spanish tortilla

So, I know that I am not currently in The Dinner Group (which is cause for much sorrow), but my Spaniard friend Noemi recently taught me how to make a really delicious Spanish dish-tortilla.
Now, this is not your flat Mexican bread tortilla. This is a potato, egg, onion cooked goodness tortilla. I posted the recipe on my Europe blog, so you can click here to see it.

I look forward to attempting to make it for you all in the fall (along with crepes, macaron cookies, and zucchini/feta cheese "cake". be excited. i am.).

:)

Chicken, Cheddar, and Bacon Casserole

Click the picture to go to the Allrecipes.com page with this recipe. Some of the people's comments might be useful to you.


Some pre-notes about this recipe:
I ended up using a lot less cheese than this recipe calls for. I put in about 2/3 of what it called for and it already looked like a ton, so I didn't put in the rest.

I'm not positive about this, but I think if you want to make the recipe a little bit more healthful, you could substitute the bacon grease and the butter that you fry the chicken in with canola oil. But I'm making that up, so I don't know if it'll work.

Also, be aware that one of the ingredients it calls for is chicken bouillon, but then it never tells you to put it in in the instructions. You want to put either the 1/2 cup chicken broth or extra 1/2 cup of milk at the same time you put in the 1 1/2 cups of milk.

One last thing: you probably won't need as much of the bread crumb mixture as it says, but since bread crumbs are pretty cheap I wouldn't worry about it too much.

What you need:

• 8 ounces mini penne pasta or elbow macaroni
• 6 to 8 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound chicken breasts or chicken tenders, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or more milk
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
• 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces American cheese, shreds or chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

What you need to do:

• Cook the pasta in boiling salted water following package directions

• Grease a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 350°

• In a large skillet or saucepan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon to paper towels; crumble. Pour off grease in the skillet, leaving about 1 or 2 teaspoons

• Add butter to the skillet and cook the chicken over medium-low heat until cooked through

• Add green onions and cook for 1 minute longer

• Add flour and stir until blended into the fat. Gradually stir in the milk, cooking and stirring until slightly thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, and thyme. Add the cheeses and thawed peas, along with crumbled bacon. Spoon into the prepared baking dish

• Combine bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter; sprinkle over the casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until topping is browned and casserole is bubbly

Serves 6

Ham Tetrazinni & Spinach Salad

Ham Tetrazinni

8 oz. spaghetti, broken in pieces
5 T butter
6 T flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup light cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup regualr 1% milk)
1 tsp. salt
pepper
2-3 cups ham cubed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until just tender (do not overcook). Melt butter; blend in flour. Stir broth into flour mixture. Add cream. Cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Add salt and pepper. Turn into individual baking dishes or into a 2-3 qt. flat casserole and add ham. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Add drained spaghetti. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Makes 8 servings.

*notes by natalie. You know the sauce is thick enough when you drag a spoon through it and you can see the bottom of the pan. Thicken and bubble on med-low heat. Don't do it on high or the milk will curdle. nasty.

Spinach Salad

1 lb spinach, washed & torn
iceberg lettuce, torn
bacon, crumbled,
swiss cheese, shredded
onions
mushrooms
combine with poppy seed dressing just before serving.

poppy-seed dressing

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon onion juice
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 cup salad oil

combine sugar, mustard, salt, vinegar, and onion juice in medium size bowl. beat oil in gradually, using portable mixer. until mixture is thick and smooth. stir in poppy seeds and store, covered in refrigerator. makes 1 2/3 cups.

ENJOY

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

My brother Nick gave me the recipe and I made it when we celebrated pi day. If you have a recipe for pie crust that you prefer, feel free to substitute.

Crust:

• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup cold water

Sift flour, then measure. Mix flour and salt together. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in water with a fork until dough holds together. Form into two rough balls. NOTE: too much handling or stirring makes dough tough.

Roll out onto a lightly floured surface (works best if the dough has been refrigerated). Place crust in a 9" or 10" pie pan.

Filling:

• 1 & 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 & 1/2 TB cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest (or 1 tsp dried lemon peel powder)
• About 2 cups rhubarb, sliced into roughly half-inch sections (about 2-3 medium stalks)
• About 3 cups sliced strawberries (about 2 lb fresh strawberries)
• 3 TB butter or margarine

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl. Slice strawberries roughly in fourths. Slice rhubarb stalks every half-inch or so, and if the stalks are large, slice each piece in half again, leaving roughly half-inch by half-inch cubes. Mix the strawberries, rhubarb, and dry ingredient mix in a large mixing bowl, then place mixture in pie crust. Slice the margarine into thin slices and place on top of the fruit mixture before covering with the top crust.

Cover with the remaining pie crust and press together the edges. Make a few slits in the top crust. Brush top crust lightly with milk to add shine, sprinkle sugar on top crust if desired.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 hours, then refrigerate. (Pie will be runny and difficult to serve until fully cooled) Pie is usually best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

The Pumpkin Dessert

Believe it or not, but my Mom actually found this recipe in The Friend when I was little.
Crust:

• 1 box yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup for topping)
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter melted
• 1 egg beaten

Filling

• 1 can (29 oz) pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup canned milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

• 1 cup yellow cake mix
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup margarine/butter. softened

1. Mix the crust ingredients together. Spread the mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan.
2. In a bowl beat eggs, brown sugar, colves, and cinnamon. Stir in pumpkin and milk. Stir till well blended. If you use a mixer to mix in the pumpkin and milk be careful because the batter will be thin and splatter. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the crust in the pan and spread evenly.
3. Mix together the dry cake mix, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in softened margarine. Sprinkle little pieces over the top of the pumpkin layer.
4. Bake 350 for 60-70 minutes. It is done when a toothpick comes out clean. Can be served warm with ice cream or cold with whipped cream.
   

