Recipes

[rodentraiser]

But not just any recipe. They have to be 5 ingredients or less, not including anything you would pick up in the spice aisle. And they have to be easy.

Hmmm, I'll start with cheesecake.

3 8oz packages of cream cheese (softened or you'll be sorry)

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

Throw everything together in a bowl and mix on low or medium until smooth and creamy. Dump into a 9" pie pan (I use two pre-baked pie crusts from the baking aisle) or springform pan. Don't forget to lick out the bowl. Bake @ 300° for 50 minutes. Let cool completely, then fridge for two hours before serving. Eat and enjoy. Not necessary to share with spouse and/or family.

With me, this serves 1. I have no idea how many calories it has, but I'm sure it's too many. Probably no nutritional value. For an even more decadent dessert, melt a little semi-sweet chocolate and add to mixed dough before baking.

[kat57]

Fruit Cobbler The Way Mom Taught Me-Yum!

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

2 cups fruit-if canned,drain off syrup/liquid-may need more than one can of fruit to make two drained cups. If using fresh berries,sweeten with sugar as desired.

1 stick margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees(Fahrenheit). Place stick of margarine in square glass oven-safe dish and put in oven to melt. Meanwhile,mix first 3 ingredients and a touch of cinnamon and salt in a bowl with a spoon,just to form a thin batter.

When oven is preheated and margarine has melted,take batter bowl to oven and carefully pour into dish over melted margarine. You may stir it together lightly,but not really necessary. Next,take 2 cups of fruit over to the oven and spoon fruit into dish,making sure it evenly covers the batter-But DO NOT stir it! Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour,until crust comes to the top and is golden brown. Ovens vary,so yours may take less time or longer. Great alone or served with ice cream or whipped topping!

[Stacey6163]

Snowball cakes

Melt one bag semi sweet chocolate chips and two sticks of butter over a simmering pan of water. Add

1 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. Salt, stir until dissolved , add 6 eggs stirring after each one. Mix in 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350° for 40 - 55 minutes. Top should be cracked and center still jiggley , cool to room temperature and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Scoop out portions and top with whipped cream

[havanaholly]

Breakfast Biscuits

1 Cup self-rising flour

3 Tbsps mayonnaise

1/3 cup milk (add this by tablespoonsful and stir in with a fork until your dough can be shaped with a rubber spatula)

With the spatula shape the dough into a fat log and cut into four equal pieces, place on a baking sheet/ biscuit pan sprayed with baking spray or lightly greased and bake in a 400-degree F preheated oven for 8 - 10 minutes. Serve with butter, honey, cane syrup, sausage patties or whatever else you like to put on your biscuits.

[rodentraiser]

Does it have to be self rising flour? I'd like to make those biscuits tomorrow and all I have is regular bread flour. I do have yeast, though.

OK, um, crock pot chicken. Note: if you want to present this chicken on a plate or eat the skin, forget it. Not if you're cooking it in the crock pot.

1 store bought chicken

Oranges, celery, whatever you want to stuff it with

Clean the yucky insides out of the chicken and wash and/or take the skin off if that's what you usually do. Spice it up however you like and stuff it with what you want. Then place the chicken breast-side down in a crock pot and cook on low for 9 to 10 hours. The chicken will make it's own water - seriously. I usually stuff a large chicken in a small crock pot and after about 5 - 6 hours, the water is almost up to the top of the crock pot and bubbling away.

You will have to use a couple spatulas to get your chicken out of the crock pot because a fork will just make it fall apart. If you pull at a leg on the chicken, you'll probably pull the bone clean out. If you left the skin on, it won't be edible, but you can peel it off very easily.

[chapchap73]

Here's a handy little calculator to make self rising flour if you don't have any

http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-self-rising-flour-substitute-29318

[havanaholly]

Does it have to be self rising flour? I'd like to make those biscuits tomorrow...

You said five ingredients or less, dear heart. I keep a bag of plain, unbleached flour around for pastry crusts, bread and dredging fish or chicken to oven fry.

Oven Fried Chicken

1/4 cup plain flour (or masa harina, if preferred; that's corn flour) + dash of salt (I like to use Tony Cachere's Cajun seasoning, but plain salt's OK) + fresh ground pepper to taste in a plastic bag.

