Archive for September, 2007

David’s 30 Minute Spaghetti

David’s 30 Minute Spaghetti

Contributed by: David LaFerney

Source: From a word of mouth recipe that I was taught by my Mother.

Shirley’s Father (Earl Jean Maxwell) and before him Her Grandfather (John H Wilmoth) always raised cattle and would give a fattened calf to our family and each of Shirley’s siblings at least once a year. Because of this we always had a plentiful supply of beef in our freezer, especially ground beef, and it was a staple in our household.

This recipe is inexpensive, quick, and delicious so our family had it at least once a week for years (plus leftovers). By thawing the meat in the microwave, you can literally have this on the table 30 minutes after you start.

  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic (I usually use the kind that is pre chopped in a jar)
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 bell pepper (any stage of ripeness) chopped
  • 26 oz more or less have canned spaghetti sauce (Prego, or hunts)
  • Or 26 oz tomato sauce
  • Or 12 oz of tomato paste and 12 oz of water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of cooking oil (I prefer olive oil, but you can use any kind including butter or margarine)
  • 4-8 servings of pasta (according to package directions) we usually use spaghetti, but any kind will work

    In a heavy 4 qt. pan over medium high heat start browning the onion, peppers, garlic and meat in the cooking oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. If you are using packaged spaghetti sauce be careful not to over season. When the meat is browned, pour the meat mixture into a colander to drain any fat that has cooked out. While the meat is draining, lower the heat to medium and add the tomato sauce to the pan. Stir until the sauce comes to a simmer (this will loosen the brown bits from the meat) and then add the meat mixture back to the pan. Return to a simmer (stirring often to prevent sticking) then lower the heat to very low and cover until the noodles are ready. This is the time to taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if needed. Toss together the sauce and noodles and serve with Parmesan cheese, salad, bread, and iced tea. This makes good leftovers for a few days.

    Tips:

  • 3) Nobody likes over cooked pasta. If the package says, cook for 9-11 minutes start tasting it at 7-8 minutes and drain it immediately as soon as it is no longer crunchy.
  • 4) Season the pasta water with 1 tablespoon of salt and butter or oil.
  • 5) Wait for the water to boil before adding the pasta then bring it back to a boil and lower the heat to medium low. Don’t cover the pan or it will boil over.
  • 6) Don’t add spaghetti noodles to the water in a bundle. Fan them out as you add them or they will stick together in a mass and be disgusting. Stir the water as you add them to prevent this. Once the water comes back to a boil (30 seconds if you are on high), the danger of sticking is over.
  • 7) Try to avoid holding the noodles once they are drained and ready or they will again stick together. Adding oil or butter to the water helps to avoid this, but the best thing is to be ready to mix the sauce and noodles as soon as the noodles are ready.
  • 8) If you drain the noodles in the same colander that you already used to drain the meat, the hot water will go a long way toward getting the colander cleaned up.
  • 9) If you add the noodles to the sauce in the pan that you cooked the sauce in, and serve it out of the same pan, you will only have one pan that is really very dirty. This is a worthy thing after a workday.

    Put leftovers in an uncovered casserole dish; heat in the microwave, top with cheese and brown in a 350-degree oven as a variation.

    • Jones :: Sep.14.2007 :: Entrees :: No Comments »

    Donna’s Chicken and Rice Soup

    Donna’s Chicken and Rice Soup

    Contributed by: Donna Wheatley

    When Earl and I were very young and living in New Orleans with two babies, I did all I could to conserve funds. I used to buy whole chickens for forty-nine cents a pound on sale, take them home, cut them up, and freeze the “good parts” for meals, and then put all the wings, backs, necks, giblets, and skin from those four chickens into the pot, instead of the whole chicken I now use. Honestly, there was just as much meat from the scrap parts of those four chickens as is in one whole chicken, and I considered it to be “free”.

    A variation of this recipe is to cook the same ingredients in a Crock Pot with NO water all day. When it’s done, you’ll be amazed at how much liquid cooked out of that chicken! Be sure to chill it and scrape off the fat, which will be considerable. You will get the richest, most delicious, fat free broth you can imagine! I often do this, then use the meat for casseroles and use the stock for other things, like Turkey Dressing.

