On the table tonight

Grandma Lonie's Noodles

2010-11-23T11:32:00Z

Fact One: I'm not actually related to Grandma Lonie.
Fact Two: Her recipe for home made noodles makes me wish I were.

If you've ever had home made noodles you know just how delicious they are. If you've ever made them, you know that they can be a bit of work. If you've ever served them to two picky kids who have turned down about ten meals in a row, then ate up these noodles with both ferver and joy - you'll be happy to make them.

This recipe comes from Lonie (obviously) who is Martin and Sophie's Great-Great Grandma on the Nelson side. The recipe comes to me via Mary who was taught to make it by Aunt Rita who learned how to make it from her mother, Lonie. In the Nelson family, these noodles are famous and no one passes up a chance to eat them.

The process to make the noodles can be a bit lengthy, but it can be done in stages if that seems easier (and to me, it does). The thickness of the noodles varies a bit, usually by how good the noodle maker is at using the pasta roller. Rita and Mary's noodles are thin, like spaghetti (noodle experts); my noodles are thick like large worms (not a noodle expert). Regardless of your noodle rolling proficiency, they are delicious and will disappear quickly.

Print it: Grandma Lonie's Noodles

Slow Cooker Non-dairy Cheese & Potato Soup

2010-10-12T13:32:00Z

Despite the unseasonably warm weather we've been having, I've made the turn to fall foods. The crock pot has taken up residence on my kitchen countertop, and I've lined up a pile of new slow cooker recipes to try. Yesterday I tried the first one on the list, and it was a huge hit. What's not to like about a cheesy, bacon-laden soup?

This soup recipe is super easy and needs at least 6 hours to cook, but can stay in the crockpot for at least 11 hours and still taste delicious. This recipe requires two steps, and you'll need at least 30 minutes between the last step and the time you eat.

This recipe is the non-dairy version, but it would be very easy to substitute dairy ingredients for the non-dairy counterparts.

Kid Review
Martin: "This is the best soup I've ever had."
Sophie: She ate the whole bowl, which is the unspoken version of Martin's review.

Print it: Slow Cooker Cheese and Potato Soup

Grilled Romaine with Herbed Ranch Dressing

2010-08-10T18:20:00Z

All summer long I've been hearing about grilled romaine. It sounded like an interesting idea, but I really couldn't imagine it - the taste, how it would hold up on the grill, why I would bother. This week I decided to give it a shot and I can confirm the following:
1. It was tasty
2. It was easy
3. It might be my new favorite thing

I made up a recipe using ingredients I had on hand and it was really delicious. If making dressing seems like too much work for you, just use whatever bottled dressing you like and it will save you a few steps. I've made this particular dressing twice - once as the non-dairy version listed here, and once with dairy ingredients - with good results both times.

The actually grilling part was very easy. The lettuce held together just fine, and took only a few short minutes on each side. I placed it over direct heat after I moved the meat to the cooler side of the grill to finish. All of the food was done at the same time, and while I chopped up the lettuce the meat had a few moments to rest.

I'd highly recommend giving it a try - I know I'll definitely make it again.

Print it: Grilled Romaine with Herbed Ranch Dressing

Green bean bundles

2010-05-03T13:14:00Z

A few weeks ago I made side dishes for the evening meal at the Mitchell Quarterly Meeting. I wanted something that I could make ahead of time, but that would also be something kind of special. Usually the vegetable sides I make are of the boring but nutritious variety - steam vegetable, add a little butter, salt and pepper to taste, then serve. Its functional, but kind of boring, especially for a special dinner. I found a recipe for green bundles wrapped in bacon. Definitely not as healthy, but also not as boring.

They were delicious and easy to make. I would recommend not using an inexpensive bacon because it doesn't hold together as well when wrapping the bundles. I think that this recipe would probably be great on other vegetables as well - I'm going to try it with asparagus this week. I'll definitely make these again, they were very flavorful and look impressive. If you're not a huge fan of pepper, I'd recommend cutting back the amount in the recipe - it was super peppery.

