Spinach Bars

I think this is an old Betty Crocker recipe from the 60's, that I took from a hand written index card in a recipe book that my wife had. This is the standard version of this recipe. 

There are many ways to add slight variations to this recipe, like adding garlic, mushrooms, red bell pepper, bacon bits, small amounts of different cheeses, but this standard recipe is excellent as it is.

Great for a potluck or tailgate party, breakfast side, or a grab and go snack. 

There are similar recipes that use 2 pkgs. of spinach and a whole pound of cheese. I think that is too much of both. I like to sauté the onions or mushrooms first, This removes some of the liquid in them, so your bars will not be too mushy.

Ingredients:

4 Tbs butter

3 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder 

8 oz cheddar cheese

1- 10 oz. pkg. frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed to remove liquid)    

1/4 cup minced onions

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

Melt butter and coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

In large bowl, beat eggs, stir in milk.

Stir in flour and baking powder until well blended. Stir in spinach and onion, then cheese. Stir all until blended.

Spoon into baking dish with melted butter. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cool 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

Can be served or at room temperature. 

You can substitute chopped, broccoli in place of spinach. 

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker

TicTock Pasta ?

TicToc Pasta ? I don't care about TicToc, and I don't care about most of the trends discovered there.

Okay, but, I had to try it. I think it would have been boring if not for my upgrades.

Would more than 3 ingredients overwhelm their attention span ?

I can't wait until they melt together, peanut butter and chocolate !  Whee !

Just a thought here, on my part.... Goat cheese, tomatoes and basil go really well together, Hmmm.....

Okay, so here is what I threw together for my "Baked Feta Pasta"

4 oz penne, or your favorite pasta

2  pints cherry tomatoes 

1  8oz block of Feta cheese

4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 dash red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves (minced)

2 Tbs grated parmesan

6  fresh basil leaves

salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400f.

In a medium baking dish, dump the tomatoes.

Drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.

Drop in the feta cheese block and turn to coat all in oil.

Prepare pasta, drain and keep warm.

Bake tomatoes and feta for about 30 minutes, until tomatoes have burst.

Remove from oven and add minced garlic, basil, and pasta.

Stir and add salt and pepper to taste.

Return to oven for 10 minutes longer to heat through. 

Remove from oven and serve.

Salmon Patties

Canned salmon is a great thing to keep on hand in the pantry. Most brands are harvested from the ocean and not farmed and it is processed soon after.

High in protein and vitamins. Much lower mercury levels than canned tuna as well. I do not like most farmed salmon. It tastes fishy, and I do not agree with the methods of farming.

Fresh, wild caught salmon from Alaska is so expensive, so this is a good alternative for some recipes.

A great substitute for recipes with canned tuna.

 

1 can pink salmon 14.75 Oz. (I like Bumble Bee)

1 egg

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup celery (split and finely-chopped)

1/4 cup onion (finely-chopped)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup panko crumbs, or (sub cornmeal for part)

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste. Butter and olive oil for frying.

On a plate, separate salmon, to remove skin and large bones from salmon pieces.

Stir in remaining ingredients. 

Add more mayo if too dry or panko crumbs if too moist.

Scoop golf ball sized portions and form into patties.

Brown in hot oil-butter blend. Flip and brown the other side. 

Serve with tartar sauce or blend of mayo and Dijon mustard.

Recommended optional add-ins:

Red or green pepper

Liquid smoke, paprika, parsley, Worcestershire sauce,

Parmesan cheese, celery seed.

BEEF STROGANOFF

This is usually something I will prepare when I have left-over beef steak or roast. You could also use ground beef as I have noted in the recipe. You don't need to use a full pound of meat. I have made this recipe using only a half pound. just cut the amount of noodles, if you want. Whether using steak, or hamburger, make sure it is well seasoned. There is a Greek seasoning that I would recommend for everybody to try. It is called, "Cavender's All Purpose Seasoning". This seasoning is great on beef and adds great flavor to this recipe. Sprinkle some on your steak before grilling and you will see what I mean.

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef sirloin, (or other steak) cooked and sliced thin, then cut in 1" pcs.
(you could also use hamburger, but steak is better) Duh !
1 med. onion, sliced and quartered
1 green pepper, julienned and cut into 2" pcs.
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2-3 cups egg noodles, (measured uncooked)
1/2 tsp. Cavender's seasoning or, salt and pepper to taste
    grated parmesan for topping (optional)

Directions:

Boil egg noodles until cooked al dente, drain, drizzle with just a small amount of olive oil to keep from sticking together, set aside and keep warm.
Slice onions, green pepper and mushrooms.
Heat butter in saucepan on med. heat. add onions and green peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
Then add garlic and mushrooms and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Stir in soup, sour cream, mustard and Worcestershire.
Fold in sliced beef and Cavender's seasoning.
Cook and stir until bubbly, adjust seasonings if needed.
Pour sauce over egg noodles and serve. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, if desired.