What's For Dinner Tonight? Sweep Steak, Baked Mac & Cheese, Spinach Salad

So simple, but really tasty. If I use a mix, I go for organic if I can. I was using a great organic french onion soup mix, but it's been discontinued (boo!). I'm trying 2 Simply Organic French Onion Dip packets for this since I already have them. You could also make your own with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

*Remember to be careful with dry mixes since the HPV salmonella recall. Check www.foodsafety.gov to see if you have anything that's been recalled)*


Sweep Steak   

2-3 pounds round steak or pot roast
1 (2 oz) package of onion soup mix

Put the meat on a sheet of aluminum foil big enough to wrap it in,  Sprinkle the onion soup mix on top of it, fold the foil, airtight, around it, put it in a baking pan, and bake at 300°F for 3 hours (or 200°F for 9 hours).

You can also open it up about an hour before it’s done and surround it with potatoes and carrots.

From The Compleat I Hate To Cook Book by Peg Bracken


Serves 4-6. Ready in: 3 hours, 10 minutes

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Skip the boxed stuff and treat yourself to a super cheesy, tangy mac and cheese. You can adjust the sharpness of the cheddar and amount of mustard and cayenne to suit your family's tastes. This makes a leftover that always gets eaten here.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese


1 (16 oz) package macaroni
1 ½ pounds sharp cheddar, shredded
1 tbsp butter
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp cayenne (optional)
Salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 350° F. Cook pasta in lightly salted water until al dente; drain. Combine mustard and cayenne into the evaporated milk.

Grease a 2 quart casserole. Place a quarter of the macaroni in the bottom followed by a layer of cheese. Dot with butter and season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering three times, saving some cheese for top. Pour evaporated milk mixture over top.


Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Add remaining cheese to top and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until golden and bubbly.


Serves 6-8. Ready in: 1 hour, 15 minutes

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Spinach Salad

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 bag (5 oz) baby spinach
1 medium red apple, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
1 cup seedless grapes, halved


In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until combined.

In a large bowl, toss spinach with apples and grapes. Pour dressing along sides of bowl*, and toss to coat.

(*Pouring dressings directly on top can damage delicate spinach and make it soggy)

Serves 4. Ready in: 10 minutes

Happy Eating!

Sugar Bank Cake: A Blast From The Past

This is a recipe that was tucked away from 1943, during the onset of wartime rations. The original description reads:

Pass up that second spoonful for coffee: put fresh fruits for their natural sweetness atop your morning cereal;  have honey on your grapefruit for a change - then immediately deposit the sugar you saved in a "sugar bank" made from the jar your real mayonnaise came in. It makes a game of the sugar shortage and when your mayonnaise jar is filled to the brim with the sweet stuff bake a special cake for a special event - one could go to the USO or to your favorite soldier at camp! 

The original recipe called for "vitaminized margarine" in place of butter, which was also being rationed at the time. I think it's so fascinating that a relatively short period of time ago, a cake like this was a such a special treat. We now make and buy sweets like this regularly, even daily for some. Maybe we should all start "rationing" our intake of sweets, not for lack of availablity, but for own own healths. 

Sugar Bank Cake

2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 ½ squares unsweetened chocolate
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup water


Sift together flour, soda and salt, Melt chocolate over hot water; cool. Cream butter until soft. Add sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs and beat mixture until smooth. Stir in vanilla and cooled chocolate. Combine buttermilk and water. Add alternately with sifted flour to creamed butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour and beating until smooth after each addition. Line two 8-inch cake pans with wax paper and grease the sides; fill with batter. Bake in a moderate oven (350° F.) for 27 to 30 minutes. Turn out onto cake racks and cool.  When cool, spread with any desired frosting.

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I used a basic buttercream frosting. Adjust sugar and milk levels as needed.

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup shortening

2 1/2 - 3 pounds confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and shortening. Beat in sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk gradually, until you achieve the right consistency. Spread over completely cooled cake.

This should be enough to generously spread over cake with extra for decorating.

Happy Eating!

What's For Dinner Tonight? Sancocho

Sancocho is a traditional soup/stew served in many Latin American countries. This version is most like what is served in Colombia. The cassava root is a starchy staple of South American cuisine. Tapioca is made from cassava root. You can find it in Hispanic markets. If you cannot find cassava (also called yucca), look for malanga, dasheen, or sweet potatoes. You can find plantains at most grocery stores now. They look kind of like long, green bananas, but they may also be yellow or black.

