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Bountiful Baskets – 12/3/2011

3 Dec

This week I got the conventional basket, the Mexican veggie pack, and the tortilla pack.

The conventional basket had butter lettuce, broccoli, radishes, tomatoes, yellow onion, green peppers, kiwi, oranges, pears, blackberries, apples, and a pineapple.

The Mexican veggie pack had cilantro, green onions, Mexican squash, green chiles, tomatillos, limes, jalapenos, avocados, yellow onion, and garlic.

The tortilla pack had 2 dozen small corn, 2 dozen small flour, and 3 dozen large flour tortillas.

I am going to make Broccoli Cheese soup with the broccoli today.  I will most likely make enchiladas, possibly 2 kinds, one with red sauce and one with green sauce.  With the avocados, I will probably make Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce and Guacamole.  I still actually have some green chiles in the freezer, so I might thaw and use those, then the ones I got today I will roast in the broiler, dice, and freeze.  I may make some Salsa Roja as well.  Can’t wait to cook and eat it all!

Note: The type and amount of food may vary from another basket because of geographic location and because of variances in how the ends of produce cases are distributed after everything has been distributed evenly.

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Yellow Squash Fritters

30 Nov

Yum, yum, yum!  I had gotten a lot of yellow squash from Bountiful Baskets, and was trying to come up with ways to use all of it.  I have made these Zucchini Fritters before, so figured I could do it with yellow squash too, but I didn’t have feta cheese.  Then, I came across this recipe for Zucchini Cakes, using Parmesan cheese and Panko bread crumbs, so decided to give it a try.  I was very pleased with the results, and will be making this again!

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Mini Mac-and-Cheese Cakes

29 Nov

I was flipping through the magazine from the Taste of Home Cooking School show I went to when I came across this recipe.  I have been meaning to start working on the recipes in this magazine, but haven’t had time yet.  This was a great one to start with.  The original recipe is from the Chex cereal website (Chex is a sponsor of the Taste of Home Cooking School), and their version is gluten-free:

Gluten-Free Mini Mac-and-Cheese Cakes

Now, I cheated and used a box of mac-and-cheese dinner to make these.  While I used just regular mac-and-cheese, I know there is boxed gluten-free mac-and-cheese, so you can do my “cheat” too and still have these be gluten-free.  I found that 1 box made about 4 cups of prepared mac-and-cheese, so you could double the other ingredients and get 24 cakes instead of 12.  Or, if you have some mac-and-cheese leftover, it would be perfect to use up by making these.

Also, these stay together pretty well, so if you need something for a meal on the go, this would probably work!  Cook them before you have to leave, let them cool a little, then eat them in the car or at your destination.

 

Mini Mac-and-Cheese Cakes

What you need:

2 cups mac-and-cheese dinner, made according to the directions on the box
1 egg, beaten
3 cups Corn Chex cereal, finely crushed
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

How to make it:

Move oven rack to the lower third of your oven and pre-heat the oven to 350 F.  Mix together the mac-and-cheese and beaten egg, set aside.  In separate bowl, mix together the crushed Chex cereal, melted butter, and 1 cup of the shredded Cheddar cheese.  Grease a regular size 12 cup muffin pan.  Divide cereal mixture into each muffin cup, and press lightly into the bottom and up the sides.  Spoon the mac-and-cheese mixture into each muffin cup.  Top each with the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan.

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Cookie Brownies

29 Nov

 

I found this recipe on the back of a pouch of Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix a while back.  It mixes two of my favorite desserts, cookies and brownies.  Now, I normally use chocolate chip cookies with these, but this time, I made them with peanut butter cookies.  Equally good!  When I make these, I usually use boxed mixes to make it go faster.  But, if you wanted, you could use a recipe from scratch, you just need to have enough brownie batter for a 13×9 pan, cookie dough to make 2 dozen cookies, and frosting for the top.