Print it: Green Bean Bundles (from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen)

Lamb Stew

2010-05-01T11:38:00Z

A few weeks ago Dad and Sophie went out to a lamb farm to check out the babies and to select a lamb that would later become the key ingredient in this stew. I thought that it might be kind of disturbing, but Sophie reported that it was not gross and that lamb guts are cool. That did not mean that she would eat this meal, but to be honest I think she found the presence of mushrooms and onions more revolting than the lamb.

Even though you couldn't get a review on this meal from either of the kids (but I bet they'd report that I make a mighty fine PB&J), I thought it was tasty. It was easy to make, and had great flavor. I'd definitely make this again. I'd also make the same recipe using beef instead of lamb; I bet that would be delicious as well.

Print it: Lamb Stew

Bourbon Slush

2010-04-30T11:16:00Z

Now that warm weather is upon us (well not today, but you know, in general), I've been spending a lot of time daydreaming about reading on the deck, lounging at the lake, and sitting around talking smart with my family and friends (they are notoriously a smart-talkin' bunch). And since we're rounding into May, it feels like I can safely announce the Official Drink of Summer without causing a retaliation snowstorm.

The Summer Drink for 2010: The Bourbon Slush.
It is fruity, not overly sweet, and cool (both in temperature and on the hip scale).

The Origin.
Awhile ago my cousin Jenine and I were chatting on the phone and she was telling me about this delicious slush that she remembered the mother of her childhood friend keeping stored up in their freezer. Having recently secured the recipe, she promised to send it my way. For Jenine this slush brings back memories of a really hip mom (one who not only had shag carpet but actually made her kids rake it) and lazy days of childhood summers.

I'm thrilled that Jenine and Judy were willing to share the recipe because it is DELICIOUS and REFRESHING. I'd highly recommend that you whip up a batch and keep it in your freezer for the summer or at least one good weekend with your girlfriends.

Print it: Bourbon Slush

Turkey and Bean Soup with Bacon

2010-02-24T14:49:00Z

Sometimes making a meal that tastes good out of the things I actually have on hand seems like a difficult task. Especially when I slack off and don't really plan ahead. That's how its been for awhile around here, and last week I found that I had a lot of food in the house, but nothing that made a very good sounding meal. Deciding that I couldn't bear to go to the store AGAIN, I decided to force myself to make something with the ingredients on hand.

Using odds and ends of things I'd made and frozen earlier in the month + a few items from the cupboard, I came up with a recipe for soup that was both delicious and filling. I'll definitely make it again, especially since I usually have most of these items in the house.

Print it: Turkey and Bean Soup with Bacon

Non-dairy Rhubarb Bread

2010-02-24T14:32:00Z

As the end of the winter weather approaches (she says with quiet optimism), I like to clean out the freezer to make sure that I use up all of the food I froze during last year's growing season. As usual, I still have a large amount of rhubarb left in the freezer. So this week, Sophie and I decided to make some rhubarb bread.

There is no better source for recipes like rhubarb bread than church or nursing home cookbooks. The recipe we started with was from the Luther Memorial Memorable Meals cookbook (published 1982), contributed by Mrs. Opal Kunz. To modify the recipe, we substituted non-dairy butter for shortening, baked it in bread pans, and divided the recipe. It tasted a bit bland at first, but it improved each day.

Print it: Non-dairy Rhubarb Bread

Coconut Layer Cake

2010-02-15T13:45:00Z

At our house when its your birthday, you can choose any dessert you'd like to celebrate your special day. This year Sophie's pick was for a coconut layer cake. I'm pretty sure that she's never had one, but no amount of coercion could get her to choose any sort of cupcake in its place. So, I found a recipe that looked promising and set out to make it. I made some changes to the recipe to make it non-dairy and also to remedy issues I had along the way. It was touch-and-go for awhile, but in the end, we had cake:

A few tips:
1. Be very careful when transferring the cake into the refrigerator to set, its very slick and top heavy and could topple over VERY EASILY.
2. Use buttercream frosting instead of the traditional seven minute frosting because if things go south and it starts to separate WHILE ON THE CAKE, you'll end up with avalanches of cake sliding off the plate just moments before the party.
3. Check with the child first to be sure they actually LIKE the taste of coconut instead of just the IDEA of coconut. In the words of Martin - "I don't like the TASTE of coconut, but I DO like coconut bras." Seriously, who doesn't.

