Ravioli With Spinach or Meat Filling

Ingredients for Spinach Filling:
1 cup tomato, peeled and seeded
1 small onion
1 cup mushrooms
2 tsp garlic minced
1 package frozen spinach well drained
1/4 cup cottage cheese
2 tsp basil
2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
salt and pepper to taste


Combine tomato, onion, mushroom and garlic. Cook over medium heat until liquid from mushrooms evaporates and mixture is somewhat dry.
Let cool, then combine tomato mixture with spinach, cottage cheese, basil and salt & pepper.
Blend mixture in food processor.

Ingredients for Meat Filling:
1/2 lb ground beef
1 large onion
2 tsp garlic minced
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic.
Remove juices, stir in egg, salt and Parmesan Cheese
Let cool before filling ravioli

Igredients for Dough:

4 cups Flour
4 Eggs
3/4 cup Water
1/2 tsp Salt

In a large bowl mix flour and salt I, mix mine on the kitchen counter
Make a well in the middle of the flour.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing slightly after each addition.
Gradually add about 6 tablespoons cold water.
Mix well to make a stiff dough.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic about 5-8 minutes..


Divide dough into 2 halves.
Roll each halve of the dough out on a floured board, into a very thin sheet (about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick)..
Drop about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls of filling about 1 1/2 inches apart all along the dough.
When the sheet of dough is fully dotted with dabs of filling mixture, cover filling with other sheet of dough.

Using your fingers, gently press dough between each dab of filling to seal it.
Cut ravioli into squares with a pastry/pizza cutter, or very sharp knife.

Let Ravioli dry for 1 hour before cooking (If freezing place on cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen place in ziplock bags).
To cook fresh ravioli bring 7 quarts of water to boil with 2 tablespoons salt, gradually add the fresh Ravioli. Boil rapidly uncovered about 20 minutes or until tender.

Serve with your favorite sauce. you can alternate the layers of ravioli with your sauce. Add some grated cheese for extra flavor.

Oatmeal To Go-Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

4 cups Quick Oatmeal
2 cups Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 Eggs
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Pat down in a greased 9x11 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Bars will harden as it cools, cut into squares or bars.

Comment:
These are excellent for a quick bite/snack. My husband said, mmmm these are good.

Cinnamon Twists

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup cold butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg beaten
1 cup sugar
4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven 350 degree F.
Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl; cut in butter until crumbly.
Stir in milk and egg.
Divide into three portions; shape each portion into a ball.
Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle a third over a pastry board or a surface. Roll one ball into a 12-in. circle (like you are making a pizza); cut into 12 wedges (pizza slices).
Roll up from outer edge to point. Repeat with the remaining dough and cinnamon-sugar.
Place rolls with point side down on a lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yeild: 36

Pita Bread

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
2-1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter

Preheat oven 450 degrees F
Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar.
Add the oil or butter and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon.
If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.
Knead dough approximately 10 minutes.
Place dough in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil, cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes.
After dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick - 6 inches in diameter.
Place pitas on lightly greased baking sheet (I use my baking stone) and let rise uncovered until barely doubled in thickness, 30-45 mins.
Place in oven 450 degree, pitas should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes.

Yield: 8 pitas

Comments:
Key to making pita is: do not roll them too thin, otherwise they won't rise in oven. If to thin then you can't slice them open to stuff with your likings.

Hamburger Buns

Ingredients
1 cup water
2 tablespoons margarine
1 egg
3 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp onion powder (optional)
1/2 tsp dried onion (optional)

Mix and knead the dough by hand, mixer or in a bread machine set on the dough cycle until you’ve made a soft, smooth dough.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it and let it rise for 1 hour.
Gently deflate the dough and divide into 8 pieces.
Shape into buns, place on a lightly greased pan and allow to rise 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy.

Bake at 375 degree F for approx 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.

makes 8 hamburger buns
you could aslo shape dough into hotdog buns.

Tortillas

Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. Salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil or shortening
1 cup warm water

Directions:

Combine the flour, salt, and shortening in a large bowl and mix together until crumbly, as for pie dough.
Add water and mix until you can gather the dough into a ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

To form the tortillas, divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion between the palms of your hands to make a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into an 8 inch circle.

To cook the tortillas, heat a heavy skillet over medium/high heat.
Place a tortilla in the pan and cook for 30 seconds.Turn and cook on the other side until slightly puffed and speckled brown on the underside but still soft enough to fold, about 30 second

Remove and continue until all the tortillas are cooked, stacking them as you go.
Serve right away or cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Comments:
I place my tortillas into a plastic bag immediately after cooking, this keeps them nice and soft.

Perishky

Ingredients for Meat Filling
1 lbs ground beef
1 onions, chopped
1/2 package onion soup mix
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Brown ground beef over medium heat in large skillet, breaking up with the spoon while cooking.
Drain…add onions and cook for a few more minutes.
Stir in onion soup mix and mushroom soup and heat through.
Allow mixture to cool completely

Ingredients for Dough
1 Tablespoons yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water

2 cups warm water
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup oil
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 Tablespoon salt
6 cups flour

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
Dissolve sugar and yeast in lukewarm water (first 3 ingredients) and let stand 10 minutes.

