Traditional 1950s Dinner90% Lean Beef Meatloaf I Bake in Multiples to Freeze for LaterDelicious!Sauté Onion and GarlicUse White Bread Dried Out OvernightSlice Dried Bread Into Small Cubes4 Cups Dried Bread CubesHot Milk and Bread Mixed to a PasteAll the Ingredients Ready to Mix by HandMixing Technique Meatloaf Ready to Bake!
Sauté onion in butter and oil until tender but not browned. Add garlic and sauté 1/2 minute. Set aside
In a large bowl place beef and add onion mixture, salt, pepper and eggs.
Heat milk in a medium saucepan. Add bread cubes. Mix with a whisk until it becomes a paste. Add to the beef mix.
Use your clean hands to mix the meatloaf together
Divide mixture into 4 loaves on 2 shallow baking pans covered in parchment paper. Rinse hands in cold water to help pat each loaf into shape. This helps with the stickiness.
Drizzle ketchup over loaves making a pattern.
Bake at 350 degrees F about 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
This is my mom’s recipe which I’ve adapted. She would add a squirt of mustard and ketchup to the mixture. But I place ketchup on the top of the loaves and serve it also at the table to dip each bite into!
Tieghan has another delish recipe I love! She’s at Half Baked Harvest and this is hers! I added potato instead of flour and bumped up the spices! She calls it Lighter Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This reminds me of the Canadian Cheese Soup I have made. Sautéed veggies, broth thickened up and cheese added at the end! Comfort food!
Check out Tieghan’s blog! She is a powerhouse of talent!
A stick or immersion blender is essential to making this. Using a standard blender or food processor also works but is more tedious
Tender cauliflower, carrots, broccoli stems ready to purée Broccoli florets and spices added to purée Shredded Gouda and White Cheddar Left some tender broccoli whole after 2nd purée
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme or 2 tablespoons fresh
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups broth
1 head cauliflower, not too big, chopped
4 cups broccoli florets and their chopped crown stems. Don’t use the long stalks
2 bay leaves (Morton & Bassett is my favorite)
1/4 heaping teaspoon smoky paprika
1/4 heaping teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper
1 can lite coconut milk
2 cups hard cheddar like cheese, shredded plus more for serving. I like the sharp cheddar and also aged Gouda is super here too! Use a mix of cheeses if you have them
Directions
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven heat oil and butter. Add onion, thyme and carrots and sauté till tender
Add potatoes, broth, broccoli STEMS and cauliflower. Cover and simmer. When tender remove from heat. Purée with stick blender till smooth
Return soup to heat and add broccoli florets, bay leaves, cayenne, and smoky paprika. Simmer until broccoli is tender. Remove bay leaves and remove from heat. Use the stick blender to slightly mash up. Make sure to leave much of the broccoli in whole pieces
Return soup to heat. Add coconut milk and cheese; stir till melted. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
Top each bowl of soup with additional cheese and thyme
This is a very forgiving recipe. The quantities of ingredients don’t have to be exact. But I do love these seasonings! I’ve been using a fresher version of bay leaves rather than the brittle dry style and enjoy their taste and fragrance. Smoky paprika and cayenne are a must!! Add more broth if needed. I like Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base to make broth. Combine no more than 1 teaspoon base per cup of water
This 1950s recipe is one my mom made and has become my favorite cookie. It took me awhile to get the technique down and the recipe correct.
The thing to remember is that it’s a crisp cookie. If you make the cookie too large they will not be crisp. Use a ruler and roll the cookies into balls no bigger than 1/2 to 3/4 inches diameter. This will make a 2 inch cookie which is perfect for 2 or 3 bites of crisp gingery spicy cookie.
The spices you use makes a difference too. Use fresh spices for the best flavor! Have fun with this ginger snap like flavorful and aromatic cookie!
A couple things you need to know ahead of time. You’ll need 1/4 cup molasses. This is NOT dark corn syrup. Molasses is very flavorful and the brand I use is Grandma’s Molasses. Mostly because I can usually find it at most grocery stores
Also I like a lot of spice. If you don’t then add less spice. The original recipe is 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ginger and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Dry Ingredients Waiting to be Whisked Together Roll 1/2 to 3/4 inch balls of chilled dough between your hands and then roll in a small bowl of sugarSpace the balls on parchment about 2 inches apart Bake them for about 7 minutes at 375 degrees. They will puff up and then flatten while in the ovenCool the cookies on the baking sheets 10 minutes. Then place them on cooling racks
Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 heaping teaspoon ground ginger
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra sugar for rolling cookies
Directions
Place melted butter in a stand mixer bowl
Add sugar, molasses and egg
Beat well until light and fluffy
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt
Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture and mix until just combined. Don’t over beat
Chill dough several hours or overnight
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Place some sugar in a small bowl
Take a small teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball between your hands. Balls should measure 1/2 to 3/4 inches in diameter.
