Apple Cake

This is another recipe from my Grandma Josephine. It's a great fall dessert, but it's also good for breakfast or brunch, and relatively healthy because it's half fruit!

3 eggs

1 1/2 c sugar (or part brown sugar)

3/4 c oil

1 t salt

1 t vanilla

1/2 t cinnamon

 

2 c flour (or part whole wheat)

1 t baking soda

 

1/2 c chopped nuts (or rolled oats)

3 1/2 c chopped apples

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix well and pour into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 34 minutes.

 

Two-thirds of this recipe will fit into a 9x9 inch pan.

 

You can also reserve a small amount of the sugar to sprinkle on top with additional cinnamon before baking.

 

Grandma's recipe said "Cool Whip topping as desired."

 

How to cook brown rice

When I first started doing a lot more cooking from scratch, I looked up how to cook rice. The method I use now is more like cooking pasta, easier than trying to measure out a certain amount of water for a certain amount of rice.

Get a pot of salted water boiling. (The salt is optional.) Depending on how much rice you're making, you want plenty of room for it to boil around in - I only need a few inches if I'm cooking a half cup of dried rice to make a cup of cooked rice for a recipe, but if the meal is chicken and rice I'll fill the pot higher for 2 cups of dried rice. The pot needs to have a tight lid.

Once the water is boiling, prepare the rice. This involves rinsing it under cold running water until the water runs off clear. If you have a sieve, or a colander with very tiny holes, you can use that. Otherwise, put the rice in a deep bowl, run some cold water in, and swirl it around with your hand. Drain out most of the water, add fresh, and repeat. I usually do this three times. (This is to wash excess starch from the rice so that it doesn't stick together after it cooks. It's okay to skip it if you don't want to bother - just be aware the texture may be a little different.)

Dump the rice into the boiling water and give it a brief stir. Bring it back up to boiling and let it cook uncovered at a rolling boil for half an hour.

Pour out into a strainer and let drain for ten seconds, then transfer back to the pot. Put the lid on and let it sit for ten minutes - not on the burner, just sealed. At this point the rice is being steamed to finish the cooking.

I know this is a lot of words, but it's so easy - get water boiling, rinse the rice, cook for half an hour, drain for ten seconds, steam for ten minutes, and you're done!

Spanish Rice (not Mexican)

This is one of my Grandma Josephine's signature dishes. She called it Spanish Rice. This later led to me being very confused at menus in Mexican restaurants. If you're looking for a side dish for your Tex-Mex menu, this is not it - but it is a delicious casserole/meatloaf-type meal.
My sister has a copy of a church cookbook which Grandma submitted her recipe to, so I can give it to you in her own words:


Spanish Rice

1 lb hamburger

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup tomato juice

1 tsp salt

pinch pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix well with your fingers until well mixed. It should be of less firm consistency than for a meat loaf - not firm enough to hold its shape. You may want to add more tomato juice. Put in 8 x 8 pan or pyrex and bake 350 for 1 1/2 hours more or less.

My mother Mary Rodgers always took this dish to "Last Day" dinners at the country school when I went to school. It was always a hit with everyone.

Josephine Appleby

Now, a few notes: this should be spread out in a casserole dish, flat - not more than an inch or so deep, because it gets a delicious crispy crust on top.

I usually reduce the salt a bit.

I usually use cooked brown rice, but any kind would work. Grandma always used white. I can't tell the difference.

If I don't have tomato juice on hand, I put some canned tomatoes in the blender. I usually increase the amount by half, since part of that is going to be pulp rather than juice.

If there is liquid around the edges of the pan when you take it out, wait to drain it - let it sit for a minute and a lot of the juice will soak back in.

Traditional accompaniments to this dish include cottage cheese, corn, and sliced tomatoes.

Because the proportions are all "one", it's very easy to alter the amount!

Black Forest Cake!

I'm not going to post the recipe here, just a link to where my sister found it at allrecipes.com.

