Baked Beans

This one is my original. It started simply because I wanted baked beans for a BBQ gathering with friends but didn't have baked beans on hand. I used whatever beans I had and started adding seasoning...then, Viola! My 5-year-old loves them.

Ingredients:
- 3 cans/pints of beans (Great Northern, Black beans, Red Kidney beans, Black Eye, etc.), rinsed and drained
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 lb. bacon, sliced to 1/4 inch strips
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped (or about 1 Tbsp chopped garlic in a jar)
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup KC masterpiece BBQ sauce (I tried others, but KC does the best job)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp real maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste

Heat about 1 Tbsp of oil in a medium size pan over medium heat. Cook bacon strips for about 5 minutes to get grease out. Add garlic and onion. Cook another 5 minutes till onions are translucent. Add the rest of ingredients. Bring to boil. Turn the heat down to low, and simmer for about 45 minutes or till beans are tender and liquids are thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Tabouli

Ingredients:

1 large cucumbers, cubed

2 roma tomatoes, cubed

1 bunch (8) green onions, sliced

1/2 bunch flat parsley, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1/4 bunch mint, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 oz. Feta cheese, drained and crumbled

Couscous, made by following direction to 4 cups, cooled down

Dressing:

1/2 cup lemon juice (if using fresh lemon, about 2 lemons)

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-1 tsp honey

1-2 tsp salt or to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Make couscous by following direction on the box, cool. In a meanwhile, prepare all the vegetables, beans, and feta cheese, and place them in a large bowl. Add cooled couscous, mix well. Whisk ingredients for dressing, pour over the vegetable mix. Stir well. Chill over night for better flavor.

Tator Tots Casserole

I am not a big fan of casserole nor canned green beans, but this turned out good. I just simply can't follow recipe exactly. I have to tweak it. So this one is tweaked version of my sister-in-law's (actually, her mother-in-law). It's a simple quick meal. My super picky 3-year-old ate a lot of it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 can French style green beans, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp soy sauce
dash of ground pepper
1-1/2 cup french fried onions
About 2 cups tator tots, frozen

Preheat oven at 350 degree F. In a medium bowl, mix ground beef, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, ground pepper, and 1 cup of french fried onions. Spread the mixture in an oven-safe 2 qt size pan or 8x8 pan. Fill the top with tator tots. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of french fried onions, and bake additional 5 minutes till french onions are crispy. It makes about 4 servings.

Peanut Butter Cookies

It's about time updating this site. I don't remember the source of this recipe, but it's my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe.

Ingredients (3 groups):

Dry ingredients (medium bowl)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt

Egg mixture (small bowl)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Butter mixture (large bowl)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar

Mix each group of ingredients in their bowls. For the butter mixture, it might be easier to start mixing butter and peanut butter first, add oil and mix well, and then add sugars and mix. Or, you could use large stand mixer (butter mixture will be the main bowl) In the large bowl with butter mixture, add egg mixture, stir well. Add the dry ingredients, stir till they are incorporated. Dough can be greasy, but because of it, it is easy to roll into balls.
Make 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet 2 inch apart. Press with fork to make pattern.
Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 8-12 minutes.
Makes about 3 dozens.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
2 small carrots, peeled, cubed or chopped to desired size
2 stalks celery, cubed/chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp oil
4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/8 tsp celery salt
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Home made noodle*(shown below)
Chopped fresh parsley

In a medium to large pan, heat oil on medium-high heat. Saute carrots, celery and onion for about 5 minutes till onion is translucent. Add water, chicken bouillon cubes, celery salt, and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Turn down heat. Simmer with lid half way on, for about 20 minutes till vegetable are tender. While cooking the soup, make noodle (below). Add noodle to soup, and cook additional 10 minutes or till noodles are cooked. Add chopped fresh parsley (about 1/2 Tbsp). Salt and pepper to taste.


*Home made noodle
1 large egg
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp olive oil
about 3/4 cup flour

Make a mount of flour on clean kitchen counter. Make a well in the middle large enough for egg. Place egg, salt and oil in the middle of flour. Slowly mix the egg mixture to flour. Be careful not to spill the egg mixture. It'll became a dough consistency (not sticky, but still soft). Knead for about 5-10 minutes till dough is smooth. Let it rest for 10 minutes. On lightly floured surface, roll the dough with rolling pin to 1/8 inch thickness. Using pizza cutter to cut the dough into noodles of desired length and width. Remove excess flour before place in soup.

BEST UPSIDE DOWN GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Not my original. But this is really good and has to be posted here as one of my favorites. It may not look good, but sure is tasty!!
BEST UPSIDE DOWN GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut
1 stick butter
1 - 8 oz cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 German Chocolate Cake mix - the best is Betty Crocker Super Moist

Spray 13x9 pan with Pam spray. Sprinkle coconut and nuts in the bottom of the pan. Mix cake mix according to directions and pour over the nuts and coconut. Melt butter and cream cheese on med heat in large sauce pan. Add powdered sugar and stir until lumps are gone. Gently pour this mixture over the top of the cake batter. Bake at 350 degree for approximately 35 minutes. Insert toothpick if comes out clean it is done.

This cake will have peaks and valleys and crevices on the top. It is not pretty but is delicious.
Double the recipe for a crowd and use a 13x19 pan - baking time approximately the same.

French Bread

Ingredients:
- 6 cups non-bleached all-purpose flour (I use bread flour from a local Amish store)
- 5 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 Tbsp butter, softened
- oil and corn meal for baking sheet
- 1 egg white and 1 Tbsp cold water for brushing

Mix all the ingredients in a medium size bowl, mix well. When it forms a dough, place on counter and knead, for about 10 minutes or till the dough surface is smooth and elastic. Dough will be tough at this point. Place dough in a large bowl, pour about 1 Tbsp of oil and coat the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in draft free warm place. Let it rise for 1 hour or till doubled in bulk.
Punch down. Divide dough into half. Roll out each dough into 12x15 inch rectangle using a rolling pin. Roll dough tightly, from longest side. Pinch the seam. On a large baking sheet, pour about 1 Tbsp oil to grease, and dust the pan with cornmeal. Place loaves on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Cover. Let it rise till doubled in bulk.
With sharp knife, make 4 diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Bake at 450 degree F oven for 25 minutes (my oven does better at 420 degree). Remove from oven. Beat egg white and water together, and brush each loaf. Return to oven and bake additional 5 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.
Makes 2 large loaves.