Roll the balls into the sugar. I do about 6 at a time in about 1/2 cup or so of sugar
Place balls on baking sheets covered with parchment. Bake about 7 minutes, depending if they are 1/2 inch across or more than 1 inch. You will see the cookies puff up and rise. Wait till they collapse flat before you take them out of the oven!!! But don’t let them get too brown. Take them out of the oven as soon after they all collapse flat
Cool on the baking sheet 10 minutes. Then transfer cookies to cooling racks till completely cold
Delicious Apple CakeThis cake is 1/2 apples!Love this moist apple cake!
Pardon Your French is a food blogger from France who has the most wonderful authentic recipes. This is a favorite!
The baking apples recommended are Jonagold, Braeburn, Matsu, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, Granny Smith
Ribboning the sugar and egg is an important step in this cake. Beat the eggs and sugar 5-10 minutes or until it falls like a ribbon from the raised beaters or whisk and is a light lemony color.
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 large baking apples or 3 small or a bit more (I used Honey Crisp)
3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons Cognac or dark rum
Confectionery Sugar
Creme Fraiche
Directions
Prepare an 8-9 inch springform pan by spreading 1/2 or 1 tablespoon butter on sides. Place a circle of parchment paper on bottom of pan. I used a 9 inch springform pan in my photos. Use an 8 inch pan if you’d like a taller cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Peel and cut apples into 1/2 inch pieces
Melt butter and cool slightly
In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt
In a large bowl beat together eggs and 3/4 cup sugar with electric beater until light yellow and a ribbon texture, 5-10 minutes.
Add vanilla and Cognac or rum. I prefer Cognac
Whisk in by hand 1/2 of flour mixture and then 1/2 of melted butter. Then add remaining flour and then remaining butter.
Fold in apples thoroughly. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth surface. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on top.
Bake 35-45 minutes or until light brown and an inserted knife comes our clean
Cool 15 minutes and carefully remove from pan
When completely cool, dust with confectionery sugar. Serve with creme fraiche
Voila!
Cover cake with a dome like lid or bowl to store. It’s a fragile cake and would stick to any plastic wrapping. If it lasts longer than 1 day, store in the frig
This is a New York Times recipe I found to be especially delicious. Store them in an enclosed container in the frig for a few days. One day I floated them on top of bowls of tomato soup. Another day I layered them over pasta with tomato sauce and Parmesan. To allow these tomatoes to shine I placed a layer of roasted tomatoes in a small glass baking dish and then topped them with shaved pecorino Romano and melted them a few minutes in the oven
Ingredients
Plum tomatoes, 1-4 pounds
Coarse salt
Small amount of sugar
1-4 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven 300 degrees F
Wash and dry tomatoes. Cut in half lengthwise
Toss in a bowl with olive oil
Place cut side up on a broiler pan or a rack over a baking sheet
Sprinkle with coarse salt
Sprinkle with a tiny bit of sugar
Bake 1-4 hours until slightly dry and starting to wrinkle.
Cool and store in an enclosed container in the frig
Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Tastes is a gold mine of recipes. This one in particular is easy and sooo flavorful! Fresh corn is essential!! Don’t use frozen or canned
Most of his recipes have their own seasoning mix. It gives the recipes a special zest and flavor I don’t find anywhere!
The soup takes an hour and a half or so to prepare. I use the Better than Bouillon Organic Roasted Chicken Base to make the stock
Fresh andouille is also a good thing. I order it from Jacob’s World Famous Andouille and Sausage. The link is here
A substitute for andouille is your favorite smoked pork sausage.
This makes 10 or so servings that are about 2 cups in size. It’s hearty and full of flavor but not heavy and fatty. There is no roux or added fat in preparing this soup. The only fat is from the andouille which is lean. We love it!!
