Herb Roasted Vegetables

My Rating: *****

Ingredients
* 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
* 2 carrots, cut into chunks
* 1 parsnip, chunked
* 1 red onion, quartered
* 1 tbs olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tsp dried herbs (marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary and oregano)
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp pepper

Preparation
Fill a 13x9x2 baking dish with the chopped vegetables. Combine the oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and drizzle over top. Cover pan with foil and bake at 425F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and stir. Bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes.

~Pythorium

My Variations:
I used what vegetables I had: cucumber, green pepper, onion, baking potato, celery, tomato
I used what dried (not fresh - my basil isn't nearly ready to be used!) herbs I had: Italian Seasoning & Sage (& salt & pepper)
I'm pretty sure I used about 2-3 tbsp of olive oil, as well as originally spraying a light coat of Pam over the veggies
I didn't combine everything beforehand, I just threw the seasonings on after the oil

Notes:
It turned out quite delicious, despite my extreme variations *LOL*. I wasn't sure how well the cucumbers would be in this dish, but I tried it anyway, & with success!! I figured squash would be better suited but I'm not very fond of it and, well, cucumbers look close enough *hahaha*. I'm quite pleased with the result, & I have another serving in the fridge for later :)

Sun Tea

My Rating: *****

1 large jar with a very tight fitting lid
cold water
2 tea bags for each quart of water
1 orange, unpeeled, well washed, and cut into small pieces
1/2 lemon, unpeeled, well washed, and cut into small pieces
Fill the jar with water. Add the orange, the lemon, and the tea bags. Place in full sunlight for two hours. Refrigerate immediately. Serve over ice.

~Crystal Forest

My Variations:
Didn't use an orange
Added about 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp sugar (for 2 qts.)
Didn't have in full sun the entire time

Notes:
Should be set out long before 6:30pm in order for the tea to get the sun necessary. But it turned out delicious anyway!!!! :D :D

Cucumber Salad

My Rating: ***

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon chopped chives
3 small cucumbers, thinly sliced

Combine the sour cream, parsley, vinegar, sugar, and chives.
Gently fold in cucumbers.
Cover and chill.

~Crystal Forest

My Variations:
I eyeballed the sour cream - just enough to cover the cukes :)
Didn't have any parsley - used Italian Seasoning instead *hehe*
Added vinegar until it was vinegar-y enough for my taste
Didn't have any chives, so I chopped up some onion ever-so-finely

Notes:
It's not the best thing ever, but it's not terrible *LOL*. My Aunt used to make this stuff every year for NYE, & it was a billion times better. I think she may have added some citrus & dill to it, but I'm not sure.

Mulligatawny Soup

My Rating: *****

3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
2 Stalks celery, sliced thinly
3 Carrots, diced
1 1/2 Tablespoons Curry powder
2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour
5 cups Chicken stock
2 Tablespoons Long grain white rice
2 Tomatoes; peeled & chopped
8 ounces Chicken; cooked & diced
1 small Apple; cooked, peeled, cored & diced
Salt to taste
Fresh celery leaves

Heat butter and oil in a saucepan. Add onion, celery and carrots; cook gently 5 minutes. Stir in Curry Powder and flour and cook 1 minute. Stir in stock and bring to a boil; add rice and stir well. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, chicken, apple and salt. Cover again and simmer 15 minutes. Garnish with celery leaves and carrot strip, if desired, and serve hot.


My Variations:
I cut all of the ingredients down in size. (Ex: I used 3 pieces of skinless chicken breast, 1 can of broth, etc.)
Used olive oil instead of vegetable oil.
Didn't add curry or flour.
Use potatoes instead of tomatoes.
Put in a broken up leaf of basil from my plant.
I started cooking the potatoes when I put in the onion, celery & carrots.
When I added the chicken & apple, I also added some mushroom slices.