  • In a big pot, place
  • 1 whole chicken (remove giblets)
  • 2 stalks of celery, sliced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced
  • 1-tablespoon salt
  • 1-teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper (or 1/2-teaspoon black pepper)

    Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook about one hour until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove chicken from pot, cool, and remove meat from the bones. Discard skin and bones. Put meat back into the pot. Add a can of stewed tomatoes and 1/2 pound frozen peas and carrots, if you want to.

    Cook rice in a separate pot. (Bring to a boil, 2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add 1 cup of raw rice. Cover, and cook on low for 20 minutes.)

    To serve, put some rice in the bottom of a bowl and ladle the chicken soup over it.

    • Jones :: Sep.13.2007 :: Entrees, Soup :: No Comments »

    Erin’s favorite Country Griddle Cakes

    Contributed by: Erin Rohr (Wheatley)

    These are supposedly the same recipe as IHOP uses. Our family experienced them for the first time a year or two ago, when we visited Evonne in Branson. Erin found the recipe on the web. They make a very special breakfast, but on a night when no one thawed meat, and supper’s up for grabs, you can make these with eggs and/or ham or bacon, and they’re mighty fine. They make a great easy lunch after church on Sundays too.

  • 1 1/4-cup flour
  • 1/3 cup dry Cream of Wheat cereal
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1-teaspoon baking powder
  • 1-teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2-teaspoon salt
  • 4 1/2 T buttermilk powder + 1 1/2 cups water,

    OR

    1 1/2 cups buttermilk (preferred)

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4-cup vegetable oil

    Mix dry ingredients in a medium to large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until smooth. Pour onto preheated hot griddle (350 degrees on your electric skillet or griddle). Make sure the tops are bubbly and the edges look dry before turning them.

    • Jones :: Sep.12.2007 :: Uncategorized :: No Comments »

    Grandma Jean’s Pepper Steak

    Contributed by: David LaFerney

    Source: Mom AKA Grandma Jean (Esther Jean LaFerney, Crockett)

  • 1-pound round steak - cut into thin strips
  • 1 tablespoon Bacon grease or oil (bacon grease may be one of the tastiest substances known to man, and it has no Trans fats)
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 green pepper - cut into strips
  • 1-tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1-teaspoon sugar
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1-tablespoon cornstarch mixed with a little bit of COLD waterPrep time - 20 minutes
  • Cook time - 1 hour and 10 minutes
  • 1 1/2-hour totalBrown steak strips, onion, and celery in oil. Add black pepper, sugar water and bouillon cube. Stir, cover, reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour. Add green pepper and simmer 5-10 minutes or longer. Simmering longer at this point will reduce the flavor of the green peppers. Some people like them nearly raw, others will prefer them well cooked. It’s just a matter of personal taste. Blend cornstarch/water and soy sauce, add to steak mixture and stir until sauce thickens

    • Jones :: Sep.11.2007 :: Entrees :: No Comments »

    Grandma Jean’s Missouri Hash

    Contributed by: David LaFerney

    Source: Mom AKA Grandma Jean (Esther Jean LaFerney, Crockett)

  • 2 Large Onions - chopped
  • 2 Sweet Green Peppers - chopped
  • 1-Pound Hamburger
  • 2 Cups canned tomatoes - mashed
  • 1/2 cup plain rice - uncooked (plain as in not minute rice)
  • 1-teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4-teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes

    Brown the hamburger and drain any excess grease, add onions, green peppers, tomatoes, rice and seasonings. Pour into covered casserole and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until rice is done.

    • Jones :: Sep.10.2007 :: Entrees, Uncategorized :: No Comments »

    Granny Mac’s Chicken Casserole

    Contributed by: Alma Marie Maxwell (Wilmoth) - Shirley LaFerney’s Mother

  • 4 Chicken Breasts (or cooked pork chops)
  • 1 - 5 oz can of evaporated milk
  • 2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 stick margarine
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pkg jiffy mix cornbread mix
  • 2 cups chicken broth

    • Cut up chicken into bite sized pieces and boil until tender, mix with soup and milk and put into a casserole dish. Combine Cornbread mix, egg, chicken broth and margarine. Mix well and spread over chicken mixture. Bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

    Jones :: Sep.08.2007 :: Entrees :: No Comments »

    Teri’s Wild Rice and Chicken (or Tuna) Salad (no eggs!)

    Contributed by: Teri LaFerney:

    Notice that this recipe contains no eggs and is suitable for people with egg allergies,  but it tastes great for anyone!

