Author Archive
Meat Ball Stew
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Farm Journal's Country Cookbook, printed in 1972. With me being in Thailand, ready made meatballs are not a problem so the ingredients and instructions will reflect meatballs from scratch, Thai store bought, and US store bought. I made this on 31 May 2023 using Thai store bought meatballs.
Equipment
- Casserole (3 quart)
- Oven
Ingredients
For Meatballs from Scratch
- 750 grams ground beef, (1½ lb)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- ½ cup soft breadcrumbs
For Thai store bought Meatballs
- 750 grams beef meatballs, (1½ lb)
For US store bought Meatballs
- 750 grams frozen beef meatballs, thawed, Walmart or Kroger brands would be perfect, (1½ lb)
Remaining Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained, (565 g / 20 oz)
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 4 small carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
Instructions
For Meatballs from Scratch
- In a mixing bowl, add the ground beef, salt, pepper, egg, onion, and breadcrumbs.
- Mix together then form into balls about 3 cm (1 inch) in diameter.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan, when hot, add meatballs, working in batches if needed, and brown the meatballs. Removed browned meatballs to a 3 quart casserole.
For Thai store bought Meatballs
- These are refrigerated and not cooked when bought, follow these steps for preparing these meatballs.
- Heat a saucepan of water to boiling, when boiling add the meatballs and cook until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Drain meatballs.
- To give the meatballs a little color, heat the oil in a large non stick pan, when hot, add the meatballs, and brown them. Removed browned meatballs to a 3 quart casserole.
For US store bought Meatballs
- Kroger and Walmart Great Value Brands would be perfect for this. These come fully cooked and frozen. Just thaw and heat through in a hot pan with a little oil then drain and place in a 3 quart casserole.
Rest of the Instructions
- While you are browning or cooking the meatballs, go ahead and prep the vegetables. I was out of celery so I just omitted that.
- Once all the meatballs are browned and removed, drain off all but 3 tablespoons of fat, if using the store bought meatballs, just melt in some butter to make the 3 tablespoons of fat. Stir in the flour.
- Add the rest of the Remaining Ingredients, bring mixture to a boil then lower heat to just a simmer and cook 10 minutes, adding additional water as needed. While mixture is simmering, preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), place a sheet of foil or a foil lined baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any spills.
- Carefully pour the mixture into the casserole with the meatballs. Carefully mix the meatballs into the mixture.
- Cover and place on the middle rack in the oven, bake for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Carefully remove the cover and give the stew a stir.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on the use of beef.
Updated on 31 May 2023.
Avocado Deviled Eggs
These are excellent deviled eggs, great flavor. This recipe assumes you have hard boiled eggs on hand - feel free to prepare those your preferred way. Link to the Shortcut is in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled, Shortcut
- 1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, reserve 1 teaspoon for garnish as well
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional, as desired
- salt and pepper, to taste, as desired
- smoked paprika, for garnish
- red radish, sliced thin, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, remove yolks to a small mixing bowl and place whites on a serving tray. Mash the yolks with a fork.
- To the mixing bowl, add the chopped avocado, cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder, pinch of cayenne if desired. Mix together with a fork. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Spoon or pipe the filling into the egg whites, lightly sprinkle with reserved cilantro and smoked paprika. Insert a half slice of radish into the filling for garnish if desired.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Shortcut: Perfect Hard Boiled Chicken Eggs.
Chili Powder II
This sounds like an excellent chili powder, on my to make and taste list. This makes about ⅓ cup of chili powder.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl, mix well.
- Store in a sealed container and use before 1 year.
Cincinnati Chili
This sounds like an authentic Cincinnati Chili recipe, on my to make and taste list very soon.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 750 grams ground beef, lean, (1½ lb)
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1½ tablespoons cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
For Serving
- hot cooked spaghetti
- Cheddar cheese, shredded, optional
- onion, diced, optional
- beans, kidney or chili beans
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot, when hot, add the onion and cook until softened and translucent. While the onion is cooking, get everything else measured out and ready.
- To the pot, add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and just simmer on low for 2 hours to thicken the sauce, stirring occasionally. Remove any fat that floats to the top.
- When the sauce has thickened and you are ready to serve, remove the bay leaf. Cook your spaghetti according to package directions, and if serving with cheese, onion, and or beans, go ahead and get all of those ready.
- To serve, ladle sauce over hot cooked spaghetti, then optionally top with beans, onion, and shredded cheese as you desire. Enjoy.
Notes
Beef would be the most expensive part of this dish, cheese would also add to the per serving cost, but for 6 serving, this is probably a Fair cost per serving.
Buttered Noodles
I remember this easy side dish from when I was little, this is an easy and tasty side dish.
Ingredients
- 250 grams dry egg noodles, (8 oz)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, then add the egg noodles, reduce heat, and cook until the noodles are just tender. When the noodles are tender, scoop out ¼ cup pasta water then drain the noodles but do not rinse. The reserved water is to adjust consistency.
- Return the noodles to the pot on low heat, add remaining ingredients and toss to mix together. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Remove from heat.
- Pour into a serving bowl, serve as a side dish with any main dish, enjoy.
