

Mix the dough using an electric mixer or stir with a spoon until it is smooth.

For Zanders favorite, top with sharp cheddar cheese and pepperoni.

Follow directions for the pizza crust recipe

1. Top with sauce
2. Grate cheese
3. Sprinkle grated cheese over pizza
4. Cover with pepperoni and bake.

 

Monday June 1st, 2020

Baked BBQ Chicken

Don’t like to use a grill, no worries! You can make delicious BBQ Chicken  right in your oven.

Adapted from:  Cozycakescottage.com

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• About 3 lbs. chicken pieces (I like to use drumsticks)

The Sauce :

18 oz. bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce   

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 9 x 13-in. baking dish with cooking spray, or oil.  Place chicken in dish, coat chicken with sauce, reserving about ½ cup for later.  Loosely cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove foil and turn the chicken. Spread/pour remaining sauce mixture over chicken. Bake uncovered for another 35-45 minutes or until chicken is done. *Please check your chicken as time will vary with ovens and the type of chicken pieces you use.

      ***Yummy side dish ideas:  Loaded mashed potatoes & corn on the cob:

        https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/240157/loaded-mashed-potatoes/

        https://www.delish.com/cooking/a22487458/corn-on-the-cob/

Wednesday May 27, 2020

Quarantine lunch

This is something I threw together after our 12:30pm lunch meeting. About halfway through the meeting, while everyone shared what they had for lunch,  I realized I was starving. I used hummus from my fridge, then cut up fruit, vegetables, cheese, sliced turkey and put them on a plate with some crackers.  Using the crackers as a base, I put turkey and cheese onto a cracker,  then I dipped the celery and cucumber into the hummus, and ate the apple slices just as they were.

Equipment needed:

A sharp knife for cutting vegetables

Cutting board

Plate

A butter knife

Here are the ingredients I had:

Container of hummus (other options are Yumm Sauce or salad dressing)

One apple

One cucumber

Celery

Sliced turkey

Crackers

Sharp cheddar cheese

Smoked gouda

1. Cut the apple into quarters and remove the seeds

Here is a great tutorial

https://www.wikihow.life/Slice-an-Apple

1.  Peel and cut the cucumber into thick slices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRtR5aZU6Z4

1. Chop off both ends of the celery then cut in half
2. Cut sliced turkey into a size that fits on the crackers
3. Slice the cheese
4.  Put everything onto one plate
5. Enjoy!

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Wednesday May 13

Savory French Toast

French toast, as a breakfast item is often very sweet and is a vehicle for maple syrup, whipped cream or strawberries.   French toast can be  done as a lunch item or breakfast for people who want something that isn’t sweet. 

It goes great with a bowl of soup

It only takes a few ingredients and just takes a few minutes to make.  

This recipe serves 4  (If you want to make less,  one egg and ½ cup of milk should be enough for 1 or two slices of bread.)

Prep Time   10 Minutes

Cooking Time   10 Minutes

Equipment

Medium mixing bowl

1 cup measurer

½ cup measurer

Measuring spoons

Whisk  (forks work too)

Frying pan

Cheese grater

Spatula

Large baking dish

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 ½ cups of milk

½ teaspoon salt

Black pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil, oregano or thyme

8 slices of bread

2 Tablespoons butter

½ cup of grated cheese

Directions :  

Mix together ingredients

1.  Break eggs into the mixing bowl and lightly whisk
2. Measure 1 and ½ cups of milk add to the eggs
3. Add salt, pepper and herbs
4. Whisk 
5. Pour mixture into baking pan
6. Set as many slices of bread as you can fit into the baking pan 
7. Soak bread for 5 minutes, turn over then soak for another five minutes

Fry the toast

1. Melt the butter in the frying pan on medium low heat
2. Add bread and cook until it the cooked side is brown
3. Turn over then add cheese to the cooked side.  
4. Cook until the cheese is melted and the other side is brown.

Enjoy!

Here is a video showing it visually. 

https://www.allrecipes.com/video/1226/french-toast-i/?internalSource=picture_play&referringId=7016&referringContentType=Recipe

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Monday, May 11

Breakfast Scramble!! 

 

https://www.jessicagavin.com/breakfast-scramble-italian-sausage/ 

Something I love to do for breakfast is to toss together a quick scramble with: eggs, veggies, potatoes, cheese, and either ham or bacon. But, you can throw in whatever you like, a breakfast like this is so easy to customize. I’ve included a recipe and instructions to follow as a guide. But, I think it’s more fun, and satisfying to use whatever you have on hand. I often use my scramble as filling for breakfast burritos. Hope you guys enjoy this recipe!