Notes:
I should've used more chicken broth, because I had to add quite a bit of water.
I could've added more basil, because I couldn't really taste it at all.
When eating it, and you come across a piece of apple, it's definitely a little startling. But, because the apple had been cooked, it has a gentle flavor and adds to the mix quite well! : )
As I was cutting the vegetables, I put all of the odds n ends (onion ends, wilting basil leaves, celery leaves, etc.) in a separate pot with water, to try & boil it into a veggie broth - which also came out pretty good : ) I'd heard that doing this & then using the broth to sautee certain foods in the place of oil adds a wonderful extra touch to the foods, and is way healthier for ya.

Churro Chunks

My Rating: ****

INGREDIENTS

* 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 eggs
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a heavy deep skillet or deep-fryer, heat oil to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat water and margarine to a rolling boil. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the boiling mixture. Reduce heat to low and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and beat in the eggs one at a time. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
3. Carefully squeeze out 4 inch long strips of dough directly into the hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from hot oil to drain on paper towels. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon; roll churros in the mixture while still hot.

My Variations:
I used canola oil & butter.
I didn't have a thermometer to measure how hot the oil was, so I just assumed it was ready to fry stuff in when it started making noise, hehe. I kept the burner on medium-high.
I used a Ziploc bag with a cut in one of the corners instead of a pastry bag.

Notes:
The dough definitely didn't turn into a ball in the saucepan. Just a smooth mixture.
They tasted a bit too eggy.
They came out of the bag in chunks instead of a controllable amount at a time, which would've caused actual churro-looking things. Instead, we have churro chunks.

(Birthday) Lasagna

My Rating: *****

12 ounces extra-lean ground beef or ground round
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 26-ounce jar roasted-tomato pasta sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce)
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons shredded fresh basil
1 15-ounce container low-fat ricotta
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
12 cooked lasagna noodles
1 8-ounce package 2 percent milk mozzarella, shredded
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided

Cook the beef in a large saucepan over medium heat, breaking into small pieces, for about 5 minutes or until no pink meat remains. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the pasta sauce, tomatoes, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of the basil. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° F. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 2 tablespoons of the basil, the egg, and the crushed red pepper. Place 3/4 cup of the pasta-sauce mixture in the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Top with 3 cooked noodles, then spread a third of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella and top with 3/4 cup of the pasta-sauce mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with 3/4 cup of the pasta-sauce mixture and the final 3 noodles. Spread the remaining sauce on top, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes; uncover and bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining basil.
Yield: Makes 9 servings


Notes:
The top noodle ended up a little overcooked, but otherwise it was delicious!!

(Easy) Beef Stroganoff

My Rating: ****

1 12-ounce package egg noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 4- to 4.5-ounce can or jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
2 10-ounce packages fully cooked beef strips
1 8-ounce container sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons steak sauce

Cook the noodles according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper (if using) and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until warmed through, about 8 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and steak sauce and stir the mixture into the beef and mushrooms. Divide the drained noodles among individual plates and top with the stroganoff.

Yield: Makes 4 servings


My Variations
I used fresh sliced mushrooms instead of canned.
So, I added the mushrooms at the same time as the onion, to make sure they would cook thoroughly.
I also used freshly cooked "stir-fry" cut steak.
I doubled the amount of sour cream & steak sauce, Nick's suggestion.

Notes
This wasn't my favorite dish. I think there was probably just too much sauce.
Otherwise it was alright.

Sage & Onion Roast Potatoes

My Rating: *****

4 teaspoons of dried sage or 8 teaspoons of freshly chopped sage
4 tablespoons of sunflower oil
1 finely chopped onion
4 tablespoons of medium oatmeal
Potatoes, peeled and cut to desired size (this coating is enough for about 4 or 5 lbs/2 or 3 kilos.)
salt to taste

Par boil the potatoes then just when they are beginning to soften remove from heat and drain. Place in baking tray and rub the coating all over them (careful!) - roast in a hot oven until nice and crispy (30 minutes plus). You might want to baste with a little more oil half way through for extra crispiness!