I just wanted to post the photos of this gorgeously decadent cake that the two of us made to celebrate both my birthday and my dad's, which were a week and a week and a half ago, respectively! As fancy as it is, it wasn't actually that complicated. It didn't take that long, either, except for having to wait for the cake to cool to assemble the whole thing. We did it mostly according to the recipe directions - baked two layers and split those, but rather than crumbling one to coat the frosting on the outside of the cake, we just made four layers. We used two 14.5 oz cans of tart cherries rather than two 20 oz cans, but that turned out to be just the right amount. And the frosting, which was actually just three cups of heavy cream whipped to perfection with a bit of confectioner's sugar, was the perfect foil for the gooey cherry sauce and rich chocolate. No ice cream needed! Coffee definitely was...

Black Bean Salad

This is something my sister came up with a while ago. It's really tasty - a mix of rice, black beans, corn, and tomatoes, with a simple dressing flavored with mexican seasonings. It's cheap - dried beans and rice really stretch out! It's great for potlucks, because it just so happens to be gluten free, vegetarian (vegan, even) and dairy free. And since the dressing is just olive oil, lime juice and spices, it's okay to let it sit out on the picnic table for a few hours - no mayo to worry about.



Black Bean Salad

Mix together:

1 cup cooked rice (1/2 cup dry)
1 1/2 cup cooked black beans (1/2 cup dry)
2/3 cup cooked corn
1 1/2 cup small or cut-up tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped

Dressing:

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar or container with a tight lid and shake well. Pour over salad and mix well.
Tastes better if you wait a few hours - then make sure to stir it up from the bottom in case the dressing settles a bit. It lasts longer if you use whole grape or cherry tomatoes - cut-up tomatoes break down a lot faster, and you want to eat it within a day or two. Or you can leave the tomatoes out and just add them to individual servings. It's okay to let it sit out for a while, but it should be refrigerated other than that.

This makes about 5 cups - a good amount for a potluck.

Chili!

Spring is almost here. It was really warm for a couple of days, and now it has cooled off again. I'm taking advantage of the cool weather to make chili! Not that I don't make it the rest of the year, but there's just something about eating chili when it's cold outside...

The chili recipe I usually make is spicy but not HOT. People who like their chili really hot probably wouldn't even call this spicy, but it's slightly hotter than mild. I'm making it for more than just me, so I'm not allowed to make it any hotter than this; next time I'm living by myself I may experiment. I'd like to try it just a little bit hotter, but this is pretty good.

This is for a big crockpot (I have a little 1 1/2 quart crockpot that's good when I'm living solo). I think it's 3 1/2 or 4 quarts. This recipe halved just barely fits into the little one.

Obviously, there's not much to it - just throw it all in the pot, stir it around, and let it cook all day - but I do have my preferred technique. For one thing, I use dried beans, which have to be cooked separately first. If you're using canned beans I would just throw everything else in first and fill it the rest of the way with beans.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb dried small red beans (pinto beans work too. Most beans would work!)

2 14.5 oz cans Hunts Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. Or just regular diced tomatoes.

1 large or 2 small onions, diced

One small orange or yellow bell pepper, diced (remove the seeds and cut away the ribs)

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (be sure to remove the seeds and cut out the ribs)

Garlic - 3-4 cloves, minced or put through a garlic press.

1 cup cooked ground beef - or leave it vegetarian. Or add more meat - my way's cheaper, though!

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 Tbsp dried ancho chile powder

2-3 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp Durkee's Six-Pepper Blend

1/4 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

I usually just eyeball the spices, and then adjust to taste after they cook for a while.

Since I use dried beans, I start with those. Rinse them, and put them in a pot filled with water 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the top of the beans, and soak overnight. You can also do the quick soak method, bringing the beans up to a boil and then turning off the heat, covering it and letting it sit for 2 hours. 

After the beans soak, bring them up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for at least an hour, or until they are fairly soft - they can still be a little al dente but you want them comfortable to chew. 

(You can also cook them in the crockpot on high, but it will take a while to heat up so the cook time will be longer.)

Transfer the beans and some of the liquid to the crockpot. I like a somewhat soupy chili, so I usually scoop the beans over with a slotted spoon, then pour until they are just covered. If you want it thicker leave out most of the liquid. The tomatoes will cook down to fill in that space. Thick chili is good for chili dogs, but that extra liquid will stretch out the amount you can serve later!