Tres Leches

This is the recipe from Allrecipes.com :)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract*

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract*; beat well.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.
6. Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
7. Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla* together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy!

*I almost always add extra vanilla (not quite doubling) to every dessert I make.

Taco Stackers

1 lb hamburger
1 chopped onion

1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
1 & 1/4 cups water (I'm actually not sure if this is the right amount...I'm just guessing. Maybe put in one cup and then add more at the very end (once you've added the rice) if you don't like the consistency. More water mixes in well if it's a little dry, so don't worry about that).
1 TBL sugar
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano

2 c cooked rice (like, take two cups of dry rice, then cook it)


Brown and drain hamburger and onion – add all ingredients EXCEPT rice – simmer 30 minutes (you can just let it simmer while the rice is cooking) – add rice – serve over fritos (scoops, please. it's much better that way) and top with grated cheese.

You can also top it with lettuce and tomatoes, kinda like a stacked taco

Mongolian Beef

I got this recipe from my coworker Naomi, who got it from our mutual friend Nate, who got it from his sister. Look how far this recipe came to come to you!

Sauce:
2 tsp Vegetable oil
½ tsp minced ginger
1 TBLS minced garlic
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
¾ cup dark brown sugar (light works just fine)

Heat oil in sauce pan over med/low heat. Add ginger and garlic. Let sauté for a minute. Add water and soy sauce. Stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Raise heat to med/high and boil for 3-5 minutes until it thickens slightly.

Meat:
1 cup vegetable oil
1 lb flank steak
¼ cup cornstarch
4 green onions

Slice the steak against the grain into ¼ inch thick bite size pieces. Toss meat in zip lock with the cornstarch. Allow meat to rest in bag for 10 minutes. While the meat rests, slowly heat up the oil in a large skillet or wok on medium heat. After 10 minutes, add beef to the oil and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the edges darken. Use a slotted spoon to take the meat out and put on a plate with paper towels (meat may not be completely cooked, but will be in the pan again to finish cooking). Empty oil out of the skillet. Put meat back in the skillet and add the sauce to it and stir. Bring this to a boil for 3-5 minutes or until sauce gets really thick. Sprinkle green onions on top and serve over rice.

Kellie's Amazing Shortbread Cookies

1 c butter
1/3 white sugar
1/3 brown sugar
1 small egg
1 Tbsp almond extract
2 1/2 to 3 c white flour

Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and flavoring. Add and stir in the flour and knead by hand a little. Dough should be firm enough to form into a ball and hold a shape. Bake for 10 min or so in 400 degree oven.

Katie's plug: ohmygoshbestcookiesever! They're the perfect amount of sweetness. And you can eat like 7 of them without pausing for air, because they are so delicious. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway...they're great.

Your Basic Curry Recipe

My friend Jody requested that I post this on the blog. It's not really a recipe, it's just what I always do to make curry.

1 can of coconut milk
your choice of meat (chicken, beef, etc.)
3 or 4 large potatoes
curry paste* (red, yellow, massaman, etc.) to taste

Brown meat in frying pan. Cut potatoes into small pieces. Pour milk into higherish sided pan. Add curry paste. (I usually do around four heaping small spoonfuls....umm, which probably translates into about 5 teaspoons. The more you add, the hotter it'll be.) Add potatoes and meat. Cook until potatoes are cooked. Serve over rice.

Also, it's really fun to pretend fried pitas are naan bread:
Cut pitas into sixths or eighths. Fry in olive oil with whatever seasoning you want (we usually do garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, oregano). Spoon curry/rice combo onto pita triangle and eat!

*You can get curry paste at an Asian market on 300 E 300 S. It costs around $3 and lasts a while.

Cuban Chicken

{This recipe is from the cookbook my sister made me for Christmas. For dinner group, I basically quadrupled the recipe, but these are the original measurements.}

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

2 chicken breasts

Combine juices and spices for marinade and pour over chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day heat a skillet over medium heat. Place set marinade aside and then put chicken breasts in a skillet and cook until done. Remove from pan and set aside, keeping warm. Add marinade to pan and bring to a boil. Add a little more orange juice and lime juice to increase the amount of sauce. Serve chicken with sauce.

Spicy Coconut Chicken Casserole

Once again from the criminal goddess of domesticity:

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 whole chicken legs (about 3 pounds total)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces green beans (stem ends removed), cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Directions

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in two batches, cook chicken until browned, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate (chicken will cook more in step 2).
2. To pot, add coconut milk, broth, 1/2 cup water, and curry paste; bring to a boil, and stir in rice. Add chicken (with any juices), arranging pieces in a single layer. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, without stirring, until rice is almost tender, 15 minutes.
3. Scatter bell peppers and green beans on top of chicken mixture; cover, and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Katie's notes:
A lot of the comments on this recipe said that 2 tsp of curry paste wasn't enough, and I would agree. I think I used about 4 tbsp, maybe a little more. The more you add, the more heat you'll get. You can find really good curry paste for quite cheap ($2.50ish?) at this little Asian market on 300 E 300 S. And...I think you'll want a little bit more rice than the recipe calls for because there's a lot of liquid in that pot. In fact, I just realized right now that I didn't add 1/2 c of water. Oops. It was still pretty watery until I added more rice.