My Variations
Well, I loved how this recipe didn't specify a temperature to set the oven at. So, I varied it between 350*-400*.
I forgot to salt them.
I definitely wasn't about to add oatmeal. (I hate oatmeal.)
I used thickly sliced onion rings instead of finely chopped.
I used olive oil instead of sunflower oil.
I didn't measure any ingredients - I just added sage to the oil until it practically turned black when I whisked it together.
I basted about 3 times total.
I overboiled the potatoes on accident.

Notes
I'd never cooked with sage before, and it was delicious.
Most of the onions burned, but those that weren't were a fine addition when eaten with the potatoes.
They definitely could have used some salt & pepper, though.

Wassail

My Rating: ****

4 cups cranberry juice
6 cinnamon sticks
5 cups apple cider
1 orange, studded with whole cloves
1 cup water
1 apple, cored and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix juice, cider, and water in large saucepan or crock pot. Add cinnamon sticks, clove studded orange, and apple slices. Simmer mixture for 4 hours. Serve hot. Makes 12 servings.

My Variations
I only cooked it for about an hour.

Notes
It was very delicious, but hard to drink most of. The vast majority of it is now in the fridge. The essence of cinnamon is a little too strong to drink more than, like, a half a cup.
Perhaps next time, we don't need to use as much cinnamon.
And, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to pry the orange slices apart, so I just split it in half and studded it with the cloves as seen below.

"Rooster Doody"

AKA CHRISTMAS WREATH

Our Rating: *****

6 c. plain cornflakes
1/3 c. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (40 lg.) marshmallows
Green food coloring
Red cinnamon candies

Line round dish with wax paper and set aside.

Melt butter in large non-stick pot. Add marshmallows and stir over medium heat until all are melted. Working quickly, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and enough food coloring to make pretty shade of green. Stir in cornflakes with wooden or teflon spoon to coat most of the cornflakes. This hardens quickly, so work quickly.

Spread butter over fingers. Spoon out large scoop of hot mix and use buttered fingers to scrape off the spoon onto wax paper. Overlap each spoonful slightly forming a wreath until all mix is used up. Wash hands and soak pot and spoons. Put candies 3 at a time in several places to resemble holly berries. Cover with waxed paper to keep from drying out.

An artificial red bow can be placed on top. The wreath is not only a nice centerpiece for your holiday table but is edible too.

Our Variations
We didn't use green food coloring, cuz it was too expensive.
Since we didn't use the food coloring, there wasn't much need to make a wreath.

Notes
We improvised the name based on our version of this recipe- since we just made snack-sized balls, and because of the rooster on the front of the box, we just named this snack "Rooster Doodys". Hehehe.
I personally don't like Rice Krispies Treats, so I figured I wouldn't like this either- but, surprisingly, I do.

Baby Burgers on Baguettes

My Rating: ***

Little bitty burgers that are perfect for party snacks!"
Original recipe yield: 24 mini burgers
PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 30 Min

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
* 1 pinch mesquite seasoning
* 1 French baguette, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
* 6 leaves romaine lettuce
* 12 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place in the preheated oven, and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool.
2. Season the ground beef with mesquite seasoning, and mix lightly. Form tablespoonfuls of dough into mini burger patties. Season the patties with a little salt and pepper.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until browned and well done.
4. Place baguette slices on a large serving tray, and top each one with a piece of romaine leaf. Then place a mini burger on each one, and top with tomato slices. Apply ketchup and mustard before serving, or allow your guests to dress their own burgers.


My Variations
We didn't bake the baguette slices
We ran out of baguette, so we also used dinner rolls, cut in 4 & sliced in half
I used (my favorite) McCormick's Broiled Steak Seasoning Salt, instead of mesquite seasoning
I also added sliced, sauteed mushrooms onto my burgers

Notes
The dinner rolls turned out quite well, but were a little too bulky for my taste
The crust on the baguettes made them a little difficult to eat
Could've used full-sized tomatoes, instead of cherry tomatoes