Tag: Food

Posted in Beef, Dinner, Food, holidays, Main Dish, Uncategorized

Moist and Tender Prime Rib

Posted on by lmc

As tradition would have it, one of our favorite holiday meals includes prime rib. Tonight, my family and I will be enjoying a night out on the town in downtown Chicago. We are going to one of our favorite restaurants, Lawry’s Prime Rib. While I will be pampered tonight, I usually make my own version of this delicious roast. I have reblogged my recipe for those that might be preparing a Holiday feast this week. Happy holidays to all.

lmc's avatarSimply Made Kitchen and Crafts

Prime Rib

Prime rib is one of my favorite dishes to prepare for special occasions. Recently, I hosted my extended family for Thanksgiving. Family members traveled in from neighboring states to celebrate the holiday. After an early breakfast, I asked my neice to join me in the kitchen to prepare the prime rib. She is such an adorable kitchen helper…always willing to take on any task and eager to learn. It warms my heart as I watch her run to the kitchen drawer to find my handmade aprons. There she carefully ties the apron strings around her slim little waist. When we first started cooking together, I would hike up the apron and fold a crease in it to shorten the length to match her 1st grade height. I’d scoot a stool over to the countertop so that she could follow along as we cooked together. These days, she’s older and wiser…she…

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Posted in Baked goods, Baking, Casseroles, Dinner, Food, Main Dish

Pizza Spaghetti

Posted on by lmc

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During the holidays, we’re often looking for simple recipes that will feed a crowd…this is one of those recipes. It’s nothing fancy but it’s a basic recipe with lots of big flavor. Adding favorite toppings like, onions, green peppers or olives can personalize this dish to match your family’s tastes. Crushed red pepper adds a little spice and adding a varied selection of cheeses can add depth to the flavor. Give this one a try and make it your own.

Pizza Spaghetti

1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti, broken into smaller pieces
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1 (16 ounce) jar chunky garden style spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces turkey pepperoni sausage, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with cooking spray, a 13X9″ baking pan.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and cool. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, add milk, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt and garlic salt. Stir in cooked spaghetti, mix well.
Spread mixture evenly into baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread sauce over spaghetti. Sprinkle with oregano, basil and the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Top with pepperoni, return to oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
Note: For an extra hearty twist, add 1 lb. browned ground beef or Italian sausage to the spaghetti sauce before spreading over pasta.

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Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Gifts, holidays, lunch box

Mini Brownie Bites

Posted on by lmc

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It’s that time of year…holiday parties, friendly gift giving, festive decorations and enjoying time with family. One of our favorite ways to spend time together seems to revolve around preparing and sharing cherished family recipes.
We have a few favorite cookie and quick bread recipes that we always bake when the holidays roll around…some are time consuming recipes while others can be whipped up in a jiffy.
This recipe for Mini Brownie Bites is a quickie. These flavorful gems are a mouthful of rich, chocolatey goodness and they only take minutes to prepare. Be warned that the recipe yields only a dozen or so bites. You can bake them along with your favorite cookie selection to be added to the holiday dessert tray. I often pack them in colorful tins to give as teacher gifts. They travel well and seem to get more moist and delicious a day or two after baking. Be sure to store them in an air-tight container until just before serving.

Mini Brownie Bites

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

In a microwave, melt 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth.
Cool slightly. In a small bowl, beat egg and sugar. Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Gradually add flour; fold in remaining chocolate chips and optional walnuts.
Use a small ice cream scoop to fill mini paper or silicone-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes (depending on how dry or moist you prefer the brownie center) or until tops begin to crack. Cool completely before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, Bread, Brunch, Food, holidays, lunch box

Cranberry Orange and Almond Biscotti

Posted on by lmc

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Boy, is it cold outside. As I bundle up my kids for their 5:30 am swim practice, I think about how dedicated they are to their sport. I know it’s my job to supply nutritious and comforting meals to provide fuel for the day and I do my best to get the job done. However, there is one indulgence that M requests for her morning snack at school… Cranberry Orange and Almond Biscotti with a cup of tea is her favorite cold weather snack.

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A couple of weeks ago, there was a decent coupon for Celestial Seasonings Tea. I had 5 coupons so I bought five of their holiday selection flavors for roughly 79 cents a piece. M was thrilled!

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During M’s Saturday morning swim practice, I whipped up a batch of her favorite biscotti and brewed her a cup of tea. When she arrived home, she was so happy!

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Recently, I purchased M a wonderful thermos to take to school with her. So every morning, I brew her a cup of tea, fill up her thermos, and pack a biscotti cookie in her lunch box so that she can enjoy her snack during an early morning break. It’s a great way to warm her tummy during the cold (freezing cold) Midwest winter days.

Cranberry Orange and Almond Biscotti

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir together sugar, oil, orange peel, vanilla extract, almond extract, and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. On two cookie sheets, shape half of dough at a time into two 10×3-inch rectangles. Press a handful of almonds into the top of each dough band.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheets for about 15 minutes. Carefully cut rectangle crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Turn slices cut sides down on cookie sheet.
Bake about 15 minutes longer, turning once half way through, until crisp and light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, Desserts, Food, holidays, lunch box

Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on by lmc

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I have a son that is super picky when it comes to dessert foods. He’s quite old-fashioned and loves only the traditional recipes that we’ve all known for years. Basic chocolate chip cookies (no nuts), plain ole’ brownies (no fancy powder sugar topping) and my famous peanut butter cookies. This is probably P’s most requested cookie recipe.
What I like about this basic recipe is that it is flour-less. Mixing a few simple ingredients together produces a dense, flavorful cookie that everyone seems to enjoy. In the fall, I make these for all of our football tailgate parties because they pack so well. During the winter months, especially for holiday parties, I add a cup of chocolate chips to the mix for a heartier cookie. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is a flavor that just can’t be beat!

Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups peanut butter ( smooth or crunchy)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the peanut butter. Next, stir in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Use a small ice cream scoop to form dough into 1″ balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press a criss-cross into the top using the back of a fork. Sprinkle with a little sugar.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Posted in Beef, Dinner, Food, Main Dish

Homemade Spicy Italian Meatballs

Posted on by lmc

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In our house, we traditionally try to have some sort of pasta dish the day before a swim meet. Today, when I asked my swimmers what they would like for dinner, all agreed that rigatoni and meatballs would fit the bill.
I am not a fan of store bought or pre-packaged frozen meatballs. It seems the amount of salt that is dumped into the processed recipe is usually quite overwhelming. I have yet to find a frozen, pre-packaged meatball that appeals to me.
The recipe that follows is tender and flavorful. The sodium level is certainly not over powering and the addition of crushed red pepper and hot sauce make these meatballs a bit spicy. I add a sprinkle of sugar to my tomato sauce to cut the acid in the tomatoes and the combination of slightly sweet against slightly spicy is quite pleasing.

Homemade Spicy Italian Meatballs

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup milk
2-3 dashes hot sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 slices of bread, processed into bread crumbs or 1 cup bread crumbs

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until just mixed together. With a 1 1/2″ ice cream scoop, gather mixture into a ball and carefully release onto a large jelly roll pan. Bake 400 degrees for 18-25 minutes or until center is no longer pink. Blot each meatball on paper towel. Serve with your favorite sauce over rice or pasta.

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Posted in Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch, Food

Blueberry Bagel Bake

Posted on by lmc

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I am one frugal gal… This morning, I searched through the fridge for left overs that looked to be past their prime. In the very back corner, I spotted a half eaten bag of blueberry bagels and I thought that they might taste delicious added to a breakfast bake made up of eggs, milk, bagels, and apples. To my delight, the end product tasted delicious!

Blueberry Bagel Bake

4 stale blueberry bagels, cubed (Use any flavor you like)
1 large apple, cored, peeled, and chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Place cubed bagels in a greased deep dish pie plate; set aside. In a small microwave safe bowl, mix apple, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Microwave until apple is soft and juices bubble; about 3 minutes on high. Pour mixture over bagels; mix well. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla and almond extract. Pour over bagel mixture making sure bread is completely soaked. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and syrup.

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Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, Brunch, Desserts

Gingerbread Holiday Cookies

Posted on by lmc

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Gosh, I love this time of year…I am especially happy this week because my K is coming home from college for the holiday weekend! We have missed seeing her smiling face around the house. She is a student athlete so she hasn’t been allowed to come home since the beginning of the school year. Her most common complaint while away at school is that she misses mom’s cooking and baking.
Well, I have been baking all morning getting ready for her arrival tomorrow. In the past two hours, I have made Mary’s Irish Scones, Grandma’s Brown Bread, a batch of Jumbo Oatmeal Cowboy Cookies and these Gingerbread Holiday Cookies. I downloaded the gingerbread cookie recipe many years ago from the Martha Stewart website after seeing her make them on her weekly television program. I have been making this recipe for the holidays ever since. (Using various cookie cutter shapes to reflect Thanksgiving and Christmas symbols…stars, leaves, turkeys, candy canes, gingerbread men, etc.)
I will be starting on some of K’s favorite savory meals this afternoon. …Can’t wait to have the family back together for the holidays!
Happy Thanksgiving to all those living in the United States…Happy Day to those living elsewhere! 😉

Posted in Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch, holidays

Dutch Apple Pancake

Posted on by lmc

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I have great memories of our years living in Chicago with our young family. One of my favorite breakfast spots was a neighborhood restaurant called “The Original Pancake House”. We would pack up the kids after mass on Sunday and head up Western Avenue to the local restaurant. As we walked in the door, nearly every table held a plate or two filled with a puffed apple pancake sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with a dollop of butter.
When we moved out of state, I vowed to duplicate the recipe myself so that we could forever enjoy the deliciousness of our favorite pancake.
This morning, I pulled out a few ingredients and made my version of the recipe for the family. This pancake presents beautifully for a special occasion but it’s certainly easy enough to whip up any time.

Dutch Apple Pancake

2 Golden Delicious apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 425°. Put an oven-proof 9- or 10-inch skillet or round baking pan in the oven. In a bowl, combine the apple slices with brown sugar and cinnamon; toss gently to coat well. In another bowl, mix flour with salt. In a large cup or small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.
Take the pan out of the oven and add remaining butter; swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Arrange apple slices in the bottom of the pan. Pour batter over apples. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Serve with syrup and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Food, lunch box

Sweet Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

Posted on by lmc

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A great sale on canned pumpkin has got me looking through my clippings and notebooks for recipes that include pumpkin purée. When I stumbled across this recipe for pumpkin corn bread muffins, I thought it might be the perfect recipe to revisit. Corn meal and pumpkin purée add an interesting texture to these moist muffins and this is another great recipe that packs well in the lunchbox. I often add a crunchy cinnamon topping to the recipe just before baking. This is completely optional but it adds sweetness and texture to the outside of the muffin making it taste more like a sweet bread. It also tastes great with a cup of tea or coffee when you’re looking for a quick breakfast item.

Sweet Pumpkin Corn Bread Muffins

1 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin purée
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, milk and oil.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until blended; do not over mix. Fold in pecans. Divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin tin cups. To make topping, mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a fork. Sprinkle evenly over muffin tops. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.