a little of each

A family's cookbook

The Famous and Much-Coveted Spaghetti Sauce March 29, 2013

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:49 pm
Tags: , , ,

This is the Holy Grail of our family’s cooking traditions. The recipe makes a large pot of sauce which can be divided. While some is served immediately, the rest is frozen for future meals.

 

NB's spaghetti sauce

 

Ingredients

1 (12 oz) can tomato paste

1 (28 oz) can tomato puree

1 (15 oz) can chicken broth

2 lbs sweet and mild Italian sausage

1 bone-in pork chop

1 cup dry red wine

3 large cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbl oregano

1 Tbl basil

1 Tbl sugar

½ tsp red pepper flakes

salt, to taste

Grated cheese

Directions

Brown the sausage and pork in a small amount of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until it is light brown. Add the tomato paste and tomato puree. Add two cups of water, the chicken broth and the red wine. Add the herbs. Add up to one cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Simmer on the stovetop for two hours. Taste every time you walk by. Go, “Mmmmmmmm.”  Tweak seasonings to your taste.

 

Mama Jean’s Pierogis

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:48 pm
Tags: , ,

 

A Yellen Christmas Eve tradition.

 

Ingredients

3 cups flour

½ cup water

2 eggs

1 Tbl Crisco

 

Directions

Cut eggs into flour, add water. Knead until firm but not sticky. Roll out on floured surface and cut out circles with biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Place one tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle. Bring edges together and seal edges by pinching with fingers. Drop six to seven pierogis gently into a large pot of boiling water. When they rise to the top boil gently for eight to 10 minutes. Remove to a buttered pan after rinsing in cold water. Serve pierogis with sour cream, crumbled bacon, and sautéed onion.

 

For the filling, mix together:

1 pound cheddar cheese

3 to 4 hot cooked, mashed potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper.

 

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:42 pm
Tags: , , , ,

 

I made this  frequently in college. All of my roommates liked it, too, so we’d all eat off it, for lunch and dinner, until it ran out. This recipe is also great with imitation crabmeat.  Simply add about ¾ lb. chopped crabmeat instead of the tuna, and use mayonnaise instead of the Miracle Whip.

 

Ingredients

1 lb box of pasta (shells, spirals, or bowties)

2 cans albacore tuna, drained

2 hardboiled eggs, chopped

½ cucumber, peeled and diced

1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing, dry

1 tsp dill

1 cup Miracle Whip, give or take

 

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Refrigerate before serving.

 

Welsh Rarebit

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:39 pm
Tags: , ,

 

Ingredients

½ cup beer

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

½ tsp paprika

dash of cayenne pepper

1 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 egg, slightly beaten

toast or English crackers

 

Directions

Combine the first five ingredients in a double boiler. Heat over simmering water until warm. Add cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Add small amount of the hot cheese mixture to the beaten egg, then stir into the mixture in the double broiler; stir until smooth and hot. Serve on toast or English crackers.

 

English Fondue

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:36 pm
Tags: , , , ,

 

 

Adam, Jenn, Ken, and I broke in our fondue pot, a wedding gift, with this fondue and a chocolate one for dessert.

 

Ingredients

½ pint beer

½ pound grated cheddar cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbl butter

½ tsp dry mustard

2 Tbl cornstarch

a little extra beer

 

Directions

Put beer, cheese, and garlic into fondue pot. Stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in butter. In a separate bowl, mix dry mustard and cornstarch with a little extra beer until smooth. Stir into fondue. Stir until the mixture is thick and creamy. Serve with French bread chunks and crisp-tender vegetables.

 

Rosalie’s Crazy Rice

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:56 am
Tags: , , ,

 

A New Mexican-style fried rice.

 

Ingredients

6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 eggs

2 cups cooked rice, room temperature

2 carrots, shredded

2 celery stalks, diced (optional – Jen does not add)

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

After cooking bacon, keep grease hot in pan, and crack the eggs into the grease. Wait 30 seconds and pop the yolks. Cook eggs through. When done, remove from pan and blot on a paper towel, then dice the egg. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and steam for 30 to 40 minutes, covered on low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Spiced Rice Almondine

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:53 am
Tags: , , ,

 

Ingredients

1 box wild rice

1 lb bulk sausage

½ cup green pepper, chopped

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup celery, chopped

¼ cup almonds, slivered

1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed

 

Directions

Cook rice according to the package. Crumble sausage meat in a skillet and brown. Add pepper, onion and celery. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Blend in rice, almonds and soup. Put in casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

 

Fresh Blueberry Banana Bread

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:51 am
Tags: , , , ,

 

Ingredients

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 ¾ cups sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup bananas, mashed

 

Directions

Wash and drain berries, then toss with a little flour. Sift the rest of the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cream butter, beat in sugar then add eggs, one at a time. Add flour and then bananas, alternating between the two. Fold in berries and pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.

 

Buttermilk Corn Bread

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:57 am
Tags: , ,

 

This partners perfectly with Mama’s Yummy Chile.

 

Ingredients

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

4 tsp unsalted butter, melted

 

Directions

Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk and butter. Add to dry ingredients and stir until all ingredients are just blended. Take care not to overmix. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan or deep pie plate. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 25 minutes, until golden around the edges and a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting in wedges to serve.

 

Variations:

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup blueberries

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels

½ cup canned pumpkin puree and ½ cup toasted pine nuts

½ cup diced green chiles, ½ tsp. ground cumin and ½ cup grated jack cheese

 

Blueberry Muffins

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:52 am
Tags: , , , ,

 

Ingredients

1 egg

½ cup milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

 

Directions

Beat egg with fork. Continue beating and stir in milk and oil. In a separate bowl, blend the dry ingredients; stir the wet and dry mixtures together until flour is moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Carefully fold in the berries. Bake in greased muffin cups at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes one dozen.