Ground Beef & Eggs Casserole
This recipe is from a social media friend, and is a simple yet tasty casserole. Feel free to get creative and tailor this to your liking to make it your own.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (7x11 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 eggs
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 225 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz / 1-1½ cups)
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a 7x11 baking pan.
- Heat a non stick skillet, when hot, add the beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the beef with your spatula, until no pink remains, seasoning with salt and black pepper as desired. Drain any fat.
- While the beef is cooking, add the eggs, cream, mustard powder, salt and pepper as desired, whisk together.
- Add cooked and drained beef to the 7x11 baking pan, spread out evenly.
- Top the beef with the cheese evenly.
- Pour whisked eggs over the beef and cheese.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the eggs are set in the center and golden brown. When eggs are set, remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes.
- Cut into squares, serve with sides of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving depending on how the beef is sourced.
Diced Tomato Pasta Sauce
Easy and great tasting sauce that uses canned diced tomatoes as the base and is versatile with several variants listed as well.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes, (565 g / 20 oz)
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
For Serving
- 2 cups dry pasta, spiral would be a good choice
- Parmesan cheese, grated, as desired
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, when hot, add the onion and garlic, cook until onion turns translucent, stirring often.
- Add the tomatoes, oregano, and basil leaves. Stir together, reduce heat, cover and let simmer.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta in a pot of salted boiling water, drain.
- To serve, spoon sauce over noodles or feel free to mix the pasta and sauce together first. Top servings with grated Parmesan cheese, enjoy.
Notes
Variants: 1. Add sliced canned or fresh sautéed mushrooms to the sauce while it is simmering. 2. Add cooked meatballs to the sauce while it is simmering. 3. Mix the sauce and pasta together, pour into a casserole, top with cheese, and bake for 20-30 minutes to make a casserole.
Slow Cooker Whole Cauliflower
This recipe is from a social media friend who specializes in slow cooker dishes. I made this on 12 Apr 2023, excellent flavor, and very well liked by the family.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (4+ quart)
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Trim the stem of the cauliflower so the head will sit flat, remove any leaves, and give it a quick rinse and shake off the excess water. Place in the slow cooker. No need to remove the stem, it is just as good as the rest of the cauliflower.
- In a small bowl, mix together the oil, mustard, cheese, and garlic to make the sauce.
- Spoon the sauce on top of the cauliflower, right in the center. Let gravity pull the sauce down on the sides, and just even it out with the back of the spoon, until the head is covered evenly with the sauce.
- Cover and set to Low, let cook for 6 to 8 hours, checking for doneness at 6 hours. If a fork can be easily inserted from the top to the bottom of the stem, it is done. I took the photo after I had cut the cauliflower into 6 wedges and started to serve.
- Serve as a side dish, and enjoy.
Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Chicken
This recipe is from a social media friend who specializes in slow cooker dishes. I made this on 19 Mar 2023, cooked 4 hours, internal temp was perfect, the meat was near fall off the bones and juicy. Excellent flavorful chicken, my wife took one bite and gave me two thumbs up.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (6+ quart)
Ingredients
- 4-5 chicken breasts, or 4-5 quarters, separated
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- To the slow cooker, add the mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir together just enough to combine.
- Add the chicken pieces and mix them around to coat them with sauce.
- Cover and set to Low and cook for 4-6 hours. If using a meat thermometer to check internal temp, target temp is 79°C (165°F).
- Serve with your choice of sides. The sauce would be excellent over pasta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Peg's Biscuits
This recipe was recommended by a friend, Peg, on the Just a Pinch Recipe Club site and she has this recipe perfected as to how to make biscuits! Very easy, and excellent biscuits! Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Pastry Cutter
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk, plus a little extra for proper consistency
- 1 pinch baking soda
Instructions
- First thing, make sure you have room in your freezer for whatever mixing bowl you are going to use.
- To the mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Whisk together.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and cut in with a pastry cutter to blend, leaving pieces of the butter about the size of peas. Now place the mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- While the flour butter mixture is in the freezer, measure out your buttermilk and add a large pinch of baking soda and stir that in.Now get the baking sheet ready by adding a sheet of parchment.
- When 15 minutes have passed, remove the mixing bowl from the freezer, add the buttermilk, stir until just mixed, add additional buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until a sticky ball forms, do not over mix.
- Flour your hands and counter, place dough on counter, gently push dough down to sort of flatten, then fold dough in half, do this 6 to 8 times at most, while being very gentle with the dough. The dough will be rough looking, perfect for biscuits.
- Still using your hands, gently flatten dough between 1 and 1½ inches thick. Use a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass, about 2½ inches in diameter, and push straight down to cut biscuits. Do not twist or turn the cutter or you will seal the edge and they will not rise. Shape scrap dough into a ball, flatten, and cut more biscuits, goal is 9 biscuits.
- Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet starting in the center. You want 3 rows with 3 biscuits in each row, sides gently touching. Brush tops with milk and place on top of the stove while heating the oven. Preheat your oven to 220°C (425° F).
- When heated, bake for 11 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.
- I enjoyed these biscuits with sausage gravy on them.
Notes
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