Up to two peeled chicken quarters (dark or light meat, as preferred), jointed.

Place washed/ rinsed chicken pieces into the plastic bag and shake well to coat. Place on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with cookiing spray and place in a preheated 350-degree F oven. Bake for 15-30 minutes; turn the pieces over and bake for an additional 12-20 minuest, or until juices run clear when you stick the meat to the bone with a fork.

[Stacey6163]

I love cooking chicken in the crock pot, sooo good! Yesterday I made crock pot lasagna, it turned out perfectly, just layer everything like you normally would , but don't cook the noodles. I cooked it on high for just over three hours and it was the best batch I ever made! I will definitely be making it again.

[KathieB]

Does it have to be self rising flour? I'd like to make those biscuits tomorrow and all I have is regular bread flour. I do have yeast, though.

No need for yeast. Just add 1-1/4 tsp baking soda per cup of regular flour and a little salt. Even with these ingredients Holly's biscuit recipe has only 5 ingredients. Not sure how she's counting, I like the idea of mayo in the mix.

[Anna]

An easy pasta dish: serves two

A "small" (2dl) cup of creme fraîche (sour creme?) a pkg of saffron, 3-4 sundried tomates in oil diced, fresh (or dry) basil leaves shredded, either lean ham or turkey slices also diced, black pepper to taste (cheating with adding the black peppar in making it 5+1 ;) ). Put all the ingredients in a pan, let simmer until a golden yellow shade serve with pasta of your choice.

Quick and easy as the saffron creme takes about the same time it takes to cook the pasta.

Hugs

[Stacey6163]

Spices don't count, so you're good Anna

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

Grilled summer squash (yellow squash)

Slice squash lengthwise and marinate in Italian dressing for about 15-20 minutes. Grill for a total of about 15 minutes until done. (Lazy supper idea...)

[atodonnell]

Easy Taco Dip

1 pkg of shredded cheddar cheese

1 can of no bean chili

1 pkg of cream cheese or neufchatel cheese (less fat than cream cheese)

Side note: If you are using a large casserole dish, you might need more of the last two ingredients.

Spread the cream cheese along the bottom of your casserole dish. Try to make the layer as even as possible. It can help if you take the package of cream cheese out to soften before spreading it in the dish. Next, spread the no bean chili on top of the cream cheese, making this layer as even as possible. Lastly, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top in an even layer, using as much as you like. Cook in the microwave until the shredded cheese has melted and the chili bubbles. Depending on how thick the layers are and the microwave, this can take from 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve with taco chips. It is so good. Every time we have a carry in at work, this is my quick go to.

[kat57]

Fried Salmon Patties

I large can salmon,(not the little tuna can size.) drained and flaked apart finely with a fork in a good size bowl.

Add a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a teaspoon or so of bottled lemon juice and stir in with the fork.

Add about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped onion-I like to saute mine first,but it can be added raw. Mix in well. Stir in 1 egg,well beaten-the egg size doesn't matter much,I usually use medium ones myself. At this point add a shake or 2 of Salt and Pepper and/or any of your favorite herbs or spices-I like dry basil,rosemary,etc. Not necessary,as they are great with just good old S. and P.! To this wet mixture,add enough cornmeal OR cornmeal mix (I use whatever I have on hand) to make a consistency that sticks together in a patty form. I don't really measure this part,but try a 1/4 cup of meal and add to it until you can form a patty,by hand,that doesn't fall apart. My patties are probably about 3"x3",palm sized,and maybe 1/2" thick. Just don't make them real big or thick-they will fall apart on you! I like to rotate them in between my palms,sculpting with my thumbs until the edges are smooth and uniform-anything ragged won't do well in the frying pan.

At this point,I like to put my well-formed patties on a plate and refrigerate for a few minutes-20 to 30. They seem to firm up just enough that they fry up better. This step is not necessary,though,if you are in a hurry to get supper on the table. Then I just heat up a thin layer of my cooking oil of choice in a small cast iron frying pan-any kind of pan will do-and fry the patties,2 to 3 at a time,until golden brown on both sides,using an egg turner to flip once or twice to get them evenly browned. You can eat them as is,with ketchup or tartar sauce,or in a bun-a kid favorite! I guess I love these so much because I grew up with them. I hope y'all will try them!

