Basic Marinara Sauce

 2 Tab. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tea. red pepper flakes

1 Tab. tomato paste

32 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 tea.+ Italian seasoning

salt

pepper


Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. When the pepper snaps and the garlic sizzles, add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Season as desired.

To this basic marinara, you can add cooked ground beef, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Crockpot Steel Cut Oatmeal

 

1 cup steel cut oats
6 cups water

Add steel cut oats and water to a 3qt crockpot on LOW before you go to bed. Ready in the morning (cooks about 8 hours).
Add your favorite oatmeal toppings.

OR,
1.5 cups steel cut oatmeal
1 15- oz. can full fat coconut milk
4.5 cups milk any kind will work
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of salt


  • First, spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Then, place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir.
    Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. If possible, stir every few hours to prevent sticking.
    Top with a pinch of cinnamon and your favorite toppings.
    al

Hot Cocoa Cream of Wheat

 Makes 2 servings


2 cups water

1/2 cup cream of wheat

1/4 tea. salt

1/4 cup milk

1 Tab. butter

4 Tab. hot cocoa mix

mini marshmallows


Bring water to a boil and stir in salt and cream of wheat. Turn down heat and cook until reaches desired consistency.

Turn off heat and add milk, butter and hot cocoa mix. Stir to combine and scoop into bowls. Garnish with marshmallow.

Breakfast Nachos

 

2 servings


5 eggs, scrambled

1/2 cup cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups tortilla chips

Any toppings you would like:

  • avocados
  • tomatoes
  • salsa
  • cilantro
  • sour cream
  • beans

Cornmeal Mush

 

    Bowl of Cornmeal Mush - Filling Frugal Breakfast
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup cold tap water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups hot tap water
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal and cold tap water.
  2. Meanwhile, in a 2 quart pan, combine the salt and hot water. Bring it to a boil over high heat.
  3. While the water is heating, add the cornmeal mixed with the cold water. Combining the cornmeal with cool water before adding it to the boiling water keeps the cornmeal from lumping up when it hits the hot water.
  4. When the water and cornmeal boil, reduce the heat to low.
  5. Allow the mush to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it is nicely thickened.

Breakfast Muffins

Basic Muffin Recipe

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

4 tea Baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup margarine, butter, shortening or oil

2 eggs

1 cup milk


Mix dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients. Stir until flour is moistened and ingredients blended. The batter will be lumpy. Fill lined or well greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 400F 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

You may add in all sort of things such as blueberries (fold in 2 cups at the last minute), maple (substitute 1 cup maple syrup for the milk) or any other desired flavorings and additions.


How to Make an Omelette

 For each omelette:

  • 2 large eggs

  • Pinch salt

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons grated cheese, any kind

  • Desired fillings
  • 2 tablespoons chopped herbs of your choice, optional


  1. Prep the eggs:

    Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add a small pinch of salt and beat the eggs with a fork until they are well combined.

  2. Melt the butter:

    In an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter.

  3. Add the eggs and cook the omelette:

    Add the eggs to the skillet and cook without stirring until the edges begin to set. With a silicone spatula, push the edges toward the center of the pan and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs move to the edge.

    Repeat until the eggs are somewhat set but still a little soft in the center, about 6 minutes.

  4. Fill the omelette:

    Place the cheese, other desired fillings, and herbs in a line down the center of the omelette and cook for about 1 minute longer, or until the eggs are mostly set but still a little soft in the center.

  5. Fold and plate the omelette:

    Slide the spatula around one side of the omelette at the edge to loosen it. Slip it under the eggs, and use it to carefully fold the omelette in half. Slide the spatula under the folded omelette to loosen it from the pan. Tilt the pan over a plate and use the spatula to nudge it onto the plate.

Brenda's Roast Beef

  DINNER/REGULAR/GFCF

Brenda's Roast Beef and Gravy



Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. Beef Roast
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 Tab. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tab. Corn starch
  • 2 tea. Gravy Magic
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Cooking Instructions

  1. Brown roast beef on both sides in a pot that you can use both on the top of the stove and in the oven.
  2. Salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Pour broth into pan and Worcestershire sauce on roast.
  4. Cover, and put in over at 350F for 1 hour.
  5. Take roast out of pan and let rest on a cutting board as you make the gravy.
  6. Add a little cold water to the cornstarch to make a slurry.
  7. Add to the juices in the p an. Put pan back on the stove top on medium heat and whisk until gravy is the desired consistency.
  8. Add Gravy Master and additional salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Take off burner and set aside.
  10. Slice beef into as thin slices as you can. 
  11. Add back to the pan with gravy.
  12. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