 

Cookie Brownies

What you need:

1 box brownie mix with enough for a 13×9 pan, preferably a type with frosting included, and ingredients listed on box
1 pouch cookie mix and ingredients listed on pouch
1 can frosting (if your brownie mix didn’t have frosting)

How to make it:

Prepare brownie batter according to the box.  Prepare cookie dough according to the pouch.  Grease the bottom of the 13×9 pan and pour in brownie batter.  Divide cookie into 24 balls and press into brownie batter.  (I miscounted the cookie dough balls in the picture below, oops!)

 

Bake in a 350 F oven for 35 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the edge comes out clean.  Allow to cool, then frost.

Biscuit Waffles

28 Nov

This past weekend, my friend Diana posted a picture of a can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls that she had cooked on her waffle maker, then put the icing on top.  They looked like this.

Yum, right?!?  She just put the cinnamon roll dough on her waffle maker, 2 at a time, and each set cooked about 2 minutes each.  Big time savings over using the oven!  Plus, this is a fun presentation as waffles.  My kids love waffles!  So, I had to give this a try.  I only had regular Grands biscuits on hand, so I decided to use those.

First, I put 4 whole biscuits on the waffle maker.

They were way too big on my waffle maker and didn’t cook very evenly.  But, it was like a full size waffle in the end.

So, then I decided to cut each Grands biscuit in half, reshape into a circle, and put on the waffle maker.

This was perfect.  My waffle maker doesn’t lock down, so I did have to hold it down while the biscuits expanded during cooking.  These took only about 5 minutes before they were done.

They tasted like biscuits more than waffles to me, but I like it more for the presentation.  With them this size, they would be perfect to add a round breakfast sausage patty, and maybe some eggs and cheese to make a breakfast sandwich.  I didn’t have any sausage, but I am thinking about picking some up at the store to try it out another time.

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Breakfast Omelette Muffins

28 Nov

My friend Mhairi posted a recipe on Facebook she had gotten from MOMables, and I decided I needed to give it a try.  They called them Breakfast Cupcakes, but I think Omelette Muffins is a better description.  It is pretty egg-y, like an omelette, but the Bisquick makes it more like a biscuit or muffin.  You can make up a bunch of these ahead of time, then freeze and reheat when you need them.  Plus, there are a lot of possibilities on what to have in these.  I chose mozzarella, turkey bacon, and spinach, because that’s what I had on hand, but swiss cheese would have been perfect with these too.  Or, cheddar cheese, ham, and broccoli would be a good combination too.  Or pepper jack, sausage, and green pepper and onions.  Green onion would be a tasty addition.  In mine, I added in garlic powder, although next time I think I would use garlic salt, and rosemary.  I think black pepper would be a great addition too.  For the ingredients listed below, I got 18 muffins.

Breakfast Omelette Muffins

What you need:

9 eggs
5 Tbsp milk
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice, cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, pepper jack
1/2 cup meat of your choice, diced ham, crumbled bacon, turkey, crumbled sausage, etc.
1/2 cup diced veggies of choice, broccoli, spinach, etc.
3/4 cup Bisquick mix
Optional seasoning ideas, use all or a combination:
– 1/2 tsp garlic salt
– 1/2 tsp rosemary
– 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

How to make it:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F. Grease a regular sized muffin pan (or use liners).  In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, and Bisquick mix.  Then add cheese and toppings and mix well.  Pour into the muffin pan, filling up about 3/4 of the way.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

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Apple Crisp

26 Nov

When I get a lot of apples from Bountiful Baskets and I can sneak some away from my girls, I love to make Apple Crisp.  I actually hadn’t made it before last year, so I didn’t have a recipe.  Thankfully, after reaching out to friends for a recipe,  I got one that was exactly what I as looking for.  Thank you to Joshua W. for sharing your grandmother’s Apple Crisp recipe.  I love it, and everyone I’ve made it for or who has made it as well, loves it too.  Next time we get apples in Bountiful Baskets, a friend and I will be working on a gluten-free version of this, which, if we get it to work, I will share as well.

Apple Crisp

What you need:

Filling:
4 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples (I’ve used Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Macs, Cortlands, many varieties or a combination of varieties works)
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons water or lemon juice

Topping:
1/3 cup margarine or butter (cold, not melted)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup quick oatmeal
Note: I sometimes like more crumble on top, so I will double the topping ingredients.