In the end, the cake really was good. I liked the buttercream frosting combined with the coconut, and it helped to hold the whole thing together. The frosting and coconut mixture makes a very forgiving cover for a cake, which is good if you're a layer cake novice like me. And in case you have any cake leftover, it only improves with time.

Print it: Coconut Layer Cake

Non-Dairy Bette Le Mae

2010-02-15T13:00:00Z

If you've ever stayed at Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge you may have been lucky enough to have the dessert Bette Le Mae. And if you ever spent a summer working at Ruttger's, you can probably attribute at least a few pounds of weight gain to having Bette Le Mae on a regular basis. A delicious, dense, flourless chocolate cake - Bette is tough to pass up.

Last week when I was looking for a recipe to make for Sophie's birthday, nothing sounded appealing and I realized that what I really wanted was Bette Le Mae. I pulled out my Ruttger's cookbook and found the recipe, and decided that I'd give making a non-dairy version of this delicious dessert a try.

The result was delicious, although not quite as solid and dense as the dairy version. These differences might have also been because the recipe I used was slightly different the version I found on Ruttger's website. I'm not sure which recipe is currently in use at Ruttger's, but I'll definitely try it again. I'm pretty sure that I'll have plenty of taste-testing volunteers.

Print it: Non-Dairy Bette Le Mae
Print it: Ruttger's Original Bette Le Mae

Roasted Asparagus

2010-02-15T12:40:00Z

Sophie's favorite vegetable is asparagus, which is great except for the fact that its only in season here for a relatively short period of time, and that time does not fall around her birthday. Sometimes out of season vegetables can be really short of flavor or have a bad texture, and that is particularly true with asparagus. Regardless, I picked some up at the store and tried a new recipe. The result was delicious, tender and very easy.

I used a recipe for roasted asparagus by Ina Garten, and made just a few changes. I used only one pound instead of the two called for in the recipe, cut the roasting time down to 10 minutes, and let the asparagus sit (covered with foil) for 20 minutes while our other food finished in the oven. It turned out just fine and made it possible for me to use the oven for two dishes in one meal. I'll definitely try it this way again.

Print it: Roasted Asparagus

Brined Turkey

2010-02-07T21:16:00Z

For many, many years my friend Kathy has been trying to talk me into making a brined turkey. I was hesitant to do so because I already had a tried-and-true turkey recipe that I loved, and rarely make a whole turkey on any occasion other than Thanksgiving. Last year before Thanksgiving I purchased a turkey when they were practically giving them away, and decided to pull it out of the freezer last week - just the right occasion for trying the brining method.

Since its cold here, the garage gives me the perfect place to both thaw and brine the turkey. I researched a few brine recipes and decided to make up a simple version that would leave me with a well-seasoned, but basic sort of bird.

The resulting recipe and method produced the tastiest, moistest turkey I have ever had. It was so good that now I have a new/old standby recipe for turkey.

Print it: Brined Turkey

Venison Red Stag Cola Chili

2010-01-25T03:07:00Z

I woke up this morning with football on my mind. More specifically, I had FOOTBALL FOOD on my mind. After searching through the freezer and cupboards, I realized my best option for football food (without having to go to the store) was chili. However, I didn't have any beans, diced tomatoes, or ground beef. But I did have plenty of venison steak in the freezer, which I'd been trying to figure out a way to cook for quite some time.

Awhile ago someone recommended to me that I try cooking the venison steak in coke - that it added some sweetness and took away the gamey flavor responsible for its lack of popularity at our house. It sounded like a good idea, but maybe not quite enough. I wasn't sure if it would be good with the venison, but I know that its good with coke (and on its own) - and decided to marinate the venison in Red Stag Bourbon (its a cherry-flavored bourbon by Jim Beam, recommended by my brother) to add some extra flavor. To add deeper flavor to the sauce, I borrowed the caramelizing idea from French Onion soup. It seems like there are a lot of steps to this chili - but in reality it goes pretty quickly and doesn't require much actual effort.