[Stacey6163]

One of my favorites Kat! I like to make a batch of creamed potatoes to go with them, yum!!

[rodentraiser]

I'm thinking that water shouldn't be considered an ingredient either. But milk counts.

I don't have baking powder either. Ah, well. *goes to add baking powder and baking soda to list*

[havanaholly]

Or just invest in a small bag of self-rising flour. No, Kathie, no one ever accused me of being able to count; when I cook I just grab things out of the pantry or fridge until whatever it is is made.

I like to take a hefty pinch or two of saffron and stir it into a tablespoon of yogurt and add it to rice; it makes the most gorgeous color!

[me-barbie]

"Goopy Gorp"

Basically this is a poor man's version of Beef Stroganoff. Comfort food from my childhood (when we didn't have a lot of money)

1 can mushroom soup

1 pkg lean ground beef

1 pkg spiral egg noodles

Cook pasta, brown and drain beef. Combine beef, noodles and soup with garlic, salt, pepper and parsley and heat thru. Enjoy with childhood memories.

[Selkie]

I've never used self rising flour in all my life. Always wondered about it but never dared to try it.

So, similar to Barbaras meal, we make one we call hamburger crumble.

It can be served over potato, toast, noodles or rice.

Brown 1 lb hamburg - do not drain. Leave in the fry pan.

Sprinkle a few spoonful of regular unbleached flour over the top and stir in.

This creates the roux effect right in the hamburg using the hamburg fat instead of any other fat like butter or oil.

Add milk or cream, stir until smooth and heat to bubbling to create the sauce.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot

[KathieB]

Mmm, salmon patties. Love 'em and haven't had 'em in years. Thanks for the memory jog, Kat. In our house, they were usually paired with creamed green peas and buttered boiled potatoes sprinkled with fresh parsley.

[Stacey6163]

Another one of my favorite meals Selkie, hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes, mmm, mmm good I do the same using sausage too with a batch of fresh biscuits.

[Selkie]

Yup, same here with the sausage gravy and biscuits.

Kinda funny about these since I'm a vegetarian but the rest of my family is not.

[Soapz]

Well, I guess this is the palce to share the 1-2-3 one-for all dough

3 parts flour

2 parts sugar

1 part butter

Back home we use this dough for everything from pies to cookies.

For a 'German' apple pie: Use the dough, cut up some apples - dust them with cinnamon and sugar, add some raisins and almonds - put it all in a pie pan - 30 min in the oven - nice warm apple pie: Goes absolutely great with fresh whipped cream. We also use tart plums (the small purple ones) and any left-over dough makes a good crumble if you add some more sugar.

For cookies: we make several variations: Add pure cocoa to it for cocoa cookies, chococolate chips for chocolate chip cookies, or almond or walnuts, or pecans - and then dip them in chocolate - or glue them together with somered currant jelly - we make those cookies at Christmas - a 'good' German house-wife makes a few hundred cookies around that time to give away and have them for 'Sunday' coffee/tea time. My mom still makes around 1500 each year.

[Lisa_F]

Thanks for the Fried Salmon Patties recipe Kat! DH ran across a good sale & purchased several cans of salmon some time ago & I wasn't sure what to do with them - but this sounds like it would be really yummy & I just happen to have all the ingredients on hand!

[Cheverly]

Grilled summer squash (yellow squash)

Slice squash lengthwise and marinate in Italian dressing for about 15-20 minutes. Grill for a total of about 15 minutes until done. (Lazy supper idea...)

Just pay attention if you're using a mandolin slicer or you'll wind up with a bandage on your thumb and at the local mexican food restaurant for dinner because your husband refuses to eat "thumb squash" (ask me how I know)...

"Healthy" Fettucini Alfredo Sauce

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

garlic cloves to taste

2 tbsp Chicken broth (or you can use water in a pinch)

Salt & pepper

Dump everything into the blender and mix until smooth. I love to roast red bell peppers, and then toss them in a bowl with the sauce, grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and fettucini noodles. So good!