An extra step you can take here is to sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic in a skillet on low until they are soft and translucent, before adding them to the beans. It really does add more flavor.

 

At this point just mix in the rest of the ingredients, cover, and cook for at least a few hours. I usually leave it on high until it's really bubbling, stir it again, then cover and cook it on low.

For convenience, you can also mix everything together the night before, stick it in the fridge, and put it in the crockpot the next day. Or cook it in the crockpot overnight, put it in the fridge and then reheat it later. I just happen to be at a point where I can make it the morning of.

Irish Brown Bread

Several years ago, my mom and I went to Ireland. We were on a budget and ate a lot of bread and cheese. When I got home, I managed to find a recipe for Irish Brown Bread in a cookbook from the library - it's got that distinctive flavor, and tastes just like I remember!




1 c unsifted all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 c whole wheat flour (stone-ground if possible)
1/4 c rolled oats
1 1/2 c buttermilk (or substitute milk - put 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar in the measuring cup, then fill the rest of the way with milk)


Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Cut in butter into very fine particles.

Stir in whole wheat flour and rolled oats.

Make a well in the center and add buttermilk. Stir lightly but thoroughly until all flour is moistened.

Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board; knead five times. Gather dough into a ball.

Lightly grease the center of a baking sheet. Pat dough into a 7-inch circle. Using a sharp knife, make a large cross in the top of the loaf so it doesn't crack as it expands in the oven.

Bake 40 minutes, until loaf is browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven, place on cooling rack, and brush with melted butter. Allow to cool before serving.

Irish Soda Bread

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, which was yesterday, I'm going to post a couple of Irish bread recipes. This recipe for Irish Soda Bread is one that my mom got from the newspaper years ago. She can mix it up in five minutes. You can, too!

(Her other St. Patrick's Day tradition when I was a kid was putting green food coloring in the scrambled eggs to make Green Eggs And Ham... I don't think I need to post a recipe for that!)


Whole Wheat Soda Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose white flour
2 tablespoons  brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teasoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup light raisins
1 3/4 cups milk


Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9" round cake pan.

Combine whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Stir in raisins.  Add milk; stir until dry ingredients are moistened.  Turn into a greased 9 by 1 ½  round baking pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until brown.  Cool 10 minutes in pan.  Remove from pan and cool thoroughly.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - a "Healthy" cookie!

This is an old favorite in our family. The recipe is on an old Quaker Oats tin - I checked and it has 1984 stamped on the bottom. It's as old as I am!

Every year, my mother makes these and fills the cookie jar for my dad for Valentine's Day.

Sometimes we reduce the sugar somewhat, and use half whole wheat flour, so it's a bit healthier - it's got oats, and nuts, and all!


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (with healthier options)

1¼ c butter
½ c granulated sugar (1/3 c)
¾ c packed brown sugar (1/2 c)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1½ c flour (half whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 c oats
2 c chocolate chips
¾ c chopped walnuts


1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Beat together butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to wet ingredients, mixing until well blended.

4. Stir in oats, chocolate chips (and nuts).

5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. (Or use parchment paper.)

6. Bake 9-12 minutes; cool 1 minute on cookie sheet before moving to wire cooling rack.

Coconut Macaroons (with Chocolate Chips!)

This is the cookie I think gets requested the most... especially when I add chocolate chips!

They also are very easy to make gluten free, because there is very little flour - I just use rice flour, then I can share with people I know can't have gluten.


Coconut Macaroons

2 eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 c shredded coconut - or one 14-oz package!
1/4 c flour (or rice flour, or whatever)
1 c chocolate chips (Hershey's Special Dark is really good!)

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.

2. Mix eggs and sugar at high speed for 1 minute.

3. Stir in flour and coconut all at once, then chocolate chips immediately afterward.

4. Drop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. (This WILL STICK to anything else! Even non-stick pans! Even greased non-stick pans!) The dough will be loose - scoop with a spoon and use your fingers to smush it together a little if it falls apart as you set it down on the pan. If you get a bowl of water and keep dipping your fingers in between cookies, it won't stick to them.