The resulting chili was terrific - the flavor was great, and the meat was tender without being gamey. I'll definitely make this one again.

Print it: Venison Red Stag Cola Chili

French Onion Soup

2010-01-05T14:54:00Z

I really love French Onion soup, especially when its topped with a toasted slice of bread and a whole pile of melted gruyere. The bad part about making a non-dairy version is that there is no reasonable substitute for the goodness of gruyere. So, when making a non-dairy version of this soup, it usually lacks some of the richness I enjoy from the cheese-topped version.

I made a recipe yesterday that is so delicious and rich-tasting (thanks to the addition of some brandy) that I didn't even miss the melty-gruyere topping. Sure, I think it would be BETTER with some cheese, but it was darn good without it.

Side note for those who eat dairy: You can substitute butter for the non-dairy version in the recipe. And of course, you could also consider the addition of gruyere.

Print it: French Onion Soup

Caramel Apple Pie, or Love Potion No.9

2009-10-26T14:33:00Z

There are two good reasons to make this pie:
1. you have an abundance of apples
2. you are trying to make someone fall in love with you

This pie is delicious, and you should make it. You should also take care to really seal up the edges of the crust and maybe put a cookie sheet on the bottom rack, because if you don't - you may end up with a gooey, caramel mess on the bottom of your oven. If you take those simple precautions, you will be on the fast-track to winning hearts in no time.

Print it: Caramel Apple Pie

Pot Roast with Red Sauce

2009-10-26T02:31:00Z

I've made the turn from summer foods into winter comfort foods. Menus featuring grilled foods have been replaced with all things slow-cooked. My crock pot has again taken its place on the countertop. And tonight, we had our first pot roast of the season. Since Sophie is refusing to eat anything with onions, I decided to try a version that includes a mild tomato-based sauce. It was very easy to make, tender, moist, and really delicious.

The original recipe suggested serving it with squash and hominy. Although it sounded good, I decided to skip those options and instead served brown rice, corn, and red peppers (for those who wanted it - which meant mom and me). It was delicious, and a much lighter meal than a traditional gravy-based pot roast.

Print it: Pot Roast with Red Sauce

Whole Wheat Pizza with Pesto, Caramelized Onions, and Sundried Tomatoes

2009-10-26T02:05:00Z

Last Spring, my friend Jessy came to visit and brought me a few pizzas as a gift. I was so excited to eat them, I barely waited until she was out the door before I started warming the oven. For days after her visit, I daydreamed about the delicious pesto topping, the mixture of caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes, the rich goat cheese. I wanted more, and Moose & Sadie's, the restaurant where she works, is too far for me to just stop on in to get some. So, with the memory of delicious pizza firmly in my memory, I set out to recreate the pizza.

The Crust
I started out with a whole-wheat pizza recipe by Martha. It was very easy to make, and freezes well for use at a later time. I've tried the recipe twice - once with instant yeast, once with active yeast - both with great results. The crusts were just as great when made fresh as they were frozen. Its a great crust to have on hand.

The Sauce
I set out to make a pesto using primarily a dark, leafy green. I tried the recipe twice - once with kale, and the second time with spinach. I thought they were both good, but the kale version was my favorite. Using regular garlic in the sauce gave it a strong, spicy flavor - the version I made with garlic scapes was even better. I'll use those whenever I can find them. Since Sophie is allergic to dairy I left out the traditional parmesan. I'm not sure if she's allergic to pine nuts, so I left those out just in case.

The Toppings
Jessy's pizza featured caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese - so mine did too. I didn't quite get the temperature down right to keep everything coming out cooked properly, so on the second batch of pizzas I omitted the sundried tomatoes. It was still awfully good.

The Verdict
I think I came pretty close to the original, especially in making the crust and sauce non-dairy. If Sophie were to have this pizza, I would have made hers without the goat cheese. And that's the beauty of individual pizzas - each pizza can match the tastes of an individual. In reality - it didn't matter that I made this non-dairy because she didn't want to eat anything green, hates onions, and only wanted red sauce with black olives. That's just the way it goes.