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lightly packed dark brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons dried basil
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Other Ingredients
3 cups chopped onion, in all
3 cups seeded and chopped green peppers, in all
1 pound andouille, quartered lengthwise, then cut in 1/2 inch pieces
7 cups chicken stock, in all
7 cups fresh corn kernels, 6 ears
2 cups peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
Directions
In a small bowl combine seasoning mix
Heat a heavy 4 quart pot over high heat until very hot, about 3-4 minutes
Add 2 cups onions and 2 cups of the green peppers, the andouille, and 2 tablespoons of the seasoning mix
Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot often for 20 minutes. If necessary add a little of the stock to prevent burning
Turn heat to low and add the corn, tomatoes, flour, garlic, the remaining onion and green pepper, 4 cups of the stock and the remaining seasoning mix
Cook and scrape the bottom of the pot often for 40 minutes
Add the remaining stock, increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately
If you like, sprinkle some cayenne or paprika on the outer edge of each serving bowl for a fun visual touch as I did!
Pineapple Cole SlawPineapple could be cut up smaller than this
One of my favorite new summer salads to quickly make. And the quantities are forgiving. Add more Cole slaw if you like. Or more jalapeño!! For sure prepare it just before serving.
In a large bowl whisk together yogurt, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, brown sugar, orange zest, salt and pepper.
Add cabbage, green onion, cilantro, pineapple and jalapeño
Toss well and cover in frig till ready to serve. Don’t let it sit more than 2 hours for best presentation and crunchiness!
I made a huge amount of the Cole slaw marinadeVegetables added to marinade. I should have cut up pineapple in smaller pieces!Pineapple SlawEvery bite is delicious!
This is exactly Tieghan’s recipe except I doubled it. If you like salads saucey you can make more marinade. Omit the cilantro for those who have a sensitivity to it. Substitute parsley if you like
This recipe is from Half Baked Harvest, my favorite food blogger! It’s easy, simple and quick!
Make a marinade with pesto for the chicken. Skewer it with tomatoes. Grill. Serve on a platter with burrata, mini mozzarella balls and more pesto marinade. Tieghan serves it with grilled bread, but it’s also yummy on pasta!
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
8 ounces burrata or more
1 cup mini mozzarella balls or more
Directions
To make marinade in a small jar combine pesto, balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Cover and shake it up!
In a medium bowl combine half the marinade and the chicken. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well.
In another small bowl combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper
Thread the chicken and tomatoes on skewers. Grill over medium high heat till chicken is just done and tomatoes slightly char. Don’t over cook! Grill just a few minutes to the internal temperature of 160 degrees F. No higher!!
Break open the burrata onto a platter. Add mozzarella balls and then the chicken and tomatoes on or off the skewers. Drizzle remaining marinade over it all. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic if you want. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chili flakes. Top with torn basil leaves.
Serve with thick slices of grilled bread. Spread and pile the toppings on the bread or pasta
The New York Times has given me so many inspirational recipes and this is one of them! Quick and easy. I doubled the recipe to make leftovers for my kids to take to their homes. Making easy recipes my family likes encourages them to try something new too!
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup whole milk yogurt
2 cloves minced garlic or more
1 teaspoon dried oregano or more
1/2 teaspoon or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or more
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large lemon, ZEST AND JUICE
Directions
1. In a large bowl whisk together all ingredients except lemon juice and chicken.
2. Add chicken and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 3-24 hours
3. Remove from frig 30 minutes before grilling
4. Clean grill grates and coat them with a bit of oil. Grill on high to medium high heat until done or reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 6-8 minutes per side.
5. Place chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and pour lemon juice over all. Add chopped parsley and lemon wedges if you like
The secret is marinating the cucumbers and then adding the sour cream just before serving Don’t make extra to have leftover. It’s quick to make and is not as creamy and crisp the next day.
PardonYourFrench introduced me to this recipe. The herbs I use are dill and chives. I also use less sugar than she does. Any combination of fresh herbs work well.
Ingredients
1 large cucumber, partially peeled and sliced in half moons
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon good quality white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sliced chives
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon or more fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Place sliced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over them. Toss with your hands.
Cover with a plate and allow to drain in the sink 30 minutes
In a small bowl stir together sugar and vinegar. Add the pepper, shallot, chives and dill.
Rinse cucumbers under cold water and drain well. Wrap them in a towel to absorb the water
Place cucumbers in a bowl and toss in marinade. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Just before serving mix in sour cream or creme fraiche and sea salt
nina in the kitchen 