Shelly's Gingersnaps

Shelly's Gingersnaps

Cream together:
1 c brown sugar
3/4 c butter

Add, in this order:
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c molasses
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c flour

Roll heaping teaspoonfuls into balls, then roll them in white sugar.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 9 minutes at 375F.

These freeze well.

Butterscotch Brownies

2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 c packed brown sugar (I used the dark, coarser sugar)
2/3 c shortening, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c chocolate chips (optional)

Mix first four ingredients together.
Add sugar to shortening, eggs and vanilla in another bowl.
Add flour mixture to sugar mixture.
Spread in a greased 9x13-inch pan. The batter is thick but you'll spread it thin to fit the pan.
Sprinkle with nuts and chips. Press them down a wee bit so they stick.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Cool in the pan and cut into squares or bars.

These are nice and chewy and quite fabulous! You don't need the chocolate chips at all.

One-Pan Mexican Scramble

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 cup quinoa (I used bulgur wheat)
• 1 cup vegetable broth (I used a cup of water with a tablespoon of miso paste)
• 1 540-ml can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime (I used 2 tbsp)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
3. Serve immediately.

I like spicy, flavourful but not hot food, so I should've removed the seeds from the jalapeno pepper. I forgot the cumin, and didn't have an avocado. But this was still delicious and I will be making it again! I served it up with a couple spoonsful of sour cream to alleviate the burning on my tongue.

Jalepeno and garlic

Ingredients ready to go into the pan

Original recipe: http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/

Wild Rice Salad

2 c wild rice (can use pearl barley or wheat berries instead)
1/2 c diced dried apricots
1/2 c diced dried apple
1/3 c raisins or currants
1/4 c golden raisins

Dressing:
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh mint

In large pot of boiling water, cook rice until tender, usually about an hour. Drain well and put into a large bowl with the fruit and berries.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients and add to the rice mixture. Cool, then cover and refrigerate till chilled, about four hours. (You can make it ahead up to 24 hours.).
To serve, add mint and toss.

The original recipe came from Canadian Living magazine.

Killer Marinated Tomatoes

3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 and 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 and 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 c canola or olive oil
1/2 c red wine vinegar
6 green onions, chopped
6 tomatoes cut into wedges (can also use halved cherry tomatoes)

Whisk together all except tomatoes, then add them and toss. Marinate in glass bowl at room temperature for two hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with big hunks of bread to soak up the delicious marinade.

Original recipe: www.piarecipes.com

Soda Crackers

4 and 1/2 c flour (I used half whole wheat and half white)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c cold butter
1 and 1/2 c water
coarse or kosher salt (optional)
1/4 c sesame seeds
1/4 c finely chopped onions

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter.
Add water, stir just till mixed, and knead on lightly floured board about three minutes.
Divide into four and roll each piece on a floured board to 1/8-inch thickness.
Sprinkle lightly with the coarse salt and press it gently, just a tad, with flat hands or the rolling pin, into the dough.
Cut into 2-inch squares and place a half-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Prick several times with a fork.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or till lightly browned.

I'm not absolutely crazy about these but haven't found a recipe I like better, and with the onions and sesame seeds they are tasty enough. The recipe does make quite a few and you might prefer to halve the ingredients the first time you try it.

Parmesan Baked Potatoes

This was posted on Facebook and when I made these for company one night, we loved them and our guests called back several days later for the recipe.

   6 potatoes, halved lengthwise

  1/4 cup butter

   Grated Parmesan cheese

  Garlic powder

  Other seasonings (I used onion powder and chili powder, but the sky's the limit here)

        While preheating your oven to 400F, melt butter in a 9x13-inch pan. Remove the pan from the oven and spread the butter evenly across the bottom. Generously sprinkle parmesan cheese and lightly sprinkle other seasonings over the butter. Place potato halves face down on the butter and seasonings.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the pan, otherwise the parmesan crust won't stick to the potato.

Serve with a side of sour cream or ranch dressing for dipping.

* Original recipe found at http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/parmesan-baked-potato-halves/

Meatballs

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup onions, chopped small
1/2 cup crushed soda crackers
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 eggs
several dashes of Worcestershire sauce

The original recipe didn't call for the pork, just a lb of beef, but we had both and find them a great blend. The original recipe also called for bread crumbs instead of crackers, and didn't include the Worchestershire sauce, which is Scott's secret ingredient.

I baked them at 400F for 25 minutes.

When the meatballs are made of lean ground beef alone, I sometimes skip the oven (and the extra pan to wash) and throw them directly into the hot soup or stew and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

All-In-One Macaroni

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tb cooking oil

Brown first three in cooking oil.

Add:

14 oz can mashed tomatoes (I usually use a can of diced instead)
1 and 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
2 cups elbow macaroni (any noodle will do)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp granulated sugar (optional)

Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally till pasta is tender but firm, about 15 minutes.

I make this often and usually double it so we can have leftovers.

* From Jean Paré's Company's Coming Pasta cookbook