Saint Patrick's Day Instant Pot Corned Beef

 SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

Instant Pot Corned Beef


Makes 8 servings

PREP 20minutes mins
COOK 1hour hr., 36minutes mins
NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE 10minutes mins
TOTAL 2 hours hrs., 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 3 pound corned beef
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 12 ounces stout beer 
  • 1 large onion quartered
  • cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • pound small red potatoes halved 
  • 4 large carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 small head green cabbage cut into 6 wedges with core removed

Cooking Instructions
  1. Cook meat: Put the corned beef, beef broth, stout, onion, garlic, and bay leaves into the pressure cooking pot. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and set the timer for 90 minutes. Once done, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release to release any remaining pressure.
  2. Set aside roast: Remove the roast from the pressure cooking pot and transfer to a plate. Loosely cover the corned beef with aluminum foil until ready to serve. Scoop all of the solids out of the pot and discard, leaving only the broth.
  3. Cook potatoes: Add the potatoes to the cooking pot, cover, lock lid in place, and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Instant release pressure so you can open the lid, add the carrots and cabbage, and then cook on high pressure for 1-2 minutes (depends on how soft you like your carrots). Quick release pressure when done.
  4. To serve, arrange the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots on a platter. Slice the corned beef against the grain and add to the platter. Ladle the cooking liquid into a gravy boat and serve alongside the meal.

Christmas Eve Seven Fishes Stew

# source
The advantage of this savory brew is that it will welcome virtually any kind of shellfish or fish you find at the market. Squid, scallops, and chunks of firm white fish such as monkfish, halibut, bass, or whatever is fresh and local can be used instead of, or in addition to, the options below.*

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, stalks and fronds removed, thinly sliced
I onion, chopped
3 large shallots, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 large garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
5 cups fish stock
1 bay leaf
1 pound manila clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 pounds assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets such as halibut or salmon, cut into 2-inch chunks


Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

 


4 cups flour
2 cups buttermilk (or milked soured with 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar)
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 400 F. If you are using a baking stone, place on center rack to heat with oven.
If you do not have buttermilk and you will need to sour milk, add two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to just under two cups of milk and allow to sit for five minutes, while you prepare the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt (and sugar if you want to sweeten your bread)
Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1¾ cup of buttermilk or soured milk. (You may not need all two cups of milk, depending on your flour.)
Stir in buttermilk with a fork or spoon to create a sticky dough.
When the dough comes together, turn dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly - about three or four times.
Form a large ball and cut into two halves if you prefer smaller loaves.
Shape the loaves into round balls, slightly flattening the tops.
With a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the top of your loaves.
Place loaf or loaves on parchment lined baking sheet, or heated baking stone, or place large loaf in an oiled cast-iron pot or skillet.
Brush with buttermilk (and melted butter if you prefer.)
For a more traditional baking method, cover your cast iron pot or baking dish with a lid (another pan can serve as a lid to simulate the bastible pot) for the first 30 minutes and then remove for the last 15 minutes of baking time.
If you are making two smaller loaves, you will want to reduce your total baking time to about 35 minutes.
If you are not using a lid or foil for the first part of baking, after 25 or 30 minutes, check if your bread is getting two brown. You will probably want to tent with aluminum foil at that point.
Bread is ready when the center X looks baked through and a toothpick comes out clean. As well, you can tap the bottom of the loaf and it should sound hollow.
Cover with a tea towel, moistened with sprinkles of water, and allow to cool for at least ten minutes before breaking into your loaves.
Serve warm with salted butter and honey or whatever else your heart desires.

Deviled Eggs

 

12 eggs, hard boiled
6 Tab. Mayonnaise
1 Tab. Pickle juice or vinegar
1 Tab. Yellow mustard
1 tea. Pepper
2 tea. Salt
Paprika for garnish

Slice hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise.  Carefully scoop out yolks. Place whites on a plate and se aside. Mash yolks with a fork until no large lumps are left. Add rest of the ingredients, except Paprika and mix until blended. Spoon into the whites halves.  Sprinkle with Paprika.