5. Bake 15-18 minutes until edges start to brown. I usually need all 18 minutes, and I switch the pans around halfway through - nine minutes on the upper shelf, nine minutes on the lower.

These are a pain to make, but the result is worth it!

Winter Strawberries

This is a favorite Christmas tradition in our family - a kind of no-bake cookie which is very distinctive, messy to make but a must-have on the cookie plate!

It also just happens to be gluten free, as far as I know.

Winter Strawberries

1 1/2 c finely chopped walnuts (or use a nut grinder!)
1 1/2 c shredded coconut
3 3-oz packages powdered strawberry gelatin - do NOT make the jello! Just use the powder!
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c red sugar (or just use a fork to mix a few drops of food coloring into some plain sugar.)

Green gummy candies (We always use "Spearmint Leaves, but they can be hard to find sometimes... we've gotten them at Walgreens the last few years.)

1. Combine nuts, coconut, powdered gelatin, condensed milk, and vanilla, and mix together thoroughly. Smush it all down into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.

2. Shape into "strawberries" - gouge out a spoonful of dough, roll it into a ball and pinch the end with your fingers, rolling it to get the right shape.

3. Roll "strawberries" in red sugar.

4. Cut spearmint candy into small strips for "stems" and insert them into the wide end of the berries - use the tip of a paring knife or a skewer to poke a hole. Roll the stems in a little sugar first if they are too sticky to manage easily.

Enjoy!

A note about these - store them separately from your other cookies, unless you want everything to end up with a strong strawberry flavor!

Salmon Spuds

This is a kind of twice-baked potato, so it can take a while to put together, although you can bake the potatoes ahead of time.


Salmon Spuds

4 medium sized baking potatoes (this is all you need to begin with.)
1 15.5 oz can salmon
1/2 c milk
1/4 c butter
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/4 c minced green onion
1/2 c frozen peas, thawed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme, crumbled
dash of black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400º F. Wash potatoes and pat dry, then oil lightly and prick with a fork. Place on baking sheet in the oven and bake 1 hour or until done. Reduce heat to 350º F.

2. Carefully cut potatoes in half and let cool while assembling other ingredients.

3. Drain salmon. I prefer to pick out the bigger chunks of bone, but they are edible. Use the edge of a spoon to break it into smaller chunks.

4. Scoop out the center of the potato halves, being careful not to break the skin. Leave about 1/8 inch around the edges. Put scooped-out bits into a bowl or large pot.

5. Add butter and mash potatoes thoroughly. Beat in milk and parmesan cheese, then stir in green onions and dry seasonings. Stir in peas and salmon last.

6. Spoon mixture into the potato skins, mounding the tops. Sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese on top if you want. Bake at 350º F for 20-30 minutes or until nicely browned on top.

If you don't want to deal with scooping the skins, you could always cut them up and mix them in with the rest, then put the whole thing in a casserole dish. But it's fun to have those neat little potato bowls!

Hummus

Hummus is a nice vegetarian alternative, and a fun dip to bring to parties. There is one ingredient that is kind of weird - tahini. You can usually find it near the pickles and olives. It's sesame paste, basically ground up sesame seeds. The natural oil in the seeds separates out, just like with natural peanut butter, so you have to stir it will to get it all mixed again before measuring. That can be a little messy! And it has a very strange smell if you're not used to it - but when all the ingredients are combined, it is delicious!

I'm going to give the basic recipe first, then the additions to make the roasted red pepper version which is even tastier.


Hummus - Plain

Combine in a food processor:

1 can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained
(or boil 1/2 cup of soaked dried beans for 2 hours)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp tahini (it is thick, so you may have to scrape the spoon)
2 Tbsp olive oil (don't add it all right away)

Blend in the food processor until completely pureed, adding olive oil as needed to get the desired consistency. You can also reserve some of the liquid from cooking the garbanzos to mix in if it is still too thick.

Serve with veggies, crackers, pita chips, pita bread, homemade bread, or just dig in with a spoon!



Now, to really step up the flavor...

