Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps

Your friends will be snapping these spicy cookies up for their great ginger bite, but you'll make them because they're done in a snap!

2 c flour (soft)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cin
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger

  ^v^v^

1/2 c butter, soft
3/4 c packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
2 tsp fresh ginger
1 egg

  ^v^v^

Optional:

3 Tbsp candied ginger
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Oven 350f. Parchment lined cookie sheets. Cream butter and brown sugar; drizzle in molasses while it goes. Whisk dry ingredients together. (Use microplane for nutmeg first, then fresh ginger) Mix fresh grated ginger and egg into butter and sugar, then add in flour mixture. Drop teaspoonfulls of batter onto parchment cookie sheets, and bake for 15 minutes. For snappier snaps, bake 3 min. longer and keep them away from humidity.

My Own Meatloaf

My Own Meatloaf

(One extra-saucy mini meatloaf for everybody)

4 slices bread- crumb in food processor
1 Tbsp seasoned salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika

1/2 large onion- mince in food processor after crumbs
2 cloves garlic- mince with onion

2 lb ground chuck or sirloin2 eggs1 Tbsp ketchup (plus 1/3 cup for sauce)2 tsp worcestershire (plus 1 Tbsp for sauce)1 tsp tamari soy sauce1 tsp sriracha

Preheat oven to 350f. Make breadcrumbs in food processor, season with spices above. Remove to large bowl. Don't bother to clean the processor, instead mince wedges of 1/2 onion and cloves of garlic in it. Remove these to same large bowl. Mix 1/3 cup ketchup with 1 Tbsp worcestershire in small bowl for topping sauce, and set aside. Add remaining ingredients to large bowl, and work into meat thoroughly with hands. When no chunks of meat or breadcrumbs are visible, work the meat a bit more. Line a two-part roasting pan with foil, and grease the grate. Form six little 6oz loaves, flattening them a bit to accommodate more sauce later, and place evenly spaced on grate of roasting pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven to spoon on sauce. Think 'icing cookies' not 'icing cake': carefully create a border and fill in with delicious sauce! Put loaves back in oven for 10 minutes, or until thermometer reads 160f. Serve these with homemade mashed potatoes, and a green vegetable, for homey goodness!

Quick Chili

Quick Chili 

(Iron-packed ground beef weeknight good food solution)

1 pkg ground chuck (1 to 1 1/2 lb)
2 cans kidney beans
2 small/1 large can (petite) diced tomatoes
1 can chili beans

Chili spice mix:

2 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp chili powder (sweet, not hot/mexican)
2 tsp sweet hungarian paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne

Optional kicks:

2 tsp worcestershire
1 Tbsp sherry
2 tsp sriracha
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 can seasoned black beans
1 small can drained corn

Garnishes:

Grated cheese
Sour cream
Perfect Cornbread

Simply brown ground beef in 4 quart pot, sprinkle with chili spice mix. Pour liquid off the top of cans, but don't drain them before pouring over cooked beef and spices. Add any extra kicks. Cook the chili until you just have to dive in, or until the cornbread is done.

Fast Fajitas

Fast Fajitas

Fajita seasoning mix:

1 Tbsp Seasoned Salt1 1/2 tsp paprika1 tsp chili powder1 tsp ground cumin1/2 tsp garlic powder1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Fajitas:

10-12 fajita-sized flour tortillas1 1/2 lbs top sirloin, top round, or chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch strips1 red, and 1 green bell pepper, rainbow-sliced into 3/4 inch strips2 medium sweet onions, rainbow-sliced into 3/4 inch strips1 lime, for juice1-2 Tbsp oil, for pan, divided3 Tbsp golden sherry2 tsp worcestershireSriracha (optional)

Garnishes (any or all)

1/3 cup sour cream1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese blend1 cup shredded lettuce1/3 cup guacamole

Heat iron skillet on med-high heat; turn on ventilation fan and open a window.

Add splash of oil to pan. Season half of the meat with 2 tsp fajita seasoning mix and part of worcestershire, and fry in hot skillet until browned, about 3 minutes. If spices really start to burn, deglaze pan by adding a bit of sherry. Remove meat to dish and repeat with second batch of meat strips, seasoning and sauteing, and removing to dish. Add vegetables to dirty skillet, seasoning with remaining spice mix, worcestershire, and sherry. Cook onions and peppers to desired doneness, crisp-tender at about 4 minutes, soft at 6. Return meat to pan and mix. Sprinkle on lime juice (and sriracha), toss to incorporate. Heat tortillas folded in a damp dishcloth in microwave for about 45 seconds. Place a few strips of meat, peppers, and onions on each tortilla and fold. Serve with sour cream, and any other garnishes. This recipe makes extra meat filling to  use later, chopped, in quesadillas, nachos, or burritos.

Cinnapinwheels

Cinnapinwheels

Soften:

1/2 cup butter
3 oz Cream cheese

Cream in:

1 cup sugar

Mix in:

1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir in slowly:

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 2/3 cup flour

Divide dough in two; scoop each half onto piece of plastic wrap. Wrap into disc shape, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll one disc out at a time between pieces of wax paper to 1/2 inch thickness, approximately squaring dough into rectangle while rolling, unsticking with tiny sprinkles of flour if needed. Remove top wax paper after ensuring bottom wax paper is unstuck before next step.

Mix 4 tsp cinnamon with 1/2 cup sugar; divide mix in half. Melt 1 Tbsp butter for each rectangle. Spread melted butter over rolled-out dough, then sprinkle with not quite one half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Leave an uncoated 1/2 inch strip on a long edge, and roll from the opposite long edge carefully, using wax paper to help, and securing blank edge to finish roll. Use reserved bit of cinnamon-sugar mix to coat roll, leaving 1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar mix for second roll. Wrap roll with wax paper, and plastic wrap if storing for more than a day, refrigerate. Repeat with second disc, rolling out and coating, then rolling up. Refrigerate rolls for at least 1 hour, slice 1/2 inch cookies, bake on greased cookie sheet or parchment at 375 for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are firm.

E'ryday Mac and Cheese

E’ryday Mac and Cheese

Prepare veggies:

Steam a cut-up head of broccoli. or warm frozen peas, and/or dice sun-dried tomatoes.

Brown meat:

1/2 lb cubed ham or bits of bacon (half-inch)

Boil pasta:

1 lb box elbows, rotini, or mezze penne (just shy of time on box so it can finish cooking in oven)

Cheese Sauce:

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. cheese
(optional: 1/2 tsp. worcestershire or 1 Tbsp. sherry, breadcrumbs for topping)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in large skillet over medium heat (preferably non-stick, if you have a coated whisk).

Sprinkle in 2 Tbsp. flour, incorporating quickly to into a paste with whisk or fork. Keep stirring paste until golden brown. Turn heat down a bit.

Then, a splash at a time, whisk in 2 cups of milk. Avoid lumps by thinning the paste gradually.

Cook down the milk no higher than medium to avoid graininess in your sauce. When sauce has thickened to heavily coat the spoon, stir in seasoning, and remove from heat. Add cheese, saving some for the topping if desired.

When cheese has melted, pour sauce over pasta and vegetable(s), sprinkle on topping if you like, and bake in a greased casserole for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and gooey, or until irresistible.

Make ahead: Refrigerate in casserole, but skip the baking step until just before serving.

Leftovers: Add 1 tsp. water before reheating in oven in covered dish.