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

 

in crockpot in upper left corner
5 lbs. Potatoes, golden, red or Russet, diced (You can peel or leave peels on -however you like them.)
1 cup water
1 cup margarine or butter
1 Tab. Salt
3/4 tea. Black Pepper
1 cup Almond Milk or regular milk, warmed

Put all ingredients except the milk in the Crockpot and cook on high 4 hours.

Add warmed milk to crockpot. Mash potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth. Do not remove water from crockpot before mixing. Put crockpot on warm or low setting to keep warm while serving.

Source: Flavorite

Crockpot Candied Sweet Potatoes



6-7 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tea. Vanilla extract
1 tea. Cinnamon
1/2 tea. Nutmeg
1 tea. Salt
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups mini marshmallows

Chopped candied pecans, optional
Spray the inside of the slow cooker. Place sliced sweet potatoes in slow cooker. Wisk together the rest of the ingredients, except the marshmallows and optional pecans. Pour over sweet potatoes. Cook on low 4-6 hours or on high 2-3 hours. Mash sweet potatoes with a hand mixer until smooth right in the Crockpot. Start on low to avoid potatoes coming out of the crockpot. Sprinkle Marshmallows on top. If your crockpot has a removable crock that is oven safe, remove crock and move to an oven on low broil setting. Keeping a close eye on the oven, broil until marshmallows are golden brown and toasty. Move back to the Crockpot base set on warm to serve. Sprinkle with candied Pecan pieces,  if desired, before serving.

Source: modified from recipe at Six Sisters Stuff

Cream of Brussels Sprout Soup

  This recipe comes from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups.


2 Tab. Butter
1 pound Brussels Sprouts, sliced into quarters
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
2 leeks or onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves
8 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
2 cups of milk or cream

Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the Brussels Sprouts, potatoes, onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the water and seasonings and cook slowly over low-medium heat for 40-45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Add milk and stir well. Blend the soup in a blender and serve hot.
If desired, cook separately some Brussels sprouts sliced into quarters to be used as a garnish on top of the soup.

Holiday Cookie Box

Basic Dough
6 2/3 sticks butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 room temperature extra large egg whites
6 1/2 cups All purpose flour
3 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Mix with mixer, adding the flour a little at a time. Divide in 5 equal portions. Roll out all but the piped Vanilla Cookies between two sheets of parchment paper and put in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Piped Vanilla Cookies
Leave dough as is and pipe onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles.

Linzer Cookies
1/2 cups almond flour
4 Tab. All purpose flour
1/2 tea. Almond extract
Jam of your choice

Cut out as circles. Cut a small cut-out, such as a little star, out of the center of half of them to show off the jam in the middle. Bake all of them. Assemble.

Spice Cookies
2 3/4 powdered Ginger
3 tsp. Cinnamon
1-2 tea. Cocoa powder
4 Tab. All purpose flour

Cut out into a shape and bake.

Sugar Cookies
5 Tab. All purpose flour
1/2 tea. Vanilla
Food Coloring
Chocolate Buttercream  the Filling for the Center:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Cut out as circles, or whatever shape you want. Top half with filling and assemble.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips at 15-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until chips are completely melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally).
Cream room temperature butter with an electric mixer. Stir in slightly cooled chocolate and beat well.
Gradually add sugar, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.
Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract, stir well.
Gradually add heavy cream, increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute, pausing halfway through to scrape down sides of the bowl.
Spread or pipe chocolate frosting onto the bottom of one completely cooled cookie. Sandwich with another cooled cookie and repeat until all cookies have been filled.

Chocolate Sugar
7 1/2 Tab. Cocoa Powder
1 Tab. Powdered Sugar
2 Tab. All purpose flour
Melted Chocolate for the center.

Cut out as any shape you want and drip or drizzle chocolate over the top.


Source with Video:  https://youtu.be/blKCLBWudZ0

Thanksgiving Pie

Source

Turkey: Turkey Pot Pie without Vegetables
Cranberry: Cranberry-Orange Relish Pie
Stuffing: Stuffing Pie
Mac and Cheese: Impossibly Easy Mac and Cheese Pie
Sweet Potato Casserole: in a pie shell
Green Bean Casserole: Green Bean Casserole Pie
Mashed Potatoes: Mashed Potato Pie
Dessert Pie: Any of your choice, pecan is pictured

Additional recipes can be found here: https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/11/my-all-pie-thanksgiving-fantasy.html

Turkey Pot Pie without Vegetables
Pastry
1  cup flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄3 cup shortening
1  tablespoon butter
1⁄4 cup  shredded cheddar cheese
2  tablespoons cold water
Filling
1  roasting chicken
1  celery rib
1  onion
9  tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
1⁄2 cup flour
12  ounces evaporated milk

 pepper

Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, butter and cheese till crumbs form. Add water and toss with a fork just until dough just forms a ball.
Turn onto lightly floured board. Press large chunks away with heel of hand. Gather and repeat. Shape into thick circle. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.