Sancocho

2 1/2 quarts water
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic, crushed
6 chicken leg quarters
2 plantains, peeled and cut into 6 pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 pounds potatoes, peeled
3 pounds fresh cassava root, cut into 6 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound tomatoes, chopped


Add water, salt, cilantro. chicken, plantains, and onions to large pot. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes. Add potatoes and cassava and cook another 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet. Cook onions and season with cumin, paprika, and salt. Stir in tomatoes and remove from heat.

Spoon chicken into bowls and top with tomato and onions.

This is a great if you're looking for a meal with a lot of flavor wit ha Latin flair. It goes great with a really crusty bread for dipping.


Serves 6. Ready in: 1 hour.

Happy Eating!

An Irish Feast For St. Patty's Day!

Corned beef is a brined cut of beef, usually brisket, that was made popular by Irish immigrants in America. It has become a traditional food for St. Patrick's Day in America.  Make sure your corned beef is trimmed of fat for this stew. The corned beef makes excellent leftovers, especially as a sandwich.

Crock Pot Corned Beef And Veggies

4 large potatoes, cubed

3 pounds corned beef

1 large onion, quartered

4 large carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 bay leaf

1 small cabbage

4 cups beef broth

3 tablespoons brown mustard

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Small handful of fresh dill, chopped

Place potatoes on bottom of crock pot. Lay beef on top. Surround beef with onions, carrots, and bay leaf. Cover everything with cabbage.

In a medium bowl, combine beef broth, mustard, sugar, pepper and dill, pour on top of beef and cabbage.

Cook on high for about 8 hours. Serve topped with additional dill.

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Soda bread is a sweet, flaky, round loaf of bread made with buttermilk. If you'd like, add about a half of a cup of raisins while kneading the dough.

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and softened butter. Stir in one cup of the buttermilk and egg. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round shape and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter with remaining buttermilk. Brush this mixture on top of dough. Use a sharp knife to cut an X into the top of the dough.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, brushing the top of the loaf periodically with butter/buttermilk mixture.

Serves 10. Total prep time: 1 hour, 10 minutes.

What's For Dinner Tonight? Shrimp Fettuccine

This recipe has been in staple in my family for years. Everyone in the family considers it one of their favorite foods. It is rich and not-so-figure-friendly, but this is the perfect dish to splurge on. If you have crawfish tails available (they taste much better if they come from the US instead of Asia), they work even better. This pasta is perfect for feeding large crowds by doubling or tripling it. It's my number one go-to dish for pot lucks and family gatherings. Once prepared, transfer it to a crock pot and you're good to go!


Shrimp Fettuccine

1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch green onions (and tops)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound of fettuccine noodles, cooked al dente
Cayenne, to taste
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano

Heat butter in a large non-stick skillet. Add green onions, garlic, and parsley. Saute 3 minutes; add cayenne, salt, cream, and lemon pepper. Simmer about 8 minutes on low heat. Stir in shrimp and cook until heated through. Pour over cooked noodles. Top with cheese and toss.

Serves 6. Total preparation time: 35 minutes

I serve this with a colorful garden salad and some nice crusty bread.

My Favorite Bread Machine Bread

This is my very favorite white bread recipe for the bread machine. Why? Because not only is it delicious, it turns out the same every single time! No surprises, just the perfect loaf of bread each time. This bread hold up really well, so it's great for slicing thin for sandwiches and toast. I hardly ever buy bread anymore because this is easy to make and easy on the wallet.


Basic Bread Machine White Bread

1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (.25 oz) package bread machine yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Place water, sugar, and yeast in bread machine pan. Let it sit and dissolve for 10 minutes, until foamy. Add oil, flour, and salt. Select white bread (or basic) setting on your bread machine and start.

This makes a 1 1/2 pound loaf, so adjust your machine's settings if needed.

Happy Eating!

What's For Dinner Tonight? Beef Stroganoff

I've been getting used to the warmer weather here, so today's burst of cold air caught me by surprise. I immediately knew tonight was going to be a total comfort food night. For this beef stroganoff, I used ground beef, since I stockpiled it during a great sale at Farm Fresh. I serve it over egg noodles, but it's also great over other types of pasta, rice, and potatoes. Easy, warm, and tasty for those cold nights!


Beef Stroganoff


4 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, sautee onions, garlic, and mushrooms in half of the butter over medium heat until soft, remove from pan.

Brown ground beef in same pan. Add remaining butter to pan and melt. Mix in flour. Stir in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and cook until thickened slightly.

Add onion and mushroom mixture. Stir in sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through, but do not boil. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Serves 4 (easily doubled). Total prep and cook time: 25 minutes.



I served this along with asparagus sauteed in a little butter and olive oil and my favorite bread machine bread.

Happy eating!