Greek Salad

1 1/3 c water
2/3 c quinoa
1 c cucumber, diced
1/2 c red or green pepper, chopped
1/2 c olives
feta cheese
1/2 c chopped red onion
3 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 t oregano
pepper to taste


Cook the quinoa in the water until done and the water is absorbed.  About 5 minutes.  Cool.
Mix with the rest of the ingredients and chill before serving.

This also works with some vinegar in the dressing and tomatoes and garlic.

Lasagna, Judy's kind

15 lasagna noodles, don't need to be cooked
sauce=1 package of spaghetti seasoning, 3 oz cans of tomato sauce, 3 cans water, 1 can cream of mushroom soup and grated cheese as desired)
1 pound lean ground beef cooked with some chopped onion and drained

In a 9x13 pan layer sauce, noodles, meat, sauce, noodles, meat, sauce, noodles, meat, sauce

Top with grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Mexican Salad

Mexican Salad

from my mom, Judy Gundersen

lettuce
radishes
cucumbers
tomatoes
grated cheese


Make salad in desired amounts from above.

When ready to serve, add taco flavored Doritos crushed up.

And dressing:

Catalina dressing with a can of red kidney beans (drained) and chopped green onions.  Make this ahead and let it sit in the fridge for awhile.

This is the famous, "I want more after this" salad.

Hawaiian Haystacks

1 bag chow mein noodles
2 c cooked rice
2-3 pounds of chicken, cooked and shredded
8 tomatoes diced
1 c chopped onion or green onions
2 stalks celery, diced
8 oz slivered almonds
1 pound shredded cheddar cheese
1 c shredded coconut
2 cans tidbit pineapple
4 cans cream of chicken soup, diluted as directed and heated


Serve as a buffet!  Let people layer and enjoy.

Fried Rice

3 cups rice, cooked and cold
3 beaten eggs
3 green onions chopped
6 large mushrooms, diced
pepper
salt
1/2 c ham or bacon or shrimp, pre-cooked
2 T soy sauce
8 T cooking oil


Heat oil in large frying pan.  Cook meat and mushrooms and onion for one minute.  Add rice, salt, pepper and soy sauce.  Crack in eggs and mix and cook until eggs are all cooked.  Stir-fry about 8 minutes.

from Karen Rynearson

Mock Gyros

1 lb lean ground beef
1 t curry powder (I use more)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 t sugar
1/4 t ginger
1 t salt


Mix all together.  Spread on large baking sheet with sides.  It takes about 1/2 the pan.  Meat will be 1/2 inch thick.

Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide and a few inches long.  We use a pizza wheel.

Fill a pita (or flour tortilla) with strips of the meat and:

chopped tomatoes
sliced cucumbers
thin cut red onion
ranch dressing or cucumber sauce

Cucumber sauce:

1/2 a cucumber, grated
16 oz sour cream
Hidden Valley Ranch powder, to taste

From Linda Heath

We love these!!

Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry with Fresh Vegetables

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  
  

• 10 ounces mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots (1/4-inch thick)
• 2 cups snow peas, stem and strings removed
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 
  

Directions

Print 

• Ready In
  40 m

1. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Juice the lemon and whisk 3 tablespoons of the juice with broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add snow peas, scallion whites, garlic and the reserved lemon zest. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add to the pan; cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and the chicken and any accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir-Fried Beef with Green Beans and Peanut Sauce

2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless beef top round, sliced paper-thin against the grain
8 fresh chives, minced
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 -inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 dried red chile
3/4 pound green beans, halved on the bias
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 strips orange peel
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped


Directions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch until foamy; season with salt and pepper. Add the beef and chives, toss to coat in the marinade and stick it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Pour the peanut oil in a large skillet or wok and place over high heat. When the oil is smoking hot, add 1/2 of the beef. (If you fry all the meat at once the oil temperature will drop and the beef will stew instead of crisp.) Fry for 2 minutes then remove to a paper towel to drain; repeat with the remaining beef. Very carefully drain all but 2 tablespoons of the hot oil into a safe container.
Stir-fry the ginger, garlic, green onions, and chile in the remaining oil until they perfume. Add the green beans; season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry the beans for 2 minutes until crisp-tender; remove from the pan. Mix the chicken broth with the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch to make a slurry and add it to the pan. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, peanut butter, and orange peel. Simmer until the sauce is thick, about 5 minutes. Return the beef and green beans to the pan, tossing to coat in the sauce. Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve with rice.

Oam Rice

4-5 cups cooked rice

Cook this with:
4 T butter
shredded carrots
diced celery
diced broccoli (optional)
a handful of spinach
2-3 T soy sauce
pepper
1/4 c grated zucchini (optional)
small diced meat, like ham (optional)

Stir fry around the pan on high to medium high for 6-10 minutes.

Mix 8 eggs and 3/4 c milk. Whisk together until all mixified.

Fry 1/2 cup of the egg mixture at a time on medium high for 1 minute on each side.

Put a scoop of the rice mixture on each "omlet" and fold over to serve.

Grilled Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

1 1/2 lb fresh or thawed mahi mahi fillets--about 3/4 to 1 inch thick
2 T molasses
2 t Soy sauce
2 t grated gingerroot
1/2 t minced garlc
1/2 t sesame oil or olive oil

Spray grill with non-stick cooking spray and pre-heat to medium.

