Easy Chili

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove finely chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1¼ cup condensed tomato soup
• 2 cups kidney beans
• 1 cup kernel corn (optional)
• ¼ tsp salt

 

Instructions:

1. Brown beef in hot pan, stir in onion, garlic, and chili powder.  Cook, stirring often until onion is tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil. 
4. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.

Easy Lasagna

Ingredients:

• ¾ lb ground beef
• ½ lb pork sausage
• 3 cups Prego traditional spaghetti sauce
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 uncooked lasagna noodles
• ¼ cup water

Instructions:

1. Cook beef and sausage in a skillet until browned over medium-high heat, stirring to separate meat. Spoon off fat.
2. Add spaghetti sauce, heat through, stirring occasionally.
3. In 2 quart oblong baking dish, spread 1½ cups meat mixture.
4. Top with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, half of the ricotta cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers.
5. Top with remaining meat mixture.
6. Slowly pour water around inside edges of baking dish.
7. Cover tightly with foil.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
9. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
10. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Sweet Chili Wings

 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken wings (separated at joints)
• Seasonings (salt, onion powder, garlic powder)
• ½ cup sweet chili sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp dry mustard
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. Lightly season wings, cover and refrigerate for at least four to six hours.
2. Place wings on a lightly greased baking sheet.
3. Bake in a 400 degrees preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until wings are cooked through (turn wings at 20 minutes intervals).
4. While the wings are baking, mix the remaining ingredients in a saucepan.
5. Heat to boiling then reduce heat to low, stir occasionally. Allow mixture to reduce/thicken. Remove from heat, place in a large bowl, cover and set aside.
6. Remove wings from oven and toss in sweet chili mixture.
7. Place back on cooking sheet and bake for about ten more minutes before serving.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1½ cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown or white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1½ cups carrots (peeled and grated)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 8 oz crushed pineapple - drained (optional)

Cream cheese frosting:

• 6 oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Beat together oil, sugar, and eggs until well combined. 
2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.  Add to egg mixture and mix well. 
3. Add carrots, walnuts and pineapple to mixture. Blend to mix well. 
4. Pour batter into 9" round cake pan. 
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or till toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. To make frosting, mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar, then add vanilla. Blend until smooth.
7. Allow cake to cool before frosting.

Note: Cake may be stored in refrigerator for up to five days.

 

Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups warm water  
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 6 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Pour warm water and honey into a large bowl, and stir to dissolve the honey. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the liquid, and let stand until the yeast bubbles and forms a creamy layer, about 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour and salt.
3. Pour the flour mixture into the yeast mixture, add the coconut oil, and mix everything together.
4. Scoop the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead until smooth and springy, about 15 minutes.
5. Allow dough to rest for 15 minutes, then knead for another 10 minutes.
6. Form the dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, and turn the dough over a few times to coat with oil.
7. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
8. Grease 2 9x5-inch loaf pans.
9. Punch down the dough, and cut into 2 pieces.
10. Form each piece into a loaf, place into the loaf pans, seam sides down, and cover the pans with plastic wrap.
11. Let rise once again, until doubled in size.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
13. Bake the loaves in the preheated oven until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped (approx 30 to 35 minutes).
14. Let cool in pans about 10 minutes before turning out to finish cooling on racks.

Strawberry Jam

 

Here is a simple jam recipe for you to try. You could use any berry of your choice or even a combination of berries.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh, hulled strawberries
• 4 cups white sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice

Instructions:

1. In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry.
2. Mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
3. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full boil.
5. Stir often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees.
6. Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving ¼ to ½ space at the top and seal. Process in a water bath.
7. If the jam will be eaten right away then skip the processing and just refrigerate.

 

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces dried spaghetti
• 1 lb Italian sausage or ground beef
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• 1 can (28 oz) Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 cup beef broth
• ¾ cup water
• 2 tsps crushed, dried basil
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
2. Cook meat, onion, celery and carrot in large saucepan until meat is done.
3. Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth, basil, thyme and water.
4. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 – 40 minutes.
5. Serve over spaghetti.

T-Bone Steak

 

Ingredients:

• 4 T-bone steaks (room temperature)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Ground coriander (optional)

*Note: all seasonings are to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
2. Stir all of the seasonings in a bowl and set aside.
3. Rub steaks on all sides with the seasoning mixture.
4. Cook on the preheated grill to your desired degree of doneness (3 to 3½ minutes per side for medium-rare).
5. Serve with side/sides of your choice.

Apple Pie

 

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup chilled butter cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 5 tbsp ice water (up to 7 tbsp)

Filling:

• 2 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp milk
• Cooking spray

Instructions (Crust):

1. To prepare crust - lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, level with a knife. Combine with ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl.
2. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until dough is moist.
4. Divide dough in half.
5. Gently press each dough half into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap, and cover with additional plastic wrap.
6. Roll one half of dough, still covered, into a 12-inch circle and allow to chill.
7. Roll other half of dough, still covered, into an 11-inch circle and allow to chill.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Instructions (Filling):

1. To prepare filling - combine apples and lemon juice in a large bowl.
2. Combine ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. Sprinkle over apple mixture, tossing well to combine.

Additional Instructions:

1. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 12-inch circle; fit dough, plastic-wrap side up, into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edge of plate.
2. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap.
3. Spoon apple mixture into crust.
4. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 11-inch circle, and place dough, plastic-wrap side up, on top of apple mixture.
5. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap.
6. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute.
7. Cut 6 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife.
8. Brush top and edges of pie with milk.
9. Place pie on a baking sheet; bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees (do not remove pie from oven). Bake an additional 45 minutes or until golden (shield crust with aluminum foil if it gets too brown).
11. Cool on a wire rack.

 

Soft Pretzel

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Pack yeast
• 1 Tbsp  sugar
• 1 Cup warm water
• 2½ Cups flour (up to 3)
• 1 Tsp  salt
• 2 Tbsp  salad oil
• 1 medium egg
• Coarse salt

Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in bowl.  Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Add 2 cups flour, salt, and oil. 
3. Beat until smooth and gradually stir in more flour to make soft dough. 
4. Knead dough until baking not sticky. 
5. Make ropes 12" long and make pretzels. 
6. Place on greased sheet. 
7. Let rise uncovered 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Brush pretzels lightly with egg and sprinkle with salt. 
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.