Hummus - Roasted Red Pepper

Start with the same ingredients as the plain hummus, but use only 1 Tbsp olive oil.

Add 1/2 tsp cumin, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (or as hot as you want it!) and some roasted red peppers - I usually add half of a a 12-oz jar.

Blend everything in the food processor, waiting to add any olive oil - the liquid from the peppers may make the oil unnecessary for texture.

This is the one I like to bring to parties!

Corn Tortilla Quiche

This is a tasty baked egg casserole that doesn't require the use of a pastry crust - just some leftover corn tortillas. There are a ton of options for the filling - I usually use just sausage and cheese, but you could easily substitute chopped ham, ground beef, or vegetable chunks.

It can be easily doubled and makes a great potluck or brunch dish - and has the added benefit of being gluten free as well, in case that is a consideration.

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com but it doesn't seem to be there anymore - so it's a good thing I wrote it down when I did!


Corn Tortilla Quiche

3/4 lb pork sausage, cooked (the original recipe used a whole pound)
5-6 6-inch corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, whatever you like)
1/4 cup canned diced green chiles - about half a can
6 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt (original recipe used cream)
1/2 cup cottage cheese (or double the yogurt)
1/2 tsp chili powder


1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Grease a 9-inch glass pan. I prefer a square pan, but a pie pan works as long as you're careful.

3. Tear tortillas into smaller pieces and layer them in the bottom of the pan, two tortillas deep.

4. Layer sausage, cheese and green chiles on top of the tortillas - or, mix it all together in a bowl and dump it all in at once.

5. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, then stir in yogurt and cottage cheese.

6. Pour egg mixture slowly over the cheese/sausage mixture, being careful to distribute it evenly. If it looks like it will overflow, poke into the filling in the pan with a fork here and there to allow the liquid to sink into it more easily.

7. Bake 45-55 minutes, until center is set and puffed. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting.

This can be easily doubled and baked in a 9x13 inch glass pan.

Yogurt Ranch Dip

This is something I've been making about once a week since last year. It's great for people like me, who cannot eat raw carrots and broccoli without some kind of dip, but feel that slathering sour cream all over your veggies sort of defeats the healthiness goals. I first started getting ranch dip mix and using yogurt instead of sour cream, but I hated using a store-bought mix with all those preservatives. I wanted to be able to just use dried herbs to make my own mix.

This recipe is based on several different ones I found in my initial search. It's pretty easy to tweak.


Yogurt Ranch Dip

Makes almost 2 cups

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (regular or Greek)
1/2 - 1 Tbsp dried chives
1/2 - 1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch black pepper (I just grind the pepper grinder 8 or 10 times)
1 pinch granulated sugar
1 tiny pinch of dill (I use half of a 1/8 teaspoon measure)
1/4 cup light ranch salad dressing (I don't really measure this, just give one good squirt.)

Just mix it all up! I happen to have a tiny whisk which works perfectly, but a fork is fine too. It fits nicely in a 2-cup container. I like to start with one cup of yogurt, mix in all the dry ingredients, then add the ranch dressing and the rest of the yogurt. It's best if you can mix it ahead of time so the flavors can set.

A word of warning about the dill - a little bit goes a long way. Just the tiniest amount really makes that ranch flavor, but any more than that and you end up with dill dip. Which some people probably like. I do not.

It's a lot of measuring, but I'm at the point where I don't need to check the recipe any more, so it goes fairly quickly. And I'll mix up several packets at the same time so I just have to add the yogurt and salad dressing.

Regular plain yogurt can get kind of runny, but it does not have as strong a sour flavor as Greek yogurt, so I prefer it. I will sometimes put 2 cups plain yogurt into a coffee filter in a sieve, and drain out quite a bit of liquid - I end up with about 1 1/2 cups of very thick yogurt, perfect for dip!

Welcome to my kitchen!

Welcome to my kitchen! My name is Brenda Appleby, and among other things I love to cook. This will mostly be a way to document my favorite recipes so that I can share them with friends online. I probably won't be posting photos of every step, but if the finished product is pretty enough I may well include that!

I hope you enjoy!