We would love to see photos of your creations! ~Heather 

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Wednesday May 6th

Pasta Primavera  Using One Pot

This is one of my favorite dishes to cook in the Spring because I can get some of the vegetables included when they are still young. You can buy mixes of frozen vegetables for this recipe or use one or two of the vegetables you like.

The lemon, garlic and parmesan cheese is what makes it delicious.

Equipment

Knife

Cutting board

Spatula

Large pot 

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons of butter or olive oil

1 Red onion

2 cloves of Garlic

4 cups of hot water (from tap)

2 teaspoons of salt

One 12 ounce package of Penne Pasta ( One and a half cups of any pasta will work)

2 carrots

1Broccoli head

1 Yellow squash

1 Zucchini

10 Cherry tomatoes

1 lemon (juiced)

Pepper

¾ of a cup of Grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Cut vegetables and onion into bite sized pieces
2. Slice tomatoes in in half

1. Heat oil or butter in cooking pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes, the onion should be soft and clear, add the garlic cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add the pasta, 4 cups of hot water, then add the salt.
3. Turn heat to high cover pan and bring to a boil.
4. After it starts boiling, uncover and turn the heat to medium high, stir the pasta
5. Cook on medium high for 8 minutes, stir occasionally
6. Add the vegetables then stir.  
7. Cook for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  
8. Add lemon juice
9. Pepper and salt to taste
10. Add parmesan and stir.
11. It’s ready to eat

This is the recipe I used for inspiration

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-one-pot-pasta-primavera-256072#post-recipe-12561

Knife safety

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kmDuLVwM48

Cutting an onion: from Gordon Ramsey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCGS067s0zo

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=The6vuJocTI

 

Monday May 4th

Cinco de Mayo is Tuesday

Wednesday April 28th 

Southwest Bean Salad

The portions of this recipe are for more than one serving,    

once it is made it can be stored in the fridge and eaten over 3 or four days, or if there are others in your house who you can share it with. 

You can also make it using smaller portions for a single serving.

If you have corn, beans and  a jar of Salsa you could mix those together and it would be just as good as the recipe

https://www.skinnytaste.com/southwestern-black-bean-salad/

 

INGREDIENTS

• 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 9 oz cooked corn, fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen)
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 1/2 – 2 limes, juice of
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh minced cilantro, or more to taste
• salt and fresh pepper
• 1 medium hass avocado, diced
• 1 diced jalapeno, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper.
2. Squeeze fresh lime juice to taste and stir in olive oil.
3. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes.
4. Add avocado just before serving.

Monday April 27th

I don’t know about you but when I make rice I always make way too much. Something that I enjoy doing with all that left over rice is to make fried rice. I warn you this only works with cold rice, please don’t try to make this dish with rice while it is still hot. You will end up with a mushy mess! I have included a recipe; you can use it as a guide and make substitutions as needed. The link below will take you to a terrific website with pictures, video, and stepby-step instructions. Have fun with it & enjoy! ~Heather

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/fried-rice-recipe/

Fried Rice Ingredients:

1. 3 tablespoons butter, divided
2. 2 eggs, whisked
3. 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4. 1 small yellow or white onion, diced
5. 1/2 cup frozen peas
6. 3 cloves garlic, minced
7. Salt and black pepper to taste
8. 4 cups cooked and chilled rice
9. 3 green onions, thinly sliced
10. 3–4 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
11. 2 teaspoons oyster sauce (optional)
12. 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil (optional)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday April 22

Enchiladas Monteca

This is a recipe a friend of mine, from New Mexico, likes to make for breakfast, it could also be lunch.

Ingredients

2 Corn Tortillas (could be flour tortillas, pita bread, regular bread)

 ¼ cup of Enchilada sauce (could use salsa)

Half a small Onion ( chopped into small pieces)

One egg cooked sunny side up (could be fried or scrambled)

1  cup of cheese

Directions 

1. Cook the egg how you like it
2. Warm the corn tortilla
3. Put the tortilla on a cookie sheet
4. Sprinkle onions on the tortilla
5. Cover tortilla  with ½ cup of the cheese
6. Place the other tortilla on top so its like a sandwich
7. Smother with Enchilada sauce (or salsa)
8. Put the egg on top 
9. Add the other ½ cup  of cheese

Next turn on oven to broil

Put in the oven 

Broil until the cheese is melty and slightly brown

This is how it looks 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/20618110767014286/

Cool and enjoy

Here is what I did with modifications

 

 

 

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Monday April 20

Something I enjoy making at home is pizza.  It’s fun to experiment with different crusts, sauces and toppings.  If you don’t have the usual toppings like Pepperoni or Canadian Bacon at home don’t worry!  Get creative and use what you have to make a delicious pizza at home.  I just made one the other day with ham lunchmeat, bacon crumbles, spinach & tomatoes, and it was great!  The main thing to consider is the weight & water content of the toppings you choose, and what you are using for crust.  If the toppings are too heavy or wet they can weaken your crust, and make it soggy.  It isn’t necessary to make your own dough, or sauce, but if you would like to give either a try I’ve included recipes and links for each.