Rinse fish and pat dry.  Cut fish into 4 serving sized pieces.

In small bowl, mix together molasses, soy sauce, genger, garlic and oil.

Grill fish for about 10 minutes, turning once.  Brush with marinade mixture the last 5 minutes of grilling.

Select fillets that are moist and firm and have a fresh scent.  Only store fresh fish 1-2 days.  Otherwise freeze it.

Apricot Chicken

18 chicken tenders or 6 breasts
1 8oz bottle of Russian or Western Dressing
1 c apricot jam
1 package dry onion soup mix

Mix the sauce stuff together.  Add chicken and coat well/ Put in baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Oven Roasted Turkey Breast with Latin Rub, Mixed Herbs and Pistachio Crust

1 6 to 8 lb turkey breast
1 cup Latin Spice (below)
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1/4 c chopped flat parsley
3 T chopped (lemon) thyme
1 T salt
1 T fresh pepper
1/2 c pistachios
1/2 c butter


Latin Spice
4 T garlic powder
4 T onion powder
2 T paprika
4 T chili powder
2 T cumin


Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

Place the butter, herbs, and pistachios in the food processor until smooth.

Place the herb butter mixture in between the skin and the flesh, covering the entire breast.

Season the outside with Latin spice.

Place in a roasting pan.  Bake 2 to 3 hours until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.

Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

We have done this on the breast of a whole turkey and it worked out great!

Greek Quinoa Salad

• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup minced red onion

• 4 ounces chopped feta cheese, or more to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, halved
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

You can also add pepperroni slices, basil, oregano, sugar, mushrooms, green onions and/or 

black olives to this recipe.  It also works with macaroni instead of Quinoa.  We love this!

Directions

Print 

• Prep
  15 m
• Cook
  15 m
• Ready In
  1 h 40 m

1. Bring broth and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix tomatoes, parsley, kalamata olives, onion, feta cheese, olive oil, vinegar, and garlic into quinoa. Squeeze lemon juice over quinoa salad, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Chill in refrigerator, 1 to 4 hours.

Quinoa Meatloaf

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions

Print 

• Prep
  30 m
• Cook
  50 m
• Ready In
  1 h 20 m

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
4. Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Hearty Tomato Bean Soup

1 c onion
1 c celery
1 T oil
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans tomato soup
2 cans kidney beans, drained
2 cans corn, undrained
1 c water
 2 t sugar
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t pepper


Cook onion and celery in oil.  Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil, Simmer at least 20 minutes.

Pulled Pork

4 pounds pork

24 oz root beer
36 oz BBQ sauce

Cook on low in crockpot 6-7 hours.

Drain and add some more BBQ sauce.

Pull and serve on buns.

Tempeh Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans

Serves 4 to 6

Tempeh absorbs the rich spices and coconut milk in this simply curry. Cook the rice and steam the tempeh while prepping your other ingredients and it will come together quickly.

Nutrition

Per serving: 510 calories (110 from fat), 12g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 90mg sodium, 80g total carbohydrate (13g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 24g protein

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups water
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon ground curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Bring rice and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer until liquid is completely absorbed and rice is just tender, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange steamer basket in a pot. Add enough water just to reach bottom of basket. Bring to a boil. Cut tempeh in half and place in the steamer basket. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and steam about 15 minutes or until tender. Remove tempeh and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut tempeh into 1/2-inch cubes.

Bring 1/2 cup broth to a simmer in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook 5 minutes or until onion is translucent and tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in curry and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, potatoes, tempeh and remaining 1 cup broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir in green beans and return to a simmer, uncovered. Cook about 5 minutes longer or until potatoes and green beans are tender. Stir in 3 tablespoons cilantro and salt. To serve, spoon curry over rice and garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro.

Macaroni and Cheese--Lucille Kerksiek Hansen, my grandmother

Cook elbow macaroni in boiling water until soft.  (This is not al dente people, or your finsihed product will be too dry.)  Cook the amount you need for the amount of people you need to feed. (A pound will feed about 8 people.)

Drain pasta and rinse in cold water.

Mix 1 part grated cheddar cheese to 2-3 parts macaroni.  Grandma says the amount of cheese used is of great importance in the taste of the final product.  The more cheese the better.

You can mix it directly in the baking pan.  Mix in salt and pepper to taste.

Pour in the milk (any percent milkfat you desire) until you can see the milk from the top.  You don't want to cover all the pasta, just to where you can start to see the milk.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes in a 9x13 or 1 hour 15 minutes in a deep pan.

You can cover it if you want a soft end-product or or leave it uncovered if you desire a crisy/crunchy top.


(And this is the best kind of recipe--no measurements)

Sweet Potato Burritos

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 teaspoons prepared mustard

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
• 12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Print 

• Prep
  15 m
• Cook
  25 m
• Ready In
  40 m

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet and saute onion and garlic until soft. Mash beans into the onion mixture. Gradually stir in water; heat until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce, chili powder, mustard, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the tortillas; top with cheese. Fold tortillas burrito-style around the fillings and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until warmed through, about 12 minutes.