Cook onion and celery in 3 Tablespoons butter, until soft. Set aside.
Chop leftover turkey meat.
Melt remaining 6 Tablespoons butter. Add flour. Cook and stir until bubbly. Add broth and evaporated milk. Don't just dump all the liquids into the flour mixture--work in about 1/4 cup at a time until it is thinned out, and then you can increase how much liquid you can work in each time. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in turkey and celery and onion mixture. Put turkey filling in a round casserole dish.
Roll out dough, a little bigger than your dish so that you can have some dough to crimp. Place dough over turkey filling. Crimp edges.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 30-60 minutes or until crust is golden. If you check it and the edges of the pie are looking browned before the rest of it is ready, put foil over the edges -- just make like a long little tent and loosely attach over the edges.

Cranberry-Orange Relish Pie

Use whatever pie crust you prefer.

Filling:
1/3 cup orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind 1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine juice and cornstarch in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add remaining ingredients; stir well. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven); bake an additional 35 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Stuffing Pie

1 recipe Pie Dough, made with no sugar
1 batch of Classic Sage and Sausage Stuffing, cooled to room temperature
1 egg white
Coarse sea salt

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and adjust the oven rack to the center position. Roll bottom pie crust out and fit inside a 9-inch pie plate. Add stuffing to pie and press down to make sure any air bubbles are gone.

    Roll out top crust and seal pie. Whisk egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush top crust with egg white mixture and cut 3 to 5 holes for ventilation. Sprinkle sparingly with coarse sea salt. Place pie in oven and bake for 15 minutes until pale golden brown. Reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking until deep golden brown, about 45 minutes longer. Allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.

Impossibly Easy Mac and Cheese Pie

2 Pie crusts, from scratch, refrigerated or frozen
4 cups Dried Macaroni
1 whole Egg Beaten
1/4 cup 1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
1 pound Cheese, Grated
1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Cook macaroni until very firm. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly.
Pour in milk and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt if needed.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Pour into 2 pie crust, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.
Let cool 10-15 minutes

Sweet Potatoes Casserole Pie
5 cups cooked sweet potatoes mashed (about 5-6 medium sweet potatoes)
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons butter softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
For the Streusel Topping:
1 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
4 tablespoons butter softened
Pie shell

Preheat oven to 350º F. Scrub sweet potatoes and boil or bake in the oven until tender.
Cool, peel and mash the sweet potatoes. Stir in granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, milk and eggs, mix well. Pour mixture into a pie shell.

For the topping:
Mix brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter together and spread evenly over sweet potato mixture.
Cook for 30 minutes until topping has browned.

Green Bean Casserole Pie
1 (10 1/2ounce) can  cream of mushroom soup
1⁄2 cup  whole milk
 kosher  salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1⁄2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed, blanched, and dried
2  cups  French-fried onions, divided
1  store-bought  pie crusts
1  large egg, for egg wash
 flaky sea salt, for garnish, such as Maldon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together soup and milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in green beans and french fried onions.  Set aside.
Fit one pie crust into a 9” glass pie plate.  Pour green bean mixture into pie crust and press into an even layer.  Top with remaining french fried onions.

Bake 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes longer.  Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Mashed Potato Pie

1 recipe Pie Dough, made with no sugar
1 batch Mashed Potatoes, cooled to room temperature
1 cup Poultry Gravy
1 egg white
Coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 450°F and adjust the oven rack to the center position. Roll bottom pie crust out and fit inside a 9-inch pie plate. Add potato to bottom and spread into a smooth, even layer. Using a large spoon, make 5 indentations in the potatoes radially. Fill each indentation with gravy.

Roll out top crust and seal pie. Whisk egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush top crust with egg white mixture and cut 3 to 5 holes for ventilation. Sprinkle sparingly with coarse sea salt. Place pie in oven and bake for 15 minutes until pale golden brown. Reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking until deep golden brown and mixture is starting to bubble through the vents, about 45 minutes longer. Allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.