Combine water, sugar, salt, oil and margarine…add beaten eggs.

Stir in softened yeast and beat in half the flour.
Continue to add flour until dough leaves sides of pan.
Knead until smooth and elastic.
Allow to rise until doubled in size, then punch down and form meat buns.
Pinch off balls of dough about the size of an egg, flatten into about a 3-inch circle and place a spoonful of filling on the center.
Bring the edges of the dough up and around the filling, and pinch together tightly to seal edges.
Place pinched side down on a greased baking sheet.
Cover and allow to rise in a warm place.
Bake at 375 degrees F. for about 20 minutes, or until golden.

Comments:
I also made these with potato and onion filling.
Cook 8-10 potatoes and mash.
Fry 1 onion and add to mashed potatoes.
Add some bacon bits/pieces for extra flavor.
Salt/Pepper to taste.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
In a bowl cream butter, brown sugar and sugar until smooth about 4-5 minutes
Beat in the eggs 1at a time, then stir in vanilla
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl
Stir in the creamed mixture until just blended
Mix in the the quick oats chocolate chips
Drop onto ungreased baking sheet
Bake for 12 minutes

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Ingredients:

A variety of vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.)
Your choice of seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, etc.)
Water

Place vegetables and seasonings in a large pot, and cover with water.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour.
Then, strain out the vegetables, and your broth is ready for use.

Tips:

Tomatoes - acidity and color
Mushrooms - meatiness

Carrots, corn - sweetness
Potatoes - body

Cabbage, celery, broccoli, green beans - earthinessOnions, garlic - a slight spiciness

Vegetable scraps and peels make great broth. Keep a container in your freezer for all those odds and ends, and you'll always have the makings for cheap and tasty vegetable broth.

Freeze broth in ice cube trays; then pull out cubes when you need them. Two cubes equal a quarter cup of broth.

Boterkoek (dutch buttercake)

Ingredients

2/3 cup margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten (reserve 1 tsp)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

vanilla can be substituted with almond extract.

In a medium bowl, mix together butter, sugar and vanilla extract.
Add beaten egg except for 1 teaspoon.
Sift flour and baking powder, and add to bowl, mixing with wet ingredients.
Put dough in greased 9 inch pie plate.
Mix the reserved 1 tsp of beaten egg with 1 tsp of water, and brush over dough.
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until done (firm to the touch).
This is a dense cake, but should be soft on the inside and hard on the outside, but not too hard!

Easy Bread Machine Bread

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 1/4 tsp active yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place the water, sugar and yeast bread maker.
Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes.
Add the oil, flour and salt.
Select Basic or White Bread setting for 2lb loaf, and press Start.

Comment:
I like to add a little italian spice before the kneading is done.
Fast active yeast seems to make the bread less dense, nice and fluffy like store bought bread.

Italian Bread with Garlic Butter

Italian Bread
Ingredients
7 cups flour
1 tbsp salt
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups water (110 degrees)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In large mixer bowl, combine flour and salt.
• In another bowl combine water and yeast let sit for 10 minutes.
• Slowly add the dry mixture, stir until flour makes a very stiff dough.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and very elastic (15-25 minutes).
• Shape into a ball, place dough in lightly oiled bowl turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with cloth and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.(Good time to make Garlic Butter)
• Punch down and turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough in half, cover with bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll each half into a rectangle approximately 15x12 inch.
• Beginning at the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up tightly, sealing as you roll.
• Taper the ends of the loaf.
• Grease 2 baking sheets or sprinkle with flour.
• Place each loaf diagonally seam side down, on baking sheets.
• Make diagonal cuts 2 ½ inches apart (1/8 to ¼ inch deep) on the tops of the loaves.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place till double (about 20-45 minutes).
• Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, I brushed the top with some water to give nice brown crust.
• Bake 20 minutes longer.
• Cool on a rack.
• Once Bread is done cut open spread on Garlic Butter and reheat at 375 degrees for 10 minutes

Garlic Butter
Ingredients
1/2 cup Margarine
1/4 tsp Italian Spice
1 Tbsp Garlic Minced
1 tsp Garlic Powder

• Cream all ingredients together
• Can be made the night before
• Use at room temperature

Comments:
My eldest son say "this is better than store bought"

Apple Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients

2 Eggs
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Oil
1/2 cup Apple, grated
1/2 cup Zucchini, grated
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
In a large bowl combine eggs, brown sugar and oil
Add zucchini and apple, mix until well combined
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix until just blended
Evenly divide batter into 12 lightly greased muffin cups
Bake for 20-25 minutes
Carefully remove and let cool for 5 minutes

Rainbow/Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 cup Oil
1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Milk
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 Egg
1 1/2 cup Rainbow/Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside
Cream oil, sugar, milk and vanilla in a seperate bowl
Blend until creamy then blend in egg
Add flour mixture gradually
Add rainbow/chocolate chips
Drop by the spoonful 3" apart, I like to flatten my cookies slightly
Bake for 10 minutes for chewy cookies, 13 minutes for crunchy cookies