How to make it:

Combine the ingredients for the filling and place in a 8×8 or 7×11 baking pan.

Cream together the butter and flour for the topping.  Mix in the brown sugar and oatmeal and form “crumbs” with your fingers. Spread over the apple mixture.

Bake at 325 F for 30-40 minutes.  Let cool slightly, and serve warm. Or it tastes great cold from the fridge the next day too…if it lasts that long!

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Creamy Turkey Vegetable Pasta Casserole

25 Nov

I always buy a much bigger turkey than I need for Thanksgiving.  There are usually some good deals to be found on them, so it’s a good opportunity to get a larger one than needed and use the leftovers for other dishes or to freeze for another time.  With mine, I was envisioning some kind of casserole bake with turkey, pasta, and vegetables, namely, California blend vegetables, which are broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.  Of course, I couldn’t find an exact recipe of what I wanted, so I read a bunch of similar recipes and came up with this.  Experimenting is a tough thing to do, you never know how it will turn out.  But, if you know what kind of things you like to eat, and do some reading about how you would like to approach a dish, your results will most likely come out good.  If not, there is always pizza delivery!

Creamy Turkey Vegetable Pasta Casserole

What you need:

1 pound pasta, like rotini or fusilli
1 16 oz package frozen California blend vegetables, thawed
2 cups cooked turkey, shredded (could also use cooked chicken)
2 10 3/4 oz cans of cream of chicken soup (could also use cream of mushroom)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
1/2 cup bread crumbs

How to make it:

Cook pasta al dente according to the directions on the box.  Meanwhile, in another large pot, add vegetables, turkey, soup, milk, and Italian seasoning blend.  Heat on medium-low heat until well blended.  Pour over pasta and mix well.  Grease a 13×9 casserole dish and pour in pasta mixture.  Spread evenly.  Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for 5 minutes longer, or until casserole is bubbling.

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Sweet Potato Pie

24 Nov

I have gotten a TON of sweet potatoes from Bountiful Baskets in the last month.  They do have a nice, long shelf life, thankfully, so they haven’t gone bad.  But, for some reason, I struggle with a lot of sweet potatoes.  I like sweet potatoes, it’s just that after sweet potato fries a couple of times, I struggle with what else to make.  I have thought about making a cake with them, but then it takes time to bake them to mash, plus the time to bake the cake.  Well, I have time today, so I’m finally making a Sweet Potato Pie with some of them.  I had never had Sweet Potato Pie until I met my husband 9 years ago.  He had it at one of duty stations, and requested that I make it for the first Thanksgiving we got to spend together.

Sweet Potato Pie

What you need:

1 pound sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

How to make it:
Prepare the sweet potatoes 1 of 2 ways:
– Wash sweet potatoes and pat dry.  Boil sweet potatoes, whole, in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
– Wash sweet potatoes and pat dry.  Pierce skin with a fork, and bake at 450 F for 40-50 minutes, or until soft.  Cut potatoes in half and scoop out flesh with a spoon.  Discard skins.
Mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with a mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into the unbaked pie crust.
Bake at 350 F for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

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Bread & Celery Dressing

24 Nov

I admit, I love Stove Top stuffing.  My kids do too.  And it’s quick and easy.  But, occasionally, I like to make it from scratch, not from a box.  Now, I have made it the last 3 years for our Thanksgiving meal, but haven’t seemed to get it just right.  This year, I made it exactly how my husband and I like it.  I used the 9 grain bread from Bountiful Baskets for the bread cubes, celery that I had blanched and frozen, and an onion I got recently in a basket.  This turned out not too soggy, not too dry, just right.

Bread & Celery Dressing

What you need:

1 loaf of bread
3/4 cup butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 egg, beaten

How to make it:

Cut bread into cubes and let air dry 1-2 hours.

Melt butter in a large pot.  Add celery and onion until it becomes soft.  Add poultry seasoning and mix well.  Stir in the bread cubes until they are moistened evenly.  Pour in egg and chicken broth., and gently stir until coated evenly.  Grease a 9×13 baking dish and evenly spread the dressing mixture into the dish.   Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes.

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