Print it: Deep Green Pesto
Print it: Whole-Wheat Pizza Crust (by Martha Stewart)

You Say Tomato, I Say Sauce.

2009-09-15T02:28:00Z

My parents were recently going to be out of town for two weeks, right around the time that the tomatoes in my mom's garden were likely to ripen. "I'll keep an eye on the tomatoes" I told my mom. Every few days we went to the house and picked tomatoes - at first they could all fit in a basket, later we needed a bucket. That was okay by me - I had my new tomato press on hand, a canning pot that I'd purchased years ago at a family auction, and was armed with jars purchased at the fleet farm.

Fifty pounds of tomatoes later, I was thankful that the garden was as small as it was, and doubly-thankful that I wasn't planning on putting up a whole years worth of vegetables. Home-canned goods are delicious, but it is no small effort to prepare all of the food and do the actual canning. And that doesn't even count all the effort that goes into raising the vegetables (thanks momma!).

I made three kinds of sauce. The original is based on a recipe I found in a canning cookbook and turned out to be a touch spicy, meaning that my kids wouldn't eat it. And only seven jars of that on hand!

The next batch I skipped the crushed red pepper, omitted the onion and garlic, added some red wine. Then, when I made the third batch, I decided to go ahead and add some onion and garlic, but I'll pretend that it isn't in there if the kids ever ask.

For that last batch, I put half of the mild into jars then threw a handful of quartered green olives into each jar. Who knows how it will taste. My guess is tasty and salty. Well, for sure it will be salty.

I thought it was great fun making the sauce, and the kids are quite good at operating the tomato press. By the time we finished processing all fifty pounds of tomatoes, we were like a well-oiled machine. A machine that was covered in pulp and seed bits, but a machine none-the-less.

Chewy Choc-Oat-Chip Bars

2009-07-03T12:45:00Z

After a year and a half of making fancy-pants cupcakes, it turns out that what my kids really crave are oatmeal chocolate chip bars. If I could ignore the two sticks of non-dairy butter and the sugar and the chocolate chips, I guess one could call this a "healthy treat". Okay, not-so-healthy, but certainly delicious.

I found a great recipe on Quaker's website. As usual, I made a few changes:
- substituted non-dairy margarine for butter
- used vanilla soy milk instead of cow's milk
- added one bag of non-dairy chocolate chips instead of the 2 c. of the regular variety
- reduced the cooking time from 30-35 minutes down to 20-25

This recipe is delicious and I'll definitely make it again. In fact, I think I've made it three times this summer, and it's only the beginning of July.

Print it: Chewy Choc-Oat-Chip Bars

Wheat Berry, Roasted Corn and Spinach Salad

2009-07-01T11:51:00Z

A few weeks ago, I found a recipe for a salad using wheat berries and read that they are loaded with iron. I had never had wheat berries, but decided to give it a try. It contained a lot of our family favorites - corn, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and has an orange-honey flavored dressing - so I figured that maybe my family wouldn't totally notice the wheat berries if they spotted some of their favorites in the bowl.

My thoughts were too optimistic as far as my family is concerned. I thought it tasted great, but no one else would even eat it. Martin and Sophie wouldn't even try it. I was disappointed, especially since a little bit of wheat berries makes a really giant batch.

Not wanting to waste the salad, I started bringing it to work for lunch. There was so much of it, that I think I ate it for five days in a row. But the thing is, that as each day passed, I started to like it more. It was chewy, flavorful, and satisfying. I'll definitely make it again, but this time just for myself. Maybe if it is "forbidden" it will have a whole new appeal for the rest of my family.

I made the following changes to the recipe:
- This recipe is fine made ahead, and actually gets better each day.
- I doubled the dressing portion of the recipe.
- I used 2 green onions instead of the 1/4 c. called for
- I used 1/2 pint grape tomatoes instead of 1 c. cherry tomatoes
- I added a lot more spinach each day, placing a handful of spinach leaves at the bottom of a bowl and spooning the salad on top - I thought it really improved the salad.

Print it: Wheat Berry, Roasted Corn and Spinach Salad (from Betty Crocker)