  • 1 Package (6 oz) Long grain wild Rice
  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
  • 1 Cup chopped Celery
  • 1 Cup chopped Pecans
  • 2 Tbsp. Onion, chopped
  • 1/8 tsp. Salt & Pepper
  • 3 -5 oz cans of Chicken or Tuna (or about 3 cooked chicken breasts) Cook rice and cool. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover and refrigerate.

    This is especially good with fresh home made  bread.

    • Jones :: Sep.07.2007 :: Entrees :: No Comments »

    Home made Stew

    Contributed by: David LaFerney

    Stew is really more of a method than a recipe. I make soup and stew out of whatever I have, and it is always delicious. However, the ingredients are usually something like this:

    (Everything cut up into bite size pieces)

  • Meat (I freeze leftover meat just for this)
  • Starchy vegetables - Potatoes, Rice, Beans, Carrots, Peas, Corn, etc
  • Non-starchy vegetables - Cabbage, Green Beans, Celery
  • Aromatics - Onions (including leaks, shallots, etc), Celery, Garlic, Carrots, Tomatoes, etc
  • Thickeners - Potatoes, Rice, Peas, Flour, Cornstarch, Bread
  • Seasoning - Salt, Pepper, Soy sauce, Hot sauce etc.
  • Water or Stock - If you want to make soup instead of stew, use stock instead of water as the base.

    Note that some things (like potatoes and rice) are in more than one category. If you cook one of these for a long time they completely fall apart and thicken your stew, if you cook them for a shorter time then they stay firm and whole. Therefore, if you want your rice or potatoes to be in chunks then add them in the last 45 minutes or so, if you want them to be thickener then add it at the beginning of a long cook time.

    You could make a stew with all of the listed ingredients, or as few as meat, potatoes (both as thickener and chunks), celery, onions, salt, pepper, and water. You can often just use whatever you have on hand.

    Here is the method: In a large (up to 5 gallons) pot, brown the outside of your meat and aromatics in a little bit of oil. Drain any excess fat, add a little bit of water to deglaze the pot, and stop the browning. Start adding your vegetables. I usually am cutting up the veggies, and adding them as I go. Retain any vegetables that you don’t want to cook for a long time (those that will get too soft) until later. Add a safe amount (safe as in not too much) of seasoning, make sure there is plenty of water, cover and simmer.

    Stir regularly, adjust the liquid as needed. When everything is starting to cook to the edible, but still al-dente’ stage start tasting it and adjusting your seasonings. Add seasonings a little at a time until it suits your taste. Add any vegetables that you have been holding out (like peas that you don’t want to turn to mush or potatoes that you want to be firm). If you are going to thicken the gravy with cornstarch, wait until near the end to do it.

    Once your stew is fully cooked, don’t make the mistake of continuing to “slow cook” it until suppertime or it will all turn to mush. Tasty mush, but mush nonetheless.

    Freeze leftovers in single serving size gladware for microwave meals.

    • Jones :: Sep.06.2007 :: Entrees, Soup :: No Comments »

    Teri’s Chili with Beans

    Contributed by: Teri LaFerney

    Teri is a great cook and even though her recipes never have eggs in them (because of her son’s egg alergy) her dishes are always big hits at family get togethers.

    Brown 1 1/2 Lbs. very lean ground beef with 1 small onion chopped. Drain off fat.

    Then add 1/2 tsp. Oregano

    •   2 tsp. Chili Powder
    •   1/3 cup Salsa
    •   1 can diced Green Chili’s
    •   1 large can diced Tomatoes
    •   1 tsp. each of Salt, Pepper, Sugar & Accent
    •   2 15 oz. cans of Beans (your choice of type)

    Simmer on low heat for about 20 Minutes.

    Jones :: Sep.05.2007 :: Entrees, Soup :: No Comments »

    Teri’s Mexican Soup

    Contributed by: Teri LaFerney

    Teri is a great cook and even though her recipes never have eggs in them (because of her son’s egg alergy) her dishes are always big hits at family get togethers.

    1 LB Lean Ground Beef, browned

    Combine:

  • 2 cans Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
  • 1 can Black Beans
  • 1 can Kidney Beans
  • 1 can Shoepeg corn
  • 1 pkg. Taco Mix
  • 1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Mix (Not the Buttermilk recipe)
  • 1 Onion Combine the above ingredients with the beef and cook on medium low heat for about 1 hour. Before serving, sprinkle with

    • Jones :: Sep.04.2007 :: Entrees, Soup :: No Comments »

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