Crust ideas:  Flour Tortillas, Naan Bread, Pita Bread, Store Bought Dough, Homemade Pizza Dough, etc…

Sauce ideas:  Pizza Sauce, Marinara, Spaghetti, Alfredo, Pesto, Teriyaki, or BBQ sauces, Hummus, Salsa, Ranch Dressing, etc…

Baking Tips:  Times & Temperatures will be different depending on what crust you use & your ovens at home.  Some examples are: Tortillas 5-10 minutes at 350 -400 degrees, Pita & Naan Bread about 25 minutes at 425 degrees, uncooked dough 10-12 minutes at 425-450 degrees, maybe less time for very thin crust.  Best advice, pay attention and keep an eye on your pizzas while they bake, until you find the time/ temp that works best for you. 

Hope to see pictures of the pizza’s you make.  Make sure to have fun with it! ~Heather

Pizza Sauce Recipe:

• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon Oregano
• 1/2 Tablespoon Basil
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon dried minced garlic
• 1 Teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder

Video: How to make easy pizza sauce/ All Recipes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_vNTHJJ0bo

Pizza Dough Recipe:

• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 3/4 cups warm water
• 2 -2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Step by Step Directions for making Pizza Dough / Budget Bytes

https://www.budgetbytes.com/pizza-dough/

For fun: 

I don’t have a beautiful outdoor woodturning oven like this guy, but I really learned a lot and enjoyed watching him make pizza!    

Youtube How to make a perfect pizza Gennaro Contaldo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-SJGQ2HLp8

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April 15th

Wayne’s Easy Power Breakfast

I like to do this when I have woken up late and need to hurry, or I’m about to go out for a run.

Ingredients:

English Muffin  ( substitute bread, tortilla’s or bagel)

Peanut Butter   (almond butter, sunflower butter,)

Honey    

Banana  (any fresh fruit you like)

Equipment:

Butter knife 

Toaster

Plate

Spoon -optional-

Sponge (for cleaning up spills)

Directions

 

1. Using the butter knife cut  open English muffin and toast it (toasted english muffins have a nice crunch)
2. Using butter knife slice the banana
3. Take toasted english muffin and place the two halves on a plate
4. Spread peanut butter on one side
5. Add honey, using a spoon or squeeze bottle
6. Spread 
7. Put sliced banana on top of peanut butter
8. Place other half of english muffin on top
9. Now you have a breakfast sandwich
10. Clean up
11. Pour a glass or cup of your favorite breakfast drink
12. Enjoy!

 

Video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F-W4fGOSRU

 

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April 13th.    Zoom check-in 10:00-10:15. Telephone support after this.

Here is a link to w Anders reading through steps in this website. 

https://www.loom.com/share/fd58202d407b426a96260f1cfa591a8f

Today we’re making GRILLED CHEESE!!

Ingredients: Cheese, bread, butter, Salt&Pepper     Extra:  ham/onion/bacon/tomato/ oregano.           The “extra” can be added inside the sandwich (or just have this on the side with your sandwich). When I make Grilled Cheese at home I use cheese, ham, salt, pepper and oregano.

Time prep: 5-10 min ,  Time cook: 5-10 min   Time total: 20 min

10 min Prior to cooking: Here is a little tip on what to do if you find it difficult to grate the cheese (though you can just slice it for this recipe).

https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/connectionscooking/kitchen-hacks/grate-cheese-with-ease/  

 

https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/connectionscooking/recipes/grilled-cheese-recipe/

Watch the video and follow the steps in the link above. Remember SAFETY FIRST!! If you’re uncertain of steps or if you don’t feel comfortable using the stove, please ask someone for help, or make another meal for breakfast. 

Reflection: take a photo and save in a folder on your phone/computer. This can later be used as a reminder of how independent you’ve been with your morning routines. Bon Appetit!

FOR NEXT WEEK: Ideas for cooking: Today we’ll take requests for what to cook next week. What would you like for the group to cook. Make suggestions and we’ll take a vote.